Thanksgiving weekend in St. George

Over this last weekend, we went to St. George to spend Thanksgiving with Spencer's family. We were invited to stay at our brother-in-law's new house and it is really beautiful. Thanks to the Marshes for putting up with us! I am kind of into lists lately, so here are the top 5 things I will remember about this trip.

5. We had pancakes for 3 mornings in a row. This was mostly because I failed to bring any other breakfast food and the store is a few miles away. Luckily Jason is the master of the griddle.

4. I almost pooped my pants driving through Hurricane. Are there no gas stations in this town? Yes, that's a little gross to mention, but I believe in full disclosure. By the way, I did not poop my pants. Just so you know.

3. Waiting in line at In-N-Out. It was a long line, went quicker than I thought, and was totally worth it. Yum!

2. Watching the 2nd half of Hancock and falling asleep during Iron Man in the Marshes really dark basement bedroom that has a king bed. I did not see a full movie while on vacation but I really have not had better sleep in a long time.

1. While at the live nativity at Tuacahn my 3-year-old niece and my 5-year-old nephew argued loudly over whether Mary was on a horse or a donkey. "It's a HORSE!" "No, it's a DONKEY!" I know it probably stressed their parents out, but it was really hilarious.

The Stalker

Now that I am a famous celebrity from my little article in the Salt Lake Tribune, I officially have a stalker. I came home one day and Spencer said there was a message on the machine for me. I said, "Who was it" and he said, "You have to listen to it to fully appreciate it"

So I listened and it was a lady from Herriman who saw my name in the paper and read that I liked to run. Mind you, she is a complete stranger. She is apparently in need of a running partner and was trying to recruit me to become her new running buddy. Where did this person get my number? Creepy! My favorite part was that she said, "If you are interested please call me back. Well, even if you are not interested call me back either way."

Um, okay. I am not calling you back. It's just weird. I mean who calls random people they see in the paper to go running with them? Not me, so I don't think we would get along. When I told my mother-in-law about this incident, she theorized that maybe this lady was a lesbian. I would venture to guess that this is not the standard way that gay people look for dates, but I guess it's always a possibility.

Coldplay!

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands in concert-Coldplay! The show did not disappoint. Here are my observations on the evening:

• The opening act was super weird. At first I thought it was the bands intro, but after about 40 minutes I realized it was not. It was very techno. And not in a good way.
• They played my favorite song, "In My Place" and it really brought a tear to my eye.
• The bassist for Coldplay-Guy Berryman is very hot. I had not noticed. I just googled him and none of the pictures I found did him justice. He must have got better looking recently.
• Chris Martin like to say, "F**k it" alot. But with his British accent and the super great acoustics at the Energy Solutions arena, I hardly noticed and of course found him cute and charming.
• Their camera work was amazing! When I looked at the jumbotron, I felt like I was watching about 20 different concert films. Whoever designed their stage was a genius.
• These guys sweat a lot. Like from the first song they were dripping sweat. Sometimes it made them look like rock stars, and at other times it was just gross.
• I found myself wondering at odd moments, "I wonder what Apple and Moses are doing tonight"
• I had never really been a fan of their song, "Yellow" but after they did it for an encore, I really fell in love with it.

So that's it. After attending 2 concerts in the last few months, I have resolved to be a better music fan and go to more concerts. That's my New Year's resolution, so if you have heard of any of the following musical acts coming to Salt Lake, please let me know: The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, Jack's Mannequin, Adele, Matt White, or Jason Mraz.

Yeah, I'm famous

Believe it or not, but I am featured in the South Valley section of the Salt Lake Tribune this week. Although I like to think that I was chosen because of my growing Salt Lake fan base, the real reason I am featured is that a co-worker at my last job does some freelance work for the Tribune and was desperate for someone to write about. I told her to make me sound good; I hope she succeeded. Check it out for yourself:

http://www.sltrib.com/southvalley/ci_10975154

My new favorite show: Whatever, Martha

I was just sharing this with a co-worker today, and I thought the rest of the world would like to know about my new favorite tv show. Whatever, Martha is where Martha's daughter and one of her daughter's friends watch old episodes of the Martha Stewart show and just mock her. If you have ever seen Mystery Science Theater 3000, this show is just like that, only with homemaking. Sometimes Alexis (the daughter) and Jennifer (the friend) attempt to do the crafts that Martha is doing-usually with terrible and hilarious results. The great thing about the show is that Martha created the show and just lets them totally make fun of her. Check out this clip and you will see what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npBPuJwbwyI

I don't know how to embed the video. If someone knows, please tell me.

