Trickster

Here are some videos of Hattie's new tricks: walking, finding her hair, and kissing (open mouthed :).

Our house

Finally some pictures of our house. Enjoy.


We love all the windows in our house...we never turn the lights on during the day.


We don't have a dining table yet, so the bar is wonderful.


We finally have enough cupboard space.


We love all the high ceilings too.


Our box spring broke in the moving truck and we haven't bothered replacing it since Hattie likes to crawl on and off.


View from the master into the family room and bathroom




Hattie's messy room


The study/sewing room/spare room

Creepy postcard update

So, thanks to your suggestions, I solved the mystery. I'm ashamed I didn't think of this on my own, considering our technology enhanced/internet dependent era. Thank you, Mana, for suggesting to simply Google her name. I found that she sells "Drugs, Drug Proprietaries, and Druggists' Sundries"...wow, a drug dealer! I am certain it is her because the address listed online for the business matched the return address on the postcard. And, also like Mana suggested, we drove past her house (that was actually Paul's idea originally...no wonder you two are friends) and she lived in a nice neighborhood. I've decided not to call and I have put all our curiousity to a rest.

Also, thank you Carma for letting me know how she got my name and address.

What would you do?

I received a strange postcard in the mail yesterday, from a woman I have never heard of who lives 25 blocks north from our house. This is what it said:

Melanie,
I noticed that you are new to the neighborhood and I have a quick question. Can you give me a call? Thanks.

She then left her name and number. Her handwriting appears to be that of an older woman. She doesn't live close to us at all, and if she were someone in the ward she would already have our phone number. I'm guessing she wants to sell us something or convert us to her religion.

What would you do? Call her? Nothing? Write her a note back asking what the question is and how she got my name and address?

The poop car

Every morning when I drive Paul to school, this is what I see:

There are no trees above it and I have noticed some days that it is not parked in the same spot, so I know that it hasn't been abandoned there. Disgusting, eh? I wonder how long it's been building up...

Grace

I find that when life is calm and I have nothing to blog about, I don't follow anyone's blog. When I logged in to Google Reader today, I had 180+ new posts to read. So you know where I'll be during Hattie's naps over the next few days.

Since our life has been pretty mellow lately, I'd like to share a few highlights from my sister Laura's blog, specifically about her 5-year old daughter Grace. She has some fantastic quotes.

1. During our dinner prayer just moments ago Grace humored us with this one. "Bless the people to be safe in their bathtubs while the floods are coming." Yea, confusing her severe weather survival skills!

2. Aaron returned home from Mexico today bearing gifts. Dresses for the girls, sandals for the babies, jewelry for me and a whip for James. While we were still relishing in the new treasures and slowly untangling the whip, we overheard Grace say, "When I grow up I want to be a Mexican whipper so I can whip all the horses."

3. Last night during family scriptures we were discussing the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. Somehow we got debating whether Sunday was the first or last day of the week. To redirect us, Aaron clarified that really it doesn't matter what day it actually is as long as we set aside a day to rest and worship our Heavenly Father. I proceeded to explain that when I lived in Jerusalem we had our Sabbath on Saturday since the Jews observe that day as their Sabbath. Grace then asked, with sheer astonishment, "You were a Jew?"

4. Grace is watching Scooby Doo this morning. She just came over and said to me, "I like Scooby Doo because it has violence." When I asked if she knew what violence meant she responded, "Killing." Great . . . this is from the girl who wants to be a Mexican horse whipper.

5. Grace charmed us with a few funnies last week. Grace's teacher let me know there had been an incident at school one day. During the ride home we were discussing her bad choice when she piped up with, "But taking the Lord's name in Spain, that is super bad!"

6. Aaron worked from home one day and the three of us were eating lunch together. Aaron asked Grace, "What would you do without a mama?" To which she responded, "I'd find myself a great mechanic!"

We love you Grace!

Texas hospitality

The other day Hattie and I went for a walk. We stopped first to get the mail. Impatient by nature, I immediately opened some of it. There was a letter from our old, dumpy apartment complex saying we still owed them money. Knowing that we had paid in full, I put the mail in the basket under Hattie's stroller and continued walking, planning to call them when I got home.

As I neared the elementary school and turned the corner, a gust of wind surprised us and blew only that letter out of the basket. I started chasing it, but had no luck since I wasn't willing to abandon Hattie in pursuit, nor rush out into traffic. I watched it blow away across an open field, hoping I could remember what it said.

Then a woman in a suburban stopped and asked if I needed that paper. I said, "It would be nice," and she took off. I stood on the corner and waited. I hadn't taken the time to notice what color her car was, so I didn't know who to be watching for. After a few moments I started wondering if she would return. Maybe it blew out of her reach as well. Would she come back and tell me that she wasn't able to get it, or just leave me there? Then I would be standing on the corner for 15 minutes looking for a vehicle that I didn't recognize. But gratefully, I didn't have to wonder long. She pulled right up on the curb and handed me the paper, and I thanked her as much as possible before she drove off.

It just made me realize once again that President Hinckley was right. When he was in Lubbock dedicating the temple he said, "Lubbock doesn't have a lot of personal charm. But the people are great!"

P.S. I was right...we didn't owe our old complex any money.

Time for another tag

What's your husband's name? Paul (technically Elden, but he goes by his middle name)

How long have you guys been married? Just shy of 3 years

How long did you date? Nine months

How old is he? 28

Who eats more sweets? Me...but he's not too far behind

Who said I Love You first? It was a tie, I think

Who is taller? Paul

Who is the better singer? Me, but he's not too bad himself

Who is smarter? Paul

Who does the laundry? I do.

Who pays the bills? Me. (As a side note, today Paul handed me the instructions to a tool he received so I could file them away in our "Instructions" filing spot. After doing so, he looked sincerely at me and said, "You can never die!" Not that he was worried that he wouldn't be able to operate any of our appliances without me, but he really doesn't participate in any part of the financial/organizing part of life. He really would be lost. I don't mind it though.)

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Paul. We actually both have a hard time falling asleep on the other person's side of the bed.

Who mows the lawn? Usually Paul...I haven't mowed since Hattie was born. But I actually like doing it.

Who cooks dinner? We cook together as long as he's home.

Who drives? We were just discussing this the other day. I think whoever is "instigating" the outing drives. If we are going to the fabric store, I drive. If we are going to Lowe's, he drives. On mutual outings, like Church, we alternate depending on whoever is ready first.

Who is the first to say they are wrong? Me. At least I think so.

Who kissed who first? Paul

Who asked who out first? Me, hahaha

Who wears the pants? We each wear them on different days for different things.

I'll tag: Erika, Eden, and Miranda