Cute

Hunter used to flirt with girls. He would walk clumsily over to them and reach out to touch them, then smile and back away as they would look at him. He stopped doing that for a while because he became a little scared of strangers. Today he decided to start using his words instead of touch like he used to. He waved at a cashier and said Hi! She said he was so cute that he can get away with anything.
I am so excited to see Hunter starting to use his words. He used to sign please and thank you, but now he sais the word as he signs it. His word of choice now is "Mom". He calls everyone mom to get their attention and laughs if they correct him and say their name. He is a little tease, but he is so cute he can get away with it.

Christmas

Can you believe that there are only FIVE days until Christmas?
I can't.
This month has gone by WAY to fast. In fact, this YEAR has gone by way to fast.
It seems like they are starting to get faster and faster.
I don't like it.
It means that my little boy will be growing up too fast. Can you believe he is almost 2 years old?
I can't. (Really, it makes my heart hurt to think about it)

But I am so lucky to have him.

I am also lucky to have a Savior in my life who leads me every day.
Where would I be without Christ in my life? And as we are getting closer to Christmas, I can't help but think about what the Lord did for us. He made the biggest sacrifice of all.
He suffered, so I could live. He suffered so that I could come to this earth and choose whether I was going to wear a red shirt or a blue shirt tomorrow. He did that...for me. What am I doing to repay him?

I sure hope I am doing enough, and what he has asked me to do. Because that's a pretty big debt to repay.

Good thing is he doesn't expect us to pay that debt back. He did it willingly. He did it, knowing that he wouldn't be paid back for it. He did it out of the kindness of His heart. Out of pure love. He wants us to live our lives the BEST that way can! He never asked us to be perfect. Just to do the best we can, so that we can live with Him again.
I can't wait.

Friday Night Confessions

Yes, I know I have not done these the last couple of weeks. I give you permission to beat me. No..not you. But you, over there, in the...oh wait. Nevermind.
Here we go.

• The other day at work, my vision went funny. In one eye, it went somewhat blurry, but only in part of the eye. So I could see fine through some of it, but it had some blurry/funny looking patches going through my eye. And it really kind of worried me. It lasted about 1.5 to 2 hours. I think it was from the migraine I had the night before, but I'm not sure. I played around with my contact to make sure that wasn't it, and it wasn't. Afterwards, my eye just kind of throbbed a little bit. I need to get to an eye doctor and have my eyes checked out again. But it kind of has me freaked out a little bit.
  
• I am NOT a good working mom. I hate going to work. I feel like I waited so long for Bubba to come to our family, that I don't want to miss out on anything that he is going through. I want to be here for him. There are a lot of moms out there that like the chance to work, because it gives them some time away, to socialize with other adults and everything. And while that is nice, at my work we are so busy that I don't talk to anyone else there. And I really would rather just be at home with Bubba. I'm glad it's only a few more weeks.
  
• I can not believe that Christmas is only 2 weeks away. I really can't believe that we are half way through the month. And we are almost to 2010. Has it really been 10 years since it turned 2000? I can't believe it. Time is going by to fast.
  
• I watched Dr. Phil today and was almost disgusted by it. I never watch Dr. Phil, but they didn't portray adoption as it should be portrayed. They portrayed a very negative side of it. Yes, not every adoption story is a full box of sunshine, but why focus on just the bad and the ugly? Why not show some that are great? Isn't that a large portion of adoptions? Maybe I am naive, but I really think they could have done better. And I will go back to not watching Dr Phil. My life is better without it.
  
• I have a virtual fishtank. I have it on facebook. Bubba checks his fish every day, we feed them, sell them, and buy new ones. It is all done very quickly, and if any die I can click them away without Bubba seeing them. He likes the fish, and will come over saying "fishy" as he tries to see them. That and they are just kind of fun. :-)
  

Ok, I think I am going to go to bed now. Enjoy. :-)

Thanksgiving Day

I know this is like a week late, but I have been busy with being a mom, working, and trying to fit everything else into the crazy schedule that has become my life. Haha. For Thanksgiving, Aunt Wendy was able to come down, and Chris and Tab were able to come home! YAY!! We were SO excited to spend time with them! They spent all of Thanksgiving day with us, eating, playing games, and just having fun. We decided that since this might be one of the last times we are all together for a while, we would try and take more pictures. (Got to take advantage of every moment we have!) This time, they weren't at midnight, they were in the middle of the day, and we had light to work with!

Here is Sam, Bubba, and I. Bubba had mud ALL over his shoes. Silly boy.

Here is Grandma and Grandpa with the two grandkids.

Here is Tanielle. She's gorgeous.

Here are these three. I really like this picture.

Kaleigh, what can I say, is she ever NOT looking good in pictures?

Jackie and Brandon. Can you believe they've been married more than 6 months now? WOW!

Curtis

Here is Chris, Tab, and DK. I love this little family!

Mom and Dad

And here is our big group picture. I really like how this one turned out, and have to thank Wendy who came and spent Thanksgiving with us for taking it for me! Thanks Wendy!


After spending the day together, Chris, Tabitha, Kaleigh, my mom and I (Curtis fell asleep in the car) went out to try and get into Toy's R Us at midnight. It was CRAZY! We waited in line in the cold for more than 2 hours, then finally made it in the store, most of the things we wanted were gone, and we had to wait another HOUR in the store to check out! By the time we got home at almost 4:00 I only had an hour before I had to leave for work! I worked from 5:45am to about 2:00 in the afternoon. I went home, but Bubba wouldn't let me take a nap. So I didn't go to bed until almost midnight that night. It was crazy, but so much fun spending it with family! I love them!

