Golden Birthday Weekend

I turned 29 on the 29th this year. Everyone tells me that when you turn the same age as the date of your birthday it's called a "Golden Birthday". Kinda cool. My last year of being in my 20's (that's a little weird saying out loud).

Sunday the 21st was the day that the Smith's celebrated my birthday. Heidi left for a cruise with her brother Christian on the 27th, so she wanted to make sure I got a special day before she left. I forgot to have pictures taken that day, but know that it was very nice. They are always so good to me. Heidi made my favorite meal (Salmon and veggies), we played games and practiced our Christmas Eve Eve caroling. It was a great evening. I love my second Family.

The following Sunday (28th) was my very last Relief Society Lesson I would be teaching. Sad day. I have really enjoyed being a RS teacher. But I have been doing it for 2 years and I guess they usually only have the teachers teach for only 1 year. So I was blessed to get an extra year.

Being it my last lesson I wanted to give the sisters a small token of my love. My lesson was about the Second Coming, so I decided to pull the parable of the 10 virgins into it. And I gave out a vial of oil to each of the sisters to remind them to keep them oil of "conversion" full and their lamps of "testimony" burning so they may be ready for the "Bridegroom" to come.

Now that I won't be teaching anymore, I'm anxious to find out what my next calling will be.

That evening I went over to my parents to celebrate my birthday. Jesse had to go to work that morning, so he couldn't be there that night. But he had the day of my birthday off, so I'll take it. :)

Everyone was so generous and sweet with their gifts.

My mom had made a German Chocolate cake for me. She went to get the candles from the cupboard and discovered she didn't have any. So I pretended to blow out my birthday candles. I'll have to wait till next year to blow out 30 of them. EEK.

For Christmas Day, my mom had asked me to come up with an activity for the family. I thought making gingerbread houses would be fun. But the day didn't provide enough time for us to do it, so we decided to make them at my birthday. Chan turned on Disney Pandora and we all sang our hearts out to all the Disney songs. And we all were laughing how we were struggling keeping our gingerbread house from falling over (or if you're Tyson, your house just caved in).

Cy and I joined up to make one, but he was more interested in eating the candy instead of putting it on the house.

The next morning (my actual birthday) Jesse came home from work with these in hand. Such a sweetheart. I just love him.

 That morning I went to the gym, then the rest of the day I spent it grocery shopping, and just taking it easy. That night Jesse had plans for us. He didn't tell me where we were going. All I knew was there was dinner involved at 8:30pm and we were leaving at 6:00pm. So I needed to take a little snack with me to hold me over until our dinner reservations.

Alexa came over to the house to watch the boys for us. Which was so nice of her. We love her and grateful for her help so we could go out.

To switch things up a bit Jesse took me to an IMAX  3D short film at the Clark Planetarium. It was fun to see something different. I love his way of trying to make things different and special.

After the movie we drove to our dinner. I had no idea where we were going. I tried to guess, but I was totally wrong. We just kept driving. And I think he took a random way to throw me off. But I loved that he was being mysterious about it and trying to surprise me. It's romantic and cute.

Might I interject that it was a very cold night. Remembering me saying that this December has been a warm one? Well ever since our Christmas Day snow storm it's been getting colder and colder. And we could tell on this night that there was a storm blowing in. As Jesse got near Millcreek Canyon and we started driving up it, we just watched the temperature start to drop. It was so windy too that we could see all the powered snow blowing across the road.

When we reached the top, we pulled up to the Log Haven Restaurant. I had never been to this restaurant before, but I was excited to try something new and to spend it with Jesse.

We walk in and they seat us at our table that was right by the open fireplace. Mmm. So cozy. I loved it because we could still look out the windows at the snow covered pine trees and still be toasty warm by the fire.

Everything was perfect.

After we ate a delicious meal together, enjoying each others company, we drove to 7eleven to get some Hot Chocolate. It was so cold that it sounded to good.

I loved our little romantic evening together. Once again Jesse spoiled me. I'm such a lucky girl. We were talking about how he's been with me for 10 birthdays now. 10 years? That's just crazy talk. 10 years of birthdays together? It's so weird and so cool at the same time. But what I will say is that they have been the best birthdays. Year after year he always makes me feel very special.

