WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY

SO, THIS PAST WEEK I PUT UP THE TREE AND WE HUNG LIGHTS AROUND THE CEILING AND I PUT UP THE NATIVITY AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. IN THE BOX THERE WAS A PICTURE OF LITTLE MESE ON SANTA CLAUS' LAP. SO I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREP MARLOWE FOR THE WARD PARTY THIS PAST WEEKEND TO EXPLAIN WHO SANTA IS AND HELP HER TO NOT BE SCARED. LAST YEAR SHE WAS VERY SCARED. EACH DAY WE WOULD GO OVER AND OVER WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE DOES, BUT I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO SIT ON HIS LAP IN ORDER TO GET THE CANDY AND TOYS. WHEN IT CAME TIME TO SIT ON HIS LAP SHE DUG HER FINGERNAILS INTO MY ARM AND SCREAMED LIKE I HAVE NEVER HEARD HER DO BEFORE. HER BROTHER, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS COMPLETELY FINE WITH IT. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SUCH AN EASY GOING BABY. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE PICTURES ONTO THE COMPUTER, BUT HERE ARE SOME FROM THAT NIGHT. I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

NE W VAN

WELL, HERE IS THE LATEST PICTURE OF OUR KIDS. THEY LOOK A LITTLE LIKE ORPHANS IN THIS PICTURE, BUT WE LOVE THEM. IT IS SUCH A JOY TO BE A PARENT. THEY JUST GROW TOO FAST. ANY WAYS, I JUST LOVE THE HOLIDAYS. MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS THE EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT I RECEIVED A FEW WEEKS AGO. MY HUSBAND BOUGHT ME A MINI VAN. I LOVE IT. IT IS SO NICE AND ROOMY AND I CAN DRIVE SO MUCH BETTER IN IT. WE ARE ALL ENJOYING IT VERY MUCH. THE BEST THING, THOUGH, IS THAT I AM NOT STUCK WITHOUT A CAR ANY MORE. IT'S WONDERFUL. ESPECIALLY SINCE MESE IS GONNA BE WORKING AND GOING TO SCHOOL. I FEEL LIKE AN OFFICIAL MORMON MOM NOW.

DIETING

WELL, NOT MUCH IS NEW. NOW THAT MESE IS BACK TO WORK AND WE HAVE A DAILY SCHEDULE LIFE IS KINDA DULL, BUT TRUST ME I AM READY FOR THAT. MESE LOVES HIS NEW JOB AND I AM ENJOYING THE ROUTINE. I GET TO WORK OUT EVERY DAY, NOT THAT I ACTUALLY DO, I SHOULD, BUT IT'S MORE LIKE FOUR TIMES A WEEK. I WENT TO HAVE A CHECK UP ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND AFTER ALL MY BLOOD TESTS AND EVERYTHING I FOUND OUT THAT I'M IN GOOD SHAPE. "VERY HEALTHY" ACCORDING TO THE DOCTOR WHICH IS GREAT NEWS. I JUST WISH IT WAS THE SAME FOR MY HUSBAND. HE HAS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, WHICH I HAD HOPED, COMING FROM A DOCTOR WOULD SCARE HIM ENOUGH TO CHANGE ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. ONE OF THE REASONS I MARRIED MY HUSBAND WAS BECAUSE OF HIS SIZE. I ALWAYS FEEL SO SAFE AND PROTECTED AND PETITE WHEN HE WRAPS HIS BIG ARMS AROUND ME. BUT, I WANT HIM TO BE HEALTHY ABOVE ALL. SO, AS A RESULT, WE ARE ONCE AGAIN TRYING A NEW "PLAN" TO EAT HEALTHY. I HATE TO CALL IT A DIET BECAUSE IT REALLY IS SUPPOSE TO JUST BE A COMPLETE LIFE CHANGE. IF ONLY IT WERE AS EASY AS HIS PHOTO-EDITING DIET(CHECK OUT MESE'S LATEST BLOG ENTRY). SO, I KNOW HE'S KINDA GETTING OLD NOW, BUT I HAVE BEEN WATCHING DR. OZ ON OPRAH A LOT LATELY AND REMEMBERED THAT TUI HAD BOUGHT HIS BOOK A WHILE BACK. IT WAS SITTING ON THE SHELF COLLECTING DUST SO I PICKED IT UP AND STARTED READING. IT'S VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE, BUT MY FAVORITE PART IS ALL THE RECIPES IN THE BACK. THEY ARE PRETTY EASY AND VERY GOOD. SO FAR IT'S GOING WELL. WE ARE STARTING OUT SLOW. I GOT SO EXCITED WHEN DR. OZ SAID YOU COULD EAT DESSERT EVERY OTHER DAY. AT THE TIME I DIDN'T KNOW HE MEANT HIS RECIPES. I AM A HUGE CHOCOLATE FAN AND I HAVE A VERY BIG SWEET TOOTH. LIKE I SAID WE ARE CUTTING STUFF OUT SLOWLY. NOW, IF I COULD JUST GET MESE TO EXERCISE A LITTLE. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

