The Livingston Family

2012 so far..

2012-01-31T11:31:00.000-08:00

We have another house under contract.. crazy, I know :) This one is in Roy, and has an awesome pull chain toilet! Yup, totally won me over - lol ! It comes with 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms with jacuzzi tubs! Way cute house, we are excited to close on it in a couple of weeks!

Jenni had her baby boy on Jan 21st. Matthew Joseph Cragun weighing in at 9 lbs 21 3/4 inches. YAY. Can't wait to meet the little guy. We were glad to hear mom and baby did fantastic, and he sounds as sweet as can be!

We are also excited to hear that Dave, Gretel and the gang will be moving back from Saudi Arabia to the states the first part of June!

This year has been crazy and fun so far ~ and I expect it to keep up! I finished both Sarah's and Mike's wedding videos which I think turned out really cute! Also, I have become the Education Coordinator for the Radiology Dept at the hospital. So far I have absolutely loved it! My first big meeting I set up I found myself running, but people said it turned out really well. I also went and helped during CPR training so I could get an idea what I would be doing once I become a certified CPR instructor in March - and think I will just love teaching it! I also am now also in charge of training employees in lifting equipment, restraints, and PAPRs. SAWEET :) And if you have any questions in regards to CE credits, you know who to talk to ;) .

Baby in my belly is growing well! He is very active. Probably the most active out of all my boys. But in regards to his movements, they aren't as smooth as Jack's were - and not as 'ninja' like as Blake's :) We have a name picked out we will most likely use.. but I think we're keeping it to ourselves at this point. Less than 10 weeks to go! I am so anxious to meet this precious little guy - because each time it's like a little miracle, so unique and special - I can't wait for him to join our family! - Oh.. and I also joined an 'Aqua Mom's' class. I actually really enjoy it! I am sure we all look super awesome with our big bellys floating around in the pool, but we sure have a good time!

All three of my boys got sick this past week. Poor guys!! So we have been eating super- DUPER healthy. And Trent's been putting spinach in EVERYTHING due to the fact I am anemic :) . So a couple days ago I just broke down and said, "Okay... I am sick of all this healthy food. Screw it, I'm making brownies." Trent just laughed... and kept asking me if there were any left in the pan. Haha... because he knew there wasn't! Gotta love pregnancy!

Hope everyone's year has started off well! Let's all make this one to remember :D

Mike and Brittany got Married! *%~

2012-01-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

How super cute are these two?! How about TONZ! These crazy kids tied the knot on the 7th of January, and they've never looked happier!

It was such a fun day. Their reception was so much fun, with lots of fun colors and great food :D ! It was also great to see all the family and friends that came to support these two for their new awesome adventure! There was music, dancing, and lots of love everywhere.

They fit so well together. I am sure their journey together will be as entertaining as it is fun! I am also so excited to have a new sister. What a great way to start a new year :)

Random happiness'es

2011-12-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

So I just realized this post is opposite of chronological order.. so bear with me :) I guess it will make it just that much more interesting to read!! We have had a lot of fun ending this year of 2011. We had the opportunity to see great friends we haven't seen in awhile, take a road trip, celebrate birthdays, feed sea lions, and smile a whole ton! - Oh... and snap a lot of pictures!

There have been a lot of memories made this last year, and it sure has been fast paced at times - but we all have totally enjoyed every second of it. What a crazy year of houses too. We bought 4 within a total of 14 months! Woowza. I had a total of 5 different places I worked, and we added many new additions to our already wonderful family. And you know what? We can't wait for 2012 !

We owned this little Ford Taurus for just a little over a week. Who knows what we originally planned on doing with it.. but we ended up selling it for $800 dollars more than we got it for. Woo Hoo.. high five!! Ahh gotta love the little bits of randomness that make you smile :D

Here are the Petty's ~ some great friends we got to hang out with for awhile down in St. George. We sure miss them a ton! Jack had such a great time playing with Nathan.. he told us as we were leaving that he wanted his friends Hayden, Nathan, and the new baby to come to his birthday party in February. :)

We also got to go see the Baileys, which it seems like forever since we've seen them last. We had the fun time of stopping by a historical site on our long road trip back home. It was great to see them, and to let the boys let all their wiggles out!

This is me at 25 weeks. Man time is flying by, yet going so slow with this pregnancy :) Haha. We can't for this new little guy to join our family. Just 3 more months to go! Getting lots of heart burn.. so I guess we will see if the old wives tale is true, and see if this little one ends up with lots of hair! It's starting to get hard bending to tie my shoes, and I keep bumping into things ~ but the best part of all is feeling him wiggle around. The boys are still super excited for a new brother to come.

Oh.. and my awesome Mom helped me fix my hair! It's nice to get rid of some of the blonde and get back closer to my natural color.

And Blakester turned 2 ~!! Yay for our little growing man! He was so excited to eat his cake and ice cream. We decorated the cake in an Elmo theme. He does love elmo... but mostly it's because I like to hear him say Elmo. It sounds like 'Mo Mo' . Haha. What a cutie. We are so lucky to have him in our family. He has so much character - and is so much fun to be around!

Blake was 35 1/4 inches tall (75%) weighed 29 lbs 5 oz (65%) and his head cir. was 70% . Happy 2nd Birthday Blake!!

We got to go to a fun museum in California. The best part was watching the puppet show the boys put on for us. We were trying to explain to Blake that you had to put the puppet on the other side of the curtain... which then he just threw the puppet out from behind the curtain. HAHA. Well yeah, I guess that's the same thing!

And of course we had to go to the park! It was a lot warmer there in California.

And this cute little lady also had a birthday! It was fun to be there to celebrate with her as well. I sure love you Mom!

Oh yes... and we went on a boat!! Once Jack saw the boats in the harbor he just HAD to be on one. We had such fun time cruising around on the boat. We got to see sea lions, and the boys had fun wearing their life jackets. We went around Moro Bay.. which has a HUGE rock in the center of it. After that Jack was talking to me about getting bigger. He said, "So I use to be in your belly, then I got bigger like Blake, then me, than I will get bigger like Daddy, then like Grandpa.. then I will turn into a rock!" Ha. Don't think you'll get that big buddy ;) .

I absolutely love aquariums... so guess where we had to go? Yup, an aquarium. I think the boys enjoyed it, but probably not as much as me :) Ha!

And of course... we got to feed SEA LIONS! Ha. This was soo much fun! There was one seal who kept barking, it was hilarious. Jack was laughing the whole time.. and come to think of it - I think we all were :)

And you can't have a good trip wherever you go without good food. Mmmm...

The boys got to play some more. They always love the huge fun backyard at Grandma and Grandpa's house. So much to explore!

It is always so much fun to go see my parents. I hope they enjoyed us visiting as much as we enjoyed ourselves. California is always so much fun.

We stayed in Vegas on the way down. I think Vegas is a place that everyone needs to go see at least once. But as crazy as it sounds.. it's weird how such a lit up place can feel so dark. :P But either way, it is always entertaining.

Hope you have big plans for the New Year! I know we sure do! See you then :)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas this year! I sure have got to say it's so much fun with little guys around :) They were so excited about everything, even their cool new toothbrushes they got in their stockings! Jack kept saying, "This is SO cool!"

Blake had woke up first.. and was so thrilled when he saw his stocking filled. He kept yelling, "Stocking! Stocking!" And when we told him he had to wait until Jack woke up to look inside, his little eyes filled with giant elephant tears. We asked him if he wanted to wake Jack up.. where he just yelled,"Yeah!" We all went to wake him up. Jack wouldn't budge and he kept pulling the covers over his head. We asked him if he knew who came last night.. he didn't move. We told him it was Santa... and then he starts pulling the covers down slowly with his eyes wide open. Then we asked if he wanted to see what Santa brought for him. That's when he threw off the covers and was wide awake! Haha. What funny little guys! Merry Christmas!! *

Why are there shoes in the oven you ask? Because you bake them and then they mold to your feet! Haha. Woot woot for warm feet on Christmas!

Oh and I turned 24 weeks on Christmas Eve. (The age of viability for a growing baby) Another great Christmas present! Merry Christmas!*

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T12:12:00.001-08:00

Red Plaid Christmas

Create Christmas cards for the 2011 holiday season.

View the entire collection of cards.

No. 7

2011-12-24T11:44:00.000-08:00

This is the smallest house we have ever bought, but I think it's really cute - and it helps we snatched it at such a good price. All we really had to do with this one, was thrown down new carpet, and paint. We've owned it for a little over a week, and it's all ready to be rented... just in time for Christmas! Haha.

Christmas time *%~

2011-12-19T17:41:00.001-08:00

Our boys decorated the tree this year, and I couldn't help but let the decorations stay the way they did them. So cute. And here in a couple of years we will get a nicer tree, but for now - it's their tree. So more power to them :) !

This is the first year they went and saw Santa. They both seemed a little nervous the whole time! Now whenever Jack sees anyone with a beard, he yells, "SANTA!". haha

Blake has seemed really interested in potty training lately, so we've just kinda went with it. I think it helps him watching his older brother. He has gone quite a few times in the potty - hopefully he gets the hang of it before his little brother comes! If not, that's okay too! Just excited he seems so excited about it.

I am a fanatic about Christmas lights. We loved driving through the lights in Layton. The boys love seeing them..but they probably liked eating the Christmas cookies better while we were driving through them while listening to Christmas music. Haha. Either way, it was a good time!

We also went and dropped off Christmas baskets to our renters filled with bread, jam, specialty bread, and potpourri. One of the houses we dropped one off at, the renters weren't home.. so I left it on their doorstep. I ran back to the car and asked Trent if he thought anyone would steal the basket full of bread. He replied, "Well if they do, they probably needed it more than either of us. Glad we could help." Awww... I sure love that man! <3

How cute is he? Trent got to ring the bell for the Salvation Army at Wal-Mart the other day. What did he think of it, you may ask? Well, he actually really enjoyed himself. Of course he did! He's is such an awesome person. :) Hope your holidays are filled with joy - and don't forget to spread it yourself!!

Album Cover!

2011-12-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

My Dad is amazing. His music is so awesome. It will inspire and enlighten many people, and I just hope to get the word out about how amazing this album really is. It will be completely finished in the next couple of weeks!

No. 6

2011-12-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

Just last month we closed on a cute house in Layton. It was only on the market for one day, so we were lucky we caught it! Luckily it didn't need as much work as some of our other houses did, so we were able to get it in good shape and cleaned up in less than a month. Renters moved in a day after the carpet got laid down, and we are excited to have them. The boys helped me clean it up, and Trent did some of the painting! And of course we had 'our handyman' Ramiro get in there with his tile work. I think it's such a cute house, and it's extremely nice to have this rental so close.

Reasons for thanks :)

2011-12-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

First reason? MUFFINS! These boys absolutely love muffins. They would eat them all day if they could.

Second reason? My Parents got to come stay with us for an entire week! Yay!! It was so fun having them, and the boys absolutely loved having them there. Jack would make sure every day before he went to bed that they would be there in the morning.

