Dance Your Heart Out

The Funny Things Report

2012-01-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

I have a book in my kitchen where I try to write all the funny things that my kids say or do. I never want to forget all of the hilarious things that come out of their innocent little mouths. But, I decided it would be easier to save if I had it all written on the blog. So, this week we had a few funny things...
Landon is obsessed with Spider-Man. We have two Spider-Man Suits, a Spider-Man bike, a web slinger, a tent, a blanket, all of the movies, shirts, jammies, pants, shoes, snow gear, and every Spider-Man gadget under the sun. You get the picture, right? Well, yesterday we were running some errands and the boys were watching Spider-Man (the 1st movie) while we were in the car. I was in the drive-through at the bank when I heard Landon yell from the backseat, "Ewww!"
I asked, "Is this the kissing part?"
"No mom. They're not kissing. They're going like this." (Insert a 3 year old's round little face with his mouth wide open moving his head all round. Hummm, just as I thought. The kissing part. :)

The other morning I made pancakes for breakfast. In an effort to get Cooper to eat something (ANYTHING) with a little protein, I smeared peanut butter on his pancake and then covered it with a little syrup. The best! LI love my pancakes this way, and I thought he would too. Well, my two-year-old who has never spoken an entire sentence, just bits and pieces, took one bite, looked at me, and in his perfect two-year-old voice said, "Ewwwwww! Ah, don't like it mom." FINE!

Last night Landon came out of the bathroom with a big grin on his face. Naturally, I was a little worried because I knew he was into something he wasn't supposed to be into. He looked at me with his smirk, lifted up his shirt, and said, "Smell my armpit mom!" Well, okay, just because you're only three. He was so proud to show me that he had puton Ben's deodorant "all by himself".

Carpe Diem??

2012-01-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

Love this post! Definitely a good read. It makes me feel normal!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

Happy Days

2011-04-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been full of potty training, cabin trips, sick kids, running a business...and pregnancy! And, I am exhausted! But...if we're being perfectly honest, I wouldn't trade a second of any of it. Well, maybe the part where I'm cleaning up puke and other things that begin with the letter "p". But I figure cleaning up bodily fluids just comes with the mothering territory.
Lesson learned: never leave an economy size bottle of baby powder anywhere but the top shelf of the closet.

The last week of February we got the astonishing news that the little beach ball I've been toting around in my belly is a GIRL! We are thrilled-and completely surprised! I was convinced that we were going to be welcoming baby boy #3 into our family in accordance with Ben's plan for a Dance family basketball team. I guess I actually squealed when the nurse told me it was a girl. After the excitement of it all I made her show me on the ultrasound how she knew it was in fact, without a doubt, a girl. Now that reality has begun to sink in I think I finally believe her. The only problem: we have NO NAMES! We've tossed around a few ideas, but nothing promising. Maybe after we see her it will help. Landon wants to call her "Suzie", and I told him he can call her whatever he wants. Although, her birth certificate will without a doubt say something entirely different.
I am counting down the days until this baby girl is here! I've already done irreversible financial damage shopping for our little Angel, and I can't wait to kiss her and rock her in my arms. Hopefully summer will show its face and help the time go a little faster. Until then, Landon will be flying his kite in the cold, blowing bubbles in the bathtub, watching "Tangled" until the disc dissolves in the DVD player, and asking me when his sister is actually going to come out of my belly. And my little Cooper will spend all day following his big brother around everywhere he goes, climbing on counters and sticking his hands (and the wii remote) into the toilet. At least it's not the laptop being dunked into the clean, or not so clean toilet, right?
Real life may not be exciting or glamorous, but these are the moments I have spent my whole life anticipating. They are wonderful, and this is what makes my life worthwhile. Ask me how I feel when I have three kids age three and under. Until then...:)

Goodbye October...

