A Major Award (or two)

My husband has received a major award.
no, it's not a leg lamp.
or a bowling alley.
it was Best in Show.
I know that might conjure up ideas of eccentric people walking dogs on a leash around an arena.

via

 But, it was Best of Show at the Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show, so no puppies were involved.

I'm not usually the bragging type, but I've gotta say- I'm so proud of my husband! 
The art show he won is an invitation only show, so really, it's an honor to just be invited.

And, not only did he win Best of Show, he also won the purchase prize, which means that the Sears Dixie Art Museum people liked his painting so much that they wanted to keep it forever and ever and squeeze it and love it and hold it and love it like Angelica on Rugrats.  (you remember Angelica on Rugrats, right?) (don't pretend like you don't know what i'm talking about...) 

There's only been one other time that Best of Show winner also won the Purchase Prize,
 so, yeah, I think he deserves a pat on the back. 
Or a ginormous, slobbery kiss
(from me, not a puppy)

Here is the painting that Jeremy painted for the show, isn't it beautiful?!
my niece was one of the models for this painting

Shoshone Dolls by Jeremy C. Winborg

If you'd like to see more of his art, click HERE
and if you want to read a cool write-up about how awesome Jeremy is click HERE
Now, excuse me while I go plant a big wet one on my guy ;)

bow chicka wow wow

broke my glasses playing naughty librarian, haha,jk
but i am getting new glasses
whattaya think?

yes, i made my hubby go glasses shopping. on valentines day. i'm nice like that.

and jeremy knows the way to my heart is through shopping and food

so he took me to lunch with sofia

she's head over heels for her daddy

 I know the way to jeremy's heart is to go climbing, so we stopped and took a little climb after lunch.

sofia's first time at the climbing gym

I tell ya, nothing's hotter than a guy that cares about his family!!

so, we went out to lunch...and out to dinner...and out for dessert, too. (spoiled)
and dinner was at cafe rio (mmm, sweet pork salad, my fave!)
and dessert at another restaurant where they have ginormous hot cookies with ice cream and chocolate and caramel syrup on top.
He's so good to me.
Also! If you are Kelly-Marie you won the necklace giveaway from Pretty Little Me! Email me asap :)

I haven't shaved my legs in 2 months

but I think i will today.
maybe.
jeremy bought me some beautiful pink, red and white carnations last week,
aren't they pretty?!

and while we were sitting around the table at lunch on saturday
he and the kids started making up silly poems
here are a few of my favorites





























FROM JEREMY:

FROM SWEDE:

FROM INGRID:

and last but not least, FROM SOFIA:

I  hope you are surrounded by lovely people today :)
and if you are Runner For Life   you are the winner of the necklace from Pretty Little Me, congrats!
please email me within 48 hours to claim your prize or another winner will be chosen.
Happy Valentines Day!

i heart monogamy

First of all, denim vest, really? yuck.
Second of all, why did he have to sing so pretty and falsetto...'cause i really hate the lyrics.



I mean, really...who wants to hear words like
"you're a pretty little flower
but I'm a busy little bee...."
& "monogamy is not a part of me"

Personally, I think monogamy is hot.
Nothing is better than knowing that someone loves you, and your children, with all their heart.
That that person will always be there for you.
To hold you, wrap their arms around you.
Someone to joke with, grow old with.
It's really, truly amazing when you find it.
There's nothing hotter than a husband who is a good father to your children.
Nothing hotter than a husband who comes home after a long day & spends time with the family.
There's nothing hotter than a husband who teaches your kids how to ride their bikes.
There's nothing hotter than a husband who puts his wifey on a pedestal and treats his girl like she's the apple of his eye.
I am so blessed to have a husband so committed and loving.



So, contrast the lyrics of that new All-American Rejects song (beekeeper's daughter)
to the lyrics of Brandon Flowers song "Hard Enough"
it's a sweet song he wrote about his wife and how hard it is on them when he has to go on tour.
how grateful he is that he has her.
that his life is complete only with her in his arms.
that he is sorry for the mistakes he made that caused her pain.
Now, these, my friends, are good lyrics
Reminds me of my husband, if he were poetic, I'm sure these are the thoughts he'd express to me :) listen to it, it's beautiful!!

You let me into your life on a whim

and there was magic and fire in the night

In loving I was just a little boy

I made mistakes that caused you so much pain

All I know is that I'm older now

Some people think that it's best to refrain

From the conventions of old fashioned love

Their hearts are filled with holes and emptiness

They tell themselves that they're too young to settle down

Girl, I promise you, I'm older now

Can't stand the thought of another

Talking to you sweet, my dear

Where would I be tonight

If you hadn't held me here, in your arms?

That concludes my essay on why monogamy is hot.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Also, you can link up your favorite song below.
Happy Music Monday :)

Faces

 Hope your weekend is fab!!! Don't forget to enter this giveaway, winner announced on Valentines Day!!

pictures are worth a thousand words

we headed up to our local ski resort last week
& on the way we got pulled over.
I think the pics say more than words
(though I did add words, just for fun;)

and then, there's Jeremy...

he was 16 the last time he got pulled over, 

he doesn't look too happy:

But, the craziest thing happened...

the cop didn't give us a ticket, just a warning...

(choirs of angels came down singing hallelujah, it was crazy>!!!)

Ya know how they say "it's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt"?

I want to add to that...it's all fun & games until somebody gets cold...

we accidentally packed Sofia's capri snow pants 

(aka: the 2T's instead of the 4T's) 

I think the face says it all

she got COLD real fast

and MAD real fast!

so, I took her to the lodge, 

sat by the fire, 

had some hot cocoa 

and a rice crispy treat 

and we took a nap!

and jeremy continued to try to herd cats

by the end of the day, the kids had caught on pretty well. 

it was ingrid's first time and she was pretty awesome.

