Give Thanks

Like most people, I could go on and on about everything I'm thankful for: my family, Mitch's job, the Gospel, my Savior, our home, my calling, etc. I try to thank my Heavenly Father every day for the things He has blessed me with, but I still enjoy celebrating a day of thanks and eating WAY more than I should.

This year we spent Thanksgiving with my family, and it did not disappoint. Mitch and I always joke that my grandma is such an excellent cook and baker that it makes Thanksgiving seem not so special, since every meal she makes is as tasty as Thanksgiving dinner. I especially  love her homemade, made-from-scratch stuffing; it's incredible! Mitch made the mashed potatoes this year and they turned out amazing. 

Aunt Natalie made her dessert yams, as Mitch and I call them. I REALLY need to get the recipe. Can you please email that to me, Natalie? They are so yummy!

Several months ago, my mom taught Layla to put olives on her fingers and eat them off. Layla remembered this little trick and was cracking herself up throughout her whole Thanksgiving meal, which consisted of olives and red grapes. She hated everything else, naturally; she's becoming a really picky eater, which I am NOT thankful for.

Thankful for my grandma, who slaved over our feast, including the turkey, homemade rolls, and three homemade pies: traditional pumpkin, the richest chocolate pie ever, and caramel-pecan-apple pie. It was all so amazing. I love pie. Most of us had "the sampler."

Incredibly thankful for my family!

Even my little brothers who fall into a tryptphan-induced coma after dinner, ironically when it's time to help clean up.

Thankful to visit with my grandpa who came in town for the holiday. Also thankful that he took Layla to spend the night at my parents, which meant Mitch and I got to PAR-TAY while she was gone. We lived it up like any good Mormons would and hit up the local Starbucks for some caramel apple ciders. We also did some shopping and went out to eat. Such a nice little break! Thanks, Mom and Dad! 

Over the weekend we also visited with Mitch's family, did some more shopping, and went to breakfast with my family. Too much eating, I tell ya! After all the feasting was over, we picked out our first live Christmas tree from a local tree lot! I was so excited! I wanted a skinny tree to help alleviate our problems with the cat climbing in the tree. Guess what? It worked! He just lays under it now and it still looks as pretty as it did the first day!

When my work was slow last month, I decided I would make us all some new stockings. Well, I only ever made one and then work picked back up and I just lost interest. So I decided to keep the one and use it as Harvey's stocking; his old one was red and said "good kitty" on it, which he is not a good kitty ALL of the time, and the red was throwing off my blue and silver theme.

Can you guess which one I made?

It's the 3rd from the left, or 2nd from the right. I really love how it turned out. You can't see it well in the picture, but there are three glittery snowflakes on there. Maybe a little feminine for Harvey, but he's a cat for pete's sake! He shouldn't even have a stocking in my opinion, but Mitch feels otherwise. So there you are, Harvey. Be grateful that we actually bought you something to go in it. Ha, ha.

I am also thankful for my parents. They rock. And Mitch's family because they raised him to be such a great husband and father. And Mitch. Seriously, I couldn't ask for a nicer, kinder, smarter, harder-working husband. And of course, Layla, who makes me laugh every.single.day, gives me a whole new perspective on life, and makes me want to be a better person.

Thankful for my new calling in the primary. I taught today for my first time. I was really nervous, and it didn't go perfectly, but I can honestly say that I felt the Spirit as I testified to the children. I hope they felt it too and can know of Heavenly Father's love for them.

Most of all, I am thankful to know that Heavenly Father loves me, and for the peace and self-confidence that brings me. I center my life and all of my decisions around the knowledge I have of the Gospel, and I have been blessed. Life isn't perfect, but it is easier because of my beliefs, and I'm thankful for that.

Layla

Some recent pics and videos of the hilariousness that is Layla:

 She has yet to actually go pee pee on the potty, but we're working on it ... slowly. It helps if she can hold Daddy's I-phone while she sits there. And yes, that is a baday in our bathroom . Don't judge — the previous owner installed it and we don't use it.

Here is her mischievous grin.

Thanks for the cute dress, Mammy Miles!

She watches me do yoga and decided to do a downward facing dog.
She thought she was pretty tricky when she figured it out!

