.

merka and obes.

2012-01-23T23:20:00.000-08:00

while conner is at school, these 2 sillies and i have a lot of time on our hands. it's been awhile since we did our interviews, so the other day we decided it was about time we did a new interview.

and of course snap a few quick pictures of their cuteness. i really can't believe how big they are getting. i haven't been much of a blogger lately, and i feel like i am missing out on documenting so much of their little lives. i better work on that!

oh. and this is probably too much information, but that is what this blog is all about right...i told the boys awhile ago that if they ate too many satsumas they would get "severe diarrhea".they were just eating many of them. sneaking them like candy! so now, every single time merrick and orion go to the bathroom, they yell, (and i quote) "mom, i went SEVERE DIARRHEA, and 2 poops, and some pee to".

Snow! (also Evan's return to blogging)

2012-01-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

So it's been a very long time since I have posted on here for our family but better late than never. We have been having a fine little winter storm here and it's given us a great chance to get outside and celebrate the snow. Meet Bob...he's our snowman!

Then the boys wanted to make the most epic of snowballs so this is the result...

(Yes I helped Obi and Merrick but Conner did his all on his own)

lady gaga, pregnant fouette's, and my dad in a wig.

2012-01-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

my dream last night was awesome. and totally strange, as most dreams are. i was a dancer for lady gaga. and we were performing at the roger's high school gym, except it was way bigger. and my mom and dad were there to support me. so, i am wearing these huge heels...sort of like this:

except it wasn't a wedge shoe, so the heel wasn't attached. it was more like a stiletto. oh, and also, i was skinny and cute, but full on pregnant and still a totally awesome dancer! as i was doing cool dance moves the 6 inch heel on my shoe broke off, so i started to dance all weird. but i kept my cool, and just kept dancing. so then, it's time for lady gaga's grand entrance down the bleachers. it ended up not being that cool. and then all of a sudden there are gym mats all over the floor for us. and lady gaga and all of us dancers start tumbling, like little kids do, except we are totally serious about it and think we are awesome. and then we all just sit there on the floor with jazz hands. and lady gaga turns to me and says that i have to save the show. i have to save the show. but how can i? i am pregnant and my heel is broken and the other shoe is like 6 inches high, what am i supposed to do? then she just whispers, "fouette's". and nods her head, and leaves to go change her costume. so i get up in the middle of all these dancers, face the audience, and start doing like 100 fouette turns. then the slow clap starts! and then i see my mom and dad in the audience. my dad is wearing his normal clothes, but has on a long blue wig, and is totally cool about it. and my mom starts motioning to me that we have to leave, the lady in front of her is eating walnuts! my mom i super allergic to walnuts. so i just stop doing my turns. stand there for a second. and then run off the gym floor, a little like napolean dynamite would. and then i see lady gaga backstage and let her know it's her time now, and that she can do this. ya know, an awesome pep talk!

and then orion came into my room for reals and said he had to pee! so i woke up!

i love rediscovering pictures.

2012-01-08T12:58:00.000-08:00

i forgot we took these about a year ago, and i am so glad i found them...

miss you grandpa.

seattle.

2012-01-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

we do the touristy seattle trip exactly once a year, at christmas, with evan's family! we ride the monorail, walk down to pike place market, stop at beechers, piroshky piroshky, the french bakery, the carousel, and then monorail ride back. we love it. even though the more kids we have, the more nervous i get in the crowds!even griffin made it into this picture...

yep. you can see me from a mile away. and i still have like 3 months to go. how wonderful.

in my own little corner. in my own little chair.

2012-01-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

my parent's have a tradition of taking all the adults out for dinner and a 5th avenue show at christmas time. it is one of my favorite traditions! this year we saw "cinderella" and loved it. thanks so much mom and dad for the wonderful night!

divergent.

2012-01-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

for christmas evan got me a new book. i had never heard of it before, or seen it...so i was kinda like "ok. cool book i guess!" but i read it in a day and a half! and LOVED it! evan knows me well. it's a young adult book similar to the hunger games. the only lame thing is that i can't read any further! it is the first book in a trilogy, but the other two haven't been written yet. so now i have to wait. and i hate waiting!
so. if you like books written for teens, like i do, than read this. you will love it! probably.

holly jolly christmas.

2012-01-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

let's just go ahead and get it out in the open. i am terrible at taking pictures of my family lately. just terrible. so unfortunately, i don't have a ton of pictures from all the fun activities that happened over the christmas break. i'll be doing a lot of borrowing from other blogs! but to get the ball rolling...here are some quick shots of the Mann Family...who all got to be here for christmas. it's been quite a long time since we were in the same place at the same time!

jen, dave, ruby, jeffie, calvin

camila, jason, sully, owen, finn

ryan, claire, baby boy bump

marcilyn, marlena, jeff

grant, brit, juniper, baby boy bump

evan, heather, conner, orion, merrick, baby griffin bump (more like a mountain)

the original Mann family

nana and pop pop with 2 girls and 8 boys (3 more dudes on the way)

snow white's.

2011-12-08T09:19:00.000-08:00

it's no secret the i LOVE movies. especially ones that are fantastical and whimisical...and sometimes a bit on the darker side. so i am actually looking forward to both of these upcoming snow white movies...

ok...i don't particularly love kristin stewart. i mean, i like her in twilight, don't get me wrong. i just don't think she is much of an actress and it bothers me that she never seems to be able to close her mouth...but i think it will be a cool movie.(it's not yet rated...hopefully it's not R.)

and this one looks a little corny...but i know it will like it! i mean, those costumes are simply amazing!

and this has nothing to do with snow white...but clearly i am excited about it!!!

i just get so excited about movies.

thanksgiving.

