The Best Two Years...

I can't believe AJ and I have been married for 2 years already!  We've accomplished a lot more in two years than I had planned.  We didn't think we'd have kids quite this soon, but we both started itching for little pitter-pattering feet and then there was that institute class... it was a hopeless cause.  I love being a mom and wouldn't change it for the world, most days anyways.  Our anniversary was on Monday,  My cousin and her hubby were kind enough to babysit for us the Friday before.  It was the first real date we'd had since the beginning of August!  I miss our date nights.  I miss being able to say, "hey, let's go do..." and just going and doing.  Now we have to pack a diaper bag, carseat a baby and preheat the car.  As AJ once put it, "It's an ordeal."  And I'll admit I got upset that he said that.  I'm going to blame hormones 'cause I'm a woman and I can.  Sometimes, I wish we had more family a little closer.  You can only ask people to babysit so often before they want to be paid for it... and let's face it, we can't afford a regular sitter.  Grandma would say 'yes' more than some... it's just a grandma thing.  But, I'm not complaining, not really.  Just wishfully thinking.  Sometimes it would be nice to have some time with just my husband, especially since we don't have a ton of it left.

Anyways, we went to a delicious dinner... we filled up on drinks, popcorn and sticky fingers.  We had to bring the entrees and dessert home for later.  We were going to see a movie but they had all already started or wouldn't start for another hour or two.  That was later than we wanted to make our sitters stay so we took the seats out of the back of our Jeep and threw in some blankets, hot cocoa and a laptop loaded with movies.  We found an out-of-the-way side road and settled to watch one of the funnier movies I've seen in a long time... although I could've done without so much language and dirty talk.  But it seems like all the movies these days are like that.  It was actually a lot of fun.  And we really needed the time off from being parents to just be married.  It was awesome.  Thanks so much, Heather and Jeremiah!

We have a Valentine's Day tradition.  Since Valentine's Day is on Sunday and AJ has to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday we did it on Tuesday to make sure it got done.  Since our anniversary is so close to Valentine's we are pretty laid back about this holiday.  We go to the store, agree on a set dollar amount and then split up and get each other gifts.  I love this tradition because I don't have to stress about covering both our anniversary and Valentine's Day.  It's great.  And it's fun to sneak around the store, I mean Wal-Mart is only so big.  Our gifts are random, but fun.  This year I got a cake plate (I've been wanting one for a year and a half), champagne glasses (they are our fancy glasses when we have special dinners... and I broke one of the two we had last week), a cake mix and frosting... for my cake plate.  Not really a typical Valentine's Day gift set, but it's totally us and I love it. 

This month I've been doing the ABC's of Love.  Each letter gives some way for me to show AJ that I love and appreciate him.  For example, A was for aphrodisiac.  He got chocolate dipped strawberries and a risque note in his lunch he took to work.  R is for Robe, he didn't have one and we both thought he needed one.  It's been fun to surprise him each day.  It isn't always really romantic, but it gives me a chance to remember what a fantastic man he is and how much I love him.  I really am not looking forward to next year... but hopefully the extra effort this year will stretch and it won't be so terrible. 

So, here's to the past two years and the eternity to come.  The great times, the not-so-great times, and the awful times.  Here's to falling in love every day, always with my knight in shining armor.  Here's to the man that catches me each time I fall.  The father of my children, my soulmate, my eternal companion, my lover, my best friend, my husband.

The Plunge

I took the plunge... check it out.  It's still in the very beginning stages, so check back often for more stuff.  I will also be setting up an etsy shop within the next few days.  It will be easier to actually purchase anything through that than from here, and a little safer for everyone, but I think I can better describe each item here and such.  Think of this as kinda an open house... you get to look at everything and not have to buy anything!  Although, I hope eventually you will...  enjoy!

Check it out:
www.whilehewasnapping.blogspot.com

Honest Input

So... I have been contemplating and need some honest input. With all this 'creating' I've been doing I got to thinking. Dangerous, I know... We are also at a point where there are some baby related purchases we need to prepare for; and, as with anything baby-related, it's not going to be cheap. So, in order to start saving a little money (or helping pay the bills, depending on the month) I have come to the conclusion we could use a little more income. My idea: selling some of my 'creating'...

Here is where I need the input. Would you be willing to purchase any of the following? I'm not asking you to actually purchase it, more of a hypothetical question. If you say yes, I won't come beat down your door expecting you to do so. I'm not asking if you like them or think they are cute, but would you display them in your own home? Would you be willing to part with some of those pretty green papers in your wallet to display them? I see stuff like this and always think "that's way cute, but I could totally make that." I don't know how many people do the same thing and, therefore, would admire it and that's the end of it. Would it be worth having someone else put the time into it? I want to know if I put the effort into this will I get anything out of it? These are basic examples, obviously some are more personalize-able and custom requests would absolutely be taken. I don't have pricing yet, this is still in the very beginning stages. But, I promise it would be reasonable. Let me know what you think.

