Savoring the Good Things

Last night we ate at one of my very favorite restaurants, Bombay House in SLC. I crave Indian food from there. I love it. I'm still thinking about how delicious the food was. It satisfied me to the core.

I finished reading The Glass Castle Saturday and it's still lingering in my thoughts. I felt happy, upset, hopeful and sad while reading one page. Then the same emotions on the next page. And the page after that. There were so many lessons to be learned about parenting, resilience, and choices. The human spirit is so strong for the most part. And people can only be helped/assisted if they choose to be.

I like savoring good food & good books.

Lava Hot Springs, ID

HeRoos and I went to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho to celebrate our wedding anniversary. My parents watched the kids at our house and the munchkins were on their very best behavior which made it easier to enjoy our weekend without worrying if my parents were pulling their hair out.

It was an absolutely relaxing, wonderful weekend. I got a great massage at our hotel, Riverside Inn . I tried talking HeRoos into getting one too but he had no interest in it (he has no idea what he is missing). Our hotel was within walking distance of the main hot spring pool so we got a day pass and went there a couple times. We were some of the last to leave that night. It's so fun soaking when the sun is down and you can see the steam coming off the water.



I had one of the BEST meals of my life in the restaurant hotel. The wait took forever but the food was definitely worth it. I had crab legs & fillet min on. It was so tasty. I'm salivating just thinking about it.



The massage and soak in the hot pots was erased with an extremely hard mattress. Neither of us slept well and we woke up with knots in our backs. I overheard another guest commenting about how great her bed was. I couldn't believe it! There must be very different mattresses in each room.

We enjoyed nine holes of golf and even though we didn't keep score, we felt like we did ok.




We went to the cemetery and located my grandpa Lavell's grave. He married my dad's mom after both of their spouses had passed away. He was such a neat man and I always felt so loved by him.



I'm so glad HeRoos and I were able to spend some time alone together. I love his stinkin' guts! And a BIG BIG thanks to GG and Pops for watching the kiddos so we could enjoy some much needed R&R time.

SUU Night with the Bees

It was the annual SUU alumni night at Bee's Game. This year, the SUU marketing department provided the tickets AND t-shirts. How cool is that! It was fun to see some of my college friends. ZoZo & MB seemed to enjoy it too until MB caught sight of Thor, the Thunderbird. He freaked out! Then their bedtime came around and we had to leave early and miss out on the fireworks. These kiddos definitely don't know how to party all night long.

Curious Georgette

Our ZoZo has serious monkey skills.

Buyer's Remorse, almost.

Last week I bought a season pass to the Hogle Zoo. Sounds fun, right? Let me explain. I love animals & am fascinated by them. However, I'm not such a fan of them being in captivity. I much prefer watching them in their natural habitat (Animal Planet is closest I can get to the real thing).

For some reason, I associate the Zoo with a happy childhood and of course I want my children to have the most fulfiling, joyful childhoods that I can possibly provide so I bought a season pass for 90 whoppin' dollars. The instant I bought it, I felt the sting. How often am I really going to drive to Salt Lake? ZoZo and MB are under 2 years of age so they're free to get in. Silly me, why didn't I think all of this out before.

My mom came with us that day, along with one of MB's little friends and we met up with HeRoos' sister and her 2 kids. MB was a nightmare (probably because he didn't have a nap). I think that is the worst he has ever been for that extended amount of time. The only time he wasn't screaming or throwing his body limp on the ground was when I was holding him and on the train ride. By the end of the day, my back was aching and my buyer's remorse was confirmed.

There is a no return policy so today after naps, I decided to attempt it again- just me and the two kids. We made it in the gate at 4:55 -five minutes before the gates close but the zoo is opened until 6:30. First we rode the train, then took our sweet time and actually saw more animals than people. It was awesome. I loved spending quality time with my kids and talking to them about the animals. MB didn't have one meltdown and he seemed to truly enjoy our time at the zoo. The weather was perfect and I was reminded of how much I love my kids and enjoy being a mother. The pass paid for itself today, just having that special time alone with my ZoZo and Mr. Boy.

The train ride. MB's latest fascination is Cho-Choo's.




MB figured out a way to see the animals. Anytime we stopped, he climbed on the front of the stroller and held on to the fence. What a smart cookie.





I can't even begin to explain what a good sport this little girl is. She is so sweet and rarely complains. I L-O-V-E her!



I've discovered the trick for a good day at the Zoo: leave after naps when the kids are in a good mood and the people are gone.

3 Years Later...

and my favorite sound is still the garage door opening when HeRoos gets home.
The most comfortable place for my hand is in his.
April (Friday), the 13th 2007 was the day I made the best decision of my life.
Happy Anniversary HeRoos, you still Rock my world!

Easter Fun

It was another fun Easter celebration at the Roos'. I'm 95% sure MB isn't color blind but he tried picking up his cousin's eggs (our little family only looks for the green eggs). When he picked up the wrong color, HeRoos and I would throw the egg back. Mr. Boy thought this was how the hunt worked. He picked up an egg and then threw it. The kid has a pretty good arm. It took us a little longer to find all of our eggs but it was a good time.

They Do Share...

even without being asked to.

Computer Geeks

The Search is on for the Perfect Pair of Jeans

Pregnancy changes the body. Even when the weight is gone, things have shifted. It has been a challenge finding jeans that don't reveal crack, shift the soft spots into a mushroom shape, or scream 'MOM'. After owning plenty of jeans that are just OK, I've decided it's time to fork out the cash for a pair that I really feel good in.

HeRoos & I went out for Sushi and a trip to the mall. The cash that I have been saving for this occasion was tucked safely away. I tried on lots of jeans and HeRoos was surprisingly patient. When I was debating between two pairs he suggested that I get both. I was giddy and even more excited when he treated me to both pairs.

Then I got home and tried them on.
Then again the next morning.
And again in the afternoon.
And again before going to bed.

My mirror was a sad reality check. It looks like these jeans will be returned to the store to find a happier owner, along with the other two that have been returned this month- making that a total of 4 imperfect jeans. (Yes, please let me blame the imperfection on the jeans, not my lack of diligent exercise).

After recommitting myself to some serious work outs & looking forward to results, my goal is to once again be on the prowl for the perfect pair of jeans in May. Oh no, then bathing suit season is just around the corner.

Six Pack Family Night

Do you ever wish that you could record parts of your life to play over and over if you're having a bad day? Last night was one of those nights. We've been trying to do a better job at having "Family Night" on Mondays with prayers, songs, and a lesson about Jesus and His teachings. It was HeRoos' turn to give the lesson. After flipping through the Children's Hymn book for what seemed like hours, he settled on a song. The minute we started singing, the ab work out began. We couldn't contain our laughter- our singing was off tune and HORRIBLE. That didn't stop us. We started over and over again. HeRoos had the nerve to tell me that I was off key & that he knew because he sings this song with his primary class every Sunday. Excuuuuse me. We laughed and sang, sang and laughed until our stomachs ached. In our closing prayer, we asked for help improving our singing. Watch out *MOTAB, you may have some Roos' joining you!

*Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Dress Rehearsal

Here is a little "Easter Candy" early, especially for the grandmas. Why is it that I love to dress my kiddos up and they hate it (well ZoZo didn't mind as much as Mr. Boy). It was a serious wrestling match to get MB to try on his clothes and then he wanted them off asap. If they knew how cute they looked, they would want to leave them on until next Easter. There will be more to come and maybe, just maybe, MB will smile at the camera. Notice ZoZo ready to say grace-she is such an angel baby.