10 years

Today is the day ten years ago that Spencer and I started dating.

We planned to go out for it. I figured we were going to see Thor 2.
Spencer asked me to pick him up from band practice and we would head out from there. When I went to pick him up he had his bandmates played a song from the band we saw on our first date.
I really didn't think we were doing anything.

He planned to recreate what we did the first week we were dating.
When we first met he saw that I had a Marvel calendar. He said "oh cool, I like comics."I wasn't sure if he was just trying to impress me, so I asked him where this picture was from:

(it had no title or authors on the picture) 

He knew it was the Wolverine Orgin story and who the writers were. So I took him to the comic store I was going to. This is when we started to hang out a lot.

On the second stop on our date we went to the comic store where the guys there planned a quiz. They were to quiz him and he needed to prove that he was still worthy to be with me. There were some really hard ones like "Where in the DC universe does the giant penny come from...." Anyone reading know without using google?

This is him getting the giant penny question wrong. 

We went to WWU and he read some poems to me. We did that ten years ago but on the BYU campus. 

Here we are paler, older but I have much straighter teeth. Yay adult braces!

I've looked at other "mommy blogs" and have wondered the perfectly coiffed children, the fairy tale relationship and immaculate house full of Martha stewart quality crafts up celebrating each holiday.

Let me clarify some things: The night before this date we weren't even talking to each other we couldn't say two words without boxing gloves coming out. That's what I love most about being with Spencer.

Tiny people

In college there was this guy who wanted to impress me. So, when we were hanging he asked me if I wanted to see his Star Wars toy collection.

Honestly, who, after knowing a girl for about 4 hours asks her to see his Star Wars toy collection hoping that the magic of his plastic toys would make her swoon and desire to date him?
This guy is going someplace he has an R2D2 full of tiny people!

I hate Star Wars..... I HhhhaaAATTttTEE it.
My friends really loved the movies and I tried, I honestly did. But I think it's boring.

I couldn't refuse this invitation.
It's been 10 years now since I went on a first date with Spencer.
I still hate Star Wars.



(There is also a shoe box with more)
Ohh and for our date we saw a band called 'The Anniversary' which since has been very appropriate.

Oh Nos Christmas post already!

I'm even quicker than the grocery stores get ready for the Christmas post in October!

I'm posting this because this is something I collect throughout the year.

My best friend had an amazing wooden advent calendar filled with candy and wind up toys when she was little and earrings and money when she was older. I swore when I had my own kids I would do this.

If you go out in November and buy all the stuff there will be nothing left and will end up selling your appliances and blood to pay for anything else. Instead, when you are at a consignment store get  couple of books for $.50 or make doll dresses or little toys and by November you will have an awesome collection.

Spencer thinks this post is an awful idea. It's too grand and we should save it all for christmas and not get a gift a day and blah blah blah, sometimes I tune out after the first sentence. 
I married Scrooge. I kid you not he use to yell at neighborhood kids to "get off his lawn."
Replace model trains for transformer toys and you've got the classic grumpy old man.

I got this drawer organizer at Michael's. I bought this and some extra boxes. 

I filled the boxes with Trader Joe's Chocolate coins.

 These toys were all given to me by my 2nd mother Liz. She collected these through the year for Adia and showed me how to do this.

I covered them with tissue paper and little cutouts I made with a cricut machine. 

This year my kids will share it. It will be half books and a couple of movies with boxes with candy in-between.

Here is an example of a advent calendar of books http://sarahjanestudios.com/blog/2010/11/childrens-book-advent-calendar/

Sunday school

Spencer asked, "so now that I've showed you a couple of Star Trek episodes do you like it more than Star Wars?" (I don't like Star Wars.)

"yeah"

"ha! you're a nerd now"

"yep," I sighed. "You got me."

"I'm like your modern day Zeezrom… By the way when was the last time you read the Book of Mormon all the way through?"

"When I was 12."

"I've read it more recently than you," said Spencer.

"Look who's still going to church," I tell him triumphantly. "I bet you feel silly now."

Spencer gives me a confused look.

Never forget....

So I've been seeing a lot of this sort of stuff today.

And I am wondering, forget what? Forget that there was a terrorist attack. It would be like someone saying don't forget Kennedy was assassinated, don't forget there were two world wars.  

Why do they need to tell me not to forget? Maybe this is a in general don't forget things. Perhaps this is a campaign against Alzheimer's disease. 

I do feel it's odd that an attack has a slogan.

This eagle will never forget and you shouldn't either. 

Bill Watterson advice

When I have a project lately it paralyzes me.  I love what I do, I love my clients but lately my work doesn't manifest quite how I envisioned it.
I wasted time instead and found this. It's great
http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/browbeat/2013/08/27/watterson_advice_large.jpg

Fortress of Destitute

My kids found a fort on the beach. Inside someone had written.

And I must admit the times in my life that I have felt the most forsaken and have had a huge existential crisis has been in a driftwood fort on a serene beach.

Why driftwood fort? Why?

feels like yesterday

If you are reading this you are AMAZINGLY dedicated!
I don't think I have written here in two years. I think I stopped when I my parents divorced which was three angst filled years ago.

I've had another baby in that time!

Here is a story about a three year old.

(This three year old)

Today Sam grabbed a piece of meat from his plate, bent it into an arch and gasped, "… a meat rainbow," he said. It took him a while to fully grasp this concept. "A meat rainbow!" he shrieked delightfully. He began to kick his legs and twist his hand like he does when he is super excited.

"Sing the rainbow song daddy!" I started to sing 'Rainbow connection.' Sam gave me a glare, "No! not you I asked daddy. Sing the rainbow song daddy."

Spencer began to sing and Sam swayed happily holding his meat rainbow with a happy smile plastered on his face.

Magical Meat Rainbow.

I am posting him with a smore since I don't feel like a meat rainbow is what people want to see.

Here is Adia with the newest addition. World, meet 'Briggles.'

Here is the birth announcement

(This is edited from a Barberella picture. )

See you all in another two years.