Tonight on the way home from dinner, Marc and I were discussing President Hinckley's death. This exchange was part of that discussion:
Marc: (to Carter) Do you know who died this week?
Carter: President Hinckley. (this wasn't the first time he's heard us talk about it)
Marc: That's right, we'll have a new prophet soon--President Monson.
Carter: What about you?
Marc: I don't think that's a good idea!
Carter: Yes it is, you be prophet Hinckley.
Clearly, Carter at such a young age, doesn't realize that we definitely do not aspire to certain callings, especially that one!
January 29, 2008
The Ultimate Chicken Enchiladas
Marc loves enchiladas. I don't. Therefore, I only make them once a year--for his birthday. Every year I try a new recipe. One year I used my mom's. The next year I used one my sister snagged from one of her friends. Last year I was lazy and bought the Stouffer's frozen stuff--they were probably my favorite out of all three recipes--yikes! About a month ago I saw Tyler Florence make his Ultimate Chicken Enchiladas on the Food Network and I deemed that this years recipe. Since we were gone all day on Saturday, Marc's actual birthday, I made his birthday dinner on Sunday. Let's just say that, even though they take a bit of work, I might make enchiladas a bit more often now. If you do try the recipe and I highly recommend you do, double the salsa recipe. You'll definitely want extra for munching with chips.
January 28, 2008
Breckenridge Birthday Surprise
December 25th--Christmas. January 26th--Marc's birthday. February 14th--Valentine's Day. March 1st--Anniversary. Quite frankly, this timeline exhausts and overwhelms me every year and after buying Marc's Christmas gifts I'm usually fresh out of ideas. Of course, I could always do the clothing thing, but if you know Marc you know he is nothing like me--he doesn't want to buy new clothes--plus he works so hard for our family I think he deserves special treatment and for him, special treatment definitely does not equal clothes. Well, thanks to my friend Bobbi, who is all-knowing when it comes to Colorado Family Fun and has fresh and innovative dating ideas, I have a few tricks up my sleeve this year and one of those tricks was "The Breckenridge Birthday Surprise." Last Wednesday I began giving him small gifts as clues. The first one--two travel hot chocolate mugs. Thursday he received a double snow tube. Friday he opened the car plug-in accessory to his iPod at which point I told him Saturday's itinerary: 8:00 am--Leave the house
8:45 am--Meet my parents at the Donut Mill in Woodland Park for breakfast (they have excellent donuts and cinnamon rolls the size of my head!)
11:00 am--Arrive in Breckenridge for the Annual Snow Sculpture Competition--view sculptures
12:30 pm--Have lunch (we were supposed to eat at Downstairs at Eric's but because of the long wait and the kids' empty tummies we opted for Fatty's Pizzeria and it turned into one big disaster. We won't be eating there next year!)
2:00 pm--Go sledding at Carter Park (this was the greatest part of the whole day. I didn't take my camera for this part because we don't have a teeny tiny digital that you can just stuff in your pocket, but all of us had fun going down the hills. Carter even got brave and went down the small hill and the big hill all by himself. I'm smiling just thinking about the fun we had.)
4:00 pm--Head on home (the kids zonked out the whole way home!)
While planning this big day, I had every intention of making it an annual event in our family. The day certainly did not disappoint so we will be heading to Breckenridge for the snow sculptures and the sledding next year and the next year and the next year. If you live here in Colorado or if you don't, come with us next year!
January 25, 2008
Have You Seen My Monkey Man?
(I know the song is actually called Have you seen the muffin man? but I adjusted it for my purposes.) I'm not used to this monkey stuff, even though I've heard it happens. Carter was never a climber until about a year ago, though his friends started much earlier than that--he has a friend who at a year old was climbing on top of his couch or his mom's kitchen table and then jumping off of whichever one he'd climbed on top of. That kid always had a goose egg on his forehead! But Carter, no, he was always a cautious child. His brother, on the other hand, not so much. These pictures were all taken in the last week. And that laundry in the third picture, it was folded and inside the basket before my monkey got to it! And if you can enlarge these pictures, you might see either a drop of drool dripping from his mouth or at the very least his lips glistening. My dear child is my Molar Teething Monster these days, too. It's always a good time at my zoo!
January 22, 2008
Book Review: The Count of Monte Cristo
THINGS I LOVED
- Alexander Dumas is a brilliant writer, and therefore his main character is such--this is a great story of vengeance and redemption.
- The characters were very intertwined--a component in the brilliance and vengeance mentioned above.
- The novel was long enough so that I was very attached to the characters by the end. That's my favorite kind of novel.
THINGS THAT BUGGED ME
- You could tell that it was abridged. Written in that time period and in France, the prose was just too simple (not that I'm completely serious in complaining about the simplicity because after all, that's probably the only way I got through it) and in some places it was just plain obvious that it was abridged. If only I knew French.