Have you ever been kid dialed?

I just made up this term because it happens to me a lot. Kid dialing is when you think your friends or family are calling you, you pick up the phone and all you hear is their toddler making noises and your friend is talking way in the background. You keep saying, "Hello, Hello" but nobody picks up. The funny thing is when you hang up and the kid dials you back again. This once happened to me 3 times in a row. I think the reason that it happens to me a lot is that my first name starts with an "A" so I must be one of the first people in someone's address book. To those of you who have kid dialed me lately (Paige and Tiffany to name names), thanks for giving me something semi-boring to blog about. :)

Halloween

We had a very fun Halloween at our house. Lilly got tons of candy and she just had a blast. We ended up throwing most of it away and told her that Grandpa ate it. I think she has forgiven him.


Here's the candy that we gave out. It really looks orange in that bowl.

This is Spencer and Lilly on our front porch before heading out. If I could just get them to look at the camera at the same time.

I don't know why this is like this and I don't know how to fix it.

Lilly was so cute. She wished everyone, "Happy Halloween!"

It's Nashville, Ya'll!

About two weeks ago I took a trip to Nashville, TN for work and had a great time. The way I would describe Nashville is that it is like Las Vegas, with lots of music, entertainment, excitement, etc., but it's much less sleazy and disgusting. I have not really traveled a lot in the South, but I would love to go back. The people were sooo nice and that accent-totally charming. Another great thing about Nashville is that there is live music everywhere. Every restaurant has a stage for live music and the live music is goood. While we were there we had the chance to catch a Rascal Flatts concert and that was really awesome; they put on a great show. Here are the things I will remember most about my trip (Sorry, no pictures; my camera was broken):

• Bread pudding and sweet tea
• Elvis' white and gold cadillac
• The Hank Williams family exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame-Oh my gosh, those people were not sober-talk about dysfunction
• Rascall Flatts-The cute one is named Joe Don-seriously
• Charlie Daniels Band museum-how many times can you play, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"?Apparently, many, many times.
• Fried Pickles at the Crazy Horse Saloon-delish!

I am the mother of a teenager

Lilly and I went for a playdate this week. As her little friend's mother was showing her a little toy that lights up, my little 3-year-old turned to me and said,

"Wow. That is so cool."

Some of Lilly's other favorite expressions include,

"Just chill for a sec."

"Chill, baby, baby"

and my all time favorite,

"IT'S NOT FAIR!"

We hope that she is not planning to start driving anytime soon.

I have also been meaning to post pictures, but the battery in our camera broke or something, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we finally got a new one and so I will post some pics of Lilly in her Halloween costume.

Why do they make it so easy for you at Amazon.com?

This is a rave/complaint about the ease at which you can purchase items from Amazon.com. All you need to do is type in just the teeniest bit of information about what you are looking for and it quickly appears. Their search engine must be designed by rocket scientists. Once you are viewing your itew, they then give you a list of all the other things you might enjoy. And guess, what? They are all definitely things you would enjoy! Once you have a few items, checkout is so easy, you don't even have to put in your credit card. In fact, I don't even remember that I told them to use this credit card. They just saved it. This is really really awesome or incredibly invasive.

The Office Returns!

It was another stellar episode of America's favorite show. The highlights:

Andy:
Andy Bernard does not lose contests. He wins them. Or he quits them. Because they're unfair.

Michael Scott:
I think you'll have fun because, men from Scranton are handsome and know how to show a woman a good time.
Dwight Schrute:
Not that guy who murdered his mother. He was not so handsome. Also, Kevin

Jim Halpert:
How much weight have you lost, Dwight?
Dwight Schrute:
I am hardly the problem, Jim.
Jim Halpert:
No you're definitely the problem

Kelly:
[looking very sick] I'm on the third day of my cleanse diet. All I have to do is drink maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and water for all three meals. Um, I just bought some bikinis online too so.. I'm gonna look amazing

A Very Stubborn Illness

It's been an eventful week here at the Parry's. Last Friday, Lilly was diagnosed with a sinus infection, so we got her on some antibiotics and figured that was the end of it. Well, about Wed, I realized that she did not look to be getting any better. So, on Thursday I called the Dr. and he switched her antibiotic. Then on Friday, I got a call from our sitter that Lilly's eye looked to be swollen shut. So, I left work early and picked her up to get her into the Dr. Luckily, she still has just the sinus infection, but we had to switch antibiotics again. He also gave her some eye drops. I did not know that red, swollen eyes are also a symptom of a sinus infection. Did you? So, now we are on our third prescription and hoping this is the end. Oh, Spencer is also sick with a cold (just a cold we hope) so my whole family looks something like this:

What are you embarassed about?

