Marriage is for Losers

I recently read this article (tipped off by one of my cousins- thanks Meagan!), and absolutely loved it!

I highly recommend you check it out- excellent advice and perspective on the positives of being a 'loser' in your marriage.  It changed the way I want to handle conflict and is a great way to strengthen your relationship!

Happy reading!

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

Sometimes I pretend I'm a professional party-planner.  Like I'm five years old all over again.

I love themes, shopping at packaging stores like Xpedx (I could seriously live there!), and, of course, an excuse to come up with all sorts of delicious new recipes.  

Lucky for me, my talented sister shares my obsession and this last weekend we collaborated to throw a "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" baby shower for our gorgeous and equally-talented friend Chloe.

So. Much. Fun.

Check out the entire baby bump series Melese has done for Chloe here

Our menu included:

Turkey Bacon Avocado Sammies on Baguettes

Apricot Yogurt Parfaits

Zesty Ranch Kettlechips

Chewy Oatmeal  Pies w/ Grapefruit Cream Cheese Filling

and Caramel Apple Cake w/ Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Making a break for the broccoli and cheese

Yesterday was Sam's first day of nursery.  It was awesome.

Today Reese registered for Kindergarten.  It was. . .  illuminating..

We almost made it home without incident.  Almost.  I'd let Sam out of his stroller to play with the toys and books they had out for little siblings while Reese completed her assessment, so when she finished and came back I turned around to put Sam back in the stroller.  An instant later, my peripheral vision spotted her pink coat mingling with a line of first graders headed down the hall.

I looked up and sure enough, she'd wiggled her way right into their line and was following the teacher in an orderly fashion toward the lunchroom.

AHH!!  I thought.  I still hadn't finished buckling Sam in, the hall was filled with tiny students, and my soon-to-be-kindergardener was marching farther away by the second.  I snapped Sam in and took off down the hall- leaving my surely bewildered baby behind- dodging parents, kids and teachers.  I finally caught up and squeezed through a doorway filled with Reese's new-found classmates.  I noticed the teacher turned around several times to make sure his class was following, and I wondered how he could have missed the little girl that was a full head shorter than the rest of the line and decked out in complete snow attire.  Hmm. . . one of life's little mysteries, I guess.

I buzzed my way up to the front and snatched Reese by the hood just before she helped herself to a tray and silverware.  'Mom,' she complained, 'It's lunchtime- and I'm in school now!!'

Part of me waited for the Kindergarten Cop cry of Stranger! as I pulled her away and we hightailed it back to our patient little brother; fortunately, that film was before their time.  We gathered the rest of our belongings, ignored the looks from other mothers wondering where I'd been and why I left my child unattended, and headed for the door.

Needless to say, I'm not too worried about Reese feeling out of place or nervous her first day; I'm more concerned she'll hop a school bus bound for the outer reaches of Cache Valley, meet a nice family with a swingset and a pet cow and disappear forever.  All because she's in school now, and that's just what you do.

It's a Snowday!

Logan has been a blizzard the last few days (seems a little mean since we were all just settling into some nice spring weather only a week ago, but that's Mother Nature for you- always a trick up her sleeve!), and Reese has been begging to get out and play, so yesterday

 she and Ryan had a Daddy-Daughter Snowdate.

They came in to get me about an hour or so into it to show off their hard work- this is what I found. . . 

Meet the Frosty Badgers!

There's Daddy,

 

Mommy,

and the Kids

Today at church we received several compliments- especially on the pepper noses!  I guess those accurate heights gave away the artists. :)

 Here's to Daddy Daughter Dates and getting through the interminably-long Logan winters!

Everyone point at the thirty-year-old!

Happy Thirtieth Birthday to ME!

This was seriously the BEST birthday I can remember-
thanks SO much to everyone who remembered me with cards, calls, texts, facebook, and food!

It was a celebration that stretched over three days and ended with a giant checkmark
on my Bucket List!

