August : the countdown!!

As we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of our darling (name unknown) niece, we have had to come up with some fun things to pass the time! This isn't so difficult for Shar & Trav, who are working like crazy, taking classes, and trying to enoy those last kid-free moments. Even Jeff, who started teaching seminary this past week, has been busier than ever getting ready for school to start and preparing a classroom. So that left me and West, who just cannot wait to have another little someone to play with during the day! So here is what we've been up to this month:

Celebrating my 27th birthday!!

Swinging!!
Weston loves it!

Playing!!!
Baby in a bag!
Yes, he is actually in there folks. In case you think this was some cruel kid punishment, cast your worries aside, he loved it so much he didn't want to pop out for a picture. He is just chillin in there. Too funny!

Cleaning!! (the never-ending task)
Weston decided to chip in one day. Again, if you are thinking that I am such a cruel mom to put my 14 month old to work-- he honestly volunteered. That means I did NOT force him. haha. If you don't believe me, see the picture below:

See, he is happy. It might take the mom who is with him everyday to tell you, but that is NOT a grimace, it is a grin. He was laughing and singing while he worked. True story!

Finding cool new hiding places!!
(NO, he was NOT hiding from the cleaning or the bag!) This is his latest favorite spot- in the closet. Usually the laundry basket sits right where he is, but he pulls it right off and takes a seat. This kid just cracks me up!

Growing UP!!
Doesn't this outfit make him look so old?! He is doing more and more new things every day. His latest trick that he loves is dancing in one place or walking backwards. He also lets mom put lots of cute clothes on him and make him 'model' them for pictures. Check out those adorable tennis shoes...would you believe I got them for FREE?! Yes, some people give hand-me-downs like this away for free. Thank you to Shar's friend who passed them on. I won't be so kind...every boy I have will have to wear them until they wear out!

Reading!!!!
What can I say- he takes after his mom. Funny thing, though, the majority of the time he looks at books upside down. What does that mean?!

Snuggling!!

He LOVES his blanket. We got two of them so that we could rotate them through the wash, but he recently realized there are TWO and now he wants to drag BOTH of them around. Oh dear, and we were trying to figure out how to get him to let go of ONE in the future!!!

Trying new foods!!!
Weston just had a PB&J sandwich for the first time!! It was definitely a hit!!!

Here he is loving the pb&j AND showing off what he has been working on all month: his new teeth!! What a handsome little fella!

These are just a very few of the many many things we have been doing this month. We've also hung out with family and friends, gone shopping, had dinner at a friend's house, had dinner at family's house (hmmm...we better start having some people over), gone swimming, jogging, to movies, on dates, and just plain old had FUN!!! We're loving life!!!
Well, we hope all of you are having a great August!! Let us know what's up!
Love you all!

Discovering the LOVESAC!!!

So we have the lovesac in Weston's room, for space sake (I mean, it's HUGE) and Weston has pretty much ignored it...until NOW! He has realized what an incredibly comfortable, cushiony, cozy, corner it can be! We find him in it all the time and it is just too picture perfect not to share a few! He also is LOVING books even more than ever. He handles them SO well, also. I never let him touch my 'special' books himself: all the paper pages that can be ripped to shreds by tiny fingers in no time. gasp, it's too horrible to even think! But one day he managed to get ahold of one and to our shock and surprise, he is SO careful. He absolutely loves turning the pages and will 'read' the stories out loud as soon as he gets his hands on one. He hasn't ripped a single page and does his book-loving, story-collecting, avid-reading mommy proud!!
Take a look at our lovesac loving little boy:

These are just a few of the countless times we've found him like this!!! So cute!

Playing with Eviejane!!!


We were able to watch Evie (who turns 3 yrs in October) on Saturday while Greg & Al went to the temple, and we had a blast!! I honestly don't know who had more fun: Evie & Weston (who LOVE playing together and just crack each other up the whole time) or Jeff & I just watching them play and getting a kick out of it! They are just so funny together and it is not like 'babysitting' at all when she comes over. We just love this adorable girl! We'll watch her AnYtIMe Al & Greg!!!

