Merry Christmas!

Black Friday

Halloweenie

Happy Haunting!  Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  In college, I used it as an excuse to dress up as a skanky (insert anything here) by stuffing tube socks in my bra to create awesome cleavage (sorry Mom) and get away with it.  Now, I use it as an excuse to dress my kids up as (insert anything here) and take them house-to-house to get lots of free candy... and get away with it.

This year, we dressed TC up as a Minion off of "Despicable Me".  I thought it was hi-larious. 

Matt said the gloves really "tied the whole thing together".  Good thing, because if they didn't he might just look like a weird kid with goggles.  Isn't he adorable?

Here's a real treat from the family Halloween party.  Guess who Brody dressed up as??  Twinners = Winners.  Thanks for the laugh, Brody!

I wanted to take them trick-or-treating this year (reason why mentioned above) but neither one of my babies were cooperating.  Lamest. Kids. Ever.  You will also notice TC is no longer dressed as a Minion, but an elephant.  Last minute, he changed his mind and wanted to be Dumbo (he has been obsessed lately).  Luckily he doesn't eat very much and his costume from last year still fit perfectly.

 

Here is a little family photo - TC is a little pissed off because I made him wake up to trick-or-treat.  Sorry buddy, but I'm not going to get both you and miss Hazel all dressed up looking cute enough to eat and drive accross town for nothing - I'm pretty sure you'll thank me later.

    

Match.com for Couples

Disclaimer:   This post has nothing to do with "swingers" or anything like that, so if you are into that sort of thing (and I'm not here to judge) you might as well save yourself some time and stop reading now...

Last month, I was reading an article in Cosmo, *ahem*, I mean some really really classy magazine called "What Happy Couples Know" that gave a list of things that you needed to have in order to have a happier marriage.  Want to know what topped the list?  FRIENDS...  Basically something to the effect of couples who have close friend couples have happier marriages and lower divorce rates and backed it up with a bunch of research I didn't care enough to look into. It did get me thinking though...

In the past three years, pretty much everything that could change in Matt and I's lives did.  We got married, moved to California, popped out a couple of babies, and got "real" jobs with "health insurance" and "retirement plans".  It was a draaaastic change from the fancy-free lifestyle we had both been living while we were in school (where my biggest stress was when I was going to squeeze in my next tanning appointment).  So when we decided to move back home to Utah last year and I found out how much I had really changed.  Most of my friends were still single and living the fancy-free from before and we didn't really have that much in common anymore... Actually the meare thought of having to stay up past 11:00pm makes me throw up in my mouth a little.  So Matt and I recently decided to make a goal to find new friends... People who know a thing or two about the "hot-dog dance" and how to get crayon off of the walls.  

Question:  What is harder than finding someone to date?  Answer:  Trying to find another couple to date. 

I feel like finding couple friends is like dating three people instead of one... EVERYONE has to like EVERYONE and have common interests or the group's relationship just won't last long-term.  It's the perfect storm.  Not to mention where do you meet these people?  The produce section of the grocery store?  It's not like I can approach a guy and tell him I think he would be great for my husband withouth looking like a total creeper. 

I wish someone would invent a match.com for couples - they could match us on different levels and suggest good matches for us. We could review their profile and maybe text or email and get to know each other a little before we decided if we wanted to meet in real life and give it a go.

Tomorrow night we have a blind date with another couple from Matt's work.  Here's to hoping they might "be the one".  :)  

And One More Makes Four!

She's here!  We love our sweet new addition to the Mann family...

Hazel Rae Mann

9/10/11 (Yeah, I did that on purpose)

8 lbs 4 oz

19 1/2 inches long



TC's two-year-old pictures.... Cutie pah-tootie!

...And we did a few family pics while we were at it!



Summertime So Far

Aaaaah SUMMER (insert long exaggerated exhale here).  It has been a long wait to get here, but sooo worth it.  I think I must have been born in the wrong state, because I really spend my whole winter praying and hoping summer will hurry up and get here.

I love it in the spring when you walk outside and for the first time of the year your hair gets warm from the sun.  Best.  Feeling.  Ever.  The Vitamin D soaks through your skin and it somehow translates to pure joy throughout your body.  Too bad it only lasts a few months until the damn snow returns and your nostrils freeze together when you try to breathe through your nose.  But that's something I don't have to worry about for a little while yet. 

Now I was present when TC came into the world in August 2009, but if for some reason you don't believe he is mine, just watch him go into complete melt-down mode when he has to come inside the house - he loves the sunshine as much or probably even more than I do.   So we have been spending as much time as possible outside - I've already gotten a few sunburns in the process. 

