twenty years of wedded bliss

from this......

to this.......

Twenty years!!!

So maybe not all of those years have been blissful, but I'll take 'em.  The good, the bad, and the ugly. It's the average that counts, right?  The average is looking pretty good.

When we were trying to figure out where to go for this anniversary, we figured we should make it a ski trip, which is Brian's favorite thing to do, and go somewhere we've never been before, which is my favorite thing to do.  So Whistler sounded just perfect.  We had lived in Seattle for 4 years and had never made it up there.

We flew into Vancouver, then drove the 'Sea to Sky' highway up to Whistler.

It was so beautiful!  But so frustrating because there were very few places to pull off to get a picture!  I was dying!  Dying!!

We stayed here......

And this was the view out our window......

And when we checked in there was this waiting for us......

Some lucky housekeeper got a free bottle of champagne that night.

Man, I could sure use a little Four Seasons right now!  It was deluxe.

And then the skiing......

It looked like this most of the day.  Snowing.

And let's just say that I am a wussy skiier.  The best part of my ski day is when we're sitting in a cozy lodge, preferably at Deer Valley where the food is amazing, with my boots & goggles off.  And then there's my still-healing broken toe.

So...... very low visibility + broken toe crammed into a ski boot = profanity muffled by a neckwarmer.

It wasn't pretty.

I really don't know why Brian even wants to go skiing with me.

Here I am, pretending that I'm having a great time.  When I really just want it to be over and drinking hot cocoa.  Totally wussy.

And here's Brian, in total heaven.

The forest is so different here, compared to what we're used to in Utah.  There's moss hanging on the trees.  Snow-covered moss.  Very interesting.

And I have a fascination with snow on branches.  I think it is the most beautiful thing ever.

So I wanted to stop to take pictures constantly.

What a good sport Brian was, being my little camera sherpa. He carried my big camera in a backpack the whole day.

If I knew how to put a thought-bubble on this picture, Brian would be thinking,  "Oh. My. H.E.Double-toothpicks.  How many pictures does she have to take of snow on trees? And I don't want to say anything or I might not get any action tonight...."

That look right there says it all.

When you've been married for 20 years you know these things.

Man, we had some good food on this trip. And we love to eat good food!

We ate at this little creperie almost every morning.  It was so yummy!!  A banana & Nutella crepe with a Diet Coke is a fabulous way to start a day.

We had some sunshine towards the end of the trip.

Brian skiied a second day without me, while I hung out in our room, reading, blogging & ordering room service. With no kids around.  I think it was one of the best days of my life.

On our way back to the Vancouver airport, we stopped at a suspension bridge that crosses a gorge.

Does this freak you out?

I sure miss the Northwest in alot of ways.  It is absolutely beautiful.  And could it be any more opposite of the Arizona desert?

Then back to the kids and reality.  It's so good to escape for a little bit.  But I was really missing my little Caroline.  The others, not so much.  Kidding! (not really)

The kids thought it was really cool that we went to Canada.  The first thing Jake asked us went we got home was if we ate alot of Canadian bacon.  So funny.

Happy Anniversary Babe!

Thanks for the wonderful trip.

And thanks for putting up with me for twenty whole years!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

We sat Caroline on the grass the other day.

She didn't know what to think of it at first.

Then she decided that she liked it and ate a few pieces of grass.

Then she decided to do a few push-ups.

Then Daisy came to say hi, and that startled her for a second.

And then she tried to eat a leaf.

The end.

How to make a rainbow cake:

There's really no big secret to it, except maybe that you should use Wilton's paste food colorings that you get at Michaels or cake decorating stores to get the deeper, brighter colors.

But I just followed the directions on One Charming Party.  They have some fabulous party ideas.

I ended up using almost 2 white cake mixes, each layer using a little over 1 cup of colored batter.  After they were baked, I shaved off any high parts to try to make each layer as flat as possible.  Then I used just good ole homemade butter frosting.

Then, if you want pretty slices, you need to use a clean, hot, wet knife for each cut.  Fill a glass with hot water to dip your knife into each time.  Works like a charm.

It might be fun to have a rainbow cake for St. Patrick's Day.  Hmmmm...........

Gus's Birthday Party

or alternate title.....

Probably The Last Birthday Party I Ever Put On

Seriously, what was I thinking?  Why couldn't I have just booked a Chuck E. Cheese's Party Package?  They were too young and there were way too many boys to attempt a baking party (there were a few more boys missing from this picture).  But I had seen this cute idea on One Charming Party and Amy Atlas and had visions of seated, attentive children with their adorable little chef's hats on, happily shaping pizza dough......

You would think I've had enough Mom-experience to know better.

I can laugh about it now that it's over.  Although it took me a day or two to recover.  But Gus thought it was pretty much the best day he's ever had in all of his five years.  So, mission accomplished in the end.  It was just almost the end of me!

This is what Gus does when I tell him to smile for a picture.

Or this.

(Notice Chuck the seal in his chef's hat.)

We did pizzas, soft pretzels, fruit kabobs, jello jigglers, and cupcakes. Whew!!  I know! Right?

And then it was time for the birthday cake.

I absolutely adore this picture.  I love the look on that little face.  The magic of this moment shining in his 5-year-old eyes.  Love. it.

Aaaahhh.  The rainbow cake.

(Took me most of a day to make but I shall not dwell on that.)

And Gus's favorite part of the whole party!  Opening the presents.

It was a frenzy & he loved every minute of it!

And then my mom & I practically collapsed on the floor.

I thought about calling my visiting teachers to bring me a meal.

(kidding)

And now for .....

Gus's Favorites at Five!

Favorite thing about being five........."cuz I can climb shelves"

Favorite color................................. green

Favorite toy................................... Chuck the seal

Favorite pillow............................... penguin pillow pet

Favorite thing to eat....................... kiwi & cookies

Favorite baby................................. baby Caroline

and What do you want to be when you grow up?........a pool guy

Happy Birthday GusMan!

                  

my favorite part of the morning......

......seeing this little face when I open her door.

She's such a merry sunshine in the morning.

And we're so excited to see each other.

And I'm so lovin' her little tongue-wagging stage.

Caroline, please don't grow up any more, OK?  I don't think Mommy can take it.