Happy Dance!

So, HR just called to let us know she'd be meeting with the VP on Tuesday to draw up an offer! We are more than thrilled. Thank you for all of your prayers on our behalf. Hopefully the offer will be good, but I think it will. I'll keep you posted, and update more soon, just thought I'd let you share in our happy news! Have a great weekend!!!

Cue the Jeopardy Music...

Or any other music that helps build the suspense while waiting. Yes, we're still waiting to hear on the job. It's so frustrating to me that they feel no stress to get back to us and don't realize our lives are left hanging in the balance! They called yesterday and requested references, so Pat sent them over. Today because I begged, he sent an e-mail to see if they'd made any progress, and they called to say they were working on it, but I don't think they've made any calls yet. Unfortunately, this probably means we won't hear from them until next week, and since Monday is a holiday, it drags it out even more! I guess Heavenly Father is trying to teach me patience, but boy is it hard. I keep trying to remind myself that His time table is perfect, and mine is not, so I should trust His timing. It's just really hard for me to have that much faith sometimes. Keep us in your prayers, though. We're really wanting this to work out, I just have to realize it will be in the Lord's due time.

Last night I worked on making my visiting teaching changes for the routes this month, and I also stopped by the bishop's office to get my new bar-coded recommend. I need to update all of my district reports that I pass out to the supervisors now, and get all of the assignments ready for Sunday. I really don't mind my calling, and there have been times I've loved it, but it's extremely busy at some points, and I've had it for almost 2 years. I wouldn't be sad to stay here, but I'm kind of feeling that bug for a change, so we'll see if it really happens or not. The saddest thing would be not working as closely with the RS pres who's also my neighbor and good friend in the ward. She's in her 50's, but we are extremely similar in so many ways, and it's nice to have each other as sounding boards about various happenings. Her Dad worked in Mission Control for NASA- how cool is that? Pat always wanted to be an astronaut, so he just thinks it's the coolest thing.

This morning I woke up to a sick Addie and Pat. Hannah, we didn't even get together, how did I get your plague? :) Just kidding, I think the cousins passed it along. They've both had fevers all day, and Addie had zero appetite. Then she started complaining that her tongue hurt when she was drinking, and when she tried to eat a little dinner she said her mouth hurt. I looked at her throat and it looked really red, so we went to the pediatrician-after-hours tonight, and he swabbed her throat. It's not strep, at least not yet, so he thinks it's something viral giving her a bad sore throat and her fever. It's so sad to see your kids so listless and miserable. He said to give her tylenol or motrin and popsicles and ice cream. She quit her popsicle after 2 bites earlier today, and we stopped and got a milkshake on our way home that she abandoned after a few sips. That's a sure sign she's not up to snuff. She's also regressed some on potty training today. She just didn't have any desire to sit on the potty. I think we only had one successful round today. Oh well, 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I hope I can still come to the MC lunch tomorrow and leave Pat and Addie for an hour to be sick together. I'm hoping they rally so Pat and I can go out tomorrow night and so we can make fun weekend plans. We shall see.

Thanks, Sharla, for being the only one to offer any input on my Relief Society lesson about becoming a Zion-like people. *Hint hint* I've been trying to gather some resources today to really delve in. If anyone has further insights, feel free to to give me all you got! Oh, and a thanks to Hannah for re-issuing the Book of Mormon challenge. I started with you yesterday, so hopefully I can keep going. I love reading the beginning of the Book of Mormon. I've started it so many times (and not made it the whole way through as many times as I've started), and the beginning pages are just like an old friend to me. It's kind of fun to contemplate on things I get out of the scriptures as I get older and realize how I'm kind of growing up. Oh, I have a long way to go, but I think I'm a lot better at pondering than I used to be, or maybe I just have a lot more to ponder about. I don't know what it is, but the scriptures just get better and better the older I get. So I'm very excited to keep going and read the BoM and feel the blessings and power that come from having it as a part of my life!

I wish I had more news to post, but that's about it. Oh, a quick Addie funny. Today I told her she had a fever. Then she kept asking me if I had a beaver, and I had no idea what she was talking about, until I realized it was her way of saying fever. No, Addie, I don't have a beaver, and hopefully I won't get one. Kids have no idea how funny they can be!

The Sun Will Come Out...Tomorrow?

We hope, at least! Pat's interview today went well. He said it wasn't his best ever, but he felt pretty good about it. When he came home and we were talking about it, it was amazing how little details that we'd been concerned with had been totally resolved during the interview. It is honestly such an amazing fit for Pat's abilities, as well as for our family. There were a few things that have happened during this process that have made us doubt the good feelings we'd felt, and today it became clear that we had no reason to doubt. It's so awesome to realize we have a Heavenly Father who can see the whole picture, and knows what's best for us. I feel truly humbled. Tonight we were out and received a message from the HR person saying that she'd be letting us know tomorrow, but the feedback that she'd received so far had been really positive. Hopefully that's a good sign! It's so nice to (maybe) have an end in sight. Although I've overall really enjoyed this time, it does have to end at some point. Did I mention this new place is maybe 7 minutes from home? Yay!!! So say an extra little prayer we'll get good news tomorrow!

This morning I went visiting teaching. It's kind of been a struggle this month! Tomorrow is finally our last appointment. We have 5 sisters right now, and we didn't have any back to back appointments this month, but luckily Pat's been around to watch the kidlets so I've been ok. Tomorrow night I'm supposed to work on changes with the RS Pres, so hopefully we can lower our number to 4. This Sunday I'm teaching Relief Society. I'm the Visiting Teaching coordinator, but we have multiple members of the presidency who are unwilling to teach Relief Society (yes, a little dysfunctional) and the president will be out of town, so she asked me to teach. I'm thinking I'm going to steal a topic that was on MC and kind of morph it into my own thing. I'd like to talk about becoming more Zion-like as a people, and how visiting teaching is a natural extension of that. If you have any insights, feel free to post them in my comments. I've been thinking about it some, but have yet to do any research, and I really need to get cracking! I thoroughly enjoy teaching Relief Society, though, so I'm really excited to dig into this lesson. In my patriarchal blessing, it talks about teaching as one of my spiritual gifts, and it is kind of a handy one to have! I guess you often enjoy doing things you do well, and although I'm not trying to say I'm queen of awesome-ness at it, I usually can relax and enjoy it.

