Merry Christmas!!!!!

Mason got to see Santa this year, and, as usual, was perfectly pleasant with a complete stranger. Of course, he didn't quite get why we were all smiling so big and looking at him while he sat on this man's lap - hence the look of "ok, what am I doing here?". :) Maybe next year!

We're off to Tennessee for a two week break, so until then,...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FOR SALE

We did it - we listed our townhome. I only have slight anxiety every time I walk out of our house and see the sign. We don't know where we're going or when we're going there, but feel good about listing now. Tell your friends! :)


See our listing by clicking HERE.

It's his birthday, shout 'hooray'!

My handsome man is 26 years today.

Wish him a Happy Birthday!

An Apple a day...

...keeps Mason quite happy :)

He will take apple however he can get it --

in one of those mesh feeders, in a slice, an entire apple, eating off your core...

He has started going into the kitchen and standing next to the counter where the fruit basket is and hollering to get our attention as he points up to the fruit and signs "more" - he is addicted!

Note the look of sheer glee on his face after he takes a bite!

Arizona Sunshine

Thanksgiving was WONDERFUL! Lots and lots of good food and great company. I just realized I took a lot of pictures with Jennifer's camera, so this is what I have at the moment. Mason loved playing with his cousins and also quite enjoyed the fresh citrus, cows, chickens, cats, and dog! (he only ate the citrus)

A HUGE accomplishment to note: Miner won his 600th basketball game while we were there! Wow. WAY TO GO!

*Matt making use of the cornucopia, Andy's friend Ryan trying on footed pajamas in the middle of target --- not pictured: everyone hanging spoons from their noses at Thanksgiving dinner*

I braved black Friday for the first time ever - with Aunt Sarah and Jennifer blazing the trail! I think I am hooked. It was so fun! Thanks you two for introducing me to the 'sport'. :) This was the scene post-checkout at about 5 AM.

On Friday we went to the Mesa, AZ LDS Temple to see the lights be turned on for the Christmas Season -- it was beautiful and fun! As we walked around Mason pointed at all the lights.

Not pictured (sad day!) - we got to spend some time visiting with Mike & Tia!! They only live maybe 10 minutes away from Gilbert and it was GREAT getting to see them! Annabelle was cute as always and litte Asa was a doll (first meeting!) and we even got to see their new house they just bought. We miss them!

The new bridge being built at Hoover Dam - simply amazing. We were both awestruck as we rounded the corner and saw it. It is a few years behind schedule because 2 cranes crashed and fell into the river a while back. Whoops?

Finding a room in Vegas to stay in on the way down was a slight fiasco, so we booked one for the trip back. Amazingly enough, this Hilton was the least expensive. Here is a morning view of part of the strip and Mason lounging in the bed.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We are heading out to sunny, warm Arizona this afternoon, so I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving before leaving! We have much to be grateful for and I enjoy this time of the year that causes many to reflect on those blessings and remind eachother (and myself) to do the same.

May your holiday be safe and spent with loved ones!

Girls Afternoon Out

There is nothing like time with girl friends!

You might call this our second annual event, since we did the same thing last year... yep, we went to see New Moon and contributed to the 140.7 M the movie brought in the first weekend. We didn't make tshirts, but we did go out to eat afterwards! Cheers!

p.s. does anyone else think I look like a giant next to these ladies? And I was wearing flats! Next time we ought to sit to take the picture...

Dating

In the last few months we haven't been so great about getting out on dates alone. We spend a lot of time together and go out, but the little monkey has been tagging along everywhere. We finally decided enough was enough! We found ourselves a babysitter (thank you Meagan!) and out we went on Friday. We had so much fun! Matt planned the night and kept it a mystery for me -- and I was spoiled. Amazing sushi, the nickelcade, and then we shared a shake for dessert. The sushi was a fabulous idea since I couldn't have any all pregnancy and was leary during breastfeeding, meaning I haven't had any in probably 2 whole years.

We've recommited ourselves to getting out on date nights regularly once again :) It takes some planning, but it is definitely worth it and vital for a marriage!

