tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80110138923700137322024-03-13T23:18:33.750-07:00the mundane adventures of miss jess"nothing is ordinary if you examine it closely enough. delight in the astonishingly mundane." -bradley trevor greiveyourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.comBlogger826125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-734541216038359922017-04-15T19:09:00.001-07:002017-05-01T12:53:40.157-07:00Purple Hair 101As someone who has had purple hair for over three years, I've learned some tips and tricks over time. One of the most common questions I'm asked about is how often I have to redye my hair. My answer is every 2-3 months, and mostly because my roots <i>really</i> start to show by then. So here is everything you need to know about having purple hair (or alt hair colors in general).<br />
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1. Stop washing your hair so much. I wash mine once a week. If your hair gets oily, dry shampoo is your friend. I like Batiste, personally. You can buy it at Target/Walmart/Amazon, etc. Shampooing your hair gets rid of oils and color, and you should really just stop using it so much already! ;) My girl <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/darcieatsdoesntwashherhair/?hl=en" target="_blank">@mercidarci has a whole insta series</a> on how to train your hair to go longer in between washes.<br />
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2. Don't wash your hair in hot water. I legit hate cold water and I just can't really handle it anymore, so I essentially aim for luke-warm water temperature. Hot water opens or lifts your hair cuticle, essentially shedding color like an invisible snake skin.<br />
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3. Use sulfate-free hair products. Sulfates are your enemy, remember that. Here are the current <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KJP8Y68/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">shampoo</a> and <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L1KFQKC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">conditioner</a> I'm using (no affiliate links, who do you think I am? a hotshot?!?)<br />
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4. Wash your hair separately from when you shower. It's just easier, trust me. Wash it in a tub or the kitchen sink. Shower with a shower cap. And I also use gloves when I wash my hair, so my hands and nails don't turn purple. <u>Bleach is your friend</u> for cleaning any color stains out of your tub.<br />
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5. <a href="https://overtone.co/" target="_blank">OVERTONE</a>. I tell EVERYONE about this conditioner. It is a game changer. It deposits color and keeps it revived with every wash. I just buy the Go Deep weekly treatment, and use it the one time a week I wash my hair. Shampoo and condition as normal, and then get your overtone on. It will extend the life of your color like.....forever. If you're already blonde, you can use their conditioner to dye your hair. I will say, this is probably the most expensive hair product I buy ($29/jar), but it is absolutely worth it. The Go Deep jar probably lasts me about 3 months, and keeps my hair looking vibrant. JUST BUY IT ALREADY, ok?!<br />
FOR TEN DOLLARS OFF YOUR ORDER <a href="https://www.talkable.com/x/WCeUYW" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>.<br />
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6. Use quality color to begin with. I use the Pravana Vivids line. I go to my hairdresser every 2-3 months to have her bleach my roots, apply color to the roots, and then pull it down through all my hair to ensure a nice evenly fresh color. Research color lines and ask your hairdresser friends what they recommend. Stalk alt-hair girls or hairdressers online to see what they use, and how the colors look.<br />
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7. Similar to #6, if you have to bleach your hair first (like me), GO TO A PROFESSIONAL. Please don't bleach it yourself. I tried to bleach my ends one time by myself, and that hair turned into mush and I had to cut it all off. Not a good look. To keep your hair <b>healthy</b> and looking <b>awesome</b>, you need to go to a legit hairdresser to have it bleached.<br />
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8. Black is your friend. I wear black or dark colored tops for the first couple weeks after fresh dye. Light colored shirts will turn purple wherever your hair is touching. If you have short hair, however, then you have it made.<br />
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9. Pillowcases. They will get color on them. I use white pillow cases, so you can bleach them if they're ever getting stained. Or you could use a dark color, or the same color as your hair. I know, I'm a problem solver ;)<br />
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10. Rock your hair color like there's no tomorrow. It is insane the amount of people who tell me they wish they had the courage to dye their hair, because they love it but just "can't pull it off" or "are scared" or whatever justification they have stashed away. If you want alt hair, just GO FOR IT. If you hate it or you can't get your dream job because of it, WHATEVER. You can dye it back. Or wear a wig. Whatever...you have options!! Have fun and experiment! Live your life!<br />
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I hope this helped someone. Cheers to all of my unicorn-haired friends, you are amazing!! Feel free to add any additional tips in the comments, and I will update as I think of any more. GO FORTH AND SHINE BRIGHT!!yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-744131393384936042016-01-17T10:13:00.002-08:002016-01-17T10:13:53.947-08:00funny moments with the kids...This past week or so has been kind of rough around here. Bear had back surgery and so he's been having a hard time. Henry was so pathetically sick and had a fever that got up to 104. I had to take him to urgent care where we found he had bronchitis, and he's been on antibiotics since. Since we were all pretty haggard, after dinner one night Mimi decided that ice cream was in order. The kids hardly ever get treats like this so it was kind of a big deal. We told the boys they had to finish their dinner, and so Henry ate what he could right away. George didn't seem to grasp the concept, and kept crying for ice cream. We kept telling him he could get ice cream if he'd just eat his dinner, but it didn't process and he kept having a meltdown. Finally I sat him in his chair, showed him a cheese stick, and said "Do you want ice cream?" He wailed "yesssssss!" and I said "then EAT THIS." Somehow it all clicked... he immediately stopped crying and he shoved that entire cheese stick into his mouth as fast as he could. After we were done laughing then we told him he better chew the whole thing and not choke, and he finished it off in a matter of seconds. Ice cream for everyone!!!<div>
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Poor Henry has been coughing for over a week straight, but thankfully with the antibiotics he's been feeling better overall. A few days ago he had breakfast and I gave him his medicine. Of course right away he coughs and then says sadly "Mommy, it didn't work". I told him it takes some time to kick in, and he started coughing again. Then he looked up at me and said with all seriousness, "Mommy, there's a bunny trapped in my lungs." After laughing for a second, I asked, "there are bunnies stuck in your lungs?" He said "No mommy, just one bunny. It's trapped." It was sad but also sweet and hilarious at the same time. Poor kid. And poor little bunny ;)</div>
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yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-44729532948598699592016-01-03T20:08:00.000-08:002016-01-03T20:08:12.476-08:00hello 2016...it's me...word of the year: authentic<br />
last years word of the year was outgoing. and i think i did a pretty decent job. i'm quite an introvert but i've been able to be more and more outgoing throughout the years. now i can strike up a conversation with basically anyone. the purple hair helps i guess ;)<br />
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goals for the year:<br />
-work out all my muscle groups every week, and start doing cardio or walking at least once every week (i hate cardio but i know i need it...ugh...)<br />
-go to sleep before midnight, and wake up before my kids wake up (unless they occasionally wake up freakishly early. not cool.)<br />
-buy an awesome house in a great neighborhood and not break the bank by doing so<br />
-read at least 8 books (5 was my goal last year and I even surpassed that!)<br />
-choose to be happy every morning when I wake up, and tell myself it's going to be an awesome day<br />
<br />yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-48837265788407188572015-10-09T23:55:00.000-07:002015-10-09T23:55:38.229-07:00walking away...Some of you may know that I am a member of the <a href="http://lds.org/" target="_blank">Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints</a> (aka Mormon aka LDS). I was born and raised in this religion, and have been a practicing member my whole life (with my modest share of "rebellions" of course). A few weeks back a friend posted a link to an <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2738628-155/kate-kelly-if-staying-in-lds" target="_blank">op-ed that Kate Kelly wrote</a>. This line particularly stood out to me:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><i><b>I encourage Mormon women to ask themselves a similar question: does my participation in Mormonism spark joy?</b></i></span></blockquote>
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This question was derived from the KonMari method, developed by Marie Kondo and detailed in her book "<a href="http://tidyingup.com/" target="_blank">The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up</a>" (which, side note, I definitely recommend). Kondo instructs the reader to physically go through each item in your home and ask yourself if it sparks joy. If it does not, then you recognize and express gratitude that it has fulfilled its purpose in your life, and it can then be discarded.<br />
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When I thought about Kate Kelly's article more and more, it really started to resonate with me. I haven't had joy in my religion in a long time. There have been rare moments in the somewhat-recent past, but when I view the LDS church as a whole, there has been no joy-sparking in a very long time. I no longer have faith in my religion, and I have serious problems with the LDS church's history. In following with Kate Kelly's advice, based on Kondo's method, my participation in Mormonism no longer sparks joy and should therefore be discarded.<br />
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At first this concept seemed a bit harsh to me (even though I now realize this is where I've been headed for quite some time). But then I really started thinking through the idea of applying this method to my religion. And it all clicked... I can recognize the enormous contribution in my life that my religion has provided, and acknowledge that it was instrumental in shaping the human being I am today. I can be thankful that because of this religion I went to BYU, met the love of my life (cliche but true), and ultimately married him. I can appreciate that because of that fact alone, I have two beautiful children whom I love dearly. I can be grateful for all the wonderful friends I have made through this shared religion. I can acknowledge that a lot of blessings are in my life because of this religion. And now? <b>I can accept that this religion played a major part in my life, and has fulfilled it's role of sparking joy. And since it no longer sparks joy, I can be grateful for it, and walk away. </b><br />
