Flashback Friday: Past Halloween Holidays

Happy Halloween! I thought I'd flashback to past Halloween holidays. Enjoy!

Below: Me, Jordan and Tanner (my brothers)--1985

Below: Cliff and his friends for his Halloween Birthday Party

Below: Jordan and Me w/Scarey HarryBelow: Me with Scarey Harry again (we had him out every year). Below: One of my best friends from middle school, Jessica, me and Clay. I HAD to put this one in because this is my bro-in-law long before Cliff and I started our thang.

Below: Me, Lauren and Tanja--Neighborhood buddies. I was SET on being a Crunch Bar this year, and so my mom made it for me.
Below: Cliff, the pirate.

Happy Halloween! Soon to come are pics from this year. Check back!

Must See Video

I'm not Catholic, but I found this video very powerful. Thanks for sending, Chelsea.

Stone's first haircut

A while ago, we took matters into our own hands and cut Stone's curly mullet. I absolutely love his curls, but it was time to ditch the mullet. Well, we went out to lunch for Cliff's birthday on Monday, and spontaneously took Stone in to cure the hair falling over his ears and the random long pieces in the back. It was his first real haircut, and it was a traumatic experience.

At first, he loved the chair (seen below).

Then, he got a cool animal cape and toys, and so he was doing just fine (below).

Then the clipping started, and he thought it was kind of funny, but was still a little unsure (below).

Uh oh. Then the buzzer started, and ALL eyes were on this poor boy as his screams grew louder and louder and tears STREAMED down his face. Cliff and I were holding his hands down and head in place, and finally, I had to pick him up. He squeezed my neck SO tight (seen below).

"Daddy, pleeeeeease heeeelp." (below)

I think I will invest in our own tools and go for it next time. Not that he has a lot of hair (actually, he hardly has ANY hair...at least compared to his cousins), but it was just so uneven and he had long pieces in the back. Poor Stone.

It took him a while to calm down. Cliff took him out, and you could still hear him screaming. And then he was crying (but calm) the whole way home. Needless to say, he went down so easily for his afternoon nap.

Birthday Boy!

Today is Cliff's 26th birthday!! This is his 8th birthday I get to celebrate with him (minus the two on his mission). I feel soooo lucky to be the one by his side to celebrate it every year. Here are 26 things to know about Cliff:

1. He is uberly obsessed with Superman.
2. He's a writer, and one day you'll see his name on shelves.
3. He loves weight lifting.
4. He loves Menudo. He gets some today.
5. He speaks beautiful Spanish.
6. He was in a couple fights in high school. Tough guy. Really.
7. ....speaking of which, he broke his nose in one fight. Just as I was falling head over heels for him, he had a broken nose, and another guy I was "talking" to just before, said, "you really think you like him? Even though he has a broken nose??"
8. He has a 1955 Chevy Pickup that is currently stationed at his parents' home.
9. He is an incredible chef.
10. He thinks he can eat spicier food than me.
11. He really gets into stories when you're telling them. He starts to make faces sometimes, as if he was living through it, and it cracks me up every single time.
12. He is sooooo funny.
13. One time, when his dad said he was going to get a spanking, he said, "GO AHEAD. MAKE MY DAY."
14. He has no problem standing up for himself or his beliefs.
15. He was left alone with Stone when Stone was 3 days old, while my mom and I went to the grocery store. Not a big deal anymore, but this was the first time he had ever been alone with a baby period.
16. He's so secure with his man-liness, he can wear tights twice in one year.
17. He suffers from insomnia. Really.
18. He LOVES reading.
19. He has a 7 inch plate and 9 screws in his ankle. We're a match. I have a plate and 5 pins in my arm.
20. He went to Fresno, California on a 2 year mission for our church.
21. He plays tag with Stone every night before bed.
22. He balances his responsibilities BEAUTIFULLY between his 2 degrees he's working on (law and Personal Financial Planning), me, our baby, and his own interests. People told me I wouldn't have my husband these 3 years, but surprisingly, I do!
23. He can quote at least one line from every movie he has ever seen. This is not an exaggeration.
24. By the time law school is over, he will have obtained 3 degrees in 6 years.
25. He enjoys Antique Roadshow.
26. He is seriously the best husband in the world. He treats me like a queen.

Happy birthday, babe!! I love you!

I'm Superman

(Post by Stone)

Dear CC,

This weekend I flew real high like Superman. Mommy and Daddy took turns throwing me high in the air. Daddy threw me a bit higher, but Mommy didn't do too bad. Thank you so much for the cape and pajamas. I'm a superhero now.

I love you,

Stone C. Jessup

The shirt really does fit me, with room to grow, but when I fly, it just goes up. Oh yeah, and I ate a big dinner. In fact, they say I'm like in the 90th percentile (and 3 months ago I was in the 25th). But they also say just a pound bumps you WAY up or WAY down.

It's okay, Daddy, I know you'll catch me.

It's a bird, no it's a plane, no, it's me!! Stone! And Daddy making a funny face. I have soooo much fun with Daddy.

Thanks, again, CC! We all love you!

Flashback Friday: "You Talk Too Much"

For those of you that kind of know Cliff, you probably think he's shy, quiet, and reserved. Those that KNOW Cliff, KNOW he is the complete opposite in a comfortable environment. He is so intelligent and can tell you a little bit about EVERYTHING. AKA, the Random Fact King. He knows the most random facts of anyone I know, and he's REALLY funny.

