Miscellaneous

I have a backlog of topics to blog about, so here are a few miscellaneous happenings/updates:

No more herbs - Yesterday I went to water my herbs and discovered that a canine friend, now foe, had taken care of business in my pot of basil, mint, thyme and chives. Tragic! Now I am petrified to begin anew, because what if he/she does it again?! Debating the probability of succeeding with indoor herbs versus the risk of chancing it again outside ...

I should also mention that every night we are serenaded by a chorus of insomniac dogs in the neighborhood who all sound a little like Emery. So when I awaken at 2am to yelping, I hold my breath, then let out a sigh of relief when I realize it's just Fido, and not Emery, who is awake.

Organized sleep - Also yesterday, for the first time in her life, Emery took only two naps, both about two hours long, and was generally happy for the rest of the day! She also conked out at 6pm without a peep. This is all very exciting because it tells me her daytime sleep is getting more organized, meaning daytime errands and events should be a lot more manageable and perhaps even fun!

A new decade - On July 25 I turned 30 and we celebrated with my parents who were in town, and good friends. Last summer I became fascinated with swimming holes and so when we moved to TN I realized we just might have hit the jackpot when it comes to free, freshwater swimming preceded by a short hike. Perhaps we did! He took me to a great swimming hole about 20 minutes from our house and though the water was probably just room temperature due to the extreme heat, it was still refreshing and a lot of fun.

Matt also surprised me with pearls - a job VERY well done for a 30th birthday. The rest of my presents from family fell into the culinary theme (i.e. new pots and pans, dish towels, waffle iron, etc.) and Matt completely understood why he wasn't qualified to participate in that genre of gifts - he catches on quickly! :)

Many Kodak moments - Enjoy!