Today Addie had poo-poos in the potty! HOORAY! She's had serious issues with #2 for a while including fissures, bleeding, and all around terrible-ness, especially for a 2 year old, so I thought this was going to be a huge hurdle for us in potty training. When I saw her prize in the potty, she looked at me and said "I have potty party now, mom?" I told her when she used the potty for a week that she could have a potty party, so we're getting closer! Hopefully she won't go back to not using it after her party. She is a party girl, so I said we could have a cake, she could have a present, and we could have a party together. When I first brought it up, she freaked out, so I didn't think it would work, but I guess it did. I am totally excited. We haven't moved on to training while she sleeps yet, but awake training is a huge victory for us. One step at a time, right? And thanks for baring with me as I brag about my child's bowel abilities.

Thanks for letting me vent yesterday and for your kind words. They brought smiles to my face. I need to head to our Enrichment group book club, so I'm out. Later.

It's waning...

My optimism, that is. Prepare to listen to me gripe for a few, and if you'd rather not, then return to my blog when I'm back to my 85%- of- -the- time- upbeat- self again. I never said all my posts would be uplifting and positive, this is a pseudo-journal after all, and I can write what ever I want. So, the flood gates are open.

Today was kind of a bummer day. After a few brief and scattered phone calls with the company, Pat finally got them to nail down a time for an interview tomorrow at 1. It's hard because we've both had good feelings about this, but they seem to be somewhat disorganized which is a little red flag to us. When he asked how many other candidates there were for the position, they said 2 or 3, but he was furthest along in the process. So if they actually interview everyone else, I'm wondering how long it may be before we know something.
We laid on a blanket outside today with a fussy Sam while Addie was napping and talked a little. I think we're both ready for him to be going back to work. It's kind of like the "honeymoon" of unemployment is over. Maybe not over, just took a break today and we were both kind of grumpy. It's definitely been fun to go do things together, but the fun can only last for so long before we both know that we need to go back to "real life." Pat said the uncertainty of it all is the hardest thing for him. I'd agree with that. I think I also get a little grumpy about my expectations and feelings about our roles. I guess I expect him to help more with some of my jobs since he doesn't have one, so when I'm still doing all (or almost all) my normal stuff, I'm a little irritable.
Sam had a super-cranky day which is totally not like him, and really wore on me. Pat was waiting around for the HR person to call him back, so I took both kids to the ENT by myself for Addie's tube check, and that office is so miserable I would've found someone to watch Sam had I known Pat wasn't coming. Luckily, they were more on time today, but a nurse had to come help me hold Addie down, only to find out both of her tubes are blocked and no longer functioning, and if they start to cause problems or don't fall out on their own in the next 6 months, then we'll have to go have them removed.
And, I think I'm a little annoyed on the friend front. I sent an email to my college friends after this happened kind of letting them know and updating them on us, and I only got one email of acknowledgment. I talked to my bf from college, and she told me even though she thought it stinks, she wasn't really worried about us. I know she meant that she knows we're semi-prepared, and that Pat is talented and will find a job soon, but it would be nice to have friends calling just to see how we're doing, if I need to vent, you know, what you want friends to do. I'm always the friend who is called when someone needs help/advice/a listening ear, you name it. If someone is having a hard time, I send e-mails or call or send cards to encourage and uplift. But when I have something going on and just want someone checking in and offering encouragement, it seems no one is to be found. I'm tired of being the giver, I just want to have a few minutes to take. I recognize how selfish that sounds, and when I get to a better place I'll know that I should be serving others to forget about my own problems and feel better about things, but really, I just want a few minutes to be the natural man before I get over it. Haha, now you all know how carnal I really am.
The silver lining on this day has been Addie using the potty. She wanted to wear a diaper to go to the dr. and one for her nap, but I think maybe only 3 times today (both diapers and 1 wet pull-up when we were busy outside) were accidents. She initiated going to the potty almost every time, I only reminded her a few times, and she was a champ. It was so fun to see her eyes get so big when she could hear her tinkles. She had this look of sheer amusement mingled with surprise and pride. It did make today an extra long day, though. I know that in the end it will make things better, but it's a lot of work until we get to the fully trained phase.

So, let me think. Is there anything else to complain about? If so, I'd better do it now. Every post can't be this way. I'll try to move on now. I just needed to vent for a few. I'm feeling better already. Hopefully the interview will be a smashing success tomorrow and I'll have a post bursting with good news. Good (well, really only semi-good) night.

Catching up...

Sorry ladies, it's been a busy few days, so let me update you on our fun weekend!
Friday we took the kids to the zoo during the day. Addie had a great time seeing all the "mammimals", and Sam held up great! The weather wasn't nearly as hot as it has been, so it was nice, although we were there in early afternoon, so some animals were napping which wasn't quite as fun. After we got home, I took dinner over to a lady I visit teach who just had a baby. Then my niece and nephew came over and we tended since it was our turn. My niece ended up staying the night with Addie. They had a fun time, and woke up so surprised because they didn't know they were having a sleepover! The next morning they played and I made them pancakes. I went to a Mary Kay party for a few minutes. Another girl I visit teach was throwing it because her sis was the consultant, and it was her first party. I was only there for maybe 40 minutes, and I wanted to poke my eyeballs out. My philosophy about things like that is I don't sell crap, and I don't buy other people's crap. I only went to support my friend throwing it. Her sis was so high pressure which is just not my thing. Finally I just stood up and said, I have a nursing baby that I have to get home to, can I just check out your website? and then skedaddled.

Ok, we interrupt this blog to bring you an IMPORTANT bulletin. Addie just used the potty for the first time! What a breakthrough! She has literally had zero interest forever, so I'm totally shocked. In the time since I started this blog, she's gone 5 times! Little tinkles every time, but honestly, that sound is music to my ears. Maybe no more diapers, just pull-ups and panties from here on out. Hallelujah! We now return to your regularly scheduled post.