All I want for Christmas is my First Front Tooth

In the middle of the night (Dec 21) we were woken up by Ryker telling us that his tooth fell out. Apparently while he was sleeping he was woken up to something in his mouth....and it was HIS TOOTH!

 

I couldn't believe it. I knew it was loose because he could wiggle it back and forth with his tongue. But I never expected for it just to fall out by itself.  

If you look at the picture close enough his big tooth is already poking through. He was dying to show everybody. But we told him not to say anything to anyone and just smile at them and wait and see how long it would take for them to figure it out.

Hearing him tell the story of how it happened made me smile every time. He was so proud of it.

Looking at his big holey smile makes me happy. He looks so cute with it. From that time on we joked with him about the song "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth", but we changed the words to "first front tooth".

Merry Christmas!!!



I had big concerns that Christmas Day would feel stressful and not relaxed. Especially since Jesse wasn't suppose to get home from work until 8:30am. Then we were to be to my parents at 11:00am, then the Smith's at 3:00pm. I was worried it would be a stressful day and I just don't like that. But to our surprise Jesse got home at 7:00am. The guy that was suppose to replace him called Jesse and said he would go in early for him so that he could get home to his family. Isn't that so nice?

 

Of course Ryker was already up and ready to open gifts. I had to wake Cy up but that wasn't too hard when I told him it was Christmas Day. Alexa had spent the night so we were all excited to have her and her little dog (Baloo) there with us Christmas Morning.

 

Before we opened gifts I wanted to remind the boys the true meaning of Christmas. Throughout the season I have tried to set aside different nights to discuss and ponder each character in the Nativity Scene. Ponder how they might have felt on that night and what makes that person special to the story. Well because we still have 3 more people to talk about I decided to finish it up on Christmas morning.

 

It's a good reminder to think about our Savior and what he means to us. This year the church sent out pamphlets with a video and it was titled "He is the Gift". And it really got me thinking. Christ was a gift to the whole world. And it's a gift that keeps on giving. Not just during Christmas...throughout my entire life. Because of Him I can become a better person. And that's an amazing gift to be had. 

With that in mind we go at the gifts. I had to get a picture of the boys in their Christmas Jammies. Well Cy is only half dressed, but I'll take it because he usually doesn't even like to sleep with anything on.

They were so excited this morning that it made my heart happy. I giggled so many times over the little things they got a thrill over. Cy was so happy to open up some new socks. Haha.

Christmas Stockings!

Because Jesse got home so early we were done opening gifts by the time he "would" have been home. By 9:00am we had eaten breakfast and opened all our gifts. So that gave Jesse an hour and a half to get a little nap in before the festivities began. And Lexa took a nap too because she was up most the night arm knitting a bunch of scarfs for her friends. So while they napped and the boys played with their new Lego toys, I cleaned up the kitchen and got ready to go to the parentals.

 

Might I add that we woke up to a White Christmas? Remember me mentioning a few posts back that this December had been a very warm one? We were all wondering if we would ever get any snow for Christmas. Well to our pleasure we got tons of snow. And it just kept coming down all day. So much fun.

 

After naps and getting the car loaded up we headed to my parents house. This was the first time in a really long time that the ENTIRE family was together. It was a joyous occasion.

 

 

We exchanged gifts, ate a yummy brunch and played games. And before we know it our time had been spent and we had to head to our next destination. 

On the way there we passed a guy who was changing a flat tire. I mentioned that we should stop and help him. So Jesse turned around to see if the guy needed any help. And turns out he did. I guess he couldn't get the last bolt off of the flat tire, so Jesse got one of the tools out of the truck and was able to get it off for him. The man said he could get the rest from there and thanked us for stopping. I was happy that we could do a little service on this day.

When we arrived we all gathered around the dinner table for our tradition of reading the story of Good King Wenceslas and drank our hot chocolate and/or herbal tea. King Wenceslas was a good example of serving others and being kind to his fellow men. Another good reminder of how we should be not only Christmas Day, but throughout our lives. I love that they have this tradition. I guess they have been doing it every since Jesse was a baby.

