Christmas Highlights!

I always seem to be about a week behind in my blogging...this time, however, it's not my fault...I thought I'd lost our camera. I found it this morning, though, right where I'd left it--in the glove compartment of the car. So get ready for lots of pictures in celebration of finding the camera that was never really lost!

Christmas Eve started out a little rough, but ended great. Before heading to Joe's parents' house (while my family headed to the beach in California), we decided to drive around to hand out our "neighbor gifts." Of course it was snowing, and being 9-months pregnant, I'm a little off balance. We had just left one house and were heading for another when something happened. I'm still not sure if I tripped, slipped on the ice, or was just plain clumsy, but before I knew it, stuff was flying through the air as I fell straight forward. I'm pretty sure I was supposed to land on my stomach, but somehow miraculously managed to land on my right wrist, elbow, and knee. I screamed, and Joe set Parker down to run and see if I was OK. I started bawling, Parker started to cry, and somehow the ENTIRE neighborhood managed to see it happen. I knew I hadn't landed on my stomach, but I was still freaking out about the baby, my torn coat, and throbbing arm. I got up and just wanted to crawl into the car, but of course everyone who saw it happen ran to see if I was OK. I really was fine, just embarrassed and not wanting the whole world to watch me blubber. I'm still amazed (with my track record of broken bones) that nothing was broken and the baby is still alive and kicking! I stayed in the car for the rest of the deliveries trying to compose myself!

Anyway, Christmas Eve was great! Parker was SO FUN this year...he was really into everything. He loved singing songs, helping shine the flashlight on the nativity story, etc. Here he is pointing to his nose as we sang Rudolph! Grandpa played the organ while we sang. I could have kept singing Christmas songs all night...it's my favorite part of Christmas Eve...but short attention-spanned kids wouldn't allow it!
Here's the best picture we had of our family. Parker's actually looking at the camera, but squirming like mad to get away from me! Do I look like I was crying?
Grandma and Grandpa G. gave Jacob and Parker matching PJ's and farms...both were a HUGE hit (since Parker's pretty into what he wears these days). The farms entertained both of them for hours while we played games!
Aaaaahhhh......

After the party, we went home and Parker opened his Christmas PJ's from us, and we opened our Christmas PJ's from my parents. Yes, the light is reflecting off my belly!
Christmas morning was a blast! Parker got super excited for every present he opened. He would yell fun things like, "Look!" "Open?" "Yaaaaay!" It's great that he's still at the age where he had absolutely no expectations...he just got to wake up to a bunch of new toys and paper-ripping.
Joe gave me some new cycling shoes...Parker clomped around in them all morning long! We ate our traditional Christmas morning casserole and stayed in our pajamas for most of the day playing with Parker's new toys and puzzles.
THEN we went over to Joe's parent's house and Parker decided to get sick again! It's our new holiday tradition...Joe was changing probably his 7th diaper of the day, and Parker threw up all over him (for once it wasn't all over me!) Our Christmas abruptly ended and we went home. My parents and Michael flew in late Christmas night. Parker and I had to stay home most of the time they were here, so I missed seeing them as much as I would have if we'd been able to follow them around all week, but it was great having them. Nothing like having Nannu there to help clean up vomit! We celebrated Christmas with them on the 26th...it was really fun prolonging the event and so sad to see it end! Now our full house is empty, the Christmas decorations are down, and there's only one thing left to do...rush like crazy to get ready for the baby that will inevitably be here next month!!!! Happy New Year!

Pre-Christmas Festivities

Before Christmas comes and goes, (yikes...only 2 days left!) I thought I'd better post some pictures of our pre-Christmas celebrations!

