Party like it's your birthday

I had a birthday shout hooray! As always my hubs makes it great. It's sort of become a tradition for him to trick  surprise me all throughout the day. Because this happens so much I should be able to tell when he's fooling me, but he's just so believable! 

He told me he had to go in early to work, no biggie.  Usually happens.  So he kisses me goodbye while I'm sleeping and I hear the door close.  He did go to work but came back before I woke up. When I was in the shower I heard a crash of pots of something downstairs...intruder!! Thankfully he came and scared me again in the bathroom so I would know not to get the gun.  He made me breakfast on kirk family tradition "your the best" plate. 

While I'm eating he says, so I've been really busy and haven't been able to get you anything yet. Totally fine, and totally believable.  But then when I walked back through the living room there was a big box with a nikon camera! D3200! AHHHH!  I have one I bought for my classroom but have to leave it at the end of the year.  I didn't want to part with it.  I was hoping for it as some sort of going away present??! But now I can leave it behind because I have an even better one! Yipeeee!!   Such an amazing quality with this instead of just my point and shoot camera.  I'm kind of obsessed with taking pictures and making photo books.  

He took me to Texas roadhouse where our friends were waiting, didn't expect that either.  He told me we could do that another day.  Got me again David. Got Harrison a side of veggies.  This kid loves broccoli! 

 The boys blowing bubbles on such a lovely spring day. So handsome!

 It wasn't just my birthday. I have a twin. His name is Todd. This face of his below says it all.  Always been a goober.  In all our 27 years together, wow I'm almost 30, he has been such a wonderful friend.  I admit growing up we weren't really friends persay, he was more like my competition that I got joy in beating.  He'd say I couldn't run faster than him, but I could.

When we moved to Lumberton in 9th grade and knew no one, we became insta-friends.  Most people thought he was my boyfriend since we were together all the time, eww.  But I'm so grateful for that move, even though I hated life at the time, it brought me closer to my brother.  Now he and his wife (my best-friend/roommate from college, PERFECT!) are our only family living close by.  I'm so glad they've stuck around.  I sure do love them. As much as I give Todd a hard time about his talking on the phone for hours, talking in general, and many other things... I love him.  Happy birthday baby a.


Because I'm the "family photographer," it's rare I'm actually in the pictures.  David did his best and took one. Thanks babe.

And this picture has nothing to do with anything I've just said, but I think baby butts are the cutest things on the planet. He might hate me one day for this.  But his future wife can admire his cuteness.

Yay for good birthdays.

as of lately...

Over the summer, August loomed over my head. I knew I had to go back to work and so I waited til the very possible last second to change my calendar to August. Then I refused to look at it.  Now that I have been working for about a month now...I have to say it is...livable. I am learning how to do things fast and trying to slow time for the important things.  Harrison's picture is my background on my school computer and I honestly get teary eyed almost every time I see it.  However I am very grateful to have good people to watch him for me.  It's hard enough leaving your kid, so having people you trust makes it so much better.

For now we seem to be in the swing of things.  I wake up, get ready, get harrison up, feed him, and then get to play with him til 8:30 when I drop him off.  Thank goodness for those extra hours in the morning.  They have saved my sanity and my health.  David is still working at the MTC as senior missionary training coordinator. He loves it.  He goes to school in the afternoon and is doing an internship every 3rd weekend at the hospital. Last weekend was his first shift and he came home smiling.  He works with patients who have just had heart attacks.  He is loving it.  It has helped light the fire again for the path to medical school (which has been long and grueling). 

David is still serving as ward clerk, which keeps him busy all Sunday and Tuesday nights. I am a counselor in the Young Women so I am gone on Wednesday nights for mutual...after a long day working. I am so jealous of stay at home moms out there. Enjoy the peace of being in one place and of being with your children.

We are honestly busier than we have ever been in our whole life.  Add a kid to the mix and life gets interesting. These have been the hardest weeks...ever.  But as busy and stressful as it is, it has been the biggest blessing in our lives to have our little Harrison. He is pure joy.  We love him.  

In other news, my sister is coming this week with her little mymy. I know she is coming to see her husband's family, but I don't care. I'm just glad I get to see her period =) I sure do miss her.

Oh have I mentioned I am illustrating a book?! So excited. It's one of my life goals so I am pretty pumped.  It is for my dad's cousin.  I've only done one illustration so far, but it is grrreat. Add that to my daily list of duties and I have no time. But it's ok!

Harrison does this funny sucking in of his bottom lip now. I love it.

 He is not into solids anymore, he barfs them up. But if I let him play with his spoon first his seems much more into it =)

 He is sitting all by himself now! I know here the chair is supporting him. But I had to get a picture of this.  This green chair is the puss on the face of our living room. It is gross and ugly, but David got it for free helping a guy move.  He wanted a "man" chair. It reclines and yes is comfortable, I'll give him that. But it is hideous and I don't know how to save it. I will live with it for now until we give it to another guy and his poor wife.