What Am I Doing For My Birthday? ramble

My sweet visiting teacher dropped a little gift and card by my house yesterday and asked me what I had planned for my birthday. I shared my plans with her and she looked at me like I was crazy. Ha! Apparently Brent and I don't put enough emphasis on birthdays. They're usually just an ordinary day and then we celebrate later that weekend with a night out on the town. Fancy, aren't we?

So what am I doing today?

Well, so far this morning, I've managed to steer clear of the shower which I desperately need. I was supposed to get up and exercise with Brent this morning, but the sweet man let me off the hook when June woke up an hour before we were supposed to get up, destroying every ounce of motivation that I tried to muster. I needed that last hour, dang it!

I ruined breakfast in bed when I got up too early, having been woken again by Lady's screaming. Brent makes me breakfast every morning, that awesome man! A yummy green smoothie. This morning, I got the extra special treat of raw chocolate in my smoothie! Yum! I tried to talk him into staying home since he looked extra HAWT in his button-up shirt and sexy-butt jeans. He used the excuse of having lots of meetings today, but I'm secretly wondering if it was my lack of shower and greaseball hair. Hmm. Did you know he shaved his goatee a couple of weeks ago? He did. And immediately got multiple comments about how young he looked and what a baby face he has. Yep. Not helping my insecurities, here, hon!

I managed to get the kitchen cleaned up while the 3 middle children were downstairs playing in the bounce house. Can I tell you how awesome that thing is during winter to get extra energy out? Love it! AJ took over making June look pretty since Mommy had obviously dropped the ball this morning. She often takes over in this area. Now her hair's all done w/a pink flower and everything. Then AJ took her out in the backyard to watch Luke (cat) torture and then behead a mouse. June's response? "Whoa!" That's her new favorite word. Have I told you how cute she is lately? I love toddlerhood for so many reasons. I love to watch her run with her top half getting ahead of her bottom half. She pulls everything out of cupboards and drawers and rearranges them. Speaking of which, if anyone can think of a good hiding place for a can opener, pass it on to me please. She loves to "help" unload the dishwasher and write me love letters on post-it notes.

It's now 10:30 and I really need to get going for the day. Plans for the rest of the day, you ask?

-Chores (today it's bathrooms (AJ, Roo, and me) and dusting (Tink and Lady and June))

-School (AJ claims to be done with hers already.....hmmm)

-Carving pumpkins (Yes, I know we're terribly behind on this. I took the kids grocery shopping yesterday and upon seeing the piles of pumpkins, they all exclaimed, "Pumpkins, Mom! Can we get some?" I tried to avoid the subject by reminding them how busy we've been this year and couldn't we just wait until next year? They responded by reminding me that we didn't carve pumpkins last year. Insert awful mommy-guilt here. So we bought 5 ginormous pumpkins at Harmon's yesterday and, by-dang-it, they need to be carved! So that's in the works for this afternoon sometime.)

-Leftover dinner from last night

-Frantically getting the kids in their costumes and make-up.

-Trunk-or-Treat tonight w/the ward. AJ's in charge of one of the games along with some other Achievement Days girls. There will be scones, hot chocolate, tractor rides, and plenty of candy for all. (I'm quite pleased with myself this year. Instead of candy, we're passing out junky toys! (spider rings, pencils, plastic bracelets, rubber skeletons, etc.))

-Come home, showers for those w/make-up, pajamas, stories, scriptures, prayers, and bed. Ahhh. I love bedtime.

-Yoga w/Brent. Can't wait for this part. I always feel GREAT after yoga!

-Check email, FB, etc. Then prayers, scriptures, bed for me and Brent.

Happy Birthday to me!

This weekend, my sister will be enjoying a night away w/her hubby for her birthday in 9 days (we're only one year apart for 9 days! Woohoo!). I'm a little jealous. Maybe someday I will get to do that again with Brent. Before that happens we have to convince June that she CAN, in fact, go to bed without some bewb first. Hmm.

This weekend, Brent and I will be celebrating my birthday by going out to eat at a restaurant of my choice (have no idea yet which one), then coming home, putting kids to bed, and then maybe watching a movie. 'Cause we're fancy like that. And of course, this all hinges on whether or not we can get a sitter. Fun, fun!