They thought it was so funny to sit on the lovesac together!

West would laugh anytime he looked at Evie, but then just stare at the camera when we took the pic. oh well.

Riding bikes together...someday they won't be this different in size and maybe sparks will fly. haha.
Evie is just too funny and already calls him by his nickname: West. She is such a hoot!!

Happy Birthday to US!!!!
What is it like to be a twin?!

Shar & Nicole on our 25th Birthday! (yes we match...see story below)

Shar & Nicole March 2006


Okay, this post is, first, to say Happy Birthday to my wonderful and amazing sister! And second, to reminisce about what it was like growing up with a twin. Our entire lives we have gotten lots of questions, some funny, some lame, some very strange and some not even worth mentioning. But one question AlWaYs pops up and it is this:
What is it like being a twin?
My usual response to this question was: "well, what is it like NOT to be?" It's normal for me, so I don't have anything else to compare it to! And then people will usually ask if we liked being twins, etc. Well, again, when you don't have anything to compare it to, you are what you are. I don't feel extraordinary, or different than anyone else, or strange in any way. I have liked my life, I have liked my sister. And then again, there were times when I definitely did NOT! But I think that any singleton out there (that's what I'll call you non-twin/triplet/multiple birth folk) would have had days like that as well.
So, on to the reason why I am writing this post. As usual, when my birthday rolls around, I think about myself and Shar, our relationship, and how we've grown through the years. On a recent trip to Texas I had some of these twin questions asked of me, which I honestly don't mind answering, but I gave my usual, pat answers. So this, Aunt Betsy, is for you. :)
What is it like being a twin?
I have realized that I have taken for granted one of the biggest blessings in my life, and that is Shar. I have had a best friend since the day that I was born. Not just a friend who says hello/goodbye at the end of the day, but one who has lived with the same people, gone to the same school, shared the same room (until we were old enough to rotate getting our own) and gone through pretty much every first together. When I say 'gone through' I mean, that we were there for each other. Not all of our 'firsts' happened at the same time, or while we were together, but we listened, we talked, we cried, we shared, etc.
I think Heavenly Father knew that I was a big wimp and so I needed, not just parents and cool siblings, but a special person who would, literally, be there through it all! And she has.
Those who know us both, know that we are VERY different, however, despite growing up together! (but the same in a lot of ways too..haha, confusing, huh?!)
Being a twin means sharing a LOT of things. This is also a lesson I had to learn (maybe I wasn't as nice of a person as some!) I didn't always love having to plan a birthday with Shar because I wanted my OWN day. But now we LOVE sharing- and the cool thing is- since we've been pregnant at different times, we get to share clothes! Right now I have a lot of her 'thin' wardrobe and she has my maternity stuff! How cool is that?!
We were often compared, mostly by people outside the family. Or maybe it just felt that way. But I don't think it created a competition between us-- my parents did a wonderful job of making sure we were able to do the things we wanted to, and not getting pushed into one interest because that's what the other was doing.
Being a twin has also meant that, occasionally, we have shown up in similar and even matching outfits. UGGG! Okay, I will tell all of you now that maybe matching is cool if you are NOT a twin, but when you have a twin everyday and people say 'who is who,' 'I can't even tell you apart,' 'you look exactly alike,' YEAH, matching is NOT the way to go!!!!! But, one of our similarities is that we like some of the same clothing. On our 24th birthday we both showed up at the party in pink tops and black pants. At least they weren't exactly the same outfit, no THAT happened on our 25th birthday. (Pictured above) Yes, we both showed up in the same green top and black pants and I swear, it was not planned!!! There really is not much that is more embarassing!
Random twin memories: sitting back to back to open birthday gifts because they were the same thing- just different colors and we didn't want to 'see' it before we got our own opened, sharing a car that we hated to drive because it was a standard, sharing a car at Ricks college (I am sorry roommates for the years Shar & I didn't get along....we're much better now!), being recognized on campus by people I had never met in my life, switching places in Jr. High ONCE (not that great), having the same comforter - but different colors- all through elementary school, oh gosh, the list goes on. But see, my memories are probably similar to yours...pretty much like anyones' who has a sibling.
Okay, I am really wanting to read my new book, Eclipse, before Weston wakes up from his nap, so I am going to end this. Sorry if all of your 'twin' questions weren't answered, I did try to shed a little light on the query, though!
So, all in all, I will have to say that being a twin has ups and downs (much much much more ups), like it does with any sibling! But I am so incredibly grateful that I get to go through this life with such an awesome person who knows, right when I turn 27, how horrible it feels to be 27! (haha. It actually feels pretty great, 30 is the one I'm not really looking forward to!) At this moment, especially after writing this post, I am feeling pretty special, and wonderful, and extraordinary because I have a twin. How lucky am I?!
Happy Birthday Shar!!!

