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.