Preston's 5th Birthday

Today we went to Josh's parents to celebrate Preston's upcoming 5th Birthday.

I was so excited to give him this tooth fairy pillow I had made, along with five $1 bills.

I also bought him a couple new shirts. I almost bought the blue shirt in orange (I love buying the clothes in orange), but this blue shirt was so pretty, I bought it instead. I'm so glad I did, its such a pretty color. 

I also bought Tyler a few shirts so he could have a present to open too. Josh says I spoil my nephews, he's probably right. ;)

 When we got there, I was so excited to see both boys wearing their "I'd rather be with my aunt" shirts that I bought them for Christmas. It made my day!

 

Preston smiling for the camera before blowing out his candle. I always get a kick out of his smiles, he tries so hard that they turn out so funny.

Helping Tyler open his present.

 He immediately started trying to put a shirt on, so I helped him. Then he was ready to play again and wouldn't even pause for a picture. 

Preston opening his presents.

Tyler LOVES his grandpa. Josh was trying to play with Tyler, but Tyler just wanted his grandpa. About the time I took this picture, Tyler told Josh "go to nanna." Another funny that afternoon was while Preston and
I were walking back to grandma's house. He stopped to look at a cat and I told him to keep going. When he still wouldn't go, I told him I was cold because I didn't have my coat on. He looked at me and said "It's ok." Then he headed towards the house again.

When you asked Tyler to show you his teeth, this is the face he makes.

Just before we left Preston decided to put on one of his new shirts and pose for a picture. 

Also before we left, Barb gave us our birthday presents. Josh got a gift card to C-A-L Ranch and she gave me this pretty picture. 

Tooth Fairy Pillow

Jessica saw this cute tooth fairy pillow on Pinterst a while back. Since she has a few nieces and nephews old enough to loose teeth, she decided to make them as Christmas presents. When I saw how cute they were, and with Preston's birthday coming up, I decided to make one myself. 

I went over to Jessica's one night and she taught me the blanket stitch. I've always thought it is the cutest stitch but thought it looked impossible to do. I was delighted when she showed me just how easy it is to do. 

I also included a picture of a tooth and five $1 bills to help he see how it would work once he starts loosing teeth. 

2012 Resolutions

It was fun and fulfilling to set my own goals/resolutions in 2011, so I think I'll do it again this year. And just like last year, I've taken my sweet time trying to figure out what they will be.

1. Continue on my weight loss journey. It was a HUGE deal to loose 60 pounds last year, but I still hope to loose a bit more. I still haven't ever set a final goal, I am just going to trust my body to tell me when it is done. So for now, I'll just say, I'd like to loose another 10-30 pounds.

2. Exercise. Yes, I think this does need to be a separate goal. Exercise is what has helped me loose so much weight. I'm sure I could have lost weight just changing my eating habits, but not near as fast. I've also come to terms that I will probably have to exercise the rest of my life just to maintain once I hit my goal weight. I'm hoping at that point, I'll be able to cut back and not have to exercise as much. But still, I know that if I don't want to put the weight back on, exercise is key.

3. Get a handle on our finances. I know I'm overstressed because of all the upcoming things in the next few months, but I think if I had planned ahead better, the stress wouldn't be so bad. In 2010, I was paid ahead on all our bills so I didn't have to worry about them through the winter months when life gets crazy. I didn't do that last year and now I'm wishing I had. It has been so stressful, I even put off my own birthday presents! (But they will be here soon enough.) Then, I just want to spend less and save more. The cruise is just over 3 months away and I still need to pay a little bit more to get it paid off (which I think I'll be able to do in about 2 weeks). Then I just need to turn right around and start saving for excursions and souvenirs.

4. I want to cook more at home. Its so much healthier and cheaper. Well, actually we don't eat out a lot. Our problem is more that come dinner time we have no dinner menu and therefore no groceries. So then we rummage around in the freezer for elk streaks or frozen pizza. Steak is not my favorite thing and even I can get sick of pizza after a while. So I'm going to work harder at planning out weekly menus. Thanks to Pinterest, this is so much easier then it used to be. And when Josh is back to working out of town, I want to be better about cooking for myself and not eat cereal in place of dinner each night.
5. Don't be so wasteful. I am so bad at buying stuff for meals and either over buying what I need, or forgetting what I bought and then it goes to waste. One night we decided to make Pizza Monkey Bread. I was worried I wouldn't have enough pepperoni, but I found 4 packages! (Two of them were opened and half gone, so it was more like 2 new packages and 2 partial used packages.) Another day, I called Josh at home to check for cream cheese in the fridge. I thought I had some, but wasn't sure how old it was. He found two, BOTH were expired, one of which expired in February 2011. I need to find a better way to organize my small kitchen so this doesn't keep happening. I don't want to throw anymore food away. Already we've been working on this. I can't believe how much cheese was in my fridge! We've been working hard to use up what is the fridge before doing any grocery shopping. Next I need to move on to my cupboards and what horrors of waste lay there.