I've been TAGGED!!!
So here is a fun little game that I hope those I *tagged* will participate in. I enjoyed it and I hope you do too. Also, I tagged more people at the bottom because I want to find out more about everyone!! (but don't feel bad if I didn't tag you..it's because I thought one of the people I tagged would pass it on to you) Okay, long explanation...

I was feeling a little nostalgic, so below is a picture that was taken before baby. Hence the perky chest, slimmer waist, and long hair. Ahh...to have that body back again! But I wouldn't give Weston up for anything- he was ALL worth it! And just FYI, this picture was taken at Sea World, the greatest place on earth!


A- Attached or single: Attached to the best-husband-ever!
B- Best Friend: Jeff aka: the best-husband-ever
C- Cake or Pie: Cheesecake with strawberries, OR strawberry cream cheese pie (my mom's recipe)
D- Day of choice: SATURDAY, or any day I get to sleep in
E- Essential Item: ditto Annie on the oxygen, and my family
F- Favorite Color: pink
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears, although I prefer other types of candy MUCH more
H- Hometown: San Marcos, CA....ahh the beauty, the warmth, the NO SNOW
I- Indulgence(s): snuggling with Jeff in the Luv Sak, reading a good book
J- January or July: July, see my favorite season
K- Kids: Weston, my cutest kiddo
L: Life is Incomplete Without: Jeff, Weston, more kids, family, sun, beach, pools and BOOKS!
M- Marriage Date: July 23, 2005
N -Number of Siblings: 2 brothers and 2 sisters, 4 bro-in-laws, and 2 sister-in-laws.
O- Oranges or Apples: Oranges. Mmm...the juiciness of it. Love it.
P- Phobias or Fears: Sharks, losing my family, dying before my family, and going blind.
Q- Quote: "What in your life is worth keeping the Spirit out?", "Proceed with faith through the open door." , "Keep on keepin on." (who can name the movie where that last quote comes from?!
R- Reason To Smile: Jeff, Weston, family, niece (and another one soon!), nephew, family vacations, good weather, friends. Oh the list goes on...
S- Season: Spring and summer
T- Tag Three: I'll go with my sisters - (who have blogs) Shar, Amanda, & Amy.
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I have many hidden dreams: singing professionally (need more voice lesson first), writing a novel (I love the ideas in my head, we'll see what kind of story they make!) and being an interior designer (sadly, BYU started their program when I was too close to graduating and I couldn't switch over..) These dreams WILL be realized sometime... and in some form. haha
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: Oppressor- if that means I like meat. I love veggies too!
W- Worst Habit: Of my many- complaining. I know it's a problem and I'm really working on becoming a positive person! Yay for changing!
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: what kind of question is that?
Y- Your Favorite Food: ice cream, lasagna, food I don't have to cook!
Z- Zodiac: Leo, I find this a lame way to end this quiz. So here is a new question: what do you do late at night when you can't get your ZZZZZ's? haha. I READ!