First, our good friends Art and Evelyn invited us over to meet Santa. It went really well (obviously). Parker must have gained something from the experience, though, because now whenever we talk about Santa, see a picture of Santa, see Santa in the mall, etc., he says, "Santa. Nice." Doesn't look like he thought he was very nice here, though, does it!At the annual family Christmas party, Parker learned the art of bell-ringing. Now we sing Christmas songs in our car everywhere we go, while Parker madly shakes his arms up and down.At the above-mentioned party, Parker received his new clothing obsession from his baby cousin, Tate...Now the first thing he says in the morning is, "Elmo? On?" He LOVES his Elmo slippers!Last night, Joe's work had a family Christmas party at the Pizza Factory with bowling afterwards. Below is Parker with Colby and Kandis' cute little boy, Carter. I was actually really bummed because we had to leave the party before the bowling started because we already had tickets to the Peter Breinholt Christmas concert. How often do we have a paid for, fun night out? Never...but we missed it. Oh well. The concert was pretty fun. We went with Joe's sister Marci and her husband Marcus. When we bought the tickets, the only 4 left seated together were the "box seat" tickets. We thought they were going to be pretty crappy, but they ended up being the best seats in the house...we were in our own little box where we could see the veins popping out of Peter B.'s head while he sang. The highlight of the concert for me was when Peter B. had everyone hold up their cell phones in the darkened theater. EVERYONE had one...it was pretty funny. The true highlight of the evening, however, was driving home...we drove next to Santa and Mrs. Claus...Mrs. Claus was driving a white suburban with Santa in the passenger seat. They had a handicapped sticker on the license plate, as well as a K-Bull 93 bumper sticker...apparently the Claus Family likes country music. I was wishing I had my camera...you'll just have to take my word for it. The worst part of the evening was coming home to Parker still awake (at 10 pm). Our poor (11-year-old) babysitter looked pretty disheveled, but I couldn't quite get out of her how the night went. There was, however, an unwrapped poopy diaper in the trash can, and a poorly wiped bum that I discovered this morning. It was an interesting night! Tonight our friends Jace and Rebekah invited us over to make gingerbread houses. Parker loved eating the candy (he still has his eye on it...), but wasn't much help in the house-building department. He had a melt-down before we could add all the finishing touches...oh well! Here's the Jace and Rebekah family...Sam is 3 and Kate is EXACTLY Parker's age...I don't remember her birthday, but our due date was the same! Their house was a little more detailed...Joe and I were pretty slow!Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

He Said, "I've been watching you, dad..."

I love the song "Watching You" by Rodney Atkins because it is SO TRUE how kids imitate everything their parents do (even at 19-months)! I didn't realize how observant Parker is with our "morning routine," but he knows what we do with everything. He LOVES playing with Joe's glasses (he says "glasses" really well, I might add....he pronounces it, "gla-gless"). He loves brushing his teeth, but only with one of our toothbrushes. He shaves his face with Joe's electric razor, and puts deodorant right where it goes...on his neck! He has put my eyeshadow on a few times, but that particular eyeshadow is no longer in working order, so we had to put a stop to that one. It's amazing and rather scary to me how this little person is watching every single thing we do, and wanting to be just like us. Watch out world!

What NOT to say to an emotional pregnant girl!

Conversations I've had in the last week (and my whole pregnancy, actually):
"So when are you due?" The beginning of February. "Ohhhh....you're going to be really big!"

"Did you get this big with your first baby?"

"You must already have kids since you started showing so early and got so big so fast!"

"You look like you're ready to pop!"

"When are you due?" February 4th. "Oh wow. Are you having more than one?"


Thanks for the boost of confidence, everyone! Unfortunately I still have over a month to go...

What Happens When......

1. You let your 18-month old decide what he wears to bed?

Answer: He'll demand his Choo-Choo train PJ top, layered over his dinosaur PJ top, along with a hat and slippers. 2. Your husband can't find his shoes?

Answer: Check your son's feet...the shoes are part of his new PJ ensemble (along with the fly swatter).

3. You stay at the church to help clean up after the extended family Christmas party?

Answer: Your son will help spread the dirt that everyone else just swept up.

4. You get stuck in the snow trying to pull into the driveway?

Answer: Your son will rake the snow for you.

5. You leave the husband home with your son for a few hours on a Saturday morning?

Answer: You come home to a sleeping husband, an empty pack of gum, and minty-fresh poopy diapers (sorry, no picture).

