The Sweet Life of Zac and Sarah

Awesome Things That Happened This Week...

2012-02-16T06:35:00.002-07:00

I know it's Thursday which doesn't seem to be a sensical day to post about awesome things that happened thus far this week (and yes I just made up the word "sensical"), but it's been a pretty good few days bunched together and I just wanted to write about it. You know, for those days that will come where it feels like good stuff hasn't happened in a while. So...here goes.

1.) I got a new job! I'm still working at the YMCA doing my toddler/youth programs, but I also was hired on to work at the front desk! It will be more hours (which is nice for the paycheck, but a tinge sad for the mommy-children time), but the kids are in SUPER good hands at the (included) daycare and it's only for 3 or 4 hours a day. And I join them for snack time so I feel pretty good about it.
1.) a.) Kaylee goes to the YMCA daycare now WITH A SMILE ON HER FACE! She HATED it for the longest time....even when I would go to work out for 45 minutes, she would scream the whole time. But something mysterious happened and now she just goes and is happy to be there. That's an awesome thing in my book.
1.) b.) I've only worked four shifts at the front desk now, but I feel like I am catching on to things pretty quickly. It's a little stressful having to know the answer to EVERYTHING (or at least knowing the extension of the correct person who would know an answer you don't...), but yesterday I felt like I answered 60% of the things asked of me without having to check with someone else. It was a good day.
1.) c.) I'm meeting new co-workers. One of whom is Asha. I have a feeling we will be good friends for quite some time. This girl is hilarious and possibly deserves her own post.

2.) I got new shoes! (This could probably be another sub-category of number 1 since they are work shoes, but, you know. NEW SHOES!) I ordered them on Amazon. They are Crocs, but thy are dressy Crocs. They are adorable and fit like a dream. And they even have bling. Don't have time to get a picture up, but they are "Olivia"s and I love them.

3.) We got our federal return!!! Awesome!!!
3.) a.) Zac and I think we may have enough of a return to spend frivolously on a vacation for the two of us!

4.) I'm planning Savannah's wedding and it's coming together SUPERBLY if I do say so myself. And by "planning," I'm serious. I'm pretty sure the only thing Savannah is going to have to do is show up. Oh, and she had to get her dress. Which is GORGEOUS!!! AWESOME!!!!

5.) You may recall my affinity for the Dark Divine series. The third and final book comes out next month. I was able to get ARCs of the first two books (before they were printed and released to the public) through contests and other such luck and figured I would just have to wait for The Savage Grace. FALSE. By some strange miracle, a package was delivered to my in-laws' house on Tuesday from Random House. Containing an ARC of The Savage Grace. I about DIED. Now if only I could find the time to read it....

6.) I lost 3 lbs. Super awesome.

7.) My kids are being used for a press release for the Rochester Ronald McDonald House on Friday. Not necessarily awesome for me, but they get a few seconds of fame. So I'm filing that one under "awesome."

I guess that's enough awesomeness for now. I don't want to make y'all jealous :-)

Excuse Me While I Go All Political...

2012-02-09T11:07:00.004-07:00

I try to keep most of my politically-minded opinions out of my blog. I don't like starting fights that I can't debate face-to-face, so I usually go my merry way and post snide comments on Facebook. But I feel like I just need to give a shout-out to the GOP nominees for a second. First, some of Ron Paul's platforms aren't so bad. Like the one about wiping everyone's debt away. But, let's face it. In the long run, his policy ideas are going to keep him out of the White House. Santorum...well, honestly, I don't know a thing about him. I don't think many people did until the Iowa caucus. I've heard good things, but honestly haven't done any research on him. Gingrich? Kind of a scumbag. And then we have Mitt Romney. (Do you hear that heavenly choir of angels every time you say his name like I do?)

I'm voting Romney all the way. True story: I registered Democratic in high school, mostly because I enjoyed watching "The West Wing." I changed my party affiliation this past summer so I would be eligible to vote for Romney in the primary. And the general, God willing. Now I'm not going to get into every single reason why I am so pro-Romney (and no, it's not simply because we belong to the same church), but I wanted to share this post that a friend-of-a-friend had on Facebook. Enjoy:

"Regardless of who your current favorite candidate is, this is interesting.

"Sometimes, this facet of Romney’s personality isn’t so subtle. In July 1996, the 14-year-old daughter of Robert Gay, a partner at Bain Capital, had disappeared. She had attended a rave party in New York City and gotten high on ecstasy. Three days later, her distraught father had no idea where she was. Romney took immediate action. He closed down the entire firm and asked all 30 partners and employees to fly to New York to help find Gay’s daughter. Romney set up a command center at the LaGuardia Marriott and hired a private detective firm to assist with the search. He established a toll-free number for tips, coordinating the effort with the NYPD, and went through his Rolodex and called everyone Bain did business with in New York, and asked them to help find his friend’s missing daughter. Romney’s accountants at Price Waterhouse Cooper put up posters on street poles, while cashiers at a pharmacy owned by Bain put fliers in the bag of every shopper. Romney and the other Bain employees scoured every part of New York and talked with everyone they could – prostitutes, drug addicts – anyone.

"That day, their hunt made the evening news, which featured photos of the girl and the Bain employees searching for her. As a result, a teenage boy phoned in, asked if there was a reward, and then hung up abruptly. The NYPD traced the call to a home in New Jersey, where they found the girl in the basement, shivering and experiencing withdrawal symptoms from a massive ecstasy dose. Doctors later said the girl might not have survived another day. Romney’s former partner credits Mitt Romney with saving his daughter’s life, saying, 'It was the most amazing thing, and I’ll never forget this to the day I die.'

"So, here’s my epiphany: Mitt Romney simply can’t help himself. He sees a problem, and his mind immediately sets to work solving it, sometimes consciously, and sometimes not-so-consciously. He doesn’t do it for self-aggrandizement, or for personal gain. He does it because that’s just how he’s wired.

"Many people are unaware of the fact that when Romney was asked by his old employer, Bill Bain, to come back to Bain & Company as CEO to rescue the firm from bankruptcy, Romney left Bain Capital to work at Bain & Company for an annual salary of one dollar. When Romney went to the rescue of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, he accepted no salary for three years, and wouldn’t use an expense account. He also accepted no salary as Governor of Massachusetts.

Character counts!! (and yes...that's worth reading again!)"

Granted, this is ONE story that happened in the mid-90's. I'm not trying to win him votes based on a single act of heroism. I'm just trying to point out the type of man he is in general. I'm sure if I had the time and could ask every individual or organization he has helped over the years, there would be ENDLESS touching and powerful stories. I'm simply taking one instance to point out the type of man Mitt Romney is. He doesn't viciously slander his opponents. He is selfless. He is an honest, God-fearing man. And he is a man who loves his country and views every person in it as his brother or sister.

So say what you want about the obscene amount of money he makes. (And doesn't pay a majority of taxes on.) Think what you will about his religious affiliation. Whatever your opinion may be on his politics, you have to give the man credit for his outstanding and Christ-like character. That is the kind of man I want leading my country. He is a great man and can make us a great country again.

(Verified on Snoopes.com ; . Here's the link: Romney Search
On Romney's character....
By: Kristi Smith Johnson)

Oh, and if you have ten minutes and want to see even more reasons why I am pro-Romney, check out this video. This was produced in 2007 when he made his first presidential bid. I think we need him even more now.

I Don't Know About This, Guys...

2012-01-23T00:44:00.001-07:00

I've had something on my mind for a while lately that I'm hesitant to post to Facebook, simply because of the misunderstandings that can occur and the gazillion unnecessary "OMG Congrats!" and "likes" it would receive. So I turn to the trusty (and sometimes neglected) blog for my insane ramblings. So here goes.

We have been talking about when it would be most convenient to have another baby. (Gasp! Shock! Awe! Wonder!) Turns out we have been blessed as a pretty fertile couple and the moment we even say the word "pregnant," we are. Which is super cool in my book.

So yeah. It has been coming up in recent conversation. About two months ago, I said we were THINKING about talking about having another baby. And I think we have stepped forward and are now TALKING about an addition. But no rush. A lot of things need to happen first. Like health insurance. And extending our lease vs buying vs finding another house come September (even though I may have to be dragged out of here kicking and screaming because I NEVER want to leave). And having a fully potty-trained Kaylee. So yeah. Things need to happen first before anything serious takes place. But that's not what has me all shaken up.

What has me all shaken up is one word: Multiples.

Could you even IMAGINE twins? I didn't really ever think about it much. That is until every other person I know is popping them out. Seriously. It's like an epidemic. A cute, sweet, wonderful epidemic. But still. And I'm not exaggerating. First names of everyone I know who has had or will be having twins recently: Jennie, Beth, Sarah, Robin, Beth, and Amber. And those are just the ones that I know of.

That's twelve babies. Between 6 girls. That's a soccer team and mascot birthed by a basketball team and mascot. And that's just BONKERS.

Now to all of those new and to-be moms of twinners, you are AMAZING women! But quite frankly, you scare me! And so do your babies!

So to summarize: I've had babies on the brain lately. Or, I guess in the back of my mind. And when every third person I know Is having twins, it scares me a bit. And I hope that if I put this fear out into the universe, I will be pleasantly surprised to find out I will be having only one baby in the next one to two years.

Thanks for reading the rantings of a crazy person. Please enjoy these complimentary and totally random pictures from my iPhone.

Snow!!!

2012-01-13T12:45:00.001-07:00

Winter finally decided to join us here in Upstate New York. Sad for me, but all sorts of exciting for the little'uns.

I have a video, but I don't think I can upload it from my phone. So you get pictures instead. The kids wanted to go outside, so once they suited up, they ran right out. Well, the waddled best they could in their new snow suits they got for Christmas.

So Logan almost immediately plopped down and started making a snow angel and Kaylee just laughed and squealed. Then "snow ball" making ensued, followed by a good ten minutes of exploring.

The whole trek outside probably took 18 minutes (about the time it took to get them bundled up in the first place) which is about what I expected. By the time they came in, their hot coco was the perfect temperature and they got to tell me all about playing in the snow.

And I had to pretend I wasn't watching them from the back door the entire time, grinning from ear to ear :)

It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas...

2011-12-12T20:31:00.002-07:00

If you've been a faithful reader of this blog for a while now, you've probably picked up on the fact that I really don't like Christmas. And by "don't like," I mean "despise." Having small children who get excited about it is making my disdain for this stupid holiday not quite so vicious, but I'd still rather the holiday progression go from Thanksgiving to my birthday and not deal with this whole Christmas business at all.

But that being said, I'm never one to turn down a holiday get-together with good friends, food, and a craft. So tonight the kids and I headed to Sonya and Craig's for pizza and gingerbread house/cookie making. Logan and Kaylee had a great time with their buddy Onora...when they weren't falling off of chairs or being attacked by Sonya's new kitten :)

Nikki and Todd were there with some of their brood, too, so the older kids spent about two hours on their gingerbread houses. They looked great and gave me some inspiration for the construction that will be taking place next Friday when Savannah is home :D

The highlight of the night was probably when the kids all started opening their gingerbread kits. I was in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner and Craig came in with the bags of frosting mix. He got out the mixer and started making the frosting and said, "what do you want to bet that Sonya will walk in here in about a minute saying, 'I didn't know we had to MAKE the frosting!'" Sure enough, about ten seconds after he said that, the girl comes in the kitchen and says, "Craig, the kids are saying we are supposed to make the frosting! I thought it was just in there all made!" Craig and I just looked at each other and cracked up. Those two are so good for each other.

Thanks for forcing me into the holiday spirit friends.

And here are some pictures...

First Haircut...

2011-12-11T14:30:00.001-07:00

The other day, I realized Logan's hair was getting SUPER shaggy and that it was time for a cut. Now, occasionally I will take him somewhere and have it done, but most of the time, I just bust out the clippers and give him a 3 on the sides and a 4 on top. So that's what I did. However, every time I end up doing Logan's hair at home, Kaylee starts digging around for scissors and says, "cut my hair, too!"

Of course I'm usually all, "but you're my baby and I don't want to cut your long, beautiful hair!" but this time I said fine.

It was just a trim...maybe like 2 inches by the time I was done. But it turned out nice and even (trust me it is. She kept cocking her head when she smiled so it looks longer on one side in the picture.) and Miss K was so thrilled that when Daddy came home, she ran up to him and said, "look a my hair! I so boofal!"

Finally An iPhone Blogger App!!!

2011-12-07T15:09:00.001-07:00

My prayers have been answered. Back when I got the ole' trusty iPhone, I was bothered that there wasn't an official app for blogger. My SiL figured out a way to do it via mobil blogging, but you couldn't do it with multiple pictures or even a title. But now...look at me go!!! (However, I can't turn my phone sideways for the extended keyboard which is a bit annoying.)

So anyways, we got out tree up. Our REAL tree! The first time in our marriage that we have had a real tree. It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas in here, that's for sure.

So the night we got the tree was also Bloomfield's annual tree lighting ceremony. It's a big thing with hay rides and hot chocolate and Santa. Let's see how the picture uploading goes...

Recognize Santa? Yeah, Logan did too. So when we had him standing in line, we were encouraging him to tell "Santa" all the things he wanted. Then Logan looks up and exclaimed, "that's not Santa, that's my Grandpa!"

