Relay for Life

Hi everyone! I do plan to get back into the habit of blogging soon - I'm working on a new design for the blog and some posts - but for now I just wanted to post a quick message about Relay for Life. I'm participating in the event next Friday and Saturday with a team of friends. We've each committed to raising $100 that will go towards cancer research. I can't afford to donate the entire $100 on my own, so I'd like to ask for your help. If you're interested in donating you can follow the link at the bottom of this post and it will take you to my personal page for the Relay; you can donate online there. You don't need to give a lot, you can donate as little as $5 - but every bit helps! My MIL recently had a scare with cancer, luckily she is ok, but it really made me aware of the seriousness of this disease. So, I'm excited to be a part of this cause. I'm also planning to do a Stampin' Up! make and take at our team's campsite which will be on the Quad at USU. I'll be doing this in place of my usual SU Girls' Night Out and all proceeds will go towards my personal goal of $100. Hope to see you there!

The American Cancer Society

New Family Pics!

Yikes! It's been forever since I posted. No worries - I plan to get back into blogging soon. There's always a funny story to share :)

Remember awhile back when I won a contest for a free photography session? Well, the weather finally cooperated and we were able to have our family pictures done on Friday. I was so nervous, because, ugh - I'm still so chubby - but I don't want my kids to look back at their photos and wonder why there are never any pictures of their mom. So, I bought a cute outfit and tried my best to suck in the flab!

I have to say - buying new clothes was like a whole new experience for me. You moms will understand; once you have a child, you truly put their needs above your own. And what's crazy is that I don't even realize I'm doing it. For crying out loud, I've been wearing the same sweatshirt around since college! It's not even soft and fuzzy on the inside anymore. Why do I keep wearing it? Knowing this, you'd think that I would have the presence of mind to go pick out a new shirt (or two), but somehow when I head to the store all I can think of is what the boys need. This one needs new socks, the other one needs new shoes and give me a break - every time the seasons change they need new jammies, shirts and pants!! Can you imagine what I'd look like if we had a little girl? I'd be dressed in rags, because trust me, I'd spend every penny on dressing her up!

Despite my self-consciousness about my post-baby/I'm addicted to chocolate and Double-stuffed Oreos body, we had a great time taking family photos. Simon was a handful - either he's constantly moving or crying because Daddy put him down, but Melissa was fantastic! She was so patient and she takes such great candid shots. I love the locations she picks out as well - very colorful and fun! I've been trying to find a photographer like her forever - I love what she does! She's posted a few of our pictures on her blog - you should take a look. And while you're there, take a look at all the other stuff she's done; you'll love it, I promise!

Simply Be

The truth comes out...

Listen to this conversation that just occurred between me and Andrew:

Andrew: Mom, do you want a purple Nerf sword for Easter?

Me: No, I don't really like swords. I like girlie stuff.

Andrew: Girlie stuff? Why?

Me: Because I'm a girl.

Andrew: No, you're not a girl. You're just a Mom.

Me: Just a Mom?

Andrew: Yeah, and a weirdo.

Folks, now you know what my son really thinks of me!

What Happens During the Break

Holy Cow! It's been almost a month since I last posted - time flies. In my defense, I've been busy planning our Relief Society birthday party and now that it's finished I'll have a little more time to blog.

I thought I'd hurry and post this cute picture of Simon - he's learning to feed himself. Chris still likes to feed Simon due to the mess that we inevitably have to clean up, but I keep telling him that Simon has to learn how to do it on his own sometime.

Here's what it looks like when I'm able to convince Chris to let Simon feed himself:

He looks awfully proud of himself, doesn't he?

I Won!!

Remember the post I put up last week about the free Photo Giveaway? Well, I won!! I can't believe it. I'd almost forgotten about it until yesterday when it occurred to me that the winners were going to be announced on the 1st. I hurried to check her blog and my name was on the list. This is so cool - we've been needing pics of the kids (and family pics) for the longest time.

You've got to check out Melissa's blog and website - she does such great work. I think her prices are fantastic too. We generally go to Kiddie Kandids and spend more than $100 and we only get a few poses - which is incredibly frustrating.

Anyway, we're waiting a few weeks for the weather to warm up and then we'll have our photo shoot! Can't wait to show you how they turn out.

Chris' Birthday

It was Chris' birthday this month! He's a pretty mellow guy, so all he wanted was to stay home with us. I LOVE parties, and I tried really hard to convince him that we should do something, but he just doesn't want to make it a big deal.

So, I decorated a little bit and had pizza delivered for lunch. Chris opened his presents and because he took a half-day at work, we watched a little bit of TV and then we all took a nap! Although I'm a big fan of parties, it was pretty relaxing to just stay home and kick back.