The rest of the evening we opened gifts, ate yummy food, played games and relaxed.

It was such a fun day spending time with family. I was so worried it would feel hectic and crazy, but it was just right. I'm so blessed to have my families all close by and to be surrounded by people that love me and my family very much.

Another great Christmas for the books!

Christmas Eve

Jesse left for work that morning and I spent the first half of the day wrapping presents. I had never been one for last minute thing like that, but this year it's just how it worked out. I never found any spare time to wrap gifts, and if I did have time it was at the end of the night and was feeling totally exhausted and just needed to sit and turn my brain off for a moment.

 

I still wasn't feeling all that well this day. My sinuses were just screaming and it made me feel so tired. But I had wrapping to do and then I had promised the boys I would take them to see a movie. So I needed to be a big girl and just deal with it. Haha. I did make me feel bad though because I was actually looking forward to this day and I just wasn't feeling it. All that sounded good was to sleep all day long.

 

But once I got ready and headed to the movie with the boys I was feeling a little bit better. I let the boys pick the movie and they chose "Penguins of Madagascar". They were so excited to go see it. I actually took them up to the theater in Ogden so that we could stop by the fire station to visit Jesse after our movie and a little dinner. 

 

 

Back when we walked through the Ogden Temple Open House we had stumbled upon this Mexican restaurant called Sanora Grill. And it was so yummy that I wanted to go back again since we were going to be in Ogden. It was fun that Alexa got to join us. She has been going through a rough time and is getting divorced. So I wanted to make sure she had something to do on Christmas Eve. We love having her around and was happy that she was able to join us for dinner. I just love her to pieces, and how could you not love that beautiful face of hers?

After our yummy dinner we drove to Station 3. Jesse has been a floater for the past year and so he's rarely at the same place when we go visit. But recently he got stationed at Station 3 and now has a locker room to keep all his Turnout Gear and bedding in. That freed up the trunk of my car.

When we arrived the firemen were sitting down to eat dinner. So I felt bad interrupting their meal. But they are always so welcoming and kind to us. The captain was spoiling the boys with a bunch of treats.

We then went into the garage where the trucks were and the three of us (Lex, Jesse and I) while the boys ran around.

I was happy to sit down and relax a little bit.

Before we decided we should go, Lex took a picture of our family in front of the fire engine. Classic. But I gotta do it.

When we got home Lex helped me wrap the boys gifts. I was so grateful that she helped me because it would have taken me all night long. Thank goodness for sisters.

Christmas Eve Eve



With Jesse's schedule this year we had to adjust our Christmas Eve plans with his family. He was scheduled to work 24 hour shifts on the 24th, 26th, 28th and 30th. So we decided to celebrate "Christmas Eve" on the 23rd with the Smith's. As we were planning it we all started calling it Christmas Eve Eve or Christmas Eve Squared.

 

Since the majority of the Smith Siblings all had to work on the 23rd until about 5:00 we made arrangements for everyone to meet at the parentals at 6:00pm and then we would head over to a nearby Retirement Center to do our traditional caroling to ones who don't get too many visits. Bringing them some Holiday Cheer.

 

We had practiced a few songs the Sunday before (Dec 21) so we could be ready for Tuesday night. Mom had actually bought musical bells so we could play a song with them. They figured out how we could play Silent Night together. We all had one bell and we had a little chart of numbers telling us when to play our "note". Some runs were better than others, but for the most part it was pretty good.

 

My favorite part was Ryker's little solo of "Up on the Housetop". He would sing the verses by himself and then the rest of us would join in on the Chorus. It made me so happy every time he sang for them. And their faces would just light up when they heard him sing. I was so proud of him for being so brave. Especially because it brought so much joy to those cute old ladies.

 

I was still feeling pretty crappy from my cold so my energy level wasn't where I'd hoped it would be. But it warmed my heart that we could bring some Holiday cheer to these old folks.

 

On the car ride back to Mom and Dad's house, Ryker was telling Jesse and I that he was feeling so happy. We explained to him that was because he did a service for someone and that gives you a happy feeling. Also Jesse told him that Jesus was happy that we did something good for someone else, and that is what Christ's wants us to do.  

