"Why meeting the Dutsons was the best thing that ever happened to us."

U2 Night

I am most bummed that of all the pictures we lost on Scott's phone, we lost our pics from the U2 concert!

I picked Scott up from school, and it was the first beautiful day of the summer. We didn't want to go home, so drove up towards the U of U Stadium to check out the U2 concert. We miraculously found a parking spot right at the edge of President's Circle. Free. So we parked and walked over to the stadium with a blanket and a couple Greek yogurts. We could hear the music as we walked, and we loved it! We talked about how great it would be to have background theme music always following you around. Then we took that a little too far trying to come up with a business plan to follow people around and play theme music for their lives.

We got to the stadium and sat on top of a couple trash cans flipped upside down. I was thrilled. Scott and I have always wanted to go to a U2 concert. It's been on my lifelong to-do list for a long time. We almost bought tickets but ended up having the NY trip and a trip to Santa Barbara this summer... so our finances were a little too tight for the investment. As we sat there on the trash cans, I thought, "I'm here at the U2 concert! I can hear the music; I can see Bono on the jumbo screen; I'm pretty much as close as I'm going to get. I'm calling this a win."

As we watched, we saw two little 10 year-olds standing near the gate dancing in place and giggling. I pointed them out to Scott, and we figured out that it was Morgan Dutson and Olivia Cortez, two little girls from our old ward. We love both of their families, having taught their siblings in YM and YW. Scott worked with Morgan's mom at United Way, and we both got to the know the Dutson's and the Cortez's through our callings in our ward. We loved that ward and made so many wonderful friends. Morgan is such a goober, and we love her! She would always come say hi to us at church or come up and give us spontaneous hugs in the middle of Sacrament meeting. She was also ways cute and happy. so we hollered at her to some say hello to us, and she and Olivia came bounding over like the giggly girls that they are. It was so fun to see them. Morgan's mom came over to say hello, and we were slightly embarrassed to be sitting on a trash can peering through the gates.

It turns out the girls were bored at the concert and were being picked up by Morgan's dad. Reb (Morgan's mom) was able to let us in with the two tickets that the girls were using. We could NOT believe it! We were on row 30, or somewhere close to that, and we sat by Reb and her other daughter Maddie, who I absolutely LOVE (she was one of my YW). We had a blast! It was a dream come true! Not only were we at the concert (a lifelong goal), but we didn't have to pay an arm and a leg (we didn't have to pay anything!), and we got to spend time with some good friends that we don't see very often. The concert was AMAZING and UNFORGETTABLE! After the concert we all walked to where our car was parked and drove the Dutson's home. I don't know how we're ever going to give them an adequate thank you. Reb called Scott the next day and offered us tickets to go to a dinner to meet Presient Uribe. I had to work, unfortunately, but Scott was in heaven. It's like our nephew Ben meeting Spiderman.

Wish I had pictures of us squatting on the trash cans outside the concert. And then minutes later we were inside the gates having the time of our lives. Little man has been to his first concert... and it's pretty much the best one he could start out with!

New Calling

YW President

After putting a lot of work into planning the Stake YW Rough Out Camp at Heber Valley, I have now been traded to another team (well... kind of the same team). I was called the day before my birthday to be the new Young Women's President of our ward. I'm really excited and nervous about this calling. I'm grateful to have wonderful counselors and a great organization. But I'm intimidated by these faces I don't know very well and developing a system in a newly-formed ward and Young Women's program. I'm just hoping to get organized and wrap my head around everything before the baby comes in August. I'm so excited and grateful for the calling. As I'm trying to balance the changes happening at work and the changes happening at home, I'm hoping I can balance the changes in my calling and in our ward. Wish me luck! And by the way... I'll take all the advice I can get!

Scott is still serving as Asst. Scout Master and the Deacon Quorum Advisor. I'm so happy we've spent the last three years in the youth programs of the church. We love these kids and love hanging out with them. It's such a tough age, and we've really enjoyed the chance to help them through their challenges with school and friends. We've had an eclectic group of kids, and it's fun to get to know each of them.

Mid May Vacation

New York/Washington DC:

Did you know that we went to New York and Washington DC? We went in mid-May. Scott went over early for work, and I joined him a couple days after my birthday. It was fun to be out there together. Scott served his mission in NY and I hadn't been there in about ten years. We really need to take another trip when we can have more time during the day to meet some friends from his mission and check more off the list. But it was fun to see family. I had the daytime to explore, and then Scott and I met up for the evenings. It was just so nice to be together. I had been home alone for a week before I flew out, and that was a bad deal.

Before I got there, Scott went to the Statue of Liberty with his parents, Margy, and Oliver. He also visited with mission friends and had fun getting to know people in the NY Goldman office. We all went to see "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" with Daniel Radcliffe. I thought it was hillarious. It was so fun to get a good laugh in. I was able to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art twice, the Natural History Museum, walk through an overcast Central Park, walk up and down Lexington Avenue, visit FAO Schwartz, see Rockefeller Center, visit Bloomingdales, have a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity, spend some good time at the Strand, visit Grand Central Station, and discover lots of other adventures on my way. I got a metro pass the first day I was there, and I went nuts. Everything feels so close together, and I loved navigating my way throughout the city. I was thinking about how long its been since I have had so much alone time to just explore. I really enjoyed it, knowing that I won't have that kind of alone time ever again once little man comes along. Scott worked hard at his new office and had a good time meeting co-workers he communicates with daily. We had so much fun exploring in the evening. We went to the Modern Art Museum, out for delicious dinners, and had a lot of fun bookstore shopping and exploring the city.

We took a bus down to Washington DC for a wedding. This is going to have to be another trip in of itself. I've been to Washington DC, but Scott's never been there, and I think he would LOVE it. There's so much history and endless ways to spend your time. I can't wait to go back sine we had such a quick trip... only a day. We spent that day at the DC temple with friends and family, and then made our way down to James Madison's house in Virginia. It was beautiful. The wide open estate was unbelievable. Scott was plotting the whole time about how he could purchase the property. We left at 10ish at night to drive back to NY for early morning flights. Rick was such a good sport to drive everyone where they needed to go, and he had driven through the night and was still going strong! I was very grateful and impressed. While it was a wonderful trip, this is my little note to self. I was just heading into my seventh month of pregnancy, and all the time in the car was not the best idea. I found my first bad veins after being on the plane and in the car so much in such a short period of time. I didn't take stops to stretch out my legs, and maybe that would have made a difference... but I'm going to be extra careful in the future. I was just really nauseous and car sick, but I couldn't sleep because my body doesn't bend in all the ways it used to. I used to be able to squish into any space and knock myself out, but it was just hard to maneuver with this big belly and swollen limbs.

