my heart documented.

Funny things kids say

2012-01-11T18:10:00.001-07:00

Kaylee

At movies with dad and brenna, they were the first ones there. People started to come into the theater and Brenna said, "Look! here comes more people!" Kaylee said, "Brenna, they're not people, they're customers."

Brenna

"Kaylee, what did her name is?" (what is her name?)
"We can have green eggs for breakfix?" (can we have green eggs for breakfast?)

Ammon

Mo pee! (more please)
Zzz aaa! (socks)
Jeews (shoes)
Duh? (done)
My! (mine)
Booo! (moo)
Deego deego deego (gobble gobble)
Ah ah ah (oo oo ah ah)
Baa-bo (apple)
Baa-bo (bottle)
Ga-geh! (jacket)
No no no no no!!
Ooo peee (oopsie)
Uh! Oh!
Me-me (binky)

Trip to Phili part 2

2011-12-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Lopez family has a tradition of buying a big ol' pig leg...I THINK usually around the holidays. The meat is cured and usually comes from Spain. (The pigs are taller there...thus more meat. Also I think he said something about the pig being fed better food, hence making it taste better overall...??) Whatever the origin, it was AWESOME!

Nothing but YUM comes out of the Lopez kitchen. Mojo. The best. Here they are in the process of making roasted almonds together.

I love how they ALL pitch in to help, all the time!!!

Ali likes to spend a lot of time with Paco. She's not so much a girly-girl. She LOVES art, building, and lots of other stuff. Her smile is heart-melting!

The smell from these nuts were unbelievable...even with my nut allergies I ate one! Then two! (Almonds aren't as bad for me...I just got a slight stomach ache, no biggy)

We went downtown to the Independence hall, Liberty Bell, and the Mint. It was so cool. I wish the girls were a little bit older to appreciate it!

Our cute little poser!

Kaylee could read this entire thing by herself!!!

Most important part of the trip...snack time!!!

Ammon and Nikki were pretty inseparable. He loved her.

She's a natural! Ammon probably thought he died and went to heaven the way she doted on him!

Here we are at Independence Hall. Smaller than I would have thought.

Beautiful Gabby and Kaylee.We LOVE Gabby!

Walkin' the streets of Phili...yeah, we're cool.

We ran into the Eagles mascot! Sweet!

Then an authentic Phili dog from a stand. It was, as Meri said, 'An experience.' Loved it!

So did the kids!

Vivi is helping Ammon with his hotdog...taking him under her wing.

Trip to Phili

2011-12-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

The day after Christmas, we headed out to visit my aunt Meri and her family. I don't think I've seen ANY of them since Kaylee was a baby. I've missed them! They moved to PA the same week we did for my uncle Paco's job.

Right away when we got there, we were SHOWERED with gifts! We got so so so SO spoiled. The kids got so many toys, they were in shock! And in Allison's words, "At the Lopez's, you eat like a king." She wasn't lying.

I hardly saw my girls the whole time we were there. Kaylee and Vivi especially were joined at the hip the whole time.

P.S. I love Vivi.

Making mojo. Yeah, grind that pepper baby!

Brenna all dolled up by her cousins. Look at her BEAM!

They gave me this adorable hat for Christmas. They all wanted to take a picture of me. Girl bonding.

And it only got more fun as time went on! We went shopping (and they bought me a brand new outfit), went swimming, ate, ate, ate, and ate, talked, laughed, stayed up late...

It's as if we were never apart really!

One of the days we took a trip out to Valley Forge. This is actually where they got married! That was the last time I was on the east coast. I was there when it was warmer weather, so it looked a lot greener. The wintry look was beautiful in it's own sad way.

Haha look at Vivi!

Me and my beautiful Aunt. It was strange how much she reminded me of my mom because they are really quite different personality wise! I love them both so much.

Me and Gabby. Cousins? Sisters? What's the difference?

OH my heck LOOK AT THEM!!!

The kids had a lot of fun playing on the cannons and running around the graveyard. Who needs a playground when you have war equipment and a field full of dead bodies?

Nate came back a couple of days later on his own to actually enjoy all the buildings and monuments...we sort of rushed through it because we girls were anxious to get our SHOP on!

to be continued...

Christmas Day 2012

2011-12-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

Santa came! Good for him.

He also took some time to write the kids a letter! He told them to remember the true meaning of Christmas. He also thanked them for the cookies and carrots...especially since Rudolf was extra hungry that night.

For breakfast we got to use our new pancake pen from the Bringhursts! SO fun. Lots of giggles.

For dinner, we went to the Westover's. They live around the corner from us. Joseph is finishing Dental school. They have 5 kids. They made ham and a bunch of other stuff, and we made a turkey and a bunch of other stuff. The Stephensons came too! It was one big Christmas party! I loved it!

Christmas Eve 2012

2011-12-24T12:10:00.002-07:00

A few days before Christmas, the girls and I made a whole bunch of glittery star ornaments. We painted our hearts out!

On Christmas Eve, we all went and visited the local mental health hospital (I didn't know that until we got there...I thought it was a regular nursing home). There we handed out the handmade ornaments. The girls couldn't stop talking about it. It was a wonderful family activity.

(I know this is off the subject, but notice how the girls are both wearing stripes. They wanted to look like candy canes for Christmas! SO cute.)

Afterward, we went to a large Nativity Scene in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh. It was beautiful! It reminded me of the feeling at temple square. Very peaceful. We were pretty much the only ones there.

Ammon's nose turned really red. That was our cue to go home. :)

Once we got home we made gingerbread houses from the kits Grandma Cindy sent us. Ammon didn't actually make one...he stomped around the house in Brenna's pink boots! (As usual) We also decorated gingerbread men and had hot chocolate. For dinner, grilled cheese and tomato soup! Perfect for a very cold Christmas Eve. Even though there wasn't an ounce of snow.

Then we read the Nativity story from Luke. The girls were giggling non-stop at the pretend pregnant belly!

Afterward we Skyped the Grandparents. LOTS of gifts to open! The tree looked bare when we were done!

Here's Kaylee with the book that has an audio recording of Grandma and Grandpa B. reading to them!

Here's a pile of all of our precious crap that we got.

Cindy made red nightgowns for all the girls with zebra robes! The guys got zebra pants. Too bad Ammon's pants wouldn't stay on!

Here's Nate playing with his Christmas present for the next 2 years...his Iphone 4! Hehehe just kidding Nate!

What a beautiful mess. I love Christmas!

What I've been up to...

