I am a bad husband....

You know those movies where the husband is a slave to his job and always running late and missing big events in his child's life (you know, showing up at the baseball field and it's empty) and running to the drugstore at 11:15 PM to pick up flowers, with the futile hope that he can save his anniversary from being a complete disaster? Yet, when he arrives home, his disgruntled wife is already asleep, a table for two set in the dining room with the candles burned down and flickering.  He breathes out.  Epic fail... yet again.  I am that husband.

I sympathize with every scenario in which the hard-working husband just wants to come home and die into his bed without contributing to the home or family in any way...because I feel that way most nights. Every stereotypical husband/wife argument that has ever ended in "You don't pay enough attention to me!  All you care about is work!" and "I'm doing this for YOU!", I feel you.  

Guess where Thayner was the night of our anniversary last week? Watching a beautiful sunset and a lightning storm come into the Salt Lake Valley all. by. himself.  Guess where I was?  In my cubicle preparing tax returns, receiving texts from Thayne's siblings such as: #sololife, #singleforever,

Luckily, I have the greatest husband on earth and although I'm being a stereotypical bad movie husband right now, maybe it'll teach me to have a little more sympathy for Thayne next time he's at the drugstore at 11:15PM.

A Happy Husband is a Deaf Husband...

I'm going to say it. I think contractors or any type of construction people who are working really hard like that should get paid double.  The Thaynster and I have been laying tile, grouting, caulking, sanding, vacuuming, and working our little tails off to get this house of ours on board.  I'll admit it.  Sometime I go psycho and I can't handle one more night covered in cement.  I'm sick of coughing up dust and having white boogers.  The house is coming together beautifully (mostly thanks to our amazing family members who have been helping us out), but sometimes it's just too much...

and I get weird.  Or grumpy.  Usually grumpy and sleepy combo.  My poor, sweet, innocent husband.  All he wants to do it be a construction man and build us a lovely home in which we can live.  But I'll start to mope, or sigh really loud, or force a "deep" conversation with him just so I can feel like a human being again  all disgusting around midnight every night. It's taken a few weeks, but we've found the perfect solution:

Behold! The secret to our marriage.  I say, "Honey, I'm so TIRED and my back hurts from crouching down sanding baseboard and now I'm hungry...do you think I'm fat? How 'bout we take a little break....(sigh), I with this thing was finished already! OO! I found a rug that would be PERFECT in the living room...how do you think our marriage is...my hands HURT, OW a sliver!" And all he hears is the teacher from Charlie Brown. "Wa waa waaa wa waa." Every once in a while he'll throw me a bone. He'll nod, smile, and say "I love you honey and I love working on our house with you."  At just like that, everything is well in the Davis universe.

The Protector...

So the other day I swung by my mom and dad's house to bake some cookies for a baby shower here in the neighborhood (we are officially one month without a functioning kitchen over here).  No one was home, so I went to check things out in my old bedroom (where I sometimes find treasures like old books or clothes).  As I walked past my old bathroom, I heard my 13-year-old sister and her best friend singing while they were getting ready.  Sophie (aforementioned 13-year-old sister) has transformed from my little baby girl into an eye-rolling, "whatever mom"-ing, texting machine.  As I walked past the bathroom, I heard the friend say, "Sophie, someone is in the house".  I closed that bedroom door behind me, locked it, and listened.  I can't resist freaking Sophie out.  I can't.

So I hear them coming up with the plan in hushed tones.  I hear a tentative knock at the door, I don't answer, but I slam a couple of drawers shut to let her know that yes, someone IS in the house.  She waveringly calls, "hello?".  Nothing.  I hear a second knock.  I slowly walk towards the door, rattle the knob, and open the door.

There is my baby sister, in fighter stance, fire in her eyes, all 70 pounds of her, wielding the toilet brush.  Funniest thing I've ever seen. It takes a second, but she recognizes me and jumps, throws the weapon in my direction, and tries to get her best friend to stop laughing at her.  We had a little chat after the "incident" about how if she thinks someone is in the house, the toilet brush probably isn't the best solution.

Good Times...

 Amazing times around here recently.  Here's a little snippet

The cutest baby ever born: Brooklyn Bourne.  We spent a few days with her and the Bourne clan in Sun Valley, ID -our favorite place on earth- catching fishies, driving the jeep, gaining five pounds each, and enjoying each others' company.  

