Brady, Cheree & Harper

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous Halloween this year. Harper was the cutest Oompa Loompa there ever was! She was so much fun and I can't wait until next year... I hope it is one of her favorite holidays because its mine!

New

2011-09-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

Someday I think she will actually smile for me :) For now... this is what we get.

14 months old.... how time flies.

Please Vote!!

2011-06-06T08:47:00.001-07:00

Please vote for Harper by simply clicking on this link (or copying and pasting to browser) and pressing submit vote!!

http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/900636?esrc=nwphotofaves_pmcover11

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. It would be so fun to see her on the cover of Parents!

Yikes..

2011-04-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

I need to put video up of Harper crawling.... yes, she is crawling. The other new adventure we are embarking upon is her pulling herself up on things. I walked in her room today only to find her on her feet standing up next to her chair. I couldn't even believe it. Time seems to be moving faster than I could have dreamed. Often I just sit and hope that I can remember every little detail about every stage she goes through... but things are just moving too fast... including her!
We just did the majority of the house cleaning this week and I got most of the baby proofing done. At Harper's last Dr appointment they told me I should start baby proofing because she would be on the move soon and I kind of just rolled my eyes. She'll probably be walking before she is one.. just because I don't want her to!
Anyway, things have been busy around here. I am working full time and am trying to keep up with everything else going on these days. Thankfully I love coming home every day to my sweet little family. I can't wait until we can expand on it even more!

Here are a few pictures of what she's been up to lately.

She loves her baths!

This was a photo I took for a Valentines gift for her daddy! We got her all dolled up.

Again in the bath.. you can't really see them, but she now has two little bottom teeth. They are super cute.... but holy cow they are sharp!

This is what I often find her doing.... chewing on anything she can find. Butt cream anyone?!

8 Months

2011-04-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Harper just had her pictures done. They turned out better than I could have imagined! My good friend Natalie is the photographer for NHS Photography (she did Harper's baby photos as well). She has a new studio and we were lucky enough to get the pictures done there. Seriously Nat was so patient, even through all the costume changes :)

Enjoy....

Harper's Bedding

2011-04-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

This has been a long time coming. Harper will be 9 months this week and I am barely getting this up! How time flies.

I spent months while I was pregnant going through just about every website that sells baby bedding and I just could not find anything that I really loved and when I did... it was super expensive. So I decided I better go to the fabric store and find what I liked. I found a bunch of material that I loved and I bought it!

One of my friends is an extremely talented person and I asked her if she could make Harper's bedding. She amazingly did it for me as a gift and I couldn't be more thankful.

It is seriously darling. I didn't even have a plan or know exactly how I wanted it to look so she just ran with it and it turned out perfect!

She even made a fitted sheet.... FABULOUS!

Here are a few pictures (not great, but they work).

You can see the inside of the bumper pads, but the outside has different material all across the outside. I need to get a photo of the front side because its so great!

She even made a little 'h' pillow with all the leftover material.

If you are interested in having her make bedding for you... let me know and I can get you in touch with her. She is really great and I highly recommend her!

Just so I don't forget..

2011-02-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

Harper is now 6 months old! She is growing like a weed. She is now 16lbs and 11oz and about 26 inches long. I counted the rolls on the back of her legs and she has four... they are amazing :) She is the cutest most kissable baby ever!

She has been rolling over for about a month or so and she is starting to really get the hang of sitting up. Our doctor told us to baby proof the house now because it comes faster than you think. I really can't believe I already have to start baby proofing. This has me a little freaked out. She will be one before I know it!

She talks all the time... she started snorting yesterday (hilarious) and she loves to eat. She eats everything and loves it (she doesn't LOVE prunes but she'll eat them).
She laughs and its adorable... but its not always the easiest thing to get her to laugh. She still holds back. Although, when it comes to her smile.. she is constantly smiling!!
One of the funniest things she does is when she is unsure about someone or a little scared she sticks her bottom lip out so far and just has the saddest little cry. I need to catch it on camera one of these days because it is pretty priceless.

She is keeping me on my toes... I feel like her teeth are just going to pop up one of these days but I'm sure she will really let me know when they actually start to come in.
She loves to sit and stare at her daddy... its so funny to watch her. She also loves to watch Reggie's every move. Reggie can make her smile even when she is upset. I am really happy that they get along so well. Reggie is always checking to make sure she is okay. I hope he still loves her when she is tugging on him and chasing him around the house.

Anyway, here are a few pictures I have taken with my phone recently. I will probably be doing another post with pictures from my actual camera, but these will have to do for now.

She Already Loves Chocolate.. I know I'm a bad mom :) (now public)

2011-01-26T12:36:00.000-08:00

Harper is 4 months old!!

2010-11-29T12:32:00.000-08:00

The little one went in today for her 4 month appointment. She is now 13lbs and 13oz. and is 25 inches long. She is just one perfect little girl! She did really well and was actually enjoying her doctor visit until she got her shots... not fun! Anyway, just wanted to give you all a quick little update. She is my favorite little girl.

Day 23 - 15 Facts about me

2010-11-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

1- My favorite color is red
2- I have been married for 7 years
3- I am a mom
4- My favorite store is H&M
5- My second favorite store is Sephora
6- I am a Jr in college
7- I love art
8- If I could choose anywhere to live of all the places I have been, it would be La Jolla, CA
9- I love treats
10- I have a dog named Reggie and he is the cutest
11- I live in an awesome neighborhood
12- I want 3 more kids (not so sure it will happen though)
13- The ocean is one of my most favorite places to be
14- In bed with my whole family IS my most favorite place to be
15- I am in a book club

Day 22 - A letter to someone who has hurt me recently

2010-11-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

Dear H&M,

You hurt me every day that you do not have a location in Utah. Please rectify this soon.

Sincerely,

Your loyal customer

Day 21 - A photo of something that makes me happy

2010-11-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

I am missing her while at work today... and oh boy isn't she just the cutest thing! She lights up my life. Being a mom is the best thing I could have ever asked for. I love it!

Day 20 - The meaning behind your blog name... and other stuff

2010-11-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

Well no meaning there! I simply just have our first names listed. I know, I am lame! So since this post is so dumb, I am going to put Harper's blessing day pics up. She sure is one gorgeous little baby!

She went right to sleep as soon as we started taking pictures of her in the dress... nice. Oh but on the day she was blessed, she was a total dream. She didn't cry once during the blessing and I think she just sort of looked around. She is such a good baby. Anyway, Brady did an amazing job at the blessing.. can't believe it was his first time! We are so blessed and lucky to have her in our family.

These are of her on her way to church... she is so tiny!

Day 19 - A picture of myself

2010-11-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

I feel like this is getting old?! Me in China last October... finally found Mt. Dew, it was a blessing :)

Day 18 - Something I crave a lot

2010-11-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

I could eat here anytime! I love Red Iguana... their mole is the bomb. I love spicy food too, so this place always hits the spot. Yum!

Day 17 - a picture of your family

2010-11-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

Day 16

2010-11-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

Why show you one when I can show you five??

Day 15 - Something I don't leave the house without

2010-11-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

This is what gets me around... and I love it. It's one of my favorite things and I love that it has so much room too. Its also really comfortable and has a lot of neat little features. New cars rule! I am very lucky and thankful to be able to have this car right now.

Day 14 - a TV show I am currently addicted to

2010-11-17T14:18:00.000-08:00

I've been addicted for a while, I can't get enough. If you haven't seen it before, get it and watch it.

Day 13

2010-11-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

My favorite musician and why:

Ben Harper is the man... literally. It is hard to choose exactly who is my favorite artist of all time, but he is definitely in the top five. It also doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes. He is also another reason why I love the name Harper... I hope she likes him someday too :)

Anyway, it's hard to explain why I love him so much, because almost all of his music just does it for me. How does one explain? Basically there isn't a time when one of his songs can turn my mood around... I heart him. Not only is his solo albums awesome but all the other little groups and bands he has, they are great!

Day 12

2010-11-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

Utah is RAD!

Day 11

2010-11-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

These are a couple things that just landed in my makeup bag this last weekend. I went to Vegas and happened upon this amazing store in Caesar's Palace 'Inglot'. It's awesome, but of course not in Utah. Soooo, I picked up a couple things... you could say it made my day :)

Day 10

2010-11-17T13:44:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite places to eat.

The Dodo is the bomb.

Day 9

2010-11-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

A photo of an item I last purchased.

I just had to have a diet coke today.... and Sonic's ice is the best!!

Day 8 - a song to match my mood

2010-11-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

I love this song today.

Day 7

2010-11-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

My dream wedding...