- Every woman except one was weak, weak, weak. I'm not even an absolute Feminist and it bugged me that the women were always fainting and screeching and wow, that just got annoying. Thank goodness for the feminist movement otherwise we'd be reading current books with women just like that. YUCK!
- SPOILER ALERT! If you think you'll read this book don't read this bullet point! Dumas depicted very deep love between Mercedes and Edmond and simply hinted that Haydee and the Count shared that same kind of love so when he sailed off into the sunset with Haydee it really bothered me; it didn't seem like a happy ending for the Count after all.
THE ENGLISH TEACHER IN ME
- There were parts where I would be reading along and then thinking "I think this is going to happen next--oh, I just made an inference--if I were to teach this novel, I'd ask this question after we read this portion of the novel so that the kids would make an inference there, too." Maybe that part of my brain will never shut off.
A GREAT POINT
"The Count went outside and saw the horses he had admired. . . three hours earlier. They're really handsome horses, he said. You were right to buy them, although you were a little late.
I had great difficulty getting them, sir, said Bertuccio, and I had to pay a very high price for them.
Are they any less handsome because of that? asked the count, shrugging his shoulders."
- I loved this quote! Something that is lovely isn't more or less lovely because of the time it took to obtain it or it's price or any other factor involved. It's just something great.
Date Night
Popcorn
When I was growing up, I always felt a little deprived because even after microwave popcorn hit the shelves, my mom still opted for the air pop variety. We'd sit down to our TGIF shows with a huge bowl, it was actually the Tupperware cover to a cake platter, but it served just as well as our popcorn bowl, of air popped popcorn. It tasted okay but my taste buds craved the buttery, salty taste of the microwaved stuff.
The first time I visited Marc at his home in Santa Maria, and this is before his mission to Brazil and therefore before we were officially dating, his sister and brother-in-law were headed to the drive in and took along some air-popped popcorn to munch on. His family was possibly the only other family I knew that air popped their popcorn and in my silly 19 year old head I seriously had this thought: "just another reason we are MFEO!" HA! HA!
As most of you know, paying for a babysitter so hubby and you can get out on a date isn't always an option. We do it on occasion, we should probably do it more, but recently we've been content to get the kids to bed on Saturday night and sit down to a movie with popcorn and a package of movie candy. Now as an adult I'd much rather have the air popped stuff and that's what we have but let me give you a little hint. The $6 jar of Orville Redenbacher's is worth the splurge over the $2 bag of Jolly Time. I was trying to save a little money on Saturday when I replenished our supply of the kernels, but when that night came I was regretting it. It just didn't taste the same.
Stardust
The flick Marc and I watched on Saturday night was Stardust. Now typically I'm not a huge fan of fantasy. It's just "not my bag," but this movie was fantastic. It had all of the elements of a typical boy meets girl story line, but the fantasy flare added the suspense and intrigue that made it more than the boring romantic comedies that I used to love. If you haven't seen it, take your hubby to Blockbuster and then straight back to your own sofa this Saturday. I think you might like it.
When I was growing up, I always felt a little deprived because even after microwave popcorn hit the shelves, my mom still opted for the air pop variety. We'd sit down to our TGIF shows with a huge bowl, it was actually the Tupperware cover to a cake platter, but it served just as well as our popcorn bowl, of air popped popcorn. It tasted okay but my taste buds craved the buttery, salty taste of the microwaved stuff.
The first time I visited Marc at his home in Santa Maria, and this is before his mission to Brazil and therefore before we were officially dating, his sister and brother-in-law were headed to the drive in and took along some air-popped popcorn to munch on. His family was possibly the only other family I knew that air popped their popcorn and in my silly 19 year old head I seriously had this thought: "just another reason we are MFEO!" HA! HA!
As most of you know, paying for a babysitter so hubby and you can get out on a date isn't always an option. We do it on occasion, we should probably do it more, but recently we've been content to get the kids to bed on Saturday night and sit down to a movie with popcorn and a package of movie candy. Now as an adult I'd much rather have the air popped stuff and that's what we have but let me give you a little hint. The $6 jar of Orville Redenbacher's is worth the splurge over the $2 bag of Jolly Time. I was trying to save a little money on Saturday when I replenished our supply of the kernels, but when that night came I was regretting it. It just didn't taste the same.
Stardust
The flick Marc and I watched on Saturday night was Stardust. Now typically I'm not a huge fan of fantasy. It's just "not my bag," but this movie was fantastic. It had all of the elements of a typical boy meets girl story line, but the fantasy flare added the suspense and intrigue that made it more than the boring romantic comedies that I used to love. If you haven't seen it, take your hubby to Blockbuster and then straight back to your own sofa this Saturday. I think you might like it.
January 18, 2008
(Tag) Here's to you, Mindy!
