A little slice of Christmas joy.

I have been wanting to do something extra special for the girls for Christmas. Peter has been working a lot and I have been a bit on the cranky side and I felt like I wanted to make it up to them. So today we decided to take them to the Build a Bear Workshop and let them get some teddy bears. I know, I know, going to the mall the Saturday before Christmas with two small children is not the smartest thing to do but like I said, Peter has been working a lot and this was his first Saturday off in the last 4 weekends. So we got to the store and the girls quickly picked out the bears they wanted to get. We then proceeded to wait in line for 50 minutes to get the bears stuffed, dressed and paid for. It was pretty hectic but the girls behaved themselves and waited patiently to be done. And I have to say it was worth it. They love their bears! They have played with them all day and are now tucked into bed with their new friends.

And it's...

Another girl. I had my twenty week ultrasound today and it looks like we will be adding another girl to our family. She appears to be healthy and developing as she should be. When the ultrasound technician first said "it's a girl" I have to admit my heart sank. I really did want a little boy. But as she continued to move the wand around and I layed there watching our little baby kick her feet and suck on her thumb I quicky became alright with having another girl. She is precious.
So now we need to come up with some name choices. I like Lola Lucia, but am not completely tied to it yet. If you have any ideas of a names please let us know.

Happy Day!

What a glorious day it is. Snow has been falling through the night and has continued all day. I have been burning my new candy cane scented Salt City Candle that has made our home smell of Christmas. I have gotten a couple loads of laundry done, the kitchen cleaned up, my design idea binder organized and my checkbook updated all while the girls have played nicely together all morning. (Peter is working) My brother came over this morning to fix our bathroom light, electrical problem, and brought me a plate of brownies, the frosted kind, which I have almost completely finished. Now I am going to get the girls bundled up to go out in the snow for awhile. After which they will have nap and quite time and I will continue to get things done all the while enjoying the warmth of my house of the beauty of the falling snow. I love winter in Utah!

The rest of my bits...

49. I am afraid of moths.
48. I have a strong dislike (I have a personal goal to stop using the word hate. It is part of my optimistic training.) for the music of Alanis Morisette.
47. I have a strange admiration for the rapper Eminem.
46. The first time I ever flew in an airplane I was 14 or 15 and my brothers friend flew my sister and I to Arizona to see our grandmother in a small four seater that handled turbulence like a fly.
45. I want to be a better person than I am right now.
44. I love birds of prey and will likely become an official "bird watcher" when we retire and travel the country in our RV.
43. If I had any real kind of money, like Rockefeller money, I'd be broke.
42. I like to put together puzzles.
41. I am perplexed as to what to do with a puzzle once I have put it together.
40. I love to bowl and even took a bowling class in college.
39. My favorite part of Utah is Bryce Canyon and Zion's comes in a close second.
38. My greatest accomplishment thus far as a parent is that my girls like vegetables.
37. I have issues with the dentist and suffer high levels of anxiety when I have to go in for cleanings or repairs.
36. My first Thanksgiving turkey turned out pretty good. A lady I work with gave me the tip to cook the turkey upside down so the breast would cook in its own juices and it worked great. (well minus the crispy skin that I usually like to enjoy)
35. My brother once shot me in the leg with a bb gun.
34. I loved horses as a child and even had one for awhile. She was a palomino and I named her Cinnabar.
33. I have a weakness for donuts.
32. I love Aveda products.
31. Speaking of Aveda, I could use a good massage. (hint, hint to my kind, loving husband)
30. I have wonderful children who can make me crazy angry one minute and hysterically happy the next.
29. I hope to one day be part of a rowing team. (when we move back to Seattle of course)
28. I am terrible at being pregnant and would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my sweet husband for all that he has endured up to this point and for all that is to come.
27. I would love to totally remodel my kitchen and master bath and am willing to do all the work myself. (I know, I say that now but I am sure I would change my tune 6 weeks into the project when I am still cooking on a Coleman stove in the garage and have no running water in my bathroom. shh!)
26. I no longer look smokin' hot in a swimsuit. (sure, I like to believe I once did!)
25. My greatest disappointment as a parent thus far is how easily I lose my temper and blow up at my children.
24. If I could go to Hawaii, or any tropical island, tomorrow I would do nothing but lie on the beach and drink pina coladas.
23. Both Peter and I have a hard time making decisions. It took us months to buy our first couch. We would go to the store every couple of weeks and sit on the one we liked and hover over it trying to decide if it was a smart purchase or not. Finally we gave in and bought it when it went on sale.
22. I am grateful I grew up poor. I haven't always felt that way but the older I get the more I appreciate the life lessons I learned from not having much at all.
21. I had my appendix taken out when I was in high school.
20. I love to watch the X Games. My favorite event is the skateboarders on the half pipe.
19. I have big feet. Size 10 to be precise.
18. Pet peeves: 1) When companies misspell there name on purpose. ex. Skool Lunch Restaurant. 2) Men in speedo's when there isn't a competition going on. 3) The sound of someone swallowing or gulping. I have many more but will leave it at that for now.
17. Love Seinfeld!
16. I love to go river rafting.
15. I have THE coolest in laws!
14. I am most grateful for my good health and the good health of my family.
13. Yeah only 12 more to go!
12. The toughest experience I have gone through so far in my life was having Peter get called up to go to Kuwait 4 weeks before our first child was due. I am still not sure what I was suppose to learn from that trial.
11. According to a Newsweek poll I might b a democrat rather than a republican like I originally thought.
10. I use to love read-a-thons when I was in elementary school. We got to bring our pillows to school, treats and all the books we could read in one day.
9. I like pickles. Well only the crunchy kind you buy in the refrigerator section of the grocery store.
8. I am really looking forward to next winter when I can go skiing again.
7. I don't care for magicians. Not impressed.
6. My favorite place to run is the Burke-Gilman trail in Seattle.
5. I have been to Canada!!!
4. My favorite subject in school was biology and my least favorite was English. (I am sure I have made dozens of grammatical errors throughout my list.)
3. I truly believe I married my soul mate.
2. I am grateful to have such cool and fun friends.
1. I am a Christian!

