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Dec 30, 2011

the best of both worlds

on december 29th WE:
-made our way to the beach
(*in DECEMBER)
lounged, frolicked, napped under the sun
*at the beach...(in DECEMBER)
-dug sand holes
-traced our lover's names with a feather
(the best tool you can use to write in the sand in my opinion)
*at the beach...(in DECEMBER)
-strategically trapped crabs until we caught them
...the poor guys
-played tag on our walk
-played in the water
(nieces and nephew boogie boarded and body surfed)
-collected sea shells
-played smash ball
-got a little sun on my face
in
DECEMBER
people!
did i mention what month it was!?
obviously, i am excited about the weather here
in the YL.
i feel pretty lucky
celebrating
white CHRISTMAS
with a sunny NEW YEARS.


my personal favorites of the day.
1. this example of mother like daughter
(my hair. lovely isn't it?)
2. this advertisement that courtney found for a certain type of sheets.
we decided we are most definitely going to buy these sheets
JUST because this man is lying in them.
my mom wondered if we order them...
will this guy come with??

3.  this bum shot made me oh so very happy
4. last but not least, daron sleeping (pictured above).
all i could think about was
oh no...a 
"Kim Pugmire in the making"

shirt on. at the beach. sleeping.
with an invisible sign on his forehead of-
"don't bother me"
all daron was missing was his
cowboy boots.
such a shame...

Dec 20, 2011

4 days before Christmas

we are:
-enjoying our holiday fridge. 
(who knew a fridge could bring so much joy!?)
daron saved all 3 cards we recieved today just so i could open them :)
sweet little munchkin' eh? 
love him.
just below is a picture of our own Christmas cards...
supposed to be sent yesterday.
they will not be going out until tomorrow
but hey, it's a miracle we are even sending one out.
daron has been begging me relentlessly for 3 days not to send out cards
and just do a 
"Christmas blog post"
because it is SO much more logical.
can you imagine if everything we did in this world was purely
"logical"
men...

the candy canes are for 
-endless entertainment
-sticky lips
- and our taste buds
thank you Linnea!
last night daron asked me before we went to bed,
"have you gotten me any Christmas presents yet?"
(dagger through the heart)
with my head slumped and tail between my legs i had to reply
"No..."
:(

the truth is though...
i have a trick up my sleeve.
oh yes i do i do i do.
pray i can pull it off...(!!!)

family comes in town over the next 3 days.
we are some happy little campers.

HO HO HO 
and 
MERRY CHRISTMAS

Santa is coming!!!
are you ready?

Dec 17, 2011

temple square

is a must see in utah around the holidays.
my father-in-law steve hadn't been since he was in college (!!!)
that's too long.

after z'tejas at gateway
and delicious scrumptious 
perfect in my belly
cookies from
 bear country
we made our way on over to temple square.

this temple has always been special to  me.
this time of year it has an extra sparkle from all the lights.
i couldn't help but reminisce about mine and daron's wedding day
as i looked on to [what i believe] is
the most beautiful 
building in the world.
a huge thank you to daron's parents
for 
-stocking our fridge
-deep cleaning our house
-bringing dessert back into my life
-and being who you are.

the trip was much too short.
it's weird to think that we won't see them until 
2012.
BRING ON THE NEW YEAR.
(after Christmas of course).

Dec 14, 2011

presents, presents, presents under the tree!

        

in laws are here and we've already been fed to the brim
caught up on lives
and felt lots of love.

on top of all this goodness
they brought presents
lovely, beautiful, wonderful, perfect
presents
that filled our very symmetrical "un" Quasimoto tree...
we were ordered to open the gifts from grandma and grandpa.
we, of course, happily obliged.
we appreciate the Carlson grandparents more than words can express.
incredible people to say the least. 

we are looking forward to 
more food
more dessert
dinner with family
temple square lights
and whatever else comes our way.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
10 more days 
not that anyone is counting

Dec 12, 2011

a lovely switch-a-roo

daron and i have this little thing where we sometimes
like to switch up where we sleep. 
most of the time we are in our "own" bed in the master bedroom...
but sometimes we'll do a little switch-a-roo
and sleep on the couch together or a bed in the basement.
and giggle like teenagers because
we are sleeping in a different bed.
(okay that's only me)

anywho, i have found my favorite alternative to our bed.
it is the best especially this time of year.
a blow up matress in our living room.
right next to...
our sparkling tree.
yes, still not decorated. don't judge.
i just love it though.
falling asleep suddenly feels magical. 
the past two nights i swear i have fallen asleep with a smile
plastered on my face.
unable to be removed.
i have a feeling it's the smell of pine 
and the twinkling lights that seem like tiny little stars.
somehow i have convinced daron to do it another night!
(YAY) !!!
and i have been thinking...
about 10 years in the future-
a blow up mattress with my man and our adorable munchkins
giggling and laughing while we sleep together next to our Christmas tree.
Christmas tradition in the making?
i think maybe so...
i am slowly "figuring it out"...

