Same Difference and Third Time's a Charm

I wanted to quickly update and let you know our new church callings...

Same Difference - On July 4th, Darrell was released as 1st counselor in the bishopric and then called as the 1st counselor in the new bishopric.  He is now the veteran bishopric member and is still enjoying it.

Third Time's a Charm - I told you a few months ago that I was released as Primary President then immediately called to be the Music Director. A few weeks ago I was released and called to be the Relief Society Secretary.  That calling only lasted a few weeks since yesterday I was called and sustained as the Stake Primary 1st Counselor.  So, I guess third time's a charm. :) I expect to be in this calling for a while.

It's an interesting story, the lady that they called to be the president doesn't know many people in the stake. To help, the stake presidency provided her with a list of names to choose as counselors.  She went through the names and prayerfully chose her counselors. After I was sustained in sacrament meeting, we went to be set apart and I met the newly called president. She seems like a nice lady and I'm excited to work with her.  She truly was inspired. :)  PS - If anyone has any advice for primary on a stake level, let me know!

Nerdy couple alert...

This summer has gone super fast and it's hard to realize that Salem will be back in school next week.  We've done many things that I should have blogged about but this picture will explain the typical night for me:

School! Every time I get on the computer it's to do homework with an occasional bill paying and trying to keep up with my email, rss reader and possibly 5 minutes of facebook (since that's the only way I get updates about certain things.) Anyway, Darrell and I are successful at school, getting A's and have even made the President's List. (Well La-de-da, who cares.) We are scheduled to be finished next May or June, so next summer we can breath a little more. Ta ta for now!

It's not September but...

"September days are crisp and cool, isn't it nice to be back in school?" (I said this phrase for a school program in 1st grade.)

Wait a second...it's not September, it's April; but I'm back in school! Today is the first day of school for me and Darrell! We are endeavoring to get our MBA's. We are extremely blessed to have this schooling paid for by Darrell's employer. (Our prayer from a couple of years ago has been answered, and then some.)

It's an online program so I won't have to leave to go to class but I'm going to be quite busy with homework. This is one of the reasons that Darrell gave me the laptop early.  I have been waiting to post a blog about school for a while but didn't want to count my chickens before they were hatched. Now, it's really true that I'm going to school and it's really exciting! :)

Student discount here we come!

My new baby

Now that Ezril is 1-yr old, I got a new baby...

Yeah! Darrell ordered this laptop for me for my birthday and it came today. He decided to surprise me with it today rather than wait 6 weeks. I'm very happy that he gave me the early birthday present. :) He was quite clever, I had no idea that it was coming. He told me not to be alarmed about a large purchase he made. He said that he ordered something from Dell for his friend at work so his friend could be secretive. Pretty tricky, I totally believed it!

I love it and I love him. Now I just need to set some rules so I'm not on the computer all the time. :)

It's great to be 8

Today is our 8-year anniversary, Happy Anniversary Darrell!

We made it past our 7-yr itch and have now entered our crazy 8's. I consider ourselves newly weds but I guess I can't say that after 8 years and 3 kids. It's been fun! :)

Here are some goofy pictures of us taken 10 years ago. We had just gotten a webcam set up on my mom's computer and had to test it out. Our courtship was bliss...

Happy February

I have been known among my friends to wish people "Happy [Month]" when it's a new month. Today I got a phone call from my friend to wish me a Happy February! :) It was so nice and I'm glad I've trained her to say that. :)

January flew by very fast, so here is a quick update...enjoy all the pictures, click on them to view larger versions.

Salem - His two front teeth came out on New Year's day. One while he was sledding down the hill. He walked back to the top of the hill and said "Hey, my tooth is gone!" Then later that day he wiggled the other one out. He had to write a letter to the tooth fairy to explain the missing tooth but assured her/him that he indeed lost 2 teeth. (By the way, is the tooth fair male or female? I've always thought that the fairy was female, but the Santa Clause 2 movie states otherwise.) He went skiing for the first time and  had a good time. Thanks Uncle Cabot for taking him!

