Too Much Fun

So, you can tell what your priorities in life are when you can say, "No, Mr. Salvation Army elf, I can't spare 75 cents to drop in your bucket, but have fun freezing in the cold." While in the next breath you are calling your local Dish provider and upgrading your package so you can watch the BYU v. Utah game on the coming Saturday. "$18 to watch the BYU/Utah game...that's a steal--totally worth it!"

Needless to say, we watched the BYU v. Utah game today. Despite the slight guilt I felt that Matt upgraded solely for that one purpose, we did have a great time! Our friends the Hammond's came over with two little boys just older and younger than Jenna. She was in Heaven playing with her nursery friend "Griffie" (Griffen) as she was calling him. Anyway, the game went on right during her nap time, so of course, napping was out of the question. But not 30 minutes after our friends had gone, I noticed things were more quiet than usual and I found Jenna, who, by the looks of it, was trying to read some books on her bed. Unsuccessfully, you'll notice.

Black Friday

Yawn! Boy am I tired. This morning I woke up at around 4am for our yearly ritual of Black Friday Shopping. This is my van when we got home. The back seat was folded down into the ground, so the entire back half of my van was full to the ceiling just about. We got some great deals. The best of which I thought was a 8 mega pixel digital camera for $89. My mom also got Jenna a Power Wheels! I wonder if she's old enough to maneuver that, or if it will just end up rammed into things with her stuck and crying.

This years proceedings went off with hardly a hitch. Aside from a near fatal paper cut in line at wal-mart, me blocking out the line cutters at Target and nearly fainting with the dizziness caused as a side effect of my sleeping pills, it was a a fairly smooth process. I love Black Friday shopping because for a little sweat and sometimes blood, you can get great deals and more presents for others than you would have normally been able to get. Although, as I sit here in the quiet of my computer room, there is something to be said for buying online!

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and and happy Black Friday!

PS... A couple of funny Jenna things

We're running late for my class at the gym, so Jenna's eating her breakfast (a banana) in the van. I hand it to her and she says, "I'm not going to make a big mess in mommy's new van. That would make you so sad." Yep, I don't want you to make a big mess in the new van, so be very careful. "Awe, don't worry mommy. We can get you a new van, you just have to think positive!"

Matt is telling Jenna she needs to pick up her toys and put them away before we can play a game. She doesn't listen, so Matt tells her again, a little louder, Jenna you need to pick these toys up, I already asked you twice! Jenna says, "MATTHEW! It's not a big deal!"

5 Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Things...

I've been tagged on my friend Suzie's blog to tell 5 things no one knows about me. Now, it seems like when most people do these things, they put down stuff they're really proud of, that's really awesome and makes you go, "Wow, that is one cool mama!" Sadly, there is nothing so extraordinary about myself that would make anyone call me a cool mama. So...I've decided to disclose 5 things I'd rather people NOT know about me, but are nevertheless, very true! Here goes nothing. I hope you will not think less of me when this is over.

1. In high school I was the messiest person you ever met. My room was a constant pig sty and most days of the week you literally could not see one square inch of carpet. Of this fact, I am now, heartily ashamed.

2. In 5th grade, my brother and I lied to my parents and road our bikes to the local convenience store with my cousins and bought a bunch of candy and chips for our sleepover. Worse yet, it was a Sunday. When we got home we hid the items in our sleeping bags so my parents wouldn't find out...They found out. We got in big trouble.

3. The last time I wet the bed I was in high school. I had a dream about going to the bathroom, and bingo! Next thing you know I'm sticking my sheets in the washer at 2am. OH, the shame!

4. Wait, I take that back. The last time I wet my pants was when I was 1 week overdue with Jenna and I was playing Around the World ping pong with my family (you run around the table and hit the ball). Anyway, something funny happened and I couldn't hold it in. Worst of all, I was wearing my sister Kristen's shorts. Sorry Dubsie! Very shameful, I know!

5. The lowest grade I got at BYU was in my Book of Mormon class, of all the crazy things. It was the same semester I met Matt, and while playing a game of Celestial Pursuit, I was asked the question, "What date was the Church organized?" I had no idea and I think I said, "Sometime in the 1840's?" Anyway, in front of everyone Matt said, "I can't believe you don't know the date that is so foundational to everything you believe!" I said, "of course I don't know it, I got a stinkin' B in my Book of Mormon class for crying out loud!" Jeeze! What a jerk! He apologized later.

Well, that's it. I hope you all can still be my friends. ;-) As for my family...well, you're stuck with me. Sorry!

