My Man!

Sorry Ladies....He's taken!

I wanted to do a post about what an amazing husband I have! I have been thinking this week about all the things I'm greatfull for and I couldn't stop thinking about Cody. Here are just a few of the MANY reasons I love him and am so very greatfull he is mine.

1. He puts Simon to bed almost every night. I don't think you realize just what a chore this is. Unfortunatly I work a lot of nights so he is stuck with this duty. But the thing that impresses me even more is the fact that when I actually do get home in time to put Simon to bed and let Cody have a night off, Cody instructs me to go have a relaxing soak in the tub cause he knows I don't feel well, and yet again, he will put Simon to bed.

2. He makes dinner.

3. When I inform him that I won't be able to attend his favorite family Christmas party because yet again I have to work, instead of being upset he calmly says "That's life. We can go next year." Even though I know he looooooves that Christmas party.

4. Even though it's agains EVERYTHING he believes in, he turned on our Christmas lights BEFORE Thanksgiving cause he knew it would make me smile when I pulled in the driveway.

5. He teaches Simon so many great things.

6. He saves all of the Chili's Molten Lava Chocolate Cake for me to devour even though we were supposed to share it.

7. He helps me be a better person.

8. He has more patience than I can even imagine having.

9. He understands the importance of family.

10. He loves me unconditionally. When I feel fat, when I feel ugly, when I have one of those days when I just can't stop crying.

I am so lucky to have Cody and I love him so much!!!

Halloween

So, this year for Halloween Simon decided he wanted to be a ghost. Sounds good, right? But he had specifics....after a few minutes showing him different ghost costumes online, I realize he wants to be the kid with the sheet thrown over his head and holes cut out for the eyes. Cute, I know...but my pride got in the way and I just couldn't bear the idea of looking like a "shmuck mom" who put no effort into her kids costume! I know, it really should be all about what the kid wants....but I just couldn't do it. Anyway, while we were debating over what to do for a costume Simon was on a Smurf kick. I have the DVD's (nostalgia!) and he loooooves watching it! So, I just happened to mention "Simon, you could be a smurf!" and he was sold (whew!). So, he chose to be Brainy Smurf. I think it turned out pretty good and it fit his personality so well!

He got good use out of his costume. We had a work party which he got 2nd place for best costume (proud mom moment!), we went to see Cody's Grandma, went to Travis's work trick or treating, dressed up for preschool, and then the actual Halloween night. Geez...I'm surprised the costume actually made it through all that!

This is "Teacher Tana" aka my mom. She is a great sport to dress up with the kids in preschool!

Here's the cousins trick or treating at my moms. Ady was a clown, and Sienna was a bumble bee. So cute, right??

The kids making the rounds. I love watching them get older and understanding just how this works. Simon had a couple trips and falls, but if you know Simon your not surprised!

Now for my dad....I'm not really sure what to say. My dad has never really been a "Halloween Guy". He basically tolerates Halloween and that's just how it's always been. This year he surprised us (and mom) by dressing up. So, introducing Dad aka....Marley Dude!

I know....your speechless!

Cody has also been busy building Simon a headboard now that he has a big boy bed. Here is the finished product and seriously, a picture just doesn't do it justice! It's beautiful and he did such an amazing job with it!!! It turned out just how I wanted, and Simon freaking loves it! We are going to try and finish a bedroom for Simon downstairs so we can have a nursery again for the baby (that still feels weird to say!), so someday when that is done I'll post a pic of the whole set up.


One last thing. The other night while I was at work Cody was putting Simon to bed. Here is the conversation that was had....
Cody: "Simon, your dad sure does love you!"
Simon: "Your son sure does love you!"

small pause

Simon: "Loves important."

I love this story!!!!

Just Stuff...

I know I suck at updating my blog! Wait....don't I say that in every post? Well, here is literally a huge download of what has been going on with our family this past couple months.

Quite a few weeks ago we decided we needed to hit the zoo one last time before the weather changed. It was a lot of fun. Simon loves the zoo and is such an animal kid! My favorite part was all the baby's at the zoo. The baby elephant was so fun to watch, I could have watched her all day long!

