Fall Hike with the Girls

Today me and the girls went for a hike not too far from our home. It was so WONDERFUL!! It brought back so many memories of growing up when my mom would take me and my sister Megan hiking all the time with just us girls. I have such fond memories of those days and I wanted to pass this tradition on to my girls. We hiked around the whole lake and both girls were nearly all smiles. Kelsey fell down quite a few times and even tore a hole in her pants, but a little bribing with a special treat at the end was all she needed!
I love how you can see the reflection of the leaves in the water here. Isn't it so pretty! Oh man, I'm going to miss it here, have I told you that yet? There no place like fall in Vermont!
We found some nice people along the trail that were nice enough to take a family picture. I realize I am not in the pictures enough.
Here's Mylee just hanging out. She was quite fascinated by all the leaves. And quite the trooper. She was laughing and talking and having a grand old time.
I love how the sun is coming through the trees here and how the tree above Kelsey's head makes a little bridge. Near here, another hiker stopped us and asked Kelsey how old she was, Kelsey said, "I am 3 years old." The lady and man she was with were so impressed that a 3 year old was hiking all this way and with a smile. Then the lady said, "I'm from the city and we don't see things like her there." She must have been from out of town.

Dance Lessons

This fall I am teaching a dance class and am LOVING it! I just love dance. I think it is so beautiful. This is a picture of my little dancers. We dance every Monday at 10:30 A.M and have all sorts of fun. We have danced for the past two weeks and I'm learning even more about the short attention span of 3 and 4 year olds, but man aren't they just adorable! Kelsey has been funny and has not participated like I had envisioned, humm, hopefully we'll be able to remedy that one.

I burned a CD for each dancer with songs we will use each week to teach them rhythm, the 5 ballet positions, simple dance techniques in the genres of jazz, ballet, lyrical, and modern, and 2 dance routines--we'll see how far we get on the last one. The class will run for 7 weeks and we have already completed two. Stay tuned for more fun pictures as I have lots of fun activites planned for upcoming classes :)

Pumpkin Patch

Today for playgroup, we went to the pumpkin at a nearby nursery. We had lots of fun and the weather could not have been more beautiful! The first thing Kelsey asked me this morning when she woke up was, "Mom, are we going to the pumpkin patch today and I can get a baby pumpkin?" She was so excited to go get a baby pumpkin. Funny that as we get older we want the biggest pumpkin. We loaded onto a trailer attached to a tracker and got a ride over to the pumpkin patch.

Kelsey had a hard time deciding on a pumpkin as you can see the handful she has in her arms.

Mylee liked the pumpkin patch, but wasn't too thrilled about the tracker ride. Kelsey thought it was GREAT! After our ride and picking out our pumpkins at the pumpkin patch we got a ride back to the farm and got cider donuts and apple cider, YUMM!! It was a fun outing!

General Conference & a Birthday!

Thanks to the idea from the Friend magazine this month, we have started a new tradition for General Conference. The girls get to watch conference from their "Reverence Tent". It was a big hit. I got a white sheet and created a tent for Kelsey mostly to sit and watch conference from--I tried to schedule Mylee's naps around conference time, all in all I was pretty successful. We also added an activity table along with a bunch of gospel-themed LDS coloring pages and activities. No kidding, Kelsey sat through nearly all 8 hours of conference and she nearly colored every coloring page and activity. Not only that, most of the time she was reverent. I love how in this picture you can see the picture of President Monson on the computer screen in the background. Aside from this great new tradition, wasn't conference WONDERFUL! I'm lucky because I always get conference around my birthday. What better than to hear counsel from living prophets around this special day. I was touched and renewed by what was said. I'm anxious to get the Ensign and further read and ponder what was said. All in all, how blessed we are to have the gospel restored in these latter-days!

The next tradition we started was for my kids (Kelsey in this case) to make and decorate a birthday cake for whoever parents' birthday it is (mine in this case). I admit I had to help with the making/baking part, but she did all the decorating herself. She was completely occupied for about an hour. However, I think most of the frosting and decorations ended up in her mouth.
Here is the finished product. Wow look at those sprinkles and pointy candies as Kelsey calls them (candy corn). What a pro! She then sang me happy birthday all by herself.

On Saturday between the two conference sessions, I took the girls to a local apple farm to enjoy the beautiful Vermont fall landscape and get free tracker rides around the orchard. We had a blast. I wish I had pictures, but my camera wasn't working that day--I'm in the process of trying to find a new one, any suggestions? The fall colors were just breath taking and the air was cool and crisp just as you would except at an apple orchard in the fall. The girls loved the tracker rides and even got to eat an apple for free. We sure will miss this place when we move in the spring.

Mylee Turns 1!

