The Petersens

"Happy Birthday...

2010-02-10T17:08:00.005-07:00

...just remember you are IN your thirties now." That's basically what Brad told me. I know he's just trying to soothe the irritating thought that he will turn 30 this year. Man, will I rub it in, too! He did, however, plan a very fun birthday date for me and made my birthday a special one. My day started off with the anticipated phone calls from my family (Triston, Dad, and the Lee Family Choir). I was invited to breakfast with my parents at Mimi's. Mmmm!

Then, we visited Brad's mom at school. Tess loved being part of the first-grade class and insisted on calling grandma "Teacher" the rest of the day. I also got to witness 25 first-graders speaking Mandarin Chinese. It was amazing! they understand everything their teacher was saying to them. They even sang "Happy Birthday" to me in Chinese. Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon of restorative yoga. Namaste! And then my "Night O'Fun" began. A bunch of friends met us at Asian Star for dinner. I forgot how delicious it is.

Then we headed to the lanes for some bowling. Brad and I joke about starting a bowling league with friends some day and after this it looks like we definitley need some practice first. I used to be such a good bowler (my claim to fame...sad, huh?). But, Brad and I did manage to pull off the high scores that night for our respective genders. Yeah! Any way you look at it, it was good ole fashioned, competitive fun!

Then, one last stop at our friends, the Francos, where we ate decadent, delicious, marvelous, cream-cheesy, chocolate masterpiece cake that sweet Brooke made for me! She's the best!

It was a great birthday! Thanks y'all! I don't mind being 31 if it's this fun! Brad, watch out, yours is comin'!

February...so far

2010-02-04T13:46:00.003-07:00

Let the month of love begin!

Family Home Evening

Finally got something on Tess' walls!

Chewing on anything now!

Wafles & Juice...mmmm!

2010-01-31T13:44:00.001-07:00

Little Mommy

2010-01-30T13:39:00.001-07:00

In Heaven

2010-01-29T13:35:00.002-07:00

Sample day at Costco definitely ranks up there with other favorite family activities. Kate joined in the sample tasting this time. I could barely get any shopping done.

Project 365

2010-01-28T22:55:00.010-07:00

Along with my other 2010 goals (more about those later), I have taken on a challenge to take a picture every day this year. Wow...this will really help me to get my camera out and take pictures of our everyday events. I will be sharing them on my blog and on Flickr. It's been fun, but sometimes interesting trying to figure out what to take a picture of besides the girls (they are so cute!). Winter keeps me limited. I've also realized that some days it's hard to narrow it down to one picture because they don't always tell the whole story of our day. Hope you enjoy!

Here is a Flickr guest pass link to check out my photos.

Finally!

2009-08-13T15:40:00.005-06:00

Okay, so I'm finally on my blog. Thought I'd never return? And I finally got around to getting Kate's birth announcement done even though she is 4 months old. Hey, the rule of thumb says I have until she is 6 months to send them out. My most talented friend, Amber, designed these adorable announcements. You know you all have a friend that can do anything and has a gazillion talents, well she is one of several friends I have like that. I would die to have an ounce of her brilliance! Anyway, check out her site at Doodlebloom. She does photography, announcements, and handmade baby items! For all of you who have babies in your lives or will in the future, I highly recommend giving her a call! Thanks Amber! You rock! I couldn't decide on the picture so here are both:

Meet Kate Lila Petersen

2009-06-19T15:59:00.004-06:00

Kate was born on March 31st, 2009 at 10:38 PM. We were all thinking that she was going to be and April Fools baby, but I guess she had other plans. When she was born she weighed 7lbs 7 oz and was about 21 inches long. When she was born she was perfect, no bruises or stork bites anywhere. She came out with a full head of dark hair that in the right light looks like it may be highlighted. We can't go anywhere without people commenting on her hair!! It's pretty crazy hair!! When it's wet it looks curly but when it drys it sticks straight up and to the left (I think). You can't do anything with it except put a headband on. She came out perfect but she sure hasn't been quite as perfect as Tess was when she first came home. She had her nights and days screwed up for the first few weeks so we didn't get much sleep at first. Now she is sleeping at least 6 to 8 hours a night. Kate is already almost 3 months old and loves to smile and talk. She also has quite the temper and lets you know when she doesn't like something. As for Tess and her new sister, Tess is still trying to figure out how to not get too excited when hugging, kissing, or simply just holding her. Kate usually starts to cry when Tess comes around because she knows a beating is coming. Of course Tess is just trying to love her little sister, but it usually ends up that she squeezes a little too tight or tries to pick her up by her head. We have had quite a few scary incidents where we find Tess with Kate in her arms. Luckily we haven't had any mishaps!! Tess is all over the place and rarely pauses for more then a few minutes. So you pretty much are constantly chasing her and trying to keep your cool. We nicknamed her "Search & Destroy" because that is all she does is make messes and destroy things. Lucky for us she recently started watching movies which allows for a little time without havoc, but not much. She may be crazy but we sure love her!!! I'm personally excited for Kate to get a little older so Kate and Tess can start to play together and be friends. Let's just hope that they end up being friends. We are so excited and grateful to have our little Kate here with us!!! Kate we love you!!--Brad

Thanks Brad!

