While the baby sleeps...

I figured I owed you a bit of an update on, well, life.  I've been feeling uninspired lately, and not for lack of things going on. It seems we're just so busy!  So, while I wait for Bunkey to wake up, I'll attempt to bring you up to speed...

• At ten-and-a-half months old, Bunkey is walking!!
• We did Bunkey's first birthday SMASH session photos last week (yes, we were about a month early; sue me!) and I can't wait to see the previews!  I found a fabulous photographer (for those in the Monterey area, check out Honey Bee Photography) and a SMASH session runs $95 for a 90-minute session that includes four outfit changes, a cake to devour, and 20 birthday announcements or thank you cards!  We had a morning session, and went over by 30 minutes.  Yet we were only on the second outfit.  Megan was fabulous, and could tell Bunkey was a bit over-whelmed (and I was stressing).  Her studio isn't far from my house, so she suggested I go home, feed Bunkey some lunch, let him take a nap, and come back in the afternoon.  We went back for two more hours to finish up...and the difference was palpable!  Bunkey was great and I just know those photos will be amazing!
• We have a family photo sesh on the beach schedule with Megan also.  We were supposed to do it on Saturday, but she got sick, so we need to find a new date!
• I took another cooking class at Williams-Sonoma last week also.  This one was part of the Cookbook Club, so for $75 I attended the cooking demonstration, got to eat a fabulous meal (three courses and five or six of Martha's recipes), take home a copy of the featured cookbook (Martha's American Food) with a signed bookplate, and get a 10% discount on any purchases made that evening!  This time, a girlfriend came along, and we were the only two attending the class....what a great time, with a private meal!
• On Friday night, J, the girlfriend who took the cooking class with me, met me at the Friday Market to purchase the ingredients for the menu we'd learned to make.  Since we arrived at the market late (I got stuck in awful traffic due to a head-on collision on the highway) we couldn't get everything, so we popped over to my new find, the Mexican Market for the rest of the food.  We had thick bone-in pork chops cut right at the butcher's counter for us for half the price I'd pay at the Commissary on base (I checked, just to be sure!).  That evening, J and her boyfriend (one of Hubs' classmates) came over for dinner and J and I cooked for the boys.  It was a fabulous evening!
• On Saturday we had a low-key day.  Hubs was writing a paper, and I really didn't do much.  That evening I didn't feel like cooking, but also didn't feel like getting dressed to go for a date night.  So we went back to the Mexican Market for burritos.  They have a cafe smack between the produce and bakery sections, where we devoured our tasty dinners.  Then we came home to snuggle on the couch and watch The Vow.
• Sunday was Mother's Day and Hubs did not disappoint!  We went to church, where Father told all the husbands to make sure their wives were extra-special spoiled, and Hubs must have been listening, because he sure did!  He changed all but one diaper on Sunday, put Bunkey down for both naps, took care of bathtime and bedtime, made me breakfast (whole wheat pancakes with honey and cinnamon, turkey sausage, and juice), and did the breakfast and dinner dishes!  Yes, I was still in charge of feeding Bunkey and make our dinner (Hubs was writing a huge paper, after all) but I was spoiled!  I've never had such a relaxing day!
• Yesterday I was browsing Facebook. No surprise there.  However, the military community in the area hosts a group where folks can sell various items, so it's similar to Craig's List, but safer!  It's like a virtual yard sale, since we're not allowed to host sales in base housing.  Well, there was a posting for used wine barrels on there!  Wow!  My mom has had two of these barrels and they're great in the garden or on the deck.  But I wanted one to convert into a pub table for our (eventual) dream house basement bar!  The guy on Facebook found someone in a neighboring town and he buys dozens and then sells them.  I jumped at the chance and arranged a time to go look.  He sold me a fabulous barrel for $40!  What a steal!  My mom spent over $100 on the same thing at Lowe's several years ago!  So that was my Mother's Day gift.  My wine barrel was used by a winery here in Monterey, too, which makes it extra special since we rode the Wine Trolley for our anniversary, joined Taste of Monterey's monthly wine club, and, well, we live here!  (Now my mom wants me to see if I can get her a wine barrel and bring it to her when we move...)

And that's my week in a nutshell.  Perfect timing too, since I hear Little Man upstairs tossing his stuffed animals out of the crib!

Talk soon!