projects...

i wish i would have documented all the before and afters of projects we have undertaken while living at jordan's parent's house, but alas, i am not so good at thinking ahead. we were hoping to take on a lot more, before their return home in a year, but since we will be moving in july, someone else will have to pick up where we have left off. we haven't done anything too major, but jordan and i did really want to make improvements to the house while we were there, as a thank you. mom and dad stutz are amazing people who have always put the needs and wants of others before their own-- and we think that they are more than deserving of an improved upon living space to come home to. seriously guys, i really do have the most amazing in-laws. anyway, here is one recent project i did document somewhat... some time ago, mom and dad re-did much of their upstairs, including putting laminate flooring throughout the living room and hallway. we thought it would look nice to finish it into the dining room, giving the appearance of more space. jordan and brother-in-law tim worked hard to take on the project and it was finished in under 9 hrs. way to go boys!
the old linoleum close up...

old flooring removed all the way down to the original flooring jordan remembers when they moved into this house twenty-something years ago...

new sub-flooring, being thoroughly tested by the girls for durability...

and finally, the finished product!

looks awesome, right? i have to say it sure is handy to have a handy husband--plus he looks really cute whenever he does something manly:)

for your consideration radio city music hall...

they sing...


("i hope they call me on a mission"}

they dance...




and they will be happy to bounce out any unwanted riff-raff a la friar tuck in disney's robin hood...






so,what do ya think? impressive,right?

isn't that picture scary? well friends, it looks like we will be joining the "wolf pack" soon--this august to be exact. we received the news last week that jordan had been accepted to UNR (University of Nevada Reno) for his graduate studies, and had been given a very generous offer (can you tell i am a proud wifey?). we are so pleased with the way things have turned out and are so grateful for the heavenly guidance we have received as we begin this new chapter in our lives.
i am excited to be only two hours away from my family, and still not too far from jordan's. not to mention being able to still live close to a temple, and beautiful mountains--two things i will miss about utah.
while these changes are exciting, there is still a big piece of me that will miss utah. especially now that my sister and i are actually living close to each other! that will all change this summer. but utah has been good to us. we finished school here. we started our family here. jordan had his first real job here. we have made good friends and become even closer to family here.
it will be an adjustment for sure--but for now we are just excited to see what the future holds for us. go wolf pack!

some things i love...

-taking a tasty family nap on the weekends
-watching the girls run over to the front window so they can watch the "garbag guck" drive by on monday mornings
-going on dates with my favorite guy (and beating him at mini-golf:)
-freshly mopped kitchen floors
-reading good books
-taking walks with my family
-watching the girls fold their chubby little arms for prayer and tell each other to shush
-baking
-hearing the front door open at 3pm when jordan gets home from work
-listening to my girls singing in the other room
-going to nursery (this is our calling in our ward and we are having a ball)
-taking a few quiet moments in the mornings to read the scriptures and pray
-finding a swimsuit online that might actually work
-helping people feel better through massage
-painting mini toe nails
and much, much more:)

partying "last airbender" style...

the entire four years we have been married, i have never really done anything spectacular for jordan's birthday. we usually just end up going out to dinner and having some sort of family party on the nearest sunday to the date. we always have a good time, but this year i wanted to really go all out. so, with the help of my sister and our dear friend sally (the arteest), the "avatar: the last airbender" surprise party was set in motion...



surprise!







jordan thought we were dropping the kids off at my sister's so that we could go out to dinner... little did he know that the party of all parties was waiting for his arrival...




we had element bending games, a yummy spread of chinese food (thanks costco), and awesome paper lanterns and cartoon paintings to decorate...






the kids and adults enjoyed themselves-- but best of all, my big adult kid was completely surprised and thought it was the best party ever:)







p.s. if you are confused as to why we all have blue arrows on our heads, i recommend you watch the series. after a 5 episode commitment, you will realize that it is a show very worthy of your time:)

do you ever find yourself whining over very small things that don't make a bit of difference in the long run, but seem like a really BIG deal at the time? the worst part is when you look back and feel really silly for every being upset or overwhelmed by something so small because you realize how incredibly blessed you really are....

the girls spilled an entire pitcher of orange juice all over the floor the other day, and this is why i am now grateful for it:
- my girls are typical, inquisitive 2-year-olds who are right on target for their age
- they have healthy and strong bodies that were able to walk them over to the fridge, open the door, and lift the heavy pitcher out of the refrigerator
- they were working together to get the job done--they are learning about teamwork
- they smiled really cute, teethy grins at me when i discovered them

...yeah, i guess sticky floors aren't so bad in the great, grand scheme of things...

nummy...

avery wearing my rain boots...

fun new bath toys from grandma and grandpa:)

you might think me weird, but have you ever just wanted to eat your little ones all up? sometimes my girls are just so stinkin' cute and delicious-looking, that all i can think about is getting a good nibble. lucky for me, they generally don't mind if i steal a kiss, or a squeeze from their very pinch-able cheeks and thighs. and it's a good thing too, because they sure endure a lot of it with me as their mom:) anyway, here are a few things the kiddos have been doing lately to enhance their cuteness...

-- recently they found grandpa's cane in the house and we taught them how to do the can-can to the tune of 'new york, new york' while holding the cane in both hands. it is pretty darn cute!
-- they also love to jump off of anything. lately their favorite has been the fireplace, which i am fine with because it is within a safe distance from the floor. they best part is they usually shout something out before the big leap like "look!" or "watch this mama!". the best one i have heard lately is "i'm watching!"-- as that is usually what i say in response their getting my attention:)
-- one of my favorite things to observe is when they echo me and try mothering each other. for instance if i say something like "please eat your dinner tilly" avery will persist with "eat dinner, kay tills?" in the cutest, squeaky voice, like she is talking to a baby. oh, i love em!
-- another thing they have been doing lately is spilling their drinks only to ask for something to wipe it up. i admit, the spilling is not so cute most of the time, but i can't help but smile when i hear "need a wipe, please?"
-- perhaps one of my favorite hours with my girls is the hour right before dinner. i used to dread this hour--it's not easy trying to accomplish something in a kitchen with two two-year-olds under foot. but when i had the idea to include them in on the cooking, it made a huge difference! the look of pride on their chubby little faces when they pour a cup of rice in the cooker, or help mix a batter is priceless. they just stand on chairs near the counter and look on when something is too hot or dangerous. i love my little helpers. they are at such a fun age.
-- we also do music makers (kind of a musical joy school) at my sister's every tuesday, and i just love seeing them in that setting; learning new songs with motions, putting the puppets away when it's time, and marching with instruments. however, my absolute favorite part of music makers is when they do a spotlight song. this is when one child from the group stands in front of everyone and sings a solo. oh how i love to watch my girls sing snowman, wiseman, abc's, twinkle, and the like with a gooney grin from all the attention. they always do so well. i think they may grow up to be singers:)
-- before we left for our vacation to california, the girls talked about "sitting on the potty" non-stop. since we have come home, there has been little progress on that front, but we'll get there. i really don't want to rush anything only to regress because they weren't really ready. however, it is still really funny to watch them run for the potty now and again, as if they know what they are doing.

that's all i will write about my delicious children for now, but don't worry, there will be more. and have i mentioned lately how wonderful my husband is? cause he is. i will blog about his awesome birthday party soon!