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FREEDOM

Cole is now FREE from nighttime pullups! Hip hip hooray! I told him that if he woke up three nights in a row with a dry pullup that I would allow him to start sleeping in his underwear. I expected this to take some time but I should have known that my golden boy would do it immediately. And now he has gone 10 nights with NO accidents! Now I only have two boys in diapers. Next up... potty-training Finn! YIKES!

BEAUTY

Yes, after 6 weeks of renovating the first property is finally ready to rent. IT IS GORGEOUS! If I do say so myself. Josh did an amazing job making it look quite glamourous but affordable. He posted it last night on Craig's List and the Air Force rental page and he's already received a couple calls to show it! Here are a few before and after pics. New paint, new windows, new doors, new carpet, new tile, new granite, new fixtures, new closets. I want to move in!


KITCHEN BEFORE


KITCHEN AFTER


FAMILY ROOM BEFORE


FAMILY ROOM AFTER


BATHROOM BEFORE


BATHROOM AFTER


TRUTH

I can officially play 3 chords on my shiny guitar, that's the truth: D, C, and D7. Another truth, I wish I would have learned to play when I was younger because my old brain is exhausted after my daily practice sessions. The first song I want to learn to play is "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd. Aiming high!

LOVE

I love red meat. Maybe it's all that time being pregnant...craving red meat and being so averse to chicken. But let's face it, meat is expensive, especially the 93% lean ground beef. So I have been trying to prepare at least three vegetarian meals a week. I stretch our little 1 lb portions of ground beef out over 2-3 meals, making my spahetti/chili/enchiladas less meaty. Finally we are out of ground beef. This meant a trip to Costco. I haven't been there in a while so this may not be new to you but it is new to me. They now sell ground beef in large tubes, I mean really large tubes...10 lbs large! I LOVE IT! Josh and I couldn't stop giggling about it, you can imagine lots of pithy remarks.

A love letter...

To my best friend-

I have spent a month showing the man I love what he means to me. I think he gets it, so today I decided to write a different kind of love letter, a love letter to my best friend. Perhaps we are well-suited to each other. Neither of us is very good at expressing in person the kind of affection we feel. We say goodbye like we will simply see the each other tomorrow when in fact we say goodbye for months at a time. It’s one of the things I love about you. You don’t expect me to be a simpering female friend. I can call you every day or only once a week and you don’t feel neglected or resentful. However, this year I resolved to be a better friend. For you this means letting you know how much I love you. And since we are both so emotionally retarded in our expression of love, I decided to write it in a form we both love, blog post.

When I showed Josh my love letter to you he said “you sound like a lesbian.” Men don’t understand a woman’s ability to truly love another woman, yet, that is how I love you. I can hardly write these words without being overcome with emotion because you are singularly the most important friend of my life. Every milestone I approach I feel immense gratitude to you because without you and your amazing testimony of Jesus Christ I would not have the life I love. You were the answer to my prayers at a time in my life that I so badly needed direction. Without you (and your husband) I know I would never have been able to marry the man I love in the temple or have my children born under the covenant. You are a wonderful example to me of hard work, motherhood and creativity. You call yourself “mediocre,” which I find so surprising because to me you are anything but. You are generous and warm and make the best pulled chicken sannys and chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted.

I miss you terribly. I know Josh misses you too because there are times when he just doesn’t understand what I am going through and he says “why don’t you go call your best friend.” He knows that you have a way of putting things in perspective and making me feel whole in a way only a best friend like you can do.
You are a stunning beauty, not because you have great bangs and gorgeous eyes, but because you endeavor to make others happy. You have made me so happy and I thank my Heavenly Father for you. So call me a lesbian, I don’t mind, just as long as you let me love you through the eternities, wearing dress sweats, drinking Diet Pepsi and eating Red Robin.

Pay it forward...WEBB style..

So, here's how it works-the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or be lazy and copy and past like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play by commenting on the post! Remember that only the first 3 comments will receive a gift from me, so be quick!

Thanks Jacqui for the fun idea!

The new-ness of new

As you have probably already noticed, I have a new blogger skin and title. I was watching the "Moulin Rouge," one of my favorite movies, and found my new title. Talouse Lautrec asks Christian if he believes in "freedom, beauty, truth and love," the prerequisites to being a Bohemian revolutionary. The Bohemians challenged the status-quo. While I don't necessarily agree with the entirety of their counter-culture I do believe in the Bohemian ideas of freedom, beauty, truth and love.

FREEDOM
How come there has been no discussion in main stream media about the SUCCESS of Iraq's recent election? It went off without a hitch, and was mainly carried out by Iraq's own security forces! To think about democracy going forth in this world gives me goose bumps because I know there is no other way for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to thrive than in a free land!

BEAUTY
I put together an evening in Shanghai for one of Josh's Valentine's days. I am pretty proud of my arrangements, roses and carnations (I hate carnations but they were on sale) in take out boxes. Here is a pic of my arrangement, gorgeous slice of chocolate cake and a champagne flute of milk.



TRUTH
Truth...Cole and Finn need haircuts, BAD! They look like Harry and Lloyd. See for yourselves.



LOVE
Josh asked my family if they would give him a work day at the rental property. Of course they agreed and showed up on Saturday to paint/caulk and spakle. My family spent the whole day there as did my kids. The kids loved getting dirty and playing in the paint, needless to say they had no naps which eventually led to a wonderful late afternoon meltdown. My mom, always sensitive to everyone else's needs, put down her paint brush and rocked a very fussy Cash on the back porch. Next thing I know, Momo is rocking a fussy Cash AND Finn. Of course Cole didn't want to be left out so he leaned against Momo's back. They all fell asleep that way. And my mom... she didn't budge. Even though I knew her back was on fire and her butt was asleep she let the boys sleep.

My family may be a whole lot of crazy but they truly walk the walk. They don't just say they love you, they show it with everything they are. I think they are pretty amazing and I am grateful they are such amazing examples of Christ-like love!