2011-12-19T11:53:00.001-07:00

After I put the kids to bed on certain designated nights, I would sneak out the door to Liz's house to work on these:

'Princesses in a box.' This was Liz's genius idea. They were SO much fun! No, I did not carve the wood. But I did paint them. They are Christmas presents to the girls, from me!

Aren't they adorable? Rapunzel was my favorite.

These ones are fairies. See the wings?

Here they are all snuggly wrapped. I can't wait!

Christmas tree photo shoot

2011-12-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm sick again. Yuck. The kids got colds after I did, and I think it mutated and now I have it again. It's not AS bad this time around, but annoying nevertheless.

Last night we had my new friend Katherine over for dinner. We had enchiladas. Katherine made some yummy yogurt bread with a lime glaze WOW!

During our visit, we got a call from the stake presidency. They wanted to meet with us the next day. We agreed to it.

So today we met with Brother Ferguson from the Stake. YEP! Nate has been called to be 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric! We are accepting congratulations and condolences. ;) I know Nate will do a great job. It's kinda convenient he has experience in a previous bishopric in an inner-city ward. I think he has been prepared for the task. I feel very blessed today.

After church I took some pictures of the kids in their Sunday best in front of the tree. My mom wants to put their pictures in ornaments for her tree...and it's a good thing because I might have forgotten to do it! I've done it every year, so yay for an excuse to do it again! Enjoy.

If he's going to play with Barbies, at least it's the boy Barbie, right?

Hope everyone enjoys the last week before CHRISTMAS!!! I can't wait!!!

Open BEFORE Christmas!

2011-12-14T12:24:00.001-07:00

On Sunday the 10th, it was Ammon's first day in nursery. He wasn't afraid at all! He went right in without looking back. When we picked him up, the teacher said he just smiled the whole time!

A few days later, I was in the basement and discovered another ENTIRE box of presents that came with the move! One was from Grandma Lois saying 'open before Christmas.'

Here are the kids opening Grandma Lois' pre-Christmas present!

A snow globe! The kids loved it!

They thought the people inside were 'gummy people.'

Thanks Grandma!!!

Brenna's independence

2011-12-07T23:43:00.000-07:00

Brenna is so grown up. Everything she does, she can do 'by herself!' This includes changing Ammon's diaper, washing dishes, cracking eggs, etc. Here is a picture of her making herself a peanut butter sandwich!

Such a big girl!

Ammon boy continues to be a sicky. Poor kid! SO grumpy.

Fever eyes. :(

As mentioned before, Brenna wants to do everything herself. Well, she wanted to make her hair longer, so she cut it...???

The scene of the crime:

She's sorry. :(

Not to worry. Although she took off a big chunk on the side and right on top, I trimmed the rest to make it blend in. Rapunzel hair again!

Later that night...another Christmas movie! And this time with hot chocolate with gingerbread man marshmallows in it! YUM! {Notice the backwards nightgown on Brenna. So cute!}

Why are they so flippin' cute when they're sleeping?

Decorating the tree.

2011-12-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

I guess it's not a huge surprise that Ammon is now sick. High fever, nasal congestion, etc. I wanted to do something fun for FHE but by the end of the day taking care of Ammon, I was spent.

But THEN we heard a honk outside! I looked out the window, and it was a UPS truck! They had delivered our Christmas ornaments! (along with some cute surprises from Alisha and Cindy, including a gingerbread house kit) I was SO excited. I had left them in Utah and was pretty bummed about it. Alisha was sweet enough to box them up for us and Cindy was kind enough to send them. What a treat!

So for FHE we decorated the tree while listening to Christmas music!

Brenna the princess! She did this pose WITHOUT prompting. :)

Ta-da! The finished product!

Poor sick baby. Look at how tired his eyes are!

Our tree fits right in. Makes it feel even more like home. :) What a fun night!

Still sick.

2011-12-04T20:15:00.003-07:00

The rest of this week I continued to be sick. It was wonderful though, because we did LOTS of fun stuff together! For instance...

We built a fort!

Under the bed!

An idea I got off of Pinterest was to put some of those glow sticks in the tub and have a bath in the dark. The kids LOVED it. (But Brenna requested I stay in there while the lights were out.)

...and lots of SNUGGLE time!

...and movie night with daddy!

Kaylee was by herself...well of course she had Ellie.

One of the days that I was sick, our new neighbor, Lisa Westover, picked up Kaylee from school and brought us a big pot of beef stew. It was perfect. The kids were sick of PB&J.

Oh, and Kaylee has learned how to cross her eyes. SO clever!

And now for some random pictures...first a picture of Ammon after falling over backwards into this basket. It was pretty funny. He didn't think so.

This is Brenna venturing out and trying the toy room.

We've also started doing a little bit of school at home. This is Brenna after tracing the letter 'S.'

The funny thing about being sick...

2011-12-01T17:02:00.003-07:00

Yes, today, Thursday, I was sick again.

You know, when you're sick and you can't go anywhere, and you don't really have energy to do anything, you learn a lot about your children. Mostly because if you don't have energy to care for them, you just put some energy on your energy credit card and just go into a little bit of energy debt that you will pay for later. One thing I noticed about Ammon is the way he eats his jelly sandwich.

He opens it up with a guilty look on his face...

Eats all the jelly out of it...

Finishes it off...

Gets another piece of bread, and cries until you put jelly on it! Repeat 3 times! (Must be growing)

When he's done with a meal, he says, "Aaaah Da!" exactly one time, then spends the rest of his time trying to wiggle out of his booster chair to which he is strapped.

Here he is halfway out. He has twisted all the way around! And I strapped him in TIGHT!

Also when you're sick, you put your 3 year old in animal print clothing, realize her hair looks like an animal, and call it a perfect match!

Kaylee started school this week on Monday. It wasn't until today I remembered to take a few pictures, you know, me being sick and all. Between home and this point in the picture, there were probably 5 or 6 complete 'melt-downs' by poor little Brenna, who thought that every time I left the car (to lock the door, put Ammon in the car, take him out of the car, get the stroller out, etc.) that I was leaving her forever.

See here we are, all put back together. :)

And here's Kaylee at her awesome new school!

We of course ran into the Westovers...the only 'Mormons' we know of in our neighborhood! (They had us for dinner our first Sunday here)

And Kaylee wanted a picture by the flagpole!

This is a boy named Jack that is in Kaylee's class that asked her to play hide and seek.

