Busy as a Bee

Whew! Everett had a busy week this week. In between not napping or sleeping very well, he also...

Played with choo choos,

Got a boo boo, (Which if you ask him is all Bailey's (the dog's) fault.)
tried on Mom's shoes,
jumped up and down in the crib WHILE Juliana was in it. This was a particular favorite as it was repeated every day this week. And no, it's not the same for him to jump without Juliana as a would-be target.
Taught Juliana the finer points of watching "Toy Story". Again, he was insistent that she sit in the chair with him. And no week is complete without trying on cool headwear. Everett loves this pink headband Jessica. Loves it! He may even wear it more often than Juliana does. Hmm, should I be worried?

A Modern Day Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, in a land that could be considered another country, a lovely, smart, bright young lady bore her first child. "A boy! A boy!" was shouted throughout the land. The new mother and father were overjoyed by the birth of their new son. As he lay sleeping peacefully in the hospital, the boy's parents were content.

As time went by, the boy grew. And as he grew he learned all sorts of new and wonderful things. He learned to sit up, eat from a spoon, crawl and even walk. "Our son's a genius," the parents thought. "There isn't anything he can't do." And the boy's parents were content.

The boy's lovely, smart, bright mother did all she could to ensure her son's proper development. She devoured parenting books and magazines, diligently fed him foods for proper nutrition and ensured his sleep habits were healthy. All of this led to the boy being extremely well-adjusted. He was a happy boy. The parents sighed to themselves, "Our son is awesome." And the boy's parents were content.

Although the boy's parents knew better, they let their wonderful little boy use a pacifier. "It won't hurt," they thought. "Plus, it calms him when he's fussy and helps him to take wonderfully long naps and sleep so well at night." The parents agreed they would stop the boy's use of a pacifier at his first birthday. Well, the boy's first birthday came and went, and yet the pacifier remained. The boy's parents were beginning to be anything but content.

The boy's wise father knew that the best way to rid their lives of the pacifier was simply to stop. The boy's lovely, smart, bright mother was too scared to stop cold turkey. "No, no," she said. "Let's gradually wean him off the pacifier. Since I'm home with him all day, I can do it." To the father's dismay, the boy's SECOND birthday came and went and yet the pacifier remained. The boy's parents were not happy at all.

A few months after the boy's second birthday, the small family decided to take a short journey. While they were in a land only three hours away, the boy's extremely persausive grandmother encouraged the young boy to simply "Throw the pacifier out the window!" To the great astonishment of all those present, the young boy took the pacifier out of his mouth and threw it out the window! The boy's family was more than content - they were estatic.

In the days that followed the young boy's sleep suffered. The thing he had relied on for more than two years was suddenly gone! The boy's parents, especially his lovely, not-so-smart or bright mother, were not quite content since their sleep was suffering as well.

But the boy's father knew the boy would be better off as a result of his throwing the pacifier out the window. And the boy's mother could only hope.

**(We hope this explains any crabbiness any of the Giddens' have exhibited over the past few days!)**

She's Ain't Heavy, She's My Sister

It's beneficial for me to capture moments like this when all is calm and both kids are relatively happy. And yes, despite his eyes being closed, Everett is actually saying "cheese". Everett insisted Juliana sit right next to him while they viewed his morning staple, "Curious George." Nevermind the fact that about 30 minutes prior he had jumped on her head/face causing her to shriek in that special way that lets me know, "Ma-om, he's at it again!!!" Note the fear in her eyes. She's no dummy. That Juliana knows that at any given moment she could be toast. Ahh, the joys of an older brother.

And no need to adjust your screens, that is a nice little gash Everett inflicted upon himself yesterday afternoon by running smack into the corner of a table. Running into stuff and closing his eyes in pictures. Yep, no doubt this kid shares my gene pool.

In a completely unrelated note, Heidi, I thought you might be interested to see what your awesome Francesca's gift card purchased me. I LOVE IT!!! Of course, I haven't worn it yet, just tried it on in the dressing room, but many, many, many thanks to you for helping me to feel more like "Natalie, the cute girl" instead of "Natalie, the frumpy mom" (I type this as I'm wearing sweatpants, tennis shoes and a BYU hoodie. And yes folks, I went out in public like this!)

