Dandelions are NOT dandy.

It FINALLY feels and LOOKS like spring around here! Yesterday was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and the great weather is supposed to continue for awhile (lets HOPE). It is so much fun seeing all of the neighbors come out of "Idaho Falls hibernation."

 Last night Dallin had his SPRING piano recital! He did such a great job! I'm so proud of his dedication to piano. He has really enjoyed it and is looking forward to starting up again this fall!

 The beautiful daffodils up our walkway are ALL in bloom! Tulips are next! I love the burst of color. It has been fun each morning coming out and seeing how close we are to having the flowers open up. (And especially fun for me to see how THRILLED the boys were when they finally did! Made me laugh.) We also have a robin's nest over on the side of the house. Yay!

 Yesterday I spent the entire day working on the yard. I edged, mowed, fertilized and continue to combat the dandelions that are OUT OF CONTROL in eastern Idaho. I have honestly never seen so many dandelions. I'm beginning to believe that the dandelion really is the city flower of IF.
We had SO many dandelions in our backyard when we moved in last year I honestly had to go into a room a cry for awhile. We had more dandelions then grass and bees galore because of it. I saw a house that looked as bad as ours did last year so I snapped a quick photo:

 My neighbors and my husband all just shake their head at me as I'm out there with my WEED BE GONE in hand every day. Let's face it, I embrace the fact that I take after my father and am absolutely and positively OBSESSED with my yard. I just might be a little OCD and I'm okay with that. ☺ I like working in the yard. It de-stresses me and I love looking at a green lawn and feel a sense of pride when I step back and see the rewards of my efforts. Plus, it's a great workout and I get one heck of a sexy farmer tan! We do have a few dandelions but I keep fighting them off and so far we're looking pretty good!

Plus I love that the yard is a place the boys love to be:

And so does one (slightly plump) kitty:

Pinewood Derby DRAMA.

It may have been a couple of weeks back but I forgot to a do a little write up on the Starnes Family's very first pinewood derby experience. Now, I realize that the pinewood derby is a serious scout tradition dating back to the dawn of time. I too realize that this experience CAN be a very bonding thing for father and son and it there ARE SOME things that can be learned through this block sanding and painting chore....or I mean OPPORTUNITY.

 I love the scouting program. I love the things that my boys will learn that will help them become better all around young men. I know that there are lifelong lessons to be learned and I embrace those things 100%.
That being said, the pinewood derby just irritates me. Let's be honest here. What would a car REALLY look like if an 8 year old (with the HELP of a parent...not the HELP of a cub scout) designed, painted, and sanded a car? Instead the whole thing feels like a father with better tools or money just trying to outdo the next father. I was even more irritated when we started this process by finding all of the RIDICULOUS things that can be purchased online for this event. What starts as a $4.00 car kit can turn into a money pit. For instance, a set of modified wheels and axles can sell for more than ten times that amount! Did you know you can buy a "guaranteed to win car" on ebay for $200? What is that all about??

Maybe by bitterness dates back to knowing that my own father (who didn't have a father in his life) had to go to those derbies and race blocks of wood that finished dead last. He would leave feeling totally humiliated. I know that this testosterone fest leaves boys feeling upset and defeated...and I don't like it.

Anyway, I'll step off my soap box now.

I started nagging or (I mean reminding) my dear husband and son about this event a couple of months prior to the race. Weeks flew by and suddenly we found ourselves 2 weeks out from the date. In a panic, Nate ordered an already shaped car since we don't have any woodworking tools. A few days later a $20 piece of wood arrived and so began the sanding, and painting. After the final coat of paint was sprayed 4 days before the race, a neighbor kid came over and picked up the freshly painted car.

"Agggggggh!" Is what I hear from the garage. Nate and Dallin were freaking out. Payson (the neighbor kid) decided to pick up the car to get a better look at it. He ended up putting huge fingerprints and smudges all over the almost completed car. So, here we go again. Back to square one. More sanding and layers of paint. Now we are 2 days away from the race. Because of all of the painting issues we MISS the first weigh in.

