Happy Birthday Celeste

Just a little post to wish my little sis happy birthday! I know its not the best birthday you've ever had, but I hope it was a good one. She is 24 today, on the 24th. She really has grown up to a marvelous lady, weird to think of her as a grown up, she's my little sis. She has such devotion to her family and is strong enough to deal with uncertainty. I know she is meant for great things, even if she doesn't know it. So, happy birthday Celeste!!! I love you.

Sometimes I Go Crazy ................

waiting for my daughter to wake up from her 'everlong' naps! I know some of you fellow mothers out there are probably making voodoo dolls that look like me and sticking them with huge pins with feathers on the ends! I know that I am lucky Emmy is such a good sleeper, but honestly sometimes three and a half hours is just way too long for me to be patiently waiting for her to wake up!
Today I have felt like doing absolutely nothing all day, and I bribed myself with the promise that if I could finish the three loads of laundry I needed to do and sweep my floors, I could have a treat. So I made that deal with myself, if I did my chores I could have Taco Bell, it sounded good. So I put Emmy down for her nap, and got to work. I finished all my chores, and then decided to update my blog cause I hadn't bribed myself into any work beyond the two things listed above!(As you have probably noticed my blog has a new look today, and has sound! It is slowly evolving.) I looked up a website, downloaded a scrapbooking kit, looked up a tutorial on how to make my own blog design (six pages long printed out), and designed my own template. Then I made a playlist and loaded it on my blog, and noticed all my 'widgets' (I think thats what the stuff that is on the side of the posts?) were erased by making a new template, so had to redo them. Emmy was still sleeping. I seriously thought about waking her up so I could get out of the house, but she looked so peaceful sleeping when I went in her room. So I decided to keep playing around online waiting for her to wake up. Then the UPS lady brought me a Target.com order, new shoes yea! I tried them on, and got dressed for the day, clomped around in my new heels purposely making a lot of noise in hopes to waking my sleeping beauty, but she still kept sleeping. So an hour later I got back into my pajamas and settled into TV watching until my husband came home.
I know, I shouldn't complain, but man I got bored today!

Family update!!! So exciting!

I thought I might write for a change and give a little update about the happenings on the Arizona Dannenbergs.

Bekah, and Emmy are currently under the weather and using up the worlds supply of tissue paper. Emmy is in good spirits even though shes not feeling well, she still runs around laughing and dancing everywhere. She's dang cute kid. Bekah has been slowly getting sick for the last week I think, and doesnt seem to be getting better. I try to help when I am home with tissue runs, diaper changes and good old fashioned moral support. I hope they get better soon, I like my girls feeling better.

As for me, I have had a long and rough semester so far. I find it extremely hard to be in school at my age. I enjoy the material I am learning (I am a Visual Communication major at ASU (Graphic Design essentialy)) and I find it extremely challenging, which I like. The first year is sort of a boot camp for designers and the department gives you crazy projects to work on in studio. I make everything by hand, no computers right now, so I can develop a good eye for arrangement, patterns, hue, contrast, etc... The projects are extremely patience testing, but worth it. This upcoming week I will apply to the design departments upper division in hopes to further study graphic design more in depth. Only 44 out of 150 get in, so keep your fingers crossed!

In other news the picture above is a picture of my best friend at school, my beloved mac book whom I cherish so much. (I thought he needed a good shout out!) We go everywhere together!!! We play at home, ride the bus to and from school, and he even follows me around to all my classes. A very dedicated friend, unlike those blasted PC's at home. So kudos and bravo mac book for lovin up my school life. Kudos to your cousin the iPod for the good tunes, because without you, I would have to be involved with more conversations with the wackos on the bus about time traveling goats. (this has happened!)

Yea for Baby Einstein!

Lately Emmy has really gotten into the Baby Einstein videos. She always would watch part of them, but now she really seems to enjoy them. She is so funny, I can hardly get her to sit still until we turn on a DVD and sit her down on a pillow with a blanket, juice, and a snack. Then she will just sit and veg out for the whole twenty or so minutes the video is playing. It is a nice little break at night when she is getting tired, but not quite ready for bed, or when I'm trying to cook dinner and she's at my heels.

As most of you know, our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, passed away a few weeks ago. His sense of humor and warm spirit will be missed. I heard the news while at my parents on that Sunday night, and he had passed away an hour before I heard the news. While death is normally a sad thing, I couldn't help but think to myself of how happy he is to be with his lovely wife who passed on several years ago. President Hinckley passed away of natural causes, and was 97 years old.
Several days later I got news of a boy who used to live in my neighborhood passing away. This boy was in his early twenties, and had been severely depressed for some time. He decided to take his own life, and succeeded in doing so. This boy was so young, and his death was devastating to his family.
When I received news of the young man taking his own life, I couldn't help but think of the contrast between the two deaths. Yet, I thought of the similarities as well. I am sure when Pres Hinckley died, his sweet wife was so happy to greet him. I am certain it felt to him like coming home, and that our Heavenly Father was there to say hello to his friend.
When the young man took his own life, I am certain our Heavenly Father was there and was just as happy that the pain His son had been experiencing was over. We are all children of God, and His love is the same for each of us, regardless of our circumstance, and despite our issues in this life. I am grateful for the mercy and love Heavenly Father and Jesus have for each of us equally.

Emmy....... trapped

Emmy just loves to play in corners. Something about tight spaces suits her just fine. She will scoot chairs out from walls about six inches and squeeze her saggy bottom behind them to play in the tiny space she created. I know, I think its a little weird myself. Maybe all kids do this?
Well, the desk we have at the end of our front room has a small area the chair fits. She loves to scoot it out just enough to squeeze back there and most of the time she brings a book to read, or whatever her 'treasure' is at that moment (in this picture it is an old cell phone of mommy's & her Elmo trick or treat bucket). The other morning I was putting a load of laundry in, and I heard her frustration cry, and it got louder. I peeked my head around the corner and saw that she had trapped herself underneath the chair and couldn't get out. It was so cute, she was so mad and all I could do was laugh and take a picture. Maybe that makes me mean, but it was too cute to pass up the photo opportunity.

PIGTAILS!!!!

Well, Emmy's has always had hair, and her mommy finally decided to do something with it! I think she looks so much bigger with pigtails for some reason, I guess more grown up. I thought she would pull out the hairholders and eat them or something, but she is really good -- she just forgets they are there, it's great. She is so much fun at this stage, really understanding and responding to all my questions. She knows animals sounds for sheep, cow, and monkey, and is just a happy cute little girl. I am so blessed to have her, and to be able to be home with her all the time. She is such a great baby girl.
We went to the park the other day, and it was the first time since she started walking. Within the first 90 seconds at the park, she fell and scraped her face. Thus, the big red mark on her left cheek. She loved walking around at the park, had a great time.