Not Carrots.

Danny took Holden up to his parent's place in Upstate Utah (aka Eden) Saturday and they spent some quality guys time together. I had a great GNO up Milcreek Canyon and spending the first night alone in my bed without my boys since... well, it's my first night away from Holden ever.

This video was waiting for me in my inbox when I got home. At face value the 55-seconds may not seem like that big of a deal, but for me it reminded me what a great dad Danny is, and the exuberance in Holden. What a great laugh and what an amazing kid.

Love you both. Hurry home boys.

More Carrots

Holden likes to pick the carrots, and I like to take pictures of him picking them.


Also, I know that it looks like he has a ginormous diaper on, but it's his awesome training pants. Huzzah!

Let's Revisit

How crazy it is that this.....




Or these....

Can become these...
Or this...
Or THAT?!?!

I did not think that Holden and I would enjoy our "Pumpkin Patch" so much. We've got three varieties all growing and showing actual fruits (are pumpkins fruits?): orange ones for cooking (fingers crossed), white ones for carving (hopefully), and some of those little gourds for decorating (easy enough).

And eventhough I keep telling Danny that all of the 'growth' along our west facing/(hmm, south facing?) fence happen to be pumpkins, he still likes to tell me that we have watermelons and honeydew growing.

He may try to hide his excitement about the garden, but it's hard to contain exhuberance like ours when stuff is growing like a weed (except it's not a weed. It's pumpkins... remember?)

If You Carrot All...

Today's harvest... delightful carrots! I had no idea I would take so much joy in seeing something grow from seed, etc.

Yes, those are orange AND purple carrots. Holden is noshing on a purple variety. He loves to carry the carrots and beets after we've pulled them.

He's also been dining on the heirloom cherry and bite-sized pear tomatoes as well. Though he prefers the cherry variety. Unfortunately he also loves to pick unripe green ones.

For the record, I showed Danny the pumpkins that were coming in and he asked me if it was a honeydew.

The man has just not got our vision (but we love him anyway.)

The celebrating and Such

The Happy Couple apres dinner

So sometimes things just work out in a way where the celebrating comes after the event. Such is the case with our Anniversary. It was my year to plan (Danny and I trade off every other year - I've got the even's he's got the odd's -- as to not put too much pressure/expectations on either of us at any given time).

Though since he's in charge of the 5 year, I mean, he better do something AWESOME, you know?

Anyway, I had been hearing about' The Other Guys this week -- Terri Gross (of NPR's Fresh Aire) and John Stewart (Daily Show) interviewed Will Ferrell.

I couldn't believe I actually wanted to see the film, but it turned out to be ok. Pretty funny actually. So we did movie first, and then I had made reservations at Cucina Toscana for a couple of reasons.

• First) Neither of us had been there
• B) Italian is my favorite
• 3rdly)I had the impression it was one of those places that would mean more than an hour for dinner, and I really liked the idea of that
  

So we settled in for a romantic dinner for two; and just after we had ordered Danny's stylist (yes, 'stylist' as I banned him from getting his hair done at Great Clips once we were married) I see said hair-god-mortal walking down the street with a darling pixie-hair brunette.

Mr. Makeover & My Hubby

"Jeff," as well call him for the sake of our story and obviously because that happens to be his name, is a high school buddy of Danny's. He has been living up the single life, and as such sometimes Danny would come home from a 'cut' with (sometimes salacious) tales of life in the fast lane.

Nevertheless, overall The Bachelor has a good heart; and since the hostess has managed to seat them right next to us without either party mentioning we were friends, I figured it was serendipity/serendipitous(?) and so we asked them to join our table (a four top that seemed to be beckoning extra company). Also, if they hadn't have joined us, I feared the two of them talking across the table all dinner and that would've been even worse.

Me and the Pixie

It turned out to be a brilliant night. The conversation stupendous (I wonder if they got sick of us talking up Little Bits?); and I laughed out loud so hard that on more than one occasion my cheeks hurt.

The food was as brilliant as the company.

Though I can't help but wonder if Danny and I would've indulged in the evening as long if it had just been the two of us. I hear horror stories of couples who have children and suddenly they don't really have anything to share or talk about. I hope that never happens to us.

I can't say that we're as giddy and foolish about love as we were when we were engaged and first married. But I do find it absolutely true that our love is deeper and more full than it has ever been.

And that is not only something to celebrate, but to talk about too.

With (Valter Nassi) Mr. Cucina Toscana himself!

PS. Besides a little shopping spree last weekend, Mr. Suite-Mangum Surprised me with a book about Led Zeppelin. (He knows me so well.)

Happy Anniversary to Me!

I'm sure Danny has an AWESOME tribute planned on his blog that is dedicated to me for our 4-yr wedding anniversary... so I don't really feel the need to get all mushy and stuff with him here.

I can only imagine how he'll talk about how amazing I am; and that he loves me even in my super-chubbo phases.

He'll compliment my cooking (except that wretched calazone I made and some other 'issues'), and say he never thought he could love soup so much.

He'll probably go on and on about how it's wonderful I've spent so much money on a garden that will end up producing about $50 worth of produce... oh and how great I am at saving money (or maybe it was spending money.)

Anywhooo - I'm sure there's plenty more to go on (or off?) about: his gratitude for cloth diapers and the weird smell pee makes when it hits a hemp liner; getting rid of all chlorine products in our house (ie. bleach, clorox, etc) so our whites are as bright as a light gray towel could be (that was formerly defined as white).

Yep, four years of insanely delicious marriage. The only way we've made it is because I am so easy to get along with (oh wait...)


But seriously darling, thanks for four years of bliss.

July 2010 in Deer Valley at the Ben Folds/Utah Symphony Orchestra Concert

A little looksee at the past:
Three Year Tribute & Reception Perfection