The Rowes

up to the challenge?

2011-07-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

So one of my regular reads No Sex in the City posted a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in the month of July.. I have been thinking how I could really use a bump in spirituality and for me personally this seems to be a great answer.. I am not sure how many of you still read this blog but I want to extend the invitation to all of you. I know it won't be easy, but I know that it's worth it! So, are you in? Let me know how you are doing if you are!!

Show me the LOVE..

2011-06-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone.. I know LONG time no post.. I really have no excuse except for this little chicken head... Don't let her sweet sleeping face fool you.. she is a little spit-fire

Yes, that's an entire bag of marshmallows on the floor.. she likes to dump things out
bags of chips, bananas, juice... you name it- it has been on my floor!!

Here she is in some pajama pants I made for her.. yep you read that right.. I made these pants from scratch with a pattern and everything!! ha who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?!?

This girl loves her fruits and veggies.. we always laugh when she won't eat anything but her veggies.. don't get me wrong, she LOVES chocolate and 'teats' more than anything but I justify the treat consumption with her veggie intake :) ha ha

oh ya and one more reason as to why I don't have time to blog.. Little miss KC decided she wanted mascara on just like mommy.. luckily she didn't poke her eye out but she definitely didn't like when I had to scrub her face to get it off..

one more thing..

I am guest blogging on

or so she says

tomorrow.. so if you love me at all check out my post and leave a comment!!!

I will try and keep you better posted.. but I make no promises!!

IT'S A BOY!!!

2011-04-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

That's right.. my adorable sister Carli is going to have a little boy in June and we are all so, so excited!! To celebrate, we had a shower for her on sat. The color scheme was brown and turquoise (carli's favorite color ever!!) I thought things turned out well and wanted to share our pictures.. Here's the food table- we had yummy Hug Hes chicken salad, parmesan rolls, homemade oreos, mini cheesecakes, and turquoise slush! These ballons we got from Fun Daze in clearfield.. the balloon on the left is a rattle- it was so cute! I guess they do all kinds of fun things with balloons so check them out next time you have a party!

Here's our guest of honor (isn't that belly so adorable?!?)

Our little sister Brandee made this banner with her boyfriend's mom.. I don't think the pictures do it justice.. it really turned out so, so cute. We also made tonz of tissue paper pom poms- a couple are hanging to the sides of the banner..

I saw the idea to grow wheat grass from another person's blog.. it was so easy to do and then we just tied ribbon to the mason jars and set them on the tables.. If you are curious how to do it.. let me know, I will gladly help you out! I will for sure be using this idea in the future!!

Now it's just a waiting game- 10 more weeks til we get to meet sweet baby Rawlins!

How we get the morning started

2011-04-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of things about this video:

*yes, that is Hilary Duff playing in the background.. don't hate

* apparently KC is not only walking but running.. and DANCING!!

* if the camera is a little shaky it may or may not be because i didn't want to miss out on the dance party..

Have you missed...

2011-03-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

Seeing this little face on here?!?Me too!! so here's what KC has been up to...

She went to the "Living Planet Aquarium"
umm not so sure about the pilot seat on the boat...

Here she is showing me where the fish are at..

and here she is just cheesin it up for the camera.. I don't even take that many pictures but she sure knows what to do!

Hanging out with Mom.. KC like to pretend to take the picture...

and here she is with her favorite- Daddy before church.

We managed to pull of her first "real" piggies

(note this picture was taken after a car ride and playing)

Just playing on the kitchen countertop..

She likes to pull all of my spices off the rack and throw them around..yay!!

We thought she might like to play in the snow...

but if this look on her face is any indication of her sentiments....

she lasted all of 5 minutes (maybe)

Aunt Brandee has created a monster.. KC thinks that where there's a laundry basket,

there's a ride waiting to happen... She will even help fold laundry if she gets to ride once the basket is empty!!

Slowly but surely.. she is getting the hang of walking...

Here's cute (newly baptized) cousin Cade helping KC walk around
She absolutely adores him.. and the feeling is mutual!!

Today on my agenda is to find an Easter dress.. I can't seem to find what I am looking for.. anyone have any recommendations?!?

The last of my loves...

2011-02-28T16:09:00.001-08:00

I should have known better than commit myself to a whole month of posting.. But in order avoid complete failure here are 11 more things that I "love"

18. I love shopping for shoes.. seeing that my feet appear to be the only part of my body that has found it necessary to return to their original shape and size post-partum.

19. I love buying children's books at Costco.. I rarely make a visit there without purchasing a book for KC. If you haven't ever checked them out you need to.

20. I love Red Robin, if it has been a couple weeks I have Jesse stop and pick some up on the way home. I highly recommend the Barbeque Chicken Wrap!

21. My favorite animal is a Lion.. a big male lion, I just love the majestic look about them and when they let go of a huge earth-shaking roar, it gives me chills!!

22. My favorite place to travel is New York City... a) there's so much to see, b) you can eat all you want because you will walk a million miles or more, c) the christmas windows at Macey's are fantastic d) Broadway... need I say more?!?

23. I love Victoria's Secret swimsuits.. I usually wait until the end of the Spring or Summer and can usually find a really good deal. They hold up so well and who doesn't love all the extra "support" they offer for your girls!!

24. My favorite time of year is Spring. I love spring showers, I love when my tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths start to blossom and the smell in the air, I love watching everything turn green after being dead and brown for months.

25. I love all types of music.. I can listen to anything from classical, country, rock, pop, latin, and so much more.. it's amazing how music can alter your mood!

26. I love to travel and would love to travel all over the United States in a motor home once Jesse and I are retired!

27. I love the game show network.. I admit that sometimes when there is nothing good on tv I have been known to watch hours of Lingo, Deal or No deal, and family feud.

28. I love word games.. I look forward to doing the crossword puzzles in the newspaper each day, I love to play "word mole" on my blackberry. They say that those types of games help with dementia and alzheimers in old age so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will keep the crazy away for at least a few years.

There's a little insight into what makes my world go around...

Anyone dig the same things as me???

my tv "Loves" (11-16)

2011-02-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

I am pretty sure that this entry speaks for itself.. "I am addicted to t.v." Thank Goodness for the invention of tivo.. or I think I might spend all my time watching t.v. I love love love Glee.. it sometimes reminds me of my experience in chamber choir.. not to brag but we really could throw a song together just like they do in Glee...

If you aren't watching the amazing race you are seriously missing out, it's dramatic, informative, funny, and seriously gets you itching to travel the world.

So often I love the story lines from Private Practice much more than it's big sister Grey's.. They are more centered around family and hit way close to home!

Ahh Grey's, it's still one of my favorites even if it's CRAZY.. I don't realize it until I try to explain to someone else (my husband) and they give me the WTF face!! ha ha

What can I say??? I love gossip girl.. and apparently I am addicted to slutty, scandalous, t.v.

here's my redeeming show... I love to see the transformations that take place in both body and soul.. I would just love for Jyllian to come and kick my butt in the gym for just a week and see what results I would get!!

Now to the trivial things...

2011-02-10T20:35:00.000-08:00

i've professed my love for MAC Cosmetics before.. so I'll just name a few of the things I REALLY love about MAC..

I love that my eye shadow stays on for hours.. no creases of fading

I love that with their variety of colors I can go bold with bright purple, pink or gold

or I can go be super subtle with browns

I love that they have a foundation that is super sheer..

I love their variety of lip glosses.. pretty sure I have 6-10 in my purse at any given time.

Anyone else share my "love"???

8&9- a little late

2011-02-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

#7 I have seriously been blessed with the best friends.. some from school days and others that have come into my life from college, work, church.. etc.. I love meeting new people and I am always grateful when I can form a new friendship. One thing that I "love" about my high school friends is that we still make a concerted effort to see each other and that we always support each. We've had some devistating things amongst us like: a child with autistm, a child with cerebral palsy, the death of a child, death of parents and you can always count on all of us to drop what we are doing, rally around the person in need and create an amazing support system..
#8 It's only appropriate that when talking about friends I mention my oldest and dearest friend. I love that Shelly and I have been friends since we were in preschool.
I love that we still talk at least weekly- even if it's just to catch up on our reactions to The Bachelor, Gossip Girl, Biggest Loser, Vampire Diaries, etc..
I love that neither of us has to knowck when we walk into the other's house...
I love that we can be 100% honest with each other with no hard feelings

No doubt about it.. I have been truly blessed in the friend department!!

daddy's girl all the way!!

2011-02-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

I hope you aren't confused by my waiting a whole week to post about my dad.. he is by far one of my favorite people in the entire universe. My dad and I have a special bond, one that has been formed through him coaching all my sports teams in my youth, having long heart-felt talks when I needed him the most, and sharing some hilarious moments together that left us both crying from laughing so hard! My dad and I are very similar people and I treasure the fact that we have such a good relationship. I love that my dad still gives me hugs and kisses and lets me sit on his lap. I love that when i call to chat we have lengthy conversations about things that really matter, I love that despite my age- my dad still supports me in anything I do. I know there are some really great dads out there but my dad is the absolute BEST!!!

mamacita

2011-02-06T19:03:00.001-08:00

I couldn't even begin to start with all of the things I "love" about my mom.. I can honestly say that I couldn't and wouldn't have survived this last year without her, she has been there for me no matter what time of day or day of the week and I really appreciate it. I love that my mom is so kind and giving, she is always going above and beyond to do things for others. She is funny and always makes me laugh (sometime unintentionally). She is such a strong woman who stands up for what she believes in no matter what. I didn't always think I would want to be like my mom when I grew up but I find myself doing, saying, and reacting to things just as she would and I couldn't be happier. I feel so blessed to have a mother like I do!!

sisters.. sisters... what would I do without my sisters?!?

2011-02-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

aren't they so pretty????
I don't know what I would do without these ladies.. I "love" each of them for different reasons because they are all so different but they are my best friends and are always there for me!

Dawn- is our very thoughtful sister who takes time to make sure that we are all doing ok and that we are all included in every family gathering. She is a great mom and has definitely helped me with "new mommy" issues so many times this past year!

Carli- we are very close in age so we have always had each other to play barbies with, to talk with, and to hang out with. Carli is is such a great aunt to our sweet little KC, they just love each other.

Brandee (Boo)- we haven't always been close but in the last year Brandee and I have become buddies. She always takes such good care of my little munchkin and joins us on little shopping adventures every once in a while.. which we all enjoy!

........4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4..........

2011-02-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

BRAZIL-BRASIL
It would be impossible for me to put into words what it is I "LOVE" about Brazil so here are a few pictures-----
1. Frutas- Fruits.. for those you who have never had the luxury of fresh fruit juice with your morning meal you are missing out!! 2. Praias-Beaches.. who doesn't love a good beach? For those who don't know, Brazil has some of the best beaches. Oh ya and FYI you can rent a 5 bedroom mansion of a beach house for $700/week.. anyone want to take a vacation to Brazil with us?

3. Coxinhas e Acaraje- There is no translation for these 2 foods but trust me they are sooo delicious.. I could (and have) eaten these every day for the rest of my life!!

4. ultima e longe de menor- last and far from least are these 2 special women in my life..

Josiane- is my second mother, once when I was in Brazil I lost our house keys on a bus and when we arrived at 4 am we had no where to go so we trudged up to Jo's house. Not only did she let us in but she made us breakfast, made up 2 beds for us, and didn't mention the obscene hour that we arrived at her house.. Jo is just that kind of a person and I absolutely love her!!

Drica- is one of my best friends. Despite living so far from each other, we maintain regular contact and always keep tabs on each others lives. I know that I can talk to her about anything, anytime and she always makes me feel so much better.

numero 3

2011-02-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

I can definitely say that I "love" my religion, and here's a few reasons why:

I love the answers it provides to all my questions about why I am here, where I came from, where I am going after this life, and what I must do to get where I want to be.

