Happy Holidays

Possibly the best Santa picture ever taken. This is my nephew Rhett meeting Santa....I think he made a good impression on the little guy. Enjoy. :) And yes, his dad and everyone else is laughing.

We will be spending Christmas in California this year (Cody's first away from home, besides the mission, that doesn't really count). I am looking forward to spending time with the kids, my sisters, my parents, and since we will be there a bit longer than usual, hopefully some friends as well! I will check back and let you know how it goes, we will be there for New Years as well! :)

Our First

Well, as most of you know, Cody and I had the opportunity to celebrate our 1st anniversary this past weekend. And we were talking about all that was happening just one year before. We just can't avoid, when think back on that particular time, that we are reminded of the protesting and the uproar that was going on at that time. Particularly in front of the very temple in which we were sealed for time and all eternity. I remember the protesters being outside the grounds when we were coming out from my endowment, and how we were praying, wishing and hoping that it would all settle down in the 3 days remaining. There was an anthrax scare the night before, and they weren't sure they would open the temple on the morning of Friday, November 14th, and we had been waiting for the call to make other arrangements. There was actually a protest scheduled (yes, they schedule these types of things) for our wedding day, but miraculously, no one decided to show up that day, and they decided late Thursday night that all was well, and they would be able to move forward the next day. So we are very aware of the Lord's hand in our lives and working to bring us together, and making it possible for us to be married in the temple. I thank him very much for helping me begrudgingly move to Utah after a lot of prayer (I mean ALOT, I really didn't want to), so that I would be able to meet the wonderful man I was blessed enough to marry. We also think its pretty cool that we have an event in the history of our country to reference what was going on when we got married so we can tell our children and grandchildren. Not only that, but kind of stand up for we believe in, and were married as man & wife in the face of the debate. (I just think thats cool, because my grandparents met right after WW2, and I always thought that was interesting).
For our anniversary we decided to go back to where it all began and spend a couple hours doing sealings in the temple. Although we weren't being sealed to eachother, it was awesome to spend that day kneeling across from my husband again. It brought back alot of the memories, and we were able to be reminded of all the promises we had made and that were made to us based on our worthiness. Very cool to hear those very words again as we knelt together.
Tangent, I know, but we had decided we had wanted to start some sort of tradition for our anniversary. We had initially decided we would take a "honeymoon" every year and go on a cruise every year. However, a friend decided to do the same thing, and we wanted to do something that was our very own. So we decided to wait until summer to go on another cruise, and find something better to do for our anniversaries (not that cruises aren't great). So we decided we wanted to do sealings every year in the temple, and try to visit a different temple every year. :) Sounds like fun to us, so that is just what we are doing, wish us luck!
Back on track, we had originally decided to go to the Manti temple to kick off our new tradition, because neither one of us had been there, and we thought it would be cool. But it decided to snow when we were making our final plans. So instead of possibly getting stuck in the snow, we decided to maybe try that in fairer weather.
So considering everything with us started in North Salt Lake, and we went to the Bountiful temple almost every Saturday to do baptisms when we were dating, we thought that would be a good place for us to go this year. We met a really cute ward that had come down from Kaysville, and they thanked us for spending our special day with them, and congratulated us on our "feat" over and over. It was really cute.
After all of that, it was quite late, and we were starving!!!! So we decided to visit the scene of the crime (our first date) and we went to Applebees, and coincidentally, we were seated right across from the very booth we sat at that first night. :) We thought it was pretty cool. And a lot of fun, remembering that awkward night, when we were thinking "I'm not sure this is going to go to a second date...", little did we know.
We had made dinner plans, but by the time it rolled around, we still weren't hungry. So we are doing an IOU, and we will probably go this weekend instead.
We exchanged our gifts, being that the theme for one year is "time", we both stepped out of the box and didn't get eachother a watch, or a clock or anything like that...we got creative. Cody remembered what sealers always talk about in the ceremony before the couple exchanges rings "the ring is one eternal round, just like temple marriage is eternal", so Cody bought me a beautiful ring. I got him a cute camcorder, so he will be able to document our time, and hopefully we will be able to look back at the good times we spent together, and one day as a family! :) So I would say we did a pretty good job this year, we both went an unexpected direction. Can't wait to see what we come up with next year!
Hope all is well with you all, and that you may have or find traditions of your own to share. What temple should we visit next year???

Primary Program

So, I do remember that I had promised a post about how the Primary Program went this past Sunday. Needless to say, I haven't been so excited for something to be OVER!
The kids were especially squirmy this week. No one would stay quiet and everyone needed to be moving constantly it seemed. Thankfully they calmed down a little bit for Sacrament. Whew! They pulled it together and they sat pretty well on the stand, for the most part.
I was very impressed at some of the children who had memorized their parts. Every year they ask that the speaking parts be memorized, but usually no one does. We had 6 kids with memorized parts, I would call that a success! When it came to the songs though, I knew it wasn't going to be that great. Usually during singing time, the kids don't care, they don't want to pay attention, they chit-chat, and the last thing they want to do is sing meaningful songs. They would rather sing "Popcorn Poppping", "Once There Was A Snowman", "Hinges", etc. So as soon as they have a theme of "Acion", we will be set.
I kind of felt like a failure of a chorister, because really, they didn't know as much as they should have. I tried my best, sang the songs with them every week, made up actions (though, I wasn't fond of the actions during the program, its kind of distracting), gave them incentive, played games with them....ugh. But a wonderfully sweet person brought it to my attention, that I can only do so much in 20 minutes a week. By the next week, they have forgotten most of what I had taught them the previous week.
We had made a CD of all the songs on the program for each child to take home. That way they could listen to the songs at home, and maybe that would help them retain the information. However, we would ask them, "Whose Mom & Dad played their CD for them this week?", I think about 3 would raise their hands. So really, next year, we really need to stress that we need the support of the parents to pull it off.
It made me think of the things I would like to do with my children as a parent. I would like to sing the songs with my children, and I hope they remember them with the fondness that I do. I didn't really need a refresher course on the songs when I was called, I have been singing them all my life. I even credit "I Love to See the Temple" with my desire to be married in the temple since I was a child, and I have achieved that. If their parents would stop and listen to the principals the wonderful Primary Songs teach, I think they would be more likely to pop those CDs in! Because out of all of the things people remember, I would say songs rank up there pretty high. People remember cute little songs, just like when the cute little annoying jingles from commercials get stuck in your head. So hopefully when I do decide to have children, that I will be able to help my kids while they are small to sing the songs, cause lets face it, besides teaching them prinicpals, its just plain cute! :)

