I'm in Denial

I'm feeling the blues today. I have been dreading this week for awhile now...I have to return to SanDiego on Saturday morning. I will cry for a couple days probably then suck it up and get on with life. I have been at my parents for 6 weeks and it has been just what I needed. I got a lot of help from my mom and a lot of encouragement from my dad and sister-in-law Carlene. I know most of you think...really how can you not like where you live? Sunshine..beach...well I know its just H-A-R-D. I'm a single parent most of the week and by the end of the day I am deflated and ready for a change. Hopefully the weeks will go by fast and a bit smoother with cooler weather {In my prayers daily}

So Long El Dorado Hills...for now! I've found us the perfect house to move into in 2 years haha I will be back sooner then later. I Love being home, I'm a home body and its tough for me to leave...like a drag my feet literally to the car {Larry as my witness} This time I will try to be a big girl and not ball my eyes out on the plane ride..It's been a great 6 weeks. At one point I forgot I lived there...literally.

I can do this! That's what my mom keeps saying. I didn't know how hard it would be to be a law school wife and to not work or go to school its a HUGE change for me and I'm trying to figure out my place in life again post student.

Happy Eve of New Years Eve.

Christmas and Such

So I know its the 28th and most people are christmas'ed out, but our tree is still up so its still holiday spirity around here. We had alot of fun hanging out with Foell cousins and Martin Cousins. Lots of food, talking to John, talking in general, movie watching and sleeping. We went to Old Sacramento to a light show one night, has a long section at the temple, had Christmas eve dinner then went to UC Davis Med center to wrap presents for sick children, played cards, opened presents it was great fun. I still never got a great family picture of the three of us, but oh such is life we will try again next year, maybe I will be skinnier and not have as many chins :) Hope everyone had a great weekend.

P.S. Max has two teeth!

6 Months

You know what is sad?

I have a 6 month old!

My baby is starting to look not so babyish.

To Celebrate giving birth 6 months ago Happy 1/2 birthday Max!

Love

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these paintings. I want them so much and can't wait to get them when we have the opportunity. They are painted by Liz Lemon Swindle and she has a lot of different portraits of Christ as well. I can't wait to have these on my wall one day. Which one do you like the most? I can't decide. Right now her paining is featured on lds.org. Go check it out!

TV

Is anyone else love/hating this season of Bones?? I mean COME ON. I hate that Booth is dating Hannah...seriously she is annoying. Its all driving me nuts. Also every episode seems to make Bones seem more and more odd and anti-social, more then normal anyway. Driving me nuts.

Also how hot is Booth..I mean I want to make out with him{don't worry Larry is well aware} I am sure he is into moms that are already married...I mean come on I'm a catch.

The Men In My Life

The bank account is getting low...that means the semester is almost over!

Good Luck Larry on your Finals!!

Only 5 more times and you're done with Law School

I Love you.

and I love this baby too.

Relaxing in the 95762

So I have been hiding up at my parents house for the last 3 weeks almost while Larry has been studying 16 plus hour days at the law school. Max and I have been hanging out, sewing, cleaning, cooking, shopping [I wish] and enjoying the space of being in a house. It is so nice to spread out after being confined to my 735 sq foot apartment chained to a nap schedule I go nuts. To be honest I am a bit depressed knowing I have to go back to the mundane day to day of our life in SD. Driving Larry back and forth to school and praying we won't get a heat wave again.

Lets not talk about that anymore. It is depressing.

Anyway we are enjoying our time. Grandma Harris came to visit for AJ Martins blessing and we did lots of fun things and long hours of shopping and talking. We also have been listening to lots of Harry Potter and Max has been eating lots of solids these days and "talking" up a storm.

We are excited for cousins to come visit and for Larry to be done with all his finals. He takes his first one tomorrow morning, we are praying hard for him, and know he will do great!

There is not to much to blog about other then that...very boring these days :) Hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the holidays. Here is some cute pictures of max.

Calling all moms and or ANYONE!

HELP...

My sweet innocent baby had been sleeping not a peep/soundly 10-12 hour nights and now is deciding to wake up 4 times a night for NO apparent reason. He has had plenty of food and has not over slept during his naps. Ahh mom AnnMarie is fading, especially recovering from the flu its been no fun. I can just see me being pregnant next time around sick, and letting Max destroy the house while Im so sick to care...Oh fun. Any suggestions out there for a whacked out sleep scheduled?? I am hoping it is just a phase and he will be back to his deep sleeps of 12 hours...I need that time to reload :)

Holiday Recap

Max was a terror and took a 4 hour nap in the afternoon.{Hallelujah} Went for a walk. Some cousins came from abroad but really it was very small gathering because other cousins were in Utah. It was fun we ate, talked, and did some quilting in the evening. Overall it was great.

