McDonald Tiki Hut

Game Day with the McDonald's

2010-09-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

We take football seriously in this house so game days are important! We had all the windows open so a nice cool breeze was flowing throughout the house. We had lunch outside with the neighbors to celebrate Jan's birthday, and then we were in and out of the house to check up on the games. Too bad Georgia lost to South Carolina and BYU lost to Air Force. My favorite part was getting my little monkeys dressed for the day. Both of the outfits came from my Brother Bryan and his wife Sharon. Sharon sent Addie her whole outfit months ago and after she got her clothes on she said, "Mama I pretty" then after her headband was on she said, "I wanna look in the mirror". Lucas' outfit was my nephew Lane's that Bryan had sent them years ago. I told DJ I wanted pictures so I persuaded him to wear his GA shirt instead of what would've been a "blue day".

NEWS

2010-09-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

It's official we're moving to St. George in about a month or so. DJ got his transfer with work! After a lot of prayer and patience we're getting what we think is best for our family. I'm not looking forward to packing at all, but if this gets us closer to our family then bring on the boxes. We're hoping to get approved for buying a house so that's our really big step right now. Oh how nice it would be to have a yard for Addie to play in! Even though I would love to move back to GA, I've just realized that it's not going to happen and I'm finally ok with that decision. Especially since mama will be staying in St. George at Diana's for awhile, so we can work on getting her strength back. It may even work out that when daddy retires in 3 1/2 yrs that they'll move to St. George too. (Fingers crossed) I'm so excited for Addie and Lucas to have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins so close by.
Addie - has been talking up a storm! She's been pointing out colors: blue, green, pink, red, green, purple and yellow, saying and pointing out letters, singing which is absolutely adorable, doing pushups (learned that from Brianna and Lane), allowing water to be splashed in her face (HUGE step for her), not wanting to take pics and playing big sister.
Lucas - started smiling last week, focusing on things hanging above his head, getting chunkier, at night sleeping 6-7 hrs straight, eating 3-4 oz at feedings and is so chill. He's a really good baby. Just for the record: girls diapers are so much easier to change!
Gama (what the grandkids call my mama) - has been out here a couple wks and seems to me to be doing alot better. She definitely still has her rough days but I think some of those have come because we've had so much going on. So once she gets on a schedule I think that'll help. She's communicating better, walking by herself better and loves to be around her grandkids. I think it's really gonna be good for her to be out here so she can stay motivated and give her something to do besides be in bed and watch tv all day.
Nana & Papi

Gama & Papa

Lucas' 5 wk Pics

2010-09-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Pics

2010-09-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

I was in the kitchen cooking and realized Addie was way too quiet....go into the living room and I find baby wipes all over the floor and she has one in her hand cleaning Lucas' head. I'm in for some trouble!

4 wks old. Krista gave me the idea to take his pic each month with the same stuffed animal just to see how much he's changed, so if you think I'm posting the same pic from here on out, it won't be :)

Diana's cat sure has tolerated alot over the years especially with Addie

She got quiet again.....and found her way into Diana's bathroom and found her lipstick, the dental floss and the toothpaste.

Luke Bryan Concert

2010-08-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

So if I have a celeb crush......he's definitely it! For lots of different reasons but just to name a few: he's from GA, he seems extremely down to earth, his songs are so country and remind me of home and of course he's pretty cute. :) So last night we went to see him at the Westerner in Salt Lake which is a club that holds about 1500 people. It was so much fun. He's such a great entertainer and even though I just saw him a few months ago this time was much much better cuz we were right in front of the stage!! DJ wore his Georgia Bulldogs hat and right when he came out and came over to our side he pointed at DJ and gave him a thumbs up sign, we were about to come unglued it was really exciting. DJ had some older drunk women standing behind him with their boyfriends and they were hugging DJ. I didn't know that til afterwards, but I thought it was hilarious. One of my favorite parts was when he started singing "Fishing In The Dark" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and then they started rocking out to it.

The New Man In My Life

2010-08-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not the most patient person in the world, but my kid(S) (wow that's weird) are helping me learn to be. My due date was July 28 and Lucas decided to come on the 29. I was supposed to have a dr. appt on Thurs morning and I was thinking I would be discussing with my dr a time to be induced. I'm so glad that Lucas decided to come before then. I'm not really sure why I was so nervous about the thought of being induced but I was. Anyhow, at 1:00 Thurs morning I started having pretty hard contractions for about 45 secs every 2-3 mins but I waited it out at home for a lil over an hr and then had DJ take me to the hospital at 2:30. I was dilated to a 3 when we got there and the nurse said they couldn't keep me unless I had dilated another centimeter in an hr. When the hr came I was almost to a 4 and she said they could either send me home with some pain medicine and if I was still having contractions then I was really in labor and if I wasn't then obviously it wasn't time yet. Or I could get up and walk around to try and get things going more. By that time, my contractions were hurting really bad. I told her there was no way I could walk through them. So she gave me a shot of morphine and phenegren and that helped me relax a ton. When they put my iv in I started having coupling contractions which was really tough b/c I would have two of em right after each other and they hurt extremely bad. I had dilated to a 5 the next hr and at 5:30 they gave me the good stuff: THE EPIDURAL. Luckily this labor went a lot better than Addie's. I only threw up once this time and my shaking wasn't nearly as bad. Then at 11:00 I was dilated to 8 cm and they gave me some pitocin and at 1:00 I started pushing and at 1:09 my lil man came!! He weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and was 20 1/2 in. He has blonde hair and looks just like his daddy. DJ did such a good job helping me through the labor. He would fan me through every contraction to help me from getting nauseated, fed me flavored ice chips, and helped me through my breathing. It was such a special experience for it to just be the two of us. As soon as Lucas arrived and after I got to hold him , the first thing I asked for was a coke and the nurse went and got one right away. :) I'm so happy he's finally here and I could just spend all day holding him and kissing those cheeks.

Feelin' Pretty Good

2010-07-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

So I was a week early with Addie and I'm so hoping to be at least a few days early with Lucas, but so far nothing seems to be changing. I don't know that for sure cuz my dr appt isn't until Thurs. All along my target date has been tomorrow but I don't think that's going to happen. However, last night I went and got a manicure, pedicure and had Krista dye my hair so I feel good about rushing to the hospital at any point. I can barely sleep at night cuz if I wake up then my mind starts racing and I start thinking of everything under the sun. I'm just ready to get this lil booger here and see what he looks like! Mama was supposed to get here today to stay for 6 wks, but she had a couple seizures the day before she was supposed to fly out last wk so she decided to come Aug 24. Hopefully between now and then they'll get her some different medicine to help her to not have so many seizures so she can still come out then. We're so disappointed that she's not here, but we want her feeling well while she's here so we can wait! Just this past wk Addie has started saying so many new words and using sentences. I just love it, and she's so dang cute. She's been playing with her baby dolls a ton and feeding them and having lots of conversations with them. When I come into the room she'll say hi mama, hi baby (referring to Lucas) it cracks me up. We do group hugs before she goes to bed where we all squeeze each other at the same time and after each one she'll say "Again." She's growing up so fast.

2 Year Pics

2010-07-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't believe what an experience this was to get these pictures taken at Portrait Innovations! OMG I didn't think I was gonna make it through this. This was a few wks ago and I was already having such an emotional day. Addie didn't wanna be still for anything or take any pictures. DJ had gone with us cuz I figured that would help......LOL what a joke. Think that made it worse. So then a few days later I took her back by myself and got these results! To DJ's credit, she may have still been getting over hand foot and mouth disease which was still making her a pill. (Yeah, that's right...this was the second time she's had that since our trip to mama's!!! Not fun for any of us.) It was still difficult to get these pics taken since a couple who were looking at the pics they had already taken were just letting their kid run around and into the room where Addie was so she didn't wanna focus, she wanted to play with that lil brat. I was so bugged. I was glad we were able to get these to be honest. I hope she's better with getting our family pictures taken whenever Lucas decides to grace us with his presence!