I Don't Think I Was Meant for All 4 Seasons...

So last night, Cody and I went shopping. We both had been having a pretty awful day, so we decided after we were finished moping, we were going to go to dinner and go shopping. It was a much needed date night, and its great to hang out and just laugh!
Cody has insisted for about 2 weeks now that he needs to get me a "coat", which is kind of a foreign word for me. Lets be honest here, I don't really understand the difference between coats, jackets and hoodies. They are all pretty much the same to me. So last night Cody decided that was one of the things on our list to look for, a coat for Kylie. Seriously, the ones he was showing me that were "coats" just looked like inedible marshmellows. I would look like the Michelin man.
Then I would pick out ones that I would like, and Cody, to every single one I showed him would say "no, thats a jacket, you need a coat". WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?!?!?! I have lived here for 2 years now (scary, I know) and I still don't get it. And why on earth is this place inhabited the other 6 months out of the year anyway!!??? Its TOO freakin miserably cold, and the snow can be treacherous. (I was on my way to work this morning, and the thermometer read "36"...not cool).
I have lived in sunny California for 20 years...where 55 degrees is cold. I have a vast collection of hoodies that I would wear at night to say, beach bonfires and walks on pier...now I can't even walk to my car without freezing my buns off. So the conclusion I have come to is, maybe I just wasn't cut out for the ALL 4 seasons thing...I know a lot of people "enjoy" it, but I am not sure having to bundle up beyond recognition is what I would call enjoyable. Sorry guys. If you can come up with some not so puffy alternatives, I would be open to it. Cause I am seriously considering just being a hermit until it warms up. :)

Everyone Hail to the Pumkin Song

So needless to say, I am not the BIGGEST Halloween fan...crazy, I know. Somehow the allure to dress all skantily clad, does not help... I can't stand "those" girls, probably makes me dislike it even more. However, I do appreciate those creative costumes that are well thought out and are not seen very often. :) Kudos to you guys.
Anyway, this Halloween was no different from last Halloween (except the fact we are married this year, and we were just waiting last year), we weren't really looking forward to it. Cody and I aren't people who enjoy dressing up, or hanging out with mass amounts of people. So we planned to spend our Halloween with our friends (and Cody's cousin) Andrew & Allie. We got invited to a Halloween party a couple in our ward was having, so we drug them along. Andrew and Allie were so cute and went to the DI and found stuff, so they were dressed as a Cruise Ship Captain, and a Hula Girl...I on the other hand, took the easy way out and put scrubs on (which I wear every day to work) and picked up Becca's stethascope (I get the "you look like Elliott from Scrubs" alot, so I decided thats what I was going to be), Cody was my patient. I slashed up one of his shirts with a kitchen knife, and we fake bloodied up some bandages, and he had some already ripped jeans, so it worked out. (Like I said, we don't enjoy dressing up).
The party was quiet, and interesting. I don't really like going to things like that, but we appreciated being invited and thought of. So after that was over, we decided we were going to go home and eat our Costco Pumpkin Cheesecake ( I look forward to it every year), and watch a scary movie with Drew & Allie. We watched "What Lies Beneath", and I quite enjoyed my cute, dear hubby holding my arm and jumping at all the startling parts...he's so funny. So all in all, we had a fun Halloween night! :) Thanks to the Riley's and Andrew & Allie...but we can wait until next year.
But hey, I had an excuse to watch the Nightmare Before Christmas, so it wasn't so bad... :)

SO EXCITED, I can't even tell you!

Yes, I am one of those girls. I just can't wait for the sequel to Twilight, New Moon! I am not so much a "Twihard" or anything like that. I simply love the books, the eternal bond it represents and the way Stephanie Meyer writes. It doesn't hurt that every time I would imagine Edward, he had a bit of Cody in him (for me).
But I just got my tickets the other day in the mail to one of the midnight showings. Cody & I are going with our friends Chase & Mikah to a private showing in Provo (thanks Olivia). Olivia, this girl I have met through the blogging circuit, has rented out one of the screening rooms in a theater for the opening night. I asked her if she had any extra tickets, and poof, she made my month. I WAS GOING TO SEE NEW MOON, and not with a bunch of crazy high school kids, like when we saw Twilight...WOOHOO!
So, I wasn't THAT impressed with Twilight at first, but as I kept watching it, and I reread the books, it has definitely grown on me. I had to get over the fact that they don't get everything right for some reason (even the way they park Bella's car for the accident scene...sigh...) You would think it wouldn't be that hard...but evidently it is. ANYWAY...
Still, I am super stoked about the second movie coming out. If you have seen the previews, you just know its going to be better than the first. It just looks so much more intense! The actors say there is a lot more action, and the movie will leave you wanting more, so who wouldn't be excited? Only 23 more days...I think....

