Romance to Love

Paris, the city of lights, love, romance, chocolate and fresh faced adoration.  The city of legend where couples fall in and out of love within moments, and share tender kisses on deliciously inviting stone bridges.  In less than 36 hours, my husband and I will be embarking on a flight that will take us to a place I have only dreamed of until now.  While Paris may be just another city to some, to me...it holds the promise of laughter, smiles, kisses, cool breezes, chocolate and moments with my amazing husband.  While all of these things are things I can experience right here in my own home...there is something magical about experiencing them in a far away city that embraces culture, good food, and good old fashioned romance.  Over the course of the next 11 days, we will have the chance to explore it all!  Kris and I will be in Paris for my birthday (on the 30th) and then we will head up to Norway and Sweden to visit some of his family before we head home on May 9th, Mother's Day (nothing is more fitting than to see my little girl after 10 days than on Mother's Day!).

So, of course while we are gone, there will be no posts for you to feast your eager eyes and minds on, sadly.  In my literary absence (ha!), please feel free to browse through my past blogging adventures and the Lyman family experiences.  Listen to some freshly loaded romantic music, and anticipate my Paris Journal entries when I return.  Heck, even I'M looking forward to those entries!  So stay, enjoy, and dream of Paris!

I'm sorry, you want how much?

Mmmmm, life is just full of adventures (read: expensive mishaps) for the Lyman family.  Yesterday Kris's car broke down at (luckily) a gas station while he was on his way back to work from a promotional event.  Blah.  He called me and I got online and started looking for a tow company.....did anyone else know they aren't cheap?  I suppose I learned a lesson that I already knew-nothing's cheap!  One web site had prices advertised that were (as the lady on the phone said) over a year old and not up to date and that their prices were now xx.xx.  Ummm, I nicely explained to her that a year is a long time to not update a website and that I would be taking my business somewhere more reasonable, thank you very much.  Yuck!  All was sorted out, Kris's car was towed to the mechanics shop and there it sits...thankfully the problem was his battery, he just needs a new one, all things considered, it could be so mush worse.  It seems like things have been snowballing as we try and get ready for our trip, one more thing to pay for, and another, and another.  Welcome to life, I know I know, but thankfully this is my blog and I can say what I want, eh? ;) What matters is that my hubs and baby are safe and healthy. 

Yesterday was a WORKOUT at the gym!  Phew!  I did 8 miles on a bike, squats, lunges, pilates, and free weights and boy are my muscles SORE!  Does anyone else love to be sore from working out?  I LOVE that feeling.  My Lucky jeans are fitting, still a bit tight, but I am soooo close to making them mine again!

Last night for FHE, Kris and I took Marin to the pool!  She LOVES swimming, and the whole way there and back, she was saying "wimming, wimming!".  Such a water bug that girl is, and of course, daddy was king in the pool, he always gets the best smiles from our her.  She did NOT want to leave and clung to daddy's neck in hopes he would get back in the pool.  And....she surprised us last night by counting to 2!  We were surprised, but as Kris would toss her into the air, he would count to 3, and Marin starting counting for him, haha! 

Today Marin and I are sans car, so we will be taking a nice vigorous walk to the park and home for lunch and a nap.  Dinner club is tonight and I am making California roll-ups (so good!), summer squash casserole and apple pastry, yum!  Anyone have some great dinner ideas I can start incorporating?  I would LOVE the suggestions!  Just leave them under comments!

This and That

Such a mish-mash of items to blog about, where do I even start?  Well, let's start with the obvious fact that we are in a Single Digit Countdown!  Paris is 9 days away and I can't believe it is so close!  As excitecd as I am, I am also getting apprehensive about being so far away for so long from my little girl, she means the world to me!  But, she will be in good hands and Kris and I will have an incredible secon honeymoon in Paris, the city of love, then be off to visit some family in Norway and Sweden, no better way to end a trip :)

After a wonderful, accidental 2 weeks off of work, I return this week...:(  I can't tell you how sad this makes me, I have loved every minute of being home with Marin.  All good things must come to an end I suppose.

On Saturday, Kris was playing a very long round of golf in Mesquite with his friend, BJ, so Marin and I had the day to ourselves....hmmmm, what to do, what to do?  I finally resolved to take Marin to the Las Vegas Zoo (betcha didn't know we had one, eh?!).  I was a bit nervous as Kris and I had tried to go once before and we couldn't find the blasted place, but off we went and found it we did!  Now, lest you get excited for zoo pictures, let me cover some little details.....First:  well, I just forgot the camera, oooops;  Second:  the Las Vegas Zoo is an extremely sad and depressing place.  Yes, it's true, it is truly a very sad zoo, the saddest you might ever see.  The cages are a bit on the small side, the animals all look depressed, the fishwater stank.  I felt so bad because I could tell they wanted to spruce the place up...there were signs everywhere stating that ALL proceeds from the gift/snack shop went directly to the animals, etc...but it was a bit depressing.  We stayed for a little over an hour, and Marin succumbed to naptime, so we went home.