*pretty awesome lips we got with our tickets from the arcade,
the aftermath of our sushi feast, & Matt wowing me on atari

The End

Matt just finished his 3 year term on the HOA board as of Wednesday night - around 2 years of which was served as the HOA President. Whew!

Ah, what memories...


The beginning is the best part: we had moved into our community maybe 2-3 weeks prior to the annual meeting. A neighbor found out Matt was a construction management major and so an HOA board member was born. At the meeting he was nominated and elected -without anyone having a clue who we were- and we didn't have a clue what we were getting into - and so it all began!

Even though there have been definite ups and downs, overall Matt enjoys this type of community involvement - even though he may not admit it at the moment :) Needless to say, I am quite pleased that he has one thing taken off his plate as we approach this new year that will most likely be filled with all sorts of upheaval (new job?, moving, selling our home, graduating college, etc). Thanks for the hard work babe and hanging in there all 3 years!

The first of many

We've had a tiny bit of snow this weekend, so I quickly bundled the kiddo and took him outside Saturday morning to experience his first 'real' snowfall (where he'd actually notice).

Luckily, he loved it!

*Cough Cough*

I couldn't pass up posting this video that I got from my friend Kristen!! Haha

Rendezvous

We Love Family!

We got the chance to take another jaunt to TN for a week and Mason and I had a lot of fun with everyone (quite a few relatives are not pictured here...sorry!)! The older he gets the more fun things are - I love seeing him explore and learn.

I also got to go to a friends' wedding - it was beautiful and included the best of company! Here are a few shots from that evening...

(sorry my pictures are limited for the whole trip, seems I wasnt quite as trigger happy as usual)

Haaaaaappy Halloweeeeeeeeen!

If this picture is any indication, he LOVED halloween & trick or treating. Our little dragon quickly caught on - picking out candy and putting it in his sack like a pro - he made out like a bandit. We attended out church Trick or Trunk/Chili dinner and then went out around our neighborhood! Such fun!

Say CHEESE!

Much thanks to our fabulous photographer, Laurie Millar, for these great family pictures!

p.s. she is so amazing that there were so many good ones that it was REALLY hard to narrow it down to a few to post!

(which is why there are so many collages)

She is fantastic!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!!!!

Happy Birthday to our sweetie pie!
(Monday)

I find it hard to believe it has been a year already - to think that just one year ago I was utterly exhausted but completely exhilarated as Mason came into the world and blessed our lives. I have learned so much from him over the course of this year and am so grateful that I have the privlege to be his Mommy.

OK, so I'm feeling a little sentimental!

We had a party for him on Saturday and we had a BLAST! The evening was full of food, laughter, presents, cake, and a horrible BYU football game in the background. He was suprisingly clean with the cake (I had to smash his hand into it!) but started shoveling it in as soon as he realized what goodness lay before him. It was a great time and he was incredibly spoiled! Thanks to everyone who helped celebrate it with him - including long distance relatives who called to sing to him! He loved every minute!

2 out of 3 looking at the camera... too bad it was the important one who didn't look!

He really wanted to share the cake with us!

The Cake! Don't look too closely... (its a party hat!)

I realize this video is a little random, but until I figure out how to change the extension on our video camera video files, this is what you get :)

Stuff I Enjoy: My toothbrush

A Toothbrush?, you may ask. Yes, a toothbrush.

I have a million dollar mouth. Growing up I am 99% positive I never got a clean bill at a dental checkup -- ever. It didn't matter how much I did, it seemed my teeth were just doomed to be failures. Cavities, cavities, cavities, and a root canal at age 19.

Enter Sonicare.

I have had one tiny, MINUSCULE, didn't-even-know-it-was-there cavity since the beginning of my affair with my Sonicare (and my dentist called that the "Mason tooth" since it happened some time during pregnancy). This is a big deal - this is since the start of 2006! That may not seem like a big deal to some (3.5 years?), but it is momentous for me and my pearly whites.

Don't ask me the science behind it... maybe it helps me brush longer, maybe it just does a more thorough job of brushing/gets more grime than the average brush... maybe they infuse each toothbrush with magic in the factory - I don't care, all I know is that it is working and its a miracle.

