Today

HE woke up half past seven this morning. I think I'd forgotten what his face looked like. That's what happens when you're in love with someone, you know. I opened the door to his room to see large brown eyes staring in my direction. He raised his arms towards me and indistinctly cried out maaaam... If it is possible, he was even more beautiful than I remembered him to be.

This afternoon, standing in line at the grocery store, I bounced my tired boy in my arms. They were beginng to feel weak from carrying him throughout the market. Then, he discovered my eyelashes.

I smiled at the thought...of his innocence, his naivety, his curiosity.

He smiles when he sees me. He likes to play with my rice spoons...we had a pretty good day.

Food Blog

I LOVE food. Even more so, I love to make food. I have always had a passion for creating culinary masterpieces and have, many times, called my family to tell them what I was eating. We have also, on even more occasions, taken photos of the food we are eating, were eating on vacation, or even at really good restaurants. On a number of these occurrences, I have thought to myself (and maybe said aloud) "I can make this!" or "I can make this better than they can!" While I don't mean to sound holier than thou, I do think that to myself. I just know that at some point, no matter what it is I've eaten, or where it is, someone was cooking in their kitchen at home one day and created it. I have started doing this so much, that I decided to create a separate blog for them. To access this blog, you can click on my profile, or use the link below:

I love food.

Blue Balloon

Ooooh, how I love this weather! I turned on my heater. Beck is now wearing jackets, and as long as he has a balloon tied to his wrist (and in a death grip between his tiny fingers), he will keep is socks on. There is no guarantee about the pants....I have yet to get that magic trick on video, but somehow, he's already figure that out.

I did, however, record his head shaking, oh, and him eating some toast. So, here is my son, munching on some toast. Don't expect a point, there isn't one.

It is very strange having a child...I really could (and often do) just watch him all day. I am fascinated by him, his thought process, his advancements- he loves to be kissed. He won't kiss back, but he will slam his forehead into my face to receive them. This has resulted in numerous fat lips (for me) and goose eggs (for him) when he misses my face and hits his head on a table, for example. He gives the BEST hugs. He wraps his little arms as tight on my shoulders as he can, squeezes with all his might, even letting out a little grunt, and kicks his legs with effort. The BEST.

Yesterday was Jennie's actual birthday, so Beck and I went to visit her at work with some lovely pink balloons and a little tiara that said "Happy Birthday" and sparkled in the most birthday-like way that could come from party store quality. Beck was adorned with his very own festive birthday cone hat, covered in little monkeys. He was also very excited about Jennie's balloons, so naturally, I decided to get him a little blue one of his own. He loved it.

Jennie and I took a little walk through Downtown Provo during her lunch break (which was actually around 2:30pm) and then Casey joined us for blackberry lemonade and glazed pumpkin bagel bites in front of Einstein Bagel (which he described, in texture, as eating a band-aid, but then proceeded to devour). It was the perfect weather for a stroll down Center Street.

Later in the eve, Jennie and I had dinner with Ashlyn to celebrate Jennie's 23rd. On the way home, Jennie and I enjoyed Starbucks, and then watched a hilarious web video about a boy whose mother cancelled his World of Warcraft account...followed by an episode of 'My Fair Wedding', in which totally trashy weddings get re-vamped by a pro. It's awesome.

Myself and Beck, during dinner- still gripping that balloon.

Us girls, and Beck!

Cheese!!!!

Happy Birthday, Jennie!

I have also been realizing just how much my son is looking more and more like his Uncle Trent (my little brother) who is on a mission. Trent and I were in high school together for one year, my senior year/his freshman, and people used to ask us if we were twins (apparently because we were the same height, that means we're the same age and either I'm a genius, or he's really stupid to be 4 grades apart), so I guess Trent and I look a lot a like. I miss him. Seeing Beck look so much like him makes me miss him even more. He's a great brother.

Beck, waving for the camera.

Myself and my little bro waaay back in the day, at an EFY dance, I think. Perhaps Summer of '03?

There have been a lot of firsts in the last nine months, as everything we do is basically Beck's first time to do it. On Monday, we're going to pick out pumpkins. Last night, we let Beck taste a little lemon.