All in all, it was a fun night. Assuming Logan didn't mess up too many kids and their belief in Santa. Oh and if you ignore the fight we had about where to park for the tree lighting. Or if you overlook the incident with the tree flying off the roof of the van.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

Christine Makes Some Valid Points...

2011-12-03T15:11:00.006-07:00

I sent out round one of Christmas cards yesterday and on the back, there is a link to this blog. And my good buddy Christine made a nice little jab when I said that...something along the lines of "You never update it, so why would you include a link to it?" Touche, Udders. Touche. So...random, unrelated happenings...

We've been in the new house for almost three months AND LOVE IT!!!! I even hosted Thanksgiving here for 15 members of the Thomas family. And the dinner was SUPERB if I do say so myself. My timing was flawless, the gravy was 100% lump-free, the turkey was nice and moist (I guess it could have been a bit browner, but whatever...), and there were plenty of left-overs for everyone. Oh, and I tried a new stuffing recipe and it was pretty freaking yummy.
***
I've been working at the Canandaigua YMCA for almost 3 months now, too. And that is GREAT. I get a free membership for me and a steeply discounted family membership for Zac and the kids. I'm only scheduled to work like 2 hours a day, 3 days a week, but there are always people in the daycare looking for time off. I can usually triple my hours each week if I just go in and grab "time off requests." My specific job requires me to teach a "First Time Fun" class for 18 month to 3-year-olds and their parents. It's fun, but sometimes it's challenging. I need to come up with a craft each week and it's difficult to find something that 18 month old's AND 3-year-old's can do. I usually pull it off a the last second, but I have been known to just put out play-dough and cookie cutters once or twice. It's also really great that I get to take my kids with me. Kay is in the class I teach, but I send Logan to the daycare...which he actually looks forward to because Grandma Jaylene works down there while I am up teaching my class. It works out perfectly!
***
Speaking of Christine, we got to hang out for her birthday. There was some scheduling involved, and some babysitting concerns, but she ended up driving out here from Buffalo. We started the day with a trip to The Sandbox with the kids over in Fairport (which was pretty fun!), came back to the house (did I mention that I LOVE this house?!?!?!) for a bit, then left L and K with Zac and took Christine's daughter, Grace, to her mom's so we could enjoy a big ole' fatty steak dinner by ourselves. Then we topped the evening off with a Wegman's Pizza Cookie and devoured it back at Christine's mom's. It was a great day. And I can't wait to do it again next month for my birthday ;-)
***
What else? Oh. My Christmas shopping is pretty much done. I got probably 60% of it Black Friday shopping, 35% on Amazon (with Amazon Prime's free shipping, mind you), and the other 5% I'm in the middle of making. I guess I can spill the beans on at least one present...I got my parents a laptop. Their computer bit the dust about a month ago. Their ancient computer. That was running Windows ME or something...
Anyways, I was trying to figure out how we could help them pay for a new desktop. But even refurbished ones were a little out of our current price range, as we have rent to pay (on the house that I LOVE). And then I saw it. A Compaq Presario Laptop at Walmart for $198. I asked my dad what he thought of a laptop and he said he could learn how to use it, so I put it at the top of my list. (Well, second on my list. First and foremost I wanted a Shark Steamer that was on sale for $39.)
So I set off to Walmart at 9:25 Thursday night. The steamer was going on sale at 10 and the laptops were to be released at 12:01. I mapped out the store online and noticed that the steamers were on the way to the laptops so that's where I headed. And luck was on my side because I got a steamer AND got the 6th to last ticket for a laptop. Of course, I had to wait around for just over 2 hours to get it, but I was inside, warm, sitting down, and watching Netflix on my iPhone. I've had worse Black Friday experiences.
After the laptops were handed out, I made my way through the rest of the relatively quiet store. It was BONKERS at 10 when I first got there, but at midnight, it wasn't much different than any other midnight Walmart shopping trip. I still managed to get most everything else I intended to (with the exception of socks and undies for the kids) and kept it under $200. Well, excluding the laptop.
***
Kaylee has decided to try using the potty with or without my blessing. I've fought it for the last 3 weeks or so because I'M not ready to go through that hell again. But today she insisted. She has been in her Dora underwear for 9 hours and not had a single accident. She pees probably every half hour and pooed twice. I'm not going to lie...I'm impressed. But I'm not holding my breath that this is the end of my diaper-buying days.
***
Now that the Christmas cards are on their way, I guess I can post these:

As always, my beautiful and talented sister-in-law, Liz, took them. In our back yard. Of the house that I LOVE.
***
And from now on, I will make shorter, more frequent blog posts. Like in the olden days.

Monday Musings (New House Edition)....

2011-09-12T07:58:00.005-06:00

You know that super-annoying Jordin Sparks song, "One Step at a Time"? I've changed the lyrics. It is now known as "One Box at a Time." Because it's all I can do to keep my sanity. But the good news is, WE ARE IN OUR OWN HOUSE!!!! It's wonderful. Beautiful. Marvelous. But covered in boxes.

***

The kids, though they have the option to have separate rooms right across the hall from each other, have chosen to remain roomies. So I've decided to make one room the sleeping room and the other the all-out playroom. Now I just need to get some huge toys to fill it with.

***

I have my own writing nook with a built-in desk in our bedroom. I can't wait to finish my current draft of the WIP. But wait...where is my laptop? One box at a time...

***

I have yet to make it to the grocery store so we have been living off of pancakes, ramen, and bananas for the last two days. With the exception of dinner that my wonderful sister-in-law and brother-in-law made for us last night. I should really be at the store instead of blogging right now.

***

Ok, this story isn't new-house related, but HILARIOUS none the less. I teach a class of 5-year-olds at church and yesterday, we were talking about eternal families. I had set up a bunch of temple pictures around the room and I was naming all of the temples. One was the Idaho Falls temple and a little girl in my class exclaims, "I was born in Idaho!" So another girl goes, "I was born in Virginia!" And this went around the room, everyone telling where they were born, until this raspy little voice (Taryn Bjorling, for those of you that know her) says, in the most depressed, Eeyore-like tone, "I was born in a parking lot."

Ohmygoodness I could NOT stop laughing. I almost peed my pants. Er, skirt. Because she actually WAS born in the parking lot of the hospital. That's funny in itself (in retrospect), but just the way she said it, it was the funniest thing I had heard all year, I swear.

Alright. I need to go grocery shopping for actual food now. I'll post pictures of the house at some point.

OMGoodness...

2011-09-01T20:37:00.002-06:00

Guys. I CAN NOT believe this.

I was in a weight loss competition with my husband's family a few months back. And I lost 15.3 lbs over the course of 3 months. Not bad, eh?

Well guess what.

Not only have I gained all 15.3 lbs of that weight back,

but,

I have put on an additional 12.

TWELVE!!!!

I am disgusted with myself. What is my problem????

Yes I have been super stressed. And I eat when I'm upset. And my life hasn't been all Sunshine and roses lately, but COME ON.

Work-out regimen, here I come. Ugh.

August, eh?

2011-08-25T14:37:00.005-06:00

So it turns out it's August and I haven't blogged in quite some time. In fact, August is nearly over. It's the 25th! So, like I did that one time, here are 25 things that have happened since I last blogged. (In no particular order.)

1. We moved back to NY.

2. Zac has been working for Steele's Deals Auto Sales. And making decent money. Yay!

3. We are living with my in-laws, but we are house-hunting.

4. Logan turned 4.

5. Kaylee turned 2.

6. Zac turned 26.

7. Logan was wait-listed for Pre-K at Bloomfield and is 4th on the list. So he may or may not get in.

8. Logan played summer soccer on a team.

9. I planned (and brilliantly executed) a two-day birthday extravaganza for my mother-in-law's 50th birthday.

10. I was called as a Primary teacher in my church. I teach the 5-year-olds.

11. Aunt Savannah came to visit from Utah for almost 2 weeks and she went through the temple for the first time while she was home. I was SO happy I got to be here for that!!!!

12. We almost bought a new van, but decided we would rather use the money for our own living space.

13. We went camping with Liz and Jesse.

14. My cousin Melanie came to visit from South Carolina with her baby.

15. My other cousin, Cathy, had a baby shower where I dominated most of the games (as usual).

16. My friend Nikki's baby Sebastian was baptized so Zac and I got to check out a Catholic baptism.

17. Project Runway started another season. I'm so glad we have cable again.

18. The twins moved out of the house and went to BYU, so now my kids have their own room next to mine and Zac's room.

19. Liz and I went all HGTV Design Star on said bedroom. I promise to upload before and after pics.

20. I started going to Zumba with one of my nearest and dearest friends, Sonya. And by started I mean I went with her once. And we may or may not have picked up Wegman's Chinese take-out on our way back to her house after Zumba.

21. I set a firm goal to finish my complete draft of my WIP (which means I'm not allowed to revise till the draft is complete. Which also means I've really only sat down once to work on it.).

22. Zac and I are trying to plan a night or two in Skaneateles sans kids.

23. We've attended more family dinners and get-togethers than I can count. On both sides of the family.

24. I've read nearly every book in the YA section of the Bloomfield Public Library. Now I have to start anticipating when I will finish books so I can order new ones from inter-library loan. Boo.

25. Last Tuesday I hosted a Twilight Party, in anticipation of Breaking Dawn part I coming out in November. I'm doing a monthly party leading up to the release so my friends and I can re-watch all of the other movies and get psyched for the first part of the last one. With all of the food and decorating, it was probably one of the best parties I've hosted in a while...and when people didn't leave until 2 a.m., it really made me feel like I can throw a party :)

So there you have it. I may or may not elaborate on some of those topics mentioned later, but we shall see. And because you guys always want pictures, here are some random ones that happen to be on the computer (because any that are on my iPhone are also on Facebook and you should have seen them already).

Twinners do Prom. And the kids are thrown in for good measure.

Typical morning...Kaylee has stripped down out of her jammies and has a pre-breakfast sucker thanks to Grandpa Joel, and Logan has already finished his while remaining clothed.

Kaylee Faye...

2011-06-29T20:51:00.000-06:00

I don't blog anymore. I know. I'm lame.

I'll come up with a nice, lengthy post at some point. But in the meantime, do me a favor and go vote for Kaylee. It's a cover contest for Parents magazine. Here's the link.

Kaylee Faye

I think you can vote daily. And it's easy...you don't need to put in an email or anything. Just hit the "Vote For Me" button and you're set. Voting ends the 3rd.

Thanks :-)

I Don't Want To Talk About It...

2011-05-06T01:07:00.002-06:00

The last few weeks, whenever moving or traveling came up between myself and another person, that was my response. "I don't want to talk about it."

Why wouldn't I want to talk about it? Moving is fun and full of new experiences! I get to move closer to family! We get to be New Yorkers again! Cradle of the Restoration! White Hots! Garbage Plates! WWWWEEEEGGGGMMMAAANNNSSSSSS!!!!!

Whatever. I don't want to talk about it.

But I guess I'll blog about it. You see, the last year and a half has been somewhat of a Suckfest. And I had this insane little notion that moving to Seattle and finally starting our post-grad lives would be refreshing. When Zac first brought it up as a possibility, I couldn't wait to bust out of Provo and give it a go in Seattle. It was exciting and new and Twilight and trendy and Grey's Anatomy and just plain beautiful. And the job market for Zac's field? Firgettabaddit!

So we get these wonderful people to help us out with a place to live while we look for jobs as apartment managers and freelance stuff for Zac. And then nothing.

And more nothing.

And then a possible temp job with Google! Which turns out to be nothing.

Then FINALLY a contract job for Zac with Adventure Works Studios! But it's a start-up company and until they make money, they can only afford to pay Zac, you guessed it, nothing.

So while I don't want to talk about it, we decided perhaps the best course for us would be to move our little family back to New York. Back to family. Affordable housing. And definite jobs.

It makes sense. And our families couldn't be happier, apparently.

So why do I feel so miserable? Like we failed at grasping our Seattle dream and making it happen? Like we wasted six months and a few thousand dollars? With nothing to show other than our apparent failure and our retreat back home? Because that's exactly what it feels like. Life keeps beating the hell out of us, so we're frantically waving our little white "Surrender" flag as we run away and retreat homeward.

Yes, it could be worse. "Every time you're hurt, there's one who has it worse around." I know that all too well. I have several people in the back of my mind that I don't know if I would, or if I could, trade places with. People that have experienced unimaginable things over the last year. Which is another reason that I don't want to talk about it.

So, there it is. We're moving back to New York. Like next week. I'm trying to make the best out of it...Logan is enrolled in summer soccer and wait-listed for Pre-K at my old elementary school. I applied for a job as a director of a non-profit organization. My sister-in-law offered to let me clean the office once a week for a little extra money (Erin, we need to chat!). Zac is working employment out with his dad. Oh, and there are like a bazillion people back there that can't get enough of my kids.

But I don't want to talk about it.

Not just yet, anyways.

Eeshk...

2011-04-27T23:39:00.002-06:00

Where did the month go? I thought I was doing so well with all of those posts back in March. Oops.

