100 miles before 2010

Today started the challenge my friend Allie has going on which biking, running, jogging, or walking 100 miles by 2010. I am happy to say I am trying to do this challenge! I walked two miles today and plan to do that 5 times a week. I'm also doing a challenge with my mother in law and sisters in law to see who can lose the most weight between now and Thanksgiving when we are all together. We shall see who is the victor! I am trying to keep to a 1,ooo calorie a day diet but that is very hard since I have a major sweet tooth! But cutting out soda should help me a lot but we will see. My mom also bought me this cool thing to help you lose weight in your face. Super excited! If this challenge goes well I'm hoping we make another one til the first of the year but that will be very hard with all the yummy treats at Christmas! Wish me luck!

First Haircut

Got Colston his first haircut. We went to cookiecutters and they did a fabulous job! I am so impressed with them! The lady who cut his hair did a great job of distracting him during the haircut. They played a video for him and he got to sit in a little car and had a blast turning the steering wheel. There were a few times that he gave her a "what are you doing" look and pushed her hands away but for the most part he let her do her thing. And they printed off a picture for me and attached his locks to it. So now I just need to frame it and put it in his room. I probably won't get a picture printed out every time but it was a nice touch for his first one. I would definitely recommend cookiecutters to anyone! They know their stuff! And as a bonus they had a changing table in their bathroom! Which was great because of course as soon as it was time for his haircut he made "boom boom"!

Starting some discipline

Today I did my turbo jam video that I was so excited to get but never use! I hate working out! If I exercised half as much as I thought about it I would be so incredibly in shape. But alas thought do not count! So I am hoping that today was the start of me disciplining myself to work out and get in shape. If I actually get committed to this and keep up with it I will probably get pregnant right as I lose weight. Just my luck!

Another cake

My friend Pam paid me to make a cake for her daughter's 8th birthday. She had her party at the skate rink and wanted a cake that was black and hot pink. She wanted pop/punk kinda like Hannah Montana or Avril Levine. I basically had freedom to add or do whatever I wanted to make it my own creation. I kept looking for streamers or something cool and sparkley to go on top of the cake and on the sides. I found these star wands and thought they were perfect! Then later Matt found the little star things I put on the side of the cake. The ribbon was my favorite part! The zebra added a bit of punkishness to the cake I think. The hot pink stars I thought went better with the theme than polka dots would have. It took me a long time to get the frosting smooth but it was definitely worth it! This is one o my favorite cakes that I have made. I think it had a lot of originality and personality! Did I mention the birthday girl loved it? I don't know why but I was so nervous making a cake for a little girl. I was so worried it wouldn't be what she was expecting but she said it was great! She said she "had an awesome party with a cool cake!"

I love my new hobby and will be making another cake this weekend so I will be posting more pictures! Hope you guys enjoy!

My week so far

So far I feel like I've had a pretty productive week and it's not even half over yet. Sunday we took the teens up to the mountains for a picnic. It was a beautiful day and the teens had a lot of fun exploring and hanging out. And with the exception of Colston eating dirt we had no mishaps.

Monday I took Colston to the library for his first storytime. It was a lot of fun. At first I wasn't sure if he was going to be good and pay attention. He crawled off my lap and found a place on the floor so he could sit with the other kids. He did wander around a few times but was good for the most part. At the very end he did hit two girls but he had just learned the motions to "Shoo Fly" and I think that's what he was doing. At least I'm going to say that was it. We are going to go to toddler story time tomorrow and it will be more kids his own age so we'll see how that goes. I would like to take him to story time 2-3 times a week. It's just a half hour in the morning and it's nice to get out of the house.

Tuesday I dropped Colston off at my neighbor's house for a few hours so I could get caught up on my Beth Moore Study that I had fallen behind on. It was so nice to have a few hours of absolute peace and quiet and meditation. However when it was time to go get him I was very excited and he greeted me with a huge smile and "hi" which just made my day! While at my neighbor's house he had a cupcake for lunch and locked himself in the bathroom with the other toddler and then took a shower and had the best time. I might have to start dropping him off once a week and giving him some friend time. However, when I picked him up he had a fever of 100.8 so I was hoping it's just teething and that he's not getting sick. We don't have time for that junk.

