I suuuuuuuuck!

Yes, I truly do suck. Instead of posting to my blog and satiating my salivating fans, I spent my weekend doing fun, adventurous, cool things with Chris.

At first we were really disappointed that we didn't have all the girls because we wanted to take them to the cabin. Brandie has only been a couple of times and Grace, Emily and I had never been there. The cabin is situated on an isolated turn of the north branch of Muskegon River in an area that is lush, wild and teeming with river life. It has long been a refuge for Chris and his friends to hunt and fish all year around. You can only get to it by boat as there are no roads that go through within walking distance. All of which had me biting my knuckles with anticipation, I wanted to go so badly!

So, instead of hauling kids, cats, bags and wives up there, just Chris and I went. The cabin hadn't been opened, so when we got there we had a spot of work to do. I was dressed all in white (since it was a blistering hot day) but begged Chris to let me mow so I wasn't sitting there while he did all the work. So, we hauled out the two lawn mowers and began hacking through the jungle that had grown up around the cabin.

After a few hours of heavy work, we were both covered in sweat, grass and dirt. Chris suggested jumping in the river, cautioning me that it was quite cold, especially with the extra fast current brought on by the high water. I didn't care! He suggested going in my underwear, but not wanting to traipse about the rest of the day without it, I decided to just go nude. After all, Chris has done it for years and if anyone was coming we'd hear them long before we'd see them.

Chris left his underwear on as he had a change of clothes, but I stripped down to my bare skin and gingerly stepped into the swirling water. Ice cold water engulfed my feet and legs taking my breath away. I went waist deep and then began splashing water over my upper body to get off all the grass and dirt and sweat. I was actually beginning to enjoy it, Chris and I joking about him being Jeremiah Johnson and me being his Indian squaw "Poke-a-lottus" when all of a sudden he grabs me and pulls me over to him, hissing, "Honey, watch out! People are coming!" I shrieked and tried to grab the towel to wrap around my nakedness only to discover the towel had somehow shrunk to the size of a postage stamp as an innocent family of canoers came drifting down the river, paddles in mid-air and jaws hanging slack.

I ducked behind Chris and squatted down in the freezing cold river, completely overcome with giggles at the look of embarrassment and utter astonishment playing over the faces in the canoe. The wife stared stonily ahead, back rigid as her kids gawked, heads bobbing back and forth for a better look.

Chris shouted out to the canoe, "She's just taking a bath," to which the husband replied, "It's a good day for it," something which we laughed about later as it was sure to incite a tongue lashing from his stiff-backed wife. I laughed so hard I nearly fell down in the river.

By the way, you can get pretty clean with just a little Palmolive and cold current.

After our water adventures, we decided to go for a boat ride. He's an amazing river driver which was great because he's been driving the riverboat since he was in his teens; he knows all the shallow spots and logs that are hidden danger spots. He pulled the throttle wide open and I perched myself on the end of the boat in my new Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany's hat threatening to fly off at every moment. Oh was it worth it! We jetted about the river for hours and then trolled while he fished and we chatted. We were in heaven! We then went back to the cabin and made a dinner of steak, salad, French bread and grilled asparagus. Yum!

I had picked up an antique copy of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and I read it while listening to the gurgling syrupy sound of the river swirling about me as Chris prepared our dinner on the grill. Chris thought it was creepy, and later, when we were shooting at targets around the cabin, he said he'll think twice before shooting a bird thanks to the Ancient Mariner. I can't tell you how cool it was to sit on the deck of the cabin with the sounds of the river and the smell of dinner cooking on the grill as a light breeze played over me and the archaic words of ol' Samuel Taylor C. dancing about the air around my head. Lover-ly.

It was too hot to stay in the cabin, so we ended our day with another long boat ride back to the boat launch and then a satisfying ride home. Which doesn't completely explain why I haven't posted my pictures (although I did forget my camera up on the river, damn it all!), but it does tell the story of how we spent our long weekend: playing, laughing and throwing off our cares for a much needed respite of R&R.

Fighting well

I have a reputation in my family as being contentious. I believe this widely-held opinion is rooted in the fact that I tend to wear my thoughts and feelings on my proverbial sleeve. Hmph.

However, as Chris can tell you, I'm not so contentious, really, as toddler-ish. I'm incredibly loving, thoughtful, articulate and self-sacrificing at times, and then at other times I can be somewhat selfish, thoughtlessly dingy, easily confused and tantrum-y. C'est moi!

Luckily, Chris happens to adore this about me.

