Ok, since I have been pregnant I have kinda dropped off the sphere. Its kind of nice, I must admit.
I haven't wanted much to do with most social things. Not to mention, a lot of the blogosphere has resembled more of a bragosphere, and facebook more like boastbook. I swear, people only post when they do or get something they feel someone else would want, and it has kind of turned me off to the whole idea. I like keeping to myself and doing my own thing, enjoying my own life, without everyone knowing about it. It sadly though, has been keeping me from keeping up with my friends and my family who aren't all about that. So I have missed some people and feel disconnected from them...thus, I am posting again, or at least trying, because I know people want to know how things are going with our little one.
Lately we have just been living life. I am now 22 weeks along, over half way, and its so nice to be on the downward end of the climb. I have less weeks ahead than I have behind me, and that is a good feeling.
I have known the gender of the baby since about 12 or 13 weeks. Not everyone has that luxury, and this is probably the only pregnancy where I will, so I decided to take advantage of it. I actually saw what I was having at my normal doctor's appt. She didn't catch the glimpse, but I did (finally knowing how to look at ultra sounds pays off). The next day I told a girl at work about it, and we decided to see if I was right. Sure enough, I was. We are having a little boy, and we couldn't be happier. We knew we would be happy with whatever, but this is what we had been hoping for.
I am the type of person that gets things done as far ahead of time. (I have had my Christmas shopping done since Halloween). So his crib is up, his room is painted, he has a name (a select few of our family and close friends know what it is, but we aren't announcing it publicly until it is officially his name). We have his carseat, stroller, bath, you name it. DONE! My mom has made sure there are clothes in his closet, and there are more coming. So now basically we don't know what to do with ourselves. So we have been carrying on with life as usual waiting for our little guy to join us out here.
Cody's favorite thing to do right now is poke my stomach, and waits a minute, then our little man pokes him back. I think they just might hit it off. :)
I will have to post pictures of his room when I get everything on the walls and stuff. But hey, I've got 18 weeks to go, so I have time, right? Knowing me though, I will probably have it done ahead of time. :)
Hope all is well with all my friends in the blogosphere. I will have to catch up with everyone.
Our Joy
Wedded Bliss
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Sorry, this is our house....haha so far
Its been a long time coming. We have been here 6 months, so there is a lot more that we have done that we just need to take pictures of. But here are some so far...and the kitchen has even changed a bit more since these were taken. :) But we will just get started.
Front of the house on move in day...
After Cody started fertilizing and taking good care of the yard. Next year it should look even better.
Kitchen on move in day...
Amazing what a little paint and fabric can do. We have a different kitchen table now, and I have my sewing room set up, so I don't have to mess up the kitchen anymore :)
another shot, different angle.
We have done the family room too. But I don't have everything on the walls yet. We did the entry and hallways as well and we are working on our room and the guest room right now. Its been fun, but we have much more to do. I will keep you posted.
Front of the house on move in day...
After Cody started fertilizing and taking good care of the yard. Next year it should look even better.
Kitchen on move in day...
Amazing what a little paint and fabric can do. We have a different kitchen table now, and I have my sewing room set up, so I don't have to mess up the kitchen anymore :)
another shot, different angle.
We have done the family room too. But I don't have everything on the walls yet. We did the entry and hallways as well and we are working on our room and the guest room right now. Its been fun, but we have much more to do. I will keep you posted.Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Memory Lane
For some reason today, I have been thinking a lot about how much I miss Moorpark College. The reason I had chosen Moorpark, rather than Ventura, was because you could see the beach from the Ventura College campus, and I knew that would be far too much temptation not to go to class. I knew this full well because I had taken a class or two at night at Ventura during high school. Needless to say my friends and I didn't finish one of those courses. :) So Moorpark (or Kraproom, as we lovingly called it on occasion) it was for me, and quite a few of my other friends.
I remember getting up, texting my friends, Mark, Greg, and Brett making sure they were up for class (usually, that was their wake-up call).
My first class was usually around 8 am. I loved the drive, to and from. I either got to drive through the country road through Somis, or through Santa Rosa or sometimes the freeway, depending on my mood.
Our lovely campus. Yeah, navigating this my first semester was not all that easy at first, but it was fun. Especially when you found yourself in the middle of the golf class...that had been a good laugh.
I remember walking under this bridge in the rain to get to my History class on the other side. The rainy season, or what us Californians call Winter,(haha) was my favorite. Everything was so green and fresh and it smelled divine.
I walked toward this building everyday after my English class, and also math, just behind it would be my Humanities class.
I remember getting up, texting my friends, Mark, Greg, and Brett making sure they were up for class (usually, that was their wake-up call).
My first class was usually around 8 am. I loved the drive, to and from. I either got to drive through the country road through Somis, or through Santa Rosa or sometimes the freeway, depending on my mood.
Our lovely campus. Yeah, navigating this my first semester was not all that easy at first, but it was fun. Especially when you found yourself in the middle of the golf class...that had been a good laugh.
I remember walking under this bridge in the rain to get to my History class on the other side. The rainy season, or what us Californians call Winter,(haha) was my favorite. Everything was so green and fresh and it smelled divine.
I walked toward this building everyday after my English class, and also math, just behind it would be my Humanities class. During the semesters I had there, I never would have guessed how fond I would become of this place. I have even taken Cody there, because it holds a lot of sentimental value for me.
It was there I took institute and met so many people, some of whom I am still friends with today. I found myself there. I learned about my passion for literature, writing, and how to mix that with music. I learned that I had loved History, but when taught by a former kindergarten teacher, it was probably the worst subject ever. I found how much I admire composers, philosophers, and people who aren't afraid to ask questions, and question the basis of opinion. I saw how funny it is when your math professor did the odd numbered equations because the answers were in the book, and still got the wrong answer. And he got the wrong answer pretty much every time he ran the formula backwards to check the answer. No wonder I didn't do very well...
Funny, fundamental, and fond memories.It was all pretty simple then, although I am sure there were times when I didn't think so. Sometimes I wish I could be right back there, doing it all over. But other times, I am glad it already happened, and I have moved on. GO RAIDERS!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Next Time I Have People Over...
These were just too cute to pass up. I am not a huge sugar cookie fan, I'm more of a chocolate chip person myself (but I'm not a chocolate lover either, who knew?). So basically I would be making these for people, not for me. I just love the look and idea of these.
I follow the blog Just Cook Already, they have amazing recipes and cute ideas. You should check it out. This was their latest dessert post.
Sugar Cookie Lollipops
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1cup butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 x 5/32" SUCKERSTICK Paper Sucker Lolly Lollipop Sticks
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl cream the sugar and butter for 1 minute in high speed.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix.
Let chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 300*
Roll out the dough in small batches. Make sure the it's at least 3/4 inches thick.
Cut with your favorite cookie cutter shapes.
Carefully put the lollipop sticks in the middle of each cookie. Only go half way up.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.
Let the cookies cool completely before frosting and decorating.
Monday, August 16, 2010
16 Thoughts on the 16th
Some things that have been on my mind:
1. Oh how I would love to live somewhere that has winters above 60 degrees.
2. I hate wearing shoes, therefore, any time I can get away with not wearing any, I do.
3. Why do people celebrate month anniversaries? Make it years, and then its worth celebrating. I think month anniversaries are lame and pointless. Its only 4 weeks, anyone could do that.
4. I watch way too much HGTV, not much else actually.
5. Playing Apples to Apples is one of my favorite things to do. Especially with funny people like on Saturday this last weekend! :)
6. Migraines are crap, I had one Sunday, it was awful.
7. I love naps with Cody, a nice fan, and the AC going , perfect!
8. Night time walks make any day better
9. Nielsen's Frozen Custard....get chocolate almond, divine!
10. I hate missing church, its the worst.
11. I miss Baja Fresh, Bobby's, and Olas...if you don't know what that is...You are missing out royally.
12. Beach Bonfires never get old, even if you do it every week. :)
13. I miss hanging out with my mom all day, and my sisters. Just call and come over. So much fun. Life is very different these days. :(
14. Late night toilet paper wars...Oh Malans' you made for a good target.
15. I love lime green and aqua together.
16. I despise hot chocolate.
1. Oh how I would love to live somewhere that has winters above 60 degrees.
2. I hate wearing shoes, therefore, any time I can get away with not wearing any, I do.
3. Why do people celebrate month anniversaries? Make it years, and then its worth celebrating. I think month anniversaries are lame and pointless. Its only 4 weeks, anyone could do that.
4. I watch way too much HGTV, not much else actually.
5. Playing Apples to Apples is one of my favorite things to do. Especially with funny people like on Saturday this last weekend! :)
6. Migraines are crap, I had one Sunday, it was awful.
7. I love naps with Cody, a nice fan, and the AC going , perfect!
8. Night time walks make any day better
9. Nielsen's Frozen Custard....get chocolate almond, divine!
10. I hate missing church, its the worst.
11. I miss Baja Fresh, Bobby's, and Olas...if you don't know what that is...You are missing out royally.
12. Beach Bonfires never get old, even if you do it every week. :)
13. I miss hanging out with my mom all day, and my sisters. Just call and come over. So much fun. Life is very different these days. :(
14. Late night toilet paper wars...Oh Malans' you made for a good target.
15. I love lime green and aqua together.
16. I despise hot chocolate.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Long Time
So I know it has been quite a while, again. But I figure, anything is better than nothing, right?
