Happenings in The World of Mason

I haven't really posted anything about Mason lately (development-wise), so I figured I would take some time tonight to do just that. This seems to be a time of super-fast language development for Mason, and he's really been saying some hilarious things. Here are a few: (I'll apologize for his "French")
English - "Up the hill" Mason/French - "Oh hell"
English - "Shirt", "shut" Mason/French - "$h#*"
English - "down" Mason/French - "dam..."
And for the non-swear, daycare-worthy words:
I funny
cranky (thanks to Thomas the Train) - "kweekwee
Malia (his cousin) - actually "eeeyah"
holy cow - "hae tao"
train track
milk
juice
drink eat
cracker
kick ball
CRY (when he's upset, he tells us "i cwy" before he gets emotional, so we are lucky cuz that gives us a chance to cheer him up before he freaks out)
dance
jump
bounce
run
walk
get up
Heavenly Father - actually "heh far"
three (he counts to three - "twee, twee, twee!")

There are so many funny things he says. We're always entertained. He's also got SO much energy!! He's always into something or wanting to try a new trick. This past week he was starting to slide down the stairs, so we used the leaf from the table as a slide, and he spent over an hour sliding down the stairs. It was so funny!! I'll include some pictures and a video so you can see what he's been up to.

"Twilight" Premier!!!!!

On Thursday (the day after the Carrie Underwood concert), I went to the midnight premier for the "Twilight" movie. I have read all the books and really, really loved them. Even though I was SO exhausted from having really late nights for a week straight, it was SO worth staying up super late for the premier. We had 15 people in our group, and it was just so much fun being there at Jordan Commons with the thousands of other people who were just as obsessed as we were...actually, there were plenty of people WAY MORE obsessed than us. It was pretty entertaining to see people dressed up as vampires and in prom dresses and stuff.

I thought the movie was super cheezy; HOWEVER, the book was cheezy, so it was perfectly fine with me. :) Robert Pattinson (Edward) was an excellent actor, but the girl that played Bella was just mediocre. All-in-all, it was awesome and so fun and I'm so glad I went!

Anyway, here are a few pictures!! (Pic. 1 - Becky, Nicole, Heather and I; Pic. 2 - me with my sisters in law Jen and Mindy; Pic. 3 - our group; Pic. 4 - dude with cool shirt that said "Husbands against O.C.D. - Obsessive Cullen Disorder", Pic.5 - me with my cousins Camille and Nicole; Pic. 6 - Melea and I)

Carrie Underwood Concert

Life has been so hectic for the past few weeks, and I haven't had a chance until today to update the blog. Lots has happened!

The day after my friend Amber B. flew back to South Carolina, I went to the Carrie Underwood concert with Amber Fujikawa - she got me tickets for my birthday, and we just happened to be right next to the stage on the floor. It was incredible!! Little Big Town opened for her which was awesome, cuz I love them too. We were able to get some amazing pictures, so enjoy!! Thank you for the concert, Amber. You rock!

Quote for the time...

My sister-in-law Bronwyn sent me this quote by Neal A. Maxwell, and I thought it was awesome. :)

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.' This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions. Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive.. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened. . . . Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat." Elder Neal A. Maxwell Here's the source of that quote in case you were wondering: http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=1846d0640b96b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

I'll be lovin you forever

Last Saturday night was the best night of my life!!! Seriously, it was amazing! Keep reading - this post is sure to make you laugh your butt off at me, but I DON'T CARE! Laugh if you will. :)

When I was 10 years old, my parents and grandpa took me and my uncle Todd (he's the same age as me) to the New Kids on The Block concert in Columbia, South Carolina (where I lived at the time). I was beyond obsessed with NKOTB back then. I had the pajamas, pillow case, Joey "barbie" doll, trading cards, novels, t-shirts, buttons, pins, earrings, tapes, and my walls were COVERED in posters.

One of my best friends in S.C. was Amber Banco - we were both totally obsessed with the NKOTB, and when we heard that they were getting back together and going on tour this year WE FREAKED OUT. She purchased a plane ticket to fly out here to Utah to go with me. The concert was this past Saturday (November 15th), and man was it worth every penny!!

