The Life & Times of Shannon & Lindsay

Seriously?

2010-04-14T17:22:00.005-07:00

Here it is again........

I'm getting really sick of Hollywood. Not sick enough to NOT read the magazines and/or read the celebrity gossip, but seriously people you are getting on my nerves!

Jon Gosselin - So you're going to file for "primary custody" because Kate is an "absentee Mom"? Seriously? Seriously?? What do you plan to do with those 8 kids? Take them down to some dirty club in Las Vegas, stick them in a VIP booth with boxes of YooHoo and then subsequently hit on every passing 18 year old who isn't averse to dating the world's biggest douchebag?
Yea, I can see that conversation happening,......

"Yes, I am Jon Gosselin. And yes, ladies, I AM wearing an Ed Hardy shirt. Oh those? Those are just my kids, I mean, entourage. We're just enjoying a little "primary time" together. Now who wants a drink and a chance at 15 seconds of fame followed by a ruined reputation? The line forms here."...................

Sounds like a parenting plan every person should adopt. Seriously! Not like Kate's got all her priorities straight, but I'm pretty sure her priorities don't involve barely-legal serial dating, chain smoking, and shopping around reality shows with Michael Lohan, who just might be the world's best father. And by father, I mean complete idiot. And by idiot, I mean , "How are you even still allowed to speak in public?"

Jesse James & Miss "Bombshell" McGee - Seriously? What even is this? How did this happen? And how is he okay with just commenting that it showed "poor judgment" on his part? Poor judgment? Seriously?! Last time I checked, poor judgment was like waiting to start your research paper the night before it was due, not frequently cheating on your extremely famous wife on multiple occasions with allegedly anti-Semitic strippers. I don't know what he was thinking. Maybe he thought, "Well, if Tiger can get away with it........wait....." Yea, you're going to get caught. You will always get caught. And when you toss in a little bit of stripper and a dash of anti-Semitism that's only going to expedite the process because strippers are ALWAYS honest in their dealings with their fellow men and NEVER looking to make any side cash by talking to tabloids....right....

And this "Bombshell" nonsense? Seriously? What were you thinking would happen when 30 seconds after the Oscars ended you released your perfect storm of a story? You'd get $30,000? Sure. Pity? Not so much. And did you really expect the world to believe that you're NOT anti-Semitic when, well, those pictures and tattoos are speaking more than 1,000 words? Seriously?? That's like me getting a tattoo across my chest in Old English lettering that says, "I TORTURE PUPPIES" and then getting mad when PETA won't let me host their annual bake sale. Seriously!! Tina Fey said it best. "When your body looks like a dirtbag's binder from 7th grade metal shop, it doesn't bode well for your character." Seriously, seriously, seriously.

Tiger Woods - Seriously?? I'm not going to even bother. All I know is, next time don't wreck your car, and for the love of all things good in this world, DON'T TEXT IT. IT CAN BE TRACED!

I'm done.

By Lindsay

2010-04-11T15:55:00.002-07:00

Today I..........

Let my Mom sleep in

Served my Mom plastic cookies in bed

Wanted oatmeal for breakfast but didn't actually want to EAT it so I got a cookie instead

Watched Spongebob

Wondered why there are constant interruptions during my Spongebob watching

Helped my Mom do laundry

Walked into a pole and got a goose egg

Tripped into the wall

Went on a ride in my car to the park

Went on the slide

Said hi to some kids

Helped my Mom with more laundry

Took a nap with my glasses on

Went in my potty

Emptied my potty

Ate some crayons

Pooped on the floor

Cried because I couldn't go outside

Unlocked the door and went outside anyway

Got put in time out for unlocking the door and going outside

Tried to eat a rock

Put my shoes on the wrong feet

Didn't care that I put my shoes on the wrong feet

Dumped my apple juice on the carpet

Picked my nose

Wiped it somewhere I shouldn't

Threw a few tantrums

Dipped my cookies in my yogurt

And it's only 5:01

It's Easter Time!

2010-04-04T18:04:00.006-07:00

What a weekend!! We had such a fun time this weekend with all the family down. And by all the family, I mean ALL the family. We met Darren's girlfriend Nicole, hung out with Tracy and her fiancee Jake, took in a day at the Art festival and had a great BBQ with the cousins. I need a nap!

Linds loved all the goings-on at the Art festival - she loves anything that involves people - and we were all flabbergasted when she sat ever so still to have her face painted. She was like a statue! I had never in my life seen her sit so still! Maybe in order for her hair to not look like an electrocuted ponytail I'll need to bribe her with face paint from now on!

She also found every puppy in the place and was in love with a large, curly haired dog that she sat and pet for a good five minutes. She loves her some puppies!

We also had our annual family BBQ at Aunt Gayle's house complete with the obligatory Easter Egg hunt. It's fun to remember participating in the hunt when I was younger and now seeing my little one have as much fun as I did! Linds was more fun this year since lately she has been obsessed with hiding eggs so she had a blast!

It was a great, tiring weekend! I'm excited for NO MORE HOLIDAYS for at least another month! They may be fun, but they are EXHAUSTING! Pessimistic, perhaps. Realistic, for sure.

Things I've Learned....

2010-03-21T17:56:00.003-07:00

Today is one of those days when I'm just exhausted by life in general! Single motherhood is a long, tough, exhausting, patience-draining experience and along the way I've experienced a lot of wonderful, annoying, frustrating, blissful moments that only a single-mom could have.

1. It's Always My Turn - No matter the time, it's always my turn. Be it day or night, sick or health, if Linds cries, stubs her toe, gets stuck, or wants a drink, only Mommy is there to provide. It's hard sometimes to not have that other person to rely on when you need a break - or just a five minute time-out in the closet - and being an already impatient person, you can imagine how many hairs I've pulled out. On the PLUS side, it's always my turn :) I get to cherish those moments with my daughter - alone. She knows Mommy's always there, she knows Mommy makes it better and sometimes Mommy is the only one she wants :)

2. Costco Is a Thing of the Past - Days of buying bulk are gone! One can of Chef Boyardee yields leftovers at our house. There are a lot of leftovers, reheated lunches, and spoiled remains because it is SO HARD to cook for 1 1/2. I grocery shopped yesterday for the first time in going on a month - and I probably won't have to shop again for another two! Less trips to the store, but more double-checking expiration dates!

3. Hide and Seek is Less Than Exciting - Linds loves hide and seek; however, she always wants me to hide with her. Since we're a two-person household, that leaves no one else to find us. So a lot of the time we end up sitting together in the dark the hall closet saying, "Ssshh" and waiting........ :)

4. Chore-Tricking is Key - Since I'm the sole provider, that leaves a lot of housework to be done. Carrying in 8 bags of groceries up a flight of stairs can be rather frustrating especially when Linds would rather look at rocks, touch "Blech" stuff, or run after "baby puppies", so making chores into games are an essential part of my day :) "I Bet You Can't Carry This" is a favorite, as it "I Bet You Can't Put This in the Trash", and "Hey, It's Fun to Put the Dishes Away".

5. Picking My Battles is Important - By the end of the day my patience is nearly non-existent, so if Linds wants to dip her Frosted Mini-Wheats in her water, so be it. If she'd rather run around in two different shoes, good on her. And if she'd like to stick her colored pencils between her toes and try to walk around the living room (currently happening), I'll look the other way. If I want my patient to extend into the evening hours, I better make sure I'm prepared to let the little things go. The Time-Out Chair works occasionally - but mostly because I put myself in it :)

6. Kids Learn Fast, but Not Necessarily From Their Parents - Today Linds asked for "More Cereal!" And I said, "When have you known the word cereal?" I was tickling her the other day and she yelled, "Help!" - never heard that one either! It's hard to leave your child in the care of someone else for most of the day and know that it's not you who gets to teach your child everything. Although, luckily, my day care provider is great and I'm lucky that Linds has learned so much there! So far, the only bad word she's learned is "Shut up!" We're still working on that.....

7. Love Grows Exponentially - No matter how frustrated I get when I'm totally exhausted and can't rest, or struggling to make ends meet, I take a second and realize that it's ME who gets to raise and love this little precious gift - and although I'm making my fair share of mistakes, I'm loving the fact that she's here to make mistakes with - and that she loves me unconditionally.....

Color Me Lazy............

2010-03-18T18:48:00.003-07:00

Finally, finally, three more finallys, I've gotten the motivation to update my blog!

Hell may have frozen over, Tiger Woods may in fact be monogomous - that's how much of a miracle it is!!!

I'm not going to lie the last year has been a really rough one for me, and I pretty much had no motivation whatsoever to broadcast a bad year for everyone to see. So, now that I'm back - and better than ever - it's time to remeet the world.

Linds is getting bigger every day and I want to make sure she sees herself at this age and how cute and precious every moment I have with her is. She's such a mommy's girl now. She loves makeup, tea parties, and even brings me plastic cookies on toy plates as breakfast in bed. She talks up a storm, babbles, points, and says something new every day. She knows all her colors, and can figure out any puzzle put in front of her. She's in the 97th percentile for weight and height so she definitely has some of her daddy's genes.

It's amazing how much she's grown and how much she is like me. She sleeps in the same position as me, likes things in order, and gets in her fair share of trouble :)

She's my little best friend and I can't imagine life without her!

More to come - scout's honor!

Good Morning

2009-10-10T19:05:00.002-07:00

I swear she cleans up nice.

Seriously?

2009-10-05T18:46:00.003-07:00

And now it's time for my favorite segment..........

Really?! With Shannon Cobb

What follows are actual conversations I have had with actual people. Nothing has been changed other than me adding what I wish I could have said.

Caller: Hello, my friend is in jail. Can you tell me when he sees the judge?

Me: Sure, what is his name?

Caller: I don't know, I just met him last night.

Really?! You just met this person LAST NIGHT and not only did he wind up getting himself arrested but you neglected to remember his name? Seriously?! Maybe it's time to stop messing around and find yourself some real friends. The further from Purgatory Correctional Facility the better!

Caller: Hi, I was supposed to show up for court today but I ran the marathon and my legs hurt so I didn't come in. What do I do?

Really?! You knew you had court today and yet you ran 26.5 miles all the while knowing that the next day you might possibly have a leg cramp. Seriously!? If all it takes to get out of life's responsibilities is to run a marathon, sign me up! Training begins tomorrow!

Caller: I just got arrested for possession of illegal weapons and I need to find out how to get my guns back. Can you transfer me to the gun department?

Really?! The gun department? Please hold while I transfer you. Seriously?! If you're illegally possessing a weapon, chances are that even if the "gun department" existed, they took your weapons for a reason. I'm just saying.

Caller: Hi, I sodomized somebody. Can you tell me when my court date is?

Really?! As if that information needed to be disseminated for the world to know. Hi, I have genital herpes! Would you like to be my friend? NOT NEEDED. Seriously?! Keep is simple. No one needs to know the sordid details of your life, especially without asking.

And it doesn't stop there. I've had men ask for my number while filing their divorce papers.

Really?! Give it a month!

Ask me to look up another girl's phone number who they saw in the lobby while filing their divorce papers.

Seriously! Give it a month!

And my most personal favorite - someone objecting to their divorce petition because apparently having "rock star" sex fixes all problems.

If only!

Really?! people REALLY?!

Laziness Over!

2009-09-12T18:31:00.002-07:00

Sorry folks, I have no excuse for my lapse in blogging other than my ability to continually procrastinate what I should be doing.

So, to catch you up with our lives, little Lindsay is no longer little. She hit the year and a half milestone on September 4th and is as crazy busy as ever. She know where her eyes, mouth, nose, and belly button are, she is still obsessed with her shoes and doggies, and testing the limits of my patience.

She enjoys going to day care and every mornig when I drop her off she makes the rounds to see which kids are there today and where the doggie is at. I'm glad that she's able to have more social involvement and hang out with other kids her age. I miss her during the day but she seems to be adjusting quite well to me working.

As for me, I really love my job. I love the people who work there and there's never a dull moment. I have to admit that there's a different sort of people who come to court than I'm used to dealing with on every day occasions. Let's just say that the majority of people I see on a daily basis aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. In fact, most of them are old rusty tools who haven't seen the light of day in a long time. But it's fun to meet interesting people and, well, maybe know a little bit of dirt :)

I have some pics to post of Linds and as soon as I work up the motivation to get some new batteries for my camera I will post some to show just how big she's getting.

Hope all is well with everyone!

Nothing New to Report

2009-08-03T19:58:00.002-07:00

I've been lazy about my posting - but mostly nothing really new has been going on. Such is my boring, monotonous life.

I"m really enjoying my job though and I'm really grateful to be able to work there. Everyone there is so great and friendly and I enjoy what I do all day long. I've had jobs where I dread going to work in the morning but this job is different and I'm really appreciating the difference in attitude I have towards it.

Lindsay has been learning like crazy and is now obsessed with the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" she just can't get enough of it. She has now learned to say Grandpa (Bupa) and teacher (teta) and it's just such an amazing thing to watching this little person constantly learning every day.

I still am adjusting to the fact that I don't see her as much as I'd like to because I miss her a lot while I'm at work but I just concentrate on the fact that she's able to socialize more with other children and I'm able to appreciate her more when I do see her. She loves her grandma, grandpa, aunts, and uncles and it's such a great feeling to see her relationships developing with the family. Kids are amazing and I feel so blessed to have such a beautiful child to call my own.

This weekend is the Talbot family reunion so Jeremy and I will be taking Lindsay up to Delta to see all her relatives and I'm excited for her to have more time with jeremy's family and her cousins that are near her age. It's always fun to get together with family and just hang out.

I need to get more batteries for my camera (I've just been lazy) and then I can post some cute pictures of my baby girl because she's just growing by the second!

Hope all is well with everyone!

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

2009-07-19T13:08:00.003-07:00

What a whirlwind week it has been for me!

Right now I am currently resting on my bed because I feel like I have the back of an 80 year old - too much lifting I guess!