Obviously I loved my wedding and there are only a few minor things I would go back and change... but if I had to jump seven years ahead and plan it again (seeing as a lot can change in 7 years, i.e. taste, colors, styles and if I had endless amounts of cash to spend, etc.) I think this would be how I might do it. This also might give you a glimpse of how extremely indecisive I am :)

I love these bridesmaids gowns because they are all different fabric, print and style. I would love something like this for my bridesmaids but probably more of a gunmetal gray color. I don't really do pink.

Love this cake, such a fun idea and very simple.

If I was doing something a little more fancy I might go with this. I am really into grey and yellow together.

Maybe something like this for a grooms cake?

I would definitely go back and redo the shoes. I love these shoes... They belong in my closet.

I am really into this whole country chic thing. Its super cool and kind of perfect for Utah.

Another example of country meets elegant... isn't it awesome?!

This would be if I was going a little bit more fancy... love it.

And I love this idea if you were to do an outdoor wedding.. this is such a neat way to keep your guests wanting to hang out and stay. Its such a fun idea.

And this is a little glimpse into what my wedding actually looked like. I LOVED my flower arrangements the most... it was cool because not one of them was alike. Anyway, to go back and do it again. I think I would just take more time to really think and process through what I really wanted, but all in all I still think it fits me pretty great!

Day 6

2010-11-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

This is an animal I would love to keep as a pet.

Most of you probably don't know this, but I love horses. If I had land and the money.... I would love to own a few horses. They are beautiful!!

Day 5 - two years ago

2010-11-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

I think the flash is what is making me look so sickly... ha ha, but this is a photo of me two years ago when I chopped off all my hair. I don't have many pictures of just myself, I am usually with someone else... so there were slim pickings.

Day 4 - Favorite photo

2010-11-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite photo of my very best friend... I heart him every day :)

I think in this picture he was picking up the shells on the shore of Bear Lake and throwing them... basically he makes me laugh all the time and I love him for it. He always seems to know when I need a little pick me up. Thanks honey for being the best.

Day 3 - the perfect date

2010-11-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

My perfect date would consist of this:

And then this:

With of course, just him:

And then end the night like this:

Day 2 - a little behind

2010-11-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

I had one of these today or rather, yesterday. I was going to take a picture of my dinner and I cannot find my camera battery anywhere! So, this is what you get.
Hope you all had a lovely Tuesday. I am going to enjoy my late morning Wednesday by doing some laundry. Oh and I am contemplating whether I should start p90x.... anyone have suggestions?

Why can't we be friends?

2010-11-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Day One

2010-11-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

My day went pretty great! I have been trying to shake a cold and today was the first morning I woke up and didn't feel like death. When I woke up I was able to feed and cuddle little Harper and then I had to get ready for work. Work went well and I even slipped away and took a little break to DSW. I have a couple of gift cards from my birthday that I needed to use, so I got some really awesome boots. Can't wait to wear them! Something about buying shoes... I call it shoe therapy. It works, try it sometime.

Then I got home, took Harper for a walk... trying to enjoy the warmer weather while I can. Now I am in the middle of cooking some tri tip steak, mashed potatoes and squash for dinner! Should be delicious. Oh and did I mention that Harper is the cutest thing ever? She is so much fun... and I love coming home to her and have her be so excited to see me. She's the best!

Here is a picture of me from a little over a year ago. I kind of miss the blond. Maybe next summer I will go back?

30 Days of Blog Fun!

2010-10-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

I am going to attempt this challenge! Let's hope I can stick with it :)

Hope you all are having a Happy Halloween!!

30 Day Blog Challenge
Day 1 – A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.
Day 2 – A photo of something you ate today.
Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.
Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend.
Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago.
Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.
Day 7 – Your dream wedding.
Day 8 – A song to match your mood.
Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.
Day 10 – A photo of your favorite place to eat.
Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?
Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.
Day 13 – Your favorite musician and why?
Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to.
Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without.
Day 16 – Your celebrity crush.
Day 17 – A photo of you and your family.
Day 18 – Something you crave a lot.
Day 19 – Another picture of yourself.
Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name.
Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy.
Day 22 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.
Day 23 – 15 facts about you.
Day 24 – A photo of something that means a lot to you.
Day 25 – What’s in your purse?
Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to.
Day 27 – A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?
Day 28 – Your favorite movie.
Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing.
Day 30 – A photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past.

Getting Back Into the Grind

2010-10-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

I guess this is just a little rant about how its been to get back into the swing of things after having a baby. I knew it was going to change my life, but I guess I just didn't realize how? I mean how can anyone really plan or know how it will change them until it actually happens? I think I am pretty easy going, so it hasn't been an overwhelming adjustment, it has all felt very natural and I love that. In fact, it surprises me how much I love being a mom and how easy it has been. Even the sleepless nights don't really bother me. (Let's hope I am saying this months from now when we are going through teething, sicknesses, and years from now when we are going through the terrible twos and threes). Anyway, I guess the real adjustment has been emotional rather than physical.
From the moment she was born and rushed to the ICU I felt guilt. Guilt for not being able to carry her the full 40 weeks, guilt for missing out on the first seven days of her life, guilt for not spending more time with her, guilt for having to eventually go back to work, etc. etc. How come nobody warned me about the overwhelming guilt I would feel? I have conquered most of these things by just understanding that there was/is nothing I could have done to change them, but that feeling really surprised me.
It is hard to describe what it has been like to get back to work. Fortunately for me I love my job and really enjoy the people I work with. It has just been hard to leave her, and I feel guilty for putting her on other people. My family has really been great and helped me every week and I am so grateful for all of them. Brady has a crazy weird schedule so each week is a challenge to figure out where she will be going and for how long, but so far it has been working out great. Thanks family :)
I know that this is a challenge that will become easier and I am excited for that day, but I think I will always feel a sense of guilt for not being able to be with her all the time, after all, she is my responsibility! However, all of these emotions and feelings have been so worth it and I would do it over and over again just to have her in my life. She has been one of the biggest blessings in my life and I will always be grateful to her for choosing us to be her parents.
I can't wait to continue to grow our little family and see where we end up years from now. Its been so exciting to finally have a little family unit and I really love it!
Its funny because I would complain in my pregnancy about why other women didn't warn you about all the weird, horrible, painful and annoying things that happen to you during pregnancy. NOW I UNDERSTAND! None of that stuff matters once you have that sweet baby in your arms. I would do it over and over and over again! Granted, I will be fully honest with you about all those crazy things, afterall, you should know what you are getting into! But, in the end it is worth every aching moment, even when your epidural doesn't work :)

Little Harper has literally lit up my life and changed me for the better. Thank you baby!

Harper's first photo shoot

2010-10-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Harper's first photo shoot. We already have had one more with the whole family, just waiting to get the disc for those. I seriously miss her being this tiny. These were taken just 10 days after she was born. Oh how I miss it already!!

These were taken by my dear friend. She is really great, if you are interested in having her do photos for you or want to look at more of her stuff check her out here and here.

Far Behind

2010-09-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

I am finding it hard to update the blog on a regular basis and I don't want to forget what has been happening around here. So here is a list of blogs soon to come your way (hopefully).

- Pictures
- trip to St. George
- Harper's blessing
- Harper's 2 month appointment
- the State fair
- Going back to work

I am sure I can think of more too! Now I just have to find the time!

The Swing... the Glorious Swing

2010-09-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my awesome brother Stevie and amazing sister-in-law Jayme, we are able to borrow this really great swing for Harper. She LOVES it! She doesn't like to be in it all the time, just for an hour or so a day (which is great help for me when I need to get things done) but she is just so cute in it. I had to take some pictures so you can also view how her swinging adventures go.

This is Harper staring up at the cute little mobile that spins around.

Her starting to interact with the little fish, turtle and whale.

Here she is seriously concentrating on saying something!

And finally, the cute little smiles that she gives them. I love that she loves her swing!

Camping!

2010-09-21T17:45:00.001-07:00

We decided on Labor day weekend to pack up and do a little overnight camping excursion. Harper was six weeks at the time, but it was a huge success! We went up Farmington canyon just found a spot!

Harper riding in Dad's truck for the very first time.... not sure how she liked the four wheeling...
Reggie came too of course :)

Brady and my nephew Caleb.

Harper all wrapped up the morning after.

Harper and a picture of the fire in the background... we had to prove that she really did camp!

I think she slept most of the time, and I think she only woke up one time in the night. It was perfect and both Brady and I were really excited to get away, even just for one night! Can't wait to go camping more often, until next year!

More...

2010-09-02T11:07:00.001-07:00

Just had to post a few REALLY cute pictures. She has just started to really smile and I can't stand how cute it is!!