So, the rest of Saturday, I cleaned a lot in the afternoon and did a Costco run for a few items. Then we had a ward MilkCan Dinner that night. It was some small town fun, but actually was quite enjoyable. They stew a bunch of meat and veggies in big milk cans, then poured it in troughs (big rubbermaid containers) that we served ourselves from. They also had some entertainment, a group of banjo-ing, fiddling, guitar-playing 70-somethings called the Old Time Fiddlers. They were quite the riot. I think the highlight of their performance was when the 85 year old sang about wanting to be buried in a Glad Bag when she died because coffins are too expensive. Addie had fun playing on the playground at the park, and Sam loves to be outside. It was a nice night.
Yesterday was Pat's birthday. After church I spent time cooking and getting things ready. We had pork tacos and rice and beans. Everything was delicious. The only problem was the number of messes I created trying to get ready for his party! Saturday night after I made his angel food cake (his favorite), I turned it upside down on a bottle of balsamic vinegar, but it broke in the process, so there was vinegar and glass everywhere! Then, I got home from church yesterday and my crockpot had overflowed, so I had mango peach salsa and pork juice all over my counters, cabinets, walls, and floor. It was honestly some huge messes! My mom and her DH came over and so did Pat's bro and his fam. He got a few gift cards to restaurants for his b-day, one to McGrath's and one to Carver's, along with a Barnes and Noble gift card, and a check from his parents. I gave him a Costco box of Reese's peanut butter cups. I wanted to get him something, but didn't feel like we could break the bank, so this was perfect.
Church was great yesterday. I'll have to do a post soon about some of the gospel things I've been pondering. Right now, I need to jet and shower because Addie has a follow-up appointment with the ENT this morning to make sure her tubes are still in tact. Hope everyone has a great start to their week. Pat is supposed to have his interview today, so maybe I'll post again tonight! Later, friends.

A Little Stir-crazy!

Well, we're still hanging in there, but I think I'm starting to go a little stir-crazy! The past couple of days haven't been too eventful. Pat gave me more details about his conversation with the HR department where he's interviewing Monday. Apparently when he sent his e-mail, the HR director forwarded it to the VP, who e-mailed her back right away and told her to get him in for an interview. So it definitely seems promising! We've both had good feelings about it, so hopefully those will continue. I think the biggest perk for me would be having him work so close to home. It's probably 4 miles from home at most- so close!
Let me re-cap what else we've been up to. We went to the temple yesterday for a sealing assignment. It was so nice to be there. I really haven't been very good about going for a while. It's hard for me to go while pregnant, and also hard while nursing for the beginning part, but Sam is finally going for long enough stretches that I can make it there for a little bit. It's so nice to be in the temple and feel the peace that is there. It's fun now to have Addie at a stage where she realizes where we're going. As we left she said "have fun at the temple" and when we got back she asked "how was the temple?".
I took the kids and went to lunch with my mom yesterday. We went to Thanksgiving Point to the deli. It was kind of nice to get out of the house. She works very long hours, so it's rare when we get to do things with her, especially during the day. Addie always enjoys some Grandma time, and my mom loves it too. It seemed like we didn't have much of a chance to talk between eating and taking care of the kids, but I think Pat probably enjoyed the break.
The weather here has been so nice the past few days, especially in the evenings. We've been spreading out a blanket on the lawn and taking the kids out, and it's been so nice. I really need to be out jogging more, but I don't know how much I'm going to feel like it for a few days. Yesterday when we were getting ready for the temple, I got Sam out of his crib and then tripped on one of Addie's dolls and fell with Sam. I kind of fell funny trying to protect him, but I'm a little sore today. Then in the sealing assignment there were only 2 women, so I was participating a lot! By the time we left the temple last night I felt so sick, and it felt like heaven to go to bed early last night. I don't remember the last time I crashed before 10- it was great!
Well, now that I've typed this it seems like we have been up to a lot, but it really hasn't felt like it. I'm hoping we'll go do something fun today, and then tonight our niece and nephew are coming over because it's our turn to watch. I think I'm going to see if they want to just stay the night since it was my BIL and SIL's anniversary this week. Sunday is Pat's birthday, so I need to decide if we'll have family over for just cake and ice cream, or if we want to have dinner too. I probably should find something to give him, too. He hates things like birthdays- he refuses to tell people when his birthday is and can't stand the recognition/embarrassment that comes with it. I try not to embarrass him, but I do find ways to let him know how much I love him! Hope your Friday is a great start to your weekend!

An Addie funny...

So I forgot to say in my other post, when we told Addie we were headed to the mountains yesterday she was so excited. Then from the back seat on our drive up I hear her singing "to laugh like a brook as it trips and falls..." Yes, she'd made the connection to sing the theme from The Sound of Music. If it's good enough for Maria to sing while in the mountains, it's good enough for Addie. Sometimes, she's just delightful.

A mixed bag...nature, blessings, and ebay, oh my!

Sometimes, just when you get to a point of feeling better about things, the wounds get opened all over again. Yesterday we got Pat's last check which solidified our feelings about what a jerk his former boss can be. It's good to get it out of my system. Now I've said it and I can move on.

We actually had a really fun day yesterday (before getting the mail with the check in the early evening). Pat decided he couldn't take it anymore and needed a day away from the stress, so we went to Cascade Springs up American Fork Canyon. It was so beautiful and peaceful.
The above pic includes Addie in the pink hat with her cousins. My SIL and her 2 kids came with us, along with my FIL. It was a fun family outing. We had a picnic, and walked around all of the loops they have that go through the springs. We took Sam in the stroller, and except for one part where there were stairs that we carried the stroller down, everything was very accessible. Addie was a champion hiker kind of like her mom and dad. I love hiking, but don't do it now that we have kids as much as I'd like. We bought a great carrier from REI when we went to Moab last year, but now that we have 2 kids we need to figure out another one or else do short enough hikes for Addie to walk the whole way. On the way back down we stopped at Sundance and got delicious cookies. I love going to Sundance. The Foundry Grill is one of my favorite Utah restaurants. Maybe we'll go there for Pat's birthday if we feel like we can swing it. I sat down and wrote out our bills last night after FHE, and then realized oh yeah, this is why being unemployed is a bummer. BUT, we do have savings, and we know that we may have to use it, and it really will be ok. Pat drafted this amazing e-mail last night to a company he's been talking to about a position he's interested in there. The hardest thing right now is that he is pretty confident that if he can get an interview, he can get the job, but he hasn't had any calls yet for interviews...ok, insert phone ring here... "Hello" "Hello is Patrick there?" "He's not, can I take a message?" "Yes, this is so and so from such and such, I received an e-mail from him today and would like to schedule an interview with him next week." Honestly, did I not just type that he sent an awesome e-mail and we were hoping good would come of it? What a fluke that just as I was typing it, the HR department called. No, not a fluke, but a blessing. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the reminder of how involved you are in our lives and how mindful you are of our little family. I feel so great right now! What was I typing about again? Oh yeah, hopefully this will lead to a new job!

