I'm with Marissa, I just love these things. Especially since today is rainy and cold. I just am not looking forward to going out into it in about an hour for work...

01. what time did you get up this morning? the first time, 6:30 with Tyson, for real, 8:00
02. diamonds or pearls? diamonds
03. what was the last film you saw at the cinema? "Becoming Jane," I was still pregnant.
04. what is your favorite tv show? Beverly Hillbillies, and Boy Meets World.
05. what do you usually have for breakfast? cereal, always cereal.
06. what is your middle name? Claire
07. what food do you dislike? mushrooms.
08. what is your favorite cd at moment? I haven't really listened to music since Josh was born, I don't know why...
09. what kind of car do you drive? an oldsmoblie cutless supreme, '89, we call her Samantha or Sammy for short.
10. favorite sandwich? pb&j.
11. what characteristic do you despise? i don't know, I think when people are always whispering and laughing at other people, especially when the others can hear them.
12. favorite item of clothing? pjs, I'm not really into clothes.
13. if you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Brazil, Wales, Scotland, Germany, Prince Edward Island, anywhere.
14. favorite brand of clothing? the comfy kind
15. where would you retire to? Oregon, Washington or New Hampshire.
16. what was your most recent memorable birthday? 2006, 6 days before my wedding, I turned 21 and Tyson, my Mom and Dad and I had a rootbeer chugging contest.
17. favorite sport to watch? basketball.
18. furthest you've ever taken a trip from your home? Italy or Bolivia, not sure which one is farther away, pretty sure Italy.
19. morning person or a night person? night if Tyson is home, otherwise morning, I do a lot at night, it came from my many days staying up late in high school to do homework.
20. what is your shoe size? 10, sometimes 11
21. pets? nope, not allowed to in our apartments, plus I don't like fur everywhere, but I do want a cat or a cute puppy someday.
22. any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? nope, i thought i was pregnant, but i'm not, thank goodness, I couldn't handle that so soon, although I already am baby hungry again.
23. what did you want to be when you were little? an artist and the first female president of the US.
24. what is your favorite flower? pansies, they remind me of my grandparents, and they are small and strong like me. I also love yellow roses.
25. what is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Next Monday, we are getting a crib for Joshua!
26. what are you listening to right now? the rain and Josh snoozing.
27. what was the last thing you ate? Burger King, totally bad for you but I was so hungry and we haven't gone shopping in weeks, so sad.
28. do you wish on stars? always, mostly for other people, I honestly have everything I want.
29. if you were a crayon, what color would you be? Rissa, I like your answer, but I think probably yellow, I would like to be the sunshine in all the little kid drawings, or maybe the brown, not very pretty but very useful.
30. how is the weather right now? rainy and very cold, but very pretty.
31. last person you spoke to on the phone? tyson
32. favorite soft drink? sprite.
33. favorite restaurant? Franks for the Memories, it is this cute little outdoor cafe here.
34. favorite toy as a child? I had a stuffed lamb named Jellybean when I was young, and then a doll named Lizzie when I got a little older.
35. summer or winter? summer, but not here, too muggy, summer in Utah.
36. chocolate or vanilla? chocolate, always chocolate.
37. when was the last time you cried? Too long ago, which probably means I will bawl tonight, I always have to cry.
38. what did you do last night? Tyson was in some meetings for church and someone came to the door knocking, so I hid with Josh in a closet for a few hours, hehe...I am so ashamed of how scared I get.
39. what are you afraid of? Dark nights, dying, but especially Josh or Tyson dying, I am consummed with that fear, and I check Josh to see if he is still breathing like a thousand times. I need to have more faith, less fear.
40. salty or sweet? sweet.
41. how many keys on your key ring? car, trunk, apartment, old work (oops, hehe), new work-5.
42. how many years at your current job? 7 months, 2 to go at my babysitting one. And 4 months, forever to go at being a mom.
43. favorite day of the week? Saturday, the only day I get to spend all day with Tyson.
44. favorite random thing that happens daily? the mail! I guess that isn't really random...

i tag you.

10 Things

So, although I wasn't really tagged, I don't really care, I just was thinking about what I would write, so I am going to write it...
10 things most people don't know about me:

10. I hate being alone at night, and I really hate being alone when I am shopping.

9. When I had my c-section, I was more afraid of getting a cathader than getting cut open.

8. Whenever I am sick, I still only want my mom.

7. I am a really bad speller and I have awful grammar. However, I graduated with my major being English, kind of ironically sad.

6. I don't like olives, but I will eat them. However, I refuse to eat mushrooms.

5. If they was still running, I would have voted for Ron Paul, not Mitt.

4. I believed in the Easter Bunny until I was 12, even after I found out Santa wasn't real, I refused to believe the Easter Bunny didn't exist.

3. If I could, I would live off of rolls, fruit and chocolate all the days of my life.

2. I absolutely love the mail, even if it is just junk mail or bills. Which also reminds me that I love paying bills mostly because I love writing checks. Slightly absurd, I know.

1. I am not afraid of bees. Tyson calls me the "bee charmer."

I tag Kenni, Amber, and anyone else. I just like these things. I'm not sure why...

