Blogging, Round II

Hello? Hello!

Heaven only knows who's still loyal enough to check in around here.

So.

Nate and I went south to Puerto Rico to celebrate 10 years of marriage.

It was H-O-T!

Anyway, while we were there, my email and our blog was hacked into. Picture "Just Livin' the Dream"-- all in Spanish! We instantly and temporarily decided to make the blog private, without sending anyone an invite. Sorry to those faithful followers who were stumped and possibly insulted-- your requests for invites were inspiring, enough so that I'm going to take another jab at blogging regularly. A daunting thought, indeed! Nevertheless, I am fully committed. Stay tuned...

I must say that I love this man. I love his kindness, his humor, his sarcasm, his friendship, his tolerance (of me), and his amazing ability to balance his obligations with grace and selflessness. And, he's H-O-T. We had a great time, just enjoying each other, and letting everything else....go.

it's all good

On Friday, after a very long, busy, and tiring week, I was walking up a hill with Jack and Caroline in the jogger. Feeling a lump rise in my throat as I thought of all I could've and should've done to be more of an engaging parent this week, I said, "Jack, I want to be a good mom to you! I'm going to do better!"

He said, "It's all good, Mom. You're doin' great."

And then he winked at me (one of his sweeeet 4-year-old skillz.)

Man, this boy is a product of his dad. And it was just what I needed.

Calling All Mothers

Some of you know I'm a closet NieNie fan.

But how could you not be when you see something like this?

Watch, and be inspired.

we are alive

I woke up this morning and decided it was time to get on the ball and post a little update. I'm sure many of our loyal followers have given up on us, but in case you're interested, here are a few pics and a bit of a catch-up for the last couple of months!

Caroline threw our camera into the toilet. So, pics are scarce, but here's a glimpse into our joyfully chaotic world:

Again, camera in the toilet, but I am including this graphic to remind myself that Nate and I had a supremely awesome weekend in Chicago, all to ourselves. Ooh, I fell in love with that city! Nate presented his research at a hoity-toity conference, and boy was I proud. We had a great time: a nice morning run together around Grant Park, a little shopping all on my own (whoa),and some good eats made for some great R&R. I love my husband.

Before the camera in the toilet, I caught some pics of the Queenly One in her debut pigtail appearance! Man, was I proud of myself for maneuvering this production! Too bad they only lasted 20 minutes. Oh well, there is hope.

Here she is again, busily marching her dolly down the street at a remarkable pace. Drive up Hastings Ave and you'll catch her in this pose, at least once a day.

Looking like somewhat of a motley bunch, although mostly pleased, on a rare free Sunday morning (stake conference was at noon), feeding ducks at Haverford College.

Happy 60th, Dad! Oops, did I just say that? We surprised him with every sibling coming to town the week before his birthday. Totally caught him off guard! What a great day!

The Naylor 7, plus a couple of Richards offspring

Ooh, this is big news. Long overdue. Introducing.... GAYLE the PRiUs! Nate's 12-year-old Suburu bit the dust, and this is his green, eco-friendly replacement.

Of course, my cynical spouse had to include a sarcastic wink at all things green. See pic below.

Here's most of my sister-in-laws (a couple weren't in this pic) at our Richards girls' weekend in Utah. I love these ladies. We had a fantastic time.

Here's to posting more frequently! (But don't get your hopes up....)

Little Miss High Society

philly must love onions

Hello everyone, and welcome to the tundra! Sorry my kids aren't featured in these photos; they're a bit too delicate for this weather, apparently. And let's not forget: they're trying to preserve their tans from the beach as long as possible. Beauty over fun, boys!

Such a strange land we live in. I went to the grocery store on Tuesday, before the Big Whammy, to get some "Schtuff." What a trip! No parking spaces. No carts. No eggs. No cheese (as in, NONE.) No bread. No lettuce. No chocolate chips. (c'mon, people!) And... no onions!

As you view these pictures, just think about all the people nestled in their little dens, contentedly munching their onions.

a nice little swapperoosky

we did this:

for this!

{crummy pic, complete with crotch grabbing, courtesy of one awesome robust German tourist}

And, thanks to the second-largest snow storm in Philadelphia history, we got to stay an extra three days! Cheers to serendipity!

*And, I do have to add: Our "service day" on Martin Luther King Day was so cool. I felt sorta guilty thinking about our selfish reasons for doing a good deed. Philly is absolutely filled to the brim with abundant opportunities for community service, and it was inspiring to see the people who came to help clean up a desolate North Philly neighborhood, not so they could go to Disney, but just because they were committed to the cause. Many of them looked like they came from very humble circumstances. It definitely made an impact on me, and from now on, we plan on doing a day of serious and intense service every MLK day. Cheers to traditions!