2010-11-08T02:19:00.000-08:00

Halloween is over (but the candy is still lurking in my pantry) and the Holidays are almost here! I'm counting down the days! I could hardly wait until November 1st so I could break-out the Christmas music! And as you know, only crazies play Christmas music BEFORE Halloween.(That's why I waited until the day after!!) Or, maybe I'm crazy too because most people think it's against the law in America to play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. If you are one of those people, I say, "Bah-humbug" to you! But, I do it with a smile on my face and Christmas music playing in the background. ;)

Farewell October...bring on the Holidays. That being said, here are a few pics of the October happenings at the Dance home.

Cooper's First Birthday...and the Lucky Penny (Ugh!)

2010-11-08T01:42:00.000-08:00

October 28th, 2010. Coop's very first birthday! I got him all dressed in his birthday outfit (not to be confused with his birthday suit:)) & planned for a really fun day.
(I still get a little weepy thinking that my baby is already 1! Seriously? How did that happen??)
We had a fun day with a lot going on. Around four o'clock I noticed Cooper was kind-of wheezing. I watched him for a while & figured he must have been coming down with a cold/little cough. Then about two hours later I was in the emergency room. It was when he started crying and couldn't catch his breath that I knew something was seriously wrong. I don't think I have ever been so afraid of anything, ever. His lips started turning blue, and I had to try and remember anything at all that I had learned in infant CPR/choking training. Which was honestly years ago and did not help ease panic button.
I held him face down and started pounding on his back to see if there was something in his airway. Landon looked at me like I was CRAZY! He started crying and said, "Mommy, what doing? What doing? Copper okay?" So sad, and sweet at the same time. Ben still wasn't home from work, so I did the only thing I could think of, as fast as I could think to do it. I grabbed Landon in one arm & Cooper in the other & drove to the E.R. calling Ben and my mom on the way.
After a pretty intense half hour, and a chest/neck x-ray, we discovered that Cooper had swallowed a penny (on the x-ray it looked like a quarter) and it was lodged in his throat. A family friend (Dr. Hinckley) rushed to the ER and performed the surgery to remove the penny.
Poor Cooper. It was heartbreaking to have to see him get an IV & go into surgery. I was just so thankful that I was able to get to the hospital in time. Dr. Hinckley said we were really lucky, and it easily could have been tragic. (Ugh! Don't even say that!) I thought kids who swallowed pennies just found them in their diaper a day later. I guess Cooper is the exception! :) As the mom of this family I am making a new rule: No more trips to the ER on your birthday!! No...let me amend that rule. No more trips to the ER EVER! Please and thank you!

P.S. The next day Cooper was eating his birthday cupcake(a day late) like nothing had ever happened. We are, and were so blessed.

How could you not fall in love with these faces???

2010-11-08T01:28:00.001-08:00

Mother of All Posts

2010-10-01T00:20:00.000-07:00

So, after nearly six months away from the blogging world, I have been reprimanded. It took several people "nudging" me, two lessons on journals (one given and one received), an audio book about life's legacies, a comment in Stake Conference, and a journal I found from my parent's dating experience. I decided that someone was trying to tell me something. No promises, just the best I can manage. :)
So much can happen in six months. So... here's a quick recap with lots of pictures.

A sad little post...

2010-04-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else start feeling a little depressed (for lack of a better word) when your babies start growing up? Maybe I'm alone in this, and that's okay...I just can't shake this blue feeling today. I'm sad that Landon is almost two. I even get a little lump in my throat when I look at my sweet Cooper and think that he's going to be crawling soon. No!! I don't want my boys to grow up. I want them to let me hug and kiss them a million times a day, and read them the same three books over and over again, and sing them silly songs with actions. I want them to still think my corny voices and games are funny and to laugh hysterically when I blow on their bellies. I want them to get excited over a fort in the living room, or going for walks with Ben on Sunday afternoons. I want them to hold their arms out for me always when they get or hurt, or are sad, or just want their mama. I want to rock them to sleep until they're so big they can't sit on my lap anymore. I love it when Landon gets out of his "big boy bed" and sneaks into my room to sleep with me. I know it won't last forever...so I'm trying to enjoy it. Time goes so fast. And I have been thinking about too much today. So, here's to the sweet memories of motherhood.