And so it begins...

If you have ever visited our home you know I kinda have this habit (obsession...). And every time my husband goes away he wonders what he will come home to. This thing I like to do: writing on the walls. Now, maybe if my mother had let me do it when I was younger I would have out grown it by now, but she didn't. And my poor husband suffers the consequences. Well, now that I can cut my own vinyl not only do I write on the walls, I put stickers on them... I'm not sure how we'll teach our kids you don't write or put stickers on the wall. But we'll tackle that when we get to it. My project today while the boys napped... Ta-da! AJ may regret getting me that Cricut...

Christmas on display

My amazing hubby got me a Cricut for Christmas. While it has definitely not been collecting dust, I haven't used it for any terribly big projects... until now. TA-DA!! My first Cricut project for our home. You like?

More Christmas Photos

Like Father, like son... they are definitely from the same mold.

Picture Update

Here are some pictures from Christmas at the Wolff's. ENJOY!

Joseph enjoying his loot from Santa.

Dad and Joseph, my tired boys...

Merry Christmas!!!

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful start of this new year.

Christmas 2009

Here's a quick update on our December happenings...

We were able to make a quick trip down to Temple Square with my cousin Heather and her honey, Jeremiah. Joseph loved all the pretty lights, but wasn't a fan of the cold. We decided we all needed to thaw a little and so we sat in the Visitor's Center for a while. Joseph was a tired boy. He fell asleep all snuggled in Daddy's arms... his favorite place to sleep.

We stayed at home for Christmas. It was quiet and a nice, relaxing day. We were able to conference call in with my parents and talk to my brother in San Antonio, TX. It was good to hear his voice and he seems to be doing really well and enjoying his mission.

We all must have been good this year because Santa stopped by. Joseph was probably the most heavily rewarded for his behavior. He got a walker, an exersaucer, a johnny jump-up, lots of yummy baby food, a high chair to eat all the yummy baby food in, lots of books to look at and his Christmas Eve jammies, of course. How cute are the little bears on the feet?!? =] That was one tradition that we didn't do last year, 'cause, well it's just not very sexy to buy sweats for your honey and that's usually the jammies AJ and I wear. We did open up a gift Christmas Eve tho... a new filterless humidifier!! We were pretty excited, and our noses have been appreciative when we wake in the morning and can actually breathe.

Stockings I made the boys. Now we all have stockings that are the same size.

Probably the most ironic part of Christmas... AJ got clothes and I got tools... =] Gotta love it, we had a good laugh.

Daddy and Joseph on Christmas Eve. He's sure got a soft spot for that little boy. <3

We had lunch on Christmas with my brother-in-law, Richard and his family. It's nice to have family in town to share some of the holiday spirit with. We ate deliciously, as always, and stuffed ourselves. We decided, well Joseph decided, to head back home around 4pm. We spent the rest of the day just relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

Thanksgiving

Once again, I've fallen behind on our blog. Life just seems so much busier with a baby. My kid still takes a couple 2 hour naps a day, you'd think I'd be able to get a fair amount of stuff done in 4 free hours... I can't ever seem to get all caught up. Anyways...

Grandma McElprang, Kaiti and the great grandkids.

We were able to attend a family reunion on my mom's side for Thanksgiving this year. It was good to see all the Arizona family again... and of course everybody else too... but we don't see the Arizonians very often. It was also VERY nice to get out of the cold weather. We were wearing shorts and t-shirts! It was amazing.

AJ came home from work about noon on Tuesday and we packed up and drove all night... ok, more accurately AJ drove all night (after catching a few hours of sleep after work) and Joseph and I slept. Joseph did really well until about 9am and half an hour from our destination. He was getting restless. We finally got there and he was soo excited to get out of that "dumb car seat"... his words, not mine. Hahaha. AJ took a nap and we just relaxed with my mom and sisters and aunt and grandma. Joseph's sleep schedule was all messed up though so he was a little cranky. We went over to a park for a little while and around 4pm, AJ and I went back and started making pizzas for dinner that night. The next few hours consisted of cooking and eating pizza. We also had to make a run to the store, I'd forgotten a few things and we just couldn't pass up a cranberry slush from Sonic. Thursday consisted of cooking and eating. We also had our auction to raise money for the next reunion, and another run to Sonic. Yum!Even though it wasn't warm enough to swim, they did.

On Friday, AJ made a Black Friday run to get one of my Christmas gifts... yes, I know what it is and yes, I've already used it. That doesn't make it mean any less and it still completely qualifies as a Christmas gift. We were able to attend a temple session with my mom and dad in Mesa. It was nice and definitely less stressful for me to have my mom there. Going to the temple probably shouldn't be stressful; but, for me, it is. I know, the only way to make that go away is to go. Irony... gotta love it. My adorable little sisters...


Family Photo. Missing our Missionary Andrew!

