Hello, World!

Yikes, life has been busy busy busy!

Not that it excuses me for completely failing to update.

D's birthday has come & gone. 7/5. We had a BBQ at the park on the fourth and that served as a 4th of July/birthday party. We got cheesecake because he's not a big cake person. I got him little toys: a car mp3 player and some other miscellaneous stuff. He really wanted a book reader, and I was planning on getting him one, but his brother, PS, gave him an itouch which is now his favorite toy ever and his book reader.

D and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary 7/22. I got him a useless electronic toy (a tablet mouse, because I knew he wanted one but couldn't justify its purchase). He got me a few things: a beautiful charm bracelet with charms for our patron saints and our sons' patron saints, a lovely kinetic watch, and a new ruby for my wedding band.

I'm not a big fan of diamonds (too bland, overpriced, and bought off the exploitation of so many people), so my wedding band has always been a ruby (red is my favorite color & his birthstone), but when we were first married, we didn't have the money for anything more than a tiny little stone. It's beautiful, but we're upgrading a little. The original stone will be going in a pendant necklace that we've had (waiting for it) for about a year. (I'll update with photos when I have the ring with the new stone in it).

We've also starting the formal homestudy course for Couple-to-Couple league Sympto-thermal Natural Family Planning. It actually isn't as confusing as I'd expected... except for one thing: being postpartum means I haven't had a menstrual cycle yet, so everything is a bit up-in-the-air still. I have to be incredibly diligent and cautious about my notations. So far, so good. And they have us set up with a personal guidance counselor of sorts for the program, so that helps, and I get the feeling it will help a LOT over time. I'm really really feeling positive about it, actually.

I think that catches you up on us... Another post on the babies to come!

Another Late Wednesday Wish List

1. To my son, N, I know you find my bouquets fascinating and beautiful. Pulling them apart and bringing them to me is not the best way to indicate this. Nor is tearing the petals from the flowers. Please don't make me put them all out of reach. I like my little end table bouquets.

2. Wishing for a nap. Wishing ardently for a nap.

3. Monday is the hub's birthday. Please let all go well.

4. Belly be gone! This baby belly is just hanging on. I don't care so much about numbers. My weight is actually at a healthy number. It's the fact that it's all fat and none muscle right now that's bothering me. Trying to get some abdominal workouts in. Please, I'd really like to see some changes!

Fresh Fruit!

mmmmmMMMMMmmmmm.... I love when fruit starts to come ripe, and this summer, the hubs and I brought the boys down to visit Grandma E & pick some strawberries & cherries! Yummers!

We now have 3 gallons of strawberries (went through about 3/4 gal already). We ate the cherries and have our own strawberry, blueberry (not ripe yet), and raspberry plants producing! Yummy yummy!

I have noticed one slight problem though...

Some of the strawberries are planted on the side yard, which is at the end of our row in our complex. Meaning, other renters walk by there frequently, and we've noticed that they've been picking the strawberries. Since we have gallons of strawberries, we haven't been worrying too much about it, but we also have 3 tomato plants, basil, and a blueberry bush over there. The family that we know is picking (it's a very small complex w/only 3 other apartments) doesn't really speak English, and we don't want to be rude... We'd be fine with them picking if they'd asked, or if they were helping to maintain (ie, water and weed), but they're just grabbing berries when they go by. How does one politely indicate that this is an issue? I don't mind sharing, really, but I'm worried we won't get any of the blueberries... There are very few because it's a baby bush... :-/

Advice? Am I just being stingy?