Oh and I had to post a picture of her first diet coke :)

Photo Shoot

2010-08-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

Harper's first photo shoot... check 'em out here. http://nhsphotography.blogspot.com

Once I get the disc, I will post more.

The days turning into nights...

2010-08-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

So I can't even tell track of time anymore... and I am totally ok with that. I have never been so in love and enamored by one thing. She is amazing.

Harper came home on Saturday, July 31st and we couldn't have been more excited and happy about it. She has been eating like a champ and sleeping like a dream (I actually have to wake her up to eat half the time) and she is just so dang cute. I could just sit and stare at her for hours and hours, and I do :)

Anyway, here are some pictures. She just had her first photo shoot yesterday and I can't wait to get them back and see them. But these pictures will have to do for now... she is just changing so much every day I want to remember this time forever!

Update

2010-07-28T12:13:00.001-07:00

So Harper got off to a little bit of a rough start. She was born on Saturday July 24th.. my little firecracker :) She weighed in at a whopping 5lbs 12oz and 18.5 inches long.

She has been in the NICU since she was born on the 24th. She had some respiratory problems and she has been trying to overcome that as well as a couple other things. Good news is.. she is progressing wonderfully! She should hopefully be home in a few days if all goes well.

Anyway, just a short update! She is off oxygen and is in an open air crib so things are looking really, really good.

It is true that she is now my EVERYTHING. I love that little girl more than life itself. Can't wait to bring her home and be with her.

its time! in the hospital now. Harper is on her way!

2010-07-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

Many, Many Blessings

2010-07-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened this past week. Fortunately, I am starting to see passed all the scariness of it. I am starting to get really, really excited about Harper arriving and what she is going to add to our little family. I seriously can't wait to meet her.
I am feeling very blessed these days, from so many different angles and I had to write about a few of them.
I have always known this, but realized lately more and more what a great supportive family I and Brady have. I love them all and thank them so much for being there for us already in so many different ways. I can't remember a time when I have received more phone calls and messages asking me how I am doing and making sure we know that if we need anything that we just have to ask. Thanks family... you are the best.
Also, I have to give a shout out to my amazing friends... near and far. I have been blessed to have such great girlfriends that will listen and are concerned about us. I appreciate their support and can't wait to be able to give them the same in return whenever it is needed. I hope the saying is true that "you are the company that you keep" because they are amazing... hopefully I can learn a few things :)
This past weekend I was thrown a baby shower from my new ward. I was a little hesitant about it, not knowing if anyone would show (I haven't met many people yet and just wasn't sure how it would all turn out). I can say that I have never felt more blessed in my whole life. SO many people showed up and or stopped by to introduce themselves. I am so lucky to have such a great little neighborhood with so many people willing to help and take time to show others they care.
Anyway, just feeling very sentimental and grateful for all that I have been given lately!
I am so lucky to be where I am today and I am so grateful for the opportunity to become a mother. I can't wait for Harper to meet the amazing group of people I am surrounded by.

Thank you!!!

Forever 21

2010-07-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

Okay so I just have to say that I am super excited about Forever 21 right now. They have just started a maternity line!! Like whoa! Very exciting.

The South Towne mall has the line there, the one at Gateway does not... just FYI. Anyway, the other thing that is great about this store is that they are now doing a plus size line AND a kids line... I love it! The plus size is great because half of the shirts at this store don't fit me based upon the enormous size of my boobs :) Soooo this gives me a few more options for things to fit.. yay!

Also after stopping by today I found a pair of men's jeans for Brady for only 18 bucks... seriously? So here's to hoping he likes them and they fit!

Thank you Forever 21 for making my day.

The joys of pregnancy...

2010-06-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

My feet, hands and face have been swelling really bad lately. I am trying to lower my sodium intake but that has proven harder said than done. This is after sitting at a desk for most of the day.

Have I said lately how excited I am for the next six weeks to be over?

**Please excuse the lack of care that has gone into my feet.... I can't reach them anymore so polishing them on my own is out of the question.

Baby Shower with the BEST buddies!

2010-06-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

My awesome and best friends Lisa and Lindsay threw an amazing shower for me at the first of June. There was much thought and preparation put into this event, even down to the cute little name tags on food. When I first saw the invites I knew it was going to be a really special party. I couldn't be more appreciative for all the time and money that this took. Thanks to all of my friends for making this a really fun and special day for me!

Here are some pictures that Natalie took at the shower: (side note) I am super huge and swollen already so not a lot of the pics are very flattering of me.... which also means that not all of my friends, including Nat, got there pic up on my blog... just know I still love you :)

Kim, me, Corinne, Heidi, Lindsay

Cute little outfit for Harper... she is going to look so cute in it.. I already know! Thanks Lisa.

Lisa and I trying to do a belly shot! Mine is bigger than this picture actually makes it look :)

Lisa and Heidi

Me and Kimba!

Me and Coco!

These chips and salsa were AMAZING!!

Cucumber sandwiches! These were a BIG hit.

The awesome flowers that Melissa did!

Seriously I can't thank you all enough... it really meant a lot that you all came and showed your support for our upcoming arrival! Harper can't wait to meet you all :)

Vegas with the Girls!

2010-06-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial weekend me and a few of my besties went to Vegas. Fortunately I got a sweet deal on the hotel because my sister works for a hotel and we were able to get friends and family discount! Woot, woot!
The hotel was great because it was off the strip so it wasn't a smoke filled casino. I don't usually mind that so much but while being pregnant the whole casino thing kind of makes me sick. Needless to say we didn't go on the strip much (me and the girls have all been to Vegas numerous times so the strip thing wasn't so important). We all wanted and needed a little relaxing away time. We basically ate, slept, shopped and walked a little bit, which was PERFECT!
The most important thing we wanted to do was to shop at H&M... which we did... more than once and more than twice :) I got a few things for the baby and a few things for me. We also ate at a yummy sushi restaurant. Then I was able to partake in one of the best things I have EVER drank.... frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity 3. It was amazing... and now I dream about it every day.
It was a much needed trip and I think we were all able to get some sun and fun while being able to relax at the same time.

Here are a few pictures from the trip!
Me so excited that I have a frozen hot chocolate... yum, yum!

Corinne just hanging out in the hotel!

Two big bellies at Bellagio!! Man I can't believe how large I am getting.

The awesome gardens at Bellagio. I always try and make a trip there to see what they have going on, this was very impressive.

Natalie trying to get the phone to work at the phone bank.

Me and Lisa again!

Lisa and Nat sharing their frozen hot chocolate.... I got a whole one just to myself :)

Again with the frozen hot chocolate... seriously it's that good.

Me at the phone banks.... has anyone ever seen The Hangover?

We also got some frogurt! Seriously good when its almost 90 degrees outside.

I have a couple more posts to do... I had a pretty sweet shower with my friends and I can't wait to talk about it!

Short and Sweet...

2010-05-28T08:07:00.001-07:00

I just have to give a little shout out to my awesome husband. I was able to go to his pinning/graduation ceremony last night for his MBA at the Grand America. It was truly amazing. It made me reflect a lot last night on how far he has come and how much he has accomplished in the short amount of time I have known him. He is someone to admire and he makes me a better person. I appreciate all the hard work and the many hours of work and school he has put in. With this degree there were a lot of sacrifices he had to make to get it and I just can't believe it is over! It all flew by much faster than I could have ever imagined. We have seen and done a lot together in only 8 years of being together. I am so grateful for the person that he is and admire his driven spirit. I don't think I have ever met anyone as driven as him.
It's funny how life works, but he always said he wanted to be finished with school and start a family when he was 30.... looks like the cards all lined up right. Anyway, I really love and appreciate him so much and I can't wait to see him as a father... I already know he is going to be a wonderful dad. Thanks for everything honey, you truly are the biggest blessing in my life!!

Ummmm....

2010-05-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yes please.... to Ryan that is.

Double Digits

2010-05-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

We are officially in the double digits! Today marks 99 more days until the baby arrives (well hopefully). Now that my school is over I can actually start to think about bringing home a baby and its getting me very excited, nervous and a little anxious. I can't believe this journey is more than half way over. I only have about 14 more weeks left. Anyway, I thought 99 days sounded really great... glad to be on the downward spiral to meeting our little one :)

Starting to Prepare

2010-04-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

I have finally started to get a little prepared for the baby. I haven't had much time to think about it and I still really won't until the semester is over (only a few more weeks!!). However, what little bit of baby preparation I have done has been really fun.

I got lucky and found out that Petunia Picklebottom was having a sale on their 2009 line of diaper bags and other things. I got this awesome bag for almost $70 cheaper than what I would have paid for the original. SCORE!

