The History of Orange

When Peter and I got married it was two separate, individual, selfish, and independent worlds colliding.
I was a 27 year old single female with a successful job (in financial planning, managing about 5 million in assets, HEY! That is great for a 2nd year advisor!). I had a condo, a car, and a lifestyle of travel and leisure, planning get-aways with friends and having a constant stream of house (condo) visitors.

He was a 27 year old single male. Had been living on his own in Seattle for several years, doing school and dabbling in the Seattle grunge band scene and trying to find his way in life. He eventually decided to enter the family business (hotel management) and was managing a hotel in Renton, WA, doing his own thing, and attending a very small singles branch.

His taste was strictly modern.
My taste was strictly my own.

We clashed in many ways (and sometimes still do) but when we moved in together after dating only LONG DISTANCE for 6 months, it was a clash of the TITANS! We both had our own furniture, and we moved into an apartment in Eugene, OR. He was working, and I was newly unemployed. A position I had not been in in several (if ever?) years. I was ready for a life of wifehood. As much as a 27 year old strong minded, independent woman can be. I was NOT ready for compromise.

I figured our house would be MY own, and I determined that I would make it that way as soon as possible.
For the most part, our things meshed together in a sort of cheap eclectic way. I had my favorite items. He had his, but since we moved frequently, things, and pieces of furniture were constantly shifting, and where I could, I would banish the unsightly (to me) pieces of modern furniture, and conveniently replace them with things of my own choosing.

Peter, for the most part, relented.

He even told me that our house was my office, and I could do with it what I want.
However, there was ONE item that I was forbidden to get rid of. 

The Orange Plastic Ikea Table.

It's first home was by our couch.
It's second home was in Peter's office.
It's home right now is in our garage.
And I am pretty sure it's next home will be to the dump. (JUST KIDDING HONEY! I WOULD NEVER!)

When I started painting my kitchen table orange a few days ago. Peter was bemused.
He chuckled, "An ORANGE table? I thought you didn't like those!"
Turns out, I didn't.
Turns out, I changed my mind.
I can remember a time where "orange" would have been a color I hate.
And now it seems, it is a color I cannot live without.

Maybe it is because I live in California now? And everything is sun and oranges? I am not quite sure what possessed me, but I am QUITE sure, I love it.
However, I am also quite sure I still don't love HIS orange table.

 But I sure do love mine.
Probably his biggest gripe.
My "florescent orange urn"
Peter can't stand it.
Or rather, just can't believe it.
He is wondering what happened to me.
And to be honest, I just don't know.

But I love it.

Click HERE to see my kitchen BEFORE it's transformation

What is Love Anyway?

Yesterday I was doing my weekly sales calls for Papa Murphy's (I am such a great employee!) Anyway, I walked into the store two doors down and was met with a few hard faces.. You know the kind that I mean, faces that have kind of "been through life". Maybe a little bit of "hard living".


I introduced myself as the co-owner of Papa Murphy's with my husband and explained the purpose of my visit. She immediately scoffed and said, "And you haven't killed each other yet?" Her comment didn't surprise me. Working with a spouse is definitely a tricky balance. You always need to have some level of respect for each other in a work environment. I can't usurp his power, change the rules, make my own rules, or do a myriad of other things that I may be tempted to do.

I just try to keep my nose clean while I am there, and try to make BOTH of our lives easier, by trying to make HIS life easier.

There is a LOT of stress around owning your own business. There are ups and downs, ebs and flows... and it is difficult sometimes to not let the stress come between you. I am NOT saying it doesn't, but it is important to try to not let it.

I read this quote today, and I don't think that I have ever read anything I believe more.

Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.

Louis De Bernieres

I get frustrated with societies view of marriage. I hope that our example will be one that our kids will look to with pride, and desire to achieve. I hope they will see us as equal partners who both made every attempt to make it work, even through challenging times. I hope they will take our example, and have success of their own. And I hope they will never look to society for thoughts on marriage because it takes far more effort, desire, and understanding to adhere to the idea above...

Thanksgiving and more.

We had a quiet Thanksgiving this year. Although having your own business is very rewarding, and hopefully will create a fantastic autonomy for our family some day, right now, it is completely overwhelming and draining, not to mention a complete time suck. My husband has taken ONE day off in three weeks, and guess what, it was on Thanksgiving!

I wanted to make sure my kids were able to enjoy "the thanksgiving experience" eventhough we had no house guests, and didn't travel anywhere.

They seemed to enjoy the pomp and ceremony of it all, and didn't seem to mind that they were on their own all day. However, I missed the extra family, and the entertainment that friends or cousins bring. What can I say, I am a people person, and I got my degree in throwing a party, so, it was a smidge to quiet for me.

I love this happy face.

