"It's Just a Little Crush...

... it's not like I faint, everytime we touch..."

I have an amazing life. I'm married to a great man whom I adore, I have a wonderful baby whom I also adore and I get to stay home to take care of my family. I've got pretty great. Because I'm so happy, it gives me lots of time to think about things that don't really matter. Such as...

CRUSHES!

I will now list some of my favorite celebrity crushes for your (and Brandon's) amusement. They will be categorized, those of you who know me know that I like being organized. Here we go:

1. All time, always and forever crush - Matt Damon
I will be crushing on Matt Damon 'til the day I die, much like my mom is still crushing on Donny Osmond. In my mind Matt Damon can do no wrong, well, you know what I mean.


2. Trendy crush - Robert Pattinson
I'm sure I'll change my mind about this when a new "It" guy shows up in a couple of years and he'll be dethroned from this spot. Much like Leonardo DiCaprio.


3. Trophy crush - Paul McCartney
Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE the Beatles. If I had been alive during their heyday I would have snuck into their hotel room and cut off a piece of each of their heads of hair and then taken it back home to sniff. So, my purpose in crushing on Paul McCartney is not because I think he's cute, but because he is the ultimate collector's item*.


4. Foodie crush - Gordon Ramsay
Ok, so Gordon Ramsay is not the best looking dude. I just love what a bad@$$ he is and little known fact: he was this close to playing professional football (aka. soccer). That's a pretty good showing considering that our other culinary bad@$$ contender was Anthony Bourdain who has the body of a really tall prepubescent boy. Plus Gordon has a cool accent.


5. Cougar crush - Rupert Grint
I don't know what it is about this kid that I just love, but I just do. It makes me feel better that's he's only 3 years younger than me so I don't feel so cougar-y. I think he's a good example that I look for more than just a pretty face on a guy. Broad shoulders are important too.


6. Old Dude Crush - James Garner
This was going to be a tie between Robert Redford and Paul Newman because they're both awesome but I've decided on a compromise where no one wins. James Garner is just so charming and a dude's dude - this is important in the age of the metrosexual. Where are the plucked eyebrows? Where is the waxed chest? Where is the strange V-neck shirt that looks like a woman's tee? Not here, thank goodness.


7. Musical Crush - Glen Hansard
I usually don't like musicians as men, they're kind of sickly looking and don't always have a whole lot of muscle definition, but Glen Hansard's music is so amazing that I can't help but want him to write a song about me.

And there you go. Now think hard and let me know who your crushes are!

*To Paul McCartney: I know this sounds objectifying, please don't hate me.

School is In

There has been much talk lately about stripper pole dance classes. I know someone who is taking them. And honestly I don't really care what people do in their spare time. If they want to swing around a pole like a stripper, by all means swing around a pole, just don't hurt yourself. The purpose of my post is not to discredit pole dancing as an art or as a seduction device for a stale marriage, but to ask, "Who the heck has a stripper pole in their house?"

Do they come as an add-on in certain gated communities? Can you strip down a wall and use a pipe? Should we perhaps be teaching lap dancing or a certain burlesque style of stripping that does not require assembly? My inquiring mind needs to know.

Ellie's Blessing

Just a quick post before Ellie wakes up from her nap.

For Thanksgiving we went up to St. George to hang out with Brandon's family. My parents went for a little bit as well because Ellie's blessing was on Thanksgiving Day. A blessing is when the a child is given his/her official name in the records of the Church and when he/she is given a blessing to start his/her life on the right foot. Usually the dad performs the blessing and Brandon did a great job. It was hard holding back the tears throughout but I just felt so grateful (thankful, Sean?) to have a healthy little girl and a husband that will help me rear her up with a lot of love. Being entrusted with such a precious daughter of Heavenly Father is a slightly scary and humbling task, but I'm glad Brandon is by my side and that we get to do it together.

A note on the dress Ellie is wearing. All the grand-girls have worn this dress for their blessing and my mother-in-law then has their initials and the date of their blessing embroidered on the bottom of the dress. Ellie is the eighth grand-daughter to be blessed in that dress.


Ellie and Maggie in another stand off.


All the men getting ready to participate in the blessing.


Parents, grandparents, great-grandparents.


I don't understand why I look exactly like my mom and Ellie looks nothing like me. Mystery.


Four generations.


Grandparents


Here is Brandon with all his siblings. All the boys had babies this year and Anne is pregnant. Tons of babies to go around.

I'm so glad I married into a great family and that my parents could be there for such a great moment in Ellie's life. Go kids!