Can you guess where Kaylee is hiding? I'll give you a hint...it's the big one on the right. :)

And here are some shots of the lovely view we had on the way back!

Finishing off November with a BANG!

2011-11-30T11:32:00.002-07:00

So this week...UGH! That's what I have to say!

On Monday, I had my interview. This was the job I applied for that would allow me to work from home. The disadvantage of hiring me I suppose is that I've never worked in home care. But the interview went really well, so I was confident I would get it! She told me I would hear by the end of the week if I got it. Well, the end came and went and no phone call. Bummer.

Also on Monday, for family home evening, we made a whole bunch of peanut butter bars and took them to neighbors. We gave them a magnet with me and Nate's cell numbers and told them to call if they needed anything. It turns out we have quite a few young people around us! Some of them have young children, mostly babies! I was surprised by that! But I am very excited to get to know them better!

Nate didn't come with us because he was working late. It was dark, and one of the last houses we walked up to gave me a bad feeling. Kaylee even looked in through the window and said, "Mom, look at this house! Its really SCARY!!!" As the bad feeling in my gut got stronger, I hurried the children to a house across the street. When we were done there, I quickly got us all inside and locked all the doors. We still had a couple more plates to hand out, but I figured we had done enough for tonight. We could do more when Nate could join us. I wasn't feeling the greatest anyway...

And later that night, it hit me. BAM. Fever, chills, sore throat. All night.

The next day (Tuesday) Nate stayed home. I was useless. Sick as a dog! I did however manage to take these pictures of our home!

This is the view from a few of our windows:

This is the inside. And look, no boxes! We're all moved in! Lots of decorating to do though! ;)

And notice my poor tree with exactly 3 ornaments on them. As I was getting out the tree last week, I noticed I was missing ONE box...the one with all the ornaments in them. I was crying! I MADE those ornaments last year! I put hours into them! Cindy picked up the box from Alisha and sent them, bless her HEART! I can't wait for them to arrive!

(Rugs courtesy of Aunt Kay and Uncle Bill...THANK YOU we love them!)


The view from the office chair. Front window. This beautiful blue car is also eye candy. It's there all the time.

I also took this picture of Brenna. Notice she has here purple blanket. You see, her purple blanket is her comfort object. She carries it around with her everywhere in the house since we moved here. Before that, she only needed it at night time. Kaylee is the same way with her trusty Ellie the Elephant! Every time I go down into the basement, both children start calling out my name in shear panic! They think I've left them alone! Ammon has even learned to chime in, "Maaaa! Maaaa!" (though he's not sure why). This is why it is a blessing I've been able to stay home with them at all times. Especially since Nate has been gone working all day until late. Poor insecure children!

I decided instead of doing a 'boy' and a 'girl' room, I'd have them all sleep together in one room and put all the toys in another. They love it! And so do I! I just shut the door on the big mess! Haha! Ammon doesn't seem to mind sharing with the girls...at least so far...

On Tuesday night, I was still fevering! I was no better! So on Wednesday, I mustered the strength to at least do something holiday-ish with the kiddos. We made a Christmas tree count down chain! They had a lot of fun doing it!

Yeah, Ammon has a lot of interesting expressions!

Notice Ammon's lack of pants. This is not from a lack of me putting them on...the poor boy is just too little, they always fall!

Drive-thru lights!

2011-11-25T13:31:00.001-07:00

Our first Christmas activity of the year! The Stephenson's invited us to experience the drive-thru light display in West Virginia! It was awesome...and warm in the car! We did get out once to check out the nativity. That's what I took pictures of.

This is the face Nate makes every time I take a picture of him. Stupid camera flash! Sorry babe.

Yay for the Christmas season! Bring it on!

Our first Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh

2011-11-24T22:38:00.001-07:00

...was WONDERFUL! Ryan and Liz Stephenson invited us to their home. We brought the Turkey (my second time making one and it was actually very tasty!), potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie, and Liz did the rest. Newey rolls, shrimp salad, stuffing, veggie tray, yams, cinnamon almonds, drinks, and a sour cream apple pie! They made it so homey and yummy...it was EPIC! So THANK YOU to the Stephenson family!!!

My little Indians! (Ammon ruined 3 feather 'hats,' after that we decided he just doesn't get one)

As you can see (below) Ammon has a capri sun on his tray. He consumed that and 2 rolls. Yep, that's it! STINKER!

Liz also had the cutest setup for the children. Even they got royal treatment!

The beautiful adult table

Cowboys and Indians...I love it! New friends Sarah and Abby! :)

No need for explanation here.

5 more miracles.

2011-11-23T16:00:00.002-07:00

Miracle #1: The printer worked.
There were a few of our possessions that were destroyed on the trip. We were sure the printer was on the list. Nate messed around with it for a good half hour. I think every adult took a turn trying to get it to work. No matter what anyone did, it wouldn't turn on! It was done for. Bummer! Since the whole 'asking for help' thing had been working for me lately, I decided to pray about the printer, too. The moment I finished my prayer, I tried turning it on...nothing. I checked all the cords. Everything was plugged in properly! Or wait...no, it wasn't the cord had two components, and one end was plugged into the computer, the other into the printer. The way the cords were wrapped, it was difficult to tell that this was the case. I plugged the two together and voila! Printer!!

Miracle #2: The router worked, too.
We had a Comcast guy come and set up internet. There was some issue with our modem...something about the registration...and the inventory...anyway, they loaned us one of there's, and since then I've probably been on the phone 5 times with 30 different people trying to figure it out! On top of it, when we plugged in the router, not only did it not send internet to the laptop/ipad, it shut down internet access all together. Nate and I both tried multiple times. One night, I was determined to figure it out. It was too hard sharing the slow-as-a-turtle-old-as-a-dinosaur desktop computer with all that we needed to have done. I got out the 'how to' pamphlet and the accompanying software. I was at it for a good hour when I decided to pray for help. Another hour later, the router was working. Don't even ask me how it happened, I just know it did. It was miraculous. I think by then it was so late, I was delirious!