I am thankful for Tara because...

1. She works real hard trying to raise Hunter, do photography, and a little work at Bath and Body Works.
2. She can encourage me and make me feel like a million bucks.
3. She cleans, cooks, and does many other household chores while watching Hunter.
4. She is so persistent and talented at photography. It makes her so happy when she is capturing such incredible images.
5. She tries to stay fit and and sometimes dresses nice for me.
6. Tara loves to snuggle, and I just love snuggling while watching movies or just to talk.
7. I love her smile, and it really lights up my day.
8. I like it when she defends me and my awkward ways. I feel that she really loves me for being me.
9. She has a great memory for movie lines and is fun to listen to when she quotes humorous movie characters.
10. She has a sharp wit and can be very funny.
11. Tara has a passion for doing things well and with attention to detail.
12. She loves kids and babies. Her interaction with my nieces and nephews is amazing and they all adore her. Hunter loves her to death and is a mama's boy.
13. She can be so much fun when she plays games. She is competitive like me and can talk some smack when she has a good chance of winning.
14. I love it when she supports me when I am playing basketball, football, or other things that I enjoy.
15. Tara is a talented cook. She is careful to follow the recipe perfectly and she makes dishes that look great on the table.
16. Tara is great with works and can make a written compliment sound so nice that you'd think that person had just been knighted.
17. She has such cute mannerisms that I miss them when I am away for business.
18. She can be an incredible listener and can be very sympathetic. She can make me feel calm or relieved when she puts her mind to it.
19. Tara likes to tease and enjoys practical jokes. She does so without thought of them getting her back.
20. Tara has an eye for style and always looks beautiful no-matter what.
21. She is very talented with technology and enjoys figuring new things out. I often have to ask her to help me if I can't get the computer to do what I want.
22. Tara is adventurous and likes things that are exciting and on the wild side.
23. Tara is fearless when it comes to thrill rides and heights.
24. She is so cute when she is scared. I love it when she tries to hide from things and snuggles into me.
25. She is so fun to tease. She is so adorable when she laughs at some of the silly things she does.
26. She loves working in flowerbeds and gardens. She lights up when she see's the wonderful things she can cultivate.
27. She has been so good lately at spending very little and being frugal even though she wants to buy so many things, mostly for Hunter.
28. She is good at clipping coupons and finding the best deals. She can buy groceries at a fraction of the normal cost.
29. She does a good job planning things. Vacations are a blast when she gets her mind going. She has many ideas and knows how to implement those ideas.
30. She watches many of the movies I enjoy.
31. She is OK getting a burger at Burger King and is unafraid to eat fries and a shake.
32. She loves swimming and traveling. She likes getting out and doing things outside the home.
33. Tara can grab my hand when I am frustrated and smile at me. That calms me and feels so wonderful.
34. She has a caring heart for the less fortunate and sometimes cries when she sees them struggling. She gets such a lift when she helps them.
35. She is understanding of my diet and watches out for things I shouldn't eat.
36. I just love it when she asks Hunter to say "Dad."
I know that sometimes I get distracted with some of the menial things in life and forget how much she does for me. I love you Tara and can't imagine my life without you. Thank you for loving me so much!

Thankful Tuesday

Since this is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I better make sure that I post something!

I am so Thankful for Bubba. Last week I talked about Sam, and how thankful I was for him. Today, I am thankful for Bubba. No one makes me feel more important in this life than him. He makes me smile every time I look at him. Even when he's being a pain. ;-) He is in a stage now where he will give hugs, and "big squeezes" that will melt your heart. He loves to say hi and bye to people, and will flirt like nothing else when a cute girl is around. He is starting to say more and more, and is showing so much of a personality.

He was worth every second of the long wait.

I am so thankful to have him in my life. And I can't be thankful for that without being thankful for his birthmother, my WONDERFUL friend who I consider a sister, Crystal. She is an AMAZING person, who has the biggest heart in the whole world. I am so thankful for my relationship with her, and that we are able to have an open adoption so that Bubba can be a part of her life. With her in his life, he will definitely be a better person. And I am SO eternally grateful for her and what she has done for us. Crystal, you are such an amazing person. We love your guts!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone! I will be enjoying it with family who will be coming into town. I can't wait!

Friday Night Confessions

Here they are. Sorry they are late. :-(

• I am realizing more and more how important my family is to me. Even extended family (aunts, sister/brother-in laws, uncles, etc.) I am learning that they are the most important thing on this world. I need to treat them as such. And I don't think I ever want to do anything to any of them to destroy that relationship. They are one of the only things that I will be taking with me when I die. As stated in the Proclamation on the Family, they are what we are sent here to do. Families are THE MOST important thing in this world. It's sad that we live in a world where that is taken for granted, and people will do anything to destroy that relationship. That is just sad.
  
• I am not much of a business person. I HATE confrontation. Absolutely despise it, and try to avoid it whenever I can. I am finding that I have to be more diligent about my rights, and making sure that those are protected. Unfortunately that means major changes to my business. But, if I expect my business to grow and be what I want it to be, you do what you have to do.
  
• I don't like when Bubba misses his naps. He gets onry, and he get's crazy. We took him to the store when he hadn't had a nap, and I about went nuts. So we are going to try VERY hard to make sure that he gets his nap every day. :-)
• We have been trying different children shows for Bubba. LIttle Einsteins, My Friends Tigger and Pooh, Handy Manny, and Jungle Junction. But still, nothing compares to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He will get mad sometimes if you try and put anything else on. I think I know all of the songs off of that show..
• We have Stake Conference tomorrow, and I am very excited. :-) I actually like Stake Conference. I am excited to learn new things, and it's just kind of a pick my up. I can think of everything I can to be more Christ-like, and I absolutely love our Stake Presidency. They are amazing. The only thing I am not so excited about, is chasing Bubba around the building, cause he still won't sit still. Haha.
  