Not to mention how AMAZING your teeth feel after using it. Like you just got out of the dentist chair & your teeth are slick from cleanliness.

I promise I don't work for Philips -- I just really like the product. Yes, it can be pricey - but the toothbrush will last YEARS and I think the investment is 100% worth it. So, if you have tooth woes - or just appreciate teeth hygiene, I really recommend checking it out!

From Ducks to Doo-doo

Here is a quick snapshot of me and Mason on Saturday afternoon after feeding the ducks with Daddy... about 1.5 hours before a stomach virus hit me...



and left me feeling like this:

Here is to being back to normal soon! It seems that a LOT of people have been getting this bug in the last week or so, so keep washing your hands and try to stay home if you're sick!
P.S. Good news, as of yet, it doesnt seem the boys have gotten it - although Mase might have had it Thur/Fri... not entirely sure. I'll be crossing my fingers!

We <3 Grandmas

I've been on a blogging hiatus! Granny Kay came to visit from TN and we spent the week playing, eating, swinging, shopping, eating, strolling, pumpkin-picking, shopping, reading (during nap time), eating, and more! We loved having her here and can't wait to see her again soon (which actually will only be in about 3 weeks).

"Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever."

~Author Unknown

Mase even got some "pre-celebratory" chocolate cake while out to dinner one night - (it is almost his birthday!)

Can you tell how excited he was??? Thrilled!

Denial

Today it is getting up to 60 degrees - heat wave! This morning when I checked the current weather for Salt Lake it said it was 41 - plenty warm for a quick walk, right? Turns out it wasn't 41 locally- it was definitely in the 30s. We walked anyway... thanks to this get-up:

(thanks Katie for the awesome, super-warm blanket!)

Although he was all snug and cozy, my ears and hands were frozen by the time we got around the block! I think I might finally accept that too cold is too cold.

If anything, we got a good laugh out of it!

Mall Walking

I'm confessing, I went over to the mall this morning to check out the walking scene. As winter looms over our heads, I know we're going to need to get out and I thought it might be a good option.

I got there at 8:30AM and it was me, Mason, and 4 friendly seniors citizens in the entire mall.

That's it.

Admittedly, about 4 other Moms had shown up by the time I left at 9. What can I say, it is going to be a happening winter!

Mall Walkers Unite!

Last Day of Warmth

OK, OK, the title might exaggerate a little - since I'm sure we have a few nice days left in the bag, but I do know there is a rough storm coming through tomorrow and you never know if we'll have another 80-90 degree day like today! We dropped into a local park to hit the swings mid-day today - here is a short clip from the fun!

One month shy of a year

11 months...

• Walking like a pro
• Going up and down stairs really well
• Nearing the 20 lb mark (woohoo!)
• Gives kisses (ahhh, Mom & Dad love this!)
• Waves bye bye, claps, gives high 5s on cue
• Still delightfully blows raspberries
• Shakes his head "no" when he means yes or is happy about something
• LOVES books - you often find him flipping through one
• Gives spontaneous hugs/love
• Is always carrying something in his hand
• Loves Sammy and Sammy mostly loves him too
• Gets especially ticklish when he is tired
• Loves to eat anything we're eating
• Is pretty over baby food... I don't blame him
• Likes to play hide and go seek (he is always the seeker)
• Loves to go outside and slaps the front door when he thinks we're going to go out (what on earth am I going to do this winter?)
• Growing teeth galore
• Too stinkin' cute

We love him more by the day, if that is possible. I can't believe he'll be one soon!

Stuff I Enjoy (first edition): websites

Anyone who knows me knows that when I love a 'product' I will tell all about it to any and all who will listen (or pretend to). So, what better audience than the one on blogger? From now on I plan on throwing a "stuff I enjoy" post in here and there as I think of it... because, hey, why not?

Here we go !

Here are a few websites/online services I currently enjoy:

• Google Reader: I love blogs and I love keeping up with blogs (friends, family, and a few strangers), but don't like the time blogs can absorb! Here is where Google Reader steps in to help you out - it brings all those blog updates to you in one neat, tidy package and saves you eons of time. If you haven't tried it yet, check it out - you won't be sorry.