I absolutely LOVE this one if only she had been looking at the camera!!!! So that's why the first pic will be the one that is given out to people.

Summer Pics

2010-07-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of warm weather, Addie was so not interested in getting in the little pool that our neighbor has or getting splashed. I was getting so frustrated with it, but I think it's cuz the water here is SOOOOOO cold, I don't blame her. And I think she just wasn't used to the water. So now, we're making lots of progress! She likes the pool, getting in the sprinkler and Saturday we took her to Veterans Pool and water play area and we stayed for 2 1/2 hrs. She even fell under the water a few times and just got right back up and kept playing. I was so excited, cuz the water felt so good and helped with the pressure of this heavy belly!

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-18T16:09:00.001-07:00

DJ let me sleep in on Saturday while he took Addie to see the hot air balloons taking off and to pick up some breakfast for all of us. Then that afternoon we bbq'd with the neighbors and hung outside and let the kids run wild. Lots of good food and especially desserts. Then the kids played with the sparklers and watched their daddy's have fun with the fireworks. I was expecting Addie to be scared of all of it, but she actually really enjoyed it. Then Sunday night DJ, Eric and Jared were gonna go camp out at a spot they found on Center St. for the parade on Monday morning. So Jan and I took the kids over to the spot to let them play and see all the other crazies that go and wait till the next morning for a parade. I never knew people did that sorta thing till we moved to Provo. We were seriously considering spending the night there too, then I wisened up and thought of how miserable that would be for me and Addie so we came home and left the boys there about 11:00. Jared and DJ ended up coming home around 2 leaving Eric there with his brother and sister to hold down the fort. So Monday morning we walked down to the parade and watched a LONG 2 hr parade that I was quite bored with. I don't think I've ever seen so many marching bands in my life. Last year's was a lot better. My favorite part was seeing the different military branches being represented, and getting to stand and cheer for them. It was special for me to see the banners for the local fallen mariens since Darin was familiar with them. All in all, it was a fun weekend and I'm glad we got to celebrate our independence and all of our many wonderful freedoms.

Addie, Colten, Callie, Shyanna

Jan, Krista & me

Father's Day

2010-07-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

My sweetie is one of the best dads i know of. That's when I found this card I knew it was truly for him......
Whether it's putting shoes on little feet or reading bedtime stories with all the right voices, it's there - your commitment to being the best dad you can be. And that's just what you are...the best dad ever. From one lucky mom...and an especially lucky wife.
Addie is so blessed to have someone who cares so much about her and who wants to spend time with her. And I'm so blessed to have chosen such a great dad for my children. Rarely does he complain about giving her baths, getting her ready for bed or taking her along to the store so I can have a few minutes to myself. I love you babe and admire the fact that you're such an amazing daddy.

To my daddy - I'll never forget all of our tickle times and best of all you spoiling me with rubbing my hair so I could fall asleep. (I bet DJ wishes you hadn't done that, since it's been passed down to him) Thanks for being such a good example to me as to what I wanted in a husband and father for my children. Love, your Green Eyed Monster

After church we went out to Sand Hollow with Diana, Gary, Brianna, Lane, Darin and Azsha. Papi kept Addie for us so we could enjoy our time on the boat. Then Angie and Stacy kidnapped her from Papi so she could play with her cousins. DJ and I had left the lake earlier than the rest of the gang cuz we had a hotel in Mesquite, NV and all I knew was we were going to Vegas as well to eat but he wouldn't tell me where. (This being our anniversary get away) However, being clever and I usually figure out what his surprises are I guessed where we were going to eat. Bahama Breeze!!! This was special because we ate there for the first time in Orlando on our honeymoon and we loved the food and the atmosphere. Vegas is the closest one for us. I had doubted driving to Vegas just to eat and then turn around and head back to Mesquite since my legs and feet were starting to swell from being in the car, but how could I say no to such a sweet gesture. I'm so glad we went cuz it was fun and spontaneous. We were both fighting sleep on the way back, but our hotel ended up being quite nice and it was only $30 so you can't beat that.

Addie is 2

2010-07-02T15:17:00.001-07:00

We decided to have Addie's birthday and my baby shower for Lucas in St. George since a lot of our family and friends are down there, and we're so glad we did. The morning of Saturday the 19, we had the birthday party shared with Addie's cousin Noah (they were born the same day) at Hidden Valley Park. The kids loved it cuz they have a really fun park with a splash pad! Addie of course wanted nothing to do with the splash pad since she doesn't care for water splashing in her face. But she was super excited about her Dora cake. I wish I could take credit for making it, but this year I wasn't in the mood to be making a cake. So one of our friends' sis-n-law made it. Krista and Eric and Jan and Jared came down from Provo to spend the day with us, and we so appreciated it. (It was also a good excuse for a lil vacation for them, but we like to think we're special!!)

Blowing out her candles

She couldn't wait to get her hands on her piece

Lane and Addie

Addie going in for a kiss to Noah

The same afternoon Angie, Sarah and Diana gave me the baby shower and it was really nice. I got some really great gifts and lots of time to chat with the ladies. Everything was decorated so cute and the food from Don Pedro's was so delish. I left with so many clothes since I got things passed down from Sarah and Diana and I can't wait to see this lil man in em.

When we got to St. George on Friday night it was pretty late but I knew Addie would be super excited to see everyone so I didn't mind that it was already WAY past bedtime so we let her stay up for a bit. Then DJ put her down in the pack n play and came upstairs to chat and a few minutes later we hear something coming up the stairs! It was ADDIE! She had gotten out, and mind you this is the first time she's done this and hasn't ever attempted to climb out of her crib at home (that I know of) and we were totally shocked. So that's what we got to deal with on this trip. Lucky us!

4th Anniversary

2010-06-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

On the 17th, DJ and I celebrated our 4th anniversary. I love my sweetheart so much! He's such an amazing man. He's so patient with me, tries everyday to make me happy and he succeeds! I haven't felt like doing a whole lot lately so we decided to go to Nickel City which are 5 cents arcade games and we both need some practice when it comes to winning tickets. We wanted to do something different besides going out to eat or seeing a movie and we had fun. We only won about 125 tickets so we chose to get some candy with that. That's right....Laffy Taffy and Frooties. YUMMY. To add to our sweet tooth we had to go to Maverik and get yogurt ice cream. Then we came home and watched a movie. :) After the games I was pooped. It's so crazy how fast time passes. I love DJ so much and couldn't be more thankful that he's a part of my life.

6 weeks to go

2010-06-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

It seems like this pregnancy has flown by. Mostly cuz I stay busy w/ Addie, but with going to Georgia and then going to St. George to help Diana with the kids and doing other things..I haven't had a chance to really think about how much time is left. This time w/ Addie I was barely wanting to move cuz I was so heavy and felt so huge. Luckily, it hasn't been bad w/ Lucas. Yeah, it's uncomfortable at times but for the most part I feel good. Just getting really anxious for him to get here. I've been such a slacker about taking pics with the baby bump so here's one for ya.

