New favorite thing: Girls' Weekend Out

Chicago!

My girlfriends from highschool and I had been talking for a long time about getting together in Chicago. I'd been dying to see "Wicked" and when my (wonderful, wonderful) mother got tickets for my herself, my sis and I we decided it would be the perfect weekend to get together. We'd done a couple of great trips together as teenagers with our moms (New York City, the Mall of America) and it really felt like old times. It's amazing how we can still hang out, 3 marriages and 5 kids later, after maybe emailing a few times a year and still feel like no time has passed. Except we talk about slightly different things (and are a little less embarrassed about our Moms going into Victoria's Secret -- which they did and totally grossed us out as 16-year-olds).

Me, my cute pregnant sis, lovely Mom

My friends and our great moms

Anyway, "Wicked" was great. Just really really superb. Great music. GREAT cast (the woman playng Glinda was the funniest character I have ever seen). Seriously, go see it if you get a chance.

We then spent Saturday just hanging out, getting manicures and pedicures, eating a ton (seriously a ton -- and this great cafe downtown has the best Beignets -- New Orleans powdered sugar doughnut sugar concoctions -- I have ever had), doing lots or shopping and generally reliving some old good times. It was a blast. A few things I learned about Chicago: you can shop all day (and we did)and literally not leave the same block, they have amazing food pretty much everywhere, and the American Girl store is absolutely insane. Our wonderful hubbys held down the forts, watched kids, and generally spent a ton of time building forts and playing games. Thank goodness for old, great friends. This will definitely need to become a yearly tradition.

And then I came back to real life . . . a bunch of night shifts . . which explains my brief blogging hiatus :)

My sis and I

Laura, Christy and I on the streets in Chicago

Baby, it's Cold Outside

It's (almost) February, and as such I am allowing myself to start a little complaining about the cold. It was -14 this morning with a -30 windchill. That's a solid 74 degrees colder than it was 48 hours ago. Is that even a temperature? (sigh).

Okay, I'm done now.

(picture via srilu viene photography)

Much Loved, Much Missed

"Let us all try to stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better. Make the extra effort. You will be happier."

President Gordon B. Hinckley
“The Quest for Excellence,” Ensign, Sept. 1999

I will surely miss the simple pleas to do a little better. I have felt inspired as I've listened to him speak and encouraged to do little more with my life. I will miss his humor and wit and beautiful teachings. He served as President of my church for the last 12+ years and passed away yesterday at the age of 97. I appreciated his encouragement of education and learning and quest for excellence. His teachings of Jesus Christ and God. Truly he loved God -- and I felt that.

Just a few of my favorite quotes of his:

“This is my prayer for all of us—'Lord, increase our faith.' Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. . . . Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future. . . . Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequence follow.”

“The Lord has placed a mandate upon us that we should study and learn, that we should acquire knowledge by study and by faith, that we should acquire knowledge of a secular nature, as well as the things of God (see D&C 88:118). Don’t do anything which would disqualify you from the opportunity of gaining an education. It is a very important part of your religion. Education is the key which unlocks the door of opportunity. If you gain that key, the world will bless you and compensate you according to what it considers to be your worth.”

“You parents who are fathers and mothers of children, treasure your children. Look to them with love. Lead them … with love. … They will follow after you if you do that. And I make you a promise that if you do so, the time will come when you will feel so grateful that you have done so, that you will get on your knees and thank the Lord for the precious children who have come to you and grown up under your direction”

For more information, go here:http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/

A Few More Birthday Pics

We had Evie's little birthday party tonight with Jeremy and Mindy and their kids and some friends from church. Mostly I just wanted some pictures of her birthday tiara (so cute!) and the requisite birthday-cake-eating shots. She really wasn't that into the cake (what!?! can this be my daughter !?!) and mostly spent her time tossing it non-chalantly onto the floor. She loved the clothes and birthday toys -- thanks, family!

Happy Birthday, Peanut

I can't believe Evie is one year old -- her actual birthday was yesterday. I was thinking about what I was doing last year at this time. Likely lying in the bed in the hospital, cuddling my sweet little newborn, touching her tiny feet and hands, wandering around the floor with Ken trying to find bows to stick on her little head. Or introducing her to her big brother, who despite wanting nothing to do with her at the time, still comments every time we drive by the hospital that "That's where Evelyn was born." And he still brings up little bits of memories -- riding the elevator with Grandpa, watching movies on "the big TV." And how he's finally grown into the role of big brother, "helping out" by watching her and making her laugh. I remember the first few moments I met her, still lying on the operating bed as they were finishing up the C section, seeing her perfect little eyes already so wide open and chunky little cheeks.

