There is SO MUCH to be thankful for lately. . .

Do you know that for the past few months, Tyler has been getting up between 4:30 and 5:30 every work day to study for one of his actuarial exams?

Do you know that he's been doing this so that when he comes home from work in the evenings, he can help me with the boys (and really with anything else I might need)?

Well, all of Tyler's sacrifices and hard work really paid off. He passed MFE (his third actuarial exam) on Friday!! This is such a huge blessing for our family in so many different ways. I'm grateful for the little break we will get before Tyler will have to get so involved with study again for his next exam. (And I am so grateful for a husband who works so hard for me, and for my family.)

In other Heasley news, Rich is transitioning (beautifully) to a twin bed! I really thought it would be more of a struggle, but he seems to really love being in (what was) "Grandma's bed"--the bed my mom would sleep in when she visited. Note: he must sleep with "Grandma's pillow" when he's in the big bed now.

And, Rich is even starting to use the toilet. (Just on occasion. I don't think he or I are ready for full on potty training yet.)

And Leo is growing and growing. At his four-month appointment today, he weighed 14 lbs 15.9 oz. He's still fighting off a bit of a cold, and he might be teething, but other than that, he is healthy and strong.

I really am just so grateful for my sweet family. My boys really do bring me so much joy.

A Boy and His Dad

Rich loves being with McKay and McKenna and Grant. He roams about the apartment all day every day asking for "Kay" and "Kenna." And he loves being a part of whatever "Gwan" (usually, Rich actually refers to Grant as "Baby") is doing.

Funny side story: today, McKenna left sometime during the afternoon to run a couple errands. About an hour after she left, Rich and I made our way to Target so that I could pick up a few things. While we were out at Target, Rich kept asking after "Kenna." I told him a few times, "Kenna isn't here. She's running errands, but we'll see her at home." But lo and behold, as we were browsing the candy aisle, who should come around the corner, but "Kenna" herself! McKenna and I were surprised, and Rich was simply thrilled to see her.

Anyway. Where I really want to go with this post is to talk about (again) how much Rich really loves his daddy. He might be big fans of "Kay," "Kenna," and "Gwan," but his heart really lies with his daddy.

And I have picture proof.

Tyler recently blogged about dozing off with Richie in his lap. I think it's pretty clear that Rich enjoyed the arrangement as much as Tyler did.

Rich just soaks up the time he gets to spend with Tyler. And as much as he asks after his extended family, he is constantly asking about his Daddy. (In fact, every time we leave the apartment to run errands, Rich gets excited and starts talking about Daddy. I think that all the times we picked Tyler up from school have made Rich think that if Daddy isn't home and we're getting in the car, we must be headed out to find him.)

I really just love watching the bond between my boys grow. And I'm excited to see what will happen when we add another little boy into the mix. Somehow, I think it's going to be pretty awesome.

The Richie and his Daddy

If you were to come over and hang out with us for an afternoon, you might hear one of my favorite things.

The Richie, calling for his dad's attention.

For example:

This past weekend, Tyler didn't have any homework or grading he needed to get done, so he got to spend some extra time with us. Which Richie LOVED. He loves attention, especially from his daddy.

So anyway, after playing with Richie all morning, Tyler decided that he needed to take a shower and get ready for the day. Tyler put Richie in his crib and turned on Arthur (the animated kid's show) for Richie to watch. Meanwhile I was in our bedroom dealing with some pregnancy discomforts and waiting for my chance to take a quick shower and get ready to go out into public.

Throughout Tyler's shower (which was not very long), I heard Richie calling for his dad from his room.

"Daaaa?" Then Richie would pause for a couple minutes while he played with some of the toys in his crib. "Daaaaaaaaa??" Each call for dad would be just a little bit louder. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

This little boy was so excited when his dad came back to play with him.

Note: Richie does this to Tyler, even when Tyler is in the room with him.

"Da?"
"Yes, Richie?"
(Insert Richie jabber here.)
"Oh, really? I was thinking the same thing."
"Da?"
"Yes, Richie?"
(More Richie babble.)

I so wish that I could catch this on video sometime. Richie is always so happy whenever Tyler acknowledges him. Basically, at that moment, nothing in the world could make Richie happier.

