The Glorious Sunshine.

When I was in High School, my friends and I went to St. George quit frequently. One trip in particular has always stayed with me. Back in those days we were all about meeting the boys, and on this particular trip we met two handsome rock climbers from California. Long story short, one of the boys found out we were on vacation in St. George, not there to rock climb, or hike, or anything of that sort. We were just there on vacation. Upon discovering this he said "Why would you come HERE for vacation? It doesn't make sense." He was baffled.

I am telling you this, because now every time I go to St. George I remember him and his comment. Thats all.

Anyways, this last weekend we headed up to the condo in St.George. It was 82 degrees. Then we came home to 50 degree weather and lots of rain.

Let me explain this ridiculous picture of me:

1. I read once that if you are in a picture looking straight at the camera you should stand up really straight, and try your hardest to elongate your neck and stick your face out, like a giraffe. Apparently this technique gets rid of any hint of a double chin in the picture. Apparently it also makes me look like an idiot. Lesson learned.

2. I took this picture in St. George because of the white shirt I was wearing. Jamison told me I looked like a pirate, then made jokes about my sun burn being from my time on the open sea.....etc. Just because ruffly things are sown onto the front of your shirt does not mean you look like a pirate. Get with the program husband.

3. And a special shout out to sclaraderma. Thanks for making my nose crooked. Your a gem.

Chase, Hailey, Cohen

Cousins/Bff's

33!

You may know him as "J", "Jamis", or "Jamison". You may think he is in his early 20's. Lots of folks do. Little do they know, that this fella of mine turned 33 last week. 33 years young. Fabulous 33.

We celebrated with friends by going to Rodizio for dinner (as we have done the past 2 yrs. What can I say? My husb loves his Rodizio). Extra birthday bonus? Dan and Lisa were in town from Boston, so they kindly graced us with there presence. Friends from all over the country unite! Jamison is sad that we will be gone during the skate convergence. That boy could use some skate convergence with his friends.

Anywho, after the bday dinner friend celebration, we went to a movie. Not sure I want to tell you which one. Ok. I will tell you. Your Highness. We went and saw Your Highness. Yes, it was dumb, but were there moments where I found myself laughing really hard? Yes. Am I slightly dumber for watching it? Most likely.

Rodizio birthday celebration, 3rd year in a row.

We are such birthday party animals. We party with friends, then we party even harder with family. Doesn't get much crazier then the family birthday dinner. My parentals took us out to dinner to celebrate, and then a few days later Jamison's sister so kindly took the kids over night while we did dinner and movie with friends. Then the next day she cooked us dinner in celebration of J's and mine birthdays (mine is later this month). Chase helped with the birthday cake. I mean I don't mean to brag, but that girl can add sprinkles like its nobody's business.

Happy Birthday my looovvvvaaaaa.

P.S.

Our offer on the short sale house we loved has been excepted. If everything works out and we do end up getting this house we will definitely be needing a riding lawn mower because the back yard is HUGE. We joked about the fact that as soon as Jamison is scene mowing the lawn on the riding lawn mower, then he can officially be called an old man.

I just ask that while he mows on that riding lawn mower he wear cut off shorts, a wife beater, and a cowboy hat. That would be a sure fire way to get the neighbors to love us:)

What us kids have been up to.

Let me just go ahead and break it down for you in one sentence.

The house hunt continues.

We have submitted offers on two houses. Both short sales. One it moving along quit nicely (our realtor was even surprised at the rate this has been moving, because usually there is nothing "short" about a short sale). The other house....well sometimes I forget we even put an offer on it, its been so long. I still don't understand why, after an offer has been submitted to the bank, it takes months to even hear anything. It is a mystery of epic proportions. Duh, winning! Any time someone says "duh" or "winning" for the rest of my life I will think of Charlie Sheen.

And in the mean time, we keep looking at houses. Sometimes we come across a house and I honestly can't remember if we have already looked at it or not. We have looked at that many.

Just want to get out of where we are now. Thats all I want. Hello! Just get me out of here. Please. I think the amount of $$$ we spend on gas every month will pretty much cover a mortgage. I am not exaggerating.

Moving on.

The last week or so both of my children have become enthralled with SpiderMan. Cohen rides around on his SpiderMan car with his SpiderMan snow boots on shooting his SpiderMan web.

Look! He is happy:)

Still happy:)

Shoot. He isn't happy anymore.

Still mad at me.....

Chase and her friends watch Tangled on Grandma and Grandpa's 20 yr old bean bag. I don't really dare lay on it. Just looking at it makes my feel itchy.

Its warm! What do ya say we ride a bike?

Chase has been having a hard time making turns on her new bike. Funny how when I try to help her we both end up frustrated which then leads to her pretty much telling me to get lost. When Jamison helps her, she has it down within minutes.

Another mystery of the mother/ daughter relationship.

sho-nuff.

Yes please. I would like to purchase one of every pair.

Let me start by sharing with you my love for Zooey Deschanel. I am not ashamed to admit that I kind of want to be just like her.

Then I came across this nifty video. It is part of the 2009 Oliver Peoples Eyewear advertising Campaign. Yes I am 2 years behind in eyewear awesomeness. Please do not judge me:)

this video + Zooey Deschanel = genius

Catch A Tuesday from Oliver Peoples on Vimeo.