My Mom got them a book called, 'Dick Jane and the Vampires'. It's a hilarious book, and it's suppose to help with reading just like the old Dick and Jane books. But this time, it has Vampires in it! Haha. Jack loved it so much he wanted them to read it to him every night.. and soon my Mom was wondering if she should hide it - because it's pretty long. 'You wanted it to be his favorite book!' haha.

My Mom is also extremely talented. She MADE this blanket for the boys. They loved 'helping' her finish it. And now it sits on the top of their bunk beds!

I am also thankful for apple pie! I am not the best baker in the world, but I have tried to make pie. I think it turned out okay though. Blake was mad when he couldn't eat it right away. What a stinkin cutie!!

Another thing to be thankful for, was having a big Thanksgiving dinner the week before for those of us who couldn't celebrate right on the actual day. The food was fantastic, and we were surrounded by great company! :)

Oh, and of course, trains!! We went to Ogden to get some pictures - and the boys always love looking at and playing on the trains.

And who wouldn't be thankful for our little family and the fun we all have together! It's still hard for all of us to get a good picture of everyone. And you can forget about telling them to 'smile' because Jack will give you the cheesiest grin ever! What funny little guys!

And last, but not least, I am thankful that my Dad is currently recording an album!! The world is lucky to be able to be blessed by his music. He is absolutely amazing. Here are a few pictures we took out at the train tracks for his album cover. Hopefully one of these will work for him, if not - either way he will find something spectacular! I am so proud of him!

Jack: Problem solver

2011-11-14T11:44:00.001-08:00

So... Blake still loves his 'ba ba' (bottle) and we know it's about time he gave it up - you know, considering he's almost 2. So we've started to wean him off of it a little bit.

Well, we've had our ups and downs about it.. and I guess Jack decided to take things into his own hands today. Let's just say we were having fun cutting paper, and the next thing I know... he decided it was time to cut not one.. but the ONLY two bottles of Blakes.

Jack was even explaining to Blake how this 'NEW' bottle is so much cooler than his old one.

I had to post this picture of Jack also, because this is how he came out of his room looking today. What a stud!! He sure knows how to pick a wardrobe! :) haha.

Here is Blake after the excitement of the 'NEW' bottle wore off, and after many attempts at trying to drink from it. He looks thrilled doesn't he? haha. Oh well, I guess Jack took the easy route for us. Bye bye 'ba ba' ... I don't think we'll miss you ;) !!

My boys!

2011-11-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

Jack is 3 1/2. His imagination is running wild. He always wants his socks and shoes off whenever he can take them off, and he still has his blue blanket from when we was just a little wee one. He loves all his uncles and can read simple books.

Today he counted to 100 for the first time. He is genuinely kind and sweet, and is a very good big brother. He loves cereal and 'cheesys' and will generally eat most things unless they look odd to him.

If you pick on him he tells you to stop because, "He is special." And boy does he have that right!

He always waits his turn in line, and is currently teaching his younger brother to share and use the potty. He loves to run and do any kind of sport. We are so lucky to have him in our family! <3

Blake is 22 months. This little kid is such a fire cracker and is just so darn fun. He has started talking now and will repeat almost anything you ask him to. His favorites are "No", and "Peas" (please).

He gets fired up over little things and will laugh at pretty much anything. He still has the amazing ability to calm me down whenever he snuggles into me.

Blake LOVES having his shoes and socks on whenever possible. He even has woken up in the night wanting them on before he falls back asleep.

He loves to do anything his big brother is trying, and makes a good friend to play with. He still loves to give slobbery kisses, and loves drinking milk.

Trent is my tall, dark, and handsome man.

Living life with this man makes me smile every day. I am so lucky to have him in my life, and I am so lucky we make such great friends. I feel as if I can do anything with him by my side.

He is still working at Hill, and works with some great people. But I think his main hobby right now is playing with all 5 houses we have tangled in our web.

Both Trent and I have been both called 'cheap' before. But now I think I have finally surpassed him :) . Although we both might always fight for that throne! haha.

Buddy doesn't get enough credit around our house. He is such a good dog, and we love him to pieces.

He is very patient with the boys and lets them love on him in their own way. Sometimes Trent and I wish we could give him more of the love he deserves. Buddy is a very good dog, and a good part of our family.

And last, but certainly not least, is this little baby boy growing inside of my tummy. I have been able to feel him move now, and it's helping me to actually realize I get the amazing chance to bring another beautiful person into this world. I am so excited for him to join our family.

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Promises:

Life is so full of uncertainty. Apart from unconditional and eternal love, what promise can a mother make to her child? We cannot promise health, wealth, or happiness. We cannot promise that we will always be able to provide the best of anything. We cannot even promise that we’ll always be here. Anything can change in an instant. Anything.

When I think of promises I want to make to my 3 little boys, my heart tightens a little bit. Like any mother, I want to promise them things I cannot guarantee. I feel an almost unbearable yearning for the power to smooth the road that lies before them, to save them from the hurt and pain that most certainly lies in wait. But, I know that even if I had that power, it would be wrong to use it. Hardship is what tempers the steel of our character. It is what shapes us into who we are. If a child is not challenged along the way, they will not have the chance to become the best person they can be. In the end, I’m grateful I don’t have the power to resolve all their conflicts and erase all their pain. It would be far too great a temptation.

After following my mind and heart in circles, searching for a promise I can keep, I realize that all I can do is give my children the means to make their own promises. So, my beautiful boys, I promise that as long as you stay true to your heart, you will always find your way home. I promise that if you are a friend to yourself, you will never be alone. I promise that if you learn to see life’s silver linings, you will discover paths that others cannot see. I promise that if you stay connected to the natural world, it will ground you and teach you patience and wisdom. I promise that the universe may not always answer your prayers the way you predict, so be open to unexpected messages and gifts. I promise that if you practice gratitude, your life will always be rich.

These are promises that can be kept. These are promises I can make from my heart with a clear conscience. They will withstand the tests of time and adversity, just like my love.

16 weeks %

2011-11-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Finally starting to feel somewhat better. It seemed to take longer this time around, and I am hoping within the next few weeks I will feel completely feel like myself again.. I know I know, I'm stretching, but that would be nice :) .

Belly is starting to poke out now, getting harder to tie my shoes and most people can tell I am pregnant now. Just a few more weeks and I will be halfway there. Yay!

So my cute little doctor offers a quick ultrasound in her office to look to see the gender. How could I pass that up?! So we went in... and low and behold, it's a..... BOY. Well she's pretty darn sure - but we will know for certain when we have our big ultrasound right before Thanksgiving. :)

We both weren't really sure how we would react either way, but we are both totally excited to have three little guys! I think it makes me even more excited because I see how close Trent and his brothers are. We are sure going to have lots and lots of fun with our little family!

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

So the boys dressed up this year as Rag-A-Muffins. Or as Trent would call them: The 'Lost Boys' from Peter Pan :) . rag·a·muf·fin or rag·ga·muf·fin (r g -m f n). n. A shabbily clothed, dirty child.

Jack Loved helping making the costumes this year! Haha, who wouldn't? I thought they looked so cute anyway. Once we went Trick or Treating we threw some warmer clothes on them, so Blake became the 'infamous frog' and Jack was a cowboy with a 'Jack Daniels' hat. Blake would say,"Trick or Treat." Then he would hold open his bag.. and hold it open until they came back around to him, and most often times they would just laugh and give him one more. That kid had it figured out! haha.

Holidays definitely become funner when you have young kids!! Happy Halloween!

I heard someone say the other day that Halloween candy is children's way to pay for their room and board. HA. Hope you got some good treats.. I know we sure did!

Pumpkin Patch :)

2011-10-28T07:59:00.001-07:00

Black Island Farms is a fun place to go during October. I don't know why I love it so much, but you get to ride out to a pumpkin patch and choose a pumpkin. Even Blake got a little one! But even after the hay ride, out in the courtyard there are a lot of fun things for the kids to do. Jack and Blake LOVED the hay slides (even though Blake looks terrified) and the little train that takes them around. It was fun for so much family to come join us as well. Yay for Halloween season!

Creatures

2011-09-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

First creature? A little Baby will be joining our family in April 2012!! Yay!! I have been really sick this first trimester. I am currently 12 weeks along.. here's an insight to my journey...

4 1/2 weeks

Just found out I was pregnant a little over a week ago. Strangely enough I knew even before I took the test that this little one would be coming at the end of March. So much that I took three pregnancy tests before one came out positive. I waited 3 days and took another one because I wanted to make sure the pregnancy was hanging on this time. I got the darkest line I had ever had before. I knew this one was staying for the long haul.

I have been sick ever since I found out. It actually prompted me to take the one that turned out positive. Well, that and the fact I wanted to make sure I was before I worked with certain radioisotopes, which turned out to be perfect timing to let them know I couldn't.

I have been feeling absolutely crazy when it comes to emotions lately. Also with both of my other pregnancies I didn't feel sick or pregnant until I was 8 weeks along. I am not even 5 yet! I know, I know - two weeks doesn't make that much difference. But I feel so sick that I feel like I need to eat constantly. I don't want to gain a ton of weight, but yet again, I know if I start throwing up- it won't stop. My goal this time around is to avoid having to go get IV fluids... so I guess we will see how that turns out.

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5 1/2 weeks

I am SOOO TIRED. I am having the hardest time staying awake these last few days. Honestly- wow. Still nauseated constantly, althought I am quite proud to say I haven't thrown up yet!. Yay :D . It was so funny too, because yesterday Trent noticed me holding my tummy, looking pale I am sure, and he runs to get a cracker for me to eat yelling, "Oh no you don't!! Not on my watch!" hahaha. It was all I could do to keep from laughing hysterically.

Can't seem to think straight either. Not sure if it's from the tiredness, or just 'pregnancy brain'. Haha. And I start a new job in a couple of days.. this should be fun ;) Wish me luck!

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8 weeks

Okay.. I feel really sick. Ugh. Salty foods are the only thing that sounds good, and sweets are way out of the picture. Can barely keep anything down, and I am getting pretty weak. Went to the doctors the other day, and found out I was actually a week behind of where I thought I was. So today I was suppose to be 9 weeks. Darn. One more week added on to the fun of being sick :) Decided I need to find another OB. My first one with the boys was wonderful, but she moved out of state (insert pouty face). And the doctor I went to this time said I need an additional doctor to follow me during this pregnancy. Two doctors to follow? NO THANKS. Ha. So hope I can find a good one. Guess we'll see.

The first trimester is always the hardest for me. You're tired, sick, bloated, emotional, and people don't really know you're even pregnant yet - so you don't have a good excuse! It's hard starting a new job while trying to use all the energy you have. But I am so excited!! In the end, it will all be worth it :)

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10 weeks

Can barely think, let alone stop from throwing up. Ugh. I had to go get IV fluids twice now resulting in 3 liters of fluid. This part is really hard- being sick and tired like this. Good news though? I found a great doctor (she was the on-call doc when I had to get fluids) and I just love her so far! She seems to really care about her patients. I am happy about that. Her name is Dr. Lister.

