Say what?

I take myself waaaay too seriously in some ways and definitely not seriously enough in others. I'm a bit preachy (what can I do, I have hell-fire and brimstone baptists genes). I complain in my little myopic way annnnd I ramble like the dickens. But thankfully, now I know that there is at least one person who really appreciates this, and truth be told, I will take an ego stroking every once and a while, so thank you for awarding me the "Stylish Blogger Award," Jess!

Jessica Perkins has a pretty sweet blog herself. If you want to check it out, you should go here. Whenever I look at her blog it is either filled with pictures of delicious food she's made, awesome crafts or sewing projects (she made Luke, her son, a sweet Woody costume and now I wish I lived near her so she could help make Henry's!) and the humor in her writing about self/life doesn't disappoint.

Now, as with all great gifts in life, come great responsibilities. Attached to this award are some criteria I must meet in this post, otherwise they take away my blog's extensions, tummy sucker and weekly injection of botox to leave it very style-less and frumpy.

Lets begin:
Thing #1: Thank, and link back to, the person who awarded you this award
Done and done. See above.

Thing #2: Share 7 things about yourself

1. I am always shocked by my lack of adventurousness. Last night Johann and I were talking and I said in response to something, "well, yeah, some people are really crazy-like going skydiving all the time or you know, canoeing!" Canoeing? Really? It was the first crazy thing in my mind after skydiving. Just sad.

*now don't tell me that doesn't look dangerous!

2. I'm left-handed. I use to be proud of it, then my first day in public school a girl saw me writing and said, "you know they burned left-handed people at the stake for being witches!" Geez, and home-school kids are suppose to be the weird ones?

3. Speaking of home-schooling, I was home schooled until 5th grade. Now, people always say kids who were home schooled are weird because of home schooling. I don't really think that's true. I think the problem is usually that crazy parents go all crazy and decide to home school their genetically crazy kids, giving any sane person who decides to do it a bad rap.

4. I'm stealing this from Jessica since she mentioned her TV crush. I don't know about our status now, but for a good while when Henry was obsessed with Curious George, I had a thing for the man with the yellow hat. When I suggested to Johann that we could all be characters from Curious George for Halloween last year, he was pretty much appalled because he thought I was just trying to live out my fantasy. Psssh. SO NOT TRUE. Well, who knows what our subconscious does to us!
5. I have an intense fear of hitting my eyes on anything pointy, like my night-stand corner. I have actually had nights where I really can't fall asleep because I am afraid once I do, I'll roll off the bed and hit my eyeball directly onto the corner. gaaah.

6. I like to read but I have never been good about sniffing out contemporary books. I usually just read what are deemed, 'classics'. I feel like there is so much that has been written before that I have to finish that before I move on. Also, I feel like a book that has come through so many readers and years and is still praised is a good sign I won't be wasting my time. *Except for The Great Gatsby. Oh and Heart of Darkness. I hate you.

7. I know it will never happen because we'll never be wealthy, but I really, really want to have my own library. Despite the lack of attainability I still picture new things about it constantly. *sigh*

*Potbelly stove would be a library must.

Thing #3 Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

Well, I won't do 15 but here are some that come to mind:

Fifty Thousand Pages
Maren and Patrick Peng
A Little Piece of Heaven

I think 3 is sufficient.

Thing #4 Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!
I'm going to be lame and just tell them on here since Henry is about to wake up from his nap and I'll forget if I don't do it now!
Mika-You're blog is great. You are so good at posting regularly and I love all your recommendations. I love your writing and I admire your determination to finish school, raise two kids, still read non-school related books and let everyone share in it through your blog.
Maren-You make it seem completely natural to have back to back posts on fighting gender inequalities, reviewing the latest novel you've read, family events, work and baking cinnamon rolls. I love that your passions are not necessarily separated but just simply a part of the whole that is you.
Megan-Reading your blog makes me want to be a better mom. Really. Not in the, "oh I need more toys or gimmicks for my kids," but in the sincere, "she really knows how to love those children," kind of way.

So here is to the three of you for being stylish bloggers. Thank you!

Talk. Expound. Chit-chat. Speak.