2008-11-15T11:42:00.003-07:00

Normally, I wouldn't do this because I've been known to make fun of those blog posts that go on and on about how great someone's husband is. But, I just had to publicly tell Brad thanks, especially for the past 5 months of me being pregnant. He works so hard, keeps up the yard and house, and works on the basement in his spare time. Not only does he do all the regular man duties, but he cleans, cooks, irons, helps with laundry, takes care of our dog and child, and he BLOGS. Aren't I supposed to be doing all that? Sometimes I feel like a pretty sorry excuse for a wife because I can't even do my share of the work, but I know it will always be a little of give and take. Thanks Brad for all you do! Love this picture of you and Tess!

We're Pretty Sure

2008-11-13T15:20:00.005-07:00

Well Mel worked again and checked to see what the sex of the baby was again. She is 98% sure that it is a girl. I'm really hoping that it's a girl because if it's a boy then he must not have much down there, if you know what I mean. It won't be any good for his self esteem if he has to get made fun of by his family and friends for the rest of his life because we couldn't spot anything on the ultrasound after looking numerous times. Sounds like a good old Adam Sandler movie to me where the kid always gets made fun of for the size of his manhood.

This has nothing to do with this post but I had to put this picture up. Isn't my daughter FREAKING CUTE!!

Who Knows!!

2008-11-07T13:32:00.002-07:00

Well, my wife is slacking once again so i guess I will step in and give the latest update on the baby. A few weeks ago Mel peeked at work and thought she saw that it was a boy. She even had one of the doctors check it out and he also thought that it definetily looked like it was a boy. Well last week we had the ultrasound and when the tech went to check to see what the sex was she told us that it looked like a girl, but she wasn't getting a very good shot. So she kept on trying and then from a different angle she decided that it looked like it may be a boy. After quite a while of trying to make sure she decided that it looked like a girl again. So at that point she decided to ask another one of the techs to come in and look as well. The other tech was also having a hard time seeing what it looked like but was leaning towards a girl. So after over an hour of ultrasound we still weren't sure whether it was a boy or a girl. A couple of nights ago Mel went into work and was able to try to look again to see what the sex of the baby is and once again the baby was being stubborn (The baby must take after Mom) and had its legs closed. So after multiple ultrasounds we still aren't for sure on whether the baby is a boy or a girl. I will keep you all posted.

Happy Fall

2008-10-23T16:24:00.004-06:00

Sure, Tess will pose for a stranger at the Scarecrow Festival, but not for her own mom! I wanted to share this adorable picture of her. I could just pinch her! We are enjoying this warm fall. I love this time of year.. the chill in the air, colorful trees, pumpkins, warm comfort foods and soups, the smell in the air, etc. Tess asks everyday to go to the "punkin patch". I wish it could just stay this way longer.

It's not official, but....

2008-10-23T16:10:00.004-06:00

...it sure looked like a lil' winky to me. We're having a boy! I peeked on the fuzzy ultrasound machine at work. We are so excited and Tess is now saying that she has a boy in her tummy. We aren't buying anything "boy" until we know for sure in a week at my formal ultrasound. We let my parents know when we invited them over for dinner and had these little babies with the labels "boy" and Gus" placed in the mashed potatoes and meatloaf. Thought I'd let you all know and also make this my first post on my road to blogging recovery. Yes, I'm back!

Lake Powell!!

2008-09-24T14:54:00.008-06:00

We just got back from Lake Powell and it was amazing!!! The water temp was like 75 to 80 (which is still to cold for Mel) and the outside temp was any where from 85 to 90 all week long. There was no wind so we could water ski at any time of the day, which unfortunately is only about twice a day now because I'm getting old. It had been a good three years since the last ski trip so I was a little nervous to get back on the ski but after the first time out I felt pretty comfortable on my ski. Mel also got out behind the boat once to show us all she hadn't forgotten how to get up on the slalom ski, but couldn't do a ton because she wanted to be careful because of the baby. Right before she jumped in she said that she wouldn't recommend skiing when you are 12 weeks pregnant. Apparently she doesn't listen to her own advice. Like I said though she was very careful and only got out there once just to show off a little. I was impressed that she got up so easy because she has really only been skiing like once or twice other then this time at Powell. We decided to take all the kids and the dogs on the trip with us which ended up being a little hard at times but still fun. Lucky for us the girls had nothing to do with the water and would only some times wade in up to their knees. Other then that they would scream every time you even tried to put them in the water. I was expecting Tess to be all about the water because she is crazy at the pool and has no fear what so ever. The lake must scare little kids because it is dark and they can't see the bottom because she didn't ever want to get in. I took Tess down the slide on the house boat on the first day and I don't think that was a good idea because I'm pretty sure it freaked her out. I just figured that she should at least try it to see if she liked it or not. She defenitely didn't!! Here are a few pics of the trip

Guess What!?

