a cozy chair...

Friday night we had the Elder's Q. Valentine's event. It was a cozy little gathering, with only about 3 couples our age, the rest were older. That's what happens when they don't offer child-care. They had a men's dessert bake-off and Brian was so bummed that he didn't win (if he had about 3 more hours uninterrupted time he might have got his real baked idea done). As it was, he made my favorite fudge recipe and it came out tasting great. Three years ago he won 2nd place with some peanut butter/coconut chocolates he made. He and James Shimanek worked really hard on the decorations for the event, and they were able to keep each other company nicely during the party. I felt like I did when we were dating... Me, Brian, and James. Or, was it Brian and James on a date and I was the tag along...? Whatever. I left early to get the kids (and so I didn't have to clean up).

When I went to my mom's to pick up the kids I found this happy scene and snapped a photo. In my mom's recliner were all 3 of them, asleep (though my mom woke up when I opened the door). How Luke was able to sleep on the arm without falling off is a mystery. He was perfectly balanced on the arm, with one half of him completely in the air (the quilt over the back of the chair is hiding how small it is). If they had been leaning back I'm sure it would have tipped over, the way Luke was hanging off the edge like he was.

The rest of the weekend was uneventful. Brian and David spent some time down at the Asian celebration. The Celebration committee sold out of the shirts again this year, and I am so glad I snagged one early on Saturday. The feedback I got was that everyone loved the theme this year, and the Fish I drew were very popular.

Sunday after church the guys went back over to the celebration. At the celebration Brian picked up Heavenly Tamasaka, our babysitter from Eugene 5th ward. She is so outgoing and exuberant that she really helped pull my nephew out of his shell (he's very quiet and reserved, so Brian is having a hard time connecting or talking with the kid). Brian swears that they were flirting, but I think they were just being teenagers. Poor brother Lance Stanley came over to home teach while cheerful Heavenly was there and between Brian, Luke, Heavenly, me, and even my nephew and AnnaMae he could barely get a word in edgewise. AnnaMae really likes Lance- she kept piling our whole collection of Disney videos one by one on his lap. What a nice gift.

In the mornings AM brings my nephew little things she finds around the house and piles them on his pillow while he's trying to sleep. Things like blocks, scraps of paper, bits of random food that was hidden under a couch for goodness knows how long... you know, the kind of stuff you find around the house that only her little, sharp eyes notice and she picks up because it looks interesting, then she has to take it Somewhere, and poor David is the lucky one to get the goodies. She runs downstairs each morning shreiking "Davey! Davey! Davey!" She really likes her older cousin a lot.

Anyways, I need to get back to bed. I have so much to do this week before I head off for Florida. It will be a nice trip. It's been 3 years since I got Brian to go out of town with me, so this "vacation" is long overdue.