We are so blessed

I missed out on posting something around Thanksgiving expressing how thankful I am for ALL that I have, therefore I am doing it now. For two weeks we were able to visit beautiful Colorado and spend time with our families and friends. We were reminded how important families are and how fortunate we have been to have had the love and support they have given us in our transitional years. We miss being close enough to visit more often but it made this visit sweeter than ever. I am grateful for the pampering and Cap'n Crunch party, helping hands for the Princess Party, the hugs and laughter, a girls' lunch, dinner with "D", staying up late watching movies and playing games and having ALL of the family together.

I am grateful for a husband who works hard to take care of his girls; we are so proud of him and for all that he has accomplished. I am grateful for a beautiful daughter who makes me laugh and smile every day and reminds me of why I love being a mother. I am grateful for the good health we have had this year and the blessing of being pregnant and being able to bring another "princess" into this world. I know that all of these things are made possible because of the love of a Heavenly Father who watches over us and blesses us with those things that we need, and sometimes with those things we don't even know that we need.Swimming with daddy

Cuddling with uncle "D"

Best Buddies Family Picture Day My beautiful sisters
Princess/Prince Birthday Party Baby bumps

Halloween Fun

I don't know what it is about Halloween, but I love this holiday especially now that I have a child of my own; it brings out the child in me. We enjoyed a couple of activities this Halloween and made sure that we collected plenty of candy...for daddy. On Friday we went with our friends to an outdoor mall that was passing out treats to all the ghosts and goblins that visited them. I didn't want to ruin the costume we had planned to wear for the Fall Festival at the church on Satuday so we dressed the little one up in a Japanese dress we received from a friend of ours and attempted a bun with "pencils" instead of chopsticks. Because it was so cold all you can see is the jacket and good ol' Pooh bear. Oh well, it was a blast and we had a great first experience in getting candy and saying Trick-or-Treat.
On Saturday we dressed up for the Fall festival/Trunk-or-Treat at the church and enjoyed every moment even though my feet were killing me. I wore high heel boots with my costume, they looked good, but I paid the price. We were going for a family theme again this year but keeping it low budget so I was the witch, and E was my black cat and not pictured is my husband who was my broom. Well at least he held my broom for me! The festival included games situated in rooms around the church and you had to use tickets to play each game, which E loved giving to the people in charge of the games. One of the favorites was the cupcake walk because E loved running around on the colored pumpkins and dancing to the music until it stopped, and you can't go wrong when everyone ones a cupcake. We also loved watching E at the bowling game, she had great aim but not enough gusto so we had her kick the ball at the pins instead. The cutest part was her helping pick up the pins after she knocked them over which earned her a second prize, we have taught her well. The next best game was the winning of the goldfish or 3 goldfish in our case (we gave one away so we ended up with 2). The hubby wasn't too excited about it but I was so proud of her for winning them and knew she would love her first pets! They are still alive just so you all know and are being fed my "special" food until we get to the pet store to buy fish food.
On Halloween daddy carved E's pumpkin and we played games and colored Halloween pictures we got from the library. It was such a fun weekend and I already know what the family is going to be next year...all four of us!

Visits from Family

This is such old news, nevertheless, it is news. Since living out east we have been visited by many of our family members and it has been so much fun. In June we met up with my in-laws in upstate New York and visited several church history sites in Palmyra, Fayette and Pennsylvania. My favorite was the Sacred Grove and standing on the Susquehanna river.

In July we had a surprise visit from my sister and niece. The moment we picked them up the two girls were giggling and screaming with excitement. I guess they missed each other. It was fun having them around all day and night playing, watching movies, grocery shopping and the best of all was the picnic and concert in the park the night before they left. There was a country band playing that night and both the girls were up front and center dancing and singing. We sure miss them a lot!!

