What I Do With My Degree

I was showing Jeff pictures I had recently taken on the camera. When he saw this picture he said, "Looks like a baby from GQ." After he said that my creative juices started flowing and I couldn't resist turning the picture into a cover for our imaginary Baby GQ magazine.

Monumental

It all started with Charlotte's Web. I was in about third grade and so excited to read a book that was not assigned in school. My mom told me this book made her cry when she was little, so I decided to give it a try. I only made it halfway through. I was interested, but for some reason, I put the book down and walked away. Never to return to it again.

I have done the same thing with countless other books. In fact, I successfully passed Honors English without reading one book in its entirety. My sister, who is an avid reader, loved to joke about the fact that I was incapable of finishing a book. I tried several times to love reading, but I felt like it was a waste of time even if I did find the books interesting.

College came and that was four years of skimming many textbooks. I think my reading skills drastically improved from reading all the textbooks forced upon me. However, when I had free time, the very last thing I ever wanted to do was read.

So I graduated. And I kept hearing all this talk about libraries, books, keeping my mind active. I decided to give reading another shot. I started with The Scarlet Pimpernel - a book I was supposed to read in 8th grade. I loved it! Then came Mutant Message Down Under. I was intrigued! I started The Hunger Games and found myself aching for sleep but actually unable to put the book down. Who is this girl I've become?!?

But the moment I knew I was truly converted to reading was today at 8:03. I realized I was in book limbo. I just finished The Hunger Games and I had nothing waiting to be cracked open next. I glanced at the clock and thought, "Dang. I bet the library's already closed." After some quick internet research I found it didn't close until 9:00. Before I knew it I was out the door on a mad dash to the library.

I pulled up to the library and I think my heart skipped a beat. My new love. I walked inside the book sanctuary and sighed at the now familiar smell of worn pages. I quickly walked over to the Young Adult section. (My mom makes fun of me because I haven't matured to the adult books yet, but one step at a time.) I was so proud I was able to find my book in less than a minute. I checked the book out and handed over my library card. Yes. I said it. My name is Sarah Excell, I own a library card, and I can finally finish a book!

The Nebraskans Make A Visit

I finally got to meet my 7-month old nephew last weekend! 

   

Evidence of the many chocolate covered strawberries that were made:

Jacob insisted his family be dressed in blue for BYU game day.

Eli and Logan! They are only four months apart. 

Luckily we happened to bring something blue for Eli to wear on Saturday. Otherwise I don't know if Grandpa Thomas would be holding the little guy...

Emma loved making fat jokes about Eli. Every time she saw him we heard something along the lines of, "Oh. He IS big, isn't he." "He must drink a lot of milk." "Eli looks strong." "Natalie was a big baby when she was little, too." She could only hold him for a few minutes because he got too heavy for her. She cracked me up.

Go T-Birds!

I was so happy to hear my grandparents were going to be joining us for our Labor Day festivities.

The festivities included the typical homemade ice-cream. Here's Brooke licking the bowl clean.

It's fun, it's challenging, it's exciting, it's Sequence. (Natalie and Brad - we're officially obsessed.) (Grandma - you are still on my black list.)

And finally, proof that Jeff was in fact there, but this was the only picture taken of him.

It was a super fun trip up north to see so much family.

Stories of Jeff Excell - The First Library Run-In

Many a Jeff Excell story happened in the SUU library. I spent much of my sophomore year legitimately doing homework there while Jeff spent much of his library time mixing and mingling with everyone he knew.

Time went on after that fateful Sunday when we met. I don't know the details, but somehow he became pretty good friends with Leslie. They hung out a few times and I didn't really pay too much attention to it. I do remember her telling us he was 25. Kenz and I ran up to our rooms laughing at Leslie for not realizing he was probably one of those super seniors in desperate search of a wife. Leslie and Jeff had a bond right from the start, but I was a little hesitant to be overly friendly with a 25-year-old.

Leslie's obsession with Jeff's last name never died. These were common phrases from Leslie, "I was texting Jeff Excell today and..." "I saw Jeff Excell at school today." "Jeff Excell asked me to give the prayer in church." On several occasions we would be talking about him and if someone just said Jeff we would look confused and ask, "...who?"
The person would have to clarify with "Jeff Excell."
We knew no Jeff. We knew him only as Jeff Excell.

We quickly realized Jeff and Leslie were just friends and Jeff was not the wife-hunting type. Leslie would tell us about Jeff's crushes and we learned he had eyes for another girl in the ward. It wasn't me. It wasn't any of my roommates. After I heard about this crush, I thought they would be cute together and enjoyed watching Jeff try to make his moves on her during church. We will call said crush Kami.

One night, Kenz and I were at the library. Kenz said, "Oh look! There's Jeff Excell!"
"Is he with Kami?!?" I said, eager to secretly watch their romance bloom in the library.
"I don't think so. He's coming over here."
At this point in our story, Jeff and I hadn't really talked other than our introductions in sunday school. Kenz and I were sitting behind computer desks and we could only see Jeff from the waist up. Kenz had seen Jeff around the library several times before this incident, but this was my first encounter with him.
He came over and said hi.
Kenz said, "Jeff Excell, you're in the library a lot."
"I love it here. It's like a party every night in the library." (These aren't exact words, but close.)
We noticed Jeff was in basketball attire and had a backpack on. I'm guessing the backpack was more for the sake of appearing like he had a reason to be in the library besides just socializing. Jeff must have noticed I was looking at his clothes. He pulled one foot up to where we could see it and he had on a high blue sock. Then he lifted up the other foot and he had on a purple sock.

He said something funny like, "Are you judging me because I have on two different colored socks?" I didn't even see his socks until he lifted up his leg. I laughed and decided Jeff Excell is kind of funny. We said our goodbyes and then I watched Jeff ping pong from person to person in the library. I became a little more intrigued with that 25-year-old and his mismatched socks.

Got Milk?

Here's Eli at one week and three months. My latest question for the pediatrician is: Can babies get stretch marks on their cheeks?