~House of Hind~

Welcoming...

2011-08-22T15:02:00.005-06:00

Brigham Christian

August 13, 2011

1:09 in the afternoon

9 pounds 1 ounce

21 inches long

We are so lucky to have this sweet little guy in our family!

Believe it or not

2011-06-01T22:24:00.005-06:00

Believe it or not I HAVE been blogging! I've back dated my blog posts so that when I go to print my blog everything will be in ORDER!! My goal is to be completely caught up with our lives on this blog and have time to add silly posts of my kids here and there before this baby comes in August! If you are at all interested in what has been happening with my long lost family in the past 10 months visit the links below!

August 2010

Preschool Girl

September 2010 Vacation - Snow Canyon

Stay little forever please

2011-01-12T10:47:00.007-07:00

Well Spencer turned the big ONE on August 1st...that's right he's nearly 18 months NOW. I want to blog about his birthday party because it was SO much fun for everyone...EXCEPT Spencer. Spencer was a sick boy that day and his dummy parents didn't realize it until everyone showed up for the party and he was acting up. BUT we all enjoyed ourselves anyway. I went crazy for his party and did a vintage airplane theme. His invitations turned out to be such a hit! I made them look like a boarding pass and I had a lot of fun with it.

The decorations were really fun too...I especially liked the tissue paper clouds and his vintage airplane banner! It all turned out great except for the star of the show. Spence was okay at times and miserable at others :( Oh well, not everything can be perfect. Spencer wasn't into opening presents much and when it came to eating his cake he was not interested AT ALL! We did the cake eating part again the next week so he could enjoy some yummy chocolate! I LOVE parties and I tend to over-do it most of the time but it was memorable for ME...I know, selfish right? Here are some pictures so that Spencer can look back one day and MAYBE appreciate it.

Lots of people love Spencer!!

And this is how our little guy was feeling...

Some things about Spencer, who will be 18 months on Feb 1st:

-He is OBSESSED (understatement) with Toy Story ANYTHING. He walks around saying all the characters names and he pretends to fly like Buzz with is hands above his head!

-He didn't walk until he was 16.5 months old. He drove us crazy for months, giving us little glimpses of walking, and then wussing out!

-He absolutely LOVES to play with Ava when she lets him. Her attention is his favorite thing.

-He is the pickiest eater EVER. He never just eats a food...we have to force it into his mouth first and if he likes it (rare) he won't fight us anymore. When he does like a food he will eat like a horse. This kid can down an entire banana in less than a minute.

-He is so cuddly when he wants to be and I'm so thankful for it. Yesterday I was playing with him on the floor and he walked up to me with pursed lips and gave me a kiss. I loved it!

We love you Spencer! You add so much to our lives and we are so glad Heavenly Father sent you to be a part of our family!

I'm a Big Girl now

2010-10-12T11:58:00.003-06:00

That's right...Ava's a big girl now. We've started the "school" phase of our lives. I am actually just doing preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a couple of hours with some moms in South Jordan because I am not about to pay any amount of money for a three-year-old to socialize...and that's pretty much all preschoolers do!! There are SEVEN kids...6 girls and 1 boy (he's such a trooper)! Ava loves to socialize and make friends and I'm having fun myself getting to know the moms!

These pictures are both so silly but this is Ava in a nutshell...our posing, put her head to the side, princess Ava!

Fun Bun

2010-09-23T13:11:00.004-06:00

I tried a new curly hair-do today. I love my hair long because I can try so many different things! A mom of one of Ava's preschool friends had her hair really cute today and I asked her how she did it. It's a beach look...kind of messy but it is hardly ANY work (10 minutes) on my part and so I am IN LOVE with it!

Step 1: With your hair just damp make 6-8 buns (more buns for curlier hair) around your head.

Step 2: Wait an hour and a half or until they are dry

Step 3: Take them out and brush through your hair with your fingers. Hairspray!

P.S. I REALLY hate taking pictures of myself!! I think self portraits are silly!!

Our Disneyland trip was MAGICAL and I'll post about it as soon as we get our 'Photopass' CD from Disneyland!!

September Vacation - Snow Canyon

2010-09-20T15:25:00.002-06:00

We went on a 10-day family vacation on September 10-19, 2010. We had the time of our lives! We started our vacation out by spending the weekend in St. George (10th-12th).

On Saturday morning we visited Snow Canyon and explored the area. The kids (Christian included) had so much fun climbing and hiking in the perfect weather. Snow Canyon is the perfect place for a family with small kids because the hikes are so family friendly and it can be done within a couple of hours!

We would have visited for a little longer but the mosquitos came out and that was the end for Ava. If you know Ava then you know that she DOES NOT like bugs of any kind. Seeing a mosquito on her had her crying and panicking uncontrollably so we ended our morning!

We went back to our motel, ate lunch, and went for a swim in the pool. The kids seemed to enjoy our motel more than anything in St. George. It was such a treat for them to get to watch the Disney Channel since we have 'boring TV' at home! They also loved jumping on the beds and running around the room. Maybe we should move into one...

Later that night we went to Olive Garden with friends that I hadn't seen in a long time. I was so excited to see my high school best friend, Erin, and her new baby! He is ADORABLE!! It was a quick dinner but nice to visit for a little bit!

On Sunday we headed to Las Vegas where we would stay until Tuesday (19th-21st). We stayed with my sister-in-law, Cydnee, and her family at their home in Henderson. While there we saw Mermaids @ Boater's Outlet, ate at Rainforest Cafe (WAY overrated!), and let Ava and Reagan (cousin) play every other second of the day! Ava and Reagan absolutely love each other and I am not exaggerating when I say that we saw them only at meals and bed time! Ava was sad to leave but knowing where we were headed helped a little...

Preschool Girl

2010-09-10T15:19:00.002-06:00

Ava started a neighborhood preschool the beginning of September and she was OVERLY excited! The kids in her preschool are:

Maggie Bodily

Mallory Burton

Haley Colton
Ellie Edwards
Kristi Murdock
Logan Wilson

She is so excited to learn new things and most of all SOCIALIZE with her new little friends!

August 2010

2010-08-31T14:58:00.003-06:00

Last June I said that I was going to do some "ketchup" and I've only posted 7 times since! SOOO much has happened to our little family in the past year and I am determined to catch up by August when a new member of our family will arrive!

August 2010 brought a lot of outside fun. We did lots of bike rides and spent a lot of time outside with friends!

Since Spencer was sick on the day of his party we gave him some more cake as soon as he felt better. He gave us the reaction we were looking for! He loves himself some red velvet cupcakes (ignore the leftover broccoli on his face)!

Ava had a blast in the rain this month. We had a BIG rain storm that had us soaking wet in just a few minutes! Ava was in heaven and I couldn't help but snap a few pictures before I had to run the camera inside to save it!

You've got a lot of chutzpah to compete for a cab

2010-08-16T13:10:00.005-06:00

New York - kids = ADVENTURE!

Christian and I had the BEST time EVER in New York! I keep having dreams of us being there again or on a plane on our way there. It's bad...I REALLY want to go back! It may just be that I want another vacation with just Christian and I. I have never wanted to leave my kids for any period of time and I was actually dreading this trip BUT it was so great to explore this HUGE city without the kids!

Here's what we did...We got on and off a double-decker tour bus for three days. We toured Downtown & Uptown Manhatten, Harlem, & Brooklyn. We, of course, took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty! We went to the Empire State Building to see it but went to the 'Top of the Rock' to get a view of the city. AMAZING! We checked out Times Square which was OKAY...a good look and we are good for life! And then we went to the Majestic Theatre and saw "The Phantom of the Opera"! BUT the best part of our trip was when we rented bikes and rode around Central Park for a couple of hours. It was so neat to see that GINORMOUS park, lay down and just enjoy our time there, and then see all the famous areas there.

Okay I'm getting too wordy so I'll just post some pictures! We seriously had such a good time!

P.S. Magnolia Bakery is to DIE for! My mouth is watering thinking of their Red Velvet cupcakes with light, whipped cream cheese frosting. Oh my goodness...SOOOO GOOD!

A Moment

2010-07-20T11:59:00.004-06:00

We went up to Copperton and found some fun places for pics. We're going up again this week for better light so hopefully I can get some better pics of Christian and I...you'll see why! I'm so glad my dad lets me use his camera because we can get some great stuff! Oh and kudos to Picnik for some fun picture editing it let me do!! What do you think?

We thunk it and then it wasn't

2010-07-07T07:35:00.006-06:00

March.

Why do I expect spring weather every March when it never happens? This year was NO exception...worse in fact! Ah well...we took as many bike rides as possible anyway...with just a few extra layers!

In March Christian and I started My Fitness Pal (MFP) and what a fun journey it has been! We changed our lifestyle. After I had Spencer my weight sky rocketed and I wasn't going to have it. As much as I hate it I will post a picture of me in March...and this picture is 10lbs lighter than my heaviest! I let myself get away and it makes me sick to think about it! Christian and I, along with several other family members, have been so successful with MFP! I feel so awesome these days and Christian and I are now training for the So Jo Half Marathon in September.

Oh and I have to add that Christian is looking mighty fine these days. Mmmm...mmmm!!!

Here are some pictures to re-cap our March

Freezing but we were anxious to get out!!They always tend to fall asleep at some point. Spence had just woken up but Ava was pooped!Okay...here it is. Christian and I before the big weight loss! As of this picture Christian is down 22lbs and I am down 33lbs. I can't believe we had that much to lose...and we're still going! Ew...this picture is gross!!!

FYI: My SIL, Mary, just called and informed me that this picture is a "bad" picture. Why? She said that this picture makes Christian and I look bigger than we ever were. Makes me feel a little better because this picture is HIDEOUS!! ;)
Our photo shoot was in March and these are my favorites...

April was way more exciting so stay tuned!!

Ketchup makes everything better...

2010-06-30T13:50:00.007-06:00

And so does a little bit of CATCH-UP! I am overwhelmed. I have not blogged because I dread the "ketchup". I had a moment of blogger's itch. It's gone now. *Sigh* I can do this.

my blog = family scrapbook.

It will be printed. bound. displayed. This means I must backtrack...just a little ;)

I can do this.

February.

trouble. bath. beauty. {snap}.

Spencer's first bath sitting up!

Ava was thrilled.

Loved it. Trouble.

Beautiful. She feeds off of this kind of thing!
{snap}. He's adorable
In February Ava was nearly 3. Talks...A LOT. Pretends. Excited for her birthday party. Fit thrower. Movie watcher. Princess...seriously.

Spencer was 6 months. Sitting up. Free smiles. Couch potato.

Stats:

Weight: 13.9lbs (5%ile)
Height: 25.6 in. (25%ile)

Coming up....March

Lame

2010-06-15T15:40:00.005-06:00

I know...Lame! I haven't posted in a month and THIS is what I decide to post on now!! It's called Groupon and my SIL's just made me aware of it today. It looks like great fun at great prices. We just got today's deal and it looks like we are going to a movie with popcorn and a drink for $10!! Can't beat that!

Click here to go to Groupon.com

With that said, I will get on and update on us soon. We have been busy!

Who?