All Little Bit of Everything

So needless to say the past couple of weeks have felt so hecktic and crazy. We have been working,as usual...but we have had things that were expected and very unexpected happening.
We have been enjoying the season, although it has gotten a touch too cold for me, and its not even snowing yet.
We were able to go to a couples Halloween party thrown by one of my friends from the University ward I was in before we got married, Camary. We had an awesome dinner made up of a mystery menu, it was cute. Each dish was something you would normally eat, but on the menu they were called something gruesome like "enlarged maggots" for macarroni and cheese and so on. You didn't find out what you had ordered until it was in front of you. It was a way cute idea and we had a lot of fun playing games like pictionary and watching a scary movie. And we met some fun new people, altogether a very entertaining night! Thanks Cam! :)
Cody has been VERY busy with the boys in the stake. They went shooting last week, they went to a Haunted Maze on Wednesday, they have a campout coming up...its just been wild. Not to mention he helped the Teachers in the stake with their booth on Saturday for our stake Halloween Carnival, and he did a great job. I think his favorite part was watching all the little kids in their cute costumes. He picked out some of his favorite and showed them to me when I got there. I would have to say, he has good taste! :) Our favorite was a homemade lion costume on this probably year old boy, had to be one of the cutest things we had ever seen.
We have also been visited on a pretty frequent basis by some of our kids from trek. Some that were ours, and some that were honorary because lets face it, they wanted to be in our awesome fam. But we love having them over and hearing all of the things they are going through right now. It takes us back, I don't know..like 5 to 7 years...Its just funny, because we totally relate and understand being right in that very position. Jared and John came over after their dates on Saturday and gave us a recap. It was pretty hilarious, and yes, of course we gave them some very valuable advise...haha We love it.
On a bit of a sad note, Friday though we attended a very sobering funeral, but it was very touching and beautiful at the same time. Our good friends, and neighbors lost their son of complications upon arrival. They were able to spend a little bit of time with him, and they said that the they had some amazing spiritual experiences that are really helping them get through this really hard time in their lives. If you can though, I would really appreciate if you could just mention the Hanks Family in your prayers, I know they can feel the power of the prayers said in their behalf. I just know I would appreciate it also, if something like that were to happen to me. So if you can, that would be wonderful. We are also very sad because they will be moving to West Jordan this weekend, we will miss them and their awesome little girl. We are looking forward to meeting up with them, and continuing our friendship. They have been wonderful friends and neighbors.
Sunday, Cody was able to also attend his cousin's farewell. Travis will actually be going to the same mission that Cody went to. So Cody was able to give him a few insights and tips. We are excited for Travis to have this awesome experience in his life, but it will be sad to see him go. For those of you that know him, know he is hilarious and lots of fun. You will be missed Travis, but you will have an awesome experience and we will have even more fun when you return!
Well, Primary program is coming up, so I have been spending the last 8 months, especially the last few weeks gearing the kids up for it. I will have to let you know how it goes. Its November 8th and then our anniversary is on the 14th, so I will be able to get a couple more posts in about something in particular, instead of one that is all over the place. But our life has been pretty all over the place! Enjoy your Halloween! :)

"Enjoy the Fleeting Moments"

I have realized through the course of my short life, that most people are in a rush. They need to get this done, and then this, and then they need to get to something else. How awesome would it be, if we just took the time to enjoy the moment we are in? The phase we are in, in our lives.
I could have done with a little bit more enjoyment of the things I was doing say, 3, 4 , or 5 years ago. But I, like so many others, was in so much of a hurry to get to the next thing. Finally, at the ripe old age of 19, I decided I needed to slow down, take things as they came, and enjoy or learn from each experience that came into my life. I have tried to keep that ongoing, but sometimes I forget, and before I know it,I'm in a hurry again.
When I was 19, some experiences I had, made me realize that my life was in the Lord's hands, and my timetable didn't really exist, it was His. Sure, I can set goals, and plan things, and most of those things I can do on my own timetable. But not everything. A lot of things just happen when they are supposed to, and in the way they were meant to. Not necessarily when and how I would have invisioned. Like when I met my "Prince Charming", I didn't really plan on that, quite the opposite really. Neither one of us wanted to go that direction, particularly with eachother at that point. We were too busy enjoying the life we had at that moment. Which taught me the lesson again. The best opportunities come when we are enjoying what we already have.
So I got to enjoy moments like these, to the fullest.
Cody had surprised me with an "outing" and told me to wear tennis shoes. I had never even heard of Ensign Peak before that day. But it is one of my favorite memories of us. I think we had been dating for 4 or 5 months at this point. If I looked at my journal, I could probably tell you.

But I for sure remember this. November 14, 2008. One of the craziest days of my life. Sure, I enjoyed this day, but remembering all of it is super hard. So much was going on, and we still had so much to do that day. This picture was taken right before we finished at the temple, and I remember taking a wonderful, peaceful drive down one of my favorite sites, the Pacific Coast Highway with my brand new husband. :)

This post is mostly for my benefit, to remind myself not to get caught up with everything around me. But I am sure you can come up with memories of your own that you treasure, that you wish, would have lasted maybe a little bit longer. And as more come your way, you will remember to stop, relax and enjoy the moment you are in. It only comes around once! :)

Happy Birthday Codes!!!