The bird was a masterpiece, and I LOVED pretending there were going to be tons of happy eaters. But yet, there were just 6.

This is what my kitchen looked like after the dinner was made. I AM sure it was worth it in eating the dinner. I am NOT sure it was worth it in the clean up. That is admittedly the best part of having Thanksgiving guests, they usually clean up the aftermath.

I have posted on this blog the complete gratitude that I have felt for the blessings we have been given. We have been given so many.

A beautiful house to live in,

a great business, that we love and are so excited about,

our beautiful kids, who, are healthy and happy,

two sets grandparents who are happy and healthy as well,

a wonderful new state to live in,

a wonderful new ward,

a wonderful husband who has put in about 8 and 1/2 weeks of work into three weeks (yes, I am talking about 16 hour days)

Our blessings are simple, but astounding, and although I don't wish the trials we went through on anyone, I am grateful for them for teaching us to appreciate the simple blessings, of employment, a home to call our own, direction in our future, and true happiness in all of it.

We are blessed.

What's it like?

I am sure some of you are wondering what exactly goes on in those months before opening your own store. I wondered, and now, we are right in the thick of things.

It is mostly good.

And it is mostly done by my husband.

But the responsibilities have gotten to a fever pitch. He has around 20-30 things on his "to-do" list on any given day.

It might look like this.

Rent Truck for trailer,

Pick up trailer,

take trailer to wrap guy,

Wrap guy takes measurements,

take trailer back to storage lot,

call Papa Murphy's marketing dept about wrap,

Call contractor,

Call Marketing People,

Order flyers for wife's marketing event,

Proof flyers,

Call insurance lady about trailer,

Go to DMV,

Register Trailer,

Return more urgent phone calls,

order wares for the store,

order signs for the store,

order more stuff for the store,

return a million phone calls,

field questions from you wife about what is happening and when,

schedule grand opening events,

schedule VIP night events,

order stuff for said events,

clear all of the events your wife is scheduling,

decide whether or not she is crazy,

blah, blah, blah, blah.

Yeah, that is all in a day.

I should have had him make this list, because I am sure that is not the 1/2 of it. I just try to stay out of his way.

I think I am doing a semi-good job at that.

I'm not gonna lie. It is exciting. Especially now that we are getting closer. And closer and CLOSER!!!!

I can't wait to see it all come to fruition. Months and months and months of planning and talking, and finding a site, and signing contracts and finding contractors and on and on and on. We are about 30 days out, and I can't wait! I am sure you have questions, if you do, please feel free to ask them!

I will post more pictures as we get closer!

Cart Before the Horse . . Or worst kept secrets.

This post has been a long time coming. And it might just be the most delayed post I have ever written. I wrote it MONTHS ago. I mean, MONTHS, but I am finally ready to post it. And so. . .here it is. It is probably the worst kept secret in my life, but I am ready to put it out there for everyone to see.

I don't think it will be shocking to ANYONE. Especially after my LAST post, but here it is.

Spring is my favorite time of year. Maybe it is because it is my Birthday! Maybe it is because I love the blooming flowers. Maybe it is because my Anniversary is in the spring! Maybe it is because the world seems to start anew. Maybe it is all because of new beginnings I have had, and I have had lots.

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you would know that the past couple (3) years have been a big challenge for our family in many, many ways. If you don't know, you can read about it HERE.

Things seemed to calm down right around the time that Kaylie was born. However, they really didn't. That year Peter started a new job, we moved (for the 9th time in 10 years), and Peter embarked on doing a Master's Degree along with working full time. With a brand new baby, it was a lot to take on. Extreme stress and long hours became the name of the game. Not to mention, there still seemed to be a bit of "un-rest" with our new situation. It didn't sit well with Peter and he was uncertain our lives were moving in the right direction. Oy.

That was hard for me. (And him) Because we had been trying to get back on our feet for several months. Trying to re-group. Trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Trying to "buck-up". But even though he got a job (not a great one) and was re-careering, we still felt like we weren't quite there yet. We figured it was just because we were busier than ever, and in a job that was several steps backward. He interviewed, and interviewed, and interviewed. We even had several "final interview"s and we never got the offer. Something was still standing in our way, and we weren't sure what.

In November, Peter was laid off.

It wasn't what we were expecting.

He was only a year into his Master's Program, that his job was paying for.

It was the main reason we were at that job.

At first, it seemed like a curse.

Then we realized, it was a blessing.

This was our big chance.

To make it right.

Our family was reeling from the news, and once again faced with uncertainty. Or, continued with uncertainty, or increased our uncertainty. Been there? For three years? Really? It's not fun.

We have earned our stripes, and made it through. I am not going to say it was completely without scars, but I can say, we are stronger. We have finally chosen a direction to go, and almost feel compelled. Which is such a relief after years of uncertainty and question. Our new "trajectory" is taking us to a new place. A new STATE.

