Best Buds

It is so hard to move away from family for a lot of reasons, but one of the hardest is not having any help with the kids. I mean, I'm happy to call a teenager for a date night, but to go to the dentist in the middle of the day, to rush Amelia to the hospital in the middle of the night and then go back for tests (and not drag Kayla along) and to just give me a break, I would have no one....if it it weren't for

Steph and Marla.

It's not just about helping me with my kids though, they are my family away from Utah (and Dallas and Phoenix) and I really don't know what I would do without them. They do help me out with my kids all the time (even though both of their families are here, so they never really need the favor returned.) I love how we can talk for hours about everything and never run out of things to say. We hang out pretty much every day and our kids are the best of friends.

I've thought a lot about it and we don't have that much in common...different backgrounds, families, religions, discipline styles, dress, hair, occupations, education, etc., etc. but somehow I have found the two dearest friends in the world. I also know how weird it is to meet best friends over the age of 30, but they are two of the best friends I've ever had in my whole life.

I love that we are neighbors and can call on each other any time. I love that we pop over at each other's houses to eat dinner, hang out or just sit and watch TV. I love that they understand when I'm lonely because Dave is late and they just appear. I love that they are adventurous and love to do fun things. I love that they like to hang out as much as I do. I love that even though we have a lot of differences, we learn from each other and I think that's why we have become such great friends. I just love them!

We took the kids (Kaitlyn is almost 4, Jesse is almost 5, and then my Amelia who is almost 5 and Kayla who is almost 3) up to a cabin for the weekend. The guys love to hang out and the kids love to hang out. It gives the three of us time to just get away from it all. We had a great time and at one point during the weekend, as I was curled up on the couch with a book and the kids were playing in the basement while Steph and Jerry were cooking breakfast, I stopped to think that at that moment, there was nowhere I'd rather be and no one I'd rather be with...what a great feeling.

My Mikayla

You know how it's easier to vent about the bad stuff? Well, I did that in a previous blog, so let me now talk about my sweet little two-year-old...

• She wakes up every morning and yells, "GOO MORNIN'!!!!" and then goes through her drawers to pick out an outfit and completely dresses herself. AND it always matches because everything she owns or wears has to be pink.
• She never complains about being in the car for at least an hour every day running errands and carpooling Amelia to school. As a matter of fact, the other day in the car she kept yelling, "MOM???, MOM???" I finally turned down the tunes and said, "Yes, Kayla?" and she said, "You're the best mom!!!!" I about started to cry and said, "You're the best daughter!" Now she always tells me, "Mom, you're the best daughter!"
• She is totally independent...potty trained herself months ago, brushes her own teeth, dresses herself, tells me how she wants her hair done, cleans up after herself and picks up any trash and throws it in the garbage.
• She makes friends anywhere...the ladies at the grocery store love her and look for her every Monday morning. They buy her little gifts and call her their adopted granddaughter.
• She is skinny but so strong. She can climb the obstacle course better than any five year old at Pump It Up.
• She looks in the mirror at her blonde curls and then looks at me and says, "Mom, I want hair like yours...no 'lellow curls, just straight black." I have to always tell her how beautiful her hair is because she just wants to look like Mom and she couldn't be more opposite.
• When she sees how much fun Amelia has at school, I keep preparing her for school and say, "Mikayla, you will have so much fun at school." She says, "No, I just like to be with Mommy."
• She knows when she's naughty and it really does bother her...she still talks about scratching that baby at the scrapbook store in Utah (I know Mom and D...it was traumatic for ALL of us). She has named her baby doll Brianne after the baby at Gymboree who she beat up, but now she's sweet to her and always tells her baby doll she's sorry for pushing her off the mat (which is what she did to the real Brianne).
• She gives wet, slobbery, sometimes snotty kisses all the time.
• She's a party-girl and loves to visit neighbors and friends.
• She's so musical and smart. She loves to sing and dance and remembers everything.
• She makes my life fun and exciting and keeps me laughing.
• She makes my life complete.

Another "About Me"

My friend Jessi sent this to me, so I thought I would post it. Copy it and do one of your own!

