Surprise package...

Sean is home this weekend and has kept asking about the mail. Today I know why. In the mail was a large envelope addressed to ME! In it was a gift certificate to a Spa Day at Camelback Inn! Sean proceeded to tell me, Happy (late) Mother's Day and that he knows how stressed I have been the last 5 months with him being gone and he thought I could use more than a massage. I get to get a manicure, a pedicure, a massage, and a facial! Woo hoo!! The next time he comes home we are going to stay at the Camelback Inn and make a weekend out of it. Carter and Sean will hang out at the pool while I enjoy my Spa Day. This is EXACTLY what I need. Thanks Sean, I love you!

Why did he pick the Camelback Inn, you ask, when there are so many closer Spas that make more sense? The Camelback Inn holds special significance in our lives that you will learn about shortly! Here's is a reminder of our first experience at the Camelback Inn.

Reason #2 why I need to live in the same location as my husband

So I don't have to hear these incredibly sad but cute statements from Carter anymore: (while driving in the car and pointing to the sky)
Carter: hi daddy
Me: where's daddy?
Carter: in the airplane, hi daddy
Me: daddy's in the airplane?
Carter: yes. he's going to work in Louisiana (you gotta hear him say Louisiana!!)
Me: that's right but he'll be home soon
Carter: come home soon daddy, i miss you...don't get lost (as he waves goodbye)

*breaks my heart everytime*

What are the chances?

Carter was so excited for Kaden and Brendon to come over this afternoon! Unfortunately, Carter fell asleep and Kaden and Brendon were asleep when they came over too! And all 3 stayed asleep the entire time Alicia was gone! Carter already told me he wants Kaden to come back!!

Water Aerobics

I'm not gonna lie. I've always thought that water aerobics was for old ladies. I knew it was good for you but thought, "it can't be that hard." Famous last words. I am in Sierra Vista visiting Spencer and Marlee and Marlee teaches a Water Aerobics class. So this morning I went with her. I was feeling the burn man! But that Marlee is a tough teacher! I only wish I lived here so I could go every day. The last time I was here, I went to her medicine ball aerobics class and I was the sorest I have been since two-a-days during volleyball practice in high school!

Some of my favorite lines from Marlee during class were:

*"Move those legs. If you think I can't see them under the water, I can!"
*"Keep those arms up. This should be easy for Jessica." (at the same time I was thinking, man when are we gonna be done, my arms are DYING!)
*"Tuck in your butt and suck in your gut!"
*When Marlee was passing out arm bands and explained that yellow was easiest, purple was medium, and blue was the hardest. I thought, hmm guess I'll take yellow. Right then Marlee throws me a blue one. Awesome.

Decorator's Block

I have been wanting to have black furniture for awhile now. Like for 4 years. I've also been wanting to get rid of this huge desk I got 5 years ago for work. I thought I wanted a corner desk, and it has been really nice with work and with Sean in school to have all the extra desk space, but it is just too big for our small office. But I've lived with it. But I said when Sean was done with school, I was done with the desk. So I took it apart and got rid of it! Here's the before pic of the old office. My mom happened to have an extra desk at her house. Cool. My Great Uncle Johnny actually built it. I was actually very close to his wife, Aunt Alice, and have a few other things that were theirs. Very cool. But remember I have been wanting black furniture? So I got the cool desk from my mom and painted it black. Perfect. I also painted my two filing cabinets black. I love the way it turned out. The room is sooo much bigger now. 
(Ignore the white cable cord behind the chair--I'm working on fixing that problem)
But now the problem is, what should I do for a curtain? I painted the old curtain rod black as well and took down the old curtains. And I need to do something with the chair. I reupholstered the chair when I first got it from my sister. Now it doesn't match the black furniture. I know I want to add some color in there to compliment the black. Maybe some yellow and black fabric? Thoughts? 

The Luau (3)

I was having a great time at the Luau. Playin' it cool. Talking to Sean but also talking to other people. He was talking to me at one point and winked at me. It was at this point that I knew I liked him. He invited me to go hot tubbing with a bunch of people after the Luau. I followed him to his house to get his suit (I don't know why but I had mine in my car?). We then went to another house to meet up with everyone else. When we were leaving I thought I would ride with Sean. I was pretty shocked when I saw two other girls in his truck. I decided this was no big deal and just drove myself. While hot tubbing and swimming at the Camelback Inn, Sean paid 0 attention to me. Not even any winks in my direction. He did however, pay A LOT of attention to the afore mentioned on again off again girlfriend. Apparently, they were back on? I was furious. After an hour or two of this, I had had enough. I got out of the pool and got ready to leave. I "made" a phone call. At this point, Sean comes up and asks where I am going. I tell him that my friend called and asked me to meet up with him. Sean asks who. I say, "why does it matter." He asks who again so I tell him I am meeting up with Nick, a guy I dated last summer but we are friends now. Sean asks me to go watch a movie with everyone. What?! Umm, no. We all end up leaving at the same time. Sean is in the lane right next to me as we are heading back home. I can see that he is looking over at me. Instead of looking back, I play it cool and take a phone call for the rest of the drive while he is looking at me. I guess I will call basketball guy the next night when he gets back in town.

