Happy Birthday to ME!

My birthday celebration for 2011 definitely goes down as one of the best.

I started the day with a fun birthday gift from Lincoln. He gave me a fun Wii game called Just Dance 2. I love it and I have played it many times already.

Next, David told me that he would be home around 3:00 to take me on a surprise date. While waiting for my surprise date, my fun friends, Becky, Summer, Julie, and Angie took me to lunch. We had a great time chatting and laughing. We always have a blast when we get together. It was very thoughtful of them to arrange a lunch for me. Thanks girls!

I got home from lunch right on time for David to whisk me away to St. George for our date. The surprise was a couples massage, dinner and shopping. FUN! David didn't really care for the massage, but I really enjoyed it. We went to dinner at Pasta Factory and had a wonderful time visiting and eating yummy food with each other. It was a great surprise. I was shocked that David had planned everything. It was lovely to have something fun to do on my birthday without having to plan one minute of it.

The next day was Saturday. My mom and dad came down to help celebrate my birthday. I wanted to go tubing in Brian Head, so we made it happen. Mike, Kathi and their kids joined Mom, Dad, Linc and I. We also had my cousin, Brian and his wife Airety with us. We had such a great time. Lincoln loved every minute and frankly, so did I. :)


Dad was nice enough to push Linc down so he could go down at the same time as me. That way, I was able to help him off the hill. :)

Part of the fun of tubing is getting towed up the hill. Linc always giggled at this part.


Kathi is a fun girl.
Momma Mo, is sure looking like a true snow bunny. She mentioned several times how much she missed skiing in Brian Head. Maybe we will have to start that again.


Dad had a fun time too. He got going really fast down the hill.

Michael always has a classy face for the camera.

Every time we reached the bottom of the hill, Linc would enthusiastically say, "Let's go again!" I have to agree. LET'S GO AGAIN.

We had such a great time tubing. Of course, we missed family members who were unable to attend. We will definitely do this again.

Family Update

I just wanted to write down some things about us right now. Kinda and update.

David

• Finished his man cave and loves his huge TV.
• Still loves Duke basketball and almost cried when they lost their first game of the season the other day.
• Is doing well at work.
• Currently serves as ward clerk for our ward and that takes a lot of his time.
• With work, his calling and staying healthy, there is not a lot of time left for hobbies.
• His favorite place to be is home with Lincoln and me.
• Is ready for winter to be over because he is tired of being cold.
  

Shannon

• Still works for Utah Virtual Academy.
• Loves spending time with Lincoln and David.
• Currently loves watching Modern Family, The Middle, 30 Rock and The Office
• Looking forward to my birthday.
• Loves Zumba - It's so fun!
• Learned how to make bread pretty well if I do say so myself.

Lincoln

• Is doing well in Joy School and loves his school friends.
  
• Learning how to write the letter "L"
• Knows how to spell his name.
• Knows all the letters and sounds in the alphabet.
• Counts to twenty.
• Loves robots
• Can't wait for his robot birthday party
  
• Knows his birthday
• Loves to play in the dirt
• His favorite color is black or green (depending on the day)
• His favorite food is Mater Fruit Snacks. :) That's what he tells me...
  
• Dislikes potatoes
• Loves to swim
• Wants to be Super Man for Halloween.
• Favorite movies are Despicable Me and Wall-e.
• Loves to be outside and going to the park.
• Learning how to pedal a big boy bike with training wheels.
  

Circus Time

Tonight, Linc and I went on a little date to the circus. Washington County hosted a circus and gave out free tickets for children's admission. We had a great time. i didn't get any pictures of the acts because I was paranoid that the flash on my camera would send an animal into a frenzy or that it would distract one of the trapeze or tightrope walkers and make them fall. The pictures that I have of the circus were found online.
I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the circus and we will definitely go back next year. When I asked Lincoln what his favorite part of the circus was, he told me that it was the motorcycles and the elephants. I have to agree. I think those were my favorites too.





The motorcycles made me very nervous. It started out with one motorcycle riding around in a sphere cage. Next, another motorcycle guy came out and entered the cage with rider number one. That was crazy. They were riding around extremely fast and I was sure they were going to crash. Suddenly, a third motorcycle enters the cage and they continue the insanity by driving around too fast and coming within inches of crashing. When a fourth motorcycle came out I was ready to fall off my seat out of nervousness. Sure enough that fourth motorcycle entered the cage and the insanity resumed. I was amazed at how quickly the motorcycles were driving around each other and doing crazy stunts. My heart was beating very fast and I was relieved when their act was over. Lincoln was mesmerized the entire time. I don't think he blinked during the entire act.
The final act of the night was the elephants. I wish I could have caught a picture of Lincolns face while watching those incredible creatures. He had a sweet grin plastered to his face the entire time. He giggled at the tricks the elephants did tricks like, head stands, and sitting up on hind legs.
We both had a lovely time and I believe this will become a yearly tradition for a mommy/Lincoln date.

Sunday Blues

Let me start off by stating that I really love church. I am grateful for the gospel and the role it plays in my life. It makes me afraid when I think of my life without the truths of the gospel. I know I would have a lot of problems and be in a rough situation.

With that being said, I have to say that today I was ready to throw in the towel before sacrament meeting even started. It started this morning with getting ready. I know I don't really have room to complain, because I only have one child (a boy) to get ready for church, but it's really hard getting myself and Lincoln ready all alone. David always has meetings on Sunday mornings so he is not around to help. I am fully aware that there are moms out there who get 5 daughters with long hair ready every week for church all alone. The 5 daughters show up with their mom with perfect hair-dos and sit reverently on the bench for the entire 70 minutes of sacrament meeting. Thinking about those moms today is making me angry.
Why is it that I battle so much with my little 3 year old boy on Sundays? It's a power struggle every week.
It's a battle to get him ready for church. I allow him to choose books and a few toys to take to church to play reverently. However, when we get to church, he always wants the one toy or book that he chose to leave home and that sends him into a tail-spin.
My little boy is not reverent in church at all. We have tried and tried, but we don't know what to do. He talks the entire time, he gets angry when it's time to sing, he flops on the floor and kicks the benches. However, we can usually get Linc to sit with his arms folded for about 10 seconds while the sacrament is being passed to us. I guess that's a start.
During sacrament meeting, I can hear snickers and giggles of other adults around us thinking that we (David and I) are a pair of suckers. Sometimes during my wrestling match with Lincoln, I glance up at the bishopric only to find that they have snickers on their faces as well. They are thinking, "man...that kid knows how to work his parents." And it's true. He does.
After the 3 hours, I go to pick up Linc from Sunbeams. Lincoln's sunbeam teacher says that he is very loud and he will not sit in his seat. Basically, he's the naughtiest in the class (just what I needed to hear).
For some reason, I have noticed that I don't have as much patience on Sundays with Lincoln as I do on other days of the week. It could be because I know that people are watching me and critiquing my parenting skills. It could be that it's hard to wrestle a 3 year old in high heels, pantyhose and a dress while trying to remain lady-like. OR...It COULD be that the adversary is trying to get to me. He does not want me to go to church and feel the spirit. He does not want me to teach my little boy about the gospel and how to keep the commandments. He wants me to stay home and do anything BUT church on Sundays because that's how he can get a grip on me and my family.
Well, guess what?! I am going to keep dragging me and my little Sunbeam to church every week regardless of how bad I don't want to go and wrestle. Lincoln is going to learn the gospel and be a good boy who keeps the commandments. I am not going to let these Sunday blues get the best of me.
I will fight this battle, and I will WIN!