Miracle #3: I found Sam's Club. (Liz, don't laugh!)
The Giant Eagle grocery store that seems to be monopolizing all of Pittsburgh was giving me a lot of anxiety about living here. The prices were outrageous compared to what I am used to! $1.99 for a head of iceburg lettuce? $3.29/lb. for really crappy tomatoes? $3.69 for a gallon of milk? (Actually, that milk price is pretty universal around here from what I've seen) I am a pretty experienced couponer, but under the circumstances, I didn't have the resources OR know-how to do a coupon run here in Pittsburgh. All I knew is that we were in desperate need of provisions and I wanted to go to Sam's! I knew if I could just find a Sam's club, I could stock up and rest at ease.
I got in the car with all 3 kids. Got out the GPS from Brian and Alisha that I had never before attempted to use. To begin with, I could not figure out how to get the thing to stop thinking I was in California! (That's where they used it before) I said a silent prayer. Suddenly, Star started giving me directions! (Star is the name the kids and I decided to give her...the brand is Nextar) WAHOO! I was a nervous wreck, but I was doing it! Driving all over the maze that is called Pittsburgh!
Suddenly, star said, "Your destination is on the left." I looked to the left...um, nothing but trees. Nothing at all! About a half mile later there was a store called 'Super Saver.' I was so bummed! Where was I even? Did the GPS totally malfunction? I parked and told the kids were were getting out.
Wait. No. I came out here to find a Sam's. I'm going to keep looking. I drove back to the road we came on and decided to go a little further. About a mile later, there it was! On the top of the hill! Sam's! It was then that I realized that for the address I had typed 3261 instead of 3621. So the error was made by me, not the GPS! We got our food and returned home all in one piece. It was a miracle.

Miracle #4: The mailman doesn't pick up mail, just drops it off.
I haven't asked any locals about this yet...so don't quote me on it...but it seems as though the mailman only drops off mail. He doesn't collect it. He parks at the end of the street and walks down, delivering mail from house to house. We were wondering what that box on the house was for. And wondered why nobody had a mailbox in front of their house.
Right when we got here, I filled out my application for a Pennsylvania Nursing license and put it in an envelope along with the $100 fee. I decided not to apply for a temporary license, figuring it couldn't really take that long to process my application, plus it would cost me another $35. No thanks. I wasn't really planning on working soon anyway.
However, my license sat in that mailbox for 2 days.
Nate and I reminded each other to drop it off on Saturday, but we both forgot.
I started to think about working. We prayed about it. I started to feel like maybe I should look for a job.Ugh. Why? I had felt so good about just staying home.
That night, I started looking at jobs online. I came across a per diem job that I could do from home...hmm, interesting! I applied. Man, I really needed to get that application SENT! ASAP! Especially if I was going to work soon!
Sunday came, and we both forgot! AGAIN!
Finally it was Monday. TOP priority to get that puppy in a mailbox. Any mailbox! Before I left, I was looking at the licensing website online and realized it would take a long, long, long time before my application would be processed; weeks, even months. I needed a temporary license if I needed to work soon.
Before I left, I changed the form and added my $35. I dropped it in the mail on the way to the grocery store. SUCH a miracle I was able to make that change.

Miracle #5: Ammon stopped throwing up.
The next day, Tuesday, I found Ammon in his crib covered with puke. Something he ate? Gave him a bath, got him dressed, gave him a bottle, and he drank it down.
Then he threw up all over the dining table.
I changed him into pajamas and informed Nate I would not be going with him to get our drivers licenses changed. Then he threw up all over the floor. Then a fever.
Yikes! Poor boy! I spent a lot of the day holding the sickly child. I decided to have a teaching moment with the girls. We all knelt down in front of Ammon (who was passed out on the couch). I said, "Whoever says the prayer, remember to ask Heavenly Father to help Ammon to feel better." Kaylee volunteered and gave the sweetest prayer using those exact words. I told them to have faith that Heavenly Father can make Ammon better.
When Ammon woke up, he was still feverish and cuddly. He didn't want food. He did have a little water. I admit, I was nervous! I continued to hold him. Later on, he had some milk. Then a little later, some yogurt. Couple hours later, he was begging me for crackers and more milk. No throwing up!
When I put him to bed, he still wasn't quite himself, but at least he was keeping everything down. We thanked Heavenly Father for yet another miracle in our home. The very next day he was symptom free.

FHE: trip to the library!

2011-11-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

For our very first family home evening in Pittsburgh, we decided to check out the Library located just across the road...and train tracks...from our neighborhood! We got Library cards and everything. Made us feel like real Edgewood citizens! There was a children's library downstairs and the adult section upstairs. There was also a swimming pool and a tennis court. Apparently this is a community center? Anyway it was fun!

Daddy's new office!

2011-11-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Nate's office in Oakmont to drop off his new desk. I thought it would be fun to take some pictures of it empty and see how it changes! SO exciting!

The number one employee of Real Property in Pittsburgh!!!

Fun! Museum, incline, etc.

2011-11-17T15:41:00.001-07:00

While the Bringhursts were in town, you know, after the really big move, we did some stuff to explore Pittsburgh.

One thing we did was attend the Carnegie Natural Science Museum. Coolio!

The girls LOVED the shiny rocks. Especially the ones that glowed in the dark!

Diggin' up dino bones!

Ammon was scared of this large turtle...???

Nate LOVED the dinosaurs. SO much.

Kaylee's favorite exhibit was the eskimos

While unpacking, cleaning, and organizing was going on in the house, the kids were being distracted outdoors.

Group shot! And tears!

We also went to the incline to see the AWESOME view of the city. But I gotta be honest, it was MISERABLY cold!

We are so grateful they came out with us. THANK YOU Bringhursts!!!

Our first experience at Frick park. Brrrrrrr.

2011-11-16T13:55:00.001-07:00

One of the things we decided to do while the Bringhursts were here is to check out Frick Park. It is very close to our home. It is HUGE! It was really cold, otherwise we would have stayed longer. Also, we just missed all the fall leaves being ON the trees, so it wasn't as beautiful. There were TONS of trees, so I can only imagine how pretty it was! We did find some vines and many of us tried to swing from them like Tarzaan.

3 miracles.

2011-11-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

I feel like I should document some of the miracles that have happened since I left for Pittsburgh.

Miracle #1: The Friday before we left, we were able to get antibiotics for Ammon before going off insurance.
Ammon is very prone to ear infections. He had been teething and runny nose all the while we were packing up to move out. It went on for 3 days, and even though things were totally hectic, I decided to take him in to the doctor to make sure it wasn't an ear infection. It was a DOUBLE ear infection. He perked up the next day. I can't imagine how it would have been taking him on a flight with a double ear infection! It would have needed to be treated eventually, and in Pittsburgh we were going to be starting out with no insurance for a while. What a blessing!

Miracle #2: I worked while my family was driving to Pittsburgh.
We had purchased an airline ticket at discount at the beginning of the year. Nate had already used his to fly out and find us a place to live. The ticket had to be used by the end of the year or it was void. $100 down the drain. So WHY NOT? I worked Saturday and Sunday night and then flew out Tuesday. My right eye was twitching for literally 5 days before I left...and actually stopped 2 days after arriving. Clearly it was from stress! I would have passed away I think if I added a 3 day road trip to all that I was already going through. What a blessing. The biggest blessing of all was that Nate's whole family were there to assist him!

Miracle #3: I did not have to wait on stand-by.
The airline ticket I purchased was a buddy pass. That means you only get on a flight if there are seats available. The first flight was easy to get on...Darin had looked at it before and knew there would be no problem.

Here we are waiting in the terminal. Anxious to be reunited with the rest of our clan! We missed them so much!

He even had his own seat on the plane! He was very proud.

The flight from Atlanta, however, was a little bit different. The flight was booked. Darin called and gave me updates...it was going to be close if I made it at all. As I looked at the 'waiting list,' I could see that there were 5 others besides me waiting on stand-by...and I was lowest priority, meaning, the bottom of the list. Darin had told me there were 2 available seats. I just couldn't see how I was going to make it on the plane. I even called Nate and told him not to count on picking me up that night, that it would probably be much later. Ammon was restless. He was acting like a wild monkey. I was tired. I knew if we stayed at the airport, neither of us would sleep.
I decided to pray. I asked that I would get on this plane. Please. When I finished, I was full of hope. People were boarding the plane. I watched the list...no changes. The second group boarded. Suddenly, my name was on the cleared list! I looked down at my phone, and it was a text from Darin saying that 5 or 6 people would not be there because their previous flight was late! I had a seat!!! Before I knew it I was on the plane sitting next to another woman with a baby. Ammon and I both slept the entire flight. A coincidence? No way.

Cute boys!

2011-11-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

I think Ammon LOVED staying at the Fausett's for a few days...he got in some quality guy time!

Seriously, look at how cute they are!!!

Jakey and Micheal witll always be his besties.

Last days on IMC

2011-11-13T13:09:00.002-07:00

I started taking my camera to work my last few shifts. I am soooooo going to miss my amazing co-workers! Ugh, I am heart broken. I'm glad I have these pictures for nostalgia.

Love ya, Nat!

Terrell!!!!

Love ya, Shelby!

Love ya, Katie

Kristen...I love her.

THE Tilaro

Bretsky

Me and Little Sarah

Dav Van 'Lova'

What am I going to do without my Ashley???

Me and Theresa doing what we're good at...pretending to work!!!

I love you Lance!!!

Tracie!!!

My kicks, Jodie's kicks

Love ya Jod

I shall miss this desk

I shall miss this dark hallway to 3228

Yes, we are sad, very sad.

Yep, it's like 2:30 in the morning!

We are so cute

My very last time clocking out. :( :( :(

Now off to the gym for one last workout together! :(

Long long long road trip!

2011-11-12T15:16:00.001-07:00

So...while I was working, the rest of my family was driving across the country. I'm so thankful that Mark, Cindy, Cami, and Ryan were willing to help Nate get there with all our stuff. THANKS guys.

I am pretty sure the girls didn't have time to get board. How could they? Cami was there!

Along the way, Cami got pulled over once and Mark twice. The second time was the only time a ticket was issued...and it was because our car registration was overdue! Yucky to get a ticket, but I say they got pretty lucky!

They stopped at Winter Quarters and visited the temple. Pretty cool.

They arrived to Pittsburgh safe and sound! I even missed the moving-in of all the stuff! A bunch of our neighbors just came out without prompting. Lots of help from the ward. We are so thankful.

{Sigh} The girls are going to miss Cami so much. :(

Last days with Jayce

2011-11-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I will miss SO so so so so much is living in the same house as the Johnson's. Kaylee and Jayce have become inseparable. They have been together almost every single day. They play, they fight, they hug, they share, they giggle...they are a playmate match from heaven. To take that away from Kaylee leaves me absolutely heart broken!

P.S. I stole these pictures from Alisha! Hope she doesn't mind. ;)

I also have to mention that I have been SO impressed with Alisha. She is such a kind, caring, compassionate person who is constantly offering to help me out! She cooks(not just your ordinary cook...she grinds her own wheat AND bakes ALL of their bread!), keeps her house so clean, and is such a good mom to her children. She and Brian live the gospel. PERIOD. They teach it to their children. Now when I am doing virtually anything, I ask myself, "Is this how Alisha would do this?"

In the days right before the move, Alisha was downstairs with me, right by my side, packing, moving boxes, deep cleaning, vacuuming, watching children, making us food, and just plain taking care of us. Right before we moved, she and Brian gave us their GPS, which was one of our biggest life-savers! We owe so much to them. I know they will be so very blessed for the examples they set for us and the kindness and service they gave. We love you Johnson family!!!!

Sunday Dinner at the Bitters!

2011-11-06T15:36:00.003-07:00

The Sunday before we left, the Bitters were kind enough to have a dinner for us! Everyone was there! My Dad, Allison/Darin family, Alisha/family, Ryan and Lynnae, Aubrey and Landon, and of course all the Bitters! They have had us over so many times...lots and lots of memories there! My favorite things to do there are EAT (best food in the world!), discuss life, discuss gospel principles, discuss anything! This night was just a lot of eating, chatting, reminiscing. I loved every minute!

{P.S. I stole from of these shots from Alisha. She took better ones than my stupid camera!}

We have loved having Breanne watch our kids...we are sure going to miss her!

Good-bye party!

2011-11-04T12:19:00.003-06:00

On Friday, Nov. 4th, my co-worker Katy Frandsen organized a going away party for me! It was SOOOO sweet of everyone who came out and contributed to the 'Sarah Bringhurst is moving' fund (and the terrible towel...it was a must). THANK you so much! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Kristen and Theresa

Katy!

Braden and Ginger, cute couple!

Lisa!

Lacey, Kallea, Brandy, Max, Natalie, Kathy

Lacey, Jodie

Afterwards, we went with Brandy and Max for ice cream. Brandy deserved it after doing her crazy cross fit workout! Mmmmm....Wendy's!

Houser get-together

2011-11-02T13:13:00.003-06:00

I'm so glad we got to see our dear dear friends, the Houser Family, one more time before we left. I'm so bummed because they just moved closer to us! We lived one floor above them in the apartments we lived in in Ogden (across from the temple). We met them when our Kaylee was just a baby. We have watched their family grow from when they were newly weds. We have SOOOO many memories! They were at Kaylee's first birthday party. They came to the hospital when Brenna AND Ammon were born. They are always always there for us! I think Nate loves Roger more than he loves me. That's ok because me and Kaylee can vent to each other and provide enough emotional support without them! We have enjoyed our many many many get-togethers...outdoor BBQs, pumpkin walks, movie nights, football games, parades, play dates, telephone calls, game nights, dinner dates, birthday parties...and the list goes on and on!!!! WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!! (P.S. I stole some of these pictures from Kaylee's blog...she had some really good ones!)

Nate and Roger's BFF photo shoot. HAHAHAHA!!!

Halloween!!!!

2011-10-31T22:58:00.002-06:00

For Halloween, we decided to go to the parade at McKay Dee Hospital. We met Andrea and Ava their. The first of MUCH Halloween candy obtained by my children!

And look, I even dressed up with them!

Afterward we went with Andrea and Ava to Chick-Fil-A. I must say, Ava is an absolute DOLL!!!

Look at how adorable she is! She talks so well for a little peewee!!!

Before going to the big Halloween bash at the Bringhursts, we stopped by and visited Shannon and Tyler. She has been a busy bee decorating!

We were both witches. I know, her costume was way cuter! I seriously love this girl!!!

Picture taken by Kaylee!


Nate without the helmet!

And then it was on to the PARTY! Cindy made dinner in a pumpkin, spooky cider, and a bunch of other fun treats and snacks!

I have to say, I think Cami's costume was my favorite!

Everyone that dressed up got to be in the picture. We're a crazy bunch aren't we!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Visit from the Nevadians!

2011-10-29T13:48:00.000-06:00

My Mom and sisters decided to come up and visit one last time before we move. As always, it didn't last long enough!

Sisters!

Me and my beautiful Mother.

Me and my Dad!

We all went to lunch at Olive Garden...but before we could order, we got a call saying Carissa was in a car accident!

It was such a blessing that my mom was able to rush up to the hospital. Carissa has Von Willebrand disease which causes her to bleed easily. My mom happened to have the 'antidote' medication with her! She gave it to her when she arrived. Carissa spent a few days passed out on my couch. Poor thing!

Later we went to the pumpkin walk for the trunk or treat!

Then to the corn maze! (Without Nate and the kids...they were too scared.)

I think I will see these beautiful girls even LESS often now that we are moving. I am going to miss them so much!!!

Kindergarten field trip to Black Island Farms!

2011-10-26T11:17:00.002-06:00


Kaylee all bundled up. It was a VERY cold day!

Kaylee was assigned a buddy. Her name was Channing. She was a DOLL! This was also Kaylee's first time on a school bus. SO exciting!

On the hay ride...

The kids were to raise their hands when they found the perfect pumpkin. Then a farm worker would come and cut it loose for them.

Happy girls with their pumpkins!

Lots of fun on the train ride!

BOO-nanza!

2011-10-22T22:04:00.001-06:00

At Bluffridge Elementary, they didn't have a Halloween party during school. Instead, they had a community 'Halloween Boo-nanza' at Clearfield Aquatic center. They had a parade...which was a little disappointing because it turned out to be just a tour of the aquatic center and all the ways you can spend your money on the festivities. Oh well. The kids went through the 'Haunted Aquarium,' and aside from Brenna flipping out at the sight of a remote-control shark, they had a lot of fun! Plus it was the first time of the season that they dressed up in their costumes!

Waiting in line with Dad...

We were actually REALLY impressed with how decorated the place was. It looked AWESOME!

Brenna the U of U Cheerleader!

Kaylee was Jessie, the yodelin' cowgirl!

Ammon was a duck. He LOVED this costume! He begged to wear it every day after today!

After the festivities, we went to the Scott's home to watch the Ute game. They fed us yummy food and the kids played with theirs. So fun to see them, it had been waaaaayyyy too long!

These pictures are of the girls while we were waiting on the porch for the Scott's to get home!

Kaylee took this picture of me. I was so impressed!

We have found a home! YAY

2011-10-18T14:41:00.000-06:00

We feel like this is kind of meant to be. When Nate was in Pittsburgh, he was going from place to place, and pulled into the driveway of this house. Right when he did, the owner also pulled up. The rest is history. This place is perfect for us!

View of the front

A garage!!! Never in the 7 years we've been married have we ever had a garage!

All the bedrooms have wooden floors.

Kitchen!

Dining

Living room

Entry

This house also has a 'dungeon' basement which we can use for our food storage and punishing our children.

Kidding.

Nate has also found an office space so in mid-November we are good to go!

Kaylee's Birthday

2011-10-15T22:16:00.001-06:00

Today was Kaylee's birthday! I made her french toast and served it to her in bed. She had such a big smile. She is such a doll.

I let her open one present in the morning...her Jessie costume. She wore it all day long! Even when we went to the Kangaroo zoo in the afternoon!

Jodie and Taylor came with us to the Kangaroo Zoo. It was so fun! The kids literally jumped like Kangaroos all over the bouncy toys for 2 hours straight! I even got a workout chasing Ammon around! There was one really big slide there, and once again, Brenna had no fear going by herself.

Jodie went down with Kaylee once and then she was good to go by herself. Silly girl!

By the end of the 2 hours, Brenna and Ammon were spent. They were both in tears. All 3 children fell asleep in the car on the way back.

Angela came over and showered all the kids with gifts as always. Barbie dolls, a 'slink' toy, paperdolls, figurines, books, etc, all from her! Mom got Kaylee the 'Bullseye' horse toy from Toy Story, which is the one toy she asked for. Carissa, Allison and Darin, the Johnson's from upstairs, Grandma Lois, and the Bringhursts all came too. And of course more gifts! And treats!

Here's the Toy Story-Cowgirl rice krispie cake I made!

And by the time everyone left I was absolutely exhausted but I still had my talk to work on since we were speaking the next day!

Mid October

2011-10-14T21:19:00.002-06:00

On October 6th, it was Shannon and Tyler's engagement party. It was BEAUTIFUL! Nate was busy working on stuff for the franchise, and I worked the night before, so he had to catch up...and I went with the kids. It was WAY fun seeing all the guys from highschool...I haven't seen them litterally since graduation day! But I couldn't visit as much as I wanted to because I was chasing 3 kids in a fancy place in my high heels and a pencil skirt. But Shannon of course looked perfect. I was so glad I got to go! They are such a perfect couple!

