Halloween 2013

I have been slacking big time on this blog... I just have such a fun time with an almost two year old that I kind of put it on the back burner but I will try to do better.

     The day before Halloween Zoey was invited to her first Halloween party at her daycare.  I got her all dressed up in her little springtime garden fairy. Let me tell you something I found out trying to put face paint on a one year old by yourself doesn't work.  I tried really hard to just do vines by the side of her eyes with some little flowers. It was not happening every time I would go to start she would turn her head quickly. After the third time I gave up and found some of my makeup with sparkles in it so that she could have some sparkles on her face. I was thinking that I would just drop her off so that she could just have some fun with her friends. I decided I would stay so that I could see all the fun things she would be doing.  They started off by having her decorate her own pumpkin with stickers.  Zoey doesn't like stickers you would put it on the pumpkin and immediately she would pull them off and fold the two sticky pieces together.  After the pumpkin they had a little snack it was oranges, pineapple, and whip cream in a cup to look like a candy corn.  It was cute and I wish my camera didn't run out of batteries or I would have more than 1 picture. They than played don't eat pete every kid was able to take a turn.  When it was Zoeys turn she was not lost to the game smarties go in the mouth and she was grabbing every smartie and sticking it right in her mouth. They than then made another little craft a witches hat that they put stickers on I decorated it while Zoey went and played.  It was a fun little party and I needed to write about it before I forgot about it.
   On Halloween I had to run up to work to drop off a scarf for one on of my individuals costume.  On the way home we went to the dollar store and found last little things for her costume.  We got ready in the afternoon and we were all ready when Brandon got home.  We took a couple of pictures and than we went over to my parents first and visited and got a handful of candy from grandma and papa.  We than went over to Brandon's parents house and went trick or treating around their neighborhood.  Zoey got the hang of trick or treating she would say HI, THANK YOU, and BUH BYE.  Than start to run for the next house.  It was super super cute.

Almost a BIG kid now... But not to Big yet!

Almost almost almost there just a little bit more and maybe maybe a jump and than I can reach it!

Brandon turned 27! He is almost grown up! He has a family, a house, three pets, and a big kid job!  I'm so proud of him he truly is an amazing Big Kid!  He is an amazing husband and a wonderful daddy to Zoey! Brandon is very busy lately and it is nice sometimes to just see him get down on the ground and play with blocks with Zoey or any toy with her.  That is where the Big Kid comes in he will play with Zoey and get the biggest smile on his face. Happy Birthday Honey!

Zoey showed me her new trick she learned on Friday! Zoey did it not just once but three times!!! She learned how to climb out of her crib! Zoey climbed out on Thursday but I thought it was just a fluke.  Oh by the way her room wasn't baby proofed her clothes and blankets were everywhere! We put her down for bed and she fell asleep just fine in her crib.  I was expecting on Friday morning to be opening the door and she would be outside her crib! nope! in her crib waiting for me.  So I thought okay yesterday was a fluke! all until it was nap time and she showed me she knew how to climb out as soon as I put her in her crib. in fact she let me pull out my phone and record it. (posted on FB) Zoey didn't get a nap in the morning but i got some cuddles for a little while! Friday night she fell asleep in her crib and didn't climb out for daddy.  Saturday I was determined we were going to baby proof her dresser and change her crib to the toddler bed. I was in the room after Brandon had just baby proofed the dresser I went to change the crib to the toddler bed I was sad but happy at the same time my baby is no longer a baby needing the safety of a crib.  As the front piece of her crib came off I was also a little worried. I hadn't read anything on switching from crib to the toddler bed. (i didn't know what i was going to have to do teach her this is where she still sleeps)  I had to call Brandon in to do the last part because I was worried about the little piece of wood they give that turns it to the toddler bed it just makes the crib look like a bed no railing... the mattress is pretty low to the ground but still my baby can fall out of the bed.  Brandon had to reassure me that she would be okay. Zoey was locked out of her room all morning and by that time she was getting pretty upset because she could hear her toys going off (oops accidentally hitting them).  Mommy and Daddy had shut the door just to play with her toys! We finished getting her bed all made and than let her in she looked around her room for a minute than ran over to her toy and that is when she saw that she could climb up on her bed yes she stood on the mattress and looked confused she went to the sides and dropped one of her toys over than sat down and scooted off to get it. Nap time came mommy was mean again but I took out all of her toys so that she knew she needed to climb in bed and take a nap.  She cried for a minute when I closed the door and than silence I went to check on her she was taking her blankets over to her chair trying to climb on the chair in her room than ran around to every corner in her room. Zoey again didn't take another morning nap to excited to be FREE in her room.  But she did take an afternoon nap and she cried a little but not a lot.  Zoey slept through the night last night and this morning she just played in her room until i went in to get her and she ran out no cuddles that she gives me in the morning just off to find more toys to play with.  Tonight when I got home I went in to check on her and she was fast asleep cuddled under her blankets.  When did my little 5 pound baby turn into this big girl who doesn't need a rail on her bed? Zoey is starting to turn into a TODDLER! I can't believe how big she has got stop growing baby 20 months is old enough for you!

