and a Happy New Year

I was hoping to send out Christmas cards this year.  It would have been our first time.  But after some procrastination and a disastrous home-photo shoot, it just didn't happen.

Looking over these, I'm having a hard time deciding which one is most representative of our family right now. They're all pretty good -- too good not to share, that is.  Merry Christmas, Internets!

Let's start with an action shot:

singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" to get him to smile

and the "how can I get out of here?" shot:

Moving on to the "how do we take pictures with a two-week old?" shot:

"... especially when she wants to eat?" shot:

And ending with the "WE ARE DONE WITH THIS" shot:

I'm thinking the last one takes the cake.

(Next year maybe Kiana should use a tripod?)

(Also, don't you love the Arnold Palmer ornament prominently displayed on our tree?)

Anyway.


From our house to yours - may the next year be better than the last.  May you grow in wisdom and love.  May your days be merry and bright ... and filled with less crying than mine are.

A Love Story

(Oh hey, I have a blog??)

Once upon a time in a distant land lived a little family, in a little place.
They were (mostly) content in that little place.  But they also had plans.

The plan was to wait until the end of golf season 2010, and then to move - either to a house in the vicinity, or to somewhere else - depending on what happened with the golf course.  This plan was held on to for months and months, even over a year, and even when unforeseen events rocked the foundations of this plan.
(See: here, here, and here, and here, and read between the lines.)

In the meantime, the Good Wife was checking Realtor.com several times a week for houses in Roosevelt, Texarkana, St. George ... even Arizona.  She wanted to be ready for whatever was coming.

One fine day, the very week the little family decided to stay in the Basin (for now) - and also not even a week after writing this post -  the Good Wife found a house listed in Roosevelt.  One that met and exceeded all of the pre-determined qualifications AND was in our price range.  I sent the link to Slice immediately.
It had been listed just that day.
The next day Slice had off work, and we were trying to decide what to do.  I told him how much I loved the house, and how it was going to get snatched up quickly, there are never decent houses in that price range on our market, and why don't we at least go look at it?  He reluctantly agreed.  An hour later we were waiting at the house.

It was a quick walk-through.  Liam was fussy, we were just taking a look, we hadn't even pre-qualified for a loan.  But it was love at first sight.
(I believe in love at first sight!)

So, we pre-qualified.  We put in an offer that same day.  We had a yard sale while waiting for the answer.  We upped the offer.  We waited some more.  We prayed.  We felt good about it all.
And they accepted.
And we waited some more.

Turns out, quitting a job isn't the best thing to do right before trying to qualify for a mortgage loan.  Neither is having an 8-month seasonal job.

But we packed and planned anyway.  I stopped watching TV.  I also stopped blogging, and reading books, and cleaning .... and doing anything but dreaming about colors, furniture, bookshelves, dishwashers, kitchen counters, bedrooms, unpacking all those boxes that have been packed SINCE MY WEDDING.
Okay, so I went a little crazy for a while.  Like six weeks.  I was nesting all over again.

Lo, it was not in vain!  With a little extra finagling, our loan came through; we signed our lives away.  It was so exciting.

The evening after the previous owners moved out, we came to examine the place.  Of course, they left it a mess.  Dog hair everywhere.  Gross bathrooms and fridge and pantry.  Unfinished coving in the basement (that was in the contract!-- ). A wall of MOLD behind the Grand Bookshelf.
We had to clean for two days before we could even move in.

Four years ago, the program director for Vienna Study Abroad told us that when you move somewhere new, you go through four stages: Honeymoon, Hate, Habituate, Home.

Guys, we are totally honeymooning it.

(Pics coming soon.)

St.ly distractions

Sunday last week, as I said, we packed ourselves into the car and drove all the way to St. George.  It was by far the longest car trip we have taken with Liam.  He did fine until the last hour - and then he punished us for days.  Anytime we put him in the car seat he would start panicking.  ("Noooooo! I know what you're doing to me!  I will NEVER get out of here!")

Anyway.  Liam also became a stomach-sleeper on this trip.  I have no idea why.  I'd put him to bed on his back, like a good little mommy, and he would roll right over and stay that way.
Don't worry, I don't put him on pillows in real life.

We stayed in a second home (of sorts) belonging to Slice's former boss's father ... yeah.  I was expecting an older, small but well-kept home.  Not a brand spanking NEW 3 bed 2 bath with gorgeous oversized furniture, granite countertops, king-size bathtub, etc.  Talk about luxury!  I felt so spoiled.
We did lots of shopping (not as much buying), driving, TV/movie-watching, and eating.  We also took your suggestions and visited the Brigham Young winter home (loved it!), the historic park (fake river and all, it was awesome), and the temple.  Most of all, we enjoyed the warmer weather, and each other.  Thoroughly.

