1.08.2015

2014 has come and gone

2014 was a heck of a year! I did a terrible job at documenting it, but it really was spectacular. Repentance is a true principle, so let's start 2015 off on a better foot, shall we?

Last week we went to Pasco to visit my mother who is terrible health and residing at a care facility right now while she awaits surgeries/answers from doctors/etc. It was a super busy trip- full of cleaning, cooking, emergency room visits. But there was some fun in there too! Take Exhibit A:

It snowed!!!! Since we're fully Las Vegans now, this is a real treat for us. It was just enough snow for Abby to build her first snowman. She named him Bob and he has a baby carrot nose and grapes for eyes. He lasted about 7 hours before a warm from came in and took Bob from us. Fortunately, we were on a plane back home by then so we didn't have to witness his demise.

We also had a second Christmas celebration. We brought mom home for a while from the care center and ate a big Christmas breakfast (eggs benedict), had a talent show, opened gifts, and had a nice dinner with the whole family there.
 
Aunt Donna and Uncle Phil wisely gave Abby some beautiful ballet clothes. She literally spent the whole "Christmas 2.0" day in a pink tutu and white flutter sleeved leotard with the tags still on. She's a little nutcracker, that one!
 
Just to throw a scene in from our actual Christmas:

Abby went to sing at the nursing home in our ward with her friends. This same day she also sung with these ladies in Sacrament Meeting and I was able to play the piano for them. I adore her friends.
 Santa brought exactly what she asked for- Roller Blades! Santa is a smart, conscientious man because he also brought a helmet, wrist, elbow and knee guards. All of them have come in handy.
Christmas eve- laying out the cookies, the oats, the letter...magical right? Except for 8 years solid this kid has gone to bed TERRIFIED of Santa. She thinks it's completely creepy he comes into our home while we're sleeping and can do who knows what to us and our stuff. Abby's my exact opposite when it comes to Christmas- she's 100% more delightful than I was as a child. She...a.) doesn't ask for anything b.) sleeps in Christmas morning c.) is very concerned about whether or not Dad and I got enough gifts and what we really wanted. I don't deserve her :) I was a terror Christmas morning, up at 4:30, shaking every gift with my name on it.

Abby took my phone upstairs when we had some friends and cousins over. The pictures that were on them were hilarious. There was 100s and will take me a full 2 hours to delete, but hilarious. I think we have a spy/crime fighting story and a wicked pop star. It was fun to try and piece them together.
 
Well here's to a better documented 2015! 



6.11.2014

Death sucks...

We've lost 3 great friends in less than 6 months. Because this is our family's journal and I print these blog posts, I wanted to add their pictures and a short story about each for us to always remember them by...
Aspen Hatch Marthaler passed away this year after an incredible and heroic battle with aggressive cancer which started as breast cancer. I never knew Aspen when she was healthy, but considering what an energetic, positive person I knew, I am sure healthy Aspen would have blown my mind! She quickly became one of my best friends. I loved our times getting pedicures, going to dinner, watching you tube videos, swimming and laughing. And even though there were harder times, you helped show me the sacred in the sad. I know your great wish was to walk Banyan to his first day of kindergarten....and while we will not see you there, I know you'll be by his every step. 

 Michael Schenker has been one of our best friends for 4 years, and we lost him after a short, dramatic battle with aggressive brain cancer. Though he had experienced some serious poo in his life, his testimony was always a benchmark for what I wanted mine to be. There was never a time I asked for his help that he said no. He saved my bacon repeatedly over the years and I am just not as capable a person without him. He was the hero of my charity garage sales, my trunk-or-treats, my primary parades...he always encouraged me and ignored my fears. He teased me relentlessly and I loved every second of it. There isn't a time we get together with friends where the loss of him isn't palpable.
And two days ago we lost Tihoti Goupil. We love Tihoti and oh, how we love his children! Once, Brandon was stuck on the roof. While he was up there, the big, heavy ladder fell and I couldn't lift it on my own. I called Tihoti...after twenty minutes of teasing Brandon and taking pictures with his cell phone camera of Brandon's sorry condition, he got him down. I know the kindest, most helpful, most generous people and he was definitely on that list. We'll miss you Tihoti...

6.09.2014

In Summer!