25 Christmas Questions Answered!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
This is a hard one…I actually really love both, but egg nog is really only available this time of year, so during the holidays it’s probably my favorite!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?
Santa WRAPS the presents and then sets them in neat little piles for the individual receiver on the couch.

3. Colored or white lights on the tree/house?
I used to not really care…but now I definitely prefer white lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but I should!

5. When do you hang up your decorations?
Sometime after Thanksgiving. We got our tree last week (on December 4th)…a week and a half after Thanksgiving…not bad, considering I sometimes went home for Christmas break while at BYU and my mom still didn’t have the tree up! (Sorry mom….)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Definitely the "Christmas Morning Casserole" we used to eat every year at my Grandma Johnson’s house. Christmas morning still wouldn’t be the same without it!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
I always really loved Christmas Eve and everything associated with it! Singing carols, reading a Christmas story, driving around looking at lights, and sleeping in new pajamas! Christmas morning was also SO MAGICAL…I LOVED waking up and looking at all the presents on the couches wanting to rip them all open, but not wanting it to be over. I loved that my family always took turns opening presents…it helped stretch out the anticipation. The year Joe and I dated was also one of my favorite Christmas years. He came to California with me, then flew home on Christmas Eve. I did the 12 Days of Christmas for him, and he gave me a bunch of my "favorite things." We talked hypothetically about marriage on the phone on Christmas day...I was so giddy afterwards...my family probably hated my annoying-ness, but it was really fun to imagine my future life WITH someone.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
This is probably really weird, but I have no idea how or when I learned. Knowing my sister, she probably told me right after she found out. I just remember my mom telling me that we still had to believe so that the magic wouldn’t end!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We always get a new pair of Pajamas…still!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
After Joe and I first got married, I worked for American Insurance. Every year the office gets a tree, then a few days before Christmas, you enter a drawing for the items you want off the tree. The year I worked there, I won the tree skirt and star that goes on top. After the drawing, there were still tons of wooden star ornaments, berry balls, cinnamon sticks, red beaded hearts, angels, and bells. When no one else claimed them, I did! So…thanks to American Insurance, we still have a really cute tree designed by someone else!

11. Snow? Love it or dread it?
I definitely DREAD driving in it, but I love looking at it and occasionally playing in it. I love sitting by the window in the middle of a big snowstorm watching it fall. After January, however, I’m ready for it to be gone. We've had TWO big snowstorms in the last ten days. After each of these, I've had to call Joe. The first time I couldn't pull into the garage...I thought I was going to run into the house every time I tried. Yesterday I got stuck trying to pull into the driveway! Poor Joe...it's going to be a long winter! I HATED winter in Finland. It was so cold one time that my eyelashes froze. I looked at my companion and thought she'd thrown snow on her face because her hair and eyelashes were white. We both laughed at how ridiculously cold we were and how ridiculous we looked. Wintertime in Utah is much more bearable and pleasant!

12. Real tree or fake tree?
Growing up it was always real. I loved going out and picking the tree, then coming home and listening to Christmas music while decorating it. Joe and I still get a real tree, but we’re thinking that this year we might check out the after-Christmas sales and get a fake one. I have a mistletoe candle that smells just as good as the real one, anyway!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The year Kimberly got Dutchess was probably one of the most fun years…we all carried her around showing her off all day long. I think I got a bike that year…that was really cool, too. When Joe and I were first married, my parents gave us some really nice down feather pillows…I was really excited. The year I got the ski clothes was great, too. A few years ago Joe gave me "Karaoke Revolution" for X-Box. We sat around in our pajamas for a few hours playing…it was great (until we had to rush to get ready for church—Christmas was on Sunday—and realized that the water had been shut off in our whole apartment complex…we rushed to my parents’ house to shower and still miraculously made it on time).

14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?
Being with family. I love the hustle and bustle BEFORE Christmas, but I really love when the day actually comes, the shopping is done, presents are wrapped, and we can remember what Christmas is really all about!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
CHOCOLATE!

