The Capelo Family

Feeding the Ducks....Part 2

2012-01-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

Remember this from last year? Well this year, she got it....sort of.

It was snack time!

She loved them!

Then we went over to the park.

What a fun day!!

Time with Grandma!

2012-01-05T08:00:00.005-06:00

Thank you Grandma!

Christmas Morning!

2012-01-02T15:05:00.000-06:00

We had a great Christmas this year. We were able to make a surprise trip to San Diego and completely surprise Nathan's Mom!! It worked out perfectly! It was a quick trip, but we made the most of everyday and had a blast spending time with everyone and being back in Cali! I think Savannah had a pretty good Christmas Morning too. She was really surprisingly good at opening presents. She took her time and would hand the ripped off wrapping paper to someone...she never threw it on the floor! Here are some of my favorite captured moments....enjoy :)

Waiting to go downstairs and see what Santa brought!

Yep...she got a calculator! She loves buttons...

And it was a hit!

Merry Christmas!

Just Like Mommy!

2011-12-27T08:00:00.002-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS.....

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

From our home.....

To Yours!

Hot Chocolate Party!

2011-12-21T13:34:00.000-06:00

Since we are the "new" people here, we decided to throw a small Christmas get-together so we could get to know people better. It turned out really fun!! We did a Hot Chocolate Bar, complete with Homemade Eggnog and Sugar Cookies. It was delicious! And it was actually really fun to get the house all decorated for it!

Everything turned out great, and I think we actually made some new friends!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Getting Settled

2011-12-19T09:23:00.000-06:00

We are basically there, but I wanted to share a few pictures of the last month. Enjoy!

Savannah was a good sport. She just walked around the house and said "Wow!" for a couple of days. And totally let us get settled in.

She decided that she was ready to feed herself! I agreed after realizing I was definately going to lose this Battle of Wills. She actually did ok at first and now she is pretty good. Only minimal floor and wall clean up after.

Savannah was Daddy's Big Helper! She loved helping him put everything together. This scene was repeated for the crib, and just about everything else that required tools!

And don't worry...house pics are coming!

San Antonio

2011-12-10T13:40:00.001-06:00

We are back online!! It has been quite a month to say the least. As you probably guessed from our last post Nathan was offered a great job in San Antonio, TX and so we took the big leap and moved ourselves out here. Saying good-bye to our friends and family in California was heart-wrenching to say the least, but once we got out here it has been nothing but fun!! We spent the first couple of days finding a place to live. The staff at our hotel got to know us quite well we were there for so long! But we were able to find an amazing house in a wonderful neighborhood and move in the day before Thanksgiving! Once the house was picked and we were just waiting for the move-in date....the fun began!!
Well, first things first...You can't come to San Antonio without going to the Alamo, right?? We made that our first stop!

Lucky for us, the other big attraction was just across the street! After the Alamo we went over to the River Walk and walked around for a while. Wow, that was beautiful! It really is built right on the banks of the river. I think that will be a place we frequent.

The next day we decided to go to the Zoo. It was a really fun zoo! Savannah loved it (can you tell?)!

No, but really she woke up and liked it a lot!

And hey...there is a Sea World here! So we checked that out too...

It was really hot that day, but they have everything covered so the shows were the place to be!

The ride was way fun...except when it got stuck when Whitney was right at the top!!

So basically, we love it here so far!

Here we go....

2011-11-11T23:53:00.000-06:00

I'm 1!!

2011-11-03T16:30:00.000-05:00

A few days after Savannah's first birthday we did a little photo shoot. We tried to incorporate all of her favorite things around the house. Enjoy!!

Take me for a ride!

Oh, sooo soft!

Ahh, rocking my baby!

I'm off...constantly moving!

Sweet Princess

Happy Birthday Savannah!!!

2011-10-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe you are 1, Miss Savannah!!

How did that happen?! Well, it went something like this.....

(And if feels like it happened just about that fast too!)

And then we celebrated!

Savannah is so lucky to have so many people who love her so much. So we got to celebrate twice! We had a fun party in Salt Lake with my family, and another one at Aunt Tammy's house!! She had so much fun at both! As you could obviously tell!

Happy Birthday, Savannah!

We love you more than you know!!

Pumpkin Patch!

2011-10-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

Last Friday we went with our friends, the Sanders, to a pick-your-own pumpkin patch by us. It was so much fun!

(Check out Savannah's face....classic!)

We love pumpkins!

We conquered the Corn Maze!

I love the Fall!

He Graduated!!!!!!

2011-10-20T23:05:00.000-05:00

I know it's late, but I couldn't just let the chance pass to say CONGRATULATIONS to my guy!!!

We are so proud of you!

It was quite a party, we were so grateful for all of the family that came to celebrate and support!

So...

CONGRATULATIONS NATHAN, WE LOVE YOU!

Family...

2011-10-19T23:01:00.000-05:00

Over the last few months we have been able to go visit our families. It was a blast and we were so excited to be haning out with everyone!

Where have we been?!

2011-10-18T23:01:00.000-05:00

Wow! It's been a while. Here is a little review of what we have been up to...

Getting a little taste of LA!

Enjoying the Tarpits!

Just hanging out and being cute!

Going to the zoo with friends!

Some reading...

Sunbathing...

Relaxing...

Sneaking around...

Bathing...

Oh yea....and growing a tooth!!!!

And don't worry....WE'RE BACK!

Just Like Daddy

2011-07-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

Finals:

The Bar:

This Little Girl LOVES Her Daddy!!

(On a different note...only 13 more days!)

8 Months Old!

2011-07-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Our little baby girl is 8 months old. I think I say this every single month, but HOW did this happen!! She is so full of personality and puts on a show for anyone who will watch in any store we walk into. She is so much fun. She claps her hands whenever you say "Yeah!", she gives High-5s most of the time, and she is just starting to wave, but that is really not consistent. It is so fun to see the world begin to click in her little head. I love watching her learn and figure things out and now that she can clap, she makes sure she lets us know when she is proud of herself too! Savannah has started pulling herself up on everything! She can pull up onto the couch, chairs, people, her crib and the other day, the lamp! That one was scary, we lucked out that the lamp stayed standing but it was a good wake-up call to baby proof! So that is what we are currently working on. She is trying to walk along the furniture, but isn't quite there yet, I am just fine with that. It is so adorable when she pulls herself up on things though, she grunts a ton and starts out with a little yelp. That is how we know she is about to pull up. It's hillarious, she yells out before she even touches what she is going to pull up on, it's like her one way of psyching her self up for it! When she does get up on what she wants to though, she always looks at us with a huge smile and waits for us to clap, it's pretty sweet.

Well, a few days before she turned 8 months old we did a little photo shoot. So here it is!

Some Videos

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

Here are some videos we took of Savanah....Scooting, playing catch, and blowing raspberries on Mom! Enjoy!

Our Staycation!

2011-07-05T22:57:00.000-05:00

In May, we had a couple of days where finals were done and work was finishing up but still before the bar started (another post all in itself!). So we decided to use them to the fullest! We spent a day out in LA seeing some things we have wanted to for a while.

First stop: Pinks!

These hot dogs were seriously crazy. They were bordering disgusting, and yet completely enjoyable! I actually really liked mine and so did Nathan!

After lunch we decided to go to the La Brea Tarpits. They were really cool to see and the museum was really fun. Who knew there were tar pits in the middle of LA?!?!

It was a fun day. The other days we stayed close to home and took Savannah to the park and stuff. We enjoyed our mini-staycation and are now looking forward to August!

We're Back!

2011-06-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

And I can't really tell you where we have been except not blogging! I guess we have just been enjoying life. And there is quitea bit to catch up on. So, first things first...Savannah! Since I think (change that to KNOW since you have all told me) that it is really the pictures of Savannah that you miss, here is the best catch up I can do on what Savannah has been up to and what she is loving now. Enjoy!

Savannah is a little mover!! She loves getting around and getting whatever it is that caught her eye. The problem is that she likes to drag her stomach and it's wearing out her shirts! So we decided to help fix the problem.

She is doing better keeping her stomach up, but really it doesn't slow her down...she gets what she wants!

But as much as she loves to move, she loves to lounge! I always find her putting her feet up on whatever is nearby while she reads or checks out whatever she is holding.

I took her to DisneyLand about a month ago with my family. She loved it! There was so much to look at and she loved all the attention.

But this picture sums up her thoughts on the rides! Not really a fan.

I also took her to the beach for Memorial Day. This she loved!

Hanging out with her friend Jack!

She is a happy girl. Seriously, so happy....all the time! She is constantly smiling and is so much fun. I often get sad around bedtime (though the break is nice too).

And finally...she is a bookworm!!! I love it, becuase I am the same way. I have been taking her to story time at the library and she loves that. She loves to sit and read books all the time. And when you put her lounging and book reading together.....this is what you get!

Yes...that is her pool tube.

Gardens of the World

2011-05-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

A while ago we decided to head out on a Saturday afternoon and visited a place close to us called Gardens of the World. It was beautiful and so fun to just be together as a family!

Bathtime!

2011-05-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Savannah loves bathtime....

Splashing, Chilling and...

Ducky!

Outside!

2011-05-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Savannah loves to be outside! Nathan often says it's really lucky considering how much her mom prefers to be outside too. I think he's right, becuase we are out there quite a bit!

After a good Saturday Morning Family Run! She was excited to be home this time.

(By the way...have I said that we are running the St. George Marathon in October?? Wish us luck!)

About to go on a walk.....so excited! As soon as I pull out the stroller or the frontpack, this is the look I get.

She is big enough now to go in her big-girl stroller. She is pretty adorable in it!

6 Months...Actually 7 now!

2011-05-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Savannah was 6 months old on on April 17....hard to believe. I know I am quite late on this, but I still wanted to post her stats:

Weight: 15 pounds 11 ounces (33rd percentile)

Length: 27 incehs (87th percentile)

So our little girl is still that....very long and very little.

Here are just a few of my favorite moments in the last month...

Loving her Easter Bunny from Grandma and Grandpa!

Learning how to play ball!

Savannah really is such a happy little girl and highlight of our days. I couldn't be more grateful to be her mom and couldn't be having more fun being with her every day!

