Valentines Day- a'la pobre

Despite the fact that my birthday is 3 days before Valentine's, we celebrated just the same. We had made plans with my sisters and their husbands for an early dinner at the Melting Pot. We dropped P off with grandma (all smiles) and met up with our party. Before we left, we looked at the menu online, and had chosen a 3 course fondue dinner that was more like $58/couple instead of the pricier meals. So excited, we were seated. The restaurant was fabulous, and we were dressed up. You know that feeling when you're walking through the restaurant so excited for your meal and the chance to eat without a baby!? We all sat down, and in front of us, a sheet of paper with today's menu on it. What? Just one menu? All our eyes scrolled to the bottom of the page which read $69/person. Uh, what?

The thing is, nobody told us it would be a set menu that day when we made reservations, and it wasn't on the website either. We told the server our dilemma. (Sorry, but college student have a general food budget of $140/month!) He was nice and understood. We walked out. After all, we didn't owe this place anything, and walked on over to Olive garden, where we waited 15 minutes, and spoiled ourselves. After all, we saved ourselves $100, right?

I got Evan 2 new shirts, and little P 2 new shirts as well, for church. Evan got me a picture frame. I love celebrating love.

Here are some cards I made with my sister. Thanks Teezer! Happy V-Day!

Happy Birthday to me!

Well, as inevitably it happens, I got a year older! That's right. Feb 11th I turned 27! I had an awesome birthday. Thanks to my sweet sisters-in-law, we dropped P off, and headed to the slopes. We decided after going to The Canyons for our anniversary, we don't ever want to ski again on a weekend or holiday. Wednesday was just perfect. We almost had the place to ourselves. As an intermediate skiier, I slowed Evan down by skiing in front of him. He gave me a couple pointers, as I struggle with the turns and freak out with too many people around. We literally had some lifts to ourselves. It was snowing lightly, but nothing too heavy. It was PERFECT! My skiing skills improved mounds that day, as I needed not worry about others around me, and I put Evan's good advice to the test. I feel so much better in my winter sports abilities, and got to spend the day with my favorite person!

Later on, we ate out at Carrabbas and topped off the evening with 4-layer chocolate cake. I got my swiffers that I'd asked for, and I LOVE them. I don't know why I waited to long to try them out. I will never go back, and actually threw out my mop the next day. BLISS! I even converted my mom to the mop- a hard feat. Worth it!

And, I got to really break in my new ski coat from Christmas.

Thank you, honey for the very special day. I love you!

Seasonal Depression or Spring Fever?

I've been waiting this whole time to find something to write about, and still nothing. As I was catching up reading other blogs, I found myself saddened. It seems I have the most boring life of anyone I know. Maybe I've worked too many days this week to be happy about much, or maybe I don't know how to organize my time. I feel like I live in this little bubble and take care of P. That's all I do. Taking care of him is not my complaint, I love it! (Comparing myself to others, though I know I'm not supposed to) My complaint is that I (we) don't ever do anything! I see other families going places...to concerts, to play dates, and just dates in general, and I kind of got depressed. Why? Am I really that boring that I don't even KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? Am I so consumed in my little world that I don't know how to find out about fun things for my family? While talking to Evan, he mentioned my priorities. Is fun time a priority? YES! How are these people doing fun things, whilst I sit here in my cave, counting down the minutes to nap time so I can do the dishes? I realized that I need to make plans to make plans for stuff outside my mommy world.


Excuse number 2: "He requires too much attention". But does he? I feel bad if I put him in his car seat and don't play with him every couple of hours. I'm not a smotherer, but I like to watch him play and learn. I interact. So....? How are these other moms of many getting anything done? I know it's tons harder than with one, but really? How do they do it?
Where are all these fun projects coming from? I would also like to sew a quilt and make cards for my whole neighborhood, but I can't even blog once a week, so where does everyone's time come from?