Like how I ran back into the house to turn my sweater around the front way today. Or how I told him what a knuckle-biter that scary movie was. Or exclaimed that was the best tree fort I'd ever seen when in fact it was a deer hunting tree stand. And how when we go somewhere together with me driving, I just take random turns here and there regardless of where we are actually going. You know, that kinda stuff.

The good news in all of this, folks, is that we fight really well. Like last night, which happened to be a beautiful, fun, peaceful and relaxing evening up until the point I got jealous because he told his ex-wife on the phone that he wasn't feeling well when she asked how he was doing. Now that's childish.

But maybe not tooooooo childish.

So after getting off the phone he bopped back to our chair in the living room and invited me to snuggle up with him. After snuggling for a few moments, I felt my feelings soothed to a point where I felt the release to tell him that it was an old habit of him to confide things to her, and he needs to just break that habit if he wants me to be happy. Or something of that sort.

Chris stiffened, took off his glasses slowly, and looked intently into my eyes and said, "Where in the hell did that come from?!"

A question we'd all like an answer to, no doubt. Including me.

After petulantly explaining to him that although I'd rather she never come any closer to him than the other side of the highway, I know that it is better for us and better for Brandie if we maintain a good relationship with her, but sometimes my strong aversion to her raises its ugly head and I get that creepy-crawly feeling all over my skin anyway. The fact that she is beautiful, of course, has nothing to do with my feelings whatsoever.

My explanation didn't make him feel any better. In fact, he said, it concerned him greatly. He, of course, was thinking not of his ex, but mine.

After an hour of me pouting and him with his sometimes silence and sometimes quiet, serious talking with significant questions and statements, and sometimes staring stonily at the ceiling or wall, we came to the peaceful conclusion that we both have a little bit of a jealousy issue with exes.

After that, we took a nice respite from staring stonily at the walls to stare lovingly into each other's eyes.

And that, folks, was the contentious toddler girl in a typical "fight" with the man who changed her entire life. And made it good. And love-ly. And fulfilling. And un-lonely.

This fighting well thing has something to be said for it.

Ooooo....I'm so excited!!!

I have to get my port thingy from work so I can download my pictures here at home and post them to the blog. I'm so excited! Not only has life been filled with wonderful experiences lately (as I've been promising I'd share), but I started a new photo series entitled, "My favorite views of home."

Can I just say, I have the best life in the whole entire world!??!

Every day I look at Chris and I think what an absolute transformation my life has undergone in the last four months and I have him to thank. If he is not the best human being in this entire world, I will eat my own head. My own head!

Anyway, the favorite views of home....unbelievable. I can't wait to share! Tomorrow is my day...Chris is fishing, Brandie is with her mom, Grace and Emily with my mom....I have the house to myself! Yaya~!

Quick-quick-quick

I know I'm due for some serious blog-posting here. So much has been happening in my life lately, and I've recorded most of it on my camera, so I have a lot of pictures I want to share. Plus there are just so many cool thoughts floating up around in my brain that I want to inspire all of you with....but first I've got to find the time.

Anyone want to donate some for me!??!

Didja ever notice?

The fastest minutes of every day are the ones between 7:30 and 8 a.m.

The best thing about mother's day is what you do for someone else.

When people do something stupid in traffic, they usually feel really sheepish and embarassed about it.

People change their haircolor and their personality changes, too. Usually in a good way.

On rainy days, a hot cup of coffee and a donut tastes better than it does at any other time in the history of the world.

And sleeping in on a rainy day is the coziest feeling in the world.

And walking in a soft summer rain feels better than the hottest shower.

Hmm....maybe rainy days aren't so bad after all.

I'M ALIVE!!!

As hard as it is to belive, considering my rarely-there posting as of late, I truly am alive! And kicking! And...enjoying my life immensely!

First you take two pretty cool and fun adults.
Then add five kids, all girls ranging in ages from 8 to 22.
Add two households complete with all the fixings being channeled into one lovely - but large and crowded - home.
And you mix it all up.
That's my life!

So if you are wondering where I am or what I am a-doing, picture this:
1. A lateral promotion that doubles my workload but doesn't double my pay
2. A hectic schedule of graduations, weddings, awards ceremonies, talent shows, dance classes, grandfather almost dying (but recovering), dad from California visiting and many other sundry activities sure to keep two said adults running from early morning until dropping exhausted into bed at midnight
3. Happily skipping to and fro as I go about the various activities that occupy my day

And that, folks, is where you will find me.

One little, bitty, important thing

Just because I say one crabby thing, it doesn't mean I'm in a bad mood. Or that I'm crabby. Or that I'm PMS-ing (because everyone knows I don't get PMS, comprende?)

It is just a momentary lapse in nice-ness.

Give me two minutes. Or two hours. I'll be nice again.