My Valentine

I know this is a little late, but I thought the pictures were too cute not to post. Megan wasn't too sure of the balloons, but we still managed to have a good time. I don't know what's up with the face she's making in them though. She's silly!

We're Gonna Party Like it's Your Birthday!

It was my birthday this week. I always feel a little bad for Eric since it's less than a week after Valentine's Day and so he has two big weeks back to back. He did an awesome job this week for my birthday and it was great. He took Monday off (even though it is a holiday - he's been swamped at work, so this was a real treat!) and we drove up to Park City to the outlets and to lunch. Although I didn't find anything for myself, I found A LOT of cute things for Megan for this Summer. My dad was in town and so he took us to dinner that night and Eric wrestled with Megan so I could enjoy dinner.

On Wednesday (my actual birthday) I went with a friend and her two little boys to the Children's Museum in Salt Lake. Even though a lot of it was for kids older than Megan, we had a really good time and it was nice to do something different. We wanted to go last week, but had to cut our plans in Salt Lake short because of the crazy storm we had last Wednesday. We were lucky enough to get caught in the beginning of the blizzard. It was quite a drive home in my car with my friend's 4 year old in the back opening the car door on the freeway and saying, "Do it again, Jen!" when we'd go by a big semi and it would cover the windshield in snow, giving us NO visibility. It did make for comic relief in an otherwise tense situation. Needless to say, the ride home this Wednesday was a lot more uneventful. For my birthday dinner, Eric arranged a babysitter for Megan and made reservations for us for dinner at Sundance. It was delicious - some of the best salmon I have ever had. To top it all off, Eric got me the camera I've been having my eye on, a Nikon D40x. It's an SLR camera with 10.2 mega pixels and 2 lenses. It wasn't in stock, so he had to order it and I'm anxiously awaiting it's arrival, as it's out for delivery right now! I did get a picture of it in my birthday card though. I felt even more loved when we returned from dinner and found that friends in the neighborhood had dropped off some things for me. I really feel blessed to have so many great friends and neighbors. It's a humbling feeling to know you are loved by so many!

The black hole that is Target

Target is a black hole because it always sucks my money right out of my wallet at amounts that are a mystery to me. Why is it that everytime I go to Target, I can't leave without spending at least $100?! I just went today and the total was over $150 and I really didn't buy anything big. Just a few odds and ends and a few groceries (we are lucky enough to have a Super Target). How can that add up to so much everytime? I guess a few dollars here and a few dollars there quickly add up. I try not to act shocked when the cashier gives me the total, but by then it's too late to do anything thanks to the little credit card machines that let you swipe it before everyting's rung up. By the time I get home though, my higher math skills finally kick in: Hello Jen!!!!! 10 items at $10 each is $100. I forget this simple math equation and am thus mistified at the checkout. I should really remind myself that before I go. Don't get me wrong, I love Target and think they have great deals. It's just a little crazy when I my trips to Target cost me more than my trips to Costco and my husband thinks his paycheck should just be given in a Target gift card to save us a step.

Movies

Last month I was able to go to a record of 4 different movies and sadly, not really impressed with any of them. I saw PS I Love You, Mad Money (which I actually enjoyed the best), 27 Dresses, and Juno. Eric and I would go to the movies A LOT before we had Megan because one of his best childhood friends is an assistant manager at a local theater, so we would bring him dinner in exchange for free movies. I don't know if it was because we saw so many of them that I wasn't that picky about them or had any expectations other than to be entertained for 90-130 minutes, but I thought most were pretty good. Well, my opinon has since changed. It might be because I don't go very often to the movies, or because now that we have to pay a babysitter the cost is double, but I expect a little more than what I am getting from the motion picture industry. It could also be the fact that I'm getting more sensitive in my "old age". Sex and vulgarity bother me more now too. I guess I just need to screen my movies a little more carefully and be a little more informed, but it might be a little while before I go again.