FINALLY!

It's hard to believe that after nearly a week of no posts that we are still alive! I've held myself back from complaining about being sick a few times. I'm just congested beyond all belief, but not contagious. Still, our week was busy and it has sure ended on a high note. BYU FINALLY BEAT UTAH AGAIN! (I was not at the game so please excuse the lack of pictures.)

To celebrate our victory we went to a local restaurant with some of our family. There they had a person in a red bird costume going around and handing out balloons. Eryn was very excited to get a balloon, but scared to death of the, "scary chicken!" She was able to console her fears with most of my fries and a good portion of my milkshake. After being coated in whip cream the smile returned to her face and all was right with the world once again.

You Lookin' at ME?

While preparing to take some pictures for a family that my Mother-In-Law referred to me (Thanks again!) I found that I was being watched!

A Different Spouse Survey II

O.K. My turn to do one of these about Valerie...


1. She's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Depends on the time of day. Either Rachel Ray/Studio 5 or Sesame Street so that Eryn can get her Elmo fix.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does she get on his salad? Italian or Bleu Cheese.

3. What's one food she doesn't like? Grits. Eryn loves them, but I have to make them because Valerie can't even stand the smell.

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does she order? Vanilla Coke if its availble. If not, a regular Coke will do.

5. Where did she go to high school? Carman Ainsworth (Flint, MI). Go Cavs!

6. What size shoe does she wear? 6 or 7?

7. If she was to collect anything, what would it be? Coke rewards bottle caps

8. What is her favorite type of sandwich? Italian meatball

9. What would this person eat every day if she could? Candy Corn.

10. What is her favorite cereal? Lucky Charms

11. What would she never wear? Ohio State anything.

12. What is her favorite sports team? Detroit Red Wings. I've converted her to BYU and the Jazz, but she still has a place in her heart for Detroit teams (except the Lions...'nuff said).

13. Who did she vote for? For her first time, she voted for the person who actually won.

14. Who is her best friend? Me, but that probably doesn't count. She keeps in contact with a few friends in Michigan and old roomates. She also has her little lunch group that she meets with every week for coffee talk

15. What is something you do that she wishes you wouldn't do? Snore...other than that I'm perfect!

16. What is her heritage? European mutt like most Americans.

17. You bake her a cake for her birthday; what kind of cake? Cup Cake.

18. Did she play sports in high school? Golf

-Mike

A Different Spouse Survey

Bobbie had this one up and I think that I liked this one better too!

How well do you know your spouse?
Here's a chance to see how well you really know your spouse. Cut, paste and fill in the answers, then send it to your spouse (& friends) to see how right you really are.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? This time of year basketball or something in HD on the travel channel or the history channel. (It was How the Earth was Made last night!)

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Bleu Cheese. That is IF he had a salad, which he usually only gets if it comes with the entree.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Zucchini.

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? Water unless it's been a long day and a little Mt. Dew or a Coke work their way into the picture.

5. Where did he go to high school? Idaho Falls. Go Tigers!

6. What size shoe does he wear? 11 or 11 1/2 it depends.

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Ticket stubs to concerts and sporting events.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Any kind without mayo!

9. What would this person eat every day if he could? Cookies and milk.

10. What is his favorite cereal? Framer Croc. It's a super addicting Swiss cereal that is basically granola with flakes of real Swiss chocolate it in. We had to go to Switzerland so he could eat it! Its his favorite food. period.

11. What would he never wear? A University of Utah shirt.

12. What is his favorite sports team? BYU anything and the Utah Jazz.

13. Who did he vote for? The looser.

14. Who is his best friend? It better be me! He is pretty close with his brothers too.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Nag at him to stop snoring on the lazy boy and come to bed to sleep.

16. What is his heritage? European mutt like most Americans.

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? It would be a chocolate one, but his Mommy usually makes his cakes so I don't have to.

18. Did he play sports in high school? Football and Marching Band. (Yes, Marching Band is a sport!)

A Little Homesick

This morning I was starting to feel a little homesick for Flint,Michigan, so I decided to google some pictures from there to remind me of the bad that goes along with the good. Here are just a couple that I found very interesting...

The ever present Police Tape! You know it's bad when even with Secret Service you feel threatened!In the end, I was less homesick for the town and more homesick for my Mommy!

Happy Valentine's Day

I love the History Channel! Here is some of the article from their page... http://www.history.com/content/valentine/history-of-valentine-s-day

I just thought this was interesting and figured that I'd share it.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival.

In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

Spouse Survey

I was bored and found this on Sarah's Blog. I hope you are all ready to know us more than you wanted too!

