frank's friend ira

sweet ira loves mr. frank. if frankie is around, ira is right by his side.

the other day when pam was watching the kids, ira said, "i just wish frank could come over."

frank sure loves his ira. and so do we.

Etta Girl

baby girl #2 was born last thursday.
Etta Rose.
I am in love with the name. and even more in love with the girl.

i love babies...and this isn't a baby hungry type of love.. it started in high school when i worked for a daycare. i begged to be with the babies. full-time. all the time. i fell in love with them. and my last day at that horrid facility, i cried as each baby left with their mom, or dad, or grandma, or aunt, or whoever took care of them after me. it broke my heart leaving them. and i still think about them.
so, luckily, i have my nieces and nephews now. and i love them to absolute pieces. and i love miss etta.

for whatever reason, we were busy thurs, when the baby came, busier friday and then she'd be home from the hospital on sat (and we were even more busy that day)... which is weird because we are never busy. not being sarcastic there.
anyway, etta wasn't on my calendar, even though she should have been.
we were planning to just see her on sunday (when she looks like a completely different person and so grown up!)

well, we had somewhere to be friday night at 7, but friday morning i was talking to jess and i got like homesick for this baby i had never met... you know?
friday afternoon i called zach and said i cant wait any longer to meet this baby girl.
so we left work early and made the trek to provo. the heart of provo.
and we got to see this sweet babe.
and spend some one-on-one time with her parents. which... never really happens (they must have 4 kids or something)... but i love when it does.
we love you jess and jon. and we love your kids even more.
send rub girl my way! (i hear she's up for adoption).

it's official

i've been married for 3.5 years, and since day one it has been an uphill battle about one thing in particular.
a costco card.
well, this week that all changed.

my love for costco has really taken itself to a whole new level over the last coupe months.
i mean, kirkland brand ice cream? it can't be beat. nearly nothing that is kirkland brand can be beat.
and their hand dipped ice cream bars with almonds is my favorite treat of all time. there. i said it.
all i want to do is go to costco, buy myself my ice cream bar and browse and browse and browse.
but i couldn't, because i was not a member and they wouldn't let me in... ok that might be an exaggeration, but you guys, they will NOT let me buy anything... trust me, i've had SEVERAL bad experience with trying to cheat the system. one ended in tears when they called membership security over to checkout. ugh.

back to the best part of my week... (you see where this is going, right?)
so, i have told zach for years that i am going to drive over to costco without him and buy myself a card, $50 is nothing in comparison to my happiness, right? well, it still hasn't happened, and it's not because zach says no, come one, like he's never said no to something i've bought before... it's just that deep in my heart i couldn't justify the $50... if it were even $40, done - but it was something about $50 that i just couldn't do it.

then comes ali. she has the same problem. can't justify the $50.
me and ali get costco card together.
me and ali also work together, and sit next to each other for 8 hours a day... so it just makes sense that we would share a costco membership together... for $25 bucks a piece might i add! done and DONE.
and man, does it feel good.
SO GOOD.

i haven't exactly broken the news to z yet, it just ... hasn't come up. or actually it has ("where did all this kirkland ice cream come from??" "um... i also got chocolate sauce, ice cream all around!"). diversions.
i will tell him, but i know he's going to be a tiny bit disappointed because, "we don't need one" and because, "i have my dad's, we can use it anytime we want," and because, "your mom lives up the street, she'd love to go to costco with ya," and because, "there is no reason to pay $50 to have a membership when we only go there once a month or less..."
but i got it fro$25... and at that price, it's totally worth it.
right? RIGHT?!
i'm right.
thanks for your support. (this is where you show your support):)!

more on the frank

my little frankers is obsessed with two things in his life. His toys and his best friend leo (oh and my slippers, those soft fluffy things that go on FEET?! oh heavens, someone help me train a dog not to like slippers).

every time he comes upstairs he brings one of his toys with him (or my purple slipper we have let him adopt). every time someone walks into our house, he runs to get one of his toys (even before saying hi - no manners) and brings it back to show the friends.

he is a giant. 40lbs to be exact. but he still likes to be held like a baby. a big, huge, fat baby.

and let me just tell you how happy we are that leo lives just next door. they really are hilarious together. frank thinks he is just as big as leo and likes to annoy leo until he'll play with him. and leo is amused by this little guy who thinks he's tough. If you ever can't find frank, he's at leo's fence waiting to be let in. last weekend when leo was gone for the weekend, frank would just stick his little head through the fence and look for leo. haha... they are quite the pair.

on another dog note. have you heard of dog-a-pooloza?! of course you haven't. it is absolutely ridiculous and only for those crazy dog people out there. so anyway, yes, we were there. and it was hilarious.

frank made a couple friends and even got to reunite with his one and only other bully friend, Tebbs. And frank was quite enamored. as you can see. not sure tebbs liked having a tag-a-long, but frank thought he was pretty cool hanging out with the big kids all day.

you guys. do you hate me yet?

well, in other non-dog related news. my dear friend jenny had a baby. sweet shaun brady. and mary threw the most beautiful shower for her. and i just absolutely love my friends. in case you didn't know that. i laugh harder on nights with them then any other. 

and, for the shower, i made mint brownies, you know, the supposedly BYU (go byu!) (sorry i had to put that) (boo utes) (that's all i will say about that!) mint brownies from the creamery??!! oh gosh, if you don't know what i'm talking about, it's like a whole part of you is missing. make them.

because i basically ate half of a pan on my own. and you should, too.

and don't freak out and almost dump everything down the sink when you have every inch of your kitchen covered in ingredients and bowls and tasting spoons and the brownies dont look quite done, but then they look too done... and then you put the first layer of frosting on before the brownies were completely cooled so it melts (it will be covered up by the top layer, it's fine)... because it is the taste that matters, and turns out, they still taste SO GOOD!

(lindsey, mary, mags, jenny...ME)

*dog pics are courtesy of the lovely abby... tebbs is her pup. and ali, our fav neighbor.