I love that because of my religion I know that I will live with my family FOREVER!

I love my calling working with the 14-15 year old young women, I love sharing with them how important it is that we become strong, faithful, caring, and amazing women, wives, and mothers.

I love my Savior and I am grateful that because of His Atonement I can be forgiven for all my many shortcomings.

It's the month of L.O.V.E

2011-02-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

So due to my lack of posts lately I thought I would dedicate a whole month to the things I LOVE!!! I realize that it's already the 2nd so I have to write about 2 things I love but they should go without saying.. 1. My hubby.. I realize I have mentioned this but I seriously have the best husband in the world. He is so patient with me, is such a great daddy, works so hard to support our family, and best of all he makes me laugh!

2. Our Miss KC.. I can think of no better way to start my day than seeing her cute smiling face. KC is such a friendly baby- we can't go anywhere without her waving to everyone we see.. sometimes she gets so frustrated when the person/people don't acknowledge her and wave back. KC definitely keeps us on our toes, she goes 1 million miles/second and will quickly destroy an entire room if no one is watching.

So, there you have it my first 2 loves for the month of LOVE.. Stay tuned for many more things that I am passionate about!

Same old- Same old..

2011-02-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of posts lately but quite honestly there hasn't been much going on here... But for the sake of keeping anyone interested here are the latest and greatest in our little world.

1. we put our house up for sale, so if you know anyone looking for an older home in Ut.-let me know!
2. miss KC is still not walking.. she stands by herself, dances all the time while standing, takes a couple of steps and then.. nada. at what age did all of your children start walking?
3. My sister Carli is expecting a baby BOY this summer.. we are so excited and can't wait to meet the new little fella!
4. I may have 2 xtra tickets to katie perry this summer.. if you're interested-let me know.

So really, not much going on in our world, we are just enjoying each other and trying to stay warm in this ridiculously frigid weather! I hope all of you are doing well!!

Merry Christmas and a Winter "one"derland

2010-12-27T21:23:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

ha ha judging by this picture you'd think our Christmas was a little overwhelming... really it was pretty low key!Here is KC at grandma sue's on christmas day.. she is such a happy smiley baby- we really lucked out..
don't be fooled by this picture.. she isn't quite walking.. but I can only imagine how cute (and crazy) it will be once she is!!
Not really sure where she gets it but this little munchkin is a chocoholic... this time she found a box of chocolates our neighbors brought us, opened it by herself, and before we noticed, she had pretty much eaten an entire dark chocolate truffle.. and left little chocolate handprints all over our couch! ha ha

Here's our super model showing off her christmas pjs.. I'm not gonna lie- she's got quite the pose

and I just realized I uploaded her birthday pictures backwards..

Here's our adorable (and very, very sick) birthday girl..

She wouldn't even let a severe case of croup stop her from some birthday cake.

She just couldn't eat it all due to her inability to breathe :( Really when I took KC to the dr. the day after her party he put her on oral steroids and said that KC had one of the worst cases of croup he'd seen..

My aunt gave her this GINORMOUS lion pillow pet.. that thing is soo cozy.. as KC is demonstrating!

Just a cute pic! True to her "winter" theme.. KC had her snowflake skirt on!!

We gave her a baby for her birthday, I wish she gave her momma kisses like she does the baby.

And here's just a little of our decorations.. we had "snowballs" hanging from the ceiling.. snowflake plates and table cloths.. we served Chili and broccoli cheese soup.

KC and mommy opening presents

and most important.. instead of a big cake we all enjoyed these snowmen mini-cakes..

They were the perfect size for individual munching!!

Some things about KC:

she is 29 inches long- 50%

weighs 18 lbs 7 oz.- 10%

she LOVES (i mean like absolutely adores) her daddy

she can (but not always does) say:

momma

dadda

lilah

she points at and wants everything

loves chocolate and all "treats"

I can honestly say that KC is just a dream baby.. we joke that we may never have another child because they are sure to be the opposite of KC, which could be scary. We feel so blessed to have her in our lives. She is our sunshine and lights up every moment of our lives.

It must be love..

2010-12-13T20:48:00.001-08:00

So if you know me at all you know that I love to read.. anything and everything from magazines to scriptures, fiction/non-fiction, and if really want to know a dirty little secret... I'm a sucker for a good, steamy romance novel!! Well I may have hinted (not-so subtly) that I thought a Nook would be super handy for a birthday present. I am so lucky that I happen to have the best husband in the world because he conspired with my sisters to get me a Nook and not just any Nook the new color.. wi-fi.. newest and greatest Nook.. Man- I love him.. And as if I didn't think he was a big enough stud.. he bought me a cover in my favorite color... Purple!!

So just to state one more time for the record.. I am thrilled, over-joyed, ecstatic about my birthday gift.. it makes me forget that I am one year closer to the big 3-0.. Yikes!

One birthday down.. one more to go this week.. next week I'll post pictures of my sweet KC's

Winter "one"-derland birthday party..

A Familia 2010

2010-12-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Family Pictures 2010 and here are a few of the star of the show...

I honestly could just eat her up!! I just love her sweet little face...

I had to use a different photographer than I normally due but I am soo happy with the way these turned out.. If you are looking for some family pictures definitely check out

Veronica Reeve

Pura Vida

2010-11-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

2 years have come and gone so Jesse and I decided to celebrate big-time this year... by traveling to Costa Rica!! There is so much I could say and a million pictures I could post but I will just quickly sum it all up

While in Costa Rica we:

woke up to this view every day...

Missed this munchkin like crazy...

Had this balcony to watch the sunrise/sunset from...

Played in the ocean & sand...

were begged for food by these little rascals...

caught this guy scurrying around our room....

took a zipline through this...

Over that...

next to this...

and looked pretty awesome while doing it (remember safety first!!)...

oh ya and we also went through this...

rode horses to this waterfall where Jesse decided to jump in, I opted out of the wet shorts/chaffing...

covered ourselves in volcanic mud to release our "inner beauty"...

watched this every night...

and made out while doing so...

saw crocodiles...

iguanas...

while riding in this down the tempisique river...

we looked so fun this little fella decided to jump on our boat and join us...

So that's it.. if you are dying to hear more details or see more pictures I would gladly oblige!

We had the best time and totally took advantage of no baby and the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door ;)

The past couple of years have gone so fast but I can say they have been the best 2 years of my life!

P.S. we are planning a trip to Brazil next August.. let me know if you'd like to join us!!

Holy Halloween...

2010-11-22T20:59:00.001-08:00

Let's start things off right.. Carli and Preston pull out all the stops on halloween and never disappoint.. here they are as Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter... Here's a close-up of P's make-up.. doesn't it look incredible.. I love the family Halloween party.. everyone gets dressed up and it makes it so, so much fun!!

Syd and I.. she is the purple teletubby.. ha ha

So KC hated (which is actually more like despised) her costume so here is one of a very few shots of our little chick-a-dee

And here is mommy with her sweet chick.. I went as a clown (kinda)

Daddy had to miss the party so he could sit in the mountains and shoot a deer!!

And let's not forget my mamma and pappa.. a pirate and his wench!!

Here's Cade as a wizard and Samantha as Medusa.. She had a million snakes in her hair!

So there's our Halloween party.. i didn't get very many pictures- Let's be honest I struggle in the picture taking department but at least I got a few!

Stay Tuned to find out how Jesse and I celebrated 2 years together...You won't want to miss it!!!

oh babeh babeh

2010-10-10T21:23:00.001-07:00

Is it just me or doesn't KC just look like a big girl in this picture? Aunt Carli wanted her to ride the little things they have in the mall.. you know the ones you used to beg your parents to let you ride when you were little because you thought is was soo cool?? Well our little chica loved the ride (which doesn't surprise me because she is an adrenaline junky like her daddy) and I am sure it won't be long before she is that kid throwing herself on the floor of the mall because I won't let her ride one of these things ;)

We went to the zoo last weekend, I thought that we would miss the summer rush by going in October but I should have known with Utah weather that it would feel like a HOT summer day on October 2nd.. and there were plenty of people who were at the zoo enjoying the nice weather!

So our little KC had been held for most of the day and so Jesse tried to put her in her stroller but she was not having it- until he held her hand which magically made everything ok.. Here's KC, her daddy (holding her hand) and my daddy pushing the stroller.. to say she has these two wrapped around her finger would be an understatement!!!! Did you know that they have a baby elephant at the zoo?!? I am sure I had heard somewhere but had completely forgotten. Here is momma elephant with her baby.. I know this baby is like 1000 pounds but I still think it's so stinkin cute!!

oh and incase you can't tell this little baby monkey is nursing... it took me a minute to realize the it was eating and I thought it was so funny once I did... Maybe because the mom's nipple is like 6 inches long.. Whoa am I glad my nips didn't stretch that much from nursing!! ha ha

What?? me get in trouble?? She may look innocent but this little monkey is a mischief maker.. I literally can't turn my back for 5 seconds or she has crawled onto our fire mantle or climbed the stairs or chewed a cord or... you get the idea.. so that's my explanation for the messy floor.

And last but not least... here's what face you get when she is not happy with you complete with deep nose breathing (you know what i mean?)!! ha ha I know it's supposed to be intimidating but seriously?? I think it's so stinking cute!

What did i ever talk about in my life before having her?? I can't even begin to say how grateful I am for our princess.. she is spunky and sweet and funny and cuddley and I don't know what I would do without her!!

Hello Again...

2010-09-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone?!?? There's really no explanation for my absence, just busy and no motivation for blogging. As you can imagine our little chica has been growing like a weed and is so much fun. Here's a quick recap of some of our summer...

So little KC loves playing in the grass.. weird i know most babies hate the grass but not our little one... she doesn't even mind when she is nakey! KC went to her first parade and her is her cute Aunt Carli with her.. they seem to be enjoying it!!
And here is momma with her baby.. I know she doesn't look much like me but she is mine- I promise.

Nothing much to say about this picture except that I absolutely adore this little girl ;)

KC and Lilah have a love-hate relationship. I would say KC loves Lilah always but Lilah has good days and bad days...

Enjoying her first (and last) Oreo- who knew that an Oreo could get EVERYWHERE!!

Just another "cute" picture.. I know I am completely biased but I just want to eat her sometimes...

So our little girl is quite active.. she crawls everywhere- climbs on everything- and has tried (very unsuccessfully) to take a couple of steps.. here she is crawling through a little tunnel at a barbeque we had with some friends..

Here we are again at the bbq with our friends lori and Kapri.. Kapri and KC are 2 days apart- but pretty sure KC already makes Kapri look like a dwarf.. It's going to be so fun to watch these 2 grow up together!!

So there's a small portion of what we did this summer.. I will make sure and update more often

We went to the Dr. last week and here's the update on stats

Height 26 inches- 10%

Weight 17 lbs.- 25-50%

She has come a long way from where she started and we feel so, so blessed and grateful for how well she's doing-

This week I had to attend the funeral of my friend's 3 year old little boy.. He passed away on a day when KC had not slept well, she took the worst naps ever and was the grumpiest little girl, she cried when I put her down, and whined while I held her- to say it was a hard day would be an understatement- as soon as I got the call, however, I picked KC up and cried as I held her because the reality is I would take a million "bad" days as long as I can hold my baby and kiss her and love her... I hope we can all spend just a few extra moment to tell the ones we love how much they matter to us- because who knows how long we will have them!

a night to remember..

2010-08-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

If you are not reading "brunette bombshell" you are missing out on one of the greatest blogs!! I fell in love with Meg's heartfelt and genuine writing from the first time I read one of her infamous "letters to the many I'll marry"- the romantic that she is instantly appealed to me. Since that day, a little over a year ago, I have been a dedicated fan of all that she writes... When I heard that Meg would be spending the summer in Utah I wanted so badly to finally meet this person who I felt like I had become friends with but I was hesitant to ask to meet her but I also feared that I would pass up a great opportunity... I am glad that I got over my initial apprehension and invited Meg over for Sunday dinner with my parents.. We had such a great time and I can honestly say that as inspiring as Meg's writing is- she is even more incredible in person!!

