dear...

Dear January,
Almost over. Can't wait.

Dear Winter,
Blaahhhhhhhhh! Wish you were almost over.

Dear " The Cars- Greatest Hits",
I seriously love you.

Dear Tatiana,
That dinner swapping idea- Love it. Love, love, love it.

Dear P90x,
Nice to meet you. Bring it.

Dear Ruby,
Those first little smiles are adorable. Can't wait for more.

Dear Basement,
So fun to work on finishing you... you actually could be cute one day.

Dear nice friends that came to visit,
Thanks. I really like you, and I am glad we are friends.

Dear Economy,
Feel free to pick up at anytime. That would be great.

Dear Heart,
Must you always be worn on my sleeve?

good day

Today John stayed home. He is doing his annual break from Construction to work ten days at the Film Festival. This is year seven. He says it is fun- but is always happy to leave the hotel world at the end of the ten days and go back to his real job. I am always somewhat jealous of the list of celebrities that know him by name, and I appreciate the random text messages throughout the day telling me who he just saw/talked to... like Saturday, it was Mariah Carey, Jim from the Office and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, who were together singing an accapella version of Mariah's #1 hit "Dream Lover" in three part harmony.*

To my point... John stayed home today because he is working on Saturday. Instead of the usual mundane Wednesday tasks like attempting to clean the house, folding the 4 baskets of laundry currently on my bedroom floor, avoiding the nasty nasty inversion, and maybe even going to the grocery store ... we hung out as a family. This is shocking because since Ruby was born we really haven't done a fun little family thing. We have tried to stay low key to avoid exposing Ruby to RSV and the paparazzi**. All four of us- all except Ruby- have been sick these past couple days so we went out. We drove up to Park City to see blue skies and went to lunch at Legers. After spending way too much on Park City priced chocolate milk for the kids we went up to the Lodge to see the Sundance Channel people that John works with during these ten days. It was so fun. They are good people and they loved, loved, loved Ruby... this of course softened my heart even more and I loved them even more. Funny how that works.

John took Sophie and Parker sledding on the Deer Valley ski hill for a minute since it was after ski hours and to Parker's total delight we drove around the hotel garage in a golf cart. Okay, as I am typing this it is sounding like we really need to get out more.

To my final point... It was really fun to hang out with my little family today. I know if John stayed home everyday and had no job and we just went places and spent money at overpriced establishments that it might one day get old... but then again, it might not. It was mighty fun today.

And if John sees Ashton Kutcher... he is instructed to profess my love to him. Which I am sure will be awkward for all people involved.

* okay, the three part singing thing didn't really happen.
** Also, not true. No papparazzi at our house.

Also included in the good day: a sweet phone call from my Dad who I adore, and a very fun and yummy dinner visit from my Hayden Peak girls. Thanks girls and Dad.

A certain kind of fire

One day before he was shot, Martin Luther King told the people of Memphis that "there was a certain kind of fire no water could put out." On the holiday that bears his name, I want to celebrate that "fire." That burning idea that the world can be better; that we can make it better.
It is not uncommon to hear people say how ugly the world is getting; how each day we, as a whole, move further away from God- further away from what is good and right.
And some days I am tempted to agree.
But not today.
Not when you really look at where we've come from.
I am raising my kids in a better world than my parents raised me in. And, more importantly, I believe that my grandkids can grow up in a world better still.
Happy Martin Luther King Day.
Here's to a better world.

oh yeah baby!

Go Steelers! Super Bowl XLIII..... We can hardly wait!

the fire engine...

All Parker wanted from Santa Claus was a fire engine. Santa was kind and brought him a very large fire engine with a ladder and buttons that make obnoxious fire engine noises. He loves it!! John's mom and dad ( gummy and gumpa) know the Farmington Fire Chief and ran into him the other day. Gummy mentioned just how much Parker loves fire engines... and the fire chief said to bring the kids over so they could ride in the fire truck. So we went for a ride in the fire truck, a lot of us.. all over Farmington. We drove up our street and even called Henry (one of Sophie's bff's) to wave to him. It was really fun. We heart fire fighters.

it has begun again...

We have a metal roof on our house. The nice man that lived here before us ripped off the shake shingles and put on a metal roof- so it could last forever. Well, it outlasted him and now we are lucky enough to live in this house and next to his grandaughter and family. One funny thing about the metal roof is when the sun shines all the snow slides off the roof- little or big avalanches happen all the time at our house. Most of the time it just means extra shoveling to get out of the driveway.

Last year John thought it was a great idea... with the help of Shane (of "Shane and Jeni.. our fantastic neighbors") to build a huge snow hill with all of the extra snow that was avalanching off of our roof.(see last year..)So here we are in year two of the huge sledding hill in our front yard. It is fun for the kids, but I am not lying when I tell you that after we put the kids to bed, that is where you will find John and me. Not a bad way to beat the winter blahs.

Grab a sled and head over.

a very merry christmas

What a wonderful christmas we had this year! We feel really blessed to have shared it with family and loved ones. We are looking forward to a fantastic 2009...