 

When we got back to the house we all dug into a scrumptious Christmas meal. Heidi was so cute and set the table with her Christmas dishes.  Sadly that's the only picture I took that night. I think it's mostly because I wasn't feeling so good.



After dinner I think we all just laid around. I honestly can't remember if we played a game or not. I think I was in a food/ head-cold coma. I do remember falling asleep on the couch at one point. Haha.

Feeling the Hustle and Bustle

December certainly flew by must faster this year than I remember it happening in past years. It was exhausting this year. I picked up days at the salon and worked longer hours on the days that Jesse was home. So by the time the Christmas break came I welcomed it with much enthusiasm.

 

One of the December Monday nights, Heidi took us to the Zoo Lights. This December has been one of the warmest ones I can remember. I barely have needed a jacket on some days. I'm not kidding there have been some days that are in the 60s. That is just unheard of. Usually by now the cold weather has set in and going to see any Christmas lights at night can be miserably cold. But it wasn't too bad at the Zoo Lights. 

While we were at the Zoo we waited in line to see Santa. They had it set up that as we were waiting that the kids could write their Christmas list down for Santa. Then they could put it in the mailbox. I helped Cy write his down and the first thing he said he wanted was a Reindeer. Haha. I think he said that because we say two "Reindeer" just outside to door hanging out in their gated area. We got to look at them as we waited in line to go inside the building. Which is where we wrote up the Christmas Lists.

I love that the Santa had a real beard. And he was so cute with the boys and very patient with the parents taking pictures of the kids.

It isn't Christmas unless their is sickness going around. It started with the boys and then eventually Jesse and I got it. (Which made working for us that much harder). But poor Cy ended up with an ear infection. I had to take him to InstaCare one morning to get him on some antibiotics. I kinda loved that he wanted to snuggle and have me hold him the whole time.

One of Ryker's top teeth became loose a few weeks ago and it looked like it was just hanging by the skin. He wouldn't even let us touch it. As a matter of fact if we even talked about pulling it out he would break down and cry uncontrollably. We couldn't figure out what his deal was. He is a sensitive boy, but this was beyond sensitivity. Something about it just freaked him out. I wanted to pull it out so bad. But that wasn't going to happen. One Sunday, Alexa, Jesse and I tried for over an hour to talk him into letting us pull on it a little bit just to see how loose it was. But he just wouldn't let us. After so many tears and everyone getting frustrated with the situation, he just went to bed.

One of the fun things about this time of year is the Preschool Christmas Program. Cy's first one. Yay!

He was so cute up there singing the songs. It made me laugh though because I could tell which parts he didn't know and the parts that he did. He'd just stand there and stare when he didn't know the words, but then when he knew them he was really into it.

Jeri Eggett is such a good Preschool Teacher. She also is the one that teaches swimming lessons in the summer. She has a lot of fun with the kids, but I love that she demands respect and the kids give it to her. They all just love her so much. For some reason Cy doesn't call her Mrs Eggett. He calls her "Sister". That's her name to him. Whenever he sees her or talks about her. It's Sister. Haha. I think it's really cute and I think Jeri really likes it too.

It's amazing all of the things that we can cram into one month. Extra parties/programs, shopping, hours at work, and planning. It's such a busy time of year. It can be fun, but overwhelming after awhile. I hope I don't sound like a Scrooge, but Christmas isn't nearly as exciting when you become an adult. I kinda miss that childhood magical feeling of Christmas. There was one day that I mentioned to Ryker that there were 9 days until Christmas. And it made me laugh because I was feeling panicked that I only had 9 days left to get everything all ready for the big day. And then he was acting like 9 days seemed like it would take forever.

I think I want to try and work less next year. It was too much for me this year that I think it gave me a grumpy attitude about Christmas. I just felt so worn out by the time the 23rd came. When I walked out the door from the salon I was so excited to leave. I think mostly because I had a head cold and that made me feel more tired than normal. But I have been looking forward to a little stay-cation. Slow things down and remember why we celebrate Christmas.

