Team Tibbitts

Sporting the "Homer Simpson" Look

2012-01-28T09:33:00.006-07:00

Being the crazy, active little man he is. . . Haden often finds himself in interesting predicaments. A few nights ago such an event occurred. It was right before bed. We had read scriptures and said our prayers. We've got a little step stool in the bathroom now that Haden likes to use to get to the potty and the sink. We were getting him ready to brush his teeth. H decided it wasn't quite time to settle down for the night and started crawling around like a baby. It was a very intense crawl which included a little bit of recklessness. He was on his way from his bedroom to the bathroom. When he made it to the bathroom he somehow slipped and took a face plant right into the tile! Oh, the blood & tears! It made me hurt for him. Daddy picked him up right away and we started to apply pressure to the bleeding area. After a little bit we got him to calm down and were able to assess the damage. He cut the inside of his lip, but not too deep, and chipped one of his front teeth a little bit more and probably bruised his two front teeth a bit as well. We gave him some ibuprofen to help with the pain and some benadryl to help him sleep. (Don't judge us! It helps every once in a blue moon!)

He's doing so well with it! He woke up the next day saying "Owie" and let us know each time it hurts. We asked him if he's like some medicine for it and each time he has said, "No." What a trooper! Check out the adorable Homer Simpson grill though!

He was actually smiling for us here!

I cannot get the picture to face the correct direction, but one can still see the damage.

2012-01-15T20:00:00.003-07:00

Wow, so it has definitely been FOREVER!!! So much has happened since my last actual post. Just hard to keep up on it all. Things began happening and I thought, "I need to post" about that. Then another thing happened, and another, and another. Now I'm very behind, but hope to do much better.

So here's how it all is.......

* James is now a traveling man. He accepted a position in the Service Depart at S&S. Now he travels all over the world installing and servicing rides. So far he really has just traveled to China. He started in Beijing and has been doing a lot of work in Shenzhen. In 2011 he spent 150 days in China!!!! Crazy, huh? He's been in this position officially since about mid June. He's a trooper to do all this traveling and be away from us so much. But it will definitely pay off with some benefits!

*Haden continues to grow like a weed. He's so much fun to be with. He's nearing 2.5 now! He's such a smart little boy. Well, more of a technology nerd really. He enjoys playing with Mommy & Daddy's iPad to play his "Cars" game, or anything that has to do with "choo-choo's" and "fishes." He gives us perfectly sweet hugs and kisses all the time. His vocabulary is continually increasing and he is having a good time trying to go big boy potty.

*Now to Susi. Of course it's super easy to talk about myself! After just over 4 years of service in the Relief Society Presidency, I've been released. I'm now a leader with the Activity Days girls. It's so much fun, and a lot less work! I'm still working part time, for now. We are expecting our second child in April and I will move into a new position of stay at home mommy after the little one is born. That's news! I'm pregnant. . . 30 weeks already! Super crazy! This last summer I took a couple of cake decorating classes. I look forward to making fun and exciting cakes for special occasions for my family as well as a little bit of an at home business on the side. So far I've done one wedding cake and one birthday cake for commission!

I've decided that it's much easier to Facebook than it is to blog. So, one of my personal goals this year is to do more blogging. I can write my feelings here and use it as more of a journal. So, here's to more blogging and a little less Facebooking! I will also try to update with some posts from the time that we've missed. It's been a good eight or so months and so much has happened, so I will try to do some fun catch up posts.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Work in Progress

2012-01-01T23:46:00.001-07:00

Seriously, I'm gonna figure this out one day and get back to blogging!!!

Plain and Simple. . .

2011-04-18T22:06:00.001-06:00

I MISS MY HUSBAND!

18 Months!

2011-03-16T16:16:00.002-06:00

Wow Mr. Haden! 18 months already! You've been so much fun, think we'll keep you around!

I got to take Haden to the doctor for his well visit yesterday. Boy was that entertaining! He really like to play with Thomas the Train before we even get to see the doctor. They've also got a little "treehouse" in their waiting area. He likes to go in there and do the dishes. Yesterday the faucet fell into the sink and scared him though! Once we got back to the room, he went straight for the toy cupboard and drawers! He knows right where they are. (THAT'S A SIGN THAT WE VISIT TOO OFTEN!) The nurse and I were barely able to round him up for his vitals. He did really good though. I think he's very shocked by the stethoscope. He's always very quiet when they use that on him.

As soon as the vitals were complete and the nurse had left the room, it was a FREE FOR ALL!!! This curious little tyke is. . . well a curious little tyke! He had most of the toys out. He was checking out the exam table. He was knocking on the door with hopes that someone would knock back! This little man can open the doors whit the "push down handle." That is EXACTLY what they have at the doctor's office! I have to stand watch at the door so he doesn't escape! Kinda funny. . . one of the knots in the door had fallen out and one can see right through. Well that's if you're Haden's height. He sure got a kick out of it!

The doctor did his exam. All is going well and great. 21.2 pounds and 33 inches tall! K, the kid is tall - ish. He's in the 40th percentile there, but is in the "less than" third percentile as far as his weight goes. He eats, I promise! He must just have a very high metabolism. I don't know where all the food he eats goes. Even though he weighs so little, he is right on target. He isn't loosing weight, and he isn't at a standstill. The doctor says it's just great.

I also learned the power of potential sugar. Haden had two shots this time, one in each thigh. It has GOT to be intimidating. The nurses (yes that's plural!) say, "Mom, hold each of his hands in yours. and we will get his legs." What? I have to take part in this? I'm not supposed to be the mean guy! So I hold him as I'm told and give him loving praise. I like that there are two nurses and they do the shots at the same time. Quite a quick process. Well, my little man still doesn't like it. It HURTS! So he cried. I held him. One of the nurses asked if he could have a sucker. . . well he sure can! She brought one in and gave it to him, wrapper still on. The crying stopped immediately. We dressed him again and were on our way. Don't worry, not without seeing the suckers on the counter and getting one for the other hand too! Both still wrapped by the time we got to the car. He did really well getting into the carseat, so I unwrapped one sucker for him. Silly, the other one is for me. It's butterscotch. . . my fav!

What memories we make, 'eh?

Parenting. . .

2011-03-10T13:53:00.010-07:00

Well folks, this has been quite a long week! James and I, myself in particular, are really learning how to be parents. James has been a pro at this since day one. I think I doubt myself too much. I'm sure I'm a good parent, I just haven't experienced life like this yet.

We doggie sat for Bear last weekend. Daren and Ash had some obligations in Salt Lake that took them from home Friday though Monday. Bear did pretty good. This is a little glimpse of what we caught Saturday morning.

Super cute! Anyway, by Saturday night, life had turned from super cute to almost nightmare-ish. Haden came down with a fever of 104 around 7:30 pm. Bring on the TYLENOL!!! He didn't want to eat and just really seamed miserable. Heck! I would have been miserable too. So we got his sippy filled with milk and went to put him to bed. He pretty well drank all of it and was lying comfortably in my arms. . . when to my duress, he began to cough and thew up!! All over himself, me, the rocker and the floor! This was a first for him. He's never really thrown up before. I felt awful. WE got ourselves all cleaned up and blankets and gross items into the washer. we gave him some water instead of milk and we just cuddled for a bit. He was able to get to sleep by about 10:30.

Don't worry though! More to come! By midnight he was awake again, screaming. With a screaming fever of 103!!! It was back already!!! So began the IBUPROFEN/TYLENOL trade off. James woke up with us and we had some really sweet family time. We cuddled Haden and James gave him a blessing. Then we just laid him on our legs and sang to him while resting a cool washcloth on his forehead and neck. I think we got back to bed around 1 or 1:30 am. He woke a couple more times that night. He also woke early Sunday morning. James got up with him and tried to give him another milk sippy. NOT a good idea. Round two of throw up!! Poor kid was just inconsolable. I had to go to church to teach my Relief Society lesson. So I was able to get Haden down for a nap and James too. They were both so exhausted. When I got home it was more cuddle time. At family dinner that night, we were able to join with all the other priesthood holders in the family and gave Haden another blessing.

After another restless night Monday brought another trip to the doctor. Isn't it crazy that when something wrong is found, we celebrate? Makes me feel somewhat guilty as a parent, but at least we know that he's acting like this for a reason! Turns out he has a lingering ear infection with a nasty sinus infection to top it off! Get new meds, go home, try to help him rest, try to rest ourselves. Doesn't work. Still inconsolable. Just do your best!

Tuesday/Wednesday. . . still unhappy. Will there ever be light at the end of the tunnel? How can I help this poor restless child? Cuddle, cuddle, cuddle, cry with him, cuddle, cuddle, cuddle, MEGAMIND!!!!!! I've lost count how many times we've watched this movie, but it's worth it. He just melts into my arms and pleasantly passes the time with his new favorite movie!

Haden was still pretty unhappy Wednesday night when I returned from my meetings. I decided it would be most appropriate to just take one for Team Tibbitts and stay home with him the rest of the week. I'm so grateful for a job that allows me this kind of flexibility. Granted, I'm working part time anyway. It would be more difficult if I was a full time employee. But we have a good team and will do whatever it takes to help one another out.

Haden started to feel better on Thursday. It wasn't as bad as it has been the rest of the week, but still brought new challenges. DIARRHEA. . . DIAPER RASH!!! He's starting to be more lively, but is just so overwhelming!

It's now Saturday. Haden seems to have a happy disposition. He still has diarrhea, but his rash is clearing up a good bit. He's smiling and playing with the dog again. My little boy is on his way back! We will go in for his 18 month checkup with the doctor on Monday. Hopefully he will be able to tell us if this getting all cleared up up. I just want him to be better. We watched the movie "Life As We Know It" last night. I thought it was going to be really funny. Turns out it just portrayed real life raising a child. I cried a few times. I know, I'm crazy. It's just that this week is so fresh in my mind! The frustrations of not knowing how to help him are real. He's not really talking yet, so can't tell me what he wants. But, maybe I'm not too big of a mess. I'm a parent. We all make mistakes. Though this week has been trying, I feel as I've been blessed to be able to stay home with Haden. I can't make the pain go away. I can cuddle his fears and hurts though! I can shower him with kisses. I can tell him how much I love him. I can pray for him. I get to be the mom, and this week, nothing matters more than that!

2011-03-01T18:05:00.007-07:00

I have no idea what to title this post!

But this is pretty cute. .

Haden has discovered a new "like." Lets actually rephrase that to "love."

Yes, this is Haden MESMERIZED!

By what you may ask?

MEGAMIND!

Cutie little boy is obsessed. We Went to the adult session of Stake Conference this weekend and put this movie on to play when Grandma Tibbitts came over to watch him. He found it in the diaper bag yesterday and pulled it out. He followed us around until we put it in. He really does just enjoy watching. I don't know what it is about it, but it's still cute!

8

2011-02-24T21:45:00.002-07:00

It's amazing what eight years can do for a person. My first husband, Kenny Izatt, passed away eight years ago today. I was thinking about it and can pretty much remember every detail of that day. I know what I was doing at what time, who I spoke with, who visited, his last joke. . . I vividly remember the exact moments leading up to the time of his passing. I also recall the abundance of love and kinship in my home. I remember the great care my family took of me. My sweet in-laws rushed down from Star Valley and whisked me away. There is really so much that goes on in such a personal moment like that. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father that I haven't forgotten these things.

Furthermore, I am eternally grateful for the extreme blessings that I've received since this time. I look back and am comfortable with the trials that I've been given. Although I miss Kenny, I have been blessed with another amazing husband! (not many gals get to say that!) James is the most kind, loving and understanding man I know. He allows me to embrace my past, and does so with me. It's wonderful how things happen for a purpose, and we don't always understand why. That certainly doesn't make it easier, but patience goes a long way and time really can heal a person.

I love you James, so very much. Thank you for caring for me. Thank you for holding me during my "moments." Thank you for wanting to be a part of my past, present and future.

Kenny, I love you too! Without you, none of this would be possible. You taught me to love the gospel. You helped me know who I am and what I want from life.

I am who I am because of all I've experienced.

Here's one of my favorite sayings. I used it for Kenny's funeral because he was this kind of person. I believe James and I are also striving to live up to this.

Live so that those who know YOU
But don't know HIM
Will want to know HIM
Because they know YOU!

Until we meet again. . .

Some fun

2011-01-10T20:33:00.003-07:00

The Holidays were fantastic! I will be doing a post on that in the near future.

I feel a need to put this entertaining video up for those who wish to view, the opportunity to do so.

An attitude of gratitude

2010-12-19T11:37:00.002-07:00

I know this post is so late. As always, our lives have been a whirlwind! We returned home from Orlando just as a snowstorm/blizzard was about to hit. Ok, It was a few days later, but still wonderful!

The morning after we got home James & I went to wake Haden. I was so distraught because Haden didn't want anything to do with me. We had a festive week of Thanksgiving. James, Haden & I even went hiking up the mountains and picked out our first REAL Christmas Tree! It was so much fun. At church that following Sunday we had wonderful lessons on gratitude. I was deeply touched by them. Sometimes I look at things in a misguided prospective. I had been harboring resentment within me all week because Haden didn't want to cuddle with me. What a humbling experience these lessons on gratitude were! Instead of being resentful, I should be grateful! How extremely blessed I am to be able to have a sweet husband who cares for his little one so much! I'm also grateful for a little boy who is willing to show his love for his daddy. They are such a great pair!

