Do You Want Some Rice?

Bedrooms

2012-01-25T09:09:00.001-08:00

Ryan and I have been working hard to get the girls in the basement room and get the babies room ready. I think we can finally take a break and look back at our hard work and see that everything looks good (or maybe good enough). Here are some of the pictures of the girls room and the babies room. I am pleased with how they turned out.Isabel's side of the room.

Lucy's side of the room.
The entire room. I love the chandelier. The room is big and bright. I love all the space and the open-ness (?).
FYI we decided on names. Introducing Henry and Amelia's bedroom. It's not totally decorated, but it is at least ready for when they come; crib up and clothes organized.
We decided to not buy a dresser right now so I am using the changing table and bins as a dresser. I cut vinyl and organized all their clothes. I think it looks pretty good and is functional.
The babies will be sleeping in the same crib for the first 4 or 5 months. Seeing only one crib doesn't freak me out as much as seeing the 2 car seats. It's hard to believe 2 are coming.
I can't wait to meet Hank and Millie!

I'm still here

2012-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

I recently had my walls painted (by my sister Michelle), and added this bog clock and painting of the Ogden Temple (done by my talented Dad). I also added drapes to my windows (it's a little dark in the picture, but you get the idea). The picture of the drapes is below (I could get it to move, whatever!)My girls playing in the snow. To say they love the snow would be an understatement. They love it! Anytime it snows they go crazy!
34 weeks and counting! I am so big and so uncomfortable. I am really tired of being pregnant, but I am really not wanting these babies to come out yet. I am hoping to make it at least 2 more weeks, but maybe even 4. I will be beyond huge at that point. On a positive note, in the past month I have only gained 2lbs. I have no space for big meals, but these babies are growing. I have only gained 37 lbs this entire pregnancy, which is pretty amazing. I hope to not gain more than 40 lbs total, but we shall see. I feel good for the most part, just tired and sore. Sleep has become a thing of the past and I am lucky if I get more than 4 hours a night (unless I take an Ambien). We are getting really excited for them to come. Last night we set up the crib and I have started organizing the baby stuff. I spent yesterday cleaning car seats and getting them ready for little babies. When Ryan got home from work he said that seeing the 2 car seats freaked him out just a little. I think reality is starting to hit him. I can't wait to see these little ones (and maybe get a few hours of sleep without this large mass on my body).

December Pictures

2012-01-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Isabel's Christmas preschool program. It was very cute and Isabel did great on her speaking part. Here they are singing "Up on The Housetop".
Isabel had a dance recital. They danced to "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". I was really worried that she was going to have issues and maybe freeze on stage, but she did great! I was so proud of her. Her costume was super cute too (I'm not sure what is up with her pose though)!
My super cute girls in front of the Christmas tree. I can't get enough of them sometimes!
Every year we go to Ogden's Christmas Village. This year we went with the Hills. It was so much fun!

Another Anniversary

2011-12-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

Aren't we so young and thin? 7 Years ago we were. Yesterday Ryan and I passed a mile stone in our relationship. It is hard to believe that it has been 7 years since we got married. Marrying Ryan was probably the best decision I have made. He is a wonderful, patient man and I am so lucky to have him as my husband.
The other night Ryan and I were reminiscing about our "dating" relationship. I say "dating" in quotations because we never really dated officially, we kind of just were friends and then one day decided to get married. In fact our families did not even know we were dating or in a serious relationship. Ryan and I knew each other for just over a year when we got married. We hung out with the same friends and did a lot of things together. I had a hard time deciding to actually date Ryan because he is only 1 inch taller than me (and I loved to wear high hills), but he eventually beat me down and I went out with him. He was the only guy that actively pursued me. I loved that about him, he was persistent.
I love you so much Ryan! I am so happy we are together. We have a great life together and I can't wait for more ups and downs throughout our life together. You are a wonderful man!

Potty Training

2011-12-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Can I just start by saying that I hate potty training? It is not my idea of a good time. Some people say it is so easy, but I personally think those people are liars or extremely lucky..... no offense is that's you reading this. When I potty trained Isabel she was one of those kids that just wanted to please me and did everything I asked her to do. She was fairly easy and I was lucky. Lucy has been a different story. She has gone potty a few times on the toilet, but I think it was luck more than skill. She is very funny though, she loves to sit on her little toilet. She also loves the ipod. So, she is only allowed to play the ipod while sitting on the toilet. She will sit there for half an hour sometimes (mostly because I forget that she is in there). I have decided that Lucy is potty training herself along with my ipod. I am not interested in fighting her or cleaning up potty messes at 7 months pregnant. So, we will see what happens. I really would love for her to be potty trained, but I am not going to force it any longer. She and the ipod can have a good time together.

Bring on the Wooden Legs!

2011-12-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

So some of you know that with this pregnancy I have experienced horrible leg cramps. When I say leg cramps I don't mean "charlie horses" or cramping in my calves. I mean terrible, horrific, extremely painful cramps. Not only do my calves cramp, but the sides of my leg, all around my ankles, and up and down my shins. Did I mention it all happens at once too. Cramping everywhere all at once. Yeah, it's been pretty bad. I wake up in the night and pretty much start crying while Ryan tries to rub my legs.
So, after dealing with this for months off and on. I decided maybe my doctor might have some miracle answer. I have asked doctors in the past and they always say something dumb like "drink more water" or "eat more bananas". So I asked my doctor and here is what he suggested:
Wear compression socks
take a calcium supplement, a vitamin E supplement, a Magnesium supplement, a vitamin D supplement, and my prenatal vitamin daily
Deep calf massages in the evening
Stretching before bed
I was pretty skeptical of his advice, but I thought I would give it a shot. I am shocked and amazed, but since I started doing all this I haven't had a single leg cramp. It's been 3 weeks and I am cramp free. I am truly amazed that it worked. So, I wear these ugly socks everyday and I am feeling so good.

26 weeks

2011-11-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

I am on the down-slope of my pregnancy and so happy about it. I am getting so big. This is the size I am at 8 months pregnant when I only have about 4 weeks left. Well, I have about 10-12 weeks left and a lot more growth to come. Everyone keeps saying that I don't look too huge, but boy am I feeling it. These babies are very active and kick me regularly all day long (which is fine with me because then I don't worry). I went in last week and they are measuring 1 lb. 11oz. and 1 lb. 9oz. The boy is slightly smaller than the girl as of now. Everything looks really good and I am so happy about it. Being pregnant is a stressful thing for me. I worry all the time that something will go wrong. It will be nice to be done with pregnancies after this one (most likely).

Goodbye Good Friend

2011-11-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

So this week has been a little emotional around our house. Our dog Ollie is so cute and we love him. As I have posted in the past, Ollie is deaf and has been extremely hard to train. Well, since we have had him not only is he been hard to train and been rough around the kids, he has destroyed many things around the house. He has eaten one of the girls bikes (literally), my beautiful Indian doll from India, my porch swing cushion, many of the girls toys, the cord on our electric heater, and many more things. It has been a real frustration and Ryan and I were feeling like things would never change. This week Ryan decided to talk to the lady we bought him from and see if there were any options available. She was so nice about it and offered to take him back and give us a full refund. It was so generous of her. So, yesterday we took Ollie back to her. She has a sister with a deaf dog and has offered to take Ollie. I was really sad to see him go despite all the costs and damage he has caused us. Isabel cried when we had to say goodbye. We told her that maybe someday we can get another dog. I think it was the best decision for everyone, but I feel a little guilty. We loved Ollie, but he will be happier with another dog and an owner who knows how to train a deaf dog. What a bummer, right?

