What If?

Every once in awhile I ask myself a "what if" question. I am sure most people do this, or do they? And it's not that I am wishing my life were different in any way, it just out of curiosity. What if my parents didn't move from West Valley to South Jordan? What if I had won, instead of sorely lost, in the student body election? What if I had moved away for my college years? What if I hadn't taken that one job? What if Brian and I hadn't waited for 5 years to have kids? You get the point. My life today is a result of many forks in the road. The path that I chose to follow or was lead to, has gotten me to this point. And my life is good. Sure I have ups and downs, good days and bad days, times of pure stress (like right now) and times of pure joy. But overall, I really can't complain. And then again, I can't help but wonder from time to time how my life would be different if I had taken a different path.

I have a reoccurring dream. It happens randomly. I have been unable to make a connection as to why I have it, when I have it. It probably happens 4-8 times per year. The people who are in it and the circumstances are always different, but the message I get from it is always the same: Life is NOT greener on the other side! In every dream, my life is different from my actual reality. I am never married to Brian, although sometimes he is lurking in the background. Sometimes I am married to some random person from my past, like an old peer or co-worker, and sometimes I am married to a complete stranger. And then sometimes I am not married at all. Sometimes I am living in Utah and sometimes I am living elsewhere, like New York. And here is the kicker, I am never happy. Ever. In my dream, I always feel as though something is missing. There is a void. I am not satisfied with life or with my marriage, and I long for things to be different. I should also mention that in my dream I know that my life is suppose to be different. That I had messed up and had not gone down the right path.

I had my dream again last night. I was married to a guy I went to high school with. Nice kid. We were in the process of moving out of the state. Something was not right. I wanted my "real life" back. So, this morning I woke up and was once again reminded that my life is good and just exactly the way it should be.

Blurb Blog Book

Try saying that 10 times fast!...Now that you have tried and failed, let me introduce you to my first blurb book:

I am so excited about this! I finally got around to publishing my blog and I am quite happy with the results. It is a journal and scrapbook in one! It you haven't done this, you need to. Just click here to get started. I have said this before, but I am a horrible journal keeper. Always have been. But now I actually have a record of one year of my life. I plan on doing 2007 and 2009 very soon. And I will likely be blogging more often.

F.Y.I. This 66 page hard bound book with premium paper cost me $50.94 (taxes and shipping included). Totally worth it.

Progress/Chaos

These are the two words I can use to describe my life right now. On the one hand I do feel like we are making progress on our home - slowly but surely. And on the other hand, it feels like complete and utter chaos. There is still much to do and we have made several goals and deadlines that haven't been met. I am just very glad that we aren't having to live in the mess while we are working on it.

When I tell people we are fixing up our home, I usually just say that we are "painting and putting in new carpet." I'm afraid it's not quite that simple, which is why it is taking so long. Here is a look at what we have accomplished:

Trim has been added to the baseboards -

Some carpet has been taken out (more to come)
and the kitchen and entry tile has been removed - Pile o' tile and carpet -

Holes have been patched and mouldings have been re-caulked.

Recessed lighting has been added to hallways and the family room -
(The entire home will be getting new lighting)

Progress is being made on sanding all the cabinets and railings -

We have also removed all the doors, knobs, & hinges, and built the shelves in the kids' playroom. Before Saturday we hope to finish all the sanding, remove the rest of the carpet, take down all the light fixtures, take off all outlet and switch plates, wash the walls, take down the blinds, and cover everything that isn't being painted (ie - windows, cabinets, fireplace, etc.). Whew! If we can do all that, then Saturday will be painting day!

Wish us luck!!

Ashlyn's 4th B-day

Ashlyn's birthday started out with her pick for breakfast - cinnamon toast, scrambled eggs with cheese, and chocolate milk. Then it was party prep time! We made the spaghetti sauce (Ashlyn's pick for dinner) and cupcakes, and then got ourselves ready. Brian only had to work a half day and by the time he got home we were ready to go. We ran a couple errands, got pizza for lunch (Ashlyn's pick again) and then stopped at the mall so the kids could ride the merry-go-round and work off some energy at the dinosaur playground. This was a great plan because by the time we got home they were both worn out and both took a 2 1/2 hour nap! Perfect for more party prep. We decorated, wrapped presents, and finished making dinner.