1. What are your middle names? "Danger" and "Open Mouth Insert Foot" I am sure that you can figure out which one is me! :)
2. How long have you been together? Nearly 6 years.
3. How long did you know each other before you started dating? About 7 months or so...
4. Who asked who out? Mike just asked me to "hang out" with him and some of his friends one night. I just assumed it was a date and never let him go!
5. How old are each of you? Older than we are both willing to publicly admit.
6. Whose siblings do you see the most? Mike's family lives in the same state (well, most of them) and my 2 brother both live in different states 2 time zones away.
7. Do you have any children together? 1.525 children. A nearly 2 year old daughter and a daughter in the womb!
8. What about pets? The neighbor's cat thinks that he's ours.
9. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? What to do with a day off. I just want to stay at home (like always) and hang out with Mike. He always wants to go somewhere!
10. Did you go to the same school? For about 2 semesters. I dropped out and he graduated.
11. Are you from the same town? Not even from the same region! I grew up surrounded by Great Lakes and gangster thugs and Mike grew up surrounded by potatoes.
12. Who is the smartest? Mike can do Calc! He took it twice he was so good at it! I barely passed College Algebra. Not that all intelligence is based on math skills, but... I think he's got an edge on me there.
13. Who is the most sensitive? I am, but for a woman I am pretty numb to a lot of things.
14. Where do you eat out most as a couple? The high class restaurant of Wendy's. It's cheap, close, and cheap.
15. Where is the farthest you have travelled as a couple? Probably Berlin, Germany. We went all over in Europe, but I think that is the farthest east we've been.
16. Who has the craziest exes? ME! I dated some strange guys, some crazy fun guys, and some out right psychos. I still don't know how in dating such an odd assortment of guys I found Mike!
17. Who has the worst temper? I win again! I get fired up easy. I have bit me tongue to the point of bloody on a number of occasions.
18. Who does the cooking? We both can, but I do more because Mike goes to work all day and I don't.
19. Who is more social? Neither of us really stand out as a winner in this category. We like to hang out every now and then, but really just like to be with each other and Eryn most of the time.
20. Who is the neat freak? No neat freaks here. Clean freaks, yes but not neat. Yes, there is a difference. You can have a very clean and disorganized house at the same time. I have mastered that.
21. Who is more stubborn? We both can be reasoned with when given both sides to something.
22. Who hogs the bed? The bed, the blankets, and most of the pillows become mine over the course of the night. He says I take them and I say he gives them to me. We're both asleep so neither of us can be trusted! Muahahaha...
23. Who wakes up earlier? I wake up to wake him up, but then I usually get to go back to sleep for awhile.
24. Where was your first date? His friend Jeff's parent's house in Provo.
25. who has the bigger family? Mike's the oldest of 9. I'm the oldest of 3. He wins.
26. Do you get flowers often? Nope. I like to take pictures of them while they are still growing in the ground. They last longer that way, never wilt, and they don't make me sneeze that way!
27. How do you spend the holidays? Praying that they will be over soon.
28. Who is more jealous? Again, no clear stand out. I don't think that either of us are the jealous type.
29. How long did it take to get serious? A few months of constantly hanging out. That was easy since we worked together and I didn't have a car. Mike gave me a ride home each night and it was nice to have that time together to end the day.
30. Who eats more? Mike. I eat more often, but he eats more at a time.
31. Who does the laundry? I do.
32. Who is better with the computer? Mike was a computer science major for awhile.
33. Who drives when you are together? Mike. He's better with directions. I get distracted and lost easily. I have little to no since of direction and I prefer him driving so I can just look out the window and freak out every time the car in front of us breaks and he doesn't.

Eryn Sings

While channel surfing and realizing that there is nothing to watch on Monday night without football... We happened to stop on MTV while they were doing David Archuleta's playlist. Eryn loved the music (Mike and I both cringed) so we gave in and watched it for a bit. The last song was his song, "Crush." Eryn was not only dancing the whole time but started singing with it!

This time it was way better than the wheels on the bus and twinkle twinkle. She KNEW the song. How? No clue. During the chorus he says, "I know this crush aint goin' away ya ya aaaaayyya." (Or something like that... You'll know what I mean if you've ever heard the song.) Eryn was singing right with the music timing and everything to that line! We were both totally shocked and proud of her!

Double Good News Day

With the XBox 360 out of commission Guitar Hero hasn't gone to waste! Eryn sure enjoys playing with the guitar and singing to her puppy.

I have other good news that might even beat that! Well, maybe just for me and my craziness... I found Vernors at Macey's yesterday! It was in the juice isle by bottled water and no where near the soda where it should have been.

Vernors is a very strong and bubbly ginger ale that is made in Michigan. I've had my Mom mail it to me in the past I like it so much! All growing up it was the cure all for sick tummys. It relieves nausea and upset stomachs like no medicine can. (A must have for any pregnant woman!) Not only that, but if you throw it in a cup and plop some vanilla ice cream in there you get this magical creation called a "Boston Cooler." (Yes, it's a Vernors float with a special name.)

To the 63% of You

To the 63% of you who thought that our baby was a boy... YOU'RE WRONG! Haha. I was wrong right along with you too. It's A GIRL! We haven't decided on a name yet, but we still have some time. All of the measurements looked good and everything seemed to be healthy and normal.

We're looking forward to having another little girl join our family! (Eryn's glad because she doesn't like boys much these days.)

Scary Scary!

As a Mom the sound of my young daughter screaming, "Scary Scary!" while in my closet instantly struck fear into my heart! It better not be a spider was my first thought. Then, the Oh crap what if it bit her? What if it's on her? What else could it be? All started running though my panicky brain as I leaped out of the bathroom to see what was the matter.

This is what she found...
Well, close to it anyways. Mike has a Tampa Bay Buccaneers shirt that she found and was screaming. "Scary Scary" at the skull. At least it wasn't a spider! The best part? He also has slippers with that logo on them that she plays with everyday. She has never had a problem with them or the shirt until this morning.

The Other End of Utah

Last weekend we went to St. George and this (most recent) weekend we went to the other end of the great state of Utah... Logan. It's our recent tradition to spend Super Bowl weekend with Mike's brother Sam and his family. The football game is just a side note, but a good excuse to visit. Of course, there was a lot of food, hanging out, and a surprisingly close and interesting football game to top it all off!

And again, Mike took advantage of being near another temple to take some great pictures. He loves to take pictures of temples. We are always sure to see them whenever we go somewhere different. (Capitol buildings are another favorite and quirky thing that he loves to visit!)