November

2011-11-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

Today we were driving to my parents house when Isabel said, "I think I lost a tooth". I turned around and asked what she was talking about. She said, "there is a hole in my mouth, where did it go?" Evidently at some point her tooth fell out. She said she did not swallow it and can't find it anywhere, but it definitely came out. At first she was a little nervous about the "hole" in her mouth, but now she is pretty happy about this whole thing. I can't believe that she lost her first tooth already. It makes me feel like she is getting so big. She is no longer a baby or a toddler. She is my big kid.

On another note, I have decided to make most (like 90%) of our Christmas presents this year. It has been so much fun making little gifts for the girls and other people. My sister Emily's sister-in-law Callie made these dolls and I saw them on her blog so I decided to give them a try. I love them! I think they turned out so cute. Lucy and Isabel really want them, but I have told them they are for their cousins. I think they are going to love them. I am so thrilled that I decided to make gifts this year. It has already been the best Christmas ever.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

It was another fun Halloween! We all dressed up this year and it was fun to go out with the kids trick-or-treating. I was a Rice Cooker, Ryan was Mario, Isabel was a fairy, and Lucy was a love bug.
Lucy had such a good time trick-or-treating. It was so funny after every house she would say, "they gave me candy", like it was amazing it worked. She acted somewhat baffled that people were just handing over candy when she said trick-or-treat. It made us laugh and she was beyond excited. The girls got tons of candy, more than any other year. Over-all it was just a ton of fun.

p.s. thanks for voting on our poll. It looks like Isaac won for boys name and it was a close race between Alice and Amelia (I can't decide which I like better either).

What's in a Name?

2011-10-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

Please vote on what you think? There is a poll to the side, let us know. I have the hardest time choosing names for my kids and I want them to be good. With twins I want them to sound good together, but not dorky like Jane and John (both good names, just dorky together). It is kind of tricky. These are the names I like the most, but I am still working on Ryan. Maybe if I have some good hard statistics he will like them too. Thanks and remember to vote.
Oh, did I mention that our twins are a boy and a girl. That is probably good information to have.

Birthdays and a belly

2011-10-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

Introducing.......

2011-08-06T08:31:00.001-07:00

I thought it might be time to announce that we are expecting. We found out yesterday that not only is there one baby, but there are two. WE ARE HAVING TWINS! Needless to say, I was freaking out a little at the doctors office, but we are very excited! It's hard to believe. My original 1 baby due date was Feb. 25th, but we are hoping to make it to Valentines Day. It is still a long ways away, but it will be here before I know it. Now it's time to think of names..... always the hard part.

The girls

2011-08-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Swimming

2011-07-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about summer is swimming. We recently went to the aquatic center for an afternoon activity. We had a lot of fun, until Lucy decided she was mad about nothing and stood there and cried for 20 minutes. She was so mad she wouldn't even turn toward me. She is a stinker, but for some reason I still love her.

Why I haven't been Blogging

2011-05-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

I have been such a huge slacker lately. However, I do have a pretty excuse, or actually excuses. Life has been crazy and a lot has been going on. Here is the run down of the excuses:

1. We got a puppy. I love my puppy, he is so cute! He is half french bulldog half English bulldog. We named him Oliver and he is so cute. With that being said, he is a lot of work. I knew before we got him that he would be work, but I think I underestimated just how much work he would actually be. We have had him for about 2 months now. We love our Ollie, even if he does keep me busy. 2. I had a major knee injury in February. I actually don't know what I did to it, but it swelled up huge with water on it and I couldn't walk for a few days. I had an MRI and discovered that I don't have cartilage left on the back of my knee cap. So, I pretty much am bone on bone in my knee. This is my knee that has already had 2 surgery's too. So, I have been getting these injections into my knee of this synthetic lubricant to help with the friction. There isn't anything else they can do to help me. It has been really stressful and emotional. I have really loved running the past year, and now I am not able to do it. My doctor told me that I should not run, but I can swim and bike. So, I have not been able to exercise since February, which has been so frustrating. But, my knee is feeling much better due to the rest and the injections. Which leads up to stress #3.

3. The Ogden Marathon. Last November I signed myself and my siblings up to do a relay team for the marathon. I was so excited and then I had my injury and found out I could not run. I was trying to find a replacement, but could not. So, I did it on Saturday with my siblings. It was so much fun, but I have been majorly stressed about the entire thing. I had to walk my portion (which was only 3 miles), and I was so afraid of hurting myself. I am happy to say that I am fine. My hips and shins were a little sore, but my knee was okay (I actually ran the last little part because I wanted to run over the finish line). It was so much fun and I am happy we did it. We finished in 5 hours 3 minutes. I was pleased with our time. We are planning on doing it again next year. It was a great experience.
Our team: Sam, Michelle, Emily, Me, and Jennifer
Running to the finish line with Jen, Emily, and Sam
Running to the finish line (Michelle didn't cross with us, her leg was right before mine)

Now that those things are either over or under control, I think I should be able to post more often. Although, who reads this. For the 2 of you out there, I will keep posting.

Family Picture

2011-05-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we were at the Draper temple. This isn't the greatest family picture, but at least we're all clean and well dressed.

Three Months

2011-03-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have been so bad with blogging the past few months. So, here is a quick summary of what you have missed.
Of course, Isabel and Lucy are still playing dress up and singing. My girls always keep me laughing. I wish you all could be around to see how funny they are. I love these funny, musical girls!
In January we went to see my Grandma Dearie. It was somewhat difficult to see her. She has gotten so old in the past few years. I know she has been old for a long time, but she has aged a lot lately. She is in a nursing home now, and having worked in a nursing home, it was hard being there. However, I really enjoyed spending time with her. She is an amazing woman. My girls were good sports about being there and I know Grandma enjoyed seeing my little girls. We need to go back and see her again.
Isabel was playing Mary and baby Jesus one day and Lucy decided she wanted to be in the bed instead of the baby. So, she threw the baby out otf the bed and climbed in. It was so funny.
Lucy is climbing on everything. Her favorite place to climb is on top of the table. It drives me crazy. I just know one of these days she is going to fall off and break her head open. She is such a pill.
In other news, Ryan got a "real" job in February. He is working as a fund accountant for a company called J.D. Clark. It has been so great! He has great perks, good pay, and we now have health insurance. It has been wonderful! As far as news about me, well, not much has gone on with me. I injured my knee in February (I don't know what I did). It swelled up huge because I had water on my knee and I was limping for about a month. The swelling has gone away, but I am still sore when going up and down stairs. Before I injured it, I was running 3 times a week and had worked up to a little over 3 miles. Now, I can't run and I am nervous to do any kind of physical exercise with my knee. I am going to see a doctor in about 2 weeks. So, we will see. I am really hoping that nothing is seriously injured.
That about sums up the past 3 months. See, nothing too exciting.

One of My favorites - Saturday Night Live

2011-02-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse: Maraka - Video - NBC.com

Christmas morning

2010-12-30T09:32:00.001-08:00

It was another great Christmas! Santa even brought us a trampoline.... lucky us!

Tangled

2010-12-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

Last night Ryan and I took Isabel to see Tangled and I have to say I loved it! It was so good!! I laughed, it was exciting and full of drama, it was touching, and it was just amazing! If you have not see it, you should. Isabel loved it too. It's a movie for all ages. SO GOOD!

Happy Anniversary

2010-12-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it been 6 years, but it's true. It happened so fast. I feel like it was just yesterday and yet I don't remember life without Ryan. I feel like we have been together forever. Ryan is my best friend. He understands me, is patient with me, cares for me on many levels, and would never hurt me. He is my perfect match. I honestly could not have asked for a better companion.