Today is Mylee's first Birthday! I can't believe a whole year has passed by. She is such a joy and we can't imagine our life without her. She is growing up so fast. She loves to play peek-a-boo only she says "Ba!" instead of "Boo!". She's also very independent and a momma's girl. Yeah, she loves me :) Mylee can also say I love you by blowing kisses to us with her hands and waves bye bye. She got to open her present this morning when she woke up per Daddy's request! Thanks Grammy Astorga for the cute baby walker/stroller. She LOVES it! In the evening we celebrated birthday with a giant cupcake cake and ice cream. Poor Mylee though, she wasn't her normal smiley Mylee today. Dad says it's because she understands the gravity of this day and doesn't want to get older. I don't say I blame her, I don't really want her to grow up either. My sweet little baby isn't so much of a baby anymore. How time flys! We love you Mylee and Happy 1st Birthday! Enjoy this slideshow of Mylee over the past year.

Tagged....

I've been out of the blogging world for a couple of weeks, it's nice to be back!

Emily and Dionne here it goes:

10 years ago I:

1- I was a sophomore in high school, counting the days until I turned 16!

2- Anxious and unsure about dating boys, but excited and curious to see if I would get asked out.

3- Trying to find my place in high school: Where to eat lunch, what to do on weekends, what to wear and how to do my hair, etc.

4- Studying and doing homework into insane hours of the night.

5- Taking care of younger siblings, awaiting the birth of another sibling.


5 things on todays "to-do list" (I’ll do tomorrow, since I am doing this late at night)

1- Choreograph 2 dances for a dance class I begin teaching next week.

2- Call maintenance to fix the broken light in our bathroom.

3- Hang picture and shelf in my bedroom

4- Make a cake for Mylee’s B-day

5- Make chicken salad for a birthday luncheon with my friends—it is another one of my friend’s b-day’s tomorrow too.



5 Snacks I enjoy:

1- Yogurt with fruit

2- Cinnamon Pita Chips

3- Nature Valley granola bars

4- Chocolate—humm, is that considered a snack?

5- Sea Salt Pita chips and lemon hummus—any non-Vermonters heard of that one? Oh it’s so good!


5 Places I have lived:

1- Salt Lake City, Utah

2- Rexburg, Idaho

3- Provo, Utah

4- Orem, Utah

5- Essex Junction, Vermont


5 Jobs I have had:

1- Assembly worker at Emergency Essentials

2- Customer service representative at For Every Body

3- Customer service representative at Investools

4- Research Assistant at BYU, studied the effects religion has on the family—very interesting

5- A telemarketer for Moneyline—yes, I was one of those annoying people



5 Pet Peeves

1- Being told all that I am not doing right and not noticing what I am doing right. I need a lot of positive feedback.

2- Having hair in my face

3- Getting telemarketing calls

4- My oily complexion—anyone know any cures?

5- When Blake buys junk food



5 things that bring me joy:

1- Watching my children grow
2- Seeing Blake happy
3- Crafting something, anything
4- Getting my house organized and knowing where everything is.
5- Spending time with good friends or family.

5 People I tag:

1-Miquelle
2-Natalie
3-Annette
4-Melissa
5-Nicole

The Things They Say

The story first starts with Kelsey getting into trouble and going to time out in her bedroom. Of course she was distraught and she cried, but more then that she was calling for someone other then Blake or I. I snuck upstairs and listened next to her door. She was calling for Jesus. I felt terrible that she thought I had been that harsh, but was able to use this as a teaching moment to teach her to pray when she wanted Jesus. She didn't want to at that time, but I hoped that she had learned something.

After bedtime Kelsey came downstaris upset because her tummy hurt. I asked her to go use the bathroom and then it would feel better, then she said, "No Mom, Jesus can make it better." Of course, why didn't I think of that? Then we knelt down together and she prayed to Heavenly Father to ask Jesus to make her tummy not hurt. When she was done, she was all smiles and went back to bed. Is that just not adorable!! It's times like those that make all the demands of motherhood worth it!!!

Back to Normal Life

Blake is home!!! We have missed him SOOO much! Seeing him standing there waiting for us at the airport was nothing short of pure joy! I missed him so much and feeling the immense joy of being reunited with him again has helped me understand the significance of our eternal marriage. Thinking eternally, we never will be apart as long as we are righteous and keep the covenants we have made with the Lord. I'm grateful for his optimism as he has had to make sacrifices to help secure a financial future for our family. We are learning so much and despite the trials and sacrifices, we are enjoying the journey!

PS. I'm over Kelsey's hair, thank goodness!! And I actually like it now! Go figure, the drama I cause myself. And for the record, what happened to her hair was an accident and it wasn't anyone's fault.