2011-11-30T15:38:00.001-08:00

thanksgiving was a little different this year. my dad's dad, my grandpa, passed away on november 20th from a heart attack. he just turned 89 on november 2nd. his funeral was held on friday, november 25th. so 2 of my brother's, eric and peter, and i drove down to utah on thanksgiving day to be there with my grandma and our family. it always amazes me, that even in the midst of sadness and tragedy, being with family can be so much fun. our road trip down was awesome. we were all sad to leave our families in washington on thanksgiving, but were so grateful we were able to go. it also gave me time to reflect on the many things that i am so thankful for in my life. the most important, of course, being my family. all of my family. my loving husband, my sweet little boys, my parents, my brothers, my many wonderful in-laws, my grandparents, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, my dear friends. family is really what life is all about. plus, we got to have thanksgiving dinner at a gas station, and we met some really cool llamas along the way! and it was so great to see so many extended family member's that i haven't seen in years. and of course, it was wonderful to be with my dear grandma, and my parents, to celebrate and remember the life of my awesome grandpa.

and he really was awesome. he joined the military when he was 17, even though you weren't allowed until you were 18. he was trained as a mechanic for a year in california, then transferred to the philippine's. five months later he was captured by the japanese and spent 42 months as a World War II prisoner of war. he was one of nearly 10,000 prisoners that was forced to trudge in the bataan death march, sent to japan and used as slave labor in the coal mines. he started the war weighing 195 pounds, and came home weighing just 88. he didn't talk much about the war, especially to his grandkids. but as i got older, he would share a little bit more with me each time we got together. i was able to learn even more about what he went through from friends and family over the thanksgiving break. just the fact that he survived such an ordeal, has always been something that has been inspiring to me. he was a brave, courageous, stubborn, funny, and loving man.

i don't deal well with death. i get so emotional and sad. i am overwhelmed by the fact that it will be such a long time before i see these dear people again. but i guess that is that part that we have to hold on to. that we will see them again. it was sort of funny, but when i heard that my grandpa had passed away, i imagined him in heaven being greeted by his family, and the group of soldiers who he became friends with during the war that kept each other alive. he was laughing his big laugh and hugging everyone. i am thankful for his life. his love. his example. his friendship. and most of all, i am grateful that he married my wonderful grandma and became my dad's dad!

i will miss him dearly.

simple message.

2011-11-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

i saw this on a friends blog and it was just what i needed to hear today.

evan's response to the last post was...

2011-11-21T21:03:00.001-08:00

"For the record...this little one will tap dance just as much as his dad does."

oh really evan. really. well look how much you love to tap. our little griffin is going to LOVE to tap.

just like his dad!

such a happy little tap dancer!

it's a boy...as if you didn't already know!

2011-11-21T18:02:00.001-08:00

welp. it's another little dude for us. his name will be Griffin William Mann (William after my dad and grandpa). i was waiting to post this just because i thought maybe he would magically turn into a girl at my second ultrasound. but no. he is sooooooo obviously a little boy. his little tiny baby legs were spread very far apart for all to see! everything is looking good though. he is healthy and strong, and quite the little dancer. his little feet were tapping all over the ultrasound today.
so even if this one isn't a girl, at least he can be a tap dancer! and i am totally loving that!

and now for some creepy ultrasound pictures...

more from halloween time.

2011-11-08T17:39:00.000-08:00

you know. pregnant-zombie-napolean dynamite.

ok fine. i am 29.

2011-11-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

my birthday was almost a month ago. i turned 29. it was a ca-razy day. wanna hear about? oh good, cause i am going to tell you about it!i woke up and started crying. i don't know why. maybe it was because i wasn't feeling very well, or maybe because i turned 29.
and that is old. old. old.
i went into the kitchen to find a wonderful birthday poster that evan makes for me every year. i smiled and then i got the boys dressed and got them some breakfast. i took a little time out to go and throw up, and then i started to cry. again. cause who wants to be throwing up on their birthday?
so then, still in my jammies and wearing mis-matched flip flops (one was evan's, one was mine!), the boys and i piled in the card, which took a while cause i couldn't find any shoes for orion and merrick so i had to carry them one by one, and we took conner to school!
and then i threw up again once we got home. and then while i was in the bathroom i heard voices, freaked out a little, and then realized that it was nana (evan's mom). she had come over to surprise me and take the boys for awhile so i could rest. so then of course i started to cry. because that was just so nice and exactly what i needed since i wasn't feeling well at all. they left, and then i cried some more, and then took a much needed nap.
much. needed. nap.
side note: i got so many phone calls that morning that i didn't answer because i was embarrassed i was crying so much! pregnancy does so many weird things to me. especially excessive crying. i hope i am over that phase soon!

then, my sweet sister-in-law camila and my mother-in-law marlena got babysitters for all 6 little men and we went out to lunch. just us girls. it was great. so very great.
and once evan got home, my day was going much much better. especially since he had a super awesome present for me! he got me a guitar...something i have wanted for quite a long time. i was so excited...i started to cry! i have been trying to practice every other day or so. and am still awful, but am excited to get much, much better!
(pause the music by scrolling to the bottom of the blog!)

then that friday evan had a birthday party with family and friends for me, which we didn't get any pictures of. but trust me...it was so fun.
thanks so much to everyone that made my ~~23rd~~ 29th birthday so totally awesome!

trick or treat.

2011-11-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

ok, so we didn't exacty get our planned on, traditional family themed costumes done in time for halloween this year. so we opted for store bought instead. which was stupid because they are so spensive and you have to go into the way to gorey halloween store to get them. lame.that just means next years costumes are going to be that much more awesome...since i will have a whole year to make them! we had a fun night over at camila's house for some spooky dinner and tasty treats, then it was off into the night for some trick or treating. (evan and i didn't really get a chance to dress up this year either. but, i did dress up as pregnant-zombie-napolean-dynamite, for a get together at my momma's house!)

punkin patch.

2011-10-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

it's just something you have to do during fall time.and we always love to go to picha farms. it is pretty basic and doesn't have much to it. but we love it!

little vampires.

2011-10-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

today was a hard day. i have a cold that just will not go away, and coughing just makes me throw up more. but watching this video and looking at these pictures of these funny little people makes me smile....

[scroll to the bottom to pause the music]

go to sleep you little baby.

2011-10-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

i was singing good night songs to merrick the other night, in the dark, on our oh so squeeky rocking chair.
and i started to cry.
i am pregnant, so i cry easily...but i cry easily in the first place.
but i was just thinking about how big he is getting and how fast time really does go. and how before i know it, he won't be our baby anymore.
it wasn't that long ago that i was rocking conner to sleep in our tiny 1 bedroom apartment.
and then he wasn't our baby anymore and sweet orion was.
and then he wasn't our baby anymore and merrick was.
and now they are all huge.
it makes me so sad to think about how fast they are growing up.
anyway, i was also thinking about the songs that i sing to them at night. i have pretty much been singing the same songs to all three of them. and some of them are songs that my parent's used to sing to me...