On Monday I got a call from the 5th District Court where I had interviewed for a job. They called and offered me the position of deputy court clerk. I was so excited! Of all the jobs I had applied for this was the one that I really, really wanted. I had prayed so hard that I would be able to get this job - so prayer does work! Luckily since I was looking for work, I had already scouted out day care places and found the perfect one. It's right between my new apartment and my parent's house and Lindsay loves it there. But I guess I could leave her anywhere there was a dog and she'd love it!

So I started work on Tuesday and I love it. It's a lot of busy work but I'm one of those people that love that. Everyone's commented on how great I'm doing and everyone there is really friendly. I've even learned how to swear someone to documents they're sigining which is my favorite part - "Do you solemnly swear the information contained in these documents is true and correct to the best of your knowledge?" :) It's a fun job, has great benefits, gets me more socially connected, and keeps me busy. I miss Lindsay during the day but I sure appreciate the time I spend with her more.

On Friday I signed the lease to my apartment, the loan on my townhome didn't go through (stupid lenders not accepting alimony) - but it's a great little place and Lindsay's room is huge. More room for more messes! Hopfully I don't receive Melenie's curse of the neighbors and I can make some new friends shortly. I started moving in Friday night, and Darren, Carson, and my Dad helped me move all the big stuff on Saturday morning. Thanks guys!! I've got everything moved in, decorations up, and the only thing left is hanging my clothes in the closet which I am continually putting off because I have too too too many clothes.

Like I said, all is well and I'm glad things are looking up for me now. I've had to learn to readjust a lot lately - I'm still readjusting - and I'm thankful for the new opportunities that have opened up for me. Now it's rest time - at least until tomorrow.

Fun-Filled Fourth

2009-07-09T18:48:00.011-07:00

We had a fun fourth of July. Darren came down from up north and we all had fun on Friday night lighting fireworks. It was a bit windy and there were casualties: three burned thumbs. I guess it comes with the territory. Linds just kept saying uh-oh every time a firework went off and wasn't that impressed. I don't blame her though. The majority of the fireworks in those packages are all the same - just different names: Sonic Boom, Smoky McShootsaSpark, Stroby VonHurtsTheEyes. $50 dollars for 10 of the exact same thing. Sounds like the Fourth of July to me.

For the ladies!

Darren, why is your belt undone?

On Saturday, we decided to head to Cedar for a city celebration/Aunt Abi's birthday. We hung out with Grandma and Grandpa Talbot, Kadi, Aunt Abi, and Brian and then headed to the park where Lindsay did not take well to her backpack/baby leash. She did calm down, however, once an icee came into the picture.

Aunt Abi's singing group was performing at the park and although we weren't able to stay and watch her sing we're sure she did a phenomenal job. She's got a great voice. It was fun catching up with family and enjoying some MUCH cooler weather.

On another note, Lindsay has reached another milestone. Stitches. She is very generous to dogs in the food department and yesterday while sharing her waffle my mom's dog grabbed it too quickly and got a mouthful of her hand. Six stitches and a tetanus shot later and she is doing fine. I'm surprised she doesn't act like it hurts much - other than if it's accidentally touched. She was a real trooper about it and we're glad she's alright. Just no more sharing with puppies - especially waffles. Once the bandage is off I'll post some stitch pictures and an x-ray of her wee little hand.

Hope everyone had a fun holiday!

I'm Tired!!!

2009-06-30T19:53:00.002-07:00

Too tired to post......don't count me out :)

Update:

2009-06-21T19:27:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone,

After this post, I am going to change my blog address to http://www.shannonandlindsay.blogspot.com . I plan on making the change
one week from today so make sure you change your settings accordingly

Happy Father's Day to All!!

25 Things You Don't Know About Me!

2009-06-20T06:28:00.003-07:00

My new favorite addition to the articles in US Weekly is a 25 things you don't know about me section of a certain celebrity. And since I'm a well-known celebrity in my eyes.....lol...I'll share what you don't know about me.

1. I do not like olives due to an overly traumatic situation involving a girl eating a stinkbug. I have since associated the two and it doesn't mix. That and olives just taste disgusting

2. I don't like non-touching food to touch. Cranberry sauce and other Thanksgiving foods? No thank you. Fruit and non-fruits? Let's keep 'em separate. Sure they end up in your stomach all mushed together but that doesn't mean they need to get there that way.

3. I type over 100 wpm

4. I hate irrelevant information in converation. (Ex. So you'll never guess who I ran into at target! Or was it Wal-mart? No, target was yesterday, I think it was Wal-mart...IRRELEVANT!)

5. I consider myself the female Ross. Like I said, always the bride, never the bridesmaid :(

6. Sometimes when Linds's poops are so gross I just shower her off to avoid the task of massive wiping. It's amazing what surprises diapers can hold

7. I am left-handed except when I bat or golf. Althought I don't play golf and can't remember the last time I played baseball

8. I dry heave at the thought of someone drinking cereal milk. I am dry heaving as I type.

9. I am irritated when I can't fast forward through commercials because I'm watching a non-DVR recorded program. Technology is a double-edged sword :)

10. I am a little OCD when it comes to checking locks at night. I know its locked but sometimes I have to check and recheck. Maybe I should go on that Obsessed show.

11. I drink way more diet Pepsi than I should. And now my child thinks its the best thing on earth.

12. I change the channel if I feel embarrased for someone I'm watching on TV. (Ex. Michael on the office)

13. I rarely read a book twice. There's just always another new book out there I could be reading.

14. I am a shoe hoarder. It takes a lot to get rid of a pair of shoes even if I know I will never wear them again.

15. I would never vote for a woman president. Sorry, ladies I just won't.

16. Spelling and grammatical errors drive me up the wall. I will always point them out.

17. I am severly distraught that I will never be able to volunteer at the National Spelling Bee.

18. Laundry is the bane of my existence. I hate that more than anything in life. Except maybe spelling and grammatical errors.

19. I consider my dogs to be my furry children. And right now they are overly furry and deserve a good groom.

20. Sometimes I am way too blunt and should think before I speak.

21. I like to sing sentences Christina Aguilera style.

22. I hate unnecessary whining. And I find all whining to be unnecessary

23. I just watched my child dump an entire Costco sized bag of trail mix all over the floor and just rolled my eyes while she and the furry children went to town.

24. I once had some neighbor girls walk my dogs cuz they were trying to earn money for Summer vacations. I paid $12.00 for a 3.5 minute walk. They saw me coming lol

25. I hate way too long blog posts. And this is one of them. But oh well. There you have it

Precious....

2009-06-16T20:41:00.003-07:00

Every frustrating thing that happened today was more than made up for by this :)

I'm Back!

2009-06-14T20:46:00.002-07:00

Okay, so my blogging reprieve was not as long as I thought. I decided that in order for me to process what's going on in my life, talking about it will help.

So, here's the lowdown - - - - -
Yes, I'm getting divorced. Is it fun? Not the first time, certainly not the second Maybe
the 3rd, 4th, or 5th won't be so bad :)

Am I upset about it? Absolutely. But I cannot change the past and I cannot change
the decisions of others. I can only move forward, face reality, and repave the future.

I never imagined that my life would involve being a twice-divorced single mother. It just sounds more like a Bravo show - The Real Housewives of St. George (minus the wealth, mansions, and reunion shows). But nevertheless, it is something I will accept wholeheartedly, adjust to accordingly, and try my utmost to give my daughter the best me I can because she deserves nothing less.

Jeremy is a good guy, he is taking care of us financially, he loves Lindsay more than anything and despite the end of our marriage he will remain an involved father. Although divorce involving children is always disheartening, I do feel that since she's so young it won't have such a dramatic effect on her childhood as it would if we had parted ways later on in life. So, to quote something Jen & Brad might have said ...."we remain close and committed friends" and will do our best to raise our daughter together and show her that although we're not married anymore we both love her more than she could ever imagine.

I've been looking for places and have found a nice little townhome that I've put a reservation deposit on. Hopefully everything works out with that and we can move in once the construction is completed at the end of August. In the meantime, Linds and I will move back in with the parents. Although I always said I wouldn't want to have to live with my parents again (Hello, I'm almost 30), I feel very blessed that they would open their home to us for a couple months to help us get back on our feet. I'm very lucky to have a family (both on my side and Jeremy's) who loves and supports me no matter what.

Thank you everyone for your prayers, your love, and support. And since many of you have asked how you can help ----here's something: Someone get married and for tradition's sake, let me be a bridesmaid. Because it seems my lot in life is to be always the bride and never the bridesmaid. :)

When It Rains, It Pours

2009-06-03T14:10:00.005-07:00

So the saying goes.

The last few weeks have been a really rough time for me, hence my infrequent posting, and recently life has decided to open its clouds and unleash a storm upon me, the likes of which only the Andrea Gayle has seen.

Without getting into specifics, I will be taking a bit of a hiatus on my blog until the first of July - so that I can configure a new direction for mine and my daughter's lives, regain some inner strength, and face my new and different future with my head held high and hopefully some newfound courage, and faith in myself.

Life never turns out as you expect it to and I know the Lord never gives someone more trials than they can overcome. So, as I conquer the trials and tribulations that are placed before me and those that will arise in the coming months, please keep me in your prayers so that I can pull out my umbrella, put on my galoshes and weather the storm.

All is well.

-S.

I Hate Phases!

2009-05-19T15:47:00.002-07:00

So, my little dear child is now re-entering the wonderful "I don't want to go to sleep" phase again. I swear we just got over this! She sleeps through the night just fine, but getting her to GET to sleep is now a recurring nightmare! I will put her down and she will cry, and cry, and choke cry, and choke cry and CRY AND CRY and - you get the picture :) It's like a bloody murder cry where I keep thinking, Is she like dying in there?? And then, what makes it the most frustrating, is that anytime I go in there and take her out she instantly is happy and wants to play.

So, I end up listening to the choke cry for an hour and a half - including the time I spend in the backyard so I don't have to constantly hear it, or, my nerves fail me and I take her out and say do what you will. It's a good thing she's cute but this phase better pass quickly or else my sanity will be out the door.

She does like being sang to, so I've ended up singing my own little rendition of Silent Night to help her settle down. It's more of a gentle pleading on my behalf that sounds like a sweet little Lullaby:

Silent Night, quiet night
No more whines, no more cries
Go to sleep and your mom will stay sane
Please be quiet my ears are in pain
Sleep and give me some peace
Sleep and give me some peace.

So far it hasn't worked, but at least I can rhyme. :)

AAARRRGGGH!

2009-05-13T20:07:00.003-07:00

Here are my weekly annoyances: Fortunately, there are only 2 :)

1. Jon & Kate + 8 - I don't think I can read another article about this couple's obviously disinterating marriage without wanting to wring my own neck. We get it - he cheated. And obviously now, she gets it. What's even more saddening is that now that their needlessly bicker-filled lives boasts an obvious sex scandal, more people will now tune in. America at its best. At least their kids now have numerous articles and videos wonderfully chronicling every aspect of their, what is sure to be from now on, dysfunctional childhoods.

2. Miss California USA - For the love of Bo the Presidential Dog, could we get over this? I think that from now on, every pageant association should just assume that any contestant and subsequent winner will eventually have nude photos leaked somewhere. What has our society come to that nude photos have become the norm? Is every prospective pageant contestant going to be able to claim that they were "naive" and "vulnerable" during a photo shoot? How about just not take off your top. I thought that was one of the golden rules - Do unto others....and keep your clothes on. Guess I was off. So what wonderful role models our children now have to look up to. Granted I do feel bad for her that she was very obviously judged on her opinion of a sensitive subject and not on her interviewing skills, but I'm still so over this.

I Am Now Educated!

2009-05-07T21:13:00.004-07:00

I am officially graduated! My pics finally came so now I can post about the big day which was last Saturday. It was a way long day since I had to be up so early to be there by 8 and since I'm perpetually on time I ended up standing in the line for about 45 minutes. I guess I need to learn to be fashionably late.

While waiting for my individual graduation ceremony I had to laugh at just how awkward it was. It was almost like a Hogwarts ceremony. All the people getting Master's degrees had strange outfits and the teachers and faculty all had weird robes too. Some were way, way too out there and I almost felt like I was at a renaissance fair. I felt like the Elder Wand was somewhere nearby and thought that maybe I should have brought my Gryffindor scarf :)

Anyways, it was fun and it feels good to be all done. Here is my pic. It's small but you know how they don't want you copying it yourself unless you pay them an arm and a leg

Can I Take A Picture?

2009-04-28T20:07:00.003-07:00

Since I neglected to mention a MAJOR change in my life I will let it now be known - I AM NO LONGER IN THE NURSERY!! If that isn't proof that God exists I don't know what is. Okay, so it wasn't THAT bad, but I'm very excited about my new calling: Young Women Personal Progress Advisor. All the girls in my ward are way fun, friendly, and excited to be there so so far it's been a lot of fun. Since tonight was YM/YW Lindsay and I walked down to the church and we all learned from Brother Yancy in our bishopric how to take a good picture. He has taken wedding pictures for over 25 years so he taught us some great tricks to taking a great pic.

We took some pictures of the Pinewood derby that was going on and then went outside to see what flowers, plants, and people we could take pictures of. Mine, however, seemed to just come out exactly like I normally take them, regardless of any extra instruction and advice. I guess that means I'm either a naturally good photographer, or hopeless even with help. Knowning my luck, it's the latter. Oh well, we had a lot of fun and I got to know each of the girls - and now it will be nice to know some girls who can babysit!

P.S. pics of my new floor are coming - it's still a work in progress :)

My Weeks in Review

2009-04-20T20:04:00.002-07:00

Since I've been busy, and by busy I mean lazy, I've neglected to take the time to post about the uber exciting events that have happened to me. And by uber, I mean moderate.

