a trip to paris, hopefully.

http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris

a few things we've been up to, besides ignoring our blog.

oh hi there... whoever may still have the energy to check a blog that hasn't been updated for a few months. anyway, we have kept ourselves pretty busy the last few said months...

i've been working like crazy getting our 72 hour kits together and wanted to share what we have done. our ward has made a big push for emergency preparedness. it's been on my list for like 5 years, so no better time right?

car kit. this bag is awesome, it was $5 at walgreen's in the travel section.

a few things in car kit: rope, knife, duct tape, flashlights, extra batteries, ponchos, emergency blankets, candles, matches, first aid kit...

emergency radio, bag with paper, pen, small bills, roll of quarters, high energy snacks such as nuts, dried fruit, granola, etc., water, baby food, diapers and wipes. also included fleece blanket, collaspable shovel, jumper cables, water.

our home 72 hour kit with first aid supplies. target had an awesome set a few years ago that had it all.

a few things in our home 72 hr kit. still working on this one.

i must say, it is a pretty good feeling to have these put together. the reality may be that we never use them. but if we do need them, how great to know that they are ready and we are prepared.

that's all for now... here's a picture of our sweet mister. 10 months old and breaking my heart with his big boy, teethy, smile.

a tag fanatic and such.

in a kind of blogging funk right now. i think it's the weather. seriously, i may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder. probably because we are going to be stuck in 3 feet of snow and negative temperatures forever in the dakotas. over it. where are you spring?? anyway, last month flew by. here are few of the highlights:

*went to utah for a week to see our new niece reagan. she is just lovely. like a tiny little doll.

*came back from utah with a sick baby. rotten. alex has a virus that has settled in his lungs and has to be on a nebulizer treatment until it clears up so it doesn't turn into pneumonia. he's been on it for a week and sounds a little better, but not tons. he's a trooper about it though, and either cries, sleeps, or smiles through his treatment. having a sick baby is the worst feeling in the world, so helpless.

*alex fell off the bed on valentines day and cried for about 20 seconds and was fine. i cried for 3 hours because i was the world's worst mom. needless to say, our lovey dovey valentine's dinner plans were out the window since i was too nervous to leave him. so instead we took my mom, the intended babysitter, along with us to a lovey dovey dinner. mike's dream come true. seriously.

*on a great streak with weight watcher's until utah trip. lost 19lbs and was working out 4 times a week. have completely flat lined since the trip and since alex has been sick and ready to start working out again.

also, in case you were wondering... this little boy LOVES him a tag. he will find a tag on whatever he is holding and fixate on it for a while. tags are even more fun than toys, who knew? here a few pictures to prove it.

locating the prize.

concentrating face.



caught.



cute.



untitled.

Minus the constant throwing up for 5 months, food aversions to everything except for plain noodles, jello, milk, and life cereal... minus the heartburn, minus the complete exhaustion that had me napping in every spare moment, minus the swollen feet that could hardly stand 10 hour days, minus the rib that kept getting pushed out of place that three times had me completely frozen in pain... minus all that, pregnancy and I got on quite well.

Mike may have been slightly terrified that I would turn into a raging crazy face during the 9 months junior cooked in my belly, but to his surprise, I was an absolute treat. (Minus all the above mentioned exclusions.) He told me all the time that I was more pleasant pregnant than non-pregnant, and I agreed. People would constantly tell me at work that "pregnancy agreed with me," and how radiant I looked. My skin never looked better, and it was an emotional success. Win, win, win.

Post pregnancy has not turned me into the raging crazy face that Mike was expecting either. Pretty even and mostly pleasant. I did rely too much on my glowing skin and now I am out of the habit of washing my face at night, and my skin is protesting. Time to get into my nighttime routine again, I guess. It's just the LAST thing I'd like to do when junior is finally down for the night and the house is put back in order.

On an unrelated note, I obsess over decorating and am currently loving these two areas in my mister's room.

This is Jersey the Rabbit. Jersey has a problem with authority. Mike did a collection of Jersey the Rabbit in his watercolor class for his undergrad. They had to tell a story with a series of watercolors. In the above pictures, Jersey likes to go fossil hunting, hates taking baths, and is embarrassed when his grandma makes him dress up.

We are starting a few collections for Alex, hopefully he will like them when he is older. Wood crafted elephants thrifted from second hand stores, and globes of the world.

Sweet little flirty bug... can't even handle it.

things to accomplish.

I have a handful of goals for this year. Here are the ones I'm most excited about:



Me and my mom joined weight watchers! Goal #1 is to shed this baby weight and feel like I am back in shape. I've lost 10lbs so far and am excited for spring to roll around to get outside!



I've been wanting to make this pretty little Amy Butler baby quilt since my step-mom Christine and Dad got me one of her books for my birthday last year. I just love it. Goal #2 is to make this blanket for Alex.

I'm constantly looking at interior design magazines and websites for cute ideas. Found this adorable mobile and Alex doesn't have one yet! Boo ya, goal #3.

And just because he's so handsome, here's a picture of my sweet boy 1 week old. This little mister just has my heart. Being his mommy is my favorite thing.



A few favorites.

My makeup routine has changed pretty drastically. I used to spend an average of 15 minutes putting my makeup on, now it's been cut back to 7.5ish minutes, if I'm lucky. I still adore Cosmetics and how much fun it all is (blame that on my job of 6 years!). Here are a few favorites that I am loving right now.



Kiehl's Cryste Marine Ultra Riche Cream. Last week we had a day here that was -8 degrees with a wind chill, which made the "feels like" temperature -18 degrees. Redunckulously cold. This cream has saved my skin. If only I could slather it on my hands too.



Nars Blush in Orgasm. Pretty peachy/gold- makes your skin look oh so fresh after no sleep with little bug.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. Lovely.

Bobbi Brown Corrector. My all-time favorite. Makes your dark circles disappear.

Clinique High Impact Mascara. I've tried every mascara at Nordstrom. I always go back to this one. Length, volume, and non-clumpy. Thanks Clinique.

This is a new find I've been loving. Since I'm smooching on Alex all day, gloss is impractical. I love this Burt's Bee's Tinted Balm in Rose.

And, in case you were wondering, here are a few things my mister has been loving:

Sophie la Girafe. The best teether ever. It's light and easy for him to hold. And it's BPA free natural rubber with food quality paint. So I feel fine about him devouring it.  

Dwell Studio for Target Plush Blanket.

Burt's Bees Baby Soak. Perfect for bath-time and smells lovely.

This little dog is the funniest thing Alex has ever seen. Every time Boomer gets near Alex, he cracks up.