Day before the race is the final weigh in. Nate doesn't get home from work until 5:30pm and the car has to be totally completed, weighed and turned in between 6-8pm. Wheels aren't even on yet. Dallin and Dad get to work on the wheels when suddenly I start hearing some yells coming from the garage. "Crap!" "Agggggghhhh! NOOOOOO!"

I wasn't sure what to do. Hide? Go out and help? Pretend I didn't hear what was going on? Leave?

Nate eventually comes in looking totally and completely frazzled. "I can't get the wheels on! The wood keeps chipping off...I need WOOD GLUE NOW!"

The stress was too much for me. Instead of being helpful I tell him to just forget it. "It's NOT worth it! It's just a stupid derby! Dallin really won't care if he doesn't participate this year! You should have started working on this back when I first told you to!" Ooops. Probably shouldn't have said that.

I opted to run downstairs and hide.

Apparently they figured it out. They found some glue and prayed the wheels would stay on. They made it over to the weigh in just in time. They were lucky as it was EXACTLY 5oz. which is the maximum amount. They had 30 minutes to spare.

The day of the actual race I was leaving to go to UT for Women's Conference. When I told my mom I was missing Dallin's first pinewood derby she was ASTONISHED. How could you MISS this HUGE event? Really mom.....I don't mind. There will be many MANY more of these in my future.

While driving to Utah I was anxiously awaiting the results of the race. I kept praying..."Please don't be dead last...please at LEAST cross the finish line...please let this be a POSITIVE and fun experience."

Then I recieved a text from Nate: SO FAR WE ARE 3-1!
Then another: ENDED UP 3-3. MIDDLE OF THE PACK. 9TH OUT OF 17. NOT BAD!

I sighed with total and COMPLETE RELIEF! It's over. They had fun and we learned a lot. It may not have been the fastest car but Dallin won the certificate for the "Fastest Looking Car." Hey...we'll take it!
Here are the pictures off of Nate's phone:

One derby down.......many more to go. *Sigh*

One decade.

Look at these two BABIES?? How was it ever possible that our parent's said it was okay for us to get married? We look like we are 14! Haha. I know I have said it before but honestly I was wise beyond my young and naive 19 years when I decided that Nathan was the one for me. It IS the best decision I have ever made.

I can HARDLY believe that the big 1-0 is upon us today. Our actual anniversary is TODAY May 9th.. I am sure lucky to have BOTH my anniversary AND Mother's Day right by each other. The two most cherished roles in life....mom and wife all celebrated over the same weekend!!

My sweet brother and his good wife agreed to take on the task of dealing with all things STARNES BOYS while we escaped over the Teton Mountains to the beautiful city of Jackson Hole. Last time we drove over the mountains was back in the summer with our boys with an overheating van. It included many stops at repair shops and MUCH yelling (from me) and overall tension. THIS time however, it was calm relaxing and peaceful as we drove together....ALONE with no car issues at all. ☺

We even saw some wildlife along the way! (fox, moose, and deer)

We had such a WONDERFUL time together. We ate lots of GREAT food. We went out to the Silver Dollar at the Wort Hotel for our official "anniversary dinner." YUM! I always take pictures of food...I always associate good food with good memories. Nate had some buffalo since we were in Jackson and all. It sounded nasty but I tried a small piece...tastes the same as steak.

After taking this picture I told Nate we look WAY too cheesy and happy to still be married after 10 years. So here is our fake fighting picture:

Other highlights of our trip include:

Hot tubbing outside in the rain:

The fireplace and HUGE jacuzzi tub in our hotel room. We dumped an entire bottle of bubble bath in there and the bubbles were overflowing onto the floor. It was out of control and SO HILARIOUS! I'll skip the photo on that one. You're welcome.

Going to Ripley's Believe it or not museum. SO MUCH FUN!

