kickin' it Camryn style...

Bry took Camryn to Walmart and she came home with a little bling-bling and some pretty cool shades...and a whole lotta attitude!!

Birthday brat!

Well the big '33rd' birthday came and left and I think this is the first time I really didn't want to admit how old I was when asked. I think I might even be suffering from post b-day blues. See, I am kind of brat when it comes to my birthday and poor Bryan, after 5 years of marriage has felt the pressure when it comes to meeting my birthday 'expectations'. We are pretty different in this area, he absolutely hates any sort of attention on his birthday and the thought of having people focus their attention on him for 15 seconds to sing "Happy Birthday" sends him over the edge! When I turned 30 I was convinced he was throwing me a huge surprise party, heck I even gave him a list of people to invite...I know, pretty presumptive huh?! Well half way through dinner at the restaurant I said to him, "There's nobody else here is there? Nobody else is coming." Poor guy had planned a wonderful evening out with just the two of us for my birthday and I ended up pouting over the lack of 'hugeness' of the celebration. So anyway I know I am ridiculous and the first to admit this childish behavior and to be honest I thought I had grown past it but yesterday the ugly birthday brat monster reared its head once again. The day started out great, my family surprised me at lunch at 25 main and most of the people on my birthday call checklist did indeed call, my gap order arrived, and I was having a good hair day! Bry had told me we had dinner reservations at 6:00 and had apologized profusely that it was just going to be the two of us for dinner but that he was sure my close girlfriends, who strangely enough hadn't called me all day, would take me out later in the week. So I truly was sooo... surprised when we walked into pizza factory and my friends and their spouses were there! After I got over feeling really dumb for how bratty I had been acting, I had so much fun and Bryan was beaming with pride that he had pulled it off!! Pressure is off babe... at least until I turn 35!!

Is it really over?

Well I arrived home safely last night from our second annual Half Marathon girls trip. (okay, so we really only ran the 9 miler this year, but still...) Anyway, we started this 'excuse for a girls trip' last year and went to Santa Cruz for the half marathon there. Not being a runner in any sense of the word, it was quite the challenge for me last year to prepare for the run, let alone to enjoy it, but surprisingly I ended up really loving it and found a huge amount of satisfaction in completing the 13.2 mile race! This time we decided to try the Big Sur race in Carmel, CA and I think we will find ourselves there again next year...it was BEAUTIFUL!! The scenery was so spectacular that I found myself resembling an asian tourist whom I usually mock for taking pictures of everything in sight! Even more than the shopping, spa visit and actually being able to sit in a restaurant other than Fazolis and engage in an adult conversation, I love girls trips because we can be just that... girls.
They bring that fun, silly side out that in the day to day life of being a stay -at -home mom doesn't quite do. Even though we spent much of our time driving around aimlessly in our awesome chrysler mini-van rental, we still had a blast.

I have to hand it to Bry for surviving three days with Camryn, with the help of grandma and Aunt Janice. Besides the fact that she didn't get a bath for three days and was still wearing the five bandaids on her leg that she had on when I left, she was happy and healthy when I got back. Good job babe!

Another Camrynism...

When she saw some flowers outside of Grandma's house she said..."Mommy look, the flowers are bumming!" Took me a minute to figure that one out!!

Cupcake Therapy!!

So it has definitely been a 'self-help' book month for me. I have been on the hunt for any type of 'quick fix' to manage my stress and anxiety and as a result have about four of these books sitting on my nightstand. Every night for the last few weeks I attempt a chapter or two from each book...trying to stay awake long enough to find that magic insight that will immediately transform me into a layed back, go with the flow kinda gal. (instead I usually end up zoning out and playing brick-breaker on my phone until I am zonked!) My friend Stacy even gave me the audio cd called "You can Heal Your life " which I have been trying to listen to in my car as I run errands each day. Ironically on my way to Walmart the other day I was intent on tuning out the world and focusing on the C.D. and well, you know, 'healing my life' in my 8 minute drive when Camryn started whining to watch Dora, and well the battle began... me turning up the volume on my self- help CD and Camryn screaming for Dora. It all ended up quite ugly in the parking lot of Walmart with me yelling (yes, at my two year old) "Can't you see, Mommy is trying to heal her life!!!!!!"

Well it turns out I don't need a book. I found my cure. Girls Night Out. Now I have always been a fan of GNO, and I participate frequently, but this last week I realized just how therapeutic it can really be. I went with a couple of my friends to Twenty five Main, which by the way if you haven't been there...GO! It is about time St. George got a quaint little place like this with not only the most delicious cupcakes I have ever tasted, but the perfect GNO atmosphere that is perfectly conducive for therapeutic girl talk. Anyway, I owe it to the three cupcakes I devoured that night as well as two wonderful and uplifting friends, that I am taking a break from any self-help materials!!
This is pretty funny...the very next day I took Camryn back with me to Twenty Five Main to get some lunch and a cupcake and in walked one of my friends whom I was there with the night before with her kids. We were laughing at how funny it was that we both had the same idea when in walked our other friend with her kids who had also been there with us! None of us had planned on meeting and it was so hilarious! We just laughed and of course devoured more cupcakes!

a little less Martha...

