monumental

Our President's Day weekend was quite a busy one. I'm not sure how we would have managed had there not been an extra day to squeeze the craziness into. It was a whirlwind, but a good one. Here are the highlights.

Saturday

• Frolicked in Manhattan with my kindred spirits, Emily and Whitney, which included wandering the Union Square farmer's market while sipping hot apple cider, perusing Fishs Eddy (of course), and downing a mug of intensely rich caramel hot chocolate at City Bakery. 
• Attended a baby shower immediately following with even more fantastic friends. I have to say: the most amazing women live/d in Brooklyn. 
• I can't remember what else happened this day, but I'm pretty sure that I didn't sit down. Also, it should be mentioned that Blake really loves me because he let me play for most of the day while he stayed at home with the boys. I sure love him, too. We make a good team.

Sunday

• First Caleb didn't want to go to Primary. Then he cried because he didn't want to leave. So, overall, a pretty typical day at church.
• The Downton Abbey season finale. Whitney came over to watch with me, and Emily called immediately after it was over. There was much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

Monday

• Matthew sprouted his first tooth! Finally! He's nearly 10 months old!
• Drove to New Jersey to visit Blake's co-worker, Tsipora, and the twin baby girls she recently gave birth to. She and her husband are Orthodox Jews who are just as fascinated by our Mormonism as we are with their Jewishness. Our conversations were quite enlightening. For lunch they served us the most amazing kosher pizza (a white pizza with ricotta, spinach, and tomatoes), and in doing so introduced  -- and converted -- us to clear plastic Shabbos tablecloth covers. Ingenious! We picked up a box for ourselves from the kosher aisle of their neighborhood supermarket on our way home.
• Because we were close to one, and because the diamond fell out of my wedding ring a few days ago, we stopped at a Jared to get it repaired. (Yes, girls, eight years ago he went to Jared!)
• Stopped in Target, because I keep a running shopping list for whenever we might be near one.
• Killed time in the outlet mall adjacent to the jewelers while we waited to pick up my ring. Found Garrett some much needed new shoes, changed a dangerously poopy diaper moments before it exploded, and was seriously flattered when Garrett told me I looked just like a Banana Republic mannequin.
• Back at home I cleaned the bathroom, swept and mopped the floors, sorted the laundry, and caught up the checkbook (yes, I'm old-fashioned), all because I didn't want to be swallowed up in a Tuesday that was already forecasted to be a little nutty. Trust me; it was worth it.

And then I crashed. But it was a happy crash.