And then it was on to Laguna Beach, CA!  Thirteen hours through the desert of Nevada we went, armed only with our double-checked McDonalds dollar-menu sausage burritos.  We somehow survived through towns with billboards advertising "Asian massage with body shampoo". May we never pass that way again.

Laguna was fabulous, as usual.  The Davis' are always up for a good time.  And what better time could you have than calling Stan the metal detector man to come find your wedding ring that had been lost forever in the sands of Laguna Beach?  Nothing! Amidst the foaming tide, seagulls soaring and pooping overhead, Stan plucked Taylor's wedding ring from the depths, restoring hope once again to all beachgoers everywhere.

Beautiful weather, food, people, tide pools, and good times with the Davis' in Laguna.

 Jackson Browne is my latest music flame.  His latest performance and Red Butte (pronounced "butt") Gardens blew us all away.  We spend a lovely evening with my parents enjoying the summer evening and Jackson's liberal-hippie-tree-hugging-endangered-animals-are-more-important-than-humans musical propaganda. (note: I LOVE Jackson Browne and his music....but I still think he's got an agenda.)

My parents are cute when they hold hands.

 Thayner is cute all the time.

Especially when he is creating the house of my dreams! Grouting was a new and muddy experience for us.  The house is coming along swimmingly.

 My good friend Teef stopped by to Utah before her and her husband's big move to California.  She is amazing. 

You know what else is amazing?  France.  Holy Schmoly.  My above and beyond generous dad took us sisters on a jaunt through Paris and London last week and man, was it a good time.

I'm going to say that Paris is the most beautiful city I've ever been to.  Everything about it is perfect.

 Katie and I hanging out with our good pals Sammy and Mona.

The French were amazing, curt and well-dressed.  I have a theory that they put all of their kindness and sweetness into their pastries and bread.  South Beach dieters beware!  And bless you poor gluten-intolerant peoples' hearts.  The pastries and bread there are made of magic.

 Then it was off to London. Just as amazing as Paris, although we did experience a huge increase in the general friendliness of people.  We had a great time listening to Big Ben, lusting after the crown jewels, and trying to make those guards with the bear hats smile.

I'm going to take a sentimental moment and just say how lovely my little sisters are. Katie, Soph, (dad..even though you aren't a sister)- you guys are the best and I had so much fun being with the three of you! Thanks for making my life so fun.

Whew, sentimental moment over.  Here's my dad REALLY enjoying some modern art:

Quick side-note: we entered the modern art museum, stayed long enough to get this picture, and booked it out of there...because we hate modern art.

Amazing, amazing, amazing.  But you know what?  When all was said and done, my favorite part was coming home to the handsome husband who worked so hard on our house the entire time and showed up at the airport with these puppies:

Almost forgot!  I start my big-girl job with Grant Thornton next week, when means I sadly had to say goodbye to my buddies at OrthoDevelopment.  Jamie and Julie (and Derek)- you are hilarious and I loved working with you!

Casper...

Was this guy your first thought?  Mine too.  You know what Thayner's first thought is?  The name of our first-born son.  Yeah RIGHT!  That thought just makes me cringe.  It's a good name if we want our son to grow up and haunt mansions built in the 1800's or grow up and date a Latina Cougar (that's right my friend, J.Lo's 20-something-year younger backup dancer flame is named Casper...barf).

I also feel that if we plan on naming a child Casper, he'll come out looking a little like our good friend Powder:

Creepsauce, right?  Also, I plain just don't like the name.  If you agree with me, please let my better half hear about it.

Anywho, what's been going on around here? I chopped off part of my thumb.  Super neat!  I was lovingly slicing sweet potatoes for my handsome husband, and I was so caught up in my love for him that I lost all concentration and shoved my thumb right into the mandolin and said goodbye to some nail and a big chunk of my most important finger.  Good thing I was alone, although my reaction, looking back, was hilarious.

I wrote a post about this next thing and deleted it for various reasons.  Long story short, Thayner went up to the attic, freaked out, and came down with this treasure chest.  We were DYING!  We were rich!  Thank you cute little old lady who lived in our home before us.  That is just pure silver.  We had big plans for that treasure box, but found an "April Fool's" note at the bottom.  The prankster will remain anonymous, but lets just say that he/she played the best prank EVER.

