Joe's "Chicken" Karaoke

I'm not the only one who sang Karaoke on our trip! First, Erin and I decided to do a little rendition of Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now. We were pretty proud of ourselves in our matching black dresses......but we were put to shame by my cute husband. His "chicken" rendition of You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling won him lots of drunk friends. He proves that you can have fun without alcohol! We all vowed that "What happens on this ship, stays on this ship." But some vows were meant to be broken. (Although I'm pretty sure I'm not going to post my Gloria performance in video...come to my house if you want to see it!) Here's JOE! (Love you, babe!)

Let's Start at the Very Ending...A Very Good Place To Start!

I promise not to bore you with every last detail of my Cruise--I still want friends when I'm done! But I couldn't go without blogging about one of the scariest, yet funnest moments of my life! (I wouldn't be me if I didn't find SOMETHING, even on vacation, to stress me out just a little bit.) I found it on the first night of Karaoke: auditions for the final big show of the week on the Carnival Glory...Carnival Legends! Auditions were being held that very night for none other than Gloria Estefan! I signed up. I sang. I sat down. I waited for someone else to audition. NO ONE DID! So, by default, I won the audition! So throughout the week, while others on the beach listened to their own music, I listened to a little mp3 version of Rhythm is Gonna Getcha to prepare for my big night!

So I never made it past the first round of American Idol auditions, but I had my shining moment on the big Carnival Glory stage. I actually had a blast and decided that I'd WAAAAY rather sing on a big stage with lights shining on my face, in front of thousands than in Church! In Church you can see everyone's face. On the big stage, I couldn't see a darn thing!

Praying I'd remember the words...

Me with my "dancer-escort" at the end of the show...

Showing off the new look...

And the full Cruise-passenger cast...

I'm thinking about coloring my hair...what do you think?

By the way, if you're ever planning a vacation, plan it with a family photographer! My cute sister-in-law, Erin, documented EVERYTHING! Thanks to her, you're probably going to see way more pictures than you want. Stay tuned. (She may even have a few goodies from the beaches at St. Maarten...look out!)

Cruise, Glorious Cruise!

Hi, friends! Is anyone still there? I'm in denial that I no longer have a vacation to look forward to, so pulling myself together to post a blog hasn't exactly happened. And now that I'm ready to share with you all the blissful 8 days I spent away from my children, I can't find the camera cord. So instead I'll give you a few highlights of my Western turned Eastern Carribbean Cruise on the FunShip Carnival Glory!

• Food, Glorious Food!
• Sleep, Glorious Sleep!
• Sun, Glorious Sun!

That pretty much sums it up, but here are a few more glorious moments...

• Riding on the back of a motor scooter as my husband tried to remember to drive on the LEFT side of the road in Nassau, Bahamas.
• My husbands brother, Matt pretending he's a race car driver in our rented jeep on the island of St. John (while winding through the mountains also on the left side of the road!) Aaaaahhhhh!
• Island smoothies.
• KARAOKE! Joe did an amazing chicken rendition of You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling by the Righteous Brothers.
• Performing in the last, final big funship show as Gloria Estefan. I looked like a homeless person in the big, black curly wig, but I got to sing Rhythm is Gonna Getcha in front of a few thousand people! My years growing up listening to my dad's favorite Latina singer, Gloria, paid off. Aaaaahhhhh!
• Learning that you should NEVER, under ANY circumstances go to the beach on the island of St. Maarten unless you want to see lots of wrinkly, fully nekkid bodies. F.U.L.L.Y. N.E.K.K.I.D. Not what I signed up for. I'm still trying to get the images out of my sheltered mind. But the beaches were beautiful!
• Running (fully clothed) with my (fully clothed) husband on said nude beach.
• On Deck For the Cure
• Joe winning the free-throw contest
• Our cruise director, Butch from Minnesota...ya!
• Getting dirty looks from the drink servers everytime we ordered ice water.
• Being more tan than all of my Utah friends...won't last long, but I love it while it lasts!

It was great. It was even greater coming home to my babies. Sort of. But I'm ready for another sleep-ful trip.

Pictures will be up soon, if anyone's still out there. What have YOU been up to?

Parker's B-day!

Dearest Parkercito,

Three years ago yesterday, I entered the hospital. Twenty hours later, you finally made your grand entrance into the world. Getting you here was a long, slow process. But your birth was the last time I remember wishing you would hurry up.

I was completely overwhelmed with the newness of motherhood. Your Daddy and I were terrified to put your tiny little 8 lbs. 8 oz. body into a big scary car. We were even more terrified to get you out of the car and into our little apartment, because that meant that we were really in charge.

I remember crying a lot in those first few days and weeks. Motherhood was hard! And I felt so responsible! Responsible to feed you, to get you to sleep, and especially to make sure you were comfortable, and happy in this new, scary world. I loved you something fierce...even when your projectile poops reached 9 feet across the room.

Three years ago, I never dreamed that you would grow up to be a walking-talking-running-laughing-memorizing-brilliantly-talented little boy. I only saw the tightly swaddled, feisty little baby.

And my how you've grown! By your first birthday, you could say over 10 words. By your second, you could speak in 10 word sentences. Now, on your third, you're "reading" books. Your favorite to recite is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I squeal with delight everytime I hear your cute little voice saying, "They ROARED their terrible roars, and gnashed their terrible teeth, and rolled their terrible eyes, and showed their terrible CLAWS!" You remember everything.

Parkercito, you have the ability to think and reason beyond your years. I give you two options and you choose the unspoken third. You're a master negotiator, with frequent bouts of defiance.

Yes, you are a stinker, and have yet to accomplish some of the goals I set for you for your third year. Yes, you've learned to poop and pee on the potty...but only on your own terms. You still growl. You also still sleep in a crib. (Daddy and I aren't ready for the independence you'll gain from a big-boy-bed.) But you're an amazing big brother, you have your colors straight, you say your own prayers, and you've given us daily hugs and kisses all year long. Four out of seven ain't bad. I've learned that some things just can't be forced...especially with an independently stubborn little boy.

You have an amazing zest for life. You love people, and people love you. You have a sense of humor, and work to make me laugh every day. You also have a tender heart, and hate to see anyone hurt or sad. When Daddy and I left you for eight glorious days last week, you were the one telling me not to cry.

I love having a constant chatter-box with me all day. You are a master conversationalist, and can keep the conversation going for hours. "So mom, how's your day?"

I'm not going to lie, it's been a rough year with a defiant, tantrum-throwing two-year old. But now that you've stepped beyond the terrible two's (most likely into the terrible three's), I feel mostly grateful for the chance I've had to witness the development of your fun little personality. You're one of my best friends, little buddy. If I had to choose someone to spend my day with, you'd be at the top of the list.

Happy Birthday! Let's hope that by next year you're officially out of diapers!

We love you little guy!

Love,

Mom and Dad