After a while of Jeff playing he let Jack in on the fun.
Jack thought it was legit.
At this rate we'll have a mini DJ on our hands in no time! Here's a little clip of Jeff & then Jack ripping the beats.Monday, November 16, 2009
DJ Jazzy Jack
As most of you know Jeff DJ's in his spare time which means we often have phat beats permeating the rooms of our home. Pretty much since the day Jack was born he has shown an interest in music and he moves to the beat right on. I credit this to Jeff putting those large headphones on my pregnant belly. So every time Jeff plays with his turntables Jack is right there tugging at his pant leg until Jeff picks him up to watch. He is perfectly content sitting on Jeff's shoulders while Jeff mixes music.
After a while of Jeff playing he let Jack in on the fun.
Jack thought it was legit.
At this rate we'll have a mini DJ on our hands in no time! Here's a little clip of Jeff & then Jack ripping the beats.
After a while of Jeff playing he let Jack in on the fun. Jack thought it was legit.At this rate we'll have a mini DJ on our hands in no time! Here's a little clip of Jeff & then Jack ripping the beats.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Royal Gorge
Last Saturday we headed south to the Royal Gorge Bridge with the Edgingtons & the Kesslers. Truth be told I didn't know this bridge existed, but Cami was all over it and planned the whole day.
There's the bridge behind me. It's the highest suspension bridge in the world. Walking across it made my stomach hurt. I have a messed up fear of heights. I was never really scared of heights until I went to the Cliffs of Moher with Jeff, my brother, & sister-in-law & the boys decided to walk out past the barrier that keeps you safe from falling off the 700 feet sheer cliffs into the ocean. I had my first (and only) full on panic attack. I really thought they were going to die. It was terrible. Ever since then I have a hard time being near cliff edges or where I think someone could accidentally fall over an edge. So this bridge pretty much freaked me out because I was afraid of someone falling over the side of the bridge. Highly unlikely, I know, but it scared me anyway. So the messed up part comes because it doesn't scare me at all to take a tram across this gorge. If I'm in an enclosed space where no one can fall out then I feel perfectly safe. It's the openness that terrifies me. Anyway, I crossed the bridge very quickly with Jack and we waited on the other side for the rest of the group to get across.
The boys.
The tram we will later ride.
Jeff & me on the other side of the bridge once it was over! I could finally breath again.
The kids.
Behind me you can see the suspension bridge.
Jack & me riding the tram across the gorge.
Looking out the tram window straight down below.
Jeff & me on the tram.
They also had a cog train that took you down to the river below the gorge. It was a SUPER steep train ride inside this caged train. It was pretty awesome.
Jeff & Jack next to the river with the bridge up above them now.
Family photo before we left.
On our way out of town there was this little amusement park that seriously looked abandoned, but Cameron was dead set on us riding the go carts at this place. Turns out it was the most fun thing we did all day! I don't recall ever riding go carts before...they are FUN!
I got to race the boys, only hello major disadvantage...do you see how I was put in the back?
I managed to pass Cameron after a couple of laps and then I was on to Jeff. That's me below coming up on Jeff in front.
Here I am making my way closer to Jeff.
I've almost got him.
See us back there neck and neck? That's when the guy stopped us and our turn was over. Darn it. I was SO close to passing Jeff.
I lucked out and got to race twice since Nachelle is pregnant and couldn't ride. Cameron of course went again too since this was his idea and he bought all the tickets! (Thanks again for that Cam. So awesome!) Somehow I managed to end up in the very back again. Serious disadvantage people.
Cam's got his game face on.
Here I am saying (and pointing), "You're going down!"
Here I am making headway on Cameron.
And I pass him once again!
Lovin' it. Why have I never done this before?
We finished off the night with some dinner at Chipotle and then it was home to put the very tired little ones to bed.
We had such a fun day exploring more of fabulous Colorado!
There's the bridge behind me. It's the highest suspension bridge in the world. Walking across it made my stomach hurt. I have a messed up fear of heights. I was never really scared of heights until I went to the Cliffs of Moher with Jeff, my brother, & sister-in-law & the boys decided to walk out past the barrier that keeps you safe from falling off the 700 feet sheer cliffs into the ocean. I had my first (and only) full on panic attack. I really thought they were going to die. It was terrible. Ever since then I have a hard time being near cliff edges or where I think someone could accidentally fall over an edge. So this bridge pretty much freaked me out because I was afraid of someone falling over the side of the bridge. Highly unlikely, I know, but it scared me anyway. So the messed up part comes because it doesn't scare me at all to take a tram across this gorge. If I'm in an enclosed space where no one can fall out then I feel perfectly safe. It's the openness that terrifies me. Anyway, I crossed the bridge very quickly with Jack and we waited on the other side for the rest of the group to get across.
The boys.
The tram we will later ride.
Jeff & me on the other side of the bridge once it was over! I could finally breath again.
The kids.
Behind me you can see the suspension bridge.
Jack & me riding the tram across the gorge.
Looking out the tram window straight down below.
Jeff & me on the tram.
They also had a cog train that took you down to the river below the gorge. It was a SUPER steep train ride inside this caged train. It was pretty awesome.
Jeff & Jack next to the river with the bridge up above them now.
Family photo before we left.On our way out of town there was this little amusement park that seriously looked abandoned, but Cameron was dead set on us riding the go carts at this place. Turns out it was the most fun thing we did all day! I don't recall ever riding go carts before...they are FUN!
