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When a Craving for a Cupcake Hits and Other Recent Happenings

1.29.2020

^^22 Weeks Pregnant^^

It was Monday night. I was sitting at home winding down after a long afternoon with the kids when a craving for a cupcake suddenly hit.

I texted Bron. "Pregnancy craving. I NEED a CUPCAKE."

I really didn't expect much of a response. Bron was pulling one of his busy 15 hour work/travel days and was on his way home from Utah. Well, the man stopped at Stoke's in Burley and walked through the door an hour later with not one, but two delicious sweet treats from the deli!

Best. Husband. Ever.

We sat at the kitchen counter sharing one of the desserts and talking until midnight. There's just something special about sharing some sweets with my sweetie in the late hours of the evening after a tiring day; it's what marriage is all about sometimes and I don't want to forget it. He so totally loves me.

And because he brought two over-the-top treats home, I saved one for some pregnancy pictures to commemorate the occasion. I can't take myself too seriously, can I?!?

5.05.2019

Celebrating 12 whole years together with this handsome man! I didn't grow up with very many good examples of what a healthy relationship looked like, but this guy right here has patiently taught me how to build a marriage that is much more than just teamwork; we spend our evening hours talking, our weekends on dates, and our efforts attempting to shoulder one another's burdens. Marriage to Bron is better than I initially imagined it ever could be.

Happy 12th Anniversary, Babe! I love you!!!

6.11.2018

We have a really good thing going. In our eleven years of marriage, weekly date nights have become a staple for Bron's and my relationship... because we're more than just teammates, we're sweethearts!

Date night is hands-down my favorite night of the week. In fact, looking forward to getting away from my round the clock boy mom job for a few hours of relaxation and fun is sometimes the only thing that gets me through some of those long and busy days. (Just to be clear, sometimes life gets in the way and we may skip a date or two, but these dates are definitely a priority.) Date nights are our way of stealing a few selfish hours to ourselves to do exactly what we want to do without any interruption. Most importantly, however, it's about reconnecting to the man I said 'yes' to all those years ago and all the reasons I fell in love with him.

Last Saturday, Bron and I headed up to the South Hills for a long mountain bike ride! You bet I was grinning from ear to ear as I rode through all those yellow flowers. Without any coaxing, Bron read my mind and whipped out his phone for this shot. Haha. Mountain biking is such a blast. Then I changed into a casual dress in the truck and we went out to dinner at a local Italian restaurant called Tomato's. We sat side by side in the booth, whispering like teenagers and drinking Italian cream sodas that tasted like dessert. Finally, we rounded it all out with a trip to the grocery store. Balance. Can't get away from reality for too long.

I love you, Bron! Thanks for making date nights a special thing.

8.20.2017

I don't claim to be awesome at mountain biking, but I sure enjoy it. Due to a baby who is literally attached, it's been really hard to get some time in the saddle this summer, but Bron and I made it happen a handful of times.

And then I raced.

Because I was signed up for Pierre's Hole last year before I got pregnant, I showed up at the race with a big belly and the race director rolled my fee over to this year. Ready or not, I was going to participate this summer!

I went into Pierre's Hole with the intention of making the big loop back to the lodge--about 18 miles-- and then calling it quits.

The day of the race, I got a completely flat tire just a few miles in. Fortunately, this kind guy offered to help me fix it and I was on my way again. The hills were grueling, but the downhills were a kick in the pants. I felt like some technique was starting to click and I was flying! It was so, so much fun.

By the time I reached the second aid station at mile 18, I determined that the race was equal parts sufferfest and absolute blast! The folks at the station cheered me on. Only 12 more miles to go. A day ride. No monster hills. It was race day! The adrenaline was pumping. I could do it! And so I pressed on.

The first few miles were good, but I could feel myself gassing out. I just didn't have the miles behind me in training. My muscles were screaming. I honestly would have skipped an entire part of the trail if I'd known how to get out of that valley. Instead, I slowly plotted along. I walked up hills I normally wouldn't have and silently cursed the wild flowers. Yes, I cursed the pretty wildflowers! I hated them that day. I tried to stay mentally positive and give myself some pep talks. I ran out of water. Oh, it was arduous!

