A letter to my first

My dearest little prince,

I'm sorry for getting frustrated at you when you throw food over your high chair as I am trying to feed you breakfast. I know you want to eat all the grapes. I simply want to keep your diet balanced and healthy, and also prevent you from choking from eating too fast.

I'm sorry for preventing you from helping me clean the kitchen as I wanted to get the job done quickly to move on to other matters. I will slow down, teach you how it should be done, and help you feel more appreciated for the efforts you put in to spending time doing things I'm doing.

I'm sorry for not engaging in your newest trick more than a couple times when you wanted to keep going until it got old. It really was so cool, and you looked so proud every time you did it! Next time you want to try it, we can do it as many times as you want. 

I'm sorry for force feeding you peas. You leave me no choice when you don't eat any other vegetable I put in front of you.

I'm sorry for not driving home fast enough when you want our of your car seat so you can play outside despite the freezing temperatures. I admire your adoration for the outdoors, your curiosity of the world, and for wanting to keep up with me when we take walks to the park. I will try to preoccupy your time spent in the car better by turning off the radio, and singing with you the songs you love.

I'm sorry for not letting you play with the hairspray can with the lid gone missing. It's new to you, and you have seen me use it, and you want to see what the fuss is about. Just know I want to keep your little mouth off of it to keep you from ingesting something harmful to you.

I'm sorry for not letting you run around in the open field of grass outside of the Idaho Expo Center. You had been so patient with your Dad and I as we walked around with you in the stroller inside the Expo, and you wanted to play and run around. You may have not noticed the millions of duck turds in the grass, and watching you trip on the ground worried me about you putting your dirty hands to your mouth and ingesting the nastiness from the ground. We will pick a cleaner park or field soon.

I'm sorry for blocking your way in front of the street you were trying to escape to. You thought it was a game we were playing, and didn't expect my sternness to detour you away from our fun. I was trying to protect you from potential danger from running into the street.

I'm sorry for suctioning your nose and giving you bad tasting medicine. You weren't feeling well, and having something shoved up your nose must not be an added comfort. Not to mention tasting something not on the menu for your palette. Hopefully when you wake up, you will feel better.

I'm sorry for not reading you that book you held up to me crying just before bed time. I was too focused on getting you off to bed as you were cranky, and I was tired. When you wake up, we will read it 5x over. 

I promise to slow down, to play more, to read with you, to teach you, to clothe, bath, and feed you, to play, and to love you eternally. 

Love, Mom

Dietbets and Arizona

Bullet points because I wait to long to post nowadays so it's easier...

• Had a birthday on the 14th. Celebrated on a plane to AZ to have a Jeff Earl girl weekend with my SIL's. Brandon's parents are renting a house in Gilbert for a couple months. They are looking at possibly moving there, so this helps them get the feel of what it would be like. Here's what it would be like: Amazing. It would be amazing. 
• Arizona happened from the 14th-18th. We shopped, and I actually shopped and had a great attitude the whole time! For those who aren't aware, I have a genuine dislike/borderline hate for shopping. I like to get what I need and get out. It's rare when I can browse shop. It makes it easier to do when you have your girls with you giving you all the Ooo's and Ahh's about how great your butt looks in those jeans and how tiny your waist looks in that dress. We ate yummy food from tapinyaki, carne tacos, BBQ, homemade bread, and some random diner food (WE REGRET NOTHING). We got pedicures. We went and looked at model homes, and all realized we need to contact the decorator of these said model homes. We had all the conversations. We hottubed. We did inititories at the Gilbert temple. Side bar, Gilbert temple is my new favorite temple. The celestial room was absolutely stunning. We visited Uncle Doug and Aunt Connie, and had wonderful conversation. Post visit picked fresh lemons off a nearby lemon tree in someone's backyard. We talked make up. We read our books in peace without kids needing you to watch their newest trick. All the while husbands back at home survived being Mr. Mom. I will say, since this trip Troy has been more about Dad than me. I won't be leaving for a while. Need to reestablish our friendship. Ya know? 

