Tomorrow is the big day.

He's been studying day...

... and night.

An 8-hour test over everything you've learned in 2 years doesn't sound too bad, right?


(Every day when Rick leaves to study, Carson encourages him to "make me proud!")

His best word

is "moo." (Although he shocked us all tonight by repeating the phrase, "I do!" It was probably one of those fluke things, but it sure was cute.)

And he refuses to eat anything but spinach smoothies for breakfast. (This one has blueberries, hence the purple instead of green face.)

And he already figured out how to go down the stairs backwards. I remember trying (in vain) to teach another little boy to do that when he was more like 18 months old.

We are in good old VA this week spending some quality time with family while Rick spends 95% of his waking hours studying for the boards.

Carson is a lucky boy to have a great-grandma who can read him Curious George.

Still trying to get over the excitement of last night.

So fresh!



The new family. (minus 2 older brothers... watch out, baby girl!)



Oh, and if anyone else wants Sara and me to be their personal labor coaches, we would be more than happy to oblige. No promises that we won't lie about going to get the nurse to get you that epidural when we know you don't need it!

A LOVE-ly weekend!

This weekend was like a dream. Spent 20 hours traveling for a day-and-a-half in Utah, but it was all pure bliss! I thought it would be hard to leave my kids and travel across the country, but as soon as I sat down on the airplane and realized that I could read, sleep, eat, etc. WITHOUT HOLDING A BABY OR ENTERTAINING A TODDLER I was in heaven!! (And just to show you how I seriously took advantage of that airplane time, I read The Hunger Games on the way there and Catching Fire on the way back. That's 765 pages, folks. And oh wow, was it GOOD! I am still sort of obsessing over the story and agonizing over the months until the third book comes out. SO good.)

Anyway, I DO love my boys, but having a two day break from them was extremely refreshing. Especially spending that time with some of my favorite people in the whole wide world. This group of gals and I laughed hard and cried hard and played hard and just had a wonderful reunion together. Man, college was fun!!


We got to help Kim's sister-in-law the wedding planner, and somehow all these flowers made it to the reception safely.


Kim is a beautiful bride!


And she and Josh are in love! And Carly loves to dance!


There is nothing quite like witnessing someone you love be married and sealed to someone she loves, and to be there with an entire group of people you also love and haven't seen in months or years, and then to feel grateful for your husband and kids that you love even more... and that's a whole lot of love! Thanks for getting married to the man you love, Kim!

Can I really leave them?

(And lest you think Sunday's pizza dinner features something gross like pepperoni, here's proof that it actually tricks the boys into eating sweet potatoes. It is really good, I promise.)

Here's hoping that the boys don't distract Rick too much from studying for the most important test of his life, that Carson isn't terrified of anyone and everything on his playdate like he was last time, and that Everett suddenly figures out how to use his sippy cup (the kid still nurses three times a day, and I'm just up and leaving him!)

But when a girlfriend is getting married, what can you do but jump on a plane and GO!!

I sure will miss these two.

(Everett retrieved and handed Carson each piece of laundry like it was his job.)