Birthdays and Blowouts

Well, today my wonderful husband is 32. For his birthday, I got him a book, the new proof silver eagle dollar, had the foyer tiled, and blew out the engine on our Honda! That's right, on the way to church today the engine of our Honda all but exploded. I mean, it's done. Only 60,000 miles and we are replacing the motor...we've had bad luck with the Honda. I'll never buy a brand new car, ever again. They just don't make them like they used to. Of course, I should mind my oil changes, but still. That's another blog another day.

Anyway, thanks to Ben Bailey, we were able to get it towed after church and now comes the fun part.....buying a new motor and installing it. I was so upset this morning. Two years ago, on Adrian's birthday, I was in an accident, in the Honda. We've decided we should just park all vehicles on March 30th every year. With a little help and encouragement from my parents, I was able to keep a smiling face and cook a birthday dinner for Adrian. And they sent him nice gifts to open as well. My parents still, and always will, get me through the best of times and the worst of times. I don't know what I'd do without them. I'm very lucky to have their love and support, unconditionally.

Adrian has not frowned for a second over this whole engine ordeal. It's why I love him so much. Nothing breaks him. Nothing discourages him. He has a tremendous amount of faith and can endure just about anything. His positive outlook inspires me. Someone once asked Adrian what he feared, and his answer was, "not a thing." I didn't believe him at first, but the more I know him, the more I realize that it's true. Me, well, I still stay up late at night worrying about where the safest place is in our home in case a tornado knocked a tree on top of us.

Adrian did enjoy spending time today with Juliette on the swings, and in the hammock. He is now sleeping, something he never gets to do. Happy Birthday Adrian, I LOVE you more than sour candy and high heels, more than fried potatoes and spring flowers, more than crushed ice, more than my favorite songs, and so much more!

And a big thanks to the Campbell's and the Baileys for helping us before and after church today!

We're having a......

BOY!!!!!!!!!!!! JuJu's going have a brother! Adrian is going to have a little skater! Here's how I found out. I went to the doctor by myself for a normal monthly OB exam. They listened to the heartbeat, and it was 152. The last time they checked it was 158. No big deal. So everything seemed fine, and so I headed to the desk to check out. Then my doctor checked my chart again and called me back. She told me that I should be having a sonogram every two weeks right now, due to a minor medical issue. So she sent me right on into the sono room. She told me they were only going to look at my cervix, but I knew we would see that baby. So I asked the sono tech if she could tell what I was having. She replied, "Yes, would you like to know?" It seems like as soon as I said yes, I heard the word BOY. I immediately laughed and cried simultaneously, loudly....very loudly. I screamed.

I've wanted so much for Adrian to have a son one day, and I was just so glad that day was here. And the due date is on Adrian's Dad's birthday, so it feels all the more special. It has been 26 years since there was a male in Adrian's direct family. I want a healthy child...and I would have been thrilled with a girl...sisters are the best! I don't know anything about little boys, but I am excited to learn!

I took Adrian to dinner in Parkville tonight and told him that the doctor had given me good news and bad news. The bad news is that I have gained too much weight this month. The good news is that we are having a boy! Adrian's face lit up, but I could tell that he also felt proud, as if he had known all along. Anyway, now we have to break the news to JuJu. She has been talking and talking about her baby sister in my belly. She might be ticked off at first when we break the news that it is a brother, but she'll change her mind one day! Now for a name.....

Easter Week

This was my first Easter in Kansas City. I've always gone home, and though I was sad about missing an Arkansas Easter, we had a nice time here in KC. But next year, I'm going back to Arkansas where the grass is a little greener this time of year. I love it here, but as I've said before, there is no place like home, esp in the spring.

Our camera battery died just as we went out to get a family Easter photo, shoot!

We had a neighborhood Easter Egg hunt in our back yard. That was fun! Juliette spent a whole day with Daddy on Saturday while Mommy went to sing at Jardines. I LOVE it when JuJu and Daddy spend the day together. She busted her lip at the skate shop, of course!

I cooked a giant Easter feast after church and we had the missionaries and Anna over. It was a Mamow meal, and I was proud of myself for not screwing it up. Adrian told me that the missionaries had mentioned that they love to come to our house because I make such great meals. I just thought I was good at making a great mess. So maybe I will cook more. Maybe.

Juliette really believes in the Easter bunny, and she was excited to see him at Zona Rosa.

We dyed eggs as a family for Family Home Evening. Adrian's green striped egg won the contest. Juliette wanted to crack them open. She also keep asking me when the baby in my belly is going to crack out.

