A crazy month of February

I am catching up from this hectic month...we have had visitors for a month straight!

A few words to describe the events:

Leslie Boley (Surprise, AZ)
Beautiful, creative (we spray painted my silver curtain rods with a "oil rubbed bronze spraypaint"), hard working, listening ear, supportive, happy, decorator, specific, genuine and sweet with my boys...














Next came the visit from my mother (SLC, UT) and brother Gavin (Provo, UT). We celebrated his birthday, made an arrollado, read books, went to "Mexico" (Downtown El Paso) and drooled over my mother's recent Argentina trip...while we prepared an Argentine dinner of Milanesas





















Next came my dad and his dear wife Olga (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico) who came to take care of our kids for a week....
They loved to hear Austin's latest word, "Marshmellow." Lots of bike rides, books, clean up, naps, spilled sippies and family dinners...
















April Ashton made a quick weekend trip with her DEAR baby Titan...one word: baby hungry! They were so low key, flexible, refreshing, up to date with any topic and happy!












Off we went to Los Cabos San Lucas, Mexico for a week with our DirectBuy people...a reward given to our center here in El Paso for "Market Efficiency." We were thrilled to be chosen. Whale watching, SUNBURNS (now blisters and skin falling off all over my body!!!!!), snorkeling, cold nights, windy sunsets, homemade guacamole, gorgeous sunrises, I will mention my extreme SUNBURN again, smooth taxi rides and yummy virgin daquiris.


We are back at home...trying to get caught up in our pantry, cleaning, emotional health and spending time with our boys.


We have a lot of things coming up in the near future, so we are grateful for a chance to relax for a few days.

Cabo San Lucas

I have 3 minutes on this internet here in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico before I get charged $1.75 a minute! I will make this fast! We are staying at the Westin hotel...so so so breath taking and I love opening up our door at night to fall asleep to the sounds of crashing waves.

After a painful bikini wax and a stressful good-bye to our home and kids, we left for Mexico yesterday...we will be here until Friday...

Our plans are to go whale watching, shop the local areas (which is WAY to similar to El Paso to be honest, I feel like I am at home with all the flea markets and random merchandise!!! Gotta love the churros, corn on the cob with salsa and fresh fruits everywhere), Jared will hit the golf course tomorrow and I will enjoy a massage!

The weather is gorgeous, not hot enough for the water, but definitely a lovely change from the dead winter grass of El Paso.

I will write more later!

to-do this week

My mom just left this morning, my step-mom Olga and Dad arrive from Mexico tomorrow, and Gavin leaves back to UT on Wednesday...it'll be a busy week.

Things I did today:
Workout (a great cyclying class)
Took my mom to Wesley's preschool class
Shopped at the new Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market (so clean, new and uncrowded!)
Lunchtime with everyone...leftover milanesas from last night's dinner:) Argentine style cookin'
Took my mom to airport
Stole a few hours at Marshall's, Ross, Burlington's, Pier 1 Imports and Costco to look for home decor. Little by little it is coming along!
Took my boys on a bike ride, pulling them along in a trailer behind my bike
Had FHE/Dinner/Ping Pong game at Sandra and Ryan McGrath's home
Put my babies to bed way too late (9pm)
Blogged way past my bedtime! (11pm)

Things to do tomorrow:
Teach a 9:30am cycling class
Visting Teaching at 10:30am
Babysit from 12-?
Pick up house, get guest room ready for my dad and Olga
Pick up Olga and my dad at the border of Juarez and El Paso (they are flying to Juarez and crossing over the border on the bridge)
Take Gavin out to dinner for his birthday (Texas Roadhouse)
Wash clothing
Return a frame to Burlington
Take a shower
Take the dogs for a walk
Sleep at least 7 hours!
Oh yes, of course read some scriptures in there...

Tagged- My Husband Jared

Today is Valentine's Day...an appropriate tag! (Side note: Jared is buying me a piano for Valentine's Day...finally and hoo-ray!!! I got him something in the mail that has yet to arrive, so I can't say what it was....and I decorated his office at work with mushy stuff).