As Nate was working on all his stuff, he realized he needed a physical address in order to proceed with...whatever. On Saturday, the 9th, he was booking his flight! I begged him to go AFTER our family pictures that Shannon had offered to do that evening, and being the good husband he was, got a flight for the next morning at 1 AM!

So we did our pictures. They went PERFECTLY! Shannon is amazingly talented and relaxed. The kids even cooperated because they are starting to feel comfortable around her. Nate was dreading pictures because he's used to a very stressful situation, but after we were finished even said, "Wow, that was quick! Best photo session I've ever had."

We went to dinner with Shannon and Tyler afterward at the Brick Oven. It was so fun getting to know them! Ammon was going a little nuts chucking food and silverware, but the girls were angels, so I don't think we scared Tyler and Shannon too much with our walking circus. Hehe. Also, I love the Brick Oven. Will they have one in Pittsburgh? I don't know. One more thing to add to the list of things I will miss about Utah. :( Along with our new friends Tyler and Shannon! :( :(

So we got the kids to bed afterward and I drove Nate to the airport in the middle of the night. Poor guy. I knew he wouldn't sleep. He's never been able to sleep on the plane. Come to find out, he didn't sleep at all.

On Sunday, I was brave and went to church alone with the kids. We were actually on time! It was a miracle! I was feeling like superwoman. Ammon was terrible in sacrament so I didn't hear much of what was being said, but he was perfect in gospel doctrine {as he reverently munched on ginger snaps...don't judge me}. I love Brother Allen's lessons. I'm going to miss them.

On the 10th, it was Nate's birthday, and he was still in Pittsburgh, alone. I did have a late night conversation with him on skype though and we tried to celebrate a little bit. Ammon got a huge smile seeing him on skype and tried to kiss the screen...SO cute. He pretty much spent the whole day driving around looking for an apartment and an office. He treated himself to ribs at least for dinner! He said he did get a lot of love from texts and facebook messages. So thanks everyone for making him feel special through technology. :)

He finally came home on Wednesday. I was supposed to work, but Nate's flight got in at midnight, so I called in sick so I could pick him up. Plus I have like 2 weeks worth of PTO that will never be used up. It was nice to be able to clean the house really well and make a decent dinner for his homecoming. It was so nice to have him back.

When he came back, he had pretty much narrowed it down to 3 homes he thought would be nice to rent. One property, he hadn't anticipated looking into, but he saw a sign and pulled up. Right then, the owner pulled up and showed him around. It's an old house built in like the 1940s, but the inside is brand new. In Pittsburgh, it's pretty rare to have any kind of backyard or driveway, and this one has both! We decided this is the one for us! It's wonderful to see pictures of where we'll be living...it makes it feel like it's really going to happen!

Today I took the kids to a pumpkin maze with Brandy and Max. Max and Ammon both picked up sticks and were wacking the ground. Then Ammon looked down and saw the corn cobs and decided it was dinner time and tried eating them! They also had some big slides there. Brenna didn't hesitate to go down by herself! Kaylee on the other hand was in tears because she was so scared. I went up there and put my arm around her and went down with her. After that, she was going all by herself and so proud. I took Ammon down a couple of times and he loved it.

Max and his stick. Cute boy!

Searching the corn for CANDY!!!

Afterward, we went to get 25 cent ice cream cones. Ammon thought he was cool in Max's sponge bob hat!

I am going to miss Brandy and Max.

When we got home I finished making Kaylee's Toy Story rice krispie cake and spent like 3 hours (not really) cleaning our messy kitchen. It usually is like that after I work. I also decorated with some balloons and crepe paper. Kids go nuts over that kind of stuff.

Favorite playmates.

2011-10-11T18:25:00.000-06:00

We have LOVED having the Johnson's as neighbors upstairs! From the very first day they came, our kids have been the best of friends, especially Jayce and Kaylee. Alisha took a bunch of CUTE pictures of them, so I hope she doesn't mind me sharing them!

I love these ones of Kaylee playing.

I think they watch a movie together daily!

There was a snake in the backyard, and as you can see, Jayce has no fear!

I LOVE these little cuties!!!

Lots of pretend...I think they are cowboys here?

Ammon also loves to sneak upstairs when mommy's not looking. He and Halli actually get along really well! They are almost the exact same age.

SO sweet!

These next ones are SO adorable!

My little poser! :)

Kaylee was actually terrified of riding her bike until she saw Jayce ride his. Then she found the courage to try again. Good job Kay-biz! Thanks Jayce!

No wonder my kids always try to sneak upstairs!!!

One of the days, the kids were all in 'cleaning' mode! So hilarious! Where do they come up with these ideas?

I worked one of the days of conference. Kaylee went upstairs and played conference bingo. Alisha is seriously amazing.

We love you Johnson's! We couldn't ask for better neighbors!

Family photo shoot

2011-10-08T19:32:00.010-06:00

Little stink.

2011-10-06T12:28:00.001-06:00

Two of Ammon's new favorite things:

Eating the tips of markers and wearing girly hats. Whatcha gonna do?

He is always trying to wear hats, purses, necklaces, you name it. He just wants to be like his older sisters!

He has also come up to me with a big, messy, colorful mouth multiple times. I have no idea where these markers are coming from. Lately when I find one, I throw it away!

Silly putty incident!

2011-10-03T13:17:00.000-06:00

Today Kaylee came downstairs from playing with Jayce rather upset. You see, Jayce had put silly putty right in her hair! {I was trying so hard not to laugh because this was a serious matter.}We 'Googled' how to get silly putty out of hair. Basically anything slimy and greasy. We used vegetable oil, and it worked like a charm! I'm SO glad Alisha reminded me to take pictures!

Verge of tears...

Terrified of the idea of cutting her beautiful hair...

Daddy can always make her smile. :)

Brenna's field trip to Black Island Farms!

2011-09-26T09:58:00.001-06:00

Crazy girls!!!

Silly faces!

Kaylee's BFF Parker!

I love these sisters!!!

The girls with their pumpkins from the pumpkin patch!

Fun in September!

2011-09-24T22:58:00.002-06:00

This month was Grandma Lois' birthday! We went over to her house for a big party. Happy Birthday Grandma!

Alisha bought these Power Ranger costumes from a garage sale. She could not have made a wiser purchase! These two have been non-stop 'ninjas.' How cute!

Kaylee is growing up, but when I see her sleep like this with all her favorite things, I remember how little she still is. :) Such an angel.