Oaklen - He is still as funny as ever. Every day is an adventure for him (and me.) He is back in his Bob the Builder phase and is calling me Wendy. His imagination is quite cute. He started primary in January and has enjoyed it. His teacher is great, and his primary president is awesome! :) He still is always in the fridge and pantry. I happened to be holding the camera to go take a pic of Ezril and found Oaklen under the table eating to his heart's content. :)

I made my mom's cake, and let Oaklen lick the frosting off the beaters, he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ezril - I can't believe he's already 11 months old today and it's interesting to watch how different each kid is. Ezril still does not crawl, he scoots along as he sits and is content with that. He has learned this week how to open cabinet doors and is starting his curious phase. He likes to stand while leaning on chairs and couches. He's just starting to cruise. He like his mega saucer and jumper and loves to jump. He babbles and has said momma, dadda, and other various baby words/sounds. He went swimming for the first time and loved it. He loves the water and baths. I call him my "little boy blue" because of his small stature and beautiful blue eyes.

Darrell - Darrell's company changed office buildings and it's been great all around. It's closer to home, and there is an on-site gym he can use for free. The desks, cubicles and computer hardware is better and it's got a great view out the windows. Darrell continues to get up every morning and run. He's very healthy and happy and a great example to all of us. He still serves as 1st counselor in the bishopric and still finds time to enjoy his guitar, children, wife and home.

Heather - I'm trying to keep my patience and temper on an hourly basis. I am a complainer by nature and it's a challenge for me to just be content and happy. :) (Thanks for putting up with me Darrell and kids.) I have cut back on eating sugar and only had one small taste of my mom's birthday cake for the entire month of January. (Although this may be why I've been ornery. :) ) It's not really a new year's resolution but just a "holiday-detox." I plan to continue this and only have sweets on a very rare basis. (Special occasions happen too often in our family, I can't use that as an excuse.) I still serve as Primary President in our ward, am the treasurer of the Utah Breastfeeding Coalition, and am a member of the school community council and PTA.

Happiness is...Volume 2 Part 3

Happiness is...
* Ezril wiggling his whole body with excitment when we sing him the good morning song
* Darrell constantly wanting to get things done
* Darrell never complaining
* Oaklen's hiding place
* Eating a banana every day
* Ezril's smile when you don't expect it
* Oaklen praying by himself
* Salem reading to Oaklen & Ezril
* Oaklen "reading" the scriptures by himself - "And Jacob came into the house and killed them."
* Salem being in a great program at his school
* The front porch being done before winter
* Ezril getting excited whenever we pick Salem up for school
* Family Home Evening when everyone is happy and participating
* Ezril loving bath time
* Salem putting a note on the door for Santa, already!
* Christmas music in the middle of November (yes, I'm one of "those" people)
* Darrell, Salem & Oaklen having a fun time at the Home Depot Kids Club
* Salem not the least bit scared to do his part this year for the Primary Sacrament Presentation
* Watching our neighborhood squirrel scurry across the trees in the front yard
* Oaklen being self sufficient in the bathroom (except when he uses way too much toilet paper)
* Playing Candyland
* Having a warm coat
* Driving a nice van and being able to afford the gasoline
* Oaklen say "Mommy...ya know what?..." (In the middle of the night, in the morning, all the time.)
* The fact that my 6 year old boy still likes and wants to snuggle with me
* Dinners not made by me - they always taste twice as good when someone else makes them
* My boys learning how to "play rough" (Oaklen is finally old and big enough to take on his brother.)
* My boys remembering to pray for certain people who need extra blessings that day
* Being able to multi-task while wearing the baby sling
* Darrell and Ezril's striking blue eyes

* The boys having more fun giving out treats on Halloween than actually going trick-or-treating

Here is a glimpse of our beautiful porch. I'll post more pictures of the porch later.

* Salem's stories he writes for homework and the pictures that go with them.

I love the "wow" face that I have in this drawing. I'm so impressed with him sweeping the floor.

* Oaklen's motor going when he enjoys what he's eating (which is almost always.) (See video below)

This is Oaklen a while ago, but he still makes his motor sound whenever he is enjoying what he's eating.

Happy Birthday Darrell - 31 Flavors

My dearest Darrell, Happy Birthday!

