Merry Christmas!

First of all, thank you to all of those who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. It was a marvelous day and I'm so thankful for such wonderful family and friends.

Secondly, below you will find our 2008 newsletter. I emailed it out to as many people as I had email addresses for, but I'm sure I missed some of you. I thought it'd be nice to put it here as well. Can I just take a moment and praise the Internet? It's amazing what's out there and I was beyond overjoyed to figure out how to convert a pdf file to a jpeg. Google rocks!

Third, we hope each of you has a very merry Christmas!

THE BIG 2-9! Happy Birthday Natalie!!

This post is perhaps one of the most important posts on this blog. Today, December 23, 2008, is Natalie's 29th birthday!! I want everyone to know how much I love Natalie and how much I want her to have a great day today. She is a great mother to our two wonderful children and the best wife for me.
I could not have imagined, with all the creativity in the world, a more perfect wife, companion, and friend for me. I hope you have a very very happy birthday today and that many friends on facebook recognize this special day. ( i know that is what would put a smile on your face).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATALIE!!!

Check-ups, Contests and Cheesecake

Yesterday was Juliana's 15 month check-up. Seriously, how is she already 15 months? And Everett is three. Wow. More so than my upcoming birthday (12 days and counting), having my kids get older is what really makes me feel like I'm getting older. It seems like I was just barely pregnant with Everett. For those curious, she weighs 25 pounds and is 32 inches tall. Her weight puts her into the 75th percentile while her height is in the 90th percentile. Looks like any way we slice it, she's just a big girl (in a good, self-esteem boosting kind-of-way).

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I usually use this blog to showcase the kiddos or post lists about unusual/funny/weird/interesting things about me. Will and his super busy schedule don't meet my highly strict, super rigorous blog standards. Well, no more! Even though he keeps telling me it isn't a big deal, I think it is and since I'm the main (read: only) writer on this family blog, here we go.

A couple of months ago there was a sales contest at work. Basically, over a six-week period of time all of the agents in Will's office were competing to see who could submit and get paid on the most insurance business. Will has been getting a lot of good momentum at work and is finding and working with some really good clients. So when he told me that he was one of the winners, I was ecstatic! The prize? A free i-Phone. How super fantastico is that?!? Yea for Will!

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Speaking of phones, I think I'm finally getting a new one. I've had my current phone for so long that I've accumulated a $100 credit toward a new phone at Verizon. Seriously folks, I've had my current phone for almost two years. In phone years, my phone is like 57 years old. It's been dropped so many times that the paint (paint? color?) is all chipping off. Everett broke the lens for the camera part about a week after I originally got it. Juliana has managed to chew on the charger so that now when I plug my phone into the charger, it doesn't read that it's being charged. Lovely. So I'm forced to use my car charger. Which is fine and good, but for whatever reason the fuse to the cigarette lighter in the Suburban is blown and although Will's fixed it twice now, it still keeps blowing out. Serenity now! So, on the to-do list for Saturday is a jaunt to the Verizon store for a new phone. I know I'll be so excited for a phone that works and is pretty and can be charged that you can all expect a phone call from me next week.

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Are any of you guys mystery shoppers? On Tuesday I had my first experience being a mystery shopper. And where did I get to go? The Cheesecake Factory! Yum, yum. I love The Cheesecake Factory so much and was more than happy to go, observe, eat and enjoy that it really couldn't be classified as work. The company that I originally signed up with, Mystery Guest Inc., sent me an email to notify me that there were some opportunities to mystery shop in my area. They will reimburse me for the meal as well as send me a $30 gift card to The Cheesecake Factory as payment. Waaaaay cooooool! I know some of you are probably long time mystery shoppers, but I thought this was so much fun. And thanks to my friend, Kim, I signed up on a bunch more sites for other mystery shopping opportunities. Interested? Check these out:

A Closer Look
Market Force
Best Mark
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And finally, we've all been a little sick this week. I love the Christmas season and it seems like such a bummer to be sick during this time. Everett has had the worst of it and I can tell it's bad since he's been conking out and taking naps almost every day this week. Plus, he's had such a nasty cough that I swear he could give a chain smoker a run for their money. We went to the doctor yesterday and she prescribed some stuff that I think is really doing the trick. I hope we're all better soon because I have cabin fever and am dying to get out of the house!

