Blue Man Group

The other day on IM--our main way of communicating through the day--Steve asked me if I could find a place for Laney to spend the night, because he wanted to make plans but she wasn't old enough. I told him I knew I could so he went ahead and planned the night.

I also told him that I didn't want to know what he was planning because I wanted to be surprised.

I loved being able to tell the boys after I picked them up from school that Dad had fun plans for us the forthcoming weekend. They were excited. So was I.

At first the night seemed filled with misstep after misstep. The original plans were to eat at a pizza place because we would all like it, even Mr. Picky Ethan. But, Tyler had had pizza for lunch at his Primary Christmas party. So, we were going to go here and then there and for one reason or another, nothing worked out. In the end we ate at Costa Vida which was delicious!

After dinner we were able to make our way to the U of U campus to Kingsbury Hall. If you haven't seen the Blue Man Group they are a unique theatrical performance of music, comedy, and media. We loved it and so did the boys! They were totally enthralled by the whole show!

As part of Steve's plan, we went to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert after the show. I think it's his favorite dessert place. (If you know our dating story, my roommate knew immediately that I liked Steve because she walked into our apartment to find me eating cheesecake with him. The tiny piece of missing information that you may not know is that I don't like cheesecake.)

He feels like he is eating perfection when he eats this:

White chocolate raspberry cheesecake!

I actually have to say that I agree with him! This cheesecake is probably the only one I like. But, you know me, I always want chocolate! Lots of it!

So I got this.

And boy was I disappointed when I had to leave over half of it on my plate. For some reason, I couldn't eat very much of it that night. I had the so full feeling that happens on Thanksgiving. I tried to force it down, but I honestly couldn't.

Tyler enjoyed his dessert too:

And so did this little cutie!

On a sidenote: We were at The Cheesecake Factory about 10 p.m. Usually during the week, I am telling Tyler he needs to turn out his light at 10 p.m. and go to sleep. On the weekend it is not uncommon for him to stay up beyond the time I am going to bed. He is a night owl, just like his dad! So, you can imagine our surprise when he is leaning on the table resting his head on his hands. I was not sure that I was reading his body language correctly so I asked him if he was tired. He was! I am still surprised by it.

Overall, we had such an amazing night...even though we missed our little peanut!

I Do

...well, I already did, but it was Scott and Alyssa's turn.

We had such a fun day at their wedding! It's been so fun to watch Scott and Alyssa grow as a couple and to watch them in "gleemania."

I loved being in the temple with them on their special day. I thought it was so neat that their Sealer has known both families for about 30 years, and he was the Stake President when Steve and I were married. I loved the advice that he gave to them.

First, in my church couples aren't just wed, but sealed together for time and eternity. We believe that our marriages, if sealed with the proper authority, will also be binding forces in the next life. Thus our marriage relationships transcend this life. And we do all of this over an alter. Their Sealer gave a brief history on the use of alters for sacrifice and said similarly this is where they would sacrifice the "I" for a "We." I loved it! And so profound, where we live in a world that is so concerned with "I."

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day.

and my favorite:

I'll go inside some day!

Giving Thanks and a New Tradition

I have so many reasons to be thankful, and most of them revolve around family: my immediate family, my extended family and Steve's extended family.

I just read a quote that explains it all:

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. -Joyce Brothers

I.Love.That.

I am sure I have talked about it before on my blog, but both my southern belle grandmother (boy do I still miss her! I am so glad to know I will see her again one day.) and my mom have instilled in me a great sense of family. My family is so important to me, no maybe not just important, but everything to me.

That is why for Thanksgiving, Steve and I made it all about this family: Ours!

We made the conscious decision to make Thanksgiving a family day for us. I was so onboard and very excited about it. I also had a little bit of trepidation, hoping that the day could live up to my expectations. No worries.

We started a new tradition. We bought a game for the family that the kids were able to open at the table. Well, that had been the plan anyway, but we forgot to wrap it so it was quickly wrapped in a towel for the kids to open. We brought the game out after we had eaten the most delicious dinner cooked by my Iron Chef hubby. (Well, he should be.) Oh, and cleaned up! I can never let the dishes sit while I do something fun. I just can't enjoy myself if there are dishes in the sink.

SIDENOTE: If you have ever taken that color code personality test (click here to take the quiz)...I have absolutely NO yellow in my whatsoever. I am ALL red and blue, a little more red than blue, but pretty evenly balanced. I always say, "My red side made me do it, and my blue side makes me say, 'I'm sorry'."

Here is a glimpse into what I am talking about:

• RED (Motive: POWER)—These are the power wielders. Power: the ability to move from point A to point B and get things done, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of vision and leadership and generally are responsible, decisive, proactive and assertive. 

