Kentucky

On October 1st, or thereabouts, we packed up our Florida home and headed north to Lexington, Kentucky.  We all miss "Florida" a lot ("Florida" is code for YOU, Ladle family... sniff, sniff), but we really are enjoying Lexington.  How can we not enjoy it here?  Look:

This lake is just down the street.  We like taking walks and ending up here.  Very pretty.

Lots of cool old buildings/houses in town.  I'd live in any of them.  I call these two the "His and Hers houses".
Ha ha.  Ben laughs so hard when I make observations like that.

This is a French restaurant where Ben took me for our 10 year anniversary.  10 YEARS.  TEN.

Halloween costumes this year consisted of: 2 ninjas, 1 cowboy, and Marie Antoinette.

Actually, Ben and I weren't home for the real Halloween night.  We were off on a Mexican vacation- I have exactly zero pictures to show for it, though, because I forgot my camera and my phone at home.  I'm an idiot, I know, but remember how a minute ago you thought I was awesome-sauce because I've been married to Ben for TEN YEARS?!?  Just keep thinking about that.

My parents at the airport with my kids and my niece Abby whom my parents brought with them from Oregon.  
She is Maggie's best friend and the closest thing she has to a sister.  Major, MAJOR tears were shed when Abby left.

Thanks again, mom and dad, for coming out and watching our kidlets!

Lexington is known as the "Horse Capital of the World", so as soon as we could we were off to the races!  My boys loved watching the horses.  Maggie loved eating her bag of popcorn.

Cash was surprisingly accurate at picking a winner each race.  In fact, of the 7 races we watched, he picked the winning/2nd place horse EVERY TIME.  The 2 ladies sitting next to us got wise real quick and started placing bets according to Cash's predictions.  I should've started charging them for his expertise.

Our family on a hike at Natural Bridge State Park.

My minivan's odometer hit a real special number.  MY BIRTHDAY... 5/25/79.  It's the small things.

Here's a fun little Henry picture to end with.  My little teeny tiny boy.  He is sitting on my lap as I type this.  And he's wearing the same stripey pj's just like the picture.  Crazy.  (Except not really because he only wears, like, 3 different outfits).

Okie dokie.  Why is it so hard for me to end blog posts?  Am I that socially awkward that I can't even type good-bye?  Good grief.

9 years ♥

Thoughts

I'm sick. I've got a horrible chest cold that feels like fiery explosions in my chest every time I cough. Explosions that fling shrapnel into the fleshy insides of my lungs. Not fun. It should be illegal to get sick on the eve of your anniversary, don't you think? Ben and I dropped off the kids with their aunt and uncle anyway and headed up to Salt Lake for a delicious dinner, some shopping, and a movie. On the way home we stopped by the drugstore so I could stock up on some Vicks, Sudafed, and saline spray. Romantic, no? Today my evening of "reckless abandon" is giving me the gift of hoarseness, sore muscles from head to toe, and an extremely clouded mind (ergo this post probably makes no sense). I've been forcing glasses of Airborne down my family's throats. And I've been drinking my fair share of tea, hot lemon juice with honey, orange juice and just plain water. Also the t.v. has been on pretty much all day. Dora, Diego, and lots of Disney. Although 'Map' is starting to wear thin on my patience and so I think the play-dough is soon to be making an appearance at the kitchen table.

Ben and I have successfully navigated our way through 7 years of marriage. We have 3 beautiful, healthy, exuberant children. We have a cozy, comfortable home. We're still in love. And so, even though today I feel like wrapping myself up cocoon style in a thick, heavy quilt and jamming three sets of ear plugs in my ears, I have to say that my life is pretty sweet. Sweet and mentholated...but mostly sweet. Except for that hint of yucky that is wafting from the general direction of Oscar's pants (and actually it must be more than a hint because I can smell it through the Vicks). So I'm off to correct that.

Happy Anniversary, Ben. I love you.