Happy Birthday to Me

Tyler's parents were in town and he took off of work a few hours early.  The weather was beautiful and it was a great time to head to the local gardens and enjoy a slice of heaven.  I love to be in the sunshine, love to be with my family, and love to enjoy the beautiful and orderly gardens.

After running around like crazy (and nearing bedtime), little girl is tuckered out.  Good thing we've got Daddy along.


The Light of the World garden is stunning.  You feel a part of each story from the life of Christ.  (And sometimes, you have to pull your kids out of the artwork, but not here.  Camden is right where he's allowed to be).  Raising Lazarus from the dead might be my favorite depiction.


Nearing the end of our walk - energy to roll down the hill, but not to climb back up.  Can you tell by Camden's posture that he is worn out?

 Big brother to the rescue!! I love Camden's delighted face.



My kids always come home worn out.  That may have been the best birthday present of all.

But this was a close second.

September Snippets

Hannah is learning to shoot the camera manually, and someday she is going to teach me how to figure out all things ISO, aperture, and who knows what else.

That means that I am learning to share the camera, and almost every shot I have taken with it this month is blurry because I don't always stop to check and make sure it is on my automatic settings.  Silly me.

What I wish I could post:  a picture of Emmie's killer tan line.  I tried taking pictures that were appropriate and it didn't work out so well.  She is just a little brown bunny except for where her swimsuit covers.  These words will need to suffice: let's just say her tan line on her bum is pretty cute and a stark contrast.

Camden challenged me to battleship one day. Notice anything?

He was womping me!  And he did win, although I made a great comeback and we were both attacking each other's final ship at the same time.

Tyler went on a business trip to Texas.  He had a lot of fun visiting customer Pepsi Co.

Because he loves us women folk, he stopped in Waco and visited some Magnolia sites.  I wouldn't call him a closet fan of Chip and JoJo, but he has watched his fair share of Fixer Upper with me and Hannah.  He might even reasonably enjoy it.

 Manly men have their picture taken at the Magnolia Market. Isn't he a cutie?!?

He sent me so many fun texts that I had to text back and let him know I was surrounded by some pretty great things, too.



Tyler's a pretty great dad - he even bought Hannah some succulents from their market.  What man pays attention to things like his daughter adoring succulents?!?  Mine.  Of course Magnolia wrappings are classy.  (Callie, sorry that you are away at college and didn't get some succulents of your own).

 Commercials are a bit of a novelty at our house.  We got cable during the Olympics and my boys loved the Pizza Hut Big Dipper commercial.  Recently Tyler indulged them and brought one home for dinner. It is big.

They weren't too sure about the dipping sauces but since that is the whole point of this pizza, I asked them to try at least 2 sauces.  It was a hit and they are all now fans.  Well done on the advertising, Pizza Hut!

I love that I still have two snuggly kids.  Gotta treasure those moments while I can!  They looked too cute with their coordinating pjs.

Little girl's hair looks so cute when it is done, but that is not very often.  It comes undone so quickly, and it gets so very tangly.  She wins the prize for the tangliest hair in the family!  After thinking about it for a long time, I decided it was time for a bob.  I had to hurry and do it while I had the courage, even though Tyler told me just the day before "don't you cut it!"

It was so tangly on the appointed day that I only combed it to be smooth on the top half.

 I made the first cut and thought what have I done?!?  But there was no going back.  7 inches of hair gone.

 It does look cute and is much easier to maintain now.  Big bonus:  my husband is still speaking to me.



One morning I called Camden down to help fold the laundry (one of his weekly jobs).  He folds the underwear for the younger kids and all of the smaller towels, washcloths, and rags.  When he stepped into the kitchen and saw this pile he promptly began to howl.  "I can't do all of that!!!"  I thought it was kind of funny (I hadn't sorted it out yet and over half of it was for me to do).  We race every week to see who gets their folding done first and I have yet to win.
 

Sunday mornings are a fun time to snuggle in mom and dad's bed and watch Friend video clips.  Happy, happy times.