Trying new foods...

2011-05-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

We started Savannah on vegetables about 2 1/2 months ago now. At first we got the video camera out for every single new food. Since then we have stopped....she has yet to show ANY reaction whatsoever! This girl just loves to eat, she really doesn't care what it is. She eats everything great, but doesn't seem to care about the taste, or at least she doesn't notice it. But when I gave her a real carrot to chew on for the first time, that was different. Boy did she think that was pretty awesome!

We start fruits this week! Maybe she will react to that...

Special Moments with Daddy

2011-05-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

After a particularly difficult night a couple of months ago, I came out the next morning to this...

Yum, your hair is tasty...

Oh, nevermind, I like this view!

Monterey, CA

2011-05-10T23:31:00.000-05:00

So, I haven't exactly been great about updating the blog, but I just can't figure out where the time goes. I mean, I know it's been a while, but 2 months?!?! How did that happen! Well, 2 months ago, Nathan had a work conference in Monterey, CA and Savannah and I got to tag along! It was so much fun to go on our first family vacation. And Savannah did great!
We started out the trip by driving up the coast. It was so fun, but oh so long! I can't believe Savannah made it that long, we went straight through and I think Nathan and I got sick of it before she did! But the drive was breathtakingly beautiful and a really fun way to go. But when we finally got there and got checked into our hotel, we were quite relieved. We enjoyed food from Fisherman's Warf every night and totally enjoyed the evironment on the Warf.

The next day Nathan's conference started, so Savannah and I were on our own. We headed down to Carmel-by-the-Sea. It was such a fun little town, we spent quite a while walking around all the little shops. We spent the rest of the day driving a little along the coast, and walking around the mall. It was a nice day. The next day Nathan had a short day at the conference but had some other work to do in a nearby city; so Savannah and I did what we do best....tagged along!!

Friday, our "vacation" actually started. Nathan was done with work and we just toured Monterey. We enjoyed the 17 Mile Drive first. What an incredible drive!! It was so windy, but that almost added to the beauty of the area. Savannah slept through the whole thing...of course it was in the car! We also stopped at Pebble Beach Golf Course. It was so cool to actually be there and see the Lodge.

The next day we headed to the Bay area to visit our friends the Baldwins. It was so much fun to see them again. We have been friends since BYU and always look forward to being able to see them. They are the kind of friends that just pick up right where you left off. I am always surprised it has been as long as it has since we have seen them and can't wait to see them again!

We had planned to stay that night and then head back the next day, but once we got started driving to the hotel, we decided to just push it. It was pouring rain the ENTIRE way down the coast, so it was an interesting drive but we made it home in pretty decent time. It was so great to have Savannah in her own bed again and to get a good night sleep. The whole trip was so much fun, it was a great week!!

Swimmin'...

2011-03-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

We have had some really hot days here in Los Angeles, so we decided to hit the pool! We didn't want to really take Savannah in, but we decided to test the waters and see how she did.

Um....I think she loved it...

What do you think?

Yummy Toes!

2011-03-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week Savannah started sucking on her toes. She has been working on getting them into her mouth for a while now, and she finally made it! They are her new favorite toy...

Feed the Birds

2011-03-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

This last weekend Nathan had to take the MPRE (Ethics Bar) in San Diego, so we decided to make a whole trip out of it. We headed down on Thursday morning and stayed through Sunday. It was such a fun vacation and really nice to be able to spend the time with his family. It was pretty relaxing so we didn't take too many pictures, but here are some highlights:

I guess the packing wore her out...

Eating with Grandma

Savannah got to meet Great-Grandma Stern for the first time

After the test we went to Lake Poway and fed the ducks. It was Savannah's first time, and she loved it!

We celebrated Pam's birthday with her. This was the whole family before dinner.

Rice Cereal

2011-03-10T21:23:00.000-06:00

Savannah started eating rice cereal about a month ago. She absolutely loves it and I do too since I am getting a lot more sleep at night again! She gets so excited when she sees us get it ready and likes to pull the spoon into her own mouth. It is so much fun to feed her!

Recently...

2011-02-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

Savannah had her 4 month appointment last week, and she just keeps growing!

Weight: 13 pounds 10 ounces

50th Percentile

Height: 26 1/4 inches

90th Percentile

Here are some pictures of what we have been up to recently...

She loves our waterbottles, so we got her her very own. It is her new favorite toy!

Rolling over!

2011-01-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

Savannah is officially rolling over! She started on January 15, almost exactly 3 months. We waited a bit to get a video but today I finally caught it on camera. She was so proud of herself the first few times she did it, it was so fun to see her look up at us and give us the huge smile knowing she just did something awesome! At first she didn't quite understand that she could get herself off her tummy. She would enjoy her tummy time and then cry until I turned her over like normal. This week she finally figured out the joy of rolling herself over when she was done. It is pretty adorable!

Saturday Hike

2011-01-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a long time since Nathan and I have been on a hike, so we thought it was time to give it a try. It was so much fun! Savannah absolutely loved it and just couldn't get enough! I love where we live, the hikes and hills are absoluately beautfiul. I love taking advantage of them!

After how much she loved the hike I decided to try a hike with the front pack to see what she thought. It was a hit! She looked around the whole time and loved it. I can't wait to try it again tomorrow!

More of Savannah

2011-01-24T19:11:00.000-06:00

I am definately turning into one of "those" Mommy Bloggers, but this is what we have been up to! So I had to post these pictures of Savannah that we have taken in the last couple of weeks. She is getting so big and is so happy almost all of the time! We have been loving storytime, playing, singing, and her new favorite thing is to watch us eat. She has started finding food very fascinating. She just gets more fun every single day!

Our Trip to Utah

2011-01-19T11:00:00.000-06:00

We had a great time in Utah this year! It was freezing cold, but it was perfect, it gave us every excuse to hang out together, build fires, play games and really enjoy being together. Savannah got to meet lots of extended family, we watched a lot of football, went shopping and ate tons of food!

I loved over the last 3 months watching Savannah be able to see better and finally recognize things. By 2 months (Christmas) she was definately able to recognize the people around her. One of my highlights was watching her fall in love with her Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Krin and Uncle Makay. She knew when they walked in, it meant FUN!!!

Here are some highlights...

She said she took a nap earlier just to prevent this repeat from the last bowl game! (It didn't work)

Fun times with everyone!

Bonding with Grandpa-Great!

Relaxing with Grandma

All bundled up and ready to go out! (She didn't love this part of the trip)

Story time with Aunt Krin...this she loved!

All dressed up for church in her new dress from Grandma-Great!

Playtime with Uncle Makay

Thomas was born 4 days before Savannah. She loved meeting her cousin (Well, they probably didn't know, but Jess and I loved it!!)

This is the drive home....She wasn't exactly lovin' being in the carseat that long.

As you can tell, we had a fabulous time with family. Thanks for a great time, we can't wait to come back!

Baby's First Christmas

2011-01-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas was so fun this year! We had so much fun with Savannah and celebrating th holiday as a family. We got to go to Utah this year and spend Christmas with my family. It was a blast. And we were all very spoiled! Here are some highlights of Savannah's first Christmas....

Meeting Santa for the first time!

Waiting to go out on Christmas Morning.

Checking out her loot from Santa!

As you can tell, we had a great Christmas! Can't wait for next year when she gets as excited as we did!

Newborn Pictures

2011-01-17T17:00:00.000-06:00

We got Savannah's Newborn Pictures back! (And I finally got through them and got them up on my blog...) Tammy did a great job, we were so excited about them. Here are just a few of my favorites...

2 Months Old!

2010-12-30T18:00:00.000-06:00

How did this happen? Have we really had Savannah for 2 months?! We took her in to the doctor for her 2 month appointment and here are her stats...

Weight: 11.6 pounds, 57th Percentile

Height: 24 inches, 87th Percentile

Head Circumference: 16 inches, 80th Percentile

So we have a tall, skinny girl with a big head!! And she is as cute as ever!

Here are some happenings over the last 3 weeks:

We "rediscovered" swaddling and can't figure out what we were thinking by ever stopping!
Savannah sleeps through the night!!!! Starting at right about 8 weeks she started sleeping about 9-10 hours per night. And I am LOVING this.

She has been discovering her hands and figuring out how they work. She got a playmat for Christmas from Grandma Capelo and at first just stared at the toys...now she hits them!

She can finally see a pretty good distance and her new favorite thing is to watch Nathan. No matter where he is in the room, this girl only has eyes for her Daddy! She follows everywhere he goes and just smiles and coos at him. He can calm her down from anything, it's like she knows the second he walks into the room.

We did a lot of fun things for Christmas, including going to a Nativity activity in Simi. The Shewell's were the live Nativity!

Lots of Bumbo sitting...

I'm back to running which means lots of stroller sitting too!

Week 5

2010-12-30T17:00:00.000-06:00

I have saved all of our pictures by week. I have absolutely loved looking at the pictures of Savannah week by week and realizing how much she has grown! I couldn't let the chance pass of posting these pictures of Savannah!

Are you seriously taking my picture again?!

I love her little legs in a onesie!

Look how much she grew!

2 weeks...

5 weeks...

Enjoying some Mommy and Me time!

Snuggling up with Daddy for TV time.

And in case you are wondering...we did NOT pose Savannah!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-29T20:30:00.000-06:00

We got to go down to San Diego for Thanksgiving this year. It was so fun to go spend a whole week with Nathan's family (since I don't have to work around work anymore!). We thoroughly enjoyed yummy food, football-playing and watching (Nathan scored the winning touchdown in the annual Turkey Bowl!), and good family time! Here are some sweet captured moments with Nathan's family and Savannah. Because honestly...what else would we take pictures of now?!

Savannah Grace

2010-12-29T20:00:00.000-06:00

We blessed Savannah on November 21. Both of our families made the trip and it was a wondeful weekend together. Nathan gave her a beautiful blessing and she looked gorgeous!

I was overwhelmed with gratitude as I watched Nathan bless her. I am so blessed to have a husband who holds the priesthood and can bless our daughter!