We thought she was too big for this bouncer, but she still loves it!

Fall

I've been keeping a running list of things to post about when I actually get time ... life is pretty busy right now, but it's great!

• It seems the weather has definitely changed and fall is here. I ran 6 miles outside on Friday and it was glorious; that's the farthest I've ran since I hurt my knee in July. Running outside is nice despite the cold, which isn't bad when I dress warm enough. I took Layla to the park on what I thought was the last warm day, but then we had a couple more. We played outside on the slide. It was still cool enough that I made Layla wear her hat — cute huh?

She usually says, "Whee!" while she, or anyone else, goes down the slide. I love it.

• Our Christmas shopping is done, with the exception of one gift that I need to get in Salt Lake. I hate waiting until the last minute, and I hate the crowds, so I always try to get done early.

• Layla is now the proud owner of Dora the Explorer undies and nighttime pull-ups; unfortunately, I've we've been slackers about potty training ... we'll get there, eventually. I did put her hair in a ponytail for the first time; ridiculously cute, but only lasted about 30 minutes.
• I LOVE my job (despite not making as much moola as I'd hoped.) The extra income is still great, and I'm learning so much!

• Here is my artistic photo mine and Bug's shadows. We're holding hands. Sweet.
• Mitch rocked his last test for school. He'll be a Ph.D. before we know it. He was out of town last week for work; he got rear-ended by a teenage girl, but it wasn't bad at all. Luckily we all survived the week and Layla is SO happy that her Daddy is home.

• Today at church I had to take Layla out of sacrament because she was crying. The ENTIRE walk out of the chapel Layla was crying, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" really loudly. A few people laughed and commented to me on it afterwards. I had to explain that she wasn't crying for him because she thought she was in trouble with me; she was crying for him because she is a TOTAL Daddy's girl, to the point where it makes me feel bad sometimes.

She was freaking out about the mittens. Kept saying, "Hands!" over and over. She kept them on though! And she usually insists that the snow is rain.

• Speaking of church, I was asked to be the 2nd Counselor in the Primary Presidency. I am really enjoying it so far. There is such a sweet spirit in the Primary, and the kids are pretty funny! 

• While Mitch was out of town, I had to put Layla in time out for sticking her entire foot (including her sock) in the cat's water. She knows better than that! Well, I usually put her in the pack 'n play for time out, but I didn't have it set up this time. Instead, I put her in the spare bedroom and shut the door. When her 1 minute and 30 seconds were up, I went to get her out, but the door was locked! From the inside! Apparently she is tall enough to reach the door knobs now, and figured out how to lock it, but not how to open it. Total Panic Moment. I was silently freaking out, trying not to scare her. She kept saying, "Mama! Mama!" wanting me to open the door. Eventually, I got a sharp knife and was able to unlock the door. It's funny now...

She insisted on wearing these necklaces, even if she did look like a little rapper.

• Speaking of funny things, today I was making a dessert to take to my parents for Sunday dinner. My first attempt failed because the flour I used was hard and left little lumps in the cake. I borrowed some flour from a neighbor and made the batter again, but couldn't bake it because we decided to set the oven on a self-clean cycle since it was smoking from something burning on the bottom. This meant the door was locked and wouldn't open for a long time. So, instead of a chocolate peppermint cake roll, we're having no-bake cookies. Sorry, guys! Not nearly as delicious, but I did freeze the cake batter, so we'll have it next time.

                                     

Halloween

We spent the weekend before Halloween visiting grandparents and eating, a lot. Mitch's parents had their traditional Halloween dinner where they name all the food; it's pretty cute. They even had dry ice and root beer. My grandma made dinner for us Sunday night. She is a phenomenal chef. Seriously. I wish I had taken some pictures there...

We didn't take Layla trick-or-treating on Halloween night because I had taken her that day to my mom's work and to Natalie's work; the girl got so much candy there that we definitely didn't need any more!

At Natalie's work we basically walked up and down each aisle of cubicles, where almost every desk had a big bowl of candy. Layla didn't grasp the concept at first, but eventually she got the idea and would put the candy in her bag.