Well hallelujah! I am done and can head to bed. Good night!

50 little bits about me now and 50 bits later...

100. I will be 32 years old tomorrow (no, it's not too late to send a gift).
99. I was a wild teenager and have the tattoo to prove it.
98. I have shamelessly watched almost every season of the Bachelor and am extremely disappointed that this seasons bachelor didn't pick anyone.
97. It took me a week to read Twilight and I still haven't picked up New Moon. (I know, what's wrong with me?!)
96. Fall is my favorite time of year.
95. I generally only like to watch a movie once. I have no desire to buy movies and continue to watch them until I have them memorized.
94. I will be cooking my first Thanksgiving meal this week. I'll keep you posted.
93. I met my husband in a bar/dance club. (see...wild!)
92. I love fried tofu.
91. I went skydiving for my 21st birthday.
90. I suffer from "foot in mouth" disease. I think it runs in my family.
89. I have great admiration for anyone who has a degree greater than an Associates in school.
88. I would love to return to school someday and get a degree in Nutrition.
87. I don't understand thank you cards. If I said thank you at the time of the service or when receiving a gift, why do I need to send a written thank you as well. Did the person forget or did they not hear me? Does the thank you only count if it comes in the mail?
86. My favorite day of the week is Sunday. (unless it's a fast Sunday of course. kidding!)
85. I would love to compete at anything in the Olympics.
84. As a teenager I worshiped Michael Jordan.
83. The older I get the more I like country music. (I guess it's a sign of senility)
82. I had to look up how to spell senility.
81. I love the outdoors and enjoy most outdoor activities.
80. Someday I would like to live in Connecticut.
79. I think one can still be cool even when driving a mini-van. (and you should too)
78. I know of 7 other women besides myself who are pregnant right now. 7!
77. I don't like scary movies at all. I can't even watch commercials for crime shows without getting scared. (sissy, right?!)
76. I have been to over 20 concerts in my life. My favorites: Ziggy Marley in Hawaii, Tom Petty in Salt Lake and Josh Groban in Seattle.
75. I have great respect and admiration for all the men and women who serve in the United States military and I cry every time the news shows a group leaving their families or returning to their families. It is an amazing thing that people are willing to sacrifice their lives for the safety of our country and for the benefit of people in countries besides their own.
74. I am a very competitive game player and at times wish that I could just relax and enjoy myself more.
73. I have to eat breakfast everyday. I don't understand how people can get up and go about their day without at least a bowl of cereal.
72. Someday I hope to own an older, craftsman style home.
71. I love to watch my husband play soccer. He has great soccer legs!
70. I love to listen to my girls sing a long to the radio.
69. I strongly dislike snorkeling.
68. I don't think Matthew McConaughey is sexy at all!
67. My favorite teacher was my 5th grade teacher Mrs. Drake. She sadly died of cancer shortly after I had her as a teacher but her influence on me has lasted a lifetime.
66. There are two different spellings for my middle name and I am not sure which one is right.
65. I use to want to run a marathon but I am over it.
64. I never liked fish until I lived in Seattle and experienced fresh salmon.
63. I don't like dogs.
62. Or cats.
61. And I don't understand having birds as pets either.
60. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.
59. Once I start something I must finish it or I won't be able to sleep.
58. I hate to be poked.
57. Don't tell Peter but I wear the pants in the family.
56. My favorite movie treat is chilled Junior Mints.
55. I once saw John Tesh and Connie Selleca on the beach in Hawaii.
54. I want to learn how to dance like Julianne Hough on Dancing with the Stars.
53. In high school I tried out to be the mascot, a farmer. But in the end they chose my competition and he only made it through 1/2 of the year before he was busted for smoking pot in the boys bathroom and stripped of his pitchfork.
52. As a young girl I loved to catch frogs and play king of bunker hill with my brother.
51. Most embarrassing moment: I accidentally peed on my pant leg during a first date. We'll just leave it at that.
50. I love to snow ski.

