Christmas week

Wow, its been a while since I last posted! I added a few posts so I hope you check 'em all out.

Christmas was great! The Sunday before Christmas was kinda crazy. I played the organ, accompanied the Ward Choir's 2 numbers, and sang in a musical number myself all in Sacrament Meeting. Dave had meetings in the morning, and was the only member of the YM presidency there. Primary was kinda crazy, too. We were way short in nursery workers, so I ended up in there, and Dave brought in the YM to help out too. It was busy!!!

After that we headed down to Pocatello for my mom's birthday. Monday morning we went to Rupert. Its been a long time since Dave's parents have had kids around on Christmas morning, so though we usually stay home for that, we decided to join his parents. We spent Christmas Eve with Dave's sister. Finger foods and family - gotta love it.

Christmas morning was great! Finally that morning it felt like Christmas. I was so excited I almost woke Ana up early. Ana loved her dolly stroller and her puzzles and books. Dave and I took a lot of video, and Dave's parents took pictures. (As soon as I get some pictures from them, I'll update this post.) Dave got me some stamps for scrapbooking/cardmaking, a cookbook, the piano book for the Ben Folds album Songs for Silverman and the High School Musical movies, since I love them. The piano book I've spent the most time with. His songs are hard, but such cook rhythms, that I love it. I love that album! I got Dave and I-pod, which he wasn't expecting at all. It was really fun to surprise him.

We spent a few days in Rupert and then went back to Pocatello for a day. We were home Friday afternoon and then were back in Idaho Falls for the Phippen family holiday party. Thanks Wenday for the gift certificate. We'll use it!

Overall its been a really fun, busy week full of family and good food. We've had a good week, but we are ready to stay home for a few day now. I have some cleaning and catching up to do this week, but we are all party-ed out for a little bit.

Rexburg Temple

On Friday night I had the opportunity to clean the Temple in preparation for the Open House. It was really neat. The temple is beautiful! Before then, I was debating whether to take Ana through with us when we go, but I decided it want her to go. She won't remember what it looks like, but I think that the more opportunites you give children to feel the Spirit, the more they'll recognize it as they grow up. And it starts when they are little. Anyway, it was a neat opportunity to serve and was glad I was able to gothat night. We go through on Thursday and I'm really excited!

Claire

My sister Teri had their 3rd kid and 2nd girl a week and a half ago. They named her Claire. The pictures are adorable. Wish we could be their Teri!

Another sister and my sister in law are both due with girls at the end of Jan./beginning of Feb. Its making me baby hungry!

Baby Blanket

I made this baby blanket for a friend/neighbor who recently had their first baby. Although I didn't go a great job on the stitching, I thought it turned out cute. I made it double layer since it winter. I love the pinks!

Yeah...

So, after Ana went to bed, Erin and I made these mini Christmas wreaths to take to friends and neighbors (the ones who are still around anyway). It was fun, they are way good. After making the first batch I went to the store and got some mint M&M's to use in decorating them. When I got back, Erin pointed out to me that I had a thin green marshmallow strand stuck from my lip nearly to the bottom of my chin. Yeah, I went to the store and even talked to the cashier for a while. Everyone knew that I had sniched while making treats.

Christmas Spirit?

I've had a hard time getting into the Christmas Spirit. I've been really behind in my shopping, and my decorating has been half-hearted. (I did get my tree re-decorated though.) I've been so stressed about birthday/Christmas shopping and I feel like my house is always messy. Its been hard to feel peaceful and at rest.

Tonight Dave and I got our Christmas shopping done. We even got a bagful of buttons from Porter's craft store (5 cents each or .99 cents a bag) for our button stockings. We found some really cute buttons in the bin. We got some fun ones and some normal ones. Here is a sampling of our finds.

I love the little tiny birds. They are my favorite of our finds. We found 6 of them. The little rocking horse will probably be used on our first boy's first Christmas. Since I graduated this year, I put a little "school-ish" button (a chalkboard) on mine. Dave and Ana have matching Christmas lightbulbs. I really liked the scissors, and the "poor man" one will probably be applicable for a few years more.

Tonight Dave and I watched the classic "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and wrapped the rest of the Christmas presents. I am feeling a little more Christmas-y now. Still, it doesn't feel quite like Christmas yet. We're gonna clean the house really well tomorrow, and I think that will definitely help.

