JuSt... :)

Over the years Travis and I have found much entertainment, and pleasure out of going around looking at homes. Back in the day we used to fantasize about these giant homes with all the bells and whistles that would be fun to live in someday. After moving to Poland and seeing how happy you could be in a little rink a dink apt with hardly any money, I think we grew up a little. We then decided we didn't want to be a slave to our home, but would rather have a nice home to come home to after we travel a lot, or better yet, just enjoy time with our kids. 

We've debated Where Are We Going To End Up? 

For those of you that don't know, since I was five years old I've been telling my Grandparents I would buy their home (that we're currently living in). So we go through stages of walking around the house and yard and talking about what we would do to fix it up and make it our own. After living away from Utah and seeing the Church environment in other areas, we fell in love with having the missionaries over constantly... so then we've said we would Never Move Back to Utah.... 

What about somewhere cold? 

Alaska? But then last year in Poland it snowed 7 months of the year and I about DIED!!!

What about somewhere warm all the time? 

Nevada? Perhaps, but I've always imagined having a plush green yard just like my grandparents yard... sigh. And what about SNOW for Christmas?? Who knows. 

We've also thought about Texas... too far away.

Virginia for the gorgeous fall and yards full of trees; maybe. 

But seriously, for now, we are in the perfect spot. 

I LOVE Utah's crazy weather. One day it's snowing the next it's gorgeous and sunny. 

I love watching my boys fall in love with outdoor activities that create memories and prevent them from becoming couch potatoes.

Just...... :) 

Just... so fun!

T.G.I. SPRING TIME!

HOLY MOLY, the weather has warmed up and all of a sudden our spirits have as well! 

Who wouldn't feel revived when the weather has been just this good??

We have been for multiple bike rides. 

Walks. 

Baseball in the back. 

Picnics out back. 

Read books out on the porch swing. 

Looked at the shapes in the clouds. 

Basketball. 

Taken our trikes down the hill for a spin.

And soooo much more. 

Munching on the cracker

I love this head of hair

Stood up all by himself! 

Had a ball with this plate

Playing ball with the boys

Diving for a ball:) 

Oh let the warm season begin.... and never stop! 

Baby Update: 9 Months!

 Well, it's that time again; yet another month has gone by. This time however, it didn't fly by. I really feel like he's been 9 months for awhile now.

Sleep: You are a great sleeper. Still go to bed each night around 7:00pm, sleep until 7:00-8:00, and rarely let your brother's night time noises wake you up. Then you typically nap around 10:00-12:00, and 2:00-4:00 (anywhere if those ranges). 

Weight: Still not sure. I think you're 18lbs? 

Likes:   

• Showers! You LOVE water (you're a water bug). 
• Being chased. You crawl as fast as you can, laughing all the way. 
• Brother Maddix:)
• Food! 
• The bike trailer
• Being picked up
• Messing with the flower pots that are off limits
• Emptying the contents of every drawer in the kitchen
• Yanking out everyone's hair
• sucking two of your fingers (no matter how often I pull them out)
• Sitting to the counter with the rest of the fan to eat. 
• Love flopping out of your car seat that you lay in to eat your bottle once your bottle is empty. :)

Dislikes: 

• Being left on the ground too long. 
• When you crawl down the hall only to have us leave that room and then you have to start your trek back to the other room:) 
• Not an avocado fan
• Not fond of being buckled into anything
• You get angry if we don't share all food in eye sight. 
• You get so angry every time I change your bum or change your clothes... you just don't like being on your back. 
• Getting your nose wiped. 

Anything else: You eat your bottle while laying in your car seat so that you can breath and you LOVE to throw your bottle once it's empty. Then you explore what new way you can exit your car seat:) It's hilarious. Sometimes you squirm out, sometimes you slink out the front. I've seen you lift one leg over the edge then roll out. and today your rocked it side to side until you toppled it and you rolled out. It's pretty cute. 

You are waving now! It's so stinking cute because it do it slowly and in a focused manner. However someone is waving at you is how you mimic it back. You are starting to stand by yourself and even walk while holding onto one hand. You're starting to clap. Lately you've found it funny to crawl with your head down in the carpet and it makes your hair go staticky:) Oh I love you cute little one. You love to sing with any song we're singing and you dance. You also enjoy our games of airplanes. Daddy holds you and uses your legs as guns and flies you around while Maddix and I run away and we shoot at each other as we fly past each other. 

Conference Weekend

Fewer times in life make me at peace, and generally happy than that of conference weekend. 

In Poland I gained a real testimony of the importance of preparing yourself to hear the words before hand, and not just sitting in the room. I know that when we think about the trials, topics, and desires in our life that we want to have discussed, then pray about them, then the Lord WILL make those known to you. 

Back here in the states I have always worked Saturday mornings and never really thought to NOT work. I just catch a little of the first session, with the thought that I would read the rest online later (though that rarely happens). Well, this time I was able to request a shift that didn't start until 5:00, so I was able to catch all of Saturday's sessions... as well as meet so many kind people from the Priesthood session. 