Here is Meg and I eating grilled pineapple... sooo yummy! My mom also make a strawberry trifle- it was so so delicious... I wanted to eat all of it.

It was so nice meeting you Meg... I hope that we can do it again sometime before you return to the big apple!!

ps- I promise I am not a weirdo- just a little over-outgoing at times!

Would any of you ever have done this?!?

it's all in the face...

2010-07-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

sometimes the facial expressions of this little one just make me smile.. she was eating a nectarine for the first time... I think she liked it.. what you you think??

Our poor little chick-a-dee has been teething all week.. I feel so sorry that I can't do much for her to ease her pain... She has still been her usually happy self.. until she bites her finger, that is, and then she's not such a happy camper!

What do you do to help with teething pain? any special tricks?

6 month pictures

2010-07-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

So I just got these back tonight and I couldn't wait to post them... once again the fabulous Kami
has delivered.. I couldn't be happier with how these turned out! We started out trying to take some pictures outside but our little KC is just too curious and kept getting distracted. Kami had the idea to just continue at her studio in her house and I am so thankful that we did...

I don't have much more to say.. except- (from a completely biased point of view)

I think she's pretty stinkin cute!!!

Summer Nights

2010-07-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Isn't it crazy how quickly time flies? Our little KC just keeps getting bigger and bigger and although I love watching her learn and grow I can't believe that she is almost 7 months old!

Now that summer has arrived, we have been taking advantage of the nice weather.

We headed to my grandma's to watch the Weber State fireworks on sunday.. we really just hung out with our family because the fireworks didn't start til almost 10.. that's way past bedtime for the munchkin!! All the kids are so cute with KC.. here is a picture of everyone taking turns holding her..here she is with her cousing Nicole..

and Tyson..

and of course Trey.. who loves her the most!!

We also like taking walks in the evening (i've still got some baby weight to lose) We stopped at the park one night to see how KC would like the big swings and things...

Mommy and KC on the swing..

Can I just say.. she LOVES her daddy... he get's the biggest smiles every time he walks into the room.

Here she is at the end of the slide.. I am not sure she knew what to think.

The pictures are backwards.. but here's the top of the slide.. her legs are starting to get chunky, you can kinda see it in this picture.

She was a little small for the swing but we made it work and she really liked it.. Also, her hair is starting to come in thicker lately- I can't wait til we can really do things with it!

I never wrote her stats for 6 months so here they are:

weight: 14 lbs 12 oz.- 25%
length: 24 in. - 10%

The dr. was super impressed with how well she is growing, he said most preemies are not even on the charts at this point.. I seriously feel so blessed that she has thrived like she has. I know that it is an answer to our prayers and that she is our little miracle!!

A special day & a VayCay!!!

2010-06-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

I posted these pictures in wrong order so I guess I will just have to make do... First off, celebrating Jesse's first Father's day was so much fun... I didn't do much for him because his hobbies are ridiculously expensive so I just started a "rifle" fund for a gun that he desperately wants for a mere 750 buck-a-roos..Someday he will have it- who knows when!

For my dad I knew I wanted to just give him some money (I have already done shirts, shorts, music, etc...) but just giving money is sooo LAME.. so I looked up ideas for giving money and put my own little spin on it. First I took 50- one dollar bills and taped them together like Kleenex in a Kleenex box- literally..
On the one dollar bills I put little hearts with 50 reasons I love my dad..

Then I took a shoe box and put the dollar bills inside and cut a whole in the top so that the dollars could be pulled out one-by-one. It was so fun sitting next to my dad as he read through the reasons.. some were completely mine- some KC's- some from my childhood and some were reasons that I always have and always will love about my dad!!

Now let's switch gears completely....

Last week our family took a little jaunt down to San Jorge (st. george) for a little R&R

KC decided that she likes sweet potatoes- as evidenced by the smear of potatoes all over her face!!

How cute is our yellow polka dotted little princess??

Here is my niece Sydney with KC.. pretty sure they equally love each other

So it's obvious that my baby doesn't look like me.. here she is with her daddy who she does indeed resemble..

and just to reiterate how little she looks like me.. here's a direct comparison- I think it's funny when people say "oh she looks just like you" uh no actually she doesn't but thanks for trying to make me feel better a.k.a. lying !! HA HA

We also made a trip to Tuacahn to see Tarzan.. I just love the setting of the amphitheater in the red rocks.. and they did a really good job with the play.. Unfortunately I didn't get to see half of it due to an over-tired baby but what I did see was fabulous... and believe me- Tarzan's body did not disappoint...

Here's my little sister Brandee "boo" broke her leg one week before we left so she got around with the help of her studly boy toy and a wheel chair....

Here's our little girl on her first day in the pool... the shades struggle a little but have you ever tried to get a 6 month old to leave anything near them alone?!? ya, me either...

We had such a wonderful little trip.. I love spending time with my family and I am so glad when we get to spend such fun times together...

Here's one more of our girl... I think she is pretty cute- even if she doesn't even look like my baby!!

No, I am not Dead!!

2010-06-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

I am back from my little blogging vacay!! I kept meaning to upload pictures but there just always seems to be something else more important... Our little KC is getting so big.. she has been rolling over from her stomach to her back for a couple months now but on friday she finally rolled from her back to her stomach.. once she is on her stomach her little leggies try and scoot along.. I think we may have a little crawler on our hands sooner than later!! So I have to admit, as much as I love my little chickadee.. I am not the best picture taker- I hope that I can get better as time goes on but I make no big promises... Here are some of the pictures of the last few weeks. Cousin Trey just adores KC.. he is always trying to make her laugh and wants to hold her!!Just hanging out on her belly.. her hairline resembles that of a 90 yr. old man.. but it's coming in more and more.

With summer finally here we had to sport some sunglasses.. I have to admit she looks a lot like her aunt Carli in this picture.. anyone see the resemblance??

Not sure what she is staring at.. but I love her cute little face!

So our little munchkin has been teething (my mom says we all got our teeth early) and one night she just wanted to suck on my thumb.. until she fell asleep. Lately she just sucks on her own thumb- a habit that I am hoping to stop before it starts.

Yep- that's spit up in my eyes.. at least it wasn't in my mouth!!! Let's just say we haven't played the same game since that day :)

Here's a little video of KC getting all excited when her daddy is talking to her.. She absolutely adores Jesse and gets so excited everday when he gets home from work!

We have lots of things planned for the summer so I hope to keep updates coming more regularly!!

Check this out...

2010-05-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

So as I was going through my daily blog read I came across a blog and I must say I am sincerely enlightened, humbled, grateful, and touched. I wanted to share with all of you because I am certain that all of you (especially you mothers) will have similar feelings that I did.

Go here to find out what I am talking about...

I just wanted to share a few of my thoughts..

1. remember how we first thought that there may be something wrong with KC?? Reading the story of this woman and all that she went through brought back memories of my fears and worries when I first got the phone call from my dr.

2. emergency c-sections are NO FUN!!!! I would have been a mess without jesse there holding my hand and the barf tray!

3. It warms my heart and soul to know that there are such amazing parents in this world who are devoted to being parents. How wonderful that they have allowed this experience to be a blessing and not a negative experience! I feel that so often we only hear the negative repercussions of parent's actions- about those who are neglectful or harm their children.. what a hope-filled and inspiring story.

4. The 2 weeks that KC spent in the hospital I cried almost daily because I wanted her home with me. I can't imagine how these parents are feeling not being able to have their child home after 3 years..

There are many more things that I am thinking/feeling right now. I can honestly tell you that tonight I will hold my baby tight and hug her and thank my Heavenly Father for her, her health, her sweet spirit, and for the blessing that she is in my life!

4 months... already?? (lots of pictures)

2010-04-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not.. our little princess is 4months old today.. time is going by so fast and we are trying to just soak up every tiny moment that we have with her... so since I haven't blogged for a bit here's what we've been up to the last few weeks...

we tried our first rice cereal.. hoping it would help with longer sleep time (no such luck)

YUMMO

I can't even begin to tell you how much her daddy just adores her.. it doesn't take much for his little heart to just melt when it comes to his little girl!!

Soo Cade absolutely adores his youngest cousin and she loves him.. he can always get a smile or laugh out of her..
just chillen in the bouncer... before the outdoor expo!

ahh nothing like a daddy/daughter nap!

Hello miss KC!! her cute little eyes are still VERY blue and I am soo excited about it!

and that's all folks.. this is about how our girl handles too many pictures!!we have a trip to the dr. this week.. I am anxious to see just how big she's gotten!!

we can't get enough of this little sweetie, she is our whole world and we are so grateful that she is a part of our family!! Jesse says she is the best decision we ever made... I couldn't agree more!!

Things on my mind...

2010-03-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a little peek into my mind this week..

First of all I hope that all of you watched Life on www.dsc.discovery.com on sunday.. Did you like Planet Earth (the animal documentary)?? you will LOVE this!

Next, I can't help but feel sorry for www.people.com/people/sandra_bullock... didn't she just have a heart-melting moment with him at the Emmy's.. what is wrong with men these days?!?

Also, the CRY IT OUT method... who has tried it?? I am super-anti but Jesse thinks it's the only way... any ideas??

with Easter on it's way you know I've got my eyes on some cute dresses... I just can't seem to make up my mind..

which do you like???

#1- would look super cute with some amazing shoes and accesories....
#2- matches a pair of shoes that I already own...Bonus
#3- with a cute sweater?!?
#4- love the print.. but the length- I could make it work!
#5- umm have you heard about http://www.eshakti.com/?? cutest dresses and you can customize them if you want them to be longer or have a different sleeve length etc.. plus the prices are amazing!
#6- I don't have any blue dresses.. I think I "need" this

soooo.. there you have it, my thoughts in a nutshell.. please tell me.. what's on your mind and which dress do you like the most?!?

....Time is flying by...

2010-03-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

What can i say.. she LOVES her binki!
All bundled up for a short walk~it's still a little chilly outside.

there's nothing more precious than a sleeping baby..

she may be tiny but she is strong!

Can you believe it's been 3 months since we welcomed our little princess to the world?!? Me either! She is getting soo big (but is still pretty little)...

new things that we just adore...

KC has started smiling all the time

she also started laughing at us

she holds her head up all the time and wants to see what's going on

and is definitely finding her voice- she sits and coos and screaches (that's what it sounds like) constantly!

as wonderful as she is.. she still does NOT sleep through the night!!

suggestions on how to get her to do that would be greatly appreciated!!

It's so hard to say goodbye ( so says Boyz II Men)

2010-03-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Today was the day... that I started back at work soooo I kissed KC a million times and told her to be a good girl. I whispered in her ear how much I love her and would miss her and assured her that I would be back to get her as soon as possible.. I would be lying if I said there weren't tears shed.... there were-plenty of them!I am going to miss.....

*snuggling in bed after early morning feedings

*taking afternoon naps together while watching Ellen

*finding KC wide awake when she is supposed to be sleeping

*staring into those sweet blue eyes while I feed her every 3 hours

*being able to "hang out" with my sisters/mom during the day

and so many more... I am completely in love with this little girl and I hope she misses me as much as I miss her!!

what a blessing...

2010-03-10T13:07:00.001-08:00

For the entire duration of my pregnancy I was consumed with thoughts of what our little KC would look like.. there's no way to describe the feeling as you look at your sweet baby and see a piece of you... there's no denying that our little girl has her momma's mouth... Momma lips

baby lips

I can't wait to see what other little pieces of me will come forward as she gets older!!

