Red Yellow Green Red Blue Blue Blue...

Today was a fun day because we decided to head down to the Lotus Temple in Spanish Fork which is the Hindu temple in Utah county. And this weekend they were celebrating the Hindu holiday of Holi which celebrates the coming of spring. Apparently it is a HUGE holiday in India and the most common way of celebrating is by throwing colored powder on people. It doesn't even have to be at people you know which we found out the hard way.

So Gabe, Ryan, my sister Becca, her husband Spencer, and some of our neighbors loaded into our cars and drove down.

There was music, dancing, food, and of course, AN INSANE AMOUNT OF COLORED CHALK! Technically it was some sort of flavored flour that was also lightly scented. And I will say that although it was safe to eat DO NOT ATTEMPT IT! Ryan so very kindly threw a handful of bright orange in my face and it mostly got in my mouth. Not delicious at all!

And yes, we are the type of parents that we dressed Gabe in a white shirt and told perfects strangers that, yes they could throw chalk at our baby. Most people were kind and sprinkled a little on his head or rubbed it in his hair. Most of the "damage" done to Gabe was done by our group.



We, as adults, were not treated so gently. You would turn your head and BAM! All you could see was pink, or in my case purple, as some giggling D-Bag runs in the other direction. I get that you can expect certain things from the people you are with but "the rules" say no powder in the face unless you ask first. Oh well! And I will have you know that I followed the rules and only threw it in Ryan's face unless I did it on accident.

It was so much fun to just be there and see the clouds of pink smoke surrounding the temple. The music was booming and it was perfect. It was fun throwing powder at perfect strangers especially if they were really clean.

If you have the chance to participate in a Holi celebration DO IT! Yes you will get messy. Yes you will get hit in the face. Chances are you will eat your fair share of the powder too. But I promise, you will have a great time. And what an incredible experience.

And just to show you that I am not a completely mean parent and do let him have fun this is a video of Gabe having some food and dancing to the wonderful music. Love to you all!

More Little Milks Please!

He takes after his Big Sister. For those of you who know the story hope this makes you smile. For those of you who don't, enjoy this picture anyway! Much love to you all!

Two Amazing Sundays!

On Saturday March 5th Ryan and I took Gabe to Hogle Zoo for the first time this year. When we went last year Gabe was still too little to really enjoy. But for Christmas Ryan's uncle Tom and his wife Annie got us a Yearly Family Pass to the zoo so we decided to put it to good use.

We weren't sure what to expect because we didn't know if he would get the whole "Caged Animals! Woo!" thing but luckily he grasped the concept. We saw the monkeys first which he went crazy over. He loved watching them jump from branch to branch and would giggle and clap when they got close to the windows.


He also liked the baby orangutan who was sitting right next to the window. He would put his tiny little hand up against the glass and the orangutan would do the same. It was fun watching them interact with each other.

But what Gabe really loved were all the birds. He wanted to pet the peacocks, chase the chickens, and catch anything with feathers. If it flew, he loved it! I think it is the bright colors and loud squawking that makes him love birds. It was really fun to watch Gabe show such an interest in them.

This past Sunday the weather was gorgeous so we decided to take Gabe over to the park. He, of course, went crazy over the slides and swings like always.

I love that it is getting warmer outside because that means we can have more weekends like this was smiles as big as this!

But like I have said many times before, it isn't always the special things that we got out and do together as a family. Sometimes it's the nights that we spend playing in the living room. Tonight was no exception as I caught this moment between Ryan and Gabe. Ryan was tickling Gabe to the point where they were both laughing and the perfect moment they both looked up and gave me the 2 biggest smile I have seen in a long time.

I love these two guys so much and cannot seem to get enough of them. Much love to you all!

Why do I bowl? HONESTLY!

I have discovered that the word blog is a “4 Letter Word” in my life at times. I want to do it and I take pictures so that I can fill this site with memories that someday my children will hopefully cherish. And then…I fall asleep watching Tosh.0. Yes Internet, I watch Tosh.0 instead of writing about my family, but have you seen that show? Hilarious!

So Friday Mar 4th Ryan and I were tired of our son looking like a Moonshine-Making Hillbilly and took him to get his haircut. Not to mention, I had a date later that night. No, not with Ryan. I had a date with a lovely lady named Lacie. Now okay, Ryan and her husband Mike were invited but she and I both know this night was about us getting together and making each other laugh our butts off. Those two just came along to get us beer and/or food.

