It began with a button...

I begin my story on Sunday night ... Jeff and I were sitting on our back patio enjoying the spring evening. I decided to sew a button back on a shirt of mine. As I went to thread it the button slipped off and rolled away from me.

I got right down and started searching, but it was pretty dark. I became pretty certain it rolled right under our gate into our neighbor's yard. Jeff said he was pretty sure it was lost ... but I marched myself right over to their house and knocked.

It was 9:30 pm. Strangely enough they are not surprised by random, late night visits from us. And quickly joined in the search for my missing button. Jeff was still searching on the other side of the fence. After a few minutes I FOUND THE BUTTON!! 

We were all feeling pretty successful about this (or maybe it was just me and everyone was humoring me). It is a small, clear button after all. And it was pretty dark out. 

Carolyn walked me out and we ended up chatting on the front porch for a bit. You know, it's almost 10 - why not discuss some books we're interested in reading, who from our ward went to prom the night before ... the important things in life. 

Most of the time I spent clutching my button. Wouldn't want to lose it again, you know...

Then towards the end I started fiddling with it. Just a bit ... but a bit to much.

It slipped off my thumb (where I was not-so-expertly balancing it) and rolled ... 

Into the oblivion. We both sprang into action and started looking ... in the dark ... into the cracks in the sidewalk and the grass nearby. Laughing hysterically at the turn of events. 

We didn't find it. But you know what? I have a friend who is willing to look for a button with me in the grass ... in the dark :)! 

This was the high point of the week so far ... followed by a few late nights working on projects and a trip to Wal-Mart. So it's been a long few days in general ... which brings us to today.

I had to get to Costco this morning. Had to. 

Jeff has an important meeting on Friday at work, so I thought, "if I'm going to be up in Orem I might as well stop by the mall and look for him a new shirt." 

I wanted to make sure he looks extra handsome (do you blame me?!). He has a favorite tie I took along to match the shirt to. In a plastic baggie to protect it (I was this concerned about said tie).

We got loaded up... Landon was in his stroller doing the normal mall "gig." Whine ... ask for a snack ... repeat (over and over again). We're shopping in Macy's and I'm talking to the sales man, looking for sizes, taking pictures of options (to text to Jeff for good measure) and retrieving Landon's cars he continues to toss off his stroller (I believe it is a ploy to get out).

Finally I settle on the perfect shirt. Then I proceed to shop a bit more ... in Macy's and a few other stores in the mall.

Then we leave, purchase in hand. Load up in the car and head to Costco. As we pull into the parking lot I realize something...

I haven't seen that tie in a while. I panic. And head right back to the mall.

Where I proceed to look everywhere. My purse (it eats things regularly). The stroller (just in case I'm lucky). And then I frantically retrace every step we made...I didn't even pause long enough to put Landon back in his stroller. (He loved this part because he got to walk and thought that looking for "daddy tie" was a marvelous game).

After all that? I lost it.

Not it in general (although I was close). But the tie.

His favorite tie.

It was DKNY and the perfect shade of blue for his eyes (just in case you needed to get a clearer picture of why this was making me so upset).

I was beside myself. And if I lost the tie then what good is a matching shirt?

So then I returned the shirt and picked out a shirt and tie combo. 

And almost an hour after I left the first time we left again. Sweaty, exhausted and ticked at myself.

Then I called Jeff sure this would make him upset. It was his favorite after all.

And he laughed good naturedly! I'm not even kidding. He said that of course he was bummed, but it wasn't my fault it fell out of the stroller (not technically true, but I wasn't going to correct him) and that he was certain he would love whatever I brought home.

The lessons to be learned here?

1. Marry a good (and forgiving ... and easy going) man.

2. Don't leave a tie where it can fall out of a stroller

3. If the week begins with a missing button, it might get crazier.

4. Thank goodness for the people who make the mishaps either funny, or not a big deal.

The end.