Good friends

Lately I have been overwhelmed with gratitude for good friends. I have been so blessed in my life with many good friends. And I feel like as I've gotten older, the number of friends I have and the quality of friendship that we share has definitely increased.

When we moved to Layton, I was really worried about being lonely. It's the farthest I have ever lived from home, and I still relied on my family and friends back home for support. But over the last year and a half, I have met so many wonderful people that enrich my life. I know that the only way we can make through this life is with the love and support of others, and I truly feel that here.

So this is a shout out to my Davis County peeps- (you know who you are) Thanks for being so great. For making me feel comfortable, and helping me fit in here. I love you guys.

Getting in the spirit of Christmas much?

If there's one thing I've learned over the last 6 years, it's that my husband LOVES Christmas.

He grew up in a house that was completely re-decorated for the Christmas season. His Mom turns their home into a Winter Wonderland. We all love going over there at Christmas because their house is so cozy and beautiful with the spirit of Christmas oozing from it.

So each year we attempt to have our house a little closer to the Griswalds, and I must say, this year we are coming pretty close.

He started with the lights on the house last week. Not only did he put up ours, he put up lights for 2 of our friends in the neighborhood too. He wants our street to be all lite up and he didn't care what measures he had to take to achieve that. What a guy!

Then came the house. Here are a few shots:

So as you can see, we have gone a little overboard on the decor, but the fact that my husband loves it so much and has such a strong desire to have our home somewhat resemble the one he grew up in, makes it all okay.

And I have to admit. . . I kinda like living in a winter wonderland too!

You reap what you sow

We all know what an avid UTAH fan my husband is. And the taunting between the rival schools is one of him favorite past times. There are many BYU fans in our ward that he loves to torment.

This morning I got a few phone calls and ran outside to see this:


That's right. . . someone put a huge sign on our garage and balloons on our roof. There was also a plate of goodies on the porch, all blue.

I immediately called Logan and these were his words exactly,"I don't care what you have to do, get that s*** off our house, NOW"!

I don't really get into it that much, but I was definitely entertained by this. I love my husband, so therefore I end my post with this. . .

GO UTES!!!

What's in a number?

So I haven't kept it a secret that I wasn't really excited about my birthday this year. For some reason 27 sounds so much older then 26. And I've heard far too many times, "You know, you're scaring the hell out of 30, right?"

I just told people that I was going to skip my birthday this year, and maybe I'd be ready to be 27 next year.

Well, I happened. I had a birthday, and I officially turned 27. And you know what, it's not that bad.

When I sat down and thought about all the wonderful things that I've been blessed with in the last 27 years, I had to be grateful. I've had some truly great experiences and met some incredible people in my 27 years. Especially these 2 little ones:

My wonderful husband spoiled me rotten, which definitely helped. I woke up to the house completely decorated. Then I was taken on a scavenger hunt to find the key that unlocked my present.

At each of the destinations I was given some kind of princess prize! Here I am
in all my special birthday attire!


And this is the look on my face when I finallly opened my prize:

Do you think I liked it? That's right! My baby got me all three seasons of
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!!!

Now I can watch all my favorite dances over and over again. Boy does he know me! This was the best present ever!

So in the end, turning 27 was definitely a highlight for me. I had a wonderful day thanks to friends and family, my darling husband, and all the many phone calls! Thanks guys!

"Health kick"

I have to say, that I am the first person to roll their eyes at someone on a "health kick". Most of it is probably jealousy because I'm usually not strong enough to have that much control, but I also think that eating is one of life's true pleasures and never giving in to your desire for something tasty is just a crime.

My other hesitation has always been the fact that I don't like vegetables. It's kind of hard to eat healthy if you don't eat vegetables, right?

Well, my inspiration came when I went out to visit my sister in NY. She does such a great job of having healthy snacks for her children and eating healthy the best she can without going overboard. So I decided that when I got back, I'd give it a shot.