just living life

I have been lost to the blogging world for awhile now... I have picked up some new hobbies like playing with Zoey chasing her while she runs.  I also have started scrapbooking with real pictures, paper, embellishments (the swag) and all that.  I love it!  I feel so at peace when I'm listening to music and creating the pages that one day will make up a complete scrapbook for Zoey. I'm going to actually start back tracking and try to make a scrapbook for Brandon and I good thing I did keep this blog. It probably helps that I have a couple of tables that I have set up just for my scrapbooking makes it much easier.  I have a little place set up for Zoey so she can color and play in my room while I'm trying to complete some pages.  I love it!

I can't believe that summer is almost over we did a couple of things like a fourth of July bbq with my family it was simple and lots of fun.  We also went up to a bbq up in Ogden with my friends from my childhood and watched lots and lots of fireworks. We went to the splash pad a couple of times. Zoey started going to daycare and she loves it! Zoey and Brandon have been able to go over on Sundays to his parents house and enjoy family time.  I have been able to go a couple of times while the whole family is there.  We just had the Heaps annual rib fest and it was super yummy.  Zoey loved eating her first rib she kept going up to the table that the ribs were on grabbing one and running off. Zoey got one of the spicy ones and after taking a bite she dropped it on the ground and started wiping her tongue with her hand.  Zoey loved playing with her cousins she would push them around on the tricycle and than be a little dare devil and stand on it.  The kids found a dolly and started taking turns getting pushed around on it.  Zoey watched them and when they were done playing Zoey went and sat on it and daddy pushed her around she loved it!  It was so much fun to be there.


After a year and a half of living in our home we have got up our family wall it is on the stairs wall and I'm so proud of it.  It turned out the way I imagined it. I have finally hung up some pictures in our room and it feels a little bit more like home.  I really want to start painting some walls around my house.  I'm starting to save up for DIY projects. I'm excited! Were hoping with this next years tax return we will have some money to be able to remodel our kitchen.  We are also planning on finally being able to landscape our yard and make a backyard next spring.  I hope so because I would really love to start being able to make this home OUR home the way we see it can be.

Brandon graduated and got a job!!! Brandon is teaching at Providence Hall Charter school up in Herramin.  So far he has been enjoying it.  I'm so proud of him it has taken him 5 years to finally start teaching and it is so nice to see him relaxed and enjoying what he loves to do.