Lil Time at the Beach

2010-04-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Mama had a dr. appointment in Brunswick today so we went over there this morning and my friend Candace and her son Waylon went with us. After mama's appt we ate at Spanky's which has some delicious spuds (they're pretty much sliced potatoes that are fried). Yesterday Candace had watched Addie for me while I took mama to the dentist and when we got home she kept saying "Wallah" and we had no clue as to what she was talking about. Well, at the restaurant today Candace had taken Waylon to the bathroom and Addie said "Where's Wallah" and then it suddenly clicked as to what she was saying! She definitely has a new friend. After our late lunch we went over to St. Simon's Island and went to the beach for bout an hour. Definitely wasn't long enough for us or the kids, but at least we got some of it in. Mama stayed in the van and slept. I couldn't wait to see how Addie would react to walking in the sand and just as I had predicted she wasn't too happy about it. At first she did not want me to put her down in it and then she figured out it wasn't so bad. However, she didn't wanna have anything to do with the water. As soon as she would see the water coming, she'd run the other way. She hasn't really been much of a water baby, but hopefully that'll change as she gets a lil older. She loved sitting in the sand and putting it in the buckets though and putting it on her legs. And yes....her bathing suit top straps are too big but isn't it the cutest thing with her belly poking out?!

From the Land of the South

2010-04-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

I pretty much have the best husband in the world. He takes such good care of me but especially when I'm pregnant. In the first few months of being prego, he will get me whatever food or drink I want/need. Then in the last few months he rubs my legs, feet and back to help me get the best sleep that I can. Then of course whenever my family wants or needs me to visit home he allows me to visit for 3 to 4 weeks at a time. I couldn't ask for a better hubby!

A couple weeks ago mama had her 4th foot surgery on the same foot and really wanted me to come home to help. I was more than happy to assist so I'm home now and here for 3 weeks. It was a long day on Tuesday when we flew out, but Addie was amazing. She was so good and by the last few hours I was so tired of sitting in that seat holding Addie with my big belly sticking out. It was so nice to step out of the airport and see such beautiful green trees. Addie was amazed as well. She kept pointing at them and saying Wow.

Walking in Papa's shoes

Every time we come to Gama's, she goes straight to where the perfume is. She doesn't spray it she just likes the bottles and smelling it.

New Perspective

2010-04-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

I was reading in the Book Of Mormon student manual and came across something Brigham Young said about trials. "The Lord lets us pass through these experiences that we might become true friends of God."

Such a Lil Girl

2010-04-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

We were in the store today looking for sandals and boy does she loves to try on shoes. It was so cute watching her walk around in the different pairs and sizes. Barely able to move her feet because of the plastic holding the shoes together, she couldn't understand why she was only moving a few inches at a time. And clothes...we were going through some of her summer things to see if the 3T was too big for her and of course most are not, and she had no problem at all trying them all on. When I said we were done she went back to the dresser to pull out more clothes. And she loves to wear jewelry. It's almost a fight sometimes to try and take off some beads that she got for Easter. And if she has the slightest little bit of food or anything stuck to her fingers oh no watch out. She just can't handle it. I can only handle the "girlyness" to an extent.....However, she gets it from me about the food so I can't complain too much. Such patience I'm learning.

I knew she was playing with her high chair, but before I knew it she had scooted it over to the counters and was playing in the utensil drawer.

While I was making dinner she decided to play hide and seek in the cabinets. She really thought we wouldn't find her. She was being really quiet, and then I noticed what she was doing so I acted like I had no idea where she was.

Easter

2010-04-08T14:04:00.001-07:00

We had planned on going to a 50,000 egg hunt in Salt Lake, but since it was raining and cold we decided against that. So Addie and I went with Krista, Eric and Colten to Hollywood Connection in Salt Lake that morning. They had it separated by ages of course and as they put all of the 0-2 year olds in this little cramped room I knew it wouldn't work. There was no room to put the kids down to grab the row of candy and eggs spread out in a line in the middle of the floor. We attempted it, and the kids just looked at us as if they had no clue what to do. Then I look over and there's a mom on her knees scraping up all the candy and eggs in her arms while her daughter just stands there. HOW RIDICULOUS! I was so bugged. Needless to say Krista and I bolted out after having received a bag of goodies, and decided to just let the kids do a hunt at her in laws. Now we know not to go there again. Really the whole purpose we chose to go there was because they were having a raffle for a trip for four to San Diego and we figured between the three of us entering we had a good chance. Unfortunately I can't tell you that we won! :( In the goody bags they were given candy and some point cards to use inside at Hollywood Connection so we got to ride a couple rides. Addie was not excited at all about that. I thought for sure she'd like the carousel but apparently only from a distance. She loved the tootsie rolls though! They'd get stuck in her bottom teeth and she would think she was done eating it, and then a few minutes later I'd see her running around and then chewing some more. This would continue for at least 10 minutes.
Then in the afternoon we went over to Eric's parents house. Dean and Daleen had a lot of good food and a really fun hunt. Dean had just bought some lil chicks and they were so stinkin cute. Addie would rub a finger over their heads very softly and just grin. Addie loved seeing the eggs all over the ground. She got a couple of prize eggs and won a Easter Potato Head and some very shiny pink and purple bracelets which is right up her alley. She also earned about 7 bucks.

When she saw her Easter basket Sunday morning she said,"WOW" and was immediately taken by the shiny eggs and popped it open to find the jelly beans and then the rest of the basket wasn't as important. Slowly but surely we got through it. :)
We've been really fortunate to have such great friends since we've lived up in Provo. Even though we don't have immediate family really close by, we've always been invited to spend special events with our friends and their families.

Hello Brother

2010-04-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to see how Addie is going to react with having a baby in the house, but last night I got a little preview. DJ started putting his face close to my belly and saying "Hello Lucas" and then told Addie to say "Hello Brother" and she put her cheek against my belly and said "HELLO" really loudly and then kept saying brother for like the next 5 minutes. It was so adorable and we kept trying to get it on video and I'm not sure that that was so successful but the footage we did get was still cute. And if I were able to get videos to load onto my blog you could see it, but as of the last week I CANT. UGH. So instead I'll just put some pics up of her since it's been awhile.

Sunday

2010-04-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

I awoke earlier than the rest of my house got myself some cereal and by the time I had finished, my lil monkey was up. So I got dressed and DJ got Addie ready for church. He was going to stay home cuz of a really bad headache so I was kinda dreading being alone with Addie and being able to take care of her myself during Sacrament. However it turned out really well, because she was so good and just ate her snacks and played with her toys. However by the last five minutes she was DONE. After walking out into the hall...who do we see? DADDY waiting on us. Addie went off to nursery and the rest of church was fine. I have been thinking alot lately about how much I don't know the scriptures as well as I should so I was trying to think of ways for me to learn. I could read through them several times and it still not click for me or me remember in a few months. So at 4 we had a meeting with our bishop and he asked us if we would be teachers for the Valiant class which he thinks are the 5 & 6 year olds and we were both immediately excited. What a way for me to learn and grow and be creative to help these kids learn! So a couple Sundays from now and we'll be teaching. I'm just a lil bummed cuz I do really enjoy my sunday school class but it'll be good for us. Maybe DJ can teach me a few things! :) So for dinner, we had tin foil dinners and dutch oven peach cobbler with our neighbors Krista and Eric. YUMMY! All the adjoining neighbors kids were outside playing so Colten and Addie were all over the place having fun. We had our fire started a lil early that night considering we usually wait til the monkeys are in bed but as soon as they went to bed we chowed down on the cobbler. Krista and Eric have taught us a new things to roast so this fire pit has been one of our best investments ever!! Last week we roasted STARBURSTS. If you haven't tried it, you must. You let them pretty much start drippin their juices then pull them out and wave em around for a few seconds and pop em in your mouth. You should taste a lil bit of hard shell then juicy middle. As Krista would say, "It's a lil party in your mouth." Eric's quote would be "It's wholesome goodness."

