California Trip!!!

Thanks to state holidays and just plain good luck Andy had a whopping four days with no school or work... for Andy that is a huge vacation. We decided to seize the opportunity and make a fast dash to California. Andy has an aunt that was nice enough to let us stay in her home (even though they were not there). It was a wonderful family vacation, and really gave us the chance to make awesome memories. The car ride was long but thanks to a copy of Kung Fu Panda I was able to buy at the gas station in Nephi for $15 the kids did pretty good.
We spent every second we could at the beach. Talan was a little scared of the waves, he loves swimming but he's only used to pools! But he got in a few times if Andy held him and would let the waves crash into them. He laughed and had a great time.



Talan really just wanted to dig in the sand and fly kites.



Cohen loved the sand, and he did a pretty good job not eating it... but at times the temptation was just too much!


A main reason we went was to eat at Cafe Firenze. The owner was our favorite contestant on Top Chef. It was the BEST meal I've ever had. Andy had the chance to talk to the head chef afterwards and told him he was finishing school next year. The chef was really nice and said he was opening 3 new places this next year, so if Andy's willing to move out there after school he'd love to hire him!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW WOW WOW! Obviously that is a year away so we're trying to remember the offer may not still stand. But it would still be an AMAZING opportunity and it really gave Andy a confidence booster to know his dreams can really become a reality, and soon.

The kids had a harder time on the way home. Our normal rule is no sugar before age 1, but poor Cohen was so sad I let him have a red vine... and this was the result:


That's what vacations are for right?!?!?!

Brothers

Talan and Cohen are finally starting to play together... kinda. Cohen has always adored Talan, he can make him laugh more than anyone. Talan has always liked Cohen... but from a distance. That was fine by me because at least I didn't have to worry about him injuring the new baby by "loving" him too much.
Now that Cohen is bigger and can "do stuff" Talan has taken more of an interest. He almost always calls him "Cohen James" and will tell him "I love you Cohen James... so much". They love taking baths or playing ball together. It is such a huge joy to watch them become real friends. I know they are going to be great friends.
Some pictures of my boys hanging out together.







We just recently got a new bed. We had to put the old mattress in the living room for a few hours till we moved it to it's new home. Talan IMMEDIATELY climbed up to the top so he could slide down, and of course Cohen was following close behind.



I have no idea why both of them do these "picture faces", but they both do it in almost every single picture. So funny!!

Me gradué!!!

I graduated high school in 1999. I started going to Ricks College only weeks later. I graduated from Rick's (yes it was still Rick's that's how long ago it was) in 2001 with a two year degree. Now it's 2009 and I FINALLY finished my 4 year degree!!! Is it still a 4 year degree if it took 10 years to do?
What took so long you ask? Well since Rick's I: went on a mission, got married, and had 2 children. All of these things plus changing majors and minors makes for a long college career. However, I'm so proud of myself for actually finishing. (yes, I'll go ahead and toot my own horn, toot toot!). When I found out I was pregnant with Talan I had only a few classes to finish to get my degree. But I wanted to take a break so I could focus on my baby. I didn't go back until I was pregnant with Cohen. It was SO embarrassing walking into a classroom 38 1/2 weeks pregnant on the first day of class. I couldn't even fit in the dang desk and I almost walked out, thankfully I had Cohen the very next day so the next time I went to class I at least could sit down like everyone else.
I honestly don't know how I made it through my last two semesters. Andy and I both had full time jobs, we were both going to school, and we had two children. I'm so grateful for online classes, my work from home job, and my sister Heather for babysitting the 20 minutes that Andy and mine schedules overlapped. And more than anything I'm glad to be DONE! On my Senior Graduation Survey the University asked everyone to fill out they asked what I plan to do with my degree. I was proud to write "Use it as an example to my children as I raise them as a stay at home mommy!"

The look on my face describes how I feel about graduations... I think they are boring, boring, boring... but hear people cheer at just the mention of my name was cool.


Talan HATED my hat and refused to be anywhere near me or even look at me while I had it on. He screamed all day "Mommy hat OFF! hat OFF!" These are our attempts at getting a picture with him:



Once I took the hat off he let me hold him... but only for a moment


Cohen however was fine to let me hold him


With my biggest supporters, Mom, Dad, and Andy of course!!




After the ceremony was over and I had the cap and gown off Talan snuggled right up to me and forgave me for wearing such a horrible costume


Andy and I on our way to dinner to celebrate ME!

For the Moms

Ever have a day when you just want to lock yourself in the bathroom and scream? I did just that today... twice. Thank goodness there is always a tomorrow!

What to blog about when the camera is broken? Take a trip down memory lane!!

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon BYU television while I was aimless flipping channels late at night waiting for Andy to come home from work. I ended up watching The Errand of Angels. Granted... it is one of the cheesier movies in the "mormon movie genre", the acting isn't that great and the plot is severely lacking, but nevertheless I found myself crying in parts. Just because it brought me back to my days in El Salvador. I've been home almost 6 years now... can you believe it?!? 6 years?!?! Yet I still think about the people there everyday.
I met people who live in the most extreme poverty imaginable and yet they are a hundred times happier than so many people I've met here who have everything they want. They are hard workers and don't complain, nor do they look for a handout from anyone else. They just do what it takes to survive. I think a lot of people in our country could learn from them.
These are just a few random pictures I pulled out to take me back...

