So, how is the Bronx treating you? Are you having fun with Ian and Allison? Allison is a swell homemaker. She is going to take such good care of you.

I never got to say a proper good-bye.

I’ve said some mean things about you, in the past, but I just wanted to thank you for being our couch for the last five years.

You know, because you heard me say so often, that I am not a fan of the sectional (I am sorry if that hurt your feelings) and I am also not a big fan of microfiber (- again, sorry).

But OH! remember how wonderful you looked in our little Boston apartment. You were made for that place.

Good times, you rocked that little apartment.

Remember how we turned you into a  nest the first night we moved in and slept on you. That was kind of fun, huh? You held me up while I was sick for months when I was pregnant with Millie. Cameron slept on you a bunch when he came to stay – he told us you were pretty comfy. We sat on you when we watched those darn Red Sox pound our team – I think you’re a Sox fan, I could tell you were pretty happy. But you kept it to yourself. Kudos for that.

Then we moved to NJ and you never looked right in our new house. We both felt it. But you were still a faithful couch.

Then the moment came for you to go and I got a little sentimental. You looked so pretty after we had you spruced up for your new home in Le Bronx. It made me excited to think of you doing what you do so well – letting people place their bottoms upon you and rest a while – at Ian and Allison’s home.

And we had one last final HOORAH playing on you and dancing to They Might Be Giants. That was fun, for us – not quite sure if you loved it.

You’ve been true blue.

Thanks, old couch.

We’ll come and see you in the Bronx. I am sure that Clara would happily spit up on you again when she next gets the chance.

oxoxo,

Lize

To where we went after we picked Millie up from camp…

free clue: that is NOT a goatee

I knew this was going to be a good day when…

1. Clara slept from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am, woke up, had a little nibble and then went right back to sleep. Simple? perhaps. A total VICTORY? Youbetcha!

2. Millie woke up in a fantastic mood. When she is on, man! is she fun.

3. Clara did a big poop after her 1st nap (most moms groan when they smell a poopy diaper – not me, I CHEER!)

4. Found a new coffee table* and I didn’t have to wait six weeks for it to arrive.

5. FINALLY got a date for when the sofa and chairs will arrive, synchronize your watches – cuz this Thursday they are going to be DELIVERED!

6. When to get ice cream with Millie while Clara took her second nap (you heard me, her SECOND nap).

7. Vickie C. made an awesome comment on my blog. Cheers, Vickie!

8. Got to talk on the phone, a big, fat, long convo with AJ.

9. Dinner was leftovers from Sunday night – you know what that means, right? Dinner prep took about 10 mins. SWEETNESS!

10. Got an email from Alli, and our old sofa is sitting pretty in the Bronx and is now in a New York State of Mind.

Hey mom, these pictures are especially for you…

(Amanda, check out what she is chomping on. I have become the person that I once scorned.)

* True story: I have been working very hard on making our home the loveliest place it can be. I am grateful to be able to do this because I feel like it is important. I believe our homes, and specifically what takes place within the walls of our homes really matters to God. To make a home lovely takes real effort. It takes lots of work, searching, thinking (okay, obsessing in my case) over even small details, and when you are trying to do it within the framework of a budget it takes double the time. I have been searching endlessly for a coffee table, the other day I broke down and prayed for help. I  approached the Lord and said, “I understand that in the grand scheme of things this really isn’t that important. But I have been working very hard to find this item and I would really appreciate your help. And if I could get a great price that would be so wonderful.”

So check it out. Today I walked into a store, told them what I was looking for the Nadia coffee table by Mitchell Gold, they said, “Oh yes! We have that in stock and it is 40% off.”

A little gift from Heaven!

When I was little my mom used to let me wear her wedding dress. I loved wearing that dress SO much!

(check out Cam’s pjs – are you thinking what I am thinking? He’s pretty much rock’in em!)

I took my dress out of “moth balls” a while back so that my sis-in-law could try it on. I am going to pack it back up again but before I do, I wanted to give Millie the chance to do what I was so lucky to do as a little girl.

So yesterday she tried it on.

Remind you of anyone?

Wait for it……

You guessed it. Princess Di!

I know this story didn’t end happily – but OH! how that wedding made an impression on my little heart.

Remember Di’s train? I swear it went on for a week! I still remember thinking to myself as a little girl, “HAS ANYTHING EVER BEEN MORE WONDERFUL THAT THIS?” as I watched her march down that aisle.

I wasn’t lucky enough to be married in the 80’s (dang, it!) but that didn’t stop me from getting A LOT of fabric in my dress.

And when I say a lot I mean A LOT!

Oh, wedding dress – I love you. You are so beautiful to me. I wore you the day I gave myself to the world’s most darling Brit.

You made me feel so beautiful.

It was such a happy, happy, happy day.

Virgina, thank you for making my dress SO beautifully. It is a work of art. Every stitch is perfection.

It sill makes me so happy.

Perhaps the only thing better than wearing it myself was seeing it on my little girl.

Here it is my fine friends.

The long awaited tale of our fridge that died.

