Aubry the Amazing

So, normally, getting a family picture is the perfect setting for tears, tense, "I'm fine, let's just DO this." and general bad attitudes. When Aubry offered to take our family pictures, I was cautiously optimistic because I knew how good she is, but I also knew how raunchy I can be when faced with the prospect of my ugly mug next to others. Imagine my delight and surprise when the picture taking was painless and quick and the results are this good. ALL credit goes to my talented sister. I am very grateful.

The big 5...well, the big 3 at least

Jessica tagged me to do 5 joys, obsessions, surprising facts and fears. It's kind of sad, but I'm actually glad to be tagged because I hardly ever get it. I know, I need more to worry about. I'm not feeling too creative though, so I'm going to wuss out and do 3 of all those. Here goes. Sorry for diluting the order of the tag...

3 joys
1. Of course, Presley. She's my number one buddy. We hang out mostly all day and she's so good 90% of the time. The other 10% she lets me try and be a good mommy, otherwise, I don't think she'd even need me at all!
2. Paul. I know, right? Could I be more sappy and lame not to have something so much spicier to list? But it's true, he's awesome and anyone who knows him, likes him.
3. Having people over to our house. I had no idea how much I missed cooking and having people over until we were able to do it here in the new casa. It feels like home and I LOVE having it full of kids and friends and family.

3 obsessions
1. Sephora. Again, where is my passion for something noble? But, alas, I love slathering gunk on my face and enjoying overpriced powders and bits of creams. Also, hello, samples of great skin care!
2. Fiber One bars. I won't even explain this one. Why am I feeling lamer the more I try to think of these things?
3. Bed Bath and Beyond sheets. Those of you who know, you know what I'm talking about. They have the absolute best sheets.

3 surprising facts
1. I hate washing my hair. This might not be so surprising given the fact that you can all see that my hair is usually greasy.
2. I watch Charm School every Sunday. It's trash tv at its best.
3. My favorite dog is the Chinese Crested (the rat of a dog on How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days). I want one.

3 fears
1. I fear I'll never get my stupid degree. WHY DON'T I HAVE IT?! That's easy, because I was a nitwit. Take care of the bizness when you can; I didn't and I'm terrified I never will.
2. I fear I'll let Paul down. There are so many ways I could fail him. Enough said.
3. Monica's health. I think about her every day and don't think she knows how much I love her and pray that she'll get through okay.

Wow, didn't mean to end on the bummer. I'll try to find a pic that will pick this post back up.

Nothing makes me happier.

Bath Time!

I have not posted pics from bath time, which she absolutely loves. I think she's even starting to understand when I say bath. Or maybe she just loves to be nekkid. Either way, she starts hyperventilating with the kind of joy reserved for the wee ones.



I thought she looked a lot like Jenna in this next one...at least when Jenna was not a full grown woman ready to start dating! Wah, why do kids grow up?

New dailies

So we're chillin in our new house and really, I don't think it's possible for me to be any more grateful for a home of my own. I may very well be challenged decorating-wise, but perfection is boring, and I aim to be interesting. So, for those of you who are sick of seeing the same Presley pics, here are some new ones. I'm certainly not re-inventing any wheels as far as photos of kids go...pretty standard.



I tried putting her in the corner of the couch; turns out it's a REALLY comfortable couch...

This next one is for you meanies that WANT to see the ones that don't make the cut for public consumption/posting. Just keeping it real.

Of course, this last one is how I always see my Irish-looking, endlessly smiling, non-identifiable hair colored little girl. I didn't even feel the need to make her cry this time. I think things are looking up for us.

You will be seeing new family pics compliments of my sister Aubry soon, so keep checking back suckas!

Mom, whyyouwannadomelikethat?

So we're in our new house. Yes, big news. Presley and I end up hanging out in the office most of the day and she was being too, too cute. So, I snapped a few.

Happy baby, happy mommy, all is good.