Nothing exciting has been happening with Cody & Kylie Fitts family. We finally got our downstairs family room situated where we actually want to hang out down there. So that's good at least.
We are painting our family room finally. Lowe's messed up the color twice, hence the delay. Needless to say, we don't really like when you mix our paint Rick at Lowe's. :) Maybe you have other talents, but mixing paint is not one of them.
I got my craft room situated, I just have to figure out what I want to put on the walls. Now I need to start sewing, crafting etc. in there. :)
Cody has been busy hooking up all his electrical stuff,he does some unnecessary things, but it makes him happy. So thats all that matters. (ie. hooking the lights upstairs, so they turn on as soon as the garage door goes off so I don't have to enter a dark house). He is crazy. He cleaned his garage, out fitted it all with shelves galore. It looks pretty good.
We found 2 more boxes of clothing in our junk room which we are currently cleaning out for the "workout room" Cody is glad he is finally able to bring home his weight bench and an elliptical for me.
But who cares about the house??? haha its the same old thing, different week.
But on a more uplifting note....
I taught my first lesson in YW yesterday, it went surprisingly well. I have been a RS teacher, Primary, and Sunday School, but YW is completely different. The lessons, mine do anyway, depend on who is in my class. This week, I could tell what came out of my mouth was inspired, as I had prayed for it to be, but it really was! I had been thinking about it for like 2 weeks, but nothing I had thought through during that time came through in my lesson. I learned alot from being able to think about it so long, so I guess that was the purpose for me. But they needed to hear something entirely different. The last time I felt this way so completely was when I was a RS teacher. There are just certain things you know they need to hear, but the Lord knows which things they need at that point in time. Considering I don't know the girls that well yet, I was nervous that I wouldn't say the things I needed to. But WOW was the spirit strong. It was an absolutely wonderful way to spend a Sunday. I know most of it didn't come from me, I am so grateful for inspiration. My girls are amazing! I love them so much already, and its only been like a month. They have helped me already to grow and see things differently. Sometimes I wish I could teach every week. But mostly not...ha ha
How about you guys? Have you ever had those types of lessons, either where you knew you said something they needed to hear? Or someone that was teaching said something you really needed to hear?
I swear, it seems like most Sundays, the talks and lessons are written just for me. Its awesome!
Nothing exciting has been happening with Cody & Kylie Fitts family. We finally got our downstairs family room situated where we actually want to hang out down there. So that's good at least.
We are painting our family room finally. Lowe's messed up the color twice, hence the delay. Needless to say, we don't really like when you mix our paint Rick at Lowe's. :) Maybe you have other talents, but mixing paint is not one of them.
I got my craft room situated, I just have to figure out what I want to put on the walls. Now I need to start sewing, crafting etc. in there. :)
Cody has been busy hooking up all his electrical stuff,he does some unnecessary things, but it makes him happy. So thats all that matters. (ie. hooking the lights upstairs, so they turn on as soon as the garage door goes off so I don't have to enter a dark house). He is crazy. He cleaned his garage, out fitted it all with shelves galore. It looks pretty good.
We found 2 more boxes of clothing in our junk room which we are currently cleaning out for the "workout room" Cody is glad he is finally able to bring home his weight bench and an elliptical for me.
But who cares about the house??? haha its the same old thing, different week.
But on a more uplifting note....
I taught my first lesson in YW yesterday, it went surprisingly well. I have been a RS teacher, Primary, and Sunday School, but YW is completely different. The lessons, mine do anyway, depend on who is in my class. This week, I could tell what came out of my mouth was inspired, as I had prayed for it to be, but it really was! I had been thinking about it for like 2 weeks, but nothing I had thought through during that time came through in my lesson. I learned alot from being able to think about it so long, so I guess that was the purpose for me. But they needed to hear something entirely different. The last time I felt this way so completely was when I was a RS teacher. There are just certain things you know they need to hear, but the Lord knows which things they need at that point in time. Considering I don't know the girls that well yet, I was nervous that I wouldn't say the things I needed to. But WOW was the spirit strong. It was an absolutely wonderful way to spend a Sunday. I know most of it didn't come from me, I am so grateful for inspiration. My girls are amazing! I love them so much already, and its only been like a month. They have helped me already to grow and see things differently. Sometimes I wish I could teach every week. But mostly not...ha ha
How about you guys? Have you ever had those types of lessons, either where you knew you said something they needed to hear? Or someone that was teaching said something you really needed to hear?
I swear, it seems like most Sundays, the talks and lessons are written just for me. Its awesome!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tonights Festivities
So as you can see (the poster speaks for itself), this is going to be good. Its been a long time coming, and its finally here. I was going to practice self control and not go for a couple of weeks but...Sunday I got a calling for the 3rd time in the last 2 months. This time I will be serving as a Young Women's advisor in our ward. Its going to be so fun, I am really excited to be back in Young Womens, its such a fun place to be. I miss my girls from the Eldredge Ward; but the girls in Orchard 5th are great also, and I am looking forward to speding time with them, getting to know them better, teaching them and also having them teach me a few things as well! ;)
After having both the Mia Maid & Beehive aged girls in Sunday School I know that we are going to have a blast. I love the people I am going to be priveleged to serve with, and the girls we have in our ward are amazing.
So our first order of business? Go see Eclipse as a ward YW activity of course, what else?
I can't wait to hear the reactions of over 20 teenage girls, it may even be more entertaining than the movie itself (who am I kidding?). :)
I know most of my blogging friends are going, and you all love to write reviews! I will be looking forward to reading them.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
California Love
So, I guess I really need to catch up on this whole blog thing. ALOT has been going on this month, so I guess its been hard to focus. I haven't been home a whole week yet this month, so yeah, you could say we have been a little busy.
So I will split it up a little. We will start with our trip home to California.
We left on June 2nd, which happens to be the birthday of our wonderful brother-in-law, Brian. It was a bittersweet day, and the reason for our trip. Cody and I the whole trip had many thoughts and enjoyed this special day of his. Its nice to talk about him, and remember all the wonderful parts of his life. At the same time, it opens the flood gates and Cody & I usually end up in tears for a while. But we thought of you Bri, all day, and still do pretty much everyday. :) We love you.
The trip went off without a hitch that day. We hung out in Phoenix for a while at the airport, we had a 3 hour layover. I was tempted to call my cousins and have them pick us up and hang out for a bit. But I was a little too scared we would end up having too much fun and losing track of time. So in the airport we stayed, and I watched episodes of Glee while waiting. As soon as I stepped off the plane I knew I was home. Cody was laughing at me, but the air just feels so much better on my skin. ;) By dinner time, we were home with my family. We went to one of my favorite Mexican places for dinner, Olas. (I don't care what anyone says, I cannot find decent Mexican food or salsa anywhere up here). The salsa was as good as I remembered! :)
I spent time with my sister Erin's kids, Emery, Fallon & Porter. Emery & Fallon came with Noni (my mom) to pick us up. They always insist on being there when we arrive, its cute. They looked so old to me, this time. I still remember when they were both born, so it was fun, but it also made me realize that I miss out ALOT on their lives. Its probably been the hardest part about living here. But we won't go there, I usually end up in trouble.
The next morning we were off to my favorite place, Disneyland. It has always held a place in my heart. I love to go, and I love just being there, I don't even have to ride anything to enjoy it. I have so many fond memories of spending the day there, and it was nice just to spend a day outside in the warm, California sun. Erin and I kind of have the same thrill seeking attitude. We love the feeling of falling, so if nothing else we both had to ride Tower of Terror,we got a couple of others in also, but this was the priority. By the end of the day, the kids were spent, I was as tired as ever, and it was time to head home. I think it had been the first time in at least 2 years that I have been there until the park actually closed. Oops!
Friday we were off to pick up my Cody's sister Colette in LA, so we met them at the temple. It was nice to be back at the LA temple. Another spot that holds SO many memories, youth trips, putting up the temple lights as a youth, going with my family, commandments I had made, and the marriage that we have, which started there. Its still "my temple" as Bishop Lythgoe would say. :)
We took the kids home, went swimming and played until we could play no more. The kids all got along so well together. Erin's 3 kids, Kelly's little boy Rhett, and Colette's kids Cole, Hallie & Eli.
Saturday we had a little going away BBQ to go to for my sister Erin & her family who would move to Gilbert, AZ the next week. It was hard, but it was nice to see all of her friends come together for them. And I had the opportunity to take some time and spend it with just my mom. It was much needed. She is one of my best friends, and she always listens, and gives good, informed advice, which I really appreciate.
