Party Time...

Another year older... and wiser too? Happy Birthday to us!

On January 21st I turned 27. (If you read the last post, you'll know the last few weeks have been physically and emotionally DRAINING... and I got "lost".) So my sweet husband and mother-in-law and family came to the rescue and helped me to refuel, take a break, and feel great again. After a LONG restless night with Quinton I woke up and enjoyed French Toast and strawberries, my favorite, made by Jeff. Then I opened a few cards and was told to get ready because I was going to get a pedicure while my mother-in-law watched my kids. That felt A-mazing!
The end product looked amazing too! (Except the pasty-white feet... I'll have to work on that.)I came home to find this sweet centerpiece on my kitchen table... daisies and a darling "Celebrate Life" plate next to the cards from Jeff and my mother-in-law. They spoiled me.
After taking Corbin to Walmart to get a BIG basketball that he earned by staying dry, I got to watch my boys play ball for a little bit before dropping the kids off at my sisters. She babysat while my mother-in-law and I went to lunch at Cheesecake Factory and shopped at Dillard's.

Later that night my entire family (except Mandy:( ) treated me to dinner at Costa Vida. It was yummy food, good visiting, and so fun to have both of my moms there... it's not every birthday I get that special treat.
After eating I had to race off to Young Womens to help provide the dessert and had a good time visiting with those who help keep me young.... but you bet I ended the night relaxing on the couch again enjoying a yummy raspberry lemon slice of cheesecake. It was the perfect birthday!

3 Days Later...
... we did it all over again! On January 24th Jeff turned 30! He woke up to the 3 of us very enthusiastically singing: Happy Birthday! He also got to open a few cards, presents, and a snapfish custom photo book I made him that recapped his last 30 years. (made him cry... which made my day)
Jeff then enjoyed his favorite breakfast, bacon, egg, and cheese burritos with BYU Creamery Chocolate milk (thanks Haley)! After mowing the lawn (because he enjoys doing that, even on his birthday), he got to lounge around... and watch the history channel and sleep during naptime... which we don't often get to do on busy Saturday afternoons. After naps we had a late lunch/early dinner at one of our favorites, Red Robin. Corbin surprised us when he un-prompted told the waitress, "It's my daddy's birthday today." Maybe he knew that you get a free ice cream sundae on your birthday... and he wanted to feed it to his daddy.
But then he was a little upset when it was gone.
After Red's we met all my family again at the Brunswick Zone XL... for a mad game of bowling. Jeff used to be an avid bowler and really enjoys it. After getting the hang of it on the wii, Corbin is also an avid bowler... so it was a treat for all of us to go.
Thank goodness for automatic bumpers!
The handsome birthday boy... who won the bowling duel.
My handsome little brother and his girlfriend Brittney.... (any day now...)

The DELICIOUS Dairy Queen Oreo Blizzard ice cream cake... with 30 candles. Good thing Corbin helped Jeff out with the candle-blowing.
And one of the favorite gifts... a tribute book I put together for Jeff. Complete with a letter/memory/top 10 list from each of his (and mine) family members. He loved it!
So, thank you to everyone who contributed in ANY way to making our birthdays extra-special this year. We had a blast celebrating and speaking to each of you on our birthdays and thank you for all your gifts, words of love, and time spent partying! Don't know how we'll ever top it next year! :)

LOST... and found

... no, I'm not a LOST (TV drama) fan (no time for drama, other than my own), but I have been lost in life in the past few weeks and thus the poor updates to this blog. As you know Jeff and I both celebrated another year of life passing us by-- Jeff's birthday marking the significant 30- year mark (which I'll blog about next). But, you may not know that this little boy has cut 2 teeth:

(And that suit? My mom made that for my little brother who is now 21! Gotta love retro hand-me-downs, especially when the elastic in the waistband is crunchy and ineffective.)

.... and this little boy is officially potty-trained!
(Hallelujah!... except, when is it really "official" because he still wears pull-ups to bed, just in case?! And, yes those are Cheerios in the toilet, they help him aim. I know I'm awful for posting naked pics of my son urinating.... he's 2!)

