Sunday Sunshine

1. 13 - This little turkey is thirteen months old now. I can't believe how quickly the time flies and how all of a sudden he's a toddler and no longer my little baby. Little tidbits on this dude:

- He's been very into laundry this week. He loves to help me put clothes in the washer, turn the washer on, take things from the washer and put them into the dryer, push the dryer button, and he loves, most of all, when it's time to put everything away in the drawers.

- He's obsessed with TUMS bottles. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but this kid has a one track mind of "I need to find the TUMS bottle!"

- He's quite the wobbly runner and is starting to love to rough house.

- Going to the grocery store is great fun for him. I buckle him in, but he turns around in the seat, gets onto his knees, and bounces as he squawks hello to all the passers by. He gets lots and lots of smiles, and I love it.

2. Celebration- Chuck got a raise this week and we celebrated at Texas Roadhouse. We even got brave enough to take Davis along. He was delighted and spent the entire time flirting with the waitresses. But that's a tangent. Point is: I am do grateful for a husband who works hard and provides so well for our little family. We feel very blessed.

3. Forgotten - Yesterday at my Ragtime rehearsal we came to a part of the show that I'd forgotten about. I was overcome with emotion from the story and I had a happy little "I'm thrilled to be a part
of this" moment. What part was it? Tateh and his Little Girl. That's all I'm gonna say. Gotta come see it!!

4. Teenagers - Davis got to come to class with me this week. As the kiddos worked on their Mary Poppins medley, he was enthralled. He danced off to the side with them, and ate up the attention of those junior high kids. Also - I do not have a shy kid.



5. Practically Perfect - Got to do a fun photo shoot on Tuesday. When the photo is officially released, I'll post it.

6. Balance - I am finding that I manage my time better and am more balanced in my life when I am busy. The last year has been busy busy with a new baby/selling a house/moving and adjusting to being home all day, but because I was home all day and didn't have much else on my agenda, I would find myself not using my time as wisely. Now, with having rehearsals every night, I have to maximize my time and minimize my frittering, or I just won't get things done. My house stayed pretty clean this week because of that!

7. Learning to Say No - I had a call this week about a gig a REALLY wanted to do. The money was great, it was only a
four day commitment, and it was with people here in Utah that I have really wanted to work with. It was scheduled, however, for a crazy busy week I have in May. Chuck will be out of town, I have shows and class at the SCERA and Ragtime rehearsals, AND my mom is in training at JetBlue (free flights!!!!), so my most flexible sitter is out of commission, and there was just no way I could swing it without messing up a bunch of other obligations I had. The old me would have moved heaven and earth to do it, but I had to step back, look at the reality of it all, and make the sad phone call turning it down. Bummer. But I learned how to say "no," and sometimes that is a hard thing to do, but it's for the best.

8. Yard - Chuck and I are prepping our yard for sod and landscaping and everything. Lots of (too much) work. But I'm excited to complete it and be able
to enjoy!

9. Pond - We have some pretty ponds here in my neighborhood. Earlier this week hundreds of pelicans filled one of them, and the sight was stunning. I was driving when I took the picture and it in no way showcases how gorgeous the sight was. Happy that I live in a pretty place!



Happy Sabbath, my friends.

Sunday Sunshine

1. Tra La La : I spent a glorious three-and-a-half days in Rexburg fraternizing with old pals, eating whatever I felt like, pampering my poor, tired mommy body at the spa, and singing at three performances of a benefit concert. Hilly and I drove to Idaho on Thursday morning and returned around noon today.

It was wonderful.

I had such a happy time chilling with Hilly, spending time with people I haven't seen much, or at all, in the past ten years, and just taking some time for "me."

The three hour package deal at the spa wasn't so bad either.  ;-)  It was a happy, happy weekend.

2. Hubs : I have a wonderful hubby who stayed home with Davis while I was gone. He played with him and kept Davis happily alive, and I am grateful. He is the best. There's more where that came from, too . . . Davis and his daddy will be spending a lot of time together in the coming months while I am doing my show. Best Papa ever. 

3. Gardening : Rehearsals for "Ragtime" started last Monday. I've had two so far (I missed three due to my trip), and my blocking rehearsals started out with the scene where Mother finds Sarah's baby buried in the garden. I'll leave it at that . . . those of you who don't know this musical are in for a treat, eh? 