2010-12-09T23:25:00.001-06:00

Good Morning, Daddy!

2010-12-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

We love you!!

First time at church

2010-12-05T19:10:00.000-06:00

We took Savannah to church for the first time when she was 4 weeks old. It went well and she just looked to cute to not take a picture!

25 Days

2010-11-11T21:13:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it has been 25 days since Savannah joined our family?!?! I can’t. But really, it’s crazy to think that that is all it has been, it feels like she has been here forever. When I think back to stuff that happened just a month ago it feels like a different lifetime. I guess in a way, it was!

So here are some facts about Savannah at 3 ½ weeks old:

· Savannah is a happy baby, most of the time! She is pretty content and loves to lay and kick. She actually really loves tummy time!

· She is growing like crazy. At her 2 week appointment she weighed 8 pounds 2.5 ounces! She gained 2 pounds in 2 weeks!

1 week

3 weeks

· She is also getting long. She is now 22.5 inches long. Where did this height come from?!

· She is a smiley baby! She has started responding to you when you play with her and smiling at you. It’s not consistent so we haven’t captured a picture yet, but it’s getting more and more often, so I am hoping a picture comes soon!

· She rolled over the other day! Nathan saw her do it on Saturday but we couldn’t get her to repeat. But then on Sunday she did it 3 times in a row. Very consistent, until I got the video camera out that is…

· When the nurse handed her back to me in the hospital she said, “Wow, you have a very expressive baby”. She couldn’t have been more right! Savannah lets us know exactly what she is thinking with the looks and mouth movements she does. Whenever something is different she furrows her brow and looks around until she decides if it is ok or not. She is constantly pursing her lips too, it’s adorable!

· She is such lady, her ankles are always crossed.

· She has very stiff arms! They are always up in fists by her head. That is actually how we know when she is falling asleep, her arms fall to her side. She also has very stiff hands. Whenever she is in a light sleep she does this thing with her hands (in the picture below). If there is any noise or sudden movement while she is in this state of sleep, her hands get even more tense!

She also has very long fingers. Whenever she is in her carseat, her fingers get caught in the loop on her head support.

We love her so much. Words just don’t describe how lucky we are to have her as part of our family. I love that she knows us and our voices and that she calms down when we are around. I love that we get to take care of her and make her happy and comfortable.

I am hoping I am back….but not promising anything. This mom thing is pretty time consuming! Also, if you want the "birth story" email me. I don't think I am going to do a whole blog post about it.

Happy Birthday Krin!!!

2010-11-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

On any given day Krin can be found.......Helping someone. It seems like every time I call she is about to go do something, just becuase someone needs the help. Whether it's serving someone in the neighborhood or driving Makay to football, she is always there.

One word to describer her.....Bubbly! She is always good for a laugh and is a blast to be around. She has a fun loving attitude about everything and isn't afraid to work hard.

Krin's favorite sport......Track. Well, that is her favorite sport to participate in anyway. She is fast and loves to run! But Powderpuff Football might be up there too, we'll find out after tonight's game....Good luck!

Why we love her...Krin is sweet and sensitive. She is so fun to be around and has such a peaceful temperment. She is loving and genuine and all-around the best sister anyone could ask for.

Happy Birthday Krin! We love you!!

Our First Week

2010-10-24T16:10:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday Savannah had her 3 day old appointment with the doctor. She was too cute all dressed up and ready to go so we had to take a picture...I think this will become a common theme.

Does it seem weird to anyone else that the safety seat that you put your child in to make sure that they are protected has HUGE warnings right next to where you put her?

Savannah and daddy at home.

Drying off from her first bath at home. It was a moderately traumatic experience...but she slept great after!

Savannah in her pumpkin outfit. We put the green bow on her head as the pumpkin's "stem."

Posing for her picture propped up on the couch.

I wasn't born yesterday

2010-10-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

...oh wait, yes I was.

More pics.

Welcome to the family Savannah Grace Capelo, we're excited you're here!

The Baby Arrived!

2010-10-17T17:07:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick update on the baby; she arrived this morning at 8:52am. 6 pounds 15 ounces, 20 inches long...still no name.

The hospital does not have internet access, so Whitney will update more as she returns home.

Thanks for your support!!!

The Grand Reveal...of the apartment

2010-10-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

About a month and a half ago, we decided to put the crib up. We knew it was going to be a pretty big job because it was going to take a fair amount of juggling furniture. We had already decided where we were going to put things, so we figured we could get it done in one night...HA! So we started by pulling everything out of bookshelf and cabinets and moving everything around. We got a few pieces of furniture set and stepped back to look at it. We looked at the furniture, looked at each other and quickly agree, "It looks awful!". Nothing matched and now it was obvious becuase it was right next to each other. That was when we decided to just go all the way. We headed to Home Depot and began our project.

First step....paint bedroom furniture black!

Neither of us had ever done anything like this before, so it was quite a learning experience, but we had so much fun! We were out on our porch laughing hysterically every night as we tried to figure out how to refinish furniture. It was pretty fun. And I think it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself !

Well, in the process of refinishing the furniture we decided to go for the front room area too! Why you ask...well, why not?? Nathan works at home now, and it's looking like that will be the situation at least until we move apartments, so it was definatley time to get him a work space. After some long discussion and trying different things, we finally decided to make the dining area in our apartment an office! And step two began...

After moving the desk we realized we could also move the TV and make the room seem a little more open. Nathan was busy moving furniture while I dusted everything in sight, vacuumed and cleaned baseboards and even washed a wall in one case! Our apartment is CLEAN! I even pulled out an old filing cabinet and painted it black to match the office area. It's a great feeling to have everything in place, I love it all having a home!

This post just wouldn't be complete without "during" and after pictures. So this is what we lived in for a few weeks...

And now, after a month of: refinishing, painting, moving, cleaning, rearranging, and organizing....I think we are ready for a little girl to join us. What do you think??

Baby Shower!

2010-10-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

Our ward threw me an amazing baby shower a couple of weeks ago. It was so much fun and we were seriously so humbled by everyone's generosity!

I had a blast with the games and hanging out with everyone. Not to mention the food!! Pam and Debbie even drove up from San Diego, which was so wonderful to have them there!

Thank you to everyone, we were seriously so grateful and excited about everything!

38 weeks and counting...

2010-09-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, so as you can tell by the ticker on the side bar, time got away from me!! The pictures and update are from 38 weeks, but here I am posting it at 39 1/2 weeks. Only 4 days to go to the due date. The exciting thing is the next pregnancy post on here will be the announcement of our new arrival!!! I'm thinking she will be late though, so don't hold your breath........

I'm trying not too.

I can't believe that it is coming this fast, and yet I can't believe she isn't here yet! Things have been great, but I am just getting bigger and bigger. It makes sleeping hard. But I have found some good positions that work, so I can usually get a 4 hours stretch before I start waking up aching and going to the bathroom. So, really I can't complain about that! I feel like I should right more, but I don't have much to say. I am just nesting and waiting. I don't know if I haven't had a chance yet, but I am so not nervous, I am too excited to have any other emotion right now!

What has changed in the last week and half.....I think that 4 hour stretch sounds nice! I really can't go more than 2 or 3 hours without waking up aching or needing to go to the bathroom. Once I am awake I have a hard time getting comfortable again, but somehow I am making it. It's really good practice for what is about to come! I really am feeling so good considering I am only 4 days away from my due date. It almost scares me how good I feel...she'll still come right?! But seriously, things are good.

We have everything done, and I love it! I feel like we have so much more room and everything came together so well. I love looking around and seeing all the evidence that a baby will be joining us soon! I will post pictures of the apartment soon...I promise!

Until then, Here is the last monthy picture.....

Hurry and come Little Girl...we really can't wait to meet you!!

Deep Sea Fishing

2010-09-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we had the chance to go Deep Sea Fishing out of Santa Barbara! The J. Rueban Clark Society at school was going and so we decided we would go too. We were so excited. We started the morning out by getting up at 4:30 and getting ready to head up to Santa Barbara. It was great! We got there early, got on the boat and headed out. It was foggy and beautiful. It was so fun to be that far out on the Ocean. After about an hour or so, Nathan and I started having very different experiences....

So...apparently, I get sea sick. And I mean REALLY sea sick!! I figured it might be a little problem, but naive me that makes everything perfect in my head, saw it similar to being on a lake. Yep, that's right, I seriously thought that we would drive out to where we were going to fish and it would be a bumpy wavy ride out, and then we would stop...and so would the boat. Well, if you are ever wondering....it NEVER stops! Even when you slow down the boat keeps moving with the waves, constantly. After about an hour and half, I couldn't take it anymore and took advantage of the first barf bag that Nathan snuck on for me (man, he is good!). Let's just suffice to say that I used several more bags, finally fell asleep, and was reminded vividly of morning sickness! At one point I asked Nathan, if he knew I would get sick why did he let me come? He answered with, "I knew you would just get mad and come anyway". Oh my, he knows me so well...

So, onto Nathan's experience (it's much more pleasant). He had a lot of fun, unfortunately the fish must have heard we were coming, they were not biting at all. No one caught anything! But it was a good time had by mostly all.

There were some pretty cool moments though (and I actually did see these)...

Lots of Sea Lions hanging out on the buies.

We drove into a pod of dolphins! There were probably close to 100 jumping and swimming around. They would come right up to the boat and swim right along side us. They were jumping like crazy. It was beautiful! I love Dolphins and whales, so this was my favorite part. We saw a real whale too!

When we were out looking for fish, they said they were going to look for "Bird Activity" to know where the fish were. I thought this would be like 5 or maybe even 10 birds. No, think more 300-500 birds flying around and diving, right in the middle of the ocean. There were all kinds too: Pelicans, Sea Gulls, and several others!

The wildlife (and solid ground) was my favorite part for sure! We had a great time overall. And I told Nathan he should definately go again, and catch something this time. But he has already been warned....I will not be going with him!

By the way, I got the pictures from Nathan's friend Derek. He did a great job documenting the day!

Weekends

2010-09-10T14:05:00.001-05:00

We have had some fun weekends! A couple weeks ago, we went with some people in our ward to Rincon Beach. The water and weather was beautiful, and we loved spending the day with fun people!