WHEW....it's been awhile

2010-03-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Don't anybody fall out their chair cuz you've noticed that I'm finally posting after 7 months! Crazy busy around this house lately, but it's time to get back on track and keep people updated with what's going on. As most of you already know I'm 22 wks pregnant due July 28 and we're having a BOY!!! We're so excited and his name is Lucas David. With Addie, I knew she was a girl but with Lucas I had no idea so it really was a surprise for all of us. He's been kicking around for a month now but still not hard enough for DJ to feel him or should I say he won't when DJ puts his hands on my belly. Addie doesn't really get that there's a baby in my belly, but she does love to lift up my shirt and push my belly button in. I was pretty sick in the beginning, but I've been feeling great for awhile now. Except walking up our stairs seriously gets me out of breath. It's a good thing that it's finally getting warm outside so we can walk to the park and I can get some exercise.

After the ultrasound on Mar. 12, I wanted to go out and by something for the baby but then I thought instead of buying clothes or blankets I'd rather make some things for his room. So I went to the D.I. (a thrift store) and bought some wooden frames for a buck and painted them the colors I wanted. I decided to do a jungle theme so my friend Krista used her Cricut machine and cut out a giraffe, elephant, monkey and frog for me and I pasted it on the scrap paper that I placed inside the frame. Then I hung the frames from ribbon. Then I bought some wooden letters and cut out scrap papers to put on them with the colors that I'm using. His room is starting to come along quite nicely, and I'm quite proud of myself.

Heaven on Earth

2009-08-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

One of my places of refuge is definitely a library! When DJ got home from work we all had dinner, and then I went to the library for an hour and a half until it closed. I could literally spend all day there. I love taking my time and looking through a bunch of books to find my next favorite one. It's so quiet and I can sit down and read a little preview if I like. It helps me to forget everything and jump into a different world of new characters. Ever since I've been outta school, I feel like I'm not really learning anything new any more. As I've mentioned before, I felt like I wasn't really accomplishing anything besides being Addie's mama, but I can find all kinds of books for crafts, cooking, parenting or whatever my heart desires. It makes me feel alive to know that if I wanna learn how to do something, I can pick up a book. This time by myself was so relaxing and much needed. The weekend got off to a good start!!

Dinosaur Museum

2009-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays in August are gonna be a lotta fun for us, since Thanksgiving Point has $2 Tuesdays for any venue. So we are definitely taking advantage of this! On the 4th we decided to do the dinosaur museum. We also did this last year when Addie was only 6 weeks old, but DJ couldn't go and he definitely wanted to go this time. It's the largest one in the world, and really cool for kids. There's so many activities for them to do. In that way....I wish Addie was a bit older to enjoy that part, but she loved touching everything and pointing to things hanging from the ceiling.

Colten and Addie

Tango with the dino

Head buttin'

Addie went around gathering all the paintbrushes, she liked to eat the sand too

Searching for fossils in the sand

Rockin' Out

2009-08-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

July 23 we went to Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy to a country concert with DJ's stepsister Whitney and her husband Craig. It was our late anniversary present to each other. I was really bummed that Sugarland couldn't be here. The lead singer had vocal fatigue so they weren't able to come. I think I was more excited about them than the rest of them. Oh well....maybe one day I'll get to see them.

Waitin in the heat for Lady Antebellum to get started

Lady Antebellum - I LOVE them!!!

Miranda Lambert - She's amazing! She's such a firecracker, spunky lil thing.

Loved her pink guitars

Studs

Kenny Chesney here we come

We had a lot of fun with Whitney and Craig. They seriously crack me up, and I can't wait to hang out with them some more. It's always a hoot to watch drunk people, and we had some hilarious ones around us. I wasn't disappointed with Kenny, but for him having won entertainer of the year quite a few times, I expected a lot more. He did have an awesome set with a ton of screens. It was really cool when he sang "Back Where I Come From" cuz he put on a Utah Utes hat, and the video in the background was of Utah highway signs and different Utah landmarks. So that got everyone pumped. All time favorite was "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy". That definitely did it for me.

Man in Uniform

2009-08-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

The weekend of July 19 my nephew Darin came up with his girlfriend Britany and spent the weekend with us. He had to check in at Camp Williams and get ready to start his training for his deployment to Afghanistan. So we went out to eat at Chili's on Friday night. Saturday he played Guitar Hero for forever and that was hilarious to watch! Then Sunday was his family day, and that was a lot of fun. I don't know of anyone who is more proud to serve their country and who looks so good in their uniform. (I'm extremely biased in this way!) At his family day, they fed us and then Darin took us around and showed us some of the weapons and one of the tanks. He just beams with excitement when he talks about his stuff, and you can totally tell he's in his element. Then he took us down to where they have a virtual game of different war scenarios, and 4 people can use 4 different weapons. It feels like the real thing, but instead of bullets it's air being pumped through. It was really loud in the room, but Addie enjoyed it. He leaves for Afghanistan in November. I was glad that he was able to spend the weekend with us, and it was really hard to tell him goodbye. But I know that he is doing what he loves, and that he won't disappoint the Marine Corps.

Baby gets sick.......Mama gets sick

2009-08-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

Seriously....not even 10 minutes after writing my last post about feeling so great being able to hold Addie while she's sick, BAM! I start feeling yucky. I have never been so sick in my life. I couldn't keep anything down all night. I tried anti nausea, anti diarrheal, pepto, propel, saltines EVERYTHING and just couldn't keep it down. Poor DJ, stayed up with me and held my hair back and wiped my face with a cold rag. Needless to say, around 2 a.m. he starts throwing up. I can't stand being sick because I hate feeling so helpless!! Finally around 6 a.m. I started to feel a little better to where I could actually get a little bit of sleep. DJ called in to work and Krista offered to keep Addie all day so we could get some sleep and rest. I still wasn't able to keep anything down, and had no energy whatsoever. So around 6 p.m. we went to insta care and they hooked me up to an iv since I was really dehydrated and gave me a nausea pill. That works miracles! Then we came home and picked Addie up from Krista, and after not seeing my lil monkey girl all day she wanted me to hold her. I still was weak so I held her for a second and handed her to DJ. She started to pout and reach out for me. Another great feeling! If it wasn't for Krista saving me and helping with Addie, I seriously don't know what I would've done! I spent the next few days still feeling crummy, but much better than that horrid night. I don't wish feeling like that on anyone!

Nursing Back to Health

2009-07-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

So after a LONG afternoon filled with Addie crying and whining, I let DJ get her ready for bed and put her to bed. I was done for the day. She wouldn't hardly eat her dinner or anything else so I let DJ have at it. After he laid her down she cried for 20 minutes which is unusual cuz she's usually down after 10 minutes if not before. So I told him to go get her. We tried to give her more food, but she refused. He gave her milk and she drank it up. So then I took her to her room and started bouncing her and she laid right on my shoulder. I knew she was exhausted, as I'm bouncing her I look over at her blanket in the crib and see something on it. I get closer and pull the blanket open more and I see some of her dinner on the blanket. So we change the sheets and her jammies and I start bouncing her back to sleep. Then she throws up some more all over me. I felt so HORRIBLE! I can't believe I had been bouncing her after she had thrown up in the bed. I wasn't even thinking of that!!! So we changed those jammies and I gave her a quick bath and then I just held her in the rocking chair with her blankie and she fell asleep. I can't even begin to describe the wonderful feeling I had of being able to comfort her. I felt so bad for getting so aggravated at her earlier. It's great to feel like you're so loved and that this little one is so dependent on you. Tonight was one of my favorite mama moments!

