A long drive - worth it!

We just had a great weekend and fun mini vacation. I decided to fight through my loathing of road trips and take a trip to Blanding, Utah. What could pursuade me to take on this endeavor, non other than seeing our good friends, Zeb and Hilary bless their little Camden. We took off after I worked on Friday (although a little later than usual not realizing how long it would take to pack up the car) and set off on our long drive. We had Ashley fed, Paige pottied, and treats packed. We were off. The reason I complain is due to my terrible issues with patience. I don't want to take time to get anywhere, I just want to be there. During our drive, we stopped a few times for potty stops (one on the side of the road) and to feed Ashley and ourselves. Paige and Ashley did so good with Paige only asking when we would be done with our roadtrip (interpreted to be are we there yet).We also saw some beautiful scenery starting with the gorgeous mountains and ending with the red rock country. We finally arrived in Blanding 7 hours later with warm greetings from our great friends. We also were able to meet their new little Camden and inroduce our little Ashley. Then off to bed.


The next morning, we had an excellent breakfast cooked by Zeb's dad, Paige helped Zeb feed the chickens, and then Scott and Paige took a little ride on the 4-wheeler. She loved it and kept saying again and again. Next we were able to visit with everyone and catch up on life. Later that afternoon, I joined the boys (with my girls as well) and went skeet shooting. I've never shot a gun in my life and thoroughly enjoyed it. The guys were so patient and such good teachers. I shot one clay pigeon and had a little help on a second but it was so much fun. I just need to work on my gun safety since I like to rest my finger on the trigger. Paige and Ashley tolerated the loud sounds and were so good while Scott and I played. That evening, we had a little bar-b-que with the whole family. It's always fun to meet other families and see their family dynamics. We felt so welcome like we were a part of this family. After a couple of games of horse and making some smores, we were off to bed for early morning church. (A funny story, that night Paige was walking with Zeb's brother, Farley, who she kept mistaking as Zeb. She had a beloved flashlight and when walking by the chicken pens, she told Farley to, "SHHH, be quiet. The chicken's are sleeping." She's such a funny girl.)
The boys in a line to shoot



Ashley and I are pooped out

The next morning was the baby blessing of both Zeb and Farley's babies. They were beautiful blessings. Then off to the family cabin for some yummy navajo tacos and more fun visiting with the family. We were lucky to be able to stay one more night while everyone else went home so our little family and Zeb and Hilary slept up at the cabin. We saw so many deer and we were in such a breath taking area. That night we stayed up to talk and laugh. It brought up memories of old times and I had forgotten just how fun a storyteller Zeb is. The next morning we packed up, said the dreaded goodbyes, and left for the long trek home. We were so glad to be able make the trip to visit such close friends and meet their amazing families. We are so grateful to Forrest and Shirley and enjoyed getting to know Farley, Tina, and Skyler. Thanks for your wonderful hospitality.
Ashley bundled up for the weather


We did make one stop on our way home at Arches and did a short little hike that even Paige could do. Ashley was a trooper in her carrier and hat and Paige just took off up the mountain but rememembered to be "very careful". We decided it was a place to come back to when the kids were older and we had more time. Beautiful scenery. It was such a great weekend and so much fun to see great friends and spend quality time with our little family.
Lunch in Moab

More summer fun

This summer has been so full of fun things. When we bought the house with a pool, we didn't really know what we were getting into. The pool itself was more like a pond and there was a lot of hard work ahead of us. Scott immersed himself into cleaning the pool and worked on cleaning it day in day out. By the middle of july, the pool was ready to go. We have really enjoyed swimming and playing in the pool. We've had both our families, friends, neighbors, and church groups over to swim in it. It's been so much fun and Scott says that no matter where we move in the future, we'll have a pool. His hard work has really paid off and even Paige has become the little swimmer.




While Scott's whole family was in town for his parents 50th anniversary, we had some fun outings with them. Paige, Ashley, and I went up to Pineview dam with Scott's sister and sister-in-law. The dam was cold and Paige wasn't quite the swimmer yet so we spent a lot of time on the beach. Paige was content to sit in the chair and watch her cousins play for awhile (I think she was tired from not having a nap). Right before we were ready to leave, she finally got up and played in the sand. She is such a cutie in her swimming suit.



We also bar-b-qued in his niece's backyard that same week. Scott was throwing all the kids in the air and we got some great pictures of Paige. She kept telling everyone that she was "flying high in the sky" all night long and even into the next day. These pictures are priceless.


