karma

I don't have very many memories from my childhood, and every time I say that my mother looks like she is about to break down in tears (so we just don't bring it up). I have a few small memories, but I don't remember a lot. It's all just scattered pieces.

As a little background, my mom is what one would consider "healthy" . The first time I watched "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", I felt a connection with the little Toula who sat down, looked at the other girls Wonder bread (RIP) sandwiches, and felt a light pang of envy as they curiously looked down at her "moose ka-ka" (or whatever non sandwich item was in my lunch). Yes, Toula- I get you. I wished I had "normal" food, too.

One of the very few vivid memories I have as a child was when I went grocery shopping with my dear mother. We were walking around the grocery store, and I was vocally silently  wishing my mother would put food like Top Ramen and crackers in our basket instead of a third bunch of kale. When we finally got to the counter, the nice clerk looked at our cart full of little produce bags and said "oh heavens! I don't think I have ever seen someone buy all of this before. Do you actually eat all of these vegetables? What on earth do you eat?!" I looked at her, sighed, and said "I don't even know".

Last night I left Robert at home to tend to his studies, applications, and more med school essays (the poor guy is overwhelmed) while I headed off to the big metropolis of Idaho Falls to do some shopping. It was just me and the Superbowler-s. They were raiding the chicken wings, beer, and cheese, and I was raiding the produce. When I got to the counter the lady behind me mumbled to her husband "I don't think I have ever seen someone buy almost only produce before. What do you think they eat!?" I looked down at my cart and pitied my unborn children.

Karma.

Civil Rights

I love holidays- I love holidays even more when it means you can celebrate with a day off of school (which never happens in college). It was once known as Martin Luther King day, but this year I discovered that they changed it to Civil Rights day. Why? I am not quite sure, but either way I am grateful for civil rights.

In celebration, we went cross-country skiing up to Mesa Falls (last date recap) with some of our friends. The weather was beautiful. (It wasn't -20 and snowing, so I was happy.) Once we got to Mesa Falls the sight was un.real. The falls were almost all ice, and it was breathtaking. Robert went out onto the ice (which I didn't get a picture of), but it cracked and he almost died.

Sitting on the bench was actually more like sitting on the ground.

After our cross-country skiing adventure we had some other friends over for dinner! Yay for delicious risotto and great company. They had a baby cute 5 month baby girl, and she is just the sweetest thing, ever.

Happy Civil Rights/Martin Luther King Day!

Family Pictures

This year we took family pictures. With two of my sisters having superb child making qualities combined with my impressive mate catching skills- our family pictures were a little out dated.

The first thing that my dad's clients (or his unforgiving daughters) make fun of  see when they walk into his office an overly large portrait of my mother that looks eerily as if the producers of Napoleon Dynamite used my mom as a model for  the "Portrait's by Deb" logo. 

We convinced our photographer to take non-glamour shots of my mother.

So, there was one success. On the other hand, somehow the photographer knew that may or may not have the tendency to openly silently mock cheesy and awkward engagement pictures. 

Who thought this was a good idea, I don't know. Before I knew it the photographer was telling me to straddle Robert and karma was catching up to me. 

worst.idea.ever.

After a year and a half of marriage, we clearly look like different people. So, now we have something to replace our "young-in" engagement pictures.

Family pictures always end up with a few gems, so here are my favorite awkward pictures: (apart from the previous straddling)

My mom's face (or lack thereof) sums up the past thirty years. "why oh why did I end up with 6 daughters who all have first child syndrome?". That's what two oldest children get for marrying each other. 6 oldest children.

Now in all seriousness, here are our real, noteworthy family pictures:

The Elliotts

Pappy-La-Pue & Mammie

 Call's

 The Family

 Purcell's 

(notice Emerson's incredible ability to stare down anyone.....you'll never guess who he got that from)

 Grandchildren

 Original Wixom's

 Wixom Women. 

 Sisters.

And here is to my parents for having quite the lovely gene pool.