I can't believe how time flies. Its seems like it wasn't that long ago that we celebrated Cody's 23rd birthday, but I guess it was a year ago! Today my wonderfully sweet husband is celebrating his 24th birthday! He hasn't been looking forward to today (he feels like he is getting old), but as I tell him all the time, the best parts of his life have just begun!
But I am so grateful for him, and the gift he is to me and everyone in our families. But even more, here are 10 reasons I think he is wonderful! ( I could probably go on forever)

1. He loves the Gospel & he has a relationship with his Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
2. He is possibly the most loving person I know
3. He is respectful
4. He is honest
5. He is smart
6. He loves to pray
7. He makes me smile
8. His mission in life is to make sure our family (right now is just me) is taken care of
9. He is thoughtful and kind
10. He has a HUGE heart; and he loves me more than even I know

I love this picture, it makes me smile! This was a formal night on the cruise. My favorite is when he is dressed up in his church clothes, he is so handsome!

This is a picture he took of himself on my camera when we were dating. He thought he was pretty funny. You can see by the look on his face he thought he was being rather sneaky.

And obviously this is from our wedding day. We just couldn't believe that it was here, and how happy we are and have been. Best decision we have ever made!

Happy Birthday babe! I love you more than words can express and I am glad we get to celebrate you every year, you are such a blessing and joy in my life!

7 Pounds aka Most Depressing Movie Ever!

Okay, let me just start by saying that this movie had a good concept, but I hated it. If you haven't seen it, don't read this, unless you don't care whether you know the ending.
First of all, I did love Rosario Dawson's portrayal in this movie, I think she did an awesome job.
However, what the crap??!?!
The first hour of this movie probably had me the most confused I have been in a long time. There was no plot for about 3/4 of the movie. It just seemed so spliced together and abstract, it was ridiculous.
We watched it with Cody's cousin Andrew & his wife Allie, who also happens to be a friend of mine. All the way through the movie we were looking at eachother going "what the heck is this". I had recommended it, remembering that my sister had really liked it. I hated it, I will never waste 2 hours of my life on that movie again.
Honestly how creepy would it be to look into the eyes of someone you loved, but they were donated, and now were someone else's eyes? SICK! Not only that, but to only be alive because the man you loved committed suicide, and now you have his heart in your body...WEIRD! And how much guilt are you forcing on that person...I just think that this director thuroughly enjoys depressing people as much as possible.
But another lesson learned, do not text and drive!!!!
COME ON WILL SMITH! I have hated all of your latest movies, "The Persuit of Happyness", "I Am Legend", "Hancock"and "Seven Pounds", I guess I should stick to your oldies!
So I would have to say this movie gets 8 thumbs completely down....by myself, Cody, Andrew and Allie! We had to watch "Yes Man" to cheer ourselves up before going to bed. Thank you for saving my dreams Zoey Danschel!

While We Were In California

We did family pictures(This was in the beginning of August). The whole operation was orchestrated by my sisters. We did these as a gift for my parents. We had a lot of fun hanging out on the beach together as a family. You just can't find any better scenery. The beach is probably what I do, and will always miss most about home (other than my family of course!)
Here are my favorites...

My Beautiful Family! Love you guys!

Ari Cheney Lewis did an awesome job editing these and the photographer (don't remember his name) was a trooper! Thanks guys!

St. George

So it was a warm welcomed get away for us this last weekend. We couldn't have been more ready for time away. So we decided to spend the weekend in St. George. So we decided we would drive out on Friday right after we were done with work and things. Cody and I had realized the day before, that we had never been in the car with eachother much longer than 30 minutes, so this was going to be a first. But it was a quite enjoyable 4 hour drive (its a good thing Utah doesn't really have traffic). We talked, we laughed and just got to enjoy eachother and the open road.

So Friday night we checked into our awesome hotel, and started our carefree weekend. It was nice to have nowhere to be, and no schedule, so we really enjoyed it. We got to sleep in, go out to breakfast, walk around the shopping pavilions, and just relax. Neither one of us had been to St. George in probably 10 years or so, so we weren't really sure what there was to do. But one thing I am thankful for the i-phone is for the unlimited access to google and gps!

We also tried to do a session at the St. George Temple on Saturday morning, but sadly, it was closed for cleaning and maintenance. So sad! But we can't wait to go back, because seeing how beautiful it was on the outside, we can't imagine what it looks like on the inside! What they were able to accomplish at that time, and with such limited resources is absolutely amazing. So beautiful!

We also got to visit the Tabernacle that is in St. George. The missionaries in the area told us a lot about the history of the city, and all the things that went on there that not everyone hears about. I know a lot of the history of Salt Lake just because I live here and because its talked about a lot with church and things, but St. George not so much. But the saints actually did alot of amazing things, and had to go through a lot of hardships. Its very interesting.

The inside was true to early Latter-Day Saint style. So elegant, and beautiful. They really knew how to build buildings back then. And there were so many amazingly talented people. The wood that they used was pine, so they hand painted wood grain on everything to make it look like oak. I can't imagine how long that took! And that pulpit is where we received the famous "Windows of Heaven" speech, when we learned the true blessings of tithing! And we got to walk right up to it and stand there, it was really cool.

Then we went to Brigham Young's Winter home. I would have to say that Brother Brigham had the right idea. Hang out in Salt Lake in the Spring, Summer and some of the Autumn months, but as soon as it started to be really cold and snow, he got outta there. He spent the snowy months in the very un-snowy St. George; smart, smart man. In both of his homes there is just a different feeling, especially in his bedroom. He has a kneeling stool in his room, and I just can't help but think of how many conversations he had with the Lord in that room while he was on his knees. Just the feeling in these buildings where the early prophets spent time, and talked to eachother is so different, I love it.