We also blessed her on sunday.. please excuse the binki- it's her best friend at the moment ;)

We had a wonderful turnout with so many family and friends.. we are truly blessed with so much love and support.

I didn't get very many pictures but here are just a few of the ones that we got!

All ready to go to church!

What the heck is going on?!?

We are a happy family!

who will win?????

2010-03-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

So ladies Jesse and I have an ongoing discussion about whether the amount of time I talk to my mom every day is normal or not so I told him I would put a poll on my blog and see if I am "normal" or just a weirdo who talks to my mom way more than 4 times a day! Here's a list of other crimes I am guilty of...

*Spending a whole day with my mom and calling her once I get in the car to go home

*Talking to her for 1.5 hours only to call her back once I shower/feed KC/or go to the bathroom

*Call her first thing in the morning... as soon as I know she will be out of bed..

*Call her as soon as I get to work

*Talk to her while I am grocery shopping to make sure that I get the right ingredients

*give an hour by hour update of the baby and her feedings/diaper changes/sleeping for every day

Don't worry the calling is completely reciprocated, if I haven't called my mom by 9:30 she calls me to see what's going on!! ha ha

So please cast your vote so we can figure out if this is normal or if I really am a wacko ;) I should mention on the other hand that Jesse can easily go a week maybe two without talking to his mom and not care one little bit!

Check me out...

2010-02-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

so you can find me over at Or so she says... today. I did a DIY on this beautemous carseat cover...
so if you love me you should go to the blog and leave a comment on how awesome the cover/I am so I don't feel like a complete loser!!! ha ha

at least she is loved...

2010-02-23T21:58:00.000-08:00

Grandma Sue came to visit us today.... and she left her infamous kisses all over KC's face!!
She didn't seem to mind the affection and.. at least we know she is loved!!
We took KC to the dr. last week and he was very pleased with how she is doing...
She weighed 8 lbs 2 oz- 5th percentile
She is now 20.5 inches long- 3rd percentile
and her little pea head is only 13.68 inches- 0 percentile!!

2 months.. already?!?

2010-02-15T12:34:00.000-08:00

So it's not really 2 months until thursday but lately I am lazy when it comes to blogging so I thought I better get this posted while it is on my mind! Here are some pictures of the last few weeks! ahh her very familiar "O" face.. I try to get her to make this face all the time cuz I think it's so cute..

Ready for a Valentine's party... complete with her pink cowboy boots!

Okay so we need to work on her poses and looking at the camera.. maybe next month?

Peek-a-boo.. you can't tell her eyes are still blue!! YAY

She loves her bouncer- thank goodness!! I know her daddy appreciates it's ability to lull her to sleep when it's 3am and she refuses to fall asleep in his arms!

We have a dr's appointment this week so I will be sure to update you on her stats..

the munchkin has officially moved grown out of her preemie outfits and is into newborns- we're just grateful that she is growing!

I may be biased...

2010-02-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

but I think these are the cutest baby announcements ever!!!!

Be on the look out for these in the mail very soon...

Oh and I just have to say once again, Kami takes the best pictures... Love her!!

Who do you look like...

2010-01-27T12:22:00.001-08:00

Do people ever tell you that they remind you of someone they know?? I get told this all of the time... I think it is because of my generic, Brown hair and brown eyes but I don't know maybe there are just hundreds of people that look like me ;)... this week on facebook you are supposed to post a picture of a famous person that you get told you look like...(my mom, me, josiane- my brazilian mom I acutally think I look more like the brazilian!!)

So I posted this picture of Katherine Heigl... I am always flattered when people tell me that I look like a brunette version of "izzy".. the dude from Cafe rio even calls me izzy and insists on talking about Grey's Anatomy every time I go in there (which happens to be quite a bit)!

I just thought I would take a little break from the baby posts to ask all of you...

who do you get told you look like?? and.... do you take it as a compliment or does it make you feel bad???

Being told I look like Katherine Heigl never hurts my feelins!!

oh... how time flies!

2010-01-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

It's been one month ( and 2 days) since our lives were blessed with this little cherub...

Little Hands, Little Feet

With her our lives feel complete... So Far...

She hates taking baths but loves to shower with her daddy (must take after her momma!!)

Cries only when she is hungry or has a gassy tummy

Can only wear "preemie" sizes

Sleeps for 4 hours, eats, and sleeps again ;)

Motherhood is the greatest! I love to just sit and hold her and kiss her...

Do you ever...

2010-01-14T14:11:00.001-08:00

*Snuggle your baby in your arms long after she's asleep- just because

*Go into the baby's room countless times to make sure they are still breathing

*Wish sometimes that the baby would wake up- if only for a little bit

*Never tire of kissing chubby cheeks

* Look forward to 4am feedings

* Ponder on how someone so small can have such a HUGE hold on your heart

* Hold your finger under their nose to make sure they are breathing

*Wonder how you ever felt complete before having a baby

*Contemplate what the future has in store for her....

Just wondering if I was the only one!!

I am amazed every day at how much I love this little girl..

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-06T12:44:00.001-08:00

We rang in the new years with our little girl in the hospital... She loves to cuddle with her daddy like this.. and I think it is safe to say that he is quite in love with her!!

Here is our little chickadee all bright-eyed and waiting for some dinner... We aren't sure- we know baby's eyes can change- but I am thinkin that she is gonna have her daddy's pretty blue eyes... (which is what I was hopin for)

And here's how our New Year's day ended....

Yep she barely (actually not quite but close enough) met the weight requirement to travel home in her car seat... she is such a good girl and we are absolutely loving having her sweet presence and spirit in our home... we don't even mind the sleep deprivation (not yet at least) We are still under quarantine- which means no visitors for a while but we can't wait for everyone to meet her!!

p.s. for privacy purposes we will refer to our little one as "KC" however that is not her name... if you are uber-curious as to what we call her at home (besides princess, punkin butt, etc...) feel free to e-mail me at Jessal24@hotmail.com and I will be happy to share it with you!!

here it goes...

2009-12-29T12:28:00.001-08:00

It all started the day after my birthday.... Jesse and I had the day off of work due to mutiple doctor's appointments.. the morning appointments went great- I had been able to control my gestational diabetes with just diet and exercise.. and we got to see our little one in an ultra sound!!! Then we went to my OB appointment and it went all downhill... my blood pressure, which had been steadily rising, was through the roof and my doctor wanted me to be admitted to the hospital immediately so that I could be closely monitored... she was worried that I might be in the beginning stages of preeclampsia... So thursday night was spent in the hospital and everything thing seemed to be o.k. They started me on the steroids to help develope the baby's lungs once I got admitted which kinda made me nervous that she would be making an early arrival... things continued o.k. til Friday (the 18th) around 8:30 p.m. when we got some test results back that were much worse than earlier test results.. the nurse called my doctor who decided that we had to do an emergency C-section.. the procedure started at 10:00 p.m. and baby was born at 10:07!!! Her lungs still weren't quite developed so they had to give her a shot to help them inflate and then she was on a little bit of oxygen for about a day.... I can't describe how hard it is to see your new little bundle of joy for the first time with an i.v. in her head and oxygen in her nose, not to mention all of the monitors that are constantly making noises.... our little K.C. has thrived despite being 7 weeks early... she has been taken off of all of her monitors and just has a little feeding tube now that we sometimes use when she can't finish her bottle... Jesse and I are at the hospital every 3 hours to change her diaper and give her a bottle... We pray every day that she will be able to come home with us soon so that we can have more than a half hour of cuddle time!!!

I wanted to thank all of you who have put our names in the temple and kept us in your prayers.. the doctors and nurses have all commented on how advanced she is for her age.. most babies don't even start to eat from a bottle until they are 35 weeks gestation but she has been eating from a bottle from the second she was born... I am certain that it is due the the outpouring of love that has been shown by all of our family and friends!! I will be certain to keep you posted on how our girl is doing and let you know when we get to bring her home.. until then please keep her in your prayers- we will take all the extra help that we can get ;)

Love,

jess

Our early Christmas present.....new photos added!!!

2009-12-18T23:37:00.000-08:00

K.C. Rowe (not her real name just initials...)

December 18,2009

10:07 P.M. 4 LBS. 14 OZ.

little princess and her momma are doing great!!!

stay tuned for further details......

The greatest EVER!!!

2009-12-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Amidst the snow storm this saturday my friends and I gathered together for the traditional baby shower... I was so happy that everyone could make it even though winter was thrust upon us!! We were smart and actually got a picture of all of us that were there... Not very often are 3 friends pregnant at the same time but we are all due within 6 weeks of each other and we are all having.. GIRLS!!! So my face is super chubby.. I know that's why up until now I have only posted pictures of my stomach ;) and my stomach looks so much higher than the other 2 but I think that's because Lori is a little vertically challenged!!
and now for an update in the boobs vs. belly competition....
the belly has definitely won!! Although I won't lie.. the girls have put up a good fight- to the bitter end..

We are getting soo anxious for this little one to arrive.. we talk daily about what she may look like or who she will act like... If she is anything like me we are in t-r-o-u-b-l-e but we will love it all the same!!

soo thankful..

2009-11-20T10:38:00.000-08:00

76 days til our little one arrives and I am feeling the pressure to get things done... Gratefully I have an amazing mother who has helped me through.. she has been sewing our quilt together for the bedding, sat with me for 4 hours while I had some tests done, and..... Put together this little number to cover our carseat!!!

I have to say I am absolutely in love with it!!!

If you didn't know- purple is my favorite color so you'll most likely see an overwhelming amount of purple as opposed to pink when you see our bebe's things

and who doesn't love lime green polka dots?!?

I don't know what I would do without my mom.. she is so supportive, loving, understanding.. pretty much the best mom in the whole world!! I could never repay her for all that she has and continues to do for me...

A great one...

2009-11-13T07:57:00.000-08:00

There are lots of good men in this world but to find a "great man" is quite a feat..

A great man is the kind who sends you flowers for no reason, or writes on your bathroom mirror with chapstick a love note telling you how much you mean to him...

A great man is one who, when you are tossing and turning in the night will wake up and tickle your back or play with your hair until your are peacefully sleeping...

A great man is the guy who tells you how beautiful you are no matter what you look like..

A great man does things that make you laugh, especially when you are ornery or having a bad day.

A great man treats you like his queen- never getting angry or raising his voice to you even if you are quite possibly raising your voice to him...

A great man knows when ice cream or hot chocolate are just what you need..

I am sooo lucky to have spent this past year with a great man like this..

There are so many other things that I could say about my amazing husband and all that he does for me but I will say this...

He is perfect for me and makes me happier than anyone I have ever known..

Just when I think that I love him so much, he finds another way to make me fall even deeper in love with him.. I will forever be grateful that I didn't settle for one of those good men and waited until I found

A GREAT ONE!!!

Happy one year anniversary babe!

Things to look forward to...

2009-11-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

I received this e-mail today and loved it so I thought I would share...

42 Things that change after a baby

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. Your respect your body.... finally

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way..

6. You find the your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Horray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

16. You discover how much there is to say about one tooth.

17. You finally realized that true joy doesn't come from material wealth.

18. You now know where the sun comes from.

19. You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes you've been dying to have.

20. You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers.

21. You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night.

22. Silence? What's that?

23. You realized that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having.

24. You discover an inner strength you never thought you had.

25. You no longer rely on a clock- your baby now sets your schedule

26. You give parents with a screaming child an "i-know-the-feeling" look instead of a "Can't-they-shut-him-up?" one.

27. Your dog- who used to be your "baby"- becomes just a dog.

28. You take time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late.

29. You learn that taking shower is a luxury.

30. You realize that you can love a complete stranger.

31. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place.