Since I had this experience I've been trying to use it more often. We moved the couch out of the living room to make room for the tree. I noticed that my carpet is so disgusting and dirty! Normally I would complain about people not taking off their shoes and making a mess of my home. Instead I counted some more of my blessings. . . How grateful I am that we have friends and family who love us and want to visit us! We have a home that is lived in! And life is lived well here. I can't hide all the dirt on the carpets or the snot Mr. Haden leaves behind (which happens to be all over my couches!). I'm so grateful for all of these blessings.

We've been keeping busy as well with the wedding of Tom & Krystal! It's been so fun to see these two fall in love. They were married yesterday and are now on the way to their honeymoon. They will arrive home on Christmas Eve day. It was such a blessing to be with them when they were sealed for all eternity. Their love is so strong, and reminds me of James and I.

Oops! I'm falling behind!

2010-11-15T15:22:00.003-07:00

I'm grateful for the Temples around the world. How wonderful it was to be able to attend the Orlando, FL temple!

I'm also thankful for credit cards. Amazing how you can forget your park tickets and still get in, because you purchased them with your credit card!

Yeah for the spa! I experienced an awesome pedicure at the hotel spa. It was so nice to sleep in and then be pampered.

BOTTLED WATER!!! K, so I found myself dehydrated on the first day of the tradeshow. No Bueno! Luckily James and his co-workers are taking good care of me and making sure I am drinking plenty of water now.

Today I'm grateful for the end of the workday. After eight hours of sun, heat and humidity. . . the evening air is quite welcoming! Also having a good time with food friends and rides should pay off pretty well!

Two days worth

2010-11-13T06:49:00.003-07:00

Ok, I missed yesterday. But there's a great excuse for that!

I finally got to bed at 2 am on Friday. Then I woke up at about 5:30 to get ready to head to ORLANDO!!!! The little sleep and flight sure kicked my tail yesterday!!! I didn't get a new job, I'm just here to help James' company with the Expo that's going on next week. So I'm grateful for his company. IMMENSELY!!! Airline, hotel, food. . . it's pretty much covered. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

I'm super grateful for the hotel hot tub! It was so relaxing and peaceful! It helped to whisk my headache away.

Pictures to come soon!!!

Thankful Thursday. . Early on Friday Morning

2010-11-12T01:08:00.002-07:00

So I should have been in bed hours ago!!! I'm getting there though.

On this Thankful Thursday, I'm thankful for my sewing machine and the little bit of knowledge I have to be able to use it!

The shirts provided to me to work for S&S did not look very becoming on me. Gratefully, Jenn came over and pinned them for me. Then I was able to sew them in a bit. They look so much better now! Thank you Jenn, Sewing Machine, and for the knowledge I've gained in order to put the machine to use!!!

2010-11-10T20:46:00.001-07:00

I'm so very grateful for a happy baby tonight!!!!

We love you little tyke!

2010-11-09T19:14:00.002-07:00

Today I'm thankful for parents (and grandparents) who give so willingly of their time. My parents rock! Last night they were our saving grace who invited us over for a warm dinner. After a long, cold, rainy & snowy day it was a blessing beyond measure!!! Today, James had the day off. He spent as much time with Haden as possible. They had a blast. Promptly at 3 this afternoon, my parents were here at the house to watch Haden again while James and I had dentist appointments. Seriously a blessing. Thank you mom and dad, for loving us and giving us so much!!!!

What fun. . .

2010-11-08T17:27:00.004-07:00

Today I'm actually thankful for 3 things! And many more, but I just don't have the wherewithall to name them.

1. Fantastic family who are always on the lookout for my well being.
2. The guts to say, "hey, that's not right."
3. Vaccuums

so 2 & 3 have a story behind them.

We went to close on a refinance loan to reduce our house payment today. The guy gives us the first page with the payment. I say, "That's not right. It was lower than that when we began the process." James and I come back home to get the paperwork and take it to him. We call the lender and find out it's that BLASTED mortgage insurance that is lot's higher than discussed. She checks with underwriting. . . ta da!!! My stupid credit, although very high, is one point from where it needs to be to get the lower rate. Well. Now we'll just re-do it again without me to keep it low. But certainly glad I piped up to say "That's not right!"

This is the better one. It brings a smile to my face to think about it. It's quite redneck. But hey, that's right up my ally these days!!! James & I were cleaning the house on Saturday. Working away like crazy bees! We noticed Sophie going crazy. That's weird. She doesn't usually go bezerk. So we moved the hutch which she was sniffing and whining at. A MOUSE! A MOUSE IN MY HOUSE!!! Unreal. Well Mr. Mouse got a way and slid through a tiny slit under the dishwasher. dut dah da duh!!!! I'm married to a Tibbitts MAN!!!! James starts pulling everything apart. He spots Mr. Mouse and starts poking at him to get him to come back out so we can catch him. James had me get the vacuum so he could clean up underneath the dishwasher. He's thinking, "If I can just get at him with the hose, he'll be trapped." James has me stand guard with the bowl to catch Mr. Mouse with. Well that little critter can scurry!!! I exclaimed, "he's right there! Right behind the black plastic!" JAMES TO THE RESCUE. Turns on the vacuum and starts shoving the hose around the plastic. I finally got frustrated and turned off the vacuum because I couldn't hear him. Out of the corner of my eye, I SAW SOMETHING MOVE IN THE DIRT TRAP OF THE VACUUM!!! Yup, Mr. Mouse. Been caught, alive! Quite impressive. My husband sure can redneck, Tibbitts jimmyrig anything!!!

He's turned into a bit of a softie though. Back in the day, he'd have killed the little critter. This day we decided it would be better to let him loose back by the canal. James said he scurried right through the water up the far bank! He didn't even turn back to say goodbye! Oh well!

Here he is. He's gone now. Along with my pride of having a rodent free home. I guess you win some, and loose some. :)

It just keeps coming!!!

2010-11-07T10:50:00.007-07:00

Life. Don't blink too often. You may just miss out on something! Or it's just going too fast, no matter what. The important thing is to be grateful for your life! Mine goes really fast. It seems that so often I barely have time to catch my breath before we are on the run again. But how grateful I am for every moment!

Since our last post, we took a little family trip to St. George. I had a clerk's conference and James and Haden came with me to get away from home for a little while. It was so nice to just be together! Haden decided during that week that he was no longer a crawler! He was walking around a lot at Grandma and Grandpa's on Monday and Tuesday (Oct 18 & 19). He got stuck in the car for quite a bit on Wednesday, but on Thursday. . . we had to let him "roam free!" James took him to the mall and all sorts of places that he could just do his own little walking thing while I was in my meetings! It was so cute! He no longer crawls. It's really fun to watch him chase Sophie. Though I'm not sure she likes it!

We didn't take too many pictures. But we always stop in Beaver to take a picture with the large rocking chair! A family favorite!

Haden got a new pair of sunglasses too! He loves them. . . well he loves to eat them sometimes.

Yup, he's facing forward now!!! He really likes it.

When we got back, it was back to the grindstone. For the last two weeks James has been going to work early and staying late. It's been tough, but we managed. He's been preparing a few rides to take to IAAPA. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AMUSEMENT PARKS & ATTRACTIONS. It's a trade show! It's been quite exhausting. James will head out on Wednesday, then I get to follow him on Friday. I'll be working with his company as the "greeter." A free trip? Who could turn that down? NOT ME!!!

With all the business we were still able to fit in a fun Halloween celebration. Haden and Sophie were the cutest bumblebees! I was a 50's chick and James was "over worked and under paid," as he put it. :)

Included in that Halloween weekend, we received some fantastic news. . . TOM GOT ENGAGED!!! He's such a cute guy and we love his girl, Krystal. They are amazing together! We are so grateful that they have come into one another's lives. They bless us with youth and vibrance each time they visit! Krystal has a cute little girl, Krizlynn. She loves Haden so much and is very good to play with him. I'm grateful to have them join our family!

We're so excited to gear up for their 12/18/10 wedding!! Super fast, but super FANTASTIC!!

Now, I really didn't want to make this post too long, but that's what happens when one doesn't write for a while. This blog is more like a journal to me. It's actually the best journal I've kept in my lifetime! Yes, I may go on spurts where I don't write as often, but I always come back. Each day I'm thankful for so many things. This being the month of Thanksgiving, I'm going to say something I'm thankful for each day. Now that I've said it, I have to keep this goal. I don't like it when I fail. So, you should get more posts!

For the first seven days. . . .

I'm Thankful to have a job during trying times.

I'm Thankful for "Sistaz" who make me laugh.

I'm Thankful for extra hands to help me get the things done that I wish to.

I'm Thankful for Health Insurance and Physicians who can help heal us!

I'm Thankful for FRIDAY'S OFF WITH HADEN!!!!

I'm Thankful for MY hard working James.

I'm Thankful for the True Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our Big Little Boy!

2010-10-12T18:03:00.004-06:00

Monday nights are becoming a gem for our family. We are striving to have Family Home Evening. It's been going really well this month.

Tonight brought some milestones though.

First off, man cub wanted to eat on his own!! Such a big boy!

Big boys love their juice boxes!!

Second came the big boy car seat.

Slow down, Bub! This is going way too fast for me!

Third, I think he's decided he's a dog. He watches Sophie and laughs at her when she does this with her toys. I guess it's like dog, like boy!

Have I?

2010-10-10T18:45:00.002-06:00

This song has been going through my mind a lot today. Enjoy.

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
But go and do something today.
’Tis noble of man to work and to give;
Love’s labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.

Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

Belated Birthday

2010-10-04T18:29:00.002-06:00

So, I've really meant to post these for a few weeks. Life goes faster than I think it should.

Haden is the light of our lives! He's getting better at walking. He like to say, "Dada." He really enjoys sitting on our legs and being bounced too! Perhaps if I was able to be home more, he'd learn more faster. I have to be grateful for what I have though!! He's an amazing little boy with an amazing zeal for life. He sleeps through the night and has such a mellow personality. He's a true joy in our lives!

BiRtHdAy BoY!!!!

2010-09-12T13:59:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet little son! Love you to pieces, man cub.

WALKING!!!!!

2010-09-05T19:46:00.002-06:00

. . . ish.

So adoreable folks! Haden has been taking a few steps tonight. He will take a few steps to grandma, mama, aunties, daddy. . . pretty much anyone. I'm so proud of him! My little boy is growing up. Hold on, I need to get some tissues.

. . . and they ate like Kings & Queens!

2010-08-23T17:46:00.003-06:00

We had a fantastic weekend. Unfortunately, James worked all day on Saturday. We were able to make up for it in the evening though. We got together withe Kenny & Michele and her sister, Brooke & her husband Jake. Another set of Brooke & Jake's friends came with us too. We drove up past Camp Lomia. Our men built us a nice bit of a fire and we had fantastic "Tin Foil Dinners." They were so delicious! Then we pulled out the S'mores! James & I found these huge marshmallows. . . they're like 4 times a regular mallow. Wow! Those pack a punch. One is certainly more than enough! Haden and Little Lan Man had a great time in the cars. I do think that Haden likes fire. Just my luck! Gonna be a pyro, just like daddy.

Good Intentions

2010-08-15T19:07:00.005-06:00

Our blog is currently a work in progress!! I'll be updating it with a different e-mail address. We'll more than likely be changing it to a private blog as well. If you would like permissions to access the blog, please post a comment with your e-mail address.

As far as the "good intentions" go, I was planning on doing a nice catch up of the last month. Unfortunately, I've left my memory card at work with all the pictures on it! My mind has seriously skipped town!

Anyway, I'll tell you about it. We took Pioneer Day weekend (7/24/10) to work on the boat. We all took turns scrapping old gaskets off the engine so they could be replaced. Yep! I worked on the inside of an engine! I was dirty, greasy & stinky! Many long hours paid off. We got the boat running and were able to finally go have some fun! Much better than last year. Of course, the fire was quite entertaining. We still are wondering though if it would have been better to let nature take its course and allow the boat to die. Only time will tell, and we're gonna "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!!"

We were able to have an amazing time at the Hancey Family camp out! Our Uncle Neil and Uncle Dave were in charge this year and did a really nice job. We didn't do a darn thing! Just played lazy. I liked that.

Haden and I have been having an enjoyable time swimming. Well, kinda. I take him and he screams! We went to Lava Hot Springs and visited their Olympic Pool last weekend. Grandma & Grandpa Tibbitts, Uncle Tom, Brittney & Uncle Luiz, Aunt Anne & the kids all came with us. Haden had such a great time! I got to take him back to the pool in Logan this last week and he did a really good job there too. It's just taking a little bit of convincing.

James turned 28 last Thursday! He's getting to be so old! ;) I had a great time. After I got off of work, Ashlee and I zipped down to SLC with Haden to pick up James' birthday cake. I like to go to Granite Bakery and get the Key Lime Cake for him. Daren & Ash had it for their wedding and James loves it. It was a fantastic surprise for him! He thinks I spoil him! What can I say, He's TOTALLY worth it!