Another reason, I found this go around, that makes me love conference weekend is that there was a missionary reunion for Travis's mission, and we were able to go. I'm not going to lie, I was a little bummed that I was't going to know anyone there, but to my luck, the moment we walked in Trav's cousin, Vance (they both served in Germany) came over and I was able to sit with his wife and son.

Sweet and funny little Max

This kid is a character

Travis and Pres Webb.  

Also nice about conference weekend is just the time to be a family. I didn't work. Travis didn't study. Maddix has done phenominally at paying attention. We set up a little table next to the couch along with crayons, playdough, a white board, and alphabet cards. He has done so well staying on the couch, quietly entertaining himself while also listening. Every once in awhile he'll repeat something the speaker says, or ask a question about something they are talking about and I feel so proud that he is taking an interest. It's taken me 20+ years to learn how to be interested... he gets it at three: 

See? Completely focused... :) 

And there was some quality family bike riding in between sessions yesterday and today. That may be taboo to some to bike on a Sunday, but if you could've been on that bike ride with us you would have felt the spirit! The weather today is cloudy and as we left it was lightly sprinkling. I put on the Piano Guy music as we left and the mood was set. To ride the Murdock Canal Trail, looking over the valley, as classical music is playing was seriously peaceful; it was a moment I truly loved being out there with my boys. 

Then again, on the way home it started down pouring for the last 15mins and we were soaked! Maybe that was punishment for being out on a Sunday ;) Then again, all I could think of as we pedaled against the storm was

"Don't wait for the rainbow to be happy; thank God for the rain!"

- Pres. Uchdorf's talk from the 3rd Session. 

Splash n Dash

I wanted to post this forever ago, but I kept waiting for pictures.... I can't wait or I'll just forget to do it:)

Preparing for the race as well

Last Weekend I actually had a Saturday off of week... I know, right? It was a special event: It was time for our Annual Splash n Dash. This is one of my favorite thing I get to do with Travis' family; and this year I even got to have a few of my family members come.

Pre-race jitters! 

"Guess I should take my shoes off??" 

The girl next to me was so sweet
to help me not be nervous:)

Go! Go! Go!

The splash and dash is a swim/run race. This year we had Larisa and Vaughn in a lane, Travis and Bryce in a lane, and then I was next to them. Holding cards for us were Brenna (for me), Colton (for the boys), and Gma and Lori for Vaughn and Larisa; I had such a blast! I wish we would be around next year to do it with them again!

Afterward. Oh, and my sister in law came in first
overall in the women's bracket! I was just happy I never had to stop:) 

Up's & Down's

What would life be if everything was predictable, we loved every choice we made, and we never had to take a little time to recoup from being under the weather? Well, it wouldn't be my life, that's for sure!

But when do we stop being sick? And when do I get to stop feeling bad about making everyone else sick??? That's really what I feel bad about... is knowing that between our dinner on St. Patty's Day with the Hatch's where I guess we infected their kids :( and my fun FROZEN party we had where all our kids were together with even more little kids.... well we are up to three families with little babies with Croup now. Who gave it to us??? I swear my kids my never go back to church! (joke, but seriously?!)

Trying to feel a little better
by laying out in the warm Spring weather

Mickey Mouse Club house
during SO MANY of our hours
watching t.v. while sick

Last of the rash

poor little one has head to toe rash,
and now it's all over his face

So, that's really what we've been up too: Severe Hives, Countless hours on the couch for the boys and I with countless hours of studying for Travis (even while sick), some school time in PJ's, three or four trips to the Pediatrician, a date night for Travis and I, a few sleepless nights, got my MRI scheduled (finally) for my foot to see if we can pin point what's going on and..... one other thing happened that was pretty big: 

Yep... I chopped it

There it is.... all gone. 

Ta Da

Shorter than I've ever EVER
had it before! 

With the glasses also looking
older, Travis says. 

So there, and I cut it for me and no one else. Ha ha.

And these next few photos are for me and my record. I don't know if anyone remembers my post about how Travis fAILED to buy me a good outfit for Valentines Day:) And that if I ever lost some of that weight I might... MIGHT post before and after photos... well: 

116lbs... 6more to go!

From Valentines Day to Now

Finally tightening up

110lbs

FROZEN PARTY!!!

THE MOMENT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!

We finally received our copy of Frozen in the mail, and we got our party on! 

After some fun time over at Little Mattix's birthday party where the kids had a blast running out in the sunny weather, we headed home and prepared for our Frozen Party! 

Some of our treats. Powdered Donut Snowmen, and
white Chocolate Popcorn

Yum!

Jello ice cubes!

White Chocolate wands:)

Snowy Marshmallows. 

Soo... good.
Thank you to: Mackenzie, Taylor, Mercedes, Slade, Brenna, Travis, Maddix, Aaron, Camille, Maverick, Hadley, Ace, Camille, Ben, Mattix, Davin, Drew, T, Nate, Greg, Fernando, Cassidy, Colton, and.... I think that's everyone who came, Thanks for coming!