4 Men 1 Lady: August 2008

8.31.2008

Walmart Table Makeover.

I have been searching high and low for just the right table to fit in the entry as a landing place for keys, cell phone, purse, etc. It had to be just the right length and width. After months and months I finally found one that would work at...Walmart of all places! The color was all wrong and the hardware pulls on the drawers were nothing to get excited about. So out came the paint and some new sleek hardware and viola!...new table that I love! Add some lamps and a mirror (painted that also) and my key's new home is complete.

Hall Pictures.

Remember these pictures? I've had a lot of requests to see the "after pictures" and I've finally got the room almost pulled together. I just need to change the overhead lighting and some coat hooks (which Jake is protesting) and it should be just the way I want it.

Ta-Da!

8.23.2008

Happy Birthday Naish!

Naish is officially 1 year old! Here is his first birthday cake. He played in it for a long time.

First taste...Thinking about it...

Hey! Where'd my cake go? We got a little impatient and helped ourselves.

Yummy!

After we got him all cleaned up we discovered that he broke out in a mild case of the hives. Food allergy to cake? Uh-oh!

Tani's 1st day of preschool.

Wednesday (8/20/08) was Tani's first day of preschool at St. Andrew's. We've been talking it up for the entire summer. He's always had a bit of an issue with separation anxiety so I was prepared for some major tears when I left. After lots of hugs and kisses he walked right in the door and wasn't even concerned with my where-abouts. As Naish and I walked backed to the car I started to tear up. Tani starting school was more hard on me than on him. He had a fabulous time and keeps asking when he gets to go back.

He received his first day of school father's blessing from daddy.

8.19.2008

Naish's 1st Haircut.

Naish got his very first haircut yesterday (8/18/08)! I wanted to wait until his 1st birthday on Friday but Jake and Matani both were in desperate need of cuts too so we made it a family event.

Before.

During.

After.

Not even that cool crocodile toy they gave him could sweeten the deal.

8.14.2008

9 things I've grown to love about Jake.

I can't believe it's been 9 years! It seems like we were married just yesterday. So here are 9 things I've grown to love about you in the last 9 years...

1. I love that you are the most devoted father. Even after working a 10 hour day you can walk through the door in your suit, plop down on the floor, and wrestle with our boys.
2. I love how supportive you are of my wild and zany decorating ideas. Even when I want to paint our entry way with 9, 9-inch stripes every night for 3-4 hours for 11 days you are right on board with me.
3. I love how you have a big sweet tooth (even though you say you don't). I've never seen anyone down 3 donuts and a glass of milk faster than you. It's okay to admit it love.
4. I love your fanstastic sense of humor. I've never laughed harder with anyone in my whole life.
5. I love that you are so passionate about windsurfing. I still remember the first day I introduced you to the sport in Kailua, HI. I was in the water with my dad and uncle wrestling with that darn board and sail while you sat there on the beach refusing to give it a try. Finally you relented and have been hooked ever since. You're even better than me now.
6. I love what a great student you are. Who else can brag about their professor wanting to use their final paper as an example to all his students on the correct way to write a paper?
7. I love (and think it extremely funny) to see you sprinting on the treadmill full speed with your iPod in your ears. What are you listening to? Metallica? No. Lucky Dube? No...General Conference.
8. I love that no matter how big of stinkers your students can sometimes be you can always find a way of breaking down their walls and get through to them.
9. I love that you have a dream of one day going back to Ecuador and building homes for the people there.

I love you, Jake! Thanks for being so wonderful. Here's to eternity!

8.13.2008

Some things I remember about our wedding day.

Michelle and I are celebrating our 9th anniversary August 14th and I thought I'd share with her some of the things I remember about that delightful day.
1. I remember being really nervous as I entered the lobby of the Salt Lake Temple and my best man, Kurt Hanson, telling me that if I had any doubts, now would be a good time to run.
2. I remember sitting with you in the peaceful Celestial room before the ceremony and thinking how beautiful you looked.
3. I remember looking at you across the altar without a clue about where the next nine years would take us, let alone eternity. I was only thinking about that night. Grrrrrrrr.
4. I remember you sporting your white tennis shoes under your wedding dress as we danced about the temple grounds for pictures.
5. I remember the photographer letting me look through the lens of his camera as you sat next to large window in the JS building and thinking I was the luckiest man on the earth. You looked radiant!
6. I remember you doing the hula for me at our wedding lunch. Boy you know how to move!
7. I remember our little rendezvous after the sealing inbetween lunch and the reception. GrrrrrRRRRRRR! Everyone thought we were taking a nap...yea right!
8. I remember getting to the reception and your dad had my tuxedo and I, for some reason, had his. Guests started showing up and you had to greet them by yourself for a while I waited for my tux to arrive.
9. I remember as we left family and friends behind that night to begin our new life together that you cried all the way to the hotel and I think all the way to Mexico. Remember the swans on our bed in Mexico?

Michelle, you are simply amazing! I love you and happy 9th anniversary.

8.08.2008

This is it!

OK...here it is. Thanks Pottery Barn Kids! This is what I'm going to do on my den wall. Well, kinda, sorta. I figure it will take me about a month to complete since I'm planning on doing it all myself except for the help of a cardboard circle cut out, a pencil, ladder and laser level. It's going to be much more uniform and in black and white. Less random than this. All right, that doesn't help you picture my vision at all but stay tuned...it's going to be cool...I hope.

8.05.2008

Wallpaper? Stencil? Paint?

Apparently wallpaper is all the rage now and has made a big comeback. I can see why with trendy, hip new prints like this they really give a room a big WOW factor. So I'm toying with the idea of wallpapering one wall of our den with a black and white print. I'm TOYING with the idea. I'm hugely intimidated by wallpaper and not sure I'm ready to make the investment just to ruin it with one wrong placement. Yellow has never been my color but I stepping out of my comfort zone and going for a yellow, black and white scheme. We've already painted three walls of our den a bright yellow like the yellow on the vases below. The forth wall looks naked and lonely as it's just waiting for some kind of black and white treatment. I fear this room is going to take a while as it still needs other things such as upper cabinetry (IKEA maybe?) to go above my two new Pottery Barn desks. It also needs a new sofa to replace the twin bed that I'm trying to disguise as a day bed (it really just looks silly sitting there). I would love some imput!