Zipadee-Ay- and Hi-Dee-Ho

I have been 33 for 10 minutes now and it feels very much like 32. But, being the Christian girl I am, 33 has always seemed like a mile-marker age for me. Christ supposedly completed his mission at 33 and I can't help thinking, "Hmmm, what have I done to change the world in 33 years?" I've actually been pondering that all week and I have come up with some really good things I have done, but also a long list of things still to be done to make a positive difference in my world.

I also started a list of 33 things--constant things-- that I am grateful for. When I finish it later today I will post it. Thanks for remembering me today, grandmas and moms and dads and friends and aunties (so far). It's been a lovely day with my girls and my brother Matt & his family. Life's too good.

More to come (it's time to read stories with Addie)...

And here is another GOOD MORNING from the Melin girls--watching Sesame Street on mommy's bed this morning!

Here's Jake trying his best to scoot over and get Heidi...maybe they will teach each other to crawl! 

After stake conferece, we drove up to Helena to visit my brother Matt and his cute family. Here is Heidi on his floor, trying to scoot over to Cousin Jake... 

I have to post both of these cuz I can't pick a favorite! 

Yesterday was stake conference in Bozeman. We had to laeve the house by 9am for the 10am meeting--here are the girls waiting for us to leave. 

The end of the parade (these are taken thru Addie's bedroom screen, hence the fuzz). 

The Park High homecoming parade just clattered past our building (we live across a street and a creek from the high school). I think it's funny that they are called the Rangers and their color is purple just like ours at Rincon/UHS in Tucson. The lawn mower there says "Mow 'em down Rangers." Clever. 

Here is a letter I just sent to my dear Arizona amiga...it captures lots of recent musings:

ADRIANE!! I was reading this blog and I thought of our conversation about this movie...

<...And a note on 13 Going on 30. When I said I was enjoying it, I was not being facetious in anyway. I LOVED that movie. >>
http://jorydayne.com/aevi/books/2004_07.php#000485

You have to go read this. You might get addicted. I like reading about this 20-something artist boy in Provo getting ready for a mission to Hawaii soon. He and his entries remind me so much of Kevin Bergeson and our life in Provo 14 years ago, it's almost painful. It's like a big stab in my gut that all the things from that time period (which was very bittersweet but influential) are not a part of my life at all now (well, except my Buchert friends--my second family). Kevin has died, Aaron is across the breakup abyss, and all of the art kids from BYU have scattered and gone off to lives very unlike mine, mostly. *SIGH* Sometimes it almost makes me cry that my little family will never know Kevin or Aaron or GayPaul or some of my kooky roommates from Frankenhaus...I had always planned on it.

That said, I am so glad it's all over. Life is so peaceful now, relatively, I mean. I sure don't miss the drama back when every single person in my life had a chemical imbalance. My husband could not be more centered--the most amazingly balanced man on the planet (which has somehow made me think that I can be, shall we say, a little more "mercurial" myself--kind of a new thing for this steady-loyal-same-ol'-same-ol' girl! I am trying to rein myself in and return to being Old Reliable. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones).

Man, I am going off-----time for bed. Just remember I love you and your fabulous family (baby girls RULE!) ...

Heidi says: Life as a baby can be...[yaaawn]... dreadfully boring 

Addie got a haircut today (at the "haircut store")--they went a little wacky on the bangs (she has a cowlick so they always look crooked, just like mine)--but she was so proud of her new 'do!