Ok, I think I am going to end there. Thanks all for reading!

This is a month to be thankful

I am a new author on this blog and am lucky that Tara is trusting of me to post some thoughts here. I just wanted to say that I am grateful for ancestors who stood up for what they felt was right. One of my ancestors that came to the United States belonged to one of the most wealthy and powerful families in England. He was dissatisfied with the newly formed church of England and the direction it was taking with so much power given the King and the thought that the King was divinely appointed to be king, and even dictate the affairs of the church. He followed a movement called the "puritan movement." He ended up losing his inheritance, his home, and was so persecuted that he left the country and came to the United States to live with people who believed the way he believed.
The new colony in the America's was only a couple of years old and had suffered many hardships and privations. When he arrived he found that there were some disagreements, some people were ostracized, and there was some discrimination toward the Native Americans. He picked up a couple of years later and followed Roger Williams to Providence, Rhode Island to start a new settlement. I know that took a lot of courage. He changed his name to Winsor so that he would no longer be affiliated with the family that was not only responsible for some of the pain he faced, but responsible for much of the pain the colonials felt as a whole.
Even though he was not on the ship with those that we call Pilgrims, his story is one and the same. He knew them, suffered with many of them, started a new community, and followed his heart to do what was right. He was a part of the group that was first to actually purchase part of a swamp from the Native's. Now that area is a flourishing city called Providence. His children and his children's children were also great people. They served in their community and were invaluable in the growth of the American Colonies.

Thankful Tuesday

I admit, it's hard to think of these, and this is only my second week! Not that there isn't much to be thankful, because there is a TON to be thankful for. I just have a hard time thinking of them. :-) So here we go.

I am thankful for a wonderful husband. HE takes such good care of me. He always rubs my back and shoulders, even when I don't ask. He does it just to make me feel better. He wakes up with Bubba in the mornings when he is here, so that I can sleep in. He sits by me while I work on my computer and watches me work, and tells me what a good job I am doing. When I go out and work, I come home to him making dinner. I don't cook all that much, he does. And he makes dinner so that I don't have to worry about it. He changes dirty diapers when he is home, without much complaint. He encourages me on what I am trying to pursue in life. He snuggles me at night, or when I am having a bad day, he will just sit and hold me and let me cry. He does laundry when I forget. And he travels 2.5 hours to work every week and works all weekend, long hours to try and support us. I am so lucky to have him. I have no idea what I would do without him. He is my love, my life, my all. And I am SOOOO eternally grateful for him. I love you Bub.

What's That? Confessions?

Right, Confessions. I'll get right on that.

• I took a nap today with Bubba. I very much enjoyed it. The only problem with taking naps, is that they give me headaches. And I don't particularly like the headaches, but I sure like the naps. :-)
• I love Dr. Pepper. Very very yummy. I don't drink too much of it. I don't because, if I did I would have to drink it multiple times every day, and I don't want to. Haha. But whenever we go out, I order it. And I have a couple of 2 Liter bottles here just in case. Haha
• I really want to go somewhere that I have never been. Someday I know I will, but I would like to take a vacation to somewhere new. As long as it's away.
  
• I belong to one of the GREATEST communities ever. The Photography community. There are some awesome photographers in the area, and I am lucky to be able to call them my friends. It makes it fun. It makes me feel like I'm not trying to do this alone. Granted there are some bad apples in the bunch, but overall, it's seriously amazing.
  
• I go through phones like I go through shoes. I love technology and I love being able to try and figure things out technological wise. Our phone carrier came out with a new phone, and I am dying to try it out. But by the time I actually am able to get one, there will be a better one out there that I would want instead. Such is the technology world.
  
• I had a bad week last week. I am happy to report that this week was much better. :-)
• Sam's computer broke, and it is driving me NUTS! He has now taken over my computer (luckily no games yet) but it drives me nuts that I don't have my computer when I want it. And it's hard.
  
• I think these are my shortest confessions every. Haha. Enjoy
  

Thankful Tuesday

So, I am on a kick to try and be more positive. I used to think of myself as a very positive person, I was always telling other people to smile and be happy. But I have found that I am not really all that positive. I am always looking at the bad in all situations. I also look for the bad in people, and not the good. Well...I want to change this. I am not going to promise that you still won't hear me complain, because there are always going to be bad days. But I will try to not dwell on them. In the effort to help me with this, I am starting something similar to Friday Night Confessions. It is Thankful Tuesdays. This also makes me write on my blog more often. Haha. So every Tuesday, I am going to try and write about something/someone that I am thankful for, and why I am thankful for it/them. So here we go.

I am thankful for my family. I know it's a broad one to start with. But really, if it weren't for my family, I wouldn't be where I am today. My family has taken us in. We currently live with them, because things weren't going to hot. We were only planning on staying for a couple of months. We have been here for 10 months. They take care of us without much complaint. And as everyone knows, it's hard having two families living together. Especially when you don't agree. We haven't been the easiest to live with. We have a 1.5 year old little boy who gets into everything, that they probably watch more than they want to. They drive me to places I need to go, they feed us. We are probably a bigger burden on them then they portray. In fact, I KNOW we are a bigger burden on them. And it makes me feel so bad. But I am thankful for everything that they have done for us, and I hope to one day pay them back for everything that they have done. They are some of the best people in the world. I just hope I can make sure that they know that they are very appreciated and that we aren't trying to take advantage of them. We love you guys!