4th of July

2009-07-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

We left our place at 7:30 a.m. to walk down to the parade, and it was fun to see all the hot air balloons taking off up against the mountain. It did rain a lil bit during the parade, but it felt refreshing since it was really hot. There were some really neat floats, and it was cool to hear cannons going off. I loved the atmosphere of the parade cuz everyone was so excited. Addie absolutely loved it; especially the bands cuz then she could dance. Aferwards, we went home and all took naps since we were exhausted. Then we went downtown and walked around and listened to music in the park and to all the booths set up. We had a spot by the stadium to watch the fireworks, but at 8:15 I knew she wouldn't make it another 2 hrs. So, we went home and put her to bed and we watched a few of the fireworks from our yard.

I have never been to a parade that was such a big deal, but there were people everywhere! They had put their chairs out the day before at noon and they would spend the night to keep their spots. Luckily some of Eric's family put out chairs for us and it was a great spot right on the road.

We went to the BYU Creamery to get ice cream, and I think Addie ate more of mine than I did! Then she was bouncing on the seats having a blast.

Take me out to the ball game

2009-07-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

We went to see the Orem Owlz play with Krista, Eric and Colten. It was fun cuz they have a grass seating section where you pay $4 a person and set your blankets out. They even have a playground! Smart thinkers. We were sitting on a hill and all Addie wanted to do was climb up it. I didn't see much of the game obviously, but it was fun to be out. It's been a long time since I've been to a game, and I forgot how fun it is. Not as good as football mind you....but almost. We had to leave a lil bit early cuz Addie was getting tired. We did everything we could to keep her from falling asleep on the way home.

It's so funny to see her dancing! How do kids know how to dance?? It seriously amazes me. I'll have to get better footage of dancing another time.

Vacation Time

2009-07-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Diana's husband Gary has a houseboat every other year for a week, and our plan was to have all of our family get together. However, with mama's medical problems my parents and my older brother Bryan and his family weren't able to attend. But two of my aunt's and my brother Kenny and his wife from Georgia were able to come. There was also another family that came with us, and they were so much fun. So in all there were 17 of us. DJ's first concern about when I mentioned that we were taking this trip, was that he thought he was gonna get bored. Keep in mind, he's never been so he had no idea how much fun it was going to be or how beautiful and breathtaking it is. After we were there a couple days, he told me how incredible and overwhelming it was when you thought about how deep the water was. We went out about an hour away from Wahweap Marina, and we had a really cool spot. We had 2 boats and 2 jet skis, so plenty to keep us busy. DJ tried wake boarding, but wasn't able to get up. I think it was cuz we needed a bigger board for him. It was so nice to relax and not worry about anything while we were there. DJ found it VERY hard to come back to work.

The hike up to Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge

The dark clouds would have to indicate a storm that didn't reach those of us who went to Rainbow Bridge. Diana had taken her two kids out on the jet ski and she got caught in it. There were 3 foot waves that she was trying to go through, and eventually she was able to get some help from some people that were out on the water as well. She was able to stay on their boat until everything calmed down. My nephew Nathan was the only one that stayed behind on the houseboat, and he noticed that the boat was moving so he went outside to see and there was sand blowing everywhere. He saw that the anchors were sliding through the sand and he went to get one of them and just stood there trying to keep the boat from drifting. When it kinda calmed down, he went to another houseboat and asked if they could come help him get it tied down again. (it's funny he went to these people, cuz they had needed help a few days prior.)

Every time we took a boat ride, Addie would fall asleep. She loved the wind blowing her hair. (This was just before she was about to fall asleep.) She wasn't happy about getting in the water though. We tried a few different times, and I think it was because of the life jacket that she didn't like being in the water. Addie said her first words on this trip!!! She says doggie, thank you and kitty. It's sooo cute.

Scrabble game - from the top Ru, Diana, Me, Sarah, Kenny, Crystal and Kiai

Our Anniversary was during the week and DJ had arranged for us to have some time to ourselves on the top deck. He had sparkling cider, chicken n biskit crackers and easy cheese for us to snack on. It was a nice surprise, and I was really happy that he thought to do something for the day. I am really lucky to have such a great husband. He's such a good daddy and does all that he can for our family. Love you baby!

Addie chowing down on watermelon. She had it all over her.

The lookout from our spot

Birthday Girl

2009-07-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my Addie girl is one!! She's getting to be so much fun now. We had the party on June 13 at Diana's house and had family and friends over to celebrate. It was a swimming party and it had been cloudy all morning and we just knew we were gonna get rained out. However it managed to fly over us long enough to eat, open presents and for the kids to swim a bit. When everyone started to leave, is when it started pouring! She got some of the cutest clothes (her aunt's have AWESOME taste) and some really great toys that she plays with all the time. It was a nice day and we were so glad we got to have it in St. George so we could have it with family. We love you so much Addie, and so grateful to have you in our family. Happy Birthday Monkey Girl!

I was extremely nervous about trying to make her cake since I didn't think there was any way possible that I could do it. But I have to say I was EXTREMELY proud of myself, and I thought it turned out amazing! I made cupcakes for the ears and those turned out to be a hit with the kids! As you can tell, Addie dug into it as well and enjoyed it as well.

I couldn't have envisioned anything more perfect for this moment when it was her turn to have her own piece and have at it.

Addie squashing Lane

DJ's sister Dawne and her son Sven

Papi and Nana Kelly

Tribute to Our Troops

2009-06-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night DJ and I went to Eagle Mountain for a Tribute to Our Troops concert at the Silver Lake Amphitheater featuring Josh Gracin and Darryl Worley and Megan Mullins. It was so much fun!! This day was significant because it was the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Before everything started, they had a couple guys parachute down and one had the American flag behind him. I teared up when I saw the flag flying in front of us, and then when we sang the national anthem. (Gets me every time). Then they had a HUGE Air Force plane do a fly by and it was so low it was amazing. Megan Mullins opened the show (she's a rising country star). I've seen Josh Gracin a couple of times and he is really good live. We got to be right in front of the stage the whole time, so it was even better. He sang a new song that he wrote called "I Wanna Make You Cry" ooooo goodness it's one of the sexiest songs I've heard in awhile with a bluesy feel to it. I sure hope it'll be on his new cd! The Mayor of Eagle Mountain showed a couple of slide shows of local military families, and a project at their cemetery that they did. Darryl Worley is such a patriotic man and boy did it show. Everything started at 7:15 and didn't get over til 11:45. After the last performance they shot off a cannon a few times and then had fireworks.

Josh Gracin

The song "The Other Little Soldier" was dedicated to the little boy standing next to him whose dad recently passed away in Iraq. If you haven't heard this song, you should! Definitely teared up during this, too.

During his last song he went off stage and we weren't sure where he went, but then found him out in the crowd! DJ got an awesome shot as when he was coming back up to the stage.

In between the two concerts, they did the Tribute to the Fallen Soldier.

Darryl Worley singing "Have You Forgotten" with some of the local military standing behind him. After the song, he shook all of their hands.