I got to race the boys, only hello major disadvantage...do you see how I was put in the back?
I managed to pass Cameron after a couple of laps and then I was on to Jeff. That's me below coming up on Jeff in front.
Here I am making my way closer to Jeff.
I've almost got him.
See us back there neck and neck? That's when the guy stopped us and our turn was over. Darn it. I was SO close to passing Jeff.
I lucked out and got to race twice since Nachelle is pregnant and couldn't ride. Cameron of course went again too since this was his idea and he bought all the tickets! (Thanks again for that Cam. So awesome!) Somehow I managed to end up in the very back again. Serious disadvantage people.
Cam's got his game face on.
Here I am saying (and pointing), "You're going down!"
Here I am making headway on Cameron.
And I pass him once again!
Lovin' it. Why have I never done this before?
We finished off the night with some dinner at Chipotle and then it was home to put the very tired little ones to bed.We had such a fun day exploring more of fabulous Colorado!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Bird & The Berry
Did anyone notice I have a new header on my blog? Probably not if you are reading this in your Google Reader account, but for those of you on my blog check out my new header. My talented friend Jill created my new header for me. I love it! She recently started a blog to promote her party planning business called, "The Bird & The Berry." For those of you who may remember my brief dabble into making dog clothes this is the girl I was doing it with. Jill is always coming up with creative ideas for food, parties, makeup etc. We first met while working at Nordstrom. Our make up counters were right next to each other. She was the Stila girl and I was the Biotherm girl. Anyway, check out her site for some fun ideas. Her button is on my blog.
Thanks again for the fabulous new header Jill!
Thanks again for the fabulous new header Jill!
Friday, November 06, 2009
5 Years of Marzipan
Marzipan just turned 5 last week (or 35 in dog years) & I thought it would be appropriate to take a quick trip down memory Pan lane.
For those who have never heard the story of how Marzi came to be in our home read on. If you have feel free to skip or relive it all again ;)...
I have ALWAYS wanted a dog. Growing up we weren't allowed to have pets so in elementary school I would actually get off the bus after school, walk to my friends house who had a million cats, take one of the cats out of her yard without her knowing, walk the cat to my house, put the cat in my garage, go inside say hi to my mom, then sneak back into the garage and play with the cat for hours! Then before it got dark I would walk the cat back to it's home, drop it off in their yard & walk back home. All without my friend or my mom ever knowing! How sad is this story? That's how desperately I wanted a pet.
Once I hit middle school I gave up on begging for a furry pet & tried for things that live in bowls or aquariums instead. This plan worked & pretty soon I had an aquarium full of fish, dwarf frogs & newts. I would take those poor dwarf frogs out of the water and play with them all the time. (Looking back that's probably why so many of them died...whoops!)
In High School I became friends with a girl who had the cutest little dog named Wicket. She looked a lot like Marzipan actually (the dog, not the girl!) Since I couldn't have a dog of my own I would hang out at my friends house a lot and just play with her dog dreaming of the day that I would have a dog of my own. My parents always said, "When you have a place of your own you can have all the pets you want!"
In college my girlfriends from HS actually contemplated getting me a dog for my 19th birthday just because they knew how much I wanted one and now I was out of my parents house. But, living in the dorms made this impossible. So I had to wait some more.
When I got married and finally had an apartment of my own you can guess what the FIRST thing I asked for from Jeff was. You know what he said? NO! I was not happy about this to say the least. I'd waited my whole life to have a place of my own where I could finally have a dog & now my husband is saying he doesn't want one! What?! So after begging for a good year and a half & threatening divorce (okay not really, but sort of;)) Jeff finally started saying he would maybe like to have a dog. Of course I jumped all over this and started looking into breeds & prices & shelters etc etc etc. One day I came across a website for a shelter in the St. George area where there was a picture of a dog named Kringle. I thought he was adorable so I called the shelter to find Kringle had already been adopted. However, as I chatted with the shelter owner she informed me that they had just gotten in a brand new puppy that was a Shitzu/Poodle mix (exactly what I was looking for) but that if she posted her picture on the website she'd get adopted immediately. I told her to hold off and I'd send my Dad over to take pictures of her so we could make a decision right away. She was willing to give me two days so my Dad (who is NOT an animal lover, hence no pets allowed growing up) was so kind to drive to the shelter (which was not close) and take pictures of the puppy. Here are those pics...
He emailed the pictures to me & right when I saw them I KNEW she was supposed to be my puppy. I know it sounds corny, but I really felt strongly about this little dog being in my family. So Jeff & I started coming up with names for her and that's when we settled on Marzipan. I was SO excited I was finally going to have a dog! That night I called the shelter owner to tell her we wanted to adopt her & that's when she informed me that a couple from Parowan had been by that afternoon and they adopted her. She told me she felt terrible, but they were there and she didn't know if I would want her for sure yet, so she had to let her go. I was DEVASTATED! I got off the phone and called my Mom and started crying. I know, lame, corny, over dramatic, but I'm telling you I knew Marzipan was supposed to be my dog, so when I thought she was gone it broke my heart. After that night (this was in November) I stopped talking about getting a dog all together. Jeff asked me a few times if I wanted to look for another dog, but I just said no. Marzipan was supposed to be my dog and she's gone.