Hair Woes

I'm writing this post at an insane time of night because I need to purge. So here is the deal, it is 11:36 P.M. and I've been crying over Kelsey's hair unable to get my mind off it to fall asleep. For those of you that don't know, Kelsey had a bad hair cut while we were on vacation and got way too much length taken off--like 5 or 6 inches!! instead of 2. I won't go into the story because it is still too upsetting for me and if you ask I probably won't tell you the whole story and would probably not like to tell it at all. But the thing is is that it's been a month and I am still having issues with it. Can I just get over it? Man, it's just hair! It grows back right? And according to a website I just found, an average person's hair grows 6 inches in a year. That would repair the damage right?, but a year?!! Did I not say a while ago that I have this strange obession with hair. I wasn't kidding you. It's still long enough to pull back in a pony tail and do a french braid and all that fun stuff, but I can't get past the picture in my head of her beautiful long flowing blonde hair. Her hair was almost a sense of pride for me--I know it's weird. The funny thing is that she still looks as adorable as ever, I'm just having issues. Now that I am back home and everyone hasn't seen the "damage" I'm afraid someone is going to ask me, "Why did you cut her hair?" So if you see Kelsey and you feel the urge to say something about her hair, tell me it looks beautiful--I need some boosting. Well, I feel somewhat better now. Hopefully I don't regret this post later. But honestly, I need to get a grip! Of all things to be upset about! Maybe now I can go so sleep.

We're Home!!

We made it. I don't think there is really anything easy about flying home alone with two children, but we managed just fine. At the Salt Lake Airport there was a nice gentleman that I happened to sit down next to while waiting for my flight and as we were talking we realized we were both headed to the same destination. He was going on a church history tour and was meeting up with some family when we got to Burlington. He was very nice and helped me get on and off the planes and even watched my bags for me while me and the girls went to the lady's room. The first flight was a little over 4 hours. Two hours into the flight I really didn't know how I was going to manage. Mylee was crying and thrashing about, Kelsey was bugged by Mylee and cried and whined periodically as Mylee would kick her or pull her hair, take her toy, etc. Kelsey drank too much apple juice so Mylee and I got the pleasure of taking her to the bathroom near the end of this 2 hour period. The lady I sat next to was very nice and didn't seem too bugged by the two crazy kids by her. But then, there was peace!! Kelsey and Mylee both fell asleep. Even better, this Delta flight had TV screens and I got to watch the gymnastics beam final!! I was glad Shawn Johnson won gold. She earned it! Nastia had an awesome routine as well, very solid and nearly perfect.

Thank goodness they slept until we landed. I got some breakfast from Wendy's for me and the girls, took the girls to the bathroom, and boarded the plane to Burlington. I was a little bugged because we sat on the plane for 45 minutes until we took off. I don't know what that was about, but once we were in the air it took about 50 minutes to get to Burlington. Kelsey slept the whole time--thank goodness for that, she was grumpy!!--Mylee slept once we took off. When we arrived in Burlington Kelsey started to tell me her tummy hurt. I wasn't surprised because she wouldn't eat any of the breakfast I bought for her. I had some princess fruit snacks for her though and never once had she ever refused those, except this time. When she didn't take those, I knew something was wrong. We continued to walk to the baggage claim, not quite to the bathrooms, then she started throwing up. I couldn't run to the bathroom and leave Mylee and I didn't want Kelsey throwing up all over the airport floor, so i was completely flustered and at a loss as to what i should do. I was holding a blanket and grabbed Kelsey and had her throw up in the blanket over in a corner, leaving Mylee in the middle of the airport floor. Thank goodness a lady noticed what was happening and offered to take Mylee into the bathroom while Kelsey continued to throw up in the blanket. Kelsey then cried calling for her Daddy hunched over, holding her tummy until we ran into my friend Michelle. Boy was I glad to see her. When driving home Kelsey threw up again and continued to throw up about 5 or 6 times when we got home. Despite being sick, she was SO SO glad to be home. When she walked in the door she said, "MOM, my bike!" As we walked into the living room, "MOM, my pink chair! My toys!" When we got to her room, "MOM, my pink bed!!" Today I heard her scream for joy when she found her princess dress-up clothes.

I feel pretty caught up on my rest, but me and the girls are still on Utah time. They won't go to bed until 10 P.M. and we haven't been waking up until 9 A.M. Today I was headed out to go to the store to get some diapers, only to find out our car isn't working properly and our other car is in storage (we put the Jeep on storage with our insurance to save some money). So currently I am without a car. Me and the girls walked to the store to get diapers instead. It was a long and hot walk, but we all enjoyed it. So everything isn't perfect, but we are doing well and are so happy to be home! Yesterday I weeded our flower beds (well we don't actually have flowers, just dirt). The weeds had gone crazy while we have been gone. We are counting down until Blake gets home! We miss him!

