RAWRRRR!

In the last month Anna has found her voice. 

Sometimes that is a good thing and sometimes it's not so good. She has learned how to tantrum and sadly get what she wants. She has learned to babble and mimic the tone of voice you talk to her in. And she has learned how to growl. I got a darling video of her the other night, it's fuzzy because the camera didn't focus but you will still get the idea.

Long or Short?

Alright, I need some help. My hair is currently driving me crazy! It's so frizzy and curly and it takes waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy too long to do it straight. I end up pulling my hair up by the afternoon to get it out of my face and Anna just pulls on it constantly. I am going to get a new smoothing treatment on my hair regardless of the length so that straightening will take little to no time :) The only problem is what length do I keep?

Long hair? 

Or short hair?

 I really don't know what to do. I think my short hair was cute and looked great, but when I look back through old pictures of my long hair I adore it! Ah what should a girl do? If all my faithful readers out there could help me out I would be so grateful! 

p.s. I can't wait to have my thin face and body back! I probably won't be there until April but I will get there.

Family

Our family has changed quite a bit over the last year and with my mom moving we decided we needed a new family picture. We had a good time taking these pictures and they turned out great. Enjoy!

Maddie

My sister Maddie is a senior this year and it's so strange to me. I still think of all of us kids as little kids still. Then I have a reality check and realize I'm a mom, Sophie is married, Maddie is a senior, and Bridger is in junior high. We aren't all of those cute little kids anymore-we are cute big kids.

Maddie hadn't done any senior pictures so we decided to take my camera out in the backyard and take some senior shots for fun. Who knew some of them would turn out pretty great? I love these pictures and if you would like to see all of them you can find them here. Thanks for letting me have some fun Maddie!

Lastly, I know she is going to kill me for using this last pic but I absolutely adore it because this is who she is. My sister is the happiest, kindest, loveliest, most beautiful girl I know. She is such a good example to me and I hope that someday I can be just like her. I love you Maddie!

The Faces of Anna

When Anna was first born we took a million pictures, well more like 600 in the first month. As time has gone by we have taken less and less just because we get caught up in life and I guess she hasn't changed too much. Anna is much bigger now, has learned to smile, and has started to babble too. This stage is so fun and as she gets bigger her personality shines through even more. I'm sure you can tell what kind of girl she is too just by looking at these pictures.

Oh and look who has decided she wants to grow up. Anna is determined to do things she is too little to do. So I just do the best that I can to keep up with her and keep her safe while she is exploring new things. To play in her exersaucer she has to have a blanket stuffed in behind her.

Sundance

Every year Josh and I go on a special date to Sundance. When we were first dating I took him to Foundry Grill for lunch and then we drove the Alpine Loop. It has turned out to be one of our favorite dates that we look forward to all year long. This year the trees weren't colorful yet but we still got some gorgeous shots. Lunch was delicious as usual and what beats a quiet afternoon with my honey? Nothing. I love you babe!

I was obsessed with these glass containers that were filled with coffee beans and a candle. Someday this will adorn a table in my house because it's so absolutely gorgeous.

 I also love all of the Aspen trees and how they look so beautiful all together with the beautiful ivory color marked by the black.

Mr. Brad Paisley

I know I have been slacking off with my blog but life is just so crazy busy that by the time I could blog at the end of the day I just crash on the couch. The last few weeks have been eventful though so I need to catch all of you up. First of all....my cute sister-in-law Lizzie took me to the Brad Paisley concert with her. And it was AMAZING! We had 2nd row seats right next to the runway and I was so psyched for the show. We had a blast!

 

Our first opener was Justin Moore-he is newer but a great performer. You can hear one of his songs here. I got some great shots during his show I got a picture that I absolutely adore. I think this is a picture that someone could reflect about and make up their own story of what the artist may be feeling or what may actually be going on.

I was extra excited for this show because our other opener was Darius Rucker. I love Darius Rucker's music and was so stoked to see him live. His voice is great but he was kind of boring as far as performing goes. He just stood there and sang. But he was still good.