2008-08-21T14:39:00.003-06:00

Mel is Pregnant again!!! We are so excited to have the next one on the way!! If only it didn't take so long, especially since Mel is already gettin way sick. We actually found out a little while ago that Mel is pregnant but Mel wanted to hold off on telling everyone until we had the first ultra sound to make sure everything was ok with the baby. Mel is about 8 weeks along now so the reason she already got an ultra sound was because she is doing a study about miscarriages. It was fun to go see the ultra sound and be able to hear the babies heart beat already. Tess went with us and she kept on saying "Baby goes, bump, bump, bump, bump," after she had the chance to hear the heart beat. Tess is quite the character and always makes us laugh!! Well for now that's all I got but I just wanted to let everyone know.

Brad Again

2008-08-11T15:31:00.002-06:00

Well since my wife hasn't had a chance to update the blog since the last time I did I figured I would keep the blog going and add a few new things to it before people just give up on reading our blog and never come back. Not a lot new with the family as of now just been working really hard on the basement as of lately. We finished up the sheet rock and are hoping to start some of the painting in the next week or so. Then we will just be waiting to get the finish work done before we can finish the paint. After that we will be moving a lot slower because the cost starts going up once you start doing the flooring and all that fun stuff. I'm sure everyone that has ever done a basement would agree that it always cost a lot more then you think it will when you first start.

Other then that I started this new thing called Isagenix. I was a little skeptical going into it but thought what the helk I'll give it a shot to see if I can lose a little weight and feel better. For those of you that haven't heard about this product it is called a nine day cleanse. Basically for days 1-2 you take this liquid called "Cleanse for Life," with pills twice a day, drink a ton of water, and you get to eat these wafers that they give you, and that's it, no food for those days. After that you switch it up and on days 3-7 you replace 2 meals a day with a shake that they give you and eat one 600 calorie meal a day. Then on days 8-9 you go back to the cleanse for life and water with no food. I'm currently on day 6 and have already lost 8lbs. and feel really good. I'm not going to lie it has been a little bit hard but the results have been worth it. I'm pretty excited to have lost that weight because I had tried working out and a few other things but never seemed to get the results that I was looking for but this is definitely working. I will keep you posted as to how it ends up.

I will have to see if I can figure out how to post some pics on this blog so there is something to look at besides just my boring writing. I'm sure it's easy but this is my second time on one of these blog sites so I'm still trying to figure it all out.

First time

2008-07-25T15:21:00.002-06:00

Well there's a first time for everything and I (Brad) decided to get in on this whole blog thing. I hacked into my wife's blog so hopefully she is ok with me adding a post for our family. I also added the link to get to her photography blog so go check that out as well. She is doing awesome in photography and did a fun little blog with some of the pictures she has been taking recently.

Other then that I just wanted to let my wife know how much I love her and what a great wife and mother she is. Thanks for all that you do for our family!!

Happy 4th!

2008-07-07T23:45:00.004-06:00

We celebrated the 4th of July at the cabin in the Uintahs. I could stay there for days! It is gorgeous! I came across this cute picture of Tess taken on the 4th last year. She was so little.

And this year...still droolin'!

Kaycee

2008-06-09T23:18:00.002-06:00

Here are some preliminary photos from the senior shoot I did today. Isn't my cousin gorgeous? Check out those eyes!

Meet Morgan

2008-06-04T21:42:00.003-06:00

So, I couldn't wait to show these pictures I took of my adorable neighbor girl. Since I'm still trying to fine-tune my photography blog I'm posting them here.

This little bribe sure made this picture!

Ooops! Showin' the underoos!

A few vintage shots...

Cute through and through!

And... my very favorites!

WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE THE BEST?

Potty Time

2008-05-30T16:02:00.003-06:00

It's amazing what gets you excited when you become a mom. Tess went poop on the potty and it made my week! Later that day she said, "Poop on potty..good job!" That's right! She loves it! Yeah! Now let's see if she keeps it up.

Photography

2008-05-20T00:47:00.005-06:00

Here is a flyer I've sent out for my photography if anyone is interested. I'm working on a photography blog and will post the link when I finish.

New Studio

2008-05-16T23:47:00.005-06:00

So, I finally did it...I got studio lights (Thanks Brad!) and I'm pursuing my love of photography. I still love natural light the best, but portraits in the studio are fun and so sweet. I mean, when else do we really get our kids to pose like that? Anyway, here are a few pictures I took of my friend's baby. Isn't he precious?

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

2008-05-06T22:15:00.002-06:00

Now I know why my husband digs Jessica Alba so much... he sees me in her! Hah, ya right! I only wish!

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities

Sweet Reunion

2008-05-06T14:01:00.004-06:00

This is my friend, Marita, from Germany. She has been visiting for a few weeks and I was so fortunate to see her twice, this time at Village Inn (her favorite breakfast place). I taught her in the first city on my mission and have been friends with her ever since. She is quite a woman and German through and through. Her story: She was an atheist, like most people in Eastern Germany. Her daughter joined the church as an exchange student here in Springville. That's what got her interested. After many years of meeting with missionaries and learning the Gospel (well, sometimes she would teach us discussions or lessons) she was baptized. She is truly a treasure in my life and always brings a different perspective or idea to the table. Marita, ich hab dich so lieb!