Adrian explained the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to Juliette. Well, we have tons of lady bugs around our house this time of year. She tends to find them when they are dead. But one day, I guess the lady bug was just sleeping, because it suddenly started flying around after I told her it was a goner. Juliette then explained to me that the lady bug had been resurrected. It was a Family Circus moment. Why are there so many lady bugs around here anyway?

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Little Girls, Little Girls

A few days before Easter, I took Juliette and her friend Capri to see Disney Princesses on Ice at the new Sprint Center. Our neighbor and friend, Allison, has the hook up for tickets to almost everything in Kansas City. I was most excited about seeing the new Sprint spaceship smack dab in the middle of downtown KC. We arrived, and instantly, I thought of Carol Bernett singing "Little Girls, Little Girls, everywhere I look I see...little." I mean, everywhere I turned there were little girls in princess dresses. Thousands! Juliette wore the Cinderella gown for two days following the show.

The girls were so sweet. Capri is the most agreeable child I've ever met. They didn't even whine about the souvenirs. I'm anti tacky souvenir, esp when a plastic magic wand is thirty dollars. We went to the Quick Trip inside the arena, and bought bug juice, and they were more than happy. The show was actually very good. Here are a few snapshots.

14 DEEP PREMIER!

What a fun night it was at the Escapist Skateboarding Video Premier of 14 Deep! I'm so proud of Adrian and all the guys at Escapist. This skate video will be distributed nation wide, at least, and it features the Escapist team, including pros like Sean Malto and up and coming Ryan Pierce. These boys are amazing...and they are proving that you can make a dang good living from riding a skateboard. The premier was a huge success. They rented out a beautiful historic theater with an orchestra pit and all, and Spanish architecture. I wish I had photos of the theater once everyone was there, but it was too dark at that point. It was kind of crazy as any Escapist event is. It sort of reminded me of the donkey land in Pinocchio....all those rowdy boys! Adrian did his beat box as always, and dozens of people won free shwag from brands like Girl and Etnies. Afterwards, the Escpiast owners and their ladies all had late night Mexican on Southwest Blvd. Like I said, it was a fun night, and I am so proud.

Saturday at the Nelson

As I've mentioned before, Juliette and I have a tradition. Every Saturday we go to the city and spend the afternoon together exploring something new. Saturday is Adrian's busiest work day so it's Mommy and me allllll day and night. This past Saturday I took her to The Nelson Atkins Art Museum. Other than the fact that I wore four inch wedges that day, everything was great. So with my bloody feet and all we made our way inside and out. Juliette loved the sculptures and apparently learned something because she came home and drew flowers that looked just like the ones in a painting we saw. I don't know what it was called...they were petunias. Juliette also loved the fountain and Oriental exhibits. I don't know enough about art to say much, but I do know that I enjoy Baroque paintings with their bold jewel tones, and I also loved the photo of Iggy Pop.

Naomi's 4th b-day

Juliette, Maci, and Mavi helped Naomi celebrate her 4th birthday recently. Naomi's parents suprised her with an afternoon of horse riding followed by cake and ice cream. It was so much fun to see those little girls on "Cricket." Naomi, Maci, and Mavi are all moving this spring as their med student daddies are going away to be doctors in Michigan, sniffle, and we will miss them.

Grrrrrr!!!!!

That's it, I'm pissed. I was looking at the weather forecast for KC, hoping that the lovely weather today is a sign of spring showing her pretty face. But NO! There will still be lows in the upper 20's all the way into the end of March! I HATE HATE HATE this! It's the tail end of winter, and it's such a tease. You look outside and the sun is shining, it's beautiful, right? Wrong. You step outside and instantly your cheeks are wind chapped from the blistering gusts of arctic air. Highs in the 40's will not cut it...though it beats sub zero temps that we've had this winter. I'm just tired of the cold. I checked the forecast for my hometown in Arkansas....mid 70's and up from now on...of course. I want to go home. There's no place like home.