4. Dude : Even though this little turkey gave me NO reaction whatsoever when I reappeared this morning, I sure do love him and missed him like crazy. Can't wait to spend the day with him tomorrow! 

5. Purdy : I caved and bought myself a new dress for the concert this weekend. I haven't bought myself something in a long, long time. It was worth it to feel pretty and sparkly. I may have also bought some heels as well . . . 

6. Ahhhhhhh : I mentioned it before, but it was so great that I must mention it again : THREE HOURS AT THE SPA. Massage, facial, and pedicure. Seriously? It's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. Yep. I always tell Chuck that if we ever have horrifying amounts of money that I will spend it gladly at a spa 3+ times per week. Better yet, I'll just build one in our house and hire my own staff. Yes. And let's remember, folks, that I am a super low maintenance girl - but geez I'm sucked in when something like this happens to me! :-)

7. There's No Place Like Home : I love my house. I'm grateful for it. I missed it while I was gone.

8. Memory Lane : I visited the Ricks College (to me) / BYU-I campus over the weekend and was blown away by what it has become. I found myself digging into the depths of my memory of what was now almost fourteen years ago, and was overcome with gratitude for the time I spent at that wonderful place. It is where I learned what "normal" was,  where I made friendships that have continued to this very day, and it is a place I still consider a "home." 

And geez- check out this photo of the BYU-I Center which houses devotionals now. (The plan is nearly identical to the Conference Center in Salt Lake - only 6k fewer seats) I couldn't get over it. Incredible! 

The People Called it Ragtime

Many of you have asked, and tonight I have the answer: I'm excited to be playing "Mother" in the MWF cast of "Ragtime" at Hale Centre Theatre this coming June and July. I will, however, be out June 20-23, so if you go then, you won't see me. :-) 

Also, for those of you Dallyn Bayles fans out there, you'll get to see him too.  

Yep, it's not to be missed! 

Go here for tickets! 

Easter's Sunday Sunshine

1. Sunday is Not Every Day :  I am trying to take a positive spin on the longest three hours of our lives each week. Let me refer you to this post. Particularly the picture the heads it. Things have only gotten . . . well, worse.

Sunday was once my favorite day of the week. I looked forward to each Sabbath and the wonderful calming effect it had on the beginning of my week. It was an opportunity to refocus and regroup, and I went to bed on Sunday nights feeling ready to go for the upcoming week.

And then we had a really awesome kid.

Now Sundays make me want to cry. The marathon three hours that we spend in that church building have become unbearable. None of the three of us getting anything out of the meetings except frustration. We teach a youth Sunday School class, and all he does is distract. He screams and destroys everything in sight, he licks windows, doors, floors and outlets, pokes at little babies and offers them Cheerios, and everything comes to a head when nap time has passed and he becomes the grumpy/sleepy/angry/nothingmakesmehappy baby that no one wants to be around. Between me and Chuck, we spend 98.9% of the meetings in the hallway. 

Let me remind, you, also, that I am very chill and it takes a lot to put me at my whits end . . . a lot.

Sure, things start out cute. Davis is decked out in his handsomest clothes and the ridiculousness of it all melts my tender little heart. We pull up to the building, I give him a happy lecture on where we are and how he needs to behave, we sit down in sacrament meeting, he makes friends with those around him, and then the greatness begins.

We used his infant carseat to restrain him during meetings until it became ridiculous for him to be seen in it. (On that note, this was a CUTE moment we had a few weeks back when he made buddies with the man on the pew in back of us).



So I need help. He's not even thirteen months old - which could be the exact problem... But how in the world do we make these three hours less horrible?

Yep. We need help. Otherwise I am quitting church until he goes to nursery in September.  :-)

Also - props to Chuck for keeping his cool and reminding me that this won't go on forever.

MOVING ON:

2.  Hunting : I attempted an Easter egg hunt with my little bunny, and he actually grasped the concept! Grated, his attention span for the event was short, but it was oh-so-cute to watch him waddle around and place the now-found eggs in a basket. Kiddos are fun!