California.

I can hardly believe it as I type that. Peter and I have lived in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Washington, Arizona and now we are going to add California to our repitore. I can honestly say that neither one of us has EVER had a desire to live in the state. Don't get me wrong, it is a great place to visit, but I can honestly say, it wouldn't be our first choice, but it is now.

And we are going.

We feel peace. More peace that we have felt in a long time. We were scared, and took painstaking measures to make sure this was the right thing for our family. We have done countless hours of research and know exactly what to expect, and how it is going to go down.

But it has been decided, and it is final.

We are going to California.

And we are going to open a new franchise in a little town called Temecula.

And that franchise is one that we know well, and love, and have researched a TON.

It is:

Ever heard of it?

It's the Holiday Season!

And whoop de doo, and fiddle de dumb and don't cha think, it's a whole lotta fun!

Peter and I have made that our offical favorite Holiday song, because you do not have to know the words, you can just make up whatever the heck you want, and it always sounds good.

For example, you probably think the words above are the right words.

No, they are not.

The right words are:

It's the holiday season
With the whoop-de-do and hickory dock
And don't forget to hang up your sock
'Cause just exactly at 12 o'clock
He'll be coming down the chimney
Coming down the chimney
Coming down the chimney, down!

Anywho, the next time that you feel like getting into the Christmas spirit, I give you permission to sing that song and put whatever words you want after "Whoop de do, and fiddle de dumb" It is just a lot more fun that way, trust me.

The other song that gets stuck in my head is the Secret Agent Oso song.

I used to have nothing against Special Agent Oso, but my husband has become rather disturbed by the stupidity of sweet Oso, and now, as a tribute to Oso, my husband will make mundane tasks, like unloading the dishwasher, or changing a diaper into Agent Oso missions. I will hear him, in his best Agent Oso impersonation (my husband is SUPER good at impersonations) in another room saying things like, "Now we get out a diaper!" "Now, we wipe the bumb!" etc. You get the picture.

Our house, we are a laugh a minute around here, you should come by.

You never know when you might be instructed to do something in "THREE SPECIAL STEPS".

Truly Disappointing Pictures of a FANTASTIC night.

April 8th, was DEFINITELY a night to remember. A few years ago we decided that we would take turns each year planning our Anniversary, because, after THIS ONE, I had to start doing some payback.

Peter always seems to get away with the most extravagant experiences though. And I HATE SURPRISES. Seriously. All kinds. The "life" surprises, the "fun" surprises, the "un-intentional" surprise. Seriously hate. I might be the only person on the planet, but it really grates against the control freak side of me. So, I don't like surprises... Good or bad. However, Peter INSISTS, on the most part, to always give me "Surprises" and then he relishes in my contempt for the Surprise. We have a great marriage, no?

It is kinda cute of him though, to go through so much effort and be in so much complete bliss because he is surprising me. Anywho, he pulled off another biggie and tried to make up for the fact that we had been planning for the past 5 years to go to Japan on our 10th anniversary. But the events of the past two years kinda put that one on the back burner.

It seems as though Peter and I cannot pull off any flattering pictures when we are on our own. Think that might be due to the close proximity of my arm holding the camera? Maybe.

Peter chose Roka Akor in Scottsdale as our dining destination. This would be the sister restaurant to Roka in London, Hong Kong and Dubai. Of course. Only the finest. Only.

I must admit, our eating experience there was out of this world. We even had Saga Beef. Served right there in that big 'ol leaf. With smoke coming out of the base and 4 kinds of salt to be used in lieu of soy. Soy.... so, overpowering, so, not good enough for the food we were eating. We had a Black Salt from Hawaii, a Green Tea Salt and a Himalayan Sea Salt (which I actually cook with everyday. Yes, it is THAT GOOD people) And just to give you an idea of how good that beef was, it was 1/2 the price of our meal ticket. THAT GOOD. And totally worth it for a once in a lifetime experience.
Peter can't open his eyes in pictures. Unless it is forced. Just look at the beef.
Then he took me to the Hyatt to ride on the Gondola. Que romantique. Our gondolier even sang us an Italian Aria.
Then, to top off the evening, we went to The Melting Pot. We decided long ago that dinner at the Melting Pot maybe wasn't worth the hype. But the dessert. . . the dessert DEFINITELY is. Order the Bananas Foster. Oh momma. I could bathe in it. And check out the privacy! Drapes? We made good use of them. And then I swore Abby would never be allowed on a date to The Melting Pot. 'Nuf said.

Thanks Peter, it was a magical "surprise" of a night.

10

We weren't young, but we were, shall we say, unaware.

Unaware of all of the challenges life might have in store for us.

I have to admit, there have been more than I ever thought there would be.

Some of them have been daunting.