 Oh goodness, what a cutie.  Winnie Davis had her first birthday party at Cinderella park.  We gathered and ate delicious birthday cake and watched her tear into her gifts.  We love you Winnie!

The majority of our lives is work and work on the house.  We are so thankful for our super helpful family members who have all sorts of awesome know-how and work ethic.  They are helping us rebuild from the sheetrock up.  The house is coming along swimmingly.  We are moving into the basement this week and will live out the rest of the construction days underground, after which we will emerge into the daylight and have a bonafide home!!!

Our luxurious master (and almost only) bathroom).

The most handsome boy on earth leveling the floor so I can lay the hardiboard.

Ahhhhhhhh!!! It almost is going to look like a real kitchen!!!

Welp, have a lovely day everyone. You are awesome.

We did it!

IT. IS. FINISHED!

The Thayner and I are graduated from college.  

What a great journey.

What a relief that it's all over.

I'm so proud.

Thayne looked amazing in his robes.

I looked like a floating dementor.

I would like to give a shout out to my amazing friends (slash study-buddies slash therapists).  Brooke and Amy, I love you and you are WAY cool accountants.

Goodbye testing center adventures, goodbye commuting, goodbye tuition, goodbye awesome college memories. HELLO full-time work, house, babies, and life!

happy announcement...

You thought I was pregnant, didn't you? Joke's on you.  Our happy announcement is along the same lines.  Not that we are pregnant, but that we have purchased a home that we will fill with babies. 

3274 Marie Ave...you are perfect! We love you from your asbestos-filled ceilings to the custom-built structure for the previous owner's 12 cats...we love you for your blooming apricot tree and giant back yard where we'll plant our garden and run around...we love you for your tiny kitchen where we'll eat as a family every night and for your closets that won't even hold half of Thayner's shoes...we REALLY love you because we get to stay in the best ward in the entire world with wonderful friends...but most of all, we love you because you are our home!

A few other updates.  T-minus 17 days till graduation and, like, 4 days left of actual drive-to-P-town class days.  Thayner and I will be free of the bondage of homework after dinner, tuition, and thinking all the time.  Ummmm, what else? Oh! The grand mission Chile Osorno had a little get-together last week and I got to see one of my all-time favorite people on the planet EARTH, the kindest and most loving of people (and a really classy dresser).  People, without further ado...my mission president, President Lovell:

That WAS a pretty sweet intro for him, but let me just say, this man's other half (THE Hermana) is the most hilarious, adventurous, brownie-baking, dodgeball-playing, baddest Hermana around.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture with her...but that just gives me a good excuse to go visit them again! These two people were basically my parents at the bottom of the Earth. They counseled me, made me smile, secretly brought cookies to me in a difficult times, and shared in the joys and pains of my missionary service.  I really love them and am so grateful they are part of my life.  I loved seeing all the little Elders all grown up with facial hair and/or girlfriends.  Obviously glorious to see the hermanas that I braved storms and street dogs with.  I loved my mission.

Okay, so Thayner is so cute.  He always has ideas for this blog. A few days ago, he came home and, for some reason, was really grumpy.  He started correcting my ways of doing things at home and with dinner and being a little surly in my opinion.  Come to find out, he was just a stinky-pants because on top of being hungry (classic man cause of angry-ness), BYU had just lost to Baylor. He is so special.  After eating, he was happy as a clam and began to form my next blog post in his sweet little head (his head is by no means little).  He thought it would be HILARIOUS to write about our little tiff and how our life really ISN'T as awesome as these occasional posts would have you think. "You see", he said, "people LOVE to read about other people's little scuffles and problems because then they feel like they aren't the only ones who have them." So, there you go!  We are just like everyone else.  We sometimes have arguments about stuff...I do laundry and scrub the toilet...I had to scrape a squished cranberry off the floor the other day...we found our remote control after 20 minutes of searching....I bought mangos for my cute mom's Sunday dinner and they weren't ripe in time for the party, so I have 6 mangos sitting in my kitchen...I stub my toe a lot.  There!  Just like everyone else :). Is that what you were looking for Thayner?  Love you!

Ps: totally forgot about that lake picture up yonder. We went fishing up Parley's Canyon and I caught two little friends.  It was beautiful.