Santa came to story time....

...maybe next year...

365 days ago...

This little miracle took over our lives! And we couldn't be happier!

Happy Birthday Ainsley!

My parents, all my siblings (except Meech obviously), and all of my nieces and nephews are here:

I am here:

Yes, it was my choice. But, yes, I'm still bummed.

Scott got me a churro at Costco yesterday to help me feel better.

Nothing cuter then a sleeping baby!

Cami came to visit! Love you guys!

My family all meet here for dinner to celebrate my sisters birthday. Mary stopped by before hand to play dentist!

13.1 miles

Ainsley did her first half marathon yesterday, and her daddy was behind her every step of the way! Mary, Scott and I ran it together (Mary did end up leaving us in her dust at the end...but if you're not making dust you're eating it) There was a sign along the way that said "this would be a lot of fun if it weren't for all this running". So true! Another sign said "running is a mental sport...and you're all crazy". I can't move, but I can check that off my bucket list.

Just a bit of our life!

Thankfully she has learned to hold her bottle... however most of the time she still wants us to do it for her

Halloween costumes, I know we had done "Harry Potter" before but we were lazy and couldn't come up with anything else!

Going Private!

Sorry! I know this is annoying! We have been thinking about this a lot! It is finally time! We would love to have anyone view our blog...just not creep-o-s! I always hate it when blogs of people that I kind of know go private, but seriously I'm flattered if you find us interesting enough to read this, maybe you just like to laugh at my inability to spell. Anyway, anyone is welcome! You know how this works...leave a comment if you want to keep on top of our oh-so-exciting life! I'll probably do this Friday November 5!

and for most of you who don't care about my canning...

here is what I find when I go get this cutie....

note the collection of binkies

She can pull herself up!! We are in TRouBLe!

hey blue eyes!

Domestic Diva

Julie had apples...lots of apples. After picking and canning 6 boxes she was DONE!!! So she asked if I wanted any...well not really...they are a lot of work! but it was an excuse to go see her..so we went. I planned to get maybe a box, but I kept seeing "one more good one" so I ended up with 3 boxes! Then Scott's grandma gave us 4 grocery bags. We had TONS of apples. First I tried to make juice...

After 4 bottles I got tired of that I decided on apple sauce. (juice is easier!) I got 18 bottles!!!!

Here is my quality control specialist! (her hair really isn't always this CrAzY)

Finished product! I'm pretty proud!

HaPpY hALlOwEeN

From our little monster (with scary hair) to yours!

Confessions of a Mormon Mommy

We are living in a 700 sq ft apartment, every sq inch counts, so we improvised for our TV stand using our food storage. Kind of like on the "R.M." -cheap looking, but it worked. So I got some contact paper and a little more cardboard...

and viola (notice Sports Center- obviously I didn't have the remote)

Hopefully it holds up.

And now for you that only check this for Ains.... here she is trying to eat Grandpa's shoes

and cheesing it!

I love this kid!

Casa Bonita

After the memorial service we went to Denver to Casa Bonita to celebrate Melanie's birthday, nothing like a mariachi band singing "Happy Birthday"! Anyway the kids loved it! Giant Gorillas chasing giant banannas! So fun!

COLORADO

My Grandpa passed away this last thursday. It was bitter sweet. He has been so sick and in so much pain. Saturday was a memorial service so we took a 20 hour road trip and were only gone 56 hour! the kids did awesome! Here are some pictures from the event. Abby thinks Ainsley is a little doll. It was so cute! but she was actually very helpful with Ainsley. Poor Luke had his tonsils out Tuesday, so he didn't feel very good, but there again, he did awesome!

We've Moved....

....To the end of the rainbow! Seriously!! The rainbow is just over our apartment!

We have been here almost a month and so far so good. It hasn't been as hard of an adjustment and we thought it would be. We still miss Provo, and our friends and family there, and our house, I will always miss that house! But things are good here. We still aren't settled yet... we have boxes everywhere. However the lack of AC in our apartment hasn't been to bad because the wind ALWAYS blows here! But everyone here has been very nice to us. I felt like it took 2 years to get "in" with our old ward, but people here have been very accepting. My patients have all been SO nice. It seemed that so often in Utah my patients would be rude! But people here have been so kind. We went to Provo last weekend for Cami's blessing and some one with some serious road rage flipped us off!!! then to make it worse he tailgated us! I couldn't believe it. I think we just got use to rude drivers! It has also been so nice to be close to family. Scott sister has babysat for us. Hopefully everyone won't be sick of us too soon. But it has been nice to see family more.

