Blogging

yep, here is the result of me trying to actually take 5 seconds to publish the blogs I had already written and just needed to add pics to. this bookshelf is in our office with the computer.

The name game

Hey everyone! Sorry to dump like 3 posts off at once, but I have been really busy since I got back from Thatcher. I am in charge of our ward's halloween party and trunk or treat on halloween night and have been busy doing a million things for that along with sewing Halloween costumes, getting oil changes, and everything else on the never ending "projects to be done" list.

Anyway, I don't know what we are going to name this baby. I really don't. People keep asking and I am just not sure. There are 3 names that we like and depending on the day that you ask I will have a different opinion. I wasn't even going to mention the names, because everyone tends to give SO much feedback, but after several weeks, I am still stumped, so what the heck?!

In Alphabetical Order:

Addison

Isabel

Jane

Please feel free to cast your vote some input would be nice, although try and keep comments like "what the heck, i hate that name!" or "that sounds like a dork's name" or "i hated a girl with that name" to a minimum seeing as how I am a crazy pregnant lady and I WILL cut you!

It's hard to believe that in 2 months I will have another baby. It is so crazy. Lily is getting so big I can't stand it, yet I love it at the same time. I can't wait to meet this new person coming to our family, yet I am scared for everything to change (no big suprise that I hate change!). I already feel so much love for this little girl (who I wish I could call by name), but this time I am better prepared/more aware/dreading the lack of sleep and praying that this one sleeps through the night before 11 months! Anyway, it is overwhelming to see that October, just like the 2 months before it has blown by me and that I am so close to having this baby, yet still so far! I feel like I am a big(seriously getting bigger everyday) ball of contradicting emotions right now.

Sorry if this rambling blog doesn't make any sense.

Correction

Hi! Apparently I miss led several of you into thinking that this was Matt's and my 5 year anniversary, it is NOT! It was our 4 year wedding anniversary, when I mentioned 5 years it was in reference to 5 years ago, which is right before Matt and I started dating and I was the biggest commitment-phob ever. I guess I didn't realize that I was making it sound like we had been married for 5 years until I started getting all these 5 year comments and I was like, why does everyone think it's 5 years?? And I had to go back and read what I wrote to figure it out. Anyway, just wanted to clear up any confusion!!

My Trip to Thatcher

A picture of beautiful Mt. Graham. I sure do love this place and the cool weather. I never appreciated growing up with the mountain so close until I moved away.

A couple of weeks ago Lily and I went to Thatcher for a week while Matt was in southern Mexico. We really missed Matt and although he had a much more exciting vacation than we did, we had a REALLY great time in Thatcher. I am officially inviting Matt to get on here and tell you all about his trip to Mexico complete with pics (they are defiently more interesting than my pics-even without Lily!). He seemed to have a great time and he came home all safe and sound, which is all I wanted. In fact he came home with presents, which is even better! He even forked out a decent amount of cash to buy me a guitar and case and then carried it around the rest of the week and hauled it back home for me :) He got a picture with the guy who made it and I absolutley love it!! Now I just have to get used to playing again! Anyway, both of our trips were great. Although, I didn't bring any souvineers home for Matt because I didn't realize he'd be bringing stuff for Lily and I. Anyway, when I found out that he would be on this man trip for 7-8 days, I decided I should go home to visit Thatcher. And I am so glad I did. It was a nice laid back relaxing trip and I got to spend alot of time with my family. Usually when we go to Thatch we are trying to see about a dozen people (or more) in the course of 2 days, so it was nice to have a week, although I still didn't manage to see everyone I wanted to. I got to briefly see Mange before she left for Italy for 3 months, which I am glad I caught her, and I went to see Cindy and JJ one day. I got to hang out a couple days with my good friend Tavia, whom I stinking love and miss like crazy. And one night we went out to dinner with her husband Court and John Fav, which was fun. It was just so great to be in thatch and get to see the people at the college, especailly in the Fine Arts Department, although I did miss Timilee. I really forget how much I love it there and how much it is my home. The weather was SOOOO nice. We spent alot of time outside doing stuff, which was GREAT and it actually felt like fall. I feel like here in the valley, I don't know what to do and I spend all day everyday shut up in the house trying to keep Lily entertained, but in Thatch I know all the fun places to go, and I am comfortable just taking Lily by myself. Although I know so many people there that I rarely had to go anywhere with her by myself. But I felt so much more motivation to be active and to get out and do stuff, without the hesitation that I feel here in Phoenix. Anyway, we did lots of stuff, and also spent lots of time just hanging out with my family. It was great and I have really missed it since I came back home.