And then, I crossed the finish line--in approximately 5 hours and 24 minutes, almost exactly an hour longer than I'd raced it two years prior. I couldn't help the tears! It was an emotional feat.

I was so glad to be done! And pretty darn proud of myself. I was in disbelief that I'd actually done it! I did it! Wow. That was just pure race day stupidity and grit. Next time, and there will be a next time, I'm going to train.

By the way, Bron raced Pierre's Hole as well. It's been a rough year for both of us on our bikes. Between a nasty chest cold and not being able to train as much as he would've liked, Bron didn't make good time. It's just the way it goes, you know? But he did it! For the love of the sport. Sometimes I think that's all that matters. At least that's what we tell ourselves. We do it because we enjoy it!

*****

Precisely seven days later, I hopped on my bike again. This time it was a local charity race up in our very own South Hills: three loops around Magic Mountain, approximately ten miles total. Compared to Pierre's Hole, it was a walk in the park. It was fun. And I came in first (out of one) for the women! Hehe.

Good times.

*****

Mountain biking is still Bron and my date night activity of choice. Just this weekend, we played around on our bikes at Auger Falls and followed it up with some delicious burritos before returning home to relieve the babysitter. Those date nights are so good for us. Not only are we exercising to relieve stress, but I get some one-on-one time to reconnect with my best friend. I know it means the world to both of us because if our marriage is strong, we're happier. We can more easily take on whatever the kids and jobs and church and life in general throws at us--together.

I find it curious that except for hiking, Bron and I no longer do anything of those things we used to do when we were dating. Instead, over the last decade, we've found new activities and hobbies. Fortunately, many of those hobbies are things we both enjoy, and so we share in the challenge of learning them--together. I'd like to think it means we are very well matched.

4.14.2015

There are two things that make me feel like I'm rocking this gigue as a stay-at-home-mom:

1. Spending quality time with my kids
2. Keeping a clean house

It's a travesty that the two parts of my job naturally work against one another. Most days I feel like I'm drowning in responsibility: so much to get done, so many places to be. And though I have a very yellow personality--I have a very happy go-lucky attitude--I'm also part red--I thrive on organization and routine.

I noticed a little while ago that I started equating my sense of productivity and worth by how much I accomplished in a day. "See! I folded four loads of laundry, mopped the kitchen floor, made the bed, took out the trash, called about that thing, AND took the kids to the park." Honestly, I was exhausting myself. And life wasn't much fun; it was stressful. I started lamenting about how I didn't get to that one thing that was on my "list" that day. I deemed myself a failure because I didn't have time to scrub the toilet or I forgot to call the dentist to make an appointment.

It was so silly! My kids love me just the way I am. And Bron knows I always try my best and that's plenty good enough for him. I simply wasn't being enough for me.

That's when I remembered my mom's advice when I brought home Levi: "Keep your expectations low." And then my Grandpa's instruction came to mind, "Get the important things done first in the day. The rest can wait till tomorrow. And some things, you'll never get to."

The hard truth is that our lives are defined by ordinary everyday actions and moments: taking the time to pray, reacting with kindness instead of harshness, practicing an instrument, etc. Small consistent efforts like exercising 20 minutes every day can reap huge benefits in just a few weeks!

I resolved then and there to make my to-do list shorter, to minimize distractions that waste my time (ahem, social media), to "roll with the punches" and not stress over un-done tasks. After all, it can usually be done tomorrow. All I really have is today; I should make it count.

And that's where I had a personal light bulb suddenly illuminate. Making my day count means working towards my personal goals, but more importantly, making sure my family knows that I love them.

Que The Five Love Languages: Receiving Gifts, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Physical Touch, and Quality Time.

Bron thrives on physical touch and quality time. I could go into much greater detail about how I show Bron love, but the bottom line is that over the course of our marriage I have learned that I need to stop what I'm doing to really listen to him: to stop editing pictures in the evening so that we can cuddle, to forgo the sink of dishes to just be with him. (And for you moms of young children out there you know that can be a sacrifice! There are often fleeting windows of opportunity: The kids are fed, they're happy. Hurry! Fill the dishwasher before someone poops his pants!)