16. What is your favorite tradition?
Starting sometime mid-November, Joe and I watch a Christmas movie every Sunday night. This started when we were dating and has sort of continued. Joe gets really into the Christmas spirit early on…it makes the season really fun for me!

17. What tops your tree?
A cute wooden star (compliments of American Insurance)

18. Which do you prefer…giving or receiving?
I honestly love both. I love receiving stuff that I know a lot of thought has gone into. I also really love finding (or making) the "perfect" gift for people and watching their reactions.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
I love "O Holy Night", "Silent Night", and "Away in a Manger". More contemporary favorites would have to include "So This Is Christmas" by Sarah McLachlan, "Prayer of the Children" by Kurt Bestor, and MANY more!

20. Candy Canes…yuck or yum?
I like stirring my hot chocolate with Candy Canes, but don’t really love eating the peppermint ones alone. The fruity See’s Candy ones are great, though.
Favorite Christmas Movie?

21. Favorite Christmas Movie?

A Christmas Carol, Polar Express, etc. Joe and I had our first kiss after watching A Muppet’s Christmas Carol and Mr. Krueger’s Christmas, so those also have to be on the list!

22. What do you leave for Santa?
I don’t remember leaving him anything, but my kids will definitely be leaving something chocolaty with milk!

23. Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?
Christmas morning casserole for breakfast, waiting to look at the presents until everyone was awake, my dad taking lots of not pretty morning pictures of me, etc.

24. Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?
I would have to say probably on-line. If I could have everything sent to my house I would be happy! I definitely enjoy GOING to the mall just to feel the excitement, see the decorations, be a part of the hustle and bustle, etc., but actually trying to find exactly what I want in all that mess isn’t very fun for me!

25. Christmas letter or Christmas card?
Eventually hopefully we’ll be enough on top of things to actually write a letter, but for now just a card. Last year we didn’t even get to that, so we sent a Valentine’s Day card. We might have to resort to that this year too unless I get my booty in gear TOMORROW!

MY FAMILY

Thanksgiving this year was a great, but emotional day for me. The day started with Joe and I running in a 4-mile Turkey Trot. (I felt fine during the race, but felt like I'd run a marathon for the rest of the day. Probably not the smartest thing this pregnant girl has ever done!) The day continued with Parker throwing up ALL OVER ME. The day ended with me crying (of course) and being SO THANKFUL that my family was there! Since they all stepped in to make Thanksgiving at my house a success, this is a tribute to each of them! I am thankful for....

My Dad

...for never letting a moment go by (when he's around) without letting me know that he loves me. He's a pretty sensitive guy...I think he cried as much on Thanksgiving as I did! He's always thoughtful and always makes sure we're all taken care of. Parker LOVES his Bapa!

My Mom

...for taking care of EVERYTHING. It was really important to her for everyone to have a nice, enjoyable, YUMMY dinner. She was up late the night before and up early to make sure everything was perfect...and it was! She took care of Parker while Joe and I went on our run, cleaned up vomit, cleaned the bathroom before they left, etc. She tried to do EVERYTHING she could to make my life easier...just like she ALWAYS has! Parker walks around the house all day with a phone on his ear. When I ask who he's talking to, his response is ALWAYS Nannu.

Kimberly

...for being the most THOUGHTFUL person I know! When we were both pregnant, I remember being super jealous of all her cute maternity clothes. She must have known that I needed a pick-me-up and brought ALL OF THEM to me to finish out this pregnancy! When Parker threw up all over me, I was really upset until I realized that I'd just unloaded a whole new wardrobe...I had an early excuse to wear something new and exciting! She also cleaned up Parker for me while I showered. Kimberly is such a good mom and is my go-to person for parenting advice. She ALSO gave my blog it's new look while she was here!

Devon

...for scooping Parker out of my arms as he threw up on me (sorry...all of these involve throw-up) to get him over to the sink. I stood there having no idea what to do, so Devon and Kimberly took over. They are obviously more experienced in that area! I also love that Devon is very passionate...when he gets into something, he really gets into it! He had a lifelong dream of hunting for geodes, so he went with Grandpa Roush at 5:45 am the day after Thanksgiving to find some!