The saddest thing did happen a week ago. I work at the Logan City Court. Our Judge has been very sick. About a year ago she was diagnosed with Aplastic Enemia. It's a weird sort of blood disorder. She's been under immunosuppressant therapy to try and kick it. That wasn't working. So on June 21 she went into the hospital for a bone marrow transplant. It's been pretty rocky for her. She developed a few infections before the transplant took. The doctors worked really hard, but last Sunday she passed away. It's been really hard at work. It just doesn't feel like it's real. That's more than likely because she's been away and we've been using fill in judges. I don't think it will feel real until her replacement takes over. But I'm willing to accept the Lord's will in this. I know that our Savior lives. I know my friend has been called home. I know with all my heart that I will get to see her again. I'm grateful for the atonement and for the opportunity that repentance gives us to live with our Father again.

I wish to also offer condolences to my siblings. I have an amazing half- brother & sister. Unfortunately, their father also passed away this week. He was such a nice man. He always treated me with love and respect. I loved him too. Until we meet again, dear friend.

Sunday Afternoon Slumbers

2010-07-18T16:28:00.002-06:00

Our family loves to take Sunday afternoon naps! It's been working out really well for the last little while. Haden stays awake during all of church and we're able to get him to sleep after his 1 pm bottle. Mommy loves the nap time too!

This is how I just found Haden sleeping. He's so sweet!

And we all agree that the "waking up" is the hardest thing to do!

OUCH

2010-07-14T22:29:00.003-06:00

Last Thursday my mom took a fall. She was watering her flowers and must have tripped over the hose. Unfortunately, she broke her fall with her face. There were no broken bones! That's something we can be grateful for.

She and Dad made a quick trip to the ER. I met up with them there. Her dentures cracked during the impact and the inside of her top lip got squished into the crack! Poor thing! We got her all cleaned up and the physicians assistant gave her a numbing agent. After that her lip was good to get some stitches. Only two! I was amazed. The sweetest part was that Mom asked me to come sit and hold her hand while she got the stitches. It was a tender moment for me. I couldn't really do much, but I was able to be there for her comfort.

She took the weekend and two days of watching Haden off. She missed him so much! She's doing much better now. The swelling is down. Her bruising is more wide-stretched, but much lighter. On the mend!

Wow!

2010-07-08T17:58:00.005-06:00

Warning. . . . . Lots of pictures ahead. ENJOY!!!

What an amazing couple of months! I turned 30, James and I had our ACTUAL first Mother's and Father's Days, we took a fantastic family vacation & little Haden Grew some more teeth and is almost 10 months old! Super Crazy!

For our family vacation we piled fourteen (yes, that's actually 14)bodies into 2 rented Suburbans! We, along with James' parents, siblings and their children, drove to Oceanside, CA. We stopped in Las Vegas to stay the night on our way there and then in St. George on our way home. We did so many fun things. We went to Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Legoland, the San Diego Temple & Universal Studios. The last day we were there we went to the pier area of Oceanside. There was a super fun street fair going on. They had lots of fun treats.

We came home and had just about a week to plan our annual Fireworks BBQ for the 4th of July. It was so much fun! Daren and James made some amazing burgers. Imagine: ground burger and pork. Add a little garlic, Worcestershire sauce and other multiple seasonings. Throw in some crispy bacon pieces and make your patties. Make 'em thin because we're going to throw some shredded cheese on a patty and top it all with another patty. Squish 'em together and get a good seal. That's what I call a bacon cheeseburger! Dad Tibbitts brought over a HUGE grill that he's been storing for a few years. Add great company and things blowing up. . . . that's a fantastic party!

Photos

2010-04-21T17:06:00.004-06:00

We're getting geared up for our family pictures on Saturday! It's going to be great. We are going to have all of James' family together and take a big one!

While preparing, I noticed I forgot to post Haden's 6 month pictures. He is such a cutie. These were taken right when he was figuring out how to crawl. He's now got that mastered. It's quite mechanical and reminds me of Mogli from The Jungle Book. He's also quickly taken it upon himself to get into a standing position all on his own. My mom says she caught him standing in his crib when she went to wake him this morning! What have I got myself into? A busy, little, amazing, sweet boy is what!

a few favorites. . .

2010-04-14T15:16:00.003-06:00

Ok, so really our lives revolve around this sweet little boy. It's the way it should be. He really has mastered crawling now. His knees sure show it too! He even gets around pretty well on the hard wood floor and tile!

Here's a few more favorite things he's discovered he likes to do lately:

Cruzin'

2010-03-31T19:13:00.002-06:00

This video was taken last week. He's gotten much better at it this week! What an amazing little guy!

Haden and Sophie are playing together really well too. We'll try to get a video of that. It's super cute! Sophie will paw at Haden and he just giggles uncontrollably.

I never imagined that adding children to our family would add so much to our lives. There is nothing better than this. We usually get to go wake Haden up together. It's so wonderful and fufilling to see his smile just at the sight of us. I'm so grateful for the blessings and joy that Haden has brought to our lives.

Touchy subject

2010-03-25T20:36:00.004-06:00

K. . . please keep in mind that I'm a first time mommy. I don't know what I'm doing and I believe Haden dropped his manual during the delivery process. I can't find it!

So, Haden is now 6 months old. We've been giving him food now. You know, the baby 1st stage stuff. He really enjoys it. We've also cut out all nursing during the day. The rest of the feedings are formula bottles. Here's the problem. . . Haden's poo is different!!! I know this is normal, right? He just hasn't been pooing as much. And it looks like it hurts the poor little guy! Am I crazy that I'm concerned about this. Please help me ease my mind! I thank you in advance. Love you all!

Here's a cute picture for you to see what he's up to this week as well.

The Salon. . . .

2010-03-22T16:44:00.002-06:00

IS OPEN!!!

James purchased a hair cutting set. It's really nice. We've had it for about a month now. I've just been too chicken to use it.

My brother in law, Tom--BLESS HIS HEART!!--, was my first guinea pig. He was such a trooper and just guided me along with how the other elders did it while he was on his mission. I must admit, Tom walked away with a stinking good looking hair cut. (maybe he just lies to me when he says it's a good cut though!) But my poor James. . . his hair is so different than Tom's. It still looks good. I just have to get better at the blending as far as his hair goes. I'm really excited though. It turned out pretty well. And he just keeps reminding me that it will grow back. I can try again! I'm so excited.

So, I'll be able to get my hair done because I can save money on my boys' hair cuts.

WAHOOOO!!!

HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY

2010-03-16T17:53:00.004-06:00

Haden turned 6 months old on 3/12/10. He's such a cute little guy. Caught him waking up!

We went to the doctor that day. He weighs 13 lbs 3 oz and is 26.5 in tall! Scrawny little man! But a happy one. Here's how he likes to take his binky lately! I think it's pretty good for a kid who doesn't really like it anyway :)

Every parent makes mistakes, right. Well, I guess I didn't read correctly and made a good mistake. We should have been feeding him stage one solids since his 4 month appointment. OOPS! Missed that one. We've started now though. He has been enjoying his rice cereal. Now he likes his carrots. We will try beans or squash next I think. I've got to make sure he likes veggies before feeding him sweets.

More Firsts!

2010-03-10T18:39:00.005-07:00

We've had quite a few firsts. We skipped one. . . Haden's first rice cereal. He loves his rice cereal! He's done really well with it since day one. . . which was January 19, 2010.

Then he sat up on his own on February 21, 2010. That was in my previous post.
Also on this day he got his first bruise! He got in the way of a cell phone being tossed to it's owner. Here he is with his Uncle Tom. The bruise isn't too visible though.

Now he has cut his first teeth!!!! His first one popped through on March 5, 2010 with the second one following through on the 6th!!

Stay posted for more to come!

Look What I Can DO!!!!

2010-02-21T21:19:00.003-07:00

The Olympics have been so inspiring. . . we came home from our family dinner tonight to watch a bit of ice dancing. I was doing up a few dishes and heard James holler from the living room, "Mommy, come quick!" This is what I caught Little Mr. H doing. Luckily we were able to get a picture. Tonight is the first night he's sit up on his own! I'm so proud of him. Now he's just laying on the floor squealing and laughing at Sophie. What a nice way to wrap up the weekend! I love my family.

Been A While. . .

2010-02-03T20:15:00.005-07:00

Well, what do ya know. There I was in a whirlwind, called life. Then I realized, I haven't posted on my blog for some time. Wow! It's been over 2 months. So much has happened. I think I've been avoiding it as well. With the baby and going back to work, add the Holidays, Family togetherness, Ward responsibilities etc,, something was bound to take the back burner. I wish I was amazing and could do it all. Oh well. New year, new situation. . . time to catch up.

We had a wonderful holiday season! I don't think we had a spare night during the whole month of December! We had a lot of fun. We got to go to the Jon Schmidt Christmas concert and the Pickleville Playhouse Christmas show as well. They were so much fun! Haden got to come with us to the Pickleville Play. He was such a good little boy and got to sit on Santa's lap. We went to that play on Dec. 21. Right before we left we got this cute video of the little man:

We spent a quiet Christmas with all our parents. It was just so nice. Our real Christmas came 4 days later, on the 29th. James' little brother came home from his mission! We traveled down to SLC in an ucky storm and picked him up just before midnight. It was late, but a total blast! It's been so good to see him and have him back home.

My schedule has changed a little bit lately. Since the new year, I've been able to switch from being a full time employee at the Logan City Court, to a part timer! It's absolutely fantastic!! I work Monday through Thursday from 8 am to 1 pm. Haden and I seem to enjoy it.

Haden is almost 5 months old now. We went in for his 4 month appointment on Jan 14. He weighed in at 12 lbs 5 oz, was 26 in tall and his head was 15.5 in. His percentiles are 8, 85 and 8. He's just a tall, skinny kid. We moved him to his crib last weekend. he's doing so very well. Still sleeping through the night, so that's what counts!

James is just doin' the same old thing. He's doing good at S&S. He's still serving as an Assistant Scout Master and enjoying himself.

That's our little update. I hope all is well with everyone else and look forward to blogging more in the near future.

Here's a cute little picture of Haden taken just after Christmas.

Poor Kiddo

2009-11-25T23:24:00.002-07:00

Haden's first diaper rash has arrived. He's such a trooper and doing really well. Thanks to my smart mom and desitin it will hopefully be over soon.

Fun, Fun

2009-11-19T21:14:00.003-07:00

So, we're so excited! Haden laughed for the first time tonight. It was so much fun and so cute! Unfortunately we were not quick enough to get it on video. Then when we had the video ready, he was done. Better luck to us next time. It was so cute though. He let out a little squeal and then smiled and laughed. We love our little one so much!

Catching up. . .

2009-11-04T20:08:00.009-07:00

Wow! It's amazing how fast time flies. I've tried numerous times to get on here post an update. I just haven't succeeded yet. We've had an amazing two weeks. We had a wonderful Halloween weekend. We carved pumpkins and had caramel apples at Daren and Ashlee's house. Josh and Heather came over for a fun Halloween visit with my parents. It was so cute to watch McKenna observe Haden. I think she's not sure what to think of him yet. The best part of the weekend was Sunday. We had so many of our family and friends join us for Haden's blessing. We missed those who weren't able to attend, but we understand all the circumstances that prevented their presence. We love you all! Haden looked so handsome! The blessing was wonderful. In the circle were Daddy, Great Grandpa Tibbitts, Grandpa Tibbitts, Grandpa Wilderness, Uncle Daren, Uncle Luiz, our special friend Uncle Wade and Bishop Godfrey. Daddy gave an amazing blessing. I know it was truly sent from our Lord. James' Aunt Louise wrote it down for us. I'm really glad that we will have that to keep for Haden. He truly is such a special little spirit. We love him so very much and are so grateful that he has come to our family.

I went back to work on November 2. My mom sweetly comes over every morning early enough for her to get situated and for me to make it to work on time. It's been such a blessing to have her help out. At times it's entertaining, but it's mostly wonderful. Hopefully I won't have to work full time for too long. I don't want to miss out on anything fun that Little Haden does. He has recently found his fist. He likes to put it into his mouth.

He's cooing much more now and melts our hearts with his whole hearted smile. It's so full of love.

We went to his 2-month checkup this week. He is 9 lbs 14 oz and is a whopping 24 in long! He's just our cute tall/skinny guy. Well, nature is calling me in the form of a hungry child. I must go for now, but will try and do better at posting! Love you all!

Big Day!

2009-10-30T14:22:00.004-06:00

We are blessing Haden on Sunday, November 1, 2009. What a big day for him and daddy! We've got a beautiful blanket that was crotcheted for him by a friend of mine. We've also picked out a fantastic blessing outfit for him. He'll be so cute. If you're in the area and would like to join it will be at 1255 N 600 E Logan UT at 9am.

Lovin' the Love Sac!

Haden's First Play Date

2009-10-15T16:39:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we went for a fun little walk. We went to see our friends, the Phillips, down in the next cul de sac. Amy had her baby, Autumn, about 6 days before Haden was born. It was a lot of fun. the babies got a little bit of fun look time as well as some scream time. And I think Amy enjoyed an adult visit. I know I sure did!

And Sweet little Haden is already a month old! Here are some pictures we took on his 4 week birthday.

Thank you!!

2009-10-07T12:34:00.002-06:00

Thank you so much to my wonderful readers and helpers!! I really appreciate all the help you have offered on my last post. It really helped to put my mind at ease. I love you all! I'm so grateful to have women in my life that know and understand what I'm going through! You're honestly the best women/sisters/friends a girl could ask for!

