Ten! And We'll Do it Again

Today is our ten year anniversary.  It sounds like a long time to me, but doesn't feel like it could possibly have been that long.  Or that we could be that old.  Didn't we just get married yesterday?  Here are ten things I've learned in the ten years we've been married:

1. There is no statute of limitations for being late to the temple to get married.
2. Car seat warmers are straight from heaven.
3. I can buy vegetables, but I should get what I like because I may be the only one eating them.
4. Keep tissues in every room.  There is no reason to use paper towels and napkins to blow your nose.
5. Why can't candy wrappers make it to the trash can?  I mention this to the family and ask if we live in a trash can, and then have to take a step back because I think I just sounded like my mom. 
6. Darren has a lot of 'baines of his life.' Here are just a few:  The wrapping paper container, hair clips all around the house, my pile of paper that sits on the microwave, eating in the car.
7. I have a good husband.  I really marvel sometimes and wonder how I got so lucky.  In the grand tradition of Han Solo, I'm sure Darren also wonders how I got so lucky.
8. Not only can food storage fit under the bed, it can be used to prop up the bed.
9. Vacations and trips just work better centered around Wyoming Cowboy sports.
10. Apparently neither of us think it is super important to celebrate our anniversary.  Big Miss had to remind us it was this week...

Despite the fact that we had to be reminded that it is our anniversary, I do love this man and am happy to be married to him.  We still have so many mountains to conquer, I'm glad I've got a good hiking buddy to keep me entertained, grounded, and to embarrass when I do a little jig.

Love you Honey B!  Here's to many more happy years.

Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

It's Friday, I'm in Love

It has been a while since I did one of these Friday things, but I've been thinking about this one for a while.  Little Miss just makes me laugh.  She has such a little personality.  I probably should be more patient more often, because i am always rewarded with some gem of her six-year-old perspective.  I need to record some of them for posterity.  Today's Friday Five are a few of my favorite Little Miss Missives.  Here's the list:

1. "'Get your body moving!'  That is what Aunt Ruth's exercise video says.  I am such a good exerciser and I am so strong.  I can totally lift the bars that say 6 because I'm 6 and Aunt Ruth can only lift the 5."  Not that it is a competition Ruth, I promise.

2. "Mom, I know what I want to be when I grow up.  I am going to be a tooth fairy.  I'll have wings and wear tights and I'll leave lollipops for the kids.  The really big ones that are all different colors and are circles and have all different flavors.  Kids really like those."  My comment about job security went over her head.

3. Darren and I were talking about finger prints and I was explaining that even identical twins had different fingerprints.  Darren was dubious, and apparently Little Miss picked up on it because from the back seat she said, "How do you know, GEOLOGIST?"  That one still makes me giggle.

4. "Man, it feels like I am going to be tardy.  I'm going to be tardy, aren't I mom.  Maybe I should drive.  Man, it feels like we are so late."  We were actually 10 minutes early to school -- Little Miss is only learning about O'clock and half past the hour in school so me telling her the time meant nothing.  And she has only been late once, so no "I feel empathy for you Little Miss" from Aunt Jacqui, got it.

5. "Mom, you need to start teaching me how to do my own laundry.  When I am a missionary, I will have to do my own laundry, so I need to start learning now."  That one came out of no where on a Tuesday, but all I could do was agree, so I have her help me by separating her clothes.

I sure love this girl.  Even on tough days, you know, those days when I just want to go to bed so I start again tomorrow, I do love Little Miss.  She brightens my days.  Have a good weekend.

Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

Who is That Masked...

 Jacqui wanted to see Halloween pictures of the girls.  They both decided to be super heroes -- Big Miss dressed up for the youth dance on Saturday, and that is about the time Little Miss decided to be just like her big sister.  Here are some pictures from this weekend:

Big Miss had eyes in the back of her head because they couldn't technically wear a mask to the dance.  She was definitely an original.

Little Miss wanted a symbol for the front of her shirt, so I made one.  My favorite part of the whole outfit is her woman boots.  I just love them on her.

As for the home front, we had four groups ring our doorbell for candy.  We have a whole bowl left over.  If you need some sugar mosey on over to our house. 

Hope everyone had a good and safe holiday.  It is snowing here today -- glad it didn't do that yesterday.

Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

Do Overs

Little Miss had dance this afternoon.  When I dropped her off at school this morning, I asked her to start walking home so she could change and get to dance on time.  She was so excited to be grown up and start walking home by herself.

When I walked to school this afternoon to pick her up I lingered at the bottom of the hill by the school gate waiting for her to come down.  From that position you can't see the playground because it is up on a hill, which is great because then a kid doesn't feel watched.  Just a little bit of freedom, however false, right?  Five minutes after the bell I decided we really needed to get moving and that I should go up.  There was Little Miss, standing by the swings, watching some other kids swinging.  Not swinging herself, just watching the other kids.  I yelled, I admit it, something like, 'What are you doing?  You were supposed to start walking home.  We have got to go now!'