My other favorite shot of the night was the one of Darius' cowboy boots. This shot was what I was seeing at eye level. Pretty sweet huh?

And finally, we are to the Brad Paisley pictures. He put on a great show as usual. This was my 3rd time seeing him in concert but it was a totally different experience right next to the stage. His voice is so great and being that close almost makes it like you aren't listening to him magnified by mics at all which was awesome. I also had the priviledge of getting climbed on by a drunk-off-her-A lady that tried to climb up on stage. Luckily this guy next to me came to my rescue and actually got her and her boyfriend kicked out. It was a new concert experience for sure. We still had a great time. The most coveted picture is last so scroll all the way through.

Yep, that's right! I am wearing Brad Paisley's cowboy hat! He gave it to a little boy right next to us and they let us put it on for a minute. I can say this kind of experience will never happen to me again and it was so incredible. Thanks Lizzie for thinking of me!

Crazy Life

You would think that by now I would realize that life doesn't go according to plan, but I haven't learned yet. As this school year has started and I have fallen right back into the groove of teaching I realized that education is exactly where I'm supposed to be. I was in the education program once and when I got scared I quit. But now I know that I need to finish and get my teaching degree. I have found out that I can still be a good mom and be a teacher too.

So I'm taking the plunge and going back to the education program. I start in January and I will graduate in December 2012. School will be much easier while Anna is little and right now I'm blessed that my mom can watch her for me. January to April will be nuts with work in the morning school in the afternoon and being a wife, mom and homework completer at night. But I know I can do it. And I wanna do it. I'm so excited and I just can't wait to be a teacher some day.

The other piece of exciting news is that starting on Monday I will have a personal trainer. My dad can't finish his sessions with his trainer so I get to work with her and he is paying for it. I have always wanted to try a personal trainer to see what I'm capable of and to learn how to work out on my own and be effective. My chance has arrived and the timing couldn't be better. I get to train with Sarah at Golds Gym twice a week for 30 minutes and I get to have a gym pass to do cardio on my off days :) I will finally get back to the body I loved! I'm kind of nervous because I don't know what to expect, but once again I know I can do it!

Life gets more nuts everyday and I absolutely love the adventure because I have the most amazing friends and family to join me along the way. Oh and by the way, my Anna has learned how to smile back at me when I smile and giggle at her. I'm loving how her personality is changing as she grows up! Thanks for reading and I hope you have a marvelous week!

The Boys of Fall

For those of you that may be country music fans you may have known what this post would be about just from reading the title. But for those of you that don't follow Kenny Chesney the above picture should help.
Yes, this post is about my most favorite sport, football! (sarcasm instended)

My awesome brother Bridger is playing football this year and even though it's his first year playing he made the highest seventh grade team. As a good supportive sister we went to his first game to cheer him on. And you know what? It was actually really fun. Anna loved it too-she really is her daddy's girl. The whole gang made it to the game and we had a great time together. Plus Bridger's team won! GO VIKINGS!

And as if going to that game and all the rest of Bridger's games for the season wasn't enough, Josh got tickets to BYU's opening game and I was the lucky guest of honor that was so priviledged to attend. I wasn't all that excited but I decided I would have a good attitude, wear a matching shirt like all the students, and participate in the cheers. The game was pretty intense the whole time which kept my attention and our seats didn't hurt either. I could see the ball with my naked eye the entire time. In the end, BYU won against Washington and Josh and I had a great time together. Thanks for the fun date babe!

Anna's Big Day

Do you like Anna's blessing outfit? I don't either! Here is the story behind it.

As Anna's blessing day neared I got more and more stressed out. I'm one of those people that likes everything to be absolutely perfect and in my quest to make that happen I become a complete mess. Anna had the most perfect dress and beautiful headband to wear for her big moment. She also wore black tights with her dress to match the headband and I was excited to be a unique mom :) Well the morning arrived and Anna just wasn't herself, she could sense the excitement and stress surrounding the day.