My grandpa Draper would say "My cup runneth over" I love him. That is how I feel right now, very thankful for the things I have.

Hope your day was great! I have no pictures to document the event, oh well.

The next day my mom, me and max hit Johann's Fabric store. It was fun, got some great fabric and were out in the madness of black Friday.

We sent Larry off back to San Diego on Sunday to study his guts out for 2 weeks, take his finals, then come back up to El Dorado Hills for a couple of hopefully relaxing weeks before the next semester begins. He is working his hot butt off and I know he will be great. Can't wait to see him.

Gratitude

It was 4 degrees in Ogden Utah this morning...

I am glad we are not there to witness that
I do miss the excitement of the first few snow storms though :)

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

I'm grateful for this little guy in my life.

Good wife/mom = Fail

I burnt Sunday dinner *!&#^#&....insert a bad word. It would not be that big of a deal other then the fact that I plan our meals/food to a T, because we are going out of town so I didn't want to have extra food or waste any while we're gone. {I'm poor and stress about every dollar we spend} haha {its true, ask my husband} It looks like we will be breaking the sabbath.

Also a funny note, because Im crazy and don't want to spend any extra money I was not going to buy more diapers until we got up to my parents house...I mean I buy in bulk and I dont want to cart a billion diapers up to the parents in suit cases..right? So I will just buy a new box up there...fail, I only have 2 diapers left and we aren't leaving till tomorrow night...AHHHH seriously this is my life right now...rationing diapers and burning perfectly good food...Oh and breaking the sabbath day.

Hope your weekend was great!

We went to the SDSU vs. Utah game at the massive stadium down here. It was poring rain, Max screamed bloody murder every time it got loud...and OH boy it did. There was alcohol everywhere..weird but Utah pulled out a victory leaving some very angry drunk Aztec fans.

Good thing these 2 are in my life

5 Months old today!!

2 posts in one day... Crazy! I had to celebrate not only Harry Potter but my first born:

Max J. Harris
16 pounds

25 inches

One chubby loving baby

Sleeps through the night 10-12 hours and still takes 2 long naps.

Loves to suck on fabric, plastic, hair,shoes, ties...

babbles and screams constantly

loves to smile

loves his dad

hates to not have constant attention

loves the car and his swing

loves bright lights

hates diaper changes

loves cuddling, baths, and being naked

kicking like crazy, rolls sometimes if you make him, scoots, and reaches for anything around and puts everything in his mouth!

Oh sweet Max can you believe we have made it 5 entire months??

My tribute to the woman {Day 6}

On this last day of my appreciation week I want to say thanks to J.K. Rolling. Im not like in love with her or anything {haha} but I do love her books. I think they are a classic. I know there is haters out there but that's okay because people can find a reason to hate anything.

I believe these are great kid/teen/adult books. I think the movies might be different though and believe that a 9 year old should not go see a PG-13 movie but hey that's the mom inside me screaming. I do think though the are entirely appropriate for a 9 year old to read...lets face it a lot goes over their head anyway and I think it really is a great read for teens and adults because there is just so much in these books

I think J.K. Rolling did an amazing job on these books, I could talk about person after person...I mean Tonks and Lupin get married {so crazy}. Victor Krum makes a re-entrance to the book at the Weasely wedding {Love it} Dumbledore's crazy past life, Fred/George...their magic shop...{You know Poo} There is just so much detail that I fall in love with every time I read.

I really could go on and on...I mean Hagrid has a giant half brother...come on! And the Malfoys dont get killed but other good people do {that bugs} oh and HOW funny is it that Harry and company run into Gilderoy Lockhart in the 5th book while at Saint Mungos Hospital over Christmas break {remember that} SO funny.

Anyway I don't want to keep rambling but I think it fitting that on the last day we give a shout out to the writer herself. She lucked out when Harry Potter walked into her brain and so did the rest of us!

I can't wait to read them to/with Max and the rest of my kids when the arrive, I hope you all have had an entertaining week and enjoy seeing the movie...lets hope it doesn't disappoint!

{Thanks again}

The Two Sides Of Severus Snape {Day 5}

So me and Max are sitting on the couch contemplating this post...what to talk about...there is so much to say, so much I could talk about. I think I want to talk about Severus Snape.