I got tagged again--from the same tag string--so I wasn't going to do it again. But, I just ran across this one so I'll do it, but just for you Mindy! Love ya.
A: available or single? No--I'm married for almost 6 years to Marc. Living proof that dreams do come true!
B: best friend: I can't choose just one best friend because wherever I go I find one or two people that I just can't live without. But my longest lasting friendships are my sis Danette and of course my sweetheart Marc. I can actually say I might die without these two.
C: cake or pie? usually I'd choose pie, almost any kind, but those delicious looking 3 layer chocolate cakes on restaurant commercials always seem to start a craving.
D: drink of choice? Water all the way, but an occasional coke will do the trick.
E: essential items used daily? baby wipes! what's a girl to do without them? thank goodness I became a mother and discovered their magic because they should be a staple in every household--children or no children.
F: favorite color? can't choose.
G: gummy bears or gummy worms? okay, neither are my fav but if I had to choose it would be the Harboro gummy bears, you know the originals. all others are mere imitations.
H: hometown? Colorado Springs, though to date the longest I've lived anywhere is Toledo, OH--13 years.
I: indulgence? pedicures, sleeping in until 8 am, and last night Marc brought home Red Robin's BBQ burger with fries and a cherry coke. It certainly did the trick, but I'd like someone to tell me how to get my eating under control. It's been a down hill slide since December, or maybe since Anderson was born 16 months ago. Seriously, any tips friends?
J: January or February? I can't choose just one. I like January because it's Marc's birthday and this year I finally have my act together and actually have something up my sleeve. I like February because my high maintenance self loves a little spoiling for the love holiday. Nothing major, just a CD I've been eyeing or a massage.
K: kids and names? Carter and Anderson--despite the fact that they were both up at 1:30 this morning I adore them completely.
L: life is incomplete without... a hug and a kiss everyday from my three boys
M: marriage date? March 2002
N: number of siblings? 4 (3 sisters, 1 brother)
O: oranges or apples? definitely apples
P: phobias or fears? losing Marc or the kids, spiders, snakes, car accidents
Q: favorite quote? hmm, I'll have to get back to you on this.
R: reason to smile? tomorrow is Saturday and for two whole days I actually get to see my husband for more than an hour before I'm so tired my brain shuts off and I just fall asleep
S: season? I don't do extremes--anything between 50 and 80 is fine by me, but I don't know if any season here is predictable enough to say I do or don't like it. I'm sure it will snow in May when summer is right around the corner but we could have 70 degree weather in February, you just never know.
T: tag 3 people... I don't like tagging people but I love reading them so do it if you want.
U: unknown fact about me? when one of my favorite songs comes on my MP3 player while I'm running I will mouth the words--I realize I probably look silly to those on the treadmills next to mine, but who cares. At least I'm not actually belting out the tunes, right?
V: vegetables you don't like? if they are cooked right, I bet most veggies actually taste good.
W: worst habit? biting my fingernails, neglecting the kids and my household duties so I can blog or shop or waste time on the internet, not taking my make up off before bed.
X: x-rays? I'm really not quite sure what this is asking. I've had some xrays and ultrasounds done. I actually really like ultrasounds as long as they warm up the goo first.
Y: your favorite food: I love Thai food as longs as it's the chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce, yellow coconut curry with chicken, potatoes and sweet potatoes and the mango sticky rice. WOW! I'm always in the mood for this.
Z: zodiac sign? Cancer
A: available or single? No--I'm married for almost 6 years to Marc. Living proof that dreams do come true!
B: best friend: I can't choose just one best friend because wherever I go I find one or two people that I just can't live without. But my longest lasting friendships are my sis Danette and of course my sweetheart Marc. I can actually say I might die without these two.
C: cake or pie? usually I'd choose pie, almost any kind, but those delicious looking 3 layer chocolate cakes on restaurant commercials always seem to start a craving.
D: drink of choice? Water all the way, but an occasional coke will do the trick.
E: essential items used daily? baby wipes! what's a girl to do without them? thank goodness I became a mother and discovered their magic because they should be a staple in every household--children or no children.
F: favorite color? can't choose.
G: gummy bears or gummy worms? okay, neither are my fav but if I had to choose it would be the Harboro gummy bears, you know the originals. all others are mere imitations.
H: hometown? Colorado Springs, though to date the longest I've lived anywhere is Toledo, OH--13 years.
I: indulgence? pedicures, sleeping in until 8 am, and last night Marc brought home Red Robin's BBQ burger with fries and a cherry coke. It certainly did the trick, but I'd like someone to tell me how to get my eating under control. It's been a down hill slide since December, or maybe since Anderson was born 16 months ago. Seriously, any tips friends?
J: January or February? I can't choose just one. I like January because it's Marc's birthday and this year I finally have my act together and actually have something up my sleeve. I like February because my high maintenance self loves a little spoiling for the love holiday. Nothing major, just a CD I've been eyeing or a massage.