Enjoy!
I don't know if this is allowed, but here I am going to tag even more people because I want to find out these fun things about them:
Desi F., Alli S., Alli B., & Carley T. I chose people that I don't think the people who I originally tagged will know or tag. We'll see.

What City Do You Belong In?!

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

I was thrilled that I belong in Rome...it sounds perfect!!! Maybe this little quiz will convince Jeff that we need to vacation there! Thanks, Amy, for the fun link!

Welcome Home Jonathan!!!!

Well, our big Texas trip was just as fabulous as we had hoped!! We welcomed home Jonathan from the Spain, Madrid Mission and had such a blast having the entire family together again!!! Jonathan has such an incredible spirit and is so much fun to have back!!! We are definitely excited that we get him out here with us in Utah in just a few weeks!! We packed our Texas trip with all of the best things: family time, pool time, a trip to the Zoo (before everyone got there), Jonathan coming home, a trip to San Antonio, family pictures, food, and fun, fun, FUN!!!! We love and miss everyone so much already and can't wait to go back!!!
Here are the pictures from the airport...some of them are blurry, sorry!!!

The girls holding the poster to welcome him home!!!

Jonathan coming through the doors...we had to wait much longer than we thought and mom was jumping up and down when he came through. It was so fun to see her that excited and so neat to be there when he returned!!!

Mom and Jonathan hugging. I love this picture...so cute!

Dad and Jonathan!

Jonathan got to meet his nephews finally!!! He's a natural uncle!!!


Family Pictures

We took family pictures while we were there...they turned out so good, but BOY was it HOT!!! I don't want to show off everyone's pictures before they get a chance to do it themselves...so as soon as I get the okay I will post the rest of what we took. It was so fun to have us ALL together and the pictures turned out great!!!

After pics we hung out at Joe and Amanda's...

The good looking guys: Joe, Jonathan, Jeff, & James. Jonathan brought home these cool jersey's for the guys from Spain. He also brought them each an awesome tie and the girls were given authentic Spanish jewelry. It was so neat. We LOVE having him home, although, I think mom is definitely the most excited out of all of us!!

The lovely ladies!! I feel so lucky to be one of them!

The Zoo!!!
Weston and I were able to go to Texas for a week before the rest of the family joined us! We had so much fun with Mom, Dad, Joe, Amanda, & Cole. Dad took us to the zoo and the kiddos loved it! :) (The pictures are going to be a little out of order because I wanted to put Jonathan's homecoming at the top. But I am having trouble loading pics so I'm just going to publish this one and then work on posting the real reason why we were in Texas: for Jonathan!!!)

So this is too funny...Weston wasn't too fond of his hat...and Cole really loved his!! Aren't they just too cute. I love my little boy and my only nephew!!! It was such a blast to see them together and to watch them play. We definitely have some fun times ahead!!!

Checking out some of the cool animals!!!

The following pictures are some awesome shots Dad took of the animals. He managed to escape being in ANY pictures himself...so I wanted to show off his work. He took about 80 pictures at the zoo that day...I only wish I could show them ALL to you!! I think the orangutan is my favorite..Jeff's fav. is the bald eagle. I admit, it does inspire! Enjoy!

Tiger fun!!!

Okay, Weston is like his mom: the white tiger was his ABSOLUTE favorite animal. He was able to stand right by the glass while the tiger was pacing in front of him. He watched it for SO long and every time it would pass right in front of him, he would just bust up laughing. It was the cutest thing and Dad was able to catch it in pics. (sort of...nothing could capture the laugh!) This was definitely mine and Weston's highlight at the zoo!!

Amanda and cute Cole checking out one of the animals.

The girls!! (we missed you Amy!)

Grandma with the cute kiddos!! Don't you just love their hats?! (and I'm sorry mom that this is the one with your eyes closed...blogger wouldn't load the other one, I tried about 5 times and it never worked. crazy thing! But you still look great to me!!)