The epiphany is that when I take the time and effort to fill Bron's "tank", my list of responsibilities still get done--one way or another. Sometimes a chore is pushed off till the next day, but most of the time, most of the time Bron jumps in to help me. Occasionally, he even cleans the entire kitchen himself--which speaks to my "acts of service" heart!

He feels loved. I feel loved. It's a win-win.

So the age-old advice about putting marriage first and everything else falling into place is really true! I just wish it hadn't taken me nearly eight years to put this all together myself. Good gracious, I married an amazing man. And I am a lucky mother to two of the world's sweetest and wildest boys. I am determined to devote my whole heart to these three boys of mine. I want them to know without a shadow of a doubt that I love them and I want to show them every day.

Everything else will get done in between.

^^The little boys' first real kite flying experience a couple of weeks ago. The excitement and grins were totally worth the $12 spent a hundred times over.^^

2.18.2015

^^My man children looking handsome in their Sunday best. Yes, Levi chose the outfit with the green shirt. He had a death grip on it at the store!^^

Happy Valentine's Day!

We keep Valentine's pretty low-key around here, for a holiday. I just want to show my family a little extra special love. So on Valentine's Day, we busted out the hearts and annual big breakfast tradition. This year we ate crepes with blackberries. And the boys also got a surprise! A heart shaped box filled with chocolates worth just a dollar. (Bron got a giant Reese's heart! And yes, Bron brought home a little surprise for me as well.) Curls ate all his chocolates in four minutes flat. I was proud of Jed; he had enough self-control to spread his treat throughout the weekend.

After breakfast we went to work making some special Valentine's to share with the boys' neighborhood friends: heart-shaped crayons! The hardest part was peeling off all the sticky paper on our broken crayon pieces, but the rest of the project was a breeze. (Basic directions found HERE.) After naps, the boys proudly walked around the neighborhood with giant grins delivering their goodies and spreading some love.

On Saturday night Bron and I went out on our big Valentine's Day date! Actually, we probably would've gone out regardless. It's been unseasonably warm here this February (My lilies are already poking their green fingers up in the yard! Ummm, no. Go back down you crazy plant!) so I suggested we check out the Blue Lakes Country Club and hit a few golf balls--since we're new members and all now. The membership comes as a perk through Bron's job. The thought makes me chuckle. Us? Country club members?! Hahaha! But I am totally thrilled about taking the little boys to the private lake and beach this summer, complete with a water slide. It's going to be a riot.

So after checking out the golf course, Bron and I met some friends in town for all-you-can-eat sushi. Yummm! Then we moved the conversation to Fred Meyer's to walk off our full tummies before meeting another couple at Orange Leaf for some fro-yo dessert. It felt good to laugh and eat so much! (It's no secret the way to my heart is good food.)

Nearly eight years of marriage later, I am happy to declare that not only do Bron and I make a great team, but I am just as in love with that man as the day we got married. (Yes, I sometimes look over and swoon!) It's a perpetual effort to maintain this level of relationship, but it is so worth it. I surprised myself; I didn't know this was possible so far into a marriage.

An all-around great day with the boys I love most. Happy Valentine's Day!

^^Exploring the golf course located inside the Snake River Canyon on our date. Beautiful!^^

9.03.2014

^^This is what photographers call a drive-by shooting: roll down the window and click! Our drive through the Sawtooth Mountains was pretty spectacular.^^

Our Labor Day weekend encompassed the worst of the worst and the best of the best. I have to be honest, Bron and I experienced the biggest upset in our seven years of marriage this weekend. There were harsh words, lots of tears, and Jed reminding us from the back seat that, "We don't yell in the car!" Haha. Our feelings had been brewing over the last few months and it finally all exploded. Fortunately, I married a man who believes in healing hugs, a clean slate, and fresh starts...because marriage is forever. I am so grateful for that. We have no idea how we're going to "fix" what went wrong, but we're both determined to do a little better, to be a little better for one another. I'd like to believe that we'll figure it all out over the coming weeks.