Nathan enjoyed Kyaking, swimming, and playing Frisbee and baseball.

And of course...napping in the sand!

I enjoyed chatting and playing some football. I can’t wait to go back when I can actually kyak and play in the water! We will definitely be going again. It was a blast!

Last weekend we took off to San Diego for a quick trip. We loved watching the Cougars win, and spending great time with family! Thanks for letting us come down, it was a blast!

We then spent Labor Day demolishing our apartment and starting over. Pictures to come….we have it almost perfect! And I am SO excited!!

Shower

2010-09-01T17:00:00.000-05:00

Last Friday we had our first baby shower. The wonderful people at work threw us quite the party!! It was so fun and we felt so grateful and so loved. We got some great stuff and had a fun time.

The decorations were all I got pictures of (I know, I am terrible). But they were too cute to not share.

Blankets for table clothes!

Onsie Flowers!!

Thank you to everyone!

Last First Day of School!!

2010-08-31T16:47:00.001-05:00

Nathan had his 20th and LAST first day of school last week!!

It's going to be a big year. Bring it on!!!

34 Weeks!!!

2010-08-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, I cannot believe I am already 34 weeks! Only 6 weeks left to go, this is crazy. I cannot wait to meet this little girl!!

I am getting so ready, and with 6 more weeks to go, I have no doubt I will be more than ready when she finally makes her debut. I have to say though, I may not have been the luckiest with the first 20 weeks, but I really think I have lucked out here at the end. I don't feel like I have much to complain about. But here are the facts:

*Sleep is still hit and miss. Some nights I get so tired I don't notice anything and sleep great, and other nights I just toss and turn never getting comfortable. The biggest problem is going to the bathroom, which I do about every 2 hours...all. night. long!

*Believe it or not, church is the worst!! I swear they have the heater on. I never swell until I walk into that building and then I can't wear my wedding ring or my shoes. It is so hot and so uncomfortable. I seriously love my primary kids, but hot, uncomfortable, and in charge of 6 year olds...enough said.

*Little Miss has dropped!! About 2 weeks ago I started noticing things and it has been confirmed by my midwife. The girl is LOW! She sits on my pelvis and kicks my bladder all day. But you know, that's the part I love! I love feeling her and knowing she is comfortable and happy. Ok, now I just sound like a cheesy pregnant woman.

*I am starving. All the time. It's crazy. I eat, a normal amount and you would think I hadn't eaten in days! It is taking so much discipline to eat only what I know I need and not more. The main problem is after 7:00pm. If it isn't sweet, it isn't good at that point! But I (or Nathan) has definately lucked out in the cravings department. I haven't had anything I just had to have. Pretty much as long as it contains sugar, I am a happy girl! The only way I have found to fix this is just eat really really healthy all day long when I am not craving the sweets, so that when the night time comes I am too full to eat or at least I didn't eat sweet stuff all day. But my weight gain has stayed very stable, so I am happy.

*Working out...it's getting hard. I still love it and need it, but wow. After about 20 minutes I am wiped out! Pre-pregnancy, 1 maybe 2 rest days a week were plenty, maybe even too much. Now, I find the rest days do just as much for me as the work out days. And yes, I usually have 3. But hey, I am still going and still (mostly) enjoying.

*Nathan, how do people do pregnancy without a supportive husband?? I am in awe daily at his sympathy. I wanted this so bad, it would be so easy for him to brush it aside and say I asked for it. But instead, he sympathizes and always makes me feel validated. He laughs at crazy pregnancy related strangeness with me, and actually makes it fun.

*We took the hospital tour last night. It was actually pretty fun to see where she will be born and have a better idea of what to expect. I am so excited I haven't had a chance to be nervous yet...I'm sure it will come, but right now I just can't wait! I love our hospital, it is exactly what I hoped for. And really, labor means 2 things: Meeting my baby girl, and not being pregnant anymore!!!

That's about it for now. I am actually enjoying this part of pregnancy. I can't wait for it to be over, but I am not dreading every day like I did at the beginning. This is SO much better than being sick! Nathan and I are up to our eyebrows in new projects and getting ready for this girl. It is all so exciting. I will post pictures as we get more into it. But I am thinking these will make the time go faster, I just hope they are all done before she comes!

Now....here I am in all my 34 week pregnant glory!!

August 15, 2006

2010-08-23T17:15:00.000-05:00

Sunday was our 4th anniversary! I can't believe I have been this lucky for 4 years now. This year we celebrated the whole weekend! We started out Saturday morning early by heading down to UCLA for a football practice. It was awesome! We had a blast getting all geared up for football season. Then we walked around campus for a while until it was time to go.

Our next activity was in Orange County. We went to see "In the Heights". Thank you Natalie and Jeri for the recommendation! It was great. We absolutely loved it.

After the play we went over to Newport Beach for dinner. We walked around the port and enjoyed the small-beach town feel. It was such a quaint city, and so much fun to watch all the yachts going out and coming in.

(Love this picture!)

We had dinner at Bluefish Gril...YUM! It was amazing. A perfect place to celebrate and laugh together.

Sunday was a great day, we had a big breakfast in the morning and then got to spend a lot of good time together!

"I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been

Lucky to be coming home again

Lucky we're in love in every way

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed

Lucky to be coming home someday "

It's been an amazing 4 years! Thanks for making me the luckiest girl in the world!

I love you!

Summer Nights

2010-08-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

You know, I actually get a little excited when I get behind in blogging during the summer. I love taking advantage of the long days and time off of school! A couple weekends ago, we had a great time doing everything that should be done during summer.

We started out Friday evening by going to the driving range (one of our favorite places). I was a little surprised at how much my tummy had grown and was now hindering a swing since our last golf adventure! It was so much fun!
After golf, we headed over to Costco for dessert (yeah, we’re cool like that) and rushed home to watch a movie with our Costco Frozen yogurt.

Saturday we went to the temple. I have to say, this was my first time doing a session since I got pregnant. We would go do other things that didn’t take as long or that I could snack through, since for the most part I couldn’t go too much more than an hour and half without either eating or feeling sick. But the last month I have been feeling really good and pretty much on a normal eating schedule so we decided to try it out. I am so glad we did! It was so peaceful and wonderful to be there again.

When we got home we decided to have a relaxing afternoon. I worked on Little Miss’s crib bedding (pictures to come) while Nathan napped. Again…perfect summer!

That night we decided to try out a little theater down one of the canyons close to us. The show on Saturday was “The Three Musketeers”. It was such a fun place; it was an outdoor amphitheater, literally hidden in the canyon. The stage was surrounded by trees and actually used the mountain as part of the scenes. It was a, well different, rendition of the play, but enjoyable nonetheless! And more than anything else, it was a great date night out!

Then Last weekend, Nathan's parents came up for the day and we went to the Getty. It was great to walk around, that museum really is amazing! There are so many exhibits there is just no way to see it all in one day! I don't think you could ever get sick of it.

We had a great time with them! Thank you for coming up!!

My Family Came!!!

2010-07-28T15:38:00.000-05:00

As I said in my last post on July 17 my family came to visit!! It was so much fun being with them and getting to spend so much time together. Sometimes I forget how wonderful that can be since I don’t get to do it very often. They did a ton of fun stuff while they were here, but Nathan and I had to work through the days so we had nights and weekends with them. Here are the highlights of the time we got to spend with them!

We started the trip with a day at the beach! It was so much fun to go hang out on the shore and enjoy the time together. The waves weren’t very good for boogie boarding, but everything else was perfect! That night we enjoyed tacos and relaxing while talking and catching up. I had fun showing them everything we’ve done for the baby so far!

Games! Epecially the game Pictionary. We played more times than I can count, and it was hilarious every single time (Hockey!!)! We also had fun playing Apples-to-Apples.
We had fun working out together at our gym.

BBQs!! We had 2 really fun BBQ’s by the pool while they were here. It was so summer-like! We played in the pool a ton. I think we seriously lived in the water for a week. I think we went out there every day!

Tennis! We had so much fun going out and playing tennis several times too. In fact, we started just wearing our swimsuits to the tennis courts so we could go straight to the pool after! The boys in this family are all pretty good, so they got pretty into it. While us girls just enjoyed getting a rally every once in a while! It was so fun!
We roasted Marshmallows and made s’mores a few time too! One night we couldn’t get a fire pit so we came back to our apartment and did it over the stove.

But the other 2 nights we wanted to go out and roast we had no problem getting the fire pit! It was so fun to sit around the fire and eat s’mores together. I don’t know if I have laughed that hard in quite a long time!

It just so happens that my Uncle Scott was in town the same time as my family! We met up with him on Friday at the Santa Monica Pier for lunch. It was so fun to see him, I actually haven’t really seen him since we got married! He is hilarious and is always one for a good time. Not to mention the food was amazing!

(He is in a wheelchair becuase a few weeks ago his horse decided to "tap dance on his ankle" as he put it. We are so glad he is ok and was healthy enough to make the trip)

Saturday we finished off the week with one last beach day! The weather, water and waves were PERFECT that day. Nathan spent the whole afternoon in the water teaching Krin and Makay how to Boogie Board. Makay actually got pretty good.And the whole beach knew when Krin caught a wave…her squeals from the water said it all! (Yes you could hear them from the beach). I enjoyed some water time and some beach time. It was so relaxing and fun. Dad collecting sea shells for Krin

The only downer to the day….. Right as we were about to leave a bird left a little present for my mom!

That night we took my family to our favorite restaurant around. We headed over to Neptune’s Net for some Fish and chips and Crab Burgers…yum!
We couldn’t help but miss my brother though, he would have made it complete!

We had so much fun together, I was so sad to see them go. But next time we see them the family will have grown by 1!! And I don’t think any of us can stand the wait!!!

Happy Birthday Scott!!

2010-07-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

On Saturday July 17, it was Scott’s birthday! It just so happens that July 17 my family came into town for a fun-filled week and in my current mindlessness I forgot to blog. So for that, I apologize Scott. But know that we did think about you and want to still wish you a happy birthday…

When the tide is right Scott can be found...Surfing!