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas

I spent the day yesterday cleaning and straightening up the house in preparation for Christmas decorations. I originally told Ryker that we could put the tree up on Sunday, but that didn't happen. So when I picked Ryker up from school yesterday he was eager to decorate. He wasn't thrilled with the idea that he had to do his homework first. But while he did that I was able to finish up my cleaning. 

Then it was time to get the Christmas boxes out. And man were they excited. Haha. I guess that is what makes the Christmas season so fun. The kids get so excited about it that it makes it more magical. 

I let them put 90% of the ornaments on the tree. The majority of them are on the bottom half of the tree and near the front. There is no rhyme or reason to our Christmas tree, but that's alright with me. I get a bigger kick out of watching them decorate.    

Then last night we had some friends (Hutchings and the Bements) over for dinner and a Christmas FHE. I had thoughts about doing a Nativity lesson to kick of the Christmas season. When I told this to Candice Bement she mentioned that her Aunt had dress up clothes that she would bring. And I'm so glad that she did because the kids were giddy about it.

There was a point that while I was reading the story, all of the kids were gathered around me. Listening so intently. It was the quietest they had been all night. I loved that they were loving it. It made for a special moment.

I have a goal this December to try and have a more Christ Centered Christmas this year. Being a mother I get so wrapped up in who I need to buy gifts for and to make sure they are meaningful and thoughtful gifts. That it's easy to forget really why we are celebrating this Holiday. It's not about the packages and bows... it's about Christ! He is the Gift that God gave the world. It's an infinite gift. A gift that keeps giving. A gift that we can all have and share with each other.

Much to be Thankful For...

Thanksgiving this year was quite wonderful. It certainly was a weekend I was looking forward to for several weeks now. Let me take you through it day by day. 

Monday through Wednesday I had to work, but Jesse had those days off, plus the three following days. It's so nice that his 6 days off fell over Thanksgiving week. The 3 days that I had to work were super busy. I worked late every single one of those nights. I am grateful that I have been blessed with a successful clientele. But I have to admit that it's rough working late like that, especially when Jesse is home. I just wanna be home with my family and have dinner together. But it's also nice that Jesse is home and I can be comforted to know that the boys are with him and being taken care of. So it's a very conflicting thing for me. So you might see why I was looking forward to the Thanksgiving weekend. Family time. 

First thing Thanksgiving morning I made sure to get up early and go to the gym. One of the things I am thankful for is my health and strength. 3 1/2 years ago when I started into this stuff I never knew what a fire it would ignite inside me and become my life. I love it. 

I am also thankful for good friends and a group of fit poeple to storm a 2 hour-sweatfest-Thanksgiving- workout with. It was the perfect way to start my day.

That afternoon we went over to my Grandma Schrader's house to eat with my side of the family. We have done this for as long as I can remember. Actually I remember when I was a little girl (probably teenage years) going over to her house to help her cook and prepare Thanksgiving dinner. Good memories, So when we arrive and I see everything all set up and ready I couldn't help but feel gratitude for her and all her hard work. My contribution of homemade Artisan Bread seemed so minuscule.

Of course I can't help but feel so thankful for these two munchkins. Oh how I love them so much. But who couldn't love those adorable faces? There is something about motherhood that you can't explain to someone that doesn't have children. It's the hardest and most rewarding thing a woman will ever do.

OK, come on now. Look at this husband of mine doing the dishes. Did I get lucky or what? There is something about a man doing the dishes that speaks to a woman. My grandma told me later that she really appreciated his help cleaning up. This is just one of the many examples that makes him the greatest person I know. I could write a novel about all of his positive attributes and characteristics. But I won't right now, so I just have to say that I am beyond Thankful for an amazing husband.

Before we had to dash away to our next stop we took a quick picture of our family. I felt bad that Grandma and Grandpa couldn't be in the picture. But know they were there behind the camera. I am very Thankful for Family. There is a reason that the Family is the center of God's Plan. And I love that. I would do anything for anyone of my family members. I love them all so much!  Almost too much at times that it comes across mothering. haha. Sorry guys.

