wake up

Alright, it's Lent season again, which means giving up a vice, which you would probably think means Emily gives up some sort of sugar.

But you would be wrong!

I was going to, but the Cadbury Eggs are too good this year. And then also in this post my brother Christopher got me thinking about something else...being lazy. That could mean a lot of things but for me specifically, when it comes to going to bed or waking up in the morning I am THE WORST.

And while I don't think you will find scripture anywhere in the Bible that says Jesus didn't sleep in until 30 minutes before He had to be somewhere, I think it's safe to say He was an 'early to rise' kind. And He probably wouldn't spend the hours from 10:00pm to too late playing PSP games/interneting and watching TLC or VH1 whilst snacking on partially hydrogenated snack foods.

So it's not like I'm ever super productive in those late night hours, but I do manage to make myself tired enough that in the morning I'm full of excuses in my head to keep me in bed.

"I'll just work out later today, after work."

"If I decide now to wear the pants I wore yesterday with the shirt I was going to wear yesterday then I can sleep for 10 more minutes."

"I don't really need to do my hair/I'll shower after work."

"I love my bed!!!"

So it is time to turn a new Lent leaf. I know I sound like a baby to the people who pop awake at the crack of dawn or to anyone who cleans the house at 1:00 in the morning, but it is going to be difficult for me.

The past two mornings have been better...I'm still not waking up at my 7:30 goal, but I'm making incremental improvements.

And last night I got to bed late but because of this:

Joel got a chin to the head during basketball so I cleaned it and made sure there weren't brains spilling out (there weren't last night or this morning either).

And then when I walked into my room there was this:

So bedtime will need some work.

family snapshot

My siblings and I were talking about taking new family photos since we've added an in-law, a baby, and have yet another on the way since the last time we had some done.

But Christopher pointed out that he could take care of it with just a little Photoshop work.


I think its nice.

break my stride

Four days before the end of the month I just passed my emissions test and got new registration stickers. Winning!

But I still haven't replaced my Driver's License that I lost in October. Not totally winning!

all my life

Why, if I have that peacock box and the whole top drawer dedicated to organizing jewelry, does this still seem to happen?

And why besides the rings and earrings and necklaces that are out of place, is there also all the other stuff?

I am going to make it a goal this week to keep it clean in order to avoid thinking about my other goal this week of passing the Armenian language test I have to take on Saturday in order to graduate college even though I haven't spoken Armenian in four years.

No pressure.

silvertiles

So since the cake plates and the cloth stamping went well, it seemed high time to get a little craft on. Since I like the idea of a semi-consistent gathering of amazing women in order to create something useful and/or develop a skill, I hope to do this a lot more this year (e-mail me if you are interested). I can't say enough about how great the DIY projects are on Design*Sponge, especially those of Derek and Lauren. I love the simplicity, ease and utilitarianism of their stuff.

Which is why I was drawn to this little mosaic project.

And what do you know, it was really pretty simple to tile. You do need a good couple of hours between the glue stage and the grout stage, so we didn't get to see any final, final projects last night, but it was still a great success.

I loved how clean and simple Egan's pattern looked.

Emily, Janelle and Cindy came with broken up plate tiles, which was really cool. This is Em with hers glued in but pre-grout still.

Rebecca using all the colors

Nate stopped by after a basketball game but was just in time to help Tasha with her "T" tray.

I am always, always excited to see what Cindy will come up with at these things and she's always amazing.

I've been looking at color studies lately so I liked the idea of making color lines. I still have to make mine though because I was too busy talking to craft (shocker).

All the ladies (see how I called Nate a girl right there?)

And frankly, this is the real reason behind an evening like last night...laughing faces. I was so delighted both Meikel and Frances could make it and then that there was time for some good Janelle stories (Janelle isn't in the picture but was in the process of telling a great story).

Fantastic.

people get ready

I've added yet another link to my list of links, but I can't add the button for it since I am a grandma and can't figure it out. However, I exhort you to start reading my friend Matt's religious (Mormon) blog because it is pretty great, as evident by the photo below.


This first post explains the Regis/Religious issue.

crown of love

Every long weekend I wish every weekend was a long weekend. This time because of all these reasons...

boys on the couch

Rubik's cube 1

Rubik's cube 2

Rubik's cube cheater

delicious dinner

Phase 10 'til the break of dawn

and of course, Morgan and those squishy cheeks and blue-green eyes

l-o-v-e

I'm behind on my Valentine's mix (what's new). But I still love Valentine's as an excuse for color coordinated candy and an extra reason to tell people I love them. Aaron and I are headed to Logan for the long weekend to hang out with siblings and my adorable grandparents too. I can't wait.
Our little home on E Street has been more festive than usual this year thanks to some Naomi crafts and a little rearranging. I hope everyone enjoys the day with some treats.