Sunday was when the real party began. We left for the airport after we had gone to church and eaten dinner. So we get the airport, check Colette and her kids in, and then we go to check Cody & I in. Oh, but wait, Delta had taken Cody & I off the flight and it was too late to put us back on. After an hour on the phone with them, they decided they were going to charge us even more and we still weren't going to get home on one of their flights. I am so fed up with them its not even funny, I would not recommend that airline if my life depended on it, but thats a whole other story. Anyway brave Colette decided to take the flight with 3 kids by herself. So off she went, and off Cody & I went to the metro station. It turned out fine, as soon as I had made arrangements for work, my stress was gone, and what was so bad about another day home? So we took the metro to Simi, and my sister Kelly picked us up, we got fed, we hung out with her and Randy & Rhett and some of their friends. We spent some more time with my mom, and then we went to sleep. My mom dropped us off on her way in to the temple and next thing we knew we were back in Utah. AH! Yeah, I know, it was kind of crazy, but I wasn't as stressed as I had ought to have been. All in all it was a good trip, and lots of fun. I just can't wait to go back. August could not come soon enough!
Ps. There will be no pictures for these posts, I asked Cody the night before we left if he would like me to put in my bag, but he said no, he would pack it in his carry on in the morning. Never happened, there was just too much going on in his head that morning, and so it stayed. Oh well, so we were without a camera. Sorry. (This is why I joke that our kids lives wont even be documented, because we ALWAYS forget the camera). :)
So I will split it up a little. We will start with our trip home to California.
We left on June 2nd, which happens to be the birthday of our wonderful brother-in-law, Brian. It was a bittersweet day, and the reason for our trip. Cody and I the whole trip had many thoughts and enjoyed this special day of his. Its nice to talk about him, and remember all the wonderful parts of his life. At the same time, it opens the flood gates and Cody & I usually end up in tears for a while. But we thought of you Bri, all day, and still do pretty much everyday. :) We love you.
The trip went off without a hitch that day. We hung out in Phoenix for a while at the airport, we had a 3 hour layover. I was tempted to call my cousins and have them pick us up and hang out for a bit. But I was a little too scared we would end up having too much fun and losing track of time. So in the airport we stayed, and I watched episodes of Glee while waiting. As soon as I stepped off the plane I knew I was home. Cody was laughing at me, but the air just feels so much better on my skin. ;) By dinner time, we were home with my family. We went to one of my favorite Mexican places for dinner, Olas. (I don't care what anyone says, I cannot find decent Mexican food or salsa anywhere up here). The salsa was as good as I remembered! :)
I spent time with my sister Erin's kids, Emery, Fallon & Porter. Emery & Fallon came with Noni (my mom) to pick us up. They always insist on being there when we arrive, its cute. They looked so old to me, this time. I still remember when they were both born, so it was fun, but it also made me realize that I miss out ALOT on their lives. Its probably been the hardest part about living here. But we won't go there, I usually end up in trouble.
The next morning we were off to my favorite place, Disneyland. It has always held a place in my heart. I love to go, and I love just being there, I don't even have to ride anything to enjoy it. I have so many fond memories of spending the day there, and it was nice just to spend a day outside in the warm, California sun. Erin and I kind of have the same thrill seeking attitude. We love the feeling of falling, so if nothing else we both had to ride Tower of Terror,we got a couple of others in also, but this was the priority. By the end of the day, the kids were spent, I was as tired as ever, and it was time to head home. I think it had been the first time in at least 2 years that I have been there until the park actually closed. Oops!
Friday we were off to pick up my Cody's sister Colette in LA, so we met them at the temple. It was nice to be back at the LA temple. Another spot that holds SO many memories, youth trips, putting up the temple lights as a youth, going with my family, commandments I had made, and the marriage that we have, which started there. Its still "my temple" as Bishop Lythgoe would say. :)
We took the kids home, went swimming and played until we could play no more. The kids all got along so well together. Erin's 3 kids, Kelly's little boy Rhett, and Colette's kids Cole, Hallie & Eli.
Saturday we had a little going away BBQ to go to for my sister Erin & her family who would move to Gilbert, AZ the next week. It was hard, but it was nice to see all of her friends come together for them. And I had the opportunity to take some time and spend it with just my mom. It was much needed. She is one of my best friends, and she always listens, and gives good, informed advice, which I really appreciate.
Sunday was when the real party began. We left for the airport after we had gone to church and eaten dinner. So we get the airport, check Colette and her kids in, and then we go to check Cody & I in. Oh, but wait, Delta had taken Cody & I off the flight and it was too late to put us back on. After an hour on the phone with them, they decided they were going to charge us even more and we still weren't going to get home on one of their flights. I am so fed up with them its not even funny, I would not recommend that airline if my life depended on it, but thats a whole other story. Anyway brave Colette decided to take the flight with 3 kids by herself. So off she went, and off Cody & I went to the metro station. It turned out fine, as soon as I had made arrangements for work, my stress was gone, and what was so bad about another day home? So we took the metro to Simi, and my sister Kelly picked us up, we got fed, we hung out with her and Randy & Rhett and some of their friends. We spent some more time with my mom, and then we went to sleep. My mom dropped us off on her way in to the temple and next thing we knew we were back in Utah. AH! Yeah, I know, it was kind of crazy, but I wasn't as stressed as I had ought to have been. All in all it was a good trip, and lots of fun. I just can't wait to go back. August could not come soon enough!
Ps. There will be no pictures for these posts, I asked Cody the night before we left if he would like me to put in my bag, but he said no, he would pack it in his carry on in the morning. Never happened, there was just too much going on in his head that morning, and so it stayed. Oh well, so we were without a camera. Sorry. (This is why I joke that our kids lives wont even be documented, because we ALWAYS forget the camera). :)
Monday, May 17, 2010
Not So Lazy Days
Well our weekends are known for being the least lazy of our days of the week, probably.It all started on Friday. I got to sleep in, but I can only ever sleep until about 9am, and then its a bit too much for me. I got up straight away, and started with the 5 loads of laundry I had to do. :) I don't mind laundry, its pretty therapeutic. But 5 loads???I don't know how we stacked that much up. There were so many towels, whites, clothes, jeans, sheets etc. WOW! Needless to say I got all but one done.
The part I do love is the folding and putting away. Because while I fold, I like to either, watch a movie, which is one of my sisters favorite things too (love ya Erin), listen to music (loud) or in this weekend's case I got to listen to a fantastic thunder storm and some rain. :) It was heaven.
Later that night I decided not to let a co-worker take the night shift from me, and I went to a get a few more hours of work in. I like the Friday night shift. Its very relaxing. I used to hate it, but I have learned to love it. I get to do my lesson planning for Sunday and get caught up on my reading. :)
I got home to a husband mowing the lawn, which he loves and listening to his ipod. Tasks and music? Who would have thought?
Saturday I think I got up around 8, Cody was not near ready to join the liveliness. So I got all ready for the day and started my last load of laundry. I think I had most of the house clean before Cody headed out to plant his veggies. :) He planted tomatoes, peppers, corn, squash, basil, cilantro, oregano, etc, and put in a new sprinkler system...I deep cleaned the kitchen, the family room, our room, the only room I don't touch is Cody's office. He is crazy, he knows where everything is, but to me, it just looks like chaos.
I got to leave for a little bit and went to my friend Jessica's parent's home. It was nice to go back to such a familiar place. Her family was my family while I was on my own, which was great. They always made me feel like one of them. I got to put some highlights in Jess' hair for her. It was nice to get back into doing foils again. I miss it, but at the same time I don't necessarily miss the salon environment. You tend to get caught up in things like designer clothes, purses, jewelry, etc. I wasn't a fan of all of that. I like my simple, fun, carefree life we have created much better. :) I do love talking to my clients and making sure they like the way they look! Jess looks so cute with the blonde, so I was more than happy to help her put it back in. Plus, it was so much fun to go hang out and play again. I had forgotten how much I miss her! Love ya Jess!
Kate & I 2004, this pretty much defines our relationship.When I had gotten home I had to herd Codes back inside to get cleaned up. We had a dinner date with my good friend Kate. Kate and I have been BFFs since we were 12. Her husband is great, Cody and I love them both. It was good to see them again. We had a great dinner, Ry is a wiz at the grill, and Kate made some great sides. Delish. Thanks again Jones'! By the time we got home I was wiped. We both had been working hard all day long.
Sunday, and I have a love-hate relationship. I love Sunday because I love going to church, we love our ward, I get to teach Sunday school (and man do I learn a ton about the Old Testament that I never got in depth with before). And I get to hear great lessons and talks each week. But as the day wares on, I realize I am that much closer to heading back to work early the next morning...But it was a great day. It was a beautiful day outside. Cody got up and made me some cinnamon french toast, orange juice and fruit, yum! We got ready for church, and I had extra time so I baked some bread. Cody was in heaven. I made a loaf of regular, and some more cinnamon chip bread. The boy is a sucker for anything made from scratch! I got a nap in after church and I watched the sunset of the deck in the evening. It was great. Now I just have to wait it out til Thursday, when I can get back to our weekend routine.
