Great news all around...

Today was one of those days where good news just kept coming our way. Here is how our day went...
10:00 am: Drop daddy off at school
10:20-11:20 am: Emmalyn had a great one-year check up; can't believe she is almost a year old already
11:20 am: As we were leaving the Student Health Center I received a call from Joey telling me that CIGNA (health insurance company) just called and would be calling him back in ten minutes. Why is this significant? Well last weekend Joey flew to Connecticut, CIGNA's headquarters for the final interview process for a job after graduation
11:35 am: Joey calls me and with pure excitement tells me that he has been offered the job with CIGNA and we have a week to accept/decline it. This is fantastic news because this is a great opportunity for Joey and it will be another adventure for our family
2:00 pm: We have an appointment with the Orthotics and Prosthetics doctor and receive the great news that Emmalyn no longer needs to wear the helmet; what an amazing job it did. We are so grateful for medical advances and what it has done for our little girl (pictures will be posted later)
3:30 pm-rest of the evening: Joey and I are still in awe of the offer we received and call/text all of our family with the good news
It is days like today that I see just how much the Lord is involved in our lives and how blessed we are.

Never Never Land

I love Halloween and now that we have a little one to dress up I love it even more. We decided to go all out and dress up family "theme" style. I need to give props to Joey for going along with dressing up and making one incredible looking Captain Hook, but I think Emmalyn wins for being the cutest Tinkerbell ever. The best thing about her costume is I bought it 9 years ago for my niece Madison when I worked for Disney and now it has come full circle for my own daughter to wear. I love it!
The week of Halloween was full of fun parties with the MBA school, our ward, and our friends Steve and Laura. We have so much candy and treats in our home that we won't need to buy any for next year. Gross but true! We can't wait until next year to do it all over again.

Little Steps

This week I caught Emmalyn taking a few steps...her first steps occured while we were visiting Colorado for Fall break but this was the first time I actually had a camera in my hands. If you are wondering why Emmalyn is wearing a helmet it is to help reshape her head. One side of her head is slightly flater than the other and this will correct it. She looks so stinkin' cute in it and we have fun decorating it to go to church, BYU football games and for Halloween. The best part about the helmet is that it has protected her from multiple crash and burns.

Oh to be 19 again

As I sit here typing this post my back aches, my knees are bruised and I am pretty sure I won't be able to move a muscle tomorrow. Why you ask? Well, this year I decided that I would get more involved in the MBASA which is the spouse association for all of us women, and a few men, who have husbands/wives working endlessly to conquer the world of education. I think I have done a good job so far, three weeks into the semester, but I may have gone too far...I joined the BYU intramural women's flag football team and the women's soccer team along with many other MBA wives. I have come to realize that my body doesn't move as fast or recover as quickly as it did ten years ago. I would also like to add that my endurance isn't where it used to be either. I think after playing maybe 8-10 minutes of soccer my face was crimson red and I wanted to pass out. We were playing on an indoor field so the temperature was a bit extreme in there. However, I am truly grateful for the physical body that I do have and the ability to play sports. I may not be the All Star that I once thought I was but it sure is fun to get back on the field and play. The best part about playing now is the supportive husband that has and probably will come to all of my games and who has brought Emmalyn along to enjoy watching mommy play. We have been so blessed being at BYU and know that the Lord has guided our path thus far and we are looking forward to what lies ahead. I just hope I make it through the next week of games. It has to get easier doesn't it?

Crawling Moment

Emmalyn's friend Eisley

Thank goodness for little girls. Emmalyn and her cousin Eisley are so fun to watch together. For two weeks Emmalyn and I lived with my sister Candace while Joey finished up his internship in CA. It was difficult being away from Joey but being with my sister and Eisley made it so much better. Every morning and after each nap Emmalyn and Eisley would show their excitement when seeing each other by squealing and laughing as though they hadn't seen each other for weeks. They would play together, rough each other up a little, steal toys from each other and love each other. What a blessing it was for Emmalyn and for me. I love my sister and have enjoyed this time I have had to spend with her not only during the two weeks while Joey was in CA but the whole time Joey and I have been in UT for grad school. Every day has been an adventure; dance parties (including but not limited to interpretive dancing), the splash park and shaved ice, the children gardens at Thanksgiving Point and walking around Cabela's viewing the animal exhibits and the aquarium. Thank you sis for taking care of us and keeping me entertained! We love you guys.