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Like other things in life, if something isn't sparking joy for you, it is [more than] appropriate to reevaluate your situation. As one of my friends told me after discussing this, not everything in your life has to spark joy; some things are just hard or annoying or boring, but they are necessary (like chores or earning a paycheck, for example). But I no longer want to be disingenuous in my religion, or keep trudging along just because I feel like I have to. And if there is anything in your life that feels like that, I would hope that you would take the time to examine your feelings, and trust that they are valid. <br />
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I do not feel bitter towards the LDS church. I don't hold negative feelings toward it. I can look back on my time in "mormonism" with decently fond memories. And now I can forge my own path. Discern my own beliefs. Be a good person and teach my children to be good people. And ultimately, live a fun and fulfilling life with my amazing family. ♥yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-46129854933353677422015-01-01T21:24:00.000-08:002015-01-05T18:42:07.433-08:00hello, 2015!I've been thinking about my resolutions for the year. I'm sure they will evolve a bit throughout the year, but here are some things I want to work on in 2015:<br />
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+ stop yelling, and use more positive parenting techniques with the chilluns<br />
+ use nap time to do at least one thing that qualifies as "me time"<br />
+ read at least 5 books (This used to be <i>nothing</i> for me, I'd read like a billion books a year. But ever since having kids I've been pretty terrible at reading. Oops.)<br />
+ take action on improving recycling in my city (since I slacked in 2014)<br />
+ go on more "dates" with my main man<br />
+ enroll Henry in swimming lessons<br />
+ wake up every morning and decide to have a good and positive attitude<br />
+ PLAY MORE!<br />
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On the resolution front, I like to make these yearly goals to have some direction and something to work for in my daily life. I feel like the past two years I have gained something from actively working on resolutions. But I also like this timely reminder from <a href="http://thealisonshow.com/" target="_blank">the Alison show</a>:<br />
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I AM awesome, and I'm going to make sure I don't forget it ;) Happy New Year, lovers!yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-38400744319189562752014-12-29T22:13:00.002-08:002014-12-29T22:13:34.722-08:002014 resolutions...secret and not so secretSo I had a few resolutions for this past year that I wrote up and taped up in my medicine cabinet so I would see them every day. I did...ok... on them for the most part. haha.<br />
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<b>2014 Resolutions:</b><br />
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-remember and plan for birthdays<br />
<span style="color: purple;">I am really proud to say that I did this one, and well. I'm normally terrible at birthdays and never remember anyone's, and always scramble at the last minute. At the beginning of the year I wrote everyone's birthdays down in my calendar, and would refer to it at least weekly. I'd scan ahead to see if there were any upcoming birthdays, and plan accordingly. This is something I want to keep up, because it's always nice to feel a little extra special on your birthday :)</span><br />
-less screen time, especially when kids are awake<br />
<span style="color: purple;">I did ok-ish on this one. I will say I used to be on my nail instagram account all the time, and have cut that way back because it was a huge time-sucker. I'm still working on this one, but overall I'd say I have improved.</span><br />
-eat less sugar and more fruit/veggies<br />
<span style="color: purple;">This was the hardest resolution for me, but the most important because my sugar consumption got way out of hand. I was eating an entire big bag of candy almost every single day. It really had developed into a binge-eating disorder of sorts.. From about May to Halloween I had little to no candy. I was incredibly impressed with myself. Halloween got me a little off track, and all these damn holidays have got me off the wagon. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that one time when George was wading in sugar..</td></tr>
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-take action on improving recycling in the city<br />
<span style="color: purple;">Umm... I googled some stuff about this. Cedar City just seems incredibly disorganized about recycling, and clearly doesn't care much about it. I should have done a lot more in this area. This will carry over into the next year. At least I stayed strong about recycling all year, even though it is incredible annoying to do so here.</span><br />
-take action on getting fluoride in the water<br />
<span style="color: purple;">I talked to a dentist about this and he was like "Yeah, I don't know why they don't have it here" etc etc. But then I was doing some research and I'm conflicted on this issue. Some research shows that fluoride in liquid form can be harmful and cause birth defects?? But in the solid form it's totally fine? I don't know... I need to do more research. In the meantime though, I'm just having my kids take their fluoride prescriptions and sort of getting over it.</span><br />
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And now... the BIG REVEAL (ha!) of my secret resolution. As some of you may remember, for 2013 my secret resolution was to be fierce. This year I almost wanted to keep the same secret resolution because I feel like it actually did a lot for me, but I took on a new one. It was <b>to be more outgoing and easygoing</b>. Since having two kids my anxiety has definitely increased, and I'd have to constantly remind myself that I need to be more easygoing and just roll with the punches sometimes. I also didn't have a ton of friends and would be pretty shy about meeting new people, and decided I needed to get over that. Sometimes you just need to push yourself so you can become more like you want to be. Fake it til you make it, right??<br />
<span style="color: purple;">Looking back, I think I was pretty successful. I've made new friends and been more outgoing in general. I have become much better at handling my anxiety, and can consequently do a lot more with my kids. While the mere thought of taking both of my kids to the store at the same time used to petrify me, I'm basically a pro now ;) Well...I can at least take both kids just about anywhere and be positive about the experience. </span><br />
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I'll be brainstorming about my resolutions for this next year, and will probably get around to posting them eventually. I still can't believe it's almost 2015, this year truly has flown by!! If you have any resolutions decided yet for the new year, feel free to tell me so I can steal your ideas ;)yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-85464303173423493022014-12-19T15:49:00.001-08:002014-12-19T15:49:57.469-08:00Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We hope you all enjoy the lovely holiday season, and hopefully you will be surrounded by loved ones! I sent out some Christmas cards but I'm far too lazy to do a newsletter or anything like that to include with them. So here's a mini one, via blog. You get what you get ;)<br />
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This was the year of trips!<br />
+In May we went to Disneyland and had so much fun that I basically want to live there. For anyone who isn't sure about bringing babies, DO IT! George was about 9 months old when we went, and loved every minute of it.<br />
+We made several trips throughout the year to Arizona and northern Utah to see family, and we're really trying to take advantage of our close distance while we're still living here :)<br />
+In August Josh and I went to New York to see the US Open for his birthday, and had an <b>amazing</b> trip. I want to move to New York, so if anyone knows of some jobs--hook us up!! We seriously loved the city, and I wish we had even longer to explore it while we were there!<br />
+In September we made a spur of the moment decision to fly to Ohio and visit our bffs Emily and Dave! Since they ditched us to go to dental school (ugh, boring!) we've managed to see each other every year! It's a tradition we hope to keep very much alive over the years :) It was so fun to spend time with them and see Columbus<br />
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This year George turned 1 in September, and Henry turned 3 in December. I can't even believe I have a 3 year old. These boys are just growing up like crazy!! Thankfully they both love each other very much, and are always trying to get into mischief together. Since I've pushed myself to be more extroverted and make new friends, they have lots of little friends that they love to play with. Henry goes to a Mommy & Me dance class once a week, which he actually loves (even if the whole time he's running around or asking me to hold him). I think I want to get him into swimming lessons this next year, since he is such a water baby. Henry is currently obsessed with play dough and riding his new bike, and George is obsessed with books and animals.<br />
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Josh is still working as a wildlife biologist for a transmission line construction project. The current project is wrapping up, but he's staying on to oversee reclamation and revegetation. We don't really know what will happen after that's done, but hopefully there will be a new project that he can go work for. And of course Josh has been watching tennis all year, and finally got to see his favorite players this summer at the US Open (Serena! Federer! Venus!). We've also [obviously] been rooting for Alabama this year--ROLL TIDE!<br />
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I am loving being a stay-at-home mom, even if there are crazy days that I want to pull my hair out ;) My big hobby of course is nail art, and I'm considering doing it out of my house as sort of a side job this next year. We'll see how it goes. I did <a href="http://www.whole30.com/" target="_blank">whole 30</a> this summer, which was really hard but helped me to curb my insane candy binge-eating habits. Unfortunately it also probably caused the lovely kidney stone I had to deal with a couple months later (oy vey). Hmm...what else...I'm still rocking the purple hair and channeling my inner unicorn. ;)<br />
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Josh and I are more active on instagram so if you'd like to see what we're up to, here are our accounts:<br />
<a href="http://instagram.com/jujijoosh" target="_blank">Josh's instagram</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/yourstrulydear" target="_blank">Jess's instagram</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/jesspaintshernails" target="_blank">Jess's nails on instagram</a> (yes, that's a thing).<br />
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We hope that you've all had a fabulous year, and have a wonderful holiday!!<br />