We met Jesse's family at the theater near Mike and Heidi's house to see the latest kid's movie. "Big Hero 6". I had heard from alot of people that it was a really good one. So I was excited to go with the boys. Tyson and Tayler couldn't make it but everyone else was there. The boys were especially excited to see Sterling. Those 3 are so funny together. They always get SOOOO excited to see each other.

The movie was really good. Disney did it again. There was a really sad part near the end of the movie that made Ryker cry. And I'm not talking about getting a little-choked-up kind of cry. I'm talking Crocodile-tears-pouring-down-his-face kind of cry. He laid he head on my shoulder and just sobbed. Oh my heart was breaking. It was an emotional point of the movie that if I was by myself I wouldn't think anything about it. But having my son sobbing on my shoulder made me cry too. It was a touching moment. One of those things I love about him is his tender heartedness (is that a word?).

After the movie we headed to Mom and Dad's place to have dessert and play games. We stayed late, so the boys spent the night.

The next morning (also known as black Friday) Jesse and I went to the gym together (doesn't happen very often so I love when it does), to maybe make up some of the Thanksgiving over indulging we enjoyed the day before.

We then went home to shower up and pack for our overnighter in Park City that I had planned for us. I stumbled across a deal for a nice hotel on Groupon. So I decided it would be fun for Jesse and I to have some time together. I find it very important to still nurture our relationship outside of being parents. If we don't have that foundation for our marriage and our family I believe that things would fall apart.

We thought that while we were there we would do a little Christmas shopping. It only lasted a few hours. Mostly because we had movie tickets to see the lateset Hunger Games movie , but also because we were getting sick of the crowds. The combination of Black Friday and the Outlets, made for long lines and a big crowd. I'm sure it wasn't as crazy as it was when the Black Friday started at 6pm Thanksgiving day. Which I find rediculous! Thanksgiving is a time to be with family, but people get wrapped up on the latest deals. In my eyes I don't think it's worth it. I would rather make memories with my family than worry about getting a good deal on some electronics.

Anyway, off of my rant about Black Friday. The Hunger Games: MockingJay movie was pretty good. I read the books and I didn't care for the third book so much. So I was feeling the same way about the movie. It was really well done. So I don't know what it was about it that didn't speak to me. But that's ok, I was just happy to be with Jesse.

After the movie I looked up some Sushi Restaurants on the app Yelp. Technology really is so cool. I love that I can search for a type of restaurant and see pictures and reviews of  different restaurants near us. With that we were able to find one that had great reviews. So we tried it and we were very happy with it. It was really good. I love that I can enjoy Sushi with Jesse now. 10+ years ago when we were dating and he took me to a sushi restaurant for the first time, I was totally grossed out by it and ordered chicken. haha Well now I love it. There are some things that I still struggle with (like the seaweed) but it's getting to a point where I don't mind it. So I'm thankful for the chance to change my pallet and try new things.

We then drove to our hotel up in Deer Valley. It was called the Chateaux. And talk about a beautiful hotel. Funny thing is Jesse and I had stayed there a year ago for his birthday. So it was kinda cool that the Groupon deal was to the same place.

The rooms are just stunning. There was even a fireplace. Heck ya!
We just spent the night relaxing in the hot tub and hanging out in our quiet room together. It was Heavenly! I'm Thankful for the opportunity to enjoy such luxury!

Morning came and we had to say goodbye to our nice room and head off to breakfast. We thought about going to the restaurnat across the street from the hotel, but found out it was really fancy dining and we weren't in the mood to spend $40+ for breakfast. So we went to Squatters downtown Park City. Which was really yummy and affordable.

On our way to the Smith's we stopped by Fashion Place Mall to do a little shopping and some browsing.

When we arrived to Mom and Dad's the boys welcomed us with their bright faces and big hugs. It's nice to get away as a couple, but it's also nice coming home to happy boys that missed us.

The plan for Saturday was to have our own Thanksgiving with Jesse's family. So that afternoon I helped Heidi prep for it. Which I find very enjoyable. We set the table using her Grandma Arta's China dishes.

