Family Pics

Here are the long anticipated Gilbert Family Photos:

I'm going to have one of A's friends try to photoshop M's head out for a different one where he is actually smiling.

Don't I have beautiful Boys!?

This one was just too cute to leave out:

Tagged

I've never been tagged before, it's kind of exciting to know that people actually care enough about me to do this. Here's an explanation from Amberly's blog:
Thanks a million Kim! The rules are to post 6 items about yourself (habits, traits, deep dark secrets, etc.) on your blog, then tag 6 more people to do the same.
I don't know if I know 6 people that actively blog, but I'll give it a whirl:

1. I just removed my toe nail polish last night. I am extremely lazy when it comes to this. I'll paint my toenails then leave it for as long as possible. By the end of the polishes life I start wearing close-toed shoes so that no one can see the sorry state of my polish. But I love having painted toes. Did you know that according to Cosmo magazine (yes I did read that horrible publication back in my wild youth) women with painted toes are 33% more sexy than those who don't. I need the 33% edge.
2. My favorite Cold Stone ice cream creation is called 'Cherry Cake Double Take', it's got cake batter flavored ice cream, yellow cake pieces, black cherries, almonds and honey. Delish!
3. I have recently decided to start buying as much organic food as is reasonable on our shopping list. I don't know why I got on this kick. I'm not a health fanatic, but I'm taking baby-steps to help the environment.
4. I don't like to eat reheated meat... it tastes funny. (Why do 2 of my 6 deal with food? Probably because I love it so much).
5. My favorite church calling was Sunday School Teacher for the 12 and 13 year olds. I like to teach (I didn't say I'm not nervous when I do it, but for some reason I like it). And that age group is still young enough to think that you're cool, but are also old enough to be cool themselves. Plus it's a once a week calling, no commitments to mid week activities, no emotional investment such as is required by being in Young Women's. It's great.
6. I love to read greeting cards. When I was living in Connecticut, when one of my friends and I would go to CVS we would, inevitably, get distracted by the card aisle and waste a good hour or two there.
7. I want my next baby to be a girl. I love my boys, I really, really do. People always say they don't care what they have as long as it is healthy and that is absolutely a true statement, but another true statement is "I want a girl".

I guess I'm an over achiever, I did seven instead of the required six. I'm a freak, I know, but there you have it!
I'm tagging April S., April G., Mande, Becky M., Becky F., and Jackie

I'm going Postal

So here in our subdivision we have those centrally located mailboxes rather than one at each house for the mail-carrier to drop off our correspondence, this makes it easier on the mail delivery system, they're more efficient, faster, and more organized this way... or so they say. Our address is XXXX S. ## Lane in Phoenix, we are the only people who have lived in this house as it was newly constructed when we moved in 2 1/2 + years ago. Well, when the geniuses who named our street did so, they also named an adjacent street ## Ave. Coincidentally there is also an XXXX S. ## Ave. So here's my rage for today: Our rocket scientist mail-carrier puts at LEAST 1 piece of mail per day on average for our lovely neighbors who live on ## Ave in our mailbox. Last week I received 6 pieces of mail in one day for ##Ave. Not only that but I've received mail for XXXX S. !! Lane, XXXX S. @@ lane, and XXXX S. $$ lane. This would seem like a simple mistake, however, inside each mail box there is a little name plate showing the last names of all of the people who reside at that address. There are only Gilberts living in this house, not Caldarons, Ramirez, Harpers, or Smiths, however we routinely receive mail for them. I've received paychecks, magazines, jury summons, wedding invitations, power bills, packages, credit cards, and even some body's Green Card from the INS. If I were not an honest person I'm sure I could have sold that for some extra cash, but being the nice neighbor that I am, I go around the neighborhood and distribute the mail to the correct homes. I'm thinking that the federal government needs to pay me some back pay for my mail-carrying services, not to mention benefits, vacation time, 401K, bonuses (you get the picture). Here's the real kicker: I've only had neighbors distribute my mistaken mail about 4 times in the last few years. I'm hoping that my neighbors are as honest I am and not taking my mismailed credit solicitations, filing them out and using credit cards under my name that have been sent to them. I have been so nervous to have anything important mailed to me that we had A's passport mailed to his parents house in California to be sure that we got it and not someone else. I now understand why those postal workers went berserk a few years ago and shot their coworkers up, the stress of delivering mail can really get to a person, I would know, I'm an unofficial employee, and most days I feel the rage at my fellow delivery personnel.