Women's Conference

2008-05-03T18:59:00.002-06:00

My mom, sister, a friend, and I spent Friday at Women's Conference. Holy cow... I've never seen so many women. At times it felt like we were part of a cattle drive. Other than that, we had a great time being together, being uplifted, eating ice cream, and shopping for bags galore! We heard Pres. Monson and Julie B. Beck speak and we heard a wonderful talk about raising daughters. I love a day with the gals! (Special thanks go out to Danny for watching 5 kids all day.)

Lil' Smarty Pants

2008-05-01T15:54:00.007-06:00

I hate bragging about my kids (yes, I include my dog as a kid) on my blog, but I have to give a report every once in a while. Tess talks so much now. She is a little parrot repeating everything I say, including the bad names I call Clover sometimes. Ooops! I'm just amazed though at what she picks up without me even knowing it. She fills in words to so many songs, knows part of her ABCs, and surprised me with counting the other day, too. She's growing up too fast! She is quite the character! Some of my latest favorites are: finding her stuck half way up the barstool with her chin on the counter saying "I want down", her constant need to pray over all her meals (she folds her arms and tells me "amen"), she tells me "no song" when she wants me to stop singing, she does the cutest wink, she tries to skip and walks on her tippy toes a lot, she asks now to go to sleep (love it), and she gives the cutest "eye kisses" (butterfly kisses). She is so rough & tumble, too, and rarely let's anything bother her. She surprises me every day with something! This is such a fun age and I'm loving it! Here are a few of my favorite recent pictures, including Easter:

Spring is Here!

2008-04-30T16:31:00.004-06:00

Last Friday my mom, Tess, and I headed down to Thanksgiving Point for the Tulip Festival. The tulips were only about 50% in bloom, but it was still beautiful and great to be outside. Tess loved it, of course, because to her the combo of Grandma and the outdoors is something to be topped. My mom has so much fun with her grandkids, you'd never know she has back pain. Check her out rolling down the hill with Tess! I tried to get some good photos, but Tess never holds still. Here's what I got! Thanks for the fun, mom!

L&D Stories

2008-04-30T15:43:00.000-06:00

For all my labor and delivery nurse friends or any of you who like funny stories about labor and delivery, here is a blog dedicated to just that. I got the link from my friend Brit. Be forewarned, what may be funny to an L&D nurse may gross the rest of you out completely! There are quite a few stories I should post myself, but I'll save that for a later date. Have a good laugh!

Let the Games Begin!

2008-04-30T15:28:00.000-06:00

We have officially started on our basement! I get so excited, but I have to avoid thinking of the expense. My brother, Triston, is framing for us and my dad and Brad are there to help, too. It will be so awesome to have double the space when we are done! We're finishing it so we'll have more space for another kiddo. Yep, that's right... it's time to start trying for another one this month. With that said... let the games begin!
Love the power tools!

I Suck!

2008-04-30T15:11:00.000-06:00

I suck BIG TIME, I really do now! We purchased an awesome vacuum last month and it makes cleaning so much fun! I recommend it to anyone. We got a Dyson which has awesome suction and no bags. Yeah! I hesitated because of the price. We really just needed something better than our $70 vacuum we got for our wedding. But, I love it and it was worth the bucks! I've never wanted to vacuum so much and I do it several times a week now just to get that fulfillment of seeing how much I can get out of the carpets and off my floors. So, there you have it...I really suck!

Friends

2008-03-28T15:55:00.000-06:00

Do you have a friend that you don't talk to often, but when you do it's just so easy again and you remember all you love about them? Or, you see pictures of them in an email or on a blog and you just smile and think to yourself "I'm so lucky to know that person!"? I have a few of those. I think you know who you are. If you're reading this know that I love you despite all my excuses for being a non-communicator. Thank goodness for those kind of friends! Here are just two of them that I stumbled across today:

SPT-Photo Scavenger Hunt

2008-03-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm a little late with this SPT. So here was the challenge-
in honor of february, the month of L.O.V.E., all of the items begin with the letter "L":
lips
light
little
laughter
lavender
lunch

Check out those lips! So sweet and kissable!

I love the light this time of year. I sit here when Tess is down for a nap and I read my scriptures or some light reading. Love the warmth and light!

A little mischief!

Lots of laughter at this sleep-over!

I love the smell of lavender! This is my new soap. Thanks mom.

Tess' lunch! Had to be quick today!

Across the Universe

2008-02-27T12:35:00.001-07:00

Okay, if you love Moulin Rouge then you'll definitely love this modern-day musical movie with lots of Beatles tunes and a lead actor with an amazing voice. I can't decide whether I like Ewan McGregor or Jim Sturgess more. It is a bit weird in parts (Brad calls them "crack-smokin' parts), but it is in the 60s and there has to be some acid trips in it somewhere, right? But overall, it's entertaining and the talent is amazing, oh and it's a love story, too. Who could resist a good love story and Beatles tunes?