Mindy, you really need to update your blog!

I know, I know it has been a long time since I updated the blog but I have some decent excuses.
1) Since I started working my seemingly innocent part-time job I have had very little time for extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, blogging falls in that category.
2) The past few months I haven't been feeling very well. A combination of stress, exhaustion and nausea. The stress from having to cram time with the girls, house cleaning, grocery shopping, and all other motherly responsibilities into the first half of the day. Oh, and a little from having to shop for a new car and settling with a mini-van. (No offense to all the cool people I know who already drive mini-vans, I just wanted something different.)


And it turns out that the exhaustion and nausea are a result of being pregnant. Yep, that's right, Peter and I are expecting our third child sometime during the first week of May. (I am hoping for more like the end of April so new baby and Bella won't have birthdays too close together.) I have been much sicker with this baby than I was with either Bella or Ayva. And even though I am well out of my first trimester, the nausea continues. Funny thing though, despite being sick and tired I am really excited to be having another baby and thrilled about the prime parking spot I know get to use at the grocery store for the next 6 months.


So that's where I have been. I will try to do a bit better now, but bear with me.

I did manage to get some Halloween pictures taken of the girls that I also want to throw in this post cause they are so cute. Ayva wanted to dress up like Britney Spears but we were able to persuade her to be a beautiful princess instead.

We have a wonderful neighbor who made these gorgeous princess gowns for the girls. Bella wanted to be Ariel as a princess. And Ayva just wanted to be a Barbie princess.

Help!

So last week I got the grand idea that I wanted to change the layout of my blog. Unfortunetly I didn't know what I was doing and I lost 95% of my links to others blogs. So those of you who used to be a featured link on my blog, could you please send me you link again. You can leave it as a comment or email it to me at jinjerroot@gmail.com. Thank you!

I've been tagged...

I recently saw on my sister in law, Angie's blog that I have been tagged to post some answers to some provocative questions. So even though I should be working on a talk I have to give at Enrichment meeting this week I do have my priorities in order and will do this first.

4 jobs I have had:
I have had more than 2 dozen jobs in my life so I will just share some of the more interesting ones.
1) I was a veterinarians assistant for awhile when I first moved to Seattle. This job cured me of my love for animals. (well, at least the domestic kinds)
2) I also worked as a census taker for a couple of weeks when I was living in Seattle. Hated it!
3) In high school I worked as a sandwich artist at Subway and was one of the really goods ones who understands what "light on the mayo" means.
4) Ticket agent/popcorn girl at the old Century 9 movie theatre in Salt Lake City. This was the coolest job ever. As an employee of the theatre I was privy to the midnight showings of the new releases the day before their release.