01.go to sleep you little baby. i, of course, don't know all the words so i have made up my own that i like better for singing to my babies.

02. as i went down in the river to pray. i guess i just really like "o brother where art thou!"

03. hush now my baby. one of my favorites.

04. i see my mother kneeling. this primary song is always in my head.

05. tender shepherd. except a lot slower and sweeter sounding than this version! my mom always, always, always, sang this to me! plus, i love peter pan!

06. michael row your boat ashore. this is one my dad would sing to me, and now i sing it to me boys. the funny thing is, i don't remember more than the first verse, and for some reason i always end up singing kumbaya!

07. race you to the top of the morning. this is really more evan than me. he loves this song and used to sing it to conner all the time. and now the boys request it almost every night! especially merrick. he is always asking for the dragon song! so i learned it too!

08. barges. i used to sing this song with my friend katy, and it just stuck, and now it's one of my lullaby's!

those are most of my lullabies. i throw in different ones every once in a while.
what are yours?

confessions of an ex- frump.

2011-09-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

so, i have always had pretty good self esteem...until lately. i am getting older and the wrinkles are saying hello, my skin is acting weird, my hair is stringy, and i weigh 173 pounds, which is more than at least one of my brothers, and is about 40 pounds over what i would like to weigh. yes, i am pregnant. but i am not that pregnant yet! so i don't really have any excuses, other than i am just lazy and like eating chocolate ice cream way more than i like doing yoga! but the point of my post is NOT to have a pity party. (so you are off the hook and don't need to leave a comment that is meant to make me feel better.) the point of my post is to say that i have discovered some things that makes me feel good about myself, even thought i am a bit of a chub. ready for it...good personal hygiene and WATER! i know. so easy!

um...i hate to shower because i have to get ready after, i never wash my face at night, and i rarely floss! i just grossed out so many of you! i hope we can still be friends though. anyway. that's not to say that i don't do those things, just not as often as a normal adult should! and with being so sick from pregnancy, those things have happened even less lately. and i may have been wearing evan's clothes a whole lot more that i should have been. poor evan, i think, was getting grossed out a bit, so he started writing me cute little notes in the morning to wake up to. then he started adding a checklist to the note. and guess what was on it! take a shower and get dressed and ready for the day! poor evan! so i have been. every single day i wake up, take a shower, get dressed, do my makeup and my hair. and all of it usually before i take conner to school. (who is probably really happy about the new me too, since i was dropping him off and picking him up from school in my jammies! yikes.) and i feel so much better about myself! it's not like this is anything new. and it's not like i never did it before. i just got into a funk and stopped caring about myself or how i looked, thus gaining a whole lot of weight, which i am working on even though i am pregnant.

and the second thing...WATER! not to drink, though that is good too, but to put on my makeup. ready for it. it is so simple. i mix my eyeshadow with a little water and it is more vibrant and stays on the whole entire day. i know. so awesome. i have never been, and will never be, the kind of girl who spends a lot of money on my makeup. but adding water to my $1 makeup makes it look just like the expensive stuff. at least i think so! i am obviously pretty excited about it! and you know...i don't go in public everyday. most days the boys and evan are the only ones who even see me. but hey, they deserve to look at me at my best!

and there you have it. i feel good. i feel great. i feel wonderful. and gosh darn it. people like me. they really like me.

now if i could just get the laundry under control!

oh. and i am thinking about dying my hair a little darker. not like crazy dark, just more of a brown. any thoughts?

something wicked this way comes.

2011-09-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

oh man. first of all...can i just say that i love the weather today. it smells cold. it is slightly breezy. the sun is out, but it's not all up in my face! i love it. i love fall. i love halloween. i love black and orange, and stripes, and hot chocolate, and glittery ghosts, and bats, and pumpkins, and rain boots, and hocus pocus, and harry potter, and the nightmare before christmas, and costumes, and magic, and silly skeletons, and little trick or treaters, and the little candy corn pumpkins, and masks (but not the gory gross ones), and fangs, and black candles, and brooms, and candy. oh how i love candy. i think i was born in october for a reason! i just love this month more than any other. so i am a little bit happy that it is almost here.

i wanted to decorate forever ago for halloween. but i can't find our decor box anywhere. i found our many costume boxes, and the boys were excited to walk around the house in pink wigs, sombrero's, and cheese hats. but i only found a few decorations. but for now...that is enough to make me happy. there are black cats, bats, owls, and crows all over our walls. and i finally took down our 4th of july wreath! i am pretty sure i have a halloween wreath, but have no clue where it is. so i just put this feather and skeleton wreath together in the mean time. i still need to fix the ribbon, and maybe add some orange here and there...but i think it looks spooktacular. mwah ha ha.

and of course, what is halloween without a gingerbread house! ok, so that is really more of a christmas thing. but hello, a haunted gingerbread house is even cooler. i wanted to decorate it myself...but the boys did a pretty good job considering they all 3 worked on the same house at the same time!!!

october makes me happy. even when i am throwing up from this little tiny trick or treater in my tummy!

evan's halloween costume this year.

2011-09-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

we are so excited about it! in fact, he is growing his goatee right now!

ok but in all seriousness...i would totally do something like this for halloween. so cool.

and in more seriousness...we are not really going to be a unicorn family for halloween. we have other plans that we are excited about!!!
(if you know, don't tell! we like to keep it a surprise!)

on your mark.

2011-09-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

get set. run, run, run.
i was at pioneer park the other day for a photo shoot so the family came along too.
when i was done i found the boys having some serious race time with evan!
they were so into it it was hilarious!
especially merrick...just look at his intensity.

i love these munchkins.

fresh new look.

2011-09-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

i have been wanting to change up our blog for awhile now. just never got around to doing it. and there are so many things wrong with it...but my eyes hurt and it will have to do.

[spacing issues and things like that.]

for now. like it? i do! if you want to pause the music though, you have to scroll to the bottom. sorry to add more work for ya!

by the way...