So, aside from the vegetable thing, I have been doing a lot better. I started by switching to whole wheats (something I'm sure most people already do, but I was really hung up on that white bread). Then I switched out all our snacks for stuff from Good Earth like, Pirates booty, tings, fruit leathers, and lots of granola and fruit. The funny thing is, the kids love it! And I don't have to feel like crap when I want a snack in the day.

It's amazing the difference you feel when you eat things that are good for your body. It's like you body is saying "thank you". Now don't get me wrong, I still enjoy a lovely beverage at any chance, eat ice cream before bed, etc. Those are the things that make me, me. But I have learned to control a little bit of what goes in my body, and I am loving the feeling it gives me.

Christmas so soon?

I am not a big fan of the fact that we start celebrating Christmas earlier each year. I swear it used to be after Thanksgiving that the stores started pushing the Christmas stuff, but now it's the second Halloween is over and sometimes a little sooner then that.

I really like Christmas, but it ruins it a little because by the time it actually is Christmas, you are totally burnt out on Christmas music, decorations, etc...

Not to join the dark side, though, but a were at a Christmas show this last weekend, selling our wraps, and the worlds cutest Santa was there. We just had to take the kids. Ayden already talks about Santa all the time and loves to go sit on his lap. He told him what he wants, and gave him a huge hug.

So I guess that even though I am anti-pre-Christmas excitement, it was really fun to get this family picture taken with Santa.

Oh, and another ode. . . . . . . to Chocolate Ice Cream!!

The kids have been really good today so I was trying to think of something yummy to give them for a special treat. I dished them up some delicious ice cream and walked out of the room for a minute. When I returned, I saw this. . .

It was so cute, I just couldn't resist snapping a quick picture. So this is an ode to chocolate ice cream. How you can make that big of a mess, I do not know.

Ode to spaghetti

This is a shout out to all those spaghetti lovers out there.

My children LOVE spaghetti!

I can't blame them, it's one of my favorites too, but I don't think there is anything
you can serve that makes more of a mess then spaghetti.

They devour it like candy so I guess it's worth it, but man. . . you're in for some serious clean up.

Ayden: December 05'


Sophie: October 07'


Those are some serious spaghetti beards!

I guess I better just get it over with~

So I have been tagged twice now (sorry Mom) and I'm thinking I had better just get it over with. Everyone says they really enjoyed doing it and I am hoping for the same outcome.

6 things about me:

1-I can't spell to save my life. It used to be something that I was embarrassed about, but I've come to grips with it. I know that it doesn't mean I'm dumb, I genuinely think that either you got it, or you don't. And baby, I don't. Both my parents, and my husband will tell you that they couldn't count the number of times they've heard me calling from the other room, "Hey, how do you spell _____". I'm not getting down on myself, just stating a fact. I can't spell.

2-I wanted to be a wife and mother from the moment I was born. All growing up my main goal in life was to become a mom. I always watched people with children that loved them so much and wondered what it would be like to look in the eyes of a person that you created. And during the time I was trying to get pregnant with Ayden and I found out I had endometriosis I honestly thought that if I couldn't become a mother, I would just shut down. It was the biggest trial I have had in my life so far. And here I am just a few years later with 2 beautiful children. I am in heaven. Being a mother has more challenges but also more joy then I ever thought I would have. I absolutely love being a mom.

3-Even though my body can't hold up anymore, I feel like dancing is a part of my soul. I love it so much that when I think about dancing, I get tears in my eyes. Sometimes when I'm teaching, I will turn the lights off and do the combo with the girls. It feels so good to just let go and feel the music and my body moving to it. When I think about dancing growing up, there are 2 people that come to mind. My mother and my big sister. They were/are my biggest fans and they are the reason I was able to stick it out even in the hard times. They love it just as much as I do and that means so much. So thanks for all the support guys. I know I probably didn't show it at the time, but you guys made it all worth it.