We had such a fun trip, and it was one of our last before little man arrives! We had a blast. Thanks for the pictures I stole from Margy!

No more excuses.

Scott's sim card for his phone is taking the ultimate long vacation... and as a result, we have lost all of our pictures that were on it. Bleh.

So now I'm trying to remember everything I was supposed to write about. That's what I get for letting it all build up and collect.

Little Man:

Well, we're almost 10 weeks away with the little man. He's supposedly weighing about 3 pounds and is about 17 inches. He seems to be right on track with each appointment I have. I'm still feeling really good, which I am so grateful for. I think this pregnancy has been such a blessing. I don't know if I'll be this lucky in the future, so I'm trying really hard to count my blessings now. The worst of it is a sore back at night, but I'm figuring out my system for that. I'm a little embarrassed that I get winded on the way up the stairs. Carrying the groceries up to our apartment, I usually take a little break half way through.

He moves like crazy... nonstop! And I can't get over how weird it is to not have control over your own body. I've always been very in tune with my body, and it's so strange to know that this teeny little human has more say in what's going on than I do. I better get used to that. I love the feeling though. It's fun to see the changes. I know he's getting bigger because I definitely am!

Little man has discovered my rib cage. I wish he hadn't. It's slightly uncomfortable.

I was talking to my cousin and she told me that her friends (about 14 years-old) were talking to her about this poor girl who works at Jolley's who's only 16 and is having a baby. Sarah just started laughing. "Brown hair? Blue eyes? Yep... that's my cousin. She's 24."

I'm asking for it with the braces.

Lindsey,

Remember when you used to blog all the time?

That was before Scott got a fancy phone and now all of our pictures are on his phone instead of on my camera... and I don't know how to retrieve them!!!

And I always feel guilty blogging about current things when I haven't blogged about adventures we had two weeks ago. I think it messes with my head to switch up the order. I'm a very "down the list" kind of girl.

Lists. When I lived in London, I was stressed because I didn't have a ton of time to write in my journal. But of all the times in my life, that was the time that was actually journal-worthy, so I just wrote daily lists of what I did that day instead of expanding on my feelings. (I cringe to think that I filled 37 journals between 7th grade and 12th grade, but managed to complete only 1 documenting all of my college years. And don't even get me started on the lack of journaling since marriage. I've been so lapse in this area that when I opened my mission call on the Colorado River, I felt so compelled to write something down that all I managed to do was jot down a few thoughts on the back of a paper plate. I have that paper plate in a box with my 37 journals. Disgraceful.)

Anyways... I'm not going to make the empty promises. I'm not going to pretend that I'll "catch up" tonight. Maybe I will... maybe I won't (Lindsey Brammer... I always think of you saying that when we were living at Chattham).

Side Note to the Void: How is it possible that my child has been the size of an "egg plant" (according to my little blog ticker) for about 3 weeks in a row now? I'm sure that's inaccurate, because I can promise you he's getting bigger!

Brain Bookmark

The weather in SL has been lovely. I have been taking Scott to work in the morning since he started at the new downtown office, and I find myself wanting to stay outside at 5:30 in the morning because it's bright, light, and warm outside. It makes me want to read on the grass, search for new flowers up Black Mountain, and eat snow cones and frozen yogurt. It really has been so gorgeous and enjoyable.

This is just to save what page I'm on in my brain while I pause from the blog to start to tackle my day.

Blogging:

1. Baby Boy updates/progress/schtuff (Can you believe we're almost 7 months along?)

2. Our trip to NYC and DC

3. New challenges coming up

4. Our serendipitous evening at the stadium... entitled, "Why meeting the Dutsons was the best thing that ever happened to us."

5. Johnny's arrival on FRIDAY!

On to the day. I'll hopefully be back tonight so I don't end up blogging three months behind anymore.

As I Started Thinking About Trips...

...I remembered that we went to Mexico in March! And I never posted pictures! So here's a breeze through that trip so I can post about our last one! We're going backwards here. These sunset pictures are from our sunset sail boat ride on our very last night. I loved it... well most of it. I got sea sick part way through and had to try to lay down. Scott and I had fun carrying on a very interesting conversation with our boat captain, though. I loved the chance to speak spanish regularly. I love when my thoughts come in Spanish before they come in English.

It'll be nice to get these braces off someday. I'm realizing now how they kind of take over my face in pictures.







The boys went fishing one morning (the morning after the tsunami!) while Jen and I slept in and avoided the rocky boat ride. It would have been a little rough on our pregnant bellies. Jen is one month ahead of us in her pregnancy. They are having a little girl.

This was one of the greatest fascinations of the whole trip. How'd you like to live on that boat for a while? How cool would it be to own that? There's a helicopter on board! Scott googled this yacht when we got home and was devising a way to become the owner's best friend.

We had to be creative and find ways to entertain ourselves on the tsunami day because we couldn't go in the water. We visited the new lots in Cabo. The homes were gorgeous and the view was amazing.

On the Tsunami day we also went to a glass-blowing factory. The workers made this cerveza-drinking turtle in about 2 minutes right in front of our eyes!

Snorkeling adventures. This was weird for me to get used to. There's just nothing natural about breathing underwater. It was really throwing me off.

Day One in Cabo... can you tell? We're so so white and my hair is straight! We never got that much sun anyway. We were really diligent sunscreeners after some recent family skin cancer scares. But it was nice to be in the sun, even if we didn't come home wearing the sun.

This one should be blown-up and framed in our baby's room.

There's the hyper-drive record of our trip! We had a blast and were so grateful for a fun, sunny getaway with friends.

Ouch.

Braces. There's a metal factory going on in my mouth.

Loved New York! Oh yeah... I went to New York for a week! Details later.

"Today you are birthed. Ode."

That was Doug's birthday greeting to me yesterday.

***Editor's Note*** I hadn't even noticed that last blog post from Scotty!!! I think we were writing our posts at the same time. How sweet is that!!?? He's my favorite. And I love being his sidekick!!