32. If you didn't believe in love at first sight before, now you do!

33. You start to appreciate Sesame Street for its intellectual contribution.

34. You have to quit watching the news because you see every story from a mother's perspective and it breaks your heart.

35. You just plain love life more- everything comes together and becomes better because of one tiny person and your love for them.

36. You finally find out the real reason you have those breasts.

37. You are willing to defend your children to the dealth for even slight offenses.

38. The support you get from other people surprises you, because the people giving it are not always the ones you'd expect.

39. Nothing is just yours any longer, you share EVERYTHING!

40. No matter what you've accomplished in life, you look at your child and think, "I've done a GREAT job!"

41. You want to take better care of yourself for your child.

42. You can have the most wonderful coversation using only vowel sounds like "ahhh" and "oooo".

I have to say, I am getting more and more excited..

what are some things that have changed (for the better) in your life from having kids???

Incredible.....

2009-11-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

Jesse and I made a trip to the temple last night.. it seems things always come up the day that we plan on going but we were determined to make it there last night! I was so grateful that we did.. the room was FULL (almost to capacity) and as I sat and looked at everyone- from all different places and situations in life, dressed in white, equal and united together for one purpose- I was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude... As peace and warmth enveloped me I soaked it all in and knew that I was in the right place and loved!

Happy Halloween Y'all

2009-10-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Can i just say that I wish overalls were still "in style"?!? they are so comfortable!!
oh ya and what a difference a week makes?? I swear I wake up some mornings things have grown ;)

It's been awhile....

2009-10-22T08:38:00.001-07:00

So it all started on a beautiful day.... the family decided to do some boating while the good weather was still around ( in Utah that can change in the blink of an eye) As I climbed into the boat, I heard the plop of something hitting the water and looked to see my cute pink camera sinking to the bottom... Luckily Jesse was right there and quickly scooped it out.. but not soon enough.. the damage had been done..( picture of the dam second before it swallowed my camera)

But then... we remembered that we had not had the camera for very long and it still was under warranty.. so we shipped it off to Sony about 10 days ago and yesterday there was a lovely package on my doorstep.. complete with my fixed camera at the cost of $6 (for shipping)!! I am not usually a lucky person so I am extremely grateful that this situation worked out!!

As promised here are some pics of the belly at 25 weeks..

it has indeed been a while since I posted pictures so let's keep that in mind when marveling at the largeness of my belly...

Here's a view from the top... the girls are still bigger than the belly.. but not for too much longer!
and the side view...
I am now officially deducting pounds off of my weight gain to take into account the pounds that our little princess weighs (I couldn't really justify taking ounces off before!!) It makes me feel better! anyone else guilty of the same?????

I understand...

2009-10-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

so many of my friends have mentioned the fact that they have missed being pregnant after their little once arrives. Up until this point I have contemplated what they could have missed...

-Not fitting into any of their "cute clothes"

-Swollen body parts (face,hands,feet,calves, etc...)

-an excess of gas (which is uncontrollable might I add)

-being forced to wear flat shoes or suffering immensely in the name of fashion

-adjusting to sleeping on your side instead of your back

-Back pain from Hades

o.k. so you probably get the picture... bringing new life into this world-(as many of you know) is not a walk in the park... but if for sure is worth it.. There are few things in this world that can compare to knowing that you have a healthy and active baby moving around inside you.. Most of you don't know (cuz I never shared) that a little while ago we did some tests and the results were a little shocking.. they said there was a chance that our baby could have Down Syndrome.. Jesse and I knew that despite the results we would love our baby- no matter what!! Well we have since had more tests done and found out that the first results were incorrect and our little girl doesn't appear to have anything wrong with her. Needless to say it was an emotional 4 weeks that we endured but it was amazing the peace we felt knowing that everything was going to be o.k. I am so grateful for family (especially my amazing husband) who were so supportive, and a loving Heavenly Father and Savior who certainly knew how to succor me in my time of need.

This morning as I was contemplating whether to get out of bed or not.. I began to feel the now familiar baby movements in my stomach... for a little while I just laid there with my hand over my belly and enjoyed every second of knowing that my little girl is alive and healthy. I can honestly say for the first time I understood what all my friends talk about when they say they missed being pregnant and I felt so, so priviledged to be a where I am right now!.. My mind wandered to months or even years down the road when I may feel like I did this morning-not wanting to get out of bed- and it will be this same little girl who will more-than-likely be there again.. only probably standing next to the bed encouraging her mommy to get up and start the day... Words can't express how excited I am for this new phase of my life.. Sure it will be full of responsibility and work, laughter and tears, pain and happiness.. isn't that what makes life LIFE?!?

FYI: I dropped my camera in the dam about a month ago so excuse my lack of pictures... once I get a new camera I will make-up for lost time!!

warms my insides!!

2009-10-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

There's no doubt about it... Fall is officially here with cool mornings-moderate afternoons and freezing nights!!! This morning I just couldn't get warm so before leaving for work I busted out my Cocomotion.. put a little milk and chocolate cinnamon hot cocoa mix in and let it go.. For those of you who are not familiar with the Cocomotion and all its fabulousness (so good it deserves its own word) allow me to enlighten you..

*Cocomotion costs only $20 at your local Wal-mart

*Cocomotion is SUPER DUPER easy to use... just add milk (yes milk-not water- for X-tra creamy hot chocolate) and the hot cocoa mix of your choice (we literally have 6 cans of our "favorite" hot cocoa mixes in our cupboard)

* Cocomotion then mixes the milk and hot chocolate together while heating them to a perfect hot-but not scalding- temperature with a little added scrumptious froth on the top

ANY QUESTIONS??????

Jesse and I formed a serious addiction to hot chocolate and our Cocomotion last winter and I am giddy-like a school girl- to start right back up where we left off!!

you can run but you can't hide...

2009-09-28T13:14:00.001-07:00

I can not tell a lie..... Ashlee Simpson has one of "the BEST" nose jobs in Hollywood.. How unfortunate for her that she will ever be reminded what she used to look like cuz apparently her "old nose" found it's way on to baby Bronx's face!!!!

Any of you know of someone that has had this happen to them.. I happen to know of more than one and they aren't all movie stars!!

2009-09-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Sugar and Spice

and everything nice...

That's what little girls are made of.

Sunshine and Rainbows

and ribbons for hair bows....

That's what little girls are made of.

Tea parties, laces

and baby doll faces...

That's what little girls are made of.

There's no doubt in my mind that our little girl will be full of it... We can hardly wait!!!

?????

2009-09-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well the final countdown is finally here.. we find out on Tuesday what this little cherub will be- and we are SUPER excited!!
According to our poll (you) looks like the pink won and a girl will be in the future...
I was curious and decided to look in to what some "old wives tales" say about what our baby will be...

The chinese birth chart takes into consideration your age, and month of conception and it looks like a 27 yr. old who conceived in May can expect.. A little Girl...

Aparently if since I am carrying my weight out front.. it's a boy

and the fact that the hair on my legs doesn't grow faster now than before points to- a Girl

people have told me that I am carrying this little one "high" which is another sign- Girl

My feet are not any colder than usual (but it's freakin 90 outside how could they) which means...Girl

Jesse is still as skinny as ever which means... Girl

I guess not puking my brains out during the first 3 months means.. a boy for me

My "chest development" has been quite dramatic (no complaints from the hubby on that one) which could only mean.. Girl

When holding a needle on thread over my belly is circled which means.. Blue

It seems that my cravings for donuts, oreos, ice cream, chocolate.. yep they all indicate a Girl

My button nose has remained buttony (not a real word but oh-well)... Girl

150's is where this baby's heart is always beating which means.. Girl

My tummy resembles a basketball which means.. a little jock (boy) is in the future

I have had headaches and lots of them and apparently... a boy is the cause

and one more to top off the list...

my mom's dyed, un-gray hair.. means another girl to the clan

What have some of you done to predict gender??

Now that you know more about me and my pregnancy than you ever wanted.. you can do the math and see that the PINK far outweighs the BLUE.. I suppose it would only be fair to tell you, however, that I feel pretty certain that it's a boy... In my dreams the baby for sure has "x-tra parts" if you know what I am sayin!

Life is meant to be celebrated!

2009-08-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

Dorothy Hadley Cole

October 9 1917-August 29 2009

The last words my grandma spoke directly to me were "I love you too".. I don't think you can ask for much more than that.. This post about my grandma a few months ago pretty much sums up the way that I feel about little Dorothy...

I am still not sure of what I will do when I can't go to my grandma's and have her ask me if I have a rinse on my hair, or hear her call bullshit when she thinks someone is pulling her leg. We could never have had her funeral in a church cuz you can't tell a "Dorothy" story without some form of swearing! She was feisty and stubborn until the very end but I wouldn't have expected anything less. There are so many lessons that my grandma has taught me through word and action that I will never forget. Grandma Cole accomplished so much in her life that there is nothing to do but celebrate who she is and all that she stood for.

All I can say is that I am grateful to have known her, grateful to have spent her last night on earth with her, grateful to know that she is out of pain and discomfort, and very very grateful to know that families are forever and that I will see my grandma again!!

Some advice from little Dorothy herself:

"Scratch it if it itches even if it's in your britches!"

My oh my...

2009-08-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

how time flies... (yes I am standing in a bathroom to take this picture but the lighting was lovely!)

(me at 17 weeks)

I am sure some of you may remember my paranoia about gaining weight whilst pregnant... I loved all of the advice that was given by you experienced mothers and I am honestly trying to figure out what works best for me and my body... I would be lying if I said that I have never had a "near" break-down when trying to find something to wear to church (luckily I decided to do it on saturday night or it may have turned into a full-on breakdown), I am also guilty of browsing parenting websites to compare pictures of other women's bellies that are as far along as I am, and there are days where I look in the mirror and I think that my face looks a little on the full side and I don't feel pretty.. but all those moments and feelings are fleeting and quickly replaced by overwhelming happiness and elation at being able to experience motherhood and all that accompanies it....

The other night (around 3:30am) I was tossing and turning trying to stay asleep and just hoping, hoping, hoping that my full and somewhat painful bladder would somehow disappear if I could just get in the right position when all of a sudden upon turning on my side I felt what I thought was bugs crawling on me, as I aroused myself from my sleepy state of being- I realized that the sensation wasn't on the outside of my belly but inside and those "bugs" just happened to be my baby wide awake (I think we may have a night owl on our hands!) and moving around. As I sat there for a little while, enjoying the feeling of life inside me, it was emotional to say the least and made me realize that it's all worth it- all of it!!

Just my Luck..

2009-08-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

I am in need of some new winter boots... and I had my eyes set on these beauties.. in brown and black of course so I would have a pair for nearly every outfit but.....

Due to circumstances ( the heat, swollen and painful feet) I am afraid that I will have to catch these lovelies on sale next spring...

I am lucky that this season is all about "flats".. and I happen to like these boots too.. even if pants will drag and my legs won't look as long ...It's comforting to know that everywhere I look there are plenty of fun styles of flat shoes...

I know I am late in joining this fashion trend- so help me out... where do you find your cute flat shoes?!?

FAB FIVE

2009-08-12T09:56:00.001-07:00

So I am admitting that I watched "America's Got Talent" last night but for a very good reason.. These 5 sisters are from Morgan, UT! Carli (my sis) has danced with 3 of them since she was little... They danced last night and did AMAZING!!Tonight we find out if they have made it to the semi-finals.. if they do...
I most certainly am not encouraging to anyone to watch the above mentioned show.. (I rather despise the majority of the acts) but I thought we should support these home-town mommas who happen to be one of very few acts that are indeed talented!!!

What a Cutie!!

2009-08-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

Just thought this picture was pretty awesome!!

Isn't this an amazing view?!?

And.. I love that it is my cute hubby sitting there looking for elk!!

The Belly...

2009-08-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

Next time I will:
Not wear this color of shirt
Not take a picture right after eating
Get ready before taking the picture so a full body shot is an option (not promised but an option)

For now.. this is all you get!