Now for your viewing delight . . .

Normal

2009-09-30T13:48:00.003-06:00

So I need some help or advice or something. I'm sure I'm the normal over paranoid first time mommy.

We went to Haden's two week appointment yesterday. I was concerned that he wasn't getting enough to eat. Turns out that's not a problem at all. He had gained about 21 oz in 12 days. What a porker! But on that note, I've been trying to pump. I get so much more out of one side than the other. How can I keep the one side from drying up? I just don't know what I'm doing.

In connection with that, Haden really likes to sleep. He takes after me, that's for sure! It seems like all he does is eat and sleep. That's normal, right? We make sure and try to talk to him and interact with him when he's awake. But when it's time to eat, he does so and sleeps right afterward. How long does this last? Am I doing this right? Please help me calm my nerves.

Much Thanks!

Haden's Story

2009-09-27T15:28:00.004-06:00

So our little man is already two weeks old! Time goes by way too fast. But it's been a wonderful two weeks. We sure do love him!

The story goes:

James decided to hang out with me when he put me on maternity leave. It was so nice. We spent the next few days going on walks, making me take warm baths and timing contractions. I had really hoped to have Haden on 09/09/09. That would have been so cool! I was having some pretty good contractions that day, but they weren't unbearable. So I was too scared to go in to the hospital. I shouldn't have been though. My doctor was the one on call and said he would have kept me. But my contractions slowed and eventually stopped for Thursday.

When I woke up on Friday morning I was in a lot of pain and didn't feel good. I was really scared and just in tears. We called my dad and James' dad. They came right over and gave me a blessing. After the blessing we went over to the hospital. Since it was after 9 we decided to stop at the doctor's office instead of going right up to labor and delivery. They wanted me to be checked so they fit me in. I was getting my weight and blood pressure done when Dr. Horsley walked by and said, "you don't look good, and I mean that in the nicest way!" We all laughed at that. During the appointment we found that I had progressed, which was good. The baby had finally dropped. I was dilated to 3.5 and about 80% effaced. Dr. Horsley counseled us that he could send us up to labor and delivery then but he wouldn't be able to deliver the baby. He had a prior commitment that was taking him out of town for the evening. Or we could go home and continue walking and take a nice warm bath to bring on labor more naturally. If we did this, it would take a little longer, but he would more than likely be able to deliver the baby. Then if that didn't work, he gave us the instructions for being induced on Monday morning. Of all the options, the middle one sounded best to us. So that's what we did.

After returning home, James put me in a really nice, warm bath. He fixed me some breakfast too. During the afternoon we went on a venture to Walmart and finished some laundry and things at home. We took the pup for a nice long walk that evening as well. All the while having contractions. I timed them for a while, but they weren't really being that consistent. Well they were, but kept changing. . . from 10 minutes to 5 minutes to 8. Quite random. I decided to stop timing them and not focus on it anymore. I was on Facebook with some friends who were very helpful and tried to get me to go into Labor and Delivery. I decided that I would try to go to bed and see if I could sleep through the contractions. We headed that direction at 11:30 pm. I was up again by midnight, again by 12:30 and again at 1. James was getting worried I think. He asked if I wanted to go in, and I said let me try to sleep till 2. If I can't then we'll go in. Well, by 1:20 I was still up and having some decent contractions. We both got up and decided we weren't waiting till 2. We gathered our bags and put them in the car. Gave the puppy some hugs and were on our way.

We made our way up to labor and delivery. I told them I thought I may be in labor, but wasn't really sure. They asked me about my contractions. I admitted that I had given up on timing them, but I wasn't able to sleep through them. They got me checked in and hooked up to the monitors. The nurse said she was going to get an IV ready. I had to ask, "so that means you're keeping me? I'm having this baby?" She assured me that I was. She checked me and I had dilated to 4.5 and was 90% effaced. She asked me if I wanted an epidural. I assured her that I did and the sooner the better. Thee anesthesiologist and on call dr. were doing a c-section and they would be in right afterward. We made sure that they were calling Dr. Horsley in for us as well. The on call dr. came in about 30 minuted later and asked if he could break my water. I had heard that contractions get worse after that so I told him no, not till I got my epidural. He said that he had to break my water in order to get my epidural. So I said, "sure!." My water was broke and I got my epidural. After about 30 minutes I was still feeling some intense contractions. The anesthesiologist came back in and put some additional medication in my line. Within 10 minutes, I couldn't feel a thing! They checked me again and I was dilated to a 6. I had been informed that the whole labor and delivery thing would take about 12 hours then I would be pushing for another 2-3 hours. That's a long time! An hour later they checked me again and I had progressed to a 9! I still couldn't feel a thing. In fact, I couldn't even move my legs! The extra drug that had been given me was doing the trick! James had to keep helping me reposition myself. It was quite uncomfortable. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't sleep. So I enjoyed some Popsicles and ice chips. After another hour I had dilated to a 10. After you reach that, they have you "rest and descend." Mom is supposed to rest for an hour while allowing baby to descend into the birth canal more. Then the pushing would begin. During this hour the baby's heart rate kept changing. After about 35 minutes my nurse came back in and said that his heart rate was getting really fast and we were going to begin pushing.

James was such a trooper! Since my legs were completely numb, he had to help me by holding one of my legs. What an amazing man! Anyway, we did about 3 sets of 3 pushes. Things were going so well that our nurse called Dr. Horsley shortly before 7. He arrived a few minutes later and we did about 3-4 more sets of pushing. Haden joined our family in a rush of excitement! He started to cry and at the moment I heard his voice I began to tear as well. I couldn't stop smiling and crying. It was such a miracle to hear that little cry! Dr. Horsley helped James cut Haden's the umbilical cord. Then reminded him to go take pictures while Haden was getting cleaned up and measured. Our little man came into this world on 9/12/09 at 7:23 am, just over 5 hours after checking into the hospital. He weighed 7 lbs 9 oz, and measured 20 in long. What a joy in our lives!

We had such a wonderful team of nurses. Our doctor is so wonderful! We love and respect him so much. He will forever be a lifelong friend. I am so honored that Heavenly Father has blessed me with such a miracle. I have yearned for a child for years. I just had to wait for the Lord's time. Hopefully the patience I have learned from waiting will also play a role in raising this little one. Patience is not something that I'm good at. But I'm excited for this opportunity that has been given me.

I also want to thank my wonderful husband and family for all the help and love that they've given me and our new family during this time. I love you all!

Labor Day

2009-09-12T03:40:00.004-06:00

!!WE ARE FINALLY IN LABOR!!

Here is Our little Tidbit!

Haden James Tibbitts
9/12/09
7:23 am
7 lbs 9 oz
20 in long

40 Weeks, Executive Decisions & Emotions

2009-09-10T22:12:00.003-06:00

By now I'm sure you can tell that the baby tracker is off. It counted down to zero and is now adding days on. That's right folks, I'm overdue.

We made our 40 week mark on Monday. As I'm writing this, I'm 3 days over. We were sure hoping to have our little gut on 09/09/09, but alas, it was not meant to be. Tuesday evening James and I went for a fantastic walk with the pup. We all enjoyed ourselves and have been going on many walks since then.

Wednesday morning, James helped make an executive decision for our family. He put me on my maternity leave! We figured that since I had already gone past my due date and I was so exhausted that what the heck. . . start my leave. If worse comes to worse, we will deliver on the 14th. That was only 3 work days away. I must admit that I'm very grateful for this decision. It's been nice to be taken care of and be able to take a nap if I feel the need. It's like a burden has been lifted from my shoulders. Now I'm not saying that work is a burden, it's just nice to have one less thing to have to worry about. I've been able to sleep in a little, go on walks, patch up a few loose ends for the baby and focus on our family. It's just nice.

EMOTIONS.
Need I say more. Please realize that I am 40+ weeks pregnant. I just feel so full of emotions this week. I'm happy, sad, nervous, ecstatic, anxious. . . etc. . . all at the same time. And its all over this little guy inside me. Honestly, I'm doing really well. This is such a happy time for us. I've had such a wonderful pregnancy. It's been easy. For that, I am so grateful. On the other hand, I'm sad, nervous and anxious. He's not here yet! I don't know what I'm doing! I don't know if I'm in labor or not. Yesterday I was having regular contractions with pain. Today. . . pretty much nothing. Some here and there. I don't want to be a burden on my doctor. We had an ultrasound on Tuesday and found out the baby is doing great, he's just really crammed in there. They also told us that he was about 8 lbs 11 oz! That's huge!! But we didn't get to see the doctor afterward. We saw the nurse practitioner. I don't know if I'm supposed to be seen again, or just wait it out until Monday when the doctor said he would induce me. At that, what am I supposed to do? Do I go in for an appointment on Monday or just go in and say, "Start me."? I have no idea what I'm doing. We're so concerned about all of this. The baby hadn't dropped by last Friday. Is he going to drop at all? Are we holding out for a natural delivery that won't be achievable, or am I prone now to have a c-section? My emotions. . . just all over the place. Sorry about the ranting. I'm sure all will be ok. I just don't want to cause imbalance to the universe. Faith in every footstep. That's what I have to keep in mind.

39 Weeks and Love!

2009-09-02T20:49:00.003-06:00

We're to our 39 weeks! And at this point it's actually down to 5 days left! Doctor seems pretty positive that I'm going to go over though. We will see what he says at Friday's appointment. Here's my mug for now:

So, one of my favorite fall goodies is CANDY CORN!! I love it! I went on a quest for it yesterday. Luckily I found some. I bought a package for myself at work and a package for James and I at home. It's a great treat we can both agree on :) We were getting headed out of the house tonight and I had grabbed a handful and put it on the counter. I fed James a few and realized I had to potty, again! I took care of the situation and came back to grab our corns and head out. This is what I found when I arrived in the kitchen:

What a sweetheart my husband is!

Quick Trip!

2009-08-26T21:35:00.005-06:00

So last Friday the doctor gave James the thumbs up for a quick business trip. He left Monday morning for San Jose. He set up a ride quick, just to find out that he couldn't train anyone on the ride. The park is not going to open till sometime next year which means he will go back later to train someone. Not too big a deal. He returned home this afternoon. I like that it was such a short trip, and within the Continental US.

We've got 12 more days till Baby Tidbit's scheduled arrival. Now that James is home, and we've passed the 37 week mark, he can come at anytime! His room is as ready as it's going to be for now. So bring it on! We go to the doctor again on Friday. Woo HOO!

MMMMMMMMMMM. . . . while James was away, I made jam from the Bear Lake Raspberries we bought. Oh, it's soooooooooo delicious. I'm so excited!

For your viewing pleasure. . . My friend Randa did a maternity photo shoot for me. She's so much fun and amazing! You can check out more of her work at http://www.alvordphotography.blogspot.com

What a month!

2009-08-23T16:20:00.008-06:00

Ok, so I've been a blogging slacker again. But I really haven't been slacking! I've been quite busy! We were given some wonderful baby showers, James overcame Swine Flu and I didn't get it, been camping, started weekly doctor appointments, James turned 27, we've got the baby's room painted and all the furniture set up! That's just among the regular things we do on a weekly basis that keep us busy. So please forgive.

Thank you so much to all our wonderful friends and family that have taken care of us! We have received such an outpouring of love and generosity! Thank you again so much! Here's just a quick view of the rest of the showering we were blessed with:

Thank you Sisters of the Logan 19th Ward!

Thank you Friends!

Thank you Family! You're the greatest!

We had an awesome time at the Hancey Family Campout! We camped from the 5th to the 8th. It was such a nice getaway. And such a pleasure to just be with family. There was so much food! It was awesome. Unfortunately I found that I gained 4 lbs at the appointment following the week of the campout!

Our little family, including a lazy dog.

As mentioned, James turned 27! I'm so grateful for him. We didn't really get to do anything spectacular for his birthday. But he was so gracious and happy with just hanging out. We celebrated his day on Sunday the 9th with cake and ice cream. We celebrated his actual day on Wednesday the 12th with dinner at Quizno's and putting a second coat of paint on the baby's room. A big shout out to Daren, Ashlee, Lacey, Jody, James and Mom Tibbitts! You all did an amazing job! I wasn't allowed in. pout, pout.

Sophie Loves her Daddy.

Baby Tidbit's room is finally to the point where I can take a deep breath and relax. James built most of the furniture then his brother Daren came and helped set up some of the final pieces. I've got all the newborn clothing washed and with the help of my mommy and Lacey, it's all put away in his dresser. Thanks team! Couldn't have done it without you!

On another note, I've finally gotten to the uncomfortable stage of my pregnancy. I'm not super huge or anything, it's just different for me now. I can't bend over without grunting and I certainly don't feel like I can sit like a lady anymore! It really makes me laugh, but is just uncomfortable. It's ok though. I'm 38 weeks tomorrow. The baby and I are both 100% healthy and well. That's really the most that I can ask for.

And the last thing I'll probably talk about for tonight. . .