Sunday, and I have a love-hate relationship. I love Sunday because I love going to church, we love our ward, I get to teach Sunday school (and man do I learn a ton about the Old Testament that I never got in depth with before). And I get to hear great lessons and talks each week. But as the day wares on, I realize I am that much closer to heading back to work early the next morning...But it was a great day. It was a beautiful day outside. Cody got up and made me some cinnamon french toast, orange juice and fruit, yum! We got ready for church, and I had extra time so I baked some bread. Cody was in heaven. I made a loaf of regular, and some more cinnamon chip bread. The boy is a sucker for anything made from scratch! I got a nap in after church and I watched the sunset of the deck in the evening. It was great. Now I just have to wait it out til Thursday, when I can get back to our weekend routine.
By the time we were done with everything on Saturday, we already had a big list for this coming weekend. Wish us luck!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Its Good to Have Records
Recently I have been doing a lot of thinking about records, genealogy, etc.
I had always loved having a journal, ever since I was little. My mom would always buy me these cute little journals when she got a new journal, so it was something we kind of did together. She was always a good example of journaling. She had what she called a Gratitude Journal, which is kind of self explanatory, but she wrote the things that she is grateful for, or that had made an impression on her that day. So she has multiple records of things, which I am thankful for, because she will be able to show them to the kids in our family, so they will know what she was like before they could remember, or before they were born.
My mom also has boxes and boxes of photos, which my sisters and I like to go through every once in a while. Its fun to remember those funny things we did. I don't think they have gone through them yet, but when they do the kids will love the hair, especially Erin's...the hair and the earrings in all their glory from the 80's. :)
Cody has kept a journal as well. Also he kept all of the emails, letters, pictures and his journal from his mission. Cody also gave me his tags when we got engaged, so now I have them. But I am working on putting everything into a book for him, but who knows how long that will take.
So I have been able to get to know him all over again, and its been a lot of fun. I know how Cody was as a teenager, on his mission, some things from after, and the passed 2+ years we have been together. ( I realized on Sunday that this passed Mother's Day was my 3rd in the Fitts home, crazy!). Cody is pretty much the same, minus the rap music he used to love in high school. His goals are similar, his focus is similar, and the things that are important to him have always been the same, which I am thankful for, he is such an example to me. :)
Cody has also been entertained by my old journals. He leaves them alone most of the time, unless I share them with him. I mean, I guess he should be able to read them any time, we don't do secrets, but its weird to just read through someone else's things. So he has heard all of the things from when I was a teen, and even before. And he usually just says, "Yep, that sounds just like you." or "You would say that..." Or "Wow, you have dealt with a lot". Its rather funny and its a great way to dig a little deeper.
These things mean a lot to me. I love being able to look back and see that we are the people we have always been. Our values are completely the same, and in some ways the bar has been raised (which I guess it should). I am also glad that one day when we have kids and grand kids, they will be able to have all of this stuff. They will be able to get to know us, and they will learn from the experiences we had. I always loved hearing stories, and now I just wish I knew more, now that my grandparents are gone.
But the apostles are inspired, and they tell us too, that it is important to keep record. And also, this is what inspired me to do a blog way back when. I don't care who reads it (we have found out that there are more of you than we thought, hehe), but if you do...thank you!
These are just some of my favorites that I have found in Cody's things.
My cute little skinny Cody. He didn't look much different than this when we met.
This was a crazy story to read. This is the scorpion that stung Cody's hand one day.
He tells me about these all the time. When he thinks of butchers, or butcher shops, this is what he thinks of. Pretty sick.
He still has this tie, and he still wears it. It will be fun to pass on to our future missionaries one day.
Goofy Cody. He loved everyone he served with, and we have seen some of them randomly. Its always nice when I can place a face with the names. His favorite comp married a girl named Kylie too. :)
I had always loved having a journal, ever since I was little. My mom would always buy me these cute little journals when she got a new journal, so it was something we kind of did together. She was always a good example of journaling. She had what she called a Gratitude Journal, which is kind of self explanatory, but she wrote the things that she is grateful for, or that had made an impression on her that day. So she has multiple records of things, which I am thankful for, because she will be able to show them to the kids in our family, so they will know what she was like before they could remember, or before they were born.
My mom also has boxes and boxes of photos, which my sisters and I like to go through every once in a while. Its fun to remember those funny things we did. I don't think they have gone through them yet, but when they do the kids will love the hair, especially Erin's...the hair and the earrings in all their glory from the 80's. :)
Cody has kept a journal as well. Also he kept all of the emails, letters, pictures and his journal from his mission. Cody also gave me his tags when we got engaged, so now I have them. But I am working on putting everything into a book for him, but who knows how long that will take.
So I have been able to get to know him all over again, and its been a lot of fun. I know how Cody was as a teenager, on his mission, some things from after, and the passed 2+ years we have been together. ( I realized on Sunday that this passed Mother's Day was my 3rd in the Fitts home, crazy!). Cody is pretty much the same, minus the rap music he used to love in high school. His goals are similar, his focus is similar, and the things that are important to him have always been the same, which I am thankful for, he is such an example to me. :)
Cody has also been entertained by my old journals. He leaves them alone most of the time, unless I share them with him. I mean, I guess he should be able to read them any time, we don't do secrets, but its weird to just read through someone else's things. So he has heard all of the things from when I was a teen, and even before. And he usually just says, "Yep, that sounds just like you." or "You would say that..." Or "Wow, you have dealt with a lot". Its rather funny and its a great way to dig a little deeper.
These things mean a lot to me. I love being able to look back and see that we are the people we have always been. Our values are completely the same, and in some ways the bar has been raised (which I guess it should). I am also glad that one day when we have kids and grand kids, they will be able to have all of this stuff. They will be able to get to know us, and they will learn from the experiences we had. I always loved hearing stories, and now I just wish I knew more, now that my grandparents are gone.
But the apostles are inspired, and they tell us too, that it is important to keep record. And also, this is what inspired me to do a blog way back when. I don't care who reads it (we have found out that there are more of you than we thought, hehe), but if you do...thank you!
These are just some of my favorites that I have found in Cody's things.
My cute little skinny Cody. He didn't look much different than this when we met.
This was a crazy story to read. This is the scorpion that stung Cody's hand one day.
He tells me about these all the time. When he thinks of butchers, or butcher shops, this is what he thinks of. Pretty sick.
He still has this tie, and he still wears it. It will be fun to pass on to our future missionaries one day.
Goofy Cody. He loved everyone he served with, and we have seen some of them randomly. Its always nice when I can place a face with the names. His favorite comp married a girl named Kylie too. :)Well, if you need a good laugh, maybe you should go through your old things. Laughing is almost a guarantee. :)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Life Is a Miracle
It is one thing to know that God is there. It is quite another to have a blossoming relationship with him and his son, Jesus Christ. If ever there are questions of why things happen, we need to be able to trust that there is a finite reason for everything, that there is a grand design, a plan. There is always something to be learned, impressions to be made, and lives to touch. If you don't know that for yourself yet, you will. Whether it be by experiences of your own, or experiences of others that you must witness. It will ALL, the scriptures do not say "some" but ALL will be for your good. One day we will understand it all, maybe not at the time, but it will all click at some point, hopefully. Seems hard to believe, but I KNOW that is true.
There is a woman that has touched my life tremendously. Who I look up to very much. Many of you have seen here on the news, or in an article, or on here own blog. If Nie hasn't touched your life yet, let her do it now. Click here. It is a beautiful message. And if ever you feel that life is too hard, and there are things that cannot be overcome...think of her. Pray for her. You will find yourself having love for someone you have never met. I do. And if you haven't seen her in a while, get reacquainted, introduce your friends. She is a wonderful example of a disciple of Christ, as are many others.
Prayer is amazing. Our Father in Heaven and our Savior are so merciful, kind, and loving. I love all of it. :) And not much else in this world matters.
There is a woman that has touched my life tremendously. Who I look up to very much. Many of you have seen here on the news, or in an article, or on here own blog. If Nie hasn't touched your life yet, let her do it now. Click here. It is a beautiful message. And if ever you feel that life is too hard, and there are things that cannot be overcome...think of her. Pray for her. You will find yourself having love for someone you have never met. I do. And if you haven't seen her in a while, get reacquainted, introduce your friends. She is a wonderful example of a disciple of Christ, as are many others.
Prayer is amazing. Our Father in Heaven and our Savior are so merciful, kind, and loving. I love all of it. :) And not much else in this world matters.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
House Warming Guests
So after getting a little bit settled into our house we had quite a group of visitors. My mom came the week after we moved in to help me start painting, decorating and getting things organized. So my projects are getting checked off one by one. We painted all the hallways upstairs and my kitchen and dining areas (pictures to come) with the help of my sister-in-law Becca, my mom and Cody helped a bit as well. I am in love with my color choices and I am still steaming on ahead. Next will be my sewing room and Cody's office.