Among the sleepless teething and Gastrointestinal pain for Quinton (which we're still trying to get to the bottom of) the potty-training, the family in town, the birthday celebrations, tutoring, and regular household chores... I've been trying to loose myself in this great book!
It's called Are We Having Fun Yet? The 16 Secrets of Happy Parenting by Kay Willis and MaryAnn Brinley. I'm only 1/3 of the way into it and I realize I'm no longer lost, but found! It has already made my days easier and helped me feel happier, allowing me to enjoy my kids more. The author was the mother of 10 children and is now a professional speaker/counselor. She founded an organization called Mothers Matter and coming from someone who "has been there," you can tell she really knows her stuff!
Here are a few things I've learned/re-learned how to do so far:
1) ENJOY PARENTING, don't endure it (i.e.- be fun, slow down, do less). I'm a role model for happiness to my children.
2) REFUEL, RESTORE, RENEW (i.e.- put myself back on the list, take time for me)
3) Borrow from BIG BUSINESS (i.e.- take breaks, vacations, sick days, learn from other moms, review the past, make changes).
5) ATTITUDE is everything. Be PROUD of my job!
I loved this Quote:
"Think about it: Parenting is the only profession in which the raw material you are working with eventually becomes a human being. We are people-makers. Make parenting a labor of love. The paycheck is phenomenal."
So after a few busy weeks of being lost in my profession-- MOTHERHOOD -- I've now found that I've always been just exactly where I wanted to be, I just needed to change my outlook. Anyway, I recommend this book to parents of all ages... young couples, empty-nesters, and in-betweeners alike can learn or re-learn somethings that will allow you to have fun again in the most important job you'll ever have! I plan to buy the book and re-read it often.

3 Decades = 30 years!

This handsome little boy turned 30 years old today...
Look at that darling face. See that crooked smile?
Hasn't changed much, except for the facial hair accompanying it.... oh and the masculine facial features... and the wife and kids. Just by looking, you would never guess that Jeff is 30 would you?

He's accomplished a lot in 30 years:
- high school
- mission to Washington DC
- 12 years of sales jobs
- marriage
- 2 kids
- Associate Degree in Business
- 2 months shy of a Bachelors Degree in Business Management
- Supporting a wife and kids for 5 years
- countless hobbies and talents
- a great personality and sense of humor
- THE BEST DADDY & HUSBAND a wife and kids could ask for!

Dear Jeff,
Happy Birthday! We love you more than we can express and you deserve more than we can give you. You are more than just a daddy and husband, you're our friend, entertainer, advice-giver, comforter, and my partner... and so much more. Thanks for all that you do. We love you! Here's to your next 30 years.... and then some!
Love,
Holly, Corbin and Quinton

Happy 27th Birthday Holly

I wanted to just take a minute and let Holly know how grateful I am for her. Holly you are everything to me, I think of you as so much more than my wife. I think of you as the friend I can't wait to unwind with at the end of the hectic day. The one I want to share new discoveries and little triumphs with. I think of you as the women I never tire of touching or holding close, the woman I love having beside me as I go to sleep each evening. The one I love waking up to every morning. I think of you as the best thing that ever happened to me, as the most beautiful and important part of my life. I think of you as all a man could ever hope for in a lover, friend and wife. Thanks again for being with me and the mother of our children. I love you,
Jeff

Utah Winter Vacation Part V

Part of the treat of visiting grandma's house is that you get spoiled--rotten! Corbin absolutely loves books... and Grandma Tee-Tee gifted him with one of his favorite books (The 3 Little Pigs) on CD. She also spent time reading him others like The Little Gingerbread Boy, The Belly Book and The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Corbin will always have good memories of Grandma and books.

The last few days of our Utah stay included lots of lounging and visiting with family...

The night Jessica & Rocky drove into town we all hung out at Haley's for a while.

We're lucky that at least one of Jeff's siblings lives in AZ next to us-- Jessica, but it's still good to visit with them out of state as well. Corbin and Sammy are not only cousins but good friends.... he's had more baths and sleepovers with her than any of his other cousins!

I couldn't get enough of watching this little guy. Krew has started walking and talking since we saw him last and I had to be quick to take a picture since he hates having his picture taken. Here he is getting in the mix with all the other cousins. The following day Cole (who I think is really a Cowboy underneath it all) invited us over to his parent's property to ride his horses.

Jeff and I took Stickers and Daisy out for a ride in the snow-covered fields. We had a blast!

What a view too-- next to Utah Lake and yet in the shadow of Mt. Timp as well. We both got our horses to trot for a bit and had a good ride, but boy was I saddle sore the next few days!

Here was our riding fan club. It was a cold day, but they stayed warm and cozy in the car with lots of aunts and uncles looking over them and warm fries in their bellies.