3.  Normal : We're back to our "every-other-week with the Robinsons" Sunday dinners and I am thrilled about it. With Grandma and Grandpa Robinson back from their mission, we'll be seeing much more of the family again. Hooray! Davis will LOVE it. And I won't have to cook every other Sunday! ;-)

4.  Drip Drip Drop Little April Showers : It smells like spring this morning. Snnnniiiiiiffffffffffffffff. Yum.


5. Jumping In : A week from tonight I begin rehearsal for Ragtime. I thrilled, nervous, worried about my voice not working like it used to, and antsy about not being around every night to see my sweet baby to sleep. But really, more than anything, I am excited that it will be something that is good for me. I'll reconnect with a beloved part of me and be able to share that with others a few nights a week for a few months. That is a happy thing.



6. Retro : We pulled out some home videos the other day, and this is one of my favorites:

7. Stringy : Have any of you tried this place? (Gotta be in Northern Utah - sorry folks!) 

Go there. Now.

Run.

Now I'm hungry . . .

Hoppy

I haven't laughed this hard in a long, long time.

Four

Four years. That was fast.

We ate at City Creek's Cheesecake Factory, shopped a little, Chuck gave me a gorgeous plant for the yard, I fit into my wedding dress, and Grandma Hill hung out with Davis.

And then Chuck took the next day off work. Wahoo!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

Back to Before - Sunday Sunshine

1.  Four Years : Hard to believe that tomorrow is our fourth wedding anniversary! I still tell Chuck all the time that I want to "play wedding."  Best day. Ever. And here is a link to to the happy pictures of that day four years ago.

I do believe that some Cheesecake Factory is in order.

Happy FOUR YEARS to my favorite boy in the world!

2.  Kiss the Girl : Did you know I teach a class at the SCERA in Orem? Well, I do. It's an auditioned junior high musical theatre class called General Ruckus, and yesterday they performed "The Little Mermaid Jr." What wonderful kiddos they are, and I was beaming with happiness as I watched them sing their hearts out yesterday. This is from the "Kiss the Girl" scene of the show. Let me tell you - chemistry between thirteen year olds is awesome . . .  ;-)

3.  Back to Before : Before I went to Hong Kong, before I went to Orlando, before I was married, before I was a member of Equity, before I was a mommy, before . . . a lot of things, I performed at the Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley.

As many of you saw in my post last week, I resigned from Equity and had my first full audition in, *cough*, seven years. It was rusty. But, I am thrilled that this summer I will be going Back to Before, and playing "Mother" in one of my very favorite musicals of all time:

                                                  

What a stunning show it is, and what a wonderful experience it will surely be. The timing is right for my little family for me to venture out for a little bit and reconnect with that part of who I am. Want to know something else crazy? My hubby has never seen me in a real show. Theme park Beauty and the Beast SO does not count, so for the first time, Chuck will get to see me perform. That makes me happy.

This is a piece of the gloriousness that I will get to sing. Happy.

4. Busy Busy : Davis is becoming more and more busybusybusybusybusy. It makes me tired. But it is oh, so cute and entertaining. Along with the busy-ness has also come a snuggly, quiet side. He is so wonderful when it comes to nap time. We read, he drinks his bottle, we rock, and he goes down. And I get a break! 

5. Mud : This happened the other night - We went outside to discuss our fencing options, and Chuck got sucked in by the mud. We haven't laughed that hard in quite a long time. 

6. Summer : Davis and I will be spending lots of time here this summer. 

Thanks, Groupon, and your great deal on season passes! 

And one more piece of sunshine for the day : 

7. Little Orphans :  In April I get to take a little road trip and sing a few ditties for this great cause.  Can't wait! Rexburg . . . talk about a blast from the past! 

Dando Amor Benefit Concert!

The Playmill Theatre is joining forces with non profit organization, Dando Amor in efforts to raise money for orphanages in Ecuador. This April 11, 12, and 13 join us for "A Night of Broadway" at the Romance Theatre in Rexburg, Idaho. Favorite Playmill alumni including David Walker, Ben Mason, Amy Shreeve Keeler, John Bidwell and many more will be performing!

 


Make a difference in the lives of orphan children in Ecuador while enjoying classic Broadway songs
Purchase your tickets today by visiting www.playmill.com!

