i really hate it when micah falls asleep in the car, and i try to carry her in to bed, and she wakes up, and she will not go back to sleep, no matter what i do. i feel like the only way to avoid this scenario is to quit going places in the evening. but that pisses me off. i like going places in the evening. i like going out to eat occasionally, i like hanging out with my family. tonight was my dad's birthday party at my grandparents' house, and we stayed until about eight o'clock. micah's been up since nine this morning and hasn't napped, so of course she fell asleep in the car on the way home from the party. i'm thinking, this is great, i'll get to stay up for a while with josh, maybe do some reading, get on the computer, etc. but, no, micah wakes up and won't go back to sleep. i laid in bed with her for an hour, watching mind-numbing dora the explorer, getting more and more annoyed every time i'd glance down and see her, eyes wide open, watching the TV instead of falling asleep. i tried turning the TV off and whispering a story to her, which has worked in the past, but she just cried and said she didn't want to go to sleep, and that she wanted her daddy. so now it's after ten o'clock, she's in josh's lap on the couch, and i'm very grumpy.

i had a fun afternoon, though. katherine (my best friend from church and high school) and i met at panera bread in plano for a late lunch. we ate yummy soup and bread and chatted, and for desert we each had the most delectable, rich, buttery piece of shortbread i've ever tasted. it was heaven. : )

naomi, my sister who lives in austin, surprised me today by showing up at my door after sneakily telling me she wouldn't be able to make it for daddy's birthday because she couldn't get off work. she loves surprising me this way, because it always works. she tried to surprise daddy, too, but he knew she'd be here. i am always gullible. back in may of last year, i was setting up the table at the park for micah's 3rd birthday party, sad because naomi couldn't be there, when i glanced up and saw her jogging across the park towards us! it was awesome. today, i jumped up and shouted and ran to the door, and we laughed and hugged. i think she loves my reactions; maybe that's why she always tricks me.

micah and i are going to go a new church in the morning. my dad and vesta have been attending a church right down the street from our house, trinity fellowship church, and they seem to like it a lot. two of my close friends from church and high school attend there, and they enjoy it too. so micah and i are going to check it out in the morning, while josh and rowan play at home. rowan is too little and too active to sit quietly during service, and too attached to me to stay in the nursery.