It began with a button...

I begin my story on Sunday night ... Jeff and I were sitting on our back patio enjoying the spring evening. I decided to sew a button back on a shirt of mine. As I went to thread it the button slipped off and rolled away from me.

I got right down and started searching, but it was pretty dark. I became pretty certain it rolled right under our gate into our neighbor's yard. Jeff said he was pretty sure it was lost ... but I marched myself right over to their house and knocked.

It was 9:30 pm. Strangely enough they are not surprised by random, late night visits from us. And quickly joined in the search for my missing button. Jeff was still searching on the other side of the fence. After a few minutes I FOUND THE BUTTON!! 

We were all feeling pretty successful about this (or maybe it was just me and everyone was humoring me). It is a small, clear button after all. And it was pretty dark out. 

Carolyn walked me out and we ended up chatting on the front porch for a bit. You know, it's almost 10 - why not discuss some books we're interested in reading, who from our ward went to prom the night before ... the important things in life. 

Most of the time I spent clutching my button. Wouldn't want to lose it again, you know...

Then towards the end I started fiddling with it. Just a bit ... but a bit to much.

It slipped off my thumb (where I was not-so-expertly balancing it) and rolled ... 

Into the oblivion. We both sprang into action and started looking ... in the dark ... into the cracks in the sidewalk and the grass nearby. Laughing hysterically at the turn of events. 

We didn't find it. But you know what? I have a friend who is willing to look for a button with me in the grass ... in the dark :)! 

This was the high point of the week so far ... followed by a few late nights working on projects and a trip to Wal-Mart. So it's been a long few days in general ... which brings us to today.

I had to get to Costco this morning. Had to. 

Jeff has an important meeting on Friday at work, so I thought, "if I'm going to be up in Orem I might as well stop by the mall and look for him a new shirt." 

I wanted to make sure he looks extra handsome (do you blame me?!). He has a favorite tie I took along to match the shirt to. In a plastic baggie to protect it (I was this concerned about said tie).

We got loaded up... Landon was in his stroller doing the normal mall "gig." Whine ... ask for a snack ... repeat (over and over again). We're shopping in Macy's and I'm talking to the sales man, looking for sizes, taking pictures of options (to text to Jeff for good measure) and retrieving Landon's cars he continues to toss off his stroller (I believe it is a ploy to get out).

Finally I settle on the perfect shirt. Then I proceed to shop a bit more ... in Macy's and a few other stores in the mall.

Then we leave, purchase in hand. Load up in the car and head to Costco. As we pull into the parking lot I realize something...

I haven't seen that tie in a while. I panic. And head right back to the mall.

Where I proceed to look everywhere. My purse (it eats things regularly). The stroller (just in case I'm lucky). And then I frantically retrace every step we made...I didn't even pause long enough to put Landon back in his stroller. (He loved this part because he got to walk and thought that looking for "daddy tie" was a marvelous game).

After all that? I lost it.

Not it in general (although I was close). But the tie.

His favorite tie.

It was DKNY and the perfect shade of blue for his eyes (just in case you needed to get a clearer picture of why this was making me so upset).

I was beside myself. And if I lost the tie then what good is a matching shirt?

So then I returned the shirt and picked out a shirt and tie combo. 

And almost an hour after I left the first time we left again. Sweaty, exhausted and ticked at myself.

Then I called Jeff sure this would make him upset. It was his favorite after all.

And he laughed good naturedly! I'm not even kidding. He said that of course he was bummed, but it wasn't my fault it fell out of the stroller (not technically true, but I wasn't going to correct him) and that he was certain he would love whatever I brought home.

The lessons to be learned here?

1. Marry a good (and forgiving ... and easy going) man.

2. Don't leave a tie where it can fall out of a stroller

3. If the week begins with a missing button, it might get crazier.

4. Thank goodness for the people who make the mishaps either funny, or not a big deal.

The end.

Favorite things...

Some of my favorite things lately...

*The snooze button ...
*Snuggling with Jeff after we push said snooze button one (or five) more times ...
*Two year olds who fall asleep standing up in their crib :)!
*My new (hot pink) glitter toes. I find myself admiring them a lot. Pathetic? Maybe, but they are seriously so fun I can hardly stand it!
*Building Lego towers. I'm quite the expert, you should know.
*Buying/putting together baby presents! I have three(!) friends having babies in the next few weeks ... and it is so fun to put together gifts unique to each friend/friendship.
*Listening to Landon pick out stories to read together "Ow bout ... zis one!" and then snuggling in to read story, after story ... after story!
*Homemade scones and French pastries ... and friends to chat with while indulging in them!
*Cookie-dough egg rolls. They are so naughty ... but SO good!
*Workouts I can do from home that are really challenging. Because of the two items above I really, really need them!
*Stepper's photo challenge.

Jeff snapped this one of Landon and I on Saturday morning.
Just reading together in his toy room.
We also find Landon in there quite often just getting in a little reading time himself.

And we certainly can't leave Jeff out of the photo challenge ...
I found this one on my phone after Easter morning :)!