So, in other news, my e-bay account was hacked, has been disabled, and some weirdo from Israel was trying to list stuff to sell under my account. I only make an occasional purchase, I've never sold a thing, but it's soooo frustrating! After a ridiculous live-chat with an ebay rep to try to get some resolution, I have to send them a bunch of ID because I couldn't remember an old college phone number I used when I set up the account to confirm my identity. Luckily I'm hoping they can't access too much. My credit card info that's in there expires in September, so hopefully they didn't get to it. I know identity theft can be much worse, but it's still extremely irritating.

I think that about wraps up the past couple of days at our house. Yay, me for figuring out how to insert pics. And yay, Pat, for sending an awesome email that's led to an interview next week. I am truly so blessed.

S- A- TUR- DAY NIGHT!

Well, my singing of the above song is about as exciting as my Saturday night got. I honestly don't have much to blog about, but figured if I started the thoughts would come. Kind of like when people get up to bear their testimonies "I have no idea what I'm going to say, but I thought I'd come up here anyway" (at which point I think of course you know what you're going to say, you're going to share your testimony and sit down, I hope, although it rarely works out that way). The past couple of days have been pretty quiet. We've done the typical Saturday is a special day things...cleaned the house...shopped at the store...trimmed our nails...shampooed our hair. You know, the usual. Pat is currently at the airport picking up his brother and fam from their vacay to the Outer Banks. My kids are in bed. It's actually kind of nice to have a little time to myself. As much as I'm loving having Pat at home, I'm not getting the amount of me time that I'm used to.
So, let me just say, that I'm a person who loves to keep in touch. If we're friends, then you'd better realize you're stuck being my friend, because at the minimum, you're getting a Christmas card, usually at least one catch-up email during the year, and depending on closeness (physical and friend-wise if that makes any sense), we may talk monthly, weekly, daily, or even a few times a day. I've kind of been in a weird transition with this with some of my friends, which has left me feeling a little lonely sometimes. I no longer have the physical closeness, which I've realized leads to a lack of friend-closeness, with a lot of my past friends, and I haven't made many new ones to take their places. I don't have many, if any talk a few times a day, or even daily friends right now, and the pool of weekly conversations is pretty small. It really is something I'm kind of proud of though. When I talk to old friends and they say have you talked to anyone recently, I usually do have updates on others because I enjoy sharing at least some of our lives even if we're not sharing everything like we used to. But I still talk/e-mail fairly regularly with at least 6 friends from high school, and about the same number of college friends. At any rate, it gives you background for why/how I'm still in touch with the next part of my post.
Last night one of my friends from high school came over with his wife. They came over a couple of months ago, but then we'd talked about getting together again before they moved to Seattle. When it actually came time to get together last night, I wasn't really looking forward to it, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. They brought pizza over because we'd made dinner for them last time, and we just sat around and visited for a while. His wife is such a great girl, and I'm really happy for them. In high school we were really close our junior year, and then our senior year he became the seminary president, and I was his first counselor. At that point, he decided we shouldn't be as close as we had been, because although we were strictly friends, we did so much together that he thought it was setting a bad example for other kids. I was totally hurt by it, and it created a lot of drama in my life that high school is made up of. Some of my fondest high school memories have him in them, but we really drifted. Then we were both at BYU, and winter semester we patched things up and hung out a lot until he went on his mission, and then wrote some on his mission. After his mission I was already married, but we stayed in touch some, and I set him up with one of my friends who he dated for a while. Anyway, I'm sure you're not wanting all of this background, but sometimes it's just really fun to get together with people who've known you for a long time. I really treasure keeping in touch with people who have been important in my life.
So look out blogging friends, you're not escaping me any time soon :) And if you do decide to stop blogging and fall into oblivion, I really will sit around and think "I wonder what ever happened to so and so."
And let me just add, the PM thing on MC is totally ticking me off, so I suppose I'll have to start e-mailing my MC friends that I used to PM. If you want to e-mail me, feel free at mrsfelt@hotmail.com. Hope your S-A-TUR-DAY NIGHT! was full o' fun!

Silly kids

Some days kids are so fun. Maybe I should post about a few of those times to balance out my crazy mommy days of weeks gone by :)
So first, a few Addie funnies. I think she's really enjoying having time with all of us. Usually it's Monday nights when we're all together, and we have family home evening, and then we have ice cream for a treat. Now that we're together all the time, she's constantly asking for family home evening (or family home meeting as she says) so we can have ice cream. She is her mother's child. And if I can get her to make it through family home evening for some ice cream euphoria, I'll comply.
Addie has got some fashion sense. She's also almost always in her full "costume" which consists of a tutu that she calls her dancing skirt, some shoes (it varies by the day as to which pair she chooses, some days slippers, some days sandals, some days mary jane's), her sun hat, a ribbon belt which she turns into a necklace/scarf/headband depending on her mood, and her sunglasses. Mind you, all of these items are pink, except for the shoes depending on the day. I really need to remember to take a picture of it soon. She wears some variation of it daily at least for a few hours. At any rate, she has decided that Pat and I should get involved in dress-up more often, so she's been relinquishing her sun hat and insisting that we wear it. When we put it on, she then decides if we're currently a cowboy or a clown. Yesterday I had it on and was a clown, and then she started squeezing my nose and telling me I had a clown nose. Thanks a lot, Ad. Way to find one of my insecurities and capitalize.
Tonight I made dinner and then cookies later. She "helped" both times which consists of her sitting on the counter getting into things while I try to occupy her and prepare food that's still edible. During our round of cookie making (thanks for the recipe, Leslie- I added toffee with the chocolate chips tonight- yum!) Addie said to me "You're a good cooker, mama. Make dinner... make cookies... You're a good cooker." Ok, kid, squeeze my clown nose, cause you did make my day.