2010-05-17T15:58:00.002-06:00

All these crafty ideas that have been running through my mind this past year have finally started to make it onto canvas! This one turned out better than I had imagined it could. I'm really excited about it! I call these 'embellished art' and everything on them are original designs. I don't know what I'm going to do with them...maybe sell them or gift them. Whatever I do with them doesn't matter cause I LOVE creating them...even if they sit around for a while!!

The big E

2010-03-31T21:32:00.004-06:00

I'm impatiently waiting for Christian to be done with his workout. To pass the time I figured I am due for another blog post...this time with pictures of the kids. I took some pictures of them last week in their Easter outfits and for a not-so-great-at-photography-person I think they turned out okay... I wish Ava would smile as easily as Spencer does. These smiles were FAKE and I only got them because I bribed her with "Princess Soup"! Comes with being three I guess!? Anyway, this was such a fun photo shoot and a good learning experience. Does anyone know of any good photo editing programs that aren't too expensive?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T09:34:00.005-06:00

Our day started with green eggs, 'rainbow' cereal, and green milk...and of course served with green dishes! Later we are off to the park for a St. Patrick's party filled with green food and a leprechaun scavenger hunt! To top it off the weather will be PERFECT! I'm excited to get our day going...OUTSIDE!

My Fitness Pal

2010-03-05T14:16:00.003-07:00

MyFitnessPal is so simple and I can't figure out why it is so motivational...I can't put my finger on exactly why it is working for me and a lot of other people. Maybe it's the fact that my friends and family that are doing it also can see my progress...they can see if I stay below my calorie intake goal and if I am losing weight. It's so cool cause not only does it count calories but it shows you the sodium, sugars, cholesterol, vitamins, potassium, etc in the food your eating. So now I can look at a food and say, "That is really high in sodium so I'm going to pass on that" and that results in weight loss!

The point of this blog post is to invite ALL of you to join My Fitness Pal. It really works and I think it helps to have friends and family doing it with you! If you do join look for 'cocacole77' and request me as a friend!

Love,
Nichole

Sweet!

2010-02-26T13:55:00.004-07:00

I threw a baby shower for my friend, Brittany, last Saturday and I had a lot of fun making goodies! I made Cake Pops and they turned out great! I got the recipe from Bakerella and it was so easy and fun to do!!

Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

Only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.

Oh and Almond bark is the best chocolate to use! I bought the colored melting chocolate @ a craft store and it was really hard to work with. I would recommend just buying white almond chocolate and coloring it if you want color!

(For 'Cake Pops' put the stick in and freeze for a few hours before dipping in chocolate! Be careful when dipping because the cake falls off the stick easily!)

I also made these creme filled butter chocolate cupcakes! They were so tasty! I wasn't sure what to add on top until I read Erin's post and decided a chocolate star would make it PERFECT!! Thanks Erin ;)

I'm going to plan a girls night next Friday or Saturday night because Christian will be out of town and I think I will make the cake pops. If you want to try them then you oughta come hang out ;)

Whoa!

2010-02-14T17:01:00.004-07:00

Have you ever procrastinated something because you were just overwhelmed by it? Scrapbooking maybe...or cleaning a cluttery closet? Well I am here to tell you that this is the very reason I have not blogged since December 23rd!!! I used to be an avid blogger...every week if not more! Since December my blog has gone neglected and the longer I waited to blog the more I dreaded it! Well below you will find a couple months worth of blog posts and I must say that I am more than RELIEVED to have it done! I will feel like I'm flying once I get this all printed to a book!

Make sure you read the THREE blog posts below and leave a comment cause I'd love to hear from everyone!

Love ya,
Nichole

Too be little...

2010-02-14T16:29:00.004-07:00

I am always saying that I wish I could do the things my children do and not seem like a crazy lady! I wish I could go to a restaurant and squish my fingers in my food or throw myself to the floor when Hobby Lobby doesn't have what I need. And I especially wish that I could talk to my imaginary friends when I feel lonely...Snow White would make for some good company!

With that said....

Cute right?

Hmmmm...cute? Ya...not so much!

Ava & Spencer

2010-02-14T15:26:00.003-07:00

These two sure do love eachother! They are so sweet together. Ava loves to play with Spencer and he is such a brave little guy to withstand all of Ava's torturings!

Dressing up is one of Ava's favorite things and she involves Spencer in it too!

She even dresses him up in the bathtub...pictured here as a KING!

I can't believe Ava is nearly three years old! She is such a good girl and so loving towards all of us. She lets us know constantly that she loves us and when daddy comes home she likes us to give hugs and says, "happy family". She amazes me everyday with the things she learns and can do! We love her death!

Spencer is 6 months old now. I can't believe how time flies!! He's a skinny little guy (5%) which is a big change from Ava @ this age (75%). He's sitting up and rolling over and babbling like crazy! When he's hungry he says "mama" and it melts my heart! He signs 'milk' when he is hungry and he also does it while he is nursing or taking a bottle...it is really funny! He also recognizes the signs eat/food and all done. We love this little guy!

December 2009

2010-02-14T14:57:00.005-07:00

The Christmas season was so exciting for all of us this year! It was so fun to watch Ava this Christmas because she was so amazed with everything around her. Driving anywhere in December with Ava was always fun...she couldn't believe the "beautiful wights" on all the houses and then we visited Temple Square and she LOVED it! Her favorite part of Christmas was Santa Clause. That girl couldn't get enough of the plump man! There was no fear in her as she sat and chatted with him and told him everything she wanted. We had a great December!

Decorating Cookies for Santa with friends Parker and Cohen!Christmas Eve Pajamas!We could hardly get a smile from her she was so distracted but she did give us the "here it is hurry up and take a picture" smile!I'm pretty sure she is in love with those barbies!

Something to look forward to...

2009-12-23T08:51:00.002-07:00

It's always a bummer when the Christmas season ends but I just realized that we have THREE paydays in January!!! I guess that gives us something to look forward to right!!?? The end.

"Being a part of something special makes you special, right?" -Rachel Berry, 'glee'

2009-12-03T13:57:00.007-07:00

Can I just say that I am IN LOVE with 'glee'. And I have never liked a gay character so much in my life...Kurt Hummel you have me rolling on the floor every Wednesday night! I look forward to it every week and now I don't know what to do with myself. Next week is, sadly, the "fall finale"-ugh...What is up with this 'fall finale' crud? Glee club you will be missed this holiday season :(

Anyway, ANYWAY...anyway, more than 'glee' I am head over heels for my two cute kids! What did Christian and I do with our time before we had them??? Let's reminisce....

Midnight snack runs
Movies, WAY too many movies
Laughing at our cat attack a string or hack up a hairball (our kids are so much funnier than any old cat!)
Constantly going to a store just to waste time (we spent every penny we earned back in the day...stupid, stupid, stupid!)
Sleep in until 10am on weekends (because we would stay awake until morning hours
Always bugging someone to entertain us...or feed us ;)

And the list goes on...and I would never want ANY of it back! How boring! Now we have two adorable kids to play with and laugh at. They are a hoot! Why is a 4 month old baby so adorably funny in a bumbo? You tell me...

And why would this little princess make her mommy and daddy giddy like little kids? We were like kids on Christmas morning when it came to taking Ava to Disney on Ice Princess Classics. And her reaction was just as we hoped...

Yup...I think I love 'em and I'm not going to complain about these yucky winter months all cooped up in the house. Why? 'Cause the best memories are made in our home...when we get all stir crazy and start being silly! I seem to take more pictures in the winter...I think it's because of the fun stuff we come up with that are SO picture worthy! So bring it on cold, haze, and stormy days...cause we got some crazy stuff stirring in these sillly brains of ours!

I'll leave with a few more pictures that hopefully bring a smile to your face like they do ours!

Love,

Nichole

Nap time...hmmm she seems SOOOO tired right?I adore this smile and his laugh is even better!Chocolate and Vanilla in the leaves! These two love eachother!Got out the craft box and this is what we came up with! Ava loved to paint but the fun ended when she touched some hot glue. It was fun while it lasted and we'll have these ornaments to remember it!

The latest...

2009-11-09T15:12:00.005-07:00

...of my creations is for my SIL, Cydnee. She had her baby, Lyndsee, on November 4th and she is the cutest little thing. I am dying to see her but that sadly won't happen until January 1st:)
These wall hangings match Lyndsee's bedding (Well hopefully they match...I only had pictures to look at). I made them to hang in a line but I think they look cute in a square too!

Hind Happenings

2009-10-01T18:35:00.004-06:00

Quick update on the Hinds...

Christian...

10 months of school left...Bachelor's hooray!

Still working for Direct Pointe...likes it but hates the drive

Deer hunt unsuccessful...should have shot the annoying doe eating our food!

College Football obsession. Major BYU fan!

Nichole...

Loves being a mommy of two cute kids.

Working as a Loan Processor for dad...lucky to have this job!

Making wall decor for SIL's. Very cute!

Needs to scrapbook BADLY!

Ava...

Loves Cinderella...love is an understatement!

Loves Spencer to death

Doesn't understand why Spencer would pull her hair?!!

Is amazed with snow. Loves it way more than last year!

Is obsessed with barbies and dolls

Her life is "Playing Pretend" - never sure when she is for real!

and...drumroll please.....

100% POTTY TRAINED!!! She's even awesome at night!

Spencer...
3 months old

Doesn't just talk - he screams!

Has the sweetest smile

Grabs at everything he can reach

Likes to pull hair

Rolled over @ 2 months old

Needs to let mommy sleep at night!

Tim Dahle Nissan is so DISHONEST!

2009-09-29T16:14:00.002-06:00

We have been completely screwed by Tim Dahle Nissan. A couple of weeks ago we traded in our Nissan Xterra for a Honda Odyssey. We got a great deal on the Odyssey...we were able to trade it straight across. A week after we bought it we noticed that it was shifting hard at times and some other things that made us believe the transmission was going to the dumps. Well Tim Dahle Nissan promises a 30 day/3000 mile warranty so no big deal right??? WRONGO! We took our car in to have them look at it yesterday and the mechanic comes to us and says, "It will cost you $110 for me to look at your car and if it is the transmission sales will not do anything about it." WHAT?? We talked to the sales manager and he was the biggest jerk. He was lying out his butt the WHOLE time. I told him we are covered within the 30 day warranty and his response was that the warranty only coveres "major malfunctions" Uh....ummmm...we are talking our transmission not working you dumbo. He said that a major malfunction is the engine blowing. At this point we just couldn't believe we were being treated so horribly. They told us we needed to have them check the car but it would cost us $110. They wouldn't even check our dumb car without charging us!!! I said a few words to the salesman and we were on our way.

Anyway, we took the car next door to Larry H. Miller Honda where the Service writer looked at our car FREE OF CHARGE and confirmed it was the transmission. He couldn't believe how they treated us over there and was just as dumbfounded as us as to why the transmission isn't considered a "major malfunction". Oh did I mention that no where in FINE PRINT does it say what the 30 day/3000 mile warranty covers. So for all I care they should replace a burned out light bulb if I am still within my 30 days.