I started taking a few things to help stop me from being too dehydrated from all the nausea and vomiting. They have helped so far. Hopefully I am on the downward spiral now.. that's the hope anyway. I think my belly is starting to poke out a little now too.. not sure if it's the little one, or if I am just bloated - lol. But still excited for this little one. It makes this all worth it in the end :).

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11 weeks

I hate feeling sick like this. It is really hard. Can't drink straight water ( I will throw it right up) , but I can drink juice or lemonade, which is nice because I always feel thirsty. Can only get things that sound good, otherwise they come up to. Feel icky and tired all the time. And now I am starting to feel like my tummy is expanding! This is the odd stage where people aren't sure if you are gaining weight or if you're pregnant. Haha.

Liking salty foods better than sweets, and I am still constantly tired. We'll see if I start to feel better by next week. Only two more weeks until I am out of my 1st trimester .Wahoo.

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12 weeks

Starting to come out a little bit of the brain fog. Phew. Hope I am finally on the downward spiral now. Had to get two more liters of fluids a couple of days ago.. hopefully that was my last! I got to the point I literally thought I was dying. Haha. Well it's nice now though, because I finally can realize that a little precious life is growing inside me, and I am super excited for this little one to join us in a few 6 months!

* Second creature?? All the ones at the ZOO! We had such a fun time at the zoo the other day. Jack kept screaming, "I'm so excited!!" He loved the fact that Hayden was there too. Can't pass up a good time with a good friend! I can't believe how many monkeys there have there! haha.

* Third and final creature? A Vulcan. Okay, okay so it's not a creature. But it sure sounds like one! Trent got this fun little toy the other day and is just in love with it. It reminds me a little bit of the motorcycle we had after we first got married. That was a 1986 Yamaha Virago. Ha, this one is a little newer, and a little bigger. But just as fun!

Eyes wide open

2011-09-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

This year has been an interesting one so far. Lots of things urging me to discover, or be a part of them. Why is it that I find myself always searching for either things that don't make sense, or new ways to let myself go completely? And then one day it all made sense. Right now I am just living this wild story of mine. And it's the scariest thing I have ever done!

When you are always bracing for the next tough moment to rock your life….you find yourself in a space that feels always like transition. So when you finally reach a place where tough things only happen the form of dirty laundry and busy days, the feeling of “settled” and “safe” feel daunting and scary. How do you accept that everything is great? Everything is okay? Backwards….but true. Not every day is a battle, not every day is survival. Some days….it is. Some months….it is. Some years….it feels like life is trying to kill you. But then the lull and happiness comes back around and shakes our shoulders to say, “It’s all okay! You are alive and the air is still clear! ENJOY IT!”…..and I stand, shaking, because I don’t know how to be still and not in transition. But I am learning.

Yet I am still trying to pull myself constantly back into that transition phase. And that's how I have realized Trent and I both live. That's why we buy houses, we take risks... because we both are not sure of how to deal with feeling "settled". Maybe.. one day when we get older and finally feel like taking a breath. But right now.. we just seem to keep on running.

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Blue eyed babies. Aren't they cute!!? We got to spend some great time with Jenni, David and their sweet 3 little ones. They all had so much fun playing together. Love how times flies when you're having fun.

Can never go wrong with wheels and hula hoops. Hope you're having fun out there!!

Alta View and Altitude

2011-08-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

What have you done lately that made you hold your breath.. for maybe even, just one second? Me? I accepted a full time job at a hospital I have only been to once! That's right, I uprooted from all my other jobs (yes, I know I have many), and on a whim excepted the job. Alta View Hospital, here I come!

Why? You might wonder. Because it's back to my old shift that I use to love so very much. 7 on 7 off swing shift. YAY. So I may not get as much sleep as before.. but it means I get to spend every single day with my two little boys. That, AND they don't have to go to the base school or to a babysitters. I am excited. I start my first day on Wednesday.. I hope I end up loving it there as much as my other jobs. And yes, I do still plan on staying with them PRN - but I think the only one who will really get to use me is the instacare, cause let's just face it- that place is awesome :) .

~~ Oh, and Jack keeps wondering about what Daddy and I do at work. He asks us a lot of questions. What does he want to do when he grows up? He wants to fix airplanes and helicopters, clean and fly them. He absolutely LOVES anything to do with airplanes or helicopters.

If Jack gets in trouble with something, and we put it up high so he can't have it anymore, he always makes up a huge story about he is going to get his airplane/helicopter and have it fly really high and retrieve it for him. He pretty much now uses this story every single time he gets in trouble for anything anymore. Airplanes and helicopters are his heros. Who's your hero?

7 Years

2011-08-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

Wow. Time sure flies when you're having fun! I can't believe we have been married 7 years! People have always said the first year would be the hardest - but it started out as the best, and has kept getting better and better.

Luckily I think we fit each other well. We are both laid back people, we work as a great team. We are best friends. I am happy to have been able to spend the last 8 years with such a wonderful man.

Our original plan was to go out and either dance the night away, go surfing, or go find a mechanical bull to ride (yeah, I'm still on that tangent) .

But poor little Jack came to me earlier in the day and told me his tummy hurt. Jack and I took a nap on our bed, he woke up pale and shaky and started throwing up :( . Poor little guy. We decided to stay with him that night instead of going out. Ahh the things you do after being married 7 years ;) . And the funniest thing about the whole night?? Trent ended up sleeping on the floor in Jack's room, and I slept on the couch!! Hahaha. Happy 7 years!!

Have you indulged in something you love today? If not, you'd better get on it! Have a fantastic Day!! And keep on smiling :)

Flash Robbed!

2011-07-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

The dance facility where I've been dancing the last few months decided to put on a flash mob on July 30th. We were originally planning on doing it at the mall, but we switched it to the farmers market up in Ogden. It was the dance to Party Rock Anthem - that Nappytabs taught for National Dance day... awesome, I know ;)

Anyways.. we show up, we look very inconspicuous, and it's literally minutes before our music is about to start.... and a DIFFERENT group started dancing!! We were flash robbed!! haha. We couldn't believe it. What are the odds? I mean, really?

So what did we do? Shrugged. Vented. Scratched our heads..

Then decided to dance anyway. We were there already.. why not? haha. We had a good time though. Too bad we couldn't keep going other places to perform, because it was alot of fun.

And yes.. I know I look like a dork in this picture. But it was all about the fun of the moment, right?

The dance company also set up some silks in the park as well. It was crazy having people just crowd around to watch you. Good thing I didn't notice them all until I came down!

I am glad I found this hobby. I feel it really fits me. It's a ton of fun, and man, it really works your upper body and core. A good fun workout!! Love it. Trent's even mentioned just buying me my own silk to put up in our garage! Ha.. not sure if I'm THAT good yet, but maybe after I gain some more muscle. I mean, come on... if there is ever a talent show, how cool would that be to do aerial silks? :)

Dirt on my shirt

2011-07-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

I've got dirt on my shirt, grass in my hair, a rip in my pants... but I really don't care!

We headed up Echo Canyon the other weekend and had a great time with friends and family.

The craziest thing that happened? Jack and Hayden said they wanted to play outside while we were cleaning up. So they went outside.. and little did we know, they decided they wanted to go on a walk like they did earlier in the day! After a few minutes we noticed we couldn't hear them outside anymore and we went looking for them. They were way down the dirt road where a couple of guys had found them!! AHHH. Good thing they were nice people! Man! Jack and Hayden were pretty shook up about the whole thing. So yeah, things can happen really fast when it comes to little people :P We're just glad they were okay. Darn little stinkers! :)

Love & Pride

2011-07-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

This fourth we celebrated in Utah. We were originally planning on heading to Wyoming again.. but I am really glad we stuck around. The Saturday before the fourth we had a big barbecue with lots of friends and family. All of the kids enjoyed putting on skits for us, and we enjoyed good food :) . After all that fun, we made our way up the hill in North Salt Lake to enjoy the fireworks. On our way home, we ended up getting lost... we ended up wandering through Salt Lake for maybe an hour before we figured out where we were! It was about 11pm at this time. Blake had crashed in the stroller, and Jack came to me and said, "Carry me Mommy. My legs hurt, I can't walk anymore!" haha, poor little guy. Luckily Mike threw him up on his shoulders and we kept on walking. Good thing Keri and I had three big gringos to protect us ;)

On the actual 4th we headed down and watched the parade in Layton. We had such a great time!! We walked around the festivities afterwards, had great unique food, Jack got to ride a fun little train, and we got to slide down a big inflatable slide! I totally wanted to ride the mechanical bull, but the line was too long :P Maybe next year!! ;)

That night we headed over to Liberty Park where we got to enjoy a Wailer's concert!! It was AWESOME! And for those of you who don't know who they are.. they are the band that use to play with Bob Marley. So yes, it was an amazing Reggae concert.

Right when one of the last songs ended the fireworks went right over our heads.. then they came back and sang two more songs. It was an awesome night, surrounded with people I love. What else could I have asked for? I hope you all had a great 4th! And remember what it means to be proud of our country.

Jack has gotten to the point where he wants to help with everything. He is so willing to help with whatever is needed, and is always wanting to give hugs to make things better. He is talking non stop, and is always asking what time it is, and what things are. He is such a smart little buckaroo. He loves building things, and loves to make Blake happy.. and pick on him all at the same time :) Jack has really gotten into doing handstands and summer-saults lately!

Blake loves to climb on everything. He still gives the best slobbery kisses, and LOVES to have his shoes on all the time. He still sleeps with his binky, and loves to drink out of big cups. He is growing so fast and loves to be a part of the excitement. Blake also loves picking on his big brother, and he tries to do the summer-saults to.. but he just rolls from side to side. Still pretty good if you ask me!! :)

~ I just wanted to add some pictures of other people I love, and things they've been up to lately. Dave & Gretel are still in Saudi Arabia, but plan on traveling back to Mexico in the next week or so. They will be there for a few weeks before heading back again to teach school.

Uncle Spence and Rita are having fun with their cabin building adventures, and Josh and Keri got to go visit them. They also got to visit Jullian and Iliana and their two beautiful twin babies! What lucky ducks!

Somewhere there is someone who dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life is worthwhile. So, when you are lonely remember it's true ~ somebody somewhere is thinking of you.

Pushing

2011-07-12T08:36:00.001-07:00

Everyone always tells you, don't give up.. you can achieve whatever it is you put your mind to. And you know what? They're right. You can.. with enough drive and determination, you can get whatever it is you want.

But sometimes, in this thing we call life, it's good to take a step back and realize what it is you are actually working towards. Is it really worth the battle of the fight? Is it really worth the sacrifice of pushing yourself this hard? Sometimes it is best to understand that it's ok to stop. I wouldn't call it 'giving up' per se.. but in a sense it's kind of like walking away from a fight, or realizing maybe that direction isn't the correct one for you.

Most of the time, the directions we are pointed in are something that we want very badly - which makes it that much harder to stop and walk away. But what do you think? Will that make us better people to push til the end.. or is it true we still need to do everything with 100%... and if it isn't working.. just turn around?

