Celebrity Halloween 2010

Last night we took the kids to the ward trunk or treat at our church. I wasn't sure if I was going to take them out tonight because we didn't get home from church until 4pm, they were already tired, and Brian was going to be gone studying so he wouldn't be home to go with us. I decided to bite the bullet and went out with my neighbor Cheryl and her kids. We walked over to another one of our friends house, Marisa, and headed out to trick or treat. The first house we went to was Thomas Keller's house - the famous chef who owns French Laundry - look him up. I was pleasantly surprised by how much the kids got into the trick or treating. I still thought Evan would be a little young to appreciate it, but he was walking ahead of me and taking himself to each door, ringing the bell, and doing the deal. At one house, the lady said "what do you say?" - (i.e..trick or treat) and Evan responded with a stern, "fill it up" - it was awesome and embarrassing all at the same time. Last night the boys were both Spiderman and tonight Evan was Iron Man and Owen was probably the cutest blue monster I have ever seen. His costume had a little tail on the back and when he walked it would wag - there is nothing cuter than a baby in a costume. Owen was actually going from to each door and saying trick or treat AND thank you - progress!

These are the moments....

I am writing this blog post mostly for my husband - so if you need to be spared the sap, read on or skip over this post. Brian likes to read our blog while he is at school and look at the pictures of our sweet little boys. On Friday afternoon, Evan wanted me to take pictures of him sitting on the steps wearing his skeleton/pirate shirt. Coincidentally, as I was taking his pictures, his dad came home and I was able to capture the picture of him running down the stairs and jumping up on Brian and giving him a hug right as he came in the door. I like to think that Brian is different. While some dads are okay with leaving every day from 9am - 5pm, and sometimes even enjoy being gone for those hours, Brian is different. He genuinely loves spending time with the kids and hates leaving them. This week is going to be especially hard. Brian has his block exams which means four tests between Monday and Friday and endless hours of studying. I know that it is hard on Brian to be away from the kids for so many hours and basically be MIA for an entire week, but hopefully he will look at this blog post from day to day and remember that Friday is just around the corner and Evan will be waiting on the steps again. You can do it Brian - good luck on your tests, we love you.

Why I Love Having Little Boys

My heart aches to have a baby girl one day, but for now - I LOVE having little boys. It is hard to explain, but the relationship between a mom and her little boy is so sweet. Every week when I get ready for church Evan tells me that I am a princess, this never gets old. Yesterday, he told me that I was a princess and then told me to take a break from putting on my make up and hold his hand so he could spin me around....(heart melting). My little Owen is a bright eyed boy that is tough as nails but sweet as can be. While leaping through the air to land on the couch, he will usually sneak in a hug or lay on my lap for 3 seconds - and I love it. I say this because I was talking to my sister today about babies, and future babies, and she made me laugh. I am impulsive by nature, and TMI, if it wasn't for a temporarily permanent form of birth control, I would probably want to have another baby right now just because I love my two that I have so much. BUT I can't be impulsive, so I am going to wait until Owen is probably a little over three years old before going for number three. Right now, it is crazy and enjoyable. I love watching my boys run around the park together and actually play 20 percent of the time and only fight 80 percent:) They ride in their red wagon every day together to the park or around the block and we talk about pumpkins and skeletons while Evan points out where the shade is (he is still amazed when he isn't "hot" in Vegas). Life is busy, and sometimes lonely, but it is good.

While I am writing this blog, I am sitting on the couch next to Brian who is studying and occasionally checking my heart beat. He is studying the heart tonight. I am not always a fan of being his patient/guinea pig, but I'll take whatever attention I can get these days:) Brian got a 100 percent on a biochemistry test last week and a 90 percent on an Anatomy exam so I guess if the long hours of studying is paying off, I'll take the lack of attention for a bit/a long bit:)

This past weekend we went down to the strip after eating In N Out burger - which is becoming our Friday night routine. We took the boys to the Shark Reef Aquarium which was really fun. I felt like we reached a milestone in their ages that night. Although we brought the stroller, both of the boys got down and walked through the aquarium and actually stayed with us the whole time/didn't try to run off - it was a beautiful moment. This might sound lame, but anyone who has kids knows how frustrating it is to have one child enjoy something and the other one running no where in the opposite direction and having to chase them the whole time. Having both kids enjoy the same activity was awesome. There was one part where it looks like you are in a ship that has wrecked and the floor is cut out/covered by glass so that you can see the fish below you. Owen was convinced it was an open hole and when I tried to pull him on to it to stand with me he threw his legs up in the air so he wouldn't go over board - it was really funny. Evan enjoyed seeing the Starfish and said "Look Mom, it's star chicken" - his favorite menu item at Carls Jr. See the pictures below.






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White Coat Ceremony

I am a little embarrassed about how long it has been since I have last blogged. Maybe it has been because there is nothing to blog about or possibly I am just too busy to blog? Whatever the reason - it has been less than a month so I am not throwing in the towel on blogging just yet!