A few random favorites:

Okay, how cute is this snuggling?! LOVE it!!

Weston LOVES his blanket....and Cole did too! It was so funny to see them tugging on it and learning to "share" They were so fun together and we can't wait to see what buds they'll be as they get older!!

Sharing...they are getting so cute together!


Our San Antonio Trip!!
We drove down to San Antonio (5 hours from Dallas) and were able to visit a lot of family we haven't seen in a LONG time: Gramma and Papa, Aunt Trycia and Uncle Mike, Erin, Cynthia & Belle, Aunt Betsy and Kayla & Benjamin and then Dad's side of the family: Grandma & Grandpa Keefe. We had a blast and crammed a ton of fun into a short time!!

All the grandkids with Gramma & Papa!!
From left to right: Jonathan, Amanda, Cole, Joe, Papa, Gramma, Amy, James, Nicole, Jeff, Weston. FRONT: Erin, Cynthia, Belle, Benjamin, & Kayla!!!

The Alamo!!!
We were able to visit the Alamo and the River Walk in San Antonio. It was so neat to see such a historical place and to read about what happened there.
We were able to spend the day with the family (we missed you Cynthia!) and had so much fun getting to know them better in the short time we had! We love and miss them all so much!!

The bridge over the river walk!! It is the coolest place, with shops and restaurants lining the river. It is so gorgeous and we were able to go on a boat tour of the river, thanks to Dad!! Thanks again Dad, for everything!!

Having fun on the tour boat (on the river)

All the beautiful sisters!!! I have heard how fun mom and her sisters can be together and it was such a blast to get to see them in action!

Mom & Aunt Pat (on the right). It was so much fun to see family that we haven't seen in way TOO long! We love all of you and miss you tons!!

Mom & her sister, Betsy. (the left picture) We got to meet Betsy and her adorable kids: Kayla & Benjamin for the first time. We already LOVE them!!! They are SO much fun!!!

Weston & Cole's first ride on a mini merri-go-round! So cute. They LOVED it!


What is a trip to Texas without the POOL?!
This is where we tried to spend much of our time!!!

Nicole & Amy chillin in the pool!

President Faust ~ Beloved Leader, Inspired Example



As many of you have already heard, President James E. Faust (Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) has passed away this morning. He was such a beloved leader who inspired greatness, kindness, and charity, if not to millions of people around the world, then at least to my little family here in Utah. In thinking back on the many talks that he has given that have inspired me to become better, I thought it fitting to share some of his quotes with you in his memory.

From President Faust:

On Faith:

"As we move into a new era, we have only one safe course: to press forward in faith. Faith will be our strong shield to protect us from the fiery arrows of Satan. Values should not change with time, because faith in Jesus Christ is indispensable to happiness and eternal salvation." (May 2000 Ensign)

"To sustain faith, each of us must be humble and compassionate, kind and generous to the poor and the needy. Faith is further sustained by daily doses of spirituality that come to us as we kneel in prayer. It begins with us as individuals and extends to our families, who need to be solidified in righteousness. Honesty, decency, integrity, and morality are all necessary ingredients of our faith and will provide sanctuary for our souls." (May 2000 Ensign) "Faith intensifies and magnifies our gifts and abilities. There is no greater source of knowledge than the inspiration that comes from the Godhead, who have all understanding and knowledge of that which has been, is now, and will be in the future." (May 2000 Ensign)

On Obedience

"Obedience leads to true freedom. The more we obey revealed truth, the more we become liberated." "Freedom and liberty are precious gifts that come to us when we are obedient to the laws of God and the whisperings of the Spirit. If we are to avoid destruction.... fences or guardrails must be built beyond which we cannot go. The fences which we must stay within are the principles of revealed truth. Obedience to them makes us truly free to reach the potential and the glory which our Heavenly Father has in store for us." (“Obedience: The Path to Freedom,” Ensign, May 1999, 45)