Riding a Bike - Happies

Spring has sprung! Yes, this morning there was snow, but the past week or so prior had been glorious, and we here at our house are thrilled.

More Happies:

1. Fence : We fenced in our yard! Thanks to a tax return and a little money we'd saved, we now have a fenced in back yard.  We love it and cannot wait to get grass and landscaping going on. It'll surely be a process of a few years, but it has been fun to plan and think about.

2. Bit the Bullet : I did it. I resigned from Actor's Equity. I wrote a letter, hit "submit," and I am not longer a member of the Union - And I feel great about the choice. It was the right one for me. (Don't talk to my pride too much about this, sometimes it still gets bruised when we think too hard . . . ) It has taken me four years to feel right about this decision, and now that it's done, I'm at peace.

3. Old Lady on the Rusty Bike : After resigning from Equity I decided to go to an audition. Davis is over a year old now, and I feel that venturing outside my home a few nights a week will be an OK, and a good thing for me. Chuck and Davis are best buddies so they have a great time while I am gone, and though I missed Davis like crazy when I was away at callbacks during the evenings this week, I know that some "me" time will be a great thing for me every once in awhile. So yes, I sang my little heart out and shed a few (too many) happy tears at my first audition, and then callbacks . . . well, let's just say that I felt like an old lady hopping onto a rusty old bike and finding it hard to pedal, steer, and balance all at the same time. * COUGH * It wasn't terrible (but by no means stellar), and I know that after a few weeks back in the driver's seat everything will come back to me nicely, but sheesh. For the first time I really felt like the girl who hasn't practiced her craft in four years. On the up side, I was able to spend a few evenings with delightful and ridiculously talented old and new friends. Results are pending, but I am truly not expecting much after this particular attempt at bike riding. :-)

4. One : My baby Davis is one. And I pretty much cannot handle the cuteness. Just look at this dude:

5. Missions : So many missionaries in our families right now. I get weepy every time a call comes nowadays. Happy.

6. Champion : Biggest Loser Challenge - I won. Well, I won the POINTS part of it. (We split it into body fat percentage loss, and points for good behavior - I won points.) Yay me. 

7.  Road Tripping : Fun upcoming plans in the next few months. In April I get to road trip it up to my old Idaho stomping grounds with Hilly for a benefit concert. Old friends, happy times, Mommy break. Then, in June, we are attending the Playmill's 50th Anniversary Reunion. That place holds a very special place in my heart and I am excited to spend a few days reconnecting.

8. Eggs :  It's almost Easter. And Cadbury Mini Eggs are around.  Go eat some.

Sunshine of the Sunday Kind

1. Rascal: This is my son. He is . . . so great at church. Can't you tell how hard he works to be reverent and feel the Spirit?

2. 34 degrees: That's the temperature today. Feels like a heat wave, I tell you!

3. Competition: This Biggest Loser/Healthy Challenge I am involved in went very well this week. It's amazing what no sugar (I do get ONE cheat day!) and working out can do. Feels great.

4. Teeny-Boppers: I mentioned earlier this week how much I don't like changing wards. I still worry about us finding our "place" here, but we're on our way. This morning Chuck and I got called to teach the 14-15 year old Sunday School class. If anything, we'll try to fit in with the teens, eh?

5. Bulk: If I had thousands of dollars to spend I would go to Costco and blow it all in one short trip. A new pantry and awesome fridge sure do make me want to buy everything in sight there . . .

6. My Honey Boo Boo Machine: We got DISH hooked up yesterday. We get it for $14 a month (YAY for job perks!) and I am now able to watch TV again. Not that I really watch it all that much, but I'm glad it's an option.

7. Din-Din: Time for a Robinson family dinner. Yum. Fun. I don't have to cook. YEP! HAPPY!

The Spectacle

I rarely bring out my pipes and dancing shoes these days, my friends, so if you wanna see the spectacle you should come see this phenomenal show of Broadway goodness and ridiculous talent. One night. I'm singing some "Thoroughly Modern Millie" greatness. Yup.

. . . Not everyone can come though, I need someone to watch my bambino.

2013

Welcome to 2013!  I haven't blogged since September? Yep.