But the real reason for our excursion was to see these beautiful people! Trent & Lauren Tipton were married in the Los Angeles temple the week before; and we were not able to make it to California as much as I would have loved to. So we did the next best thing and went to their beautiful reception in St. George! Lauren looked amazing, and Trent looked very handsome, they both looked absolutely happy finally be sealed together. It was so good to see you guys! Can't wait to see ya when everything calms down!
So that was our restful weekend, if only life could always be that way! Until our next getaway...

5 Minutes Peace

I have been thinking and praying and pleading for a sense of peace in my life. I just feel like there aren't enough hours in a day...Life is just crazy. Things weren't like this before I was married. When Cody and I were dating time didn't seem to go so quickly, but we also didn't have as many responsibilities.

It seems that I cannot get enough time to myself or just with Cody. Our days are filled with work, coming home and preparing dinners, nights at the cabin (I don't see Cody at all until about 11pm at night), school, Cody has mutual on Wednesday nights, and I have umpteen million things to do with laundry, cleaning, primary, extra curricular activities....WHAT HAPPENED!

It seems like our life has been in an upheavel, and we don't even have kids. It makes the idea of ever having children absolutely exhausting, which is probably one of the reasons we still don't want any, not to mention the fact that we aren't ready for it. And we have had a lot going on with family things, which have us unsettled...what a mess...

All I want as this point, is 5 minutes peace, like the book I used to read with my mom...Now I know how wonderful peace and quiet really is.

All I have really noticed lately is, a lot people are really selfish, inconsiderate, and self consumed, with no thought to anyone else or how they might feel. Oh well, I better get used to it, it seems we will be dealing with people like that for a VERY LONG TIME.

Heaven help me....

My Little Baker

So I have noticed as of late that Cody loves to bake. I wasn't expecting this when I married him. But when we have the option of what to make for family dinners, he says "Do dessert, I will make________". He enjoys making brownies, cookies, muffins, waffles, pancakes and rolls. I handle most of the cakes or cup cakes, because he says I make them more moist (thank you Erin).
So yesterday we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication, which was amazing! Anyway, when we got home, Cody decided to whip up some wonderful blueberry muffins. They were delish! He does such a great job! The guy has so many talents, not only is he Mr. Fixit, Mr. Builder, Mr. Electronics, Mr. AllThingsAquatic, Mr. Helpful, Mr. Wonderful, and Mr. Right, he is also a Baker! I am going to need to find some new talents to keep up! But needless to say we enjoyed our weekend, it was one of the few where we spent all of it together. I can't think of anything better!

For the Love...(Disclaimer: kinda sappy)

It has recently come to my attention that not everyone has a connection like my Cody and I. Which, at the thought, I think, how can this be? Seriously, we have been told that we are a rarity. I just don't get it. I know so many people out there that are so in love and it shows. You can tell by the look in their eyes and the way they interact that they are just defined by the other.
On the other hand I have also seen people that act the way they think they are supposed to and it looks rather foreign instead of being quite natural.
Now I realize that I cannot take my relationship with Codes for granted. We have something entirely special and unique. We have the things that people long for, and we need to be constantly aware and grateful for it. I have quite a few friends that are equally as blessed as I am to have their spouses and you can just see it. And I am so happy for them and am so grateful that they enjoy the things that I enjoy everyday.
Like I say to a lot of my single friends marriage is as amazing as people say it is. Cody is my best friend, and I love to hang out with him, its practically my favorite thing to do. But it is hard enough to be married to the right person, I can only imagine what it would be like to be married to someone else, with doubt that I made the right decision. I had an undenyable answer that I will never be able to doubt and I am so grateful. A blog I read recently said it perfectly, and beautifully,
"We eat together, we play together, we drive together, we talk together, we sit in silence together, we pray together, we laugh together, we set goals together. We are together in every sense of the word. There are no words to describe how wonderful that feels. Man is not meant to be alone. God teaches us that, but it isn't until you enter into that marriage covenant that you finally gain an understanding as to why. And we're only at the beginning of that understanding :) To our single friends, keep becoming the best you you can be, for it will only make that beautiful relationship that much better when it happens!... God's timing is perfect :) It only took one time for our lives to cross, and that one time has turned into eternity :) "
It makes me happy to know that others feel the same way I do about my husband. It helps us realize that God truely knows what is best for us, and we can really see his hand in our lives even just by the people he brings into it. I can tell God knows me well enough to know, that there is no one else in this world that could make me as happy and complete as Cody makes me. :)
Enjoy your "other half"!

California Knows How to Party....

Well, yet another, much too short trip. This time we thought we would switch it up, and not go to Disneyland, but enjoy more of the many attractions Southern California has to offer. This time, we decided to take my nieces to the Long Beach Aquarium for Emery's birthday. If you know Cody, you know that he loves aquatic animals, and he is practically obsessed with fish (we have a 50 gallon tank at home). So he was as excited as anyone to go. We got to touch sting rays, and sharks in the pools outside. That was interesting. The texture of their skin was completely opposite. Rays are very slimy, and sharks have very sand-papery-like skin. It was cool though. The sharks were very mellow and just liked to lay at the bottom on the pools in the sand.
The tanks were filled with interesting fish. The girls had fun finding all of the different colors, and sizes of each fish. They also liked to point out the funniest looking ones.

There were HUGE tanks. And LOTS of people. It was really crowded, but having the kids was quite an advantage, people like to make room for them to sneak by and get a closer look.

The seals are always good for entertainment. Fallon & Emery liked them the best, I think. They would watch them all day if we would let them. They liked to watch them swim in the tanks and do flips, but they liked to see them do little tricks up top as well.

The otters were really energetic. I have seen quite a few out in the wild, and they seem to have a lot of personality. Probably one of MY favorites to go and see.

