The Bean's

The New Year is Here!

2012-01-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I can't believe another year has flown by and a new one is beginning. I'm hoping 2012 is a great year for us and I can't wait to see what exciting things happen. Here's to hoping I'll update more and make more of an effort to document our little families lives.

The past couple of months have been good. I finished that dresser from my last post and it now resides next to my bed where it looks fabulous ;) We had a great Halloween. Me and the girls dressed up as witches and I have to say the girls looked adorable.

November brought a wonderful Thanksgiving with my side of the family where we ate lots of delicious food and expressed our thanks for the many things we have. We also helped Aaron's sister Tanith move down to Ephraim and got to spend some time with that side as well. I had my first taste of Black Friday shopping and had a fun time with my family. I don't know if I'll do it next year but it definitely was fun. I also got the opportunity to watch my cousin April's sweet baby girl for 3 weeks while she went back to work til the end of the year. My girls LOVED having her and have missed her ever since she left. Everyday when my aunt Gina would come get Suvi Olivia would ask where she was going and if she was coming back. It was fun to kind of have a taste of what 3 kids would bring to our house.

December was a whirlwind event! Kayla had her Christmas dance recital and was AWESOME!!! She's quite the performer and does a wonderful job. She had the biggest smile on her face the whole time and she was, of course, the best!!! She's decided to try out gymnastics this next season so we'll she which she likes better. I think it will be good to help her find better balance and get a chance to try something new. Aaron and Kayla finished school for the holidays and then we had Chris, Ren, Samantha, and Trent staying with us before Christmas. It was fun to be surrounded by family. Christmas was wonderful and I think the girls were spoiled yet again by everyone and they are so happy with their toys. I got a beautiful charm bracelet and my Harry Potter BluRay Boxset from Aaron!!!!!! Aaron got a new wedding ring since he's been trying to be single for about a year and a half now, and the girls gave him a watch and some movies. We also got to have our friends Mat and Nikol stay with us for a night. I love spending time with them because our kids play so well together which gives us adults more time to spend together. It was much needed! New Years was pretty uneventful at our house. Aaron was sick and Olivia wasn't feeling well either so we just relaxed all day and the girls tried to stay up. Olivia didn't make it but Kayla stayed up until the ball dropped. She banged a pan out front and we yelled HAPPY NEW YEAR to the world and watched as somewhere in our neighborhood someone was lighting off big fireworks. All in all it's been a wonderful break and I'm definitely NOT ready for Aaron and Kayla to go back to school. Although I am excited to try and get back on a better schedule. Hopefully this next month Olivia will be potty trained!!! Wish me luck. I'll post some pictures sometime this week of all our adventures.

Oh and I'm still going to go private. I'm just gathering all the emails that everyone gave me and it will happen in the next week or two. So if you'd like an invite and haven't already given me your email, just let me know you want an invite and I'll get you one! Thanks to everyone who keeps up with my little family. We love you all so much!

GOING PRIVATE & A Couple of Crafts

2011-09-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

So, I've been thinking about it a lot and I'm thinking I'll go private with this blog/journal. I don't know how many people really look at my little insignificant blog but I don't want to lose anyone who does or would like to keep in touch with my little family. If you'd like to keep in touch please PLEASE give me your email or let me know on facebook or email me so I can invite you to continue reading. I just think it's time. I tend to write my personal feelings and much about my cute girls and I think it a wise choice to protect what I can from those that take advantage of people and situations. I hope this doesn't stop you from keeping in touch with me cause I LOVE to hear from all of you out there! You'll never know how much the comments you make mean to me :)

Anywho... here is what I've been up to this last week! I've been SO incredibly tired of having many, many projects lying around my house unfinished so I've been getting them done. Mind you I know it doesn't sound like much but I've finish two and have started 2 more and have plenty more to do! Here are a couple of pictures.

This is what my wall above my sewing machine looks like now...instead of bare!!! I love it!

This is what I finished. I painted the frame and put it together. If you can't read the saying is says, "A Creative Mess is Better Than Tidy Idleness" For those of you that know me, know this motto suits me well. :)

I have wanted to do this for my girls for quite a while now. I've always called my girls princess' and this saying is definitely how I want to portray that, instead of it being a bratty thing. Ultimately I want to get shadow boxes and hang their blessing dresses with a picture below the saying on their wall.

This my friends is the next project on my list of to dos. I think this will be my project this weekend. I'm repainting it and putting trim on the front top and bottom with new handles. Hopefully next time you see this it will be black and beautiful!!! :)

Happy Crafting guys and PLEASE drop me your email so I can invite you! Love you all!!!

Ok I'm finally back...

2011-09-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't updated before now but I just couldn't bring myself to do it because I knew I'd have to write about my sister and I just haven't been ready to do that, but here goes...

These are some pictures of McKayla's dance recital she had in June. I didn't have the pictures before so I'm posting them now. She did so great and we're so proud of her!

Instead of doing a big birthday party with friends for McKayla we chose to go to the Princess Festival out at Thanksgiving Point. Just her and Mommy. It was super fun and I think we'll be doing it next year too. She loved getting pictures with all the princesses and getting her face painted. Aunt Hawley gave her the princess dress for her birthday.

The kids and Aaron's birthdays went great. We had a family bbq and my dresses and blanket turned out awesome!

Birthday Kids...Will on the 2nd, Hawley and Kayla on the 18th, Aaron on the 22nd and Brett & Olivia on the 23rd of June!

This is Hawley's Blanket. She loved it and used it a lot!

Olivia & McKayla's Birthday Dresses

We also had a Jones reunion the first weekend in August and it was a blast. We played minute to win it games and everyone had a great time.

My baby started Kindergarten this year!!!!! I can't believe she's so big. She was super nervous to go and cried a little bit because she was going to miss me but she did so good. She LOVES school. Her first day Olivia and I walked her to school and she did great, and I will admit I cried the whole walk home. I was strong until she couldn't see me and then I bawled. She's part of the world now, and will continue to grow and develop. I'm so happy for her but I'm so sad that I no longer have my little baby at home all the time. Why do they have to grow up????

Trent stayed with us for the summer before he went back to Ohio for school. The girls loved having Uncle Trent play barbies with them and tell them wild bedtime stories. He left the beginning of September to return to the Buckeye State.

Ok this is where I will talk about Hawley so forgive me if it's mushy, maybe a little depressing, and sad...

Hawley Lynn Briggs Meyerhoffer passed away on July 13, 2011 around 12:30am from complications of diabetes. She was my best friend, big sister, advice giver, protector, supporter, strength, an aunt to my girls, and the best example anyone could have.

We all knew she'd pass before us but you always hope it's later than sooner. She had just turned 32 on June 18th. I know it's really young and it's a lot sooner to pass from this life than I would have liked but at the same time we watched her suffer so long and it seemed as if she had lived many life-times for all the pain and suffering she went through.

Hawley & McKayla on their birthday 2011

The night she passed my parents, Brett (Kris was out of town), Alyssa and I went to Hawley's house. Even though it was shocking and sad to all of us you couldn't help but feel Hawley's excitement of not having to be confined to a frail and sick body. You could just feel her running and jumping with delight and that was such a comfort to our family. I've said many times that I cry only when I'm thinking of myself and all the things I'm missing about her, but when I think of Hawley there is such peace in knowing she's happier and healthier where she is.

We buried Hawley on Aaron and my 7th Anniversary. As my mom put it...remember it as a day of celebration for Hawley and a day of incarceration for you and Aaron :) At first it worried me that I would forever associate my anniversary with the funeral but in the end it is a day of celebration for all.

We have our good days and our bad, but we are pressing onward. We have our missing Hawley days where we cry and hug and talk about all the fun things we use to do and all the things Hawley is doing now up in Heaven, but we're doing well. Aaron put it better than I could...his brother asked if I was alright and Aaron said to him, "Picture your siblings and how much you love them; now picture your best friend in the world, and take them both away from this world...That's how Chelsey's feeling."

It's true...I miss her everyday so much that my heart aches to hug her, to talk to her and hear her laugh, to see her smile. I am so incredibly thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and that I can know that I will see her one day when my journey here on Earth is complete. I'm grateful for the knowledge of an afterlife and that families can be together for eternity! Hawley was an amazing woman that I was lucky to have as a sister. Her courage and strength to endure her difficult trials with a smile have made me a better person and continues to be an example of the woman I hope to become. I'm grateful for the short time I had with her on this Earth and can't wait for the reunion we'll have when I get to the other side. I LOVE YOU THE MOSTEST SISSY!!!!

SISTERS love, sisters share, sisters fight, sisters care, sisters laugh. Sisters come together at different times in life. Sisters are like sunshine, lighting up dark corners and making them safe and warm. Sisters are best friends. They know each other like no one else does. Sisters are always there for each other with understanding that only sisters can provide each other. Sisters love, sisters share, sisters care, sisters are forever.

Whirl Wind Weeks!

2011-06-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

Well, June is, of course, my busy month! Aaron has been doing rotations at the Macey's in PG Monday through Thursday and working at Walgreen's Mon & Tues nights as well. We've been hoping to get him home on Friday's but he has been helping a lot with ward projects aka roofing. It's been good for him though and we have seen blessings come from the service and willingness he's shown. He's doing good but I only get him home until the beginning of July because then he starts back in his MBA program and will be crazy busy.

McKayla has been doing dance for the past year and has loved every minute of it. She had her final spring recital the beginning of this month and did such an AWESOME job. She is such a natural performer up on that stage. It's so fun to see her enjoy something so completely. Her hair has been growing like a weed and is getting longer (which she LOVES) and I have been struggling to find fun hairstyles that don't get old like the normal quick ponytail. :) She is loving playing outside and is rocking the hula hoop!!!! She loves to tell you her stories (which are NOT the reader's digest version *no idea where she gets that from :P) and makes up songs all the time. Kayla simply can't wait for her birthday and asks daily how many more days til it's here.

Olivia is getting close to those terrible twos but is still a sweetheart. She's LOVING the warm weather and the freedom of the outdoors that comes along with it. Her favorite things are bubbles and Popsicles! She loves to help mom cook and has a temper tantrum every time she goes down for a nap. She's quick to say I love you in sign-language and LOVES to watch out the window and blow kisses when you leave. She loves to dance and sing just like her sister. Olivia has definitely become super protective of Kayla and will repeatedly tell you "NO...MY SISSY!!!" if you proceed to tease McKayla.

I have been busy with Miss Lehi which was a success last Saturday! I'm so excited for the new royalty and I think they will do great things. Aaron is excited that it's over so I'm home more and he doesn't have to pick up my slack and calm me down when I'm stressing out, but it's SO much fun every year and I definitely plan on doing it again next year! The committee is so much fun and I always walk away from meetings and activities in stitches. Thanks girls for another great year and more laughs. I love you guys!!!! Now that Miss Lehi is over it's time for me to switch gears and head into BIRTHDAY'S!!!!!! I have my three favorite people's birthday's in the next week. I decided to make the girl's their birthday dresses this year and to make my sister a soft minky blanket. I have yet to finish them and I have two days left! Wish me luck! I still need to go get a new camera so when I do I'll post pictures! That's our update for now but I'll post more about what fun activities we've been doing later. Love to you all!!!

Been So Busy!

2011-05-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

So I know I've missed some holiday's since my last post but the sadness of losing my camera, my right hand man, has made it a little hard for me to want to post. The tragic accident happened on the Saturday before Easter when the Easter Bunny hits my parents house. We were taking pictures, laughing, and then it happened...I went to hand my camera to my niece and it fell to the ground and broke!!!! Was I sad? Of course, but I wasn't mad. It was just an accident. SO...I have a couple of pictures from before it broke and the rest are on my phone. I'm sorry they aren't very good quality. Here is a look at our Easter and other fun adventures...

I have also been trying out a couple of sewing projects. Here are the latest...

I've been looking for a little bag to take with me to the temple that would hold a recommend and lip gloss and I LOVE it. Of course there are a couple things I would change but fun for the first try.

This is Olivia's little sun dress. I LOVE how it turned out. It reminds me of something Bohemian, and very much like Livi.

I made McKayla's Skirt. She picked out the material. It was actually really easy to make and I think it turned out fun!

This is my current project. I'll show a picture when I'm done! I can't wait to see what it looks like with the material I picked out! It's from the website: http://www.made-by-rae.com/ She has some AWESOME things there!

So stay tuned in. There is plenty more to come! I'll update more about the girls and Aaron soon!

My Life is Over...ok maybe not!

2011-04-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those moments in your day when you just break down so completely that you sometimes feel like life is over? Ok well maybe I am a LITTLE on the dramatic side but man, those days don't come all that often but when they do it's awful! Yesterday was one of those days. Overall the day went really, actually, well. We visited my sweet sister, went to the store, came home for a minute for Olivia's nap, saw Aaron before he went off to work, and headed over to my mom's for the rest of the evening. The break-down didn't come until I got home; after repeating myself a hundred times to deaf ears and having to wrestle my children into their coats and get them out my mom's door, my patients was at a low, I was tired and once the kids were in bed I realized...MY HOUSE IS A WRECK!!!!!

I wanted nothing more than to sit and relax and let my patients rise to the appropriate level, but it just wasn't in the cards for me. I had neglected to put in a load of laundry earlier so I went to complete the task and I, simply put, lost it. :) I felt completely overwhelmed that by the time Aaron got home from work I was pretty upset. Poor poor Aaron, having such a long day and coming home to a wife that's hysterical over a messy/cluttered house. He's so good to me. He calmed me down and started helping me clean because I was being, of course, my stubborn self that had to clean up until I was over my tantrum. Needless to say I went to bed exhausted!!

You may be thinking: Why in the heck are you telling me of your overly dramatic, O.C.D., stubborn self?! BECAUSE... I realized today that (at least for me) after I have a complete melt down the next day is SO much better. Today I actually got a lot done around my house, Aaron and I have started working on new ways of organizing, I made a completely wonderful dinner tonight complete with sides, and dessert and all in all it was a fabulous day! Aaron came home to a semi clean house and asked how my day was and when I went to answer I had an "ah-ha" moment. I think, just think mind you, that because I allow myself to have those horrible moments it gives me a resolve to make it better the next day. I look at things in a more positive, how can I fix this way instead of an I'm about to explode kind of way. Does this make ANY sense???? Sometimes I think we, as women, take too much upon ourselves because we feel we're suppose to do it all and hold it all together! Well that is just not the case my friends!!! Tonight my emotions are best expressed by this notorious quote... "We may not have it ALL Together, but TOGETHER we have it All!" And I'm completely content with that!

Nothin' Much

2011-03-08T23:50:00.000-08:00

So it's been a little while since my last post. I'm happy to say that McKayla recovered really well and is completely back to her happy, loud, and sweet self. On the other hand both Aaron and I had to deal with our share of being sick in February too!!! I'm just hoping that we can all be happy and healthy through March!

I've been doing the usual mom stuff which is fabulous and fun. I'm having a love hate relationship with the weather we've been having! I'm loving the great nice weather and HATING the cold snow. I have spring fever bad and just can't wait to get out and be more active!!!!

I'm so super excited to report that Hannah (Aaron's sister) had her sweet baby girl, Amanda Rose on March 3rd. She was 7 lbs 14 oz and 19 inches long! Such a great size and the pictures I've seen she's absolutely beautiful! I've been sick so we haven't been able to go see her yet, but I'm itching to get my hands on her and give her smooches! I posted last time the picture of her car seat cover and here is picture of the burp cloths I made for her too. I think they turned out better than I thought they would.

