Children's Book Obsessions

So for those of you who don't know, I have a major obsession with children's books/children's literature. It all started when I was young. I would check out over 40 books at a time from the library (about 95% of them being chapter books) and still finish every one of them before it was time to return them two weeks later. I might have even talked my parents into paying me to do so... Hey! I'm an entrepreneur and I figured I might as well get paid for doing something I loved!

Becoming a teacher only added to my obsession. I wanted every book under the sun to have in my classroom library so my students could learn from them and love them as much as I did.

Now that I have a child of my own, my obsession has only grown stronger. Scott gets a little worried if I make it anywhere near the book section of just about any store. Costco is the worst... I want every book I see! I have 100's of books in storage, but they are all for 2nd to 3rd grades and up. I have been in the need of creating a library of books for infants and toddles. Don't worry... I've got a really great start!

Needless to say. I love books. I have read to Addison every day since she was in her fourth month and apparently Addison has cultivated my love for books as well.

I had two videos that I was going to post that really demonstrates her love for books, but dang blogspot wouldn't let me upload them... Arrrgggh.

The first video is Addison listening to me read her favorite book. She laughs at every page and it is pretty much the cutest thing you have ever seen. The second video shows what happens when I finish reading a book and I set it down. Addison's reaction to my putting the book down is hilarious. Instant tears of sadness. The moment I pop a new book up though, immediate happiness. I am so grateful she is cultivating a love for books and reading.

1st Anniversary

Scott and I have been married a year.

Whoa.

We had a five month long distance engagement that felt like an eternity, but our first year has flown by.

We celebrated our first anniversary with a few unexpected life surprises.

We didn't think we would parents by our first anniversary, but that is what happens when your baby arrives ten weeks early. We didn't think we would celebrate our big day at a hospital, but once again, that is what happens when your baby arrives ten weeks early. We didn't think we would be in Las Vegas over the holiday break, but as stated before, that is what happens when your baby arrives ten weeks early.

Regardless of the unexpected plans that played out on our anniversary, our first anniversary couldn't have been any better. Let me explain why. Our baby came ten weeks early, which means Scott and I were blessed to celebrate our first year together by celebrating the birth of our tiny little girl. There is no where I would have rather been on the 20th of December, than with my wonderful, amazing husband and my sweet, perfect, tiny angel. The fact that our time spent together was in the hospital is a mute point. The point is that we were celebrating together and it was wonderful.

In the evening, while Addison was sleeping, Scott and I made our way across the street from the hospital to a restaurant for dinner. Ironically, the restaurant we crept to is the exact restaurant that Scott took me to on the night he proposed. It was perfect place for us to go.

We just had dinner, nothing fantastic or crazy exciting to celebrate our first year together, but it was spent together and for that reason, it was perfect. To top the night off, my brother-in-law completed our wedding video and sent it to us to enjoy in celebration of our first year. To see the video, click on the link below.

http://vimeo.com/56136898

I am so grateful, happy, and blessed to have found Scott. I am so grateful we are sealed for eternity in the temple. He never ceased to amaze me with his incredible spirit and giving nature. He is one in a million and I can't wait to celebrate many more anniversaries to come.

New Tradition... Officially

This Halloween, I officially made one of my favorite Halloween activities into a tradition. This is the third year in a row of doing said activity, so in my mind, I can officially call it TRADITION. 

This so called Halloween tradition is nothing out of the ordinary or anything especially special, but I love doing it all the same. I get together with a group of good friends, carve pumpkins, make pumpkin shakes and watch the movie Hocus Pocus. You know, the one with Bette Midler? I know... It's a Halloween Classic! Right?

The fun part of the movie is that we line all of the newly carved pumpkins on the piano bench (or somewhere near the TV) and we light them and keep them lit for the duration of the movie. Great times. 

Last year, I got to fulfill the tradition with these fine people...

 Morgan and Craig Foutz

 Kristy and Ryan Clarke

Tyler Pack and Kari Newman

The pumpkin line up during the movie looked a little something like this...

Not too shabby!

This year our tradition commenced in Las Vegas, with a totally different crowd of people, but good times were still to be had. This year we celebrated with these folks...

Of course my Scottie was there...

 Carrie and Andrew Thompson

Jason and Nicole Horlacher

and of course their baby Levi!

This years pumpkin line up looked like this...

Scott and I carved the "Wicked" pumpkin in honor of the fact that we went and saw "Wicked" the play this year.  What a great night we had!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch

Sweet Young Chick

Scott and I were both born in 1981... Scott in March and me in October. Seeing Scott has been 31 for an entire 7 months now, he has become the "Old Man" while I have remained the "Sweet Young Chick" who was still a mere 30...