K: kids and names? Carter and Anderson--despite the fact that they were both up at 1:30 this morning I adore them completely.
L: life is incomplete without... a hug and a kiss everyday from my three boys
M: marriage date? March 2002
N: number of siblings? 4 (3 sisters, 1 brother)
O: oranges or apples? definitely apples
P: phobias or fears? losing Marc or the kids, spiders, snakes, car accidents
Q: favorite quote? hmm, I'll have to get back to you on this.
R: reason to smile? tomorrow is Saturday and for two whole days I actually get to see my husband for more than an hour before I'm so tired my brain shuts off and I just fall asleep
S: season? I don't do extremes--anything between 50 and 80 is fine by me, but I don't know if any season here is predictable enough to say I do or don't like it. I'm sure it will snow in May when summer is right around the corner but we could have 70 degree weather in February, you just never know.
T: tag 3 people... I don't like tagging people but I love reading them so do it if you want.
U: unknown fact about me? when one of my favorite songs comes on my MP3 player while I'm running I will mouth the words--I realize I probably look silly to those on the treadmills next to mine, but who cares. At least I'm not actually belting out the tunes, right?
V: vegetables you don't like? if they are cooked right, I bet most veggies actually taste good.
W: worst habit? biting my fingernails, neglecting the kids and my household duties so I can blog or shop or waste time on the internet, not taking my make up off before bed.
X: x-rays? I'm really not quite sure what this is asking. I've had some xrays and ultrasounds done. I actually really like ultrasounds as long as they warm up the goo first.
Y: your favorite food: I love Thai food as longs as it's the chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce, yellow coconut curry with chicken, potatoes and sweet potatoes and the mango sticky rice. WOW! I'm always in the mood for this.
Z: zodiac sign? Cancer
January 15, 2008
Crystal Clear
I just wanted to clear the air--Marc is 100% supportive of any decision I make in running. In this circumstance he even encouraged me to change races. I consider myself very lucky to have a husband who includes my running in his list of priorities.
January 10, 2008
Excuses Excuses Excuses
In Marc's dictionary excuses and reasons are synonymous. In mine they are different. Many of you might have noticed in the Diana in Training side bar on my blog that I have been training for an upcoming 20 mile race. Well, after a lot of going back and forth, I am switching races. Instead of a 20 miler, I'll be running a 20K. (12ish miles) Because posting this sort of commitment on my blog made it public, I am beating myself up a bit for wussing out (wow, I don't think I've used that phrase in 10 years or so and I've never written it so I'm unsure about how to even spell it!) but I'm wussing out none the less. Here are my excuses, I mean reasons.
1. Last year I made a resolution to run a 1/2 marathon every year to keep myself in shape. 20 miles is quite a bit longer than that and takes quite a bit more training. I think I'll stick to a more practical goal.
2. While 1/2 marathons are better races for me personally, Marc and I, with a whole bunch of other family members and co-workers are hoping to run the St. George Marathon again this year, so I don't want to burn myself out on running before I have to begin seriously training for that in May.
3. This year my goal is to strengthen my upper body and core. Training for long races while trying to fit in weight training and still fit in all the other responsibilities I have as wife, mother and CEO of the Phillips Family is quite difficult. My hope is to focus on this goal while still running and spinning regularly until marathon training begins in May.
4. I was getting a little apprehensive about paying a large sum of money to run a 20 mile race in the middle of February when Colorado weather is so unpredictable.
5. Speaking of weather, it has been difficult to say the least, to run outside at all recently. Mostly because of weather, but also because of Marc's busy work schedule. I've found it easier to take the kids to the YMCA for child watch and jump on the treadmill. (That being said, I know I need to run outside since the race is outside and I'm committed to begin Saturday as long as the weather holds up. I just have to get my body used to it no matter what so we'll do what we have to do to fit it in around other schedules.)
6. The 20K race is in Colorado Springs while the 20 mile race is in Denver. No travel is always a plus.
Reasons, excuses. Excuses, reasons. Which ever definition sounds good to you, guilty is still my middle name but regardless of that, 20K here I come.
1. Last year I made a resolution to run a 1/2 marathon every year to keep myself in shape. 20 miles is quite a bit longer than that and takes quite a bit more training. I think I'll stick to a more practical goal.
2. While 1/2 marathons are better races for me personally, Marc and I, with a whole bunch of other family members and co-workers are hoping to run the St. George Marathon again this year, so I don't want to burn myself out on running before I have to begin seriously training for that in May.
3. This year my goal is to strengthen my upper body and core. Training for long races while trying to fit in weight training and still fit in all the other responsibilities I have as wife, mother and CEO of the Phillips Family is quite difficult. My hope is to focus on this goal while still running and spinning regularly until marathon training begins in May.