I showed the front and back of the six I made. The front is the fabric and the back side is white with matching ribbon. I love them!!!!

I also have been crafting. I've found it to be such a great way for me to have my own time and to feel like I'm doing something to let my creative juices flow. I made the girls some helper aprons so they could help me around the house and feel like they were important. So they only wear them when we're cleaning and then we take them off to have fun time.

I let Kayla pick which color she wanted and she definitely picked the pink with a flower! I just loved the zebra print so much I couldn't pass it up!

I've also been working on a project to help our days go more smoothly and keep things interesting. Sometimes I find I have a hard time putting fun things for the girls in when I get so caught up on cleaning so I'm adapting a brilliant idea my cute friend Katie had to help her girls through their days. When I finally finish I'll post pictures. I'm really excited about it!!!!

Other than that Aaron and I have started going to the gym to get in better shape for the summer. Aaron finally got a game console and I'm happy to say that it was a WII instead of an XBox 360. The girls love it and it's been helping me take time with McKayla and laughing a lot. It's been a really fun investment. I've also been trying out some new recipes- tonight I made a yummy courdon blu wrap and a fruit pizza! It looked so good I HAD to take a picture ;)

It just feels so good to be a mommy that can focus on my family without having to split my attention!!! Yay...da da da da da (sung in the McDonald's theme) ...I'm LOVIN' it!

Trip to the ER, Valentine's Day, and Recent Crafts.

2011-02-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

So a lot has happened this last weekend. Saturday McKayla started complaining of a stomach ache and right before bed she started throwing up. The poor thing couldn't keep anything down. She was such a trouper; at one point I asked her if there was anything I could do for her and she said, "I don't think there is anything you can do to make it better mommy." To say the least it broke my heart!!!! Aaron and I stayed up with her until about 4am when she still hadn't stopped and we decided it was time to take her to the ER to make sure she didn't get too dehydrated and find out what was going on. While there they gave her some anti-nausea medicine and took a urine sample. I could totally tell when the medicine started kicking in because she finally could sleep for a bit. They brought her some fluids to drink and she loved the ice water so much she wanted to take it home with us (even though it was just regular water in a paper cup.) She was funny though, at one point she wanted to to ask the nurses if they could put more ice in her cup because they didn't do it to her satisfaction the second time they brought her some! :)
Anyway, come to find out she had a urinary track infection (UTI), which I had no idea that it can make people throw-up, but apparently it's pretty common. I'm glad we went over because I wouldn't have known. Kayla never complained about any of the normal symptoms. I was just glad we found out what it was and it that it wasn't something contagious! She's now on antibiotics and is doing so much better, but she was down and out for the last couple days.

Valentine's Day was so great! Aaron had to go to school but it gave me time to get his gifts ready. I was planning on doing a home-made gift but it just didn't work out that way so instead I did 14 things I love about him. Here are a couple pictures of just a few gifts I did.

This is the table of 14 gifts :)

I made this of all our hands. The tag said "I love how all of our hands fit perfectly in yours."

Aaron has been wanting a camel pack so I got him one.

These are my cheesers!!! I don't wonder where they get the big smile from!

We had a yummy candle-light dinner with the girls.

Aaron got me a SEWING MACHINE!!!!! I'm so super excited to start using it!!!!!!!

These are the other crafts I've made of late. There are more that aren't finished up but here is what I completed over the weekend.

I spray-painted an old frame I got at DI. I bought the material and the ribbon to match my bathroom.

This is how it turned out and I simply LOVE it!!! It turned out way better than I thought would! It's so much better than hanging them from a ribbon.

This is the carseat cover I made for Aaron's sister Hannah. She's due next week with a little girl. The underneath is the polk-a-dot. I love how it turned out. I think it's my favorite so far of the ones I've made!!!!

Well that's about it for now! More to come, more to come!!!!

So many crafts so little time!

2011-02-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

My house has become a mess with all the different crafts I've been wanting to try. I've realized that my problem is I start about 5 different crafts and then don't finish them right away!!!! Hopefully I'll get them done this weekend and have cute pictures to show for it!!! Wish me luck!

More Time = New Things!

2011-01-25T15:05:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of years I have been splitting my time between being a student, mommy/wife. I know to some it doesn't seem like much, but to me it has become a sort of ball and chain if you will. Not that I don't love being both but trying to do them all at once I felt as if I was short-changing the experiences I was having. After this last semester of let-downs with school (we'll not go into that further) Aaron and I decided it was time for a change. I was tired of feeling like I wasn't excelling at either and just doing both jobs halfway SO... I'm not going to do school until Aaron is finished so that I can full-heartedly put all my time into our family and being the great mommy I want to be. To say the least it has been such a refreshing change. It was odd not to get my school schedule ready and to stay at home when I knew school was thriving elsewhere but I have loved it. I think I'm at the point in my life where I just want to focus on my family 100% and become the wife that Aaron deserves instead of having mac & cheese all the time and a messy house ;P (not saying that still doesn't happen, but it's getting better!)

Since being home means I don't get out too much I have started challenging myself to learn new things that will help my family life run more smoothly. Here are a few examples...

I have found new fun and interesting ways of keeping the girls entertained while I tend to the more tedious housework.

I have finished decorating my house (for the moment) :P

Front View

Back View

I have learned new ways of styling McKayla's hair!! I LOVE this new one I learned yesterday.

I have found more time to play and be silly with my girls!!!

Kayla kills me how she can twist her tongue to the side & this picture of Olivia was just too funny not to post. She loves these huge sun-glasses and wears them all the time around the house!

I have been COOKING! I was going to say more, but to say that you'd have to be cooking in the first place! I'm trying out new recipes and loving it! Thanks Kira for this yummy pulled pork sandwich recipe, everyone loved it!!!

Aaron laughed when I took a picture of the sandwich and teased me mercilessly for blogging about it, but hey, I have to share my new discoveries and excitement, right?!

Most importantly, I think anyway, we've been having Family Home Evening! These are the valentine cookies that I wanted to try out the recipe for and we had a blast making them! As you can see Olivia mostly just ate the dough but the rest of us had fun making different shapes! I found the the recipe at this great website I've been stalking everyday! www.theidearoom.net

I went to bed last night completely exhausted but so happy! Motherhood truly is a divine role. I feel so blessed to be a mother, and to have a husband who understands & is supportive of my efforts to become a better mother to our girls. I can't wait to try more new things and to maybe get to the crafts I've been dying to finish but haven't had time to. Until next time, I hope everyone of you are doing great! Lots of love to you all!!!

So Long, Farewell...

2011-01-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

I'm happy and a little sad that the holiday season is now over. We were really busy but had such a great time making memories.

We got to do a little service this year which the girls absolutely loved. We got my sister a Christmas tree for her house. It was a small prelit tree but perfect for her house. When we brought it over Kayla snuggled up on Hawley's lap and said, "Everyone should have a Christmas tree!" The girls helped Hawley decorate it which I think had to be their favorite part!

We were also lucky enough to get together with some of our friends from college. Colette and her husband Brett and Mat & Nikol. We had a fun night of playing games and letting our little ones play together. It's crazy how time flies and things change so much.

Colette, Brett, & Anthony Day; Mat, Nikol, Corbin, Daxton, & Hayden Larsen; Me, Aaron, Olivia & McKayla

Me, Nikol & Colette! We haven't had a picture like this since college days down at SNOW!

I know I haven't mentioned it before but McKayla has started taking dance classes this past fall. She absolutely loves it and she's quite good! We had her Christmas recital on the 17th of December and I was nervous for her. I didn't know if she'd have stage-fright or not, but to no one's surprise she was a natural performer and ham up on the stage.

We did the sponge curlers like I use to wear! She was so darn cute!

After she was done I ran backstage to get her and a lady actually stopped me and told me that she video taped her just because she was the cutest one up there! I'm afraid she got our gene of being an absolute ham when put on a stage! My family kept saying..."No doubt that she's Chelsey's!" And I'm dang proud to say she is mine, she did AWESOME!!!!

I have a video but I'm not sure how to put it on. I don't think I have the right cord for it so I'll have to figure it out and put it on.

Christmas was wonderful and filled with family, laughter, and fun. The girls had an absolute blast getting ready for Santa to come. We read the Christmas story and watched a movie before bed. My mom had sent the girls each a new Christmas movie in the mail this year.

Kayla had to make him two different kinds of cookies to make sure he had a selection, and she had to give him chocolate milk to give him a little something different this year. I love that she actually takes time to think about giving him different options. She's so silly. We had the girls open their Christmas PJ's and they both couldn't wait to get in them. Aaron I don't think appreciated the matchy-matchy but I LOVED it!

Christmas morning was great. We woke the girls up at 8 and had a great morning sifting through Santa's presents and watching the girls play. Then we went over to my parents for the annual Christmas breakfast. It was so fun to spend time with all my siblings. It's been hard to get everyone together because of crazy work schedules but EVERYONE except my niece Taylor was there. My mom made all of us 5 kids sit together on the couch to take pictures. It made me feel like I was 10 again except we all couldn't sit on the couch comfortably anymore...hahaha. We played and went to my brother's houses to see what the kids got and just relaxed.

We went down the Monday after Christmas to Ephraim to pick up Trenton and we hit a wall of fog. I thought this was a fun picture of the fog coming up the mountains. It was nice to have a little visit with Aaron's family and to have Trenton for New Years. We had Mat & Nikol come down from Logan and Aaron's cousin Janelle & her hubby come play for New Years. It was a blast. My kids were the only ones that stayed up all night until the new year came in. Kayla banged a pot and we blew our whistles and had a great time. I'm excited for this new year and the new opportunities it will bring. I hope that I can keep up with the goals I've set for myself.

I Have a Wonderful Family!

2010-12-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

This post will be short but I just couldn't stop thinking today about what a wonderful, loving, caring family I have. I am so blessed to be surrounded by amazing people. It's no secret that Aaron and I have been tight on money...I mean, who wouldn't be tight on cash when you're living off student loans, caring for two children, your wife stays home, and you're going to school for 7 hours a day, studying for another 4 hours and working one day a week. My husband is truly Superman!!!! He hasn't had to re-take ONE of his tests yet!!!! He's doing great! Anyway...

Last night Alyssa called to ask if she could come make dinner and we'd do a girls night at home! I was so excited, but little did I know she brought a load of groceries as well. My other sister, Hawley, came over and also brought meat and a bag of cheetos for the girls (a staple in our household!)....needless to say I felt very humbled and grateful that they'd be so considerate during this time when everyone is tight. We laughed and stuffed ourselves with fabulous lasagna and watched "The Other Guys" It was so funny! It was so nice to spend time with my sisters.

Just reflecting over last night has made me realize that it's hard to allow someone to serve us; it's such a humbling experience. Especially when you're trying to make it on your own without having to ask for help, but that in reality, my sisters truly were an answer to my prayers. I know that the Lord gives us help when we need it and when we're striving to do what he'd have us do. It really was such a simple act of kindness on both of my sister's part, but they have no idea how much their love and support means to me! I feel it an understatement to say that I am truly blessed this holiday season!

O Christmas Tree & Other Things

2010-12-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

So I finally got my tree put up and completely decorated! I LOVE it this year! It's a Gingerbread tree. I turned out better than I thought it would. This picture isn't very good but it'll have to do.

Some of the other fun things we've been doing this year is, if you can see it partially in the tree picture in the bottom left corner, we have a manger for baby Jesus. We fill it with "straw" (strips of yellow paper) when we do good deeds for others. By Christmas we generally have it filled so Jesus has a nice soft bed to sleep in. It's been great for Kayla to see it filling up and just to have her be so excited to make a soft bed for Jesus has brought such a sweet spirit into the house. Usually on Christmas Eve we decorate a gingerbread house, play games, put out cookies & carrots, leave the magic Santa key on the door, then open our pjs, watch the nativity movie with the girls and put Baby Jesus in his bed before we tuck the girls in. I love it.

This is another activity I tried to do this year. I've never really done them before so it was a learn as we go kind of thing but they turned out great and the girls LOVE getting chocolate everyday!

Anyway, those are just a few things we've been doing to enjoy this fabulous Christmas season! I love this time of year!!!!

Crazy Holidays

2010-12-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post something since it's been really crazy around these parts lately. Thanksgiving was great! We headed down to good 'ol E-town (Ephraim) for the festivities this year. Trenton, Aaron's little brother, came into town from Ohio on the Friday we saw Harry Potter and stayed with us until we all traveled down to enjoy Thanksgiving. It's been great having him around again. We've all missed him a lot! We got down to Ephraim on Wednesday and played around and just enjoyed everyone. Thursday, of course, was fabulous! Aaron and I helped out with dinner preparations and even Kayla peeled some potatoes for Mema. We baked my Mom's pumpkin pie and stuffed ourselves until I couldn't take another bite! All the siblings were there but two, Chris & Tanith, who we missed tons but the rest of us played games and laughed A LOT! I'm so blessed to have such wonderful in-laws; I truly love each one of them.

I finally watched Inception!!!! It was such a great movie!!! I have such a love/hate relationship with those kind of movies. I LOVE how intriguing they are and how amazingly well done they are, but I am torn at the ending because they never give you a solid answer...they leave you to make up your own mind and make you think about them for far too long afterward! :)

We came home Friday and on Saturday we watched the BYU/UTAH game...yeah I was disappointed! I got to watch it with my brothers which was really fun cause I don't get much time with them. After the game we hurried over to my parent's house to see my cousin's sweet new baby girl, Maggie. They just adopted her and she was SO tiny!!! Not even 5 pounds. Oh yeah, and I got put in as the Secretary to the Young Women!!!!! I'm super excited but very nervous cause I haven't been out of the Primary since Aaron and I got married. I hope I can pick up on my responsibilities quickly.

Since then we've just been busy. I'm STILL trying to finish the lights on my tree so I can decorate it!!!! I HATE putting them on but I'm SO incredibly picky about how they're done that I have to do them myself...perfectionist?...I think not but am told otherwise by my ever patient husband! ;)

Aaron is back in school and has been crazy with studying for tests and getting back into the swing of things. The girls are just growing so so fast. Olivia is so much more responsive and is picking up new words everyday. McKayla is getting more and more beautiful everyday and is starting to read from the scriptures and spelling just about everything she can find to imitate. Sadly, it's only me that I feel is not doing my part. I have let my schooling go this semester even though I'm SO close to being down with my associates. It just became too much for me to try and be a mostly single parent and be a good student. Even when I say that I just feel like it's an excuse and I have failed myself and others. I'm not planning on finishing school until Aaron is done so that I can be a good mommy and wife to my family. I just can't split my focus anymore. I know that I put my girls first but at the same time I can't help but feel like a failure. Anyway...enough about that.

I love the holidays and can't wait for Christmas to come. McKayla has been taking dance classes and has her very first recital on the 17th! I'm so excited to see her performing up on a stage!! I know she's going to be great! I love all the holiday parties and celebrating this great season with family and friends alike! I have lots of pictures and will find time soon to post them. For now this is an update on how we're doing. I hope all of you are doing great and I wish each one of you a very Merry Christmas!!!!

Harry Potter Review!

2010-11-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

So, I told you all that I would definitely be back on to tell you my thoughts of the movie. It was incredibly fabulous!!! In my opinion it was the best movie made so far. The quality of the movie was so high. The special effects, the cinematography, it all was just visually stunning! I totally went into this movie with high expectations because it's my favorite book and I was NOT disappointed. It was everything I'd hoped for and more.

