Gratitude

Today I am really, really grateful for my dad. Our water heater broke again (yep, it has only been 2 years since the "replaced" the original one ... I use "" because we think the guy was shady and just fixed it and didn't actually replace it ... but that is a rant for another time) and we had a toilet that was making that annoying running sound.

And he has spent a ton of his free time (which is very rare for a guy who works in Canada all week) helping Jeff and I fix things. And he spent all Saturday afternoon playing with Landon (they enjoy watching basketball games together :)!) and looking at houses with us.

What a guy! I think anyone who spends that much time and effort helping those he loves deserves some recognition.

Thanks Dad. I love you!

(And a big, fat HAPPY BIRTHDAY this week!)

12 Steps

Is this post about the evils of alcohol? Or perhaps the 12 step road to recovery? Nope.

It is about the 12 steps leading up to my office. Every one of which made me want to cry this morning. Why you ask? Because I tried a new workout class last night at the gym.

And it kicked my butt!

It's called R.I.P.P.E.D. and it stands for all kinds of workout terms (like resistance, interval training, etc. ) as well as being another term for torture. The first exercise we started with I couldn't even DO! It got better (as in, I could perform what was being asked with what looked like a smidgen of competence) and I survived ... the whole hour ... by some miracle.

I'm pretty proud of myself. I can't walk very well. But I survived!

So if you are into torture ... or really want to try something challenging ... or are really interested in looking good for swimsuit season this year (hello, Hawaii!) then come join me!

And if you think it is easy do NOT tell me. Seriously. I would probably cry. And I already want to because now I have to walk to my car and just the thought makes me want to wince!

Love Day Five

Today I want to give a special tribute to my girlfriends ... the ones who have supported me, loved me and made me a better person. I have a lot of wonderful, strong and powerful women in my life and I am grateful for each and every one of them. They each bring something different into my life - and I appreciate all those beautiful differences.

Thank you for making my life a brighter, more beautiful place to be!

Love Day Four

Today's spotlight is on someone Landon loves very much - his teddy bear! When I was in high school my mom came home with a teddy bear. I was a little confused (I was a bit out of the musical teddy bear phase of life) until she explained that it was for my first baby, and being a good mom she tucked it away in my hope chest for "some day."

When "some day" came this year I pulled that bear (she had lovingly wrapped up) out and put him in Landon's crib. A few months ago Landon discovered where his night time music was coming from and it was love. Now they are inseparable at nap time and bed time (and other times if bear gets out of bed).

Bear wears a little night time hat, and recently it had come off, so I had to sew it back on. It was a fight to the finish because Landon wasn't sure I had bear's best interests at heart so I sat on the couch trying to sew his hat on and Landon stood at my knees holding on to bear and watching me a bit warily ... you know ... just in case. The second I finished he took bear back and held him tight. So cute!

Clearly my mom was inspired all those years ago ... because no one compares to bear.

I couldn't decide which I liked more...

I love bear!

OR

Don't even think about messing with him!

Love Day Three

Today's love day spotlight is on my mom. She has sacrificed so much over the years for us and still does each and every day. She is the one who showed me how a mom is supposed to love.

As many of you know she comes over to play with Landon twice a week when I go to work. It is so nice to know they are spending time together and that he is well taken care of. Lately he has had an ear infection that is antibiotic resistant. Needless to say he has been pretty sad about it. And no matter what my mom has taken care of him, loved on him and given suggestions to help make him feel better. It has been wonderful.

I love this picture of her and Landon! It makes me smile every time I see it. We are all so lucky to have her so close!!
Love you mom!

Love Day Two

Landon. Need I say more for my second Love-Day spotlight? To say that he has changed my entire perspective on love would be the understatement of the year! He has made me really and truly understand the word "unconditional" and I love him more and more each day.

He is cute, sweet, funny and makes me want to be a better person each and every day. He is my little sweetheart ... who knew so much love could come in such a small package?

Can you blame me?
Didn't think so :)!

Mama loves you Landon!

Happy Love Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! The idea of a whole day just to tell people you love them is kind of fun. But I feel like I have a LOT of people I really love. Who definitely deserve to be told. More than just today, or this week ... but since someone nicely set this time aside I will tell them (and you) about how much they mean to me.

But really, today gets dedicated just to Jeff.

I love him more than anything. He changed my world ... and I'm certain I didn't know what this kind of love was before meeting him. He's my better half , my rock and my sanity. And he makes me laugh (even when I am trying so hard not to :)!). I'm so happy he is in my life and couldn't ask for a better best friend, partner and husband. I feel lucky every day of the year ... but even more so on special days because I get to spend them with him.

Love you babe!

PS. Tune in later this week for other love-week spotlights :)!

A Week of Adventure

As Landon has gotten a little older I have been trying to think of more creative, fun things to do with him during the day. Sometimes I worry I am kind of boring (if you saw the way he reacted to Jeff's playing you would agree mine isn't super exciting!). Then I saw my friend Tamsin did a "cabin fever" week on her blog and decided that is just what we needed!

I called it our "adventure week!"

Monday - It was so nice out we took a walk and fed the ducks. I forgot my camera, but it was pretty funny. Mainly because Landon gets really, really serious when he is trying to figure something out. And let me tell you ... waddle-y, quacking ducks really close to his stroller were a sight to behold to him!