One word to describe Scott is...funny. Scott always has a story to keep us laughing.

Favorite Dessert… Ice Cream. Ok, I actually have to admit that I don’t really know this, but I have heard he has a bowl every night.

Why we love him… Scott is a good, funny and carefree guy and he and Pam are great together!

Happy Birthday Scott!!!

30 Weeks

2010-07-26T13:30:00.000-05:00

Wow! I can’t believe I am already 30 weeks pregnant. Weeks 1-20 felt like a year, but I feel like I blinked and I went from 20-30! We are getting so excited to meet this little girl. I can’t wait for her to join our family!

Things have been going really well. The uncomfortable backaches are setting in and sleep is hit and miss. I have found a few positions that are really comfortable, but it seems like at the rate my belly grows, I only get those for a few nights before I am too big and have to figure out a new one! I have been running every day up until this last week. I finally had to switch back and forth between the treadmill and the eliptcal. It has worked well though because I still can get a pretty good workout. I don’t quite think running is out yet, but it’s definitely more dependant on the day. I guess I just get to look forward to that first good run just a few months away now!

I have been able to weather the heat pretty well, sort of. Since I work by the ocean, it’s been great! It’s not nearly as hot there. When I am at home in the heat it’s not so easy. I have had 1 or 2 nights where I started to swell in my hands and feet, but as soon as I cool down and rest it goes away. I think we might be living in the pool over the next few weeks though.

Those are really the only “symptoms” I have had over the last month. Compared to how sick I was at the beginning, nothing feels that bad! When I get hot or uncomfortable, it’s pretty easy to just think to myself, “Hey, at least you haven’t already thrown up 10 times today!” and I feel pretty good!

My absolute favorite part of pregnany has been feeling her move! And she seems to be a very active baby, looks like she’ll fit right in! As of late she has been taking up residence in my right side. It’s pretty funny because she wedges herself over there, but still seems to have plenty of room to still kick and twist like crazy. But I love it, I love knowing that all is well!

30 weeks down…10 to go!!!

South Pacific

2010-07-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend, we went downtown to the Ahmanson Theater to see South Pacific. We thoroughly enojoyed the evening!

We started the afternoon off with a swim, and then a BBQ. And then we took off downtown. We hadn't ever been there before, so we roamed around for a little while enjoying The Music Center. It was amazing that such a nice place could be so in the middle of downtown! It was a cluster of theaters and concert halls. We loved it!

The show was incredible and so much fun. There was so much talent and it was amazing to sit and listen to them sing. Their voices were phenomenal! And having a fun place to dress up and go to with Nathan on a Saturday night...not to bad either!

What's More American?

2010-07-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

Than the 4th of July!

Well the one we had anyway. We definitely enjoyed some All-American activities. Nathan and I started the weekend out very early Saturday morning and headed down to San Diego to spend some time with his family. We actually took off at 6:30 to try to miss traffic, and miss it we did! We flew down there, it was great! Once we got there we went for a run and got ready for the day. It was a perfect first day; we hung around, played games and enjoyed talking with each other. Then that afternoon we took off for dinner and a Padres Game! We had so much fun, it was a great game and the Padres won…1-0!

Sunday was the actual 4th, I really enjoyed having the 4th on a Sunday this year, church was so good as we talked about the Constitution and what it means to live in America! That night we had a great BBQ and watched the fireworks. Apparently our Little Missy can hear/feel pretty well! She was going crazy through the whole firework show, I loved it! And the show was quite impressive. We walked up to a spot just behind the High School where they were shooting them off and we could totally feel the booms! It was a great show and so much fun to see. And then of course, we ended the night with Apple Pie (told you it was an American weekend)!

Monday we decided to take it easy and keep things pretty low-key. Nathan decided to set up the croquet set in the backyard. Everyone ended up coming out to play, even his sister and brother-in-law. We had so much fun taking each other on in Croquet and actually learning the real English rules. We ended up playing for a few hours and thoroughly enjoying the time out there!

It was such a fun weekend, the perfect mix of eventful and restful. Thank you Greg and Debbie for a great time!

Friends and Family

2010-06-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was full of friends and family...and really, what could be better than that?!

Saturday two of my old roommates were in town, Alicia and Sarah! I love these girls, they are the best. I loved living with them, and I love the friendships that we have kept over the years. We didn't really "do" anything because Sarah was actually in town for a wedding, so she was actually sweet enough to make the schedule work to see us.

We hung out at the temple for an hour or so and then I got to hang out with Alicia longer while we drove her to her Grandma's house. I miss talking to these girls, and it was so much fun to catch up and enjoy time with them!

After dropping Alicia off we headed right down to Orange County. We figured we were half way there for Father's Day the next day, but I am SO glad we did. We had such a blast hanging out with Tammy and John (like normal)! They made a fire in their backyard and we roasted hot dogs and smores. And then enjoyed the evening around the fire talking.

The next morning Tammy made a fabulous Father's Day breakfast and then the rest of Nathan's family came after church for Dinner. We had a great time hanging out with everyone and celebrating fathers. This was a big one for Nathan, I was only 1/2 of a Mom on Mother's Day, but he was 2/3 of a Dad on Father's day!!

We are so grateful for both of our Dads and the example they are to us. Happy Father's Day, we love you!!

Weekend with Nathan's Parents

2010-06-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Nathan's parents came up to visit! It was so fun to have them here and to show them around town. We started out with lunch at Neptune's Net (our personal favorite). And it did not disappoint, it was delicious as usual!

Then we took off for Santa Monica. We spent the afternoon at the Santa Monica Pier and 3rd Street Promenade. Some fun, must-see places in Santa Monica.

That evening we tried to go to The Getty again. But for some reason traffic was horrible. I mean, it's usually bad, but this was extreme. We think there was a problem ahead because even when the light turned green no one moved. So finally, we decided to head back and go to dinner instead. We went to a fun new Mexican restaurant by us, and the food was great!

The next day they joined us for breakfast, church, and dinner (though we didn't get any pictures of that). It was so fun! Thank you for coming to visit!!

25 weeks down, 15 to go!

2010-06-24T13:55:00.000-05:00

Actually, this is somewhat wrong, becuase I am already almost 26 weeks, but the picture is 25 weeks. Things are great right now! She is getting stronger and stronger and growing like a weed. I am actually enjoying being pregnant a little bit, and feeling her move around.

We are crazy getting things ready and talking about names! My baby ticker says there are only 101 days left. Can you believe I am almost to double digits?!?! She is going to be here before we know it (I hope...)

Well, here I am, 6 months pregnant!

Tehachapi

2010-06-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

Last week Nathan was asked to go do a property assessment in Tehachapi, CA for work. He knew about this for about a week or so, and was just looking forward to get out of the house. Well, sometime on Thursday I made the comment about if this was just 3 months later me and the babe would tag along with him! And that got us thinking.....

...So, finally at 11:00pm on Thursday night we decided I should go! I called into work, we turned off the alarm and enjoyed our very surprising 3 day weekend. (Man, if you need a refresher in life do something totally spontaneous! I haven't taken a day off work randomly since I started 2 years ago. I always take vacation for family things or save it for the baby. It was WONDERFUL to have a day off for something fun with just the two of us!)

Friday morning we woke up, I packed some snacks and we took off! The drive was beautiful and so much fun. It was only about 2 hours away, so it was the perfect sized road-trip for my new state of being. My favorite part of the drive was the wind-farm on the side of the mountain. It was high desert and very windy, so it was obviously the perfect place. I tried to get some good pictures, but it just didn't even come close to showing how many there really were. They were on both sides of the mountains, and there were literally thousands!

When we finally got to Tehachapi we first went to the property he was assessing which was a motel just off the main road in town. It was fun to actually drive through some neighborhoods and see what small town Tehachapi life is like!

Then it was off for the "sight-seeing". I guess the railroad went through Tehachapi and that is what made the town famous, the "Tehachapi Loop". So the whole down town area was built up like a train depot.

We enjoyed touring their train museum and walking into some shops along main street.

After our tour of the town (It was just one street really), we stopped off for lunch at a local bakery. The sandwiches were amazing! And then took off for home.

I think we were both a little surprised at what a fun day it turned into! It was nice to get away and enjoy something a little different than our normal life! And just think....in a few more months I won't even have to take work off!

The Getty Museum

2010-06-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday we decided to go do the Getty Museum in Santa Monica. We found out that parking is free Saturday nights from 5-9 and that the museum is always free! So, we got there right about 5. We definately enjoyed the atmosphere and were amazed at the size of the museum. We only made it through about 2 buildings of the 7 or so. We will defiantely be going back!

They had a a fun DaVinci exhibit...

And my personal favorites were the impressionist paintings.

When we were leaving the fog was so thick and beautiful. I tried to take this picture of some of the other buildings there, it really doesn't do it justice.

I can't wait to go again!

Filming UIRP

2010-06-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

Living this close to Malibu, we often see a lot of filming going on. In fact, my commute to work is loaded with yellow signs (like this one for the Biggest Loser) directing crews to their sets. I have seen some really cool things, like a car scene filmed right in front of me!! But this one might have been my favorite!

Nathan and I went out for a run a couple Thursday mornings ago at 6:00 and there were a ton of semi's and trailors parked on our street. It seemed weird, but by the time we got home they were moving into the field across from our apartment and setting up camp. They were there all day (and evidently all night as well) so we decided to check it out. The secuirty guard told us this was the crew parking lot, they had dinner catered to them and were preparing to go film the scene on the 101 freeway through the night. He said there were no big names in it, but who knows, I doubt the security guard would tell us that Jennifer Anniston was 20 feet away!

So...keep your eye out for some movie in the next year or or so that comes out with a freeway scene. We drove out there after it was dark and they had a lane closed and all the lights on with cops everywhere while they filmed. It was quite the site!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-06-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

On any given evening Dad can be found….Supporting one child or another. My dad never missed (misses) anything! This includes sports practices, games, recitals, concerts, and anything else you can imagine. If it meant something to you, it meant something to him. He is always there cheering his kids on and letting them know he is proud of them.