Some of them we will deal with for a very, very long time.

Some of them have arrived recently.

And have been sticking around.

I knew he was good then.

I didn't know he was quite so strong.

I didn't know he was quite so long suffering.

I didn't know he was so forgiving.

I didn't know he was the love of my life.

I didn't.

But he is.

I love these pictures.

Because they aren't posed.

Well, they ARE posed,

but more like you are getting a glimpse of a special and private moment.

It was a special and private moment.

It was quiet.

And a stunningly beautiful day.

It was picture perfect.

Eventhough life is not.

And again,

We were unaware.

Of the blessings we would have.

Of the joy they would bring.

Of the happiness that could be ours

after we got through all the bad.

We are working.

We will always be working.

It is a road.

But I am blessed to be on it,

with him.

Happy Anniversary Honey.
I love you.

The Low Down on Sugar

Well, it has been a week.

A week since I gave up sugar for 30 days.

I had a friend write me and ask where I have been since it has been three days since I posted.

I would like to say, I am in a lack-of-sugar coma.

But here is the thing.

I am NOT.

Actually, it hasn't been that bad!

Except for the few times I have forgotten.

TOTALLY BY ACCIDENT. (I swear)

Like yesterday when my daughter offered me a bite of her Tiger's Blood sno-cone and I said sure and took exactly ONE bite and then realized what I had done.

Or the time when Peter and I went out to dinner (I was doing a "secret shopping" mission-Really! I do those!) and we were required to eat a dessert and I felt morally obligated to take a bite so I could review the taste. (Ok, morally obligated is a stretch, but I did take one bite)

And I know there was one other time, but I can't think of it right now. Ok, maybe there wasn't.

But overall, not bad for a first week I think.

And let me tell you what it has done exactly.

By day 3, I was pretty much over it. And although I hate it when people say this, but a piece of fruit actually did cover it if I was having a craving. But, when you are eating NO SUGAR, a piece of fruit really does do the trick.

I cried a few more times this week than normal. I mean, what I am saying is I normally don't cry every week. But this week I cried a few times. I totally think it was because I was off my natural medication mood levitator (sugar).

Here is the other thing: Sugar has a best friend in my house, and that best friend is: BUTTER. Cuz see, I don't just down a bag of cookies, or eat a pop tart. (I don't keep that kinda stuff in the house) I BAKE. And baking requires BUTTER. Sometimes, LOTS OF BUTTER. So, consequently, my butter intake has decreased dramatically. And even more than that, making cookies turns into 3 (or 4) hunks of dough in my mouth plus one or two warm cookies. FAR MORE that the daily recommended amount, I am sure.

And then there is usually some form of chocolate in my house. Which there is not right now. (Due to this diet).

And I did have pancakes one or two days, but they are a whole wheat pancake that I make for my family that I LOVE. I love it because it is healthy for my family and the OTHER reason I love it is that I can make 10 cups of it and it sits in my fridge (in non-liquid form) and I can use it just like a pancake mix. Turns out, they are great with honey on them.. and honey is totally legit.


And if you are playing along, you read the original challenge that I took. She said no fake sugar, but let's face it I can only take one challenge at a time. So, I did not have any diet cokes at my house, but I did have them when I was eating out (sensibly).

The funny thing is: I dream about sugar. I totally dreamt about making chocolate chip cookies last night, and I know I had at least one other dream about sugar this week. Funny what your brain does.

Now, for some, a diet like this doesn't work, because they can't stand the deprivation of that item and it makes them all that much more upset or makes them crave it that much more. My husband for example, just lost 40 lbs. BY SHEER WILLPOWER. Just ate everything in moderation and counted calories. That is it. He didn't even work out. I have done that before, and yes, it totally works, but for some reason, I just couldn't do it this time. I had to take the bull by the horns and I know it is totally humanly possible to cut sugar out for 30 days.

It is not forever.

It is just 30 days.

And I know I can do that.

And maybe I will be more able to "control" myself in moderation after this.

I know most definitely, I will be healthier.

Because I lost 3 pounds this week.

YAY me.

MEET MY BACHELOR

You know, I am obsessed with The Bachelor. And secretly, haven't you ALLLLLLLLL dreamt in your head that you wished there was an LDS Bachelor on BYU TV? Oh come on... I know you have... Here is the thing... I HAVE GOT HIM! A BACHELOR! And his name is Jimmy.

Ok, you can call him Jim, but to me, he is Jimmy. We go back about 10 years back to post graduation days in SLC. He hung with me and my girls at the condo all the time... Was a regular fixture and just recently, I found him on the FB and he was... SINGLE. Never married, and SINGLE.

