I finally feel like I'm getting caught up with my film. I was taking pictures and developing film faster than I could print the pictures. It was making me so frustrated. Now I'm working on my last roll of film that I have developed right now. I have 4 being developed, though, and I'll pick them up on Tuesday but by then I should be ready for them. I've got about 3 more pictures that I want to print (multiple copies of) from the roll I did of my dad. I did 8 prints today and I think he'll enjoy getting these for Christmas this year. I made copies of some for Cherri and Amy (and myself), too. I printed almost 30 pictures in the last two days. I'm just a printing demon!

It was nice to spend the day in the darkroom with Stacey today. I really enjoyed that--talking and dancing and sharing ideas and frustrations. I wish we had more time together in the darkroom.

She told me today that Marcus had arranged for a standing Friday night babysitter so they can go out together every week--just the two of them. I suddenly felt insanely jealous that her husband would do that. In almost 15 years of marriage, I can probably count on one hand the number of times Ed has either gotten the babysitter or planned a date. I told him that I needed him to plan some dates for us. That it makes me feel sad and unloved that he doesn't have anything to do with planning our evenings out. Is that silly? Am I the only wife around here whose husband has nothing to do with planning dates? (Please say no.) I just want to feel cherished--is that so much to ask? I feel like he and I need to reconnect. When I think of going out, I think "who should we double date with?" not "where should the two of us go?" I'm not sure what we can do except spend more time together. We've just gotten into the mode of being in the same room but not interacting much and I don't like that. I think it's more a habit than a lack of interest or love, though. A habit we need to break.

We went to Starbuck's tonight for Family Hot Chocolate night. It was Joey's idea. It was so cute--she was sitting on a stuffed chair with her legs crossed, reading a magazine and sipping from her Starbuck's cup. I had this flash of her in about 15 years and it cracked me up. When did my 8-year-old turn 23, anyway?

Tomorrow I'm taking family photos for the Kings. I'm really looking forward to it. And now I think I'm going to go read my book now. It's a compelling read.

Later...

--L