One Year Older and Wiser Too....

2009-07-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

It's officially birthday time for this Hunk O' Mine...
There are a million things that could be said to explain how wonderful of a person Jesse is but here are just a few....
Hardest Worker* Mother’s favorite*Romantic*Sweet*Long Showerer*Non-Tie wearer*Yummy Smelling*Always ready with a compliment*Man enough to hang with the girls*Mr. Fix-it*Thoughtful*Future amazing dad*Limit Pusher*Thrill Seeker*Lover of outdoors* Bow-hunter*Hottie with blue eyes*Great Lover*Funny*Endearing*Supportive*My Perfect Match!

I don't know that I could have ever found someone that complimented me soo well but I am so grateful that I did. I am positive that there are plenty of people who are never so lucky to find what we have...

Happy Birthday Honey- I Love You LOTS!!

2009-07-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

There Comes a time when you have to decide...

Boy or Girl- you have got to pick a side.

If it's blue that you're feelin then a vote for "Boy" is a must...

A Boy in the future will mean cars, guns and pockets full of dust!

But if it's a Girl-and that's what your vote will be...

A Barbie-loving, Dirt bike riding daddy's girl is what you're gonna see.

Please feel free to play along in our game that's just for fun..

A healthy baby is our main concern- we'll be happy with either one!!

Summer Days

2009-07-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

So all things baby aside here are a couple things we have been up to so far this summer....

The girls and I got together for Tiff's birthday bash... we had the worst service EVER at Piccolo Bros. in ogden but once the food got there it was pretty yummy... and of course we couldn't pass up a photo op afterwards!! To say Jesse is a HUGE George Straight fan is an understatement.. when we heard he was coming to utah we just had to go to the concert (umm well one of us just had to go and the other tagged along like a supportive, loving, generous spouse should ;))
Judging by the size of the crowd, Jesse isn't the only fan in the state.. I have never seen more people at USANA... Just in case you forgot what we look like... I love pictures like this cuz our eye colors couldn't be more different... it makes me curious as to what color our bambino's will be?!? Any guesses????

FYI: I am blaming my chubby face on the closeness of the camera...

Just a little favor...

2009-07-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

So... I know that the sudden surge of hormones that some women experience during pregnancy can make them want "IT" all the time.. well I would like to take this opportunity to suggest something- please don't take offense- but I thought maybe you could keep this wonderful news a secret between you and your husband?!? I think it would be so much fun!!

And in all honesty those of us who are not so fortuitous find it hard to compete with these goddesses of love.. and don't even get me started on my cute little hubster who is anxiously anticipating when "the insatiable desire" is going to strike his wife- resulting in the minimum of 3 hot and sweaty sessions a day.. ha ha

Thank You-The End

Please, tell me I am not the only one???

2009-07-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

So last night was a rough one, I had woken up as usual at an insanely early hour to relieve my full bladder and was able to drift back to sleep quickly.. then for some unknown reason i found myself awake again just an hour later.. I sat and tried to discover why the helk i was wide awake- did I need to pee again? was I hot? was there something waking me up? umm no to all of these so I tried every possible position on the bed but I just couldn't get comfortable. Finally it dawned on me.. I was hungry! and not just normal middle of the night hungry- i was starving. So... I got my little booty out of bed as my husband is asking me where I am going at 2:30 in the morning... To the kitchen I was off. I scoured the fridge for something appetizing and then remembered the leftover egg drop soup.. which I accompanied with some yummy Triskets and of course let's not forget the half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I never finished for dinner- it couldn't go to waste!!! Ha Ha I nearly laughed out loud the entire time I just sat in my kitchen with nothing but the moon to light my way and I ate until I felt content...

So back to my question... how many of you- pregnant or not- have ever had a middle of the night snack fest??? what did you eat?? and did you regret it?? I have to say i most definitely did not regret it one bit.. the whole time I kept thinking----

this hungry at 2:30+5 more hours of sleep= starving and morning sickness when I wake up.. umm no thanks!

Keepin it real..

2009-07-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you who couldn't quite figure out how long 209 days is (I thought I would make you work for it) the due date for baby Rowe is Feb. 4 2010 which means I am nearly 11 weeks pregnant!! Now some of you.. don't hate me but I haven't really been sick.. I just barely threw up for the first time yesterday (TMI?!?) so I have NOTHING to complain about...

Like I mentioned a couple of months ago the whole gaining weight thing is hard for me (not the actual gaining of weight cuz that is suprisingly all to easy but the idea of it) so I am grateful that Jesse and I decided to do a health competition before we found out we were expecting.. It really has been so helpful to not eat sugar and drink plenty of water as well as exercising 6 days a week... hopefully once the competition ends I won't succumb to all of my "junk food" cravings!

As far as the telling of our parents I found this cutest website where you can design your own onesies and so I had one of these made for each of the grandparents (the one below is for my mom.)

Thanks so much for all of your cute and kind comments!! You all are too nice.. really, but we are super excited and for those that don't know Jesse- trust me he will make the best daddy ever.. although I may end up feeling like I always have one more child than I do!! I totally plan on keeping you all posted for the next 6 months or so....

The countdown is ON...

2009-07-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

It seems like the older you get the quicker time passes... it used to seem like an eternity from one Christmas to another but now the jolly time of year comes much to soon (yes I am a procrastinator in the gift buying department!).. well as usual things in our lives are going quickly.. summer is almost half over and yet I feel like we haven't really done anything..

Here are some of the things we have on the books in the next little while..

13 days til Lilah gets fixed ;(

about 3 weeks til Jesse's birthday (the big 24!)

28 days til Bridger Lake.. I am going to attempt fly fishing!

77 days til Aida at Tuacon with "the girls"

113 days til Halloween

125 days til San Diego with the Hollis Clan

127 days til our 1st anniversary

160 days til the big 2-8 for me...

followed shortly by Christmas (9 days later)

and last but certainly not least......

209 days til baby Rowe arrives!!

As I was saying before.. it seems like an eternity but I am sure it will be here sooner than we expect... we are so excited and feel truly blessed!

absolutely random

2009-06-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

Just finished my daily morning bowl of cereal.. as I sat slurping up any remnants of the milk I started thinking about how much I look forward to the taste of the milk after soaked the cereal...

Obviously now my cereal choices are quite boring (rice chex, raisin bran, kashi shredded wheat) but the milk still tastes scrumdiddlyumptious!!!

As a little kid my favorite cereals to eat (because they made the milk taste AMAZING) were Lucky Charms, Trix, Cocoa Puffs, Fruit Loops, and Captain Crunch.. I loved dipping my buttery toast in the milk too- something about that sweet and salty combination! Just thinking about it makes me want to go out and buy some "kids" cereals so I can re-live my childhood memory!!!

How do you guys feel... do you like to drink the milk after eating cereal and if so... what cereals flavor the milk just to your liking?!?

Some kind of wonderful...

2009-06-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Last night as I lay in bed I and tossed and turned~ from my right side to my left to my back to my stomach

All the while my sweet hubby is sleeping peacefully... even softly snoring from time to time...

As my battle with sleep raged on I became desperate after what seemed like an eternity I was losing my fight... I was almost at the point of tears...

I was on my right side-facing away from the hubby when out of the blue I felt kisses on my shoulder and then my cheek...

He sat up in bed (so he wouldn't be tempted to doze off) and softly tickled my back, belly, arms, face, and hair....

That's the last thing I remember.. softly slipping away as I allowed my husband to completely and utterly love me!!

I seriously love him... seriously!!

I wanna Rock and Roll

2009-06-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

While watching the Tony's last night I was intrigued by a new musical that just debuted on Broadway in April... It's called- Featuring Constantine from idol (for all you die-hards)

Here's what the synopsis of the show said from their website www.rockofagesmusical.com

In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small town girl met a big city rocker and in LA’s most famous rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the 80s. It’s ROCK OF AGES, an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of JOURNEY, NIGHT RANGER, STYX, REO SPEEDWAGON, PAT BENATAR, TWISTED SISTER, POISON, ASIA, WHITESNAKE and many more. Don’t miss this awesomely good time about dreaming big, playing loud and partying on!

What can I say?!?

You can take the child out of the 80's but you can't take the 80's out of the child!!

I think I need to plan a trip the NYC REAL soon!!

All in the name of health...

2009-05-29T14:23:00.001-07:00

The hubster and I have entered a health competition where we are required to exercise for at least 45 minutes a day... We have had our eye on waterfall canyon for some time and finally got around to an evening hike.... It was better than I could have expected!! The river (which runs right along the trail) was sooo full and kept things cool..

Right when I asked Jesse how much further the waterfall made an appearance...

with all the spring thaw the waterfall there was tonz of water.. for only a couple more weeks!!

We ate dinner with this view- better than any restaurant I've eaten at...

Lilah even joined us and she was quite the trooper... everyone else had labs, huskies.. much bigger dogs... but she held her own!

Us at the end.. we made it and can't wait to do it again!!

Seriously you should all get out there and do this- it's well worth it!!

We decided...

2009-05-29T11:45:00.001-07:00

when we are 60 and No Doubt is on tour (probably at the Peppermill or USANA) we will be there and we will dance to every song.. Just like we did last week!!

We had amazing seats(thanks to shell bell)

And Gwen looked amazing.. especially for having 2 children

We even got to sing happy birthday to Kingston... He is covering his ears so we must not have sounded very good ;)And the best part was this cute guy tagged along with the girls (and maybe sang along to a quite a few of the songs~but was a bit more reserved in the dancing department!!)

When I grow up...

2009-05-27T10:49:00.001-07:00

Image from google images

Sometime i daydream about all the things I would do if I had unlimited~money~time~opportunity~talent~

I would want to be a teacher- the fun type who instill in their students a love for learning...

I would want to be a professional makeup artist- a good one that movie stars would ask to do their makeup for big events like the oscars or a big movie premier....

I would want to be a doctor- who took time to listen to the patient and not just write some quick-fix prescription, that won't even fix the problem and cuz I want to know all about how the body works

I would want to be a full-time student- who took classes in French, history, German, interior decorating, culinary school... just because I want to know more!

I would want to be a professor- the kind that everyone fights to get in their class because they make even the most boring subject material exciting.....

I would want to be a personal shopper- using other people's money to put together fabulous outfits with no budget at all

I would want to own a Wedding Business- to watch people's dreams come to fruition each and every day!

I would want to be a librarian- reading all the books that I want-whenever I wanted

I would want to be a stay at home mom- so I could spend time with my children and teach them- the values that I hope they embrace as they become the our Future!!

Sountrack of life

2009-05-22T09:25:00.001-07:00

For most of us our soundtrack started as an infant as our mothers or fathers softly sang their sweetest lullabies to usher us off to dreamland..(Mocking bird, bushel and a peck) Although we may not remember these exact moments, they started us on a path of music becoming a constant factor in our lives. As we grow- these songs are everywhere- they are the songs that your dad does the funky chicken to our your mom does her "finger dance"... songs that can take you back to that time and place in the blink of an eye..

Of course there are the songs of your childhood.. back when you wore spandex and one neon pink sock on top of your neon green one... cuz you were soooo cool! Or the music your babysitter would sing along to as she laid out on your deck (Soul Asylum- Runaway Train, Gin Blossoms- hey Jealousy).

We always hear people referring to "Old School" songs which, for you, conjures thoughts of elementary school days and your first purchased Cd's (Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Madonna-before she looked like a man, TLC). You probably still know all the words to some of the songs and distinctly remember the choreography that you and your friends made up at someone's house one day (Salt & Peppa- shoop and What a man, Tiffany- I think we're alone now).

