I might be going crazy...

Tonight I had a suggestion from a friend to make french toast for dinner.

We had one egg in the fridge...one egg, just for me, to make my french toast.

I removed a bowl and placed it next to the sink. I cracked the egg, and let it slip so perfectly and gracefully down the disposal. I then proceeded to carefully set the cracked egg shell into my bowl. I picked up my fork to whisk up the egg.

It was then, and ONLY then, that I realized I was about to whisk an egg shell, as my perfect little egg sat so perfectly down the drain.

I love french toast.

Even more, I love a good hearty laugh.

1.11.11

What a day to have a birthday! Most of our family were able to get together to celebrate one of the greatest men on earth...my Dad! My mom made it so fun - chili and bread sticks, homemade brownies and frosting, and homemade cheesecake (Grandma Ferguson's recipe) with berries.

Brooke, Mat, Cory, Nina, Eric, Michael

Holly, Kenzie, Mom, Bryce (holding baby Eric)

Easton, Todd, Dad, Nyle

Lauryn, Savanna, Tyler

Because Dad's birthday fell on 1.11.11, I thought I would share 11 'I love you's' about my Dad:
1. He always came (and still does) to every performance. Dad's applause could always be heard first, and louder than anyone else's, simply because he felt so proud.
2. Staying up into the early hours of the morning to help with math homework was a regular routine, because quitting was not an option.
3. Teaching me how to appreciate the simple things in life, like a good piece of homemade bread and jam.
4. For being the world's greatest handyman. Somehow, Dad even knew how to fix every broken heart with only a few words and a warm embrace.
5. Turning little things into a science project for the mind. 'Look at the difference between the composition of this dirt, in comparison to that dirt...what makes it that way?' This is exactly how Dad thinks every minute of every day, I just know it. He is SO SMART!
6. Dad knows the answer to every question...NO MATTER WHAT. But Dad doesn't just answer the question, he answers it with the wisest of words.
7. For respecting and openly loving my Mom every minute of every day. Watching the way he treated her made me realize what every woman deserves in a companion, and it always encouraged me to be better, so that I might have the chance to marry the best (and I sure think he is :)..).
8. For listening to me when all I needed to do was talk. For holding me tight when all I could do was cry.
9. For making dinner time, family time. No phone calls were answered, and no work was done. It was all 8 of us, great conversation, and amazing food every night. (With a little bit of bickering from Brooke and me over who got to sit next to Dad... :))
10. Always caring so much without seeming protective, even though I know that's how he feels inside! But no kidding Dad, I can't thank you enough for caring. If you didn't care, I wouldn't be where I am today.
11. For saying "I love you" EVERY TIME we talk.
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Thank you Dad for allowing me to fall, for picking me back up, and for knowing me well enough to carry me when I couldn't carry myself.
I love you.

(more posts below)

2011...bring it on.

To celebrate the ending of 2010 and beginning of 2011 Shane and I were able to vacation in St. George with our friends Mike & Rachel, Nate & Amanda, and Darin & Jen. A nice cold front blanketed all of Utah making it much too frigid to carry out most of our outdoor plans, however, it didn't take away from the fun we were still able to have.

Attending the temple, a little bit of mountain biking, little bit of tennis, not being able to see each other while soaking in the hot tub (we created SO much steam because it was so cold outside!), Rachel's famous fried egg sandwiches, playing COUNTLESS games of "The Office" clue, pizza, movies, bingo, one 499 piece puzzle (if you can believe it, we had a BRAND NEW puzzle, and one piece was missing! bummer...), shopping, church, one amazing Sunday dinner, and laughing so hard our stomachs hurt while watching our men battle it out playing the dance game on xbox kinect. SO, SO FUNNY.

You can't tell from this picture, but because of the wet clay dirt and sandy snow our bikes were filthy!

I feel so grateful to have such great friends... friends who are supportive, uplifting, and downright FUN. When we are together, it feels like family.

Thank you for helping us kick this 2011 year with a bang!

Two days before Christmas, our furniture went from this:

To this!

Our new furniture is so comfortable and so beautiful, and the quality is phenomenal. Everything in this picture with exception of the brown ottoman is from a furniture store called Lofgren's www.lofgrens.com. Our console table and end table are both bamboo, our entertainment unit is walnut, and we were even able to choose our own fabric for the sofa, chair, and ottoman.

Now we just have to keep ourselves from buying more furniture from this place...we love it!

Christmas 2010

I need to start off this post with yet another trick Duke has figured out on his own. Duke gets quite cold, and often times we will find him here:

On the bathroom floor, snuggled inside a bath towel! I was determined to figure out how he had done this one, so one night I watched as he wiggled his long body up the inside of the folded towel that was hanging on the towel rack. He then pulled it down with him onto the floor, then proceeded to army crawl himself to the opposite opening in the towel so he can poke his head out.

Maybe it's just that we're biased, but I just think our cute little kitty has become so intelligent!

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During the month of December we invited one and all from our neighborhood to join us in seeing the lights and sights at Temple Square.

It was fun to mingle and enjoy the lights and hot chocolate and donuts out of the back of Shane's car with some of our neighbors. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many friends!

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Also in December I was able to get four tickets to Ballet West's "The Nutcracker" for the price of one! What an enjoyable afternoon with Mom, Brooke, and Savanna. We were all captivated by the performance, and it was so fun to reminisce about Brooke performing as a buffoon and a soldier with Ballet West.

Brooke, Savanna, Kenzie

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Christmas brought with it so much fun and surprises! Christmas eve is always celebrated with the Ferguson's, and my parents sure put on a spread of delectable food! My parents also devote a lot of time and effort into the Christmas gifts for all of the kids and grandkids...it is so exciting to see the look on every one's faces as they open their beautifully wrapped gifts.

This is what Shane and I were blessed with this year:

A box of water wrapped inside a soft blanket. Can you figure this one out? Let's just say we can hardly wait to not have faded clothes from the washer, spots on our dishes and faucets, and dry skin and hair...thank you a MILLION Mom and Dad!

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On Christmas Day Shane and I headed up to the family cabin with Mom and Dad Stratford to help clean it for the renters who would be arriving later on in the evening. Now this may not seem like a fun Christmas Day task to many, but we're talking about MOM STRATFORD and ME here. We LOVE to clean! So it ended up being a fun afternoon spending time with just the four of us. After cleaning we drove up to Shane's sister's beautiful home in Mountain Green to have Christmas dinner with the Stratfords. When it came time to open our gifts, Mom asked us to reflect about events from 2010 in our family. She pointed out that there were many heartaches, accompanied by many blessings, and that our focus should always be on the one person who allows us to grow and to learn... the person who gives us love willingly, no matter what the circumstance.

This beautiful picture of our Savior, Jesus Christ will always remind us to be grateful for the tough times, and to be content with the outcome... to look for those who suffer, and lend a helping hand... to remember all those in need, and offer a heartfelt prayer... to look all around us and recognize the beauty of ALL things. What a blessing it is to know that our Savior watches out for each of us, and that he wraps us up in his loving arms even when we don't realize we need his comfort.

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We received one of the greatest blessings on Christmas eve when my brother and his wife announced that they would be welcoming their first baby in August... I have felt overwhelmed with emotion as I imagine their sweet family. What a blessing for all of us... the entire Ferguson family can't wait to meet this little baby!

xoxo