Okay, one last post before I collapse with exhaustion. As I update my blog with my favorite TV shows, I sometimes pause and wonder, "should I admit to all my friends that I watch that show?" I mean I watch it, I even have it set to record on my DVR, but what will they think of me if I admit to it? My theory is that we all have tv shows, movies, music that we secretly like but don't want to admit to it. So, blog readers, here is your task. Upon reading this post, you must submit your guiltiest entertainment pleasure and why you like it so much. Observe:

I like to watch The Hills. I know this show is stupid, but I cannot help myself. Something about it is just appealing. Perhaps it distracts me from my real problems and helps me focus on the characters cute problems, like someone dissing them at the club or where to find the best black nail polish in Los Angeles. It's just so mindlessly enjoyable.

So send me your best responses! First prize is a coveted shout out on my blog.

Book Review: Bright Lights, Big Ass

I love reading memoirs (see David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs for reference. If you don't know who these people are, shame on you.) and this witty author is a new personal fave. You have to love this book based on the title alone:

Bright Lights, Big Ass : A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? by Jen Lancaster

To explain the awesome, laugh-out-loud appeal of this book, here is a sample section. Enjoy! And if you don't like it I don't think I can be friends with you:

"Fortunately, I did finally convince her to pack away Sandy, the previous inhabitant of this room. Sandy was the doll my mom made me in fourth grade. She was life-sized and wore my brownie uniform and was one of the best Christmas presents I ever got. Unfortunately, Fletch [her husband] found her flat-out creepy and never slept well in the room because he was afraid Sandy was going to come to life and strangle him with her long, cotton-stuffed panty-hose arms."

Be sure to read Jen's newest book, Such a Pretty Fat : One Narcissist's Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer

So much, so much to say...

So, I know I promised all you blog readers that I would update you on our August happenings. I still intend to share pictures, but it's getting away from me so I thought a little update on our happenings would be good.

First thing, I have changed jobs! My former boss at Young Living called me and let me know that her new company was in search of a Marketing and Communications Manager and was I interested in the job? After much contemplation and thought, weighing the pros and cons, I accepted the position. It was so hard to leave all my friends at YL, but I hope I can do a good job of staying in touch.

Second, Lilly has a big girl bed! Initially she wanted Spencer and me to lay down with her when she went to bed, but that only lasted a few nights and now she loves it. We made it really clear to her that she cannot get out of her bed in the middle of the night and she took that to mean that she can never get out of the bed. In the morning, we often find her perched on the edge of the bed just waiting for us to come and get her. It's very cute. She is growing up so fast.

Third, football season has started! This is a major event in our house as most of our weekends from now until March will revolve around U of U football or basketball. The week before the first game we took Lilly to the U of U bookstore and got her new gear for the new season. Spencer has her completely brainwashed and she really loves to watch her Utes.

That's all for now folks!

I've been tagged

I have never done this before, but here goes.

THE RULES
1.Post these rules
2.Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
3.Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them (I don't wanna)

1. I have a weird thing about lettuce. I hate lettuce in things, like burgers, sandwiches, or burritoes. However, I really like salads. I just don't like the texture of bread against lettuce. Yuck.

2. I hate nuts except peanuts. I cannot have nuts in any baked good. Is that the most disgusting thing ever? I think so.

3. To scratch my nose, I flick it with my index finger.

4. I absolutely hate food or drinks in the bathroom. Spencer likes to bring a little Mountain Dew in the bathroom with him and it makes me hurl.

5. I have a panic attack if I experience too many loud people in a small space. Too much confusion is not good for me. I cannot think.

6. I skip ahead in books to the end and then go back and read what I just skipped over. The anticipation is just too much. I wish I did not do this as it has ruined many good books for me.

