Valentine's recap

Too bad it all ended with this.....my sweet little Carter girl with a 104 degree temp.....at least we got some fun in before it really hit........

Who can resist getting together with friends to decorate cookies on Valentine's day??? Not us!!! We met up at the church for our usual "play group" with other moms and kids in our ward.....

Eli, Jacob, Emma (Carter's best friend) and Oakley

Lucy, Carter, Ellie and Lea

Of course you get all sorts of goofy faces when you're taking pictures of a kid with an extreme sugar high!

Our photo shoot of course would not be complete without the "Kissy Face" or "Blue Steel" If you please!!!

We decided to try and stat the tradition that my sister and her family holds, by dressing up all spanking pretty for a valentine's dinner at home! Truly John will be Carter's first "date", we want her to know how boys should treat her, and we wanted her to feel special....it's the first round of holidays and birthday where she's actually understanding what it's all about so it's fun to play it up....besides....NOT like we were going to have some grand romantic valentine's as a couple....besides...I pretty much HATE valentine's day....just because you shouldn't need a holiday and marketing ploys to motivate you to show how much you love some one.

All dressed up make up and all, ready for our dinner date at home with Daddy and Owen

At this point I think she was starting to feel pretty icky...something we hadn't quite picked up on....so we got a lot of grumpy stares in pictures.

The table set and ready to go....too bad I ran out of energy and instead of making our delicious dinner...Applebees provided us with a delicious meal...good thing kids eat for 99 cents on Tuesdays because Carter wouldn't TOUCH her "corn hog gog" that she was previously SOOOO excited to eat...

Oh yes...and the chocolate glazed homemade cheesecake was absolutely delish!!!

We decided to end the night watching "Tangled" an all ages appropriate love story for the whole family to enjoy....that is, until we realized Carter was burning up with a fever, grumpy as all get out....fussiness rivaling that of her almost one year old brother who refused to take an afternoon nap that day, so he was SUPER tired and crabby too.....wasn't quite the fabulous evening I had in mind...but it worked....gotta expect the unexpected when you have kids in the mix...at least there wasn't vomit thrown in it all too!!!

Big Bold and Beautiful

Usually I reserve our family blog to post updates on the kids and family...basically it's my ultramodern.....OK, just flat out lazy way of journaling...but it works right??!!! But this post is more of a mind blllaaaaahhh-gggggg....more for me than anyone else (lets face it a post without pictures is lame and boring, so if you actually make it to the end of this thing without falling asleep-my hat goes off to you!)

Lately I've really enjoyed getting to know a lot of different girls in our ward...THANK heaven for church, it's like an instant social network that I'm SOOOO grateful for!!! What a great support system we have...so many shoulder's to cry on, and sister's to lean on....we're all in the same boat (relatively) with husbands in school, little babies running a muck...etc...

Through MANY conversations with MANY different women, I'm quite frankly saddened by the lack of confidence and feelings of inadequacy that are expressed...most often this comes up when we're "girl talking" about food, our bodies and motherhood.....

Well let me just say.... I'm BIG BOLD and BEAUTIFUL!!! That's right....I said it....I wish more girls could say it in honesty and with confidence instead of as a humorous ploy to deflect those feelings of inadequacy that lurk about.......(something I've certainly done before)....anyways, here are a few things that I've repetitively come across that have been bothersome.....

*Why do women grieve over their "lost figure" after having children....certainly it's a worthwhile goal to shed a few pounds...BUT LADIES.....most of you had teenage stick bodies before (don't forget I'm surrounded by mostly young newlyweds/moms), and now that you've had tremendous hormonal and physical changes you have the curvaceous body of a WOMAN!!! Yes, most of us wish we could fit into those jeans from when we were dating our husbands...but what's wrong with being what you are and who you are right now??? You still are BEAUTIFUL, you still can be FASHIONABLE, you still can ROCK your husbands world...I know my husband enjoys having a thinner wife because we've talked about it openly and honestly....BUT I also know that he's still in love with me and still attracted to me...yup my body is a work in progress and always will be....BUT guess what I'm BIG BOLD and BEAUTIFUL!!!

*Why do I hear comments like... "I really like taking my kids on outings to I can take them to McDonald's for lunch and justify eating a Big Mac" (Ok, so I've made similar comments jokingly on occasion) BUT seriously comments like these are an epidemic around here......WHY do we have to use our children as an excuse to enjoy a Big Mac once in a while? (my personal preference is the double cheeseburger...but to each their own!) WHY can't we just enjoy a little indulgence without feeling like we've "blown" it....Yup it's true, if you haven't heard by now...NEWSFLASH fast food is horrible for you, BUT i'm guessing you already new that because of your guilt complex over eating at McDonald's......SO if you're smart enough to know that, than I'm pretty sure you're smart enough to not eat it every day, multiple times a day......SO AGAIN I say....what is SO wrong with purposefully leaving your house intent on eating a Big Mac just for your own satisfaction....LEAVE the excuses of children and outings behind and march your BOLD self out the door....NO ONE is watching you with binoculars criticizing your lunch choice, astonished that you didn't choose the veggie sub on whole wheat without mayo at Subway!!!

*Why do women play the game of "I'm so perfect I_________" fill in the blank.....

-Exercise everyday (but secretly only hit 3 or 4 days and beat myself up over it)

-Only eat 1100 calories a day (But I'm starved and miss the joy of moderate indulgences)

-Give and do everything for my husband and family (but feel guilty for "doing" for myself)

...etc...etc...etc.....

Why do we put SO much pressure on ourselves to be the "perfect" that no one expects us to be....why can't we say....

Hi I'm Joy Hansen, I weigh more than my husband and I am a women's size 18.....I eat fast food about once a week, and really enjoy pastry sweets. I try to cook healthy and balanced meals but some nights we eat pizza or pancakes and drink chocolate milk....Once in a while I get motivated to exercise-that usually only lasts for a about a week....Sunday's are about the only day of the week that I actually get ready make-up hair and all, most days i'll be in my comfy clothes un-showered with stinky breath until about noon, I could do with less hips and more boobs but I look in the mirror and see a beautiful woman-a bold mommy that's got it going on!!! I am a smart educated woman with opinions that matter, I'm not afraid to be selfish once in a while because I deserve it, I am strong, I am a doer and I believe in myself, and I'm proud of myself....I'm proud of ALL that I am, of who I am...I don't feel guilty for not being more humble in my confidence, I don't think I'm better than another, I'm just thankful that I've learned to embrace being BIG BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL!!!