waiting for more marshmallows

i am waiting for my second marshmallow. i don't know when i am going to get it. the wait could be a month or a year. i just know that i have to wait. this is not always an easy concept for me. i am not very good at being patient. it is something i have to work at and although i have improved i still have a long way to go. 

i am so grateful for my membership in the church and for the gospel principles. i am grateful for the little reminders that i really need. i am grateful that general conference is coming up and that i can receive guidance and inspiration from my trusted leaders. where would i be without them?

ever since i first watched this video, whenever i get impatient, i think to myself... "amy, why eat your marshmallow now when you can have handfuls of marshmallows in just a short while?"... so i'll wait just a little longer.

and universe, just in case you were wondering, amy rex is ready for her marshmallows now. or so i think. it's really not up to me though, is it?

baby kingston

head on over here to check out the rest of little kingston's first photoshoot.
you wont want to miss the cuteness.
trust me.

chocolate makes everything better

after a particularly long day at work i decided to make pancakes for dinner. call me crazy, but i just get really excited about breakfast for dinner sometimes. maybe it's because it feels like i'm breaking the rules. maybe it's because it means i get to eat chocolate for dinner.

anyway, i decided to venture out and make my own pancake batter. it was super easy and so yummy. for mr. rex... plain pancakes. for me... chocolate chip of course.

add some scrambles eggs, turkey sausage powdered sugar and some syrup and you have got one lovely meal.

and a very happy amy.

remember this?

brylee sue clausen... just one day old.

today is one of those days where i have read one too many blogs about being a mom, birth stories and raising children. it makes me want my own little bundle of joy to ooh and ahh over. to snuggle. to stare at.
all. day. long. i revel in the thought for a moment.
then i think i have so much to do or to see before i take on that responsibility. i want to be better before i have to raise a little human being. i don't want my child to get my bad habits. what if i mess this whole mom thing up? i feel like my mind changes everyday. oh, wouldn't it be nice if God just gave me a list of to-do's & specifies the order in which he wants me to do them?
i love that brylee looks me in the face and knows me. i am so grateful to her for her sweetness & the love that she brings into so many people's lives. i am so happy to be her aunt. i am so excited to watch her grow & that i get to see her often.
someday i will have my very own baby look me in the eyes and know me. that someday will be the best day.
oh someday. someday. someday.

do these glasses make me look too smart?

they have arrived folks. i am SO in love with my new spectacles. you know how as a child, when you got a new pair of shoes you loved them so much that you wanted to wear them to sleep? that is kind of how i feel about these beauties. 

i ordered them from bonlook.com and they were only 100 bucks. about half of what i normally spend when i buy lenses from my eye doctor so it makes the purchase even more exciting. there's nothing like getting a good deal and being completely satisfied. 

love it. 

i'm not giving up

so the last time i tried to paint a piece of furniture it was an epic fail. we spent money on a bunch of paint, sand paper and brushes and attempted to refinish our kitchen table & chairs. it did not turn out the way we planned. so when i set out to paint our tv stand i was hesitant.

i love the new set up. i rearranged the bookshelf, reorganized the coffee table, which used to hold the games and instead made the red basket, which used to hold the blankets, into the game basket. it just feels like a whole new room. i also went to trader joes, cleaned the house... even the shower, made dinner and went running. 

am i ready to relax in the corner of my couch? 

yes. yes i am. 

before...

 

and after.....

 

the irony of it all

 

 

 

 

 

on saturday we decided we should enjoy the beautiful warm breeze and sunshine. we went on a picnic with the langs at the nearby park. we ate salad, the ducks & geese tried to steal our grub, josh threw a sandal at a goose and the boys bought ice cream from the nice man with a bell on his cart.

we also ran into some friends, kiki and fletcher. it was so fun to see them. we love that we live near so many great people and that we get to see them often... and also bump into them serendipaciously.

i love it when that happens.

things i love: inspiration

shira and i before temple/date night on wednesday. thanks for a good time dicksons!

it started off as one of those days where you just want to stay in bed all day long. you know when you get in a mood that is just really hard to shake? most likely the product of female hormones. i'm aware of it, which makes it a little easier to control. but i'm sensitive today. maybe i should just put on marley and me when i get home from work and cry it out?
anyway, i was browsing facebook and came across a really good blog. this was exactly what i needed today. what an inspired thought. it's definitely a topic that i think about from time to time. especially because i am not yet a parent, i really enjoy asking people about their experiences and learning things before it's my turn. it's quite disappointing to talk about it with joy and excitement only to have someone shoot down all the positivity with all of their horror stories and vast knowledge of the terror to come. thanks, but no thanks. save the bad vibes for someone else. i am choosing to see the joy in it all.