A whole lot of family fun

My family ROCKS! I've always said that if there wasn't anyone else on the Earth except for my family, life would be good and every day would be a party. I love spending time with my siblings and parents; I wish that we were all living closer so we could get together more often. Every other year my family gets together for a reunion, to share in a week of family fun. This year we ended up in Park City, UT with the entire gang, except for Ryan and his family and my dear husband who unfortunately had to work. The best part of the reunion was introducing the newest members to the family to each other; cousins Emmalyn, Eisley and Bella. Emmalyn loved being with her cousins, aunts and uncles and grandpa and grandma. We visited SLC and toured the conference center as well as Temple Square. We also enjoyed a day at the lake and park playing games and working on our soccer and volleyball skills. To finish off the week off we headed to Logan for a reunion with my mother's side of the family. For this part of the reunion Joey was able to fly in and be with us for a few days. Oh how much Emmalyn and I missed him. It made me appreciate Joey even more and miss the little things in our relationship; talking face to face, cuddling, holding hands and watching him with Emmalyn. I have always loved the reunions in Logan; they become more and more meaningful as my grandpa (mom's dad) and grandma (dad's mom) get older. Both of them are in their 95th year, but you wouldn't know it. They are both sharp witted, have a great sense of humor and are great role models of faithful living. I am grateful that Emmalyn has been able to spend some precious time with them and I look forward to sharing stories with her about them when she is older.

Check It Out

I've been asked by several individuals about the accessories that they see Emmalyn wearing in pictures on my blog and when we are out and about. I'm excited to say that my very talented sister makes them and has a site that you can go to, to check out all the baby accessories she makes. I've decided to add the link to my blog so you can go directly there. You will find items from flowers, bows, headbands to diaper wipe cases, burp cloths, binky bling and so many more cute things. Please check out the Eisley Rain link on the side panel of my blog. There is something for everyone and they make unique baby shower gifts!

San Francisco Treat

We finally made it to San Francisco to have the "tourist" experience. Don't worry though, we made sure not to pull out the map too many times so we didn't look like tourists. I don't know what San Francisco looks like every other day down by the piers but Saturday was a crazy, busy day. In a way it kind of put a damper on the trip because it was hard to stop and see what we wanted to see because if we didn't keep on moving we would be trampled over. I'd have to say though for the time we were there we were able to see the sites I wanted to see. Our first stop was Pier 39 where we saw and heard the Sea Lions. It was amazing how many of them were sunbathing in the same spot where all the tourists could catch a glimpse of them and snap a picture or two. Emmalyn liked the noises they made, maybe it was because she had heard her dad, that's right her dad and NOT mom, make them over and over in preparation for our trip to Pier 39. There were many street entertainers that we stopped to watch; one that played a recorder, another that juggled tennis balls and several artists that painted beautiful scenic pictures of the city. We made our way through Fisherman's Wharf on down to Ghiradelli Square, where we stopped for a sweet treat; boy did we deserve it after the long walk. I think roundtrip we walked over 4 miles. We tried to hop on to a cable car but the line just to get on was extremely long and I wasn't about to stop while I still had the energy to walk. Emmalyn was asleep by the time we got to the BART and was such a trooper the whole day. She didn't complain once even though it was a LONG day. What a rockstar baby we have!!

The Fourth of July and more...

While living in CA we have been blessed to see so many fun things and meet so many wonderful people. For the Fourth of July we were invited to BBQ and hangout with friends at a park before watching an awesome display of fireworks. Emmalyn loved being outside and getting to watch fireworks for the first time. She met a new friend, Charlotte, who "taught" her how to share her toys. We have also been lucky to get to see two baseball games, one in San Francisco and one in Oakland, both of which were free. The best part about the Oakland game was that they were playing the Colorado Rockies, and won!! I had the best of both worlds, Matt Holliday with the A's and my Colorado Rockies. What was even better was they had a firework show after the game which we stayed all of 30 seconds for because they were so loud and Emmalyn was crying, but we watched them as we walked to the train which was just as good.

