It is super hard to title blog posts. Like harder than naming a child.

This week has been full of super cold, snowy, wet weather. With two active little kidlets, this Momma had to get creative. I felt like super-mom and built a huge fort in our living room.  

Todd was all concerned about bookshelves smashing kids, but I was cautious. Nobody got smashed.

Todd drove our Subaru to work all week, so I was pretty stranded. Max and I walked Autumn to preschool on Tuesday and only almost died a few times. He thought he was in snow heaven though. He kept yelling SNOW! YAY! IDIDIT! Like he was somehow responsible for making it snow. PS, if you like Max's hat, check out thatyarngirl.blogspot.com. Her stuff is awesome, custom, and super affordable.

We had a few serious snuggle fests. Autumn adores her brother and can't understand why he doesn't always want her to squeeze, kiss and love on him.

 I drove up with my Mom and Sister to Layton to have lunch with my Sister in Law Karen for her birthday. Todd texted me earlier in the day and said the roads would be fine. He was wrong. It was terrifying. Sarah took this picture and sent it to him out of spite.

Max decided to be all grown up and climb out of his crib. I sent Autumn up to "surprise" him when he woke up from a nap and I heard her yell, "Uh, Mom. You'd better get in here" I go running into his room and there is is planking on the front bar of his crib. I somehow managed to catch him as he was falling. I was terrified and sad. He was so proud. He made me put him back in so he could climb out again. Boys.

 Last bit of news, I started working for a grill/smoker company called Traeger Grills. I am getting a loaner grill to use while I am helping on their site and posting some recipes for them. First up for the smoker are these lovely St. Louis Style ribs. Can't wait until Super Bowl Sunday!

 I would also like to add, me getting this job is, I believe, entirely Todd's fault. He has this thing about him where he pretty much always gets what he wants. Heavenly Father, the universe, Karma (whatever you please) really loves him. Todd has told me multiple times in the past two years that he really wants to get into true BBQ and learn how to smoke meats and create sauces. It always seemed out of reach, like a hobby we didn't have time for and couldn't afford. So what does the Higher Powers within our world do?? Gets me a job for a grill/smoker company who offers to give me a grill for free and pay me for learning how to use it. On top of that, this job opportunity was forwarded to me from a new neighbor that I met through an old neighbor. It is like Heavenly Father was planning for Todd to be happy and learn to smoke meats before Todd even knew that it would make him happy. Impressive, right? I am lucky to be married to a man who is clearly doing the right things in life to have so many good things come back around to him. I benefit by proxy. Smoked Ribs, here we come!!!

Pictures and words about stuff

Not sure if you know this, but kids are kind of awesome. I live vicariously through them while we play Pirates attack the Princess and Ponies.

 Oh, and soccer.

 Jazz games are fun, especially when we go for Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

 Pillow forts are awesome.

 So is eating the boxes of chocolates delivered by my super awesome boss in zebra snuggies.

 Basically, if you don't have kids, then you should try to be around them as much as possible. And if you do have kids, enjoy them, take pictures of them and most importantly. Invest in snuggies.

I won't quit you.

I realize I'm posting a few days later than I normally do, but I took the last half of this week off. Wednesday afternoon, I packed my bags and ran away to St. George with some awesome ladies from my old 'hood. We shopped, ate, shopped, ate, read books, worked out, ate, slept in, watched movies, ate, and played games. It was such a perfect little getaway.

So, if you are ever in St. George go to Swig. Order a Dirty Dr. Pepper and a Sugar Cookie. No thanks necessary.

AahhhahHHhaa Sweet Sunshine.

Junk food movie time.

 Holy food fiesta. If you know me, you know I love to eat out and eat well and then talk about what I ate. Luckily all of the ladies were also lovers of food and talking about food.

Just doing some mermaid dancing (It involves a lot of floor work) and some horizontal running.

 I came back so refreshed and excited to be Mommy again and Todd was thrilled to share parental duties with me. He is seriously awesome and I think the kids would prefer to have Daddy watch them exclusively.

Happy Anny or Happy Versary. Around here we like it both ways.