Here is a small sample of some of the crazy strange items in there:

The toilet paper wedding gown:

The artwork made entirely from dryer lint:

Nate's favorite was the chandelier made from bicycle chains:

How about some beautiful jewelry made from HUMAN HAIR?

Or the bear that was killed by a porcupine. Well, he was actually in so much pain from the quills that he ran into a road and was hit by a car:

I took a little ride in the "love chair" so I could see what kind of a lover I am:

Apparently I am:

I won't disagree. Neither will Nate.

Doesn't he look so cute carrying my purse around? I ♥ it!

We went shopping at all of the little shops downtown. Unfortunately the weather wasn't that great but we bought us some SWEET dollar store umbrellas that kept us laughing the whole time. In other words.....JUNK.

I'm pretty sure that 10 years ago thought we would be spending our 10 year anniversary on a warm tropical beach far away from Idaho or Wyoming. Fast forward to today......kids, jobs, student loans, bills and more important goals seemed to get in the way of that. Realistically speaking....it doesn't matter WHERE we spend time together alone, we make the most of it. We laugh and giggle like we're honeymooners all over again and we continue to fall more and more in love. I wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else. It was a perfect weekend. I told Nate in his card this year that true love is spending one day getting married and then spending each day after that being so happy and thankful that you did.

I wholeheartedly feel that way.

When we got engaged 10.5 years ago Nathan made a list of 10 things he loved about me before he popped the question. For our 10 year anniversary he made a list of 100 things. I told him he better get working on that 20 year list. 1000 things to love about me could take awhile! hehe.

Happy 10th Anniversary hon . Grow old along with me...the best is yet to be.

Women's Conference 2011

Back from Women's Conference with my Boise friends. What a fun time we had. We stayed up LATE every night, ate out, shopped at IKEA, got pedicures, partied hard and yes we even had time to receive some spiritual upliftment at the conference. ☺ My favorite quote of the conference, "Don't compare yourself to anyone other than the person you were yesterday." So true.

I love BYU. I love walking around the campus and having all sorts of nostalgic feelings and memories come rushing back. I feel so blessed to have attended school there. College was a great time of life....I wouldn't want to go back necessarily but I do hold those memories close to my heart. I LOVE coming back with good friends and getting in that precious girl time that I feel I DESERVE every once in awhile!!

It is always so refreshing to only have to worry about ME for a couple of days. No breakfast to make for anyone other than me, no rushed feeling of "I need to get home," I ordered what I wanted to eat and didn't have to SHARE or cut up food into bite sized pieces for anyone! I love the mutual appreciation that my boys (husband included) and I have for one another after some time apart. It really does help me to be a better mom and wife.

My baby is 4.

While in Utah Landon had his actual birthday. Nate's mom had a little party for him (and for Kelsey) with the whole family. It was so much fun getting together.

Dear Landon Lou,

How can it be that you are already a BIG 4 year old? My baby, my tiny little little boy is now going to preschool, riding bikes, taking swim lessons, and doing EVERYTHING that his big brothers are doing. The years have gone by so fast and I have loved and continue to love each minute spent with you.
We've had lots of fun celebrating your birthday this entire week and I hope you know and understand how much you mean to Daddy and me. Your sweet smile is usually the first thing I see each morning. You always climb into bed with me (blankee in tow) and snuggle for a few precious minutes. You love to play the "birdee" game with me and you laugh and laugh until you have to "give in" so I won't tickle you anymore.
You love to go to preschool and see your friends. You love to learn and you are so proud when you learn how to write a new letter or number.
You love to say prayers and you get really upset when it isn't your turn. You always pray that you and your brothers will "be nice and not hurt each other." You adore your cat and you abuse him on a daily basis. I'm always catching you pulling his tail and using him as a pillow. You are my BEST eater and I appreciate your willingness to eat the majority of everything I cook. I can't tell you how much that means to me.
As hard as it is to see my baby not be a baby anymore I am so grateful that you are healthy strong and so smart. You bring me such joy and laughter and I can't wait to see you continue to learn and grow.

I love being your mom and I love you forever,

Momma