Things I Want to Remember

This week I did a test run for turning my blog into a book. In the past I have put together family scrapbooks via Shutterfly.com. I LOVE those books but am still behind on LAST years book! So...when I found out I could turn my blog into a book I was THRILLED! Actually, I found that out before I started the blog and that's what pushed me over the edge and I caved...now I'm hooked on blogging. ANYWAY, where was I? Oh yes, I began the test run only to find out the service I wanted to use no longer interfaces w/ Blogger!!! Imagine that! Searched a little more and voila! I found www.sharedbook.com . I was very impressed with their sample and am looking forward to ordering my book later this year. All of this has put me in a different mindset this week, so this blog is a quick capture of what we are LOVING about life right now....


1.Craft Fridays with Kim.
Kim is our next door neighbor and great friend. We absolutely LOVE her! In the summer we leave each other sidewalk chalk art and messages. One of the first things Allie learned to write was, "I love you Kim". Kim has been such a blessing to us over these past years and I can't even let myself think about moving when we're together. So this year we started a VERY fun tradition. Every-other-Friday Kim comes over and we do crafts. We take turns coming up with ideas of what to do. Kim brought over this really cool clay that the girls made into beads, then we baked it and strung it as jewelry. We've painted lots of ceramics, decorated picture frames, and mostly just had a wonderful time together. Many times one of the other neighbor girls comes over too, she says that "Craft Fridays" are her FAVORITE days and we agree!

2. When I was in elementary school lunch was always a favorite part of the day but a few times of the year it was VERY special because my mom or dad would come and have lunch with me. I remember feeling like my mom or dad was a celebrity because all the kids would follow us around and say how lucky I was to have my them at school for lunch. My mom/dad would also stay for recess and push me in the swing or watch me perform EVERY playground trick I knew! A few weeks ago Allie asked me to come to school for lunch with her and suddenly a rush of memories came back to me. I was SO excited to go! The day of Kate, Roman, and I picked up some ChickFilA and headed to the school (yah, not so excited for cafeteria food). Allie had the biggest smile on her face when she saw us walking through the halls. Just as I remembered, lots of kids asked if they could sit with us and when we went out for recess Allie had a little entourage following her from one piece of playground equipment to the next as she showed me every trick she new. Kate ran right along with them and Roman laughed at the sight of SO MANY KIDS! We had lots of hugs goodbye once we got to her classroom but no tears...we're all looking forward to doing it again.

3. Candlelight Dinners on Sunday
I'm not sure how it started but last winter we began a "tradition" of using candles for Sunday dinners. It's really magical. The kids get soooo excited and actually Darin and I do too. I don't always make something special and we aren't perfect at doing it every week but nonetheless it's a memory I will cherish. For some reason the candles make dinner more delicious to us all (especially our picky eaters!). Our conversation flows so easily as the kids share stories, of course we play "high/low"..sometimes several rounds of it. Traditions are so important to families, we all need something familiar yet special to look forward to...so this is a tradition I highly recommend! I need to take an actual picture of us but for now here's a placeholder.

4. Thanksgiving Turkey
Every year (for at least the past 4) we make a "Thanks" Giving Turkey for FHE. The girls have been asking me since Halloween when we were going to make our Turkey. I kept forgetting until today. The idea is that every day the kids choose a turkey feather and write what they are thankful for on it, then we add it to the turkey. On Thanksgiving Day we read all of our blessings and I also save each Turkey in our memory box. One year Kate was thankful for "birthdays" every day and Allie has been thankful for every friend she's ever had. This year it was great to hear them say (without being prompted)that they were thankful for Prayer and The Gospel! Yep, I'm going to sleep well tonight!

So, after re-reading my post I'm feeling like I have The Perfect Family! LOL Not true, we are full of our problems like everyone else. Focusing on these great things does help me to think that we are headed in the right direction.

Happy Birthday Roman!

Everyone says it, but it's true; I can't believe a year has past since my baby boy was born. Roman is complete sunshine in our home. He is SMILES, GIGGLES, and SLOBBERY KISSES. When he's tired he gets extra cuddly, we joke that he's a lover not a fighter. Usually an hour before bedtime he starts wrestling with Dad. If anyone lays on the floor, he'll rush over and rub his face on their belly...this is the sign that he seriously wants to take them out!

Before Roman was born everyone said, "I can't imagine you with a boy!" and I must admit that I couldn't picture myself with one either. All I heard was how dirty and rough they were. I often saw friend's boys rough-housing and breaking things that my girls would never think of touching. Now that Roman is here, I can't picture us without him...including girly 'ol me! It's true that boys are very different than girls. We didn't use quite so many gates with the girls, we also didn't have to relocate so many items from the living room to "places that cannot be reached", but we ADORE every minute of life with Roman. I love to just watch him as he plays, I can see wheels turning in his head as he tries to figure out how to get into something, how to take a toy apart, or how to get out of his "cage". Roman has been my easiest, yet busiest baby.

New Things You're Doing:

1. Saying Da-da, Ma-ma, 'Hyo' (Hello), Uh-oh, 'Ook' (Look), No-no and other sounds that are faintly familiar but not quite words.