On Forgiveness

"We need to recognize and acknowledge angry feelings. It will take humility to do this, but if we will get on our knees and ask Heavenly Father for a feeling of forgiveness, He will help us. The Lord requires us "to forgive all men" for our own good because "hatred retards spiritual growth." Only as we rid ourselves of hatred and bitterness can the Lord put comfort into our hearts."("The Healing Power of Forgiveness," Ensign, May 2007, 69)

To the Young Women of the Church:

"As daughters of our Heavenly Father, each of you can be a partaker of His divine nature.⁹ It is inherent in your beings. I testify that each of you young women has special gifts from our Heavenly Father. Some of these gifts are unique to womanhood. As you cultivate these gifts, you will grow in strength, purpose, and nobility.

This is the work of God. We are all His servants. He is watching over us. He wants us to succeed. We all have some part of the holy work to accomplish, even though it may seem small and obscure." (Your Light: A Standard to All Nations, April 2006 General Conference Address)

Here is a link to the Church Newsroom article about President Faust:

http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=c629cf04ebc44110VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=9ae411154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD

To his family and friends we offer our heartfelt and sincerest condolences. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and with this incredible man whom so many of us have loved.

Stephenie Meyer's AWESOME books!!!!
For those of you who have read these books and heard me rave about them, just bear with me, because today is a special day:
Okay, it is August 7th, I had to let everyone know about the most amazing book series that I LOVE!!! Twilight, New Moon, and drum roll please since it just arrived on shelves ToDaY: Eclipse. This is a vampire romance saga. Sound interesting? Well, in case you just laugh it off and say "um, vampires, no thanks!" (like I did some months ago when my sister introduced Twilight to me) I am just here to tell you that it is an incredible, fun, romantic, intriguing and exciting series that is number one on MY list and also a New York Times Best Seller. SO, I am NoT the only person who feels this way. I have also had the chance to meet Stephenie Meyer (twice, it's true!) and hear her speak. She is just about the coolest person and definitely my author hero. Check out her website, it is the most fan-friendly site I've ever seen an author put together: www.stepheniemeyer.com
I hope you enjoy breaking out of your favorite genres to give this series a whirl. You won't regret it!!!
Happy reading!
ps I picked up my reserved copy today (my husband can attest to how excited I was, let's just say that 'jumping up and down for joy' is not just an expression) but I have to wait until my birthday to read it. ugghh. What is a girl to do? He is very sweet and wants to wrap it up for me, though! So in addition to the book, I also asked for some baby-free time to ReAd it!!! Can I just tell you that I am thrilled for August 20th to roll around!!! It kind of makes turning 27 (yes, another fact that is true, i'm not sure if I like this getting older thing. I am now going to be wAy closer to 30 than I ever thought possible) much much much more bearable and even exciting.
So here is my plug for Stephenie Meyer in my little spot of the world. I hope you all enjoy!

Another ps: I did just return from an INCREDIBLE family trip to Texas. I have not forgotten that, pics and commentary will be up VErY soon!! Love to you all! Or in my texan drawl: luv to y'all!

SPT- What do you do to stay cool in the summer?

Okay, my first ever SPT, I am so excited! For those of you who haven't read my earlier post, an SPT is a Self-Portrait-Tuesday. Enjoy my weekly entries!!

