OUR "PAGE"

Terrified

2012-02-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Ok so i feel like my belly is getting bigger and i don't really know if it is growing at a normal "twins" pace. So last night i looked up some photos of women at 25 weeks with twins and i got more then i was ready for.
so here is my picture at 25 weeks with twins

and here are a couple i found online that seemed about right and about where i am.

And then i saw these pictures of women 36 weeks pregnant with twins, and about shiz a brick!

am i going to look like that???

Oh. My. Gosh. I am.

That first one still gives me chills.

anyway i just had to share. I have been thinking a lot lately about how rough these next couple of months will be. I am a nesting fool and trying to get everything done before i look like a freak of nature and can't do anything. :(

OH and if you have any suggestions for names, feel free to share, i just feel like nothing is good enough for my babes.

Baby A and Baby B

2012-02-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

I realize i haven't even posted about what the genders of my babies are. I know i have posted it on Facebook, but i might as well do a post on here.

My baby A is a boy, and is on the bottom. He likes to poke my bladder. He is pretty gentle about it but i think he is pretty smashed down there so i basically just feel him bumping into my organs. My baby B is a girl and she is on top. I think she has more room and likes to play around doing flips and summersaults. I am absolutely thrilled that i am having a boy and a girl. I can't wait to meet them and discover their little personalities. It's funny because i always thought i would have a boy next but as soon as i was pregnant i felt like it was a girl. BUT every time i thought of names or anything i kind of thought it was a boy too? I was so confused because with both of my other pregnancies i felt like i knew what i was having right away and this time around i felt like it was a girl, and then i would feel boy too. i was confused but once i found out it was twins, it made more sense.

Anyway i went and had an ultrasound done today. I am 24 weeks today and the boy is measuring at exactly 24 weeks and the girl is measuring 24 weeks and 1 day, so they told me you can't get more perfect than that. They also looked at my cervix on the ultrasound and the doc said it looked "gorgeous." I don't know how you can call a cervix gorgeous, but i was happy to hear it. I have been so blessed with healthy growing babies and a gorgeous cervix. Hopefully the pregnancy continues to go well.

And i have to have pictures on my blog. A couple weekends ago russ had a campout with the scouts, (0 degree temps, NO THANKS!!!) anyway i asked my parents if they wanted to go stay at the cabin and they were happy to join, even if my mom and i didn't get much sleep. :) it was fun to be up there in the winter wonderland. The kids loved playing in the snow.

bed head is always at it's best at the cabin!

The cabin had huge icicles hanging from it

"I can't put my arms down!"

Isn't she so cute!

belly photo

2012-01-23T09:24:00.001-07:00

This is for my sister Lindsey who wants to see my progress. i took these pictures by myself with my phone, that is why they are so crappy. i feel like i have an almost full term belly that is just in the cute stage, but i know that won't last for too long. I am 22 weeks on wednesday. It is crazy because i feel like i have 2 babies in my belly. it is really uncomfortable and just not enough room in there, and i can't imagine what it is to come. YIKES!!!

of course i had to put a picture of my babes. love them!

Stuff

2012-01-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUSS!!! Poor Russ woke up to all of us vomiting and being sick all day. We finally made him a cake and surprised him after work. This picture makes it look like i have 34 candles on there, but there are only 4, not sure why my phone made it look like a fiery inferno. The kids helped make the cake and put lots of green sprinkles on it, daddy's favorite color.

One night Halle, Miller and I decided to go to see the Zoo Lights at Hogle Zoo. They were really cool, but it was really cold and windy that night, i was pregnant pushing Miller around those hills and dragging a crying cold Halle to get in the car as fast as possible, so needless to say, the fun was short lived.

I had to snap a shot of my Miller's curls. I can't cut his hair, so if you see us and he looks like his hair is all shaggy and unkempt, it's because it is. But it looks really cute right after i do it or after he has taken a nap and gets all sweaty and it gets curly.

We also celebrated Miller's 2nd birthday in December. (it's a busy month for our family on top of being busy from the holidays) We went out to lunch with Russ's parents, Miller wanted Pizza. Then we went to my parents to have dinner and cupcakes and donuts. He is such a big boy and i am not looking forward to missing out on his adorableness because i am taking care of twins. :(

(notice his hair)

Mommy and Halle. She is getting so excited to take care of the babies in mommy's tummy.

So, Miller is obsessed with cars! He loves the Cars movies and any car he sees. So we have all been looking forward to going to the car show. We went this saturday and the kids had so much fun "driving" and testing out the different cars.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a fabulous december. I know i did. These pictures aren't in order, but here we go.

Christmas day was spent at my sister and brother in law's with all of the Pages. We ate, we played and opened presents, it was a good day. Best presents were these adorable masks and cape's made by Aunt Deni. My kids had been wearing them ever since. THANK YOU DENI!!!

For Christmas Miller got die cast Mater, Lightning McQueen and Finn McMissile cars. It was the best day of his life, he hasn't been napping since because he just wants to play with his cars all the time. My mom gave them to him, i am grateful but wish he never got them, he seriously won't nap.

Halle fell asleep on me it was really sweet, doesn't happen, so russ had to snap a photo. it was about 4 in the afternoon too.

Miller and his cars, he loves them, seriously he tells me, "i love my cars"

Halle got some Calico Critters, she loves them too, but not as much as Miller loves his cars.

Here are Halle and Miller in their mask and cape. We told them to pose like super heroes, this is what they came up with. My kids are cute.

The park by my house is so awesome. They lit up a bunch of the trees so we didn't have to go all the way downtown to see Temple square. The kids loved it. we went a couple of times and they were in heaven.

We went to my sisters to make gingerbread houses out of graham crackers. It was fun to be with everyone and the kids got to eat tons of candy.

I love this one of Crew, he looks like such a tough guy.

Christmas Eve was spent at my parents. We ate home made cafe rio, and the kids opened presents from my mom. She said, i think i went a little over board this year. It was fun and the kids were in heaven. Here is Halle and Laina, best buddies in their christmas jammies.

All the grandkids, we will be adding at least 3 more next year, my 2 and Lisa announced she is pregnant with her 5th!!!

This was Miller opening his cars, he was speechless and just kept saying, "oh, oh, oh."

Miller sure loves his papa. He just cuddles all the time.

This is christmas morning. Halle woke up before Miller so she organized all the gifts. She was so excited, she told me, "i think santa is real" it was so cute.

opening gifts. Miller just wanted to play with the cars he got the night before.

Is he not the cutest thing ever, look at those eyes.

And this is what i got, a new camera, it was a surprise, as you can see on my face.

Funny Twins Stuff

2011-12-06T22:38:00.005-07:00

Twins humor...

Dude, I totally hear what you're saying.

Picture post

2011-11-30T21:35:00.001-07:00

Russ was going through some random CD's and found some photos from a cruise we went on a couple of months after we got married. I LOVE this photo and am so glad he found it. I just wanted to share.

We moved. We are in our cute little house Russ bought and proposed to me in those 6(ish) years ago. The kids had a hard time transitioning for the first week. Miller kept asking where Grammy was. I was wondering where she was too. I still miss having my mom so close. We call each other almost every day, which was never the case before. This pic was when we picked some flowers from our garden and the kids wanted to show Papa. I love Miller's cheesy smile.

Halle's Preschool went to a pumpkin patch for a field trip and Miller and i got to go too. It was so fun, the kids loved it.

This was the shirt i made to wear at my friends Halloween party. About 20 minutes after i made it Halle stuck a wire in a socket and burned her hands. I thought the T-shirt was pretty cute.

This is Halle in her halloween costume, and with her bandaged burned hands. Poor girl. She was Ruby of Max and Ruby.

Anyway. i have been super tired and thus lazy, so i haven't been keeping up on the blog. I guess these random posts are fine, most people just like seeing pictures anyway. :)

Seeing double . . . (updated with details)

2011-11-08T14:16:00.003-07:00

yeah, i didn't believe it either.

Ok so i found out i was pregnant in the end of september. I was going to tell people at Halloween time by wearing a t-shirt that said "i grow people, what's your super power?" It was cute, but since Halle burned her hands my plans changed. Anyway i didn't know how i was going to let all of you know, and then i went to my doctors appointment yesterday.