They pretty much stuck to the book. There were only a few minuscule things that they changed but it didn't take away from the plot line of the book at all. I simply loved this movie and want to go see it again and again. We saw it in IMAX and it was awesome; I would highly recommend it to anyone.

I thought they did a great job with the development of the characters and their relationships. It's so interesting seeing them as grown-ups on screen since we've been watching them since they were 11!! The cast of these movies are jam packed with fabulous actors and actresses! They make the whole thing so believable and convincing. I must say though that I have a small crush on Rupert Grint... Ron has always been one of my favorite characters and he does a great job in this movie as well. I love his comedic timing.

As for the whole "nudity" complaint by many; I didn't see any nudity in the story. There is one part when a horcrux is opened and Ron is seeing his worst fears. It does show Harry and Hermione kissing each other somewhat passionately. Their bodies are a kind of mist that is flesh colored so it eludes to the fact that they're naked but you NEVER actually see any inappropriate body parts. I had absolutely no problem with it. It is after all a PG-13 movie and definitely isn't for young children anyway with how dark the books have become. The scene itself was done well, because really it's Ron's worst fears being seen.

For me, myself, and I; I really loved this movie and simply can't wait to see the continuing part coming out in July! If anyone loves the Harry Potter books or is looking for a stunning, exciting movie to see this movie won't disappoint!!! I hope you all like it as much as I did!

Can't Wait!!!

2010-11-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know I'm probably a nerd, but I am SO giddy about this movie coming out!!!!! Aaron and I have tickets for this Friday...not the midnight movie but a matinee movie. I simply can't wait. I've been watching all the other movies this week and Aaron and I re-read the seventh book together this past month so we are completely caught up and ready to go see this fabulous movie! I don't know if many of you are fans, but yes, I am one of those crazy fans who adore these books and totally enjoy these movies. I don't go so far as dressing up BUT I wouldn't put it past me if a group of us were doing it together!!! :) I just think these books are so well written and totally enthralling. The seventh book has always been my favorite so I'm excited to see how they do with it. I'm super glad they split it into 2 movies though because there isn't much you can leave out of the seventh book! I'll definitely be back on Friday night with my thoughts on the movie but for now I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

Here are our pictures from the Great Halloween Adventure! The girls had so much fun despite the horrible weather. They came home totally exhausted with candy sacks filled to the brim! I think this is the first year Aaron and I have actually dressed up together since we got married!!! We had a blast and I hope everyone else had a great time too!

Trying to be Creative!

2010-10-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ok so all you fabulous mom's out there I need your help! I'd like to do more creative fun things with McKayla to keep her stimulated and learning. Do you guys do anything fun around your house? My mom was telling me about a woman we know that she plans out different weeks around certain themes. For example: Medieval Week- it would consist of eating medieval themed meals, watching medieval movies, and playing certain games and such.

I think it sounds great but man do I over think things and have to make it super complicated!! HELP! What are some fun things you guys do to teach your kids new things and keep them learning before going to school????? I just need to switch things up at home so both me and the girls don't feel like we do the same things over and over.

Family Pictures

2010-10-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

We had our good friend, Mandee Shaffer do our family pictures! She has recently started doing professional photography. Here is a link to her blog: www.photosbymandee.blogspot.com/ It was so much fun. The girls were a little rambunxious and Livi pretty much alway had her fingers in her mouth but we did get some good shots. Here are a couple of my very favorites!

How Do We Do It All?

2010-09-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer...May contain some questions and venting, so if you'd rather not read it feel free to skip this post.

How do women do it all??? I'd like to know the answer. I'm not frustrated or upset while writing this but just overwhelmed with life as it is. I went to the BYU game today and it was SO fun, even if we did lose horribly, we came back and picked up my clean tired girls from my mom and brought them home. As I walked into the disaster area, known as my house, I suddenly felt overwhelmed with all the responsibilities that were there waiting for me.
I had two primary lessons (now down to one after a phone call) to prepare for tomorrow, my house is completely messy, I'm really behind in my classes, I don't get much time to hang out with my cute hubby, and I'm so tired I'd really like to just sit and do nothing. There's too much to do and not enough of me to go around. How do you women do it? How do you go to school, work, keep a beautifully clean house, raise healthy happy kids, and find time for yourself and your sanity?!!! I've decided that those women of today's world that want it all can have it all!!! I'd be completely content to simply worry about my kids and making sure my house was clean and dinner was on the table. Maybe once I'm done with school that can happen, but for now I'll just keep swimming, just keep swimming. :)
I'd love suggestions or ideas of ways all you fabulous women do it all. Because I know there are tons of you out there that are amazing mommies, wives, employees, and students! So many of you inspire me more than you realize!

The Hunger Games-Simply Amazing!

2010-08-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

I just finished the third and final book of the series tonight! Each book was unbelieveable and I loved them all. I was somewhat skepitcal when I heard everyone talking about them and I didn't want to have such high expectations going in to reading them, so I down-played all the rave comments I got from people so I could make up my own mind. Well...I made up my mind about loving them when I read the first one in only 3 days, and the other two soon after that. These books are so well written and different. There really isn't any other way of describing them. To talk about the books in detail is to give too much away. You have to read them for yourself if you don't like spoiled endings. I would recommend these books to EVERYONE! I think they will be placed alongside some of my other favorite books. I'm so sad they're done with. I always get attached to the characters of my books and am sad to see their world come to a close. If you've read these books, tell me what you thought of them. If you haven't, let me know if you ever do or why you don't.

It's Offical!

2010-08-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

My handsome man in his white coat!

Today Aaron had is White Coat Ceremony for Pharmacy School. It was so great. He's officially been inducted into the Pharmacy program at University of Southern Nevada. I couldn't be more proud of him. They had a great key-note speaker who gave words of advice and then they had each student come up and receive his/her white coat. Aaron looked so good in his. I'm so excited that he's on the road to finishing his education and the end is in sight. It's definitely going to be a trying and crazy 3 years but like Beverly Sills said, "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."

Arvin & Nancy made it up from Ephraim and Trent stayed in town long enough to come support his brother.

Mom, Dad, Hawley and Lys all made it too. Thank you everyone for all your love and support. It means more than you know!!!

You can barely see his hand but this is him waving goodbye to us for the next 3 years!

Birthdays are Interesting Things

2010-08-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

One more year gone. My birthday was last Monday and I turned the big 2-6. Ha ha...I know it's not that old but I'm now over 25 and don't know when or how I got here. Isn't it funny how things change? I remember being little and thinking about how I couldn't wait to grow up. Now that I'm an adult I wish I could be younger again. You never really realize that when your parents tell you to enjoy being young they really aren't just trying to ruin your life and stop you from doing things you think you're old enough for. :) It may sound like I'm feeling old, and yes, in some respects and some days I DO feel old, but over-all I'm happy with my life. Things are good; I've just come to learn the age old lesson, that time really is a precious thing that shouldn't be wasted.

Do you ever feel like you waste your life away? Sometimes I do. I look at people who never stop going: my mom, granny, friends, cousins and I think to myself...what am I doing with my life? What have I accomplished? While thinking about this the last little while I made a list of some things I felt I've accomplished and another list of things I want to do and succeed at in the coming years...here they are:

Things I've Accomplished

Graduated High School
Went on a church history tour by myself with a group of kids for 3 weeks. SO AWESOME!
Went on the best ever, most grueling biking trip to Southern Utah with the best of friends
Recorded a CD-(I sang for Janice Kapp Perry & Kira, Marci and I made a CD of our trio stuff)
Shared my talent of singing in many different areas
Went to college (still working on it!)
Tried my hand a theater...wasn't awesome but loved every minute of the shows I was in! HMS Pinafore (Josephine), Grease (Rizzo), Pippin (Leading Player), Swing (Dottie, we didn't have specific names so this is what I decided my character's name would have been!)
Bought and paid for my own car all by my lonesome!
Made life long friendships
Dated and married a handsome, smart, and amazing man
Received my Endowments
Married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple
Survived child-birth and received the two most uniquely beautiful gifts of my life, McKayla & Olivia I LOVE you!!
Learned to make various crafts and learned to love it!
Hiked Mt. Timpanogos
Tackled my fear of Math 1050 and English1010 and came away with A's in both classes!!!
Try to keep a clean house ;P

Well, it really doesn't look like I've done too much, but I guess life really isn't measured in big huge things that happen to us, but in the small everyday things we do.

Things I Want to Accomplish:

Get my associates degree
Get my bachelors degree
Buy a house
Learn to sew
Travel out of the country
Maybe go on a mission
Stop being a pack-rat
Stop Procrastinating
Go on a cruise
Learn to garden
Have more kids
Perform in more shows
Face my fear of roller-coasters!!
Learn to cook better
Lose 10 pounds
Maybe drink less Pepsi...I said maybe :)
Eat healthier
Exercise more
Learn to do geneology
Go to the Temple every month

Those are just a few of the things I want to accomplish and learn and do...notice, I didn't put a date when I'm suppose to finish these things because I don't know how long it will take to do but I'm sure going to work hard to do them all and do them well!!! I always say...It's not a matter of if but when I'll do them.

Oh BTW...my birthday was great! I went out to lunch with my sisters, my mom made me a delicious fresh peach pie, McKayla gave me a cake cause she was worried about me not getting a birthday cake, I got lots of hugs, kisses & birthday wishes, and I got a lot of great gifts: pants and freakin' awesome shoes, a cute watch band, a necklace with the girls' names and birthstones, the Hunger Game series, and last but not least, Aaron got me tickets to see LION KING in September!!!! It was such a great day of just relaxing and being with family. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!

Quotes

2010-08-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

I was thinking I'd love to hear your favorite quotes! I LOVE quotes!! I'm not exactly sure why they are so wonderful in my mind; maybe it's because other people can sometimes express things with their words so much better than I ever could. I've been collecting them for a really long time, off and on, and I'm always searching for new ones that brighten my day, or inspire me for the better. SO...feel free to leave a comment with your favorites!!! I know my blog is boring and hardly anyone reads this anymore, but for those of you that do, I'd really like to hear what inspires you! Hope you all have a great day!!! Here are a couple of my favorites!

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intentions of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, Pepsi in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO, WHAT A RIDE!"
"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be." -Groucho Marx
"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You have to fling yourself into what you're doing. You have to aim, point and dive." (I read that in a book in high school; can't remember which one.)
"Thank you for being the kind of people you are and doing the things you do. Many of you think you are failures. You feel you cannot do well, that with all of your effort it is not sufficient. You are doing the best you can, and that best results in good to yourself and to others. Do not nag yourself with a sense of failure. Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord, then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do. Then leave the matter in the hands of the Lord. You will discover that you have accomplished something beyond price. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you." -President Hinckley

A Family Update

2010-07-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

So we've been doing so much this summer that I have been a big slacker and haven't put up any pictures. I'll put some up soon of our adventures, but I just wanted to write a little about how we're doing.

I miraculously passed Math 1050 with an A and Physics 1010 with a B+. The summer blocks fly by so fast it's kinda hard to keep up sometimes but at the same time you don't have time to become disinterested. I'm now taking English 1010 and it's crazy! I worry about my writing skills but I've got to get through this class. After this summer I'll only have two classes to finish up my general associates and I'm SUPER excited about that! I'm not sure if I'll start into my bachelors or if I'll wait til Aaron is done. Other than that it's the same old thing. I'm a mommy to two beautiful daughters that keep me busy and on my toes. It's the best!!!
Aaron has started into his MBA program and is doing quite well. He was nervous about this part of the program but so far has enjoyed the class he's been taking. They go over one class at a time so he doesn't have to spread his attention too thin on other courses. The girls and I went up to visit him the other day and the campus is super nice. It looks like it will be a great place for Aaron to complete his degrees! He's been adjusting to being back in the school and work mode. It was so nice for him to be able to have time off of everything before he jumped back into such a regimented program. The girls miss him in the mornings now that they're stuck with me but he loves to come home and play with them right after school.
McKayla just turned 5 last month and is getting taller, and smarter everyday!! She can start pre-school in the fall and I'm thinking about putting her in dance or gymnastics. I love to see her enthusiasm for learning new things and how she loves to play computer, practice writing, playing house, helping me with everything, and playing with Olivia. She's such a great big sister and I appreciate all her help. She cracks me up with her ability to remember things in detail. My mom always told me to give the "Readers Digest" version of things and the other day I almost said that to Kayla. I started laughing hysterically instead that yes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree I guess. She has such a tender heart and gives the best hugs in the world!!
Olivia turned 1 last month and has such a personality on her! I love this age cause she's now discovering new things about herself and it's so fun to watch. She's starting to try standing alone. She walks all over holding onto things but refuses to strike out on her own yet. She's healthy and has such a great appetite!!! I don't understand why she is in the 10-25th percentile for weight when she eats more than me sometimes!!! She has started to realize she can pull different faces and man does she have many. My family calls her the girl with many faces. One second she's scowling at you and the next she's cheesing it up! She constantly makes me laugh.

That's an update about what's happening around our place. Hope everyone is doing great and having a great summer!!!

Happy Birthday Aaron!

2010-06-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

It's Aaron's 28th Birthday today and I just wanted to share some of the many things I love about him!

1. He believes family relationships are important
2. He’s a hard worker
3. He is a worthy priesthood holder

4. He has a very logical brain
5. He's so supportive and always encouraging
6. He's a great cook! He'd have to be with my cooking :P

7. He has a major sweet tooth and loves chewy candy
8. He has a great smile that's contagious
9. He has super strength!

10. He loves to be outdoors
11. He talks in his sleep :)
12. He loves singing, dancing, & theater

13. He has a funny laugh
14. He's accident prone
15. He's adventurous

16. He wins every game I EVER play with him!!!
17. He loves to have fun & be goofy

18. He's handsome, handsome, handsome

19. He makes me laugh everyday
20. He’s a little boy at heart

21. He loves to read

22. He’s a gentle giant

23. He likes to build things and be Mr. Fix-it

24. He gets so excited to talk about science stuff

25. He loves kids

26. He’s always ready with a solution to any problem

27. He’s a tease!!

28. And of course he's a fabulous Daddy & Hubby

There are SO many more things I could say about Aaron but I’ll just end by saying…

To know Aaron is to LOVE him!

Happy Birthday Sweet-pea!!! You’re the best!

A Change of Scenery

2010-05-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

I decided it was about time I added a new look to my blog. It's been a while since I last changed my background and when I ran across this one it seemed the perfect fit for my life right now. You might be wondering why I picked the one with crowns...well I'll tell you my dear friends!

I am currently on the Miss Lehi committee and our pageant is in less than two weeks!!! It's the 5th of June if any of you would like to come! I have loved being on the committee for the past two years. Me and my trusty girl Jen are over the workshops to help prepare the girls for the night of the pageant. This year we have 11 contestants!!! We couldn't be happier. The other committee members are a hoot and I L-O-V-E working with them. I come home from every meeting with my sides aching from all the laughter. It's nice to do something for myself that I enjoy.

The other reasons for the crowns are that my sweet little Princesses are turning 4 and 1 this next month, AND my handsome Prince also has his birthday in June as well!!! I can't believe I have been lucky enough to have such a wonderful family. They are my everything. I love the quote that says...

