Finish the sentence

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Friendship is . . .

This kid is awesome!

Saw this on Ellen today . . . this kid is good! Ryan, you need to keep teaching Oliver!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKXpqPdCRNU

My (un) illicit affair with the garden boy

I hate to brag, but I have the hottest gardener in town: Josh spent the weekend with his dad and Christopher moving the garden and getting it ready to plant. It's going to be a good year!!! The garden was pushed up against our back fence but the trees in the yard behind us put too much shade on it and we didn't get enough sun. So they changed the angle of the garden and now we have a spot for a nice little back patio (that's the next project).

After three long, hard months of doing little more than sitting at a desk pushing papers around Josh was super excited to get out in the yard, work with his hands and get dirty.

And Sasha has yet another new trick! We were having lunch and I gave her a plastic cup to play with. She immediately grabbed it with both hands and put it right up to her mouth like she was taking a drink! Yes, I know the natural reaction for a baby her age is to put everything directly in their mouth, but she just looked so funny putting her mouth right up to it like she was really taking a drink! It was great! Let's just hope she doesn't get too attached to red plastic cups, we know what usually goes into those! :)

I won't be offended if you skip this one . . .

I love reading other people's blogs. It often spurs me to think of things I might not have thought about that day. A lot of times in life we think we aren't special. Well, I do anyway. I sometimes wonder "What am I really contributing to the world? Am I making a difference? How different would the world be if I wasn't here?" Then I walk into my daughter's bedroom, see her sleeping or playing with her toes and she looks up at me and smiles the biggest smile I have ever seen. Have you ever wanted to be the reason the room lights up when you walk into it? Have you ever wanted to be the absolute center of someone's universe? I am so lucky to say that I am, because I am a mother. I see now why God wants us to be mothers. There is so much joy and fulfillment in being a mother. There's been a piece, albeit small, that has been missing for a while and children fill that space. I also know that this space is able to be filled because it is the only piece of me that was missing. I am happy. I am whole. I am love and loved. Despite of, and because of its challenges, life is great.

Beyond words . . .

It is completely beyond my comprehension how someone could hurt a child or treat a child in a harmful way. It has always made me sad to hear stories of abused and mistreated children but now that I am a mother it literally makes me want to throw up when I hear these stories. Throw up and then beat the livin' crap out of the person responsible for the mistreatment. I'm sure I am not alone in this. I just do not understand it one single bit. And I don't want to understand it either. Understanding is the booby prize of life, you get nothing from it. I just don't know how people can do mean things to a child. Children are as close to God as you can get on this earth, that's part of the reason I love them so much and love being around them. There is such pure joy and happiness in a child, I can't get enough of it.

Happy Easter

We learn a new trick every day around here . . . yes, that is her foot in her mouth!

For easter Sasha got a new toy! The Easter bunny brought her one of those stationary jumpers with all sorts of music and sound. So far she likes it, for short periods of time anyway.

Her feet barely touch the ground!

This thing is giant!

Josh got a new CD and I got a Ped Egg and a digital photo key chain. Thanks easter bunny!

Wicked. Wicked Awesome!

OH MY GOSH!!!! Last night was the best night of theater I have ever witnessed! If you were unable to get tickets to this I am sorry becuase this is the best musical ever! I think it is replacing RENT as my no. 1 musical (don't worry Shannon, it will always remain at the top!) After every song or scene I wanted to jump up and cheer. The cast was SO GOOD!!!! I will always consider Idina and Kristen as the original Glinda (the Ga is silent) and Elphaba, but the girls on stage last night definitely did not disapointify! Glinda was freakin' hilarious! Think of an extremely perky head cheerleader after downing about 10 Red Bulls. I don't know how this girl can do that night after night. But she was so good! I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more. If I could see that show every night and not get tired of it.

Mandi and I went to dinner at Little America before the show, then met up with Steve and Whitney. If you are going and your husband is dreading it because he thinks he won't like it- boy is he in for a surprise! Even if the theater is his idea of hell on earth, he will like this show, I promise!

Me, Whit and Mandi doing our Glinda poses after the show. Toss, toss!

Seriously a wicked, wicked good show!

4 months old!

Sasha's 4 months stats:
12.4 lbs.
25 inches tall
41 cm's around her head
Cuter than a button and never been sick! Wahoo! I feel good to have gone this long without her getting sick. I know it will happen one day and I will feel horrible when it does, but so far so good. She still loves her rice cereal and applesauce, yay! So in honor of her eating cereal . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmiYAbZrm0E

Island Park

Last Saturday Sasha and I got to go up to Island Park with the Godfrey family. We had such a great time! We relaxed from Saturday until Wednesday, it was so awesome! We played every day and I finally got Sasha's scrapbook started!!! I'll take some pics of the pages and post them later. Here are a few pics of us . . .

After taking a walk in the sunshine. I love this little hat on her!

Sasha taking her first bites of cereal. She LOVED IT! Especially when mixed with apple sauce. I think we have a whole new era of poopy diapers coming our way!

Thanks again Kirk and Heidi for letting us crash with you for a few days! We had a great time.

Lots and Lots . . .