Ashlyn wanted a Backyardigans party this year and that is what she got...barely. I went to the party store about a week before her birthday and was lucky to find all Backyardigan supplies on clearance. Everything was a steal! When I went back the day before her birthday to get a few more things, it was all gone. Luckily we already had what we needed. Talk about good timing.

For dinner we had spaghetti with meatballs, sourdough bread, ceasar salad, a cheese and olive tray, and juice boxes for the kids. After filling our bellies, the kids played pin the bow tie on Pablo and then went on a treasure hunt to find their treasures.

The treasure hunt ended in an obstacle course - past the goobly goo, down the super slide, across the river, and through the ring of fire. Once they passed the test, they earned their reward.

Then Ashlyn got spoiled with presents. She got lots of new spring-time clothes, fun toys, books, movies, and hand-made gifts. Thanks to everyone!

After presents came the cupcakes and spumoni ice cream from The Spaghetti Factory. YUM!

It was a very easy party. I have never spent so little time planning and preparing for a party. With all that is going on right now with our new home, I just didn't have much time. But, the kids had fun, the food was good, and Ashlyn felt special. So I guess it was a success :o)

Fabulous Four

My baby girl turned four years old today and it just blows me away. Before I know it she will be graduating from high school! Ashlyn is a joy in my life and here are a few things about her at four:

• She is hilarious and keeps me laughing every day.
  
• She loves to help me in the kitchen, which I love. I love baking and cooking with her by my side.
  
• She is a good sister. Of course they fight (what siblings don't?), but they also play together really well and are best friends.
  
• She is smart. Watch out what you say and do around her, because she is a sponge and will remember and repeat everything!
  
• She is a horrible listener! It is amazing how well she can tune me out and completely ignore me until I am yelling to get her attention! She is definitely teaching me patience.
• She loves preschool and hates primary. Maybe "hate" is too strong, but she has cried, whined, and made multiple escapes.
  
• She is slowly learning to like vegetables.
  
• She loves Backyardigans (more on that later), has just started taking an interest in "princesses", and still has a special place in her heart for horses.
• She has a very healthy sweet tooth.
  
• She adores her cousins.
• She has become quite a fan of pina coladas.
• She can be both very outgoing and shy when meeting new people, it just depends on her current mood.
  
• She can't wait for the new baby to come and has promised to be a very good helper.

There is so much more I could say, but it is late and has been a long day. I will write more later about her special day and party. For now, here is a look at how she has grown:

Birthday: 3-11-06

1st Birthday: 3-11-07

2nd Birthday: 3-11-08

3rd Birthday: 3-11-09

4th Birthday: 3-11-10

I love you so much Ashlyn and can't imagine life without you. Thank you for being you!

Who Knew?

Who knew we'd have to travel down to Bryce Canyon to see some snow this winter? It was time once again for our annual Ruby's Inn Retreat and we just got back a few hours ago. Brian and I had debated over and over whether or not we should go, what with all our home renovations going on. But in the end, we just couldn't say no. It is always so much fun and we look forward to this reunion every year. Besides, after our week long vacation in Cozumel, we really needed the break ;o)

Brian couldn't get any time off work so it was a short trip for us, a mere 48 hours. As usual, the company was great, the food was great, and memories were made. However, I realized on our way home that I had not taken a single picture. So I pulled out my camera and snapped a few shots. Until next year...

Hola!

I woke up this morning to Ashlyn peeling the dead sun-burnt skin off my arm. A small price to pay for our week in paradise. It was such an amazing week! Lots of food, fun, sun, shopping, laughter, sites, R&R, and great company. I took well over 300 pictures, but I am just going to share a few.

Mmmm, pina coladas. Not only beautiful, but delicioso!:
Our casa - the Villa Miranda. My only complaint was that the beds and pillows were too hard! (Another very small price to pay):
The Bloods ;o)
The Non-Bloods ;o)
Mayan ruins - San Gervasio, circa 600-1200 A.D.:
Iguanas & lemurs & peacocks, Oh My!:Ahhhh, the beach. I have never been much of a beach goer. That is going to change.
If only we lived closer...
I think my very favorite part was getting out of the ocean after snorkeling and seeing the most beautiful fish, and then eating fresh guacamole and fish tacos right on the beach! I could do that every day. But then again, maybe spending a week with my husband without any "kid" interruptions was the best part. Or maybe it was the empanadas. Or maybe it was the sand between my toes:
It really was a perfect vacation and I can't wait to go back!