Taylor, Luke, and Blake

...for the non-stop energy and entertainment. I think Taylor was Parker's favorite...she played with him, made him laugh, and interpreted what he was saying for me. Luke shares my dislike for cold weather...he was pretty mad getting out of the warm car at temple square. If I could have gotten away with crying because it was so cold, I would have done it too! Blake is hilarious. Other than the fact that he totally traumatized Parker by hitting him, pushing him, stealing toys from him, and doing everything that a normal child with older siblings would do, he melted our hearts with his huge smile and funny personality. I'm determined that one of these days he and Parker will be good friends...it just didn't happen this time around!

Michael

...for making the best Key Lime Pie ever! Michael is really big into making and keeping traditions. He was determined to make our Thanksgiving one worth traveling for. He also really gets into the holidays...the weekend couldn't end without him making us all a new Christmas music mix! I love having Michael close by...after the rest of the family went home, he stayed another day to savor the family weekend before facing reality in Provo!

Joe

...for daring to make the turkey in the Big Green Egg (the famous Price is Right BBQ). He went all out and bought the wood chips and accessories necessary for the turkey smoking. It turned out GREAT! I felt like I was going to have to do all the work since dinner was at our house, but I ended up hardly doing anything! Joe got everything ready before they all came, and cleaned up after they all left (probably because he had a BYU/U of U Football game party planned a few hours later, but whatever the reason...it was fine with me to watch him clean!)

Parker

...for being the cutest little 18-month old in the whole world! He loves having people around and is still Mr. Social even when he's not feeling great. He amazes me every day with the things he can say and the things he understands. I need to make a list of all of his words...today he found a packet of Hot Chocolate and said "ott choklit". How did he know that? Everyone thinks their kids are amazing...he really is! I loved having my family around and seeing that he loves and knows them even though he doesn't get to see them very often.

Random Tidbits About Me!

OK...I've been tagged by my friends Ansku and Sarah to do this, so here we go! Here are some random tidbits of info about me!

1. I think the worst smells in the world are the smells of dirty rags and old banana peels. I can handle dirty diapers or anything else of that genre, but if there's a dirty rag in the sink, I want to throw up!
2. I don't do well with little sleep. I actually HATE staying up late because I'm thinking the whole time about waking up in the morning...just the THOUGHT of being tired makes me grumpy. However, I can't go to bed if anyone else is up or anything remotely exciting is going on. Growing up, I was always really grumpy after sleepovers. My mom threatened me with no more...she should have followed through with her threats for all of our benefit! I guess I haven't grown out of that!
3. Regardless of the grumpiness resulting from sleep deprivation, I get up almost every morning at 5:15 am to go to the gym. It's the only time that I never have any other commitments to prevent me from working out and I actually love this time to myself and feel more productive for the rest of the day as a result. Somehow the endorphins must cancel out the grumpiness from lack of sleep, or my husband would be suffering terribly!
4. I LOVE reading. I used to think this made me really dorky. One year my parents put really fun stuff about Kimberly and Michael in our family Christmas letter (Kimberly dating and driving, Michael doing crazy little boy stuff, etc.) and then said about me "Robyn loves to read." I was livid! I thought I sounded like the most boring 13-year old on the planet. Now I'm really thankful for the escape a good book brings and hope my kids have the same love for reading!
5. I have lived in Japan, the Dominican Republic and Finland for extended periods of time. I won a scholarship to be an exchange student in Japan the summer between my Junior and Senior years of High School. It was my first time really being away from home. I loved the DR and Finland (years later), but spent the whole 6 weeks in Japan counting down until I could go home! I really wish I would have appreciated what a great opportunity it was instead of being homesick the whole time!
6. I love math! Besides Spanish and Choir, it was always my favorite class in High School. I especially love Algebra...I get a high from solving hard equations! I went to college with the intent of becoming a Math and Spanish teacher. However, I hated my first college Calculus class. I blamed it on the teacher, but really it was probably me being too into the social scene to bother putting the time and effort into really understanding what was going on. I graduated in Marriage, Family and Human Development instead.
7. I turn red really easily...even when I'm not embarrassed! Growing up I had several nicknames resulting from this. I remember boys calling me "Glow Worm" in the 6th grade, and "Red Robyn" later. The ultimate, however, was my Freshman and Sophomore Spanish teacher, Mr. Garcia. He nick-named me "Tomate" (tomato in Spanish). Every single day for two years, he would spend a portion of the class saying, "OK, lets see how red we can get tomate to turn today" and I would--on-cue--proceed to turn very red. I couldn't help it...it worked every time! And yes,unfortunately, it still does!