Lexy's 3rd birthday was last Friday.  We were on our way home from visiting her and I was still really missing my little girl.  We stopped at the gas station I went back outside to ask Brandon a question and that is when I saw the most amazing double rainbow that was so clear that you could see the lines of where the colors started you also could see the ends of both sides.  I walked back over to the car and told Brandon to look at the rainbow.  Brandon on the way home looked over at me and said you know that rainbow was special to us right?! of course I knew that but it was so nice to hear Brandon say it. We always see a rainbow on little Lexy's birthday. Rainbows are a special to us.  Lexy wore a rainbow outfit that everyone met her in.  So whenever our family sees rainbows it is usually when we are missing her the most.  We take pictures of them and either text or call that we had just seen a rainbow.  To me when I see a rainbow I know it is a promise of love and that I will never have to loose another baby.  My sister Laura about 6 months ago put a request in for her company they pick one charity a month to donate money by doing a lunch to a charity. My sister put in the request for FlutterBy IzzyJane Foundation.  FlutterBy IzzyJane Foundation is a young charity almost 3 years old.  The couple who started it their first baby was also a stillborn. They started it to help families who would loose their babies also unexpectedly and help out with funeral costs and all that. They also make bracelets that say forever on them one for the baby and one for mom. The first family they helped was a friend of ours. They helped this family out so much and I'm so grateful to them for it.  Well anyways my sister a couple of weeks ago found out that FlutterBy was nominated for the month of August. Than a week later she found out it was going to be on the 23rd Lexy's birthday.  I cried when I saw the post on facebook and I'm still tearing up.  My daughter got to have a pizza party with her aunt on her birthday.  The company raised so much money for them.  My daughter even though she isn't her still has the most amazing influence.  Laura also said she got a call from her friend on the 23rd saying that they just had their little girl and they were going to name her Lilly but when they saw her they said she looks like a little Lexy.  So another little girl born on the same day shares the same name as my precious daughter.  My daughters 3rd birthday was a day of miracles and I'm so happy about that!

anyways that is what has been going on with us.  just wanted to put out a little update for everyone

One Year Closer to Eternity

"A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE REQUIRES

  FALLING IN LOVE MANY TIMES, 

ALWAYS WITH THE SAME PERSON."

-Mignon Mclaughlin 

I still can't believe how lucky I have been.  I have been so lucky to have been married for the last 5 years to my amazing husband.  I know that everyone brags about how lucky they are to have the most amazing man as their husband.  I'm not going to brag I'm just going to say that I'm so glad I'm lucky to have found the man that is the greatest for me.

I still feel like the 18 year old girl who looked up at the desk and just was amazed at the cute boy with the blue eyes.  I still look into his eyes like I did while we were dating and I was in the backseat of the van at work just starring at them through the rear view mirror.  I still feel my heart twittering because I couldn't wait until I could see him again and it still does.  I still feel like that girl who couldn't believe that he had asked me to be his girlfriend. (when he was avoiding dating anyone because he was going to leave on a mission)  I still remember that warm sunny day while I was sleeping my big sister asking me about the boy in the picture.

I now feel like that was a lifetime ago...

I still remember the day that I had to say goodbye to him so that he could go on a mission.  It was a hard day.

I remember those two years dragging on and rushing home to get the mail everyday to see if I would get a letter from him.

I remember watching him as he came down the escalator at the airport and my heart doing a flippy flop... and than the hug at the airport.. and how he cuddled me that night while watching Cars and how  he leaned down and kissed me.  Than when he left the room.. telling our friends that he had just kissed me.

I remember how two weeks after he got home we started talking about getting married.

The day he asked me to be his wife will always be one of my favorite days ever... even if I fell off the bed and rolled my ankle before our date.

I will always remember that day when May 22, 2008 when I said yes and saw our lives become one.  I can't believe that 5 years has passed.  We have gone through many trials so far in our marriage but they have only made us stronger.  Brandon is my best friend and my eternal companion I couldn't imagine life without him.  I love him more than anyone on this earth he makes me feel complete.  

WITHIN OUR 5 YEARS OF MARRIAGE:

• we have moved 5 times from our homes to Provo to another apartment in Provo.  Provo to Pleasant Grove.  Pleasant Grove to Pleasant Grove.  Than Pleasant Grove to Eagle Mountain in our very own home.
• we have 2 daughters Lexy De'anna and Zoey Margaret.
• we have 2 cats Baylee and KeKe   

I know that it has been 5 years but it sure does feel like we have been together for an eternity.  I love you so much Brandon and Thank you so much for being my best friend and the best daddy to our daughters.