Bath Junkie

I have an obsession. I am a compulsive bather. I found these images of my three favorite dream tubs. They are all at least ten thousand dollars....yikes! This is what I do late at night when I should be reading scriptures or learning new jazz songs. I take a bath, and then look at my dream tubs online. We are still in our starter home, so our bath tub is far from a dream, but it suits me just fine....for now. But really, I think I could take a bath in a big bucket if it is clean. And time is never a factor. I will MAKE time for a bath...usually twice a day but lately three. That's right, when Juliette and I get restless or bored in the middle of the day, we take a bath together. I know this runs in my family, at least with the women. And now I have passed the habit to my little girl. This is how bad it is....when her neighbor friend Olivia comes over, she begs me to let her take a bath with JuJu. I used to let them take bubble baths in their swimsuits for fun, but it started getting too messy. I'll always be remembered as the bath mom. But I can't help it. There is nothing more relaxing to me than bathing in a tub, with scolding hot water and hand made herbal soap, and maybe the latest issue of US Weekley if I'm feeling extra pathetic. I cry in the bath, laugh, talk to Adrian or JuJu, talk to myself, read, write songs, plan my day, wind down, wake up, and ponder....and even if I shower, I'll have a bath chaser, no matter what. When Juliette was an infant, I'd put her in the bouncer next to the tub, turn on a lullaby, and gaze at her while soaking in the tub. I've been a bath junkie for as long as I can remember. I can't stop. As child, I had friends who weren't allowed to fill the tub past a certain point, and I would always get them into trouble when I spent the night. I've had overflows more than once!
We bought a real claw footed tub last year, something I've always wanted, but sadly I sold it. In order to install it we would have had to rip the bathroom apart completely...wasn't worth it. But one day.....one fine day...when we shop for or build our next home, I will not demand luxury, that is not my style, however... I WILL nicely request and require a super dope bath tub.

Dollar found

Well I said a little prayer last night for Dollar, and today he was found! We are sooo happy! Good ole Dollar Bill.

Shout out to Anneke!

I have a new neice! My big sis now has a little girl! Anneke Grace! Don't have a photo yet.

This week

Monday: Juliette loves her ballet class, I love the sun filled studio downtown

Tuesday: While Juliette's Mommy and Daddy were having a "discussion," Juliette was giving herself "tattoos."

Wednesday: Juliette tied her shoes like a big girl, and I still can't untie them. She's a little too good at this.

The weekend: We BBQ'd in the backyard, and Mommy found Daddy teaching Juliette how to shoot a gun....a bb gun, but still a gun. My husband is from Texas and I am from Arkansas, so teaching a three year old how to use a gun is not uncommon, but I still had to go to my quiet special place in my head to get through this day.

The difference between Adrian and Emily

So Adrian has decided to take up knitting. That's right, my husband wants to knit. You see, Adrian is all about being self sufficient. He also would like to make cool beanies for his store, but mainly he is interested in anything that he can do for himself, rather than relying on machines and foreign countries etc....that's another blog. If Adrian could, and he will one day, he would definitely live on a farm and build his own house and raise his own food, etc....

So for our weekly Thursday date night, we went to Parkville to a knitting store called Floregelium. This place is amazing by the way. So we took a knitting for two class. Right away, Adrian picked it up, creating perfect stitches and doing it rather quickly. He was hooked! I on the other hand, became bored and frustrated and hungry well before the hour long session was up. We did learn that back in the day, men used to knit their own socks, and knitting is such a mechanical process, I'm kind of surprised more men don't knit. Anyway, I want you to look at these photos and guess which one belongs to me and which is Adrian's. It's a no brainer. I love my knitting husband, but I have to say, I am a quitter, not a knitter.

Dollar

Dollar, the "neighborhood dog," is missing. Dollar belongs to Bob Harvey, our neighbor and Kansas City blues musician, however, Dollar has claimed his stay at the Frost house for years. He loves Juliette, and loves to protect her. He is an Australian Shepherd who is very loyal and very smart. JuJu thinks Dollar is her dog and his owners don't mind that one bit. They are thrilled that Dollar has a little playmate since their kids are grown.

Unfortunately, something strange has happened to Dollar and we haven't solved the mystery. Basically, someone called the pound on him twice, and Bob bailed him out both times. Two days in a row. Dollar never hurt anyone or anyone's property. This person just doesn't like other dogs and has a history of calling the authorities over everything and anything. A real busy body. Within 24 hours of coming home from doggy jail the second time, Dollar went missing a third time. This time, he was not at the pound. It seems suspicious and we suspect that the person may have done something with Dollar, hopefully nothing terrible, but he has been gone for days, and Dollar never stays gone for more than a few hours. We hope and pray he is found, as he has really become a part of our little family, and I know Bob is pretty worried as well. Here's a photo of good ole Dollar.

ahhhhhh!

Someone from church emailed me and told me they saw my latest commercial during the 5 o'clock news. I've offically given up on ever actually seeing any of the television I've been a part of., but this is surely a good thing. Out of all of the infomercials and local advertisements I've filmed, I've only seen one, and that's because someone sent it to me online. Perhaps it's a good thing, as I know it will be a traumatic experience if I ever do see AND hear myself on TV again. You know how you felt the first time you ever heard yourself on an old tape recorder...well, you never get used to it. It never feels right. So if anyone else sees the Kansas City International Auto Show Commerical, feel free to let me know, but spare me the details! I remember that script, I don't need to hear it again. I've got the shiveries just thinking about it.