James and I went on a date Friday night! It was so wonderful!! We headed over to Bear Lake right after work. It was a pleasant and construction-less drive. We had dinner at LeBeau's. It's always great! We did decide though that we were going to give one of the other eateries a try the next time we go over. There's so many great places, but we've only ever done LeBeau's. We will be expanding our horizons! After we ate we stopped by a local raspberry stand and got a half a flat! I get to make some freezer jam tomorrow and am so excited for it! It's so delicious! Then we traveled to the south end of the lake to a little town called Pickleville. There's not much there, but the one thing that counts is the Pickleville Playhouse! It's a family run operation that's absolutely OUTSTANDING!!! The cast puts on two shows a summer that run through July and August. We went to see "The Hanging of ElBandito." It was a melodrama that was written by one of the crew. It had us laughing for the rest of the night. I thought I was going to go into labor from laughing so hard! All was well though. Then we headed home, stopping again at LeBeau's so we could have shakes. What a fantastic evening! One of our last outings as just the two of us :)

Surprise!

2009-07-31T18:10:00.004-06:00

Yesterday the girls at work surprised me with a baby shower! They won't be able to make the shower tomorrow, but didn't want me to feel forgotten. It was a lot of fun! I sure do work with a good group. The best part was that it involved ICE CREAM!!! the most entertaining part was our bailiff: he was putting whipped cream on top and ended up spraying it all over the place. Heather and Jen got the brunt of it. The look on the three of their faces was priceless! Thanks Pals!

Vacation

2009-07-27T14:20:00.008-06:00

James and I have returned from a real Wyoming vacation! We left last Tuesday night and drove to Cheyenne. We arrived at about 2 am. Boy were we exhausted!

Wednesday we got up and went into town to watch the Thunderbirds. We were there during Frontier Days, so they were there for the air show. They were pretty good! The show wasn't as long as it usually is, but good none the less. For dinner becky made some great pork chops. mmmmm, mmmmm good!Later that night we went to the carnival. The kids had a blast and got to ride some rides. None for me though!

Frontier Days is great for "People Watching." We caught a glimpse of this cool dude we have conveniently named "Afro Man."

Thursday we kinda relaxed. It was nice. Went and looked at some stores. The most exciting part was that James was able to obtain his illegal for Utah fireworks. I have no idea what we are going to do with them, but I'm sure it will be entertaining. We wrapped this day up with some authentic Mexican grub. It was delicious. We made cilantro lime rice and homemade re-fried beans to go with our shredded beef. It was delicious!

My sister had to work on Friday, so we got ready and got a few pictures. We loaded up everything and set out for our next destination.

First, I took James out to Burns. That's where I grew up. It didn't take too long. There's not much there that's the same anymore. We did stop at the cemetery to visit my grandparents. I hadn't been there in so long. It was nice. James never got to meet them, but now he at least knows where they are. After our tour (sorry, no pictures. It's that boring!), we went back into Cheyenne where we met up with my uncle, a couple cousins, and our friends Al & Linda Wilcox for lunch. We had such a good time there! Food is always welcome!

After we finished eating, we headed to Douglas to see my other Sister. Her husband, Paul is an amazing chef! That night, he cooked the best steak I believe I've ever had in my life! I would definately eat more of it if he were closer, that's for sure!

On Saturday, we kinda just hung out again. It was so nice and relaxing. I got a little rambunctious and went on a Harley ride with Paul. I loved it!

We made personal calzones for dinner and watched movies all night!

We made the LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG trip home on Sunday. Here's the sad stuff. I hadn't been feeling well for most of the trip. By the time we got to Lea's on Friday, I had lost my voice. We almost came home early. I was tough and my sister Lea helped me get in contact with a doctor to feel better. By Sunday morning, I was feeling a lot better and was gaining my voice again. But my sweetie wasn't feeling well. He ached all over. We figured it was just the sleeping arrangements. We were both not feeling well this morning and stayed home from work. By 8:30 I had James to the instacare. Turns out he has the swine flu! I can't believe it! I feel so bad for him. We are both on anti-viral medication. Since I'm in the high risk group, I get to take the same meds as James does. He's out of work for 7-10 days and gets to be quarintend. I'm still safe. I can go to work. So it's all good. Dr. Horsley says so.

Wrapping up this extra long post. . . We are at 34 weeks today! 6 more to go! I better get cracking on the baby's room!

A Long Awaited Post

2009-07-19T14:52:00.007-06:00

I must apologize to my faithful followers (if there are any!) I have been very slack! I did not anticipate a 5 week hiatus. It just so happened. I've had every great intention of posting, I just lack the time and energy to do so.

We will be 33 weeks along in our pregnancy tomorrow. Things are going great! We had another ultrasound to verify everything was going well on 7/6/09. I had the technician verify again that we are definitely having a boy. We are. He is looking very healthy and was weighing in at 3 lb 12 oz. We tried to get some face shots of him, but it did not work. He was crossing his hands right in front of his face and wouldn't move them. As soon as we were back in the waiting room he was moving around again. Here is the picture we took last week for our 32 weeks:

I'm getting big now, but it's all worth it.

We have all been working very tediously on the family boat. We've re-upholstered most of it. After putting the seats back in and trying to start it we realized we had more problems. It wouldn't start. We had problems with the battery last year, so James and I replaced the battery. We were over at Ma N Pa Tibbitts' trying to get it started this week. Things were going well. I was just sitting on the boat encouraging James to let him know he was doing a good job. I had asked him, "Is it safe for me to sit here? This isn't going to blow up on me is it?" His response was, " It hasn't done that before. You're safe." Not three minutes later we were all bailing out of the boat trying to escape some flames! There was an electrical shortage that hit some gas and WOW!

After the flamage we replaced the fuel pump and starter. It was working so much better! Daren and Ashlee got it registered and we decided to take it out for it's 2009 maiden voyage to Hyrum Dam yesterday. We were in the process of launching the boat and it wouldn't start. BOO!!! Ran back into town to replace the new battery. Re-launch. Things are looking good. But maybe we ought to let it warm up a bit before we play. James, Ashlee and I went to go for a short spin only to find that it wouldn't hit high RPM's while in gear. Ashlee and I traded places with the boys and they worked on it for about an hour. Alas, to our dismay, it would be re-loaded and we were headed home. It still needs more work. Sophie enjoyed her time out. My belly has become her new sitting post. We discovered this on our way to the dam.

Poor Daren was so bummed out, he settled with the sprinkler in front of his house for a couple of minutes.

Considering all the difficulties, I was just glad that we were all well and the boat didn't blow up again!

We've also been up to lots of other things. Holidays are great! We hosted our Annual 3rd of July BBQ bash! It went great and the Logan City fireworks were fantastic. Hyde Park just had their 24th of July Fireworks on Friday. We enjoyed an amazing BBQ at Uncle Casey & Aunt Mari's pad just before. It is so much fun to get together with family. This week, James and I will be headed to Wyoming to see my sisters, Becky & Lea. It will be great, I just don't look forward to the drive.

Until next time. . .

28 Weeks!

2009-06-16T21:28:00.003-06:00

We are officially in our Third trimester! I'm still just as excited and scared as ever. We are just plugging away every day.

The most wonderful, magical part of this all:

It took a little while for our baby to move. At least for me to feel it. James left for Sweden on May 14. I felt the baby move the night before and that morning. But each time James put his hand on my belly, our little man would stop. So James went for almost 3 weeks without having felt his baby move. The night James came home, we were lying in bed and our little guy was kicking like crazy. James was finally able to feel him!

His movements have changed from little bumps to more prominent stretching. We can feel his little body parts. (I'm not very good at this and don't know which parts are which yet.) I just love it. It's the most amazing feeling! I didn't know how I would feel about it. Some women don't like the feeling of something moving inside them. I love it. I love to rub my belly and push back at him when he pushes on me. And James seems to be enjoying it as well. He likes the feeling of his son moving. I think it's awesome and James is going to be such an amazing father.

Ummmmmmm..............

2009-06-12T20:39:00.002-06:00

So now my sweetie is home. It's wonderful!!!

We've been crazy busy and will try to get a real post on here soon!

Love to all!

Tonight

2009-06-02T12:55:00.001-06:00

10 PM

The love of my life should arrive at our doorstep. He's actually on the plane now!!!

WAHOOOO!!!

Bummed Out

2009-05-31T12:38:00.002-06:00

So I feel like it's going to be one of those days. I'm trying not to let it be though.

I found out yesterday that there were some problems with the ride during the opening in Sweden. Therefore, James won't be home tonight. I feel like I have multiple personalities or something. I'm super supportive of him and his work. I appreciate his concern for others and their safety. This ride is safe, there was a malfunction and they think they've got it fixed. I would prefer him to be there and ensure that things are going properly. But then my selfish emotions get in the way. I just want my husband home. I miss him so much. I honestly don't know how people are able to manage being away from their spouses. Especially military personnel. I'm learning respect, I think. I really never thought much of it before, but this being apart is hard. I can barely handle 3 weeks. I can't imagine having to do months at a time. I'm embarrassed because I'm currently sitting here at my home with my dog, crying while I write this. I should be tougher.

Just bummed out.

SUNDAY!!!!

2009-05-28T21:58:00.002-06:00

MY JAMES IS COMING HOME SUNDAY NIGHT!!!!!! YEAH!!!!! THAT'S THE BEST NEWS I'VE HAD IN 14 DAYS!!!!

I must pat myself on the back. This is the longest we will have ever been apart. The total for this trip will be about 18 days. The longest prior to this one was 13. I've only cried to him once. That's pretty good for being pregnant, right?

Getting there

2009-05-24T13:43:00.002-06:00

Well, it feels like it's been a long week. It has actually. But I'm beginning to feel better. I'm so grateful for that. I'm still congested and now have a cough. But everything is breaking up and coming out. Hopefully I will be in the clear soon.

I get to talk to my sweetie about twice a day right now. I'm so grateful for computers and the amazing technology that has been given us! I think back to the pioneers and first members of the church. (as well as the pilgrims!) I get concerned when James isn't available for chat exactly when he said he would be. I cannot imagine those days when families would depend on letters or telegraphs to hear how their loved ones were doing. I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am. I also like to think of Joseph and Emma Smith. They had such a strong love for one another! Unbreakable! Amazing! They wrote such lovely words back and forth to one another. And expressed their feelings often. I like to think that James and I have that kind of relationship. Undying, true, unbreakable and AMAZING! He is such a ray of sunshine in my life. I'm so grateful for his sacrifices and SO thankful that I get to be spoiled to talk to him and see him while he is away. (sorry. maybe I got carried away there.)

Exhaustion

2009-05-21T21:27:00.002-06:00

Absolute, 100%, sheer exhaustion. That's what I feel right now. Since I went to the zoo, I've had a massive head cold. I'm so congested and miserable. I can't get over it. Now I'm developing a cough. I just feel miserable. I'm trying really hard not to take any medicine. My Dr said I can take Tylenol or Robitussin products. I just don't want to over do it. How does everybody else get through sickness during pregnancy?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

2009-05-19T10:00:00.001-06:00

Dear James,
I just want you to know that I love you with all my heart. When my world was all but right side up you swooped in and turned it around. You are so wonderful. You make my life complete. I am so excited about your enthusiasm to be a father. You will be a fantastic role model for our little guy. I love how you speak kindly to me. I love that you respect e as a daughter of God and help me shine the very best that I can. I appreciate that you allow me to cry and laugh when I need to. Thank you so much for all of your loving support and kindness. You truly are an amazing man and I'm the lucky one to spend the rest of eternity with you.

Always and Forever, Love Your C.B.

(Sorry Sweetie. I couldn't find the wedding picture disk)

Birthday Bliss

2009-05-18T10:53:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday. I sure had a good time. I went with James' family on Saturday to Utah's Hogle Zoo! I had never been there. It was so much fun! It was a long day though. I sure slept well Saturday night! Ashlee and I had a wonderful time releasing our inner child. We found that it was more fun to just pose with the statues.

Yesterday I woke up with a cold. It's pretty much kicking my hind end! But I went to church and came home to tidy my castle a little bit. I got to talk to my sweetie via Skype. Wonderful program! Get it if you have loved ones living far away! Then I enjoyed a lengthy nap. The only way I can imagine the day being better is with my sweetheart being home. It was perfect otherwise. Thank you to all who called and e-mailed wonderful birthday wishes!

Sniffle, Sniffle-Pout,Pout

2009-05-14T21:45:00.002-06:00

Alas. . . it twas too good to be true. When James came home from Denmark on April 27 I was so pleased. There haven't been any sales for the Frog Hoppers. He had no more "scheduled" outings. Notice the quotation marks around scheduled. It turns out my sweetheart is a valuable employee. At least in my eyes he is. He was asked to assist in the final tweeking of a new roller coaster S&S is setting up in Skara, Sweden. So he has headed out and leaving me in the good care of our families. I'll take one for Team Tibbitts, and be completely grateful for our continued employment in this time of uncertainty.

20 Weeks and Growing!

2009-04-21T21:42:00.004-06:00

So here we are half way through! I am getting so much more excited to meet our little man!

PS> Check out that "Ba-donk!"

Mothers

2009-04-18T08:08:00.002-06:00

Thank you all so much for your love and support! I'm so grateful for all of you as my friends and family.

My friend Nicole gave me this inspirational quote:

“You can’t possibly do this alone, but you do have help.The Master of Heaven and Earth is there to bless you…Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever.”--Elder Holland.

How wonderful! We are never alone. I have many to rely on, especially Heavenly Father, in helping me raise my Stripling Warrior. Life is amazing!

So what have we got on our hands?

2009-04-16T18:50:00.006-06:00

James and Susi Tibbitts are proud to announce it's a. . . . .