Let's be honest.. will you ever forget your first concert?? Where for the first -but not the last-time you saw a guy in a fishnet shirt dancing and singing as if he should have been up on stage (Janet Jackson's-Velvet Rope Tour). What about your first boyfriend.. the one you thought could care less until he told you about this one song that reminds him of you (Tim McGraw- It's your love).

Oh and then came high school.. where you really hit your stride!! You and your friends may or may not have decided that you would pick your own theme for the stomps and all dress up according to the theme (cowgirl, crazy hair, gangsta, etc.) You never want forget about the senior guys (your sophomore year) that you couldn't wait for a good song to play so you could get your freak on (Next- too close, Nelly-Ride wit me) with them. High school is usually the time where you become familiar with the HOTTEST and NEWEST artists.. the ones all the girls want to be like (Brittany Spears) or just wanted (N'Sync, Backstreet Boys).

As you grow and change so does your taste in music.. your likes may increase and change as your dislikes decrease and music you once labeled as "boring" you discover is actually nice to listen to (Swell Season, Jota Quest, OneRepublic, Ingrid Michaelson, Adele, James Morrison.)

What about the songs that remind you of the special people in your life?!? Like your girls and your spring break road trip where you stayed in a house with guys you didn't really know and only thought afterwards how completely unsafe and unsmart that was (Gwen Stefani-Hollaback Girl.) Or the artist who your sister got a calendar of at the age of 35--cuz she thinks he is sooo HOT (Enrique Iglesias) or the song that you danced to at your sister's wedding (Michael Buble-Save the last dance for me.)

There are plenty of other situations that I'm sure evoke a variety of feelings withing you upon hearing them... Some you'd like to forget~ but some you'll treasure for always~ like the first time your husband sang his little heart out to what would eventually become "your song" (Jason Mraz- I'm Yours.)

Feel free to share a song that's forever a part of your life- for better or worse... and what memories does it bring to the surface??!!??

Bachelorette

2009-05-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

I just had to say how excited I am to see Jillian and her suitors...
I always love to see that guys can be just as dramatic and emotional as women!!
(plus there appears to be several hotties this season)
Please tell me you watch this show????

Update: Some of my front runners...

1. Mathue-with the cowboy hat

2. Jake-the pilot

3. Kiptyn-the yummy surfer

4. Michael- the funny break dancer

5. Sasha- the sexy serbian

Some of my least favs...

1. Tanner- Mr. foot fetish guy

2. Juan- the jealous argentinian

3. Brad- the corny financial advisor

and what about those previews?!? looks like it's sure to be a exciting and intense season!!

2009-05-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

(Click here to go to the website)
I saw one of these books on a friend's blog and I just had to share them... All of these products are personalized and so super cute...

The Fairy book for girls takes each individual letter of their name and concentrates on a quality that corresponds with that letter... i.e. E is enthusiastic or T is thoughtful..
The boys book is filled with adorable animals that likewise try and teach the importance of being a good person!
I thought this floor puzzle was soo cute and fun with their own little name on the bottom- I think I need someone to have a baby so I can buy them one of these books!!

They same time flies when you're having fun!

2009-05-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

In the last 6 months

I Have....

*Gotten walked in on the honeymoon

*Learned to like my Mother-in-law

*Cooked one million times more than ever before (literally)

*Bought fewer clothes

*Understood what my mom always said about taking pride in a clean house

*Got a puppy

*Did one load of laundry (cuz the hubby does it!!)

*Hung out around a camp fire dozens of times

*Appreciated my mom's always well stocked fridge

*Worked through some misunderstandings

*DVR'd "man shows"

*Watched my husband become a fan of "girls shows"

*Fell in love more and more each day

and...

*Enjoyed every minute of it!!

honestly??

2009-05-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

People always say that “honesty is the best policy” so why is it that whenever I tell the truth it ends up biting me in the a$*?!?

For example: my mother-in-law asked me if I liked pumpkin squares, it just so happens that I DO NOT like pumpkin squares, pumpkin pie, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and so I answered honestly and told her “NO”. My mother overheard the conversation and proceeded to tell me how rude it was and that for the sake of my MIL feelings I could have just told her yes!! Really?? So that the rest of my life she would have make me pumpkin squares, thinking I like them?? Hmm doesn't make much sense..

I am sorry if I hurt your feelings when I don’t pretend like we are best friends if.. I don’t really like you,

or if you ask what I think of your outfit and I tell you it’s not really flattering.

I don’t feel bad telling you that I don’t like pie or nuts in food or spicy food at all- it’s not your food it’s anyone’s!

I don’t think it’s wrong to admit that you’ve changed your mind about plans that you’ve made and would rather stay home with your husband.

What’s wrong with agreeing to disagree instead of just going with the flow?

Why is it that we feel that telling half truths or creating a “story” are a much better alternative to telling the truth?? Shouldn’t the person being told the truth be grateful that they are respected enough that they aren’t being told a blatant lie that the person feels they are emotionally mature enough to not overreact to the truth…

Don’t get me wrong, there is a respectful way to approach the “honesty” issue. People’s feeling must be taken into consideration and if the cold, hard truth would crush them- find an easy way around it.. lead into the conversation slowly but don’t chicken out… or else you will find yourself making excuses and telling more half-truths for a very long time!

Which do you prefer… A story to soften the blow or-
the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.. ?? Got any stories??

I Love when my husband

2009-05-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

Sings in the car..

For those of you who have never (and probably never will) seen this side of Jesse.

Please ignore my high pitched voice and cackling in the background..

Beautiful

2009-05-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

People magazine came out with their annual "Most Beautiful People" list this past week and Christina Applegate was their #1... I have to say that although I do think Christina is beautiful, it's not just her exterior that put her at the top this year. Inner beauty has got to be what pushed her to the front of the pack as she courageously fought a battle with breast cancer and ultimately had a double masectomy to prevent any future altercations. It made me happy to see that although all around us we see what the definition of beauty should be.. we can still take a step back to appreciate strength, courage, optimism, and the beauty that the eye can't see...

I want to talk about some of the most beautiful people in my life...

1. My sister Dawn (far left) is the most thoughtful and kindest person you will ever meet. She places the needs of her family and friends ahead of herself all of the time. She is constantly thinking of what she can do to help someone out, lighten their load, and be that shoulder you can rely on.

2. Carli- "the Blonde" is beautiful because she is constantly trying to better herself. She has had to endure some difficult trials in her life but has risen to the top and become a strong and independant person. Her constant growth- in various aspects of her life- amaze me and make me so proud of her!

3. Brandee- "the baby" is beautiful because she is what she is.... she will tell you what she thinks about anything- your clothes, hair, what you say, etc. but it's nice to know that you can count on her to be honest. She's an incredible athlete and has a talent for cosmetology.. she gives 110% to every endeavor that she pursues.

4.My mom is beautiful because she is strong. She has set an example to her girls that women can be independant, have an opinion, work hard, and stand up for what they believe. A big reason why all of us have been successful in life is due to my mom and the things she taught us. She is very selfless and will take time out of her day to help anyone out. She is creative and pays attention to detail.. making sure that anything she does is done perfectly!

5. Shelly- (who happens to be single if you know anyone) is a loyal friend, willing to joing me in any crazy adventure. She will laugh or cry with you and not judge you if it's the hundreth time she's seen you broken hearted. She is not afraid to speak her mind but does it with love and compassion. She's not ashamed of who she is- a sports loving, concert going, non-cooking, t.v. addicted girl that can hold a conversation with just about anybody. (thanks to her mom)

Although I think all of the women in my life are gorgeous from the outside.. it truly is the inner beauty that stands out to me.

So I am curious... who do you think is beautiful??? It can be anyone... your family, friends, celebrities.. Let's celebrate the inner beauty that we hear so much about but never focus on!!

Happiness..

2009-05-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

I am feeling a little down today (i know it should be a crime cuz it's friday) so I thought I would steal an idea from this blog and think of things that make me happy in no particular order...

1. Lilah's puppy breath and kisses in the morning

2. the way Jesse "strips" his clothes off before bed ;)

3. Tulips, cala lillies, and lilac bushes

4. the smell of fresh cut grass

5. sleeping in on rainy saturday mornings

6. the take-off in airplanes

7. speaking/ hearing portuguese

8. new shoes

9. manicures and pedicures

10. "kitchen talks" with my sisters

What makes you happy?!?

Have a good weekend!!!

Mine will be spent trying to make this....

Look like this...

Wish me luck!!

expansion?!?

2009-04-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

So there's been some talk in our family- talk about expanding from a threesome (including Lilah our puppy) to a foursome. Sometimes I get really excited when I think about it, afterall it's been a dream of mine for a while, but sometimes if I think about it a lot I get kinda scared...

Scared?? yep that's right scared but not scared of normal things like most women like..
I don't worry about my girl parts stretching to 9 cm or the pangs of nausea that may plague me for the first 3 months or the increase chance or hemroids suddenly protruding from my rear end. I don't fret that I may develope gestational diabetes, acne, or warts from the increase of hormones.

What scares me the most is gaining weight.. I know common concern right?!? Here's the thing I have struggled with the weight issue for my entire life. I swear I can't even look at food sometimes without gaining a pound.. (ha ha) So after years and years of diets and exercise, I finally feel like I am at a good place with my body and I have to ask myself if I really want to throw it all away????

Don't think less of me for feeling this way. I know what choice will win out in the end- but I am asking you- family-friend-lurker- for advice..
How have you maintained a decent weight while pregnant???

What ideas do you have for losing the weight post baby???

A friend of mine has written about her fabulous post-pardem diet plan that I can tell would work for me but I want to hear more!!

I am not making a confession of any kind, but any of you that know me know that I am a planner- it comforts me to know what to expect before it happens..

thanks so much!!

I'm Wishin..

2009-04-27T16:15:00.001-07:00

I'm wishing that this crappy weather will go away so I can go from my car lookin like this...To this.. I love the feel of the wind in my hair, the radio music playing real loud, and the freedom that a convertible somehow adds to my life ;)
Let's cross our fingers that permanent warm weather is headed our way and here to stay!

~Something to Cherish~

2009-04-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

I found this website one day via lelove and it inspired me to to write this...

Meet Dorothy~Dot~Dorthea~Grandma Cole~Dorth-Vader

my spunky-don't be fooled by her innocent look- 91 yr.-old grandma

She is by far one of the most talented, funniest, strongest women I know!

Her memory may not be what it once was.. She has been known to call me "ol what's her name" before...

But she loves me, I know she does- even when she forgets my name or swears at me..

And we all love her for who she is and who she has helped us become.

She was a hairdresser for years.. i remember her friends bunny and effie coming to her house to get their hair done until they were all in their 80s

When i mentioned taking her picture she hurried to fix her hair and make herself presentable

By her 90th birthday this girl had accomplished so much-

she raised five amazing daughters who are all so talented and strong just like her,

traveled everywhere, took care of a very sick husband for years, let her grandchildren take showers in the rain on her back deck, cooked with moldy cheese too many times to count, and maintained a firm belief in God and the truth of his gospel..

Who knows how much longer this little lady will be with us??

I am blessed and always will be to have had her in my life..

Even though she has been known to ask the same question 20 times in 5 minutes,

I will be grateful that I get to answer her everytime as if it were the first.

She may not always remember my name,

but I am grateful that she tells me she loves me and that she thinks I am wonderful everytime she sees me.

She may be stubborn and difficult and ornery at times,

but I love her for the lessons she has taught me through word and example!

I hope that all of us can Cherish our loved ones as they age.. They have so much to teach us if we will just take the time to listen.

The memories of loved ones will last forever if you take time for them to be created!

sometimes i get homesick for Bahia

2009-04-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

I miss the cute baihanas who sell acaraje (a-car-a-jay) in front of their homes..

(trust me-it is delish!)

how i love eating fresh fruit every day and drinking fresh juices

I would give anything to bite my teeth into a coxinha (co-shee-nya) filled with chicken and cheese...