4 movies I could watch over and over:
This is a hard one because I generally only like to see a movie once. But if I had to choose I would have to say...
1) About A Boy with Hugh Grant
2) Four Weddings and a Funeral with Hugh Grant
3) well, probably anything with Hugh Grant
4) Christmas Vacation

Places I have lived:
1) Utah
2) Hawaii - it was only for a few months but I worked and paid taxes while I was there so I am counting it!
3) Minnesota
4) Washington

Favorite tv shows:
1) What Not to Wear - I would love to get nominated and appear on this show. I would do that $5000 shopping spree in New York like it's never been done before! (without any complaints)
2) LOST - I have tried giving this one up because it frustrates me so but I just can't.
3) So You Think You Can Dance - because I can!
4) The Iron Chef - Peter and I watch this together every Sunday night before bed. I am not sure why, it just makes us hungry, but we love it. I like cuisine!!!

4 favorite foods:
1) My brothers bruschetta
2) Fish tacos
3) Fresh fruit cobblers with vanilla ice cream
4) Fried tofu crunchies...Peter makes them for me and they are the best way to eat tofu that I have found thus far.

4 websites I visit:
1) Craigslist
Besides my credit unions site and all my friends blogs, that's about it.

4 places I'd rather be:
1) Pyramid beach on Oahu
2) Going for a run on the Burke-Gilman trail along Lake Washington
3) On a boat in the Mediterranean
4) At a nice restaurant having dinner with family and/or friends.

Well there you have it...interesting, a?
So I am know suppose to tag 3 people and they should follow suit and post their answers.
1) Kelly
2) Marie
3) Torrie

Our Family Trip (not a vacation!)

I keep telling Peter our trip can't be called a vacation because there wasn't enough relaxation involved, therefore I like to refer to it as a family trip. Despite the fact that I came home much more exhausted than when we left doesn't mean I didn't have a great time, cause I did!!!! Oh how I love Seattle. We had a fantastic time visiting our old city and seeing all of our family and friends. (except Auntie Melia, that's how Ayva says it, who was back east mountain bike racing)
We stayed the first couple of days with Grandma Lou at her new home in Tacoma. She was so wonderful to us and we all really enjoyed spending time with her. The girls especially enjoyed their little sleeping and playing nook that Grandma created for them upstairs. She even let them put a tv in there where they could view her many Disney shows. Thanks again Mary Lou!
We also got to spend some time with aunt Abby and cousin Finn. Finn has grown so much since we left and has turned into quite the ham bone. He gives great big, cheesy smiles and loves to giggle at himself. Abby sure has her hands full with him. He was in constant motion 80% of the time and was only still the other 20% because he was strapped into a stroller. Gotta love 1 year old energy...good luck Abby.
We spent one of our days playing the tourist role. We drove out to Bainbridge Island via the new Tacoma Narrows bridge. Then hopped the ferry over to Seattle and spent the afternoon at Pike Place Market. I wanted to get more pictures at the market of all the gorgeous food and interesting people singing for change but it was so crowded and I was either holding Ayva or Bella at all times. Pike Place is definitely one of my favorite spots in Seattle. I think it would be wonderful to live in walking distance of the market and to be able to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and fish everyday. Oh, and the pastries, don't even get me started on the pastries! Even Mt. Rainier came out to welcome us back. That doesn't happen everyday.
On Saturday we met up with a group of friends to enjoy some of the Seafair festivities. Peter and myself ran the Torchlight Race with my good friend Lauren while my wonderful friends, The Blasers, watched the girls. (Thanks again Blasers!) Then we all watched the parade together. I am hoping that this becomes a tradition for us and our friends and that next year we will have even more of us participate in the run. (That is a challenge to Marie and Andy, you can do it!!) (oh and Paige of course who will quickly return to her post-pregnancy physique in 2 weeks)

For the last half of our trip we stayed with aunt Emily and uncle Todd. Isabella was so excited to hang out with her cousins and had a blast learning how to battle from her older cousin Emmett. (all kinds of battling from sword fights to military guys, she learned it all) Unfortunately her other cousin Harrison was at camp so we missed him but she got into enough mischief with Emmett. On our way to the beach one afternoon, Bella and Emmett had some markers in the back seat and decided to color themselves. I don't know how Peter and I both missed that. Sneaky little clowns. (Bella's face is the best. She has marker around her mouth, on her cheeks and on her forehead. Nice work Emmett.)