Dedicated - Today is his birthday but what does he choose to do? Work on redoing our front porch!
Able - He can do anything! It's amazing to watch him take on any task and succeed at it.
Religious - One of the reasons I married him is because he is a great man of valor.
Reasonable - He's down to earth and very easy to get along with.
Elastic - He'll bounce back from anything, nothing will get him down.
Loving - He's a great father and husband, very loving.
Lucky - He's going to hate that I used that word since he thinks "there is no luck." He always has been very blessed and I'm lucky to have him!

I love you Darrell Wallace, you're 31 delicious flavors!

Friday Frugal Tip - Be frugal for rainy days

Be frugal for rainy days...is your umbrella ready? - This frugal tip is one that really hit home for me and my family this month. Two days after Ezril was born, Darrell received a phone call from his employer (since he was on vacation leave) telling him that he was laid off due to company downsizing. This put a damper on our "new baby" vacation as we began our job search and wondered what was in store for us.

I was very glad that we were already frugal people so that we didn't have to change any extravagant lifestyles to accommodate our diminishing pocket book. At this stressful "rainy" time, I felt somewhat at ease since we had "our umbrella" with savings and food storage. (I also didn't have to figure out how to use my food storage since I already use and rotate it often.)

Well, I'm happy to report that we were blessed with a new job exactly 3 weeks later! We are very grateful that it was a short time being unemployed. It was a wake-up call for us to be even more frugal with our spending and savvy with our saving.

March was an interesting month for us.

02/02/09...Are we already starting the 7-year itch?

What were you doing 7 years ago today? If you knew me and Darrell at that time I hope you were attending our wedding festivities! It was (of course) a great day. People tell me that it was such a cold day but I don't even remember the coldness, my heart was warm and my head was in the clouds.

Happy Anniversary Darrell! I love you more than words can say.

7 1/2 years ago I made a website for the wedding. The website has long since been removed but I still have some of the content. Here is a clip of what I wrote:

Our Story

Heather's Version
I met him when I was in High School. He's two years older than me in school. I was a junior and he had already graduated. We had a mutual friend named Christian. Christian kept telling me about this "rad guitar player" named Darrell. So I had heard a lot about him. We finally met on February 22, 1997 at a small party that my friend Marie was having. Christian brought him along, he introduced him to all of my friends. We said "so this is the Darrell we've heard so much about!" Later we were all thinking "Christian didn't tell us he was cute!"

We got to be good friends. We would hang out all the time. We never dated or did anything of that sort since he was preparing for a mission, and I was having fun in High School. He left for his mission to Catania Italy on November 5, 1997. I went to go see him off at the MTC, and that was the first time he hugged me.

The next two years I wrote to him, the first year every once in a while, then for the second year, about every week. I wasn't "the girl he left behind" but if he had one, then I would be it. I still stayed in contact with his family, I'd hang out with some of his siblings, and friends.

He served his two years came home on November 18, 1999. I saw him the day after he came home, and the minute he saw me he ran up and hugged me. I only stayed at his house for 1/2 an hour, since I already had plans for the evening. The next day was the U of U vs. BYU football game. I went down to Provo with the Crimson Line, to watch, and perform at the game. The game was so awesome, that I lost my voice. I was cheering so loud for the U of U, and WE WON!!! The whole bus ride home, my friends were asking me how it went with my "missionary." I talked my voice to death, and the next day I had no voice. The next day happened to be Sunday, his Homecoming. I just smiled most of the day, since I couldn't talk. Everyone was at his house to welcome him home, but he told me later, the only person he wanted to be with was me.

Four days from he being home, the day after his Homecoming, he told me he loved me. I didn't know what to say, I guess I was scared. I was so confused about him and everything else. I had never told any boy that I loved him, so I wasn't going say that phrase lightly. He wanted to date right away, but I told him that he was still "weird" from being on his mission, so after he got settled into his own life, we could talk about ours.

We stayed friends for November and December. I was confused, and he thought I had rejected him. Finally on January 5, 2000, I invited him to go to lunch with me. We went to my house afterwards and had our "DTR" (Define the Relationship.) I was ready to date him now, to pursue a relationship. Our courtship was bliss. My mom told us that we should write a book about "How to Be Romantic." Darrell and I were always giving each other little notes and compliments.