6. I follow a blog that has participated in this 40 day challenge. The first year she got rid of 40 bags of junk in 40 days. The 2nd year she completed 40 craft project in 40 days. So I'm not really sure what the whole idea is, or if this is something she made up on her own, or found on a different blog. But the point is that my house needs dejunked. So I want to try and get rid of 40 bags or boxes of stuff, but I'm giving myself all year to do it. I'm hoping to get in a yard sale this year and that will help me get rid of a lot of stuff. If not, there is always the DI. Or the garbage can.

Chinese New Years 2012

The day after our New Year's party I got a text from Jessica saying that they had so much fun the night before, they wanted to celebrate Chinese New Year too. So last night we went to Andrew & Jessica's for a (mostly) Chinese dinner.

Jessica and I had found these cute hats in the city and decided to buy them for everyone.

Andrew, being the character that he is, wore his through all of dinner.

Kim & Brandon making a Chinese pose for their picture. 

The dinner table just as we're sitting down to eat. It was all so delicious!

Ham Fried Rice

Bulgogi, which is actually Korean, but Andrew thought it sounded good, so we had it too. I get nervous about trying new stuff, but when I saw it cooking, I recognized it as something my mom used to cook. 

I was in charge of dessert and decided to do something more Americanized, Raspberry Lemonade bars. 

Of course, the wontons were the best part of the meal. We had sausage wontons and cream cheese wontons. I ate just as many at dinner as I did before dinner while they were cooking. I was stuffed by the end of the night!

I love dinner parties at Jessica's because she always has the cutest decorations.

The girls each got a hat, chopsticks and a fan. 

The boys each got a hat, chopsticks and a Chinese finger trap.

Josh was determined to eat with his chopsticks. He did eat quite a bit with the chopsticks, but about halfway through dinner I noticed he had switched to a fork.

 I am more of a fork eater, but did try out the chopsticks for a few bites.

I feel so blessed to have these friends be a part of our lives.

Meeting Heather Justesen

Since Jessica introduced Heather Justesen's books to me in book club last year, I have been hooked. So when Jessica told me Heather Justesen would be doing a book signing for her new book, I had to be there.

We had been planning our city trip for a few weeks. Winter has been pretty calm this year, but on the day of our trip it was like nature realized the dial was set to early spring when it should have really been sit to winter. Ugh, we have had such gorgeous weather up until the day we headed to the city. At one point, we thought about turning around the roads were so nasty, but we travelled on knowing that we would most likely end up having to stay the night and come home the next morning.

After some shopping in Salt Lake we headed to Provo to the book signing. This is the 3rd year (in a row) that I have been able to meet an author. Now it feels like a tradition I'll have to keep up each year.

"Family by Design" is her newest book and so far I am in love with it. Jessica had the ebook version of "Blank Slate" and she lent me her copy to read. I was so excited to see that Heather Justesen has come out with a hard copy.

In the end, we did have to stay the night in Provo. Jessica had talked to her sister earlier in the day and she was going out of town, but promised to leave us a key just in case. We were so grateful for that. We had heard that Parley's was closed so we knew we didn't want to try going home, but the next day we learned that Provo Canyon had been closed too, so even if we had tried to go home, we would have been stopped and told to go back to Provo.

Natalie's Bridal Shower

I can't believe Dallon is getting married in THREE weeks. I'm so excited for Natalie to join our family and to get a new sister.

Her bridal shower was in Loa this weekend. I really wanted to go, but in the end I didn't because Josh had been out of state for TWO weeks and I wanted to be home when he got home. I knew if I was in Loa when he got home, I would be a bear to those around me. It was a hard decision to make, but in the end I was glad I was home the second Josh walked in the door.

I still wanted to send a present down with Barb. I asked a ton of people for ideas, and every one said the same thing: cleaning supplies. So I decided to buy a nice laundry basket and fill it with some of my favorite things. The basket included: Paper towels, toilet paper, a dust pan & small broom, Windex, Pinesol, dish soap, Zout, Clorox wipes, Scrubbing Bubbles, Comet, garbage bags, laundry detergent and an extension cord.

I decided it was too big to wrap, but I still wanted to put a bow on it. I work with a lady who ties really cute bows, but I forgot to take some ribbon to work with me. So before taking the basket to Barb, to take to Loa, I whipped together this bow with purple tulle. I've already forgot how I did it, but I love it.