Wednesday, which is today has already been an eventful day. Matt's off work today so he helped me get Colston ready today and that was a bad start. He fussed and whined and was not a happy camper and we're not sure why. Again I will chalk it up to probably teething. He finally got a little happier, which was good because we dropped him off in nursery so I could go to Bible Study and Matt could work on his lesson for youth tonight. I had a wonderful time in Bible Study this morning. Jamie was gone so I had to lead it and that was not my favorite part but it was ok. After Bible Study I had discipleship with one of my friends and that was a wonderful time of fellowship. After that Matt and I got chinese food for lunch and came home to enjoy the cold, gloomy day. Baby Aubrey who I watch will be here in just a few minutes and after she gets picked up at 6:30 we head off to youth group.

The rest of the week is someone planned out. Thursday we will be going to the library for toddler story time and then I have to bake some cakes for my friend's daughter's birthday. Friday I will be decorating the cake and watching Aubrey again from 1:30-6:30. At 7 we head off to small group at the Chappel's house. Saturday the cake will get picked up and Matt will be working so it will probably be a cleaning day! And hopefully I'll actually be able to get some sleep at night!

Hope all of you have a wonderful week!

Not Me Monday

Apparently all of my not me mondays have been waiting to build up and all happen during one week. It wasn't only not me, but it was not my husband and not my child as well. One thing after another did not happen this week. It was ridiculous.

First thing that didn't happen was the beginning of last week. I was at my friend's house for lunch and all of a sudden we heard clanging in the kitchen. When I walked in I certainly did not find my toddler with a mouth full of dog food and his hands in the bowl. Oh no not my child he would never eat that stuff and continue eating it once the nasty stuff was in his mouth. Yuck!

Later on in the week I went grocery shopping to get stuff to make dinner for a family at church that we were taking care meals to. I decided to make them beef stoganoff even though it's something I had never made before it seemed easy enough. I got all the ingredients and went home. Two days later when I went to get the noodles out of the bag for dinner I most definitely did not find the sour cream still in the bag! Ewww! I did throw it away and sent Matt to go get more.

On Saturday Matt and I went up to the mountains to look for a good picnic spot to take the teens for lunch the next day. When we were in the car I absolutely did not give my one year old a chocolate chip cookie to eat. And did not turn around 5 minutes later to see his face covered in chocolate. There were hardly any chocolate chips in that cookie and my child did not rub them all over his face and forehead. And we definitely did not leave him that way until we got home and got our camera and took pictures of him.

On Sunday we went up to the mountains and had a barbecue picnic with the teens. Matt and I took turns taking care of Colston and walking the trails. When Matt wanted to go for a walk and I asked where Colston was he definitely did not answer "he's over there eating dirt." Oh no not my husband he would never let my child pick up dirt, eat it and rub it all over his face. Oh no he wouldn't leave Colston that way for me to clean him up and him go off on a walk instead.

And I realized right before I wrote this that I would never trip over my husband's shoes 5 times before finally picking them up and throwing them where they belong.

Hopefully this week will go much smoother and with fewer not me, not my husband and not my child monday moments!

Mandy

Please Pray

My parents live in the Philippines and where they live has started flooding. I think the worst is over now. They were stuck in their car for 18 hours. My mom has arthritus and was on her way to the hospital to talk about some procedures she is going to have done. Needless to say she did not make the appointment. Also she was without her medicine for 18 hours but God kept her as strong as possible.

Another blessing is they were stuck by a grocery store so they were able to get some food and water that helped them during their long duration in the car. Also one of their church members walked in the typhoon to find them and take them some water and crackers. They had frozen meat that was thawing out so they were able to give it to him to take to his family. When they had to get out to walk to the store my mom said there were snakes, rats and cockroaches floating in the freezing cold water. Three of her favorite things.

While they were in the car they kept getting calls and texts from church members for help. Several of them told them the water was flooding their homes and businesses up to their chests. The area around there church was especially bad. God blessed by giving them a building on the second floor so their church was not only safe but became a safe haven for many of their church members and many others. Their house was not flooded but one of their cars got pushed down the street and they were able to get someone to move it and park it in a safe place for them.

While they were in the car they said people that were trying to cross the street had to hold on to a rope to not get swept away. There has not been a typhoon like this in 20 years. Many people have probably lost their homes and others their lives. Please continue to pray for those that are still looking for safety. I am praying that many found shelter in my parent's church and my dad will have the chance to share the gospel with them. I know God an use this tragedy for good if people let him.