So what I do to stay cool in the summer. My first and most important idea: pool, pool, pool. How convenient that we happened to move into an apartment with a pool. We have already had a blast and Weston loves it. Thanks to everyone who has come over to enjoy the very coolness of it!
But seriously, the pool really only happened in the last week and we have been having an incredibley hot summer. :) So here are my ideas of what worked the best:

~Our old place had a swamp cooler that only worked in the bedroom so Weston and I would love to go stand right in front of it. What a blast. Literally of very cold air. Ahh...sweet relief!
~Standing in front of the fridge or freezer worked as well, of course with them open.
~Spritzing water on Weston with the squirt bottle. He always laughed so hard, and loved the coolness. Well, I'm assuming he loved the coolness, he always came back for more!
And my personal favorites :
~ Grab an ice cold drink. Water is my drink of choice, followed very closely by a cherry slurpy with pina-colada flavor added to make it extra special. Mmm... just the thought is making me taste it already! I also recommend staying away from sodas. Honestly, they do NOT quench the thirst. What-so-ever.
And my grand finale, my ta-da, my cooler-offer of choice:
~Put your baby down for a nap, turn the fan on high facing you directly, sit down, kick up your feet, and read a book. Works every time. The comfort of a good book can take your mind off anything. Opening the pages and escaping into another life, another adventure, another world works a magic like nothing else. And if you need extra help, read a book where the characters are in the midst of winter snows and blizzards. Are you cooling off already?!

Enjoy your summer and stay cool!

Forgive me for no pics- I am in Texas away from my home computer!

SPT

Okay, I started this blog as a way for family and friends to be able to see the latest and greatest pics of Weston and our family. (but to be honest, mostly Weston). Somewhere in the process I have learned that I really love doing this and it's fun to put some of my random thoughts down on this blog, send it into cyber space and see who has read it (from their comments!) Call me crazy, but I know that I am not alone in feeling that this is somewhat theraputic. Even if no one reads it, the writing of it all is the fun part! I have also learned that my amazing sister-in-law, Amy, loves to blog as well and she is always finding really cool stuff to put on her blog. (check hers out on my links page under James & Amy-- I don't know how to set up links other than what I have on the side, although I know if I asked her she would be able to tell me!)
One of the very cool things that Amy has recently started doing is: SPT otherwise known as Self-Portrait Tuesday. Lelly is the host of this group and she will post a question on her blog about Thursday or Friday-ish. Everyone then answers the question on Tuesday on their own blog, thus sharing some fun things about themselves and in the process learning a little about the others who participate! SO, let the good times roll, I am going to be doing SPT's from now on! If you check out my blog just for the pics, that's great, you can skip over my lengthy diatribes about my life and my random thoughts and goings on! But if you feel like reading something that may make you groan, laugh, chuckle, or just nod your head and say 'hmm..sometimes my life is like that too...' than read on! I hope you enjoy! I know I am looking forward to it!
Sidenote: if you would like to participate in SPT's then here is Lelly's blog: lellysmusings.blogspot.com ~ you can contact her through it for more info!

Charlie's Window

We've moved to our new place and now have the internet, wahoo!! After saying our sad goodbyes to such a good home, I thought it fitting to pay tribute to our little friend Charlie. I will tell you about him...
He was named, sadly, after his death. I thought it only fitting to name him after that most wonderful creature who gave us all a warm, fuzzy spot in our hearts for spiders: Charlotte, of Charlotte's Webb. (If any of you have not seen the movie, I highly recommend it. I loved Julia Roberts as the voice of Charlotte and Dakota Fanning is just the cutest Fern ever. Also, there are so many cool special features and the neatest song ~ Ordinary Miracle by Sarah McLachlin on the soundtrack.)
Okay, back to my story about Charlie. I will warn you, it is a sad tale and I am only telling people for two reasons: to purge my guilt and to remember a dear little friend.

