I thought I might mention...

This month, Nathan & I have been married 5 years. 

We celebrated simply. 

Marley & I surprised Dad at his cold office with a peppermint hot chocolate & two spicy breakfast burritos.

Nathan spent several breaks at work over several weeks making me a beautiful paper flower. 

It was so unexpected and thoughtful.

I love fresh flowers but, they never last.

This one will last. 

 

 That afternoon we picked Nathan up early from work, which is actually a Friday ritual.

Then we went grocery shopping.

Nathan & I sneaked a frozen cheese cake into the cart. 

One of those with 8 slices and every two slices are a different flavor. 

That night after we put Marley to bed we busted that cheesecake out. 

Mmmmmm....

Usually, Nathan makes a caramel pecan cheesecake, this frozen one was easier....but not as good.

And the following three nights after our anniversary we ate cheesecake after Marley's bedtime. 

Hee hee hee! 

We lay in bed looking at Pinterest together. 

That night we clicked on the "humor" category and we laughed harder than we have laughed in awhile.

Tears and high pitched squeeks.

And of course I had to cross my legs.

That kind of out of control laughter.

We have been planning to buy new sheets for our bed as our gift.

We should have gotten them that night, but we didn't and we still have yet to get them.

Soon!

 It was a lovely day.

You know how it goes. 

Part of me can't believe it's already been 5 years!

The other part of me can't believe it's only been 5 years!

Either way, I am so grateful to be married for time & all eternity to Nathan.

"...to satisfy the little devil in all of us!"

Ha! Nathan's Grandpa was asked to be in a Doritos commercial submission for the Super Bowl. 

I think my cousin Andy submitted a Doritos commercial last year? Or a couple of years ago? 

It was hilarious! But, I remembered having a hard time finding it.

So, I got VERY specific directions on how to find the commercial with Grandpa Russon. 

WARNING: 

Before you click on the link to watch the commercial you must be warned! 

Grandpa Russon just celebrated his 90th birthday and he is  
THE CUTEST old man IN THE WHOLE WORLD!

I don't think he has even a little devil inside him, but the commercial is pretty cute, because of Grandpa and funny because of what he does to get some Doritos.

http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/#/gallery/?video=16894


********


I have to continue to tell you about Grandpa Stanford (Stan) Russon.
Isn't Stanford such a cool name?
He has a beautiful wife and eternal companion, Teresa, or Grandma Russon.

I don't know all the details of their lives but I know enough to tell you....
they are very faithful Latter-day Saints.
They have spent their lives building a legacy of faith.
They have dedicated their lives to perfecting themselves and helping others along the way.
They are dedicated to redeeming the dead through temple work and and spreading the Gospel through missionary service.

They are HARD workers.
They still live in their home. They still cook and clean and care for themselves.
They continue to host large family events.
Grandpa never stops moving and always has a large garden and a beautiful yard.

They have traveled A LOT!

They never stop learning. They are always reading!

Grandpa is a record keeper.
He has published a family history book of his Martineu ancestry.
He has also published his own personal history which is in two volumes. He has given a copy to all his children and grandchildren. They are treasures and include lots of pictures and wonderful details of significant personal and family events.

He is ALWAYS learning new ways to place his text around his pictures on the computer.
For his age he is very technologically savy.
Always memorizing how to replicate what his grandchildren teach him on the computer.
He just got a new computer!

They each served a mission as young adults.
Grandma served in Mexico and Grandpa served in the Central States, mostly in the south part.

As a couple they have served 4, yes FOUR missions:
Chile
New Jersey
Switzerland
and
Puerto Rico

In Switzerland, I think, they worked in the temple and Grandpa was/is a sealer.

He has married and sealed MANY of his grandchildren in the temple, on their wedding days.
Including me and Nathan.
It was the most beautiful sealing I have ever attended.
I hope everyone says that about their own sealing. ;-)
Ours was so personal because Grandpa sealed us.
He shared beautiful truths and personal insights that I continue to be touched by and reflect upon.

I am so grateful to be part of the Russon family and be a grandchild to Stan & Teresa.

So many blessings

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful! Minus, Marley waking up throwing up. She only did it once though and then she was just fine. Must have been something she ate...or something? We didn't go to the branch Thanksgiving because of it but we had a great time as a little family. Thankfully we had some yummy treats and lots of fun projects planned. The house was CLEAN! It's not now. Poot! The visiting clean never stays long. Oh well.