So, it's not my birthday anymore

Yeah, it's been a few days now. We had a busy weekend in Logan for Kris and Katie's wedding. Ana threw her first major temper tantrum, it was pretty crazy. Our church starts at 1:30, so we stayed in Rupert Saturday night and drove home Sunday morning. I had two meetings before church and we got here just in time to not be late. Between meetings I went to one of the boy's houses to make sure he was getting ready for church. I taught the lesson in quorum meeting, no other YM leader was at church. Ana was still cranky from Friday and Saturday messed up schedules. Not long after church we had a bishop's youth fireside where we watched Mr. Kruger's Christmas. By the time I got done watching that movie I decided that the day hadn't really been too crazy. It was one of my busier Sundays.

Anyway, that's a little of what I have been doing instead of posting...

Wedding and such

I've been a little slow updating from this weekend, but here we go. Dave's b-day was great. We headed down to Logan that afternoon for a wedding the next morning. We stayed at my sister's house. She took us out for dinner for Dave's birthday at a really nice place. (Thanks Shari, it was great!) We met Dave's parents there too, and it was a lot of fun.

Ana didn't take too keenly to sleeping in a strange place that night and threw a royal temper tantrum. Dave had never seen the like. I have, but this was Ana's first major one. It was interesting. We'll try to keep her on a regular schedule and try to avoid its repeat.

Saturday morning Dave's nephew Kris got married in the Logan Temple. Thanks again Shari for watching Ana! It was a beautiful wedding! Kris is 5 months older than me, and has been going to school up here, and we really like his new wife, Katie. We were so excited to be apart of their day. After a very yummy luncheon we headed to Rupert for the reception that night. It was great to be able to see everyone and spend time with Dave's parents. The highlight of the reception for us was seeing our nephew Justin carrying Ana around on his shoulders. He has Downs Syndrome and he got a real kick out of it!

A side note that made me feel really special: In the 3 years I've been around Dave's family, Justin hasn't ever really shown much interest in me. But as Justin was leaving with his mom and dad, he patted me on the shoulder and said, "bye." I think it was a first, and it made me feel cool.

We drove back Sunday morning and it was a crazy day with tons of meetings and stuff to do. Ana was a little tyrant from her schedule being disrupted, but now that we've been home a few days she's getting back to her usual self. It was fun to go down, but we'll enjoy the break for a few days.

B-Day

Thanks to everyone for the happy birthday wishes! Erin got me some cool underarmour pants for running/biking in the cold.

I used them today and they kept me warm in the snow while running! I guess maybe she wanted me to be a little more committed to running...

I also took my last final at 7:45am and I am done with the semester!!

Happy 25th Birthday David!

In honor of Dave's 25th birthday today, I thought I would list 25 facts/tidbits that I love about my husband.

1. He speaks Spanish. (This was actually the first thing that caught my attention.)

2. He is very smart. School comes easily to him. This has been a major blessing in our lives for the past 2 1/2 years.

3. I really believe he could do anything he wants to do and he would do well. It seems like everything he has tried his whole life he did well. For example, I watched this music video he made in high school for a friend's band, and I'm amazed at it.

4. He has more natural artistic ability than I do.

5. I have never seen a more affectionate, playful Dad. He loves Ana so much and often reminds me to stop and enjoy her. He's always willing to take her for a while when I need a break.

6. He likes being around friends and family. He's always been really close to his family, and likes going home. He gets along with my siblings too, which is important to me. He likes having company at our house too.

7. He's very concerned about whether he's doing a good job as Young Men's President. I think this is a sign that he is!

8. You wouldn't know it, but he was very shy when he was younger. His mission to Chile totally changed that.

9. He was really into Mountain Biking when he was in high school.

10. He wants to do a triathlon next summer.

11. He really enjoys fishing and wants to find a really good spot close to here where he can go. He's learning to fly fish.

12. He'll eat whatever I make for dinner, even if its not his favorite.

13. He loves fry sauce. He talked about having a "fry sauce fountain" at our wedding and serving cheeseburgers and fries. He makes really good fry sauce too.

14. He likes video games.

15. He likes the Simpsons.

16. I grew up thinking both 14 and 15 were evil. He's won me over.

17. He doesn't get upset easily.

18. He's a night owl. But, so am I. When we were engaged, we always said once we were married we'd go to bed early cuz the only reason we stay up late is to be together. It's never changed.

19. He wore a pink vest at our wedding, which I loved.

20. He's stubborn. I need that sometimes.

21. He'll eat anything taco flavored - taco soup, taco salad, chicken tacos, etc. And he'll eat the leftovers, which he usually doesn't do.