-4I am extremely critical of the way I look. It is one of my biggest faults because I know that ultimately it doesn't matter. I don't want to care, I want to be able to focus on whats inside and how I can be a better person. I want to spend my time worrying about other people and what I can do for them. But at the end of the day, I can usually recount the number of times I thought about my weight, whether or not I like my hair, how much food I ate, how many new wrinkles I see on my face, etc. I wish so bad that this wasn't the case, but it's true. I'm hoping that as time goes on, I'll have no choice but to let go.

5- I have a seriously guilty conscience. When I say or do something wrong, it eats and eats at me. Even things that happened a long time ago, I replay in my head and worry about. Growing up I was kind of a brat, and not a very good sister or daughter or friend. That is something I don't think I'll ever get over. I feel like I have to make it up by being the best sister, daughter, and friend I can, since I can't take it back. Sometimes I wish I could just apologize to people and that would be the end of it, but every time I say or do something that I later regret, it's really hard for me to move on.

6- Most people already know this about me, but I absolutely despise vegetables. There's not a single one that I can even force down. I think they all taste just like dirt. What most people don't know is that I HATE being a picky eater. I joke about it a lot because the truth is. . . it's really embarrassing. I feel like such a little kid when people want to go to a certain restaurant and they stop to make sure that there will be something I can eat. They are being nice, trying to cater to me, but it makes me feel like an idiot. So I hope so bad that my kids get Logan's eating habits and not mine.

Bonus: Logan always teases me about this, but no matter how clean my house is, if my wood floor is dirty then the whole house is a disaster. I can't stand my floor being dirty, and it always is. Kinda weird!

RULES:

1. The player lists 6 facts about themselves



2. At the end of the post the player tags 6 people and posts their names. The player then goes to their blog and leaves a comment letting them know they have been tagged, then asks them to read the rules.

I TAG: Lindsay Bench, Briana Dommer, Jen Paxman, Emilie Nuttall, Ryan Flitton, and Marissa Parsons. Sorry guys! I can't wait to read yours though!

Better Late, then never

Happy Birthday my Love!!!

November 4th, 1980, my precious Logan was born. And here we are, 27 years later, spending our lives together.

I couldn't have found a better man to spend eternity with.

Sometimes I think he's too good to be true. Here are the top ten reason why I love you, Baby:

#1 You always put my happiness above your own.

#2 You hate to argue and you are always the first to apologize.

#3 You work so hard to support our family and I have absolute faith in you.

#4 You love our children with all your heart and you are an incredible father. You spend time with them and they love you so much.

#5 You have always supported me in the things that I love, and given me confidence to do things I normally wouldn't have done.

#6 You have a great sense of humor, and you always have me laughing. (even with the overboard stuff) I love sitting around and making up songs, or rhymes with you. You can always make me smile.

#7 People are drawn to you because of your incredible personality. Sometimes I just watch you interact with people and I'm blown away at how well you communicate. You have taught me so much about how to communicate with people.

#8 You never criticize me or make me feel bad about myself. You are always kind, and you don't let the little things bother you.

#9 From the time I met you in Korea, you have always touched me with your sweet spirit and love of the Savior. You make me want to be better.

#10 You are the love of my life, and the man of my dreams. You make me so happy, and I love you.

So Happy Birthday, Baby. This world is a better place because of you!

from Mommy. . . to Mom

I don't know how I feel about this, but my son has decided that I am no longer Mommy. It's just Mom now. I never thought it would matter that much, but I really liked being a mommy. I take it as a sign of him growing up and I'm not quite sure I'm ready for that.

I was talking with my sister-in-law Whitney today about how tired we are because the kids get up so early. Then we both realized that in just a few short years they won't want to come climb in bed with us at the wee hours. Those are some of the sweetest moments and they will be gone so soon.