Road Rash and other misadventures

Yes, yes I know it has been another month since my last post, but cut me some slack, readers! August has been a great month for us. We spent some time in Bear Lake with Spencer's family and it was so fun. We also spent some time in Snowbird with my family. More on both of those with pictures later. And although I was headed to the Hamptons, the trip was canceled. More on that later also. It seems the only safe topic is Spencer's bike crash. Yesterday he was coming down our street, almost home, when his tire slipped on some gravel and he ate asphalt. He does have some nasty road rash on his arm and thigh, but otherwise he escaped relatively unscathed. Although, if you listened to him, you would think he has broken multiple bones and has internal bleeding. I am confident he will survive somehow. This isn't the actual picture of his crash, but I like to think it looked something like this:

Film Review: Becoming Jane

I am probably the last person to see this movie, but I just saw it over the weekend and I give it 4 stars. So good. I not a huge fan of Anne Hathaway. In fact, I really detest her in most things, but I ended up really liking her in this movie. I also have mad, mad love for James McAvoy. He is good in everything. He is not traditionally good looking, but when he plays the romantic lead in movies (see Atonement for further proof) he is phenomenal. He needs to be in many more movies. If he can make me like Anne Hathaway, he is a true miracle worker. My goal this weekend is a James McAvoy movie marathon. I plan on seeing Last King of Scotland, Penelope, and Wanted. This last one includes Angelina Jolie so both Spencer and I win. :)

June and July recap and my pledge to my blog readers

Okay, so I have been hearing from a lot of people that are pissed off that I have not updated my blog in 2 months. But I have wonderful excuses. So I will fill you in briefy on all my weekends in June and July.

June: 14-15: I was heavily involved with my work's convention this weekend. Spencer took Lilly to St. George to do the Utah Summer Games triathlon. I have no pictures of either of these things. Spencer did not take pictures and I can't remember much of what happened.



June 20 & 21: Spencer and were both involved with the Wasatch Back. He was a runner, I was a driver. There are so many things to say about this, but I will try to be brief: 2 hours of sleep on North Summit high school's gym floor, 13 miles of running (Spencer) 125 miles of driving (me), total exhaustion and loss of sanity (everyone)

June 27, 28: Next up, Lavender Days in Mona, UT. My company owns this farm and this is where we grow some of our lavender to make essential oils. I ended up scrubbing feet for 2 days. Here's Lilly getting a foot scrub. There is also jousting at Lavender Days as you can see above. I think I got off easy with my foot scrubbing.

July 4, 5, 6: We had a fun 4th. Lilly loved the sparklers. Is it dangerous to give a 3 year old sparklers? I hope not. Oh well.

July 11 & 12: After a friday night boating trip with my work, we spent this weekend at the Canyons with Spencer's parents. Very fun. We went swimming, we went to Flipping Burgers (a very good burger joint in Park City) and just had a relaxing time.

Lastly, I am so sorry for my delay in posting. I guess I know that people are actually reading all my musings. In addition to all these goings on, I have been doing some freelance work for my cousin's photography business so I have been swamped.

Here is a preview of August:

Bear Lake, Snowbird, Lilly's 3rd birthday, and a possibly trip to the Hamptons! Stay tuned!

Movie Review: Indiana Jones

Okay, so I went to see Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull (I think that is the name) and overall I would have to say: just okay.

The one thing I thought would really bother me didn't: Harrison Ford. Yes, the guy is 65 and 20 years older than the last movie, but I have to say I bought it. They made jokes about him being old and they did not try to make him young. It's not like he had a huge gut or anything. He even had a shirtless scene and I have to say: not bad.

Things that have to go:

Karen Allen-You looked old! Cute does not work on a 55-year-old. Get a haircut! Go to the gym! Cause you are in an Indiana Jones movie! It just looked like Harrison Ford was like, "Hey, I am 65, but I am still going to look great for my age because I am a freaking movie star." Karen Allen just showed up. Put in a little effort. As Lilly would say, "My hell, lady!"

Shia-I think he's a good actor, but annoying in this part. Why did he take his motorcycle to Peru? Can't you store it somewhere? His hair bugged. It is way too curly for a pompadour. His name was Mutt-yes, of course it was, not cheesy at all. And all of a sudden you are a monkey swinging through the trees and the monkeys are your friends? I don't think so.

Snake part-Seriously? No vines in the jungle to pull you out of the sand pit? How about the ones Shia was swinging on? This was just thrown in there. Indy hates snakes-we got that 20 years ago; don't pound us over the head with it.

