Best Present Ever (Well...In My Top 5)

So I have an obsession with sports. The secret is out.

Along with this obsession comes a strange fascination with team logos. I used to draw the NBA team logos and put them up on my wall (colored-in perfectly, of course). I also love tracking the progress of teams and looking at the current standings on a daily basis. I appeased the baseball nerd in me by buying an MLB standings board a couple of seasons ago that includes a little batting helmet for each team. However, since then I have always wanted a similar contraption for the NBA. I described to Shara one day what they should invent to please basketball nerds like me...and apparently she was taking more careful notes than I realized because on Christmas morning I opened this:

That's right. My wife is AWESOME. She went online and printed out every NBA team's jersey and logo and mounted them on magnetic paper. She even included the Eastern and Western Conference logos and a complete Finals bracket for when the playoffs roll around!! Her thumb is still a little numb from all the intricate cutting...

I wouldn't have been able to guess in a million years what the present was while it was wrapped. She included a big magnetic frame which she will put to good use during the off-season...unless I get a baseball or football set next year. Not even Santa's elves could have followed through the way Shara did this year. She even offered to hang it up in the kitchen...which even I have been a little hesitant about. Needless to say, my evil plot to brainwash her into my sports-infested fantasy world is nearly complete. Thanks honey!!!!

Christmas

I just wanted to put up some pictures from our great Christmas.

Max knew just what he wanted for Christmas - he just couldn't form the words for Santa.

"How about a nice football?"

"Football? What's a football?"

Lola was all about climbing on the presents.

We wrapped up Max for his mom.

"I don't want to be a present!"

Trying to get to the forbidden tree

Opening Christmas joys

Hope your holidays were fun! Happy 2011 in just a few more days!

Birthday Boy

I'm not the best at planning parties, so I'm always a little anxious for Rich's birthday because I'm afraid I won't do enough for the hubby. Rich will have to say whether or not he enjoyed it, but I had a pretty good time.

Rich started his birthday at 4 AM and worked until 5 PM. Great fun, right? I had a good day at school (my second to last day), and I had an even better eye appointment. No more SPK! For now. (Cassandra, I'm going to follow your advice about Clear Care to see if I can keep it gone.) The doctor seemed a little surprised that it was gone, and I thought in my mind, "It's a birthday miracle!" And it wasn't even my birthday!

We had a Papa Murphy's pizza with artichoke hearts for dinner (all for Rich - I realized I am not really a fan). And then Rich got to open his present from me. I think I was more excited for this than he was. I got him a Kevin Durant shirt, his second favorite player in the NBA (he already has a D-Will shirt). He loved it, or at least was a really good actor to make me feel good.

Later that night, we had the 5th Annual Christmas Cookie Party on our schedule. Our friend Chad's sister Krista and her friend Susan throw a cookie party every year, and Rich has been to every one. I was happy to be pulled into the tradition (now in my third year), and we are looking forward to "Four more years! Four more years!" (Arrested Development? Anyone?) Here are some pics from the night. You'll see Rich couldn't wait to don his birthday apparel (which I'm telling myself is a sign of a great birthday gift).

Just have to say - notice the lack of glasses. Hallelujah!

See Rich's cookie scene? Don't ask about the facial expression.

Sorry, Chad. Had to put it on here. He didn't pose this at all. It just happened.

Friends, with some cookie loot

Us, with Chad, Bethany, Susan, and Krista. Merry Christmas Cookie Party!

Saturday brought Fredrickson family pictures, the BYU vs. Arizona basketball game in the Energy Solutions Arena (don't worry - we won 87-65 and Jimmer was on fire), and then a trip to the lights at Temple Square. We finished it off with cake and ice cream at our place, along with some Sorry Sliders.

  I think this first picture is so cute. He was actually just taking a breath before blowing out the candles, but he looks like a little kid overcome with birthday excitement. Love it.

Like I said, I had fun. I hope the husband did, too. Now, I have way too much free time, and Rich has none at all. It's going to be a crazy rest of the month. Well, at least for one of us.