My Husband, the Lawyer

Mike passed the bar, so we are no longer students anymore!  We're just unemployed!  Yippee!!!!  :)  I'm so proud of him.

Part of the list of those who passed.

The boys

We were so happy!

And feeling a little loopy.  

To celebrate, Em learned how to climb up and down stairs.  She was pretty proud.  So were we.

We went on a picnic in the park.  I told them to say cheese, so that's why he  is making a weird face.  The kids just loved the picnic and the subsequent visit to the park.  It was tons of fun.

Here are the girls.

Cutie little gal

Sweet little boy!

Congratulations, Mike.  We are so happy you're you!

Big Helper!

We've been (okay, Mike has been) doing some work around the house in anticipation for our upcoming move (whenever and wherever that may be).  Andrew wants to help so much, and will watch Mike to see what tools he's using, what he's doing, etc so he can re-create it later.  He is such a little sweetheart.

Cutting the wall with his "exacto knife."

Helping Daddy tape the wall

Dentistry

Mike's dad came up to Columbia and while he was here, he looked at Mike's teeth.  Andrew, who adores his grandpa so much, was super impressed.  He then decided maybe he could help.

Using both hands and a foot.  At least he's resourceful.  And Mike has never looked better.  "Say 'Ah' Daddy!"

The dentist and the dentist's assistant

What a good sport.

Radio Silence....

  You may notice in the next few weeks that I won't be on the internet much (at all) since ours is getting cut off and we won't get it again until we get a job and move in. 
  I know you're all sitting by your computers, sobbing, and wondering how you will live without knowing just HOW many times the Jacobs family goes to the park this week.  Wondering WHAT Karen is eating this week.  Wondering WHEN you will be able to..........okay, maybe not.  But for those of you who are blubbering into your baby's hair, fear not.  I will be back as soon as I can.
  Oh yeah, and Mike passed the bar for those of you who don't know it.  I have one word to describe how I feel about this.  "HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Good job, sweetie.  It's been a good, long 3 years.

Farmer's Market

We love going to our local farmer's market.  Not only can you get some really good produce and other food (especially the salsa - it's soooo good) but it's just a fun environment.  Sometimes there will be live music, and it's always a great place to go people watching.

And getting fresh tomatoes and other vegetables definitely helps make a REALLY delicious mozzarella and tomato sandwich.  Mmmmmmm....

Some of our haul from a couple weeks ago.

Andrew sat and watched this couple sing for a good half hour and had to be coaxed to leave.

Emily holding the gourd Andrew bought.  She seems to like going to the market, although she does seem confused most of the time we're there.  :)

Eating chocolate chip cookies and listening to music.  Yeah, he had a fun time.

Yep, I was there too!  

I have to admit, I think those kiddos are pretty darling.  Andrew was killing me in his Rocky hat.

He spent most of the time on the fence, although he did venture to that big rock sometimes and sat and watched there.

Remember the whole "people watching" thing?  Well, Mike and his brother were standing there when this guy came up and said, "They need a shock-collar for girlfriends.  What's the counter-sign for apostle this week?  Spoons?  Is it spoons?........I think it's spoons.  Last week it was red rooster, but this week it's spoons.........I'm looking for a girl with blue hair."  And then he walked away.  Yep.

It was nice to have him with us this week!  The kids have looooved it.

Me with the Farmer's Market behind me.  It was bright.  That's why it looks like I only have slits for eyes.  Mystery solved.  You're welcome.

Yeah, I love that guy.

Happy Birthday to You!

Andrew told us out of the blue this morning that his birthday was next week.  He was super excited about it, and we were a bit confused as his birthday is in June.  :)  We decided then to have a birthday party for everybody today.  We spent the morning at the library, then bought a tiny cake, some clearanced party supplies, and watched Jungle Book for the first time.  

Noiseless Noisemakers!

A friend of ours gave us these adorable little couches for the kiddos.  We finally got these out for the movie.  Emily has started saying cheese when she sees the camera.  She's such a little ham.  They look so cute on those couches.

"Napkins?  For me?  Wow!  Thanks, Mommy!"

Me, with wet hair, in the midst of singing Happy Birthday. 

Mmmmmm, cake!

Happily dancing to our singing.

So if you've had a great day, it may just be because it was your birthday.  Or if you've had a bad day, perhaps it's because no one wished you a happy birthday on your very own birthday, for goodness sakes.  Or maybe it IS your birthday, in which case sorry for stealing your thunder.  But we had fun anyway.  :)

He speaks!

Andrew has learned to put on his pants by himself and his shirt with some help.  I love how high he pulled these with his chicken legs sticking out.  He was so proud.

Andrew has always been an adorable little guy (not that I'm biased) but since he's really been talking, he has gotten even cuter.  He says prayers now, and they are so cute and sweet.  I'm glad he's learning that we think it's important.  Anyway, here are a few little gems.

  "Mommy?  Wanna go to da sutermarket and get coins and money?  We'll get three dollars.  Won't that be fun?"

  (At the farmer's market this morning, talking to one of the random farmers there) "Hey dere!  How ya doin'?  We buyin' amatoes. (tomatoes)"

  (After I sneezed) "Oh!  Mommy, bless you!  Bless you, Mommy!"

  (While eating breakfast with me) "Mommy, is that good?......oh, good!"

His all-time favorite song is what he calls Bonny Bonny Banks, otherwise known as Loch Lomond's Lament.  You can hear it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXGVFJqSqqg

Springfield

Thanks to my awesome in-laws and my parents (last minute - thank you!), Mike and I were able to get away for a couple of days and head to Springfield, IL.  It was so fun to just spend time together.  I'll admit that although some of the highlights of the trip were getting to eat without first making 2 little plates and cooling them off, getting to go to the restroom without anyone banging on the door crying, the freedom of going out whenever we wanted, etc. we were still beyond excited to get back to our little sweethearts and being a family again.  But I would totally do it again.  It was freaking awesome.