It was a wonderful day. I took my parents to the airport first thing and then joined Kirsten and family up in Farmington to play my violin in her ward. Andrew was waiting with some pictures he drew for me for my birthday, Ben was waiting with one of his violent-crash-into-you kind of hugs, and SJ was waiting with a smile and her best elephant impression. Kirsten and Nick were so nice to make me my favorite dinner with delicious salmon and homemade cheesecake with amazing fresh strawberries. I remember one year for my birthday I told my dad that all I wanted was a crate of strawberries... and he got them! And I ate them!!!

It was so nice to spend the day with the sobrinos and Kirst and Nick. I spent the evening with my grandparents after that and enjoyed waking up in my grandparents' house to witness grandpa's masterpiece breakfast. It was a birthday filled with family, rest, and fun... but it unfortunately didn't include Scott. A holiday just isn't a holiday without Scotty there to share it. Little man and I have missed him.

It's interesting to me that my birthday came and went. Thank you to friends and family who sent their hello along! I'm 24 and one day old. Kirsten was asking me if I felt older, and I laughed because for the first time in my life, I feel younger! I feel like this birthday I'm feeling more and more overwhelmed, inadequate, and unprepared to handle all the big changes coming up. Maybe this is the true mark of adulthood... the fact that I actually feel like a child. Maybe it's more childish to feel grown up. Maybe coming to grips with the reality of the situation that I'm in over my head is actually a sign that maturity is starting to sink in.

It's been a big weekend though! I kind of can't believe I've gotten through it and that I'm finding time to scribble on my blog a bit. Many updates and announcements to come... but the biggest one is that come a week and a half, we will be greeting Johnny at the airport after two long years apart!!!! I can't wait to see him! And I can't wait to see him see the boys. I think that will be so fun to watch the reunion between Johnny and Andrew. Andrew talks about him all the time and is petrified that Johnny won't remember him. It'll be so fun to have him back. He is definitely the most popular member of our family and very very missed.

Happy Birthday Lindsey!!! (Yesterday)

Lindsey, you are the most wonderful woman in the world. Knowing you is to know happiness, sunshine, smiles and laughter. Being around you is to feel love, kindness and warmth.

Since we have been away from each other over the past week (and during my newest favorite day of the year, the celebration of your birth), I have missed you so much. I miss your companionship, your warm hand, your smiles and sense of humor. The phone just doesn't cut it. You are the greatest sidekick, companion and friend I have ever known!

I celebrate your day of birth with thankfulness that I am a part of your life. Thank you for your endless love. I can't wait to be back together, to be in your hug!

I love you so much!!!

Scott

Help with Girls Camp!!!!

Alright... I've been waiting and waiting for a genius theme for girls camp to just hit me over the side of the head. I'm planning girls camp for the stake this year, and it's a bigger job than I realized!! I'm doing fine on the organizing/logistics part... I just can't seem to find the right theme. I have a couple ideas in mind, but nothing that's sticking out to me. Anyone have any ideas? What are your girls camp themes this year? Or what are some fun ones you've been part of in the past? We have a pretty small group, and we'll be up at Heber Valley. Let me know if you have a stroke of genius. I'll take all the suggestions I can get!

Catching Up!

Today is Thursday. I'm having a hard time understanding that tomorrow is Friday and that an entire weeks has zoomed right by.

Last weekend was a great one. Scott and I both (miraculously) had work off on Friday. So we decided we needed to go skiing. It was a gorgeous, incredible day at Snowbird, and Scott and I had SO MUCH FUN. It was a little hard for me to accept that it would be my last ski of the season (especially since I'm 22 weeks pregnant... whoops). It was also a little hard for me to accept that my husband could out-ski me (he's a snowboarder!). I have to say... skiing badly (aka slowly with exaggerated turns on groomers only) is a lot more difficult and tiring than just relaxing and doing what comes naturally. But I'm not complaining... I'm just happy I made it through the day without feeling sick or taking a fall. Little man loved it. I could feel him wiggling the entire time (This is his third or fourth time on the slopes).







The bad news: we both got ugly goggle tans. Scotty, especially, was fried.

Even with skiing, we were able to get errands done in the evening and feel like we already had a head start on our weekend. We spent the rest of Friday night relaxing in a hammock at Lindsey Park (no it's not named after me... sadly). It was so nice to relax and talk and laugh. It was some badly-needed Scott and Lindsey time.

Scott went climbing Saturday morning with our friend Elliot (I was extremely jealous, but also realistic that I wouldn't be fitting a harness around this belly of mine), and then he spent the rest of Saturday studying and getting a ton of homework done while I worked. It was a fun day of work... but super busy and my feet were killing me. My feet have been killing me a lot lately. We ended the night with a delicious dinner at the Dodo. I love the Dodo. I could eat there every day.

Sunday was EASTER! I love Easter. LOVE Easter. We had set the alarm on Saturday night to wake up at 4:45am so we could attend the sunrise service at Snowbird. But when the alarm went off we mostly just laughed at ourselves and went back to bed. We went to church (YW had a brunch at one of the leader's apartment) and had a wonderful day to worship and learn more about the Savior's Atonement. We drove around Salt Lake taking pictures for a book we're working on. It was fun to just ride around together and swap ideas. We really haven't had a lot of time to just hang out in a while. We spent the rest of the afternoon at my parent's house celebrating, cooking, eating, Easter egg-hunting, and chasing around the little people. It was fun to see my cousin Vanessa, and it was fun to just relax and hang out, play pool, and watch Peter Rabbit with the boys.

Monday came and went. Tuesday I did a TON of baby errands with my mom and sister. it was so great to get so much done, and I went from feeling completely overwhelmed to feeling excited and slightly more prepared. It was nice to have a day off, fun to spend it with my mom, and satisfying to get so much done. I even was able to get a new pair of glasses (my mom needed some and it was buy one get one free)! Scott was so supportive and excited about everything. I feel so lucky to have him. Even with tests this week, he has managed to let me know that he's here for me and will help me with anything I need. I'm so proud of his hard work at school. Wednesday as a study night. I worked until about 8. Scott took a study break to have some dinner with me, and then he studied while I (unexpectedly) passed out on the couch in Scott's baggy hoodie and somehow ended up in my bed. See how great my husband is? He even plugged my phone into the charger.