Belated Birthday Dinner

Last night, Josh cooked dinner to celebrate my birthday. I asked for one of my new favorite meals, Chicken Parmesan Wraps.

We also had sparkling Apple Cider and Cranberry Cake for dessert. But I was too excited for dessert to remember to take a picture.

This morning when I was packing my lunch, I decided to take a couple of these. Then I told Josh to make sure I get to eat the last one. I get disappointed when I think about my favorite leftovers in the fridge, for dinner, only to find he already ate them. Now to just wait until I get my birthday presents. :) (Its me calling for the wait before ordering. Josh told me to go ahead and order now, but I want to take care of some other financial stuff first. But then look out, I am going to be spoiled!)

Playing Fetch

Sage doesn't fetch. Josh has worked with her a little bit, but not a lot. So imagine my surprise when Gaby started playing fetch.

Last week, she found a gray string, like a shoelace or from a hoodie, I'm really not sure where this string even came from. So I've let her keep it as "her" string. Yesterday, while riding my exercise bike, she was at my side being a pest. She claws at my butt and my feet, she really is good at being a pest. Finally I picked up the string and threw it across the room to distract her. It worked! Until she picked it up and drug it back to me. Then she started to cry, chew and claw at me again. So I tossed the string again. And again, she went to get it and brought it back to me. We did this for 10 minutes! Then I was done with my exercising, so I went about my day and got ready for work.

It seems to be her new favorite thing. This morning when I got on my bike, she was immediately there at my side crying. There was no string so I tried to ignore her. But she is a persistent little thing. Finally, I had to pause my bike and go find the string.

I threw it in the kitchen.

 She brought it back.

I threw it across the front room.

 She brought it back.



We did this for several minutes, she doesn't seem to tire of it. I throw it on the couch, she brings it back. I throw it across the room, she brings it back. I throw it on the recliner, she doesn't see it, so she cries and is a pest, until I pick her up and put her next to it. Then she brings it back.

My favorite place to throw it is in the kitchen because she slides across the tile while trying to come to a stop to pick up the string. Its also the hardest throw, because I have to throw behind me and then turn at an awkward angle to watch her go get it. 

I do this until I realize I've missed something big on the Netflix I'm watching, or I get tired of throwing it. Then  I try to ignore her. She doesn't like being ignored, and I don't like her claws digging into me. She gives me about 5 seconds after dropping the string by my side before she starts crying. Then I have about another 5 seconds before she starts clawing at me.

The first 5 seconds of peace.

Then she starts crying.

I have never a kitten like this one, that is for sure. 

My 29th birthday

My birthday was pretty low key this year, for a few reasons. I want a few big items for my presents, but due to other financial obligations, I've decided its best to wait until I go and get spoiled. And the hubs was out of state hunting, so for the most part it was just me.

The night before, I made a new cookie recipe, Hot Chocolate Cookies, to take to work and share. They were so yummy, much better then birthday cake. Even though I'll still have birthday cake once Josh gets home. :) He's going to make me my favorite, Cranberry Cake.

I spent all day getting love over the phone and facebook from my family and friends. That made me feel extra special. Then last night, Jessica and I went to dinner at my favorite restaurant Casa Rios. I was sad to not spend my birthday with my husband, but spending it with my best friend was just as good. She gave me one of the Rascal Flatts cd's I didn't have yet and then some Pampered Chef tongs that had been discontinued before I feel in love with Pampered Chef. She has had a set like them for years, and each time I use them at her house I can't stop saying how much I love them. But when I started ordering from Pampered Chef, they had changed the design of these tongs. I bought them anyways, but was sad to not get the same ones as Jessica. I guess she spent quite a bit of time on eBay trying to find them for me. I was so excited to get them!

Last weekend I bought myself one small present, a new camera case for my digital camera. I was at the Coach store with Jessica when I found it for 50% off and I had a coupon for another 30% off! I couldn't pass that deal up.

Gaby was also excited to get her own Coach bag. My purchase bag was on the floor and she has hauled it all around the house. Now I can't bear to throw it away.

Hopefully very soon I'll be able to get the rest of my presents. I want a Kindle Fire, an exercise trampoline, another Rascal Flatts cd, and well, I'm not sure what else. But since I'm waiting I'm sure I'll come up with something else.

January Swap Group - Snowmen

With my cooking class in November and then December being the holidays, I hadn't been to swap group since October. No wonder I was having craft with drawls.

Last night we got together at Felicity's home. She had found a cute snowman pattern online and choose that for her project. She got her husband to cut everything out for us, and then we got together to paint and assemble them.

Getting ready to start.

Every one's snowman turned out so cute. I love how when we all do the same project, our personalities shine through.

My snowman. I still need to finish his sign.