Well, fast forward to the following month, Christmas Eve, all the Linds are sitting around opening our sibling exchange gifts. When it's my turn I excitedly open my gift from Scott to find it's one of Rosemary's old Christmas decorations. What?! Everyone was laughing, but I didn't know what to think of it. I assumed he must be kidding and soon he'd hand me his real present. But he NEVER did. I remember going to bed that night and saying to Jeff, "Don't you think it's weird Scott gave me an old decoration?" To be perfectly honest I was a little bugged! :)
The next morning after all of the presents under the tree had been opened Jeff spotted one very small jewelry size box left & told me to go see what it was. I picked it up and saw it was for me from Jeff. I thought it was going to be a necklace or something, but when I opened it up I found a small red dog collar with an engraved tag that said, "Marzipan." I was so confused! I just looked at Jeff and said, "What? Is it really a doggie?" He said, "The lady from Parowan's a lie!" I burst into tears & jumped on Jeff giving him a HUGE hug! All of the Linds were in on the surprise and they were ready to capture the moment with a video camera.
Jeff went on to explain that there was never a couple from Parowan, and he'd gotten the shelter owner to lie to me & to hold on to Marzi for a month until he could surprise me at Christmas. He also had my parents in on it because he knew I'd call them upset & he couldn't have them ruining the surprise. My Mom says it broke her heart to lie to me when I called her so upset! But she did a great job keeping it a secret. Then Scott pulled out his REAL present for me which was a book on how to train a puppy and some other dog items. He obviously couldn't give them to me on Christmas Eve or the surprise would be ruined, hence the wrapped up old Christmas decoration. It finally ALL made sense!
Jeff & his Dad had originally planned to drive down to St. George to pick up the puppy the day before Christmas Eve and then store her at his aunt's house, but there was a terrible snow storm that day, so that's why he had me open the dog collar & not a box with the actual puppy inside. My parents were already planning to drive up north the day after Christmas so we arranged for them to pick up Marzipan and bring her to me.
As if this story wasn't already long enough I have to tell you the funny story of my parents bringing me this dog. So, as previously mentioned my Dad does not like pets so that fact that he was now bringing me this puppy in his car for a 5 hour drive was REALLY nice of him. When he picked Marzi up the shelter owner informed him that she had a little dandruff due to the food she was eating. Well my Dad just saw the white flakes on her fur and thought they were lice! I don't know if he wasn't listening carefully or what, but when he put her in the car he told my Mom the dog has lice so don't touch it! My Mom being a sucker for cute puppies felt bad for Marzi when she would whine in the box in the back, so she'd just pat the top of her head. I had spoken to the shelter owner on the phone and she told me all about the dandruff and what to do for it, so when my parents arrived with my new puppy & my Dad tried to tell me she had lice I was able to inform him it was only dandruff. So funny.
I spent ALL day playing with Marzi and watching her hop around. She was so small she couldn't really run yet, so she just hopped about. She was the CUTEST little puppy! Here are some pics of her as a puppy...
Puppies are a nightmare to train so it's no wonder they are SO dang cute! If they weren't you'd kill 'em. We spent some sleepless nights with Marzi whining in the bathroom. Came home to shredded toilet & newspaper more than once. Cleaned up our fair share of pee on our carpet & I even had to throw out my favorite down pillow that I'd had since 5th grade when Marzi pittled all over it (let's be honest I should've gotten rid of that thing long ago, but I just loved it!) Once she was all trained up though she really has been such a good dog. There's only one person she's really burned several times. It's this girl...
Sorry Wendy! I think Marzi could sense Wendy's lack of love for pets. :) However, Marzi has a way of weaseling her little way into even the biggest dog haters hearts. She eventually won over Wendy & clearly is LOVED by Wendy's son Anderson!
She pretty much had my Mom's heart at hello. (It was always my Dad who was the most anti-pet.) Although, even my Dad has admitted to loving the Pan! He actually lets her stay in his house and jump up on his couch! This is HUGE for my Dad! 
My sister Stacy fell so far in love with her that she had to get one of her own. This is Stacy's cute dog Oreo when she was a puppy.
Rosemary can't resist the Pan, but has already announced to the rest of her children that Marzi is the only dog she will allow in her house so they shouldn't get any big ideas! Rosemary was even nice enough to tend Marzi for us when we went to Europe for 3 months. That's true love!
The ONLY person Marzi hasn't been able win over is my brother Rick! He won't allow her in his home & will not admit to liking her. In fact when she goes near him he gets squeamish! He really does NOT like dogs. He claims it's because of all the stray dogs that would bite his ankles on his mission in Peru. As if Marzi falls into that category, but whatever. :) We'll win him over yet!
When Marzi turned 6 months old we had her spayed. She kept licking at her stitches and eventually they popped open! I had to rush her into the vet and she had to be sedated and sewn back up. Poor thing. After that the doctor made her wear a cone around her neck for 10 days so she wouldn't be able to get to her stitches. Here's a clip of the Pan with her cone.
Marzi LOVES to play and is perfectly content playing catch with a ball, rope, bone, anything you'll give her ALL day long! It's hard to wear this dog out. When she was a puppy about twice a day she'd get all her pent up energy out by running around the room in circles like a crazy person. It always made us laugh so hard to see her go spastic on us. She doesn't do that very often anymore unless we get her really riled up.