We got to church and looked great, but of course she got hungry right before her blessing. So I hurry and fed her and then Josh took her. He did such a beautiful job with her blessing and I was so thankful he could do it for her. Josh had warned all of the men in the circle not to bounce her but apparently some of them didn't listen because....I had Anna back in my arms for just a few minutes when she projectile vomited everywhere! I mean the both of us were covered in baby throw up! Of course I started bawling instantly because our perfect dress and day were ruined and my mom rushed me home to get the both of us cleaned up.

Luckily Anna's dress was machine washable so we had it all cleaned up by the time brunch was supposed to start. I didn't get my perfect day but it will be a great story to tell her when she grows up.


We had so much family attend and some awesome friends too. We are so thankful to have so many wonderful people in our lives to share in the joy that Anna brings to us.

MIA

Hello all, 
I know I have been slacking off about updating but I'm going to find time this weekend to post, promise. Life is getting crazier by the minute and I have lots to tell about. Stay tuned for some awesome posts! 
Happy Friday!

Tender Mercies

It's amazing how well the Lord knows me and my needs. Today when I was feeling so sad and feeling that I couldn't be loved, He sent the most tender mercy to me. 

As I was crying and felt that I couldn't be happy, I looked down into my arms to see the biggest smile on my Anna's face. At that moment I knew that she loved me, that my family loved me, and more than anything that the Lord loved me too. 

I'm so grateful for the gospel, I seriously don't know what I would do without it in my life.

Change

Usually I am an advocate for change. I like trying new things, I like going out of my comfort zone, I like fresh new ideas that help me change as a person for the better. I accept change with open arms and do my best to acclimate. But this change I don't like so much.

Last year when I left Westmore Elementary I was planning on a full time position with partial insurance benefits. I knew full time would be so hard especially with Anna but I was prepared to do the job. I was planning on that money to put away in savings since our savings account is virtually depleted. The day Anna was born I found out I would have to stick with part time hours, and part of me was so grateful! I knew full time would have just been too hard. This change was welcomed. My boss told me I could work afternoon hours on this part time schedule and that came as an even greater blessing to me.

Well it was getting to be the middle of August and I hadn't heard from my boss about my hours yet. So I called him. Turns out if I worked in the afternoon I would only get 5 hours per week, and well, the time to get Anna to grandmas was more than the working part, thus the job wasn't worth the money or the time. Morning hours of course were available and for 12 hours per week which was a little more worth while. So I took the hours quickly, to secure my job. But I didn't really take the time to think it through. This change is one I don't like.

Afterall, mornings with my girl are my most coveted hours of the day. I would give anything to be with her when she wakes up to stretch out for the day and take in the beauty around her.

I thought I would be alright, I really thought I would be fine. But yesterday I had faculty meeting for the first time and I was not fine. I didn't want to be there, I didn't even care. (Not the greatest attitude on the first day of work.) To my dismay, another change that I don't like was made known to me at that meeting as well. My teaching method will be going back to the group work that I tried last year which completely failed. The group setting was not a good thing for me and I hated my job during that time. And now I find out group teaching is what is expected of me again. I really don't know if I can do this.

First off, I don't want to be there at all, and second I now have to teach in a setting that I really don't like. (Good thing I didn't stay in the program huh? How would I have ever handled a whole classroom?)

Yesterday I made it all day without a single tear, to my amazement. I guess the tears were saving up for today. As I got my beauty out of her crib this morning and held her in my arms and watched her, my sadness of having to leave her overwhelmed me. I just want to be with her so badly. I don't want to teach other students. I don't want to leave her. And now it seems that I have no choice. School starts tomorrow and I am bound until May.

Looking back on the decisions I made, I wish I would have thought about them for longer. I wish I would have really taken the time to explore what my heart really wanted and what our family could handle financially. I wish I could call my boss today and tell him I was very sorry but I couldn't take the job after all. I wish I was putting up flyers for violin lessons and starting my own studio instead. I wish many things concerning this job, but I guess wishing is just that-it won't get me anywhere.