That night we took a quick trip up to Riverton to visit with some good friends the Thomas'. Breanna and I have been friends for over 14 years now and have seen each other through thick and thin, good and bad. We share so many memories together and yet last year she and Ryan moved to Utah for work. We were lucky to catch up with them while we were in town.

I used to tend Hayden a few hours a week but he and Corbin were much smaller then and now they are able to interact much better. It was so fun to watch them play together like they'd been friends forever, just like their moms. Conveniently Hayden's birthday was that week so we helped them celebrate.

Somehow after blowing out the candles the boys (Ryan) got a great idea to smear chocolate all over their faces. Boys will be boys. But they're sure cute, aren't they?
After all that yummy cake they were bouncing off the walls and the stairs, and the bed, etc., etc.

We decided it was the perfect time for presents and then Corbin and Hayden were armed with Nerf guns and had a "blast" shooting the lights out. (And Jeff and Ryan joined the action as well even in the middle of the Utah game.)

Soon enough we realized the rain outside had turned to snow and we decided it would be best to get on the road back to Utah Valley. The next day would be the Annual Family Snow Party and our last day in town, so we were excited to see the beautiful snow storm roll into town.

Utah Winter Vacation: Part IV- New Years

Hobble Creek Canyon is a small piece of paradise... we say that in the spring, summer, fall, and of course WINTER. Jeff's aunt Stephanie and Uncle Ed have a beautiful log home up the Canyon (that they live in year round), just off hole 16 of the Hobble Creek Golf Course. It's always a blast to spend time there relaxing and playing. New Year's Eve was no different this year. This is the unpaved road to the house.... welcoming us to a true winter wonderland.

This was Corbin's first memory of sliding down the hill:

He loved it. (Like the "traffic sign" behind them?) It should say watch out for the Moss' too.After tubing and sledding in the freezing snow for a few hours Corbin came inside and was introduced to Uncle Ed's golf ball collection from his long walks on the course.... Corbin was essentially in heaven taking inventory of all those golf balls.

As the sun went down and the "real" evening began, Jeff chilled out with his mom...The kids ripped into the games and went to town...The older kids broke out Jeff's Wii and got in some good bowling, tennis, and boxing matches...Then, as it got later and with some coaxing from Jeff, we got tough guy Cole on the Wii fit for some Yoga. He had a couple followers trying to show him how easy it was... ... Jeff and Ed, yoga stars? No!Haley, the photographer of the evening. Corbin took this shot, hence the huge smile... she's not always that excited for the camera.

Aunt Stephanie and her son (Jeff's cousin, Nick) watching the Wii extravaganza.

The later in the evening it got, the older the crowd got on the Wii. Ed and Steph had to try their hand at bowling after coaching everybody else through.
They weren't too bad, impressive for amateur Wii bowlers... on New Year's Eve!Even with all the fun and games that night, with so many young kids it was hard to wait until midnight for the ball to drop, so we called it a night around 11:15ish to head back down the Canyon. The only one who set a New Year's Resolution that night was Dick and he was up and ready the next morning to get to work....
Dick is the one in black. Have you ever seen someone look so good in spandex? Those 3 rode 25 miles on New Year's morning in 30* temps and snow. What an inspiration to us all, Dick. Keep up the good work.... and Happy New Year!

Utah Winter Vacation: Part III

Jeff has a bunch of really great friends from high school.... most of whom are turning 30 this year. (Including Jeff...YIKES!) Bill happened to turn 30 on December 30th so his wife Sharon set up a fun dinner with friends at Ottavio's Ristorante Italiano.

We enjoyed catching up with Josh, Bill, Justin, and Keaka and their spouses and children in attendance. The food was great and the company was even better.

Quinton only broke 1 appetizer plate (not pictured) in his quest to reach across the table for food... thankfully nobody was hurt and we didn't even have to pay for the plate... guess it must happen often.

After the yummy dinner we continued the party back at Bill's house with some more conversation and delicious ice cream cake and wassail. Corbin enjoyed the company (or attention) of so many endearing on-lookers and then tried his hand out at the camera (a new hobby of his) to try and document everyone in attendance that evening....

The roll call: Justin and his wife Nicole.

Rachel...

... and her "meishka"...

...Bill, the birthday boy and Josh...

... Sharon, the gracious hostess...

... Sharon's brother (and his wife who is not pictured)...

... and me

The hilarious thing is that after each picture was taken, Corbin politely asked his subjects if they wanted to see the picture and then switched the camera to view mode and showed off his work. Modern children... they are certainly a different breed.