It is time...to go private

2010-02-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

If there are any remaining readers of my practically DORMANT and poorly neglected blog...please leave me your e-mail address so I can send you an invite-because I'm takin' it private baby! I won't go into all of the details, but there are definitely some crazies out there. Also, I have become the world's WORST journal keeper. So, I thought if I could use this as a journal (of sorts) and make a book at the end of the year, then my boys would have something to read when my memory fails. I don't want to forget all of the proud (and maybe what may seem at the time to be the insignificant) moments in my little family's life. So this is my solution. Sorry if it becomes boring or too personal for readers. To my family it will be priceless. :) Love to you!

2010-02-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

He's Here!!

2009-11-13T10:38:00.001-08:00

Our little Cooper is here! I'm a little late, but I wanted to post his birth announcement. He is such a sweet little spirit. I am SO in love with him! We all are. Landon is proving to be a great big brother already. At the doctor last week Landon screamed and wailed when they took Cooper away. He was so worried they were going to hurt him. It took lots of convincing (and a sucker) to get him calmed down. We are just so blessed to have two healthy, happy boys. The sleepless nights are already worth it! :)

Feeling Inspired

2009-10-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any of you out there (all 3 of you who read my blog ;] ) have heard or read about Stephanie Nielson (nienie), but I have been following her blog for a few months. She has such an amazing survival story, and an even more amazing story of recovery. I am so inspired by her! She survived a fiery plane crash, a three month coma, and woke up to 80% of her body covered in terrible burns. Not to mention, she had 4 little kids at home, and a husband who was also badly burned. To read her story, click http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

Get your tissues and start at the beginning. You will fall in love with her and her incredible little family. I have a completely new sense of gratitude for my everyday easy life.

Big Brother

2009-09-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my "baby" is going to be a big brother soon!!! He's getting so big so fast. On Wednesday I went into the doctor for a 3D ultrasound & we took Landon with us. He doesn't really understand that we're adding another little human to our family, but it was fun to see him try to figure it all out. The ultrasound was so fun. The pictures showed lots of hair & I think the baby looks just like Landon did when he was born. But, I guess we'll see. Landon will point to my belly, kiss it, and say, "baby". But he also thinks there's a baby in his tummy too. I can't wait to see him kiss & love his little brother in real life. I hope they're best buddies.

I feel SO domestic!

2009-08-28T07:49:00.001-07:00

Today I canned peaches with my MIL and SIL. It was actually a lot of fun. We canned two bushels in two hours. My MIL was so great and had everything ready to go so she could teach us. And I definitely learned things I never knew I didn't know. Make sense? So, here's to Utah peaches in December!!!

Oh, the Temper Tantrums

2009-08-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

Early this morning I took Landon for a walk with my friend Becca and her little boy Spencer. All week I have been wondering where my angel Landon has gone because now there seems to be a little devil in his place. It all started Sunday at church. Let's just say the days following have been "temper tantrum city". Today on our walk he was such a handful that I was embarrassed. He doesn't normally act that way, and I was at a loss as to what to do. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I brought him home and put him down for a nap. Thankfully he's sleeping soundly. Then I rushed to the computer to "google" different ideas on how to control a 15 month old. I came across this article and bawled like a baby. I don't know if you'll find it as emotional as I did (being 6 1/2 months pregnant) but I would suggest a box of tissue as you read. Enjoy. :)

Raising Children by Anna Quindlen, Newsweek Columnist and Author

All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief.I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast.Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like.Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon, and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages, dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, and finally what the women on the playground, and the well-meaning relations -- well what they taught me was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all.Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything.One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2.When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome.To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow.I remember 15 years ago pouring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China. Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe me, mistakes were made.They have all been enshrined in the "Remember-When-Mom-Did " Hall of Fame.The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language, mine, not theirs.The times the baby fell off the bed.The times I arrived late for preschool pickup.The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp.The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, "What did you get wrong?" (She insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking?But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1.And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top.And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity.That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me awhile to figure out who the experts were.

