A Ladies Leprechaun Luncheon...

Today we had a St Patty's day celebration with the Derby Girls. I am so lucky to be related to so many gourmet chefs!

My cute cousin Romney was the hostess with the mostess!

The Derby gals minus me

James loved all Jocelyn's toys. Especially her hot pink power wheel...But b/c of his daddy's pride, this picture is shown in black and white:)

We hope you have a happy Patty's. Here at the Gregory's we will be busy gulping down our dyed green milk. MMmmm...delish!:)

Sudsing Up My Outlook...

Today I was already to write a sob story about how hard my day was. This afternoon our realtor called and told me people were coming by to look at our house in an hour. I had finally put James down for a nap after him being awake since four a.m. and my house was a total wreck! Ten short minutes later the door bell rang. I answered in my pajamas to a realtor and a swanky set of strangers. I asked them to come back but they had a flight to catch and said this was my only chance (I know I'll love this buyers market eventually, but right now it sorta stinks:) James was immediately woken up by the sound of their voices while they scowled around our messy house. After they left I was humiliated and feeling sorry for myself because of the whole situation.

Then later today, I was completely humbled by the heart-wrenching pictures of the tsunami. I am so lucky to have a house, my health, and a usually happy baby. Especially when so many lives have been turned completely upside down. As a parent, I can only imagine how scary the threat of radiation on your family would be. My heart and prayers go out to all the people who are suffering so much right now.

So I am trying to turn my poor me post into a pledge: I will be better about counting my blessing instead of sweating the small stuff. Because even when life isn't so sparkling clean, we still have a healthy baby boy who gives us an "ultra" helping of "joy" each and every day.

Seven Sure Signs of Spring...

1) My toes are taking a break from the wool socks they've worn all winter.

2) pre-blossom pompoms on the branches outside our kitchen window.

3) My amaryllis bulbs John bought me have bloomed.

This year I've discovered the magic of watching simple brown bulbs grow to towering flowers. And the best part...I can replant them next year for a rerun of the blossoming phenomenon.

4) Picnics on the porch

5) The painful process of selecting swim wear. Now two months to get my twenty-seven year old tushy to fit in this itsy bitsy bathing suit.

6) Babies

Whether the baby birds in the bushes or the new bundles several of my friends will soon be bringing home, there is a feeling of renewal and rebirth in the air.

This is from Abbie's shower over the weekend. The decor was darling. I loved the tutu on the bottom of the cupcake holder. It is so fun to see so much pink!

7) Playing in the park without our parkas

Draper Park looked as crowded as Central Park this weekend with all the families enjoying the sunshine.

Stay tuned...It wont be long now before these branches are weighed down with "popcorn popping." And you bet... James, me, and Canon the camera will be there basking under the cherry blossoms:)

Packin' in playdates before we're packing to leave...

While I was working, it was hard to find time to develop deep relationships. But ever since James came to stay, I’ve been able to strengthen my friendships with some fabulous gals while we play.

This is our trip to Thanksgiving Point on Tuesday with Alison and Austin. I don’t know how I would have survived my awkward 9^th grade years without this girl. I am so glad we’ve been able to reconnect over the last couple of years. She is always up to take our tykes swimming and Austin has as much (maybe more) energy as James... so we can really relate...and let our boys run wild while we chitchat.

I love that little boys can be so entertained with pebbles and a pot of water.

Jana has been my back door neighbor for five years now but we didn’t meet until I had James. Note to self...meet all the neighbors in new home b/c a bff could live right at your back door. She has a little girl that James adores and she is a domestic cookie making goddess. So on some of our playdates she’s been teaching me her tricks of the trade. The other day I helped her bake for bunco night. Her cookies are so pretty, I made her pose.

Abbie was a manager of my favorite furniture store when we were working full time and we’ve been friends ever since. We are kindred spirits because of our love for fashion, the outdoors, and being mamas. I am going to miss this gal so much but know we will be able to keep in touch thanks to technology. Abbie and I went and got pedicures yesterday since she is about to pop with baby # dos. She is such a pretty prego mom and I wish I could have looked as beautiful when I had my bun in the oven.

Our casa is officially on the market. Ahhh... my sanctuary...my one house love...my second hubby. Okay maybe that's pushing it... But oh, how I adore this house. I wanted to live here until I died then been buried by bunny underneath the apple tree. We've already had a couple of nibbles but how I'd love to sell to someone we know. So if you know of anyone... we want to sell it fast, so it is a steal of a deal for the area! Photo tour here.

