Some Old Christmas Pictures

I just wanted to share some pictures from Christmas, since I got behind on my blogging again and never shared them earlier. We had a very low-key Christmas, just me, Jason and Chase. I didn't even bother wrapping Chase's presents, he is still too young to really understand Christmas. But when he noticed all those new toys sitting under the tree he couldn't stop looking at them the whole time he was drinking his milk and as soon as he was done he tried to get out of my lap to go play with them. He freaked out when I didn't let him, we still had to go wake up daddy. He was busy the whole day playing with his new toys. Jason and I didn't do presents this Christmas, we felt like it was more important to keep that money in the bank right now. But, he'll make it up for Mother's Day and our anniversary. And my birthday.

Tyler's Birthday

Last weekend was Ty's 19th birthday. It was a really fun weekend, starting with dinner at Settebello in SLC (that place is amazing, I'm telling you go already!) then we went to the Utah Grizzlies hockey game. There were only 3 fights the entire game, I was feeling a little jipped. On the way home we stopped at Cheesecake factory to get some cheesecake slices. My favorite is the white chocolate raspberry truffle. In fact, I found a recipe that is supposed to be very similar to it. I'm making it tomorrow for a Super Bowl party, if it's any good I'll let you have it! On Sunday we had Chris and Kallee over for a family dinner, ice cream cake, and of course some Parcheesi. It was a fun weekend and I am grateful Jason watched our sick boy so I could get out of the house (he even had to change a diarrhea diaper, poor guy). Love you babe! Anyway, here are some pictures from Ty's birthday.

We made a homemade ice cream cake with chocolate ganache frosting. Watch out Coldstone, you may have some competition in the future!

We Love Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Tonight Chase had his first chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven! I thought he was going to make a much bigger mess than he did with the melted chocolate chips. He could not stop saying "mmmm" the whole time he was eating it. He kept cracking me up because he couldn't keep his eyes open during the flash so most of my pictures are with his eyes closed.

He really is my little angel. I know in previous posts I complained about his fits, which were obnoxious, but ever since he was sick this past week and a half, his behavior has changed. He is going to bed at 8:00 (rather than 9:30/10:00) and it has made a world of difference in his mood during the day. I hope he keeps it up! He was only going to bed that early because he wasn't feeling good. Hopefully it's turned into a habit now!

Cousins!

Chase and his cousin Jordan (they are 9 months apart) have matching pjs so we had to get pictures! Sadly, Chase ruined his pjs the next morning due to an explosion in his pants. He's had a stomach virus for over a week and I've experienced some of the nastiest diaper blowouts I think anyone has ever experienced.

Some Pictures for You

If I only posted more often, I wouldn't have to add 30 pictures at a time (it is awfully time-consuming waiting for the pictures to upload). But here you go, for your enjoyment. He is getting so big!
Walkin-yes he's walking! This boy has been officially walking for a week and a half. Note to self: Chase started walking at 13 months, add that to babybook.

Playing in my cupboards. They are no longer organized.

I came into the family room to find Chase watching his Baby Einstein while sitting in his toy box. He sat there a good 25 minutes.

Look at all those teeth (as requested by Jason's mom, I got lots of pictures of him showing his teeth!)

The onesie he has on is custom made by one of my old BFFs, Natalie. Check out her etsy store which is linked to her blog http://www.natthefatrat.blogspot.com/. She makes some incredibly cute onesies (doing free publicity for you girl!)

Happy face!

Standing next to dad...he still has a long way to grow!

Eating his cereal in the morning

I Need Some Mom Strength!

I know it's going on awhile since my last post, and I owe you about a million pictures (and I have about a million pictures to share with you) but I've been too stressed to blog. I have a mile long to-do list I started at the beginning of the year (I know those are bad, they cause a lot of stress) and I've only done a little on a lot of things, such as:

-Become a genius with money. I realized I really don't know that much about money. I haven't been a good saver since I got married, I don't know how to invest wisely, and my grocery bill for 3 people (one that doesn't even eat) seems way too high. Although I know the cost of everything has gone up. But I am determined to know everything there is to know about money and become wise with it. I have many books on my list to read and much research to do.

-Develop more patience with my challenge of a son. This is why I need mom strength. Because most days I wake up feeling like I can't do another day of this! And I wonder why (and sometimes get a little angry) Heavenly Father had to send me such a challenge of a kid, especially on my first one, when it seems like everyone else around me has angel babies! I don't have the patience to deal with such a child. I am weak and often end up yelling at him whenever he throws his fits. And that's just one thing I'm dealing with: tons and tons of fits. Here's just a glimpse of what he throws a fit about (and by fit, not just normal crying. I'm talking high pitched, obnoxious screaming, like when he was colic): he throws a fit for his milk the minute I get him out of his crib until he actually has his cup in his mouth, he throws a fit when his milk is gone, he throws a fit for his cream of wheat, he throws a fit when his cream of wheat is gone, he throws a fit when I undress him, he throws a fit when I change his diaper, he throws a fit when I take him off the changing table to go wash my hands, he throws a fit when I dress him, he throws a fit all of a sudden just in the middle of playing...I think you get the picture. I deal with about 3-5 fits of screaming an hour, each and every day. This kid was already colic for 3 1/2 months, can't I get a break?