Then, being the evil troll of a mother, I started growling. This wasn't the nice, "I'm a gonna kiss you" growl, this was mean, scary growling. At first she didn't know what to make of this unexpected turn of events...

Getting more than a little concerned...

I won't even post the money shot.

Okay, I will post the grand finale. I am officially a messed up mother. I'll pay for therapy later.
Oh, you bleeding hearts out there, don't call child services just yet. Here she is about 10 minutes later.

Oh, I still need to post from Halloween. She was a pretty cute bunny. (Nicole, do you recognize the top she's got on. We're LOVING your baby stash.

Mixed bag, yo.

I sat Presley down in the black rocking chair in her room so I could keep one eyeball on her so I could blow dry my hair. But, when I actually did look at her from the bathroom, she looked so independent! I grabbed my camera to record the moment; I have totally mixed feelings about it. I used to hear moms cry about their kids growing up and I couldn't understand why that was upsetting. I mean, didn't they WANT to have less to do? What was the matter with them?

But now I have my little one, who used to need to be rocked to sleep and now prefers to be laid down when she's tired, who used to be perfectly content to lay on my lap and now prefers to sit up on her own, who used to need me for all things mealtime and now can hold her own bottle and sippy. And now I understand.

She didn't even look over when I took this picture. I love it and hate it at exactly the same time.

The problem with posting...

It's really bad now folks. I'm officially compulsive about checking my blog for comments when I put up a new post.
Is it a need for approval and attention, a categorical character flaw or just a harmless side effect to putting something up on the web that actually matters to me?
I'm very sorry to say that I'm leaning towards the former. Sometimes, it's nice not to know everything about oneself.

Aunt Fannie's Day

I tried to find a dang picture of ice cream and I googled it for an image and it came up with the weirdest images, so...sorry, no cute picture of an ice cream sundae.
Mom and Dad met 34 years ago today in an ice cream parlor and, in honor of that, we celebrate Aunt Fannies Day to remember the beauty of love, commitment and keeping it all together, in good times and bad.
Paul knows I love him, but I don't mind the rest of the blogging world knowing that I appreciate him more and more every day. I remember the day we met, and, though we probably won't have an "ASU Student Memorial Building Day," (just doesn't have the same ring to it!) I am grateful that he's been a part of my life for over 10 years. The last 2.3 have been the best of my life.To all versions of "Aunt Fannies Day!"

PS- Who else besides me is surprised I'm this rabid poster now?

No big deal

I don't know why this is underlined. Wah. Anyway, we've had an eventful past couple of months and I've been pathetic about blogging about it. Now that I've got friends and family that actually live further away than 3 or 4 miles, I'm going to try to be better. (I know, AJ, you've been living away much longer so I have no excuse!)

We are in the process of remodeling our new home and we're getting pretty excited. I never knew how luxurious a garbage disposal is; I'll never take such waste removal for granted again!

Pics are from Heber and Rocky Point, both excursions taken with the Petersen family. We've had such a great time with them lately.

Paul and I already miss Ryan and Nicole and family and I'm missing KT, who's intrepid enough to live in Seattle and live the city life that I not-so-secretly covet.

Here's to more regular updates!

I don't know, is it wrong to think I've got a really handsome husband and a beautiful little girl? I guess it's not too much of a stretch because Presley is a mini-me of Paul. Everyone says so, so it must be true. Hopefully she avoids the mustache part...

That's right. See the above comment for what you're thinking about this picture. "Wow, she doesn't really look much like her mom..." Maybe it's for the best...the Greek look isn't for everyone. (OKAY, OKAY, I'm going with "Greek" because I like the sound of it to describe my strong features. If anyone out there wants to be mean spirited and call my "look" something else, just don't do it to my face.) If Presley really does take after her father, she won't get, "Now what ethnicity are you?" from strangers.

Being a minority is tough; I'm discriminated against regularly.


These are her cousins on the Petersen side. From left, Presley, Ava and Kole. All within 2 weeks of each other.

So I wish this could be wittier and more satisfying for those of you who still bother to check to see if I've updated, but this is what you get.

