VIva Las Vegas!

Our trip to Las Vegas over Valentine's weekend was had a double purpose. I was able to attend my high school reunion and get away with my hubby. It was so much fun.

This is us at the Trevi - an Italian restaurant inside of the mall @ Ceasar's Palace.


Reunited with my best friend, Amy, from Vilseck was an absolute treat. It was so much fun to see her again and after a few minutes, she and Jared were talking like old friends. That was the best part.

Some of the crew after dinner...

Amy and I enjoying a photo op. I have to tell you - it was COLD while we were there. As we walked (and walked and walked and walked...) looking for the Cheesecake Factory, I could feel my toes going numb.

Ahhh... Romance! Just a moment with my Sweetheart!

Seeing The Blue Men Group was one of the big highlights of our trip. The show was completely unexpected, and extremely entertaining from start to finish.

We spent some time rubbing shoulders with famous people at Madam Toussauds.

One of the places that can bring out the child in anyone is FAO Schwarz. Not only is is a great store, but it has all of the things that I used to have in Germany as a kid. Here are a few of the photos we snapped inside, just goofing around.

So, I didn't know that this place existed. It is like taking a 12 hour flight and landing right in Munich, Germany. Welcome to the Hofbrauhaus - a truly Bavarian place to eat and enjoy. We even found some chocolates to bring home to the kids from Germany. Go Milka Bars! Everything about this place was authentic, which made it a fabulous place to have dinner with some of the crew from Vilseck. Welcome to weekends at my high school...

The Um-Pa band (as my brothers always called them) played German and American favorites. The American songs had a German twist and everyone was singing, "Sweet Caroline" , "Right Next Door to Alice" and "Sweet Home Alabama" while swinging beer mugs and dancing on the benches. It was a riot.

Amy teaching Jared some of the cool things that he can now do with his new i-phone.

Don't worry, Amy drank enough for the both of us - and Jared and I kept refilling our Root Beers!

I was so happy to see Amy. It was like it hadn't been a decade since we had seen each other. She was a breath of fresh air in my HS experience since she moved to Vilseck from California. We ran together (cross country), sang together (choir, girls ensemble, musicals), traveled all over the place Romania to Czech to Wurtzburg Prom. She could always make me laugh at myself and stop taking things so seriously. As I watched Amy and Jared interact, I realized that they are A LOT alike. Funny enough. It may be years before we see each other again, but I am sure that the next time we meet up, it will feel like hardly any time has passed. That is the blessing of friendship.

As Jared and I drove away from Vegas, the skies were gray and the weather was dismal. That has happened every time we have driven to Vegas together. We had a wonderful trip, talking and laughing and enjoying every single moment we were able to spend as a couple.

May we have many more fun trips and weekend get-aways in the future! There are a few more shows I want to see in Sin City and I wouldn't mind another trip to Munich - without the long plane ride. I'd love to hit the Hofbrauhaus again.

Jared Turns 30!

It is hard to believe, but Jared just hit 30 years old. Wow! Where did the time go??? Here were a few of the things that we did to celebrate Daddy's big day:

The girls got up early to "help" mom fix breakfast.

Daddy got to open his gifts from the kids that were each picked out just for him. Great job kids!!!

The big surprise came when we all went to Daddy's office for lunch. Soly provided lunch for everyone and we brought cake, ice cream, and balloons. The kids decorated Daddy's desk with a Batman table cloth and yellow paper products. Jared was such a good sport and wore the birthday hat.

We brought him a special gift: 30 Things We Love About You.

If was full of little things that the kids have said about their Daddy. Some were journal entries, some were recent statements. Jared loved it.

We had such a fun time celebrating with the Birthday Boy! The kids were great and never let the 'cat out of the bag' as we planned his birthday party.

I know that I am biased, but I am married to the most wonderful man in the world. He is my perfect match and I am grateful every day that we are married. He is an amazing father and his kids absolutely adore him. He gets a "Rock Star" greeting every time he comes home. I can't think of anyone that deserves it more. 30 years... here's to many more wonderful birthday celebrations!