I had never heard of Oliver Peoples Eyewear until I saw this. I am going to assume that their eyewear costs more than I have to spend....but regardless, I think I want one of every pair after watching this.

A girl can dream.

Awesome video discovered here

Marital Rating Scale: via the 1950's

Came across these gems (via here).

Thought they were pretty funny.

Crazy how much times have changed when it comes to marriage and relationships since the 50's.

I think its hilarious that a demerit on the wives chart is "wears red nail polish"

Also, a merit is "dresses for breakfast".

Me as a wife in the 1950's would most definitely = fail

A bit odd how one of the merits is "reads newspaper, books, or magazines aloud to wife".

That would bug me to no end if Jamison started reading aloud to me.

And now, a picture.

I felt that this picture deserved a double internet post (facebook and blog).

This kid is so awesome I can't take it.....because if you think about it, why would you drink your chocolate milk just sitting down when you could do it like this?

And now, a quote.

“The biggest mistake I made (as a parent) is the one that most of us make…I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of my 3 children sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of a swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”.

-Anna Quindlen

Thank you Anna. This I needed to read today:)

Before I die I would like to watch the sun rise at the Grand Canyon.

Couple weeks back my Dad recommended I read this book. I just finished it. It was all I could do to put it down these past few days. It is possible I now want to be an expert mountain climber when I grow up. Conquer me some fourteeners (thats mountain climber lingo for those of you not in the know). But really, DAMN. Aron Ralston was a crazy, amazing, ballsy guy (is ballsy a word?). I have never heard of anyone living life to the extent that this guy does. After reading this, I now realize that living in Utah I have some amazing things at my finger tips to see and do. Why haven't I taken advantage more often? Also, reading about his experience watching the sun rise at the Grand Canyon has made it clear that I to must watch the sunrise at the Grand Canyon.

Jamison and I watched 127 Hours last night. It was good, but I loved the book so much more.

There were a few things they put in the movie that were not in the book that I thought were

a little unnecessary....but what can you do?

"I'm listening to the second set of the February 15 Phish show that I attended three months ago in Las Vegas. After a moment of absorbing the music, I smile. I'm glad at the world: This is my happy place. Great tunes, solitude, wilderness, empty mind. The invigoration of hiking alone, moving at my own pace, clears out my thoughts. A sense of mindless happiness - not being happy because of something in particular but being happy because I'm happy - is one of the reasons why I go the lengths I do to have some focused time to myself. Feeling aligned in my body and head rejuvenates my spirit. Sometimes, when I get high-minded about it, I think solo hiking is my own method of attaining a transcendental state, a kind of walking meditation. I don't get there when I sit and try to meditate, om-style; it happens only when I'm walking by myself. Unfortunately, as soon as I recognize that I'm having such a moment, the feeling ebbs, thoughts return, the transcendence evaporates. I work hard to set myself up for that fleeting sense of being wholly pleased, but my judgments about feeling displace the feeling itself. Although it's ephemeral, the general well-being that accompanies such a moment will boost my temperament for hours or even days."

-Aron Ralston 127 HOURS BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Also, if you are at all interested, go to Youtube and watch the interview he did with Dateline NBC. Its in 6 parts (here is the first part). Pretty amazing stuff.

Near panic attacks

Chase modeling her brand new sunglasses.

The other day, in the early morning hours, as I was attempting to get the kids in the car to get

Chase to preschool on time, the school bus drove past. The one that picks up the kids in our neighbor that are in elementary school. Chase always gets excited when she sees the school bus, and has to remind me every time that she is so excited for the day that she gets to ride in one. Yikes. I don't like thinking about putting her on the school bus and sending her on her way to be gone for half the day 5 days a week. It literally gets my heart beating all fast, and then I hurry and attempt to think pleasant thoughts that don't include putting my little girl on a school bus. WHY the frack am I worried about this? It is ridiculous, I know, but holy crap it ain't easy coming to terms with my girl growing up. As I sit here and really think about the situation, there are a lot of bigger things to worry about when it comes to raising a daughter. Her riding a school bus should not be one of them.

And speaking of panic attacks, last night I met my husb downtown for dinner at The Pie. As we were sitting there waiting for our salads and pizza, I look over and notice Cohen is chewing on something. I finally get him to spit it out, and turns out he is chewing gum......that he pulled off of the wall behind us......that someone, who knows how long ago, had chewed then placed on that very wall. It was disgusting, and the only way I could really enjoy my evening after that was to pretend that it never happened.

But it was real, and very unfortunate.

Cabin in winter

Jamison is attacked by the children.

Ready to go enjoy the nice warm hot tub, in the freezing cold high uinta temps.

My love and I. Please excuse my nasty hair. It is the result of wearing a beanie all day.

I have decided there is nothing cuter than a chubby baby in a motorcycle helmet with goggles on.

If you are like me, the first thing you thought of when you saw this picture was A Christmas Story.

Nanna and Cohen cruising on the sled behind the 4-wheeler.

Nephews Sawyer and Gaige.

Uncle Wade taking Ms. Chase for a ride on the tube.

I took this video because my nephew Zach (on the right) is awesome.

I love how he asks if he can borrow this particular game.

I should be packing,

but instead I am watching the train wreck that is Jersey Shore. I can proudly say that I have watched very few episodes of this show, but some how I got sucked in tonight.

Must. Turn. It. Off.

There are about 20 other things I should be doing right now.

(including reading our latest book club book, Julia Child My Life In France).