***note...it was not until much later in our courtship that I let Sean in on the secret that I did not have plans with Nick later that night after the hot tub; nor was I talking to anyone on the phone while driving home. Play on playa.

We meet (2)

I was starting to like basketball guy and enjoyed hanging out with him. But he went out of town every weekend. So I went to a wedding reception for my friend Jamie with my parents. While there, I spy high socks guy. He's not with on again off again girlfriend. Good. I go talk to some friends who introduce me to high socks guy. His name is Sean. He gives me high five when we meet and tells me I am pretty good at frisbee football. He asks me to go to a movie with them after the reception. Cool. I talk to my married friends who tell me the guy they want to set me up with is at the reception. They point to Sean. Small world. The movie was horrible, we were both embarassed during the whole thing; so we mostly talked during it. After the movie, Sean invites me to come to the ward luau the next night. "It's gonna be off the hook" he tells me, "I'm the ward activity chairperson." He's got confidence. Impressive.

Reason # 1 why I need to live in the same location as my husband

Saturday I decided to be helpful and trim our bushes that were out of control. I got out the electric trimmer and was making some lovely progress until I cut through not one but TWO extension cords. That's when my nephew Tanner took over (thanks Tanner, it looks great!). Guess we'll be making a trip to the local Home Depot today.

Before We Met (1)

Awhile back my friend Em documented on her blog her journey of meeting/dating her husband. I want to document my journey with Sean.

I had just come home from my second year at BYU and was ready for a fun summer. I had become more outgoing at BYU, a little more bold, and a little less shy than I had been in high school. I had been home a few weeks when I got my wisdom teeth out. I was out from that event for a few days but decided to go to the local single's ward Family Home Evening. I was a little self-conscious about this because my brother (one of them anyways) told me to not worry because since my face so swollen, my nose looked smaller. Nice. I went anyway. After the activity I stayed to play basketball. I was the only girl. After awhile it was only one other guy and I shooting around. We started talking and made a bet on a shot. Whoever didn't make the shot, had to buy the other one a drink at Circle K. I lost. We drove to Circle K and got some drinks and talked in the parking lot for awhile. He was impressed with my car. It belonged to my sister Amy, who I was living with at the time.

The next week I went again (even with my nose that now looked bigger since my face was no longer swollen) to FHE hoping to see this same guy. He wasn't there. The ward was playing frisbee football. I had learned to play this at BYU and I've gotta be honest here, I dominated that night. I noticed a guy who was yelling to his team a lot on where to go. He had his socks pulled up to his knees and I could tell he was getting frustrated that no one was catching me. I ran faster. He couldn't catch me either, and trust me, he was trying. At the end of the night I saw "cute high sock guy" talking to another girl. I asked a friend who he was and she said, "oh that's Sean, I wouldn't talk to him, he's on and off with his girlfriend all the time." Too bad, I thought.

The next week, basketball guy called me and we started going on some dates and hanging out a lot.

A few weeks later, I am hanging out with a married couple who tell me they have a friend they want to introduce me to that would be perfect for me. They are "just waiting for him to finally end things with his girlfriend."

Whatever. I'm dating basketball guy.

Seriously?

Who thinks of this stuff? Emily tagged me. I don't want to do it, but she said I had to. 

here's the rules:
once you're tagged, you must take your picture right then and there.
no editing.
no changing clothes.
no adding makeup.
that's right, we wanna see the real you.

SO for your viewing pleasure: 

Jealous of my real beauty?! HA. Luckily my bangs are covering my blemish, otherwise I might have cheated and put on some make-up! 

Now I tag: Val, Katie, Andrea, and Em   (if I had to do it, then so do you!)

P. What begins with P?

"write about 10 things you like that start with the letter "

Em passed along the letter tag- she's given me the letter "P".

In no particular order:

1. People watching: LOVE it. This is probably one of our fave things to do. Just yesterday while I was stuck in Winslow, AZ for 3 hours while the freeway was closed! I passed the time in Walmart and got myself a pedicure (see #2). While sitting there I was able to see all kinds of people: one mom who slapped her son and yelled "don't hit," one lady telling her husband she would like a pedicure and the man said "ya right," a trucker who kept pacing back and forth in front of the store...I could go on and on, it fascinates me.