I didn't count the tanks, but there were ALOT of them. Filled with all of the fish in various areas. The tropical were the most eye-catching.The kids also go to see a diver inside the tanks, that was hooked up to a mic, so he would answer questions that people had while he was swimming around. It was neat. So that was our Thursday.

Friday, Cody and I went with Erin and her kids to the Oaks Mall. I haven't been there in probably a year or more. We relaxed, did a little bit of shopping, and just enjoyed walking around together. HOLY COW has it gotten bigger!

Just before we went and got our family pictures done, Jeff blessed little Porter at home. It was an awesome blessing, to say the least, we were very proud of Jeff. Porter, being the content little guy he is, stayed quiet and just listened to his daddy's voice. That evening we went and got our family pictures taken, since we had some new additions since last time; Fallon, Rhett, Cody & little Porter. It was a lot of fun, but the beach isn't the best for keeping one's hair in tact. But we had a lot of fun with it, we will just have to wait and see what they look like.

Just thought I would throw in a close-up of Porter, since you can't really see him, and how cute he is in the family shot.

And then on Saturday, we hung out until it was time for this little guy's birthday. We could not believe Rhett is already a year old!!! We had fun at the part with both our family & Randy's family. We enjoyed some good food, and LOTS of candy!

All in all, it was a wonderful few days! Only wish we could have stayed and played longer. The whole time I was trying to think of ways we could stay...but alas, I came up short. We are back in Utah, and back to life! We can't wait to go again and spend time with my family! Miss you guys already!!!!

In Two Weeks....

I will be with these funny kids!
My two funny girls who LOVE the bath, and pretty much anything involving water.

Them, enjoying their new baby brother. Fallon actually said when Erin was pregnant, that if the baby was a boy, (which they already knew it was, but Fallon was fighting it) she was not going to love him. As you can see, she has caved and she loves that boy as much as a little girl can.

And she will always have a place in her heart for her buddy, and favorite cousin (until my kids come along, jk) Rhetty Boy. Rhett is going to be a whole year old already!!! He's growing up way to fast. Emery is going to be 7 next week, and I can't believe that either...

And then there is little Porter, whom we haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. Bummer....But I am excited to hold and play with this darling boy! He has started smiling and making lots of noise. I know he is an exceptional screamer, I have been able to hear that much of him. But I also know he is a very sweet little guy! Can't wait to see you all in just 13 more days!!!!!! It will be a fun birthday extravaganza, family picture, baby blessing, quality time with auntie & uncle filled visit...

This is a good one of Fallon...at dance class. Her outfit is classic, and that is her "smile", its much better when you get a candid one! This little charater turned 4 in May, and we wish we could have been there to share it with her. But we will make up for it! Long Beach Aquarium here we come!!!

Weak Sauce

Friday night was going to be absolutely wonderful. I got to go to my favorite Mexican restaurant "La Puente" and then it was off to a night at the movies. We went and saw "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince", which I have been waiting for since November, when it was supposed to come out. Dinner was better than I imagined, but the movie was lacking.
Its been a subject of conversation with my sister and also my sister-in-law. who both came to the same conclusion as myself. I just feel like they tried to make it more entertaining rather than accurate. I was entertained by the comedy but could have done without on a few things in favor accuracy. I just hope the last two leave me less disappointed. Lets try to stay true to the actual story...
The actors on the other hand, I think, did wonderful. They have really grown into their roles and portray them flawlessly. I enjoy the actors in these movies more than I do most. So that was the highlight for me.
Cody rather loved the movie, because he has never read a page of the series. Yet, when he found out Dumbledore actually died, he had to surpress a loud gasp...That actually made me laugh. But I am glad someone enjoyed it.....
Here is an article if you would like to hear more, I rather enjoyed other fans' insight.

We Survived...

