iPhone's newest cult member

I just figured out how to post from my iPhone! Yeah, that's right, my iPhone. I have joined the ranks of the elite. At least I like to think so. But how do I add a picture? Do I have to upload the picture to flickr or something first? Anyway I just need to report on my niece Sarah's most recent surgery; she went in Thursday for her fourth open heart surgery ( yeah, she's four) and everything went better than they dared hope! She was born with her heart and other organs upside-down and backward, and is just the sweetest thing ever. She is six months older than Sawyer, and they are great friends. I wish I could add a picture.
Also good news; my small baby-type person is still growing and hungry. I swear I could out eat the BYU O-line. I occasionally get a bit nauseated, but not too bad, which I think is a good sign. Hopefully. I feel pretty good right now, but I am worried that the closer we get to 12 weeks, the more nervous I'll be. Keep praying for us.

Sandpoint for Labor Day

Our good friends Danny & Jess invited us up to Sandpoint, Idaho for an adults-only Labor Day getaway. It is such an honor to even be invited to this place, it is SICK! Sick like amazing, like crazy, and ridiculous. Sick like every few minutes you have to stop & look around & remind yourself that you are not in fact guest staring on The Hills. There's the main house, the cottage and the tree house. Yes, the tree house. I know, right? All right right on Lake Pend Oreille. The actual town of Sandpoint is beyond darling. Lots of good antique stores, mom & pop diners and a surprising amount of hippies for Idaho. On the (incredibly long) drive up, (yes, I flew home. That's how spoiled I am.) we stopped in Anaconda Montana so the boys could do some once in a lifetime golfing. Kiesha & Donna & I wasted our time while they golfed at one of the more ghetto spas I've ever been to. But I did receive without a doubt the BEST massage ever.in.my.whole.life.

We went to Joel's for some breakfast burritos, enjoyed the farmer's market (how awesome is it that they still have a copy of the ten commandments in a public place?) got some flowersate like gourmands at each mealdid a bunch of hot tubbing roasted s'mores by the lakeroasted each other by the lake the boys played lots of bocce ball the girls sat around & talked
went out on the boat & jet ski and Becky (Jessica's mom & probably one of my top 10 favorite people on the entire freaking planet) made THE BEST cinnamon rolls ever, sorry, Mom. (among other amazing things. can you say Next Food Network Star?)

oh! and we also, on our last night took the boat over to the other side of the lake & went to dinner at a restaurant called 41 South. It has a dock you park your boat at then eat out on the patio wrapped up in blankets & the food is... holy cow... where to even start? Let's just say Lobster Crepes, amazing Crab Cakes, Lobster Bisque, fall off the bone ribs, asparagus, smashed idaho potatoes, holy crow. You want to go to there.

We had so much fun getting to know Nick & Keisha and Jerry & Donna. We of course already knew & loved Caroline & Clint (and Nora!) and Joe & Brittany. Thank you guys sooo much. Let's make it an annual event, mmmkay?

1st Day of Preschool!!!!!

I'm not one of those moms who freaks out at each new milestone their child hits. I love-double-love watching Sawyer grow up & into an amazingly cool little person. I so enjoy seeing the world all new through her eyes. So please don't judge me that I didn't shed a tear when I ushered her into the public education system at the tender age of 3. I was freaking excited. For one, there's back to school clothes shopping. Hello. We both enjoyed that immensely. It doesn't hurt that Mrs. Cynthia at Cuddlebugs Preschool is a complete doll. There are only 8 kids total & one of them is Taylee, Sawyer's bestest friend.
The first day was exciting in more ways than one though. For some reason, (probably over-excitement) Sawyer came into our bed at about 4:30 am. She was snuggled all close to me & I realized that it was... um... a bit uncomfortable & tender to have her nestled in my bosoms all tight like that. That got me thinking at 4:30 am that I might be overdue for a visit from Aunt Flo. huh. Back to sleep. In the morning, once I had got her started in her bath, I did a little bathroom break of my own... and what do you know? We're pregnant! Please, please, please pray that this one sticks, because, like I said I don't think I can handle another miscarriage now that Charlie isn't here for me. I'm due at the beginning of May. I cannot think of a better time to have a baby. You're not fat during the summer, you don't have to worry about RSV, you've got a great motivation to lose the baby weight, you can actually get out of the house. Delightful! (and yes, Becky, by all accounts this baby was conceived in your bed. Sorry. Maybe we'll name it after one of you.)
Anyway, back to preschool.
Here is the outfit she picked out.Next order of business.Then the obligatory first day of school photo-op.Dollar Tree backpack. (hey, I'm not paying $15 for an unnecessary preschool backpack for goodness sake.) Check out those calves. It pays to walk around on your tiptoes all day.With Taylee waiting to go home.