2011-09-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

evan got a new job.
what...did you hear me right.
A NEW JOB.
it's a pretty big deal for our little family.
and when i say big...i really mean HUGE.
and to celebrate we went to our favorite Korean BBQ with my mom and dad, eric and julie, and peter and brooke.
and this is a picture of the gross looking, but oh so delicious food!
we pretended you were all there with us to celebrate!

mmmmm. korean BBQ. might have to go again soon.

first grade interview.

2011-09-08T08:26:00.001-07:00

i forgot to post this on conner's first day of school!
he was so tired from a full day of school.
so different than his kindergarten interview!

first day of first grade for our first born on september first.

2011-09-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

first of all...how clever am i with that blog title!
i know. i know.
conner woke up this morning at 6, fully dressed, teeth brushed, ready for school.
i of course was sleeping, and he came in and whispered, "mom, is it time for school yet?"
he is just so excited to be a first grader!

love.

2011-08-31T08:33:00.001-07:00

i don't feel very well.

2011-08-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

at all.
but we are happy there is baby growing in my tummy that is making me feel so sick.

and also. i don't blog very much in the summer.
life get's too busy.
but we have been having a good summer and fun things have been happening.
blogging will start again soon!
i make no promises though!

in other news. sad news.
we don't have our sweet dog Rigg's anymore.
he wasn't being very sweet and kept biting the boys.
orion got a pretty bad bite to his forehead, so we gave Rigg's a hug and sent him to live with a friend.

three.

2011-08-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

our little merrick just turned 3 today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MER MER!

you are such a happy, fiesty, spunky, funny, laughy, yelly, cryey, runny, bouncy, silly, cuddly, punchy, tantrumy, sharey, and zesty little person. you make us all so happy every single day. we love you so much and are so glad you are ours. happy birthday merrick. we love you!

friends.

2011-08-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

it's always good to spend time with these girls.

the Help.

2011-08-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

i loved this book.
and am super excited to see the movie now.
it just blows my mind first of all that there even is such a thing as racism.
and secondly, that it is still around.
ok, and thirdly, that segregation wasn't that long ago.
as i was reading this book i had to keep reminding myself that this was pretty recent.
that people had black maids to raise their children, do their laundry, and cook their food.
but then they wouldn't let them us the restroom in their home.
blows my mind.
if you haven't already...read this book.
it's pretty great.
thought i will say...i was hoping for a little more in the end.
you know me...i don't like to assume.
i want to be told that everyone is ok and that things are peachy.
i always like it in movies when they skip forward a few years and show us a glimpse of what happens.
i was hoping this book would do that.
it didn't.
oh well!

aladdin.

2011-08-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

we went to see aladdin at the 5th avenue with my mom and dad the other weekend.
it was awesome.
seriously.
we had the best time and the show was so funny.

harry potter will live on forever.

2011-07-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

in our hearts.

i can't handle how much i loved this movie.
it's funny.
at one point in the movie i sort of wanted to walk out.
the part where they are starting to do enchantments to protect the castle.
i started crying (a normal, non sobbing cry) and just didn't want to see it.
i didn't want to see the castle get destroyed, and i knew what was coming and who was going to die and so on, and just wasn't sure if i could handle it.
but i was strong and stayed.
and it was hard to watch, but totally wonderful.

remember that one time when there were bombs bursting in air?

2011-07-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

yes?
me too.
and i wanted to make sure that i was in pretty much every single picture.
because it makes me look cooler.

but i'm not.
and i am ok with that.
i hope you are too.

ape caves.

2011-07-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

some friends invited us to go to the ape caves with them awhile ago.
it was way fun! and way cold in those caves.
i took a picture of brian and evan and kept thinking there were ghosts or something in the cave.
no no.
it was my breath!!!

stripes.

2011-07-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

ok. so i am behind on making wreaths.
in fact...i missed 2 months.
i knew what i wanted to make, just never got around to it.
so i will make and post those later.
for july, my friend tricia and i got together and made these super easy, super cheap wreaths.
and i think they turned out pretty great.

how to:
it's pretty self explanitory.
wrap some yarn around a foam wreath base!
measure first though.
then for the felt flowers you just cut out cirlcles of different sizes.
then cut those circles like a spiral snake.
then roll them up and glue them on.
easy.

bzzzzzzzzzzz.

2011-07-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago camila and claire invited us to all go to the bee farm.
it was pretty fun.
the only problem is that now conner thinks he can just go around picking up bee's!
backstory: the bee farmer taught us all how to use the smoker to keep ourselves from getting stung.
and he taught the kids how to pick up the bee's since they were so docile from the smoke.
so conner and orion and merrick all got to hold bee's.
and now conner keep's catching random bee's at parks and around our house and bringing them for me to see.
i keep telling him he can only pick up the bee's when we are at the bee farm with the bee farmer!
i just hope he doesn't get stung!

i borrowed all these pictures from claire's blog.
thanks claire for taking them.
and thanks camila for taking us to the bee farm.

summer solstice.

2011-07-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

we had our 3rd (or 4th. i can' remember) annual summer solstice party a few weeks ago and loved every single minute of it.

(i didn't take that many pictures. i never do. i always am having to much fun!)

post 28 :: a place i love.

2011-07-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

whistler, canada.

so many fun memories there.
my family and i used to go every single year to ski and snowboard.
evan and i have gone once...and we need to start going more.
there is just something magical about this place. i mean look at it...it looks like whoville.
and it is totally a place i love!

post 27 :: a child i love.

2011-06-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

like i could just choose one!

obviously i couldn't even choose just one picture.

i'll take cover.

2011-06-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

conversation the boys had in the car today...

obi: mom. can i be a policeman when i grow up?

me: yep. you can be anything you want to be.

conner: i still am gonna be a garbage man.

me: awesome.

obi: conner, i get to be a policeman and shoot people. i could shoot you. but i won't. i will only shoot robbers.

conner: what if they shoot you first and your dead.

obi: well i'll just take cover. and shoot them first always.

conner: you can't take cover in the desert.

obi: i don't live on the desert.

conner: but you could when you grow up.

obi: but i won't. i live here on earth. not the desert.

conner: the desert is on the earth obi. and you can't take cover in the desert.

obi: but i live on the earth, and there isn't a desert.

conner: it's on the other side of earth.

obi: well, i am only going to live on this side of earth. over here. this side. only.

conner: ok. but you still might not be able to take cover.

obi: i can always take cover.

merrick: i'm going to be iron man, and boom all the robbers away with my fi-ya. (fire)

kindygarten.