These past 6 years have been very busy. One or both of us has been in school (Ryan only has one more semester though, yay!), we've built 3 houses, and moved 5 times, we've had our 2 beautiful daughters, owned 8 cars (I might be leaving one out, I can't remember), and this will be our 6th Christmas together.

I love Ryan so much! Happy Anniversary Honey!

(our anniversary is actually on the 18th, but we'll be in Lava Hot Springs without kids celebrating).

Christmas Dresses

2010-12-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

The girls wore their Christmas dresses to church today, and they looked so cute! I can't get enough of my girls! Look how cute they are.......

Gingerbread party

2010-12-05T12:01:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we had a gingerbread house making party at my mom's house. It was my first time making a gingerbread house. It was a lot of fun! I was really pleased with it. Here are pictures from that day. All of us in front of our houses (with Ryan and the girls in the back ground). L to R: Elisabeth, Jane, Katy, Michelle, my mom, Melissa, me, Rebecca, and Jennifer.

My house, close up.

My roof. I melted peppermint candies in the oven and then flattened them. I thought it turned out pretty good.

I love my house!

Triathlon

2010-11-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I did my triathlon and it went great! Okay, maybe not great, but good. I did not win (I never really hoped for that), but I did not come in last either. I finished in a decent time (1 hour 6 minutes) and was really pleased with myself.
Here I am before the event being..... me (a little goofy). The swim portion. I did great this portion of the race. My swim only took me 5 minutes 30 seconds.

My transition after the swim.

Coming back from the bike. As you can tell from my face, it was hard. The bike was mostly uphill. It was difficult and I was so exhausted after riding. My calves were like rocks.

Coming over the finish line. I'm smiling because it's over. The run was not hilly or really even that hard, but because my calves were like rocks (literally) I could barely walk the first half of the run. My run was really slow, but I was able to run the last half of the run.

I did the race with my best friend Leslie. She did so awesome! She places 2nd in our age group and 7th over-all for the women. She did great! It was fun doing it with someone.

Yellowstone and Jackson

2010-10-18T10:42:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend we went to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone with Ryan's parents and brother. It was a fun trip. I had only been to Yellowstone once before when I was about 13, so I did not remember much. It was great to be outside and see such amazing things. Yellowstone is such an interesting place. We all commented many times that the early explorers must have thought that the gates of hell where here. It is such an unbelievable place. I really loved it! It was beautiful and wonderous.

Usually Lucy was in the stroller, but we were doing some hiking and could not take the stroller so I carried her. It was quite the work out, carrying 25 lbs in a baby bjorn. I think she might be a little too big for it. She liked it though.

There was a huge herd of bison on the side of the road. They are so big! They just do whatever they want there. There was one just standing in the road.

Lucy was way more interested in the box of raisins than she was in Old Faithful.

Isabel with Old Faithful going off. It was just as cool as I remember it being.

Isabel loved it here. As I am typing this she keeps saying she wants to go back to the volcano place with all the mud and steam. She's a funny girl!

Lucy in the stroller. What a life.

Ryan pushing the girls and the boardwalk through the hot spots. It was really amazing.

The famous elk arches in Jackson Hole. We didn't spent too much time in Jackson, but it was fun. Isabel loved touching the "bone caves" as she called it.

Marathon Anyone?

2010-10-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying, "No". I will not be doing a marathon. Marathons are for crazy people, no offense to you out there who do them. I can't imagine running that far. However, a marathon relay is right up my alley. So I have registered myself and my siblings for the Ogden Marathon Relay on May 21st of next year. I am so excited. I will be running 5 miles for the relay and I ahve to say I am a little nervous about it already. I have never run more than 2.5 miles. I have 6 months to get ready though. It's going to be fun!?

Boo is 4

2010-10-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my baby is 4 years old. It seems like not that long ago I found out that I was pregnant with her and now 4 years (and 9 months) later here we are.
For her birthday we went to Boondocks to have some fun. Here are the highlights:
Isabel bowling, This was the first time she has bowled and she loved it.

Here we are on the bumper boats. We got really wet, but it was so much fun.

You can barely see Isabel, but she is in the go-kart with Ryan. She loved this! She also did this with me. It was super fun!

For her birthday Ryan and I got her a bike. She loves it!! I knew she would love it, but I think she would sleep on it if I let her.

We did birthday breakfast. Candle in a waffle. This was fun and I think we'll do it every year.

1 year

2010-09-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

How time flys! This time last year I was in labor and welcoming Lucy into our family. I honestly can't believe it's been a year. It feels like a few months ago, not 1 year ago.
Lucy is such a sweet girl. I am grateful everyday that we have her. She adds so much to our family. You can't be around her and not fall in love her. She's quite a character! I love you Lucy!!

She has grown so much. She has 4 teeth and loves Mac n' Cheese and peaches. Oh, and frozen peas, those are her very favorite! She is so independent. I can't get enough of her.

Snugi Snug

2010-09-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love these girls! My kids are the sweetest, dearest children ever! I can't express how much I love them. So, Lucy does this thing when she hold her baby (or a bear or pillow) up to her face to snuggle with them. Ryan started calling it "Snugi Snug" and now everytime we say it, she finds something to snuggle. It is so cute. She loves babies and always snuggles them when she sees them. Could she be any cuter?

I'm Not Crying - Flight Of The Conchords (Lyrics)

2010-08-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

This is for you Emily!

Running with Kids

2010-08-25T17:38:00.001-07:00

Aren't they cute? Did you know combined their weight is approximately 60 lbs.? And combine that with my stroller (which is a super nice one, thank you Rice parents) at about 8-ish lbs, and that a total of about 70 lbs. That's a lot of weight to push.
I normally run alone, but occationally Ryan comes with me. He puts the girls in the stroller and pushes them and I run along side him. On Wednesdays and Thursdays Ryan has class until 9:30pm (I like to run in the evenings). Since my kids go to bed around 7pm, I am left to go running with them or run in the morning (I hate getting up early). So, tonight I decided to try it out. IT WAS HARD! I am not really sure how Ryan does it with such ease. I will admit, I cut my run short tonight due to that extra 70 lbs I was pushing. I guess I'll be switching to Wednesday mornings. I'm such a wimp!
How I feel - GREAT (tired, but I love the way I feel after a run)!
How I look - I always look realy bad when I get home. You can't really tell in this picture, but I am actually bright red and sweating to death! People always stare at me while I'm out. I'm sure they are taking note of where I am and what I look like so that when I pass out and go missing they can describe me to the police. I'm such a hottie when I run.

Couch to 5K

2010-08-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

I have been doing the program "Couch to 5K" and I can't tell you how much I am enjoying it! For all you who know me, you know that I do not run. I have horrible knees and have never wanted to run. However, this year I decided to become more physically active, signed up for a beginner triathlon, and so needed to train for it. I started 4 weeks ago with running and I am loving it! I went and bought custom running shoes and I haven't had any pain in my knees. It's been amazing, I can hardly believe it. Anyway, I am loving running and enjoying getting out 3 times a week. It's so not me, but maybe it's the new me.

New GEICO Commercial - Piggy

2010-08-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

This is so funny! I laughed the entire time.

Salted-Nut-Roll Bars ("Crack Bars")

2010-08-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

These are the bars I made at the reunion (my Boren family reunion) and got many requests to post. They are super good and not healthy (just to warn you). They are the perfect combination of crunchy, chewy, salt, and sweet.