Utah fun continued....

We have been in Utah for a long time!!! I miss everyone, but have had a great time visiting family and letting Kelsey get to know her Aunts and Uncles better as well as her cousins. This is a trip we will remember forever. Here are some of the highlights in no particular order. I wasn't about to try to get all the events in order.

1. Lagoon twice!
2. Hogle Zoo
3. Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Mueseum
4. Clifton Family reunion up Payson Canyon
5. Salt Lake City Parade of Homes
6. Cousin Ammon's B-day Party
7. Kelsey got her hair cut. I still get butterflys in my stomach when I think about it. It got cut a lot shorter then I wanted! Oh well, it will grow back and of course she is still beautiful!
8. Numerous game nights with family--Bohnanza is my new favorite game
9. Fourth of July Parade in Provo
10. Alpine day fireworks show
11. Swimming
12. Playing with cousins and aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandmpas
13. Drive up Provo Canyon
14. Hummm, I'm sure there is more, but this post is already taking more time then I wanted it to.

Fun in Utah

We have been having a great time in Utah. Kelsey got to ride a horse and was in heaven! She LOVED it! We went to Lagoon with my Dad and sister and her kids. Kelsey again was in heaven. Mylee was great and enjoyed her spot in the stroller most of the time except for the train ride. Blake competed in a triathlon with his brother and did very well. I was so proud of him. He really didn't have a whole lot of time to train and with the altitude change it made it that much more difficult. But he did AWESOME! It was fun to watch him. Kelsey and I got the flu, but thankfully it only lasted 24 hours. I'm hoping Blake and Mylee don't get it.

Go Blake!

On Friday the 13th, Blake was invited to present at the Orthopaedic Research Day conference to present the findings on his research over the past three years. It was such an honor for him to be invited! He did and excellent job and got high reviews from many of the doctors that attended.
Here is a portion of his abstact. The paper is currently in the process of being published; yeah! Notice Blake's name in the title:

Geographic Mapping of Meniscus and Cartilage Lesions Associated with ACL Injuries: A Single Surgeon’s Findings at the Time of Reconstruction.

James R. Slauterbeck, Petteri Kousa, Blake C. Clifton, Shelly Naud, Timothy W. Tourville, Robert J. Johnson, Bruce D. Beynnon

Background: To determine the associations between patient sex, age and surgical delay with frequency and location of meniscus and articular cartilage lesions seen at the time of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR) procedure.

I'll let Blake explain it to you in laman's terms.

50 Things About Me!

Many of my friends have done this on their blogs. I have LOVED reading them, so I thought I would give it a try. If you haven't done it, try it!