Friday Night Confessions

Confession time, confession time, how I love confession time..

• I REALLY wish I was in Oregon from now until forever. Bubba's aunt just had her baby today, and my good friend Mandy is expecting in 9 weeks. I wish I was there to be with them, take pictures of them, and just be around them. I miss them.
  
• I snorted smarties as a child. Actually, a teenager. I don't know why I did it. And I look back on it, and wonder HOW I did it. It stung like nothing else. It hurt my lungs, and it turned my snot colors. (lovely, I know, but hey..it's a confession) Luckily I didn't continue this trend. And luckily I didn't get into other things. But I will never look at smarties the same..
• I taught my son the word "crap" the other day. Granted, I am glad he didn't pick up other words, but I am still shocked that he picked up this one. How did he pick it up? I was playing Mario Kart on the Wii, and when it wouldn't drive correctly, I would say "crap". After a couple of rounds, my dad looked at me and says "hear what you taught your son?" I listened and sure enough, I would say "crap" and he would say it right back. Oh laws..what have I done.
  
• I am scared to go back to work. I am scared to be away from Bubba. I am afraid of messing something up. I like being able to do my photography, because I know what I am doing. I don't want to work. I like being a stay at home mom. I wanted to be one for so long. Now that I am one, I have to work. It just doesn't seem fair.
  
• I really don't like being made to think that everything is my fault. If you did something wrong, and you KNOW you did something wrong. Please don't try and make me see that it was somehow my fault too. Just apologize and get on with it. It makes me a lot more mad when it is turned around to be my fault. If I did something wrong, I will apologize.
  
• I HATE sleeping alone. I know, I know. This is like a confession every week. But it just so happens that the day I do confessions, are usually the days that Sam leaves for work. So it weighs a lot on my mind.
  
• I spent 6 years trying to have a child. Bubba came to us just before our 6 year anniversary. I have spent over 7 years trying to get pregnant on my own. I am infertile. We have been through 8 months of clomid medications, 4 rounds of Intra-Uterine Insemination, and 3 rounds of In-Vitro. (Not sure what these are? Just ask. ) We have had 1 confirmed miscarriage, and as the 3 year mark comes closer to when that miscarriage was (Christmas Day 2006) I have been poked more times then I care to. (3 shots a day during In-Vitro, plus all the bloodwork) And I have NO modesty anymore when it comes to the subject, or seeing doctors. We were told that we have a 1 in a million chance of conceiving on our own. There is a cycle to Infertility. Different stages that you go through. There is anger, there is denial, there is depression/grieving, and there is hope. You go through different stages throughout the whole process. And you go through them over, and over, and OVER again. And the only way to make it through, is to recognize what stage you are in at that time, and live with it. I am currently on Birth Control to try and make my body normal again. This leads to my angry stage. I feel mad that I can't get pregnant. I have so many friends who have beat the odds and gotten pregnant through some miracle, and others that can get pregnant by LOOKING at their husband :-). And I am SOOO happy for them, believe me I am. I have NO hard/negative feelings for them, and do nothing but scream in joy when I find out. But I feel mad. Why can't that be me. Why can't WE beat the odds? Why, when we have been told we have a low chance of getting pregnant, do I have to be on Birth Control? Doesn't that seem just wrong? What am I doing wrong? Because I MUST be doing something wrong. Anyway...this is a long confession. I just know that some people don't know our story. And those just happen to be my feelings right now.
  
• I love when Bubba belly laughs. I try to make him belly laugh at least once a day, because if I can get him to do it, my day goes so much better, and I feel like I can get through it. I sure love him.
  
• I love Chick Flicks. I watch action movies ALL the time, because Sam likes them. But I really don't care to see them that much. I would be much better off seeing a chick flick that I want to see. Too bad I haven't seen a chick flick in the theater since "Charly" came out all those years ago. At least that's the last one I remember...

Have I made this long enough?
Glad I could come up with these all on my own..my mother and sister were NO help on this matter.
Except Tanielle.
Apparently I am supposed to confess that "I stink".
Thank you Tanielle,
Thank you.

Family Pictures and Halloween

Can I tell you that I LOVE our family pictures? Scott Jarvie did AMAZING on them, and I really love them. So here is a sneak peak to those to read my blog. So here they are. THANK YOU a million times over Scott. We love them!

Our cute family

Bubba and me

Me

Bubba and me again

Us (LOVE this one!)

Love the sun flare in this one as well

Aww..

My handsome hubby :-)

Bubba liked this for a minute...then he started crying. Haha

Look how good he looks. LOVE this one

Another family one


Oh, and then I thought I would post a couple from Halloween. apparently Bubba was sick of being in his costume. Haha

Cutest little dragon I have ever seen!


Thanks for reading my blog. LOL I know I don't do much with it. Haha. I will try to fix it. :-)

Missing?

I know what you are thinking. "Has she gone missing?", "Should we be worried?", "What happened to her?". And if I wasn't living with my parents, I am sure I would have had many a phone call by now checking up on me. But alas, I am still here, and luckily, still able to blog. ;-)

So, let's see. It's been 2 weeks since I've last posted. WOW. I have missed 2 weeks of confessions (which really, no one is missing out on much there), and 2 weeks of blogging.

What has happened in those two weeks? Well..for starters, I have been sick. I have a sinus thing that I CAN NOT kick! I feel great for a day or two, and then miserable again. Ugh. I think I want to trade my nose in for a new one. Any idea on how I could do that? Just let me know. :-) I have started my new calling as a Librarian, but have only been able to do it one week because of the sickness. We did Halloween, including carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, etc. Bubba was a fun dragon, who ended up being carried most of the time just so we could speed up the process. As it was, it still took over 1.5 hours to do. And other little odds and ends I guess.

