Fun stuff

I took a class on Saturday about using my super nifty DSLR camera. I am SO EXCITED to practice and get better at taking pictures! I have always loved photography so to finally have a REALLY good camera, and then actually KNOW how to use it...well watch out! Next step is to learn photoshop, but one thing at a time people!
So this afternoon I took my Little Miss Sassy Pants outside and messed around for a bit. I think I got a couple of pretty cute ones. Then again, I have a pretty cute subject.

Okay, I know, totally amateur, but hey I'm just learning!

Tiny Dancer...almost

So I know I promised pics of this weeks ago but things have been super crazy busy! The 29th I got a text from my agent saying that the short sale of the house was approved and could we be out by the 12. Of March.

We were able to extend until the 15th, which helped but when all was said and done we ended up moving everything on the 9th and 10th. So yeah, things have been slightly chaotic.

So now on to the important part. Sasha's Dance Debut!!!


  Getting ready at Aunt Mandi's

So unfortunately Miss Sassy Pants got a little scared and overwhelmed by the big crowd and instead of doing her dance, she just cried. I felt so bad! I should have been right down in front where she could see me and the next time I definitely will be. But she looked absolutely beautiful and I can't wait for the next one.

St. George

Sassy & I went down and spent the weekend in St. George with my Mom, Rich, Garret, Holly and Chris. It was such nice weather! We hit a few of the homes in the Parade of Homes (some totally awesome houses!), ate WAY too much and left way too early. Always wish we could have just a few more days.

 Going out for a spin...

 Playing on the red rocks...

Chillin with Grandma DeEtte at the fire pit.

Next time you're in St. George go eat at Russo's NY Pizza. My brother Chris works there (he's a poor college student that could really use the tips!) and the pizza is YUM! It's just off Bluff and Sunset. They have delicious pizza, great salads and the garlic knots- to. die. for.

In other news....the house sold! I have to be out by the 16th of March. ACK! It's kind of bittersweet. I'm not ready to leave my neighborhood. I absolutely love it here! But on the flip side, I can't take care of this house on my own and it will be a good change for us girls. We're going to move in with my oldest brother Ryan and his family for a while. Which is super exciting because my awesome SIL Deseree' is expecting a baby! YAY! I love litle newborns so I'm really excited to be there. It's just a move from Farmington to Bountiful so I know I can come back and visit often, which is good. I've made some really, really good friends around here that have been a huge support to me over the years.

I've been traveling a bunch for work. I've been to California twice this month! It's been good to be busy, but I think I may need a small break from the road, at least until I can get things situated at Ryan's. Then back at it!

Sasha's first dance recital is this Saturday. I am SO. EXCITED. I can hardly stand it. Her costume is so darling and I know she is going to rock it! Yes, there will be pictures, and hopefully video soon to come.

My little Valentine...

My little princess...she insisted on wearing the crown to church today. And since it's Valentines she wanted to wear a "big pink dress." I think she looked pretty darn cute

My Mom throws a pretty good party. Tonight we had a birthday/valentines party. She planned a scavenger hunt in the house and it was tough! She wrote all of our names on hearts and cut them in half. We were divided up into teams and each of us had to find the other half of our heart. The team that found the other half of their hearts first won "fabulous prizes." The little kids had just as much fun as the big kids :)

Garrett holding up his "fabulous prize" of .... deodorant!

The yummy combo birthday cake for Garrett, McKenzie and Ryan. It was Ryan's idea to put the Jesus statue over the cake. Some of us laughed but my mom didn't think it was so great...

Then an intense game of domino's started up...

Cute baby Ellie :)

Great party mom!

Okay, so I technically should be prepping for a business trip. I should be packing. I should be prepping my client presentations. I should be going to bed early. But instead I'm browsing around online, playing on Pinterest and blogging. If only I could get paid for this, ha ha.

Oh, and I got bangs.