As I was woeing and lamenting last night to sweet Evan, he mentioned, "look at my life! If you think you're bored, try mine!" This my friends, is true! He spends all day with algorithms. I dare say, my life isn't that bad...
We do spend at least 3 days walking around Costco for fun. I go running with P every morning at the indoor track. We've been getting over our colds and stuffy noses. We pick up my friend's kids from school every day and take them to day care. P is learning to sit up-we're almost there! Etc...
I guess there is something exciting with me... I should post a picture.... I have had this REALLY red patch of skin in both my armpits. Kinda wierd. It appeared around Christmas time, and got worse. It itched like crazy and was VERy dry and scaly. I've been using Eucerin a lot on it, but it was still there. Evan said it looked like a fungus, like athletes foot, so I bought some OTC cream for it, and nothing happened. I finnally got the nerve to go to the Dr. and he told me it looked like a fungus AND an allergic reaction-contact dermatitis. Where in the world would I get a fungus in my armpits?! I don't even sweat there. Whatever. He prescribed a cream with antifungul and topical steroids to treat it, then an antifungal for the next 6 weeks after it heals. In case this facinating story needs a conclusion, and if you're still reading, it is feeling better, thank you. A LOT better. It almost looks like real skin again. Actually it is pretty exciting.

If you made it to this point, congratulations. You can call yourself a friend, and a pretty darn good listener. Here's your reward...

Angels, Truck Drivers, and Solid Foods

If you have little children, I think you'll relate. There are angels in my house. Not the floating kind you think of when you think of angels. I'm talking about the invisible kind. Porter often looks at them, laughs at them, and I believe, talks to them. There is one corner of his bedroom that he stares at, night or day. There is nothing spectacular about this corner, no lights, no color, just a plain old ceiling, yet he seems to fixate at that spot as often as possible. He will smile, and coo, and often just stare. I believe we have angels at our house. Maybe he's getting instuctions for this long, hard life here, or maybe they're his old friends who haven't come down yet. I think it's just Heavenly Father's way of blessing our home. Porter is the sweetest boy. I often wonder what he'll grow up to be. No matter what it is, I'll think it'll be absolutely great. I hold the moon for him.

He has this little walker that has a car steering wheel and lights and sounds like a truck. He LOVES it! He will giggle and squeal, and live it up. Hence his truck driver pose. He will never stay smiling once he sees the orange light on the camera. We often lose precious poses because of it. Hence, we post the ones that work out.

Friday we started giving him a little rice cereal. I think the pictues speak for itself. He leans in to the spoon, and actually swallows the food! What a pro!

Lifetime Acheivements

My Sister-in-law has this list on her blog. And I made one for me:

Things I have done during my lifetime are in bold.
1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train. (in Spain)
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitchhiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held an alligator.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise. (Alaska)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. (does my husband’s count?)
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language. ( though I speak Spanish)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma. (helped pay for school)
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter. (Yeah, Blackhawk!)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Been to Canada.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Seen Bon Jovi in concert.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper. (kindergarten I think)
85. Read Gone With The Wind.
86. Visited the White House. (not inside…)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own.

Out with the old- in with the new

I have a long list of improvements I want to make in our home. Like, a ridiculously long list. Knowing we don't have the money, I've kept a vocal list going occasionally for the short term things on my list. My husband would agree with me, reiterating that we didn't have money right now. He surprised me for Christmas with 3 things from my list! I think you'll agree they're worthy changes. I love them. I wanted to wait until we picked up the stove to post all the pictures. Evan's an amazing guy and I love him. Here he is putting in the faucet. Thanks Babe!

Life as we know it

I think this picture could explain it all. Evan is currently in his final semester of school. FOREVER!!!!! His Ph.D. graduation requirements are: publish 3 papers, finish all grad student classes, and write and defend his dissertation.

Thus far we are at: published 1 paper, and currently taking final 2 classes. The goal is June...

This is what Evan spends all day doing when not in class. He is revising his 2nd paper, due this week and then we're looking at the bright lights at the end of our long, long tunnel. I offered my support by telling him to stay at school to do whatever it takes to meet deadlines this semester. He took me up on it, and I'm so glad he did. From sun up to sun down, this is where he's been. I take dinner to him, put P down to bed, and don't see him until the baby cries in the morning. I love him for all his hard work and desires to support our family! Love you babe. See you this summer!