Bed bug

Bed bug
Originally uploaded by Adam W.

Look at those beautiful blue eyes!

Milan, Italy - Buon Natale

Milan, Italy, Europe, angelocesare
Originally uploaded by angelocesare

I have a new favorite flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/daybeforechristmas/pool/page8/

Here in the Wride household, the day after Halloween means not only the start of November and gear-up time for Thanksgiving (we do not forget that wonderful holiday by any means), but it also means that it is time to start playing CHRISTMAS MUSIC! I know that is probably taboo for many until after Thanksgiving's close, but it gets me in the Christmas spirit early...and who can complain about that?

I found this GORGEOUS photo of a home in Milan on the "Days Before Christmas" flickr group. Looking at it, don't you just feel warm, like you have the most delicious hot cocoa in your hand and are snuggling up to someone you love while watching the snow fall outside? I just have to say I love Christmas!!!

I just thought this was funny...

a lesson here for us all
Originally uploaded by Hell's Donut House

(from Marie)

Happy Halloween!

Like many of you readers, we carved pumpkins on Monday night for Family Home Evening. Finished products are pictured above. Emma and Spencer had some fabulous fun with the pumpkins. Emma was all smiles about the process; Spencer loved helping to punch holes to create a pattern for our creations but wasn't too keen on the whole gooey seed stuff. He takes after his Aunt Laura with that one.

Spencer's job was to put the candles in each pumpkin, and he is very good to tell Emma all about what he is doing to keep her informed and involved.

This year, we had a ladybug and a puppy dog at our house. These two cuties were hits at the trick-or-treating houses. Spencer had some practice at a trunk or treat party a few weeks ago, so he was pretty excited when we told him we were going trick or treating again. There were lots of exclamations of "Happy Halloween!!" throughout the day. Uncle Dan came over for dinner, which only added to Spencer's excitement. (Spence had very specific instruction at the dinner table about how Dan needed to sit right next to him). We started off in the Wride neighborhood and visited a few houses before knocking on Grandma's door. Spencer said "Trick or treat" and held out his bag expectantly. However, Grandma had gone to get her camera and Laura was turned around to get the candy and play-doh treats; our poor little puppy dog was so disappointed, thinking he wasn't getting candy when he had done everything so well, that he had a few tears. Thankfully, Gma W and Laura were quick to respond - crisis averted.

We finished off the night by driving to the Cummings neighborhood, where Adam, Dan, Spencer, Emma and I met up with Joel, Trina, Gma, and Gpa C. We posed for the classic Cummings costume lineup, pictured below, and headed home after some delicious hot cocoa and pumpkin bars. Yum!

High School Sweethearts - 10 years later!

Saturday was the 10 year anniversary of our first date. If I were as awesome as my friend CJ, I would have a picture for each year to commemorate the event...although now that I think of it, that wouldn't work since two of those years Adam was on his mission. :0)
In any case, we basically relived the event. We are back in our hometown, and fate played it so that all the dates aligned perfectly...making it so that we could not help but remember that we've been dating now for ten years. (That's right, married and we still LOVE going out on dates). Our very first date was to our high school homecoming dance. I still remember exactly where Adam asked me - in the front foyer of our school, just after the school day had ended. I was thrilled! He was the "new guy" in the ward, and I was interested to get to know him better. Plus, homecoming this particular year (1997) came with complications for me. It was also concert night for the orchestra I played with, and I was only allowed to miss one concert per season...prom was also the night of a concert, and since I was helping to plan prom it seemed an easy choice about which event took priority. However, Adam solved my dilemma. His mom also played in the orchestra, so he offered to go to the concert and then finish up the night at the school dance. And so it was that I became his first date. Lucky guy! ;0)
We reminisced last night about that first date: how Adam was so nervous about putting the corsage on because he thought he had to pin it on (it was a wrist corsage); going to dinner with a group of friends at the Wride home (I didn't know before that the guys had gathered at 3 PM to make the meal...so sweet); having a bit of "single date" time as we drove to and from the concert together (scandalous!); my thinking about the advice my YW president had given on dating (thank you, Fascinating Womanhood for precious tidbits like 'body language: turn knees toward date to communicate that you are interested in what he is saying'). Most of all, I just remember having fun because I love being with Adam.
This time around, it just so happened that our high school's homecoming fell on the date of yet another symphony concert. These days, I am just playing with the String Workshop to break back into the musical world, but Adam (once again) was a sport and came along for the concert. We dashed off after that to catch the latter half of a friend's Halloween party where the only dancing we did was a "hand jive" to show our stuff during the costume walk-off. Earlier, we had a quick dinner in the Wride home - this time just Pastaroni since we were short on time. Do you see how all of these activities line up so nicely? And...to top it off, we ended the night by going back to my parent's house. Ten years ago, it was to say good night with a quick hug (first date, after all); this time it was to pick up our two sleepy kids (who had a smashing time at Grammy and Grandpa's house, by the way - thank you, Heather, Mom and Dad!).
So...here we are. 10 years later, we are very much in love, still dating, the best of friends, and the parents of two spectacular kiddos. I call myself one lucky lady! I love you, babe.

Sometimes all you can do is laugh...

Sometimes all you can do is laugh...
Originally uploaded by Adam W.

Marie tells me I have permission to use this picture. Really, there isn't much to add as this picture is worth several thousand words, but can I tell you how much I love Marie? She is a fantastic mother to these two little ones and does it with a smile (even for a picture like this).

Emma is 6 months old!

Happy Birthday, Chickadee! We love, love, LOVE having this cheery little girl in our lives. She is such a social baby who wants to be in on every conversation and will flirt and smile at you until your attention is effectually captured. Spencer loves her and wants to make sure she is included in just about everything, even making sure that Emma had her turn swinging in the blanket during FHE. "It's Emma's turn!" He was insistent, and Emma LOVED it. Thanks Gpa W and Dad for obliging.

Here is our cutie pie this morning. I decided to take her 6 month pictures first thing, since just after that we headed to the doctor's for her check-up...that means shots. Not necessarily the recipe for smiles later on. Emma was out to prove that she is growing up. She sat up for a good LONG time outside while I snapped a few shots. She never toppled. In fact, I picked her up before she even looked unsteady.

Here are Emmas stats:
Height - 90-95%
Weight - 95-97% (That's my girl!)
Head - 75%

She has the cutest little cabeza.

After shots (trauma and drama) and a trip to Grammy's to catch up on some chatting and see the home school kids, we headed back home. Emma had missed a nap and had been so busy growing...here was her response to our morning...
Sleepy girl!

And just because I think these kids are cute...a few more pictures.
Our version of the double stroller

Emma's first experience with the swing at the nearby tot lot.


Spencer was loving the camera and wanted to take a picture on the steps of the play equipment. I thought that was sweet, so I instructed him where to sit, and he wrapped his arms around Emma. However, he was so excited to see the picture that he jumped up and Emma took a dive into the woodchips before I could catch her. She recovered admirably (thank goodness!). Do you remember when seeing your photo in the screen on the back of the camera was not even an option? In this instance, I wish for the good old days back.

(A funny side note: Spencer will pick up a wooden block, snap some "pictures" and then say, "Look, Mom," pointing at the back where the picture would show up on a digital camera. Oh, and he calls the good old toy record player Aunt Alice gave us a "DVD player" because he has no other frame of reference. So funny!)