Chris wanted Roasted Pepper Ravioli for dinner with brownies instead of cake, but we were all so full from lunch that I didn't make dinner. I swear I've promised every night since, but it's a little time consuming and it just seems like we're in such a hurry lately. I mean it though Chris, I am going to make your birthday dinner!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Draper Temple Open House

On Monday, we were able to go down to Draper and tour the new temple before it was dedicated. I've never been to an open house before, and when I found out that you could just go online and reserve a spot, I immediately convinced Chris that we should go.

We invited my mom, dad and sister to go with us and they were able to help us keep the kids under control for the day. Let me just say that we were all exhausted by the end of the day. Andrew is pretty well behaved and very laid back most of the time, but Simon - it's like he's 3 kids in 1 sometimes!

It was such a good experience to take the kids with us. I'm not sure how much Simon really took in - I have no doubt that he'll never remember it, but at least we were able to take him. Andrew still doesn't understand much, but it was important for us to show him the inside of the temple so that he'd have a reference for when we teach him about it. Obviously, most kids don't have that chance, so we feel really blessed to have been able to do it. Andrew seemed to like it - he was very quiet and observant when we were there. I keep asking him what his favorite part of the temple was, and he just answers, "All of it!"

Having refreshments after the Open House - the kids were definitely not interested in taking pictures!

For the life of me - I couldn't get Andrew to smile, let alone look at me for a picture!

A cookie in each hand!


Those of you who know Simon well know that he's only happy if he has food in his mouth and in each hand!

Simon LOVED the bus ride to and from the Temple. He threw a fit when we got back to the car and I put him back in his carseat.


By the way, you would not believe the houses in the neighborhood that surrond the temple! Now, I should let you know that I'm not bitter just because I'll never afford a house like this - but I just can't imagine anyone needing such a gigantic, overpriced house! I think this is where "need" definitely oversteps into the boundaries of "want". Sure, it's fun to dream, but I have to wonder, what would you actually do with a house that size once you had it?





I really wanted to take a picture of our family in front of the temple, but I was only able to grab a couple of quick shots. Maybe if I hadn't been so involved taking pictures of the neighborhood...

After we finished at the Open House, we drove over to IKEA and had lunch. I've been dying to go ever since it opened and I had a few things to get there anyway, so it was a bonus that they have a cafeteria - which is yummy by the way! We didn't have to haul the kids in and out of the car a bunch of time and that saved a few tantrums I'm sure.

We spent forever in IKEA - and it was complete sensory overload! We're planning to finish the extra bedroom in our basement as a Stamp Room/Office for me - so I needed ideas for organization. I found some great stuff for my office and these fantastic lights for Andrew's room. I can't wait to get going on it - I love to decorate and organize my house. Not that it's organized now - but in my dream world, I'm the most organized and clutter-free person alive!

FREE Photo Giveaway!

I was catching up on some Blog-reading this morning and I found this Photo Giveaway listed on my friend Heather's blog. Her friend Melissa took some adorable photos of her little boy, so I decided to check it out.

Wow! She does such great photography of little ones. I checked out her website too - very adorable! Who doesn't love looking at cute babies? I spent awhile on her blog and her website.

If you'd like to enter the contest, click here to check out Melissa's blog!

Trouble's Brewing...

As I was looking through photos for another post, I found this picture of Simon and immediately burst out laughing. Why? Because I've seen this look on his face before and it means that he's either up to no good, or planning to be up to no good very soon.

I thought I'd put together a collection of photos that prove my point. Most of them involve Simon getting into the pantry. We feed him regularly, but either it's not enough or he has the fastest metabolism of any kid on the planet. We're positive that he will be eating us out of house and home by the time he makes it to Jr. High. All I can say is, thank goodness for Sam's Club!

Judging by the mess on the floor, Simon couldn't find what he was looking for. Maybe he was craving sweet rather than salty?

Special K bars happen to be one of Simon's favorite treats. He will chew through the package just to get a taste.


Chips are another favorite of Simon's. I frequently find a mess like this, although once I did find BBQ chips strewn all over the floor at the bottom of the stairs. The bag was in the kitchen, so I'm not entirely sure how he did that. My best guess is that he took the bag into the hallway, dumped out the chips and then returned the bag to the kitchen. At least he puts things back when he's done with them right?

Why is he crawling inside this garbage can? I still have no idea. I had taken the trash out and come back to find him like this. At first I thought he must have been going after an old piece of food, but there wasn't anything in that garbage can - I promise!