Marley watched a couple of movies bundled in blankets and the bucket in front of the couch, while Nate and I did stuff around the house. Cooking, cleaning (trying to keep the house clean as long as possible), sewing, eating. Nathan sorta missed out on turkey and stuffing and the whole Thanksgiving meal (not me, you know). But, thankfully we had some yummy alternatives.

For breakfast we had blueberry pancakes. Nathan used our last bag of frozen, hand picked (by us) wild blueberries. They were SO delicious! We also had hot coco! Mmmm. For lunch we had artichoke dip with french bread and black olive sandwiches. Our bellies were stuffed! Still that night we had BLT's. Those were so delicious too! We haven't had any of those meals in awhile and never in the same day so it was a memorable Thanksgiving still!

Marley didn't last on the couch. She was soon up and helping and dressing in princess clothes and dancing. Can't keep a princess down. She still moved the bucket around the house with her. She learned that by watching me do it for three months. But by the evening the bucket and Marley were in different parts of the house....and that's the way we like it.

Friday morning I met my friend, who is helping me sew, at her house around 6am and we went to the Soo and black Friday shopped JoAnn's together. It was fun! But, we did not think about the double line. One HUGE line for cutting and then a line for checking out. We got some excellent deals and it was fun to be together. So worth it.
 
After shopping Ranon (pronounced Run On, my friend) gave me a bundle of Thanksgiving leftovers for Nathan.  She said, "I know you don't like Thanksgiving food but here is some for Nathan." It was turkey and stuffing and gravy. She also included cranberry salad, enough for me and Marley and black pecan pie! Yum!

Throughout the weekend we continued to celebrate how thankful we are to be a family. We did everything together! We had yummy food, like, Chicken Tikka Masala. Mmmm! Chicken Enchiladas! And homemade deli sandwiches! Avocados are a bust at the store these days, poot! but still we can make some YUMMY sandwiches!

We also had pistachios and spice drops at our finger tips all weekend. You can always find spice drops at Grandpa Russon's so that was a fun family tradition to uphold and stir up warm feelings of family far away.

Nathan worked on the car. He is still trying different things to keep the engine light off. It keeps comin' on.  He has one more try and then we gotta take it in to a professional. We think this will be the key though. Fingers crossed. Marley and I cleaned out the car (my favorite thing to do) while Nathan worked under the hood.

Nathan also worked on the dryer. Yea, our dryer died about a month ago. He has replaced several parts in it so far and now he thinks it's the motor. Probably the most expensive part to replace. It's an old dryer though and we are SO grateful to have it. He is going to tinker with the motor and try to fix it til after Christmas. If he can't fix it, we'll order a new one.  In the meantime, we'll continue to take our wet clean clothes to the laundromat to dry them. We are so grateful to have one in town. Phew! It's a pain and inconvenient to transport and pay for it but we can dry several loads in an hour. Not bad.

We worked on Christmas presents for extended family. They may be a bust though...may have to resort to a back up gift. We'll see. But, that is what is frustrating about homemade gifts...for me anyway. They rarely turn out right for me. That's also why I like to avoid baking these days. By bother if nothing turns out right?

I am so grateful for Nathan. He is such a loving and caring husband. He loves to be with me and I love to be with him. I love being his wife! I am SO grateful for his job and the awesome experience he is getting for his career.

I am so grateful for Marley. She is so smart and helpful and friendly. I see her as an over achiever in every way.  And oh yes! She is a butthead sometimes...so she is also a very normal kid. She makes me so very happy to be a mother.

I am grateful that we are being blessed to grow our family. We are so excited to find out the sex of our little babe next Monday, the 5th! What do you think it is?

I really have SO much to be thankful for. Even things that I haven't felt thankful for...I DO! Like engine lights and broken dryers and a sick child. I have been able to see the blessings even in the unexpected and disheartening. I don't feel that it is anything I have really done to seek it, just being blessed. That is why I love this season. This year I have truly felt my heart soften and yearn for simplicity and fill with gratitude. Our lives don't need to be as complicated as we think or make them out to be. My life is simple right now. I am a wife and a mother and I love it! I have so many blessings!

Filling In The Gaps

I lost my blogging groove. 

The weekends throw me off.

I just take what I can get from people posting...and I'm happy.

And I'm sure you're all the same too. 

So no apologies here.

But, let me fill in some of the gaps. 

1st

You are all correct! I am definitely NOT 18 months pregnant! Sheesh! THAT would be awful!

I am now 19 weeks pregnant. And my appointment went great! 

2nd

To answer Aunt Kathy's questions. From this post.

