The word for Today is B*A*L*A*N*C*E

So I am officially back at work. Juggling a career, a husband and a baby. It has been pulling at my heart strings leaving the little guy, and I am cherishing every moment that I AM with him. I am happy to be at work, and I love my job which not everyone can say. But its harder than I thought. Granted this is the first week, and I'm sure things will tone down a little bit once I get my routine.
Leaving the house this morning took me 3 trips to the car. 1 for my things, 1 for Jaxon's things (diaper bag, breast pump etc) and 1 for the baby himself! I'm jumping back into work at a pretty challenging time, the store's first inventory. I just got home from an unplanned 10 hour work day. Thank God that we have family near by that can help and that I have such a capable husband who can fill in when needed!

And the Oscar Goes to...

Daniel threw a great Oscar party last night (at my prompting)! All the local Lusko's and then a few, came out dressed to kill. It was obvious he had spent the entire day slaving over the hot stove, because the food was fabulous! We had a little wagering pool going that kept things interesting, even through the best sound mixing award. Jason was the winner, and took home the pot with a funny acceptance speech.

The Schuurs

Tonight we met up with my surrogate parents, Vern and Allison Schuur who were in town on their trip to Arizona. They are the parents of my very best childhood friend Emily. Now, before I go any further, let me premise this by saying that my child hood memories of my family are colorful and interesting and I wouldn't trade them for anything. But I spent a lot of time in their house and enjoyed it because it was quiet, organized,a sanctuary from my brothers, had a very well stocked candy drawer, and a Barbie dream house. Also, they lived in the same house pretty much forever. Vern and Allison have been married 31 years now and it refreshing for me to see them still together and loving each other. It was great to see them again and introduce them to Jaxon. It was really a special night and I only wish we could have spent more time.

Oh yeah, and I am lame, so I didn't remember to take any pictures but here is what they look like...

Naked Time is Happy Time!

As the title of this blog suggests, Jaxon is happiest with nothing on. But aren't we all? This gives me a preview of things to come. I can picture a little naked boy running happily through my house and possibly into the front yard for neighbors and all the world to see! There is just a certain freedom involved with having no clothes and no restraints. I think of my dogs, anytime we try to dress them in clothes. They get that sad look on their faces. They want to be able to pee at will. No unbuttoning, unzipping, or unfastening etc. Never mind the cold.
Adam and Eve had it right. Before the fall. Damn serpent.

Blogging in Excess

Next week I go back to work. It has been fabulous to stay home with the boy. Next week, I fear, things will get a little bit more hectic and I will abandon this leisurely pace I've become accustom to. So, I'm blogging in excess. I'm sure as I adjust to the changes, I probably won't have as much time to record every little thing. So here you go, eat your hearts out.

CSI Miami

The Perfect Desert

Saturday night was our "Valentine's Day" if we celebrated such thing. Which apparently we don't. Anyhow it was date night for couples at the conference and Jason and I decided to make the most of it. We had reservations at the "Corn Maiden" ( the local fancy shmancy restaurant at the hotel) and got dressed up to the Nines. Anyone who knows me is aware that the only reason I eat dinner is to get to desert. So I was pretty thrilled to see what this Corn Maiden lady had in store for me. We made it through a pricey dinner that contained more meat than anyone person should consume in three sittings, let alone one. And I was on the edge of my seat as the desert cart was wheeled out. Alright I thought, this is it!!!! When to my disappointment the girl proceeded to describe the deserts. A "sugar free" fruit torte, an apple soup with something floating in it, rum cake, a small box of truffles, and creme brule. Normally given these choices I would have opted for the creme brule. But it was just this last Friday that I helped my younger brother out with a creative date idea and made him creme brule to woo a lucky young lady. I knew that I had an extra creme brule waiting for me back home in my fridge. Downtrodden, I waved her away. As a pouted I thought, Why don't they have anything with the mainstays of desert? Carmel, chocolate and nuts? Or at least a freaking cheesecake with a graham cracker crust!! Jason understands my obsession with sugar, but doesn't share it. So he wasn't quite as "crushed" as I was.
As we walked back through the hotel lobby to our room and passed the many fire places that the hotel boasts, a thought dawned on me. I had seen in the sundries shop earlier that day a 'Smores Kit for sale! Of course! 'Smores. The perfect desert! We hustled back to the room and changed clothes and purchased one of said kits. We then spent *most* of the evening cuddling by the fire, sipping coffee and making 'Smores!

"A Weekend to Remember"

This weekend Jason and I attended a marriage retreat at the Tamaya Resort The arrangements made for Jaxon were tricky, but it worked out. He stayed with us the first night and did some "Grandparent Hopping" the rest of the weekend. We definitely missed him and suffered some baby withdrawals, but it was such a revitalizing time for us. ( I won't say I minded the solid uninterrupted night's sleep either!)
My dad made it possible for us to attend the conference and stay out at the hotel. I'm so thankful for this great experience It allowed us to draw closer together as a couple and deal with the issues that get lost in the day to day grind of life. One of my favorite quotes that made me laugh was "My spouse is not my enemy." Which is something I tend to forget when sleep deprivation, hunger and any other general annoyances set it and I take things out on Jason.
The conference was through Family Life and is something I would recommend to every couple I know to help fix major problems, or just tune up your relationship.

Jaxon's first Hike

Our latest investment into Jaxon's happiness is a baby Bjorn. Today was so warm and beautiful that after church we decided to take trek up the La Luz trail into the Sandias. We took Bazil and Sydney and met up with Elliott and his dog Rico. Jax pretty much slept the whole time. Nothing new there. The dogs had tons of fun frolicking in the patches of snow that remained in the shadows, and bounded up and down the trails endlessly. It was such great day and the stunning sunset we saw on the way home only further reminded us why were so happy to be living in New Mexico.

Happy Birthday Baby!

Today is the 9th and Jax is 2 months old! Its so amazing to watch as he gets more expressive and interactive! (I can't help but want to use a lot of exclamation points in this blog, its so exciting!)

Open mouth Insert Fist

Jaxon has taken to sucking on his entire fist when he is bored. This is far more satisfying than his pacifier.

The happiest Elf