Family, isn't it about....time?

Why, yes it is. FOUR short months and we will see our far away family again!

I guess it's time for an update. Skip to the pictures if you don't want an update on my obsession with simplifying our life. :)

I'm on a high today because yesterday I sold 10 sets of legos on Ebay. whoo whoo! They were stacked in my room (not all of them fit under the bed) and my room looks like a room now instead of a storage unit! I also took a couple boxes of other stuff to good will. It's amazing that there is still more to get rid of.

Yesterday, Zac offered the much needed moral support to me for going through the kitchen. He held up items in my drawers and cupboards, gave me "that" look and would say "Really? Really? When are you EVER going to use this." haha Another box of unnecessary stuff is gone, thanks to him! My cupboards now feel roomy and I don't have to stack up everything. Do I really need 3 different SETS of casserole dishes. My 9X13 and 9X9 Pyrex dishes will work for anything I make. Plus, I haven't made a casserole in probably 3 months!

The things I'm having a hard time parting with, but know that I should:

-recipe books. I NEVER use recipe books, except for the Joy of Cooking when I want to learn more about certain types of cooking. I ALWAYS use online recipe websites because they come with reviews, but I still have a few books I just can't say goodbye to.

-Bread Box. Do you have one? How is life without a bread box? For some reason I'm afraid to find out.

-Sand Toys. Teagan usually just wants to play with sticks and rocks in the sand, and they're really junky...I think I just convinced myself.

Here is my advice of the week to anyone who is trying to simplify:

Don't say "but I might need to use this some time" or "I need to keep it just in case." Realize that you are a very creative and intelligent person who can probably figure out life without that item. For example, I had an egg slicer that I used probably every other month. It is SO convenient and makes chopping eggs simple. BUT I am a smart and talented woman who can chop an egg with a knife, it might be a little harder, but it's okay for things to be hard. So out went the egg chopper, and out went a little stress that comes from figuring out how to clean that thing off and the stress of an over crowded kitchen drawer.

Alright, my soap box is over (is that the right kind of soap?). If you're curious how the no TV thing is going here is a picture for your answer.

We bought a computer and a TV. No monitor for the computer and no DVD player for the TV. They are permanently attached and used together. Zac loves it because he can watch football in HD off of Justin.com and I love it because we only have one place in our house with electronics instead of two. So cool!

PS: I love not having a facebook. The first few days were tough, but now I don't even think about it. Now I can't understand why I was so addicted....

We spent a week in Idaho because our little brother Jesse got married in Boise. Him and his wife, Bri, are so nauseatingly in love it is wonderful! :) They were sealed in the Boise temple which was so pretty. I love temple sealings, always such a good reminder of me and Zac's.

Before we met up with the Daniels' family we spent a few days with my side. We went to work with my dad one morning and Teagan was in HEAVEN helping him drive the bull dozer. It was so fun, except when my dad gave him too much candy and he puked all over grandma Durtschi's bathroom. hahaha ohhh grandparents. :)

My little sister, Rachel, was in the Teton County fair so we got to go over to Jackson and play a ton. We went to the Jackson pool multiple times and Teagan loved it.

Teagan figured out really quick that he could ask grandparents for pretty much anything and they'd say yes. He LOVED his pony ride.

This is Palmer and Teagan, they were dressed as twins, by accident, so Rachel had to give them matching mohawks. hehe.

We also got to see Brian and Jake's families, but for some reason I have no pictures. The kids had a blast and I love my nieces and nephews so much, they are seriously the cutest kids in the world.

Then we headed to Boise for the wedding. We went to a water park there that was a BLAST and I actually got to see my sister Julie and her family there too.

These two crazy kids had SO much fun together. They swam and ran up and down the halls of the hotel and jumped on beds and made crazy faces and kept us all laughing.
Does this really need a description. Grandma Daniels picked out this adorable tux for Teagan and I was amazed all day at his pure handsomeness.

Zac and his brothers and dad all had tuxes too, I don't have pictures though, but you can imagine. They were quite a handsome group, and were of course accompanied by beautiful women!

The moral of the story: I LOVE my family SOOOOO much! I seriously can't stop thinking about how much fun I had with both sides of the family. I laughed so hard and just honestly enjoyed the togetherness.

If Zac keeps practicing his Physical Therapy on Teagan, he'll hopefully get good enough to land a job closer to the Idaho families so that trips to Idaho aren't so few and far between!