memorial weeeeeeekend.

since i'm blowin up y'alls instagram feeds, i feel the need to use those cute little squared photos as good juju for the blog.
{sidenote: i don't believe in magic, i just like the word juju}
i mean, why haul around the big ole camera when you can just slip out the phone that's totes in your back pocket, already?
easypeasy? yes.
so, little square photos it is.  instgramforlife.

why don't people take more staycations? having mr leif around for the extra day was amazeness.

one family trip to the crown center, and it was like we renewed our vows. [not really, but kinda]

sometimes, the business of life starts to unravel what was once bound together so tightly.

it's so good when a little extra time together as a family, can intertwine you back up.  all snug again.

 it was also nummy for our tummies [greasycheeseburgerlunch]

and sufficient for our vitamin D levels [lots of sunshine on the skin].

little romes and mrleif were scopin out their plan of attack.

which went something like this:

daddy: romy, run fast into the water.  and do what the big kids are doing.

romes: ok dadda, ok.

and, that's just what he did.

the crown center fountains = romes' itty piece of heaven

{dad only had to rescue him once from the middle of the fountains, where romes was 'lost'}

and, we also had a wedding :)

my two high school besties came to stay with us for the wedding.  

our forth amigo got married.

and, there are really no words.

cutest wedding ever.

just look at this little snippet of their background:

totes adorbs. alldaway.

a weekend.

home depot. deck time. bbqs with friends. it was one of those really good weekends. {with a side of screaming kid, unexplainably, multiple times} ............but there's no need to dwell on the negative :)

family trips to home depot + dreaming about new deck furniture. water table + working in the yard with dad. snuggling with mom + {after crying for over an hour causing us to miss church}. romy sharing his special little people with sam, bram, and asher + pinterest strawberry recipe to share with friends.

it's part of my job now.

you know, trips to the park, and stuff like that.

and i love it.

we didn't waste any time.

day one of full time mommy was met with a hop, skip, and the biggest leap you've seen as we headed out the door yesterday morning to meet...

and her beautiful momma.

roman has been doing tricks lately,
look at him go......
soon he'll be walking.

but let's not go there.

then he's no longer my widdle baby. boo.

they played hard.

audrey is so sweet to roman.

saying, "roman let's go!"

audrey is at prime park age....

roman? he's at prime, explore everything - don't pick me up or i'll scream until you let me back down - i wanna crawl for miles - stage.

thank you amy, for inviting us out to celebrate my new job.

i think i'm transitioning in well :)

they're gooooooo-in to the chapel and they're....what, WHAT??!

chapel, what?

nope.

not this girl.

she went to a barn.

and she totally nailed it (nail? get it?! pun intended!!)

every. single. detail.
amanda lynn gowen.

manda panda.

the girl who lived just across the street from me, in our village of only 38 people.

(six of which were our family, and six were hers)

we shared "clay street" for over ten years.

the girl who took off down the court, as soon as i would a) steal the ball, or b) get the pass post-rebound.....yes, we cherrypicked the heck out of every team in our middle school bball days.

the girl who practiced layups, while i practiced dribbling with my left hand.

the girl who's family owned horses. horses that we would ride around "the section" on. horses that would help our summer adventures, by packing picnics, or even bucking us off into barbed wire fences.

yes, adventure.

amanda, the girl who was always reading a book, when i would knock on her door to come out and play.

the girl who usually left at least 10 minutes before me for school or practice.....thus always arriving early, and me? just a couple minutes late.

amanda, the girl who was shy. and fortunately went along with any idea i had.

let's sing away in the manger in the middle of summer? ok!

let's play school? ok!

let's build snow forts? ok!

let's have a saronville carnival? ok!

the girl who experienced the loss of her father, at such a young age.

and so, she clung to her other Father......and her faith is inspiring.

the girl who played college sports, who studied pre-pharm, and who just finished her degree in pharmacy. amanda, the girl who is determined.

the girl who i can cry to and laugh with.

the girl who's presence can be absent from my life for large chunks of time, yet when we reunite, it's just like where we left off.

the girl who shares a bond. a God bond.

amanda, who fell completely in love with a man.

phill, who couldn't remind me more of her own father......

that girl?

my best friend forever?

yeah, that one?

well, she got married.

and yes, it was in a barn.

i mean, her ceremony was just outside of the barn, but everything else took place inside.

and i truly can't describe it with words.

i can't describe every single detail she thought up, and then CREATED by herself.......while finishing pharmacy school, spending a year on rotations and passing her boards.

it was beautiful.

she was beautiful.

and i am so, truly, dearly, deeply happy for her.

she's experiencing love.

and i couldn't be happier.

nor could her three beautiful sisters.

from the left: sister melinda, the bride amanda, sister mickayla, and sister sandy. the gowen girls.

and here's a sneak peak of the masterpiece which will be her wedding album. amaze.
amanda, you were a beautiful bride.

you'll be a beautiful wife.

you know when you have that person...

...that you could laugh for hours upon hours with?

or, perhaps, you'd rather talk about the depths of your heart?

or, maybe, its a few glasses of wine, and you can just let the conversation roll?

well, heidi is my person.

though we don't get to see each other nearly enough........when we do, our hearts connect in the most beautiful way. we can be real, honest, supportive, and silly. and we do it all with honesty and love..........

yep, she's my person. and when we get together, i realize it over and over again.

and now, when she looks at my baby, it melts my heart.........

heidi has the most zest for life imagineable.

this is her jj.
they met, on account of me........hello matchmaker, YES!!!

and it was love at first sight......even though JJ was up on a roof, and heidi was, well, not on the roof.

they were here this past weekend, celebrating their anniversary.

yep, two years ago, she was the most beautiful bride

i miss living with you heidi....... i miss lifeguarding together, having wine together, watching sex and the city together (i remember watching it for the first time with her, thinking it was such a naughty show!!!).......... i miss getting ready to "go out" together...... i miss laughing at jj's clever christmas gifts with you..........and dreaming about our futures, living across the street?!? raising our kids together?!?! maybe someday........ thank you for loving my baby.

i can't wait to love yours someday :)

and......today, december 8, 2010, i'm grateful for:

1. when mr leif comes home from work. he is such a great help. plus, roman smiles at him so much, and thats the bestest.

2. peppermint stick icecream. mr leif takes the babe, i take my bowl. yummmmmo.

3. heidi. she's the bestest ever. and we can laugh for hours togehter.