Things went down hill from there, as they usually do when the greeting is a yell.  There were tears, pouting, silent stomping, accusations, and sassiness from the 6 year-old and the 34 year-old all the way home.  The power stuggle was epic.  I realized the situation was completely out of hand when I yelled down the stairs that she was about to lose her snack because of her disrespectful grumblings.

So I called a do over.  Do other moms do this?  I calmly walked downstairs to where she was half heartedly putting her dance stuff on and asked her if we could start over.  We greeted each other like we were at the playground.  I didn't let her out of dilly dallying, but I was a much calmer in-control mom.  We worked together to get her ready for dance, she got her snack, and we made it on time.

I've called a do-over a couple of times, and it always seems to work to calm us down.  Sometimes it is nice to get a second chance at being a better mom.  Okay, maybe it is nice sometime to get a second chance to just not be the yelling, threatening mom.  Hopefully on some level it helps Little Miss, too, you know?  We'll see.

Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

It's Friday, I'm in Love

Holy long time since I've done a Friday Five!  No worries, I'll ease in slowly.  There was one thing I didn't mention in the list of changes this summer:  Big Miss got her driver's license at the beginning of summer, and towards the end of summer Darren and I bought her a kid car (thanks Robi!).  Other than doubling my list of worries, I think it is great.  Today's Friday Five is all about Big Miss and her new found freedom:

1. Big Miss drives everywhere.  We are all going to the same place, ie church, grandma's, but she insists on driving herself.  She pays for her own gas, so we don't really care, but still.  We are going to the same place.  I do have to say, the best part of this is when she offers to do errands for me and the fact that she can drive herself when she hangs out with friends.  Best. Thing. Ever.

2. The car has a standard transmission because we feel it is important for Big Miss to be able to drive any car.  I get whiplash every time I ride with her.  First gear is especially rough.  We periodically coach her about easing off the clutch a bit smoother, but I honestly think she presses the gas harder instead.  We'll be buying new tires soon. 

3. She rolls all her windows down and blasts her music and dances.  This is something I don't let her do when I drive.  She will often tell me about all the 'creepers' who were staring at her.  "Well, of course,"  I tell her, "You are cute girl driving with your windows down blaring the music and dancing.  I stare when you drive by.  For an entirely different reason, but still."

4. Big Miss has been pulled over twice.  The first time was because a head light was out and she got a warning.  The second time was because she was speeding trying to get home before curfew.  The police officer asked if she had been drinking and she told him no, it was against her religion.  She got a warning.  Somehow she thinks this will be her luck with the police -- only get warnings.  We tell her don't count on it and that the point is NOT to get pulled over.  Sheesh.

5. She drives offensively, and I don't mean she offends the other drivers, although if she talks to them like I sometimes talk to other drivers, she might be doing that, too.  I mean she drives like she expects everyone to get out of her way.  I try not to imagine some poor pedestrian leaping for the curb as Big Miss speeds toward them.  She starts drivers ed on Monday.

I could mention something about karma and the grief I put my mom through when I started driving, but that is better left alone.  Have a good weekend and stay off the streets.  You have been warned...

Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

Living the Dream

While discussing our mutual lag in blogging the other day, a friend pointed out to me that there were a few major things that have happened in my life this summer that I haven't blogged about. Okay, she didn't 'point it out' to me; the lack of blogging during this summer of change has been on my mind often. So, what are these big changes? What better way than a top ten list? It keeps it simple:

1. Darren quit his job buying lumber because they wanted him to move to Atlanta
2. Darren got a new job in the oil and gas business
3. Instead of Atlanta, WE MOVED TO WYOMING. Despite our undying love for the Wyoming Cowboys, we never thought we'd be back in the state.
4. We lived with Darren's parents for three months. This is another thing I never thought we'd do. Good thing I only 'thought' it and didn't vocalize that I'd never live with my in-laws. Thankfully, they were easy to live with. I'm such a lucky girl to have such easy going in-laws.
5. We sold our house in Greeley. Ten days and we were under contract, which solidified the fact that we were no longer welcome in Northern Colorado. Only kidding.
6. We ended up in Green River instead of Rock Springs. I only mention it because it was kind of a shock. We really tried living in Rock Springs. How cool would it be for the 'Water from Rocks' girl to live in 'Rock Springs'. Guess I'll have to settle for plain old water.
   

7. Big Miss turned 18 and now uses the 'I'm an adult so I can...' excuse for everything. I don't remember feeling that liberated when I turned 18. She also started her senior year.
   
