Truth Tuesday: Final 2 Weeks

I can't believe Ryan's finals are looming above us all, again. The feeling in our home is...intense. I don't even think intense is a good word to describe it. You see, law school is a continual game. It is all about the grades, the ranking, the extra-curricular, and the schmoozing. Oooo the schmoozing. I catch glimpses of "attorney-Ryan" occasionally and it makes me so proud. I can't help but think, He really IS learning something! Don't get me wrong, the guy studies from 8am-11pm Monday-Saturday with very few breaks in between throughout the ENTIRE semester. So I know he is learning all the time, but I get this weird proud wife moment when he says something totally brilliant or when he says, "I really do understand all that the CNN attorney's are talking about." Because you know I do too :-) It is quite exciting when everything seems to click for him.

Plus, he has decided to not shave until Finals are over with. That is 3, THREE, weeks. At least he didn't decided to not shower. That would be gross.

I always get in this funk around the end of the semester because life is hard having a full-time stressed out law school husband. I honestly don't think a lot of on-lookers see how insane our life is sometimes. Our "quality-time" is about an hour before bedtime when Ryan's brain is fried, and I am ready for bed. I do my best to keep everything in the house, bills, food, and laundry in order to make sure that doesn't stress him out. Brinley barely sees him on his super busy days, and I know that effects her too. She is so understanding and the two of them have a great time together when Ryan is home because he dedicates all his time to us.

Granted, it is a LOT better than 1st year. I'm not sure if it is just that I am used to him being gone, or if it actually is getting easier. hahaha easier to deal with, maybe. I get so anxious thinking about the year rolling over into 2012 because in January, we can actually say:

Ryan graduates next May.

Whooooaaaaa. He will officially be half-way through.

Did you get excited too?

I can't help it but look forward to 2012. We have plenty to be grateful for, but even more so, I am ready for 2011 to be behind us. It has been a hard year. But like I said in my testimony on Sunday at Church, I think the Lord has helped me forget a lot from this previous year. Thankfully, the Atonement can work like that. My mind remembers moments, glimpses, but fortunately, the raw emotions and anxiety about my molar pregnancy are gone. When I cry about it now, it is mostly joy because of the love I feel for Ryan, and for Brinley.

I often reflect about the blessings I have instead of the pains and sadness I felt, and unfortunately, continue to feel. Everything happens for a reason and I know we were supposed to experience this trial. I am grateful that Brinley will be older, I am grateful that Ryan will be almost through with school, and I am grateful that I have learned more about myself this year than ever before. I am anticipating a lot for 2012 and if I think about it too much, I almost want to cry about how much I want it.

Skinny Jean Refashion Tutorial

I can't believe how easy it was to do this quick alteration and how different my jeans look on me now. Short people should never wear jeans with added bulk on the bottom. I was swimming in my bootcuts! I even tried on a pair of black Gap jeans that are a few years old in my scared of skinny jeans phase so I bought them thinking they were "skinny." I put them on and seriously thought they aren't skinny ENOUGH!

But today, I'm changing my Gap bootcut jeans.

 First, grab a pair of your favorite skinny jeans. Turn both jeans inside out, and line them up together.

 I love my quilting measuring board for projects like this. Start up by the knee of the jean and draw a line all the way down following the skinny jean. I used a blue pen because I didn't have fabric chalk. Works just as good! 

 Make your line.

 Here is the line that you will be sewing. I forgot to take a picture of this step, but put 3-4 pins through the jeans down the line to secure for sewing.

 You don't have to do this, but I put my jeans back together to see if my starting points matched up.

 Start sewing!

 I tried on the jeans a few times to make sure both legs were the same skinniness, and I had to correct the right leg. Once you are happy with your jeans, turn them inside out again and trim off the excess.

 Enjoy!!!! 

 Side view

Back view.

Enjoy! It only took 20 minutes to correct my jeans and I am SO happy with them. I am excited to now look at jeans differently when I see them on-sale or at Goodwill!! 

Dance-y Knees Video

Earlier this week, Brin and I had a dance break it down sesh.

I taught her "dance-y knees."

And she is ridiculously adorable! and all while eating a hint of jalapeno chip. Love her.

24 wrapped books for Brinley

I can't remember where I saw this first, but someone wrapped up 24 of their own children's books and every night in December until Christmas Eve, the child would open it at bedtime! I have this thing about wrapping presents. I kind of obsess over doing it. My mom always left the wrapping to me when I would come home for Christmas after college. Best ever!!

Eventually, I want each book to be Christmas related, but right now, because Brinley's birthday is Halloween, we have a plethora of Halloween books and ZERO Christmas books. Brinley loves books but she has plenty that she doesn't read. We read the same books at bedtime. Depending on her tired level, we usually just stick to one book at bedtime.

Last night, I grabbed 23 of Brinley's favorite bedtime books and wrapped them all up. On Christmas Eve, she will open The Polar Express-a family tradition that started with my family growing up and so Ryan and I adopted it when we had Brinley. After reading the book, we will give her a special new Christmas bell! Don't judge the book based on the movie- the movie is terrrible!! The book has beautiful illustrations and come on, it comes with an audio cd with Liam Neeson narrating (yes please!). 

and I can't get over the fact that this is Brinley's 3rd Christmas!

books!

 brushing Brinley's teeth before reading books. She haaates brushing her teeth. Especially while cutting all 4 canines at DIFFERENT times. ohhh joy.

the 1st present!

She was so excited to see Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?

She sat so quietly through reading her special book, which she rarely does. She loves to say each animal after I do which is so adorable! I need to take books away more often and bring them out one at a time. 

I really think this will get her more and more excited for Christmas because the birthday chain was not so efficient. We forgot to take links off all the time and finally the week before Brinley's actual birthday, we gave up because she showed zero interest.