Aren't you jealous of my life? I wouldn't trade it for anything!!!

Irreplaceable

As we, once again, mark the anniversary of arguably the most important day of my life (even though I wasn't even close to being conceived yet), I'd like to write another tribute post to my husband. Because really, it can't be said too many times how much I love this man and how grateful I am for him.

Dear Brent,

For your 34th birthday, I'd like to make mention of all the often-overlooked, under-appreciated little things you do that make my life better.

1. Thank you for always being the one to close the windows, lock the doors, and turn off all the lights before bed. It puts my mind at ease since I know you check them at least 3 times each. Besides, I'm afraid of the dark.

2. Thank you for being the sole motivator when it comes to exercise. Without you, my butt would be much bigger.

3. Thank you for stealing the sheets, but always leaving me the blankets.

4. And along those lines, thank you for being my personal space heater in bed.

5. And along a not-the-same,-but-similar line, thank you for not laughing when I come to bed in just g's and socks. I really hate pajamas, but DANG my feet get cold.

6. Thank you for being the same as me and the opposite of me in all the right ways. It makes the whole "work as a team" thing go so smoothly.

7. Thank you for being the type of husband whose wife has never had to have a "honey-do" list.

8. Thank you for always watching the gas tanks on our vehicles since I seem to be blind to them.

9. Thank you for always restocking the t.p. and tissues in every bathroom.

10. Thank you for taking care of all the finances (even though I know I need to get better at paying attention to these things).

11. Thank you for listening to me in bed even when all you want to do is roll over and go to sleep.

12. Thank you for asking about my day and validating the work I do.

13. Thank you for encouraging me on the bad days and rejoicing with me on the good days.

14. Thank you for making me your best friend and always putting me and the kids first on your list of priorities.

15. Thank you for showing our son the way a woman should be treated and for showing our daughters how they need to demand to be treated by any future beaus.

16. Thank you for insisting on (almost) weekly date nights even though they are getting more and more expensive with each kid.

17. Thank you for being my shoulder to cry on, my hand to hold, and my bear hug when I need them the most.

18. Thank you for not writing me off with each of my "new" ideas.

19. Thank you for cleaning our white cast-iron sinks that don't like to stay white very long.

20. Thank you for taking care of our lawn. I know I mowed for you once this summer, and while I didn't hate it, it's definitely a job I'm glad you do 99.9% of the time. :)

21. Thank you for being the kind of man who, instead of thinking, "I can't." thinks "I need to learn how to...."

22. Thank you for keeping your goatee for family pictures even though you wanted to shave it. Of course I love your face either way, but I have many insecurities, one of which is this:

I really like that you look older than me when you have a goatee. I'm not secure enough to have you walking around looking like a newly-returned missionary whilst I tote my 5 kids and gray hairs around, letting everybody assume that I'm in my mid-40's and that it was *I* who robbed the cradle.

Proof:

(This was almost 2 years ago....the last time you didn't have facial hair.)

23. Thank you for always replacing my toothbrush in the battery-charger when I forget.

24. Thank you for always putting the lid down.

25. Thank you for always motivating me with all of our "projects." Most of them would never get done if it weren't for you.

26. Thank you for being the kind of dad worthy of having 4 out of 5 "daddy's girls/boys." (And probably the only reason it's not 5 out of 5 is because the 5th one is still attached to my chest.)

27. Thank you for always striving to be better and for encouraging me to do the same.

28. Thank you for living worthy to hold and use the priesthood.

29. Thank you for being the bread-maker in the family. (And the bread-winner as well.)

30. Thank you for being the kind of dad that takes our kids for rides in a wagon hooked onto the back of a riding lawn mower when I'm not around to freak out and make you stop.

31. Thank you for always fixing everything that needs to be fixed and making it better than brand new.

32. Thank you for kissing owies, giving loves, listening to endless Star Wars Lego stories, watching our girls dance, laughing at the way Lady says "cumber-you" instead of cucumber, reading bedtime stories, tucking-in and giving endless drinks at bedtime, and changing cloth diapers.

33. Thank you for your voluptuous lips.

34. And thank you for loving me through thick and thin.

I love you, Babe! Can't wait to see you tonight for our own private birthday party! ;)