"o"

Ainsley's first tooth cut through yesterday.  (Tooth "o"  for those of you who care.)  Poor girl she has been miserable for the last few days.  (No worries... I brushed it last night!) 

12 MILES!!

We ran 12 miles today!!! How cool is that!

...and this concludes chapter 2 in our family's story

Thursday night we pack up three years of memories and love and stuff into a budget truck and road off into the sunset.... a little more literally then Ainsley would have enjoyed (she cried the first half hour and screamed the last hour...) Anyway we loved our time at 2740 Oneida Lane. That is where we went "home" to as newly weds and where we took our first child home. We made some wonderful friendships there that will last a lifetime. I got to spend countless hours with Scott's grandparents and get to know them very personally. We LOVED our time there and it will now be a second home to us no matter where we are.

5 years ago, when I moved to Utah, I was counting down the hours until my 2 year "sentence" would be over, however, when we left I sobbed most of the way. The last three years there have been such happy ones.

It was weird to go to church today and run into people that we went to high school with. I guess that will happen a lot more now that we are so close to home.

Three months ago I couldn't run a mile... Today we ran 10! I never thought I could do it. I'm not athletic. In P.E. in high school I was chosen last on teams... The really sad part is that my 5 closest friends were in that class and on multiple times were even the captains... and I still was last. But Mary was training for a half marathon and I can't be out done. Besides if Mary can do it I can't blame it on my genes. So we have been training. Scott has been SO supportive! He pushes the stroller and is the one to set the alarm. And when I whine... he gets me to keep going.

When I tell people I'm doing this, they always say that they never could, well I couldn't either. Until I decided to try.

"If you can dream it, you can do it" Walt Disney

It still hurts, my blisters have blisters. My feet are so nasty looking. And I still haven't lost any weight, BUT I can run 10 miles! And I feel GREAT! Last week I skipped a couple runs and I felt so lousy!

Moral of the story... If I can do it... YOU CAN!

I love this picture! I was browsing Mary's adoption blog and found it. Check out their blog at: http://samandmaryadoption.blogspot.com/

Garage Sale Makeover Part 3

I bought this at a garage sale for $5. It was Pepto- Bismal pink and needed a good home and a little love.

I tried to sand it but that was going to take 7 years to get

all the paint off so I bought some paint stripper- fun stuff- but it burns if you get it on your skin.

It bubbles and then you get to scrap it off.

It took me about 2 months but I finally finished it yesterday. It still needs some knobs of some type- but I haven't found what I want yet- so here it is for now!

I LOVE it- It is supposed to go in Ainsley's room and double as a changing table-but I might hog it:)

AmAzInG

Scott surprised me with Stadium of Fire tickets... it was awesome!

Thanks Mel for letting me use your glasses:)

Carrie Underwood was amazing!!

It was incredible!

and the fireworks were pretty cool too!!

Scott even arranged our favorite babysitters:)

and this is pretty much the biggest marshmallow ever!

another WRH original

I made Ainsley this little dress from the scraps of a skirt I made myself. I promise never to wear them the same day but I LOVE this fabric and was trying to think of all the ways I could use this-- Short of wallpapering with it:)

Garage Sale Makeover Part 2

We bought this for $10 (they were asking $20- I love bartering!)

But I didn't like the "garbage drawer"

So we (meaning Scott) took the "drawer' apart-

used the hinges from the bottom on the side to change how the door opened

We added a magnet ($.99) to keep the door shut

and used the sides of the "Drawer" for our shelves.

We bought shelf holder pegs and... Tada!!

A buffet the way I wanted it!

Thank you Scott!

Garage Sale Makeover

Ugly Bar Stool: $2

Blue Spray Paint:$2.60x 2

Cool New Bar Stool: Priceless

So much for "Back to Sleep"

She rolls where she want now!

WeLcOmE sUmMeR!

Liz and I took Ainsley swimming last week. At first she didn't know what to think of it... Then she loved it! We need to go again soon!

Thanks Luke and Abby

We LOVE these!

I have a dream!

I have a reoccurring dream... well it is the same idea- but different dreams... I loose my TeEtH!! Different teeth and different things happen to knock them out- But I dream this 3 times a month! No one else at work has this dream so I don't think it is because of my job... Maybe it is because I grind my teeth? Does anyone else have this problem or is it just me?