2. Pedicures: My friend Nikki and I try to get one together every couple of months. It's my hour of get away time to relax and get pampered. And come away with cute toes too! And I'll even get one at Wal-Mart too.

3. Ping-Pong: We had one growing up and it was always fun to play with my dad when he came home from work. When I met Sean and we played he would get so mad that he couldn't beat me. A guy he works with in Lousiana has one, and Sean's practicing every night to try and beat me. Won't happen.

4. Peaches: I will only eat peach jelly. I love peaches and milk, plain peaches, peach jelly, canning peaches, love it all.

5. Pinewood: My grandparents had a cabin in Pinewood that I would spend weeks at during the summertime. I have such great childhood memories of being at the cabin. We still go up to the cabin and it's so fun to watch Carter enjoy it as much as I did.

6. Pools: I love swimming. We had a pool growing up and my brother Spencer, neighbor Nikki, and I spent countless hours in the pool: getting rocks thrown at my face, playing Colors and Shark, almost killing myself on the diving board while doing a back flip, and putting buckets on our heads to walk under water. Good times.

7. Paula Abdul: Straight Up, I love her songs from the glory days. Her CD was the first CD I ever got when CD players first came out. In college a group of us drove to Gunlock and my car was full of girls and Jarom. We had just recently met Jarom and when I put in Paula and he was able to sing "he's a cold hearted snake" just as loud as me, I knew we'd be great friends.

8. Pumpkin cupackes: YUM! I don't even like cupcakes but these are addictive!

9. Pei Wei: Have you eaten here before? Sean got Carter hooked on it. Carter asks for it on a regular basis and actually eats his chicken with chopsticks. Have you ever seen a 3 year old eat with chopsticks?

10. Picnics: Some of my favorite dates with Sean were picnics in Provo Canyon. Carter and I have at least one picnic a week. It's so relaxing.

What's your favorite thing that starts with P?

Want to do your own letter? Let me know and I will give you a letter.

That is sick...

I am in schools and classrooms throughout the state almost on a daily basis. I've seen some really great teachers and some not so great teachers. I even taught high school for a few years prior to my current job, so I know a little bit of what to look for in an effective classroom. I've walked into classrooms where right when you walk in, you know there is a lot of learning going on; these are the classrooms I want my own child in. And then I've walked into other classrooms where the teacher was sleeping. Literally, he had a room full of students and he was SLEEPING. I had to tap him on the shoulder to wake him up. This is a classroom I do not want my child in. Today at a school I was reading some posters on the wall that the students had made. It baffled my mind. The posters were split in half and on one side was the word "tuff" and on the other side was the word "tough." And under each word were pictures that I am guessing were supposed to depict the word. What baffled my mind was that each poster had similar pictures under both pictures. One student had pictures of trucks under "tuff" and then another student had pictures of trucks under "tough." So which is right? There were pictures of athletic looking girls under the word "tuff" and also pictures of athletes under the word "tough." I was confused. What was the point of this assignment. I even had to go to the dictionary to look up the word "tuff" to see if I was missing something. Do you know what the first definition is? It's slang for tough. The next definition is "a fragmental rock consisting of the smaller kinds of volcanic detritus..." Some kids did have pictures of diamonds under "tuff" so is this what the assignment was really about? If so, over half the class did the assignment wrong yet they are posted proudly in the hallway like works of art. If going to school means my child will learn slang, I'm pretty sure I can teach that to him on my own. Afterall, I did teach alternative school in West Phoenix. I know when ice is chill to wear or when it goes in your drink. Sometimes the classrooms I am in make me sick (like the real kind of sick, not the slang for sick that really means cool).

Happy Easter

I didn't get a chance to take a picture of Carter in his Easter outfit before he conked out after church. I love this kid!

Carter's officially 3 now

Back in December, Sean came home one day and said, "I think we should get Carter a sand box for Christmas. It will keep him busy for hours." We didn't get it.

A couple of days ago I told Wendy that we got Carter a sandbox for his birthday and here is how our conversation went:

Wendy-was Sean ok with that?

Me: ya, he was all for it. in fact he is really excited about it. why?

Wendy-well, when I suggested it for Christmas, Sean said no way because it would be too messy.

Me: really? He told me he thought Carter would play with it for hours.

Wendy-(cracking up) that's what I told him! Nice sales pitch Sean!

I am really thinking that this bug vacuum is going to come in handy for me. I hate bugs. Now Carter can catch them for me if one is inside. We've already had one bug biting incident but I think he'll be out again tomorrow trying to catch more bugs.

Carter wanted an "Alex" (from Madagascar) birthday cake. Here's how it turned out.
I'm so glad we live so close to family. We were able to all get together for a last minute birthday party after school today. It was lots of fun!
The older kids even organized an easter egg hunt for the younger kids.
For the last few weeks I have been asking Carter how old he would be on his birthday. He kept saying, "umm 45." Today, when I asked him, he said, "I'm all grown up, I'm 3." So I guess it's official.