So what does a girl do? I know I shouldn't even be complaining in the first place because I am blessed enough to only be committed to 12 hours a week. There are so many moms that have to work full time and I honestly don't know how they do it and I admire them for their strength. But it's still so hard to be happy when I know my joy is at home.

Thanks for reading and if you made it to the end, you deserve a treat. Here's to changing my attitude and to, hopefully, a great school year!

New Adventures

Anna's birth has given me a reason for reflection each day about the person I am and the person I want to be. I have decided that I know how to do lots of things but there are lots of things I don't know how to do that a mom needs to know. In trying to decide how I'm going to aquire all of these missing skills and talents I felt very overwhelmed, like I just couldn't do it. Being a mom is harder than you think! Thankfully though, Josh reminded me of the many things I do well and that I have time to learn to do others. I have to remind myself that I can't always compare myself and get down about things. So I'm going to try new things one step at a time.

Last night for dinner I made pizza. Homemade pizza for the first time by myself. Homemade pizza that had whole wheat, yes whole wheat, crust. I was nervous. I was afraid. But I forged ahead and made the whole thing. I just kept my fingers crossed that Josh would eat it and it wouldn't be terrible. I guess my hard work paid off, and the amazing wheat dough recipe that I found here, helped quite a bit too.  

Here is our pizza showing our respective halves- mine is the one with all of the delicious veggies on it. Josh actually said it was delicious, went back for seconds and after dinner packed up a lunch for Monday of the left overs. I guess I did a pretty good job!

After a delicious victory like this...

....I am ready to take on something else. Crafts maybe?
Just maybe I will sign up for a Super Saturday project.
Stay tuned to find out what the next adventure will be.
Happy Sunday and thanks for reading!

Rainy Days, Lunch Dates, and Saturday Afternoons

The end of summer is drawing near and I'm quite sad about it. Although my days of playing at home are almost over the last few days have been grand.

On Thursday Anna and I were greeted by a cold summer rainstorm. The thunder crashed, the lightning struck, and we were in our cozy warm house. We dared to brave the weather and peek outside to view the glorious world around us.

And although it was beautiful and the rain smelled so sweet, we weren't ready to face the day outdoors. Anna napped in her bouncer seat, I folded some laundry (exciting I know!) after which I spent some time reading my favorite mag.

Our day was lazy and wonderful and spent exactly as I wanted, together. Friday brought with it new adventure of fun with friends. Momma Brittany and baby Kamryn met us for our very first lunch date!

We are so glad to have such great friends that we can go out with. Kamryn is so darling and just 2 1/2 months older than Anna. We have decided to have play dates a couple times a month. Perfect way for mommas to get adult time and girlies to make a best friend.

Anyway, Cafe Zupas was our destination because I absolutely love their food. I ordered my usual which is half a raspberry salad and a half order of mushroom bisque soup. I had to showcase these lovely foods because they are so completely delicious. Is your mouth watering yet?

And I had a splendid day with my darling...Anna I love you!

Our lovely weekend ended with a lazy Saturday which included playing on the floor with our lovely. Hope your weekend was as great as mine was!

Mondays

I used to dread Monday mornings and I will probably dread them once again when I start work next week. But for right now, I'm loving Monday mornings and this is why...

Josh and I had a fun night on Saturday when we made brownies and had ice cream, it was delicious and a very good time together especially because we decided not to clean up. I also had this waiting for me on Monday morning along with an entire house to get cleaned up, but I don't mind.

And I don't mind because this is what I have to look forward to every morning. A darling little girl that drools all over when she sleeps just like her mom.

A little girl who loves to squirm around and stretch out when she gets up in the morning, and doesn't like her picture taken. (Do you like her elf ears?)

And after she stretches out and has her breakfast bottle, we get her in the tub- which she loves (although her face doesn't show it in this picture, we haven't gotten smiling down quite yet.)

When we get out of the tub we get lotioned up and dressed in a cute outfit and head right back to sleep for a morning nap in the bouncer chair.

Monday is awesome!