Let's give them something to blog about!

My blog has been severely neglected. July in Utah seems to just be one big party. Every 10 days there is something going on- the 4th, then the 14th is our anniversary and the 24th is pioneer day. I lived in AZ most of my life so it is still strange that statehood day is still an occasion to have a paid holiday. It is a much bigger to do than the 4th. We had 3 nights of fireworks! Josh and I also haven't been watching TV this month and TV time is usually my blogging time so sorry Aunt Shawna! But I will be spending the next few days with you at the family reunion to make up for it :)

They are building a house next to my in-laws and Turner has to go and see the tractor every time we go over there! He doesn't look that excited but I think it is due to all of the dust in his face cuz' he loves it and asks to go to crapa's and GG's everyday. He has been a little disappointed this week cuz' GG is at girls camp so we didn't even go over on Sunday.


This is us goofing around in the car. We were going to go to the bountiful parade but when we got there it was packed! We couldn't get across and it was just a nightmare. Instead we went and hung out with my cousin since there was going to be a BBQ at her house after the parade. When we got there she wasn't home so we just hung out in the car for a little while! Sorry Julie for crashing your 24th!

We also went to the Zoo the morning of the 24th. The Hogle zoo is ancient but they are really working hard to update all of the exhibits to more natural habitats. Yet this giraffe cage is the most retro horrible spot that they have. It stinks in there to boot- can you tell Turner is happy! He really does love the zoo more than anything he just hates it when I make him take a picture while he is busy animal watching.


This happened a little over two weeks ago. I remember because it was the day Max rolled over for the first time! We had gone grocery shopping and on the way home Max was tired and hungry and was letting us know all about it! Then all of the sudden I looked back and Turner was holding his hand to try to make him feel better! How cute is that? I know Max likes us but he loves Turner. No one can make him laugh the way that Turner does. And Turner doesn't have to do anything! Max can look at him and break out in hysterics. I love it!

Turner wants to be just like his dad. Josh is an avid reader and the other day I was getting dinner ready and Josh was reading so Turner grabbed some books, crawled up on the bed beside him and followed suit. Well here is a marathon post and no pictures of Max- I have another batch to come and there will be more pics of him I promise but it might have to wait until next week since I am trying to get everything packed for our family reunion this weekend.

Happy Thought- Sealed for your protection

Today I am thankful for whomever messed around with products in the store that inspired companies to seal things. This morning while I was nursing max, Turner found our stash of baby lotion. I am one of those people that if I see a good deal I snatch it up and store it. So Turner found a couple of bottles and opened the lid and turned them over and squeezed with all of his might. It took him a while to notice the bottle was sealed. He soon figured out how to unscrew the lid and started trying to get off the seal. He was unsuccessful! Sometimes I feel like the "bonding benefits" of nursing are wasted with the second one because you are yelling at the older one the whole time! Today I could focus on Max and just take a lot of comfort in the phrase "sealed for your protection."

"If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul."
~ Rabbi Harold Kushner ~

Adventures of Naked Boy and the New Bed

*****Warning- following post contains partial nudity***********
We have had some exciting adventures at our house. Turner is two and therefore loves to experiment with his boundaries. Well his favorite time to get into mischief is when I am nursing the baby. A couple of days ago he learned that he can take his clothes off all by himself! Normally I keep a onesie on him because he had a hard time with the snaps where they are but I guess I forgot to snap them back up after the morning diaper change or something because he decided that being naked was way better than clothes. After I fed Max I had to pump so he had milk for our date so Turner got even more naked time. Here is what he was up to! Hummm... his Dad thinks that this one isn't cropped up high enough- probably not. I just was laughing so hard!



On another note Max slept in a crib in his room for the first time last night. He did great! I know every milestone I should be happy about but there is part of me that is always a little sad too.
Here are a couple more random pictures of Turner goofing off last night. He is such a funny kid!

Best Date Ever!!

These are the flowers Josh brought home to me.

Last night was the greatest date ever! We don't get to go out very much so any date is amazing but last night was great. My dear friend Kaycee watched the boys while went out. She has four kids of her own so to add two more to the mix was such a generous act of kindness. I loved spending time with Josh one on one. The best part of having a husband in the restaurant business besides getting free samples is the friends he makes. He really gets along with the manager of this amazing restaurant Faustina and he kept telling him to bring me in for a date so yesterday he took him up on it. It was the most amazing food I have ever eaten- not exaggerating! It was one of those places that make the food look beautiful. There were real linens on the tables- I really felt out of place but loved every second. This is my lasagna. Josh made me turn the flash off because I was embarrassing him. They had this yummy bread with vinegar and oil to munch on while we were waiting. It was the most amazing thing I had tasted. We found out that the oil was chive oil. I don't know where you get that or how expensive it is but the flavor is unlike anything I have ever had.