Darryl Worley

On the way to Gama's house we go

2009-06-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

I was so worried about flying home with Addie by myself since I get airsick these days. However, I made it through and she was soooo good on the way there and back. Mama was in rehab in Columbus, Ga for the first week we were there. I was staying with my brother Bryan and his wife Sharon and their daughter Kaitlyn. We would go see mama at lunch and dinner so she could rest the other times and not get too worn out. One of the last nights she was there, I got to stay the night with her and that was really good for me. We watched some tv, talked, tried to get some sleep and then at 3 AM we both woke up so I could help her to the restroom and then we talked til about 5:30. It was really tough for her to not hold Addie since she was really weak. She was really concerned about people seeing her this way and with some of her hair shaved off, so we decided that she would stay in Columbus at Bryan's after rehab. Every day she got better! Sharon fixed some of the best food while we were there, and Addie got so spoiled from her aunt and uncle!
At her appointment at Emory the doctor told us that she needs to have radiation to get the remaining 2% out, and that if she chose not to, that the tumor would grow back probably between 2 & 3 years. This was not what she wanted to hear, but it has to be done. She goes back to Emory on the 11th so they can do more tests and make a mold of her skull and then sometime soon she'll begin the radiation that will last 6 1/2 weeks. There's a Lodge that she can stay at in Atlanta to receive that radiation Monday through Friday. She already gets really tired every day so she's not looking forward to the radiation making her extremely tired. We hope that will be the only major side affect.
The weekend before I was to fly back, we took mama to her house and spend my last few days on the farm. I could tell such a HUGE difference in her just from being home. We had lots of visitors and yummy, delicious food brought over!!!
Most of you know of the boy that I placed for adoption in '04 and that I'm really close to that family. So, Saturday the 30th, the adoptive family (Russell-dad, Sherry-mom, Keli-daughter and Nolan) came to visit us. We had such a blast with them and it made mama really excited. They spent Sunday with us as well, and made us some good banana puddin' that's almost sugar free. I can't believe that Nolan is 5, and that he can read sight words. Him and Keli both are hilarious and so cute! I'm so glad they were able to come down and spend so much time with us. I picked the best family for him, truly!!
On the 2nd, my friend Candace picked me up to take me to the airport and when she got out of her car, she locked the doors with the keys and her 1 1/2 yr old boy in there. Needless to say, we got a cop to come open the doors and 45 minutes later, we got him out. By the time we got to leave mama's, we pushin it with the time so I was getting a little nervous about making my flight. But I made it in time :( and got back to Utah. When I left mama was doing really good, but it was still hard for me to leave. I just wanted to do all that I could and be there for her. (Mama-I'm trying my hardest to move back there as soon as I can)
Addie was using mama's walker to get around her room at rehab.

I left the room to help Sharon make dinner, and when I came back Addie had found the chicken fingers and started helping herself.

This Georgia Bulldog chair was outside of Cracker Barrell and if I had the extra money, I would've bought it!

Uncle Bryan and Addie watching tv. (He kinda likes her, she pretty much had him whooped)

Nolan carrying Addie

Mama and Addie

Addie and the air vent

Nolan reading to Mama

More pictures are to come!

Mother's Day

2009-06-04T13:30:00.001-07:00

We spent Saturday at the Zoo in Salt Lake for Mom & Me Day. We met up with Krista, Eric and Colten. Addie wasn't really into anything except the peacock when it spread its feathers. We didn't stay very long because there weren't very many animals. Since I've been to different zoos, I wasn't impressed. It was fun to get out of the house though. My gift for Mother's Day was breakfast, the sweetest card from DJ and a fire pit!! I was so excited because I've been wanting one for awhile. We sat out by the fire with Krista and Eric and had the best smores EVER! They introduced us to a new way of making them. You have the fudge striped cookies with chocolate swirl marshmallows and then a reese's cup on top of that. It's heavenly. I don't think I can go back to having them any other way. I did get to talk to mama for a little bit and she sounded pretty good, but was really tired. I can't even begin to describe how much she means to me. She's the best and does whatever she can for her family. She's been the biggest inspiration to me and she's such a fighter. I love you so much mama!!

I'm a College GRAD!!!

2009-05-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm officially smarter than I was five years ago and finally an honor graduate! I would love to say that I feel completely different, but I don't. It feels GREAT to be done with school, and I do feel like I achieved an amazing accomplishment! I'm quite proud of myself and I'm so grateful to all of my family for pushing me to finish when I didn't think that I wanted to. It's an awesome feeling to know that if and when I decide to use my degree I CAN! Plus I can always rub it in that I was the FIRST of my siblings to get a bachelors degree. (Only by 10 hours cuz Diana got hers at 6:00 Friday night). Friday morning at 8:00 was the big day and I was so nauseated. DJ got up and made me pancakes and said Happy Graduation Day when I got up, but I took 2 bites and felt like throwing up. I get incredibly nervous about things like this and no matter how much I tried to calm myself I just wanted to blow off graduation. 5 minutes before we were were ready to walk out, I wanted to turn around, leave the building and get outta there cuz it didn't seem worth it. I'm telling y'all I have such anxiety. Luckily I had found a couple friends and stood with them and that helped a little bit. Even after we were seated in the Events Center, I still wanted to get up and leave. When they started saying how we couldn't have done this without family and friends, all I could think about was mama in surgery but how she's so proud of me. If I wouldn't have walked, she'd a killed me. (Wouldn't wanted to have dealt with that wrath when she gets better)! After the whole thing, I was really glad that I went through with it. It was a good experience.

My lifesavers Bethany and Cynthia (seriously)

Update on Mama

2009-05-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

So Friday morning they did the surgery to remove the tumor and it took 7 hours. They were able to remove 98% of it because the rest was in some blood vessels that were in her spinal cavity. It's the kind of tumor that could take 20 years to get to how this one was. So a decision she has to make a little later is whether to do chemo and radiation to get the rest or let it stay. She is still in a lot of pain and still struggling to communicate. When she does communicate it can be very inappropriate things. She was trying to put some lip balm on her lips and instead started eating it. Just hearing this really broke my heart. I knew this was really serious, but last week I was trying to keep busy so I wouldn't get so upset about it. If you know my mama, she's such a strong and vivacious woman so it's really hard to imagine her this way. I'm flying home on the 12 to stay for 3 weeks and help around the house and do whatever she needs me to. Today she still has no strength, and we're not sure when she'll be able to go home. One of mama and daddy's favorite things is to dance, and this morning she told daddy she wanted to dance. He said you do, and she said yeah. Then he said ok let's dance and she just smiled. It's the worst thing to not be able to help and to think of her being this way. I'm staying positive and knowing that these things can change a in a few days. I really can't wait to be with my family.

What a weekend

2009-04-27T08:24:00.001-07:00

How fast everything can change so quickly! After all the complications that my mom has had with her foot the past 6 months, now we have some different problems to deal with. Saturday I was talking with her and she kept forgetting things. She would start a sentence and then just forget. I could tell it was super frustrating for her and it was making me really nervous but I didn't let her know that. I called Diana and asked if she would call her and see what she thought. 5 minutes later she called and said there was definitely something wrong. She called daddy and told him to get her to the er. They did some tests and to make a long story short, she has a tumor that's an inch and a half by two on the left side of her brain. That's what was causing her to forget and to start scribbling when she was trying to write. She's going up to a neurologist today at Emery hospital in Atlanta and seeing what they can do to get rid of it. I'm doing ok, just trying to process it all and figure out whether to fly home or not. If I do decide to go it'll have to be next week because if I don't walk for graduation on Friday, she'd be extremely upset. It's so hard to be here and not there to help with everything. She's my BEST friend and I feel so helpless for her. I'll keep everyone updated when I know more.

Also on Saturday DJ's stepsister Whitney had to have an emergency c-section for her baby Payton. She was two months early and weighed 3 lbs 15 oz. We went to visit them yesterday and they're both doing well. Payton is so beautiful and she's breathing on her own now. When we got to see her, she was on her tummy all curled up and making the cutest faces. I can't begin to imagine what this is like for Whitney and Craig, but my heart goes out to them.

Spring Pics

2009-04-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

All time favorite of Daddy Daughter

She's ok with playing in the grass, but she wasn't too sure about being in the flowers.

This is Krista's son Colten. When we first started hanging out with them, Colten would give her hugs and kisses and Addie was not so much into it. She would cry and really want him out of her space. Now she's getting used to it which is really awesome considering how it started out. When we were at the park with them, we were sitting at a picnic table across from each other and Colten came crawling to get Addie. He grabbed the hair on top of her head and pulled her head to the side and opened his mouth and gave her a BIG kiss. It was hilarious! Hmmm...wonder where he learned that?!