Well...I guess Savannah is right and I need to learn how to blog from my iPhone. Maybe I should have had her teach me while she was here visiting. Nah. We were having too much fun playing and reading books and staying up late and road tripping to Oregon to do something like that.

Speaking of road tripping, Zac and I are thinking it's time to throw in the towel on our Seattle endeavor. Which will mean the road trip from hades. Two toddlers. 11 states. 46 hours of drive time. Sigh.

Housekeeping...

2011-03-25T11:18:00.003-06:00

No, not that kind. Though I did vacuum, dust, wash windows, and cleaned the tub (including the shower drain) the last few days. Instead, I have a bunch of random updates about the kids and life in general that I thought I'd throw out there for anyone who is interested in our lives.

I guess it's time to change the blog decor again since St. Patty's day is all over. Maybe I will do that after I post. We shall see how well the kids are behaving.

Speaking of the children's behavior, Logan has officially crossed a few serious lines the last two days. First, he shot Kaylee in the face with a Nerf Dart yesterday. Then he lied about it. Ugh. Isn't it too soon to have to deal with LYING??? And then, to top it all off, he shot her in the face again today. After the first incident, the gun was put away for the rest of the night. After this second incident, all of the Nerf guns in the house have been rounded up and will be stored away for an undetermined amount of time.

But when he isn't lying and shooting his sister in the face, Logan is still my sweet boy. He always wants to help me in the kitchen when I'm cooking, so I always try to have something for him to do. He is also getting pretty good at writing his name. He knows how to spell it, but it still asks for help with the G and the N. He has also started to get more creative when it comes to drawing...most recently he loves to draw spaceships, trains, and rail road tracks. Oh, and he is becoming a fast pro at quite a few xBox games. Mostly Sonic the Hedgehog and Castle Crashers, but it's pretty impressive. It's his quiet time activity while Kaylee naps and Mommy reads.

Kaylee has expanded her vocabulary quite a bit. She will pretty much repeat any word you ask her to. Just last night, she and Logan were in the tub and he said, "Kaylee, say 'I' (I) 'love' (lah) 'Mommy!' (Mommy!)" And then he had her say she loved Daddy and Logan (Schweebee), candy (Nandy), Baby Einstein (Bay Ein), and everything else he could think of. She also LOVES to draw. Whenever she sees a relatively blank sheet of paper or a crayon, she brings them to me and says "Draw Mom!" and after she draws something, she exclaims "I did it!" Actually, she will shriek "I did it!" after everything she considers an accomplishment. It's very sweet. Not so sweet, though, is the fact that she has been waking up at like 6:20 every morning. I don't know how to fix that and I'm not really tolerating it well. Sigh.

Zac got a job! ...sort of. Well, it is a job. And it is EXACTLY what he wants to be doing (character and environment design for a video game). However, it is a game being created and produced by two guys pretty much out of their garage. Both of the guys have a ton of experience and know what they're doing, right down to the marketing. However, they and Zac will get paid using a profit sharing model, which means they won't make money until the game makes money. Which is projected to be a little less than a year from now. So yeah...Zac is excited for this project, but also still looking for paying work :-)

I'm still here. Still writing. Still enjoying the spring in Seattle. Still longing for home just the tiniest bit. One of the girls in my critique group (the one that started it, actually) moved to Seattle from Virginia last September and she and her husband just decided to call it quits and move back to Virginia. Looks like we aren't the only ones toying with the idea! Also in writing news, my Freshman roommate from BYU, Jess, has a writing blog (like mine...remember? This one.) and she does a fun segment once a week called "Before they were Published" and asked to interview me for next week. It was fun. So on Monday, you can read all about me and my writing here. She also mentioned putting up a hilarious-black mail type picture from Freshman year, so I'd go check it out just to see what picture she comes up with!

Well, I guess that's all for now. And as a reward for reading that lengthy post, here is a picture. We went to this park/farm on Wednesday and this was right before Logan was scared to death by a giant turkey that was just wandering around. It's from my cell phone, as I still haven't tracked down my camera charger. Where IS that?

For Logan...

2011-03-12T23:11:00.003-07:00

Quick story for Logan to look back on years from now...

Logan loves Toy Story. And, as you may recall, asked for a Buzz Lightyear for Christmas. Only, as you may also recall, he couldn't (and still can't) say "Buzz Lightyear," and instead called him "Butt Laser."

Think that's funny? It gets better. I just got a text from Aunt Nana that read:

So...last week my class was learning about length and measure. One table mentioned lightyears as a measure of length, so I told them about Butt Laser. I'm grading their papers right now and a few of them wrote that off to the side so they'd remember later :)

See, Logan? Not only do you make us, your loving and adoring parents, laugh, but Aunt Nana spreads your hilarity wherever she can, too.

It's because we love you. (And I think because Aunt Nana misses you, too!)

Another Interview, Another Rejection...

2011-03-11T17:50:00.003-07:00

Yeah. Zac had 2 interviews with Google. And then he got a call today saying he's not part of the Google team. Well, at least they let us know.

And I know I shouldn't be upset and complaining with all of the crap going on in Japan. I should be counting my blessings and all that.

But here is the thing: credit card companies, cell phone companies, and insurance companies aren't going to be expecting on-time bill payments from earthquake and tsunami survivors. Student loan repayments can be deferred for people suffering due to natural disasters.

No one really seems to care about a family of four who moved to follow their dreams of putting their college degrees to use and have been unemployed for five months.

Ok, pity party over.

Giveaway!!!

2011-03-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

My friend and former crit group buddy is having a massive giveaway over at her blog, Room on the Shelf. So go. Enter. Win books. then keep reading her blog because she is very insightful.

Random Thoughts, Er, Monday...

2011-03-07T22:33:00.002-07:00

I know I usually do Random Thoughts on Thursdays, but since A.) This Thursday is going to be kind of busy, 2.) I have a lot on my mind, and D.)it's been 5 days since my last post, I'm posting my random thoughts now. But to make it more intense, each thought has multiple layers of random connectivity. See, it's different from my typical ramblings.

The Job Hunt:
Zac has interview #2 with Google on Thursday. It's still not really what he wants to be doing the rest of his life, but it's a job. A year-long contract job with pretty fantastic pay AND full benefits the day he starts. So it's something! He also was contacted by an indi game studio that likes some of his stuff and wants to talk with him about a project they are working on. That would also be friggin' sweet. And on the parental front, my dad had a job interview for groundskeeping in Fairport, so we're keeping our fingers crossed there, too. (See what I mean about connectivity? Same topic, 2 thoughts. I'm so deep right now.)

The Lack of Pictures:
Zac's sister, Liz, got married on Saturday. To her sister-in-law's brother. I love it. So we weren't there. Which was a bummer. But even more of a bummer is that no one has posted pictures yet. Where are all the pictures, people? We live in a digital age...there should have been pictures uploaded the second you were home from the reception! And on another note, I haven't posted many pictures lately. Turns out my camera battery charger was stolen by gremlins or something. I really need to find that.

Relief Society Birthday:
The women's organization in our church (Relief Society) has a birthday celebration every year. In our ward here in Sammamish, they have decided to have a "gift exchange" in which you provide a service to someone as your gift (like babysitting, a ride to the airport, etc). I was asking Zac what I should give as my service gift and he said, "Cooking dinner, obviously." Which is true, but I want it to be special, not "I'll bring you a casserole." So I think I'm going to offer a "Gourmet 3 Course Meal for 2," where I will cook (and clean up) in their kitchen, wearing my chef's coat and all that jazz. Fun for me, delicious for them. And hopefully I will get to know some people in the ward a little better! I was thinking my Chicken French as the main course, but what I really want to do is Creme Brulee for the dessert course. Which leads me to the second portion of this random thought...I really want a Creme Brulee set. You know, with the ramekins and the torch. Sure I can do it under the broiler which I've done in the past, but this would make it super-fancy.

Well, I have more thoughts, but I can't really connect them right now, so I guess that's all. Thanks for letting me ramble.

A Heavenly Birthday...

2011-03-02T00:41:00.000-07:00

Today is Uncle Gary’s birthday. His fifth in Heaven. I’m trying hard to imagine what a 54th birthday in heaven would be like, but I would guess it’s not too different from any other day. I mean, it’s Heaven. If they could do anything special to celebrate and improve your birthday, they would do it every day.

And I suppose, if it’s any sort of Heaven at all, Uncle Gary got to sleep in, as “The Waking Up Thing” was always rather difficult after a great night of “Bed Sleeping.” And you know the mattresses in Heaven are literally like sleeping on clouds, so it just has to be tough waking up from that. (Then again, maybe the spirits of the righteous dead don’t need sleep. In which case, maybe his birthday morning would start with the equivalent of breakfast.) I’m assuming that Uncle Gary’s birthday breakfast of choice would be a breakfast sandwich from Einstein Bros. Bagels. It became a fast favorite of his in Vegas, so it has to be equally as desirable when surrounded by pearly gates and lilting harps and such.

(Of course, being a spirit, Gary would only be eating a spirit bagel sandwich. And yet because he still occupies the same physical dimension as the spirit breakfast, I assume his spirit body eats the spirit breakfast with the same joy that his physical body took regular bagel sandwiches, densities of matter being equivalent and all that. But I digress.)

So, Gary wanders in, and is greeted by a chorus of angels singing “Happy Birthday” to him, orders his bagel, and is off to work. (Work in Heaven? Of course there is work in Heaven…but it's only the kind of work that you love and makes you eternally happy.) Naturally, you can request to have your birthday off, but Gary would never do that. Because his job is to compose and play beautiful music all day long. You know, contributing to that Heavenly atmosphere. Bringing peace and joy to all those who hear it. And if you knew Gary at all, you know he wouldn’t miss a day of that. Even on his birthday.

So after his shift at the celestial piano is over, I figure Gary would probably receive a note from a heavenly messenger saying that he was sent another one of those pesky balloons with a birthday card from his niece. Of course the Hosts of Heaven are too polite to say or do anything to prevent the balloon messages from being received into the eternities, but I’d imagine having a foreign object (like a balloon) wandering up through your cloud-bank floors at all times of the day would get a little distracting.

Gary tries not to get too emotional, but he can’t help it. Getting teary-eyed is still in his nature and he loves getting those cards on his birthday and Father’s Day. So he reads it and sets off on his “birthday mission,” as he started referring to it a few years back.

You see, in Heaven, I feel that you get one small wish or desire of your heart granted to you on your birthday. (That’s where the wishing on your candles thing came from.) So Gary sets out to talk with our Savior. And after waiting in line (it’s not just his birthday, after all) (and since time has a different meaning in Heaven than it does here, it’s not annoying to wait your turn), it’s his turn to petition the Lord.

Gary kneels down at the Lord’s feet; balloon and birthday card still in hand, and simply looks up. He doesn’t have to ask, as his wish is the same as it is every year…to see his family again. To be able to say “Goodbye.” Because nothing was more important to Gary in this life than his family.

“Now Gary,” the Lord says, taking Gary’s hand in His, “We’ve been over this. You can’t just go back. First, it would freak everybody out. Second, your body was in some serious trouble and you don’t want to go back to that painful state. Third, you’ll see them all again soon enough. And fourth, you have family here that would miss you just as much. So let’s settle on your alternative.”

Gary sighs. “Alright.”

And he’s not upset, because he knows the Lord is right. And when he arrives back at his heavenly mansion, he is thrilled when his Grandma Myrtle comes out of the kitchen with a spirit cake she baked from scratch. And his Grandpa Ray pats him on the back and wishes him a happy birthday. Which inevitably starts the endless hugs and kisses and birthday wishes from everyone from his Grandma Vivian, to his cousins, down to his great-nieces and great-nephews that we still haven't met, but who love and adore him as much as he does them.

And it’s then he realizes how grateful he is for the concept of eternal families and that we will all be together again eventually. So with a smile on his face and a room full of spirit friends and family, he sits at his piano and plays.

And knows that he is home.

So Long, February...