The next week we were greeted by both of my sisters, their husbands, and their children. It was so much fun! We played games, we went to the park, we went home decor shopping, we went to lunch, all the good stuff. The boys even got a round of golf in while they were here.
My big boy Porter and I swinging on the swings at the park around the corner from our house. He remembered me pretty quickly, such a blessing. He is such a sweet, cuddly boy. We love him so much.
The boys (Randy-married to Kelly, and Jeff-married to Erin) weren't about to let the kids have all of the fun. They got into it to. When they play, they play hard and as dangerous as they can. So watch out!
Fallon had so much fun playing on everything she could get her hands on. You can see Jeff in the backgroud pushing kids on a little contraption. They had way too much fun on that thing.
Jeff and Porter. Porter sure does love his daddy!
Rhett had gotten a little tamer in his old age...haha. He isn't as adventurous and fearless as he used to be. But boy does he like to laugh, mimic, and talk, talk, talk!
Here he is again doing it just like his daddy taught him. This little guy is all smiles and go go go all the time (as long as he isn't tired).
Here is Rhett and his Mama (Kelly). If he can't see either of his parents, he likes to ask over and over..."Where Mama? Where Daddy?" (he just started talking up a storm a couple of months ago, he was what they call "tongue tied" before. so after he got his tongue clipped, he talks like crazy). But he says my name and Cody's name super well, and he likes to ask where we are too, its cute. We were impressed. :) He also liked to chase me around the house. I couldn't get enough of this boy!
Here is Emery at the discovery center at the Gateway. They had to find something to do with the kids while I was at work on Monday. This place was a hit. If you are in Downtown Salt Lake, and you need to entertain children, this is the place to go.
Porter watchin' all the kids. He is content to watch whatever is going on. Such a chill little guy, and he is super cute!
Emery & Fallon enjoyed the snow while they were here. It was their first encounter and they loved it. Here they are trying to catch it in their mouths.
Here is part of our backyard; that awful split rail cuts our yard in two...new fence to come...But the view is amazing at sunset, sunrise, night time, we LOVE it!
Porter wasn't as convinced the snow was a good idea. Here is his dad trying to coax him into playing in it. Not diggin' it.
The next week we were greeted by both of my sisters, their husbands, and their children. It was so much fun! We played games, we went to the park, we went home decor shopping, we went to lunch, all the good stuff. The boys even got a round of golf in while they were here.
My big boy Porter and I swinging on the swings at the park around the corner from our house. He remembered me pretty quickly, such a blessing. He is such a sweet, cuddly boy. We love him so much.
The boys (Randy-married to Kelly, and Jeff-married to Erin) weren't about to let the kids have all of the fun. They got into it to. When they play, they play hard and as dangerous as they can. So watch out!
Fallon had so much fun playing on everything she could get her hands on. You can see Jeff in the backgroud pushing kids on a little contraption. They had way too much fun on that thing.
Jeff and Porter. Porter sure does love his daddy!
Rhett had gotten a little tamer in his old age...haha. He isn't as adventurous and fearless as he used to be. But boy does he like to laugh, mimic, and talk, talk, talk!
Here he is again doing it just like his daddy taught him. This little guy is all smiles and go go go all the time (as long as he isn't tired).
Here is Rhett and his Mama (Kelly). If he can't see either of his parents, he likes to ask over and over..."Where Mama? Where Daddy?" (he just started talking up a storm a couple of months ago, he was what they call "tongue tied" before. so after he got his tongue clipped, he talks like crazy). But he says my name and Cody's name super well, and he likes to ask where we are too, its cute. We were impressed. :) He also liked to chase me around the house. I couldn't get enough of this boy!
Here is Emery at the discovery center at the Gateway. They had to find something to do with the kids while I was at work on Monday. This place was a hit. If you are in Downtown Salt Lake, and you need to entertain children, this is the place to go.
Porter watchin' all the kids. He is content to watch whatever is going on. Such a chill little guy, and he is super cute!
Emery & Fallon enjoyed the snow while they were here. It was their first encounter and they loved it. Here they are trying to catch it in their mouths.
Here is part of our backyard; that awful split rail cuts our yard in two...new fence to come...But the view is amazing at sunset, sunrise, night time, we LOVE it!
Porter wasn't as convinced the snow was a good idea. Here is his dad trying to coax him into playing in it. Not diggin' it.We loved having all of our house guests. It was really sad to see them go. The house is really quiet and empty now. But we know they will be back. Thanks for coming you guys. And thanks Kelly & Erin for my awesome house warming gifts and all the decorating help! See you in 4 weeks when we are off to CA for some more fun!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Easter Weekend
So this Easter was great. I can't remember the last time Easter & General Conference fell on the same week. It could have been more recent than I think, but I don't recall.
Anyway, I thought it was pretty special that we were able to celebrate the fulfillment of the Atonement, the Resurrection of Christ, and listen to our wonderful Prophet, Apostles and General Authorities this weekend.
Friday started as a date night for us. We went to dinner, drove around Bountiful for a bit, and just enjoyed each other's company. Also, date night would not be date night without a trip to the grocery store! Awesome. Cody has been obsessed with this new website about food storage, and deals to stock up on. (Side note. Cody was so cute when we were dating. A couple months before we got engaged Cody was telling me reasons he wanted to marry me. He had been sitting in a lesson at church about food storage the week prior, and he got a surge of emotion. He said that was when he had the thought, I want to marry her, so we can do things like Food Storage together to prepare for things to come. So when we were having one of serious chats he blurted out "I want to marry you so that I can do food storage with you!", at the time it stunned me, now, not so much. I just thought that was cute, and we are now fulfilling his dream). Cody saved us $40, I'm pretty proud of him, our total went from $96 to $51.
Next we decided to Red Box, which is pretty common for us. We got "The Time Traveller's Wife", which I would not recommend to anyone, ever. But that is an entirely different post. Cody was cute and lit our fireplace because it was a crisp night, and we had the slider wide open. It was wonderful. I love the smell of cool, fresh air coming in, cuddled up on the couch with my babe, and the electric blanket. :) Nothing sweeter.
The next morning we got to start enjoying the 2 day spiritual extravaganza which is General Conference. How wonderful is it to hear those voices?!?! They are almost as familiar to me as the voices of my family. They bring peace, comfort and understanding ever time. The talks were all amazing, and very relevant (as always), we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Then off Cody went to Priesthood Session. My sister in law Colette was nice enough to come up and keep me company while he was gone. So her and I and the kids had dinner, took some pictures of the kids, played some games. And then it was bath time. The kids had a great time in the bath. We love having them at our house, Cody was sad he missed them by about 20 minutes.
That night Cody and I decided to camp out in our family room so that we were ready for conference the next morning. No sleeping in! So we did. It was fun, but we wouldn't do it on a monthly basis or anything. We had our trusty air matress, which made for a pretty good night's sleep, and a good spot in the morning as well. It was fun to watch the snow fall in the early morning as well off our balcany. There is nothing like waking up looking out a large window with the sun glaring off of the purest white.
Sunday was the day of the rising of our beloved Savior. And what a beautiful day. The snow in the morning, and then by noon it had all melted away(which is usually how I prefer it, MELTED; sure its great to look out, but its freakin cold!). I loved so many talks. It was great. They just seem to get better and better.
This is my favorite Easter picture. Victory! He is Risen! I know my Redeemer Lives, and he loves each of us individually. Its such a special time of year. I love it.
Cody and I decided to nix the Easter baskets and new clothes this year, since we weren't going to our ward on Easter Sunday. That way we really get the full effect of what Easter really is. And we didn't miss them one bit!
After Conference, my friends from home (Camarillo, Ca) had our 3rd Semi-Annual Taco Party. Its just a fun get together every conference when some of them drive up to the rest of us for the weekend. We love getting together for anything, especially good food. Brian & Cameron always make great tacos, and they always provide the Death Sauce.
Cody has really jumped into the group quite well, and who could help but like him? He is about the nicest guy there is. Any of you that know him would be able to confirm that statement. :)
All in all it was a great Easter weekend, a whole lot of fun, laughs, and spiritual fulfillment!
Ps. My family came the last week, but I am waiting to steal pictures from my sister for that post. Also, I am still slacking on pictures of the house. But we have been painting like mad, switching out light fixtures, planning attacks, and trying to get every thing settled. I PROMISE I will get it posted sometime this month!
Anyway, I thought it was pretty special that we were able to celebrate the fulfillment of the Atonement, the Resurrection of Christ, and listen to our wonderful Prophet, Apostles and General Authorities this weekend.