The short of the months-on-end story is that my baby is now practically a kid, we sold our old house at the last possible second, we moved into the new house at the beginning of this month, and we aren't spending money for a long, long time. That's life right now, and it's lovely. I unpacked vigorously for a few days, and then gave up and decided to do it "later." Haven't yet found the motivation to jump back on that horse again.

Davis approving of the stairs the day of our final walk through.

What else? 

My sweet Grandma Carol passed away at the end of October. I hate thinking about it, and I hate talking about it. And that's where I'm at on that whole subject. I hate it. Absolutely despise it. 

 The last visit to the hospital, three days before her passing.

And onto a whole other subject (because I hate talking about that one, remember?) : 

Some of you (if you still read this neglected blog) may remember this post from almost two years ago. Many of my feelings of today are still very tender towards this subject, but I have officially made my decision to withdraw from Actor's Equity. It is what will be best for me and for my family. It hurts and sizzles my ego a little bit, but I will be allowed to perform when and where I want to. The performing I do may be few and far between (I still can't bear the thought of leaving my little baby - who is becoming not so much of a baby - every night to go off and play someone else.) The fact is that I LIKE being ME and I LIKE being at home and I LIKE, nay, I LOVE my life right now - even without the theatre part of it. I'm a bit in shock that these words are even coming out of my mouth nowadays, but I am happy with it all. I feel good about it. I feel very blessed for the years that I, in the mind of the theatre world, was considered a "professional."  I hope I don't regret leaving the Union. But really, I don't think I will. I will be happy.

During the months-on-end of our house drama, Chuck, my mom, and I got addicted to this glorious piece of television. We've even watched all of Season 3, which is currently airing here in the States. Every Thursday night we'd gather on the air mattress (we had no furniture) and be glued to the TV as we watched the drama unfold. Happy.

And also - The Bachelor is back on. Yippee. 

Hardest part of moving? Changing wards. My heart hurts every time I think about it, and when I sit among those in our newly split new ward, I feel like I am getting lost in the shuffle. It'll take some time. Change is not my favorite thing in the world. At all. 

Davis: 

He's 21 pounds and has a mind of his own. He's a month and a half away from being one year old, and we love the little dude like crazy.

He loves to hongi. 

Diaper changes are a form of extreme torture in his mind. 

He chants the word "ed" at every meal. He's obsessed with bread. 

Stair climbing is a favorite pastime, and going down them is a feat he attempts on his own daily. 

He throws everything. Always.

He's really into puckering his lips right now.

Five teeth : Three on bottom, and the top two SIDE incisors. Apparently the top middles have no desire to come out and make him look like a normal kid. 

He loves to be upside down. (Thanks, Chuck!)

He loves his kitty and has no fear around Gilbert. 

The "fishtank" in his crib goes on in the middle of the night all the time. He wakes up, turns it on, and is mesmerized there in the darkness. 

He's obsessed with his fingernail clippers. 

Aaaaand he wants to do things himself. We do not have a dependent child here . . . 

Well, that's it for now, my friends. Off I go to the dreaded treadmill. * In a competition that I am surely losing . . . * 

Where We're At . . .

Huh. Sometimes things change quickly . . .

In my last post we were just days from moving out. Now, I sit at the kitchen table in our house - ya know, the one we HAVEN'T moved out of . . . typing away my sorrows and woes and happies and doodles.

There has to be some wise plan in the fact that our buyer backed out two days before closing. The house was packed up - with nothing left but our bed, the kitchen table, and the TV. (I had to keep the TV to watch that week's episode of Honey-Boo-Boo, of course.) Our possessions are all stored away in the garage of Chuck's dad, and in a little storage shed.

Everything was ready, and then we got the phone call. We're told it was some drama with the buyer's son.

Remember how in my last post I mentioned that things were probably going this way to decrease any amount of sentiment I was feeling towards our little home? Yep. Well, we're beyond that point now.

We need to sell this house.

Our new home began construction on September 18 - so we've got about three months to get out of this one. Sigh.

The crazy thing is that all of this has been done through a lot of prayer and wise crunching of numbers - and the truth is that we've always felt really great about this whole move. Sooooo whhhhhhhyyyyy the drama?