no, i have not yet experienced the sleepless nights, the labor pains or the tantrums. yes, i know there will be moments in which it will be a struggle, however, i am also looking forward to experiencing the moment my child looks into my eyes for the first time, the moment when tyler and i sit in a quiet hospital room with a new baby that we made, the moment my baby smiles, laughs or walks, the moment my child says "mama" or "i love you". maybe parenting is hard, but what in life that is actually worth doing isn't?

even though today started out as one of those days, that article just reminded me that Heavenly Father is aware of my thoughts and my tender spirit. it needed to be struck with some wisdom today. i am so blessed to have that in my life.

and just in case you were wondering, the answer is yes, i definitely cried when i read it.

happy weekend everyone!

please read the smallest line you can see

i went to the eye doctor yesterday for my annual check-up. he put weird goop in my eye, told me i had a small cataract in my eye that developed when i was just a little fetus and also gave me two free samples of contact lenses. score. i also found out that my eye sight isn't getting any worse as of late, which is nice.
so, now that i have an updated prescription i ordered these beauties from bonlook. and if you scurry on over to rockstar diaries you can snag the coupon code for $10 off!
i can't wait for them to arrive! im SO exicted!

so what is getting me through this lovely wednesday?
-the sweet deal i got on these pretty pretty frames
-yesterday's spin class was amazing. i slept like a rock.
-tiffany came over last night and we painted our nails
-i have tomorrow off
-tomorrow i have a skype date with cousin whitney & baby reese
-tonight i am going to the temple & dinner with my sweetheart and the dicksons

what are you looking for?

sometimes i forget that there is an intricate plan and a grand design that i am a part of. lately, i have been thinking and reflecting a lot about me, tyler, our life and our future. where will life take me? am i making the right choices? what do i need to do to get what i want out of life? are my expectations unrealistic?
needless to say there have been a lot of thoughts running through this brain of mine. but then, i am stopped by a phrase such as this.
i'd say that in general i am a pretty optimistic person. i look forward with hope and faith that if i am doing what is right and working hard at being the best person i can possibly be, that everything will work out. but, i can also get impatient at times. surprise, surprise. so, i'm trying to be more positive and more faithful. i am trying to remember that Heavenly Father has a plan for us and he will never leave us alone. we just need to be patient and continue to make the right decisions and have faith in His timing.

p.s. mr. rex and i both woke up to sore throats this morning... i have a feeling this weekend will include a lot of cuddling on the couch, cough drops and tea. sounds wonderful to me.

on a tuesday

we had a great valentines day. hope yours was great too. we went to dinner, ate at houston's and saw the vow. then we came home and found a new spot for the pretty flowers tyler brought home for me. it was the perfect night.

 

 

 

all i want is you

 

tyler, will you be my valentine?

you are kind. 

you are cute. 

you are cuddly.

you are strong. 

you are handsome. 

you are athletic. 

you are smart. 

you are passionate. 

and best of all...

you are mine. 

and you are taking me to my favorite restaurant tonight. i can't wait to eat insane houston's deliciousness whilst i look at your sweet face. i am so happy that i get to kiss your cute lips for the rest of my days. i am so happy that you are my valentine. i love you.

lunch

this is what lunch time looked like at my house on thursday.  

i got creative & decided to try something new. a whole grain english muffin, some basil pesto, sliced roma tomatoes and a slice of mozzarella cheese. it was delish. seriously. and healthy.
all items were purchased at trader joes. enjoy.

fruits & veggies

for his birthday my parents gifted tyler this lovely. we are so excited and we have been using it just about every day. we are getting our fruits and veggies in everyday and loving it. this particular smoothie cosisted of avocado, grapes, pear, pinapple juice, spinach and broccoli. thanks mom & dad!

yesterday

yesterday i was a little under the weather... a little sad & sensitive. tyler went out to run an errand and came back with two of my favorite roses.
that's right people. that just happened.
my husband is a sweetheart. i am so blessed to have him in my life. sometimes life doesn't go the way you planned and we ( i ) need to exercise a little more faith in the bigger picture. maybe someday i will get answers. maybe i wont. either way i have faith that tyler and i can get through or accomplish anything as long as we are doing all we can do and exercising faith in God's plan for us.