I found it hard to believe, I mean, IT'S JIMMY! One of the most likable, lovable guys on the planet! I had to find out his scoop, so I messaged him. I told him I thought I could hook him up with some chicks.. because EVERYONE knows SOMEONE... So, I am coming to YOU people. YOU, my readers. And just in case you are skeptical, remember, I met my husband on-line 10 years ago.. So, it can work. TRUST ME.

Do you know a lady? A 30 something lady who is looking for a man? It's almost Valentines Day and I KNOW you are all in the mood to play match-maker, so, let's do it. Here is a few of Jimmy's dets:

From: Thousand Oaks, CA. (Ventura County) Grew up near by and after a stint at BYU and SLC moved back there and has been there for the past 9 years. [You do NOT have to live locally to apply! It never hurts to meet someone long-distance. Peter was in Seattle when I was in SLC! Let's face it, you can't always meet someone locally!]

Likes to: Travel to watch sports (i.e. go to a Dodgers game or travel to a bowl game), go out to eat, go to movies, host parties (no wonder I liked him!) and cook for a crowd.

Graduated: from BYU in '97 in Sociology with a Minor in Business and is currently working as a Manufacturing Sales Rep. Has been doing so for the past 5 years and owns his own house in the Thousand Oaks area. . . Has won sales awards for the past few years and sadly, has to take buddies to Hawaii with him...

If he does get married: He wants a few kids...

He thinks that humor, openness, and GENUINE kindness make a good relationship. And Jimmy just doesn't mean, "NICE", He means, someone who is genuinely KIND to others and seeks their welfare (aw--he is sweet). Being easy going (Jimmy is) and fun loving (Jimmy is) is also a major plus and he would prefer to stay away from any D.R.A.M.A. nice and steady does the trick.

On dates he likes to: Do lots! Go on a bit of a marathon date! Try something new like Whale watching, going to the pier and catching a bite to eat.

The kind of girl Jimmy is looking for is

• Genuinely Kind


• a little spice is GOOD


• affectionate (catching up for lost time)


• grounded in the gospel-- gotta know it girls!


• attractive - (come on, we all know you HAVE to be attracted to someone)


• good with money-- I used the word frugal, and he stayed away from that, but likes to follow a BUDGET.

IF YOU KNOW A SINGLE LADY IN HER 30'S THAT MEETS THIS DESCRIPTION, PLEASE HAVE HER E-MAIL ME AT LINDZSTEWATHOTMAILDOTCOM. I will forward your info on to Jimbo.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW A SINGLE LADY IN HER MID-30'S PLEASE COPY THIS POST, OR PUT A LINK TO IT ON YOUR BLOG. HELP A BACHELOR OUT! LET'S MAKE A CONNECTION!

EVERYONE is feeling the love

Especially ME!

Thanks Honey, they are beautiful. :)

Don't forget.. I am doing a GIVEAWAY.. Not beautiful flowers, but something else just as PURTY!

***WANT ANOTHER ENTRY INTO MY GIVEAWAY?? ADD YOURSELF AS A FOLLOWER AND YOU CAN POST ANOTHER COMMENT LETTING ME KNOW YOU DID!

--------------------------------------------------->

DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES!

** If you are already a follower, link me on your blog and I will count that too!

360

I did it. He had NO CLUE. I showed up at his office at 5:00 p.m. and I had harangued one of his co-workers into keeping him at work. . . No, she did much more than that. She got him OFF work, TOOK HIS SHIFT (he normally works Tuesday nights) AND made sure that he stayed there until I got there. (Andrea... really, THANK YOU)

I went to the reception desk and asked the receptionist to please let Peter know he had a student here. . . This is where my lying catches up with me. I am NOT good on the fly, and when she asked my name, I said . . . PEGGY. Yes, I said PEGGY. Why I could not come up with a more normal name, I will never know.

As soon as the receptionist recited that student "Peggy" was there to see him and "Peggy" did not have a scheduled appointment, my cover was blown. . . Not to mention, Peter was given a standing ovation at work as he was leaving. Not something, if you know my husband, that he appreciates. . . ME:Attention seeking HIM: NOT attention seeking (I don't know how we EVER got together..) Anwho. .

I had a video of him leaving from my secret covert undercover agent that she recorded on her cell. It is on my cell, but I can't figure out how to get it here... MOVING ON.

I took him to dinner. I was informed by my "insiders" that it would take about 1 hour to get there. (NEVER TRUST INSIDERS) We chose a little Sushi joint that was doing 1/2 off night. Even though our meal was quick. It wasn't quick enough. By the time our meal was over, Peter had figured out where we were going by asking two questions:

1- Are we leaving Mesa?

2- Are we going to Glendale?

After that, he knew.

We almost immediately hit traffic on the 10 going to Glendale and it was about 6:30. I wasn't expecting to get there on time... After all, Peter was not going to be heartbroken if he missed some of the Black Eyed Peas.

