Adorable birthday cards

My good friend Natalie has an upcoming card workshop and I think they are really cute. I know she would welcome anyone to come and it would be worth the trip to Logan. I wish I could make it, but we have to use those free ski passes that Shane won very soon, so we'll be hitting the slopes that day.

anyway, check it out. http://craftynat.blogspot.com

My man is 30!

Yes that's right, Shane turned the big 3-0 yesterday and we had a lot of fun celebrating. I met him at work with the kids, balloons and presents and we went to lunch at the Nauvoo Cafe since he works across the street. Later that night we had Craig and Kimber over for Dinner of BBQ ribs and pineapple upside down cake. (I know what some of you are thinking and the answer is no, I did not make Shane make his own birthday dinner, although he probably would have liked to.) His other birthday present is a Jazz game that we'll be going to on the 24th. Soooo, if anyone would like to get Shane a birthday present, we will be needing babysitting on the 24th:).

Something unusual about Shane many people don't know is that Shane is the LUCKIEST person I know. I'm not a superstitious person, but Shane was born in March and March is known for being a lucky month. Here are a few examples:

Once he bought a pair of pants from Costco and when he got home there was two dollars in the pocket.

Another time we were staying at a hotel in Mesquite and we decided to spend 5$ playing the slot machines. (We try to live life on the edge whenever possible) I lost all my money and he doubled his.

Still again, he was biking up City Creek Canyon and he found an IPOD. He asked everyone he saw if they'd lost an IPOD, but nobody claimed it and when we took it home it wasn't registered to anybody, so to make a long story short...the IPOD is now mine! (I guess I was the lucky one on that.)

Here is a list of things Shane has won from various drawings:

A trip to the Zermott

Ski passes

A Smith backpack (Smith is his favorite skiing label)

I'm glad I married him so I can bask in his lucky ways. Truthfully I'm the lucky one for finding the most perfect person for me. (sorry for the mushiness.)

Sage is 2!

Sage turned two on Sunday. I kept trying to tell him all day what a big deal the day was for him, but he couldn't have cared less, until he got his presents of course. We had a small party with Grandma and Grandpa Stott and uncle Craig.

One of his presents was a bucket of 200 blocks. I knew when I bought them that I would be spending the rest of my days picking up blocks from every room of the house, but maybe someday he'll grow up to be an amazing architect, but then again maybe not. Either way it'll be worth it. I like this picture because I took it right after his tower fell and the expression on his face is priceless.

This is my attempt at cake decorating. People kept trying to straighten the 2 candle and I had to keep explaining, "but it's being towed by the truck." It's never a good sign when you have to explain your crafts. Maybe one day I'll grow up to be a really amazing cake decorator and I won't have to explain my cake concepts. But then again, maybe not. Either way it'll be worth it.

This is far and away (isn't that a great movie?) Sage's favorite gift. I had it hiding unwrapped in my room and while we were sitting around the dinner table eating and talking, Sage went unoticed into my bedroom and found it all by himself. He came out riding it and could not have been more pleased with himself.

Happiness Tag.

My Aunt Caryn tagged me to make a list of six things that make me happy and I've actually been thinking about it for a long time.

1. Trampolines make me happy. Except when I see the new trampolines with the nets all the way around them. Even though I know they are necessary and have saved many broken bones and even lives (I remember my sister doing a back flip on the tramp and knocking me off even though I thought I was safe because I was sitting on the bars.) but It makes me sad that this generation can never play a game of dodge ball-Arnell rules. So, when I see a trampoline that has no net around it, I get the uncontrollable urge to jump on it. There are very few left and the ones that are left are at least 20 years old. Dangerous you say? No just extra bouncy.

2. Shopping and buying new things makes me happy-superficial I know. (As long as I know when to stop.)

3. Birthday cards make me happy. I just had a birthday and my family always sends really thoughtful birthday messages. I'm really not one who needs presents, or really even that much recognition on my birthday (as long as my hubby remembers) but my family always sends extremely thoughtful bday cards. The best part about it is they're usually a week to 2 weeks late which means my birthday lasts for 2 weeks.

4. The upcoming daylight savings will make me very happy. Even though we loose an hour of sleep, I'll gladly take if for the hour of gained sunlight.

5. My husband's cooking makes me happy. He is truly a culinary genius and he should definitely open a restaurant. Last night he made this really delicious Mahi Mahi (the fish so good they named it twice.) with an apple salsa laid on a bed of yummy lime and cilantro rice with asparagus prongs to top it off. He doesn't just cook a meal, he has to have an amazing presentation to go along with it. By the way, who thinks of apple salsa? Not me, but it was really delicious. I think I'll start taking pictures of his dinners and posting them so you can know for sure I'm not making this up.