On July 24, 2000, we had our first big talk about marriage. We both knew we wanted to marry each other, but just didn't know when. On October 17, 2000, we decided on February 2, 2002. We prayed about it, and knew it was the right date.

He gave me the ring and proposed officially on December 2, 2000, to find out how he proposed, go to The proposal [Pasted below]. We were engaged for 14 months. Everyone thought we were crazy for waiting so long, but we knew we could do it! Before we were engaged everyone kept asking us when we were going to get married, so instead of dating for two years, and making everyone wonder, we dated for a while, and were engaged for over a year so we could tell people our date!

Darrell is such a wonderful man. He is the most spiritual and romantic person I know. I'm so in love!

The proposal

It was Saturday December 2, 2000. Darrell and Heather had just gotten home to Heather's house from a Grizzlies game. Heather went downstairs to change the laundry while Darrell was still upstairs. She came up into the living room wrapped in a table cloth that she had just taken out of the dryer since she was cold.

Darrell had piece of paper in his hand. He wanted Heather to sit with him on the couch so he could read her a poem. Heather not thinking anything was going on since Darrell always does cute stuff like that.

Darrell told Heather to put her hand on his heart. She did so and it was pounding like crazy. He read Heather the wonderful poem and then got down on the floor and reached under the couch and pulled out a box. Darrell knelt down and opened up the box, inside was the ring and he said "Heather will you marry me?" Heather of course said "YES!"

Happy Haircut?

Among my many talents, I also cut hair! (Please sense the sarcasm in that sentence.) When Darrell and I were engaged, he told me that he always dreamed/thought of his wife cutting his hair. I just laughed thinking that I'd never do that.

Well, he gave me enough courage (and the realization that we'd be saving money) that I started cutting his hair. Years ago I went to the salon and watched the lady cut his hair and then the next time around, I tried it. I've gotten better over the years and it looks pretty good, but I'm sure a good hair stylist would be able to spot the "home job" from a mile away. :)

I use scissors, clippers and have even tried using a flowbee that my former neighbor gave me.

This has now lead me into cutting my boys' hair. We usually use clippers with longer attachments for them so it's actually pretty easy...if they held still. When Salem was a toddler I put him on my lap and let him play a sesame street game on the computer while I cut his little hair. I stopped that after two times since I didn't want the hair mess on the computer. Now we do it in the kitchen or outside if it's warm weather.

Oaklen absolutely hates hair cuts, regardless if I use the clippers or the scissors. He screams bloody murder. A few months ago we cut it really short so we wouldn't have to cut it again for a while.

Oaklen's first haircut May 2007

Last night I cut Salem and Oaklen's hair. I had been meaning to do it for a week or two but I realized that I HAD to cut Salem's hair last night when I found a huge bald spot on the crown of his head! He has a habit of twirling his hair and he twirls it so much that his hair falls out. That's the reason we've kept it relatively short, but I always try to let it grow a little more each time to see if he'll stop the habit.

Salem's first haircut September 2004

While I was cutting Salem's hair last night, I discovered not only one bald spot but four! I felt so bad for him but it's his own fault. I'm sure others look at his hair with the bald spots and think "Geez, that kid got a really bad hair cut!" So, the next time you see Salem, remember that it's not a bad hair cut, I cut it as evenly as possible.

Happy 30th Darrell!