Zoey {1 Year}

Zoey your story began before daddy and I knew we were pregnant.  When I was pregnant with Lexy about a month before I had her I saw you.  I was handed you and I knew that I waited so long to have you in my arms.  When I called on February 18, 2012 and hearing that they wanted to induce me on the 20th I was overjoyed.  The night before you came I was all full of anxiety and so excited to meet this little girl that I had been waiting for.  February 20 came mommy woke up at 6am to get ready to go to hospital daddy woke up at 6:30 that is when grandma woke up also.  Grandma made us a quick breakfast a boiled egg, toast, and strawberries.  Mommy was so excited she had to make herself eat knowing that today was going to be the day when I would need a good meal.  Daddy and Mommy left grandma and papa's house at 6:50 we got to the hospital at 7am.  It was crazy walking in there and knowing the next time I came out I would have a little girl.  Well the morning came and Aunt Laura, Grandma Margaret and Martha, and Janine had all shown up waiting to meet you.  1:30pm came and that is when everything went by so fast but so slow.  At 2:09pm Daddy and I heard the greatest cry your cry.

Fast forward a year!

You are standing, crawling, walking when you want, talking, and not sleeping through the night yet!  Daddy and I both love to hear you say mama or dada when we walk into your room to get you we love seeing a big smile on your face to start the day off.  We are so blessed to have you as our daughter.  Learning to be a parent was and still is hard.  The many sleepless nights we had when you were a newborn but how the cuddles so made up for this.  Seeing you smile for the first time, watching you just say mama mama over and over in your crib, trying new foods and the face you pull, watching you one morning just start to crawl and now your a speed crawler trying to keep up with the cats or trying to get to tigger before he stops bouncing, your first steps and how very careful you were and still are when your walking, hearing eh, yeah, mama, dada, hi are now the greatest sounds.  I will never ever forget how wonderful that sound of your first cry was though and how joyful of a room you were born into laughter and tears on everybody's faces (all the nurses, the doctor, aunt Laura as she cleaned you off, Grandma Margaret jumping up and down with joy, daddy and I speechless and in tears, Grandma Martha telling us the greatest sound from the room in the hallway was the cry).  Within this year you have given us so many tears of happiness, so much laughter, and shared so much joy.  We love you and are so grateful to have you as a daughter Zoey!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY ZOEY WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

11 months

Can you believe this we have an 11 month old... I feel like I was just holding her in my arms and snuggling with her.  Now if I try to snuggle with her it has to be right when she wakes up and it lasts for thirty seconds before she wants down so she can go find her toys.  This little stinker is able to take up to 5 steps before she decides to sit down and it only happens about once or twice a day.  Crawling is still faster than walking and that is for sure.  Zoey loves loves animals we have two cats one of the cats is her best friend while the other one is still terrified of her.  She loves watching them and playing with them.  Zoey now has 6 teeth the two on the bottom and the fourth teeth on top.  So it hurts now when she bites down watch out for your fingers and toes because she likes to bite down on them.  Also she is an amazing vacuum after you vacuum she finds the little things that the vacuum didn't pick up for you.  Zoey loves to dance she steps side to side and points her toes.  Zoey also knows how to say a couple of words like mom, dad, hi, yeah, and her favorite is eh (like the Canadians) this is how we find her when has crawled away from us we say eh and she responds.  It is such a joy to have this little girl in our lives and we can't believe that in less than a month she will be a year old.

Hopefully we will be able to get her to sleep throughout the night in the next year.

An Amazing Teenager

I have been an aunt since I was 10 years old.  I love all my nieces and nephews.  I can't even count how many I have now because to me it really doesn't matter how many nieces and nephews I have my heart will always be growing to love more.

I remember when I was 11 a beautiful little girl came into this world and I was lucky enough to be her aunt.  I remember playing peek a boo with her when she was about 10 months old and how much she would giggle when you uncovered her face.  I remember babysitting her and she came out of her room when she was 4 telling me that she had got the fluids (or flu).  I remember watching her grow up and being able to be the fun aunt who got to take her to do things once I started driving.  Well this girl has turned into a beautiful teenager.  Beautiful doesn't truly describe her she is an amazing big sister to her two little sisters.  She is a wonderful cousin to my little girl.  I was at work today when I got some pictures of her and my daughter and it cheered me up.  I just want my niece Samantha bug to know that I love her so much and she is the best little sister/niece ever!!! This week I got a hug from her while we were waiting to play BUNCO she didn't know it but I really needed that hug when she had given it to me.  I'm just glad to be her aunt and to be one lucky person to have such a beautiful teenager in my life.