So we took Gabe to this little place that Ryan goes to get his haircut. We walk in and all I hear is a T.V. that is turned up to the MAX volume to some Asian Soap Opera. Also, on the floor by the front desk is a little tiny shrine with a plate of tangerines in front of it. Seriously Ryan?

We wait a few minutes before Tiffany (Her name is not really Tiffany I AM SURE!) motions for us to come on over. She was sweet and her Vietnamese accent was thick. She gave Gabe a sucker and tried to start. But as soon as those clippers came on so did his screeching. You would have thought she was trying to remove his head with those things.

He fought and screamed the whole time. And poor “Tiffany” kept smiling and trying to stay calm although I am pretty sure she wanted to duct tape him down. By the end, Gabe had “Tiffany’s” spray bottle and was squirting his Dad in the face with two suckers in his other hand. I was taking pictures but most of them just make me look like a bad parent for allowing some person to torture my child.

I did get this picture once we were safely out of the salon and back in our car. “Tiffany” really like hair gel. Before I could really say no she was slathering the goop all over his head and turning him into Sonic the Hedgehog. Glorious!


After the trauma of Manhattan Salon, we met up with Mike and Lacie for some bowling. I love Lacie because we cannot stop laughing or giggling when we are together. (But what do you expect when you have known someone for 11+ years?) We have been through some crap together and haven’t always stayed close but I admire her and love to hang with her when we can. And might I also add that she recently got married to a great guy named Mike who seemed to be able to put up with me, my strange husband, and Gabezilla all in one night. And on top of that, Mike has a great sense of humor and was able to put up with us for a whole night of bowling. Yeah, he is pretty cool.

Of course, I sucked at bowling. I tried to play it off like I wasn’t really trying that hard but to Ryan, Lacie, and Mike, I will admit now, I was. I was trying to be a good bowler and I am sorry that I SUCK! But at least we all got a good laugh at the expense of my stunning display. I definitely should have had more beer but then the chances of me falling on my butt in front of everyone increase and I am not sure I would have wanted that either.



All in all, it was great night and I am so glad that I got to spend that time with my family and friends. I want a bowling rematch with the Messerly’s but I think I need to practice a little more first. And Gabe, may I just apologize in advance if you happen to inherit my bowling skills…just know that you will always be good for a laugh and the it was your handicap score will be for.

Much love to you all!

I LOVE YOU ALL! SERIOUSLY!

I know that everyone is expecting a Gabe blog, and trust me, it is coming! I have lots to share about Gabe. But I quickly wanted to share my thoughts on an issue that hits very close to home for me.

Please understand this first and foremost: I am grateful that we love in America where people have the freedom to live their lives as they choose. I embrace that freedom by living my life in the way I choose. My husband has been to Iraq to help other people get the same opportunities to have that freedom. I respect that everyone has the right to feel how they want to feel. And I understand that not everyone who reads this blog is going to agree with me on this issue.

I was raised to believe that God loves everyone. EVERYONE! There are people in this world that I detest with every fiber of my soul and I still have to accept the fact that God loves them. THEM! Really?!?! Yes really. And as much as I think there is no way anyone could really love this person, God does.

I have heard the saying “God doesn’t make mistakes” many times in my life. When I was younger and hated myself, it was said to me on more than one occasion. And I have come to believe that it is, in fact, true. God loves all his creations because he made them. He knew when he made me that I was going to be the size that I am. And God loves me, just as I am. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t want me to be healthy, but he loves me either way.

God loves me even though I don’t attend church on a regular basis. He knows that I believe he is out there and that he listens to me when I need him. I know that he loves my family and friends that do attend church just as much as he loves me. God just wants us to be good people. And truth is, even when we are not, he loves us anyway.

God loves us not matter our gender, religion, skin color, or…sexual preference. I know that God loves people who are gay. God doesn’t care because, well, he made them knowing that was the way they were going to be. It isn’t a choice for them just like I didn’t choose to be heterosexual. Who would choose to fall in love with someone of the same sex knowing that they would not have the same rights? Who would choose to have their relationship judged and deemed unworthy? Would you choose that? I know I wouldn’t. I believe that just as I love who comes naturally to me, so does everyone else.

And yes, there are gay rights activists that are loud, pushy, and obnoxious. But there are anti-gay activists that are just as bad. You will find pushy, rude, hateful people on both sides of any argument. That is just the way it is…I mean, look at the Democrats and Republicans!