Charlie first showed up in our windowsill one cold day in the spring. He was just a little tyke then, and Jeff decided to spare his life. This is a pretty huge deal coming from someone who despises spiders. I cannot emphasize enough how much he dislikes them. I have never met someone who is so quick to smash and stomp out the hideous things. And up until this point I was fine with all of his smashing and stomping. (Our old apartment was just that: old, and it had many little quirks, one of them including a LOT of spiders.) Needless to say, I was a little shocked when Jeff let the little guy live. When I asked why Jeff let him live he just shrugged and said "I really don't know." And thus it began: our friendship with the then no-named spider. Jeff and I both agreed that the minute he ventured into the house from his windowsill- he was toast. But he never did. He stuck to his window and spun beautiful little webs across the sill. He was very patient with me and whenever I would 'visit' and blow a little on his web (if it was getting too big and spilling over into the house) he would sit quietly there until I let him be and then work his magic overnight again.
Quite inspiring.
As the months turned warmer, the window would stay open longer in the day and I would worry a little that Charlie would take a trip inside. (The couch sat right under his sill) But again, he never did. He minded his own business, stayed put, spun webs and grew bigger. Pretty soon he was a full grown spider and pretty cool to watch. We grew quite fond of Charlie and every so often I would ask Jeff if he was going to get rid of him since he was getting so big. Jeff would just do his same shoulder shrug and say "I don't know." Meanwhile, many other spiders met their demise while in the confines of our home! (I will admit that I always had Jeff do the dirty deed, I just couldn't stomach it!)
Well, the inevitable day came when when we had a visitor coming over. We had had many visitors throughout Charlie's time in the window. Why this visitor was different~ to this day I honestly have no idea. But after thinking multiple times over that someone, sometime, was going to turn their head when sitting on the couch and freak out over this spider in the corner, I figured it was time we 'moved' him. I casually said to Jeff, "I think it's time we get rid of the spider." I didn't need to say which spider, by then we both knew who we were talking about when it came to THE spider. So Jeff got rid of him. The minute it was done ( I don't think I need to explain IT) I was upset. Why did we do that?! He wasn't harming anyone. He just sat in his corner! No more webs would be spun there, no more morning visits as I opened the window. I will be utterly honest here and tell you, yes, I cried over a spider. To this day I can still get a tear in my eye when I think of him.
When recounting my tale of woe to my sister, Chelsea, she laughed at me and said, "Why didn't you just have Jeff catch him and put him outside?" I was dumbfounded. It might sound silly to you all, but seriously, that is just NOT what we did with spiders in our home, so the thought never even occurred to me. Not once. There was another solution to 'getting rid' of Charlie, and we never thought of it. So not only did I already feel very guilty for getting rid of him, NOW I felt guilty that I didn't think of just relocating him.
You may be thinking by this point, he was JUST a spider for crying out loud, get over it! And so that is what I am attempting to do in this little retelling. I named our little windowsill friend and have now told his tale, so although he is very gone, you and I will both remember this story about a spider and a window. And maybe next time you are about to stomp out the life of a particularly nasty looking spider, you will remember Charlie and you will figure out a way to relocate him. That is what Charlie's life will have meant ~ and that is what he will have given to other spiders.

MOVING!!!!

Well, we have lived in this place for two wonderful years. We have loved it here (aside from the one bedroom thing, but it's a very BIG bedroom!) and we are going to miss our ward and friends. The good news is: we are only moving about 6 minutes away into a cute little TWO bedroom apartment. We are still on the house hunt but wanted to move to a little more space while we took our time finding something that was *right* for us. (If anyone hears of anything great, let us know!!) I will try to email out our new address - I don't want to post it on the internet- but if you think I don't have your email, or you haven't heard from me in awhile (which means I may not have your email...Adam Philips family this means you) then please drop me a line at: jndrysdalefam@hotmail.com or jndrysdale@gmail.com
I won't be able to post for a little bit, well, I guess just until Tuesday. :) Have a great weekend everyone!

The picture is of Weston on the go on his new little bike form Grandma! If you notice in the background there are some boxes and crates, West has been very patient and has adapted to, and even loved, all of the crazy boxes and random items that have been lying around as we pack. I can't believe how different it is packing when you have a little one. I admire all those moms who have moved with more than one child. I'm freakin out with just him and don't know how to get it all done! Luckily I have wonderful family and friends who have been willing to watch Weston while we got some packing and moving done. THANK YOU...you all know who you are! The BIG haul goes over tomorrow! PHEW, I can't wait to be done!