1 lb. peanut butter sandwich cookies, coarsely crumbled
1 stick butter, melted

For the topping:
2 cups peanut butter chips
2/3 cup light corn syrup
4 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups dry-roasted peanuts
2 cups crisp rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)

Preheat oven to 350, coat a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Pulverize cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter and process until crumbs clump together. Press crumbs into prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
While that bakes, melt peanut butter chips, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring until smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour half the mixture over the prepared crust.
Top mixture/crust with the marshmallows and return bars to oven. Bake until mallows puff, about 2 minutes, then remove from oven. Don't let mallows brown or they'll turn crunchy.
Toss peanuts and cereal with remaining peanut mixture/sauce in a large bowl. Drop spoonfuls of mixture over the mallows. Cool bars completely before cutting (it takes a long time for these to cool, give yourself at least 4 hours for complete cooling). Cut bars with a sharp knife (it may need to sprayed with non-stick spray).

Fitter Than Your Friend: Who is in it to Win it?

2010-08-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

Check out the details by clicking on the link below.....
Fitter Than Your Friend: Who is in it to Win it?: "We are starting a get fit challenge. The challenge will be based on time exercised 5 days a week and good nutrition 7 days a week. The progr..."

Pretty Sure I'm Loved!

2010-07-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

I know we are all loved by our Heavenly Father, but I'm pretty sure He loves me a lot. I feel like my children are the greatest blessing I have ever recieved. Kids can be hard, but totally worth the moments when they smile at you, hug you, tell you they love you, or snuggle with you. I truly feel like our kids are hand picked for us to raise on this earth and I am so lucky to have mine. For all you who know me personally, you know that I am not the most patient person and I have depression issues. I feel like Heavenly Father sent me nice kids because I could not handle hard kids. Lucy and Isabel are the sweetest kids. I can't get enough of Lucy, she lights up my darkest moments. She has so much personality and it's all good. Here are some of the highlights from the past few weeks.
This was funny. Ryan put Lucy in her seat and them started rocking it back and forth. She was laughing so hard, it was cute! Hold on for dear life Lucy! Aren't they cute? Isabel loves Lucy so much and vice versa. They are so cute together.

Lucy loves to clap. She was having so much fun playing. How can you resist a face like that? She is so endearing and lovable. Oh, I could just eat her up!

This was before the parade on the 3rd. We decided to have a glasses day. It was really funny and Lucy actually didn't mind them. I'm telling you, she is so sweet!

Trying out the glasses with a hat. The hat didn't last long, but it was cute while it lasted.

This was Lucy's Independence Day shirt. She is my Lil Miss Independent! I love her!!

GMAT

2010-07-13T08:28:00.001-07:00

I forgot to tell everyone how proud I am of Ryan. On Saturday Ryan took the GMAT. He needs it to get into the Master's program so he can get his CPA. He needed at least a 500 (out of 800) to get accepted. Well, he did so awesome. He got a 650! I am so proud of him!!

Happy 4th

2010-07-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

We have not been up to much. Lucy loves her patriotic jammies.
For the 4th we went to the Kaysville festivities, fireworks at Sam's, and the Layton parade. Over-all it was a lot of fun! Actually Lucy hated the parade and the fire trucks, but Isabel had a good time and loved the candy.

Lagoon

2010-07-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago we went to Lagoon. It was so much fun. This is the first time we have paid for Isabel to go on rides, normally we just take her on the free stuff on stake Lagoon day. She had so much fun. I don't think she wanted the day to ever end. Here are some of the highlights.
This is Isabel on the bumper cars. It was funny, she couldn't figure it out and so spent the entire time by herself in the corner. The log ride. In order in the boat is Michelle (Ryan's sister), her husband Kade, Liz (Ryan's mom), Isabel, and Ryan. I love this ride, but someone had to stay with Lucy.

This is what Lucy and I were doing while everyone was on the log ride. Actually this is what she did most of the day. She was so good hanging out in the stroller. She's a good baby!

When I was a kid, this one of my favorite rides. I love these cars and so did Isabel!

Bulgy The Whale. This was Ryan's favorite ride as a kid. Isabel loved this ride and even put her arms in the air at one point.

I love Lagoon. I know some people don't like amusement parks and think Lagoon is lame, but I love it! I have great memories as a kid there and I want my kids to have the smae memories.

My Mortality

2010-06-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

This week I went the funeral services for Travis Poll. It was one of those funerals that should have never taken place. He was 36 years old and a loving husband with 4 young children. He battled with cancer for 2 1/2 years. He and his wife Mandy are the example of how trials should be handled. I have no idea what occured behind their closed doors, but knowing them it was the same inside and outside the home. They both handled the trial of cancer with strength, patience, and faith. I have never been so inspired by someone as I have been by Mandy and Travis Poll.
Because of the situation I could not help but put myslef in their shoes and try to imagine how I would handle this situation. I love Ryan so much and the thought of losing him is hard to imagine without crying. I love my family. My children would be the hardest to leave. Even knowing that I would be with them again and that death is not the end, I would hate to be apart from them.
During the funeral, Bishop Stanger, who was conducting, talked about one of the visits he had with Travis before he died. It was a week or two before his death, and Travis asked the Bishop, "How do you prepare to die?" The Bishop then said that he told Travis, "The same way you prepare to live." I thought it was so profound. Even though it was something I already knew, I needed to hear it again. From the day we are born we are preparing to die. Everything we do in this life prepares us for death and everything we do in this life prepares us for the life we will live after death. It was a good reminder to make the most of everyday and be the best we can be today. This life is so fragile, at any moment it can be taken away from us. I was grateful to have heard this reminder and I am so grateful I got to know Travis. He was an amazing person.
If you would like to read more about Mandy and Travis her blog is http://wonderingsofawannabe.blogspot.com/

I love Grandpa!

2010-06-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

Mamma Mia

2010-06-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in sharing/singing time in Primary a little girl got up to give her talk and she stood there in silence for a few seconds. To fill the silence, Isabel loudly started singing, "Mamma mia, here I go again.......". Everyone giggled, I blushed, and Isabel loved it. I'm thinking it's time to get out the kid CDs again and put away the mommy CDs. Old McDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O........

Saturday is a special day

2010-06-06T17:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Saturday and we spent the day cleaning at my parents house. They get home this week and we (me and all my siblings) wanted their home to be ready for them. After working the entire day (and sweating more that I have in years), Ryan and I got Chinese food for dinner. After dinner Ryan opened his fortune and this is it: How ironic is this? We laughed pretty hard.

Lost

2010-06-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

As a quick note, I have lost 4 lbs in a week doing this no carb thing. The craziness might be worth it after all.

Lunch

2010-05-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

This whole no carb thing is harder than you would think. It requires serious planning ahead and creative thinking. So here is what I had for lunch today (I can't take credit for all of it, Lisa helped me). Chinese Cabbage Salad minus the ramen noodles and a meat roll, which is cucmber strips and string cheese wrapped in ham. I have to say it was pretty good. I have been craving a sandwich, so this was a pretty good substitute. I also made coconut macaroons today. They are fairly low carb and calorie. All it had was egg whites, vanilla, salt, splenda, and coconut. So, the only carbs are in the coconut. I was really in need of a sweet treat, and that hit the spot. I am really hoping this diet helps control my polycystic and not just drive me crazy! Here is Lucy eating her lunch. I have to admit, I added this picture for my mom and sister Lisa (and Lulu).

I'm registered

2010-05-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

I want you all to know that I did it! I registered for the Fall Beginner Triathlon in St. George. I am going to do and now I am committed. Now I just need to get in shape.

That information would have been nice yesterday...