Tonight for our Young Women's activity, we took the girls to the temple visitor center to see a sculpture exhibition called "The Healing Power of Jesus Christ" by artist Angela Johnson. It is a traveling exhibition and will only be here for a few more weeks so I am encouraging everybody out there who lives here to Pleeeeeese go see this because it is absolutely incredible. I have never seen sculptures of Christ like this. The life size sculpture of Him is so powerful and as I stood in front of it, well, I can't even describe the feeling. http://www.ajsculptures.com/
The one piece in particular that really moved me was the one depicting the story of Christ visiting Mary and Martha. As many times as I have heard this parable, it has never seemed so real and so applicable as it did tonight. I stood there looking at the sculpture of these two women, Martha working as Mary sits at Christ's feet and listened to the sister missionary tell the story of where each woman placed importance in serving Christ. I reflected on my day and well, quite honestly most days I am definitely more like Martha. I just constantly feel like I am playing catch up or trying to finish or start some project and ahhhhh it never ends. Any Mary's out there? How do you do it!

Precious...

Saying her prayers tonight Camryn said, " Thankfoo for gandpa and gandma and cinderella and suckers." Then she rolled over and went to sleep!

NOOOO!!!!!!!!

That is what I yelled at the t.v. when Micheal Johns was kicked off American Idol tonight. How in the heck did this happen? There must have been an error in the voting. He has never even been in the bottom three...and heLLOhhh.... he is an amazing performer and incredibly HOT!!

I am sorry for those of the 5 people who actually like Kristy Lee Cook...but for him to go instead of her is WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!

'Stop the Madness'

So for those out there who know me well, you are aware of my fear of.... well pretty much everything, but especially being home alone at night when Bryan is out of town. For awhile there he wasn't traveling much, but now that he is dividing his time between here and Salt lake, the nights of terror have begun. For some reason after 9:00 p.m. I turn into a freak and every horror movie or scary 'Lifetime' movie that I have ever seen is stuck in my brain!

In order to survive the night from all those predators that I just know are waiting outside to come in and do, well you know, all that stuff that happened in "The Ring" to me... I have a routine. First, my friend Kali who lives across the street comes over and we go through every room in the house. Second, I put Camryn in my bed to sleep and then I stay awake as late as I possible can in the living room (just to let them all know that I am still awake and ready for them) and watch all sorts of trashy t.v. shows that I am too ashamed to admit. Then, for the grand finale, I turn on every light in the house (sorry Bry), and go into my room and begin to build my BARRICADE. At first it was just the vacuum against the door but now it has become much more advanced. I moved our very large love seat from our living room into our bedroom and it usually takes a good ten minutes just to move it about 5 feet to the door and it doesn't end there. Then I get all four of our laundry baskets and pile them on top... I know, pretty brilliant huh?

Okay... so I know I am crazy. I really do. So to stop this madness I have been begging Bry for one simple weapon. A weapon that would restore all peace to my life. I want a TASER.

I have been doing my research and I even found one that comes in pink! It wouldn't kill anyone, but I can use it from up to 15 feet away and I wouldn't have to hit them in any particular spot...I can aim and hit them anywhere on their body! Bryan, needless to say is not keen on the idea, mainly because he thinks I will use it on him accidentally. Our five year anniversary is in two days and I am petitioning for a Taser...no jewelry, no Nordstrom gift card ( did I really say that?) just a Taser!

*Going all granola.....

So yesterday marked two Sundays in a row that we have gone to Zion National Park for the day and I think that makes me an official 'granola girl'. I even...dare I say it...yes HIKED a little bit and kinda...didn't hate it! I actually think the last time I went hiking was in Zions for my 5th grade field trip.Okay, I might be exaggerating on that, but hey, it is no secret that I am not the most 'outdoorsy' chic around.

Anyway my point is that I am 32 years old and have just discovered what they mean by that whole "becoming one with nature" and "peace in the outdoors" thing. Just the shuttle ride alone up the canyon was comparable to a day at the spa for me. I completely tuned out all the chaos that I create in my head and truly just felt peace. I think I even had... "a moment" or two. Bry kept telling me that he hadn't seen me that "chilled out" (which is his code phrase for 'nice') in awhile...which was probably the imputus for driving me back up there a week later! And all this time I thought all those "granola people" or "tree-huggers " were kinda boring...turns out they are the ones that actually 'get it!'


So now that I have this new affinity for the outdoors I am committing to change my habits in the way I de-stress. No more 'on-line shopping' or walking around Target for me...I am a new woman. I am strong. I find solitude in the simplicity of nature.


That is of course unless Nordstrom is having a sale!



















Here we are with our friends, the Heizers, our outdoor gurus! They had all sorts of cool hiking backpacks, kid packs and cool hiking apparel! Camryn freaked out cause she didn't have a backpack like little Alex, so Rick made her a make shift pack from their green 'environmentally friendly' grocery bag they had in their car! She wore it the entire hike and I almost made her carry her own poopy pull-up in it on the way down from the hike, but I was reminded that it was a 're-usable' grocery bag so that would be pretty gross!