SPT- Pick me up

2008-02-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

What do you turn to when you need a quick "pick me up?"
I find whatever sugar there is to be found in the pantry or I turn on Ellen which always makes me laugh! Oh, I also have saved a birthday message from my friend, Brooke, singing to me in a hilarious voice. That's also sure to pick me up where ever, whenever!

Love, Marriage, & Valentines

2008-02-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite quotes in honor of the day of LOVE (Brad, these remind me of us!) and our handmade Valentines:

"True love stories never have endings." -- Richard Bach

"To love another person is to see the face of God."-- Les Miserables

"Marriage hath in it less of beauty but more of safety, than the single life; it hath more care, but less danger, it is more merry, and more sad; it is fuller of sorrows, and fuller of joys; it lies under more burdens, but it is supported by all the strengths of love and charity, and those burdens are delightful."-- Bishop Jeremy Taylor

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking together in the same direction."--Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life.”

Self-Portrait Tuesday (SPT)/ "Love, Me"

2008-02-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

I ran across this idea as I was blog surfing. I think it makes me reflect a little, be willing to share pictures of myself, and gives me something to write about on my blog. Check it out here.
What will you do for yourself this valentine's day?

Well, I sometimes profess to be a scrapbooker, but the truth is that I get more frustration and feelings of being overwhelmed than I do enjoyment. Despite that, I do want to have my pictures and life in scrapbooks. So, for Valentines I made Brad (and really it's for me too) a scrapbook with all the reasons I love him! It ended up being pretty cute and I hope he enjoys reading it! I'm glad I'll have it to read in later years and my kids will see that, although I yell at their dad quite often, I really do love him with all my heart! Check it out!

Valentines Book

{Tess & Memory Monday}

2008-02-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I should post some more recent pictures of Tess. She rarely holds still enough for me to even snap a picture. She's got the cutest head full of curls! I know it looks like I never do her hair, but I promise it's done for at least 5 minutes a day until she can get her hands on it. I love the rag-a-muffin look, though. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

and {MEMORY MONDAY}
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR MOTHER'S WEDDING?
I know my mom married my dad on the shore of Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park wearing a sexy summer dress. My grandparents and a preacher were in attendance. They cut and ate their wedding cake at the lodge where strangers helped them celebrate. This is so like my parents. They are always spontaneous and go on trips never knowing where they'll end up. I love them for that!

Reality

2008-02-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

This one is for Jill. Her post about the perfect bloggerworld reflected my thoughts exactly. I've been getting depressed while looking at blogs because, like any woman, I compare myself. We all put our good foot forward, of course, but let's also put out there what is real. Brad just told me to quite looking at blogs, but I think they have some positive things about them. They inspire me to be better, more thoughtful, more fun, more creative and they give me lots of good ideas. But sometimes, they just make me feel like I'm the only one out there that got shafted when it came to talents...I'm not a professional scrapbooker, photographer, awesome cook, or world's greatest mom and I don't have a perfect family or life. So, along with all the positive stuff, I just want to feel normal in comparison. Thanks for making me feel that way, Jill. I yell at my kid and husband, too. Let's use our blogs to inspire one another!
P.S. Although I don't have the perfect husband, he is pretty great. After watching the WW Leadership Training, which was on building strong homes and families and was awesome, I came home to him baking us homemade cinnamon rolls. He really "wow"ed me with that one! They were delicious, Sweetie!

Tag, I'm it!

2008-02-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, Matti tagged me about a month ago, but I've just recently updated the blog. In honor of Valentine's day and love of our spouses, here goes:

How long have you been together?
Almost 4 years
Who said "I Love You" first?
I did, of course! I tell everyone I love them if I do, even friends. If you know Brad, his response won't surprise you. He would always respond "Thanks". I had that engraved on the inside of his wedding ring. After a few more weeks, though, our relationship deepened and he was the first to say, "I think I'm falling in love with you!"
Who is smarter?
Well, if we're fighting we both think we're the smartest. Tough question, it depends on the subject. Brad is a money genius and remembers everything including all small details. I have the medical smarts I guess!
Who Pays the Bills?
Joint effort. Brad and I keep each other well informed. We're both talented at managing money (makes for fewer arguments...whew!)
Who Cooks Dinner?
We both do. Brad has definitely been doing more of the cooking lately. But he's so good at it!
Who drives when you're in the car together?
Mostly Brad, unless I'm feeling especially nice.
Who is the most stubborn?
Hah! Good question!
Who wears the pants in your family?
Tess! She rules the roost. Kidding. I thought I'd wear the pants, but Brad quickly stomped out that idea. We are equals.
Okay, now three random things about me:
1. I love the smell of skunk. My mom grew up on a farm and said, "mmmm" every time we smelled a skunk. It stuck with me. Guess that shows you the power of a mother's influence.
2. I wanted to be a belly dancer when I was little.
3. I love holey jeans and worn out T-shirts. Must get it from my dad.

