Thanksgiving...finally.

I have been such a slacker. Things have been crazy busy that I'm just now getting around to writing about Thanksgiving. Since we've been in school, we've been blessed with super long holiday vacations. However, our vacationing days will soon become a memory as Bobby inches closer to graduating and working. Alas, we decided to make a go of our Thanksgiving break and visit Georgia and Alabama. If you're wondering, it's about a 12 hour drive (sans child/dog) to Georgia and a 10 hour return to Indiana from Alabama. Yep, it was long. Thankfully, a friend let us borrow her DVD player. We stocked up on Elmo. By the end of the trip, Pip had an entire Elmo video memorized.

We spent 3 days in Georgia visiting with my sister/bro-in-law, aunt and uncle, and some dear friends in Macon. We also went to the Georgia Aquarium where we discovered that our child is penguin whisperer. We have a video and pictures of a penguin that just absolutely loved Pip and gave Pip her own penguin show. It was pretty cute.

On Wednesday, we went to Alabama. We ate a delicious turkey (prepared by me) and watched the Iron Bowl-the game was terrible. Since we weren't going to be together for Christmas, we decided to have a mini gift exchange. It was nice to be together with family.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy! Bobby and Piper!

The Birthday Kids!

We had a small party for Piper on Monday. All her preschool and neighborhood friends came over to celebrate with her.

Pip received lots of Elmo stuff. She loves Elmo. She also got an art set, a new baby doll, and a Sesame Street ABC toy.

On the morning of their birthday, I made Bobby and Pip a waffle breakfast.

We've been so busy! Last weekend we celebrated my 2 favorite people's birthdays-Bobby and Piper. I can't believe how fast she's grown up. I was watching her climb up the stairs the other day and I remembered a conversation I had with mom about how I needed to teach Piper how to go up and down the stairs safely and I wasn't entirely convinced she would ever learn how to go up and down the stairs, but here we are and she loves going up, up, up and down, down, down! Bobby is the big 35! He doesn't seem very amused about this. He keeps saying he's halfway through his life. But last time I checked there weren't very many 35 year olds still in college, so I think it's safe to assume that his life is only just beginning.

The Potatoheads

HaPpY HaLlOwEeN!

Meet the Potatoheads and their little Tater Tot!

Halloween Highlights:
Pip has learned how to say "Trick or Treat"
I made and ATE my very FIRST caramel apple. I had no idea what I was missing. Yummy!
Bobby agreeing to wear, yet another, Halloween costume made by me.
Carving the worst pumpkin ever. I will not post pictures of it. It is embarrassing. Imagine a pumpkin with no face, just giant hole.
2 very festive Halloween parties
and way too much candy!

Fall Fun

The joys of being 2!

Playing in Leaves

The kids had so much playing in the leaves. They jumped, kicked, and threw the leaves high up in the air. The boys were more eager and willing to play, it took some time for Pip and Ella to join in on the fun.

Pip showing off her big pile of leaves. She loves collecting leaves everywhere we go...along with rocks and twigs and acorns. One of our preschool lessons was on leaves and the kids went on a nature hunt. Pip's been nature hunting all month. I have no idea what to do with her collection. We like to play a game called, "Return to Nature" where I make her take one or 2 leaves, rocks, twigs, etc and return them home. She loves it.

Making Pumpkin Headbands and Picasso Jack-O-Lanterns

The kids got to make their very own pumpkin headbands. Pip has great spatial relations. She placed each pumpkin evenly on her headband. (that's my girl!)

Aren't they so cute! I promise all those kids are 2, but when I see them lined up...Piper has really loved getting to know all her friends. She's getting to the point where she will recognize them and talk about them when she goes home.

"Star Student" We decorated jack-o-lanterns. Pip placed the eyes, nose, and mouth all by herself. I happen to love that Picasso pumpkin.

FLASHBACK: Trip to Nauvoo August 2010

I was looking through pictures and realized I never documented our trip to Nauvoo. How could I have forgotten? I know...life was pretty crazy around that time. First, Bobby was coming home from his internship in Texas. Second, my in-laws were making their very first trip to B'town and staying at our house. Third, school was starting back up. August is always an insane month at our house, so a vacation was in order. I had never been to Nauvoo and Bobby hadn't been there in 25 years. The drive was interesting. We drove through corn field after corn field, a massive wind farm, and followed the mighty Mississippi. We passed through several tiny towns (in one town we saw 2 little boys sitting on the front lawn just watching the train go by and waving at the few cars that passed, too funny!) When we finally arrived in Nauvoo, I was surprised by how quiet it was. Apparently, the BYU performers had just left so the town was in desperate need of tourists. We were one of the few families there so we got VIP treatment from all the tour missionaries. We learned so much about the city and its rich, vibrant history.

Bobby and I did a session at the Nauvoo Temple. We got to take a mini tour of the Temple and look at artifacts from the 1800s. We both agreed that this Temple was absolutely beautiful and bright. Pip loved peeking through the gates at the Temple and running around smelling all the flowers.

This trip is when I think Pip discovered a fascination with horses. Her Opa took her to see the horses across the street from where we were staying. For the rest of the weekend, it was "horsey, horsey!"