The sales manager at Tim Dahle also brought up our Xterra and said he didn't even want to tell us how much they had to put into it. BULL CRAP!! That Xterra was in perfect condition and needed NOTHING done to it! And that is TOTALLY BESIDE THE POINT! What if we had just straight out bought the Odyssey without a trade in? What lie would he pull out his butt then? So we are stuck and we don't know what to do. We have been screwed! We have tried to get a hold of the general manager but he is not returning our calls. I am really afraid that there is nothing that can be done and we will have to put $3000 more into a car that we thought was perfectly fine! Larry H. Miller Honda told us they will help us out if it doesn't work out with Tim Dahle but that just means a little discount maybe...ugh. I can't believe people treat people the way they do and can go on with their happy little lives!

Family Pictures

2009-09-22T16:04:00.004-06:00

We FINALLY had family pictures taken and they turned out great! These were taken near Brian Head.

This little girl was onery during pictures so we were lucky to get the pics we got!

Fake Smile but cute nonetheless!
I am so upset that this picture is blurry because it's really cute! Bummer :( Oh and notice the slobber ALL OVER Spencer...he is such a pukey baby! We took a bib off of him right before pictures and he spit up 3 times by the time we were done!

I think our family picture turned out awesome!

Ava, Spencer and their cousins on my side of the family.

This is my family...aren't we hot?!!

Hind Happenings

2009-09-11T13:28:00.005-06:00

We are definitely taking advantage of the summer...well what we have left of it! I feel like it was taken right out from under my nose and so I'm soaking up the sun every minute I get! And for this reason I am posting some pictures to occupy my blog while we are out having fun. I will get back to really blogging when the leaves are falling...

Spencer's Blessing Day - September 6th Spence caught a nasty cold and a warm bath made him a happy boy!

Our little Cougar fan!

Doesn't he look so happy to be wearing blue?!!

I hope they always get along this well...Ava adores her little brother

And best of all...doesn't this just make you melt?

Enjoy the rest of your summer!!!

Fuzzy

2009-08-16T16:34:00.005-06:00

Here are a few pictures of our little "fuzzy". Ava has taken to calling Spencer fuzzy because his hair is just that! We are all IN LOVE and think Spencer is the cutest thing ever! Enjoy!

He's finally here!

2009-08-07T10:56:00.000-06:00

I only have a minute so I just wanted to let you all know that Spencer was born on August 1, 2009 at 10:07am. He weighed 8lbs 12oz and is 21 inches long! Pictures to come soon!

Ginormous!

2009-07-28T09:07:00.003-06:00

I am nearly 40 weeks pregnant and have a HUGE, GINORMOUS belly to show for it!!! This isn't the best picture because it was taken @ 11pm last night after a shower but I had to get a picture while it was on my mind! I am carrying this little guy WAY different than I carried Ava. I feel and look like I have a basketball in my belly! Oh and the real kicker...the picture @ the bottom is of me only 7 weeks ago!! I really popped out in the last month and a half.Me @ 33 weeks!

Ready as can be!

2009-07-07T14:24:00.004-06:00

We are as ready for Spencer as we could possibly be! My due date is in three and a half weeks and we are trying to make the best of it! We have the bags packed for the hospital stay and they are waiting patiently for us to use them. This is the diaper bag made especially for Spencer by my sister-in-law Dawn. Isn't it so cute? Here is the changing table with the orange fabric in it instead of the green fabric (previous post) from Ava's baby room. We also added a vinyl saying above the changing table.Now I have to say that I was very impressed with the results of my curtains! I have never made curtains and they turned out pretty darn good! I also made the lamp shade and picture frame. They turned out really cute too! I want to add something else to this set up but I'm not sure what yet! I wish I could find an old rustic car or airlplane to set by the lamp and frame...maybe even a rustic looking box. Keep an eye out for me!

What do you think? I think it has turned out pretty good and it all comes together. I need to add a few more things like Spencers initials on top of the armoire (sp?) and a little something to the bay window. We'll see if I get to it ;)

The end is nearing...

2009-06-10T19:20:00.009-06:00

I am DEFINITELY counting down the days until this little guy arrives!! His room is mostly ready (minus some curtains, a lamp shade, and a changing table cover) and his mom is MOST DEFINITELY ready! Seven long weeks left and since I CAN'T be induced there is a good chance I will go over my due date. My doctor won't give me pitocin because I had a C-section with Ava and the risks of my uterus ripping are increased with pitocin. As long as he is healthy I don't care when he comes!

I had a hard time picking a crib set but this is what I finally decided on. I absolutely LOVE it!

I made these to go above his crib...

And this is what they look like together...

And this is his changing table. My father-in-law made it for Ava and so of course we are going to use it for Spencer. I still need to replace the fabric on the cupboards and get a changing table cover but I'm pretty lucky to have such a talented father-in-law because I think it's gorgeous!!
When his room is all finished I will hopefully remember to post a picture...it should be pretty cute!

A Matter of Seconds

2009-06-01T12:08:00.010-06:00

At lunch today Ava was being the sweet little two year old that she usually is...

Until I told her she had to eat two more bites...She looked at me and said, "You're mean!"

What?!? Where did she learn this? Great - now my sweet child is starting to tell me what she thinks of me. I quickly told her that I am nice and now she is walking around saying, "You're nice". I wish it were always going to be this easy to convince her that I'm not the bad guy!

2009-05-19T11:21:00.005-06:00

My feet and hands itch and I am more worried about getting stretch marks on my limbs than I am on my big belly!! I have a little less than 2.5 months left and I ALREADY can't wear my wedding ring anymore. My ring finger size has gone from a 4.25 to a 7!! Oh and let's not talk about wearing shoes...or the lack thereof. My feet are even tight in FLIP FLOPS!! It is creepy when I can push on my ankle and an indent is left there for a half an hour. I love being pregnant but we'll see what I think of it when the end of July nears and I can't even walk because my ankles won't bend! Wish me luck ;)

UPDATE: I had a doctors appointment today and he said that my swelling will probably settle down when the weather is consistent. He said that changes in temperature, even if it is cold, can make me swell more. I am not as swollen today and I got my wedding ring back on so hopefully he's right!!

Hogle Zoo

2009-05-14T13:57:00.003-06:00

I LOVE the zoo! It is so fun to take Ava there because she talks about it for days afterward! We got a family membership this year so that we can go whenever we want. I also love being able to go for a couple of hours and not feeling like I didn't get my moneys worth.

With that said I am going to go next Wednesday (the 20th) morning and I am inviting anyone that would like to come along. It is much more fun going with friends than by myself!! My membership can get one adult and one child in for free so the first person to get to me has dibs on the free pass! I hope that some of you can come!

Deals of the Day

2009-05-12T20:59:00.002-06:00

Although Ava was very sick today I managed, thanks to Christian, to get out of the house for an hour and grab some great deals! I wasn't able to get a picture of all the stuff I got before Christian put them in storage but here is a list:

3 - 16 oz. boxes of Corn Pops Cereal
4 - 12 oz. boxes of Rice Krispies Cereal

2 - 14.7 oz boxes of Poptarts

2 - 18 oz boxes of Ritz Crackers

3 - 16 oz. Kraft Salad Dressings

5 - 18 oz. Kraft BBQ Sauces

1 - 8.5 oz. Cascade Rinse & Shine

2 - 10 pack Capri Sun Sunrise s

6 - 16 oz. Bar S Jumbo Franks
3 - Boxes of Pasta Roni's

8 - Easy Mac Cups

For a Grand Total of $14.45 + Tax!!!

I told you I was desperate ;)

2009-05-08T10:49:00.002-06:00

Like I said before...I am not trying to sell anything at this party so just come hang out but do let me know if you plan on getting your nails done! Thanks girls!!

I can't believe it!!

2009-05-05T12:40:00.007-06:00

Okay so I just can't believe the deals I got today...I got all of this stuff pictured above for a whopping $9.39 +tax!!! Can you believe it?!? I seriously feel like jumping for joy - in fact, hold on a minute, I'm going to do just that..........

And to top of my excitement Ava didn't throw a single fit...not a SINGLE one the whole time we were out!! I was floored and she was well rewarded with some "chocate" (chocolate). We are well on our way to building our food storage... something I thought wouldn't happen for a while!! One word for all of this...SATISFYING!!

And to finish off my shopping trip I stopped at KFC and got a free meal!!

Pretty Toes

2009-05-03T12:34:00.004-06:00

I have to show off my cute new toenails!! These are Glitter Gel Toes and I LOVE them! My sister does nails and this is the "new" thing this spring. You can get a bunch of different colors and it stays on your nails longer than "regular" nail polish does.

A few people have asked me about getting their toenails done so I have talked to my sister and she is willing to come to my house one night to make some toes pretty!! I haven't decided on a date or time because I first want to see if I could get enough people over to make it worth my sisters time. The cost is $20...which, I will have you know, is a great deal!!

I am mostly VERY desperate for a girls night with food and fun. This isn't like a "sales party" or anything I just want to have a get together with ANYONE. Gosh...am I desperate??? Haha - but really, if you are interested in Glitter Gel Toes let me know and I will plan a night for my sister to come over and make some happy momma's!!

Much Needed

2009-04-27T10:29:00.004-06:00

It has been a long time since I have updated on our family...I'm going to update with more pictures and less talk!!

Ava had a lot of fun with all of our Easter activities. She was very interested in "painting" the eggs and we heard about the Easter egg hunt for days after!! Every time she saw her basket she said, "Is a my basket, is a my candy" to let us know that it was her basket and her candy.Ava's birthday celebrations was a lot of fun. Ava is absolutely obsessed with Tinkerbell and so, of course, she had a Tinkerbell party. She was thrilled to have her cousins and friends over to play with! She is a girl through and through and loved all of her princess/Tinkerbell gifts. We don't see as much of her these days because she is so into her new 'stuff' as Ava would say.

On Ava's birthday we took her to get "rice" - one of her favorite things in life! And then we went to South Towne Mall because riding the carousel is such a thrill to her. She is ALWAYS asking us if she can "ride a horse". We rode the reindeer, horse, and zebra and then headed to the park to finish off her "happy birthday".

I can't believe my baby is two years old! She is growing up so fast and amazes me with the things she says every day. She is talking in complete sentences now and her high pitched, electronic voice, makes it so cute! One of her favorite things to say is "Oh my gosh" - especially when she sees something that has to do with a princess. Yesterday the poor thing was constipated and came up to me and Christian and said, "Ow, My butt hurts" and after an hour of pain and grunting she exlaimed, "All better!!" And then this morning we had to take Christian to pick up the work car and she saw a tractor and said, "Oh no, the truck is going to get me" She was very concerned about it! She also understands the concept of being 'scared' and things that are 'scary' now and as I type this she is telling me that the movie she is watching is "scawe-wee". But if she tells us it's "happy" then it is definitely not scary! Sometimes her tantrums can get out of hand but her cute little personality and hugs makes it all worth it...I am a proud mommy and I could go on forever about her ;)

Christian is doing great...he is still going to school and is going to continue through the summer. I don't know how he keeps his grades so high with all the other responsibilities he has but he does it and I am proud of him. He is VERY anxious to get into a house of our own and is really enjoying house hunting. I think he is most anxious to move closer to his work...he is tired of driving to South Provo every day!

As for me...I am obsessed with saving money on groceries these days! I have an organized system set up that I researched and I am loving saving up to $100 a month on groceries! Not only am I saving but we are actually building our food storage!! I am 26 weeks pregnant and this little guy inside of me is making himself known! It is amazing how different my pregnancies have been! Ava never kicked my ribs but this kid has made a habit out of it! When he wakes up and starts moving I get nervous because I just know I'm going to be in pain soon...but it's one of those things that shouldn't be funny but I laugh as he does it!! I am loving being pregnant!