Incidentally, have any of you seen The Ghost Writer or the new Robin Hood?  Do you want to talk about it?  Because I do.

We met my friend Rachel from high school and her two lovely children at the park, and Liam had the great privilege of being in a Rachel sandwich. If you went to high school with me, you know what I'm talking about ... right?  Geoff?

Thursday was return-trip day, and we made it in time for me to go to my 7:30 voice lesson.

All around, a good time.

In the St. George

... until Thursday. I've never been here except to pass through, and Liam and I will have the next two days all to ourselves - thanks to State Golf.

Is there anything we HAVE to do? Weather permitting, of course.

Thanks!

Weekend

the "fro-hawk," as Slice calls it

our first canning attempt

Slice's remote-control plane

watching him (try to) fly it

precious cargo (check out those chubby fingers!)

our Lion King

I'm Off

to a "Girls' Weekend" with my mom and sisters on the Wasatch Front.

On the schedule:
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Hale Center Theater in Orem
Breakfast Saturday morning with the Woodruff aunts/cousins
and ... that's it.

I'm packing three books and the good camera.
(Plus extra pillows, prenatal vits, fruit snacks, you know.)

Tschuss!

(P.S. Wouldn't it be GREAT if I came home to a clean, reorganized house?)

One Year Later

Hoover Dam is still there.
So is Nevada.
And the bridge looks like it's almost done, but with a project like that, who knows?

Pledges

I pledge to drink more water.

I pledge to eat something other than cold cereal for my next meal. (Honey Bunches of Oats with cinnamon clusters? Yum.)

I pledge to not forget my next voice lesson, requiring me to reschedule right on top of ward temple night.

I pledge to not forget my next ward temple night.

I pledge to remind Slice about his math quiz every Friday. And about his class every Monday and Wednesday. And about his papers due practically every week.

I pledge to post another belly picture - proof of my recent ballooning - sometime. Soon.

I pledge to get rid of all the mismatched socks that have plagued the dresser/bedroom for 20 months. Sometime.

I pledge to sing with Slice more often.

I pledge to do my visiting teaching this month.

I pledge to sleep the whole way to Arizona tonight/tomorrow. To do only what I feel like doing for the next four days. And to not feel guilty about it.

I pledge to surprise my husband on his birthday.
(It's this Saturday.)

The Rest of the Story

Thursday we drove the rest of the way to Peoria by way of Mexican Hat, which was absolutely breathtaking, even in a sandstorm.

I drove for about two hours while Slice took pictures out the window and froze my exposed toes. (I was ready for the AZ heat.) That was the only driving I did all weekend.

That one was unintentional, I assure you. (It should be a picture of a tiny LDS chapel. Wheps!)

When we got to Arizona we left the cameras in the car/suitcase/backpack for the next 2.5 days.

Heather drove us to see Phoenix, the Dr.'s hospital (Mayo Clinic - very cool), Nathan's school, Kirkland's Home, and a fun Mexi restaurant, among other things. We found Coldstone all by ourselves.
Also, I took Slice to Pier 1 Imports for a bit, and he liked it.

How about those Saguaro Cacti anyway?? They take up to 75 years to grow a side arm; I think that is rad.

The children were adorable, as always, and I have said before that if any of my children turn out as cute as my sister's, I will be content. Still holds true.Sunday morning we were on the road again, which was unfortunate because we couldn't find Conference on the radio. We tried calling Matt and listening via cell-speakerphone, but the phone reception was not so great. You can imagine. So we listened when we could, popped in BYU Chorale CDs when we couldn't, took pictures, ate junk, and read Little Women. Well, I read it.

And then I fell asleep with the pillow wrapped around my head - WHY didn't I think of that before! - and Slice took more pictures as he drove. Just a little scary, if you ask me.

There I am in my pillow-cocoon. It was blissful.

Sunday night we finally arrived to a freezing, wet Roosevelt, and I was so happy to be home.
(Even though I miss Preston.)
Now it's back to the two-job, broken-internet, baby-sitting, future-planning grind.

Sigh.

*Also- I just watched Elder Holland's talk, finally, because I couldn't stand being the only one 'out of the loop.'
And WOW.

Book of Morgan Chapter 2

1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from the Utah Education Association that all the world should have a two-day vacation.

2. (And this vacation was to take place October 1 – 2, 2009.)