Then I have a great friend that is going to sew my entire crib set for me. I went and picked up the fabric I wanted at a great place called Material Girls. It took me two trips to figure out what I wanted because there are so many options, but Lisa helped me make the final decisions... thanks friend! I can't wait to see the finished product. For now you can see the picture of all the great stuff I got.

I think I have finally chosen the wall colors too... can't wait to start getting her room in order! There is much to be done before that even happens but I am starting to get much more excited. Oh and I also can feel her moving around all the time which is completely surreal. This experience has been pretty crazy so far and I can't wait for the rest of it!

Fun times during a dull season.

2010-03-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

There isn't much to report on these days. Seems like I can't wait until this semester will end. I am looking forward to a much needed break this year. Oh wait there are a couple of things we have done....

Brady and I had a much needed vacation to New York a couple of weeks ago. It was fun to show him around and for us to explore the city together. We really had a lot of fun. Brady originally said he never wanted to go there because he didn't think he would like it. Well after seeing the city just after the first day he turned to me and said "I think I know why people would want to live here". Enough said :)
It was fun to catch up with my cousin Leslie - she was great to put us up while we were there. We also had a delicious home cooked meal by one of my friend's (Heidi) that lives out there. One of the highlights of this trip was to go to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and see an exhibit by Tim Burton. It was SO cool. They had costumes and set pieces from some of his movies. We even got to see the actual outfit that Johnny Depp wears in Edward Scissorhands... so incredible! There were a lot of other really neat things to see and read about him. I have always been a really big fan but am absolutely taken back by his creativity and imagination. Not to mention that he is a stellar artist too!
Here are a few pictures from our adventure. (having trouble downloading the photos, I will try and get them up asap)

Then the week following my trip I took a little girlie trip with some of my besties (Nat, Mieken & Tiffany) to Wendover. We made my Jr. High dream come true and I got to see Boys II Men live in concert. It was actually pretty amazing. There are only three left but they are all originals and they all still have pretty amazing voices. I was loving every second... I felt like a kid again!
It was a lot of fun and I don't think I have stayed up until 5am in a very, very long time. Thanks again girlies for the fun!!

Last but not least I have my official ultra sound this coming Friday. I keep having dreams that I am really having a boy and so I think one more ultrasound and one more confirmation that the baby is REALLY a girl will give me a lot of peace. I mean we were pretty certain she is a girl at my last one, but these dreams are making my brain crazy. Gotta love the pregnancy dreams. Oh and my stomach has officially popped out! I can't really get around hiding it any more.... I already feel huge so it should be interesting to see how much bigger I am really going to get. Oh the joys! Fun stuff.

Her First Photos

2010-03-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

Besides finding out what the gender was, I think my next favorite part was seeing our little one moving around. It is such a relief to see the little heart beating and to see her kicking around. I loved seeing these photos and continue looking at them often. This really made my pregnancy feel real. Up to this point I haven't really been sick and I haven't felt her move yet, so this is all the reference I have of being pregnant besides the extra few pounds I have put on.
Here are a few of the pictures they gave us... so cute!
Her little foot

The spine and arm

The spine

She loves moving her hands around. They were always in the funniest positions.

I love this shot the most, very cool profile. The one that we have of her face looks really creepy so I decided against posting it! I can't wait to see what she will actually look like.

And so the name searching continues.....

It's a.......

2010-02-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

GIRL!!!!

Can't even believe it ;) After three trips to Fetal Fotos we finally know. I am so excited to start shopping! I think my biggest challenge will be picking out a name.

The waiting game

2010-02-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

We can officially leave the gender poll up, because little baby didn't want to cooperate today. I say its a girl just because it is being so stubborn :)
Anyway, we have another appointment next Wednesday so hopefully then we will be able to tell what it is. Baby was just hanging out on its head vertical. We couldn't really get a bum or a face shot. Too bad! I guess this is my karma for being so inpatient?

Until next week!

Why I'm Excited...

2010-02-17T12:09:00.001-08:00

Basically this year is going to be the best. Besides all the life changing events coming my way, I am also SUPER excited that there are TWO (not just one... but TWO) Leo movies coming out. It's the little things in life, right?
I will be seeing Shutter Island on Friday night... opening night baby! Can't wait.
Can we say obsessed? Mmmmm... perhaps.

1 Week

2010-02-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

I am officially getting super anxious to find out the gender of the baby. I decided that March 19th wouldn't be soon enough, so we are going to Fetal Fotos in one week. I can't wait!! Now I just need YOU to vote on the right :)

Everyone has asked me what I want.. and interesting enough I really could care less what the gender is. I have no preference, I think both will be a blast. I am sure like most people I hope I get to have the chance to have both a boy and a girl someday.... because look how much fun both of these are:
The cutest little boys socks... I love the idea of a sweet little guy being 'edgy' at such a young age!

Building rocket ships, playing with cars and truck and doing fun projects.
Everything girly vintage I love!!
And how I exciting the thought of dress up is :) One of my favorite things as a kid.

Wanting...

2010-02-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

LOVING the bird cage light fixture and the wallpaper. Ummm... pretty sure I might be taking a few ideas from here :)

If you don't already know.....

2010-02-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

You have probably been living under a rock!!
Brady and I are excited to announce that we are expecting our first baby on August 8th. I am now 13 weeks along and we officially heard the heartbeat yesterday. Everything is going really great. I have been very lucky not having any morning sickness and feeling really good overall.
We really can't wait! My ultra sound is coming up on March 19th, but I am thinking I might break down and go do fetal fotos. I am having a hard time waiting to find out what the gender is. Anyone ever have fetal fotos? If so, what week did you go and did you have luck?

OH SO Excited!!

2010-01-24T21:28:00.000-08:00

I am happy to say that I am officially returning to the BIG APPLE! Not just me this time, but Brady too. I am super excited to show him around and to see more things I missed from my last visit.

See you soon Lady Liberty! Oh and the other FAB part about going to NY... I get to see my awesome cousin Leslie and my good friend Heidi! Can't wait to see you ladies!!

Now I am just wishing I was leaving tomorrow....

Beijing #2

2010-01-24T13:20:00.001-08:00

I know that it is super lame that I am STILL posting pictures from a trip back in October, but we took so many pictures! It has actually been really fun going back and looking at all these photos and realizing what an amazing trip this truly was.
Here are more from Beijing. Only two more cities in China to go :)

Not sure if you can really tell from this picture, but if you look up close, you can see that this kids pants have a hole in them... (right in the bum). A lot of little kids have these so that they can just go to the bathroom wherever. We even saw a mom making her kid squat in the middle of the Forbidden City in the middle of a huge crowd of people.. really crazy! It's not something you would see every day in America, that's for sure!!

This is the large river/mote that surrounds the Forbidden City.

This stone work was actually carved from ONE piece of stone. I believe they said it took them almost two years just to get this stone in the city... so amazing!

Looking at one of the many beautiful buildings within the Forbidden City.

There were so many people and they did not allow you inside of the buildings. I literally had to push and shove people out of the way (as they did to me) in order to get a peek inside of these immaculate structures.

Looking out over one of the courtyards between buildings. I think there are 9 total buildings and in between all of them there are these courtyards. They don't all look the same, but all very impressive.

Looking at the ceiling of one of the buildings.

Having so much fun!

The army. They reminded me of what the Nazi's would have looked like if you were to see a group of them marching down the street. They were all very formal and were shouting orders and it was just very cool to see.

The entrance to the Forbidden City.

Tienanmen Square.

This is also in the middle of Tienanmen Square.

This lady would NOT leave Brady alone. She was trying to sell him a light up Bird's Nest... from the moment we stepped in the place to see the buildings from the Olympics, we were harassed. They are ruthless too, it takes a lot to get them to leave you alone. Brady was running in circles and she actually chased him around.. so random!

By the time we got to the Water Cube, it was too dark to really see it. We also did not get tickets to see the inside AND they didn't light it up this night either. So sad :(

The Olympic 2008 Hotel. Its supposed to look like an Olympic torch.

Inside the Birds Nest... very cool.

This stadium is so large I couldn't even get it in one shot. This stadium can hold up to 91,000 people at once. I wouldn't want to be there with that many people!

The outside view

Very neat structure.

Last but not least, one of the many lunches we ate in China! I didn't try the fish but I heard it was actually really good. Beijing was very cool and really neat. I loved going to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, those were probably two of my favorite things I did the whole time I was there.