BOY!!!!!!!!

The little "Tidbit" boy was quite a wiggly little one. And he certainly had no problems letting us know that he was a boy. I am so ecstatic and overwhelmed at the same time. I can't believe that we know. I don't know what I'm going to do with a boy, but hopefully that's where James will come in. He is so happy that he was right. He's just the proudest papa!

UPDATE . . .
I hate to have to admit this, but I've just gotten over a moment. James came home and I had him read the post. He said it was great, and I began crying! I can't believe it. I cried because I felt bad for not knowing what to do with a boy. I love this little one growing in me. I hope I can be a great mother. That's what he deserves. James held me and loved me. He's so wonderful! He told me that everything will be all right and that our little boy is going to love me. I love James so much and am so grateful that he loves me unconditionally. THANK YOU MY SWEETHEART! So we went out and did a little bit of shopping therapy. We got an outfit to bring Tidbit home in. It's so cute and I love that James helped me pick it out. :)

All will be well. Put our faith in our Father who gives us His unconditional love. That's what he asks. He has given us this child and has full faith in us. We can do it!

Happy Easter

2009-04-14T21:13:00.004-06:00

Our Easter was pretty low key this year. I kind of enjoyed it. Friday night we went to the temple and then exchanged baskets with Daren and Ashlee. It was so much fun!

Saturday was filled with James helping family move, I babysat and then we went and participated in the Easter Cantada at the Tabernacle. It was beautiful!

Sunday was just nice as we got to spend time with family and think of the things that bring us together and bind us. I'm so grateful for the atonement in my life. I am in awe that our Father in Heaven and brother, Jesus Christ love us so unconditionally. We participated in the Cantada again Sunday night. It was absolutely magnificent! The spirit in the Tabernacle was so strong. Some of us were brought to tears by the first song.

We did participate in the Easter Bunny part just a little bit. James and I played the bunny for Sophie. Hey, she's who we get to entertain for now. It's probably not going to last long after our Tidbit arrives. Isn't she cute though?

Things Unexpected. . .

2009-04-11T21:58:00.002-06:00

So, it turns out that James will more than likely be headed back to Denmark This next weekend. The Inspection team did not give the new frog hoppers a bill of "safety." They've been working on getting everything re-evaluated for the last couple of weeks. And hopefully will get them up and running very soon.

With this trip now in the works, we will not be finding out what sex the baby is on April 22nd. Luckily, I was able to get in contact with someone at the doctors office. Logan City Schools have had Spring break this week. So my doctor and his staff took the week off. LUCKY! Anyway, his nurse came in to take calls on Friday. We were able to reschedule my appointment for the 15th instead!!! We will be able to find out before James has to leave again. Now I just have to keep my composure until Wednesday afternoon! :-)

Profile

2009-03-30T20:45:00.002-06:00

So I decided that it might be nice to have a little bit of memoriabilia from my first pregnancy. James was quite the trooper and helped me out by taking pictures. We're getting more and more excited all the time. I can't wait until next month when we find out if we're having a boy or girl! I wish it would come faster, but I will continue to exercise patience. We find out what we're having in less than 4 weeks? Not a problem :)

So here is our first profile picture. . . at 17 weeks.

Surprise, Surprise!!!

2009-03-25T21:47:00.002-06:00

It's a little late, but still wonderful!

Last Friday, Sophie and I picked up Daren from work. We hung out with D and Ash most of the night. Had a wonderful dinner and watched some good ol CSI. (On demand is great) Then we all (an I mean all. Dogs too.) piled into the truck and headed back into town for ice cream. We also headed over to Wal-Mart to buy James Halo Wars. Lucky kid!

So then we went back to their house for a little bit more CSI. Sophie and I were so tired when we finally came home. When Sophie jumped out of the car she ran right to the door and started barking. She never does that at our house. I was really concerned. It told me right away that there was someone inside. James was not due back until Sunday morning at about 1am. I opened the door and let Sophie in. She barked a few times and ran to the back bedroom. I looked inside. There was some luggage. There was only a small night light on. So I strained to identify it. It sure looked like James' luggage. I called out his name. Nothing. I thought to myself, "How could his luggage be home already. He's not scheduled to leave London until Noon on Saturday." I continued to follow the dog to the bedroom. All of a sudden the bedroom door opened, an arm reached out to grab me and pulled me in! IT WAS MY SWEETHEART!!!!!! In the flesh! I was so surprised. He and Daren had been texting each other all night. James wouldn't let them send me home until he had arrived. He had known for a few days that his flight had changed and did such a good job keeping it secret from me.

I am so blessed to have a husband that loves me so much. I'm grateful for his surprise. Even if it was a little frightening at first. He is my sunshine. And my knight in shining armor. I love you, Sweetie!!!

We Are Survivors!

2009-03-18T21:23:00.002-06:00

Ten days down, about four to go!

Sophie and I have been able to have a lot of girl time. James went to Denmark on the 7th of March. He successfully set up 3 rides. Then on the 15th he flew back to England to finish the 2 rides we previously went to set up. I was able to talk to him during lunch today and found that he has got mostly everything done and taken care of. He will be re-training the workers tomorrow. They claim they have forgotten what he taught them 1 month ago. Interesting blokes.

So Sophie and I have become Grey's Anatomy junkies. We love the relaxing, but so miss our James.

Better Late Than Never!

2009-03-09T17:42:00.006-06:00

Now that it's been about a month since our trip to England, I figured I'd post a few pics. This is just a small sample though. I may put a slideshow on later.

James & Susi at Windsor Castle.

Stonehenge

I'm lifting it up!

We actually found Platform 9 3/4! Kings Cross Station was cool.

James found this cool statue and loved it.

I was impressed with this authentic phone booth.

This castle is called London Tower. It's where the royal jewels are held.

Tower Bridge, which is often mistaken for London Bridge.

Big Ben! It's huge!

This is called the London Eye. It's a huge ferris wheel where the cart stays on the outside of the wheel. Super cool.

Big Ben & Parliment as the sun sets behind it.

We were on the London Eye with Parliment in the back. . . we had a lovely Valentine's ride.

London Eye all dressed up for Valentine's night.

We took a short little jaunt over to Buckingham Palace. Just beautiful. The picture doesn't do it justice.

This was the train station that took us to Buckingham. My sweetie liked it.

An "Eore" type of day

2009-02-28T16:07:00.002-07:00

Things should be great! I got up on time. I cleaned out my dresser and closet. I scrubbed the bathtub. That's it. That's all I've done! I am exhausted.

James went snowmobiling with his brother Daren, my brother Josh and their friend Jeremy today. They had a blast. I went to pick him up from his parents' house afterward. I was still in my groove.

I put on a babydoll shirt. It's just what I'm comfortable in right now. I only have pre-pregnancy babydoll shirts. They are all short sleeve. It's still too cold for that. So we came home and I put on one of my regular long sleeve shirts. Usually looks great, but today: I feel like I have a funny looking beer gut! That's my "Eore" moment for today! I just don't feel pretty and cute. I'm sure life will go on and things will be ok. I just needed a moment to vent. Sorry All!

It's Official!!!

2009-02-23T20:47:00.003-07:00

Yes! We are PREGNANT!!!! Our little one is scheduled to arrive on September 7, 2009. We've already been to the doctor twice. We have the cutest little pictures from the ultrasound. I'll do my best to keep it all posted on here!

By the way, check back again and I'll have the London pictures posted. I'm just exhausted.

What James Does

2009-02-12T14:18:00.003-07:00

I've had a few ask what it is that James does. Lately, he's been able to do some traveling (domestic & foreign) for work. Technically, he is the Project Manager for S & S Worldwide's "Frog Hopper." It's a child's ride. I love it. Here's a few pictures of ones that he has set up.

Zoombizi Bay, Columbus Zoo, Columbus, OH

Isotopes Baseball Stadium, Albuquerque, NM

Lotte World, Seoul, South Korea

Lotte World, Seoul, South Korea

Legoland, Carlsbad, CA
(This is the same model that James is setting up here in England.)

So that's kinda a little tour of what my husband is usually up to. He's got 3 more scheduled to install in Billund, Denmark. They are for Legoland there as well and look like huge lego's.

TaDa!

2009-02-11T08:16:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was a good day. James has convinced me to do the relax part while he's at work. That kid's got a good head on his shoulders. So I decided to take him up on it! I woke up around 10 am London time. Got showered. Cleaned up the room a little. (I'm such a neat freak!) Then headed to this huge grocery store. It's basically like a Super Target. They also have a travel agency though. I was able to exchange my American money for British Pounds. Can I just tell you, we sure get ripped off! Take in $300 and get 186 pounds back! Absurd! Oh well. I'll deal. Then I went down stairs to enjoy myself a late (very late) breakfast. Mmmmmm. They are just as good here as they are at home. The staff was a bit nicer here though. Very pleasant to be around. On my way back to the hotel I stopped at the train station. It's actually located right outside my hotel window. Very nice.

When James got home from Legoland, we got to go to the temple! We had planned to go early and eat dinner at the cafeteria then make the 8 pm session. On our way there, I decided I would be brilliant and call to see when the cafeteria closes. Don't worry. It's actually only open for lunch. Fantastic! I told James we would just have to go on faith and we would find food. We ended up getting to the temple without food. We got our clothing and went through a session. It was so wonderful. And beautiful, too! The building was exquisite! While we were there we got to meet a couple that is serving a mission at the temple from Manti. They were so very nice and kind. They helped us get some pictures and tried to point us in the right direction for food.

I made it through the session, but was starving. Our GPS took us up to the next town. It was nice a peaceful there too. Cozy little place. We ended up finding a McDonald's. I have to admit. . . there was some pushing my pride aside going on. Not a fan. But at 10 pm that was the BEST darn quarter-pounder I've ever had! Lesson learned. Eat earlier. Don't wait until starvation sets in.

So, TaDa! I went exploring! We found the temple! First try! (Not like in Korea) Got to go through a session! Got food! And finally, made it back to the hotel safely!

A little dark, but still a pretty picture.

My husband is so handsome!

Side view with the moon.

On our way out, past the front.

Picture Time!

2009-02-10T07:18:00.007-07:00

James and the car

We made it safely to Windsor. Windsor Castle in the background.

One of the towers on the way into the castle.

James was taking a lot of sneaky pictures of me.

It's ok. I got a few of him too :)

The belt with the cross in the middle is the symbol of the Order of the Garter. It's one of the oldest and most important orders of chivalry in the world, founded by Edward III in 1348. There are still knights appointed to this order today.

This is some of the beautiful architecture. I believe that George III was responsible for this part of the castle.

More architecture from George III.

This is the moat area. It looks like it now is a garden area.

We went on a free guided tour. I tried to learn as much as I could. Here is our guide with St. George's Chapel in the background.

They had BIG guns!

This is the entrance to the State Apartments. That's where the queen does her entertaining with important people. We were not allowed to take pictures in the inside at all. So we just took the pics outside and bought a few books with pictures of the inside.

Another view of St. George's Chapel.

Thi is the Lower Ward. Retired members of the armed services who represent the Garter Knights at services in the chapel live here.

That's about it for now! Love you all!

Three letters of the alphabet I've come to love, G.P.S.

2009-02-09T15:20:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we set out to go to church.
Prior to arriving in England we had gotten a schedule of the nearby wards and found the one that would suit us and our schedule the best. The addresses over here are a little bit different. There’s not always a house or business number, you’re just given the street and city. Sometimes you will get a nearby crossroad. That being said, thank heavens for GPS systems! Find the address you want to go to, hop in the car, plug the addy into the GPS and your set. A pleasant lady tells you when to turn what direction and which exit on the roundabout to take. If you still go the wrong direction, no worries! The GPS will automatically re calculate your route and the best new directions in a matter of seconds. AMAZING!!!

So, we’re on our way to church. With the GPS and directions previously printed we find the meetinghouse without any problems. Except. . . the building is being renovated. It doesn’t tell you that on the church website. And there are no directions to where church is currently being held. So we turned around and went back to the hotel. We made a few wrong turns but that’s when we were pleasantly surprised to find the GPS re directs the route.

We were able to find another ward that started a little bit later. On this outing is where we discovered the importance of nearby cross streets. THANK YOU GPS!!! We were able to make it to church on time and it was a wonderful meeting.

We didn’t get to go to Stonehenge as planned yesterday. It would have just been closing as we would have arrived. So we will try and fit that in later on this week. I’ve still been suffering from some jet lag, so after church it was back to the hotel and nap time for me!!! James is such a sweetheart. He was only supposed to let me sleep for an hour. He doubled my time though. It was nice because I got to cuddle up against him for my whole nap. I think he enjoyed himself too.

After nap time, we decided we had better get some nourishment. We headed back into Windsor and learned you have to pay to park anywhere. I think it’s crazy. I guess it’s something that I take for granted back home. You can park almost anywhere free of charge! That’s a blessing! We found parking and set out to find somewhere to eat. We didn’t get too far. It was raining and we forgot our umbrella all the way at home! (We will run out for one of those later today!) There was this cute little pub at the base of Windsor Castle. We stopped in there. They had a separate restauraunt so that’s where we ate. Their menu wasn’t large, so I was a little concerned that James wasn’t going to find anything to satisfy his palette. Luckily he did. I had the traditional fish and chips. James had a beef and ale pot pie. They were both absolutely delicious! Wow the chips are amazing!! We topped it off with Sticky Toffee Pudding. That was to die for! It was like a toffee bread covered in a warm toffee sauce. There were a few drizzling of chocolate syrup over that and it was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. MMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm good

Safe!