We both had a really good night sleep except for my middle-of-the-night panic. I was aggravated from a dream I was having about work, and I woke up completely panicked that I couldn't get my ring off my fingers because my fingers were swollen from the heat. I ran to the bathroom to run my fingers under cold water, got myself a drink, and tried to relax and get back to sleep. As I did, I felt the baby in a totally different way! It was so great! The little guy was running laps in my belly. I grabbed Scott's hand and put it on my stomach so he could feel it. We've felt a kick here and there before, but this was a consistent string of kicks, one after another... about 12 total. It was FANTASTIC to feel him so strongly. It was the weirdest thing, almost like when your muscles twitch involuntarily while you're drifting off to sleep. I'm still not showing a ton.. definitely not 22 weeks' worth. But little man popped about two days ago, and I have a significant bump... which is so much fun! I am loving my pregnancy! It helps that I've been blessed with energy and no sickness.

Today Scott and I had dermatology appointments. The whole family is getting check-ups in light of my dad's recent skin cancer scare (in which we were greatly blessed). Scott sailed right through with his mole-less skin, but I had a few things to make note of. They removed the mole beneath my nose (which I affectionately refer to as my "booger mole") to send for testing. I also had an injection into lip to shrink a lump I got my summer in Moab. And then I'm due back 6 months from now to check on a few things after I have the baby. All in all, everything looks good. The only item of concern was the booger mole, and now it's gone! Ha!

And that gets me somewhat caught up! I have so many pictures to post (most are on Scott's phone) of our trip to Mexico, more skiing, Easter, and just hanging around with Scotty... but I'll have to get those up on the blog another time when I'm feeling more tolerant of technology.

Tomorrow's Friday, and then we get to spend Saturday celebrating the wedding of our wonderful friends Eric and Rachel! It'll be so fun to see friends, attend the temple, and take a day to slow down a bit.

Scott just walked in from taking his test! Goodbye blog!!

Fe

The explanation for the sick day: Iron. On Monday my doctor put me on an iron supplement because my iron levels were a little lower that she'd like. So I took the first pill on Tuesday and spent Wednesday losing all the food I had eaten in a week. My pharmacist helped me figure out that the iron was the cause, and all the moms I work with sympathized, sharing their own bad walks around the block with iron. I've got a handle on it now. I'm taking half the pill, and I make sure to take it on a full stomach. No other problems so far. Back to my enjoyable and comfortable pregnancy that I am very grateful for.

Little man decided to make his debut to the world yesterday morning. I woke up, and there he was, popping out and making it clear that there was something going on inside this belly of mine. It's about time! I'm so excited to finally be showing. People are telling me all day about how lucky I am that I'm so tiny... but they don't realize that this is one time in my life when I DON'T WANT to be tiny. I'm over halfway through my pregnancy, and I want proof! Well, I got it yesterday. Yay!

I've been working on about ten projects at once lately, and I'm finally starting to check them off the list. We have de-junked our lives and finally cleaned out the baby's room (which, up until now, has been the "random pile" room). I've cleaned out all the storage closets, and cleared out as many drawers and shelves as I could to make room for the little man and all his "stuff." I have to say, it was an emotional experience to pack up some of my favorite books. I realize that its a bit ridiculous to have twelve Norton Anthologies occupy precious shelf space, but I felt a little guilty boxing them.

But it was worth it, and I'm finally feeling ready to get started on the baby's room. I'm not doing a ton. Everyone keeps asking what the theme for my nursery is. I tell them my theme is "Hand-me-downs." Right now all I can think about is where on earth I'm going to put all the stuff a baby comes with.

5 o' clock Shadow

This is one of the best things I've ever seen. I want to get a baby one for our little guy to wear through the winter!



(make sure to click on the link... the website is just too funny)

By the way... this is my first sick pregnancy day so far. I'm over half-way through... so I'm feeling pretty lucky despite being housebound today. It gave me some time to go through the boxes of baby items Kirsten donated to our charity case. I love my older sister, and I'm feeling much less overwhelmed.

I went to the doctor on Monday and found out that our child was hyperactive and never stopped moving during our ultrasound... hyperactive child sounds about right considering the fact that I'm the child's mother. We had yet another positive report, and I hope it stays that way. I felt the baby move inside me for the first time yesterday (I finally sat still long enough to pay attention to it). Now I can't stop feeling it. It's kind of fun. Our kid is nuts.

Scott and I have been tired and busy lately, but we have had a few adventures over the last week or so. We were lucky enough to be able to go to the Lakers/Jazz game with our friends Beth and Elliot, which was SO much fun! We were in the 8th row, and John Stockton was sitting right behind us. I don't think we'll ever get that lucky again, and we're so grateful to my dad for the tickets. I felt triumphant that Scott cheered for the Jazz, not the Lakers.

We've had lots of late night milk shake and smoothie runs because for some reason my body always wants one of the two. Scott witnessed Toy Story 3 for the first time a couple nights ago, and it's been so fun to just relax together in the evenings. This last Saturday we did a massive apartment purge. We got rid of TONS of stuff and reorganized our storage system so we'll have room for all the doo-dads that come with a baby. Babies sure come with a lot of "stuff." I'm so glad we're having a boy! Girls come with even more "stuff" than boys.

Scott is doing really well in his MBA program. Despite his nervousness before every exam, he sails through them with fantastic grades. I'm so proud of him. He is such a hard worker. I feel so blessed these days and love the feeling of being closer to my Heavenly Father. When I focus on all the reasons I have to be grateful, I find more and more things I am grateful for, and I find that I'm an overall more pleasant person. Funny how that works, huh? Why do I keep needing reminders? Don't you wish you could just learn a lesson once, know it, live it, and never have to re-learn it again? I feel like I'm always climbing the same mountain, forgetting which route to take.

wee hours

I don't think I'm okay with the fact that I've sneaked (yes, it is sneaked, not snuck) out of bed at 4:30 in the morning ravenous for some fruit loops. This has happened before, and I almost never remember the experience in the morning. Usually Scott finds me on the couch and retrieves me, carrying me back up to bed. But I'm going to head back up right now all by myself. And when he tries to remind me that I did this in the morning, I won't remember. But then I'll look at the blog, and I'll see the proof.

