Dark, Dingy, Delicious

Let's be honest; it's probably no dirtier than Taco Bell & I eat there, but there's just something sketchy about a place hidden in the underbelly of Ogden that has been an undercover drug front in several Hollywood blockbusters. OK, so that's not entirely true, but if you saw the place you'd probably believe me. Lee's Mongolian BBQ. So tasty. Those of you from Ogden know what I'm talkin' bout (except you, Anne, & yes I'm taking you there) & those of you not from O-Town be sure to look me up when you take your scenic vacation here & I will show you the best food this l'il ghetto has to offer!
Tyler treated me to dinner there tonight & an hour later I'm still smelling my hair & lickin' my chops! Thanks, honey!

Oww Oww!!

My hottie-tottie husband came home with good lookin' new hair yesterday, thanks to Kim whose skills we much appreciate. Hands off, ladies, he's spoken for.
In celebration we had a little bbq & enjoyed a spectacular fireworks presentation. All of Ty's were even legal this year. We're so proud.
I heart him.

It's About Love

Yesterday was yet another amazing day in the journey of little Caleb (or muffin, as Tanya calls him), & Tanya (Tyler's sister, FYI) gave me permission to share a bit with you. All parties were OK'd to leave the hospital yesterday, so at about 10AM Tanya became a birthmother & Brian & Jennifer became parents. Though very different from my own experience it was truly amazing. It was so emotional for me to be a part of the process from the position of a supporter, & to be able to see a bit of what my family felt when I went through this process 6 years ago. Tanya was so strong but I never knew my heart could ache so intensely for another person, while at the same time being so full of joy for this woman who has waited so long & gone through so much to have the elation of bearing the title 'mom'. There is absolutely nothing like it in the world. I remember my sister telling me how proud & amazed she was that I was able to make another woman a mother who otherwise might never have been, but the reality of how incredible that is never truly & completely sunk in until now.

Tanya & I were able to spend some time after placement, just the 2 of us, talking, crying, laughing, thinking, crying, eating & bonding something fierce. Despite the age difference etc. it's so awesome to have someone who can truly relate to you, because it's just not something anyone who hasn't been through it can fully comprehend. She'll never understand what a strength she is to me now. I'm so proud of her, relieved that everything went so well & utterly grateful that I was able to be in the midst of it all.

I must also say thank you now to my family & loved ones who were so supportive, kind, forgiving, & unconditionally loving when I was going through this. I have come to believe that Heavenly Father put me in this position for Tanya to give me a better understanding & appreciation of what you all felt.

THANK YOU.

I'm sorry I've never said it before, like a million times like you all deserve. And Thank You, Tanya for letting me be a part of all this. You are amazing.

If you see me in the next couple of days, know that I did not have any plastic surgery gone wrong. I have been nearly in shambles for about 24 hours now, which for me = not pretty. Just a fair warning.

Memory Lane

So my friend Sara had a fun idea to get some comments moving along on her blog & asked those interested to do the same on their own blogs & see what we come up with. Here's how it goes: You post a memory of me & in doing so I assume you're up to the challenge & I will in turn post a memory of you on your blog. Then, post these instructions on your blog for your respective readers & see how the flow goes. I'm excited, because since I currently have a total of about 3 blogging friends it's fun to have something that gets some commentary rolling. Do not fear though, I will not think any less of you if you choose not to get involved. I will consider you snobbish & a party pooper, but I will not think any less of you. Oh, & mi familia, no memories of the Hawaiian House. Thanks. (Be advised that I have a long & emotional but great post coming soon. Get yourselves ready. I'm still getting up the strength for it, & wanted to quickly post this before I attempt the journey. How long do you think waterproof mascara is supposed to hold up?)

Baby Caleb

The condensed version for now: Tanya had her baby at 3:53 this morning. He weighed in at 6lbs 13oz & was 19" long. He is absolutely beautiful. Everything went very well & very quickly & both mom & baby are doing fine. I was able to be in the room for the birth along with Kari, Breezy & Jen, the adoptive mom. It was incredible & amazing & emotional & I'm so grateful I was able to be a part of it. It truly is a miracle. More to come.