So I feel bad for Snape I mean he is basically dragged through the dirt the entire 7 books and then is redeemed at the end only to have been killed. He is so misjudged and hated, and I personally felt bad that I hated him the entire time.

I think its great that J.K at least let her readers know why he was trusted so much by Dumbledore and she told the story perfectly, I though, through his memory.

I love how Snape was madly in love with Lilly Potter and that is why Dumbledore trusted him so much, not because he swore he was bewitched by Lord Voldermort but because he had loved her for so long, until he died.

I think that is one of the greatest secrets in the book that was revealed at the end. I think there was so many great story lines with each character that interweaves into each book. I love that everyone was hating on Snape and we all got told in the end he was truly good. Poor Harry for hating him so much, he must have felt stupid and bad. I guess though Snape deserved a lot he was grumpy and mean most of the time, as well as trying to always get Harry expelled.

So Snape...I am very sorry to have misjudged you...along with the billions of other readers.

{Snape is in the middle...How funny are these lego figures}

**Stay tuned for tomorrows last day of Harry Potter Appreciation week**

**Happy Birthday to my cousin Natalie also a HP Lover**

HP's Most hated character {Day 4}

And the winner is....Daloris Umbridge

Oh I hate this women. J.K did a good job writing this woman's personality. She is awful and as a reader you hate her left and right and could just spit on her. Whoever plays her in the movies embodies her perfectly I do believe...

distasteful awful women, In my opinion.

HP True Love {Day 3}

Today I would love to discuss the love connections of HP. I love Ron and Hermione. Seriously I think their whitey banter back and forth cracks me up and keeps me reading and rooting for them. In the first book Ron hates Hermione at first meeting. She is bossy and he doesn't want to be in her house...when re-reading I forgot how funny that is. They both snog and date others and make each other mad but in the end they all come around.

Now 7 years later they are in love and down the line they make babies {that's what Larry said}

I sometimes think Larry and me are like them. We fight, we tease, we make fun, we make up, we love each other.

Oh sweet puppy love.

7 Books {Day 2}

Which Harry Potter Book is your favorite?

This is a hard one for me I love them all for different reasons:

I love Prisoner of Azkaban because we meet Lupin and he is one of my favorite characters. I also love how she has strung scabbers the rat along for 3 books and then WHAM he is wormtail!!

I love The Goblet of Fire because of all the new characters and the pensive is my favoirte chapter when he goes into Dumbledore memories.

I love The Half Blood Prince for all the history and background of you-know-who and I LOVE the Deathly Hallows for the ending, the story line, and how everything ties together.

Those by far our my favorite reads...how about you?

Harry Potter Appreciation Week {Day 1}

I love Harry Potter...I mean really L-O-V-E. I was in 6th grade when the first book came out and have anticipated each new book from then on. When the 7th book came out I was engaged, I grew up with these books and am attached In a crazy fan fanatic way. Larry thinks its funny because no matter how many times I have read them or listened to them {the are on constantly at our house, while cleaning, sleeping, doing hw etc.} I never get sick of them...they are like old friends. I figured with the movie coming out this week we better celebrate!

Sadly though I will not be seeing the movie at midnight for the first time :( Im a mom know and little baby comes first. Also my brother John who is serving a mish in Japan will not being seeing the movie with me for the first time as well.

So to honor my friend Harry we are kicking off HP week here on my blog!!

Larry asked me which hallow I would choose. I want the wand aka the dealth stick and all the power. Larry wants the cloak to be sneak and such. How about you?

San Diego

We traveled up to the temple today its about 8 minutes from our house with no traffic its great. Sadly my camera died and I'm looking extremely fat in these so I didn't get any great pics but we will go up there again soon when I'm not so fat and my battery is fully charged haha.

My eternal compantion

Fact about Larry:
If the Jazz Game is on he cannot function...




Max is screaming bloody murder in the swing and Larry is sitting right through it not even noticing me lifting my computer up to take this picture on photo booth...

Gotta love him...right?!?!

teething

SUCKS...

{its by blog I can say it, over and over again}

my little sweet baby is a monster and I am frazzled. I feel so bad his mouth is all red and swollen and 3 days straight of fussing and crying most of the day and still not one little break through of the gums yet

the best was when he screamed through church and then we had to stay after for a bishop meeting and he cried through the entire meeting...

patients and love right??? that's going to get me through these next couple months..err I mean years...haha

poor baby Max any tips out there blogger mommies?

