Good Plan

I love to travel. I love the beach. I absolutely love it. As a long-time mountain girl I know that this is where I want to be, not necessarily in the mountains, but right up next to them. Derrick has gotten me pretty darn close and I love our little house and our beautiful drive home. But I've been a lot of places and I've seen a lot of things. I love a good holiday.

Maybe it was the yearly trips to Cozumel that my dad took us on as kids? Or the trips where we'd just head to the airport and not know if we were going to Orlando or Vegas (as an adult this is exciting, as a 14 year old this is just crazy). Or the trips to Canada & Texas & California with the Mom & Jim?

I'm looking forward to seeing if my love of travel and all things new lives on in my children as we plan for our first "family of four" family vacation. We'll be joining the Washington Popes on the Oregon Coast in August, complete with commercial jets, and rented cars....and a four month old.

It sounds wonderful and terrifying and fantastic. We can dig for clams and watch the sun set and eat the most wonderful Jack Pope food. And share the love of travel and water and family with my little Popes. It's one of the things I really wanted to know I'd be able to give them....little parts of the world.

Oh, and I get to plan. You all know I love to plan. I'll be planning until we land. Too fun.

(Washington Coast 2007)

Oh Brother

Every girl needs a brother. That's just the way of the world. People talk all about the closeness of sisters and all that fun sisterhood stuff...but I like brothers. Mine are funny and silly and protective and probably annoying, but I love them dearly.

(Baby Sepsey Baby Shower Fun)

Eliana is also learning the joys of having a brother as she spent some much cherished "alone time" with hers as I changed the laundry for three minutes today. She actually told me to go away when I got back and she laid on the floor and patted Parker's head and repeated my new favorite line of hers, "Tay, baby, tay." (Roughly translated to "It's okay, baby. It's okay.")


(New big sister, Eliana. She just loves her "baby" Parker. And KT's BBQ.)

(John, Chris, Veronica & Dan)

We had a whirl-wind visit this past week from my brother Dan, who is stationed with his wife Alisha in Japan, and my brother Chris who has spent the last three months working in India. I don't think all three of my brothers have been in the same country at the same time in four or five years. Youngest brother John is the rock that stays put (much to my happiness) and the other two are always coming and going. But it seems like mostly going.....

We had lots of fun playing with the babies Pope, preparing for Dan's first baby Sepsey (due in September) and acting like we did when we were ten years old. I love them and miss them and think they are each the best uncle to my kids I could ever ask for. Thanks, brothers.

(Uncle Dan & Parker)

She's crafty!!

Eliana made presents for all of her grandmas for Mother's Day. It only took us all week...but she helped every step of the way and was quite the accomplished little artist.

Good job, Bug!!

(here she paints one of her infamous "Quackies")

Me Ma

When people say that their mom is their "best friend" it always freaks me out. I think of that mom who doesn't know how to dress her age or the mom who buys her teenagers beer or the mom that takes her kids to get tattoos to prove that she's cool.

Nonetheless, my mom is one of my best friends. But she wasn't any of those things I think of when I hear that expression. She was strict with high expectations and I am increasingly grateful for that. I even regret those few times I changed into scandalous clothes in the bathroom at school because she checked my wardrobe every morning before I left...but I digress.

We talk...a lot. On the phone, in the car, in person...and usually about nothing at all. But we talk a lot because we love to know what the other thinks and share the latest gossip and laugh and laugh and laugh.

She's always there when I need her. She always has good advice. She loves me unconditionally but isn't afraid to tell me when I'm out of control or being a brat. (What?!? Like that ever happens.) I love her and I respect her and I admire her. She taught me how to be a mom without me even knowing it. And I think everyday about how much she has done for me and how much she will always do for me and my brothers....because she's our mom. I love her like crazy and can't imagine doing any of the most important things in my life without her with me in one way or another.

Happy Mother's Day to mine and yours.

The Heart of It

Most people I know think marriage sucks. I'm actually all about it (it is 1/3 of my blog subtitle, of course. Haha.) I got married young or at least that's how it feels now. Not like middle-of-Kentucky-young....but I was only 24 and that seems young by most standards now. But I never doubted why I was getting married and I most definitely never doubted who I was marrying. And lately I've realized just how lucky I was in being so sure and how lucky I continue to be to be so ridiculously happy.

Marriage for me is incredible and I would marry Derrick a hundred times over...if I could just avoid that whole wedding thing. ;)

My husband is my heart. I'm a lucky girl.

Go Team

Dealing with stress is interesting, isn't it? I think Derrick and I do great under stress and I don't know how or why, but we do. Somehow we find ways to laugh and joke and when one of us is down the other is always up....encouraging and motivating. We joke about "Team Pope" in our house, but how do you get through the hard stuff without a team behind you? It's not so much a joke I've realized but our attitude to just make it through.

So far, we're making it through, and more than that, we're doing well and enjoying all of it. The good, the bad, the stress, the love. Eliana's crazy obsession with her new baby brother, the three hour feedings, the family in and out. We love it. We're happy. We're motivated. We're family.