2009-02-07T09:52:00.002-07:00

We have safely arrived in England! James is becoming a professional at driving on the wrong side of the road in the wrong side of the car. I just have to remind him which lane is his as he's turning. We had time in between our arrival and when we could check into the hotel. . . so we used it wisely. We went to Windsor Castle and took a tour. It was so pretty! Pictures will come later, as jet lag has set in and requires me to nap. Much Love!

Hangin' at O'Hare

2009-02-06T13:05:00.002-07:00

We are currently hangin in what my be said as one of the busiest airports. It's definately different than Salt Lake! We arrived here at about 11:40am Chicago time. Our departure isn't until 5:55pm. I really can't complain. Some people have longer layovers than that! We were laughing for a bit though. I was calling ourselves airport bums. When we got here there wasn't a scheduled gate for our departure yet. So we were slummin it looking for power outlets for the computer. We found one!! But our flight has now been posted and James went to find an outlet in the other concourse. I think we're computer junkies or something. Gotta go meet my love! More to come later:)

Hmmmmmm

2009-01-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

I must admit. . . I'm bored at work. How often does that happen? Quite for me lately. I believe I'm in the January slump where I just don't feel like it. Interesting enough we've found a way at work that I won't get caught looking at blogs :) I bet it won't last too long. I also had to make a quick post because my sister says I never post any more. Love you crazy woman!!

Jimmy's Havin' a Blast

2009-01-18T19:31:00.004-07:00

So yesterday James got to go hang out with his brother, Daren, and a friend, Jeremy. They chose to put their day to good use and go snowmobiling. They went up Tony Grove. They say it was very nice and warm. The found themselves a jump that was meticulously formed by some snowboarders. It worked well for snowmobiles too:

Daren's height should give you an idea of how big this jump is.

James in flight.

A little tipsy on this round!

James landed safely. So did the sled. See it way up there?

Happy brothers. Look hard. James looks like part of the tree.

Welcome Home, McKenna!

2009-01-14T18:50:00.003-07:00

McKenna got to go home this morning! Little swee-ie did so good with her eating and growing. She is home with mommy and daddy now, in Perry. Before they headed that direction, they called me so I could come see her. Here we are!

And here she is in the NICU when my mom and dad got to hold her for the first time.

More McKenna Mae

2009-01-11T20:31:00.005-07:00

Yesterday Heather, Mom and I went to Heather's baby shower. The hard part was that it was minus a baby. It was good for Heather to get out a little bit. It was an exhausting trip for her though. Josh and Heather are staying with James and I for a bit. At least until McKenna is released from the hospital. It's a joy to have them around. And I got to see cute McKenna through the NICU window today. She is just adorable. I can't wait to get my hands on her!

Here is a video that Roxy helped me make so we could have cute pictures of the babe.

Ok, So the video was 116 MB and the blogging program only accepts up to 100 MB. Oh well. I'll try to do a slide show instead.

SHE'S HERE!!

2009-01-05T21:23:00.003-07:00

McKenna Mae Wilderness has arrived! It came sooner than we expected. She is about 5 weeks premature. But looks very good. I'm so excited! She's such a cutie. She was born on 1/5/09 at 2:03 AM. She weighs in at a whopping 5 lbs 14 oz and is 19 inches long. She is doing so amazing for a preemie. Everyone is doing well. For the time being, McKenna is in NICU. Mom and Dad didn't get to hold her until tonight, but it seems all is going as natural. Here's some sweet pics of the little cutie. . .

Congratulations brother! Much love to Josh and Heather! Way to go!

Where Has the Time Gone?

2008-12-29T21:24:00.003-07:00

Wow! The months have certainly flown by. I can't believe I last blogged on Nov 2. My apologies. It's been quite nice actually. Unfortunately, I'm not going to do a lot of back tracking. Our flight home from Korea was very nice. We got to come home! Then the holidays rushed in! Halloween was fun, but we weren't up for much of the day due to jet lag. We had a wonderful party at Daren and Ashlee's house. Then we began the preparations for Thanksgiving. That was a delightful day. My dad went to Cheyenne to visit my sister and the grandchildren. So my mom came with us to James' family for Thanksgiving. It was so nice. Just a perfect setting. Turkey, ham, potatoes, rolls. Pie. Oh the Pie! I was sick the day before and my sweetie got to make the pies. They turned out delicious! That weekend was full of shopping and Christmas-ing. We drove up to the mountains with the family to help pick out trees. The pups had a blast. We followed that up with cocoa and hot dogs over an open fire. Then, of course came the Christmas preparations.

I have been so delighted with this season. I haven't been too sick. I got that over before Christmas. Very nice. Then James and I had a few Christmas parties to go to. We did very well in managing our time while making sure to have enough time for one another. We have felt our Savior in our home and live abundantly. We set a goal to spend less this holiday. And achieved it. I feel like we were able to invite the true meaning of Christmas in, by giving more of ourselves. It's been nice not to be caught up in the commercialism of it all. We are truly blessed to have the savior in our lives. And I'm so very grateful for his atonement. I so blessed to be enriched by loving family members that will always encourage me to go the extra mile and fill me to overflowing with love. What a Merry Christmas!

Wednesdays Wanderings

2008-11-02T16:56:00.009-07:00

Up early, Another nauseating ride through the city of Seoul, and the beautiful sites! Amazing!

I didn't have to get up as early for this tour. I left the hotel at 8 am. And believe it or not, sick again. Very quickly. The Korean people drive so differently than what I'm used to. They don't keep a steady foot on the gas. It's push hard and let go, push hard an let go. Add in a lot of speed up fast, slam on breaks and squeeze into a lane of traffic that should not be legal. Mind over matter my friends. Should have just taken the Dramamine!

Our first stop was the Buddhist Temple. October 29th was actually the first day of October according to the Buddhist calendar. There were so many people there to pray! The people take money and gifts and water and food to put on the alters for the monks. I'm glad I asked. I almost took a water!

The buildings were just beautiful! They also had a place to burn candles and incense to allow their prayers to travel further. It was interesting to see people pushing each other out of the way to get their candle and incense burning before the monk started praying and chanting.

People would also put requests and prayers on lanterns. The people who paid a lot of money got their lanterns inside the temple. The rest were just outside.

I think this is Buddah. There were two or three of them in the main temple and that was it.

After the buddist temple we went to the Geyoungbokgong Palace. It was an absolutely amazing place. It was built in the 1500's. During the war with Japan it was nearly destroyed by fire. Then, during the Josan dynasty, the king remodeled the 7000+ rooms. It was so pretty.

I had looked on the internet at this palace prior to traveling to Korea. I thought it was just beautiful. There was a picture of a cute little "hut" on water. It was very enchanting and wonderful. We had gone through with our tour guide. She took us to the places in the previous pictures and was dropping us off at the Folk Museum just outside of the palace. I was uber upset! I had wasted all this time. Add the nausea and I was not leaving until I got to see what I wanted to. I traveled many miles! So, I told our tour guide that I would meet the group back at that spot at the specific time she instructed us. I went back into the palace and walked to the nice quite area. Here are some of the pictures I took. There were only 4 or 5 people there. It was absolutely peaceful and quiet. In a city of 20 million and skyscrapers as far as the eye can see, it was exactly what I needed. I'm also getting better at taking pictures of myself :)

Then it was off to the hotel. I met back up with James and we went on our own tour of Lotte World. James had a nice long meeting with the guys there. It was good to finally have that over with. We were released and free to go on our temple adventure!

We did an awesome job getting to the correct subway station that would lead us to the temple. The instructions on LDS.org said to get off at the Sinchon subway station and walk west ten minutes. So, it was dark. May I remind you that all the buildings seemed to be over 30 stories high. Add the fact that no one at this stop can speak English. We got off the subway about 1 1/2 hours before the session at the temple started. We walked, and walked, and walked. I felt like a pioneer, in high heels! James did all he could to find the temple for me. He's my hero. After more walking and walking, we finally found it. It was off an alley way the first direction we went. We just didn't go far enough. BY HALF A BLOCK!!! Anyway, we found it. We walked in to find that we were 20 minutes last for the last session. The building was small, but beautiful. And the temple president was so kind to us. He gave us a tour of as much of the temple as possible. It was really dark, but we got a few pictures to capture our memories.

Stay posted for pictures from Lotte World, the trip home and Halloween Happenings!

Tuesday's Travels

2008-10-28T06:07:00.017-06:00

First and foremost, James was able to go to work today and feel like he accomplished something. He stayed up almost all night waiting for word from home to let him know whether or not the topper for the frog would work. Gratefully, it did. So that is much better.

My day started out early! I got up, ready and had breakfast before 7 am. I hurried along with my breakfast to get my shuttle ride to my DMZ tour. I stepped on the bus and seriously thought I was in the wrong country! The bus looked like it was right out of India!

Sadly by the time we got to the next hotel pickup, I was super nauseous. I don't know what happened. I was feeling great, then got on the bus and wanted to hurl. The bus was basically brand new, but the way the driver drove was just uggghh. Stop and go and so very jerky. It was also super warm. I thought I was going to break out in a sweat and loose what breakfast I had. Mind over matter. I made it through. It got better when we got onto the highway. I was still a little queezy, but feeling much better.

Our first stop was the Freedom Bridge. It's a super cool place. From my understanding, a few years ago the North Korean's released their prisoners. They ran across this bridge yelling, "FREEDOM!!!" It used to have a different name, but after this experience has been known as Freedom Bridge.

The next stop was the Dora Observatory. At this point one can view the actual DMZ and see into North Korea. The unfortunate part is that you could not take pictures past a certain point. I was too short to get a very good picture. But it was still amazing to view.

I met a really nice family on my adventure. Bill, Sherry, and Erika. Erika had been in Korea for the last 5 months doing an internship with her church. Her parents came out to do a bit of touring with her and then they'll all go home together. They were so very nice and included me in their family for this trip. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU! We also ran into a few busloads of school children. They were so excited to see Americans. They took every opportunity they could to say hello. They were even taking pictures of us. (I kinda felt like an exhibit at the zoo) So after a bit, we started taking pictures of them taking pictures of us :)

The kids

Bill

We next traveled to the 3rd infiltration tunnel. North Korea has built at least 4 tunnels to try to get into South Korea, and mainly Seoul. The tunnel was super awesome. We had to put on goofy helmets in order to go down. We were able to walk quite a way into the tunnel. But were not permitted to take pictures inside. There were yellow markings on the tunnel walls that represented the direction they were digging. (from North to South Korea.) The North Koreans had tried to tell the South Koreans that the tunnel was simply a coal mining tunnel. However, they had only painted it black to try to make them believe that. Quite dishonest me thinks.

Helmet Time! Susi and Erika

Our final DMZ stop was at Dorasan Station. This is a train station intended to bridge the gap between North and South Korea for the Trans Eurasian Railway Network. This will connect all of Europe, Asia and Russia. While that is fantastic, it is currently a brand new, empty station. It was slightly erie. The railway is only open at this time to transport cargo. I hope things get better here soon so that the station doesn't rust away before it can be used for the public.

We got to see many rice paddies on our way. Also, an interesting point. The Han River flows through the middle of Seoul. It also flows through North Korea. So from the DMZ all the way into Seoul, the river is lined on both sides with barbed wire fence. It also has watch/guard stations. Just in case any North Koreans try to come in through the river.

I was dropped off near City Hall and the Deoksugung Palace. Very amazing. I gave myself a guided tour. Which means absolutely nothing. But I got some nice pictures!
I also go to see the man made inner city stream. It's called Cheonggyeehon Stream.

I then got myself back onto the subway. I did so awesome! It's such a smooth ride. I was able to just kick back and relax to my iPod the whole way back to my hotel.

James and I got out and did a little bit of exploring for the evening. But it did wait until after a nice nap. I was EXHAUSTED! We found ourselves a Pizza Hut for dinner and quite enjoyed ourselves. What a nice pizza joint!

On our way back to the hotel we happened upon a little noodle shop. Didn't try it. Don't think James will. But they were making the noodles. It was so amazing. We stopped to watch for a while.

We walked for a bit on the walkway that surrounds the "Magic Kingdom" part of Lotte World. It's set up as an exercise walk/runway around this two part lake. It was quite relaxing and energizing at the same time.

We got back to the hotel and took a few cool pictures of the building. Then went and CRASHED!!!

Much Love!
James n Sus

Subway Life

2008-10-27T07:10:00.002-06:00

Well, I think we weathered the subway quite well. Considering that we went down the wrong way from the very first moment. We adjusted our route and did the best we could with the slightly out of date map we were given at the information booth. The people here are so nice and very kind. Each time that we looked at the map and were confused there was someone right behind us asking if they could help. Turns out we were headed the right direction each time. They just confirmed it for us. We went up to a little place called Itaewon. We tried a little bit of bartering. I'm not very good at it yet. We will have to see if I can get better. We were pleased to find a Burger King. Talk about simple pleasures! After the plane food and funny tasting scrambled eggs this morning, the Whopper Jr. minus onions + cheese was divine!! I think James enjoyed his chicken sandwich too.