(PS, Richie loves talking on the phone. Here he's actually talking to his Grandma Honey, which has nothing to do with this post. But I did take this pic today, which makes it a very current photo of my boys.)

I'm not a big fan of soda

unless it is filtered through lots of ice.

And those giant ice cubes just don't cut it. 

With my pregnancy hormones being all wacky, I've had a hard time keeping drinks down (especially water). And drinks that are too sweet only serve to further upset my stomach. 

But sometimes, the carbonation in soda seems to help calm things down. However, soda can be too strong if it isn't filtered through some good-sized ice. (Good size meaning small. Pebble-sized. Is that what the ice I like is called? Pebble ice? That's what Tyler calls it.)

Anyway. Last night, around 10 PM, I had a minor emotional meltdown. Things have been hard (they are getting better though), and it all just hit me. I started crying and trying to explain what all was bothering me to Tyler. He calmly listened and rubbed my back through it all, being as understanding and helpful as he could. As I finally started to relax, I turned to him and said, "All I want is some tiny ice." 

Tyler, being the great guy he is, assured me that he would check at the store for some ice for me when he went to pick up some milk and Sprite. 

But stores don't sell the good kind of ice. I knew this, and Tyler knew this. So, I had no actual expectation for any tiny ice. 

A few minutes after I calmed down, Tyler headed out to the store. He was gone for a long time. So long, in fact, that I was starting to get worried. Just as I was about to enter panic mode, Tyler arrived home--with the ice I was wanting. 

As it turns out, Tyler had gone to the store, then made his way out to Sonic to pick up some ice. (Sonic ice, in case you've never had it, is the best kind of ice. It's tiny and porous and perfect.) As it happens, he arrived after Sonic had closed for the night, but managed to catch someone before they left. Happily, Tyler had some cash on him so that he could pay for the ice even though the computers were already powered down. 

And Tyler returned home the hero. 

I know this is a little thing. But it really meant so much to me. I started tearing up when I saw what he had done. I told Tyler it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me. And in the moment, it really felt like it. 

A Cookie Compliment

I don't know if you guys will remember a post I wrote AGES ago about my lack of cookie-making skills, but I have always felt like making good cookies has been a sore spot for me. It's only very recently that I feel like I've learned how to make cookies that are decent enough to share.

Our ward is having a Christmas party this weekend, and I thought that I would ask our Relief Society president if there was anything they still needed help with. So when she paused for a moment, then said, "We still need cookies, and I hear you have a great cookie recipe," I was thrilled. I mean, sure, it's not MY recipe. And Tyler came up with the best part of the cookies (half chocolate chips, half butterscotch chips). But still. It made me feel like I've accomplished something. I went from terrible, un-shareable cookies to delectable, respectable cookies. Maybe it's silly. But it still made me feel really good. People like my cookies. They've heard I have a good recipe. It's almost like I'm a legend. (Ok, maybe that's a little too far. But it is cool. And like I said, it really did make me feel good. Even though, again, I can't really take credit for how good these cookies are.)

Anyway. I posted the recipe for these cookies awhile ago. It's here, if you want to check it out. Tried and true. Relief Society approved.

Looks like I'll be making these babies again this week. (Note: Tyler actually made the cookies in the photo above.)

PS, if you love cookies, you should check out my friend's blog. Ashley is a cookie-making genius. Every now and then she posts about some of the incredible cookies she makes. I mean, talk about talent. (I hope it's okay that I'm linking over to your blog, Ashley. Whenever I think of cookies now, I think of you. And your amazing cookies. If it's not okay, I'll take this post-script down.)

There Is Much To Be Thankful For

Although I did not take the time to blog each day during November about all the things we have to be thankful for, I have really appreciated the focus on gratitude that I see all around me. Many of my friends and family have blogged about or posted about the things that they are grateful for, and I really have enjoyed seeing the things they have to say. 

I feel like this year, we have had so many blessings, and good things just keep coming our way! It's like somebody up there likes us. ;)

A part of me regrets that I haven't shared throughout this gratitude month all the things that I am thankful for (or at least the things most top-of-mind), but I have been trying to reflect on my own what all there is that we have been blessed with, especially lately. 