Now Russ and i always think we are pregnant with twins. While i was waiting at the appointment Russ called me (he couldn't come because he had to teach a class down at BYU, and come on, it's our third so whatever) anyway he calls and says so is it 2? I told him i hadn't even seen the doc yet, and i would have called him. Anyway the doc walks in and i explain to her that was my husband and he was all worried that it's 2. I told her we always do that.

She does the exam and tells me that i feel and look normal and she thinks there is only one. She gets out the ultrasound machine and the first shot is what you see above. I didn't process that it was 2 until she said, "oh you were right, there are 2 WHAT!!!, ARE YOU SERIOUS??? No it can't be. The shot above is of both of their heads. Then she proceeds to show me each of their little bodies and heart beats. That was incredible and i am so sad russ wasn't there to see it. I was still in shock so i didn't enjoy it as much as I should have.

Here are each of the babes profile of their bodies.

Needless to say i was totally overwhelmed and in shock. I have always feared twins and never thought Heavenly father would give them to me. But i guess He knows better. I called Russ right away and he obviously didn't believe me, we had been joking about it since we found out i was pregnant. I sent him a pic of the ultrasound and he kind of freaked out. He got loud and said, i am going to call Jen first. (his cute sister who has twins) then he called me back and was still not sure i had told him the truth, he was asking if we actually saw 2 heart beats, honestly, he is such a guy. Then he said, "i have to call my mom" and basically hangs up on me. I called my parents and they were in shock too. We are all in shock around here, but excited as well, it is pretty special.

I feel like i have been blessed with 2 incredible children who sleep through the night, sleep for 12 hours, and one is a little mommy herself and my Miller is my sunshine who brightens my day. they will be the best older brother and sister of twins i could ask for. OH man i am going to have 4 kids under 4. it will be crazy but wonderful too.

My due date before it was twins is May 30, so i am guessing the will come end of April /May of next year. I have been super lucky with the sickness, i don't throw up, i just feel like i want to all the time. And have been super tired. Other than that i am doing well. I will keep you posted.

more . . .

2011-11-01T16:50:00.002-06:00

2011-11-01T16:33:00.000-06:00

Family Photo's With Peekaboo Photos

2011-11-01T16:06:00.001-06:00

First day of Preschool

2011-10-11T21:01:00.000-06:00

I knew i would be moving to draper sometime and i really wanted to get Halle into a preschool, and i was thrilled to find out that my friend had an opening in her at home preschool.

Halle has loved every minute of school.

If any of you know my Halle, she is really shy, well she mostly just doesn't trust people she doesn't know and so she stays quiet and near her mom until she feels comfortable, then she is the wild and crazy Halle I know. Anyway i was a little nervous to drop her off for her frist day, but she walked right in, hung her little bag up and didn't look back. I was so proud of her. i was the one that was begging for a hug and kiss. my little Halle is growing up. Love her!

And on another random note. We were at Target a while ago and the kids tried on these rocket costumes. Halle and I were laughing so hard, especially when Miller put his on backwards. It reminded me of when i was in DC at Busch Gardens and bought that huge foam cowboy hat. I laughed so hard and so much that day!

More Zoo trips

2011-10-02T09:53:00.000-06:00

My mom bought a year pass to the Zoo. We have taken full advantage and gone a ton. The kids love it.

2011-09-24T16:58:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Halle!!! My baby girl is 4. She had a fabulous Hello Kitty party today and had tons of fun with her cousins. She wanted to open presents the most. We ate pizza, opened presents, played pin the bow on Hello Kitty, did a pinata, and had cake and ice-cream.

That is one of those pinata's that you pull a string, somehow the last string they pulled was the one that opened the bottom.

tired mommy

Thanks everyone for everything it was great!

Boating

2011-09-05T21:33:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day of boating all summer. It was a blast. Miller and Halle and all of their cousins on the Page side were so brave and skied and tubed and had a ball.

Yep, Halle surfed again, she rocks. :)

Halle's two favorite things are the cabin and boating.

Morgan, could have stayed there all day!

Aspen, makin' it look easy!

Eric is awesome only 7 yrs old.

Landry, i love her focus!

Yep that's Miller

wait, it gets better

oh yeah

best picture ever! Russ is one cool Dad

Miller loved it, the only time he cried was when we made him get back in the boat. He seriously loved every minute out there. As you can see by the smile on his face.

Movies to come.

PCP2P

2011-09-04T20:38:00.001-06:00

Park City Point 2 Point. Ok, so let me tell you something about Russ, and yes I am going to be beaming with pride in this post so just watch out. He completed one of the toughest endurance challenges i have ever heard of. He rode 78 miles on a mountain bike on a single track trail. I don't mountain bike and I would be scared to even try, but this race was ridiculously hard and i can't express how proud i am of my man. He did it and had a huge smile on his face when he was done.

It was a pretty emotional watching Russ come in after 12 grueling hours on his bike, wearing his Team Firestorm jersey. Both Russ and i got one of these jersey's from our friend Allison Jacobsen, who's husband passed away last year from Melanoma. I really look at Ben and his family as the hero's who i owe so much to for helping me find my melanoma early and hopefully giving me many years with my family. Russ said he thought about Ben while he was riding and got pretty emotional a couple of times. I myself thought about Ben and asked him to help Russ get through this race. I really can't explain the emotions i felt when i saw Russ riding in. I know he had a lot of help from our awesome friends the Larkins who were at every "pit" stop to give him food and water and whatever else he needed. I hope my prayers helped him as well, but in the end, he did it, and i am so happy for him. I look at him different now, he is truly amazing and i feel so in love and proud of him, and so lucky to call him mine. Our 6 year anniversary was yesterday too, so it was so fun to celebrate our life thus far together and his amazing accomplishment.


Right before the finish


Yay, he is done!

funny face but i love him so much. :)

Race for Humanitarian Aid

2011-08-24T22:43:00.000-06:00

Russ asked me to share this link. He didn't want me to say this, but his company donated the website, and it is pretty cool! Whether you want to do the race or not, I thought I would share.

Here is the link

http://hartafrica.org/5k-races

SPUDMAN 2011

2011-08-04T21:38:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Russ and i dropped the kids off at his parents and headed up to Burley Idaho to participate in our first Spudman triathlon together. We have been psyched to do this race since January. It was so fun to get away with Russ and have this awesome experience and to accomplish this together. The race went great. I had 3 goals i wanted to accomplish and i met them all so i was pretty proud of myself.
Goal 1: Finish in under 2hr 30 min
Outcome: My final time was 2hr 28 min

Goal 2: Finish within the top 20 for my age group.
Outcome: I placed 17th in my age group

Goal 3: Beat Russ . . . he he he
Outcome: I did, but only by a few minutes. But i was way proud of him. I trained way more than he did and he did amazing! I wish i could be like him. He can just do amazing feats without much preparation. I needed to train from January until now to have been able to do it.

Anyway unless i am pregnant or have a baby i would love to make this a tradition every year. It was a blast!

view from my window as we drove to our motel.

4th, awesome husband, puddle Jumping, and HP 7.2 3d style!

2011-07-21T22:42:00.003-06:00

On the sunday before the fourth we went to Russ' parents for dinner and some DELICIOUS homemade strawberry ice-cream (seriously so good!). Russ put on an awesome (cheap) fireworks display that the kids loved! It was so fun!

see they loved it!

Then on the actual fourth, our ward had their traditional breakfast and bike parade for the kids.

Not sure who's scooter that was but Miller wanted to get in on the action.

The rest of the day was spent shopping, i got some killer deals at Carters, then the cousins came over and played, ate, and eventually watched the Sugar House Fireworks from our front yard.

Russ woke Miller up to see the show.

My Russell is a stud. He did this 50 mile mountain bike race. I don't know if any of you mountain bike, but that is A LOT miles on a mountain bike! I was so proud of him for doing it. He has only owned a mountain bike for maybe 6 weeks and did so well. I was also so bummed, we missed him coming in to the finish line by 2 minutes. Oh well, at least he knows we love him!