Beijing

2010-01-17T10:25:00.001-08:00

The next place we went after Hong Kong was Beijing. This was originally where we were going first and I was SO excited to get there. I wanted to climb/see the Great Wall of China really bad. This was much more of a challenge than I thought it would be. I guess when they built the Great Wall they didn't have much of a standard on how big or little the steps had to be. Some steps were only a few inches high and then others would be almost two feet high! Plus it was extremely steep. So this shorty huffed and puffed the whole way up but I did in fact make it to the top... it was pretty exciting and very cool to experience. Here are some pictures below:
This is us before the big hike, look at those stairs!

This is the other side of of the wall that we didn't have time to walk on. If you happen to ever get a chance to do this, please make sure you give yourself enough time to do the whole loop. They only gave us two hours and we really needed half a day.

This is also towards the beginning looking up!

Close to the very top, looking down.

Both of us at the top :) So glad we made it, very cool.

These next couple of pictures are from the Jade factory we visited earlier that day. They can really make some incredible things with Jade. This is where I got my most favorite thing , my jade bracelet! I did finally take it off, but it take a bit of soap and water :)

Random building we saw while driving.

Now you can't really tell what is going on in this picture, but we had to try and get a shot of it. This was the first time we realized and saw with our own eyes that they DO NOT have car seats in China. This is literally someone holding their baby in their lap while driving... and its even more unbelievable when you see HOW they drive over there.... CRAZY!!! Whoa Britney Spears! Anyway, that was a pretty big culture shock, especially when their cars have air bags.

And these are just some funny little cart/taxi cars they have over there, fun stuff.

The next post will probably be a second post about Beijing, more to come from the neat Olympic sites we saw :)

Hong Kong #2

2010-01-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures from Hong Kong.
Below are some more fishing boats that were on the bay.... very cool to see.

Our very first trip to McDonalds... and YES it does taste the same. We were so happy to eat something other than Chinese food and we had only been there for two days :) McDonalds became our home away from home for a couple more days after too.

More pictures from the market... one of my favorite parts of the whole trip.

I don't even know what this is, but it was really gross.

This was at the floating boat restaurant... first time I have ever had to de-shell my own shrimp. They were really good though.... but it was a little unnerving to see the eyes and the antennas were SO long.

These are not in order, obviously, but this is me AFTER the 24 hours of traveling.... I was so done!

This was the first leg of the trip.. and we were still a little happy :)

The ocean from the plane... first time I have ever flown over the ocean.. glad I didn't have the window seat!

Hong Kong #1

2009-12-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

Okay so can I just express how frustrating I think Blogger is?! WHY can I only load FIVE pictures at a time, stupid. Anyway, I am going to have to do each city in China probably twice because I have SO many pictures. Blogger is so irritating, none of them are in order because it is just too difficult and time consuming to make them in order. SO as for my trip to China, yes it was almost two months ago, which I can't even believe but I now have some time to put up pictures for you all :)

Since they aren't really in order (I tried) I will just explain what they are under each photo. ENJOY!!

This was our first hotel room. It was a great room, very small, but really nice. The food they had for breakfast was actually pretty decent too. All the hotels had some form of "American breakfast" but some succeeded and others failed, miserably. Anyway, this bed here was great too, even though my feet were hanging off, it was probably the most comfortable bed we had. Apparently they like to sleep on cement in China.

One of our first lunches was at this little place. They had moist towelettes sitting next to our chopsticks that said 'Happy Wedding'. I don't even think they know what stuff says in English... too funny.

This is also the same restaurant. They had cases and cases of crazy seafood. I was sad we didn't get to try this kind of stuff. We got stuck with buffet style lunch every single day in China, and guess what?! It tasted pretty much the same wherever we went, which was really disappointing :(

We went on a trolley car that took us up this really high mountain to a place called Victoria's Peak. Anyway, this was our view once we got to the top. It was really pretty besides all the smog, which you can't get away from anywhere in China. The pollution is TERRIBLE, you wonder who is causing global warming??!

Both of the pictures above are looking down on the bay in Hong Kong.

The next day we went to a ten story mall called Time Square and there was this crazy lady promoting a Halloween haunted house in Hong Kong... too bad we couldn't experience that!

We took a little boat ride throughout the harbor, which was pretty cool to see all the old fisher boats and to see the Jumbo floating restaurant which we were eating at that very night.

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant by day.

Our crazy driver on the phone, not watching oncoming boats... it was fun.

This was actually after we went to the Time Square mall. We found a huge outdoor market and all the fish was still alive! They like it really, really fresh! I will have to figure out how to get video up on here too, because we took video of this market and it was really great. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was really neat to see how people in China live and this was definitely a cultural experience!

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant by night.

This was a picture I took from our trolley we were taking back to our hotel. We happened to be out on a Sunday which is China's biggest day, it is most people's only day off. They literally line the streets and just hang out even on the sidewalk just to get out of there house. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE!

Flashback...

2009-11-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

I know I need to get all my China pics up... so that will come sometime in the next month. I just can't keep up with things right now!

Anyway, the In-N-Out in Draper is opening today and I am really, really excited. This is going to be a really great thing and probably a really bad thing :) It's a little too close to my work!! As I was thinking about making that journey down there today I had a flashback of a previous visit to an In-N-Out.

I used to have this boss that would take things so personally and was so irritating. There is a lot more to this story but this is not the time or the place to go into that. However, we were down in California for an event that I totally nailed and as I was working at this event Brady, Lisa & Marty called and asked me if I wanted some In-N-Out. They were going to so kindly deliver it to me. As I was contemplating what I wanted I asked the few co-workers around me if they would also like some. Needless to say I didn't track down "she who must not be named" and the rest of the week was ruined because of my lack of thought for her. Hahahah... this has always been so ridiculous to me but today I think I finally can laugh at it.

I am so thankful for where I am at today and just wanted everyone to hear my little story. It's amazing the experiences we have to go through in order to appreciate what we have.

Hooray for Thanksgiving and hooray for In-N-Out :)

Reflection

2009-10-05T20:46:00.001-07:00

I am sitting at my sister-in-law's house babysitting the sweet, sweet girls and I realized this is the first time in almost a week where I have had a few minutes to reflect on things. I think the last post I did was saying how I need to remember to be more positive and count my blessings. Well, things got crazier really quick and now I am hoping I am dealing with it better than I feel like I am. I literally leave for China next week and I can't even start to think about all the things I need to do to prepare. School is so nuts and I am trying to get some assignments handed in before I leave so that I don't have a ton of stuff to do when I get back.
Oh and as I was driving to school today, I got a giant horrible anxiety ridden ball of yuckiness in the pit of my stomach when my mind finally wrapped around the idea of me having to fly on an airplane over the ocean for almost 14 hours!! Ummm... I don't know if you all know this but, I HATE flying. Yup, like hate it super duper bad.
Whatever, I will get over it once I am up in the air and hopefully at that point I will be self medicated but ya nerves are on edge right now for sure!

Well what I am trying to get at is that I was really excited about conference because I really really NEEDED it... and then I just happen to have to deal with our rental house and that is a whole nother story, but ya... its sitting at home recorded and that's all I want to do is watch it.

This little urge of mine... to want to watch conference is a sign that I am still a good person and that I still am on the right path. No seriously, have you ever just got SO caught up in life that you don't even remember what its all about? Sometimes I forget to do the right things and to remember to pray and all that other stuff that keeps us connected the way we should be. And perhaps that is why my life feels so much more crazier than it should be because I am not finding the time to do the things that are TRULY important.

So all of those thoughts have been running through my head and then today I went to Cathedral of the Madeline for a field trip in art history. I have driven past it many, many times but never been inside. OH my gosh. It is beautiful. The man that gave us the tour got choked up a couple of times when he was speaking about certain things regarding Christ's life and it touched my heart. It was such a neat experience.

As I was leaving the cathedral I was driving West on the back road of it (not quite north temple or south but right in the middle) and I drove over this hill. As I got higher on the hill I saw the top of the temple come into view. It seriously choked me up. The skies were so beautiful and the fountain was on and the temple was seriously the most amazing thing I have seen in so long. It made the whole day worth it... just to see that. It reminded me what is really important and I can't wait to make the time to go. I miss it. I just want to sit and do nothing and hear nothing and just be in peace... the temple really is SO special and I am so grateful to have it in my life.

So now you have a sneak peak into what my mind has been doing all day (because I write like I think and probably speak sometimes). Sorry that there aren't any fun pictures on here and just more of me venting and blabbering but I needed to tell someone... so hopefully someone reads it :)

Whirlwind..