Trip to Washington

This past week we have been in Washington on a trip to visit my Nana and Grandpa. I hadn't seen them in almost 4 years, so obviously they hadn't seen Jenna or Brooke. The traveling to and from Washington was 14 hour travel days including a delayed flight and running to catch a connection in Denver. Jenna and Brooke were as good as could be expected of a 2 year old and a 6 month old. The hardest part of the whole thing was just sitting for practically 14 hours straight. I would have given anything for a treadmill or something to exercise on! It was really nice to see my Nana and Grandpa because my Nana has multiple health conditions and every time I see her I think it will probably be my last. We were happy to get home though and happy to see Matt, we missed him a lot!Jenna playing in a tree outside my grandparents apartment.
Jenna, Nikki and Evan. This was probably the closest and longest time Jenna ever spent near Evan.
My mom and Jenna wearing my grandpa's coke bottles...I mean glasses!

Here's the whole clan except for Jenna (who refused to be in the picture) and my mom, who's taking the picture.
This is Brooke playing in her pack and play, a thing she did quite often in the wee hours of the morning considering her and Jenna woke up each morning around 4:30am because they were still on Missouri time and then there was the whole time change ordeal. Needless to say, 4:30am Washington time equaled 7:30am Missouri time, which is when they normally wake up. Sorry Dad, Mom and Dubs for the early morning wake up calls, but what can you do? I am really grateful to my parents for taking us up there with them. I know it was an added headache and expense, but I'm really thankful Jenna got to meet Nana and Grandpa, hopefully she'll remember it at least a little.

PJ Party!

Yeah! A PJ party...and NO, I don't think it's weird! We had a birthday "get together" for some friends last night and wore our pjs and played games late into the night. It was SO much fun. I'm really lucky to have a great group of girlfriends out here. I can always count on them for a fun night out with the girls!
The "lowlight" of the evening was getting my booty kicked in Indian leg wrestling. Let me tell you, although stereotypically Asian people are mild mannered, meek, geniuses and...one would assume... easily beatable in leg wrestling, they are freakishly strong!! (At least Lisa is!) My back was seriously killing me all night and it still hurts a little today. Just wait though, a few more months of leg presses at the gym and I'm calling for a rematch!!

Halloween 2007

Well, all I have to say is, "Thank Heavens Halloween is over!" I just hate Halloween, I'm like the Scrooge of Halloween. I think my hatred stems from my childhood, when my mom would offer to pay us with either money, or bags of candy from the store not to go trick-or-treating. I can definitely see myself doing that in years to come. I don't like the fact that I have to spend $$$ on candy for a bunch of kids who I don't even know, that may or may not even live in my neighborhood and who are also most likely way to old to be trick or treating in the first place. Not to mention $$$ on costumes that they will wear for like 2 hours. I tried really hard this year to put my Scrooginess aside though, so Jenna could have a fun Halloween. I even let her and Matt carve a pumpkin (I HATE carving pumpkins!)

All ranting aside...here are pictures from our super fun Halloween (that was sarcastic).

Okay people, mark this date on your calendars, me punching holes in the Dora pumpkin was my first (and probably last) pumpkin adventure. I thought the pumpkin turned out pretty darn cute though, as far as pumpkins go.

Jenna was really scared to go Trick-or-Treating, but once some friends from the ward came over and we tagged along with them, she warmed up to the idea a little bit. She just kept on saying, "Thank you so much mommy, this is just so much fun!" She was really enthralled with the idea that she could just run from house to house and they would give her candy just for saying "Trick or treating" (she adds the -ing, I've tried to correct her, it doesn't work). Anyway, after about 6 houses she had reached her max and told me "I've had just about enough for tonight mommy." We headed home with a few suckers, one bag of Skittles, a pack of smarties and one spider ring. Not what I would have considered the best loot when I was younger, but for Jenna she was in 7th Heaven.

Candy to hand out at our house: $15

Jenna's Tigger Costume: $4 on an after Halloween sale last year

Black pants to go w/ Tigger costume: $3.50

Diet Pepsi to help gear up for the night: $1.07

Pumpkin from Wal-Mart: $4.00

Jenna having a great time: priceless??? Yah right, it cost me $27.57

CONGRATS NIKKI & EVAN!

This is the WATERFALL where Evan proposed to Nikki yesterday. They are now officially engaged. No date is set yet, but probably next Jan-March sometime. All I have to say to Evan is, "Welcome to our freaky family. If you can handle us, you're a better man than most." Oh, and one more thing, "I am the coolest one in the family, hands down." ;) I'm going to be the youngest, hottest Matron of Honor there ever was!

Congratulations Nikki and Evan!!!!! I love you!