The giraffes (hmmm...I don't think they tell you how to spell that in school!) are one of my favorites.

The baby giraffe.

So, me being the brilliant mom that I am taught my kid (keep in mind, I sometimes don't think things through very well) to do the fist pump thing to get semi's to honk at you. Every kid should know how to do this, right? Well, being the adult in this fun game soon (very soon) found out just how annoying this game could be! Simon did this the ENTIRE way home!!! Ugh!

So, in other news...after feeling pretty crappy all weekend long I decided to take one of these fabulous tests....and lo and behold....Simon is finally going to be a big brother! We are indeed pretty excited about this! Simon says it's a girl and her name is Sally. Hmmm....we are going to need to think about that one. But it is interesting that he hasn't once wavered on whether it's a boy or a girl. Intuition? Anyway, I'm supposedly due on May 20th. And believe me when I say it's going to be a looooong 9 months! I have been so sick and just overall blah. I hope this stage soon passes!

Anyway, I caught this pic of Simon (that's a guilty face if I've ever seen one!). He has decided that he likes to sit behind the rocking chair in his room and break his crayons in half. Strange, I know! But it was funny to catch him in the act!

This is Simons new big boy bed (just waiting for Cody to build the headboard). Now that he is going to be a big brother, he needs a big boy bed. He loves it and is pretty good at going to bed now! Yeah! Now we gotta finish a room in the basement for him so we can have the nursery back!

I also took Simon, Sienna, and Ady out to gather leaves around the block. Simon and Sienna needed them for pre-school, and Ady loves stuff like that, so it was fun! We had to stop at every single house on our journey, so it was a pretty long stroll around the block!

Simon and I also decided to make some halloween cookies. He loves helping in the kitchen, and I usually don't have the patience to let him. We had a good time. Sorry that I didn't bring anyone frosted ghost cookies, but if you saw the amount of coughing on these cookies that took place you would have been so grossed out.

Simon helped rake the very few leaves from our very small tree this morning.

And Hayley invited us to go with her and Sienna and Ady's kindergarden class to the pumpkin walk. It was so nice to go in the day when it's not so cold, not so crowded, and so much more enjoyable! It was a fun day!

Anyway, that has been a quick recap of what's been going on in our lives lately.

Good Times

So, here's what's been happening since my last post. Simon has started preschool and he loves it! I'm afraid he's not always the well behaved boy that I always hope he will be....but hopefully he will learn! He has made a couple new friends at school and it's such a fun new chapter in our lives!

Simon and his cousin Sienna are in the same preschool class....heaven help Teacher Tana!

Simons good buddy Hannah is also in his class. She is so stinking cute! He is pretty protective of her and Sienna both! It's pretty cute!

We have had a couple camping trips with my parents in their trailer. I'm thinking we are going to get some great use out of that trailer! :) Simon is now old enough that he knows to stay away from the fire so it makes it a little more relaxing!

And Simon has spent loads of time with his neighborhood pals! I had to get a picture of them all together. Before we know it they will all move on in different directions with different friends (hopefully they will all stay friends), but at least for now they can just be best buddies! It will be fun to see them grow up together!!!

(Brock, Nick, Carter, Dirk, Simon, and Camden)

Summer is over, and I'm ready for fall to begin!

Words of Live By!

"If you want to feel good about your whole day, go into your closet, find your swimsuit and put it on. Walk out to your bathroom and look in the mirror. Nothing worse is going to happen to you all day."

Thank you Amber for sharing this quote with me! It will always and forever make me smile!

A Great Birthday Surprise!

For my birthday my sil's surprised me with this awesome gift! One of Hayley's friends takes these amazing photos, so she surprised me (which is amazing cause Hayley can not keep a secret!) and had Simons pictures taken without me even knowing! It was such a fun surprise and than her and Heather had a couple of them put in a frame for me to hang up. I have such great Sil's!! There were so many great pics, but here are a few of my favorites!

Thank you so much Noell for taking such great pics! You are so talented!!!