A Cajun Celebration...

Ever since I could remember my mom has rocked holidays better than the Rockefellers. And Mardi Gras is no exception. Each year she sets out her masks and beads and makes homemade Gumbo to commemorate my Great Grandma Nana who was from the French Quarter of New Orleans. Now let's get the party started...

Throw my bros a few beads and they will give you a show.

My hubby over a stove makes me hot!

Good thing Fat Tuesday just comes once a year. Because I have no self control when it comes to Cajun Cuisine! Mmmm!!!

Gracias...or I guess merci would be more appropriate :)... Merci everyone for the great Mardi Party! Next year I’ll host in Houston! And we can make a mecca to Louisiana...though I’m not so sure that party will be nearly as PG:)

Snowbirds...

We joined John this morning while he shoveled the walks and waited for his carpool buddy-who luckily was running late... so we got to have an impromptu snow date:) On a morning like this my heart aches for the ski slopes. But giving James a lesson on playing in the powder comes in as a pretty close second...

I know there are different strokes for different folks, but snow and sunshine make this sister as happy as a bird with a French fry! And it is melting away as I type...So before our Utah days fly by...this mama bird is signing off and saying goodbye:) (Yup, you can tell by all the rhyming there is way too much cat in the hat at our home lately:)

We're Goin' Through the Big "D"...

And I do mean Dallas...Okay not really Dallas but that was a catchy title and it’s close enough to where we really are going...Houston is the place we will be calling home in few short months. We will live there about a year and then I might be blogging from under a Burka in Saudi Arabia. But my pictures might be at a premium because I just read I could get my hand chopped off if I take a photo of anything questionable... i.e. other women, holy sites, dignitaries... But, don’t worry, mom...It should still be perfectly safeJ

John got a job with ExxonMobil...And they have lots of expat opportunities available to anyone who is up for an adventure. Our first interview with Exxon was way back in September and John has had countless since. It is quite the opportunity considering they only choose the brightest engineer BYU grads so we feel blessed to have been selected. But boy, am I going to miss my fam, friends, and mountains. Thank goodness for the internet that keeps us all connected. Sometimes it feels like my BFF, Kimme in Canada lives so far away it might as well be on the moon, but we’ve been able to keep in touch practically ten years now. So with a little elbow grease, it can be done. So to all my peeps out there: Please don't stop posting pictures and if you could take a few of my marvelous mountains I would be much obliged...and I'll be sure to take some of the sand for anyone craving a warmer, beachier land:)

The Littlest Loser...

Work it James...work it!

James has been joining in on my workout routine and when it is time for us to do some heavy lifting, he has his whole milk weights to whip him into shape.

Ya, good thing this isn't a shot of my face, because you would probably think I was in labor. The Bob Harper Biggest Loser DVD kicks my trash. I do this work out once a week and then I am in so much pain, I spend the next four days convalescing on the couch eating potato chips. So I'm not sure how much I am really getting out of the whole thing. But the DVDs are cheaper than the gym and I can do them at home with my little man. So I guess I will stick to the regimen and have faith that eventually my body will build a little resistance.

I give serious props to the people on the Biggest Loser because they can't press fast forward through Bob's third set of squat reps like I do.

The Baby Bachelor...

Sometimes I miss the anticipation and excitement I would get from picking up my developed pictures from K-mart back before the digital day. Usually half my pictures were throw-aways of someone’s finger covering up the flash or poses with eyes half closed. But every once in awhile there was a picture I forgot I took or one that turned out better than I thought.

Yesterday I let James push a couple buttons on my camera before our playgroup to the aquarium. Somehow, he turned off the picture preview screen so all my picture taking had to be done retro style-without the picture view. So it was exciting this morning to upload everything I hadn’t seen. And I cracked up when I saw that every shot of James was of him flirting with his pretty girl friends instead of watching the fish...

James checking out all the fish in the sea.

Making sunrises and sunsets a habit has honestly changed my life. I am a more thankful, happy, faithful person...

James likes to jump down All the steps of the amphitheater.

So I am making it my mission to spread the word...make sunsets a priority and you will feel richer than facebooks, Mark Zuckerberg!