We went on a wagon tour of Historic Nauvoo. I loved listening to the stories of pioneers and the history of the buildings. We had a chance to ride on the trail leading out of Nauvoo that the Saints used when they left for Salt Lake. I looked back and could see the city that these Saints had built and felt such sadness for them, it was a real sobering experience.

The Sculpture Garden behind the visitor's center was so beautiful. Our favorite was called "Fulfillment". Piper loved the one where the children are playing "Ring Around the Rosy". She wanted to get in on the action. It was cute watching her twirl with the statues.

One of our last stops was a visit to Carthage Jail. To me this held the same reverence and respect as the Vietnam Wall.

After visiting Nauvoo, both Bobby and I had a new respect for our pioneer ancestors. Nauvoo was such a beautiful and peaceful place.

P is for PUMPKIN!

I love October. I love Halloween. I love Fall. and I absolutely love pumpkins. Buying a pumpkin is like buying a Christmas tree, both equally enjoyable and fully festive! One thing I have always wanted to do was go to a for real pumpkin patch. NOT a "pumpkin patch" that's just pumpkins thrown on a lawn, but a bonafide straight off the vine pumpkin patch. So this past weekend, I was in search of "the patch".

On Friday, we went a local B'Town patch. However, the pumpkin patch consisted of beautifully arranged pumpkins on a lawn. Not exactly festive, but well worth the effort. There was a barn with a few animals and a really, really old horse. We bought 2 pumpkins.

On Saturday, feeling unfulfilled in my quest to find "the patch", we headed down south about an hour away to Loogootee, Indiana. We got this flyer at a gas station for Lark Ranch-it boasted u-pick pumpkins, tractor ride, petting zoo, pony rides, food, and 3 corn mazes. Lark Ranch did not disappoint. We had so much fun and it was cheap! The pumpkin patch went on for acres and the pumpkins were perfect. They had gourds and my favorite: the Cinderella pumpkin (white pumpkins). I wanted to buy every pumpkin. We ate hot dogs, funnel cake, and cotton candy (my favorite). Pip loves horses so I took her on a horse ride. She got to sit on a a tractor and pet a pig. So much fun! We didn't do the corn maze because it was dark and we forgot a flashlight. I could and would go back again...

However, the drive there is...quite an adventure. First, Loogootee is literally in BFE and Google gave the WORST directions ever. We should've just followed the directions on the flyer. Honestly, it's deliverance country...at one point I could hear the banjos. Secondly, the roads were poorly marked, unpaved, and one-lane. There was one spot where someone hand wrote the street sign on a poster board with a big arrow pointing west. Thankfully, we did not go on that road. For anyone that's seen horror movies, you never go down a road with a handwritten sign. The scenery was lovely though. The road followed the crest of a hill so you could see brightly colored tree tops and lakes. Just lovely. On our way home, we went the correct, more civilized populated way and the drive wasn't near as much fun.

What a fun, pumpkin-filled weekend adventure!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy!

Happy, happy birthday Lesly dear. Happy days will come to you all year. If I had a wish that wish would be...a happy, happy birthday to you from me!

A simple 30th birthday. If you couldn't tell already, I really LOVE my birthday. For my special dinner we went, sans child, to Morton's Steakhouse in Indy. For my special present, 2 tickets to see U2 in concert in Colorado this coming May! Yippeee! Now I can cross 1 thing off my Bucket List.

See 30 ain't so bad.

Hindsight is 20/20

"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward."

What an amazing journey this has been. I've had a lot of fun searching for pictures and reminiscing about my twenties. There are so many things I wish I could tell my 20 year old self- those pearls of wisdom that only come from countless mistakes: Don't date him or if you're going to date him at least get kiss before you dump him. Buy that fast car. Put those doughnuts down because that 100 pound figure of yours isn't going to last, in fact it will be a distant memory by 26. Laugh more, smile often. Quit waiting for something to happen. Invest in Facebook. Slow down.

I've met so many people in the last 10 years. Those who have helped me, befriended me, encouraged me, and stood by me. I've lived in 4 states across the US. I climbed a mountain. I marveled at the limitless ocean and majestic mountains.

Is this it? Is this the highlight of my life? Is it all downhill from here? Will I have enough time to do all the things that I wanted to do?

The next 10 years will be a whole new adventure. Buy a house. Get a new car. Have more kids. Finally be OUT of college. See the world. Run a marathon. Climb another mountain. Make more memories.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. "

Well said Abe Lincoln, well said. Here's to my 30's. May you be as much fun and as full of surprises as my twenties!

29 and Feeling Fine

2009

Well, it's almost here. I'll be 30 tomorrow. I look at this picture and it pretty much sums up 29: being a mom. I became a mom at 28, but I learned how to be a "mom" at 29. For some this might not seem like much of an accomplishment or challenge or noteworthy to put on my memory lane. It's significant to me. I'm also incredibly happy. I'm happier at 29 than I was at 20. I feel like I'm in the place I'm supposed to be.

I think I'm ready to say hello to 30.