Yesterday was Stake Conference...which we missed most of.  Marin was having one of her mornings, so we were late, and in the hall, then finally gave up and went home. This weekend however, I did make some pretty yummy dishes: pastitsio, a greek-ish version of lasagna and honey orange chicken with ginger rice noodles....mmmmm, our fridge is full of leftovers!

Today, Marin and I will be off to the gym, then home for lunch and naps.  I am posting another pic to the 72 Hour Kit page, so check it out!

Welcome Lydia!

Image by -Alina- via Flickr

My big sister and her hubby have welcomed their very first baby into their family!  Lydia Hart Welch was born yesterday evening and mama and baby (and daddy!) are doing well.  I am so excited for her and wish I could go and snuggle that new babe.  Wouldn't you know, Kris is playing golf today with his friend BJ in Mesquite, and Marin and I have absolutely nothing to do, but I would love nothing more than to see my new niece.  I am not sure why we live on such a stinkin' large continent....I don't think I like that.  But congratulations to Tabitha and Ben, wish I could be there, enjoy every minute!

Summa-Summa Time!

This new blogger is killing me!  Yikes!  I guess I need to give myself a long orientation to figure out how the posting portion works now.  Anyway....Summer is in the air in Las Vegas!  I know I know, for the rest of the country, it probably feels like spring just got here....which it did....but today is warm and sunny and just screaming for summer clothes, so we busted out some of Marin's cute summer outfits.

We did a little peek-a-boo/chasing photo shoot this morning together, Marin thought it was fun.  Here she is in her little white skirt and summer stripey top, I'm tellin' ya, the piggy tails complete the look, don't you think?

Ummmm, mama, why are you still taking pictures of me?

Oh dear, a little glimpse of my future.  She looks like a total teenager here, hanging out...glaring at mom...ahhhh the memories.

Time please?  She cracks me up!

Awwwww, my little finished project!  Well, finished for now.  I painted everythig white and tied some little pink and red ribbins to the backs of the chairs, so sweet!  I was hoping to do some stenciling in one corner of the table, maybe on the chairs, but that will have to wait.  This is cute for now, eh?

Today is a relaxing day, nice and warm, quiet.  A day to try and get things done!  With 2 weeks to the day until our Romantic Paris Escape, I have to get crackin'!  Only a few things left on my list to do, and we will be set.  There is always cleaning of course to be done, that NEVER ends I've learned.  I miss having a mom that used to do all that stuff for me when I was little!  We already went to the gym this morning, but I think we will head to the park also this afternoon and maybe do some bubble blowing. 

I have updated the 72 Hour Kit page, so check it out.  I'll be adding some pics of my progress on mine, so keep checking it out!

A Few Minor Changes

I have been experimenting with ways to categorize some extra little tidbits I want to include on my blog.  You may notice at the top of the page underneath the Ticker, there are a few new tabs, "72 Hour Kits" and "Paris Journal".  When you click on them , you will find yourself on a new page inside my blog.  While there isn't much to these pages yet....stay tuned, because new things are on their way!  The 72 hour kit page will include some ideas and a list of things to include in your very own 72 hour kit at home.  The Paris Journal page is an exclusive page dedicated to my very first adventure in Europe....and you get to read all about it.  So stick around and periodically check the tabs to for any new changes.  I hope you enjoy!

Peekaboo Sundays

Silly girl Marin likes to go into the bathroom and just lay on the dog bed, what a wierdo!  It does sound gross, but it's clean!

Marin trying out her new table and chair set.  Check it out, we bought the table and both chairs at Ikea for 40 bucks!  And, it's real wood!  LOVE that store, they have everything.  I will be painting them white soon, so stay tuned for updates on that!

I LOVE Sundays.  While they can get busy and stressful sometimes, they are the best for just chilling at home with my awesome family.  Kris does have homework on Sundays, but he spends as much time as he can just playing with his girls.  Yesterday Marin and daddy were playing under her watermelon blanket for quite some time, she would put her head underneath and see daddy and then yank it off his head, she was quite amused.

And would you believe, we actually have a plan for Family Home Evening tonight!  Most of the time, FHE is a last minute thing around here, but last night, Kris told us that in Priesthood, our Stake President had counseled us to get our 72 hours kits in order by June.  Yikes, anyone else get the shivers?  So....our plan for tonight is set.  We already have some HUGE hockey sized duffle bags not in use, so we will be using those to stuff everything into.  I have a list of things that any 72 hour kits should include, and most of it we have, but we need to organize it all into one ready-to-go duffle bag.  I will try to find a way to post that list on the blog somehow....Anyway.  If you haven't looked, check out the Food Storage Goal for this month:  GRAIN AND BEAN.  Every time you go to the store, buy an extra package or can of beans, rice, oatmeal, whatever.  I can tell you that ALREADY, my food storage is growing since I first started this monthly-goal.  If you haven't started your food storage yet, start now!  I promise that if you follow along with me, we can make our food storage GROW!