So as you can probably assume, we came home from trek as survivors. I am not going to lie, those were some of the most strenuous days of my life. I had a great family of kids. I had 3 boys and 4 girls, one of our boys was not able to make it.
My boys were absolutely wonderful. Steven (either 17 or 18), who is mildly autistic, they put with me and Cody because they figured because I had cared for special needs children throughout my life, that I would do best with him. One of the sweetest, most thoughtful kids there is. He also had his sister Wanda in our family to help out if we needed it. Jared, whom I think we bonded the most with. He is a 17 year old skater boy with fashion sense. He seriously is the funniest kid alive and a self-proclaimed metro. I seriously love him as if he were family. And then we had Brian, who was the youngest boy of the bunch at 14. Brian is a very free spirit who beats to him own drum. Very talented musically. He wrote lyrics of a new hymn for us while we were there. Crazy amounts of diversity and talent with all of the kids we had.
The girls were fun, but not what you would call athletes. So when it came to the pushing and pulling, they were a little less than enthused. They did help me out, just not as much as I knew they were capable of. The oldest was Wanda, Steven's sister. She is a great girl, and she is very agreeable and sweet, most of the time. That girl has some bite to her though, no doubt about that. She can stand her own, but mostly just a loving girl. Reannan who is either 15 or 16 was the artist. She can draw anything. She is willing to do anything she is asked, whether she does it well, or not. Kimberly who is 14, is the comedic relief, and the realist. She reminded us a lot of Cody's cousin Chantel. She has a quick wit about her, man she had me and Cody in stitches a lot of the time. Sarcastic as all get-out and just an all-around fun girl. Danielle is Kimberly's cousin and she is 14 as well. She actually turned 14 the day before we left. She is young, and she is cute as heck, but she was our girly-girl. I don't do well with these types of personalities, but I tried with all I had not to lose it. She really is a great girl, but I had to go into "mom mode" with her a bit, with a few quick quips of my own. Needless to say, we had our hands full.
Our Trek consisted of 4 days. Wednesday we loaded our handcarts and started rolling as soon as we ate lunch. We went about 4 or 5 miles, since it was so late, and called it a day. The kids played in the streams and we all got acquainted. Thursday, which was supposed to be the toughest day out there, was a little different. We headed out as usual, it was a HOT one. The men were taken from us about 30 minutes in, and off to battle in the Mormon Battalion. So we women got to pull the carts up the steepest inclines we would see all week, with extremely rocky terrain. With my girls it was quite an experience. Needless to say I found strength I never knew I had as I pushed that handcart (and I am STILL sore). We met the men at the top of the steepest incline (more than a 45 degree angle) and Cody said it was really hard to watch and be able to do nothing. Off we went with the guys. My boys were so cute with me when I got up there. Jared declared that I was not to touch the cart until tomorrow because he had to watch what I went through. We brought our total for the day to about 8 miles.
Friday was little better. It decided to rain all day long. So the trails were very muddy and slippery. We had about a pound of mud each on the bottoms of our shoes. Wet, and soggy, we coninued on as the sun came out for lunch. We enjoyed the sun while it lasted. That day we trekked about 7 miles. That night was "Bishop's Night" and our Church Meeting. A couple of kids spoke, which was really nice, they were great. And it started to storm as we got ready to eat dinner. So there was Heaven knows how many people stuck under one large tarp. GREAT! :) Luckily it stopped after 30 minutes of thunder, lightning and heavy rain. We got to have our testimony meeting by the fire. 6 of 7 kids bore their testimonies, and we couldn't have been prouder of them. Jared was my biggest surprise. I knew he had no intention of getting spiritual over the course of this trip, and he was the first of our family to get up. Such an amazing kid.
We played some games of capture the flag. I am proud to say I participated and dominated a couple of those kids. I came out with some bruises and a swollen knee, but it was so worth it. One of the kids actually close-lined himself, I haven't heard Cody laugh that hard in a long time.
Friday was a day of mixed emotions. We were sad to leave our kids, but we were so glad to come home and shower! (and sleep in a soft bed).
We had a blast, but it was a hard trip. I don't know that we would ever do it again, but we enjoyed it.
Wagoners (our family name) For Life!

Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked, and Walked, and Walked, and Walked...AND WALKED!

Upon seeing this picture, whose first reaction was "ooh, that looks like fun!" First of all, I hope that nobody reacted that way...Second, if you did, I personally think you are nuts.So our current endeavor is Trek.
We will be leaving this coming Wednesday at 8am. Cody and I had been called by our Stake President to be Trek Parents. Being that we were called by the Stake President we thought we should probably accept, whether or not we really wanted to... So we will be heading up to Hardware Ranch up near Logan to reinact the pioneer handcart journey.
Personally, I am glad I grew up in California, cause we didn't do these kinds of things. Camping....sure, thats no big deal, but pulling a handcart with a bunch of 14-18 year old kids, thats probably going to be the hardest thing I have to do until I have kids of my own. I hope to NEVER have 8 teenagers (the only way God would get me to have 8 children at all, would be if they all came at the same time, and no, thats not a suggestion). Sorry Kate Gosselin, I feel for ya! I'm pretty sure 6-8 kids at any given age would make me just as high strung.
Thankfully the weather report looks rather good for next week. We just found out who our kids were going to be throughout the stake, and I am excited about 1 or 2, but we will see how their Sunday attitudes translate....
Hopefully I will get back to you with a pleasant report when we get back. I am crossing my fingers that everything goes well. This is not neccessarily how I wanted to spend some of my vacation time from work.....Heaven help me.

My BFF

So seriously, Cody is my best friend in the entire world. I can talk to him about ANYTHING at any time. He is the one I call, even if its just for a laugh. I think he is about the funniest person I know, but he thinks I am. Truely the best friend I have ever had, and more. This guy just does the sweetest things just for fun. This week I got the most beautiful yellow and orange roses, "just because I love you". He has cleaned my entire home, done all of our laundry (which he hates) just because. Man, I don't think I could have asked for a better companion. And as you can see, he is just as goofy as me!

The past year, and 4 months have been the best. I cannot believe how time flies. But fortunately we have eternity! I can't believe what a lucky girl I am. Look at how unbearably cute he is! I am just so grateful for him and the life that we have together. I am also grateful for our truely unique relationship. My bff for sure! I LOVE HIM!

Codes & Ky '08-eternity

Porter Everett Milford

Here are the pictures of Porter as promised!

Erin will probably kill me for putting this up, but I think she looks awesome for just giving birth. Plus, she had quite an experience in labor. He's a cutie though!

The 4th Has Arrived!

My sister Erin has had her baby! Porter Everett Milford arrived on Tuesday, May 26th at 6:50 pm. My poor sister was enduced at 7:30 in the morning, but was just not dialating! (sorry if thats TMI) But he finally decided to appear after a tough labor. He was 8lbs 4oz. even though he was a week early! We're glad to have him join our little family. I would put on of my pictures on here, but my computer is being retarded. I will post one later! Hope all is well with you guys!

The 3 Amigos, soon to be 4!

I recently was able to go back home to California to be with my family for my sister's baby shower & Mother's Day. Needless to say, it was wonderful to be home; I miss it terribly everyday.
But as is the case with all my visits, the highlight is being able to see these three....

Emery, age 6

Fallon, age 4

and Rhett, age 9 months

Seriously I can't think of a cuter, funnier group of kids. They are the icing on the cake. I am torn everyday being in a place where I cannot see them growing up like I used to be able to on a daily basis. Its especially hard with Rhett. I was there for the first few years of both Emery & Fallon's lives nearly everyday from the day they were born. With Rhett, I have more fingers than times spent with this little guy, and its just not fair. And I am helpless when it comes to remedies for this.