An old friend...

Christa and I met when we were both teaching high school at the same school. We instantly became friends and spent lots of time talking in each other's classrooms. I was devastated when she did not come back to teach after my first year. Luckily, she still stopped by to visit me. Then I left teaching for my current job and we still visit each other. It usually only happens once a year, (with a few more phone calls/texts throughout the year) but we pick up right where we left off. Today was no exception. We met at a park by her work so Carter could play and we could chat. When we got there, she had a cake with candles and all for Carter and a present for him. I didn't even know she knew when Carter's birthday was! Christa is one of the most giving people I know. When I told her I was pregnant with Carter she brought me a gift. Then she came to my baby shower and brought a gift. Then after Carter was born she came to visit and brought yet another gift. She remembered his first birthday and got him a gift. Carter was especially happy today as he dug his fingers into the cake and played with the toys she gave him most of the time we were there. Her kindness amazes me. I am so grateful for old friends.

*picture taken in 2003 at RCB High School

A bad joke?

Do you think the beautiful flowers from our garden and the cute kid waiting on the counter for Sean to get home today will be enough of a distraction for what's waiting outside for Sean? This morning when I went to cut said beautiful flowers, this is what I saw: a broken sprinkler and a flooded backyard. (it's hard to see in the picture but the grass and rocks are totally flooded). I guess this explains why my grass looks dead. 
Maybe I could start by saying, "Surprise, you get to stay inside all weekend and do nothing."

April Fool's. 

Sometimes he checks the blog so maybe he'll see this before he gets home and my joke will be ruined. 

It's just a thing...

Deep breath....it's just a thing, it's just a thing, it's just a thing.




Yes that is my car. Yes many of you know how picky I am about my car(s). Yes I held my composure as I told myself "it is just a thing."

**Update: Here's what happened: Carter and I took my bike tire into the bike store to get some new tubes. He rolled the tire into the store for me. When we got home he wanted to roll the tire inside. He was doing that while I carried the first load of stuff into the house. I came back out to the garage and he had the tire sideways on the hood of the car and was pulling it down. As he pulled it down the tire made some lovely scratches on the car.

Random Thoughts of the week...

*On St. Patrick's Day I went to a school and the classroom I went to invited me for breakfast: green french toast, scrambled eggs, green mashed potatoes, and green koolaid.
*I sat at a desk in a classroom and watched as a student started rummaging through my computer bag. He really liked my phone and was playing with it for a few minutes until he threw it back in my bag and climbed over me to get to the computer.
*At the park today Carter yelled, "Hey Jessica, look at me!"
*I fell down the stairs at my sister's house this week. Good thing I didn't break my ankle like Wendy did when she was pregnant and fell down the same stairs. My ankle is a little sore though.
*The sign at the park said the playground was for kids ages 5-12. I still let Carter get on. Who made up that age group?
*I am helping coach my niece's softball team. We threw the ball around tonight--I'm excited.
*I saw a student at a high school with red eyes. It was freaky.
*I really miss the husband.

Dora the Tween?

We love D-D-D-Dora in our house; Boots and Super cool explora Dora. But now she may not be so cool. I was watching the news tonight and was pretty surprised to hear that Dora is growing up. She's getting a new look and is moving to the city. What? How is a monkey going to live in the city with her and go to middle school? The Simpsons haven't been forced to grow up in like 30 years, right? So why should Dora?
Here's her new look. The newsanchor actually called the new Dora "a tramp." Harsh. (I tried to find it online because it was actually pretty funny/awkward) Apparently Nickelodeon felt like it was time for her "to move with the times." One guy that was interviewed on the news said it best when he said, "if she's dressing like that, what's she going to be exploring?"


read the full article here

A Good Weekend is...

Getting to go on a 20 mile bike ride by myself outside...
Going shopping for new pants because I dropped one pant size(!)...
Only changing half as many diapers...

Going to the zoo with Dad...
Being able to answer Carter's question of "where is Dad?" with, "he's home!" **above: last week Carter said he wanted to go to Daddy's work. I told him he couldn't because he wasn't packed and it was a long trip. He came back a few minutes later with his backpack stuffed full of his toy animals and said, "I'm all packed, let's go." I said, "you don't have any clothes or diapers packed." He replied, "I'm wearing them." Hopefully, we'll get to go visit Sean soon. The other night during story time, the book, which talked about making wishes said, "What's your wish?" Carter, without hesitation, said, "Umm, I wish that my daddy would come to my house." Sean got his wish for this weekend at least! It went way too fast, Sean is already on his way home back to Louisiana, but it was sure a good weekend with him home.