Postie Weekend, #2 of 3

Jake & Heidi watching "Little Einsteins"
They are stuck in the Little Einstein tractor beam!
Sam is a lovely baby.

We spent last weekend in Helena with Matt & Amie, and this weekend, they came here! They got here Friday afternoon and we just let the kids play and hung out until Rich got off work, when we went out for pizza and went swimming at Chico. I stayed dry and took care of baby Sam, who's only 10 days old! The kids got nice and tired swimming, so when we got home at 9pm, they were all sound asleep. We watched "Be Cool" and went to bed.

Saturday morning, we ate pancakes, sausage, and blueberries with apple-raspberry juice and the boys, along with my bro-in-law/mason-extraordinaire, Mike, got busy finishing the tile in our bathroom. They worked all day while we entertained the kids and watched the new "Pride and Prejudice" during nap time. At dinner time (Matt & Amie treated us all to Subway--yum!), the boys were almost finished tiling, but ended up about 3 tiles short--shucks! The tile store doesn't open until Monday and Mike can't come back until later in the week, so we are at a stand-still again. It looks really great, though, and we can work on trimming and decorating until he comes back to grout.

Later Saturday night, Matt & Amie worked on Sam's birth announcements, my in-laws brought their friends, The Egelands, over to see our new house, and we (Matt, Amie, Rich, & I) watched "Whale Rider." Matt & Amie had to leave this morning to go to their church at 1pm in Helena, and we went to our church at 10am. I led my first choir practice today and it was pretty good. I am a terrible choir director--not authoritative AT ALL, EVER, but we had lots of people there and it sounded pretty good. Next Sunday we will be in Helena again for Sam's blessing. Jill & her family, Dad Post, and Willy's family will be there, too, and Jill gets to stay for the whole week!! I am so excited! That's all the news for now. Have a happy Monday!

Our bathroom from our bedroom door Our bathroom from the family room door
Our bathroom looking out from the shower

Idol Thoughts

Just so I don't have to comment on every show, I wanted to air my American Idol opinions now. If I have to eat my words, I will.

I chose my Top 12 a long time ago, and things seem to be going my way. I'll tell you what, though, if that Melissa girl doesn't go away this week, I might have to stop watching! Okay, so here are my 6 girls and 6 boys, divided into top and bottom three (in no particular order).

Girls Top Three:
Katharine
Lisa
Paris

Girls Bottom Three:
Kellie
Ayla
Mandisa

Boys Top Three:
Taylor
Ace
Chris

Boys Bottom Three:
Elliott
Gideon
Bucky


So Kinnik, Melissa, Kevin, and Will should be voted off this week. And let me just say that I think all of the top 12 are really super talented, but I just think as far as being POP stars, it has to be one of the top three. I really don't know if #1 will be a girl or a guy--I guess it just depends in the consistency of the performances from now on. I am secretly hoping it will be Taylor Hicks, just to make Simon mad, but it will probably be Katharine, Chris or Ace.

PS: Bucky's hometown is a town where I spent NINE months--that's HALF--of my mission. Good ol' Rockin'ham NC!

End of totally pointless pop culture commentary. :)

I'm So Ashamed

I got this test from my "socialist" friend, Georgia. I shed a few tears when, on the "Famous People" chart, my target landed right on Kerry's forehead. Um, no.... although I like being told I have an excellent sense of right and wrong. Yep...me and my homeboy, John McCain.

You are a Social Moderate (50% permissive) and an... Economic Moderate (43% permissive) You are best described as a: Centrist Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

POSTer Boy

Our visit to Helena on Saturday to visit Amie & Matt's new Baby Sam... Addie kissing her cousin Sam.
Aunt Jamie, Cousin Addie & Baby Sam.
A close look from Aunt Jamie.

More Sam

The New Sam Post
Cute Brothers
You may be wondering where Heidi was during the baby-love-fest...she was having a Captain Furious episode due to the lack of a nap. Charming...