And an extra bonus...I was delighted at work yesterday to run across this little heart surprise as I was stuffing my face with Cadbury Mini Eggs.

Love is in the air!

between hello and goodbye

I feel my thoughts will be best understood with a little back story first.

So, when I was a little 20 year old I sent off my mission papers hoping for some French speaking country to follow in the tradition of my mother (who served in Belgium) and my sister (who served in Switzerland).

And instead I got Armenia. And I was like "Armenia?! Where is that? Who cares about that place?" I did not.

But of course, the testimony meeting end of the story is that turns out, I loved Armenia! It was perfect for me!

And since there were like 30 missionaries total, we were was a close-knit group. Family you could say. So much so that when Elder Maahs and Elder DeGraw went home to SLC I told them to stop by my mom's frame shop and tell her hello because she would get a kick out of that. And they did. And they kept going back for the whole year I was still gone. So when I got home Elder Maahs was actually Mike to everyone else and he was like a new family member. And that was cool because Mike was fun to be around and had the biggest heart I'd ever known in real life.

He bought a house on Wood Avenue shortly thereafter. I moved in and so did 3 other old Armenian missionaries, Blake, Little Mike and Jeanine. My brother Christopher also moved in and was in the process of falling in love with yet another Armenian missionary, Tasha (confusing yet?). We all lived and hung out in that Woodhouse bliss for a while and it was fantastic.

So that takes us to Thanksgiving 4 years ago. We planned a movie party cool down at The Woodhouse. I was excited cus my new church friend Kristina was coming over and mentioned she was bringing her friend Katie who had recently come home from her mission. They showed up and Katie was friendly and sassy and beautiful so Mike's heart fell on the floor. And hers fell back so they got married the next summer with a great, great party.

And Mike was a bunch of wonderful things before, so what a delight that with that redheaded Katie, together they are the kind of people who turn your Wasatch Back Relay team car into a rave at 2:00 in the morning. And they are the kind of people who open themselves up to strangers and friends alike. And they are the kind of people who are perfectly suited for an adventure in New Zealand for the next few years.

I am going to miss them. Christopher is surely going to miss them. And the house full of people who gathered on Saturday to send them off are going to miss them too. Thank goodness the internet was invented and thank goodness we all know two years isn't the end of the world.

But mostly, thank goodness Mike Maahs and Katie Faust Maahs were invented.

girl with the golden hair

Remember my internet skillz? They got me a sweet deal on a flat iron of my own.

That's no shipping, plus a 15% discount. Boo-yah.


If I could just get make-up figured out, then someday I might be a real girl...

fly like an eagle

I knew the weekend was going to be a good one when on Friday Aaron and Janelle showed up to my mom's house coincidentally wearing these opposite outfits.

We stayed the night there because Saturday morning we were going to Farmington Bay to watch eagles. There are bald and golden eagles currently stopped over at the Great Salt Lake on their migratory pattern, so during February the Bay is full of them. Like we saw 50 or so. Go America!

Unfortunately, I don't have a fancy camera with a zoom so trying to take pictures was not an effective way to show all those birds. See?

Fortunately, I am very good with photoshop.

Also fortunately, I was close enough to Naomi and Rachel and Aaron and Janelle to take pictures of them.
Naomi

Rachel

Aaron

Janelle

And I read everyone very interesting eagle facts.

So much fun already! And we haven't even gotten to Saturday night...

day 'N' nite

Katie asked me the other day to give the Song Off another go, this time against her. So here we go...

I love, love remixes. I love, love a heavy beat. I think I love, love Kid Cudi. And I suppose all that means I love, love this song.

Katie's song is found HERE. Leave a comment on her blog or mine with your vote for the song you like best. And may the best woman win (me).

purple rain

I suppose if he's got a purple sweatshirt and I've got purple pants, then it was only a matter of time before this happened:

I had no idea we could sub-consciously coordinate so well. Talent!

It's throw-up I know, but at least it's kind of cute throw-up right?

set out running

An e-mail chain 64 e-mails long, a handful of rejected names (Wasatch My Balls and I Drink Your Protein Shake being my favorites), and a poor stranger named Rick who accidentally got included on it all later and we are set for our 2009 Wasatch Back Relay team.

7 Cliffords, 2 Coopers, and 3 fast boys....behold, Ted Dancin' With Wolves

Christopher is attempting to contact Ted's agent. We're hoping we can get a slow clap as we cross the finish line.

you made my day

Friday night I gathered the birthday treats I'd received throughout the day:

Apparently people know what I like (which is Diet Dr. Pepper and M&Ms).