Lagoon Day

For my birthday (ah-hem 30th birthday!) I wanted to not think about getting older, and enjoy being a kid again. So, we packed up and went to Lagoon (it's what FUN is!). I haven't been for a couple years and I couldn't wait to enjoy the fun with Simon!

He had a hard time warming up to the rides, in fact I didn't think we would be able to get him on any rides. Luckily "Bulgy the Whale" came through for us and he loved it! PS...these pics are in no order what-so-ever, just deal with it! This is Simon on the kid swings. He really liked this ride and I really wanted to puke!
And of course he couldn't resist the airplanes! PS, we have no idea who the kid on the back of the plane is....but Simon thought it was cool that he was giving that "bigger boy a ride on his airplane!".

Here is the adored "Bulgy the Whale". He rode on this ride probably 5 times! I love it if he loves it.

Ah so handsome!

It was a fantastic day! And I can't wait to go again!

What we have been up to...

So, I've been absent from the blogging world for a little while....sorry for the one of two of you that actually follow my blog! :) Between just enjoying the summer and really just not being on the computer much I just haven't had much to post. So here are a few pics from a few of our adventures this summer...

Every year the Downs side of my family get together for our annual family reunion at Bear Lake. It was so fun! I look forward to this weekend all year. It's been a tradition since I was a pre-teen, and now it's fun to watch our kids get together and play!

Simon enjoyed helping Cody fish. Um...they didn't exactly catch anything, unless you count the weeds in the back cast. But it was fun to watch the fish jumping in the water.

Nothing beats spending the day with Grandpa!

We went hiking to White Pine with my dad, Aunt Josie, and Uncle Dave.
I honestly didn't know exactly what kind of a hike it was going to be. I was pretty tired after and was also impressed that Simon did the hike (with a little help from grandpa and dad's shoulder rides). It was a beautiful hike though!

In the many years of my life that we have gone to Bear Lake I have not once stopped by the scenic over look. So, we decided to stop this time.

July also included Birthday month for Hayley! :)

And I had the pleasure (insert sarcasm here) or spending a week in Phoenix for work. Um....can anyone say 114 degrees????

And of course we spent a lot of time running through the sprinklers. I love this pic of Simon!!

Well, there you have it. Our fun filled summer thus far. We still have a Lagoon trip planned, and of course ahem- my birthday. :)

What Makes Me Smile...

A couple of people have commented in their blogs about things that make them smile. I've been pondering this as I read their blogs and thought I'd make a list of my own. Some of these things may only make sense to me. In no particular order (and family and friends is a given!)

1. Flowers. I love beautiful flower beds!
2. Simon. Everyday he does something that makes me smile.
3. Cody. All the little things he does every day that make me know how much he loves me.
4. Ady and Sienna rocking out to Hannah Montana.
5. "That's what she said".
6. My moms Sunday Chicken. Comfort food at it's finest for me.
7. Music. Particularly anything from the 90's.
8. Bachellorette.
9. Caesy's version of "I Love To See The Temple". When she was little she used to sing this and the line that says "While I am young"... she would say "While yum yum yum". How can you not smile at that?
10. Another Caesy song when she was little.... "God Speed" by Dixie Chicks. It used to (and still does) make me cry every single time I hear it.
11. My mom and me saying the same thing at the same time.
12. Drop Dead Fred.
13. "All I heard was blah-blah-blah, your a dirty tramp" (Cami, that's for you cause you make me smile all the time!)
14. A great book.
15. Holidays
16. A long hot shower.
17. My little Sunbeams
18. Stacey meeting me half way.
19. The good old days.
20. short hair

I'll quit at 20, but I'm thinking how much fun it would be to try for 100! Maybe I'll do another 20 list sometime.
I'd love to know what makes you smile???

Hmmm....

Should I be embarrassed

that the guy at the Wendy's drive through

knows me by name??

Ponder....and get back to me.