Her favorite things are: toys, garbage cans, all meat (especially peperoni), and lots and lots and lots of scratches! She will solicit scratches from strangers on the street by walking up to them and rolling over at their feet as if to say, "Here I am, tummy up, now scratch me!" And if you stop scratching her at any time she will nudge your hand with her cold wet nose until you start scratching her again. She's a trixy little minx.
She puts up with me dressing her up in ridiculous costumes.
Her fur got so long and matted during our summer internship in NYC that I tried to cut the fur around her head so she could see, but it was a disaster! She looks like a physco dog here.
When we got back to Provo we had to shave her to get rid of all the mats. Harley had recently buzzed his head too so they were friends.
Marzi has been a great traveling companion getting to go back and forth from New York to Utah, & on side trips to Boston & DC. This is us in Maryland with the Kings & yes that is a 32 oz. soda in Jeff's coat pocket. :)
Marzi has lived the good life getting pampered with warm coats...
...cozy places to lay, and lots and lots of love. I won't lie I was one of those weird people who treated their dog like she was their child. That is until Jack was born.
Move over Marzipan...you see that large belly? What's inside is about to rock your little doggie world!
She of course was SO curious about this new baby we'd brought home & I think sometimes wished we would send him back.
But now whenever we come home she not only greets Jeff & me, but she always looks for Jack and has to greet him as well. They've become best pals. She's never tried to hurt Jack in any way. 
And really her food life has improved a TON since he arrived as she knows there's always good food to be had when Jack is in his high chair. Jack's favorite game is to feed the dog & she knows it as she waits patiently at the foot of his high chair.
She's been great with Jack's friends too...even when they invade her bed!
Marzipan was definitely worth the 22 year wait! We LOVE our Pan!!!
For those who have never heard the story of how Marzi came to be in our home read on. If you have feel free to skip or relive it all again ;)...
I have ALWAYS wanted a dog. Growing up we weren't allowed to have pets so in elementary school I would actually get off the bus after school, walk to my friends house who had a million cats, take one of the cats out of her yard without her knowing, walk the cat to my house, put the cat in my garage, go inside say hi to my mom, then sneak back into the garage and play with the cat for hours! Then before it got dark I would walk the cat back to it's home, drop it off in their yard & walk back home. All without my friend or my mom ever knowing! How sad is this story? That's how desperately I wanted a pet.
Once I hit middle school I gave up on begging for a furry pet & tried for things that live in bowls or aquariums instead. This plan worked & pretty soon I had an aquarium full of fish, dwarf frogs & newts. I would take those poor dwarf frogs out of the water and play with them all the time. (Looking back that's probably why so many of them died...whoops!)
In High School I became friends with a girl who had the cutest little dog named Wicket. She looked a lot like Marzipan actually (the dog, not the girl!) Since I couldn't have a dog of my own I would hang out at my friends house a lot and just play with her dog dreaming of the day that I would have a dog of my own. My parents always said, "When you have a place of your own you can have all the pets you want!"
In college my girlfriends from HS actually contemplated getting me a dog for my 19th birthday just because they knew how much I wanted one and now I was out of my parents house. But, living in the dorms made this impossible. So I had to wait some more.
When I got married and finally had an apartment of my own you can guess what the FIRST thing I asked for from Jeff was. You know what he said? NO! I was not happy about this to say the least. I'd waited my whole life to have a place of my own where I could finally have a dog & now my husband is saying he doesn't want one! What?! So after begging for a good year and a half & threatening divorce (okay not really, but sort of;)) Jeff finally started saying he would maybe like to have a dog. Of course I jumped all over this and started looking into breeds & prices & shelters etc etc etc. One day I came across a website for a shelter in the St. George area where there was a picture of a dog named Kringle. I thought he was adorable so I called the shelter to find Kringle had already been adopted. However, as I chatted with the shelter owner she informed me that they had just gotten in a brand new puppy that was a Shitzu/Poodle mix (exactly what I was looking for) but that if she posted her picture on the website she'd get adopted immediately. I told her to hold off and I'd send my Dad over to take pictures of her so we could make a decision right away. She was willing to give me two days so my Dad (who is NOT an animal lover, hence no pets allowed growing up) was so kind to drive to the shelter (which was not close) and take pictures of the puppy. Here are those pics...
He emailed the pictures to me & right when I saw them I KNEW she was supposed to be my puppy. I know it sounds corny, but I really felt strongly about this little dog being in my family. So Jeff & I started coming up with names for her and that's when we settled on Marzipan. I was SO excited I was finally going to have a dog! That night I called the shelter owner to tell her we wanted to adopt her & that's when she informed me that a couple from Parowan had been by that afternoon and they adopted her. She told me she felt terrible, but they were there and she didn't know if I would want her for sure yet, so she had to let her go. I was DEVASTATED! I got off the phone and called my Mom and started crying. I know, lame, corny, over dramatic, but I'm telling you I knew Marzipan was supposed to be my dog, so when I thought she was gone it broke my heart. After that night (this was in November) I stopped talking about getting a dog all together. Jeff asked me a few times if I wanted to look for another dog, but I just said no. Marzipan was supposed to be my dog and she's gone.Well, fast forward to the following month, Christmas Eve, all the Linds are sitting around opening our sibling exchange gifts. When it's my turn I excitedly open my gift from Scott to find it's one of Rosemary's old Christmas decorations. What?! Everyone was laughing, but I didn't know what to think of it. I assumed he must be kidding and soon he'd hand me his real present. But he NEVER did. I remember going to bed that night and saying to Jeff, "Don't you think it's weird Scott gave me an old decoration?" To be perfectly honest I was a little bugged! :)
The next morning after all of the presents under the tree had been opened Jeff spotted one very small jewelry size box left & told me to go see what it was. I picked it up and saw it was for me from Jeff. I thought it was going to be a necklace or something, but when I opened it up I found a small red dog collar with an engraved tag that said, "Marzipan." I was so confused! I just looked at Jeff and said, "What? Is it really a doggie?" He said, "The lady from Parowan's a lie!" I burst into tears & jumped on Jeff giving him a HUGE hug! All of the Linds were in on the surprise and they were ready to capture the moment with a video camera.