ANSWERED PRAYERS

I HAVE SO MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERY DAY, BUT ESPECIALLY TODAY. WE HAVE HAD SO MANY ANSWERS TO PRAYERS THIS LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. I JUST HAD TO PUT DOWN IN WORDS HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT HEAVENLY FATHER IS THERE FOR US. HE MAY NOT DO EVERYTHING IN THE TIMING THAT WE DESIRE, BUT IT IS SO TRUE THAT ONCE THINGS DO WORK OUT, YOU LOOK BACK AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE WHY HEAVENLY FATHER REALLY DOES SEE THE BIG PICTURE AND HIS TIMING IS BETTER. HE KNOWS ALL AND HE DEFINITELY ANSWERS PRAYERS. WE'RE DOING GREAT.

DISNEYLAND

JUST WANT TO SAY A QUICK CONGRATS TO THE WESTBROOK FAMILY FOR THEIR NEW ADDITION. BABIES ARE SO MUCH FUN. SHE IS ADORABLE. WE'VE ALL GOT SOME REALLY CUTE KIDS. THIS IS OUR KID'S FIRST TRIP TO DISNEYLAND ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. WE WERE GONNA WAIT UNTIL THEY GOT MUCH OLDER, BUT WE GOT IN FREE SO WE FIGURED WHAT THE HECK. IT WAS PRETTY FUN. MASON LIKED IT BETTER THAN MARLOWE BECAUSE HE WAS TOO YOUNG TO BE SCARED. MARLOWE WAS SCARED OF PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE CAROUSEL AND THE DUMBO RIDE. RIGHT WHEN MESE SNAPPED THIS PICTURE IS WHEN SHE REALIZED THERE WAS A HUGE MONSTER BEHIND US.

HOUSE-SITTING

WELL, MY PARENTS FINALLY GOT BACK FROM THEIR CRUISE TODAY SO THAT MEANS WE ARE BACK HOME. WE SPENT THE WHOLE WEEK HOUSE-SITTING FOR THEM. IT WAS FUN, BUT WE'RE GLAD TO BE HOME. WE HAD FUN HANGING OUT WITH THE WOLFGRAMM KIDS FOR TWO DAYS AT THE POOL. WE LOVE YOU GUYS. YEP, SWIMMING IN OCTOBER. I LOVE LIVING IN CALIFORNIA. SOUNDS LIKE MY PARENTS HAD A BLAST TOO. I GUESS MY DAD ENTERED THE HAIRY CHEST CONTEST AND WON. HE DANCED AND POSED LIKE NEVER BEFORE. HE REALLY CAME OUT OF HIS SHELL. THEY SAY THAT FOR CHRISTMAS THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE US ALL ON A CRUISE. I AM EXCITED. IT WILL BE MY FIRST TIME. I JUST HOPE THE SHIP DOESN'T SINK.