Today was a tiring but rewarding day. And we are truly living for the weekend this week. Maybe that's why I can't sleep on a Thursday night... because the prospect of Friday is literally my horizon.

Fortune Cookies (and the Ultrasound)

Since everyone seems to be having girls out there, it'll be fun to throw a boy into the mix! Details later... but I think that was the most important part to put out into the universe.

Tonight's fortune cookies:

Scott- A bold and dashing adventure is soon in your future.
Lindsey- Your household will soon be showered with unexpected blessings. Congratulations.

And then my mom gave me hers:
Eat your fruits and vegetables to strengthen your health.

Thank You Google!

What is with April Fools anyway? I could have gotten on Facebook and announced to the world that I was having twins or something... but I just never got the point. It'd just be more work for me the next day to have to clear up the lie I just told.

I did want to send something funny in Scott's lunch today, but I was way to asleep and spacey this morning to think about it. I don't even know what I packed him. There's nothing in the fridge right now, so I can't figure out what kind of random stuff I shoved in there. I might have put a whole jar of pickles or something.

But this is the best part... the only really good part... of April Fools Day. Google. I love seeing what they come up with every year. And it's so subtle... they don't shove it in your face; they let you drift off their homepage and find it on your own. This year's joke was hilarious! Google Motion. I kind of wish it were real! I love the descriptions, the health warnings, and the Motion Guide. I love the awkward man modeling the motions in the video. Thanks for being the redeeming quality of a pretty weird holiday.

As It Comes

"Life is more fulfilling and less stressful if we make peace with the past and daydream less about the future and live each day as it comes" (Lowell Bennion, How Can I Help).

The week goes by a lot slower when you're counting down days. I can't wait for Conference! I can't wait until the 4th! But why do I want the week to go by so fast? Last night Scott got home pretty late and wanted to go straight to bed. But I insisted on leaving the lights on so we could actually see each other in daylight for about five minute before we hit the hay. I guess the weekend suggests a certain degree of togetherness... I'm excited for that. And April 4th is the day we get to conceptualize putting our little family together... I can't wait for that!

Who Wants One?

I do!!!

Lap Giraffe!?

Maybe for my Easter basket... eh, Scott?

Remember when I as giving away Pygme Marmosets? I think the Lap Giraffes are a better value than the Marmosets.

It's About Time....

That we got the internet.

Scott celebrated by looking at pictures of cars for about a minute.
I'm chatting with my fabulous friend who's living in China. It's 11:30am the next day for her. She said the future looks good.

We've had the internet for a second... and we're already loving the consistency of full bars and high-speed!

And now Scotty wants a Blue Ray for Netflix and Hulu. I knew he'd get sucked into the technological world the day we bought him a Droid. I won't worry though until he starts asking for a Wii or some sort of gaming system. Then we'll have to have a talk.

Heading to Bed!

We still haven't unpacked from our trip. That's what the last couple weeks have been like. I feel like I haven't been home in about four days... and I really haven't... but 6am comes early tomorrow morning, and this week is shaping up to be a lot like the one before it! I guess we'll unpack later! Again...

BUT... though we've got miles to go before we sleep, we're going to sleep and do the miles later! Cause I'm getting a lot better at letting the list go when I need to.

And guess what! A week from tomorrow we can finally stop saying "it" when referring to the tiny human inside me. I'm excited for our baby to have a descriptive pronoun!!!

Marie Howe

The Moment


Oh, the coming-out-of-nowhere moment

when, nothing

happens

no what-have-I-to-do-today-list


maybe half a moment

the rush of traffic stops.

The whir of I should be, I should be, I should be

slows to silence,

the white cotton curtains hanging still.

Poem of the Day

I liked the first part of the first stanza of my daily poem by Marilyn Krysl.

Looking back now, I see
I was dispassionate too often,
dismissing the robin as common,
and now can't remember what
robin song sounds like. I hoarded
my days, as though to keep them
safe from depletion, and meantime
I kept busy being lonely.

It makes me think about how often information and understanding comes into my life and how quickly I can let it leave sometimes under the cover of being preoccupied with all the stuff. I, too, hoard my days for a number of reasons.

Avocado and Then Some More "Stuff"

Thanks for all the congrats and excitement!

Back from vacation... and busy! I love making lists. But I'm at a point where there is so much to do that the idea of making the list is daunting enough... let alone actually performing the listed tasks. When there's too much to do, I like to do one thing for me to keep me sane. 3 minutes of blogging will help.

I guess the avocado inside me will only make things busier, so I better get organized. By the way... the baby's an avocado? Well no wonder I'm not getting bigger and not feeling the baby! I can down an avocado any day.

I got promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.

By the way, make sure your kiddos where green today so they don't get pinched on the playground! I woke up at 5:15am to make Scotty his lunch and get him out the door. I reminded him to wear a green tie, call his mom on her birthday (Happy Birthday Lynne!), and I packed him a green lunch (spinach salad, green apple, snap peas, celery and peanut butter, green pack of gum, green guava drink, green grapes, and some strawberries and yogurt for variety). I feel like I was extremely festive for 5:15 in the morning. And what does my husband do? Kiss me on the way out the door, ask me if I'm wearing green, and then pinch me and run off. He left me staring at the door with my lower lip poking out.

He called on the way to work and I told him that it wasn't fair! I was performing selfless service in the safety of my own home, and I managed to lose at St. Patrick's Day before the day even began. I might as well wear fuchsia to work. I don't own any fuchsia.

Little Mexican Dress

I'll post about Mexico as soon as I have some pictures, but allow me to tell you about one of the highlights. We surfed, we snorkeled, we relaxed on the beach, we read, we slept, we took boat tours, we saw whales, we ate lots of tacos, we fished, we went to the flea markets, we spoke a ton of Spanish, we went to a glass-blowing factory, and we ate gelato (that one doesn't quite fit since we didn't go to Italy). But one of my favorite things was our one random impulse buy. I was walking through the little flea market stands and I saw this darling little Mexican baby dress. It was white with little red and blue flowers, and I thought it was so cute and little. Jen was buying one for their little girl (who is due July 30th), and I thought... if I get home and find out that our first child is a girl, I'm going to be really sad that I didn't get this little dress. It looks kind of similar to this (minus the design on the bottom):



Well... we'll find out if we're having a boy or a girl in... oh... about three weeks! so... I guess if it's not a girl this time around, then we'll have to pack it up in storage.