Summer Update

2009-07-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

I LOVE SUMMER! Even though we are especially busy with our wedding business in the summer (prime wedding season), we have found a lot of time to enjoy the weather and our families. The last month has been so fun with the 4th of July, family reunions, BBQs, concerts, and playing at the lake. The thing I have loved the most is all of the time spent with family. Also, introducing Landon to watermelon, popsicles, slip & slides, fireworks, and swimming pools has been so entertaining. He is our favorite form of entertainment these days. :) So, here are a few pics. Landon is so hilarious. He keeps us smiling. Seriously...I think he's the cutest kid I've ever seen! It must have something to do with the fact that he's mine! What do you think???
We've tried and tried to teach him to close his mouth when he gives kisses...he doesn't listen.

Landon loves his sandbox! He would play in Grandma Dance's box for hours if we let him, so we decided that's what he needed for his birthday. Now, if we can just get him to stop eating the sand we'll be set.

This kid LOVES the water! He hates getting out of the pool!

Landon loves his grandmas. He would pick either of them over me any day. I think he looks like the Old Navy lady in his glasses!

4th of July

One day I heard him in his room talking away. When I peeked in I found him reading a book to himself.

He ate that WHOLE piece of cake!

Baby News

2009-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Landon's going to be a big brother! We found out today that we're having a boy. We are so excited for Landon to have a best buddy. When the doctor told us the news Ben said, "Sweet, only three more and I'll have my ball team!"

Uhhhh, we'll just see about that! :)

Blogging Semi-annually

2009-06-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the year I was really gung-ho about blogging, but...(you all knew the "but" was coming) I got wrapped up with weddings, the stake musical, Landon becoming mobile, and...I was sick for a couple of months. Yes, MONTHS! No fun now, but it will be in 4 1/2 more months because I'M EXPECTING!!!!!! We are so excited for Landon to have a sibling! We won't know for a couple more weeks if we're having a boy or a girl-but I'll be sure to announce.

So, a major catch-up post is in the works. Sorry to those who hate long posts. :) Just scroll down and see the pix of the cutest boy in the world. He really is our pide and joy. And...he's a big boy now. He's in his new car seat, walking around everywhere, sleeping through the night, and playing in the dirt with his daddy. We celebrated his birthday (along with grandpa Dance's birthday) on Memorial Day. I can't believe my baby's one! Here are pictures to fill in the gaps for my delinquent blogging. Enjoy!

Landon with Uncle Tanner on his 1st birthday!!

Takin' care of business!

Trying out his new b-day presents

Landon was born on Grandpa Dance's birthday.

I got brave and cut it all off!!

Landon's first popsicle experience

Landon's first pinewood derby. They lost EVERY
race until Ben started cheating. :)

His cousins love him!

With Great Grandma & Grandpa Landon on Easter

The cute Beck boys

First snowmachine ride

Kissin' cousins

Our trip to see Uncle Tyson

So Proud to Be an American!!!

2009-01-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

I have felt so blessed, especially these last few days, to be an American. I love our country! I have watched in awe at the support President Obama has received from the Nation. I hope he can live up to all of the expectations America seems to already have for him!!! I hope he will be strengthened by our prayers-he will definitely need them. So many people expect so much from him. I feel blessed to have witnessed the historic event of the first African-American President in my lifetime. I think about my son's future and wonder what it will hold for him. I hope he grows up feeling pride for his country and a bright hope for the future.

When I was in college I was fortunate to intern on Capitol Hill. I learned so much about our Country, and loved meeting friends from all walks of life. My internship stands out to me as a highlight in my lifetime. I had the BEST experience in DC. I'm so grateful I took the opportunity to see the government in action. Interning in the Nation's capitol instilled in me a fascination with America's leaders past and present. Here are a few pictures from my experience on Capitol Hill.