Sam is just so pleasant, I sometimes forget that I have a baby. Laid back, easy going, so opposite of his sister, so opposite of myself, he's a breath of fresh air. He's currently struggling to learn to sit up. It's like he purposefully dives for his tummy when you try to sit him up so he can pivot around. I'm thinking this boy is going to skip my favorite stage of sitting and playing with no real mobility and go straight to crawling. I'm sure once that starts, the flood gates will open and all things boy will take over, but I'm really hoping to prolong the calm before the storm as long as I can. He is also the biggest flirt. He gets so excited when he sees me and flexes every muscle and kind of grunts, but then looks away all bashful-like. It's the cutest thing ever. If the tinge of red in his hair sticks around along with his big blue eyes, I'd better start getting my stick ready for the hussies that are sure to frequent our house in search of my sweet Sam boy.

I've decided I want to start a new tradition to document my kids. I'm thinking for their birthdays I want to make photo books using shutterfly (or another source if any of you can recommend one) documenting their year, and I'll write text to go along with it. I want it to be kind of like a storybook. I'm not a scrapbooker, but I thought this could be a fun way to give them something to look forward to. So, for Addie this year I'm hoping to do a book about her first three years, and then I'll do them annually from here on out. Sorry, Addie, that I wasn't forward thinking enough to start this from your infancy. I'm sure it will be just one more reason you'll resent me in your teens and resent your younger siblings throughout your childhood, but that's how it is to be the oldest. I know, I was one too. If any of you have any suggestions on this project, please let me know. It will be my first attempt, but I'm already getting excited about it!

It's the little things...

Over the past week, I've really begun to realize more than ever how the little things really make me so happy. Today was nothing overly special, but it was so nice to just be together. I took my neighbor who doesn't drive to a dr. appointment. We went to Naartjie so I could exchange some sizes of Addie's new clothes. We stopped by my mom's work on our way back, but she'd gone to lunch, so we grabbed some Sonic (I love a good cranberry limeade) and went to her condo to stop by and let her have a little grandma time. The kids fell asleep in the car on the way home- a definite bright spot. I lazed out on dinner so we had a salad and some frozen pizza. After dinner Pat wanted to take Addie outside, so she put on play clothes and he let her play in the hose. I was so happy watching my amazing husband and sweet little girl spray each other, chase each other, giggle, and get soaked. I am so lucky to have a husband who loves being a dad and who plays with his kids. It really is things like this that make me so infinitely happy. This time is really great for us to refocus on the things that are most important to us. That was one thing that was really hard about Pat's job- the boundary between work and home was non-existent. In some ways, his boss created it to be that way, because he likes the company to be so "close" and for everyone to do things together, so it seems kind of like since he knows us more personally, maybe we won't mind as much if they're working long hours and overstepping bounds. I'm really excited for a fresh start so we can define boundaries from the beginning and find the balance.

Sorry I'm so contemplative right now, but there's a season for everything, and this is a season of renewal, refocus, and recommitting in our family. I'll try to get back to my witty self soon, so just deal for now. Thanks for all of your comments that make me feel so good. Mel, I loved the meat in my bag. Didn't you know I wanted to save it for later? ;) Ha ha, times aren't THAT tough here! Have a good night, all.

Good times, good times...

So, Delicious Dish on Saturday Night Live was one of my all-time favorite skits. I don't watch much anymore, it's gotten so dirty (maybe it was before and I was too naive to realize it), but that radio cooking show was some seriously good laughs, and where my title for the night comes from. And now, on to the latest updates.

We are jobless and LOVING it! Ok, maybe that's a little too positive. Not loving it, but dealing ok. Patrick went to a resume class tonight that was not as great as he'd hoped for. The main premise by the presenter was to call places you're interested in to take a tour, and then if you take a tour, you can sell yourself on the tour to get a job. He pointed out that in his field, many development places don't really give tours of their cubicle-filled buildings, but the presenter insisted they would give him a tour. You know, so many people get so sucked into things. Did you realize Utah is the MLM capital of the world? I guess the problem is, we're pretty skeptical about things, so when Pat attended this class, he wasn't hook-line-and sinker sucked in to this guy's strategies. I guess we'll see how things go. He's continued to apply for some jobs, and he's put his name out there to his network of past co-workers. We're really trying to be selective to get a job that's good for our family for the long term instead of just taking the first thing that comes rolling in. Hopefully we're not shooting ourselves in the foot, but we feel good about it so far.

Since he's been home we've enjoyed time going swimming, going to the park, running errands together, weeding, and just hanging out. It's really been nice so far. He kind of feels like it's like summer vacation, ok in the beginning, but can get old fast. I'm sure I agree, so we'll see how it goes.

So, here's my fun night tonight. I decided that even though Pat would be at his resume class, I'd drag my kiddos along to meet some MC friends. I'm so glad I went. I felt bad that the conversation was not as integrated with the whole table, but I've found that's always kind of how it is in big groups. I always leave social functions like that thinking I talk way too much. Did I come on too strong? Was I so overly fun that it bordered on obnoxious? I know, I know, my social skills may seem lacking...or hyper-active. I'm hoping that I didn't scare away any of my new friends, but I really had a great time and am hoping to get together with some of these fun girls again soon. So girls, (if you're still bothering to read this and haven't found me too crazy yet) let's do lunch soon. Maybe after my husband goes back to work, I'll plan a little shin-dig or something.

So, that about wraps it up around here I guess. I figured I'd go ahead and update before everyone thinks I've fallen off the planet. Oh, and thanks to all of the well-wishers who commented on my last post. Yes, we're really still doing ok. I'll try to add you all to my friend list soon. I'm off to bed soon...

The latest...

So, a quick thanks to my newest blog friends who dared take the challenge and post on my blog. I'll get around to adding you to the list soon. Seriously, though, I am excited!

