Blogging without a _____ is like canoeing without a _____

I keep thinking things like I should blog about the house or Emmett's first day of school. And then I remember, "oh, that's right, I dropped the camera and I don't have a picture of Emmett's first day or the recent house progress".  The correct answer to the sentence completion is C.) Digital Camera -- Paddle.

Who can compete against the blood-and-gore of finger-drilling spouses or cute kindergartners without a picture or two? Anyway, I'll do my best...

My sister-in-law, Arwen, lives with us. She's saving money while going to grad school. Occasionally, people ask us how it is to have her live with us. We always tell them we love it. We usually list out the pros (have another adult to talk to, she helps out around the house, etc). Soon or later, we mention the baby-sitting.  

Arwen has always been generous with the free baby-sitting--usually once a week plus lots of unplanned stuff. She usually even plans an activity or picks out a movie just for the babysit night.

Now that Jani and I have gotten ourselves in over our heads with the house project (it takes a lot longer to paint a house than we thought) and the move she has been fantastically helpful. She has babysat every free evening she's had for the last two weeks plus Saturday mornings (no, I didn't mistype that).  She has really enabled us to spend a lot of time over at the "big" house, not to mention putting up with all the extra mess and clutter at the old house while we get ready to move. Thanks Arwen. We really appreciate you.

What makes Arwen's help must amazing is that Arwen hates to move ("don't we all!", you say, not like Arwen). And this move is shaping up to be pretty crazy. We didn't get the carpet in or the painting finished so all non-essentials are going in the garage and we going to camp out in our house until we finish. Not exactly fun for the routine-minded. Sorry Arwen. We tried to finish it.