39.

We didn't get to celebrate Corey's birthday with him this year. 

He spent it with a guy named Bob. =) 

He left at 5:45 in the morning and didn't get home until 5:00 the following day. 

The Parks Dept. had to work from 10:00 pm to 12:30 am Thursday night/Friday morning. 

Times like this, the hour commute is a problem. 

Luckily, his co-worker, Bob, was nice enough to offer him an extra bedroom... a steak dinner... a pool table... juke box with vinyl... I'm a little worried he's going to start spending more time with Bob, actually. 

There were three pretty excited kids when we finally got to see him the next day... 

Peanut butter cookies... creme horns... granola bars... maple nut goodies... just a few of his favorite things.

We sure do like this guy.
We like him an awful lot.

And I have plans to celebrate this guy big time next year out on the farm. Unless we're not built/living out at the farm yet at this time next year. Then we'll just pretend that he's turning 39 again. He just might be okay with that. =)

cow visit.

Clearly we need to work on Gretchen's farm wardrobe a bit...

comments.

I'm apologizing now.
I had to add the word verification thing on my comments.
I've been getting crazy amounts of spam comments lately.
I have no idea why.
I don't love the word verification thing, but I'm hoping that if I use if for awhile, then I can go back to not having it.
I know it's a pain when you try to comment, though.
But I do love your comments.
So bear with me for awhile. =)

happy mail.

Some people don't understand blogging. 

They don't understand why I share so much about our family... on the internet... for anyone to read. 

Honestly, when I started this blog (back in 2007) I didn't really think anyone that I didn't know would be reading it. 

I started this blog as a way to record our family memories... and like my header says... to help me remember all the little things that make me smile. 

It has turned into so much more. 

It's still mainly just a way for me to record our family memories. You know about my blog books and how much we all love them. That will always be my biggest reason for blogging. 

But it's also a great way to keep in touch with friends and family... to share with them what is going on in our lives here.

But blogging has also given me some amazing friends. Friends that I never would have met otherwise. 

I have at least 3 friends now (who I really consider real friends!) that we exchange Christmas cards with. I may have never met any of these people in real life, but I have faith that we will meet someday! And oh, how much fun we will have then! I have gotten some of the sweetest and most encouraging emails and comments from blog readers. This move has been tough on me. YOU have all helped to make it a little bit easier. You'll never know how much your sweet comments and emails mean to me. 

One of those sweet bloggy friends sent me this the other day...

Just a super sweet little card full of kind and encouraging words... a perfect little polka dot mug (coffee tastes even better when it's in a sweet polka dot mug. True story.)... and a happy little wish for sunshine and a happy heart.

Totally made my day and made my heart happy.
I loved it. So much.
And it made me want to do sweet, unexpected things like this for other people.
Everyone loves a fun surprise.
Thank you so much, Jenn. You are truly the sweetest.

one more change.

We've had one more big change here that I realized I never shared about. 

Corey has a different job. A new/old job. 

Two weeks ago he started back at his old job for the City Parks Department. 

He had been at his new job (a private engineering firm, doing materials testing) for 7 weeks. 

There were several reasons that led up to the change, and we talked about it for quite awhile before we actually made a decision. When we compared the pros and cons, it was actually a pretty easy choice. 

Yes, the hour drive (one way) is a bit long, but it could be worse. (He was driving 30 minutes, one way for the engineering job, so 30 minutes more didn't seem like that big of a deal to him). He knows the people, he knows what he's doing and he's really good at it. I'm actually a bit jealous. Jealous of the fact that he's back in his work comfort zone (and I'm still so far away from feeling like I have a comfort zone) and he's back in the little town that still feels like home to me. I wouldn't want to trade his commute for my little 7 minute commute, but still... I am a bit jealous. I miss my comfort zone. (I'm a bit jealous of his quiet drive, though. My drive is never quiet.) 

We were really spoiled by the City's insurance plan. And the school district plan just couldn't compare. The $900 they were taking out of my paycheck each month was pretty staggering. (Like $800 less per month than what I had been making). And when your dreams include things like building a house, $800/month is a pretty significant amount. 

So even when we figure in the cost of gas, the cost of buying a new (to us) vehicle (anyone have a Honda or Toyota for sale?!), we still come out ahead. 

Corey doesn't love the drive each day, but he doesn't hate it. He really likes the people he works with (and they have been amazing to him!) He spent the last two weeks leaving at 4:45 am so that he could be there by 6:00 am. This week, they switch back to 8 hour days, 5 days/week. So he won't have to be there until 7:00 and he'll get off at 3:30. Chances are, he's going to beat the kids and I home most days. They were thrilled to have him back and the engineering firm here wanted to counter offer to try and keep him. (They couldn't quite counter with $800/month, though.) They were sad to see him go, but he left on good terms. He didn't earn the title of "Hardest working guy I know" for nothing. 

He really wants that farmhouse. And he's willing to do whatever it takes to get it. And I love him for it. 

I try not to get too paranoid about him driving 70 miles on a 2 lane highway everyday. (But I do make him text me when he gets there.) And even though it didn't make our list of "pros," him being able to stop at our favorite little local donut shop and bring home a box of peanut butter twists was a happy little surprise last week. =) 

And seriously... we are in the market for a nice little fuel efficient car. Anyone nearby who has one... we'd love to hear about it! There might even be a peanut butter donut in it for you. =)

pretty perfect.

Two weekends ago, I had a pretty perfect Sunday. 

Church with the family and then headed back to our old hometown. Alone. 

I never get to drive anywhere alone. I always have little people chattering at me. 

I spent 2 hours talking with one of my favorite first grade teachers (that I miss being next door to me so much!!) 

LOVED getting to see her and talk to her and also loved getting to hold this little guy while we caught up. 

So, so sweet and snuggly. 

Then I got to meet these lovely ladies for dinner... 

to celebrate a special birthday for this special friend...

It was a pretty perfect day.
So excited to see all these ladies again tomorrow!
(Which is actually today, since it's after midnight. I should really be in bed...)

this face.

This sweet little face. She just gets me every time. This is her really big smile/laugh. 

Which always results in super squinty eyes. 

And this baby girl can wink. Which might be one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

 Her daddy can't really wink, but somehow she mastered it months ago. It makes me smile every. single. time.

But this baby girl isn't really a baby anymore. 19 days until this baby girl turns 3.
We probably need to stop calling her baby at some point, huh? =)