Bundles :)

2011-07-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Blake turned 18 months a couple of weeks ago. It's crazy how fast he is growing! His stats are:

33 1/2 inches ~ 80% in length

25.9 lbs ~ 45% in weight

and his head is in the 80%

His Pediatrician said that even though he is only in the 80% for height.. he will most likely will keep growing and be a tall fella when he is older.

Blake is such a funny kid. He is so entertaining! And as much of a spit fire he is, he is incredibly calming when he is sitting in your lap. Even when he was a baby he had the amazing ability to make everything better when he is close.

He can say a few words, and is constantly running everywhere. His favorite food is, by far, mangos.

* For those of you who haven't heard, I miscarried last week. Even though I wasn't very far along, it was an incredibly hard experience for me. I cried, a lot. And the pain in my stomach didn't help much either. But I wanted to say thanks to those who gave me comfort and let me cry on their shoulders. I am feeling much better, but it's crazy how when someone mentions it at all, I automatically tear up. I want to send my love to all of those who have lost a little one. No matter how far along you were, it is still not easy.

On a happier note... Sage's (Sylvia's) little baby girl, Rhian Michaela Livingston was born aboard Infinity, anchored in Vanua Levu, Figi near Lambasa~ May 31st at 8 am. She's 21 inches long, 3.2 kilos and their beautiful sunshine :)

Terminal velocity

2011-06-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

If at first you don't succeed... skydiving is not for you ;) !

That's right. We jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. And you know what, it was awesome!!

When we got there, we made our way to the hanger. We were originally planning on going with a group of people, but it's harder than you think to round up people to go skydiving with. One problem would be the money, the other is.. well, probably the jumping out of an airplane part. :P

They threw suits at us and we stepped into the gear. The tandem jumpers came over and started explaining to their diver what was going to happen. They started tightening the straps and checking the parachute. My tandem jumper came about 5 minutes later. His name was Argyle. He had a wide smile on his face and worked faster than the rest, he gave me a huge high five... and we were ready to board the plane.

Wait a minute.. "Do I need to know anything?? Like what to do, or how to pull the parachute, or anything??" Argyle just laughed and said, "Naw.. just don't kill me, and we'll be just fine. Well unless my narcolepsy kicks in, but then I'm sure you'll figure out what to do!"

The plane ride was beautiful. The whole way up I was just thinking, I can't believe I am just going to jump out of this thing - we keep getting higher and higher! But there was laughter through-out the plane, and everyone was just having a good time, relaxed and telling jokes. When we finally got to the altitude of 12,500 feet, the sliding side door opened.

The first two out of the plane were single jumpers, a boy and a girl. Followed by them were a couple on their anniversary - and they were having their jump filmed, so us in the back kept leaning into their shot and grinning. We were last out of the plane. At this time Argyle had hooked up all the latches between him and I and was now physically sliding me forward towards the opening. It helped having him be so much bigger than I, because I felt really safe, and he seemed to know exactly what to do. We reached the opening and everything looked so tiny and far away down below. "One, two... three!" We jumped.

Skydiving is nothing how you would think it would be. It honestly felt like I was floating. The ground still seemed like forever away, so I just smiled and enjoyed the view. We spun a few times, and I heard Argyle yell in excitement.

I knew the ground was getting closer, so I held onto the straps and the parachute deployed. I loved that part. It felt as if we were getting pulled back upwards into the sky. The view was awesome, and we started spinning and flying this way and that way in the air. (afterwards someone mentioned one of the parachuters looked as if they were going crazy in the air, yeah.. that would've been us!)

My ears stung. I held my nose and blew to try and pop them. It helped, but I still couldn't hear out of my left ear. The ground came closer, and Argyle just told me to hold my legs up. The landing was not bad at all, fun actually. We were the second ones to land. We watched the girl, who I am assuming this was her first solo jump, crash land on the runway. The worst part was that the airplane we took off in was preparing to land. Luckily she was fine, and got off the runway just in time for the plane to land.

So my advice to you? Skydiving is something everyone needs to experience at least once! And you know what? If it wasn't such an expensive sport, you would see me up there quite often. Another piece of advice, there is no perfect timing for anything. If you want to do something, or start something, or be something. Now is the time. Enjoy life for what it is, and don't miss out on any lost opportunities.

4 states in 3 days

2011-06-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Friday morning we headed to Casper, WY. Our halfway stop on our way to Rapid City, SD.. to watch Trent's littlest sister get married. Embarking on a long car ride, we felt quite tenative as to how the kidlets would handle it... but in the end they did fantastic.

Once we got to Casper.. we headed to Uncle Spence, and Aunt Rita's house. We had such a good time stopping by to see them, and they were sweet enough to let us stay there for the night. Every time we get the opportunity to stop and see them, we have to take it!! That next morning we headed out bright and early. The wedding was at one o'clock and we still had 4-5 hours to go!

We got to Rapid City in just enough time to grab a little something to eat.. I still hadn't gotten dressed yet, I know my bad!, so I hopped into the back of the van and was thrown back and forth until we got to the little chapel in the hills. Good thing my awesome van has tinted windows- haha!

It was such a beautiful day, perfect day for a wedding! The chapel was gorgeous, and the bride was stunning!! Sarah looked liked a princess all day, and I hope she felt like one :) . Unfortunately the minister that was suppose to marry them, had the time wrong.. so they weren't able to get married at the chapel. But that didn't stop us from getting some cute pictures and videos of them around and inside of it! We enjoyed our time there, and then headed over to the park.

At the park we had some yummy food, and the bride and groom danced to some music. The minister showed up after not too long, and they decided to just get married right there in the park. And that's exactly what they did! Congratulations to Sarah and Braniff. May your love shine through any adversities that may be thrown your way :)

After they were wed, we turned our trip towards Nebraska. Man.. there is nothing in Nebraska!! haha. It was so funny, Trent turned to me and said, " Now, I mean this in the most loving way possible... but you are a TERRIBLE navigator." lol. So true! Apparently I had him driving the wrong direction for 30 minutes. Ooops. Sorry bud! He is totally right about that.. I am not that good about following maps apparently :P !!

I found myself wanting to drive for most of the trip.. and most of it I was. I find it extremely relaxing.. I guess it's just too bad he was the one driving when we needed the most direction! But we finally found our way.. and we made it to our destination to go see Uncle Jon and Aunt Kathy. And let me tell you, they are some of the sweetest people you will ever meet! It was great to go and see them. Uncle Jon reminds me so much of Trent. He still drives a truck he bought back in 1991 :) .

Then next day we headed out.. back to the good 'ol land of Utah. Making the round trip around 1500 miles. A total of 21 hours and 45 minutes of just straight driving. 4 states in 3 days... with two children, one 3 and the other 1 years old. Yeah.. we ARE superheros. Here's to a fun weekend!

Keep smiling.. it makes people wonder what you're up to!

*%~

2011-06-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Our bodies have the amazing ability to adapt. When we use our muscles.. they grow stronger, so the next time they are in need the task becomes easier. Our skin tans, so when we are out in the sun more, we are less likely to burn. When we are sick, our bodies heat up causing fever, as to kill whatever is invading.

Our bodies are there to learn, cope and help us out more than we give them credit for. Even in times of emotional turmoil, they learn the ways to reduce stress levels by causing our eyes to tear.

So whenever you feel your body is letting you down, just remember.. it's doing the best it can.

Pulse

2011-06-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

In each of us there is a silent pulse that holds us in every subsequent moment. Every day you learn something new about those you love, and those you once knew~ changing the way you view life, or maybe the way you view happiness.

Try to embrace each day for what it is, and show the world who you really are. Don't ever be afraid to stand up for something you feel is the right path for you, because that is the only way each and every one of us will ever be truly happy. Cheers to those who struggle to find acceptance, because you are the ones who truly know what it means to follow your dreams.

Giddy up

2011-05-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

We spent yesterday in Salt Lake with Josh and Keri. They just bought a cute little condo up near the University of Utah. Keri and I had a good time just sitting on the porch watching all the different kinds of people walk by. People are so interesting.

After checking out their new 'pad', we headed over to our niece Leah's 3rd birthday party. The boys had a great time - they had ponies!! Jack wasn't so sure of wanting to ride them at first, but after seeing Blake ride a pony like a natural - Jack was finally convinced it wasn't so bad after all. Blake on the other hand was mad when he had to come off! Overall it was a fun party. Happy Birthday Leah!

Hope your day is fantastic!!

Just dreamin..

2011-05-16T17:14:00.001-07:00

So Jack woke up in the middle of the night calling for his daddy. "Daddy! Daddy!" Poor little guy. He has had nightmares in the past, but he was always too young to tell us what had happened. But now he is able to tell us what the problem might be. Good thing Trent jumped to his aid.

So what did Jack need, you ask? He had a duck in his ear! So Trent calmly asked, "Do you want me to take it out?"

"Yes, Daddy." he replied. So Trent reached in his ear and 'pulled out the duck'.

"Thank you Daddy. I love you."

~ *%~ Sweet dreams!! ~%*~

Quarter Century

2011-05-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

Today I am turning 25. Wow. Time flies when your having fun, eh? This is actually the first birthday that I feel like I'm getting older. I know, I know.. all you oldies out there are saying, "WHAT?" . But I am now a quarter of a century old. At least now I can go on to making the 'old man' jokes to Trent as opposed to the 'your how old again, 14?' jokes from.. well, everyone. haha.

But no matter how old you find yourself in life, age is just a number. It's how you live it that matters. Live every moment to the fullest, have no regrets, keep smiling, and forgive everyone. Because the truth of it is, life speeds by us so fast. So take a big breath, take it all in... and experience everything you can.

What am I going to do that I am now 25? Skydive. Yup. Bring it on!

Vitality

2011-05-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Man, I love flying.

I absolutely love everything about it. Looking back, since Trent and I started dating, we have traveled places by airplane at least twice a year. But as you would've guessed, it gets a bit harder when you have little children to accompany you. This time it was just Blake and I, and and believe it or not, he is a great travel buddy! My best advice? Travel lightly. With Blake in one hand, and a backpack around my shoulders, we headed off to the land of the sun ~ California!

We got off in San Fransisco. Flying into to San Fransisco is a crazy experience, you fly right over the water before you land at the airport. So it actually seems like you might land in the water! But no worries, we made it safely. Here I was heading to Standford to talk to a doctor regarding my POTS. And no, that is not referring to cooking supplies, or drugs of any kind. POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Which basically means I have a dysregulation of my autonomic nervous system. Now this isn't anything new.. I have been living with this since I was 14 years old. For those of you who know me.. it's my 'heart condition'. But in reality, it really isn't a heart condition. My incredibly fast heart rate is actually due to my body being unable to compensate for itself.. making my heart skyrocket. After many doctors not knowing what to do with me, I researched ones who knew something about it. The two I had narrowed down, were one in San

Fransisco, and one in Ohio. I figured it may be a little funner of a trip to head to California- what do you think?