Of note, the girls have a new friend! My friend Brandy from work goes to Cross Fit workout classes in Layton. She drops off Max every now and then. The kids love him! The girls just giggle at his funny quarks. Thanks for coming to play!

My thoughts on moving to Pittsburgh

2011-09-24T13:56:00.002-06:00

I am grateful.

Sometimes the Lord gives us blessings, even though we don't deserve it.

We've been trying to figure out where to purchase a Real Property Management franchise. In July, we prayed about the decision to buy one. We got the answer that YES we should do it. But we didn't know WHERE we should go. And really, that's the biggest decision of all. We were thinking we'd go to Tennessee because a franchise owner there was going to sell his to us. That would mean a lot less start-up work for us. We decided we'd make the decision, and if it wasn't meant to be, it wouldn't work out and we'd be pointed in another direction.

For 2 or 3 weeks we were waiting for Tennessee to open up. Meanwhile, our deadline for signing papers was approaching. We felt frustrated. We felt anxious. Finally, we realized that maybe it wasn't the right decision.

Last Saturday we decided to fast and go to the temple. It was the most beautiful experience for both of us. We were fed spiritually. It was after this experience that we knew we should go to Pittsburgh. Nate was hoping that the answer would be somewhere more tropical...but unfortunately Heavenly Father didn't need us in Florida. :)

Once we made that decision, everything fell into place. Nate was able to sign papers yesterday! It's a done deal! I have felt so at peace with this decision, and I'm so grateful for that. I'm nervous, but excited. I know we are going to work harder than we ever have before, but I'm so grateful that Nate is the one that I'll be standing next to through it all. I am so proud of him. I'm so glad he still loves me in spite of my many MANY imperfections. I think moving out of state will allow us to depend on each other for EVERYTHING, and I'm looking forward to it.

We've also decided to have me stay home full time once we get out there. I'm so used to working. I'm so used to having that security. I will have to exercise a lot of faith letting go of my career knowing that it's the right thing for me to care for our children. I love Nate for sharing that righteous desire with me. I know it will mean we'll have less money, but I think that we are investing in something of far greater worth to have me home with the kids.

I can't even express how grateful I am to have technology that allows me to stay connected with my family and friends! We have multiple family members in different states, and we have been able to stay connected through blogging and Facebook. It's such a blessing! Another blessing is that Allison and Darin have access to cheap airline tickets through Darin's work, so hopefully visits won't be so far and few between!

We have until mid-November to get things in order. Nate's parents have offered to come out and help us move. WOW we are so grateful for them! Of course they offered to help us, they always always do! :)

Liz {Newey}Stephensen lives in Pittsburgh so hopefully we'll live close enough to do frequent 'kid swaps!' Another tremendous blessing!

Did I mention how grateful I am?

The Classic Race...10K

2011-09-10T13:58:00.002-06:00

Today I ran my very first official, non-muddy race. The Classic Race. It was a 10K, meaning a little over 6 miles. I only had to pay $15 since I'm an employee at Intermountain; the official sponsors of the race. The purpose of running this race was to promote HEARTS. Heart health, research in cardiac research, etc. So it was a great cause. I admit I was a little nervous. I told Nate he didn't have to come, because it was early, and Ammon hadn't been feeling the greatest. I've run as far as 20 miles before, so I didn't feel like this was a big deal.

I was grateful to see Lisa and Kristen before it started! I also saw a few other Doctors and nurses that I work with at the starting line.

When the race started, I was amazed at the adrenaline rush. I knew I was running too fast to last! It was weird, this competitive side of me came out. I did NOT want people passing me! In fact I really wanted to pass everyone really badly! The first half of the race was uphill, and after mile 2, I was getting tired! That happens when you sprint in the beginning!

I kept pushing myself as hard as I could. I felt like my legs were going to give out. At mile 3, I reached the top of the hill. I didn't know if I could go on! Right at that moment, I saw Nate and Ammon. I got a lump in my throat! It meant SO much to me to see them there cheering for me! How did he know I would need to see him in that very spot so that I could carry on?

I felt my second wind after seeing them. I was even able to pick up my pace. I even passed 4 or 5 more people. I felt really good! The rest of the race was down hill, and I knew I would make it!

At about mile 4, I decided just to wet my mouth with some water. As soon as that sip of water hit my gut, I WAS GOING TO HURL. I was going to throw up! There was nothing I could do about it! I was going to have to stop and throw up! No! I would lose so much time if that happened! The only thing I could do was pray. I prayed that I would NOT throw up. I prayed with all my might. And the very instant I uttered that quick 6 word prayer, the urge subsided. I still felt nauseous, but I could still run. What a tender mercy from my Heavenly Father right there in my small little race.

I kept running. I didn't let myself stop. I crossed the finish line at about 51:17. I was SHOCKED! And there was Nate. I realized at that moment that Nate has always always been there for me when I needed him; ALWAYS. I was so grateful he was there to share my personal victory!

I looked at my name on the list just for fun. I placed 20th overall for women and 3rd overall for my age group! There was a star by my name! I turned to Nate and said, "Nate, there's a star by my name! Do you think I get a prize?" We were both laughing!

Sure enough, I got a bronze metal! Amazing! Who woulda thunk?

Here are some pictures:

I got there way early...
so I was a little bored waiting...

Ipod

Race number

Race chip

Me and Lisa before the race!

It was FAREEEEEEZING!!!!!!!


Me 'n Kristen <3

Mark and Kristen

Me pretending I'm cool haha

Me getting my Bronze on

Brenna's first day of PRESCHOOL!

2011-09-05T09:44:00.000-06:00

Today was Brenna's first day of preschool! She has been SO excited to start ever since Kaylee started in July! She loves to be a big girl like her big sister. She requested pigtails with no bows. She looks so grown up with her back pack on!

My beautiful Brenna Mae!!!

Swiss Days!!!

2011-09-03T16:53:00.004-06:00

This was my first experience with the madness of Swiss Days. CRAFT heaven. This is NOT a good place to go when you're trying really hard not to spend money! I told myself I wouldn't buy anything, but I did. I bought a large amount of wrapping paper, a couple of U of U ties for my boys, and a necklace for myself. Cindy, Lois, and Cami invited me. I brought the girls. It was totally a girl's day. LOVED it! The girls got spoiled plenty, as usual.

I LOVED these reupholstered couches!

Brenna needed a little nap, so we sat in the big tent and watched the bell choir and violin group!

We stopped in Morgan to eat dinner. We dropped dead into bed when we got home! Thanks girls for the good times!