“The family is one of nature's masterpieces.” - George Santayana

MBA Program here we come!

2010-05-24T15:03:00.001-07:00

More good news! Aaron was just accepted into the MBA program at University of Southern Nevada as well as his Pharm D program!!!! YAY!!!! This means that for the next three years he'll have NO summer but will end up with a Doctorate of Pharmacy as well as an MBA Degree! He starts classes July 5th through about the 16th of August for his MBA courses and then starts his regular semester on August 30th!!! We can't wait. I'm so thrilled for him!

Thank you to everyone for your love and support! We love and cherish our friendships with all of you!

Does anyone ever feel the same?

2010-05-10T18:35:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't posted since Aaron's big news but sometimes I'm at odds with myself...meaning I don't really feel like my life is very exciting for anyone to want to read it. Don't get me wrong, this is not a poor pity me post by any means. I am thoroughly happy with my life! I have two beautiful daughters, a loving and wonderful husband, a great family, fun friends and much much more, but sometimes I think to myself...where did the time go? What happened to all my big dreams? Am I ever going to feel like I've accomplished anything I set out to do or wanted to do for that matter? Who am I really besides "Mommy"? What happened to the spunky, crazy girl?

My days feel pretty routine (of course I'm SO not great at routine so I mean doing the basics for the girls) and like everyone elses' of living day to day. So what's so interesting about me? I'm like everyone else in that I celebrate the day to day victories, laugh with & enjoy my family, cry when I'm sad, and at night thank the Lord for my many many blessings. Is it odd for me to feel like I have a good life but still want more from myself? Or asking myself some of those questions? Have any of you done that? What did you do if you did? I'd love feed back from anyone who wants to give it!

I'm just throwing those questions out there for advice. I've been thinking about them a lot lately. Thanks for listening and being interested in the babbling of a crazy person!!! It means a lot!

Congratulations Aaron!

2010-04-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

I couldn't be more proud of my handsome husband! He was accepted into the Pharmacy program at the University of Southern Nevada's South Jordan, Utah campus! It's a 3 year program so it's pretty intense but we're SO excited to have the end of his schooling in sight!!! He'll be starting in the fall and I'm so excited for him. He's worked so hard to provide for our little family and to push through with his schooling. He's a daily inspiration to me of what hard work and determination can accomplish with the Lord's help. Aaron truly is an amazing man in every aspect and I feel completely lucky to have him as my husband for eternity!!! (ok ok, I know that was a little mushy, but it's true!) Congratulations Sweetheart, here's to only 3 more years!

Sleepin' Like a Champ!

2010-03-08T15:45:00.001-08:00

I forgot to post about McKayla! I don't know who's more happy...her or me! Since around the beginning of the year she's been going to sleep all by herself!!! I know this may sound odd to some of you.

McKayla has always been my baby that had to have the comfort of knowing you were right next to her. She always needed us with her to be able to fall asleep. I never really minded this but as she's gotten older and we now had another little one it became more difficult and time consuming to get her down at night. I read an article once that said just to leave them alone and they'll be fine. I tried that with her when she was a baby and instead of her crying it out she cried hysterically for about 2 hours until I intervened because she was gasping for breath. She's always been that way; until one blessed night! I came home late from my parents house and Olivia had fallen asleep in her car-seat. I got McKayla ready for bed and tucked her in telling her that after I got Olivia ready for bed I'd be in to sit in the chair until she was asleep. Well...once Livi was ready for bed I went in to lay her down and Kayla was out cold! I didn't know what to do with myself since I'd been SO use to being in her room for awhile at night. It felt really weird to just walk right back out of the room. The next day I made a big deal about her sleeping on her own and she said she wanted to do it again! We started a routine of getting ready for bed and tucking both the girls in and leaving the room. She's done awesome ever since! I haven't had her want me in there at all at night. Just the other day she told me she likes going to sleep by herself. I LOVE that it has to be her idea but once she puts her mind to something she has no problems doing it. It was the same way with getting rid of pull-ups at night. Once she did it she hasn't had ANY problems through the night!!!

I can't believe how big she's getting to be. Sometimes I look at her and I miss holding my tiny baby in my arms, but I adore the little lady she has become. She always brings a smile to my face. Being a Mom is definitely my greatest accomplishment!

Nothing Much...

2010-03-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile but I feel like nothing much has been going on. Here are just a couple of things we've been up to lately.

Olivia is now rolling EVERYWHERE...she also gets up on her hands and knees and even up onto her feet but she still hasn't quite figured it out yet. Which is fine by me! :)
McKayla has had some sleep-overs at my Mom's and Hawley's houses and has cried every time she's HAD to come home.
Olivia has cut her two bottom teeth and I'm waiting for the top to come in cause they're awfully swollen; poor thing.
Aaron's been working hard at Walgreens and is doing great this semester. He just took two tests today and got above 90% on both tests!!!!! YAY!!!
I'm doing Miss Lehi again this year and I'm loving it. The workshops are so much fun, and the committee and girls are simply the best!
I've been doing some crafts with my mom and sisters; needless to say we giggle a lot together!
Aaron and I have been teaching the CTR4 class this year which has been fun but challenging. We have about twelve four year olds in our class!!! YIKES!
We all have cabin fever and can't wait for this blasted snow to melt so we can play outside a lot!
We all went to the dentist and McKayla was the only one to walk away with NO CAVITIES!!! I was so excited for her!

Well, that's about it around here. Nothing too exciting but that's how life is sometimes :) I don't mind the calmness; it's rather nice!

Wishing & Hoping...

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

We're so excited! Aaron has gotten an interview at University of Southern Nevada for the Pharmacy Program! His interview is on the 16th of this month so in a week! I'm so proud of him for getting an interview. Not many do, so I sincerely hope he gets into the program. We'll either be at the South Jordan extention or down in Nevada! We don't know which. He's super nervous but I think he'll do great! The interview is down in Nevada so we have to figure out how to get him down there and back but we can't wait! I just thought I'd share our good news. I'll keep you posted when we get more news back. YAY Honey! I'm so proud of you for working hard and persevering!!!!

A Soft Answer...

2010-01-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

McKayla my sweet 3 year old verbally put me in my place yesterday! I have to give her props cause she always seems to know when to say the right things. I'll admit I was wrong and it's pretty humbling to be reprimanded by a 3 year old, let me tell you!

We were getting ready to leave and I had asked McKayla to climb in the car and put her straps on but she wasn't listening. I got angry and said through gritted teeth, "McKayla, get in the car NOW!!! Start listening!" This is the response I got...

"I'm a Child of God, Mama. Don't be mad."

Wow, what do you say to that? I instantly felt bad that I had yelled at her and I had to chuckle to myself. She's so smart; smarter than me some days as you can see. Just had to post this little example of a soft answer from a 3 year old reminding an impatient mommy that I have the most special job in the whole world. I'm so thankful to have her in my life!

Catching up from the Holidays

2010-01-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

The holidays were so crazy but so much fun! Here is a recap finished off with pictures! Sorry it's so long, but a lot went on :)

Thanksgiving we spent with my family here in Utah County. It was so much fun! Aaron made his South Dakota Pie with McKayla's help and I got one of my mom's pumpkin pies all to myself! YUM!

The beginning of December we went up to Logan to see Trent's show called Issun Boshi. It's a Japanese version of Tom Thumb. It was McKayla's first play and she LOVED it. The puppets were so big and awesome. Trenton played two characters and did a great job. He let us go up on stage after the production to see the puppets up close. Kayla thought they were pretty cool once she new they couldn't get her :) She even told us she wanted them to come alive again! Olivia spent time with my sweet cousin Shiree while we went to the show and then we all went over to Paul and Emily's for the night. It was quite the adventure because it snowed so bad that weekend that we wound up staying overnight because of the weather. Then when we went to come home I rolled down my drivers-side window in the car and it wouldn't roll back up!!!! We spent most of the day at Shiree's while poor Aaron tried to get it up. He wound up bundling up and driving the car with the window down all the way to Kaysville, while I drove my cousin's car with the girls. DJ got our window up and we were able to come home from there but it was pretty miserable!!! Thank goodness for sweet cousins and great friends that helped us out.

Christmas was so fun this year!! We've been pretty tight on money so we decided to start our own Christmas mornings instead of traveling to Ephraim. McKayla was so excited for Santa to come this year and it was fun to watch her. We spent all of Christmas Eve with each other. We ran some errand, then came home and made a gingerbread house kit. McKayla loved it! Olivia is now rolling over so much and she rolled herself over to the tree and started playing with the low hanging ornaments! We opened our Christmas PJ's and after we had put them on and modeled them for each other we watched the animated Christmas story of Christ's birth. We talked about what Christmas was all about then we let McKayla put baby Jesus in his soft manger we had filled with service straw (every time someone did something nice we got to put a piece of paper straw in the manger.) It brought a great feeling into our house! Before bed we let McKayla put cookies and milk out for Santa, put her stocking where she wanted it, and put the magic key outside so Santa could get in our house. She loved it! Christmas morning was filled with excitement, laughter, and lots of love. Aaron and I refurbished an old doll house for McKayla and Santa brought her Barbies. We traveled over to my parents for our fabulous Christmas breakfast that my Daddy always makes. The only downside to Christmas was that my older sister Hawley was in the hospital. Aaron was sweet enough to watch the girls so I could go spend some time with her on Christmas which was much needed for both of us I think. Family is such a wonderful thing to be surrounded by!

New Years was pretty uneventful for us. Aaron had to work both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day so I took the girls to my parents and played there until Aaron came up after work. We watched the movie UP and stopped it long enough to watch the ball drop then brought the girls home to bed. I have such mixed feelings about New Years every year. I'm excited to start a fresh new year with endless possibilities but I'm also always sad to see another year go by and to know my kids are getting older, as am I and things are always changing. I don't know...do you guys love new years?

Last but not least, Aaron's parents decided to start having a late Christmas party on the second weekend in Jan. instead of trying to get everyone on Christmas Day so that was this last weekend. It was so much fun to see the family. We went sledding and had a blast! I got totally bruised and battered but laughed so hard. McKayla LOVED sledding and kept telling me to go faster all the time. We also had a fun gift exchange, and a yummy "Christmas dinner." We also played a game called Quelf with some of Aaron's siblings and laughed so hard we were crying! If any of you have never played Quelf I totally suggest it! Anyway...that's what's been happening in our neck of the woods. Thanks for putting up with my long windedness :)

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam!

2010-01-11T17:57:00.001-08:00

It's been so long since I've posted. I promise I will post more about our holidays but I had to write a little post about my sweet baby girl!

She became a Sunbeam this year! McKayla was so excited to be going to primary instead of Nursery. She jumped out of bed on the 3rd and couldn't wait to go to church. Aaron and I teach the CTR 4 class so we were already seated in the primary room when in walked my sweet girl with her arms folded and sat down on the front row. It brought tears to my eyes to see her so grown up. I am SO proud of her for loving the gospel and always wanting to learn more about Jesus. I'm thankful to have her sweet spirit in our home and for the joy which she brings to my life everyday. I love my little Sunbeam!!!

GLEE!

2009-12-12T23:11:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely in LOVE with this show!!! Have any of you watched it? I know it's somewhat geeky but it reminds me so much of my high school days! AND it's a heck of a lot better than half the things they're showing on television these days! The music in this show is phenomenal! Thanks to my sweet cousin, Shiree, I am hopelessly hooked to this show. Sadly, the first season just ended so I have to wait until April for it to start up again. It makes me miss performing so much. For any of you who were involved in choir and haven't watched this fabulous series, I suggest you take a chance on it because I bet you'll like it. As for me... you can guarantee come April 13th I will be sitting in front of my TV with my favorite goodies totally enjoying the 2nd season of GLEE!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T13:34:00.001-08:00

So...on Sunday we had a lesson on being grateful. I challenged my boys to make a list of things that they were thankful for and read it to their families. With that side note, I'm taking my own advice and making my own list. Things have been pretty chaotic around here and life always seems like a constant roller coaster of ups and down but I truly have so much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays simply because it's a time to be with family, eating great food, and it's one day out of the entire year that is set aside for remembering what you're thankful for. Aaron, on Sunday, said something that I'd never really thought of before and it struck me as something I won't forget. What do you get if you switch the words in Thanksgiving? "Giving Thanks!" I'm sure many of you already thought of this but I really liked it. Thinking back over this last year I have much to be grateful for so here is my list...

Aaron: I couldn't ask for a better man. He's my everything. (I know that sounds cheesy but there really isn't a better way of saying all he does for me!)
My Sweet Girls: I love the joy they bring me everyday with Olivia's sweet smiles & giggles and McKayla's hugs and kisses. Even though it's a challenge to be a mother there is nothing like the love you feel when they say, "I love you Mommy" or when you know they're healthy and happy! They simply melt my heart everyday!
My Family: I thought about it yesterday and I know when you're growing up friends are more important than family, but since starting my own little family I have come to realize my siblings are my best friends (especially my mom and sisters). They help me so so much.
The Gospel
Temples
The Scriptures
Chocolate: For when I'm going crazy! :)
Pepsi: Trust me, it saves Aaron and the girls some days :)
Our Apartment
Great Friends: Aaron and I are so lucky to have such great friends that we can rely on and giggle with. Thanks to all of you for your friendships. We truly cherish them.
Good Health
Healthy Babies
Cars
Cell Phones
School
Books
Hot Showers
Clean Clothes
Thunder during rain storms
Fresh cut grass on a summer's day
Cheetos and Oreos
Great Doctors
Snugly Blankets
Wood Crafts
Glitter toes
The Card Game-Hand & Foot: It's the only game I can beat Aaron at!
Quiet time when the girls are down and all is quiet and peaceful!
Mom's pumpkin pie
Christmas Time
My Birthday
Singing, Singing, Singing
Being able to sleep in
The Outdoors

The list could go on and on but those are the things that come to mind right now. Ok I know that some of the things on my list sound silly but that was the challenge I gave to the boys. To write down anything and everything they're thankful for, so that's what I did.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of fun, laughter, family, friends and great food! I'd love to hear your lists!

So Excited

2009-11-20T11:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know I'm a dork but I am super excited to go see New Moon tomorrow!!! I would have loved to go to a midnight showing but it's more fun to go with the girls! My mama, sisters and I try to go out (usually to a movie) once a month together. It's so much fun to have time just with them to relax, and laugh so hard my stomach hurts. SO... I CAN'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW!!! I've been so ready for this movie to come out all year and the previews look great! YAY for vampires and werewolves!!!

Saving Money-Is it EVER possible??

2009-11-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

How does anyone do it? Aaron and I have been trying to figure out a good way to save money, but nothing ever seems to work. The only thing we've been successful at is saving for the girls; which isn't much every month. It seems like every time we do get a little money in our pockets something comes up that dissolves it pretty fast :) How do any of you save money??? I could sure use some tips. You know what they say: Find someone who is good at what you're trying to learn and imitate them then once you've got it down make it your own; it's the best way to get it right!

Happy Halloween!!!

2009-10-31T22:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great night! The girls had a lot of fun, but were definitely tired and ready for bed by the time we got home. I really wanted to do a cute theme but was too much of a slacker this year so we just dressed the girls up. I think they turned out pretty darn cute!

My Little Lady Bug!

My Adorable Sleeping Beauty!

My Sleeping Beauty really fell asleep!!! We went to my Grandpa Jones' house and while visiting BOTH girls zonked out! It made me laugh, because Grandpa was one of our first stops!!!!