Dr. Friday was incredibly intelligent. You could tell she knew what she was talking about and spent 2.5 hours with me, going over my history, checking odd things, and asking me questions I never realized could be related to my condition. She gave me a lot of advice, and reminded me it's not something like strep throat. It's not something you can treat with antibiotics and be better in a week. She also explained there are many subsets of POTS, and it sounded like I had one called Ehlers Danlos Type 3. Hearing that explained a lot of odd things that have happened to me in the past, including why my epidural with Blake didn't work as

well as expected or why I get numbness and tingling in my extremities. But in all honesty, it was just great being able to sit there and talk to someone who truly understood what was going on in my body - and maybe not fully... but that's OK. I am truly grateful to her and others that are continually researching this odd condition.

After the stop at Standford, we headed over to the Winchester House. For those of you who have never heard of it, it is a house that was continually being built on for 36 years straight. Sarah Paradee Winchester started in 1884 - and because her baby and husband had passed away, she was told her family

was cursed and went to a spiritual guide. He told her, "You must start a new life, and build a home for yourself and for the spirits who have fallen from this terrible weapon too. You can never stop building the house. If you continue building, you will live. Stop and you will die."

The house consisted of staircases leading into the ceiling, doors that lead to nowhere, and skylights not leading to the outside. It was an incredibly neat experience to be able to walk through this house. What an interesting story.

We then turned our journey to Paso Robles, California. Heading to the mid coast where my parents now live. What a beautiful city. The weather was perfect, the people were absolutely wonderful, and we left there a little blonder and sun kissed. All of that was just relaxing and enjoying everyone's company. We even headed over to the gym a few times! And as much fun as we had, it is always good to come home after traveling. And guess what?? When I got home, I noticed Jack has gotten a few freckles! I absolutely love freckles.. just fyi ! I sure love my boys! <3

Until next time!! Hope your living life to the fullest, and have no regrets! Because life is full of fleeting moments.. and we should enjoy every minute of them. Oh yeah, and keep smiling!!

Leaps.. bounds

2011-04-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

So this year has been a big time for me to reflect on myself. I have learned that I truly enjoy taking risks, and love the rush you get when you have no idea what the outcome will be. I am not sure if it's the adrenalin, or I'm just a curious person as to wait and see what happens. Living in the moment is a huge thing for me. One thing about taking a leap of faith, is that no matter what happens - you learn something very valuable from the circumstance. People will be hesitant about making certain jumps.. they like their set routines, and don't stray from the general path of their lives. And that by any means, is not a bad thing. But how else do you explore the wonders in which this world has encompassed in it? They are everywhere.. and I guess I just prefer taking them all in.

I started dancing again. The dance facility 'Blue' offers different classes such as hip hop, pole dance fitness, and aerial silk classes. I love them all, but I tend to be drawn towards aerial silk more than anything else. Why? One guess would probably because of my gymnastics background.. but most likely it's because they told me that aerial silk is the most dangerous class they offer there. Yup - drew me right in. Another risk I guess I'm willing to take.

Eggs in one basket

2011-04-24T19:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!

The easter bunny stopped by our house today and dropped off a great basket full of goodies for everyone! Luckily he knows that Trent and the boys love jerky, and I love my Stewarts soda :) . And of course don't forget the chocolate!

After church we headed over to Grandma and Papa's house for some

lunch and an easter egg hunt! Jack was just loving following the clues and finding each egg.

He would yell out in excitement every time he figured out where an egg was hidden. Jack loved every minute of it, and was having the time of his life. And of course, would eat any candy that was found in the eggs!

After the egg hunt we headed to the park. We had a great time playing.

What a beautiful day!

Vision

2011-04-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Vision is defined as the power or sense of sight. And yet it is also having the ability to look at the same thing as everyone else, and seeing something completely different. Everyone and everything is beautiful in their own way, and you can never hate anyone who's story you know. So with that in mind.. let's go explore!

Remember that house I bought a little while back? Well it's had a little bit of love put into it. I thought I would share some pictures of that cute little humble abode!

Before

After

Pray for Faye

2011-04-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

This beautiful little girl was just diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Luekemia. She is only 3 years old and is in the fight for her life. We are all given hardships in this life.. and luckily we are given only the ones God knows we can handle. Faye must be one tough little gal ~ but her family does need support during this hard time. Please visit her blog, and fall in love with her sweet face. And of course, lets all pray for Faye. <3 fayesfight.blogspot.com

Fleeting Moments

2011-04-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

Fleeting[adj]- “Rapid momentaneous association of things that meet and pass.”

Moment[n]- “A brief, indefinite interval of time.

Life passes us by so fast - it's good to stop and realize the greatness that is around us! Jack is officially potty trained - YAY, and Blake is running around will full force. They grow up so fast.. so I thought I would show some pictures of what's been going on in our lives the last month.

Resistance

2011-04-09T08:56:00.001-07:00

There are times in life where you find yourself sideswiped, and there is a portion of time you stay suspended in the air until your feet finally meet the ground again. At times it can be exciting.. not knowing what's going to happen, but most often this is the time people find themselves worrying the most.

People grow up, pick the road on which they want their life to be, and head off into the sunset. Often times we miss the stories of what happens along the way. What struggles got them to their final destination, or why they chose that path in the first place? I have gotten the incredible opportunity to work in a field of medicine that I truly love and enjoy. As many of you know, I have 5 different jobs I get to enjoy.. all of them doing completely different things, in completely different atmospheres.

My main job, the title is "Mommy". That one affects all the other ones, but still doesn't put a bridle on my passion in medicine - hence the other 4 jobs. One being an 'on call' position in Nuclear Medicine that I took on a complete whim. One of my 'blind jumps' if you will, and has proven to be a good asset to keep up my skills in general Nucs. The second one being a PET/CT job at a cancer facility in which I get to work with amazing people (you have to be to work in that atmosphere), and of course - amazing strong patients. That is the job I love the most. I would work there everyday if I could, and not saying I didn't have the opportunity, but the radiation levels with that isotope are something that I wouldn't want to be around all the time. Especially when I see another little one coming into our family in the near future.. and no, I am not pregnant.

The third being at an Instacare where I get the opportunity to draw blood and take x-rays. I love working with everyone in that clinic. All the doctors, MA's and front desk staff are by far some of the funnest people I have ever had the opportunity to spend my time with. I find myself learning continually about medicine, and know that it's a place where I can increase my knowledge for the good if I ever decide to head into PA school. The 4th is in a hospital, and I feel that it's my home somehow. It's where I spent my time doing clinicals as a student in Diagnostic Radiology.. and still feel attached. Although most the people have changed and the department is now in a completely different place, I have a hard time saying good-bye completely there.

Having turned down two full time jobs in both of the Nuclear Medicine fields, made me realized my main job as "Mommy" still means the most to me. I am not sure what will happen in the future, or when I will get the inkling to jump on an incredible opportunity that I can't pass up.. but I guess that's the fun part of being suspended. Just waiting to see where life will lead you, awaiting the future that presents itself before you. I hope we all have aspirations for the goals we each have in mind. The only thing now is to decide exactly what we want.. and then go get it. It's kind of like the resistance that's in place for bull riders right before the gate opens.. and when it opens, you'd better be hanging on tight.

Aleatory days

2011-04-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

The last few days has shown to be a random mix of different allocations and circumstances. Words and descriptions ranging from bare-bottomed, frisbee, dominoes, neurosurgeons, cookie dough, bonds, healing and glee. Sometimes life can be as if we're waking up from surgery. Constantly going in and out of consciousness, unaware as to what is reality and what is a dream. Sometimes we need to find anchors to pull us back to our current state.

I also believe people are genuinely good. No matter what the circumstance, we all try to do our best.. and eventually we realize what needs to be done. Unfortunately the world isn't like the movies where there is the good person, and the evil one. We are all somewhere in between, and if we try hard enough - we will find ourselves fighting for the right team. My point in all of this.. is just to have faith in people. Believe that they will make the right decision, because we all deserve the chance to come out on top.

Bare-bottomed. Jack started his intense potty-training yesterday. I can't believe how well he is doing. Makes me wonder why I didn't try this tactic with him sooner. He is a smart little kid.. guess I didn't give him enough credit.

Frisbee. My anchor. I have started 'pick up' frisbee games that I hope will have great turn out. Trying to introduce a hobby back into my daily routine - with hopes to make some lasting friendships as well. Last time I played was when I first moved out on my own, and all I have from then is really good memories.

Dominoes. The new fun game in my home. Not only does Jack love building, and making neat things to knock down, Blake gets so excited to be a part of all the entertainment.

Neurosurgeon. Today was my second meeting with this amazing doctor. I had another MRI a couple of weeks ago, and I was a little hesitant to find out the results. My neurosurgeon told me that my cyst is stable and no need for surgery for quite some time :) Haha he joked that colloid cysts are his favorite thing to remove, and he wished he had a magic pill for me to take to make it grow so he could take it out - LOL. He had me chuckling the whole time. Yay for good docs, and better yet - great news!

Cookie dough. Just something I craved a few days ago and let myself indulge in.

We all need those days where we snuggle up with something warm and make ourselves sick. Something comforting in that? Ha I guess we all think so!

Bonds. Mike is leaving soon. It makes us all sad. Jack will be especially sad when he realizes "Mikey" is not around as much. Those two are like siblings. They fight with each other, love each other -and tell each other exactly what the other one is thinking. What a funny pair.

Healing. This word can be used for many circumstances in this life.

Referring to getting over illnesses, or trying to heal emotionally. With time everything heals.. or changes. And it's our responsibility to take whatever has happened, and use if for the good of our future. We all have things we need to heal from.. so just step back, and look at the good at what's happened. Smile that you got the ability and strength to learn from what has happened. And maybe, just maybe, you can help someone going through the same thing down the road. Now I just need to get over this cough I've had for two weeks!

Glee. Referring to how we should feel about our opportunities in this life. That.. and also I just discovered what a fun show that is. :) Yay for Netflix.

29 rays of sunshine

2011-04-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are crazy things.. getting older, celebrating with close friends and family. But best of all.. you get to eat good cake and get to reminisce about all the years you've been on this earth. Trent turned 29 today.. so I thought I would post 29 things I have learned from him.

1. Flip flops are pretty darn awesome. I actually never wore any until we started dating.
2. Trying new foods at restaurants can be quite liberating.. and sure keeps things interesting. Trent always asks the person serving us what their favorite thing on the menu is.
3. I am now pretty awesome at dickering down the prices on any given item. Heck.. I now can say that I have even done it in a department store!
4. Guys can't read what you really want for any given occasion.. if you want to be happy, you better tell the guy straight up - and everyone is happy in the end ;)
5. You really don't need labels or holidays to celebrate how much you love someone, or show how important they are to you.. that's what the entire year is for!
6. I am continually trying to learn from Trent about his selfless nature. That man never stops amazing me of how he gives on a daily basis - I am striving to be more like him everyday with this.
7. Life isn't about the kind of clothes you wear, or how old your shoes are. It's your smile that makes people notice you.
8. Trent is incredibly knowledgeable about finance.. and it's his goal to be completely debt free by the time he turns 30.. looks like it's going to happen. (and we have 3 houses right now!)
9. Never ever stop someone you love from dreams or risks they want to take. Just take the jump with them.. it will make you both stronger and closer in the end.
10. It's nice being married to someone who has the same goals, same views, and same passion for life that you do.