Scott informed me last week when I turned 31 that I am no longer a sweet young chick because I am as old as he is.

I can handle that. Really. What Scott doesn't realize is that as soon as he turns 32 in March, I will become a sweet young chick once again. :)

I didn't do anything overly exciting on my birthday because I was home sick all week. (Notice the pajamas in the picture.) I was bummed to be sick... especially since I'm pregnant and I can't take most medicines to ease the symptoms. Regardless of the sickness,  I still felt loved and I am very blessed. I have no complaints... now that I am feeling better of course!

My sister brought me the balloons and Scottie surprised me with the flowers.

I received lots of phone calls from loved ones and a lot of nice notes from people.

My sister gave me a start on my clothing collection for our little baby on the way and I LOVE them! It is so fun to have a few things now. I need to get cracking on some other things so our baby doesn't have to go naked when she arrives. Thank you Jody!

Scottie's gift has quite a little story behind it... He gave me this. 

Isn't it beautiful?

I mean really, truly beautiful?

I saw this purse for the first time at the outlets way back in April. I fell in love with it immediately. It was real leather, perfect size and obviously the perfect color. However, I left the outlets without it in tow. I couldn't justify getting a purse that I really didn't NEED, even though it was on an incredible SALE! I was strong and I didn't spend the money on it.

I learned a long time ago that when you are debating on whether to purchase something or not, give it some time and see if you forget about it OR if you can't stop thinking about it. 

I came home and couldn't stop thinking about this purse.

I told Scott about it. He thought I should go get it. I should have, but I was being stubborn and I couldn't justify spending money on something that wasn't a necessity at the time.

Months later, I still couldn't get this purse out of my mind... my current purse was falling apart and I started kicking myself for not getting it while I had the chance. Scott went with me to the outlets one Saturday in the hopes that we would still be able to find it.

No chance.

It was long gone by the time we went back. Scott wanted me to pick out a different one, but that didn't work. Other purses that I might have normally thought were super cute had no grab or appeal because they weren't "THE" purse. Super sad.

When my birthday rolled around, Scott still wanted me to pick out a new purse. I half heartedly looked around, but there just wasn't another purse like THE orange purse. I told my sister of Scott's plan for my present. She knew I wanted an orange one, so she started searching online.

I awoke one morning to a plethera of emails showing pictures of different random orange purses that she thought I might like. One of the emails wasn't just A orange purse, it was THE orange purse! I was ecstatic! It was the exact purse! No passing it up this time!

Scott was so happy that the purse had been found! He felt pretty proud of himself for getting me the best birthday present ever. Way to go Scottie! I love my new orange purse!

Maybe having the new purse will put me back in the category of sweet young chick again... ; )

Thoughts? Hee hee...

Hot Coco Loco to the Max

I have this friend...

Her name is Kim.

Kim and I have known each other for over ten years now.

Our paths first crossed at school. 

At Campus Plaza.

 

Kim and I like to do all sorts of things together. Like snowshoeing...

Going to the temple...

Going to the Old Folks Home...

 

 Going on road trips...

Hiking...

Traveling the World...

Going on African Safaries...

and eating... just to name a few.

However, our FAVORITE thing to do together is to have a Hot Coco Loco, as we like to call them. The tradition started many years ago. 

Kim and I weren't roommates, so we made a special time together every Sunday evening to meet up on a bench located in-between our apartments and we would brew up some hot coco and wrap up in blankets (seeing the tradition was started during the winter) and we would talk. 

That's all... nothing fancy. 

We would just talk and hear about how the week went for each other. 

Simple yet wonderful.

It became tradition rather quickly and one that we didn't want to ever end. 

Obviously, life "after college" happens and people move away. This happened for Kim and I as it does for everyone else. 

However, our tradition didn't die.

It just changed a little. 

Now our Hot Coco Loco's have to be conducted over the phone and they RARELY, if ever, involve a bench or hot coco anymore. However, they still happen EVERY SINGLE week. 

A few weekends ago, my hot coco friend and I got to have a Hot Coco Loco in person. No phone time this week. The best Hot Coco yet. 

Kim came to town with our friend Nate to visit and so we could go see the production of Wicked together.  It was such a great weekend. 

The best.

I have no doubt that our Hot Coco Loco's will continue on throughout our entire lives no matter how old we get or where we live. I look forward to the times when they get to be in person; When we get together to go to the theater, go camping, go on an International trip or just... TALK. 

Thanks Kim for being the best friend a girl could ever ask for!

Sugar and Spice

This is old news to most of you by now, but the wait is over! We are having...  a girl! 

A little baby Jess! 

We are so thrilled for her to join our family... now we just need a name. 

Any good ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated!