sorry, no pictures...soon i swear

okay so...an apology is in order to all of you who actually read this glimpse into my life. i'm sorry its been so long. it all started because i didn't have any pictures and then i had pictures, but not transferred to the computer, and now i've been camas which you all know means dial-up internet, which means i don't come within 10 feet of the computer. that was a serious run-on sentence.
anyway, to make this sob story even sobbier (i know its not a word, but since i already failed on the grammer side of things, i decided to just go with it)...i don't have pictures again. i won't go into why because i'm sure you're already bored, but i wanted to say merry christmas and happy new year and tune in because my false promises will become true promises as soon as i am surrounded by the wonderful aura of wireless internet. i hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that the new year brings everything you are hoping for. how's that for cheesy?
thanks for your friendship, support, and for all the fun i have reading about your lives. i'll be back...i promise :)

merry christmas!

apparently its finally christmas on the sutton blog. i promise i really am chock-full of christmas spirit, i just have been totally blog-retarded and haven't even looked at it in pretty close to a millenia. its going to be awhile again unfortunately because i'm heading to the internet black hole that is my parents' house. i'm definitly going to try and post again before i fall into the great abyss. you all definitly need an update on the business/moving scenario that will be happening in the near or distant future...depending on the child that will be arriving. hasta pronto...hopefully.

ode to the phenomenon that is twilight

so, i have to come clean, i was among the choice few (actually many) who endured the late night bedtime in order to catch the very first showing of twilight: the movie. the experience was fun overall and definilty interesting. among the sporatic mother and person my age...there were about 500 screaming teenagers and the occasional boy. i know what you're thinking. they took their girlfriends because it would be girl heaven, right? well, there was actually a row of about 5 males that were there without a feminine escort. i guess we're not the only ones who love edward...right, ladies?

all in all, the movie was pretty good. i don't have too many complaints about it, some of which could have been avoided if those aforementioned adolescent girls were missing from the experience. the other quite large problem was the actress who played bella. i think i might be mostly alone in this because i haven't heard of too many other people who didn't approve of her, but she drove me nuts nonetheless.

i'll just leave it at that for those of you who have yet to experience the joy of seeing edward lifesize and in color (and in the form of cedric diggory, which i surprisingly wasn't upset about after all. he did pretty well considering the beautiful shoes he had to fill).

ps even though i did see if before all of you, i was in the front row and thus had to rub and refocus my tired eyes every few minutes so don't be too jealous.

happy edward viewing!!

is there a punishment for blog neglect?

yeah, so obviously if there is, i would charged with it. i've been feeling rather badly that i haven't posted a new installment in the day in the lives of the sutton family for quite some time, but i have a good excuse. actually, i really don't. i've just had a severe case of blogger's block. plus, i don't really have any pictures...add those two together and there's your formula for no new post in several days. in fact, i really don't have a lot to say now...i'm just really trying to come up with something so that a new little title will pop up on your lists saying that i posted something like all good bloggers should.

i guess i'll just use this pictureles blog to fill you all in on the drama that is andy's business or lack thereof. so, a while back, i wrote a cryptic entry about something that was happening to andy and his "employment status." well, to make a long, agonizingly annoying story short, his business partner told him he wanted out of their partnership. this was the day before we left for utah mind you. woo hoo! nothing like crappy, crappy news to get you on your way to a fun-filled vacation. so, we left and andy talked with several people that he knows from living in salt lake for 20 plus years of his life and he found someone that was interested in starting up a new company. enter satellite professionals, inc. set to debut any day now. i say set to debut because now he is in the course of jumping through hoop after hoop thrown so mercifully by dish network and brought on by the awesomeness of changing companies when least expecting it. i can see the comments now:

where are you going to live?
when are you leaving spokane?
where is your child going to be born?
are you going to be homeless?

all very valid questions, but not of them have i been able to answer for all the countless people that have asked me up to this point. needless to say, its getting a little frustrating. mostly because i love the holidays and i'm feeling a tad sabotaged. i mean seriously, kick us out of the business two months before christmas??? that's like getting dumped right before prom (which i was by the way. i ended up going with a boy that i had a bargain with at the beginning of year-stating that if neither of us had a date, we would go with each other. tmi? sure, but sad nonetheless, right?) anyway, in short...i think its really funny that people write in short after a horrendously long explanation like i just did. gotta love irony. yadi yadi yada...we've had our very own scrooge/crachett experience this year and i guess it hasn't killed us, so that means it will make us stronger supposedly.

in reality, i really do have a lot to be grateful for. i have a wonderful husband (how's that for cliche? i'm workin on it) who is willing to overcome this hiccup shall we say and seek new and better opportunities. i never have to wonder if he will be willing to put blood, sweat, and tears into his work. preferrably just the middle one, but you know what i mean. i can rely totally on him and for that i will be forever grateful. i also have a healthy child, who even though has learned the fine art of screaming to portray both good and bad emotions, is hilarious and fun and the reason why i get up at 10 to 7 everyday. life is good, christmas is coming and this blog is getting unecessarily long. i guess some stuff to say after all. thank you all for your support and kind words. its been a bit of a trying time, but i'm glad that i have friends like you and all the blessings that come with that.

here's a picture to lift your spirits in case they need lifting. it certainly did the trick for me:
Nothing says happy fall like a good old fashioned lighter sale. gotta love spokane

up and coming...

yes, i am still here and yes i do have halloween pictures that will make you all wish that luke was your child because he's so darn adorable, but no i do not have them posted yet. i've been experiencing blogger's block yet again, but keep the faith. you'll be updated soon :) don't despair!

let the games begin

apparently i left a subliminal message on my blog saying, "please tag me" because it happened twice in one day. thus, this entry might be a tad on the long side, but i'm going to fulfill my blogging responsibility and follow through with each tag. i was never one to just give up when playing the game in the backyard as a child, so i don't see this situation as being any different. on with the show...

Eight Shows I like to Watch:

The Office (duh)
Pushing Daisies
NCIS
24!!! jack is really the man
Bones
Burn Notice
Chuck
Numb3rs

Eight Restaurants I like to eat at:

Black Angus
Spencer's Steakhouse (two words...wow)
PF Chang's
Linnie's Thai
Ruth's Chris
Olive Garden
Costco...yeah, its really true
Shogun (Bennihana's)

Eight things that I've Done today:

wish that i worked out
went to playgroup
took a nap :)
went to olive garden with some friends from pullman
picked up the truck from the shop
bought some chuck taylor's (yay)
let luke play at the kid's place in the mall
watched playhouse disney...good times

Eight Things I am looking forward to:

luke's first trick-or-treating experience
CHRISTMAS!!!
day after thanksgiving sale
thanksgiving itself, of course
moving on with andy's new business
finishing all the annoying details from his old one
having the child that is taking up the majority of my mid-section
the end of the terrible twos...does that ever happen?

Eight Things on my wish list:

no more love handles
a new wedding ring (in the works)
knowing where i will be living
a breast reduction...those of you that know me, know how important this one is
a sweet pair of buckle jeans
a haircut from chris
gray converse (just got them today)
a shopping spree at baby gap

Eight people to tag: (Sorry ahead of time)

jen
leslie
devin
meghan
andrea
ashley
annie
adam (both of you...why not)

i'll continue with the other tag tomorrow. one of my eight shows is currently on and my husband is threatening to turn it on without me

october field trip

i'm jumpin on the bandwagon and posting pictures from our "annual trip" to the pumpkin patch. i put annual in quotations because this is the second time we've ever been to one...andy and i included. well, i can't be totally positive about that, there is a lot from my childhood that i don't recall but as far as i know there aren't pumpkin patches in seoul, korea. anyway, we went last week and gathered up our global gourds with the sincere desire to carve them up as is the halloween tradition. kickin up my heels?

even though the express purpose of our voyage to green bluff was to acquire pumpkins, i'm pretty sure that luke was more interested in acquiring a wheelbarrow to push around. aah, the little joys in life.

happy birthday luke

here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for...the documentation of luke's amazing 2nd birthday. now, don't be surprised if you experience feelings of utter jelousy brought on by the explosion of creative amazingness. um...or just have a good laugh because i sure did. so, we were in utah for 3 weeks and before i knew it, we were on our way home the day before luke's birthday leaving no time for the creative juices to flow (as if there were any or something). anyway, we get home, head to toys r us and purchase the tricycle that luke has desired ever since he was a wee babe. we invited over a few friends, one who happened to be an 18 month that we have been known to babysit every once in a while...the others were all a tad bit older than the little guy, meaning they were our age because we haven't been around long enough for luke to actually make any little buddies of his own. sorry little buddy--anyway, i put the soup in the crock pot and the cake in the oven. everything was going pretty well until the cake came out and subsequently fell apart, leaving poor pooh's head detatched from his body.

luckily, i have a cake-maker extraordiaire for a friend in pullman so she saved the day this last weekend by making a halloween style concoction that not only stayed together, but looked awesome and tasted even better. thanks again pal. the night was saved by the unveiling of the tricycle and train acquired that day from the store.


2 down, many more to go (aka more chances for me to succeed with a memorable party that might actually make sense).
ps all the pictures have made it into the safe confines of the computer's hard drive, so exciting installments all about new york and the yearly trek to the pumpkin patch are coming soon.

80 percent chance of showers...

i mean that i'm having a female child. aaaggghhh!!! don't i have enough emotions on my own? now i have to learn to help another estrogen ridden being to cope when the floodgates open? i must admit i had a feeling that this one was gonna come out looking more like me than her dad, but its still a bit of a shocker.

there you have it folks. as if my life story wasn't funny enough, now you get see me struggle through raising a mini version of myself...oh boy, or girl i guess. thanks for all the support. ps still pretty stumped on the name, if you have any thoughts. here's to mini me!

winnie the pooh and disposable cameras

i made the realization that i've been pretty lax in the blog writing lately. sorry, i'm going home today and i'm gonna scan some pictures (yes, scan because i've been using a disposable camera while the digital is out of commission) and post some photos and some worthwhile reading that will make you all tear up and hug your loved ones. or maybe i'll just do some more rambling in the form of run-on sentences as i've just demonstrated.

tomorrow is luke's birthday and i am hopelessly unprepared yet again. yikes, is the kid going to be 18 before i actually plan something for him in advance? i guess by that time, he won't need me anymore...oh gosh, we need to move on to a different topic. anyway, if you have any ideas, i would greatly appreciate them. so far, i have a winnie the pooh cake tin and the determination to get him some sort of tricycle. yeah, not much i know...my only solice lies in the fact that he won't remember how unfortunate a mother i am currently and there's always next year. i know this is the last year for both of those blessings, but i fully intend to take advantage of them. yadi yadi yada...happy birthday luke and if you want to come partake in the joyous occasion that will be the anniversary of his birth, it will be this saturday, time and place and all that jazz to be announced.

ps baby sutton will be discovered tomorrow afternoon. if you're important enough, i'll let you know. totally kidding.

a blog from the big apple

i only have one hour left until the billing cycle on my "in-room" high speed internet connection expires, so i thought i'd leave a brief synopsis of our trip so far. we've only been here a day and a night so far, but the lure of nyc has definitly taken me in already. since yesterday was sunday, we spent the entire day, well maybe the entire day, but a lot of it, walking around central park. its really amazing that all that green exists in the middle of all the concrete. we had a great time exploring and today we're off to ground zero. as luck would have it, my luck, my camera is out of juice...of course and my mom doesn't have one. we will most likely be purchasing one today so i can document this a little better than with just words...for those of you visual learners of course.

happy national stay at home week!

isn't just a little bit sad that the nation has set aside a week for all of america to stay at home at night just to watch television?? a little bit sad, and yet we are fully participating. unfortunately, the mixture of free satellite and a toddler that needs to be in bed at 7:30 has made a recipe for a show a night in the sutton household. yes, i'll admit, sometimes 2 or 3...blame it on the dvr. i thought about divulging the long list of shows that we have come to know and thus get addicted to, but i'm afraid i wouldn't come off looking so good...so, instesd i'll just let you know that tonight is probably the biggest of them all. the one hour office premiere is this very night! i can't believe its already here. we are a little bit sorry, however, that we are here in utah (i will call andrea, i promise...haven't i mentioned how much i suck at phones?) while our faithful fellow office watchers are in spokane. a moment of silence please...alright...that should do it. tonight we find out what is going on between dwight and angela and if jim really will ever get to propose. aah, sweet drama. as a side note, we will also discover if warick on csi really is dead. yikes. do i sound like a housewife or what. somebody save me from myself. for all you that are snuggling up on your couch in front of your flat screen or regular tv, of course, happy office to you and i hope you have a relaxing night with whomever you might be spending it with.

thanks dudes

i think that's a recycled title, but it works for this post nonetheless. i promise i wasn't trying to whine, it was just one of those times when you realize something and have to write it down. i guess if i was a poet, i would've been able to write something profound and meaningful...but, alas, i am what i am and i'm grateful for those of you that wished me late regards. i was happy to get them. on a higher note, as i was perusing some other blogs, i ventured upon one birthday post discussing the joy that comes on a birthday, but also her "resolutions" if you will for the year to come. i guess i learned a bit of a lesson and decided it was time to end the pity party. i will come up with my list and let you know...stay tuned

another "big day" come and gone

so, i usually like to keep this little glimpse into my life pretty light and witty, but i'm feeling a little low and i thought i'd share that with you. it doesn't really make any sense to do such a thing, but i've seen others do it and its worked for them so here goes...sunday was the 29th time i celebrated my birth into this world. i received 4 phone calls, 3 of them consisting of family members. thanks, larissa by the way. you made my otherwise mediocre day. side note-isn't it sad that you reach about 23 and suddenly, birthdays don't really consist of presents and parties and instead are just mostly full of the day to day humdrum stuff you do anyway? maybe that's just me, but anyway...i got a text message or two that night and then went to sleep and woke up to another day which i'm sure was someone else's birthday, but for me, it was just the day after mine. the day that made me realize the point of this rambling post, which is that i've failed as a friend. i guess my severe deficiency in keeping in contact with people has led to their lack of remembering my birthday. it was a sad, sad discovery (there is a better word for what it was, but i'm suffering from a harsh case of pregnancy brain at the moment), but one that will hopefully motivate me to be a better friend. so, to all of you whoe read this blog, thanks for doing so and i will try to recognize all of the exciting happenings in your lives...including the day that only comes once a year for you and should be a very happy day and one that you don't have any worries but to feel special. happy birthday everybody! thanks for checkin in

false alarm

so, apparently i misled several of you (or maybe you just didn't understand such literary genius...kidding) into thinking that i would be discovering the sex of our newest little one this week. sorry, i just had a routine check up. everything does seem to be fine, however, and its full speed ahead...whether i like it or not, i guess. we did get some pretty bad news about andy's business, but i will fill you in as information comes to light. for now, we're headed to utah and then we'll really find out what's on the horizon (as far as if the nursery is going to be pink or blue) when we return in october.

ta-da!!

i don't actually have any sort of magic trick to show you, let alone any pictures...just me saying the famous houdini-esque phrase because i've appeared, as if out of nowhere. i know, i know. its shameful that i haven't posted anything in three weeks, but i have an excuse. i was once again forced into the black hole of internet nothingness because i went to camas to visit the rents for two weeks. for those of you avid fans who have been patiently awaiting an installment, i apologize and here i am once again. in fact, to celebrate my return to the land of high speed, i have spent the last two hours perusing everyone else's blogs...okay, not eveyone's. first of all, i don't know everyone and b, that would take a great deal longer than two hours. anyway...dang i have missed some serious happenings...girls are pregnant, people are buying houses, scrapbooking is happening with reckless abandon, and finally the mullet was removed from a very deserving little boy (i am oh so proud of you, mindy).
for those of you i that neglected to visit during my stay on the west side, sorry i was pretty much a homebody without internet and my phone has decided to be very lazy. by lazy i mean that the battery has given up and is refusing to be the lifeblood of my lovely red krazr. i'm afraid its days are numbered. i will remedy that situation soon and hopefully be back to see you soon (this paragraph is mostly for you, heidi and mary...sorry i didn't call...i pretty much suck). on to brighter and happier subjects, my next doctor's appointment is on monday and the ultrasound to unveil the he or she of the little tike will soon follow. speaking of babies and the names thereof...any ideas? i'm kind of at an impass. i think i've pretty much got the boy name figured out, but if its a girl, i'm at a loss. right now, its between marlo and fiona. both having short versions--lo and fi. i also am fond of claire, stella, sadie, and fenley but all have been vetoed by my adoring husband. anyway, if you have any moments of genius, let me know...and if you decide you want to use whatever name you give me for your own offspring, i won't even care. i'll just be grateful that my child will be called something other than "girl." thanks in advance and au revoir till next time.

what's yours is mine and what's mine is ours

this video doesn't really need a whole lot of introduction. let's just say luke is learning how to share...on his own terms, but who's counting?

a new way to play tag...

thanks to devin, i've been tagged in a way that forced me to show you my lack of homemaking skills. actually, i'm impressed to say that i was, for the most part, not embarrassed. the sink was my only problem...well, see for yourself:
1. fridge

2.closet

3.self portrait-you know, you've all been waiting for this one

4.favorite room

get your minds out of the gutter, people. notice the decor-its one of the only rooms that is actually decorated in the entire place. i'm pretty pleased with it, thanks to a couple good buddies and their creative talents. the real reason why this is my favorite place to be though is...

5.kitchen sink-sorry, i just cooked, yeah that's right, i cooked!

6.laundry room...or in our case, laundry closet-beggars can't be choosers my friends

7.toilet-um...i got nothin

8.what the kids are doing...as you can see, i tried to catch him "in the act of something," but he just couldn't pass up a photo-op. i think i'm in for it


9.dream vacation-
its a toss-up between

and

10.favorite shoes-my jessica simpson shoes...i don't like them because of jessica simpson, they just remind me of her; the comfortable shoes that i got for a sweet deal in pennsylvania; and my diesels because, well, they're awesome, am i right?

alright, there you go. more than you ever wanted to know i'm sure, but its time to pass the torch nonetheless. go for it jen, camille, mindy, rissa, and jonah (go for it, buddy...wink wink) have fun!!

kind of obsessed...

no its not with the imminent release of the 4th book of the twilight series...though i'm sure that would be somewhere in my top 10 near obsessions right now (hello? could edward be any more surreal...)anyway, sorry for the excessive posting...i was just reminded by a friend of a song that i'm kind of obsessed with. i know you're wondering, how can you forget about something you have a minor obsession with? well, the ipod has been out of juice for awhile now and we have a new computer so i haven't been able to charge it without erasing all the precious cargo. see, our old computer refuses to start so i can't get my songs off...blah, blah, blah. anyway, i was brought back to the light and i've noticed that some other people do this on occasion, so i'm going to venture into the youtube world and bring to you, by the wonders of technology, the video right here on my blog. its called, "come on get higher" by matt nathanson. i will give a bit of a warning here, however. if you are going to head over to youtube to find another video of his for your own viewing pleasure, be a little cautious because he tends to use some colorful words and phrases at times. this song is safe for the entire family, though. so i hope you enjoy it as much i as do. thanks jen for reopening my eyes and ps leave me a memory already before i disown you!!

we're pretty awesome

okay, okay i'm back. sorry for the absense, i really was just giving all you slackers (Jen, you know you are) that haven't left a memory of me a chance to do so before i distracted you with a new witty installment. anyway, on to bigger and better things or thing i should say...luke. man, this kid is hilarious. i'm going to dedicate this post to someone whose name i will not mention who let me know that my blog wasn't worth her time unless it contained pictures...you know you are too my friend :) so here are some pretty funny pictures of the little dude. as you can see, he's adopted this really ugly red hat that his dad got when he went to toyota friday at silver mountain last winter. what a hottie, right? did i just call my son a hottie?

this was pretty darn priceless. i'd seen it happen on tv a couple times, but this was a first for our house. i went to the gym (finally) and when i got back, andy was on the couch and luke was, well just see for yourself.


aah, good times. i actually missed out on the better picture opportunity. he originally had his head leaned all the way back and his mouth open wide enough to swallow an orange, well maybe a mandarin, but you know what i mean. anyway, when i walked in and saw him, andy was on the phone. i tried to mouth to him that luke was asleep. he freaked out and jumped down into the dining room to make sure he was breathing. it was pretty funny stuff. during the skirmish, luke adjusted and ended up in the position that i documented. seriously, could we get any more awesome around here? yeah, don't answer that.

let the good times roll...

alright, i'm jumpin on the bandwagon...mindy, yet again gave me some inspiration. here's a little way for all of us to remember the good old days and for me to pretend that i still have friends :) okay, have at it. thanks!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

the cat's out of the bag...so to speak

so, (you inspired me adam...i just had to do it) the time has come...i've been contemplating how to break the news on the blog. should i try to be witty or should i cause all of you to pull out your hankie and soak it with your tears because you're so moved by my touching words. whatever, i'm pregnant...again. i would have succeeded in breaking the news sooner, but unfortunately, i've been in a permanent fetal position for the past month and a half, praying for the second trimester to rear its beautiful, un-nauseous head. finally, the days are getting brighter and i have actually ventured outside with luke a time or two to give the poor kid some air. i'm pretty sure i hate my once awesome apartment because i've seen nothing but its walls for the past month. thank goodness for the food network (when i actually want to eat) and so you think you can dance. yay for mormons on reality tv. anyway, there it is. i did it. i broke my first life-changing news on my blog. does this put me in some sort of different category now? is it a good or a bad one? one of life's unanswered questions right there. no need for congratulations or praise, just send money...i mean...

that darn letter c

i was all set to add some much needed updated photos to my blog, when lo and behold the computer decided it was time to check out. what is it with things that start with the letter c? not one, but 3 of our cars have been broken into/stolen...and now the computer is dead. is someone trying to tell me something? i'm sorry for whatever i did to deserve this kind of karma from a letter in the alphabet. i swear i don't think i did anything to it in a past life...oh goodness, what do you do? anywho, here i am again, with no pictures and come to think of it no camera. dun dun dun (sung in ominous, wide-eyed tune as seen on movies/tv when something bad happens). i just realized that our camera is missing. that darn letter c. what is this? some kind of twilight version of sesame street or something? whatever you do, don't send me any canteens or catamarans for my birthday. yikes. what is this world coming to?
to top it all off, andy's Cell phone just gave up the ghost as well. hence, he now totes my lovely red krazr to work with him. maybe we should just put all our stuff in an underground bomb shelter and never touch it. that would be a perfect solution or totally ridiculous.

two words-girl's camp

so, for those of you who have been checking back obsessively, wondering where i am...sorry to disappoint y'all (i'm trying to incorporate this into my vocabulary...is it working?) but i've been in the all-consuming, wonderful though it is, black hole we all know as girl's camp. i know you're all jealous and i truly wish that i could've taken you with me, but alas, our stake is only so big. in fact, us leaders already outnumbered the girls by one. sad, i know, but since they all tuckered out at like 10:30 anyway, i guess you take what you can get. it was a stressful road leading up to the fateful week, as those of you who have had the "pleasure" of hearing me vent, can atest...but all in all, it ended up being quite the little success story. i was lucky enough to be joined by some really good buddies and the showers were usually accesible. testimony meeting only lasted 3 hours (for you ladies that have experienced this last night of camp, you know what this really means) and the food was actually pretty tasty. i remember a lot of chicken, but other than that, i've kind of blanked out on the whole thing. anyway, i'm back and i can't wait to check out all of your lives and see what's happening in the real world.

ps

i wish i could say that these pictures show a result of several children below the age of 2 ransacking my once serene existence. in all actuality, however, this is apparently what your house looks like on mornings when your child wakes up at 6:30 with nowhere to go.

poor little dude...

so the weather here in the lovely "lilac city" has been less than cooperative for little boys that desire to frolic away their boundless (and when i say boundless i mean utterly endless) energy outside of the confining walls that make up the apartment. Lucky for this little guy, we dug up his rainboots so he can at least walk to and from the car when we absolutely have to brave the elements. As you can see from the picture though, now all he wants to do is wear the boots, even if its just one at a time, and look longingly out the living room window at the world going on without him. the scene is almost enough to make a mother cry, but almost being the key word because instead, i just look at him, laugh a little to myself, and take advantage of poor kid's trauma by snapping a picture of him. sorry luke, i wish i could make it stop raining...i really thought i did by leaving the west side of the state. i guess we'll just appreciate the sun when it does come out, right? yeah, how do you explain that to a one and a half year old again?


no, my son does not represent the lollipop guild. i know you're all thinking it :)

no, he didn't just smell something foul, this is his new pose for the camera. apparently its a smile...in a forced, mom you've made me smile way too many times this past year kinda way.

movin on up...

thanks to mindy for getting her background from this cool website and for putting the link on her site so i could get one too. thanks buddy. mine was getting old and lame. i don't really have much else to say except that i've been a total slacker since the 13 mile trip through you know where. now, my lovely relief society arms and ponch are rearing their ugly heads yet again. i am happy though. our place makes me smile and luke gets more hilarious by the day. the rain could definitly cease and desist, but other than that, life is pretty darn happy.

you asked for it...

after much anticipation--here they are: pictures of the little dude himself. since i've been less than stellar about putting photos on here as i go, this is going to be somewhat of a collage if you will, of the boy we call luke. enjoy...oh and by the way-i might have misled some of you into thinking that i live in an actual house now. its not quite a house, its more like an apartment. alright, alright-it is an apartment, plain and simple, but it is a palace compared to the other hole that i lived in previously. i also wanted to say thanks to all the encouragement after my little run. i appreciate it and maybe i'll do it again someday thanks to all your nice words...if you're a betting person, i wouldn't in this case :)

favorite form of transportation. see photo at top of page :)

one word: aah

sometimes the rice gets away from the guy, what can we say?

my mission is to get a cuter picture of this. luke has discovered his pockets...and it is seriously the cutest thing you have ever seen. no, really, it is

gram and luke at the lake...i know, i know...aah is word that comes to mind yet again

the day has FINALLY come!!!

no, i didn't get the gold medal for the uneven bars...that's still in the works...but i did move out of the nasty shoebox that i called home! this past week, andy graduated from college (insert finally here as well) and we moved our little family and our not so little belongings up to the northside of spokane. its so great, i'm almost tempted to put pictures of the place on this blog...i know that no one is really interested in seeing pictures of a bunch of a white walls, but it just makes me so happy. luke can actually go outside and touch grass instead of merely walking out onto the 40 year old balcony that was covered in who knows what. don't worry, no need to call cps, he's totally germ-free now that we have a carpet i can feel good about walking on in bare feet and two whole bathrooms that haven't had mold growing on the walls for the last decade! yay (feel free to clap, i currently am). well, that's about it for excitement here. i like to get rid of it all at once as you can see. andy graduated, family came to visit, huge move...oh and i ran 13.1 miles on saturday, but i'll discuss that later. there was a trip to ikea in there somewhere too, which as everyone knows is definitly blogging material.

back from the dead...or lack of computer

so, for those of you who are still checking this site to see if i've enlightened you in any way...i'm back after a long hiatus of sick children (well, child i guess), a sicker husband, and an even sicker computer. it crashed, but has come back from the dead, thanks to a computer genius with very large dogs and an eye for "corrupt files." a couple of fellow office fans just launched their own site so i thought it was time to revisit mine.

thanks dudes

well, consider my spirits lifted. you rule

sheesh...

dang! what does it take to get a comment out of you people...sheesh, i thought a sappy plea for one would do the trick. wrong again. well, i guess if you're reading it, that's good enough for me. thanks again

here's to the lasts

so, i was in the library picking up my latest "quick read," when a children's book caught my eye. this, of course, wasn't the first time this has happened, since i am easily distracted/amused...and also because i am always conducting research for my future children's book endeavor. anyway, i don't remember the title, i just remember that it was written by a mother who mentioned that we, as parents, are wrapped up in celebrating our kids' firsts, that we often miss their lasts. she recognized this as her last child was growing into toddlerhood amidst the tantrums and the throwing unwanted items onto the floor, etc...she decided that she couldn't remember the last time she had seen him crawl, or the last time he asked for his binky or asked to be held. so, she turned her book into a prayer of sorts, asking God to help her recognize the last time her child fell asleep in her arms or asked for a kiss in public, or begged for one more hug. it was a sweet book and really made me think of the shortness of life. how we often rush through the day, praying for bedtime, or through the week, anticipating friday night (not necessarily because we're supposed to go on a date or something...what is that again?)
anyway, i was pondering this tonight as i watched luke's eyes droop more and more as i rocked him in the same chair that i once nursed him in night after night. i put him to bed at the normal time and then proceeded to hear him scream for about 20 minutes. i decided to go in and see if something was wrong, only to have him snuggle up against me as i held him in the rocking chair. my thoughts went to the lasts book. how many more times would i have the opportunity to rock him to sleep? how much longer will he fit in my lap just perfectly that his feet don't drag on the seat? take it from me all you tired mothers out there. stop and love your kids a little more. cherish the moments when they're precious, rather than the moments that they make you want to rip your hair out. life is pretty dang short after all.

word to your mother...or you, at least

i just wanted to give a little shout-out, if you will, (i wonder where that phrase came from by the way...its not like i'm gonna wait for you to give me permission or something...anyway) to all those kind, little souls who are generous enough to leave a little comment on your way out of my humble blog. its nice to have a little reassurance that even though friends are scarce here in the lone and dreary world, you do still exist out there in cyberspace. in all seriousness, i really do appreciate the gesture and yes, even if you don't say anything, i'm still glad you drop by. thanks and consider yourselves pretty darn special :)

my little double-fister/exhibitionist

i know tha title says "double-fister/exhibitionist" and then all that follows are pictures of my son exhibiting his tendancies to remove his clothes if given the opportunity (aka something loose enough to get out of). the double-fisting will follow soon. luke rather enjoys not just one, but two sippy cups, preferably with different beverages in each. its pretty hilarious.

good question

in response to a question posed by someone who most likely has more fun than any blonde possibly could, we really don't have more fun...yes, the cat's out of the bag. marilyn and madonna are both full of it. i'm pretty sure that all lindsey lohan does is have fun and she looked really nasty when she was blonde. so there you go, its all a ruse. have at it, brunettes and redheads alike, get out there and have the fun that every blonde has forced you to think that you can't have because they have it all. you can do it

blogger's block and the pitfalls thereof

so, just in case you haven't noticed by checking and re-checking if i have posted anything since being back from the ends of the earth...or the internet rather, i'm suffering from a mild case of blogger's block. somehow, there are those of you who manage to keep up several sites while also managing to scrapbook, can, teach your kids sign language, and run a mile in less than 4 minutes. okay, maybe not the last one so much, but my point is that i'm severely lacking in material right now and, therfore, apparently can't even manage one blog entry. not that i don't have anything to work with because there was my trip to see my family and the gray girls, easter, my half marathon "training," my camapaign to convince my husband that we need to relocate (not cities, just place of residence...although a real change of scenery would be nice--anybody have a couple of rooms that need tenants...) wow, i guess i'm really not hurting for things to discuss, i was just fresh out of witty banter to deliver it with. good news for you, by writing this blog, the banter is obviously back and with a vengence! well, its back anyway for a temporary stint. so, on with my point amongst the rambling. apparently i've been "tagged." i have to admit that i had no idea there was such a thing past the age of 10 in my backyard (okay, so i played in college too, who didn't?) but i guess in the "you're not a true blogger until you get tagged world," the game is alive and well among kids and adults alike...well, at least larissa and her devastatingly creative self. so here goes, enjoy or just skip to the bottom and leave a comment making me think you read and thouroghly enjoyed it. i totally mispelled that word. don't tell my high school english teacher.
A- Attached or single: attached in the loosest sense of the word, i mean...very attached
B- Best Friend: i know i'm probably supposed to enter andy's name here, so i guess i will or did as the case may be...as for someone outside my nuclear family-i must admit that i'm not really sure. my mom is probably the only one that has really been the constant bff...is that sad or cool? i think she's pretty cool. good ol mombo
C-Cake or Pie: ooh, usually pie, but i've been having wierd cake cravings every once in awhile lately. i think they have something to do with richelle and siobhan's cake cookie concoctions...wow, how totally clever was that phrase? they are really good though
D- Day of Choice: i'd probably have to go with sundays because andy is home, well scratch that, he's not really home for most of the day depending on meetings and home teaching, but we do manage to get a good cheesy mormon flick and a nap in. plus, there is usually meat to be had for dinner :)
E- Essential Items: lets see, scrapbook stuff, quilting materials, dance outfits, oh wait, that is definitly someone else's list. i'd have to say-rebecca's toffee, sewing machine (this is recent, but oh so enjoyable), and a nice run outside. can't beat it
F- Favorite Color: red and the infamous pink-give me any shade, i love it and i'm not ashamed to say it
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: definitly bears...is there even a comparison?
H- Hometown: i guess it would have to be camas, wa, but i like to think it was someplace a lot cooler, like korea or germany (where i lived a total of 3 years or so during years that i can't even really remember)
I- Indulgence(s): baby gap and children's place...it really is a sickness i think
J- January or July: summer is for the birds. ha ha--whoo! i'm awesome. january is okay but it means that christmas is over. i'll take september
K-Kids: uno-you all know him as luke because, well, that's his name, duh
L-Life is incomplete without: i could go serious and say the gospel and my family, but to go with my gut, i have to say project runway :)
M- Marriage Date: if you're really my friends, you should know this. i'll give you three choices:
a. may 15, 2003
b. october 21, 2005
c. yesterday
N- Number of Siblings: 2 older brothers, one younger sister
O- Oranges or Apples: you can't make me choose! just kidding, i'll have one of each please
P- Phobias or Fears: i'm not a big fan of risky things because of my proness to accidents
Q- Quote(s): "what e'er thou art, act well thy part"
R- Reason To Smile: the prospect of moving! the family, andy's business being a success, and having everything i need is a bonus too :)
S- Season: spring and fall=sweater weather, gotta layer, the less skin the better
T- Tag Six: if you're on my list, consider yourself tagged
U- Unknown Fact About Me: i'm a closet scrapbooker...yeah, not really--
V- Veggies or Fruit: i'm running out of witty comments, i know you didn't think it could happen did you. fruit, i guess
W- Worst Habit: tv-it does too good of a job of sucking me in
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: really? what kind of a question is this?
Y- Your Favorite Food: didn't i already answer this, wow its all blurring together
Z: Zodiac: virgo

so that was really long. hope you're all still concious. thanks for playiing. i'll try to keep you posted more often...total pun intended

good stuff...

yet again i am back from the vortex of dial-up internet. aah, high speed, how i love thee. anyway, luke and i went back to camas for a little family bonding time and got sucked into the world of glacier moving slow internet. along with that, of course, comes the lack of posting in the last two weeks. hopefully i still have some faithful readers out there that haven't given up on me. i'm here, i promise. as for a topic for this post, i don't really have one, so maybe i'm just stating that i'm not gone. i will return with photos and all kinds of good stuff. what good stuff you ask? you'll just have to check back and find out.

the good, the bad, and the oh so addictive computer games

okay, okay, enough with the self-deprication...is that a word? i thought it sounded good. anyway, it has come to my attention that i spend a little too much blogging time saying something mean about myself. i once had a friend tell me that everytime i say something mean to myself i have to come up with 4 good qualities, so i'll give it a try right now:

1 well, i'm blonde and everyone knows we have more fun, right? we totally do, by the way :)

2 i just beat a computer game that took me from new york fashion week to paris, wait...is that a good thing or a bad one?

3 i can be pretty witty if i really try...i do like to make people smile. i guess that comes easy enough

4 i somehow attracted a pretty awesome guy and now we've got the coolest little dude on the planet that drives me crazy, but also makes me laugh that awesome laughter that comes from your toes and makes a cloud-covered day turn out pretty shiny.

okay, there you go-i knew people hung out with me for more than just my money...or was it my looks...

short list-long story

yeah, so apparently i'm "add a video" illiterate. i'm gonna keep it up though just to keep up the suspense and leave you all wondering what it could be...insert evil villan laugh here...okay, on to today's subject. i've come to the sad and devastating conclusion that everyone else knows a lot more people than i do. or, even sadder, they are liked by more people. what i'm trying to say is that my list of "pals" in the margin of my page is considerably smaller than all the other blogs out there. do i suck? i know what you're going to say...oh tara, people like you, you're great blah blah blah...yeah, prove it! you know, i really can probably blame myself because, speaking of sucking...i do when it comes to keeping in touch. yeah, you know who you are--namely everyone who reads this most likely. i'm sorry...again...i guess i can just hope that someday i'll be really funny so people that don't even know me will stop by. probably not, but a girl can dream, right? the truth is, the people that are on my list, be it short or not, are wonderful and have definitly given me a laugh when i needed to cry and helped me cry when i felt like i was supposed to be laughing. thanks dudes. hey, and if you know anyone i could add to my list just to make me feel like i know people, that would be cool too.

testing 1...2...3...

so i tried to add a video a while back and it didn't work out so well, so here is attempt numero dos. that's number two for those of you who don't understand spanish. no need to thank me. okay, here goes. more complete post coming soon.

pass the helmet please

so apparently i'm a skiier. well, i don't know if i would call what i do "skiing" just yet. it all started in october when we ventured out to the fairgrounds during the annual ski swap. andy and i had decided that this is my year, mostly because i'm sick of sitting at home while he has all the fun for hours on end. speaking of, i'm going to digress a little bit here...what is it with men's activities? is it a law that they have to take a minimum of 4 hours? golf-5 hours, skiing-7 or 8 hours, snowmobiling, 4-wheeling, hunting...need i go on? a woman can go out to lunch for maybe an hour and a half and who is texting or calling every 5 minutes to see where she is? yeah, the "man of the house." ridiculous what we have to put up with. anyway, back to me overcoming the odds and joining the 4 hour plus activity crowd. i'm pretty sure i deserve a medal or at least a cherry cordial for that. so i got myself all outfitted with all-mountain skis (which are pretty sweet by the way), pants, jacket, boots, gloves, even a helmet or should i say especially a helmet. those of you that know me, should not be surprised by that. so, the last month or so i've been "hitting the slopes" as they say. i figure use of the jargin gets me halfway there. i've had a couple lessons from 18 year old boys and i must admit that i have the pizza down pat. that's when you point your skis together like all the tiny kids that get awesome by the time they're 5. i "ride" the bunny hill like a champ and i've moved on to the ever-challenging blue square hill...where there are still kids that barely come up to my waist forging down the hill like it was their backyard. all in all its been a pretty fun ride. i've actually gotten to the point where i can make it down the hill without wanting to stop, cry, and walk the rest of the way down. it feels good to actually get past the point of pure frustration...which is where i still am with golf and about every other sport on the planet. that's okay though, i just figure that i'll go on to become one of those helicopter parents that lives their lives through their children. or i'll just keep doin what i do and just force my kids to get proficient at at least one thing before they get to be 28 and snow-plowing. i guess only time will tell.

merry christmas! my bad

as i was pondering walking into the bedroom to find my workout clothes, (yes, that was a shamless plug to make you all think that i exercise on a regular basis) i noticed the screensaver on my computer. it was flashing pictures from temple square in salt lake city, ut during christmastime. it was my first time to see the lights. andy was kind enough to show me around even though that the was the destination of many a cheap date back in his single days...i thought about inserting the word "player" in there, but come on....we all know andy is not a player--ha ha. sorry, the thought is pretty hilarious, am i right? anyway, here are some pictures from christmas...and so soon too, right? man, am i pathetic. that's okay, though. knowing is half the battle, right? could i possibly say the word right anymore? especially since no one out there in cyberspace is going to answer me anytime soon. wow...anyway, here's the pics...already :)

yay...i'm fancy!

now i'm not trying to toot my horn or anything...who says that? i'm just stoked because i actually made this thing look semi-cool. thanks to my good buddy, camille, i now have entered the not traditional blog background club. i know it doesn't really exist, but humor me would ya? anyway, i'm excited, you're excited, luke's excited...does life get any better than this?

happy birthday luke!

so technically, well not even technically...these are just really late and there is no excuse. they are, however, finally here and well worth the wait i'm sure. i like to think that even though i'm a shameless procrastinator, i'm not a never-finisher. sometimes it just takes several months...or years. anyway, this time it was only 5 months overdue and if i look at that number and say, well it wasn't 5 years, that right there is a success story. yay me!

a preview of things to come

so i realized that i haven't mentioned the tiny little holiday that happens at the end of december and involves a tree and some random family members...christmas!! anyway, i've got the pictures and they will posted soon. here's a small glimpse