Lamest Post Ever (but with pics!)

Yesterday I:

Went to playgroup at Chick-fil-A. It was a madhouse, but I can never turn down Chick-fil-A (curse their peanut oily goodness!) Here’s Stevie being squeezed by one of his little friends.

Here’s what I look like if you ask if you can steal one of my chicken nuggets.
And here's me flashing some wicked mad gang signs. (I'm so hard core).
Here’s my lovely friend who was gracious enough to let me take this beautiful picture. (that's right, Cowley! I immortalized it!)
Afterwards we drove my Dad down to Galveston. He had dental surgery today and was enormously just a tiny bit loopy. We drove past the remnants of this house on his street.
There's a certain fascination with having your picture taken amongst destruction.
Then it was off to Sam’s Club for some much needed items and some not so much needed items, followed up by one of their disgustingly delicious and life-shortening slices of pizza (Grundberg tradition. Don't you judge me!)
Then tonight Steven and I went to go see “Gran Torino.” (Seriously, could Clint's pants be any higher?)
It was a redemption story (which I'm a sucker for) and was pretty dang good. But I thought the “troubled teen” and the “brave priest” characters were pretty sorry actors. Also, there were a few cheesey parts (especially clint Eastwood’s ‘Grumpy Ole Man’ face. Come on, clint!) But it was awesome and I would see it again.

Grumpy

That's right, I'm grumpy. So sue me. For whatever reason I'm extremely irritable today to the umpteenth degree.

I'm so sick of missing my Arlington friends so much. I live so far away from them all and it just really sucks not being able to sit around and talk to hilarious people. I am MISSING that. I miss having a "group" that I to hang out with. And I miss the almost monthly parties.

And it's irritating that I work out like a mad woman EVERY SINGLE DAY and don't lose a single pound. It's not fair. I am WORKIN' IT in there, people! Why can't I just be anorexic? Or smoke? Or be a guy? (My husband just causually thinks about losing weight and drops 10 lbs. I brush my teeth and I gain 5).

And the kids are extra rowdy today. It's weird because half of me CRACKS UP at their insane antics, but the other half wants to lock them away in a closet until they're ready for grade school.

Stir all these together with a really crappy mood and you've got..well, me today.

Belated Resolutions

Now when I "resolutions," I say it with a grain of salt. I realize that these goals I'm setting for myself are THE IDEAL, and even if I can't master them all at once, if I can even get HALF of them right, I'll be much better for trying. Now, without further ado (or excuses)

EXERCISE SCHEDULE—Mix it up a bit, instead of just doing elliptical every day.
Mon- Pilates/Cardio
Tues- Cardio/Weights
Wed- Cardio
Thur- Cardio/Weights
Friday- Yoga/Cardio

NUTRITION
5 veggie servings a day
3 fruit servings a day
3 servings whole grain a day
Eat oatmeal once a day (those Quaker Oats commercials about low cholesterol sold me)
(I’m not limiting caloric intake or anything. I just hope that if I can get the good stuff I DO need to feel better FIRST, then I’ll be less interested in stuffing my mouth for junk afterwards).

SPIRITUAL
Make time for evening AND morning personal prayers
Regular personal scripture study
Regular FHE

SOCIAL/KIDS
Library time every Wednesday
Host weekly informal playgroups @ playground or house.

MISCELLANEOUS
Get started on Project 365

Seriously.

My newfound obsession with the Facebook computer games is quite frankly getting a bit frightening. I mean for crying out loud, I used to be a prolific writer AND reader, I used to scrapbook constantly and always had my camera ready, my house was cleaner, my meals were better thought-out and I KNOW I was getting to bed earlier.

What the heck is happening to me? How am I letting myself escape and become obsessed with these idiot VIDEO GAMES? Me, who's always despised video games as a horrible waste of time. I can feel myself getting stupider with every click of the mouse.