Scott ended his internship just in time for me to go to young womens camp for three days and youth conference the next week for three days. So he has been playing Mr. Mom. While I was gone he perfected Paige's potty training. He is so patient and doesn't give up easily. The right person for the job. I started training her and thought for sure she was never going to get it. She was afraid to pee in the potty, she wouldn't tell us when she needed to go, and she would hold it and then pee on my floor. I was so frustrated with her and three days later, I was losing my patience. Instead of encouraging her I wanted to punish her so it was time for Scott to step in. He was amazing. I came back from camp to find Paige having no problem going in the potty and prefered the big potty rather than the training potty. We're still working on going #2 in the potty. I can't figure out why she is so afraid of it. Hopefully it won't take too long. For a reward, we took her to the dinosaur park where we fed the fish and played on the slides. The following pictures show just how exhausting going potty can be.

Ashley at 2 months

Ashley is 10 weeks old this week and she is getting so big. I can't believe how fast she's grown especially compared to Paige. She went in for her two month check-up with the doctor and to get a handful of shots. She weighed 10lb. 5oz. as compared with her birthweight of 6lb. 6oz. Paige wasn't 10 pounds until she was 6 months old. Needless to say she has a few rolls and some fun cheeks to kiss (which I do all the time). We blessed her July 12th and had all of Scott's family there, my family there, and some great friends attending. Scott gave the most beautiful blessing which I've enclosed in her baby book. I'm very blessed to have such an amazing priesthood holder who honors his priesthood and stays close to the Lord.
The baby blessing

Let me tell you some of the things she is doing now. First and foremost is smiling. It is so cute and you can tell she wants to talk to you and laugh with you but still not quite there. She uses her whole body just to give us one little coo that melts our hearts. She is on the "baby wise" schedule (which I swear by) so she wakes up at about 6 or 7 and eats then I put her back down to bed. Three hours later she's up again eating. I change her and then we keep her awake for about an hour where she spends that time in her bouncer, lying on the flour looking up at the ceiling, smiling, and being very happy. (Not a huge fan of her swing) She'll then start to get fussy so I bundle her up and lay her down in the crib where she'll cry for about 5 minutes and then fall asleep for about 1.5 hours. This routine repeats itself until her bedtime at 9:30 when she'll sleep all through the night. Lucky huh! I am very blessed to have been given two very easy babies. No colic or fussiness. At first, the adjustment with two was very difficult for me. I would be in my jammy's until 5pm and wouldn't have eaten lunch that day. I was stuck on the couch with Paige watching movies all day. I have now developed a routine where I actually get a shower at a reasonable hour. One thing that has personally helped me was switching Ashley to the bottle rather than breast feeding. The whole process stressed me out and to be honest, I hated it. Breast feeding wasn't for me. Since Paige was bottle fed I new that Ashley wasn't going to be stupid or sick all the time so that was a comfort to me as I started exclusively bottle feeding Ashley.

Paige is amazing with Ashley. I was so worried about how Paige would treat Ashley and how the two would interact. There was nothing to worry about. Paige loves her and thinks she's "so cute". She's also very helpful in letting us know when Ashley is crying and will run right into the bedroom to comfort her. The other day, I left the room and came back in to see Paige playing peek-a-boo with Ashley. She's also given her toys if she's lying on the floor crying. There isn't much resentfullness or jealousy unless Paige wants to be held at the same time. We make it work out though. I have LOVED the time I've spent with Ashley. I've been sending Paige to the babysitter twice a week to keep her in the routine and keep her spot in the day care. It has been so nice for Ashley and I to bond. We wake up and snuggle in bed. I hold her, gaze into her gorgeous eyes, and kiss her chubby cheeks. I love her more and more every day! I am blessed to have my beautiful daughters and cherish the opportunity to be their mother.

Summer fun

This summer has been so fun for me. First off a new baby and then three months off to spend with this new baby. Unfortunately, the time has been flying by and probably because of all the fun things we're doing this summer. First off, I've been really lucky to have my mom come and spend a few days with us here and there. She helps with one child while I take care of the other child. It has helpedd\ me adjust to taking care of two children and I really appreciate it.

