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I seriously have the best husband in the whole wide world. How do I love him....let me count the ways.....

• He's the most amazing man I have ever met. Ever.
• He is my best friend.
• He is so handsome....he still gives me butterflies in my tummy.
• He is so smart. It makes my head hurt all that he knows and can do.
• He makes me laugh, and smile....every day.
• He works so hard, day after day, and never complains.
• He's a great Daddy and I love to watch he and Anna together.
• He is so skilled - at building things, fixing things, figuring things out.
• He's just him....and I love him.

That's my sappiness for today. I'm a lucky girl. :)

The fire sprinklers are in - YEAH!!!
The heater went out - BOO!!!
It's 51 Degrees in our house - BOO!!!
I'm really COLD - BOO!!!!
(Do you detect a theme here....?)

I'm trying to think of more "Yeah!!!"s, because I'm generally a "glass is half full" kind of girl - but after 24 hours of sub-human temps in the house, I think my brain is frozen. I'll get back to you on that.

Our friend (and, coincidentally, architect and next door neighbor) did a VERY cool 3D rendering of what our house looks like from the outside now, with the new addition. Our house used to consist only of the garage in the front, and the house section immediately perpendicular to that (kind of an "L" shape using the garage and the house). Everything behind and above that has been added in the new addition. Gee - no wonder we're tired!

Curtis has defended Rigby's honor for several years, but I finally got to put an outfit on him. I think it was the vague Simpson's reference that made him cave. Next year, I want to get Kodi one that says "Santa's BIG Helper" and take a shot of the two of them together.

Let me set the scene. It's the day after Christmas. Our muscles ache from the amount of sheer physical strength it took to even OPEN all of the gifts that Anna got, let alone load them into the car to come home (in fact, not all of them would fit in one trip). They cover every surface in the house....and she wakes me up with this, this morning:

Mommy, can we go to Toys R Us today to pick out a surprise because I was SUCH a trooper during Christmas yesterday?

I laughed at her. Hard. She did not seem to share the joke.

By an almost 4 year old. But what else is new?

Tonight, we were having steak for dinner - usually Anna's favorite. Curtis had spent quite a bit of time making a GREAT dinner. Well, as luck would have it, Anna decided that she didn't want steak. And kept saying how yucky it was. Over and over. And over. And over.

So, I told her that it really hurts people's feeling if you say unkind things about something that they worked very hard to make for you.

"Yes, but it is still yucky," she replied. *sigh*

So, I tried a little analogy. I said, "What if you spent a very long time making a pretty picture for Daddy? And after all of your hard work, you gave it to him, and he said "I don't like that." How would that make YOU feel?"

She looked at me earnestly and replied, "I would draw him a new picture of something that he LIKED instead."

Again.....we both had to work hard not to crack up. She is so darned smart. :)

The tummy bug, that has apparently been making the rounds, has come to visit us too. High fever, upset tummy and a wispy little girl. Poor angel. It's such a bummer when they're sick. It is, however, a fantastic excuse to buy her surprises. Then again - when have I ever needed an excuse. Send get well wishes for the Boo-bear!!!

Our [INSERT VULGAR EUPHAMISIM FOR SEXUAL RELATIONS HERE] water meter inspection...you know - the one that was signed off and PASSED last week??? - has now been UNPASSED!!! How is that even [INSERT VULGAR EUPHAMISIM FOR SEXUAL RELATIONS HERE] possible!!?? Grrr.....

We took a break for awhile, but Anna really seemed to miss it, so we just started up again. New studio this time. She's loving it. And it's so much fun to watch her.

It's still there. That's about all I can report.

Seriously, we're making progress....slowly but surely. Right now we're working on finishing all of the systems that need to be done before the walls can be closed in: electrical (90% complete), plumbing (50% complete), HVAC (25% complete), fire sprinklers (20% complete).

