My Sister Jenny Comes to Visit

My sister Jenny came from New York to come visit us in Las Vegas. We have been having so much fun with her here—and James just absolutely loves Jenny! I think he loves how exotic she is. When she looks at him he gets all flirty and laughs. It’s so funny!

Jenny got us to go down to “the strip” on Las Vegas Boulevard. Brian and I are home bodies and I don’t like crowds of people. We prefer to just stay home and play Settlers of Catan. And when we are feeling a little more on the wild side we will get a Redbox.

We had fun walking around and seeing some of the casinos. But we only got to see part of the strip so we are going to go back and see the rest. And as usual it was so nice and sunny here in Vegas, and so as usual my sensitive eyes we closed in almost every picture! My dad would have been annoyed if he were here! But Brian has taken his place in being annoyed that I ruin every family picture because my eyes are closed!

Here Comes Trouble

We're in trouble because James figured out how to pull himself up!

 He thinks he's pretty fancy now and he's having a lot more fun. 

But with all this standing up comes falling down!

And with falling down comes crying—and I think some fake crying too. But how can an eight-month-old baby already muster a fake cry? I wonder if that's an inborn trait in some kids...

Now that he is more mobile I realize how curious he is. And it's funny because he has certain "go-to" places in the house when I'm not watching. But at least I always know where to look first!

Babies certainly are cute and fun! But most days I'm glad when it's nap time!

My Precious

Yesterday a package came in the mail that I was NOT TO OPEN. When my husband got home he presented me the package and surprised me with my very own iPod touch! I was so excited—it's amazing all that it can do! And I think Brian's going to try to steal back from me. And that is why I titled this blog entry—My Precious (As in reference to the ring from Lord of the Rings).

This reference of My Precious comes from my cousins the Wildings. My thirteen-year-old cousin Jonathon saved up his money and bought an iPod touch. But soon after, the whole family wanted to use and it play with it, so they all would call it Precious. I thought it was pretty funny and now I truly understand the pull toward it and how it draws you in! Now that is the way to make money, so go Apple!

I’ve been figuring out which apps I want and which ones are worth getting. I love the game Scramble so I downloaded that today. And I love how there are apps for the scriptures and hymns and general conference talks. Any suggestions for other cool apps I look into?

Figuring out how to use this device will be my second follow through of my goals—first being this blog—to embracing technology. So far it has been pretty fun! I’m glad my new year’s resolutions are things that are fun and exciting, unlike dieting or losing weight.

Mormons in the Media: The Biggest Loser

How come there are always Mormons on the Biggest Loser? I'm pretty sure there are at least two teams this season, season 11, that are Mormon (*the pink and gray teams). There is certainly a greater percentage of Mormons on the show than is in America. Are Mormons a fatter subset of society? Or does the Biggest Loser like having them on the show? What do you think?

*These teams have not said that they are Mormon on the show---I have just assumed it. Denise's (pink team) video on episode 6 showed her daughter's wedding it was certainly a Mormon wedding at a Mormon temple (It actually looked like the Vegas temple based on the doors). And the gray team is a Tongan family from Shelley, Idaho, so come on, Mormon.

Our First Babysitter

My husband once babysat three kids for eight hours and got paid a mere ten dollars. Not that he’s still bitter or anything... But I digress. I have hired a babysitter for this Saturday night. I have only left James a few times and it was only with family members for a short amount of time. But this weekend I am leaving James with an unfamiliar babysitter to go to a Valentine’s Day dinner and dance. I will be gone for about three hours and he is only seven months. As a new mom I am unfamiliar about the market for paying a babysitter. How much do you pay a babysitter?  Do you pay based on a crafted algorithm consisting of the number of children, their ages, and the amount of time babysitting?

To do this for my circumstances, I have 1 kid, age 7 months, for 3 hours. But he will be sleeping for half the time (let’s hope) so I can divide it into 1.5 hours, right?

And then I have to factor in the fact that I have a fridge stocked with soda and ice cream so that of course reduces that inconvenience of babysitting. And we said her boyfriend could come so that is easily 5 bucks back in our pockets! I had bfs babysit with me all the time. It was like being paid to make out for a couple hours (Just kidding Brian… (But seriously it was great.)). And we have good movies and a wii so that’s another deduction out of her paycheck. But then I don’t have cable TV so that will be more money back to the babysitter.

But you always have to account for the crying factor which is always a variable depending on baby James’ mood. (Brian subscribes to the school of thought that one should pay crying insurance—which is a sum of money paid upfront as insurance/incentive in case of the horrific crying). We are debating if our lack of income should be a contributing factor on how we pay the babysitter. Brian thinks that we should try paying in kind with wii games or church pamphlets---I said no. He even suggests that my YW's medallion could cover the whole night. Nice try honey.

We appreciate any and all input. We have four days to figure this out! Help!

I Love Technology

Okay everyone. I am finally blogging (after much grief)! But no one appreciates what a challenge it has been for me! Unlike the rest of my cohorts I am technologically inept. I don't understand how one "tweets" on Twitter and I don't exactly know what an "app" is besides that you use them on fancy iPhones. I have had the same cell phone since I was a sophomore in high school. It is indestructible! I tried to be fancy once and got a Blackberry a year or so ago and only had it for like a week and then I sold it on Craigslist because I liked my old one better.

This year, one of my goals is to become more technically savvy—starting with this blog. And I figure it’s a good way of journal keeping—another goal—so two birds with one stone, right? So from the great Napoleon Dynamite I will embrace Kip’s message to Lafawnduh that he so loving coined:

Yes I love technology

But not as much as you, you see
But I still love technology
Always and forever

Wish me luck and come back to visit and see what the Nelsons are up to!