I'm a flibbertigibbet. Not in the flighty, gossipy way, more in the I chatter way too much. I can't help it.
The more meetings I go to and the more I go visiting teaching, the more nights I spend at home hitting my head on the wall for how much I talked. I come home and I blame Johann (who was of course not present at said meetings) for not telling me to shut it. He of course tells me he wasn't there, how could he tell me to shut it. That's when I get him with technology-you could have text messaged it!
Moving on.
I'm not sure where my need to talk and talk and talk comes from. Part of it is probably spending most of my time with a 2 year old. The other part is probably nurture/nature from childhood. We were never exactly 'well-off' so instead of having a junk-load of expensive toys and family vacations to occupy us (oh yeah and my parents often implemented no tv rules that lasted in monthly bouts) we talked. A lot. Ok, we mostly beat each other up-we were in karate and had sparring gear so that makes it ok-but we also talked. A lot.
As a kid I was always given those really creative nicknames like "chatter-box," really guys? Anyway. I still get embarrassed when an adult who knew me growing up reminds me of my talkative heritage. It's one of the few things to make me go speechless for quite a while. Pathetic but true.
Yet, when we go home for breaks during school we inevitably end up sitting around talking.
I don't know that my enthusiasm for talking is topical. I think you could talk to me about anything and in my mind I would be able to connect it to something (thank you and no thank humanities & history training). In fact, the second someone mentions something, I start to think of all the different things it connects and relates to; I think about other things people have said in a similar tone, with similar facial expressions etc. After seeing the HBO film about Temple Grandin where someone mentions shoes and her mind registers every shoe she has ever seen I got a little weirded out and started to feel mildly autistic for a few days.
I have moved on from feeling mildly autistic but the annoyance with myself for not being able to be one of those graceful, prudent speakers has not. I admire that a lot.
I am trying though. I'm trying to reign it in. In the words of Anne Shirley:

"I know I chatter on far too much... but if you only knew how many things I want to say and don't. Give me some credit."

So I'll keep working on it and in the mean time, try and give me some credit. This post could have been quite a bit longer! =)

Provo Library Used Book Sale

I am really bad with couponing, finding deals etc. It's not one of my domestic/consumer strong points. But yesterday I feel like I did do something right in that area.

We got 37 books for 19.50 yesterday at the Provo City Library Used book sale. Most of the books are in pretty fair condition, I had to go through and tape a few but overall not too bad.
We even managed to snag Doctrines of Salvation for a buck. Not in pristine condition by any means but for a buck? Yeah, I 'll take it.

Henry found an old Batman and Robin comic book. Of course he snagged it and we had to get it for him to peruse. Oh, Henry.

Date night

*WARNING. I USE THE WORD BARF (or some variation of it) multiple times in this post.*

As you may have read in the previous post, one of my goals this year is to go on a weekly date with Johann.
We started a babysitting swap with another couple in our ward and this weekend was going to be our first time carrying it out.
Then Henry got sick.
He seemed to be getting better.
Then he did a little mini-barf during his nap.
We called and canceled with our friends figuring getting their two kids sick would not be appreciated.
We decided we still needed to have a date and we needed to watch "Doubt" which we had sitting around from Netflix for almost a week. Done deal. Henry in bed, "Doubt" and ice cream. Not a bad date.
Half way through, *cough, cough* *BLLLLLEEEAAAAH*
Man. Henry has never really puked until last night.
It was gross.
Then as we were trying to get the situation under control-enter the follow up act, then lots of tears and confusion; from Henry, I know, you thought Johann.
So what is the point of this post aside from me talking about my kid's puke?
Sometimes the realization of being fully invested in having a family kicks in and I realize I don't mind it. In fact, I like it. Not the cleaning up muck part so much, but the fact that when we hear Henry upchuck during our 'date' we just get up and take care of it. Clean, comfort and get him what he needs until he is ready to sleep again. And then go back and finish our date.
We'll be doing this dance for the rest of our lives and I don't mind. Not one bit. I enjoy the tune far too much.

*I thought Henry had Conan 'do going on and couldn't resist.*

Goals 2011

This year seems like it just might be a crazy one. Johann will be finishing his on-campus classes and looking for, and then starting an internship. Somewhere. There is a strong chance this will involve moving of some sort. He has practicum 2 days a week in Salt Lake so that means that while it is still freezing Henry and I are pretty much limited to the apartment on those days.
I have a new calling that fluctuates from always having something in the back of my mind that needs to get done to being completely occupied for hours to days at a time.
Henry is going to be turning 3. He is busy, busy, curious and chatty now. He always wants to know what you're up to and most of the time wants to have a share in whatever you're doing or talking about. He is trying to change his sleeping schedule. I really need to get him potty trained soon. The diapers are getting ridiculous, but I know that with his personality, pushing him will only backfire. So, I have to find a way to coax him nicely and slowly. We'll see how that goes.
There are all sorts of things going on and coming up that will play a huge roll in (cue dramatic music) the rest of our lives.