• We went to a wedding in San Diego for our good friends Brock and Katie who FINALLY sealed the deal. Literally sealed, (boom).  It was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life to watch them  kneel across the alter from one another and make their covenants to each other and to Heavenly Father. We have been blessed to have been able to watch them find each other, fall and be in love, and now be our new married friends. We are so excited for them and can't wait to see what their beautiful future holds in eternity!

• While we were in San Diego, my great grandma was admitted into the ER after visiting my aunt with my Grandma for the holidays. She was diagnosed with lung cancer recently and was having issues breathing when admitted, after which they diagnosed her with heart failure. We visited a couple times to see her and visit with my family. It was heartbreaking to see my great grandma, who I think of as this strong and free willed being, in such a frail state. I'm grateful for my Grandma and aunts who were all there to help her mend enough to get her home to Seattle where she is now. As of right now she is stable at home. She just celebrated her birthday yesterday! Happy birthday Grandma Great! Love you like crazy.
• We went on a double date this last week with our friends Lindsey, Garret, Ken, and Taylor. We ate at Kona Grill, then went and watched Ride Along 2. Super funny! 
• Troy is getting 4 teeth right now and trying to kick a cold. Poor dude. He's had a wet cough and runny nose for a couple weeks now. He's still eating, sleeping, and acting just fine so I haven't felt prompted to take him to a dr just yet. Rub some dirt on it, right?
• So Kelsey Edwards and I are doing this Dietbet with Our Best Bites. Basically you put $35 into a pot with other players and bet that you will lose 4% of your body weight within the next 30 days. If you don't, you lose out on you $35. If you do, not only do you get your money back, but you also get a portion of the pot from those who didn't lose their 4%. It's sweet and super motivating! Plus 4% is so easy to lose. I've been eating paleo friendly, and straight up this is how I live with the exception of a cheat meal once a week. My mom got me a paleo cookbook for my birthday with awesome easy recipes that keep you full. My dream would be to throw away everything in my house that is not paleo compliant and say, "If it's not there then this is what you eat instead." Maybe someday B will be on board? Eh? Anyway, we have been doing Zumba M-W-F with her friend's mom who teaches a class for free at a church building. I love Zumba. It's so fun! Then on the off days I'll do an at home crossfit routine or an online Zumba workout. It's fun guys it's fun! With money on the line how can you not be motivated to get your butt in gear right?

K peace out.

Whoa....

Oh what? I have a blog? That's weird.... Hi blog!

So I changed the title of my blog thinking that it applied more to my little group as my husband consistently refers to himself as "duke of earl." So obviously I'm the duchess, right? Of course right.

Last time I posted was wayyyy to long ago. So here is a summed up version of all that has happened since:

-We traveled to Hawaii in September for Brandon's circle of excellence prize. We were on Oahu. Played hard. Favorite part of the experience was going to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Truly amazing.
-We went to Cabo San Lucas a month later in October with Brandon's cousin Preston and his wife Meghan as a celebratory event for anniversaries/themed "live like you were dying." Favorite part of that trip is tied between snorkeling in bright clue waters, and watching baby turtles make their way back to the ocean after dinner. Also, getting Preston and Meghan to ourselves. Hehe
-Brandon quit Mattress Firm. Long story short he wasn't happy there anymore for lots of different reasons. He now works for Voltzwagon Audi in Boise as a salesman. He just started this last Monday. We will see where that takes us.
-We moved into a rental home. LOVING IT! Especially with a crazy kid who doesn't like to be "shh'd." Who does, right?
-Troy turned one. Still in denial. Although he rocks the whole toddler attitude real well.
-We traveled to San Diego for our good friends wedding last week. Beautiful experience to watch them sealed for time and eternity in the temple. Also, San Diego temple should be on everyone's bucket list to see. Definitely the disneyland of temples. While we were there we were able to visit my great grandma in the hospital who is in heart failure. It was so tender to see her, and happen to be there while she was visiting. Please pray for her.
-I'm a stay at home mom as of this last September. It's been such a blessing to not have to worry about anyone else caring for my little buddy other than myself. To be able to keep up house, to catch up on my reading, teach Troy new words, tricks, faces. It's great.

2015 was amazing. Bring it 2016.