Happy Birthday Shannon

Happy Birthday to the love of my life.

(It's kind of a big deal)

Your no frills birthday present to Shannon: Share a comment about a fun time you remember with her (birthday related or otherwise).

Happenings, In Shorthand

Friday night we went on a date and I got to eat an Apple Pie caramel apple.

Talia turned 3 months on Saturday!
We got the kids' pictures taken and went out to lunch together.

Ian put together my new nightstands.
I got to go shopping and found great deals.

We lost an hour of sleep on Sunday.

I lost another member of my YW presidency.

We had gorgeous Sunday weather and took a family walk.

Everyone slept in on Monday morning.

We had dinner and FHE with friends.

Davin drew his first real picture.

PS-My friend from CA, Jenn, has a fabulous blog full of cool vintage finds, great music, and yummy treat recipes. She is also hosting a CSN stores giveaway! Go HERE to enter!

So Far This Week . . .

Ian was home for dinner on Monday and I made meatloaf for the first time. It turned out pretty good. Not awesome though because I used store bought breadcrumbs instead of fresh ones (I just wasn't up to getting out the blender, using it, then cleaning it), and I accidentally dumped in a bunch of Famous Dave's Steak and Burger seasoning instead of Johnny Salt. Whoops. It was still a good comfort meal for a snowy day.

Yesterday Weston and Davin both had school. I spent my free hour grocery shopping at Walmart. I found a white 42 inch ceiling fan on clearance for $20! We were wanting one for the boys' room, so I was excited to find a good deal. The boys didn't nap, so we spent the afternoon goofing around, play fighting, playing hide and seek, and playing hot/cold.
Ian went to IKEA on his lunch break and picked up the nightstands for me. I can't wait to get them put together and set up in our room! It's going to look so nice. We bought our dressers 3 years ago and said we would get the matching nightstands the next time we had some extra money. HA! We are just now getting around to them. I guess that's what happens when you have kids, own a home, and own cars. Something else always needs the money.

Tuesday night was mutual and I had invited Ian to do light graffiti with the Young Women. Luckily my friend, Alison, was kind enough to babysit all the kiddos (including Talia!). We had a good time and got some pretty cool shots. These were my favorites.
Talia is just the cutest girl on the planet today thanks to the talented Torgerson family! Her outfit was a gift from my Aunt Cindy and Paige. It's such a snuggly, adorable outfit. She is also wearing one of her new headbands that my cousin, Tasha, made for her. I just can't stop playing with her and taking pictures.
This morning I picked up a few things at Smith's and scored some major deals thanks to several freebies and a few coupons. Check it out!

0 for 3

This weekend was kind of a big fail. I had such high hopes too.

Exhibit A: We decided last minute to go to the last U of U gymnastics meet of the season. We had a coupon for free tickets. We invited another couple, found a babysitter (barely), and headed out. We brought Talia with us thinking she would sleep. Nope. She screamed. Pretty much the entire drive. Then we hit a ton of traffic and couldn't find parking. We ended up parking a couple blocks away and walking up to the Huntsman Center only to find out the meet was sold out. Sigh. We thought about bowling instead, but if you've ever tried bowling on a Friday night at 8pm you would know there is always a really long wait. We thought about going to IKEA to pick up my birthday present (new nightstands!), but it closed at 9 and we weren't sure we would make it there in time. So we ended up picking up ice cream on the way back home and playing Settlers. It was a good game, so I guess the evening wasn't a complete loss, but I was pretty bummed about they way it turned out. Definitely not the break from kids and time with friends that I had been imagining.

Exhibit B: Friday night was kind of a bust, but the weekend still had time to redeem itself. I had an appointment for a pedicure and a facial Saturday morning from a livingsocial deal. I was looking forward to a morning of relaxation and pampering. I got up early and showered and headed to the salon in Riverton (a 20 minute drive). Halfway through my pedicure the lady went to scrub the bottoms of my feet and (sorry this is so gross and embarrassing) saw my plantar wart. She left to get some gloves and when she came back she said it was against the law for her to finish the pedicure because of the wart. What?!? I have had plantar warts off and on for years and I have never had a problem getting a pedicure. Ever. It was so lame. She painted my toes anyway, which I guess was nice. On to the facial, right? No. Come to find out that the esthetician was not there for some reason, but they didn't bother to tell me, so that was that and I went home. So much for my morning of pampering.

Exhibit C: I still had IKEA on my radar and we didn't have plans for Saturday afternoon, so we decided to all go in the afternoon. We drove out there, dropped Weston off at the play area, and started wandering. By the time we got to the second level we were both getting tired and Davin was less and less happy sitting in the stroller. It was time to pick up the nightstands and get some food. We grabbed a cart and went to the right aisle, but sure enough there were no boxes on the shelf. They were sold out of the nightstands we wanted. We asked an employee if there were any more somewhere, but he said they were all out and were getting some re-stocked that night. Of course.