The whole crystal skull stuff: Super lame. Is this an Indy movie or Aliens? A Mayan storyline alone would have been just as cool and more believable to an extent.

My advice: wait for it on video or go to a Matinee like I did. Not worth $8 a ticket.

My Current Obsession-Tudor England

Okay, so anyone who works with me will know this, but I have become obsessed with all things "Tudor" It all started with watching the first season of the Showtime series, The Tudors. This show is the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, but done with much hotter people. There are only 2 episodes left in the 2nd season and I am irrationally hoping they don't kill Anne Boleyn. I know, I know, she has to die, but I seriously hope she doesn't. But, it's kind of inevitable. There is a 3rd season planned and I wonder how they will make the very good looking Jonathan Rhys Meyers fat and ugly. He already has the open wound and gimpy limp at the end of this 2nd season so I can't wait to see what they do to make him repulsive-kind of a hard job as you can see.

After I discovered The Tudors, I found the amazing historical fiction of Phillipa Gregory. Yes, I know it's not the most sophisticated writing ever, but it is so good. I started with The Other Boleyn Girl (which portrayed Anne Boleyn as a total witch) and have just finished The Boleyn Inheritance which covered 2 more of Henry VIII's wives: Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard.

Both were so good. I will probably be out this weekend, purchasing more of Phillipa Gregory's books. Someone needs to stop me.

Little Ears Hear Everything

Last week Spencer and Lilly were riding in the car. A lady cut Spencer off in traffic. Spencer shouts, "My hell, lady!"

Lilly then proceeds to turn these 3 little words into a little song she sings all the way to Grandma's house.

Lilly: My hell, lady! Myyyy helllll, laaaady!

I guess I will really have to stop swearing like a truck driver now

I like Twilight as much as the next person, but....

This Sat I went to an ohsweetsadie boutique. If you don't know, this is a group of local crafters and artists that join together to sell their stuff online. About 4 time a year they have a boutique. I bought some very cool photos and a wall hanging. I did see some very weird Twilight themed t-shirts. They kind of freaked me out.

The comedy stylings of Lilly Parry

Lilly takes out a little, plastic corn on the cob holder and starts to nibble on it with a twinkle in her eye.

Spencer: Lilly, what are you doing?

Lilly: Eating my corn.

Then she giggles. I think it might be all worth it after all.

Maybe the worst baby name ever

Me: Lilly, that is such a cute baby you are holding. What is your baby's name?

Lilly: Her name is DJ Lance.

(Only those familiar with YGG will understand how truly cute that is.)

Fear is an amazing motivator

So, I am signed up to do the Wasatch Back with some amazing members of the Larson clan on June 20th. The race is 8 weeks away and I am really quite freaked out about it. I just started training on Saturday and I am embarassed to say that I am sore after running 3 miles. I am just planning to be sore every day for the next 2 months. I miss running and I am not sure how I got out of the habit, but I'm back on the roads my friends. Spencer is signed up for a few triathlons as well this summer so we will just collapse into a large heap of exhaustion every night about 9:00. Much like this:

Ann Clayson Larson

My wonderful grandmother passed away this week. While it is not unexpected since she was 94, it is still sad to see her go as she was amazing and an example to me my whole life. Some of my fondest memories:

-She was the definition of class. Her home was always beautiful and she always did things the proper way. I remember learning how to set a table, make a bed, and treat guests at her home. She treated grandkids like honored guests and even a cookie was served on a plate with a napkin. She also knew how to dress. She always looked impeccable and I was so proud when she came to my functions. I always had the classy grandma.

-She was so talented. I loved to hear her play her violin and the piano. She and my young cousins played at my wedding and that is a treasured memory for me. I also loved the story of her playing old love songs for the alzheimer's wing at Brighton Gardens just a few years ago. She always used her talents to bless others. I have not inherited that musical talent but have admired it in many of my cousins.

-She valued education-Always a reader, I remember as a child being read to all the time in her home. Grandpa was known as the big reader, but she was not far behind. She always had a book and it was a favorite gift to get. She was also very educated and interested in my educational pursuits. When I got married I had a semester left of school,I remember her worried I would not finish my degree. I did of course and always admired her for obtaining a college degree at BYU in the middle of the depression. It might have been easier for her to drop out, but she knew how important it was.