So that's me! I guess I will tag Michael, Maylene, Eleisha, and Evelyn (and whoever else wants to share!). Tell us some random facts about YOU!

Music City

Well, we're home from our trip to Nashville. I had THE BEST time...it was actually a trip that didn't end with me feeling ready to come home. I guess I'm still in denial since it's taken me 3 days to blog about it! After an emotionally draining START to the trip, it was very rejuvenating!

The Airport
Traveling by myself with Parker was a NIGHTMARE! I don't know how people do it with multiple children...I felt like I'd run three marathons by the time I got to Nashville. It started with security. I was in line, carrying my carry-ons (i.e. Parker's flight entertainment items...not a small bag), trying to take my shoes off, taking Parker out of the stroller, folding the stroller up, chasing Parker as he runs the other direction, having the security guy tell me to take Parker's shoes and jacket off, while Parker squirms and cries the WHOLE time. We made it through, but the worst was yet to come. THE STROLLER was the cause of MANY tantrums on the trip...this was the first. Parker's usually fine going IN the stroller to begin with, but trying to put him BACK in after taking him out is another story.

side note: I took Parker on a walk a few months ago and let him get out at the end to help me push the stroller. He now FREAKS OUT anytime he sees the stroller or hears the word stroller because HE wants to push it.

So yes, Parker threw the fit of the century when I forced him back into the stroller (while trying to put our gear back on). I was feeling flustered and embarrassed, so when Joe called a few minutes later, I was bound to cry. He proceeded to tell me that we'd forgotten to take the car seat out of the car. I started bawling...pregnant, pushing a crying toddler in a stroller, talking on the phone in hysterics...not a pretty picture. My parents now have a toddler car seat of their own...yay!

The Flight
When I booked it, I didn't realize I had TWO layovers. I never changed planes, so it looked direct to me...oops! On each flight, Parker got tired and ALMOST fell asleep, but then we landed. Grrrrr... And took off again. He was pretty good, but I felt really sorry for the person in front of us. Constant tray banging and seat kicking. There was minimal crying, however, so I can't complain TOO much. I told Joe that on the way home I was going to sit by myself so I could read and sleep and HE could entertain for 6 hours! I still wish I had done that...

Heaven
I met my mom at the airport and everything was all better. I was in heaven for a week and a half. Parker instantly knew and loved my parents. He woke up every morning saying, "Bapa? Nannu?" looking for his G-parents. It was SUCH a great break for me!

My mom was an amazing tour guide...she actually knew her way around! Yes, I was shocked when she picked me up by herself at the airport...so not my mom! It's still so weird that they live in Tennessee...I never knew where we were going, but it was beautiful! We didn't do TOO much, but time flew by as we:

• *went on morning walks
• *drank smoothies
• *ate at cute Southern places (BBQ AND Auto Shop, anyone?)
• *visited the Carnton Plantation (civil war site)
• *went shopping
• *watched Elmo OVER and OVER
• *witnessed stroller tantrums

HALLOWEEN

Parker was NEMO. He LOVED his costume. I loved watching him walk as the tail wiggled back and forth with his little waddle. He was SORT OF interested in Trick-Or-Treating, but didn't care that we only went to about 7 houses. He was really excited to dump out his bag afterwards to see what everyone had put in it. He REALLY loved being outside. The weather was BEAUTIFUL, so we sat outside with my mom handing out candy. She actually got her decorations out in her standard fashion at about 4:00 pm on Halloween...nice, mom!