Also I have a dear friend that is flying to the Philippines right now. I pray that he gets there safely and does not get delayed in another country and that he will be able to have someone to get him at the airport. I also have another friend who's 13 year old sister is in the hospital with an appendicitus and her mom is unable to get to the hospital. There is another missionary family with her but it's still scary not to have your mom there. Pray that the doctor's will operate even thought they are unable to get parental consent.

Thank you all for your prayers!

Mandy

Kind of excited

So Matt came home from work today and announced that he is going to start a work out program that a guy at work is giving him. He said he is going to get buff! I'm kind of excited because I've asked him before if he ever thought about working out but he's never had much interest in going to a gym. He is going to do the P90x work out program. This being a program he can do at home he's more apt to do it. I am also hoping that him doing this will help motivate me to do my work out. Especially if we are doing it at the same time I think I will be able to get my lazy butt up and do it.

Also tomorrow we start our new Beth Moore study and I am very excited! We have a lot of new ladies doing it and I think it will be a wonderful time to get to know each other!

What the Doc said

Basically the doctor said that everything looks fine. He didn't feel any tumors or masses. He said it should be fine for me to get pregnant again but it just may be more painful on myself. He also said if I have another c-section he will be able to see if there is more scar tissue than he thinks there is. On the plus side it hasn't been as painful lately so maybe it is healing!

Doctor's Appointment

So after months and months I finally broke down and called the doctor. Ever since I had Colston I've never felt like my c-section was completely healed. It's still sore most of the time and I've been ignoring for 15 months now. The doctor that delivered him is no longer an obgyn so I have to see another doctor in that office. The nurse said he will look at my incision and see him if I'm okay for another pregnancy. Whatever that means. I am trying not to think too much into it or worry too much but I am not doing a good job of it. I think I'm most afraid that the doctor will say it's nothing and I will go on living with it forever. I know God is in control and I am trying to make that my key thought these next few days. My appointment is Monday and we will see how it goes.

What was I thinking Wednesday???

So I am writing a "what was I thinking Wednesday" even though it's Thursday, it happened on Wednesday and that's what I'm calling it. Mostly because I have no idea what I was thinking! Last night Matt and I were getting ready to head to church for youth group and Colston was running around. I had found one of his shoes and put it on him but thought the other one was out in storage so I was going to grab it on the way out. When I put him on the ground his foot with just the sock on made him slip a little on the linoleum and Matt and I laughed. Then we proceeded to go in our room and finish getting ready. Colston had wandered into the bathroom which I thought was fine since the toilet seat was down and he couldn't "fall in".

Matt was getting text messages from the teens that they needed last minute rides so I told him we had better go so we wouldn't be late. No sooner had those words come out of my mouth then I heard a loud "whomp" from the bathroom. It was of course falling by a loud screaming cry. I ran in and checked to make sure his teeth were fine and he hadn't bit his tongue. Everything looked okay until he tipped his head back and then I saw the damage. He must have hit his chin on either the edge of the toilet or the bathtub.

As soon as I saw the cut I told Matt plans had changed and we were going to the hospital because I knew he was going to need stitches. I called his doctor's office which has kid's care after hours and Matt called off youth group. I sat in the back with him and tried to stop the bleeding but he did not like that. He stopped crying as long as I wasn't touching his chin.

Once the doctor looked at him we realized he also had indentions on the roof of his mouth from his bottom front teeth. Ouch! There was nothing he could do about that but said it would heal on its own. They put a numbing gel on his chin but didn't have to give him any shots so that was good. Matt and I had to help hold him while he was bundled, so his arms were strapped down. The nurse held his head back so that the doctor could stitch his chin. Colston was not happy about this but we had the ipod playing "Love Story" by Taylor Swift which is his favorite song and that helped calm him down a little bit. He ended up getting five stitches. The nurse said he was the youngest she had ever seen get stitches and I wanted to say "that's not exactly something we are proud of."

When the stitches were done and we unwrapped him we gave him the ipod and he listened to "Love Story" and he was completely calm. Afterwards we had to run to Wal-mart to go get milk and other essentials. The whole time we were at wal-mart he waved and smiled and said hello to everyone. You never would have guessed that he had just had stitches. He has the best demeanor and we are so thankful for that! I kept thinking it wasn't as bad as it could have been so that helped me not freak out so much. But now that it is over and I can see the ugly stitches I think "my poor baby". The doctor said it shouldn't scar too bad so I will pray and hope for that. However, I'm sure this will not be the last or worse thing he ever does to himself, especially if he takes after his Grandpa Johnson!