My father in law and I took on the task of installing new wood floors in my living room, kitchen, and dining area. Alyshia had done hers a month or so ago and I was very jealous of it's easy clean up and how much better it looked than carpet. But boy was it a task! It took us a Saturday, a Tuesday, and half a Wednesday to get it done and and I wouldn't have been able to do it without his expert carpentry skills because there was a gigundo amount of cutting to be done. But it looks great and as soon as we get the baseboards put on tomorrow I will post some pictures. But it looks great! Also, thanks to Alyshia for watching Lindsay for a couple days so she didn't interfere. Linds sure likes to help, but her idea of helping is not equal to mine :)

Then last Tuesday, Lindsay and I drove up to Salt Lake to see Britney Spears lip synch live at the Energy Solutions Arena. And we almost didn't make it. Poor Tracy was nearly on her death bed, and we almost decided to sell our tickets, but she said "I AM GOING NO MATTER WHAT!" And she did, albeit painfully. We had bought our tickets early and got floors seats (our tickets said seat 234 and 235) but when we got there it was standing room only - and we're not vertically gifted if you know what I mean. And since Tracy was super sick and my back hurts after standing for long periods of time and we were quite upset that it said we had seats when we didn't we had to devise a plan involving a necessary lie in order to get our tickets changed. I made Tracy pretend she was pregnant and had preeclampsia and was under doctors orders not to stand for extended periods of time. We acted quite preturbed that we were told seats when there really were none and they exchanged them right away. I know, I know - it wasn't the truth but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Now, the concert was entertaining for sure. There were circus acts of all sorts and fireworks and smoke and crazy cool backup dancers; however, this was NOT a kids show. There was a little girl no more than 12 sitting in front of me and at times I felt like I should be covering her eyes! So if anyone asks you, "Hey do you think I should allow my teenage daughter to go to a Britney Spears concert?" I would say to you, No ma'am.. Because although she might come home with a t-shirt and a multicolored feather boa, she would also come home with a master's degree in sex education! Now, if your teenage son asks to go to a Britney Spears concert, you may have other issues to worry about :) As much as I love/am disgusted by Miss Spears and enjoy her crazy psycho escapades she is not - nor will she ever be - a role model for girls. We took pictures, but lets be honest, all you have to do is pick up the next issue of Celebrities Gone Crazy Magazine, and you wouldn't be missing a thing.

Today, I also had a cleaning company come and give my house a much needed Spring cleaning - and I'll tell you it was certainly worth what I paid for it. My house is sparkling from top to bottom and there's nothing more relaxing than watching TV while someone else cleans your house!

Anyway, that's my weeks in review and boring as it is....well that's my life. Not reality show worthy - unless someone out there is looking for show about a girl who chases a crazy child all day, screams at her dogs, and watches way too much VH1 - I'll let you know if one is ever in the works :) But chances are it would end up on E! and who really ever watches that? Sorry, Mr. Seacrest - the truth hurts.

Easter Family Fun!

2009-04-11T19:35:00.008-07:00

Today we went to my family's annual Easter Egg Barbecue. This was the first one where Lindsay was old enough to play around with her little cousins and enjoy finding some fun, hidden treats. We all get together quite often at my Aunt Gayle's house for these fun barbecues and it's always fun to catch up with the cousins and see how fast and tall all the kids are growing.

We all ate til our stomachs could take no more - I partook of one of my all-time favorite foods: a severely blackened hot dog. My Uncle Arthur always knows that's how I like 'em. Then all the little kids ran like crazy to the backyard to search for eggs and treats. Lindsay was mostly content to play with a ball instead of hunt for eggs, but with a little coaching she found some foil covered chocolate eggs. She didn't mind the foil taste apparently because they went directly into her mouth. By the end of the day she was covered in dirt, chocolate, grass, and baked beans - the dirtier you are the better time you must be having. That's my philsophy.

The barbecue ended with I think a newly made up game of what I called Easter Basket Ball. Everyone was trying to throw a ball into an Easter basket full of treats. It doesn't take much to entertain us :) Give us some food and a ball and we always have a great time!

Here are some pics of the whole fam hanging out. I know there's a lot, but hey, we had a good time!

Praise Be!

2009-04-02T18:52:00.002-07:00

I find it a bittersweet occasion that ER is now off the air. And by bittersweet, I mean BITTER because my Thursday night television is now occupied by a number a relentlessly redundant ER reruns whom are watched by way too many people, and SWEET because it is finally off the air and will now be occupied by Southland starring my freebie Ben McKenzie, formerly of the unnecessarily canceled The OC. I love my Ryan Atwood!

15 years? I mean, seriously? Was it really necessary to keep it on THAT long? I personally pride myself on never having watched a single full episode of it. I say, Good Night, and Good Riddance!

It's Been A Cold, Cold Week!

2009-03-26T15:18:00.014-07:00

Lindsay and I traversed the state from sunny St. George to winter-ridden Provo on Sunday in order to see Tracy and Darren and go to a much anticipated book signing of one of mine, and Tracy's personal favorite, author, Jodi Picoult. If you haven't read any of her books - DO SO. They're all good. All of them. Moral dilemmas + twisty endings = Good books.

It was a ridiculously cold visit my friends - cold, cold, and cold. Personally, I don't know how you Northern Utahns stand this weather :). It's swim time down south! It was so cold I nearly froze my toes off - literally - since I only brought open toes shoes for myself. Since Tracy and Darren had to work during the days Linds and I did lot of window shopping, sight seeing and playing. We went to Kangaroo Zoo in Pleasant Grove where they have about a billion inflatable jumping apparatuses for kids to play on. Lindsay only dare to crawl through the small ones and down the small slides (head first, mind you), but was honestly more interested in the machines that were keeping the inflatables up; however, she had a fun time running around screaming, stealing other kids' drinks, and pointing at nothing in particular.

Since Linds tends to wander around like a lost puppy, I resigned myself to getting her a baby leash - albeit begrudgingly. I keep my dogs on a leash, you know? But holy heavens, did she despise that thing. We went to the Dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving point and I put the little backpack on her that the leash attached to and she was okay with it as long as she didn't feel me pulling on it. One tiny yank and she immediately dropped to the floor like it was an earthquake drill and commenced screaming like a wild banshee. It wasn't annoying in the least. I'm sure the other museum patrons especially appreciated it. Lately, she has been OBSESSED with stairs and so she spent the majority of the time climbing the two steps up to this massive dinosaur scale and then back down. Up, down. Repeat. Oh, she also ran around screaming and pointing at nothing in particular :)

On Wednesday, Tracy took the day off and we went into SLC and played at the Discovery Center at the Gateway. More screaming and random pointing ensued :) It was the cutest little place though and we even saw a kid wearing suspenders - who knew they existed in that size? And who allows their kid to wear suspenders? I mean, really? Do you want your child ridiculed for the whole of his childhood simply because you're sick of pulling up his pants? Maybe buy a smaller size. But I digress.

That night we traveled the city Lewis & Clark style to find where the book signing was held (thank goodness for cell phone GPS or we might have ended up in Reno) and although Linds didn't sit still or keep quiet even though I brought 8 billion books and treats (perhaps duct tape next time?) and I wasn't able to hear much of what the author said, I did get my book signed first and learned she was also left-handed. We lefties gotta stick together. God made a few people perfect, and then he made the rest right-handed. Sorry, I don't make the rules :)

Today (Thursday) was bitter cold so we stayed inside as much as we could, but having the wildest child ever to live on earth, I had to take her out so she didn't completely destroy the hotel room. We decided to make a trip to The Quilted Bear. Now, normally I love The Quilted Bear. They have cute home decor and other fun and creative thingamajigs. On this trip, however, we found a rather odd and disturbing item for sale. And no, this isn't a joke.

Now, apart from the unknowing stars of To Catch a Predator, I was unaware that there was even a market for toddler lingerie. Sadly, I was mistaken. I can only imagine "Little Lady Lingerie's" competing products: Garter for Girls, Toddler Teddies, Baby Boustiers, etc. Now, I don't know about you guys, but I'm decidedly against toddler promiscuity. Call me crazy, but I'd rather not tell my one year old it's bedtime and now she should go "slip into something more comfortable." But I guess that's just me.

We also took a trip up to see the new Draper temple and it is quite beautiful. The houses that surround it were almost ridiculous in size. One in particular was quite extravagant - too extravagant even. I pity the fool who has to dust that bad boy. As I sat taking a picture of it, I could almost feel talking clocks, candelabras, and other come-to-life furniture staring at me through the windows - and an unbearable urge to check out the west wing. (Beauty and the Beast reference, in case you thought I was just word vomiting).

Later on, we decided to have Thursday television night at Tracy's, which turned into Thursday wild child driving us crazy night at Tracy's. My child is not unlike Animal on the Muppets. - climbing this, pulling this down, throwing toys, spilling drinks, etc. (but, in her defense, being unfailing cute all the while.) Tonight is a good example of why my child has a 7 pm bedtime. After 7 pm, my sanity is NOT guaranteed.

Tomorrow we drive home - hopefully snow encounters will be few and far between - and I will be back to wearing flips and enjoying the sun! Happy Extended-Winter to all you Northerners - give the Ice Queen my regards :)

Annoying Things

2009-03-13T19:34:00.005-07:00

1. Rihanna & Chris Brown - I can't believe how many people are shocked that she took him back. Not to be insensitive, but isn't that how abusive relationships work? Abuse, apology, reconciliation - repeat. "They Take Back Their Abusive Boyfriends!" That's not something they put in the "Stars! - They're Just Like Us" pages of Us Magazine. However, I'm sure Oprah's warning to her will mend her ways. Sarcasm intended - mostly because I can't stand Oprah.

2. The Movie Australia - I firmly believe that any and all movies should be limited to a 2 hour time limits. No exceptions. If a film cannot make it under 2 hours, well, then make it a sequel! Most of us DO have lives! (myself excluded) Australia is 2 hours and 45 minutes of dust and Hugh Jackman. And although I certainly prefer the latter, even too much of Hugh Jackman can't be a good thing. It was just way, way, way too long and not near good enough to make up for it. Less is more, people. Less is more.

3. This Bachelor Crap - Of course ABC couldn't settle for another boring season of their good old fashioned meet her 'n marry her show, so this year their Bachelor thought it would be fun to flip-flop Hillary Clinton-style and make himself look like a complete d-bag. Which probaby means he was an original d-bag to begin with - just hiding in a tailored suits. The Sutters being the exception, do people really think that they will find true and everlasting love while dating a bevy of desperate singles all while being constantly filmed? I mean, come on - really? Like really? I guess desperate times call for desperate reality shows.

4. American Idol - How many times are they going to throw in surprise changes in the show before it's not even American Idol anymore and just turns into a bunch of snarky judges making subtley homophobic jokes at a metrosexual host. Oh, well I guess that's something that hasn't changed :) I say let's just keep to the original format, no more sing-offs for your life, get rid of a fourth judge (and by 4th I mean Paula since she's off her meds and can no longer offer any more crazy, loopy, pain-pilled fueled interviews and lets be honest, it raised ratings). FOX better be careful because too much changes could mean AI ends up a karaoke contest complete with has-been stars of the 80's looking for their next big break. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID

5. Presidential State of the Union Addresses. Don't think me unpatriotic but I HATE with a PASSION when the address just happens to fill up Thursday night's television slots. That's MY TV NIGHT!! And does it have to be broadcast on every channel short of QVC and Animal Planet? I say how about Monday morning between 9 & 11. I doubt the elderly wont be mad about missing two hours of Matlock and Murder She Wrote reruns. It's not like I don't care about what the President has to say, I just care about the time he chooses to share it. I get very angry when I miss The Office and 30 Rock. You won't like me when I'm angry.

First Birthday - Part 2

2009-03-10T18:42:00.017-07:00

The only thing better than a birthday party, is A SECOND BIRTHDAY PARTY! We have a fun blow-out for my newly crowned toddler - I no longer have an infant around :( All of my family came down for the fiesta, along with my Grandma, Jeremy's Dad and Lindsay's bestest friends Gracie and Lily.

Aunt Tracy blessed us with her time and talents and made Lindsay two cakes! One was a puppy that we named "Creep Dog" after Lindsay's creepy looking dog who is also named Creep Dog. Then she also made a great purple cake complete with puppy paws on it. Can you tell my child is ridiculously in love with puppies? It's a borderline obsession :) After the candle was blown out Tracy made sure to remove the puppy's licorice mouth as the licorice was supposedly over a year old. Knowing me I probably would still have eaten it :)

In keeping with the Puppy theme, we had hot dogs for dinner (YUM!) Everyone wore their puppy party hates - albeit begrudingly - and Lindsay looked at her candle, I blew it and then everyone dug in!

Then it was pinata time! Lindsay was more obsessed with playing with the pinata than trying to hit it. Hopefully she doesn't generalize beating something that looks like a dog until treats come out because, if so, my dogs better watch their backs!

We then opened presents and Lindsay got a cute doll with a stroller, new clothes, a go fish game, new books, and a mini vacuum; however, so far, she has been obsessed with the singing puppy card that came with her gift from Gracie and Aunt Alyshia. She carries it around and continues to open and close it. As we speak she was wandering the living room with the card and a broken broomstick :)

So, now my little girls is practically a grown woman! It's been such a joy to have her. She always makes me laugh, smile, nearly curse, exhausted, frustrated, and unfathomably happy. So happy birthday to my little best friend - and don't worry, there'll be plenty of birthday's to follow

Something that makes me chuckle :)

2009-03-07T20:44:00.004-07:00

Blog comment codes: Do you ever notice how when you comment on someone's blog the little code you have type in always looks like it just might be a word - but isn't? Whenever I leave a comment I always chuckle at the random near-words that come up and try to figure out what, if they actually were words, they might mean. Here are the ones I've come across today and what I think their definitions might be, should Merriam-Webster ever decide to give them a chance.

emisses - An electronic alert notifying someone that you are mourning their absence.
"I haven't my kids in a week, so I sent them some emisses."

orgatrell - The older brother of Gargamel, the Smurfs' evil nemesis.
"Orgtrell and Gargamel sure know how to make small blue people mad."

totierni - A lesser known pasta variant.
"Oh no, not totierni again!"

mifix - An small, evil, mythical creature.
"Whatever you do, don't cross paths with a mifix."

badapes - A group of apes that participate in unsavory behavior.
"Those badapes sure give us primates a bad name."

nudwerm - A naked earthworm.
"I'm thinking of joining a nudwerm colony."

thingi - A word that is on the tip of your tongue, yet you can't quite recall it.
"Hey could you bring me that thingi over there?"

prelf - The time before an elf became an elf.
"So what did you do in your prelf days?"