2011-06-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

conner's class had their little program the other day.
they have been learning songs and dances all year and he was so excited about it.
he got to wear "hawaiin" clothes...and he was so excited about it that he wore his hawaiin shirt pretty much every single day that week! just like pop pop!
granma chelle and granpa bill were able to come and see him perfom.
and my sister-in-law liz and her sweet kids were there too.
it was too fun!
i can't believe kindergarten is already over.

slow down.

2011-06-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

i think i need to take the time to watch this sweet video every morning.
i love everything about it.

26 :: a funny (true) story.

2011-06-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

ok.
most of you have already heard this story...but it's always good to hear it again.
because it's almost unbelievable how stupid i am.

here goes...

when i was 17 i lived in utah with my 3 older brothers and i worked at sizzler.
super classy. remember that merrilee? it really was one of my favorite jobs.
anyway.
i worked the front counter most of the time, where you would go to order your food and pay.
well...it got really really really slow sometimes.
and i would get bored.
and do stupid things.
like this one time.
hold on...let me tell you about the credit card machine.
it wasn't the kind like you have now.
ya know...the small kinds where the customer just swipes the card and enters a pin number.
nope.
this credit card machine was an ancient metal beast.
i mean big.
i tried to find a picture of something like it and couldn't.
sort of like this only much much bigger...

except it didn't open like that...it opened more like this one on the side...

so, when you put in the credit card and close the door, it locks.
then a sharp edged metal mechanical roller slowly goes all the way across, clicks, and then goes back.
the the door unlocks and opens and voila...an imprint of the credit card.

ok, back to the story.
remember i said it was really slow, and i was really bored.
so i thought, hey, what if i stuck my hand in there and it could imprint my credit card onto my hand.
that would be so totally and completely awesome!
so i did.
it didn't work.
so then i had the brilliant idea of just sticking my finger in there.
obviously if my hand didn't work, my finger like totally would. right?
so i stuck my right pointer finger in and closed the door.
it locked.
and then the mechanical roller started moving across and shoved my finger into the machine.
since it couldn't go all the way across, the machine wouldn't unlock, and i couldn't get my finger out.
and since it didn't unlock it couldn't go back, so it just kept shoving my finger more and more.
and then of course we got busy.
so here i am helping customers with my right finger stuck in a ginormous sized credit card machine, and using my left hand to enter orders, and give people change back.
all the while smiling and saying to customers,
"oh, this old thing...no, no, i am totally fine! it's like a finger massage. really. i do this all the time. oh hey, enjoy your steak."
meanwhile, the machine is cutting into my finger now and i am starting to sweat.
like literally, the sweat is dripping down my face.
i hang out for about 20 minutes like this before i ask someone to get the assitant manager (who was an awesome guy and i am sad i forgot his name).
he see's me and just starts laughing...until he realizes that i am slightly greenish looking!
so he unplugs the machine.
we both thought that would work.
it didn't.
he plugs it back in and instead of going back, the roller thingy shoves even further into my finger.
more people come.
i keep working while my sweet manager is trying to pry the beast open with anything he can find.
then i start wobbling a little, so he unplugs that machine and guides me to the office, where i sit down and promptly pass out!!!!
how embaressing.
whatever.
they had to unscrew the whole thing to get my finger out...all while i am passed out in a chair!
my finger was a little bloody and looked like a "Z" when i got they got it out.
but no broken bones, so that's good.
and then i went back to work!

i think my favorite part about this story is the my general manager (who was another awesome guy. and i just realized right now that i can't remember his name either. sad.) watched the whole thing on the surveillance tapes.
a couple times!!!
just to try and understand what in the world i was thinking!

the end.

25 :: a favorite photo.

2011-06-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

anything with these boys automatically becomes my new favorite photo!

it's a jungle out there.

2011-05-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

no really.
it is.
the weeds in our front little garden area are taking over
and now it looks like a tropical jungle.
and i must admit...i sort of like it!
and so does the little bunny family that lives in this front yard jungle!

see more jungle pictures on my photography blog.

rock on.

2011-05-23T13:40:00.001-07:00

24 :: my day in great detail.

2011-05-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

today is an easy day to write in great detail.
evan got the boys ready this morning, so i just had to worry about me!
ready...

8:15 - slightly woke up, then asked evan if i could keep sleeping.
8:16 - he said yes.
8:17 - kept sleeping.
10:11 - finally woke up. it was bliss to sleep in this long. thanks evan!
10:14 - ate some toast and eggs.
10:20 - took a warm shower.
10:40 - patrially blow dried my hair and threw it in a bun.
10:50 - got dressed for church.
10:55 - tried on a bunch of shoes until i decided on some cute red wedges.
11:10 - brushed teeth and put on some face lotion.
11:20 - got in car to go to church.
11:22 - did my makeup in the car and got a little carsick from looking the mirror.
11:40-2:30 - church.
2:45 - arrived home from church and ate some hot dogs and chips for lunch.
3:00 - sat on the couch with the family while merrick slept and we watched national geographic's episode about crocodiles and then one about big cats. and ligers.
4:15 - fell asleep a little.
5:45 - writing this.
the rest of the night...
dinner. jammies. bedtime for boys. and relaxing with evan!

that's a good mellow day right there!

23 :: a video,

2011-05-17T21:44:00.001-07:00

oh how i love you tom hanks.
too funny...

thirty two years old.

2011-05-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVAN!

my all time favorite thing about you...is that you married me!
we have so much fun together, and i just really really really really like you.
love you babe. happy evan day!

remember when it was easter?

2011-05-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

i do!
on saturday, we went up to eric and julie's house
for a delicious lunch and a fun easter egg hunt.
my allergies were awful.
but we had such a great day.

then on sunday we had easter dinner with camila and jason.
i got my camera out to take a few pictures and as soon as i got it ready...it totally died.
so this is from jason's phone!
we had sooo much yummy food!

someday...

2011-05-04T15:47:00.001-07:00

i will figure out how to dance like this:

ok. and how to play a cello like yo-yo ma.
thanks darci for posting!

22 :: a favorite joke.