And of course, what is February the 28th without a birthday shout-out to my favorite little mama, Jessica?! Jessica is one of my oldest and dearest friends. We met our Freshman year of college at BYU. Today is her Golden Birthday , so here's a short list of why Jessica is so darn great:

1) She is great at impressions

2) Her vocabulary puts your vocabulary to shame

3) We could totally take you in two-on-two basketball, her skillz are THAT good

4) She is the best french braider, hands downs

5) She is great fun with which to watch silly little TV shows like Real World, Young Americans or Miss USA pagaents

6) She has an incredible memory, especially for random people and random facts about those people.

7) She has one of the best laughs out there

8) Before I met her I never knew that you could eat a peanut butter and sugar sandwich. Or fried French Toast. Or blackberry jam.

9) She makes a killer smoothie

10) She is incredibly crafty. I mean, seriously, have you seen her quilts?

The list could go on and on. But take it from me, she's awesome.

Mini-Natalies Running Around

This is for all those folks who have taken one look at Everett's blond hair (and noticed the fact that he's a boy) and instantly exclaimed, "Oh, he looks just like his daddy!" I've been secretly haboring thoughts that, "Aside from that blond hair, Everett really looks a lot like me" for quite some time now. Thank you MyHeritage for quelling the naysayers, internal and external alike.

And as a sidenote, I've seen this fun experiment on many a blog and I've never seen a child so overwhelming favor one parent. The most I've seen it go one way or the other is, at most, like 20% or so. What's the most you guys have seen?



And to my surprise, Miss J favors me as well. I keep thinking she favors Will, but who am I to doubt MyHeritage?

More Buzz for The Yellow Rose

Why thank you, thank you very much!

Click here to see why.

Where's Everett?

Can you spot the toddler amidst all the Thomas gear? He may be difficult to find since he's wearing Thomas the Train pjs, has Thomas sheets, blanket and pillowcase, and fell asleep with a couple of Thomas toys as well.

We are amazed at how well Everett has transitioned in to his 'big boy choo choo bed'. He LOVES it! And remarkably enough, he actually stays in it! We're still working on teaching him proper sleep ettiquitte, like head up, feet down; under the covers, etc., but he's off to a marvelous start. Congrats E!!

If You're in the Papes, You're Famous

We had quite the busy week last week, all of which culminated with the grand opening of my mom's store, The Yellow Rose. We spent the week taking care of all the last minute details. And let me tell you, that was no small feat with three little ones constantly under foot. But we managed, and I think the whole thing was pretty darn successful. So successful in fact, that my mom got major props in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. She (and I) were interviewed. And I don't care that I was a Print Journalism major in college and then worked for a magazine, no matter how many times I see my name in print, it's thrilling!

Here's the full text:

Shop dresses up views of fashion
By Rick Badie Tuesday, February 19, 2008, 08:17 AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Julia Kilgore had a hard time finding suitable formal dresses for her daughters to wear when they were in high school.
Nothing, it seemed, was age appropriate. Too many strapless backs, thigh-high slits and plunging necklines.
Too much Britney Spears. Too much exposed skin. Way too much immodesty.
“Sixteen and 17-year-olds shouldn’t be wearing that,” Kilgore thought at the time. “Some women shouldn’t be wearing it, either.”
Last week, we talked in a small shop off Main Street in downtown Lilburn. Kilgore and her married daughters - Paula Roberts of Snellville and Natalie Giddens of Lilburn - unwrapped about 100 dresses that had just arrived. The dresses are a variety of bright colors and variations of satin, all fashionably modest.
Finally, Kilgore has realized a dream she’s had ever since her girls were prom-age at Parkview High. She’s opened The Yellow Rose, a boutique whose name reflects her native state and her favorite flower. The shop specializes in modest formal wear for girls and women. Prom dresses will range from $150 on the low end to $500 or so on the high end. Bridal gowns are in the $250 to $1,000 range.
“I felt a need for this,’ said Kilgore, who has lived in the Lawrenceville/Lilburn area since 1975.
I do, too.
Some 12-year-old girls dress like 18-years-olds, and too many 18-year-olds dress like 30-year-olds. Too much of it is raunchy, and it’s not empowering. It’s shameful. A few years ago, AJC Gwinnett News did a photo spread on high school girls shopping for prom dresses. Some ensembles were too risque to print.
Kilgore and her daughters have spread the word about the shop’s theme to private Christian schools. They expect The Yellow Rose to also appeal to young women in public schools who can’t find modesty at the local mall.
“A lot more girls would dress modestly if they had the opportunity,” said Giddens. “Girls think they are doing the guys a favor if they dress [revealingly]. I think most guys would prefer that girls dress modestly.”
She thinks about her last statement. “Some guys would.”
Kilgore will buy her dresses wholesale from Beautifully Modest, a private online retailer in Orem, Utah. When the business started almost a decade ago, some retail manufacturers laughed at the concept, said Phyllis Nielsen, the company marketing director.
Now there’s competition.
“Even now, some of them think it’s funny,” she said. “There are women out there who have certain standards that they are trying to stick to, and it can be very difficult. They want to be beautiful and elegant and don’t feel like they have to show a lot of skin to do that. They want to cover up.”
Kilgore and her daughters say they know many situations in which young ladies end up ordering online because they can’t find a variety of modest formal wear in stores. Others have even flown out west to places like Arizona to shop in specialty stores.
“We know quite a few who have done that, especially for weddings,” Giddens said.
Now, maybe they won’t have to.
The Yellow Rose, 79 Main St., Lilburn, initially will be open only by appointment. Details: 770-315-6823.