So what's going on with you people? I will try to get back on board with the writing of posts and posting pictures, but I have been CRAZY busy doing a bunch of things. So we will see what I can do.

One of the main reasons I am posting right now, is because November is National Adoption Month. We FULLY support this month! If you can, wear a white ribbon to honor it. I will be posting a lot about adoption, hopefully, so if you have any questions, PLEASE leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail, and I will do my best to answer it! Adoption is such a WONDERFUL, and AMAZING miracle, I am proud to be a part of the adoption triangle. We love Crystal to the ends of the world, and are amazed at her strength, and her love. And we will try to do whatever we can to spread adoption awareness.

I was going to post a picture, but it isn't working. So. HA. Hopefully I can get it going tomorrow. Night!

Not sure I'm ready for this..

Bubba has started to show signs for wanting to be potty-trained. Great, right? No more diapers, no more changing his diaper. Yeah. But it seems like he is growing up way to fast. :-(

Ok, so our adventure started today. He came up to us pointing to his butt and whining, so we asked him if he wanted to go potty. He said yes, and went in and used the toilet! Needless to say we were surprised. Haha. And then he continued to use the toilet 4 times today! Although he still peed a lot in his diaper. At least he is trying! So we went and got a little seat to put on the toilet. He was excited to pick it out and bring it home and put it on. Wow. We will see how it goes. I have NO idea what I am doing in this field. So wish us luck. I think I might teach him wrong. Haha.

What can I say?

P.S. I went to orientation this evening for my job. Yeah, I got a part time, seasonal job to help out. What are we going to do. :-)

P.S. I am still battling a cold that is kicking my butt. I think my nose is going to fall off one of these times. Ugh.

I think I must confess...

Alright. Here we go.

• I can't burp. I can't explain it, but I can not burp. I have tried, people have spent MONTHS trying to teach me, but I can't do it. I can down a 16oz bottle of pop, and not burp. Doesn't mean that I can't feel the need to burp, but I can't get it out. So they come out as "frogs". Little girgles inside my throat. But they never make it past that. So yeah, I can't do it.
  
• When I was 14, I tried to steal my aunts car. Technically I wasn't trying to steal it. I don't think I could have been able to back out of the driveway with it. Haha. I found her keys and me and my sister's friend went out and unlocked it. We were just about to start the car when my aunt came out. She was mad. (Which, I would be too, looking back...) And it scared me. I ran to the side of the house and hid against the fence bawling. Like a baby. She came and found me and we had a good talk. :-)
• Bubba hits. He's in a hitting stage, and it is driving me b.O.n.K.e.R.s. I seriously don't know what to do. We try timeout and everything we can think of that won't have a really negative effect. But he thinks it's a game. And I don't know how much more I can take of it! What happened to my sweet, caring, smily boy? Nah, he still gives kisses, and is cute. So that makes up for it. I sure love him.
  
• Another Bubba thing. He almost electrocuted himself today. Scared. Me. Snotless. I turned around just in time to see him sticking a key into a electrical socket. I won't lie, I screamed. And luckily I was standing right next to him to be able to grab it out of the socket before it made contact. My heart jumped and it took me probably a 1/2 hour to get my heart to stop racing. Then I realised that I'm not going to be able to keep him 100% safe (yeah, the bruises on his legs from walking around should tell me that) What am I going to do when he breaks a bone?! What am I going to do when he bleeds?! (Yes, he hasn't injured himself enough to bleed) What if he has to get stitches?! I think I might die those days.
  
• I want to go back to Oregon. I need the beach in my life. On a regular basis. I can't do this once a year thing. It has to be at least 4 times a year. Once every season. Or many times during the summer, either way. I think Bubba and I were born to live by a beach. Just have to figure out how to get there...

Ok, I think that is all I have in me for tonight. It's 1:30 in the morning, and I need to go to bed. Sweet sleeps all.

Giveaway

So, I am entering this Giveaway. It is for an AWESOME prize, that I would really like to win!! If you go here you can read about it. It is for a workshop book from an awesome photographer. Normal retail value is $400! WOW! But it looks like it has A LOT of information that I need to get my business going the way I would like it to go. SO, contest ends Sunday, let's hope I win!

Heaven on Earth

So, this is what I consider Heaven on Earth. A trip to the Temple. Ahh, how I have missed going. Sam and I spent the day heading down into Salt Lake County to go to the Temple. Thank you to my WONDERFUL mother who watched Bubba for us. We ended up going to the Draper Temple, and did Sealings. We particularly wanted to do Sealings, because it was 1 year ago this weekend that we had Bubba sealed to us. And THAT is an important day. So it was a goal, and we made it. :-) The Draper Temple is one of the newest Temples, and was dedicated earlier this year. We were very excited for the chance to go. It is a GORGEOUS Temple (They all are really.) And it was much needed. So here is the Temple.

We had to get a picture of us in front of it. :-)


We then decided that since we were on Bangater Highway, we might as well drive out and see the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. So we drove out and walked around it. I will have more pictures of it shortly. But here is a picture of us by it.

Then, since we figured we were already out that way, we should stop and see the Jordan River Temple. So we did the same thing. Walked around to take pictures, and then took a picture of us by it. I LOVE that we live so close to so many temples. They are seriously AMAZING.


Thank you to a WONDERFUL Hubby who was so very patient with me, and for taking the time to spend the day in Heaven.
Enjoy.