Sunday mornings, again, totally rock. They're easily my favorite mornings of the week. Paul and I have such a great time with little Nutmeg. We're definitely the stereotypical new parents...we get a kick out of every funny face, smelly toot and huge grin. Because our little home (I use that word very loosely) doesn't have a sink big enough for her, she showers with either Paul and I. Inevitably, Paul tries to get funny and we'll say, "HI, MOMMY" in a funny voice and I'll look up from brushing my teeth to this picture. No matter how many times he does it, I crack up every time.

It really doesn't get any better than this.

Side note, Paul and I went out with some of my girlfriends and their husbands and we had a great time. Sushi Kee, on Power and Main, is mucho yummy. Our date night was super fun. I certainly appreciate the times that I can be alone with Paul now that we have a cute little ball and chain.

Oh, and just in case you were afraid my life was totally perfect...I cannot seem to stop eating Big Cups (reese's) so my bum is still baby weight. Actually, I guess I can't say it's baby weight. I'll have to say it's Big Cup and salt and vinegar chip weight. That's sick. But true.

Nicole's BIRTHDAY!

So she's one of my dearest friends and cherished sister and I just have to write some thing about Nicole that make her wonderful. No, I'm not going to write it as 19 things about her (because her birthday is today!) but I do want to highlight some of what makes her so great.

- She's always up for a game, regardless of if she loses every time! (like the Birdie Game) or if she rocks everyone everytime she plays (Sensosketch in Cranium)

- She really takes time to treat her children as individuals, to react differently to them, based on what they really need.

- She's one of the most organized mothers I know, always having a stocked diaper bag and never missing a doctor's appt, birthday etc.
- She's a really good cook and is always up for trying new things, even if it's just to appease me and Ryan's fascination with all things food.

- She makes the most delicious sugar cookies, breakfast burritos and spinach artichoke dip.

- She's an athlete in disguise. She runs a bazillion miles a week and makes it a priority. I believe someday she will tackle tennis and be really, really good.
- She's one of the easiest people to get along with, but has opinions and doesn't mind sharing them, which I love.

- She treats my brother so, so well and isn't shy about telling us all what a great guy he is.

- She always makes me feel so welcome in her home, even stocking her fridge with my favorite sodas.

Nicole has blessed our lives from the time that she snagged Ryan. I, personally, will be forever grateful that she knew how much Ryan would need her before he did. And now, how much I need her and hold dear my relationship to her. She's an exceptional example of how to fulfill all the roles of a woman with poise and grace. She's a wife, a mother, sister, daughter and the kind of friend everyone looks for in life. She's much better at formatting these dang posts, but I hope she knows how much I love her and has a very happy birthday!

HELLBOY

Paul and I saw a matinee this afternoon and so I thought I'd write a little review. Actually, I'll just say that it had crazy creatures in it and it was pretty good, but definitely a rental-worthy movie. The more interesting part of the movie was that I got like, 8 phone calls and some texts, which is more than I get in a whole week, so I was pretty stoked and Paul was pretty annoyed. Finally, I went out to check my msgs to make sure I wasn't missing anything important. When I came back into the theatre, the Cine Capri, I walked up to the row that we were sitting in and politely whispered to this couple to please let me by.
The evil troll of a woman gave me this mean glare, so I just started walking by her to get to my seat and the guy STUCK HIS FOOT OUT TO TRIP ME! TWICE! Purposefully! He looked right at me as I stumbled a little and sneered. In a normal voice (which seems really loud in a movie theatre) I asked him what his problem was and, at that point, got Paul's attention. He kind of looked at me from down the row like, What the heck is going on. By this time I was just past the couple and the lady hissed some string of obscenities at me. OH THE RAGE! I had a real urge to turn around and make a big scene. Instead, I wussed out and just sat down. Paul then actually said, "What the heck?" so I told him some fat tool tried to trip me and, based on the look I got back, I'm not sure I was totally believed.
Anyway, the rest of the movie was uneventful. When the movie was finished, Hellboy and his stupid girlfriend left before we even stood up. I think they were afraid of me...
Okay, they for sure were not.