Without sounding too sappy, I do want to say how grateful I am for Tyler, and for all the sacrifices he has made (and continues to make) to support our family. We decided a long time ago that when we started our family, I would be a stay-at-home mom, and my main job would be to care for our home and family. From a financial standpoint, this decision we made means that Tyler has to work harder than he would have to if I was not staying at home. It also means that he is under more pressure to provide for our family, and I know that sometimes, he really feels that pressure. I am incredibly grateful for all that he does so that we can have our physical (and spiritual) needs provided for. 

So when I look at the feast we had on Thanksgiving--and are still working on as leftovers--I see all the hard work that Tyler is putting into his schoolwork and job. And I am so very grateful for that. 

Thanks Tyler, for all you do! We sure appreciate you around here.

HE PASSED!

For the last year, Tyler has been working his tail off to study for and pass Exam P--which would certify him as an actuary.

Today, Tyler took the test (for the first time) and PASSED IT!

I cannot tell you how much awesome is in this news. This is why we moved away from Spanish Fork. This is why Tyler went back to school. This is what we have been working for, for so long.

Now, it's only the start on getting him to the career he wants, but it is a HUGE start!

I am so so proud of him. He has worked incredibly and amazingly hard for this, and it is SUCH a blessing.

A Close Call

Last night, I finally got Tyler to watch the first episode of Sherlock with me. And as I was getting ready for the day, I thought about one scene in particular--Sherlock was commenting that the state of the murdered woman's wedding indicated the health of her marriage. Because her wedding ring was dirty, he deduced that her marriage was an unhappy one.

So, because I have a happy marriage, I decided to give my ring a good cleaning. After all, it always looks so sparkly afterward. (I do clean it frequently, by the way. It's not like my ring was dirty. I just thought of how pretty it always looks after a little polishing up, and went for it.)

But, horror of horrors, as I was cleaning my ring, it slipped out of my fingers, and seemingly in slow motion hit the counter and bounced into the heating duct on the floor of our bathroom. (Why, Utah? Why are there grates on your floors? This doesn't happen in Texas. Right, Texans? At least, I never noticed this until I moved to Utah.)

Now, because of the strange placement of air ducts in our apartment, I have a few of the vents strategically closed to prevent the upstairs from becoming too stuffy and the downstairs from being too cold.

Luckily, our bathroom air duct is one of my strategically closed vents. So although my ring fell into the air duct, the vents were closed, and there it lay--on the closed vents, beneath the grate covering the air duct.

So I motioned Tyler over, almost panicking, and not sure what to do. At this point, I was sure that I was about to lose my wedding ring forever. I couldn't remember if our bathroom vents open and close easily (some of our vents are super stiff, others open and close with a brush of our fingers), and I knew that if I wasn't careful, I could accidentally open up those vents, and my ring could tumble into oblivion.

I started searching for a paperclip, thinking that if I hooked my ring just right, I could pull it  up through the grate safely. As I was ransacking our dresser for a paperclip, Tyler (the wise) suggested I grab some tweezers.

After a moment's pause, I realized that this was indeed a genius idea, absolutely superior to my paperclip thoughts. Especially because there were some tweezers basically sitting in front of my face.

Together, we went back into the bathroom, and Tyler stabilized the vents while I rescued my wedding ring, Operation-style.

I put my ring back on and just sat there, practically shaking and near tears. Tyler, in his attempt to be comforting, said, "It's ok. We're still married." I responded with something to the effect of, "Yeah, but I almost lost my ring!"

And Tyler, again trying for comfort, said, "You would have found something else that you liked."

He was absolutely, 100% serious! I could not believe what I was hearing, so I tried to clarify. And indeed, his thought was that if my ring had been gone forever, we would have just replaced it with something else.

I just--I mean, how do you explain an (irrational??) attachment to an object? I was speechless. And then I rebelled. No way. This ring is an antique. It's one-of-a-kind. Irreplaceable. I actually might have died if we had lost my ring. I would, at the very least, never fully recover.