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<br />yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-44659234484490139862014-12-07T19:07:00.000-08:002014-12-07T19:07:22.769-08:00time for changeI have been really upset about current events of late. Particularly concerning all these cases including excessive police force, and racism. Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Darrien Hunt, Trayvon Martin, and many many more. The case that really sent me over the edge was Eric Garner, who was put in a chokehold after resisting arrest and consequently died. The entire thing was caught on tape and can be found on youtube. It is appalling. The medical examiner ruled it death by homicide, yet when it was presented to a grand jury the officer responsible was not even indicted. WHAT?! When I learned about all of this I was absolutely sickened. It kept eating away at me and finally I just could not take it anymore. The America I believe in doesn't let anyone, including/especially police officers, kill people for no warranted reason and get away with it. Black or white or purple, all human beings are just that: <b>human beings</b>.<br />
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Before the Eric Garner case I felt like I could contribute by fighting for body cameras for all police officers, and I felt like that would be a positive change. But now?? After Eric Garner was killed ON TAPE and nothing was done about it, I was left with a hopeless feeling. Hopeless about the case. Hopeless about justice. Hopeless about racism. Hopeless about law enforcement. And hopeless about the future of our country. And I just felt like I personally couldn't do <i>anything</i> to help this cause that I feel so strongly about.<br />
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I made a comment to Josh how I wished I lived somewhere like New York so I could at least participate in a peaceful protest. He said "You don't have to live in New York to protest. You can live anywhere. You just go and you just protest." Which got me thinking... Social media can reach almost everyone these days. So I decided to do an online protest. I'm inviting everyone else who would like to make a change or a difference to join me. I think that even small things can make little ripple effects, so why not take a stand?!<br />
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I hope that through different investigations, at least some of these cases will finally result in justice. And hopefully through all the peaceful protests and different news stories, etc, <i>something</i> positive can come out of this. It is obvious that something needs to be done about this problem, and it's time for things to change. We <b>cannot</b> continue to let this happen. As a friend reminded me, Bob Dylan said: <b>"How many times can a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn't see?" </b>yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-32740878524801023632014-12-01T20:37:00.000-08:002014-12-01T20:59:56.941-08:00freshly picked moccasin reviewEver since my kids were born, I've been a fan of <a href="http://freshlypicked.com/" target="_blank">Freshly Picked</a>. I remember I started following them on instagram, and would get excited when Susan would post a picture of someone famous with their kids wearing FP moccs. A female entrepreneur who built herself up starting with some scrap leather she bought at a yardsale? Yes, I can get behind a lady like that! Then when I saw she was appearing on one of our favorite shows, Shark Tank, I just knew this would be her tipping point. She signed a deal with Daymond, and watching from my living room I felt so happy for her. Is that creepy? Haha, whatever... Since then she has expanded her line to include carryalls, clothing, and even crib-sized moccasins (adorable!!). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cutest packaging ever!<br />
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My kids had a BLAST with the emoji stickers that came in the package. They were a huge hit. At one point Henry and George both teamed up against me and covered my back with emojis. I have to admire their teamwork ;)<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: start;">Because I wanted a pair of moccs that would match almost anything George wears, I got a pair of Swimmin' With The Sharks in a size 4. They fit George perfectly and have a little bit of room to spare in the toe region. The elastic design at the opening makes it simple to put on his feet but also stay put,</span> all while not cutting off the circulation to his fat little feet ;). </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iKcgxxq76y4/VGw31VjvS1I/AAAAAAAAHvk/f15c4tKwhoU/s1600/PicsArt_1416372846772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iKcgxxq76y4/VGw31VjvS1I/AAAAAAAAHvk/f15c4tKwhoU/s1600/PicsArt_1416372846772.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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The leather is both soft and durable, and George has even walked around comfortably in the desert of Arizona in them. No stickers or "pokies" even made a dent or scratch on the sole!</div>
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Overall I've been very pleased and impressed by this pair of moccs! I will say I've owned a suede pair of FP moccs as well and while they are still very durable, the material developed a scratchy look rather quickly, and the original pattern is hardly visible. If you are considering buying a suede pair, I'd just save them to be used as a dressier pair of shoes (if you want them to stay in their original condition). These leather ones have been used for some serious playing, and I'm happy to report they still look pretty close to perfect! </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODw74MuAp5E/VGw3-w8K0FI/AAAAAAAAHwc/jPisjTKqL1w/s1600/IMG_0411-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODw74MuAp5E/VGw3-w8K0FI/AAAAAAAAHwc/jPisjTKqL1w/s1600/IMG_0411-1.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></div>
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I know for a fact that you will all be seeing a lot more of George in these fabulous shoes. Also, almost everything in her shop today is 20% off for Cyber Monday! Go check it out! Also, keep your eyes peeled on my <a href="http://instagram.com/yourstrulydear" target="_blank">Instagram</a> account, because I will be hosting a giveaway for one lucky person to win moccs of their choosing!! Happy shopping friends, and I hope to see you tomorrow on IG :)yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-42911823186525269652014-11-20T22:18:00.001-08:002014-11-20T22:18:52.516-08:00why i pay my babysitters "so much"First, let me provide some context. When I grew up in Maine, my going rate for babysitting was $10 an hour, for one kid. <i>More kids? More money.</i> Keep in mind, this was 10+ years ago. Here in Utah, I'm pretty sure the going rate is about $3 an hour... current day... 2014. Umm...<b>WHAT?!</b> Now that I have kids of my own and need babysitters, I pay $7/hr. I paid $7 when I just had one child, but I got a lot of flack about this from friends, neighbors, and even the babysitters themselves. So when I had a second child, I kept paying babysitters $7. And to be honest, every single time I feel like I'm short changing them. Even if they're just watching my tv for a couple hours while my kids sleep upstairs.<br />
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The question I've been asked multiple times is "Why do you pay babysitters so much?!" And usually my short answer is "<b>my children's lives are in their hands</b>". <br />
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Here's the long answer: <b>My children's lives are in their hands.</b><br />
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I mean, I'm not even paying minimum wage!! My babysitters could literally flip burgers or work in a call center and make more money. I value my children's lives as <i>far </i>more important than burger flipping or getting yelled at on the phone. So why is it so ludicrous to even consider paying the same or more than a minimum wage job??<br />
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I know people say things like <i>If I'm going to pay more money, I expect them to clean up my house and do all the dishes and make my kids dinner from scratch</i>, etc etc etc. Not to be defiant, but really all I expect from my babysitters is that everyone is safe while I'm gone. And it's just common courtesy for them to pick up any toys that had been taken out, although I expect my kids to help in that act as well. But they don't need to be magical elves! Don't do my dishes, don't take out my trash, and <b>don't</b> cook my kids a gourmet meal (they obviously wouldn't appreciate it, anyway).<br />
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Look after my children, keep them safe, and react to any emergencies accordingly. <i>That</i> is what I pay my babysitters for. And that's worth a lot to me.<br />
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<i>Note: Dear friends, please don't be offended by this post. It's not meant to "come after" anyone. It's just me explaining why I do the things I do. Chalk it up to being a yankee, if you must ;)</i>yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-2835552667846334892014-11-18T09:34:00.000-08:002014-11-18T09:34:00.493-08:00Nail art tutorial: Gradient nails<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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First of all, sometimes people call these "ombre nails". But there is actually a distinction between gradient and ombre nails: <i>ombre nails</i> are when each nail is painted a different shade of the same color. <i>Gradient nails</i> are when the same nail is painted with different shades of any or the same color. Who knew, right?!<br />
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I made this tutorial for my nail instagram account, <a href="http://instagram.com/jesspaintshernails" target="_blank">@jesspaintshernails</a>, and figured I would post it here too! <br />
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<b> Materials needed:</b><br />
-white nail polish<br />
-2+ colored polishes for the gradient<br />
-makeup sponge (I use the store brand)<br />
-cuticle oil or scotch tape<br />
-top coat <br />
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<b>Instructions:</b><br />
☆Paint your nail(s) white. Try to keep your cuticles clean (bc cleaning up
white polish is <i>the worst!</i>), but it doesn't have to be perfect. Let it
dry (I use the aid of a quick dry topcoat because who has time to wait for polish to dry?!).<br />
☆Apply cuticle oil all around your nail to make cleanup easier. OR use scotch tape to tape off the skin around your nail. This step is important otherwise cleanup is super annoying and you'll never want to try this method again (speaking from experience here haha).<br />
☆Apply polish on makeup sponge in the s<span class="text_exposed_show">equence you want. I usually use 3 colors for mine but you could use 2+.<br />
☆Dab the sponge on your nail. Move it up and down and around a little while
dabbing to blend the colors. This will create the gradient effect (vs
just lines of colors). Depending on the colors you're using, you might
have to repeat this step until you reach desired opacity. <br /> ☆Clean up around the nail using a brush and acetone. I use an e.l.f. concealer brush that costs $1 at Walmart/Target. </span><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="text_exposed_show"> ☆Optional: add designs or glitter on top </span> </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">☆Apply topcoat! I am a BIG fan of <a href="http://glistenandglow.bigcartel.com/category/hk-girl-top-coat" target="_blank">Glisten & Glow - HK Girl Top Coat</a>. It's seriously amazing and dries freakishly fast with minimal to no polish shrinkage. <br /></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> What do you think? For first timers, was this helpful? If you give this a try I'd love to see the results, leave me a link in the comments, or tag me on instagram <a href="http://instagram.com/jesspaintshernails" target="_blank">@jesspaintshernails</a>! </span>yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-81704811400404543332014-11-12T22:15:00.000-08:002014-11-12T22:15:00.416-08:00ramblings on becoming a better personDisclaimer: this is super rambly and possibly quite annoying to anyone besides myself. Read at your own risk ;)<br />