I just realized this blog entry is turning into quite the travel diary and I have either lost most of my readers or am boring the ones that have stuck around in hopes of an exciting ending so I will wrap it up here with a semi-exciting ending. On our trek back to Salt Lake our car broke down about 20 miles outside of Boise. It was pushing 100 degrees outside and we all sat and soaked as we waited for our tow truck and taxi to come and rescue us. It was too late in the day to find a mechanic who would look at our car so our "family trip" was extended by one day as we stayed at the Shilo Inn, went for a swim and enjoyed our complementary breakfast at the Buck Horn. Luckily it was just the fuel filter and they got us fixed up and on our way the next day.

The End

Look who's 2!!!

Ayva doesn't officially turn two until Tuesday but we celebrated her birthday yesterday with a family party. We had taco's (Ayva's favorite food) and an ice cream cone cake. The cake was actually just a piece of Styrofoam that I frosted after cutting holes in it that could support the ice cream cones. This turned out to be a great idea, if I do say so myself, because it was so easy and there was very little clean up afterwards.

She loves the new Dora car my parents got her as a gift, especially the pretend cell phone that came with it. If she could only get her big sister to leave it alone!!

We are so grateful to have this little sweetheart as part of our family. She is funny and smart and always willing to give hugs and kisses. She is at a great stage in her development that is full of wonder and curiosity and though it gets her in trouble at times she is determined to figure things out on her own. We love you Ayva!

Hike #2

Saturday morning we set off for hike #2 in our summer hiking series. We went up to Brighton ski resort and hiked up to Lake Mary. It is a short distance up to the lake, only 1 mile, but it is pretty much up hill the whole way. Isabella did great, she walked all of it except for the last 50 feet or so when her feet started to hurt. I was so impressed with her determination to make it all the way up without being carried. Ayva on the other hand had to be carried 80% of the hike. She has developed a new fear of flying insects ever since she was stung by a bee a few weeks ago. So anytime a fly would buzz her head she would start crying and insist that we pick her up to protect her from attack.
The view was gorgeous and we even got to see a handful of these little marmots running around. This one let us get close enough for a picture.

Once we got to the lake we sat and enjoyed our lunch and then played around on the rocks for awhile. Even though there were a handful of other hikers around it was still very peaceful. The water level was a lot lower than I have seen it in the past so hopefully we will get a Seattle style rain storm soon. (just a little wishful thinking)

Here's a shot of me and the girls on top of a mini mountain. I think Bella might grow up to be a mountain climber. She had a blast climbing up on all the big rocks that were up there.

Life

Life has been a bit crazy lately and has left me little time, or energy for posting much on the blog. However, it is rainy and windy here in Salt Lake this morning so I have decided to skip our outdoor swim lessons and update the blog instead. In fact that's a good place to start. Since Isabella is 4 she is able to go to her class all by herself and Ayva and I go and do a mommy and me class at the same time. Peter joined us for their first lesson so I was able to take some cute pics. Here's Ayva learning to blow bubbles.

In Bella's class they have been working on learning moves like the monkey, airplane and soldier. In this picture she is just doing an old fashioned favorite, the kick.

They are both doing great and having a lot of fun. I have also been taking lessons and boy is my instructor hot! Peter and I have been going to the pool one night a week so he can help me improve my technique. (Sorry, no pictures of me in my unflattering speedo and swim cap.)

Bella also wrapped up her dance class recently with a final performance at the Country Fest. I would love to share the video I have of her dancing but I still don't know how to put videos on the blog. Sorry. I do, however, have a really cute photo of her in her costume.

Sooo Cute!!!!

In other news...I have started working again part time. I got the job at the credit union I worked at before I moved to Washington. It is only 4 hours a day and I am really enjoying the peace and quite I get to experience while I am there. My parents have been coming over to watch the girls and the girls love it. They have been baking and making craft projects and getting away with eating more snacks and treats than they do when I am around. I am very grateful to have their support and help while I return to work for awhile.

Not much more than that to share right now. We are planning on being in Seattle at the end of the month to see our friends and family that we miss so much. We are going to be driving there so wish us luck, we'll need it.

