16 years. Our marriage can get its' driver's license!

A few weeks ago, Aleks walked in the door from a long day at work and into chaos. I had finished teaching, was cleaning out backpacks and lunch boxes, trying to get a handle on how the girls were doing, make sure the homework was finished, convince Maia to practice piano, and get dinner on the table.

Ruby was having a crises of some sort; it could have been about stresses at school or just that her shoes didn't feel right, really, either is feasible.

So Aleks walked in to this mess and without missing a beat, sat down and said "Ruby, I'd really like to help you figure this out. What can I do?"

That patience and kindness was the thing that hooked me when we first met in college almost 2 decades ago. And over the last 16 years, Aleks' best qaulities have just deepened and expanded into something beyond what I could have ever imagined.

I thought what I was getting from 22 year old Aleks was pretty good.

The gift that is my husband is so much more than I deserve.

16 years ago we moved into our first apartment.

Which had the infamous "shath" or "bower." The bathroom was built into the eave of the house and so stading in the shower was impossible. Also, any time the toilet ran, which it did about every 5 minutes, the water would turn into boiling, scalding torture.

Look at that cell phone on the kitchen counter. This was before Facebook and the iphone as we know it now.

He's still got those Chuck Taylors.

Marriage is a trip. I definitely don't have it all figured out, but I'm grateful to have a patient, honest man with me on the journey.

Look at those babies.

 Lucky. Grateful. Proud.

Happy anniversary Aleks. 

Here's to so many more years of adventure, laughter, and growth.

Nine is fine!

Ruby Ann was born at 10:25am after a planned c section. She wasn't getting enough oxygen and so stayed in the nursery with tubes in her nose for the first 8 hours of her life. They finally brought her to me that evening where she slept on my chest for the rest of our hospital stay.

She was an easy baby (compared to her sister who screamed at us non-stop for 8 months) and cut her first tooth at 17 months!

At 2 1/2 she realized the full potential of her power and decided to wage war with her parents on all matters related to sleeping and getting her way. 4 1/2 came and our sweet girl was returned. Her power remained undiminished, but she now had a greater understanding of self control and increased communication skills.

She continues to be sensitive and intuitive, feeling the emotions of those around her. She is opinionated about everything and is learning to handle disappointment in a healthy way. 

Things Ruby loves:

food

physical activity (she's good at almost anything she tries)

drinking coffee

fashion

doing "grownup things"

her dog

Things Ruby does and is great at, but sometimes feel like "work" to her:

piano

soccer

reading

A friend once told me that some children are like wildflowers and some are like orchids. Wildflowers thrive almost anywhere with very little tending while orchids have a reputation for being difficult to grow.

Ruby is my orchid. And here's the thing: orchid care isn't difficult, it's just different. And what a beautiful flower we have growing in our family.

Happiest of birthdays to you Ruby Ann. We love you.