The first catch up post was the fourth of July. I love the fourth of July for the bar-b-ques and spending time with the fam. This year we headed up to Logan for their anual third of July fireworks. We started out helping my sister hang decorations around her newly renovated house. Then we headed to the theater for the new Ice Age movie. It was funny and the kids loved it. After the movie, we got Pounders Grill (our favorite Hawaiian feast) and went to the church where we always watch the fireworks. It was beautiful weather and it was nice to just sit and visit. Our good friends, the Stone's, joined us and we loved watching the fireworks. Then the next day, the ladies and kids slept in while the boys got up at the crack of dawn to go golfing. AFter that was breakfast at the Golden Corral, a favorite of ours. Then we headed home with my mom joining us. That night we had Scott's brother, Dale and his family along with the Stone's and out neighbors the Toone's, over for some bar-b-que and swimming in our pool.



Our next outing was later that week. My mom has to go to Salt Lake every month for a medication infusion. We tagged along with her and while she was being infused, we took the kids to the discovery center. It was lots of fun. There was so much to do and we couldn't tear Paige away from the water feature. After that activity, we went to Hires for their yummy hamburgers. Fun times with my sisters.

Golfing with the hubby! (a post created for ZEB)

Us on the ninth green after my par

So you're all probably wondering about the title. Apparently I do not blog enough for our friend, Zeb. He hates it when the post is over 1 week old so here's an update. This morning Scott and I were able to go golfing. A first for me since I got pregnant. I was so excited and was so grateful for my sister-in-law, Jennica who watched both the girls. She's so generous considering that she's pregnant and has an active 2 year old son. (Thanks a ton.) We played at El Monte and the weather was beautiful. It wasn't too hot and there was a nice breeze blowing. On top of that, the mountains looked beautiful. The perfect morning for my first par. I was driving so well and came very close to par on about three holes but my short game is so terrible that I choked every time. Finally at the ninth hole, I had an amazing drive strait down the middle. I pulled out my 4 iron and hit it up the hill on to the edge of the green. Instead of chipping (which for me is like driving again), I used my putter to get within 3 feet of the cup. At this point, Scott is so thrilled and nervous for me. He was very helpful in setting up my put and wallah! I'm in and it was legitimate. The people teeing off the first tee were probably wondering what the heck all my cheering was for. It's probably a regular thing for them to get a par but for me, a rare feat. We celebrated and took Paige and Ashley for a picnic in the park. What a great morning. (Zeb, Scott misses the summer you two spent hours at El Monte and the many clubs you had to replace.)

My drive off the ninth


Look at his form. Wooh, hooh!

Monkey see, monkey do at the Zoo!

The group of kids and grandma

Paige is ready

Ah, you have to love the Hogle Zoo. Entrance to the park: $18 for Scott and I, Number of kids in our group to keep track of: 7 (plus baby Ashley), number of adults to keep track of kids: 7, time spent in the park: 3 hours, amount of animals to see: tons, time spent with these enthusiastic and fun kids: priceless. It was fun going to the zoo with my sisters and the kids were in heaven. It was finally sunny, even a little on the warm side (enough for my sweat to smell like BO, ack). My favorite were the giraffes which were being fed while we were there. They are graceful and beautiful animals, unlike myself ha ha! After the Zoo we headed to the training table for lunch and a great visit then off to the discovery center at the Gateway (thanks Jen for the 2 for 1 coupons). Unfortunately, they were only going to be open for another 40 min. so we decided to head up the street to the Planetarian. The kids were in heaven. They loved it. There was one hectic moment when I needed to get on their humongous elevator with my stroller. My niece ran ahead to get it open but I wasn't fast enough. As the doors were closing, I hit the up button but my niece had already hit the floor number. The elevator doors were really confused and staying in a suspended state. After rescuing my niece off the elevator, the doors would no longer close therefor breaking the elevator. Yeah! Then when we went to tell someone about the situation, my daughter comes down the stairs with none other than the manager and the security guard. Apparently she was "lost". Now a little bit embarrassed at being a poor parent in a public setting, I wasn't about to tell them about the elevator too. At that moment Ashley started crying. Needless to say, I was a little frazzled and took it out on Scott for a brief second. After my sister rescued Ashley and I calmed down, it was off to playing again. The only thing I wish I had was a nap in a bottle for Paige, who was so tired and took out her frustrations on Ashley by hitting her. Not a good moment. Otherwise, what a great day spent with my fun sisters, their funny husbands, and amazing mom.
Ashley did great

She loves her fist

You've got to love the giraffes

Looking for the tiger

Paige was awesome at chopsticks

Can't forget the Carousel

Paige staring down the orangutan