1. I love to write and would one day like to write a book.
2. I LOVE interior design and can’t wait until we get a house to decorate it. I love the deeper rich colors.
3. I am a perfectionist. I loved being a student because I was so good at it. I would go to insane measures to make sure I got an “A”. Good thing I have eternity to work on being a perfect wife and mom!
4. Anything to do with crafts, I am there! I love them!
5. I love the outdoors! From hiking, biking, camping, boating, skiing.
6. I love to exercise. It is not always the easiest thing for me to start, but I love how I feel after. One day I would love to join a gym and take some aerobics classes.
7. I love to dance! Lyrical and modern are my favorite. The movements are so uplifting and inspiring.
8. I’m very protective of my hair and my girls’ hair. I don’t think I have had a dramatic hair style change in 8 years. I’m afraid if I try something new, I’ll look ugly.
9. I have a demented toe. Yes, the set of toes on my left foot is different then the demented ones on my right. I try to avoid open toe shoes, but I’ve sort of come to the consensus that it doesn’t matter.
10. I love to organize parties and get-togethers, but hate taking charge at them. I’m just not good at it.
11. I LOVE chocolate. It has to be milk chocolate and not Hershey’s. I love symphony bars with toffee chips and any Cadbury brand. Brownies of course are another favorite.
12. I love to listen to all types of music. I’m a die hard American Idol fan too!
13. I hate video games and never intend on owning any type of video game device. Waste of time!
14. I’m extremely gullible! For this reason, I hate being teased, because I can never stand up for myself.
15. I don’t get jokes. If ever you tell a joke and I don’t laugh, don’t worry, I’m probably not laughing because I didn’t get it.
16. I love to be obedient. Granted, I am not perfect—not even close, but I love to choose the right.
17.I have a mole on my face that just won’t go away! I had it removed shortly after Kelsey was born and it grew back. What’s up with that! The doctor said it will get bigger and I grow older too. Oh no!!
18. I love children! They are so innocent and sweet and bring me so much joy. I want to have many more children, but won’t specify a number.
19. I think the internet and computers are some of the best inventions ever!
20. I love taking pictures and would love to learn more about photography! My poor camera got dropped so the batteries no longer stay in, so I have to tape the battery compartment up. So sad, maybe I’ll get a new one for Christmas, mine is a little out-dated anyways.
21. I am a worrier. I think up the most absurd scenarios! I drive myself bonkers sometimes.
22. Thank goodness Blake is good at math because I’m horrible at it! I do a really good job at tracking all of our expenses though. I know exactly where every penny goes and if I don’t know, it drives me crazy.
23. I love getting mail, both snail and email! I look forward to it every day!
24. I love getting compliments; it brightens my day and makes me feel good.
25. I love being a mom; nothing else could be more rewarding.
26. I love reading about successful people’s lives and try to learn from their good examples. One book I read recently for the second time is Russell M. Nelson’s book, “Father, Surgeon, Apostle”; I want to be like his wife Danzel. She was truly a remarkable woman.
27. I love getting new clothes and refuse to ever pay full price for them. Usually my rule is nothing over $10 for a shirt and nothing over $20 for pants. If I do pay more than that, it was just too cute to pass up or it was for a very special occasion.
28. I love getting a bargain! The other day I spent $29 on toothpaste, deodorant, and toothbrushes and saved $48! Sweet! One of my best deals ever though, was Kelsey’s bed set. Comforter, pillow sham, twin sheet set with pillowcase—all for just over $5.00! I was so proud of myself
29. I don’t remember the last time I paid to see a movie in the theater. In my opinion, it costs way too much. Blake and I wait until it comes out in video and then rent it from Redbox and pay only a $1.06. Now that’s a bargain, a date for a $1!
30. I like to try new recipes, especially healthy ones. I’m a little OC (obsessive compulsive) on calories and usually always know how many calories something has and will eat accordingly.
31. I love watching world news and being caught up on world events.
32. I would love to learn more about nutrition. I love eating things that I know are good for my body.
33. I’m not a shoe person. I never know what to buy and have a hard time visualizing what will look good with what. I usually just give up and get something really simple and practical—one pair of shoes for almost everything.
34. I much prefer email and blogging to talking on the phone. Really no offense. I always find myself at a loss of words with nothing to talk about and I hate silent moments. I like having time to articulate my thoughts on paper. I can’t always talk when people call either—Mylee is crying, I’m trying to get dinner on, etc. and I end up sounding insincere because of what's going on around me.
35. I act really weird in big groups. I find myself saying things that don’t make sense and I become fidgety and awkward. That is why I usually stay put at parties. Granted there are times I surprise myself and I am getting better. I hated dances in high school for this reason.
36. I LOVE long hot showers!
37. I am a people pleaser and will sometimes go to great lengths to make someone feel special. Time and money doesn’t allow all that I would like to do, but I find great joy in making someone else happy.
38. I can’t go without breakfast in the morning. I rotate between my favorite cereals, but right now Honey Nut Cheerios with a fresh sliced banana is my favorite. I go to bed looking forward to having my bowl of cheerios in the morning.
39. I love watching Funniest Home Videos. Nothing gets me laughing harder.
40. Nothing is more important to me then family!
41. I love to be organized! It makes me feel happy and accomplished.
42. I am not a pet person. I will never own a cat and if we do get a dog, it will stay outdoors. I can’t stand the hair, the smell, and the mess.
43. I’m not a huge dare devil. If it is potentially dangerous, I just won’t do it, at least not without a lot of probing.
44. I have a collection of sterling silver charms and love them.
45. I have a porcelain doll collection at home and would like to travel one day and get a doll from different countries I visit. Blake gave me one from Japan for a wedding gift.
46. I love the fact that I’m extremely girly, but yet will go mountain biking, skiing, play baseball, etc.
47. One day I would like to run a marathon.
48. I’m terrified of scuba diving and snorkeling. I’m afraid some sea creature is going to come and get me and that I won’t be able to breathe. Blake says I have to get over this before he will take me to Hawaii. Hummm, we’ll see about that.
49. I’m extremely indecisive and drive my self crazy because of it. I will only buy something if I know I can return it.
50. I usually never read forwards unless someone sends me one that never sends them. I guess I feel I don't have the time to read them. So sorry, if you send me a forward, it's more likely then not that I will not read it.

Well, now you know more about me then you probably wanted to know--hope you had fun reading though!

Beating the Heat

Vermont has finally decided to send us some summer weather this past week. I have forgotten how hot it gets here--90's with 80% humidity! We've been to the beach twice trying to get some relief and of course have fun!! Blake has had these past two weeks off and we have been trying to take advantage of him being home.