It was this little boy's 2nd birthday so we brought him a cupcake, he was so excited, he'd never had chocolate before


I used the story of this family as part of my senior capstone project about single moms in El Salvador. She is a single mom of 6 kids, the father of the kids is married and has nothing to do with them. We're standing in front of their well that they use to manually draw water several times a day for all their needs. I loved this family!!


We were defrosting our freezer (we had the type where you have to take an ice pick and get it all out) and I took the opportunity to make a snow man in the 5 minutes before it all melted!! (it is HOT there year round)


Making tortillas... yep I can make them by hand. This is how almost everyone cooks, outside over a fire. It is VERY rare for people to have an indoor kitchen.


I took this when I had been there 1 year


Yes... that is me wearing a silly apron and plucking a chicken. I know how to prepare a chicken from the time it is running around to the time it's on your plate!


My favorite little boy in all of El Salvador, Diego, I even named my car after him. And if Andy and I weren't so white we'd name a kid after him.


I climbed this stupid hill about 4 times a day it the blazing sun. we didn't have a car, we didn't even have a bike, we walked EVERYWHERE


Here I'm washing clothes for a lady that just had a baby, those are two of her sons. They wash everything by hand either in rivers or with that thing I'm standing by called a pila


Teaching a little boy how to make tortillas... the boys there don't know how to do anything in the kitchen cause that is "woman's work". So I took it upon myself to teach them!


Lounging in a hand made hammock... one of the luxiouries of El Salvador! :)

Who Is The Wife Of The Year?? I Am!!

Last month an auction was held to raise funds for Stephanie Nielson. I went to high school with Stephanie and sadly her and her husband were in a plane crash last year. Luckily they both survived but it is going to be a long recovery with a hefty bill. While I browsed the items up for auction looking for a way to donate I saw something that I knew I had to get for Andy, Row 2 VIP tickets to the Jazz vs. Celtics game... conveniently scheduled close to Valentines Day. I started bidding right away, I was on a mission to get those tickets for my husband! My mission was successful and I won! I handed Andy the tickets on Valentine's day (It was near impossible not to spill the beans sooner). He opened them and smiled, thinking they were run of the mill Jazz tickets in our usual nose-bleed-could've-had-a-better-seat-at-home seats. I will never forget the look on his face when he realized what he was really looking at, after celebrating for a few minutes he immediately starting calling his brothers to brag about how awesome his wife is, and I have to admit he is right, I'm pretty dang awesome.

Here we are anxiously waiting for the big game to begin


We were right next to the Celtic's bench. It was awesome cause we could hear the players talking and the couch yelling at the ref


This was our view, Basketball players are HUGE this close


Andy hanging out on the court at half time


Oh and the best part... the Jazz won!!!!!!

Just One Reason Why I Love Him

It all began Wednesday at 10PM when Andy and I had this text conversation:
Andy: "You may choose between a movie and a region of the world"
Me: "Huh?"
Andy: "Don't ask questions, just choose one"
Me: "Well what if I choose the wrong one??!?!? You know I'm bad at choosing things, please just do it for me" (I can't choose ANYTHING for myself. Choices give me panic attacks.)
Andy: "Whatever you choose will be fine... just choose one"
The conversation continued in that fashion for about 30 minutes. I finally chose The Matrix because I had an assignment for school to watch it (yes I said an assignment, who assigns a senior level college course to watch The Matrix?!). Andy refused to tell me what it all meant and told me it was a practice in patience for me, I thought for sure I would die while waiting... I hate not knowing things.
The next day seemed to take forever. Then at 3PM while Andy was at class there was a knock on the door, when I opened the door I found a UPS man carrying this


I tore open the package and inside I found this:


It was the sweetest surprise! It was 3 days before Valentines Day so it was totally unexpected.

At 5PM I got another text from Andy:
"Hey I'm on my way home, be ready to leave at 6:30, everything is taken care of"

When he arrived he was carrying these:


FLOWERS TWICE IN ONE DAY!?!?! Amazing! I combined them to create this beautiful display:


He also gave me my Valentines Day gifts, two board games. Ahhhh... he knows me so well:


Since he is a chef he doesn't get nights like Valentines off, so he planned a surprise pre-valentines day date for me. We took the kids to his Dad's and then he took me to the Cheesecake Factory for my favorite Crab Wontons appetizer and then to The Asian Star for dinner. I've been wanting to go to the Asian Star for years. It was so fun to go to two different restaruants, a very unique and fun date.
We then went home and watched The Matrix (hence the original text message conversation).
It was the perfect evening planned just for me by the perfect husband. I'm so lucky to have Andy as my companion. He does so much for me and strives everyday to make sure I'm happy. Thanks for a perfect day babe.