I'm not totally crazy, right? Is this a woman thing? Or is this just a me thing? (This is where you guys respond and tell me what your wedding rings mean to you. And make me feel better about how attached I am to this object that I can't take with me into the next life--but might try to smuggle in with me anyway. I'm only mostly kidding about that last part.)

It's probably two or three hours since almost losing my ring, and I still feel a little in shock at the horror that almost befell us (me).

But all's well that ends well.

And I'm never opening that air duct again.

Days Off, Family Style

I love it when Tyler has a day off. This is so rare these days, what with school, work, and study for Exam P.

But today is USU's Fall Break. And Tyler doesn't have work. Or homework. (Although he does have to do some studying. And grade some quizzes.)

What this means for us is that we can squeeze in some family stuffs.

So we are!

Beginning with a beautiful walk this morning down to Center Street to check out some of the older (and cooler) houses out here. These homes really have some personality!

I mean, check 'em out!

I just love the colors on this home. I don't know that I would want my future home to be this colorful, but there are lots of pretty details here. And I love that front door. And some of those windows.

And this house! Check out that witch tower in the front. I'm not entirely sure what it is I like so much about this house. I just think it's cool. 

Tyler really liked the double doors on this house. I think that round-about (or whatever it's called) in the front yard is interesting. 

And HOLY COLUMNS! I think that there are actually eight huge columns in the front. Along with all the other columns on the porch. (I love that big open porch.) I don't think this picture does justice to how big those columns are.

I think you'll have to click on this picture to make it bigger so you can see all the different details on this house. The colors, the woodwork, even some of the windows are unique (I think--I might be remembering wrong). Still, it definitely has charm.

I thought all the lattice-work was really interesting on this house. And again, a nice big porch, interesting windows and doors. (And a lovely, big lawn.)

This next house was, by far, my favorite.

Gorgeous. This house is all about the details. Nothing is flat or boring. And it looks like it's probably got four levels to it. (Houses in Utah are tricky. Most of them have a basement floor.) Of all of these houses, I think I would most like to tour this one. I'm sure that the inside is as lovely as the outside.

And this house was the first hospital in Logan. Cool, right? Check out the plaque on the gate outside this house:

And finally, the last interesting house on our walk home--it's not actually on Center Street. I don't remember exactly where it was. Maybe a block away? Anyway, again with those witch towers.

So interesting right? You just don't see houses like these everywhere. I really wish I could know the history of each house. Who built it and when, why they designed it the way they did, do they still live there, etc.

But really, the best part of this walk was this moment here:

Sometimes, when we walk, Rich reaches out for his dad's hand. And I love it. Rich holds his daddy's hand while we walk along; he's just content to be outside with us.

Anyway. Good family stuffs accomplished.

Best Husband Ever

You know, sometimes women just need some retail therapy. Even if life is going great. And even if money is tight.

Today was one of those days. I told Tyler this morning that I really just needed to go shopping. Kohl's had sent me a $10 off anything coupon in the mail, and I felt like I could put that $10 to good use. Especially with the seasons changing.

But you know, money is a little tight right now, and I didn't want to do anything that would make him uncomfortable. So before I left for Kohl's, I went upstairs to ask Tyler how much money I could spend. (Note: Tyler is not at all "in charge" of our money. We just like to clear purchases with each other before we make them. But since I didn't have anything specific that I needed, I wanted to pre-clear however much money I could spend. Does that make sense? I hope so.)

Tyler's response is what makes him the best husband ever. He grabbed some leftover cash that had been sitting on his desk for a while, handed it to me, and said, "I'm tired of this laying around."

Every woman's dream right? I mean, could there have been a much better response?

So, happy and excited to treat myself to some shopping, I left for Kohl's, Thanks to some great sales, and the $10 coupon, I only spent $17-something. And I ended up with a new top, a new sweater, and some new socks.

And I ended up with the best husband ever.

Welcome to Parenthood

Sometimes, even when you are doing everything right, you still manage to do something wrong.

Today, for example, I took this kiddo with me to Wal-Mart to pick up a few groceries:

He was such a good sport. (I think he enjoys looking around at all of the different things Wal-Mart has to offer. AND he likes it when I put things in the cart he can play with.)

