Fun in the sun!

Well, it's starting to heat up here and Jon has finished the front. We now use it as a play area for Rylee and Brody.She loves it out there riding her bike, on the swing, coloring and playing in her pool. She can come and go as she pleases! It's nice! Thanks Jon!

Getting big!

Here is an updated picture....after a bath and ready for bedLife sure does fly by when you have such great kids.

Utah

I forgot that Utah has such great scenery compared to dry California. THis is up Timpanogas Canyon. The Alpine loop was closed because of all the snow this year!

Drive Home

The drive took 11 hours each way. This is the ride home and the three of us were exhausted while Jon drove the whole way home. Thanks Jon! Here is a picture Jon took of the three of us sleeping while Jon was driving!! Now is that safe? Who's watching the road?

BYU Gymnastics Reunion

The last day we were in Utah we visited the Quilted Bear where there are a lot of handmade crafts to look at. Thanks for the talk Jess! I walked away with two vinyl lettering saying "Kitchen's are made to bring families together", and "Laundry Room, drop your drawers here".
Brittany then took us to SubZero - an icecream shop, which is fabulous! First you choose your base (14% cream, low fat cream 2%, custard, or soy cream), then you choose your flavorings for the cream, then you choose what to add to your creation and then they add the secret ingredient - Liquid Nitrogen!! They then mix and mix and mix it until it gets smooth like icecream. It's wonderful!! Afterwards my family and I met up with some of my old teammates and coach (Dawn) for a small reunion at All American Gymnastics (the BYU gym was overtaken by BYU cheerleading tryouts). We had a great time eating, and playing on the equipment..."muscle up" here we come!! I couldn't even do a kip!Pictured here is Kelly, Erin, (me), Jessica, and Denice!! I should have taken more pictures of all of us messing around on the equipment with our kids, but we were all having to much fun to stop and take more pictures!Love you guys - Angie, Dawn, Cristen, Janene, Jessica, Kim (me), Denice, Erin, and Kelly!

Brittany's Graduation

Brigham Young University has two graduation ceremonies. The first day is called Commencement and the second day is with your individual colleges.Commencement is where the whole school assembles in the Marriot Center, which can hold about 35,000 people and it was packed to the brim that day. There was tree speakers - the president of BYU, Elder Bednar (from the Quorum of Twelve Apostles), and a student. The talks were very good and touched on "learn to love learning" and "continue to learn throughout your life and bless others with your knowledge".Afterwards we all met up at PF Changs for a family celebration. Chinese food is always a winner in our family! Here are pictures from the second day of graduation which was at 8am bright and early!This is where the college meets and they receive there diploma's. They are grouped together based on their degree. There was two speakers that day and the ceremony lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes. Brody slept the whole time, but Rylee got a little restless. Too long if you ask me, but it was all well worth it so we could watch Brittany walk! Congrats Brittany!!!

Utah

Well, we are coming to a close for the day and I wanted to put up a quote I saw in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building today. This quote really hit home with Jon and I since the two of us have been so busy and caught up with working. We feel like we haven't had time to work on our family as much as we should or would like to.

"No measure of success can compensate for failure in the home."

We have been in Utah for the past couple of days staying with Brittany and Aaron for Brittany's graduation from BYU.We are all too proud of our youngest sister! Jon and I also had the chance to visit Nicole & Jaron and their family in Smithfield (an extremely small town just outside Logan) for some skeet shooting, pizza at Fire House with Taylor and just playing with their kids. Jacob (Nicole's oldest 6yo) had such a great time that he asked his mom if Jon could stay just a little bit longer. He was so good with those boys! Nicole has such a positive outlook on life, she should be a spokes person! Family first...none of this "rat race" stuff that the world gets caught up in. It's all too true that your greatest joys stem from your posterity. We also went up Provo Canyon and hiked to Bridal Veil Falls. As you can see the snow has yet to melt so the falls were mostly frozen with minimal water flowing. We also drove to Park City and walked the main strip and headed back through Heber.It was pretty desolate there since skiing season has already come to a close, though there was plenty of snow to ski on.


Today we visited Lehi Roller Mills where the famous movie Footloose was filmed. (Going there had nothing to do with the movie.) I enjoy going there because I toured that mill while attending BYU on how wheat is processed. (Remember Kristalyn?) They sell yummy goodies in their small shop in the front of the plant. We walked away with pumpkin chocolate chip cookie mix, raspberry muffin mix and gingerbread muffin mix!! They are packaged so nicely in handmade fabric bags, too cute!

Another great adventure we had today was Jon and Aaron being able to test drive a dune buggie!!! They both came back with a grin from ear to ear and dirt caked on their faces! "We gotta get one!!"

We ended the day with a walk around Temple Square.We also had a guided tour through the Conference Center. Here we are pictured on the top of the Conference Center in front of the Salt Lake Temple. In the JSMB we saw the movie about Joseph Smith's life. It was so very powerful. Needless to say I walked out with tears streaming down my face. Here a picture from the top floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building facing West (Salt Lake Temple).Brody was such a great sport, always smiling!Nothing short of a fabulous day.Oh ya, and I can't forget "Guitar Hero"!! Jon couldn't keep his hands off of it!!! Thank goodness we don't have one...he'd never get anything done!