" Is there a story behind the Angry Bear? Or is it a big stuffed bear lookin' all ready to eat you like?"

On the corner of Hwy 31 and I believe, Airport Road in Traverse City, there is an outdoor sporting goods store....at least we think that's what it is, that has a giant angry bear over the front door. There is a beautiful wilderness scene painted behind the bear. 

It is quite the sight!

  

Since both pictures I found online are on flickr accounts of people I don't know, I'm just giving you the links to view the pictures. Please know: I don't know these people and did not look through their album(s) and if you choose to look through their album(s), I am not responsible for anything you may or may not see. 

Link to picture of Angry Bear in Traverse City, MI

Poor Angry Bear got tagged with paint balls.

3rd

I have been really busy! 

And I'm not just talking about my rigorous tv watching schedule...that too has suffered...but not too much.

Saturday: Nathan worked in our project room, on a homemade Christmas gift for his sister, 

while I worked on organizing our project room. 

I'm going to do a post on the project room but just know that it was/is a big job and I made a good dent in it.

Marley kept herself busy twirling in her Rapunzel dress and talking to her imaginary friends. 

 She "helped" organize too. 

My friend is helping me with some Christmas present projects. 

They are for Marley so I went while she was at school. 

I'm sure I'll do a post on them but, I have been busy going to my friend's house and getting help.

And I've been working on my holiday tradition of cleaning my house like we're going to have guests! I started this tradition in Lincoln and part of the tradition is thinking and hoping while I clean that someone(s) from our families will surprise us and show up for the holiday. No one has ever surprised us, nor have I really expected them to, but it is a wonderful treat to think of our families while I clean AND have a spic n' span house when I wake up on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The past two mornings I sang my to do lists. 

That was fun!

It helps me remember what I need to do and organize my thoughts so I can be quick and efficient. 

You should try it. 

Sing as you go!

First Snow Fall of the Winter....

Fridays are exciting!
Today is my 18 month doctor appointment!
In two weeks we get to find out what we are having...a boy, a girl, or an alien...er, wait, no.

Last Friday was our first snowfall of the winter, as you know from my glam on 9&10 News. 

But here's the good stuff.

Nathan had the day off last Friday. 

It was wonderful!

Marley couldn't wait to go out and play in the snow. 

She lay on the floor while I tied her boots and and I thought she looked a little bit like the kid all bundled up on the Christmas Story.

(ignore the mess around her)

Wow! A Winter Wonderland!

Marley insisted on building a snowman. 

Dad gets started.

Marley tromps through the snow and asks me to take pictures of her foot prints.

Half way there.

Crushed.

The awesome face, which included eye brows.

The rock face wouldn't stay together though. 

That little ball on the top is the hat that Marley made.

Just won't stay!

The snow queen on her throne.

Eating her favorite delicacy. White Snow.

 After Marley went to school that day, Nathan and I spent nearly all four hours cleaning and organizing the garage. 

Now the Black Pearl is safely harbored in the garage. 

Safely hiding from the snowplow. 

While we were cleaning I got snagged to do the news piece.

All because Marley wanted a snowman and Nathan built it.

Have a wonderful Friday!!!!

A fLoCk oF sEaGuLls

A Flock of Seagulls?
Do you remember that band from the 80's?  Here's a song to help you remember. Before you try and view it, let me just warn you, I really like this song and watched the whole thing, but it's 5:27 minutes long, so if you don't have time, just skip to about 4:40 and watch the last minute. Make a note of the lead singers hair. That's what this is all about. (oh and you'll have a chance to see their guitarist, he looks like he is 12!) I think this is the only A Flock of Seagulls song I know, but I like it!

So, I said this is all about that lead singers hair...well, it's really all about Marley's hair...when she wakes up in the morning. Sometime it looks like that dude's hair...sometimes it looks much worse!

Evidence:

The following are much worse.

This is when we lived with Grandma Nette.

 I was snapping so many pictures Marley went and got the detangling spray and started doing her own hair.

 We really like this do but, it's hard to do with her curl and fine hair.

 Here it's tamed by a do rag...kinda.

 The following pictures are crazy hair and...fuzz?

 

 Marley!? Did you take this pillow apart on your bed?

 Whachyu talkin' 'bout Phyllis?

 Some mornings are tame.

Some mornings, everything is crazy!

 

Post Edit:

And what was Marley doing while I was blogging about her hair?

 Wearing her backpack on her head.

 Marley? Why are you wearing your backpack on your head?

 What? Is that weird?