The Perfect Weekend

So... I've been a little bit of a Debbie Downer lately, huh?

Sorry about that.

It turns out, I write better when I'm a little down. And I feel the need to write more when I'm a little down. But those were two slightly melancholy moments in a very happy few weeks. And just to prove I can be chipper, here's an account of The Best Weekend Ever.

We didn't have anything scheduled all day Saturday. Right, you heard me, nothing on our agenda (OK, Bryan had to run a couple of quick errands... but it was fine - I'll get to that.)

We started the awesomeness by waking up a little later than normal - 7:30ish - and taking our time getting up and ready. Around 10:15 we headed to the park. It was 70 degrees and sunny! Spring!! But Eden scoffed at the cute little white, wide-brim sunhat I had for her. Nope, she wanted to wear her winter hat:

We had an awesome time at the park; it's been quite a while since I've been able to go with Bryan and Eden to the park, so it was really fun for me to get to push her on the swings and catch her at the bottom of the slides! We ran around like crazy, and worked up an apetite for our yummy sushi lunch. Eden tried some California Roll and loved it! Bryan remarked we have a little yuppy baby on our hands. ;)

After lunch, we hit the slides a few more times and then drove home so Little Missy could have a nap. Bryan went to run some errands for work, and I watched a girlie movie while she slept (Practical Magic - and now I've got that song stuck in my head - you know the one, "Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both up..."). Eden woke up, Bryan got home, and the movie ended all in perfect timing... ahh.... and we headed out again.

Our local ice cream shop is shutting its doors and moving to the town center, so we had to walk there one last time to partake in the yumminess! I had to go full-on, since it was the end of the road, so I got a sundae. Yumm!!

Then we headed home and had a delish steak dinner with our downstairs neighbor and our landlord (who is also our downstairs-downstairs neighbor) to say goodbye. Downstairs neighbor is moving out at the end of the week! We are sad to see her go - she is super nice - but we are excited about the new neighbors too - they are about our age, from Oklahoma (who knew?), and have a little boy two weeks younger than Eden. So awesome. Also, I think they're Republican. :)

End of the day: in bed before 10. NICE.

Sunday Bryan didn't have to be to church as early as normal because he wasn't playing drums, so we were able to drive there together. Which means the morning went much more smoothly than normal because there were two of us getting Little Missy ready.

The service was nice; the sermon (you can download it from the church's website or search iTunes for "Hope Fellowship Church") sparked a long conversation between Bryan and me (well, sparked the continuation of a conversation we've had off and on for about two and a half years) about our decision to stay here, to not move to Portland to start a church with J&B. I'd tried to get a job there, but to no avail. Turns out they didn't want to hire a 3L from Oklahoma who went to school on the east coast and spent the summer at a Boston firm but wanted to move to Portland so she and her husband could help start a CHURCH. Goodness, I can't imagine why. But that left us with no certain income, with a baby on the way, and knowing only a few people. The rational, responsible minds in us couldn't justify moving across the country under those circumstances. So we decided to stay. And we are glad we did - we still believe we made the right decision. BUT. When we talk about people like Nehemiah who took big risks and faced serious adversity for God's work, it makes us question our reasoning. We don't believe that we should take risk for the sake of taking risk, and we believe we were honestly trying to discern God's will in that situation and make the right choice in an agonizing decision, and, again, we believe we ended up right where we're supposed to be, but I wonder whether we made the choice for the right reasons. Curtis also mentioned in his sermon, though, that God needs people in Boston too! People to plant themselves here, to grow deep roots, and love this city in His Name! And we are doing that, joyfully. That makes us feel a lot better.

Anyway, after church Eden and I headed home, while Bryan worked, and she took a nap while I watched Mulan (I had never seen it, and it was interesting... I was sort of conflicted about its message...). Eden woke up, and out we went again for a little shopping trip (Friends and Family week at Gap ended yesterday and we had to take advantage!). Eden was rockin' the shades again, and looking like a twenty-two year old:

She was awesome at the mall. Total angel. Stayed in the stroller, chatted away but didn't scream once. Of course, the five pounds of Cheerios and four slices of apple helped.

After that, Bryan headed back to work (church) and we Skyped with my parents. And I got to see my little brother, who is back stateside from Japan!! Yipee! He's moving up to the northeast very soon - I'm excited about that! Eden was a little crazy on Skype - she had a lot of energy after being such an angel at the mall. But she sat down long enough to have a tea party with Grandpa, which he loved:

Inspired by Lag Liv and others, I tried baking a spaghetti squash for the first time. I must say, it was yummy! I roasted it whole at 400 degrees for 50 minutes, and it was a little crunchy. I think I could probably get it softer if I cut it in half first, but I kind of liked it crunchy. I went easy on the toppings, just a little dried basil, some lemon juice, and asiago (oh how I love asiago). It was pretty good:

Eden ate a little, but turned up her nose after a little bit and asked for "Os" (surprising, I know, since she already ate 5 pounds at the mall, but whatever). I gave her some Os with milk, and she downed three bowls. Including drinking the milk like a champ:

Bryan got home just as Eden was coming out of the bathtub, Eden went down super easy, and I was in bed again before 10! Yipee!

Woke up this morning refreshed and ready to face the week, despite the cold I am valiantly battling, my super-sore shoulder (from an H1N1 vaccination... four weeks ago... more on that later, maybe...), and the twenty-degrees cooler weather. It's amazing what a great weekend can do.