Meh.

So please, if you know of anyone looking for a home in the Saratoga Springs/Eagle Mountain area, please send them our way.

In the meantime I'll be watching new episodes of Downton Abbey on my air mattress - which currently serves as couch.

I am trying hard to stay positive and not get discouraged, but some days, (well, most days lately) I'm just plain down about it all.  

On some happy notes: 

* My sister is getting married on November 2. So thrilled.

* My baby is ridiculously wonderful, and so good, and so super handsome. Love.

* Skip-Bo is a fun game.

* I have been eating more veggies. With hummus. And it's delicious.

* We only ate out once on this last paycheck. RECORD.

* Along those same lines, when I don't eat out, I lose weight. Awesome.

* I've been pulling a lot of weeds from the yard behind me. My legs burn from all the squatting. OUCH. 

* The CW is renewing "Breaking Pointe" for a second season. Yippee.

* We're getting family pictures on Nov. 1, and the money is going towards the medical bills of a neighbor  who passed away this week. Warm fuzzy.

* We've been watching the new season of Downton Abbey via TunnelBear. Blessed. 

* Davis is becoming mobile. Help.

* My favorite day of the year is September 12. It's the date, in 2007, when Chuck and I become official. Every year I give him a book of our year. Excitement. 

* In the book this year, I included a grid of "26 Weeks of Davis." Sniff.

. . . 

And there ya go. You're up to date. 

Tomorrow we're going for a Sunday drive up the Alpine Loop. Delightful.

Also - someone please give us someone to buy our house. 

Yes. 

Two Weeks in a Row? What is this?!?

Sunshine.

1. Sentiment : Our buyers were missing some paperwork so their closing on our home has been put off about ten more days. Ugh. The up side? The place we're moving isn't ready for us anyway, AND the longer we stay here, the less and less sentimental I get about leaving. My sentiment tends to take over my emotions if I think about all of this too much - so I think that Heavenly Father is just giving me a break in the emotion department by allowing us to stay in our current home to the point of annoyance. But really, how could I ever be annoyed by our house? Sigh.

2. Sno-Cones : Oh, I miss summer already. After tomorrow all of the sno-shacks I know of pack up and go away till next summer. Sniff. But thank you, Snoasis and other various shacks for bringing me the delight of Pink Lemon Sour this summer.

3. Dig in the Dirt : Our new home is scheduled to start on September 19. DIG! And build her fast, please! :-)

4. Splash : My son finally appreciates swimming. Well, sort of. He enjoyed splashing in the wave pool at Seven Peaks on Friday afternoon. Summer went by way too fast - Why, oh why did we only go to Seven Peaks ONCE? Lame.

5. Mommyhood : Love. Even though I constantly smell of breastmilk and have soggy baby bodily fluid spots on my clothing all the time, I love it.

6. Education Week : Chuck and I were able to spend part of a Friday at Education Week in August. I worked for Ed Week back in 2005 and I have loved it ever since. We ate at the Creamery on Ninth and attended three fantastic classes. Someday I would LOVE to do the whole week.

7. Teenagers : My class at the SCERA starts this week. Here's to another year of junior high school musical theatre crazies. So fun.

8. Zzzzzzzzz : Davis is sleeping. And I think I will too. I love Sunday naps.

Sunday Sunshine

Moving a family is more complicated than moving a single, "I move every six months" kind of girl. Sheesh.

The week has come. Thursday the buyers close of the sale of our home and we move out. Hopefully I will get to a post entirely dedicated to this on Friday or Saturday. I have too many thoughts and emotions running through my head right now to deal with them at this moment. Sniff.

Happies:

1. Looking Forward : Cough. I don't do well with change. Hate it, actually. BUT with this whole move I am gaining an appreciation for what's to come and the excitement that our new house gives me. Just gotta be patient as they build the thing...

2. Brotherly Love : Gilbert loves his brother - but only when Davis is asleep.



3. Fat : Sometimes a girl just needs to eat ice cream and onion rings when life is stressful. I appreciate that.

4. Service : Grateful for people who are willing to help. Makes me feel all warm and snuggly. 

5. Honey Boo Boo : Hate this show. But it's so bad that I can't stop watching.

6 Houzz : What a great thing I have found to pass the time searching through photos of awesome homes and getting ideas for mine. I can't create awesome rooms out of my own head, but I sure can copycat. 