What is this new escapist attitude I've adapted? I sleep later, care less about my health and spirituality, and these DUMB COMPUTER GAMES are seemingly my only past time. Do I really want to become like my parents? Playing on the computer in their respective rooms, periodically yelling something out to each other? (I say that with the utmost respect. Anyone who knew my parents knows they were deeply in love...just a tad comfortable...and hadn't they earned it after 36 years of marriage? I've only been married 6!!!).

I wonder why I'm having such a hard time lighting a fire under myself lately. I just. don't. have. the. drive.

This whole post just exhausted me. I think I'll go play Word Challenge.

Ten Reasons Why Steven Is Awesome

1) He’s always the one to quiet the kids when they wake up at night
2) He practically forced me to lie down and sleep when I was sick, and took care of the kids the entire weekend.
3) He’ll go out and get ice cream for me in the middle of the night, even when I’m not pregnant.
4) He never cuts his hair and somehow manages to make it look awesome anyway.
5) His pet on Facebook “Pet Society” is named “Sum of All Evil.”
6) The kids practically scream with elation when he gets home every night, and even though he’s tired, he’ll always play Wii with Stevie.
7) He never grudges me a “Girls’ Night Out.”
8) He does the dishes without being asked.
9) He’ll watch “Forensic Files” with me and pretend it’s just what he wanted to watch.
10) He makes me feel small and safe.

What to Write?

Hmmmm....

Well, I'm finally over my exhausting, nauseating (non-pregnancy related, unfortunately) sickness and am forced to realize that yes, I must get up today and be productive. No more lying in bed half-conscious watching CourtTV. But while my house did get slightly straightened today and I actually made nutritious meals for the family, the Christmas lights are still (for shame!!!) up around the house.

Big D. has been quite the pain in the posterior lately. He seems to take unearthly delight in doing the exact opposite of whatever he's been instructed to do. He also seems to think pulling cute faces will get him out of any reprecussions once the counting starts....(dang him, it IS pretty effective.) On top of this very charming habit, he's recently started waking up and coming into our room 3-4 times a night, ready to be entertained. (He knows he'll get in trouble, but he really doesn't have anything ELSE to do, so he risks it).

Dare I try pilates class tomorrow? That would necessitate getting everyone out of the house by 9am, which would be a nice (if amazing and almost insurmountable) change. We'll see.

My New Favorite Inspirational Thought

(compliments of my truly inspirational sis-in-law Aimee)

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.
If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.
If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.

So, think twice before giving her any crap.....

Slow Going

Yesterday and Wednesday I had a low-grade fever and felt a bit sick to my stomach all day. Today my temp is back to normal but I still feel a bit sick and I feel like I could sleep nonstop for the rest of my life. David's been acting a bit squirrley, and though he's had no tempature, I wonder if he's got the same bug.

Needless to say, absolutely nothing of note has happened in the past few days because of this fact. My boys are going CRAZY with boredom and might be plotting to overthrow the household. I'm sure they envision a more exciting home where the Wii is played at least 23 of the 24 hours of the day. (I still can't figure out how to work the dang thing, so they always have to wait till daddy comes home).

I also went in to the Dentist on Monday and found out I have cavities. I'm going in today to get my fillings. Blech.

Family Pics!

My sweet friend Carina (who is a marvelous photographer, check out her stuff at Kat's Photography ) offered to take our family pictures to replace all the photos we lost in the fire. She did an amazing job! Here are some looksies:

Some Things I've Done So Far in My Life:

I stole this cute list from some friends. To participate just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done (and delete all my italicized comments). And feel free to add things to the list!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (does Disney World count?)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (just a bus)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen an eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (actually, it was drawn..still good)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (only went a couple times)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (for years and years...)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (I passed out both times)
65. Gone skydiving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (and lost it)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (twice in the same arm)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (alerted my parents that Joey was bleeding to death...that was one scary night...)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Milked a cow
101. Never had a cavity (I wish)
102. Had a dream come true (Steve was my first dream come true)
103. Had surgery in the hospital
104. Drove a stick shift car
105. Shoed and rode a horse
106. Capsized a sail-boat
107. Recorded a CD
108. Burped the Alphabet (so sue me. I have all brothers)
109. Sang in an opera

Once Again---Grundbergs Rule.