This is Josh's Fillet Mignon served with a Gorgonzola potato croquette with creamed spinach and HUCKLEBERRY sauce! He also ordered shrimp bisque soup- they brought him out a bowl with one shrimp right in the middle. I almost started laughing! Then the waiter went over and brought this gravy boat looking thing and poured the soup into the bowl. It was beautiful but I was laughing inside so hard- this wasn't our typical restaurant. For our first anniversary we went to Dave's BBQ and last year was the Red Lobster!



This is us behind the restaurant. I was too chicken to walk to the front of the restaurant where it looked all cute but none the less this is us at the restaurant. Then we drove by the reception center where we had our reception. It isn't a reception center anymore but it brought back the memories. Then Josh took me to this neighborhood that had these amazing houses that he said if we ever have money that is where we would live. Then we drove up above the Salt Lake Cemetery and looked over the city. It was a great view. We drove down through the cemetery and we saw President and Sister Hinkley's grave.



We came home, gathered up the chitlins, and put them to bed. Then we snuggled and watched our wedding video. My brother Rustin made it and it took him a while so this was the first year that we have had it on our anniversary. It was a great night, I dreamed about it all night long!

The Leather anniversary

Well babe they say: "The 3rd wedding anniversary is often when a couple is aware of their durability of their relationship. That is why leather is the traditional gift for this celebration. Leather. As a material, leather is durable, warm, strong, flexible, and has a sense of resiliency to it. These are qualities that help marriages continue to thrive." I think we knew long before now of the durability of our relationship!

Traveling the country together


2 crazy kids trying to make our way in this world


Seeing the sights



taking in a game


And making a life (lives) for ourselves



1st house! (it looks so different since we painted the shutters)



Sexy and mysterious! What started out as a rebound and the flava of the month became so much more.


You are my best friend.

Josh- I just wanted you to know that deciding to marry you was the best decision of my life. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Feeling Inspired

I don't know how many of you have read the new Ensign this month. I haven't read the whole thing but I did read Elder Ballard's article urging us to blog :) He stated that there are conversations going on out there and we need to be a part of them. I feel like living in Utah and especially being a Stay-at-home Mom with a limited sphere of influence that the only missionary opportunities that I have are to raise my kids in the gospel. Yet while I was reading his talk I really felt like blogging could be an avenue to be a missionary. I have a really good friend who left the church that has his own blog against everything we believe. I felt like those of us who do believe needed to get our point of view to those who want to know. So I started another blog called I am a Mormon. I basically talks about the basic principles of our beliefs. If anyone would like to be a contributor I would love it!

Happy Thought- Ped egg

I am thankful for my ped egg. I have a SERIOUS dry heel problem. I hate wearing shoes and so my feet are usually nasty. For my birthday I got a ped egg from my mother-in-law. I have never had such smooth feet even after a professional pedicure. This is one of those as seen on TV things that really work! So if you have dry heels I would suggest you give it a whirl!

"Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much. For on the smiles, the thanks we give, our little gestures of appreciation, our neighbors build their philosophy of life."
~ A. J. Cronin ~

In my next 30 years

Sunday I celebrated my 30th birthday. I thought that I would be really upset. The night before my birthday I was writing in my journal and I wrote "I feel like my youth is gone." Yet I also wrote a list of accomplishments that I completed in my 20's and I felt very satified. I am sure some of you are familiar wit the Tim McGraw song in my next 30 years. "In my next 30 years I'm gonna watch my weight, eat afew more salads and not stay up so late, drink a little lemonade and not so many beers, maybe I'll remember my next 30 years." I am hoping to follow that advice esp. the beer part ;) actually I came up with a few of my own: They aren't cute or rhymmy but...

• I feel more like I have come into myself not only as a wife and a mother but also as Tiffany. I have a better handle on the things that I want in life but not always the best way to get them. In my next 30 years I want to be more open to learning and understanding. I want to ask more questions and listen more.
• I have realized that life is good no matter what the economy is like, where I live or whatever life situation I am in at that point in my life. In my next 30 years, I want to always be looking for the amazing wonderful things that life makes us.
• There are so many things in this life that the Lord gives us and that others do for us. In my next 30 years I want to be more grateful for all that others do for me and my family.
• In my next 30 years I want to value relationships and people more. Every person is precious and deserves to be treated as such. I think sometimes my resistance to treat people the way they should be treated comes from being worried about what they will think. Yet I should worry less about what people think and worry about what the Lord thinks. I shouldn’t worry about if people remember me or if they know my name… I shouldn’t worry if they are going to be offended if I ask them their name again- they will probably be less offended than if I avoid them all the time because I don’t remember their name.
• In my next 30 years I want to look out for #1 more- I know this sounds like a step backwards but I am always expecting others to do things for me and then being offended when they don’t. I am not going to hold people up to the standards that I set for them; I will take care of my needs. If I need to get together with friends, I won’t be offended that people don’t invite me over, I will invite people over.
• In my next 30 years I want to be sassier. I want to not be afraid to say what I am thinking. Especially funny things- I don’t want to worry about if others will think that I am funny or not.

To sum it up- I feel more comfortable in my skin and I am glad I am 30! I mean I have worked 30 years to get here!