SAYING GOOD-BYE

I really hate living SO FAR AWAY from my parents and family, but I feel like it makes us really cherish the time we have together when we get it, so it must be a blessing in disguise. We'll see them in a few weeks, but when they come here we have to SHARE them. I LOVED having them all to myself for a while!

THE FLIGHT HOME

Traveling with Joe made things five gazillion times better. We did have a few stroller tantrums in the airport, but Joe handled it while I sat and read...so nice! Parker was exhausted, so when he finally fell asleep on me on the way home, I thought it was safe to do the unthinkable and transfer him to Joe. BAD IDEA. This resulted in Parker waking up and kicking and screaming for 20 minutes straight. This included hysterical back arching and head banging. Everyone around us gave us really nice looks...sorry...I'm sure they thought we were TRYING to torture our child by waking him up. He eventually cried himself back to sleep and we made it home in one piece with all of our luggage (this is almost unheard of in our family). The trip was just what I needed...thanks for everything Bapa and Nannu!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE!!!!!!!

Joe's Birthday was last week...October 23rd. I was HOPING to make it super special for him, but was busy packing for Tennessee. If I were normal, I would have just thrown stuff into a suitcase and called it good. Packing for me this time meant cleaning out my closet (filling 4 trash bags with clothes for Deseret Industries), and cleaning the whole house top to bottom. I just can't leave a dirty house. Unfortunately for Joe, he's not coming until TOMORROW. Being the good husband that he is, though, he's home re-cleaning whatever he's dirtied since I left so that we can still come home to a clean house. That alone deserves a special birthday tribute, so here's to the many things I love about Joe!

1. He's a GREAT daddy! While it's true that sometimes his idea of "watching" Parker for me means getting up early so that I can sleep in only for me to be awakened by Parker's crying at my bedroom door while Joe is asleep on the couch, he really loves spending time with Parker. And Parker is SO GLAD when daddy comes home! 2. Joe will HONESTLY eat anything. This makes my job SO MUCH EASIER. Not only will he eat whatever I make him, he usually likes it. I can only think of ONE time so far in 3 1/2 years of marriage that something was so bad that he couldn't take more than a few bites. I knew it had to be REALLY bad for Joe not to eat it. Luckily I was in a good mood and laughed with him about it.
3. He loves to have a good time. He's also very willing to compromise for the benefit of others. He'll go along with ANYTHING if it's what everyone else wants to do. (He doesn't compromise his standards, however...) Joe is VERY easy-going...much less high-maintenance than I am (unfortunately for him)!

4. Joe is incredibly adventurous! He'll try ANYTHING if it sounds remotely fun (unlike me...I don't like trying new things unless I know I'll be good at them.) Joe's not afraid of laughing at himself and he's usually pretty good at whatever he tries! 5. Joe tries really hard to make everyone happy...especially me! I'm definitely the "fighter" in the relationship. Sometimes I just really want to fight, but it never works with Joe. I usually end up laughing instead!
6. Joe is very sentimental...more-so than I am! He really wanted to save hairs from Parker's first haircut...I thought a picture would suffice!
7. He loves his family! He's a great husband, father, son, brother, and uncle. Everyone needs an Uncle Joe! (Doesn't Luke look like Parker in this picture?)
8. Joe's great at planning for the future. I'm definitely the spender...he's the saver.

9. When we first started dating, I was still sort of hanging on to a former fling. My dad pointed out the night and day differences between Joe and this guy. He knew by how Joe treated me from the very beginning that I would always be a priority in Joe's life. Not so much with the other dude. How right he was! A girl in our student ward called Joe the "best kept secret in the ward." How right she was! I am so grateful EVERY DAY to be married to this cute, hard-working, fun, smart, amazing guy who puts up with the many faces of me and loves me anyway!

HAPPY 28TH BIRTHDAY, JOE! I LOVE YOU!