We are loving the warm weather and so I'm assuming I won't be updating as often...at least until July when the baby comes! I hope to hear from all of you and I hope you are all enjoying the weather!!

I LOVE a great deal!!

2009-04-13T12:28:00.005-06:00

I got all of this for $1.42 (including tax)!! Everything was FREE except for the bags of salad!! I was especially excited to get the "On the Go" first aid kits!

Deal of the Day

2009-03-31T13:06:00.007-06:00

I have been out of the habit of using coupons for about 4 years now because it was just too much of a hassle (I didn't know about Grocery Smarts or PYP then!). Well I have started up again but I can't get really into it for a couple of months - when my coupon supply is built up a little! Speaking of coupons, I just printed out a really cute coupon organizer from my friend, Lori's, Etsy shop. Check it out! In the meantime I have found a few great deals.

This is what I got today:

I got all of this for $4.22 + tax!!

I saved $10.15!

Nuttin' Much

2009-03-10T17:10:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update...I had my 20 week appointment and ultrasound today. It was really fun to see our little guy and hear that he is growing right and looking healthy! He was sucking his hand, playing with his toes, and being the active baby that I KNOW he is! I feel so great these days and I am so happy to have my energy back and a clean house! I wasn't sure how my weight gain was going until I asked my doctor today and he said that I have only gained ONE pound so far. I'm not sure whether that is a good or a bad thing ;) If things go the same as they did with Ava then I will gain all of my weight the last couple of months! Bring on the food!!!

Miserable Monday made better!

2009-03-03T09:47:00.008-07:00

I got a cold on Friday and it just seemed to get worse as the weekend went by. Being pregnant and having a cold can be VERY yucky! By Sunday night I could barely move and when I woke up a little after 8:00 AM Christian was still laying in bed next to me. I looked at my watch and freaked out because I thought he slept in! But my awesome husband took the day off so he could take care of me. I was so relieved when he told me that because I didn't know how I was going to get out of bed! So yesterday he cleaned the house, did our many piles of laundry, went grocery shopping, and entertained Ava! All the while I sat on my butt with a box of tissues and a blanket! Christian worked really hard yesterday to make me feel comfortable. I felt too spoiled but I am so lucky to have him. His day off was very tiring for him but he never complained and when I tried to help him with something he made me sit down and rest!

Luckily Christian got to get out and have some fun this last weekend

before he had to come home and take care of me! Well deserved fun!!I am on antibiotics now and I can already tell that they are fighting this gunk off...so I am a happy girl right now!! Now it's time to get outside and enjoy this beautiful 63 degree weather!

Thanks for all you do for me Christian. I love you!!!

P.S. Did anyone else watch 'The Bachelor' this season? Were you as disappointed as me in the finale? Jason is SCUM ;)

A what?!?

2009-02-05T15:56:00.007-07:00

I was sure we were going to have a girl as we walked into the doctors office last night to get an ultrasound. As soon as the probe was on my stomach I realized that there was no way I was having a girl...there between my babies legs was a little winkie!! We are having a boy and I couldn't be more excited! Ava came with us last night and it was really cute to see her look at the screen and say, "Look a baby!" over and over and over!! When we were done she said, "Bye baby." I'm glad we took her with us!Is that a Hind head (big, huge, ginormous)???And here is a picture of me at 15 weeks. It's so funny how different this pregnancy is from Ava's because at 15 weeks with Ava I wasn't even showing and as you can see here I definitely have a belly now!! Although I haven't felt the greatest today I just couldn't resist going to the store and buying him some pajamas for our little guy. He will look so cute and comfy in them! I went through Ava's things last night and I don't have a SINGLE thing that could be even a tiny bit boyish. So we get to do some shopping, creating, and deciding in the next few months!

As for Ava she is the funniest little girl ever! She is learning, talking, coloring, talking, dancing, talking and talking a little more. The girl never stops talking!! It is fun to hear what is on her little mind!

She transitioned so well into her big girl bed. We decided not to put up the safety rails on her bed so she fell out twice the first night and ever since she has slept through the night without any instances! When she wakes up in the morning the first thing I hear is a knock at her door and her little voice saying, "Knock, knock" or "Mom where are you?" or "WAKE UP". It cracks me up!

Last week I took her to a dance class with her cousin and she did so good. It got me really excited to get her into dance classes this coming fall. Here are some pictures of her before dance class:

I told her to show me her teeth so she pointed to them!

This is Ava's funny face!?!Ava at dance class with Cindy Wiggins (my dance teacher when I was little!)

It is fun to look back at my posts from a year ago and see how much life can change so quickly. Ava is nearly two and is getting funner by the day and we will soon add a new member to our family! I hope everyone is doing great and getting through this yucky time of year okay!!

Remember Us???

2009-01-21T09:36:00.005-07:00

You would think that after a month of not blogging I would have something great to blog about right? Well not much is going on in our lives but I'll update you all on the past couple of months.

Just after Thanksgiving is when the morning sickness kicked in. This meant a messy house, an onery Ava, a hungry husband, and one demanding wife and mom!! I layed on the couch for nearly two months and stressed about all that was going wrong! One day I forgot to feed Ava lunch until about 3pm and then I put her to bed without dinner. Oops. I felt so horrible that I called my mom and tattled on myself. What does a grandma do??? She makes me feel so guilty by saying stuff like, "Poor thing" and tells me to go wake her up and feed her. So I woke Ava up in the middle of the night and the poor thing ate like there was no tomorrow and then she zonked!!

Well now that I am back to 100% I can clean the house, entertain Ava, make dinner, and be a more pleasant person....Ummm well it hasn't quite worked out that way. Christian was really good to clean the house when I was sick and I love him for it BUT the floors didn't get mopped and the counters didn't always get wiped. You know what I mean right? The house can be clean but you feel like it is still dirty because those little (sometimes big) things weren't done. So now I am stressed over trying to catch up on stuff but I'm not doing anything about it!! I REALLY need to get on my hands and knees and mop the floor (the mop just won't do the job) but I dread it!!

ALRIGHT...I'm done complaining! It feels good to get that off my chest. BUT things are really great for us right now. I am feeling so much better and now I can start gaining weight instead of losing it!! I can eat food!!!! I got to see the baby last week and he/she was SO CUTE moving it's arms and legs!!

Ava is getting cuter by the day! She is talking liking crazy and never ceases to amaze me by the things she says. Yesterday I put her shirt on and it got stuck on her head. She didn't like it and said in a frightened voice, "Scary, it's dark in here!" I don't know where she learned that the dark is scary but it's too early for that!!! Ava loves coloring and her favorite colors are pink and purple. We have a big box of crayons and her pictures always end up being different shades of pink and purple. When she is done coloring she says, "It's pretty, I like it". It's fun to see her have prefrences for colors.

Ava gets to sleep in a big girl bed within a month and we are excited to make that change. We want to make the change now so she doesn't associate it with the baby. I don't want her to feel like she is being moved to a new bedroom because the baby gets her room!

Ugh...I'm sorry to bore you all with my babblings (is that a word?). I wish I felt like posting pictures but I don't so this will have to do! I hope to hear from you all and I'm trying my hardest to catch up on your blogs!

FINALLY!!!!

2008-12-18T19:04:00.003-07:00

Most of you already know this but for those of you that don't I wanted to let you know that we are PREGNANT!!! I had my first doctors appointment today and my due date is now July 31st (changed from July 24th). My due date was pushed a week later with Ava too! We are very excited to add a little one to our family and Ava is excited to be a big sister (at least we are hoping she is).

As for me I can't wait to enter my second trimester! My energy is GONE at this point and I'm sure Ava is wondering what is going on. She has to entertain herself more and more these days. But 13 weeks will roll around and I will forget I was ever sick!! I love being pregnant and so I am excited for this and and can't wait to have this little bean in our family!!

And on to other not so great news...Spencer Coleman Hind (Christians grandpa) passed away yesterday (Wednesday) morning. I only knew him for 5 years but of that Christian and I lived with him and Christians grandma for 6 months. I am glad I got that opportunity to get to know him because he is a great man. As I was going to school to become a sign language interpreter he was always so great to help me out when I needed it. I am happy that he has returned to our Father in Heaven and reunited with his mom, dad, and siblings. Most of all I am so grateful that his hearing has been restored! Everyone is very excited to sing for him at his funeral on Saturday! We love you Grandpa! Click here to preview his obituary.

I know, I know....

2008-12-16T08:31:00.002-07:00

I've been neglecting my blog lately and all my recent posts have been BORING!!! Thursday I will have an exciting post so keep an eye out for that!

Well this one is not much different unless you are looking to buy a home or want to refinance!! Rates are at 5.0% right now!!! If you are interested in buying/refinancing give my dad a call. You won't find a better person to work with. He is very honest and hardworking. He really is great at what he does - I'm not just saying all of this because he's my dad!!

Kerry Bray
Optimum Mortgage
801-703-4824

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know about the great interest rates right now!! Remember to check back on Thursday for an exciting Hind update!!

And the winners are...

2008-12-07T13:46:00.003-07:00

The winners of our Wire Whimsy drawing are:

Erin S., Brianna, and Erin T.!!!

Congrats guys!! Email me your addresses (wirewhimsy@yahoo.com) and I'll get your prize to you ASAP!!

Don't Forget

2008-11-24T12:55:00.002-07:00

Our giveaway ends in 6 days so don't forget to enter!! Read my last post for more info. It is very simple to get an entry!! Just add us to your blog list or sidebar and you are in!! Let me know if you did any of the things below and I will enter you!

Wire Whimsy GIVEAWAY!!!

2008-11-17T09:35:00.010-07:00

Before I get started I just have to mention that this is my 100th post! It feels great to record family memories and pictures to look back on!

With that said I just want to let all of you know that Wire Whimsy is now on Etsy! Some of you have been interested in purchasing our product and now you can! If you see something you like on Etsy but would like to pick it up rather than pay shipping you can email us at wirewhimsy@yahoo.com or comment here. Now is the PERFECT time to get your Christmas decor from us as we are having a SALE. To get to our Etsy store click on my "mini shop" on my side bar or just click here!

So since this is my 100th post and we want everyone to get a chance to enjoy our product Wire Whimsy is having a GIVEAWAY!!! We will be giving away a "ho ho ho SET", "Candy Cane sign", and a "Christmas Tree Sign" - One each to three people! We will accept entries until November 30th at 12pm Mountain Time! Here are ways you can ENTER this contest (Up to 5 enteries per person):

1 - Simply Mention our Etsy website on your blog and then comment here and let me know that you would like to be entered in the drawing. (http://wirewhimsy.etsy.com/) (1 Entry)

2 - Let all of your friends and family know about this giveaway by dedicating an ENTIRE blog post to Wire Whimsy...simply let everyone know that we are doing a giveaway and link them to this blog (http://houseofhind.blogspot.com/) and our Etsy store (http://wirewhimsy.etsy.com/). Once you have done this comment here to let me know! (3 Entries)

3 - Add this link to your sidebar or add us to your blog list then let me know by commenting here (2 Entries):

GOOD LUCK!