Sunday mornings ROCK!

Good times on Sunday mornings. Presley wakes up, we get to play, she goes down for about an hour, we get dressed and then off to church at 11AM. She looked so cute in her little dress that we had to snap a few.

Anonymous comments now welcome

Since I'm pathetic and want those who come to my blog to comment, I'm enabling anonymous commenting. That means Ryan, Paul (when he's at work checking new posts), Mom, Dad, Lexi...etc can leave comments.

Question. Why does this seem like a step down on the cool, exclusive blogging world?

2 years and loving life

Paul and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary yesterday! Our server at lunch was kind of an idiot and said, "They say the first three years are the hardest." You could pick any random year and say it's the hardest or that it's the best and you'd be right.

I won't get too mushy because I tend to ramble anyway, but I do love Paul more and more each day and appreciate him for all the ways that he completes my life. He is the only man for me.

We had a very chill day. We started by playing with Presley in the morning, then we went to a late lunch at PF Changs where we both inhaled our new favorite obsession, the Northern Style Spare Ribs...YUMMMM! Later that night, we played cards with Dad, Mom, Lexi and Mark Wood. It was really fun. Mark is definitely one of the most sneaky funny people I've ever known.

Presley wasn't too happy that we kept her up all afternoon, and, since I always post pics of her being good, I thought it was fitting to post one where she's being a stinker. Also, Dad and I were going through my blog the other day and I realized there weren't enough pics of the men in our lives, so I'm trying to remedy that sitch-i-ation.

In order to play cards and keep the Precious happy, she went into the sling. Dad noticed that she was looking particularly cute and snapped a pic.

I know it's really cheesery, but I honestly feel like every day just gets better and better. I love my husband, adore my daughter and cherish my family and friends. Now, if it could only cool off...

Tone deaf, but I guess she's got time.

Presley has started reacting to Itsy Bitsy Spider and I thought I'd bore all you folks that have SO much time on your hands that you actually check my blog. You could be catching up on the news...or reading your scriptures...or doing family history...boy, pretty much anything more productive than surfing the blogosphere! But, since you're here, you may as well watch this 25 sec. video. :)

Saturday morning is pretty fun when you've had a WHOLE night's sleep!

It's official.

Presley went to bed at 9:00pm last night and slept until 8:00am! It's a big deal! We had the funnest morning and then she had a good nap at about 9:30am until 12:30am!!! What!?

Rocky happy. Baby happy. Rocky happy.

I know that as soon as you think you've got the hang of it, everything will go to crap, but I'm in love with this whole having-a-child-and-watching-her-grow thing. If you click on the picture of her sleeping, you can really see those hands getting chubbier and chubbier! LOVE IT! OWN IT!

Also included in this post are pics from Mom's50th Birthday celebration. Pretty fun. I don't want to go too into it or else everyone that wasn't there will feel bad they didn't get to be a part of it. Big thanks, though, to my brother and sisters that sent in their reports. You know who you are!

Oh, and it's just evidence of my lack of vanity that I posted the one of all the girls. Yowza. Rocky happy but Rocky look like Big Pink Balloon in that shirt. Why doesn't Paul warn me of these things!!

LESI! 18 big ones today!

It's LEXI'S 18th Birthday today and I wanted to post a little love for my youngest sister.

I was looking through my pics from the past couple of years and I realized I have so many of Lexi and I together, from that crazy trek we did up in Wisconsin with the whole Wood family, to pool parties, to baby showers, to dressing up to see Fergie in concert, to pre-dance or date pics after I've done her makeup.

She lets me be the older sister and makes me feel so good about it. She says that she feels badly for people without older siblings and I'll go one further and say that it's the ones without younger sisters that really have it bad.

She's going away to college this year and I just want her to know, on her special day, how much she means to me and how she enriches the lives of everyone around her. She's the best of us and we love her!