Yep! We're expecting our first little person this August (He/She is due August 31st)! We couldn't be more excited! And we couldn't be more grateful! I'm 16 weeks along, and we can't wait to find out what it'll be!

For those of you who didn't know already and feel sad that I'm telling you the same way and at the same time that I'm telling Joe Blog-stalker, don't feel bad. I'm not one to send a mass-text and tell the world. I figured people would just start finding out as we go, but a quick word on the blog might be a good way to tell friends I don't see or talk to regularly. You're still my friends, friends! Plus, we didn't even tell the parents (on either side) until we were already out of the woods with our first trimester. I spent the whole time feeling tired, but not a bit nauseous. I consider myself extremely lucky. I'm also lucky that my biggest cravings included string cheese and yogurt... and that my strongest aversion was to chocolate and ceasar salad.

It was fun telling the parents. For Scott's parents, we sent them a package with two Berernstein Bears books about a new baby and visiting the grandparents. We wrote a little note with the due date in the front inside cover. We had them open it while we were on the phone so we could be excited together. We told my parents at a dinner up at their house. My grandparents were there, and so was my sister with her family. We told my mom we had a V-Day present for her. The present was a beautiful glass butterfly figurine (For V-Day from my dad, she was given 3... one for each grandkid). So we gave her one more, to let everyone know that she was about to have 4 grandkids instead. It was so fun to tell our families! And we were already 1/3 of the way through when we did! It makes the whole process go by really fast.

So let me know what you think... boy or girl? I go in for the ultrasound on April 4th. (I've already had one ultrasound which revealed our baby with froggy little legs...which I love). I'm proud to be able to say that I've gained 6 pounds in 16 weeks (this is a huge triumph because I was only able to put on 1 measly pound between weeks 8 and 16). I'm still not showing and I'm wearing all my normal clothes... but I hope to start showing soon. Then maybe it'll feel a little bit more real! We heard the heartbeat at 8 weeks. It was 160 beats. Today it was at 156. I'm told that a high heartbeat like that usually signifies a girl... but I've been convinced all along that it's a boy. Who knows? We'll be thrilled either way. At night, when I'm having a tough time falling asleep, I rearrange the furniture in our house in my mind... I'm really excited to start to make room for this little one!

Does anyone know a better way to display our pregnancy countdown? I've never been a fan of the strange floating fetus you see on the left. It's extremely creepy.

Coming Home

We're back!!! And once we catch up on sleep from our all-day-and-all-night-travel-commute back home, we will officially enjoy feeling the relaxing repercussions of our vacation get-away!


Details (and pictures) later!

In the busy week before we left, I was able to make it up to Kirsten's for an afternoon to take some pictures of the kids. Mexico was a blast, but it's a little easier to come home when you know you'll get to see these little people. I don't know when... but I hope it's soon!

What's With the Irony Here?

Why is it that the best winter storms always seem to hit right as we have plans to head to warmer climes?

I wouldn't mind a long snowy hike right about now.

We're lucky though, to have enjoyed a fantastic day at Snowbird yesterday! One of the best ones yet... it was just one of those pleasant days! It was warm but not so sunny that the snow had melted down and iced into poppy chunks. We skied in bliss! And then we went to REI and bought some quick draws. And then we went to Smashburger and had the most delicious burgers with bacon and bleu cheese. And then we watched to new Robin Hood with some good friends while we both battled head aches. It'd been a long time since we had partied so hard.

Now I'm cleaning my house, catching up on laundry, cleaning out food that will mold in my fridge, saying goodbye to my beautiful roses that will die while we're gone, and packing my bags! And blogging... just real quick.

Things we learned we loved this weekend.

We love this.

And this.

And this.

And this... SJ in Andrew's Build-A-Bear Buzz Lightyear suit:






And clean laundry/a full underwear drawer/new, clean, white sheets.

We're pushing through the next 24 hours until Scotty's last final is behind us! We have a big week ahead of us, but it's so nice to know that school will not be a factor for two whole weeks! We're excited to go to the gym again. We're excited to get the next movie in our netflix queue. We're excited to go SKIING this Saturday. We're excited to sit down and have dinner together... at the same table... at the same time... We're excited to take a trip! And we're excited to no longer have days that seem to run into the next and the next and the next... as if one week is all one big, long, day.

Thank goodness for our blow-off-steam night of awesome, active, games, lots of laughing, excellent food, and spending time catching up with good friends at a traditional Zarbock date night. And thank goodness for nephews and nieces, who always make us laugh and forget whatever it is we were stressed about.

And thank goodness for our washer and dryer. The pair and I have been in a co-dependent relationship all weekend. We have full closets and dressers to show for it!

I spent this evening reorganizing my bills/insurance info/virtually everything in the kitchen... it feels good to know I'm starting my week actually semi-prepared for what Monday brings.

One day more! (to the tune of Les Mis.)

Gonna Make This Garden Grow...

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground.

Inch by inch, row by row
Someone bless these seeds I sow
Someone warm them from below
'Til the rain comes tumbling down

Pulling weeds and pickin' stones
Man is made from dreams and bones
Feel the need to grow my own
'Cause the time is close at hand




"Inch By Inch" has been my favorite song since I first heard it as a twelve-year-old. I first heard it at the ranch. It will most definitely be my bedtime song for a future baby. For me, it's not just a song about a garden. It's a song about creativity. It's about creating ourselves from scratch. It's about making choices in our lives and then seeing our choices create something bigger. It's about being authentic, working with our hands, and creating something we're proud of... even creating and pruning ourselves. I had no idea it was also a children's book. Do I have any excuses to ask Scott to buy me this book? When is the next holiday?

I know we just had a holiday. It was Valentine's Day, and we had a wonderful night! Scott and I both worked on V Day and came home to each other after long days. I was off a half-hour before Scotty was. I figured that half hour would allow me plenty of time to drive home, clean the house, plan a dinner, run to the store, prepare that dinner, and set the table all ready to go by the time Scott came home. Of course that was ridiculous, and I had only made it home and through half the dishes by the time Scotty called to say he was heading home. Scott, being his wonderful self, took half my load off my hands. He had me text him a list, and he grocery shopped AND brought home dinner. He even made me a lovely movie all about us and how much he loves me. I love when Scott makes me movies! I love that he expresses himself through making videos. I love having them as a record of our relationship. I'd put it on the blog so you could all see how great he is, but I'm keeping it special for me!