Here are some pictures of what we have been up to as of late:

 Playing with bubbles...

Going to the zoo...

 Learning bad manners from the giraffe at the zoo...

Jumping on the trampoline...

Digging in the dirt and finding bugs (especially ants)...

Riding bikes...

Chasing Bubby Rue and telling her to stay "down"....

And going on pony rides with Mr. Shorty and Grandpa!

A HAPPY TODDLER = A HAPPY MOMMA

Matt started taking classes again this semester, and is doing unbelievably well.  He's taking an online math class and is getting an A.  I'm so proud of him!  He's also been doing a ton of sports - he is on three softball leagues and football. A few weeks ago, he tore all the ligaments in his shoulder, but is now almost back in full working order.   I don't know how he does it all, but it's working for him!  Go babe!

Baby girl has been growing like crazy.  This has been such an easy pregnancy, I am so grateful!  Well, I'm not sure if it is actually easier, or if I have been too busy to notice, but time has really flown by.  With TC, I knew exactly how "pregnant" I was to the day.  This time, I rely on a weekly email reminder to keep me up to date on how far along I am.  I have been feeling good - no issues with cabage patch feet or outrageous blood pressure numbers - just tired.  I feel like I have a lot still to do to get ready for her grand entrance, but for some reason I don't really feel worried about it all.  The only problem is in less than 3 months she will be here!  Guess it's time to get this pregnant booty in gear!

I Heart Ultrasounds

I am not a patient person.  I pretty much ruin every surprise Matt has ever tried to do for me (including our engagement - but that's another story) by bugging him about it until he finally breaks and tells me.  When I buy presents for TC for holidays, I find myself rarely waiting to the actual holiday because I usually end up giving them to him early and have to buy more last minute.  I can't help it.  I just get excited. 

I think that's where my obsession with ultrasounds comes from.  Having to wait nine months for the baby to finish up is pure agony for me.  Luckily, ultrasounds give me a  little sneak-peek at my babe before it arrives, and it's just enough to satisfy my impatience.  They really reassure me that everything is going good by letting me see the baby is healthy, growing, has all the right parts and is moving all over the place.  I love it.  Even though a part of me still feels a little wierd about it all, like we are looking at something we aren't supposed to see, it all is overshadowed by the pure joy of knowing my baby is healthy.  

We had an ultrasound on Monday.  I'm 19 weeks now, so I was extra excited for this ultrasound because we get to find out the gender!  YEAH!  I have heard of couples who decide to wait to find out what they are having because it makes the delivery "more exciting", but we are definitely not one of those couples.  Remember the patience thing?  Yeah, I could barely wait the extra week to get the ultrasound because of scheduling issues let alone another 5 months.  

Everything went well - the babe was a little wiggle worm and the ultrasound tech said the baby looks perfect.  Double YEAH!  Ok, maybe she didn't use the exact word "perfect" but it looked perfect to me. 

Of course the baby did not want to cooperate when it came to showing it's little baby parts.  It kept one foot inbetween it's legs for the whole ultrasound.  A little voice in me started to panic because I thought we might have to come back later to find out.  Yeah right... Good luck prying my big pregnant booty off the table without knowing...   But with a lot of jabbing at my belly little prodding , the foot moved out of the way and we could tell it was a GIRL!  When the tech told us, I started pumping my arms saying "YESSSSS!" and Matt said "Oh great, now I'm going to have to buy more guns."  If the impression we were trying to give the ultrasound tech was "not crazy", I don't think we did too hot.         

I couldn't (and still can't) stop smiling.  Ok, here's my confession:  I have been hoping it was a girl all along.  I love all things girly - ribbons, lace, flowers and bows.  Of course I couldn't say that until now - I didn't want anyone to think I would be disappointed if it was a boy (and I wouldn't have been).  I love my boys more than life, but I can't wait for this sweet little ladybug to join our family.  

Let the shopping begin!  

Why I Love Digital Cameras...

If I still had to use film, I would spend a fortune on getting pictures developed that looked like this...

Just to get ONE like this....

 

This pretty much sums up how I feel about my toddler's level of cooperation.

Not cute.  Just true.

Coming September 2011...

We are so excited to have a new little Boo join our family!

Beauty or Beast?