A Weary Woman Going for a Walk

K, so you know the movie 'Pride and Prejudice,' the Mormon version? So you remember the scene with Jane and Lizzie going for a run? Okay, so that was totally me today, and I was Lizzie, covered in sweat. So my visiting teachers are seriously the most adorable girls ever, and completely beautiful. They are sisters-in-law, they married twins and though they don' t look alike, they are both gorgeous. We went on a walk today, we looked like a mommy train. Each of us had our baby in a stroller. It really was a blast. They are so incredibly awesome. But I just had to laugh the whole time to myself because I am so out of shape! Everyone I know goes running and are seriously amazing atheletes, and I am a recluse. My favorite thing in the world is sleeping and eating chocolate (not at the same time of course). So obviously, I am well rounded, literally. Hehe, no, I know I am not fat or anything, but seriously out of shape. Man I was sweating profusely, I thought I was going to collapse in the street. But for all that, it felt soooooo good! What have I been doing inside all the time for? It was so nice to get out. When we split up and they went their way to go home and I went mine, I was so happy. I just loved the slight breeze and all the budding trees and the silence. It was so wonderful. I love this little town and everyone waving at each other, it is just where I always wanted to be. Huzza for beautiful days, wonderful people and lovely walks with my darling baby. Now I shall rest, for I am exhausted!

Easter

So all my life I grew up loving Easter. My parents love to pretend and make every holiday crazy fun. My mom would write all these little notes, weeks before Easter, from the Easter bunny and leave them where we would find them. Then on Easter we would have these huge baskets that my parents would hide around the yard. Each basket was individualized for each of us and it was so much fun. I am so excited for next year and the many years after as Josh grows up and gets siblings and each holiday becomes entirely crazy and fun. I want my kids to have a crazy imagination like I did and have them feel like it is all real and magical. This Easter, although Josh slept through most of it, was really fun. Josh has been really sick lately, and so both Tyson and I were pretty tired from sleepless nights, so we slept as soon as we got home from church until right before dinner. (I am so thankful for crockpots, they cook for me) Then Kenni and her new husband Chris came over. I hid eggs around our apartment and then I sent Kenni, Chris and Tyson on a hunt. It was so fun! We ate dinner and watched Enchanted. It was so funny because KJ called that night and he told me he and his finacee, Courtney, watched "The Lamb of God" and I felt so awful saying "Oh, we watched 'Enchanted'." It was pretty funny. But even with the humor, it really struck me, I have never really focused on Christ much around Easter. So I picked up our Ensign from this month, beautiful by the way, and just started reading. It was reallly neat because all this week I have really been seeing just how amazing Christ's Atonement is. It is something I have always known, but still I seem to find it more and more amazing the more I study it. The peace it brings is unexplainable. I am so thankful for it. I testify that Christ is real, and He did die for us, because He loves us and He wants so much for us to be happy. Being a parent now, I can now feel a part of the love Heavenly Father surely feels for us, and it is amazingly strong. I am so thankful.

P.S.- Thank you Heather for what you said about your Easter experience. I have always been so strengthened by your testimony.

Picture Tag

All of the questions must be answered with pictures.
Favorite Color:


Favorite Animal:

Favorite Food:
Favorite Hobby:
Bad Habit:
My Job:
Favorite Dessert:I tag anyone who wants to do this, it is way fun!

Tagged

5 years ago I was...loving high school, probably hanging out with Mike, Kristen and Stephen all the time. Procrastinating my senior portfolio (I hated that thing), dreaming, making up songs with Heather, probably still sneaking out all the time to go stalking with Kenni, wondering about what school to go to.
5 months ago I was...getting huge in the midsection, quitting my job because I couldn't take bending down and getting sick all the time from the little kids, unpacking our house, and reading Eragon with Tyson.
5 things that worry me... losing Tyson or Josh, not being able to feed Josh enough, my family, scary men hiding under my car, getting my identity stolen, I'm like Kristen, I worry way too much.
5 bad habits...Eating chocolate whenever and always, not listening when people talk to me, gossip gossip evil thing, not sleeping when I should, being critical of others.
5 of my favorite places I've lived...Virginia, Utah, Maine and California (in that order)
5 of my greatest blessings...my temple marriage, the gospel, Tyson, Joshua, and all my family and friends
5 things on my wish list...chocolate (suprise, suprise), clothes that I could never afford, baby stuff, tickets to get out of BV, a house in Venice
5 of my favorite things to blog about...My baby, Tyson, and well random things in my life
5 people I tag... um all my friends have done it, so anyone else that reads it

Mama and Baby

See, there is the face again: "Mom, what are you doing?"

Parenting

Being a mom is probably the best thing in my life. I love it so much. I have never been so tired, never been so worried, and never been so happy and fulfilled. When people talk about being single, or "kidless," I sometimes get jealous, because I don't have that freedom anymore. Every decision I make effects Josh. Even at 12 weeks old, he is starting to mimick me. He smiles when I smile, and gets anxious when I'm upset. The burden is immense, much more than I ever imagined. But I have never had such a rewarding experience either. When he learns something new, I feel like it should be national news. And my favorite is that I am his world. He looks to me for comfort, for food, for rest, and for love. It is so terrifying and yet so special, I just cannot explain it. I do not ever blame people for waiting to have kids, because sometimes I wish we could have been more prepared, but I also wish everyone could know this happiness. I know all of you will love being moms, but take my advice and live it up while you aren't. Cuz once you're a mom, you're a mom for eternity. It's great, and I would never go back, but the Lord gives you time to get ready for a reason. :)