2011-02-28T11:13:00.002-07:00

As it's the last day of February, I give you 28 things that happened in the last little while (in no particular order):

1. Logan is 100%% potty trained. Even at night. Sooo glad that battle is over.
2. Kaylee is in the 10th percentile for height and weight. She's tiny.
3. Kaylee recently became obsessed with Baby Einstein. Took her long enough.
4. "Man vs. Food" came to Seattle recently. We now have 4 new restaurants we HAVE to go to.
5. St. Patty's Day is coming up, so I changed the blog background.
6. St. Patty's Day is coming up, I am excited for Shamrock Shakes.
7. My besty, Dani, got a new KitchenAid mixer. Equally as exciting for me as I already reaped the benefits of some delicious cookies.
8. My sister-in-law Liz is getting married on Saturday! She is wonderful and I hope her special day is everything she is hoping for. And I'm sad we won't be there.
9. It snowed here and stuck around for 4 whole days. Which I'm told is unusual. *crosses fingers*
10. We got our hefty tax refund!!!!!
11. In lieu of #10, Zac got me my very own Asus Netbook!!!!!!!!!! This deserves its own post.
12. I've been watching Desperate Housewives on Netflix and am a few episodes into season 3. It is sinfully delightful.
13. Logan went to a soccer clinic last weekend and learned a little bit about playing soccer.
14. I am looking into summer soccer programs for and 4 year olds.
15. I've been video chatting with some good friends as of late, now that I have my own computer with built-in camera.
16. Logan helped Kaylee out of her crib this morning and then they both came in and woke me up. Not sure how I feel about that.
17. I've been making friends in my ward, which has been good for me and good for Logan, as most of them have kids his age.
18. I finally got around to reading "Enna Burning," the second book in Shanon Hale's "Goose Girl" series. It was really good.
19. Still not sure how I feel about my bangs. Some days they look great and I like them so much better than no bangs at all, but then by the end of the day, I can't stand them and clip 'em back.
20. We've been taking long (like 2 hour long) walks as a family down by the lake. I mean, before it got cold and snowed.
21. It's been surprisingly difficult to find apartment manager jobs to apply for. Which is odd because we were applying to 3 or 4 a week before we moved here. I guess it's all in the timing.
22. My writer's group is still going strong, and they gave me some insights as to where my story line needs to go.
23. Zac has a job interview on Friday with a HUGE company. *crosses fingers again*
24. We are trying to plan a trip to Oregon again, but not sure when it will be convenient. But we miss family.
25. If everything works out with this job interview, we will be looking at apartments in and around Kirkland, Washington. EXCITING!
26. I've really already been browsing apartments online. It's kind of overwhelming when you expand your budget and know exactly what you can afford. Even without an apartment managing job. So many options...
27. I'm due for a cell phone upgrade. I really wanted the new iPhone, but now that I have my Netbook, I don't know if that's a necessity now. I'm sure there are cheaper options.
28. I'm still in love with Seattle and hope we can make it work here...it's hard to be so far away from family, but it's hard to think about leaving a place I've started to fall in love with. Just everything about it is so...well, Seattle. It's beautiful, culturally diverse (but not in a scary way...haha), it's exciting, it's where Grey's Anatomy takes place...the list goes on.

Sunday Snapshot...

2011-02-20T15:22:00.002-07:00

Snuggling with Daddy on a Sunday afternoon. Can life get any better? I submit that it can not.

The Curious Case Of The Southpaw...

2011-02-02T10:16:00.003-07:00

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this yet or not, but my baby is a lefty. One hundred percent. Here's the proof. Is it genetic? I know my aunt and cousin are lefties...but I find it rather curious. Sweet, but curious.

How Do We Do New York? Let Me Count The Ways...

2011-02-02T10:02:00.005-07:00

We do New York with Birthdays:

By rocking out in the car with Uncles:

In (indoor) pools with Grandma and Aunt Madi:

Finding plenty of uses for fuzzy blankets:

Thursday's Random Thoughts...

2011-01-20T07:27:00.005-07:00

On "Video Blogging..."
I have a few friends who, as of late, have started "video blogging." Instead of writing a post, they just video themselves and post the video. My first thought was "Hey that's a neat idea. And so easy to do...just talk and post." And then when I played out in my mind how it would go, my second thought was more like, "Duuuurrrrr...I wouldn't know what to say. I'm a writer, after all."

On Messes...
My brother-in-law, Remington, got a package in the mail yesterday. A large package. Full of packing peanuts. This happened:

At first, I was about to shriek, "STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" But when I realized the damage was already done, playing commenced. Followed by clean-up. Lots and lots of clean-up.

On Illnesses...
We have all been sick or otherwise afflicted since visiting New York. My back has been killing me. K and Logan have had terrible colds and coughs. Logan's turned into an ear infection for which he is now on antibiotics. Zac had some terrible stomach pain which he is guessing might be a kidney stone. Yet we are still having a good time and managing to not be too grumpy about it all.

On Wearing Pants...
I do. My daughter prefers not to. Any chance she gets as of late, she takes her pants off. Most notably, when we were out to dinner at the Villager with my parents the other night. Or maybe when she was walking around on Grandma's kitchen table. Or at the florist's on Tuesday. Or while I was posting this (see below). The list goes on.

On Bangs...
I have them now. I haven't had bangs since I was in 3rd grade. That year was the year Stephanie Hayes grew hers out, so I did, too. But the other night, my sisters-in-law and I got a little crazy. We went to Sally's Beauty Supply, bought hair dye, and had a night of hair fun. My hair is now about 4 shades darker, 3 inches shorter, and I have bangs. Still not sure how I feel about them. One minute I love them, the next minute I don't know what to do with them so I clip them back. There is a picture on facebook if you're curious.

Ooohh, Shiny...

2011-01-03T20:28:00.003-07:00

I like sparkly, shiny things. If you know me, you should know that by now. So I changed the blog background again. I certainly like this one. In other news, 2011 hasn't been awful yet. Great, no. But not awful either.

We have had some rather spectacular weather here in the northwest the last few days. It's been 50 and sunny all day. So Saturday, we decided to go be all touristy and roam around Elliott Bay and Pike Place Market. Little did we know it would be so dead on New Year's Day, but it was still fun. We even had fish and chips right on the water. We will definitely be going back when it gets warmer again.

Auld Lang Syne...

2010-12-31T11:36:00.003-07:00

I don't want this post to sound whiny, but it does. And I'm not looking for support or reassurance, I simply want to be able to reflect on this last year the way I do the first half of 2006...as a basis of comparison, and to remind myself of the low points and that things can only get better. You see, 2010 hasn't been good to us. In fact, 2010 has pretty much sucked. Looking back over the last year in blog posts, the few good things that happened can easily be seen in a negative light.

Like me getting a job and earning more money = hating my job, being tired and stressed all the time, and feeling guilty for the rest of my life that I was away from my kids so much for 9 long months.

Or like us getting the mini van = more car repairs than I care to think about.

Trip to LA = cost us a lot of money and didn't yield any results for jobs or even contacts for Zac.

Moving to Seattle and living with the Williams' = not having any friends or job offers and feeling like I'm in the way all the time.

See what I mean? I hate to be such a Debbie Downer about it all, but it's been rough. And that was the "good stuff" that happened. Forget all of the other crap that I don't want to go into detail about. Unemployment, deaths, fighting, unemployment, debt, computers breaking, did I mention unemployment? This year has pretty much been comparable to our first six months of marriage which were probably the worst six months of my life (not because of being married, mind you, but because of all of the other awful things that happened to me in those six months...deaths, unemployment, severe anemia, school issues, etc...all that other crap that I don't wish to think about).

So yeah. Here's to hoping for a better and brighter 2011.

And speaking of bright, here are some pictures of my beautiful kids in the bright sunshine. (These were taken a few weeks after moving to Seattle at our new favorite park that is right down the road.)

We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Belated Christmas Post...

2010-12-31T11:08:00.004-07:00

So I tried taking pictures of the kids in order to send out Christmas cards this ear...then Zac's card reader wasn't working so I couldn't upload the pictures. And I didn't get a single decent picture of the kids together anyways, so whatever. But, these are some cute ones that did turn out and deserve recognition somewhere.
The girl:

The silly boy:

Christmas was great. Do I have pictures? No, because we were too busy web chatting all day with my parents, Zac's parents, and Zac's brothers and I just didn't take any pictures. Fail. I know. However, I feel it is safe to say that the kids LOVED every one of their presents...from shoes to games to toys to clothes, they couldn't be happier. Among Logan's favorites: the full-sized Buzz Lightyear ("Butt Laser," as he pronounces it), a wooden train set from Ikea, his new sneakers from my parents, and his fire-breathing dragon from Zac's parents. Kaylee LOVES her pink sneakers from my parents (she tries to put them on every chance she gets), her Little People dolls which seem to make the bath WAY more fun, her baby doll and bottle she got from us, and the stuffed puppy from Ikea that she got from us. She says "puppy" like "Ba-boo" for some reason and she sleeps with that puppy all the time. Bedtime and naptime have gotten much calmer...as long as she has her Ba-boo, she just snuggles it, rolls over, and goes to sleep.

I scored some good stuff...I am really falling in love with my faux fur pom pom slippers from Old Navy from Zac's mom. They are adorable and toasty warm. I also love the earrings my parents got for Kaylee, even though they aren't my gift. There are 3 pairs of 14K gold earrings...pink CZ, butterflies, and gold balls. They have safety backs which twist on and are rounded caps so the earring post doesn't poke her. They are beautiful!

So, we had a good Christmas. Not a white one, but a good one.

All I Want For Christmas...

2010-11-16T20:59:00.001-07:00

Well, not really ALL I want. But if you are wanting to get our little family a gift as a family gift, this is the one: $40 family pass to the Seattle Children's Museum. Just a thought.

This Last Month (Scatter-brained Style)...

2010-11-11T11:46:00.002-07:00

So I always put off blogging until I have time to make something funny, witty, pretty, etc. I tried to make a timeline in Photoshop of the last month with pictures and descriptions...it was very clever. Then the computer crashed. And now I'm getting to the point that it's been more than a month and it will be very hard to catch up on all of the events in that manner.

My second thought was to write a song to the tune of Billy Joel's, "We Didn't Start the Fire," since this last month+ has been hectic enough to warrant that. But again, I don't have the time or patience to do that.

Instead, you get a mismatched, unorganized series of events that I will just write down for future reference. Maybe, MAYBE, I'll get to a picture smattering of events later, too. So, deep breath. Here goes:

Early October:
General Conference. It was great.
Kaylee started walking more than crawling.
I bought myself some sparkly Converse sneakers. I love them.
We had an offer to move to Seattle and live with my best friend's in-laws.
We didn't want to take the offer because it was just so...uncertain. Other than we'd have a place to live as long as we needed it.
A few talks in Conference and some thoughtful prayers later, we decided we were moving to Seattle.
I put in my two-weeks notice at work.
I put in our 30-day move-out notice.
Found a new writer's group in the Seattle area.

Mid-October:
Started packing.
Zac's friend Brian Coller came and stayed with us for a few days.
I made chicken tortilla soup with black beans and fed it to Brian. His stomach doesn't do well with black beans. He spent a good day barfing.
We came up with a list of things to do before leaving Provo.
I broke my glasses beyond repair. They were still under warranty, but they only had black frames in stock (mine are brown). So I had to use black until they got mine in.
I used a spa gift certificate I had and got pedicures and "glitter toes" with my neighbor, Roxy.
Roxy talked me into going with her to her parent's houseboat on Lake Powell sans children.

Late October:
Went to Lake Powell with Roxy and left the kids home with Zac for three days.
Zac's best friend, Matt DiPerri, came out for a visit.
Had a hitch installed on our van so we could pull our Uhaul.
We finally made it up to the Salt Lake Temple. It was awesome.
Attended a good friend's baby's funeral. That makes two and I'd rather not have to do that ever again.
K started "talking" more. Actually distinguished between "yes" and "no" now. Before it was always "Nuh-uh."
Packed up most of the apartment.
Returned a bunch of stuff to people all over the city of Provo that didn't belong to us.
Broke my pinky toe on my left foot. I still can't wear my sparkly Converse sneakers.
Packed up the rest of our apartment, shoved it into a Uhaul trailer, and left the state of Utah.
Spent a few days in Idaho with the Ganoes.

Early November:
Made our way up north. I drove a lot. Pulling the Uhaul.
Spent a night in Somewhere, Washington at a hotel.
Finally made it to Sammamish where we are currently living. (Let me know if you need the address!)
Continued/continuing the job hunt (apartment managing, animation jobs for Zac, part-time writing gigs for me).
Went to the Costco in Kirkland...which is basically like going to Ikea in Sweden.
Got a GPS which is necessary when moving to a new state. I'm convinced.
Met with my new writing group for the first time (last night, actually). They are equally as fantastic as my Provo-based one. However, there was better parking for the one in Provo. And yet, meeting at a coffee shop in downtown Seattle is pretty darn hip.

Um. I think that's all. Now you know how my brain really works when I don't have time to process things. We are off to look at an apartment for a management position in a bit. They owner was nice and said "here's the address...go look at the building and see if you'd be interested in living there first. If so, call me back and we can set up an interview." I don't know what to take from that...potentially, it's really ghetto and we might hate it and may not even want to apply. But we shall see.

I'm out!

Punkin' Patch...

2010-10-15T16:35:00.003-06:00

I know I still haven't said much about Seattle. I will. Until then, here are pictures from our pumpkin picking extravaganza yesterday:

And yes, that does happen to be the same shirt Zac wore at the same farm 2 years ago. Maybe it's time for a wardrobe overhaul...

I also enjoy the picture where the boys are sitting the same way on the hayride. Like father, like son, I suppose.

Metaphor Continued...

2010-10-04T21:50:00.002-06:00

(Courtesy of my Aunt Karen at Strapp Studio)

EEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Details where I spill all of the nitty-gritty are forthcoming. But for now, you should just know that the whole family couldn't be happier!!!!

Try This Metaphor On For Size...

2010-09-18T18:54:00.004-06:00

I don't know why I post the things I post. Like when I get my hopes up about something (see the last two posts about potential moves for us). I get all excited and then...

BAM.

It falls through.

The lady in Seattle? She still wants us.

I still want to go.

But I don't think it's going to happen.

"Not under these conditions," someone said.

I hate Provo.

I hate my job.

I want OUT.