She has been such a blessing to our little family. She has the sweetest personality of any baby I've ever met. Never happier than when she's snuggled up in someone's arms and I can't tell you how much I needed those baby snuggles after long days at work when I felt especially guilty that I hadn't been home more to see her. Even when she's crabby, somehow after a few minutes of baby chatter and maybe a song or two, all is forgiven and it's nothing but sugar and smiles. One of my favorite moments of the day is when I find her in bed, just woken up from a nap and extra happy, sitting up talking at her toys, squealing with delight when I walk in the room. Happy Birthday, peanut.

Church Service -- or 3 Ring Circus?

Yes, they may look innocent. But under those cheesy smiles and chubby cheeks they are a traveling 3 ring circus.

The cast: (from left to right)

Ryan: the One-Man-Show

My nephew is one of the funniest almost 2-year-olds I've ever seen. He's even funnier in church where you're trying desperately hard to act your age and not bust out laughing. He spent most of the hour alternating between jumping up and down on Caroline's legs/feet singing "I'm jumping on Mommy! I'm standing on Mommy!," informing the one year old behind us who was checking out his stuffed cow "This is my Cowie -- you can't eat him," and intermittently yelling "SKUNK!!!" at the top of his lungs.

Evelyn: the Acrobat and Singer

She spent the entire time either "singing" at the top of her little lungs (dada da da DA!!! da da DA!!!) and trying to dive off of Caroline's lap (almost succeeding once). Life evidently looks better upside down . . . or when you're being held . . . or when you're crawling on the floor (apparantly what ever you're NOT doing currently is way, way better).

Luke: the Crew and Backstage Supporter

While he is generally the Ringleader, he was actually very quiet. He just kept egging the others on (stealing snacks and toys, etc). Only one minor break down when we informed him that he could not, infact, eat the peanut butter sandwich at 930 that we'd saved for lunch.

Thanks to my saint of a sister Caroline (who also happens to be 6 months pregnant) for braving 3 children and coming to help me while Ken's out of town.

Tagged!

Thanks to Kristin for the tag. Hmmm. 7 interesting things about me. Here goes:

1. I was once a beauty pagent princess. Granted, I was 4 years old. And the contest I won was the for Mark Twain Mall in St. Louis, MO where we lived at the time (pretty close to Miss America). According to my mom, the main reason I won was because I wasn't shy at all and proudly told the judge my boyfriend was Michael, a little boy down the road. But I remember the tiara, the chocolate record I won as a prize and getting to wear a beautiful white dress for a parade in the summer.

2. I talk in my sleep. I used to do it more when I was younger, but it did get me into trouble once. I was in junior high when who you had a crush on was a REALLY BIG DEAL. (remember?). I had finally convinced all of my friends that it didn't have a crush on the boy from church (yes, your husband Amber!). We were at a sleepover and evidently I started talking about how cute he was in my sleep. My cover was totally blown.

3. I hate spit. I see a lot of gross things in my job. I can handle poop. I can handle vomit. I don't mind blood, guts, needles and lots of other things. But I hate spit -- especially the thick, nasty kind (and it's even worse if it's coming out of a tracheostomy site). I can't even think about it without gagging.

4. I hate raisins. I don't know if it's a texture thing or a taste thing. Or if it's the fact that I can't think of a single thing with raisins in it that wouldn't be better with chocolate in it (oatmeal cookies, trail mix, muffins). Bleeeeckkk.

5. I would love to see Mt. Everest someday. I'm not crazy enough to actually think I'd like to try and climb it or anything (1/5 people that attempt it die -- those aren't the greatest odds!). I loved the book "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakaur. I'd love to go to Tibet and trek to base camp. And check out the local Sherpas.

6. I used to be on the Pom Pon squad in high school. No, not cheerleading (more dancing, less yelling). But I also played hockey at the same time so I think that helps cancel part of the stigma. Oh, if only we had digital photography back then. I've got some great photos.

7. I've been to Africa. I spent 2 weeks in Burkina Faso on a medical trip. I loved it -- and would love to go back.

Okay, I feel like I should pass this along. But don't do it if you don't feel like it. I tag Stacey, Emily D., Emily Clark (I know you read this -- ha ha, I got ya!).