He did it with our friend Kevin, who did an amazing job as well!

This is how dirty he got, it was the first time Russ looked "tan"

Halle has been into the TV show Max and Ruby for a while and in one of the episodes they get all their rain gear on to go play in the rain. When it rained the other day Halle was all bout going out and playing. It was so cute to see her jump in puddles.

Last but not least i got to go see Harry Potter 7.2 in 3D with my sisters Lisa and Lani, and my friend Ashley. It was so exciting. It was the end of the Movies, and i had gone to all the other ones with my sisters (when they didn't have babies). Lindsey and I usually went together dressed up. Now that Lindsey is in DC I didn't dress up, but was sad that i didn't. The movie was really good. I love HP, you know that, and it didn't disappoint. The next night i went with Russ and i think he might read the books. He dug up my old paper back copies himself, so i am excited!

Yes that is me taking a picture of myself super excited!

Hogle Zoo

2011-06-26T15:30:00.001-06:00

This last friday, my sisters, Mom and I all took the kiddies to the Zoo. Now although Hogle Zoo really struggles, the kids had a blast, especially with each other.

This was Miller's face when he heard the T-Rex roar. It was so cute! He loved it, even though he isn't smiling in the picture below.
Oh and on a side note, we saw Mrs. Bittner when we were by the T-Rex. She remembered all of us and was so nice, love her!

I can't get enough of these two. They are so cute together and were walking around holding hands. So fun to have a cousin so close in age.

Connor is so adorable!

Halle liked being in the stroller, i think she secretly wishes she was a baby.

Then we all went on the train. It was so hot and the kids couldn't wait to go on the train and as soon as we got to the front of the line, the lady told us that the train had to go get gas and we would have to wait another 7-10 minutes! I was so annoyed, you can't explain to an 18 month old that the train has to go get gas. Well, once we got on the train Miller was in heaven. It didn't matter that we didn't really see anything cool, just the fact that we were on a train.

Happenings

2011-06-21T21:50:00.000-06:00

Running in the mountains
Last week we, my parents, my children and i, went to the cabin. Russ got to stay home and catch up on work, and live the life of a bachelor, which he said was great for a while, then he missed me. :) It was perfect weather and i got to do a couple of runs while we were up there. It was gorgeous, and so fun to be running in the mountains. Here are some pics i took while on my run.

Playing at the Park
My kids love going over to the Rosslyn Heights playgrounds, aren't they cute!

Yesterday
My Miller got burned. It was so sad, he grabbed my mom's hot curling iron and burned his hand. I called his pediatrician and they told me to bring him in. Luckily it was only a mild 2 degree burn on his little hand but the poor thing cried the whole way there (which is longer then he has ever cried in his life). They wrapped it up and sent us on our way. He is pretty proud of his little bandage.

Today
Slip-n-slide. After Miller and i got back from the docs we went out and enjoyed the beautiful day outside. (can you see the plastic bag wrapped around Miller's little hand?)

Halle thought she was pretty funny dumping cold water on my mom!

Cabin

2011-06-07T21:31:00.000-06:00

We went up to the Cabin the day after memorial day. All is right with the world (in Halle's mind) when we are at the cabin. It was perfect weather and so much fun!

Hawaii

2011-05-29T15:50:00.002-06:00

Yay, Russ and I were able to get away to the beautiful island of Maui last week. It was fabulous! We were accompanied by his two business partners and their wives. And it just so happens that their last names are, Stoner, and Bender, so you always have a good time when you are with the Stoner's and the Bender's!

We played, we ate, we relaxed and most importantly we did it together. I love going on vacation with Russ, it gave us the chance to reconnect and remember those good ol' days before kids. Not saying i didn't miss my babies a ton and that i don't love them, but you know how carefree and wonderful it was when you were dating and engaged. Ahh, bliss!

Anyway here are some pictures from the trip. I didn't have my camera most days, but here is what i got.


Here is the whole crew, besides me of course.

I didn't even realize it at the time, but if you look closely,

there is a rainbow over Russ' left shoulder, so beautiful!

Yeah . . . i took that photo, that is all i am going to say. ;)

Snorkeling! so fun and so beautiful!

Dive Russ dive!

Grady, giving the thumbs up!

Nice form Tenille!

Kristy, such babe!

These are my girls! they are so fun and i had such a blast with them!
It is funny because we are all so different physically,
Kristy is 6' tall, i am about 5'6" and Tenille is, well very petite and little,
we are cute though and get along so well! LOVE YOU GIRLS!!!

Mister Turtle, it is so amazing to see these guys in the water!
Tenille and Chris were lucky enough to see a shark!

I had to take a picture of this local dude in the sunset, i thought he looked so cool!

My hot hubby and Chris. The boys were doing some body surfing at this gorgeous beach.
the waves were taller than them, HUGE!
so us girls decided to just watch.
The sunset that evening was amazing
as you can tell by the lighting in these pictures.

On our Road to Hana adventure we stopped at this Arboretum,
it had some magestic trees in it. These were called painted eucalyptus.

i bet you can's guess what he was doing

i really have nothing to say about this picture except
that the tree is beautiful and i look haggard!
oh and yes i am wearing Teva's! shout out to the 90's!!!

This was another stop on our road to Hana.
The contrast of the black lava rock to the green foliage
and the crystal blue waters was so amazing!

Black sand beach, so cool!

lookin hot babe!

This was another place we hiked to,
part of the Seven Sacred Pools. Really pretty!

I am not sure why i am posing the way i am but i am sitting
at the top of a huge waterfall that drops about 80-100 feet!

All the boys by a Banyon tree. Very cool.

Ahh, so cute!

The Seven Sacred Pools, so pretty!

Our Hotel. We stayed at the Grand Wialea

A view of our Hotel's beach from the East side.

We went body surfing and Boogie boarding every chance we got!
So much fun! Too bad my suit is full of sand still!

Oh and did i mention we ate at some of the most amazing restaurants!
This was our date night where we went to a place called Capische.
The appetizers were incredible, we ordered two to share.
A garlic, mushroom Truffle risotto, and pumpkin Gnocchi.
My mouth is drooling just thinking about it!

I had to wear my sunglasses until the sun went down.
We had a gorgeous view of the ocean and the sunset.

This was the water feature outside our hotel.

This was the last day we were there. we ate at Mama's Fish House.
Again another incredible meal. Don't mind my double chin. He he. '
My dish was macadamia nut crusted Mahi Mahi stuffed with crab and lobster.
YUMMY!!!

I Had so much fun and am so glad i got to spend time with my favorite person in the whole world!

We wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of our wonderful parents who watched our kiddos. Thank you so much! we can't tell you how much we appreciate and love you! I know our kiddies love you too!

Something

2011-05-11T09:56:00.001-06:00

So I figure since i haven't posted in a while i figure I would put a couple pictures on here to let you know i am still alive.

I hope you all had a fabulous Mother's Day yesterday, celebrating the women in your life who have loved and nurtured you! My day was wonderful. It started out with Russ getting up with Miller at 6:30 am and letting me sleep in as long as i wanted. It was great!

The night before Russ and i went on a date, thanks to my Mom and Dad! We went shopping and i actually found 3 things i wanted to buy and got them all in only 45 minutes, it was a good shopping trip. Then we went and saw "Thor" I know, i thought it looked dumb to, but it was actually pretty good, and the guy who plays Thor is easy on the eyes if you know what i mean. Although i think the people who did the makeup and hair for the twilight movies might have gotten their hands on his hair, it was pretty bad. But it was just fun being with Russ, i love him, a lot, and always have fun with him.

And of course my babies! I LOVE them so much and am so lucky and privileged to be their mama!

Easter Eggs

2011-04-15T10:38:00.002-06:00

Yesterday all of my Sisters and their kids came over and we decorated Easter eggs and just hung out. It was really fun but you would have thought we were running a day care with all the kiddies, it was a little crazy at times, but super fun overall!

Kai and Naya reading

Cute little Connor!

Lani's second, Crew, isn't he so sweet!

Love this one of Halle with her tongue out!

Laina and Kai

My sweet Miller boy, love that kid. And yes,
that is another bump on his forehead.
He got that one from tripping and
falling down the stairs outside.

