Surprises :)

I hate surprises. I hate being surprised and I hate giving surprises! Well, actually I love giving surprises, I just give them too early. I did get a couple of really amazing surprises this past week that made me smile so big!

The other day I had just had a really hard time. I had a rough time at a relief society activity and I just fell asleep almost in tears because I just wanted some love! (Spencer fell asleep or I am sure that he would have given it to me) The next day, out of nowhere, Spencer got out of school early and came home and woke me up from a nap. He had something behind his back and he pulled it out...FROZEN! He bought me frozen and surprised me with it because the night before, I was going to go buy it but decided against it because I had already seen it like 5 times and we didn't need to spend the money on it. Surprise number 1!

Then I had asked him to fix the blue-ray player and he went out into the kitchen. I told him that it was in here and he told me it was on the counter. He then brought me in a drink from QT! I drink way too much soda, I will admit, but he brought one home for me anyways! Surprise number 2!

He then proceeded to be super sweet and hang out with me the whole night! As I was going to bed, he scratched my back for a REALLY long time, and I loved every single second of it. He scratches my back before bed a lot, but this time was extra good! Surprise number 3!

He keeps telling me that he barely did anything and that it wasn't that big of a deal, but 4 days later I am still thinking and talking about it and telling people how amazing my husband is! It honestly wasn't a super grand surprise that took a lot of time and effort, but it did take thought and love and that meant more to me than any of the things he got me combined! He is so thoughtful and always looking for ways to make my life easier and happier. He sure does a good job too! I will always remember that day. The stuff was great, but the love that I felt and the happiness I felt will be the real things that I will remember. I went to bed happy that night :).

New Computer

So with our tax return we were going to buy another car. After much consideration, we decided that yes, we can afford to buy the car but the upkeep, the insurance, and the gas for another car would just be more than we wanted to take on. Instead we decided to use some of it to get me a new computer. My laptops are both kinda old and are jut not very reliable. We decided on getting me a desktop computer since that seemed a little bit more long term. It also would be much faster and have lots more memory which is what I use it for anyways. We looked at Best Buy and found one that was ok, but after Spencer did his research he figured out that he could build me one for the same price as that and it would have SO MUCH more memory and it would be crazy fast! The plus side too is that he has been dying to build a computer for a long time. This way it was the best of both worlds! We are going to fix up and sell both of my laptops so basically we are hoping to only pay about $100 tops for the new computer!

Spencer ordered the parts and they came last week. He put it together and the last piece got here yesterday. He put it all together and installed everything and then we went and bought the monitor. It is awesome! I have 1 terabyte of memory, none of the crappy stuff that companies put on their computers, and it's build for exactly what I need to use it for. We also stopped at Goodwill yesterday and it just so happened to be half off Saturday! We got a keyboard and a new computer chair for $5 total! SCORE! I am currently using all of the new things. I love it. We rearranged our room so that the computer was in a safer place than where the desk was before. Sometimes it just feels good to rearrange and have a new room feeling. Yay for tax returns! The rest is going to help pay off our car and into savings!

Anniversary: Take 2!

Today is our two year anniversary! I can't even believe it! We have been married for two whole years! It feels like it has gone by so fast...we actually feel like we have been married for about 10 years because as soon as I had Brynlee I became 30. But really though, even though we have not been married that long, I feel like we know each other so well and I can't even remember what my life felt like before Spencer came along. I also can't imagine what life would be like without him. He is seriously my glue, my foundation, and my support all at once! Poor guy! He does so much for me!

For our anniversary I got Spencer a photo book off of Shutterfly. It turned out really cute and he took it to work to leave on his desk (Ok...he got it early). I got myself a ring that has our initials on it.

Saturday we went on our anniversary date! We had my grandma watch Brynlee and we went to Amazing Jake's. As soon as we got there though, there were SO MANY PEOPLE. It was ridiculous. We decided against it and went to Cici's for dinner. That's right, $12 bucks people! We decided to go to IKEA and walk around because hey! Who doesn't like IKEA?? It was fun, but long. We were both really tired by the time we headed home but we got a couple of treasures and we are so excited to set up our new curtains and our closet organizer! :)

I am so grateful for him in my life! I know that we are so "young and in love" but I know that with our relationship there is nothing that could ever make me not love Spencer and nothing that would make me consider getting a divorce. We may not live the perfect, settled, stable life that is ideal for a family, but we are happy, we are debt free, and we are centered around our savior and our temple marriage. With those things, our marriage is destined to last. I love you Spencer! Here's to a billion more years ;)

My newest venture

I decided I am going to start an exercise group! I really need to get into shape, I feel so yucky! The problem? I hate exercising. I hate doing it by myself and I hate most exercise activities. This idea stemmed from my mom's dance party we went to last weekend. I was sweaty and tired, but I just wanted to keep dancing! I love dancing! It's fun so I don't care if I'm tired, I want to keep going! I decided that the best way for me to get in shape is get a group together and just do zumba, just dance, line dancing, anything! That way I have company and it gives me good reason to go! I will be teaching the class, even though it's not really a class. I am planning on bringing my wii and putting on just dance or my zumba game, teaching some fun line dances, and maybe even having some guest teachers sometimes to switch things up! I put it on a couple of facebook groups I am on and have had a lot of positive feedback. I called my bishop and he is checking with the stake president to make sure it's ok if we use the church building but once we get the ok, we are going to do twice a week for an hour in the mornings! I am so excited about it! I thought of it last night and pretty much have it all put together! I love when I get an idea that is plausible and that I am passionate about because it makes me so excited! If anybody wants to come, you are welcome! I am planning on letting everyone bring their kids and either put them in the nursery to play or just hang out in the gym with us. It's going to be so chill, but just a place to get women active without costing a fortune! I was thinking that even if women came that had small babies, they could still do some of the dancing holding their babies which would be an even better workout! I'm so excited!