Once everybody arrived we all sat down and enjoyed a delicious meal together. Dad had each of us go around and say one thing that we were thankful for. Only one? That's really hard. But I decided to share that I was Thankful for good in-laws that love and accept me for being me. It's a blessing that I can be with them and not feel awkward or uncomfortable around them.

I'm sad to see this wonderful weekend come to a close. I really do have so much to be Thankful for and I only touched the surface of it in this post. But it's my hope and prayer that I can keep an attitude of gratitude all the time. Especially as we are going in to the Christmas Season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween 2014

In years past I have gone to a lot of effort to home make our Halloween costumes, but with our family trip right in the middle of October I couldn't find the motivation to come up with a theme, let alone sew four costumes. Nope. It just wasn't going to happen this year. And I just had to be OK with that. 

Before we left for Cali, I went online to buy costumes. Yep, BUY them. But I started out not having a clue what any of us could be. Also I didn't want to spend a fortune either. The idea crossed my mind to just have the boys dress up by themselves, but when I ran this idea by Ryker he vetoed that in a heartbeat. You see, ever since his first Halloween we have gone as a family, so in his mind that's what we do. And I love the idea, but for some reason I was feeling worn out about the idea. But I couldn't let him down. I needed to figure out a theme.

After some online searching I came up with the Superman theme. It was cheap, easy and brilliant. Cy was the Retro Superman, Ryker was the modern version of Superman, Jesse went as Clark Kent and I went as Lois Lane. 

Halloween was on a Friday this year and the boys didn't have school that day. So their school activities were on Thursday. It was fortunate that Jesse was home those days so he could be a part of it all. Especially since I had to work on that Thursday. 

While I was working I was notified that Jesse had posted this picture of Cy on InstGram all ready to go to his preschool party. I was dying! Especially since Jesse took the time to make Cy's hair look so Superman-like. (Again another reason he's so wonderful).

Ryker's Halloween Parade at this school was right during a time I had open at work. Or so I thought. I had the time wrong of when the parade would start, so when I arrived the parade was already over and the kids were in their classes playing Halloween games.

I felt terrible. I told Ryker I would be there and then I messed up. He was probably searching the crowd looking for me. Oh man, lesson learned the hard way. Pay attention to the parade time, Ash. Jesse was off and he could have been there on time if I had told him the right time. I had messed it up for the both of us. Next year I'll get it right. 

Thankfully Ryker is a forgiving and loving boy. 

That night was our ward Trunk or Treat. They had blocked off 10th south so the kids could be safe going from door to door. Or even hanging out in the street where they had fires going. 

We stayed for an hour and then had to head to Chantel's dance, dinner theater thing that she was performing in at the High School. We went straight there in our costumes. Luckily it was Halloween themed. So we fit in just fine. 

It's always fun to see Chantel dance. She's so good. I wish I could have some of her moves. 

Halloween Day we relaxed the first half of the day and then went out to Mike and Heidi's ward house for their trunk or treat. We've done this just about every year since Ryker was about 8 months old.

I can't tell you how much I love this picture of these two. Too much cuteness in one photo, I can't handle it. Haha. I love it. And their hair kills me. Compliments to Jesse. Haha. Because he did Cy's the day before the boys wanted Jesse to do it. Not mom. It's like they thought I wasn't capable. Haha,
Almost everybody commented on their hair. And I would have to agree, I think the hair makes the costumes. They both make very handsome SuperMen.

Lois Lane and Clark Kent. Easiest costumes ever. Only thing with my costume, nobody really knew who I was unless I was with Jesse. Then they would put it together,

Ya know, even though I didn't spend hours and hours on costumes we still had a great time. they boys loved their costumes. And I didn't have the stress of making sure they didn't ruin them. So it was a win-win this year.
Happy Halloween!

Birthday Bash at 34

The day after we got home from our family trip it was Jesse's birthday. Yay! He's 34! Crazy. When we were married he was 24 and that 10 years has flown by ridiculously fast. Even though he doesn't seem a day older than when I married him, I love the man he has grown into. He really is everything a son and/or wife could ask for. 

