Oh My Man!

So yesterday was the wonderful romanticful holiday that we call Valentine's Day. Some people are under the impression that it is a made up holiday, just to force people to buy things. It's kinda like an economic stimulus package all wrapped up into a day... or so they believe. Here is my Opinion if you care. (Which of course you do otherwise why would you still be reading)

WHO CARES?? That's right! That's my opinion. Who cares if it's a made up holiday for consumers. In my opinion if it is made to celebrate the ones you love than it can't be a bad thing. No one is forcing you to buy presents, or make something or go out to a fancy meal.

For example what did I get for Valentine's Day... A container of Baked Beans! Yep you heard right and do you think I'm offended. Nope I think it's hilarious. My husband handed them to me with a card and said, "Happy Valentines Day! It's the gift that keeps on giving"

You got to love that right?

In our house we have the family motto of "Family First", it's a pretty simple concept and it's really easy to say to our children when they are fighting (although it kind of seems to lose some of it's value when you are gritting your teeth and saying "Family (stinkin) First"! ).

So any day that is about putting your husband or children or grandchildren first is fine by me. And for all of you Valentine's Day Whiners out there. Get over it! Who cares if you didn't get what you wanted, it's not about you it's about them. If you got them something and celebrated Them, then you did your job and that really is all that matters.

Cause there is always next year!

So what did I do for him for Valentine's Day? While he was at his Wednesday night Stake meeting, I went up to the Dental School (while a neighbor watched the monsters) and decorated his rollable cart. Yes cheeso galore, but I think I did a cute job.

Who is that model in the pic?? Oh silly that's just me!

Yes Adam, You get this for eternity! How do you like that!!

I am not a reader

I mean I know how to read, and I do make exceptions for Harry Potter, magazines and of course the scriptures. But I am not a "read for fun" type reader. I came close once. I used to like to write poems. I also thought they weren't half bad until I realized that "real poets" don't usually write rhyming poetry. So there went my poetry career. Sorry to ramble, but I do have a point!

My sister Melanie has been having "Poem of the day" on her blog. I skimmed over it quickly because the first line bored me, but today I randomly read it and loved the Poem. Well I actually just loved a passage in the poem, but almost the same thing. Here it is:

I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it could do.

I am still smiling after reading this. I love it! I think it hits on how many of us feel. Maybe I can expand later, but probably not. You either get poetry or you don't. I get this passage. I agree with it and it makes me want to get up and do more with my day. So thank you Mel for putting "boring" poetry on your blog.

Tagged- I REALLY hate games

So I've been tagged... I didn't even realize I was playing a game in which I could be tagged. Since it is my "sickly" friend Emily who tagged me, I will participate. Here are the rules.

1. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself. 2. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. 3. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay, so she said I have to come up with 7 random facts about me. So I will see what I can come up with.

1.)I took a few years of acrobatics when I was younger

2. )I graduated a year early from High School. I "Loved" high school so much that I decided to be done with it a year early. Plus one of my best friends was graduating and I didn't feel like doing the last year without her-and on top of that one of my good friends told me she didn't think I'd be able to graduate a year early. I'm all about proving people wrong.

3.)I took PE through a correspondence course while I was in High School. Since, I decided to graduate early I had to take 4 correspondence courses throughout the school year. I saw PE as an option and jumped all over that one. (Probably because I was a member of the laziness club)

4.) My feet used to stink when I was younger... I will just leave it at that. Very depressing to think about. In fact I am still self conscious about it (even though they don't stink anymore... I think)

5.) I once got a second job so I would be less available for a boy I was dating. (The first day of my second job he was waiting for me at my kitchen table when I got off work!) No it was not Adam.

6.) My secret wish would to suddenly be able to sing... on key. My family is very musical and I was not blessed with a voice. A good voice that is. I sing all the time to my kids and I sing constantly in the car, but I don't sing at church. I'm afraid of what the poor people sitting around me would have to hear.

7.) In the past I have cleaned up my house and then when someone has come over, I've apologized for the big mess... (I thought it was funny)

on the same note when it's been a big mess and people have come over, I tell them that someone broke in and all they did was take eveything out of my drawers and throw them on the floor.

So now I am supposed to tag people. So Kim Bond, Shay Olsen, Tina Barrett, Melanie Aaron Paget, Jenny Livingston and Candi Miller. You have been tagged.

No backing out either. If I did it you have to, because I didn't want to either. There you have it.

Willpower

So today after dinner it finally happened... Kelly pointed to my still not gone tummy (where baby Preston used to live) and said, "Mom why do you still have that."