We headed down to Provo the morning of to hang out with my sister and bro-in-law before eating Papa Johns, opening presents . . .

I loved this card-

"I'm so freaking glad you were born. . . " oh-so-Melese!

. . . and getting spruced up for Hale Center Theater's production of . . .

A total mockery of the 1980 film starring Olivia Newton-John, we laughed so hard tears were rolling down our cheeks.  The cast was hilarious, and being products of the 80's ourselves, it felt only appropriate that we attend.

But, uh, we haven't been able to get Evil Woman out of our heads ever since.  :)

The next night we had a fab family bash at my brother and sis-in-law's,

we ate SO much food (complete with a delicious tres leches cake- thank you Uchi!), watched aliens in the attic, and played what is fast becoming the family favorite
The Game of Things
(Thanks Badgers for tipping us off to that little gem of a game!)

There was more laughing and even more tears shed.
Then, because Shay and Uchi are amazing, we left our little munchkins to spend the night (and, er, paint their poor one-eyed cat with pink marker polka-dots- so sorry about that guys!)
and headed home for a good night's rest to prepare for the

UVU & Habitat for Humanity's
No-Snow 5 K

We stretched. . .

. . . we deliberated. . .

"Do you think we should take the stairs?  I'm pretty sure there's only about 18 FLIGHTS or so!"

Seriously.



Joining the 'stair group'.  See those fancy-looking runner girls in the front? 

Yeah, we finished before them in the end.  :)

. . . We RAN!

I had originally thought either Ry or I would strike out ahead of the other, but we decided to be buddies through the race, and run and talk side-by-side.  It was one of the funnest things we've done together!

But, when it came down to the final stretch, we both remembered the terms of the bet we'd made, and what would happen to the loser. . . 

 

So I,

 in a never-before-seen event,

outsprinted my husband with legs twice my length!!!

I should mention (before Ryan hacks in to point it out) that I beat him by only a second or two, however, I will ALSO point out that

I STILL BEAT HIM!!!

Huzzah, huzzah.

(Don't you just love the facial expressions going on here?  This may be my favorite pic of all!)

Our time was 32:42

(the stairs kinda threw me off my normal time- oh well!)

And we finished

9th &10th out of about 50 or so runners-

Hooray!

We're so tough!

Sweaty & red-faced, but we had a blast!



Fie-uh, Pow-uh!!!



Thanks so much for doing this with me, Babe! 

It was my favoritest gift EVER!

PS- Don't you worry, folks,

I will DEFINITELY be posting the terms of our bet very soon. 

I, for one, cannot WAIT!

The Bishop's Mom

One of my good friends happens to be our bishop's wife.  We hang out quite a bit and Reese absolutely loves her.  My friend told me yesterday that a few weeks ago her husband had visited her sunbeam class and two of the little boys were arguing over why he should sit next to one instead of the other. 

Not to be outdone, Reese piped up with,
"Hey!  His mom and my mom are friends.  So he should sit by me!"

Flashback Friday

Hey there.  

One of favorite gifts this last Christmas was the burned cd of a giant shoebox full of old family pictures my sister-in-law scanned for each of us.  I've had a blast looking and laughing through them and had to post a few.

That shot up there just seemed the perfect opener for this 'Flashback Friday'.  

I look like I'm ready to host an episode of Masterpiece Theater- the ruffle and patent leather version, mind you!

To start off, here are a few of my favorite family photos- don't you just love the style and hair going on here?  

And how bout that adorable chubby baby? (Wink!)

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but this is a perfect visual of EVERY CAMPING TRIP OF MY CHILDHOOD.    I don't know how we would have coped without a steady torrent of rain and soggy beds!

Um, yeah, that's me in  the front.
With a giant, angst-riddled dog on my shirt.
Looking like a boy with my floppy short hair.

And this one just makes me laugh!  My mom and her sister Tana sang Sisters  from White Christmas once for a Relief Society party .
They were the ultimate in tacky and oh-so-much fun!