Paint, Pictures, Primates, Pity

Today there are 4-P's in my life:
First Paint: I finally became somewhat unlazy and painted my hall and E's bedroom. After 2 1/2 years of living in this house I'd say it was about time. E's walls were terrible. They had that impossible to clean chalky white paint that the builder uses because they want to spend as little money as possible into building the house. But now it's nice and fresh and pretty. I also bought material to make him new curtains. The project isn't quite finished, I still have touch up work to do that will wait until tomorrow.
Pictures: On Saturday we had our family pictures taken, the first time since E was 1, we're terrible at that kind of thing! I'll post them when I get them back.
Primates: You may have to stretch with me on this one. I am 100% a creationist in my belief of how the universe was created. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who created our world. However that does not take away from my side belief in evolution. I believe that it is very much a scientific fact that God placed creatures here on Earth and some have evolved into new forms. That said, What makes humans higher primates?: opposable thumbs! Why am I bothering with all of this silly info? I have a piece of my thumbnail that is growing down into my skin, and it hurts like heck! It's funny how I never think of how terrible life would be without thumbs, until one is incapacitated.
Pity: It seems my previous post about my friendship expectations has been reviewed somewhat differently than what I intended. I know that friendships change and that I shouldn't expect my friendship with Courtney to remain as it once was, I am a realist. My quandry is thus: why in the 5+ years since we moved from Daly City has it seemed that there are no other kindred spirits out there, are my friendship expectations too high?

Fun Weekend!

This weekend we took the boys to my in-laws house in Southern California. We left on Thursday after A got home from work and came home Sunday night. On Friday we went to some apple orchards. It was nice a chilly. One of the drawbacks of living here in AZ is that the seasons don't really change. There are really no indications that it is fall, and it makes me a little sad. We had a great time, E got to feed some deer, and we really enjoyed being in the mountains.

On Saturday we drove down to Miramar Marine Corp Air Station for the Air Show. We got to see all kinds of cool airplanes. Ethan got to sit in the LAPD's helicopter, which he thought was great. A held M up to sit on top of a planes gun thingy (A could tell you what it is called, but I'm a girl, and have no idea what it is other than where the bullets come out of the plane). M even took a nap in the stroller at the air show and didn't even mind the noise. We did put earplugs in his ears earlier while the jets were doing their demonstrations, he looked a little like Frankenstein. On the way back to my in-laws E totally zonked in the car.

It was a really nice weekend to spend some time with our family and enjoy being out doors.


Not so smartly I wore new shoes to both events and now have nice blisters on my heals. But they were really cute shoes.

Expectations

Last night A and I were talking about friendships. I have always been the type to have several friends around me, I thrive on the companionship of other women. Most of the women that I've been friends with in the past are still very dear to me even though all of them live very far away.
While we lived in Daly City we had two other couples that we were very good friends with. We were all pretty much at the same place in our lives, no kids, husbands in school, fairly newly married. And these were exceptional friendships in that all the wives got a long, all the husbands got along, we were one big happy group. One of the wives and I were especially close, we were kindred spirits (this doesn't take away from the friendship that I had with the other wife), but Courtney and I were two peas in a pod. We saw eachother, I would venture to say, at least 4 times a week, and probably talked every day. After we moved from Daly City, as is natural, the friendship dwindled a little. We are still friends but the bond isn't the same. I know it is to be expected, so I'm not upset by this, it's just how things happen.
Since then I have yet to find a friendship like that one. Of course, A is my best friend, but I don't have a very close female friend at this point, and this is kind of a foreign concept for me. I have yet to find another couple where the spouses are all as close as we were with our friends in Daly City. And I'm wondering if my expectations are too high? I know that even if I did find a friend like that, my life is drastically different now. I don't have the ability to just 'hang out' as I did then. I've got kids to be with, and they can complicate things. Especially if a potential friend has kids and ours don't get along, or if the husbands don't get along. But honestly, my life is a little lonely without that kind of bond. I am a social person, I love my friends, I love being around people, even if it's for no other reason than to sit and talk, or play board games.
So, as I was saying, A and I were talking last night about this, and I've come to the conclusion that I shouldn't be expecting another Courtney. I should be content to have casual friendships, but somehow, this just does not sit well with me. So I pose the question to you, dear reader, should I expect to find another Courtney, is it even possible now that my life has so many other factors?

Just Another Week

Things are good in the Gilbert household, A was just commenting today about how there is generally a joyful atmosphere in our home, and he's absolutely right. Especially today while we had the opportunity to listen to the words of our amazing spiritual leaders in the 177th semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The spirit has definitely been uplifting here in our little corner of South Phoenix.
This week I've had the opportunity to realize how grateful I am for my children. I've been able to watch some of the other kids in our neighborhood play together and it has really made me understand just how great my kids are. Not that other children are necessarily bad, in fact they all have been well behaved at my house, it's just that Heavenly Father sent me the kids that would be best for me, and I love that.
This week E has met some major milestones. He's started sounding out words. This is probably run of the mill for some of you parents out there, but I'm just so proud of him! He turned 4 just about two weeks ago, and I think it's wonderful that he is so excited about learning how to read.
He also did something funny at the park yesterday, he walked up to this random woman and told her, "You can call me Duke". I had a good laugh about that.