Thursday, July 31, 2008

"How To Know When You Are Ready For Parenthood"

MESS TEST: Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your handsin the wet flower bed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.
TOY TEST: Obtain a 55-gallon box of LEGOs. (If LEGOs are not available, you may substitute roofing tacks or broken bottles.) Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream (this could wake a child at night).
GROCERY STORE TEST: Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop at the grocery store. Always keep them insight and pay for anything they eat or damage.
DRESSING TEST: Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff it into a small net bag making sure that all arms stay inside.
FEEDING TEST: Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill it halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a stout cord. Get the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal (such as Fruit Loops or Cheerios) into the mouth of the jug while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.
NIGHT TEST: Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8 to 12pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 8 PM begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9 PM. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 PM. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing them until 4:00 AM. Set alarm for 5:00 AM. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.
PHYSICAL TEST (WOMEN): Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 mo. Now remove 10% of the beans.
PHYSICAL TEST (MEN): Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest foodstore. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.
FINAL ASSIGNMENT: Find a couple who already has a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their child's discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training, and table manners. Suggest many things they can improve as well. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run riot. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you'll have all the answers.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Worth a try

Standing in line.
I literally heard someone scream "I think I'm going to die!" Oh my.
The tryout booths. The rejects went out the left while the yellow paper kids went to the right.
Can you see Ryan?? He is wearing the blueish shirt.

So Ryan will not be the next American Idol...at least not this year:) It was quite the experience and basically yesterady was soooooo long. At one point, we were like, is this worth staying and trying out for. It was a little disastrous. We totally did not need to be there at 5am, but they told us we did. And then there was so much filming time doing different introductions, the audience was nuts at first and then we were all like, seriously, can we just get to the auditions? I got some video of everyone signing together, it was pretty funny. Ryan Seacrest showed up and I thought people were going to have a meltdown, especially the guy in front of us, oh man. Luckily we in the first half of the auditions, so we didn't have to be there all hours, though it still did take about 5 hours for Ryan to try out. It was fun though, seeing all these people so excited. Everyone was singing everywhere. I'll post a few pics of the process, it was quite interesting. The tryouts were on the floor usually with two judges and you were given about 30 seconds to sing as part of a group of four. If you were not picked your wrist band was cut off and you walked out of one door. The lucky got a yellow paper and were sent through another door. We were able to watch it all and I would guesstimate that out of every hundred people about 4 or 5 were sent to the next round, only to go on to two more auditions, before they even saw Randy, Paula, or Simon. It was tough. Everyone is the stadium clapped and screamed if anyone got a yellow paper, it was fun. So we had fun, but it was sad. I'll have to post a video of Ryan's audition pieces, they were sooo good. Such an injustice!!! Thanks for your encouragement guys, especially my family, you guys are so awesome.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

American Idol here we come!!!

It's official, we are registered and ready to go. So when Tuesday morning about 5ish rolls around, be thinking of us while you're in your cozy bed. Most likely we'll be standing in a massive line with fellow crazies singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". We're ready Idol, are you?

Friends at last!




So up until now Oliver and Noelle have been curious but reserved about each other. Mostly because Oliver has been too little to play and realize there is anybody else around. But recently these two have found kindred spirits in one another, it's very sweet. Good thing for cousins huh? Cribs are usually only a fun place when it's not time to sleep in them. Enjoy it while it lasts kiddles:)

Friday, July 25, 2008

Beautiful foods of the day


I have decided that my most favorite color palettes in the world are some tasty foods. Avocados definetely come in first, I almost feel guilty making guac out of them because they're just so pretty. But since freshly made guacamole is probably one of the best things in the world, I can make an exception. If anyone knows me, you know I LOVE watermelon. Watermelon has gorgeous colors, and is also one of the sweetest natural treats God gave us:) Peaches also are made up of the most beautiful colors. I wanted my wedding bouquet to look exactly like a bunch of peaches and it did! Doesn't it look like a good old fashioned Hawaiian sunset? And fresh basil is also one of my favs, not only cause it's so yummy, the color is so vibrant and alive. Don't you love summertime delights? If you haven't in a while, go out and get the goods for homemade guacamole, you won't be sorry. I like to make it with 3 avocados, 1 fresh tomato, 1/2 onion, 3 or 4 spoonfulls of fresh hot salsa (refrigerated section), and a squirt of lime. Just salt and pepper to taste. Treat yourself, you deserve it.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

VOTE NOW!!!