Jeff went on to explain that there was never a couple from Parowan, and he'd gotten the shelter owner to lie to me & to hold on to Marzi for a month until he could surprise me at Christmas. He also had my parents in on it because he knew I'd call them upset & he couldn't have them ruining the surprise. My Mom says it broke her heart to lie to me when I called her so upset! But she did a great job keeping it a secret. Then Scott pulled out his REAL present for me which was a book on how to train a puppy and some other dog items. He obviously couldn't give them to me on Christmas Eve or the surprise would be ruined, hence the wrapped up old Christmas decoration. It finally ALL made sense!
Jeff & his Dad had originally planned to drive down to St. George to pick up the puppy the day before Christmas Eve and then store her at his aunt's house, but there was a terrible snow storm that day, so that's why he had me open the dog collar & not a box with the actual puppy inside. My parents were already planning to drive up north the day after Christmas so we arranged for them to pick up Marzipan and bring her to me.
As if this story wasn't already long enough I have to tell you the funny story of my parents bringing me this dog. So, as previously mentioned my Dad does not like pets so that fact that he was now bringing me this puppy in his car for a 5 hour drive was REALLY nice of him. When he picked Marzi up the shelter owner informed him that she had a little dandruff due to the food she was eating. Well my Dad just saw the white flakes on her fur and thought they were lice! I don't know if he wasn't listening carefully or what, but when he put her in the car he told my Mom the dog has lice so don't touch it! My Mom being a sucker for cute puppies felt bad for Marzi when she would whine in the box in the back, so she'd just pat the top of her head. I had spoken to the shelter owner on the phone and she told me all about the dandruff and what to do for it, so when my parents arrived with my new puppy & my Dad tried to tell me she had lice I was able to inform him it was only dandruff. So funny.
I spent ALL day playing with Marzi and watching her hop around. She was so small she couldn't really run yet, so she just hopped about. She was the CUTEST little puppy! Here are some pics of her as a puppy...
Puppies are a nightmare to train so it's no wonder they are SO dang cute! If they weren't you'd kill 'em. We spent some sleepless nights with Marzi whining in the bathroom. Came home to shredded toilet & newspaper more than once. Cleaned up our fair share of pee on our carpet & I even had to throw out my favorite down pillow that I'd had since 5th grade when Marzi pittled all over it (let's be honest I should've gotten rid of that thing long ago, but I just loved it!) Once she was all trained up though she really has been such a good dog. There's only one person she's really burned several times. It's this girl...
Sorry Wendy! I think Marzi could sense Wendy's lack of love for pets. :) However, Marzi has a way of weaseling her little way into even the biggest dog haters hearts. She eventually won over Wendy & clearly is LOVED by Wendy's son Anderson!
She pretty much had my Mom's heart at hello. (It was always my Dad who was the most anti-pet.) Although, even my Dad has admitted to loving the Pan! He actually lets her stay in his house and jump up on his couch! This is HUGE for my Dad! 
My sister Stacy fell so far in love with her that she had to get one of her own. This is Stacy's cute dog Oreo when she was a puppy.
Rosemary can't resist the Pan, but has already announced to the rest of her children that Marzi is the only dog she will allow in her house so they shouldn't get any big ideas! Rosemary was even nice enough to tend Marzi for us when we went to Europe for 3 months. That's true love!
The ONLY person Marzi hasn't been able win over is my brother Rick! He won't allow her in his home & will not admit to liking her. In fact when she goes near him he gets squeamish! He really does NOT like dogs. He claims it's because of all the stray dogs that would bite his ankles on his mission in Peru. As if Marzi falls into that category, but whatever. :) We'll win him over yet!
When Marzi turned 6 months old we had her spayed. She kept licking at her stitches and eventually they popped open! I had to rush her into the vet and she had to be sedated and sewn back up. Poor thing. After that the doctor made her wear a cone around her neck for 10 days so she wouldn't be able to get to her stitches. Here's a clip of the Pan with her cone.Marzi LOVES to play and is perfectly content playing catch with a ball, rope, bone, anything you'll give her ALL day long! It's hard to wear this dog out. When she was a puppy about twice a day she'd get all her pent up energy out by running around the room in circles like a crazy person. It always made us laugh so hard to see her go spastic on us. She doesn't do that very often anymore unless we get her really riled up.
Her favorite things are: toys, garbage cans, all meat (especially peperoni), and lots and lots and lots of scratches! She will solicit scratches from strangers on the street by walking up to them and rolling over at their feet as if to say, "Here I am, tummy up, now scratch me!" And if you stop scratching her at any time she will nudge your hand with her cold wet nose until you start scratching her again. She's a trixy little minx.