I feel like I'm a fish on dry land, slowly suffocating. Or better yet, I feel like a fish in a plastic carnival bag that is slowly leaking water. Yep. Like this:

I'm running out of room to breathe, to swim, to be happy and alive. And here comes this net, ready to scoop me up. But I can't tell if the net will drop me into the ocean where I can breathe and be free and happy, or if it will simply drop me into a small bowl where I will continuously swim in circles, surrounded by my own fecal matter.

So no, I don't think we are taking this Seattle job. "Not under these conditions." (Makes snide, mocking face.)

I'm pissed.

Time For Another Fortunately/Unfortunately Story...

2010-09-18T09:25:00.002-06:00

Fortunately, my husband and I are both college graduates now.
Unfortunately, I picked a terrible major for which to acquire a job.
Fortunately, my husband picked a specialized major for which he has a deep love and where jobs are typically plentiful.
Unfortunately, the whole "economy being terrible" thing has hit his job market in the area of internships and low-level positions, so now companies only have positions that are contractual or are for people with 3-5 years experience.
Fortunately, the place with the most freelance and contractual jobs to offer is Seattle (and the surrounding areas, where we would love to live.
Unfortunately, Seattle is expensive and paying rent for an apartment when you aren't sure if and when you will have a job and get paid is scary.
Fortunately, the idea occurred to us that apartment managers typically get free rent.
Unfortunately, we don't have any experience managing apartments, and there sure aren't any positions in Provo to get us started.
Fortunately, there are 2-3 postings a day on Craigslist for ads for apartment managers.
Unfortunately, (and obviously) no one that posts those ads wants to hire someone from out of state.
Fortunately, one of the first jobs we applied for, we got a phone call back and the owners were so excited to meet us that they were willing to Skype-interview us.
Unfortunately, we never heard back from them. Even after sending an email saying "If you found someone else to fill the position, that's great. But please let us know!"
Fortunately, there were a ton of other want-ads, so we kept applying.
Unfortunately, we only heard back from two other owners, both of whom we didn't get a response from after we said we were out of state and could not make it in for an interview the next day at 9:00 a.m.
Fortunately, I got a voicemail on Thursday from a lady with a 20-unit complex that wanted to phone interview us.
Unfortunately, she wanted to have a phone interview basically to pre-screen before she would make up her mind if she wanted us to come into the office for an actual interview. So I never called back.
Fortunately, she noticed on our resumes that we are BYU graduates and secretly, she was hoping to hire an LDS couple. So she called again.
Unfortunately, I was at my crappy job that I hate, so I didn't answer.
Fortunately, Zac had his phone on him so she called him.
Unfortunately, Zac was caught off-guard and didn't know how to respond to any of her questions.
Fortunately, he told her just to call me and leave a message and I would call her back asap. So she did. Then he texted me and told me, "got a call from an apartment place in seattle. the lady said she is mormon and likes the idea of hiring mormons and needs someone like now."
Unfortunately, I was still in the middle of work and didn't have time to call her back.
Fortunately, when I did listen to her message and call her back, she was thrilled. We talked for a good 15 minutes about the job, the pay, and about how soon we could get there.
Unfortunately, the compensation for the job is only half rent credit. We would still have to come up with $450 a month.
Fortunately, I explained our desire to be managers was for the free rent. Then she said we could have until at least November free. She also said that with the three other properties she manages, she would throw work our way (painting, cleaning, turn-overs, etc), to help compensate for the other half of our rent.
Unfortunately, it's only a two bedroom.
Fortunately, it has a washer, dryer, dishwasher, and a fireplace.
Unfortunately, and this is a BIG unfortunately, she wants us there in a week. Like, pack up the entire apartment, quit my job, and drive to Seattle by next weekend.
Fortunately, it gets us to Seattle with extremely discounted (if not free) housing.

But do you see why I'm stressed?????

Miss K...

2010-08-30T16:44:00.008-06:00

Disclaimer: Her hair is out of control in nearly all of these pictures. I promise I usually do it and she normally doesn't look so homely!

(On her 1st birthday...over a month ago. Wow.)

Well, Miss K has been up to quite a lot. She is such a big girl!!! She now scales all three flights of stairs in our house in about 38 seconds flat. And just a few days ago, she learned how to go down them on her own, too. She also knows how to get up and down from the couch, the chair, Logan's bed...you name it.

She isn't quite ready to walk yet, but she is getting pretty good at the standing thing which tells me that walking isn't too far behind. Here's a video of her doing just that....however, I had to put the camera out of sight/reach and didn't realize you couldn't see her head. But whatever. You get the idea. (I would say "I'll try and get a better video and post it later," but we both know I won't actually do it, so I won't make any empty promises here.)

And as I mentioned before, she is pretty much weaned. I totally feel a sense of freedom. Both times that I have weaned my children, I have expected to be a little sad. However, that's not the case. I'm glad I've done it until they are just about 1, but the honest truth is that I find it suffocating to nurse and have a baby literally attached to me several times a day.

Even though she is on the bouncy seal thing at the playground in this picture, she LOVES the slide. She would climb the stairs and go down the little slide all on her own all day if she could. K also has a total of 6 teeth...two on the bottom and 4 on the top. At her last appointment, she weighed in at a petite 18 1/2 pounds which is like the 30th percentile.

K is still napping twice a day (most of the time), which is great. And though she wakes up once or twice at night still, it usually only lasts about 5 minutes and she puts herself back to sleep.

Her favorite food is cantaloupe, but she also goes crazy for Vanilla Oreos, most pastas, and root beer. And she prefers a bottle full of water when she goes down for a nap over anything else. She also has two super-soft blankies that she likes to snuggle when she sleeps. Though she doesn't need them, per say, I think she prefers to have them close.

We sure love our little princess!!!

Ugh. I Know...

2010-08-23T22:32:00.001-06:00

I don't blog anymore. I'm too tired. But I do have to say this:

If I don't get out of Provo like NOW, I'm going to slit my wrists.

Just sayin'.

Oh Man, Oh Man, Oh Man...

2010-08-11T21:40:00.002-06:00

I hate getting my hopes up.

But just this once, EVERYTHING seems to be falling into place.

The stars are aligning.

The timing seems perfect. Especially now when timing seems to be everything.

And I don't want to give away too much info because I honestly feel like that jinxes us.

But, for now, let's just say that someone found a something in Somewhere, Washington and had an interview. And though the something isn't like a Microsoft something, it certainly would be, well, for lack of a better word, PERFECT right now.

I feel like packing more boxes.

Potentially Too Much Info...

2010-08-03T22:17:00.004-06:00

...but I had to write it somewhere.

And Facebook didn't seem like the appropriate venue.

Turns out it's "World Breastfeeding Week" this week (August 1st-7th).

Apparently I didn't get the memo.

It's "Weening Week" here at the Steele's.

I forgot how painful it can be.

Sunday Snapshot...

2010-08-01T15:10:00.002-06:00

I love this time of year combined with the gardening talents and generosity of our ward members. You see, many of the older people in our ward are active gardeners and have a plethora of seasonal produce. And they bring it to church and leave it up for grabs. Today, I made off with a zucchini and a nice yellow summer squash and three cucumbers. The zucchini and squash are in the oven becoming ratatouille right now. The cucumbers will go nicely in salad with our salmon tonight.

But the picture? That is Logan and Zac picking fresh, sun-ripened apricots right off of the tree. An older gentleman in our ward has this giant tree in his yard that is producing more than he can handle and said, "feel free to stop by and pick as many as you want!" so we did!

Not quite sure what I'm going to do with them yet so if you have any suggestions...

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!!!

2010-07-26T19:28:00.003-06:00

(I realized that I never posted this draft that I wrote in California...I guess it's just another epic failure that goes with celebrating my baby girl's first birthday.)

Since Logan's birthday post was delayed, it only made sense to wait a few days to talk about Miss K's first birthday celebrations, too. (That, and we're on vacation`, so...)

So I know it sounds awful, but we didn't do much. We still have to take her on her "Mommy and Daddy Birthday Date," but I will let you know when that happens. I figure, hey. She's one. She won't really be offended if we don't take her out for another week or two. Besides, we're in L.A. and we don't have anyone to watch Logan :-)

So what DID we do? Well, on her birthday, we had a lot going on. We all had to be at like 4 different places Wednesday afternoon so we decided to postpone the cake-eating until Thursday. So we ordered her free first birthday cake from Macey's for pick-up Thursday afternoon. Long story short, we didn't get to the cake Thursday. Nor did we do it Friday. And before we knew it, were packing up the car and heading to Vegas. So what did we do? Took it with us and ate it for breakfast, of course.

TOBs...

2010-07-24T08:37:00.006-06:00

So this one time, I had car trouble. Well, it wasn't car trouble just yet. I had some seriously squeaky belts. Every time the a/c in the Sube was on, it made a horrible screeching noise under the hood. So, being a mechanic's daughter and all, I figured this to mean that I needed to have the serpentine belts in the Sube replaced. So I took it in to the Subaru shop that is literally 18 feet away from our house and asked how much it would be to change the belts.

"Well the belts are about $18 each and with about a half hour of labor...should be around $85."

Ha. I don't think so.

So I started on my own little adventure. Found a tutorial on the web (which pretty much turned out to be useless). Went to AutoZone and got the belts for a whopping total of $23. Popped the hood, disconnected the battery, marveled at my engine, and called my neighbor for assistance.

So we got to work.

Had a little trouble finding which bolts the tutorial was trying to have us loosen, which was when we decided to forget the tutorial and just do what made sense. So after the moved the alternator around a little bit, voila! The old, cracked, and split belts popped right off. One of our other neighbors walking by called us her new favorite TOBs...tough old broads. I guess I'll take that :-)

Putting the new belts back on took a few minutes. We were so excited when we got them off, we may have forgotten to look and make sure we knew how to put the new ones back on. So after a few tries, we got it. And after some tugging and pulling and grunting, we got the alternator back in place which put the right tension back in the belts. And before we knew it, we were ready to start up the engine.

And sure enough, it started. And for the moment of truth, we turned on the a/c to full blast. Without a single squeak or screech. A job well done, in my opinion. Sure it took about 2 hours when the Subaru guy said it would take him about 30 mins, but whatever. And we got to celebrate with the satisfaction of doing it ourselves. And grease on our hands. And with a couple of Root Brewskies.

I Won! I Won! I Won!!!

2010-07-19T15:45:00.002-06:00

Remember this?

Well I won!!!!!!

Since the 1st place winner won BOTH categories (good for her, right?), they wanted to have a runner-up and I GOT IT!!!! I had the second most votes, THANKS TO YOU GUYS, so I get another ARC!!!!

EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Honey!!!

2010-07-18T09:48:00.002-06:00

This was from Zac's 5th birthday. 20 years ago. Too bad his siblings aren't here to re-stage the picture. That would be sweet.

Happy birthday, darling. I love you. I'm so so so glad you were born 25 years ago so that you could wander into my life when you did. You're amazing and deserve nothing less than the happiest of birthdays!!!!

Argh! Things Are Happening!!!

2010-07-17T01:03:00.004-06:00

Ok, time for a 1:00 a.m. scatter-brained blog post.

As of late, I love the quote from 30 Rock where Liz thinks she's pregnant after eating a ton of Cheet-o type snack foods. (And NO, I am not pregnant and choosing to reveal it in the form of a 30 Rock quote.) She calls and leaves a voice mail for Jack which goes, "Hey Jack, it's Liz. Maybe you're busy spreading democracy. Anyways, give me a call. Argh! Things are HAPPENING!"

So she's freaking out over huge life happenings, but she doesn't want to blurt out said life happenings in inappropriate venues.

I get it, Liz Lemon. I truly do.

Things are HAPPENING.

Do you know how I know things are happening and it's not just me getting all caught up in my head and over-thinking things? DO YOU?

I can't stop biting my nails.

Something I only do before huge things happen.

The week before my wedding, I was at my wits end because I refused to let myself bite away my natural ready-to-be-manicured nails.

High school graduation? I chewed those suckers right off.

Moving to Utah, going to writers conferences, family planning...all big happenings. Not necessarily stressful or bad...just big. And happening. And all resulting in jagged-edged, uncomfortably (for me) short fingernails.

Sorry if this has piqued your interest and is not revealing in the slightest. But all I can say for now is that things are HAPPENING.

Vote For Mine!!!

2010-07-12T20:49:00.002-06:00

Remember that book cover I made? Well, it's time to vote!!!! Go here. Click on "Click Here To Vote." Fill out the form. Mark "Yes" for being a blog follower. Vote for #13. Then tell your friends to do the same. It only takes like 2 seconds. 2 seconds of your time to give me ETERNAL GLORY.

Thanks!!!

Sunday Snapshots...

2010-07-11T20:53:00.003-06:00

Zac has been spending a lot of time at the Lab as of late...seeing as how his account will expire next month. So instead of sitting around the house by myself on a sunny Sunday evening, I took the kids to the duck stream by the bell tower on campus. Of course, I forgot the camera, but I did happen to have my cell phone so I took some with that. And I have to say, these are some of my favorite pictures ever. K's face in the top one...I don't know how I managed to snap it at just the right moment, but it is HIGH-LARIOUS. And the picture of Logan hugging K...well, it's just precious. And it wasn't staged. He really loves his sister. And as long as he doesn't hug too hard or long, she sure loves him right back. They are the best siblings in the entire world. I'm convinced of it.