We're continuing our celebration by going KITE SKIING tomorrow! Uh huh... I hope I don't blow away!

So I'm a pretty lucky girl with a pretty awesome husband and a pretty fabulous life. I guess I don't need to be making wish lists with children's books on them.

This Makes Me So Happy!

56 Worst/Best Analogies of High School Students

Apparently the Washington Post held a contest in which high school teachers sent in the “worst” analogies they’d encountered in grading their students’ papers over the years:

1. Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center.

2. He was as tall as a 6′3″ tree.

3. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

4. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

5. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

6. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

7. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

8. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

9. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

10. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

11. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM.

12. The lamp just sat there, like an inanimate object.

13. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

14. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

15. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at asolar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

16. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

17. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

18. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

19. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

20. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

21. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

22. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was the East River.

23. Even in his last years, Grand pappy had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it hadrusted shut.

24. He felt like he was being hunted down like a dog, in a place that hunts dogs, I suppose.

25. She was as easy as the TV Guide crossword.

26. She walked into my office like a centipede with 98 missing legs.

27. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

28. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

30. It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall.

31. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

32. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

33. The politician was gone but unnoticed, like the period after the Dr. on a Dr Pepper can.

34. Her eyes were like limpid pools, only they had forgotten to put in any pH cleanser.

35. Her date was pleasant enough, but she knew that if her life was a movie this guy would be
buried in the credits as something like “Second Tall Man.”

36. The thunder was ominous-sounding, much like the sound of a thin sheet of metal being shaken backstage during the storm scene in a play.

37. The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red Crayola crayon.

38. She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again.

39. Her pants fit her like a glove, well, maybe more like a mitten, actually.

40. Fishing is like waiting for something that does not happen very often.

41. They were as good friends as the people on “Friends.”

42. Oooo, he smells bad, she thought, as bad as Calvin Klein’s Obsession would smell if it were called Enema and was made from spoiled Spamburgers instead of natural floral fragrances.

43. The knife was as sharp as the tone used by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) in her first several points of parliamentary procedure made to Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) in the House Judiciary Committee hearings on the impeachment of President William Jefferson Clinton.

44. He was as bald as one of the Three Stooges, either Curly or Larry, you know, the one who goes woo woo woo.

45. The sardines were packed as tight as the coach section of a 747.

46. Her eyes were shining like two marbles that someone dropped in mucus and then held up to catch the light.

47. The baseball player stepped out of the box and spit like a fountain statue of a Greek god that scratches itself a lot and spits brown, rusty tobacco water and refuses to sign autographs for all the little Greek kids unless they pay him lots of drachmas.

48. I felt a nameless dread. Well, there probably is a long German name for it, like Geschpooklichkeit or something, but I don’t speak German. Anyway, it’s a dread that nobody knows the name for, like those little square plastic gizmos that close your bread bags. I don’t know the name for those either.

49. She was as unhappy as when someone puts your cake out in the rain, and all the sweet green icing flows down and then you lose the recipe, and on top of that you can’t sing worth a damn.

50. Her artistic sense was exquisitely refined, like someone who can tell butter from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.

51. It came down the stairs looking very much like something no one had ever seen before.

52. Bob was as perplexed as a hacker who means to access T:flw.quid55328.com\aaakk/ch@ung but gets T:\flw.quidaaakk/ch@ung by mistake.

53. You know how in “Rocky” he prepares for the fight by punching sides of raw beef? Well, yesterday it was as cold as that meat locker he was in.

54. The dandelion swayed in the gentle breeze like an oscillating electric fan set on medium.

55. Her lips were red and full, like tubes of blood drawn by an inattentive phlebotomist.

56. The sunset displayed rich, spectacular hues like a .jpeg file at 10 percent cyan, 10 percent magenta, 60 percent yellow and 10 percent black.

We Learned A New Song

...and it's a fun one!

If I were a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I were a tree growing tall and green
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,
The rumble of your water would be my call.
If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow
As long as you were with me, let the cold wind blow

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.
If you were the love, I'd be the desire.
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

Joan Walsh Anglund

Scotty's right. I blog more about the tiny humans than anything else.

My grandma gave me three darling little books she's had forever. They're illustrated beautifully, edges worn wonderfully, and fit perfectly in the wicker-arched bookshelf that originally sat in my grandpa's basement.

So instead of blogging about the tiny humans, I'll share some Joan Walsh Anglund that I've recently loved.

"Reason is the sentinel of the mind...but the doorway to the heart is unguarded."

"Be as the stars, unchanging in the firmament, guiding others through the darkness by your steadfast light."

"The greatest pain is the estrangement from one's true self."

"The unveiling of one's soul is the reason for existence."

"Fill your heart with Beauty, and Beauty will come to you. Fill your thoughts with Love, and Love surrounds you. Seek always Truth and it shall be yours. For as you believe are all things made manifest unto you."

I'm not sure we've ever played light sabers.

Fact: There's nothing cooler than nephews and nieces. For example: I get a phone call today from my sister. It is VIP week at school and Andrew needs to make a poster about himself for his classroom. Kirsten decided she'd make one for Ben and Sarajane while they're at it. She was asking them questions about their favorite food, favorite story, favorite game... etc. She asked Andrew, "What is your favorite holiday?" Like a normal kid, he said, "Christmas!" She asked Benjamin, "What is your favorite holiday?" Ben answers, carefully calculated and wide-eyed, "My favorite holiday is when Lindsey comes over to play light sabers with me!"

Who else considers hanging out with me to be on equal par with a holiday? Only this guy.

These are pictures from the weekend we spent up at Kirsten and Nick's cabin with the kids. We went sledding, caught up on some sleep, ate delicious food, and built our first snowman of the season. It was a blast!



We went up to Kirsten and Nicks last night for a Thanksgiving dinner in January. It was delicious, and so fun to hang with the kids and watch them in action at FHE. Sarajane was singing along to the piano, and Ben went nuts during Duck Duck Goose, running all around the main floor. Andrew loved FHE, and it was so fun to watch him get so excited about it, "I just love these times!" Such funny little people. I especially loved how Ben would try to run through our legs every five or ten minutes.

She's Obsessed with Boy's Undies.

This is my darling little niece.

