Ducks in a Row

I feel like I'm checking milestones off my mental list. Farewell dinner? Check. Change of command? Check. Baby shower that's I've been looking forward to hosting for the past 7 months? Check, but with a hitch. We had planned a garden party but the weather didn't so much cooperate. As in, it's been raining here for approximately 48 hours. The other hostess - whose yard was housing the tent and tables for the garden party - kept calling the weather shop on base and they kept telling her it was going to stop in time. They were wrong, not that I found that too surprising. I always assume if you go 180 from what they predict, you have a pretty good forecast. So we had a lot of people in a small space but it was still good. And we had yummy duck sugar cookies, too! I think if I had a little more artistic talent and a slightly larger kitchen, I could really get into making sugar cookies.

Assignment wish list? Check. As of Friday, Jeff's wish list for his next assignment is complete. Strangely enough, I'm not really feeling opinionated on where we should try to go. I feel like it's completely out of our hands and I don't think either one of us would've predicted the path we've taken thus far, so why mess with a good thing? Besides, I really just want him to have a job he enjoys - Lord knows he spends enough time there that it could be miserable if he didn't - and I think we can survive living anywhere for only 3 years. Before we get lots of questions, the list is merely a suggestion to someone in an office somewhere. Translation: it doesn't mean much. There are a lot of combinations possible based on the list of his preferred jobs - locations ranging from England to Japan, and Florida to Alaska - so no, we don't have any idea where we might go (and that's not counting the gajillion other jobs available that he didn't rank). We'll be sure to share our news as soon as we hear anything, but don't hold your breath because we'll be well past the next solstice by the time we find out.

Next up: the Granparents Rock are coming for a visit! Wyatt is getting very excited because he remembers that they make funny faces to make him laugh. Jeff & I were contemplating a trip to Korea (sans child) while they're here but have pretty much decided against it. It might be something we regret (the DMZ tour piques our curiosity), but neither one of us has a burning desire to be gone for 4 days. You wouldn't think it would be hard to go to Korea for a weekend, but it is. Too many plane changes to make it a quick trip so our idea of going up Friday morning and coming back on Sunday afternoon isn't feasible. I might regret not amassing a collection of faux designer bags, but I think it's a risk I'm willing to take. Besides, maybe if we save the money we would've spent on a hotel, food and fake Louis Vuittons, we can buy another piece of furniture before we leave.

I'll leave you with a picture of Wyatt, a.k.a. turbo-crawler (he got really fast while we were in Hawaii, apparently, because now he can scoot down the hallway in record time), holding court under the dining room table. It's good to be king, no? Speaking of...I need to get started planning a 1st birthday party! Where does the time go?