Teaser

Just a quick note to say we enjoyed a warm(er), sunny, windless day in Helena today visiting new baby Sam and his family. His maternal Grammy was there and made us a divine dinner of Cornbread-and-bacon-stuffed pork chops, sweet potatoes, rolls, and salad with brownies for dessert! I will be feeling that all night, but it was GREAT! Amie looks great and we had fun with all 4 Posties. I will post great pix tomorrow. We arrived home to the news that my very special and darling cousin, Maren, expects her first baby in August. I am so happy for her--it makes my pregnancy better and more fun to know there's a second cousin coming, too. More tomorrow--

It Feels Like Years Since it's Been Here

It's 4:48pm and I just noticed...it's still light outside. The equinox is coming and I am rejoicing in song:

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
And I say
It's alright
Little darling
It's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling
It feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
And I say
It's alright
Little darling
The smiles returning to the faces
Little darling
It seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
And I say
It's alright
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes!!!

[[Wanna hear a cool cover of this song? Click here, then press play]]

Brothers

I stole this picture from Matt's blog---it's my nephew Jake showing off his new brother Sam, and I think it's DARLING! They are both beautiful kids and I think the magic of the second (or 3rd, or 4th, etc...) baby is what happens between the siblings. It still makes my heart swell when I hear Addie and Heidi collapsing in a fit of giggles together--if there is one good thing I have ever done for them (besides marry their dad), it's giving them each other.

I have yet to get up to Helena to see my new little cutie, but I hear all is well and I can't wait!! I am so glad Matt got to stay home from work this week to be with his family--seems the least the Army could do since they are sending him away so soon.

Anyway---still under the weather here, Rich with an earache, me with horrible nausea and headache. We're sitting here groaning while our spritely daughters dance around and entertain us, feeling great. Too bad their energy isn't as contagious as the viruses we've battled this month!!! Oh, well, Life is good...

Happiest Birthday

Today is my Dad Post's 56th birthday and guess what he got? A GRANDSON! Yep, Amie (my brother Matt's wife) had her second boy today and they named him Sam. They haven't sent us a picture yet, but I felt so excited about babies today, I am posting one of my own...here's Heidi and me in April 2004. :)And here is Papa Post with Heidi on her blessing weekend in May 2004. I think it's super cool that his only biological son had a son on his birthday. Sorry, dad...we didn't get you anything NEAR as cool, but we love you & are thinking about you! Have a great day!
PS: I forgot OUR baby news--right as Amie was giving birth, I was at my first appointment with my OB and we actually heard heart tones at about 153 beats per minute, so the wee one is indeed in there, pumping away at 10 weeks along.

Instant Gratification

Ever since we watched Just Like Heaven last week I have been dying to get the soundtrack adn I forgot to look for it while we were in civilization last weekend. And then today I saw that fantastic Dove commercial with the little girls who need to learn to love themselves, with "True Colors" playing in the background, and I remembered how bad I need to download that Cyndi Lauper song. So I logged on to walmart.com's 88-cent downloads and filled up my music basket. Within 10 minutes, I had the Just like Heaven soundtrack and a bunch of singles on my computer, ready to be burned to CD. It's so SATISFYING--sometimes the internet brings me joy. Check out these heart-happy songs I got today for less than $13:

Blame It On The Moon, I Think It's Gonna Rain Today, & Thank You Stars by Katie Melua

True Colors by Cyndi Lauper

I Believe (When I Fall in Love) & You Are the Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder

Just Like Heaven soundtrack:
Just Like Heaven – Katie Melua
Just My Imagination – Pete Yorn
Lust For Life – Kay Hanley
Good Times Roll – The Cars
Ghostbusters – Bowling For Soup
Brass In Pocket – Kelis
I Put A Spell On You – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
Strange Invitation – Beck
Spooky – Imogen Heap
Jungle Fever – Chakachas
Bad Case Of Lovin’ You – Emerson Hart
Colors – Amos Lee
Just Like Heaven – The Cure
[plus 5 instrumentals]

I highly recommend all of the above. For a real treat, click on the Katie Melua link and go to her media center and watch the video for "Nine Million Bicycles." It is one of the best, sweetest songs I have heard in ages. If I were getting married now, it would be my wedding song.