2011-05-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

two mushroom walks into a bar.
one mushroom says to the other, you seem pretty cool.
the other mushroom says, i am. i'm a fun guy.

get it. fun guy. fungi!!!

oh. that is funny stuff right there!

hey evan.

2011-05-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

remember how 7 years ago we got married?

that was awesome.
and still is.

21 :: a recipe.

2011-04-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago i had no idea what to make for dinner.
which happens a whole lot!
so i looked up a recipe for chicken pot pie and came across a southwestern chicken pot pie.
tried it. loved it.
it has now become a favorite.
you can make so many different variations and they are all delicious.
try it. you'll like it!

here's what you'll need:

2 pie crusts (you can buy the frozen kind. but i prefer homemade pie crust. cause then i can eat the dough. my favorite thing about any kind of pie! i love the good old betty crocker pie crust recipe.)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

½ pound cooked chicken cubed or shredded

½ c. instant rice

1 (15 oz.) can black beans (pinto beans work well too)

1 c. cooked corn (i just use frozen or canned)

1 (2.25 oz.) sliced olives drained

1 c. sour cream

¾ c. prepared salsa

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper to taste

here's what you'll do:

1. preheat oven to 400. make your pie crust and refrigerate for 30 min.

2. place pie crust into pie dish, and bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. sprinkle ¼ c. of cheese onto crust. set aside. (i don't usually do this step. it makes it hard to put the pie crusts together in the end. and as you can see in the picture, it makes it hard to make the crust pretty! still tastes great though.)

3. in bowl, combine ingredients and pour into crust. top with remaining pie crust. cut slits into top.

4. bake for 30-45 minutes.

make some zataran's spanish rice, and you are good to go!!!

bat potter party.

2011-04-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

i asked orion what kind of birthday party he wanted and he told me,
"i would like a harry potter, batman, star wars, spiderman party."
so we did!
each kid got to make their own super hero mask.
they looked a lot cooler in my head.
they looked a little creepy in real life!

bat potter cake.

this was my inspiration...

parties are just so fun. apparently eric hates them though!!!

super hero costumes are a must!

(i am just now posting this because i couldn't find my little camera. it was in a random coat pocket in the coat closet of course!)

20 :: a hobby of mine.

2011-04-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

lately it's making wreaths!
i have so many fun ideas for all the wreaths i am going to make for the next few months.
september's wreath is going to be my favorite i think!
still not sure what to make for may though.
hmmmmm....

19 :: my dream job (if money was no option).

2011-04-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

growing up i always wanted to be a professional ballerina.
but i wonder if i would get sick of it? always practicing, always performing.
i still think i i would love it, as long as i could just do it whenever i wanted to.
not when i had to!

so then i thought that it would be awesome to be the elephant rider in the circus.
you get to work with elephants, which are my favorite animal.
and you get to wear cool costumes all the time, which i love.
but then i would have to travel a lot, and with a family that would be hard.

being a performer would be awesome.
a dream come true really.
i think i would fit in well with cirque du soleil!

but if i really was to be honest about what i would want my dream job to be...
it would probably be nothing!
it would be dreamy to have no responsibilities at all and to not have to worry about money.
of course i would still be a mom and wife...which have always been my dream jobs too!

i love this.

2011-04-19T10:47:00.001-07:00

thanks katherine for posting!

18 :: my dream house.

2011-04-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

so i haven't really given much thought to what i want the outside of my dream house to look like. mostly just the inside. i want secret doors. a slide from upstairs to downstairs would be cool. maybe a rope swing somewhere. and mostly just open space. we love, love, love, to have parties, so big open spaces is a must. high ceilings, but not too high. big open windows everywhere that let in lots of light.
i think this house is beautiful. not sure if it my "dream" house. but i do really like it. it would need to be on a big property with a big lawn with a whole lot more trees.
i don't want a huge house. ever. big, yes. just not huge.
i get too scared when i am home alone. even in the house we live in now, i have to run up the stairs after i put the boys to bed. and i have to tell myself not to run, because i can't be scared. by boys are safe downstairs. and i am the grown up!!!

evan isn't a fan, but i think a circle front door would be completely awesome. this is sort of what i had in mind. not quite. but sort of!

maybe instead we could just live in a hobbit house!

see. slides inside are awesome!!!

the weather is getting so nice.

2011-04-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

seems like a great time to get a photo shoot scheduled.

go to my blog www.HeatherMannPhotography.blogspot.com to purchase your session!

17 :: my worst habit.

2011-04-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

i bite my nails.
i can't help it.
i have my whole life.
i stopped biting them for about 2 years
because it totally grosses evan out.
so i tried really hard and stopped.
but then life got in the way and i started biting my nails again.
gross.
i know.
don't judge me!

(i have stopped again. hope this time i can stop forever!)

16 :: a favorite food.

2011-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

oh how i love chicken tikka masala.

with some jasmine rice and naan bread of course.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

15 :: my celebrity crush.

2011-04-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

johnny depp.
i think he is fabulous.
i love so so so many of his movies.
what's eating gilbert grape, edward scissorhands, all the pirates of the carribean, sleepy hollow, sweeny todd, chocolat, alice in wonderland, benny and joon...

and a close runner up...
leonardo dicaprio.
if you knew me in highschool you would know all about this special crush!
i had titanic posters all over the place.
i wrote "i heart leo" all over the half pipe in our basement
(which my brothers were not too happy about!).
my fav shirt is my leonardo dicaprio titanic shirt...that i can't find by the way.
do you know where it is?
and he is just plain talented.
which i don't think he gets enough credit for!

14 :: a place i want to go.

2011-04-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

i love europe. and i have been dying to go and visit.
and i would like to start my travels in prague!
doesn't it look beautiful!
and it is a little different from the normal europe trip!
i just want to see it all really!

13 :: a talent of mine.

2011-04-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

hmmmm. i feel like this question used to be easy.
i am a dancer. or at least i was a dancer.
that was always my talent growing up.
but now...i don't dance as much.
i mean, i go to zumba sometimes.
and i dance around the house.
and sometimes i still put on my
point shoes or tap shoes and dance around!
but i don't think i can say that is a real talent anymore.

sad.

so i think i'll say a talent of mine is...
making pie crust!
i love pie. and i feel like i make pretty yummy, buttery, flaky, pretty pie crust!
does that count as a talent?!?!?