Logan loved feeding the ducks while Kaylee pointed and grunted at them. I also let Logan take his shoes of and wade in the water at the top of the waterfall...but it was FREEZING, so he didn't last long.

Happy Sabbath!

Another Contest...

2010-07-08T16:47:00.001-06:00

This time, it's a creative one. I'm trying to win a cover design contest for Bree Despain's new book. Isn't it pretty???

STOMP ROCKET!!!

2010-07-08T15:55:00.003-06:00

Logan got a "Stomp Rocket" in the mail yesterday for one of his birthday presents, and we played with it outside for well over an hour. And it's not much to blog about, but I felt like I had to share a few things. Like these pictures of Logan playing with, you guessed it, the packaging while the toy patiently waited. But isn't that always the way? The bubble wrap and boxes are almost as entertaining as the toy itself.

So once he popped all of the air bubbles, he moved on to learning how to actually launch the rockets. And of course the one launch I get on video heads right into a tree...

4th Of July Weekend...

2010-07-08T15:32:00.006-06:00

Last 4th of July was a bust. I was 25 months pregnant, we didn't stake out seats for the parade 3 days in advance so we had to stand a block away from the route, and we barely got lucky enough to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks...from 8 miles away. LAME.

So while I was complaining about hating Provo during the 4th festivities, one of my very favorite people in the world, Roxy Barlow, said "Why don't you come up to my parent's house in Huntsville? We camp in their yard, boat in the lake, there is a small-town parade, and one of the best fireworks shows you can imagine."

So I said, "Sign me up."

So Friday, we drove up past Ogden to the Harper's. It was pretty much a perfect 4th of July weekend (aside from my apparently terrible ragweed allergies...I couldn't breathe through my nose the entire time we were there). Starting on Friday after we set up "camp," we played volleyball on the sand court in their back yard, Logan had about a million friends to play with, snacked on tons of food, had tons of fun, and Zac had wireless access.

Then Saturday morning, we got up and got ready for the parade. There was also a breakfast in the park...it was very Bloomfield-ish and made me a bit homesick, to tell you the truth. Also, Roxy's Great-Uncle collects Civil War era things and has a group of her cousins dress up every year and march in the parade...and even fire the cannon. It was great!

After the parade, the park was filled with bounce-houses and games and vendors and all sorts of fun. Of course we didn't stay long since we had a sleepy baby, but even back at the Harper's, the fun was continuing.

That night, there was a dance-type thing back in the park prior to fireworks. We were only there for a few songs since, again, we had a sleepy baby who we were trying to make nap late so she would be not so cranky for the fireworks. So for a while, we just drove around the lake so the kids would snooze. And this was the view:

Nice, huh?

So the fireworks were a huge hit. After every blast, Kaylee would go "ooh!" or "eh!" and clap occasionally. Logan said he liked it, even though he covered his ears THE ENTIRE TIME. Silly boy.

So this year...WAY better than last year. Happy Birthday, America. Thanks for giving us an excuse to barbecue and light things on fire.

Logan's Belated Birthday Post...

2010-07-08T15:08:00.007-06:00

So we have started a tradition for birthdays in out family. On your actual birthday, you get to go out anywhere you want (within reason) with just Mom and Dad. Then you also get a friend party that weekend (or whenever is convenient). We started this on Logan's 1st birthday mainly because his best friend James was out of town on Logan's birthday. So, that being said, here's how Logan's 3rd birthday went down:

For his "mom and Dad" celebration, we went to Pirate Island. It's a pizza place...on crack, basically. Pirates as servers, ship cannons that fire smoke rings, thunderstorms...let's just say we were impressed and Logan had a blast.

We also went to see Toy Story 3. It was fantastic. And Logan loved that, too. He even got to take his Woody doll he got from James :-)

For his "Friend Party," I believe I had a stroke of genius. Instead of having 10 three-year-olds running around my house and having very limited seating for the parents, I thought, "Hey...why don't we do it at the park down the road?" It was quite possibly the best idea ever. We snagged the pavilion in case it rained (which it didn't...it was perfect), set up hot dogs, all sorts of salads, and drinks. The kids played on the playground (and in the drink cooler of ice) while the adults all got to sit back and relax. I figure there is no point in organizing games and such at this age, so why not keep it low-key?

Logan also requested a "Cars" cake, and since I was way too busy this year to actually make one, I was happy to oblige by getting a store-bought one. He didn't seem to mind.

He made out quite well in terms of presents (THANKS to all the grandparents and aunts and uncles!!!) from family and friends and I think 3 is going to be a good year for the little guy!

Because Bree Is Awesome...

2010-07-01T20:03:00.002-06:00

I have blogged about Bree Despain a few times on here. And you should all know by now that I want to be just like her when I grow up. So anything I can do to help her out, I do. (And winning her contests doesn't hurt, either.) So here is the trailer for her first book:

Cool, huh? I WANT TO BE HER!

Random Things (About Me) Thursday...

2010-06-24T16:06:00.003-06:00

(Christmas 1990 with my cousin Steven)

(March 2004 in Las Vegas)

I have a lot of time to think at work. And Today I was thinking about myself and some of my quirks and little-known factoids that make up who I am. (I know, a bit self-indulgent.) But I thought I would share:

1. My first name is actually Sarah Kay. No, Kay is not part of my middle name. Sarah Kay. One name. Well, two names, but...you get it. I think the story goes that my mom liked the name Kay after one of her close friends and my dad liked Sarah for no reason in particular. So they threw them together. And very few people actually call me by my full first name. My mom would when I was in trouble. My Dad would occasionally. My Uncle Gary did all the time. My aunt Karen still does. And my cousins Cindy and Paul both still do. But that's about it.

2. I hate pancakes. I don't know if I've shared this before or not, but I HATE them. Not "would prefer not to have them for breakfast," but more like "am outraged when offered them." I don't really know why. Maybe it's the way they absorb syrup or the way people order them in huge stacks, or how some people try to make them sound more appealing by calling them "fluffy." Whatever it is, I HATE THEM. However, if in "silver dollar" form, I find them less offensive.

3. I also hate spoons. When given a food item that can be eaten with either a fork or a spoon (Mac and Cheese, mashed potatoes, etc), I will always take the fork. And when given a food item that requires a spoon (ice cream, soup, etc), I will search high and low for a disposable one. I think maybe it has something to do with the fact that the spoon has a lot of surface area that touches the inside of people's mouths. Multiple people. And that's all I can really think about when using a spoon. That someone else's ENTIRE mouth was on and around that spoon. Now the fork, on the other hand, should hardly touch the lips if used properly. That's a utensil I can eat with.

The spork? Well, it is a handy invention, I'll give them that. And more often than not, they are disposable, so they are ok by me.

4. I am writing a novel. I guess most people have figured that out by now, but there it is. I am a writer. Or, at least trying to be. My goal is to be published by the time Logan hits 3rd grade. And I'm always looking for names to give my characters. So if you ever want to be written in. let me know. However, after Julie Driscoll told me that she wanted her name in print, her character has turned into quite the beeotch. So...be forewarned.

5. I am dieting. And this is the first actual diet I have ever done in my life. And so far, it seems to be working quite well. I already hit goal number one, which was to drop below *** lbs. And I managed to do it in 4 days. So while I am hungry and can't wait to up my calorie intake again, I am getting in better shape for Zac's sister's wedding. In August.

6. I may become a resident of the state of Washington sooner rather than later. But this is a developing story with no real confirmation from the Associated Press yet. More on this later.

Well, that's all for now.

Happy Father's Day...

2010-06-19T23:52:00.006-06:00

To this guy:

And this one:

And him, too:

...but since this blog also serves as my journal, I need a little self-indulgent moment. This is going to be an Uncle Gary post and might get sad, so feel free to stop reading.

My first Father's Day without an Uncle Gary to send a card to was really hard. I remember looking for cards in the Hallmark section of Walmart and finding the "For Uncle" slot. I freaked out and called my mom, hysterically crying. She probably had no idea what I was saying through my gasps and sobs. And I'm sure I was freaking out the other nearby Walmart shoppers. But I couldn't stop crying until I put that card in my cart. Of course, once I bought it, I had no idea what to do with it, which seemed to only make me cry more. Then the Saturday night before Father's Day, I went to the little grocery store near our apartment and bought some balloons. Sure, maybe it was corny, but I tied that card to those balloons and let it go the next morning up in the mountains, alone. There was a nice breeze, so I let go.

And the balloons dropped right to the ground. The helium seemed to have leaked out just enough that the balloons couldn't support the weight of the card. Again, I started sobbing. Even my stupid little gesture wasn't going to work. So out of frustration, with tears in my eyes, I started cutting away at the balloon ribbons with my car keys, hoping that would lighten the weight just enough. I waited for the breeze to come back, held my breath...and it worked. Slowly, the bunch of balloons drifted up, taking the card with them. I must have watched them for half an hour, until they were just a tiny little speck in the sky.

Now I'm not claiming that the card I wrote made it's way to heaven or whatever, but I don't really like to chalk things up to "just coincidence." either. And maybe it took a while for that card to reach him, but I think I got a "Thank You" tonight. I was feeling a little heart broken, wishing that I could just say "Happy Father's Day" to the person who was most like a father to me (aside from my Daddy, obviously) and a song I had never heard came on the radio. {side note: every Saturday night, I listen to "Show Tunes Tonight" on KOSY 106.5...all show tunes, all night long.} And this is the song I heard:

I had just pulled the van into our parking spot when I heard my name in song (which I love anyways). Both of the kids were sleeping, so I turned off the car and sat and listened. And I cried a little. And after I got the kids in bed, I found this video. And listened to it about a million times.

Of course, I can't find the song on iTunes or Amazon or anything, but there is this. (If you know where I can get it, let me know. It's called "Sarah" from "The Civil War" the musical.)

So...Happy Father's Day, Uncle Gary. Hope your cards have been getting to you.

Because Christine Facebooked Me And Told Me To Post...

2010-06-18T22:52:00.005-06:00

I've been busy. I know that's not an excuse, but I find my time is better spent with my children than blogging. Case-in-point:

Instead of blogging a few weeks ago, we went to Utah Lake:

And last night, instead of blogging, we did this for about 20 minutes:

See those PJ's? Logan wore them when he was tiny. And now I make K wear them. Why? Because they remind me of the PJ's the baby in "Labyrinth." And we all know how much I love that movie. And nearly every time I put K in these jammies, we listen to this:

So what else can Miss K do these days besides bring up feelings of cheesy 80's movies? Well, like you saw briefly, she can clap. She has also learned the signs for "more," "all done," and we're working on "please." She points, waves, gives kisses, and gives hugs. She is also just barely getting out of her stranger anxiety phase. She is crawling at the speed of light, standing, and walking along furniture. She is getting so big. It's hard to believe that she will be one next month. One year old. Where did the time go?

And how about that Logan boy? Well, he will be three. On Monday. It's insane. And he will get his own post then.

So I suppose this post is a bit scatter-brained, but that's what you get when you request a post that I haven't thought through enough :-)

Sigh...

2010-06-06T09:24:00.001-06:00

Well, at least we aren't the only ones feeling hopeless right now!

New College Graduates To Be Cryogenically Frozen Until Job Market Improves

In Honor Of The New Ride...

2010-05-29T10:40:00.000-06:00

Sunday Snapshot...

2010-05-23T21:05:00.002-06:00

Presenting the newest member of our family:

"The Sube" is happy to have a sibling. I think we are naming her "Minnie."

The Reasons I Got To Celebrate Today...

2010-05-09T20:32:00.003-06:00

I'm so lucky.

No Reason In Particular...

2010-05-07T15:19:00.004-06:00

I used to work with a guy named Michael Shreeve. His wife's name is also Michael Shreeve. I think that would get very confusing. But I digress. Michael Ann (the wife, obviously) is a very cool girl. Granted, I've never met her in person, but Michael (the husband) clued me into how neat she was. She is very crafty. And sews. And from what I've seen, I think she should be on "Project Runway." So anyways, she entered a contest here and I think it would be sweet if she won. Her's is the yellow top pictured here. Check it out. Then vote for her on the right sidebar.

No, I don't get anything if she wins. I don't even know if she gets anything if she wins other than the satisfaction. But, for no reason in particular, I think you should vote for her sweet-looking top.

Thanks.

Dear Moms In My Life...

2010-05-04T22:13:00.002-06:00

(Especially the one who birthed me, the one who birthed my husband, and the ones who birthed our parents), I am fully aware that Mother's Day is Sunday. I am also aware that to have a present GUARANTEED to be there by Saturday via the USPS for the actual Mother's Day events, it should be in the mail by tomorrow. However, I don't know if that is going to happen. As you know, I work 40-hour weeks these days. And take care of my two children (and husband) in the meantime. And I also had non-stop house guests for the last three weeks.

I'm not complaining, really. I'm just covering my bases in case I don't get my act together and get stuff in the mail tomorrow. Just know that I love you and I am thinking about you and trying really hard to come up with a way to honor you on this most special of days. So there it is. <3

Thursday's Random Thoughts...