22. He is always willing to drive wherever we go. That is good, because I don't really love driving.

23. He thinks I'm good at a lot of things, even though I'm less sure.

24. He thinks I look good when I've just worked out. Maybe thats because every time I saw him when we first met, I had just finished a work out.

25. He's sitting on the couch right now trying to figure out what his birthday presents are. Its making me laugh. He can be such a snoop! I hope you like them honey!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I love you!!!!

busy, busy

We've been pretty busy around here. Dave's birthday is tomorrow so I braved the snowy roads and drove to Idaho Falls to get his present. I got to visit my sister and do a little shopping. Tomorrow Dave finishes finals and we drive down to Logan for a wedding. My other sis is taking us out to dinner for Dave's birthday and then she'll watch Ana while we are at the wedding Saturday morning. Still to do this Christmas season:

*Redecorate my Christmas tree. I undecorated the top for my sharing time this last Sunday, and Ana has slowly undecorated the bottom boughs. But since I don't have any other pressing things to do tonight, I'll try to make it look pretty again.


*Get buttons for our stockings. Every year we sew on a new button. I made them last year. Its kinda fun.


*Finish Christmas shopping. We still need most of Ana's stuff, our parents, and my brother and Dave's brother. And I need a couple more things for Dave. Yes, we're slow.


*Finish (start?) a blanket for a friend who is due any day with their first baby.

*Goodie plates for neighbors and friends. Maybe I'll be sending new year cards instead of Christmas.


Whew, where is December going?

I saw this today

Some of you might have seen this already



Erin said this is "wrong". I think it's pretty funny. What do you think?

First Snow!!!

If its gonna be cold, it might as well be snowy. I really like the snow. And today was our first reall snowfall. It snowed all night and all morning, so this morning I took Ana out in it for the first time. She had a hard time maneuvering herself. I'm not sure if it was from the snow or all her clothes. Here she is! (The pictures turned out really dark. I think our camera is dying.)

Our Town

So, I created something. I could do pretty much anything I wanted for my final project in my theatre appreciation class; I chose to make a poster for the play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder. The set in that play basically consists of a few old chairs, two tables, and a couple of ladders. It's very simple. That's why I wanted to make this poster simple. I made it to be 11x17 inches, the regulation size if you want to hang anything on campus here. Now that I look at it again, I would kind of like to see the main "Our Town" text block moved up just a little bit. Oh well, I am done and I am sure it will be good enough.

Here it is:

Let me know what you think of it (Looks like you will have to click on it to get a good look). Of course it's nothing professional but I am pretty proud of it. I actually took that picture of the chair today.

If you are interested in seeing the play, you can get it on DVD. The version we saw was from 2003 starring Paul Newman. Bro. Hansen says it's a great version.

Dear Erin (or "I am a sweater")

So Erin and I took this random quiz somewhere about what crappy Christmas gift you would be. With a title like that you are just setting yourself up for disappointment. Who wants to be a crappy gift of any kind? Well, I actually didn't end up being disappointed. I can't believe I am actually posting these. Sometimes we take these quizzes for a good time but I can't really explain why I have such an aversion to posting results. Here it is:

You Are a Christmas Sweater!

Over the top, colorful, and totally flashy. You're not afraid to be a little tacky.

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

I am a sweater. It mostly had nice things to say about me. Pretty good for a crappy gift right?*

Anyway, Erin was mortified when her results came back. She is a fruitcake. Although I am sure some of her family has been trying to tell her for a while, she took it differently this time. I felt bad for her when I saw her reaction so Erin, this part of my post is dedicated to you:

• -Fruitcakes have been around since ancient Rome. Not only does each individual fruitcake last an incredibly long time, the entire race of fruitcakes has proven it has what it takes to stick around. Fruitcake has been around longer than Ceaser Salad and was probably in existence even before Ceaser himself. That counts for something right?
• -In Egypt fruitcake was considered to be a necessary food for the afterlife. Whatever that means.
• -In 18th century England fruitcake was restricted to certain holidays and weddings because it was too sweet. Sweet, see that's a good one.

There you go Erin. I hope that helps you feel a little better about yourself. I got all these unquestionable facts from die hard fruitcake fan's websites and wikipedia. So, you know you can't question their validity.