Rejuvenated!!

2009-04-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

So my sister is a lifesaver!! She offered to let me go to her house in St. George for a week so I could get a break, and it was definitely what I needed. DJ wasn't happy about the idea at first, but quickly warmed to the idea and said I should do it. It was so nice to be in warm weather and be able to spend time with both of our families. Diana and I watched Twilight 3 times and watched some of the outtakes one night. She's addicted now! It's amazing how Edward Cullen can have such an effect on people. :) Her two kids Brianna and Lane were GREAT helpers for me with Addie. They wanted to play with her and give her baths. In fact, one night Lane was helping with a bath and he said, "Aunt Hevr, why does Addie have so many muscles (as he's pointing up his arm at all the places she has fat rolls)?" I cracked up. Then we were out to eat at Don Pedro's and Diana suggested that Addie might be thirsty after eating so I tried to give her some water from my straw and she didn't like it. Then Brianna said I should try some of her pink lemonade, didn't like that either. Lane wanted her to try some of his sprite so I said sure. She LOVED it. The first night I was there Brianna came in and saw me trying to put Addie to sleep, and saw that I was humming songs to her. Brianna quickly left the room and brought back her music box, and said that I could leave it open so the music could play for her. These kids amaze me at how smart they are!! The kids and I made home made oreos one night and they took them for a snack the next day for lunch. Brianna told me that the other kids at school were trading her food for just a piece of the oreo. It was so funny to hear her telling me this.

We went to the park with Angie and her kids, and Addie couldn't stay away from the oranges

Angie makes the BEST home made pizza and the night she was making it for us, Quincy, Daisy and Nash decided to have fun in the flour! It was funny at first

Finding all sorts of things in the grass

Brianna & Lane

If Addie got fussy, Brianna would lay themselves down and then she'd be fine

Braxton reading to Addie (a few weeks ago)

DJ tickling Addie

My nephew Darin bull fighting. He's the one running around in the red socks getting the bull to follow him. It's so much fun to watch. It's very intimidating to be outside the ring when those bulls come so close, so I can't imagine being chased!

2009-04-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

We went to the Mexican market on Saturday for some great deals and discovered that they have green tomatoes! Boy did that make my day because I love me some fried green tomatoes!! Also, I found a cake recipe on one of Krista's friend's blog, and it looked like something DJ would love so I decided to try it out. So Saturday night the Jazz were playing and for our snacks I made the Peanut Butter Fudge Cake and fried 3 huge tomatoes. I seriously ate all of the slices except for like 5. The cake was exceptionally yummy and rich too! Yup, that's Reese's Cups on top and they're inside the cake too. The frosting was a 8 oz bar of chocolate melted with cream and peanut butter, oh so sinful!

These ducks just came up in the yard and she was fascinated

Getting over the pitts

2009-04-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago was a ROUGH day. Addie was extremely fussy and nothing I did seemed to be good enough for her. Until...I sat down to play the piano which I haven't done in like 2 or so years. She loved it and then came to stand by me to play her on notes. Then after 20 mins she was back to fussy. She was so tired but refused to take a nap. It would help if it would QUIT being so blankety blank cold so we could enjoy being outside. However, it'll be at least another week before that happens. Our trips to the mailbox and Wal-Mart are the highlights of our days. I told DJ I needed a break when he got home so he said he wouldn't go to the gym, and when he got here I could go hang out at the library. I was way excited about that. Then at 5:00 he calls to tell me that the guy he works under invited him to the Jazz game, but he knows I've had a long day so he's willing to come home. As frustrated as it made me at the moment I told him to go because if it were me I know he'd let me go. And he works so hard so why not. I hid my tears til I got off the phone and realized what's a few more hours til she goes to bed. I've felt lately that I'm not being productive enough. Like I should be doing alot more, but I haven't a clue where to start. It would be easier if I had some family within a decent amount of driving distance, and that's what gets me every time. I just don't get how people can stand to live without family. Sometimes I wish we'd never have moved from St. George, but I had to for school. It's a good thing that my brothers and parents are coming in 3 months. I'm counting down the days. It's really comforting to read others' blogs to know that I'm not the only one having a hard time, so thanks to all of you! I can't wait for General Conference this weekend, cuz that will lift me.

Twilight Frenzy

2009-03-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

It's crazy I know to get so excited about Twilight, but I'm on such a high right now at 11 pm. My friend Krista asked me if I had read Midnight Sun (which is what is on Stephenie Meyer's website) about Edward's point of view from Twilight, and I was like NO I didn't know there was such a thing. Can't wait for that to be a book! So I've been exploring the website, and I'm gonna be glued to it now. (Thanks Krista) I think my favorite parts are the playlists that she puts for each book that she's written and some of the outtakes from each book. Nothing better than music and reading for me!! I was looking at some of the pictures she took from her visit to Forks, Washington and I desperately want to go there. (Heather, stop making fun of me!!) It just looks so beautiful, and why not be able to visit some Twilight highlights as well? I've yet to tell DJ about our future visit to Washington, but I'm sure he'll be up for it. Y'all know you're curious so go check it out. www.stepheniemeyer.com

Weekend

2009-03-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

I've been kinda picky with what new food she can try, cuz she's my first and I don't want it to be just anything. And most of the time when I'm making dinner I just forget, and then I've already seasoned everything too much for her to have it. So we went to Carl's Jr and I let her try fries and some of my bread from the bun. She really liked it and I couldn't tear any of it up fast enough. Then we went to Dairy Queen so DJ could get a dipped cone. When we got home she kept trying to grab the last of DJ's cone, and I told him to let her try it. You can tell from this video that she loved every bit of it. When we took it away she was screaming!

My new favorite dinner! It's called Waikiki Chicken Wave Runner. I always check out the free recipe cards that Wal-Mart has, and this one really caught my eye. DJ really enjoyed it too. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was so quick,easy and delicious. The apricot preserves and almonds are what really makes it. YES, YES, YES I LOVE TWILIGHT! I'm such a sucker for good romance, and Stephenie Meyer keeps me interested with the way she writes. Such awesome detail that I couldn't put these books down. So when I found out that the movie would go on sale at midnight I asked Heather and Krista if they wanted to go. We went to Sconecutter and had shakes around 10:30 Friday night and sat and talked til 11:45. Then we headed to F.Y.E. to stand in line an hour for our movie. We had a very flamboyant gay guy in front of us who kept us entertained to say the least. It was a fun girl night and I made us take a pic with Bella and Edward. My eyes are partly closed cuz Edward kept falling over and Krista was making me laugh about it. Also, we rented Australia last weekend and it was really good! I totally recommend it, and besides a shirtless Hugh Jackman is always a plus!!
My parents like to see what Addie is doing, so that's why I have so many videos.

Nine Months Today

2009-03-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

She doesn't like hats and I'm surprised it stayed on this long. She likes to pull them off and look at them.

My favorite new face!

That's right, already nine months! I can't believe it. Everything looked good at her appointment today. She's 22 lbs and wearing 12 month clothes. She's eating lots of baby food, and luckily we're down to one bottle a day. Do you know how good it feels to only buy one can of formula every two weeks?! She's got two teeth on bottom, and I think she may be getting more cuz she's been chewing on stuff like crazy the past few days. (and a lot more fussy)She's holding onto things and standing up, but she doesn't like to get down by herself. She'll stand and play for a long time, and when she's done she'll start crying for me to help her down. She's so happy and I'm glad she keeps me busy.