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Last month I had a kidney stone and it was a whole ordeal involving surgery, a stent, and a kidney/bladder infection from hell. Let's just say I didn't always handle it with the best of graces... There was a lot of tv watching, and a lot of me losing my patience and wanting to just go take a nap. It wasn't too pretty. Finally I just got fed up with myself and started browsing the internet for quotes on becoming a better person. And there were seriously SO MANY. Like, a never ending amount. Which actually made me instantly feel a little better that I'm not the only person in the world that's trying to better themselves (ha!). Reading all these quotes and thinking about how I need to change my attitude made me really think about humanity as a whole. NONE of us are perfect, no matter how perfect things may seem to outsiders. There's always something going on, something you're working on, something you could improve (even if you don't want to...), etc. It's kind of comforting to realize and accept that fact. <br />
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I wrote a snippet about this on my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/htt%5B://instagram.com/yourstrulydear" target="_blank">instagram </a>account, and this is the quote I used. At the time, it was the most fitting. I didn't like how I was acting, and so I needed to change the story. I woke up the next day with a different attitude and perspective, and actively tried to be a better person and a better mom. While I wasn't perfect, obviously, it did make a huge difference throughout my day.<br />
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Whether I'm trying to change stuff or if I'm stuck in a rut, I'm still the same person. I can make the best out of what I've got in the present situation. I will always be Jess, I just want to be the most fabulous Jess that I can be ;)</div>
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In order to be in love with every minute of your life, you need to make the "good times" awesome, and make the "bad times" bearable, or at least try to see some reason for the crap that comes your way. Obviously this is easier said than done, but I think it is something to aspire to. <br />
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Another outcome of my soul-searching evening was that I realized I need to be pushing myself more. Challenge myself and my behavior. Delve into interests that may have perpetually been on the back-burner. Some days this really does just translate to *get out of the bed and feed your kids!* haha</div>
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I liked this because there are all those sayings about acting the way you want to feel. If I want to be awesome, then I need to just start being awesome. Stay true to your own ethics/morals/personal guidelines, but DO the stuff you want to do, and ACT how you want to act!<br />
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This concept has been on my mind a lot lately. What makes me "come alive"? What am I passionate about? How can I create future employment from that? If you do what you love then you'll love what you do, right? I love being a mother and I'm forever grateful that I get to raise my two boys. While I want to work on being a better mom, I also need to figure out what else I really love and start developing my other interests as well. I feel so inspired by some of the people I follow on social media, and how they really do "come alive" and just radiate energy and love. That's how I want to be too. ♥yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-5195863315736726092014-05-21T22:55:00.000-07:002014-05-21T23:03:58.667-07:00George's well visits: 2, 4, and 6 months!<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">Obviously since I have been terrible at blogging, I've missed putting all of George's stats up on the blog. So here we are: the results of his well visits from 2, 4, and 6 months old!! </span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">8 week appointment: </span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">Weight: 13lbs 11oz (94%). Height: 24.25" (93%). Head circumference: 16.25" (86%).</span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">Finally out of the newborn sleep-all-the-time stage and just getting out of a two week hardly-sleep-ever stage. A champion eater and growing fatty. Unlike Henry, hardly spits up, and generally super chill. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lMRDjxOMefk/U32IkcQQb8I/AAAAAAAAHhk/Z6xAfFUOVl0/s1600/8weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lMRDjxOMefk/U32IkcQQb8I/AAAAAAAAHhk/Z6xAfFUOVl0/s1600/8weeks.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i know this picture isn't that flattering, but i still love it because FATNESS!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">4<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"> month appointment:</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">Weight: 16lbs (73%). Height: 27" (97%). Head circumference: 17.25 (87%). </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">Still a champ eater. Co-slept with us which was cute to wake up to but annoying the rest of the time ;). SUCH a happy, smiley, chill baby. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><br /></span></span></span></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LUl1wdJDw-U/U32IkZr_UTI/AAAAAAAAHhc/RQnLhw_0_dg/s1600/4months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LUl1wdJDw-U/U32IkZr_UTI/AAAAAAAAHhc/RQnLhw_0_dg/s1600/4months.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pinchable! #amiright</td></tr>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">6 month appointment: </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">Weight: 18.05 lbs (65%). Height: 28.5" (97%). Head circumference:
17.75 (84%).</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">Still loves to nurse, but refuses to eat baby food. Also will not sleep unless attached to me (holding or nursing). I asked the doctor about starting cry-it-out because I was nearing my wits end (he agreed it was a good idea). I brought up the fact that he hated baby food, and the Dr recommended to stop trying baby food for a few weeks and starting it again (I'll post more about that later). </span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RcmbCKYhajI/U32IkUikqKI/AAAAAAAAHhg/8UyBsrifw4w/s1600/6months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RcmbCKYhajI/U32IkUikqKI/AAAAAAAAHhg/8UyBsrifw4w/s1600/6months.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sitting up on his own and everything. such a stud. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" data-gt="{"timeline_og_unit_click":"1","app_id":"124024574287414","action_type_id":"282366618453208","object_type":"instapp:photo","unit_id":"447280888645770","og_ref":"ogexp","is_intentional":"1"}">George has such a delightful, chill, happy personality. He is seriously such a joy to be around, and can always be counted on for a huge smile. He loves music and playing games like patty cake. He loves being in the Ergo and will almost always fall asleep in it [in a matter of minutes]. Henry and George love each other and are so sweet with each other, and my favorite thing is when they do something silly that makes them both crack up. I love my sweet boys!! </span></span> </span></span>yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-7596549639834742682014-05-19T21:36:00.000-07:002014-05-19T21:36:01.236-07:00recipe: the perfect (and easy!) oatmeal raisin cookieA few months ago I started craving oatmeal cookies. Particularly oatmeal chocolate chip, but I won't say no to raisins when I'm in the mood (plus, Josh likes the raisin ones better anyways). In my search for an EASY recipe without a billion ingredients, I found <a href="http://bakerbettie.com/perfect-oatmeal-raisin-cookies-with-only-6-ingredients/" target="_blank">this one</a> from Baker Bettie. Her recipe only has 6 ingredients, with additional options to add in if you feel like it. I tried it, and the cookies were pretty decent, but not perfect. But I saw promise... So I made a few tweaks and a couple batches later I had my PERFECT AND EASY oatmeal raisin/oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. I make these all the time, and bring them to parties so I can impress my friends and trick them into thinking I am an amazing baker. Because seriously, they are <b>that good</b>!! And because I am the nicest person ever, I will share the recipe with you:<br />
<br />
<b>The Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookies</b><br />
Yield: ~18 cookies (depending on size, obvi)<br />
<b> </b><br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1 cup dark brown sugar<br />
1 stick butter, softened (1/2 cup)<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tsp vanilla (I just fill the cap and use that amount)<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
~1 tsp cinnamon (I just use a few generous shakes from the cinnamon shaker)<br />
1 overflowing cup of half white/half wheat flour (if you want to be specific 1 cup + 2 TBSP flour)<br />
1 cup rolled oats <br />
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips (or M&Ms, I use seasonal colored ones when I make these for holiday parties)<br />
<br />
[NOTE: these ingredients are pretty flexible, this is just how I make mine. But if you aren't into dark brown sugar, change it to light brown or white. If you aren't into wheat flour, just use white. The original recipe says that the vanilla, baking powder, and cinnamon are optional. So if you don't have them, skip it!]<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.<br />
2. In a bowl, combine brown sugar and stick of butter until smooth and delicious. Feel free to sample said mixture, and realize it's your kryptonite. (Oh, just me? Oops...!)<br />
3. Add in egg, vanilla, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir. Do not sample after this step, because...you know...salmonella (boo, hissss).<br />
4. Add flour and stir. Add oats and stir. Add raisins or chocolate chips or M&Ms and stir. Once again, resist urge to sample... <br />
7. Form balls of dough and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat (because I'm all about easy cleanup and no sticking cookies!). Gently flatten each ball.<br />
8. Cook in the oven for ~18 minutes (note: the original recipe calls for something crazy like 9 minutes. At 9 minutes my cookies are still raw as a live cow. But it could just be my oven, so you may want to keep an eye on these the first time you make them! Check at about 10 mins).<br />
9. STUFF YO FACE!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UaBhGZZX1QY/U3rXXqP8M4I/AAAAAAAAHhA/OuvZy5NVL7Q/s1600/oatmeal_raisin_cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UaBhGZZX1QY/U3rXXqP8M4I/AAAAAAAAHhA/OuvZy5NVL7Q/s1600/oatmeal_raisin_cookie.jpg" height="320" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You're welcome</td></tr>
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Let me know if you make these, I'd love to know how you like them! :)yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-58163294760044131442014-05-13T22:09:00.000-07:002014-05-13T22:09:19.667-07:00PSA: anchor your furnitureSo, it was kind of hard for me to write this post. Probably mostly because of the fear of *parental judgement*. <i>Dun dun dunnnnnn!</i> But I'm getting over that and posting this, because there may be other parents out there who have either been putting this off, or didn't know about it. [Sorry this is kind of a Debbie Downer post, but I just don't want any other parents to go through this!]. Phew, here goes: <br />