Words of Advice

I was browsing a very good friend of mines blog, and saw this quote and I was so greatful to have seen it! Thank you Merrilee for posting it. Sometimes I look back on things and think "this isn't exactly what I had planned". I didn't want to be a full time working mom when I was little! I wanted to be home playing with my kids, making a delicious meal for my family, finishing the last touches on a beautifully cleaned house as my husband walks in from work. Sound a little "Brady Bunch" huh? None the less, it was my dream. Here I am living Plan B. Don't get me wrong....I am sooooo happy! I have an amazing husband who loves us and supports us, and I'm sure at times feels the same way I do since he is the one having to make the delicious meals for us, and he is often the one having to straighten up our house as I walk through the door from a long day at work. So, although I am extrememly happy, sometimes I start to get a little selfish and think....why can't I have that dream again? So, I absolutly loved this quote and it put things into perspective for me.

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around and shouting that he has been robbed. The fact of the matter is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

Gordon B. Hinckley

Blast From the Past (Part 2)

Do you ever wish you could go back in time? If I could pick one time period to revisit it would most definatly be the early 90's! Oh, the 90's was a great time in the world, and a time that probably influenced my personality more than any other time! Of course, the 90's had it's share of "bad ideas"....

Heat activated clothing??? Could the inventor of this tragidy please step forward? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?

The horrendous (is that a word?) trend of the "Rachel Hair". I admit, I sported a similar style at one time. I do believe the term "bad hair day" stemmed from this very style! Sorry all you millions of girls out there that went for this look. Really, what were we all thinking?

That goes for you too Miss Bangs! Such a pretty face.... She could so be the poster child for AquaNet Hairspray!

And my husband would kill me for catagorizing "Blossom" with the "bad ideas". Apparently he was a fan. I heard Joey's "whoa" one too many times and "Six" was just plain annoying.

But the 90's introduced some brilliant ideas as well. Many of which I supported. For example...

Doc Martins! How cool were these?? Loved them, never owned any, wished every day of my junior high school life that I could afford a pair!
Overalls. Thousands, if not millions of people everywhere are disagreeing with me right this minute, but I lived in my overalls! I had no boobs, and no butt, so I had nothing to attempt to show off anyway. But going to the bathroom proved to be a pain in the butt!



Yes please. All of it. Bring on the flannel! I am a grunge girl at heart and this is my idea of style!

Speaking of grunge....the 90's produced some of the BEST music to date!
Nirvana....
Kurt Cobain. Beautiful.


Early 90's here, and the complete opposite of grunge. But Tommy was a little bit of "eye candy" for me. And yes, I had his poster on my wall!

Janet Jackson. Now I'm talking "Rhythm Nation" Janet. My brother was a Janet supporter and we spent many hours practicing her Rhythm Nation moves on our own kitchen chairs. Unsuccessfull!

"How do you talk to an angel?" That angel would be Jamie Walters and he indeed had the voice of an angel! Many dreams involved this beautiful man! :)

Another favorite. Blind Melon.

But for those of you who know me best, you know that my heart will always belong to the fella's of "Alice In Chains". All time favorite band! True brilliance and gosh they are good looking. R.I.P. Layne!

Some of the TV shows that made me love the 90's...

Fresh Prince. I didn't watch this for Will (never really have been a fan of his), but Carlton was halarious! I so loved his signature dance move.

Saved By The Bell. You may still find me watching this show anytime I can find it on TV. Oh, the fashion trends in full force! A.C. Slater....need I say more??

Seinfeld helped mold our generation! So many one liners and inside jokes.

And my all time favorite cartoon, Anamaniacs. I really do need to find these DVDs and watch them with Simon. I think (desperatly hope) he would like it!

And Hayley, this one is for you. Beverly Hills 90210. Again another show that encompassed all things 90's. So many of our trends came stright from this show.

And to wrap it all up....if you want a glimpse at all the greatness that was the 90's. Fashion, music, and style....it's all represented in my favorite movie of all time. Empire Records. My friends can vouch for the fact that I can quote this movie from start to finish! Empire Records was my dream life.

So, that's my recap on everything that was great from the 90's. I'm sure you have your own memories from the 90's. And maybe now you will understand me just a little bit more (awwww...it all makes sense.)