The zoo

We took Brynlee on her first trip to the zoo last Saturday! She was not feeling super well so I was a bit nervous taking her somewhere so far from home and for so long but she did awesome! She didn't fuss one single time! We took Subway with us for lunch and got to the zoo around 11:00. We walked around looking at the animals, but Brynlee was way more interested in the plants... She looked like she enjoyed it though!

            
            
We had lunch on a bench by the flamingos! They are almost my favorite part of the zoo. They are such weird animals! We also took Brynlee to the harmony farm part of the zoo and she pet a horse and some goats!

Brynlee got a little sleepy so I put her in the carrier and she took a little nap! I put the blanket over her head so that she wouldn't get sunburned but she was so sweaty! I kinda liked having her sleeping on me like that, except my back and thighs were burning walking around uphill!

Spencer played on the kid playground! He kinda liked it but I think he wanted kids to play with!

 Did I mention we also got to go for free?! We have these things called pogo passes and we paid $40 for them. They last for 1 year and have 16 different venues that you get in for free if you have the pass! We are so excited to use it for date nights :)

Friends!

I posted about my life cleanse a week or so ago and wanted to update!  I have been really, consciously trying to put myself out there and make friends. Last Wednesday I went to a play group at the park in the neighborhood next to mine. Thanks to my on-the-ball visiting teacher for remembering me! It was a little awkward and weird because Brynlee can't play yet, but I went! I ended up running into a friend of mine named Karlee who was in my family ward when I was in young women's, and moved into my ward here in November. I walked home with her and hung out at her house for an hour afterwards just talking. It felt so good to reconnect with her. She is in my same situation with no car and one little girl (another one on the way! ).  We made some tentative plans to be each other's exercise buddies. She even lives in my complex!

Saturday night was the cultural celebration and we were going to watch it on tv. I decided it would be more fun, and a good opportunity to get to know people, if we had company!  Karlee and her husband Zach, and another couple, Capri and Tyson, came over and we had ice cream and brownies and watched the celebration. It was so fun!  And awesome because after everyone left, Spencer told me that he really liked all of them!  (That's a huge bonus for me because he will be more fun now that he knows he likes them all). It was a really good thing for us!

I'm feeling more like my old self. As soon as I told myself that I just needed to get back out there, it was so easy! It's a good feeling to have friends! And now we have at least 2 couples IN OUR COMPLEX that we would feel totally comfortable doing things with!

My love of routine

I am a routine kinda gal. I love structure, I love familiarity, and I love how good it all makes me feel. One of the things I realized tonight that I love is our bedtime routine for Brynlee. I don't have the classic baby bedtime routine: bath, lotion, books, lullaby, then rocking to sleep. Brynlee has her baths in the mornings so that I can clean up her stinky snot smell and sometimes pee from the night and smell her yummy, lotiony self all day!

Her bedtime routine is very simple:

 I change her diaper and put her in her jammies. 

She gets a 6 oz bottle and it is the only bottle of the day where I hold her the whole time. It has made me a little bit sad that I wasn't able to have that special time with her anymore since she quit nursing so I have made it a point to always hold her while she drinks her bedtime bottle. 

When she is almost done with her bottle, daddy comes and gives her kisses. He always says the same thing, but I love it! "Ny night Brynlee. *kiss* I love you. *kiss* Sleep good k? *kiss*" It's so sweet. She is usually mostly groggy and almost asleep but she always relaxes and closes her eyes while daddy says good night. (Enter "awwwww"s and heart melting here) 

As soon as she finishes her bottle I carry her to her bed with her up against my chest. 

When we get to her room I pat her back and sing her twinkle twinkle little star.

 I kiss her and say, "I love you Brynlee, see you in the morning". 

I lay her down and give her one more kiss. 

She has been really good about putting herself to bed for the most part, but sometimes it takes a little bit of bum patting :). 

This is seriously the most simple thing, but I have grown to love putting her to bed. I am a bit selfish, too, because I really always want to do it myself. The other night, Spencer was going to put her to bed while I ran some errands and I was kinda sad. I kissed her goodnight before I left but it just felt wrong. Luckily for me she was still awake when I got home so I got to put her to bed! :)

 My favorite part of this whole routine though, is looking in the mirror on the way to her room. With the bathroom door open, I can see the mirror as I walk down the hallway to her room. She used to be so small...she was just this tiny little thing. Now as I look in the mirror, my baby is not so small anymore. Her body is as long as my torso and when she is sleeping, she is HEAVY! I love looking in the mirror and seeing my baby on my chest. I feel like I watch her grow by looking in that mirror every night. I love feeling her nestle into my chest while I sing her a song. I am her mom. I am the one and only person that she trust and wants any time of the day. I am the one whose smell makes her feel comfortable and safe. My voice is the one that she has heard since she had little growing ear buds in my tummy. I am so grateful for her and the chance that I have to be building a relationship with her that I hope will last through her whole life. I want to be the kind of mom that she will still want to tuck her in every night and sing her twinkle twinkle little star. 

I love being Brynlee's mommy :)