Just a random bathtub pic



Hanging out in GG's backyard with Benjamin and Lily

My neice Ava

Lily and her ball, she loves to throw and kick balls around

Lily and Ava fighting over the ball

Playing at the park, we went to the park several mornings on our walk and played around.

She is finally big enough to climb up and go down all by herself!

Feeding the ducks, which she LOVED! I think that she would have gotten in if we would have let her!

She wasn't scared of the ducks or geese at all she loved throwing the food to/at them.

We stopped at DQ on the way to the duck ponds, Lily hasn't had much, if any, experience with ice cream and Oh Boy! Once she discovered how yummy it was, we couldn't pull her away!

On the mountain, Lily really wanted to get right in the water.

She was so into everything on the mountain, she made it clear that she had NO time to take pictures and was rather annoyed with me as I was constantly trying to snap some shots where you could see her face (which took some manuevering on my part!)

Oh Boy, Grama showed me how to throw rocks into the stream!

Laughing because she made the rocks splash all over Grama.

So proud of herself

Ode to Matt

OK, so Matt and my anniversary is this week. Unfortunately he is working(12 hour days) and then leaving for Mexico and I will be going to thatch, so there won't be much in the way of celebrating. I am unfortunately not a low maintaince girl in the sense of birthdays and anniversaries, other than that I am pretty low key. So since celebrating our marriage is a big deal to me, I have to do something to reflect on our relationship this week. So please if you are easily nauseated by cheesiness, skip this post. It is going to be pretty much a long journal entry of me rambling about Matt. The fact of the matter is, I love my husband. I love him more than I ever knew it was possible to love another being. Even when we got married I had no idea how much my love and admiration for him would grow. He has become a part of every fiber of my being and I love him with my whole self. Something that 5 years ago would have really freaked me out :). Deciding to love him and completely commit my life to him was the best choice I ever made and I still marvel that I could make such a wise decision as an idiotic kid. I really honestly married the best friend I have ever had. Despite his flaws and mine I want to share everything with him. He still makes me laugh and surprises me with his sense of humor. Sometimes he says stuff that is just so quick and witty that it kills me! I love to laugh with him and we always seem to find lots of opportunities. Sometimes we get so busy and our time is spent hurrying to accomplish our responsibilities and I forget how funny he is, then with perfect timing out will come some comment that perfectly brings funniness to a situation (don't read too much into this not all your jokes are super funny :). Anyway, I am SO attracted to his sense of humor and that hasn't gone away. In fact it's gotten better. I guess something that I love so deeply about Matt is what a great father he is. It really moves me, more than I am comfortable expressing. Being a good father isn't just something he tries to do, it is simply who he is. It is part of his goodness and gentleness and kindness.

Matt has more integrity than anyone I have ever met. He is a good, kind, and honest person. I think that with most people, as we get to know them we see bits of ugliness in them that we learn to deal with and love and overlook, but with Matt I have never found that. Sure there are things about him that may frustrate me or irritate me, but I have never found that ugliness underneath, that mean or selfish flaw. He is genuinely good and cares for other people and about doing good. I have more faith in who he is underneath, in his soul I guess you could say than I have in anything else besides the gospel of Jesus Christ. I trust who he is, I know his goodness. I also know that he isn't perfect, which is good because perfection would probably drive me more crazy than flaws! But our differences are things that are easily worked out...as long as I control my attitude :) We have kind of "grown up" together and gotten to watch each other learn and change and grow. And I really couldn't be more content and excited to share the rest of my experiences with anyone else. He is the right man for me and about that I have NO doubts. These are the major things I love about him. Here are some of the other ones.