Silly word games.

Happy Birthday Lindsay!

2009-03-04T13:13:00.014-07:00

Yay! Today my little one turns 1 year old! How the time flies :( Just yesterday I was cradling her tiny, little body and now she's practically a lady! Pinkies up! Just so you can see how much she has grown over the past year here is something to compare it:

At 4 weeks, this was a loose dress on her. Today, she wore it as a shirt :)

Now, birthdays are a big deal in my family so today, I sat her down and said, "Alright, kid. Here's how the birthday gig works. Today is YOUR day. We do whatever you want." I did, however, warn her that there was one stipulation: Your choice of activities cannot involve the consumption of any inedible and/or hazardous items including, but not limited to: Rabbit poop, toilet water, rocks, dog food, and nail polish remover - all items which she has tried to eat in the last few days.

So, after I gave her the birthday rundown, she received a bath so she was fresh and clean and she decided she'd like to start her day with a little naked reading. I mean, who doesn't?

She then thought it would be fun to follow the pups out in to the backyard.

Then she chose a delicious and nutritious birthday breakfast of: A bowl of Cornflakes, three swallows of Diet Coke and a Ghiardelli dark chocolate and raspberry square. Then after naptime we got ready and went to say a Happy Birthday hello to Daddy at work and Lindsay climbed every step of the grand staircase up to his office all by herself.

After that we headed to Sue's Pet Castle for some puppy browsing since there's nothing in this world that Lindsay loves more than a puppy. I figured I was less likely to bring home a $1,000 puppy from a pet store than I was a free one at the pound - their said little faces make me want to take home every one of them! Lindsay squealed at a Puggle, a Pomeranian and a Beagle and then found her puppy favorite, a little boy Pug. We named him Frank -a.k.a The Entertainer - but, sadly, we had to leave him at the store :(

We then had a nice lunch at The Egg & I where Lindsay threw toys, books, silverware, straws, sausage, apples, and french toast all over the floor. She also apparently upset a couple of ladies sitting next to us because they asked to move to a different table because, "they couldn't handle sitting next to loud, uncontrollable children - no offense." I said, "None taken. We have a problem sitting next to pretentious middle aged people with holier-than-thou attitudes. No offense." A lovely meal with lovely conversation - it all equals out :)

We then headed home for second naps and then we went for a ride in Lindsay's new buggy Squirt. We walked all the way to the Texaco to get a drink and a sucker and then on our way home it got unbelievable windy and Lindsay wanted out of Squirt and to be held. So picture me walking through the strong wind with a sticky kid on my hip while pushing a little buggy and trying to keep sucker juice and hair out of my face. (It reminds me of when we were little walking to Harts in the rain while giving piggy backs - Mel, ring a bell?)

We then had dinner and Lindsay ate her mini Barbie cake. Well, she mostly ate the frosting - but don't we all? We even got a cute video of her while we were singing Happy Birthday.

She then had another birthday bath in order to cleanse herself of the pink and blue frosting facial she gave herself, and then played with her presents in her diaper. I wish on my birthday I got to cover myself in cake and frosting and then play half naked with some toys. Ah, to be a child again!
She also will get to have a big family party on Saturday. Uncle Darren, and Aunt Tracy and Aunt Kelly are coming down to celebrate. Naturally, I chose a puppy-themed party, complete with a puppy pinata! I'll be sure to post some more party pics on Saturday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE GIRL!!!!!!

6 Degrees of Randomness.........

2009-02-27T21:42:00.002-07:00

1. Link this post to the person who tagged you: Melenie 2. Post the rules on your blog.3. List 6 random things about yourself.4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1. I air type words that I hear. I used to type so much at an old job that it resulted in this obscure, and extremely odd habit.

2. I can't stand long fingernail or toenails. I always cut mine down way too short. I am always scolded about this when I get a pedicure.

3. I have weird nicknames for people: Leggy McLeavesHerKid; Sneezy Von CoughsALot; Stinky McPoopsHisPants

4. I can't stand the following people:
Oprah
Brangelina
Rachael Ray
Miley Cyrus
The girl on the Taco Time commercials
Mario Lopez
Every judge on America's Best Dance Crew
Elisabeth Hasselbeck
The yet-to-be First Puppy
Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Anyone who says y'all

5. I started to pee the bed during a dream a couple weeks ago

6. I will not go near a Haunted House or anything like it after I was permanently traumatized as a child. It was bad enough that I'm pretty much classically conditioned to cry upon hearing the sound of a chainsaw.

I tag, Tracy, Beth, Katie, Carie, Linda, Solinda

7 Things

2009-02-27T21:14:00.002-07:00

7 things I can do...
Get baby poop on me and not care
Shower in 3 minutes
Stand on my head
Type over 100 words per minute
Watch 8 hours straight of The First 48
Name both the real and show names of all cast members of Full House
Remember exorbitant amounts of ridiculously usless information (see #6)

7 things I can't do...
Fall asleep easily
Eat just one cookie
Put laundry away
Eat mushrooms
Enjoy nursery
Drink cereal milk
Remember where I put my keys

7 things I say most...
Seriously?
No!
Quit gagging yourself!
Sit still!
What's in your mouth?
Someone needs a nap!
I'm gonna get you!

7 goals I have this year...
Get Lindsay's baby book together
Workout 5 days a week
Find a hobby
Start a Master's program
Eat less cookies
Put laundry away at a reasonable rate
Find more goals :)

7 reasons I love Jeremy...
He has the exact same sense of humor as me
One look and he knows exactly what I'm thinking
He loves VH1 reality shows just as much as I do
He tries to throw his coke cans away
He'll eat whatever I cook - even if it doesn't turn out
He doesn't care if the laundry doesn't get put away
He's my favorite

7 things I love to eat...
Cheesecake
Fruit smiles - both regular and tropical
Oreo cakesters
Cookies! - any kind, any size; although I can do some serious damage to a box of
Samoa girl scout cookies
Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting
Cheese pizza with extra cheese
Peanut butter 'n Chocolate ice cream from Baskin Robbins

Happy Birthday Aunt Tracy!

2009-02-22T19:15:00.007-07:00

Aunt Tracy came down this weekend to celebrate her 26th birthday! We had a lot of fun going to the Parade of Homes, doing a little gambling, and just hanging out. Lindsay and Aunt T had fun playing together and Lindsay could even say "T" for Aunt T - well it came out more like Deh but she's getting there. Happy Birthday Aunt T! We love you!

Tracy wanted me to point out her new necklace in the picture I took :)

Lindsay has also started saying some fun words now. She blabbers Da-Da all day long, says Mama to me with her arms stretched out, and says Nana for banana; although, it has since been generalized to anything that might resemble a treat. :) She has unfortunately developed quite a sweet tooth and so now she will chase after me or anyone who has a treat yelling, "Nana!" She also knows the difference between her puppies and looks at Baxter when we say, "Where's B?" and at Will when we say "Where's Will?" and when we tell her to go get a book she knows just what to do. What a little smartie she is!

Lindsay's hair is also now long enough for a pony tail so I was able to give her a little whale spout and she looked so adorable! If only she would keep it in for more than ten seconds!

All Grown Up!

Now for the EXTRA good news of the week: I FINALLY got my car back! We got rear ended on December 23 and I finally got it back on February 20. Two months for a rear end repair!!!!! It was ridiculous. I am so happy to have my car back and it's almost like I got a new car again. The Corolla flashbacks have now stopped and I can drive without the fear that a hubcap may come off in the middle of the road at any time.

Countdown to Lindsay's first birthday: 10 DAYS!!!!!

Just Cuz She's Cute!

2009-02-08T21:17:00.001-07:00

In case you wondered, those curlers in her hair lasted close to 6 seconds before being pulled out and submerged in water. Oh well, it was worth a try :)

I've Been Lazy

2009-02-01T18:29:00.007-07:00

It's been a bit since I updated my blog and I have to attribute it to this: Complete laziness. So, now that my monthly lazy spell is over I have lots to update. Lindsay has been walking for the past month now and is now a complete terror. She walks everywhere she is not supposed to, and now gets into even more things that she's not supposed to. Her new favorite place to play is in the toilet. She loves splashing around and it drives me nuts. Mostly, it drives me nuts that we keep forgetting to shut the bathroom door (I'd just shut the lid, but she is a problem solver and already knows how to lift up the seat).

She likes to walk around the house with treats in her hands to feed to the boys and especially enjoys playing "Pull Out All The Tupperware" and "How Much Dog Food Can I Stick In My Mouth". Seriously, why do I even buy toys? The other day I found her playing with an oven mitt and a paper plate. Anyways, now that she has reached her walking milestone I'm sad that my little infant is no longer - maybe now it's time to work on baby #2! (....We'll see)

This past week we also decided to go and visit Grandma & Grandpa Talbot down in Pahrump. Lindsay was such a good girl on the way down, she played, slept, and read her books. We stayed for a couple of days and we celebrated the Chinese New Year while at the Chinese buffet in town. Lindsay had fun playing fetch with Addy (Baxter will never bring the ball back to her) and it was nice to relax for a few days with the in-laws. Grandma & Grandpa Talbot were glad to see Lindsay and she even learned to climb the steps in their house. We'll be headed back down that way next weekend to help out since Grandpa Talbot had knee surgery and won't be able to move around much. Here are some pics of our fun visit!

Sleepy Baby!

Quite a page turner!

Lindsay & Addy

The Chinese Dragons

Watching the parade!

Lindsay & Grandma Talbot

Quite a climber!

I'm Irritated

2009-01-15T22:40:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I feel like ranting about things that drive me nuts:

1. Nursery - I love kids, they are blessings; however, sometimes other people's kids are not. I get fuming mad when parents drop of their little sweet angels with the following words: "He's in that biting stage" and then smile and head off to relief society. I also hate when people think playdough for 2 year olds is a fun idea. I know I had fun pulling it out of kid's mouths and digging it out of the carpet. How about next week we teach them to juggle knives and then encourage them to take candy from strangers, WWJD?

2. Garbage Men - Granted I am thankful for those individuals who take on the task of picking up our garbage; however is it that big of a deal if my trash cans are not the designated 3 feet apart? I mean really, are they actually measuring? Thank you garbage men for informing me of my crime to society and for leaving my trash can on my doorstep along with a kind post it note.

3. Black Toyota Corollas - I was burdened with a black Toyota Corolla for 4 years that for some reason could only keep 3 hubcaps on at a time. When finally I am rid of the blasted thing, any time since that I've had to rent a car I receive a BLACK TOYOTA COROLLA - this has happened 3 times, and coincidentally I was even given one once that came with only three hubcaps; they must have known I was coming. I am currently driving one due our being rear-ended and although I am thankful for the full set of hubcaps I am so sick of this bloody car if I never see another Corolla again it will be too soon.

4. President-elect Obama - For the love of all things good in this world, can we just get this inauguration over with? Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against him, I just feel like this election has dragged on for years and it will be my eleventy seventh birthday before people will stop remarking on this unprecedented election. I get it. It's an historical moment for our country - now let's move on! And for the record, I dont' give a tiny rat's A what kind of dog their kids get. Be it a beagle, a rottweiler, a chihuahua, or a three legged pomeranian is this really newsworthy material?

That is my rant - I feel better :)

Happy Anniversary to Me!

2009-01-08T18:46:00.010-07:00

Jeremy and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary by taking a 3 day Mexican cruise. Jeremy was in desperate need of a vacation and I was in desperate need of a night without a baby! Grandma was nice enough to watch Lindsay for the weekend and we flew from St. George to LA and then departed from Long Beach. Before the boat left we were able to stop and take a tour of the Queen Mary ship that transported thousands of troops during World War 2 and is supposedly haunted (I love ghost stories!). We also toured a Russian sub that was used during the Cold War Era. Jeremy is a huge World War 2 and Cold War buff so he was pretty much in heaven - whatever floats your boat, I guess (pun intended).

"REDRUM" (Not the same place as where The Shining was filmed - but looks like it)

The cruise was a total blast! I'd never been on one before and so it was nice to not have to worry about a thing; however, I was SO sore afterwards because the water was a bit choppy and you could feel the boat swaying subtley so I think my body was like righting itself constantly and so all my muscles were sore. At least I got a bit of a workout :) The weather wasn't the most cooperative but I didn't care in the slightest. It was just nice to have some alone time with my hubby since we haven't had that much since Lindsay has been born. It was quite cold and since I neglected to check the weather before we left I only brought clothes that sunny weather would warrant so I pretty much wore the same sweat suit I arrived in the whole time. Oh well, what do you do?

It was also fun to dress up a bit for their elegant dinner night. It's a rare occasion that I get super dressed up so it was fun to take some time to look really nice. However, I think some women on the cruise confused elegant with slutty because some of them were dressed more like strippers and showed a little more skin that anyone really wanted to see.

Ensensada was....well....Mexico. We had a fun tour up to La Bufadora which is a really cool area that has a natural blowhole so I was able to get a video of that. We also haggled some prices with the locals and I was able to get a purse, a ring, and some other souvenirs. It did make me glad to live in the United States though - recession and all.

We had a fun time playing in the casino - we even both won a little. Jeremy more than I, but I spent more of his, so I think we're even :)

I was glad to see my little girl when I got back since those were the first nights I'd spent without her but it was so nice to just relax with Jeremy for a few nights with absolutely nothing to do but have fun!

God Bless Us Everyone!

2008-12-27T20:01:00.008-07:00

Yay Christmas is here - and extra YAY that it is over! I know, I know - how Ebenezer of me but the Holiday season is just as hectic as it is fun. I feel like the excitement of the Holidays builds up and then a few days before Christmas gets here I'm like, "Ok let's get this bad boy done!" This Christmas was a lot more fun for everyone now that there's a little kid in the mix so opening presents and the whole "Santa" thing is going to be fun to start again. I remember being so excited to see what Santa brought me that we kids could barely contain ourselves until 6 am. Now everyone wants ten more minutes to sleep before they drag themselves into the living room with their blankets and half snooze while pening gifts. I guess as you get older the "Holiday Spirit" takes a little bit longer to show up in the mornings.

