for the in-laws.

So I pretty much have the best in-laws ever. They are so wonderful and we really miss them so much! It was so great that we got to live with them for four months last year, and now we miss them even more! James is no exception - tonight he was really missing his Nana and Grandy:

(this is a bit long but I know Nana & Grandy will love it!)

my Dad, the world-traveler

I think my Dad may be one of the coolest guys ever, and I think you should go read his blog. As a judge, he has had the opportunity twice now to travel to Ukraine to teach law students there about the American jury trial. He just left yesterday and will be gone for almost a month, including a week-long trip to Jerusalem (on his way home) to visit my cousin & his wife. He is a wonderful writer and I am sure will be updating his blog very regularly. Check it out!

I chopped my hair.

The other day I got my hair cut. I love it. It was getting much too long to do anything with it (plus it is so darn thick that it takes like an hour to blow dry it...maybe that's an exaggeration but that's what it felt like!), so up it went in a ponytail every day (story of a mommy's life, right?). I also got some bangs for the first time in a long time. I am liking it.

Wow amazing, I'm actually in a picture! Can you believe it? Jonathan got me a tripod and a remote for my camera for Christmas. Now I have no excuse. Here's the [awkward and contemplative] side view. Does anyone else hate taking "serious" pictures like I do? I always look ridiculous.

James decided to get in on the action, and even took some of the pictures by pushing the button all by himself. Me and my little buddy:

rice-challenged

Lately, whenever I make rice it just doesn't work. Seriously, ANY kind of rice I try to make - white rice, brown rice, minute rice, rice-a-roni - turns out all nasty and the water never cooks away completely. I used to make rice a lot, and it used to turn out great. What is my problem? I feel very rice-challenged as of late. I think we'll steer clear of it in our house for awhile.

Last Sunday I cooked some rice for some chicken teriyaki bowls, and again it didn't turn out (and this was rice-a-roni, folks, not rocket science!) So frustrating. So I quickly came up with a plan B for my hungry boys and we had chicken caesar salad (well, chicken nuggets for James), and I decided to make a fruit smoothie to go with it. Unfortunately I soon realized that the bottom of my blender wasn't screwed in all the way, and this happened:

Sad day. Do you ever have nights where you think dinner will never ever make it on the table? This was definitely that type of night. I got the smoothie cleaned up and started over.

Ahhh, much better. Who doesn't love smoothies - man they are the best. It's almost like eating ice cream for dinner. So our dinner actually turned out alright. Also, thankfully, I had made some yummy funfetti cupcakes for dessert...which got eaten right along with our late dinner. We were so hungry that I didn't even frost them. Great dinner, eh?

I am really thankful for my Mom who always made such amazing dinners. Being a mom who cooks dinner every single day can be hard sometimes! It is so...DAILY :). Agreed?

us in 55 years:

Now this is the cutest ever. My sister found this video on YouTube, and it was so great that I just had to share it. She said it's how she pictures Jonathan and I when we're old. And I can so totally see that! We even have a duet we play where we switch places. It's not this cute though. I don't think you can be this cute of a couple until you're at least in your 80's.

goodnight, fweetsie

James says the most hilarious things lately. It's pretty cute that he now talks in full sentences. Here are some funny ones he said today:

"In a little bit go a Giki's house?" (he uses "a" instead of "to" - what is this, Spanish??)
"I clipped a little cracker." (he broke a little piece of cracker off of a big cracker)
"Mommy, my toys bug me!!" (he was frustrated because he wanted his cars, but his trains, books and dinosaurs were all crammed in the same box)

Other funny lines of late:

me: "goodnight, sweetie!"
James: "goodnight, fweetsie!" (he repeats everything I say to him while tucking him in...it's adorable)

"Wash down da hiccups!"

And, for the sake of posterity and because a mommy usually forgets these things if not written down, here are some more adorable/funny things he has said lately.

mine see-o's!! mine see-io-ios!! ("my cheerios!")
gankyou, mommy! gankyou, mommy! ("thank you, mommy")
no mine balls!! no mine balls! (rhymes with "pals")
uh, mommy's.....................eat dose!!
sumping else!
I dizzy!
sowwy!! sawyee! ("sorry!")
*he uses "sowwy" when he wants us to say we're sorry! if we do something he doesn't like, he'll frantically start crying, "sowwy!! sowwy!"
mommy, fix it! mommy, fix it!
mine hat
mine chair
i suck ("i stuck")

my first engagement photo shoot!

I had the opportunity to shoot my very first engagement photos on Saturday! My friend Yannie (who was one of my Young Women in our ward in Provo - how time flies!) found herself a great guy and wanted me to take their engagement pictures. We went to the amphitheater behind the mental hospital in Provo (very cool place) and got some awesome shots - especially once the snow started falling!

Aren't they a beautiful couple? Check out some more pictures on my photography blog!

My James.

Today my sanity slowly slipped away as James held up M&M after M&M, saying, "What's dat?? He asked with each one.

He wonders "what's dat" all the time. Constantly. And he loves to do things by himself. "Self!" he says.

In fact he climbed into his high chair by himself, while I was on the phone, and when I heard little yelps I ran into the kitchen, and there he was, feet barely touching the ground, his little white t-shirt stuck way up high on the high chair. As sad as it was I couldn't help but laugh out loud, it was pretty funny. I asked him afterwards "where does it hurt?" to which he responded by poking out his round little belly as far as it would go. I kissed his tummy and all was well.

Seriously though, this kid is a keeper. He's all about being happy lately. He constantly says "I happy!" or "Daddy happy!" The past two days, though, if I exhibit any sign of any emotion other than happiness (be it frustration, exhaustion, determination or just plain being bugged), he gets a major pouty face and says, "Mommy? Happy?!?" I have been working on keeping a happy face, despite my inner feelings. If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy....am I right?

Here's a fun conversation:
me: "James, do you feel sick?"
James: "No. I happy."

Today James was a hyper little doggie who wouldn't take a nap, crawling all around the house licking things. "Dog food!" he said. Of course.

He wanted to go somewhere really badly today..."Go sumpin'! a-Go sumpin', Mama!"

It was quite the day and I am quite the exhausted Mama...but I wouldn't trade it for anything :)

day-after-Valentines Cookies

Nothing says Valentines Day like sugar cookies, agreed? Well we at least got ours made the day after Valentines Day - good enough, right? What a fun thing for James though - he helped so much and loved it! I think that holidays are such great times for family traditions, and this is such a fun one :) Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day with lots of LOVE.

"I made cookies, Mommy!!"

a picture post.

fun visit with my family...


mama'a yummy Valentines cookies...


James has got his Bapa wrapped around his little finger...


James loves playing with all the little "peepoo" sets that his Mommy used to play with...


yes, I realize this picture is blurry but it is too cute...


the new "young couple"...


cute Aunt Annie with her cute haircut...


James with his Aunt Abby and soon-to-be Uncle Ryan.