But by the time I finished my shopping and got Rich in the car, it was clear to me that he was ready for a nap. He was rubbing his eyes and he just looked so tired. So like a good mom, I took him straight home and put him down for a nap.

And seriously, he was down and out in two seconds flat. Poor guy.

While Richie slept, I got some things done: laundry, scripture study, planning dinner for tomorrow, catching up with my dad, getting in touch with Tyler so I could plan when to start dinner, etc.

And I was feeling good! Being productive, making the most of my stay-at-home-mom-ness.

Did you notice what I didn't mention? Remember how Rich and I went to Wal-Mart and got groceries? I didn't. As soon as we got home, I totally spaced it and left those groceries in our 90+ degree trunk for over an hour.

In fact, I didn't remember until I was out with Rich on a walk, getting ready to meet up with Tyler. And all I could say was, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh." I couldn't believe that I had just totally and completely forgotten about the groceries.

All I could think about was the frozen berries that I had decided to splurge on at Wal-Mart that were probably ruined. (They were. Totally thawed. But guess what, guys. I'm a risk-taker. I re-froze them, and I will eat them. Absolutely, yes I will. Even though the packaging warns against re-freezing. I'll let you know if I die.)

Luckily, most of what I had gotten at Wal-Mart didn't need to be kept cold. I mean, it could have been much much worse. Really, the only thing I'm calling a loss is our milk. (I'm not a crazy risk-taker, you guys. I don't even drink milk if it's been left out on the counter for an hour, so I definitely won't be drinking milk that's been abandoned in a hot trunk.)

And Tyler was so good about it all. His response was, "Well, we all do dumb stuff. It's done and over with. No problem."

But even so, I still felt like a fool.

I would say "all's well that ends well," but I still have those berries to get through first.

Wish me luck?

3 Years and Counting!

Tuesday marked Tyler's and my 3-year anniversary. Can you believe that we have been married already for 3 years?! It really seems like just yesterday we were going on our first date--making taco soup and hitting up a hockey game. Time sure does fly by.


But really, this anniversary was our best one yet! Tyler had a few surprises ready for me throughout the day to make me feel special and loved.

I woke up in the morning to find love notes leading downstairs detailing reasons why Tyler loves me. The little notes were so sweet! (I started tearing up as I read them.)

One of my favorites was this: 

"I love that you empty the dishwasher. :)" (It's Tyler's least favorite job in the world. And usually, if I put away the clean dishes, he'll do the dirty ones. In other words, I get the better deal.)

And yes, I will be keeping these notes. In fact, I have a little photo album that I've filled with notes from Tyler. They're pretty awesome.

Later in the day, Tyler ran some errands and came home with these!

I love flowers. Love them. They are so beautiful and sweet. And they bring light and life to a room. Or garden. (One day, when we're bazillionaires, I want to have my own flower garden to fill my house with fresh flowers.) I mean, my wedding ring has flowers designed into the filigree.

(You can kind of see one of the flowers on the top of the ring.)

Anyway, so I love flowers. And I love when Tyler surprises me with flowers.

But the biggest surprise of all was where we were eating for dinner. Tyler arranged for some of our family who lives in town to watch Richie while Tyler took me out to eat. We went to this incredible place here in Logan, called Elements Contemporary American Cuisine.

I mean, Holy Cow! This place was awesome. We opted to try their two-person four-course meal deal so that we could get a good sampling of some of their food. And every dish we tried was incredible. 

We started off with some sweet and spicy fried calamari (which I'd never had before), and it was so good. We easily could have filled up on that appetizer alone. But we paced ourselves so we could enjoy everything. 

Then we were brought our salads. I opted for a spinach salad (with feta cheese, raisins, and apple slices as well as walnuts and some delicious vinaigrette) and Tyler had their Caesar salad (with sun-dried tomatoes?). 

But the stars of the show were our main courses. Wow. Just wow. 

 Tyler had their Gorgonzola Steak Pasta:

 And I had their Kamikaze Salmon (served over some incredible garlic potatoes):

For dessert, Tyler tried some sort of chocolate cheesecake and raspberry sorbet, and I had a caramel apple gallette. Both were delicious.