Friday started as a date night for us. We went to dinner, drove around Bountiful for a bit, and just enjoyed each other's company. Also, date night would not be date night without a trip to the grocery store! Awesome. Cody has been obsessed with this new website about food storage, and deals to stock up on. (Side note. Cody was so cute when we were dating. A couple months before we got engaged Cody was telling me reasons he wanted to marry me. He had been sitting in a lesson at church about food storage the week prior, and he got a surge of emotion. He said that was when he had the thought, I want to marry her, so we can do things like Food Storage together to prepare for things to come. So when we were having one of serious chats he blurted out "I want to marry you so that I can do food storage with you!", at the time it stunned me, now, not so much. I just thought that was cute, and we are now fulfilling his dream). Cody saved us $40, I'm pretty proud of him, our total went from $96 to $51.
Next we decided to Red Box, which is pretty common for us. We got "The Time Traveller's Wife", which I would not recommend to anyone, ever. But that is an entirely different post. Cody was cute and lit our fireplace because it was a crisp night, and we had the slider wide open. It was wonderful. I love the smell of cool, fresh air coming in, cuddled up on the couch with my babe, and the electric blanket. :) Nothing sweeter.
The next morning we got to start enjoying the 2 day spiritual extravaganza which is General Conference. How wonderful is it to hear those voices?!?! They are almost as familiar to me as the voices of my family. They bring peace, comfort and understanding ever time. The talks were all amazing, and very relevant (as always), we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Then off Cody went to Priesthood Session. My sister in law Colette was nice enough to come up and keep me company while he was gone. So her and I and the kids had dinner, took some pictures of the kids, played some games. And then it was bath time. The kids had a great time in the bath. We love having them at our house, Cody was sad he missed them by about 20 minutes.That night Cody and I decided to camp out in our family room so that we were ready for conference the next morning. No sleeping in! So we did. It was fun, but we wouldn't do it on a monthly basis or anything. We had our trusty air matress, which made for a pretty good night's sleep, and a good spot in the morning as well. It was fun to watch the snow fall in the early morning as well off our balcany. There is nothing like waking up looking out a large window with the sun glaring off of the purest white.
Sunday was the day of the rising of our beloved Savior. And what a beautiful day. The snow in the morning, and then by noon it had all melted away(which is usually how I prefer it, MELTED; sure its great to look out, but its freakin cold!). I loved so many talks. It was great. They just seem to get better and better.
This is my favorite Easter picture. Victory! He is Risen! I know my Redeemer Lives, and he loves each of us individually. Its such a special time of year. I love it.
Cody and I decided to nix the Easter baskets and new clothes this year, since we weren't going to our ward on Easter Sunday. That way we really get the full effect of what Easter really is. And we didn't miss them one bit!
After Conference, my friends from home (Camarillo, Ca) had our 3rd Semi-Annual Taco Party. Its just a fun get together every conference when some of them drive up to the rest of us for the weekend. We love getting together for anything, especially good food. Brian & Cameron always make great tacos, and they always provide the Death Sauce.
Cody has really jumped into the group quite well, and who could help but like him? He is about the nicest guy there is. Any of you that know him would be able to confirm that statement. :)
All in all it was a great Easter weekend, a whole lot of fun, laughs, and spiritual fulfillment!
Ps. My family came the last week, but I am waiting to steal pictures from my sister for that post. Also, I am still slacking on pictures of the house. But we have been painting like mad, switching out light fixtures, planning attacks, and trying to get every thing settled. I PROMISE I will get it posted sometime this month!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Attitude of Gratitude
So as most of you know we closed on our house yesterday! We are super excited for this new chapter in our lives. Its really put us in perspective. We are sad to leave people in our ward, but we are happy to be able to enter into a new ward, an new adventure, filled with possible new friends and neighbors.
But really this experience has really thrown us into an attitude of gratitude.
We are grateful for the many things we have been blessed with. For both of our families that give us support by the boat load. For the encouragement from our friends, and we know how blessed we are to have all of you in our lives.
We are grateful for the gospel that brings us so much peace in our lives. And believe you me, we needed peace more than anything else in this world that past 6 months with everything that has gone on in our lives in addition to our home search. We are thankful for our the way things just seem to turn out, making us aware of a "Master plan". I am grateful for the scriptures, for direction it gives, as well as the council of the Prophet and his apostles. How wonderful is it to be able to look to them for such informed guidance.
I am thankful for the priesthood power, and the man in our home that lives worthy of it. It gives me an awesome sense of comfort. The ability we have to be sealed together and the bond it gives a family in and out of this existence.
I am thankful for temples, which are equal in beauty to how many blessings we receive from it. I am glad that Cody and I started going monthly even before we were married, it put us in the habit really early on. Even though I may have gotten off to a rough start, it has brought us so much joy to go and spend time together there. I am thankful to live in such a close proximity to so many temples (I think there are at least 5 or 6 within 30 minutes) so that we are able to get our stuff together, and just say "hey, I feel like going to the temple tonight, lets go!".
I am grateful for so many things in my life, and taking steps just reminds you of how much you have to be thankful for. I need to do better at being able to take in things every day, and not just in prayer, but just taking it in and thinking "I have so much to be thankful for".
As much as there is hardship and struggle, there are blessings and gifts along the way as well. "Count your many blessings, see what God hath done" because wow is it amazing!
PS. I took pictures of the house yesterday, but I forgot my usb cord, so I will be posting them soon! Love you all!
But really this experience has really thrown us into an attitude of gratitude.
We are grateful for the many things we have been blessed with. For both of our families that give us support by the boat load. For the encouragement from our friends, and we know how blessed we are to have all of you in our lives.
We are grateful for the gospel that brings us so much peace in our lives. And believe you me, we needed peace more than anything else in this world that past 6 months with everything that has gone on in our lives in addition to our home search. We are thankful for our the way things just seem to turn out, making us aware of a "Master plan". I am grateful for the scriptures, for direction it gives, as well as the council of the Prophet and his apostles. How wonderful is it to be able to look to them for such informed guidance.
I am thankful for the priesthood power, and the man in our home that lives worthy of it. It gives me an awesome sense of comfort. The ability we have to be sealed together and the bond it gives a family in and out of this existence.
I am thankful for temples, which are equal in beauty to how many blessings we receive from it. I am glad that Cody and I started going monthly even before we were married, it put us in the habit really early on. Even though I may have gotten off to a rough start, it has brought us so much joy to go and spend time together there. I am thankful to live in such a close proximity to so many temples (I think there are at least 5 or 6 within 30 minutes) so that we are able to get our stuff together, and just say "hey, I feel like going to the temple tonight, lets go!".
I am grateful for so many things in my life, and taking steps just reminds you of how much you have to be thankful for. I need to do better at being able to take in things every day, and not just in prayer, but just taking it in and thinking "I have so much to be thankful for".
As much as there is hardship and struggle, there are blessings and gifts along the way as well. "Count your many blessings, see what God hath done" because wow is it amazing!
PS. I took pictures of the house yesterday, but I forgot my usb cord, so I will be posting them soon! Love you all!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
My New Favorite Place for Breakfast
So my good friend Kiernan and I decided that we were going to go to breakfast this morning. Cody was going to be gone most of the early part of the day, so it was the perfect opportunity.We were originally going to go to Mimi's Cafe, cause their breakfast is amazing...but as we were driving we thought we might want to go on a little adventure. So we went to a place Kiernan had heard about, but had never been called Eggs In the City. We weren't really sure exactly where it was, but knew the general area. So we decided to scout it out and just drive until we found it. After driving and admiring some cute little vintage houses, we found it!
WOW! My new favorite place! The atmosphere was so fun. It reminded me of home a little bit. It was a bit of a hipster, indie, small coffee shop vibe, which I love! (for those of you in Ventura County, think Old New York Bagel meets Central Perk on FRIENDS). The inside is kind of industrial looking with exposed silver duct work, and chalk boards, cute counter, bistro tables, and high bar stool tables. I just love the one of a kind places, not so much chain eateries.
Not only was the atmosphere awesome but the food was SO good. I got a Ham, Spinach and Pepper Jack Cheese omelet which came with some heavenly potatoes and toast. It was delish! Kiernan got this fantastic looking stack of pancakes with awesome fresh fruit and walnuts on it, and some yummy eggs. It was SO yummy and fresh.
The people that work there were real laid back and chill. Awesome. It reminded me of working the Salon Circuit back home. Which I miss terribly. You don't get a lot of places like that here in Utah, so it was a diamond in the rough! Its in a quiet neighborhood in Sugarhouse.
I love Sugarhouse. I wouldn't really want to live there, its better for people who are still living the single life, but I love to go down there and hang out in the cute little shops and the cute little random places to eat. Just gives me a little glimpse of life back in the Los Angeles area. I will be going back soon, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for something different, with a sweet hipster vibe. Check it out next time you are in town!
Hope you are having a fabulous weekend!
I know a lot of you back in CA get what I'm talkin bout! :) haha Miss you guys like crazy!
Monday, February 15, 2010
The day of love...
So this Valentine's Day we decided would be a bit different. No fancy dinner, no gifts, no flowers, it just didn't feel right this year. We wanted to kind of focus on other people this year instead of ourselves. The thought of buying more stuff for us, just seemed like a waste. Do we really need more stuff? Do I really need to get another bouquet of flowers? He does that enough throughout the year...So we decided we would try to make it better for someone else.