I'm tagging:
Jill
Alyson
Brooke

Just Call Me "Red"

2008-02-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

I went a little radical and changed to red! Love the color and the cut! It's fun to be a new me I never knew existed! Thanks Whitney!

Happy Birthday 2008! I'm 29!

2008-02-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

I had an awesome birthday and there's still more celebrating to do this weekend! I love when my birthday lasts more than one day. I got spoiled! I got lunch, flowers, gifts, and dinner at Tepanyaki. So many friends remembered and it made me feel so good! My mom took me to Riverdance which was spectacular, too. I am going to live it up this last year of my twenties!!! Oh yah!

Catching Up

2008-02-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, well, in response to my friends' many requests and to share a bit about us, I am updating my blog. Wow, Labor Day was pretty long ago. I guess my blogging will be like my journal entries which come in spurts. I have been super busy for reasons you are all probably very familiar with, but no more excuses. I'll be keeping up on my blog as a way to help me get out my thoughts, follow my progress throughout the year, and record the many things I love about my life. Here are the highlights since I last wrote:

1. I was called as Young Women President when our ward split. Needless to say, I have been super busy trying to figure it all out. I am happy to say I think I'm getting it figured out a bit, but don't hold me to that statement. I'm super busy with this calling, but I am also greatly blessed.

2. Brad and I took an amazing trip down Scenic Byway 12 in Southern Utah to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. The fall colors were gorgeous and we got to try out my new camera! It was very cold at night, but we cuddled up in the back of our Pilot and read together. We visited Bryce Canyon, Escalante National Monument, Calf Creek Falls, and Capitol Reef along with many other scenic places on the way home. It was so nice to be away alone and remember that we have so much fun together and still have tons to talk about. It is so much fun to just be spontaneous on a trip and play it by ear. We saw a lot of things that we normally wouldn't have seen. It was great!

3. We got a puppy! Clover, a female American Bulldog, is now 5 months old. She's such a cute dog as you can see, but she is also so good, fun, and calm. She and Tess are great buds and like to pal around together all day! I call them "the kids." My life for the past 4 months could be compared to one of a mother of toddler twins, one which refuses to wear diapers and likes to ruin their mom's favorite pair of dress shoes. It is harder to have a puppy than a newborn, seriously!! All things considered, I still love having her around. I never thought I could love a dog this much.

4. Tess turned one! That year flew by! We had a puppy party and I tried my hand at cake decorating with my mom's help. Tess is just the cutest! She loved smashing her cake, but got a little overwhelmed with all her many presents! Her new puppy was definitely her favorite birthday gift!

5. For Halloween, Tess was the cutest Annie Oakley you've ever seen!

6. We had an awesome Christmas this year! Brad's work took us to the Grand America for an overnight stay. They also treated us to all the meals, rented out a theater for a movie, gave us money to shop for several sub-for-santa families and widows, took the guys bobsledding and the ladies to a morning at the spa, took us on a $1200 shopping spree to Dick's Sporting Goods, and topped it all off with a 42" flat screen t.v. Ya, I was like, "WOW!" too. We were spoiled. We also had a wonderful Christmas with our families and loved watching Tess on Christmas morning.

7. We've witnessed a miracle in my family. My mom suffers from horrible back pain. She finally got a neurostimulator implant which is awesome! It's the first time in years that I've heard her say she has no pain! What a blessing! I want to get on the list for one!

8. 2008 is off the a great start! We've got some good goals to work towards. We've been busy, but having fun. I sped through the Twilight series. Luckily, Brad loves his new Playstation 3 which keeps him busy while I read.

Labor Day--Hooray!

2007-09-04T10:25:00.000-06:00

What a fun, realxing weekend! Brad, Tess, and I went to the cabin in the Uintahs for the weekend with both of our parents. We got caught in a very cold thundershower while on the four-wheelers and got completely soaked and muddy! That's a memory! We had a nice time seeing the beautiful scenery and watching The Office and the U.S. Open. (Go Roddick!) On Monday, our small little family took a long hike up Bell Canyon to a beautiful waterfall and gorgeous overlook. It was definitely more difficult with Tess on our backs, but totally worth it. She got to take a nap in her pack while we worked our butts off! Lucky her! We ended the day with a swim to cool off and watched a movie with friends! As you can see, we were all tuckered out, especially Tess. I love long weekends together!

Tess, want a puppy?

2007-08-24T17:00:00.001-06:00

Our friends' American Bulldog just had puppies last night! So cute! We are thinking about getting one...well, I'm still thinking about it. Brad is sold on the idea and Tess would love a dog! Any time she sees dogs she squirms to the ground and chases them. She also barks when she sees any animal, even fish in a tank. Dogs are great for kids! This breed is especially mellow and good with kids. They are also fiercely loyal and protective of their families. I've just never had a big dog. Stay tuned to see if my heart rules my head!