Not Me Monday

This being a holiday weekend meant that a part of it had to be a cleaning weekend for Matt and I. I decided to tackle the kitchen while he did the vacuuming and other things. Whenever we are cleaning Colston tends to get antsy and in the way. Which leaves the question what do we do to keep him busy. Since Matt was cleaning the living room that took away that possibility and I don't like to cage him in his crib if it's not nap time.




But I would never strap my child in his high chair and then push the high chair up to the fridge so he can play with the magnets. I figure if I just let him play with the magnets he is not contained but if I strap him in... but I would never do that. I wouldn't want my child out of my way that much. Nope not me!

On the go breakfast

What you need for this on th go breakfast treat is a can of crescent rolls, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and breakfast sausage. I cook the sausage the night before and then put it in the fridge. You scramble eggs however you like them but no need to add cheese. Take the crescent roll strips and put a spoonful of eggs in the middle and then put a small slice of cheddar cheese on the eggs and then put a sausage link or cut the sausage link in half lengthwise (depends on how much meat you want and how many you are making) on the cheese. Roll up the crescent roll (I tuck the ends in to keep the eggs from falling out) and put them in the oven according to the crescent roll directions. And then get ready while they cook!

I made these when we had a breakfast thing at church and they were gone in minutes. You can use bacon or a different cheese if you prefer. Just make them according to your preferences! They are great if you do Christmas breakfast while you open presents. They are not so messy! Matt and I are trying to think of a name for them. I say breakfast roll up and he said sausant. Any ideas?

Mops carwash

Today we had our first mops carwash and it was awesome. It was sprinkling in the morning at 9 so we prayed that by ten it would stop and it did. And the rain stayed away the whole time we were out there! Praise God! We raised lots of money and hopefully we will be able to do a lot more this year because of it. I think the most encouraging thing was how many people came out to help. We are a small mops group but when all of us got together we had a lot more than we thought. It was great to be able to hang out with each other and get to know some of the newcomers we have this year. Also one lady that stopped to get her car washed was very interested in joining our mops group. We are praying that she will come to our first meeting on Wednesday! Today was a great way to start our year off and I hope it continues the rest of the year!

That one friend

So my husband has been telling our teens a lot lately the importance of who you hang out with. Choosing who you hang out with is more than a one time thing but it is a path that you are choosing. He always tells them that if you want to do what's right and always make the right decisions then it helps if you have that one friend that believes what you believe and has the same standards that you do. It is so much easier to stick up for yourself to not do what you know is wrong when you have one other person that will stand with you. And a lot of times other people will follow you and your friend if they were to afraid to stand on their own. But a lot of times when you are all on your own it so much easier to give in to that peer pressure because no one is holding you accountable.


All of this really got me thinking about my friends in high school and why I never went to parties or never did anything that got me hurt or in a lot of trouble. I started thinking about some of my church and school friends when we lived in Kansas City. I had Amy, Alisha, Erin, Caleb, Katrina and a lot more that I hung out with and they were all from church or school or both. We all had the same beliefs and the same things we knew not to so I think that helped keep us accountable to each other. We had a great time just hanging out and didn't have to drink, or do drugs or have sex to have fun time. We just liked hanging out and that was enough.


Then I thought there has to be more. More of a reason why I never felt peer pressure to things I know shouldn't. Why I always felt like I had someone that I could talk to about anything and be myself around. Why I always felt like I had someone looking out for me and standing up for me. Then it hit me...Matt...my brother. We are 15 months apart and have pretty much always right in the middle of each other's lives. We had a lot of the same friends. We started new school's together and new youth groups together. I always had him right in front of me leading the way. Always the good example of what to do and what not to do. He was my rock. I know now that I never would have gotten through high school or life for that matter if I hadn't had him there to lean.



We moved so many times when we were younger but it was always okay because even when we knew no one we had each other. When my parents and I moved to the Philippines my senior year Matt stayed in the states for college. I remember being so upset that I had to leave my friends and my boyfriend right before my senior year. It wasn't until my first week of school that I realized why I was so upset. I was leaving my brother behind. It didn't feel right to start a new school where people didn't no Matt or didn't know me as Matt's little sister. It was strange to not have what had become that other part of me. That was the first time I think I ever felt really alone. My parents were great and we had a great time that year but it still feels strange to me to look back at the pictures and memories of that year and not have him in them.