Grandpa Allen with the girls

CAUTION: Look at your own risk!!! :) (It's pretty hilarious!)

Ok, ok I have to explain this next picture!!! My parents have an annual Halloween party which they have TONS of fun at. They get together with all of their friends and laugh the whole night long. We are always trying to get Daddy to do crazy things and this year takes the cake! My little sister bedazzled his shirt and they went as Richard Simmons & a Fat Work-out Lady! I had to put this on here cause I absolutely love that my Dad had guts to do this. It's BY FAR my favorite Halloween costume he has EVER worn!!!!

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!!

Fun Family Time!

2009-10-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

So, I love fall and Halloween! Aaron has been working a lot and I've stayed home with the girls. I know it may sound dumb but I've been worried about Olivia and all the swine flu going around. McKayla & I have been vaccinated but I can't vaccinate Livi cause she's too little so it worries me to take her lots of places. SO...we've mostly been home-bodies which hasn't been bad. As you can see I've gotten some fun crafts done. I really loved my Halloween and My Witch Boot. Mine was black with purple top with orange laces, Hawley's was the purple one, and Alyssa's was the black with orange top. Last night we carved our pumpkins and it was SO much fun! I think carving pumpkins has to be one of my very favorite parts of Halloween! McKayla hated getting dirty. She wouldn't touch the guts but she like to poke holes into the pumpkins. It was so much fun to spend time with our girls as a little family!

So Proud!

2009-10-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

I want everyone to know how very proud I am of Aaron! He has been working so hard the past couple of months to prepare for the PCATs and today he's finally done with them! It's definitely been a long road for him to get here and feel prepared. I'm so proud of him for never giving up. Now it's the waiting game to get the results back but as of today he's done with the actual testing. I know he was really nervous and is nervous to find out the result but I have complete confidence in him that he did his best and he did well. He is my rock, my motivation, and my best example of how to push through and finish things! I love you honey, you're the best!

I LOVE FALL!

2009-10-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

Oh I must say Fall is probably my favorite time of year! I love the changing of the leaves, wearing sweaters, the crisp morning air (ok so I don't get up that early, but still I love it), the school supplies, carving pumpkins, BYU games, and everything else! YAY I love fall!

The Diabetes Walk

2009-10-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

The Diabetes walk on the 26th of September was fabulous! We had a great turn out of family that walked with us. Before the walk we got donuts and chocolate milk, and boogied to the chicken dance & macaraina. The actual walk was a 5K or 2.5 miles. It wasn't really hard but wow did I discover that I'm out of shape since having a baby! After we all crossed the finish line and took lots of pictures we had a fun lunch and visited while the kids ran around playing the many games that were there. Hawley was able to almost meet her goal and I raised some money as well. I'm super excited for next year and I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to Debbie, Jamie and Susanna for your support! I really appreciated it!

Diabetes Walk

2009-09-18T14:48:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to let everyone know that it's that time of year again! I'm participating in a walk to cure diabetes on Saturday,September 26th. It's to support my sweet sister Hawley, who has courageously suffered with this horrible disease & it's many side affects for over 10 years now.

This disease is becoming more and more widespread especially in children and it's very important that we find a cure. The JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) is one of the leading foundations in research donations. JDRF has set a goal this year to raise $105 million dollars to go toward finding a cure. I have set a personal goal of $100.00 this year and hope to reach it.

I know that in this hard economic time money is tight and everyone is cutting back but please if you can, please donate to this noble cause. We all have the ability to make a difference whether it's 1 dollar or 50 anything helps. Thank you for all your love and support! It really means a lot to me.

Here is the link to my donation page. It's not letting me put it as a link so if you want to donate just copy the site. Sorry for the inconvenience! You can also register to walk with me if you want!

http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87475256

Family Day of Fun!

2009-09-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, Aaron has been working so tirlessly lately that he hasn't had much time at home. He generally gets home after the girls are asleep and some days leaves before they're awake. This weekend he actually had the whole weekend to spend with us. It was great. We decided to have a fun outing with the girls.
My brother gave me an unlimited ticket to Boondocks last year for my birthday and we had a couple other tickets left over from another time so we used those to play! It was such a fun day. McKayla loved the gocarts and kept telling us to GO FASTER!!! I took her on the bumper boats where she wouldn't stop spraying EVERYONE around us! Needless to say people retaliated and we were soaked. We golfed and Aaron got a hole in one! I decided I'm really awful at golfing; good thing it was only for fun. The girls and I cheered Aaron on as he used the batting cages, and McKayla loved playing in the Kiddy Cove. Through all of this Olivia was such a great baby and was pretty content to watch what was going on around her. It was such a great day. It was really nice to go somewhere and spend quality time with the girls and just be a little family. Here are some of my pictures from the day...

Aaron & McKayla in the purple go cart! She was so excited!

The Bumper Boats! McKayla kept trying to spray Aaron.

Golfing!

The hole-in-one jig!

Livi being such a good girl. She loved being outside!

Kayla playing in the kiddy cove. She loved it!

At first I was upset cause I wanted a cute picture of the girls smiling and McKayla pulled a funny face, but then I looked at Livi's face and it was so funny that this became one of my favorite pictures of the girls.

Mister Baseball

Date Night with Daddy!

2009-08-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

I think ever girl should have date nights with her Daddy! My Dad has season tickets to the Hale Center Theatre in West Valley and he took me last Thursday to see "The Scarlet Pimpernel." I absolutely LOVED the show! The music has become some of my favorites ever since Aaron introduced it to me when we got married but neither of us have ever seen the show...until Daddy took me last Thursday. The show was SO well done! I think it's definitely one of my very favorites now! It was really fun to see the meaning behind the songs. I would highly recommend going to see it. I hope to take Aaron before it's over this month. He would so love the show. The man who played Percy, the main character, was hilarious!!!! It made me miss performing though and kind of gave me a resolve to start working on my vocals again and hopefully my acting skills (They need a lot of help!) Maybe one day I'll get back to the stage! Thanks Daddy for an unforgettable night of fun and laughter! I'm so glad I got some one on one time with him watching something we both love. I'm so thankful that he and Mom introduced us to the live theatre when we were little. It has been something we have grown up loving and appreciating. It's SO much better than the movies! I'd take live theatre over TV or movies any day!!!! It's simply the BEST!

Olivia's 2 months!!!

2009-08-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast time flies!!! Olivia is now two months old and it seems just like yesterday I was in the hospital delivery room. The doctor said she is good and healthy. She is now 10 lbs. 14 oz. in the 50%, and she's 23.75 inches in length putting her in the 97% for her height! The poor thing had to get 3 shots yesterday but she was a champ! She cried for a bit but was calmed down before we left the doc. office. It's crazy how big she's getting. She's so long and chunky! She's smiling and cooing all the time and sleeping great! I was so blessed to get such a great baby. Princesses are the best and I'm lucky enough to have two!

When it rains it pours!

2009-08-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt like when something goes horribly wrong that EVERYTHING goes horribly wrong? It's been like that the past week or so. It's definitely been a challenge and a trial of perseverance but I've learned a great lesson in all of it. I've always known the Lord will watch over those who have faith and try to do all they can, but I've experienced that help today. Even though things have gone wrong and we still have a ways to go before everything is back to semi-normal, the Lord has blessed my little family! It's been such a strengthening trial and I feel like my testimony of faith and endurance has grown a little more. I'm so grateful for this gospel and the knowledge that even when you feel like all hope is lost you are NEVER alone!

Busy August!

2009-08-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

We've been busy so far this August so I haven't had time to get things updated...sorry. Here is what's been happening!

First: We got family pictures!!! It was so much fun to get family pictures taken. It had been quite a while since we've had them done and I think my sister-in-law did a fabulous job!

2nd: We blessed Olivia on the second. It was a wonderful day. Aaron did a great job even though he was super nervous and it was kinda extra special because Olivia's dress was made out of my Grandma Jones' wedding dress. Grandma passed the end of December last year and Olivia is the first Great-Grand Daughter to be born since she passed. We designed the dress to resemble Grandma's dress somewhat. We used her real satin & buttons on the dress. It's also super special cause my Mom made it. I absolutely LOVE it!

3rd: Kayla had her 3 year old check-up. She is in the 50% for her weight & 70-90% for her height. She had to get one shot. I felt so bad for her. Once she calmed down she told everyone that she was braver than Superman (which in our house says A LOT!) The doctor also told us she has flat feet so we had to take her to a foot specialist who told us that her feet actually aren't that flat but that her right leg is longer than her left. She now has to wear a heel lift in her left shoe. It's nice to know how to fix the problem but I have no idea how I'm going to get her to stop wearing flip-flops. Those are the only shoes she will wear lately!

4th: I turned the big 2-5!!! Aaron took me out to Ruby River where he gave me a gorgeous set of pearls, and a journey necklace!!! He spoiled me rotten! Saturday, Trent & Ryan came down and we had a group date to Boondocks and 5 Guys for dinner! It was so much fun. Sunday, the 9th was actually my birthday and we just relaxed, had cake & icecream with my family. Overall it was a great birthday!!!

That's really about it for us of late but I'll try to update more often so my posts aren't FOREVER long!

Fun Night Out

2009-07-28T23:19:00.001-07:00

Tonight Aaron and I were able to go out with my parents and sister. We saw the FABULOUS show of "Singin' In The Rain" at Hale Center Theatre in Orem. They did such a great job with the show. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Cosmo was my favorite character; he simply stole the show! It really made me miss performing *sigh* maybe one day I'll get back into it. Here are some pictures from the night. Sorry there are so many. I have to thank Hawley for watching the girls and allowing us to get out of the house!

Me & Alyssa posing by the famous light post in the rain scene! What a great scene, the water works were great!
Me & Lys being silly

The gang waiting for the show to start

Me & my unbelievably handsome man!
Mama & Daddy
Me & my cute sissy Alyssa

Sad Day for Livi!

2009-07-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

Well, you know how I've been so worried that Livi isn't getting enough to eat and that my milk hasn't come in. Lately she's been spitting up A LOT and that made me wonder if everything was ok with her so I made an appointment with the lactation specialist at my pediatrics office. Today we found out she is well past her birth weight! She's currently 9lbs 10oz so she's definitely gaining well and is healthy that way but she was diagnosed with the family curse of Acid Reflux!!! It definitely explains the spitting up and the discomfort she seems to be in. Plus, the speicalist said that a reason why she acts hungry all the time is that eating soothes the burning.

It's nice to know the problem and what I can do to fix it. They said that it generally goes away around 4-6 months. Usually because the baby is sitting up more or that solids are introduced but it can last longer. I really hope it doesn't for her sake. She gave Olivia a perscription for previcid which I give her half a tablet every day and that will help take away the burning feeling. She'll still spit up but she'll be happier. She also has to sit up for 30 minutes after eating. As for my milk supply the lactation specialist said that she thinks it's plentiful. She thinks that with McKayla I felt the engorgment because she was so small, but since Livi was bigger and ready to eat more I never felt the engorgment of when my milk came in. I guess that's a good and bad thing. Good cause I didn't have to go through the pain of it but bad cause I've been feeling bad that Livi isn't getting enough. She thinks that once Livi is feeling better I won't even have to suppliment with formula. I hope that the medication helps her because I know how painful it is and it's hard to watch her cry and feel helpless. Thank you everyone for your love and concern. I really appreciate your comments!

Happy 5th Anniversary!

2009-07-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

This Thursday the 16th marks our five year anniversary! It's so crazy to think that 5 years has past since I married this smart, handsome, and crazy guy. We've had quite a ride so far and I am so thankful to have him in my life. He is truly my better half and I'm grateful that I get to spend all of eternity with him at my side. Thank you Aaron for all the times you've been my rock when I've had a bad day, thank you for letting me cry on your shoulder, for all the goofy things you do to make me laugh, for your never-ending love and support in everything I try, being a wonderful Daddy to our two girls, and many many more things that would take too long to list. I love you so much so. I couldn't ask for a better Husband, Father, Priesthood holder, provider, and of course... BEST FRIEND!!!!

Mama Trauma & Kayla's Fun

2009-07-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

So McKayla had her first self inflicted hair-cut! On Saturday night while our friends were over she found some scissors I had no idea were downstairs and she gave her Sleeping Beauty doll a hair cut as well as the right side of her head! It's so short on the one side that there wasn't much we could do to fix it. She gets to look funny for a while until it grows back but I guess every kid has to go through it at one point or another. It doesn't really surprise me because she loves getting her hair cut by my sister Alyssa so I'm kinda surprised it hasn't happened sooner. I was traumatised while she was just fine and didn't mind that one side of her hair was gone. I felt silly for crying but I just couldn't help it. We saved some of the hair and I took some pictures so it will be a great scrapbook page. Here are her mug shots.

Olivia's Two Weeks!

2009-07-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

So yesterday Olivia was two weeks old! She had her first check-up. I'm happy to say that I have a healthy chunk on my hands! She isn't quite back up to her birth weight but she has gained 5oz in the last week so she's headed in the right direction. She is currently 8lbs 8oz and 21.1 inches long. The doctor showed me her growth curves and she is in the 90% for her head (looks like she got Aaron's big head & not my pin head), 75-90% for her weight, and 95-97% for her height! I was really happy to learn that she's still healthy, strong and gaining good weight even with all the worrying I've done about nursing. It sure is different having one in the 90 percentile rather than in the 10-25th. McKayla was just so small it's taken some getting use to having a bigger one. YAY for chunky kids! Thanks everyone for your good advice and comments about nursing. They really have helped me! You guys are the best.

The Woa's of Nursing

2009-07-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever had trouble nursing their babies? I didn't when I had McKayla but with Livy I've had trauma. Ok, not really trauma but I've struggled. I got infections and I don't think my milk came all the way in. I took Livy to the doc. last week and she had lost more weight since coming home. They said she was fine just hungry and to breast feed her and then give her formula to make sure she's getting enough. It's been going well and I'll find out if it's helped tomorrow at her two week check-up. But, I still don't think my milk has come in as fully as it should have by now. PLUS I swear she falls asleep every time I nurse her! I've tried everything to keep her awake but it doesn't seem to work. Any ideas??? In some ways it has been nice to have her on formula because Aaron can help out more, but it's still frustrating for me. I kinda feel like I've done something wrong. Has anyone ever felt like that or am I alone?

Pictures, Pictures & More Pictures

2009-07-01T11:07:00.001-07:00

Ok I had to put more pictures up of Livy, but I also wanted to put up pictures from the last month of stuff that's happened.

First this was a day that some of us from Encore got together & played at the park with our kids. It was so fun to see everyone and to catch up. I can't believe all our kids! This is who all was there:
Debbie with Merrill & unborn
Michelle with Grant, Nora, Alex & unborn
Marci with unborn Wells
Melissa & Kendall with Avery, Talmage & Mercedes
Kira with Skylar, Alexis & Malorie
Me with McKayla & unborn Olivia

Second: June is a busy month for Birthday's in my family. We have Will on the 2nd, Hawley & McKayla on the 18th, Aaron on the 22nd, Brett & now Olivia on the 23rd!!! PLUS Father's day always falls right in the middle of it! We always have a family birthday party for all the June birthday's & Father's Day. We got Kayla a computer that plugs into the tv. It's awesome. She's already really good with the mouse and knowing her way around the keyboard! She loves playing it. Aaron got some CD's, games, and books for his birthday and for Father's day the girls and I gave him a superman mug with his Russian CTR ring in it. We had it engraved to say "We Love You Forever Daddy" He loved it!