FRIENDS

LIFE IS GOOD AND FRIENDS ARE GREAT. SINCE I'VE BEEN MARRIED I HAVE MADE MORE CLOSE FRIENDS THAN I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES AND THE LOVE YOU GIVE TO OUR FAMILY. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. WE LOVE YOU.

PUT SOME ROMANCE BACK IN YOUR MARRIAGE

SO, LAST SATURDAY AT THE RELIEF SOCIETY BROADCAST A BUNCH OF US WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW OUR HUSBANDS WERE SO ROMANTIC DURING OUR COURTSHIPS, BUT NOW THE ROMANCE HAS DWINDLED DRASTICALLY. WELL, AFTER THIS WEEK I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO TAKE BACK EVERYTHING I SAID. IT IS LIKE MY HUSBAND SOMEHOW SPIED ON US AND HEARD EVERYTHING WE WERE SAYING AND NOW IS DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO PROVE ME WRONG. EVERYTHING FROM OPENING DOORS FOR ME TO PAUSING FOR A MOMENT TO HUG AND KISS ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GROCERY STORE JUST BECAUSE HE LOVES ME. I HAVE TO SAY MY HUSBAND IS THE BEST. HE IS SOOOOOOO SWEET. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. SO IF THERE ARE ANY HUSBANDS OUT THERE READING THIS TAKE A LITTLE LESSON FROM MESE, PUT A LITTLE ROMANCE BACK INTO YOUR MARRIAGE. TAKE TIME TO KISS YOUR WIFE AGAIN, A REALLY GOOD KISS.

YESTERDAY WAS A FUN-FILLED DAY. DURING A DAY FULL OF RUNNING ERRANDS, GETTING READY FOR THE LUAU, WE DISCOVERED THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE MUSICIAN ON OUR HANDS. MASON HAS BEEN HUMMING SINCE HE WAS ABOUT THREE MONTHS OLD, BUT NOW DADDY CLAIMS THAT WHILE HE WAS PLAYING AROUND ON THE PIANO MASON WAS HUMMING ALONG AS USUAL AND THEN HE STARTED TO FOLLOW THE NOTES UP AND DOWN. MARLOWE'S NEWEST THING IS THAT WHENEVER WE GO ANYWHERE IN THE CAR SHE FINDS A BLANKET OR A SHIRT AND WRAPS IT AROUND HER HEAD LIKE NUN OR AN AFGHANI WOMAN. MESE CALLS HER HIS LITTLE ROMANIAN REFUGEE. WE ONLY HAVE PICTURES ON OUR CELL PHONES AND WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO TRANSFER THEM TO THE COMPUTER YET. HOPEFULLY WE WILL SOON, THOUGH, BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY FUNNY.

Check out my Slide Show!

our happy family

WELL, TIMES ARE A LITTLE TOUGH, BUT WE CAN'T COMPLAIN. WE ARE BLESSED WITH BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY CHILDREN THAT BRING SO MUCH JOY TO OUR LIVES. THEY GROW SO FAST. YESTERDAY MASON GOT HIS FIRST TOOTH, WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE HE WANTS TO EAT ALL THE REAL FOOD HE CAN GET HIS HANDS ON. MARLOWE IS STARTING TO FORM WORDS AND TALK A LOT BETTER. SHE CAN POINT TO ALL HER BODY PARTS AND SHE LOVES TO HELP MOM WITH HER BABY BROTHER. HE IS VERY PATIENT WITH HER. SHE LOVES TO GIVE HIM HUGS AND KISSES, BUT THAT USUALLY CONSISTS OF HER LAYING ON TOP OF HIM OR SITTING ON HIS HEAD.

mese and anna ugapo

hi everyone

this is my first time doing this. who knows if i will actually keep up with it. these two babies keep me pretty occupied. hope everyone checks us out and that all is well.