Even now as I'm 26 years old and married and a mother it feels weird to not be near my brother. Him and his wife, Kat, were able to come visit not long ago and it was so refreshing to introduce him to our church family here and have my friends meet him. It finally felt complete that my life now had caught up with my life before. Even when he walked in to the church with out me people told me they knew he was my brother because we look so much alike.


I know that I was so blessed to have the brother I have. To have someone who was always looking out for me. Even now I have some of the best memories with my brother. I know we didn't always get along and there were times when I was the pesky younger sister but there was no one I would have rather had stick by me than him. He loved me for me and never tried to make me change into something I wasn't. There are still days that I get a longing to see him and for him to be closer. All the time my son has mannerisms that remind me of my brother and when he does those things I think "he will be a great older brother just like his uncle Matt."


Thank you Matt for being the best friend I could have ever had growing and for always being there for me. Even now.

Banana Turon

Sometimes I get homesick for more than just my parents but for the food of the Philippines. We had a picnic at church a few weeks ago and everyone brought whatever kind of food they thought was pirate type food. I used this an excuse to make one of my favorite filipino dishes. It's called banana turon or lumpia and is basically like a banana eggroll. It is delicious and easy to make!




To make this tasty treat you take plantain bananas and roll them in brown sugar and cinnamon. Then you wrap the bananas up in eggroll or lumpia wrappers and then you fry them in oil. When you take them out you roll them in brown sugar and cinnamon again and then lay them on rack to drip off remaining oil. Very delicious with vanilla ice cream!

Another Not Me Monday

I apparently have done more than my share of things I would never do this week since I have the pleasure of being able write not one but two not me mondays. I would never give my toddler a medicine bottle to play with instead of a rattle. I would never be too lazy to find his rattle and give him the first thing I find that rattles. In my defense my mom has given him medicine bottles to play with since he was a few months old so I don't feel so bad.

Matt and I were sitting in the living room watching tv and playing with Colston. He kept tossing his zyrtec bottle to his daddy and then walking around the living room with it. At one point he most definitely did not figure out the child safety cap and spill zyrtec all over the floor. Nope not my child! And Matt and I did not just sit where we were and watch in astonishment as the pills fell all over the floor. Like good parents we did pick up all the pills and keep our little one from eating any of the pills he managed to scatter all over our living room floor.

All is good now. All the pills are picked up and he is now playing with a ball. I think that may be a little more safe than the prescription rattles. Great, now I guess I should go find his rattle and put the bottles out of reach from now on.

Not Us Monday

So this week is a "not us monday" because I did not do this no, no alone. Actually if anyone was more to blame...okay so Matt and I were equally at fault this time. It was a great big oops that hopefully will never happen again and thank God did not end badly this time. I should start off by saying that we moved about a month ago to a new apartment. Our new place has a front entrance through the living room and a back entrance through the kitchen. We usually use that entrance since that is where we park (in the back) and take the trash out.

So last week Matt and I were in the kitchen doing some cleaning up after dinner. I always get onto Matt about not taking the trash out until it's over flowing. So he was taking the trash out for me and I was texting our friend to see if he was coming over for dessert. Matt most definitely did not leave the back door open as he walked out and I most definitely was not busy with my phone instead of watching my toddler who was in the kitchen. All of a sudden I hear this "Stop, No, No. Don't...aghhh...blah (non-sensical jabbering)". When I looked up I definitely did not see my toddler stumbling out the open door and teetering his little body, huge head towards the stairs outside. Did I mention that our stairs are metal with little spikey things coming up and my son was only in his diaper? Yeah, couldn't have been a worse scenario.

So I start running as Matt is running as fast as he can still yelling incoherently at this boy and I am doing the same. Apparently our jabbering worried him and he sat down right at the top of the stairs. Whew! We learned some valuable lessons in that moment. I think the most important was never, ever leave the back door or any door near stairs open if a toddler is near by. We couldn't get on to Colston because he just wanted to see where daddy was going and be his walking buddy. God definitely protected him and his little body from those treacherous stairs! Ouch!

Oh and I didn't mention the biggest no, no which was when my husband preached on Sunday. Without me knowing he decided to tell this wonderful story to the whole church. I think the best part was as soon as he said he left the back door open the whole congregation went "Oooooh". It was like a bad part in a movie or something. I definitely did not laugh the entire time he was telling the story!