In other news, Patrick came home from work early yesterday with the somewhat unfortunate news that he lost his job. In some ways, it was an answer to prayers, and I've really been feeling a mix of emotions, but gratitude is a big one. He's been unhappy there for a long time (like probably since last fall) and has turned down a few offers in the past few months, so he's already been looking around. There really were a lot of factors that went into all of this. In so many ways I feel relief- relief that my husband won't come home stressed everyday because he's hating his job and that he doesn't have to wake up everyday and go to a job he hates! I'd say I'm a pretty optimistic person (with a definite sarcastic vein that I try to overcome), but I think I need to make a list of all the reasons this is a good thing for us:
1. Quality (and quantity!) family time that we've missed with an overworked husband/dad.
2. No more 30 minute each way commute (at least for now).
3. We finally have time to get around to house projects that we haven't had time for. Maybe I should start unpacking some more boxes from when we moved in....almost 2 years ago... We already started on this one tonight with some serious weed pulling in what will someday be our garden.
4. I can go to the store by myself if I so desire!
5. Patrick can find a job that he actually enjoys doing. I really do feel good about this. We've been feeling the need to make a change for a while, but I've never met anyone more loyal than my husband, and he really felt guilty when he'd think about quitting. This way, he has no guilt, and can move on. He's also extremely talented in his field. When I say he's in the computer industry, think geek. Geek is good in this realm. I really don't think he'll have trouble finding work, he's at the point in his career that we feel we can be a little bit selective in what we're wanting, and that is a great feeling.
6. We have enough savings to make it for a little while, and won't (hopefully) be left in ruins. We will, however, have to curb our spending in ways we probably should anyway (yes, no more big shopping sprees for a bit). It will force me to stick to my menus and budget- a definite good thing to learn!
7. We have no schedule! Yes, he'll be looking for a job and hopefully interviewing a lot of the time, but we can go to the park, the pool, the library, a picnic, a hike, whenever we want!
8. We can truly magnify our callings right now. There are no excuses to hold us back from giving great amounts of service. We also have more time to devote to attending the temple, reading our scriptures, and other things we should be doing but may not always be doing with the greatest diligence.
9. We will grow closer as a couple and a family. Not only because we'll be spending more time together, but also because we'll be relying more on each other.
10. We will be embracing change and the blessings that come from positive changes.

When he got home yesterday, I was completely shocked, but also extremely angry at his boss. I still am, and it comes in waves, but I'm doing much better. I had a vivid dream last night that his boss's family needed a place to stay and asked to come stay at our house. We kind of avoided each other in the house, until they were leaving in the morning, and I totally lit into his boss about what a big jerk he was, etc. I could recall our conversation so clearly. Then, I started hitting him over and over and he was just standing there. I think I realized upon waking up and reflecting on it that being angry really only hurts myself, not him at all. I've learned this lesson before in my life, but it's good to learn it again. I've felt very vindictive in this situation, and it really hasn't been pretty. But I'm praying for peace and calm. I'm really trying to get past what's happened, and just focus on what's ahead and enjoying this time we have to take a break and spend time together. So please, don't worry about us. Really, we'll be fine. This is a trial and a blessing all rolled into one, but then, isn't it really always like that? Thanks for listening/reading. I'll keep you posted. Oh, and another silver lining is that with Pat home, Addie took a nap today ;)

No naps and blog stalkin'...

Well, the biggest development over the past two days is no naps. That's right, folks, Addie has decided she's had enough. After 2 days of battles where Addie has gotten physical and I've tried hard not to, I think afternoon naps for Addie are becoming a thing of the past. I honestly don't know how I will survive. I can't wait until 2:00 rolls around and I finally have a little time to myself, sometimes with Sam, but usually at least an hour to myself. I've tried explaining to her that if she's not napping, she needs to have quiet time, which involves playing or looking at books quietly in her room. I told her that I need to not be mommy during a few hours every afternoon, and that it's really better for both of us if she can cooperate on the matter. Instead, she's decided she wants to be in my hip pocket. Today I finally said I was taking a nap, so she turned on the tv in my room and sat next to me, patting me, while I dozed for half an hour. I am really not ready for this. Really really not ready for this. It wouldn't be so bad if she'd go to bed a lot earlier because of it, but so far we've only managed to move bedtime up half an hour. Please tell me how I'm going to stay sane. I think I need to go get that Healthy Sleep Habits book pronto! Maybe tomorrow while Addie's not napping, we can go to the bookstore to get it.

In other news, I have become a serious blog stalker. I'm so glad that my small circle of blogging friends have long lists of blogging friends, and their friends have other long lists of blogging friends, and on and on. Honestly, who knew there were so many interesting/hilarious/random people out there documenting their lives in a similar manner. So, a challenge to those of you who are stalking my blog. Make yourselves known. Leave a comment. I dare you! Help my list grow so I have new blogs to snoop, and your long list of friends to snoop too! I promise to try to learn new blogging skills to make my blog more visually appealing. I promise to make a real effort to get out of the house and stop blog snooping so I have more interesting things to blog about. And I promise to sharpen my social skills so my charming, witty, and all around personable self will be seen in every post. Ok, maybe that last one is a little ambitious. But you don't have to tell me I'm funny. I know I'm funny. I've lived with myself for 25 years. I am DANG funny! You would only know how funny that is if you went to college with me :) In all seriousness, come out and play, blog stalkers. It's a lot more fun playing in the playground than it is peeking through the fence!

And now I need to go to bed to make up for the naps I'm missing since Addie is missing them too. Good night, everybody!

Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink...

Have you ever done something that caused big problems, but the only person you had to blame was yourself? That was my day yesterday. I was looking up a recipe, when suddenly I turned to see almost an inch of water covering my kitchen floor. I realize it's also in my laundry room, and thought yay, maybe I'll get the new washer I'm needing. No, this was self-induced. I was doing laundry all day, and decided I needed to soak some of the kids' clothes to aid in stain removal. I had turned on the laundry sink, and then Sam started crying. I went to get him and completely forgot about the laundry sink. By the time I realized it, I had filled my laundry room, kitchen, and water went through the air ducts and poured into part of my basement. What a nightmare! Addie had just woken up, so I called my SIL and ran the kids over there so I could work on the disaster. I called Patrick and told him to come home from work, and then called my neighbors to see if they had a shop vac I could use. Luckily, the did and brought it over. The little girl at that house ran and told our other neighbors, so they showed up with tons of towels ready to help. Water had gotten so many places we pulled out the washer, dryer, fridge, and stove just to get it all up. One neighbor helped Pat drill holes in the sub-floor and the air ducts to drain more water. I was so relieved that within about 1 1/2 hours, we were done! The worst part is that it got under my island, but there's no way for us to get under the island, so water just keeps seeping out. We ended up eating dinner at my SIL's. When we got there, Sam had screamed almost the whole time. I felt terrible that I had dumped him on her and then he was so unhappy. I think I felt the worst because so many people helped (paid) all because of my carelessness. So Mel, I can relate to your problem of floods, but I did it to myself! AARGH!
Here's hoping that today is better than yesterday!