1. What is your husband's name? Jared Lowell Wilson. My maiden name is Lowe, so by having such similar "middle names" I knew that we were meant to be married!


2. How long have you been married? 5 years...August 30, 2002.


3. How long did you date? It was one of those insane 3 month experiences. We met in May, got engaged in July and married in August. Let's just say that we had a lot of "adjustments" in our first year of marriage b/c of it!
4. How old is he? 28, will be 29 in December...he robbed the cradle b/c I am 4 months older than him.


5. Who eats more? Overall, I would say he does. (Although he has NO cavities and rarely eats anything with sugar or grease). But, as he told me a few weeks ago, "you are a good eater." I am not sure what that means...I don't think he was saying I am fat, but perhaps I just have a healthy appetite? Good thing I teach aerobics!


6. Who said I Love You first? I believe it was Jared. We were sitting on his trampoline up at his parents house...we got engaged the same weekend. Fast mover!


7. Who is taller? I am happy to say that Jared is...at a whopping 5'9. He is three inches taller than me, but I still wore flats at our wedding.


8. Who sings better? We are both average...but kudos to him b/c he was in his High Schools (go Round Valley Elks!) top singing and dancing company.


9. Who is smarter? Definitely Jared. I can hold my own with spelling, English, cooking, and creative junk...but, who really cares about that when you can run your own business, balance a huge checkbook, dominate any financial matter, calculate interest rates in your head, fix any "fixer upper" problem, and can undo a locked car with a wire hanger....the list goes on...


10. Whose temper is worse? Definitely Jared...although my silent anger brings out the beast in him...so, I may be the one to blame!


11. Who does the laundry? Definitely Adrienne. Always! Although I do not iron!


12. Who does the dishes? Definitely Adrienne...or shall I give credit to the KitchenAid dishwasher?


13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I have for most of our marriage until most recently we switched to give my left side to re-adjust my sleeping habits (I was getting achey on one side from sleeping too much in that particular way).


14. Who pays the bills? Again, that goes to Chief Financial Officer Jared. He enjoys it and will often be found paying bills on-line just for fun! He looks forward to it as a hobby!


15. Who mows the lawn? What lawn....hmmm...probably get a landscaper for that mess...since we now live on 1/2 acre full of dead grass until we get it landscaped! I don't know how to even start one up...


16. Who cooks dinner? Definitley Adrienne. Jared will average once a month? He cooks a mean biscuit 'n gravy, fajita, cheese crisp or french toast.


17. Who drives when you are together? Always Jared. He always complains with the way I drive...although I have never had a ticket or been in an accident. Obviously it's his way or the highway...ha ha ha.


18. Who is more stubborn? Hmm...that is a toss up. I would say he is...he would say I am. I guess we both are in our own ways.


19. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Definitely Adrienne...I always feel so bad when we "argue," although Jared is very good about being persistent until I break and give in to whatever he wants to discuss.


20. Whose parents do you visit the most? Probably Jared's...although now that we live in TX, we don't visit anyone! My dad does come and stay with us every few months, which could count for quite a bit of time.


21. Who proposed? My sweetheart Jared...over a candlelight dinner under a warm summer AZ night outside. I knew it was coming, but it sure was a sweet delight.


22. Who has more friends? I would say that I keep in touch with more people, and I am definitely more "needy" for socialization than my husband> I crave to interact and be involved in people's lives. He is much more laid back and secure with himself.


23. Who has more siblings? I do...four siblings...Jared has one sister who is 15 years older.


24. Who wears the pants in the family? With large decision makings (houses, business, cars, money spending, vacations, etc) that would be Jared. I do the smaller stuff (children, household, food, etc). Jared is MUCH more picky in every aspect though...so, out of exhaustion, I usually give into whatever he wants... Ideally I would like to say that we both wear the pants, but I think that overall it would be my priesthood holder Jared:) He wears them well, and they are always very fashionable too!


I am tagging: Julie, April, Jana, Amber, Suzette, Arianne and Adrianne, Diana, Michelle and Abby...get to it girls!