Losing my little girls locks.

Yesterday Isabella got her first haircut. It was a decision she came to all on her own. She has never liked having her hair combed and more times than not she ends up in tears as I try to get the days snarls out. Finally one day a few weeks ago she said, "Mom, I want to cut my hair short." I am ashamed to say that I truly agonized over whether or not I wanted to let her get a haircut. I was afraid that she would lose her precious blond curls forever and something about that made it a reality that she is growing up.

Here is her before picture.

Here are the precious blond curls that I stared at with a heavy heart.

And here is her adorable after picture.
It is true that the beautiful, golden curls that I use to spiral around my fingers as we watched TV together or read books together are now gone. But Isabella is still my sweet, darling little girl with a smile that lights up my day and gorgeous hair to match.

Why?

Bella has entered into the most dreadful phase of her childhood thus far, the "why" phase. She asks me why a million times a day and mostly about very unimportant things. "Why is the street closed mom?" "Why did they tear it up?" "Why are they putting in new pipes?" These are just a few examples from today that came about as we had to take a detour to the park. It is driving me nuts!!! When will it end?
Another frustration I am having right now is our diseased quaking aspens. When we first looked at this house it was the backyard that we immediately fell in love with. It is a decent size and is lined with quaking aspens along the south and west fences. These gorgeous trees create privacy and give us a fabulous sense of being in the forest when we are out back playing, not to mention the great shade they offer which keeps it cool. Well now at least two of the trees are diseased and dying and whatever they have is spreading to the others. We are having a tree expert come out tomorrow to give us some advice on tearing them out or trying to treat them. I will definitely shed some tears if we have to tear to many of them out.
In other news, I have a job interview on Friday. I have applied for a part time position at the credit union I worked at many years ago before moving to Washington. I would be working at the corporate offices doing research on discrepancies in members accounts. The hours and location would be perfect and it would help us get ahead on all the student loans we have accumulated. The real bonus is it would be 4 hours out of the day when my parents (they are going to watch the girls for me) could answer all of Bella's "why" questions instead of me. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
That's it for now. Thanks for checking in.

Our first family hike...ever.

Saturday we took the girls on their first hike. We went up to Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood canyon. Our goal is to hike up to Timpanogos cave by the end of the summer so we thought it would be a good idea to do some shorter conditioning hikes beforehand. I was really surprised by how well they did. The hike isn't very long, only about 1 mile round trip, but they both ran/walked the whole thing. The last time Peter and I did this hike we were able to hike up through the river all the way to the top. Once at the top you could enter a cave that went back behind the falls. But I guess a couple of years ago part of the rock face to the right of the falls
broke off and fell into the river making it harder to climb up to the top. So we just hung out down below and threw rocks into the water. (why do kids love to throw rocks into water so much?) I had to hold on to Ayva pretty tight while we were close to the river. She wanted to jump right in and splash around. Bella was a bit more timid and even cried a bit when we got closer to the falls because she was scared of the rushing water.

When we got back down to the car we enjoyed a nice little picnic and then headed home to do yard work. We all had a great time and are looking forward to a little spelunking before the summer ends.

Here is a shot of the spectacular scenery we enjoyed on our hike.

Ahh, summertime and the livin' is easy...

What a beautiful weekend we had here in Salt Lake. My brother decided it was time to get the boat out and have some fun. So Friday morning we all (my brother and his family, my sister, my parents and us) headed down to Yuba lake which is about an hour and a half south of Salt Lake. The kids had a great time playing in the mud at the shore of the lake and out on the water.

Below is a shot of my nephew, Jonas, and niece, Elise, and Isabella taking a ride in the tube. My niece and nephew were so nice to let Bella take a turn with them because they usually like to go really fast in the tube but my brother takes it a lot slower when Bella is in with them. Needless to say they had a second, faster turn when Bella got out.

Ayva didn't waste anytime making herself comfortable on the boat and even tried to take over as captain.

I wasn't feeling very well while we were there so I passed on skiing, but had to take a whirl around the lake with my girls in the tube. Ayva didn't really care for this but Bella and I had a great time.