I just love visiting Steven's family. They are so loud and boisterous and entertaining. Sunday night we all gathered at Peter and Aimee's house for dinner and dessert. I'm always sad that we don't get to spend more time with Pete and Aimee and their awesome kids, but last night was wonderful. Pete is just hilarious and Aimee is one of those amazing gals who can do everything under the sun and is totally modest about it all (she's a blackbelt in Taw Kwan Do, for crying out loud). Anyway, dinner was delicious and the company was, as always, tons of fun.

Here's a pic of the Grundberg Men (but realize that 3 brothers and 3 nephews are absent. And it seems like everyone one of them is ten feet tall).
These are my lovely sister-in-laws Aimee, Jessica & Jenny, each one of whom I completely adore. (Why do I look like I'm ready to sprint away?...really I was just focusing on sucking in.*sigh).
Here are the crazy grandkids. It was almost impossible to get this picture with all the hyperactivity in the air. And David kept escaping every 30 seconds.
This is a slightly more accurate portrayal of the boys' hijinks last night. Do you have any idea how loud it gets with 5 hollering boys running around? It was AWESOME!

A Visit From the Atwoods

On Friday, my college awesome college roommate Solveig and her husband Brady drove up from Indiana for a visit. It was so fun catching up and spending time with her--we haven't seen each other for 6 years! We ate dinner at yet ANOTHER Italian restuarant (Trattoria Pomigliano--the Gnocchi there is mouth-watering). We came back to the house, laughed about some Asian mistranslations (you had to be there), enjoyed yet some more "Flight of the Conchords" and also experienced Tay Zonday's strange phenomenon "Chocolate Rain"--(you've got to see this...I almost peed my pants when the guy started singing).

On Saturday we headed up to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I was so amazed at the awesomeness therein. It was completely interactive, and the kids LOVED it. It's such an enormous museum, and we only had time (and energy) to see a few exhibits. If we ever moved back to Chicago, we'd definitely have to get a pass to the museum. It would take days to experience it all.
We finished the day at Giordano's for some authentic Chicago-style pizza, which was delicious but incredibly filling (I swear, I must have gained 80 lbs on this trip at LEAST). The kids were so tired they barely ate anything.
Solveig has always been such an amazing girl, and was such a role model to me when I was clueless and still finding my way up at BYU. She was always so down-to-earth, and so much fun, and always so patient when I was being an idiot (which was pretty frequent). She's just one of those girls that's got it together.
And on top of it all, is she gorgeous or what?

New Year's Eve

Last night we headed over to Phil and Jessica's house to have a little New Year's Eve gathering. We had food, watched movies, played games, and talked about outrageously inappropriate things until the wee hours of the morning.

Here my wild-haired husband and son are eating a New Year's Eve tradition: Pepperoni Pinwheels. (I can't for the life of me get that man to get a hair-cut. What's the dealy-o, yo?)
I also made some delicious French Onion Soup, and my brother-in-law Phil thought it would be a good idea to bypass the traditional broiler method to brown the cheese and instead used a propane torch. It worked disturbingly well.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! (That's just grape sparkling cider, mind you, no matter how schnookered we appear).
Me and my sweetie right after our New Year's kiss.
You can imagine what it must hve been like growing up in this family.
Phil and Steve have always been incredibly close. It's scary that there's two of them.
One last shot of with the holiday crazies.
We put the kids to bed in a back bedroom after midnight, and stayed up playing Apples to Apples and watching episodes of "The Flight of the Conchords" until 4 in the morning. Sooooo tired today. But so worth it.