Utah Trip: Take Two

We were so lucky to have one more, short visit to Utah this summer.

Ryan's sister Michelle got married to a great guy Peter.

Aren't they so cute!

Hopefully I'll have some better pictures to post of the beautiful reception... but for now here are a couple.

 Abby devouring yet another cupcake... or at least the frosting part.

Ry and Sarah.

I was thrilled when they called and asked us if we'd be able to come to the reception in Utah (they got married in the Minnesota Temple). I was excited to come and see family one more time before the baby comes. Being due a couple weeks after Christmas, I knew this would be the first year we wouldn't be able to make it out to Utah to visit. So thank you, thank you for getting married Michelle... and for wanting our little family there!

I was also excited to come because I had a new niece and nephew born in August.

Sweet lil' Emmaline

 So, sooo, tiny!

And handsome lil' McKay

 Can't believe I didn't get one photo of him while we were there... had to steal these from facebook!

But he sure is a darling lil' one.

We had so much fun while we were in town. 

Can't believe how many family get-to-gethers we threw together in such a short amount of time.

I think we may have done more in this short little visit than in our longer visit in May.

My sweet sister brought Sarah a Schultüten – German “school cones,” given to kids in honor of the first day of school. Sarah was so tickled to receive a gift symbolizing that she'd be starting preschool when she got back. What a fun idea, I'll need to start doing my own next year. Thanks Brooke!

I tried to be good about taking pictures this trip... but alas, I failed miserably.

I did a snap a darling picture of cute baby Katie!

Check out her "muppet-smile"

When she is really happy she just opens her mouth as wide as she possibly can.

This smile is due to G'ma Newey saying hello to her.

Here is a cute lil' cousin shot. 

Love Abby's lil' pose.

My dear sis and baby Katie.

I had a few friends get together to visit my sister in law Deb and meet her new baby (Emmaline). 

Afterwards we swung by Denny's for some slow service and greasy food. Yum!

(Sorry Kara & Deb, it was a last minute decision on the way home) 

June and Abby playing in the backyard. 

These two little stinkers were playing so sweet, but as soon as I went inside they turned on the water and hosed each other down... completely soaked!

 What a cutie though. Can't get mad at that face!

I got to celebrate my birthday while the girls and I were still in town.

My sweet in-laws took us out to breakfast and then my mother in law gave me a haircut.

I love it!

I'm kind of mad at myself. I didn't get a single picture of the fun we had with the Stephensons!

Grrr! We had breakfast together, went swimming, had playdates, and just hung out and enjoyed each other's company. Just didn't get the camera out to capture all of our fun times.

Ryan was only able to be there for 4 1/2 days, while the girls and I stayed for another ten. So most of our Stephenson get-togethers were held while Ry was still in town. We would have done more after, but I went up to Yellowstone with my family. More on that trip in another post!

Thanks family for making time for us while we were in town. 

We sure do love and miss you guys!

Now its your turn to visit us... how about in January... after baby boy comes. ;)

Thrift Store SCORE!

I grew up tagging along with my mother at various thrift stores. I loved it as a kid, we'd always work so hard to convince my mom to buy us things like half-working-typewriters, or some giant yard toy that we'd never get. Then we'd secretly score some new treasure in the toy department (probably an old MickyD toy for a dime) and think we were the luckiest kids on the planet. 

When our family finally moved to Utah every Wednesday my mother would take my Grandma around to the DI, Thrift Store on Base and then to Wendy's for lunch. It was such a lovely routine, and I thoroughly enjoyed any opportunity I had to tag along. 

So although some may find Thrift Store shopping gross and disgusting.

It will always be something I enjoy.

And how can you not? Especially when you find this lil' girls new favorite toy for $.95!!

Sarah has been obsessed with superheros lately.

She'll beg us to watch the old 1950s cartoons and sing the opening theme songs.

(I think Spiderman is her favorite to sing along with).

So on our latest thrifting expedition I was almost more excited to see superman waiting on the rack of cheap toys than Sarah was (although he is pretty rad with is one-two punching action).

We mostly scored some cheap kid games (that I'm sure we'll happily donate back when we move) that will be great for the lil' ones, and will sure to be a hit in primary (I'm the chorister). But for a dollar or two how could I pass up "Pop-up Pirate" or "The Oreo Matching Middles Game."

Oh, and I know that I mentioned it already.

But I'm really loving this sandpit.

It is the only thing keeping this little one out of the road and distracted for more than five minutes!

HEAVEN!

Now if I can only brave the heat long enough to let them play in it more.

Oh, and our Hostas are at their prime 

(except for the poor bottom leaves that our van drives over, sorry plants)

It is so nice to have big, beautiful, leafy plants to help keep the weeds out 

(unlike our neighbors side, who sadly mistook their hostas for weeds and whacked them all down... so sad)

Why is it I am finally feeling up to doing things... and summer is just about over?