I am scheduled to go on a tour of the DMZ (De Militarized Zone) tomorrow. I hope to get a small education of the situation there and also gain a respect for the history of this country.

Until next time. . . 작별

Flight, Hotel & Day 1

2008-10-27T01:01:00.008-06:00

So, Korean Air is absolutely amazing! I loved it. The flight attendants were so kind and really adorable. It was pretty neat. The plane was huge! I've never seen such an amazing plane. One thing is for sure, They know how to make even economy class feel worth something.

How spacious

They had all this waiting on our seats. Pillow, blanket, headset and complimentary packet with toothbrush and socks and other neat things!

The entertainment on the plane was great too. Each seat had a personal monitor. We could watch movies, play games, listen to music, track the flight etc. . . There was so much fun stuff to be had that I didn't even need the book or movies we brought.

We were served two meals. Lunch and dinner. It was interesting. For lunch the attendant asked if we wanted beef or rice. We both said beef, then James changed his mind to the rice. Our plates were given to us and the look on his face was absolutely priceless! He actually looked scared. So I traded him. The rice plate was a special one that's called Bibimbap. It was quite interesting. I couldn't even eat much of it. It didn't agree with my taste buds. it also came with a side of "seeweed soup." I was gutsy and tried it. Very fishy and weird. I couldn't put my mind over the matter. So, James enjoyed the beef and I took one for the team. It was worth it though. We enjoyed a chicken and rice plate for dinner. It was much better than lunch.

Bibimbap before

Bibimbap after

After the flight was over we were very excited to get to our hotel. We took a bus. It wasn't too bad at all. We were only afraid for our lives a few times. The hotel is really beautiful too. We are staying on the 27th floor. As you could see from the previous post, it does have quite the view. It's just nice. The best thing is that the toilet has a bidet and a heated seat! I've never tried a bidet before. Quite interesting.

So today has been quite interesting. Being is a foreign country is intimidating. We don't speak the language, don't know where we are and don't know anyone! That's enough so strike some fear in me. We met up with Austin from Lotte World and went to James' work site. There we found the ride has basically been installed. There are just a few technicalities to be worked out. He's really feeling out of place and worthless because he usually does the ride instillation and training. It's kinda difficult to feel worthwhile when everything has already been done. His main concern is that the park has paid so much money to have him come to do the instillation as set forth in the contract and he's not doing anything to help them. Hopefully tomorrow will go better. I think we are going to head out tonight and try to find a shopping place. Subway, here we come!

SAFE AND SOUND

2008-10-26T06:08:00.005-06:00

We have safely arrived in Seoul, South Korea. What a long flight! There was much entertainment there! I will try to blog about that later. We are off to bed. We've been up for almost 24 hours straight. Here is a little of what we are viewing from our room! Sorry the pictures aren't so great. I'm exhausted and shaky.

Korea by night

Lotte World's own "Disney Castle"

On our way. . .

2008-10-25T13:21:00.010-06:00

We are currently sitting in the Seattle Tacoma Airport. Pretty nice place! We began our trip last night. I went down to Salt Lake to pick up James and we met up with our friends, Tatiana and Matt Southam. They moved to Tooele a few months ago. It was quite a sad event. But we had such a wonderful time with them last night. We went to the Cracker Barrel for dinner. YUM, YUM!

(I must say, this is a fun pic. Matt looks like he's posing for GQ :) )

We then hunkered into our hotel by the airport. James got to make an exciting emergency run to Wal-mart for a few items I forgot. Thanks babe! We finally got to bed around 12:30 am. The bed was comfy, but the pillows were lacking. Needless to say, I think I received the worst nights sleep in my history of being.

No worries though. The flight in to Seattle was wonderful. We were on a fairly new smaller jet. It was quite a smooth ride.

I can't remember much of it. I guess I zonked out almost as soon as we got on the plane. As we were preparing to land, I opened up the window (James was watching a movie.) and this is what we saw:

Isn't Mt. Rainier just beautiful? I sure thought that it was a beautiful site to wake up to. So now we sit and are waiting for boarding to start for our Korean Air flight. I snuk in a picture of the plane. It's pretty bit and I look forward to it? Hmmmm. . . 10+ hours on a plane. Have I lost my mind? Probably. But that doesn't really matter. James still loves me. He may think I'm nuts, but still loves me. Stay posted!!! Much Love!

Interesting!

2008-10-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Any thoughts on this? I wouldn't have guessed this one, but after thinking about it for a while, I think it suits me.

As Promised, Pictures

2008-10-22T21:31:00.007-06:00

The cabinets are not done yet. They won't be finished until we get back from Korea. Oh well. I guess it's a small price to pay. But here are a few of the beginning pictures. They're all sanded and painted. We are in the process of staining right now. My friend who is doing the staining has left town for the rest of the week at a clerks conference. We work together and she is off learning all the new fun court blah, blah, blah. I think it's more fun here at home. Oh well. She's nice enough to come in and finish while we are Korea. Then we will be able to hang them when we get home. But here's a few pics. . .

The before pic:

There was a whole lot of sandin' goin' on:

Why park your car in a garage?? Oh yeah, the doors are in there:

The boxes will get the new look too:

Props to my super awesome friend Jenn! She's big help. Couldn't do it without her! I'm so super excited to have this portion of my kitchen finished. The next step will hopefully be the countertops. The pink has got to go! I just hope James can handle my craziness!

Anxiety attack!

2008-10-19T15:05:00.004-06:00

I've wanted to re-do my kitchen cabinets since, I dunno, we bought our home. Well, this weekend it came. James graciously removed all the cupboard doors and drawer faces on Friday. Then we along with my friend, Jenn Al-Imari, started the job. Friday night we got all the sanding done.

I started Saturday with dusting all the cabinet pieces and preparing them for paint. Then I taped off the still-attached-to-the-kitchen-pieces. Jenn started painting the doors in the garage while I worked on the kitchen. My parents even came over and helped me out in the kitchen. Jenn headed out to take her kids to "Boo at the Zoo." We finished up in the kitchen. Then James and I turned the doors over and started on the back sides. We have to let the paint sit for a bit and then Jenn will come over to glaze the cabinets.

I'm so excited to finally have this done. I'll be honest, I'm not one for clutter. I'm sure my house isn't too bad, but I feel like it's a small wreck. Photos to come later.

My feet say. . .

2008-10-12T21:15:00.001-06:00

What Your Feet Say About You:

You are pretty average in your expressiveness. You can express yourself well, but you don't always want to.

You are a very passionate person. You are highly charged and easily inspired.

You are an assertive person at times. You'll pull out all the stops to get what you want, if it's worth it.

You take a while to fall in love, but once you do, you stay pretty attached to your partner.

You are not easily frightened, but you have a few strong phobias.

You are intellectual and philosophical. You are more concerned with thoughts than action.

You are a fairly hard worker, but you are also a little spoiled. You like indulge yourself every now and then.

You are not easily influenced by other people. You hold your ground and are true to your beliefs.

What Do Your Feet Say About You?

Tomato Soup & Korea

2008-10-08T20:18:00.008-06:00

Once upon a time, I have a great friend named Kanaboke. She gave me a bottle of tomato soup she made a year ago. It was so yummy and fantastic!! We planted a tomato plant on purpose for the makings of soup on my own. Luckily, sweet Kanaboke invited me to make soup with her and her sister in law and a great friend of ours. We sure had an amazing time!

This is the load of tomato's we began with

The fixin's in the pot ready to be boiled

Kanaboke & Susi

Super sweet, surprised Cindy & Susi (Kanaboke & I didn't tell her I was coming!)

Kanaboke & Bob working the goods through the victorian strainer

Susi with the glorious goods!

Kanaboke & Cindy with their yummy garbage (the original veggies that come out of the strainer)

Completed soup! We ended up making 7 batches and each took home a grand total of 21 quarts. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

I had my first serving of this delightful soup last night. It goes so well with grilled cheese sandwiches. My grilled cheese was made on multigrain bread. Oh it was divine! I just am so excited to get my own copy of this recipe and my own victorian strainer. It's so worth it to learn something new!

. . . and now. . . . for an update on why this week is so cool. . . I GET TO GO TO KOREA!!!! James called me Tuesday morning while I was getting ready to do to work. He told me that he would be going to Reno for a set up the 23rd & 24th of the month. Then he said that Korea wanted him to come the very next week. I told him that would be fine. He was very sweet and said, " I just hate to be away from you for so long." I told him again that I would be ok and that I needed to discuss the issue later, as I was trying to get to work on time. After I had gotten to work, I was feeling a little spunky. I sent him a text saying, " so how about I go to Korea with you?" He called me right away and from there it was history. He had his people check on everything and we've finagled a way to make everything possible. We will be flying out on the 25th and arriving home just in time for Halloween! WAHOOOOOO!!!!! James is going to be setting up a frog in Lotte World. It's an amazing indoor amusement park. (I guess. I haven't been there yet.) Anyway, the park has it's own hotel and a mall and all kinds of cool stuff. So hopefully, that will be fun. I think the part of the trip that I'm the most excited about is this. . . . The Seoul, Korea temple is going to be closed for cleaning the 13th through the 27th. It re-opens on the 28th and WE WILL BE THERE!!!! We will figure things out and James and I will go to a session! I am so super excited about that! Well, I think that's about it for now. I feel like I've run on and on. Much love to all my readers!

I am ME!

2008-10-07T18:11:00.001-06:00

I got tagged, so here goes. . .

i am: a daughter of God.
i think: Huh? Do I think?
i know: how to sew
i have: the best husband in the universe!
i dislike: light switches that point up when they're actually off
i miss: Tony & Jacquie (my nephew and niece)
i fear: not being able to have children of my own
i feel: blessed
i hear: the Saturday Night Live version of the Presidential Debate.
i smell: Cold Stone ice cream
i usually: sleep well.
i search: for my wedding ring all the time.
i wonder: how I became so busy in life.
i regret: not ordering a professional cake for our wedding.
i love: my sweet husband, James. He's so awesome!
i care: for my family
i always: am late for work?
i worry: about my weight too much, probably.
i am not: a textbook model of a woman
i remember: Sophie when she was a puppy
i believe: in Jesus Christ
i dance: not really, more roll or something worse
i sing: to my microphone thumb at work
i don’t always: do what I meant to do
i argue: with my boss
i don’t like: Halo 3
i write: e-mails to my brother on his mission
i win: James' affection
i lose: myself in James' eyes
i wish: I was pregnant
i never: sweat
i listen: to good ideas
i don't understand: why some people don't take responsibility for their actions
i can usually be found: at work
i am scared: that I won't be able to have children
i need: more time
i forget: what I'm doing sometimes
i am happy: When I'm hangin with James & Sophie
A little more about me!

Out of luck

2008-09-23T18:21:00.002-06:00

So far this week, I've learned that I can only ask for so much. I'll admit, I'm a little jealous of James' job. Since he got his new position last year he's got to go to some cool places. Virginia, I think, California a couple times, Ohio, Wisconsin,and Indiana. We are still planning the trip to England and I got to go with him to Ohio. I was so happy to see my family there! But now, he's probably going to go to Korea too! Within the next month!! Oh how I yearn to go! I got online and found the Seoul, Korea temple. He'll probably be in that area. It's so beautiful! And the buildings there are so amazing! I want to go. But alas, I'm out of luck. I can't go on all the trips. I wish S&S would send me with him on each of them. If they would just pay my plane ticket too, I'd cover everything else. But I guess that's a pipe dream. I'm so excited for these experiences for him. Still a bit jealous.

Finished!!

2008-09-21T21:13:00.002-06:00

I finally completed my reading of the Twilight saga!! I'm very happy, but sad at the same time. I just didn't want it to end. I guess I'll just have to find something new. I really enjoyed it. I'm glad that it took me a long time to read it. I was able to read about a chapter or so a day and didn't neglect my loving husband too much. I'm so grateful for our true eternal relationship. I could not ask for a more loving, kind and gentle companion. He will always be my "Edward!"

Time Out For Women

2008-09-14T20:27:00.003-06:00

I went to my very first Time Out For Women conference yesterday. I've made a new friend at church. Her name is Cory McKee. She is so super cute! She came from a little town by Vernal, UT, and is so excited to be here in Logan now. There's civilization here! I really enjoy having her here as well. she is such a good example to me. she has such a strong testimony of the gospel and is not afraid to share it. I love that. I think I used to be that way, but I'm a little more shy now.

Anyway, the speakers were amazing. The conference was about finding joy and happiness in our lives. I'm a pretty happy person. Life is good! I took some notes, but I don't have them right by me. This was not talked about at all in the conference, but I think I'm going to do much better to write in a journal. I think it would be something that would make me happy. So we will see. I'm sure going to try it though. We were also uplifted with the musical talents of Kenneth Cope. It was just wonderful.

Even though it was such a wonderful, uplifting experience I was glad to come home. I missed my James. He's my favorite and I just wanted to be with him.

This is Cory and me once we found a place to sit.

This was the stage and some of the speakers.

Cory's AMAZING!! She wouldn't leave until she got pictures with the presenters.

This me with Sharon G Larsen. She is the author of "All Rain, No Mud." That book helped lighten my days during my divorce. Just uplifted me. Too bad I didn't realize was I was getting into. I would have brought it with me for her to sign!