6. Watching my children play together makes me happy. You know that wonderful five minutes before they start fighting. Today Avery tied a scarf loosely around her neck and gave the other end to Sage so he could "walk her" like a dog. I could watch that all day long. Too bad it doesn't last too long before I have to become referee.

7. Listening to music makes me happy. It's the only way to get through a day of house work. My new favorite song to listen to is "Lucky" by Colby Collet and Jason Miraz. I'd love to hear your favorite songs....

8. Reading makes me happy. It's the only think I'm consistently really good at. Yes, dropping everything just to finish a book is something I do really well, just ask Shane. I know a book is good if I dream about it and if while I'm reading that book, somehow everything in my life relates back to the book some how. I just read the "These Is My Words." trilogy and I felt like I was living in the Old West trying to tame the landscape. This book is a must read!

9. Lastly, that 2-4 weeks out of the year when I decide I should exercise again makes me happy.

Thanks for the tag Aunt Caryn! It's been really fun thinking of things that make me happy and I think I'll revisit this tag and add to my list from time to time. For anyone willing to take up the challenge, You're suppose to think of 6 thinks that make you happy. I highly recommend it!

A Must See.

Last night Shane and I got to go on an actual date together. We went with Ryan (Shane's bro.) and his date plus another couple from Ryan's work. We saw what I think is one of the best movies I've ever seen. (but then again, what do I know, many people disagreed with my review of Twilight.) For what it's worth I was completely in awe of this movie and could not even blink for fear of missing something from the beautiful cinematography. The story is so captivating that I could not stop thinking about it when I went to bed that night. Jamal- the main character in the movie is now one of my favorite protagonists. The music was amazing, the acting superb and I really hope it wins all the Oscars it's been nominated for (even though I haven't seen the movies it's up against.) Just a caution, it is rated R because it paints a picture of a terrible reality that exists in India. The R parts are for language and violence, however there is no sex. Actually there is an incredibally romantic love story with very little physical contact. I just realized that I went off on my tangent without even saying the name of the movie: Slumdog Millionaire. Without giving too much away, it's about a boy who plays India's version of "Who wants to be a millionaire." He uses his life experiences to answer the questions and makes it very far despite growing up in the slums. You don't know until the very end of the movie if he becomes a millionaire or not, but by the time he gets that far, you really don't even care about the money because you realize how little the money matters compared to his happiness. It's a really fantasic must see...don't wait till it comes out on video, it's amazing on the big screen.

Daddy-Daughter ski for free.

Shane took Avery skiing today at Alta. They do a "ski for free after three." So they get an hour and a half of skiing which is perfect for a four year old. I didn't go because we had no one to watch Sage. Shane is determined to make her an Olympian, whether it be skiing or running. One thing she will not be doing, according to Shane, is cheer leading. (Sorry to anyone reading this who may have been a cheerleader.) Personally, I think it's a little hypocritical considering Shane was once a cheerleader himself. (Pause for dramatic effect) Yes that's right Shane Hughes was once a cheerleader. Okay, it was only for one assembly and he was invited by a cheerleader because apparently they needed some boys to do a stunt of some kind. (what do I know about cheer leading.) Anyway, the girl had a crush on Shane and told him he could look up her skirt during the stunt. (Shane will kill me when he sees this but it's worth the risk) He claims he didn't look, but then again, he was a teenager. How I went from daddy-daughter date to loose  women, I will never know. Enjoy the pictures. (None of them include loose women.)

ps. For anyone who missed it, the Mark Twain quotes are under the photo of the week. It is a little inconspicuous, the picture is so big and the quote so small.

If they say these things in another 10 years it won't be so cute.

A couple days ago my children made me laugh all day with their potty mouth antics:

1. We were in the care singing to the radio, (one of Avery's favorite past times) and a song came on that Avery really loves. We all know it, "I'm Yours" by Jason Miraz sp? Anyway, I was really amazed at how well she knew the lyrics even when it came to the line that goes something like, "open up your eyes and d@#! you're free." she didn't miss a single word or beat. I had to laugh.

2. Later that day, Avery and Shane were on the computer playing a game together and Avery started getting frustrated with Shane over something I'm not quite sure of, and I heard her say in a very teenage tone of voice, "Calm your butt Dad." Shane looked at her completely shocked, but again, I had to laugh. (Though I shouldn't have.)

3. And my personal favorite, I was playing a game with Sage:
Where's your nose? (Sage points to his nose.)
Where's your mouth? (Sage points to his mouth.)
Where's your eyes? (Sage points to his eyes.)
Where's your cheeks? (Sage points to his bottom.)
I was pretty much rolling on the ground at that point.

Off the subject, but one of my favorite authors has always been Mark Twain (okay, you can stop being shocked now) and I wanted to share from a book of quotes from him called "Wit and Wisecracks." He always makes me laugh and if you haven't read "Huckleberry Finn" what are you waiting for? Yes, I like it even better than Twilight:)