I think he likes him

(Above) This is how Carter went to sleep last night, in Buddy's bed that we bought him.

Meet the newest member...

Carter got an early birthday present today and named him Buddy.

To run, or not to run

When I did this triathlon in November 2009 I was 6 weeks pregnant. This run was seriously killing me. My SIL Marlee (in the black and yellow) ran with me the whole time and really pushed me to run faster. We had a goal of passing that guy right behind me, I didn't think I could do it, but I finally did. Katie (in the white and blue) joined up with us at the end and helped me finish. I could really feel the effects of being pregnant. I was cramping and extra tired during the triathlon. I had already signed up for a relay race in February. But after this triathlon, I dropped out. 3 weeks later I had a miscarriage. So I was now back in the relay race and really started training hard for it. One month later I found out I was pregnant again. I was placed on "moderate activity" by the doctor. No running. So I had to drop out of the race, again. I am happy to report that I did not have to rejoin the race again. Baby Rose (according to Carter!) will be here in September.

Projects!

I've been busy the last two months with a few projects around the house and gifts. It's been fun, but I am excited to finish one more quilt and be done with projects (yeah, right!)

1. made some burp cloths

2. made an apron for a niece

3. made a cover for some storage in the garage

4. revamped a bench my SIL gave me for my kitchen table

5. revamped the top of my hutch after 7 years of the same stuff, it was time for a change!

Gonna brag, just a little

Carter's training wheels were all bent, so when Sean got home from work this morning, instead of fixing them he just took them off and told Carter to try it without his training wheels. Sean gave him a quick lesson before he tried it on his own, and I held the back of his bike for about 5 seconds and he has been on his own all morning. No crashes yet! I am so amazed with this 3 year old! The best part, was seeing Carter's face and how proud he was of himself! LOVE that kid.

How to have fun at Wal-Mart

As a general rule I typically try to avoid Wal-mart. However, when we are in Sierra Vista, with my Mom, we have to make an appearance there, kind of as a general rule. Our trip last week to see Spencer and Marlee was no exception! But Carter taught us a few ways to have lots of fun in Wal-Mart.

Step 1: Get in the cart and pile all of the bolts of material on top of the cart. Then insist that everyone call you "Jack" (the hamster) and feed you crackers through the "cage."

Step 2: Lay all the bolts of material across the cart and then lay on top of them. Make whoever is with you pull you around making the sound "whoooo wooo" as you take your patient to the hospital, while the patient lays on the ambulance bed.
Follow these steps and you are sure to have a fun time at your local Wal-mart.

I told you I was serious

What did I give at the baby shower I went to today?


An embroidered baby blanket and onsie.

knitting with paige

My sister Amy and I went to a knitting class tonight. Paige, came over to fix my row for me. I borrowed Amy's tide stick, to remove a stain. Paige was not happy about this.

Thanks for teaching me how to knit Paige, I believe I will knit a scarf that will make you proud. Sorry for being off task. But I'm more sorry that I didn't look in a mirror after 1pm today.

I know what I will make you...

Baby gifts?
Wedding gifts?
Birthdays?

Embroidered, embroidered, embroidered!

Yep, that will be my staple gift from here on out, just tellin' you now.


I got an embroidery sewing machine for Christmas. I am LOVING the possibilities with this thing. Think of all I can do with the quilts I have been making for my nieces and nephews. I have two to complete in the next 2 months! I can't wait to get started on them. I went to the class yesterday to learn how to use the machine and here is my first project I made today! Carter wanted his own towel, so we embroidered a snail on one and a fish on another for him. So fun!

A New Day

Happy New Year! We met up with friends on New Year's Eve at the Tempe Block Party. Sean has been wanting to go to this literally since the day I met him. We finally made it there and I finally heard the sweet words, "you were right!!" The highlight of the block party is a toss up between the magician who had to try 3 different times to get his assistant to lay on the sword correctly so it could go through her stomach or the guy at the ferris wheel asking if I was over 18, otherwise I couldn't take Carter on the ride!
After the block party we went to the Anselmo's house for fun and games.

Right after midnight, we left for the cabin up north. We spent the New Year's Day sledding. Carter was in heaven. He has spent the whole last year asking every couple of weeks when we get to go to the snow again. Glad we can quickly visit it and then quickly come home!

