Happy Birthday to....ME

Is it weird to say Happy Birthday to yourself? Well, I just did so who cares. And a good day it's been. Or rather, I should say, a good few days it's been since I started celebrating the day after Christmas. My mom and stepdad were in town until last Saturday morning, so Paul and I had to take advantage and go out on a nice long date. We went to see a movie (The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons. Quite a good movie might I add). Afterwards, we went out for BBQ at a local restaurant. Then Saturday I spent a little time shopping. Sunday I took a nap (definitely a birthday treat when you have three little kids). And Monday (today) I woke up to Breakfast in Bed and a whole hour to myself to get ready. Ah....it was nice. Then later this morning, I met up with my good friend, Charlotte and her family, at the Mall. They moved to Indiana about a year and a half ago, and happened to be in town and driving through our area this morning. It was GREAT to see her and get to hang out for a few hours. Tonight(after the kids are in bed that is), I think I'll have a nice little fire and cozy up with a movie and some hot chocolate with my honey. All in all, quite a nice Birthday!

The kids giving hugs before heading out



Me and Charlotte at Souplantation (yum yum)

Check this article out. It's a quick read.

As a "Mormon", I found this list of items to be quite comical. I'm glad we're making the cut these days. When I was a kid, not many people had even heard of my religion. (Click on the link below.)

13 food gifts you should not give out at Christmas Time

Sometimes....

Sometimes they can be so sweet to each other.

This morning the girls were watching a cartoon while Ashlyn was waiting for it to be time to leave for school. Ashlyn was on the ground and Leah was on the couch. All of a sudden, Leah gets down and walks over and sits down by Ashlyn and puts her arm around her. It was SO sweet and I was SO glad that I had the camera within arms reach because moments like this don't always last.

Put this on your Christmas to do List

Last night we headed over to The Americana on Brand  with our friends the Taits to see the "snow". It was so much fun. If you haven't done it, it's definitely worth the trip down to Glendale. They have a little playground, a big grassy area (perfect for running around in), and a trolley that circles the outside mall. Not to mention all the yummy treat places to grab a snack or hot chocolate at. Yum!

Leah's trying to catch a snowflake. I don't think she new it was really tiny soap bubbles. 

Me and blue eyes. They really pop in pictures. They're so pretty. I hope  he keeps them.

The Fam. Thanks for taking the pic Beth.

The girls with their little buddy, Tyler.

Ashlyn at the fountain. I don't know why she insists on never looking at the camera. 

Naps

Leah has pretty much given up her naptime over the past month or so. It's been bittersweet for me. Sweet in that I'm not as tied down to being home at certain times of the day (except I still do have to consider Brandon's nap schedule. Luckily he's a little more flexible still.) Bitter in that I never ever get a break from the girl. Is it bad to admit that I REALLY need a break from her? She's two after all and has the tendency to drive me bonkers. I'm pretty good at being patient with her (In other words, I don't spank her NEARLY as often as she deserves it. Ok, I don't really spank her at all. Well, I guess I can't say I NEVER have. Anyway....) I really do try hard to be patient with her and help her communicate in a more, um... civilized manner. 

The point of this....Every so often, she gets to the point where all she is, is one meltdown after another. And that's when I can get her to take a nap. *sigh* My home really is so much more peaceful when she is asleep. I think I went whine free for a whole hour today. It was nice. 

I can't believe it!!!

Here I was, minding my own business, driving home from the dentist AGAIN (whole 'nother story) this morning, when I pull into my complex and then turn right onto our little street when I see some "liquid" streaming down onto the ground by a car. I look up to realize the source. A man, probably in his late 40's is standing just outside his front car door "relieving" himself. AH....please tell me I did NOT just see what I think I saw? I looked up at him and he just shrugs his shoulder as if to say...."sorry, what could I do?" I'll tell you what you could do mister. You could have driven yourself over to the McDonald's or the Stater Brothers, or ANY other store that is RIGHT around the corner and done your business in a restroom, where civilized people do it. AGHHH....I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. I'm scarred for life! 

What do you think?

Might as well put Brandon's new skill to good use right? My floors ARE constantly dirty.

And He's off

I guess he's been doing this for a little while now. But just the past couple of days, he's gotten a lot faster. I'm afraid life just got harder. Oh, why do they grow up so fast? I wanted him to stay little for a bit longer. At least until after Christmas. Oh well. I'll just put up a baracade around my Christmas tree and hopefully he won't figure out how to break through before Christmas comes.

Spoiler Alert

If you haven't read the last book in Stephenie Meyer's series, Breaking Dawn, and you don't want to know what happens, than don't read this post.




Having said that, this blog post should more appropriately be named "Me and Stephenie Meyer"

Now, I'm not going to pretend for one half of one second that I could write a book series, or even a book, or even one paragraph of one book. I couldn't. But I am going to say that me and Stephenie Meyer must think alike. Why you ask?Because I love happy endings. And never, not ever, have I read a book or seen a movie that has had more of a Happily Ever After happy ending than this book. Really....I mean not only does Bella end up with her perfect husband, Edward, who hangs on her every word and it willing to "offer" her to her best friend Jacob (in order to keep her from dying), she also gets to keep "her Jacob" in her life, gets a beautifully perfect half human, half vampire baby girl (who is NOT going to die anytime soon), gets to keep her dad in her life (thanks to her extraordinary ability to resist human blood), has a wonderful new family, a perfect cottage home, never has to sleep (which those of us who have read the book, know what that means... HA HA), and is transformed into a supermodel type person with all the grace and confidence she lacked as a human. Then to top it all of, she gets to be the hero and saves the day when the "bad vampires" come to attack. WOW! I don't even think I could have thought of a better happily ever after ending. Stephenie Meyer left no loose ends to tie up, and no questions unanswered (someone should see about her getting together with the writer and directors of LOST). She even cleared up the "slight mystery" with Nahuel there at the end of the book. I'm SO impressed (I know sarcasm doesn't translate well into written word, so please insert some).

I did really like the whole series though. I can't pick one book out above the rest. I liked them all for different reasons. They were a fun read to be taken lightly and with a sense of humor. Definitely!

And I know the naming of the baby is, well, put quite simply....not so great. But consider this (and sorry to my Mom and Dad and maybe Grandma Sally, and also my poor sister. Please don't take offense.) My mom and dad named my older sister CharAnn. It's a combination of Charlie (my dads name) and Ann (my maternal Grandma's middle name). Except it isn't pronounced CHarAnn, like in CHarlie. It's pronounced SHarAnn. But never, not ever, has my poor sister ever gone by that name. Instead, my parents called her by her middle name, which is Desiree, and she has had to correct teacher after teacher, year after year about what her name really is and how you pronounce it. Ha...poor sissy! I love you. Despite it all, I think she really loves her name. So no doubt that Renesmee will also. No worries!

As a final note, I don't think it would make a good movie. Here is the reason why (click here). Hopefully they'll figure out how to wrap it up nicely in three movies, not four.