Our Paris Yard Sale

For about 6 months we've been putting a little money away for our trip to Paris. We've also been piling junk away for a garage sale to raise money for Paris. Last Saturday we held our Paris yard sale and it was great! Great weather, great customers, and a great toddler (I thought we might have to get a baby sitter for the full day, but she was SO good).

Wendy set up a little hang out for herself in the garage with a portable highchair, portable dvd player, and a bird cage. She was so laid back the whole day. She didn't ever try to run in the street or mess up my "displays." There was a small window of time where Wendy was getting bummed to see some of her old toys go. She started telling people who were browsing the toys, "Sorry, it's broken."

It was a major success! We sold a TV, a stereo, dvd's, video games, clothes, shoes, books, toys, dishes, scrapbooking supplies, and so so much more. Special thanks to: my mom & mother-in-law for donating most of our best "big ticket items," and my aunt Cathy who came out and bought half of my stuff :)

Yard Sale tips:
1. advertise on craigslist.org & yardsaleAD.com - it's free!
2. make signs that are easily legible from far away
3. keep your money in a FANNY PACK, not a little lock box. that way you won't get ripped off
4. have a husband who speaks spanish
5. go HERE for more tips!

Easter Saturday

I am 0% hispanic (just English, Irish, Welsh, Danish, Scottish, German & Italian), but Ryan is half and my daughter is one fourth hispanic, so I feel I have earned the right to claim it and take pride in it. One of the many perks of marrying into a Mexican family, are the Mexican Easter traditions! We celebrate on Saturday (which is not a "Mexican" thing, but it works out perfectly because then we can hit up my family on Sunday).

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Along with the normal hard boiled and plastic candy-filled eggs, we hunt for CONFETTI EGGS! All the grandkids "trick" the adults by telling them they want a kiss or have a secret, then smash the confetti eggs on our heads when we bend down. It's the cutest thing. The adults get pretty into it too. It didn't take too long for Wendy to catch on.

I love the combination of traditions from both mine and Ryan's childhoods that have meshed together to form a new set of slightly altered traditions for our own little family. I also love Easter and the uplifting spiritual purpose for this holiday. We get to watch General Conference on Easter Sunday (twice a year, the leaders of the LDS church broadcast their message all over the world on T.V. on the B.Y.U. channel). It will be the perfect way to celebrate.

Oh NO he DIDN'T!

Guess who came home with a new bird?

And I actually really liked the last one. His name was "Kevin," by the way, and he was the prettiest bird we've had and probably will ever have. I loved his blue color with orange eyeliner and blue eyes. Not that I ever went so far as to hold or feed him or anything. He was just really pretty and Wendy & I used to talk to him when we were bored.

Kevin bit Ryan and just like that, Ryan was over him. Remember how Ryan got this bird as a baby and had to feed him formula through a syringe every 4 hours? You'd think he would have formed SOME kind of bond with it, acting as it's surrogate mother and all. Although I'm bummed, I figured the bird (whichever bird that may be) is Ryan's thing. So who am I to make him keep a mean bird just because I think it's prettier than all the rest? Right?

Meet Anthony. "Tony" for short. "Home wrecker" for long.

We're Going to PARIS!

So, usually for our anniversary, Ryan and I have a tradition of doing a weekend getaway to a new city that we've never really been to before and exploring all the fun it has to offer (last year we went to Claremont Village, CA). But this year for our anniversary, we will be exploring the new-to-us city of PARIS, France!!! Can you tell I'm a little excited? We've been talking about going for a while and saving a little money in a "Paris Fund," but I wasn't sure if it was actually going to happen. But Ryan bought the plane tickets- so now it's official! It's perfect timing: I have an aunt ("Tata") who lives there who can hook us up with a place to stay and will have fun showing us around and Wendy's old enough to be okay with her grandparents for a couple days.

We will be there a week, and I really want to do all the touristy stuff AND the leisurely stuff to just soak up the city and take it all in. I've even been trying to catch up on my French (I took three years of French in high school- hopefully it's like riding a bike, but I doubt it). If any of you out there have been to Paris and have a favorite spot, let me know. I want to do it all!

*photo from google images

Six Years Together

TODAY Ryan & I have been married for SIX years! Every year, a little more, I realize just how perfect we are for each other. I'm so thankful for all that he is and all that he does for me (and Wendy). Happy Anniversary Babe!! I love you.

*photos by Amelia Lyon & Beth Lamb :)

Spring Forward!

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I don't really have a favorite season, I just love when the time comes for a change! My favorite thing about spring is definitely the flowers! And my favorite flower is definitely the RANUNCULUS- seen above. (You reading this husband?) My second favorite are hydrangeas (in case you were wondering). I think I get my appreciation for plants/nature from my dad. He's a landscape architect and that's why he knows everything about virtually every plant. That is also why he named me Heather, after the flower. That might be another reason why I love them so much.

Wendy's favorite thing about spring is getting to wear her new rain boots! She wears them around the house in her jammies. She puts them on her dolls & stuffed animals. She wants to wear them EVERYWHERE. I actually don't mind that much because they're pretty darn cute.

Ryan says his favorite part about spring is spring break. I don't quite know why, since we're not in high school anymore and he doesn't get a spring break. Maybe he's talking about the MTV show, "Spring Break." Should I be a little worried?

"Give a Day, Get a Day," more like "Give a Week, Get a Year!"

After having my house covered in fabric, needles, sewing machines, irons, scissors, and thread for a week, we (the Williams, Watene, & Jones families) accomplished our goal of earning a free ticket to Disneyland (or, in our case, half of our annual passes paid for). That, plus the added satisfaction of helping others, made everything more than worth it.