12 :: something i bought recently.

2011-04-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

bought these boots a few months ago.
love them.
especially the red zipper in the back.
can't wear them though.
i can't zip them up.
my calves are too fat.
oh joy.

(i am not returning them though. i will lose weight someday. or ya never know...unzipped boots will be the next new thing soon!)

summer boys.

2011-04-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

i was looking through some old videos the
other day and came across these two.
and i got all excited for summer.
for our annual summer solstice party.
for shirtless tan little boys with sun bleached shaggy hair.
for long hot days outside in the backyard.
for our annual crab bake party.
for swimming and boating.
for summer nights and movies outside.
for camping.
for kiddie pools and slip n 'slides!
oh. it's going to be a great summer.

but don't worry. i am loving spring too!

11 :: a photo taken of me recently.

2011-04-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

the chocolate covered strawberries were just so amazing at my cousin caitlin's wedding!
i probably should have asked my mom to do my bangs though.
would have looked so much cooler!

10 :: a photo taken of me over 10 years ago.

2011-04-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

all of my photo albums are still packed up since

i have no where to put them yet. i tried to find them.

but just didn't really want to spend that much time on it!

so, this was on my computer and i just think i look so classy in it!
my mom always knew how to make my bangs look just the right amount of cool!

i have no idea how old i am in this picture.

but it is well over 10 years ago!

easter wreath.

2011-04-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

i told you i was going to make 12 wreaths!

want to make one too?

you'll need:

1. wreath base (i used a straw wreath base. or you can use foam.)
2. ribbon (enough to cover and hang wreath base.)
3. 3-4 bags jordan almonds (depending on your wreath size.)
4. clear top coat spray paint
5. hot glue gun

what you do:

1. wrap your wreath base with your ribbon.
2. hot glue your jordan almonds onto ribbon. i started by going in a straight line (which you can see on the right side if you look carefully) but realized i didn't like the way that was looking, so i ended up just putting them on however. making sure to rotate colors.
3. spray 2-3 coats of top coat spray.
4. let dry fully.
5. hang up and enjoy!

i love that the jordan almonds look like mini easter eggs. and the ribbon and jordan almonds were 50% off at micheals, so it was actually a really cheap wreath, especially because i went with the straw base, which is cheaper than foam. it is a pretty heavy wreath though...so be sure to secure it really well on your door. i hung it up with like 20 thumbtacks on the top of the door! should last 2-3 years with the top coat spray paint. the only thing is, in the cold weather it does crack a little! oh well. still looks cool!

9 :: pet peeves.

2011-04-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

oh man.
there are so many.
that probably is a bad thing!

i think my biggest pet peeve lately though is when
evan is driving and we are at a stop, he keeps inching the car forward.
why does he do that?
i mean. the car in front isn't going anywhere.
why do you need to inch the car as close as possible to the car in front of you.
what if that car in front of you is a 16 year old driver
and you are making them feel crowded and all nervous.
or what if they are a stick shift, and they roll right back into you!
plus, it makes the car all jerky and makes me crazy!
and the funny thing is...he really can't seem to help it!
it is in his subconsciousness to inch forward at a stop sign!!!!!!

i think he might get it from his dad!
evan told me that his dad does the same thing,
and his mom hates it too!!!

speaking of harry potter.

2011-04-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

a few weekends ago we had
one of those saturdays where it was raining all day.
all of our awesome plans fell apart.
the boys were cranky.
the parents were even crankier.
so obviously...the best solution was to
have an impromptu harry potter party!

we went to michaels and grabbed some owls and wands for the boys to paint.
merrick thought his body was cooler to paint!

evan had a magic class where they put a mento into coke. they thought it was awesome!

we drew harry potter glasses and scars on the boys.

potions class.

mmmmmmmm. polyjuice potion!

girls only hold books.

2011-04-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

the boys were playing lego indiana jones this morning and this is what i overheard...

orion "i love girls"

conner "yea. but you can't hold any weapons if you are a girl. girls only walk around holding books. boring."

orion "oh. why can't girls hold weapons?"

conner "well. i guess you could if you were a cowgirl."

8 :: something i crave.

2011-04-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

well. i go through crave phases really.
for the longest time i craved coconuts.
then it was kit kats.
i had a phase were i only wanted cucumbers in thousand island dressing.
but lately, and for the past year or 2, it has been caramel apples from fred meyer.
the white chocolate macadamian nut ones and the chocolate pecan ones.
and they have to be from the puyallup fred meyer only.

(this is not my beloved caramel apple from fred meyer. it's just from google!)

two cool/hillarious videos.

2011-04-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

dennis quaid is my favorite!

obsessed with harry potter.

2011-04-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

we got this harry potter lego game for christmas.
and the boys have been playing it non stop ever since!

cousin caitie's wedding.

2011-04-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

it was all kinds of fun!

7 :: a piece of art

2011-04-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

men and angels.
by james christensen

spa day.

2011-04-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

brooke, julie, and i go together and went to the spa for the day.
well, most of the day anyway!
it was fabulous!
plus, i get to check another thing of my 30 before 30 list.
that's what i'm talking about!

6 :: a fun fact about me.

2011-03-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

well, maybe more funny than fun.
i love shoes.
they make me happy.
when i am having a bad day, i go and sit in front of my closet and try on my shoes.
i'll even put on a pair while i am cleaning!
i know. so stupid.
but it really does brighten my mood.
no matter how much my weight changes...my shoes will always fit.
well...except this one pair of super cute boots that i can't get to zip up.
whatever.
i still like to look at them.
and i guess the funny thing is...most of the time i just wear my brown leather flip flops!
here are just a few...

also.
i can touch my tongue to my nose.
and my elbows are a little double jointed.
when i was growing up it was my favorite thing about myself!!
i could twist them so that they looked broken and it used to gross people out.
and i would be so proud of myself!
ha.
is that strange?

if you take cell phone pictures...you should really watch this.

2011-03-31T08:33:00.001-07:00

my dad emailed me this video, and i just thought i would pass along the info...

and also...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PETER!
we sure do love you.
and love that you live here now!

happy birthday obi.