I have people that I love and cherish who are gay. And I would never be so bold to assume that I am better than them and deserve more because I am heterosexual. I have friends who are of an ethnic minority and I don’t feel like I am better than them either. I have family and friends who are very religious and I know that they love me even though I don’t believe the same as they do. Hell, I have Atheist friends who might think I am a little weird for believing in a higher power, but they still love me and would do anything for me.

I guess the moral of this blog is, I don’t care how you live your life as long as you don’t care how I live mine. And no matter what, God loves us all. He loves us despite the mean and cruel things we do to each other. And I think He just wants us all to get along and quit judging each other.

I hope that you all take from this the message of: I will love you for you. And for those people out there that I don’t like and wish you would just go away, I may not love you, but God does and that is at least on person on your team-YAY FOR YOU!

Better Than Emeril...BAM!

Tonight we made pizza for dinner. Gabe saw Ryan using the oven mits to get the pizza in and out of the oven and decided that he would look AWESOME in those mits! So he walked around the house clapping his mitten hands together and yelling "Yay!"

Also yesterday morning I was trying to get Gabe to send a voice message to my sister Becca. We have been trying to get Gabe to say Becca's name and he used to say it right but then for some reason he started saying it more like the word "Banshee" which I found entirely appropriate.

Once it was time to go to daycare Gabe looked at me, smiled, and said loudly "Eeew Banshee!" I laughed so hard which of course, encouraged him to keep saying it. It was awesome! Gabe thought Becca was gross and I couldn't stop laughing. It was a great morning.

Much love to you all!

For the Benefit of Mr. Kite

Today I wasn't feeling well because I had another headache. I think it is all changing weather plus the nasty cough I've had for a week but I've been get more headaches than usual. But when I got home the cool wind on my face felt so good that we decided to take Gabe over to the school across the street to try flying a kite.

The picture below is from a distance so I could get both Ryan and Gabe in the shot. And since you can't really see the kite I circled it in yellow. I wanted to prove that Ryan and I really can fly kites.


And natrually Gabe was very helpful in the whole process.

What did you say Internet? Is that a Yoda kite you ask? Why yes! Yes it is. Would we have any other type of kite? Honestly Internet...did you even have to ask? This is Ryan's son we are talking about!

So I am going to go find my lung that I think I just coughed up on the living room floor before the dog eats it. Much love *cough hack cough* to you all!

*Imagine the Theme Song From Jaws Here*

When Gabe and I went to Logan last weekend it was brought to my attention that Gabe sort of has a rat-tail/mullet. I know...I should be ashamed. It's just, Gabe was bald for such a long time that getting his haircut has never been high on my list. And now that his hair has grown, he is business in the front and party in the back. He has a baby mullet or as Ryan calls it, a Bullet.

So tonight while giving Bubs a bath we experimented with some different styles that didn't look quite so white trash.

I call this one the "Grandpa Chad Morning Hair." My Dad is infamous for his morning hair. All he has to do is look at a pillow and BAM! His hair goes crazy. This is Gabe's interpretation of Grandpa Chad's hair.

This is what I call Gabe's "Jersey Shore" look. Although similar to Grandpa Chad hair, this is much more intentional and tends to look more like Devil Horns. I didn't let it last long because as soon as Gabe got his hair done like this he expressed a desire to go tanning and skin cancer runs in our family.

This is our final look and probably my favorite. We call this one "Mowhawk Bubs" and it makes him look tough. Just ignore the smiling red crab on the wall and you will see just how tough he really is.

After Gabe's bath it was time to dry off. Gabe's new towel that we bought from Costco is maybe the cutest thing I have ever seen. It makes me want to start singing the theme song from "Jaws." And he is just like that giant Great White with the exception that he has yet to barf up a license plate from Louisiana.

But really he isn't at all like a shark. He is my little Cuddle Bug and I am sure he is going to love that I called him that on the Internet when he reads this later in life.

And once he was all clean and dressed it was time for bed. So after kisses and hugs good night, he got tucked in with his buddy, Phil the Penguin.

Nights like this might seem boring to some people but to Ryan and I they mean so much. It is fun to spend time with Gabe and get to see him grow every day. So Gabe when you read this later in life I want you to forget the Snuggle Bug comment and be grateful for 2 things:

1. Mommy & Daddy love just being around you because you make our life brighter.

2. I was kind and have not posted any pictures of you naked from the waste down while you were in the tub.

You're welcome Gabe! Much love to you all!