Finally: More pictures of Olivia's first week home!!!! It's fun having 2!!! She got her first sponge bath from Gramma Net, got lots of visitors, she was held a lot and is just plain cute!!!

Thank Heaven!

2009-07-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

I just feel so blessed this week that I NEED to let everyone know.

I am so thankful for a wonderful husband who has been so patient and loving with me as I've been trying to recover. I truly don't know what I'd do without him. He has taken care of McKayla, continually cleans the house, gets me food, demands I stay down, goes to the store, rubs my swollen feet, he even took Olivia for an entire night and let me sleep. He has done and been more than I could ever ask for and I appreciate him and all he has done for me. I have felt so blessed to know that he is willing to love and take care of me the way he has. I couldn't ask for a better man.

I am so blessed to be part of a wonderful family. My family has been so great during my pregnancy and since I've had Olivia too. Between Mom, Hawley & Alyssa I haven't needed for anything. They've been such a help. Hawley has been my life saver by taking McKayla while we were in the hospital and spoiling her but also just taking her to give me time to rest. Alyssa too has taken McKayla and she comes over regularly to help out with the girls. Mom is always wonderful and truly a great Gramma. I'm so thankful to know that my family is always there if I need anything! Aaron and I couldn't ask for a better family unit.

Last but not least; I thank God everyday for the beautiful girls he has given me. McKayla has taken to being a big sister like a duck to water. She loves having sister home and helps out all the time by getting her diapers, binky, blankets or whatever sister may need. She loves to give her kisses on the nose and hold her all by herself. She is so beautifully tender-hearted. Olivia is just plain and simple a blessing. She's so beautiful and I can feel the spirit with her constantly. She has brought more love into our home that continues to grow.

I truly am so blessed and it brings me to tears just thinking of the love the Lord has for me in allowing these special people to be in my life.
My cup runneth over.

Olivia Jayne Bean

2009-06-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

Olivia came on June 23, 2009 at 6:30pm. The delivery went really well considering how big she was. She weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs 14 oz, and 19 1/2 inches long! Aaron and my mom said that when she came all out could see was cheeks!!! She is so beautiful! She actually has some hair that is strawberry blonde, round chubby cheeks & big wide eyes that she kept open for a long time right after she was born. She is a good eater and loves her binki already! McKayla loves her baby sister and when she came to see her she wouldn't let anyone else hold her. She had to be right there giving her kisses and holding her. It's so fun to see the love they already share. Aaron is a proud papa and has already changed a few diapers and looks so good doing it! He's been such a big help with her and I know he now has both his pinki's wrapped up tight.
The delivery went really pretty fast. I went into the doctor's office to be stripped and when he checked me before doing it he said I was already at a 6 and contracting as if I were in real labor. He asked if I had my bag and then called over to the hospital and told them to prepare my room and that I wanted an epidural. He told me just to head over and he'd meet me there. We went in at noon and had her at 6:30. I felt this delivery more, but I think it's just because of how much bigger she was than McKayla. Doctor Jones was awesome and so soothing I'm glad that he could actually deliver this time. Mom and Aaron were there and Alyssa also was able to be in the room. She was getting ready to leave just as the doctor came in to start pushing. She said it was really awesome and she'd love to do it for a job. I wish Hawley could have been there too but she was watching McKayla for me. She spoiled her rotten which is definitely what aunts are for! All in all everything went really well and I'm on the road to recovery and Olivia is healthy and great! Thank you all for your love and support through everything! Here are some pictures of her first two days!

Happy Birthday Aaron!

2009-06-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write a little note and tell Aaron Happy Birthday! It was on Monday and he turned the big 27! He thinks he's getting old and out of shape but I think he's getting better with age! He's my rock, my comedian, my best friend and the absolute love of my life! I couldn't ask for a better man. Thank you sweetpea for being a wonderful husband and father. I don't know what I'd ever do without you. I hope you had a good birthday!

Love always and forever,
Chels, McKayla & Olivia

Happy Birthday Princess Kayla!

2009-06-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it's my little girl's 3rd birthday already! She has been such a joy in my life and I love her so so much. It's amazing to watch how fast she grows, learns, and becomes her own self. She has always been a bit sassy, and she definitely has personality.
She came 3 1/2 weeks early on June 18, 2006 at 12:22am. Even then she had a mind of her own and decided to come when she wanted rather than when mommy wanted her to. She shares a birthday with her Aunt Hawley who spoils her rotten! She was 5lbs. 15oz. and 18 1/2 inches long. She had to stay in the NICU for a couple days so they could monitor her for an infection. She was and always has been a little trooper.
Aaron always tells me that she's such a girly girl, but he loves it just the same. She loves playing dress-up, babies, playdough, candyland, being outside and her new thing of late has been for us to tell her a bedtime story starring Princess Kayla with King Daddy, Queen Mommy, Prince Chewy (my sister's dog that Kayla thinks is hers), a green froggy (cause they're nice), a mean ol' witch, and sometimes a magic purple frog. :) McKayla is such a sweet girl, and always is helping her mommy do chores and being there to give great hugs and kisses! She is a very special girl and I love her with all my heart! I'm SO grateful that the Lord sent her to me and Aaron. I don't know what my life would be like without her.
Happy Birthday Princess!!!!

Week of Nothingness

2009-06-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

This week has been really good but odd feeling at the same time! I had consistant contractions early Sunday morning and thought I'd have the baby but it didn't happen so we're still waiting. I'm still dialated to a 3 and about 85% effaced. I dropped McKayla off at Mom & Dad's on Monday morning for her to go out to Moon Lake with the rest of my family while I stayed home. She's having SO much fun, but it's really weird not to have her home. I feel lost as to what I should be doing. My house is a mess, I've watched more movies than I have in a year, and gone shopping without having to worry about Kayla getting tired. I've really enjoyed having time to myself but I get lonely a lot easier I've decided. Since I've had time to do whatever without getting interrupted I've made more of those Diaper Wipe Cases. I'm considering selling them. They've been so much fun to make and it's great to get my creative juices flowing. Here are some of the ones I've made in the last 2 days.

Also an update on the pregnancy. I had my last doctors appointment today! He was really surprised that I hadn't had the baby already since my episode on Sunday. He said I could go in tomorrow and have the baby if I wanted to but I've decided not to. It's McKayla's birthday and I really don't want the girls to share a birthday. I want them to have their own special day. He said I can go in on Tuesday when he's on call so that means I'll probably have her on my brother Brett's birthday this time! It's crazy but I'm super excited. We'll see how things go if I haven't already gone on my own. He said everything looks great and I don't have Strep B this time. It's an open invitation to come in tomorrow, Tuesday, or wait until my appointment on Thursday. I can't believe I'm going to have my sweet baby in less than a week!!!!!! I hope everything goes ok. Well, that's all for now. I'm sure I'll update for Father's Day and Birthdays in the next couple days.

Miss Lehi 2009

2009-06-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

This year's pageant is done and over. It was so much fun being on the committee and getting to know all the girls instead of just going the night of to the pageant. I've really enjoyed working with the girls and hope I get to help out next year. Here are some fun pictures of the night of. I look huge, but everyone else looks great! Enjoy!

Me and Lindsay after it was all over. It was a great night just tiring.

The beautiful girls! Emily (Miss Lehi 08), Sabrina (won 2nd attendant), Bethany, Mandie, Allison, Kenzie (Won Miss Lehi), AuBriel (Won 1st attendant), Noel, & Gabby!

My cute Mama & Hawley came to the pageant since me and Lys were backstage they got to see the full show and have a girls night out!

My and my beautiful sissy Alyssa backstage.

UPDATE ON THE BEANIE BABY!

2009-06-06T12:19:00.001-07:00

So, I am officially 36 weeks along now. I had my check-up this last week where they did another ultra-sound and then I had an appointment with Doc. Jones. The ultrasound went well. They said that it's hard to get the right measurements of the baby because of how much bigger she is and less space there is in my belly, but she looks good. According to the tech they can be off on the measurements by a pound & 1/2 and 12 days. IF the measurements they took of our sweet princess are right...she is weighing 7lbs 6 oz. right now. It would move my due date up to the 21st of this month!!!!!
Personally I don't think she's that big yet but talking to Doc. Jones he somewhat agrees with me but believes she is a bit bigger than she should be. I am dilated to almost a 3 already and about 50% effaced. With my history of going early with Kayla and also having gestational diabetes this time around he decided to set an inducement date for the 25th of June!!!!!! I'm SUPER excited!!! He said he doesn't feel like he's taking me premature or anything because of my history with Kayla and if they did move my due date to the 21st I would still be going over my due date.
SO...if I haven't had her by the 25th then that will be her birthday! She will be one week behind Kayla and Aaron is right in the middle of the two birthdays!!! I'm so excited to have a day that I know I will have her here. I feel ready and can't wait to see her. The ultrasound was so much fun to get to see her little chubby cheeks and face! YAY!!!!
We also still don't have a definite on a name yet. It's come down to Olivia Jane and Madilyn Jane. I guess we'll have to see what she looks like. I have another doctors appointment this week so I'll keep you posted if there is any change.

Going Private??

2009-05-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

So I'm considering going private. I'm not sure if I really want to but at other times I feel like I need to. What are your thoughts on the subject? I'd love to get more pros and cons before I decide. I just don't want to miss out of finding people that I haven't seen in a long time and they can't get a hold of me cause they don't have my email address to add my blog, but I think it would be nice not to have to worry about who is looking or commenting on my blog. I'd love your thoughts!!!!

Trying to be crafty!

2009-05-23T10:22:00.001-07:00

Ok here is my new fun thing I've been working on. I haven't done very many but I saw it done and thought it would be fun to try it out myself. They are travel baby-wipes!! What do you think?

This was my first try, and it took me revamping it but I think it turned out pretty cute. You can't really see it very well but on all the dots I glued a little white pearl to match the beads around the main part.

I gave this one to Marci. I LOVED the material and thought it pretty cute for a little boy. I was so happy she liked it.

*If anyone would like one I'd LOVE to make one for you! Just let me know what color you like and what you would want.

Quick Update

2009-05-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've last up-dated! Things have been rolling right along for us. I'm now 34 weeks pregnant and feel huge, but doing well. I saw Laura (Pixton) Clark at the store the other day and she looked GREAT! We are both due on the 4th of July but she's having a boy! It was really good to see her. I have my next appointment in two weeks and they're going to do a second ultrasound just to check the measurements of the baby because I'm gestational. I'm actually really excited to see the growth of the baby since my 20 week appointment. Other than that things have just been busy.

Aaron is doing summer school so he's gone almost everyday for most of the day but he's doing well in his class so I can't complain. Me and Kayla are just keeping busy by getting things ready for little sister to come and trying to get my house in order so I don't feel completely embarrassed by having a messy house when visitors come. I LOVE that the weather has been good. Kayla is such an outside girl that it's been fun to go over to my parent's gorgeous backyard and let her play while I veg. Here is a picture I took of McKayla yesterday! I tried her hair curly for the first time cause she has quite a bit of natural curl (the stinker), and so I thought instead of pulling it up or blowing it dry we'd try something different. She really liked it.

She's getting so big! I can't believe her 3rd birthday is next month! Time really does fly when it comes to good things in your life!!!

The Things We Do For Children

2009-04-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

Gestational Diabetes: (what it is) While pregnant about 1-5% of women are diagnosed with Gestational diabetes. It's the most common side affect for pregnancy. The harmones produced to keep women pregnant makes the body somewhat insulin resistant. Because of this the woman's blood sugar (or glucose level) is higher because the body doesn't make enough insulin to lower it sufficiently. The effects of this on the baby are that the glucose is shared between mother and baby so the baby gets more than they need which causes them to gain more weight, and have low blood sugar after they're born. It's manageable with diet and exercise, but in other cases it's treated with d & e plus medication and in rare cases insulin injections. Most women have it only during pregnancy and it goes away after they have the baby but it does increase the chances of mother and baby having diabetes later in life. (I hope that helps if you didn't know what gestational diabetes was.)

So, this is not meant to be a poor pitty me blog but I have to tell you that having Gestational Diabetes is A LOT harder than one would think! I have such a better understanding and empathy for my sweet sister Hawley who has to deal with this disease everyday of her life! I was diagnosed with it on the 15th of April and met with the Diabetes Clinic last Thursday. They gave me a meal plan of the amount of carbs I can consume each meal, an exercise plan, and a meter to check my sugar 7 times a day!!! Yes that's right, me with the huge phobia of needles and blood has to poke my finger 7 times a day!

Well the week went by ok (other than the expected break-downs). I don't know how many times I cried because I seriously wanted a Pepsi, or candy or anything really whenever I wanted it, but I did alright! I met with the clinic again today to go over my week's worth of sugar levels and the advisor said everything was looking really good. The fabulous news is that, I now only have to check my sugar in the morning, and after every meal; which puts me down to 4 times a day instead of 7. I'm so glad cause my fingers are really tender. I also have to check for Keytones only twice a week instead of daily! She said that if I continue to have good levels than everything should be great with the rest of the pregnancy. The complications of having a bigger baby and the baby have post delivery low blood sugar should be non-existent. That makes me feel so much better about what I'm doing, but it's still hard not to grab whatever I want when I want it. Especially since I've discovered my favorite food groups are the ones FULL of carbs and sugar. Go figure right?! It's amazing to me the things we will do for our children. I think if it were just for me and I was diagnosed I would be a horrible diabetic. I'd probably eat whatever still but just knowing that if I do this right and suffer through the pokes for the rest of the pregnancy that I'll be able to have a healthy happy baby it makes it so much more worth it. I'd do whatever it takes...as long as no one stopped me from crying here and there. :) I just hope that everything goes well with the delivery this time too.

I have a doctor's appointment next week for my 8 month check up so we'll see what he says about it all but I'm looking forward to the day when I don't have to watch every little thing I eat or drink and when my sweet little princess will be here. If anything else comes up I'll definitely let you know.

Third Trimester!

2009-04-16T20:53:00.001-07:00

Yay!!! I just thought I'd update about the new baby on the way. I just started my third trimester last saturday! I'm 7 months already! It really has gone by pretty fast! Everything went great at my doc appointment. The baby's heart rate was good and strong and I was measuring right where I should be! I'm so excited to be getting close to the end and my getting the house ready for another sweet princess! McKayla is SO excited for her baby sister to come! She always asks to feel my belly. The only downer is that I failed my first Glucose test so I had to do the long one which was awful! I'm just waiting on the results! I'll let you know what I find out! Lots of love to you all!!!