Also, there is the stress of figuring out what to feed this kid. I am a stress case at meal times. He eats fruit, cream of wheat, and cookies all day. And lately, he hasn't been eating his fruit, the one healthy thing in his diet. He won't even try anything new. He throws it off his tray right away. So it's frustrating to keep offering him new things, my efforts just end up on the floor for the dog.

So moms, now is the time to be honest with me. Reassure me that not all your kids are a breeze and that I'm not the only one freaking out and yelling at my 1 year old. Because at night I feel horrible I didn't handle all his fits with more patience and less losing it myself!

-I am also trying to work on Chase's first year baby book and our family picture wall. We have no pictures up of our family. At all. Not one around the house. This saddens me.

-I'm working on a family cookbook. Because I am sick of looking through all my cookbooks for the recipes Jason actually likes, I need them to all be in one place! Plus, it will be a fun thing to pass down to my kids, they can have all the recipes their mom used to make (that is, if Chase ever eats)

So those are only a few things I'm trying to work on. I have about 10 other projects but I think I need to pick just 2 or 3 to focus on or nothing major will ever get done on them. That is why blogging has not been a priority. Plus, my only real time to blog is the evenings, and with all of Chase's fits lately, I'm winded by evening. I don't want to lift a finger or do a thing.

Let's Discuss Marriage...

I have another article to share...this time on marriage. It's a little long but it's worthwhile reading. So read it! And feel free to even share your thoughts, if you'd like. But there is one thing I can definitely agree on: Marriage is HARD! But worth it!

Dating 101: Seven Things No One Tells you About Marriage

You're smart. You know life is no storybook. But admit it: Somewhere deep in your subconscious lurk romantic visions of Cinderella, or maybe Julia Roberts. The images may be sketchy and a little outdated, but you can still make out the silhouette of the bride and Prince Charming riding off into the sunset.

In real life, sometimes your Disney fairy tale ends up feeling more like a Wes Craven horror flick -- and you're the chick who keeps falling down and screaming for her life. I've been there. Let's face it, marriage is not for the faint of heart. You want to believe your pure love for each other will pull you through. And it does. But it ain't always pretty.

That may sound grim. But here's a secret: Sometimes it's the least romantic parts of marriage that have the most to teach you about yourself, your partner, and the nature of love. Read on for some simple truths that will unlock the surprising treasures and pleasures in your imperfect, unstorybook, real-life love.

1. You will look at the person lying next to you and wonder, Is this it? Forever?

When you get married, you think that as long as you pick the right guy -- your soul mate -- you'll be happy together until death do you part. Then you wake up one day and realize that no matter how great he is, he doesn't make you happy every moment of every day. In fact, some days you might wonder why you were in such a hurry to get married in the first place. You think to yourself, "This is so not what I signed up for."
Actually, it is. You just didn't realize it the day you and your guy were cramming wedding cake into each other's faces, clinking champagne glasses, and dancing the Electric Slide. Back then you had no idea that "for better and for worse" doesn't kick in only when life hands you a tragedy. Your relationship mettle is, in fact, most tested on a daily basis, when the utter sameness of day-in/day-out togetherness can sometimes make you want to run for the hills. That's when the disappointment sneaks in, and maybe even a palpable sense of loneliness and grief. It's not him. It's just you, letting go of that sugarcoated fantasy of marriage that danced in your eyes the day you and your beloved posed in all those soft-focus wedding photos. You're learning that marriage isn't a destination; it's a journey filled with equal parts excitement and tedium.
Waking up from a good dream to face the harsh morning daylight may not seem like a reason to celebrate. But trust me, it is. Because once you let go of all the hokey stories of eternal bliss, you find that the reality of marriage is far richer and more rewarding than you ever could have guessed. Hard, yes. Frustrating, yes. But full of its own powerful, quiet enchantments just the same, and that's better than any fairy tale.

2. You'll work harder than you ever imagined.

Early on, when people say, "Marriage takes work," you assume "work" means being patient when he forgets to put down the toilet seat. In your naivete, you think that you will struggle to accommodate some annoying habit, like persistent knuckle cracking or flatulence.
If only it were that easy. Human beings, you may have noticed, are not simple creatures. Your man has mysterious, unplumbed depths -- and from where he sits, you're pretty complicated, too. You have to learn each other the same way that you once learned earth science or world geography. And getting married doesn't mean you're done -- it just means you've advanced to graduate-level studies. That's because every time you think you've mastered the material, he'll change a bit. And so will you. As two people grow and evolve, the real work of marriage is finding a way to relate to and nurture each other in the process.
"It's like losing weight," says Andrea Harden, 45, of Buffalo, NY. "You want it to be a one-time deal. You lost it, now just live. But then you learn it's a lifestyle. That's marriage. The effort is a forever thing." So don't be too hard on yourself -- or him -- on those days when you feel like you're struggling through remedial math.