I, however, WAS going to be heartbroken and sure enough, WE MISSED THE WHOLE FIRST SET.

Here is where I release my UTTER DISDAIN for the person who designed the ON and OFF ramps at the University of Phoenix Stadium as well as the PARKING!!! (they should be fired and never hired again to design public use facilities. . thank you) After 2 HOURS in the car... YES.. 2 HOURS... most of which were spent on the 101 staring at the stadium but not being able to move, we finally got to a parking lot and were told THEY ARE FULL, IT IS CLOSED.

Great.

It is now 8:15 p.m.

And believe me, those parking attendants were OH so helpful about where else to park. We finally just gave up and paid someone who lived near by (not really that near by) to park in their driveway so we wouldn't get towed for parking in the neighborhood and RAN. Yes. WE. RAN. to get to the concert. I wasn't about to miss my 6 months of planning by missing the SHOW!



Luckily, we got in, and well, the concert didn't start until 9:15 p.m. I mean, the Black Eyed Peas were long gone, but Bono... He was yet still to come.

The show was phenomenal, and we had a blast. It was a great surprise, and much needed. As we talked at dinner, we realized that we hadn't been to do something "celebratory" or "special" since our trip to VEGAS. Nothing. Just dinner/movies for 1 1/2 years. I am definitely hoping for our 10 year Anniversary we can pull something together!

For your viewing enjoyment, here are some short vids that I took at the concert. I cannot describe the overwhelming feeling it is to be at one of these concerts. Amazing band . . .(seriously, they have been doing this for 30 years!) Amazing show, Amazing sound... Just

AMAZING.

Enjoy.


This is ABSOLUTELY one of my favorite songs of theirs. I have NO IDEA why I didn't record the whole thing!




Be sure to wait for the hook on this one. Amazing light display.



YAY!

To my Hubby

Our anniversary has come and gone (April 8th). . . and there was no blog post!

WHAT?

I am ashamed. Especially after this FABULOUS post last year! It is tough to top. However, we have been through quite a year and to say that I didn't feel different would be a lie. How do you go through the most difficult year of your life and have things be the same? You don't.

To be honest this past year has been a refiners fire. It has done nothing but polish my husband into a more beautiful stone (that is right, baby, I just called you a beautiful stone). But it is true. The things that he had to endure were unimaginable and I doubt there are many people out there who could handle them as well as he did. Instead of questioning why, he came closer to the Lord. Instead of getting angry, he looked at all of the good. Instead of falling apart, he became stronger and more focused, and I love him all the more.

It is difficult to put into words the gratitude that I have for him and the astonishment I have at what he had to endure (and still endure). But, I knew when I married him that above all, he was a good person, who had a tender heart, who would always do his best to choose the right and rise above.

He has done all of that, and more. Much, much more.

I love you, Happy Anniversary.

I am in LOVE.

I am in love. I think the season is getting to me because I have moments where I am just overwhelmed with L.O.V.E. (I am sure sleep deprivation is causing quite a bit of emotion too)



The past 9 months, I have been gestating. Not just a baby, but a new life, extreme challenges, heartbreak, frustration, sadness, wonderful blessings, calm and peace only the spirit can bring, and new love for my husband of 9 years.



I have shed more tears than I could have possibly imagined. I have asked why. I have cursed the heavens. I have resigned myself to God's will, I have overcome my frustrations, I have truly let God and let go.



You see, back then... we were on our way to a new life. But, apparently it wasn't the new life we THOUGHT we were getting. It was the new life Heavenly Father wanted us to have. He knew that it would be life altering. He knew that we would become stronger because of it. He knew that I would eventually realize that if I hadn't gotten pregnant when I did, I would have NEVER had a fourth child. He knew that these challenges would forever change my husband from the person I knew he was into an even better, more focused, more spiritual person than he was before.



We lost a lot in the process. A lot of $$$$$, a lot of hair, a lot of friends (from moving away), a lot of sanity, a lot of peace and even MORE SLEEP.



We gained grey hairs (I finally got one), new help for Jaxon, a new daughter and a better life. (We haven't yet gained back the sleep)



But here we are at the end. (kind of) Looking back, and BEGINNING to realize why it all went down. All I can feel is love. LOVE. L.O.V.E. In a whole new way. Don't get me wrong. It was rough. Rougher than I thought my life would EVER be. But I am grateful because now I see what I have. Now I see some light. Now I see that maybe Heavenly Father knows the plan a little better than I do, and now, I have more faith to let him be in total control. (Because I never even REMOTELY had control of this DOOZEY) I just had moments... Moments of inspiration. Moments of peace. Moments when I knew exactly what I needed to do to help my husband endure and find peace even in the most difficult of times. It is a horrible experience to watch someone you love suffer and struggle when there is nothing you can do except try to support them through it all.