24 1/2 years... still going strong.

Cute Miss Kaiti. Ask her how cold the water was...


Kimme... I can't believe how grown up she looks... makes me feel old.

After our temple session we took some family photos and then I took some pictures for my sister. Hopefully, they turn out fantastic and she can use some for her senior photos in her graduation announcements next year if she wants to. We then had dinner and a movie night at my cousin's house.


We left Saturday morning early and made it as far as Panguitch, UT when we decided to stop. It was snowing, the roads were yucky and we were all tired and tired of sitting in the car. We all ended up taking a two-hour nap and AJ went back to sleep after that while I attended to our night owl... We made our way back north on Sunday and finally to our house and our nice, soft bed. It was a quick trip, a long trip, but a fun trip. And we were soo glad to be back home. Although, I could have done without all the cold we've had lately...

A Bottle of Green Beans

Tonight our little boy ate his first real 'meal' of 'solid' food! So, it was actually more like half an ounce of mashed baby food green beans... but he sure seemed to enjoy a flavor other than rice cereal and formula. He has had several 'tastes' of other foods, but this was the first time he had more than a few bites and actually ate off a spoon. I didn't bother getting the camera out because the other times we've tried have totally failed and that's what I expected tonight... when he actually was eating I didn't wanna stop to get the camera out, afraid he wouldn't start again. I can't believe how fast he's growing. It's amazing how one week he's not quite ready for something and then a week later he absolutely is. Last week he wasn't quite ready for food off a spoon and tonight he chowed down and did pretty well with the spoon. It's awesome. I love being a mom! It's so fun to watch him learn and grow.

Domestic Goddess [In Training]: Kitchen Edition

So, I have a new addiction... one that will probably come back to haunt me. And my waistline. Especially since the holidays are fast approaching. I have been baking with wild abandon. and no recipes. I've cooked up two batches of brownies... a peanut butter chocolate cakey brownies and a mint chocolate brownies. AJ's favorites have been the chocolate mint brownies, but he's not really a big fan of peanut butter.

We also made homemade pizza on Sunday. We invited some friends over and baked up four delicious pizzas... We only ate like one and a half of them. We didn't even cook up the last one because we knew we were all too full to eat any of it! They turned out pretty darn awesome, if we do say so ourselves.

Ever so slowly I just might make my way to Domestic Goddess status... however, I do believe it will only ever apply to cooking. Cleaning isn't really my thing... you know this if you've ever seen my house... especially since a certain, adorable little Joseph came to live at our house. =]

p.s. once the camera battery charges and i can transfer pictures to the computer, i'll post pictures of our creations.

Candids...

Here are some recent photos of Joseph: What a silly boy!!

Pumpkin Carvin'

We have an institute class on Thursday nights. My cousin, Heather, is in our institute class. We usually play a couple games of billiards after class... but this week we carved pumpkins with them. Well, I guess to put it more accurately, AJ carved pumpkins with them while I took care of our little Joseph... But, not to worry, I came home and carved mine while the boys had some Daddy Time. And, of course, Joseph needed a pumpkin this year too... OUR MASTERPIECES:

AJ's Pumpkin

Joseph's Pumpkin

Krista's Pumpkin

All three jack o' lanterns.

HOPE EVERYONE HAD A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Off Road Adventure

It's been a while since I posted, or more accurately had anything to post, but this last week has just exploded with post-able occurrences. And I've fallen WAAY behind. So, here goes:

Last Sunday, AJ and I took some family photos for some family and some friends.

I'm not real great at it but... I take enough of them that at least some of them turn out decent and aren't embarrassing to display on the wall. I enjoy playing around with it though. It may be something I'd have an interest in pursuing enough to take a few classes (and possibly someday maybe make a little money from it...) but for now, free is a heck of a lot cheaper than what it would cost to get them done professionally... that's the excuse I use in taking Joseph's pictures, anyway. It was way cold, but all of them were total troopers thru their whole shoot. I hope they turned out satisfactorily for both families.

And AJ was awesome... Thank you for taking Joseph while I took pictures, Sweetie!

After we got done taking the last set of pictures, AJ had a little adventure in mind. We drove through Old Town until he found the road he was looking for. Then we climbed up, up, up the hillside. Next thing I know we're driving up this bouncy, rocky, steep hill. When we got to the top we stopped and got out to take some pictures.

It was rather windy and there was the proverbial fall chill in the air... so we didn't stay out long. Joseph was sleeping in his car seat when we stopped... he slept A LOT that day.

We took our pictures and got back in the car... Oh, but AJ wasn't finished yet. He kept going along these bumpy, rocky roads. There was only a couple times I was a little on edge, usually when I was literally on the edge (of the cliffside or whatever).

We went up and down hills and over rocks I would never have dreamed of driving over... but I'm much better at riding in these situations. AJ had a blast, but what did I expect... boys will be boys. No matter how big they get.