Bipolar

The hormones are getting the best of me! I was just making some juice for the girls with the radio on, and this darned song came on:

God on high

Hear my prayer

In my need

You have always been there

He is young

He's afraid

Let him rest

Heaven blessed.

Bring him home...

The summers die

One by one

How soon they fly

On and on

And I am old

And will be gone.

Bring him peace

Bring him joy

He is young

He is only a boy

You can take

You can give

Let him be

Let him live

If I die, let me die

Let him live

Bring him home.

I suppose thoughts of Matt are always just at the back of my mind, because dumb little things like hearing a song on the radio or the Fallen Heroes segment on CBS news just send me into sobs. Part of me knows he will be okay--I keep thinking, it can't possibly be God's will for Amie to raise those babies alone--but at the same time, the whole year will jus t be hard--there is no way around it.

But even earlier this morning, I was feeling elated at the news of my dear friend Lisa's engagement. I am so excited for her and can't wait to meet the man who is cool enough to be her husband. I was also feeling some left-over elation at finally finding nice, simple Laura Ashley dresses for my girls at Costco, of all places. I will save my rant for another day, but I have been so annoyed now that Addie is in "girl sizes," I am expected to dress her like a junior sleaze. I cannot believe that they make the same clothes for a five year old that they make for a 16 year old. Can't my little girl just dress like a little girl for 5 more years? I was getting ready to bust out the sewing machine, but Costco came through with lovely, classic dresses in both their sizes. Let girls be girls!

Carters Rock

Seein's how Richard and I are still sick (like running fevers, can't-quite-breathe-right, sniffle-and-cough sick, not dying-of-pneumonia sick), Valentine's Day was set up to be pretty sucky around here. But Rich got up early on V-day to shovel the walk and came back into the house with balloons and Spongebob Candies for the girls and all my favorite chocolates with a lovely card for me. Awwwww! I had planned to decorate his office like I usually do, but just couldn't do it, so I sent the treats and decorations with him (along with some cute pix, cards, and treats for his parents and co-worker). Later, The Carter family in our ward arranged a special Valentine's night "IN" for Rich and me to thank us for helping w/ their computer. Terry (the mom) came and picked up the girls at 5:30 and dropped of a lovely dinner of roasted lemon pepper chicken, shrimp scampi, peas with mushrooms, Martinelli's sparkling cider, and chocolate mousse with strawberries, complete with candlelight! She also brought a movie for us to watch--"Just Like Heaven"--which was pretty cute, as well as some chocolately treats to snack on while we watched.

The girls came home a little after 8pm, all ready for bed, so we tucked them in, gave Terry her dishes, and finished the movie (Rich also installed our master toilet last night, so being able to potty down stairs was the greatest Vday gift of all!!!). So what was looking like the bleakest of all Valentine's Days turned into one of the best. Thanks, Carter family! We hope to "pay if forward" for another couple in depserate need of a date night! You guys are the BEST!

We were reminiscing about V-day 5 years ago...we had just arrived in San Diego to prepare for our wedding on February 17, 2001. We spent the day doing wedding stuff, like picking up Rich's tux in Escondido, shopping with my mom, etc. I think we went to dinner with my parents that night and it was just a really fun day, looking forward to being married that weekend. Oh, what fun! Sometimes I can't believe that five years have flown by, but at the same time, I can't believe I was ever NOT married to Rich. I mean, I barely remember life without him...which is cool because "it's a wonderful life."

And the wonderful life is calling--kids need some love and I gotta go!

Happy Valentine's Day from the Melins

With lots of love...(click to enlarge)

What I Got for V-Day

At Long Last

Nine days ago ( Feb. 4th, the last time I saw daylight, basically) we took the girls to Helena to visit their cousin Jake. Jake took us to one of his favorite places, Carousel Ice Cream, where the three kids rode the carousel over and over and over again. Here are some long-overdue pictures... That's Jake, Heidi, & Addie
Heidi riding a trout
Addie riding a frog

I have more pictures to post, but they are all stuck on the camera. Why, you ask? Because SOMEBODY chewed on our USB cable, rendering it useless and unable to download pictures from camera to computer. I will borrow one tonight so I can get our cute Valentine's Pix out to everyone. I had grand Valentines plans, but all the cute things I made back on January 20-21 are still in a box downstairs, waiting for me to finish convalescing. I think I will save most of them for next year, but will send out a little something to everyone tomorrow.

So I am feeling better; not 100% yet, but I would say about 75%, which is up from like 25% last week--mostly dead. I feel woozy when I am up, but I do get up, and I am eating my regular early-pregnancy diet of apples, oranges, yogurt, wheat toast and ice water. Only once in a while does something else sound good (like roasted chicken last night). Poor Richard is sick today and his mom and I conspired to get him a half day today--I made him lay down after lunch and then called her at his office and asked if he could just stay home and sleep the rest of the day. She said she would cover for him, so I hope this nap will help him nip his cold in the bud before he gets a full-blown infection. He worked really hard this weekend to get our master bath tiled and it looks awesome. Again---pictures stuck on camera.