1. What is your full name? Chaunette Natalie Stout Marsh
2. What color pants are you wearing? Black yoga pants
3. What are you listening to right now? The computer humming
4. What was the last thing you ate? Dots (right now) I'm on my last box you sent Chell
5. Do you believe in ghosts? yep
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? red
7. Do you have any nicknames? Chaun, Mommy
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Dave, from the airport asking me if he should get bumped and get $400...I said HELL NO, COME HOME!!!!!!
9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I love her
10. How old are you today? 31
11. Favorite drink? Diet Coke
12. Favorite sport? to watch: basketball, to play: volleyball
13. Hair color? brown, with fake highlights
14. Your most embarrassing moment? sounding out a word to my 8th grade English class that ended up having a syllable that was NOT SO NICE
15. Siblings? Chelesa, Stephanie, Joshua
16. Tattoos or piercing? ears pierced
17. Favorite food? Dots and fish tacos
18. Last movie you saw? March of the Penguins
19. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
20. What do you do to vent anger? talk, work out
21. What was your favorite toy as a child? dolls... anything from baby dolls to Barbies
22. Summer or winter? Summer
23. Hugs or kisses? hugs
24. Chocolate or vanilla? vanilla
25. Do you want your friends to send this back? sure
26. When was the last time you cried? not sure...it has been awhile
27. What is under your bed? a wrapping paper box with paper, ribbons and bows and my slippers
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest? ummm...that I keep in touch with...probably Jayme or Shelby
29. What did you do last night? played Bunko with the neighbor ladies and then hung out on Marla's porch with Steph and Doug
30. What are you most afraid of? my kids getting hurt, not living up to my potential or what I really want to be doing
31. Plain, buttered or salted popcorn? lite butter and salt
32. Favorite car/SUV? ummm, anything that's reliable and paid for...not a car person
33. Favorite flower? rose or daisy
34. Number of keys on your key ring? at least 10...I don't know what half of them are for
35. What is your dream job? mom, without the housekeeping and bookkeeping...just mom
36. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
37. What did you do on your last birthday? went to the neighbor's for dinner
38. How many states have you lived in? two, Utah and Georgia
39. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be? on vacation with Dave and the girls
40. Favorite Disney Character? Belle
41. Last time you went out where did you go/what did you do? to my doctor today for the first time in years (not counting babies) and then to Waffle House with the girls
42. Your favorite song? right now, this song by Cherie Call that I always listen to and then had forgotten about until the other day...forgot the name of it though...the airplane one
43. What is your best physical feature? my eyes
44. What physical features attract you to the opposite sex? eyes and smile
45. What are the most important characteristics you look for in people? "real"--don't brag or try to impress, fun, intelligent and compassionate
46. If you could have dinner with a famous person living or deceased, who would you choose? Joseph Smith
47. Favorite pet? my girls' fish...it taught them a sad, but good lesson
48. Do you think anyone will learn something new about you from your answers? probably not, you all know me too well...unless there are people reading my blog that I don't know about and never leave comments!

My Valentine

Why I love him...
1. He lets me ramble on and on and really does pretend to listen...and care.
2. He seems to think that I really am the world's best mom or at least lets me think that he thinks that.
3. He never puts down my looks and has never told me I look fat (even at 250lbs.).
4. I can spend an hour getting ready and look hot, but he still doesn't say much and I have finally realized it's because he loves ME, not how I look...bad or good.
5. He has never complained about me not bringing in any money.
6. He has never made me feel like "his" money is his money.
7. He likes to hang out with his family and willingly takes the girls places.
8. He never gets mad at me for making mistakes even though I would have screamed at him for doing the exact same thing.
9. He is a genius with money and I never have to worry about our future financially.
10. He makes the bed every morning.
11. He never complains if I ask him to bathe the kids or put them to bed...even if it's the tenth night in a row.
12. He has always let the work/stay at home decision be mine.
13. He likes fish tacos, hash browns, sushi, Waffle House, Chinese and Mexican as much as I do.
14. He laughs out loud, hard.
15. He never tells me the house is a mess, the laundry's not done, the dishes are in the sink, etc. 16. He makes me feel smart and competent.
17. He supports me.
18. He makes dumb jokes and teases at totally inappropriate times, but it really does make me feel better.
19. He knows me better than anyone, and still loves me.
20. He's smart, really smart, and can hold a conversation with anyone, anywhere about anything.
21. He's hot.
22. He lives his life with integrity and will not live a lie, even though it may be easier sometimes.
23. He likes sex...a lot.
24. If it's really important, he always lets me have my way.
25. With all the good and bad we've been through in almost 10 years of marriage, there is no one on earth I would rather be with.

Snow...at last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess what? It's going to snow tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And because I'm in Georgia, the schools close, roads close and the city shuts down. So we all get to party and build a snowman in two or less inches of snow...I can't wait! I'm off to watch the Super Bowl...who's playing?

You're Not Coming to My Birthday

Why do we say "Terrible twos?" And then there are some well-meaning moms that say, "Oh, I like to call them TERRIFIC TWOS!!!" Who are these people? These aren't terrible twos or terrific twos...these are horrendous, horrible, can-I-possibly-make-it-through-this day, twos. Seriously life is so hard with my "adorable" two year old.

If anyone says anything she doesn't agree with (which is approximately 97% of the time) she yells, "YOUR NOT COMING TO MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!" Half the time I reply, "Good, I didn't want to." I will not be winning any Mother-of-the-Year awards any time soon. I'm just holding on and bracing myself for the ride.