A Weekend With My Man in San Fran

So our actual anniversary isn't until December 22, but we decided to celebrate early this year and take a trip to San Francisco. My mom and dad watched the kids which was so nice of them and nice that we knew that they were in good hands. We left on Thursday afternoon and got back Sunday evening. Here are some of the highlights of our trip!

We rode the trolley several times to get around town since we didn't rent a car. It was fun to stand up and hang off of the side as we went down the hills- kind of like riding a roller coaster! We went to a Cirque du Soleil show on Friday night called 'Kooza'. It was under the big top and like all Cirque shows it did not disappoint. We decided that we want to see all of them at some point in our lives!

Saturday morning we went to a Farmer's Market down on Embarcadero (thanks to Heather and Missy's suggestions!). We bought some good dried fruit, pastries, and chocolate covered almond brittle- it was all so delicious and was just fun to walk around down by the pier and enjoy the cool morning.

We then took a tour of a WWII submarine. I couldn't believe how small everything was inside- I was getting a little claustrophobic being in there. Look at how small the doors leading from room to room were. I definitely have more respect for the men that work down in these submarines.

We went on a cruise around the bay that took us under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz Island. It was really cold and windy on the boat, thus my hair sticking straight up in the picture! Once we got back we ate some famous clam chowder in a bread bowl and fried shrimp to warm us up!

Saturday night we ate at a restaurant called 'The Stinking Rose' which is apparently called that because it is a garlic restaurant. Everything is served with a ton of garlic which was delicious, but provided for some serius bad breath afterward! (Thanks, Heather again for this suggestion!) Now what's better to get rid of a garlic taste than an ice cream sundae from Ghiradelli Square! It was so good and not nearly big enough for us to share (sorry, Jon!).


We then made our way through Union Square where this giant Christmas tree stood and over to a holiday improve musical called 'Let It Snow'. The whole thing was done by six improv actors and was hilarious! One last stroll through town and some mint hot chocolate was the perfect way to end our weekend in the big city!

San Francisco Trip

So Jon and I are going to San Francisco this weekend for our anniversary. We are looking for ideas of fun places to visit and things to do there. I know that some of you know the city well and some have even lived there, so if you have any suggestions for us, please let us know!!!

Top Ten

So I decided on this Thanksgiving morning to make a top ten list of the things I am most grateful for in my life right now. So here it goes...

10- Nice weather. I am very grateful for how beautiful it is year round here and that my kids can play outside everyday of the year.

9- Freedom. I have always been so grateful to live in America. I am especially thankful to all of the men and women who have fought and continue to fight to keep us free.

8- Modern Day Medicine. Let's face it, I wouldn't be alive if I was born in another time period. I am so grateful for the medicine that keeps my diabetes and thyroid under control and that helps control Jake's seizures. We are very lucky to live in this day and age.

7- My calling. I love working with the young women in our ward and feel that it has helped my testimony to grow over this past year. The spirit is so strong with the youth.

6- The temple. I am so grateful that I am sealed to my family for eternity. I can't imagine not being with them forever.

5- Good friends. I have made so many good friends throughout my life and I am truly grateful for each one of them. I am also grateful for technology that makes it possible for me to keep in touch with friends that I don't get to see very often anymore.

4- My (extended) family. I love that I am fortunate enough to live so close to most of my family members. They are my best friends.
I am also very fortunate to have such great in-laws. They are truly Christlike people who are always so nice to me.

3- My children. As hard as they are and as much as I complain, I love my kids more than I ever thought possible. They are my pride and joy. I am so excited to meet the new addition to our family in a few months. I love being a mom.

2- My husband. I married the greatest man in the world. I am so lucky that he loves me so much and that he is so nice to me. I love being with him and can't imagine my life without him.

1- My Savior. Especially during this time of year I am grateful for the life and example of the Savior. He truly set a perfect example for us to follow. I need to be more like Him.

Muddy Buddies!

Just some muddy buddies sitting and eating Chex "Muddy Buddies!"

Last week Jake and Nate's friend, Trent came to play and the three boys had so much fun together! They loved jumping on the trampoline and just running around in the mud. It really gave me a glimpse into what it will be like with three boys, and I have to admit it was actually pretty fun!

Terrible Twos

I remember when Nathan was almost two he started to get an attitude and I thought to myself, "Why is it called the terrible twos if he's not even two yet and he's already acting like this?" Now that he is two and a half- I SO GET IT! This kid is out of control right now and is testing my patience just about every moment of every day. Just the other day we dropped Jake off at school and then went to run some errands. In the 2 hours we were gone, Nathan managed to pull a shopping cart onto himself, spill a bag of grapes all over the grocery store floor and step on a yogurt in the cart causing it to burst and spill everywhere. He thinks he is an adult and can tell everyone what to do. If you tell him to stop doing something, he replies with, "Mommy, I'm Nathan Draper!" I've been told that they do outgrow this stage, but right now I am wondering if he ever will.