4. I was getting a little apprehensive about paying a large sum of money to run a 20 mile race in the middle of February when Colorado weather is so unpredictable.
5. Speaking of weather, it has been difficult to say the least, to run outside at all recently. Mostly because of weather, but also because of Marc's busy work schedule. I've found it easier to take the kids to the YMCA for child watch and jump on the treadmill. (That being said, I know I need to run outside since the race is outside and I'm committed to begin Saturday as long as the weather holds up. I just have to get my body used to it no matter what so we'll do what we have to do to fit it in around other schedules.)
6. The 20K race is in Colorado Springs while the 20 mile race is in Denver. No travel is always a plus.
Reasons, excuses. Excuses, reasons. Which ever definition sounds good to you, guilty is still my middle name but regardless of that, 20K here I come.
January 07, 2008
Tagged
I got tagged about a month ago but like I said, December left me a little thin for time. If you want to know six things you may not already know about me, read on.
1. Cleaning out my refrigerator tests my ability to keep food in my stomach. I thought of this today as I dumped some soup in the trash. I was holding my breath and being ever so careful not to touch the stuff because if I didn't oh, the gagging would be worse. It doesn't matter if the food was yummy at one point, after it has sat in the refrigerator for a week and even if there is no visible mold, it's still nasty enough to induce a gag reflex. If I'm preggo, you can just forget about it, Marc's got to do the duty.
2. I am the queen of returns. Maybe I'm just a little finicky when it comes to the way things work, look, etc. For example. I have returned three of the boys' shirts and one of mine to Old Navy recently--they were fairly new, within three months but had been worn and washed--because they had gotten holes in them. Another occasion and as written in a recent blog, Marc and I took a few trips to the Coach Outlet to return purses and wallets. In total I bought two purses, a wallet, and a wristlet. The wristlet is the only surviving piece. On Friday I returned a Santa gift--Anderson's ride on toy-- to Target because something went hay wire and even when the toy was off the lights would flash and when it was on the song played constantly, not just when a button was pushed. This self proclaimed title has made me wonder, am I the only consumer that seems to be a magnet for bum merchandise? (forget the purse examples for this--that was a matter of preference but to that I will admit that I am embarrassingly and frustratingly fickle)
3. I am obsessed with making sure we haven't lost any of Carter's Cars or Spiderman action figures. Every time I put them away, I make sure we have every single one and if we don't, I will turn the house up-side-down to find what we're missing. It's gotten to the point where I don't let the boys take them on errands anymore--just the Cars to church--just so I know that there's really no chance that they are lost lost, unless Anderson has thrown one away. I know, I'm a bit of a stress case.
4. While I cannot stand to clean out the refrigerator, I love to cook and bake--it has a calming influence on me, especially if there is cutting or slicing involved.
5. I am a closet viewer (and now I'm not) of E! news. When it gets a little dicey, I change the channel but I do like to keep up on my Britney (and other celebrity) news. Believe me, I'd prefer other celebrities but for now Britney seems to be the talk of the town. I realize this is empty information so I do try to balance it out a bit with other stimulation throughout the day. My current intelligent and fun reading is The Count of Monte Cristo.
6. In lieu of #5, both of my boys names were inspired by TV personalities. When Carter was born, I was hooked on Trading Spaces. Carter Oosterhouse was a tall, dark and handsome carpenter for the show. Marc insisted that we would not be naming our son after him but we certainly see who won that issue. Anderson Cooper did an interview with Oprah while I was pregnant with boy #2 and when I realized during the interview that he had an older brother named Carter, the name Anderson became a strong contender with the name Nathaniel. It certainly wasn't on purpose but now both our boys are named after people on TV. If we ever have another boy my top pick would be Milo. (read this to find out why) We may never have another boy and even if we do, I may never convince Marc to go with it, but for now I like to think I'll be able to go with tradition if boy #3 ever comes along and name him Milo.
1. Cleaning out my refrigerator tests my ability to keep food in my stomach. I thought of this today as I dumped some soup in the trash. I was holding my breath and being ever so careful not to touch the stuff because if I didn't oh, the gagging would be worse. It doesn't matter if the food was yummy at one point, after it has sat in the refrigerator for a week and even if there is no visible mold, it's still nasty enough to induce a gag reflex. If I'm preggo, you can just forget about it, Marc's got to do the duty.