Anyway, I was grateful at least that I got to spend time with my family. And I got to spend extra quality time with my cute boy, Rhett. Kelly had me babysit him for an evening when they went out with Randy's parents. So Rhett played in the bath, and snuggled with me for a while. He did not want to stop playing for bed, but at some point, I had to draw the line! So i reluctantly put him to bed. But we sure did have fun.Lucky for me, this kid loves me just about as much as I love him! :) He seems to know me, despite my absence, and I couldn't be happier about that. As you can see below. Sorry everyone, but I am the favorite auntie! (as far as I'm concerned)

Emery, Fallon and I also got to spend quality time together. We had a sleepover! Fallon, poor thing, but so funny, fell out of bed with a thud at about 2 in the morning. I picked her up, put her back in bed, and she just said, "I fell out" and went back to sleep...poor kid. Emery was a sport despite the fact that she was sick. But we sure did enjoy hanging out just like old times.

Well altogether it was a wonderful trip. But as with any trip I take, I pretty much cry the whole rest of the day after I get back to Utah. My poor husband, but man I love him so much for putting up with me. I wouldn't trade him, just maybe my location! :) Sorry I didnt get to see more of you, I was only really able to see Doug Bell and Jason Armisted while I was there. They were nice enough to stop by my house and hang out for a bit! Miss all you guys back in Camarillo, like you wouldn't believe!!!!!!!!!!

Visitor

So this past Thursday, my mom was able to come up and visit Cody & I, and stay with us. We were so glad to have here with us for 4 days. We basically just hung out, while Cody was at work on both Thursday and Friday. So me and my mom did what we do best, we shopped, and we decided to cook. My mom is seriously such a shopper, she likes to shop for other people, but she still LOVES to shop. We like to frequent fabric stores, and pick out things to go in our homes. So she helped me pick out some drapery fabric. Which I am now I can finally make my window valances, and my drapes! I finally found a fabric that goes well with our new couches, and the new paint we were able to paint in our place. It is so nice to have fresh paint on the walls in the colors we want. It makes it seem much more homey!
Anyway, so my mom also decided to take the time to teach me how to make her wonderful pasta sause. With our Italian upbringing, she was disgusted that I had allowed my husband to buy Prego pasta sauce. The true Italian she is, she doesn't use measuring cups, she cooks by smell. But she had to figure out the measurements for me to start out with. So now I have no excuses. I know how to make her awesome sauce, and she even bottled and froze some for me.
Saturday we decided to go to the Salt Lake temple and do a session there. We had a wonderful experience. It was a lot different than others, but you could definitely appreciate why it took so long to build as you are sitting in there taking everything in. I was very glad to be there with both my husband, and my mom.
Sunday, my mom taught me to make my favorite Sunday dinner. Roast & mashed potatoes. MMMmmmMMM! She had to teach me to make her yummy gravy too. I won't eat most gravy, just the kind my mom makes. So now I will be able to enjoy that without travelling 1,000 miles.
We had a great weekend, but it was really hard to see her go again. Cody had to walk my mom out, cause I couldn't control myself. SORRY MOM! But I don't really know why I was flipping out so bad, I am going out to Camarillo on Thursday!!! haha :)
But being the bad historian I am, I didn't take ANY pictures! Oh well! Good news though; Cody found our memory card!!!!

Hope all is well with you & yours!

"I am freakin mad" & "She is freakin crazy!"

Alright, now to explain the title of this post. So Cody and I have had the wonderful opportunities to help our family members out by watching their kids. Which, we love, because seeing them on their own is a lot quieter and more controlled of a situation than when we all get together.
So we got to watch Jordan (the cute little guy pictured above) and Alexis (pictured below) which are the children of Cody's brother Casey and our sister-in-law Becca!
So the story begins. Becca dropped the kids off the Saturday right before Easter, because she had a lunch date with some girlfriends.
So all is well, we pop in some Nemo, give Jordan some fruit snacks, put Lex down for a nap, everything is grand. Jordan is entertained but feels the need to wonder every once in a while, as most curious boys do...So what do we find? PICKLES! So Jordan enjoys some yummy pickles.
While that is all happening, Lex wakes up from her nap. No big deal, she slept for at least an hour, most likely more. So Jordan plays with her on the floor. Jordan also likes to do laundry, so he helps me load the washer, put the soap in, and pushes the buttons for me. Meanwhile, I forgot to let him slam the washer door shut....so I hear this "I am freakin mad!", who the heck would have said that...I bet you didnt think it would come from that angelic looking boy up there....OH BUT IT DID! I was trying really hard to supress my laughter, but I just couldn't resist. Cody looks at me like did he really just pull that phrase? He sure did!
Then, Lexi puts on his sunglasses. So Jordan says "She is freakin crazy!" Again, I try to hide the smile on my face, but I JUST CAN'T! Kids seriously say the funniest things. It wouldnt be so funny coming from an adult's mouth, I know, but from this sweet little 3 year old face, its absolutely hilarious! I can't wait to hear what he comes up with next. (Sorry Becca, but its true. I am sure you are not anxiously awaiting his next fun phrase, but we sure are!)
Needless to say, the moral of the story is, watch what you say when there are children present. I don't care whose kids they are, even if its a complete stranger. You never know what they will hear, and what they will repeat! Cause I know he didnt get that from his parents! ;)
Well, I hope you all enjoyed that, it certainly made my day!

Totally stole these pictures from Becca's blog. SO CUTE!