2010-04-29T22:57:00.003-06:00

Mother's Day is coming up. I don't know what to get for the moms in my life.
---
I told Zac he could get a new, non-broken X-Box if he did ALL of the dishes. That was on Monday. The dishes were never finished. He is playing Call of Duty.
---
I can't stop drinking blue Powerade at work. I like to call it "Smurf Blood" since it makes it sound more hardcore.
---
I am a sous chef at a mediocre restaurant. And I hold a bachelor's degree in English from a fairly prestigious university. Figure that one out.
---
I want these:

Sunday Snapshots...

2010-04-25T21:57:00.002-06:00

I Don't Know What To Do...

2010-04-17T11:10:00.004-06:00

The most terrible, heartbreaking thing in the world happened. My dorm neighbor from freshman year (and then again when we moved into our townhouse) lost her beautiful five-month-old daughter on Wednesday. She simply passed away in her sleep.

And I can't handle it.

I've been sobbing since Wednesday night.

I can't imagine what their family is going through.

I visited with her mom last night. She was the one who found the baby. All I could do was hold her hand and cry with her.

I want to go to the memorial service today, but I want to go and be strong for the family. I don't want to go and break down. And I don't know if I can handle a tiny coffin.

I wish I hadn't been so upset about losing my stupid phone.

I don't want this post to sound as selfish as it does.

I've been watching my children sleep a lot lately.

I want the K* family to know how much I love them and feel for them. And that I think about them often. And I would literally do anything to help ease the world of pain I can only imagine they are going through.

I don't know what else to do.

Just Another Something I Would Like To Win...

2010-04-12T15:14:00.002-06:00

A Giveaway for a 40-page critique. Whoo!

Sunday Snapshots...

2010-04-11T09:25:00.003-06:00

Look at this crawly girl!!!

Texas...

2010-04-11T08:24:00.012-06:00

Wow. It's been a month since I got there and I only posted "day 1" of the trip. Lame. So here are days 2-7: (also, pictures area little out of order and some are repeats. can't figure it out right now...baby on my lap!)

Day 2: We went to Dani's gym. She works in the daycare for a few hours, then gets to go workout herself. So that's what we did. And let me tell you, a good, sweaty workout followed by ten minutes of breastfeeding makes you feel like you've burned a million calories. (Which reminds me, I have access to a full gym at work so I'm starting to work out a little more. And yes, I'm sore.) Also, no pictures of that. Sorry.

Day 3: San Antonio Children's Museum.
Oh man. If this place wasn't AMAZING. Three floors of the most fun things you could imagine. We spent close to three hours there and still didn't see everything. The highlights: the ball thing (lots of tubes and air and ways to get plastic balls into a huge bin that would randomly dump them all out), the full-sized airplane cockpit, the mini-house, and the miniature HEB grocery store. The grocery store was probably my favorite...they even had actual computerized check-out stands where you could ring-up your groceries out of the mini-shopping cart. So fun!!!

Day 4: SEA WORLD!!!!!!!!!! Orcas, Sea Lions, Dolphins, Sharks, Penguins, Racecars...it was just so exciting that we had to go back the next day.

Day 5: Sea World again (because a daily admission pass is good for a year!) but this time, with Uncle Mat!!!!!

Evening of Day 5: Dani and the girls and I got to go out. I got my hair cut and we went out to dinner. It was a toss-up between Olive Garden and a steakhouse. We went for the steakhouse because of the name:

Day 6: Church in Texas (I grabbed a Spanish hymnal and couldn't figure out why it wasn't the right song...) and a laid-back afternoon at Mat and Dani's...which involved cookie-making.

Day 6: I packed and Dani took me to the airport. And then she came back and got my when I took a voluntary bump because my flight was oversold! (Which got me $800 in Delta flight vouchers and a hotel for the night. Which is a long story in and of itself...with the horrible web of lies!!!... but I just stayed the night at Dani's.) Oh, and before we left, we took these:

So after Dani picked us up, we went to the mall and had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. We also took the boys to Build-a-Bear where they made a bear together. He will be traveling between the two of them until it becomes uncool.

Day 7: We flew home for real. Only this time it was in First Class.

We had such a good time. We can't wait to go back! And I'm so grateful to have a best friend like Dani!!!!!!!!!

Give Him A Break...

2010-04-05T16:15:00.003-06:00

See this guy right here? He is wonderful.

Amazing.
Smart.
Talented.
Kind.
Sexy.
Hilarious.
Compassionate.
Patient.
Charitable.
The list goes on.

But here is the thing...he deserves a break. Not from life or being a father or anything like that. But we are talking career-wise. He stuck around BYU (paying tuition, I might add) for an additional year in order to work on his portfolio and to be able to be in direct contact with recruiters for jobs. I will spare you the details as I've posted about them before, but here is the bottom line: we have been waiting to hear back from Microsoft, the Holy Grail of Zac's career path, since his interview back in February.

And we are still waiting.

Now someone he knows got a callback on Saturday.

But we are still waiting.

This is what the Microsoft Jobs blog says about that:

On the JobsBlog alias, we get a collection of stories from people who don't hear back from their recruiters, and these emails all ask the same question; "What happened?".

Those of us who are on the alias usually go after these silent recruiters and chase down an answer, and typically the answer is the same; "We don't yet have a team that is interested in your candidacy".

At this point any well-meaning recruiter will say that they will continue to circulate your profile, and if there is a match then they will let you know. And then the cycle repeats, the silence soon returns, and so does the question, "What happened?".

I know this answer is unpopular, but I'll tell you the truth...if we have something for you, we'll call you. If you don't hear from us then we don't have anything (yet). That "yet" is what gets us all in trouble.

Recruiters will rarely tell you a final "no", and the reason is because there is seldom a terminal status. There are always new positions with new profiles and just because you are not a fit today does not mean you won't be a fit soon. Recruiters follow-up on those that are what we call "closest to the hire" - this is recruiter lingo for prioritizing time, which means that if you are farther from a "hire", then you will get prioritized lower. Like it or not, it's true.

This is all solved by setting expections a little better, and while recruiters should do this for you, it may not always happen. If your recruiter doesn't help set expectations, you should ask when/if you should expect to hear back.

So keep writing the alias, and we will continue to chase down the answer for you... and also know that when we have something, we'll call you…

- Jenna

So we sit here. Waiting.

And all I'm saying is that Zac is amazing. And I'm putting that out there into the universe with good feelings and positive thoughts as we wait.

Easter Eggs...

2010-04-03T20:20:00.004-06:00

So I saw this thing online about dying Easter Eggs using old silk ties. The idea is that if you boil the eggs wrapped in 100% silk, the design will transfer to the egg shells. I figured it was worth a shot. Logan and I went to DI (the local thrift shop) yesterday and he picked out 3 ties. Then this evening, I cut them apart and he helped me wrap them. I wrapped the eggs like two to three times around which, for future reference, was not the best idea. You're also supposed to wrap the tie-wrapped eggs in an additional fabric, like an old pillow case. I skipped this step. Again, not the best idea. So then Logan helped me put them in a pot with water and vinegar and we boiled them for 20 minutes (with three more unwrapped ones for good measure. And again, not a good idea if the eggs aren't wrapped in that extra layer).

*
Then pulled them out, cooled them off, and unwrapped them...

They did turn out pretty neat looking. But next time, I won't wrap them more than once with the tie itself. It made the print run into the main color of the tie. I will also be sure to wrap that second material around the egg to prevent so much of the color from bleeding into the water and onto the other eggs. Our burgundy-colored tie seemed to really dominate all of the other ones (teal, yellow, and blue).

Logan's First Movie...

2010-04-03T20:10:00.004-06:00

Zac has been talking about taking Logan to see a movie for a while now and I've been hesitant. Mainly because I knew if he acted up in the theater, I would be the one missing out on the movie. But when Savannah offered to babysit Miss K yesterday afternoon (and I had the day off from work), it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take him to a matinée of "How to Train Your Dragon."

(Sorry this is blurry...Zac took it. And he only took one of Logan and me. Boo.)

And he was a perfect little movie-viewer! The only time he got out of his seat was when there was about 10 minutes left and all he did was walk out onto the steps and sat there for a minute or two. He also had a hard time getting the concept of the 3D glasses so every few minutes he would take them off, only to put them back on a few seconds later. In retrospect, I think I would have taken him to a milder (it was fairly violent and scary for a two-and-a-half-year-old in my opinion), non-3D movie, but he still had a good time. And we had a fun time, too!

Like I Need Another Kitchen Gadget...

2010-03-29T15:13:00.001-06:00

...but really, I think every kitchen should have a cast iron skillet. And mine is without one. So I'm trying to win this one plus some other stuff.

Because, hey, why not?

Random Thoughts...

2010-03-25T15:07:00.002-06:00

...since it's Thursday. I feel like Maybe should start doing a "Random Thoughts Thursday" post. I've seen it around. They make me laugh. So here goes:

1. Work was slow today. Compared to the other restaurant, work always seems rather slow. So instead of standing around, I played ping pong for about 20 minutes. I really enjoy my job.

2. I'm starting to fall in love with "BabyLegs" leg warmers. Zac always puts Miss K in jumpers and dresses and I'd love some of these to keep her little legs warm. So I'm trying to win some from Thrifty Northwest Mom.

3. Logan has decided he likes pooping in the potty when he gets a prize. He has gone three times in the last three days. He just decides he wants whatever the prize of the day is (recently it's been Wall-E and Toy Story cutlery) and hops on the potty and goes. Maybe there will be an end to the diapers after all.

4. We still haven't heard back from any of the companies Zac has interviewed with recently. We're pretending that "no news isn't necessarily bad news." I mean, they haven't said no so...maybe he's still in the running???

5. Kaylee puts everything in her mouth. I mean EVERYTHING. And she chokes on it most of the time, too. I don't remember Logan putting so much stuff in his mouth. I mean, I guess he would, but then he would spit it out when he realized he couldn't eat it.

6. Jada Pinkett Smith has a band. It's called "Wicked Wisdom" and they claim to be a metal rock band. I don't necessarily like them. I just think it's random that Jada Pinkett Smith is in a metal rock band.

Sunday Snapshots...

2010-03-21T20:09:00.003-06:00

Can you believe this little girl is 8 months old today? I sure can't!!!

HUZZAH!!!

2010-03-20T09:21:00.002-06:00

I am participating in a "Writing Marathon" this weekend. It is being hosted by one of my former creative writing teachers (I almost said "old," but she would kill me) via her blog Throwing Up Words. And I just reached one of my goals. 10,000 words. Can you believe that????? AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! I'm so excited!!!!!! Granted, my original *impossible* goal was to get in 10,000 a day (for three days) and that didn't happen, but I've hit the 10,000 mark!!!!! Sure it's taken two days to get there, but I did it!!!!! EEEEE!!!!!

Deep In The Heart Of Texas...

2010-03-17T22:18:00.006-06:00

Oh man did we have an AWESOME time. And I took a ton...and I mean a TON of pictures. So I think I may break it up day-by-day. Because a week with my Bests in Texas deserves a post per day. So, without further ado, Day 1:

The flight was great. Direct flights = Godsend. Layovers = the devil. If only Delta would create a direct flight from Salt Lake to Rochester, then we'd be in business. Until then, I will just have to look forward to taking another non-stop to San Antonio. Anyways, the kids were perfect on the plane. We had seats right behind first class, so we had like 3 or 4 feet of space for Miss K to crawl around in. It was handy. And Logan was very well behaved...he watched his new favorite movie ("Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs") and enjoyed his snacks. And Before we knew it:

REUNITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The rest of the day was pretty low-key (as it should be on travel days) so Dani and I spent it chatting, taking a tour of her GORGEOUS home, and watching the boys do this pretty much all afternoon:

Stay tuned for days 2 thru 7!!! (Yes, you heard me. Day 7. That will be a fun post!!!)

Happy St. Patty's Day...

2010-03-17T22:17:00.002-06:00

And stay tuned for a plethora of Texas pictures!!!!!!

Also...

2010-02-27T11:02:00.002-07:00

...there is this blog I follow written by a literary agent. Just, you know, for when I have time to start writing again someday. And she had a contest that was only lasting for ONE HOUR today. If you submitted a query letter between noon and 1:00 pm EST, she would comment on it. I read this contest announcement at 11:56 am MST. Which meant I had 4 minutes to send it.

And I made it.

We will see what happens!

Man, Oh Man...

2010-02-27T09:19:00.004-07:00

There's a bit to catch up on...since I've turned into one of those lame bloggers. But I've been busy. So here goes:

The end of December was an interesting time for us. Zac was supposed to be finishing his very last semester. He was also supposed to have a job offer. Or at least an internship offer. I mean, come on...we had thought it through and really prayed about it and felt like he should stay in school for fall semester. So...we did it. Then he had an interview with Pixar in November. And a second one at the beginning of December. And then an email saying something like, "we liked your stuff. But we aren't looking for modelers/texturers right now. But keep applying...most of our employees have applied three or four times..."

So there we were, between Christmas and New Years, completely unsure about our future. Because, hey, we thought it would have been figured out by now. But alas, it seemed just as unclear as it had in August when Zac decided to do "one last semester." So what did we do? Decided "one FINAL semester" would have to do.