<br />
We had an incident earlier this year that <b>really </b>shook me up. Henry was in his room for his afternoon nap, and was just playing by himself before he fell asleep. Josh and I were downstairs and we suddenly heard a HUGE crash, followed by a cry of terror. My heart felt like it jumped in my throat, and Josh and I instantly ran up the stairs. I'm not sure if either of us have ever moved that fast in our lives. We threw open his door (thankfully he hadn't locked it like he sometimes does) and Josh lifted up the dresser. Henry was tucked halfway into the bottom drawer, and Josh couldn't see him so he was screaming "where is he?!". I pulled him out of the drawers and held him close. I didn't see any blood, even though the top drawer of the dresser had been bashed in by his head. Henry was still scream-crying, I was shaking and crying, and Josh was shaking... I looked Henry all over and tried to touch all his major bones to make sure everything was still intact. Miraculously, he seemed completely fine physically, and was just shaken up.<br />
<br />
In my life so far, I don't think I have ever been more scared than in this incident. I also felt TERRIBLE, because this whole thing could have been prevented with a relatively simple fix. And it wasn't even a "fix" we didn't know about, we had heard about a similar instance happening a couple years ago. We just never thought it would happen to us: Henry hadn't ever climbed up any dressers or shelves before... he had messed with his drawers a couple times to pull all his clothes out, and we had gotten after him and clearly told him not to play with his dresser. And anchoring furniture requires holes in the wall, and we're in a rental. With all these justified-seeming excuses, we'd [obviously] never done anything about it. And that reason alone is why I am posting about it. Because YOU NEVER THINK IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU! But if it's something like this that is 100% preventable, just PREVENT IT! (Sorry for all the caps lock...it just happened..)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnnxW4xMt7c/U3LzIyjdLxI/AAAAAAAAHgU/IQHtTXYUmCk/s1600/anchor_your_furniture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnnxW4xMt7c/U3LzIyjdLxI/AAAAAAAAHgU/IQHtTXYUmCk/s1600/anchor_your_furniture.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We moved Henry's dresser out into the hallway until I could get something to anchor it to the wall. I looked at Walmart and Home Depot but neither place had any sort of kit like what I had in mind. So I called Ace Hardware and asked if they had anything, and they said yes! They are called an Anti Tip Kit, and I believe they were about $10/each (I bought two, for the two larger pieces of furniture we own that could possibly tip and cause harm). They are rated to hold up to 400 pounds. The only tools you need to install it are a stud finder and a drill. Besides having Josh help me move the dresser back in the room, I anchored the dresser by myself. It took probably about five minutes, and that's including finding the power cord for the drill and charging it ;) What I'm trying to say is that the process of anchoring this dresser was EASY.<br />
<br />
So if you haven't heard about doing this, or have been putting it off for whatever reason, <b>please</b> do it. <i>Now</i>. It could literally save your childs life. I am beyond grateful that Henry did not get hurt, and also that Josh was home when this happened (he lifted that dresser up like it was a pillow!). I know the outcome could have been much different :(<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
FYI, I found the product I bought on Amazon, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hangman-Anti-Tip-Kit-Furniture-Prevention/dp/B000VW7WBC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400042731&sr=8-1&keywords=anti+tip+kit" target="_blank">here is the link</a> if you are interested. yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-79156100856285306222014-05-11T23:28:00.000-07:002014-05-11T23:28:16.225-07:00mothers day, as a mother who isn't perfectMothers Day isn't actually about me. It's not a day for me to sleep in and be pampered. It's not a day for me to pat myself on the back and say I'm an amazing mom. I'm not amazing. I usually try to be the best I can, but that's all I can ever ask for, no matter what day of the year it is. And to be honest, there are many days where "the best I can be" translates to just making sure everyone is fed and isn't sitting in poop [which can be made harder by the fact that I can't smell ;)]. I've been thinking how today is <i>really </i>about my loves: my husband and my children. Josh is my support, my co-captain, my first mate, my therapist, my life coach, my sugar daddy, my everything. I love him with all my heart, and I'm so grateful that he puts up with all the nonsense that comes along with work so that I can be spoiled with my children. My two miracle children... I never knew that I could love tiny human beings so much. And now that they are in my life, I realize that I take it for granted. I always told myself I would <b>never </b>take having kids for granted, but it just happened. You sort of slip into your role and before you realize it, you become complacent..<br />
<br />
I've known too many people who have lost children these past
few years, and it absolutely <b>wrecks my heart</b>. But in every instance, I find myself thinking that those sweet children had lived such amazing and full lives, even in their painfully-short existence. This makes me reflect on the lives
my kids are currently living.. Are they having joyful lives? Am I doing enough? Am
I focusing on the wrong things? As I've reflected on this tonight, I
think I do need to shift my focus...<br />
<br />
These past couple weeks I've found myself being harder on Henry. He's so smart and talking so much more that I forget he's just a two year old. That's practically a baby, really. But I have all these expectations of how he should behave, and therefore find it easier to get pushed to my limit. When really I just need to check <i>myself</i> and forget about all the extra stupid stuff that's going on, and just focus on what he needs. Obviously there is a balance that needs to be maintained so that I'm not neglecting myself or anything like that. But I don't think that's what's happening here.. I find myself raising my voice more than I used to, and more than I like. I worry more about squashing all his "bad behavior", and less about nurturing all his good qualities. [I'm sure my recent attempts to be healthier and eat less sugar may be
adding to my shorter fuse, but I don't want to attribute my
short-comings to that]. <i>I need to have more patience and understanding, and try to understand the world through my children's eyes.</i> <br />
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<br />
This Mother's Day, I have come to a realization that I need to reconnect with my inner child, and stop worrying so much about trying to be a perfect mom. Or having perfect children. The pressure associated with all that is far too much for my liking. My boys are babies--precious babies that at one point I didn't know I'd ever have. I need to <b>stop </b>taking their existence for granted, and make more out of this amazing experience that is <i>being their mom</i>. Play more, play on their level, and nurture their talents and interests. [Yes, babies can have talents/interests... have you ever seen how talented George is at smiling?!? That kid could light up a room! ;)]. I have an inkling that worrying less about being an amazing mother might actually make me a better mother. And I'm definitely open to that. ♥<br />
<br />
And as far as Josh goes? I'm already a perfect wife, so that's one less pressure off of me ;P yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-42279489908044234132014-04-24T22:25:00.000-07:002014-04-24T22:25:20.023-07:00Flashback: Christmas in Arizona!Since we stayed in Utah for Thanksgiving, we went to stay with my parents in Arizona for Christmas. It was SO NICE! Utah gets pretty cold in the winter, so we hadn't even played outside in what seemed like forever. Then we get to Arizona and it felt like <b>paradise </b>in comparison. Occasionally we needed light jackets while outside. Henry was in complete heaven!! He loves being outside, so to be able to roam free without layers and gloves and hats and all that nonsense was perfection.<br />
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Now, for some pictures :) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7lrHEXEdc5s/U1nmid-v4tI/AAAAAAAAHc4/BmkkUUn5IPQ/s1600/cute+george.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7lrHEXEdc5s/U1nmid-v4tI/AAAAAAAAHc4/BmkkUUn5IPQ/s1600/cute+george.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hello, cutie</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Row33tHP9Ng/U1nmi3FE71I/AAAAAAAAHdU/bqQaEBqt8w4/s1600/george+partied+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Row33tHP9Ng/U1nmi3FE71I/AAAAAAAAHdU/bqQaEBqt8w4/s1600/george+partied+out.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">someone partied too hard on Christmas...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0pK6YiNaDoE/U1nmjKtDCnI/AAAAAAAAHdM/fGvFdcF3GkU/s1600/henry+and+dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0pK6YiNaDoE/U1nmjKtDCnI/AAAAAAAAHdM/fGvFdcF3GkU/s1600/henry+and+dad.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">you know, just doing some important construction work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7oV-7KBEA2A/U1nmiS9XghI/AAAAAAAAHc0/1MXHLRzuft0/s1600/Henry+and+Gpa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7oV-7KBEA2A/U1nmiS9XghI/AAAAAAAAHc0/1MXHLRzuft0/s1600/Henry+and+Gpa.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa and Henry had a blast playing with trucks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sPWcsEZrcZY/U1nmkqpJ45I/AAAAAAAAHd0/HEEXkVyJPHo/s1600/pjs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sPWcsEZrcZY/U1nmkqpJ45I/AAAAAAAAHd0/HEEXkVyJPHo/s1600/pjs.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas PJs. Sometimes this is the best picture you can get...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Obviously Christmas isn't just about presents, but oh my goodness it's cute to see reactions to presents :) Henry got seriously spoiled (thanks grandparents!) and LOVED all his new trucks and toys. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RZyU8S9YOlk/U1nmku3XooI/AAAAAAAAHdo/XuZ7PXzAmGY/s1600/presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RZyU8S9YOlk/U1nmku3XooI/AAAAAAAAHdo/XuZ7PXzAmGY/s1600/presents.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"present?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