This is the scene which greeted me outside of Selma Bartlett Elementary School this week. 2 of the happiest, recently minted third graders singing Frozen's "In Summer" at the top of their lungs. We've had a glorious start to the season, even if it is 108 in early June (shudder). Here's what we've been up to this last week:
  • We had a great pizza party in Abigail's class celebrating the end of the school year. I loved that all of the class wanted me to sign their yearbooks. I will miss those little crazies!
  • Had a great pool party with our friends the Gublers. Aimee makes the most delicious summer beverages!
  • Abigail an I discovered that Zabas restaurant has the best brownies ever.
  • We went swimming with cousins and friends- including my latest obscure-relative acquaintance, Jean Leavitt and her four kids. I am super happy to know her, because she watches the Bachelorette as faithfully as I do- even if it's making us dumber by the minute.
  • Brandon and his friend Clay had round after round of tacos this week as they discussed complicated matters of law.
  • Had a great time at the Marz' annual school's out party. Lindsay always keeps me in the San Pelligrinos!
  • Abigail had her first activity days event...getting SO big.
  • Had my monthly pedicure with my great friend Becky- and the little Asian guy told me that I had the worst feet he'd ever seen.
  • Had the Smiths over to eat sausages, watch waiting for Guffman, and duel with toy foam swords.
  • Abby got all A's, the citizenship award, the attendance award- she killed it yet again!
  • Highlight of the week? Abigail's recital. SHE WAS AMAZING!!!! She is such a gifted dancer, I hope she never quits. She did have one moment in her ballet dance where she chewed out her partner for being in the wrong formation....I call it Abby's natural leadership skills ;) It was great that Brinley and Grandma Susan could come. We all ate at Famous Dave's after and celebrated Abby's hard work. Here are some pictures of our little dancer...






6.02.2014

The ol' grey mare...

He's not technically a mare, like the title of my post suggests, but rather a grey stallion!

We were at U Swirl getting some frozen yogurt this week and I noticed Brandon was glistening in the sun a bit more than I remembered. I took this picture so I could show him was I was talking about- he was a little shocked. I'm married to an attractive, mature hunk of a salt-n-peppa-man! :)

Other highlights from the week...
  • we celebrated Grandma Kathy and Garrett's birthdays
  • I took the Beehives to help put on a church service at Delmar Gardens assisted living. Getting older makes me hive...
  • We had a baby shower/lunch for my lovely sister-in-law Brittney. She's getting ready to welcome young Masen Leavitt in a few weeks
  • Made 93 cupcakes for Senior night. It was supposed to be 95. I am sure you can guess what happened to the other 2.
  • Co-hosted a wheel of fortune style game at Senior night
  • We watched Brinley dance in a recital. Always a highlight! We're so lucky to still have Brinley with us and we love participating in all her events
  • Finally got my headshot done for work. I look like a tough captain of industry.
  • Had a date with my niece Makena. She's a super fun little lady.
  • Had my last volunteer day of 2nd grade with Abigail. I left them all a treat on their desk while they were at lunch. Love being room mom!
  • We took pizza to grandma and grandpa Humphries. Again...hives...
  • We had the most hilarious (and delicious) dessert date at our friends' the Chatwins. It involved a lot of TLC The Virgin Diaries and super tasty pound cake- doesn't seem like a natural combo, but trust me on this one.
School gets out this week- woot woot!

5.25.2014

Sorry mom, this post contains a swear word

See those medals around our necks? They are certifying that we are officially, 100% badass. (Sorry mom!) Yesterday our good friends Max and Brityn joined us on a 4.5 mile obstacle race called the Badass Dash. It had 40 treacherous and fun obstacles that left us muddy, wet, sore, bruised and scraped- and we loved it! It totally fulfilled Brandon's military fantasy. (Except the part where he jumped off the 15 foot rope wall and seriously crushed his knee and they had to call a medic.) Easily my favorite race I've ever been in. We all loved it so much that before we were done with the race we all committed to doing it again next year!

Other highlights from the week?
  • The Woodward pool officially opened for business. It's so nice to have a family member with a pool! Kari and Ryan are so generous, they've invited us over twice now and it's only been done 3 days.
  • Abigail had her last Brownie scout meeting as well as last hip hop and ballet for the year. Bring on the summer!
  • Brandon and I have watched almost every episode of Call the Midwife over the last three weeks. Time well spent, that's for sure...

5.19.2014

The shoulder season


We are in that special season in Vegas where it feels like what summer feels like for the rest of the sane world. Where you WANT to swim, have water gun fights and be outside eating ice cream. We've been walking to school and riding bikes. We're enjoying it while we can because we're about 3 weeks away from hiding inside the house like mole people.