We started out our Christmas with our annual family part at my Aunt Gayle's house. We've done it for ages and slowly as we've all gotten older, married, and had kids there's about a billion of us there. We're like the St. George Osmonds! Tracy and I decorated Christmas Tree cakes to bring for dessert and everyone ate til they could eat no more (especially me with the Sausage chowder - It's like manna from heaven) and then played the gift exchange game (I'm sure everyone knows that game). We get really into it since there's so many people - alliances even get formed (If you steal that present from me, I'll take that from him, etc...) It's all about strategy apparently. But once that present has been taken three times, it's out - THE TRIBE HAS SPOKEN :)

We had our own little Cobb Christmas early on Thursday morning and Lindsay got to open all her presents. I'd bought her some cute Christmas jammies and she looked adorable in it. We didn't go out all on her this year since she's still so little but she got some really cute things, including a stuffed rocking horse which we named him Captain Oats. She was so excited to ride on, fell off him, and then was deathly afraid of it for two days (they have since made peace). Then we went to Grandma Seegmiller's for opening presents and had a yummy Christmas breakfast. It was nice to have everyone down again and we had a lot of fun hanging out and playing Apples to Apples (I highly recommend it). Grandma & Grandpa Talbot came over on Friday with Aunt Abi, Kadi, and Brian and we had a Christmas lunch at our house and opened presents and hung out. LJ just loved Kadi and they had a lot of fun playing together.

It was a fun Christmas but I'm glad for it to be done. I took about a billion pictures so I just made a collage of my favorite ones that I took. I hope everyone's Christmas was fun and that Santa brought everyone what they wanted! Here's to the New Year!

I can't figure out how to make this bad boy bigger without screwing up the resolution so I guess just click on it to make it larger than life ;)

Can It Really Be True?

2008-12-19T21:22:00.009-07:00

If you woke up this morning, looked out your window and saw this:

Or opened your newspaper to the following article:

It's because........................

I FINALLY GRADUATED!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a long time coming but I'm proud to say that I finally am done with school. I won't actually be able to walk until June as that is the only commencement ceremony, but this semester has been my last, thankfully, and, ironically, the most trying even though I only had 6 credits. It was so difficult to run a house, raise a kid, and go to school all at the same time. I give props to all those parents who have multiple kids and full time jobs and still manage to get through school - I don't know how they do it. I'm not ashamed to brag and say that I'm proud of myself because for those of you who know me well know that there was a time in my life (What I call when I "took five years off of life") where college and my future were the last thing on my mind. My life decisions weren't so good, my judgment was impaired, and I made a lot of mistakes which ultimately cost me a lot - and in more ways than one. So to have been able to turn my life around, find a husband who treats me well, get sealed in the temple, have a beautiful baby, and now achieve something I've always wanted I don't feel self-centered or egotistical to give myself a fairly large pat on the back :) So, now when you meet me on the street, I'll shake your hand and say, Hello I'm Shannon Cobb, college graduate.

It's a Winter Miracle!

2008-12-15T13:46:00.006-07:00

It's a snow day! Anyone who lives anywhere else in "The Greatest Snow on Earth" Utah would say, "Big deal, so what?" But for us St. Georgians, a day of snow - and snow that sticks! - is a rare occurence, and cause for a trip to the attic to pull out the mittens, scarves, and coats, not jackets, but COATS!

I put Lindsay in her cute snow outfit and we went out in the backyard for a few minutes. I would have liked to let her play in it but since she is anti-shoe and threw a tantrum when I tried to bring them near her, I wouldn't let her go play in it lest she get infant frost bite. I did, however, take some cute pictures of her on our swing in her hat, coat, mittens, and socks lol, and I made her eat a little bit - she didn't quite know what to make of it. I even taught her about snowballs, snowmen, and the do's and don't of snow consumption:

WHITE SNOW = GOOD

YELLOW SNOW = NOT SO GOOD

Maybe during next year's annual snow (as we usually only get one) she'll agree to some feet coverings and be allowed to play around in it. For now, she and her bare feet are missing out!

A Treasure Trove of Trash!

2008-12-04T18:24:00.004-07:00

Today I was watching TV and apparently wasn't paying enough attention to my troublemaker child because all of a sudden I heard something hit the floor in the kitchen. I ran in there to find Lindsay in the kitchen happily digging for treasures through the trash can. She found the tin of formula I had thrown away earlier, pulled it out and somehow used the remnants as a facial mask.

I'm sure Baxter didn't help the situation

Maybe it's a good exfoliant :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T18:26:00.023-07:00

We had a great and relaxing Thanksgiving - well, at least Lindsay and I did. Jeremy got really sick and was out of commission pretty much all weekend. He took off Wednesday and Friday in hopes that he might be able to do some much needed resting but ended up with a really bad cold and was good friends with NyQuil all weekend. He's getting better but it was no fun for him to be sick on the one long weekend he got in a long while :(

Darren, Tracy, and Kelly drove down from up north and we were all able to hang out for a few days which was really nice. It's been a while since all 5 of us have been together so it was lots of fun to just sit around, reminisce, and make fun of each other like we always do. We wouldn't be Seegmillers if we didn't make jokes about each other :) Lindsay got to see everyone together and had a blast playing with Uncle Darren, not cuddling Aunt Tracy, trying to chase after an indifferent Rudy (my parent's dog) and showing everyone what an entertaining busybody she is. She's into imitating what everyone does and her thing now is to fake cough - so all weekend everyone would fake cough and she'd do it right back.

Lindsay & Aunt Tracy

Lindsay & Aunt Kelly (All the toys in the background are compliments of Hurricane Lindsay)

Tracy had been taking some cake decorating classes up in Provo so she and I made a cake while she was down and we decorated it together. It was supposed to say "Happy Wrong Number By the Sea" (a Saved by the Bell reference) but there wasn't enough room so I just made it say "Happy Sea Day" - I know, we're nerds.

The fish I iced look a little strange!

Teacher and student!

We had Thanksgiving dinner at my parents house and then had another Thanksgiving on Friday at Jeremy's sister's house with her and his parents - an extra helping of turkey and stuffing is never a bad thing! Lindsay tried yams, stuffing, bits of turkey, and some cranberry salad which elicited her sour face - squinted eyes and puckered lips. I'm sure they all tasted better than bland old carrots or peas, though - I bet they get old real quick.

The whole family together!

Poor Lindsay was so tired at Aunt Abi's while we were waiting for the turkey to get done that she actually fell asleep in my arms - a rare occurrence - and slept for a bit.

Sleepy child!

We also went to Santa's Workshop at the Dixie Center on Saturday and Grandma bought Lindsay some cute bows for her hair. I wasn't ever into the big bows that most Moms put in little girls hair because I swear it's like they birthed a bow with a baby attached and those huge flowers make it look like the poor child has been working the mines wearing one of those flashlight hard hats! But since Lindsay's head is bigger and she's got more hair the bows looked REALLY cute. Maybe people will stop saying, "Hey Buddy" or "Big Guy" when they see her. I know it's hard to tell the difference when they're little...but come on :)

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!

It was a great weekend and a great time to remember everything that we have in our lives to be thankful for. With the economy struggling the way it is, I think we all have reason to humble ourselves and take time to recognize just how lucky we are just to have life's necessities - homes, jobs, food, clothing - many things that so many people are currently going without. I know I may gripe about my husband's late work hours but I am grateful for the job that he has that keeps a roof over our head and food on our table. I may open the pantry and complain that there isn't anything good to eat but I am grateful for the fact that I have food in there. I may wish that I had more storage room in my house but I'm thankful that I even have a house in which to store stuff :) I hope everyone took time out to give thanks for life's great blessings! Happy Thanksgiving to all! Let the holiday season begin!

Milestones and Movies!

2008-11-22T18:41:00.008-07:00

Lindsay's been trying to take some steps here and there using her little walker/scooter for the last couple weeks but just the other day she stood up and walked/stumbled across the room using it! She loves playing with it now (she was rather indifferent when first presented with it). She teeters with it, falls over it, and sometimes pushes it way to fast for her little legs to know what to do, but she sure keeps trying!

I was able to get a little video of her pushing her way across the room - looking like a wobbly baby deer.

We were also able to go and see Twilight on Saturday morning with Jeremy's company. They rented out the theater for everyone so it was a lot of fun! Santa made a surprise appearance and Lindsay was able to have her first encounter with the jolly fat guy. She was not impressed. She's not a big fan of men she doesn't know - which is probably a good thing :) - and didn't care to be held for long. He didn't bring his bag of toys, so I'd feel the same way :)

Fortunately for me, Alyshia babysat her during the movie so that I didn't have to deal with a squirming child for two hours - and apparently she napped the ENTIRE time I was gone! I don't know what it is but she can sleep for hours in strange cribs but when I lay her down at home she's refreshed and ready to go again after a half hour power nap.

Where's the toys?

Seriously though, you said there'd be toys!

I really liked Twilight - I can't say I loved it - but I thought they did a really good job. It's hard when you see the first movie of a series because at the end you still feel cheated - like you're left hanging and with something missing. I still had issues with Bella (which I guess means Kristen Stewart correctly portrayed her insecure, codependent, and uncoordinated character), but Robert Pattison was great as Edward! I liked him much better with an American accent than I did as Cedric Diggory with his normal British accent. Here are the things I liked/disliked about the movie:

Like:

The Cullen's Makeup: They still appeared human, but had a very different look that wasn't off-putting, but very appealing :)
James: I loved him as Kevin Volchok on The O.C. and I loved him in this. He's just easy on the eyes, even dirty-looking and sadistically homicidal.
The Scenery: I've always wanted to go where it rains all the time (a severe lack will do that to you, I guess) and the mountains, trees, rain, clouds made me REALLY want to go!
The S.....L.......O......W kiss: I think everyone was just on the edge of their seats during the whole minute Edward took to finally kiss Bella. I just wanted to grab their heads and push them together :) I think they'll be a shoo-in for the MTV Movie Awards BEST KISS.

Dislike:

Edward's Piano Playing: I wish they would have shown him playing more. He only played a brief bit of something that wasn't even identified as "Bella's Song". There's nothing hotter than a guy who can play the piano - so more of that would have made me happy.
Hairy Edward: If I remember correctly, in the book Edward's skin was continually referred to as "like marble" and last I checked, marble was hairless - which Edward was not. A nice wax would have done some good - or at least a turtleneck :)
Rosalie's Wig: I wanted to rip it right off. It just didn't look real at all. Maybe she should turn on QVC and invest in some HairDo extensions from Jessica Simpson's line - I hear they're on sale :)

All in all, it was a good, entertaining show that stayed true to the book. Plus I ate Milk Duds while watching so that made it even better. Milk Duds + Anything = A Good Time.

Ode to Twilight

2008-11-18T11:19:00.002-07:00

Althought I cannot say that Twilight is as good as pretty much the rest of the female population in the United States, I did change my blog background in honor of the release of the movie on Friday - which we will be viewing with Jeremy's company on Saturday as an early Christmas party.

The books definitely did get better as they went along (number 4 certainly my favorite - although certainly not made for young girls) but I think I can attribute my mild indifference to my complete and utter annoyance with Bella. I was unable to like her character enough which I think affected the books likability - at least for me :)

Here's hoping Kristin Stewart makes me want to strangle Bella less - because my goodness all I wanted to do was grab her, throttle her, and then send her off to therapy. There's nothing I know of that's less attractive than a clingy, desperate girl with next to no self-esteem - although apparently Edward must disagree.

Anyways, to all the Twilighters out there, I hope the movie is as good as we're all hoping and that Cedric Digg... I mean Robert Pattinson, does Edward Justice!

8 Things

2008-11-14T22:16:00.003-07:00

8 TV shows I like to watch:
The Office
30 Rock
Kath & Kim
Real Chance of Love
Rock of Love Charm School
Fringe
The Soup
True Life

8 Things that happened yesterday:
Jogger got a flat tire
Made beef stew - it thickened way too much and ended up more like casserole.
Ate far too many cookies
Tanned
Found a chewed shoe in the backyard. Stupid dogs
Vacuumed around toys cuz I was too lazy to put them all away
Watched Zodiac and then was paranoid that anyone knocking on my door would be a serial killer
Vowed to declutter one room of my house and then ate a cookie instead (See #3)

8 Favorite Places to Eat
Paula's
In N Out
Olive Garden
Scaldoni's
Outback
Wherever I can get a good steak
Out of the cookie jar
At my mom's house

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
Going to bed
Graduating - one month left!
Thanksgiving
Having all the siblings together for a few days
My husband taking off the day before and after Thanksgiving
Not having to teach/tolerate nursery kids on Sunday
Going on a long run in the morning (depending on how early I am forced up)
Getting a pedicure

8 Things on my Wish List:
Prescription sunglasses
A trip to Hawaii
A night to myself
Reading a book from cover to cover in one day
Cookies with no fat and no calories that cause you to lose weight with every one you eat
Neighbors moving
Love handle reduction
8 More wishes

Visiting Grandma & Grandpa Talbot

2008-11-08T09:00:00.008-07:00

Jeremy's parents are really into the Mountain Man rendezvous so the past few Novembers we have been going down to Vegas to Spring Mountain Ranch to hang out with them for the festivities. Jeremy's mom (Mountain man name: Sourdough) usually spends the entire time cooking a load of delicious food (sourdough pancakes, sourdough fry bread, chili, soup, etc.) that she sells to everyone - but this year they decided just to relax and hang out - which would probably explain why there was fewer people there - her cooking is famous 'round those parts!

LJ had a fun time meeting Dick & Doris (Jeremy's parent's good friends) and banging on the mountain man drums that were being sold. Grandma bought her a cute bonnet and she looked just like a little pioneer girl :)

Cute little Pioneer Girl!

Bangin on the drums! - Banging on stuff is her new favorite thing :)

Just havin' a good time - (Aren't her two little teeth adorable?)