Today marks an important day. Not only is it now LESS than one month until I get to go home for a visit BUT Brian had his white coat ceremony today. The white coat ceremony is kind of interesting. It is a little bit like graduating backwards. Although he has years left before he is officially a doctor, he gets a white coat. Maybe it is motivation for the med students to stick it out because they have a jacket with their name already embroidered on it - if that is not motivation, I don't know what is:)

Brian's white coat ceremony was held at the Bally's Hotel and Casino on the strip. Brian had to go down early so this was the first time that I had to go down to the strip by myself with two kids. I don't think going down to the strip by myself would seem like such a big deal, but with two kids, it is a whole different ball game. Luckily, I found a steal of a deal on a sit and stand stroller this weekend and that purchase came more than handy to cart the kids around and get into the casino/the ceremony. I didn't think the kids would make it, but they did surprisingly well. Although we do have many more years to go, it was fun to see Brian sitting on the stage in his white coat...it means we are one step closer to the real thing.

Here are some photos from today....

Updates

We returned home last night from a trip to Fresno, California. Brian's mother has cancer so we went to visit and I stayed while he came back to Nevada so that I could help drive his brother around to work and errands since his mother can't drive right now due to nerve damage. While it was hard to see Brian's mom sick, and hard to be away from Brian, it was really enjoyable to spend some quality time with his family. Usually when we see them it is a holiday which means a lot of people and really hectic. It was so nice to have some one on one time and let the kids get to know their grandparents a little better. Brian's mom (Maxine) is really an inspiring woman to be around. She has been suffering on and off with Cancer since Brian was in the 2nd grade and I think that she is the definition of a true fighter. While cancer may be rid throughout her body, she isn't and hasn't given up. She keeps on moving. When her right hand stopped working correctly, she was determined to learn to write with her left hand. She has such a positive outlook on life and is just a truly genuine woman. It made me think more about my life and how to maximize my potential as a wife and a mother.

In general, I always enjoy Fresno. If it wasn't so far from my family, I could live there. It was so nice to wake up in the morning and be able to go for a long run when it was only 55 to 60 degrees and then by afternoon it would be in the 90s and you could go swimming. The main road out of Brian's neighborhood is gorgeous. The homes are huge and they have awesome landscaping and mature trees. I told Brian's sister Becky it looks like the Secret Garden on steroids, so beautiful.

Evan William turned three years old today. I can't believe that it has already been three years. Time truly flies when you are having fun, are busy out of your mind, and sleep deprived 90 percent of the time. Honestly, I can't complain. Evan is such a joy. He has quite the personality and is quite funny. Now that he is three years old, Brian and I enjoy watching him learn and discover the world around him, as well as the dynamics of road rage and occasionally a few curse words.

It might sound pathetic, but before moving to Las Vegas, one of the things that made me cry the most was thinking about Evan's birthday and how he probably wouldn't have enough friends yet to constitute having a birthday party. He has such a close relationship with his cousins that it was hard to think about moving somewhere where he wouldn't have the same type of relationships. However, I was determined to make it a good birthday for him. We woke up this morning and opened his gifts from his Grandma and Grandpa Jones, Namom and Grand dad, and the Miska family. Shortly after, we went and got the mail and he got a Spider-man b-day card from his cousin Mae and an awesome Spider-man shirt from his Aunt Lauren and Uncle McKay. Then we went and got bagels at Einstein Bagels - his favorite spot and were off to Target to get him the Batman Cave with the gift card that Namom sent in his package. After a lazy afternoon of cartoons and chocolate milk, we had dinner at Chili's and red velvet cake - which he calls Spider-man cake because it is read. I think the highlight of the evening was when we were outside in a parking lot this evening and it smelled of sewage. Evan looked at Brian and said "Daddy, it smells like a giant fart out here - smells like stinky poop" . He then proceeded to ask a stranger if they smelled the fart outside....so funny. To top it off, on the way home, Brian's dad called to wish Evan a happy birthday and once I closed the cell phone I sat it in the cup holder. When we got home, I realized that Brian had put Evan's chocolate shake in the cup holder and there sank the cell phone....and by "the" cell phone I mean Brian's cell phone - whoops:) It made for a good laugh, mostly on my end. Brian said he has heard of a lot of things happening to cell phones but that was the first cell phone drowning in a chocolate milk shake that he had seen.

With it being Evan's birthday, I was happy but it is always funny when your kids have a birthday, especially as a female. While I love watching him get older and enjoy opening presents, it is kind of a reflective day. Mostly reflective of labor pains and actually having a baby. I guess these weird emotions made me feel impulsive annnnnnnd I dyed my hair today just because I could. Brian came home from school and my hair is a medium-dark brown again. My mom doesn't usually like when I dye it, and I don't think I mentioned to her yet that I dyed it soooo here is your notice mom, I dyed my hair:)

It is almost October, which means it is almost November, which means I get to go home for a visit...but who is keeping track of the days anyways? Can't wait to see the family again!