• BLUE (Motive: INTIMACY)—These are the do-gooders. Intimacy: connecting, creating quality relationships and having purpose, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of quality and service and are generally loyal, sincere, and thoughtful.

• WHITE (Motive: PEACE)—These are the peacekeepers. Peace: the ability to stay calm and balanced even in the midst of conflict, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of clarity and tolerance and are generally kind, adaptable, and good-listeners.

• YELLOW (Motive: Fun)—These are the fun lovers. Fun: the joy of living life “in the moment”, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of enthusiasm and optimism and are generally charismatic, spontaneous, and sociable.


The game was perfect for our family and we have played it several times since. Perfect because even our little caboose can play. All she had to know how to write was numbers. Sometimes because her numbers were so silly in comparison to the question we would dissolve into giggles. With Ethan leading the way. I just love his laugh.

After the game, we ate an obnoxious amount of dessert! Oh they were so yummy! Then we set out to watch two movies together!

Our day was perfect.

A Father's Job

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families." The Family: A Proclamation to the World

I am glad my husband takes his role very seriously.

I was sitting at the computer the other day when he forwarded this email to my inbox--and I am glad he did or I would never have known--with the subject line: FW: Congratulations on your Leadership 500 ranking.

Congratulations!!

Your Company was ranked number 12 in the category of Small to Midsize Organizations in our Leadership 500.

The Leadership 500 is an annual ranking of the best individuals,

teams, and organizations in leadership development practices and employee motivation-productivity.

The Leadership 500 was published in the October 2011 Special Edition of Leadership Excellence and sent to our over 187,000 paid membership base including the Fortune 1000 and many of the world’s “movers, shakers, and decision makers.”

Organizations were evaluated based on seven criteria.

Steve's hard work is paying off. Way to go honey!! What a great recognition of all your hard work!!

I always think of him as King Midas and everything he does turns to gold. This just proves that I am right. He has built this training department from the ground up!

I know that providing for a family can be stressful and challenging. Especially of late with the economy the way it has been for the past few years. I know that there are mornings that I know he'd rather stay in our cozy, comfy bed then go take a shower...especially because I am still in it. haha. But he does it Monday thru Friday, without fail. And, I appreciate that dedication so much. And, because of his commitment to his responsibility, I can be doing what I am suppose to be doing.

I love him so much for being such a great example to our boys....especially as the roles of fathers and mothers get more and more blurred according to the world. Our boys will never have to wonder what their father thought. Or have to wonder if the role of the father even is necessary as the world wants to claim it isn't. I love that my hubby is my partner in raising our children together.

Click here to read the entire proclamation.

Completely Us in Pictures

I love having family photos! I cherish these!!

Oh Dear, Another Year

Boy do they really come fast each year.

I remember being little and it was seriously an eternity until each birthday rolled around.

Today has been one long, fun, birthday celebration!

It started out with our birthday tradition. Which for our family is that on the Saturday closest to your birthday, we go out to eat breakfast to celebrate. It's a favorite tradition with the children.

Heck, who am I kidding, it's a favorite tradition with me. I love breakfast! I always have. I remember my freshman year in college at East Carolina University eating the best breakfasts in the cafeteria with my brother and loving those times we spent together.

But my dilemma was that I didn't want to follow our typical tradition because, the breakfast I really love most are the ones that we--I mean Steve--makes here at home. Actually, it's not the whole breakfast. It's that he makes the most amazing scones. They are all that I wanted last year and all that I wanted this year! And, Steve, being the loving husband that he is was happy to make them for me. Did I mention he loves them too? He found them by watching Anne Burrell on the Food Network channel, she is one of his favorites. I have listed her recipe at the end in case you want it.

To go along with the scones, I made a breakfast casserole. I thought it was a delicious breakfast! I can't wait until next year. haha. I am pretty sure that I am the only one in our family who opts to have their birthday breakfast at home.

Then it was off to the gym. Originally it was only going to be Laney and me because the boys were going to be playing football, but the other team forfeited so all of us ended up at the gym. Which made it a family affair and so much more fun! I was going to try to swim laps but I kept getting distracted by a darling little blond fish and her handsome daddy. I didn't mind. I felt so happy being there together. And, it was a little amazing to think that we were swimming while there were snowflakes swirling in the air.

After returning home from swimming, I found Steve's status on FB:

To that someone who has patiently and lovingly stood beside me, lifted me in my lowest hours and has been my friend when being my friend wasn't the easiest thing to be. I pray my sons can be as lucky as I and someday marry women like their mom. Happy Birthday!