The family
Tim and Crystal

Susannah and Charlotte
Whitney and Dan

Emmalyn enjoying the Rockies vs Oakland A's gameMatt Holiday in an A's jersey...so weird but nice
Firework show after the game from the parking lot

Father's Day

What a wonderful day it is to celebrate the father's in our lives. I feel so blessed to have been raised by a loving and honorable father and then to have been able to find a man that has given me everything I have ever wanted and more. Joey is an incredible husband and an amazing father. The way his face lights up when he gets to be with his daughter is priceless and makes my heart soar. One of the things that Emmalyn and I like to do every evening is walk to the BART station and meet Joey when he gets off the train. Emmalyn gets so excited when she sees da da walking toward her and can't wait for him to hold her. That is what life is all about; the little moments that make us smile and melts our hearts. Emmalyn is daddy's little girl and I love that. I love Joey even more as I watch him be a part of our daughter's life. Lastly I am grateful for a kind and loving Heavenly Father who has blessed us beyond measure. We have our health, a good job, our families who support us and the gospel of Jesus Christ that teaches us and enables us to be a family forever. I can't imagine my life without those I love and cherish the most; the love of my life and best friend and my daughter who gives me joy and unconditional love.

On Wednesday Emmalyn and I got lucky and went to AT&T park to watch the San Francisco Giants play the Los Angeles Angels. Joey's company was going for the afternoon game and had extra tickets so we were invited. This gave me and Emmalyn a chance to ride the BART into the city and see San Francisco for the first time since being here. What a beautiful city and baseball park. If you have never been to the AT&T ballpark you should go; the view of the bay just behind the outfield is incredible. Our seats were great and I have admit, I was secretly hoping that the Giants would lose and give the Rockies a chance to pull into the wild card spot. I don't know if it was my wishing or just a coincidence but the Angels beat the Giants 4-3 by getting a couple of runs in the 8th inning. Sorry Giants fans. But hey, we didn't walk out of there without paying a price, both Joey and I got sunburned. I have a pretty sexy farmer's tan on my arms and a line around my collar because I was wearing a 3/4 sleeve shirt thinking it was going to be overcast and cool. Oh well, it was a very memorable afternoon in San Francisco.

A Day at the Park

Last Saturday after playing a fun game of softball we headed to Heather Farm Park/Garden in Walnut Creek to see what it was all about. It was such a beautiful park and a busy one. I've never seen so many people at a park before except on holidays. We loved walking through the rose gardens. The fragrance was amazing and the roses were incredible. We tried to get Emmalyn to smell the roses but she ended up eating them so we kept her at a good distance to preserve the roses. We also played on the playground and did a lot of people watching. It was a great outing for all of us!!

Chillin' at the park

Fun with daddy

Rollin' Over

Emmalyn rolled over for the first time on Sunday, June 7th and I tried to upload it for all to view but it was too big...so I had her do it again. It is just as good and exciting, just a minute shorter...we are so amazed at how fast she learns and how big and "grown up" she is becoming.

Walnut Creek

We have been in Walnut Creek for only a week and I have to admit that it is a beautiful place to live. Although we really wanted to try out San Francisco for the summer, and experience the city life it just didn't work out. When praying about our decision we said that if things didn't fall into place in SF we knew we should live in Walnut Creek. So here we are. The first part of the week was hard for me with Joey being gone all day, almost twelve hours with the commute, and not knowing anyone. I am usually a pretty social and outgoing person but being in a place where I know no one and don't have my bearings it has been difficult. Thank goodness for our membership in our church and for the warm reception we got walking in on our first Sunday. The people in the Walnut Creek 2nd ward are genuinely kind and have made us feel so welcome. Last Wednesday we had an enrichment night called "Readiness Roadtrip" with the ladies to learn more about being prepared for anything. We made emergency car kits, had a demonstration on how to prepare meals from food storage and how we can be prepared spiritually. On Friday I went to Walden Park and had a picnic lunch with some of the women I met at church and also introduced Emmalyn to the slide and swing. She loved playing at the park and meeting other kids. I've noticed that she loves to watch other kids and gets really excited when she can interact with them. That is my hope; that she will have many opportunitites to interact with other children so she learns how to share, play nicely and be social. On Saturday Joey was invited to play on the ward softball team which took us into Oakland for the first time.
It was an incredibly beautiful day, perfect for playing ball and driving around Oakland. On accident we found ourselves in the parking lot of the Oakland Temple. We walked around the grounds and took some fun pictures. We had a great view of San Francisco from the temple. On Sunday Emmalyn looked as cute as ever for church, we went for a walk on a trail right by our place and Emmalyn rolled over from her stomach to her back all on her own. It was a perfect ending to a great week.