2. I am the queen of returns. Maybe I'm just a little finicky when it comes to the way things work, look, etc. For example. I have returned three of the boys' shirts and one of mine to Old Navy recently--they were fairly new, within three months but had been worn and washed--because they had gotten holes in them. Another occasion and as written in a recent blog, Marc and I took a few trips to the Coach Outlet to return purses and wallets. In total I bought two purses, a wallet, and a wristlet. The wristlet is the only surviving piece. On Friday I returned a Santa gift--Anderson's ride on toy-- to Target because something went hay wire and even when the toy was off the lights would flash and when it was on the song played constantly, not just when a button was pushed. This self proclaimed title has made me wonder, am I the only consumer that seems to be a magnet for bum merchandise? (forget the purse examples for this--that was a matter of preference but to that I will admit that I am embarrassingly and frustratingly fickle)
3. I am obsessed with making sure we haven't lost any of Carter's Cars or Spiderman action figures. Every time I put them away, I make sure we have every single one and if we don't, I will turn the house up-side-down to find what we're missing. It's gotten to the point where I don't let the boys take them on errands anymore--just the Cars to church--just so I know that there's really no chance that they are lost lost, unless Anderson has thrown one away. I know, I'm a bit of a stress case.
4. While I cannot stand to clean out the refrigerator, I love to cook and bake--it has a calming influence on me, especially if there is cutting or slicing involved.
5. I am a closet viewer (and now I'm not) of E! news. When it gets a little dicey, I change the channel but I do like to keep up on my Britney (and other celebrity) news. Believe me, I'd prefer other celebrities but for now Britney seems to be the talk of the town. I realize this is empty information so I do try to balance it out a bit with other stimulation throughout the day. My current intelligent and fun reading is The Count of Monte Cristo.
6. In lieu of #5, both of my boys names were inspired by TV personalities. When Carter was born, I was hooked on Trading Spaces. Carter Oosterhouse was a tall, dark and handsome carpenter for the show. Marc insisted that we would not be naming our son after him but we certainly see who won that issue. Anderson Cooper did an interview with Oprah while I was pregnant with boy #2 and when I realized during the interview that he had an older brother named Carter, the name Anderson became a strong contender with the name Nathaniel. It certainly wasn't on purpose but now both our boys are named after people on TV. If we ever have another boy my top pick would be Milo. (read this to find out why) We may never have another boy and even if we do, I may never convince Marc to go with it, but for now I like to think I'll be able to go with tradition if boy #3 ever comes along and name him Milo.
January 03, 2008
A Year in Review
1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
I went to Disneyland--with 2 kids by myself no less!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Hmmm. I know I kept one for sure--I ran my 1/2 marathon and I know we've made a big improvement in holding FHE. Those are the only two I remember so those are the only two I probably kept! This year I want to get stronger--I've got cardio down but now I want to work on core and upper body strength-- and make a jean quilt by summer so we can go on lots of picnics. I also want to read one book per month.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My sister, my old roommate, and an BYU buddy (Pretty much all of my closest friends had babies when I had Anderson and we're just grounded enough to not want another one the next year.)
4. Did anyone close to you die? No
5. What states/countries did you visit? Utah, Idaho and a quick visit back to California
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? more patience, please! and a home to call my own.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Wow what a seemingly uneventful year when you can't think of a single date that sticks out--lots of events actually happened but no dates.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Can I say I was instrumental in bringing about Marc's graduation from his Masters in PT program and acceptance to a great job? Yes, yes I can. He couldn't have done it without his fabulously supportive wife.
9. What was your biggest failure? My biggest failure was probably the many days I didn't spend enough time with the kids or the many times I didn't have more patience with them.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? YES! The entire month of October I was sick with one thing or another--a severe stomach bug, then a gall bladder attack, then a cold. On the bright side, I lost a little bit of weight during the month.
11. What was the best thing you bought? I am so happy to have my Gilmore Girls coat right now--it's a blue puffer jacket like Lorelei's (and no that's not the reason I bought it). I love Anderson's new ride on toy that Santa brought because it brings out the squeals of excitement when Dad pushes them around really fast. Oh, and the bunk beds. We found bunk beds that match the color of wood in the boys room on Craigslist for only $150.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Carter, he's such a sweetheart most of the time and because potty training him wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I'm going to go with someone else's thoughts here and say--like I'd mention that here on my blog for everyone to read!!
14. Where did most of your money go? Rent.
15. What are you most excited about? I'm trying to let the excitement overwhelm my anxiety about our next big step--buying a home.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Blake Lewis' rendition of You Give Love a Bad Name, Taylor Swift songs
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? I'm not sure--probably the same
b) thinner or fatter? thinner--I'd just had Anderson last year
c) richer or poorer? richer--hello we get a paycheck every two weeks now!
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? played with the kids
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Watch t.v. or waste time on the internet!
20. How did you spend Christmas? At home all day. Playing with the kids and hanging out with my family.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007? No
22. What was your favorite TV program? American Idol, Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? no
24. What was the best book you read? It Takes a Mother to Raise a Village
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Josh Groban's christmas CD
26. What did you want and get? we got a job that allows us some comfortable wiggle room when I need some retail therapy! at least until we have a mortgage, then we'll have to see
27. What did you want and not get? Seriously, I think I'm one lucky girl because I have pretty much everything I want but now I just remembered I desperately wanted a new car when Marc graduated but we decided to hold off since we'll be buying a house and part of a PT clinic in 2008.