Hangin' with Grandma

On another note, Lindsay has been waving for about a month or so - it's the cutest thing ever. It started out where she would put her arm out (like she was Heiling Hitler - I had to speak with her about her anti-semitism lol) but then evolved into a little hand wiggle. So now she loves to wave at everything - mom, dad, the puppies, the tv, random people, even at nothing) I finally got her to wave for the camera (it usually distracts her) so here is the cute video - it's short, but all i could get

They Grow So Fast!

2008-11-04T08:09:00.006-07:00

Today my little one is 8 months old and she has grown faster than I ever thought she would! I remember when she was first born and wishing that she would do something other than sleep. Now she's forever on the move and I wish that she would stop and take a nap for second. She used to cuddle with me for hours and now she's so independent that she only has time to pat my face or affectionately pull my hair before she's off and running again. I used to complain that she

only wanted to nurse and despised the bottle, and now I'm a little sad that she no longer finds nursing important and the bottle is her new best friend.

It's been so much fun to watch her grow and keep track of all those cute little milestones that come and go. She's my favorite little friend and I couldn't imagine life without her.

First Halloween!

2008-10-31T19:16:00.001-07:00

Lindsay celebrated her first Halloween today! I'm sure she had pretty much no idea what was going on but it sure was fun for me! We dressed her up as Little Red Riding Hood and I took some cute pictures of her and her little stuffed wolf. I think I got a total of 3 usable pictures of her (out of close to 20) because she was constantly trying to crawl away. She'd wait right until I was pushing the button and bolt for the door as fast as she could. The only way I got her to sit still was to wave a Kix above the camera. That only transfixed her for a while - until she saw the big baggie full of Kix and decided that a bagful was better than one measly one dangling in the air and she was off and running again. Can't blame her I guess ! She sure looked cute in her little outfit though! She is currently staring at a Kix :)

We had a fun Halloween morning - Lindsay hung out in her pumpkin pajamas and then she got dressed up went to Grandpa's school for their Halloween parade. Grandpa scared the bejesus out of her at first because he was wearing a hat, but after he took it off she recognized him and was content for him to hold her while they walked around the track. All his students thought she was the cutest little Riding Hood - pretty much because she was :) Cute Halloween Jammies!

Lindsay & Grandpa!

Lots of fun with Grandpa's students!

We also carved the poor little pumpkin we rescued from the Pumpkin Trash Patch at Staheli Family farm. Lindsay liked to reach her hand inside of it and touch what was left of the guts. I mean, who doesn't though, right? It was too little for any intricate carving, and I'm not much of a pumpkin artist anyway, so we just carved her initials in it. It was the perfect size for her though! We were going to go Trunk or Treating with Alyshia and Gracie but LJ had the sniffles, a runny nose, and just wasn't feeling good - plus she pretty much started to cry any time I went near her costume - she was SO SO sick of it.

It was a fun and busy Halloween and Lindsay was happy to finally just rest - although I'm sure she'd much rather have slept in something other than her dreaded costume.

She does look peaceful though :)

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!!!!

2008-10-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

I....

I am...
physically exhausted - and usually by 4 in the afternoon. I don't know how I make it to ten o'clock each evening. Purely by the grace of God I guess :)

I'd like to think...
that one day I'll get everything done in one day that I put on my to-do list. I must be too optimistic because it never ever happens. (I might have a chance if i just didn't put laundry on the list)

I've become...
obsessed with toned arms. Before LJ I had really nice toned arms. Now, I refer to my upper appendages as "mom arms." I'm not asking for Jennifer Anistons's arms - just a little less flab, you know?

I think...
Too much. It's hard to shut my brain off at night. Sometimes I name things from each letter of the alphabet so that maybe I might get tired. Afghanistan, Beirut, Canada, Denmark, etc. I know, I'm weird....

I know...
What people REALLY mean when they say something. I have a keen ability to read between the lines.

I want..
To stop watching Vh1 reality shows, I really do. But they make it so hard!! Rock of Love, I Love New York, Real Chance of Love, I Love Money.....somebody please stop the insanity!

I have...
The cutest kid. Sometimes I look at her and think how much I pity any subsequent kids because there may not be any cute genes left :)

I like...
When it rains all day. That rarely happens here in dry ol' SG. We get morning teaser showers or late-night drizzles but a day long rain is a cause for celebration!

I wish ...
My dogs would quit digging holes in the backyard. THERE'S NOTHING UNDER THERE BUT MORE DIRT!!!!!

I hate...
When people don't reach freeway speed at the end of the on ramp. And by people I mean the elderly. And by the elderly I mean those people who should have had their license revoked 4 presidents ago.

I miss...
Doing whatever I want, whenever I want. Spontaneity is a word long since gone :(

I fear...
That our next president is going to screw things up even worse for our country. And considering our two choices are both complete idiots - my fear will most likely become a reality. Maybe I should write myself in on the ballot - or SpongeBob :)

I hear...
Snoring. It must be contagious in my house. Jeremy, the pups, my congested child.

I smell....
The orange chocolate cupcakes I made with the tops that caved in and are now completely useless.

I love...
SCHADENFREUDE!!! (pronounced SHAW-den-Froyd) It's my most favorite word in the world. It means the feeling you get when someone you dislike gets their just desserts. We all know that feeling - don't deny it!

I don't always...
Wash my hair. And I don't care one bit. I could spend an hour getting ready during naptime or ponytail it and have a bit of time to myself. The ponytail wins every time :)

I win...
At Scrabble. Always. Unless I LET someone else win. I once spelled THORAX on a triple word score - please, no applause. (Note - it did not say "I Win without cheating")

I lose...
My keys at least once a day. Everyone says, "Why don't you get a big key ring to put your keys on?" Well, probably cuz I'd lose that too. I'd probably lose my keys even if I had to attach it to a garbage can lid like they do at convenient stores.

I never...
Will like olives or mushrooms. I just won't. Olives remind me of stinkbugs and mushrooms are a fungus people! I can handle them on pizzas, but when I see someone eating one or the other simply because they enjoy the taste I almost gag.

I listen...
To audiobooks while I work out. It makes it easier to concentrate on listening to a story rather than on how much I want to quit and just go eat a cookie and watch Vh1

I am scared of...
Haunted Houses. I refuse to go to them ever since I was emotionally traumatized as a child when going through one I was chased by a guy with a chainsaw - I had no idea it wasn't real! I have since been classically conditioned to immediately cry upon the sound of the chainsaw.

I read...
Anything and everything. I'm never NOT reading something.

I...tag anyone and everyone.

Logan Fun!

2008-10-25T20:30:00.001-07:00

LJ and I drove up to Logan last weekend to visit Kelly and we had a great time! I decided it would be easier to drive up in the evening that way LJ could just sleep in the car and there would be less stops along the way. She did great both up and back, except on the way back we had a major poop blow out - it was everywhere! I'm sure the people pumping gas next to me at the Texaco in Nephi were appreciative of the eyeful of messy gross poop diaper that I bestowed upon them. Oh well - I wasn't about to change her in the WT infested bathrooms!

Poop incident aside, we had lots of fun! We went to the Logan Zoo where Lindsay saw her first wallaby and even got to feed the little ducks all around. She also tried the swings for the very first time! She loved it - until she went a little too high and then she was all about getting out of it. We also drove down to Salt Lake and went to the Hogle Zoo where Lindsay participated in her first shoplifting (they start young these days). We walked out of the gift shop and somehow StickyFingers McStealsALot had managed to lift a rubber frog and hide it in her stroller - I wonder what other treasures she has illegally amassed since she's been able to reach. We also visited a really fun park by Utah State and Lindsay crawled all over the grass, played with the leaves, and even enjoyed a leaf or two in her mouth - she tried to eat a pinecone but I put my foot down and decided that she'd have enough earthen debris in her mouth for one day.

Kelly stayed at our hotel with us and unfortunately LJ was a nightmare to get to sleep or nap. Normally when I put her to bed, if she starts to cry I tell her goodnight and good luck and let her cry it out, but since I'm sure there were people in the rooms next to us I couldn't just let her scream her guts out so I had to force her to sit still in my arms until she fell asleep and then it was a cross-your-fingers game as to whether she would stay asleep when I put her in the crib. And then if she did wake up she would just stand in her crib and cry while giving us the death look so we would just lay still on the bed on pray that her vision was based on movement lol. (Update - she is still not back on her sleeping schedule since our return and currently wakes up every three hours during the night. Note to self: No more trips for a while.)

Non-sleeping and explosive pooping aside, it was a great trip and we were just glad that we got to hang out with Aunt Kelly for a while - she is one of my favorite people in the world! We already miss you Aunt Kelly!

I Like Tags

2008-10-21T21:52:00.001-07:00

Tag I'm it :
Favorite person (outside of family)?
Alyshia Miller - My BFF since high school. I would be a sad, lonely girl if she wasn't around :)

Favorite food?
I never met a cookie I didn't like :)

Quirks about you? I
can't stand misspelled words and incorrect grammar; I can't sleep with a closet open; I don't like foods that don't go together to touch in any way (i.e. cranberry sauce & turkey); I like my baths scalding hot; I can remember exoribant amounts of useless information

Any regrets in life?
None that I haven't learned from

Favorite Charity/Cause? T
he Gnome Liberation Front

Favorite Blog recently?
TheSuperficial.com - gotta love the celebrity gossip :)

Something you can’t get enough of?
Cookies! When I see a cookie, I can't forget about it!

Worst job you’ve ever had?
LearnKey - I dreaded every morning. My boss was the devil, and sometimes didn't wear a bra.

What job would you pay NOT to have?
I'd have to go with the same as Carie's - cleaning out porta potties - yuck!

If you could be a fly on the wall, where?
At the time of any infamous murder - Jon Benet, Scott Peterson, O.J. You know, to know just what really happened!

Guilty Pleasure?
Any of the VH1 reality shows - they're so stupid and pointless but it's hard not to watch

Got any confessions?
I steal bank pens.

If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it?
A long massage, a mani-pedi, a new outfit, and a nice pair of shoes.

Favorite thing about your house?
My bathtub

Least favorite thing about your house?
The neighbors

One thing you are bad at?
I always interrupt

One thing you’re good at?
Losing my keys

If you could change something about your circumstances, what?
I wish I was a little bit taller..... :)

Who would you like to meet someday? Living or dead?
My grandpa

What makes you feel sexy?
A tan

Who is your real life hero?
I don't know........but certainly not Oprah, I can't stand her.

What is the hardest part of your job?
Getting the folded laundry from the clothes basket to the closet/drawers. I can get it into the washer, into the dryer, into the basket, but putting away is something I dread.

When are you most relaxed?
In a hot, hot, bath with a good book

What stresses you out?
Unnecessary messes

What can you not live without?
My DVR. How else can I watch all my stories with the ability to skip commercials, fast forward boring parts, and pause so I can get another cookie??

Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists?
I disagree. The definition of a narcissists is someone who is overly obsessed with their image. If I was obsessed with my image, well, then my thighs would be smaller, my skin would be tanner, and I'd weigh 15 pounds less. However, If you have a blog dedicated only to the continual discussion of your looks, outside appearance, or social status, then you might be a narcissitic blogger and then it may be time to let go and let God :)

Why do you blog?
Because I think it's a fantastic way to journalize your life. I have a hard time taking the time to write things down, but I can sure type like a bat out of hell!

I tag: Tracy, Solinda, Beth

Staheli Family Farm - Two Thumbs Down!

2008-10-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

We decided it would be fun to go and have Lindsay pick a pumpkin from the patch at the Staheli Family Farm. We drove all the way out there and can I just say - WHAT A WASTE!!! It was the biggest rip off ever! We had to pay $4 each just to get in the fly infested place and then we were escorted by someone who can only be described as as something straight out of "The Hills Have Eyes" over to what they called their pumpkin patch. What follows is exactly what we were expected to sort through in order to find a pumpkin:

I mean, seriously??? Is this a pumpkin patch? I call it pumpkin trash - and a complete waste of $10 - the pumpkin we found cost us an additional $2. We did find a little pumpkin, however - pretty much the only one there that wasn't mutated, molded, unripe, smashed, or rotten.

I'm sorry to those of you who love the farm - maybe it has seen better days. But I would not recommend it for a night of family fun. That is my rant for the day - I feel better but I'm still out $10.

Today

2008-10-08T20:46:00.001-07:00

Today....................

I went to sleep on the couch AT 5 A.M. because Jeremy was snoring like crazy. I wonder what would happen if i shoved a sock in his mouth :) He may die from stocking asphyxiation but at least I'll get a peaceful night's sleep!

LJ and I went to the rec center and watched the elderly play basketball (It's the senior games) - granny shots and all! Then we ran 2 miles on the indoor track while watching the lady Alyshia and I usually see run around the track while leaving her sleeping baby in his stroller against the wall. (We call her Leggy McLeavesHerKid)

We had Mommy & Me swim class! Lj loved to sit on the edge of the pool and lunge off to me. She laughed hysterically! We played Duck, Duck, Goose and Ring around the Rosies and LJ didn't choke one time when she went under the water! She also did great kicks when trying to swim to her toy!

I finished some pointless and monotonous homework (every day is closer to being done!) and did my best not to make up answers instead of actually doing the work. It's hard cuz sometimes my ability to B.S. far surpasses my knowledge on whatever subject I'm studying.

I played with LJ in the backyard until water seeped up through our supposedly waterproof picnic blanket and made me look like i peed my pants. Sadly, I got over it and didn't even bother to change.

I Watched Gracie for Alyshia and Chad because they had a temple prep class! Yea! Soon their loads of white laundry will quadruple!!!!! Gracie and I played hide and seek and then she had a fun bath and we read two stories twice each and then waited out on the swing for them to come home

I Bought a Hot-N-Ready pizza (Gross, but convenient) and watched The Happening with my husband - My Review: Movie was lame but Mark Wahlberg kept my attention :) It's hard not to watch when he's so easy on the eyes.

And here's a picture of my babe just for fun - You know, cuz she's just too cute! (Doesn't she look just like her Daddy here?!)

Lindsay on the Move!

