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:

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 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.

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 :)

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.

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!

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!