March 2009

2009-03-25T22:18:00.001-07:00

Well, I think it's about time to update you all on us Beans! Things are moving right along with us. I am now over 6 months pregnant and doing well. I can't believe I'm on the downhill slope already! Aaron and I have both been trying to keep up with school and going crazy while doing it. We had a dance competition/lab again this semester and we danced the American Swing. Aaron and I made it to the semi-finals and I felt good about getting that far big and pregnant! We took Kayla with us and she LOVED watching the dancers and dancing with Aaron.
My Dad, Aaron's Dad, & Rob's birthday's are right close together so we have lots of pictures to show for it. Every year my Dad's birthday lands during busy tax season so we go up and take him out to lunch for his birthday. It was really fun this year. Both my sisters came up with us and we went to the Lion House and then walked around the Temple!!! Kayla LOVES to look at the temples and she kept singing the "I Love To See The Temple" song.
We also went to Ephraim since it was our spring break and the weekend of birthdays. It was a lot of fun to see the whole family. The only one who couldn't make it was Aaron's sister Tanith. We missed her a lot but we had a lot of fun together. Aaron and I went through a session in the Manti temple on Friday (which was fabulous!!!!) and then onto my favorite icecream shop Pollies!!!! It's the best icecream anywhere!!! Saturday everyone made it down and we had a BBQ for the birthday boys and went to the park to fly kites! It was WAY fun! Really windy but way fun! I flew Kayla's Tigger and Pooh kite while Aaron flew his Ironman one. We (the adults) wound up having a kite war once all the kids had their fun. My Tigger and Pooh took down Ironman twice and Seseame Street Gang! It was only defeated once by Rob's Transformer kite which cut my string!!!!
Sunday we went to the Draper Temple dedication down in Ephraim and it was so amazing! The spirit was SO strong! I don't know how many of you actually know but I am a decendant of the Draper's who settled the city! My mom is a Draper. SO...it was really neat to be able to see this temple dedicated! What an awesome weekend!
It has definitely been a whirlwind month! Aaron is still working at Walgreens, we're both going to school, I'm helping on the Miss Lehi Committee this year (YAY), and we have started potty-training Kayla!!!!! I'm happy to say that she's doing REALLY well and catching on fast! Thank you to everyone who gave me great ideas on how to go about it! Well, that's about it from our end for now! Love you all and enjoy the pictures!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T18:05:00.001-08:00

We had such a fun Valentine's Day! McKayla helped me make sugar cookies and she decorated her princess Valentine's and then we ran them around to family. She had so much fun giving her cookies to everyone. After that Aaron and I ran up to Logan where we saw Trent (Aaron's Brother) in a show called "Assassins." He played John Wilkes Booth and was totally awesome!!! It was a great show and we got to see most of Aaron's family. We went to dinner afterwards to Ruby Tuesday's and had a wonderful time visiting! Here are some pictures from our busy day!

Results are in!!!

2009-02-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

Well you all are very smart!!! I had my Ultrasound yesterday and found out that we're having a.... GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep another little girl will be coming to our home in about another 4 to 5 months!!! We are very excited! I thought it was going to be a boy, but had a strange dream that we had a girl the other night. Aaron wouldn't guess right before we went in but later he told me he secretly had wanted a girl! He was really excited and is looking forward to being TOTALLY out numbered in the house! My sisters, Alyssa & Hawley, went with us to the Ultrasound and were just as or maybe more excited than me to find out what it was.

They said she's measuring right on where she should be and that everything looks great and healthy! We got to see her little heart pumping and hear it as well. The brain (yes, my child has a brain!), spine, legs, arms, tummy, bladder, kidneys, and lips look great and are developing wonderfully! It was really fun to see her moving around in there and playing peek-a-boo with us. She even yawned while we were watching her! They recorded the ultrasound for us so we have a copy and it's really neat! We are just thrilled to finally know what we're having and to know she's healthy as can be! Now I can go SHOPPING!!! :) Just don't tell Aaron... :)

Happier Note!

2009-01-21T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm officially 4 months pregnant and feeling pretty great. At my last doctor's appointment they said I'm doing great and the baby's heart-rate was right where it should be! I get to find out what the baby is on February 12th!!!! I'm SO excited!!! Just thought I would up-date everyone on the pregnancy! Have an awesome day!

For a Special Woman

2009-01-12T00:04:00.000-08:00

I know I just posted a new post but I wanted to do this separate. I don't know how many of you know, but my sweet Grandmother, Joan Ellison Jones, passed away on Monday, December 29, 2008. She was 79 years old.
The family had a fast which was closed at the ICU with a family prayer and words by those who wanted to say anything. Then each family got the chance to go back and spend time with Grandma and say their goodbyes. It was difficult but peaceful at the same time. She looked so peaceful and rested than she had for a long time. Especially in her last days when you could see the physical fight she was having with her body. After each family got to see her My Grandpa, and the 4 kids with their spouses went back to Grandma's room. My Dad gave her a blessing and then they started unhooking her. They said she took a couple breaths then Grandpa rubbed her cheek and she was gone. It was a very peaceful passing and I know she was anxious to get to the other side. I'm sure the reunion there was glorious! Her parents and siblings had all gone on before her.
The viewing Sunday and the Funeral was Monday. It was such a nice service! It was filled with words of the Atonement, but mixed beautifully with the life of my Grandma. I sang with my cousins, and a quartet with Aaron, my cousin April and her husband, Ben. We sang I Believe in Christ and I was so worried about getting through it but I did somehow and it turned out beautiful. My Dad spoke and I just love to hear him speak. He's such a quite man but so full of the spirit. You just can't help but feel the overwhelming outpouring of the spirit when he speaks. It was a beautiful talk as was my Uncle Mark's words. I think it was just what Grandma would have wanted and approved of.
It's been difficult to lose Grandma. I don't think it's ever easy for anyone to let someone they love go, but I know that she lived such a life the she is in a more glorious place that I can imagine right now with so many people who love her. I will miss her dearly but I know that I WILL see her again. And what a comfort that is to my heart! She was a wonderful lady and I will always be thankful that she was a part of my life.

2009-01-11T23:47:00.000-08:00

YAY! We finally have the internet in our house now so I feel connected with the world again!!!! Things are moving right along for us, we just started back up in school this past week and already I'm nervous for English! I am 15 weeks pregnant as of yesterday and seem to be doing well. I feel like I'm getting bigger everyday!! McKayla has been growing like a weed and has become such a little girl lately! I know this may sound funny but she has stopped calling me "Mama" and now has moved on to just "Mom." I was so sad! It was weird to not hear her calling me Mama anymore but being the big girl she keeps telling me she is!
Tamirrah (Aaron's sister) came up this last weekend and went to Body Works with Aaron, Hannah & Rob (Aaron's sister and brother-in-law). They seemed to have a great time and really enjoyed the exhibit. Personally I don't think I would have done well if I had gone. :) I went to David Jay's wedding open house and it was so great to see him again! His wifey is super cute and he seems to be really happy! They got married the day after Christmas in California so they had a reception there and an open house here. I got to see cute Lacey Jackson for a brief moment outside but it was too cold to linger long. I wish I would have had more time to talk with her but she looked GREAT!
My house is finally coming together and the boxes are finally but slowly being removed!!!! I have some curtains up and decorations are coming slowly as I find where I want them but it's exciting to feel like it's becoming the home I have been wanting! I have to thank my brother in law Casey who has been such a HUGE help! I don't know what we would do without him and his handy man know-how!
Other exciting news!!!! My sister Hawley got on the pump this last week!!!! We are SO excited for her. She is doing great on it so far and it's kept her regulated so well! Usually she's use to being high and it's kept her right where she should be! McKayla likes to help give Hawley her medicine. She pushes the buttons on the pump when Hawley tells her to and then when they are done Kayla says "the medicine goes whoop into your belly and you're all better!" This is such a great thing to have happen to a much deserving person! Also, my nephew, Will (Brett's boy) got baptised on the 28th of December!!! It was SO great to be there for him to watch him take this big step. He has such a special spirit about him and I was so proud of him for the choices he made!
Well, that's about it for my little family! We hope you're all doing well in this new year and wish you all the happiness life can bring!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a while since I last blogged! I'm sorry to everyone who is wondering how we've been! Things have been pretty crazy around our place these last few weeks! We still don't have Internet so I've been feeling completely out of the loop with everyone since I can't check my email or blog regularly! SO...sorry if anyone has been trying to get a hold of me! We are moved into our new place but it's a slow process of getting everything put in it's rightful place! We finished up finals and I'm sorry to say that Aaron did WAY better than I did. I have to retake a couple classes but oh well...Life goes on!
Pregnancy wise I'm doing ok. I got a flu bug last week that got me really dehydrated and so I had to go to the ER and spend the evening hooked to an IV that gave me fluids! Not much fun but I'm feeling way better! We heard the heartbeat on Thursday and they said that it sounded strong and good! Right where it should be!
Christmas day is today and it's been wonderful! We stayed at my parents house and Santa found us here! McKayla received a kitchen and has been cooking dinner for everyone since! She is such a good cook! :) She also received many gifts from our family and she has enjoyed them all and being able to play with her cousins! It's so fun to watch her at this age!
I am so thankful for this holiday and for the feelings that come along with it! I love celebrating the birth of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ! I love knowing that through his life and sacrifice that I can one day return to live with him again and be with my precious family throughout eternity! I love this gospel and I KNOW that my Redeemer lives! We love you all and wish you a very Merry Christmas! Thank you for all your love and friendships throughout the years!

More Good News!

2008-12-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

We are truly being blessed this Christmas season! Today we were offered an apartment in American Fork! We have been looking for the past couple months and nothing has felt right or gone our way but today it did. We are really excited to begin being our own little family unit again. We are renting right now which is ok; of course we'd love to be buying but we're happy to have found this place. It's in a nice quite neighborhood, it's a duplex that has lots of storage area, a big yard, and our neighbors seem really great too. Thank you to everyone who has helped us out and looked for us, and prayed for us! We really and truly have the best friends and family anyone could ask for! I also want to thank my parents for all they have done for the past two years! I can't believe it's been that long. It has been so great living with my parents for the time that we have. They have been such a huge blessing in our lives and I don't know how we'll EVER repay them for their love and support. McKayla will really miss greeting Gramma Net, Grampa, & Lyssa every day and having them to play with. She's been around them everyday since she could first sit up. I think she'll be very bored with me and we'll be making frequent trips to Gramma's house! We love you all and thanks again for everything you do for our little family!

Our Good News!

2008-12-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

YAY!!! So...our good news is that I'M PREGNANT!!!! That's right! I'm 9 weeks along and due on July 4th. We are really excited! I'll keep you posted on how things are going!

Achievement Day Daddy-Daughter Nerd Night

2008-11-17T12:04:00.001-08:00

I had a Daddy-Daughter Nerd Night on November 6th for our Achievement Day girls! It was so much fun. We definitely dressed up and Aaron told me to stop while I was ahead cause I was having so much fun being a nerd. It seems to suit me :)
We had the Dads and Daughters come in and do brain teasers while we served them a delicious spaghetti dinner with their hands tied to one another to make it more entertaining. Then we played Tie a Tie on Daddy and "Pick" your Daughter's Nose. They thought this one was so fun that the girls wanted to pick their Dad's Nose. They stood behind a sheet and poked their noses through it and the girls had to decide which nose was their dad's! It was hilarious to watch! We also rented a disco ball and had a real old fashioned dance complete with punch and cookies! They had such a fun time and it was great to see the girls interact with their Dads. It's quite different from a Sunday meeting! I had fun dancing with the girls and just being geeky. I taught some of the girls the sprinkler cause they had never even heard of it! Man it made me feel old!!!!! Well here are the pictures from the night of laughs and I hope you enjoy them!

New Post

2008-11-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

So I decided it was time for another post since it's been a little while since I have. I don't really have anything new to add right now but I'll just tell you what we've been up to...
School has been going well. Both Aaron and I are ready for the semester to be over but we are enduring the best we can. Latin dance is our favorite class and luckily we get to spend that time together. We are just starting to register for next semester and it doesn't look promising that I'll see Aaron much. He's getting down to his last upper division classes so he has to take them when they are available and they are all kinda scattered around. I'm hoping if all goes to plan that after next semester I'll only have 3 classes left for my associates! That makes me EXTREMELY happy!
I'm just going between school, home, and church callings but it's definitely keeping me busy! Aaron is still working hard at Walgreens and he enjoys seeing people he knows now and again when they come in. McKayla is just growing like a weed and getting SO big! Her recently acquired skill is locking the front dead bolt so you can't get in. She runs to the door if someone goes out for even a split second and locks the door behind them. Alyssa was locked out of the house for 15 minutes the other day because McKayla thought it was funny and wouldn't let her back in the house. I find it rather funny but you do have to make sure you have your keys if you step out, otherwise you're stuck!!!
We had our annual family pumpkin carving party last Sunday and it was a lot of fun! Kayla hated the guts and wouldn't touch them but she did help Aaron carve her silly smiley face. I made a witch with a half moon behind her stirring a cauldron. It looked really cool. Aaron did two on his pumpkin (a mummy, and a ghost in a graveyard) they looked awesome. Halloween was fun! McKayla dressed up as Snow White (I'm sure I'll put up pictures later) she was so darn cute! We went up to my Dad's office and then down to the grandparents houses and around the neighborhood. I think Aaron had more fun collecting candy in her name than she did walking around. It was a lot of fun to watch the two of them together and I'm so grateful that he's such a great Daddy. I have watched my annual Halloween movie "Hocus Pocus." It's the best movie ever! If you haven't seen it I strongly urge you to watch it. I love it and it makes me laugh every year. Plus it has Bette Midler in it and I adore her!
My parents and sis got back from Cali last week and brought McKayla A LOT of gifts! They missed her so much. I think if they wouldn't have stopped themselves they would have brought all of Disney Land back with them! McKayla has been playing with her princess tea (hot chocolate for us) set non-stop. She loves making hot chocolate and putting marshmellows in it and then bringing you your cup and plate. She's such a little lady!
I'd just like to say Happy Birthday to Alyssa & Casey on the 2nd & Chris (Aaron's bro.) on the 1st! Also congrats to my friends that have had their babies! Emily Kennard had Adelyn, Maren McIntire had Morgan, Nicole Weitzeil had Clara, and Nikol Larsen had Hayden. We love you all and are always thinking of you!
Well that's all from the Bean's for now. We hope you are all doing well! Lots of love!

Leelou Blogs!!!

2008-10-24T17:06:00.001-07:00

I had to put this on because I LOVE the Leelou Blog backgrounds so much that I wanted to share this with everyone who wants to check it out! I have looked at so many backgrounds and I always come back to Leelou! So enjoy cause I know I will!

I've Been Tagged!

2008-10-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

8 shows I love to watch:
1- Heroes
2- Dancing with the Stars
3- American Idol
4- CSI:Miami
5- Medium
6- Friends
7- Biggest Loser
8- Smallville

8 favorite restaurants:
1- Chilis
2- Texas Roadhouse
3- Spaghetti Factory
4- Los Hermanos
5- Panda Express
6- Parkers Drive-In
7- Olive Garden
8- Porter's Place

8 Things that happened yesterday:
1- I didn't go to Biology
2- I danced the Rumba with my hubby in our class
3- I went to a boutique
4- Played Wii with Kayla & Aaron
5- Didn't make dinner
6- Bought "The Parent Trap" (the original one!!)
7- Picked out Pumpkins with Aaron & McKayla
8- Got sick last night! Yuck!

8 Things I am looking forward to:
1- Taking McKayla trick or treating (She's going as Snow White)
2- Aaron finishing his bachelors
3- Me finishing my Associates
4- Getting a place of our own
5- Carving pumpkins with my family
6- One day having another baby
7- Playing with McKayla
8- The Holidays

8 Things on my wish list:
1- A maid
2- My Bachelor degree in Music & History already done!
3- A home of our own
4- That McKayla wouldn't grow so fast
5- Being 15 pounds lighter
6- Aaron being home more and not so stressed
7- No debt
8- A new back (mine has been hurting bad lately)

8 People I tag:
1- Anyone who would like to do this
2- Amber Howell
3- Nicole Weitzeil
4- Nikol Larsen
5- Joanna Mcguire
6- Debbie Nott
7- Melissa Powell
8- If I missed you and you want to do it feel free!