George, always the happy camper, was content to just hang out. But don't worry, he was spoiled too!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEzQTN8sQiU/U1nmkC1OhtI/AAAAAAAAHdg/JPqUavupMEU/s1600/patty+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEzQTN8sQiU/U1nmkC1OhtI/AAAAAAAAHdg/JPqUavupMEU/s1600/patty+cake.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">baby George playing patty cake with monkey George</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As fun and amazing as Christmas celebrations can be, it can really tire a person out. And someone (I'm not naming names...) may have had a little too much fun...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KtkNr5J4vnk/U1nmk9d4x-I/AAAAAAAAHdk/ZHhqlYfhkuQ/s1600/too+much+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KtkNr5J4vnk/U1nmk9d4x-I/AAAAAAAAHdk/ZHhqlYfhkuQ/s1600/too+much+christmas.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">too! much! CHRISTMAS!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of the highlights for Henry on the trip was the neighbors house. They are an older couple that is <b>obsessed</b> with Christmas. I've never seen anything like it. The lady even said that on her Christmas list she had asked for blue Christmas lights. That's dedication. They had lights everywhere, and played Christmas music outside from speakers. Their long driveway was paved with different light-up Christmas decor, just one after the other. Henry was amazed, and to be honest I was pretty impressed too. Henry kept yelling "lights! lights!" and pointing at each new thing. While we were looking at everything outside, the couple saw us and came out to say hi. Then they invited us inside to see the rest of their Christmas collection. So...I thought outside was intense. Every inch of their entryway, dining area, and living room was COVERED in Christmas. [[I took a ton of pictures, but lost them when I broke my phone a couple months ago :'( ]]. I think they had every sort of dancing/singing Christmas characters ever made... and they played every single one for Henry (they were so sweet to him!). There was even a life size Santa that sang, as well as a life size snowman that sang and danced (Henry was kind of scared of that one haha). Anyways, that was the Christmas house, and it was awesome. And yes, we visited more than once on our trip ;)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sa2bY0O79MY/U1nmjVgK-ZI/AAAAAAAAHdE/G7TnSci6D3M/s1600/large+mouth+bass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sa2bY0O79MY/U1nmjVgK-ZI/AAAAAAAAHdE/G7TnSci6D3M/s1600/large+mouth+bass.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">large mouth bass!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course my parents had to get into all sorts of shenanigans while we were there. They said they were going to play with Henry outside, and next thing I know I get this picture sent to my phone:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6MM41g-D7t4/U1nml-NPT2I/AAAAAAAAHd4/zCsRr_aKwTg/s1600/wheelbarrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6MM41g-D7t4/U1nml-NPT2I/AAAAAAAAHd4/zCsRr_aKwTg/s1600/wheelbarrow.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">riding in style</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I went out to see where they were, I found them a couple houses away looking at horses. Yup, best trip ever! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bj2Bp9wDxyo/U1nm_v7_p6I/AAAAAAAAHeA/zTepKlqVHIk/s1600/brotherly+love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bj2Bp9wDxyo/U1nm_v7_p6I/AAAAAAAAHeA/zTepKlqVHIk/s320/brotherly+love.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sweet brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had such a great time, and it was nice to get away to the warmer weather. I might just have to go live there for a few months every winter!! The summer there kills me, but I could definitely get used to the winter weather. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for letting us stay with you! It was a fabulous time, and made for some fun memories ♥<br />
<br />yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-61931738190696290942014-04-05T15:38:00.000-07:002014-04-05T15:38:00.491-07:00#purplehairdontcareI have wanted purple hair for years. A couple years ago I did purple ends, but it wasn't the same as all purple hair. I hadn't ever done it because purple is so high maintenance. It fades like crazy, and dyes everything purple. But after Miss Emily used photoshop to give me purple hair in <a href="http://www.yourstrulydear.blogspot.com/2014/03/flashback-family-pictures-2013.html" target="_blank">a family photo</a>, I made up my mind. I'm not getting any younger, so I was all in: PURPLE HAIR IT IS!!<br />
<br />
I told my friend Natalie (who is a hairdresser) my grand plans, and asked her to help me. She graciously agreed (yay!). We bleached my hair, which took a lot of work since I had dyed my hair dark after George was born. Then we used a purple dye that we thought would work really well. And......it didn't :( It turned my hair back to black with a blue sheen. We knew all of this was an experiment, so we just considered it a little setback and did some more research. I stripped my hair, we bleached it again (also a lot of work, to get the black/blue out...eeks...). Thankfully Natalie knows what she's doing and my hair was not fried!! And because we knew Manic Panic worked, that's what we used. VOILA, PURPLE HAIR!!! This was all just before Christmas, so I've had purple hair for about 3.5 months now. Here are some of the pics that were taken back in December of my new purple hair :)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QVOsRrKgqyM/UzzgB2AyAPI/AAAAAAAAHYs/5EqoBNmJVRU/s1600/purple+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QVOsRrKgqyM/UzzgB2AyAPI/AAAAAAAAHYs/5EqoBNmJVRU/s1600/purple+hair.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VICTORY!! [don't mind me pretending i'm a model...]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmAoVd_7wKM/UzzgCLUlICI/AAAAAAAAHY4/rwjbjZoGIUE/s1600/purplebraid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmAoVd_7wKM/UzzgCLUlICI/AAAAAAAAHY4/rwjbjZoGIUE/s1600/purplebraid.png" height="318" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh braided my hair. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m9oZgmw1wTI/UzzgCLmBhdI/AAAAAAAAHYw/8ZNj-Td6CUE/s1600/purplehair_andgeorge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m9oZgmw1wTI/UzzgCLmBhdI/AAAAAAAAHYw/8ZNj-Td6CUE/s1600/purplehair_andgeorge.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pic has a filter so it almost looks blue, but I still like it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For anyone who is considering going purple, I will tell you what I've found out along the way... Manic Panic fades like CRAZYYYY! Without even washing it, it would fade more with each passing day. I had Natalie re-dye it a few times, but felt like I was almost always walking around with faded hair. Finally we did some more research (who knew purple hair could make you research so much?! haha) and saw a lot of vibrant purple hair online that was dyed with Pravana. Of course, that dye isn't sold in my town. But Natalie picked some up for me when she went to Saint George, and we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best.<br />
<br />
When I first washed out the Pravana I got really nervous because it looked like it went pretty dark. Compared to my faded Manic Panic hair, it was dark. But boy was it VIBRANT!! It's so perfect, and I'm in love with it. I've had the Pravana in for about a month, and haven't had to redye it yet! I do mix in a little bit of dye with my conditioner, which seems to help keep the vibrancy up a bit between washes. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C5uW1Yl0Aqg/UzzjlfIY3DI/AAAAAAAAHZY/MawlTGqQonU/s1600/purple_light.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C5uW1Yl0Aqg/UzzjlfIY3DI/AAAAAAAAHZY/MawlTGqQonU/s1600/purple_light.png" height="316" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">light coming through the blinds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9TlbvqZZHLE/Uzzjjze-BTI/AAAAAAAAHZI/6I0nc5IPyHw/s1600/purplehair_sillynut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9TlbvqZZHLE/Uzzjjze-BTI/AAAAAAAAHZI/6I0nc5IPyHw/s1600/purplehair_sillynut.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this quote is from a kids book and I find it appropriate ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-etyeID3gChY/UzzjkOzpZ2I/AAAAAAAAHZM/qYXT1F2q-Ac/s1600/purplehair_zoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-etyeID3gChY/UzzjkOzpZ2I/AAAAAAAAHZM/qYXT1F2q-Ac/s1600/purplehair_zoo.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at the zoo a couple weeks ago</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Even though everything is purple now (my pillowcase, my neck, my hands after I straighten my hair, the backs of my shirts, etc), it's totally worth it. I love my purple hair and I'm so glad I have awesome friends like Natalie who help all my hair dreams come true!! ;) It's pretty funny because now purple hair seems completely normal to me, and I often forget that it isn't actually super common. Or I just completely forget that my hair is purple. And then I get some really odd looks/stares in public and I'm like "What the heck are they looking at?? Is there chocolate on my face? Ohhh...right..". My favorite reactions are always from kids, who get really excited and intrigued. There have been several instances where kids will <b>yell </b>out to their parents "Mom [and/or Dad]! Look! She has purple hair!!!" It's pretty adorable.<br />
<br />
I love the quote that I have in that selfie above, and I think it also applies to the fact that my hair is purple. So I'll write it out, because it's awesome:<br />
<br />
<b>I may be called a silly nut,</b><br />
<b>or crazy cuckoo bird-so what?</b><br />
<b>I'm having too much fun, you see,</b><br />
<b>for anything to bother me!</b><br />
-"I Like Myself" by Karen Beaumontyourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-30557113831768385092014-04-03T18:02:00.000-07:002014-04-03T18:02:00.537-07:00Flashback: Henry turned TWO!On December 15th, my little baby turned two years old. WHAT THE HECK!?! I just can hardly believe that he is already two. I love Henry to pieces, and although we try each others' patience sometimes, I am completely obsessed with him. He still loves Elmo, so I decided to throw an Elmo themed party. And at the time, his favorite foods were zzaa-zzaa (pizza) and ah-kee's (cookies). <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5B6ewzZzpaE/UzzVJWA7_eI/AAAAAAAAHYQ/h9BzhpKWakY/s1600/Henry_bday_invite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5B6ewzZzpaE/UzzVJWA7_eI/AAAAAAAAHYQ/h9BzhpKWakY/s1600/Henry_bday_invite.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the invitation :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I checked out the Dollar Store to look for Elmo balloons, and I completely lucked out. They didn't have any hanging on their display wall so I got a little nervous, but then I asked someone and they found a whole stash. I got ten. (Which, funny enough, was the same price I could have paid to get ONE Elmo balloon at Sesame Street Live!). <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wv9zd5LO5Bw/UzzTj3KShvI/AAAAAAAAHXY/PxkEDX15NwE/s1600/balloons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wv9zd5LO5Bw/UzzTj3KShvI/AAAAAAAAHXY/PxkEDX15NwE/s1600/balloons.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">they were a big hit</td></tr>
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I made Henry a Happy Birthday banner. And wow...that took forever. It seems so simple, yet took SO LONG! I'm keeping it and totally plan on using it for future birthdays. Because for real, it was pretty labor intensive haha. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zun3TZdCnmE/UzzZMeZuuBI/AAAAAAAAHYc/H_fGnowHnrM/s1600/bday+banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zun3TZdCnmE/UzzZMeZuuBI/AAAAAAAAHYc/H_fGnowHnrM/s1600/bday+banner.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got Sesame Street stickers and decorated party hats because I couldn't find a store that sold Elmo party supplies... Doesn't Walmart know that Elmo is still huge, and parents don't want to do anything?! Get with the program, peeps!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_LsOtqUmIxg/UzzTj3ee6PI/AAAAAAAAHXU/7S4cU5DSISo/s1600/bday+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_LsOtqUmIxg/UzzTj3ee6PI/AAAAAAAAHXU/7S4cU5DSISo/s1600/bday+hat.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">he didn't like the hats so much...</td></tr>