New Calling and Randomness

So, today I go to church, and a member of the bishopbric asks to speak with me. Asked if I would accept a calling. I of course said yes! My new calling is as the ward Librarian. WOO HOO! I am SO excited to do this calling! I am sure that there is lots to learn, and I am excited to learn it. There are going to be three of us, so we will be able to rotate and still be able to go to Relief Society and Sunday School. I was called, sustained, and set apart today. So I can get right to work this next week at it! AWESOME!
That and Bubba walked right into Nursery today and didn't even look back to see if I was there. I went running down the hall, I opened the door, and he walked right in. I was impressed. Glad he enjoys it in there!
Well, I can't really post without a picture since I am for some reason able to upload some. So here are a couple more from our Oregon Trip..Maybe I will start doing my Oregon Trip Recap here...Hmmm...Enjoy!
I love how these two interact.

Bubba was getting tired and cold by the end of this! Just wanted to snuggle Daddy.

The three of us at Haystack Rock on Canon Beach Oregon.

C-ya soon!

Confessions again?

Yeah, I don't do much posting during the week, do I? Aw well, you will just have to deal with confessions again.

• I have a VERY weak vocabulary. In fourth grade, my teacher told my mom that I needed to read the dictionary to increase my vocabulary. I of course didn't do that, and look at me now. My vocabulary sucks. How do I know this? I played Boggle with my mom and sister tonight. I lost. BIG time. My score wasn't even 1/2 of what my mom scored. I think I need to play more word games.
• I have a weakness for Oreo Balls, and Grandma's brownies. They are heaven, and if I start eating either one of them, I can't stop. I really can't let them sit there. Oreo Balls, are Oreo's mixed with cream cheese, and dipped in melted chocolate and then chilled. Grandma's brownies are brownies, with marshmallows melted on top, and a chocolate frosting on top of that. Oh. My. Goodness. I think I ate 1/4 the big pan of brownies today. I try to tell myself I don't like them, so I don't eat as much. Yeah..doesn't work. Good thing they aren't made that often, or I would be running for a different reason.
• I want to run a marathon next year. I am hoping to accomplish my goal, but I have not done anything to get closer to it. I haven't run in a LONG time. I need to again, but I just can't get my lazy butt out to do it. Maybe this week I will start again. Maybe. Hehe.
• I snuggled Bubba last night ALL night long. He stayed right next to me snuggled right up against me and didn't move all night. I woke up with a very sore back, arm, and neck. But I didn't care. I was in heaven all night knowing that he was snuggled up to me and wasn't trying to get away. I was there for him, he wanted to be with me, and he loves me. What else could be better? (Oh yeah, Sam could have been there. But he was at work)
• I am VERY grateful that I don't have to go through some of the things that other people go through. I don't know how I would be able to go through some of the things they go through. Even though I don't like the trials that I am going through, they could always be worse.

I think that is all for the night. It's 2 in the morning, and I need to go to bed. Enjoy!

Friday Night Confessions (Saturday version)

Yeah, SO didn't get to this last night. I remembered, just plain didn't want to do it last night. We'll see what we come up with now. ;-)

• I have a security blanket. I don't sleep with it anymore, but I slept with it all the way up until I got married. It is now folded up and stored away. It was a white blanket with a silk border around it. When I was 2 my sister destroyed it, and my parents tried to get me another one, and it took FOREVER for me to finally agree to take it. We used it for curtains on our puppet stage, we used it in building forts, and it was always there to comfort me. I took it to girls camp, or sleepovers. It is now a grey small peice of fabric. It has holes in all the corners, and it torn in more than one place. But I treasure it. I was holding one of Bubba's blankets the other day, and it reminded me of how much comfort I got from my blanket.
  
• I LOVE General Conference. I look forward to it every 6 months. It's such a spiritual uplift that I need. It helps me want to be a better person, and it just plain makes me happy. You can't argue with that.
  
• I guess I don't understand the concept of "picking your battles". As I am trying to raise my own little family, everyone has told me to pick my battles with him. I can understand in not picking a fight about wanting to eat by himself, or about wanting to splash around in a bath. But how can I pick my battles and teach him consistency? How can I pick my battles when I am trying to teach him basic principles of what is right and wrong? Won't he get the wrong message if one thing is ok, but something similar is not? How can I pick my battles, and have him realize that there are consequences to things that he does? And there always will be. How can I pick my battles and teach him that he can't have his way all the time? How do I pick my battles and teach him that life is hard sometimes, but that he can count on me being there for him through even the hard times? I honestly can't "pick my battles" yet, because I'm trying to teach him consistency, and that his actions have consequences. Maybe when he is older I will understand. But hopefully what he learns now will be instilled in him so later on down the road I won't have to "pick my battles".
• I have not painted my toenails in over 6 months. I painted them the other day, and now I feel all girly again. Yay!
  
• Sam's birthday is this next week. I sure love him a lot, but I am not getting him anything for his birthday. Fortunately this doesn't make him mad. So we are lucky.
• I didn't sleep at all last night. I hate it when Bubba is sick. Hopefully he can get over this cold quickly!
  

OK, that's all I have energy to write. Enjoy.

A couple of Things..

Here are a couple of things that we have been up to lately. Trust me, I am still working on getting our trip to Oregon all blogged, but alas, a lot of other things have taken precedence, so I have been neglecting my blog. Boo. So hopefully this will tide you over for a couple of days.

On Tuesday, Sam, Bubba, and I met up with some wonderful friends in Salt Lake, and ate lunch at Gateway. They of course have their Olympic fountain that we had to play in. So we played in it. Bubba wasn't too sure about it, as you can see here:

Here is a picture of the three of us ladies and our littles. These littles are MIRACLES. Roman as cutie, and Leenan is a DOLL. Love them to death. Glad we could hang out with them.