Is that neat or what? We are all uber excited. And suddenly I've morphed into the PR gal for The Yellow Rose. I hope I can live up to the hype. But yes, the open house was great and our models totally rocked.

Yea for The Yellow Rose!

As If You Really Want To Know More...

Thanks Amy, April and Megan for tagging me. You guys are lucky I'm so easily persuaded to continue these sorts of things! A deep breath and here we go...

What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was 18 and in my 2nd semester of my senior year of high school. I was working after school at a PR firm as an administrative assistant (obviously very different from a secretary). I was helping out with the girls basketball team since a lot of my good friends were on the team. I had been accepted to BYU and was already imagining how much better life was going to get once I was in Provo and my dating life "really" began. I was also spending a lot of my hard-earned money on clothes and shoes. Hanging out a lot w/a group of friends, most of whom I still keep in some kind of contact with. Oh, and totally stressing over prom, which was still like a month or two away.

5 things on my "to-do" list today:
Go to church
Help with dinner
Write in my journal
Make a to-do list for tomorrow (and the rest of the week)
Talk to my mom about more ideas for The Yellow Rose (her modest formalwear shop that's opening on Saturday!)

3 of my bad habits:
1) Not eating in regular intervals and then getting really crabby because I'm hungry and haven't eaten and nothing sounds good and I don't want to fix anything (yeah, Will really loves this about me)
2) Interupting people when we're talking. I'm trying to get better, but it's usually because I'm so excited about whatever we're talking about that I want to add my .02 cents. Plus, after two kids my memory's totally shot and I'll end up forgetting what I was going to say.
3) Spending too much time on the Internet and surfing blogs. (Will really loves this one too)


Places I've lived:
Lilburn, GA
Provo, UT
Norcross, GA

Things most people don't know about me:
I had my wisdom teeth out at age 12. That doctor really knew what he was doing since when I walked in he told me he thought I was at least 16. I was so flattered that I almost didn't mind all the pain I endured afterwards. I guess 16 was my magic age since 10 years later, at the college-graduated age of 22 I was asked by a teenage grocery store clerk how my first day of school was. When I told him I had graduated he then asked, "Oh, so where are you going to college?"

I have terrible taste in music. I like what I like and honestly, it's not much. I dig Oldies, 80s, some early 90s and definitely soft rock and some country. Totally not cool and really lame stuff, I know.

I LOVE Disney channel movies. They are so clean and goofy and fun. Yes, I get made fun of constantly for this, but I just love 'em. I can't wait until the kids are old enough to really like them too!

I've always wanted to dress in a cool, eclectic almost artsy style, but it's totally not me and that type of clothing just doesn't fit my kind of body.

Ok, that's all I can think of. I now tag: Paula, Jessica (there are about three or four of you who read this, so consider yourself tagged), Heidi, Erin and Cat.

¡Cuatro Años!