The Holidays in a nutshell

2009-01-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a while...I know. We have been really busy with weddings, family, traveling, and a sick little one. Oh, and did I mention that everything went so fast that I woke up the day after Christmas & couldn't believe it was already over! I always DREAD the day I have to take the tree down. I feel like the "Holiday Magic" just came and went! But, this year I got the decorations down early because I was excited to start the new year & set some new goals for 2009. One of my new goals is to keep up with my blog!!! I'll let you be the judge of how well I do that. :)

One of the beautiful things about marrying a man from your hometown, and living in that same hometown is that there is family GALORE! And we eat it up. We were able to spend Thanksgiving with both sides of the family. I love Thanksgiving food!!! Not as much as Ben, but pretty close. I even tried a few little recipes of my own. It was fun to add to the meal. Ben and I have the best chefs in our family!

After Thanksgiving dinner we headed up to my mom and dad's cabin in Island Parkwith my family. We had a blast watching movies, hanging out with family, and playing games. And, not to rub it in, (Bubba and Olivia) but Ben and I dominated at POUNCE! (An insane game that our family gets WAY too in to.)

On Saturday the Dance side of the family came to the cabin too, and we went out in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Landon was such a trooper! It was fun to bundle him up and take him with us. Ben found the perfect tree, and we took turns cutting it down. And, just as a disclaimer, the tree next to us in the picture above is NOT the tree. :)

December 2nd was our two year anniversary. Yay!! Two years! It was in the middle of the week, so we decided to celebrate during the weekend. So, that Friday night my mom (who loves nothing more than having Landon all to herself) watched Landon, and Ben and I escaped. We got a room, (thanks dad) ate take-out from our favorite restaurant, watched movies, and enjoyed a good night's sleep! It was so fun to relax and be together. When we got to the room, there was a huge basket of yummy food, sparkling cider, candles...etc. Thanks mom. We had such a great anniversary.

Also in December we took a fun trip to Salt Lake City to celebrate Ben's sister's graduation. Emily received her Master's Degree from Utah State. Yay Aunt Emily!!! We are SO PROUD of you!! We went to the Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square for dinner, and then we jumped on the Trax and headed to Temple Square to ohh and ahh at the Christmas lights. They were, as always, so magical.

Early the next morning the weather was crazy. It was snowing non-stop, and we got a frantic call from my business partner, Mel, saying that she rolled her Durango on the way to set up a wedding. Thankfully, nobody was hurt-but the SUV was totaled. So we packed up our stuff and cruised back to Idaho Falls to help. No more traveling in snow storms for me. Good job Ben! He was completely calm & collected. Overall, our trip was a complete whirlwind, but it was so fun to be with family.

Ben's company Christmas party was the 15th. Becky and Byron are so good to us. We had dinner at the Sandpiper with the whole Byron Beck Builder's crew. Again-such good food. Are you seeing a pattern here?? We love food at our house!

The next few days were a frenzy trying to finish getting ready for Christmas. We tried to spend as much time with family as possible. We took Landon to visit Santa-and he loved it. He sat down and started pulling on his beard. :) I thought Landon might be a little afraid, or even apprehensive to sit on a total stranger's lap. I was wrong.

We have a couple Christmas birthdays in our family. Deanna (Ben's mom) is the 23rd, and my mom is the 24th. It's actually really a lot of fun because we get to celebrate for 3 days! On Christmas Eve Landon got really sick. So, Ben and I took turns trying to comfort him and help him sleep. By Christmas morning he was feeling a lot better, and Ben and I were SO EXCITED for him to open the things Santa brought him. It was so fun to watch him get excited over the paper. His grandparents spoiled him rotten. I can't wait until next year!

I know it's overdue, but we loved your Christmas cards and letters! Thanks you for remembering us. We hope you had a wonderful, memorable holiday season!

***Sorry about the random pictures...they are completely out of order-I'm not a savvy blogger... yet. Maybe with my resolution to be a better blogger I'll figure it out.

