Promised movie of newfound mobility

Dang chairs . . . 

Charles Exploring the World:

How to print your blog.

At the end of the semester Joshua had a printing quota of about 800 pages left. So we decided to print our blog - for posterity, you know? We found this nifty website that helps you do it so you don't have to copy-paste every post into Word . . .

One little trick I will share: If you have "captions" on your pictures, the pictures won't print. Luckily we still had a quota of 745 left so we removed all the captions and just put the words below or above the pictures, and re-printed. Good luck!

1. Go to your blogger dashboard.
2. Click on "Settings."
3. Click on "Other."
4. Click on "Export blog."
5. Go to the website http://blogbooker.com/
6. Follow their instructions

:)

It even makes a Table of Contents for you. Super sweet.

Here he comes . . .

Stay tuned for a post with movies never-before released to the public of Baby C rolling. We no longer have a house plant baby (one that just sits where you put him). If we don't watch him, this kid is going to tear our house apart . . .

This one needed some parental intervention:

 Whoever invented these blinds, anyway? They never survive houses with kids.

"I love my new toys!!!"

Rollin', rollin', rollin' . . .

Living the Nomadic Life

Hello from west of the Mississippi! We are enjoying Missouri and loved Joshua's break between school and work. The drive to St Louis was pleasant, even with the traffic stop due to an accident ahead of us. We just had a nice picnic in our car. Our apartment is lovely - a two bedroom townhouse in a nice complex. Unfortunately the pool doesn't open until Memorial day, but we are enjoying the little playground in the meantime. Charles likes the baby swing. We will have to do a photo shoot there this weekend. :)

Here are some pictures of our apartment. Fancy, huh? We are staying in a couple's place while they are away on a summer internship. Works out perfectly.

Dining area.

             

Downstairs bathroom. They were really smart - there is not really a shower behind the curtain, it is covering up a water-heater door. I think it makes the bathroom feel bigger and also look really nice!

Outside. We have since planted a few herbs and a tomato plant.

Cute little kitchen. So glad to still have a dishwasher. And thyme. 

Nice living room.

I have since done a little rearranging and took the mushroom chair upstairs - it is very comfy for Baby C and I to snuggle in at meal times. And we might have to move the coffee table up into our room - the little man is a-rollin' and he gets himself stuck around the table legs . . .

 Relaxing retreat.

Charles' very own bedroom. Just like a big boy. 

This is the picture of the room before Baby C took over . . .

Upstairs bathroom. Very important for you to see.

Love squeezed into a closet. 

Seven Hundred and Thirty

That is how many days I have been married to my favorite honeybunches. Best 730 days of my life. We took the whole week to celebrate (mixed in with finals and finishing up projects and packing . . .).

Day 1 Monday April 23

Charles and I went to see the lactation consultant at BABS (wonderful place). We learned about nursing and eating solid foods (as soon as he can sit up we can just give him whatever we want- not even pureed!) and we learned that he is still tongue-tied. We think maybe it grew back from the last TWO times he got it clipped. Poor kid. And his upper lip was really tied down. So, she got us an appointment to see the ear, nose, throat doctor for Wednesday.

Day 2 Tuesday April 24

Day of actual anniversary. Joshua spent all day and evening at school. :) What can you do . . . Oh, but we did sleep in 'til like 11! The three of us just snuggled in bed (thank you, Baby C!) all morning until we finally got up and made a yummy waffle brunch.

PJ brunch

Kissy-kissy!

Day 3 Wednesday April 25

This day we planned to go out to dinner at a secret place only known to Joshua. But then I got all freaked out that the missionaries were coming and I had forgotten about it. I texted Joshua and told him to come home asap and so he did. When he got home he asked, "So, did you sign up to have them over on Wednesday or Thursday?" It was really Thursday. So we just ate some food at home. At least I bitz cleaned the house! Oh, and we ate some chocolate and watched our wedding video. Best wedding video in the whole world of the best wedding celebration in the whole world. Let me know if you would like to order a copy for your DVD collection:

Click here to watch movie.  It will make you smile all day.

Earlier that day I took Charles to the ENT (ear, nose, throat...). He was a big hit with all the lady nurses. They just loved his hair. Dr said yep, it will probably help his nursing to have his tongue and lip clipped. I hate to make him go through the ordeal again, but I hope it makes eating time more enjoyable for all parties involved.

He likes banana Mum Mum rice crackers.

Day 4 Thursday April 26

This is the day when the missionaries really did come over for dinner. We felt like grown-ups having the elders to our house. Charles enjoyed hearing all about missionary work. When he grows up, he wants to be a missionary too.

Elder Santy is Charles' first missionary friend. They hit it off well.

Elder Santy, Elder Wheatley, Elder Floyd

Day 5 Friday April 27

Drive-in movies! Ok, but let's back up to 3:45 am when I had to wake little Charles up. He could not eat for 4 hours before his surgery and I wanted to make sure he didn't go 12 hours without food! The procedure was early, but fast, and Baby C Did well. He was a little cuddly the rest of the day, but otherwise he was a trooper. I have to be really good this time at stretching out and massaging his lip/tongue/mouth (it's a little gross . . .).

He's in the jailhouse now . . . .
(actually he is just playing and waiting to be wheeled to surgery . . . )

We heard the "flower power song of the day" 

on the radio station and picked up these free 

carnations on our way home from picking up 

Joshua and getting 25-cent donuts 

during Donut Happy Hour.

That evening we took our Rally's burgers and seasoned fries to the Starlite Drive-in Movie Theater. I was thinking I was going to see a Snow White movie, but appearantly it had been swapped out for the Three Stooges. I was pretty dissappointed. But Joshua was immediately 10 times more excited to be at the movies, so I guess it was worth it. :)


 

Day 6 Saturday April 28

Joshua made a delicious gourmet lunch for us.

Quinoa strawberry mushroom salad, topped with caramelized

walnuts and lemon yogurt salad dressing

We went to dinner at a restaurant called Falafels.  Josh ate Shukshuuk (chunky tomato sauce with sunnyside eggs and falafels on top) while Erica had the Shawarfel (shawarma i.e. chicken roasted on a vertical spit combined with falafel, dipped in tzazhiki which is yogurt saurce).  We saw this cool abstract painting of Jerusalem on the wall above our table.  It made us think of Christina.

This is sounding like the food channel.  We do like good food. And good friend [sic] and good times.

We had  a great week. We will top off the blog post with a movie of cute Baby C playing with his toys.

My heart cried.

                                                 Joshua, Erica, Starks, Norman and Buddy


Sad news from back at the Nelson Homestead/Zion house: Farmer Jonathan reported earlier that the blue aragona, Sharp, passed away today from unknown causes. She is joining her good friend Thisbe (left us a few months previous) and Buddy the Rabbit (bless his heart).  Oh, how we will miss our dear little hens, some of whom we raised from little chicks. My heart cried.

Raccoons, but not in the garden

Last night we heard scary noises on our rooftop. If it were Christmas Eve, we wouldn't have been so worried. Turns out it was just this little guy:

 Wonder how he got up there; wonder how he was planning on getting down. Good thing our veggies are growing in the community garden plot instead of on our balcony . . .

Workin' hard. . .

Hardly working. 

Just like in Peru

Walnut tree!

Don't eat our plants, baby bunny!

Nice having a portable heater on my back.

It was supposed to be warmer today.

Uh-oh, mealy worm!

Jo went to sleep tonight crying, "Charles! Charles!" We had a good day together at the garden.