In August my parents came for a visit and tried to squeeze as many fun things in as we possibly could. The best part of the visit was going to Boston for the first time to see a Red Sox game as well as walk the Freedom Trail. I've missed going to baseball games with my dad during the summer so this was a treat since it was in Boston and in such a historic stadium. During the game the fans started doing the wave which our little girl loved joining in on. However, when they stopped she kept looking in the direction that it was supposed to come from and kept saying and signing "more". It was the cutest and saddest thing ever. I swear she kept looking and asking for 5 minutes so we decided to do our own little wave for her enjoyment. The Freedom Trail was incredible. The two stops that I really enjoyed were the USS Constitution and the Old North Church. We took the guided tour of the USS Constitution by an active-duty sailor in an 1812 dress uniform, it was totally worth it. We heard stories of "Old Ironsides" and how it never lost a battle. The best part was watching as my dad had the opportunity to raise and fly the American flag he had just bought over the USS Constitution, then lower it and fold it with one of the sailors. He was like a child at Christmas time. It was priceless!!

We made a couple of pitstops along the trail to enjoy some ice cream, chase pigeons and play at the splash park.

I'm still here

I am writing this post to let all of you know who do look at my blog from time to time that I am still alive and doing well. I would like to say that I am SO busy that I don't have time to post stories, pictures or recent happenings, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. I am busy teaching, playing and running after my daughter, working part-time, trying to keep up with the house and my husband as well as being involved in the youth group at my church. I guess that does make me a little busy. Hopefully in the very near future I will post about the visits from my sister/niece and my parents as well as other exciting things, so stay tuned...you won't be disappointed.

Small Town Fun

Today was a proud mommy moment for me. A week ago I was told that I should enter Emmie into the 4th annual Miss Strawberry Shortcake Pageant as part of the Strawberry Festival in South Windsor, CT. Basically the idea was to dress up your kid with a strawberry theme and the winner would be chosen for the best look and appearance to go along with the theme of the festival. I'm not a super creative person but I had an idea to make a strawberry tutu and make that the main focus of her outfit. The night I finished the tutu I was giddy and super excited about how it turned out. This morning was the pageant and it was a lot of fun. There were 21 contestants in Em's age group and she was part of the top 6. I think she should of won, of course, but even though she didn't I was so proud of how well she put on her show for the judges. I literally was in tears because she was so cute. Now that I know what the competition is like I will be better prepared for next year. Enjoy the short video below of Emmie's pageant debut.

I Am A Bad Mom (we all have those days right?)

To warn all who read this, my thoughts for this post are kind of scattered and long winded....but please keep reading if you want to feel my pain and then tell me I am not alone!
Yesterday was a long, rough day for us. Ever since we moved to CT I have been working part-time from home. It has been great for me because it pushes me to think, I get to have more conversations with adults, it also gives me something fun to do (besides housework) when Em is sleeping, plus I am learning a lot. Well for some reason yesterday was not one of those fun days. Maybe it was because I worked for 7 hrs in the morning when I am only supposed to work two; the two hours while my baby is sleeping. Or maybe it was because Em was crying A LOT which she doesn't normally do, or maybe it was because there were a lot of "stupid" issues I was dealing with that shouldn't have needed dealing with. At the end of the day (after my second shift of work) and once Em was asleep, I broke down and felt SO guilty for how the day went. I can't recall spending any quality time with my baby, I worked while tears flowed down her cheeks, and I may have been a little frustrated with her. At first I thought she was just wanting attention (she should have my attention), but then I noticed that she kept biting on her fingers and pointing to the back of her mouth and she really only acts up when she is teething, but I thought she had all of her teeth in. After speaking with my wise friend Anne I realized that she could be getting her second molars, and sure enough I felt in the back of her mouth and her gums were swollen and I could feel the teeth below the surface. Wow, drive the dagger into my heart a little further. Not only was I not playing and spending precious time with my daughter but I was also making her suffer through the pain of getting teeth in! See how the guilt kept coming as I reflected on my day. I know I am not the only one that has felt this way, I guess we have these kind of days to remind us of how much we should treasure the time we have with our children; teaching them, laughing with them and watching them discover new things. I love my daughter more than I can express and made it a goal of mine for today (one day at a time) to give her all of my attention and to make it a special day for the two of us. Even though I still have to work, I have made sure to play and laugh and soak in the JOY of having my daughter around.

