Focus please

When we attempt to do family home evening or scripture study, this is how my boys pay attention.
When I am having a teaching moment about animals, body parts, or food, this is how they watch me.
When I want to get some cute photos of them together, they both simultaneously look my way and listen to every direction I give them.
And when they have done something naughty, I sit them down and talk to them about their behavior and this is how they respond and take in my words of wisdom.

I have the BEST boys ever!!

Okay--- I lied. They're watching Elmo's World.

HELLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't get them to focus on me for one second. But once the red, furry, high-pitched voice, puppet comes on the big screen.... the eyes don't move.

I have a feeling these moments will be taking place for years to come. ugh.

Viva Las Vegas for the BIG 3-0

Well, we just got back from Vegas after celebrating the big 3-0. Not my 3-0... I'm not THAT old! Just kidding. The Boss turned 30 on Saturday, October 18. I surprised him on Saturday morning with a trip for TWO (kid-less of course. We love Grandmas!) He was surprised to say the least. I gave him one hour to get packed and we were off! We spent 4 days and 3 nights staying at the Venetian Hotel & Resort. The boss said it was BY FAR, the best birthday EVER! It was SO MUCH FUN!! The Hotel was PERFECT (and worth every penny). We ate, slept, went to a show, laid out by the pool, went shopping, cruised casinos and of course, there was TONS of ... ... ... making out! (to keep it G rated) Here are some pictures from our trip:

As I said, the Hotel was fabulous. It was 5-star top-of-the-line. We had a TV in front of the bed, one in the family room (which we watched a movie on one of the nights) and one in the bathroom. All the window coverings were remote controlled, the bed was to-die-for-comfortable, and the bathroom and a separate private "chick" area for me to do my hair and make-up. We gave it 2-thumbs up!

We truly do love Vegas, but one of the main reasons we like going, is that it's the only other place out side of Utah where we can enjoy our FAVORITE place to eat... CAFE RIO!! And yes, we ate there 3 times in four days. It was worth the extra pounds gained when we got home. We LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED it! It's good every time. We always left our plates bare. We also treated ourselves to Cold Stone after all 3 times to Cafe Rio. That could have had something to do with the weight gain.

We HAD to do a buffet. Even though they are over-priced and over-rated. It's not Vegas if you don't do a buffet. We went to the Treasure Island Buffet. It was... okay. We won't go again, we'll try a different one next time. The Boss was hilarious. He would take ONE bite of everything then toss it. I kept saying... "your wasting food!" His response was... "it's a buffet, that's what you do." No - its people like you that make it so expensive!

Aaron also had Dunkin Donuts for the first time. He LOVES donuts, and Dunkin Donuts lived up to his expectations.

The most amazing thing we did is see Phantom of the Opera. It was absolutely amazing. The stage was custom built at the Venetian for the Phantom production and it was truly beautiful. I have seen Phantom two other times and this one was BY FAR the most amazing. The cast, the special affects, the orchestra, everything was PERFECT. If you go to Vegas, this is SO worth the money to see. Really.
This was the Red Bug we rented. So COOL! We called it our "Lou-Bug". (That was for you Alyssa) The Boss said it was a total "chick" car, but it was fun to drive around and REALLY easy to park!

We did a lot of hanging out at the Hotel.

Thanks for the memories honey. It was a BLAST! Happy 30th!!!

Packing tape anyone?

We are moving this week. Do you know how much I hate moving? Thats why I haven't made any posts and probably wont for the next week. I hate moving so much I am writing this post when I SHOULD be packing. I don't even really have anything to write about... except I hate moving. I guess this is what happens when you rent. I also hate renting. Why don't I just burn my money with a match and then let them kick me out whenever they want... Oh... that's pretty much what they did. The guy we are renting from has declared bankruptcy (big surprise). We have known this for a few months and have been looking for another place. We finally found something else we like but reality is setting in and I forgot how much I HATE MOVING!! Good thing we signed that 1-year lease... right? At least we went through a real estate company and got our whole deposit back. BIG DEAL- I still hate moving. However, I have used this opportunity to clean all my decor. I found two pacifiers and a sippy cup with moldy milk. Luckily the sippy cup had only been there a few days... but it was still foul. I guess I better get back to packing. I so HATE this. HATE is not strong enough, I need a better word. Abhorrence, detestation, hatred, odium, revulsion, disgust, extreme dis-like. This is what the thesaurus gave me. Any others?

Fingerprints, Laundry, and Toys

Conference was so wonderful. I laughed, I cried, I felt inspired, I felt guilty, I pondered, I sang, I listened and I watched. The Boss gave me a detailed report of the Priesthood session, which he always argues is the best. I always end the weekend feeling uplifted and motivated to "DO" more good.
As I was putting both boys down for their morning naps, I looked around at everything I had to do. This is what I found:

Fingerprints - All over the fireplace, fridge, oven, sliding glass door, and yes, the stainless steel trash can. (I know that's gross).

Laundry - Overflowing all over the house. Mine and The Boss' laundry basket is literally exploding, with clothes cascading over the top. The boy's laundry is overflowing with dirty, slobbered on blankets, stained clothes, and bath towels.

Toys - Dragged all over the family room and the house. This also includes kitchen utensils, which are taken from drawers and cupboards and plopped in various rooms downstairs, as well as sippy cups, pacifiers, my bathroom things such as curling iron, brush, curlers, lotions, and towels.

I looked with an overwhelming smile on my face. The conference talk given on Sunday regarding the fingerprints, piled laundry, and scattered toys, being a time of joy that we will one day wish we had back, brought tears to my eyes. I love the fingerprints on my glass. I rarely clean them off, because they return again moments later. To me it says, "I have kids, and its okay if your kids put their hands on the glass too". The scattered toys will get picked up during nap time, taken out again later, then picked up again once bedtime has arrived. To me it says, "My kids have fun playing, and yes I let them drag their toys through the house, get into my kitchen drawers and cupboards, and play in my bedroom and bathroom closets". The laundry may take a day or two to complete, because it wont be a priority and I will forget I have clothes in there. Ironing may not get done for a few days, but it will get done and we will have nice clean, ironed, clothes. To me it says, "we have too many clothes".

I love my family and I love my life. There are no sweeter faces than these two. While I may have some hard days where I feel like pulling my hair out, I am mostly grateful that I can stay home and enjoy the everyday-ness of my sweetest blessings. So bring on the Fingerprints, the Laundry, and the Toys -

I LOVE them, and I will MISS them when they're gone.