2008-09-26T14:37:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I completely forgot to mention that my child now crawls and pulls herself up on everything. She's been crawling for about three weeks now - she was trying her hardest to move and then one day she said, "Oh, I think maybe I'll crawl today." So now, she's is all over the place. She pulls herself up to sort through her toys and will crawl any distance if it involves her being able to reach a dirty flip flop to chew on - Gross!

Her new favorite thing is to rip up magazines. She pulls them down and rips to her heart's content. I just have to be careful because on more than one occasion she's upchucked some paper :).

She likes to follow anywhere the pups go so I'm just waiting for her to try and go out into the backyard through the dog door :)

I Love Tags!

2008-09-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

4 random things about my husband

He drinks Diet Coke like water
He has a toe with no nail
He is an amazing cook
He always helps people at the store get products off the top shelf :)

4 movies that I would/could watch more than once
Pride and Prejudice
The Spongebob Movie
Can't Hardly Wait

4 places that I have been:
New Zealand
Amsterdam
Fiji
Cancun

4 people who email me regularly:
No one really lol I mostly text and I dont' know anyone who lives far away that would require an email

4 favorite foods:
Cookies
Fruit Snacks
Lasagna
Brussel Sprouts

4 places I would like to visit:
Australia
Seattle
Ireland
Bahamas

4 things I am looking forward to in the coming year:
Being done with school
Not having anymore school
Graduating from school
Oh, and no more school

4 people I have tagged:

Tracy
Melenie
Brittany
Janese

A Much Cooler Weekend!

2008-09-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

We went to Salt Lake for a long weekend and had a blast! Jeremy needed to meet with some clients so LJ and I went with him for a little shopping and hanging out with the family. The weather was great and I even needed a jacket - something we St. Georgians keep in the attic for "special occasions"

LJ and I hung out at IKEA for a while while Jeremy worked one day and she began to fall asleep in the shopping cart (I told her maybe if you nap when you should this wouldn't happen lol) and so I went to pick her up and she was covered in poop! So I couldn't carry her through the store so I just hurried through it, manuvering past gawking shoppers and occasionally sliding into displays, while she slept with her head in my hand. Thankfully we made it to the restroom (and double thankfully I brought an extra outfit with me) and poop was everywhere! I swear she holds it in specifically let loose her poopstorms in public locations.

Poop currently in progress!

Then we decided to go to the zoo on Saturday. Tracy, Jeremy, LJ, and I had so much fun reminiscing about when went to the zoo as kids. We even let LJ drink from the Lion fountain that we all remember loving when we came many many many many years ago! LJ loved, loved, loved, the animals but especially the ones that were close to the fence, moving around, or walking around the park (like the peacocks and turkeys). She screeched and laughed and it was the cutest thing ever!

Kelly came down from Logan on Saturday afternoon and we sisters all drove to Ogden to watch Carson and DSC play Weber State (they didn't fare to well - but isn't it sportsmanship what really counts lol?). Poor Carson took a really hard hit in the third quarter and received a fairly nice concussion. He walked off the field but says he doesn't remember doing it. But I got some really nice pictures of him playing and we even saw our cousin Patrick's long lost twin. I wanted to ask him for a pic but that would probably have weirded him out! All in all it was a great night!

Patrick's long lost twin in the yellow!

The drive home wasn't so bad except that we went from 75 degress to just under 100 when we got home. I then decided that I want to start my own pseudoholiday (cuz let's be honest, Groundhoug Day, Arbor Day, Columbus Day, really? Sounds less like a holiday and more like just another excuse for the bank to be closed) and it will be the opposite of Groundhog day - if some random animal that I have yet to think up comes outside his earthly abode and is scorched to death by the evil sun rays of St. George, then there's be six more weeks of summer. Who's with me?

Go Team!

2008-08-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

We went to Carson's first football game of the season on Saturday! It was so stormy and windy until about 6 o'clock and then the weather just cleared right up and it was perfect weather for a football game. Lindsay had a great time! I got her a little DSC cheerleader outfit and she loved screaming like everyone else when the team did something good!

I got some really good pictures of Carson while he was playing - Go 86!!!! (I'm still so used to him being #4 so I kept confusing him with someone else on his team).

Hopefully the good weather keeps up so that it will be nice and cool for next Saturday's game.

Someone's Growing Up!

2008-08-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

I set my little girl in her crib the other day and she was able to to stand in it holding on to the rail. Just yesterday I had to cradle her little head and now she's a little independent girl. It's bittersweet!

We went to the park on Friday and just enjoyed the day! It wasn't as hot as it normally is - hence our willingness to venture outdoors- and we played with the pups and Lindsay grabbed and tried to eat the grass :) A tasty treat I'm sure! I can't wait until it gets cooler and we can be outside more!

The Vegas!

2008-08-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

Tracy came down for the weekend so we thought it would be fun for me, her, and Kelly to go down to Vegas for some shopping before she went home and Kelly moved back up to Logan. I forget, though, how much I truly hate Vegas - especially in the day - and DOUBLE especially in the middle of summer. We did find some good deals though, which is always a plus.

We were gone pretty much the whole day so Lindsay hadn't seen Baxter or Willie for quite a while. I was holding her while I was getting her bath ready and the boys came in and she went hysterical. She laughed louder than I ever heard her laugh before. She laughed so hard she scared Will and he started barking at her :) I got a cute video of her on my cell phone showing just how much she really loves her puppies.

On a sad note, we already miss Aunt Kelly :( We hope she's already having fun up north!

Contests, Cousins, and a Little Bit of Orange Juice

2008-08-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy weekend! I entered Lindsay into the cute baby contest at the fair and they called me and told me that she was a finalist! We brought her to the fair on Saturday to show her off on the stage and then the Washington County princesses judged each group. She didn't win, unfortunately (although we all know she was robbed!) but we had a lot of fun dressing her up and showing just how cute she really is. Grandma and Grandpa came to see her and she even tried a pina colada snow cone!

After the contest Lindsay and I drove up to Delta to meet Daddy to go to the Talbot family reunion. Lindsay was able to see her cousin Gracie Lee Talbot, Aunt Laura, Uncle Tony, and Grandma & Grandpa Talbot. Gracie and Lindsay had lots of fun playing with Gracie's toys and getting to know each other. It was so fun to watch them play together. It will be nice for them to grow up with cousins so close in age!

We also had a fun breakfast where Lindsay got to get her first taste of Orange juice. We got a cute video of her trying to adjust to the new flavor - it's really cute! All in all, it was a busy but very fun weekend!

Family Pics!

2008-08-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

We just got some more family pictures done by FunnyFace Photography and they did a phenomen al job! My little girl looked like a model! And her blue eyes were so bright! Even I looked good, and I'm usually not that photogenic! Here are a few pics (there were over 150) - but feel free to view our gallery at

http://funnyfacephoto.smugmug.com/gallery/5589726_Xdc9h#342905658_Vf5UA
Password - shannon

I Love My Pups

2008-07-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

So I was going through all my pictures - and believe me, I have a billion - and I started laughing at all the cute and funny pictures I have of my crazy, wacky, nutty, annoying, irritating, lovable, can't-live-without 'em puppies - Baxter & Willie. So I thought I would give you all a picture showcase of my silly pups and their crazy personalities!

My Independent Girl!

2008-07-07T09:31:00.001-07:00

My little lass got started on some rice cereal recently! I'm hoping it will help her to sleep through the night - so far, no go :( She REALLY loves it though. She tries to get every last morsel off of the spoon and even tries to grab it and feed herself! She's just getting so big I can't believe how small she was when she was born compared to her chubbiness now! She's probably about 16 pounds now. I'm thinking I must be producing whole-milk with my mammaries!

She sure loves her puppies too! She loves to let Baxter lick her hands and toes and laughs when he licks her face. She loves Will most though (probably because Will actually sits still for her to pet). She grabs his ears and collar and pets his back! She a pup lover already!

And she loves to be strolled around the house (she's a heavy girl - and my back is not happy about it). She just relaxes and kicks her feet up on the foot rest and plays with her toys - one day she will learn that throwing them on the floor for the pups to play with will only help them end up chewed in the backyard faster :)

We're heading to the Payson Scottish Festival this weekend for a little R&R. Jeremy's been working non-stop on a project and will finally be done with it so he deserves a little relaxation. Hopefully we'll get to stop in Delta and see LJ's little cousin Gracie Lee and maybe hit up the zoo in SLC!

(Countdown to summer semester ending - 1 Month; It has been killer! So much work in so little time - I barely have time to breathe)

Tag #2

2008-06-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

Joys:
My wee lass
My husband
My family
My air conditioner - The St. George summer is upon us :)

3 Fears
Drowning
Something happening to my wee lass
That my mammaries will forever be the size of small countries

3 Goals:
Finish school
Be able to see my ab muscles - Not just know they're there under my skin :(
Get my child to nap without being nursed or forced

Current Obsessions/Collections
P90X - It's a killer but I love it!
Cookies
I can't think of anything else

3 Random Surprising Facts About Yourself:
I can name all the stars of Full House - both their show names and real names (this is sad
and not really something to brag about)
It takes me at least 2 hours to fall asleep at night - even if I'm dead tired
I hate the Jonas Brothers

I Also Do NOT Miss High School!

2008-06-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took so long for me to complete my tag :) Sometimes my days end just as the next one beings and I dont' have time to even take a breath!

If you could go back and tell your teenage self one thing, what would it be?
Don't marry the first guy who comes along - it won't end well.

Did you do any extra curricular activities in high school? Spanish club president :)

What did you do with your free time? I mostly worked at RadioShack to save for summer trips to New York and Cancun. "You've got questions, we've got answers!"

What was the craziest thing you did in high school? Ditched a lot - enough to warrant excessive amounts of restitution - Am I the only one who thought restitution was the stupidest thing on the face of this earth?

Did you have a boyfriend in high school? Kenny in senior year. Post-break up he was known as pajaro grande...(big bird) due to his large yellow jacket that he constantly wore.

Songs that come to mind? Time of My Life - Green Day; Today is the Greatest - Smashing Pumpkins; Macarana (unfortunately)

If you could change one thing, what would it be? I would have graduated as soon as possible and gone to away to college - somewhere back east

What did you want to be when you grew up? Psychiatrist

Picture of self... ..............right................

I tag Brittany, Carie, Solinda

Silly Squirrels!

2008-06-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

Alyshia and I decided to hike Angel's Landing last week - my thigh muscles were not appreciative afterwards :) We left really early so we were the only one on the trail and I won't lie, we were a bit freaked out for a while. But once we got to the top a lot more people came up so we felt a little better. But some cute little squirrels hung out with us while we rested at the top. We figure they must be used to seeing people all the time because they came and ate little pieces of food right out of our hands - please be aware that if we were caught feeding them we would have been fined $100 - but it's not like we were giving them a Zone bar or anything, just little bits of dried apple and cranberry. I'm sure it's a welcome relief from dead insects and random bits of plants here and there!

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

2008-05-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my favorite guy in the world! I love you!

Lots of fun up north!

2008-05-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

We went up to Provo last weekend to get away and see family and we sure had a lot of fun! LJ was so good on the way up just playing, talking, and sleeping in her car seat. We were able to go to Clark Planetarium and look around and LJ and her daddy got their picture taken on Mars!

LJ also got to meet two of her cousins: Little Gracie Lee Talbot in Delta and Ethan Cobb in Draper. Little Gracie is just two weeks old and it was crazy to see how big LJ is now. I remembered when she was that little and it was only two months ago :) My, how they grow.

We took some cute pics of LJ just chilling in the hotel bedroom. She loves nothing more than to sit around in her diaper. Her hair was all crazy and she resembled a Who from Whoville ;)

On a more frustrating note, now that LJ has been nursing for about a month she has developed an intense dislike for the bottle. She'll cry and cry and cry and cry..........etc until she finally gets what she really wants. So this makes it hard for me to go anywhere, or leave her with anyone for more than a couple hours because she'll scream bloody murder for the mammary juice.

So ----- if any mothers out there have any good advice, please let me know!

Blessings & Races!

2008-05-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

LJ got blessed today! It was a great day! My Mom had kept the little dress I was blessed in and so she was able to get blessed in that - it was so cute! We had lots of family there and Jeremy did such a great job - he gave a very good blessing! She's just getting so big so fast - I can't believe she's already almost 9 weeks. Maybe it's time for another one :) (My uterus says - Not if I have a say in it!)

I also ran the Hurricane 5K on Saturday and I beat my Coral Canyon Run by a whole 9 minutes! And the course was half uphill so I'm quite proud of myself. It will be nice when I can get up to the 10K's. Baby steps, baby steps! I'm getting back into shape though, which is good - I gotta drop this jiggle belly that hangs around like an uninvited guest!

Alyshia ran the half marathon - she was committed! She finished in 2 hrs 3 minutes which was excellent!

Fun Family Pics!

2008-04-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

We got our pictures back that we got taken a few weeks ago and they look great. Although please be aware that I may appear larger in the picture than I currently am now - excluding my mammaries. Those are, in fact, still that large.

<---- I have since lost weight

<----- My favorite pic

<---- Flowers can be very distressing!

Super Sunday!

2008-04-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

L.J went to our ward for the first time yesterday and she was by far the cutest girl there! And by far the biggest! I had to take her out of sacrament meeting to feed her and I was talking to a girl whose baby was born in January and now weighed ten pounds and I said , "Wow, my babe is huge because she already weighs twelve pounds and is only 7 weeks!" I guess a little breastmilk does a body good!

She was super reverent too! She sat nice and quiet through Sunday School and Relief Society; however, she kept farting ridiculously loud during the relief society lesson. Everyone kept trying not to laugh but she was so gassy it was hard not to! I just hope no one thought it was me :)

Yay for Running!

2008-04-12T15:08:00.001-07:00

I ran my 5K today and it was harder than I thought it would be! Since I'm still carrying 20 pounds that I used to not have, and since I haven't really ran in about 8 months, my time was quite horrible compared to the other races I've done. Oh well, I'm very proud of myself considering I just had a kid 6 weeks ago! I'm still debating whether or not I want to attempt the mini triathlon next Saturday. I'm signed up - but we'll see how it goes. Last year during the biking portion I was almost passed by a guy in a wheelchair bike - and I was in really good shape! I can only imagine who might pass me this year :)

Are you F'ing Kidding?