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Mimi and Bear came to town for the weekend to celebrate. We loved having them here, and they got him a big Hug Me Elmo. It talks, sings, and gives hugs. Which means it's inherently a little bit creepy, but Henry loved it ;)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rd3jpb3iX00/UzzTk3jHDjI/AAAAAAAAHXs/aSDrFf9CFMA/s1600/boys+and+mimi+and+bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rd3jpb3iX00/UzzTk3jHDjI/AAAAAAAAHXs/aSDrFf9CFMA/s1600/boys+and+mimi+and+bear.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">see the fear in George's eyes? toys that talk on their own are totally freaky ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some of our friends were able to make it to the party as well, and Henry got spoiled with toys. IN FACT, I think I've decided I'm never buying Henry a birthday present ever again. He got SO MANY toys that it was kind of insane. I think Josh's head might have exploded from the OCD-induced panic that comes along with a house overrun with toys. (Totally joking...sort of...). Henry was having so much fun playing with all his new toys that we decided just to give him a couple small presents from us, and keep the bigger ones for Christmas. He didn't even notice the difference. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-isp_MkYq6dw/UzzTlEj-1TI/AAAAAAAAHXw/I6NbosrYL7s/s1600/grocery+cart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-isp_MkYq6dw/UzzTlEj-1TI/AAAAAAAAHXw/I6NbosrYL7s/s1600/grocery+cart.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New shopping cart. New vacuum. Ready to go!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GxvOIXZuwIw/UzzTlgE0MBI/AAAAAAAAHYA/LL665p--JIE/s1600/opening+presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GxvOIXZuwIw/UzzTlgE0MBI/AAAAAAAAHYA/LL665p--JIE/s1600/opening+presents.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to force him to open each new toy, since he was still busy playing with the last one. #toddlerproblems</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Overall, the party was a really fun time. We had pizza (obviously), lots of cookies, and a cookie birthday cake. Because it was Bear's birthday weekend too, we also had a second birthday cookie cake for him too :) We really like our cookies around here!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXYxKdAjfEs/UzzTmNq7ZLI/AAAAAAAAHX8/SvWrZpRJCH8/s1600/presents+and+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXYxKdAjfEs/UzzTmNq7ZLI/AAAAAAAAHX8/SvWrZpRJCH8/s1600/presents+and+cake.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">birthday collage!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
His birthday party was a great time, and Henry had an absolute blast! Thanks to everyone who helped make it so awesome! And a big thanks to my mom who came up and visited the weekend before, since she couldn't come for his birthday weekend. :)<br />
<br />
On December 17 we went to the pediatrician for Henry's two year appointment. Here are his stats:<br />
Weight: 28.4 lbs -- 56%<br />
Height: 35.5" -- 79%<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G-BvJmodWZ4/UzzTj2SMckI/AAAAAAAAHXc/kw_kqxpYLz0/s1600/Dec17+Drs+visit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G-BvJmodWZ4/UzzTj2SMckI/AAAAAAAAHXc/kw_kqxpYLz0/s1600/Dec17+Drs+visit.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bff's</td></tr>
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We love you so much Henry! It is so fun to see you grow up and learn and explore. Happy second birthday!yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-46948350565295671212014-04-02T20:20:00.000-07:002014-04-02T20:20:10.233-07:00Flashback: Christmas preparations In early December we had a church Christmas party that we attended. Santa was also in attendance. Last year Henry did not do well with Santa, so we were interested to see how he'd do this year. We tried to hype him up a bit and mentally prepare him ;) Unfortunately, that didn't really work...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-go6WqK80qCE/UzzP8y2HaUI/AAAAAAAAHXI/BJwqXDLqZOM/s1600/Henry+and+Santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-go6WqK80qCE/UzzP8y2HaUI/AAAAAAAAHXI/BJwqXDLqZOM/s1600/Henry+and+Santa.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor Santa ;)</td></tr>
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George is so chill and happy that he was just looking around. Compared to Henry's experience, it was a cake walk for Santa. He almost seems bored in the pic... <br />
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I had to work on convincing Josh that we needed to put up Christmas decorations. Which is funny because it used to be the opposite: I was scrooge and Josh would have to talk me into doing anything Christmas-related. I think it comes along with the territory of having kids: now I want to have memory-making stuff for the kids, and Josh doesn't want to deal with the mess that comes with combining kids and decorations. In the end, we put up the tree and decorations! The ornaments on the tree <i>almost</i> made me lose my mind... because Henry thought it was <b>the coolest thing ever</b> to take the ornaments off and throw them on the ground. I'm just glad the tree didn't fall over. But man those ornaments were practically the death of me. By the end of the month Henry had gotten much better about leaving them alone, thank goodness. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H2RWQOMyLQs/UzzP8dXc9kI/AAAAAAAAHW0/oHQt8IGBS0o/s1600/George+christmas+tree+Dec11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H2RWQOMyLQs/UzzP8dXc9kI/AAAAAAAAHW0/oHQt8IGBS0o/s1600/George+christmas+tree+Dec11.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the cutest present ever</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Al6cw81PKO8/UzzP8t7b7OI/AAAAAAAAHW4/DZuRPgSQk8g/s1600/George+rolling+to+see+kitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Al6cw81PKO8/UzzP8t7b7OI/AAAAAAAAHW4/DZuRPgSQk8g/s1600/George+rolling+to+see+kitty.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kitteh?</td></tr>
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Because Henry's birthday is December 15, the presents under the tree were both for Christmas and his birthday. Surprisingly Henry mostly left the presents alone. Every once in a while he would get curious, but we'd just ask him to put them back and he did a good job. Such a stud :)yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-23737467920077955792014-03-27T17:35:00.000-07:002014-03-27T17:35:00.279-07:00Flashback: Family Pictures 2013As I mentioned in my last post, our dear friend Emily was kind enough to take some family pictures for us while her and Dave were visiting. You can tell how amazing of a photographer she is just from looking at her pictures, but add the fact that our kids were NOT cooperating, and I'm amazed she even got any decent pictures at all (let alone awesome ones!!). A HUGE thank you to Emily!! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hehehe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily worked photoshop magic on this pic, which gave me the final push I needed to finally dye my hair purple. </td></tr>
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Thanks so much Emily, WE LOVE YOU! And Davey too, duh ;)yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-91715361937362644782014-03-26T21:12:00.000-07:002014-03-26T21:12:01.102-07:00Flashback: Thanksgiving VIDEO!Our vacation, captured and pieced together beautifully by Dave:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/H83vUXpb7vQ" width="560"></iframe><br />yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-75388468545522762092014-03-26T20:25:00.002-07:002014-03-26T21:08:45.857-07:00Flashback: Thanksgiving vacationThanksgiving was <b>awesome</b>. Our dear friends Emily and Dave came out to visit us from Ohio!! We hadn't seen them for a year, which felt like an eternity. Obviously they just need to come live in our house so we never have to be separated again ;) This post is definitely the short version of everything. I lost a lot of my pictures from my phone recently, so these are all pictures pulled from Instagram (and some stolen from Emily!). <br />
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To start our vacation, Josh and I drove up north so we could party at Josh's parents' house. Once again, I got out of cooking Thanksgiving dinner (woot woot!)!! Emily and Dave drove from the airport to meet us so we could all enjoy a lovely meal together.A big thanks to Mimi and Bear for hosting us all! :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tI_CVQfLOw/UzOQUuer3dI/AAAAAAAAHUc/F1TboR1ib6g/s1600/road+trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tI_CVQfLOw/UzOQUuer3dI/AAAAAAAAHUc/F1TboR1ib6g/s1600/road+trip.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road trippin up north!</td></tr>
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Mary is so nice and cooked the entire meal for us. Josh had to help ...prepare... the turkey. And it was hilarious. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fKdqW415vEU/UzOQUCI1H7I/AAAAAAAAHUQ/i451GPg6qO0/s1600/josh+turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fKdqW415vEU/UzOQUCI1H7I/AAAAAAAAHUQ/i451GPg6qO0/s1600/josh+turkey.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Just grab it right there, and pull!!"</td></tr>
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After all the fun/festivities/fabulous meal, we hung out for a bit and then made the journey back home. That night we played games and caught up. George played some video games too ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNQksar2BlE/UzOQUDPJH0I/AAAAAAAAHUk/CeOIApQCLyE/s1600/george+thanksgiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNQksar2BlE/UzOQUDPJH0I/AAAAAAAAHUk/CeOIApQCLyE/s1600/george+thanksgiving.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thumbs are tasty</td></tr>
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Our vacation consisted a lot of hanging out, eating food, and holding babies. With some park-playing, football watching, and more eating thrown in there. We had so much fun with Emily and Dave, and we were SO HAPPY they could come visit. Dave played videographer the whole time, and made the best video ever made in the history of ever. I'm trying to upload it to youtube, so we'll see if that works out... Because it sums up our entire vacation perfectly. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLyHJDGh-Qo/UzOQSZNd8fI/AAAAAAAAHT0/FkIhXBtbJs4/s1600/dave+and+george.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLyHJDGh-Qo/UzOQSZNd8fI/AAAAAAAAHT0/FkIhXBtbJs4/s1600/dave+and+george.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I swear George actually liked him... haha</td></tr>
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Henry's favorite part of Aunty Em and Uncle Davey's visit was probably watching videos of their dog Finn on their phones. "Doggy? Doggy?" And asking them for snacks, obvi.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8LF_phhO6I/UzOQSuf14WI/AAAAAAAAHTw/0390qSrRWzY/s1600/emily+and+henry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8LF_phhO6I/UzOQSuf14WI/AAAAAAAAHTw/0390qSrRWzY/s1600/emily+and+henry.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunty Em!</td></tr>
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George's favorite part was all the snuggles and extra attention he got. Such a spoiled baby!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1vVWdn6jbGc/UzOQTCAx19I/AAAAAAAAHT8/uBx1sReUmCc/s1600/george+and+em+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1vVWdn6jbGc/UzOQTCAx19I/AAAAAAAAHT8/uBx1sReUmCc/s1600/george+and+em+2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sleepy time!</td></tr>
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We love having such amazing people in our lives who are so sweet and loving to our kids. We're very lucky to have such wonderful friends :) Also while they were here, Emily was nice enough to take family pictures for us. I will have them up in my next post!! She's the bestesttttttt! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l3bbwF4C8CE/UzOQTgkkwmI/AAAAAAAAHUM/RC13xEJ86dc/s1600/george+and+em.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l3bbwF4C8CE/UzOQTgkkwmI/AAAAAAAAHUM/RC13xEJ86dc/s1600/george+and+em.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kisses!!!!</td></tr>