Four years ago on this fateful day Will and I got married. Our wedding day, though rainy like it is today in Atlanta, was absolutely perfect. We had a sweet, faith-confirming experience in the temple, a yummy luncheon at Maggiano's and then a fabulous reception the next day. And our honeymoon cruise was awesome! Seriously, everything went off without a hitch and I have such fond memories about the entire time. No freakouts for us.

As I think about the past four years, I'm filled with love, happiness and lots of laughter. Will and I have the best marriage for us. We complement each other so well. We are similar people and really don't argue. While some may say that makes for a boring marriage, I would have to strongly disagree. It's so nice to know that we don't have to argue or disagree about all of the little things in life. Instead, we get to focus fully on enjoying the journey. There is no one I'd rather journey through life with than Will. He is my sweetheart, my love, my best friend, my eternal companion. I'm forever grateful that we met and fell in love when we did.

Sometimes I feel like we've always been married, that we've always shared our life together. And while I'm so grateful for the time we had to be single and the lessons that we learned, I can't say enough about what a blessing being married to Will is to me. There is not a day that goes by that he doesn't make me laugh. And as you guys know, I love to laugh!

In our short four years we've traveled to five countries and seven states.

We've lived in five different places and gone to two different wards. We've had a total of eight jobs between the two of us. We've owned four different cars and been in one car accident. And we've become parents to two of the cutest little folks out there. Who knows how much those numbers will change over the next four years?!
If time, money and responsibilities were not a factor, as anniversary gifts I would get Will the following four things (one for each year we've been married):

1) New ankles and feet. And maybe legs and I might as well throw in a new back while I'm at it.

2) A trip back to where he served his mission in the rainforest of northern Brazil.

3) Dinner with his man-crush Brad Pitt.

4) Incredible seats to a Manchester United match in England. Or perhaps tickets to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. It's a toss up.

And since four is the magic number today, here are four things I love about Will. Being careful not to duplicate any of the things I said last year.

1) He is incredibly tender hearted.

2) He works so hard for our family.

3) He loves to read and learn.

4) He is, quite possibly, the funniest person on the planet.

Four years under our belt and still going strong. Go Team Giddens!!

Cuteness x2

Last week I took the kiddies to see my sweet friend, Natalie, and her baby boy, Blaine. Natalie and I have been friends for a few years now. Will was in Natalie's ward growing up, and Natalie's husband Jesse was my home teacher when we were in the singles ward. We were all in the same ward until a few months ago when there was a mass exodus of young married couples who were expecting babies in September. Natalie and I were actually due a day apart at the end of September, but due to other circumstances, we both delivered two weeks early - still a day a part! Juliana was born on the 10th and cutie pie Blaine on the 11th.

It was so cute to see Juliana and Blaine together! They are both dolls and Blaine is such a boy. It's nice to know that wide eyes, bibs, onesies, pants and socks are just standard 4 month old attire.

A few days later Everett decided Juliana must be having all the fun with her 24/7 bib wearing, so he chose to don one of his own.

A Contented Sigh...

It took him three tries, but he finally got a good grip.

Modesty Rocks!

To all of my Atlanta-area friends,

Guess what?!?! My mom is opening a modest bridal and formalwear shop! How neat-o cool is that? We are super excited for her and are trying to get the word out to as many people as we possibly can.

As many of you know, finding a modest, formal dress outside of the state of Utah can be a challenge. Many times we're relegated to simply wearing some sort of jacket over a sleeveless dress or sewing on sleeves. It is so much nicer when the dress is already modest and all you have to do is try it on, make sure it fits and then purchase it.

My mom has been toying with the idea of opening her own shop since Paula and I were in high school. She saw how difficult it was for us to find formal dresses. When I got married, I found a lady in Acworth that had a shop so I bought my dress there. Paula had to fly to Utah to find her wedding dress.

Well, no more! As of February 16th, 2008, my mom's shop, The Yellow Rose, will be open and ready for business. She will be carrying the Beautifully Modest dress line, with other lines to follow as business picks up. She will be open by appointment only, so that she will be able to give her undivided attention to the young lady trying on the dresses. To kick off her grand opening, she will be hosting an open house. There will be refreshments, a mini fashion show and a raffle to win coupons to go towards the purchase of a dress. Fun times will be had by all.

If you are prom/homecoming age, bridal age, or if you simply need a dress for a formal occasion, The Yellow Rose is the place for you!