The Move....Ain't Happenin' Yet

2009-03-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

I know everyone wants to know what's going on with us moving, and trust me you'll know when it happens! We've had our condo for sale since Jan 14 and we've had a ton of people come check it out, but no offers. And we're ok with that cuz we know it'll happen when it's supposed to. We don't wanna lose money from selling it, so we're gonna stay pretty firm on the price since it's not like we have to move right away. Then when it does sell we'll probably rent a place around here til the economy gets better and then move to GA. I would be extremely happy if this process could go faster, but it's helping me be patient. (If I wasn't such a planner, it wouldn't bother me so much.) I do like it here, but I miss my family incredibly and alot of things from the South.

Pictures

2009-03-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

This is her new face when she gets excited, and I LOVE it

At Olive Garden for my birthday last week, don't worry those breadsticks didn't stay there long!

Forgot I had this one from awhile back. (My daddy will appreciate this)

Want a FREE gift from me?

2009-03-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here is how it works-the 1st 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive at some point during this year a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment here write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going( or cut and paste..no one will judge you, cause that is what I did). Then come back and let me know you are going to play, and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift. Remember only the 1st 3 will qualify. Good Luck!!!

Graduation Fastly Approaching

2009-03-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

Ok...so it may be a few months away, but it finally hit me today that I'm graduating from college with my bachelors degree on May 1. I haven't really had time to think about it, and honestly it just felt like I was taking a semester off since I was done with all my classes in December. However when I checked my school email today and it said I needed to get registered, and get my cap, gown and etc I thought OMG I'm going to graduate!! I was debating on whether to walk or not cuz I'm the most shy person in front of crowds and I didn't really want to do it cuz of how long it'll take. But then I got to thinkin of how exciting it'll be, and how hard I worked for it and for me I need to do it so it seems REAL. So, I gotta get on the ball and get announcements done and all the other fun stuff. Do you have any idea how WONDERFUL this feels to be done with school?! That is at least until I decide whether to get a masters or not :)

Sunny Days

2009-03-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

We had a few great sunny days where we went for a long walk, got to swing at the park, and play with her toy outside and then I wake up to SNOW today. We're both extremely sad cuz there's only so much you can do inside! We're so done with the snow and can't wait to have multiple days where it feels so good outside. She loves to swing and her new thing is to have her hands together under her chin and rubbing them together really fast.

She's still working on getting the puffs to her mouth and keeping it in her mouth. She loves to eat them though.

Vegas Trip

2009-03-05T11:14:00.001-08:00

My sis-n-law Stacy had her bachelorette weekend, and had all the sisters and some of her friends go to Vegas. It was so much fun!! We had dinner at a mexican restaurant inside the Venetian, and then saw PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was amazing and the props were so ornate. And the music was incredible. After the opera, we went to Sarah's and she made some of the best cookies, and we listened to their mom's funeral since I had never heard it. Of course I teared up through it since it made me realize what a wonderful family I married into. All of the people that spoke had such awesome things to say about her. I've had some pretty neat experiences, so I feel like on some level I know their mom and she was an increibly strong and remarkable woman. This gave me a greater appreciation for her and I can't wait to meet her one day. I'm really grateful to have been able to make this trip. It really helped me to get closer to the girls. They inspire me to be so patient since they display this really well with their kids.

Sisters eatin (me, Sarah, Angie and Stacy)

Andrew (Sarah's boy) and Addie getting ready to cruise. Addie and I stayed with Sarah for a few days, and with Sarah's 3 boys Addie had some entertainment. She wasn't too keen on having them touching her face and getting in her space, but she's gotta get tough somehow.

Andrew got Addie's puff snacks opened em and wanted to snack!

Addie checkin out Diana's dogs. She was hesitant at first, but it didn't take her long to let them get close and play with her. We stayed a week with Diana and I was able to help her with her kids while she studied for school. We sure did miss DJ! He was supposed to come down on the 27, but he surprised me on Thursday night with a pic text that said "Hmm..this house looks familiar". It was of my sister's house and I ran out side to meet him. I was so excited.

This is one of my favorites. Her eyes are so beautiful

Addie and Noah (Angie's boy born the same day as Addie)

Angie's other boys (Quincy, Nash & Noah)

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

Addie with the lil snowman daddy built. She likes to play in the snow.

DJ got up around 6:30 and made me a candlelit breakfast. We had heartshaped pancakes and quiche (he was very excited about the quiche because he used Paula Deen's recipe). He bought me some pink lillies, chocolates and a cute card that when you open it it plays a recorded voice message he personalized and then it played "Super Freak". I was laughing so hard.

We had a fondue dinner at Brett & Heather's. 4 different kinds of meats, vegetables and of course chocolate with fruits and cheesecake. It was so yummy!

Me & Heather

I made him a decorated detailed list of 50 reasons why I love him. I think he really appreciated it. He's one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and I'm really thankful he's in my life. I love him so much!! It was a really great day.

Sneaky

2009-02-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

I'm amazed at how fast she gets to things when she really wants to. This is her new favorite spot climbing on the bottom shelf. (No worries it's attached to the wall so it doesn't fall on her). When I saw her she just looked at me like, "What, this is fun".

My Happy Girl

2009-02-10T17:13:00.000-08:00

It's so fun to see her get so excited. She LOVES walking around in this. She seriously tears out!

I had her with me in the bathroom while I was getting ready, and I left for a minute and came back to her playing with the curtain.

We've Got An Old Man In The House

2009-02-09T06:55:00.000-08:00

DJ turned 30 on Friday!! I cooked breakfast for him, decorated his car and his desk at work while people were keeping him distracted. He had no idea that I was going to do that. He took a half day at work, and we had dinner at Tucano's. On the ride home he kept saying that he needed a cake, but I convinced him he didn't. After we were at home for a bit I told him I needed something sweet. I asked him if he'd look in the freezer for some ice cream. When he opened it, he saw the ice cream cake that I bought for him. Man, it was good!

My Aunt Marietta is visiting from GA and she took us snowmobiling in Deer Vally near Park City. It was so much fun! It wasn't too cold, but it was snowing. My thumb is sore from pushing the throttle, and my shoulders too from holding on while hitting the bumps.

Aunt Marietta and I in Park City.

Addie surrounded by her animals

2009-02-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

Addie's favorite new things are to see herself in the tv, and pull small drawers out and push them back in. Her feet are constantly moving in circles which leads us to call her "Happy Feet".

On our way to get her ears pierced (a few weeks ago)
Braxton (my friend Heather's son) reading to Addie
I went to get her from her nap and she was on her knees with the blanket on her back and hanging in her face. She was just making noises and moving around.

DJ gave her a saltine cracker and she wasn't too sure about it at first. She pretty much ate the whole thing though.

Bein a mom....

2009-01-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

It's still hard to believe that I'm actually a mom. There are rough days, but when Addie smiles at me in the morning when I go to get her from her crib, or lights up when she sees her daddy walk in the door it definitely reminds me that I'm truly blessed because she's in our lives. I cry every time I hear George Strait's song "I Saw God Today" because she's such a miracle and makes me strive to always be a better person. I recently finished reading Jennifer Weiner's "Little Earthquakes" and I really liked it. It made me realize that I can't do it all, and that I have to be easier on myself. I'm really enjoying being done with college and being able to stay home with Addison and see how much she changes every day. I feel so accomplished that I was able to complete school in a field that I'm really going to LOVE working in. I've thought about grad school and maybe after we get moved to Georgia I'll get started with it. Because of Addie, I appreciate my parents more than I ever have and all the sacrifices they made for me and my siblings.

4 Month Pics

2009-01-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

We decided to have her pics taken at JC Penney and they've done such a good job every time.

She loved chewing on the hay.