I could sit and watch the boats bobbing in the water and forget my worries

or walk around cidade baixa (si-dah-gee bi-sha) and watch as the sun set behind the ocean

I could talk and laugh with Drica and play with her new baby Sabrina..

Josiane could hug me and comfort me like only a mother couldWho would have thought those first days I cried cause I missed my family, friends, and Utah~

I would have found people and places that I loved just as much thousands of miles away in Brasil..

one for the books..

2009-04-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, a nice family friend was determined to find me that "special someone"

So... he gave my number to his nephew who he assured me was -just my type-

The date was made and the BYU law student picked me up

No definite plans had been made so I was excited to hear that we were going to a rodeo

The question was asked... "are you hungry" to which I replied "umm yes"

(isn't it standard to feed your date unless otherwise specified???)

So we are on our way to the rodeo and we pull into a gas station

I assume that we are filling up or buying treats for the rodeo...

As we pass by the pumps I rule out option #1

but then the question is asked so.. which do you want??

I was completely baffled.. does he want me to pick the grade of gas he puts in his car or the treats?!?

then my eyes beheld what he was referring to...

This particular gas station had both a Subway and Taco Bell inside...

and this is where we were going to "dine"

I picked Taco Bell (cause I hadn't discovered the Veggie Delight yet)

Lucky for him (and me) I was a long-time veteran to blind dating and had kept my expectations low.. very very low

I will admit it took a much concerted effort to stifle my giggles as we exited the car and ordered our meals... what a story it would make!!

ahhh the dating life- it's so much better when you can look back and laugh ;)

sidenote: I later discovered this fellow had scored high enough his LSAT that he had a full-ride scholarship to any school in the country... unfortunately all he had was book smarts!!

I wonder...

2009-04-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

I wonder how it is that I spent 26 years sleeping by myself in bed and after only 5 months the 3 days that Jesse was out of town I couldn't sleep at all without him next to me.....
Image from lelove

I wonder how it is that I always thought you had to date someone for a while to even think about marrying them but after only 4 months I met, fell in love with, and married the perfect guy for me...

I wonder how it is that everything that I was always looking for was wrapped up into one package and ended up being more than I could have ever asked for...

Image from lelove

I wonder how less than forever is ok with some people.. cuz when I think of spending even one day without Jesse it makes me sad...
I wonder how I ever thought that anyone else could be the man of my dreams when they weren't Jesse...
I wonder about and look forward to being happy for all eternity...

Ate que Fim!! (At Last)

2009-04-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting about our cruise from a little bit ago (only 4 months)..

Nothing beats sun-bathing weather in January.. I wish it looked a little like this outside these days!

Shelly is going to kill me but.. it's a total "candid" shot and at least her armpits are shaved ;)

Here we are at dinner.. Not really sure what Shelly is doing?!?

This is what we saw out our window when we arrived in Cabo San Lucas.. not too shabby

Parasailing was my absolute favorite.. I highly recommend it. You don't even feel that high up!

A safe arrival.. We saw some lady almost crash into buildings in Mazatlan.. we were glad we didn't go parasailing there

In Puerta Vallarta we went snorkeling and Paco taught us how to Latin dance..

Check out my serious dance face ;)

ooo-la-la- who knew shelly could bust a move?!?

one-two-cha-cha-cha

It was Shelly and Jodi's birthday in Puerta Vallarta. I tried to convince them to get some birthday lovin from the workers on the boat- the girls looked sooo hot in their life vests the guys could hardly resist!

(don't mind my double-jointed elbow.. it looks all funky in the above picture)

Heading to one of the shows.. Jodi loved the girls in thongs..he he

It was so much fun to have a girls trip. I think for the next one shelly and jodi should find themselves a spouse so we can double our fun!!! What do you say girls??

Veggie Tales

2009-04-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

So Summer is near- there are signs everywhere, the flowers are blooming, the grass is greening, the sun is shining and hopefully the vegetables are ripening.. I have had the biggest craving for veggies lately. Every meal all i want is a salad with tomatoes, peas, peppers, celery, cucumbers, mushrooms, avocados.. you get the point! Unfortunately the winter cost of these delectables is not so good for my wallet...

Solution for my dilemma?!?

Name: Veggie Delight

From: Subway

Calories: 230

Fat: 3 g.!!!!

Cost: $3.02 (with tax)

Ahh veggie delight (sans the onion- gross!!) ... where have you been all my life? remember when I ate at subway and got a nasty little "stomach thingy"?? it could have been avoided if I hadn't eaten the meat that sat out all day ;)

So my friends and fellow bloggers I encourage you to make this your "afternoon delight" (unless you can get the real deal!!) cuz it is soo yummy and won't put a dent in your pocket.

Tid Bits

2009-04-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

#1 item of business

So I read your comments and took your advice and bought this cute coral number from Banana Republic.. but when she arrived she wasn't this cute color but rather something resembling red/orange and a little of coral all mixed up together plus- while she seemed to be long enough for the "g" force she was indeed much to short to be considered "modest" so... sent her packing and began a new search for a new love...

My search began at Ann Taylor Loft (I highly recommend this store)

imagine my surprise when I discovered that dresses were 25% off and another 10% on top of that because it was the first tuesday of the month (what? huh?)

Well... I am elated to announce that I found, fell in love with, and brought home for the hubby's approval...

This springy number that looks cook with a cardigan...

as well as this more sophisticated piece (that fit great)
as well as another that I couldn't find a picture of but trust me- equally as loveable as the others!!
The best part?!? Hubby said I could keep all 3 (cuz I got such a great deal) and cuz he likey the leggys in all of them.. (wonder what he will be thinkin about during church meetings.. hmmm)

#2 item of business
I would like to thank Food Network for helping me go from drab to fab (i wish) in the kitchen.. Moment of honesty here- I had never really cooked before getting married.
That having been said.. I have managed to make decent meals (and not kill my husband) in the last few months.
I attribute this success to the ability to search for "ground beef"- which happens to be thawing at home right now- and instantly having hundreds of recipes- which can be cooked in under an hour- at my finger tips!! Going out to eat can get so expensive and can be so unhealthy so I am glad I can find recipes to make at home so both Jesse and I can maintain these svelte figures we gots going on right now!! ha ha

#3 item of business

ADAM LAMBERT
(who I saw in Wicked in L.A.)
Don't get me wrong- I think the kid has got "insane" amounts of talent (quoting the judges)
But I just am not sure that I could handle his scream-o songs and gyrating hips (you've seen the moves).. I decided to take a vote...

On the sidebar cast your vote on whether you are a fan or not.. It's anonymous so why not right?!? You can always leave me a comment as well.. I would love to hear from some of you who look but never reveal your secret identity!!

baby steps..

2009-04-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Just when I think that I am doin o.k... I get to hear the words of our Prophet and other leaders that help me realize I need to step it up! So for the next six months i will work on..

*Attending the temple more often

*Making my home a "temple like" haven

*Personel scripture study

*FHE

*Sharing the gospel more frequently

*Taking more time with my lessons- even if I feel like they don't pay attention!

*and.. lessen my swearing (I would say quit but I know that won't happen so this is as good as it gets for now)

I am grateful for leaders who are kind, loving, inspired, and great examples...

Wanted

2009-03-30T13:59:00.001-07:00

Wanted: a Cute, fun, flirty, bright, modest dress…

I’ve got visions of outfits dancing in my head!!

Now my only problem is picking just one !!

Help me out~which you like the best??

p.s. I totally plan on covering my "sacreds" in the dresses that don't quite make the cut!

FruhlingsPrimaveraPrintemps- any way you say it...Spring is here!!

2009-03-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

Photo from MSN.Com

There are lots of things I love about Spring, the flowers, the weather, the longer days... but my favorite thing about this time of year is the smell of it. So many smells bring back fond memories that I have from my childhood and put a smile on my face...

The smell before, during, and after it rains reminds me of my mom.. she used to come into my room during rainstorms to open my window and would always say "hmm can you smell that Jessa?" I always have my window open during rainstorms now because it takes me back to that place so quickly.

Fresh cut grass and cologne remind me of my dad.. He used to let me cut the inside (not the edges where I tended to run over sprinklers) of the lawn when I was little and I loved that I could help him.. I really enjoy mowing the lawn to this day because I think back to my dad and I mowing the lawn together!

Love Spell from Victoria's secret reminds me of my senior year of high school (cuz that's when it first came out- I know I am old) I can remember it selling out in the stores because it instantly became a favorite scent.. Everytime I use it to this day I think back to sitting in a classroom with the smell of lotion permeating the air with it's wonderful smell.

I could probably go on forever, reminicing about good times and the unique smells that I associate with those times in my life. I got to wondering why it is that smells can trigger such a vivid memory and so I found a couple answers that I thought were pretty interesting. If you are curious too check out these articles here and here.

In the meantime.. what are your favorite smells and the memories they create for you?????

Love like Crazy- it's worth it!

2009-03-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

Anyone seen the movie "He's just not that in to you"?? I have to admit- it wasn't everything I was hoping it would be but there is a valuable lesson to be learned....GIGI is desperately looking for love- to the point that she often times misreads signals and finds herself thinking that there was a connection when there's not much there... But no matter how many times she gets hurt and let down, she just keeps putting herself out there...
I will be the first to admit that I was (am) 100% Gigi.. a hopeless romantic who trust me
has had her fair share of discussions with "the girls" (this includes sisters, friends, co-workers, and the occasional stranger who was willing to listen) about dates that I have gone on or relationships, trying to analyze what the guy was thinking... I have been hurt too many times to count but deep down I always knew that if I believed enough that LOVE would happen it would...

And when it happens for real it somehow makes all of the pain, frustration, and agony worth it.
I think this quote pretty much sums it all up-

"I say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back. And how do you find him? Forget your head and listen to your heart. Run the risk. If you get hurt, you'll come back. Because, the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try. Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived."-Anthony Hopkins, Meet Joe Black

So to all those who are "trying" or experiencing that wonderful adventure of being single I say don't give up, don't think it's you (although if you are the crazy girl who calls 100 times or demonstrates any other borderline psycho behaviour it may be you), don't think that you don't deserve the man of your dreams, and don't forget to pray for guidance, help, comfort, patience, or anything else you need cuz it is all worth it in the end...

I love my husband and I have said it before and I will say it again.. if I would have known what the Lord had in store for me I would have waited a lifetime to find him!!

Work that Body!!

2009-03-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

So.. the holidays have passed (except for Easter which has the most delectable treats) and I find that all those holiday goodies are still hanging around.. oh yes they are but not in a good way, they are hanging on my arms, butt, stomach, and various other places that I am sure if you use your imagination you can think of ;)

No worries- I turned to my trusty personal trainer jillian to whip my booooty into shape...

So this book is high intensity workouts for those, like me, who just need to lose "a few" c'mon ladies it's only 30 days... and then you can bust out your dusty bikinis

Me I am only doing it cuz my momma says I gots to get in shape before I should think about having babies.... ha ha

I make Jesse do the workouts with me at the gym and mister skinny skinny himself admits that they kick his arse!!

Cross your fingers that by the end my abs look as fab as my friend jill's!!

Announcing...

2009-03-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

LILAH...My husband finally gave in to me begging for a dog ;)

She's a shitzu-maltese mix
more than half her body weight (5.5 lbs)

resembles more of a rat when wet!!

And LOVES to dig in any dirt she can find.

Tato threatens to "Dognap" her all the time.. ha ha

Lilah also enjoys-

Papa John's breadsticks

Rolling over, shaking hands, sitting, and laying down (as long as a treat is involved)

Sleeping in our bed between the headboard and our heads!

being babysat at grandma sue's everyday

and biting the heck out of my pants and hand during her "crazy time" at night

I think it's safe to say.. we are kinda in love!!