A Weekend with the Girls

2007-08-24T16:46:00.000-06:00

August 16-19, 2007-- Fun times hanging out with my high school girlfriends this weekend. We've been talking about taking a trip like this and a few of us finally did. We stayed at Jill's parents' vacation home in St. George. It was beautiful...and good thing because we were there most of the trip just talking. We stayed up every night until 4 a.m. and then slept in until 11 or 12. We'd get up and the chatting would begin again. We even forgot to eat a lot of the time. I wondered when our conversation topics would be exhausted, but we made it home without a lull or moment of silence. We also saw "Cinderella" at the gorgeous Tuacahn Redrock Ampitheater where we caught a case of the giggles! Good times! We did some shopping, naturally, and had the best pedicures of our lives! If you were there you'd be laughing right now, it was just a good thing that our toes were painted all the same color. But, none of that mattered because we all just enjoyed being together. I love knowing I have friends that I could not see for 5 years or more and after only minutes it'd feel like we were right back to being best buds. I'm so lucky to have had such great girlfriends growing up. I am truly blessed to still have these great women in my life that I adore and admire. Can't wait until next year... here we come Newport Beach!!!

Things I Miss

2007-08-21T12:28:00.000-06:00

1. Brad's motorcycle/cruisin' up the canyon
2. My sweet Grandma Butterfield
3. German food/cake/ice cream...you name it, I miss German food!
4. School
5. Stomps
6. Punky Brewster...kidding!

To Be or Not to Be

2007-08-16T14:33:00.000-06:00

This is the camera I am looking to get, the Nikon D80. Any suggestions or comments? I am so excited to start this new hobby, but wow, it's sure expensive!

Family Dinner

2007-08-16T14:20:00.000-06:00

August 12,2007-- My whole family went up the canyon for Sunday dinner. The Talbots made it as well as Hank and his girlfriend, Whitney. We had a delicious meal and had fun watching the kids play in the creek. Tabitha, the wild child, fell in. Bless her little heart, she was trying to swim upstream. It made for some good laughs! I love having our family together!

Day Out With Grama and Grampa!

2007-08-16T14:14:00.000-06:00

August 10, 2007-- Grama and Grampa had a great idea to take the grandkids to Gardner Village for pony rides, a petting zoo, and lots of dessert at the bakery. Sugar overload! The kids loved it! They especially love being with their grandparents who are their best friends. I'm so grateful that they love Tess so much and spend so much time with her!

Growing Up

2007-08-15T18:02:00.000-06:00

...way too fast! Tess is changing and learning every day! She loves to climb stairs, eat whatever we're having for dinner, climb on the dishwasher, unload drawers and cupboards, eat ice cream cones, and terrorize her pet guinea pig (Mo). Her latest accomplishment is that she stands all alone--"Big Girl"! She stink bugs all around the lawn because she hates crawling in the grass. She also says a lot of words: Mama, Dada, Tess, Hi, ku-ku, dog ("gog"), and she barks. I also swear that I heard her say "water" and heard her speaking Spanish with her toy remote control. She's doing something new every day and its a blast to watch her change and grow! We love her so much!

Pioneer Day

2007-08-15T17:53:00.000-06:00

We spent the day just relaxing. The highlight of the day was dinner at the Red Iguana (best Mexican food in the valley) and a walk around Temple Square with our friends the Francos.

Future Rodeo Queen

2007-08-15T17:39:00.000-06:00

Here is our sweet little cowgirl at the Days of '47 Rodeo! Matti bought her this hat, which she pulls off pretty well. We had a great time watching the bull riding with the Smiths. Yee-haw!

Hogle Zoo

2007-08-14T17:39:00.000-06:00

June 21, 2007-- Tess took her first trip to the zoo and we all tagged along to see her reaction--Grandma Jan, Grandpa Jim, Grandma Claudia, Aunt JaNae, and Mommy and Daddy. She was awestruck most of the time and then she was just plum-tuckered out from the heat like the rest of us. I can't wait until she can make all the animal sounds and enjoy them more! We had a great time, though, seeing the new exhibits and watching the bird show. Tess gave the bird a dollar, but she was more interested in the dollar than the bird. Hmmm...must get that from her dad! I'm sure we'll see many more days at the Hogle Zoo!

Happy 4th of July!

2007-08-14T12:28:00.001-06:00

We really celebrated the 4th! On the 3rd we went with my parents and the Lees to the Utah Symphony in the Park. The kids loved marching to the patriotic tunes and eating cotton candy! On the 4th, we went to a swim party with Brad's family where Tess splashed all the water out the splash pool and ate all of Nana's ice cream bar. Then, we headed to the Lee's local festivities with a BBQ and fireworks on the street. The girls still had their "Lady Liberty" crowns on for the day. "Delirium" was the craziest firework you can purchase legally, but we got to see a spectacular show of fireworks by all the neighbors who love to break the law in celebration of our free county! He, he! We had a great holiday and are so grateful to live in this free nation where we are afforded so many wonderful blessings!