Happy Birthday, Jared! We love you so much!

Released

For those of you that didn't know, my husband was released on Sunday as the Elders Quorum President. It was a bit of a bitter-sweet experience for him. He has served as president for 2 years and was in the previous presidency for 2 years. I have forgotten what it is like to have Jared home on Wednesday evenings - and on Sunday. :o) While he is sad about being released, his work schedule leaves little time for anything else. I guess it is a blessing in disguise.

He was so grateful to have served with such great men as counselors. As a wife, I felt he was really blessed to be surrounded by such good men. We have all been strengthened by their service, friendship, and testimonies. When he was called, he was told that he was given the chance to serve - at the expense of others. He was given the chance for growth and blessings. I have seen so much of both over the last 2 years. I am glad that he was given that opportunity. We have such an awesome ward and I know that Jared has really enjoyed these last several years. I can't wait to see what will be in store for him next.

The Little Things

I was just reflecting on how much I love the little things in life. I am so grateful for those moments that just happen in the day to day run of things. Today was a tough day. I don't know if it was the humidity or what, but my girls were having a very hard time behaving. Jared put them to bed tonight before heading off to play racquetball. I sat down to try and clear my head for the day. Here are a few that I am especially thankful for today:

- Hearing Hyrum’s baby squeals and giggles when I kiss his tummy or tickle his feet. He is so ticklish! I can’t help but laugh at his pure enjoyment. He is at the cutest stage right now and I just want to hold him so close and have him never become a 2 year old!
- Listening to Jadyn singing her songs as she plays all day long. I love that my home is always full of music.
- Hearing Jenna pray for the really important things in life like: her baby dolls, eating popsicles, watching Elmo, the food, and her red shoes.
- Dancing with Jared in the freezer isle of the grocery store as part of our date night Friday. (No kidding.We went in for some Klondike Bars and danced and turned like we were in the middle of a very romantic dance number. I was just following his lead…) It was a blast! What would YOU do for a Klondike Bar?!?
- Dropping everything and dancing around the living room with my kids any time “Ever, Ever After” by Carrie Underwood comes on. (I have it on my blog playlist and our computer song list.) We twirl, dip, and sing at the top of our lungs. I am always tired (especially when Jadyn asks if we can do it again – for the 11th time in a row) and grinning from ear to ear when we are done.

It is those precious little things that mean so much to me, probably more than I can begin to express in words. I have a wonderful family. Even when things are difficult and crazy (as they often are) I live for those little moments that make my heart sing.

My Funny Hubby

While Jared was working late tonight he checked out our new family blog. He loved it (of course) and was even more entertained by the Emma picture on my sidebar. Just for kicks and giggles he took the quiz. I was not even a bit shocked by which of the characters he resembles... Can you guess?

Take the Quiz here!

Yep! So HE is not really Elizabeth Bennet, HE would be much more of the Mr. Darcy type, but there was not a man's version of the quiz. He is probably going to kill me for this, but I thought I would post his answer just the same. Sorry, Babe. I swear I'll make it up to you!

Life Lessons

The other night Jared sat down with one of his younger brothers. His brother has been struggling (as most teens do) with many of the rules he has been given. As they spoke, Jared began to share some of his thoughts on "real life" and the things that he has learned. When all was said and done, he ended up with 5 significant life lessons that could help his brother make some choices and changes in his life. With each life lesson, experiences were relayed that supported the statement. I was pretty impressed that my husband could spend 2 hours teaching lessons that I thought every young person should know. So, here they are...

1) Life takes work.

2) Life is hard.

3) Life has rules.

4) Life is not fair.

5) Life requires integrity.

Bonus lesson: Pornography will destroy your life.

I thought of 3 things I would add to his list and they are:

Life is amazing - be grateful.

Life starts now!

Love makes life worth living.

What are some of your life lessons? What would you tell a friend or family member if you have the chance?