2. Not new, but you LOVE to throw things down the stairs. If we can't find our socks, shoes, remote, book, we know where to look!

3. When we tell you 'No, no' you shake your finger at whatever you were trying to get into and say "No, no" as well.

4. Dancing King! You love music and always get your groove on when you hear a lively toon. Our favorite is when you stop your "squat dance" and start shaking your head to the music. Super cute!

5. Hugs and kisses, you give us lots and it makes us soooo happy!

6. When the phone rings you immediately put your hand up to your ear and say, 'Hyo'. It cracks us up.

7. You are a VERY picky eater...no veggies for you. If it's not sweet then you don't want it, but we are definitely working on that!

8. We LOVE your hair and so does everyone else! Whereever we go, someone is sure to stop and tell us that they love your curly blonde locks...Daddy jokes that you got them from him!

To celebrate Roman's big day we went swimming at the OSU pool. Roman loved the water even though his lips were turning blue. We had a little family party at home. I wasn't sure that he would know what to do with the presents but no one had to show him. He was mesmerized by the bright paper as soon as he saw it. When the gifts were within reach he pounced! In no time at all he had them unwrapped and couldn't wait to start playing. I was sucker and got him all "annoying musical toys" but I knew he would love them and so far he does.

Our "tradition" is to take a picture of Roman in Darin's white shirt each birthday, to see how he grows into it...and possibly out of it. So far, here is the difference:

3 months

1 Year

Oh...and Katherine, thanks for the b-day cake idea! I totally copied your genius idea and it was a big hit!

Beggar's Night and the Masquerade Ball

I'll start with Beggar's Night...
so like all of you we Trick-or-Treated A LOT this year, two nights in fact. Columbus has this weird tradition called "Beggar's Night" and it is usually held on the 30th. "Why?" you ask...well we ask the same question. This year was especially strange since Halloween fell on a Friday, perfect for kids to stay up late! Anyway, our neighborhood held trick-or-treating on the 30th and the Johnson's neighborhood did it on the 31st so we ended up enjoying the festivities both nights because we TOTALLY needed the candy! We had so much fun and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. We enjoyed the walk and seeing all the kids in their costumes. I do appreciate that people here sit out in their driveways with the candy and just wait for the kids to come by, usually entire neighborhoods are out. It's grown to be one of my favorite holidays now that I have kids.
This year Allie was Raggedy Ann, Kate was a Buckeye Cheerleader, and Roman was a Giraffe!





Fancy Nancy Goes to The Mom Prom (LOL)

One of my clients invited Darin and me to her annual Masquerade Ball which was held last night. I was SOOOO excited to go and Darin was SOOOOO not excited to go.....I'm sure you're shocked by that news. Anyway, Darin was a great sport and rented his Tux, put on his mask and went to the Ball. So I know what you're thinking, "What is a masquerade ball and where in the world do you find a mask?" Masks can be found like everything else under the sun, on eBay. And the ball was the super-duper fanciest party I've ever been too. (Darin thought it was pretty funny for a Mormon girl from Vidor, TX to go to such a party.) There were soooo many details to the party that I don't know that I can even do it justice! Sooo...here's my top 10 list of events from the night.
1. Arrive, Golf Cart being driven by men in tuxedos pulls up to our car and drives us to my client's house and then they park our car. We had to chuckle when they said, "You sure have a lot of car seats in there!" LOL
2. Get to the party, Darin goes to tie my mask and breaks it. SUPER! The bouncers who were checking our names off the list rushed around to find some way to fix it. Yeah! photographers have black electrical tape and the evening is saved (yep, photographers took pics of the party all night and they were dressed as court jesters).
3. The custom-built clear tent is decorated in the most breathtaking elaborate chandeliers and face masks. There were tall heaters that kept it warm.
4. Yeah! Bar has non-alcoholic drinks so we don't feel quite so out-of-place.
5. Still wondering what the murder-mystery part is about when all of the sudden actors start emerging from the crowd and interacting with the guests. As the night goes on a plot develops and we all have to guess who killed the king. SO MUCH FUN!...even Darin enjoyed it. What a genius idea for a crowd mixer. (hmmm...as Ward Activities Chair, how can I work this in to our Christmas party with out killing the Christmas Spirit???? Still working on it. ;)
6. We got to dance!!!!! Anyone who knows me knows that I BEG Darin to take me dancing...the Fred Astaire School of Dance has open dance nights but we have yet to go.
7. Waiters everywhere, duck, SHRIMP, other stuff I can't pronounce.
8. Ohhhh, another Apple-Tini (non-alco of course) without having to ask....just arrived.
9. DARIN IN A TUX!!!
10. K, my favorite part was that I got to dress up, I know you are SHOCKED but I do like to get dressed up every now and then. LOL ;)
and now I AM SOOO Planning a Masquerade Ball, New Year's anyone????

Ashli C. came over and did my hair uber-fancy. Thanks Ash!

Getting Ready to Leave...



Anna, Sarah, RaShonda (hostess)

Very weird smiling w/ the mask on.

Getting ready to leave....