Two boys...

There are two boys laughing, screaming, wrestling and having a marvelous time in my living room.

One is Landon (naturally) ... and the other? My little brother, James. Who, at 14 is the best uncle EVER. Especially to Landon who is pretty certain he is just a really big 2 year old ... who can build amazing things with Legos and fix the train tracks if they ever come apart :)!

They are so cute ... it's totally making my day!

Inspired ...

Today I was reading Stepper's blog. I'm pretty much always inspired by what she writes (aren't you?!) but today her post brought tears to my eyes. Read it here. See what I mean? I had to keep reading on the subject here.

What a beautiful idea. How many times am I not in the picture? And more importantly, how many times do I wait to get in the picture when I'm put together or all dressed up, instead of just me. The me I want my kids to remember ... and the memories that are pieced together to make up a lifetime together. Not just special occasions, birthdays and when mom was having a good hair day.

So I hopped right off the couch and got down beside Landon, who was watching a favorite Thomas the Train movie, to take a picture of us. He happily obliged with a smile. Can you tell neither of us get quite where to look when my phone is showing us on the screen? Or quite how to frame ourselves in the picture?

I love it... it's completely imperfect, but captures the day just right.

My bad hair day and tired eyes.

Landon eating his fingers.

And we look just as happy as happy can be to be spending a quiet, low-key day together.Which captured today perfectly. I love days when it's just us hanging out.

Thanks, Stepper and Holly (even though I've never met you I can tell I would like you!) ... for reminding us what pictures, and being together are really about.

Do you ever...

Wish every afternoon involved lots of stories brought to you by a two year old to read accompanied by sugar cookies? Me too!

Wonder why the cars in Radiator Springs are listening to the radio and hear about Lightning McQueen missing... and don't do anything about it? Or, how they even turned the radio on in the first place? This is why I am no fun at kids' movies. I worry about the logical logistics of things like that. Jeff and I have actually talked about this. Pathetic, I know. I don't, however, ever tell Landon these things. I prefer to let him enjoy his childhood logistics-free :)!

Worry what the masseuse is really thinking when you're laying there on the table? I'm certain mine is always flabbergasted that someone's skin could actually be as white as mine is. Seriously, I really think about this every time :)!

Wonder when rollerblading went out of style? I was pushing Landon's stroller today thinking that someday he and Jeff will be able to ride bikes together ... then what will I do? Learn to ride a bike well enough to keep up? Sketchy. Then I started musing that perhaps instead I could bring back rollerblading. Anyone want to help?

Question the logic in lengthy movie studio advertisements on kid movies? I get regular previews ... but have you ever heard a kid look at a movie and say "gee, it's made by Dreamworks ... I'm sure it will be a great movie!" Just sayin'.

Look through Pinterest and think "Seriously, you have TIME for that?!" and on top of that you took the time to take a picture of it! However, this doesn't make me feel bad about myself. It's not my thing to do things like that. Nor do I generally have the time, but that's another story.

Worry about people who over share on Facebook? I have seen things that I think are so private I would hardly share them with anyone I know well, let alone people I hardly know. I don't get it. But it's a personal choice ... and I get that. It's just not me.

Watch Sesame Street or related shows (ie Elmo) and appreciate the fact that they use all kinds of kids on their shows? I love that - there is so much diversity. And if more kids saw that instead of picture perfect looking kids on other kinds of shows there might be more acceptance and less bullying. We're all different and that should be celebrated!

Think I should find better things to muse about then post on my blog? Probably, but sometimes the questions of the ages just baffle me and I had to share :)!

Happy Easter!!

Pretty sure that smile says it all :)! Hope you had a wonderful Easter too!

The Book

I have some pretty amazing people in my life - both family and friends. And a huge number of those friends I've decided are like a really amazing extended family.

Seriously lucky.

For my 30th birthday one really, really amazing friend, Stepper, contacted many of the really special people in my life and assembled a book to remind me "in permanent and re-readable from - of how important you are in our lives" (her very sweet words on the inside cover page). She hand designed each page. Told you ... she is amazing!

When it arrived in the mail Stepper was sweet enough to drive it down to me. As she was sitting there watching me look through it for the first time (not actually even reading the messages) I was bawling my eyes out.

The cover

Later, when our house was quiet and Landon was napping, I sat down to read it letter by letter. I shouldn't have done my makeup before that! I cried my eyes out...

Because I have such amazing people in my life.

Because they said such sweet, wonderful things to me.

Because they loved me enough not only to write those things, but to dig up pictures from our lives shared together and to keep it a secret from me.

Because those experiences and our friendships mean as much to them as they do to me.

Each page is beautiful and meaningful ... I included a few pictures here. I only included a couple here, but next time you are over, please let me show it to your! (I included family pages and Stepper's ... I figured they were the least likely to mind them being posted on my blog!). It is beautiful. (And please notice that I took the pictures of the book on the beautiful blanket Ale made me for my birthday! She's WAY more creative than I am!)

It is, hands down, one of the best gifts I have ever, ever received. So thank you. To everyone who took part.