It was swede's 2nd yr. and she rocked it again as per her usual

if you need me i'll be in the lodge

ps: don't forget to enter the giveaway for this beautiful necklace!!

instafriday- live a little

I don't ever get sick of this view!

Wellsville Mountains Cache Valley Utah

Jeremy and I took a little trip to Southern Utah to deliver a painting to a beautiful home.  This is the view out there window!  So beautiful, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't ever get sick of this view either!

Snow Canyon Ivins, Utah

I'm planning a post next week of the painting from start to finish that Jeremy custom made for these people's house, it's pretty amazing!


Last night, we took the girls out to dinner to our favorite pizza place.  Here, Sofia is pretending to sleep while taking a drink...and how funny she thought that was!

Ingrid wanted in on the picture taking action:

oooh, and I wanted in on the picture taking action:

and then we went home and jumped on the bed:

yes, I encourage jumping on the bed..you're only little once!

How was your week??
xo-Danielle

I've seen some pretty great "how they met" stories on TV and in the movies.  But, I've got the best how they met story ever.  Better than any movie.  It's legen- to the (wait for it....) -dary.

Remember way back in 1999 when everyone was anxious about Y2K? and people were ushering in the new millennium...only to figure out that the new millennium actually started when the clock turned from 2000 to 2001.

Jerry Seinfeld said, 

"Since there was no year zero, 

the millennium doesn't begin until the year two-thousand and one."

and that is the precise moment when my life began, too. December 31, 2000-January 1st 2001.

As a 17 year-old high school senior,  I worked at a nursing home as a Nurses Aide.  I had worked there bathing and feeding the elderly for nearly a year.  I was scheduled to work New Year's Eve that year which wasn't a problem because I was supposed to get off work at 11...plenty of time to make it to a party for the big midnight celebration.  That night, for some reason or another, I ended up leaving work a bit late, it was about 11:30 when I headed out to my friend's party.  It was about 11:45 when my car broke down.  Way back in those days, nobody my age had a cell phone.

So, I said to myself 

'if i can turn the key and it starts, i will just drive myself straight home. 

if i turn the key and it doesn't start- i will go to the nearest house and call home for help.'

I turned the key.

It started.

I began driving home.

I was about 3 blocks from home when the car stalled out again.  This time it wouldn't start again.  I was stuck in the dark on a hillside over-looking the town.  It was 11:55.

I popped the hood and got out of my car, I don't know what I was thinking I would do.  I don't know anything about cars.  I still don't know exactly what happened to my car that night (something about the engine seizing up...yeah, I'm pretty sure that's not good)  So, I stood there, looking down at the steaming engine block when a car pulled up beside me.  The stranger inside asked me if I needed some help.  He pulled over to help me.

Right as we met, the clock struck midnight.  It was the new millennium.  Fireworks began going off throughout the city.  We could hear as people in their homes came out to bang their pots and pans.  It was like Cinderella in reverse, just as the clock struck 12 our lives together began.

source

And from HIS point of view:

This was Jeremy's first New Year's celebration since returning from his 2 year mission in Albania.  He decided to go to a party of a friend of a friends.  When the party turned into watching Disney's Mulan, he and his friend decided they were way too bored to stay a minute longer.
Jeremy took his friend home and then headed toward his house.  That is when he saw me stranded on the side of the road, hood up, looking pretty helpless.  He, being the kind, helpful person he is, thought to himself

'if that's a cute girl, i'll stop and help her' 

haha- he really did tell me that later.  But, he added that he would've stopped regardless if I were cute or not...but he was glad that I was cute.

He drove me home that night.
Jeremy's parents tell me that he never would talk about girls. ever. but, that night, he came home and went right upstairs to tell them all about this girl he had met...

We were inseparable after that.

We were married nearly one year later on December 29, 2001.

Yep, I was 18 when I got married...but, hey, when you know, you know!

I couldn't ask for a better guy to be married to!

I often think back about how we met and think
"what kind of guy leaves a New Year's Eve party at 11:30?"
"what if my car hadn't started back up after the first time it stopped" (side note: I guess it was pretty miraculous that it did start again...from what I've heard engines that have seized up like that will not usually start up again)
and I think "what if I had gotten off of work at 11 like I was supposed to?"
and their are a million other things that run through my mind...there are other things from months before that that lead up to that moment.

I know I was being watched over.  

My favorite scripture has always been Proverbs 3:5-6  "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  I know that our paths were directed toward each other.  And I thank God every day for that blessing!

Here's us. all fresh and young.

Jeremy.  He is so loving and kind.

He helps me with the kids all. the. time.

He packs lunches for our daughter to take to school.

He makes up bed time stories for the girls.

He has done more than his fair share of diaper changes, and he gets up to take our 3 year old daughter potty every night so she doesn't have an accident in her bed.

We still have never seen Mulan...if you're part of this family you run away from anything Mulan related, haha.. we even give Mulan a thumbs down when we're listening to our Lion King Pandora station, in memory of the night we met.

Jeremy never leaves the toilet seat up, and he always puts the toilet paper on the right way.

He made it a goal to put toothpaste on my toothbrush every night until death do us part.

He provides for us a beautiful home.

He thinks I'm pretty without any makeup on.

He treats me with respect.

He loves me unconditionally and shows my children what to look for in their future husbands.

and we lived happily ever after

I love you, Borgie!

xo-Danielle