For Example: After vacation my schedule at work gets really crazy. I have to pretty much make up for being gone, which results in working extra hours there. That takes away from my duties at home. Thankfully Jesse still had 10 days off of work so he was willing to take care of the boys and the house work for me. No joke I would come home from work and see that he had folded all of the laundry, done the dishes, helped Ryker with his homework,  had the boys in bed. I mean, really? There aren't very many men that would do all this. How did I get so lucky? It was great that I could come home from a long day on my feet and be able to relax in a clean home. Oh he's just wonderful. And this only scratches the surface of the kind of human being that he is. 

Another thing that I just love about him is his ability to counsel. So many times I have gone to him with my troubles, mistakes or a heavy heart and he knows what to do to help me feel better about the situation I'm in or feel better about myself. He helps me see the good in myself. 

Anyway, I better stop bragging about him before my heart bursts and I break down in tears of gratitude. 

The day of his birthday we went to church in the morning then we drove down to Craig and Alexa's apartment in Provo. They had invited us down for a "Linner". Even though it is a bit of a drive it was so good to see them. I just love them.

Fall was very evident at their place. So after we ate our yummy "linner" we went outside to play. Before we knew it we got in a leaf fight. It first started out with a little throwing but it turned into a "Who-can-shove-the-most-leaves-down-someone-else's-shirt?" Game. Haha. We had leaves in places I didn't think possible.

In addition to making us a yummy "linner", Alexa also baked a pumpkin pie for Jesse's birthday. 34 candles lit up on that pie was quite a sight. It's a good thing Jesse is a fireman, just in case anything crazy happened. The funny thing with the pie was that it was still kinda warm when we put the candles in them, so the pie actually melted the wax off the candles. So there were 34 waxy holes throughout the pie. Haha. Thankfully Lex had made 2 pies, so we ate the untarnished one.

Our few hours we had to spend there felt like only minutes. It was time for us to head to the parentals to carve pumpkins. So we said our goodbyes and headed back to Bountiful.

These were the results. (From left to right: Dad, Chantel, Ryker/Mom, Mine, Tyson and Jesse)

Monday (10/27) I took Jesse to a matinee movie while Andrew watched Cy for us.  We had plans to go to lunch and a movie, but there just wasn't enough time to fit all that in before Ryker got out of school at 2:30. So we decided we would all go to lunch together as a family after we picked up Ryker from school.

Then that night Jesse's friend Dave Osman invited us to go to dinner with him. His birthday was a few days before Jesse's, so Dave wanted to take us out to celebrate. We thought that was really thoughtful. Well when we found out he made dinner reservations at Ruth's Chris we felt like we couldn't accept. That place is REALLY expensive and we were feeling bad that he would be paying for it. But he insisted. So we went. And it was REALLY good!
(Thankfully Andrew and Emily were gracious enough to watch the boys for us again).

Since it was both Dave and Jesse's birthdays they both got to pick a dessert from the menu. Jesse picked the Banana Cream Pie and if I remember right the filling had white chocolate with the banana flavor. And of my gosh was it AMAZING. Jesse and I don't usually like Banana Cream Pie but I wanted to eat the whole thing (on top of my little dessert that I got with my meal) but I didn't want to look like a pig in front of Dave. haha.

We were so grateful that Dave took us out for such a nice dinner. We had such an enjoyable time. That might have to become a once a year tradition.

Tuesday night(10/28) was the night to celebrate with the family. Since we just got home from our trip, I felt like our house was in too much disarray to have people over. So I wanted to make things easy and have everybody meet at Texas Roadhouse for dinner. I brought pumpkin pie for everyone (Jesse's favorite) to have after they ate.

Texas Roadhouse is a little bit cruel with their birthdays. They bring out this saddle and make you sit on it while the server yells at the top of her lungs something along these lines.... "Attention everybody in Texas Roadhouse, I have Jesse here and on the count of three can I get a big yee-haw? 1-2-3....." then everybody yells "YEEE-HAW!!!" Ya that's not embarrassing at all now it is? He was a really good sport and endured through the tortuous process even though he didn't want to.

So that's our birthday boy! 34 years old. Happy Birthday Jesse! We all love you.

I don't think there is one person that has come across him and NOT liked him. He's just one of those people that other people like to be around. That's definitely something to be said about him.