So proud

My husband and I moved to Utah to work with the youth group at Mountainside Baptist Church. We've been here for over a year and a half now and it's finally feeling home. Our church is growing and our youth group is growing and our small groups are growing. Everything is growing it seems like and we are so excited about it! God has been blessing our church and we are so thankful for that.

Matt loves teaching the youth group and I love watching him. He is so goofy and the teenagers love him. He really connects with them and makes them laugh. I love watching him in his element. More than that though I love it when he gets to preach in front of the whole church. When we first moved here and Pastor Matt would go out of town my Matt would have to preach. He would get so nervous but he would always do such a wonderful job. Of course!

Today Matt and Jamie were out of town so my Matt got to speak. And he did a wonderful job! He spoke about Nehemiah and what he called the cage of responsibility. It's from the series he is doing now with our youth called the wild goose chase. He wanted to show the church what the teens are learning and show how it can apply to the adults life too. He talked about how we all have responsibility but a lot of times we use that responsibility as an excuse to not do what God wants us to do. We don't want to chase the Holy Spirit to where he wants to take us but instead try to meet up with him later while we go about doing our own things.

As he was preaching about how we don't always think that we are capable of doing what God wants us to do I was thinking about him. And how everything he was talking about applied to his own life. When I first met he was always scared to preach in front of the adults. He wasn't ever sure if he could preach where it would apply to them or that they would think that he's too young. But every time he preaches so many people tell him that his message was such a blessing.

Today was the first time that I saw him preach and he was not nervous at all. He even spoke slower than usual until the end then his fast talking took over. He even told his funny stories and made everyone laugh and was totally at ease. I couldn''t help but look at him and feel so proud. I think today was the best that he has done. I am so lucky to be married to such an amazing, godly man!

H2O is the best

My son loves water. I mean absolutely loves it! Whether it's the pool or the bathtub or in a bottle he loves it. When he was about 4 months old we started taking him in the shower instead of a bath and he would fall asleep as the water showered down on him. Once he was able to sit up we would let him crawl around in the shower. Even when I took him to the Philippines we would fill up a plastic tub you wash clothes in and he would sit in it and play with his cups. Even now if I start filling the bath tub with water he gets all excited and starts yelling to get in. He even tries to hike his leg up over the edge of the bath tub to get in. Thank goodness he's short. The other day I stripped him down as the bath tub was filling up and turned my back for one second...big mistake. Apparently the sound of rushing water was very soothing and I turned to find he had peed all over the floor. I learned to never leave a boy's diaper off when near running water. Big mess!


His new thing lately is to try and drink the bath water. Icky! Not to mention he could very sick from that. At least that's what my mom always says when I tell her what he's doing. He also likes to try and suck all the soapy water out of his wash cloth. Ewww! But it is so cute that I had to take pictures and a video but then I took the wash cloth away.

I love taking pictures of him in the bath tub because his eyes are so blue. I keep wondering if it would be weird to have professional pictures taken of him in the bath tub....hmmmm.... However our favorite photographer just moved away. So sad. All of my favorite pictures we've taken of him are in the bath tub and I will frame them and put them up! He's just too adorable not to. And the bath tub is when he is the happiest and actually smiles for the camera!

The other day I got to take Colston to the pool and it was so fun. He had the best time. He splashed and played and didn't care how cold the water us. I even got him to hold his breath a little so I could put him under water. He loved it and didn't cry at all. That boy has no fear. He kept trying to crawl away from me and go head first in the water. Luckily he didn't get too far away from me. I want to put him in swimming lessons soon. Since he seems to be half fish as it is I think he would pick it up pretty quickly.



I am so blessed to have such a happy, easy going baby. And blessed that when he decides to be stubborn or cranky it's usually at home. He is definitely a crowd pleaser and much happier with lots of people. Even taking him to the grocery store is fun. He says hi to just about every person we pass and waves and smiles. He doesn't know a stranger. I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. I am so thankful that he likes lots of people and is not clingy to Matt or I. Although when Matt comes home he definitely wants his daddy. He gets so mad when Matt leaves. It's very cute and sad. I love that I get to spend all day with this amazing little boy. He brightens up my day, even when he's cranky. I am so blessed!