2008-04-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

SERIOUSLY????????????????

How on God's green earth could my dear friend Michael Johns be sent home while the Sanjaya of this season (a.k.a. Kristy Lee Cook) is allowed to stay one more week to ruin another good song with her country-style warbling while wearing gold sequin tank-tops? The World Will Never Know!!! Let us all take a moment of silence to remember his dreamy Aussie accent and his ability to make a Queen song sound good!

2008-04-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

T - I loved your last post so I'm copying it :)

I AM................

EXCITED to run a 5K this weekend! I've really missed being able to run!

TIRED of dressing my child only to have her spit up all over her clothes three seconds later.

RELIEVED that this morning my dog scratched at the door to go to the bathroom instead of being lazy and peeing in front of the door and then going back to sleep. (I assume HE is relieved as well - pun intended)

ANTICIPATING Thursday night television tonight. I have set to record Earl, 30 Rock, The Office, and Scrubs - I will not be answering calls during this time so don't even try it :)

WONDERING why my white trash neighbor's kids feel the need to jump on their trampoline at 10:30 pm while repeatedly dropping the F bomb cuz they think it makes them sound cool.

MISSING fitting into my old jeans. :( In time, in time.

HOPING that someone beats Spencer Pratt with a steel bat. He is by far the biggest D-bag I've ever seen.

DEBATING whether or not to take a nap. Any time I try, someone feels the need to wake up and scream for food. Naps jinx my alone time :(

CRAVING some chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and a big glass of milk. MMMMM!

WISHING that my dogs would quit stealing Lindsay's gas medicine off the coffee table and taking it out in the backyard and eating it. (Maybe I'm actually wishing I would remember not to leave it on the coffee table)

THANKFUL for my mother. I have the best mom in the whole world!

ATTEMPTING to go jogging every morning with Lj and my pups. I wouldn't be so winded if I wasn't carrying an extra 20 pounds and pushing a 15 pound jogger and a 10 pound kid while keeping two crazy nutjob dogs in line

I Miss My Sleep

2008-04-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

My child always looks so peaceful when she sleeps! I never look that peaceful! I'm sure if someone were to take a nice picture of me sleeping it would probably end up on YouTube and I would forever be remembered as the matted hair woman with drool down her chin and all over her pillow :)

I sure miss being able to sleep all night long though. Even though when you add up the hours I DO get to sleep at night it's a normal amount, it's not consecutive hours and so by the the end of the day I can barely keep my eyes open. I won't lie though, it's better than the restless leg and endless noctural urination I experienced while being pregnant :)

I also found it very appreciative that my stretch marks decided to wait until AFTER delivery to appear. I was like "I'm so lucky I didn't get ANY stretch marks!" and then one week after she was born I wake up one morning and there they are! At least it's only a few and they seem to be getting better. But when I think of how bad some people get them (see pic below - which is NOT me), I feel much better!

My Smiley Girl!

2008-04-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

My little girl is sure smiley! Maybe it's gas but sometimes she looks right at me and gives me a huge grin. It's cute! What's not cute is how the last couple of days she has found it important to stay up until 2 o'clock in the morning insisting on being held and crying anytime she is put down. Oh well, what do you do - when she finally does get to sleep she makes up for it all by looking so cute and peaceful.

I Like Tag Too :(

2008-03-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

Since I've yet to be tagged with one of the cute little blogtags I've seen all over I've decided that I will just tag myself. I liken it to sending yourself flowers on Valentine's Day because everyone else got them and you don't want to feel left out or rejected :) (Although for the record, I have never sent myself flowers - just in case anyone wondered)

GETTING TO KNOW ME, A - Z
A - Attached or Single: Attached
B - Best Friend: Alyshia Miller
C - Cake or Pie: Cake -- preferably chocolate with chocolate frosting (and a big glass of milk)
D - Day of choice: Friday night
E - Essential Item: A great pair of shoes
F - Favorite Color: Purple
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: Bears for sure!
H - Hometown: St. George, UT
I - Indulgence(s): Shoes, Gossip magazines, Scalding hot baths, Flavor of Love (it's sad, I know
but we can't stop watching it)
J - January or July: January -- July in St. George is killer
K - Kids: Lindsay Jo
L - Life is incomplete without: My Family, Shoes, Full House Reruns
M - Marriage Date: January 2, 2006
N - Number of Siblings: 4 (2 brothers, 2 sisters)
O - Oranges or Apples: Apples -- I only like green ones though
P - Phobias or Fears: Drowning
Q - Quotes: Live your life so that when someone says be yourself, it's good advice :)
R - Reason to smile: I don't have too much baby weight left to lose and soon I can start
exercising again!
S - Season: Fall --- when the weather is crisp and it smells like burnt leaves
T - Tag 3 Friends - Tracy, Brittany, Carie
U - Unknown fact about me: I watch the National Spelling Bee every year! (Contrary to popular
belief it is uber-suspenseful)
V - Very favorite Store: Wherever the shoes are good and plentiful!
W - Worst habit: Interrupting
X - X-ray or Ultrasound: Ultrasound
Y - Your favorite food: lasagna, cereal, ice cream, strawberries, any kind of cookie
Z - Zodiac: Aquarius

Post Update - As I finished this self-tagged post I checked my sister's blog only to find out that she tagged me with this exact little blogtag. What are the odds? (Thanks T - Now I don't feel left out)

I Truly Am a Mother :)

2008-03-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

I just received my first projectile pooping today. I am officially a mother. My little darling daughter found it appropriate to wait until we were directly in the line of fire while changing her to let loose the fury of her bowels. I got a straight shot directly in the center of my shirt and all down my pants. It got all over the floor (thank heavens I have a mini carpet shampooer), and on Aunt Kelly. Aunt Tracy luckily was on the other side of the room and was spared what we were gifted (probably because she was the first recipient of a projectile spit-up - LJ saw it fit to spare her this time).

I'm sure LJ will be reminded of this day long into her adult years ("Remember that time you projectile pooped all over your mother?") and I'm pretty sure it won't be the only projectile present I'll receive. Oh well, I love her just the same - poop, spit-up, and all :)

Day 12!

2008-03-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well I've kept my child alive for 12 days so I figure I'm doing something right. However, I'm always afraid I overfeed her. Once I had a pet fire newt name Phil and I swore his food said I should feed him 3 times a day, so I did - turns out it was 3 times a week :( Needless to say, thanks to me, and my inability to read instructions efficiently, poor Phil the Fire Newt didn't last very long (may he rest in peace). So, hopefully I don't wake up to find my child floating at the top of her crib due to an excess of nutrients.

We were able to get out and go to a movie last night though - Grandma more than willingly babysat . It was nice to get out of the house - I was getting cabin fever bad! It's crazy how long it takes to leave my house now. I can't just up and go but I guess I better get used to it :)

Hopefully soon I can start exercising again - I signed up for a mini triathlon in the middle of April but thanks to the c-section I doubt I'll be able to do it - oh well, what do you do. I've already lost half of what I gained being pregnant though but I want to get the rest off as quickly as possible. I'm sick of not being able to fit into any of my clothes - even the ones that were too big before I got pregnant :( And hopefully my incision fully heals soon - it's still really sensitive - so I can wear some jeans or something. I'm sick of wearing pajama pants but anything that puts any pressure on my incision is not appreciated.

Here are some more pics of my wee lass. I just can't stop taking pictures of her - she's too cute!

Welcome Home LJ!

2008-03-09T21:25:00.001-07:00

Little LJ got to come home on Friday! The doctors wanted her to stay an extra day because she had some jaundice and thank goodness it cleared up because she looked so upset under the photo lights the doctors wanted her to stay under. She was quite the big baby when she was born (8lbs 14oz) but at two days old she was only 8lbs 2oz. She was just so swollen from the delivery that she weighed a lot more but even still she was much bigger than all the other babies in the nursery. She's gonna be a tall girl (definitely not her mother's genes) and she's nice and chubby and healthy. Everyone is just so in love with her -- she's such a pretty baby (I'm slightly biased - but it's true) and she makes such cute faces and noises and all her family just loves to stare at her. She has had a lot of trouble nursing though. I just can't get her to latch on and STAY on. She's able to suck but she just won't stay where she needs to to get any milk. So, we're pumping (a rather monotonous process) and still trying to get her to latch on. Hopefully at her first doctor's appointment next week her pediatrician can give me some tips. LJ also got to meet her Aunt Tracy and Uncle Darren this weekend, and Aunt Tracy was very good at getting her to settle down if she was fussy. Grandma Seegmiller has been helping with her at our house and she has been our savior. I would be beyond exhausted if she wasn't there to make sure I rest and drink and take it easy. Other than the nursing and the fact that she sleeps during the day and is wide awake at night, baby Lindsay is a gem of a baby. She likes her crib (she sleeps just fine all by herself) but mostly she likes snuggling and snoozing with her daddy and mommy.

More pics to come!

Finally!

2008-03-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well after my doctor's appointment on Monday I started having contractions that continually lasted all day long. I called my doctor's office around 3 and told them that I'd been having contractions 5 minutes apart for the past 5 hours so they told me to head over to labor and delivery. Once we got there they saw I was dilated to a four and decided to admit me then they gave me my epidural (I don't understand how women DON'T get the meds) and we just waited to dilate more.

Well - I dilated just about a centimeter and hour so around 12:30 a.m. I was 9 cm; however, for the following 4 hours I just would NOT dilate any more. Some little piece of cervix was hanging around there that wouldn't let me dilate any farther. I was getting quite frustrated, not to mention beyond exhausted and finally at around 5:30 I reached a 10 and I was finally able to get to the pushing point.

I pushed for 3 hours straight but she was just way too big be able to make her way all the way out. We pushed from EVERY angle and her head and all her hair was visible but she just couldn't get all they way down because the doctor thought her shoulders might be stuck. So at 8:30 a.m. I just could NOT push any more. I was literally falling asleep between contractions I was so exhausted and then waking up to push again once another one came on. The doctor said she looked like she was just too big -- none of us had predicted she would be as big as she was -- and especially too big for the size of my body.

I was nearly dead with exhaustion when they wheeled me into the OR for a C-section. They draped me and then proceeded to pull her out. Again, they did not realize how big she was for my body and they literally were pushing on every area of my upper body to get her out. Eventually they had to use a vacuum on her head and she finally made her appearance! She was 8lb 13 ounces (ironically the same weight as me when I was born) and was so swollen from being in the birth canal for so long and then being vacuumed out.

Her swelling has since gone down (no luck for mom though - she is beyond swollen all over) and she is the most beautiful baby! She only cries when she needs something and already loves the boys. She loves to just be held by them so she can just stare at them with her blue eyes.

We should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow as I am healing much quicker than they thought. My belly hurts from my incision and my lower parts are still tender (I have the pains of a woman who delivered vaginally AND a woman who had a C-Section) but I'm able to walk around and only really have pain if I move wrong. So----we've made a cute slide show of pictures of our beautiful baby girl. She took a long time getting here (17 long hours), but we already can't imagine life without her.

No Luck :(

2008-03-03T08:41:00.001-07:00

My doctor must hate me ---- no child will be born today unless she decides to come on her own accord. But at least I'm dilated to a 3 and having a lot of contractions (just never regular and they seem to stop any time I try to time them). Oh well -- he said he will expect me to deliver in the next couple of days but that's probably what's said to every woman who's overdue in order to pacify them so that they don't accidentally (or purposefully) kill someone. We'll see what happens :)

Friday at the latest!

Cross Your Fingers!

2008-03-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow just may be the day! I have my appointment at 8 a.m. and since I'll be two days overdue I hope my doctor will just induce me then. If would if I was him -- I'm not a happy camper :( I will die of a combination of hugeness, sleep deprivation, and acute back pain if I have to wait any longer. However, my feet swelling reduced just enough for me to fit into some nice shoes I've been waiting to wear - so that makes me feel a little better. I've been living in flips for the last 2 months because the size of my feet and ankles are comparable to that of a gestating elephant. It is one thing I can't wait to go back to normal!

So pray for me that my doctor will take pity on me and hopefully by this time tomorrow we will be in the birthing process!

Will It Ever End?

2008-02-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

My little child needs to get with the program here! I'm still only dilated to a 2 - I think she's got TiVo in there or something and is just watching reruns of Iron Chef and laughing at me as I strain to do pretty much anything. She better hurry up or else she will be immediately grounded upon exiting the womb. At least chances are she won't be a leap year baby. Let's be honest, no one wants a real birthday only every four years.

Hopefully at my appointment on Monday I will have progressed some (I won't hold my breath though) and maybe if I threaten to stomp on someone with my swollen ogre-sized feet, they just might induce me out of fear of being mauled by a cranky pregnant woman who hasn't slept in 5 days. I'd say the odds are in my favor :)

I think this cartoon sums up how I feel today:

Oh Blogging

2008-02-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have decided to make my way into the blogosphere. Since we have our new baby coming any day (unless she decides to live her life uterine-bound), it will be nice for friends and relatives who don't live near us to be able to keep up on our uber-exciting lives :)

So a little about us: Jeremy and I have been married for just over 2 years. We bought a nice little house out in Coral Canyon in May and it's been nice to have a bigger place with a decent sized yard for our pups to play in (although they are the laziest dogs I've ever known and would rather sleep all day inside than venture outdoors). Jeremy opened his own internet marketing company here in St. George in 2004 which has been extremely successful - he has 70 employees and three offices - and i'm currently taking a semester off of school to take care of LJ (Lindsay Jo) when, and if, she decides to make her long-awaited appearance. We've been very lucky to be able to do some traveling before our parental lives begin - we visited New Zealand last Christmas and Amsterdam in last September - and Jeremy paid a quick visit to the Philippines as well. Hopefully our traveling days aren't completely over yet :)

Baxter & Willie - Laziest Dogs on the Planet

Lindsay Jo - Could you get here already?