My three favorite people. Doesn't it look like Everett's doing some kind of air guitar thing? Sweet.

Auction + Vinyl Lettering = The Holiday Spirit

If any of the following apply to you, then you should DEFINITELY check out Laura's blog:

1) You've been following the Stephanie Nielson story (Nie Nie Dialogues).
2) You love vinyl lettering and want to be able to do it yourself at home.
3) You're into the holiday spirit and want to help a family in need.

Please go to the Lovely Laura's blog and big on her company's super cool auction!

http://lauralucille.blogspot.com/2008/09/nie-nie-auction.html

O Christmas Tree

I cannot remember a time in my almost 29 (29! Can you believe it? Only 22 shopping days left for you to find the perfect birthday gift for yours truly) years of life when we've ever, ever, EVER gotten the Christmas tree up as early as we did this year. That's right, the 1st day of December is not even over yet, and here we are, the house decorated with us basking in all sorts of Christmas loveliness. Wow! (A quick happy birthday shout out to one of my oldest friends, Becca. I know you're reading this and even though it's the end of the day, I thought about you a lot today. Happy birthday!).

The kiddos and I trekked out in surprisingly frigid December temps to pick up this year's tree. Everett was over the moon excited and literally did not stop talking, bouncing or running for the rest of the afternoon. This kid is way way excited about all things Christmas. He can't get over the lights in other people's yards or the fact that we have our very own Christmas tree IN THE HOUSE. Oh, to be three again!

Juliana and her Papa, who is of course sporting Alabama gear.

Heaven help me if the Crimson Tide doesn't win on Saturday.

That blur in the picture above? Yep, that's Everett, who has decided that running among Christmas trees is now one of his favorite things to do in December.
She walks! My little late bloomer really can and does walk, folks. A Christmas miracle indeed!

There were even snow flurries falling while we were scoping out the tree selection. Hence, Juliana's ruddy cheeks and red nose. She was not nearly as thrilled to be outside amongst the Christmas trees as was her brother.

And if that look doesn't say "Seriously, Mom, I'm not amused" I don't know what does.

It was a fun little excursion and the first time Everett has been really aware of what we were doing. He's now at a fun age where he's really understanding things. When we told him we were going to get a Christmas tree he said, "That will be wonderful!" And all afternoon he kept telling us how beautiful everything looked. Huh? Who are you and what did you do to my little boy?

Ah, here we go! Everett's quintessential face. This is the face he gives me nine times out of ten when I ask him to smile. The squinty eyes definitely come from me.

Once the perfect tree was picked and we were ready to get out of the cold, both Papa and the worker man had a follower as they took the tree to the car.But like most three year olds, he's easily distracted...
Tomorrow might be spent dispelling any notion that we'll be bringing a horse into the house as part of our Christmas decorations!

Fried Chicken

I was born and raised in the South to a dad from Birmingham, Alabama and a mom was is 100% Mexican. Even with this heritage, Will loves to tease me that I am neither very Southern nor very Mexican. I don't speak Spanish, I don't really identify with the Mexican culture, I don't like collared greens, okra, pecan pie, or boiled peanuts. I hardly have an accent (but that's debatable) and the list could go on. In fact, before I met Will I would say I only slightly liked country music.

Will, on the other hand, is very Southern. Although he doesn't normally have one, he can turn on a Southern accent with the drop of a hat. He loves all Southern foods, hunts, goes shooting, has worn Wranglers (yeah, I've never done that), has owned cowboy hats and big belt buckles, etc. Plus, he loves country music. Since we've been married my country music repertoire has grown ten fold. As evidenced by the music video below. This is "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band. The actual video doesn't begin until about 1:12, but definitely give it a listen. I think it's such a catchy tune and I love that it mentions Georgia Pines. Gosh, maybe I really AM Southern after all?