2009-09-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

So as I expected... I have had little to no time on my hands lately with work, school, my car getting wrecked and homework. I took the summer off of school thinking that would prepare me and get me geared up for a full schedule of school as well as trying to get at least 25 to 30 hours of work in a week. Boy, was I wrong. Nothing could have prepared me for the madness that has become my life. There have been moments in the last three weeks where all I have done is complain or act miserable about my situation. This always ends up making me feel even worse, because this is something I chose to do. I WANT to go to school. I WANT to accomplish all of these things... so why such a negative attitude? I have still found a few nights where I have been able to go out and hang with friends... and just be, which I am grateful for.
The reason I am spewing all of this out is that I viewed a friends blog and her most recent post was about people being negative and "debbie downers". I realized that was me. Oh my gosh how did I get this way?!
It helped me get perspective and realize that I am SO blessed with all of the opportunities that lay before me. I am going to an amazing school, with great professors. I also have a great job that works with my schedule and its more like fun than work. I have great friends and family that listen to me vent when I really, really need it. I also have an amazing husband that helps and supports me through all of my crazy days and my bad moods at times. I have a cute little pup that always loves me even when I do get mad at him for peeing on my floor. I also have a lot of talent that I am so ready to explore and hopefully grow.
School can be really hard at times but it is helping me to grow and think in ways I never thought I could. It is also really, really fun!
Anyway, I am grateful for what I have and what life is placing before me. I have also been dreading my upcoming birthday (25). I feel like this is the age that I have to officially call myself an adult. There is no going back from here... I will be a quarter of a century old and a while ago I would have said that it's only down hill from here. I wish I never would have said that, because its so, so wrong. In fact life is only getting better and as an 'adult' I appreciate things so much more than I did when I was a kid. I even think school would have been more of a burden than something to appreciate... that's why I am a firm believe that everything has its time and everything happens for a reason. So now rather than dread my birthday, I am going to embrace it and make each year better and better! I said 2009 was going to be great, 2010 is going to be even better. I hope that I can keep up the good attitude and continue to simplify in order to make my life a little less hectic and leave a little time to reflect and not forgot what a great life I have.

Pioneer Celebrations!

2009-08-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

So somehow this particular blog post was left in the 'draft' section never to be seen until now :) Time apparently has really flown by when I am just barely posting about Pioneer day. Whatever. I can't believe it is basically September and I am already back to school.

Someone please tell me... where did summer go? Is it just that the older you get, time goes by faster? Seriously I need answers!

Anyway, above are some pictures from a little camping trip Brady and I took over the 24th of July. My parents and their friends were staying just outside of Manti somewhere. It was a really great place to camp and we had a lot of fun. My parents took us shooting and drove us around. We went past the highest point on Skyline drive so we had to snap a few shots. Oh and we just had to get pictures of about every single wild flower you can imagine... apparently my mom is doing a documentary or something.... ha ha ha!

Just a side note: I have officially started school at Westminster. So far I love it!! Try to remind me that I do once I have absolutely no time in my life for anything but school and work...mmmkay? Regardless, I am saying this so that you all know who don't talk to me everyday, that this is the reason why my blogging is going slower than usual. Thanks for the understanding :)

The Sleeping Bag

2009-08-04T21:28:00.001-07:00

So the sleeping bag just came in the mail today. Probably the cutest thing I have ever seen!!! And I totally thought Reggie would hate it and I would have to shove him in it and hold him there to take pictures... but no. He hopped right in and laid down, as if he knew that it was his. Have I mentioned that I have a REALLY smart dog?! Anyway, here are a few pictures of him laying in his new sleeping bag. I think I am going to make him sleep in it every night because it just makes me melt.

SOOOO BIG!!!

2009-07-30T19:57:00.001-07:00

Reggie is getting sooo big! He is just about a whopping 7lbs. He is so fun and still full of energy. He recently lost about 4 or 5 teeth in a matter of a day... thanks with the help of Warhol his buddy. Thanks Warhol! He finally sits when I tell him to and his recent trick is rolling over. Yes, thats right he rolls over and its super cute. The only problem I am running into with that trick is that I tell him to do something else and he just rolls over. Can't blame him... he just wants the treat! He loves treats like his mommy :)
Its like pulling teeth to get pictures of him because he won't sit still. So here are the only pictures I have of him recently.

He's our little luck dragon!! Falcor!!!

Why is Tim so amazing??

2009-07-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Since I am an idiot and I don't know how to load video's to my blog... go to this link http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810078365/video/14698134

I am so excited I can barely even stand it! I love Johnny and I love Tim Burton. Just thought I would share with you my obsession for the day :)

Family, Besties, Work and Randoms...

2009-07-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

A few things...

Just to update all of you who haven't or aren't around me all the time to hear my life stories... here are a quick few things that I feel the need to get off my chest :)

I have to just say how proud I am of my brother and my sis-in-law Jayme. They are some of the best parents out there and I look forward to when I can strive to be as great of parents as they are. Their sweet baby girl Berklee was born not long ago and she happened to want to come out a little too early (by early I mean almost 3 months early) she weighed a whopping 2lbs 3oz. She is the prettiest little thing you have ever seen. She is so perfect and I can't even stand it but I just want to squeeze her and I can't imagine how Jayme and Stevie feel. I admire them for their strength to keep moving forward with all the hurdles they have faced with Londyn (their first daughter) and now Berklee. It's amazing to see how much strength, hope and persistence they all have as a family. I know that the hard times make us better people and I see that in all of them and how much they have and continue to grow each day! They are going to kill me for saying this, but I can't believe my big bro (Stevie) is 30!! Our family has come such a long way and I love all of them so much. There are so many things about Stevie that I admire and I always have... both my bros for that matter. And I am lucky to call Jayme my sister. Keep up the good work you guys.... I love you :)

Here is the cutest little picture of Berklee... (I stole this from you Jayme.. hope you don't mind)

While I am sitting here reflecting... It is currently Lily's 1st birthday (My bestie Lisa's daughter). Its amazing how fast that first year flew by. I am sure it went by faster for Lisa but I seriously can't even believe that it has been one whole year. I feel like she just had that dang baby :) I am so proud of Lisa and can't wait to see all the little ones she produces. She is a great mom and don't let me forget to say that Marty is a great dad too. They both amaze me! Happy Birthday Lily!! Love your Auntie Ree.

I also am so proud of myself for some of the things I have done so far this year. I was working at Buona Vita (a restaurant located in Draper, its really good you should try it) and I was just doing it for a short period of time before school started to save a bit of money for China. Anyway, besides the fact that not one bit of it is going towards China, it was a great experience nonetheless. I learned a new skill that I NEVER thought I would. I can't recall exactly how long but for a very long time I have said that I could not do the job of a server because I am not that coordinated or whatever you want to call it. It was definitely a challenge in the beginning and thanks to Ally I kept continuing on and I feel like by the end of my little hoorah as a server I was doing a pretty good job :) Anyway, it was a fun time and I am glad that I have my Friday nights back but it was well worth it! Oh and not to mention that I have a whole new perspective on tipping and service when I go out.... never tip under 20%.... PLEASE! If they suck still give them 15%... its not easy work!

So I am sure you are all sick of me spouting off about random things, so I guess I will start wrapping it up.

Things I can't wait for this year: Free concerts every Thursday night, running at least three times a week, going swimming and laying out at the pool every Friday (or every day) I can, getting prepared for China, puppy kindergarten, camping, backpacking, biking, climbing, new music, and learning how to cook better.

THE END.

We love the dirt!

2009-07-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Brady and I have gone camping a couple times this summer. Hopefully we can go a lot more! We are trying to at least do overnighters if we can't find the time for a few days.. which is what it usually ends up being. Above are a few pictures from our camping adventures. By the way, Reggie did a lot better than I thought he would. I didn't think he would sleep all the way thru the night and he did... what a good boy! He crawled out of my bad once or twice and then he realized how cold it was and crawled right back in.

We were thinking of buying him a dog sleeping bag.... thoughts?! I can't believe they actually make them!

More than a Legend

2009-07-01T21:13:00.001-07:00

I just can't go another day without blogging about the King of Pop. My husband called me and told me to check out a website that posted that he had died. All Brady said was "you are going to freak out". I know, I know, you don't get it?! But seriously anyone who has known me for a long time, knows how obsessed I have been with Michael Jackson. A couple of my friends that I don't talk to often but have known me for years texted or called me to see if I was okay... hahahaa... it sounds silly and really I am fine. I am not crazy, but I am really, really sad about it all. I think as far as his music goes there has been no one better and I probably won't hold anybody on a pedestal like I do him. No one really knows what kind of person he is, nor is it anybody's place to judge. He obviously had a lot of issues and I feel bad for that...
I hope that people can forget about all the craziness and just remember him for the music and how he paved the way for so many other people. I can still remember in 5th grade purchasing his History album Past & Present (in tape version:)) and I brought it to school with me and showed all my friends how cool I thought the pictures were and how great the music was.... He was totally part of my childhood and for all of my life for that matter....