She puts up with me dressing her up in ridiculous costumes.
Her fur got so long and matted during our summer internship in NYC that I tried to cut the fur around her head so she could see, but it was a disaster! She looks like a physco dog here.
When we got back to Provo we had to shave her to get rid of all the mats. Harley had recently buzzed his head too so they were friends.
Marzi has been a great traveling companion getting to go back and forth from New York to Utah, & on side trips to Boston & DC. This is us in Maryland with the Kings & yes that is a 32 oz. soda in Jeff's coat pocket. :)
Marzi has lived the good life getting pampered with warm coats...
...cozy places to lay, and lots and lots of love. I won't lie I was one of those weird people who treated their dog like she was their child. That is until Jack was born.
Move over Marzipan...you see that large belly? What's inside is about to rock your little doggie world!
She of course was SO curious about this new baby we'd brought home & I think sometimes wished we would send him back.
But now whenever we come home she not only greets Jeff & me, but she always looks for Jack and has to greet him as well. They've become best pals. She's never tried to hurt Jack in any way. 
And really her food life has improved a TON since he arrived as she knows there's always good food to be had when Jack is in his high chair. Jack's favorite game is to feed the dog & she knows it as she waits patiently at the foot of his high chair.
She's been great with Jack's friends too...even when they invade her bed!
Marzipan was definitely worth the 22 year wait! We LOVE our Pan!!!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Crafting...sortof
So I've been doing a bit of crafting lately. Only not really. Both were very simple projects so I'm not sure they qualify as crafting, but I was happy with the outcome. The first is making Jack some belts. I don't know if any of you have been able to find cute cloth belts for toddler boys, but I can't seem to find them ANYWHERE! Everywhere I look only has braided leather belts and I just can't bring myself to enter 1995 again. This little boy belt obsession started when I received this darling outfit that came with a cute cloth belt. You can see just a hint of it in the picture. I realize belts are pretty pointless on babies and small toddlers, but they're just so dang cute! 
There's something about dressing little boys in big boy clothes that just melts my heart...
So finally one morning it hit me...just make the belts! It's not rocket science. These belts are SO simple & frankly now that I've made a few they're also a rip off in the stores (according to the prices of the big boy ones anyway.)
For anyone interested (um, Wendaline?) here's how you make them:
-Go to your local fabric store & pick out various colors in the cloth belt material.
-Pick up D rings to fit the size of the material.
-Measure your son or daughter's waist and then add about 4 inches to that and cut.
-Also pick up matching thread and a needle if you don't already have this at home.
-Use your sewing machine, or do it by hand if you don't have a machine to sew a straight line along both ends of the material. This is to prevent any fraying. I used my machine and went back and forth along the same line several times to ensure zero fraying.
(Sorry the picture is so blurry my zoom struggles, but if you look closely you can see where I sewed along the edge & no it's not super straight...I'm not a pro!)
-Thread your material through 2 D rings.
-Put the D rings about 1 inch in from the end and then fold the material over and sew the pieces together. Again I used my machine, but it can be done by hand.
Tada, you've made yourself a belt! See how easy it is? Why didn't I think of this sooner? I now have 3 belts for Jack for only 7 dollars TOTAL! Love it.
Next up...Enrichment Night. For enrichment this month they had a holiday dinner & classes to learn about tree decorating, gift giving ideas & pie making. They sent around sign up sheets to decorate one of the tables to help give ideas on how to set up a holiday table. It could be Thanksgiving or Christmas themed. I signed up and went with a Christmas/Winter theme. Here is my table...
If you're wondering the printed tablecloth is actually wrapping paper. I didn't have a proper tablecloth that fit the church tables so I went to Target and picked up a great looking wrapping paper and just wrapped the table. I must say it would work better on a square table since wrapping a round table was a complete nightmare, BUT it turned out once it was done. (PS I know the candles should be lit, but I wasn't allowed to light them in the church building...fire codes smire codes I say!)
I enjoyed decorating the table, but it hit me as soon as I was sitting there half way through my dinner...I'm going to have to WASH all of these dishes now! Argh. I clearly didn't think that one through when I so eagerly signed up on Sunday. :) Jeff was kind enough to help me carry everything to the church and back home again though so it wasn't too bad & it was an enjoyable night!
There's something about dressing little boys in big boy clothes that just melts my heart...
So finally one morning it hit me...just make the belts! It's not rocket science. These belts are SO simple & frankly now that I've made a few they're also a rip off in the stores (according to the prices of the big boy ones anyway.)For anyone interested (um, Wendaline?) here's how you make them:
-Go to your local fabric store & pick out various colors in the cloth belt material.
-Pick up D rings to fit the size of the material.
-Measure your son or daughter's waist and then add about 4 inches to that and cut.
-Also pick up matching thread and a needle if you don't already have this at home.
-Use your sewing machine, or do it by hand if you don't have a machine to sew a straight line along both ends of the material. This is to prevent any fraying. I used my machine and went back and forth along the same line several times to ensure zero fraying.(Sorry the picture is so blurry my zoom struggles, but if you look closely you can see where I sewed along the edge & no it's not super straight...I'm not a pro!)
-Thread your material through 2 D rings.-Put the D rings about 1 inch in from the end and then fold the material over and sew the pieces together. Again I used my machine, but it can be done by hand.