While I have been in bed, I have watched some TV. The highlights include The Olympics Opening Ceremonies (kind of weird and random, but fun) and some events, Jon Stewart on the Daily Show announcing the birth of his daughter, Maggie, and a really cool movie about The Clash (1977-1983) on The Documentary Channel. The Doc channel just suddenly appeared on our satellite menu and I have watched HOURS of documentaries...I was in TV heaven! Ask me about A Trial in Prague or why they put you in jail in Vienna...I'll tell you! Or maybe you want to know how all those Jewish merchants ended up in the (intolerant) south...I can tell you.

Anyway...I hope that's the extent of my TV-viewing for a while. I've got plenty else to do around here, like finish decorating my laundry room and new bathroom, sanitizing this sick-fest, and teaching Addie to read!

With Dread

As I was driving past Sacajawea Park the other day, I noticed how frayed and faded the yellow ribbons on the trees had become. I remember 3 years ago when I drove that way every day and the ribbons were shiny and new and we thought this war with Iraq would be like the last one and what a great Independence Day parade we could have in July when all these heroes came home. Then all their pictures and flags and mementos posted by their loved ones at home got sunbleached and windblown and old, and some still weren't home. It's three years later and everything is a mess and people are still driving oversized cars, complaining about gas prices, criticizing the government, and forgetting about the hundreds of soldiers from thousands of little towns like ours with families who wait on edge and fervently pray for their return.

My little brother has been officially ordered to Baghdad for 15 months starting this June (read about it here). His second little baby is due this week and his darling wife is trying so hard to be tough. I make no bones about being a wimp and I have been crying all afternoon. We knew it was coming but somehow assumed that something would happen to make it not so, to keep him home and safe. Even now, I just keep thinking something has to happen, something will happen, he won't go, he can't go....It's like when Sam got called to serve as a missionary in Columbia and while he was in training, missionaries were shot in Bogota. I prayed he wouldn't have to go and he got an illness (allergy?) that kept him stateside and he didn't have to go to Bogota---he went to Chicago instead. I know it's unlikely this time and it will be a huge test for all of us to say goodbye to Matt and to pray him home safely. I just can't believe the war has come so close to home.

UPDATE: Monday--Mom tells me that Matt will have to leave in April, when the baby is only 6 weeks old. POOR AMIE! Dang the stinkin' Army! When I told Sam about Matt having to leave, Sam said, "I'll come up there and poke his eye out so he'll be half deaf AND half blind...then they won't make him go!" That made me laugh, but just for a minute. There is still a big fat sadness around here that makes February even suckier than normal.

Sicky

We tried to go to Helena to visit Matt & Amie & watch the Superbowl with them--again, we went, I was too sick, and we came home Sunday morning. I finally went to the doctor where they confirmed that (a) I am indeed 8 weeks pregnant and (b) I do have pneumonia. So I came home with a big bag of treats-- an Albuterol nebulizer, Tylenol 3, and a Z-pack of antibiotics. YUM! Rich has taken the girls for FHE with their Melin cousins and I have just taken my breathing treatment and half a Tylenol 3. Wish me a good, cough-free night and I'll be on the mend in no time! Pictures coming soon when I feel better.

UPDATE: Now it's Friday, and last night was my first semi-decent night's sleep. I feel better today, with only an earache, cough, and runny nose. My chest feels better and will hopefully be functioning soon (I haven't worked out since January 23rd). The girls are all better and my in-laws are taking good care of me. Thanks for the well-wishes.

Sleeping Angels

Addie & Heidi asleep at Aunt Jill's last Friday night....awwwwww.

Addie's Self-Portrait :"with a messy face & a rainbow"

Energy Levels

Although I am totally thankful to be sick this pregnancy because it's a sign of increasing growth hormones, I wanted to share my frustrations with you in graph form. I just noticed a bunch of dyslexic typos, so just excuse them and laugh along with me...
(CLICK to ENLARGE)

Laundry Room

While I was gone last week, Richard painted my laundry room floor, textured and painted the walls, painted and installed cabinets (his mom's old ones), and installed a sink. I chose the paint color for something else and told him to use it on the cabinets, but I am going to change it. I meant it to be a limey-celery green and it turned out to be a neon yellowish...? Anyway, it;s brighter and friendlier in there and I am excited to make it a good work space. There is also an ironing center and a sewing table (I need to get the sewing machines--there are 3 sitting there-- tuned up and well-stocked).I am going to find a funky shower curtain (think Target's "Swell" collection) to hide the furnace & water heater and hang up my vintage "Breakfast at Tiffany's" movie poster, just to make it bright and fun in there.
Here's how it looks from the food storage room (we are putting in shelves on the left between the cabinets and the wall) ...
...and from the door of the basement family room.