Christmas Magic

I love the magic of Christmas, the fun times spent with family, the traditional Christmas Brunch with the Klippel clan, the Christmas Eve Mexican dinner and festivities, the yummy peppermint cheesecake that I had to search at 3 different stores for peppermint extract and still didn't find any-who knew it was such a hot commodity this year?, fun with cousins, matching pajamas, seeing what Santa brought, and hearing the joy from a 3-year old who exclaimed, "this is just what I wanted!!" with every single gift he opened. LOVE it.

Busy times

We have been keeping pretty busy the last few weeks, but that's why I love this time of year!

1. Carter at Uncle Spencer's graduation

2. Carter, Spencer, Madison, and I at Spencer's graduation (he received his MBA from ASU)

3. Our BFF's Dan and Stefani had to unexpectantly make a quick trip to Phoenix. We were so glad we got to see them on a night Sean didn't have to work! Our lives haven't been the same since they moved to Colorado....we want them back!

4. Santa made a surprise visit while decorating cookies.

5. Even I got to visit with Santa for a minute.

6. Carter had so much fun decorating cookies with his cousins at Aunt Amy's house!

Merry Christmas Mormons!

My friend Emily had this on her blog. I thought it was pretty funny!

your opinion needed

This weekend we went to Sean's work party. This was our first official office party. My company never had Christmas parties since all the employees work from their home offices across the nation. I guess we did go to a couple of Sean's office parties when we were dating but he worked with family so that doesn't really count as a true office party, right? Anyways, we had fun dressing up and had a nice dinner. (I was really excited about my gray tights that I wore with my dress but you can't even tell they are gray in the picture.)


Then the entertainment began. There were prizes to be won. Sean won the first prize at our table. The centerpiece. Bonus. The end of the night came and no other prizes came our way. As we were leaving, Sean asked me to grab the centerpiece.
Seriously, I asked?
Ya, we won, he said.
Me: I am not taking that THING home, it's so ugly.
Him: It's not ugly, it's a fireman.
Me: Do you have a sudden allegience to firemen?
Him: I won it, just put it in your purse.
Me: I am not putting it in my purse, I don't even want it.
Him: Just put it in your purse
Me: No
Him: proceeds to put said ugly centerpiece in my purse
Me: If we take that home, it is going on your nightstand
Him: that's exactly where I want it

Now, here is where your opinion is needed. Let's put it to a vote. Who hears me on this one and thinks this is U-G-L-Y?

Yes, I really did put it on his nightstand and so shall it remain there.
Let's take a closer look, shall we. A fireman nutcracker. Classy.
Oh, but the story continues:

Me: hey, can you grab the wreath (it was laying in the middle of the table with the nice nutcracker in the center of the wreath--and it came with the cute door hangar).

Him: I'm not carrying that thing out of here

Me: you'll bring home an ugly nutcracker that we'll never use but you won't bring home a pretty wreath?

Him: nope

Me: if I am carrying the nutcracker in my purse, you are carrying the wreath

Him: not gonna happen

Me: fine, I'll carry it, but your nutcracker is still ugly.

My comebacks continue to amaze me. But seriously, thumbs up or down on the nutcracker?

The answers

1. b (did you really think I kissed my cousin?)

2. c (toilet paper---so embarrassing!)

3. a (secretary & treasurer)

4. b (softball)

5. b (5 siblings)

6. c (1981 BMW)

7. b (stereo was too loud--i miss my system in the t-bird!)

8. I was asked to leave a hair salon because...I had ring worm on my scalp and they couldn't do my hair. Seriously the MOST embarrassing moment in my life. I was just home for summer from BYU. I went to a beauty school to get my hair done for my brother's wedding. The girl started to get my hair ready and then said "hold on." She came back with someone else and they were looking at my scalp. That lady gathered others to come over (so now there were about 10 people standing around me) and she said, "this is what ring worm looks like and we cannot do someone's hair like this." I was horrified. She then asked me, "have you been playing in a barn recently." Hmmm, let me think about that, NO! Hair lady then said, "have you been in the sand lately?" Hmmm, let me think about that one, NO! She then told me (remember I am still sitting in the chair with 10 people standing around me) that I needed to go to the doctor and could come back after I took care of it. Humiliated I left, and obviously I have never been back. So if I wasn't in a barn or in the sand, how did I get ring worm you ask? The night before I left BYU to come home, I was outside saying goodbye to a group of friends. The friends were sitting in the grass and I sat with them. In the circle was a cat, and it was a stray cat that they were petting. I do not like cats at all. It came up to me a few times and I pushed it away. So I touched it and before washing my hands, I touched my scalp. So lesson learned, never touch stray cats and then touch your head before washing your hands. Or avoid the hair salon if you do!