Hmmmm... I tried not to pause or look shocked, I quickly responded that I am really a bear and I have to save as much fat as possible in order to survive this winter season. Well actually I didn't say that, although I would have liked to. Instead I was mostly honest and said, "After moms have babies it takes a while for their tummies to go away."

If I was being totally honest I would have said, "You see sweetheart your mommy likes donuts and brownies with ice cream and on a really crappy day she could probably down half of a French Silk Pie!" then I could continue it with: "You see Kelly, your mother has NO willpower" and If I really wanted to scare her I could have finished it with "Statistics show that you will most likely inherit this tummy that I have, because I will probably be passing on my bad habits to you. So treasure your cute little waist while you can sweetie"

So there you have it. In a few more months I will no longer be able to blame this tummy on Preston. I will have to take responsibility for my lack of Willpower. Maybe a good way to start would be to stop blogging right now and go downstairs and play Dance Dance Revolution with Adam and the kids... I've gotta start somewhere.

The Forgotten Birthdays Club

So yesterday was my birthday HOORAY!! I received wonderful things like a camcorder and Adobe Photoshop and my friend down the street made me a super cute bag. It really was a nice birthday (except that we drove across the state to get to STL.) So back to my topic of the day: If you are wondering why this entry is called the forgotten birthdays club, then you OBVIOUSLY were not born in the last 2 weeks of December. I mean I don't want to exclude the first 2 weeks, but I'm going to. Here are a list of things said often or happen to people in the "Forgotten Birthdays Club":

• you hear "I was going to call, but I had so much going on with the Holidays"
• you are asked "Is it okay if I combine your birthday present and your Christmas present"
• you are given many Christmas Decorations as Birthday presents (can you say clearance)
• you come to accept that you will not be having any "Birthday Celebrations" with your friends (because they are busy with the Holidays)
• your friends say, "In case I forget, Happy Birthday" (usually said a couple days before your birthday)
• you learn how much you appreciate those who do call... or send money

So if you are reading this thinking Jen's Having a pity party, you would be wrong. I have now had 27 birthdays to get used to this, and I have come to accept my circumstances. In fact that's why my friend and I have started the "Forgotten Birthdays" club (she will remain nameless, because she doesn't blog or read my blog). So on the 29th of this month my friend and I are going out to eat with our spouses to celebrate our Birthdays. It will be a joyous occasion filled with happiness, laughter and hopefully some birthday cake! (Which is one thing I didn't get this year).

Happy Holidays and Happy Birthday to all of you silent members of the Forgotten Birthdays Club.

ETA: This was not meant to give you a guilt trip, please no more comments apologizing I do realize many people get forgotten and I did get many phone calls from my friends. Don't take my post seriously.

The Purpose of the Christmas Card

So I've been thinking about the reason for Christmas cards. I know that I love getting them and staring at the pictures and seeing how cute (or not so cute) the people look. Honestly I don't think it matters if I even know the people in the card. I just like looking at them.

So it brings me to my point (well not really). Do we really send out Christmas cards to keep people updated or do we do it to brag. Should we really call them "Look how great I can make my life look cards"... I know that when I write up our family letter this week. I will probably improve the truth a little by saying things like:

• Paige is "Spirited" (that really means that she always wants her way)
• Tommy is "adventurous" (which translates into he sticks many unknown objects up his nose to see how far they will go)
• Kelly is growing into a "little lady" (that means that she now thinks she doesn't have to ask her parents before doing ANYTHING. Including drawing on furniture and taking mommy's makeup.
• Preston keeps us on our toes: (obviously this means that since he keeps us on our toes we are not sleeping)

So now that I have confessed how not perfect my life is, I have to follow it with the obviously cheesy but true statement: I wouldn't change it.

Yes I know how corny and sappy that sounds, but it is the Christmas season and you do really sit back and think about the bigger picture. Life is not easy right now at the Wehrmeister House, but it is the one we signed up for and we take full responsibility for it and we wouldn't change it. Our children are not perfect, but we keep them around because they are our reminders.

• They remind us that kids grow up too quickly and we can't keep waiting for them to "outgrow" a phase
• They remind us that it is inappropriate to tell women that they "look like they have a baby in their tummy"
• They remind us that there is something miraculous about a smile. Whether you are the giver or the reciever, it is undeniable the power that a smile has.
• They remind us that there is something special about 3:30 in the morning. I still haven't figured out what it is yet, but I have a feeling that Preston is going to keep waking me up at that time until I get it.