Happy Birthday to me! 29 on the 29th of 2009

I am almost 30 now....
who cares? I'm healthy. I have a great family. A happy marriage. And these amazing girlfriends. Jill & I share the same birthday & we went to Yogurt Stop for a quick little girls night. It was just what I needed, and we so need to get together more often! Then on my actual birthday weekend, Matt, Sawyer, Ryan, Stacey, Hanne, Ben, Kim, Liam & Eliza went to the cabin! It was so fun to be spoiled all weekend & sleep in & not have to do much but read & sleep. And watch SNL Best of Tracy Morgan. Check this out.

Matt got me a delicious ice cream cake. Apparently he thinks I'm a member of Twilight Moms or something. The best part was having these two short-bus riders sing happy birthday to me. No just kidding, the best part was going for an awesome trail run with my ipod & Lando. I think that I would rather be around a good dog than about 90% of humans. I still miss Charlie sooo much but it was really good to hang out with Lando. He'd get a bit ahead of me, then wait up and when I'd get about 20 feet away, he'd sprint toward me and body slam me. It was hilarious!
Matt made me an adorable choose your own adventure birthday card. I love that he never buys store cards, always makes the most darling, creative cards. He is awesome. Literally. AWEsome; as in I am filled with awe that he is mine. Thanks for a great birthday, baby.

Cedar City

My parents, Sawyer & I went down to Cedar City to pay my brother a little visit at the end of August. Doug took us to the most awesome park. Swinging was definitely the highpoint. Parks don't have swings anymore. It's like they're too much of a liability for these lawsuit-paranoid days. Stupid. FYI: the only way to improve upon swings is to have your crazy uncle sneak underneath you & grab your legs until you about pee your pants from laughing. Then when he went away, and Grandma tried to fill in, Sawyer wasn't very happy. Check out that face, have you ever seen so much attitude. She's all "NO! DOUG!!"
Then we played hide & seek & no one could find Doug. Sawyer thought it was HILARIOUS that he was up in the roof of this little parapet. I absolutely adore my big brother. You know how some people are beloved by animals & children alike? They kinda flock to them like the pied-piper? That's Doug. I always think that those people have something extra good inside them. He is no exception.

The 24th of July

We went to B-town for their 24th of July carnival this year. It was nice to just have it be our own little family & just enjoy each other.
Sawyer's first item of business was decidedly the bounce house; which she thoroughly enjoyed for about 60 seconds, when she was distracted by someone with a cotton candy. Then Mom decided it would be a great idea to take a pony ride, allergies be damned!
Not my finest hour, but she survived. And stopped itching enough to hold still to have her face painted. The finished product.

The first of a billion summer re-cap posts

The garden. My garden. My dad said that out off all his kids, I was the last person he thought would have a decent garden. Whatever that means, but I'm choosing to take it as a compliment. Sawyer & I had fun going out every morning & picking the 3 or 4 strawberries that had ripened overnight for our breakfast dessert.Then there are the peppers. I haven't figured out what to do with these as I am the only one who likes them and I only like a slice or two plain. I guess I should do fajitas, huh? Problem solved.Lettuce was awesome. Yay for picking as much as you need & not having the rest rot in your fridge drawer only to be forgotten about until it turns into a smelly liquidy thing. Also awesome was cilantro. Every time I would go out to weed, I'd sit there & nibble on cilantro. I swear that stuff is AMAZING!!! But what do you do with it when it stops growing nummy leaves & starts growing coriander seeds? I also had corn, ridiculous amounts of tomatoes, carrots, freakishly large cucumbers, spinach, watermelon & pumpkin. Next year, maybe only 2 tomato plants, more herbs, more berries, more spinach (a better variety, anyone?), plant corn in clusters, not a single straight line. I think I'd like to try peas & broccoli too.

my husband thinks I don't take criticism well.

okay, as soon as I posted that I realized that of course, Scotland is actually the the birthplace of golf. I was just testing you guys on golf history. Yay for you if you chastised me on my own blog. Oh, and p.s..... you aren't invited on our trip anymore. :P
so there.

I want to go to there.

Ireland is another place I would like to visit. It's the birthplace of golf, so you'd think it wouldn't be too tough to talk mi espouso into going, right? Well I just found another incentive. We could stay here. All I need now is 4 other couples whose husbands love golf and the wives love to look at this amazing house. While our husbands golf, I'm sure we'll find some handsome Irish pub-singer who will rescue us after we lose our paddles whilst boating on the lake and then we'll invite him over for dinner and.... oh wait, I slipped into my Jeffery Dean Morgan in P.S. I Love You fantasy again didn't I?Sorry. Have I mentioned lately how handsome my husband is? He's amazing. In so many ways. Seriously though, how amazing is that house?