It's ironic that after a blow up like that, all we really want to do is shut the rest of the world out and just cling to one another. And we totally would have dropped the boys off with a babysitter and taken off--just the two of us--if it hadn't happened to be a holiday weekend. So we settled on a long peaceful drive up to Stanley, Idaho instead.

It was essentially a 2.5 hour drive for a picnic on Monday, but the scenery was eye candy. Even the boys enjoyed the views from the back seat between bouts of antagonizing each other. It was a really peaceful and relaxing day spent as a family. We picked up donuts on our way out, ate a picnic lunch on Alturas Lake, and grabbed burgers in Hailey, Idaho on our way home. It felt really good to just let the world and all its worries slide out of focus for a day...and hold my Honey's hand. I think we'll head back up there again next year.

^^We stopped for a picnic lunch on Alturas Lake. Pretty much perfection.^^

^^Rock throwing, of course!^^

Idaho, the more I see and explore, I can't help but fall more and more in love with you. It's officially a love affair.

6.08.2014

Are you sick and tired of seeing pictures every weekend from these grand bike riding adventures Bron and I go on together? I know I'm not! These bike riding dates have become one of the highlights of my week. We're lucky enough to have a regular babysitter whom I like and trust so I'm able to just let go and enjoy the moment.

Mountain biking is an adrenaline rush! It's also exercise. My legs burn, I breathe hard, and I may even sweat a little. *Wink* Plus, the views are sometimes pretty spectacular! It's kind of an incredible thing to zone in on a trail no more than twelve inches wide to conquer technical aspects like maneuvering between two rocks and gearing down for a steep hill. Bron will always be a better rider than me (After all, it's his main hobby and he rode twenty miles that morning too!), but I can tell I'm getting faster and more comfortable with the sport because last night I took a couple of spills. But no matter, it's just a little flesh wound, right? We had sooo much fun with our friends, Nick and Amy! I am more than happy to share in my husband's passion for biking. It's already quickly becoming one of my own. Not to mention, we're making priceless memories!

A few months after Levi was born, Bron and I decided that we ~~wanted~~ needed to go on regular dates together. After all, we aren't students anymore; we can afford a babysitter if we want one. It was rough at first for me to leave my extremely attached baby for a few hours, but I began noticing how much better I felt! I finally had a break from my demanding 24/7 job. (Caring for two little ones and a home is no cake walk!) I felt refreshed and ready to tackle a new week. Also, without any time for "just the two of us" our relationship was becoming strained. Regular date nights have helped tremendously. It's a time we finally get to talk and be heard without interruptions or distractions. On a date, Bron and I get to hold hands, have some fun, eat delicious food, and even go grocery shopping without two pint sized time bombs in the basket. It's the little things. I really do love my man and he loves me. We want a happy marriage. When we are good, everything else is good. I don't know exactly how or why that works, all I know is that it does.

So if you're wondering what we're doing on any regular weekend this summer, you can safely assume that we're outside biking for at least part of it. After all, it's a cheap date! We come away with an adrenaline rush whilst totally earning that greasy burger and fries. Then we head home to a quiet house to shower and relax. It is hands-down the best!

Just one more reason to love summer... and that man whom I've pledged my whole heart and soul.

5.07.2014

Nearly a month later, I finally have my brother's wedding pictures edited. Woohoo! I wish I could relive that wonderful busy weekend over and over again. I had so much fun--letting my hair down and sticking my toes in the ocean. California will always be home for this girl. Looking over these pictures, I can't help missing my family! I'm happy for my brother who found his best friend and life-long companion in this beautiful Hungarian woman named Karmen. She is sweet and outgoing and seems to be well matched for Joe's personality. It is so obvious they are in love. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for them! Thanks for sharing your special day with me. I love you both and can't wait to see you again.

So without further ado, a peek at my favorite pictures from the day. (Also, anyone have any idea why blogger sometimes uploads photos darker than they actually are? It's driving me crazy!)