One word to describe him… Hardworking. He always worked hard being the sole provider so my mom could stay home. But more than that, he never stopped working once he got home either! There was always something around the house or an assignment at church that needed to be attended to. And if he decides to do it, it will be done 110%!

Favorite Food… Roasted and Salted Peanuts.

Why we love him… He is supportive, loving, caring and funny. He loves to have fun and is really good at making any situation a good time. He cares so much about his family; there is no doubt in any of our minds that we are his first priority. He loves us and makes sure everyone is taken care of and happy all the time. If mom and the kids are happy then he is happy, and he lives his life making sure of that!

Happy Birthday Dad! We love you!

Weekend with the Mitchells

2010-05-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Tammy John headed out to a concert, so we got to watch the kids! We decided to let them make their own pizza. I think the best part was watching them...

Ashley made the pizza sauce for us...

And then Andy helped us add all the flavor!

Meanwhile Uncle Nathan got the dough all ready and then we were ready to build it...

She really enjoyed eating the toppings...that's why they got their own!

And finally...the best part of all!

How did we do??

Awesome!

Then we let them fall asleep to the movie Pinnochio, which according to Ashley is a "boy movie" ...but turned out to be her "favorite"! The next morning we headed out to the park for a couple hours...

And when Mom and Dad got back, we had a BBQ and went swimming. To be honest I don't know how the kids fared, but I was exhausted!! It was so much fun and we can't wait to have them over again!

PS...Quick apology to Nathan, he really was a big part of the evening, but as you can tell he is the primary photographer at our house...I need to work on that!

SURPRISE!!

2010-05-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

The last 5 months Nathan hasn't had a break! The guy has hardly sat down! Seriously, by the time I got sick he was well into school and work and still had to take care of everything else. And by the time I finally started feeling better he was needing to crack down on finals. So in an effort to celebrate Valentine's (which I was sick through), his birthday, finishing finals, and just plain saying thanks...I surprised Nathan with a tee time last Saturday!!

It was so much fun! We had a great time playing together, though saying that I was "playing" is being very generous in explaining my abilities!

I loved these pictures of Nathan's swing...He's pretty good! He hadn't played in a few years and still did great!

We had a great time and can't wait for an occasion to go again. And someday, we won't even need an "occasion!!"

I love you, Nathan!

Birthday Week!!

2010-05-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

It's a real challenge to catch up from missing 3 months of your life. I feel like I have finally caught up to about the beginning of May, which ironically is when I was feeling better. Anyway...We love the first week of May at our house....Birthday week!!

My birthday was first. After a super cute blog post and multiple calls and emails through the day, we had a fun dinner when I got home and then went out to buy something fun. Anyone who knows us, knows how much we LOVE games. So that is what I wanted, a new game. I ended up picking a puzzle though. It's the "World's Smallest 1000 Piece Puzzle". I am super excited to do it!

Then, we came back and had some friends over for cake. It was actually an ice cream cake that Nathan made!! My absolute favorite!!!

It was such a great evening full of fun. And now I am 24, yikes! How did that happen??

For Nathan's birthday the day was mostly off limits since he had a final the day before and the day after! I made him a fun meal of Steak and baked potatoes and then we celebrated by playing some Wii golf! That wasn't all. This poor guy missed out on everything for lots of months, so I decided to make it up to him with something fun. I mentioned it a month or so ago in this post....Stay tuned.....

Happy Birthday Makay!!!

2010-05-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

On any given afternoon Makay can be found.......at a sports practice! This kid loves sports. He loves to move and be active. If it involves a ball...he loves it! He doesn't just enjoy it and participate in all of it, he is actually really good! I think the coaches love having him almost as much as he loves being there!

One word to describe Makay is...... Friendly. Makay is a friend to everyone. It's always been this way too. Other parents are always saying to my mom how kind Makay is and how their child loves being around him. Makay has been on student council for a few years now and loves it. He actually just won again for 8th grade....good job Makay!!

Favorite Sport......Basketball. He spends hours outside shooting the ball. I had to quit playing actual games with him by the time he was 6 or something like that because he was too good (and I was too competitive). After that we started playing Lightening or HORSE! He is good and enjoys every second of a good basketball game (that includes watching). Ask him anything about the Jazz...trust me, he'll know!

Why we love him......I know I mentioned sports in 2 of the things above and that's becuase it's true, this kid is a sports fanatic! But there is a lot more to him too. He is smart. I am constantly amazed at the logical and very quick way his brain works. He can quickly compute just about any math problem as well as common sense scenario that the rest of us can't quite get! Beyond that, Makay is loving. He is a quiet kid that just observes, but it makes him far more aware of what people need and want and then he makes sure to get it for them. He is helpful and kind. He is sensitive and caring. And above all, Makay is funny! He gets wittier by the day! There is a lot to say about him, but most of all he is a great brother. And I can't wait for him to be an uncle. Even if it is a girl, I think they are going to have tons of fun!

Happy Birthday Makay! We love you!

21 Weeks...

2010-05-24T12:26:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I hit 21 weeks! It's so fun to be well past the half way mark! I love knowing that I have already been pregnant longer than I am going to be before I hold this little girl! We are so excited to have a girl too. Aunt Tammy bought her her first outfits and I already can't put them down! So for the picture part, as Aunt Krin requested............

Just a reminder of 17 weeks...

And now, 21 weeks!!

This is the first picture in full Maternity-wardrobe! My mom sent the new jeans, and I love them!! Life is so much more comfortable! It's fun to finally start looking pregnant, albiet little, rather than just overweight. I have had a couple people ask me in the last week or so, so that is a relief to me! Though I am glad I actually WAS pregnant or I would have been crushed!

As for other "pregnancy news" things are still going well! I love the second trimester, everyone was so right! I am small enough that I am not totally umfortable yet, which is so nice. I do wake up to go to the bathroom at least 3 times a night, and it's getting pretty uncomfortable to bend over or sit for long periods of time. It's quite an adjustment living with a belling! But's it's a fun one.

The hardest part so far has been the sleeping. My doctor told me at my last appointment that I should stop sleeping on my back now. So I have really been trying. I am more of a stomach sleeper actually, but that isn't hard to not do since it hurts now. So since it started becoming uncomfortable...I started sleeping on my back! One of the first nights I tried sleeping on my side I woke up in the morning...on my back! I was so worried I killed her! But I didn't...she's still moving, phew! It's gotten better since, I use a body pillow and have actually been able to figure out how to sleep fairly comfortably. Though I think I am taking up way more than my half of the bed...oops!

I am still running, and loving it!! I dont' know how long it will last becuase I am sure I will hit a point where I just stick out to far for the bouncing, but for now I am just eating up every second of it!

So here are "highlights" of the last month.....

Feeling her move more and more! She is an active little one and I love it! My favorite time of day is laying in bed falling asleep and feeling her move all over.
I think I need a drum roll for this one.....it has OFFICIALLY been 2 weeks since last time I threw up!!!!! I don't know if I (or Nathan) have ever been more excited as the day I actually took the barf bags out of the car! It only took 19 weeks, but it left...and I just about dare say...completely!
I mentioned running, exercise has been going really well. I am enjoying it and it is a great outlet for me...it makes me feel all pre-pregnancy which is a great feeling whenever you can get it!
On the last post I made a comment about my weight. I lost so much while I was sick (close to 13 pounds). When I finally started feeling better I actually gained it all back pretty quickly, and by quickly I mean within about 6 weeks. But that puts my total weight gain for the pregnancy at only 2 pounds. It's great because now that I feel better I can eat just about anything and am back to a normal diet. I have been paying attention better to my weight and everything has evened out...finally. Being sick just makes stuff hard. So it's great to see my body adjusting fully and finding a good balance!
We cleaned out our closet and under our bed this last week. Now we have some room for her stuff! Only a little more to do and then I will actually start making her things and getting ready. I am so excited!
And this one I saved for last becuase it's MY absolute favorite.........Ready? Nathan felt her move last week!!! It was so fun to finally be able to share with him what I was feeling this whole time! I would try to explain it to him, but it just wasn't doing it for me. He saw her move on the ultrasound, but I loved being able to let him actually feel her move! He hasn't been able to since, but she is getting stronger and stronger so I think pretty soon he will be able to feel her all the time too!

So...obviously the second trimester is better, and wonderful! I know I say this every time, but I feel so blessed and so humbled to be this little girl's mom! We really can't wait!!!

Happy Birthday Tammy!!

2010-05-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

On any given weekend Tammy can be found... hosting a party! She loves to party and she loves to host, so this really is her perfect night. Sometimes I still feel bad when we are there because our every want is catered to! She is a great cook and is always whipping something together we can all enjoy!

One word to describe Tammy...Creative. She has an incredible talent for art. Crafts, painting, scrapbooking, sewing, cooking, or just plain creating; if she makes it, it turns out perfect. She has an Etsy shop where she sells her latest creations and they always look amazing.

Tammy's Favorite Hobby...Photography (in fact she is really hard to find a picture of becuase she is always behind the camera!) She has developed her passion into a business and is extremely successful at what she does. We love having Tammy take our pictures because she makes us look so good!

Why we love her...Tammy is easy going, upbeat and always full of fun ideas. She is such a great friend and somone we really look up to! Thanks for being such a fantastic sister and an amazing friend!

Happy Birthday Tammy! We love you!!

It's a.......

2010-05-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

GIRL!!!

Boy or Girl???

2010-05-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

I had a Dr's appointment on Monday and everything is looking good. My body needs to decide if it is going to gain weight or lose weight and stick with one! (Preferably gain in small increments)! But other than that, things are great. I am feeling the baby move like crazy, which is amazing. That is the good part of pregnancy so far (besides the outcome of course). I love feeling it kick around in there!!

But the big news of the week is...........

We have our ultrasound on Monday!!! We absolutely can not wait to find out what the baby is!! So, what do you think?? I definately want to hear your guesses. Checkout the sidebar quiz and let us know!

Happy Birthday Nathan!!

2010-05-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

On any given day Nathan can be found…. Looking up real estate! This is his true life passion. We each have a financial calculator so that whenever he finds something good we can play around to figure out how much the monthly payments would be or how much the down payment should be. He loves finding good deals and dreaming about how much the monthly income would be from all 400 apartments in whatever complex he wants to buy this time.

