Monday, April 23, 2012

g&g



it's been a while, huh? well, i haven't been home much to be honest. and i don't exactly have my evenings the way i used to before hyde was born. but it's okay - i wouldn't trade it for the world. just means that some things don't happen as often as they used to. for a while anyway... eventually he'll go to sleep at 7:30 (or 8:30) when beth does and i'll have time to do things like this more often.

today my post is one i should have posted long ago when these pictures were taken. pictures of my grandma and grandpa from our time together in jackson hole last august. and let me just tell you right now, i have never known better people in my whole life than my grandparents. wise and kind, but also very cool, they exude love and give of themselves so freely. i've never met people who pass judgement on others less than they do, and they seem to have a genuine love and concern for anyone who crosses their path. that alone is one of the most amazing things about them. they love each other with a deep love and even though they often correct each other's stories (don't all old people do that?), you'll never see them fight or bicker or say one bad thing about the other. they have the ultimate relationship. the kind you see in movies. the kind everyone wants. the kind few are lucky enough to have. does it get better than them? i tell you, it does not. i don't know people more generous than they are - they're the kind of people who would take a stranger in and offer them everything they had if it would help another. they literally lead a life of service, and it's incredible.

one of my favorite pictures ever:



my grandpa totally rules the school. he's the kind of person you could sit and talk to for hours and hours, just listening to his stories and wisdom. he often tells of tales from his past, his youth, vigor and adventurous spirit filling his eyes again and marking them with a twinkle. i'd know that look anywhere. whenever he wears a hat he rests just on the top of his head and it lies a little bit crooked, which just makes it all the more endearing. though he's big and burly, he has the softest heart on the planet and isn't afraid to shed a tear or two, almost with the notion that if you feel it, there's no sense in hiding it. it's just honest. he gives the greatest hugs you'll ever get - the type where you just get lost in his warm strength and want to hold on forever. he's also taught me that when things get tough, you bow into the wind and press forward, knowing you'll come out tired, though much stronger, on the other side.



and my grandma... her bright blue eyes sparkle and warm your heart like nobody's business. she epitomizes unconditional, genuine love. there's always room at the table for one more in grandma's house and no one is ever a stranger. with amazing wit and perfect charm, my grandma keeps it light, keeps it real. the best of the best at putting things in perspective when you need it most and offering encouragement when you need that even more. her body may not be as young spry as it once was, but her spirit sure is, and i don't think there's much out there she would let slow that down. with a smile that comes easy and is cozy warm, you could talk to her about anything. somehow she seems to know what you need long before you do. patient and strong, selfless and kind, her wisdom shows through in her every deed. she is the utmost example of showing the pure love of Christ.



somehow this is the only picture i have of their faces from our time at the lake that day. but we have big plans for a photo shoot, don't we grandma and grandpa? :) where i hope to capture more of their story. maybe they'll let me share on here. i hope so.

i love you grams and gramps. you guys are the coolest grandparents ever. i know i say that a lot, but i mean it. for reals. thank you for being you, letting me be me, and loving me the way i am. maybe someday i'll be like you. i could only hope so....



Friday, April 13, 2012

easter


easter sunday was a special sunday. we blessed hyde on easter. it was beautiful. and as a result, we had some family in town to share it all with us. the weather was perfectly warm, we of course had easter egg hunts and candy guh-lore, and spent most of the day outside on the deck. a good break-in for the summer. it was a good, good day. i was so happy that day.




hank also got a new bike recently. check this bad boy out.



so sweet, right??? c'mon, it's awesome.


it's also awesome that beth really wanted to ride on it too. so she asked her daddy if she could.



so he, of course, obliged and took her for a ride. the safest way absolutely possible.



easter could have gone downhill really quickly if things didn't go as planned there... good thing it didn't. she totally loved it and would wave to me as they went back and forth in front of our house. even got comfortable enough to pick her nose a time or two while up there (where did she learn that anyway???)


(some other fun pictures of the girl and the man from the weekend)



couldn't have been a better day. literally, could not have been a better day. love days like that. just love them.



Friday, April 6, 2012

the not-such-a-bust day

this day was a lot better. after all, the zoo does not close in the middle of the week and then host tours right in front of you as you stand outside and watch in pain. (i'm totally over it though, can you tell?)

yes, indeed one of the things we did last week was go to the zoo. and honestly it could not have been better. it was an 80 degree day, we went with some other good friends, and pretty much saw everything. except the elephants. where were those darn elephants? even got to see the lions eating a giant bloody, fleshy bone, which was honestly a little disturbing for me. but the girls loved it! (see picture below). anyway, definitely not a bust, the zoo. definitely one of the best days we had during my time off. it was sweet.



Tuesday, April 3, 2012

the little guy





i haven't really posted a lot on here about hyde. i guess because in comparison to beth he just really doesn't do much. i've got some catching up to do! man, he is such a good baby. so mellow and just, chill. he is awesome. started smiling a lot recently and i LOVE IT!! here's some pictures i took of him this last week... it is so cool when they start to become a little more expressive - i love to see all the different faces they make as they learn to put some emotion into their face! hyde's becoming a champ at some of them...



i'm pretty sure he's thinking of beth in these ones...



you just wait 'til i'm mobile... i'll get you back for all those eye pokes and kicks to the face and times you shoved that pacifier down my throat...




no seriously, i'm coming.





favorite of the day, though, is this one:




a rare shot of the two of them together that actually turned out.

back to work today. i'm gonna miss spending my whole day with these two - it was an awesome 3 months off. the best 3 months ever.