With all that in mind, I have taken some more time to really sift out what goals are important for me this year. So here they are:

1. Get more sleep: Go to bed early, get up early.

2. Keep reading: Yup, purposefully very broad.

3. Write more: Blog once a week. Go to the museum once a month and write about a particular painting or two.

4. Read a chapter from the Book of Mormon and a conference talk daily. Read the gospel doctrine and Relief Society lessons before class.

5. Have a date with Johann weekly: even if that means just watching a movie together at home.

6. Attend the temple monthly and have family home evening weekly.

7.Keep a monthly budget.

8.Get rid of the weight I gained during (and after lovingly nurtured) while pregnant with Henry. I've been working on it but I need to make a very concerted effort to just kick the rest of it. Three years is long enough, though that first year I didn't sleep at all and I have a sneaking suspicion that didn't help me out much. Anyway, I have tons of excuses, now its just time to do it.

9. FINALLY take a family picture. It WILL happen this year. The end.

And because no blog post is complete with out a picture:

Robots and Aliens

Being stuck inside for the greater part of the day can be lame. But, with bathtub markers and a sweet set of wooden building blocks, it can be much less lame.
Henry has had a distinct theme in all of his drawings and building lately:

"Look at my ALIENS, Mama!"

"I made a robot!"

"He's a short robot"

I love that Henry is in a much more verbal stage than ever before so I can hear what he is thinking and how he figures and relates things. It is also fun to see him building and drawing and see which details are most important for him. You can't see it in the above bath picture but his aliens have been having eyebrows lately and his robots are never fully satisfactory until they have 'shoes' or 'feet'. I was also pretty impressed when a few weeks ago he drew a picture of himself and Johann and he gave Johann glasses! I still need to scan that picture but its great to see him noticing details and incorporating it into whatever he is doing.
Now I wonder what will be next after robots and aliens have lost their appeal...if that is possible, of course.

Now we're back

Now that we have finally come back to Provo, I wonder what Henry will miss most: playing games on Uncle Aaron's iPad, getting treats from Grammy, being able to play rough and tumble constantly because of all the uncles, helping Grammy bake, having Grammy read him her big books, being able to play in a back yard, playing papa's drums with Abuela, bossing everyone around, going to places like the zoo with Abuela and Grandpa, chasing Dandy the dog...the list goes on.

Poor kid, I'm only one person, and not a very exciting one at that! Hopefully we'll be able to have fun together this winter while Johann's busy with school and finishing that thesis.
I'm just glad Henry got to have three weeks completely surrounded by family and friends. What a blessing!

California Christmas Break Part VIII: New Years Eve

It is 2011. Shouldn't we all be using hovercrafts and teleporting by now? Really. =)


We rang in the new year with the east coast because we are too old a grumpy to stay up until midnight and start the new year pooped.
My mom had some family friends over and Johann's parents and brother came from Riverside for some fondue goodness. The last time my mom tried fondue for New Years turned out horribly. None of us knew what we were doing and the cheese sauce was bleh but I can still hear my mom's words ringing in my ears, "I spent 30 dollars on cheese-you guys better eat it!!!"
Don't worry, we didn't end up having to eat it. It was a pretty big disaster though, so for two or maybe now three years, we stayed away from anything to do with fondue.
This year, however, my mom and her friend Karen decided to give it another try. There was a bit of trouble with the first cheese sauce but another one was made and everything turned out delicious. People brought cake, pie, empanadas and some kind of roll with brie-I dunno but it was yummy.
And now, a couple pictures:

My brother, Jacob, ever the big smiler in pictures. He was getting read to go to a YSA dance, maybe that's why he was sad. Don't despair, Henry showed him some robot moves that I am sure scored big points with the ladies.

Henry as we rang in the new year. I really hope this face isn't indicative of the year to come!!!

Happy New Year Everybody! Hope it is a good one for all.