Where's Juliana?

We probably play the "Where's Juliana?" game a least three times a day. It's kind of like "Where's Waldo?" but about a million times easier. It consists of Juliana finding anything that can double as a blanket, throwing it over her head (it doesn't matter it if completely covers her head, or even her eyes) and then ripping it down uncovering a mischevious grin. This girl is so sly, she's got Everett, me, Will, Mama, and Papa playing it - repeatedly. Here are yesterday's lunchtime "Where's Juliana?" follies:

And again...

And in case you missed it the first two times:

Ta-da! Beat that Waldo.

Everett is Three!

We can hardly believe it's been three years since Everett came into our family. We love him a whole bunch and are glad we get to be his parents. He is a sweet, funny, imaginative boy and we love being able to watch him grow and learn. Happy 3rd birthday Everett!

2005

2006

2007

2008

P.S. - The correct answer to the previous post is: "Because the water went bye-bye". Apparently he got pretty distraught as he was watching the Yellow River run its course. I love how (un) logical his response was. Nothing beats getting mad at a river.

A Bad Mood?

Ten points and a ton of accolades to anyone who correctly guesses why in the world Everett's making the following expression.

Some hints:
* We went to the Yellow River Game Ranch, which is basically a pretty sweet petting zoo. Tons of animals, all of whom love to be fed peanuts, crackers and anything else.
* We went with our playgroup, so there were lots of friends for Everett to play and run around with.
* He was super excited and happy the entire time, except for this:

And this:
In case you missed it from the other side, here's another view:

Props for Picnics

When Will called me Wednesday morning and suggested we have a family picnic at the temple*, I thought it was a good idea. And it was! Wednesday's picnic lunch was one of those times when I felt totally at peace and content with my life. You know, when your kids are smiley and wonderful and you can't help but think, "They really ARE awesome!" No tantrum-throwing, no crying, no having to reprimand Everett for trying to push Juliana down. It was just lovely and wonderful and I'm so glad I will forever have that memory of my little family.

Here's Juliana looking like she thinks Mom is a bit sneaky.

Fall is a beautiful time here and Wednesday was absolutely gorgeous. Blue skies, no clouds and enough airplane traffic to keep these two in constant amazement.

Thanks Will for having a bright idea!

*As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe the temple is the "House of the Lord." It is a sacred building, and it differs from our regular Sunday meetinghouses. In the temple we learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants. In addition, we participate in religious ceremonies that reach beyond mortality, such as eternal marriage (Will and I were married in the Atlanta Temple). Also, temple grounds are immaculately kept and maintained. There are 128 temples world-wide (and another 17 under construction), and the grounds at each temple are really beautiful and stunning.

Where The Wild Things Are

What's better than one monkey boy who likes to climb the stairs and hang onto the railings?

Why, two monkey children, of course!


It's funny how the second child thinks everything the older child does is automatically cool. Juliana wouldn't rest until she could be on the stairs, next to Everett, clinging for dear life.
Happy Halloween from the two animals.

Believe it or not, they actually have costumes. If they cooperate, I might actually be able to post pictures.

Here's the Scoop...

Some of you may know my friend, Heidi. We met our Freshman year at BYU, so we're going on 10 years of friendship. Heidi is one of the most unique people I know. To know Heidi is to love her. And since I know Heidi so well and have for so long, I know that when that girl extends a tag via her blog, she is SERIOUS. There is no "ignoring" or "forgetting" to complete a tag. There isn't even just "avoiding" it either. Nope, when Heidi tags, Heidi expects to see answers. And quickly! If you really want to see how her anger can be kindled against one who appears to have thwarted her tags, just read her comment on my last post. Yikes!