This year we chose Colette, for obvious reasons. This is the first Valentines Day without her wonderful husband, and I really wanted to just ease the sting, even for just a minute. So Cody and I took her two older children and got some flowers and a card for Mom. (Plus, I am sure Colette could use a little more me time). Cole picked the prettiest flowers he could find, and Hallie decided she wanted to pick the card all on her own. They did a great job! We got suckers to share with Mom and the other kids that would be at the house later that night. Cole & Hallie couldn't be happier. They both love and adore their mom so much, and they should, she is amazing. Colette has been a real example to me of what faith, diligence, perseverance, love, and selflessness are. She has done so much for Codes and I and we couldn't think of anyone that deserved an act of kindness more. Not to mention she has always been a great example to me in the past couple years, and a great friend and sister. So Happy Valentine's Day Colette! We love you! And don't worry, we made time to talk and tell eachother we love eachother between all of the chaos. ;)
Hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day! I would have to say that we did.
This year we chose Colette, for obvious reasons. This is the first Valentines Day without her wonderful husband, and I really wanted to just ease the sting, even for just a minute. So Cody and I took her two older children and got some flowers and a card for Mom. (Plus, I am sure Colette could use a little more me time). Cole picked the prettiest flowers he could find, and Hallie decided she wanted to pick the card all on her own. They did a great job! We got suckers to share with Mom and the other kids that would be at the house later that night. Cole & Hallie couldn't be happier. They both love and adore their mom so much, and they should, she is amazing. Colette has been a real example to me of what faith, diligence, perseverance, love, and selflessness are. She has done so much for Codes and I and we couldn't think of anyone that deserved an act of kindness more. Not to mention she has always been a great example to me in the past couple years, and a great friend and sister. So Happy Valentine's Day Colette! We love you! And don't worry, we made time to talk and tell eachother we love eachother between all of the chaos. ;)
Hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day! I would have to say that we did.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Now we just need the keys...
So I guess there has been some exciting things going on. For those of you who talk to us often, you will know that we have been looking for homes this whole time. When we changed our location, things started coming together, and seemed more positive. We found a few options that looked great for us, and would have worked well; instead of nothing looking like it was going to work for us, as it had for months. Our realtor has been a real trooper going through all of this with us, but I guess he should, because he is getting thousands in commission, right?
Anyway, the time has come, we have done all of the paperwork, and as of today, we are under contract! They accepted our offer and things will start moving here rather quickly, and then so will we! Now we just have to get the house inspected and appraised. Then we have about 4 weeks until we move in. It just seems so unreal. We have waited over a year for this, because we wanted to make the situation and good as possible, and man did it pay off.
So as of mid March we will be residents in a quiet neighborhood in North Salt Lake, UT! This particular city has a lot of history as far as Cody and I are concerned. When we dated we spent a lot of our time there, because it was where I lived with my roommates. North Salt Lake holds a lot of wonderful memories for us (we had our first date up there, we first talked about getting married up there, we got engaged up there, etc.) and will continue to be a place where we will make more wonderful memories. Now I just can't wait until we get these two little pieces of metal, and it will officially be ours! :)
Anyway, the time has come, we have done all of the paperwork, and as of today, we are under contract! They accepted our offer and things will start moving here rather quickly, and then so will we! Now we just have to get the house inspected and appraised. Then we have about 4 weeks until we move in. It just seems so unreal. We have waited over a year for this, because we wanted to make the situation and good as possible, and man did it pay off.
So as of mid March we will be residents in a quiet neighborhood in North Salt Lake, UT! This particular city has a lot of history as far as Cody and I are concerned. When we dated we spent a lot of our time there, because it was where I lived with my roommates. North Salt Lake holds a lot of wonderful memories for us (we had our first date up there, we first talked about getting married up there, we got engaged up there, etc.) and will continue to be a place where we will make more wonderful memories. Now I just can't wait until we get these two little pieces of metal, and it will officially be ours! :)
Monday, February 1, 2010
A little Design
My friend has a cute design blog....and I think you should visit it...
You can find it here. She has some cute stuff for the upcoming holiday! Enjoy! :) Happy February everyone!
You can find it here. She has some cute stuff for the upcoming holiday! Enjoy! :) Happy February everyone!
Inspired by Facebook
So as you know, people have been posting all sorts of things on their status on Facebook lately...if you don't know that, you probably don't have one...Anyway.
This is the last one I got. "If you have a wonderful husband, fiancé or boyfriend that works hard to provide for you and would do anything just for you and your family, then repost this as your status to give the HONEST and LOYAL men out there the recognition that they deserve....He has been the BEST thing that has happened to me!"
And for all of you that acutally READ my blog, you know Cody is exactly that. He is an exellent provider, and he has proven time and time again that he would do anything for me, or for my family. The boy is probably one of the most genuine people I know. Not only that, but he is honest, loyal, and kind. He has the biggest and sweetest heart on the planet.
The funny thing is, his grandparents were just saying similar stuff about him last night. They like to remind us a lot how lucky we are to have eachother, and I love it when they do. They seem to think we are an even match, even though I know I got the better end of the deal. ;) Its just nice to hear that people see the wonderful person that you see when you look at them.
So let your wonderful counterparts now how appreciated they are, and how awesome they are. I am sure they will love every minute of it, cause we can never appreciate everything enough!
Lots of Lots babe!
This is the last one I got. "If you have a wonderful husband, fiancé or boyfriend that works hard to provide for you and would do anything just for you and your family, then repost this as your status to give the HONEST and LOYAL men out there the recognition that they deserve....He has been the BEST thing that has happened to me!"
And for all of you that acutally READ my blog, you know Cody is exactly that. He is an exellent provider, and he has proven time and time again that he would do anything for me, or for my family. The boy is probably one of the most genuine people I know. Not only that, but he is honest, loyal, and kind. He has the biggest and sweetest heart on the planet.
The funny thing is, his grandparents were just saying similar stuff about him last night. They like to remind us a lot how lucky we are to have eachother, and I love it when they do. They seem to think we are an even match, even though I know I got the better end of the deal. ;) Its just nice to hear that people see the wonderful person that you see when you look at them.
So let your wonderful counterparts now how appreciated they are, and how awesome they are. I am sure they will love every minute of it, cause we can never appreciate everything enough!
Lots of Lots babe!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Our California Christmas
So I know this has been really delayed, I apologize. Life has been crazy busy lately. But I guess we have only been back from California for like 2 weeks now, so its not THAT bad. Plus, I was sick most of last week, so I was not really "here" I was more off in lala land somewhere.
Anyway, I will tell all who are interested about our wonderfully long trip back home. Well, to my home anyway. We got there in the afternoon on Wednesday the 23rd, I would highly recommend afternoon flights, I loved it! Cody and I got to play with the kids most of the day. They were really excited to have us finally right there, and we were just as excited to see them! Little Porter has grown SOO much in just that short time since we had seen him; Rhett had as well. We thought they might be a little put off at us since they weren't that familiar to them, but they realized really quickly that they knew us, and suddenly it was like we had always been there. It was great!
Christmas Eve we helped my mom finish things up for the family. And we played some more with the kids. For the evening our Christmas Eve tradition is going over to my sister Kelly's house for homemade soup and reading the Christmas story. The kids really enjoy it, and the adults will take any excuse to get together. One more thing we do on Christmas eve is opening a brand new pair of jammies. Kelly made all of the kids matching pants this year, they turned out really cute.
Here are Porter and Rhett after they got changed into their cute new pjs.
And all of the kids together next to Auntie Kelly's Christmas tree. Rhett, Emery, Fallon and
Anyway, I will tell all who are interested about our wonderfully long trip back home. Well, to my home anyway. We got there in the afternoon on Wednesday the 23rd, I would highly recommend afternoon flights, I loved it! Cody and I got to play with the kids most of the day. They were really excited to have us finally right there, and we were just as excited to see them! Little Porter has grown SOO much in just that short time since we had seen him; Rhett had as well. We thought they might be a little put off at us since they weren't that familiar to them, but they realized really quickly that they knew us, and suddenly it was like we had always been there. It was great!
Christmas Eve we helped my mom finish things up for the family. And we played some more with the kids. For the evening our Christmas Eve tradition is going over to my sister Kelly's house for homemade soup and reading the Christmas story. The kids really enjoy it, and the adults will take any excuse to get together. One more thing we do on Christmas eve is opening a brand new pair of jammies. Kelly made all of the kids matching pants this year, they turned out really cute.
Here are Porter and Rhett after they got changed into their cute new pjs.
And all of the kids together next to Auntie Kelly's Christmas tree. Rhett, Emery, Fallon and Porter. They have such a blast together, and we love them SO much!
The next morning wasn't too exciting for us. Cody and I got to take our time doing whatever we wanted in the morning. We slept in until about 9:30am and hung out as we waited for the kids and my siblings to arrive and open presents. Santa spoils these ones, he visits each of them at their home, and then again at Noni & Papa's house. Watching them get into it was a lot of fun. Their excitement is something else, it brings back a lot of fond memories. The kids made out like bandits once again.
