The First Snowfall

I have deemed this song as "the first snowfall song." It seemed the most appropriate since its a good mixture of Halloween AND Christmas.

There is just something about seeing the first snowflakes dust the treetops and blanket the mountains that makes me want to sit next to a fireplace with a warm, fuzzy blanket, sip hot cocoa and listen to Christmas music. Ahhhh...I love it!

Fall pics and Pumpkinland

Over the weekend I had my mom snap some fall photos for us. We didn't feel like trekking all the way to Sundance just to capture the beauty of Utah's fall colors, so we went somewhere a little closer to home - our front yard. We've got some gorgeous autumn trees just outside our window, so we decided to take advantage of their vibrant orange and red colors while we still can.

We also visited Pumpkinland in Orem with my mom and dad. It was our first visit there but I can tell it will probably become a yearly fall tradition. We had a great time!

My mom snapped this one just as I stepped in a pile of mud. Nice.

There is that ticked-off look from Nick again...

My little adventurer

My dad is still recovering from foot surgery-hence the crutches.

"Please stop taking my picture..."

I love this picture because we all have completely different facial expressions.

Winter is definitely just around the corner.

I managed to get a pic of old St. Nick in the off-season. Ha! ;)

We're all mad here...

...well, just me actually. So remember a few months back when I was about to swear off Mirena because of all the crazy side effects (Nausea, extreme fatigue, weight gain, bouts of crying, and my personal favorite, hormone craziness)? Well I talked to my doctor about all my symptoms and he said that my body may start to tolerate the IUD if I give it another month AND if by then, I was still unhappy, I could simply have it removed. I begrudgingly agreed -partly because I was just starting to enjoy lighter periods and partly because I didn't even want to think about the "other" birth control alternatives.

So around the 4th month I noticed a much happier me. "I'm back!" I thought to myself, as I sang and danced while Toby ate his lunch. (Yes, I sing and dance for Toby quite frequently. He's entertained and its a great work-out for me. Hey, don't knock it til you've tried it). It was a wonderful, liberating feeling. No periods, no side effects, no worries!

Then, very slowly and ever so gradually the malicious Mirena returned in all its fury. I suddenly found myself crying over baby commercials and worrying about, well, everything. Then today I reached my breaking point. All it took was some lost car keys to push me over the edge. I was at my parents house visiting with my brother when I realized my keys were missing. I frantically looked everywhere, becoming more and more agitated all the while Toby continued to wreak havoc around the house: spilling the dog's water for the 2nd time, pulling down Halloween decorations, splashing in the fountain water...it was like he was feeding off all my nervous energy. My brother sensed my sudden mood change and did his best to calm me down. "Deb, it's ok. We'll find your keys."

And we did. Well, Terry did. I was still a basket-case muttering about how tired I was and how I wish Toby would just sit still for more than 30 seconds.

Later, when I was by myself I thought about how ridiculous I had behaved and felt so embarrassed and ashamed. After a long talk with my good friend, Deborah, I felt much better. She sympathized with me because at one time she had been on Mirena and had experienced the exact same side effects. It so nice to know I wasn't alone.

So tonight I have been mulling over my options:

a) Stay on Mirena and just stick it out until we try for baby #2 (which we decided wouldn't be until spring 2010)

b) Get off Mirena and risk the return of my terrible endometriosis cramps. yuck.

c) Get off Mirena and try for baby #2... (ahh! not sure If I am ready!)

It's a tough decision. I think I am going to be doing a lot of praying over the next couple of weeks.

Anyway, thanks to all who have patiently read this post. I just needed a moment to vent and my blog always seems the perfect place.

Where The Wild Things Are

I clearly remember reading this book over and over and over again as a little girl. It was an all time favorite. Truly a classic. Anyone else as excited as me for this movie to come out?

I'm already diggin' the song they play on the movie trailer....

Twilight

After months of snubbing the Twilight series, I finally gave in. To be honest, I am not someone who likes to read books because of the absurd popularity or because its the latest craze - "Everyone is reading it!" In fact, whenever I saw or heard about the people that called themselves "Twi-hards" it just fueled my extreme distaste towards the books. I just rolled my eyes and thought to myself "That is exactly why I will not succumb to these books. I refuse to be sucked in!"

Well, my resolve weakened after I saw the movie back in November of last year. I admit, there were some cheesy parts that had me laughing out loud AND since it was a low-budget film the special effects were definitely not the greatest. But I was genuinely intrigued by the storyline. And-not that this has anything to do with the book itself- but I LOVE the soundtrack to the movie (who wouldn't with Muse on the list of bands?). Later my sister, Vanessa, who is not at all a "Twi-hard" but a big fan of the series gave me a more in depth account of the characters and plot. I trusted her opinion and my interest was definitely piqued. "Alright," I resigned. "I will read the only the FIRST book."

So last week my VT companion was kind of enough to lend me her copy of the book (which is actually autographed by Stephanie Meyer herself), I curled up on the couch and let the pages work their magic. I am not someone who reads books all in one night because I like to digest and analyze everything in each chapter so I am only about 200 pages into it (what can I say? I am a slow reader and I have a very active 19 month old) BUT I will admit.....the book is fascinating and definitely entertaining. No doubt, a page turner. In fact as soon as I finish this post I am going to assume position on the couch and pick-up where I left off. But there are a couple things in it already that have been a bit of a turn off for me. Characters are a HUGE part of a story to me. If I don't like the main character or don't relate to them at all, I immediately want to stop reading. So here are my hang ups. Hopefully I am not alone in my assessments and I do apologize ahead of time if I am offending anyone or ruffling feathers.

1- I have talked to a few people about this one and its nice to know other share my opinion: Bella is completely uninteresting and annoying to me. Her character is so blah. She's not into sports, dancing, trying new things, going new places, or just being happy in general. Plus I think her clumsiness is just a bit over the top. Almost every scene is her tripping or stumbling over something- a trait in my opinion that is way overdone with portraying average young girls in several books and movies today. Maybe she is just an acquired taste, but so far I find myself becoming extremely irritated that the only thing she is passionate about is a pasty white immortal dude. I want to say to Bella "Get a hobby, take some Prozac, just do something that makes you a more interesting and like-able person."

2- Edward. Ah yes, the beautiful, luminous, and seductive Edward. Every woman's dream: ridiculously good looking (perfect face, smile, body) very intelligent and articulate, well dressed, musically talented, and of course, loaded. But while those traits are definitely alluring, I am more intrigued by his dark side. The side he is constantly battling during his encounters with Bella. That is what makes for great reading (to me anyway). But, there are a few things about him that I kind of shake my head at and do not understand why he is hailed and obsessed about by SO many women. Does anyone else notice he is very condescending, dominating, and gets easily annoyed with Bella in almost every conversation they have? I know he has this inner turmoil of wanting to protect Bella yet he can't stay way from her and I know he hates himself for being a vampire, even considers himself "a monster" but seriously his moods are completely out of whack. One minute he is chuckling at Bella's clumsiness, the next baiting her with his mysterious ways, the next rebuking her when she becomes close to discovering his identity. To be honest his fickle moods freak me out way more than the fact that he craves human blood. But despite his hot and cold behavior, I like him much, much better than Bella.

So basically those are the only turn offs for me so far. The book definitely leaves me thirsting for more (no pun intended) at the end of every chapter and its been a great diversion for me after I put Toby to bed. The highlight of my night actually. I'll give you my final critique when I finish it (which could very possibly be this weekend).