Hello all.

It's been a while.  

First and foremost, the docs took the alien dermoid cyst out successfully. Everything went well but they had to take my entire left ovary because the bugger had taken over the ovary. Anyway, here am I am in all of my hairnet, pre-surgery glory.

I make light of it by smiling and having a pre-surgery photoshoot with Peter but there were moments where I was scared. I asked for my darling husbie 3 times before they finally said "Ok, we'll go get him now." I think they felt sorry for me because they couldn't get an IV in. 

Because I have a history of blood clots, they put these cool, vibrating leg warmers on me that they plug in once I get to the OR.

The pain meds were gooooood and I'm all healed. You want to see the cyst?

That big white thing is my ovary with the cyst inside of it. The doc showed Peter pics in the waiting room and of course he took pics of the pics. Atta boy.

Finn has been potty training so there have been lots of moments like this:

And lots and lots of moments like this:

and this:

I have far too many pictures of his adorable bum in teeny tiny underwear. It's just so freaking cute. However, the potty training thing is not a priority to our Finn. He has yet to poo in the toilet. He will be running around the house, free ballin' it and then suddenly he'll yell "MOM! Get me a diaper!! My bum is bumbling! My bum is bumbling!!" I'll tell him he has to go poop and to go sit on the toilet. He responds that he can't because he's too little. And then he say "See?!" and show me his hand. I have yet to understand this gesture... 

For fear of scaring him and having him withhold his poop, I give him a diaper, where he promptly craps and then wants it off.  I need to regroup and come up with a better plan. My deadline is September 15 as he starts his preschool then and has to be potty trained. Wish me luck.

I wanted to take a pic of the kids in front of my beloved poster so I put them up on a chair in front of the picture and then stepped back.

In the time that it took for me to step back and put the camera up to my eye, Finn had moved the picture so it was crooked and Hadley decided to make the "dead face."

Take 2:

Take 47:

I never did get a good one but kept shooting because it was funny.

I have a BUNCH of pictures from Grammy and Bompie's in Asheville too.

Jean put on a little Fairy Tea Party for Hadley, Sophia and Finn. They had little bug cakes (courtesy of BY) to decorate with frosting and then drank lemonade out of teacups. It was terribly cute.

Bompie built a tree house with zip line attached to it in the backyard and the kids had a BALL swinging on the thing.

There was a homegrown fireworks show most nights and all of the kids lined up in their little chairs to watch the show.

Here's me doing a lot of what I did on the trip:

Saturday, Taylor and her sis, Morgan, took the kids for the night. (insert cheers that you would hear in a stadium) It was glorious. Peter and I went out for margs and mexican food, saw the movie SuperBad (which was freaking hysterical) watched 1940s House (which was so interesting and educational) and generally just reconnected and had a really really great time. Not only that but when we went to pick up the kids we stayed for brunch with the Emmerton clan.

Now, I love brunch. Brunch and I are very good friends and this brunch did not disappoint. I will be happy for days thinking about this brunch. French toast with apples and caramel sauce, fresh fruit, puff pastry with eggy goodness inside, a potato veggie dish, blueberry nut bread. Just last night before dinner (more on that later) Peter looked at me intently and simply said "French toast with caramel sauce and apples." I just nodded in solidarity.

Walking into Taylor's house Sunday, I had that immediate feeling of home. Where you walk in the door and just yell "Hey!" I say that every time we're there but it just makes me realize how much I miss that and how much I need that in my life. I'm delighted to have found that with Taylor and her family but it makes me miss my own in Denver.

We left Casa Emmerton and took care of a few errands including picking up dog food at PetsMart where we, once again, successfully dodged getting a rat and instead picked up some snails for the girls fish tank.

Inspired by Lori and her glorious brunch, I decided to throw on an apron and make a fabulous dinner for my fabulous family. One that doesn't come out of a box. All afternoon I worked on a most delicious lasagna. Behold my sous chef:

He's sauteing shallots and garlic. Hadley was engrossed in High School Musical 2, which we've watched 3 times now, while Bubba helped me cook.

Lasagna in the middle of August, you say? Well, considering it was COLD here yesterday and dreary, it was the perfect idea. Plus, bread and salad and wine. Nice.

I also rocked my leg warmers all afternoon for sport and warmth.

Welcome to the week people. Special shoutouts to Emmerton women - Thank you for last night and this morning. We are so grateful to have you in our lives!