Fall Break Trip!!!

2008-10-20T14:21:00.001-07:00

We took a trip up to Logan this last weekend since we had some time off of school. It was such a fabulous trip! We stayed with our friends Paul & Emily. They moved up there during the summer and we haven't seen them for a while. They have a daughter that is just a couple months younger than Kayla so it worked out great!
We went and saw a show "Mouse Trap" that Trent (Aaron's brother) was in while Kayla played with Stori. He did a fantastic job and it was such a fun play! We stayed at Paul & Emily's for three days and then came home. All of this time Emily is due in just a couple days and she was still a fabulous hostess! She made us dinner, and breakfast and just took care of all our needs! Thank you SO SO much Em!
The boys played a lot of "Rock Band" and even Emily and I tried it out! It was really fun! The girls couldn't get enough of each other and became fast friends. It was so much fun to see them interact together. They hardly argued at all!
We went bowling on Friday night and had tons of fun! I actually bowled a 128! (which is awesome for me!) They funniest part about the night though was that the girls wanted to play so we had the boys help them arrange the ramp to push the ball down the lane. BOTH Stori & McKayla bowled OVER 100!!!! I couldn't believe it! It was McKayla's first time ever bowling and she had so much fun! She even picked up an 11 pound ball before I could stop her! I know I know...I have a tough girl on my hands! Just like her Daddy I say!
Over all it was just the best get-a-way weekend we could have asked for! Nothing beats making fun memories with those you love! Here are the pictures from the weekend! Enjoy!!!

Latin Dance Lab!

2008-10-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

So... I have to tell you all how much fun Aaron and I are having in our latin dance class. Last Tuesday we had a manditory lab and it was so much fun. It was basically a competition between all the classes. They have bronze, silver, and gold level classes and of course we are in bronze. We danced the Samba against 3 other classes!!!! There were probably about 50 other couples to compete against. They had 3 to 4 different call backs to narrow it down to the finals. Aaron and his partner made it to the first round of call backs! I was so proud of him. My partner and I made it all the way to the finals where we placed 5th out of 6 couples!!! It was so much fun! We also got to watch all the other classes compete as well and it was a little intimidating to watch the gold bar classes whip out the cha-cha and samba! They were impossibly good!!! We also got to watch the ballroom teams dance for us during they waiting period to find out the winners. I'm so glad we're taking this class and learning something new and fun. I would highly recommend taking dancing lessons to anyone!!! It's been so fun to dance with Aaron. That's all for now!

Proposition 8

2008-10-12T19:50:00.001-07:00

I don't know how many of you have followed what is going on with Proposition 8. I know I haven't done very well in following it myself. But, my friend Amber led me to this link on her blog and I thought it was important to share with the rest of you. What is said in this clip is SO important for all of us. This is a segments from a broadcast to Californian Church members addressing the Church’s doctrine of marriage and the Protect Marriage Coalition. Just press the play button and it will start.

My Phone Pictures!

2008-10-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm really excited cause I finally figured out that I can download my phone pictures to my computer!I'm not very tech savy so I thought I was pretty cool for figuring it out. I have been saving them on my phone for SO long. There are pictures of Kayla when she was a baby, but mostly they are pictures of funny moments or moments when I only had my phone to capture what was happening. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do. I know, I know I put too many pictures of my baby girl on here but...she's just too darn cute!!!

Husband Tag!

2008-09-29T17:11:00.001-07:00

1. Where did you meet? At my house during the summer after I came home from Snow. We met through his little brother Trent!!

2. How long did you date before you got married? almost a year! We got married one week before our year mark.

3. How long have you been married? 4 years and 2 months :)

4. What does he do that surprises you? He's always really good at helping me clean the house. He will try to fix anything or do things that he can see need to be done. He's always a huge help. I guess it doesn't really surprise me but that's all I can think of.

5. What is your favorite feature of his? Just one??? I love his eyes, hands, strong jaw, broad shoulders, and his big smile! His eyes though are my absolute favorite! They tell so much about him if you're looking.

6. What is your favorite quality of his? I LOVE his playfulness. People tease him that he acts like a little boy but I love that he keeps that part of him alive. So many people lose that as they get older and I think it's important to always have fun in life. It also makes him a great Daddy! He LOVES to play with Kayla. He is always making my life more exciting and fun! I love him!

7. Does he have a nickname for you? not really...he'll call me Chels & Sweetheart

8. What is his favorite color? Blue, blue and more blue

9. What is his favorite food? Definitely lasagna, anything sweet/candy, South Dakota Pie...he's not very picky when it comes to good food.

10. What is his favorite sport? Football and wrestling. He loves mostly all sports though.

11. When and where was your first kiss? It was about a month after we met on our friend Ryan's front lawn.

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Um...of late we watch Heroes together or movies cause we don't get out much with school and work and Kayla. We use to LOVE to go country swing dancing together before McKayla came along. We love just being able to find time to spend with each other whether it's just sitting and talking or going out.

13. Do you have any children? One beautiful daughter!

14. Does he have a hidden talent? Hidden talent, hum...he can wiggle his nose, ears, and cross his eyes funny he he he...but really he's super super smart. Which it's not really a hidden talent but he can do just about any logic game pretty quickly. He has a knack for learning new things and becoming really good at them fast.

15. How old is he? 26

16. Who said I love you first? I'm pretty sure that was me :) He was so shy at first.

17. Whats his favorite type of music? He likes country, but he likes a lot of the alternative and pop stuff, like Green Day, Maroon 5, and a lot of other bands.

18. What do you admire most about him? I love his perseverance. He never lets himself stop. He's always trying to do better in whatever he's working on. He has a fierce determination and motivation that I love about him. He's also very very patient which is good cause he needs it with me sometimes :) He takes very good care of me and McKayla and I know he loves us so much. I couldn't ask for a better Husband and Daddy!

19. Do you think he will read this? No, I don't think he ever really looks at our blog.

I Tag: Nicole Weitzeil, Jilinda Wray, Michelle Callihan (Have fun, I did!!!!)

Hawley's 5K Walk for Diabetes!

2008-09-21T20:21:00.001-07:00

Here is a slide show of the walk my family and I did for Hawley. It was such a great experience and I'm totally looking forward to next years walk already! It was so nice to have family support and the many donations that were made! I would like to personally thank Jilinda, Jen, & Stephanie for their donations to this great cause. It meant the world to me that you donated and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Go Hawley's Team!

Painting!

2008-09-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

McKayla's Big Girl Bed! I almost cried when we had to buy her a new bed. It's crazy how fast she grows! Where does time go???

McKayla has found a new love of painting! I decided to get a few projects done over the last weekend and McKayla had a ball helping me. We painted her a "M" for her wall that matches her new bedspread. Since she got a new big-girl bed we are starting to redo her room. It's way fun and she now asks me everyday..."can we paint mama? Today???" Here are some pictures of us painting!

Procrastinator Extraordinaire!

2008-09-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sure many of you know my horrible habit of procrastinating but once again I surprise myself with my ability to wait until the LAST minute to do something. This time I waited until the day or two before my math assignments were due (and let me tell you...they aren't small assignments!) to complete them. They are due tonight at midnight and I just finished them about 5 minutes ago! Plus...the last day for the test over 3 chapters of which I just finished is tomorrow! It really bothers me that I have this horrible habit but no matter how many times I decide I'm not going to procrastinate I DO ANYWAY! Pleeeeease help me with any ideas on how you all are so organized and get things done in a mannerly order. I need help with this little problem of mine! I can't handle sitting in front of my computer for 8 hours trying to do 300 math problems before I go to bed! :) I am happy to say that I'm caught up on all my math so hopefully this scenario won't repeat again... at least with math! I love you all and look up to you in many many ways! Thanks for listening to my whoas and helping me be a better person!

McKayla's Two Year Pictures!

2008-09-09T17:52:00.001-07:00

So we finally got McKayla in for her two year old pictures! These were my favorite ones! I can't believe how big she's getting! By the way...I love this slideshow idea! It's so much better than putting them all on individually!!!!

Encore Reunion 2008 Pictures

2008-09-01T16:18:00.001-07:00

This is for those of you who don't have facebook and wanted to see the pictures from the reunion! I hope you enjoy them!

I need your help!

2008-08-25T12:52:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

Ok I'm writing today about something that is very close to my heart and very important to me. I don't know if many of you know, but my sweet sister Hawley was diagnosed about 10 years ago with Type 1 Diabetes. For those of you who may not be familiar with Diabetes here is a little run down of what it is.

Type one is basically when your pancreas shuts-down or stops producing enough insulin for your body. Insulin is what keeps your sugars in check and pretty much keeps your body regulated. Since their body won't produce it Type 1 diabetics have to perform daily insulin injections as well as finger pokes to check and regulate their sugars. It may not seem like such a horrible disease but it is ever growing and becoming an epidemic. (especially in children!) More than 17 million people have it and more are diagnosed everyday. Common signs are: rapid weight loss, constant thirst, tiredness, blurred vision, frequent urination, and just plain feeling yucky. Once people are diagnosed it's a total life changing thing. They can no longer eat whatever they want or do whatever they want. (I know with Hawley it has been a real struggle. She has to constantly count carbs, sugars, and have smaller portions of everything.) For some that catch it early on and are diligent it isn't such a horrible thing but for others it proves to be fatal. Many Diabetics also have to deal with nerve damage, loss of eye-sight, blood clots, kidney's and other organs start to deteriorate, and many other horrible side-affects.

Hawley has struggles with many of these other side affects. She is what is called a fagile diabetic. She has had blood clots in her legs which have left scars that people stare at, she has severe nerve damage in her legs and just a touch to her feet sends her into enormous pain, she has had cataract surgery and has been hospitalized many times because when her sugars have reached really high or very low numbers she gets what is called keto-acid-osis it is something that makes her blood turn to poison and if it's not treated right away can kill her. I don't tell you any of this to have pity on Hawley or to frighten you. I just want to let you know that my sister is an unbelievable and beautiful person who is stronger than anyone I know. What she goes through on a daily basis I can only imagine. I love her so much and admire the strength she has to live her life to the fullest. She has a huge heart and in spite of all her health problems if she even hears that anyone has a sniffle she is the first to be a mother hen and take care of all your needs. Hawley cares about everyone around her and would help anyone in need. She is tenatious, funny, and one heck of a friend.

This is why I write today...to tell you how important my sister and friend is to me and to let you know I want her around for many many more years. For years I have felt helpless and wondered what I could do to help my sister but no more... Finally I have found something that I can do to help!! I am walking (along with most of my family) to cure diabetes. The walk is set for September 20, 2008. In doing so I need to raise money to walk. I have decided to raise at least $100.00 - This is where your help comes in. I know that we are all struggling right now in our lives but anything helps. Whatever you can spare will help to find a cure for Hawley and others like her! Whether it's one dollar or ten; anything helps. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has been one of the leading foundations in relation to new break-throughs for diabetes. And JDRF funds a major portion of all type 1 diabetes research worldwide, more than any other charity.

Please if anyone would like to help out or has any questions for me about anything you've read please feel free to call me anytime! 801-592-6977

If you would like to donate online you can visit my Walk Web page or see how close I am to reaching my personal goal:

http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87081965

Remember anything helps! I love you all so much and thank you for all your support and love over the years!

~ Chels

Encore Reunion Success!

2008-08-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm done with the Encore Reunion and I think it was a success! It was really fun to see everyone after so long. I've really missed all those goofy kids and it was great to get together again. We actually had a great turn out considering we have quite a few people out of state these days but all in all it was a fabulous night! We had a yummy dinner and visited with everyone. After that we watched old videos of our groups and had some good laughs! I'm hoping to make it an annual thing and I think next year it will be easier since I've done one now. I'm hoping for any suggestions as to what could have been better and what anyone would like to do next year! Thanks everybody who came and I hope to see those of you who couldn't make it this time come next time!

Birthday at the Zoo

2008-08-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

For my birthday Aaron took me and McKayla to the Zoo. I hadn't been there since I was really young and Kayla had never been. We had a ball! I forgot how much fun it is.

Aaron & McKayla loved the monkeys...they sat and made monkey noises while everyone around them laughed.

Kayla didn't like the porcupine very much. She wouldn't get near the glass cause she thought they'd get her.

Of course we rode the train!

Aaron got me and Kayla tickets to ride the carousel but I made him get a ticket too so I could actually ride one instead of holding Kayla up. I know I know, I'm a dork but I love the carousel!!! I rode a wild bore while Kayla rode a polar bear! She loved it!

I love this picture. Isn't my baby cute???

I think Aaron makes a good turtle. What do you think?

We actually saw a huge tiger. McKayla loved it! She kept saying "big kitty, mama!"

Me & Kayla in the undergroud section of the zoo. She loved doing this!

Birthday at the Zoo...

2008-08-14T09:58:00.001-07:00

I always loved doing this as a kid. Kayla wasn't so sure about it at first but then she loved it and we had to pull her away!

Whoever thought of this was genius! I love it!

Aaron is so silly!

McKayla loved the Elephants! She sat like this forever and then we had to tear her hands off to get her to leave. Needless to say she cried hysterically and everyone stared at us!

The beloved elephants

Birthday at the Zoo (Continued)

2008-08-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

McKayla loved that the ball was wet and she thought it was even cooler when she figured out she could move it :)

Aaron & McKayla going in to see the White Crocodile

You always have to do this don't you?? McKayla wouldn't stand infront of it by herself so she did it with me!

I always tell Aaron he's a monkey but I guess he's too big to actually be one :)

McKayla's hand next to the Gorillas. She's so little :)

Stresses of Life!

2008-08-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I have decided that it's important for him to receive his bachelors instead of jumping straight into pharmacy school but by doing so it's going to take an extra 2 years for him to get the degree. It's a fairly new bachelors called Biotechnology so he has to do a lot of his upper division classes and some other classes he doesn't have. We are ok with taking the extra time (it gives me the chance to get my associates degree!) but in order to do so he has to drop hours at work to be able to keep up with the rigorous school schedule. If he doesn't drop hours it will take him an extra year on top of the two already. We both feel that it's important to get him through school quickly but we worry about cutting our already tight budget. We both know that this decision is the right thing for us but how do you or did you guys make it through with a limited income???? I am open for any suggestions or idea on the subject and would love to hear a happy ending. :) I am excited to finally have a path that we know is right to follow and I know the Lord will help us along the way but I would still like suggestions or advise on the matter. It may sound silly but we know tons of people go through school having families and they do it just fine and that's what we're trying to figure out how to do! Being a grown-up isn't the easiest thing sometimes :)

Wedding Congrats!

2008-08-01T17:28:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to write that one of my best friends Joshua Pulham just got married yesterday to my cousin Whitney Hansen. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple and the ceremony was beautiful! I was so excited to be in the temple with them on their special day. The reception was in Josh's parents backyard and the weather was fabulous! It turned out to be a great night! Josh looked smashing in his white tux, Whitney looked like a princess, the whole wedding party looked great in their new clothes and tuxs, Whitney shoved cake into Josh's face and then vis versa, their car was piled high with confetti and paper scraps from swift printing and they left amid cheers of joy for the newly wed couple! Well, I just wanted to write about that and to say congratulation to them and that I love both of them very much and am very excited for the happy couple!