Santa brought Rhett this really cool train. Kelly is helping him push the foot petals to get it to go around the track. Cody was way jealous. He would have loved to have one of these growing up. Rhett hasn't quite gotten the hang of pushing the petals to go, so we duct taped it down for him and he went around that track for like 30 minutes straight as content as can be.
Santa brought both of the girls some rollerblades this year, among other things. Their faces lit up as they peeled off the paper. I think I heard some squeals of excitement as well. They had to get outside and try them out right away. Though this picture does not depict it, Emery was pretty quick to get the hang of it. Jeff had to do a little bit of catching though.
Fallon was a natural. Though her speed wasn't quite as fast as Emery, she got the hang of it pretty quick. Pretty much the rest of the time we were there, they would take any chance they got to go outside and skate. Cody was nice enough to take them quite a ways a couple of times. I think he won some MAJOR points with that.
Rhett likes to see what the girls are up to. He loves his cousins so much. Here he is taking a break from his toys with his Papa. He has made up his own language, so he is probably telling Papa everything that is going on in his own special words. :)
We spent a lot of time with the family. I think I saw Porter, Emery, Fallon and Erin every single day I was home, which was nice. Randy and Kelly were home with sick little Rhett from New Years day. So we still saw a lot of them, but not as much as we would have liked to, but its more than we usually see, so we are very grateful.
I am so glad we were married here in "my temple". So beautiful isn't it? The palm trees don't hurt either ;)
Here is Uncle Cody hangin out with Porter as they walk the temple grounds. Cody had a lot of fun helping with the kids. It seemed pretty dang easy to him to keep track of 4 little ones instead of the 15 in his awesome fam. Porter was a big fan of Codes, liked to watch every move he made, as well as mine. It was super cute!
Here is my new buddy Porter and I hanging out! This kid is so loving and calm, its wonderful. But with two crazy sisters that are loud and fun, you would have to be. This kid's face lights up if he recognizes any of the people around him, its priceless. Love this boy!
The kids got a bit tired after the drive to LA, and all of the walking, as you can see. So naturally we stopped at Yogurtland and got some yummy frozen yogurt!
Santa brought Rhett this really cool train. Kelly is helping him push the foot petals to get it to go around the track. Cody was way jealous. He would have loved to have one of these growing up. Rhett hasn't quite gotten the hang of pushing the petals to go, so we duct taped it down for him and he went around that track for like 30 minutes straight as content as can be.
Santa brought both of the girls some rollerblades this year, among other things. Their faces lit up as they peeled off the paper. I think I heard some squeals of excitement as well. They had to get outside and try them out right away. Though this picture does not depict it, Emery was pretty quick to get the hang of it. Jeff had to do a little bit of catching though.
Fallon was a natural. Though her speed wasn't quite as fast as Emery, she got the hang of it pretty quick. Pretty much the rest of the time we were there, they would take any chance they got to go outside and skate. Cody was nice enough to take them quite a ways a couple of times. I think he won some MAJOR points with that.
Rhett likes to see what the girls are up to. He loves his cousins so much. Here he is taking a break from his toys with his Papa. He has made up his own language, so he is probably telling Papa everything that is going on in his own special words. :)
We spent a lot of time with the family. I think I saw Porter, Emery, Fallon and Erin every single day I was home, which was nice. Randy and Kelly were home with sick little Rhett from New Years day. So we still saw a lot of them, but not as much as we would have liked to, but its more than we usually see, so we are very grateful.During most of our trip we were able to take the kids to the park, hit the awesome Camarillo Outlets right in my hometown (reminded me of a lot of things I used to do, and stupid things I used to buy, haha ), take warm drives with the windows down, get REAL Mexican food, yummy salsa, go to DISNEYLAND, the wonderful possibilities were endless...Yes, I do miss living there, especially when its cold and snowing here in good ol Utah, ugh...
New Years was fun. We went to an adult party over at Randy's sisters house with some friends and a few family members as well. The kids were all hidden watching a movie and falling asleep in Nick & Heather's room, so we didn't see much of them. We just played games and ate some really good food, and wait to ring in the new year. It was nice to see a lot of people I had not seen in quite a while. Happy 2010!
Before we left we went to see the Christmas lights at the Los Angeles temple. It reminded me of being in the youth program, because we used to decorate the grounds every year in November as youth. It makes you appreciate all of the work that goes into it. :) But we go to enjoy it with our family this year. It was the first time we had been able to walk the grounds there since we had been married, so that was quite special as well. And it was nice that it was not too long after to our anniversary.
I am so glad we were married here in "my temple". So beautiful isn't it? The palm trees don't hurt either ;)
Here is Uncle Cody hangin out with Porter as they walk the temple grounds. Cody had a lot of fun helping with the kids. It seemed pretty dang easy to him to keep track of 4 little ones instead of the 15 in his awesome fam. Porter was a big fan of Codes, liked to watch every move he made, as well as mine. It was super cute!
Here is my new buddy Porter and I hanging out! This kid is so loving and calm, its wonderful. But with two crazy sisters that are loud and fun, you would have to be. This kid's face lights up if he recognizes any of the people around him, its priceless. Love this boy!
The kids got a bit tired after the drive to LA, and all of the walking, as you can see. So naturally we stopped at Yogurtland and got some yummy frozen yogurt! It was an awesome, fun filled trip, with so many things going on its hard to mention it all. To all of those we did not see, we hope to see you on an upcoming trip, which we are hoping might become more often and longer, and you are always welcome to come visit us up here in snow country! Hope everyone's 2010 is going great!
ps. Cody and I suck at documenting things with pictures. So that is one thing we have decided to do better at this year. I stole all of these from my sister! ;) Love you Erin!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Update
Alright party people, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I will do a post later about our wonderful and long trip to California for those of you that are interested. Anyway, about the house. We have had second thoughts about this house in particular, but we know we are getting close to "the one".
Seriously, its like the steps to getting married all over again. You see this house and you think its cute, esthetically pleasing, just wonderful to think about it, and you know you could be very happy with it... Then it comes down to the decision, and something is off, and you just can't take that next step. Now you are looking for the one that is all of those things, but then it surprises you and ends up being everything you have been looking for, and feels just so right, and like yours, like it was made exactly for you! (Do you see the correlation now?)
We actually tweaked our location a little bit too. We decided to look in the town I have wanted to live in since day one of talking about it, a place I already know, and felt like somewhat was a little piece of home...Bountiful. We have found quite a few awesome options and reviewing the options with our realtor. Cody just feels so good about it now, I have always felt good about it, but I needed him to feel that way as well before we could move forward. I couldnt just force it on him and say, hey, I feel good about it, so lets just do it, it will grow on you...
So here we are, continueing our adventure, and wow are we excited. I cannot wait to have a home, an actual home. Not somewhere where I will have to share walls with anyone, or my floor is someone else's ceiling or whatever. I can listen to my music loud, I can jump up and down when we are playing the wii, or when Cody and I have dance party in our family room, ya its crazy fun. And we will have our own space where no one knows our life history because they knew a member of the family or something, they will get to know us for us, not just because he is so-and-so's brother, or went to high school with their son...ugh...I can't wait.
We are feeling pretty good, and know that its right there within arms reach, we just have to find it and make it our own.
Keep you guys posted! Pray for us that we find the right one, and the place where we need to be! We know we will be!
Seriously, its like the steps to getting married all over again. You see this house and you think its cute, esthetically pleasing, just wonderful to think about it, and you know you could be very happy with it... Then it comes down to the decision, and something is off, and you just can't take that next step. Now you are looking for the one that is all of those things, but then it surprises you and ends up being everything you have been looking for, and feels just so right, and like yours, like it was made exactly for you! (Do you see the correlation now?)
We actually tweaked our location a little bit too. We decided to look in the town I have wanted to live in since day one of talking about it, a place I already know, and felt like somewhat was a little piece of home...Bountiful. We have found quite a few awesome options and reviewing the options with our realtor. Cody just feels so good about it now, I have always felt good about it, but I needed him to feel that way as well before we could move forward. I couldnt just force it on him and say, hey, I feel good about it, so lets just do it, it will grow on you...
So here we are, continueing our adventure, and wow are we excited. I cannot wait to have a home, an actual home. Not somewhere where I will have to share walls with anyone, or my floor is someone else's ceiling or whatever. I can listen to my music loud, I can jump up and down when we are playing the wii, or when Cody and I have dance party in our family room, ya its crazy fun. And we will have our own space where no one knows our life history because they knew a member of the family or something, they will get to know us for us, not just because he is so-and-so's brother, or went to high school with their son...ugh...I can't wait.
We are feeling pretty good, and know that its right there within arms reach, we just have to find it and make it our own.
Keep you guys posted! Pray for us that we find the right one, and the place where we need to be! We know we will be!
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