3. And all went on vacation, every one into his own place.

4. And the Morgans also went up from Roosevelt, out of the Uintah Basin, into Moab, which is on the way to Arizona; (because they took a wrong turn and drove 45 miles out of the way – into Colorado – thus adding much time to their drive)

5. To find a place to sleep. And it was past eleven o'clock at night.

6. And behold, there were nearly an hundred hotels and motels in the town of Moab; nevertheless, they were ALL FULL. BECAUSE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE IN MOAB FOR THE WEEKEND. And the Morgans stopped at hotel after hotel, searching for a "No Vacancy" sign, and asking hotel clerks for any empty rooms.

7. And they had called many hotels beforehand, asking for open rooms and prices, being unsuccessful in their endeavors.

8. And Jean was very unhappy, having not had much sleep for several consecutive days, and still being disgruntled about missing the turn-off to Moab the first time.

9. But Slice, being a good husband, and also sympathetic towards his wife (although she was not great with child) - or in other words, not wishing to bear the grumpiness of her for much longer - found a hotel with a room open; yea, and he did beg the lady at the desk to give them a discount, and she did.

10. And thus ended the month of September for the Morgans.

Today I'm wishing (a photoessay)

Today I'm wishing I was in Milan with Angie

visiting the magnificent Duomo.

Shopping at the ultra-fashionable stores,

Begging the guy at the market to pose for a picture,
walking through the 15th-century castle and napping in the park behind it.

I would love to see Da Vinci's Last Supper again,

listen to Mozart's Requiem in a cathedral (where there aren't enough seats to accomodate everyone),

and eat the best pizza you could ever imagine.

'Course, only an hour's train ride away, there is a beautiful little town built around a beautiful lake.

In that town there's a McDonald's (like everywhere else in Europe) with free bathrooms. There's also a little chocolate shop where you can get Italian hot chocolate - which is just what it sounds like, melted chocolate in a parfait glass served with biscuits- and warm up for an hour or so. It is so decadent.

Back at the hotel, I'd dye my hair.

RED.

Because years later, that hair is all going to be gone.



But the memories won't.

Some things I've been wanting to tell you

1. I live in a house with 5-6 adult men. Did you know that? I said 5-6 because I don't know exactly how many; it seems to fluctuate. I do think it makes Slice a little nervous though.

2. I quit a job for the first time last week. (The library one.) Sent a letter of resignation even. But they really wanted me to stay ... So now I will (hopefully) be doing, in half the time, what I used to be doing in full-the-time at both jobs. Basically, I'm a sucker.

Tangent here: It's like college all over again. My coworkers used to laugh at me while I registered for the next semester's classes. "Oooh! The Legend of King Arthur! And History on Film! And History of American Christianity! American Women's History! Joseph Smith lectures! How can I choose between them??? Can't I just take them all?!" And then I would register for 17 credits, despite my job, and try to audit 3 more - until the point in the semester when I realized that I might actually die from brain overload and lack of sleep. The both. End tangent.

3. Slice and I are going to Japan. Japan. And for three and a half weeks, no less. I found killer flights (Travelzoo of course), called Slice and said WE ARE GOING. So we are.
At first we thought about staying for a few months, but we didn't want to deal with work visas and, um, I don't speak a lick of Japanese, so living there would be a bit more terrifying than going to school in Vienna when I HAD three years of German under my belt and everything planned out for me by BYU.
Anyway - WE ARE SUPER EXCITED! Right now, all we have are flights, which say that we are leaving October 29 and coming back November 23. Beyond that ... planning still needing to be done.

4. Slice didn't want me to tell you we are going to Japan. He thought it would be more fun to just say "we're leaving!" and then start blogging from Japan, but hello, I cannot keep a secret like that. Especially when everyone in my physical personal life already knows. Physical personal life meaning, people I see on a regular basis. Or who check my Facebook page often.

5. Slice is awesome and I love him.

6. I watched him play at the Utah Open last weekend, which was very swanky and sweltry and emulous. (I looked that last word up.) Some pretty famous people were there, including Jazz players that are decent golfers, marketing directors of Siegfried & Jensen (whom Slice played with), etc. etc. I had a good time soaking it all in. Except for the heat, which was just about record-breaking. And humid. Ugh.
Anyway, Slice did all right. Day 1 and 2 were great, Day 3 was the downfall. I think it was because I wasn't there the first half of that last round. I am practically his good-luck charm.

7. I am reading Jane Eyre, for you Tay, as of last Saturday. Started it at the tournament. Love it already.

8. How awesome is my mom? She wrote a blog post today on the family blog, her very first, and already it's the best one there. I love that lady.

9. I am 22 today. It feels old.