2010-05-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

First off, I have to say that I am not mad at my doctor, but I am a little frustrated. Let me explain...
When I was trying to get pregnant with Lucy, I was not able to get pregnant and was so depressed about it. I went to my doctor (actually a mid-wife), Dale, and asked him why I couldn't get pregnant. He did an ultrasound on my ovaries and said it looked like I might have polycystic ovarian syndrom. He them told me that if I did not get pregnant in the next few months that he would do all the testing to officially diagnose me. Well, I did get pregnant and I had Lucy. Dale then moved to Alaska 2 weeks after I had her and Randy became my new doc. I forgot to ask Randy about it at my 6 week appointment (I was somewhat flustered having my 6 wk appointment with a man I had never met), so I left with no answers about the POS (polycystic Ovarian Syndrom).
Well, it's been 8 months since I had Lucy and I am so frustrated with my body. So, I decided to get "officially" diagnosed with POS and then get treated for it. I have all the syptoms, so I called Randy my OB to make an appointment. When I called the office I explained the situation, they put me on hold, and then Randy got on the phone. He said that there was no need for me to come in because I have already been diagnosed with POS. "Didn't you know?" Evidently Dale did diagnose me and did all the tests, I just wasn't informed of that important information. I was totally shocked to find this out months later. Thanks for that info doc!
To treat the POC and all my syptoms I am to skip pills on my birth control to make it so I only have "it" 3 times a year. That will make it so my ovaries shut down, making weight loss easier. I also am not suppost to eat any carbs. I have to say, that brought me to tears. I can only eat fruits, veggies, and protein. If I have not lost 6 lbs in the next 4 weeks, he will do further testing and then put me on some form of glucose.
This is all so frustrating. I know it's not cancer or anything, but it is somewhat serious. POS can cause a lot of problems, primarily with infertility and weight problems. I really hope with this new diet and changes with my birth control things will get under control.
Wish me luck! I will keep you posted.

So inspiring!

2010-05-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling really down and somewhat depressed. This was exactly what I needed. I know my Heavenly Father loves me and I have a purpose (even if it is sitting on the floor singing silly songs and doing dishes). I love my life and I am grateful for the blessings I have been given!

Lucy and Katelyn

2010-05-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ryan's sister, Renee, had her first baby in March. She was so small - 5 lbs 8 oz. Here are some photos of Lucy and Katelyn. Lucy looks huge next to her.

This was at Ryan's sister, Michelle's graduation. They both were asleep at the resuturant. It was cute.

I know your all thinking..... Ryan has sisters Michelle and Renee. What are the odds right?

I think I found a new talent!

2010-05-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

I was looking on Callie Hill's blog and saw these cute baby shoes. So, I thought, "I'm kind of talented, maybe I could make those". So, I started with the purple pair for Lucy, which she loves and they fit her great! Then I thought, "I should make these for my sister-in-law, Tiff, who is having a baby in a few weeks". So, I did. I also tried a different shoe, which I love! Aren't they cute? I should probably mention that I had Melissa (Sam's wife) help me make a blanket in the same yellow/orange flower material for Tiff. Thanks for the idea Callie. Keep them coming.And here is Lucy or as we like to call her NACHO! I love this fat baby!

Saturday Night Live - The Lawrence Welk Show - Video - NBC.com

2010-05-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday Night Live - The Lawrence Welk Show - Video - NBC.com

We've Been Busy.... How about You?

2010-05-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

Ryan graduated from Weber State with his Bachelor's Degree. I am so proud of him.

Lucy is just so cute

I made a Dora cake for a friends daughter. I think it turned out pretty cute.

The Map

The singing forest

The volcano with balls

The finished product.

I also had a booth at a boutique yesterday and it was pretty successful. It was a lot of fun and I think I did a good job spreading the word about our products.

Mamma by Lucy

2010-04-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

This pretty much sums up last week

2010-04-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Bumper Love

2010-03-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

We have a quilt in Lucy's bed that she loves to snuggle with. When you put her down, she immediately grabs it and holds it up to her nose. I think she must like the way it smells and feels on her face. Anyway, it was dirty and needed to be washed, so it took it out of her bed. She didn't have it for about a day and a half. Well, her bumper is the same fabric and she discovered the bumper. We found her snuggling up to the bumper. It's been about a week since her first bumper snuggle, her quilt is back, but now shw doesn't want the quilt and all she wants is that bumper. It is so funny. She just rolls over to it and wraps her arms around it. It's so cute!

Best Trip Ever!

2010-03-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

We went on a little trip to visit my sister Lisa in California. It was SO MUCH FUN! Both of my girls are going through withdrawls. Here are a ton of pictures from the trip.
This is Fairytale Town, which was so fun! Isabel loved it! I highly recommend it!

Lisa as the lion, Quinn as the tin man, Isabel as Dorothy, Me as the scarecrow

In San Fransisco we saw lots of things, including Spongebob. Isabel was thrilled to see him.

Muir Woods. It was so beautiful and we loved it!

Lucy loved her Aunt Lisa. They became best friends. I can tell Lucy loved the attention because she is wanting me to hold and kiss her more than usual now that we are home.

Lucy discovered sucking on her feet while on this trip.

We have been working on eating real food. Can you tell that Lucy really likes it? I love watching her eat, it's like a little bird. So cute!

Baby Cake and My Baby

2010-03-13T15:42:00.000-08:00

It was Melissa's baby shower today, so of course I made her a cake. It was yummy and turned out cute. It was a fun shower and everyone loved my cake.

Isn't Lucy so cute? I love her so much. She's getting so big. She's started enjoying being in her exersaucer (sp?) and eating real food. She's my girl! I love her!

our Funny Shots

2010-03-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

After seeing Michelle's funny pictures, Isabel wanted to her own. So, here they are. They're pretty good!

Soap Star Mom Give Away

2010-03-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

I emailed some of you about this, but for those who did not recieve my email here you go:

My sister Emily and I have this business and we are doing a give away this month. Please go to our blog and check out the details. The prize is great (up to a $60 value). The drawing will be on March 31st. Good luck!

http://soapstarmomshop.blogspot.com/

Who's In?

2010-03-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

I am doing this triathlon. It's a good one for a beginner. Check it out (I am doing the beginner one, not the sprint or regular). I would love it if you joined me.
http://www.trifind.com/re_11631/fallturkeytriathlon.html#
http://getmeregistered.com/ (it's on Nov. 13th and is called the SHAC Turkey Trialthon)

Pilly Pockets

2010-02-23T10:32:00.000-08:00

First off, Isabel calls "Polly Pockets" "Pilly Pockets". The other day we were headed out to the store and she wanted to bring her pilly pocket but she was wearing a dress so I told her she couldn't because there wasn't anywhere to put it. After putting Lucy in her carseat, Isabel asked if pilly could come like this:

I said "Yes"! She was so happy. I am happy to report that pilly pocket stayed in her boot the entire time. Isabel is very creative and even funnier!

Joseph Cake Done

2010-02-20T08:16:00.000-08:00

I have been working so hard all week on this cake and I have to say that it looks pretty good. It didn't turn out exactly as I thought it would, but still good. I am always critical of myself and my work. I didn't want the cake to be so crowded, but I still think it's good. The junior high kids LOVED it (the kid that played pharoh even ran over and hugged me, it was akward). It was all worth it to get the reaction I did from the kids, it was great!

Joseph Cake

2010-02-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

My cousin Melani is directing the play "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and I offered to make a cake for her cast. I love making cakes and I love this show, so I was excited to do it. I have been planning it for months and I am hoping I am not over-extending myself. I am hoping it turns out as good as it is in my head. Me working on Joseph and his brothers. They start off as rice krispie treats on skewers, pretty fancy huh?