And one more (it’s somewhat related)…he can always be found checking the stock market. He loves the game that it is and watching how the market responds. He loves looking up stock charts and watching what the patterns are and how he can beat them. He is very business minded and loves keeping his eye on how it all works!

One word to describe to Nathan…Hardworking. Nathan never gives up, he is always moving forward. He has very specific goals in life and works really hard to achieve them. One thing that I have always said about Nathan, since we were dating, is that everything works out for him. I used to tease him about it saying that I wanted to marry him so that everything would work out for me too! What I never realized is that everything does work out for him, but it’s because he is not afraid to work for it and creatively change his path to achieve it. If he hits a roadblock, it doesn’t even phase him. He just figures out how to move around and keeps right on going until he gets what he wants! He works hard for his dreams, and he works hard for me. I always feel at peace with him, knowing that everything will be fine…he will make sure of it!

Favorite Sport/Pastime/Hobby….. Golf. Nathan loves golf! He lives for it! It doesn’t matter if it’s the Wii (although this is not his preferred way to play) or the putting green or the driving range, or actually playing, there is something about it that is stress relieving for him. He is always practicing his swing in the living room and talking about the latest tournament. We will be retiring on a golf course someday, hopefully by the time he is 35 (if he has anything to do with it)! Only 9 more years!! :)

Why I love him… This part could go on and on for a while, so I will just name a couple. I love Nathan because he makes me better. He has a positive attitude about everything and everyone that is contagious. He is always working hard to make himself better and that pushes me to do the same. Nathan is caring. He is always taking time to help other people and how he can let them know that he cares about and appreciates them. He takes care of me. He always wants to make me happy and always knows exactly how to do that too. I often have to question if what he is saying is really his opinion or if he just knows that is what I want. Especially these last few months, Nathan has really added a whole new definition to “taking care of me”. I am humbled as I think back to how he literally took care of me and loved me for the last few months. He literally spent hours figuring out what I would eat and what might make me feel better and would do anything he could to do things that I just couldn’t do. I am so lucky to have him as my eternal companion!

Happy Birthday Nathan. I love you!!

Congratulations Andy

2010-05-07T15:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this is delayed, but I still wanted to post about Andy's baptism! A few (ok, maybe more) weeks ago we got to go down to Orange County for Andy's big day. It was a great day to spend with familiy. It was really special and we were so excited to be there. And very proud of him!

Congratulations Andy!

Happy Birthday Whitney!

2010-05-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

On Any Given Day Whitney Can Be Found...Reading. Whitney is a voracious reader and is always getting a new book at the library. Sometimes she has to borrow my library card because she has already maxed her's out and there is "just one more book" she has to get. She loves goodreads and other good recommendations from friends.

OK, I'm going to do another, just because I can. She can also be found every day in the gym! Whitney is crazy about exercise and staying in shape, even during her pregnancy. Running was one of the things she missed most while being sick and now that she is feeling up to it, she doesn't miss a day to get out and move. If you ask her how her day was, she'll likely say "great" and then proceed to give a summary of her work out for that day. :)

One Word To Describe Whitney Is...Supportive, Motivated, Funny, Energetic, Caring, Enthusiastic, Musical. Ok again, that was more than one, because I can. She is so supportive of me and my goals and she is my best friend. Whitney sets ambitious goals for herself and is constantly driven to conquer her next challenge. She is hilarious, she loves to laugh, and she can laugh at herself which is a great quality. Whitney makes sure life never slows down too much, she is so eergetic that she makes sure we get out often to do new and fun things.

Her Favorite Meal Is...Dinner, and probably dessert after. She loves dinner meals and even likes to have dinner leftovers for lunch the next day, thus having dinner twice. Can it get any better than that?

Why I Love Her...Whitney is a wonderful person inside and out. She lets me be me but also keeps me in check, she is responsible but knows how to have a good time; she is funny but knows when to be respectful; she's very active but knows how to relax in style...and she's going to be an awesome mom and can't wait for the baby to come!

Happy Birthday Whitney!

2nd Trimester

2010-04-27T22:20:00.001-05:00

We are growing, growing, growing! I actually feel really good, with as short as I am I expected to be pretty big by now. So I am very pleased with how much my stomach has held it in! Check out these pictures!

6 weeks (baseline)

17 weeks!

So, I am 17 weeks now, just about 4 months! I have to admit I was getting a little worried around week 14 becuase I still wasn't "better" but it did come...hallelujiah!!! I still throw up every morning when I wake up, but that actually helps the early morning nausea go away and then I can eat breakfast and move along with a normal day! So quite frankly, I don't really care if I do that every day for the rest of the pregnancy. Now it's just trying to catch up with the 3 months of life I missed (hence the really long blog breaks).

I am actually feeling really good, all of the weird first trimest stuff is starting to go away. I can walk somewhere without my heart racing and have actually started to work out again. That is the best part of the second trimester for me. I feel so normal and "me" when I can get back into a schedule like that. I am running a little bit, but mostly just trying to do anything that feels good. So I have done the bike, eliptical, and even some DVD workouts and light weights. It doesn't frustrate me as much as I thought it would to not be as fast or go for as long as before. The whole time I just think about how lucky I am to be the Mom and don't even care! Though I can't wait for that first good run after the baby comes :)

There just isn't as much to say about the second trimester. (Which is really good) We just keep getting more and more excited (if that is even possible)! We get to find out what we are having on May 17! Finals are coming for Nathan. Which is actually good timing because I am finally taking care of myself again. So now he can study for those. And then.....he just may get quite the break from all he has done. I have a few ideas....But I want it to be a surprise, so I will just have to report on what we did after. :)

Happy Birthday John!!!

2010-04-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

On any given night John can be found.... Searching the internet for another amazingly cool thing to do with his family that weekend. And he finds some crazy cool things to do!

One word to describe John.... Hardworking.

Favorite Sports Team... The Angels. As you can tell it's a perfect Father/Son activity.

Why we love him...John takes care of and loves his family completely. He is hillarious and a great friend!

Happy Birthday John, We Love You!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

2010-04-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

On any given day Mom can be found.....Serving. She is always helping other people and looking out for what they need. Especially her family.

One word to describe her is...Selfless. She always thinks of everyone before herself. She is only content when everyone else is comfortable and happy.

Favorite time of day....Morning. And we are not talking just any time of morning, 5:00 in the morning! She loves to see the sunrise and hear the birds singing. She is out exercising by that time everyday. I mean, if you haven't showered by 7:00am, your day is halfway over!

Why we love her... Mom is my greatest example in life. She is everything I have always wanted to be. She has literally given her whole life to her family and her children. She is such a great mom, and is the reason I always wanted to start my own family so young. I hope I can be to my children what she has been to me.

Happy Birthday Mom, We love you!!

Happy Birthday Andy!!!

2010-04-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Andy is turning 8!!

On any give afternoon Andy can be found... Watching Glenn Beck with his Mom. He loves politics and being aware of what is going on. Yes...at 8!

One word to describe Andy... Smart. My personal favorite thing about Andy is having a conversation with him. He doesn't skip a beat and knows exactly what is going on all the time. He is right in with adult converation and is contantly drawing connections and teaching me!

One of Andy's favorite pass times... Baseball. This kid is an Angels fan through and through. My first memory of him is actually playing baseball at a park by his house when he was 4. This is HIS sport, and he is good!

Happy Birthday Andy! This is a big year and we are so proud of you for deciding to be Baptized. We love you!

And just for good measure...my absolute favorite picture of me and Andy!

Easter Bunny...Who?

2010-03-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

Since this Sunday is General Conference, our ward celebrated Easter last Sunday. We had a ward party on Saturday and guess who showed up...yep, that's right, the Easter Bunny!!

The kids loved him! There were really only a couple that were freaked out. In fact they loved him so much, they kept following him every time he tried to leave!

Why does this matter to us? I bet you can't guess who the Easter Bunny was?!

Our Baby...

2010-03-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you everyone for your comments! We couldn't be more excited to grow our little family. Everyone asked for the details so here they are:

*I am 11 1/2 weeks along...almost through the first trimester, yeah!!

*Our baby is due on October 3rd!

*When we got our first ultrasound at 9 weeks the Dr. said we have a very small baby, so she moved our due date back to October 10. But we disagree…even if it is because I couldn’t stand the thought of reliving week 8! Everything has happened (getting sick, getting better ect) right on schedule, so I really feel like October 3rd is more accurate. We just have a ‘little’ one!

*I have been sick sick sick!!! We are talking SICK! I feel like I have had the flu for 7 weeks. I realize it comes with the territory. And though at times I do complain, I try to just remember...um, I'm pregnant!!!!

*But....this last week things have started to turn around!!! I have only been sick in the mornings instead of all day long. Yeah for the end of the first trimester.

*I won't give you any more details on the "sick" part...You're welcome!

*IF the baby did come late we could have ourselves a 10/10/10 baby!!! How cool is that???

*I don’t think there was any question before, but just in case, it is official. I am married to the greatest man in the whole world! Since I got sick on February 8 (yes, I have been counting) he has done everything. And we are talking everything! He does the laundry, cleans the apartment, makes the meals (that most of the time I just throw up), goes grocery shopping, and is still going to school full time and working as well as keeping up with a fairly demanding calling. Not only this, but he is making up for me in my calling by coming to primary and teaching while I sit in the corner and eat. On top of all this, he has decided it is his job to make sure I can still get to work every day (insurance) and packs me countless snacks, crushes me ice and makes me barf bags for the car. He picks out my clothes and brings them to me, makes me breakfast, and other morning sickness "remedies." He tucks me in at night around 7:30 or 8 and then goes on with what he should have been doing all day. As you can tell, I could go on and on, but he has been more than incredible. Our baby is so lucky to have him as a dad, and I am even luckier to have him as my companion. I think I owe him big time when I finally feel better.

*We told my family 2 weeks ago when they came in town for a quick weekend trip. It was so fun, I just handed them the ultrasound pictures and got to watch the shock on their faces. They were totally surprised, and I think they are all pretty excited (this is #1 on their side).