-She loved us all equally-She never played favorites but wanted all her grandchildren to feel she loved them the same. One of the best examples of that is that when she was selling her home she gave away a lot her and grandpa's possessions. All the grandkids wanted grandpa's gavel. Of course there was only 1 or 2. So, to be equal, she had Grandpa's gavel reproduced and gave one to each of us at Christmas. She did not want anyone to be left out. I have the gavel on my piano and it reminds me of both Grandma Ann and Grandpa John.

-She was an example of a great marriage. She really loved Grandpa. I know it has been hard the last 14 years without him and I am so glad they are now together. I treasure the portrait that Grandpa painted of me and hung in their home for years and now hangs in mine. I know it would give her great pleasure that I love looking at it. It just reminds me of Grandma and Grandpa and their love every time I walk by.

-She was so kind-I never heard her say a bad thing about anyone. She always gave people the benefit of the doubt. She was never one to gossip. I wish that I had that quality.

I love you Grandma. Thank you for all the support you have shown. I especially felt your concern and love through our many trials with Lilly. Your prayers were felt and your strength helped me get throught it with courage. I named my little daughter Lillian in honor of your dear sister. I remember all the stories about what a beautiful, strong, smart, and kind person she was. My hope is that Lilly can live up to her namesake and live up to the things you have taught me. I will see you soon. Tell Grandpa hi!

The Office Returns

It was the most uncomfortable dinner party ever! So awesome. Here are my favorite parts.

Michael Scott:
Did you know, that candles are the number one fastest growing product in the scent-aroma market? Two billion dollar a year industry. And for only ten thousand dollars YOU could become a co-owner of Serenity by Jan. What do you think about that?
Andy:
Thought about it. I'm in.

Dwight Schrute:
Uh, what seems to be the problem officers?
Police officer:
Not now Dwight.

Michael Scott:
That is a 200 dollar plasma TV you've just killed. Good luck paying me back on your zero dollars a month plus benefits salary, babe!

Dwight Schrute:
I know you love beet salad. I've seen you eat it many times.
Angela:
The thought of popping one of your beets into my mouth makes me want to vomit.

Jim Halpert:
Michael and Jan seem to be playing their own separate game, and it's called, "let's see how uncomfortable we can make our guests." And they're both winning. So I am going to make a run for it.

A day in the life of Lilly

I know you think I must be kidding, but all these pictures were taken yesterday. Lilly is a very active 2 year old. We are exhausted keeping up. Please send help.

Lilly has taken to hiding under the bathroom sink and it really takes some effort to get her out. She mostly does this in the morning while we shower. As you can imagine, its hard to pull a child out of a cabinet.

My co-workers gave me these fun balloons for my birthday. They have provided endless hours of entertainment for Lilly. And for that we are truly grateful.

A change of clothes for this shot. She wanted to get out of her skirt and other shirt for whatever reason. She loves to imitate Dad and is all ready for her bike ride. I see a future triathlete in the making.

Out of the mouths....

I bought an Easter lily and right now it has two flowers on it. Spencer was explaining to Lilly that this type of flower is called a lily, just like her name.

Spencer: This flower is called a lily

Lilly: No, this flower is called a Daddy.

We may be banned from Cafe Rio

Saturday night, after attending the gorgeous wedding of a girl I work with (Hey Emily!) we decided to grab a bite to eat at Cafe Rio in Draper. We usually can't get Lilly to eat a quesadilla so we thought we would run over to Carl's Jr. and grab her a kids meal and then head to the Rio for Spencer and me. As we went through the Cafe Rio line we were feeding Lilly fries and chicken stars. She had one chicken star in her hand and proceeded to throw it over the counter and straight into the taco fixings. I was not sure where it landed but I thought the employee saw it happen. When we sat down with our meals, Spencer says, "I don't think the guy behind the counter saw that fall in the salsa." I kept picturing someone finding it inside their taco and complaining to management. Be careful if you frequent Cafe Rio in Draper-Lilly's been there.

The Easter Bunny came to St. George

I finally figured out how to get our picures on the blog. Yeah! Here are pics of our recent adventures in Southern Utah.

A healthy lunch!

While we were there the St. George arts festival was happening. There was a kids splash park and Lilly loved it. The above picture was right before it all fell apart and she would not stay in the stroller. That's when we had to find the splash park.



Easter egg hunting at Grandma and Grandpa Parry's house. It was warm and Lilly really got into it. She was really thrilled to do the hunt but did not remember it was for candy.


We go to St. George with our friends, the Finlaysons, every March. Here are their darling girls in Easter dresses. L-R Lilly, Abby, Lydia, and Natalie.