She wasn't shy at all and even let some of Natalie's co-workers hold her. Also, if there wasn't a bowl of candy in sight, Layla would sign and yell, "More!!!" really loud. I was kind of embarrassed. I promise we're not raising her to be a spoiled brat. Thanks, Mom and Natalie, for inviting us!

Uncle Dudin joined us too and Layla loved having him ride in the car with us. She would randomly yell, "Dudin!" just to make sure he was still there. She sure loves her aunts and uncles!

We had more trick-or-treaters than I thought we would. I turned off the lights at 9 p.m. We had a great Halloween and I made Mitch take our left over candy to work today so I won't eat it all.

Sick of Being Sick

Layla is finally over her cold, or croup, or whatever it was. Mitch and I have been battling colds for almost two weeks now. Lame. On Thursday morning I decided to take a Mucinex to alleviate some of my symptoms. Bad idea. Mind you, I only took one pill, but it seemed like I had overdosed. I think it made me high. I've never been high, so I don't really know for sure, but I read that some people OD on cold medicine to get high. I repeat, I only took one pill, I did not OD. But there was something wrong with me for sure. Long story short, Mitch came home from work, but had to go back so my brother, Jordan, came up to watch Layla. He took her home with him and she had a sleep over with Mammy and Bopa Miles. The medicine finally got out of my system and I was back to having just a cold.

Friday night Mitch had the opportunity to go scuba diving! His assistant scout master was kind enough to invite Mitch along, all expenses paid. He did a little training class, put on his gear, and away he went. Now, it was just in a swimming pool, but Mitch said it was really fun and he'd like to try it some more. I suggested we get certified before we go to Hawaii next year ...


While Mitch was scuba diving, I decided that he and I should run in the local 5K the next morning. I was sick of being sick and needed to get my butt of the couch. I made babysitting arrangements and fell asleep without remembering to mention this to Mitch. So this morning my alarm went off at seven, I rolled over and told Mitch that I found a sitter and we'd be running the race in two hours. Ha, ha. Good thing he's such a good sport!

The race was awesome. Not only did I place 3rd overall for all the females, but I won first place for the females in my age division (ages 18-29)! Wahoo! My time was 28:12. Now, I fully realize that there are many people much faster than me who would have blown my time out of the water, but they didn't show up. Ha, ha. I got some pretty sweet gift cards and a medal. I was sprinting at the end to make sure I beat the girl behind me, and I almost threw up after because my lungs are still so full of mucus from being sick. Ha, ha. It was worth it though. I never knew I was so competitive. Mitch got second place for his age group, he ran in 24:58. (The guy who won his age group ran it in just over 18 minutes. What?! Crazy fast!) It was fun; I'm really glad we did it. Plus, Layla had a blast with her sitter and cried when she left. 

Thriller

We had a little Mommy/Daughter date last weekend and went to see Thriller. I invited both of my sister-in-laws and their moms to join us as well; the more the merrier right? It was Katie and Kathy's first time to see Thriller and I'm pretty sure they liked it. We went to lunch before at The Pie, which was also great. After watching such amazing dancers, I decided I want to take a ballet class. If nothing else, it would be a great workout! The problem is, I can't find a beginner, adult ballet class that isn't too far of a drive ...



Layla had her 18 month check up. She is super healthy and smart. The doctor was impressed that she knows so many letters of the alphabet. (Those foam bath letters were a great investment!) He also said that she'll probably be a volleyball player when she grows up because she's so tall. He's said that before, but only time will tell. You'd never guess that right, seeing as how I'm only 5'5"? Yeah, well my mom is almost 5'11",  my brothers are both 6'2",  and my extended family members are tall as well. The tall gene skipped me, but maybe it was passed on to Layla ... I'd love for her to go to college on a volleyball or basketball scholarship. Anyways, most of all we're glad she's healthy!