The dino museum

Yesterday a bunch of us moms got together and took our kids to Thanksgiving Point to the Dinosaur Museum. It was $2 Tuesdays so we were excited to get in so cheap. We go there a little before it opened but apparently everyone else had the same idea. The line wrapped around the building! But luckily the line went pretty quickly. Once we got inside and paid we had to go through another line to let us in the actual exhibit part. Before we got in that line my friend Amy told me that they won't let you take sippy cups in. So I put mine in my bag and went and told our other friends the same thing. Right before we got up to the check in point I told a lady in front of me the sippy cup rule and she put hers in her bag. Well then when I got up there the sippy cup nazi told me to take out my cups and I said "what cups" and she said "the ones I saw you stuff in your bag". First off I knew she hadn't seen me do that but it was the lady in front of me but I went ahead and took one out and then walked through with a full bottle of water and a full juice cup. But I did not take them out while I was in there. Come to find out the lady had said the same thing to a lot of other people. I guess it's her tactic to get people to give up there cups. I'd hate to have her job. She did not seem happy.
Colston climbing on one of the dinosaurs.

















As we started walking through the museum we saw all the wonderful teaching of evolution. It was crazy to see all the half evolved sea creatures and the dinosaurs and the similarities between us and them. So silly. Besides all of that all of the exhibits were pretty cool. They had fake dinosaur skeletons so that kids could crawl on them and touch them. All of the actual fossils and bones were in glass cases so they wouldn't be touched or broken by the children running every where. They also had and erosion area where the kids could play with sand and dirt and stuff and get their hands all dirty. I opted to keep Colston in the stroller for that time.






I think the saddest part of the whole day was when we found a little girl probably about 7 years old crying because she lost her mommy. It was so sad. She kept hugging me and climbing in my lap. Finally an older man that worked there came over and took her from me to find her mommy. After he took her I kept wanting to follow him to make sure he was really going to take her to her mommy. I think I've watched too many episodes of Law and Order SVU. But when it comes to the safety of my kids or anyone else's I think it's okay to be a little paranoid. And if it keeps my kids safe and doesn't make me crazy over protective then I'm okay with that.

All in all it was great day with good friends and a chance to get Colston out of the house. The next time we go he will probably be walking and I am leaning towards the leashes I never I thought I would put on my child. But as much energy as that boy has I no I will have my hands full when he starts running all over the place. Sometime I think he is too stubborn and curious for his own good. Wonder who he gets those qualities from??? I wish that was something I could blame on his daddy but I'm definitely the guilty one.

Oh and I did put a bow in my sons hair to see how cute he is. His daddy was not happy but said he is pretty cute with the bow. Don't worry I took it out right after the picture.

My New Hobby

I am not talented. I don't play an instrument. I can't sing, or draw, or dance. I've never had anything that I was extremely talented at or even good at. Unless you ask my parents then they will say I am good with people. I always laugh when they say that. It never sounded like a compliment to me when I was younger but now I see that it is. However, I decided after I had Colston that I wanted to have a hobby that I was good at that I could do for my kids. And I decided if nothing else I wanted to be able to make their birthday cakes every year.

For his first birthday I decided to make his personal cake a fish. And the big cake was the ocean with fish swimming.

After I made his birthday cake my friend Larissa asked me to make ones for Bella's first birthday. She gave me the theme and I came up with these lady bug cakes and the personal lady bug cake for Bella.


Since making those cakes I have sold some others for birthdays and special occasions. I get so excited every time someone new asks me to make cakes for them. Especially when they offer to pay me. I have finally found something I am not only good at but enjoy.

The cake that started it all was the strawberry one I made for Larissa's birthday and then sold two like it. They are made to look like a basket of strawberries. The white one is my favorite but I think the chocolate tastes better. Mmmm....





And then for fun I found these spaghetti and meatballs cupcakes and owl cupcakes that I made for our bake sale at church. It was so cool to have someone want to buy something I made. It was a very rewarding feeling.

Hopefully this is a hobby that I will not only continue doing but will get better at the more I practice. I have enjoyed coming up with new fun ideas to make cakes and cupcakes into something more than just a cake. I already have several cakes to make in the next few months for birthdays and holidays. I'm praying that this will be a way I will be able to make a little extra money since I am not working right now. After Colston and any other kids I might have are in school I might take this skill and try to work at a bakery or something. As long as it continues to be something I enjoy and not something I begin to dread. Baking and decorating has become an outlet for me when I'm busy or stressed. I know that sounds weird but it works for me.

Not me Monday

So, when my friend first told me about "Not me Mondays" I thought I would never have anything to add. But then the other day I found one. I was taking a shower while I let Colston eat his waffles in his high chair. I heard him talking and yelling for me as usual but then when I was getting ready he started yelling louder and crying. I came out to the kitchen and saw that he had tried to get out of his high chair but got only one leg out and couldn't get it back in. Hence, the loud crying for me.