28. What was your favorite film of this year? Bourne Ultimatum for sure! I totally have a crush on Jason Bourne. I also really liked Ratatouille and Meet the Robinsons. (both for kids but both so great.)
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 27. On my actual birthday I had a friend over for lunch and we took the kids swimming. Marc took me hiking and to dinner that weekend.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Maybe if I were perfect, then I'd be satisfied. This will clearly never happen.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? I'm either moderately fashionable or a t-shirt and jeans kind of gal. I definitely like fashion, though and would spend more money in this department if I had more to spend.
32. What kept you sane? Seriously, running, my Gilmore Girls hour/day, phone calls to friends, and deciding the house doesn't have to be spotless, just clutterless.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I renewed my crush on Jess Mariano of GG and Jason Bourne. I can't say I like the actors because I don't know who they are (nor do I want to because that may ruin the image of the characters they play)
34. What political issue stirred you the most? I'm not into politics, but I wish I were
35. Who did you miss? Danette, and all of Carter's friends and their moms
36. Who was the best new person you met? My new friend Jen
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. Life is crazy and the only way to get through it is to take direction from the Lord, that means do whatever it is that He wants you to do and do it well.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Sorry to disappoint my dad here because he really thinks everything can be summed up in some song lyrics, but I can't think of one here. I'll bet he can though--I'll consult him and re post.
I went to Disneyland--with 2 kids by myself no less!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Hmmm. I know I kept one for sure--I ran my 1/2 marathon and I know we've made a big improvement in holding FHE. Those are the only two I remember so those are the only two I probably kept! This year I want to get stronger--I've got cardio down but now I want to work on core and upper body strength-- and make a jean quilt by summer so we can go on lots of picnics. I also want to read one book per month.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My sister, my old roommate, and an BYU buddy (Pretty much all of my closest friends had babies when I had Anderson and we're just grounded enough to not want another one the next year.)
4. Did anyone close to you die? No
5. What states/countries did you visit? Utah, Idaho and a quick visit back to California
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? more patience, please! and a home to call my own.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Wow what a seemingly uneventful year when you can't think of a single date that sticks out--lots of events actually happened but no dates.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Can I say I was instrumental in bringing about Marc's graduation from his Masters in PT program and acceptance to a great job? Yes, yes I can. He couldn't have done it without his fabulously supportive wife.
9. What was your biggest failure? My biggest failure was probably the many days I didn't spend enough time with the kids or the many times I didn't have more patience with them.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? YES! The entire month of October I was sick with one thing or another--a severe stomach bug, then a gall bladder attack, then a cold. On the bright side, I lost a little bit of weight during the month.
11. What was the best thing you bought? I am so happy to have my Gilmore Girls coat right now--it's a blue puffer jacket like Lorelei's (and no that's not the reason I bought it). I love Anderson's new ride on toy that Santa brought because it brings out the squeals of excitement when Dad pushes them around really fast. Oh, and the bunk beds. We found bunk beds that match the color of wood in the boys room on Craigslist for only $150.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Carter, he's such a sweetheart most of the time and because potty training him wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I'm going to go with someone else's thoughts here and say--like I'd mention that here on my blog for everyone to read!!
14. Where did most of your money go? Rent.
15. What are you most excited about? I'm trying to let the excitement overwhelm my anxiety about our next big step--buying a home.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Blake Lewis' rendition of You Give Love a Bad Name, Taylor Swift songs
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? I'm not sure--probably the same
b) thinner or fatter? thinner--I'd just had Anderson last year
c) richer or poorer? richer--hello we get a paycheck every two weeks now!
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? played with the kids
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Watch t.v. or waste time on the internet!
20. How did you spend Christmas? At home all day. Playing with the kids and hanging out with my family.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007? No
22. What was your favorite TV program? American Idol, Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? no
24. What was the best book you read? It Takes a Mother to Raise a Village
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Josh Groban's christmas CD
26. What did you want and get? we got a job that allows us some comfortable wiggle room when I need some retail therapy! at least until we have a mortgage, then we'll have to see
27. What did you want and not get? Seriously, I think I'm one lucky girl because I have pretty much everything I want but now I just remembered I desperately wanted a new car when Marc graduated but we decided to hold off since we'll be buying a house and part of a PT clinic in 2008.
28. What was your favorite film of this year? Bourne Ultimatum for sure! I totally have a crush on Jason Bourne. I also really liked Ratatouille and Meet the Robinsons. (both for kids but both so great.)
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 27. On my actual birthday I had a friend over for lunch and we took the kids swimming. Marc took me hiking and to dinner that weekend.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Maybe if I were perfect, then I'd be satisfied. This will clearly never happen.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? I'm either moderately fashionable or a t-shirt and jeans kind of gal. I definitely like fashion, though and would spend more money in this department if I had more to spend.