And so, for your reading pleasure (and as if you really wanted to know MORE useless facts about me), I now give you...MY ANSWERS TO HEIDI'S TAG! (Cue theme music)

1) Church calling you would HATE to have: First of all, hate is a strong word. I don't know that there are any that I would totally HATE. A few years ago I could've given you quite a list of callings I'd never, ever, ever want, but lately I've kind of mellowed. Maybe I'm maturing?!?! Hmm...But to answer the question, I'd have to say Scouts and most Relief Society callings. I'd rather stay in Young Women's forever.

2) Saying you say the most often: Alrighty, no way!, are you serious?, that's ridiculous, do you know (insert name)?, I was reading this blog and ...

3) Saying you hate to hear other people say: "Supposively" - the word is supposEDly folks! And even though I only have two kids, I'm sooooo over people trying to brag that their four month old is sitting up and really doing everything way ahead of schedule. "My son/daughter is really advanced for their age." Please! You know what? Most kids are average! It's not a crime if yours are too.

4) Most rotten thing you did today: Where to start? I almost threw Juliana out to the curb this morning sometime between 12:15 and 2:30 when not only would she not sleep, but she decided to throw in tons of really loud crying, fussing, head shaking, and sippy cup throwing. I'm sure Will felt the same when he was up with her from 2:30 until 4. Letting Everett watch 4 consecutive episodes of Little Einsteins. Getting super annoyed that Everett pooped in his underwear. That's all I can think of for now, but the day is still young.

5) Explain the fourth picture in the fourth folder on your computer: This one isn't any fun! This is a picture of a big bruise and some scratches on my right forearm after our August 2007 car accident. It's not a great picture of it because the bruise was actually a deeper blueish/purple color. That whole ordeal was/is not fun. And yes, we're still dealing with some of the effects of it. I am grateful, however, that this was the fourth picture and not something more embarrassing. I was 7 and 1/2 months pregnant and I was bruised all along where my seat belt was. Let's just say our lawyer has seen WAY more of my bruised body than I'm sure he ever wanted. Yeah. Yuck.

6) A picture you have of people you don't know: This was actually the hardest one to answer. Believe it or not, I don't have many pictures of people I don't know. Unlike some people, ahem, I don't think to take pictures of strangers in order to mock them on my blog later. That's because I'm just such a good person and never, ever rude or inconsiderate...but you know, that's just me. Anyway, this is from four years ago when Will and I went with John and Chelsea Phillips up to north Georgia for the Ellijay Apple Festival. This is Amicolola Falls and it's actually an awesome place in North Georgia to visit. There's a resort/hotel at the top of the falls and I've known a few people to honeymoon at Amicolola. And obviously, nothing screams "Rural North Georgia" quite like a guy in a Reel Tree hat.

7) Secret dream: To become a TV correspondent because I am particularly qualified in my specific field. This is not the same as a news anchor or reporter. And definitely not like a talk show host. I would just like to be brought in every now and then because I am particularly knowledgeable about a certain subject. Like Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN or Mary Katherine Ham on The O'Reilly Factor. Or Lisa Ling on Oprah. This, of course, would require that I actually BE super qualified at something, but I'm working on that.

8) Favorite place to spend money: The theater: both movie and musical. Few things beat watching a movie in the theater. Oh, and Barnes and Noble. I dream of one day having a library like the Beast did in "Beauty and the Beast". Although, I think having ladders in my library would be pretty risky. It wouldn't take long for me to fall off one of those.

9) Personal indulgence: Skin care products and make-up items. I love trying new soaps, lotions, powders, liners, shimmers, mascaras, eye shadows, etc. I usually tell Will that I've run out of stuff and I need new _____. I find myself especially drawn to products focused on giving myself a nice palette, ie, foundations, translucent powders, bronzers, concealers. I'm also a sucker for lip sticks, any kind that is different from the regular lip stick. This would include glossy kinds or the kind where you first put on the color and then the shimmer/shine.