Ok, so Ryan totally doesn't want me to post this but myself and many others think Ryan should try out for American Idol. However, it has been a while since Ryan has got on stage and strutted his stuff so therefore his confidence level is down. But he has an AMAZING voice, boyish good looks, and a winning personality, so it's worth a shot at least right? The auditions are in like a week so time is running out, so cast your vote, and give some encouragement, and ask yourself this one question...could Ryan be the next American Idol!!!

And a comment: Ryan would secretely LOVE to do this. It is his total dream to be on-stage. He just is maybe the humblest person I know and would never admit it:)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

An afternoon on the river

Playing in the dirt is just the best.
Well I guess this is what "floating" the river currently means to us considering I have this massive fear of taking Oliver down it and having him fall out and drown. So this is my sanity I guess. Still relaxing, and we let Ryan go the rest of the way down all on his own.
What a natural. This is our exotic, jungle photo shoot. I need a little more pout in those lips.

Our two man raft, turned three.
Some snuggle time to warm up. So the water is painfully cold and I kid you not that Oliver was diving in head first. He is baby crazy about water. We had to save him a few times from plunging into the deep. He would play in the mud then take a dip, like full body, and then the same again. I can't even take him to the water park without getting a full body work out trying to chase him around and make sure he doesn't die. And guaranteed, at the end of the day he throws up chlorine because he thinks he can swim, thus drinking tons of water. A mom can only do so much:)
Laura Linny and I, ahhhh sisterly LOVE!
It's always a good time to contemplate life when moving water is near.


Friday, July 11, 2008

Utah Don't Know Jack

Meaning Jack In The Box of course. Much to Ryan's dismay, Utah only had two locations in all of Utah. This has caused much sadness in the late night hours when all you need is an oreo shake or a few tacos. Poor Ryan. BUT...there is a bright side to all of this. El Pollo Loco has just arrived to town. Do you all know what this means! This is a place I have craved so many times, cause it is soooo good and a brc is like a buck, great. So Utah, take it from me, this is a place we want to keep around. It was so funny when I saw a billboard for it coming. I just about caused Ryan to crash, I gasped so loud. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about the sacrifice of Jack in the Box for El Pollo Loco. Too bad it's 15 minutes away....so worth it.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Back in action

Happy to have his glamour shots back, smile! Yay to have our camera fixed even if it was years later, ok maybe a month but seriously, took way too long.
One of our favorite things about 98 degree days, Jamba Juice! I love that they give Olls this cup, and it make him feel like such a big kid. Our favs are Strawberries Wild and Aloha Pineapple.
Sometime he makes this hilarious face, the "mom I mean business" face.
This is Ollie giving me a "beso", always open mouth and soooo wet. I love them like that, just ask Ryan:)

Friday, July 4, 2008

Thank You for our Freedom

We are so so blessed.

Freedom Days Parade!!!


Every time anyone clapped, which was like the whole time, Oliver clapped.
Notice in this picture how his finger is almost touching the beauty queen, funny.

"Mom, WHAT IS THAT"!?
"Oh just a giant monkey floating in the air".

Look at this face. PURE JOY


Move over Beethoven



I would LOVE if Oliver played the piano, bagpipes, cello, and guitar (electric preferably), mostly because these are all the things I wish I could play. And let's add violin, why not. Just note the way he's sitting with his legs tucked under, just so cute. (Pics courtesy of Laura:)

Child Labor



So we figured it was time to help Oliver earn his keep around the house. He's really good at avoiding the weeds and shoveling out the sunflowers:) My sister Laura took these pictures this morning with her camera so yay, we have some new pictures. But yes, this is my wonderful garden. May not look like much but I love it! A few of the things we're awaiting is tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers, jalapenos, strawberries, watermelon, pumpkins, beans, and there are lots and lots of herbs. I made this creamy chicken basil over angel hair the other night and used my fresh basil, I felt special:)

Uh-Oh

This is one of my favorites because he just says it with the sweetest little voice. It's even better when he purposely knocks things over now so he can say it.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Garden in Bloom


I am literally obsessed with my garden. Don't be fooled, these are not my tomatoes, but they will be. I am amazed how something starts as nothing and then really, by the day, it can change so much. I usually go look at my garden twice a day I have to pull weeds like everyday, even though I thought I pulled them all out before I started. Those are tough little suckers. I am feeling a little resentful of the bees as of late. Every time I try to go pull weeds or water, those stupid bees are everywhere! Ok, I really do like bees, they are cute and make yummy honey, but sometimes they are feisty and sting, and that part I do not like. Do bee's have a huge purpose for a garden?? Someone with a little more experience tell me so I can just relax about it. When I get my camera back, I will post some pics. It is quite the accomplishment, thank you very much:)