When I posted last week, I posted the day after our official anniversary. As usual, I was playing catch up and decided to post a few other things and save this post for it's very own day. So..... I guess I should start posting about it.

Todd and I just celebrated our 6th anniversary! For real life. Think back to Jr High. Did you ever even like somebody for more than a month at a time? Me neither. The idea that I could be married to the same person for 6 years and love them even more than the day we met seems mind blowing.

Like, literally, my mind just imploded.

I am so so lucky to have found this man. Especially considering we met when I was 17. Looking back, it seems like he was kind of a creeper dating a girl that young (no wonder my Mom was worried.) Regardless of many warnings, we got hitched and I have forever been proud of the younger version of myself for seeing the awesome qualities that Todd had to offer.

We got to celebrate a few times this year. We got to spend a night away before Christmas and eat an amazing dinner at the Grand America and see The Hobbit (holy crap that movie is long). On our actual anniversary we went out to Rodizio Grill and got our Meat Sweat on (it's like that thing that happens to the back of your neck when you consume excessive amounts of beef/pork/chicken/and sausage) then we went to Les Miserables (holy crap that movie is also long)

Todd- I love you. I am grateful to have you. I can't wait to high five you into the eternities.

P.S.- I hope you get over your current stomach sickness as it hurts my heart to watch you writhing on the floor.

It is the New Yaarrrgh!

So I always like to put my goals out there. Just so you (the reader) can judge me for not having a plan, or whatever. And then you can judge me again when I fail. Mostly I just do this so that you will feel better about yourself. (I just decided that one of my goals is to help others feel better about themselves) We call that a win-win-win around here. The third win is because I can fail at all of my other goals and still be accomplishing something. Did I just blow your minds?! Let's switch to something easier. Here is a calming picture:

Better yet? Good. Let's get to it.

1-Take a Facebook Hiatus. I have learned that Facebook detracts seriously from the amount of time I would normally spend being awesome. I hereby declare to reserve Facebook checking time for Saturday evenings after the Children are sleeping and Todd is in the bathroom or popping popcorn. Linking Instagram pictures and posting links to the blog don't count as "checking Facbook"

2-Update the Blog. I hereby declare that Blog Updating Time will occur weekly either Wednesday or Thurdsay afternoon during Nap/Preschool Time. By the end of the year I will have 52 blog posts, so get your reading glasses ready, friends.

3-Attend the Temple once each month. I hereby declare to visit the Temple one Saturday morning a month as my Mom has graciously offered her babysitting services.

How about you guys? Any goals or declarations??

Grandma Jean

We lost our sweet Grandma near the end of September and I just wanted to take a little minute to put some of my memories into words. Preserve them for future generations, especially my kids, as they won't have their own memories with her.

I feel so blessed that we lived with my Mom for 6 months this last year. We got to spend a lot of time with my Grandma from weekly visits to her Care Center or long afternoons filled with popsicles and naps when she came over for the day.

Autumn loved to visit with her "GG" and was always making her cards to take home.

My grandma was a beautiful lady inside and out. She cried with me after I miscarried a baby in between Autumn and Max. She laughed with my silly Autumn when she would sing and dance. She kissed my (then) little babe Max. Every time I went to her house to visit she was trying to give me a pair of shoes or a skirt. That lady had style.

I love my sweet Grandma and can't wait to see her again and meet my Grandpa on the other side. I'm sure Kylie is with them, getting her share of Grandma's opinions.

Back in the *figurative* saddle!

'Sup. Ready to get the old bloggity up and rolling now that things have started to settle. To get you caught up, we moved into our house near the end of October. Autumn had her 4th (yes 4th) birthday party here. We trick or treated like crazy hoodlums. We hosted Todd's family for Thanksgiving. We made some awesome new friends in our awesome new hood. We celebrated Christmas. Then it was New Years.

I feel like there were a lot of days in between all of those things, but honestly the last two months went by faster than Jimmy Johnson at Talladega. (How often do you get a Nascar reference while you are reading a blog?? Be honest. You liked it)