Last week my brother and his wife were able to come down from Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada. They came for Shila's best friend's wedding. They left the kiddo-s at home but it was still good to see them. We had dinner at my mom's their first night here. Some fun pics from the night . . .

Shila and Sasha
Mom and G-Pat. Technology puzzles them . . .

Scott and Chris . . . the brothers goofy

Cheesy Christopher

Scotty and Sasha

Mmmmm . . .fruit
Mmmmmm . . . meat!
Uh . . . broccoli (just kidding mom, it was good!)

Josh and Sasha . . . don't ask me what that face is. We all know that Josh is completely incapable of smiling like a noraml person in pictures.

My sweet girl

Sasha and Grandma DeEtte

Sasha and Grandma Pat

G-Pat, Scott and Shila

Friday night we got to go to my friend Jake's wedding reception. It was beautiful and the food was yummy!

Saturday we went to West Haven to celebrate Jake M's first birthday! Whitney throws a great party! It was Hawaiian themed with really yummy food (as always) and fun games for the kids. Jake is such a cute kid! He LOVED that there was a party going on! He got lots of cool toys and way cute clothes. We had a great time. Thanks for inviting us Jake!

Whitney and her Aunt made this awesome surf board cake. It tasted as good as it looked!

For some reason I can't get these last two pictures to flip. Oh well.

Sasha sitting up in her Bumbo chair. She is doing pretty good and getting stronger every day!

So that's the update on our lives. What's new with you?

March is gone . . .

I'm stealing another great idea from Staci's blog-

31 things we (well, mostly me) did in March (now you can see just how boring our lives really are!)

1. Flew to Seattle, WA to Eugene, OR, back to Seattle and back to Eugene all within 12 hours

2. Forgot to set the clocks on daylight savings and missed church- crap!

3. Had teeth cleaned

4. Had a tooth filled- first cavity in like 4 years!

5. Sasha had her first 'bad' night and cried for like an hour and a half

6. Helped Amberly celebrate her birthday

7. Went to Port Angeles, WA

8. Rode the ferry in Washington (see uber exciting post below)

9. Fixed Josh's closets (see other exciting post below)

10. Went to the scrapbook expo and DIDN'T spend all my money

11. Went to Candlebox, Royal Bliss and Jet Black Stream concert at the Depot

12. Had dinner with Scott and Shila, in town from Canada for a friend's wedding

13. Went to Jake O's reception

14. Made 27 caramel apples for the Make-A-Wish gala

15. Bought 4 more apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory so I could give Mandi a total of 30 apples (only had enough caramel to cover 27 apples and of course Josh begged for one). Must say that my apples kick RMCF's butt!!! Mine are bigger, chocolatier, prettier and taste better!

16. Took Sasha to Jake M's first birthday party- what a fun day! (Whit, we are STILL waiting to see the pictures!!!)

17. Re-read the Twilight books

18. Sasha got her first taste of apple juice (she has a few plumbing problems and needs some help sometimes)

19. Planned, and subsequently had to cancel due to lack of snow, a sledding party for our Elder's Quorum (yes, I know this is a MALE organization but my husband is in charge of activities and completely lacks any and all party planning skills)

20. Josh did lots and lots of taxes

21. Sasha borrowed Jake's bumbo chair and likes to sit in it

22. Sasha ate/drank lots of formula

23. Sasha met Uncle Scott and Aunt Shila for the first time

24. Put Josh's China trip on the credit card

25. Applied for Josh's Visa to go to China

26. Watched lots of Travel Channel shows about China

27. Josh and Chris did tons of yardwork

28. Taught the primary kids a new song

29. Forgot to get my boss a card for his birthday

30. Drove an Infiniti G35x and BMW 335i at Harrison Imports

31. Argued with Josh over which car was better

Wow, we are SO BORING!!! I think it took me 20 minutes to come up with all of that!

Here are a few things we are looking forward to in April . . . already a more exciting month than March:

1. Sasha's 4 month checkup

2. General conference

3. Spending 3 1/2 days in Island Park scrapbooking with Amberly and Heidi

4. Also spending those days hanging out with Sasha pretty much nonstop. YES!

5. WICKED!!! I cannot wait to see this show! Poor Steve, you get to see Wicked with three crazy women . . . hope you're up for it!

6. Tax season ends!!! I get my husband back!

7. Going to St. George, Mesquite or Vegas with the in-laws

8. Get to see my dad when we visit one or more of the locations above

9. Getting my hair done

10. Going to Women's Conference with my mom, Amberly and Heidi

11. Planning Sasha's blessing

12. Helping my mom make Sasha's blessing day outfits

13. Finally getting pages in Sasha's scrapbook done!

14. Losing 10 more lbs (have to look good in the cute outfit I bought for Sasha's blessing)

15. Paying off more debts

16. Easter!

17. The neighborhood breakfast and easter egg hunt

18. Planning an old fashioned family vacation with Josh's family for next summer

19. Signing more contracts and making more $$$

20. Chris getting his learner's permit

21. Watching flowers start to grow and bloom in the yard

22. Warmer weather!

23. Josh finishing school!!!

24. Mailing Sasha's blessing invites

25. Seeing Josh's cousin Debbie

That's all I can really think of now, but April definitely looks more exciting that March was!