My little genius

Austin used to wake up crying from his nap if he had accidently peed in his undies....that is, if we had forgotten to put a Pull-Up on him.

Well, this afternoon I went in to check on him after I heard some noises coming from his room. Most recently he has been taking apart the humidifier or sticking objects in the light sockets...so, I had reason to go in there promptly.

Using his resourcefulness, Austin went ahead and changed out his pull-up that he had wet during his nap. He then continued to go and get his undies out of his drawer, put them on, found a new and clean pair of pants to put over his undies...and even put his pull-up in the garbage! He was very thorough b/c he even put his dirty pants in the dirty laundry pile. I was very proud, and shocked to find him completely dressed in a new outfit from the one I had laid him down in!

On another note, Jared and I are getting out house ready for my mom and brother's arrival this weekend from Utah. My next blog will be about my "accessory weekend shopping adventure" with Leslie Boley, which took place a few days ago. I want to post all the pics of what magic she spread throughout my house with her creative mind and sense of color.

To say the least, Jared and I had to re-seal the wax ring in one of our bathrooms. One word: disgusting! I was balancing the toilet on my knees while Jared was working underneath it. At one point we even had to hold the toilet by the inside ring lid (you know, with all the nasty stains inside) to get a better grip....I was so grossed out by just the thought of handling some pee....ugh! We did get it fixed up though, and those toilets are HEAVY things!

More importantly, we are making our house into a home.

PS>>>>CHECK OUT OUR NEW SLIDE SHOW>>>>

blessings

Just a few thoughts:

So grateful to finally be in a house with a working washer/dryer, a wonderful faucet with sprayer, to have sunlight shining in our dog licked windows, to have a warm bed (even if it is on the floor!), to have NO workers coming over today, to have kids running around screaming, and to be able to sit in my bathrobe until 9am without having to go anywhere!

I realize that motherhood definitely stretches your patience, but I am so incredibly happy to just be a mom. It is the one thing I give thanks to God for every night, even on those days when Wesley does get a swat on his bootie and put in time out every hour. Or, when Austin refuses to nap b/c he is too busy putting on new "outfits" from the dirty laundry pile.

I am just so happy to not have any huge issues in my life that need to be resolved, like we have had over the last few years (starting up DirectBuy, moving three times in a year, making friends, or just having some stability to feel like a normal person). I am also grateful to have Jared home more often (at least I can guarantee to eat a meal as a family twice a week)...and that he is able to watch the kids when I have crazy 5am aerobic classes....he and I are doing quite well in our marriage, when he is not too stressed out from work.

God really does look out for all of us, even if we are too busy, depressed, lonely or prideful to recognize it. I may not "bear testimony" of him every Fast Sunday in church, but I sure do appreciate my blessings and am grateful for a peaceful time in my life right now(although Austin is climbing on my lap and screaming at me right now b/c Wesley took away his toy...not so peaceful!)...

Wesley's 4th b-day

Wesley's birthday was a month ago, back in December, but we decided to throw him a party anyway now in January. Things were too hectic last month with our move and holiday season, so it was a perfect day today to do it.


Thank goodness the rain stopped though! It was raining cats and dogs all morning long...which didn't work for our scheduled treasure hunt and pinata activity!!!! I LOVE doing pinatas, and we have done one for Wesley's 2,3 and now 4th birthday. He never tires of it and it is so fun to watch all of the kids line up, hit the pinata, duck for prizes and go home with sugar in their tummies.


We had a Transformer theme this year, which was great for all of the new action figures that Wesley received. Jared and I worked hard to get things ready last minute (the backyard needed to be raked, patio cleared off of paint cans and of course random household chores).


I think 4 is a great age b/c I am able to really reinforce how "big" Wesley now is...to make him get fully dressed alone, go potty alone, be an example for his brother, eat all of his veggies, and make good decisions. He is so proud of how big he is, and always says that "when I am a papa" I will be able to drive, kiss a girl, and even cook.


It's always a relief when the party is over...and the cleaning is done..and kids are happy with their new toys...for at least a few hours:)