HGTV Dream Home

This weekend has been BUSY! Have you heard of the HGTV Dream Home? They build one every year in a different location and then give it away. Yup, they just give it away. Along with a car. And $500,000 CASH! Well this year they built the house up in Heber. HGTV allows the builders to offer public tours of the home as long as a local charity benefits from the proceeds. The Utah chapter of Make-A-Wish was selected as the charity! So of course they have needed volunteers to help direct the tours and such. I of course jumped at the chance! Not only does it feel good to spend some of my free time volunteering & helping grant the wishes of some really awesome kids, but I get to hang out in a really beautiful house and meet some nice (and some strange...and some really strange) people all day. It's really been awesome.

And now for the plug...

Tours are offered Thursday/Friday from 12-5 and Saturday/Sunday from 10-6 throughout the month of February. The cost is $15 per person and all the money goes to Make-A-Wish. Kids 3 and under are free, but have to be carried throughout the home. (Honestly, if you can come without the kiddo-s I suggest it. They don't necessarily think walking around looking at homes is very exciting) Yes, you can take pictures in the house.
The tours fill up pretty fast, especially on Saturday so you will want to register & reserve your spot online at
http://www.dreamhome.kintera.org/

And you should definitely come on the 18th or 19th cause those are the other two days I'll be up there volunteering. :)

Uuuuummmmm

Didn't know what to really title this post....still not even sure what I'm posting about. But yet I feel it necessary to post something. It's been a really emotional few weeks. Lots of changes going on in my life. All for the better, I feel, but still a LOT of changes. And sometimes it just overwhelms you. But I'm so grateful to have amazing, wonderful and supportive people around me.

The last year or so I have taken a lot of time to get to know "me" to figure out who I am and what I want my life to be like and I've worked really hard to make the changes that I feel are necessary to have the life I've always dreamed of. Am I there yet? Heck no, but that's okay. The journey is all a part of it. But I can't tell you how truly good it feels to just be me. All the time. No matter who is around or what I am doing. This is me, take it or leave it. And that feels so. darn. good.

I think we might be finally ready to let go of the binky. I never thought I'd get to say it but I think we are there. Hallelujah! She did find one hidden in some dark corner of the house so there was one night she had it, but the babysitter put her to bed and he didn't know. So I'm just not counting that night.

Sassy also got measured for her first dance recital costume. I AM SO EXCITED! I actually started to tear up when she was getting measured. I have always love music and dance (though I'm not really talented at either) and so to have my daughter show the same excitement for things that I love is so awesome. Of course I will support her and be her biggest (and let's face it, loudest) cheerleader in anything she pursues, but I'm really excited that she loves dance. We have random dance parties at our house at least once a week.

I made this collage the other day in Picasa. Can't wait to get it printed and hung up somewhere in the house. I just love this girl!

Its just a random collection of pics of Miss Sassy Pants & me, nothing that took extreme amounts of creative talent to make. But I know that I can look at this and on days when I miss her like crazy because we are apart or when we are screaming at each other and both slamming doors like a couple of teenagers, I can see the smiles and think of all the good times we have had and the great times that are yet to come.

Opposites

Do opposites really attract? Okay forget the science behind all that with magnets and such, not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about people. I agree that yes, initially we are attracted to people that are, in many ways, opposite from us. Makes sense. This other person is comes from a different place, they are interested in different things and can introduce us to new worlds we had never explored before. But can that attraction (meaning the relationship be it friends, spouse, etc.) really last? What happens when you both certainly support each other in your differences, those variances that you just can't share (his love for the sport of curling, your incessant desire to attend poetry readings), begin to add up and soon your penciling each other in for date night and when it comes you can't think of a single thing to do? Then what? This is why I think that opposites may attract, but they don't stay together for very long. There has to be enough common ground that you and this person you like so much can actually figure out what to DO when you spend time together. There is nothing wrong with trying new things and expanding your horizons but if you just can't bring yourself to play Risk even once every three months or so when he plays on a weekly basis with his buddies (and once or twice on his own)...there might be an issue. Just sayin.

Okay this is what happens when I'm sick and can't sleep. I go on crazy, goofy rants like this one.