Our Third Annual BYU football get-together with Brittney and Sterling

We loved having Brittney and Sterling and their kiddos come to visit for the BYU-UT game!

love.

"chicks dig me"

bathtime FUN!

Since when does he look like such a BOY instead of a BABY?!  waaaaaaah!

Jammy time!

We love them.
Come visit us again, soon!
(And thanks for all these pictures!!)

Puzzling.

One morning I woke up and remembered a slice of a dream I had.

And it was this genius vision about something.  And I remembered smiling in my half-awake state just thinking about how marvelous this idea was.

But then when I woke up completely, I had forgotten most of it.  (Does this ever happen to anyone else?  Just nod.  Thanks.)

But one part I remember was that the idea was about friendship.

More specifically it was an analogy about my human experience being a jigsaw puzzle.

I was thinking about how my parents sort of provided the border of the puzzle for me.  Boundaries, upbringing--you know, it shapes who you are.  But one can hardly think they are "done" growing up once they leave for college.  And in my case--I got married at 18--a baby, practically.

So in my idea, I was thinking, so how does the puzzle get finished?

The idea that came to my head was that all of my friends that I have ever had are a puzzle piece.  Their strengths fit with my weaknesses.  I learn things from them, they learn things from me.  And they have all helped to finish the work that my parents started.

Don't get me wrong--I still learn a lot from my parents.  But I really think there have been (and still are) life lessons that I can only learn from specific people.  I look at my personality as it is today, and I see fragments and pieces that I've been collecting from friends along the way.

Just when I think I've learned everything there is to know about me, I make a different friend, and I learn something else--something I need to improve, or maybe even something I'm good at.

Much to my surprise, most of this has been a product of girlfriends I've had over the past 8 years or so.  I didn't have many good girlfriends in high school.  But I've realized how important having good girlfriends is to me now.  It's how I learn to be better--a better friend, a better wife, a better mother.

Because of this potential for personal growth that we woman offer each other, I feel strongly that satan desires nothing more than to destroy it.  Women have the tendency to be gossipers, backbiters, jealous, envious, and other less-than-attractive qualities.  Can't we all just realize where this comes from??  It's most definitely not the working of the Spirit.

Two women uplifting and helping each other can have great and important influence in their personal growth, the development of their families, and the well-being of those around them.  On the flip-side two women brought down with jealousy and bitterness can do the exact opposite--creating stress, feelings of depression, and ultimately a loss of the Spirit.

I've been in both situations, and lately, I've just decided I want nothing to do with the second option.  There's so much potential for good to come in my life from seeking out good examples and friends to surround myself with.  I'm so grateful for the many puzzle pieces I've had so far in my life that have helped to shape me into the person I want to become.

I just love my life so far.

I spy

Two brothers outside playing.

Landon, and his little side-kick, Spence.

In their pajamas.  (Oops.)

Oh, dear.  My spying has been discovered!

And when they come in, they always smell like puppies.

Here's some more pictures of your grandsons, Mom

Snuggies.

To say that Landon was better at sleeping in his first year than Spencer was would be a large understatement.

Spencer didn't really start sleeping 12 hour stretches until he was about 12 months old.  He woke up every morning sometime between 4 and 6.  We (and by we, I mean BK) would get him and bring him into our bed before he woke up his brother.  I would nurse him, and try to catch a few more minutes of sleep before BK had to get up and tromp around in the bathroom getting ready for his clinical.

I was exhausted.
(Also a large understatement.)

About 3 days after I weaned Spencer, he started sleeping in until 7:30 or 8 every morning.  (Go figure.) I rejoiced in having my (our) bed all to myself again.  No more baby rolling around.  No more waking up at 4am.

Then we moved, and Landon had an... adjustment to his new room.  He came and got in bed with us every morning at 6am.  But then, luckily, he grew out of that.  He will even wake up and just start playing in the playroom without waking us up sometimes.

And again, I was thrilled at this newfound life of no sleep deprivation.

Spencer wanted nothing to do with anyone else except for me for the first 12 months of his life.  Then magically, on Mother's Day, he decided he was madly in love with BK.  And this has continued.  Spencer... tolerates me during the day, but it's BK he really wants to be with.  He somehow convinces my lovely husband to carry him around and play with him anytime he's home.  I rejoiced that finally I had my arms free to get things done during the day.

But wouldn't ya know, somehow the rejoicing always wears off.  And found myself sometimes wishing that Spencer wanted everything to do with me again.  Landon's far too busy to snuggle with me during the day. (unless I tell him that I think snuggies are disgusting.)  And Spencer, my baby, is growing up too fast.

But last night, Spencer woke up screaming at 3am.  BK went in to check on him, but surprisingly, was unable to console him.  He wanted me.  (Which is when you know something is really wrong with him.)  So I hobbled across the playroom and down the hall to see what he needed.  BK hobbled back to bed.  And I picked up wide-awake screaming Spencer.  I still have no idea why he was screaming, (although top molars seem to be the most likely culprit.)  but he was really, really worked up.  And I was really, really tired.  So I carried him back to our bed.

BK was fast asleep, and so Spencer was unaware he was even there.  So he "settled" for cuddling with me until the Ibuprofen kicked in.  And I remembered all those mornings I wished for him to be snug and sleeping in his own bed, but I found myself staying awake just so I could enjoy him letting me hold him.

At some point, BK mumbled something in his sleep, and Spencer popped his little head up and IMMEDIATELY rolled over to find him.  So I rolled over and went to sleep.  But I did notice that I few times, he rolled back over to burrow his little head in my neck.

And while I completely hope he sleeps in his own bed tonight (he is a wiggly, rolly little thing at night) I was glad to have him join us for a few hours last night.

They just grow up WAY too fast.

Powder Room Redo!

I really should be cleaning my house right now.  We're having guests this weekend. But I sort of got distracted finished up our powder room project.  So anyway, here it is!

After searching through many, many color palettes, eventually I settled on this one: http://pinterest.com/pin/68498534/

Here is powder room before:

Pretty boring, right?

It's a teeny tiny little room with no window and off-white paint.  So it felt like a yellow cave.

First we painted 3 out of 4 of the walls WHITE.  Bright white.

Then we painted an accent wall a pretty mossy green color.

MVP award goes to BK for being the most awesome stripe-taper EVER.

Then we painted a bright, sunny, lemony yellow.

And, voila!  Cute, sunny stripes!  No more yellow-cave!

We then added a piece of white trim, and at this point decided to paint the bottom half white to brighten up the room.

We purchased hand towels, a rug, and a toliet seat cover at Bed, Bath, & Beyond.

Then today, I painted and installed a pretty white shelf!

And filled it with decor.

Which I already want to rearrange.  But this at least gives you an idea.

My budget for this project was $200. (Rugs, towels, paint, shelf, trim, decor, everything.)

My grand total?

$200.46.

Hooray for sunny powder rooms!