Throughout the whole meal, it was hard to pace ourselves. Each item was so delicious. But ultimately, it was worth only eating parts of each course--cause we had leftovers for dinner the next day!

My point is this. If you are ever in Logan and want to treat yourself to a special dinner, you've got to head to Elements. The truth of the matter is this: I don't like eating out very often, mainly because I usually feel like the food I'm eating I could make better myself at home. But not here. I mean, I could try. And I could make some delicious similar dishes, I'm sure. But I don't think I'll have the skills to make dishes like we had for many years to come. So really, eating here was a real treat.

We failed to get an anniversary picture of ourselves (again) this year. But we took this family picture yesterday when Richie and I visited Tyler on USU campus.

(Don't you just love that beautiful background?)

All in all, we had a wonderful, wonderful anniversary. 

So here's to you, sweetheart! Three years and counting!

For Tyler

Tyler did this questionnaire thing, and I promised to answer it. So here goes:


1) You know that book you have always wanted to write but can never get around to? What is it about?
I think I would love to be a children's book writer. I don't know that I really have it in me to write a novel. But if I ever were to begin writing children's literature, I'd start by making up a simple story about how salsa was first created. I don't know how it begins, but it ends with a big explosion in a marketplace, where tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, etc. all get mixed up together (and everyone lives happily ever after).

2) Name a favorite song most people would be surprised to know you like.
I guess it depends on who I'm talking to--but I think people would be surprised to know that I like the song "Baby" by Justin Bieber. Truth is, I'm kinda surprised myself. (Am I a closet belieber?) I don't know if it's a favorite, per se, but I do secretly like it a little.

3) What is one thing you really would rather not have to do for the rest of your life?
Sort socks. I'd rather do the dishes than sort socks. Although, I don't mind doing the dishes quite as much as I used to.

4) You just found $10 in a pair of pants you haven't worn in a long time. What do you do with the money?
That's easy. That money will go one of two places. To date night for dinner, or to my wallet for groceries.



5) Imagine you have a time machine that you can only use for one round-trip journey and that can only visit a period of your own life. Where do you choose to go and what do you do when you get there?
I'm pretty sure that Doctor Who proved that messing in your own timeline is very dangerous. (Thank you Rose Tyler for making that mistake so that I don't have to.)


6) What is the greatest compliment you have ever received?
Once, in seminary, our teacher asked us to think of people that we knew who were Christlike. He then asked us to share our thoughts and why we thought that. One of the girls in the class said that I was one of the most Christlike people she knew. I never expected her to say that--we were barely even friends. Friendly, but not chummy.

7) How do you measure a successful day?
By how clean the house is at the end of the day. If I've at least been able to tidy up a little bit, then I don't feel like a total waste. (You'd think this would motivate me to be a better housekeeper, but I still really struggle with housekeeping.)

8) If you had the floor in a legislative assembly and wanted to filibuster, what would you read from?
Hamlet. And I'd read it in my best Southern drawl.

9) Of all the things you have taught or will teach your children, what do you most want them to remember?
That I love them. And that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them as well. 

10) What is one store you want to live closer to?
It's a toss-up between Trader Joe's and Target. I love Target. But Trader Joe's is so fun! But I love love Target. 

11) Name your favorite home-cooked meal.
That I can make or that someone has made for me? That I can make--probably tacos. Simple, I know. But so delicious. That someone has made for me--Aunt Mar's tortelloni. I would always request this dish whenever Aunt Mar asked me what I wanted for dinner.


Now, I know I'm supposed to post rules and create my own questions, but it's almost 10 PM and I have a house to tidy so that I can feel fulfilled.

Friday the 13th

I should have known when I woke up this morning that today was an ill-fated day.

I mean, I knew that today was April the 13th, and I knew that today was a Friday, but I didn't not really put it together that today was Friday the 13th. That kind of stuff doesn't usually faze me at all. In fact, I don't really do anything with superstitions.

But alas, you live and learn.

As I was saying. Today started off oddly. I woke up this morning around 8 AM listening for the sounds of my son stirring in his crib. But I couldn't hear anything. Which was when I realized that he hadn't made a sound all night long. That I had indeed gotten seven hours straight of sleep.