Twilight

2008-11-22T01:02:00.000-08:00

Okay...it was fabulous! I LOVED IT! I only read the first book because I had a brand new baby, and a brand new business-so I didn't have time. But, I was so excited to see the movie so I could understand what all of the psycho/can't hardly wait/I'm in love with Edward/ hype was all about. And tonight I discovered why the movie made 33 MILLION dollars on opening night. A bunch of girls in my ward got together and we went to see Twilight tonight. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!! The hubbies stayed home to play "dad", and we went out for a night on the town. And, I have to confess that I don't think I've been up this late since Ben and I were dating! Oh geeze! I sound so old. There were times in college when I would pull all-nighters no problem. Right Kymmie? I think those all-nighters are finally catching up with me. Now I'm going to bed so I can dream of Edward-Ohhh, actually I hope I don't have nightmares. All that blood-sucking/vampire kung-foo got pretty intense. Can't wait for the next movie!!!

Random Thoughts

2008-11-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

Tuesday I spoke at the baptism of a woman named Brandy. I was lucky enough to get to know her over the last few months through the sister missionaries. We met at one of her first discussions, and we were instant friends. She is amazing! She already knew so much, had great questions, and wanted to be baptized. She has the most wonderful family. Her husband was very supportive, and her daughters (still too little to be baptized) will be so thankful someday for their Mother's decision and example. This recent experience with Brandy made me remember a lot of feelings from my mission in Bulgaria when I was able to see someone I helped teach be baptized. There was a time after I came home from Bulgaria when all I wanted to do was go back. And even though it's been five years (I know! Can you believe it??) since I've been home, I still miss it every day. I miss teaching the gospel 24/7, my great companions, and most of all- the Bulgarians!!
Anyway, I was looking through some pictures on my computer, and found a couple pics from the summer. It was so fun when three different times this summer I received a phone call from mission friends saying they were close to Idaho Falls for a wedding/vacation/farewell, etc. I was SO EXCITED that they thought to call me. There are only two pictures (I know there is a third somewhere-sorry Hazel) , but here they are! Thanks for taking time out to see me!

This is Elder and Sister Brown from Washington. They took such good care of me in a city where we served together. This was the first time they got to see Landon after he was born. I think he was 3 months here. Anyway, they are two of my very favorite people-so giving, caring, loving...just wonderful. They came and took me to lunch when I was pregnant, and they were as excited as I was for me to be a mama!

This is Chelsia. We were companions in the capitol in Bulgaria. We had such a great time teaching and learning how to get around that crazy city! We had all sorts of random experiences. (One of the people we were teaching was being held hostage in her home one day when we went to give her a discussion!!!) Anyway, this isn't the best picture because you can't see the babies, but my Landon and Chelsia's LucyMae were born on the same day just 2 hours apart. It was SO fun to see them!! Thanks for calling Chels!

It's Official...fall is gone and the snow is here!!

2008-11-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

Sunday night in Idaho Falls got me so excited for the holidays. It was FREEZING cold, so Ben and I turned up the fireplace, made some hot chocolate, and cranked the old fashioned Christmas tunes. It was so much fun planning for the holidays. Earlier in the week I saw this tree when I was out running errands and thought it was amazing. Fall is so beautiful here in Idaho, I almost didn't want the snow to fly. But, after Sunday night I decided it would be okay to have a skiff here and there. Monday morning we woke up to a white blanket all over the ground. It was so beautiful!
We were in Portland for Halloween, so Landon didn't go trick-or-treating, but we dressed him up anyway. Ben and I were both born and raised in Idaho Falls, but he grew-up as a Bonneville "bee", and I grew-up as an I.F. "tiger". So, of course, Ben wanted Landon's costume to be a bee.

And I wanted him to be a tiger. So, I took pictures in both costumes, but in the end...