   
8. Little Miss started first grade and has loved that her mother has abandoned the '70 degrees for flip flops' rule. Seriously, you have to take the opportunity to wear flip flops when you can out here. Who cares if it is barely 60 degrees -- the sun is shining!
   
   
9. We decided to build a house instead of buy an existing house. In the meantime we moved into a duplex. Nice to have our own space, but still rifling through our storage unit for the little things that make a house our home.
10. I realized I could be happy here. Change is always hard -- I miss my friends, I miss my house, I miss being close to my parents, and I miss Colorado. But there are friends to be found here, a house is just a house unless the people you love are with you, we are close to different parents and siblings now, and I've remembered how much I love Wyoming.

Now if there were only a close Sam's club and Target, I'd be set. Hope I haven't lost too many of you during my absence. It is good to be back.


Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

Is That the Dishwasher? I Can't Hear It

After a week and a half, we have finally finished the kitchen. I say "finally", but really a week and a half to get a major room remodel done is super fast! At least for us. We got some great deals on flooring, appliances, cupboards, counter tops... I know you don't necessarily care about that, but we are happy about the price. Getting a good price all at once spurned us to finish faster.

Here are the before and afters:

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

We are super pleased with how it turned out. It feels indulgent to use the new appliances. Anyway, here is what I learned about remodeling a kitchen:

1. The kitchen sink should be taken out very last. It will be missed the most.



2. Unplugging and plugging in the refrigerator makes the ice cream really soft. That and things start to smell.



3. At some point you will wonder why you have plates -- paper is so much easier!



4. If you do the install the cupboards yourself, check all the drawers to make sure they go in and out well. We learned this the hard way. Darn it.



5. I don't care how much the plumber costs, he is totally worth every penny.



6. Get help to move the old refrigerator and don't rely on the weak. Poor Lady Kenmore. May she rest in peace.



7. Energy saving dishwashers run longer. Totally counter intuitive.



8. It totally works praying for the inspiration to do something you haven't done before. Praying also calms down a frustrated husband.



9. After the kitchen is done, both of you will want to know why you didn't do it sooner.

The girls were real troopers while we were frantically working each night. Little Miss was our cheerleader. She consistently had the correct reaction to the work we had done while she was asleep -- amazement and happiness at the progress. Big Miss could take it or leave it. It is so hard to please a teenager. *Sigh* All I can say is it is done. Woo Hoo!

Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

It's Friday, I'm in Love

Is it seriously Friday? Does anyone else find they forget what day it is? Just me? I thought so. No theme today. Here's the list:

1. The kitchen remodel is in full swing. Last Thursday Darren ripped out everything, including the kitchen sink. I've been using paper and washing a few dishes in the powder room bathroom all week. The plumber is here today so HALLELUJAH! When he saw my dishes in the powder room he said, "Usually people use the bathtub." Huh, that actually makes sense. Pictures of the remodel soon!
   
   




2. Last Friday was Autumn's friend party and my first time throwing a friend party. Because our house is a wreck I opted for an air blow-up place. My friend Rachel made a beautiful Barbie cake -- seriously so talented. A lady from the party next door came and took a picture of it. The party was wonderful, but we could only invite a few friends and the guilt I have about not including everyone keeps lingering. Next time we will do it at our house and invite everyone. I don't know, what are your thoughts?
   
   




3. This week is Battle of the Books. I've been coaching a team of third grade girls. Let's just say they haven't been diligent about reading and leave it at that. I'm not a good coach, either, but I've learned a lot for next year. Their team name is the Red Reading Wolves. Everyone comments on how literary it is (as in 'Red Riding Hood'). They look confused when people makes these comments. They just like werewolves.
   
   




4. I was sick last weekend. That didn't keep me from working on the kitchen, just so you know. Anyway, as a result I lost some weight. I had this thought that maybe I could fit in my wedding dress again. Here is the fuzzy bulging proof. We could zip it, but barely. Autumn took this picture so the angle is awful. I thought it would be momentous, but it did not inspire me to work on rock hard abs. It did make me think I need to do something with my dress.
   
   




5. I've been reminding myself, "You can do hard things," a lot recently. I had a friend tell me a story using that phrase and I laughed, but I find it really does help to say it. Sister Dalton also used that phrase at the end of her talk during the last Young Women's broadcast, so I've been telling my girls the same thing, "You can do hard things," and it is true! Life is stressful isn't it, bad things happen, but people have an amazing capacity to be resiliant. Lately, I've needed to remind myself about this at least twice a day if not more. "You can do hard things, Brenda. You can do hard things."

Have a good weekend. Happy Easter! Enjoy the weather.

Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

Six is Now in the Mix

Today is Little Miss's 6th birthday. The countdown for this day started about three months ago. She's not excited.