Peter did great on the wake board. I didn't get a picture of him but take my word for it, he is a natural athlete and will be doing some crazy tricks by the end of the summer. My brother has been wake boarding for a couple of summers now and has gotten really good. I am hoping between the two of them they can teach me a thing or two. Thanks again Forrest!

Saturday was also gorgeous outside so we created a water slide in the backyard for the girls. They had a blast!! Peter and I set up some chairs in the shade and sipped lemonade while they played. Good times.

Our Moab Get Away

Peter and I are celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary today, May 20th. We decided not to do gifts this year but to get away and just spend some time together instead. So Thursday evening we headed down to Moab to stay at a condo owned by one of the doctors that Peter works with and do some hiking in Arches National Park. We spent most of Friday hiking around the park to see Delicate arch, the North and South Windows (arches) and Turret arch. It was a beautiful day and we both got a little too much sun. Later that afternoon we went back to the condo and enjoyed some time by the pool. It was so wonderful to just lay on a lounge chair and feel carefree again. No children to chase after or take care of, it was fabulous. (However, I do have to admit that I was missing the girls a little bit by this point. Just a little bit)

This is a shot I took from the car as we drove through the park. The geology of eastern and southern Utah is so amazing. The red rock is so gorgeous against the deep blue sky.

Below is a shot of Delicate Arch. This is a very famous arch. Even if you have never been to Arches National Park I am sure you have seen this arch. The hike up to it is a bit strenuous and you are exposed to the sun pretty much the whole time but it is worth it.


Saturday morning we got up early and enjoyed a delicious breakfast at The Jailhouse Cafe in Moab. It is a cute little cafe that is only open from 7am - 12pm and only does breakfast. I had a whole grain waffle that was served with fresh fruit and nuts. Oh my, it was soooo good! Peter had some scrambled eggs with chorizo sausage and peppers that were served with corn tortillas, sour cream and salsa. (Mighty brave breakfast selection right before a big hike if you ask me.) I share this bit of info. with you in case you ever are in Moab you will know where to eat breakfast.
After breakfast we went back to Arches and hiked Devil's Garden. This hike leads you by 8 different arches. Below is a shot of Landscape Arch. It is the largest in the park and measures 306 feet from base to base. Back in 1991 a rock slab fell from the top right side of the arch. Luckily it made enough noise as it cracked and fell away that the hikers down below were able to get out from underneath it. However, since then the park has moved the trail so that hikers are unable to walk up underneath it. I was happy to see it from a safe distance. Magnificent!

Last but not least I thought I would share a shot of a baby buffalo that I took on our way to the condo we stayed in. It wasn't out in the wild like you might expect but rather just on someones small farm. There was a warning sign on the fence that said "Caution, angry buffalo" so I kept a nice distance and took my picture.

So Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband! I am grateful for him and I am grateful that we enjoy having life's adventures together. Here's to 7 more years of fun times.

What a week!

Last Monday we celebrated Isabella's birthday by going to our favorite breakfast spot, Ruth's Diner, then we spent the rest of the morning at the zoo. Later in the day we had my family come over and we had a little barbecue for her. It was a lot of fun and Bella was on cloud 9 because she loves her birthday. The following day at preschool she got to be the special leader and bring the snack. Her friends sang happy birthday to her and her teacher gave her a little goody bag of treats. So far being 4 was great! Then Tuesday night she came down with a fever and started throwing up. She threw up a couple of times during the night and then once on Wednesday. Although the throwing up stopped there her fever continued to spike around 102-104 until Sunday. That's 5 days of a sick and GRUMPY Isabella. She is finally feeling better today and is much more pleasant to be around.
I had a great Mother's Day yesterday. The girls, via their wonderful dad, gave me a ever blooming gardenia plant, a hand juicer and we had a delicious quiche for brunch. Then it was off to church where we enjoyed some nice talks on motherhood. I was really looking forward to having Bella go up and sing a lovely Mother's Day song with the primary for the very first time but since she was still feeling a little under the weather she declined to participate. Oh well, maybe next year. It was my turn to teach Sunday school this week and that went alright. Then the elders took over all the teaching duties during the last hour so that all the women could be together in Relief Society. They also gave us giant sugar cookies as a thank you for all that we do as women to enrich the lives of those around us. And finally we went to my brothers house to have some dessert with my family. Delicious cheesecake with raspberry sauce! I love being a mom!