Darrell's birthday is Friday, he'll be 30 on 08-08-08! We will be away from a computer all Friday so I'm posting this early. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Here are 30 things I love about Darrell... (in no particular order.)
1. His Saturday night kisses (smooth and freshly shaved for Sunday morning.)
2. He can fix anything, if he doesn't know how, he just tries and does it anyway!
3. His testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he's so valiant!
4. He serves everyone.
5. He doesn't complain.
6. He licks his lips while smiling when he talks about something funny someone said.
7. He plays the guitar and makes up cool songs.
8. His THICK hair.
9. His gorgeous blue eyes, I could stare into them all day.
10. He always "anxiously engaged" in a good cause, you sometimes can't keep him still.
11. He never replaces the toilet paper roll. I found that out quickly after we were married, he'll just get out a new roll and leave it on the counter. It would have started to bug me but I decided to just appreciate it and now I think it's cute every time I see and empty toilet paper roll. :) (I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, I think he's replaced it twice since we've been married.)
12. He takes off his shoes and/or socks each night and walks around rubbing his feet into the carpet to scratch them. One time we were visiting his parents and we realized that his father does the same thing too!
13. I think it's adorable when he conducts a meeting for church. I just beam with delight because he's so cute!
14. He has very shapely legs and slender ankles.
15. He's not too hairy but just hairy enough :).
16. He has a very high self esteem and encourages me to have one as well.
17. He prefers to drive when we're together. (I hate driving.)
18. He is such a fun Dad, the boys jump for joy when he gets home from work and they pray "please bless that we'll have a fun time with Daddy" whenever he gets to be home for a while with them.
19. He's extremely determined and dedicated. When his mind is made up, it's impossible to change.
20. He's frugal just like me. I don't have to worry that he'll go spend more than about $4 without talking to me about it.
21. He's a "go-getter" and always is getting things done.
22. He's also a "go-to man." Often times people ask him for help since he knows what to do.
23. I love watching movies with him. He finds humor in parts that I never would have, and he even puts up with my annoying questions like "What happened? What did he say?" When he hasn't seen the movie either. (Yeah, I'm one of "those" people.)
24. He is an amazing cook, chef, baker. He can turn anything into delicious food. His neighbors when he was growing up (the Campbell's) said that their kids would complain that there would be nothing in the house but condiments, then Darrell would come along and make some concoction and it would actually look good! :)
25. He knows his scriptures even with his eyes closed. There have been many times that we'll be reading the scriptures together as a couple and while I'm reading he's listening and corrects me on a scripture when he's not even looking at the page! Then when he reads, he'll sometimes deviate from the passage and make something up to ensure I'm still listening!
26. He's such an easy-going guy. He makes mountains into mole hills and doesn't worry about anything. He just trusts the Lord to help him through; wow, what faith!
27. He uses at least 6 pillows to sleep with every night. Two in front, one body pillow in the back, one under his head, one on top of his head, and one for his arm. He has grown accustomed to it and "can't sleep" without that pillow configuration. He's so funny, yet cute.
28. He stays physically fit by riding his bike or running.
29. He can't wait for my birthday or Christmas, he always gives me my present early and it's usually unwrapped since he figures I'll find out or something. Though, last year for Christmas he wrapped them and put them under the tree and "kept my ground" to open them on Christmas even though he coaxed me to open them every day for weeks before Christmas.
30. Last but not least, I love that he loves me so much! Thank you for bringing so much happiness into my life, I love you Darrell Wallace!

A grateful heart

On Monday Darrell was riding his bike to work and got in a bike/car accident. He's okay and ended up only hurting his shoulder, he has a torn ligament. It has put a cramp in our week but I'm very grateful that our troubles weren't as big as they could have been.

I really feel that Darrell was protected and that this was just enough of a wake up call for him to be more careful while riding his bike. (If or when he does again.)

It also has solved one of our problems. Since we're pregnant and we'll need to get a bigger vehicle within the next year, we haven't figured out what to do with our current car situation. Which car do we sell? We love them both. Since this accident, our decision is to sell Darrell's Honda since it's a stick shift. He has had to take my car to work this week since he can't use his right shoulder/arm to shift the manual transmission. If we are only going to have one car, I would want it to be convenient with an automatic transmission.

Darrell, I love you and am grateful for every breath you take!

Fortunate Dinner

Last month, Darrell's employer announced that they will reward people with gift cards every month if the employee rides his bike or carpools at least 3 days a week.

Darrell is a dedicated person, he rode his bike to and from work (9 miles each way) every day last month except one! Unbelievable!

So, last night Darrell treated our small family to Pei Wei restaurant using the gift card that he earned. We had great food and then of course, the fortune cookies.
Here were our fortunes:
Heather: "Wealth awaits you very soon."
Darrell: "You are a considerate and a thoughtful person."
Salem: "You have a deep interest in all that is artistic."
Oaklen: "Your mentality is practical and alert."