Oh and thank you to Lindsey who took the amazing photos.

Team Firestorm

2011-03-28T10:55:00.002-06:00

This Saturday i particapated in the first

Team Firestorm Ben Jacobsen Memorial Ride

We rode up Emigration Canyon. It was my first ride up the canyon and my first ride on my bike this year. It was an amazing experience for many reasons. Ben Jacobsen passed away about 6 months ago when he lost his battle with Melanoma. Because of him i went and got my funny mole checked and was able to catch my Melanoma early. I feel very indebted to him and his family, so this ride meant a lot to me. There were a lot of people who showed up to support his family and remember Ben. He was an amazing cyclist and that is how he and Russ got to be better friends.

When i got to the top i was proud of myself, but also felt very grateful for Ben and his sacrifice. One of my friends from my neighborhood was at the top as well and said, "this was my first ride with Ben." It was mine as well and i could feel his encouraging spirit when it was getting hard.

His wife Allison is one of the most amazing people i have ever met and she is as solid as a rock! Her example of perseverance and putting on a Happy face will be with me always. I will be coming back every year to this event to celebrate Ben's life and example. It also happened to be his birthday. It was very touching and emotional when everyone began singing Happy Birthday right before the ride started.


This is Russ, me and Allison Jacobsen after the ride! Thanks Allison!

I want to say thanks to Russ for making sure i was ok during the ride and encouraging me to make it to the top, love you babe and loved riding with you! (you better watch out come tri time, i am gonna kick your butt!) I also want to thank my dad for watching the kids so Russ and I could ride together.

thoughts

2011-03-24T14:10:00.000-06:00

This is an excerpt from my Journal, i think it was worth sharing.

So the other day i was brushing my teeth or some random task and a thought came to me. You know when you have a thought just come to you and it makes you want to change your life right then and there, and then you spit out your toothpaste and go on with life and nothing changes? Well this time i really wanted to change.

My thought was about Halle, and how that little girl loves me so much, oh so much. She almost started crying when i told her i was going to dinner with friends and wouldn't be able to put her to bed. I thought about how soon she won't be the one vying for attention, I will. I will want her to play with me, talk to me, sing, dance with me and oh how sad it will make me that she will want nothing to do with me. What have i been thinking or doing? Just today she wanted me to come outside and play with her and what did i do? i told her no, i need to fold the laundry . . . oh my goodness Lacey, really??? the laundry, that was more important then seizing the opportunity to go play with my 3 year old daughter? And that was just one incident. There have been so many more and it is breaking my heart just thinking about it. I basically told my baby that i would rather do laundry than play go play with her, how heartbreaking. Yet, she still loves me more than anything. Oh how ashamed i am. I needs a serious adjustment in my priorities, laundry . . . honsetly.

I love my kiddies more that anything and will try to make our time together more fun, enchanting, magical, happy, lovely, imaginative and joyful. Tomorrow is a new day.

Valentines Day and other Random Photos

2011-03-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

For Valentines we went to my sister Lisa's and decorated cookies and played games, it was great!

Pudding Faces!!! We made chocolate pudding and the kids loved it, obviously! I wasn't loving the mess however.

Random pictures of my Miller! Pretty much the cutest thing ever!

Disney on Ice! Halle was a little hesitant to go to Disney on Ice, she didn't have any idea how AWESOME it was going to be. When we left she was so worried about where Donald Duck was going to do? Where he would sleep and where Pluto would stay. It was so fun to see the excitement on her face. She was especially excited about her Swedish fish as you can see in the pictures.

Playing at the park. Since it has been warmer Halle has been begging me to go to the park. It is funny how when Halle was Miller's age i was up on the payground making sure her hand was held the entire time so she wouldn't fall. But with Miller, i just let him play.

Project

2011-02-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

We did this cute project with the Young Women in my ward last week. My friend Megan and I were able to take the paint and tools home and make some for our kiddies. They are really easy. You just need freezer paper, an exacto knife, cutting board, paint and an iron. You need to find a stencil of something you want on the t-shirt, cut it out of the freezer paper, and iron it on to your shirt, then you paint and the freezer paper will peel right off when the paint is dry. Here is what i came up with.

You know you love the sparkly purple unicorn!

The VW bus is probably my favorite! i love the orange.

Fun in the Sun!

2011-02-08T20:54:00.001-07:00

These pictures were taken back in January, when it got warmer. The kids were so happy to be outside.

I love that little hoody on him. His grandma Mimi gave it to him for his birthday! So cute!

Halle was loving life outside. She could go on the swings and go down the slide!

I think my kids are pretty cute, especially when they play nicely together

Saturday morning breakfast. Mmm, home made buttermilk syrup, fresh fruit and waffles, yum!

On a different note, Russ and i signed up for the Spudman triathlon. We won't find out if we are in until the end of this month, but we started training yesterday. we went for a swim and man did it kick our butts! I went running today and felt pretty good. I will get on our stationary bike tomorrow, and repeat that process once again this week. We are doing each type of workout twice a week.

It sounded pretty harsh to be working out 6 times a week, but it actually hasn't been to bad, since it isn't the same thing over and over. I am a little nervous about the olympic distance of the spudman and will probably do a sprint distance before, just so i can be more prepared.

Anyway, I am looking for any advice for what to wear. Swim suit, wet suit? bike and run stuff, and where i can get it for cheap? Thanks!

Millers Birthday Party

2011-01-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Miller's birthday last Sunday. Russ' mom was in Hawaii the week before so we waited until she was home (still jealous). It is so funny how for Halle's birthday i had been planning for months and had decorations, a cake and invitations and party favors for all the cousins. This time around i started planning on Saturday and only bought a dozen balloons, which were all totally on the ground on Sunday, so we hung them from the ceiling fan (so pathetic, but the kids loved them anyway). As for Millers cake i couldn't decide what to do. Miller LOVES phones so i made a phone cake. He also can Moo like a cow and Bark like a dog, so i made cow and puppy cupcakes. It turned out to be lots of fun even with very little planning. I can't believe my little guy is 1. He is so darling and i still can't get enough of him, even though he is into EVERYTHING and has started climbing EVERYTHING!

All the cousins love helping Miller open his presents.

The phone cake!

The guests

My sis and her cutie baby Taye! He and Miller are only 4 months apart!

Silly Laina and Naya!

Miller eating his Cow Cupcake.

isn't he so cute!

Just like his dad, closing his eyes. I still love that he will smile for the camera. Halle still won't.

opening presents. Halle was a big helper!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-12T13:35:00.001-07:00

Luckily my parents always do a big Christmas Eve party and Russ' parents do a Christmas Day tradition. So on Christmas Eve we had a turkey dinner, it was so yummy! Then we watched a movie, hung out a little and then the kids were begging to open their presents! Of course they got their traditional Christmas jammies from Grammy. They all looked so cute!

Here are 6 of the 8 Grand kids. Lani is quarantined in her house with her new born baby because of RSV risk, so she couldn't make it up for the festivities. We sure missed having her and her cute family there. Don't they look cute!

I love this baby boy!

My mom spoils these babes, they all got a gift and some books.

Miller got some big legos in that cute wagon and Halle got Pooh bear and Pooh Bear book and Princess puzzles.

Christmas morning.
That morning Halle came into my room and asked if she could get in bed with me. I asked her if she wanted to go upstairs and she said no. she snuggles next to me and then a minute later she asked, "Mom, are their presents under the tree?" I said "Yes" and she ran upstairs, it was pretty cute.

Halle and all her gifts, she was pretty excited about everything, especially her singing Aurora doll.

After we opened presents we headed over to the Pages for our traditional Christmas Breakfast. Denille always outdoes herself, with breakfast casserole, muffins, waffles, cinnamon rolls, hash browns and hot chocolate, so good!

I think Miller looks a lot like his uncle Alex, what do you think? He loves all his uncles!

And yes, that is another huge goose egg, poor thing.

Mimi is so smart and got Miller his favorite thing, a phone. He loves it!

doesn't Halle look adorable in her Jammies and new boots!