My Menu for the Week

Hopefully if I post it, I'll be more likely to stick to it!

Monday: hamburgers, orzo pasta salad, fruit
Tuesday: chicken caesar salad. bread
Wednesday: pork tacos, beans, cilantro-lime rice
Thursday: eating with the out of town relatives
Friday: homemade pizza (I'm excited to try some new crust recipes from the MC cookbook!), salad
Saturday: leftovers or breakfast for dinner
Sunday: risotto, salad

A Shopping Fool

So, please, seriously, somebody stop me. I go through spurts with shopping. I'm good for a while, and reign in my spending, and then it seems like the floodgates open and all of my pent up shopping energy is unleashed. There are definitely certain times of year when I get this way, and late summer is one of them. Another one is the beginning of spring, when spring apparel is hitting the stores, and I want it to be warm so much that I buy into the marketing ploy- buying this stuff will make it seem warmer, sooner! Of course mid-fall is another, when I'm really picking up tempo with Christmas shopping, and fall linens and serve-ware seems so necessary for upcoming holiday meals. I've never figured out how to include pics in my blog without it dragging from the site and taking a million years to load, so I'm going to enter unchartered territory and see if I can share with you some of my finds. If not, I'll just post the links (another never before tried feat), and you can go see for yourself.

First deal of the week is the amazing steals at e.l.f, or eyes lips face. Honestly, make-up for $1? Tweezers and brushes and lip gloss and blush and concealer for $1? I think this is a promo, and I'm not exactly sure when it ends, but I ordered around $35 in product! I'm usually a MAC girl, but honestly, who can pass up make-up for $1. Yes, it is sight unseen, which makes me a little leery, but if it's bad, at least I'm only out $1, right? Or $35...oh yeah :) I ordered a few lip gloss sets to give as gifts (5 glosses in a set for $5) because what glamor girl doesn't love a little gloss in her life. Anyway, next deals....

I've gone crazy Addie shopping, but she really was in desperate need of clothes. First, I found the cutest dress on the planet, and luckily it was on sale, putting it into the more reasonable price range. Check this out...the New Growth Dress in pale blue from Olive Juice Kids.
The blue is actually much different looking from the pic (not so turquoise-y), and I'll have to post a pic soon of Addie in the dress- it was adorable at church today! I love dressing a girl!
Friday night I got roped into a shopping trip, but they didn't have to twist my arm too
hard. My husband's aunt is in town, so my sister-in-law, niece, mother-in-law, aunt-in-law (is that even a term), and his 2 cousins were out for a night on the town. We went to Naartjie, and I came home with a bagful o' stuff. They're having their summer clearance, so all of the already marked down items were an extra 30% off! I had over 12 items in my bag and had only spent $60. Of course, I also bought a couple of full-priced items for fall, but they were begging me to give them a new home in Addie's closet. I think I may have to go back this week to exchange a couple sizes, but I really was thrilled with my purchases.

I also bought some adorable sheets at Target that I think will go great with the new quilt I'm planning to get Addie. It's been almost a year since she's been in her twin bed, and I've yet to commit to a bedding set...until now. My MIL made adorable curtains for her room- white with green embroidered polka-dots and a scalloped green edge. I'll have to take pics soon and post them, honestly, so sweet. So, I found the perfect new quilt from Pottery Barn Kids- I'm planning to get it in pink, but take a peek! It reverses to white with green polka dots, exactly like her curtains. The sheets I got are green with white polka dots- too cute! Maybe Pat and I will make it up to Trolley Square this week so I can finally start putting her room together more. I should take before and after pics. She really needs a new dresser, so I'm keeping my eyes peeled at some of the locally owned cutesy furniture shops.

My last big purchases of the weekend came from the Anniversary Sale at Nordstrom. I knew I needed some new shoes, so I threw Addie in the car at 8 last night (when really she should have been going to bed soon after) and let her have a girl's night out of shopping with me. It's amazing when you have two how much you kind of miss doing things with your kids individually. Sometimes it's nice to go out with just her instead of hefting Sam along too. Anyhow, I've been trying to get some exercise motivation so that I can shed the 5 pounds I gained in the past 2 weeks. Yeah, they've been some stressful weeks. Here are my cute new running shoes, and here are my old reliable Dansko's in black, although this time I branched out and bought the mary-jane style instead of the closed-back clog. The really cool thing with the running shoes is that you can buy some sort of nike-ipod sport pack that includes a sensor you put into your shoe, and then it talks to your ipod to tell you how far you've gone, how fast, how many calories burned, etc. Not that I'm getting it in the near future, but honestly, how cool is that. If I'm going to make myself do some sort of physical activity, I'd love a cool high-tech way to track my progress. Or maybe Patrick's love for useful gadgets is rubbing off on me.

So now that I've spent all our money, I need to commit to eating at home for a while as penance. Maybe tomorrow I'll post my menu for the week in hopes it will make me more dedicated to stick to it. But if you want to go shopping, let me know ;)

Ok, I'll play...

I decided it was time for me to get in on one of these blogging my personal trivia crazes so you can get to know me. Thanks, Lupe, for tagging the general public. I guess I could admit to blog snooping Carey, so I've really been tagged twice. Without further ado...

4 JOBS I'VE HAD

1) 8th grade United States history teacher. Good times...

2) General Services at the Missionary Training Center. I refer to it as my mission since I worked there for 2 years. When I started the missionaries were still cute, and I was only 19. When I left, I realized missionaries really aren't as cool as I'd always believed. Now, I can't believe I ever thought they were cool (and with a brother on a mission I have license to say it)! I worked with some amazing people here too, one of them my best friend and roommate in college.

3) Human Resources Assistant at the Alpine School District Office. It was in between school years, and such a funny job, but working with some great ladies.