On a different note, do you ever feel like you are completely "losing it!"? Today was one of Kelsey's little friend's B-day parties. When the event was over I took Mylee to go pick up Kelsey. I went in and visited for a little bit and then left with Kelsey. I was helping her go down the stairs in her princess dress and shoes (it was a princess party) and my friend Miquelle comes to the door laughing saying, "Cami, do you want to take Mylee?" I had completely forgotten about her! Also in my conversations I have had a hard time saying anything coherent and what things I have said have been coming out all wrong making me regret that I spoke in the first place.

I'm thinking it's stress. From the obligations I feel I have to meet as a wife, mother, young women leader, visiting teacher, and the stresses that come from financing medical school and beyond have really been making me go loco! I think I need a vacation!! I can't wait to go see my family in July! I need to hear my mom say, "Everything is going to work out :)" I have to remember to count my blessings. When I do that, suddenly everything seems to be okay and I feel at peace. Hopefully I haven't been too frank in revealing this.

This is at Indian Brook Reservoir where Blake has been swimming to train for his triathlon in July. It's so beautiful!

The Dentist and a New Milestone!

Kelsey went to the dentist for the first time on Wednesday! She was a little nervous at first and I had to sit in the chair with her in the beginning, but she warmed up when the dental hygenist showed her how the dentist chair moved up and down. She thought that was pretty cool! The hygenist counted her teeth and gave her a new toothbrush and some floss and then went and got the dentist. I couldn't resist taking pictures :). Doesn't she look so cute! She was such a big girl. Her teeth are healthy and strong.

Mylee officially started crawling yesterday. She is loving the freedom and I am loving a happier baby.
This is a picture taken today at playgroup with Kelsey and all her little girl friends. From left to right, Brooke (turned 3 in October), Georgie (turned 3 in July), Niah (turned 3 in January), Kelsey (turned 3 in Feb.), Addi (will be 3 in June), Rayka (turned 4 in November). They are all such sweet little friends and Kelsey is constantly asking to play with them. We all live right next door to each other except for Niah and she is only 3 or 4 minutes down the road.

Georgie, Brooke and Kelsey riding their bike to play group this morning and Shersti (left) and Miquelle (right) with their kids Jacob, Zack, Macie, and Addi in their strollers. Mylee and I are behind the camera. We had a fun morning.

It was 5 years and 1 day ago that....

Blake and I went on our first date! I had so much fun and knew that I had meant someone special. Before I get to our date, let me give you a little background. A few nights before I had gone out on a blind date with his roommate Matt who was my roommate’s soon-to-be fiancé’s brother and Matt was also Blake’s sister-in-law’s brother so there were lots of connections between Matt and Blake. To make a long story short, Blake and I hit it off pretty well and realized we had met a few months previous when two of my best friends from high school introduced us. That night, however, we were both going to different parties and we didn’t really say so much as hello to one another. But obviously there was something about him that caught my eye or I wouldn’t have remembered him on my date with Matt.

Again, skipping a lot of details, the next morning after mine and Matt’s date, I had a voice mail on my phone from Blake asking me if I wanted to go to the muddy puddy caves with him. I was very flattered that he would be so bold as to call me the next day for a date especially when his roommate had asked me out the night before. Blake did ask Matt’s permission. I called him back and let him know that I had other plans that night—another date—but would be happy to do it another time. I’m not sure if he asked me then or called me again later, but he did ask me out again to go jet skiing at Utah Lake on Memorial Day—two days later. I said yes, but was feeling a little shy about getting in a swimsuit for a first date with a guy I didn’t know very well, but was excited to go with someone that seemed so show some interest in me. I had so much fun on our date and went home with a new crush.

These are some of the things I remember most about our date. Before we got into the water, we were all lathering up with sunscreen and Blake offered to help put some on my back. A little surprised, I gave him my sunscreen and let him do it. Ahhh!! A had never had a guy do that before. Later Blake said it was no big deal, but to me it was. I liked how confident he was in asking me though. When going out on the water, we shared a Jet ski/wave runner and the other couple shared another. At first I was a little reluctant to put my arms around him too tight, but it didn’t take long to where I felt comfortable and enjoyed holding him tight. I remember him reaching down and touching my leg and commenting on how smooth they were—and you bet they were, I probably spent 30 minutes shaving for that date in the shower. We cruised around doing all sorts of tricks with the jet ski. We were laughing hysterically and having so much fun. At one point he even dumped me off. As the day drew on and we were cruising along on the water, Blake would turn his face to the side to talk to me and our cheeks would touch and I remember getting butterflies every time they touched. As our relationship progressed, Blake admitted to getting butterflies too. We said goodbye with a nice hug on my door step and again got butterflies and that was that!