He will actually talk your ear off about anything: books he's read, shows he's watched, politics, ideas, inventions, etc.

Well, last weekend when we were out to eat, the following song came on, and he kind of smiled and then did a fake grumpy face. I asked what that was about, and he said his mom used to sing this song to him:



Here's to my talky-talky husband whom I love love love, and who is turning 26 this coming Monday.

Flashback Friday: Dress Up

I always loved playing Dress Up. Even now, when I come home from shopping, Cliff gets a fashion show. Apparently, I tried getting away with this one (after playing in my aunt, Charisse's make-up). Funny what a 3 yr old thinks she can get away with.

I Heart These Boys of Mine....

Finally it stopped raining today, so we went out and took some fun pictures on our own. Enjoy!

Flashback Friday: Heels Gone Wrong

I continued to wear heels and wedges throughout my pregnancy with Stone. They never bothered me until a week before I delivered. I walked out of a meeting at work, and I kept rolling my ankle. I didn't know what was wrong, because I had worn higher shoes just the day before. I walked up the stairs to my office, and again, I rolled my ankle. I was a little concerned. I got my oversized belly over to my desk, sat down, and lifted up my feet. There was the problem. My feet looked a little off. My shoes were on backwards!! In my meeting, I had been playing with my shoes, and when I put them back on, I put them on the wrong feet! (In the picture are two of the sisters I never had-Kristen and Lauren. We are childhood best friends, and remain close to this day. This picture was taken on Stone's due date--he came 2 days late.)

Tagged again!

Deborah, Cliff's cousin (well, more like sister) tagged me. Since I've been tagged a couple times, I had to think hard about stuff you might not know about me. Here we go:

Okay, here are the rules for this tag:
1: Each player starts with 8 random habits/facts about themselves.
2: People who are tagged need to write a post on their blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3: At the end of the post you need to choose 8 people to get tagged and list their names.

1. I was a cheerleader for Cliff's pee-wee league football team, the Mustangs. Who knew I became a cheerleader for him so young?! This was long before we got romantic. :)

2. Similar to Deborah, I have an unhealthy obsession with the ocean and Hawaii. Okay, wait, I think you already know this about me. Ah well... The only thing that made it okay (and well, exciting) to leave when we went to school there, was that we had a wedding to get to! OURS! I've always had really strong feelings about Hawaii, and I really think we'll end up there some day. I know, it sounds unrealistic, but I can't even do it justice to describe what happened to me/us there. We're meant to go back!

3. I'll admit--I'm not a book worm. BUT, I'm changing my habits, and I've begun reading again...A LOT. I finally begun the Twilight Saga, and I have averaged about 2-3 days each book. I'm almost done with Breaking Dawn. I will write about this when I finish. I used to read a lot when I was younger, but then when I was given assigned readings in school, I never found time to read for enjoyment. When I had time to devote, I usually delved into my other interests, such as music.

4. I count my steps when I run. I'll turn the corner, and look at my next point of turn, and estimate how many steps it will be and see how close I can get. I know that from around the MTC in Provo, up around the temple, and back down on 9th East is about 1,400 steps. I think. It's been 3 years since I ran there. Even when I have my ipod, I still count. Wierd.

5. I have a lead foot. It's really hard for me to go the speed limit sometimes, but now that I have precious cargo, I'm pretty good at keeping the law.

6. I have a plate and 5 pins with a cool scar on my right arm. Cheerleading accident senior year in high school. Yep-contact sport.

7. Cliff and I shot guns on our honeymoon. 'Nuf said.

8. Eggs Benedict--A family tradition I have carried on. We had this growing up on the first day of school, General Conference (a bi-annual meeting for our church that occurred this weekend, thus we had this delightful meal), Christmas, and for any special occasion.

Now Tagged: Kristi, Ashley (to keep you blogging!), Valerie, Kat, Charee, Molly, Barbara and Natalie. And whoever else wants to.

Fall is here...

I love Fall, because it means the holidays are around the corner. First Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. I stole this picture from my mom's blog. When she came to watch Stone for us, we decorated for Autumn. This is a pic of our mantle.

Friday Fill-In

I got this from my mom:

1. Birthday's are...so much fun! A time that Cliff and I spoil each other even though we always say not to.

2. Spring...is my favorite season because...everything comes back to life and smells so good.

3. I feel my best...after a great, hard run.

4. Mexican in general and Eggs Benedict specifically...is my favorite food!

5. First impressions are...have a way of sticking in your mind.

6. The best advice I ever received was..."Be a Pollyanna!"

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to...dinner and a movie, tomorrow my plans include...watching Conference (a bi-annual meeting for our church), chillin' with my boys...and Sunday, I want to...continue my family tradition of making Eggs Benedict in between the Sunday sessions of Conference.

Flashback Friday: Sweeeeet Sixteen

In addition to the typical privileges that come when turning 16 (driving and dating in my case), the Brown kids got a little something extra. SKYDIVING! Daredevil-ness runs in our blood. I skydived just about every Saturday with my dad until I broke my arm my senior year in high school (no, I didn't break it skydiving--that would be from cheerleading). There's nothing like it. From our first jump, we were on our own (not hooked up with an instructor). It was thrilling. Unfortunately, I haven't been since, but Cliff would love to. I guess I'm a little more hesitant these days, having a husband and child, and all. Perhaps we'll get up there again.

We start them young here in Texas...