Tuesday - This was a big adventure day for us ... so get ready. We went to story time at the library for the first time! It was so cute. Landon was pretty intensely watching the story time lady, and then when the singing started he was bouncing along with the best of them. Love it ...

Capturing this on camera was no small feat considering
he was sitting on my lap and bouncing :)

Before he realized this thing could MOVE on its own...
a moving baby and a moving puppy ... impossible to capture!

Then someone I work with brought in a brand new puppy ... and who can resist that?! So we headed up to take a look. We're pretty sure he thought the puppy was a stuffed animal at first, but then when it was put down and it started walking and wiggling ... you should have seen his face! He was thrilled! The puppy was more terrified of him than anything (and who wouldn't be if you were only 2 lbs and a very enthusiastic 24 lb creature came barreling at you?)

Then (can this day get any more adventurous?!) Jeff came home from work early (he had been at a career fair) and we took a walk as a family. Love those.

Wednesday - Today lacked a big adventure. After 24 hours (yes, hours) of being off an antibiotic for his ear infection we were back at the Dr. It was still raging and he is on yet another antibiotic that is even stronger still. Poor kid.

Thursday - I read in a parenting magazine about letting your kids "paint" their high chair tray with food. How fun is that?! Landon used strawberry yogurt and applesauce ... he was pretty focused and a little confused all at the same time before he decided this was fun! I don't know if he liked moving it around more or squishing it between his fingers. I think the biggest bonus was that it kept him busy and contained to one spot the whole time I made dinner!

Um, I'm not so sure about this mom...

An artist at work...

The masterpiece is finished! (Please note that
he tasted it several times for good measure...)

Friday - Landon got invited to a birthday party tomorrow. So today I had him make the card. A little young? Maybe, but with some help he did pretty good. And I think homemade cards are awfully cute :)!

Apparently card making also includes card tasting!

Ideas Please...

Jeff and I try to do a date night every week. Sometimes we go out and sometimes we do things at home. But sometimes we run out of ideas ... please tell me we aren't alone here! So I am going to share a few ideas we have (we did a brainstorming night recently) and a few things we have done ... and then PLEASE leave a comment with more ideas. I figure we can all benefit this way :)!

At Home:
*Spa night - who doesn't love a massage, or pedicure/foot rub?!
*Fancy Dinner
*Movie night (Don't get me wrong... I love this one. But sometimes this one is too easy to do and then it ends up not feeling like a date to me...)
*The "would you rather" game (we homemade chocolate covered pretzels too!)
*Cookie bake-off (this one we did with another couple, but it could be fun either way)
*Game night (anything competitive works)

Out:
*Dinner
*Movie
*Art museum (Did you know we have a couple really close that are free? We really aren't art people per se ... but this is one we recently brainstormed so we can try something different. We really want to go see the Graffiti Art exhibit at the Woodbury Museum. But apparently it is mainly open during the day! BAH!)
*Local theater (Again, we have a lot close that is really inexpensive. We haven't done this in a while ... it somehow fell off our radar and we forgot about it! Starting in March there are some good plays starting up around here)
*Sporting event
*Hike
*Picnic

Okay ... now what do you like to do for date night?!

Addendum:

My friend Becca had an awesome idea! She asked me to post anyone who comment's ideas on the post too ... to make it easier for everyone to see. So here are her thoughts:

We like to play cooperative video games together :)

Here's my list of date ideas:
Go shopping and pick out and buy each other an article of clothing
Go to the symphony or opera or ballet
Ice skating
See who can hit the farthest at the driving range
Visit local historical sites
Date night at the observatory
Peruse house plans on the internet and pick out your favorite ones

Once when we were dating we checked out a couple Where's Waldo books from the library and went to the park and laid on blankets and tried to find Waldo.

Kristen said: If you go to http://pensievity.blogspot.com, she is doing a creative date with her husband each week for a year.

Cousin Maddie and the MTC

This last weekend was both fun and special for our family. Carla, Kevin and Maddie came up to visit. But not just for any visit ... they were coming up so Maddie could enter the MTC today! She will be serving in the Knoxville, Tennessee mission for the next 18 months. We are really excited for her and proud of her decision to go.

Sunday night we had a family dinner for her, then we just hung out as a family (and celebrated James turning 13!) the rest of the time. This was their first time meeting Landon and they were so excited! It took him a little bit to warm up (he definitely in a stranger-danger phase) but then he was more than happy to play with them and let them snuggle with him.

They played with Landon on Monday morning when I was at work and I came home to find him happily playing ... and about 100 new pictures on my camera :)! So most of these are ones they took ... after some debacle with his bottle Landon ended up naked (well, in his diaper) for most of them. But doesn't he just look SO squeezable?!

Our new family missionary ... opening her presents after dinner. We got her that monster (that heats up to be a rice bag for sore muscles) courtesy of Stepper!
They brought Landon his birthday present early (can it really only be a few short weeks away?!)... and he immediately said I LOVE it! Now ... let me taste it!
Hanging with Aunt Carla
Apparently he had an important call to take ...
Love this face:
Uncle Kevin was fun to snuggle with ...
Just a boy and his dog ... off to find adventure in the kitchen.
Good luck Maddie! We love you!