As part of the celebration we made cupcakes for her class. I attempted rainbow ones (you can find my inspiration for them here). We'll see if the kids like them. Anywho, she chose McDonald's with a play place for her birthday dinner. We must deprive her if she thinks this is a treat, but I'm not complaining because I don't have to cook.

In honor of this much anticipated day, here is six things about Little Miss. As a side note, all the pictures except the one with the boots are self portraits. She gets her double chin from me:

1. Little Miss loves playing with friends. Recently she has started playing with neighbor kids, which I really like because that means she is close enough that I can yell for her when she needs to come home.


2. Little Miss begs daily to go swimming at our local funplex. Sometimes I say yes.


3. Little Miss is starting to write words and make sentences with sounded out words. She is getting good. I definitely credit her teacher since she gets mad at me when I tell her to sound out a word. My favorite word she writes is 'think.' She spells it 'fek' - cracks me up every time. 'Th' is hard for her to say.


4. Little Miss likes to be helpful, but chores usually goes better if it is her idea and not mine. Right now we are focusing on getting her bed made every morning. It floors her that this needs to be done daily, but she doesn't put up that big of a fight, which is good.


5. Little Miss loves shoes and has definite opinions about clothes. I have no idea what style she is going for, but to me to looks like something along the lines of tomboy, tough girl, with a touch of princess. She calls her boots (shown below) her 'hiking boots', but I call them her 'biker chick boots.'


6. Little Miss is excited to grow up. On the way out the door this morning she asked if she could drive. I kid you not.

We are so glad to have Little Miss in our family. She adds so much flavor and love to our lives. Please, don't grow up too fast!

Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

It's Friday, I'm in Love

It does feel good to get back, but I can tell my writing chops are a bit rusty. Creak! It is Friday, right? I have my days mixed up a bit. Anywho, today's Friday Five are things that have been occupying us in the last few months: blessings, many many blessings. Here's the list:

1. So yeah, the job. I started at the company four years ago when we first got the portfolio of projects, and I was there when the portfolio was handed off to another consultant. Looking back I can see how the opportunity and experience was exactly what our family needed. Knowing how hard it would be for me to let the job go, Heavenly Father helped make the decision fairly easy. Very interesting how Heavenly Father looks out for each of us. We are blessed.


2. We got a computer for Christmas and let Big Miss get a Facebook account. This may not seem like big news, but I am not on Facebook and I had some serious internal fear of having her out on the net for all to see. Earlier on, this fear manifested itself in some passive aggressive behavior. We don't need to go into that. Interestingly, Facebook has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Yes, she puts everything out there for people to see, but then everyone reports back to me. I don't think she realizes how many parents she has out there. Also, it helped remind me that she is a good kid.


3. We are remodeling our kitchen. It needed to be done, especially since everything is original to our 1984 house: the cupboards, the flooring, the appliances. Our tax refund is making it possible, which is a total blessing. We are doing everything ourselves so that helps the cost. Of course, that means it will take time. I think Darren thought I might need a project since I no longer have a job. Funny boy thinks I will suddenly have all this time. The cupboard clutter has slowly been driving me insane for years and was high on my list of things to do anyway, but is now on Darren's radar. There is a little sadness of remodeling the kitchen. I will miss the Lady Kenmore. Do they still make condiment doors?


4. Speaking of tax refunds, while we were preparing our taxes, we realized I had been contributing to Health Savings Plan at work. I vaguely remember signing up. Hidden money is always a happy thing. With my job ending, and my relatively good health, Darren decided I needed Lasik eye surgery. We researched it a lot and finally found a place that would work. Last Friday I had it done and Holy Cow it is awesome! The pain was not. I had to have the surface treatment, not the flap treatment so I was laying around with a cold wet cloth over my eyes for a few days and wearing sunglasses in the house. Still a blessing now that my vision is clearing and I can see better than I can ever remember seeing. Little Miss has tried all the soothing measures -- the cool washcloth and the sunglasses. She is awesome.


5. Best blessing of the last few months? My wonderful girls and loving husband. A home, food, and good health. What more can anyone ask for? Knock on wood. We are probably due for a trial right about now. Oh wait, Jacqui already moved to Austin... Doh!

I guess I had more the say than I thought. I hope you have a good weekend! Keep smiling and remember to be happy.

Still Here

I am still here, I promise. I think about the Friday Five every week. Long story short, my job ended in the middle of March and I was slammed until that happened. I'm not sad that it ended and it actually came at a perfect time; however, now I am figuring out the wonderful world of stay-at-home mom. Well, that amidst teasing Darren that I will become a couch potato. You think I'm kidding but it is his worse fear. I'm just glad I get to tease him about something.

What do you think, do I look good? I have two remotes and two hands...

Anywho, I am slowly finding a balance and hopefully will be posting updates soon on the girls.

Keep smiling and remember to be happy.