Jake has had his own set of difficulties to deal with, but has never been like this with this kind of attitude. The hardest part is that Jake is a follower and so he is totally following Nathan's bad example. I feel like I have two 2 year olds who are smack in the middle of their terrible twos. Both kids have a hard time staying in time out so this past weekend I had Jon install knobs on their doors with the locks on the outside. This way I can lock them in for time outs and they will realize that there is no getting out. Is that really mean? I guess I am at my wits end with them and am out of ideas. We'll see how this works!

All of this being said, I do love Nathan a lot and there are many moments where he makes us crack up and is really sweet. There just seem to be a lot more moments lately where he makes me break down crying and wanting to scream!

Isn't he adorable?!!!

PS- I just looked over while writing this blog and Nathan has climbed up onto the counter (again) and is climbing into the sink- what am I going to do with this kid?!!!

Tag it up (part II)

So I've now been tagged by a number of people so I guess I should take a few minutes to share a few things about myself. I actually think this is a fun tag because I've learned so much about my friends that I never knew before. I hope the people I tag will take a second to do it as well. Here are the rules (although I won't be following #1 or #4)!

1. List the link to your tagger and also post these following rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird, etc.
3. Tag 7 people at the the end of your blog also leaving the links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are “TAGGED” by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I am an open book. I talk a lot and will pretty much tell anyone anything they want to know about me if they ask (or even if they don't!). Because of this, most of you probably already know everything I am going to write- sorry!

2. I love to use a hyphen when I write or type. I know that I don't use it correctly, but I don't care. I have always used it- and will continue to use it because it's just kind of my thing!

3. I am obsessed with Christmas. When I was younger I would start listening to Christmas music come Sept. 1 and then on Oct. 1 I would decorate my bedroom. Now that I am married with kids that might get a little confused if I decorate on Oct. 1, I try to wait until a couple weeks before Thanksgiving to start putting the decorations up. Christmas music is game anytime of year, however. It just makes me happy. I bought 2 new CDs today and have been listening to them all day. I love it.

4. I am athletic, or at least I used to be. In high school I played volleyball, basketball and ran the hurdles in track. My main sport was basketball where I set the school record for the most points scored in a single game- 34 points. I have no idea if the record still stands, but it was kind of fun at the time. I also ran a marathon last October and a couple of half marathons before that. I really miss exercising now that I am pregnant and not really doing much anymore.

5. I like to be really good at anything I do and get really frustrated when I am just not good at something. Like being a mom. As much as I try, I can't seem to be good at it. I always thought that I would have these perfect little kids that were well behaved and loved to just sit and do activities with me all day. So not the case! I have crazy boys who can't sit still for more than 5 minutes and could care less about anything I say. Maybe I should save this for another post!

6. I am a craft imposter! I think people think that I am crafty because I like to make cards and scrapbook, but I really am just a great copier. I have a hard time coming up with ideas on my own. I used to take picture of my friend's scrapbook and then download the pics onto my computer and scroll through them whenever I needed an idea! I miss your scrapbooks, Andrea! I really wish I was born with a creative mind, but unfortunately, I wasn't.

7. I have a hard time being fake. I've always admired people that always have a smile on their face and are always so nice and friendly to everyone. Not that this makes them fake, but in my case, this doesn't come naturally for me so it would be fake if I was just always smiling and cheesy. Like at Target today when the worker came over and asked me if I could please have my son sit down in the cart because he could fall out and hit his head. I could have smiled and said, "Thank you for being concerned about my son's safety." Instead, I said, "Thanks, I haven't been trying to get him to sit down for the last 10 minutes or anything..." Something I should probably work on!

So that's me! I am tagging Andrea, Natalie, Janae, Melanie, Wendy, Catherine and Tammy!

Halloween

Our cute BYU football players!

So I am finally getting around to posting our Halloween pictures that I am sure you have all been waiting to see!!! The Monday before Halloween we carved our pumpkins for family home evening. This process took about 10 minutes since the boys were rather impatient and just wanted to get it done! The next day Jake brought home a pumpkin that he decorated at school- it's supposed to look like him. He was pretty excited about it!

Tuesday night was our ward's Trunk or Treat and the boys had a great time! They ran around the cultural hall playing games and then we went out to the parking lot where Jon took them from car to car collecting candy. They thought this was such a great thing- all you have to say is "Trick or Treat" and everyone just gives you candy! On actual Halloween night we took them around our neighborhood and they got a ton more candy. They were old enough this year to go up to the doorsteps on their own. Jon and I had fun standing back and watching this process take place. They would get their candy, say thank you (most of the time!) and then run to the next door.

After Trunk or Treating Jake and Nate sat to survey their candy with their friends Trent and Summer!

When we got home they each dumped their candy out on the table. They couldn't believe how much candy they got! We let them eat some that night and then by the next morning they had already forgotten about it and haven't brought it up since! Sadly, Jon and I didn't forget about it and we have been eating it all week! What great parents we are!

Jon came home from work on Halloween dressed like this and it seriously scared me! Apparently he forgot to dress up so at lunch his assistants went and bought him this shirt to wear for the rest of the day! Needless to say, he put his regular shirt on back over it while seeing his patients, but he thought it would be funny to see my reaction to it when he got home!