Seeing if the head will work. it's looking good........

The corn for the cake. Corn is part of two dream in the play; Josephs dream and Pharoh's dream. They turned out cute.

One of the brothers done. I don't think I will do legs, he'll just sit on the cake like this. I am pretty happy with how he turned out.

The Hello Song

2010-02-09T09:21:00.001-08:00

On Sunday I started my new calling in our ward, which, oh yippee, it's primary again. During sharing time they asked all the new teachers to come to the front so that the primary could give us a proper welcome into primary. So, the chorister said, "let's sing the hello song. What language should we sing it in?" One little boy yelled out, "Chinese".
So they began to sing "ME-OW, Me-OW, ME-OW, ME-OW, we welcome you today, ME-OW......."
In my mind I was thinking, "I thought we were doing Chinese, not cat. It's pronounced Ne-HOW. It was super funny

What have we been up to?

2010-01-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

I've haven't posted anything intersting in a long time, and I am sorry to say...... this will not be any different. My parents are in Guam and don't get to see my kids, so I am mostly posting this for them. I lead a super boring life, so I rarely have any fun or exciting news. Here is what my life consists of:
This is a funny story. We have really high ceilings in our main living room and we hadn't taken the dust protestor off the smoke alarm. Well, we were having people over, so Ryan decided to try to get it off. He was successful and then he thought it would be funny to tell Isabel that it's a little hat for her. She wore than on her head then entire evening. I threw it away that night when she was sleeping and the next day she was very upset when I told her that it got thrown away.The other day Isabel wanted to have a picnic. She set this up all by herself. If you look closely you'll see Gary (Spongebob's pet snail) with the yellow teacup, a person photo (it's a picture of her) with the blue teacup, and Isabel with the pink teacup. On a side note, Isabel's favorite snack: I giant plain cold tortilla - she's weird!I love this picture of Lucy. She is such a nice baby. She doesn't do much, just kicks and loves her rattles. I could kiss this baby all day long, if only I didn't have so much laundry and house work, shucks!In Lucy news, I gave her rice cereal this week to see if she liked it. Her face says it all, "What the heck have you just put in my mouth lady?" She ate a few bites, but was so confused while eating. We tried again the other day and got the same response. She'll love it in a few weeks.This is my favorite! I was doing laundry the other day and when I was all done Isabel asked if she could play in the basket. I told her yes and she immediately made herself a bed in the basket. She played in the basket all day (like 6 hours), it was great entertainment. After I fed Lucy, Isabel asked if Lucy wanted to snuggle with her in the basket. So, I put Lucy in and they snuggled. Lucy loves Isabel and vice versa. They are so cute.

My New Favorite Site

2010-01-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

http://www.sparkpeople.com I LOVE THIS SITE!!! You should check it out if you are wanting to lose weight or get healthy. It's so good!

Cutest Baby Ever

2010-01-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

I love Lucy!! Nothing exciting has happened lately, so I thought I would just post a few pictures of our little Lucinda. Isn't she so cute? I love her and she is such a happy baby these days.

Incentive

2010-01-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

Last night I was talking to Ryan and telling him that I have lost some of my motivation. I am working out everyday, but not losing weight. It's discouraging. So, I said to Ryan, "I need motivation in order to lose the weight." So, we made a deal. If I reach my goals; lose 30 lbs and run a 5K; Ryan will take me and the girls to Disneyland. Have I mentioned that I LOVE DISNEYLAND? Well, I do. It was just the incentive I needed.

p.s. for all you who want to run the 5K with me, I will either be doing the one in Springville in June or the one in South Weber in August. I am not sure which one. It will depend on how the weight lose is going and if I can run when the time comes. We shall see. I will let you know.

Goals for 2010

2010-01-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

Here are my goals for 2010:

1. Lose at least 30 lbs by July 1st and then maintain (or keep losing).
2. Run a 5K this summer (I know for all you runners this is lame, but it's a big deal for me)
3. Make my soapstarmom business successful (I'm not sure yet what specific goals I have for this, I have to sit down and decide this)

2010 is a big year for me. I am turning 30 this year and I don't want to be fat and tired anymore. I feel like I have wasted a lot of my potential and energy on the wrong things. This is the year that I will regain myself and show the world what I can accomplish. It is never too late to change yourself. I want to be a hot 30 year old. I want people to say, "that hottie has 2 kids and is 30, no way!" It's on fatso!! I'm going to kick my own butt!

Christmas was great!!!

2009-12-29T11:21:00.001-08:00

This Christmas was wonderful! We had so much fun and Isabel loved it! Here are some shots from our Christmas morning: Ryan bought me a spot cleaner. I love it!!! It was the main thing I wanted and I have already used it once.

Isabel picked out this little hand held game for Ryan and was so excited for him to open it. It was so cute to watch her as he opened it.

Grandma DeLong always makes jammies for the grandkids. Isabel loved hers and has worn them every night since Christmas. They were a big hit!

Isabel gave Lucy this rattle. Doesn't Lucy looked thrilled?

Santa brought Isabel a scooter. She loved it! She rides it on the deck and around the house all day. That Santa is great!

On a side not, Isabel also got her white spoons. I'm not sure which was better, the scooter or the spoons. She was easy to please.

Happy Anniversary

2009-12-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today makes 5 years of marriage for me and Ryan. I can't believe it. I wish I had a cute picture from our honeymoon to show you, but I can't find them. The past 5 years have been very full years. We have moved 6 times (that includes building 3 houses), have had 5 different cars for me, 2 different trucks for Ryan, and had 2 children. It's definately not been boring. I am really hoping that the next 5 years are a little less busy. I love Ryan so much and I am so grateful for him. He is a wonderful, patient husband. Sometimes I feel like I should apologize for being so grumpy and moody. I am a lucky girl though and I am looking forward to the next 5 years. Happy Anniversary Honey! I love you!! Thanks for being so great!

I love my kids

2009-12-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

I have really been enjoying my kids lately. They are so cute and keep me entertained all day long.
Lucy is SO much better. She sleeps through the night (thank you Babywise), takes good naps, and smiles all the time. All the hard work of training her to sleep was worth it. Babywise can be hard, but totally worth it. She is not even 3 months old and she will go 10-12 hours at night; love it! Isabel is doing great too. This is her room, which she loves! Emily helped me make her name to go above her bed. I don't think she knows what it says, but loves it. I asked her what is said and she said "Princess", so yeah she doesn't know. Her room is so bright and cheerful. I love it!
Mom, Lisa gave me these jammies that you made for Lulu a few years ago and Isabel LOVES them! They are the only jammies she wants to wear. Thanks, even though they weren't origianlly made for her.

Lucy

2009-12-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

No one can make Lucy smile like Ryan. She loves her dad.

Isabel

2009-12-04T08:10:00.001-08:00

Isabel and I were watching Bambi about 2 weeks ago when we had the following conversation:

(This was during the part when Bambi's dad comes to save him)

Isabel: Is that Bambi's dad?
Renee: Yes. Bambi has a good daddy, huh?
Isabel: Kangaroos make good dads.

Our House

2009-11-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

We are almost done and ready to move in. We are suppost to close next Thursday and I cannot wait! Here are a few pictures of our house. This is the tile in our master bathroom. I love it and the shower is really large. Love it!!

here are our kitchen cabinets. I love them too! They are very similar to our West Haven house. I need to clean/dust them and then they will look fabulous!

Optimism has been thrown out the window!

