Gifting

(I think this one turned out pretty cute if I do say so)

I feel like such a dud when it comes to coming up with birthday gifts for my husband. Now that we aren't students anymore (and still by no means wealthy mind you) we mostly can afford to buy what we need, so we mostly have what we need. And my husband works a lot so he doesn't have much time for hobbies, and I hate buying stuff just for the sake of buying it...you know what I mean?

Every year I plan on trying to do something creative and meaningful, but I never quite pull it off in time. I'd love to surprise him with a fun trip, but he can barely make it home for dinner most nights so stealing him away (even for a weekend) seems out of reach. Now that we have kids I usually try and give him a current photo of the kids, but even that is getting a little predictable.

I feel like since the point of birthdays is to celebrate the person, gifts should kind of reflect that... and I don't think that means you have to buy something--in fact made gifts or gifts of service often are much more meaningful. But I am out of ideas! And I don't want to be like, "Glad you were born...here's some new socks."

Here's what we ended up doing:
I took that photo above (thank you pinterest for the idea) and framed it along with shots of each kid (which were blurrry-ish and not great because I did them in a big hurry the morning of his birthday).
I made this lasagna (a tradition carried over from Trav's mom) It really is good.
We got balloons (at Avery insistence)
We got a cheesecake from Costco (I usually bake a cake but Avery really wanted that one)
And I got him a pizza stone, which seems thoughtful because we have been trying to recreate our favorite pizza (minus the 2000 lb stone pizza oven) at home. But really we already had a Terracotta tile we had been using that cost a few bucks at Home Depot, so we really didn't need a pizza stone.

(Avery "decorated" this one)

Also...I had planned on cleaning the whole house so it was sparkly, because frankly that is the thing that would make him the happiest, but I just couldn't get it done. Dud.

So there you go. I think he was perfectly happy with the festivities. He gets way more joy out of watching the kids be excited about the whole thing. Avery painted him a picture and waited all day for the "party".

But with Christmas on the horizon I am determined to give a gift I am proud of!
(And for the reccord...because we were spending so much money on the house last year we agreed to just skip gifts for each other on our birthdays and Christmas and it was just sad so I want to make up for it this year.)

Help?

How do you celebrate your spouse on their birthday? What are you getting them for Christmas?

Please and Thanks!

Hearts Love & Zach Braff

I am just getting around to making some Valentine's Day decorations. I am trying to just think of it as being early for next year instead of late for this year. Inspiration here.

With Valentine's Day almost here, I have been thinking a bit about love. I have kind of mixed feelings about the day. Hearts and frill and Valentines are fun, but the notion of forced romance and all the commercials for Zale's heart and diamond pendants get a little old. I don't know.

I think the most important lesson I ever learned about love was taught to me by Zach Braff in a movie. In the story he is married with his first baby on the way. He is freaking out a little and is seduced into being unfaithful to his wife. He ends up telling her and in anger she flees to her parents home. He realizes what a mistake he's made and that all he wants is is wife so he goes after her to plead forgiveness.

When he gets to her parents house, his father in law asks him why she should take him back, and he tries to explain that , "she is perfect for me and amazing and everything I need" and that he, "loves her so so much!"

The wise father in law tells him this (roughly), "Love is a selfish emotion. Its all about how somebody else makes you feel. All that really matters is what you do-- your actions towards the people you love are what count...not how great they make you feel."

While I'd certainly never turn down a bouquet of flowers on Valentines Day, what really lets me know I am loved are the things my husband does for me (and our family) on a daily basis. Putting in long hours in school in order to get job where he could provide for us. Getting up every day and going to that job, never complaining. And how he got up with our daughter early this morning so I could sleep a little longer.

He's kind, he's unwavering in his affection, and he always tries to give me what he thinks I need. I couldn't ask for more.

I'm lucky and thankful.

And trying to be a little more like him this Valentine's Day.

Plumbing

Our disposal was having some problems, so while Trav was fixing the plumbing...

Avery helped out by supplying the crack.

Some girls get flowers

My sweetie brought home a dozen of these instead--

My favorite.

Ice cold-- and so much more romantic...

I mean they are from Italy after all.

party people

So my husband will often call me from work and ask if I want to have a party that night. He's a very festive person.

"Want to have a basketball playoffs party tonight?"

See the trick is, when he asks me if I want to have a party, it usually involves doing something that I might not otherwise be exactly thrilled to participate in. We have lots of watching-sporting-events parties, occasional movies-I-don't-really-want-to-see parties, and a few boring chore like cleaning-up-the-boxes-in-the-basement parties (they aren't all about TV).

So what sets these party events apart from our regular time wasting evening activities you ask?

Well besides a sparkling attitude, it's mostly the treats.

Because who can turn down an offer for fun and treats? You'd have to be a communist.

Last night, at Trav's request, it was tuna melts and Banana splits (mine was mostly bananas and strawberries in a banana split dish...but still, I got to justify the owning of another set of cute, but taking-up-lots-of-cupboard-space dishes my husband doesn't quite understand the purpose of...he does now).

And calling it a party invites magical good energy to fill up your home. Like last night when Kansas beat Memphis in overtime, and in turn Travis won his March madness office pool (OK so he kind of already knew he was going to win before the game because he had more points then everyone else--hence the reason for the party--but I'm making a point here), and now we are going to buy something fabulous with the money. (See...sometimes gambling does pay off). It's serendipity baby. Or the Secret.

Either way, I think tonight we'll have a pack-our-bag-for-the-hospital, talk-about-baby-names, and pick-a-baby-photographer party.

Now what to make for treats?

Like father like daughter

I've noticed that Trav sleeps this way most of the time,
and in almost every single ultrasound picture we have of our baby...she is doing the same thing. Too funny.

(he was pretty mad at me when the flash went off this morning at 6 am)

And just for fun...here's me this morning, wet hair and all. 35 Weeks today!

(I have to take pictures of myself because Trav has been working pretty late these days)

It must be true love

Hope you had a sweet Valentines Day too.

super, man

So this is my husband. His name is Travis, and he is the best husband in the whole world.



He is an attorney at a big fancy law firm...which is hard. See his name is even on his door. Which is big stuff. Big stuff people!




He has a swanky office, with a fabulous view. See:


But the best thing about my husband is after a long day of saying things like, "torts" and "due diligence", and writing pages and pages of legal documents, he very often does the following:

Makes 11 stops to buy me things like smoothies (an assortment so they would last a few days), waits in line to pick up my less-puking medicine, browses through the aisles to find me all kinds of other embarrassing unmentionable pregnancy relief related products, and then goes to the video store so I will have something entertaining to do while lying on the couch all day. What a guy.

But that's not all.

Then when he gets home he proceeds to clean up all the messes I have made during the day. Does the laundry so he will have some clean undies to wear to work, and then cooks me big pots of things like this:


so I will have something healthy to eat.

Oh and he tells me he thinks I am pretty.

...even when I smell a little like puke.