Love Letters and Such

The other night while Kris was doing homework, I was doing Pilates in our room, and as I had my head close to the floor, I glanced underneath the bed.  I spied a familiar pink box, sadly with dust on the lid....and I couldn't resist...I halted my workout and grabbed the box.  This pink box, is my love letter box.  Inside is pink and red tissue paper folded around some of the most delicious love letters and girl could ever hope for.  Letters written on stationary paper, letters on big thick Hallmark cards, letters with pictures of snuggling kitties on the front, so many moments of love captured on paper and stored in a pink box underneath my bed.  I LOVE my love letter box.  As I opened each and every envelope and read the messages my hubby had written for me, I was taken on a little "memory journey" of how our love has evolved.  I read letters from before we were married that expressed the joy and excitement of our impending wedding, then I read letters as a newlywed that had a deeper and sacred understanding of husband and wife new adventures.  I read letters marking our first and second and third anniversary, each one evolving with our life experiences.  I fell in love with my husband for the millionth time as I sat all alone on my bedroom floor with my pink box.

 He is an incredible man and I have so much deep and sacred love for him.  I have watched him become the kind of man that only fatherhood can produce...and I see how mature and steadfast he has become.  I fell in love with him for who he was when I married him, but I love him so much more today than any other day we have been married.  I could not ask for a kinder, more loving or selfless husband than my Kristoffer, and I want him to be mine, forever.  Is it funny that I still miss him when he goes to work in the morning?  One would think that after almost 4 years of marriage, that would have worn off by now, eh? ;) 

Have I Mentioned?

Have I mentioned that I am in LOVE with my little girl?  She is just the sweetest thing ever and she makes me smile every single day.  No matter how rough the day might be or how many tears she sheds in defiance, I pick her up out of her crib the next morning ....smitten, all over again.  She gives the best hugs that positively melt your heart every time, and when she says "I lub a mama/papa", it pierces me to my very core.  THIS is what it's all about.  THIS is what makes being a mother the BEST job in the world.  No amount of CPR, life saving measures or patient satisfaction in the world can even come close to how I feel at the end of a day with my Marin.  She is the reason I would give my life in death, and give my life in mothering every day.  She is my baby girl.

And....PICTURES!

*Marin this morning eating her pancake, she loves pancakes, and really loves to stab them with her fork....this girl has got her untensils DOWN!  She is a PRO!

Yesterday Marin helped me make banana bread.  As soon as she hears the mixer she runs to kitchen yelling "HELP???HELP???" and pushes the kitchen chair to the counter.  She loves pouring in the eggs and vanilla.  Then when it's all mixed together she says "Eat?  Eat?".  She wants to lick the beater, silly girl.

I didn't catch a shot of her leaning over the counter and licking the beater that was still attached to the mixer, funny girl.

Yesterday Marin was trying on my sandals for size, hmmmmm, still a little big I think.

Today is a day for the park I think.  We have done the gym a few times this week, so time for a change.  Speaking of gym....I did a 5K loop on the treadmill the other day :)  Although I did walk for at least 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile, I still ran the rest which is a running total of 2.5 to 2.75 miles.  Go me, eh?!  And those Lucky jeans are getting looser, I've been doing a few moves at home to tone up and I think it's been working, almost ready for Paris baby!

3 Weeks Baby!

I am in SHOCK that Paris is a mere 3 weeks.....21 days away!  I can't tell you how excited I am for this trip, well, I know I have tried many times.  The good news is that my Lucky jeans are getting not-as-tight, I love that!  I think I have just about crossed out almost everything on my To-Do list for Paris, which is good because I tend to be a last minute-er kind of gal.  Vive le France!

Sunday night Kris and I returned from a great (but fast!) weekend with his mom, grandmother, sister and brother in law.  While we didn't go to a live conference session, we spent time with family which was so nice.  I figured, hey, we can DVR conference and watch it at home, but we can't take the fam with us, so we will spend time with them.  I was able to find my Paris dress!  It's different than I imagined, but very pretty and a nice change for my wardrobe.....of course you will all see pictures after the trip.  I also had a chance to go shopping with my fashioista sis in law and it was so nice.  She is so sweet and lets me borrow her clothes every time we go up there, which I LOVE!  She has the best style and always looks cover-ready, and she spends next to NOTHING for her clothes!  THAT is what I am ALL about, so I picked up a few shirts and I will tell you, I have almost forgotten what it's like to have new clothes, isn't that funny? 

Kris's mom...er...the Easter Bunny prepared an Easter morning surprise for us with our own little easter bucket of goodies, such a treat, I felt like a little girl again, thanks Trine!  Marin scored a new pretty Easter dress (SO CUTE) which I have to get pictures of this Sunday.  She was ALL OVER the plastic easter eggs and at this moment is toting them around in her yellow easter bucket.  She had so much fun while we were there and played with the dollies and little kitchen set and stroller....she LOVED playing mommy.  Oh, and since we were there, Kris and I made a quick trip to Ikea and found a tiny table a chair set for 40 bucks!  Ikea is a big thing in Kris's family, since they are all from Norway and some now live in Sweden, it's cool to have a big Swedish store that sells just about everything!  We love going there.

By request, I need to be posting more pictures of Marin...so I will be taking some today!  We are off to the gym soon, then home to clean/play/nap/shower etc.. then have dinner with Kris's dad Duane who is in town.  Have a great one!