Sunday, March 18

Wow, It's Been 10 Days!

So, um...I'm alive. :-) It's been 10 whole days since I last blogged...a new record in blog silence for me. I have had SO much going on! Josh's family came into town last Saturday, and they headed home yesterday (Saturday), so we are just getting re-acclimated to our usual little family of four instead of eight.

The whole week was a whirlwind of activity, as usual...and we had a great time!! Papa and Kaden built two planter boxes for the deck, and Grandma and Kaden planted seven different herbs so I can try my hand at being a gardener. [I have a notoriously un-green thumb.] I also want to plant a vegetable garden this year, but that hasn't happened yet. In addition to the planter-building, we threw a little dinner party with Josh's business mentor and his wife, and we also celebrated the kids' birthdays a few weeks early.

In typical Hesse fashion, there were presents galore -- times 2! We also celebrated Josh's birthday, and Papa found a Weber grill on sale at Home Depot that caught his eye for Josh's present. By the time he was done accessorizing, the gift grew into my birthday present, our anniversary gift, and probably flag day, memorial day, presidents' day, and arbor day, too! We've already used it a bunch of times, and we love it! If you saw the pathetic little charcoal grill we used all last year, you would laugh at the drastic upgrade. Thank you, Papa & Grandma! We'll be BBQing in style for many years to come!!!

For Kaden and Laney's birthdays, we took everyone to Chuck E. Cheese on Wednesday for lunch, and I have to say ... it was really fun! I had low expectations, but watching Kaden have such a blast was pretty awesome. He is just at such a fun age. Everything is fun, everything is incredibly exciting, and he has a growing vocabulary to dialogue about all of it! Delaney loved Chuck E., too. With two little teeth barely in, she devoured an entire piece of pizza on her own. Wowzer, this girl can pack it away! Pound for pound, she can out-eat Kaden any day. Yet she doesn't have a bit of chub...she must have a high metabolism like her daddy! Coming in a close second to the pizza for Laney was the nifty balloon that brother got that said, "Happy Birthday!" As if games, pizza, and a birthday crown weren't enough, Kaden got a prize at the end with his tickets, and then -- could it get any better?! -- they gave him a huge ice cream sandwich for the road. [As we were driving off, I quickly realized that allowing Kaden to eat an ice cream sandwich on a hot day in the car was not my smartest move. However, we made it without any major messes.]

To top off this already stellar day, Kaden got another big surprise after his nap: a brand new drum kit! Grandma and Papa got it for him, and it is a pretty sweet little drum set. It looks just like a real kit, only miniature-ized for a tiny person. And he LOVES it!!! Thank goodness we have a finished basement, or I would have a lot of noise pollution going on. :-) Josh and I think he's a natural, and it's fun to celebrate his love for music and rhythm. All I've gotta say is, the boy can groove. What he lacks in formal training, he makes up for in sheer enthusiasm!

In addition to family visiting, I have also been doing a bunch of small projects for Clever Factory in Nashville. The extra work is an answer to prayer! Most of the work has been from home, but I had to make a quick trip in last week to pick up some CDs to audio proof. My MIL and I snuck away in Josh's car with the top down and enjoyed a sunny, beautiful, almost-summer day. Speaking of Josh's car, Josh and I had a little "you-need-to-learn-to-drive-a-standard" lesson last week, kind of spur of the moment, and we decided that I need a new teacher. Any takers? :-)

So between company and work [and a little joyriding], I just haven't had a spare moment to blog. I've been busy enjoying life...and that's a good thing!

P.S. I almost forgot! Josh was in a cooking mood this week, and he cooked up some great dishes: Venison Au Poivre with Grilled Asparagus and Gluten-Free Spinach & Goat Cheese Ravioli; Rotisserie Chicken; and Asiago & Pear Pork Roast. We were eating seriously well. My man can cook!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a great post Jenn! :-) Thanks for updating us on the lively events in your life! Sounds like when my in-laws visit. I love gifts too! I'm sure Caleb will have more than his fair share of gifts in his lifetime thanks to generous grandparents, aunts, and uncles! ;-)
I will admit that Jeremy W. taught me how to drive a standard...he was very patient. I have some funny memories in John Bryan trying to get up a hill. He insisted that I couldn't drive by myself in the little Isuzu until I could stop on a hill and keep going. Well, I stopped and a BMW or some fancy car pulled up behind me...oh my!! You understand that a standard goes BACKWARDS unless you can get it going forwards...ummm...let's just say I freaked out and made him take over. Very funny! To this day I hate driving a standard (like my hubby's car), but I owe my "ability" to do it to Jeremy W.

Have a great day Miss Jenn!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jenn!
Only you could go to Chuck E. Cheese and have a fabulous time! lol! That place is my worst nightmare. Just got back from a trip to Auburn with the kids and some friends for a scrimage football game. Today I took them to the Children's museum in Murfreesboro and had a blast! Your kids would love it too. Thanks for such a great blog! Holly Black

Anonymous said...

Jenn, If I thought I could teach you how to drive a stick, I would. I don't do too bad with your Dad's car! I will have to get some of Josh's recipes. He is a real gourmet! Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun. We are looking forward to our visit with you too. Love Mom