• His face (I love the whole thing, when I think about it I want to name every aspect individually, his vibrant green eyes, deep dimples, perfect lips and teeth, and his bones- his brilliantly carved cheeks and jawline-it literally almost makes me sick how much I love is face)


• His willingness to get up in the morning. This has saved my life, and my happiness.


• The way he takes responsibility for the yard.


• That he watches my chick shows with me, because he knows I want him to.


• That he honors his priesthood and has a deep testimony.


• His willingness to do housework and to cook and to help with whatever I ask


• That he puts the heavy water bottles on the cooler


• His acceptance of my CRAZY and dysfunctional family. Being born into my family is a never ending roller coaster or drama and I can't imagine marrying into it. He is way better than I would probably be and it means ALOT to me. I know it isn't easy.


• His willingness to be silly.


• His singing in the shower.


• His love of music and theater and sports and all the things I love.


• His ever changing and on going personal debate of "should I cut my hair or let it grow"


• That he lets me hog the bed and even on occasion steal his pillow.


• Ticklefights.


• The way he plays with Lily.


• Listening to him teach Lily new things.


• What a hard worker he is.


• His willingness to sacrifice.


• His open mindedness and acceptance of all people.

OK, I know this post is long and Lily is crying in her bed for me to get her up, but here is to Matt and all the other good husbands and fathers out there. May you know how inexplicably you are loved.

October?? Seriously?

Yep. It is officially October, I cannot believe it. And it is going to be a crazy busy month, so I am sure that it will fly by and soon I will be saying "November? You're kidding me!". Since my last post we have had several people to stay, and let me tell you it sure has made all the extra space nice! We had one of my very best friends in the world, Mange and her boyfriend Luca for 3 nights and mange's sister april and her 2 kids for one of those nights. We went on a beautiful ward campout also. It was alot of fun even without any running water or toliet facilities. Luckily my wonderful in-laws have a super swank port-a-potty that goes in the tent. That saved my life. Even when I am not 6 months pregnant I can barely pee in the woods without an "accident", or make it through the night without peeing, but being 6 months pregnant, forget about it! Seriously, can't camp without the potty. Anyway, I managed to not get ANY pictures of Mange and Luca, or of the campout. What is wrong with me? My newest nephew carter was born to my sister emily and her boyfriend Mike, and I have yet to meet the little guy! He just turned 3 weeks old and I have never taken so long to meet a nephew! But we have had something EVERY weekend this month. This past weekend my sister Andrea and her 2 boys Kaleb and Benjamin came to stay with us while they were waiting for their husband/daddy's flight to come in to Sky Harbor. He is on an 18 day leave from Iraq. It is his 3rd Middle East tour in the past 6 years. It will be so nice for them to spend this time with him. I can't imagine being an Army wife. Josh (my brother-in-law) was supposed to be out of the army last year, but recieved a stop-loss and was deployed for 15 months in Sept. instead of being released. I am so glad for them that in just a few months this will all finally be over for them and they can try and have a "normal" civilian family life. Anyway, I am glad that she is getting to see him and that the boys are spending some time with their dad. And it was great to see them all.

Life his been really busy and it is still "go go go!" Matt will be leaving for Mexico in a week for a week on a boys trip with his dad, uncle, cousin and some other "dudes". I have never gone that long without seeing him, so it will be weird, but i will get the chance to spend some time in Thatcher with my family, which will be great.

Anyway, i will try not to pack too much info into this blog and call it quits for now. Here are a few of the pics that I managed to take this month.

Three cousins and their "cheese" smiles

Kaleb

Ben

Playing in Nana & Boopah's new sandbox

Daddy snuggles (quite frequent latley-this is how the hang out all the time)

Bath time! Everyday I am begged for a "bat, hot!"