2011-03-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

today you turn 4.

wha! i don't know where the time has gone.
but i do know that you have made our lives so much happier.
you are a hilarious little boy with such a fun little personality.
you love to laugh.
you are always laughing at your brothers, your parents, or yourself.
you have fabulous hair.
even though sometimes it looks like a big grandma wig!
you are really into lego indiana jones lately and playing super hero's or harry potter with your bros.
i love the way you say different words...like "cowler" for color, or "clause" for pause.
you are a little on the lackadaisical side...you would much rather have us put your clothes on for you even though you totally know how!
you can't stand it when your pants touch your feet, so you are always rolling them up and walking around looking like tom sawyer!
you are such a love.
and we love and adore you so much.

happy birthday little orion.

top o' the morning to ya.

2011-03-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

yes. that is a valentines wreath on the door.
but now it is this one...

i am not finished with it yet!
oh well.

5 :: favorite quote.

2011-03-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

"rock, paper, and scissors is stupid.

we like blanket, knife, and fat man better."

-conner and orion

4 :: favorite book.

2011-03-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

again, i don't think i have an absolute favorite book.
there are so many that are so good.
but i will say that if i were stranded on a deserted island
with only one book to read...i would pick harry potter.
and by 1 book i really mean 7!

3 :: twenty favorite things.

2011-03-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

i am going to be very non-sentimental and list possesions.
obviously my family, friends, and faith are my real favorite things!
(i didn't want to seem too shallow so i had to add that. oh, and they all started with the letter "f". that's funny.)

01. shoes, specifically heels.
02. lipgloss.
03. ponytail elastics.
04. macadamian nut caramel apples or chocolate pecan caramel apples from fred meyer.
05. fred meyer.
06. the internet.
07. paperback books.
08. notebooks.
09. sharpie pens.
10. dressing up for anything.
11. pink and turquoise, not necessarily together, although that is cool too.
12. projects.
13. the IT crowd.
14. tim burton.
15. sushi.
16. catch phrase.
17. design.
18. century gothic.
19. the aqua couch at the old cannery that i hope will someday be all mine.
20. starbucks hot chocolate in my tinkerbell mug.

2 :: favorite movie.

2011-03-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

duh. as if you didn't know that already!

1 :: favorite song.

2011-03-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

i don't think you can really say that you have ONE favorite song.
so lately i am loving...

mumford and sons :: the cave...

i think it's safe to say that evan's would be anything Daft Punk.

30 posts.

2011-03-08T20:18:00.001-08:00

my friend emily is doing this fun 30 posts thing, and well, now i am too!
you know you want to do it with us!

post 01 — A favorite song
post 02 — A favorite movie
post 03 — 20 favorite things
post 04 — A favorite book
post 05 — A favorite quote
post 06 — A fun fact about me
post 07 — A piece of art
post 08 — Something I crave
post 09 — Pet peeves
post 10 — A photo of me taken over ten years ago
post 11 — A photo of me taken recently
post 12 — Something I bought recently
post 13 — A talent of mine
post 14 — Some place I want to go
post 15 — My celebrity crush
post 16 — A favorite food
post 17 — My worst habit
post 18 — Dream house
post 19 — Dream job (if money was no object)
post 20 — A hobby of mine
post 21 — A favorite recipe
post 22 — A favorite joke
post 23 — A video
post 24 — My day in great detail
post 25 — A favorite photo
post 26 — A funny (true) story
post 27 — A child I love
post 28 — A place I love
post 29 — A person I love
post 30 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

emerald city comicon.

2011-03-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

eric, julie, evan and i went.
it was awesome!
people were dressed up in cool costumes (we left ours at home this time!)

and at the end we went to the "buffy the vampire slayer sing-a-long".
i don't even mind admitting that i knew all the words.
and i sang them all loudly and proudly!

cheesecake factory after.
it was an awesome night!

i am kind of a spaz for shoes.

2011-02-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

i just got these ones for a super cheap price!
once again...too hookerish?
too tall? i am sort of on the taller side, and these are a little more platformy than i thought they would be.
but dang...they are so awesome!
thoughts?
keep em?
ditch em?

Buy One Get One :: sale

2011-02-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

at www.HeatherMannPhotography.blogspot.com

TODAY ONLY!

just thought you might wanna know!

video interview time.

2011-02-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

bruises. scrapes. and sores. oh my.

2011-02-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

last night we had cousins over for dinner.
and orion's eye met with owen's cranium!
poor little black-eyed boy.

and conner has had this huge gross cold sore on his lip for weeks now.
and on the way to church yesterday merrick face planted it in the parking lot. you can't really see in the picture, but his forehead and nose are all scraped up.

i sure do like tulips.

2011-02-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

they are my 2nd favorite flower.
well, i don't even know if have a favorite flower,
because they are all just so great.
so i should say, tulips are among my favorite flowers.
but tulips are my favorite to have in my house!
they just so look so happy!
one year evan got me so many tulips that every vase
and almost every glass in our house was full.
it was magical.

wanna make this flower arrangement?
here's how...

you'll need:
01. large vase
02. smaller vase that will fit inside the larger vase (i just used a drinking glass)
03. filler (like the candy)
04. flowers

then you:
01. place the smaller vase inside the larger
02. fill large vase with filler candy making sure not to get any in the small vase
03. fill inner vase with water
04. trim flowers
05. put flowers in smaller inner vase
06. ta da. super cute flower arrangement that you can use for any holiday or season!

shoe love.

2011-02-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

i feel like my closet needs these shoes!

and i feel like my friend katy pancake's closet needs these shoes:
(and anyone else who is a teacher. or writes with a pencil. i mean come on. so awesome!)

the littles.

2011-02-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

merrick wore that batman costume for 4 days straight.
day and night.
he would NOT let us take it off!

i am a gryffindor.

2011-02-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

the sorting hat at the harry potter exhibit told me so!
for reals. i tried it on and it told me i was a gryffindor for sure!
eric and julie got us tickets to go see the exhibit for christmas and it was so awesome.
eric came down to our house with liam and anna to babysit our boys for us.
and we had an awesome kid-free time in seattle!
they don't let you take pictures inside the exhibit, which is a big lame bomb, so we don't have any awesome pictures of all the cool things we saw!
but trust me, it was fantastic!

thanks again eric and julie for that fun day!
we LOVED it!