*sigh*

Braclets

Sarah: "Daddy, I saw a funny picture of you when you had bracelets on your teeth." *giggles*

Bracelets, braces... same thing, right?

Sarah: Daddy, I'll be Mario and you can be the Weenie.
Ryan: You mean, Luigi?
Sarah: Op, yeah, Lu-een-gie


Sarah: Mommy, who gave me my white blankie?
Me: Your Aunt Brookie had it for Jeffrey and gave it to us when you were born.
*pause*
Sarah: So when I give it a big hug, its like getting a hug from Brookie?
Me: *grinning* That is exactly right.


In Primary (8-7-11) they were talking about how our bodies are like temples,
and what we need to do to take care of them.
Sarah got to go up and pick a picture. Teacher: What's on the picture Sarah?
Sarah: It has fruit on it.
Teacher: Right, what does this have to do with our bodies being temples?
Sarah: We have to eat lots and lots of fruit so that our bellies don't get big and fat!


Ryan: So Sarah, who are your favorite friends to play with?
Sarah: Gabe & Savanna, Emery, Eva, Daddy's iPad, and Mom.
Ryan: Oh... don't I make the list?
(we thought this was hilarious,
one because Ryan's iPad was on there and not him,
and also that I made last pick in mentioning. Funny girlie)


Sarah is humming "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus"
while tying up her lil' doll to the bottom of a table leg.
"Sorry... you can't get out, you have to stay here for a while.
Bwah haha. You are my prisoner."
(I thought it was hilarious that she hummed for three or four minutes while she got her good and tied up.)

The baby...

was a stubborn lil' stinker. 

Didn't want to look at the "camera"...

Our poor tech didn't get good shots of some of the things she needed too.

(like his face and heart...sheesh, kiddo. couldn't you cooperate)

But luckily he let us peak between his legs.

That's right, we are getting a baby BOY!!!

I was going to have them print out the evidence picture, but did you know they aren't allowed to anymore? Lame. Oh well, guess it could embarrass him in the future. 

Well now that we know, off to the baby name hunt. 

And no, Eugene isn't an option.

Fairy Garden to Sandbox

If you remember HERE last summer when my mom came to visit we made a small little fairy garden for the girls to play in. It was so cute and fun. I loved it.

The girls did too, well, they just loved to play with the figures and dig in the dirt. 

So I decided... maybe it'd be best to make a little sandbox instead.

We still call it our fairy garden, only now they seem to love it a little more.

The overhang on our front porch mostly covers this little spot, so when it rains the sand gets damp, perfect for making sand castle homes for our fairy friends.

I also trimmed back my huge beautiful azaleas. 

They were never quite the same since that first huge snow storm we had.

I like it, makes more room, and I can keep a better eye on my two lil' fairies.

Buzz

So it is 9:30am... it really isn't that early (well it is for me). 

I've been up for two hours and it has seemed like for.e.ver!

So what am I doing to try and pass the time?

Edit silly {wanna-be-photographer} pictures.

Its not working... I still see that the minutes are passing too slow. 

Bleh...

Today we have my first (and only) ultrasound for baby #3.
We get to hopefully count ten fingers and toes and make sure that this little one 

is growing as he/she should be.
I'm nervous... is that weird?

I had a dream last night that I slept in until my appointment time (which in the dream was at 1:30pm) and missed my ultrasound. I was bummed.

I woke up just thinking about this little one.

I want to know what it is... with both Sarah and Abby we weren't able to tell during our ultrasound. Luckily with both there were reasons to have one more ultrasound, so we did eventually find out our lil' girls were coming.

I shouldn't care, I should just be happy to see it wiggle around and listen to it's quick lil' heartbeat. 

I guess knowing this will most likely be our only ultrasound is what is making me nervous.

Well, I should clean the bathroom, do laundry, find something to do to pass the time.

Hmm... the BBC Pride and Prejudice would take up most of that time... 

I could use a little Austen therapy to get my mind off of things.

Well, wish us luck, cross your fingers and pray that this little one spreads 'em... isn't bashful.

Hormones (aka Sappy Post)

My Sweet Lil Ladies,

You two are becoming fast friends, and I am loving every minute of it. 

Sarah, I'm so proud of how loving and kind you are to your sister... it is no wonder Abby wants to do everything you do. 

When I stumble across a sweet moment in time where you are playing contently with one another I want to capture the moment in a bottle and let you play there forever. 

It is so fun to watch your little minds taking in every detail of life and deciding how you're going to leave your mark on the world.

I hope you are always close friends, and love each other as dearly as I do.

It is bittersweet to watch you two grow up and get so big, can't you stay my lil' ladies forever?

I love you!

Mom