I still miss Oklahoma.

There's Snow on the Mountains....

It's not supposed to do that till Winter, but here we are snowing in Autumn anyway. Did I mention that this is my favorite season? I don't think I could ever get tired of Fall - it's the perfect time of year, and sadly, the shortest here in Utah.

So, I have lost my camera battery charger. Sadly, it is a special square Canon battery and of course, all the stores where it's less than $50, they're all out of stock, probably forever. I am in search of the battery charger. In the mean time, I have no pictures. I will keep you posted.

As usual, we've been doing a lot of things with Jennie, so she can take pics for us! We definitely love Jennie. So much, I'm going to make Trent marry her when he comes home from his mission. Arranged marriages are related to our culture, aren't they?

A couple of things we did with Jennie recently - we went to the State Fair. Jennie and I really like fried Oreos. I think the only thing that could have made them any better for her would be if the cream filling in the Oreos was orange for Halloween. Otherwise, they were delicious. We also saw a bear show while we were there, even though we missed the alligator show. That is two fairs in a row that we missed the alligator. Next year, I guess! I'm also going to be skinnier next year, so I can eat two orders of Oreos, and perhaps a deep fried cheesecake slice. I love food.

Beck and me at the fair - this bird cracks me up - I didn't know he was there when we took the picture.

I am sure he's thinking "I wont that" in his mid-western Oklahoma accent.

A few weeks after that, which just happens to be this past Saturday night, we celebrated Jennie's 23rd birthday. Her actual birthday is this coming Friday, the 2nd...but Jennie likes to celebrate for a whole week. Who wouldn't? I made the cake...it looks something like this....this is actually it.

My cake.

Me and my cake! I'm very proud of the way it turned out. It wasn't an easy project.

Jennie and her birthday cake! Poor Beck, it was waaaaay past his bedtime. He was a trooper to be up so late!

Us girls (and of course, Beck)

(from left, Jennie, Jessica & Me)

Jennie, the birthday girl! She looked super hot in her pink dress (everyone else wore black and white).

The party was complete with 'Mocktails' - the non-alcoholic version of cocktails...and even my dear husband as bartender. He's a good sport, too. Sadly, Jennie's camera ran out of space, so we didn't get a pic of him mixing drinks - next time...because I think we'll have to do it a next time! For the party, I did provide my chocolate fountain and we had a delicious arrangement of pink (strawberry) marshmallows, some fruit, pretzels and some candy to boot. It was a pretty stinkin' great time.

Jennie and I also took a cake class, of which, you saw my first cake in my last post. I took pictures on my phone of my other cakes, but I haven't uploaded them to the computer yet. They all turned out pretty cute - we learned how to make a number of different flowers, including roses, and borders. I did take some liberties with Jennie's birthday cake, though - I made fondant, which is not in our class, and I piped the bottom tier of my own accord. It turned out a little more swanky than I would have liked-which was more my personality coming out of the end of the piping bag. I wanted it to be a little more dainty and girly - because that is a little more Jennie...and it was her birthday party, after all. So, I'm working on that...my next big cake will be for Uncle Jeff's chili party on Halloween. I'm open for ideas...I have a few already - what are yours?

I have also decided that I am going to paint my entire downstairs in the next few months. We bought a desk that won't fit up our stairs, so we had to put it downstairs and it throws off my whole color scheme. Besides, I am enjoying my creative experiments. Now I just need some swatches.

Let Them Eat Cake

Football season. In my youth, I loved this time of year. I loved walking down a fully packed Lindsey Street on my way to campus. The sides of the street were (and probably are right now) lined with canopies and trailers from all the fans tailgaiting, eating and getting drunk. It is a sea of crimson and creme that causes the adrenaline to pulse through my veins like they were connected to an electric pump. While the walk isn't actually far, in my excitement, it often seemed to take days to arrive at my destination: Owen Field. Each Saturday was a new game and a new adventure. I miss it more and more with each season that passes.