As I was driving home from work yesterday, I looked in the rear-view and noticed my eyebrows were getting a teeny bit thick.  I was on my way to meet my parents at their house to pick up TC, but I was a few minutes ahead of them so I popped into the local nail salon on the corner for a quick wax.  I said I wanted an eyebrow wax and the little asian lady led me to a room where I laid down on a table with bright lights shining on my face.  Our conversation went a little something like this:

Asian Lady:  It's been a while huh?

Me:  Um, yeah.  I have been really busy... Sorry.

Asian Lady:  So are we doing the upper lip today too?

Me:  What???

Asian Lady:  Your upper lip.  Are we waxing that today too?

Me:  (Shocked because I was not aware I had a mustache) Um, no thanks, just the eyebrows today.

Asian Lady:  Ok.  Have you ever considered tinting your eyebrows?  It would make you look a lot better.

Me:  Um, thanks for the offer, but I just want them waxed today.

Asian Lady:  Ok.  Do you use regular nail polish or gel nail polish?

Me:  Just regular nail polish.

Asian Lady:  You should try the gel... (grabbing my hand) it wont chip like yours see?

SERIOUSLY???  I thought going to a salon was supposed to make you feel better about yourself - not the opposite! Thankfully she was finished at this point and had no time to point out my relief society arms or the cellulite on my thighs. 

Oh little Asian Lady... I realize you were trying to promote your business, but you just lost mine. 

The Festival of CoLoRs!

I was working last Saturday night at the Olive Garden when one of my tables was seated with individuals covered head to toe in different shades of brightly colored chalk.  While normally I would have introduced myself with something totally mundane like,  "Welcome to the Olive Garden, my name is Abbey, BLAH BLAH BLAH" I instead played a quick game of twenty questions with the whole table trying to get to the bottom of who-what-where-when-and-why they came in looking like this.  Management would have probably frowned on this behavior, but I was trying to "build a guest connection" a.k.a. find out more information for myself. 

They told me they had just been to the Festival of Colors at the Hindu temple in Spanish Fork.  That basically it was a celebration welcoming spring where everyone gathers together for a big party where everyone throws colored chalk at each other.  I liked it.  A lot.  I was really sad that I had missed it, honestly.  But no!  They told me they had spread it out to a two day event this year, and I could still go on Sunday from noon to 4:00.  Victory!  Now came the biggest challenge - talking Matt (a person who hates all things dirty) into going with me and getting blasted in the face by strangers with handfuls of chalk.  I knew I had a daunting task ahead of me. 

After a little use of my manipulation skills (which I am not entirely proud of) he agreed to go.  Then I showed him some pictures of the previous year and he said  "Aw, hell no."  But alas, he had already said yes, and I wasn't about to let him back out now.  We dropped TC off at my parents and headed down to Spanish.  I can call it "Spanish" because I have family who lives there so I am entitled to.  I can't, however, say I was really prepared for what we saw when we walked to the temple.  

There were 14,000 people covered in bright colored chalk having the time of their lives amongst the lamas and peacocks at a temple on a hill that in no way looks like it belongs anywhere near Spanish.  Possibly not even on the same continent as Spanish.  These Hari Krishnas know how to party - there was a band, food, and a little recreational drug use.  We made our way through the crowd as people threw handfuls of chalk at us.  At first I didn't really know how to react.  Should I be upset that we being targeted?  Should I ignore that it was happening?  Should I say thank you?  It was a little awkward until we bought some chalk for ourselves and threw it back at them.  The awkwardness fleeted and then we really got into it - Matt and I had the time of our lives standing near the entrance and picking out the new clean people as our next victims, trying to make them feel awkward.  I know it sounds a little weird when I say it like that... Guess you had to be there. 

In my experience, events like this tends to bring out the weirdies... which is half of the reason I like to go to them.  This guy sitting in his one-piece long johns and bare feet in the mud by himself was cracking me up.  He sat there the whole time.  I had to take a picture.  Not to mention the guy in front of him dressed in a wrestling singlet.  Um... where do they come from? 

A few hours after we got there they had a ceremony where they "burned the witch" (that I still don't entirely understand) and had a countdown to the throwing of the colors where everyone tosses their chalk into the air and makes a gigantic color-filled cloud.  Definitely the highlight of the event. 

Despite his hesitation, Matt had a great time.  We laughed all day and hours after.  See?  Sometimes trying something you would normally never do can turn out to be a great thing...  We will definitely be back!  I asked him what his friends in Georgia would think if they could see him like this and he just shook his head, laughed, and said, "I don't even know."  Cheers to new experiences!

A Little Story About the Cliche of Doors Opening and Closing.

Forgive me for I have sinned.  It has been five months since my last blog...

