Roommates Reunite!!!

The last two weeks have been packed with visits from old roommates! Last week started with a visit from Matt and Eleisha. Later in the week, Maylene and Mark came which resulted in a visit from Nancy and Gretchen. This week, Allie was in town. So Sunny and Elizabeth came over on Monday, and Aubrey came over tonight. Why is it that those of us in Utah only get together when someone ELSE is in town? It was SO FUN catching up, letting Parker and Avery meet some new friends, and remembering why I loved college (and being embarrassed that many of these friends were around to witness me during those life-changing years!) While we're all very much the same, we're also very much different! Enjoy the pictures, then I'll tell you some of what's changed....

Gretchen, Robyn, Maylene, Nancy

Avery's all smiles with Aubrey

Avery, Aubrey, Allie, Robyn

Aubrey, Allie, Robyn

Parker and Zac

Kayden and Avery

Parker and Sydney

Here's what's different....

• The hottest topic of conversation with Matt and Eleisha was my amazing new blender! Seriously, we all sat around trying to figure out what to blend next! I was like a proud parent showing off my baby! Much different than college days (and late nights) driving around with the intent of throwing eggs at boys' cars (I won't say whether the eggs were thrown or not...). Our kids played great, and we mixed away!
• Maylene is definitely NOT the same Maylene who came running out of the bathroom in the dorms to announce to me and Nancy that she'd just gone #2. She didn't realize at the time that it was "visiting hours," and a boy happened to be in our room. Oops. She is now a cute mother of two. Parker ADORED Sydney!
• Nancy (now pregnant with twins) is definitely not the VL Nancy of years past. She is definitely not the same Nancy that couldn't go to bed before 3 am and that pushed the snooze button for HOURS and HOURS (or maybe she is!) every morning. She's not the same Nancy I stood dancing with on the windowsills, or that I laughed so hard with walking home to the dorms that we both peed our pants.
• Gretchen is NOT the same Gretchen who quoted Clueless daily, or that recruited me for several years of telemarketing! She's not the girl who talked marriage in missionary letters to the dorky boy from our freshman ward. Her hubby is WAY cooler! We now have little boys who share the same birthday (and are bound to be best friends!) and live a mile from each other!
• Allie is definitely not the intimidating Allie I met years ago! Seriously...I was afraid of this southern belle with all the boyfriends! Now she's the cutest little mom who makes it so I see my friends I should see all the time at least once a year!
• Elizabeth was never actually my roommate, but may as well have been since she was a previous roommate of all my other roomies. She's always been awesome at making me feel good about myself!
• Sunny has changed from the crazy, hyper ball of energy to a soon-to-be mother of three! She still has a VERY infectious laugh...but is grounded enough to care for her kiddies! We used to make fun of Sunny for being our "brown" friend...now she has two cute "brown kids" and another on the way. I love calling Sunny to complain...she always helps me feel validated!
• Last, but not least...Aubrey! Aubrey is DEFINITELY not the same Aubrey who screamed when she fell in the mud in the DR (actually when the donkey dropped her in the mud!) She's also not the Aubrey I bawled with in the airport in Mazatlan, Mexico because we couldn't get on our flight home! She's adventurous, competes in crazy races, and FINALLY STARTED A BLOG! YAY!

Everyone's changed, but for the better! I love that we share so many memories of when we were trying to figure out who we were, and that we're still friends! It's been a fun few weeks, girls! Thanks for the visits...come again soon! Maybe I'll find some incriminating pictures to go with the stories next time...

Summer Fun and Signs of Road Rage

For Avery's 5-MONTH BIRTHDAY yesterday (I know...I can't believe it, either), we decided to celebrate with some outdoor fun.

Avery did some rolling around on the grass (yes...she's rolling BOTH ways now!)

Parker, Jacob and Tate did some slipping, sliding, and splashing!

Everyone had a great time until they ventured over to the vehicles. Parker drove like an old lady, and Jacob exhibited the first signs of road rage. GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!

I think they're still friends....

What kind of mom are you?

In my normal, perfectly scheduled routine life, this is the kind of mom that I am...

I'm the "make sure I'm home by noon so the kids can eat lunch and be down for naps by 1:00" kind of mom.

I'm also the "pack a million snacks just in case you get hungry while we're out" kind of mom.

And the "sit next to you while you're eating so I can wipe your hands after every messy bite" kind of mom.

The "hurry and feed Avery before I leave and only be gone until she needs to eat again" kind of mom.

The "never stay out late so you're in bed by 8:00" kind of mom.

I'm also usually the "wait for the weekend so I don't have to go on crazy adventures without an extra set of hands" kind of mom.

And the "enjoy the destination, not the journey, hurry to get where I'm going without stopping to smell the flowers" kind of mom.

However, this week has forced me to be a somewhat different kind of mom. Thanks to friends who keep me busy, I've changed some of my ways.

I've been the "take the kids to a Bee's Baseball game and stay out WAY past their bedtime" kind of mom. (Luckily Joe was there this time!)

And the "let you play in the dirt at Wheeler Farm without wiping your hands or face even once" kind of mom.

I've been the "take the kids on a super long hike around silver lake with a baby in a backpack and an exploring, filthy toddler (without the hubby's extra set of hands)" kind of mom. During this same hike, I was the "forget to pack a lunch for the 6-hour excursion...thank goodness for lots of snacks" kind of mom.