Mutton Hollow

2008-11-03T19:19:00.005-07:00

This year my sister-in-law, father-in-law, and I have decided to enter the world of boutiques!! We sold our product at Rod Works before we got prego and so we hope that we can do as well at boutiques as we did there! This week we are participating in the Mutton Hollow Country Barn Boutique (sigh...what a MOUTHFUL!). I am nervous about the outcome of this boutique...we have never done one before and so we don't know what to expect! I LOVE our product but I don't know what the people who visit the boutique will think? The UNKNOWN is so frustrating!! We have been working our tooshies off and so I thought I would get word out! Above is all the information if you are interested in checking it out! BELOW is a look at some of our product. We are only selling Christmas product at the boutique but if you want to see that you will have to visit our booth (okay, okay....I'll let you take a little peak...how about the candy cane?...and it's more like wicker shelves not a booth...pffft!)...otherwise here is a look at a FEW of our seasonal products so you can get an idea of what we have. I hope to see some of you there!

Because it's my RIGHT

2008-10-31T10:11:00.002-06:00

On November 4th Christian and I will go to our Stake Center and vote for the next President of the United States. I don't want to vote for McCain or Obama...I feel I will be voting for one of the lesser evils BUT it is my right to vote and I am going to take advantage of that. I am glad that I have a choice unlike other less fortunate people in this world. So I have educated myself on each candidate and I have decided to vote for McCain. When I say that I am voting for him I absolutely, positively am not saying that I agree with everything he has planned for us but, like I said before, he is the lesser of the evils in my OPINION. I really like Palin's veiws...she has many of the same values that I do and it makes me feel a little less nervous to have her by McCains side. Anyway, I am not going to go on about this because I am not trying to change anyones vote I just wanted to let you all know who I am voting for. I lost all respect for Obama when I found out he doesn't salute the United States flag during our anthem. I know some of you are thinking of how petty this might be and I know there are bigger issues but this is one of the first things I learned about Obama- and his qualities or lack thereof just haven't redeemed him from that act.

ANYWAY, in the end I am voting for McCain because I feel I should and I won't go against my instincts. This is all my opinion and I completely respect anyone with differing opinions so I hope you respect mine. With that said I am curious to know who everyone is voting for and why...the only rule is this: No name calling...it doesn't solve anything ;)

November 21st

2008-10-24T13:55:00.003-06:00

I am counting down the days until 12:10am on November 21st!!! That's right....TWILIGHT movie tickets have been released and I have my reserved seating! Tickets are far and few now so I hope all that want to go have gotten theirs!! I'm SO EXCITED!!

Not Me! Monday

2008-10-22T12:01:00.008-06:00

Okay so I know it is Wednesday but I just have to do this today...I need to get this all out of my system and this is the best way to do it. It is so fun. If you want to do it then check out the Not Me! Monday rules at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2008/09/not-me-mondaythe-complete-rules.html. In a nutshell you write down the things that you did not do this week but in actuality you ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY DID DO THEM!! This is very therapuetic and just what I need at this point in my life!!

This past week, no matter what anyone tells you to the contrary...

I most certainly did not think of the U2 song, "Stuck in a moment" and think of how stuck in a rut I am. Nope not me...I don't feel stuck in a moment that I can't get out of! I haven't been thinking this for the past two weeks AT ALL! I would NEVER compare my life to the chorus of this song...NEVER.

I most certainly did not let Ava spill yogurt on the floor and leave it there to get sticky and gross. NO WAY would I do that!! And I didn't just step over all the macaroni and cheese she threw on the ground either. GROSS!

I absolutely positively did not wear the same pajamas two FULL days in a row without getting dressed. NOPE not me! That would be plain old lazy and once again GROSS! Who does that?! Only people that feel stuck in a rut right?! Nope Not ME!!

I most certainly did not let Ava watch hours of TV a day so I could read a book. NO WAY. That would make me a bad mom and I most certainly am not! I did not let Ava watch "The Little Mermaid" three times a day. That is a waste of the poor girls brain...NOPE I would certainly not do that!

I most certainly did not let the house become a disaster while I lazily sat on the couch and thought of all the cleaning that needed to be done. Nope NOT ME. I DID NOT let the sink fill up with dishes before I MADE myself do them. I did not let the floors go unmopped for two weeks (which is horrible in a house of ALL PERGO). Definitely NOT ME!!

I did not start dieting and exercising just to end the same day...nope NOT ME. I am WAY MORE motivated than that.

I most certainly have not felt like crap the past couple of weeks. I have definitely not looked at myself in the mirror and thought of how horrible I look lately. I have most certainly not put myself down this week.

I have definitely not thrown stuff on the craft room floor because I don't want to deal with it. I don't do that cause that is lazy. The craft room is not cluttered with random things from the house that I just don't feel like putting away. NO WAY!

I most certainly have not decided that I HATE making my blog cute. NO WAY. I have not thought about ending my blog all together because I feel it is a waste of my time. Definitley NOT ME!

I have definitely not slept in so long the past couple of weeks that I wake up with a headache. That would just be crazy! I have not stopped waking up with Christian in the morning because I just can't seem to get my butt out of bed.

And there is SOOOOOO much more that I most certainly have not done this past week but I will leave it at that!

Four in the morning!!

2008-10-12T08:30:00.004-06:00

I woke up at 4:00am this morning and, try as I may, I COULD NOT go back to sleep. So what do I do? I get up, take a shower, and BLOG!! I'm sure I could have been more productive but I figured that this was the last time I will be able to blog until we are home from the deer hunt next week.

This was a little project that Chelsie and I did a couple of weeks ago. It was VERY easy and it can be used for a bunch of different things. Chelsie gave it to her sister, Caitlin, to use as a jewelry box! I was thinking that is would make a cute gift for a stressed out friend...."Emergency Kit" with bath soap, lotion, fingernail polish, etc. I am definitely going to do more of these!!

This last week we went to a pumpkin patch with TJ, Chelsie, and Makaylee. We had a lot of fun and Ava was amazed at all the "pun-kins" When it came down to carving the girls were NOT interested!! They were VERY grossed out...as was TJ!

And this one explains itself...she is seriously SO NAUGHTY!!!

Painfully Cute!

2008-09-28T14:54:00.008-06:00

My friend Chelsie and I get together quite a bit to be crafty and our latest adventure ended up being painfully cute...literally. So we needed 12"-18" metal stars...and we needed them cheap because we wanted 5 each. So we went on a hunt and found that we could get them for $22-$45...so it would end up costing us at least $110! Ya right!! We finally found some at Tai Pan for $5 each but they were not exactly what we wanted. These had two stars welded together to make a 3-D star...no big deal though right? We figured we could just break the welds and take them apart.

So it was easy for the most part but some of the welds were so tough!! On Friday afternoon I was trying to take a star apart and got to a tough part. I was using a screwdriver to pry it apart and the screwdriver (flathead) slipped and I stabbed it into my hand! OUCH...the pain was so bad that I didn't know HOW to react. Christian asked me how he could help and I just told him to take Ava and go away. As soon as he left I just screamed...I guess I thought if I screamed I wouldn't be able to feel the pain. Anyway, as soon as I could partly function we headed to the instacare because I knew I at least needed a tetanus shot. Luckily the screwdriver pushed my tendons aside and just left me with a hole in my hand!! It entered on my palm between my thumb and pointer finger and went in sideways to the middle of my hand. I don't have pain where it entered at all but I sure as heck can tell where it got to inside my hand...OUCH!!

This is the much hated screwdriver and the picture on the right shows how it went into my hand and how far! Ew just thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies!!

So after all that drama Christian used a torch to take the stars apart for me. I still have to add a little more ribbon to them but other than that I think they turned out really CUTE! The next thing Chelsie and I are doing are wooden pilgrims and I am definitely going to steer clear of the screwdriver!

Spring

Fourth of July

Halloween

Fall

Christmas

Say What?

2008-09-21T09:11:00.008-06:00

Ava is a talker...she NEVER stops!! She repeats EVERYTHING we say and you can actually UNDERSTAND what she is saying. This morning I was making breakfast and she was in the living room talking away. I heard her saying "boobies" and so Christian and I wanted to see what she was doing. We walked into the living room to see her shoving two balls down her shirt and saying, "boobies, boobies" She was so proud of herself! She is obsessed with boobs...especially mine! It is funny most of the time but it is rather embarrasing when she is pulling at my shirt in sacrament and yelling, "BOOBIES" What am I going to do with this child!?! Oh and I hear that this is only the beginning!! It's a good thing I love her ;)

Zootimpeaches

2008-09-18T13:06:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago Christian and I made a list of all the things we still want to do while it is warm outside. It is a pretty big list so we have been busy the last couple of weeks.

We have been wanting to take Ava to the ZOO becuase she is just fascinated with animals and has been saying animal names a lot lately. So a couple Saturday's ago we woke up bright and early and headed to the zoo. I was so glad that we went early because not only was it not busy but the animals were so ACTIVE! Ava's favorite part were the penguins (they were playing in the water) and she also loved the bird show! She was mesmerized the whole time! Then of course we had to let her ride the carousel...and she loved it so much she held on for dear life when Christian tried to take her off!! In the end we decided that we had more fun than Ava. One of the best things in life is to see Ava get so excited over things like the Zoo. We love to see her so happy and therefore we had SO MUCH FUN!!

Last Saturday we hiked to Timpanogas Caves with Christians brother, Ethan, and his girlfriend, Amy. We got a great work-out and had a lot of fun. The formations in the caves are amazing! Ava was a little nervous because it was so dark the whole time but she seemed to enjoy herself a little! This was the first time we met Amy so it was a lot of fun to get to know her. She is VERY cute and Ethan is really cute with her too. But it is no surprise he is good to her cause the Hind boys are all perfect gentlemens...most of the time!! ANYWAY, after the hike we had a picnic across the street. Oh and I have to mention that I got stung by a hornet on the inside of my arm on the way up the mountain. The next day it was an ugly swollen mass that itched like crazy! Now it just looks like a big bruise but I really hate bee's now!!

Oh and I forgot to mention that at one point we took a break right before the big climb. Amy had her head in her hands and Ava looked at her and said, "Amen". She thought Amy was praying and decided to end her prayer for her!!

This week our peaches ripened up and so I picked a TON and went to town!! I made a bunch of freezer jam and jar jam and I just peeled and sliced the rest and froze them. I figure I can make peach pies or have a bowl of peaches and cream with the extra. I also made a few loaves of Zucchini bread from Zucchini's that our neighbors grew...they turned out very yummy! And then I finally got to cooking and mashing our Buttercup squash. This stuff is so yummy and Ava loves it so it is a must in our home! So we now have a stock of that in our freezer too. We are just about ready to hibernate for winter!!

PeDiCuRe

2008-09-02T16:48:00.003-06:00

Today I used the gift certificate I got for my birthday and got a much needed and WANTED pedicure. It felt so nice to sit back and let someone else do the work! I went with my sister-in-law, Dawn, and her friend, Wendy. We had a great time and my feet look and feel great! I feel like wearing socks around to keep them pretty and soft but alas, I MUST show them off!!! These pics are from a phone so they aren't the best but my pretty toes are the ones on the left!!