Thank you for your talent!!

Rest in Peace Michael...

More pictures from California!

2009-06-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Chantill I have over 800 pictures from our California trip. Here are a bunch more pictures from her that I just had to share. This really was one of those trips I am going to remember forever! I love my fam, what can I say?!

Yup, that's me getting smashed with the waves. Unfortunately, not in this particular picture, the ocean took my favorite Electric sunglasses :( But I still had a ton of fun!
Elijah LOVED the ocean!

This poor seal wasn't feeling very well and so he was hanging out on the beach... I hope they came and picked him up and saved him!

So cute.

Me and Ema on the Elmo ride.

In the polar bear cave at Sea World.

This was my favorite part of the day... we got to pet the sting rays... they felt so cool!

Free Willy!!!!!

Gotta love the teacups!! So dizzy after.

Stevie, Jayme and Londyn meeting Mickey!

So much to blog about...

2009-06-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

I feel like there is so much to be blogging about lately, but haven't found the time. It is driving me crazy! So here I am about to unload or rather load a whole bunch of pictures and tell you all about the things that have been happening in my life. In an effort to keep things simple I may be doing more than one post to break it up!

The last weekend in May I was able to drive down to California with my parents (and the rest of my family) for a family reunion with my Mom's side of the fam. It was so much fun! We were able to get down there and spend time at the pool and do a little shopping. Then we had our family reunion.. sad that some people weren't able to make it, but all in all a great day to catch up with all the cousins, aunts and uncles that we haven't seen in so long. We then went to Huntington Beach, which is where we would always go as kids living in Cali. Then of course we had to make our way to Disneyland and Sea World.

I think my favorite part about the whole trip was spending so much time with my nieces and nephews. It was so fun to get to know them better and just see their cute little personalities. I wish I could see them all more often but was so grateful I got that time with them. And of course its always fun to hang with my bros. It was kind of funny how we reverted back to when we were kids... I was laughing so hard at how they immediately acted like they were 10 once we got to the beach. They are just a couple of goofballs but I love them.... they were my first best friends and I love them dearly.

So here are a bunch of pictures from our trip! Enjoy!!!Riding in the car with the kids!Me and Danny having fun at the reunion.Ema showing me her sucker she got from the pinata. This was funny... So Jayme, Londyn and I stopped at Sephora to do a little shopping. Londyn went crazy for all the testers they have out :) It was so funny to watch her put on lipstick and then she put eyeshadow on her cheeks and then she was rolling on perfume the whole time she was there. She smelled and looked so pretty when we finally left! Stevie covering his burnt bald head with Londyn's dress... probably get a hat already! Mom and Dad... thanks so much for such a fun trip! Loving the ocean... even if it is freezing :)Relaxing... So fun.Me kissing the fishies in Toon Town.Londyn was so excited to see all the characters... this was her first encounter... GOOFY!! I wish someone would have bought Elijah this hat... so cute! He is such a cheeser and I love it. Riding to and from California with this kid... made for a lot of fun!

More pictures from California to follow!!!

Life....

2009-06-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Life.... can you please pause for a moment so I may find the time to blog again? Thank you.

IN.LOVE.

2009-05-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of Reggie. I will try not to make every post about Reggie... but seriously, how can you resist him!

This is his new favorite place to sleep.

He is finally eating really well... thank goodness! LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS!

Sophie and Chloe... he loves his cousins.

Okay so this one.... I just had to capture his nap.

Welcome Home!

2009-05-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

Introducing you to our newest addition to the family... REGGIE! He is the cutest little puppy. His breed is called Mauxie, which is a Maltese/Dachshund mix. We have only had one night with him and it was rough for all of us. It sucked that I didn't get much sleep but I feel bad that he was taken away from his brother and Mom yesterday... poor guy. Anyway, here are some pictures of his first night and first morning with us. I already just love him soooo much!!!

Appropriate, no?

2009-04-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

Random Occasions...

2009-04-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a few updates from the past month.

Wicked!! Here are a couple of pictures from seeing Wicked. It was just as amazing as the first time I saw it... maybe even BETTER! I really love this show and it was so fun to enjoy it with my sister in laws - Jayme and Chantill, my bro Danny and my mom and dad. Thanks guys for a fun night!

A fun picture of me and Lily... she is getting so BIG! So much fun :)

We did an easter egg hunt and dyed easter eggs the Saturday before Easter. We had a lot of fun. It is always nice to get together with my family. I don't see them as much as I would like to!

Here are a few pictures.

Brady's awesome egg... he was so proud.

Caleb making his cheesy face for the camera.

Londyn trying to pick which color to do next...

Darius coloring his fingers.

This and nothing else....

2009-04-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

I am thinking about this today. Can't seem to focus on work.
Wishing I was skinny and tan like I used to be (yes I can get tan) and that I had all week to lay out at a beach in the hot, hot sun.
The End.

One more thing...

2009-04-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

I changed my hair color.. yes thats right. I went lighter. I wouldn't say blonde, but getting there. Pictures to come soon.....

NEWS!

2009-04-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

Just a little update, incase you didn't know. I was accepted to Westminster College and will begin this fall. I am really excited to start my fine arts degree and look forward to all of the wonderful classes I will be taking. Go WESTMINSTER!

Lily and the Zoo!

2009-04-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was able to go to the zoo with Lisa, Lily and some of Lisa's family. We had a lot of fun! The weather was really great. I even got my first sunburn of the year. It was fun to get out and try to rid myself of the crazy spring fever I have. It was Lily's first time at the zoo and she was pretty quiet and I think just a little overwhelmed. I think her favorite thing was the dippin' dots. I wish we could have gotten a picture of her face the first time she tried them. It was so cute!

Here are some pictures of our little adventure.

New Love...

2009-04-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

If you are in need of a GREAT show. Check out Dexter. We rented the first season and watched it in just a couple of days and had to run out and rent the second season immediately. This show will leave you on the edge of your seat! It is my new favorite. I can barely wait for the third season to come out on dvd.
It is a little explicit for those of you who don't like that kind of stuff :) Basically Dexter is a serial killer who kills only bad people or other serial killers.. it makes you love him and hate him all at the same time.
Check it out.. you will love it!

New York, New York

2009-04-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been over a month since I was in New York. It almost seems like I didn't go there, but that it was a fabulous dream! This may sound lame, but I really do feel like it was a life changing experience. I literally see things differently having been there and I can't wait to go back!

Here are a bunch of pictures from the trip. Most are from Natalie's amazing photography skills, so thanks Nat! They aren't in order, so I will just leave a caption under each one.

Natalie doing her thing while on the Staten Island Ferry. We were trying to take pictures of the Statue of Liberty.

Back of Staten Island Ferry. Looking at Staten Island. So pretty.

The First place we ate brunch at. It was amazing :) Totally worth the 30 minute wait!!

This was also my first experience with the tiny restaurants in New York. It was so strange to see how many people they could cram into one small little restaurant!

This was on our second day there. Natalie and I walked up 5th Ave and over to Rockefeller Center and then all the way over to Time Square.

This was our last day there. We visited the MoMa. For obvious reasons this was one of my favorite parts about New York. This painting in particular by Monet... was unreal. This one just about had me in tears. So beautiful.

From my favorite artist..... Van Gogh.

Andy Warhol.

Me at the MoMa.

Wall Street.

On our first day after brunch we walked through SoHo, did a little shopping, headed to Canal Street, walked down to the Financial District and walked through Wall Street, then on our way down to the Staten Island Ferry. Needless to say, I was sore all over, even just after the first day!

Just random police officers hanging out in Wall Street.

The second night we were there, we saw this amazing play called 'Shipwrecked'. This is one of the actors in the play...so funny and so nice!!

Me in Time Square.

The banana phone.

So if you have ever been to Time Square, then you know how harassed you get while walking around. "Hey, you like comedy?" or "Would you like to see a Broadway show?" Needless to say, these two guys wouldn't leave us alone and it somehow turned into a banana phone. Hilarious!

Wall Street.

I think initially I was mesmerized by the buildings in New York. I seriously couldn't stop looking around and pinching myself. It was so beautiful and breathtaking!

More amazing architecture.

So awesome.

Canal Street. This was probably around the same time I purchased some fun new sun glasses and got smuggled into the back... it was so crazy! Didn't really find any knock offs I wanted, but it was a pretty fun experience.