32. What kept you sane? Seriously, running, my Gilmore Girls hour/day, phone calls to friends, and deciding the house doesn't have to be spotless, just clutterless.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I renewed my crush on Jess Mariano of GG and Jason Bourne. I can't say I like the actors because I don't know who they are (nor do I want to because that may ruin the image of the characters they play)
34. What political issue stirred you the most? I'm not into politics, but I wish I were
35. Who did you miss? Danette, and all of Carter's friends and their moms
36. Who was the best new person you met? My new friend Jen
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. Life is crazy and the only way to get through it is to take direction from the Lord, that means do whatever it is that He wants you to do and do it well.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Sorry to disappoint my dad here because he really thinks everything can be summed up in some song lyrics, but I can't think of one here. I'll bet he can though--I'll consult him and re post.
This is how we did it!
I've been MIA the whole month because of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. And even though we were extremely busy, I didn't forget to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas in my heart, evaluating who I am and who I want to become. But of course, that is a very private matter so there will be no blogging about that! In this post I wanted to share the many ways we celebrated the season this year.
- We decorated the tree and the house the week before Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa Phillips. Anderson didn't even notice it for a few weeks and even after he did, he was an angel about not bothering it too much. The damage done was actually done by Daddy (shouldn't he know better?) and Carter's games of catch gone awry.
- We watched the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional with some friends. I always love seeing the lights on Temple Square. It's the next best thing to actually getting to visit them in person.
- I listened to Josh Groban's Christmas CD Noel multiple time a day. Folks, there is a reason it was the top selling CD this month! It really is the best Christmas CD around.
- We of course hit the shops many, many, many times for the kids and others (and ourselves) with Marc doing his darnedest to make me happy with a Coach bag, only to return each of the purchases except one. This required an embarrassing amount of trips to the outlets 45 minutes away. What can I say, I don't think an expensive bag is for me. I did end up with a cute wristlet, though!
- I had very few Christmas surprises this year on the 25th--my big day was December 9th when Marc came home from a shopping trip with my brand new Kitchen Aid 600 series. He knew I had my Christmas baking to do--not an easy fete in my household--so he surprised me early because in all the years past I've used our trusty hand mixer. Can we say hello muscles?
- We, and yes it is a family affair, baked up a storm one weekend--about 500 cookies and 7 different varieties. It was certainly a yummy weekend, but I am searching for a simpler way to wish our local friends a very Merry Christmas next year.
- The weather didn't cooperate this month, and since I procrastinated, we took our Christmas card pictures in the frigid cold--30 degrees maybe. We still don't have the cards mailed yet, but I guess this year we are the one of those families that are post New Year Christmas card senders.
- In keeping with Marc's family tradition we made gingerbread houses. (from scratch, ladies and gentlemen! no box kits for us) This is actually only the second time in six years that we've gotten the houses built. The other years we've not made the dough at all or never got around to constructing so the pieces got eaten with all the other goodies. The kids were still a little young this year to help too much besides in the consuming of candy department and you'll see in the pictures that there is a reason that Marc is the Frosting Master and I am not.
- Marc and I attended his work Christmas party. Most people we've ever talked to dread the annual event of going to the work party, but we were pretty excited. For me, it was an excuse to get a little fancied up and go out, for Marc he got to see a lot of the employees that he hasn't seen since October when he started working at the newly opened clinic mostly by himself.
- We all survived our first head wound--Anderson decided after weeks of them staring in his face, to get curious about those hanging socks over the mantle. He tugged on one and it and the holder came crashing onto his head. It left a decent cut on his hairline and he could probably have used a stitch or two, but the drugstore liquid stitches and a few butterfly bandages did the trick just as well. My sister Allison helped Marc bandage him up--I just couldn't do it. For days Carter kept asking everyone, "member when Aden cut his head on dat fing?" as he pointed to where the stockings used to hang. We're not idiots around here, we immediately took the stockings down! Anyway, I think we were all a little traumatized--at least Carter and I were, oh and maybe Anderson.
- Carter learned the sign language to "Away in a Manger" and sang and signed it during our family Christmas program on Christmas Eve.
- Christmas day itself was pretty much like all Christmas days--presents, food, family, rest. It was a little too short in my opinion.
I love Christmas just like everyone else. It is a magical time of year and everything about it from the snow (for some of us) and Santa to the lights and music make it that way. When I woke up on the 26th I was sad. For some reason, and it's probably this way every year but it has never hit me like this before, the magic was gone. And it didn't help that Marc was right back to work--7 to 7. And wow, there's nothing like the end of another year to remind you just how fast time is going by. Where did 2007 go? I'm not sure, but I'm staring 2008 straight in the face and I'm hoping it holds really great things for my family and yours, too! (Especially to one of my readers who will know who she is when she reads this and definitely deserves it more than anyone else.)
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