At-sigh...translation: Outside

2008-08-28T21:13:00.020-06:00

I had some fun taking pics of Ava this afternoon!!! There are a ton and they aren't in any particular order of what I like best...I really like the pictures I get when I take them around 7pm...the colors are awesome!!

I Can't Believe it!!

2008-08-25T13:11:00.004-06:00

I can't believe how fast summer has gone by.
I can't believe how big Ava is getting!
I can't believe that I have been such a slacker on my blog lately!
I can't believe that my house is clean after babysitting like crazy this past week.
I can't believe that the Olympics are ALREADY over :(
I can't believe that I don't have any pictures to post!
I can't believe that I have nothing better to do with my time than come up with these dorky posts of mine!
I can't believe that Christian knows the song "Feeling Good with Jo Jo" from the Disney channel and was singing it at work the other day
I can't believe that Christian's buddy at work, Andy, started singing along with him!
And mostly...I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I ACCOMPLISHED MY GOAL OF CATCHING UP ON AVA'S SCRAPBOOK!!! WAHOOOOOO! (I will post pictures of some of the pages I have done soon!) It feels so good to be done...well until I print my next batch of pictures! Now I am going to work on our family scrapbook with our camping trips and what not!

I hope you are all having a fun summer! I haven't been able to comment on your posts as much lately because I been so busy but it doesn't mean that I don't enjoy catching up on your lives!!

And the Pillow WINS!!!

2008-08-14T08:34:00.007-06:00

Ava has been allergy free since I got rid of her pillow!! I'm so relieved that we finally figured this out! I'm not sure if she is allergic to something on her pillow from camping or if it is something the pillow is made of. Either way I am buying her a hypo-allergenic pillow now! She has had a pillow since February, when she was sick and her doctor told me to get her a pillow so she could breath at nights...Anyway, I'm glad that we have made it over that little bump!

Cottage Retreat Day Spa

2008-08-11T09:29:00.005-06:00

For my birthday I got a gift card to Cottage Retreat Day Spa at Gardner Village. The BEST gift EVER!!! I am so excited to go and I figure I better go soon while I can still show off my pretty feet in flip flops!! This spa has a pedicure for $30 so anyone that wants pretty feet needs to come with me...it's so much more fun when you go with friends!! So....the reason for my post is to try and talk some of you guys into coming with me...you know you want to!!! Clean up those yucky summer feet!!! Alright I've done all I can...let me know if you want to go!!!

Carrots or Pillow?...or not?!?

2008-08-08T01:56:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago we went camping in Southern Utah (see last post) and on our last day there Ava's body was covered in HIVES. I figured she was allergic to sagebrush or some other plant that we were around. When we got home I washed EVERYTHING so that her hives were sure to go away. Even after that her hives continued showing themselves for about a week. The doctor told me that we needed to watch what she was eating so that we could figure this allergy out. Well the hives went away for about TWO WEEKS and all of a sudden she got hives all over her body yesterday. To put the cherry on top she is now coughing, wheezing, and struggling to breath...this is why we are up at 2 AM...because she is struggling to breath and I am not letting her out of my sight. It is getting worse and I am so frustrated because I can't, for the life of me, figure out what is causing this. It could be a food allergy...the only thing I can think of is maybe carrots. She had carrots twice on our camping trip. She didn't break out the first time she had them and the second time she had them she didn't break out until the next morning. And she had a few bits of carrots yesterday and a couple hours later she had hives...BUT...this was also after her nap with her PILLOW. Something might be on her pillow from when we were camping...so I'm chucking that at this moment! The rest of her bedding is in the washer...with no detergent or fabric softener...I just can't chance her reacting to ANYTHING! My guess is the pillow cause the carrot allergy just isn't making sense. So if my guess is right then I'm happy we figured that out but we still haven't figured out what the heck is in her pillow that is causing this!! I really hope that it is her pillow so that the poor thing can get some SLEEP!!

P.S. Thank goodness for blogs where frustrated moms can VENT!

Drumroll please......

2008-07-23T08:33:00.006-06:00

The last two weeks have been a lot of fun but very tiring! The weekend of July 10th we went camping with my dads family to Pineview Reservoir. I have never been there and it is only an hour away from here!! The water was PERFECT and the beaches were so SANDY and FUN! I love going camping on my birthday and it has happened a lot in my lifetime! We had fun swimming, boating, playing volleyball, and visiting...so much fun that I only got a couple of pictures!!

On Monday, July 14th, I got to go to the American Idol concert with my mom, brother, and his girlfriend. This was such a fun concert and I loved seeing the top 10 perform live!! David Archuleta was so cute and he was so overwhelmed by the support that he started to cry. He is a very humble kid! And if you ever have the chance to see David Cook live...DO IT!! He is SO amazing live....I got the chills several times but mostly during his guitar solo!! We were nearly deaf when the concert was over but it was well worth it!

On Tuesday is when we started going downhill. Ava came down with the stomach flu and the poor thing didn't move off of our couch for eight hours unless I was changing her diaper or cleaning up her throw up. I came down with this on Thursday and it WAS NOT pleasant!! Then on Thursday night Christian caught the bug!! All in all about 20 people in our family got the stomach flu...it is a nasty bug and I hope you are all spared of it!!

This last weekend we headed south! We had a family reunion at Kodachrome State Park which is near Escalante. It was VERY HOT but we found some cool escapes and really enjoyed ourselves. We did the funnest slot canyon called Round Valley Draw. It was really tricky climbing in and out but we figured it out with just a few bumps and bruises! It was beautiful with red rock on both sides of us! I liked this slot canyon a lot because there were so many obstacles that we had to get through!

We also did a small hike, Willis Creek, that is a smaller slot canyon. It was fun to have most of the family (extended family too) there to enjoy the hike!

There you have it...my reason for being a slacker on updating my blog! That's A LOT of stuff to fit into a little less than two weeks but we did it and we had a lot of fun! I was also able to take Ava swimming with some friends a couple of times and she had a blast...I just need to remember to take pictures when we do small stuff like that! Well this post took me FOREVER to do so I better get on with my day!

Coming Soon....

2008-07-22T18:56:00.002-06:00

I promise I'm still alive!!!! I have been so busy that I haven't had time to update my blog! I am going to try my hardest to update this week so you can all see how much fun we have had lately!!

Fourth of July Weekend

2008-07-07T08:38:00.009-06:00

I love any weekend that I get to spend with my family...especially when there is a holiday! We had such a fun Fourth of July weekend! On Friday morning we had my family over for breakfast. We let the kids do some fireworks, played croquet, and rocked out on Guitar Hero! It was lots of fun!

That night we went to Stadium of Fire with my Brother and his family. I LOVE Stadium of Fire because it is so patriotic. Glenn Beck was great and he brought tears to my eyes as he talked about this great place we live in and the freedoms we enjoy! It was really neat to have families of soldiers there too and a few women were lucky enough to get to talk to their husbands! The perfomers were the Blue Man Group and Miley Cyrus and they did a great job! My neices were especially excited for Miley! My favorite part was the fireworks...they were so awesome and just kept going and going! They were choreographed to music and I had chills as we watched! Ava even enjoyed them but they went for so long that she just couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and she fell ASLEEP during the fireworks!!!

The next day we did some of our own fireworks with friends and on Sunday we went up Little Cottonwood Canyon and had a cookout with our friends Andy and Brittany. It is so beautiful up there...we definitely need to get up there more often! We were lucky enough to see a moose...kind of creepy being so close but it was cool nonetheless. Oh and we saw a few deer...but they were like 5 miles away and we could only see them through Andy's scope...Christian and Andy were amused though!!

We had a really fun weekend and I'm sad it's over but we have some fun weekends planned this month and lots to look forward to!

Cami the Cat

2008-07-03T09:51:00.008-06:00

My sister-in-law, Cydnee, moved to Las Vegas with her family a few weeks ago for her husbands job. They left behind their cute cat, Cami, because she ran away a couple of weeks before and never came back. Well just after they left Cami decided to show up at home but to her dismay they were gone. Cami got to stay at our house and then we got to drive her to her new home in Las Vegas!! We had a ton of fun down there and I wish we could have stayed longer...even though I thought I would die from the heat!

The first thing we did when we got there was go to Hoover Dam. They are building a bridge there so that you won't drive over the dam anymore. This bridge will be a sight to behold! Not only will people go to Hoover Dam to see the dam but to also see the dam bridge!! It was fun to be there but by the time we got to the car I was SOOOOO ready for the air conditioner!

When we got home we decided to ESCAPE from the heat and go swimming. Swimming has never felt so GOOD! We all had so much fun in the water...especially the kids. This was Ava's first time swimming this summer and I am happy to say that she LOVED it. She more than loved it...she was the happiest baby on the planet! It was so funny to watch her try and walk in the water...she would keep walking no matter how deep it was!

That night we took the kids to Circus Circus so they could ride the carousel. Ava was amazed with it. The only way I can explain her reaction is by comparing to what she does when I tickle her legs and tummy...she just stares into space like she is totally and completely enjoying it. When I tried to get her off she wouldn't let go of the bar on the horse and she just kept signing horse! I love seeing her enjoy stuff like this!

Cyd and Eric were nice enough to take Ava home with them so Christian and I could walk the strip. Las Vegas has CHANGED dramatically since the last time I visited four years ago. When Christian and I passed through four years ago Vegas was more family friendly and now it is definitely Sin City! But it is fun to walk the strip every once in a while and see the changes that have come about...there are a bunch of new buildings going up down there and the new city center being built is HUGE!!!

After all this we had to come back to our busy lives but it was a much needed vacation...oh we stopped at the Las Vegas temple on our way out because I had never been there! It is very pretty.

Ava was an absolute Angel on the drive there and back...she didn't cry once in the 14 hours we drove!! Now we'll see if that was just coincidence when we go on our camping trips this month!

Thanks Cyd and Eric for letting us stay at your place...we can't wait to visit again!

Pony Tail and Time Saver

2008-06-26T14:16:00.005-06:00

I've discovered something new on blogger that SAVES me so much TIME!! There is a new feature called "Blog List" that lets you know when your friends and family update thier blogs. SO COOL! If you look at my blog list it shows how long ago a blogger updated their blog by minutes, hours, days, and months...yes some of you slackers havne't updated your blog in MONTHS!! It saves me so much time because I don't have to look at blogs when they havne't been updated...I can see what I haven't looked at!! If you want to change your list...you go to 'add page element' and click on 'blog list'...it's as easy as that!!

Another exciting thing that I have discovered is that Ava's hair is just about long enough for a pony-tail!! The only problem I have is with those short back hairs that she rubbed off as a newborn! They are shorter than the rest of her hair so she has some clips holding them in right now. I think a pony-tail makes her look older and she is so darn cute!!

SHINER

2008-06-25T08:38:00.004-06:00

Ava had quite the fall yesterday and she has a trophy to show for it!! We were celebrating birthdays at my sister-in-law, Dawn's, house. She had almost made it down the back stairs but biffed it on the last one and smacked her head right onto the cement! I have to say, though, that Ava is quite the tough little girl. She cried for just a minute and then she was fine! A shiner like that would have me in tears for a while!! Way to tough it out Aves!!!

Favorite Time of the Year!