She's obsessed with boy's undies. We don't know why. She'll rummage through the laundry for multiple pairs, and then she'll guard them with a death grip if you try to take them away. One night I just let her fall asleep with the undies, and then I stole them away a half hour later.

What a weirdo!

I love the little weirdo!

Bennion

Learn to like what doesn't cost much. Learn to like reading, conversation, music. Learn to like plain food, plain service, plain cooking. Learn to like fields, trees, brooks, hiking, rowing, climbing hills. Learn to like people, even though some of them may be different... Different from you. Learn to like to work and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your job as well as it can be done. Learn to like the songs of birds, the companionship of dogs. Learn to like gardening, puttering around the house, and fixing things. Learn to like the sunrise and sunset, the beating of rain on the roof and windows, and the gentle fall of snow on a winter day. Learn to keep your wants simple and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others.

Uncovering the MS DOS

Today I spent the afternoon helping my mom clean out my old bedroom so they can remodel it this week. It was so fun to go through some old things. I have a lot more work to do, but I came across a treasure!

My dad had this super old lap top that Kirsten, Doug, and I used at different times when we wanted to do homework in our bedroom or when the main computer was being used. It is old... as in it only takes floppy discs! It had Kirsten's bio vocab dated 1999, Doug's English Papers dated 2000, and my stories from middle school!

I found at least nine stories that I forgot I ever wrote! I remember writing them now, but I thought they were lost or hidden somewhere! I found letters belonging to the long lost London Game, and I thought long and hard about compiling those letters to tell an intricate story. I could write a book! I really could... it's practically done! I was so excited to revisit these stories, to become reacquainted with all my wonderful characters, to be smack dab in the middle of the conflicts and twists that I wrote. It was one of the most joyful journeys I could take! I can't wait to go through some of the boxes and see what more I find!

It was funny as I read these things I thought, have a lost that ability? Have I lost that mindset where anything is possible? Have I become too much of my own critic to really let loose with pen as I used to? Have I matured too much to accept that things in my imaginary world could actually translate to the one I'm in now? I remember when I used to be those characters... literally. Kids would write notes to each other in middle school, and my friends and I were writing to each others' alter-ego: characters in my London Game.

What if I wrote more? I wonder what's coming out these days.

Chug chug chugging along...

I remember when I used to blog! It went something like this...

I never got around to taking pictures of our Christmasy home. But you know... I've got years of Christmasy homes to come... so I'm sure I'll get a chance at some point in my lifetime. This Christmas season, thinking of it now, was a bit of a blur. It came and went a lot quicker than I remember in past years. But it was such a great one. We got to celebrate in snow and sun! We spent Christmas this year in Santa Barbara. We had to get on the road earlier than planned because the freeways were closing early, so we had to scramble to get out the door... meaning that we forgot a lot of things (number 1 being the camera!) We got a few shots on Scott's cell phone, so I'll need him to help me download those when we have some downtime. Santa Barbara was a blast. We saw movies, spent time with friends and family, walked on the beach, napped on the beach, surfed, hiked, went to some of our favorite restaurants, beaded, and stocked up on Trader Joe's goods that are already almost devoured! We had a great time staying with the Hannays, and they were so generous the whole time we were there.

Here's a couple shots from our hike in the Tangerine Falls arena (I say "arena" because we didn't make it to the actual falls...)




We drove home from Santa Barbara on Dec. 31st, stopped for a quick dinner in St. George, and found ourselves celebrating 2011 at a gas station just outside Provo. We could see fireworks out the back window, we blasted "New Year's Day" by U2, and tried to do our own countdown, that ended up going something like this, "25...24...23...22...uh....1! Wahoo!" We talked about our goals and resolutions the whole way up, and we have started the month of January on an up that's staying up!

We got home in time to see Doug for a day and take a ski day at Snowbird. We skied on New Year's Day, which was amazingly not-crowded and just perfect! Apparently they were black-out days for our passes but when we found that out when we got there, we just had to buy day passes. There was no way we'd turn around and drive home. It was a perfect day with some fantastic snow.

The next day I went up to Kaysville to be a mommy for a week. It was so great to hang with my three favorite tiny people. My mom and I had another one of those great bonding experiences that we end up laughing about later. We have a lot of respect for Kirsten's day to day life... little kids have busy schedules! We had a blast with the kids, and I love them so much. But it was nice to return to home and work at the end of the week. I was excited to have life back to normal.

You know you're in luck when you miss your job when you're gone. I was so happy to be back! I love my job! It was great to see my friends and get right back into the swing of things... staying late and going early. Scott and I hit the gym three times our first week back. I'm loving Zumba and we're both loving Yoga. If our daughters want to be dancers, though, they're going to have to depend on their dad for some genes cause I don't have 'em!

We're back to the routine and loving it! We went up to Kirsten and Nick's cabin on Saturday and spent the day in the snow building snowmen and sledding down this narrow shoot. It was nice and relaxing, and fun to be with family (We hadn't seen Kirsten and Nick in weeks... since before Christmas). We had a nice and relaxing Sunday together, and then went up to Alta on Monday. It was so fun to see Scott on skis! He's a natural. I wish I could go back and forth between the two like he can!

Oh... guess who got a massage today! I went to redeem my Christmas present this morning, and I loved it! Scott may be in trouble... I may be hooked!

Congrats to Andy and Jen! We're so excited for the tiny person joining their ranks in July! We're so excited to be spending time together in Cabo before all the grown-up lives are being lived!

Boy Wisdom

Scott and I took a vacation! And I can't wait to tell you all about it.

But right now I'm still on a (sort of) vacation... up in Kaysville to watch the three sobrinos while Kirsten and Nick take a much needed vacation.

Some things that I'm learning about boys:

Anytime of the day is the perfect time for a battle. Especially 7am. Sometimes we like dragons, and sometimes we fight them. The preference changes by the minute.

Boys of ANY AGE can find hair ANYWHERE. The pool... the shower.... the tub. Each time I give Ben a bath, he manages to find the one single hair floating along at the surface. He's supremely grossed by the hair and squeals until I remove it.

"No, I'm NOT called sweetie! I'm a boy named Ben!"

Little sisters are not exempt from being attacked by the bad guys. Even if they are only 1-year old.

Well there's some wisdom for a Tuesday morning.
I'm off to gain more.