I checked the mailbox one evening and inside I found this.  Emmie had been busy earlier making a "present" for a cousin - first it was Kaidyn and then it was Gracie, but either way she knew that for outgoing mail the flag needs to be up.

As part of the yearbook staff this year, Hannah gets to go to events every 2 weeks and take pictures.  Tyler was her driver to a cross country meet early one Saturday morning.  It was her first event to shoot and although she asked a lot of people if they could go with her, no one was available.  Tyler was very proud of how she put herself out there in a new situation.

Tyler went to an overnight scout leadership training.  He got to go with Presidents Jones and Okleberry. The company and scenery were pretty fantastic.



 

Just because Emmie is cute and wanted a picture.

We also learned this month that Jacob is gifted at contortions.

Divide and Conquer

Our family is getting bigger.  And louder.  And busier.  And while we love to all be together, I find that the saying is true that while in the younger years children are physically exhausting, as they get older they are not only physically but emotionally exhausting, and I need more "time out"'s than ever.  And there are just plain more fun things to do than I have the time or energy to do, so besides saying no, we are trying the divide and conquer method.  I think it has made for some fun times and memories.

Every year we say that we'll go to Swiss Days.  It didn't work out for all of us to go this year, or even just Tyler and I, so he went with the two little ones.  They had a marvelous time.

Their main purpose was to go see Lane McCotter, who was in the parade as the Grand Marshal. Mission accomplished!  Kathy shared the honor with him but was unable to be in the parade due to her health.  We love this special couple!!

  

Bonuses are going to a parade where they pass out squeaky cheese,



the royalty are Swiss Miss's, and dogs ride around in a sidecar.



And then, there is the good food at the fair.



They didn't even mind the bad traffic coming home.




Another weekend I begged Tyler to take our boys to burn off some energy.  They went on a hike.






And then sometimes Tyler gets to do something fun all on his own, like going ziplining at Sundance with some buddies. Wish I could have seen him, but this is the divide and conquer stage of life.



 

Where it all began

One date night we needed to run down to Provo on some business.  We decided to drive around and see some old, familiar places.  

Not only did we drive through the parking lot at King Henry, but Tyler insisted on parking and getting out.  I felt extremely awkward hovering around my old doorway, but at the same time was so grateful to get a picture.

This is where it happened.

The doorway of apartment #112.

 I was definitely interested in Tyler, and we had been on several dates and spent a lot of our free time together.  But I wasn't ready for a kiss.  And on Friday, March 15th, when he leaned in to give me one in this very spot, I turned my head and he missed my lips.

I thought I sent my message loud and clear.  However, as I said goodnight the very next night, instead of walking away, he walked towards me.  And I backed up.  And he walked towards me. And I backed up.  And he walked towards me.  And I backed up...right into the corner of the door. And this time, when he went to kiss me, I could not turn my head. Literally, it was in the corner of the door that you see above, on the right side.  

I went in my apartment, closed the door, and to my roommates that greeted me I complained, "He kissed me!!!"

I wasn't ready for that.  They comforted me, and I went to bed.

But somehow, between that traumatic first kiss and the next day when I saw him at church, I did a complete 360.  I liked Tyler, had always liked him, and I decided it wasn't so bad that he had kissed me.  He held my hand during Sunday School and I realized that this was it - now we would be branded as a couple.  And we were.

Tyler told me after we were married that he knew when he got off of his mission that he would probably marry the next girl that he kissed.  He was right.  

I have to say that I am very, very grateful that things turned out the way that they did.  It's been a marvelous 20 years being married and I have become a better person being in a partnership with my favorite person on earth.

How special that we could go back and visit the spot where it all began.  My sweet, wonderful, highly sentimental husband would probably have gladly obliged if I had asked him to re-enact it, but I was mortified that we would be caught, so this has to suffice.

Love you, sweetheart!  Thanks for the walk down memory lane, and for instigating all of this in the first place.