from where the apple drops

My life revolves around the "remember when’s," where Jes’s life revolves around the "what if’s." I like ranking lists (The Great Gatsby, 1984, The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man . . . Casablanca, The Godfather, North by Northwest . . . Smells Like Teen Spirit, Wonderwall, Say it Ain’t So); Jes likes charts and spreadsheets. I believe argument is a catalyst for truth-finding, Jes believes arguments = conflict. I’ve been known to sleep in the dirt, swim in glacier water, eat parts of plants and go unshowered for a week; Jes ritualistically bathes and sits on her flip-flops when sitting on grass. I have favorite forms of punctuation (the “M” dash, ellipsis); Jes has favorite numbers (3, 33). I want someday to build a personal library to rival all personal libraries; Jes would like someday to have an in-house dance studio. I rarely, if ever, look at our bank statements; Jes keeps a detailed spreadsheet of all income, daily expenses, expected expenses, and average expenses for the coming month (and also budgets my home depot spending). When I go to the ocean I like to get in the water; Jes has once or twice been dragged to the waters edge (with not a small amount of struggling). I like jobs that change frequently; Jes likes the routine and would rather know where we expect to be in 10 years. I would like to go to bed around 1 or 2am and wake around 10am; Jes would like to go to bed around 10pm and wake around 10am (even in the non-pregnant state). I expect to do actual activities during vacation; Jes expects to sit in the sun and talk. I like to wait until the dirty dishes during the day have piled up onto the surrounding counter space; Jes likes the dishes cleaned immediately after eating. My choice color for a baby girl was brown; Jes’s was pink (surprise). I like environmentally friendly products and practices because it preserves the beauty of forests and saves wildlife and maintains clean air and water; Jes likes environmentally friendly products and practices because they decrease living expenses. I dream solutions; Jes works things through. I play guitar; Jes dances. I see big picture; Jes sees the steps.

On the other hand . . . . We both hate mornings. We both have terrible eating habits. We like the home life—the quiet evening suits us. We enjoy soaking up sun. We enjoy family, barbecues, movies, walks, Sundays, working, learning (albeit different subjects). We like our neighborhood. We like cultural diversity. We both despise the general ignorance of the world. We like compromise. We both prefer the company of those who are straight-forward and honest aka “down to earth.” We like Totino’s pizzas. We’re both extremely attracted to one another. We'd like to travel the world together. We like the same music. And we both want the best for baby Emma who, by this account, may be a confused little child. Let's hope she takes the best from both of us and finds her own along the way.

One more month to go before the big happening! Love you Emma girl. Can't wait to meet you.

so cute!

we just got a package in the mail from jana (ammon's sister) and it was filled with cute onesies. when emma has these on, there will be no doubt that she is ammon's child. these onesies have his name written all over em. :) so cute! thanks aunt jana!

so i know i just posted... but...

this is why i love ammon...

while talking on gmail during a break from studying, ammon demonstrates his commitment to EVERY part of his life. this is why i know that no matter what he does, he will be the most successful person:

Ammon: so i guess i'm going to mutual. jon called. they're doing swimming and biking tonight
me: fun!
Ammon: yeah. i need to work on my swimming, i'm not very good. i made it through all my swimming classes but i still suck at the crawl.

Am's Pride & Joy

So lately most of my posts have been about my latest pride and joy... the bump. Ammon has been so focused on school, with finals fast approaching, that he hasn't been able to show off his pride and joy... the backyard. Sunday night we took a walk--a very slow walk--around our subdivision and admired other houses while getting inspiration for our yard. After the walk, I realized how impressive our yard is even though it's only a few months old. This post is to show off my husband's new-found talent of yardwork. Afterall... this is is his baby! He comes home everyday and hand waters almost everything. The garden is definitely blossoming. The tallest plants you see in the garden (picture 1) are mammoth sunflowers that will soon be taller than the window. Other plants in the garden include cilantro, basil, scallions, peppers, strawberries, and canteloupe. The 3 citrus trees (picture 2) are already sprouting tiny buds of flowers and fruit. The bougainvilleas (pinkish flowers), lantanas (yellow and red flowers), grass, and hibiscus (the half-dead plants behind the palm tree) are struggling to grow back after freezing this winter. Who knew that so much love and care was necessary for such an adorable backyard? Ammon did the bricks, rocks, sprinklers, you name it! The backyard was a mess of weeds when we moved in... quite the improvement, don't you think? Here's to you Am... you really have gone green!