7. Sunday : Thank heaven for the day of rest. 

Sunday Sunshine

Ah, I love this time of year. Summer is wrapping up, the temps will drop a bit, mornings are crisp, etc. etc. etc. BUT my absolute favorite part about this time of year is that I get to work on Chuck's annual "surprise." Yeah- we're now on "Volume 5" of the "The Story of Chuck and Amy" series, so the September 12 gift is no longer much of a "surprise", but I just LOVE putting it together, reflecting on our year, etc. I'm so grateful that our time thus far has been so well documented. Makes my little heart happy.

I have also discovered that it seems I will have to put a book together for each child on their birthdays. I can't possibly put all of Davis' pictures and memoribilia in our Chuck and Amy books - so hey- looks like I'll have a books like this in project throughout the entire year. Fun.



I haven't done a Sunday Sunshine post in quite some time. Blogging has obviously taken a place on the back burner for the past year or so - but it's nice to come back to it and record and reflect every so often. Sadly I have lost many of my faithful readers with the demise of my more (arguably) "exciting" life as a single performer - when I would drift wherever the wind happened to carry me. But I have to say, I much prefer this life of staying in one place with the hubby and kiddo. It's a great place for me to be. :-)

Let's talk happies:


 1. Downton Abbey



I jumped on the bandwagon a few weeks back with my Chuck and my mom. Yes. I love.

2. Birfday: I turned 31. Hmmm. We ate tasty food. And I got a massage. And Chuck gave me great gifts.

3. Education Week: Chuck and I spent Friday night at Education Week at BYU. Being on that campus brings back all kinds of happy thoughts and nostalgia, and I loved taking a day to just attend classes and be with the hubby - kiddo free.

4. BYU Creamery Ice Cream: Gah.

5. Homelessness: Though the thought of leaving our happy house on Addison Avenue makes me quite heartsick, I am grateful that things have worked out to live with Chuck's parents (they have a basement apartment) for the three months left of house building. We're scheduled to close on this sale on August 30. Sniff. Good things are to come, I know that. I just get sentimental over our first house. Sigh.

6. Sitting Baby: Davis sits up now. The kid refuses to roll over except on a VERY rare occasion, but this weekend he has mastered the art of sitting. And wiggling. And squirming. And grabbing for everything in sight. Mobile baby = more complicated life.

7. Splash splash: I took Davis swimming for the first time on Tuesday. Know what reaction I got? Nothing. Stoic face. He was SO not impressed. Sigh. Maybe next time . . .

Closing a Chapter

Perhaps what I discussed in today's earlier post is what makes this one a bit easier to write. The last few weeks have been rough. Selling the house is stressful, and on top of that I had some rough news to deal with regarding my employment with Disney. 

The above picture was taken my last day as a full timer at the B and B stage. I was sad.

For the past three years I have been incredibly blessed to be able to return to Orlando at my leisure and step back into the show and several other special events. I have felt SO loved and have enjoyed being there every single time.  On May 7 I was able to do three shows and have a WONDERFUL afternoon at the stage showing off my baby and being with people that I love so dearly. I had no idea that it would be the last time. 

I won't go into the circumstances, because honestly, they infuriate me and I felt incredibly blindsided by those who know nothing about me - but going into the drama online won't fix anything, nor will it make me feel any better. (My pride also wants me to scream from the rooftops the circumstances involved so y'all know it wasn't because I've gotten fat, old, or ugly . . . ha ha)

Ironically, the night before this information came out, I'd posted crying Belle as my Facebook profile picture. Sniff. 

Anyway, it was a good run. My six years with  Disney and the people I worked with both in Hong Kong and in Orlando have made that season of my life wonderful and filled with incredible memories. I am forever grateful for that day in NYC when I met Russ Jordan - the casting director for Hong Kong Disneyland. 

And hey - maybe someday if we ever end up back in Florida I'll be back on the Disney stages again. Who knows. 

Till we meet again, my friend. 

PS: Thank heaven that Chuck is still statused with the company. I need cheap cruises. 

