Has it REALLY been this long!?!

Oh my. Where do I begin!?! So we've been open for business at the new restaurant for almost 2 months and things are going GREAT! Here's a picture of us three at the restaurant in it's early stages.

We are no longer working close to 80 hours, we're down to 60 or 70 a week (but that's an AWESOME improvement). We have some great employees who are very reliable and smart, and we're able to leave them alone from time to time to run the place. Thank the LORD!!! We prayed very hard that the employees we got would be a blessing TO us, and receive blessings FROM us. SO far that seems to be the case! It's awesome to be in the position to hire people who you know are honest and hard working and just want to support their families. Especially when everyone is losing jobs left and right. Once again, praise God! There are more pictures of the restaurant somewhere, but they're escaping me right now... I'll find them and post them soon-ish.

Next up. Our dear friends who we hardly ever get to see, but who remain very dear to our hearts, David and Brooke Cibik asked Joel to officiate their wedding over labor day weekend. What an honor!!! Joel was so excited, humbled, and as I said, honored, to do their wedding. It was probably the most incredible wedding I've ever been to. From the welcome gift bags they gave us upon arrival at the hotel, to the welcome dinner complete with more gifts and a photo booth (such a fun idea!), to the AMAZING location of the wedding (Riverwood Mansion in Nashville, TN), to the handsome groom and probably the most beautiful bride I've ever seen, to the fun and heartfelt reception with the BEST, most thoughtful song choices I've ever heard at a wedding. It was incredible. The whole thing. Check out Brooke's blog to the right for more pics, I will just post these 3 to give you a taste:

Now on to our "exciting" lives... if you have kids, you'll understand this, if you don't, you will one day. Mia is now starting to eat food, and it has been a fun journey. I make her baby food from scratch (it's really very easy, cheap, and at least I know what I'm really feeding my child) and she's a little food mongrel. These first pictures are of her grandpa feeding her rice cereal for the first time. She had never used a spoon before but apparently had been watching and learning because she had NO doubt what that thing was for, and how to get it in her mouth. She would attack the spoon when dad got it within a few inches of her face. Crazy!

And yes, she is wearing camo. Her grandpa bought it for her, but she has a green bow in her hair, so that's ok.

This is her and grandma reading a magazine...

And now back to the food thing. So after about a month of eating rice cereal, we decided it was time for the veggies. They recommend veggies first so that babies don't get the sweet taste of fruit first and then refuse the less sweet veggies. SO... we began with the peas for a week. Day one, not a big fan as you can see from her face: But we stuck with the peas for a week and by day 7 she was actually enjoying them! Now we're on to squash, and she seems to like that a lot more.

A few weeks ago we fell into an awesome deal! A friend of a friend needed to get rid of a piano, for FREE!!! So I got an upright Baldwin piano for nothing! Woo hoo!!! I played piano for 14 years growing up, and quit the day I graduated high school. I was a little bitter at the whole deal for a few reasons, but 8 years later I'm over it and VERY glad to be back playing the piano. It's amazing how fingers remember what they're supposed to do. The best part is, I have a little sidekick who sits in my lap and plays with me. She gets pretty excited about it.

Hmmm.... what should I play now....dum dum dum DUM..... very dramatic....

And lastly, a cute little photo of her in her ducky pajamas with her rubber ducky!!! She may look sweet, but right now she's clawing my arm with her fingernails and wailing in my ear. I should post pictures like THAT. She definitely has a temper! Wonder where she got that.... Hmmm.... Well, I'll leave you with this picture and hopefully it won't be so long before I update again!