Some cool (I think) black and white prints I purchased at the arts festival.

We got Lilly a DVD player for the long card ride. What a lifesaver! It kept everyone sane. I thought I might go crazy from listening to Dora for 5 hours but I sucked it up.

What a fun Easter. I think we might have to do it again next year!

We made it 10 years-eternity should be a piece of cake

Yes, it's true. Spencer and I have officially been married 10 years. We celebrated our tenth anniversary on Tuesday night with a trip to Tuscany. The food was delish, but it gave me a stomachache the next day. Then my co-worker told me that Tuscany has one of the dirtiest kitchens in Salt Lake. Oops. At least it tasted good when we were eating it. As far as presents go, I have been wanting to update my engagement ring, so we picked out something a few weeks ago and had my diamond reset into a really beautiful setting. I also picked out an eternity band with 11 diamonds. I thought there were 10, so we will have to try to stay married one more year. :)

This past weekend we took a trip to St. George. I will post about that later since I have lots of pictures. I just need to figure out how to get them online.

I also took a new position at work and my life is now officially out of control. I found out yesterday I will be going to New Orleans in a few weeks and I'm quite excited about it. It will be a really good time. Drinking large amounts of alcohol in the French Quarter and dancing to jazz! Just kidding about the jazz part.

I hope I don't get 'roid rage!

I went to the eye doctor today because I am still having issues. Anyway, the Dr. decided to put me on a mild steroid to help clear up my keratitis. She also thinks my disgustingly dirty contacts have led to this problem not getting better. I have to wear glasses for another week and then get new contacts to help clear it up. The frustration never ends!!! This has been a hard week to say the least. To say the most....well, I can't go there in an online blog. If you really want to know you will have to call me on the phone.

P.S. This is not going to make me go blind-it's just the bane of my existence. Don't be alarmed!

Bath Failure and Opposition

I know there is supposed to be opposition in all things, but I think 2 1/2 year olds give that phrase a whole new meaning. I love my little Lilly, but she does not want to do anything I need her to do and sometimes it is just hard. My frustration all started after I picked her up from the sitter last night. She was so bossy and yelling at me to get her drinks and snacks and dinner. I was moving as fast I could and I try to get her to speak to me in a nice voice but sometimes it doesn't work. Then I took her with me to Young Women's and that was frustrating because she kept running all over the church and I was trying to participate with the girls and she was all over the place. Then after we got home I needed her to take a bath and she just did not want to and the laundry basket thing wasn't working and I think I just was done. Then I got a few hours peace and then this morning she would not get dressed. I just got sick of chasing her and making her do it so I dropped her off at my Mom's in her pajamas. I am bummed to because Spencer is gone and last time he was gone Lilly and I really bonded and had fun and I was looking forward to that, but this week it just did not happen. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and hopefully things will go better.

Bath Success!

Spencer and I have been trying everything we can think to resolve Lilly's bath situation. I did an internet search and I was comforted to learn that we are not the only parents in this predicament. In fact, it's quite common. One of the suggestions was to put your laundry basket in the tub and then put your toddler in that. So, last night while I was at Young Women's Spencer tried it. And it worked! He also added some bubble bath and initially Lilly was hesitant, but she eventually started to enjoy it and she stayed in the bath and played for 20 minutes. We hope that now that she has had a positive experience that we can build on that for the next bath.
Never a dull moment with a toddler!

In other news, our new digital camera is on its way! I can't wait to share some pictures of all the crazy things Lilly has been doing and all the going's on at our house.

Lilly P. in the house! Everybody say, ho!

Lilly's favorite show used to be Dora the Exporer. Now it has been replaced with her new favorite: Yo, Gabba Gabba. If you have not seen this show, you need to rush to your TV immediately. It's kind of a trippy, hippy show that has lots of cool animation, interesting guest stars, and hip music. They also get indie bands and hip hop stars (Hi, Sean Kingston!) to make guest appearances and sing songs about bananas and pajamas and make up dances like the peanut butter stomp. Lilly loves this show so much that she is now using, "Yo" in front of her sentences. We have been hearing things like, "Yo, Mommy", "Yo, Daddy" and "Yo, I'm poopy" It's a good thing our child is addicted to TV so that we can train her to be the next hot rap star.

Keratitis, anyone?