11. He taught me how to drive. Ha - yes that's right. I was 13 at the time.. he was 17. Funny huh?

18. I learned about how freaking awesome avocados are. I actually got him 22 avocados on his 22 birthday.

19. That you can transform a complete wreck of a place into something truly beautiful if you have the vision to do so.

20. You honestly don't need to bring much when you travel.

21. I am still continually learning Spanish from him.. I will get there one day you will all see ;) !

22. Fruit and vegetables are actually good to eat.. and you should eat them everyday.

23. That needs are more important than wants.

24. That family is the most import asset you will ever have in this life.

25. He is always teaching me how to cook. When we first got married he did most of the cooking. Now I think it's about 60/40 with me cooking just a little bit more now that he comes home for lunch. - But I do about 90% of the baking!

26. How to swing dance. Although.. I guess that could go both ways.

27. Many different songs on the guitar.. and how to not care if people hear you sing.

28. To laugh in hard situations.

29. Flossing is important :)

I am so happy he was born many years ago into such an incredible and entertaining family. He is my best friend.. my better half. It's amazing to me how much someone can continue to inspire people every day.. and have such a drive for goals and aspirations for the future. Trent is honestly one of the best people I have ever met in this life.. and the fact he loves me back makes it all that much more unreal. He makes me laugh everyday, and knows me better than I know myself. I hope his birthday is an awesome one, because I know I am not the only one smiling when I think of him. Happy Birthday Handsome.

%~ Festival of Colors ~%

2011-03-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Festival of Colors is a place to celebrate the beginning of Spring and it's colors, and also a place to celebrate love. If everyone isn't your friend when you get there, they will be after a few hours! What an incredible experience and a great place to really enjoy yourself.

People everywhere were chanting, giving hugs, and throwing a multitude of colors every direction. It was incredibly muddy as well.. so if you thought you would get out of there clean.. you had another thing coming!

Being right in the middle of a color throwing is an absolutely crazy experience. Everyone throws up color at the exact same moment and your embedded in a cloud, making it difficult to breathe. It honestly feels like your dreaming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYfPi8skmuU

Augmentation

2011-03-25T09:24:00.001-07:00

Jack went in for his 3 year old check-up yesterday. That kid is a weed! He is obviously tall (>95%).. and the doctor said he is the average size of a child starting kindergarten. She also said he is very advanced for his age as well - doing all the stuff he should be doing to 'get into kindergarten'. Well that settles it.. Sign him up! ;) . I guess I didn't realize knowing the alphabet, dressing yourself, or working on counting to 20 is great for a 3 year old (insert beaming parents). I guess you only need to count to 10 to get into kindergarten. That's why she was surprised that he isn't potty trained yet! Ahh I know right?? He knows what to do, he is just a strong willed little guy. That's when she suggested "the bare bottomed weekend". That's where all they wear is nothing but a t-shirt for the whole weekend. That and I think he needs more friends who are potty trained. Anyone with potty trained kids want to come play with Jack for a few days??

The house I just bought is turning out AMAZING! Wow, seriously.. that place is going to be nicer than my own house! Gorgeous tile, awesome new cabinets going in within the next few days.. and we are going to put a kitchen in the downstairs so we can rent the upstairs and downstairs out seperately. It's located in such a cute neighborhood to.. right next to the mountains. I can't wait until it's all finished. And I wanted to say thanks to Josh, Brennen, Ramiero, and of course Trent for doing such awesome work.

Locomotion commotion

2011-03-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

I've realized these last few days that Jack has picked up some of my habits ~ 1. Licking his bowl or plate clean after eating. 2. Sitting on the countertops. 3. Won't eat a sandwhich unless it's cut into corners. 4. Doing handstands in the living room. Haha.. and yes, noticed how I didn't call them 'bad' habits ;) ? Sometimes the three of us on cold mornings will also huddle next to the heater vent on the floor in the kitchen and warm our toes up while we eat our breakfast.

Jack is sharper than a tack. That kid knows that you go when the light turns green, and you had better be stopped if it's red. Once when I got lost near our Clearfield house.. Jack told me every turn and got me out of there.

Well it's official. This little man (Blake) has decided that walking is pretty darn cool. He took 5 steps last night, got super excited, starting clapping and fell over. What a funny kid.

If you ever tell him not to do something, he has already mastered the pouty face before the cry. And it's a cute one to! He also is jabbering a lot, which includes him saying "momma", "more".. and his most favorite "Oooo AHh" . He says that while he points to something with his big blue doe eyes.

This kid has sure won his way into my heart. After he wakes up he just will melt into me, and I love every minute of it. I can already tell he is a guy who knows what he wants, and will never stop until he accomplishes every goal he sets for himself. He is a very driven individual.

No trial we've ever suffered, is wasted

2011-03-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I am a sucker for inspirational quotes. I have often wondered why, and maybe it's because they helped me in hard times growing up. I had a small black book I would always write new things I learned everyday. I did that in High school. It was my only way to really explain what I was going through at that certain point in my life. And maybe because I like to think of myself as an optimist... one that starts taking a bath if I accidentally fall into a river.

This year has been a huge learning curve for me. I have realized a lot about myself recently.. and the year has only begun. Working at many different places, I get the opportunity to work with a wide variety of people. I have encountered knowledge in referring to cancer, divorce, love, addictions, frugality, kindness, hard work and passion. And since the hospital had taken away our internet access... I have increased my knowledge in health care due to the availability of WebMD.

This year I have started dancing to music more, have gotten out my guitar, and viewed my life as a music video. My children are continually growing and learning, and I find myself still debating on what I want to be "when I grow up". I have often pondered if I want to pursue a masters and become a PA. I have also wondered if I would be happier becoming a Clinical Instructor of the students, because I still truly have a passion for diagnostic radiology - and it is something where I could inspire and teach. But then again, I also have a degree in Nuclear Medicine, and would hate to let those skills go to waste. I feel like I know more about PET/CT lately... and it is an amazing field. But I would hate to be around that strong of radiation for long periods of time. I guess we just never know where this life will take us. And I guess I just have to go with my instincts.. and believe that whatever happens, is suppose to happen.. and just take it all in the best I can.

We need to continually inspire others. We need to see the good in every situation, otherwise we could all just break down, or harden. This world is truly an amazing place.. and sometimes we just need to take it one step at a time, smile, and know that we all need to make our way through this maze and succeed in changing times.

And I think we all need to start working on doing more random acts of kindness. I stole this picture from a friend that every day continues to inspire others. Let's be the change we all want to see in the world. And if we can't change the world... then let's at least make it smile.

3 for all to see! Happy Birthday Jack!

2011-03-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

Jack turned 3 last week. This little guy is growing up so fast! He is still as sweet as ever, but with a hint of .. well.. a 3 year old! Ha. He will say things like, "Wow.. that really nice mom." When I have a different shirt on.. or he will say, "Mom.. be happy!" If I am not smiling whenever he first sees me. He is a good little guy to have around!

He still drinks a cup of milk, and wants to read 3 books before he goes to bed every night. He recently just started using toothpaste, and he LOVES to spit in the sink. Still not potty trained.. but always uses the bathroom before bed, naps, or before we leave the house.

We were going to have a big party with a bunch of kids to come play with Jack at Chuck E Cheese for his birthday- but unfortunately there is a lot of sickness going around, so we just ended up going with our close friends. But we still had a ton of fun! Why Chuck E Cheese you ask? Well, it may seem kind of silly, but I had my 3rd birthday at Chuck E Cheese.. and it was my earliest memory. So I want to have all of my kids' 3rd birthday's there too. Silly tradition.. but I think it will make for some good memories!! We sure love you Jack!

And yes.. we got some good cake from Target. We found it in the frozen section (and it was wonderful!!) Jack found a great way to eat it! And Blake thoroughly enjoyed the ice cream!

Always remember to live

2011-02-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

The whole concept of thinking everyone has to live with solid routines, a lack of dreaming, a lack of possiblilies, a lack of passion - is just crazy to me. This world is an amazing place. There is passion everywhere, in everything. And it is sad to me that most people don't see it, or don't embrace it more often. Who would want to live without passion?

People grow up and forget the drive they one had when they were younger. They believed they could do anything, become anything. Then they get older and they realize... now I have all this responsibility. It's not what I expected. Well I think they're wrong. I know they are. This life is a game - and it's all about how you play it. It's the people who never stop dreaming that make something of themselves. It's about taking risks. That's where the energy is. And once we all find that- life is just fun. All of it. And you become to enjoy every day your alive. With the good, the bad, the pain, and the joy. And guess what? It's freakin awesome.

My Valentine

2011-02-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

How did I get so lucky? I ask myself that question every day.. It's like everyday I have the opportunity to live in a fairy tale...

For those of you who don't know our story.. it started a long time ago. I was only 12 years old, and I remember exactly the way I felt the first time I saw him. Many people don't believe in love at first sight , and I don't even know if that's what it was. But something inside me knew that this person was suppose to be in my life. And I have never stopped loving him since that day.

Trent is my best friend. The one person in this world who knows me better than I know myself. And it makes me smile when I hear other people say that they want their relationship to be like ours, or want to find someone to love the same way we love each other.

People always said the first year of marriage can be the hardest. Some say that after a few years the love can fade, or change. But with us that has never been the case. I love that man with such a passion, that it is hard to be away from him- even until this day. He is my everything, and I would give anything just to see him smile.

People ask us all the time how we can have such a good relationship, him and I. And I don't know if there is really an answer for that. We just let each other be who they are - do what makes us happy, and help each other out along the way. I think that's one big benefit of knowing someone so completely. Just letting them take risks, and being with them when they fall. And laughing about it afterwards. Both of us are pretty relaxed people. We don't care if the towel is buched up on the rack.. or if both of us just don't decide to clean sometimes, because we get caught up in each other - and the two precious lives that we brought into this world.

Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart....

Thank you for letting me love you so completely.

Good times!

2011-02-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

Wahoo. Go Green Bay!! Ok ok.. so we aren't huge football fans. But we did watch the SuperBowl and had a lot of fun. We had a hard time deciding who to cheer for, but since Jack has a Green Bay jersey.. and the fact that they haven't won the SuperBowl as many times as the Steelers - we had to go for Green Bay. What a fun game!! It's probably best I don't watch too many sports- I get way to involved, haha.

Josh came over and we had some good food :) . And all the funny commercials always make it fun to.

So I decided to go ahead and print my entire blog into a book. I realized I may not be the best scrap-booker - but this will be fun to hang on to and show our kids when we get older. It also gives me incentive to take more pictures, and write about what's going in our lives more.

I think it turned out really great! I plan on printing out a book every few years or so.

Bradley and MaryAnn Sapp came to see us last week. It was so fun getting to see them again. They have such a cute little family. And AmieLynn and Jack played so good together. And Blake was so excited to see a little person smaller than he was. I realized just how much of a little stinker Blake is going to be when he gets a little older. He's a little tormentor - haha.

Yes.. and this is proof of how my kids get dressed when I go to work. Trent doesn't see any problem with this. Haha. Poor little guy!!