9. a (Pretty Woman)

10. a (true). You had to write your name on the board and miss recess in 1st grade if you had to go to the bathroom. I didn't want to miss recess but I couldn't hold it any longer. I didn't say anything to my teacher but when I came back after recess, my desk was moved to the back of the room by myself!

Snowball fight

Phoenix style...
Today was the big Snowball fight in our backyard in our barefeet. These are the kind of snowball fights I like!

Christmas Fun

I made a Christmas Advent Calendar this year and was going to put a treat behind each day of the month until I saw this. I used some of the ideas from her list and added my own. Since we don't have snow to build a snowman with, we used marshmallows and m&m's. We also made Christmas Tree decorations. Have you done this before? It was a lot of fun. To make the dough: mix 4 cups of flour and 1 cup of salt. Then add 1 1/2 cups of water. Knead for 3-4 minutes. The dough should be firm. Cut into shapes and then bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Using water colors, paint the decorations and then bake for another 15 minutes. Carter has been really excited to see what he gets to do each day and I am excited for this new tradition! Today, we went through Carter's toys to donate some, and I was really surprised, at him as he really thought about each toy and decided on which ones to give away. Can't wait for our upcoming "snowball fight..."

Have any ideas for me to add to my list?

(Jeremy and Billy, I'm sure you have a ton of ideas, so please share!!!)

The big day

Sean threw me a party for my 30th birthday. We had yummy food, good friends and family over, roasted marsh-mellows in the fire pit and drank hot chocolate. I wish I had remembered to take pictures! One thing Sean did at the party was pass around a quiz about me. Then we stood around the fire and shared the answers and some funny stories.

How many questions can YOU get right?

1. Jessica once kissed her cousin

a. true

b. false

2. Jessica walked around at a school all day with what hanging out of her pants?

a. maxi pad

b. paper toilet seat cover

c. toilet paper

3. What positions did Jessica serve in HS student council?

a. secretary & treasurer

b. Pres & VP

c. VP & treasurer

4. What sport did Jessica make Varsity her freshman year?

a. volleyball

b. softball

c. basketball

5. How many siblings does Jessica have?

a. 3

b. 5

c. 6

6. In HS Jessica drove this car:

a. 1987 VW rabbit

b. 1995 Chevy Truck

c. 1981 BMW

7. Jess was pulled over by a cop at BYU because:

a. she was speeding

b. stereo was too loud

c. her taillight was out

8. Jess was asked to leave a hair salon because:

__________________________________

__________________________________

9. Her favorite movie is:

a. Pretty Woman

b. Pretty in Pink

c. ET

10. Jess peed her pants in first grade?

a. true

b. false

Traditions

I LOVE this time of year because all the traditions begin. Every year since I can remember my family went up north to cut down our Christmas tree. Sean joined this tradition when we were married and instantly loved it. And then after about the 2nd year we were married my whole family went fake on me. They all got fake trees for some reason! Except for my sister Wendy and her family. So our two families carried on the tradition. And then about 4 years ago Sean's twin brother Brandon and his family started going with us. And this year, Sean's sister Jen and her family came with us. It was a lot of fun! We are happy to carry on the tradition, whoever comes with us. The more the merrier!
P.S. doesn't our Thanksgiving table look beautiful?! Table courtesy of Brandon and Julie.

Old toys for new kids

Two of my nieces and nephew spent the night last night. I love them but they sure did wear me out today! I think I have been cleaning all day! I made breakfast then cleaned up breakfast. We made cookie dough then cleaned up cookie dough. We cut out the cookies then cleaned up from cutting out the cookies. We cooked the cookies then had to do dishes. We frosted the cookies and then had to clean up from frosting cookies. Then it was lunch time and there had been a special request for homemade pizza. So I think you are getting the routine. After lunch, I tried to take a little nap. I laid down for 20 minutes and had questions/requests from little kiddos about every 3 or 4 minutes. Then I had an idea! I brought out my old doll house that was mine as a little girl. It requires a lot of set up so I don't get it out often. Caitlyn and Carter (don't tell Sean!) were in heaven! Right now they are playing and they are having Family Home Evening. So cute!
Sometimes the old toys are the best toys! Now I think I will close my eyes for at least 3 or 4 minutes.