And the "nurse the baby on the dirt trail while Parker splashes in the water and dozens of hikers walk by" kind of mom.

And the "stay out hiking until 3 pm and let Parker nap until 6 thus pushing his bedtime WAY past normal" kind of mom.

And the "stop and smell the flowers because we're hiking at a toddler's pace" kind of mom.

As a result of these long, dirty excursions, I've discovered that not only do I enjoy being this new kind of mom, but I am also the "find great satisfaction in giving a bath to a filthy, exhausted toddler" kind of mom.

Flower Girl

Today was our spring Super Saturday. I got there a few hours late, so I decided just to make some flower bows for Avery's cute, hairless head. I brought them home to show Joe how stinkin' adorable she is.

He readily agreed...until he saw the final flower. He made me promise never to take her out in public wearing this one. I agreed (and decided to post her picture on the internet instead). The flower's almost as big as her head (and that's saying a lot...)

And while I'm posting socially unacceptable pictures, I might as well post this....just don't tell Joe!

Twinkle, Twinkle...

I've been trying FOREVER to get Parker to sing for the camera. I finally got him singing Twinkle Twinkle Lih-lull Star (he wasn't looking). SO CUTE! He can also sing the ABC song by himself (I caught him "teaching" Avery). I haven't gotten the whole thing on camera yet, but here's the bit I got....love it!

Never posted this...cute pictures

How embarrassing!

I'm a little embarrased to admit this, but this is how I ranked! How readable is your blog?

Find out here.

Blissful Bumbo Baby Blowouts!

Dearest Makers of the Bumbo Baby Seat ,

Yesterday my mommy bought one of your super Bumbo seats. She was excited about all the cool features she read about...

"The Bumbo Baby Seat is a snug and cozy environment for your baby. This revolutionary infant chair is uniquely designed according to the baby’s posture. The Bumbo enables babies to sit upright all by themselves! Bumbo Baby Seats are suitable for babies from as soon as they can support their own heads unaided until they can get out of the seat on their own."

The soft pink foam is squishy and fabulous. I could sit in my comfy new Bumbo all day long. My mom contemplated purchasing this chair for several months so that she could have the "extra set of hands" you talk about. You need to be aware, however, that she would have bought it MUCH SOONER if you'd advertised the REAL benefit!

You see, I've been constipated for the majority of my short life. That's right...it's a miracle if I poop twice in one week! My mom is up with me several times each night. Sure I wake up to eat, but mostly I wake up to let out lots and lots of stinky air.

Nursing is never a peaceful time for me. I squirm, yelp, kick, and let out more gas until my tummy is full. The problem is that it's ALWAYS full because it never gets emptied! Adding rice cereal to my diet has only increased the constipation. This is where YOU come in, dear Bumbo makers.

Every time I sit in the Bumbo, we're guaranteed a major blowout! My mom's friend, Aly told her this would happen. Boy was she right!!! As I become more regular, maybe the blowouts won't be so major. My tummy, however, thanks you either way!

So here's my advice along with my own testimonial. Add the feature of preventing and curing constipation to your Bumbo description, and your sales will be through the roof! It really is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Happily yours,

The Blowout Queen

I got the idea for a "letter from a customer" from my hilarious cousin, Christie. A few months ago, she wrote a witty letter to the Quaker Crispy Rice Cakes people.

Trip #3 to Nashville, Tennessee!

My friend, Ansku, brought it to my attention that I never posted about our trip to Nashville last month. That's probably because I couldn't figure out how to narrow down 334 pictures to a single blog post. So, sorry for the collage overload! It was the only way! Anyway, our trip was a blast. I'm still sad it's over. Here are a few things we did...

We took Parker to the zoo for the first time ever (He's 2-years old! Poor, deprived child.) He loved it...all the animals were a hit, including the famous Tim Macaw and Zebra McEntire! Parker preferred the normal giraffes and elephants to the celebrities, though! And the "reason" for the trip...the Country Music Marathon and 1/2 marathon. Way to go, Joe!
My first visit to downtown Nashville definitely didn't disappoint. We took a horse drawn carriage around town, saw Coyote Ugly, and tons of famous country singers. Not really, but we did see where lots of them got their start!
Another outing was at the famous Carnton Plantation in Franklin, TN. We got there too late for a tour this time...it took us until 4:00 in the afternoon to actually get out the door for the day (definitely my fault). The grounds were beautiful, though! We left and saw the Nashville Temple and celebrated cinco de mayo at Baja Fresh!
And finally...where we spent most of our two weeks...at Grandpa and Nannu's house! Tennessee is really growing on me...if it weren't for a minor thing like Joe's job (and keeping my husband), I would probably move there in a heart beat. Good news for me, though, my sister's moving back to Utah! YAY!

His Girlfriend's Back!

For the past several months, my friend Evelyn and I have taken turns going out of town, having family visit, having sick kids, etc. Parker was so excited when he found out his girlfriend, Ellie was back in town and was coming over this morning. He got the stroller ready to show off, got his monkey all spiffed up, and was on his unusually best behavior! Yay for sweet reunions!

And Baby Ammon (one of the many boys I plan on lining Avery up with) isn't such a baby anymore! I'm all for arranged marriages...we'll see what my kids think!