let me show you random pictures to explain what I've been doing instead of blogging.

Hi, hello. remember me?

maybe?

my ability to stay away from this part of my life, is officially 22 days. that makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. So those of you who have gotten on to me about it, thanks. Getting in trouble is a great motivation.

Let's play a game of catch up called, 'let me show you random pictures to explain what I've been doing instead of blogging'.

Of most importance, however, is this...

There is a new man in my life.

Yes, you heard me right. All 6lb. 14oz. of a handsome little man.

And NO he is not mine, just so we're all clear on that one.

I'm not even dating anyone.

After three sisters, two nieces, and a lifetime of female pets, this family has been in need of some more boys. And praise the Lord, my sister had one a few weeks ago. And that is where I spent most of my time, with everyone.

Becoming an ace at making chocolate milk and learning how to make sure there are no monsters in the bedrooms, even though I might have just encouraged that fear with all my good intentions :/

Look at him! So tiny. My expression doesn't look too enthralled to see him but trust me, I am relishing in the fact of his existence, that's all.

Having after school snacks, solo, for the first time. Let's just leave it at 1) it was sticky and 2) we changed clothes when we got home.

So much enjoyment in this picture.

Not having grasped the fact that, yes, my two and three year old nieces do know how to use my phone. I would find pictures on it like this. That was SELF TAKEN. And sometimes there would be videos. VIDEOS.

I was impressed. And a little nervous that it would join someone else to the bathroom and end up in the toilet.

But because I was around so often, I was able to capture phenomenons such as this.

Maybe I'm a bias aunt, but what three-year-old can cut out a circle in such a careful manner?

And can make a 'dinner' for mom right after she had a baby?

There was a lot of determination in this one effort.

Yes, potatoes shoved in a coffee pot = dinner.

mmmm. How precious is he?!

There would be be those moments, though, where I'd have to remind myself,

'She's three. She's just having a difficult time away from parents and all this temporary instability. She does love me. She does love me. Its just a glue stick. She'll be fine.'

And then I would wake up quite often with a two year old staring at me at 7:05am on the days that I didn't have to go to class...my first thought,

'IIII am definitely not ready for children.'

But then I realized they are so precious and I love them and now they've been out of town for two, almost three weeks.

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Oh and to top it all off, I went on my first ever road trip, a nice 14 hour drive to Florida with three of my sweet, wonderful, upbeat, patient, and hilarious friends. Let's just say that me and the beach spent 95% of my trip together. The other we were probably falling asleep at 8:30pm in all honesty.

Despite one person suffering from some questionably strange and painful sun burns, it was a wonderful and remarkably cheap. We didn't really take any pictures though. Our last evening there we caught the sunset but the five pictures I have are all a tad blurry. Its sad that we didn't think to take many pictures but we were too busy laughing and sleeping and getting tan and sleeping.

Here is the least blurry picture I have.

But let's end on this note....

Please grasp how small he is.

He's coming back this week. He'll proabably come back with facial hair and an attitude for all I know. Three-ish weeks is just too long.