Sleeping under the stars

A few days ago Salem and Darrell slept outside under the stars. They were able to do this a couple times last year and this weekend was the first time sleeping outside for this year.

They slept on the patio comfortably with air mattresses and lots of blankets & pillows. It's always a fun experience for them to have "Dad & me time." Darrell enjoys listening to Salem tell his fun stories and them looking at the stars and talking about space.

I missed my two boys sleeping inside that night. Although, I can't wait until Oaklen is old enough to sleep outside with them too, then maybe mom will get to have "me time."

Alt Tab and Keyboard Shortcuts

Do you remember who taught you Alt-tab? If you know what I'm talking about then you'll agree that it's the best keyboard shortcut to start with, and you'll fondly remember who taught you it.

My brother taught me Alt-tab. It was the greatest thing, and now I don't know how anyone doesn't get by without it. Thanks Cabot!

(By the way, Alt-tab is for PC users; Mac users can use Command-tab.)

I've come to learn a lot of different keyboard shortcuts, and it really does save time when you're doing tasks.

I could call Darrell and myself "mouse potatoes." We don't sit in front of the TV, we sit in front of the computer! :) There are often times when the kids are finally asleep and Darrell and I have good quality time together to sit at the computer and teach each other cool tricks on the computer. We'll show each other keyboard shortcuts, macros, and excel tricks. It's actually pretty fun! :)

I challenge you, if you want to get faster at doing things on the computer, get off your mouse and start using the keyboard! Google keyboard shortcuts or just learn them using your "help" tool in most programs (help is usually F1.) Learn one shortcut a week and by no time, you'll know a lot of really useful keyboard shortcuts!

Non-stereotypical

Joke:
Q: "What's a husband's idea of doing housework?"
A: "Sitting on the couch and picking up his feet so the wife can vacuum under him."

I have heard this joke before and thought about it last night as this actually happened. Darrell was sitting on the couch reading a magazine, and he picked up his feet so I could vacuum.

Someone passing by the window probably would have thought "Geez, what a lazy guy!" But on the contrary, Darrell is NOT a lazy guy. He always gets up early and works hard all day long. It's a rare occasion when he gets to "take it easy." Prior to sitting on the couch, he was up on the roof doing repair, then he put in a little fence between our yard & the neighbor's yard, and later helped put the kids to bed.

I'm thankful for such a wonderful "go-get-'er" husband. If anyone knows him you'll know that he doesn't quite "fit the mold" of the typical man. He's "just Darrell" if you know what I mean. That's why I love him.

Unwinding song

Darrell got out the guitar last night and played Nutshell from Alice In Chains. He introduced me to that song years ago, and I love it! I like to listen to it when I need to "unwind."

I often listened to it on my way home from work when I was pregnant with Salem. Salem really likes this song too, I wonder if it's because he heard it in the womb.

Here is the song, this is a live version but it's still good:

Happiness is... Part VI

Happiness is...
* Living in a walkable community.
* Darrell getting up on Saturday morning anxious to do yard work or home repair.
* The pitter pat of little feet upstairs (when Oaklen gets up from his nap.)
* The boys imitating the noise from the coffee grinder every morning.
* When everyone likes the meal that I make for dinner.
* Discovering that I can check out past issues of my favorite magazine from the library.
* Oaklen saying "a-waw-boo" (I love you.)
* Exercising to my own music with my own moves (I probably look hilarious, but it's fun!)
* Salem & Oaklen playing hide & seek.
* Darrell making a magnificent meal out of nothing.
* Getting on the bathroom scale and it reading "88 lbs" (but then Oaklen getting on and saying he weighed 1 lb; later it was fixed.)
* Darrell making waffles.
* Oaklen speaking in two-word sentences, or using adjectives ("shoe off, white cheese, daddy sleep, wash again.")
* Salem's drawings.

Don't fence me in

We put a fence in our yard this weekend. The purpose was to separate the front yard from the back yard and so the kiddies don't run into the street. The boys thought it was fun until Darrell put up the chain link part and found out what was really going on! :)

Darrell did a great job. After he put in the fence I planted some flowering vines so we'll have a gorgeous "green" fence with pink flowers! Yeah!