Mimi made Halle a princess pillow and got her the set of the "If you give a mouse a cookie" books, we have read at least one of them every night since. She loves them!

I love my family's and had such a fabulous Christmas! It is so fun having little kids who get so excited, it makes it magical again!

Decorating the Tree and Mischievous Me

2011-01-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Halle Loved decorating the tree this year. There were about 25 ornaments all on the same level, it was really cute! I love that girl!

And this little Miller man is into EVERYTHING! my mom was cleaning out the fridge and we found him inside of it. The door was never closed, but still that guy is so fast and so mischievous. He is pulling down a bowl full of glass ornaments one second and the pulling a plant out of the pot from its roots the next, then eating the dirt of course. The only problem is he is so freaking cute that he can just give you one of his smiles and you aren't mad, at all, in fact you are picking him up and he gives you a hug, and your heart melts so you forget what he just did. He is crafty like that. I sure love him though!

Dance Recital

2011-01-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so i struggle. I couldn't get any of my pictures onto our computer since thanksgiving. I asked Russ if he could figure it out, it took him about 30 seconds. :( so you will be seeing some posts from the past.

Halle had her first Dance Recital in the beginning of December. She was so nervous when we got into the auditorium and the nerves didn't go away until the last 30 seconds of her final dance. She was the one that just stood there and didn't dance, but i couldn't be more proud of her. She got up on that stage and just stood there, i think that takes more guts than doing what everyone else is doing. :) that is how russ and i look at it anyway. It was precious!

I don't know if you can see the look of "what the heck is going on" in her face, but that is what she was thinking.

That is her adorable friend Stella in the big red Tutu. She is such a sweety and is in Halle's ward and Joy School and Dance Class. She danced so well!

That is Halle thinking "why are you touching me? i don't know you"

She was mostly looking around watching the other girls dance. It really was so cute, and i need to get the video on here so you can see her. She also wouldn't wear a tutu, a skirt, pig tails, or anything. I got a pink bow in her hair and green bows on her tap shoes, and that was it. Which i am fine with. She just stood out like a thumb in her light pink tights and leotard and just standing as still as a statue.

That is her cute teacher Miss Julie.

Afterward we went to breakfast at Over the Counter. It was delicious. I love my kids!

Happy Birthday Miller!

2010-12-30T12:21:00.002-07:00

Wowsers did that year fly by or what! It is so crazy how fast these little babes grow up! My Miller is a dream baby! He sleeps, he eats and if he is not smiling it is because, well . . . he is never not smiling. If he gets hurt he only cries for a little and is done, he usually doesn't even cry.

Anyway what i am trying to say is that i love the kid,

a lot!

And i couldn't be happier that he is in my life!

And I couldn't post a Happy Birthday to Miller without mentioning a Happy Birthday to my beautiful sister Lani. Miller is sure lucky to share his birthday with the sweetest, funniest, best friend anyone could ever have. Lani you are the best and i mean you have always been my best.

Love you!

New Nephew Crew

2010-12-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Lani Had her adorable baby boy Crew on Nov. 22. It was a little rocky there at first since he was 5 weeks early but he is home and doing great. Here are some pictures of the little babe.

Congrats Lani, you are so brave and have been so amazing through everything!

Goose Egg and Turkey Legs . . .

2010-11-28T22:38:00.004-07:00

Ok, so i just wanted to come up with a clever title. Anyway the other night Miller got his first big goose egg. He has been walking for over a month now so i think he has done pretty well considering. Here is a pic of his big bump.

Next i wanted to throw in a picture of Halle's joy school kids. I taught the lesson the week before thanksgiving. Don't they looks cute in their pilgrim hats and bonnets?!

This next picture i just think is funny. I was trying to get a picture with both of my kids while i was holding the camera. Pretty comical. Miller doesn't like to hold still for more then . . . well not at all, unless he is eating. :)

And for Thanksgiving. We had a fabulous meal at my Sister in law's house with Russ's whole family.

I loved the high chair with name tag for Miller, so cute!

I'm not sure what everyone was looking at but Miller sure loves his Papa Wayne. He also loves my Dad, he loves his Grandpas!

Halle and Aspen, getting ready to eat!

Russ's brother Alex's girlfriend Becca (wow, did that make sense?) gave Miller this adorable "Baby's First Thanksgiving" bib. I can't think of a better Holiday to celebrate a baby's first with a bib. Thanks Becca i love it!

Russ's Mom is truly amazing, not only did she make about 8 pies, and a bunch of other stuff, she made this amazing jello! It was so good, and so beautiful, i had to get a picture. (check out Nicks face in the background, he sure looks satisfied! )

Me and my love, click on the pic, he has a mustache, you might have to zoom in to see it! :) just kidding babe, you looked hot with that stache! and might i say i look hot in this picture. ;)


I LOVE this one of Miller. I don't know why he had his arms up like that but i think he looks hilarious! you can see that goose egg in this one too. That is Russ's cute sister Jen, love her!

I LOVE my family in law! They are the best and I truly feel so thankful and blessed for so many things in my life. But mostly I am thankful for my family and my health.

Harry Potter Extravaganza

2010-11-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Last Night Lindsey and I got all dressed up and went out to celebrate with all the other HP freaks out there! it was so fun! Last year we dressed as the same thing (lindsey = Rita Skeeter, Lacey = Dolores Umbridge) and NO ONE knew who i was, i think maybe one girl did. :( But this year i changed my get up a little and i think people got it.

Anyway, the first thing we did was went to California Pizza Kitchen to get some dessert. It was really good and the perfect thing to eat before a long night. Enough sugar to keep us awake and energized.

Next we Headed over to the IMAX theater where they supposedly had some cool Harry Potter stuff, it was all pretty lame, but we did get sorted! I was in Griffindor and Lindsey was in Hufflepuff, sucker!

The best part is seeing everyone else in all their nerdy glory!

Me and my Boys!


being super giddy that the movie was about to start!

My favorite of all favorites, were these two. Draco and Harry themselves. Draco was by far the best. So fun and so funny!
It was a fabulous night! So bittersweet so good but so sad that i have to wait until next year to see the rest of the book but also happy that there is still one more movie. :)

Harry Potter

2010-11-16T20:24:00.003-07:00

My kids are both sick, my mom is sick and Russ stayed home from work today, sick. I am, knock on wood, not sick and can not get sick before midnight on Thursday. I have my tickets and my costume all picked out, pray for my health until then at least! LOL can you tell i am excited! Lindsey and i are going together again!

PS and you know you love my blog background!

This is Halloween, this is Halloween . . .

2010-11-04T21:59:00.002-06:00

For Halloween, or on my bday :) we had an exciting day. I started the day with a 5k race Spread the Magic, put on by my amazing friend Laura. This was the first time they did the race and it was and amazing success. It was to raise money for the Coleman Family.

Anyway i ran my fastest time yet for a 5k which i am proud of. Oh and the night before Russ took me to La Caille for my birthday, which was delicious but OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive. I am glad I have gone once in my life but I really don't need to go back there. So i had this huge steak and ice cream sundae (we also hit up Leatherby's on the way home from dinner) in my stomache like a gut bomb, but it didn't affect my race too much, i don't think.

After the race we went home and played in the leaves outside. Russ had to go winterize the sprinklers at our rental homes. Halle LOVED jumping into the piles of leaves and was so excited for "trick-or-treats" that night.

I love this one of Halle!

Silly girl!


I just had to add this one in. That squirrel lives in my parents backyard, well a tree in their backyard. We watch it run back and forth storing nuts from this black walnut tree. i think this picture is pretty cool, he is in mid air!

That night we had our Ward Halloween party. It was fabulous as usual. This year they had a costume contest, i was shocked when they said our family won best costume overall. It was fun.

Lisa's family all came up to go to the party and Trick-or-Treating. Lisa made her own cosume and was a black widow spider, she looked awesome. Laina is Dora, Naya a Cat, and Kai a transformer and Dale is a . . . "reasonable consumer" (The Office, anyone?)

My Mom is a Three Amigo (she came up with the idea all on her own, i am so proud) and my Dad is a snow sidewalk scraper, i don't know why but when i see this picture i think of Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation. . . maybe it's the chili stain on his shirt (pretty sure it was not part of the costume:) i love my parents!