The subways were nuts. And... I even saw a rat. A GIANT rat!!! They really do have them in NYC!

A bell hanging at a church right across the street from Ground Zero. Very intense.

The Staten Island Ferry.

The Statue of Liberty. Can't wait to go back so I can do Ellis Island.

A damaged tree from September 11th. Also in the same church yard as the bell.

Ground Zero. Lots of construction.

What it will eventually look like.

This was pretty surreal. You could definitely feel the weight just walking down the street. I don't think September 11th was really REAL until I visited. It made it much more close to home.

Me and Nat at the Staten Island Ferry.

Me and Leslie!! Still have the tag on my new sun glasses :)
This was basically what our first day looked like. Following Leslie around :) She was a GREAT tour guide. Thanks again Les, for putting us up and taking the time to show us around your city!

Oh cousins :)

Also I have to thank my good friend Heidi for putting us up for a couple of nights as well. It was fun to be able to stay with Leslie down in Little Italy and then with Heidi in the upper East side. It's amazing how different the neighborhoods are!

New York was such a blast and I was so glad that Natalie came with me! She was the best and was so much fun! I enjoyed everything so much and really can't wait to go back :) Maybe next time we will go when the weather is a little better!

It's been....

2009-04-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

It's been SO LONG since I last posted a blog. I have tomorrow off and hope to update you on all of my adventures thus far.

Oh and some fun announcements (nope, not pregnant) to come as well. Love you all!

Goals

2009-01-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot about the goals and things I would like to accomplish this year. Almost every year I think I have some type of goal that after a few weeks I just do away with. This year I would really like to take control and really be in charge of my destiny. I think if I let all of you know what my goals are, it will help me be more responsible about following through! So here goes:

-Train to run the 5K run for Diabetes in April and possibly a half triathlon in 2010
-No treats until I go to New York (if I did that the whole year I think I might die)
-No sugar soda the whole year
-Paint whenever I have time, no more wasting my time in front of the tube!
-Open my Etsy shop
-Continue to eat at home more often and learn to cook better (this will always and forever be a work in progress)
-Simplify my life
-Start school at Westminster in the fall
-Read my scriptures daily or weekly for that matter
-Read all of the books I can!

Can't Wait!

2009-01-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

I know that most of you who read my blog probably already know this. But I had to create a post about it, because I can barely contain my excitement! I'm going to NEW YORK!!! Yes, that's right... I am finally going! I have never been and I can barely wait. I am heading out February 26th so a lengthy post to follow this trip.... I plan on being a complete tourist and taking as many pictures as I can. I am staying with my awesome friend Heidi and fabulous cousin Leslie. It is very sweet of them to set me and Natalie up for the week... or 5 nights we will be staying. I already have a list of things I want to do, but if you have any suggestions, feel free to comment.

WAHOO... only 4 and a half weeks to go!!

2008 Highlights and Lowlights

2009-01-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

I know it is the middle of January, but I am feeling a little nostalgic today. I have to say that I am a bit relieved that 2008 has come to a close. However, there were definitely a lot of really great times too!!

I will start with the bad and work my way to the good.

- I left a job for a better opportunity (which was actually good)

- Brady left his job

- I got laid off from my "better opportunity"

- I didn't start another job until 2009 because the job market SUCKS!!

- Brady and I went to Pinaca.... twice (see post 'Never going back')

The funny thing about all of those things I have listed that are 'bad', were actually a huge blessing in disguise. I now have a great job and know that this is where I should be. And Brady got an awesome job with awesome people versus what he had before (the word Satan comes to mind).

Okay now onto the good.

- Brady and I took a lot of really fun trips... we went to Zions with Heidi and Jarom, we went to St. George to visit Heidi and Jarom, we went to Moab (my first time EVER), we went to Bear Lake with Marty and Lisa, we took an amazing backpacking trip up to a beautiful lake for our anniversary, we went climbing in Maple Canyon, and last but not least we went to California to top it all off for the year.
(Here are a few photos to capture the memories)

More good:

- I got tickets to Wicked for 2009!

- I was able to spend 4 days straight (as a fake mom) with my nieces Sophie and Chloe, it was so much fun!

- The summer was a blast! The crew got together for BBQ's, corn dog parties, fireworks, the fair and concerts. It was one of the funnest summers I can recall with friends since high school! (here are some photos)

- My side of the family got amazing family photos! (Thanks Nat!)

- We had a surprise birthday party for my Mom's 60th. She was VERY surprised.

- I passed the last math class I will EVER have to take for the rest of my life.

- We had an awesome Christmas and Thanksgiving with Brady's side of the fam.

- I took a girls trip to Vegas... it was fantastical!!

- My best friend Lisa had her first baby... and she is an amazing Mom :)

- Brady started his MBA program at Westminster

- Brady got accepted to the elite Master Track Program at Westminster (very busy boy).

The list could really go on and on. 2008 really was a great year! It was filled with fun, lots of learning, great friends, wonderful family and a lot of really fabulous blessings! I am excited for a new year and know that it will be even better!

Randomness

2009-01-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

Really Angie, that's the best you can do? Just not impressed by her choice of outerwear. You can't get any less flattering than that!

Wait.... really?

2009-01-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

Really... an action figure? I wonder if the hair will be greasy or if it feels cold to the touch? And wait, I'm confused... is that a shield or the family crest? WTF? I think it's officially gone too far.

On Holiday

2009-01-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

This holiday season was really a great one. Brady and I both enjoyed this year's Christmas. It was really a great day and we were both anticipating our trip the following day to California! Brady, Bob (Brady's Dad) and I decided it would be fun to take a little road trip over Christmas vacation! The first day we headed to Vegas and stayed at a crazy hotel. It wasn't on the strip and of course it had a theme, but it was... well... let's just say creepy. Here are a couple of pictures of the hotel. It was really dark and a bit smelly...

Hallway of the hotel.

And here are a few images of us walking through the Bellagio. They had really awesome Christmas decorations.

Then the next day we headed to Anaheim, California. We were literally 2 blocks away from Disneyland and we didn't go, so that was pretty sad :( But we drove to Newport Beach that evening and it was great! We happened to get to the beach right at the perfect time. Here is what I mean.

The sunset was amazing and it was such a blast to get our toes in the water! Then we went to Fashion Island and hung out and got dinner. It was one of the best nights we spent on our trip! The next day we headed down to San Diego and spent the last two nights there. On our way down we stopped in La Jolla, one of my favorite places in California. And in San Diego we went to Old Town, San Diego Zoo and a movie! Oh and I forgot to mention that they finally got a H&M at the mall... so we spent a while there too :) Here are a few more pictures from the trip...

I can't wait to go back already! We are planning a family reunion the beginning of June this year, so hopefully then I can make it to Disneyland. But all in all it was a great trip and I enjoyed myself immensely. We all had a blast and it was a perfect time to get away and be in sunny California!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

It has been a short December, meaning I can't believe how fast it flew by! I really do love Christmas and what it represents, it is one of the best times of year. This time of year always makes me feel like a kid, and I love to reflect back on family traditions and just all the fun memories I have of this season. Brady and I hope you all (family and friends) have a fabulous and very merry Christmas!

WICKED!

2008-12-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

I am extremely excited to say that I have Wicked tickets! Some of my awesome friends went and stayed at Capitol Theatre all night! They got there at midnight and they still weren't the first 100 people! But, they got a great spot in line and I joined them at 5:30 am. It was quite cold, but I think everyone was thankful the weather wasn't bad. I am so grateful to them for doing this because I was able to pick up great seats for this amazingshow!

Here is a picture of Coco, Kimba, Patty, and Adi all bundled up.

Me and Coco getting pretty excited!

This is a little look at the line from where we were seated.

I am so excited to see this show in April! I have already seen it and know how great it is. I just can't wait! Thanks again to my awesome friends for getting a great spot in line. It is definitely going to be worth it!

Ec-Static!!

2008-12-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

I just found out Kenna was nominated for a Grammy! He is one of my favorite artists. I think it is neat he is finally getting recognized.

Best Urban/Alternative Performance (For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

-Say Goodbye To LoveKennaTrack from: Make Sure They See My Face[Star Trak/Interscope]

If you haven't ever heard of Kenna, check him out. He is amazing! Oh and the Grammy's will be on February 8th, 2009.

It's Christmas time!

2008-12-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas. I love it for the decorations the most! I went to Tai Pan the other day and had to hold back, that place is amazing during Christmas season. Let's just say I never want to wrap lights around a 9 foot tree EVER again. But thank you to Danny and Chantill for the beautiful hand me down :) Here are a few pictures.