We had a great group of girls - me, Amber B. (from S.C.), Amber Fujikawa (bff), Tawny (friend from my mission), Loren (we're friends and were roommates once upon a time), and Becka (long-time friend). A few of us got together earlier in the evening and made t-shirts, then we all met up for dinner at Chili's. There was a group of guys there (we're still trying to decide if they were straight or not) who were going to the concert without girls, and they knew all the songs, AND they even did one of the dances for us. It was hilarious, and they actually ended up sitting by us at the concert too. Straight entertainment. It was golden!

The concert was UH-MAY-ZING!!!!! Everything we expected it to be and more. It started with the words up on 3 huge screens that said, "15 years ago, they walked away...but now they're back" Then they came up through a platform on the stage and the place erupted into girly screams, just like I remember when I was 10. They sang a lot of their old songs and several newer ones too, and there we were singing along with them all! I screamed like I was a little girl, and was totally hoarse by the time I went to bed.

As hard as it may be to believe, they sang and danced like they haven't aged at all in 15 years. They looked hotter than ever, and Joey is still my heart-throb. I will cherish the memories forever that we created together on Saturday night. It was such a great feeling to be with friends, enjoying something that was such a huge part of all our childhoods.

I LOVE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - "I'll be lovin you forever"

In Loving Memory...

Tucker Thayer, the 15 year-old son of a friend in our ward in Saint George, passed away Saturday night from injuries sustained after a prop gun (to be used in a school play) was accidentally discharged.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Thayer family as they grieve the loss of their son. My heart breaks for them as I imagine the pain a mother and father must feel at the loss of their child, and the heartbreak his siblings are feeling for the loss of their brother. I take great comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father loves us and that the Thayers will one day be reunited with their Tucker.

The story can be found here: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4818098

My New Nine-to-Five

After a lot of discussions and prayers, Jeff and I decided that we really needed another income. I looked for a while for jobs online and applied at a ton of retail places, then last Thursday my friend of 7 years (Maria) offered me a job as their nanny!! It's so perfect because I can bring Mason, it gets me out of our house, and allows Mason to have a lot of interaction with other kids.

So I work Monday-Friday from 9-4 on all days but Wednesday (I only work till noon on Wed.). Maria and Rob have 3 kids - Danica (5 yrs old), Tyler (2 yrs old) and Bailey (2 months old).

Mason's struggling right now with Mommy's attention being elsewhere and not all on him, and he's having a hard time learning to fend for himself with another toddler boy who's not used to having to share his toys with another little guy...and Mason's learning how to share too. It's pretty crazy at times, but I really love it. It's the ideal situation for us, and I'm so grateful that I'm able to still be with Mason AND be home in the evenings with Jeff instead of being off at some restaurant waiting tables like I was planning.

Wish me luck!!

Mormon Synchronized Swimming

My sister-in-law Mindy sent this to me today, and it really made me laugh! Especially because this is TOTALLY something Jeff and his brothers would do.

It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas

We're back in our new house in Riverton (I use the term "new" because we only lived here 7 months before we left for St. George). There are boxes everywhere. I hear Thomas The Train on the t.v. in the other room, entertaining my child while I slowly unpack.

IT'S SNOWING OUTSIDE!!! F.M. 100 is already playing non-stop Christmas music...and the only boxes that are too heavy for me to move by myself actually contain Christmas decorations. SO in order to eliminate the problem (and to satiate my enormous appetite for all things Christmas).........it's with great pleasure that I announce: I'M PUTTING UP CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS TODAY!!

Haters need not comment! haha just kidding. But I SERIOUSLY LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME, and if people are allowed to put up Halloween decorations over a month before Halloween, why can't I put up my Christmas decorations now? I vowed to not put anything on the outside until Thanksgiving, but if I'm gonna put all the effort into putting decorations up inside the house, I better have enough time to enjoy them, gosh dang-it! :)