After the party we went Trick-or-Treating. Halle was a die hard. She was running to every door, we had to tell her to slow down and wait for the other kids. She would take handfuls of candy and before the person had closed the door she would say, "let's go to another one" it was so cute. All of Lisa's kids wanted to go home except Kai but Halle didn't want to stop. It was pretty entertaining.

"Trick-or-Treat!"

The stash! and the runny nose to go with it.

Russ's parents came to the Party with us.
They are so cute and Halle loves her Mimi and Papa!

This was taken in front of the Watkins house.
They grew those pumpkins in their back yard, they were huge!

Overall a fabulous Birthday/Halloween!

Let October Begin . . . oh wait it's almost over!!!

2010-10-27T20:42:00.002-06:00

October is the 2nd busiest month after December in our household by far. We have 2 annual friend Halloween parties that are always awesome, my bday, and Halloween.

Halle has been on a Wizard of Oz kick since last November when she saw it for the first time. We got her Dorothy "slippery's" (as Halle calls them) and the movie for her for Christmas. I also threw a Wizard of Oz birthday for her and now we are doing a Wizard of Oz themed Halloween.

Here are some pictures. from our first party.

Those big brown eyes get me every time!!!

Don't tell me that isn't the cutest lion you have ever seen!!!

And here are some shots from our second Party. The second party is adults only, so Russ and i went as the "Wicked" Witch and the Scarecrow from the broadway "Wicked," pretty clever eh? ;-) badum ching!

Here is the whole crew, minus Cruella Devil, who had to come later. And yes that is Mugatu from Zoolander in the front with his lover Katinka ... whatever her name is, such a good costume, and they are also the fabulous hosts of this awesome party!

I did put my green makeup on for this party. I didn't have it on for the other party, I was worried i would scare the children.

"if i only had a brain"

We played some fun games and everyone's competitive side came out. Russ always accuses me of being super competitive but he was tearing girls wigs off and throwing elbows in one game, he is just as competitive as i am, but hey that is one of the reasons i love him, he gives me some competition.

Perfect Day

2010-10-13T23:40:00.004-06:00

Today was an amazing day as a mother. Miller took a nap from 9:30am until 1:30 pm. So awesome, and all day i didn't get in one fight or mad or upset with Halle. She was so good all day and helped me and did what i asked.

There was a point when we were heading out the door and i couldn't find my shoes, i knew Halle had been wearing them around the house and i asked her where they were, she told me she didn't know. i was getting frustrated because i was going to be late. She came running in and said "Lacey, its ok, i just don't want you to be mad at me." And i didn't want to be mad at her, it had been the perfect day, so i wasn't and decided to find some different shoes. She is truly an angel, and i love her so much. (ps i also love that she calls me Lacey)

Miller, what can i say, that kid lights up my life. My everyday joy and happiness is multiplied by 100 because he is in my life. His smile and hugs melt my heart and i get them all day long!

It was a wonderful day and i just had to let you all know how much i LOVE my babies. They are mine and they are wonderful!

P.S. This photo was taken a while ago with Russ' iphone. i LOVE it!

WIN a Pair of Snakeskin Stilettos!

2010-10-05T21:45:00.000-06:00

My cousin in law is pretty much the coolest. She just started a new blog called the Shoeologist. Anyway if you leave a comment on her blog you could win these amazing shoes!

Here is the link to her blog. @theshoeologist

Differences

2010-09-29T22:18:00.002-06:00

It is amazing how kids come with their personality. Today i got a full taste of the huge difference in my kids personalities, when i took them both for their well check's at the doctors.

When we park and are getting out of the car Halle is already crying and telling me she doesn't want to go. I have been prepping her for a couple days letting her know we are going and even got a Dora book from the library about going to the doctor. Obviously Miller has no idea what is coming and is happy as a clam.

We get inside and Miller smiles at the ladies behind the counter who check us in, Halle is clutching my leg.

When we get called back, the nurse asks Halle to hop on the scale. Yeah right, she bursts into screams and tears, flailing her body because she doesn't want to stand on the scale? So i end up holding her while on the scale then setting her down and getting on the scale again to figure out the difference.

When I put Miller on the little weighing table, he is sitting up so proud of himself smiling.

Next we go back to our room and they want to get Halle's height, again she starts screaming and crying because they want her to just stand next to the wall so they can mark where she is?

Next we lay Miller down on the table to measure his height and he just laid their, more still then i have ever seen him.

The doc decides to look at Miller first since Halle is being, well difficult. Miller lets the doc do his thing and is smiling at him. Then it's Halle's turn. Oh boy, she looses it again and i am holding her, trying to hold her down so he can look in her ears and mouth and everything. I feel like such a failure as a mom that i can't calm her down and let him do his thing. He was so nice and told me it was normal for 3 year old's to act like that and he doesn't take it personally.

Lastly we have to get Miller's blood work done and Halle needed 2 shots. Miller got a prick in his finger while I held him on my lap. i sat and waited for a cry, a whimper, anything, but nothing came, the nurse said he was smiling at her.

When we gave Halle her shots she SCREAMED but as soon as she got the band-aids she was fine. I was actually really proud of her reaction to the shots.

It was rough, but we got through it. They just have their own personalities, i knew that was going to be really hard for Halle. She is really shy and doesn't trust anyone, which can really come in handy when we are in public. And Miller is a super friendly pleasant boy who smiles all the time, seriously if he isn't smiling at me it is because he is pooing and has the poop face going.

I love them both the same and love being their mommy!

Happy Birthday Halle!

2010-09-26T14:59:00.001-06:00

Halle turned 3 years old! She wanted a Wizard of Oz party and it turned out so cute! we invited a couple of girls in the neighborhood and Lisa's kids. it was so fun, we played pin the heart on the Tin Man, decorated sugar cookies in the shape of a horse (a horse of a different color). then broke her piniata somewhere over the rainbow. :) She loved it! i am glad its over. Us moms put so much into these parties.

Of course she got a baby, she loves babies!

I think Halle and little Lizey (Eliza) look so much alike! They are cute little nursery buddies!

Halle got so shy when they sang Happy Birthday to her.

Happy birthday my sweetest baby girl! i love you so much!

Cabin

2010-09-17T16:18:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we went to the cabin again. It was heaven, as always. Here are some pics.

We went for a ride in my dads Jeep and it only took about 4 minutes and they were both O.U.T. :)

September

2010-09-07T15:52:00.003-06:00

I love this time of year, and so much has been happening since September began.

First Russ and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. It was heaven. We stayed up at the Hotel Park City and ate dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

Russ and I got dressed up and ate, a lot, it was really delicious! We also went shopping at the Outlets and Russ gave me/us a new camera, hence all the pictures in this post. :)

On Saturday we went boating with the Larkins. I LOVE boating and had such a good time. I learned how to do the wake surfing thing correctly, i actually let go of the rope and went for a while. We didn't get any pictures because we left the camera in the car. Halle did it again, but wasn't to thrilled because the water was so cold.

On Sunday Russ's family hosted a dinner and a Minute to Win it Challenge

I didn't get any pictures, but it was so fun! The only thing i was good at was the Defying Gravity one, where you try to keep 2 balloons off the ground for a minute. No one did it for a minute and we only used 2 balloons, but i had the best time. It was so fun and i am so sad we didn't take any pictures.

Yesterday, Labor Day, we went to my parents cabin and rode 4 wheelers, our bikes, roasted marshmallows and enjoyed the incredible weather and beauty up there.

Today Halle had her first day of dance lessons. She did pretty well, she was really shy, but i think she will get better as she gets used to it.

Watching her do the steps was bringing a tear to my eye remembering when i was little taking dance classes. So cute!

First Day of Joy School

2010-09-02T11:54:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to be doing a joy school for Halle with some of the ladies in my neighborhood. There will be 5 kids in the group, 2 boys and 3 girls. They had their first day today and Halle was so excited and did great! I can't believe how old my little baby girl is getting!

(photo taken by Russ's Cell phone. She has her Dora's Backpack backpack on.) I love that girl!