Dec 7, 2011

Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays! -from mr. Snowman


this is mr. snowman. i found him at the festival of trees. 
did you know that i love snowmen??
i especially love this one.
his little skinny legs with this plump round body.
he makes me laugh.

snowmen are my Christmas addiction. 
who is to blame for this?
my mother.
my mom had snowmen everywhere.
during Christmas time.
you could say, it was her thing.
one year, in elementary school, i counted every snowman there was in the house
-even the ones on the Christmas plates and silverware-
i remember losing count after 800 and something.
(the things that entertain you at that age...)
the point is, my mom loved snowmen and now i do.
isn't it funny how we are so intricately connected to our homes while growing up
but we (most of the time) don't realize the impact until later??
it takes us a while to realize how much our surroundings shape
who we are. 
i have been in a contemplated state quite often lately.
about:
-my husband
-my marriage
-my home
-the woman i am and the woman i want to become


one thing i have noticed
(due to the ever so vulnerable state of marriage,
a home, and well...this blog)
is how much i lack in the
whole "nesting" area of the whole
wife thing.
(nothing new. i have said this before).
however, since i am traditional, 
i feel essentially it is my duty to clean,
cook, decorate, make a house a home.
i think growing up i thought
"i'm going to be good at all those things because, well, i'm a girl. so i just will be."
i'm learning that that isn't really how it works. 


the truth is.
DUN
DUN
DUN
i'm not.
homemaking is not natural for me just because i am a girl.
it's not natural at all.


a while ago, i remember talking with my sister-in-law ellery
(who, mind you, is a homemaking GURU) and she was expressing how content she is when she can spend all day in her home. she described how she could spend hours rearranging her home. moving things around to see what looks better, walking around thrift stores for new additions she could add, updating decor with the seasons, etc etc.


i remember, like it was yesterday, the feeling i had as she told me this.
it was- complete shock.
it occurred to me...
it never crosses my mind to rearrange things in my home...or add things, or shift things, or just move something to see if it would look better.
honestly, never.
that thought isn't even on my radar.


daron and i have wreaths that correlate with the seasons
 cause of our mothers.
who bring them to us.
we have live living plants cause daron waters them.
our house is decorated because daron forced me to.
(maybe not forced..but motivated?)


this part of me is most apparent around the holidays.
when we still have a bare naked tree with a bare naked house.
i haven't thought about gifts for
-daron
-my siblings
-or friends
i saw "tinsel" on someone's blog the other day and googled it to double check i knew what that was. 


i love Christmas.
I DO.
but why do i love it?


i don't get giddy thinking about decorating my house.
i like the end product. but the thought of doing it is exhausting
and daunting. 
i don't think about shopping, or tinsel, or ornaments.
my mom told me i was in charge of daron's stocking this year
and i about died.
what in the world am i going to put in his stocking?
i realize this is easy for most of you...
but not me.
a midst all of this, i can say there are things that i do know.
i know that i love Christmas
because of what it represents. 
i know i love having a time that is dedicated to remembering my 
Savior even more than other times of the year.
i know i love the joy that is felt during this holiday season.
i know i love the incredible stories of service that happen
because we are remembering Him.
i know i love the hymns that are sung.
i know i love the palpable increase in love among family members and friends.
i know i love the memories that are created because of this holiday.
i know i love snowmen
and toffee bark.
i know there are countless reasons why i love Christmas.
i just don't think i have figured out the whole commercial part yet.
i haven't figured out the traditions i want for mine and daron's small family.
or the best combinations of decor, lights, and snowmen with the true meaning of Christmas.
i haven't figured out how i want my (future) children to remember this time of year
when they become my age.
it will have an impact on them and it is up to me to show them
what Christmas is about.
i haven't figured out how i can, in my own way, make this holiday
be special to me and represent who we are.
i haven't figured it out.
but let the quest begin...

Dec 4, 2011

tree. trees. trees.

last night was the
festival of trees
land of tree creativity!
literally.

and the winners are!
the stanta tree
for making me laugh the hardest

the "neon tree"
for most exotic

the "anthropologie" tree 
for being most adorable

the tree from UP.
for most creative

and the "feather" tree 
for being the most "in style"

the trees auction off and every penny goes to Primary Children's Hospital
not much says "Christmas" more to me than this event.

now for the tree
winning first place
.....(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)...........
our tree!
for no particular reason other than it is ourtree
that we picked out. 
in.
the.
freezing.
cold.

daron picked our tree this year because he said
the tree i picked out last year looked liked
quasimoto.
(its not true.)
no pictures inside the house yet..
for it is naked.
before and afters soon.
(once we agree on how and when to decorate it )
hopefully that's sooner than later :)
tah tah!