I would never find my child like that (crying and stuck) and go grab my camera to take pictures of him. And I would never take those sad and hilarious photos and then post them on my blog for all my friends and family to see my baby like that. And I would never continue to laugh about it as I post them. Nope, not me. I'm a much better mommy than that! Or so I thought.




Now, that I have done this once I'm pretty sure it won't be the last time I use my baby for a laugh. When he's older I'm sure he'll laugh too!

The magic of music

It must be said... I am so thankful for Hannah Montana and Taylor Swift. Every time Hannah Montana comes on the Disney channel or any other music video he freezes where is he is at. He will sit completely still for the whole video or intro or whatever it is. I love it! Also, he loves Taylor Swift. Whenever he is completely inconsolable we put on "Love Story" by Taylor Swift and he calms down. It's to the point that as soon as we start it he recognizes the first few bars of it and right before it ends he gets sad because he knows it's almost over. It cracks me up. The last few nights he has not been sleeping well because he is getting more teeth and we have had to put "Love Story" on repeat for about an hour until he falls asleep.

It always makes me laugh because Matt does not like girl vocals very much but his son is in love with them. Whenever any girl starts singing he stops what he is doing. I remember when I was pregnant with him and I was watching American Idol and one of the girls starting singing and he started kicking like crazy until she was done. I feel like this means we are going to have our hands full with him as he gets older! Yeesh! I'll start praying now.

And I must say I love the Disney Channel. I love putting it on and being able to walk away knowing that he won't hear anything bad. And I must say it is entertaining for myself as well. Many times Matt will come home and Colston will be asleep and the Disney Channel will be on and I will be laughing. What can I say I am easily amused. I'm sure I'm not the only parent guilty of this.

Moving never ends

Raise your hand if you hate moving! I feel like I have moved so much in my life that I should just live in a moving van. This will be the third apartment Matt and I have lived in since we've been in Utah (only a year and a half). Crazy! But God did get us the cheapest apartment around so that is a huge blessing! However moving the week after camp and two weeks after VBS is not the best timing. But originally we thought we have to move the weekend between camp and VBS. Just thinking about that possibility exhausted me!

We are only moving a couple of blocks from where we are now. I can't decide if that makes moving easier or harder. Moving for the first time with a baby definitely makes it harder. I was pregnant during the last two moves and constantly told not to lift anything. However when we moved last May I was about 8 months pregnant and my friend Larissa was about a month behind me. Matt was moving things from the other apartment and left me in the new one to not lift or move anything. When Larissa came over (bulging just as much as I was) she said Matt told her to put the beds together. So I told her if she was allowed to do stuff then so was I. So we put both beds together and rearranged all the furniture in the bedrooms and set them up. When Matt and Joe came back over they went to the rooms to set up the beds and saw what we had done. Matt said he had just picked the most ridiculous thing for Larissa to do thinking she would know he was being sarcastic. Apparently she did not get that message. Oh well.

I am off to pack more boxes and do some more moving. And as I'm writing this I realize that Colston has gotten into my purse and opened a pack of sour patch kids some how and is making a horrible face but is continuing to eat. Guess I better go do my mommy duty!



Mandy

Getting Started

So, I've never blogged before and really have no idea what I am doing. Last week I met an amazing, godly woman who told me about blogging and how wonderful it is. I said it sounded like something I was willing to try. I don't live near any of my family or any of my oldest and dearest friends so this is a way for me to share my life with them. It always seems that those we are closest to are the farthest away. I miss sharing the simple details of everyday life with them and hearing about theirs.

I got the name for my blog from a couple things. Ever since I was a little girl in the Philippines I have loved mangos. They have always been my favorite fruit and my dad's nickname for me. I decided to do mango tree because mangos are yellow, and green and red and they can be sweet or sour. And I feel like that is how my life is. It's filled with sweet and sour moments. I love green mangos more than yellow. I love to eat them really sour with vinegar and rock salt. And I feel like that is similar to my life. I always seem to find myself focusing on the sour moments and sometimes even making them more sour myself. Instead I should be enjoying the sweet moments and savoring those. So I am hoping this will not only help me to vent when frustrated or at my wits end, but to share when I have amazing things happen and when I can see God working in my life. I hope to find more sweet moments in the sour ones.