Oh and I just had an offer accepted on a house!! It's a cute little cottage looking brick house above Harrison in Ogden. It's going to be a fun one to fix up!! It has a ton of potential. It's in the same neighborhood my mom grew up in. We should close on it the first week of March. I told Trent that if he fixed it up really nice, I would consider moving into it. We will see. It would be nice to have no debt whatsoever.. but it would be farther from work for both of us - and it only has two bedrooms on the main level. Probably won't happen.. but who knows when it comes to us! We will probably end up finding some good renters- hopefully a good family, or a newlywed couple that's going to Weber State.

Bradley and MaryAnn.. Aren't they cute? Until next time!

Welcome 2011 ~

2011-01-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

This year has been great and crazy so far. Life is always interesting, that's for sure! What's been going on with us you may ask - I will fill you in!

Carol moved out to Hawaii the end of last year to finish out high school there. She is currently living with Sylvia and her boyfriend. They currently don't have running water or electricity- but hopefully they are enjoying being outdoors. Sylvia is pregnant with a little girl and is really excited. She plans on flying out to New Zealand in March and having the baby in Figi. Carol plans on staying there until June.

Trent's Mom, Papa, and Sarah have been living in the Clearfield house we bought last year. It's been fun having them close -and the boys love seeing them more often now! Papa is currently working nights, and staying busy as always.

Mike is still having his adventures with dating, and recently got a job working a swing shift putting together tables. He plans on possibly taking some classes through BYU Idaho.

Dave and Gretel are enjoying life in Saudia Arabia, and Dave and Jenni plan on moving to Utah this summer. Keri got to come visit us during the holidays - and it is always fun to have her and Josh around. Luckily we get to keep Josh with us. He just graduated in Accounting- and he has his first interview for a real accounting job this Thursday!! Hope he finds a job he loves.

Jason started his new job in Bountiful. He is really enjoying it! He just barely moved up there this last weekend. Which makes total sense considering he works there and in Layton. Much closer to the action. Hopefully we get to see him more now too!

As for us? I've been really busy lately. I have been working at the Instacare now for

the entire month of January. Utah Cancer Specialists have also utilized me, and LDS has also needed coverage! Wow.. I've been keeping busy.

Good thing I told Davis Hospital I was taking a few months off! I am not sure how my jobs will change in the next few months, but I do know they will only need me for one more month at the Instacare. Crossing my fingers I get my awesome shift back at LDS come May. Two of my buds/coworkers, Matt Nelson and Jennyfer Quitian, got accepted into the PA program- so they will be off doing bigger and better things! And that may leave a spot for me to slip back!

Trent and I are currently looking for another house to try and fix up. Trent really enjoys fixing them up, and I enjoy watching the progress. Not a bad hobby if you ask me! And I am currently trying to figure out how to use new video editing software- but it's taking me longer than I would've hoped! So hopefully I won't get too behind in making the kids videos.

Speaking of my two awesome boys they are getting way too big, too fast!!

Jack has such a fun personality that is now really shinning through since he has been talking more and more. Last night he told me he loves Blake SOO much! He is really excited about the remote control helicoptors his dad and uncles have. He also is at a stage where he needs to have a TON of blankets on him when he goes to bed. What a hoot. Potty training is.... going. He is still really stubborn, so when he finally decides he's ready he won't have any problems. It's just trying to convince him that he's ready is the problem.

Blake loves to shake is head back and forth when he hears music or gets really excited. He is very content just to sit on any of our laps, and he loves laughing with Jack. He loves to throw balls and chase after them, and already loves playing with cars. He also loves climbing up to where Buddy is laying, and put his head on him.

We are excited for this year! Lets see what it brings us!

A Toyota for your 1st Birthday?!?!

2010-12-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

Oh you mean a TOY -YODA? Ok.. that makes more sense! Happy 1st Birthday Blake!!

We all had so much fun for Blake's Birthday, it was awesome having so much family around. It was especially fun having Jenni and her little family join us. Caleb, Noah, and little Eva are getting so big and fun. We are excited they plan on moving to Logan this summer!

Blake is such an funny little character. He's turned into a great sleeper.. well, he goes to sleep by himself no problem. But getting those darn teeth still get him up on occasion. He is also a much earlier riser than Jack. Blake usually likes to get up shortly after his daddy goes to work- usually around 6! Jack then wakes up around 8:00. Two different peas from the same pod!

Blake is 30 3/4 inches long - 80%, and weighs 22.12 lbs - 50%.

We are so happy that Blake is a part of our family. He is always laughing and trying to be part of all the action. Trent calls him a 'momma's boy' because he loves being with me so much! But I don't mind one bit :) . Whenever he gets sad, he makes a frowny face and he tries to bury his head in the ground like an ostrich! Haha what a funny, entertaining guy!

He has started mimicking words like baw baw (ball), maa maa (for me), and daa daa (for Trent). Ha but if you ask Trent he will just tell you he is babbling! I guess us girls just like to believe we are hearing something more I suppose- lol. Not walking yet, but he is showing no interest at this point. He must get his stubbornness from me.. ha, maybe that's why we get along so well ;) !

Blake absolutely loves the water. He laughs, splashes, and pushes Jack the entire time he is in the bath. I am actually amazed Jack has so much patience with him. Well... when he's in the tub anyway, when he's out of the tub it's a different story. We have tried to have him tell us to move Blake if he's getting in his way.. and most of the time he does a good job with that. Either that or he just pushes him! Either way, they get along pretty good despite their age. And one thing I love to hear the most, is the two of them laughing together. Happy 1st Birthday Blake!!

%~ Time to be jolly ~%

2010-12-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

What a great Christmas this year. :) We were lucky enough to have a lot family around, and it was nice having our home full on Christmas morning! I made calendars for everyone on Trent's side of the family this year. It was fun making them, and hopefully this way everyone can keep track of everyone's birthdays!!

We got Jack a kid-proof digital camera. It's not the highest quality- but man that kid loves taking pictures! Blake was just so excited to pull out the little things of baby food out of his stocking... his toes were wiggling so fast, it was hilarious seeing him so excited!!

Christmas is sure fun with kiddos and family around. Maybe next year we can work on getting just a few more lights up!

Our tree was decorated by Jack and Blake. They did a good job, and they were pretty proud. Blake kept taking the ornaments off, and Jack would put them back on - all in the same spot! So there was one area of the tree that always sparkled! ;) We figure we probably won't need to get a real nice tree until they're bigger anyway, so why not let it be there's to have fun with?? Merry Christmas!!

christmas cards 2010

2010-12-21T09:31:00.001-08:00

Colorful Ornaments Christmas

Shop Shutterfly for beautiful photo Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Congrats Jason!!

2010-12-15T12:30:00.001-08:00

My brother Jason graduated from Weber State University over the weekend!! I am so proud of him! He graduated in Music Education, and he is now applying to many schools to teach choir. Music Education is a hard field to graduate in, and Jason was the only one graduating in it this semester. He is amazing, and whoever hires him will be truly lucky :) . Way to go Jason, you rock my world!

~%* Lots to be thankful for! *%~

2010-12-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

Blake is now 11 months old.. wow time is flying by. This little handsome fellow is now... FINALLY.. sleeping all the way through the night. Whew. 9.5 hours last night. Good job buddy! He is sure a funny little guy. He is pulling up and cruising on everything. He will sometimes let go and stand there, but he's not interested at all if you try to help him walk. He is always at the window watching his big brother play. Blake always wants to be a part of the action.

With a love for the water and high places, I suspect he won't be quite as cautious of a kid like Jack was. He has a very strong personality and is for sure an individual, even at his young age. He is a very content child, but knows what he wants!

Jack will be 3 years old in about 3 months. He is getting funnier by the day. Still as sweet as ever, and is constantly learning. He is talking and singing everyday more and more... and some of the things he says can make us laugh so hard.

Besides the ABC song, one of his favorites is the wheels on the bus song. Trent will start singing it wrong and Jack will always correct him, "No, No Daddy.. doors on the bus go up and down." Right after Trent was saying they go swish swish swish.

Jason was playing the ABC song on the piano in different pitches and said Jack was right on pitch each time! Pretty darn good for a 2.5 year old I would say.

Since Trent and I got married almost 6.5 years ago, he has always called me random names to see how I would react. And since I never minded being called things like "Bug", some things kind of stuck. What does he call Jack you may ask... "Stink Pot". Now if you call him anything else he will correct you. "No no Mommy, Jack's not handsome.. Jack's a stink pot." "No no daddy, Blake's not a stink pot, Blake's a cutie.. and Mom's a cutie." Ha I like how he always adds that at the end. What a little charmer.

Ha and yes. We made a boo boo when we started referring to ourselves in third person in order for him to know we were mommy and daddy. And now he also refers to himself in third person. Haha. We are in the process of trying to correct our mistake!

We had two great Thanksgivings this year!! One with Trent's family and one with mine. We went to his father's house and got to have a great dinner and spend some time with some great people.

The boy's aunt Wendy loves to give all the kids their Christmas gifts on Thanksgiving so she can be with them all while they open their gifts. What a sweet heart. The boys love their gifts! Jack got some dinosaurs (that are soft in case he hits his little brother with them) and Blake got a fun pop up toy! Thanks aunt Wendy!

All the kids loved playing with one another. They took Jack and they we're playing hide and seek all afternoon. One time I opened a closet and saw them all huddled together in the back. I couldn't help but laugh because Jack looked unsure of what he was doing in there. But at least they found a good spot to hide!

My mom always makes the best rolls for Thanksgiving!! You have to start making them the night before, and they are always worth the wait. Yum!!

My parents have a huge yard behind their house in California. The boys loved playing out there everyday. Jack always had a hard time coming inside. And with their two dogs and ours, it was a great time every time outside!

Wherever there is dirt... there are also bathtubs. Well, hopefully :)

One morning we noticed Jack walk down the stairs with his blanket and walk over to the front door. He then started to try to push his blanket underneath the door. He had a glazed look in his eye and wasn't responding to us for about 5 minutes. When he finally came to.. he looked so surprised and had no idea where he was!! He was sleepwalking!! I think it's just because he hadn't gotten as much sleep as normal though. Hopefully he doesn't become a chronic sleep walker- but man that was crazy!

It still was a little chilly in California due to the arctic wind that was coming down. But we still had the opportunity to play at the park! Which is always fun.

We drove to California by the way.. which actually went great considering we have two little kids. But they did fantastic!! I know, don't ask me how. We stopped half way in Vegas. The lights there always amaze me. Now Jack probably thinks every place with lots of lights is, "Vegas baby!"

Happy Holidays!

1st haircut... and a Ooops

2010-11-17T12:37:00.001-08:00

Blake's hair was starting to get into his eyes.. and he was really cute with his long hair so it was a hard decision to give him a hair cut. Jack didn't even get hair until he was a year old! So we gave both Blake and Jack a haircut.