Love the Bath!

If any of you remember my posts from this past summer, you know that Rylee is a little fish!! There are some great underwater pictures we took of her that are here on our blog. Check out my post on September 16th, 2007 and you will be amazed. Rylee was only 1.5 years old. We are attemping to train Brody to be a water baby just like Rylee.I think it's working because he has a great big smile on his face!!! Can you say twins?

Lovey little boys and girls...

Today Brody had a series of shots and as you know it was quite tramatic. No one likes seeing their little ones cry hysterically until they do the whole "holding their breath" thing. Brody is a very active guy and can not sit still for the life of him. When he's awake, he is wide-eyed awake, literally. He usually isn't cuddly but after those shots, he actually loved just laying on my shoulder with me humming in his ear. He seemed to actually hold back onto me. I love getting back love from my little ones...but does it only happen after a series of tranquilizing painful shots?The handsome boys!...
and the pretty girls!!!

Diva!

While I was folding the clothes today, Rylee comes up and lays on what I have just folded!! I was about to harp on her until she pulled out the sunglasses and the Dora cell phone. I almost couldn't contain myself from busting a gut so I could get a decent picture. If I laughed she would have stopped. She probably loves laying on the laundry because it was still warm...now, why isn't she helping me fold it? We're going to have to nip that one in the bud!

Grateful for our Health

This past weekend we had the privilage of visiting both our families. It was so hot that Rylee was actually able to play in some WATER!! She is the silliest! Fortunately we are close enough to support family when they need it. Jon's mom had slipped and fallen this past week and broken the neck of her femur. Sorry to say, she had to have surgery with a couple screws to hold the bone together. What a terrible thing to have happened and what a hard recovery to go through. Thank goodness for her loving husband who is able to wait on her hand and foot. At a time like this, I am very grateful for the health that my little family has. We are so blessed to have been born with bodies that are full functioning. Since both Jon and I are in the medical field, we see other's struggles with physical and mental disabilities, and the hardships they go through. Some problems they have control over and other's they do not. I'm also very grateful for the knowledge that we've learned on how to take care of our precious bodies. Now being a mother, I have learned that life goes by way too fast and it's too precious to have it cut short. I want to see my children grow up! Too all you out there reading this, exercise and eat right! It can prevent A LOT!!

It's over...for now.

I feel like a big burden has been lifted as of yesterday. Jon, for now, has his head out of the books and back in the family. It seems as if he has been gone for quite sometime, probably because we hardly saw him even when we was not at work. Since he's at work these next 48 hours and I know he will read this; I wanted to tell him how much we appreciate all of his hardwork and the sacrifices he has made for our growing family. I know it's not easy to put yourself aside for us, but we want you to know how much we love you for it. Oh, and thanks again to the Gowdy's (last minute) for a short night of babysitting while Jon and I had dinner alone!!! It has been far too long for one-on-one time for us.

Quote for the day...

My quote for the day is:

"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." (Doctrine & Covenants 64:33)

I have been pondering on this scripture for sometime now. Raising son's and daughter's of our Heavenly Father is one of the greatest blessings and greatest challenges in this life. I love my two little ones and sometimes I get so wrapped up in the tasks for the day that I don't stop and just enjoy the cuddling, kisses, smiles and laughter that I get from them. Sometimes I get wrapped up in accomplishing a task that I forget to enjoy the process. As for now, my children are the "small things" that will proceedeth greatness if I "be not weary". There are many life situations and circumstances that can make anyone weary and contribute to "bad-doing". There are others especially Jesus Christ who have endured far greater than I. It is all to often that I forget that.

I do love my little ones with all my heart and I only have them for a short, yet most influencial, period of their lives here on earth. Remember, oh remember...

Oma's Birthday!

As you know, my mom and I are another year older but sure feel a whole year younger!! Rylee, Brody and I visited the Bay for some birthday dinner at Elephant Bar, YUMMY Cashew Chicken, my staple. Thanks Renee!! Auntie Renee is great about having Rylee dress up in her jewelry and lipgloss. She sure is a girly girl!! Brody has officially found is thumb on his own...after extensive training from the family...thanks a lot ;-P (That is a poop poop face if you couldn't tell). Super Nanny has the "pacifier fairy"...does she have a "thumb fairy" too?

Play Area

We just recently put up a gate in the front of our house to allow Rylee and Brody more room for play. If you have been to our house, you know how small our backyard is. It is just perfect. Here Rylee is painting a picture for Jon using his old t-shirt as an apron. Thanks for the easel, Oma! You have to love this little "one-eyed Willy" face! When the weather cooperates we are always outside painting, playing with playdough, coloring, picnicing, on the swing, playing in the bubble machine and riding her tricycle! She loves it!