Tada, you've made yourself a belt! See how easy it is? Why didn't I think of this sooner? I now have 3 belts for Jack for only 7 dollars TOTAL! Love it.
Next up...Enrichment Night. For enrichment this month they had a holiday dinner & classes to learn about tree decorating, gift giving ideas & pie making. They sent around sign up sheets to decorate one of the tables to help give ideas on how to set up a holiday table. It could be Thanksgiving or Christmas themed. I signed up and went with a Christmas/Winter theme. Here is my table...
If you're wondering the printed tablecloth is actually wrapping paper. I didn't have a proper tablecloth that fit the church tables so I went to Target and picked up a great looking wrapping paper and just wrapped the table. I must say it would work better on a square table since wrapping a round table was a complete nightmare, BUT it turned out once it was done. (PS I know the candles should be lit, but I wasn't allowed to light them in the church building...fire codes smire codes I say!)
I enjoyed decorating the table, but it hit me as soon as I was sitting there half way through my dinner...I'm going to have to WASH all of these dishes now! Argh. I clearly didn't think that one through when I so eagerly signed up on Sunday. :) Jeff was kind enough to help me carry everything to the church and back home again though so it wasn't too bad & it was an enjoyable night!
How Does She
My cute sister Missy and a couple of her friends have started a new website called, "How Does She." Here is a bit about it in her words:
"I am awe struck by all the amazing women around me. From balancing a healthy
lifestyle, to throwing the perfect party, to implementing creative ideas
with family, I always seem to be asking myself (and others), "How Does She
do this, or How Does She do that?" While none of us is perfect, we all seem
to be striving to become better. Better mothers, better wives, better women.
The Internet is overflowing with websites and after searching for hours, you
would be lucky to get the "How Does She" question answered.
After talking about it with a couple of my friends, we decided to create a
solution. For the past two months, we've been working on a website that
will reduce your time searching, and return the answer to "How Does She".
We've developed an organized website, which gathers and shares ideas as well
as informs you about other great sites available. We are so excited about
the concept of uniting inspirational women and sharing inspirational ideas.
We set up a site that:
1. Has great new ideas which are easy to find
2. Shares existing information and inspiration that we have scoured the
internet to find
3. Has ideas from YOU! We know we are surrounded by amazing women and we
want to learn from you and share your ideas!
4. Recognizes moms for the 'extra' they do in what seems like 'ordinary'
lives
5. Is FREE for everyone!"
So there you have it. Check it out soon because they are running a fabulous contest for some great prizes ie: 20 dollar food GC to Chili's, free adorable Christmas Cards, & other great gifts. All you have to do is leave a comment.
Way to go Missy....I'm LOVING How Does She!
PS You can also find a button for How Does She right here on my blog.
"I am awe struck by all the amazing women around me. From balancing a healthy
lifestyle, to throwing the perfect party, to implementing creative ideas
with family, I always seem to be asking myself (and others), "How Does She
do this, or How Does She do that?" While none of us is perfect, we all seem
to be striving to become better. Better mothers, better wives, better women.
The Internet is overflowing with websites and after searching for hours, you
would be lucky to get the "How Does She" question answered.
After talking about it with a couple of my friends, we decided to create a
solution. For the past two months, we've been working on a website that
will reduce your time searching, and return the answer to "How Does She".
We've developed an organized website, which gathers and shares ideas as well
as informs you about other great sites available. We are so excited about
the concept of uniting inspirational women and sharing inspirational ideas.
We set up a site that:
1. Has great new ideas which are easy to find
2. Shares existing information and inspiration that we have scoured the
internet to find
3. Has ideas from YOU! We know we are surrounded by amazing women and we
want to learn from you and share your ideas!
4. Recognizes moms for the 'extra' they do in what seems like 'ordinary'
lives
5. Is FREE for everyone!"
So there you have it. Check it out soon because they are running a fabulous contest for some great prizes ie: 20 dollar food GC to Chili's, free adorable Christmas Cards, & other great gifts. All you have to do is leave a comment.
Way to go Missy....I'm LOVING How Does She!
PS You can also find a button for How Does She right here on my blog.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Halloween!
As I mentioned in a previous post we didn't throw a Halloween party this year, but we did have the Kesslers over for a yummy dinner & some trick or treating.
Cami made the chili & I made the cornbread & honey butter.
The boys went out and picked up some delicious candied apples!
I liked the orange color of the sky as the sun was setting. Very Halloween! (Ignore the annoying flash in the window from my camera.)
Our Jack-O-Lantern
In past years I've always made Jeff do the carving, but this year I watched the Food Network's Pumpkin Carving Challenge & it inspired me to want to carve. However, I'm not much of an artist so I printed a pattern I found online and copied it. I was pleased with the results though. It's not near the level of my friend Anna's husband, but who knew it could be so fun? Allen, next year I need a tutorial from you :)
This was pretty much the scene through most of dinner as I was mostly on my feet answering the door for trick or treaters. I get such a kick out of seeing all the little costumes & the best was when a 10 year old complimented me on my decorations! Pretty much made my night :) I did get a few complaints from the 4 year old crowd though about the spooky sounds I had playing outside. They were a tad "too scary" in their words. I love kids & their honesty!
Jeff was a BIG fan of the candied apples!