BEFORE

AFTER

Jack is getting so much better at letting his Daddy cut his hair. Except we made a little boo boo.. and we ended up having to buzz his whole head. Good thing he still looks good! Whew- lol. At least we didn't have to buzz Blake, I probably would've cried! haha

Jack discovered that it's fun when his Daddy or Mike put him up above the cabinets. It's even funner when they let Buddy play up there too. What a funny kid!

We sure love our boys!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

So we were on a roll with potty training, and Jack was doing so good.. then he started resisting it. So we didn't want to push it on him - so I heard somewhere to completely put it all away and start again in a few weeks. Hopefully when he sees the "Potty Time with Elmo" movie we are getting from netflix, he might be a little more excited! :) haha. Besides that he is starting to talk up a storm! He is telling me about his day, what he likes and doesn't like, and things that he is excited about. He also started at a gym called 'My Gym' in Layton and I am super excited about it. It's a great teaching atmosphere and it also helps with different skills. He loves it, but he is still getting use to the whole concept of a class. I think it will be really good for him!

As for Blake.. he is crawling so fast everywhere and pulling himself up on EVERYTHING. He especially likes to pull himself up on anyone that has food. He is a little mooch and LOVES big people food. He is such a cute kid and is very smiley. He has let go of things a few times and balances.. but then he realizes what he just did and grabs right back on! His big brother still picks on him alot, but you can still tell they really love each other.

Blake had gotten to the point where he was waking up 4-5 times a night and we were getting soo tired. So we decided he was old enough to be sleeping through the night. He is 10 months old! So the first part of the night we tried the same thing we did with Jack, and would go in every 5 minutes and comfort him.. but that would just get him more and more mad. That kid really has drive. Then we tried not even removing him from his crib and just sitting with him until he would fall back asleep. The first night he woke up 4-5 times. The second night 3 times. The third only once and he fell right back asleep! Now he is sleeping 8 hours straight!!! YAY :D. It's nice to finally get some uninterrupted sleep. And he seems much happier in the mornings as well. It was a win win I guess!

Halloween was so much fun this year! We got to spend it with some good friends and their kids. We went to the mall at first when it was raining, that we decided that we were never going back there. It was PACKED! After that we went over to our friends parent's house where they were making home-made donuts. YUM. We went trick or treating around their neighborhood and all the kids were having a lot of fun. Jack was so shy he wouldn't say anything.. he would stand behind the other kids and hold up his pumpkin basket. If they were just holding the basket of candy down to take one, he would just look down. So a friend he was trick or treating with (who was 3.5) would get one for him and put it in his basket. It was pretty cute. They all looked so cute and happy bouncing up to each doorstep. So stinkin cute!!

Family pics 2010

2010-10-10T18:36:00.001-07:00

We had some pictures taken of our family recently. Carol Lynn took them and did such a fantastic job. I told her she should think about being a photographer. She starts a new journey in Hawaii soon. She decided to go back there to finish her high school career, it's really sad to see her go -we will miss her alot. It's been nice living with a sister ~ I never had a sister so it's been fun living with her this past year.

Here are some of our pictures. Here are little pieces of my heaven*

Homecoming and Saudi Arabia

2010-10-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

So Carol Lynn went to Homecoming recently with her boyfriend of 5 months - Aaron. They looked so cute and had such a good time, I just had to post some pictures!

She looked so pretty! She did her hair and everything herself- so talented!

My brother and sister-in law, Dave and Gretel, and their 3 boys headed to Saudia Arabia this past month! They signed a two year contract to teach at their school over there. It was fun having them around for a week or so before they got all of their paperwork together. So far they say they love it over there- everyone has been really nice, and their home is fantastic. Hopefully it won't be too long before we get to see them again. Here is a picture of all the cousins together. The contrast between cousins is quite noticeable! haha ~ and don't you love the flowery couch at their uncle Mike's new home ;) ??

Playing drums!! Diego, that kid has got rhythm!!

Jack and Blake keep getting bigger and bigger. Jack is continually saying more and more, and Blake is now crawling on all fours!! Blake still is having problems with reflux, to the point now we actually believe he has an ulcer :( . Poor little guy, he has been crying in his sleep.. and not giving us much sleep either. But we recently started him on some medicine and he is turning back into his happy little self that we missed so much. I am just happy he is feeling better!

Jack is constantly hugging and rough housing with Blake. I am quite surprised how much Blake puts up with. I can already see a bond growing between them.

Told you my kids were cute! - And no, I'm not bias at all ;)

Haha... See ya later

c u L8tor alligator!

2010-08-29T17:08:00.001-07:00

Man these kiddos are growing so fast! They are so fun, and keep me very much entertained! Blake turned 8 months old today. He is getting all over the place. He can roll faster than anyone I know ;) , and he has gotten pretty fast at his dry land swim! He babbles all the time, and absolutely loves his big brother. He will just watch him so intently and smile whenever he sings to him. He is a very happy baby, very content- but wants to see and touch everything he can. He laughs a lot and has beautiful deep blue eyes. He has a lot of energy- and it makes us wonder if maybe that's why he's not a great sleeper yet. By this age Jack was sleeping through the night. But I still love the late nights with Blake, he is such a sweet baby- and it makes me sad he is getting so big so fast. But I am excited for when he gets older to, so we can do even more fun things with him!

Jack went into big boy underwear today!! Wish us luck! So far he has been doing great! He got the Toy Story underwear so he is pretty excited. He has gone poopy in the potty, but he did have one accident today - so Trent helped him clean it himself in the toliet water.. Jack did NOT seem impressed. He kept saying, "Ewww, poopy, hands, poopy in the potty!" haha. I guess we will see if that helps him remember to tell us he has to go to the bathroom. We have been really positive about the whole thing, and plan on being that way when he has accidents too. We are just so happy for him- he is also growing up way too fast.

Jack can now say the entire alphabet! He sings it to Blake when he cries.. then it makes Blake happy and Jack say's, "ABC song, Blake happy now Mom." haha. Once we were in the car and we told Jack to make Blake happy- so Jack started yelling, "Blake!! Happy now!!" haha needless to say that didn't make it better! Ha that's when he learned the magic of the ABC song.

Jack is talking up a storm now, and it's fun to see his personality shine through. He is very kind hearted and loves to give hugs and kisses. He still dances all over and now loves to push himself around on his skate board. He just recently started to want to sleep on the bottom bunk of his bunk bed. And he has been doing great there too. If he keeps sleeping well there, we are going to tear down his crib. Yes he is still in his crib, he was sleeping great so we felt there was no need to rush him to a bigger bed until he was ready.

Mike moved out today too. He bought himself a trailer house not too far from our home. He is fixing it up, and is pretty excited about it! It's sad to see him go, but luckily he is still not too far away!

LDS hospital is doing lay-offs and sadly I am affected by this. But I have other opportunities that I am excited about! So off to new adventures for me! It's good to have a lot of different PRN positions, after all- the best jobs are all about knowing people right ;) !

Carol Lynn started school last week. She doesn't seem to excited about it, but it's her senior year and I hope she has a great time and makes great lasting memories.

But anyways, that's all for now!!

%~ family ~%

2010-08-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

OK, so alot has happened since I last wrote! What a crazy summer! Dave came to stay with us for about a month and a half- although he didn't mean for it to be that long. He has been trying to get all his paper work ready for his job in Sadia Arabia which begins in September. He just barely flew out a few days ago! Josh moved to Utah while Keri is staying in Mexico city to finish off her school contract. Josh will be finished with school in December. Carol Lynn has been working hard on her online school all summer, which I know was super hard- but she sure is a trooper! She starts her senior year on Monday. Mike ran a marathon, and put a new motor in our taurus that totally went 'ka-put' on us. So he has been working on cool stuff this summer! He also has been dating Jess, so the two of them have been keeping really busy having fun this summer. Trent's mama and papa are in the process of relocating to where they can find a job- so they are currently also in utah at the moment. It's been crazy and fun having everyone here!

We've been to the cabin quite a few times, and I think it will be so much fun when the boys are older so they really can enjoy themselves. It's so peaceful and beautiful up there.

Trent and I celebrated our 6th anniversary August 6th!! Man, I am so lucky to have him in my life. He seriously is my better half - and he really is my inspiration everyday. Every year keeps getting better and better ~ and I hope he knows just how loved he is... from the moon and all the way back to the dirt ;) !

Work has been crazy lately. The entire hospital (LDS Hospital) is doing layoffs, and I've been a little stressed. One because I really love my job, and two because I am barely getting enough sleep. I only get about 5 hours of sleep when I do work, and it is broken up twice by my little Blakester. So maybe it's the universe's way of telling me it's time to slow it down a bit. Davis Hospital is talking to me about picking up a few shifts there- so I am considering just doing that instead of constantly worrying about the layoff situation at LDS hospital. It's sad there right now, they are losing alot of great employees!

My grandmother passed away about a month ago, and it was sad to see her go. It was her time though, she was ready- and it was nice to actually see her at peace. It think it was harder seeing my mom at the funeral than anything. My mom has always been a rock to me, and it's hard to see her in pain.

Besides all that info- I thought I would share what's been going on with my two little boys!! I will start with little Blake : Blake is now 7 months old.

On his 6 month appointment he was in the 50th percentile in height, and 55th for weight! (Jack weighed more than him at 4 months of age!) He has been sitting up great, and rolls everywhere he wants to! He has started doing this inch worm thing I can only describe as and injured soldier where he puts one arm underneath his belly and pulls himself with the other arm and his two legs! Haha it is really funny to watch. He wakes up around 3 in the morning to eat, then again at 6.. he will then usually sleep until about 8 - 8:30 when Jack usually wakes up. He is just a happy little guy- and such a cutie!! He is pretty content most of the time (when he gets reflux after eating he is a bit fussy). I call him my 'little stress reliever ball' because whenever I am stressed out, I just pick him up and he calms me down. I want to take him everywhere with me. -Oh and he loves his binkie!!

I tell people that it is easier now with the 2 of them then it was with just Jack at this age. Because Blake is such a good baby, and Jack is a pretty good 2 year old- but he was a pretty hard baby.

Jack : Jack is just about to be 2 1/2 years old. He is such a hoot. What a funny kid. This kid loves to sing and dance to any music he hears. His favorite song by far is the alphabet. He can say the abc's all the way to P.. then he mumbles until XYZ! But if you ask him which letter you are pointing to, he can tell you what it is. He can also count all the way to 10 (found that out while he was counting some toys! ha you can tell I am a proud mommy. He can ride a tricycle, and he still sleeps around 12-13 hours at night, and most of the time he naps during the day for about 2-3 hours. We started potty training him, and he does great going PP in the potty, but hasn't quite figured out the poopy part yet. But the nice thing about having tall boys is that they can go PP in the 'big potty'.- except his aim is still not the best!! We got his room painted, so soon I will put him on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed to sleep.

Oh and yes, I did get a van.. but no worries- it is a Grand Caravan 'Sport' , so that makes it cool! Ha no jk- but honestly I LOVE my van.. I don't know how I survived without one. I love it, Jack will tell you! It even has tinted windows!

But that is everything I can think of for now, can't wait for fall- it's my favorite season! :)

just what's been happening!

2010-06-16T08:10:00.000-07:00