My AWESOME wife has turned the big 30!!!!!!

Believe it or not, this is my first post on our family blog, I know, I'm lame. It took me awhile to just figure out how to post, but hear I am. I just wanted to recognize Shanda's birthday and give her 30 reasons why I love her.

1. Lets just get this one out of the way... She is HOT!!!!!!!!!!
2. She is a awesome cook
3. The best mother in the world (sorry other moms, but it is true, live with it)
4. Wonderful, caring wife
5. great tennis player (she can whip me)
6. always thinks about others before herself
7. always fulfills her church callings above and beyond
8. wonderful testimony
9. very smart (if anything ever happen to me, she could support our family day one)
10. loves me for who I am (i have some issues)
11. makes me laugh
12. incredibly thoughtful
13. supports my byu football addiction
14. she is very outgoing
15. can talk to complete strangers (that might sound weird, but it is a good quality, trust me)
16. great example for my girls ( i want my girls to be just like her)
17. calls to check on me at work (i love that)
18. looks great in a bathing suit (i know that is similar to #1, but it has to be said)
19. works hard
20. she always smells good
21. never had a cavity
22. she makes me want to be a better person
23. good speller
24. always has dinner ready for me when I get home
25. laughs at my stupid jokes
26. always interested in what I think about her hair
27. always remembers the little things that make me happy
28. makes me look good (she does this in a lot of ways)
29. always knows what I am thinking
30. She is my best friend

I love you Shanda, Happy Birthday

Larry

30 Things TO DO before I turn 30...

About six months ago, I sat down and wrote out a list of 30 things that I wanted to do before I turned 30. My time is winding down and I am still working on my list, but I am pretty happy with my progess. (deadlines help...and I couldn't procrastinate my birthday!)

My list included things of all types...silly, serious, spiritual, goal oriented, personal, and just things that I wanted to do to say that I did.

There were things I wanted to try...including rock climbing, ice skating, and snorkeling. I took a spontaneous trip, I started learning Memorized the articles of faith (go ahead...test me!), I started writing a personal history, got all the closets in the house organized (that was quite the task!!), I tried dying my hair darker (because I have always been blonde), I grew veggies, how to cook with wheat instead of white flour (for better health), I learned a new hobby (and that was tennis..I had never played in my life until recently), I wanted to win a game playing a sport (also tennis...but, to my credit, that is the only sport I have tried), I took dance lessons (... and I am dying to take more!). There were several other things on my list... and probably the more important ones that were personal goals I set for myself. I would feel strange reporting those a public blog, but I have challenged myself...and I have grown.

This last decade has brought a lot of change in my life and a ton of blessings. In the last ten years, I have: fallen in love, been married, graduated from college moved cross country a few different times, had children, worked many jobs, adjusted to being a stay at home mom, made many friends, learned millions of things, had many trails...and learned to seek the Lord and find the silver lining in trials.

For those number people, in the last 10 years, I have lived in 15 houses/apartments, had 4 different cars, gone through 6 digital cameras, worn out 5 computers, given birth to 2 girls , went 1 day without chocolate and so much more.

I loved my 20s, but look to my 30s with a lot of excitement...

BRING IT ON!!

Kids and their Imaginative play...

I am just not sure how they think of this first thing after they wake up. I am thinking about crawling back into to bed..or breakfast.

They are trying to figure out what imaginary world to explore today!

Bye, Bye Binkie...

I know this is incredibly cheezy, but I am learning that you need to use different methods for different children. For our dear Addie...we procrastinated giving up the pacifier during bed time until now. We have tried talking her out of it several times (which worked well with Aana...) so we finally had to step it up to make her comply.

We got a Dairy Queen blizzard cake and had a few friends come over for her Bye, Bye Binkie celebration. We ate and played for a minute...and put her binkie collection under her pillow for the Fairy to come get. She woke up this morning to a couple of prizes under her pillow and she was very excited. Finally, we are binkie free at our house!

Bear Lake...17 bedrooms...and the stomach flu

Last week we drove to Bear Lake to stay with my in-laws and the Payne branch of the family. We had around 55 people staying in one house. It was a LARGE 12,000 sq ft house with over 17 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms, a pool, hot tub, park, theater room, volleyball and more. (like the stomach flu...yes, you read that right!)

We had a great time catching up, playing games, enjoying the beach, exploring caves, visiting pioneer museums, and more. Aana and Addie just disappeared with all of the cousins and we hardly saw them the whole weekend. They were in heaven! Some funny things happened...like accidentally heating the outdoor pool to above 104 degrees, but those are great memories.

We also got to see some of my family, since we staying about 30 mins from where I was born. We loved seeing everyone and wish we could have the best of BOTH worlds and be near each of our families. We were reminded of how blessed we are to have such supportive, amazing people in our lives.

Sugar and Spice...and everything NICE... (or PINK and FLUFFY)

That's what little GIRLS are made of!