It had been acting up for months. We’d had the repair man in twice. But it decided to officially konk-out on Memorial day – which meant there wasn’t a lot we could do except throw away a bunch of food and keep our fingers crossed that we could replace it, and fast. You see most of the stores were closed and their websites all seemed to say that ordering a new fridge would take three weeks to deliver.

THREE WEEKS?!

Here I am with our old fridge. When we cleaned it out it was so stinky that I decided to wear a tea- towel on my face. Jan thought I looked like a terrorist and that I was holding those brussels spouts hostage.

On Tuesday I ran to a local appliance store called Karls. Found a model that would work, ordered it and by Wednesday we had a new fridge up and running.

And we love it!

She is so pretty that I just couldn’t put the photos and magnets on her and make her look all common and cluttered.

In fact, both Jan and I were loathed to put any food into it – it was just so crisp and spanking clean!!

Welcome to our family, happy, new, clean, white fridge – that works!

Fear not, little fridge – I won’t hold any of your food hostage.

Of late my mom has been on something of a roll.

She has been sending Jan special treasures in the mail.

It started with this fabulous-ness

It came in the mail all folded up with a sticky-note that read, “what do you get for the man who has everything?”

When Jan opened up the shirt over this logo another sticky-note was carefully placed and it read, “something that nobody wants”.

(Which one of these cool b-ball players do you think Jan is? I think he is the one on the far left who is taking that skinny guy DOWN! Or he is the one on the right hanging from the rim. Yeah! baby! If you’re wondering which one I am – I’m the one getting hit in the head with the ball.)

Oh, but it gets better, people.

This week in the mail Jan received yet another package from his ma-in-law

Can you read what is written under Jan’s name? In case you can’t, I’ll tell you -“Sports Enthusiast”. Jan was already laughing even before he saw what new treasure my mom had found for him.

My mom is a woman of many talents. But one you may not know about is her knack for writing pithy notes. She was FAMOUS in our high school for sending in the best “please excuse my child for [fill in the blank here]” type notes. The office ladies would hang them up and laugh about them for days.

Here is the note she sent to Jan

What did she send this time?

Jan was born in 1975. And we live in Jersey.

My mom sure knows how to pick ‘um, doesn’t she!

Thanks, Mama-dukes. Jan has already worn his Provo Men’s Basketball shirt (around the house). When I asked him if he has any plans to wear it to play ball with his buddies he just smiles, that famous Jan smile.

Make lemon-aid, and make it pink!

On the first day of Millie’s summer camp I got chewed out by the director for sending her to school in her brown, patten leather mary janes. This was after I got snapped at for bringing her lunch in the wrong lunch bag – as you can imagine I was feeling pretty awesome.

Most of the time I try to be meek and take it in the shorts but I can only stand being snapped at so much – add to the fact that I hadn’t slept much the night before and my fridge had died.

Like I said, it was one of those days when I was feeling pretty awesome.

“We don’t actually own any sneakers. I am sure she will be fine in these today.” I said through clenched teeth.

Ah! How I love these grumpy folks!

It is just such fun to get snarled at on a semi-regular basis.

So what would you do in this situation?

I’ll tell you what I did. I went right out and found the world’s cutest sneakers.

And now I feel much better.

Step into the future, Tess.

But hold onto….

Look’n good, girl. I love your dress!

I don’t know who that mysterious trumpet playing, tuxedo wearing fellow is. But I pretty sure he wants you. I think you’re rocking his little world!

Ahhh!

Thems is proud parents, no?

Something is missing from this photo…ME! (boo, hoo!) Brynn, love the shirt. Sum, love the jacket. Bette, love the skirt that I bought for you from Anthro. It was cool of you girls to coordinate. Everyone here knows how I feel about coordinating outfits! ME LOVES!!

I dig Mom poking her little face in there. ME LOVES!!

Thank you, Tess. Your niece Millie will die of happiness when she sees this particular photo. ME REALLY LOVES…YOU!

And now, a word about my sister, Tess Kelly.

High School Graduate.

Five years ago my family moved from our beloved New York. Tess was devastated. But not for long. Because when she landed herself in the Rovo – she took it and she ran with it. In HS Tess was a student body officer, a color guard captain,in the jazz and symphonic bands, a top notch student, and a friend to EVERYONE. I tell you what, Tess has a million friends.

True story: Once I was walking along the streets of Provo, UT with Tess after she had marched in the 4th of July Parade.  Quite a few people knew her and many were greeting her as we passed. As we walked we passed by two very petite and pretty cheerleaders (I knew they were cheerleaders cuz they were in their little outfits) one of them called out,  “Hey, Tess!” Tess nodded back to her and nonchalantly replied,  “hey” . Then she turned to me, shrugged her shoulders and said, “Cheerleaders. Uhg!”

I know what you’re thinking – so cool – right?

You did it, Tess. You accomplished something very few people I know accomplish – you had a GREAT time in high school. You took that bull by the horns and you rode it. And you did it with a gigantic pack of friends. Way to go!

Look out BYU! Tess is coming! And she going to conquer you too.

I can feel it in me bones (and it is a very happy and excited feeling).