Happy Birthday to Me

This year I got the best present for my birthday, a trip to Mexico with my husband and our friends. Ok, so the trip wasn't specifically for my birthday but it was included in our "celebration" trip. Two years ago before we started graduate school we made plans to go on vacation after graduation to celebrate and it just happened to be planned two days after my birthday. We left Em behind with grandpa and grandma so that we could truly relax and have some alone time. Turns out she had more fun without us be around; she made it clear that she didn't miss us when we asked her. Mexico was great. It was everything that we wanted in this trip; to do nothing but relax and hangout with our good friends. We laid on the beach, drank our fruit smoothies, swam in the pool and ocean, kayaked, played beach volleyball, played games, watched movies and I actually read an entire book in 4 days (over 500 pages). The only time we got away from the resort was to take a trip to the Tulum Mayan ruins; it was so beautiful there. I couldn't believe how many of the buildings were still intact. I felt like I was on site of a Hollywood movie like Indiana Jones; it was incredible. The only thing that I didn't enjoy was the heat and humidity. My hair was a puff ball after the tour and I felt like I had taken a bath in my own sweat. Gross, I know. This trip made me realize that it is important to take time for myself every once in awhile and how wonderful it is to get to spend some romantic alone time with my husband. We held hands, cuddled on the beach while listening to the waves hit the beach, gazed at the stars, and danced the night away with a local band. We are already planning our next vacation, is it going to be Hawaii or Europe?

A Chapter Ends, A New One Begins

Yesterday was a big day for all of us. Joey graduated with his MBA!!!! Although the ceremony was a little too long for Em I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I am so proud of my husband for all that he has accomplished and love that I was able to be by his side supporting him the whole time. I didn't think I would be as emotional as I was; I started crying while taking pictures before the ceremony even started. And the tears didn't stop then. They flowed when all of the spouses and children of graduating students were asked to stand. It was a long road for all of us with many things sacrificed but it was worth it and I love him all the more for his dedication and all that he was able to achieve.
I know what I am about to write will be hard for some of you to believe/understand but here I go. I can't believe I am actually going to say this, but I am going to miss Provo. I know it is crazy to hear that from me especially if you go back to the post I wrote two years ago when we started our grad school adventure. I will miss Provo for these few reasons; I loved the townhome and community we lived in and my neighbor, you know who you are, as well as the BYU MBA program that provided my husband an all around education and opportunity to succeed in his career, and lastly I will miss Provo because of the MBASA (Spouse Association). This association saved me during the two years my husband was MIA. Although I didn't go to every activity and become best friends with everyone, I did get involved as much as I wanted to and made several really good friends that I will remember always and hopefully keep in touch with. I feel like I am leaving my family and going far, far, away. Wait, I am leaving my MBASA family, my immediate family and moving far, far, away. However, I am looking forward to it and I am getting excited about the idea of visiting so many beautiful and historical places.

BBQ with friends to celebrate the end of two wonderful years

Before graduation at the Marriott Center

Where has the time gone?

This past month has probably been one of the craziest months we have experienced. It started with the loss of my amazing grandmother at the age of 94. I could probably write a whole post dedicated to her but I will save that for my personal journal. I will say though that I have a lot to live up to and a great example to follow. If I ever start thinking that life is too hard and that I have had to face unbearable challanges I just think of my grandmother who has endured everything from a mother who tried to drown her in a river when she was just a baby, getting married at age 15, and losing several children and a husband (my father's father who died while my father was in the womb). Although she had to go through these trials you would never know it; she was the happiest, most optimistic person I ever met. I will miss her beautiful face but will cherish the memories that I have and always keep her in my heart. Love you grandma.

