First Real Time in the Snow...

So we went out last year and helped Logan stand in the snow, but this year it was a real experience for him!

When I was out doing some Christmas shopping the other night, I decided to browse through the toddler snow pants and found a cute 18-month pair on sale for 7 bucks!!!! I was really excited and I got them. Then, as luck would have it, it snowed last night and we got about 4 inches of amazing packing snow.

So here are the highlights:





We were out for about 45 minutes and Logan seemed to enjoy every second. Except the seconds I managed to keep his mittens on him. He didn't understand they were meant to stay on and keep his tiny fingers warm. Oh well.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

We put it up last Sunday, but I've been too busy writing final papers and studying for final exams that I just haven't had time to post. But, better late than never...

Also, Logan must have touched the camera lens at some point because there is a smudge in the same spot on all the pictures. The joys of having a curious 18 month old!!! Speaking of which, now that Logan is 18 months old, he is starting nursery!!!! (For those of you not familiar with the way the nursery works in our Church, kids 18 months and up stay with their families for sacrament meeting, but then go to nursery for the next two hours. It's glorious!!!!!) So Logan went for the first time yesterday. I dropped him off and he didn't even notice I had left. There were too many toys and friends. I was almost sad that he didn't protest my leaving. Well, it didn't last long. About 10 minutes later, another kid hit him and he flipped out. So I stayed to calm him down and then was able to leave again. We'll see how it goes when we move to a new ward...I'm a bit more nervous about that.

And that brings us to moving. I have arrangements for Theresa to watch Logan the day we move. And we rented our U-Haul. And I packed one box of knick-knacks and two boxes of books. And that's it. And we move 16 days from today. Oh, boy.

Eeeeeee!!!

Guess what I just got tickets for prior to them going on sale to the general public???

Thanks for the promo code, Chersti!!!!

Long Time, No Post...

I've turned into one of those annoying people that I despise. Yep. The ones who post like crazy and then seem to fall off the face of the planet. But deal with it.

There's just so much exciting stuff happening that I don't know where to begin. Or if I can begin at all. Huh? Well, Zac and I have a lot of exciting stuff coming up that we're keeping under wraps from various people. And it's probably not what you think it is. Ok, I'll let ONE secret slip.

WE'RE MOVING!!!!! We got the townhouse and we move in December 31st!!!! So why keep it a secret? Well, we are moving out of our current ward and neither one of us care to speak in Church. Which, as tradition in our ward has told us, is generally what happens when the Bishop finds out you're moving. He asks you to speak. So we're trying to avoid that one. And I almost think we're in the clear since like 6 other couples are also moving by the end of the month. Happy day!!!!

In other news? Logan is a freaking genius. This last week he got to spend a significant amount of time with his Aunt Savannah and I think all of her brains got to him. He now knows the song "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam" ...and the appropriate arm movements. It's precious. She also taught him "What does the puppy say?" and he goes "WOOF!!!" And if that weren't enough, she says "What does a kitty say?" and he responds with a high-pitched "meow!" OH MY GOSH MY KID IS AMAZING!!!!

And Savannah didn't teach him everything...he now folds his arms for prayers, and keeps them folded until you say "amen." Thanks to a dedicated and patient mother :-)

So I hope that was a good enough post for now because, as usual, Logan is demanding attention. Love to you all!!!!

EEeeeee!!!

Yep. It's tonight. I'm trying to keep my expectations low because I KNOW it won't be half as good as the book, but I'm still excited. And the best part? I'm going to see it in Las Vegas with Kate! EEEeee!!!!!

Sunday Snapshot...

Since I never posted a Friday Foto.

And now that Logan climbs on EVERYTHING, I thought a tree-climbing picture would be appropriate :-)

So I Was Thinking...

...that the Christmas Holiday season is kind of lame for me. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas and all, but every year I end up feeling a little jipped. Check this out:

December 23rd: Our wedding anniversary
December 25th: Christmas
January 1st: New Years
January 11: My birthday

So four of the most celebrated days of my year all happen in about a two-week period. Which is no big deal and I normally wouldn't complain, but I have another semi-important date to celebrate this year. It's the five year anniversary of my baptism and conformation into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And guess when that falls...December 28th. Yep. Just another special day to me over-shadowed by the rest of the hubbub of the busy holiday season. So though I rarely complain about my anniversary or birthday being overlooked due to Christmas, I'm making a big deal out of this one.

So what, exactly, am I looking for in terms of celebration? I don't really know. But it's sort of a big deal to me. I was thinking maybe I'd buy myself a gift. I've been browsing paintings by Greg Olsen, Del Parson, Simon Dewey, Liz Lemon Swindle, and a few other ones that have caught my eye recently. Here are some of the ones I like:

"Lost No More" by Greg Olsen

"The Good Shepherd" by Simon Dewey

"Once Lost" by Del Parson

So what are some of your favorites I should consider???

Flashback: Ninja Baby!!!