Camping with the Romney Clan

2007-08-14T11:58:00.000-06:00

June 30, 2007
We went camping with my family to celebrate my parents' 30th wedding anniversary. It was so much fun! Tess and the other kiddos loved playing in the creek with Grandma and Grandpa! They are the best! It was fun to see the difference in how little boys and girls camp. Triston's kids seemed like they were born and raised in the mountains...oh wait, they were. Even though, the girls were a little less rough and tumble, they had fun taking walks with Grandma, playing kickball and softball, roasting hot dogs, picking flowers, and playing in the ice cold creek. They all loved getting dirty, including Tess! There's no place I'd rather be than enjoying the wild mountains on a summer day!

Drastic Difference

2007-07-03T11:21:00.000-06:00

For all of you who have known me awhile, you'll know that I've never really changed my long hair. I've had it long since 8th grade. Well...I finally did it! Yeah! I hope you're all so proud of me that I didn't chicken out this time. I said I was gonna make a radical change, but everyone laughed it off and thought I'd probably just do the color and a little trim like usual. Nope! I cut off over 12 inches and donated it to Locks of Love. I hope some little girl will be happy! I love it and I feel so free without that mop!

Cabin Trip #2

2007-07-03T10:38:00.000-06:00

June 23, 2007- We went to the cabin with Brad's family to relax and play! We took a few rides onthe ATVs and a short one with Tess for her first time. She was like a dog leaning out the window of a car. She loved the wind in her face! We sure love being up there!

More Fun Times & Pictures

2007-07-03T09:26:00.000-06:00

Here are some fun pics of us playing around, camping with friends, Father's Day, and Lagoon.

Long time, no see

2007-07-03T09:12:00.000-06:00

My friend, Amy, was finally in town and we all got together. She has been in New York the past several years and it was so much fun to catch up. I love being with the girls because, even though we don't see each other often, it's fun, comfortable, and seems like not much has really changed. Just wish we could all get together more!

Swim, Swim, Swim

2007-06-28T18:02:00.000-06:00

Tess loves to swim! Brad is a fish and I guess she's just like him. I'm even beginning to like swimming. We go swimming and play in the water at least once a week if not more. We're now regulars at Aunt JaNae's pool day. Tess actually looks like she's trying to swim because she moves her arms and kicks her legs at the same time. She loves splashing, of course, and she doesn't even mind being dunked. She even likes to fall asleep in the pool. Check out those lovely chub-chub thighs and the cute sunglasses Whitney gave her!

Cabin Fever

2007-06-28T17:28:00.000-06:00

We went to the cabin for the first time at the beginning of June. We couldn't wait anymore! Our friends, the Francos, came with us and we had a ton of fun while fishing, eating, playing Guitar Hero, roasting marshmallows, eating, playing in the river with the kids, eating, riding the mini-motorcycle, and did I mention eating! Tess loves the outdoors just as much as us... well, maybe a little more-she loves eating rocks. Silly girl! She's gonna be our little "Wild Billy the Mountain Girl" (like my dad used to call me).

On the Move

2007-06-28T17:17:00.000-06:00

Tess has been crawling for over a month and a half now and she's pretty speedy. She's now pulling herself up on everything and even let's go sometimes to free-standing. I can tell that she'll be a girl that can't keep still and is always on the go!

The Joker

2007-06-13T17:48:00.001-06:00

Grandma Jan figured out that red licorice is great for babies when teething. Tess absolutely loved it as witnessed by her sticky red face. She looks like the joker! Where did this face come from? I promise that my child doesn't normally look like this. Must have been the sugar to the brain!

Trip to Paradise

2007-05-23T17:46:00.001-06:00

Brad, Tess, and I just returned from a week in gorgeous Kauai. It was wonderful! Paradise on earth! Tess was an angel. She loves the water. She was scared of the ocean at first, but warmed up to it quickly. We went on a tour of the Na Pali Coast which is amazing. We saw dolphins, turtles, and sea caves. We hiked to beautiful viewpoints and waterfalls, snorkeled Tunnels Reef and others, jumped off cliffs into tide pools, saw Waimea Canyon (Grand Canyon of the Pacific), and hung out on the beach. Our resort was fantastic and right on Poipu Beach. We enjoyed ice cream, Hula Pie, and many shaved ices. We had so much fun with Brad's family! I can't wait to return to that magnificent island!

Surprise!

2007-05-23T16:56:00.000-06:00

I went with my mother-in-law to Thanksgiving Pointe for the Tulip Festival on April 17 and guess who I ran into? Riley and Jen! It was so great to see them. Riley is 4 years old. She is all personality and so adorable. I said, "You are sooo cute!" and she responded, "YOU are so cute!" We had fun checking each other out and she told me so many stories. What a great surprise!

A Day Out With Friends

2007-04-26T16:30:00.000-06:00

Today Tess (left) & I went with Matti & Bella (right) up to Heritage Village by This Is the Place Monument. Then we went for a little lunch at Ruth's Diner! Yummy! Tess loves to be a big girl in the high chair, she loves to be outside, and she loves to eat! Today was a perfect day! I love that my best friend and I have these little ladies so close in age!