We made it past one MAJOR hurdle, which was the water meter for the fire sprinkler. It was a nightmare to figure out. Since what they were requiring of us was a little sketchy, and unconventional, everybody and their mother had a different opinion about how it should be done....including the inspector the first time he came out. (For the record, it has not escaped my attention that we always complete this kind of project JUST in time to call for an inspection after Curtis has to go back to work. *I* am the one who has to look the inspector in the eye when he balls be out about what we did wrong and what is screwed up. I'm on to you, Sweetie. ) Anyway, 3 quotes, one big ass trench up the neighbor's lawn, 8 hours for me at various suppliers and talking to inumerable "experts" and plumbing parts supply houses, and one brilliant husband and two great friends later....it was "creatively engineered" enough to get past the inspector. Whoo hoooo!!!!




My boy...the SUPERVISOR.

We had a LOT to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Especially since we got to spend it in Colorado visiting Grandpa, Grandma Patsy & Uncle Will. We got 10 whole days to just hang out and visit. It was great. We really miss living closer to them. I'm a little freaked out that Will isn't a KID anymore...but time flies. As long as Anna never grows up, we should be just fine. It was so awesome to be there.....we miss them again already.


I guess the rest of opur pics are still on the other computer. I'll try to get them up one of these days.

Work with me here, kiddo. You're killing me here, kiddo.

This is Anna's favorite thing to tell us when she isn't getting what she wants.

Mommy, do you have a baby in your tummy? (For the record, I DO NOT!). And where do babies come out of after they are done being in your tummy?

I kindly deferred this question to 'Daddy', since Anna and I were having this conversation rather loudly while shopping and I could hear the snickers several aisles away.

EWWW! He has GIRL hair! Why does that BOY have GIRL hair!

Shrieked to me in Lowes when a guy with a pony tail came down our aisle.

That sign says S-T-O-P....stop. But Daddy is not a very good listener. He just pushes that sign right out of the way every time. He doesn't stop.

What Anna informed me while we were in Home Depot passing an aisle closed by one of the safety gates that they use when operating a fork lift on an isle. Again....I could hear the snickers.

Work with me here, kiddo. You're killing me here, kiddo.

This is Anna's favorite thing to tell us when she isn't getting what she wants.

Mommy, do you have a baby in your tummy? (For the record, I DO NOT!). And where do babied come out of after they are done being in your tummy?

I kindly deferred this question to 'Daddy', since Anna and I were having this conversation rather loudly while shopping and I could hear the snickers several isles away.

EWWW! He has GIRL hair! Why does that BOY have GIRL hair!

Shrieked to me in Lowes when a guy with a pony tail came down our aisle.

That sign says S-T-O-P....stop. But Daddy is not a very good listener. He just pushes that sign right out of the way every time. He doesn't stop.

What Anna informed me while we were in HOme Depot passing an isle closed by one of the safety gates that they use when operating a fork lift on an isle. Again....I could hear the snickers.

Yeah - you probably think you know where this is headed, and it can't be good, right? Ummm....yeah....you're right. The following conversation took place at our dinner table last night.

CURTIS: Finish your dinner. It's bedtime soon.
ANNA: I don't want to go to bed. Can I take a bath instead?
BEK: Nope - it's getting late. Bedtime.
Anna pauses thoughtfully. Curtis and I resume conversation.
ANNA: Hey! Smell my thumb!
Curtis and I exchange wary gazes.
BEK: Why....?
ANNA: Just because. Smell it!
BEK: (Smells thumb.) OK - what does it smell like.
ANNA: Does it smell like I need to take a bath?
CURTIS: Why....?
ANNA: (In a very proud voice) Becuase I just picked my bottom with it!
There is a stretching silence now, because at this point, Curtis and I realize that it is vitally important that we remain composed and DO NOT LAUGH, but we're both struggling. In the stretching silence, Anna adds in a tiny little voice...
ANNA: Should I wash my hands now?
CURTIS & BEK: YES!!!

We've been too busy living life to blog about it - so I'll try to catch up a little. Because, afterall, this is what MOST normal people do at 1am on a school night, when there is a big pile of work to be done, right?