We grew. We grow. We are still growing. We have a L.O.N.G. way to go to get back to where we were (stability wise).... But we are on our way.



Peter starts work on Tuesday.

Email from Home

My husband and I e-mail... here is where you would say, isn't he home right now???? Looking for work???????? And I would say, yes, as a matter of fact he is! Yet, we still find e-mailing as a great way of communication. Ok, I guess that could also mean that we STINK at communication but it works for us, so there....

PLUS, as you probably know, my laptop is in my ROOM...Near my BED... Where I watch TV... It is a great set up. I am thinking I need one of these. My birthday is coming up. . . maybe I will get one then and my life will be complete.. (or completely a waste) Anyway, I recently got an e-mail from Peter regarding one of his favorite past times which would be. . . . Making me feel old. We are the same age, but, he has this crazy nack about numbers . . . and calculating them, and if you know me at all you know I am not good with numbers. (Forget the fact I was a financial advisor... I am VERY good with software, ok??) I am just not good at adding on the "fly".

Usually, Peter will just come up with this kind of information at a completely random moment.. but for some reason, he decided to e-mail it to me. Normally, he tells me when were are eating lunch, driving in the car or doing something else totally random. I was going to keep a log of all of his "calculations" so I could share them with you, but, I can't seem to get my log going, so, now that he gave one to me in print, I will share. I think he REALLY missed his calling as a statistician. (Is that even a profession?) Well, if it was, he would do well. . . .

Now, welcome to my world....

Led Zepplen's final studio album came out in 1979, 10 years before our sophomore year in High School.
Third Eye Blind's "Jumper" came out in April 1997, nearly 12 years ago.
In 2 years, Nirvana's Nevermind will be 20 years old.
Next year will mark 30 years since U2's 'Boy' came out.
In perspective, our freshman year of high school was 31 years after Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock" and Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me" came out.
When Abby is a Freshman in High School, 'Boy' will be 37 years old.
Our Freshman year of High School, Nat King Cole's "Unforgetable" was 37 years old.

Feel old now? Me too.

Then I got an e-mail from Abby.

Dear mom it saes nothing of a kind about where to go!

I know that won't make sense to you, but, I loved it. I still can't believe that I can get an e-mail from my 7 year old... hilarious. Never mind the fact that she could have walked into my room and asked me about it... She had to e-mail me. I guess she is learning how we roll. . . No talkie talkie.. Just E-MAIL. (Maybe I should get her hooked up on FACEBOOK!)

My Husband

Jessica tagged me to do a My Husband Tag. Most of you don't know my husband, and even if you DO, you probably don't know him well. Peter and I have been married for 8 years and I am pretty much the social butterfly for us both! I do all of the activity planning and he pretty much just follows along.

Our deal when we got married was that he would "BE A FAN" which means that whenever I got a crazy hair to do something fun i.e. party, parade, or other wild crowd related activity he would oblige. Little did I know, he has his limits... Like attending this. There is no way that he would have attended that in this life time OR the next. I guess that is ok, you can't win 'em all.

I get in trouble sometimes with Peter re: THE BLOG. He was NOT happy when it went from a "Family Blog" to my personal place for self expression. He doesn't like it much when I say our kids look like me either...So, in an effort to not step on any TOES, I decided to ASK Peter what the answer to these questions would be. It started off kind of racy so I mentioned it was "for the blog" and he fixed it up a bit.

5 Things he loves to do:

Play Games - (He LOVES playing games and I sometimes don't LOVE playing with him. He recently played an 86 point word on scrabble against me)

Watch Movies (He has been Tivoing black and white movies on AMC and watching them at night)

Eat his Wife's Cooking (What can I say)

Playing Basketball (Too bad the guys in our ward here play at 6:00 a.m!)

Tickling the Kids (This would happen to be a nightly activity. He likes tickling me too, but of course didn't state that because I HATE IT! )

5 Things on his to do list ** Again, I did NOT make this list.

Lose weight

Quit eating so much of his wife's cooking

Do Nice things for his wife (He is very good at this)

Read More

Do Home teaching

5 of Favorite Foods

PIE- (unfortunately for him, Pie doesn't float my boat. But, I accommodate him at least a COUPLE of times a year!)

Frog Eye Salad (Again, I make this twice a year. Thanksgiving and 4th of July... Just for Peter)

Pizza (No brainer... we love FRIDAY NIGHT PIZZA NIGHT!)

Sushi (Why else do you think I married him?)

No Bake Cookies

5 Things People Don't know About Him

He is an AMAZING lover (Again, his words)

He can paint! (I have been meaning to blog about this, but have been waiting for a photo of a picture he recently painted of his parents. He has also illustrated a children's book for my mom and has painted pictures hanging in his Aunt's house and in his office.)