At that point it was almost comical how badly the weekend was turning out. I guess the universe is trying to tell me to stop planning things to look forward to that would make me feel like a normal adult and just stick to laundry, dishes, and poopy diapers. Apparently I need to learn my place. Seriously though, do you ever have those days (or weekends or weeks) where NOTHING goes the way you plan or hope? So annoying.

That was a little whiny. I apologize, but I truly was close to tears several times this weekend. There were a few good things about this weekend though too. We did get to hang out with our friends and I didn't have to put the kids to bed on Friday night. I actually had time to paint my nails and they didn't get smudged 10 minutes later. I got a fun package from my super talented cousin, Tasha, full of adorable headbands for me and Talia and Cars aprons for the boys. Thanks Tash! You seriously made my day!
Ian got us mini red velvet bundt cakes for dessert on Saturday. Yum. And although I didn't get my new nightstands, we did pick up some throw pillows for the couch in the den. I have been trying to figure out what to do with the decor in there. I thought it needed some color, but I couldn't come up with a color I liked. The pillows aren't really colorful, but the white background pops and the polka dots add a nice pattern to the otherwise neutral and solid room. I like them. Now to get something up on the walls. I'm thinking I'll start with a clock.
I certainly hope my streak of bad luck and failed plans does not extend into this next week. I'm not sure I can handle much more!

Sunday Thoughts

I sometimes complain about having to teach so often in Young Women, but I actually quite enjoy preparing lessons and handouts. Since I may or may not have procrastinated preparing tomorrow's lesson until tonight there will not be handouts, however I am learning so much while getting ready to teach my young women about our purpose in life. While reading through some of the supplemental talks that go along with this lesson I came across something that struck me. This is from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's message at the Relief Society General Meeting in 2008.

"We know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep our heads above water. In fact, in our world of change, challenges, and checklists, sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to avoid feeling overwhelmed by emotions of suffering and sorrow.

However, I would like to speak about two principles that may help you find a path to peace, hope, and joy—even during times of trial and distress. I want to speak about God’s happiness and how each one of us can taste of it in spite of the burdens that beset us."

It's interesting to me how completely different elements of this talk stuck out to me during this latest reading of his address than I remember from when I originally heard it. Obviously I can appreciate his understanding of how difficult it really can be to keep my head above water. He goes on to talk about finding happiness through creation and compassion.

"What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it."

It's nice to have a reminder from a divine source to be easy on myself. Things I do don't have to be perfect. Start small and let yourself grow. This is going to be my inspiration for this upcoming week.

From the talk "Happiness, Your Heritage" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Overheard In the Kitchen

I rarely eat lunch in the kitchen with the kids. I use their lunch time to catch up on blogs and stuff at the computer. They take advantage of my "absence" (I'm only about 5 feet away in the den) to play, make weird noises, and generally avoid actually consuming their food. It can be really frustrating sometimes, but other times I enjoy eavesdropping on their silliness. I can't express how much I love my cute boys. They are at such fun ages right now and they get along quite well. Their brother relationship is so special and I'm glad that they are buddies.

The other day after the boys finished eating lunch I was getting Weston a brownie. As I set it down in front of him he said "You're a cooking expert Mom." Gotta love compliments from your kids. I think I would get more of them if I just served treats for dinner. :) Also, it's good to know that I'm an expert at baking brownies from a box. I guess it doesn't take much to impress a five year old!

As You Can See . . .

I am working on re-vamping the blog. I am exploring how to make a custom header. I've never done one before. So far I like it, but I can't seem to get the header I designed (based on a template from shabbyblogs.com) to stretch across the whole header space. What gives? Any of you who have blog design know-how please give me some advice!!!

Today we had fabulous weather! Sunshine and a high of 51 degrees! You better believe we went outside and played on the swing set. I even declared it warm enough to bring Talia out. She really has never been outside while not in her car seat since she was born. She wasn't so sure about the sun in her eyes and was pretty ambivalent about the swing. I guess we'll see what she thinks when it's warmer outside and I pad the swing for her.
I took this picture this afternoon. Talia was being so smiley and cute, but as soon as I got out the camera she started doing all these weird faces. Still adorable though.
Today was also special because Davin started preschool!!! The Granite School District preschool program has a "Young Three's" class. Kids can start attending the month that they turn 3. Davin will be having his birthday on the 24th, but he got to start school today. He was so excited to be a big boy and go to school with his back pack just like his big brother. I was excited to have a whole hour with just Talia. We went to the post office and Sam's Club. Talia snoozed in her car seat the whole time and it was kind of nice to remember what it felt like to just have one child to worry about (one that doesn't talk/whine at that!). I picked both the boys up from school and the day was a success! Davin brought home a book and we have already read it twice. I can hardly believe he's so grown up!
This picture is from last week. We played blocks and made it our goal to use every single block we have. Check out all our cool creations!
Unfortunately the cold that has been floating around the family has finally caught up to me. Blah. I am so tired and achy. Although I am actually feeling slightly better today than yesterday, so hopefully it won't last long. I guess I better get off the computer and get some dinner going for my family. It's easy meals around here this week. Tonight's menu is spaghetti with mizithra, Weston's favorite!