Not wanting to be too forward, I texted him a day later saying how much fun I had and thanked him for the date hoping that he would ask me out again. He did and we were pretty much inseparable after about a week. I LOVE you Blake, you’re my eternal sweetheart and I can't imagine my life without you!!!

P.S. The picture above was taken soon after we were married in Moab, Utah while we were biking slick rock with some friends.

The Latest...

I can't believe this month is nearly half over! Blake has been working in Orthopedic Surgery this month and has been LOVING it. The other day he came home all excited about being able to help break a patient's hip and then replace it with a new one. The girls have been doing well other than the fact that they have been sick with colds, including Blake and me. We're hoping we will all start feeling better soon.

I've been running a lot and have been really enjoying it. Me and the girls wake up in the morning, have breakfast, and I take them out in my jogger and run. There is a bunch of us that either walk or run the same loop nearly every morning. It's fun to run into friends and exercise with them. I got out every morning hoping that I run into somebody to talk to and most often I do. I'm sure we're talked about in the neighborhood. At least one or two days in the week there are 5 or 6 of us walking together. We take up the whole road and have to watch for cars. Luckily the streets we walk on are not very busy. Well sorry this post is sort of random, but I thought I might give you all an update since it has been a while.

Montreal Temple

On Saturday we went to the Montreal Temple with some friends and switched watching eachother's kids while we both did a session. It was wonderful!! The session was so beautiful! At this temple there are obviously a lot of French speakers, being that it is in Montreal, but that day we got to hear the session in English for the first time at this temple. After our session, we watched our friends kids so they could do a session. We went outside to have a picnic and enjoy the sun. It was a beautiful day. Before we went outside, we let the girls watch a movie about the Book of Mormon. As they were sitting on the couch in the waiting room sort of watching the movie, Kelsey turned and looked at Addi, her friend, and said, "Addi, I love Jesus, do you love Jesus?" Addi then responded that she did. There was also another lady in the waiting room, so Kelsey looked over at her and asked her the same thing. She smiled and nodded her head yes. So sweet!

Bad Hair Day!

The weather has been so beautiful lately! This whole past week has been near 80 degrees. So unusual for this time of year, but hey we will take it! Because of that my girls have been filthy at the end of the day from playing outside, especially Kelsey. So we have switched our routine from having morning baths to nighttime baths. Doing their hair is always a bit more of a challenge in the morning, especially when Kelsey gets breakfast food in hers. Mylee's had quite the due this morning. Check it out!

Going on with the bath theme. The other night Kelsey got out of her bath and didn't want to get dressed. This is a common problem. Instead of struggling with her, I told her to come get me when she was ready to get dressed and I would help her. In this past this has worked like a charm. I went downstairs and did dinner dishes and after a while I called up to Kelsey to see if she was ready yet. I didn't get any answer. I tried a few more times and still no answer. Afraid that she might be into trouble, I ran upstairs and this is what I found. She was so tired! Playing outside all day does a number on her. Sweet little girl.

"Mom, the Prophet!"

Today when we were walking from the parking lot into our church building Kelsey saw an older man wearing a suit and holding a brief case. Excitedly she shouted, "Mom, the prophet!" Her happy exclamation was an answer to my prayer. Let me explain: last week during General Conference I felt so uplifted by Elder Ballard's talk on Mothers. In it he said:

"There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration. Mothers may feel they receive little or no appreciation for the choice they have made. Sometimes even husbands seem to have no idea of the demands upon their wives."

He then counsels that we need to "recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction" Today I had a joyful moment! There are times I often feel inadequate in my roles as a mother. I feel there is so much I need to teach my girls and I have such high hopes and aspirations for them. When Kelsey thought she saw the prophet today, I felt Heavenly Father was sending me a message that what I had been doing in trying to teach Kelsey the gospel, in particular about our new prophet President Monson, was working and that I was doing a good job.

There are so many times I feel so inadequate and that I am not doing enough, Kelsey's joyful exclamation brought me comfort and then today as I have been studying, I felt an added peace when I came across a talk given by President Erying in the October 2007 conference entitled, "Rise up to your call." His talk is counsel to those who have callings in the church, but I am relating what he said in this instance to my calling as a mother. He said:

"If I only think of my own performance, my sadness deepens. But when I remember that the Lord promised that His power would go with me, I begin to look for evidence of what He has done in the lives of the people I am to serve. I pray to see with spiritual eyes the effects of His power."