He used to be in a band and played the bass for a band in Seattle (grunge hair doo and all)

He has watched every Marx Brother's movies and has hundreds of their quotes memorized and does a great Harpo impersonation.

He was going to teach English in Japan instead, he decided to stay here. (Because of this, he didn't end up with a very small Asian woman.. he ended up with a VERY TALL AMERICAN woman.)

5 Things he Doesn't like

People in the kitchen when he is cooking- (He HATES it when I even ENTER the kitchen if he is in there. He routinely makes grilled cheese tortillas after church on Sunday and is known as the SANDWICH MAKER in our house)

Getting up early

Speeder upper slower downers (You know who you are... you people on the freeway that refuse to use cruise control)

An angry/mad or sad wife

Going to bed- (Because this would be prime time for watching his movies or playing games. )

My Love

I only have 10 more minutes left for this post. 8 Years Ago Today, I got married. Although we already celebrated in Vegas, I had an insane day, and my husband has been horribly neglected. So, I want to show him that I really do care. My inattentiveness today in no way reflects the blessing that this day has been in my life. I still want my husband to know how much he means to me on this special day.
He is patient, loving and kind. He is more generous than anyone I have ever encountered in my life and I love him for that. At Christmas, we go to the tree of sharing and pick out a person matching the description of a person in our family and buy their gifts. Not just one, or two, but EVERYTHING they put on the list (Peter insists it be so) and then, he will buy the most coveted item that he can find and buy it for an 8 year old kid. (We don't have an eight year old)
Most people would never know the kindness he has in his heart. But I do.
Most people would never see what he goes through for our family. But I do.
Most people would never understand how much he gives to others. But I do.
Most people would never believe how much he gives to our family. But I do.
Most people will never know how strongly he believes in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and tries to live it. But I do.
Most people never give him the credit he deserves. But I try.

Peter, I love you just the way you are and for all the things you do for us and everyone around you. Thank you for my beautiful family and for all that you do to put a smile on my face. I love you. Thank you for marrying me 8 years ago.

What Happens in VEGAS, STAYS in VEGAS

My husband LOVES me. Wanna know how I know? He knows that the nicest thing he can do for me is put me on a beach with warm weather, and that is just what he did. Here are my red toes, in Vegas, on a warm 80 degree weather beach. (So what if there is no ocean near by! I got what I wanted.) And THIS is how I know, my husband loves me.

Wanna know how ELSE I know he loves me? He got me a room at the Mandalay Bay, JUST so I could put my red toes in the sand. (We could have stayed elsewhere for free) But the best part is, he got us upgraded to a jacuzzi suite on the penthouse floors. (Floor 60! We even get to take a special elevator!) Here is our view from our room. [When he checked in, they only had smoking king, or a queen queen. He said, "But it is my ANNIVERSARY!" and they upgraded him for a deal!]

The Importance of Red Toes

My husband planned a trip for our anniversary. I had one day in between coming home from Utah, and leaving for our trip and in that amount of time, I had a LOT to do. Being gone for one week in Utah I was doing laundry and getting the house cleaned and ready for Grandparents to take over for the weekend. I got everything done...pretty much.... everything but my Pedicure.

All my kids were home because spring break was this week, and I never had a chance in between 5 loads of laundry, cleaning the house, depositing checks, returning clothes etc. etc. etc. to get my pedi.

But, I ask you this ONE question.... CAN YOU GO TO VEGAS WITHOUT A PEDICURE? I think not. Luckily, I had an hour layover in Seattle and as I was walking down the terminal, I saw BUTTER. A pedi/mani shop right there in the airport! What a fabulous idea! I guess they figured there are plenty of people out there like me who just can't get something like that done unless they are in an airport. I only had an hour layover, and they claimed the process only took 20 minutes (no water is involved). It didn't matter to me, because all I needed was red toes. Of course, I couldn't put my shoes back on, so I had to wear the little spa slippers and shuffle through the airport terminal. (Would you do that for red toes in Vegas? I think so.)

It took a little longer than I had anticipated and Peter and I were planning on having a late dinner in Vegas, so after my Pedi (still wearing the spa flip flops), I stopped by the magazine shop to grab a snack and a mag. I arrived at the gate with about 10 minutes to spare to find.... the GATE WAS CLOSED.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH...My anniversary date with the husband would be ruined! I approached the desk, and the man looked right at me and said, "Are you Lindsey? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN????" I was hoping he didn't see my bright yellow flip flops and I said, "The Magazine Shop?" I put a question mark because I wanted him to think I was the most stupid person on earth and that I had no idea what I was doing. It worked. He never looked at my feet, (Thank heavens) and walked me over to the gate and with a little more scolding, told me to never do that again... I played dumb and yessired him all the way. . . On my way to VEGAS WITH RED TOES! (It was worth it)