• Online journal services: I use LDSJournal.com, but I am sure there are several sites that work the same. It is a free service where I can record my journal entries anywhere I can access the Internet. Lets face it, I can type a lot faster than I can write - not to mention be much more legible and not end up with a cramp in my hand. Although I haven't done it yet, I also understand that you can have the journal printed into a book when you wish. I also appreciate their email reminders they send when I haven't written in a few days!


• Goodreads.com: I am not a 'grab any book and read it' type of gal, - yes, my obsession with 'customer reviews' even extends into my book selections. With Goodreads I can create a 'to-read' list from books my friends and their friends have read and rated and leave my own ratings and thoughts. It is like one giant book club! Fun!


• Readthescriptures.com: one of my friends blogged about this and hooked me in. This is once again another free service where I can set up my reading schedule and it automatically sends me my daily reading via email. It is geared towards the LDS community - offering Sunday School lessons, seminary lessons, RS/Priesthood lessons,etc. - but if that isn't your fancy, it obviously carries the entire set of Scriptures - including The Bible (KJV). Although I do recommend checking out the Book of Mormon :)


• AllRecipes.com: tying back into my obsession with user reviews, this sight allows me to find those 4-5 star recipes that are bound to be winners. For this reason, I have a hard time using any cookbooks anymore... I mean, where are the reviews?? Technology has spoiled me.


• A little more love to Google: I think they might take over the world, one app at a time. I love Gmail and its simplicity, I love Google Calendar and how I can have several calendars all in one, Google Documents that allows me to create and store docs online, and I love Google Homepage that showcases all my google-must-haves. Streamline: check!


• Some others I'd like to check out: RemembertheMilk.com, Wishpot, SparkPeople.com, Pear Budget,...

I am going to wrap this up, mostly bc I want to do a few other things while Mason naps!

I'd love to hear from you! What websites/services do you enjoy?

"Do Not Contact" List (UTAH)

For those of you reading this in Utah, I just read about a GREAT new service! Over at My Good Friends Blog (thanks Katie!), she explained there is a "...free service provided by the State of Utah called the Utah Child Protection Registry. Like the do-not-call list, once an address has been registered, senders of messages that advertise prohibited products or services (like gambling, tobacco, pornography, and alcohol) are required to remove the contact points from their mailing lists within 30 days."

How fabulous! I've never had a problem with this type of solicitation, but I am all about prevention rather than intervention.

Register by clicking here.

I wonder if other states have anything similar?

The Latest Project: Framing the Mirrors

Ever since I first saw this blog post I was set to do the same to my bathrooms. I was determined to complete the project this weekend and I couldn't be more pleased with the result! Here are the before and after pictures:

Downstairs BEFORE:

(Don't mind the awful yellow...
I really ought to repaint it...)

Downstairs AFTER:

Upstairs BEFORE:

Upstairs AFTER:

The pictures don't fully do it justice -- it is a night and day difference! Love it!

Killer Car

While waiting for my oil change, I found a toy car for Mase at the dollar store. Did they really expect me to buy it with this sticker on the back? Random!

My boys (minus Sammy)

Just thought this picture was pretty cute... don't worry, they were uber-safe !

P.S. I started my interior design class last night - there ended up being 8-10 of us in the class- and it is going to be GREAT! I am stoked.

20 Questions

Leave it to Ellie to suggest we try to stump the game w/this word... the machine was too smart for us, even guessing uterus (it guessed "a womb") later. 20 Questions, how on earth do you do it? That might be another one added to the list of "questions to ask after this life".

Nursing Covers - hurry, great deal!

So, for those of us who aren't wizards on the sewing machine, this is a fantastic deal on a nursing cover! It was posted on My Good Friend's Blog and I thought I'd pass it along. Not sure how long it'll last, so hurry on if you're interested!

"I found this awesome deal at http://www.uddercovers.com/cart.php. You can get a free nursing cover (a $32 value) when you enter the promo code "CHARM". All you have to pay is shipping/handling ($8.95). Feel free to post it on your blog of ideas."

Yay! This would be great to pick up for yourself or as a gift for a friend!