As told in a previous post, all of my pictures of Logan in his costume are not centered because he kept running away. But trust me, he was the cutest freaking ninja baby you have ever seen!

With our neighbor, Meg


Quite possibly the only picture of him with his ninja hat on


With best buddies Damon and Justin :-)

Flashback: Carving Pumpkins!!!

So it's about a week and a half late, but here are pictures from the night we carved pumpkins...


The Big Boys carving their pumpkins

If Your Friends Jumped Off a Bridge...

Would you do it, too? Probably. So most of my friends and even some family members have been passing this post around, so I'm doing it, too. So what if I'm a follower rather than a leader sometimes?

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

41 out of 99. Maybe a trip to Salt Lake is due come spring...and visiting Paris would knock a couple more off. As would a trip to Italy...

Factoid Friday...

Yes faithful blog-readers, it's a special installment of the regular Friday post: Factoid Friday. While Talking to Zac's mom today, she mentioned how her kids are always asking about Logan...what can he do, is he talking, how much they miss him, etc, etc. So I decided maybe today would be a good time to post the random things my busy boy is up to these days...

First, movement. He has been walking for a good three months now and has recently started running. So just about every single one of the pictures I took of him on Halloween show him in the far right-hand side of the shot, running out of the frame just as I snapped the picture. It's great. Also, today he went down three steps without holding on to anything. He is becoming a stair master :-) Logan also has mastered the skill of walking backwards and it has become one of his favorite things to do. It's hysterical.


Second, vocabulary. Logan still signs (the most frequently used ones are more, food/eat, drink, please, candy, and bath) but he is quickly picking up on real words, too. Among the perfected ones are: Daddy, mama, na-na (Savannah or banana, depending on which one is closer to him when he wants her/it), uh-oh, ba-ba, ball, baby, and ducky. And though he doesn't say yes or no, he shakes or nods his head all the time.


Which brings me to communication. Logan totally knows what he wants (or doesn't want). If I ask him, "Are you hungry?" he either responds with a nod and the sign for eat or he shakes his head no. He does the same for baths and taking naps/going to sleep at night. When I ask him if he's ready for bed (and he is) he nods yes and then waves. It's adorable. And never leads to temper tantrums, unless he is, in fact, not ready for bed. He is also specific in communicating what foods he wants or doesn't want. The usual response to "Logan, would you like some turkey?" is a fervent no. Then there is the question, "Would you like a hot dog?" to which he almost always responds with, "Oooohh!" and a nod yes or even clapping.


Is clapping a fine motor skill? Probably a gross motor skill. But either way, he claps. He's done it for a long time, but recently he has been clapping to things he likes (eg a giant Kung-Fu Panda statue in the Animation building Zac spends most of his time in). He also claps when people on tv clap, and he recently started clapping after we say prayers. He folds his arms now when we pray and after the "amen" part, we usually are so happy and excited that he was reverent the whole time that we praise him. So now he thinks clapping is part of praying. Oh well. The other adorable thing he does now is give kisses. It's typically an open-mouth one, but he still gives kisses none the less.


He also knows when he needs a diaper change. He will usually bring me a diaper, but if he's distracted and I have to point out that he stinks, he will go right to his changing table and wait for me. It's disgustingly precious. Also precious? He loves to take my cell phone (or the house phone, or the remote which he seems to think is a phone) and hold it up to his ear and jabber away. So cute.

Well, I think that's enough for now. So why, pray tell, is this not a "Family Foto Friday" post? Well reader, that is because Liz is taking some family pictures tomorrow for us. So you'll just have to stay tuned next week...

Family Foto Friday...

This one is for my two favorite guys in the whole world:


It's a totally random shot, but they are both handsome! Plus the sunset in the background was sweet. So why, you may ask, is this a picture of Zac and Logan instead of a Halloween one? Well, that is a good question. My first response would be that I don't have a picture of Logan in his costume uploaded yet. And the second reason I would give is because these two guys are precious. They went and got me a dozen roses this morning just because (and I quote from the card), "We love you and we're lucky to have you in our lives." So kisses to my two favorite boys in the whole world!!!!

Pun'kin Pickin'...

Daddy, I want THIS one!

Ok, I guess this smaller one will do...



Yay for family day at the pumpkin patch!

Late Night, er, Morning...

So I'm working on a manuscript for my creative writing class and have been all semester. A few weeks ago, however, I started really hating it. I hated my characters, I hated my story, I hated writing. So I put writing on hold for a bit. But last night I forced myself to sit down and write for at least an hour at 11:30 pm.

I stopped writing at 4:30 am.

I no longer hate my story or my characters.

And I didn't make it to my 6:00 am aerobics class.

Family Foto Friday...

*GASP* I GOT THE CAMERA TO UPLOAD!!!!!! (Well, after three attempts, but still!!!) SO here is a picture from the pumpkin patch:
And more pictures to follow soon-ish!