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Everyone was sad when Emily and Dave had to leave. I may have cried a little bit. And I did not want to ever let go of Emily. Speaking of Emily, she tried to stuff Henry in her suitcase. We told her to return him when he was potty trained. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5ph623qvJI/UzOQTBFxMsI/AAAAAAAAHUE/56FcrH5iy5E/s1600/collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5ph623qvJI/UzOQTBFxMsI/AAAAAAAAHUE/56FcrH5iy5E/s1600/collage.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'LL NEVER LET YOU GOOOOO!!!"</td></tr>
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Like I said, this is a very condensed version of a fabulous vacation. To sum it all up? <b>IT WAS SO FUN!!!</b> We have missed these crazy kids so much, and it was almost surreal that they were actually here! Thank you Emily and Dave for making the trip, and making our Thanksgiving break absolutely amazing. We love you and miss you. Now please come live in our compound. Thanks ;)yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-73266713965895729132014-02-28T16:30:00.000-08:002014-02-28T16:30:00.632-08:00Flashback: Sesame Street LiveWhen I saw that 'Sesame Street Live - Elmo Makes Music' was coming to our city, I <b>knew </b>Henry would really enjoy it. He's never been to any kind of show or movie, so I was a little nervous. But Elmo was involved, so I had hope!! The show was on November 13th, and I was <i>almost</i> foolish enough to try and bring both kids by myself. Then I smartened up and asked a friend if she could watch George, and thankfully she was able to. That made it so I was able to just focus on Henry having a blast!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4vUq1cujlt0/UxAqAj0FcLI/AAAAAAAAHRw/kG4O0O0xj_c/s1600/elmo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4vUq1cujlt0/UxAqAj0FcLI/AAAAAAAAHRw/kG4O0O0xj_c/s1600/elmo1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3N_ktmmbQ8/UxAqCqTTNbI/AAAAAAAAHSo/ZRf_ZTaST8w/s1600/elmo9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3N_ktmmbQ8/UxAqCqTTNbI/AAAAAAAAHSo/ZRf_ZTaST8w/s1600/elmo9.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the theater. "What is this magic?!"</td></tr>
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The show was actually really cute and fun. They periodically had the monsters come out in the audience and wave to the kids and interact. I was a little miffed because the row in front of us was empty, but the monsters couldn't come down it because someone put their car seat in the way. <b>Way to ruin our fun, stranger!!</b> Sorry, I digress... <b> </b>At one point a random monster (pictured below) managed to make their way close enough to us to give Henry a high five. While I think Henry was a bit taken off guard, he thought it was pretty cool. I didn't really get a picture of <i>that </i>moment, but you can imagine it ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ckjk-qv3A28/UxAqAg9tyuI/AAAAAAAAHR0/u7RdBVJQ9vo/s1600/elmo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ckjk-qv3A28/UxAqAg9tyuI/AAAAAAAAHR0/u7RdBVJQ9vo/s1600/elmo2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry got to high five this beautiful monster. [Also see lovely fun-blocking family two rows in front of us...grr]</td></tr>
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At first I had Henry set up in the chair next to me. But that got a bit distracting, as it was one of those movie-theater style chairs that was trying to eat him. I ended up sitting him in my lap--where he stayed for almost the entire time (over an hour!). Impressive, I know. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CvpTsHs_bAA/UxAqBPXPyGI/AAAAAAAAHSU/yUGhwxYge5s/s1600/elmo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CvpTsHs_bAA/UxAqBPXPyGI/AAAAAAAAHSU/yUGhwxYge5s/s1600/elmo3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happiness. </td></tr>
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There were a lot of different musical numbers, most of which were about making music. One or two might have been about finding lost instruments or something. [Insert joke about Sesame Street beating a dead horse by making music <b>about </b>making music, which adults find monotonous but children find amazing]. <br />
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Henry was literally ENTHRALLED the entire time, which actually made it really fun for both of us. It's an awesome feeling to see your child be so happy, and to be able to share that moment with them :) Even if it's over seeing Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street gang dancing and singing in real life. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PEo1i-KVEUc/UxAqBXP8bsI/AAAAAAAAHSA/Rndd45E9HiQ/s1600/elmo4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PEo1i-KVEUc/UxAqBXP8bsI/AAAAAAAAHSA/Rndd45E9HiQ/s1600/elmo4.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captivated. Maybe there was some sort of subliminal brainwashing going on. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EPQzqyoznls/UxAqBtsaoMI/AAAAAAAAHSI/YEH4zyk2_84/s1600/elmo5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EPQzqyoznls/UxAqBtsaoMI/AAAAAAAAHSI/YEH4zyk2_84/s1600/elmo5.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">singing & dancing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QggU2z9_Lys/UxAqB1GqOGI/AAAAAAAAHSQ/IbYC_3wZjv4/s1600/elmo6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QggU2z9_Lys/UxAqB1GqOGI/AAAAAAAAHSQ/IbYC_3wZjv4/s1600/elmo6.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think Elmo came out near us maybe once or twice. But like I mentioned, the car seat family... </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mO-rDE-aD4c/UxAqCJwgqFI/AAAAAAAAHSg/qPhdpQ0W3_I/s1600/elmo7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mO-rDE-aD4c/UxAqCJwgqFI/AAAAAAAAHSg/qPhdpQ0W3_I/s1600/elmo7.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockin robin birds with Big Bird</td></tr>
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I will say something about this production... they definitely know how to make money. They have it down to a science. More like an art form, really. For example: they have an intermission, and the second those stage lights start dimming, people come out with giant bunches of helium Elmo balloons. Cue kids <strike>yelling </strike>saying "Elmo! Balloon! Oooh!" and cue parents thinking *<i>Aww, maybe I'll be nice and get a balloon for my kid, that would be cute</i>*. So the balloon guy comes closer and you overhear someone ask how much the balloons are. Cue balloon guy saying "<b>ten dollars</b>", and then cue frazzled parents attempting to steer their balloon-craving children away, resulting in heartache and tantrums. In public. You can all see where this is heading... <i>Cha-ching</i>!<br />
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We went out in the lobby during intermission to see what else they were selling. Everything was outrageously priced, so instead of purchasing anything I just took pictures of Henry and Elmo in front of the merch booth ;) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BYiWmRWDW2A/UxAqCZguXDI/AAAAAAAAHSw/afyrIG2zN9Q/s1600/elmo8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BYiWmRWDW2A/UxAqCZguXDI/AAAAAAAAHSw/afyrIG2zN9Q/s1600/elmo8.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What's up, Elmo?"</td></tr>
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After intermission, Henry started to get a bit more antsy. He stayed in my lap for about ten more minutes, and then stood up in front of his chair for the rest of the time (about 15 minutes). All the dancing and singing [combined with my ample supply of Goldfish] kept him from wandering away. ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xCISnOVe_DE/UxAqAk5Mv_I/AAAAAAAAHRs/HO_UixocgMw/s1600/elmo10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xCISnOVe_DE/UxAqAk5Mv_I/AAAAAAAAHRs/HO_UixocgMw/s1600/elmo10.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They did cool black light stuff where only shoes lit up on stage </td></tr>
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It ended up being a really fun experience, and it was completely worth the money, time, and child-geared acting. Henry was completely in awe of the whole show, and if they come back to our city next year I'm sure we will be going again! :)yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011013892370013732.post-65660826871498766642014-02-19T18:12:00.000-08:002014-02-19T18:12:00.643-08:00Flashback: George's baby blessingOn November 3rd, George got blessed at church. It was not only a special occasion because of his blessing, but also because our friends and family came to visit. My parents drove up from Arizona, Josh's parents and sisters family drove down from up north, and our BFFs Jeff and Darci also drove down. It was a party! On Sunday our friends Ryan and Natalie also came to the blessing. The weekend was definitely a whirlwind, but we all had such a great time. There's not much better than being surrounded by your favorite people ♥<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cA3R2en2rA0/UwRU92bBqRI/AAAAAAAAHRU/zoa2UPt7aVo/s1600/grandmasnuggles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cA3R2en2rA0/UwRU92bBqRI/AAAAAAAAHRU/zoa2UPt7aVo/s1600/grandmasnuggles.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snuggling with Grandma</td></tr>
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My mom made George's blessing outfit, and it had that cute vintage feel that I love. He was a major stud :) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3mFhw5vTSH8/UwRTSCNAOJI/AAAAAAAAHQs/_3SKoBtbN_s/s1600/blessing1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3mFhw5vTSH8/UwRTSCNAOJI/AAAAAAAAHQs/_3SKoBtbN_s/s1600/blessing1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">always a happy camper</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H-Q7_FuRuQA/UwRTSAGQCBI/AAAAAAAAHQw/iDb3p5i0YnA/s1600/blessing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H-Q7_FuRuQA/UwRTSAGQCBI/AAAAAAAAHQw/iDb3p5i0YnA/s1600/blessing2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">family picture! complete with Henry's shiner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ShI4a7Nyzv0/UwRTSEAZeYI/AAAAAAAAHQo/FNch2lOu1Z4/s1600/blessing3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ShI4a7Nyzv0/UwRTSEAZeYI/AAAAAAAAHQo/FNch2lOu1Z4/s1600/blessing3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with Mimi and Bear</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3mJWK9rvrQ/UwRTSkOgFUI/AAAAAAAAHRA/t9crkVUZbq8/s1600/blessing4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3mJWK9rvrQ/UwRTSkOgFUI/AAAAAAAAHRA/t9crkVUZbq8/s1600/blessing4.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with Grandma and Grandpa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L6D7rjccoAk/UwRTSyngsYI/AAAAAAAAHQ4/jd8zmpKKcmo/s1600/blessing5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L6D7rjccoAk/UwRTSyngsYI/AAAAAAAAHQ4/jd8zmpKKcmo/s1600/blessing5.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the funniest face ever</td></tr>
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We had a wonderful day and a fun-filled weekend. We're so grateful for all the sweet people in our lives who give so much love to our boys. Thank you to our friends and family for being a part of our special day :) To our friends who couldn't make it because we now live super far away (sorry), we missed you! ♥yourstrulydearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13523855044111154157noreply@blogger.com0