2009-11-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

Why is it in life whenever you take two steps forward, you must then take one step back? It feels like the end result is nearly impossible to reach? Why after you gain a little, must you then loose a little? WHY? I feel like I am taking crazy pills these days. I spend at least one small portion of everyday crying and asking myself how much longer I can handle it. I feel like I am loosing more of myself and my sanity everyday. And everyday I wonder why I did this to myself. Why was I given a challenge I feel I cannot handle? I spend 90% of my day wondering if I am a good mother, a good wife, a good person. I feel like during that 90% of the time I am also giving myself pep-talks to make myself feel better. I have come to realize that I am a very pesimistic person and that all optimism has left the building. Life sucks! The glass is half empty! The world is coming to an end, but not soon enough! I am fat and probably always will be! And Lucy is the hardest baby in the world and probably will never grow out of it!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

Halloween was fun this year. Isabel was a bumble bee and Lucy was Santa Clause (yes, we are into cross dressing). They both looked so cute!

that's a bad word!

2009-10-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

The bad word of the day: COLIC

For all you who did not know Isabel as a baby, she was an angel. She was the text book baby. She was easy and perfect. She was one of those babies that was totally predictable and easy to train. She was the best!
Lucy on the other hand, is not easy. I think I've know for awhile that maybe she has colic, but I have been in serious denial. To me colic is synonymous with horrible, mean, ugly babies. Lucy has been really hard, and yes sometimes horrible, mean, and ugly, but not all the time. So, I did not want to admit that maybe she has colic. The other day I was done with the crying all night, Ryan and I were so tired. So, I took her into her doctor. He's a good friend and I was very frank with him about how crazy I am going with all the crying and the lack of sleep. I mean she's almost 6 weeks old, she should be sleeping at least 5 hours straight at night, we've been lucky if she sleeps 2 straight. He diagnosed her with colic and bad acid reflux. So, he perscribed medication for her. Last night was the first night of her having it and I am happy to report that she did really well. She slept from 12:30 to 4:30 and then from 5:00 to 8:30. So, it wasn't the most amazing night ever, but for us it was great! Ryan and I feel like new people today. I hope it continues to get better and better. I will keep you all informed.
I never knew colic was so bad. I am so grateful for modern medicine.

Katy's B-day and my cake

2009-10-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Katy's 12th birthday. Michelle asked me to make her cake..... so I did. For all you who don't know Katy, she is not a traditional pink and purple girl. She has her own style and her own funkiness. So, I made her a skull cake. I was really pleased with how it turned out. Katy loved it too. It was a fun birthday and I can't believe she is 12, I remember when she was born.

October

2009-10-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

We are building a house in Roy and it will be done within the next month. My sister Lise, in California, has been wanting to see it, so here it is. I am so happy with how it is coming! I have the best husband in the world. We close the week of Thanksgiving and will be moving in the first week of December. Yeah!! In other news.... we had out family pumpkin party on Saturday. I love this picture of Lucy

This is such a cute picture from the party. I bought these lip kazoos (sp?). The kids loved them, they were a big hit!

And lastly, Isabel is a "Rain Bug" (or as you would call it, a bumble bee) for Halloween. She is so cute.

Lucy's Blessing

2009-10-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had Lucy's blessing at church. Ryan did such a good job and I was so proud of him. He gave Lucy such a beautiful blessing. Lucy was so good during the blessing too, she didn't cry or even make a sound. It was so nice. Thanks to everyone who came and those who stood in the circle with Ryan.

past few weeks

2009-10-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

First off, I can't change the order of these pictures..... Or chickens are still laying eggs. The other day Ryan went out to get the eggs and came in with this massive freak egg. We have a chicken that only lays double yolks about every 3 days, but this one takes the prize for the biggest one yet. It's huge!

The past few weeks have been busy with Lucy (and Isabel). I can't believe how much Lucy changes everyday. Here are some recent pictures of her. I think she is so cute...........

Also, on Oct. 2 it was Isabel's 3rd birthday. For her birthday I got her a tea set. It has been the best $10 I have ever spent. She loves it! Because I had just had a baby, I didn't make her a cake, which I still feel a little bad about. She loved the cake we bought her though, it had princesses on it. Her birthday was fun and she loves being 3.

Sleep is Good!

2009-10-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Having a new baby is so much work. I forgot how tired they make you. I am working on Lucy going to sleep without needing to be held or rocked, and it is hard! Ryan and I are so tired. We take shifts during the night when she wakes up, and poor Ryan is having to help out a lot. I have been so tired that he is up a lot in the night with her too. Last night he was up most of the night, letting me sleep (he is so wonderful to help out and stay happy about it). Anyways, I promise to post pictures sometime soon, but right now I am just too tired!

Sweetest Baby Ever!

2009-09-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Lucy is such a good baby. She is so sweet. I just can't get enough of her, I could kiss her all day long. I've been really concerned because she'll sleep 5 hours at a time and doesn't show a huge interest in eating. Well, yesterday she had a doctor's appointment and he assured me that she is healthy and doing great. He also said I should not be too concerned about her sleeping so much and that I should just let her sleep if she wants to. That was the best thing to hear. Last night I fed her at 10pm, we all went to sleep, she woke up at 1am and ate, we went back to sleep, then she didn't wake back up until 7am. It was so great. I got to sleep from 2am to 7am, that's 5 hours! For anyone who has had a newborn you know how great that is. She is just so cute. I love her SO much!

She's here!

2009-09-25T12:16:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday I gave birth to Lucinda Renee Rice. She is such a sweet baby. She weights 8 lbs 5 oz and is 20 inches long. It was a super easy delivery, I only pushed 3 times and it was less then 10 minutes of actual pushing. It was easy. She is so cute and smells so good. We love her so much already, Isabel isn't sure if she loves her yet, but Ryan and I do. Me and Lucy right after delivery.

Ryan and Lucy

Me and my girls (Isabel and Lucy)

Another one right after delivery, I look pretty good if I do say so myself.

Tim and Tiffiny

2009-09-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Tim, Ryan's brother, got married. He married a really nice girl, Tiffiny. The entire wedding was beautiful and it was so much fun. Isabel was the flower girl and really stole the show. We have been practicing throwing petals for about 3 weeks and boy did the practice pay off. When it came time for her to throw petals she did not dissapoint. She was great! Everyone was impressed and I was so proud. Here are so pictures from the wedding: Isabel giving uncle Tim a kiss
Ryan, Liz, Tim, Tiffiny, Steve, Renee, and Michelle

Tim, Tiffiny, and Isabel

My family; Ryan, Isabel, and me (still with Lucy inside)

Isabel and Tiffiny looking so pretty.

Nothing is Happeneing

2009-09-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

Went to the doctor's today and nothing is happening. Still no baby and still no change. I am totally depressed. Maybe next week.

Yesterday

2009-09-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday about 1pm I started to have contractions. Since I was induced with Isabel and never went into labor I wasn't sure what to think or what to do. At about 3pm I called my doctor's office to ask them what they thought. They told me that I should take a warm bath, then lay down on my left side, and that if the contractions did not stop to go to the hospital. So, after taking a bath and laying down, I was still having contractions. At about 6pm Ryan finally talked me into going to the hospital. I really did not want to go. I have this fear of feeling stupid if it's a false alarm. So, they hooked me to the monitors and then we waited. Yes, I was having contractions about every 3-5 minutes, dialted to about a 2 1/2, and effaced (sp?) 75%. So, they just watched me for about 3 hours. Nothing really changed, so my doctor decided to send me home and see him today. They gave me a shot of morphine for the pain and off we went. I have never had morphine before, WOW did it make me loopy and tired. I had a few contractions during the night that were strong enough to wake me up, but otherwise I slept good and am feeling okay. I've had a few this morning and I go into the doctor's in about 2 hours, so we shall see what he says. I am hoping that I have this baby in the next few days, that would be great!
So, there you all go. False labor, but I am on my way.