*I am only calling a sweater a crappy gift because of the name of the quiz. Honestly, who doesn't have at least one sweater that they like? I have more than one. I guess the crappy part of this gift is that it is specifically a "Christmas Sweater" and you are getting it ON CHRISTMAS. I can't say that I actually own a Christmas sweater...

Crappy Christmas Present

You Are a Fruitcake!

You taste like nothing else in this world. And get ready, you're about to get tossed!

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

Sure, Dave was a Christmas Sweater who is flashy and cool, and what am I? Fruitcake. I'm a little depressed over these results.

Things I am loving this pregnancy

*Starbursts and Tootsie Rolls
*Target brand "Wildberry" fruit leather that my friend introduced me to and then gave me a whole bunch of them.
*When Dave gets up with Ana and lets me sleep a little longer.
*Pretty bland foods - Steak and potatoes, chicken and rice, turkey sandwiches
*Apples, (but I can't just bite into them. I have to cut off chunks with a knife) and grapes
*Potato Chips
*Ana's nap time (aka my naptime)
*Eggs - I eat one every morning and sometimes I hard boil one in the afternoon too.

Things I don't like that I liked when pregnant with Ana:

*Pretzels
*carrots and ranch dressing
*mexican food

I've also been craving Italian food for a couple days now, but I have yet to eat any

I feel so different this time than I did with Ana, it makes me think we are having a boy. But I really can't imagine having a boy. I'm so used to girl stuff. We'll find out in a few months I guess.

Feelin Good

Wow. I have survived the worst part of this semester. I am so glad I am almost done with this week. I'll spare the details but it was pretty crazy the last few days.

I really like playing with Ana, it is a great way for me to stop thinking about stressors. I have a great time, Ana has a great time, and Erin can get things done easier. It is a win win win situation. Plus, I am having a great time and in no way do I have to feel guilty for playing with her instead of doing something dumb like homework. She is one of the best stress relievers I have (minus the occasional diarrea blowout and taco soup incident). When my schedule eased up today I sat down with Ana in our front room and she helped me wrap a couple of Erin's Christmas presents. Ana really likes the tape. We need to buy more.

We got our Christmas tree up on Sunday. It looks good. Maybe I will post a picture. Our stockings are now hanging on the wall, Erin made them and they are pretty much the coolest stockings ever. Off and on you can hear James Taylor Christmas songs playing and there is a general atmosphere of feeling good in our apartment as I sit here eating some ranch doritos and typing with Ana on my lap.

One last thing...

I would like you all to see this picture:

I won a bag of these at our family Christmas party a couple weeks ago. They are candy cane Hershey's Kisses. And they are wonderful. Apart from enjoying them plain they are also great dropped into a cup of hot chocolate and allowed (forced I guess) to melt. Mmmm...

Goings on

Its been a while since I posted. So, here's what's been going on.

*Erin: Sunday was a crazy day! I had sharing time to prepare, then church, then the Christmas Devo and then tithing settlement. I was so tired by the end of the day. Yesterday I was sicker than a dog. I threw up probably about 10 times and couldn't get off the couch. My mom and came up from Pocatello and did my dishes, emptied my bathroom trash, mopped my floor and made me something to eat. I even kept it down for about an hour or so. I went to bed at 9:00 pm. I'm feeling much better today, just so tired....

*Dave: He has been working like a dog. He had a huge test yesterday and was studying all day for it. I even made him go up on campus instead of staying home so that he wouldn't try to take care of Ana instead of studying. He did pretty well, so it was worth it. Now he has a paper to write and projects to finish before finals week next week. Good luck, Dave!

*Ana: Has been waking up early the last few days and won't go back to sleep. Then she's tired a few hours later and so is napping before noon. Then she won't nap in the afternoon. She's not eating very well either. I think her little incisors are giving her trouble. Also about her: she likes to play the drums - or rather, she likes to beat her hands on whatever and say "bff, ksh" like she was playing the drums. She's very aware of music whenever it is on. She dances and even sings. Only 6 more weeks until she's in nursery! She talks a lot, and loves to talk on the phone. She never stops moving and is so much fun to play with. Here she is sitting on my shoulder. (I cropped myself out because I look like I'm on death's doorstep.)

Noelco

I decided to use a festive video to reveal the answer to the most recent mystery photo. Let me give you a hint, the picture isn't a shoe shiner or blood pressure meter.




In case you are still unsure due to the wide variety of products offered by Norelco here is the original, full size mystery picture.

So, was that a pretty good one? Too hard? Well, not for Will and Wendy...