Height     33.7 inches     95th percentile
Weight    24.2 pounds   50th percentile

Something I want to remember about Bug is how young her cleaning impulses started. She is already a neat freak. We can't decide if that's a genetic or environmental thing, as both Mitch and I are neat freaks. Today I took off Layla's shoes and just set them right where we were in the kitchen. She got upset and said, "Ado!" (clean up!) and put her shoes next to mine on the mat by the door. But that wasn't good enough. When she first set them down, her shoes weren't facing the same direction, so she had to turn them around until they both faced the same way. Wow. She picks up any scraps of paper, lint, string, or anything that she finds and knows doesn't belong and throws it away. She's actually quite handy. It's just embarrassing when we're at someone else's house and she's freaking out saying, "Ado! Ado!" and trying to clean everything up. Ha, ha.

Last but not least, the awaited day finally came and I was able to purchase the new Coldplay album, Mylo Xyloto, yesterday! I went to Target first thing in the morning and bought my shiny, new copy. I must say, it is my favorite Coldplay album out of the previous four. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll be touring in the States next year ... I will be there for sure!

I went running this morning, in the cold, pitch dark. I was able to listen to most of the album while I ran. I love these mornings, when the air is crisp, I'm running to my tunes, and it's so dark and quiet out. I find it exhilarating. Don't worry Mom, I wear a reflective vest and a blinking light. Maybe I'll bust out my head lamp too.

That's all.

Stuff

I never know what to title my posts, especially when I'm blogging about unrelated things. Like how Layla got me in trouble last night with Daddy; while Mitch was out of town this week, I may or may not have let Layla be totally crazy in the bath tub, which she now insists on incorporating into her normal bath time routine. It stresses Mitch out and I'm pretty sure he blames me. He even said, "See what you guys start while I'm away?!" Oops. Hey, we were just having fun! Mitch and I have very different parenting strategies: basically, he's over-protective and I'm too laid back. That's why we work well together; we balance each other out. This video doesn't quite capture how truly crazy she was being last night, but you get the idea. She thinks it's hilarious when she leans back and gets her hair wet. Pretty sure we'll be signing her up for Mommy and Me Swim Lessons real soon!

Layla is still obsessed with Ernie, but every few days she switches which friend is her second favorite. Right now it's Kitty. Here's a pic of Layla sleeping in her crib with all of her friends. Silly girl. Sometimes I have to sneak some of them out because there are just too many. 

We've been sick around here. Pretty sure Layla had croup, but we didn't take her to the doctor to verify that because it's a virus and there's not really anything they can do. She slept with a humidifier, an open window, alternated Ibuprofen and Motrin, drank lots of fluids, and watched too much Sesame Street. She's pretty much better now; still coughs now and again. Another reason we didn't take her is because she has her 18 month check up today, so we figured we can check it out then. The home remedies seemed to work though. It was scary there one night; she was coughing so hard she stopped breathing, I was crying, and Mitch was so stressed. But we made it through and all is well. Mitch and I are both battling colds now, and Mitch will probably lose his voice, but at least he already gave his briefing at work. Oh, the joys of colder weather and sharing germs.

We had our Primary program last week. My Sunbeam class was pretty much hilarious. I went up to the podium with the kids to help them say their parts. I whispered the line into one child's ears, who then whispered the line into the microphone. Too funny. It was kind of a disaster, but it was alright because they're only three years old so no one seems to mind.

Mitch and I went laser tagging last weekend with some of his co-workers. Have you ever gone laser tagging with rocket scientists? It's totally unfair competition. They're way too strategic and quick-thinking for my wits. Ha, ha. I did have a lot of fun though.

This week I was able to help judge the Reflections contest again at our elementary school. I really enjoy doing that. Those kids are so creative! This year's theme was "Diversity," which seemed a little difficult for the kids, but I think they did a great job. I wish I had participated in that when I was younger.

Mitch made some yummy salsa with the peppers in our garden. It turned out great! Look at all the huge peppers he grew:

I am teaching our primary lesson on Sunday. The title of the lesson is "Music Makes Me Happy." Last night as I was preparing, I decided to bust out my clarinet and play a few tunes, thinking maybe I'd play for my class on Sunday. I haven't played that thing in years; I played clarinet in the school band for four years (grades 5 through 8) and I probably haven't picked it up since. Mitch came in the room while I was playing and said he was impressed that I could remember so much. Funny, I was upset that I could only remember how to play 10 notes. But, my primary class might just get a rendition of "Old McDonald" if they're reverent enough.