Five of the longest months of my life.  

November we got great news... Matt was getting a promotion!  I can't explain how excited I was.  More money = a little wiggle room in our budget.  I want wiggle room.  I love wiggle room.  I embrace wiggle room with a warm smile and a cup of hot cocoa.  I was thrilled.  Everything seemed to be working out perfectly for us.  Even though he got the job in November, we had to wait almost three weeks while the position got approved through the "higher-ups" of the company, so he didn't actually begin working at the new store until the middle of December.  No worries right? At least he got it. 

Uh, not so much.  In January, Matt went to work early for a management meeting.  He called me about 30 minutes later saying that Lowe's had just laid him off.  SERIOUSLY???  I thought he was joking at first because the whole situation didn't make a bit of sense to me.  Why would they promote him, make him wait almost a month to make sure the position was going to be approved to turn around a few weeks later and take away everything from us.  Not just the wiggle room, but EVERYTHING.  How were we supposed to live?  Not to mention I was 6 weeks pregnant and we had three more days of insurance until that was taken  away too.  I really felt like my world came crashing down on me in just a few minutes.  But I was not alone - Lowe's had laid off 1,700 of their management so they could hire 10,000 part time employees.  Matt had dedicated years of his life to this company and really cared about his job and customers only to be tossed out on his ass to save a couple dollars.  Disappointing is an understatement.  I guess that is what happens when you care about a company who does not care about you in return.  Matt had a better attitude about it all,  but I was very bitter.  And borderline violent.  I wanted to stab all the "higher-ups" in the neck with a pen for putting us in this situation.  And if they had lived within walking distance of us (gas is a luxury when you suddenly have no money) I would have.  And I might have keyed their cars too just for good measure.   

The next two months were really hard.  I started working 7  or more shifts a week at the Olive Garden so we were able to make our bills while Matt desperately looked for a new job.  Being on my feet all day and constantly lifting was exhausting.  It wasn't working, and it was not going to work for much longer.  We had to figure something else out.  I applied for a position at Salt Lake Community College for the Residency Specialist and much to my surprise I got it!  I started the first of March and so far I am loving it.  It feels good to trade in my elastic band sweat pants for a pair of heels again.  (No offense sweat pants, you still have a place in my heart.)   

Matt and I decided it was time to get out of retail and look at this as an opportunity to do the things that he loves.  My sister called him the day after he got laid off, and told us about a new professional football team that was coming to Utah called the Salt Lake Crush.  They were having a combine in three days and the owner wanted Matt to be there.  Matt was hesitant (because he had not been training in 6 months) but with much prodding from my sister and I he agreed to go.  He did great!  I went to watch and cheer him on and I was so impressed with my husband's athletic ability (something that I have nothing of)... But I wasn't the only one who was impressed.  The owner and coaches invited him back to the second combine three weeks later, and offered him a contract to play with the Crush.  Yeah!  I can't wait for the season to start... I am ordering matching jerseys for myself and the Bug so we can cheer daddy on at all of his games.  :)  I guess we should get a jersey for my sister too, because she is suddenly demanding one AND season tickets to all of the games since it is "because of her he even got to try out".  Maybe we can order them in bulk? 

Lowe's ended up offering Matt another management position, but he turned it down.  I know what you are thinking - uh, has he lost his mind?  (Mostly because I thought the same thing when he told me but with a little more colorful language).  But I do understand why.  He no longer felt like he wanted to move up in the company - why risk this same thing happening to us again?  This was an opportunity to finish school and do what he really wanted to do.  He has wanted to finish school for a while now, and the rotating schedule prevented him from doing it.  He is going to start in May for summer semester. Here's the best part... because I work at SLCC he gets to go for freeeeee!   

Who knew something so bad could end up being so good?  I would have never applied for this position if Matt had not lost his job.  He would have never tried out for the Crush or decided to go back to school if he hadn't lost it either.  Although it was a very stressful time, things are lining up perfectly for us.  It was a big BIG blessing in disguise.  If we hadn't been forced to, we would have never made the changes that we have been wanting to make for a long time to accomplish the things that are really important to us.  Matt took a position at Lowe's stocking - it is one of the few positions in the store that has a set schedule and he is off by 2:00 everyday, giving him the time to take classes and play sports. 

Although I can't say that I'm grateful for the stress and hardship we went through, I am grateful for the opportunities that were opened to us. Maybe God knows I don't handle stress well and I was on the verge of a nasty breakdown.  I don't know.  I do know in the end, I feel like we are going to be much better off. We are very blessed.