And here is Bubba and I getting hit with water. He didn't like it so much. Haha

But before we did that, we went on a Sunday drive up by Snowbasin. The fall colors were in effect, although starting to die down. We let Bubba out to run around and this is what happens;

I love this dirty butt. :-)

This was a pretty spot we found. I love the canoe. :-)

This was just some weeds we found.

Gotta get some sun flare in here. Love it

Aren't these colors gorgeous? I love fall.

The end.

Friday Night Confessions..

Let's see what we have tonight:

• I sometimes have a hard time being a mom. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Bubba to death, and wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. But sometimes being a mom is just hard. Especially now that he is on the downhill slide to turning 2. There is the screaming, the fits, and the defiance as he tries to find his own independance. It's hard. Some days I go to bed just about in tears cause I don't know how I can face another day of doing it. I fought so hard for this, it's supposed to be easy right? :-) Haha. But then I snuggle up to him, or look at him, or feel his arms as he wraps them around me to give me a hug, and it somehow seems to make it all worth it.
  
• I am not commonly on the other side of the camera that often. But we are getting family pictures done in a few weeks, and I am starting to see why some people go insane! Trying to find outfits for us, and make sure everything is ready. Luckily I know the photographer will do an awesome job, so I'm not completely insane. ;-)
• Yellow is my favorite color. I don't think I have mentioned this. But I love yellow. Orange is a close second though.
  
• I like frozen custard more than I like ice cream. I don't eat much Ice Cream as it is, but I could easily eat frozen custard every day if I could. And Nelson's Frozen Custard in Bountiful? We are lucky we don't live very close to it. ;-)
  
• I hate cold sores. I don't get them too often, but when I do, I am MISERABLE. Because I usually won't get just one, no I get 5 or 6. Which is exactly what I have now. About 6 cold sores on my lips. NO idea where I get them, Sam never gets them. But I HATE them! When I was younger, I had some illness where my entire mouth was covered with cold sores. Inside and out. I couldn't eat, I couldn't talk, I couldn't do anything. I could barely suck stuff through a straw. And as they healed, if I bumped them on ANYTHING, they would start bleeding all over the place. Maybe that is where my hatred for cold sores starts. Either that, or they are just plain awful to begin with. Either way.
  

Ok, I think I am going to end there for the night. Thanks for reading! Enjoy.

Growing Up...

Here are a couple of pictures that I was able to load somewhere else, and then load them to here. I can't believe how fast my little man is growing up. It seems like just yesterday we were there watching him come into the world. And now look at him.
Not so much a baby anymore.
He's a little boy.
A toddler.

He turns 18 months this week. I can't believe it. I want to rewind a year and a half and live it over again. I thought that I did a pretty good job of snuggling him, and making sure that I cherished every moment with him.
But now it doesn't seem like enough.
I need to do it more.

This little guy went to Nursery today. I was able to sit through Relief Society, and Sunday School without being interrupted.
Without needing to go out and wander the halls to calm a tired baby.
No, someone ELSE had to deal with it.
I admit I went and watched him through the window. And he looked perfectly fine. He didn't need me during that time. He had friends, other adults.
And he didn't need me. It was bittersweet.



I love this guy SOOO much. I still can't believe he's mine. I can't believe that I get to raise him, that I get to snuggle him, take care of him, and love him.
He seems too perfect for me.
I don't deserve to be blessed with such a miracle. But yet, I cherish every day I have with him.
He's my baby.
Like the book says:
"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always;
As long as I'm living,
my baby you'll be"

Friday Night Confessions

Yeah..thought I stopped didn't ya! A couple of weeks ago, I did a girls night out with my aunts and siblings, and mom. So I didn't get them done then. Then last week I was on vacation and was pretty much AWAY from my computer for 8 days. It was nice. So here we go:

• I was on vacation. I LOVE vacations. Even short little ones. They are fun for me, and they are a chance to get away from day to day life. I did something that I thought I wouldn't be able to do, which was put away my computer and my phone for a few days, and not do anything with them except take pictures, load pictures, and touch base so people knew where we were. Which is a HUGE accomplishment for me. I can see how much I don't need all these things in my life. So I am going to slowly start to pull away from them, and LIVE life. Hopefully I can. ;-)
  
• I had fun acting silly with Sam and Bubba. We had 2 LONG days of driving. And I found we would do just about anything to entertain a 1.5 year old! Even if it was doing "Hi, my name is Joe, I work in a button factory" over and over and over again. But it made Bubba laugh, it made Sam laugh, and it made other drivers look at us and speed up to get away. :P
• I love Oregon and the Beach. I want to live there.
  
• I also watched many bugs die on our windshield. Poor bugs. But what the heck are they flying into the windshield for!
  
• Bubba turns 18 months next week. What does this mean? NURSERY!! I can't tell you how excited I am to even THINK about sitting through a Relief Society or Sunday School lesson. And hey, I might actually learn something from it.
  
• There are so many things that I want to do, but I have no motivation to do it. I am currently trying to get my act together to train to run a marathon next year. Can I do it? I hope so! It is all in the name of adoption, and what better way to be able to overcome something that will be hard for me. I just need to find a way to run on a treadmill during the winter. Haha.
  
