Pack Night for Parker

Last month Parker turned 10 so now he is a Weblo. Tonight was the first pack night since his bday & they did awards so he was able to receive his BEAR badge, along with a gold arrow and a silver arrow point. (Yes, I'm a slacker mom, and didn't work very hard to help him get his Bear earlier in the year or more arrow points. Eric and I were Wolves den leaders for like 3 yrs when Parker was 3 to age 5 and I think I'm still burned out from that time... :)

The Weblos book is a lot thicker than the Wolf or Bear books have been. What are we in for? I hear there is a ton to pass off. Hmm, I'm thinking this marriage to Brian couldn't come at a better time and maybe he can take over some of this scout stuff with Parker? I will trade him for the fun girl stuff with Morgan and Madi. Sounds like a fair trade right?

Time for Basketball

Well January has hit and that means time for basketball season. Parker is on the Kings basketball team with his friend's Isaac (the coach's son) and Wyatt. His coach is someone Eric & I graduated high school with who lives in the neighborhood.

So every Saturday through January and February you can find us at the elementary school at one of Parker's games. In his first game he made 7 baskets, these pictures are from his 2nd game, when he made 3 baskets.

He really enjoys playing. It's funny because you can always count on him going up the left side when he gets the ball. He is left handed and this must feel most natural to him although we've encouraged him to change things up a bit and go down the middle or to the right. He continues to always goes to the left. (Hopefully none of his opponents are reading this and catching onto this "strategy". ha ha :) Go Kings!

Game Night with Friends

On Saturday night we got together with some of my high school friends for a dinner and game night. We met up at Carter & Sandra's beautiful house in Lehi for a dinner of pulled pork, rolls, salad, cheese potatoes, yummy appetizers and delicious desserts. It was fun for Brian to get to know some of my longtime friends and their husbands. We all had a good time. We learned to play the card game RAGE, watched the Cardinals win their game (OK the guys did this part) and had great conversation. Along with Sandra & Carter, Rich, Kris & Susie were there too.(Tyler was at the Jazz game so we missed him.) Thanks for the FUN night Sandra!

Preschool Field Trip to the Bean Museum

On Wednesday Paxton's preschool class went to the BYU Bean Museum for a field trip. I was able to tag along with a few of the other mom's. They did a little reptile show for the kids which they enjoyed as they got to touch:

a live gecko. He was actually cute and check out his weird tail. He stores fat in that tail.

A tortoise (turtle), although technically only turtles live in the sea we learned.

and a snake. I kept waiting for Paxton to be scared of the snake (since Indiana Jones is scared of snakes & he likes Indiana Jones) or even mention Indiana Jones when she brought out the snake but he didn't and immediately wanted to touch it. I remember when Parker's preschool went to the Bean museum, they got to pet a huge boa constrictor - YUCK! This small corn snake was more up our alley.

The highlight for me was seeing Shasta the Liger. Does anyone remember how this was on display up at Hogle zoo? (A liger is half tiger and half lion - wasn't that Napoleon Dynamite's favorite animal?? :) It was donated from Hogle Zoo to the museum and took me back to when I saw it as a young kid everytime we went to the Hogle zoo.

It's nice Paxton is still at a young enough age that he enjoys having me come along on his field trips. Gotta take advantage of it because they grow up sooo fast!

The Bling

I realize in all my excitement to describe the wonderful and romantic night we had when we got engaged that I didn't mention much about THE RING! I absolutely LOVE it! Brian took me ring shopping in early December, just to "see what I like." Well I did not want a ring with a centerpiece diamond this time around but wanted a nice thick, wide band (in white gold) with a bunch of diamonds on it that looked vintage and like an antique. Brian is such a fun person, he started our ring shopping day off by driving up to a pawn shop. We didn't get out though because it "wasn't good enough for my gal" Brian said. He drove off and pulled into a nicer pawn shop (AKA, no bars on the windows. :) He then proceeded to make me go in and try on a ring that was totally not my style (you might remember me mentioning the pawn shop ring since he later went back and bought one of those as my gag Christmas gift - which I will cherish always Brian :) We laughed about it and then headed off to the real places you go to shop for rings. Thank you cousin Susan for having the PERFECT ring at Sierra West (our 5th and final stop of the day.) We described to her what we were looking for and she said that she had something in the back she was getting ready to take to a buyer and brought out "the ring." I tried it on and it fit perfectly and looked so good on my finger.