4) Hospital "Office Worker". I started as a scheduler in Diagnostic Imaging, and while there worked as a scheduler in Physical Therapy,and also in admitting, medical records, and as a pbx operator. By far one of my most fun jobs, especially because I worked with one of my best friends.



4 PLACES I'VE LIVED

1) Enola, PA

2) Meridian, ID

3) Provo, UT

4) Lehi, UT


4 FOODS I LOVE (Maybe I can make this a topic of another post only change it to 40 foods I love. I'm still not sure that would be enough...)

1) Ice cream. I've had a love affair with this most splendid of foods from a young age. I'm fairly confident I could out-eat anyone reading this blog in an ice cream eating contest. LOVE it! Words honestly aren't expressing here the depth of feelings.

2) Pork Tacos. Easy recipe, delicious results. Honestly, who doesn't love taco night?

3) Avocados- I love them in salads, in tacos, in guacamole, by themselves. It's "good fat", right?

4) Hamburgers. I could eat a good burger every night of the week. I especially love grilling them at home during the summer and having them with tomato straight from the vine. So delicious.



4 WEB SITES I FREQUENT

1) Blogs. I've turned into quite the blog snooper. I never knew what I was missing out on!

2) Martha Stewart. I have dreams of being a domestic goddess. I pretend I am when I visit this site. They have some great recipes, and cute project ideas.

3) USBank. I'm constantly keeping track of my spending.

4) Utah Real Estate. No, we're not moving, but I think once you've looked for houses, you'll always have the bug.




4 Places I'd rather be:

1) at the mall- I have some serious shopping to do. The Anniversary sale is almost over.

2) in Boise. My friend Amy had the day off today and wanted me to come visit, but the thought of the drive with 2 kids by myself just wasn't appealing.

3)in Seattle. Beautiful and fun!

4) in Hawaii- I think maybe we're going next year, and I'm getting so excited!




4 MOVIES THAT I LIKE

1) Clue- So many great one-liners, what's not to love?

2) Stranger Than Fiction- who doesn't love a dark comedy

3) The Sound of Music- I used to believe I was Julie Andrews.

4) You've Got Mail-I'd like to be the cute person that Meg Ryan plays in this movie. She always has on such great skirts.



4 TV SHOWS I WATCH:

1) The Office

2) Numbers (every other Friday when we're not out on a date)

3) America's Test Kitchen- only if I happen to catch it on a Saturday on PBS, but I love it.

4) So You Think You Can Dance- yes, this is one of my guilty pleasures


There you have it. I'm serious, look for an upcoming blog entitled 40 foods I love. I wish that I ate to live instead of lived to eat, but alas, food is a passion.

The not quite weekend update

Sorry, I'm not Seth Meyers or Amy Poehler, but I'll try to suffice for this mid-week update. I've had hard days with Addie, nights that were too short leaving me tired in the morning, and I'm ready for the weekend.
Tuesday I did go on a cleaning rampage, and I was really motivated this time to maintain the state of cleanliness we'd achieved. Then Addie woke up the next day. I swear, if I didn't have a toddler who was also intent on organizing, just in a very different system than my own, my house would be immaculate! Instead, art supplies, toys, stuffed animals, diapers, and clothes are constantly trading places around my house, making it quite a sad site. I did have an epiphany while cleaning, though. I caught a glimpse of myself maintaining my perfectly neat house 30 years down the road when all the kids are gone, and I realized that it will be a sad day when my house stays clean because it's not full of kids. So, I'm trying more to revel in the mess, realizing the joy of children that it symbolizes. Take out all the toys, Addie! Unravel the tp! It's mess-making time! And then, after you're in bed, I'll clean it all up and we can do it again tomorrow. As long as you stay little enough to keep making the mess, I won't complain about cleaning it up. Oh, if only it were that easy to keep the kiddos small. It's so fun to watch them learn and grow, but I have to say, I already mourn the day when we will no longer have a baby in the house. Pat and I were talking when we were out for our anniversary last week about the joys of having kids and the reasons we want more. Who knows what the number will be, but I told him that when we're finished, I really hope it's clear as a bell that our family is complete, because I know it will be hard for me to realize that we're closing that chapter, even though we'll be moving to another good place. Sheesh, I don't usually get this sappy until night, and it's not even 9 am. If this is a sign of things to come today, I'd like to go back to bed :)
We had book club Tuesday which was fun, nothing much to report about. Our numbers are small so far with only 5 committed members, but it was only our 2nd month. Hopefully we'll get a few more good recruits from our struggling ward population.
In other kid news, Sam decided to take off yesterday. He rolled over a few months ago, but apparently didn't like it, so he'd stopped. Yesterday, he took off again. I couldn't put him on the floor and walk away before he'd rolled over again. I know, I should be excited at this milestone day, but really, it breeds a feeling of dread on several fronts.
1. He's growing up (see above section on my love for having a baby in the house).
2. He's that much closer to getting to chase-mode. I guess I need to dust off my running shoes, or maybe just buy a new pair- I always can find an excuse for new shoes!
3. He's stealing my precious computer time because after about 5 minutes on his tummy, he's done and screaming for some assistance.
I needed to make it to the grocery store yesterday, but we struggled to make it out of the house, which just happens some days. It's usually on the days that I end up getting completely ready, so that means I kind of look a little scrubby (showered, just not freshly washed and styled hair) on the days we do make it out of the house. So, I think we'll venture out today, although wouldn't you know it, it looks rainy and overcast. There's nothing more fun than hauling groceries and 2 kids around. It's not bad upon arriving home, it's getting everything into the car to come home that's the worst. Maybe I'll actually take the poor baggers up on their offer to help me to my car. It's probably the liberated woman in my that always says no thanks, and the fact that I don't want to embarrass the scrawny 15 year old boy when I' m showing him up hefting my groceries. But yes, today, a-grocery-ing we'll go. And I do love summer rain, so it's a good excuse to be out, I suppose.
I need to keep fighting the good fight of laundry that I've been working on all week. I think I'll make meatball sandwiches tonight for dinner. I think I salivated just typing that. Meatballs were a huge craving for me while pregnant with Sam. It must be Patrick's Italian heritage (MIL's parents both immigrated from Italy) that gave my little man child such strong desires for a good meatball. And then he was born with red hair. Don't you love genetics?
Ok, that about wraps it up around here. I'm Christina, and this has been your mid-week update.