Kelsey was evidence for me of his power today when she saw the "prophet". It was also evidenced when Blake called from the hospital to talk to us during his dinner break. Kelsey and I had just sat down to read scriptures, when Blake called. I talked to him a while, then Kelsey wanted to talk to him. I heard Blake ask her if she was going to bed then Kelsey responded, "No, have to read scriptures first." Pure evidence that the Lord is magnifying my abilities as a mother and that He is with me in my mothering. President Erying concludes:

"You can have the utmost assurance that your power will be multiplied many times by the Lord. All He asks is that you give your best effort and your whole heart. Do it cheerfully and with the prayer of faith The Father and His Beloved Son will send the Holy Ghost as your companion to guide you. Your efforts will be magnified in the lives of the people you serve. And when you look back on what may now seem trying times of service and sacrifice, the sacrifice will have become a blessing, and you will know that you have seen the arm of God lifting those you served for Him, and lifting you."

AMAZING! I LOVE THE GOSPEL!

M Russell Ballard, "Daughter's of God," April 2008 General Conference
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-851-37,00.html

Henry B. Eyring, “Rise to Your Call,” October 2002 General Conference
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/EmailArticleProcess?action=update&cmlId=217658&locale=0&emId=593568239

Latest Events

Finally we have been getting some spring weather. It has been so wonderful! This week inparticular has been wonderful because Blake has been home during the day. He is working in the Emergency Department right now and is on the 2 P.M to 11 P.M. shift. We don't get him at night, but it has been a great change to have him a part of our daily morning and afternoon routine. Above, Kelsey and I made princess crowns and then had a picnic with Daddy outside. Kelsey loved it except for the flies. She had a panic attack everytime one landed on her. Humm...we're going to have to work on that one.

Yesterday, we had pictures taken of the girls. Kelsey for her 3 year and Mylee for her 6 month. They were so adorable! I got some good ones of them. Days before I had been preparing what they were going to wear, here are some pictures of my trial outfits and poses. I know, I'm a little obessive! I chose the red poka dot dress with Mylee in the red jumper. I made Kelsey a pretty white and red bow to go in her hair and made Mylee a little skirt, but didn't end up using it for pictures. It will be cute for church though.

So this is funny. It was after the girls bedtime, Mylee was sleeping and Kelsey was trying to. Blake called from the hospital on his dinner break to talk then Kelsey came down stairs crying because she said she had an ouchy and needed a bandaid. In an effort to get her back to bed so I could talk to my husband in peace, I went upstairs to find her a bandaid even though she wasn't bleeding and didn't need one. Much to my dismay I couldn't find one. When I told Kelsey this, she threw a huge fit. I then proceeded to look harder, I finally found a wierd shaped one. It was a bandaid though and Kelsey was satisfied. She took the bandaid from me and put it on herself. My moments of frustration quickly turned into a memorable, precious and hilarious moment. Look at this picture and you will see why. I was cracking up on the phone with Blake.

One last thing, is this baby not the cutest thing you have ever seen! She's such a doll!

Mystery Shop Disaster

Blake graciously watched the girls for me while I did some errands yesterday. It was so wonderful to move in and out of stores so quickly! One of my errands was doing a mystery shop at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I have done this shop numerous times before and usually do it because they not only pay me, but reimburse me for an item up to $8. I usually can always use some new kitchen gadget. Well, I had quite the experience yesterday. As part of the mystery shop, I have to browse through all the departments and note the names of all the employees I pass by and whether or not they greeted me. I also have to ask an employee where an item is and see what they do. For this particular shop, I had to ask about air purifiers and judge them on their selling abilities and so forth. As I was pursing the store, I saw a lady that had helped me during a previous shop I had done there. During that shop I had to pretend I was engaged and had to start a wedding registry. I remember being frazled as she asked more and more detailed questions about my presumed wedding. Well, she took one look at me yesterday and I know she recognized me. She must have caught on last shop that I was a mystery shopper. As I walked away and went into another department, my suspicions were confirmed as I saw her scurry by, whispering to every employee she passed. I knew exactly what she was doing. When I walked by the employees she had already talked to they were overly attentive to me. Employees starting coming out from everywhere and all of them were overly excited to help and assist me. I felt like a gold fish in a glass bowl. Everyone was looking at me! I would have left, but needed the money, so I proceeded with the shop. I had to make a return and a purchase as part of my requirement. When I got in line to do my return and make my purchase an employee immediately picked me out of a line of people and took me over to an empty register to do my return and make my purchase. I couldn’t get out of there faster! I felt like saying, "Yeah you figured me out." But I was afraid that I might not get paid if I said something. All that and I only got $8 bucks and I ended up buying fruit snacks because I couldn't find something under $8 to buy that I needed. I’m not going to do that shop again unless they offer me big bucks!