Happy Birthday Bella!

It is hard for me to believe that Isabella is 4 years old. It doesn't seem that long ago that Peter and I had our lives completely changed by this special little girl.

Isabella is an extraordinary little spirit. She is full of happiness (most of the time) and likes to have those around her happy as well. She is smart, silly, beautiful, kind and forgiving. She is a wonderful big sister who finds joy in teaching her little sister new and exciting things.

Isabella also loves to meet new people and make new friends. In the picture below we were at a local beach in Seattle for the afternoon and within minutes of arriving Isabella had met a little girl and asked her to play. The little girl was visiting from France and didn't speak very much English. It didn't make any difference. The two of them had a great time playing in the sand and water together. I love that about her!

Isabella loves to have fun. She loves to get bundled up and play in the snow and never complains about being too cold. She also likes to play in the water and on Uncle Forrest's boat. She is gutsy and enjoys trying new things even if they seem a bit scary.

Ultimately, Isabella is a princess. She is kind to others and likes to make her friends and family happy. We are so grateful that Isabella is part of our family.

Long time...no post

I know, I know, I know, I haven't posted in awhile and people are starting to wonder what is going on. I don't have a substantial excuse for you, I have just been lazy. Sorry, it happens sometimes. But I am back and have already posted some of our recent outings to the soccer game and tulip festival. I thought I would just add a bit more here to update you all on other things that have been happening in our lives.
Peter and I were called to co-teach Gospel Doctrine at church. Last sunday was our first time and I sat and somewhat relaxed while Peter took the first turn. He did a great job which just made me more nervous to take my turn next week. Everyone keeps reminding us that we have big shoes to fill because the former teacher had the calling for 3+ years and was loved by all. He was only released because they moved out of the ward. So we'll see if we drive people to inactivity or if they can learn to love us as well.
Other big news is that my parents and my sister moved here from Minnesota last weekend. Peter and my brother Forrest flew to MN on thursday, loaded a truck and hit the road on friday. They drove straight through and arrived in Utah on saturday. The drive took them 24 hours and included an amazing lightning storm that lasted for hours and also a close call with a tornado that took out a couple of big rigs as it crossed the highway they were on. Luckily they are tough guys and cried very little about the whole ordeal. My parents and sister flew to Utah on friday and stayed the night with me and the girls. It is great to have them back and Bella and Ayva are already being spoiled in a way only a grandma can get away with.
Well there you have it. I can't think of much more to share with you. This is another reason for the gap in postings, not a lot has been going on. Thanks for checking back in and giving up on us.

Tulip Festival

Salt Lake has a tulip festival? I was so excited when I got a flyer in the mail a few weeks ago for a Tulip Festival here in Utah at Thanksgiving Point. We had always gone to the Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon when we lived in Washington and loved it. So last Tuesday when Peter had a day off from work we headed down to Thanksgiving Point for the afternoon to enjoy the gardens. It was beautiful!!! At first we were a little bothered that it cost $8 per adult and $5 for children over 2 (in Washington it was free) but when we got in and realized that it was much more than some fields of tulips we got over the cost. The garden is 55 acres and is made up of many smaller "themed" gardens like Creek Garden, the Monet Garden, the Rose Garden, the Fragrance Garden, the Secret Garden, the Italian Garden, the Butterfly Garden, the Parterre Garden, the Vista Garden, and the Waterfall Garden. Not all of them had flowers in bloom but all were connected but sidewalks lined with tulips, daffodils and other gorgeous flowers. I loved it and was definitely inspired to get more creative with the landscape of our house. More on that to come...

Here are some pictures from the gardens. Enjoy!

Real Salt Lake Soccer

Peter works with a guy who has season tickets for the Real Salt Lake Soccer team and wasn't able to use them on opening day of the season. He had come home from vacation and found his house partially flooded as a result of a broken hot water heater. So when he called to see if we would like them we jumped at the opportunity. It was a beautiful day and the tickets were great. We were surrounded by some really enthusiastic fans, as you can see from the picture of the guy with a soccer ball on his head, but that made it all the more fun. Real were winning most of the game, 2 to 1, but in the last minute the other team scored and it ended in a tie. A little disappointing but we were able to see Freddy Adu and got a little color from sitting in the sun for almost two hours so we left happy.