Mommy won! Yay!!! The little nose and whiskers lasted just long enough to show uncle Tyson & then Landon decided he'd had enough. He doesn't look like himself without his curls showing-but he makes a dang cute little tiger. :)

I just threw this picture up because I LOVE the little ringlet hanging over his ear! I don't do anything to his hair except put a little baby lotion in it and let it go. He gets called a "girl" all the time, but I can't bring myself to cut his beautiful curls---ever!!!

It's my blog, so I'll brag if I want to...

2008-10-27T10:33:00.001-07:00

I know, babies in general are dang cute-but I think I have the world's most adorable, hilarious, heart-melting child on earth! That's 'cuz he's mine. I'm sure if your children belonged to me and I spent 24/7 with them I would be saying the same thing. Anyway, blogs bring bragging rights, (try saying that last line 10 times really fast) so here are just a few pics that I love.

Crazy Weekend

2008-10-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was crazy- as are most weekends at the Dance home. But, this was a particularly insane few days. Most of you know that my friend Melanie and I bought a wedding business a year ago. It has been such a fun, creative outlet for me, and a great way to make money doing what I love.
Last weekend we had two weddings- which is really no big deal because we've done five (can you believe it) in one weekend before (August pretty much killed me) and I lived. But this weekend was a big deal. The first wedding was pretty much the biggest performance I have ever put on in my life.
Colors: Chocolate, raspberry, and bubblegum.
Flowers: All shades of pink hydrangeas, calalillies sp?, and roses.
Highlights: Vinyl lettering, string quartet, cupcake tree, weathered walnut picture stands, solar lanterns, Victorian linens, antique candy table, fall leaves, faux ceiling, chandelier, chocolate organza, immersed floral centerpieces-etc. You get the picture. It turned out fabulous-mostly because money was no option for the bride, and I had such a great time creating things that we had never done at any other wedding. And just as disclaimer-my business partner, Mel, is pretty much the world's most creative human...so she always gets my creative juices flowing too.
Anyway, we spent weeks preparing for this big event. There were tons of little details that just made it magical, and it will go down in wedding history (at least in our book) as the all-time favorite. We will compare all other weddings to the October 24th wedding. (Pictures to come.) So, needless to say, we were beyond exhausted, but on a good note...we had about a hundred single girls in attendance ask us to do their wedding. Priceless. :) And on a very tired note...we had another wedding to do the next day.
My cute little Landon didn't want to sleep Friday night, (little stinker) so Saturday morning was brutal. It's a good thing he's so dang cute. OH- and thank you, thank you, to my wonderful mom for taking such great care of my babe-o while I was off decorating in "Wedding Land". And Ben is always such a good sport too-thanks honey!

The Saturday wedding was so different from the Friday wedding. It was also very pretty-just different. Colors:Royal purple, lilac, and silver. Flowers: Lilacs and lavender roses. Highlights: Cinderella carriage for gifts, and lilac ribbons and flower balls tied around the chair covers. The backdrop was a sheer, chiffon canopy (gorgeous) and the cake was silver. (A first for us.) Both events turned out great. Most people think that if the bride is happy you know you were successful. WRONG. It's the mother of the bride that has to be pleased. If mama ain't happy... So, after setting up on Saturday, I had to go to Relief Society super-Saturday. After S.S. (the R.S. did such a great job) Ben and I went to dinner with his parents and his brother, Matt. Matt and his girlfriend Jennifer announced that they were engaged (I ADORE her!) and we started planning another wedding. I swear...I do weddings in my SLEEP!! It's a good thing I love it so much. So, if any of you have any fun ideas, or something you've seen at a reception-please let me know. We love new ideas! And CONGRATULATIONS Matt and Jennifer!! I am thrilled to have another sister!!! I know, this post is pointless, but I wanted to let you into my "wedding world".

Landon Dance

2008-10-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

Cabin fever

2008-10-15T22:50:00.001-07:00

This weekend was the ultimate, much needed getaway. We packed up the babe and headed to the cabin. We spent the weekend with my family and all of the cousins on the Landon side. We had such a great time feeding our faces, playing games, and watching conference, that it was hard to come home.