3. You will sometimes go to bed mad (and maybe even wake up madder).

Whoever decided to tell newlyweds "Never go to bed angry" doesn't know what it's like inside a bedroom where tears and accusations fly as one spouse talks the other into a woozy stupor until night meets the dawn. If this scenario sounds familiar, I've got three words for you: Sleep on it.
You need to calm down. You need to gain perspective. You need to just give it a rest. I've found that an argument of any quality, like a fine wine, needs to breathe. A break in the action will help you figure out whether you're angry, hurt, or both, and then pinpoint the exact source. Maybe the fight that seemed to erupt over the overflowing garbage can is really about feeling underappreciated. Could be you're both stressed out at work and just needed to unload on someone. Taking a break will help you see that, and let go. Or maybe you really do have a legitimate disagreement to work out. Without a time-out, sometimes a perfectly good argument can turn into an endless round of silly back-and-forth, rehashing old and irrelevant transgressions as you get more and more wound up.
Even when you do manage to stay focused and on topic, there are some fights that stubbornly refuse to die by bedtime. And if you stifle your real feelings just to meet some arbitrary deadline, your marriage will surely be the worse for it. "This was a huge lesson for me," says Andrea. "As women we've been trained to make nice. But the whole kiss-and-make-up thing just to keep the peace was eating me up inside. I'd let things build up inside me until I just exploded. Now I wait a while to get hold of myself -- let the emotions settle a bit -- and state my position. Even if that means reopening the fight the next day."

4. Getting your way is usually not as important as finding a way to work together.

I can be a bit of a know-it-all. There, I said it. It's really not my intention to be hurtful or brash with people I love. It's just that a lifetime of experience has taught me that in most areas, at most times, I am right about most things. What shocked me several years into my marriage, though, was the realization that the more "right" I was, the more discontented my husband and I were as a couple. See, oddly enough, throughout his life Genoveso has been under the misguided impression that he's right most of the time (go figure!). So we'd lock horns -- often. That is, until I learned a few things.
Namely, that when it comes to certain disagreements, there is no right or wrong -- there is simply your way of looking at things and your husband's. "I used to be very black-and-white earlier in our marriage," says Lindy Vincent, 38, who lives in Minneapolis. "Now I see that I'm not all right and my husband is not all wrong. There's more gray in life than I thought, and that's taught me patience and the value of compromise."

5. A great marriage doesn't mean no conflict; it simply means a couple keeps trying to get it right.

Maybe you think that because of my newfound wisdom, Genoveso and I never fight anymore. Ha! As important as it is to strike a balance, it's also important to have a big, fat fight every now and then. Because when you fight, you don't just raise your voices; you raise real -- sometimes buried -- issues that challenge you to come to a clearer understanding of you, your man, and your relationship. I wouldn't give up our fights for anything in the world, because I know in the end they won't break us; they'll only make us stronger.

6. You'll realize that you can only change yourself.

Ever seen the '80s sci-fi cult classic "Making Mr. Right?" When the stylish heroine, played by Ann Magnuson, is hired to teach a robot how to act like a human, she seizes the chance to create a perfect guy. A hotshot commercial whiz, she uses her marketing prowess to shape John Malkovich's android character into her personal version of the ideal man -- sensitive, eager to please, and willing to listen.
There is a bit of that makeover fantasy in all of us -- something that makes us believe we can change the person we love, make him just a little bit closer to perfect. We may use support and empathy or shouts and ultimatums, but with dogged conviction we take on this huge responsibility, convinced we're doing the right thing.
Whatever our motives, the effort is exhausting. Transforming a full-grown man -- stripping him of decades-old habits, beliefs, and idiosyncrasies -- is truly an impossible task. And you will come to realize, sooner than later if you're lucky, that it is far easier to change the way you respond to him.

7. As you face your fears and insecurities, you will find out what you're really made of.

There were clues when Genoveso and I were dating, especially with the trust thing. Early on, I was supersuspicious of him. He used to say things like, "I'll call you at 8." Then, just to try to trip me up, he'd call at 8. I knew he was up to something, I just couldn't figure out what. The same kinds of experiences followed after the wedding. Except occasionally he would actually mess up. And I had no sense of scale when it came to rating his offenses; everything was a major violation. Whether he teased me about a new haircut or came home late, I seethed for days and even let thoughts of divorce creep into my head. I figured, if he loved me -- really and truly -- this stuff wouldn't happen.

I'd like to be able to say that this irrational behavior lasted only a few months and I eventually worked it out. Kind of, sort of, is closer to the truth. After years of looking deeply into my soul and talking to good friends and the best sister a girl could ever have, I've come to recognize certain things about myself. Not to get all Dr. Phil about it, but I've had to examine my history with an emotionally distant dad and a strong-willed mom and face up to all the ways, both good and bad, that those relationships have affected how I approach my marriage.

That's the strange beauty of marriage: It's full of hard times and hard lessons that no one can ever prepare you for. But in the end, those are the things that give richness to your life together -- and make your love even deeper and stronger than when it began.