Okay, so have you been wondering what in the world my costume is supposed to be? Basically here's how this year went down...I picked up a bunch of items in Israel & thought I should put them to good use for Halloween. My original thought was we could be Aladdin. Jack as Aladdin, Jeff as Jafar & me as Princess Jasmine. Well I ran out of time to make my costume so then the night before Halloween I told Jeff we were just going to wear the stuff from Israel and be Israeli's. The next morning he woke up and declared our costumes were lame and that we needed a theme. He tried coming up with several ideas, but in the end it was back to Israeli's. So here we are...a little Israeli family.
Although once I actually put on my wig and head scarf we all agreed that I looked like a fortune teller, so I threw on pretty much every bracelet & big ring I own and went with it.
You've gotta love Jeff's creepy face. :)
The Kesslers looked fabulous as a Duke basketball player, the ref, 2 cheerleaders & their little basketball. So fun!
The men...
...the women...
...and the little ones.
I was lame and forgot to take our camera out trick or treating, but Jack LOVED it! We only took him to 5 or 6 doors, but he liked having both Jeff & me hold a hand and walk with him to the doors. Then he would knock & we'd say trick or treat (he wasn't quite getting how to say that), but once they'd put the candy in his pumpkin he'd say, "Thank you, byeee." He hasn't looked at his pumpkin full of treats since, but he sure loved the door approach. I guess he'll be a good missionary some day :)
After trick or treating we made a quick stop at one of our ward members homes who built a full on spook alley in their front yard & then headed back home for some spiced cider and this...
...Halloween or not my husband HAD to watch the World Series.
I was just happy to take my wig off and relax. Wigs are itchy are and hot! (Disclaimer: I have to point out that those pin curls on my head are to secure the wig to my head. It's a theatre trick & works great. I only point this out because last Halloween after I posted a picture of myself post wig with this hairdo my sister-in-law thought I had done my hair like that just so when I took the wig off my hair would still be fun for Halloween! Not so much.)
It was a great Halloween with fun friends, good food & lots of tricks & treats!
Until next year...
Cami made the chili & I made the cornbread & honey butter.
The boys went out and picked up some delicious candied apples!
I liked the orange color of the sky as the sun was setting. Very Halloween! (Ignore the annoying flash in the window from my camera.)
Our Jack-O-Lantern
In past years I've always made Jeff do the carving, but this year I watched the Food Network's Pumpkin Carving Challenge & it inspired me to want to carve. However, I'm not much of an artist so I printed a pattern I found online and copied it. I was pleased with the results though. It's not near the level of my friend Anna's husband, but who knew it could be so fun? Allen, next year I need a tutorial from you :)
This was pretty much the scene through most of dinner as I was mostly on my feet answering the door for trick or treaters. I get such a kick out of seeing all the little costumes & the best was when a 10 year old complimented me on my decorations! Pretty much made my night :) I did get a few complaints from the 4 year old crowd though about the spooky sounds I had playing outside. They were a tad "too scary" in their words. I love kids & their honesty!
Jeff was a BIG fan of the candied apples!
Okay, so have you been wondering what in the world my costume is supposed to be? Basically here's how this year went down...I picked up a bunch of items in Israel & thought I should put them to good use for Halloween. My original thought was we could be Aladdin. Jack as Aladdin, Jeff as Jafar & me as Princess Jasmine. Well I ran out of time to make my costume so then the night before Halloween I told Jeff we were just going to wear the stuff from Israel and be Israeli's. The next morning he woke up and declared our costumes were lame and that we needed a theme. He tried coming up with several ideas, but in the end it was back to Israeli's. So here we are...a little Israeli family.
Although once I actually put on my wig and head scarf we all agreed that I looked like a fortune teller, so I threw on pretty much every bracelet & big ring I own and went with it.
You've gotta love Jeff's creepy face. :)
The Kesslers looked fabulous as a Duke basketball player, the ref, 2 cheerleaders & their little basketball. So fun!
The men...
...the women...
...and the little ones.
I was lame and forgot to take our camera out trick or treating, but Jack LOVED it! We only took him to 5 or 6 doors, but he liked having both Jeff & me hold a hand and walk with him to the doors. Then he would knock & we'd say trick or treat (he wasn't quite getting how to say that), but once they'd put the candy in his pumpkin he'd say, "Thank you, byeee." He hasn't looked at his pumpkin full of treats since, but he sure loved the door approach. I guess he'll be a good missionary some day :)After trick or treating we made a quick stop at one of our ward members homes who built a full on spook alley in their front yard & then headed back home for some spiced cider and this...
...Halloween or not my husband HAD to watch the World Series.
I was just happy to take my wig off and relax. Wigs are itchy are and hot! (Disclaimer: I have to point out that those pin curls on my head are to secure the wig to my head. It's a theatre trick & works great. I only point this out because last Halloween after I posted a picture of myself post wig with this hairdo my sister-in-law thought I had done my hair like that just so when I took the wig off my hair would still be fun for Halloween! Not so much.)
It was a great Halloween with fun friends, good food & lots of tricks & treats!Until next year...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Snow Day!
We've had 2 days of falling snow here & today Jeff's office closed which meant a SNOW DAY!
Jeff dug a path for Marzi to do her business so she wouldn't get buried in the snow.
After our fun in the snow Jack had his first hot chocolate. He loved it!
We LOVED having Jeff home all day! Snow Days are the BEST!
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