Everlasting Love

Earlier today I submitted a paragraph to someone who is writing a book on love. They were looking for stories of all different kinds of love - puppy love, first love, new love. So I sent in a paragraph about the deepest, truest love I know... the everlasting love that Gary and I share. The person who read it emailed me back right away and said, "...the love between you and your husband Gary seems magical and it's one of the lovelier submissions we've received."
I didn't realize it would be published online quite so quickly, but here it is:

http://www.celebrations.com/content/Everlasting-Love

Nothing says "buy this house" like a blue tarp and some mini-bungee cords...

We're rounding out week #3 with the repairs and renovations in the house. There is nothing we want more than to never see a tarp or plastic sheeting again, but God seems to have other plans. The other day it stormed and a lot of limbs littered our lawn. When we got home from work, we found this note, left by the gentleman working on our house. So we figured we'd go ahead and tarp it - to match the rest of the house...

Plastic Palace and Plaster Pawprints

So the house is undergoing repairs and renovations - we're getting ready to put it on the market (it will be nicer when we sell it than it ever was when we lived in it). We are quickly closing in on the two week mark - two entire weeks that just about everything we own has been covered, taped or tarped. It's been almost two weeks that we've been living in a plaster palace where carpets, cabinets, countertops, light fixtures, lamps, stairs and sinks are draped with plastic. And everything - everything - we own is decorated with little plaster pawprints. We really, really, really want our house back. Maybe next week...?

Bartlet finally gets his cake... and eats it too

After much torture, the birthday boy finally gets his cake. And just like that... it's gone.

Untitled from Mariesa Stokes on Vimeo.

Bartlet gets his birthday cake... almost.

Bartlet got close to eating his birthday cake after we finally sang the stupid song. Poor little Ba-Ba-Booey had to deal with that luscious cowboy cake just inches from his twitching nose and drooling lips - at least until Daddy yanked it away before he could get a big sweet bite. It's still pretty doggone cute though!

(Sidenote: Our house is currently undergoing repairs and renovations. We normally don't line the floors and stairs with plastic sheeting and store all kinds of random crap on the countertops. Gary didn't marry me for my housekeeping skills, but we are living in more of a disaster zone than usual right now.)

Untitled from Mariesa Stokes on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday, Bartlet!

On Saturday, our Bartlet turned 6. As I do with everyone in our little family, I made a big deal out of his birthday and tortured him with ridiculousness. I did NOT make him wear a hat this year, but I did make him wear a shirt that reads, "Just sing the stupid song so I can eat cake!" Here is just a glimpse of the pre-cake festivities...


Oh, and the audio is horrible. You'll want to turn down when you can hear me, and turn up to hear Gary. Bartlet, surprisingly, is silent through the whole thing...

Bartlet's Birthday from Mariesa Stokes on Vimeo.