Muddy Waters

This weekend marked a turn of events in my life. I'm no longer super scared about the prospect of water going up my nose. Though it's still not one of the pleasantries I enjoy in life, I have come to the realization that it's most likely not going to maim me permanently. Unfortunately I cannot shorten my list of fears. The afore-mentioned phobia was replaced by the fear of knocking my teeth out. And I have dreamed about losing teeth for several nights now.
Let me explain. Friday night Ty took me to Willard Bay in an attempt to teach me how to ride a jet ski. Though I never fully stood up I was rather proud of myself for giving it a real go & yes, letting water rush up my nose & into my brain several times. Those of you who know me well know that this was no easy feat, but I wanted to impress Ty with my beginner's skill & daring. Nice try. We stayed for an hour or two which was long enough for me to rub my knees raw, work my lacking arm muscles to the point of exhaustion & run my ski out of gas, forcing me to tow it what seemed like miles back to the marina. Whew. If that doesn't tone your arms then I give up. And though I did get over the water up the nose issue, I began to envision myself trying to stand, hitting a wave, flying into the air, landing on my face on top of the jet ski & leaving Porter with a toothless mother. All in very great detail. Needless to say, I began to lose my nerve & called it a night.
The adventure didn't end there. On Saturday Brooke, Jason, Andy, Kate & every cute kid attached met us at Willard Bay for a day of sun, mud fighting, snacks, jet skiing & all around good times, despite the unattractiveness of Willard's water. My plan was to get familiar with the jet ski on Friday so I could get out there Saturday, stand right up & wow everyone with my abilities. Which I did not do. I took one lap out & by the time I passed the 'no wake zone' my knees were burning so badly I had to turn right back around & hang my head in shame. Perhaps next time. Raw knees & the inability to raise my arms above my head the next day aside, it was a splendid day. It's always great to spend some time with Brooke & Kate chit-chatting about anything & everything.
We completed the day with an delicious meal at Maddox, complete with coconut cream pie, which was a sweet ending to a sweet day. Awww.... For those of you thinking about going to Maddox you might want to check if they have a dress code. They may have implemented one because of us.
Thanks everyone! Let's get together again soon! What do you say about Oregon in say, 2 weeks?!

We'll Leave the Light on for Ya

Obviously little things have the ability to excite me greatly.
Last night we swapped out this

for something just a bit more my style. I love seeded glass.I haven't thrown those old beauties away yet, so let me know if you're interested.

Sports Bras & Overalls

Last night Tyler managed to get off work a bit early & we went to Lagoon to take Porter swimming. Despite the unfortunate attire (or lack thereof) so many people opt to leave the house in, we had a good time. Do you think people dress like that all the time, or do they just pull out all the stops for such special occasions? Wow.
Porter is quite the water-rat just like his dad so even though he was shivering & his lips were starting to turn blue, he was mad when we made him get out & eat dinner. We also rode the train (Porter even noticed the animals this time!) & the boys quite enjoyed a round on the carousel. (Note the lady next to them- she looks more like she's on Music Express, minus the throw-up, of course.) Needless to say, Porter slept very well last night.
Good times.

Made in China

So I'm sure you're all aware of the recent hype about everything being made in China these days & how nothing is American-made anymore. I too am aware of this hype, however you can imagine my surprise when I noticed today that despite my never having been to China my son was made there. (Y'all might want to check your own!) Dang, those Chinese make cute babies!!

Check out my Slide Show!

Yeah for Freedom!

We had a great 4th of July weekend in Island Park with Tyler's family, thanks to Grandpa Noker & Kari's generosity. After some difficulty finding the cabin we had a blast eating, playing games (including a colorful game of charades), staying up way too late, watching The Office, eating & perusing Yellowstone. Unfortunately we didn't make it to the spectacular fireworks over the lake, but I did finish the 5k, so that was almost as exciting. I had high hopes of beating my last time however they were quickly shot when I saw the route. A Forest Service road, complete with hills, rocks, ruts & many places to sprain an ankle. Not the best trail for pushing a stroller. Needless to say, Tyler almost sent the sweepers in after me when I added a good 15 minutes to my last time.
But I felt great & the course was beautiful! I wish I had taken a camera with me.
Kim & Kari both have 4th of July Birthdays, so we enjoyed an abundance of cake, which is always nice. Thanks everyone for a lovely time!

And so it Begins...

It's official. Porter's crawling & by the looks of it he & his buddies have scheduled a race this Sunday at church & he is bound & determined to win. I'm struggling with the realization that nothing within reach will ever be organized again.

I've succumbed...

Well, it's finally happened. I've entered the world of blogging I swore off for so long. Either the summer heat has gone to my head or I have given in to the incessant promptings from Brooke, the Blog Queen . Either way, here goes nothing....