Brian and I looked at each other realizing this was what we had been looking for. Of course he didn't buy it for me right then and there but later told me he was there bright and early the following Monday morning to purchase the ring. This ring has so many diamonds on it (1.5 carats total) that it just sparkles like crazy which is why you can't see it very well in the pictures (esp that top one, because my camera could just not focus on something that sparkly!) The pictures at least give you an idea of what it is like for those of you that have asked about it. I just LOVE my bling! This guy is a keeper let me tell ya!

"Ring"ing in the New Year 2009

For New Years Eve Brian got the two of us tickets to attend the First Night festivities in downtown Salt Lake. He started off the night in a GREAT way by presenting me with a dozen beautiful red roses. They were gorgeous! (He is SO good to me!!!) We then set off for the night. We first went to the Body World exhibit (like Brian said, nothing says romance like a bunch of plasticated? cadavears... ha ha!) Then we checked out some of the festivities at the Gallivan Center but didn't stay long because Brian had dinner plans for us.

He had reservations at The Roof restaurant, up at the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. They even sat us at a window table, overlooking the SLC temple, temple square, the lights, etc. It was such a beautiful view and SO romantic. The food was delicious and the company I was in was GREAT. (They had those New Year hats sitting at our table so we had to put them on to take a picture or two!) After we ate (this takes us to about 11pm) we walked through temple square and came out of the gates to find a horse carriage waiting at the curb.

Brian had scheduled for us to go on a horse carriage ride through downtown SLC, isn't he the most romantic and wonderful guy??? I was so thrilled as we enjoyed a romantic ride through Salt Lake. (Funny sidenote but our driver's name was Jackie. She then proceeded to tell us the horse's name was Jerry. As most of you know my parents are named Jerry & Jackie. Brian and I thought it was so ironic that their names were the same as my parents. At the end of the ride she said she hope we enjoyed the ride "even though the parents came along.") It was funny! OK, so now we are at 11:30pm or so. (Brian had tried to get the horse ride to last until midnight but they needed to have the horses back in the barn before the fireworks started apparently.) So we went back into the Joseph Smith building and listened to some of the music and entertainment until almost midnight then headed outside to watch the fireworks that would start up when the new year arrived. As the fireworks started Brian had me close my eyes and make a wish, all the while I feel him putting something on my finger. (Of course as the night went on and all these romantic things are taking place that Brian had planned I had the hope that he would be proposing....) Well he didn't disappoint. As he put the ring on my finger he asked me if I would marry him. I was thrilled and am no dummy and of course said YES!!!! It was just the most incredible night, I still get goosebumps thinking about it. Everything was perfect in every way and I'll never forget it. I feel so lucky and fortunate that he chose to ask me to marry him, he is one of a kind!!! I love you Brian and can't wait for us to start our life together! I can't even tell you the happiness you have brought into my life!! Thank you hottie for the best night ever!!!

On New Years Day my family has the tradition to go to Brick Oven to eat. Here Brian and I are before lunch. (We kind of like to always be touching each other or sitting close. I just love having him there close all the time.)

It kind of felt like a "congrats on your engagement" type of a get together, since we were able to tell all of my family that we were engaged. They were happy for us and really, really like Brian, Morgan and Madi. I was so happy to see how excited my boys were as well as Brian's girls. We are going to have a cute little blended family in just a few months! I can't wait!!!!