Finn Says: "Sledding Sucks!"

It has been snowing like crazy here lately...and Aaron and I just got a sled for Christmas from my parents...so we decided to try it out! We were so excited to take Finn sledding for the first time. I pictured him laughing and smiling on my lap as we glided through a picturesque winter wonderland...this is what we got instead:I think he MAY have liked it if it wasn't snowing so hard. The snow kept blowing in his face and he HATED it. I think he was a little scared/confused by the all-white atmosphere.

Our attempt at a cute family shot...he wasn't even going to look at the camera he was so mad:The happiest he was the entire time:

Here is a video in the peak of sadness...oh man he was miserable. Even Aaron's attempts to cheer him up were fruitless...he was pretty mad at us I think.

And here is a quick video of the only time he went down the hill with me without crying:

We ended up staying for about a half hour. He semi-liked watching me go down by myself, and didn't mind going down with me, but he was definitely not enjoying himself. He let us pull him on the sled back to the car...but did not get happy again until he was out of all his snow gear in the warm house. We're going to try again when it's sunny and clear out...hopefully he'll man up to the challenge.

Happy Birthday to the Man of the House

Handsome in Orange

Aaron turned 29 on Friday. Funny when you realize that 30 really isn't old at all. We had a great day. I gave him a couple shirts and a new penny whistle. He took one of the shirts back and-- with my help as personal shopper--was able to get 2 shirts and a scarf instead and only paid 5 dollars more! And FYI: a penny whistle is a celtic instrument (basically a glorified recorder) with a much prettier look and sound. My mom had one when we were home last and Aaron picked it up and figured out how to play a few hymns...now he is hooked! The one my mom let him have has been chewed on by Finn and has become a toy in our home so I bought him a newer, more legitimate looking one...and it sounds great!

I think he looks like Finn here...with a lot more hair of course!

On Friday evening, we used our brand new babysitting list (aka our singles ward directory) and had two wonderful girls from our ward watch Finn. We grabbed a bite to eat and saw "Ghost Town" in the dollar theater followed by some holiday shopping (where Aaron got three things for the price of one!). We loved the movie...it was so hilarious! I think Ricky Gervais (plays Michael in the British "Office") is so funny.
What a cute scout!

We came home and shared the yummy "Chocolate Blackout Cake" I made Aaron and visited with friends till late into the night. Aaron usually requests the chocolate cake from Costco on his birthday...but this year he let me make one from scratch and it turned out really yummy! We had such a great day.
Our fancy date in L.A. a couple months before he proposed

I know this post is already long, and we didn't get any pictures of the actual birthday :( but I want to end it with 29 things that I love about Aaron, in honor of his 29th birthday:

1. He makes me laugh
2. He laughs at my stupid jokes
3. He is the best dad ever and is usually more concerned about Finn's safety than I am
4. He is the biggest animal lover I know, but still thinks PETA is stupid
5. He serves me ALL THE TIME
6. He vacuums without being asked
7. He is a better cook than I am
8. He is the easiest person to get a long with ever
9. He loves board games
10. He knows all the words to the "Newsies" sound track
11. He's not embarrassed to sing all the words to the "Newsies" sound track
12. He makes friends easily and is kind to everyone
13. He's good with cars and has fixed ours a lot
14. He is informed and knows a lot about history and politics
15. He is a safe driver...which helps him be a safe pilot...which helps me sleep at night
16. He is a righteous priesthood holder
17. When he leaves for work in the morning, he always pretends to close the door and plays peekaboo with Finn a few times...and he always gets a kick out of it
18. He works hard every day so that I can stay home with Finn
19. He knows all the words to "Gangsta's Paradise" and sings it at full volume with me in the car
20. He is always willing to help out a friend
21. He likes to read as much as I do
22. He watches movies I like, even though he knows I'm going to fall asleep
23. He has always treated my family like his own
24. He can be surprisingly crafty and makes me awesome cards
25. He is so thoughtful and is constantly showing me he loves me
26. He always puts the toilet seat down...and usually has to remind me to put the lid down too
27. He likes amusement parks as much as I do
28. He likes to 'talk' to Finn on the phone
29. He is a great penny whistle and trombone player!

Every year we are married I learn more things that I love about this guy. Happy Birthday Aaron!

Dancing Machine

Even before he learned to crawl, Finn has always LOVED to dance to music. He dances to the music his toys make, he dances to commercials on TV, he dances when I sing to him. Usually when asked to perform, however, he gets really embarrassed and hides his face. Here is a quick video of him dancing to "Santa Baby" while we decorated the tree. We weren't even watching him...Aaron just noticed he was doing it and caught the tail end on camera. I will try to post more videos of his moves as I capture them!

Oh Christmas Tree

Last weekend, Aaron and I finally got around to decorating our place for Christmas. Since our living room is barely big enough for our couch, we set our Christmas tree up in the loft (aka our bedroom) every year and I have to say, it makes me really happy.

Let's discuss Christmas trees for a moment. You may be one of those people, let's call them "Tree Elitists" that needs to have your Christmas tree "just so"...with symmetrical sides, carefully selected matching ornaments, and strictly white lights of a particular size. I know quite a few of these people myself whose immaculately trimmed trees glisten boastfully from front room windows as if to say "Christmas in this house is better than Christmas in your house." If you are a Tree Elitist, we can still be friends. I have a certain admiration for the organizational skill and aesthetic knack it takes to pull off such a task. However, I would venture to say that the tree I prefer, let's call it a "Homestyle Tree" creates more lasting memories and nostolgic fondness than Tree Elitists could ever acheive.

View of our tree from the living room

Aaron and I have started collecting tree ornaments from every vacation we take. We have a little log cabin that reminds us of our trip to see Joseph Smith's home in Palmyra and a little bear from our trip to Yellowstone to name a couple. One of my favorite ornaments is a little silver-spray-painted christmas tree made of macaroni noodles that Aaron made in elementary school. All of these sentimental, mismatched ornaments with a few Christmas balls thrown in and a smattering of colored lights sums up our tree. It is ecclectic, it is colorful, and I love it. It reminds me of the tree I had growing up -- full of glue-gunned ornaments and kid-made crafts.

The following is my favorite line from "Oh Christmas Tree":

O Christmas Tree,O Christmas Tree,
Your boughs can teach a lesson
That constant faith and hope sublime
Lend strength and comfort through all time.

Whether you have an Elite Tree or a Homestyle Tree in your home, I hope it "teaches you a lesson" and reminds you of the true spirit of this holiday season. Merry Christmas everyone!

Brunettes Have More Fun

As most of you know, I like to experiment with my hair. If you watch the resume tape I made in my broadcast journalism days, my hair is different in every clip :) I was born a blond but I have slowly turned to the dark side over the years and my natural color now is a medium brown. In August, I went more blond than I have been for a long time at Aaron's request. It was fun, but I felt like I was wearing a wig every time I looked in the mirror. After my roots got completely out of control, I decided the maintenance of blond hair is definitely not my thing, so I have become a brunette once more. And I gotta say, it's nice to be back.