• We got to spend a few days with Crystal this last week, and can I just say that I love her to death? She is seriously an amazing woman. I loved watching how she would interact with Bubba, and how he would interact with her. I feel so blessed to be able to have her as part of our lives. And we have met so many wonderful people who have accepted us into their lives. We feel like we have a whole other family with them. It's amazing. But we love Crystal to death, and hope our relationship continues to grow. Now to get more pictures to her. ;-)
  
• I am such a slacker. I admit it. I try to take the easy way out on too many things. I really need to work on this.
  

Ok, I think that is enough for tonight. Thanks for reading!

Home Now

We are home from vacation. SO sad to leave, but we knew it had to end sometime!
Sam is back at work,
Bubba is down for his nap,
and I can now catch up on everything!
Whew! But in the meantime,
THIS:

Will be very much missed.

VaCaTiOn

I am on a MUCH needed vacation. We are in Oregon for over a week. YAY! Time for some sand, sun, and FUN. I wanted to let you know that I will NOT be responding to e-mails until I return home. Time to enjoy my husband, my baby, and just being us for a little bit. So I will see you in a while!
I am going to enjoy this little face for a while. :-)

Yay! More pictures!

Here are some of the things we have done lately. Last week, we got to hang out with some good friends of mine. I seriously LOVE getting together with them and their kids. Luckily all of our kids are roughly the same age group, so they get along pretty well! But we went to Thanksgiving Point for their 2$ Tuesdays. That place was NUTS! There was a 2 hour wait to get into the Dinosaur museum. Wowza. So we went to Farm County. Bubba LOVES animals, and loves petting them, and trying to make their noises. They had a pony ride, and the wait wasn't TOO long, and we were in good company, so we decided to go for it. Bubba enjoyed it! He kept wanting to go back, but by then, the line was forever long, so we didn't dare. Haha. Here are a couple of pictures of him riding the pony, with Sam helping.

And I don't think that I have shown this picture before (I need to organize my pictures better. haha) But whenever we go to the store, Bubba looks for these carts. IF he sees one, and he doesn't get to ride in it, he throws a fit. He likes pretending to drive them, and honking their horns. Silly boy. Although, he is smart. Once he gets in, he makes sure that his seatbelt is on. He won't let us move until he gets it done up.

And this picture is from a while ago, but I love it, and wanted to post it. This is my grandma. I lived with her for a year after I graduated from High School, so they are like a second set of parents to me. I love them to death, and I feel like I owe them SOOO much! But we enjoy going up to visit them, and Bubba knows just where things are in their house. And he loves Grandma, and knows she will give him raisens, and M&M's, using the toy truck they have. He's too smart.

That's all I have time for today. We are leaving for vacation in ONE WEEK, and 1 DAY. I can not tell you how EXCITED I am!! Oregon, be prepared, for we will be there soon!! And we are going to have a BLAST. YAAAAAY!!!! I can't wait.

Confessions have found me

Sitting here on a Friday night, trying to decide what to confess. Let's see..

• I hate brushing my teeth. I have to force myself to do it. It makes me gag, and I just don't like having stuff sit in my mouth and, blech. I can't stand it! Unfortunately this has been known to make me miss brushing my teeth some days. But I am trying to get into a better habit of it, and try to not let it bug me.
  
• I am looking forward to a day tomorrow with no baby. I have felt SO overwhelmed by him lately, that tomorrow will be a nice break. I will be gone for more than 12 hours without him. I of course will miss him like crazy, but it will be nice to not have to worry about what he is getting into, and what he is about to break, and where he is, and what he is eating, etc.
  
• I watched "Seven Pounds" the other night. I cried. That is a very powerful movie, and really made me think. If you haven't seen it, and are ok to cry in movies. I highly recommend this one. It's along the lines of "Pursuit of Happiness", and I absolutely LOVE Will Smith as an actor.
  
• I am an awful wife. I don't like it when Sam is sick. And he says I treat him well, but I don't treat him as well as I could. Part of me wonders why he should get special treatment when he is sick, when I still have to do everything I have to do when I am sick. But I am working on it, and am trying to get better. I shouldn't be so worried about me, but more about him. Hopefully one day I will get to that point.
• I can sing most of the songs off of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Bubba loves that show, and I watch it with him. So I can now sing the songs. Haha
  

Enjoy!

Nap Time

Bubba used to sleep SOOOO well! And he even went to bed very well. We would take him into the room, he would point to the bed to sleep in, we would lay him down and he would slip blissfully away into dreamland, without so much as a peep.

Not anymore. I don't know what it is, but even if he is tired, he will just cry as soon as we put him into bed. I don't know if he hates going to bed now? Or what the deal is. But I feel SO bad just leaving him down there to cry himself to sleep. But I don't know what more I can do! If I try to snuggle him, he will just try to play around. And he usually falls asleep about 10-15 minutes later, but it's just hard to listen to him crying. Ugh.

Where are the days of easy napping/sleeping? Oh, and we've been down to 1 nap a day for the last few months. What am I going to do when there is NO nap? :-S

Random Pictures

This is going to be VERY random, with some pictures on it, since I can currently upload pictures. So here we go. This is what happened the other day with the tree in the backyard. There was NO wind or anything, part of it just broke off. And fell backwards. This is right after it happened.


Curtis standing in the middle of the pile we were making.

This is Hunter's first ice cream cone. He LOVED it, and was SO mad when it was gone and he couldn't get anymore ice cream out of it. Haha.

Drinking his favorite drink. Milk.

He just woke up from his nap. I LOVE his eyes!

He has a cowboy hat. This is it. He won't keep it on his head very long!

This is him MAD because he didn't have the ice cream cone in his hand.

Sly little smile. I love this little boy! The highlight of my life.

Ok, that is all I have time for for now, I need to head back home. Hopefully I can organize more and post more in a couple of days! Enjoy!