BIG Changes at 28

2008

Here are the 3 BIG changes at 28:

1. At 28, I became a MOM. This is the single most important event in my life. I struggled learning how to be a mom-what does this cry mean? how can I go to work and be mom? will my stomach ever deflate? I learned charity and compassion. I remember when Pip was first born having to take her up to Primary Children's Hospital every week. We would wake up at 4am, bundle Pip up, and drive to her appointments. I look back at those memories and wonder how I managed to function on so little sleep.

2. At 28, I moved to Indiana so Bobby could attend IU and get his MBA. When Bobby told me he wanted to go back to BYU and get his undergrad, I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. But at 28, the light appeared! We were finally done with undergrad and could start focusing on the ultimate goal: Business School.

3. At 28, I decided that I needed a break from teaching so I could focus on raising Piper. Quitting teaching was a very difficult decision for me. My last year of teaching was hard. I was absent a lot. My boss was...well, I can't say what she was, but she definitely put 100% into what she was. And I was pregnant for the first half and new mother for the second half. It was a balancing act I didn't want to do anymore. It's a decision that I haven't regretted.

And lastly, though not a BIG change, I celebrated my 10 year high school reunion. Senior 98 TC is Great! I didn't go to it since we were traveling/moving and I was still fat from having a baby (the last thing I wanted was to show up fat at my 10 year reunion).

Twenty Seven and Blessings from Heaven

October 2007

The countdown is entering a very interesting stage in my life...grief and loss. I'm going to go off on spiritual tangent here...but most of us can clearly remember moments in our life when we knew our testimony was being strengthened or tried, well 27 was my fiery furnace. A period of intense trial just to see if I was ready for the greater blessing. Let me explain.

When I was younger, I imagined myself with at least 2 children by 27, remember I was thinking "family" at 22. So when 27 came and there still weren't children, I was pretty devastated. I remember crying every time someone would announce that she was pregnant. I ran the tests, charted my temperature, and changed my diet to no avail. Finally in January of 2008, we discovered we were expecting only to miscarry days later. It was at that point that Bobby and I decided to take a break and just refocus back on just us 2-no more baby talk for awhile. I had just begun my grieving process when my mother called me and told me that my older sister had passed away. The 2 losses were a week apart. I can't express the depth of my sorrow and grief. In the midst of grieving for my unborn child, I had to grieve for my sister and maintain a shred of sanity.

But, the title of this post is 27 and Blessings from Heaven. A month after my sister's funeral, I discovered I was pregnant again. I firmly believe that had I fallen apart. Had I gotten angry at God and wondered, "Why me?" or "It's not fair." Had I allowed my grief to override my testimony of an ever-loving Heavenly Father, I would not have Piper today. Being pregnant with Piper resuscitated me and brought hope and happiness to my family. I am forever grateful to her.

Memory Lane Blunder

I wrote this little trip down memory lane days in advance and then set up them up to post on designated days...would've been nice if I scheduled the first post on the correct day. Oh well, it just means you get 2 for the price of 1 and it means that my 100th post will also be my 30th birthday. So it works out!

2005

My 25th birthday was very difficult for me. For one, it meant that my 20's were halfway over. A friend of mine told me that after 25 it's all downhill. I don't believe that. Great things happened after my 25th birthday. For my 25th birthday, I decided to take the day off of work and just relax. However, Boo had other plans for me. I had taken her out to use the bathroom when she spotted a cat stalking a squirrel. I remember thinking, "I'll take Boo over there to scare off the cat." Not such a great idea-Boo took off full speed and charged the squirrel. Caught off guard, I lost my footing was dragged across the grass on my belly for a good couple of yards. She finally stopped short of the woods. Yep, happy freaking birthday to me!

2006

The scenery has changed. We are now in Provo, Utah. Bobby and I moved to Provo so he could finish his undergrad at BYU. This is BYU's homecoming game. I can't tell you who we played, but we did win. Funny story about these seats. At BYU, they give you assigned seats. So basically, you rotate around the stadium with the same group of people. Well, the group we were stuck with had to be from planet mutant because for the entire season I stared at the biggest, greasiest zit on the head of the guy in front of me. Ughh, it was so gross. He had dandruff and those girls you see in front of us just thought they were the shizz. I digress...Twenty-six was a great year. I started working at a new elementary school and discovered I really loved to hike!

At twenty-six, Bobby and I decided to go through the Temple together. We were sealed in November at the Salt Lake City Temple. It was a really special and significant step in our life. I'll never forget that day for a number of reasons. One funny reason in particular is when they brought me to the wrong groom. I remember sitting and waiting for Bobby to come out of the dressing room. Finally, one of the workers came up to me and asked me what my husband looked like. I said his name is Bobby, he's tall with red hair.

No lie-they brought out a tall, red head with the name Bobby...but it wasn't my husband. I remember the guy was like, "That's not my wife!" and I said, "That's not my husband!" The temple worker was super confused. Finally, Bobby rounded the corner looking all exasperated and we were lead outside for family pictures. Out of the all the spiritual, testimony building experiences had in the Temple, this is the most remembered story.