2008-06-20T08:43:00.005-06:00

Ten days until my favorite month of the year!! I LOVE July not only because it's my birthday (yes, I love my birthday!) but because I get to spend so much time with my immediate and extended family. I love reunions, cookouts (not BBQ's because BBQ is a noun...something you eat not do...did I get that right sweety?!), and patriotic holidays! So I know I'm a little early with my July header but it will come sooner than I know it...and July is SOOO busy that I won't have time to make a cute header!

Talking

2008-06-16T08:11:00.006-06:00

I can't get Ava to stop talking these days! Not that I want to - her little voice is so cute! She now thinks that if she makes sounds and does hand guestures that she is talking to me. It is so funny. She will tilt her head and start mumbling something and put both of her hands out and shake them. She does get a few words in there sometimes but she mostly says, "a so ba"...if anyone could translate that for me I would really appreciate it! Her vocabulary has tripled in the last couple of weeks too. It's amazing how fast their little brains take in infromation. Here are a few of the words she has learned lately:

"Ebo" - Elmo
"Bun-Baw" - SpongeBob
"Bu-fie" - Butterfly
"ay-pay" - Airplane
"Fwowa" - Flower
"hot-a" - Hot
"nana" - Banana
"papa" - Grandpa
"baba" - Grandma

Will Power!

2008-06-13T16:58:00.004-06:00

I DO NOT have the WILL POWER to do something that is consuming my every thought and making me do crazy things! I seriously don't know what I was thinking when I started this cleanse. I was so excited about it and knew that I could get through 10 days. Yesterday was great...I did just fine. Today I was craving solid food and gagging as I drank the "lemonade". I still felt fine but I got to the point where I wanted solids so bad that I would chew on something just so I could taste it and then spit it out. I know it's crazy but that is how I felt today....crazy! This is all that I could think about all day. I had to leave a playgroup because I wasn't feeling good. Anyway, I called my doctor this afternoon and I asked him what he thought of this cleanse...I didn't want to quit just because! I talked to my doctors nurse and she told me that I am starving myself and I shouldn't do it. So I am not doing it anymore. It sucks because I was so excited to accomplish something like this but I guess I will just have to eat!! I feel better now. Our bodies are made to withstand healthy eating and we shouldn't have to cleanse ourselves 4 times a year!! I'm laughing at myself for being so excited about this! Oh well...I did it, I stopped, and I feel great! Now you can really tell me what you thought when you found out I was doing this!!

Master Cleanse - Day 1

2008-06-12T21:34:00.005-06:00

Okay so here's the scoop on what I'm doing these days...I have a friend in my ward that is a health nut and is doing what is called the Master Cleanse (some people call it the Lemonade diet). So I have also decided to give it a try. This is a ten day cleanse...what does this mean?? For ten days I drink a liquid mixture made up of lemon juice, water, cayenne, and grade b maple syrup. I also have some laxitive herbal tea in the morning and at night. I really want to clean myself out! I feel so full of yuckiness!! I used to think people that did this were crazy...and dumb for putting themselves through this crap. Anyway, this is a ten day commitment that I really want to stick to....really, really bad! Every night I am going to give an update on my progress because if I know that people are watching my progress I think I will be a little more motivated to get through this. So here it is:

Day 1:

This has been an easy day...I'm assuming it will get a little harder but today was really easy and I hardly thought about food! The herbal tea tastes kind of funny but it will help my digestive system so I've got to drink it. The "lemonade" is actually quite tasty and I don't mind it a bit. Every night I am supposed to do a salt water cleanse. I mix 2 tsp of sea salt with 32 oz. of water and drink up. I tried it tonight and it made me really sick so I am not going to do that again...if it makes me feel crappy I assume it is not good for me! So I feel really good today. I researched this cleanse and I've heard that the second and third day are the hardest because you crave food. After that you have more energy than you ever remember having - which will be crazy for me because I have a ton of energy anyway!

Anyway, I had a proud moment today that I just have to share...Christian goes straight to school from work and usually doesn't eat dinner until 9 or 10pm. So today I picked up some Chick-fil-a for him and Ava and brought him food. I CANNOT believe that I didn't give in and eat some! Who refuses Chick-fil-a????? It was SOOO hard but I did it! If I can refuse that then I think I can last 10 days!

Arena Football is BLAZIN!!

2008-06-12T18:33:00.006-06:00

***Brittany this one is for you...and for your information I look horrible in these pictures...soooo I didn't want to post them but since we had such a great time I decided I should!!***

Thanks to some great friends (Andy & Brittany) and Brittany's awesome free ticket skills we were able to go to the Utah Blaze game on Monday night! Not only did we get to watch a great football game but we all lost 5lbs. Now how do you lose 5lbs by going to an arena football game and eating you ask? Well we climbed a mountain...to our nosebleed seats! But you won't find me complaining because we had a ton of fun...and who could complain about losing 5lbs??? Ava was really good considering it started when she should have been going to bed! She was happy to be able to use those little lungs of hers and cheer for OUR Utah Blaze...who by the way WON!!! They played LA and the final score was 65,56. We had a really fun night and eventually made it out of the parking garage! Thanks Andy and Brittany for the fun night!

P.S Ava has her first crush! His name is Cohen and he is adorable! I think he likes her too. He was crying because Ava was too shy to accept is kiss. One day it will all work out Cohen...in 19 years when you return from your mission maybe, just maybe Ava will be ready for that kiss!!

Our Family is Forever

2008-06-08T19:47:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a very special day for my Grandma because she recieved her endowments in the Manti Temple. I am so so so very happy for her. I NEVER thought that this would happen! Don't get me wrong...my grandma is a such a GOOD person and I love her to death...I was just so used to the fact that she wasn't active in the church and I figured that's how it would always be....I never really thought about it. I was so excited to hear that she was working to go to the temple!

Christian and I were so happy that we were able to be there with her. The Manti Temple is AMAZING and it was ten times better to be there with my family. I was so surprised to see so many people there supporting my grandma all the way from Arizona! This was such a neat experience...there aren't words to describe how a person can feel inside the temple...especially when you are with your family.

It was a good day...a very busy day...but a good day!!

My Grandma with my Aunt (left) and my mom (right)

My Grandma with her brothers.Christian and Ava...doesn't Ava look so happy?!Ava was NOT cooperating so we thought that if we got closer to the ground she might smile...what were we thinking???

Four Years and Still Head Over Heels!!

2008-06-04T16:35:00.007-06:00

Christian and I have been married for four years and it just gets better as time goes by! I remember when we were dating I couldn't believe that married couples didn't hold hands every second they were together or hug each other every 30 seconds! I realize now that there are things more important than that...although we do make a point of holding hands often! If you don't know Christian very well let me sum him up in a few words: patient, humble (maybe not after this post!), a peacemaker, and the kindest person I know. Okay so that was more than a few words but anyone that knows him would agree with me and I left SEVERAL things out! Now take all his qualities and and flip-flop them and you have me! I don't know how he deals with me...and my family asks him all the time how he does it. He has a way with me...and I love him for that. He makes me want to be a better person! Alright the mushy stuff ends here...just one more thing:

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CHRISTIAN! I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!

Here are some pictures to recap our engagement and marriage:

This is us when we were dating...I guess puzzles kept us out of trouble!

Kissing off the bows at one of my bridal showers! At Disneyland on our honeymoon!

It's Getting Hot in Here!

2008-06-02T18:12:00.008-06:00

Our air condition -er is not working and it is getting hot in here (so take off all your clothes)!! Today it got up to 82 degrees...holy cow that's hot! Lets just say we are really enjoying water, popsicles, frozen grapes, and as little clothing as possible!! Anyone want to come over???

Hopefully we will have it fixed soon but in the meantime I think we will be just fine! We have a busy week so we will be out of the house most of the time!

Just curious....Where do you guys set your air conditioners at?

Quirks

2008-05-29T07:45:00.007-06:00

I got Tagged a while back by Susan Catmull and Andrea Haag...sorry it took me so long but I had so much to post!!

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are my QUIRKS and facts about me:

1: For as long as I can remember I have stopped the microwave on seven...or multiples of seven. It is the weirdest thing but it drives me crazy when it stops on any other number. So you know who used the microwave last if it is stopped on seven or its multiples!

2: Since I had Chicken Pox in second grade I have "picked my head". My family says I "pick my head" but I am actually not really picking...I like the feel of my hair on my fingers. It's very similar to the feel of your eyelashes on your fingers. I know weird huh? So next time you see me I gaurantee I will "pick my head" at one point during our visit!

3: I am VERY competitive....VERY. Christian and I can't play games together very often because I HAVE to win! Guitar Hero is the worst! The last time we played together I didn't talk to him for a while afterward because he won! Pathetic huh? You should have seen my family playing volleyball on Memorial Day. It was fun but we are all competitive and so there was a lot of fighting about rules and scores. It's pretty comical!

4: When I do the dishes I have to have the same amount of silverware in each slot. It drives me crazy when I am short silverware...I hate when 4 slots have 3 pieces of silverware and the other 2 have 2. There have been a couple times when I have put clean silverware in just to make it even.

5: I have a knack for LETTERING. I can come up with really cute fonts and put them on paper. I love it! I love that I can put a cute header on my scrapbook pages that totally makes the page. I'm so happy I was given this talent because it has saved me a lot of stress. The best part of this is that I don't even have to use a pencil first...I just go at it with a marker and it looks great. One day I will publish my own fonts and sell them...you'll see!

6: I have major buyers remorse! Actually I have shoppers remorse because I regret stuff even before I buy it. 80% of the time when I am shopping I put back most of what I have. Yesterday I went to Target with my sister-in-law and I had 5 things in my cart. When I got to the checkout I had decided that I was only buying 2 items. I HATE it but I guess it saves us money!

7: I swallow my gum. I know gross huh? I eat gum like it is candy. It is one of my favorite things. I have swallowed gum for as long as I can remember. I have one more thing to say on this matter.
Myth: Chewing gum takes 7 years to pass through the human digestive system
BUSTED: In the words of Barbara Mikkelson, "Gum is eliminated as human waste in the same way - at the same rate- as any other swallowed matter."
If gum took 7 years to pass through me I would have exploded 10 years ago!!!

There you have it! My quirks! I usually am not into tagging but this one was fun and I realized how crazy, weird I am. I LOVE IT!!

Okay here are my tags:
1. Brittany
2. Cami
3. Erin
4. Mary
5. Mary-Anne
6. Melissa
7. Staci

Me"more"ial Weekend

2008-05-27T15:15:00.009-06:00

Even though Ava felt crummy through Sunday night we still managed to have a really fun weekend.

On Sunday night we went to my brothers house and had a dutch oven dinner. The best part of the night was playing volleyball. I forgot how much I love volleyball...but you would never know I used to play by the way I played on Sunday! Ava wasn't feeling well at all so Christian was nice enough to take her home so I could play some more! Thanks sweety - you're the best!

On Monday we woke up bright and early and headed for Lake Mountain (west of Utah Lake). We were disappointed that it was raining but that wasn't about to stop us from having fun! We were planning on doing several geocaches but it was too muddy to go too far up so we ended up doing one just up the mountain. It is always fun to hike with Christian and Ava and we found the cache pretty quick!