Lunch on Monday

Standing in front of a really weird Lincoln painting, waiting for a movie to start that  didn't actually happen.

 I called the city tourist office because I saw that they had performances around town.  What she told me was that there was going to be a performance at the Old Capitol building about the underground railroad......in song.  I was so happy, thinking we were going to go to a weird, train-wreck performance.  Turned out it was a critically-acclaimed film called The Underground that I was really excited to see.  But it wasn't going to start for a long while so we headed out.  Bummer.  I was wanting either a great film, or a train-wreck.  :)

"I'm just a bill here on Capitol Hill."

Eating a horseshoe - it's meat, cheese sauce, fries, all on top of a piece of bread. Weird, but very good!

I have a confession.  I REALLY love staying in a hotel.  I get super excited about all the pillows, the free breakfast, the comfy beds, the ridiculous t.v., and yes, getting ice from the machine.  Here I am over-dramatizing (a bit) my excitement over staying at the hotel.  :)  FYI, I love the Drury Inn.  Except that their shampoo smells weird.

The Lincoln Museum is sooooo awesome.  We spent so much time there, and just loved it (as usual).  I recommend it strongly, especially if you are a Lincoln fan.  And no, I don't know why the figure in front is so ticked off.  Maybe he didn't get to stay at a hotel.

On the way home.  Excited to see the kiddos, totally in love, and happy to be together.

Mandatory stop at Ted Drewes for Big Apples

Delicious.  The ice cream, not me.  Please don't eat me.  You'd regret it.

If you have never been to the Gyro Company in St. Louis, I weep for you.  It is so incredible.

I want another one.  Right now.

We had such a fun time.  Thanks again to our babysitters.  The kids had such a fun time, too!

Infinite

"Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely.

 Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. 

Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. 

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children.

He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us^."

                     ^{-Dieter F. Uchtdorf - The Love of God, General Conference October 2009}

^{My in-laws have parts of this talk posted in their home.  I know God lives.  I know He loves me.  I know He loves everyone on this earth, without reservation.  I know that I can return to Him if I am diligent and follow His commandments.  I love Him with all of my heart, and am so grateful to have Him always on my side.}

Good Moments

My sister Laura got Andrew this tool set for his birthday  (we just got to see her last week finally!  It  has been way too long.)  Let's just say, it was a HUGE hit.  Andrew has been fixing everything in the house all week. He always wears his protective glasses, and is so adorable.  Thanks, Laura!

Both kids LOVED this tool set.  Let me be more specific.  They each loved each tool.  At the exact same time.

His speech got rapidly more muffled and nasal-y the longer he wore these.  :)

Mike made Andrew a "turtle shell."  He was ecstatic.

As I said in my last post, this hasn't been a banner week for us, health-wise.  But Andrew and Emily have made us laugh quite a lot anyway.

  We went to the doctor to get Emily's rash checked out.  Our regular doctor, Doctor Wheeler, was on vacation, so we saw the on-call doctor.  When she came in, Andrew said, "It's a Doctor-Mommy!  It's a Doctor-Mommy!"  I realized then that he was excited to see a woman doctor and said "Yeah, it's a doctor who is a woman."  He looked puzzled so I said, "She's a girl, and she's a doctor.  Like......Dr. Wiseman from Curious George."  (For all you die-hard Curious George watchers, I realized after I said it that she is called PROFESSOR Wiseman.  :) Andrew lit up and said, "IT'S DOCTOR WISEMAN!  HEY, DOCTOR WISEMAN!"  She was a little confused, but was really nice, all the same.  Andrew has been asking to go back to the doctor ever since.

 Emily enjoys lording over Andrew.  If I say, "No, no, no Andrew.  Blah blah blah."  Emily will stand up with her little belly poking out and look at him sternly and say, "No no no!  Hey!  No no no!"  Also, Andrew will give Emily his bread crusts or whatever else he decides he doesn't want that day.  Emily, who in her own right has become a bit of a piggy, will start in on him as soon as they sit down.  She'll lean across the table (as much as she can in her booster seat), holding out her little hand and say, "Hey.  Hey!  Hey!  Hey."

  Today Andrew was running in circles around the living room and when he'd get to Emily, he'd stop and give her a hug.  About the third time around, he gave her a big hug and they just stood there for 2-3 seconds looking at each other and smiling, still hugging.  It was the sweetest, best moment.  I sure love those crazy little kiddos.

Sickies

I saw a cartoon online of a baby and above it, it said, "I'm sorry you're sick, Mommy.  Just kidding.  I don't care."

Well, that's so true it's funny.  :)  Emily and I have had this massive cold with sore throats and fevers since Wednesday or so.  Andrew's starting to get sick, but Mike is (cross your fingers) staying healthy for now.  You really never appreciate being well until you are sick.

But I did come up with a great insight yesterday.  I was looking around at the state of the house (which wasn't looking so great) and wishing that I wasn't so dizzy and weak so I could do SOMETHING.  I had been praying to recover quickly and to feel better, but I realized that I could be specific.  I prayed that I would have the energy to help clean the kitchen and get the dishes done.  About 5 minutes later, I realized I was cleaning up toys in the living room, which meant I had some energy!  So I went to the kitchen and started cleaning.  I was able to fill the dishwasher, then although I had to do this pathetic sit-down-and-sweep kind of action, I was able to get the kitchen looking manageable.  Michael's been taking care of us, and doing a good job of it, but I was so glad to be able to help.