10) Girl crush: Rebecca Romijn, Kelly Ripa, Heidi Klum, Megyn Kelly from Fox News, Stacy London...I can't think of any more right now.

11) 3 goals: 1 long term, 1 day to day, 1 silly:

Long term: Raise well-adjusted and responsible children

Day to day: Be on time to the two play dates we have planned for Wed and Thurs

Silly: Find at least one pair of jeans that fit my current figure (not the one I'm planning on having once I lose weight) really well. I'm so tired of ill-fitting denim.

12) 3 things you collect or obsess over:

1) Blogs - Can't get enough of 'em! Love stalking people on them. Love finding old friends. Or just really interesting people.

2) Chic-lit - Those silly fiction books usually about a young, 20-something single girl living in either NYC, London or San Francisco who has some kind of dating problem/fiasco, but ends up with the guy in the end. These books could not be considered serious literature in any way, shape or form, and are rarely worth the time it takes to read them, but like a moth to a flame I get drawn in every single time.

3) BBC period dramas. I LOVE these kind of movies! I've seen a lot of them, own quite a few, but there is always, always room for more flicks of sexy Englishmen with killer accents who snag the ladies.

My Wish Upon a Star

Remember this post? Well, October 24th has come and gone and guess who was front and center for an opening night viewing of High School Musical 3 (or HSM 3 for those in the know)? Me!

I cannot adequately describe the viewing experience, but it was so awesomely funny that I giggle just thinking about it. To be in a theater packed with teens and pre-teens alike, who took every opportunity to squeal, hoot, holler and shout every time Zac Efron, I mean, Troy Bolton, did just about anything, was hilarious. I knew I was in for a good time when the opening shot of the movie was a close-up of Zac in his East High Wildcats basketball uniform, all sweaty from being, naturally, the star player. All the girls went berserk screaming and their reactions did not disappoint for the rest of the show. I realized I had really been missing something by not watching the first two movies with teenage girls. They are in love with that Troy Bolton, I tell you what.

The movie itself was actually pretty decent. Much better than HSM2. The singing and dancing were awesome and yes, the movie was just as cheesy as its predecessors. I loved it! Special thanks to Will who in addition to simply being awesome for offering to take me to see this, especially on opening night, by also scored major brownie points for just sitting there and letting me enjoy it without complaining about its cheese factor or the throngs of screaming girls. Thanks Love!

RIP: Rocket and Big Jet

Officials are looking for the driver of a black, two door Thunderbird with Georgia plates. It is thought that the driver of this vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run accident at approximately 2:30 p.m. on the afternoon of October 25th, 2008.

There were no witnesses, but those who happened upon the accident shortly after it occurred were shocked. Words like "tragedy" "careless" "thoughtless" and even "barbaric" were used to describe the crime scene. Everyone seemed to have a difficult time making sense of the injustice. What kind of person would so decidedly destroy a child's beloved playthings? Who could be that cruel? What kind of world do we live in if Rocket and Big Jet weren't safe in their own driveway? What is this world coming to?

Immediately after the accident, Everett ran to their sides. "Rocket and Big Jet have a boo boo!" he exclaimed. "The car gave them a boo boo." Investigators have several leads, but no arrests have been made. If you, or anyone you know, has any information regarding who may be responsible, please let us know. Officials are hoping the perpetrator will turn themselves (or should we say HERself) in shortly.

Rocket and Big Jet

September 2008-October 25, 2008

One Man's Junk...

I would never think to crumple cupcake liners and fill the underside of over-sized Legos, but then again, I'm not almost three and sadly, my imagination is in no way as developed or inventive as Everett's.

(Look closely and you'll notice Everett's "friends" are making their ever-present appearance yet again)

Nice, Everett. Really, really nice. And no, I have no idea how many cupcake liners I threw away. A small price to pay for the smile and giddiness this little project encouraged.