Just Another Day in Nevada....

I have missed a few days of blogging - mostly because it was probably just another day and I don't want to post painfully boring posts about what I ate for breakfast, what I cleaned, what I didn't clean, and what time my kids didn't go to bed.

However, over the past several days/week, there has been enough compilation of updates to equal one post (I think).

We have officially finished the first month of medical school. I say "we" because although Brian is the one going to class every day, we are all very much involved in "going to medical school".

Brian works really hard all week but because he gets out at 3pm on Fridays, he has set Friday afternoon/evening aside for the family - which I LOVE. This past Friday, I scheduled a late afternoon haircut at a place called HotBox Salon in Las Vegas. Brian had bought me a voucher to the salon through a Living Social deal (which I am totally addicted to by the way). For $30.00 dollars I was able to get a haircut and a therapeutic hair treatment (an $80 value - awesome deal, right?). Anyways, I made the appointment and asked for anyone available because I knew I only had Friday afternoon to get my haircut so I was going to take what I can get - which happened to be the owner of the salon - SCORE. As I was driving to the appointment, I was thinking about the name of the salon and though it was an interesting name for a hair salon because of its similarity to a marijuana smoking term (yes, I am NOT naive). The similarity was right on point. I walked into the salon which smelled of incense and was decorated with camo print and Bob Marley posters - this was perfect for my first true Las Vegas hair cut. After talking to the person cutting my hair, I found out that he didn't only own the salon, he was also a trained professional who taught hair cutting seminars and techniques all over the country and worked with Paul Mitchell for 8 years teaching the teachers who teach the students - major SCORE. Anyways - long story short, I love my haircut and felt like it was the haircut that I have been trying to achieve for the past year that no one could seem to get right - does that mean that west coast hair stylists are better? It is possible.

On Friday night we headed out to the strip. My kids love to sit in their stroller and take a ride down the strip, and Brian and I enjoy people watching so its a win win for us on a Friday night. I love that in Las Vegas you see everything, but you never see the same thing twice - unless it comes in the shape of a girl in a thong walking down the strip at 9pm at night - you see A LOT of those. When we arrived and entered the Bellagio, a girl came walking out literally wearing a thong bikini with a see through cover up just covering her bottom half - that's about the time that we put the sun shade up over the stroller. Brian let me loose in Urban Outfitters (big mistake) where we were greeted by lady #2 feeling the vibe of a 9pm thong and see throug cover up - I wish I hadn't missed that memo - that would have made a great outfit as I pushed my Graco Duo Glide down the strip.

We headed out on a usual path towards the Coca Cola factory and the M&M factory to look for Spiderman who wasn't there so we had to convince Evan that he was out saving people and then needed to go home and see his momma. On our way there, we passed a guy in his young 20s laying on the sidewalk completely drunk. Once the ambulance came and he was put on a stretcher, I don't think he even knew he was on a stretcher he was so drunk - which was actually kind of funny. As they wheeled him away he was saying hi to everyone and asking them how their night was going - quite social for being almost half dead, which was kind of impressive.

Saturday morning I woke up early and hit a 5 mile run, took a shower, and then went shopping (BY MYSELF) for two hours to spend my birthday money. This may seem like a lame update - but this was seriously one of the most liberating moments I have had since I moved here. I realized that when I went to get my haircut the day before, I hadn't driven in a car by myself since we moved here which had been almost 7 weeks. I love being with my family, but there is something magical about a good work out, a shower without two little boys taking a shower with you and dumping your shampoo out, and a little retail therapy.

I am heading to Fresno, California on Wednesday for an indefinite amount of time to see Brian's family - look out for CA updates.

I can't believe I have been here a month: I can't believe I have ONLY been here a month

It has officially been one month since we moved to Henderson, Nevada. Time has gone by fast, but at the same time I feel like I have been here for six months - which means time is going slow, right? This week, to say the least, was challenging. My brother left so I was flying solo all week with my two little men. It was also a really hot week - I don't think it was ever under 100 degrees, even at 7am. On Thursday, my car wouldn't start because apparently my battery went out. This wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that two hours prior to the car not starting, we were actually out in the car and Owen threw up everywhere - inside the car. Anyone with kids knows that there is nothing worse than a car seat full of throw up. Friday - the car wouldn't start again and after 10 phone calls with Hyundai, a tow truck company, and my mom for venting, we have a new battery in our car and its running like a gem:) Brian's sister Katharina came in town last night for a visit, which was really fun. Katharina's little boy Ben is Evan's age and it was fun to see the boys play together.

Well enough about my week - on to better. I know that I love to look at other's people blogs and gaze at their pictures. So in honor of my one month mark in Vegas - this is my picture post with little updates from our life story....in the desert - enjoy!

xoxo

Candace