Now I know it sounds like Zac is going to be a professional student the rest of his life, but this is what is really going down: After talking to some of his professors, he realized that his chances for a job or a residency or an internship probably wouldn't come until after the winter semester. Recruiters typically want people for larger chunks of time and therefore typically visit campuses during February and March. And when Zac's professor showed him the schedule of recruiters visiting, that's exactly what he saw. Dreamworks in February, Microsoft (yay!!!), Pixar, Sony, and some new FX company based out of Dallas, all in March. So, the Final Semester ensued.

And though we are praying and hoping something good comes out of these campus visits, we realize that it is a real possibility that Zac could get passed over. And while he doesn't need a recruiter to get hired, it sure helps. Because in this industry when applying cold for a job, companies are looking for "Senior" artists and people with 4+ years of experience...not some kid right out of college. Ugh. So we started looking into the world of "contractual work." And we know people that it's worked out just fine for (I'm talking about you, D!!!) so it seems like a viable option. The only problem? we would need to move where the jobs are. Like:

SEATTLE!!!!!!!!!

Which we are wayyyy psyched about. But I did say "problem." To be perfectly honest, we looked at our financial situation and came to the conclusion that moving was just not an affordable possibility with our (then) current situation. I mean, we would have to pay for moving expenses, find a new place, (find a place to stay while we were looking for a new place), pay the deposit and rent when we found a new place...it was getting all very expensive in our minds. And Seattle is not the cheapest place in the world. So we decided a change of employment was in order. And the job hunt began.

And I found one first! Long story short (since this post is already long enough), I was hired by a company called Guckenheimer. They were opening a new restaurant for APX Alarm here in Provo and were hiring a whole new staff and I got hired on to cook AND serve. It all seemed a little overwhelming at first...but the hours were decent and the pay is GREAT for now! I work 7-3 and make about $12 an hour. My first paycheck had some over-time included and it was $1,200.00. Which is more than we were making in a MONTH before!

Now I was apprehensive to accept the job offer because I had decided two and a half years ago that I was going to be a stay at home mom. It was something that I wanted to do because I didn't have that growing up. Both of my parents worked (which I am grateful for...I mean, by the time I was four or five we were living in a brand new house that my parents owned!) and I hung out with my grandma all day (which I am also super grateful for!!!). But the thing is, I wanted to be with my babies. I didn't want them to have to go to a sitter or to family. So I didn't know how I felt about working and leaving them. Until we realized that the 7-3 schedule worked out so well. They don't even get up until 9:00 most days and as long as I am home by 3:00, Zac can be home with the kids!!! (Disclaimer: Zac has class at 3:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays and It takes me 15 minutes to get home, so we do have a bit of an overlap where Zac's friend, Chris, babysits for us!!!) I was also having issues because I am still breastfeeding. But that has all worked out, too. I have a double-electric pump and take a break to do it every day around 11. Then she has two 4 oz bottles for the next day (plus the baby food she now eats!!!) and I nurse her in the evenings. It's turning out to be a convenient situation for all of us!

So, that's where we stand now. Zac is at home with the kids during the day while I work 7-3. Then I come home and he goes to the lab for a few hours to work on his film/portfolio/demo reel. Then he comes home for dinner and we put the kids to bed...TOGETHER. Which is something we haven't consistently done EVER since he used to work from 9 pm to 1 am (which he no longer does...we figured if he was working that late, I would never see him and he would be way too tired to get up with the kids in the morning.) And then we actually have time together at night. So I'm putting my S.A.H.M. plans on hold for a few months, but I think it's going to be really good for us in the long run.

And that's what we've been up to!!!

Oh, and for reading such a long post, here is your reward:

Can You Spot The Difference???

2010-02-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

I used to think getting your baby's ears pierced was not the best idea, but after having a little girl of my own, I gave it a lot of thought and came up with some decent reasoning:

1. It's easier to do it when they're little.
-While I used to be of the school of thought that said "We'll let her do it when she wants to," I thought back on my first ear-piercing experience when I asked my mom to when I was in 3rd grade. It hurt, quite a bit as I recall. And it hurt so much that I was terrified to touch them so they got infected. Well now, I'm pretty sure K has already forgotten what happened a few hours ago. And I can clean them and turn them without her protesting it...probably when I change her diaper.

2. They will heal faster.
-Like I said, I'm responsbile for the earring care for a bit, not her, so I know they will be well taken care of. Which means minimal chance of infection, and optimal healing. And when she is ready to change her earrings and what not, she can because they will have been pierced for years and she won't have any trouble.

3. They are cute.

4. Yes it hurt, but...
-Zac has decided that our boys get circumcised and I would imagine that is just as bad, if not worse.

Happy Valentine's Day 2010!!!

2010-02-14T08:48:00.002-07:00

edit: Logan totally opened my box of chocolates and devoured three of them while I posted this.

(Click to make it bigger)

2 Posts In One Day!!!

2010-02-05T18:25:00.001-07:00

But this one is for solely selfish reasons. I want to win this contest:
To get a query letter reviewed by a pro.

*fingers crossed*

Oh, Logan...

2010-02-05T06:27:00.003-07:00

So now that I have this job (details to come, I promise) that requires me to get up at 6:00 am to be there by 7:00, I got to bed fairly early. Early for me, anyways. And last night at about 10:15, I was exhausted. Logan had been in bed since 9 and Kaylee had just fallen asleep nursing, so I took her upstairs and put her in her crib. The second her little head touched the mattress, however, she woke up screaming. Now like I said, I was exhausted so I decided to just bring her to bed with me and figured Zac could move her when he got home. Well, that worked out very nicely. K cried for about two minutes in our bed but fell right asleep, so I did, too. And I slept great until Zac got home around 11 and came upstairs where this conversation ensued:

Zac: Honey, I'm sorry to wake you up, but I had a question about Logan.
Me: Why what's wrong?
Zac: Nothing, but did you put him to bed?
Me: Of course I put him to bed. Just after Grey's Anatomy.
Zac: Oh ok. Because he is downstairs sitting on the couch, watching TV, and eating a bag of Doritos. But I'll take care of it.
Me: [rolls over and falls back asleep]

Oh, Logan.

Sunday Snapshot...

2010-01-24T21:30:00.002-07:00

Brother And Sister...

2010-01-21T12:14:00.001-07:00

Apparently I goofed and did something wrong so I'm re-posting all of the collages I made. Here's the one of K and Logan being so cute together over the last 2 months. Scroll down for the other ones!

Christmas 2009 In Pictures...

2010-01-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

Kaylee - December 2009...

2010-01-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Logan - December 2009...

2010-01-21T12:11:00.001-07:00

So For Christmas I Got A New Digital Camera...

2010-01-21T00:09:00.000-07:00

And though I have been taking pictures like crazy, I haven't uploaded any of them. Until now. My mother-in-law was feeling uber-generous toward me this Christmas and got me a Canon PowerShot SD780 IS. It's small enough to fit in my pocket and I pretty much have it on-hand all the time. And despite it's tiny size, it's got amazing resolution..12.1 mega pixels. Waaaaayyy better than my cell phone camera :-)

So be prepared for an over-load of collages and favorite pictures I have taken over the last two months...scroll down to see them all!!!

Brother And Sister...

2010-01-21T00:02:00.002-07:00

I feel so blessed that my kids seem to love each other so much. Having been an only child my whole life, I wasn't sure what to really expect when it came down to my kids and their sibling-y relationships. But I can honestly say that these two just adore each other. Whenever Logan walks into the room, Kaylee watches him intently. Until he makes her laugh. Then they just keep bouncing off each other and will laugh for like 20 minutes. And whenever K wakes up from a nap, Logan is the first one by the crib, ready to get her out and play. Yay for brother-sister love!!!

(Click to make it bigger)

New Year's Eve...

2010-01-20T23:35:00.005-07:00

New Year's Eve was really fun for us this year. Last year, we spent it moving into our townhouse. We were so exhausted that we watched the ball drop live in NYC at 10:00 and went to bed. This year, however, was different. We went bowling! It was Logan's first time and he had a blast:

K pretty much just chilled in her car seat, but she seemed to have fun, too:

And then the night was topped off with a bottle of Martinelli's. And since K was up, we shared. (Not really...but she sure wanted some!)

Just For Future Reference...

2010-01-05T23:04:00.002-07:00

Kaylee started rolling over from back-to-front today.

4 Years Ago We Were Doing This...

2009-12-23T00:20:00.001-07:00

...and I'm eternally grateful that we did!!!

Dear Readers...

2009-12-15T23:36:00.002-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted. I'm not in the mood, I'm too tired, I have other things to do...blah blah blah. And upon further inspection, I have come to the conclusion that I despise Christmas and I don't wish to bring my readers down with my anti-holiday attitude at this current time.

So to all of you proponents of Christmas for whatever reason, Bah Humbug.

Besides, Christ was born in April.

Google it.

Dear Aunt Bethany...

2009-12-05T23:53:00.004-07:00

Dear Aunt Bethany,

We sure love you. And we feel like we have to apologize because our mom is a super-slacker. We know she promised you that she would update our Christmas/Hanukkah wish lists online, but she hasn't. So we decided to do a blog post in her behalf. We have to start out by saying that we really don't need anything. But we know your retort to that would be somewhere along the lines of "Well what kind of favorite non-aunt aunt would I be if I didn't get you Christmas/Hanukkah gifts?" and we, as small children, appreciate that. So, here's the deal: Books are always good. Mom loves for us to have educational toys. Logan is a fan of drawing and artsy-things (but not finger-painting or anything else that gets his hands messy). Animated movies are nothing to sneeze at. Logan wears 3T with size 6-7 shoes and Kaylee is fitting well into the 6 month size clothes. And having you come visit us for a few days would also be a ton of fun. So there are some ideas. We aren't picky. Hope it helps. We love you SOOOO much!!!

Love always,

Logan and Kaylee

Trying To Win Another Giveaway...

2009-12-05T10:33:00.002-07:00

Check it out. It would make for a fun present for the kiddos!!!

Sunday Snapshots...

2009-11-29T20:11:00.003-07:00

Busy day today...

First, we decided to give Kaylee her first taste of baby cereal.

She LOVED IT!!! I had to make her a second bowl because she wouldn't stop freaking out. She just wanted more.

also, her 4 month doctor's appointment is tomorrow. My guess is that she is still chubby and tall-ish with an averaged-sized head.

In other news, we started decorating for Christmas. The outside lights went up on Saturday (I don't know why the picture is tiny...sorry) and so did the tree. But we saved decorating for today. Logan did a great job. However now that he is in bed, I am going to spread out the ornaments a little better :-)

Happy Thanksgiving...

2009-11-26T23:36:00.000-07:00

I know it's not the same, but it's just not Thanksgiving without it.

Sunday Snapshots...

2009-11-15T21:30:00.001-07:00

Some Sunday Snapshots from Skaneateles. How about that for alliteration?

Sunday Snapshots...

2009-11-08T14:55:00.002-07:00

The Palmyra Stake had Stake Conference today and since we were already in Palmyra, we decided to visit the Sacred Grove.

Basically, my kids are adorable. And I'm really loving being home to show them off :-)

A Hometown Halloween...

2009-11-01T20:51:00.005-07:00

It was nice to be back in Bloomfield with my kids to trick-or-treat this year. I've learned a few things:

1. It doesn't matter how much time you spend making your kid's costume...it's just going to be covered up by a sweater.
2. The words "please" and "thank you" don't exist on Halloween. Nor do they matter. You get the candy anyways.

3. You should only plan on hitting up a few houses close together that you KNOW will have good candy instead of trying to get to as many as possible...you end up carrying your kid after 15 minutes, regardless.
4. Halloween is the best opportunity to see 55% of the people from your hometown in one fell swoop when you've been gone a while.
5. Stick close by to the firehouse. They have donuts, cider, candy, games, and the other 45% of the town that wasn't giving out candy at their own houses.

And then the costumes. Kaylee gets the Mommy award for cutest Pink Leopard EVER. (Even though she doesn't look happy in any of the pictures we got of her in it.)

Logan wins the Mommy award for best "Dash" Incredibles costume made by his mommy.

And Madison wins the "Seriously Best costume EVER" award. She was an iPod that actually played music. It cost her nothing, she (and her mom) made it practically the day of Halloween, and she came up with the concept all on her own:

In other, non-related news, I seem to be winning things from the blogosphere left and right. Remember how I won that copy of "The Dark Divine" in June? Well, I also won a spot on the author's "Street Team" to shamelessly promote the book. Which mainly means I get swag. Which I am VERY excited about. (More on this later.) And then tonight I found out that I won a $50 off $100 purchase coupon for Old Navy from Thrifty NW Mom!!!! (See post below!!!) HOW GREAT IS THAT?!?!?!?!?!

Old Navy Weekly...

2009-10-30T00:09:00.002-06:00

I'm obsessed with this site. Just about every Thursday, my life goes on hold while I wait for ONW to update. But this week, I was too busy. You know, packing and all. So I'm trying my luck at a giveaway on Thrifty Northwest Mom, a blog I am also obsessed with. Go. Read. Enjoy.

I'm off to finish some last-minute packing. See y'all in New York!!!!