Ticket to Ride: It's a Good Thing

For all of you who enjoy a good game, could I please suggest one of my new favorites? It's called "Ticket to Ride" and it is simply fabulous!

We received this blessed game as a gift from a secret Santa. This secret Santa was good because not only have they yet to reveal themselves (hence the entire purpose of it being secret), but they also know us pretty darn well to send us such a fun game. We've played it plenty of times since Christmas and each time we play I get more ideas of effective strategies.

Basically, the point of the game is to build railroad routes between major cities in the U.S. You gain the ability to "lay tracks" by drawing different colored rail cards. Once you have enough of the same colored rail cards, you can lay down your route between two cities.

To add to the fun, at the beginning of the game each player draws destination cards. You are responsible for fulfilling those cards and by doing so, you get bonus points. For example, if your destination card says "Los Angeles to Miami: 26 points", when you build the route from L.A. to Miami, you get the 26 points. Should you fail to do so, you are penalized those 26 points.

The real excitement of the game comes from the fact that the other people you're playing with are trying to fulfill their own destination cards and at any point in time, may completely mess up your strategy. The direct route may not always be the easiest to complete!

And should you need more convincing, it might interest you to know that "Ticket to Ride" won the German Game of the Year in 2004. As you may, or may not, know games that win the GGotY award are usually stellar. Those Germans really know their board games.

So if you are hankering for a fun, new game to try, my endorsement goes to "Ticket to Ride." It's fun, it's easy to learn the rules and if my sister, Paula, likes it, then you KNOW you have a winner on your hands. That Paula, she's a tough cookie.

A Boy, His Dad and Snow

The weathermen predicted it and this time they were right - it SNOWED! in Georgia! in January!

We had a snow day on Saturday that reminded me of my days in college. It started snowing around 11 a.m. and didn't stop until evening. Granted, it was only about 3 inches, but it has been probably seven or eight years since the last time it snowed down here in the Dirty South.

Will took Everett out to enjoy the falling snow.

And Everett? Well, he was gracious enough to copy everything Will did. Smarty pants.

I sure do love these two guys!

Size is a Relative Thing

Thanks to Paula and Lydia, we dusted off the ol Exersaucer yesterday. It's nice to know that even though Everett is way above the recommended age guidelines, he didn't let a little thing like the fact that he can stand up straight in it deter him from having a grand time.

It made me a little nostalgic for earlier times,
But glad he's a kid after my own heart and is determined to get his money's worth out of it!

Confession #57

I have a habit. One that I'm not particularly proud of, but one that I just can't seem to quit. I'm thinking/hoping I'm not alone in my habit, but here it is: I LOVE to blog surf.

You know how it is: You give yourself five minutes to check a few blogs, see what folks are up to, and before you know it an hour has passed, you've squandered away nap time (for the mommies out there) and you've found a long lost friend, but with absolutely no recollection as to how you really stumbled across their site.

Sadly, the thrill I get from finding the blog of someone I used to know is intoxicating. I always get giddy when I find a new blog that has loads of folks on their sidebar. You never know who you might find next!

So for any other surfers out there, feel free to check out my update sidebar. You might be surprised who you happen to find out there in the Internet ocean. Surf's up!

Fancy Schmancy

I haven't been to many black-tie affairs in my day. And I've been to exactly zero since becoming a stay-at-home mom. So when Will told me that he had a "Kick Off to 2008" work party that was black tie, I admit, I was less than thrilled. I hate dress shopping and just didn't know if I would find something that was a) appropriate and b) I'd like. But, I think I faired alright and I do have to say, I felt pretty snazzy getting all dolled up and going out with my handsome husband to a party with all the grown ups. We're talking sit-down dinner, tables set with something like four different glasses and seven pieces of silverware per person, an open bar (you KNOW we took advantage of that. Hello, cherry Coke!), a d.j. AND karaoke too. What a night!

Here we are in our formalwear. And yes, my dress was very sparkly.

You know, sometimes it really comes in handy to have a husband with long arms. If I had taken this picture, it'd be A LOT closer.

Will the Thrill treating everyone's ears to a rousing and incredibly spot-on version of Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places." Seriously good. So good, in fact, that one old man swore Will has a career in Nashville in his future. If only I could sing, we could be the next Tim and Faith!