A Time and Season For Everything

I've been thinking a lot lately about doing a show. The Hale in Orem is doing "South Pacific", and they'd work with my Equity membership. It sounds appealing and gloriously wonderful . . . 

And then the other night, as I sat in the rocking chair with Davis asleep on my chest, I thought about, if I did a show, how many nights like this I would miss out on. I am realizing, more than ever, how quickly time flies. I am understanding how quickly this sweet little son of mine will grow up and be gone. How in the world could I ever think about leaving him to go off and play someone else? I am grateful for this perspective that I've gained in the last few days. I feel like I now, to some degree, "get it." And as much as I long for the stage and the costumes and hair and makeup, I could never live with myself if I chose that over being home with this little baby while he is so small. I get tired and frustrated with him. I feel like I don't really have time to do what I WANT or NEED to do - but gosh- this little guy is my world and I can't bear the thought of him growing up and becoming a full functioning adult. Of course I WANT that, and I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to help him become that functioning man, but oh, it hurts my heart already. I feel that in years to come I will feel homesick for what my life is right now - sleep deprived and frustrating as it may be. 

I am so grateful to be where I am right now. I hope to always be grateful for the moments I am currently in. I feel that we're always yearning for the next thing - the "whens" of our lives - and I don't want to do that. I want to enjoy the here and now and soak it all in. Because in a short few years I will look back on my life and want to feel that I enjoyed each little piece of my "seasons." The past few days, as I've pondered all of this theatre/babies stuff, I have been reminded that there is a time and season for everything. My twenties were an INCREDIBLE part of my life. I was so blessed to have been able to perform to my hearts content, go to college, live in Hong Kong, and work professionally. I LOVE that about my life. 

Turning thirty hit me a bit hard because I know that in my heart I realized how different my thirties would be from what my twenties were. My twenties were about me. My thirties are about my babies and my husband and serving them. It's quite the change of pace, but one that I welcome gladly. I don't do well in the self-serving world of theatre. Never have. I'm a fish out of water. I'm not so great in the mother/wife/service area yet, but I am learning, and I plan to someday be great at it. 

I don't know that I'll ever get to the point of going to a musical and not wishing it were me on that stage. It's a HUGE part of who I am. It was everything I did in my twenties. It was a great "season" in my life. But just like I always look forward to the changing of the seasons here in Utah, I welcome this new season of my life gladly, now that I am in the midst of it. It's a bit hard, but that's good, right?

Ugh. Now that face is tear stained and I'm all weepy, I should move on with my day. I turn 31 in a couple of days. That's a bit crazy for me to think about. I'll be "in my thirties." Sheesh. 

Moving On

Not only have I been distracted by that cute little devil mentioned in the last post, my time has also been consumed with a project that Chuck and I decided to take on back at the beginning of June. At the moment I am trying to decide how much I LIKE this new, stressful project, but I know that in the long run it is going to be a GREAT move for our family. 

In the last month and a half, Chuck and I have sold our house. Twice, actually. Ha. The first buyers backed out a week or so before we were supposed to close, but we put it back up on the market, and that very night we had another offer come in. We're under contract again and hope that this time things run smoothly so that we can close on the sale in mid-August. 

I have LOVED our house. I DO love our house. I will miss it and our ward and friends and neighbors horribly. Chuck and I have just decided that the time is right to prepare for the future of our family. We need a bit more space and a bigger yard. 

ALSO: It kind of KILLS me to leave Davis' room that we put so much work into. Sniff. 

So where will we go?  Well, we're still working on that. Once we close on this house we will arrange for a few months in a temporary place, and at the end of that adventure - hopefully in the late autumn, we'll have finished construction on this (Well, something LIKE this...) : 

We are in LOVE with this house and feel that it is going to be perfect for our family for quite some time. We'll have room to grow, a yard to play in, and a neighborhood full of families and kids just like us. 

And that laundry/craft room has me a bit giddy . . . 

Sometimes I Still Blog . . .

Yes. I still want to keep up my blog. I just keep getting distracted by this little fellow . . . 

 12 Weeks

  13 Weeks

 14 Weeks

 15 Weeks

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 18 Weeks

19 Weeks