We drove up the mountain a little further and found a good place for Christian to shoot his gun. It was a lot of fun until he talked me into shooting. I was really scared as you can tell in the following video. The sound scared the crap out of me and I said the dorkiest stuff! You'll get a good laugh though!

Son of a BEE-AH?!? What kind of word is that??? Ummm I think I'll stick to scrapbooking, although, I would definitely shoot his gun again. I would rather shoot a 22 though...they don't kick as much and they are definitely not as loud!

We had a great time even though we were VERY muddy. It was so muddy that every step I would take I would collect mud. I was sporting Teva's with a 3 inch heel! We had a crazy, fun time!

Christian showing off his muddy Xterra and gun!

Oh and our fun weekend didn't end there. We had a cookout with Christian's family that night and we had a fun time eating, talking, and watching these videos!!

Hoping...

2008-05-23T20:10:00.004-06:00

I think Ava is FINALLY on the road to recovery! She has had hand, mouth and foot and it has been really tough on her. She was pretty much her normal self today except for a few hours where she was feverish. She was pretty wore out by the end of the day but I am thinking and hoping that she will be back to normal tomorrow. Then maybe we can actually be normal people and have a fun memorial weekend...I guess we would need to have plans to have a fun weekend though!?!

Catching up...

2008-05-22T07:37:00.006-06:00

Before Ava was born I said that I was going to stay up-to-date on her scrapbook!! I know...what a funny thing for me to say! So anyway, I decided to start scrapbooking a little more. I usually go once a month with some friends but I only get about 4-5 pages done because I do more talking than I do scrapbooking. So this week I sat down and organized all of Ava's pictures into scrapbooking pics and photo album pics. I have a long ways to go to catch up but I really want to do this. There is a good chance I will look back at this post and laugh because as hard as I am going to try I just know other things will come up. We have taken WAY TOO MANY pictures of Ava and so from now on I am just going to scrapbook big events like holidays, birthdays, firsts, etc. Anyway, here are a few pages that I did this week:

Again?!?

2008-05-19T12:15:00.007-06:00

Ava is sick...AGAIN! When is it going to end??? It is one after another for Ava. She got a cold about a week ago, just got two molars, and now she is throwing up and cranky! So I won't get as much done this week as I wanted but that stuff can always wait. In fact I need to stop blogging for now because Ava is MISERABLE.

Ava's Walking

2008-05-15T07:46:00.003-06:00

So Ava has started WALKING!! She became interested last Thursday and on Saturday she really started taking off. This video is of her walking on Saturday and it amazes me how much she improves each day. She is now able to walk across the room and turn herself in different directions. She definitely prefers to walk over crawling and will take of walking from furniture whenever she has the chance. I am so proud of her...so excuse my excitement in this video. Oh and the laundry basket on Christian's head was the only way he could get Ava to walk to him...she thought it was funny!

I'm Back!

2008-05-15T07:35:00.006-06:00

It's been a week since I have been on the internet (I think...if not, oh well) and it was really hard at times to stay off of the computer! I really felt like I was cut off from everything. It's funny because I thought about the internet more than I normally do because I was trying to stay away from it. The internet is a good thing if you can use it in moderation....no it's not good, it's wonderful!! Anyway, I can't say I got much more done than I normally would. I read a lot. I'm reading Jane Austen's, Emma and I am really enjoying it. I had several church responsibilities this week too and I got through those smoothly. All in all I did get more done and I spent more QUALITY time with Ava.

Well I'm glad to be back and in touch with everyone's lives. I am dedicating a post just to Ava's accomplishment this last week so stay tuned....

P.S. I have to admit that I HAD to watch American Idol and Jazz games...and all of David Archuleta's coverage. So I guess you could say that my TV fast wasn't so successful but I still feel good about how this last week went. :)

Inspired

2008-05-08T11:28:00.004-06:00

Raelynn you've inspired me. My friend Raelynn is having a "media fast" which means refraining from the computer, TV, etc... As soon as I found out she was doing this I couldn't stop thinking about it. I feel that I waste so much time on the computer. The TV...not so much. So for the next week I am also going to say goodbye to the computer and my dumb TV shows. I am actually really excited to do this because I tell myself everyday that I spend too much time on the computer and not enough time cleaning and most importantly - spending time with Ava. So you will all hear from me in a week...Bye!

Slacker

2008-05-07T20:22:00.003-06:00

I have been such a slacker lately! This is the longest I have gone without posting on here. I will post some pictures soon but in the meantime we are doing good. A few things that are going on in our lives:

Ava was sick for a couple of days and then I caught her cold...and this is the kind of cold where you get a fever and just want to sleep!! The worst is over though!

One highlight in our lives right now are the Utah Jazz...we have always been huge Jazz fans and this is one of our favorite times of the year! Go Jazz!

Oh and now that it is getting warmer Christian and I bought bikes and we have had a lot of fun on our excursions around South Jordan. Ava seems to enjoy her bike trailer too! I will post some pictures of our new rides :) Until then...

When it was warm...

2008-04-24T19:02:00.006-06:00

A few days ago (when it was warm) Ava and I went on a walk. Ava got to ride in her new wagon that she got for her birthday. She absolutely loved it! She was so content to sit there the whole time we were out walking (over an hour)!! She loved her sunglasses and I was so surprised that she kept them on. I couldn't help but laugh at her as we were walking down the street. She thought she was so cool!

I wanted Ava to see what she looked like with sunglasses so I sat her in front of a mirror...she got a kick out of herslef!

The Big ONE!

2008-04-21T13:36:00.009-06:00

Time flies! Ava turned one on Sunday. I can't believe how fast this last year has gone. I can clearly remember sitting on our couch holding my newborn baby! Ava is getting to be such a big girl. Ava loves books, stuffed animals, LiTTLE People, her kitty and "lamby" blanky, drinking water, talking, Signing Time, dancing, and just about everything that a little girl could like! Ava has been learning sign and is in a sign language class and she is doing so good! I love to know her thoughts! My favorite sign she does is water because when she signs it she says, "Wa-we" She has such a sweet/crazy personality. We love her so much. What in the world did we do with our time before we had her???

On Saturday we celebrated Ava's birthday with family at our place. It was a lot fun and Ava was SOOO hyper!!

Ava's famous DIRTY LOOK!!

Ava opening her presents! She got lots of fun toys and very cute outfits.

Lots of family was there to celebrate Ava's big ONE!

Ava LOVED her cake! She started sharing with everyone too!

And this is my favorite picture! She was so pleased with herself!

Ava's New Love

2008-04-16T22:11:00.004-06:00

Ava has hated her walker toy so much in the past that she would cry when she looked at it. In fact until today she has hated it. When Christian got home from work today Ava started showing interest in it. She just decided that it is really fun to walk around with it. It is really funny to watch her because she seems too little to be walking around. She turns one on Sunday and so it is normal for babies her age to do this but it just cracks me up to watch her! This is just a short clip of her doing it. I love her undone pony tail and when she says "whoa" after she falls!!

Fun-filled weekend

2008-04-14T17:36:00.006-06:00

We had such a great weekend in Zion National Park! The weather was perfect and Zion is so beautiful! We went with Christian sister, Erin, and her family and we had a lot of fun with them. Her son, Kyle, kept us VERY entertained! He is such a sweet boy and says the cutest things. The babies were such troopers and already love camping...which is perfect because Ava will be doing a lot of camping this summer!

The park was packed this weekend! The shuttles were always full and a lot of people had to park outside of the park and walk in. We were lucky to get a campground...and a nice one with that!! I absolutley love hiking in Zion NP. I want to hike some more! On the way home I asked Christian if there was anywhere we could stop and hike. That idea went out the window pretty quick...we were both really tired and Ava was ready to go home. I am dying to go hiking again though! Here are some pictures of our fun weekend!

Ava and I leaving camp for a day of hiking!

Ava loved hiking!! She slept most of the time but she was a happy baby when she was awake!

Erin and I with the babies aboard!

Zion National Park

2008-04-10T16:38:00.004-06:00

We are leaving for a fun weekend at Zion National Park! I am so excited to finally be in 80 degree weather. It will be so nice to see Ava's chunky little arms and legs! I can't wait to wear shorts and sandals!!

One Year Pictures

2008-04-07T14:52:00.004-06:00

I know I have already posted TWICE today but I just got Ava's pictures done at Kiddie Kandids and they are really cute. Kiddie Kandids is so expensive but the pictures are always so cute. I love their backgrounds and props too. I also love that you get your pictures within 5 minutes! Ava is growing up so fast and she is just so beautiful to me! I love her more and more each day!!

Favorite Treat to Eat

2008-04-07T10:36:00.004-06:00

I have a new favorite treat....Frozen Grapes!! Purple grapes to be exact. This is the yummiest thing ever! Until or if I ever get sick of frozen grapes our freezer will always be stocked with a bag of purple grapes!

Curls!

2008-04-07T10:02:00.008-06:00

I couldn't help myself!! I put Ava's hair in curlers and it turned out so darn cute! She is so wiggly so the only way I could get curlers in her hair was to lay her down on my bed with a bottle and go at it!!

I love the picture of her on her hands and knees giving me "the look". She is constantly crawling around with this look on her face and I think it is so funny. Anyway, I think she looks adorable with curls!!

Can't Wait...

2008-03-29T21:53:00.003-06:00

Okay I have to vent!!! (don't read this post if you don't feel like hearing A LOT of complaining!...no, I'm serious...it is that time of month and I have a lot to say right now) I CANNOT wait to have my OWN house!! For any of you that don't know we are living in a gorgeous house but we are just renting from my dad who is flipping it. It is so nice to be out of an apartment and actually have a kitchen....BUT WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PRIVACY!!! I am having such a hard time with this! I understand that my dad owns the house and is fixing it up...he is here usually everyday doing stuff and I am TOTALLY fine with that...I have to be!!

Well tonight Christian and I get home and find stuff out of place. Our house was messy when we left and so it is so embarrassing that my dad would let ALL of my aunts* in the house to look around. How would you feel to have someone come to your house when you are not there and look in your closet and drawers...and they even stacked my dishes!! I have always felt self conscious around them anyways so to have them see my house messy is driving me CRAZY!! And to top it off they left a note on my computer reminding me of what a mess my house is (jokingly of course).

I just can't stand to have my personal life so available to anyone that my dad wants to let in the house. I love my dad but he just happens to bring people over when I have had a busy day and I haven't gotten around to picking up. I feel like I am constantly cleaning and I feel like crap when people see the house like this!

So I can't wait to have my own place. I can't wait until Christian and I are the only ones that know the garage code...the only ones that have a key... I NEED SOME PRIVACY!!!!!!

*To my aunts that read this blog: Don't be offended by this post...I know that you really don't care about a messy house and you were only joking when you wrote the note. This post is just to vent!

Happy Easter

2008-03-21T15:43:00.004-06:00

-Ava loved to LOOK at the Easter bunny but as soon as I put her in his lap she got nervous!-

I love Easter and all that it represents. It is so easy to let Easter casually come and casually go...Easter bunny, baskets, eggs, candy... But nothing is as amazing as the victory of the crucified Lord, who came forth in the resurrection on that first Easter morn. What a miracle!! I'm truly grateful for all that my Savior and Redeemer has made possible.

"None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak the name of Jesus Christ in reverence and wonder. He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God." -President Gordon B. Hinckley-