Not to mention...the scenery was beautiful. All of the leaves were changing, and I could feel the snow waiting to fly. Conference was really uplifting. I loved all of the international speakers.

On a slightly different note- I found this really incredible picture of the SLC temple on my friend Kym's website. I love it, and ordered a large print for my house.She has a lot of other great pics on her site too, like this one...

If you enlarge it you can see all the good details. (Like the green eyes.) If you wanna check out more of her work, or order a print, click on http://panoramawayphotography.blogspot.com/

I Love to see the Temple

2008-10-15T22:47:00.001-07:00

This morning I drug my lazy bum out of bed a little after 6:00 so I could shower and meet the youth at the church. Ben was already at work, so my amazing, wonderful, extraordinary mom came over at 7:00 to watch the babe, and I headed off to do baptisms at the Temple. It was fun to see the youth so enthusiastic, even so early in the morning. We had a wonderful experience, and after everyone was dressed and finished we headed to the temple cafeteria for breakfast. (There is nothing like temple food. I so look forward to it.) This morning I thought a lot about when I was a teenager and my ward would go and do baptisms. Lots of great memories-especially when I was a beehive and I got to go for the first time. I remember having butterflies like crazy. Anyway, I also thought about the day I took out my endowments, the day Ben and I got married, and the day my Aunt and Uncle were sealed to their children. (They had one 8 year old daughter and 6 year old triplets at the time.) That got me thinking about a funeral I went to last Saturday. At the end of the meeting the children played the Michael McClean song Together Forever, and they did a sign language presentation to the music. It was incredible. That is one of the times in my life where I have felt the Spirit the strongest. I love the reassurance of knowing that I have "forever".

Conference Weekend

2008-10-15T22:45:00.001-07:00

I love General Conference! I always look forward to it. I don't think I ever really appreciated it until my mission. I have really lucked out, and for the last four years I have gone to at least one session in the Conference Center every Conference. I even flew home from DC and Chicago on two separate occasions because I had tickets in the Conference Center that I couldn't stand to waste. Ben and have gone to Salt Lake every April and October since we got engaged. It's so fun! Aside from walking around Temple Square never wanting to leave, we also go shopping in Park City, eat Cafe Rio for every meal, hang out with our best friend Kymberli, visit the Christensen's, soak it up in the hotel hot tub, and meet up with old mission friends. It's like heaven on earth. Always something I get so excited about. But...this October session is going to be a little different. We have the babe-o now. Our lives will never be the same-and we LOVE it! So, we've opted to sit this one out and go spend the weekend with my family at the cabin in Island Park. This isn't 2nd place, it's just a more cozy spot to hear the Prophet speak. I'm sure a weekend with the fam will do us some good. Not to mention, I am the ultimate, undisputed champion when it comes to Phase 10 and Apples to Apples.

Ticked

2008-10-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

We are DIE-HARD fans of the TV show The Office. We own all the seasons, know them by heart, and have been waiting since last Thursday for the 2nd episode of the new season. Well, Ben had a meeting at the church tonight for his calling. So, he raced home as soon as the meeting was over so we could watch the new episode! We were both pretty bummed to find the Vice Pres debate in place of our show! Although, as a side note, I thought Sarah Palin was really impressive. She had a lot of good things to say. We just wish they could have been said last night instead of tonight!

Here we go...

2008-10-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Here I am...writing an actual post! Yay! And it's only OCTOBER!! I started this blog in June, but nobody told me that being a "stay-at-home-domestic-Goddess" would be a 24 hour mission! I have spent 27 years dreaming and wanting to be at this place in my life, and here I am! Bliss!!! I know one thing for sure...motherhood is not for whimps. (I know, you're all reading this thinking, She is SO naive! Just wait until she has 3 kids under the age of 5 and a bun in the oven!) You know what I say to that?! Bring it on!!!!