Cabin and Camp Out

2010-08-30T08:50:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago, my Mom and Dad and I went to their cabin for a few days. I LOVE being up there and would love to stay for a whole week, or even month.

Then we decided to have a camp out in the back yard. It lasted until about 11:00pm but that is ok, it was so fun to see the joy and excitement on Halle's face. When she was finally ready to go to sleep, she wanted to go inside. It was pretty cute and i didn't really mind, i wanted to get sleep too.

From the perspective of a 2 year old. . .

2010-08-25T10:07:00.000-06:00

Halle LOVES to play with her Daddy's phone. She is so smart and knows how to open the pictures app and take pictures as well. I LOVE looking at the pictures she takes. Granted there were about 50 pictures of each group of pictures, and they are so fun to look at in order, but i picked just a few of the best ones. I hope you enjoy.

Yeah, she's my kid!

2010-08-19T11:31:00.001-06:00

Oh yeah, and she is 2! Can you tell i am so proud of her! :) Sorry the picture is a little blurry, it was shot with an iphone.

Pictures!!!

2010-08-12T14:16:00.001-06:00

I was so excited to get these pictures taken of Miller. The photos we have of Halle at this age are my favorites! And Katie Moss of Peekaboo Photos did not disappoint, she is so good at what she does! Here are some of them, they are all cute and i LOVE them all!

This is SO funny!

2010-08-01T22:05:00.002-06:00

It's a little crazy and long but oh so funny! I was crying the first time I watched it I was laughing so hard!

Happy Birthday Lindsey!

2010-07-30T17:36:00.000-06:00

My beautiful, talented, smart, (really smart) (i mean smart like I call her regularly to ask her questions and even if my question is vague she knows the answer) funny, creative and sweet baby sister Lindsey, had her birthday today. To celebrate she had the day off of work and invited us over to swim at her new apartments pool. It was so fun and Halle LOVED it! Here are some cute pics from the day. Taken by my lovely sis.

Aren't my babies so cute! i think so too! :) And could you die at how cute Miller looks in that hat! Oh and yes my Mom is a freak of nature, she just turned 64 and look how amazing she looks!

Results are in . . .

2010-07-13T10:48:00.000-06:00

I got the call yesterday with the results. All of the margins were clean and the nodes came back benign, which means I am cancer free! YAY!

I need to thank all of you for your thoughts, prayers and love! I know I was blessed with peace and comfort through all of this which I know was because of all of you. THANK YOU!

I also need to thank my Mom and Dad who have been so supportive and amazing through everything. My Mom litteraly took over as mother for Miller during my surgeries and while I have been recovering. She had to take him to the doctor and would wake up in the night with him. She is so amazing and i love her so much and could never thank her enough!

I also need to tell my husband how much i love him and appreciate him. He has had to carry the weight of the realty of what could be through all of this. I love you Russ and thank you!

4th Weekend

2010-07-10T15:29:00.000-06:00

Wow the 4th of july weekend was crazy! Russ took friday and monday off so we had lots of time for adventure.

We watched the Sugar House Fireworks from our boat which was parked on the street, best seats in the house! That is Halle's face she makes when she doesn't want to smile at the camera.

On Sunday we went to Russ' parents for dinner and then went over to his Sisters for fireworks. I used the night vision setting on the camera to get these cool shots. I am pretty proud of myself!

Then we went to the Zoo. Halle loved all the animals!

Then we went to the Tennis Club for some swimming. Halle is like a fish, she loves the water and has NO fear of it.

Results . . .

2010-07-09T17:46:00.000-06:00

So we went to find out the results of my surgeries today and of course the pathology tests weren't done yet, so we won't find out until monday. Classic really, I'm not surprised. oh well i get the whole weekend to not know if it is bad news and can continue to coast on my positive attitude vibes! We'll let you know as soon as we find out!

Gross out warning . . . do not scroll down if you don't want to see my battle wounds.

Click on the image if you want to see it close up, sorry it isn't very good, but it is what it is.

Surgery

2010-07-08T09:52:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to let you all know that surgery went really well yesterday. I have never had surgery before and had a wonderful experience up at Huntsman. We will get the results tomorrow at 4pm. I will let you all know how it goes.

I also want to thank you for all of your prayers, love and support! I can't tell you how much i appreciate you all!

Thank you and Love you!

Baseball

2010-07-05T11:03:00.000-06:00

Russ has lots of loves in life, and a few passions, Baseball is one of those passions. The Deseret news did an article on the league he plays for and took a few pics. Sometimes it's hard to have him gone, but i know it makes him happier and less stressed when he gets to play. He is really good and i am so proud of him. Here is the link to the article and here are some pictures they took of my man.

On a more serious note . . .

2010-06-30T23:43:00.000-06:00

Recently I had a couple of moles removed and one of them came back as Melanoma. Yeah, i was kind of shocked too. I am mostly writing this post to "inspire" or encourage any of you out there that have a mole that you have been concerned about or feel like you should get it checked but haven't, to go and get it checked.

I noticed this weird mole maybe a year or two ago and thought to myself i need to go get it checked. But not until recently did i make the call to a dermatologist. Thankfully for me my husband, who has a friend with a very serious case of Melanoma, made me make the call after learning how scary melanoma can be. I am so glad i went in when i did!

So I went in and had a full body scan by the dermatologist, and she noticed two moles that looked atypical, and would need to be tested. She removed those moles on a later date. This past friday i got the call from my Dermatologist telling me the results. I kind of knew it wasn't good news since it was her and not her nurse or something. She told me one of the moles was Melanoma and i would need to go see a Surgical Oncologist to have more tests and surgery done on the site.

When i got that call i was in shock and couldn't believe it, i have cancer. . . . It was very humbling and i immediately had a different perspective on life, and how precious every moment is. I didn't know how bad it was and i didn't know what it all meant i was just scared. That day i was lucky enough to get to go to my wards Rough Out Camp at my parents cabin to get my mind off everything.

On the drive home i had plenty of time to think about everything. I had this weird feeling like when you have a strange dream that just makes you feel weird all day. That is how i felt, like it was all a dream. So I told myself that i didn't want to be sad or scared, i didn't want the cancer (if there was any cells left in my body) to feed off the fear. So i told myself i had to be positive and own it, take control, and for some strange reason it worked. My brain won't go to that place anymore, it won't let me think of the awful outcomes that might be. So I have been just fine and really have enjoyed my life so much since hearing the news.

Today i went to see Dr. Noyse to learn more about what is going on and what is going to happen. He told me that i have a Stage 1B melanoma. Which means i have to go in and get another surgery in the same site to take out a lot more skin to make sure there are no more cancer cells in the area. They also have to go in and take out the sentinel nodes to make sure the cancer hasn't spread to my lymph nodes. If those two surgeries come back negative (no cancer cells) i am good and will just have to go to a dermatologist every 4 months for 3 years then every 6 months for 2 years. If the skin comes back with cancer cells in it they will go in and take out more until they get a clean result. If the nodes have cancer in them, i will have to get body scans to see if there are any signs of tumors anywhere else in my body.

I am going to get these surgeries done next Wednesday and will know the results Friday.

I am honestly telling you all of this not for sympathy because i really feel positive, but to hopefully encourage you to get any moles checked by a dermatologist that you might think looks weird or different. I would also love your prayers! i am really praying that after the surgeries everything will come back negative!

I hope you don't think i am weird for posting this on my blog, i just wanted all of you to be aware, and i want all of your prayers and i feel like this is a good place to let you all know.

Picture Post

2010-06-23T15:56:00.000-06:00

I have a bunch of pictures that i want to put on here, so here ya go!
Russ and Halle in Daddy's Baseball Gear!

Halle learned to ride her tricycle. She loves it!Miller is just such a cutie pie! He has stared on solid foods and loves it! He is moving so much and we think he will be crawling soon. I am scared for the day when he can crawl he will be into everything! Halle wants to go "swimming" every day! It is great to be outside and enjoying the sun!We had a family reunion for Russ' side of the family this last weekend. It was so good to see all the cousins and aunts and uncles and everybody.

do i or don't i?