Ways we enjoyed our week...
  • We made dinner for Great Grandparents Roy and Kathryn, ate with them and fixed their bathroom. It's great to have so much family around. Grandma Kathy taught Abby to braid doll hair and she's been quite the stylist all week.
  • I went to a fun book club meeting at Rachel's Kitchen where I drunk an extremely off putting beet juice concoction. Very Fear Factor...
  • Abby's great friend Melissa Parsons invited her over for a Friday night play date. It was great! She got to play and Brandon and I got to eat and look at travel books in Barnes and Noble until our heart was content. We also spent a chunk of time at Williams Sonoma dreaming we had enough disposable income to actually justify shopping there
  • Saturday was super fun- Abby and I attended a baptism where she helped me play the piano while Brandon went to the temple with Max. We then all came home and I made my niece Brinley Whey Low Pizzookies. We had a great time!
  • Sunday I took my beehive class and we decorated the bishop's office with balloons, signs and muffins before his meetings started. We had Max over for dinner, since he's widowed. Brandon and I watched a plethora of Masterpiece theater after Abby went to bed. It was a great weekend!

5.12.2014

Week in review

It's hard to believe that half a year hasn't gone by since my last blog post :)! Since this is pretty much the only journal/family history/Leavitt record that there ever will be (we're cafeteria Mormons), I should really do a better job of writing down snippets of our everyday. You know...for posterity's sake.

- We had a great teacher appreciation week! We were able to spoil Ms. Moen a bit and it felt really great. Abigail remembered her specials teachers with chocolate cinnamon bears, which is an idea I totally stole from my friend Lindsay because Lindsay gives the best gifts.
- Friday morning, 4:45 am, we woke up and headed to my office. Annually, my work charters a bus to take the employees and their families down to Disneyland for a day. You arrive close to opening and get back on the bus at closing. It makes for a super fun day. Disney highlights for us? Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened. Abigail cried all the way through it and then declared it her favorite ride. Saw Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln- apparently Abigail is also scared of animatronics because robo-Lincoln has given her nightmares for 3 nights now. We found our new favorite Disney meal- turkey legs and soup bowls. Also of note, I fell asleep in the enchanted tiki room. And finally...
Brandon rode California Screamin' all by himself (Abigail and I are total thrill ride wimps). There is a place on the pier where you can watch the people on the roller coaster "take off." Abigail (in the blue shirt) is watching her dad take off. Brandon made a really great scream face, and considering he came off the ride super motion sick, I'm guessing he wasn't just making that face for our sake. The next ride I went on just Abigail and I so Brandon could let his stomach settle. When we were on the ride I looked down to see Brandon munching a churro. We exchanged the following text message:
 
Jamie: Thought you said you had an upset tummy, Senor Churro!
Brandon: My thought was to eat something bread to soak up the acid. And yes, my tummy is improving now!
 
-Also this week, Abigail had her dance photos and recital practice for hip hop. She's had a great year with her fabulous teacher Mr. Caine. I will have to post some pictures...
 
-In other noteworthy news, I had my first Pizzookie! A delightful cookie-ice-cream-hot-fudge combination made with love by my good friend Rebecca Chatwin. We love hanging out at their house and it's for many reasons beside Becky being the best baker ever- but she is, there's just no denying that.
 
-I had a fabulous mother's day! We had brunch at our good friends' Olga and Jim Wilsons in the morning, and BOY can they cook! I haven't had meal like that outside of a restaurant ever. We met some of their delightful friends that we never have before- from Belarus, Serbia and Russia. We also had a Hawaiian, a vegetarian and some Mormons. An eclectic and fun brunch bunch!
 
-Brandon and Abigail took me to dinner Saturday night and Sunday morning surprised me with flowers and a basket full of all the foods I like but never buy because they hate (i.e. eggplant, olives, goat cheese, etc). Brandon made me fresh grapefruit juice in our new juicer and cheesy eggs. We went to church and watched a movie as a family that night- great day! We also were able to talk to my mom and Brandon's mom- (which was a bit of an effort since she's in Israel).

Speaking of my mom, she and my father spoiled me rotten again this year. There's a bit of a tradition forming where I get a doorstep delivery of these beautiful strawberries right around mother's day. My mom? She got a card and a canvas self-portrait Abigail painted using neon colors. I really need to step up my game next year because this is unbalanced!