Naturally, I bolted from my bed to Rich's room to check on him. I was sure that some accident had befallen him. Usually, he wakes up at least a few times during the night needing his binky or needing to be re-swaddled. But not last night. He slept totally through the night.

But, Rich was fine. Just like he always is after my mini-panic attacks.

The day progressed as usual. Feeding, pumping, getting ready for the day, chatting on the phone, running an errand, feeding pumping, etc. Nothing strange or out of the ordinary. Nothing Friday the 13th-ish. (Was it the calm before the storm?)

At our house, Friday night means date night. And although Tyler and I don't really do anything very exciting for date nights, we do always look forward to them. They are the one night a week where I know Tyler can just chill out and not worry about any homework. In other words, on Friday nights, Tyler is all mine. Well, mine and Rich's.

Anyway. I decided that it would be nice to use one of our Olive Garden gift certificates and eat a little bit fancier than usual tonight. So not long after Tyler got home from school, I sent him out to pick up our date night fare. He left around 5 PM or so to drive to Olive Garden (and stop off at Cold Stone for dessert--again, thank you gift cards!).

When he hadn't returned by 5:30, I started getting worried. By 5:45, I was practically panicking. I tried calling him, but his phone kept going straight to voicemail. In my head there were two thoughts--one, he's on the phone and is ignoring my call (but this didn't seem very likely: Tyler always takes my calls) or two, Tyler's had some horrible accident and his phone was destroyed.

Although I knew that he was probably fine, by 5 till (5:50) I began imagining what terrible things might have happened. Like, Tyler's in a hostage situation at Olive Garden and the robber/gunman destroyed Tyler's phone when I tried to call him or that Tyler has been in a horrible car accident in which Tyler and his phone were thrown from the car and the phone was smashed to bits and Tyler was dead and no one knows to call me and I should maybe start calling the hospital or the police to find out if anything terrible has happened.

Tyler finally answered his phone at 6:00. Letting me know that I was both right and wrong about all of my fears.
1) Yes he was ignoring my phone call. (what?) In his defense he was on the phone with the insurance company because
2) He had been in a car wreck. But it wasn't his fault. He'd been rear-ended by a guy and the bumper of our car was trashed.
But thankfully, 3) Tyler was not injured, and neither was the other driver. Although both cars were damaged.
And 4), since Tyler wasn't at fault, they had already contacted the other guy's insurance to get the claim process started.


Okay. So maybe it wasn't that bad. Things could have been a million times worse. (My worst fear is Tyler going out to run an errand for me and dying in some terrible car accident. Hence my over-reacting from earlier.) But we were very lucky and blessed. And somehow, this will turn into some sort of blessing. Because trials always do. I'll let you know when I know what it is.

I am very very grateful that Tyler came home safely. And that the damage to the car seems to be only affecting the bumper. And that Richie wasn't in the car when the accident happened. (Nor was his car seat.)

Sidenotes:

I had some kind of funny thoughts going through my head as I half-contemplated calling the police. I imagined my phone conversation with the dispatcher going something like this:

     "Hi, Officer? I'm calling to report a missing person. I'm worried about my husband. He's been gone for a while and I can't get a hold of him, which is so unlike him. I'm worried that something has happened to him."
     "Okay, Miss. How long has your husband been missing?"
    "Well, I sent him out to grab dinner about an hour ago. He should have been home already."
    And then the dispatcher or officer or whoever I was speaking to would kindly tell me that I was being silly, and I would insist there was a problem, meanwhile, Tyler would be off bleeding to death somewhere.

I also almost called Tyler's parents to find out if they had talked to him recently and knew what was going on. (Which, it turns out, would have actually been pretty effective. Tyler called Dennis, his step-dad, as soon as the accident happened.)

Anyway. We're all alright.

And also, dinner and ice cream were both delicious. (Thank you to my mom and to McKenna for the respective gift cards which paid for our date night tonight.) Although, had I decided to make something instead, this whole fiasco might have been avoided. But, in the eternal words of Mitch Baylor, "If it wasn't this . . . it'd be something else."