Can I say that my husband doesn't say things like this very often. So when he does, listen up! I love this and it melted my heart! It's so crazy to believe how deep my love is for Steve. I feel like I am the luckiest girl to have the marriage that I do. I remember once thinking before I got married, "Why should I be the lucky one and have a fairytale romance?" The answer is, I really don't know why me, but I appreciate it while I have it. I don't have to lose it to know that what I have is a fairytale. Sure our fairytale has had some challenges, but we are still riding on happily ever after.

So off we are then to a lunch at a Brazilian BBQ and a movie. I almost never get to see movies at the theater and it is a rare treat indeed. So, I loved it! I appreciate so much when Grandma and Grandpa can tend the kiddos for us. I know they are so loved and taken good care of that I don't worry about them at all.

After that we had dinner and "cake" at Grandma and Grandpa's house. My cake was actually a Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle. If you want the recipe, click here. I've been dreaming about it for weeks and it was delicious. I thought it tasted like one big Reeses peanut butter cup.

What a fun day of celebration for my birthday!

Here is Anne Burrell's scone recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 lemon, zested
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into pea size pieces
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Turbinado sugar, for garnishing
• 
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon. Add in the butter and rub with your fingers into the dry ingredients until a coarse meal forms. Add in the cherries and almonds. Add the heavy cream and combine it into the butter flour mixture.

Form the dough into a 1-inch thick disk and cut it into 6 wedges. Sprinkle each wedge generously with the turbinado sugar. Transfer the wedges to a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven for 17 to 18 minutes, turning the pan halfway through. Serve warm with Honey Butter.

Arrow of Light

It's been a whole new world for Ty.

For me too.

I have had to learn the language and culture of Boy Scouts right

along with him.

Steve and I are so proud of Tyler. He earned his Arrow of Light last week at the pack meeting on October 26th. Scouting has provided Tyler (and Ethan who is right behind) with an opportunity to try new things, provide service to others. I love that scouts also builds self-confidence and reinforces a lot of the ethics that Steve and I are trying to teach here at home.

These opportunities will not only help him now when he is young, but they will carry with him into the future for his career, marriage, and life in general.

The Arrow of Light is the highest achievement in Cub scouts and signifies that a young man is ready to move to Boy Scouts. To earn this distinguished patch Tyler had to:

• be active in his den for at least 6 months,
• demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the scout oath, promise, motto, slogan, sign, salute and handshake,
• Complete the Honesty Character Connection
• He had to earn five more activity badges than the three he earned for his Weblos badge, which were: fitness, citizen, readyman, outdoorsman and technology,
• visit with a boy scout troop,
• along with several other activities and responsibilities.

The ceremony was short and I enjoyed it. Although at the end when Ty was being acknowledged, I asked him if he would give Mom a hug and he told me later. That was not unexpected. I was just happy that he agreed to give me one later. He is such a tween and doesn't want to be tied down by the umbilical cord to mom anymore. haha. While I am so not ready for him to give me hugs when I ask for them at typical mom moments (dropping the kids off at school, welcoming them home, or any other random moment that the urge might strike), I am happy for now that in the little obscure moments I will catch him rubbing my arm, or playing with my hair or showing affection in the way he wants. I love those moments because they are so pure to me.

It honestly feels like just yesterday that I wrote this, about his first den meeting for scouts.

Now, I am saying the same thing about boy scouts--although that actually won't start until his birthday in January--for him. I can't wait to see the amazing young man he is going to become. I have been able to see glimpses now and then and I am so happy that Ty is my son! He amazes me all the time.

Ethan's Trip of a Lifetime

One of our goals for our children is that we have a strong, loving, close relationship with them. The kind of relationship that we want can only come by spending time with them. Now, I know it doesn't have to be a grandiose trip that it can happen by throwing the football around, by doing projects together, by working together, and any other thing you can think of..and we do that.

But, trips are a really fun and very memorable way of spending time together. So, because Ethan has always loved the Colts and Peyton Manning Steve thought it would be fun if they went to an NFL game together. Because of our dedication to keeping the Sabbath day, it had to be a Monday night game. Luckily there was a Monday night game in Florida...oh the hard ship.

Off they went!

I obviously wasn't there.

I was happily holding down the fort in Utah, so I am going to have to show their trip through pictures:

on the beach

feeding alligators

watching cranes on the pier at sunset

being sick in the hotel room. Unfortunately, Ethan got really sick with a very high fever on their trip. According to Steve, my poor little guy was trying to be so brave and fine, even though he felt terrible.

Everything about this trip was for Ethan, except for this. Steve had seen another "dive" that he wanted to try from the show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. He loved these tacos! I sure want to try them too.

Ethan learning to flow ride.