Well, I have been to the eye doctor and once again I have keratitis. This is the same problem I had at Christmas time and they told me it is often caused by hairspray in your eyes or UV rays. I did not think I had done either of those two things so I could not figure what had caused it. After a week of not wearing my contacts it cleared up and all was well again. Then last week I was using some daily shower cleaner and some of it got in my eyes. It occurred to me that this is likely what I did the first time, I just did it worse this time. I promptly invested in an automatic shower cleaner that sprays stuff after you get out of the shower. This time I have to have some eye drops and not wear contacts for 5-6 days. Since I have already been out of my contacts for 5 days already and I don't see as well with glasses, this is kind of a pain, but oh well. Maybe I should get lasik-but I am just too chicken.

In other news, Lilly does not want to take baths. A few weeks ago there was some string or lint in the bath and she thought it was a bug. We cannot convince her it was not a bug and that there are no bugs in the bath. My mom and sister took her to the library to get some books about bathtime to try to get her to keep taking a bath, but it did not help. I have tried to put her in the shower with me, but that did not work either. She just stands there screaming and begging to get out. I feel so bad for her. If it was summer we would take her in the back and hose her off. Spencer has an idea to set up this elaborate scheme to show her that we have killed all the bugs and they are not coming back. Maybe we have a neighbor dress as an exterminator? We have no idea so if anyone has any suggestions for some creative ideas, please let me know.

Thanks George Washington

Since the original President George had a birthday yesterday, I had the day off. Lilly and I met up with my sisters Laura and Rachael at Laura's work and did some shopping. She works at Down East Outfitters on Foothill. I got some cute jeans. Then we went to Cosa Vida for lunch. Lilly would not eat anything but 3 bites of rice and she ended up getting that all over the restaurant. Aah-yet another successful meal with my 2 1/2 year old. Then we met up with Sarah to go to Target. It was a wild trip with Lilly and Audrie coming along. I had to bribe Lilly with M&M's so she would not scream to get out of the cart the whole time. Then we went back to my Mom and Dad's and made homemade pizza for dinner. My mom also had some singing time with Lilly at the piano. Lilly loves to sing and knows many of the Primary songs. The songs she does not know she learns very quickly.

In other news, we got a DVR and I think I am in love. It has really changed the way I watch TV. What are commercials? I wouldn't know since I never watch them with my new DVR. :)Seriously, if people really knew what these things could do, they would never not have them. If you ever need me to record anything for you, just let me know and I will be happy to do it.

Why I love Spencer

Oh, the day of love. Spencer was out of town yesterday, but it gave me a chance to think about what I love most about him. Inspired by my mother-in-law's 60th birthday party, here are 10 reasons why I should keep Spencer around:

1. He is an amazing father.
2. He is super supportive of me and always helps me realize my goals.
3. He hates nuts (except peanuts) just like me (that's how I knew we were meant to be together)
4. Who else would take Lilly to the Utah games? Go Utes!
5. Who else would tease me and Lilly mercilessly?
6. I need someone to pinch pennies on small items (like bottled water), but want to spend a lot of money on bikes and electronics.
7. I need someone to not sweat the small stuff and teach me how to do the same.
8. Who would make me laugh?
9. I need someone to talk about running with and plan our training schedules.
10. I don't want to change all the poopy diapers.

Love you Spence

My next child needs to be british...

....because it is just so darn cute.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM

Welcome to Spandilly

I am a huge blog fan: I read all sorts of blogs and I am always waiting patiently for the next update on my favorite blogs and then I thought to myself, "Hey, cool stuff happens to you sometimes, you can have a blog too" So, that is how our blog was born. I hope to keep all our family and friends informed about all the awesome stuff that happens to Spencer, Mandy, and Lilly every day. I also hope to include pictures and I eagerly await our new digital camera (thanks G-ma and G-pa Parry) so I can get some stuff posted.

Sacrificing your keys to the porcelain gods

Tuesday afternoon turned out to be an interesting one. I was in the bathroom at work and since I was almost out the door, I stuck my keys in my coat pocket while I used the potty. I did my business and then I got up to pull my pants up. I then hear my car keys fall out of my pocket and into the toilet. This would not be much of a problem except our toilets at work are automatic and they flush when you stand. I stood by helplessly as I watched my keys get sucked into the sewer. I completely panicked but my sweet co-worker and my Mom helped me get my extra keys at home and then come back to work and get my car. All my co-workers and Spencer thought it was hilarious. They were right.