Welcome Home!!!

HELLO EVERYONE!!! We're back in Carlsbad and thoroughly exhausted from our super trip to Utah. It not only was amazing but it also marked the first year of our first child's birth. That's right, little baby Grayson turned one year old on August 14, 2008. I always made fun of these kinds of parents, but Barry and I threw Grayson a huge first birthday bash! They're never going to remember the party, so why throw one? I can't answer that question, but it was so much fun despite that little fact.

The party was Superhero themed (imagine that?). We invited all of our family (and some of Barry's high school buddies) to "Big Bear Park" in Sandy, and had a big Barbeque. We also invited everyone to dress in Superhero garb, and had a few people do so. After dinner, Grayson demolished his birthday cake, that the Amazingly talented sister-in-law, Kathy decorated for us. She also made coconut cupcakes and chocolate chip, oatmeal, pudding filled cupcakes for everyone else.

Then after that we opened presents, which were almost all superhero themed haha, and then we had a badminton competition to win a pair of Marvel Comic Pajama Pants. It was an awesome birthday!!!

I can't believe Grayson is one. I always knew this day would come, but I really can't believe it actually did. Grayson blows me away. He is such a good walker, he loves smiling and laughing, he's an unfortunately expert button pusher, and he gets closer to talking every day. The most frustrating part of growing up... fits. Grayson recently learned how to throw fits. He does the whole screaming, flailing, throw yourself down on the ground kind of fits. I didn't see this part of childhood coming till at least two years of age, but boy was I wrong. But even with the fits, we have such a great little boy. Happy Birthday Monkey!

Other parts of our vacation included eating at Rodizio's (THANKS OMA!), taking Grayson to the Hoggle Zoo, taking him to an aquarium, seeing the Draper temple, seeing our good friend Brady Flanigan perform at the off-broadway theatre, getting free dental work from Barry's dentist uncle, and we got to see an AMAZING show at the Hale Theatre (Big: the Musical). It was incredible. My one true regret (honestly) was I really REALLY wanted to see my college friend Sarah Fager. We were planning on visiting her the last day of our trip but ended up not able to go. I was so sad. I really wanted to see her adorable baby and her adorable self. Just know, when Barry and I move to Utah, I'll be visiting more often!!! haha!

Utah and stuff

Well, tomorrow we start our trek to Utah!!! I am so excited!!! Barry and I were paid for our "volunteer" work with the High School's musical last year (and NO, it wasn't "High School Musical"!!!) The amount they gave us was just enough for a there and back trip to Utah! Our journey will be twelve days long and I couldn't be more excited! The last time we went anywhere I was just five months pregnant, so a trip is well overdue! Grayson's Grandma Ricks has never met him, so she will be meeting him for the first time as he turns one! I can't believe an entire year has gone by!!! WOW! I feel like we just brought our son home, but here he is walking around and baby-talking to us all day long!

Anyway, the purpose of this blog is to apologize if I get behind on reading blogs. I don't know how much access (if any) I will have to a computer, so you may not hear from me in a long while. And on that note, I am sorely disappointed with all of you! Hardly anyone has written a blog in several weeks! What am I supposed to do while Grayson is sleeping if I don't have blogs to read?!?! CLEAN???! Yeah right!

SO I hope you all have a great two weeks! I will be blogging all about our trip and Grayson's birthday soon so come back and check on that! BYE!!!

"Clue" is over. I am sad. But not too sad. On our first week of performance, Grayson started puking all over the place, his temperature was bordering 104, and he was very comatose-esque. It was very frightening, and on top of that, my parents forgot to tell us that they were going out of town that very weekend for my dad's surgery. Boy, did that put us in a bind! It's not like we could leave our flu-ridden child with our friend's who have young children of their own! We frantically called all the older, empty-nesters in our ward and set Grayson up to babysat. That was the hardest part, leaving my sickly child to have fun performing. That was enough stress to be grateful the show is over.

But... The show was quite successful! It was a rather fluffy script, but the audiences (except for the devil audience on first weekend Saturday) really seemed to enjoy the show. I have missed performing m0re than anyone could ever know, so this was just what the doctor ordered! I also had several people tell me that I was their favorite character, or that mine and Barry's song was their favorite... so talk about a Self-esteem boost! It's kinda nice being a big fish in a little pond. Carlsbad is used to seeing the same old actors in the same old shows, so I think Barry and I were a breath of fresh air for this town. That's not supposed to sound cocky! Anyway, here are a few pictures... enjoy. And THANKS everyone who came (and those who wanted to come but were incapacitated with a sickly husband), I love you all!

Miss Scarlet and Mrs. White (the maid)

Colonel Mustard... an AWESOME actor!

It's me! Scarletta Vermicelli!
Mr. Green and his DANG toothpick, haha! It was so fun to play across from my Husband!
The End.

TWERD.

I learned a new word on Friday: Twerd... "Twilight Nerd".

Yes, I am one of the millions of girls smitten (or bitten) by Edward, an unrealistically gorgeous vampire. I fought the urge to read the series for two years, but when I finally jumped on the bandwagon, I was in love, and embarrassingly so. A person my age should not enjoy reading such a cheesy teenaged drama... little did I know I wasn't alone with this secret fantasy. Two women in my ward, two mothers, invited all the women in our wards to have a tee-shirt decorating competition, and wear our shirts to the midnight release party of the fourth book. I couldn't believe that other normal women were willing to leave their inhibitions (and dignity) behind and do something so ridiculously AWESOME! Well, it turned out to be a blast. As in, one of the funnest times I have had since we moved here. Thank you ladies and fellow Twilight Fans!