So I guess I'm saying, I like being a Mommy. I like having my kids in my bed at the crack of dawn. I like having someone who depends on me so much and trusts me so much. Even when I'm angry with Ayden he cries for me. He wants me to comfort him and he always likes to talk to me. Sometimes, when I'm busy and don't notice him calling me he says, "Mom, listen to me! I'm talking to you!" I think about how soon the time will come when he doesn't really want to talk to me anymore. When he's busy too with his friends.

I have decided to try even more to appreciate every minute I have with these little ones. I'm sure that any mother of older children will admit that the time went too fast. I look forward to that too, but for the time being, I am completely content with being a Mommy.

The Halloween Finale

For a person who doesn't really like Halloween, I sure have posted a lot about it. Well, this is the finale. I thought these pictures were fun of our family on Halloween.

{A pirate, beard and all!}

Daddy and Ayden (aka a mummy and a pirate)

Sophie and Mommy (aka Tinkerbell and Barbie)

Our ward had a trunk-or-treat so we decided we had to keep up our reputation of craziness by dressing up. Then we headed home for a lot more trick-or-treaters. Ayden decided he wanted Daddy to take him around so off they went. And I was pleased because they came home with lots of yummy things for Mommy to eat!! The candy. . . that's the one thing I can really get on board with!

Cousins galore!

Last night we had our Hammer kids pumpkin carving, costume wearing, pizza eating bizzar! The kids all come wearing their costumes and we hurry and snap a shot of them together before they all get dirty or start losing pieces. Then Brammy sent them on a hunt for their Halloween bags full of goodies and toys. After that we had some pizza and carved pumpkins! It's a crazy night with all those kids (18 to be exact) but we had a really great time!

We decided to let one person take pictures with their camera for the group shot so here it is. . . all 18 of them!

I caught a few of our kids before we left because I knew the cuteness wouldn't last long!

Captain Hook (minus the Hook) and Tinkerbell

Here is a shot of Logan sitting on the porch with a pirate and jesse.

And heres the finished product!


A special thanks to Brammy for letting us destroy her house and for feeding us all and always creating a fun atmosphere for great memories! We love you Brammy!

The spirit of Halloween

So it seems that I'm surrounded with people full of the spirit of Halloween. I'm not really sure what that is, but I guess a lot of people really get into it. Well, I've never been much of a fan, but I am trying to be a good sport this year.

On Friday night we had our annual adults-only Hammer Halloween party. I wasn't able to attend the first part (a really fun and interactive scavenger hunt) but I got there just in time to enjoy the delicious snacks and play some games. Of course we forgot our camera so feel free to check out some of my sister-in-laws blogs for more pictures! I know that Abi and Whitney have posted them.

On Sunday we decided to get out the pumpkins we got at a pumpkin patch a few weeks ago and carve them. We had all the kids sticking their hands in that gooey mess and seeds all over the kitchen. It was really fun though, and I know Ayden had a good time.

Making me look good

I'm sure every mother has those times when your child does or says something that really doesn't make you look good. I know that when I was little and living in Korea, I embarrassed my parents when (as the bishop's daughter) I was asked what we did in our home for FHE and I replied, "Oh, we don't have Family Home Evening at our house." We had it every week, but because it wasn't formally announced as FHE, I didn't realize that's what we were doing.

Well, while we were in NY with my sister, Ayden took the opportunity to make me bad. We were eating at a restaurant in the city and when they brought him his plate with a sandwich and carrot sticks, he quickly replied, "HEY!! CARROTS ARE FOR HORSES!" That's right, in our house we teach that veggies are for animals, not people.

Another night Laura was sitting on the couch reading to Connor and when asked if he'd like to join in he said, "No, I don't like reading. I just like watching movies." The funny thing is, he loves reading. He is always begging us to read to him, but for some reason he wanted to make it look like that's not something we promote in our house. What a nut!

I'm sure I will have many more times like these, when my children decide to make me look bad. For now, I'll just smile and remember that I'm not alone, right?