Coming Soon

2009-09-14T11:41:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to point out that I have less than 2 weeks left. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I am really hoping to get some good news, because I am ready and feeling it.

Antelope Island

2009-09-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend it was the hot air balloon festival out at Antelope Island. We went on Friday night with the Hills, Rasmussen's, and DeLong's. It was so much fun, actually it was kind of disorganized and could have been better, but we had a good time. When we got there they had huge kites up in the sky, they then later flew in 4 hot air balloons. The kids had a blast dancing, I've never seen moves like those coming from Katy and Jane. It was quite funny. Anyway, we had fun and we even saw a few bison. Ryan with Grace Hill and Isabel (they are 4 months apart and such good friends)
Michelle, Melissa, Scott, Lily, Emily, David, and Adam

I've Been Busy

2009-09-02T11:58:00.001-07:00

So, we planted corn in our garden this year. We've actually never had a garden before, so this was a first for everything. Ryan really wanted to plant corn, so we did. He has been baby-ing that corn. On Sunday we picked some and ate it that day, it was so good. Yesterday Ryan decided it was time to pick all the corn that looked ready. I told him that I would blanch it and freeze it, so we would have "fresh" corn all year round. When he came back inside, from picking it, he had about 60 ears of corn. I could not believe it. He then said this wasn't even half of what is out there. Yikes! So, today I began the process of storing corn. I guess you only have about 2 days after picking it before the sugars turn to starch. So, I am going to be busy for the next week. Here are some photos from today's activities:

Before shucking (sp?) the corn

Shucked and in the sink ready to be blanched and cut of the cob.

I did a total of 32 ears today. I am freezing 9 whole cobs and 7 1/2 cups of off the cob corn. Boy, I can't wait until tomorrow.... not.

Not much is happening

2009-09-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today I had an OB appointment and I am not happy to report that not much is happening..... down there, if you know what I mean. I was so hoping that I would go in today and my doctor would tell me that I was starting to be ready and that she would come within the next week. No such luck. I am dilated to a 1 1/2, which is nothing to brag about. Maybe next week will bring better news.
On a more positive note, they did give me this really cool travel diaper bag. I will be using it for a travel bathroom bag for me. It hangs and everything. Similac makes it and it is really cool. They gave me 2, so thank you doctors office and Similac.

The night my heart stopped beating

2009-08-31T07:39:00.000-07:00

Last night was not a good night. I had the scare of my life. It was 2am when I woke up due to Isabel's door being opened. She usually does not get up in the night, but when she does it is because she has to use the bathroom or she has had a bad dream. I waited for her to come into my room, but she never came. I must have woken up Ryan with my moving, so he got up to see where she went. He then came back looking disoriented. I jumped out of bed, for some strange reason, feeling like something was going on. I said, "where is she?" He said, "I don't know". So I ran out of my room starting to look for her. I looked in her room, not there. I looked throughout the house, not there. The I heard this blood shrieking scream. I turned to Ryan and said, "it came from outside". I flipped on the outside light and ran outside. I heard another scream and then I yelled, "Isabel". I ran out toward the garden and I could hear her yelling, "mommy". It was so dark it was hard to see her, then I saw the white parts of her jammies in the dark. She started running toward me, tripped on something in the yard, and then ran into my arms. I started getting tears in my eyes, I was so overcome with emotions. When I initially heard her scream, I was so afraid she was being kidnapped or some wild animal was hurting her. It was the scariest scream I have ever heard! We went inside and I kept asking her why she was outside, she just kept saying, "because I was outside". We put her back in bed, but I was now wide awake due to the large amounts of adrenaline running through my body, plus running to find her had giving me leg cramps in both legs. I was in no condition to fall back asleep. I sat in bed rubbing my legs, trying to relax. About 10 minutes later I heard Isabel scream. I went into her room and she was sitting up. She said she could not fall asleep, so I laid down next to her. While I was laying there she said, "Why was daddy in the garden?" I said, "He wasn't, I think you dreamed it." She said, "No, he was calling me to help him in the garden." Well, that explains why she ended up out by the garden at 2 in the morning. She must have had a dream about helping Ryan in the garden, walked out there in her sleep, and then was woken up by the cold air or something and screamed because she was disoriented and confused. It was the scariest thing ever! I have never been more afraid of losing her. I think it's a parent's worst nightmare, not being able to find your child and then hearing a piercing scream. I hate to do it, but I think I am going to put a doorknob lock on her door for the next couple of nights.

Isabel's Funny

2009-08-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

Isabel is so funny. She makes me laught all the time. Today we were headed out to visit Grandma Rice at school and I asked her to go find her shoes. This was the conversation we had:

Me: Isabel, go find your shoes so we can go.

Isabel: I want lion feet.

Me: What do you mean? I don't know what lion feet are.

Isabel: Lion feet are like "bear" feet.

It made me laugh so hard. I love how kids hear something and interpret it their own way. The english language can be a little confusing. Bear vs. Bare.

2009-08-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

Most Recent Cake

2009-08-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

It was my sister Lisa's birthday, so I made her a cake. It turned out great! I wanted to do something fun and big.... so here it is.

Theft

2009-08-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a strange voice mail from the company that watches our Visa card through America First Credit Union. The message pretty much just said that they needed either Ryan or I to call them back asap concerning our Visa card. So, Ryan called them and found out that someone tried using our credit card to get $1600 in travelers checks, in Las Vegas, on Sunday morning. The transaction was declined and flagged, and that's why they called us. Ryan looked in his wallet to see if his card was missing, it was not. I didn't have my wallet with me (we were at Ryan's parent's house), so we assumed that my card must be missing. When we got home I looked in my wallet, my card wasn't missing either.
So, this morning Ryan called the bank to find out more details. He told them that we have our cards, so how could this happen? Evidently there is a new technology out there.... after you swipe your card, someone can come after you and swipe a card, getting your information. They then make a fake Visa with your magnetic code on the back, your card number on the front, and your name on the card. Great news huh? Someone swiped a card after one of us and made a fake card of ours. Can you believe it? So, our cards are cancelled and I think I am going to a cash only system. They would have totally gotten away with it if they had done something local and not for such a huge amount (dumb thief). What a pain.
So, everyone be warned. They could this to you too..... at the grocery store, the gas station, the post office, the pharmacy, anywhere. It is scary!

Horse Cake

2009-08-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had a Horse Cake order from someone in my brother's ward. It was for a 9 year old's birthday. They had no idea what they wanted, other than something to do with a horse. I had to come up with the entire design. It was kind of a challenge coming up with a design, but once I decided what to do it was great! I am super pleased with how it came out. They were also very pleased with the cake. It was great. This is something I really enjoy, so it's a great little business for me. So, here are some pictures of the cake (they turned out a little dark, there is a mom and baby horse on top):

Isabel Fishing

2009-07-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

Over the 24th hoilday weekend we went camping up at the cabin (we actually stayed in our trailer). It was so much fun. Ryan bought Isabel this Spongebob finshing pole, and boy did she love it! She stood there for 2 hours "finshing". Of course she really didn't have a hook and there was no way she was going to catch anything, but she had so much fun. I was suprised she could actually cast and reel. She is the most talented 2 year old ever, her Grandpa DeLong will be so proud!