2010-06-22T10:49:00.000-06:00

so just recently i have had a little spark of interest in piercing my ears. If any of you don't know, i have never had my ears pierced before. I play sports i have kids and i usually wear my hair down which renders any earrings undetectable.
I just love earrings, they are such an easy accessory and would make me feel that much more lady like.

But, for some reason i feel like getting them pierced would be letting go of some unique thing about me that i have never had my ears pierced. It's funny too because (he might kill me for saying this, but it is too good not to share) Russ actually pierced his ear when he was 16. I know I am laughing too. He said it lasted about a week and . . . lol sorry i am just laughing thinking about it. oh how much i love that man!

So it is a pride thing i guess.

What do you think? all of you ladies out there with your ears pierced, should i do it? or should i go my whole life without ever having earrings?

ps. Click on the pictures to go to the different shops where you can get those earrings!

Happy Fathers Day!

2010-06-20T15:46:00.000-06:00

Dads, what can i say but that i love them!
My dad is amazing and i have learned so much from him. He has been such an amazing friend, someone whom I can always go and talk to and he just listens and helps me come up with the solutions to my own problems. Thank you dad for always being my dad and always being my friend and for loving me and teaching me in a way i can never thank you enough for. I LOVE YOU DAD!

Russ is the love of my life as well as the father of my children. He is the best Dad and makes Halle giggle in a way that no one else can. He gets looks from Miller that could be telling him important truths about the future, and they both completely adore him. I LOVE YOU RUSS!

My Father in Law is also an amazing Dad. He is really just a big kid and everyone loves him! And when i say Everyone, i mean everyone. He has the biggest heart and would do anything for anyone. Halle loves him so much and told me once that when she gets married in the temple Papa Wayne will be there, it was adorable! I LOVE YOU Papa Wayne!

I liked this MUCH Better!

2010-05-29T09:30:00.000-06:00

* See Previous post.

Hallle: "oh, I love you so much Mommy!" while hugging me tightly around my neck, "you are my best friend!"
I really do love my Halle girl, she is my best friend!

Sorry i look high in this picture. It was sadly enough the only picture i could find of me and my Hals.

At least she's Honest

2010-05-14T16:46:00.003-06:00

Halle: "I save him! You're a witch Mom!"

To bad I am usually the one saving him from her!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-10T09:27:00.000-06:00

So after my post that made fun of women and how silly we can be, I would like to write a post on how amazing and wonderful women are. I don't have many words just this wonderful quote I found that was given in the Conference Report in October 1942,

“Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.”

I believe all women are mothers because we take care of one another, so to all the women who have influenced me, and mothered me in my life I would like to say thank you, and Happy Mothers Day!

I would especially like to say thank you to my Mom who is AMAZING! I have loved living at home with her. She has helped me so much with raising my own children and i can never thank her enough for all the love she shows me and my children, I love you mom!

I would also like to thank my wonderful Mother in Law, who is an amazing mother to all those around her. I can truly say that I am the luckiest girl ever, because I got the best mother in law! (ps she made that dress for Halle's blessing)

Her mother, "Bub" was also a wonderful woman who i look up to and love dearly and am grateful I was able to have her as a grandma and as an example of complete selfless service.

Russ's other Grandma was also an amazing example to me, her zest and love for life and everyone around her makes me want to be just like her when i grow up!

I didn't know either of my grandma's but i know they have been watching over me and helping me from beyond. The lives they lead and the legacy they left are some of the most inspiring stories of love and have helped me to be the person I am today.

And to all of my sisters, sister in laws, and friends who are such amazing moms, and good examples to me, thank you and i love you!

Funny

2010-05-08T23:43:00.001-06:00

My Dad sent this to me in an email, and I was seriously busting a gut reading it. I hope you enjoy. I think it is so funny because it is true!

MEN ARE JUST HAPPIER PEOPLE

NICKNAMES

If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat-Boy, Gas-man and Four-eyes.

EATING OUT

When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.

When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY

A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.

A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS

A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.

The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 15 of these items.

ARGUMENTS

A woman has the last word in any argument.

Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.

A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife..

MARRIAGE

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.

A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP

A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.

A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL

Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.

Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING

Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.

A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

New Little Nephew Taye

2010-05-02T22:58:00.001-06:00

Lisa Had her 4th baby! He is so cute! Lindsey took these photos, to see more click here.

Easter Outfits and Photo Op

2010-04-22T11:37:00.002-06:00

My mom bought all the girls these cute sailor dresses and so we decided to take some photos. the kids weren't being very cooperative, but they were still cute! Thank you Lindsey for your fabulous photography skills!

Easter & Others

2010-04-08T23:06:00.002-06:00

Halle and Kai made a snowman in April, crazy! The weather is so crazy, i know it is always crazy in utah, but still we were playing in the snow the day before yesterday and then today we were out on the swings without a coat on. weird.

Halle eating a HUGE cinnamon roll, so cute!

Easter Sunday, this was the best shot i got of Halle and Miller with the Easter Baskets my mom gave them. Can you tell that "Grammy" spoils her grandbabies!

Kevin was a hit reading the books to the kiddies!

Then we headed to the Drebings for dinner and games.

And this is just my darling baby boy
Miller being his cute smiley self!

10:30-7:30

2010-03-26T11:35:00.002-06:00

Miller is such a good boy, i love him! he slept from 10:30-7:30 last night it was great. Although i was awake at 5, 6 and 7 because my body is used to waking up earlier. Anyway Miller is such a happy smiley baby, i can always count on getting a big dimply smile from him! Here are some random pictures from the past months.

Nestle:

2010-03-18T22:57:00.003-06:00

1. To settle snugly and comfortably.

2. To lie in a sheltered position.

3. To draw close, as in affection; snuggle.

Miller loves to nestle his head right into my armpit. He nuzzles his little nose right in there. This position, in the pictures, doesn't even show how far he gets in there, sometimes i can't even see his face he gets it in there so far. It is just so cute I had to take a picture and document it. It might look like I just put him in that position, but he seriously always ends up in my armpit, no matter how i start holding him.

PS Please don't mind my creepy dark circles under my eyes. :)

I Couldn't Help Myself

2010-03-01T16:31:00.001-07:00

I had to post some more pictures of my babes, aren't they just so stinkin' cute?!

Miller's Blessing

2010-02-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

We blessed Miller on Sunday the 21st at my parents house. We blessed Halle at our home, and loved the intimacy of just having family their, so we decided to do the same with Miller. Russ did an amazing job. Here are some pictures.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T22:32:00.001-07:00

On saturday we had a fun Valentines party at my sister Lisa's with all the kiddies. I didn't have my camera but my sis Lindsey did and posted them on her blog. Sorry i am lazy and am not putting them on my blog, but you can link to them here.

Pictures

2010-02-09T19:38:00.002-07:00

yay Kate posted some more pics from the photo shoot a few weeks ago. you can see them Here

Miller

2010-02-02T15:20:00.005-07:00

He is just over 1 month old and is such a pleasant baby. He rarely fusses unless he is hungry, tired, or has poop, which is just what he is supposed to do. Here are some pictures of the last few weeks.

This is Miller and Charlotte just a week old and 1 day apart.

Male Pattern Baldness. I am so sad, Miller just woke up one morning with a bald spot on the left side of his head. the Next day he had one to match on the other side. I don't know if you can tell the difference in these two pictures, but i was really sad when it happened. i really hope it comes back in his cute red color.

Crazy Halle eating ice-cream with the scoop.

Bath Time. Miller loves taking a bath. Russ always gives the baths. I just don't feel comfortable giving tiny newborns baths with my little hands. So i make Russ do it. But miller just loves his baths and stares at Russ and smiles the whole time.

Sleeping. Why are babies so cute when they sleep? And yes that is a pink blanket snuggled around him. It is the best blanket. So soft and it is stretchy so i can wrap him up tight.

Smiling. This baby really does smile, it isn't just gas. He has been smiling since he was about 1 week old. He looks into your eyes and smiles, it is so cute. and sometimes he will give you a little gurgle or coo.

The Family. sorry i look like such a dork, but this is us. the four of us.

Aren't my loves cute!