These days, Saturday is "my" time. My dear husband is not only a fan of football, he is (in the most affectionate and literal ways) obsessed. He wants to watch all games if he can. Specifically, BYU and possibly join me in an OU game, too. Needless to say, most of the day, my husband and usually the television are both occupied and so I have to find something else to do. Last year, I joined Casey at a few games, but was so pregnant, the heat was miserable. Not to mention my only BYU shirt is a child's size large and made me look like Winnie the Pooh. I only wish I'd taken a picture. This year, I've decided to occupy my time by taking a cake decorating class with my friend, Jennie. I really like cake, and I'd really like Beck to have an awesome birthday cake this year - so I decided to take up this new hobby. I've always enjoyed cooking and sometimes baking - mostly I just like eating.....but I have felt the need to have a new creative outlet and I think this one suits me just fine. While this particular cake (my very first) isn't quite my decorating style, it is the technique I'm trying to master...and hopefully I'll only get better and then I can really make cakes my way.

Also, I am spending my time on this website....http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

Here is cake #1 - lesson in piping

PS - the pattern was just one sunflower...I did the medley on my own!

My son, excited about all the cake he won't eat

Again, my son, but here I think he is pretending to attack, perhaps as Nacho Libre?

I know he's mine, but I'll toot the horn - too cute! (notice Harry the picture gopher again?)

I miss Oklahoma.

On My Mind

I recently saw a popular (and fantastic) photographer here in Utah looking for "talented" bloggers. For about two seconds, I got very excited at the opportunity - even though I have no idea what it was for. Then I immediately thought about my recent blogs posts, of which I would use as an example of my work. While I of course think my little baby monkey is the best subject a person could ask for, I realized that my posts are void of actual topic or conversation. They're also missing one of my favorite ingredients - passion.

I find that the most intriguing articles are those in which the author has a real interest in what he or she is writing. Lately, I find myself not being very interested in anything worthy of note. Thus, not having any truly fantastic posts in recent months. To be honest, I have been seeking to enrich my life with new projects. A few weeks ago, I learned how to make jam and this past week, I learned how to can peaches...delicious peaches.....(sigh). Next, I'm going to try cake-making. I think it is wise to have both food storage and a greater knowledge of subjects previously unconquered.

In the past year, my life has been turned completely upside-down with job changes, baby birth, and trying to hold on to who I am individually while effortlessly having a life consumed with doing what is best for my son. (PS I'm very proud to announce that Beck has consciously made his first sign in baby sign language - "all done").

Sometimes I wonder what I should be blogging about. I see people promoting their favorite goods and best finds, others about their daily happenings (isn't that what Twitter is for?), and then those like mine, that have been consumed with the ever so cute activities of an off-spring. Other times, I wonder if I should be blogging at all. Isn't it self-centered enough that I post my life all over Facebook? Food for thought.

On a lighter, more exciting note...a historic day is coming up on September 5, exactly one week from today. My favorite football team (and alma mater) is playing Casey's favorite team for the second time in history. I've held my tongue for the months that I've known this game was coming up, and now that it's only a week away, I can hold my tongue no longer. I am stoked - BYU is going down! Go Sooners! I'll be cheering on from far away - surrounded by Texas and BYU fans - and of course, Jennie, who is a University of Utah fan (which means she's anti-BYU). The tension will be high in our household this week! But at least Casey is outnumbered (me, Beck and the pups will be sporting our OU gear all week!). Go Oklahoma!!!!

Friends

Once again, I apologize that my posts have become somewhat unimaginative...and mostly about my little boy. I just don't have a lot of time to get out and about and take pictures of much more than him. And besides, he is the apple of my eye....why wouldn't I take a million pictures to document every moment he breathes?!?!

Anyway, I put him to bed the other night with his favorite giraffe. The other stuffed animals are usually around the perimeter of the crib, so he won't feel alone when he goes to sleep at night...I just know I liked them when I was little. He normally just snuggles with the one giraffe, and is parallel with the longer sides of the crib. But the other night, Casey went in to check on him to find that he actually was feeling a little lonely....

I promise, this is not at all staged...and I had the monitor on the whole time - I didn't hear a peep. He just wanted to snuggle with his friends.