We returned from the funeral on a Tuesday evening and flew to CO the following afternoon. We were welcomed by a typical March snow storm. After spending about a week in CO I met Joey at the airport, leaving our beautiful daughter with grandma and grandpa, to fly to CT to search for a place for us to live. We spent one full day looking at places and felt really good about a home in the town of Ellington. We haven't signed a lease yet, we are still waiting for our application to be approved, but we sure hope everything falls into place because we love everything about it. The best part of our trip to CT was meeting up with our good friends Dan, Anne and Beckett for dinner at a "Food Network" recommended restaurant in Manchester called Shady Glen (great idea Dan). It was a delicious meal but even better company. I sure miss my little Beckett, the moment I saw him he ran up to me and gave me a huge hug which made me feel so special. I look forward to many more dinners and get together's...next one is on us!! The next morning we flew back to CO and only stopped for a moment to see our baby and grab a bite to eat before heading to the car dealership where we finally got ourselves a four-door/second vehicle. My two-door isn't cutting it these days and well, we need a second car. It felt good to wrap up a few of the tasks on our To Do list as we close out the end of grad school and head back to the real world. It is a bittersweet time for us. I have really enjoyed the two years we have been at BYU and will miss all of our friends but I am looking forward to a new adventure and meeting new people in a place I never imagined living. Connecticut is a beautiful place and I know we will love it once we get settled in. Plus I am looking forward to all of our family and friends who have promised to come visit us. I promise we will invest in a really good air mattress!

To wrap up our crazy month/trip we were able to celebrate Easter with my family by watching the LDS General Conference and enjoying a delicious meal before once again heading to the airport. We are so grateful for our Savior and the life he lived and the gift of the Resurrection that he has given to each of us. The gospel has blessed our lives in so many ways; knowing that we will be a family forever gives me joy beyond description, knowing that there is a living prophet on the earth to guide us during these latter days gives me hope and knowing that I am daughter of divine heritage gives me comfort and confidence in who I am.

Here are a few snapshots of CO with my family Spending time with grandpa at the zooLoving the elephants but distracted by something else

Grabbing first Easter egg to dye

So excited to be holding an egg but not quite sure what to do next

She chose blue as her first color and loved holding onto the wire egg holder

Snuggies

I've decided to blog about something besides my family so I have chosen a "popular" topic to blog about; the Snuggies blanket. That is right, the oh so funny One Size Fits All, sleeved blanket for people or dogs that I am sure many of you have seen advertised on TV and in stores especially around Christmas time, but if you don't know what I am talking about just take a look at the pictures below which say it all. For Christmas this year my younger sister and husband had the idea to purchase the Snuggies blanket for both my mom and dad as a gag gift from the kids. The funniest part about it was the morning before Christmas the topic of the Snuggies blanket came up (I don't remember why) but my dad was totally making fun of it and threatened us if we ever bought one for him. That is when we knew that it was the perfect gift for him. Watching both of them open their Snuggies Christmas Day was hilarious; we made them put them on right then and there and I think a dance of some sort followed along with the wave; I think my brother-in-law videotaped it all. Although I think that the commercials are ridiculous and I can't see any normal person wearing their Snuggie out in public, I really enjoyed wearing one in the comfort of my parent's house. I think my sister and I wore the Snuggies more than my parents did during Christmas break. I'd have to say that they are fabulous to have on while napping, watching a movie or reading a book. You can have your hands free to do whatever and they are really warm and soft. I've teased my husband about buying one for him because he reads so much and gets cold and tries to wear a blanket but I think that it could threaten our marriage. Not really, but he did say he would NOT wear it. For all of you who have laughed at the commercials and think they are ridiculous, don't dog it until you try one in the comfort of your own home or somewhere where nobody else can see you. That is all I have to say about Snuggies...