*We told Nathan's family on Sunday. It is his neice Ashley's birthday so we bought her a birthday card and wrote in it that she was going to get a cousin. Her mom (Tammy) read the card out loud to her and they were so shocked. They didn't even believe it at first. Then there was all sorts of screaming and tears.

*I think our baby is going to be very loved!

*I feel so grateful and humbled to be able to have this baby. I couldn't be happier to finally be doing exactly what I have wanted to do my whole life...have a family! Nathan and I are so excited to welcome this little one into our family and start our new life...all together!

I can't think of anything else, so if I missed something, just ask.

Happy Birthday Ashley!!!

2010-03-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

Ashley's turning 4!!!

Ashley's favorite color is pink and she loves to know everyone else's favorite colors too. She is a princess and loves anything pink and girly! We hope she has a wonderful birthday.

Happy Birthday, Princess Ashley! We love you!

What does 1+1 = ??

2010-03-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

THREE!!!

Happy Birthday Pam!

2010-03-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

On a Saturday Morning Pam can be found…Sleeping In.
She works so hard in everything she does, so she can be a power sleeper when she finally gets the chance!

One word to describe her is…..Witty.
Pam is smart! And she is funny! She always has a joke, but you certainly have to be on your toes.

Her favorite pass time…Singing and playing the piano.

Why we love her…Pam is good. She works hard and tries to please everyone around her. Pam cares a lot about everyone she knows and is always working to make sure they know that. She is a great sister and we feel so blessed to have her as part of our lives!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Greg!

2010-02-23T09:00:00.000-06:00

On a Saturday Afternoon Greg can be found...

Tinkering on things around the house and working on the computer with either family history or his business.

One word to describe him is...

Inquisitive.

His favorite food is...

Anything he can sneak past Debbie.

Why we love him...

He always puts the needs of others ahead of his own and he finds happiness in helping everyone else.

Thanks for being such a great dad, Happy Birthday!

Date Night!

2010-02-02T20:15:00.000-06:00

Too bad we weren't at the Americana on Monday, we could have been on lockdown! Instead, we were visiting Rick Caruso's other property, The Grove, and on Saturday. Which is a totally different story...

Saturday morning we decided we wanted to go check out The Grove, and since it is south of us a bit, we thought we'd at least call the Mitchell's and see wha they were up to. It worked out perfectly! They had already called a babysitter and were totally up for the drive.

We met them for dinner at this gourmet Mexican Restauran, Frida Mexican Cuisine, in Beverly Hills (which was Mexican Food you can't even describe!)

And then headed over to the grove where we enjoyed some shopping, Pink Berry, live country music and some good laughs! We love hanging out with Tammy and John. They are family, yes, but just good friends! Thanks for joining us, it was a blast. We can't wait to do it again!

Good Luck, Dallin!

2010-01-28T10:40:00.000-06:00

We had a great weekend in Salt Lake to say "see ya soon" to my brother who is heading out to Buenos Aires, Argentina to serve a mission for our church. It was supposed to be a quick trip: fly in Saturday Moring and fly back for a half day of work on Monday. Well we got up early, got ready and took off for the airport Saturday morning at 5:40am. You know how they tell you to arrive 1 hour early so you can take into account things going wrong or taking longer than you thought? Well, how early should you plan to arrive if EVERYTHING goes wrong. What do I mean by "everything"? Let me tell you.

First, we got up and out to the car, on time. Well, on top of the persistant rain we had been getting all week, it decided to drop into the 20s that night and literally freeze the rain to our car! We (Nathan) started out the morning scraping a sheet of ice off of our car. That set us off a few minutes, but nothing we couldn't recover from, we weren't even checking bags.

Well, traffic was great (at least that went right) and we pulled into our usual parking lot about an hour and 15 minutes before our flight took off. Problem: the parking lot was closed! Apparently, starting January 7 the lot was "employee only" parking. Um, I realize we aren't avid travelers, but we did park in this lot for Thanksgiving. And at that time the only sign said that they were raising rates in December! Don't you think you should let people know that at least a month before you do it?!

Well, to make a long story short(er), we got directions to the other lot and sped off. The next problem: the guy only gave us half of the directions! We were driving around totally lost, down to 50 minutes until our flight left. After a few stops we finally got the real directions and parked. 40 minutes 'till take off. We got to the shuttle stop and wait...and wait...and wait...is this shuttle coming...and wait... Finally it comes, 30 minutes to take off.

Of course our airline terminal was the last stop on the shuttle line and other passengers had to request stops at every single terminal...even the random international airlines that no one has ever heard of. Really? At 7am? We finally got off and ran to security. 20 minutes to take off.

We got to security and really started to think we were going to make it. We were putting our stuff on the belt and could literally see our gate with 15 minutes to go. Things were looking good.

Then the guy in front of us forgot to take his laptop out of the bag! Of course the security people can't just move him to the side and let us go, we had to WAIT! So they call for a supervisor to inspect his stuff...but the supervisor was no where to be found. With about 7 minutes to take off we were running to our gate. We made it up there with a couple people in front of us still boarding. I handed the boarding pass only to hear, "This is New York. The Salt Lake gate got moved!" WHAT?! We started running again...

We totally thought we still had a chance because we got to the real gate just as the last person was boarding...3 minutes to go. Phew...Until we hand her our tickets and hear, "Oh, I am sorry but we already rebooked you. We thought you weren't coming." To say I was livid was an understatement!

It turns out it was the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake the same weekend and all flights were overbooked with a long list of stand-by passengers to go with it. On a normal weekend she would have let us on. So they booked us on a flight 6 hours later and put us on stand-by for the flights in between.

But I do have to say, if we had made our flight we wouldn't have seen these guys...
(Ryan Gossling & Bradley Cooper)

Or John Reily (who we didn't get a picture of)!

(Come on Tammy, you've got to be proud of this!)

Well, we finally did get there. And after a great dinner we went back to play some fun games and enjoy being together!

(Nathan, Krin, and Makay entertaining us on Just Dance...a way fun game on the Wii)

The next day we enjoyed family and friends as we all said good-bye to Dallin. It was so fun to see people and have a chance to hang out with family. We will sure miss him! I wish we had more pictures of our time there, but it was short and very packed. We had a great time and we were glad to be there for this last weekend together for a while.

When we landed in LA, we were some of the last passengers off the plane the cockpit was open and the Pilot was greeting people. He noticed us trying to look in at all the controllers and buttons and asked us if we wanted a picture!! He let us play with all kinds of stuff until the next pilot was waiting to get on! Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

We can't wait to see Dallin again...2012 isn't that far away...right??

El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles

2010-01-14T16:30:00.000-06:00

In case you were wondering, the title of this post is the original name of Los Angeles (The city of our lady the queen of the angels)! This last Saturday we took a trip to Central LA where we visited El Pueblo de Los Angeles and Olvera Street. Basically, the original Los Angeles from the 1800s.

This year Nathan and I decided to make "family goals". After hearing a great talk in Sacrament Meeting when we were in San Diego we decided to follow the scripture in Luke and highlight those 4 areas of our life. For one of our wisdom goals we decided to visit historic monuments in Los Angeles. It was a blast!

There was live music on the streets.

There was a fun group that was dancing in full costume!

This sign was in the center of the city, pointing to all of LA's sister cities.

We saw the original sky scraper! A three story hotel, the tallest and nicest building of it's time. Olvera street was full of little markets and great Mexican food. We got some at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The food was obviously authentic and delicious.

We had a great time. One of my favorite parts of this city is the diversity. We already can't wait for the next fun outing!

Happy Birthday Debbie!

2010-01-12T10:20:00.000-06:00

We want to let you all know a little more about her and let her know how much we love her!

On a Saturday afternoon Debbie can be found...Solving America's problems! She cares a lot about our country and she loves making difference by participating in the political process and alerting people to the problems we face.

One word to describe her is...Involved. Debbie is a wonderful mother because she has always been so close to each of her kids and what they are doing. She fully gives herself to everything she participates in: church, family, and life.

Her favorite kind of music...Country

Why we love her...She's supportive, encouraging, funny, energetic, and fun to be around. It's obvious how much she loves her family. Thanks for being, not only a great mom, but a great friend!

Happy Birthday, Debbie. We love you!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-08T16:00:00.000-06:00

...I was thinking how weird it is to have a decade ending that I vividly remember starting...

New Year's was great this year. We started out by going to the San Diego Temple. It's always wonderful when we can take time to reflect on what is most important in our lives. We went to the last session on New Year's Eve Day. What a way to end the decade :)

Then we went to dinner at Il Fornaio on Coronado Island. We had a great view from our table

and the food was fabulous!

Then we decided to walk around Coronado Island a little and checked out The Hotel Del. It was beautiful!

Then it was off to Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dave's for games and ringing in the New Year!

New Year's Day is a tradition I have been hearing about for a while now, but somehow we have never had the chance yet. So I was pretty excited! Nathan started it out playing football with the guys he grew up with (well, the whole ward actually). He had a great catch that he laid out for and basically won the game with! I didn't get that one on camera, but I did get some other good moves! (This one is a touchdown catch.)

Then we went back to Nathan's parents for a fun day full of great food and football! It was a blast. We enjoyed the day eating all kinds of good football food and enjoying the games. It was everything I was hoping for!

We are excited for the New Year, I always love how much excitment and potential the new year brings. Welcome 2010, I can't wait to see what happens!

While we were in San Diego...

2010-01-07T10:35:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun while we were in San Diego! Nathan's dad and sister took time off work and we toured the town! We started out bowling on Monday, but we forgot our camera. Nathan and his mom were neck-and-neck, I think they each won one game.

The next day we headed out to Cabrillo Monument on Point Loma.

It was such a nice day and pretty clear too. We really enjoyed the views and just walking around together.

The next day we headed up to a town called Julian. It was so fun! It's just a quaint little town, with AMAZING pie! I loved the pie, but I also loved the weather. It was raining slush while we were there, it was beautiful and so fun!

while we were there we also went to the temple with everyone, played lots of games, watched LOTS of Football, and ate good food! It was a blast. And the New Year's post is still on it's way!