A day in the life of AnnMarie

Last night after a horrid afternoon it was 99 degrees and we had to get out of our house. Sometimes I go over to friends houses in the ward and other times I just walk around Target yesterday though Max was SO fussy with his teething and he felt so hot all day we picked up Larry and went to Cheese Cake Factory because we felt sorry for ourselves haha and it was so yummy.

After we went to see Secretariat it was really good and great to sit in a cool place for a couple of hours. We bummed around the mall for awhile then headed home...

disaster hit...

we blew a breaker because it was about 80 in the apartment so we put on fans and BOOM no power, panic hit me both our cells were dying and I lost it, Max lost it, but Larry kept his cool after about an hour we got power again and had a miserable night.

Sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve this...please tell me Heavenly Father but as Larry and my mom pointed out its just life and we are living in it....amen!

I know looking back I might laugh at these experiences but man oh man I am counting down the days till we get to go stay at my parents house 2 weeks left!!

Have a great weekend everyone

On this day...

November 3, 2010
95 Degrees without AC

How was your day?

Newest project

I have been trying to find new and different hobbies to fill my time between making food, doing laundry, cleaning, changing diapers, cleaning up spit up, feeding Max, feeding larry, and driving to and from the law school each day. I love Max but I love when its nap time as well...because sometimes I can do something fun. I made this quilt for him I am not the best seamstress but I am getting better with my mom's help. Here is the blanket its not perfect but it was a fun project.

Halloweenie time

Happy Halloween



from my little lion

NBA

Jazz Season has started!!

Max is a true Utah fan

My Amazing Grandpa Draper.

My Grandpa Draper is one of the most amazing kind hearted man I know. He is continually caring, positive, and speaks of his greatest love often. He raised 9 wonderful children and loved my grandma so tenderly. He really is an amazing man. We are lucky to have been able to spend a lot of time with him not only when we lived in Utah but when he visits in California. He painted some wonderful pictures for me for Max. This is one of them that I love and then he did another one for my dad. They are both hanging on my parents wall right now. I will treasure theses sweet paintings forever and he was kind enough to write something to his great-grandson on the back of the canvas. It is so great to have not only his original artwork and pottery in our house but also these as well. I love them and I love my amazing grandpa.

EL Dorado Hills

Babies babies everywhere!! I have been in EDH for 2 weeks because lets face it being a law school wife is the pits {but being a student is probably worse} Anyways Larry the best husband ever surprised me with a ticket and I got to come up here for 2 lovely weeks. We leave on Wednesday but I have been able to work on so many projects...aprons, baby blankets, car seat covers its been great!

My sister-in-law Carlene Martin had here 6th baby on October 5th and my other sister-in-law Christine came down from Oregon with her 9 month old and 2 toddlers {her other 4 big kids got left at home} So....with all our babies around its been so fun. We have gone shopping, and made a huge trip to the fabric store with 3 infants and 3 toddlers it was crazy 2 hours later we escaped with only minor melt downs.

Brooklyn 9 months, Max 4 months, and AJ 2 weeks

I also got to see one of my best friends Jill Taylor who has a darling little girl named Carmen who is about a month younger then Max. It was so fun seeing her and her family hanging out at their house talking like old times in high school. She is the best!
My parents have loved having Max around and let me sleep which is so nice. We have done alot of fun projects including going to homemaking and cleaning Carlene house and letting her sleep and holding her sweet newborn. I love being home it makes me want to work hard to be able to buy a house here and make it permanent eventually. Also its so nice and rainy and cool which makes it feel so much like fall and the holidays are coming!

whew...Max is exhausted from all our partying {we do miss daddy though}

Have a great weekend!

Being A Mom is pretty Cool...

We are relaxing up at my parents while Larry studies. Fair? I think so.

4 Months

Max is 4 months today!

Really where does the time go? It makes me so sad at times to think how big he is getting.

He weights 14 pounds and is 25 inches long.

He has rolled over and loves to take baths and make shrieking noises and bubbles with his mouth and wants constant attention! Still startles very easily and was sleeping well but now not so much. He does take lots of naps though and really is a easy happy baby.

We are SO in love and are so grateful he is part of our family.
Happy 4 months my Max!

{Side Note: I stopped blogging about the 10 day challenge because it was to time consuming to write about it my journal then blog...plus no one cares...plus I have been in EDH for 2 weeks and super busy with projects and hanging with my sister-in-law Carlene all day}