Love you Sam Bug even if I was the first Bug in the family I like sharing the nickname with you.

changes

The new year has come and with it we are going through a change...

 Brandon no longer works nights yay!!! That is so nice to be sleeping next to my husband more than two nights a week even if he is a cover hog some nights... don't worry i'm developing some major skills on how to get them back.  Brandon just started student teaching on Monday he wakes up at 6 in the morning and is at the school at 7 until 3:30 and than he comes home to play and take care of miss Zoey while I'm at work.  I now come home to my hubby and cute little baby sleeping.  It is kind of hard because I use to put her to bed and now I just get to check on her no more two minutes of cuddling before putting her to bed.  But I'm so happy to be able to finally hopefully getting her more on a regular sleep schedule.  But for me I get less hours of sleep just because she goes to bed while I'm still at work and I don't get home until she has been asleep for almost two hours.  Making my mornings a different routine.  I didn't get on here to rant or rave just a new schedule and I kind of miss my family in the evenings more now than when I did when I went back to work. Just because I don't get to see my happy baby until the morning and I say goodbye to her at 1 in the afternoon.  Anyways...

Were in for a big change this is Brandon's last semester at BYU he will be graduating in April.  That is going to be so nice.  Than he will start looking for jobs as a special ed teacher hopefully we will find one locally.  But once he graduates he is going to go back up to USDC and work the morning shift while he finds a job.  So that is one happy good change this year.

Zoey is going to be 1 I can't believe it she still is my little tiny girl.  I took her to the doctor yesterday and guess how much she weighs 14 pounds 12 ounces and that was with her clothes on.  She loves to eat when her throat isn't killing her.  If you are about to put something in your mouth to eat it and she wants it she yells for you to stop so that you give her a bite and she happily chews it.  Her little throat is sore and she still wants to eat everything but she doesn't swallow so she starts to look like a chipmunk with her cheeks storing food.  It is quite funny until I do the finger sweep and she bites down with all 6 teeth to stop me.  You wouldn't know she was sick because she is still so happy and energetic playing with everything and anything.  the only thing that is different is she doesn't talk quite as much and the volume of her voice is not as loud.  Zoey also loves to dance she loves to sway from right to left when your holding her hands to stand but the best part is she picks up her foot and points it and than puts it down and repeats with the other one.  I just love this little girl oh so much!

is it really 2013???

!!!HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

guess what all my new year resolutions i made last year they didn't really pan out.  i was planning on blogging or writing in my journal more.  well i didn't do both instead i cuddled, played, and loved on my little girl.  but i figure i better do a year in review so i will remember what happened this year in a couple of years right?

JANUARY- i turned 25 holy cow a quarter of a century that is crazy.  we bought our first home in the middle of the month and moved in two days after getting the keys.  we got to listen to our little girls heartbeat weekly.  it was so comforting being hooked up for an hour listening to her little heartbeat.

FEBRUARY- this is the month i had anticipated for over 8 months it was becoming time to bring our little girl into the world.  but before she came we had some bumps in our path.  my mom took me to a non-stress test one day because Brandon couldn't be there. on  that nst test her little heartbeat had dropped a couple of times so they wanted me admitted to Labor and Delivery to monitor for 24 hours and debate about her coming a week earlier than planned.  I remember the ultrasound they did on her and she only weighed 4 pounds I was praying that she could stay with me a little longer to get a little bigger.  Well they let me go home.  We went to my parents for a week because we had a doctors appointment every day either in AF or Provo.  On February 18 we were told that we would be induced on the 20th.  Zoey Margaret was born on Presidents Day 2/20/12 at 2:09pm weighing 5 pounds 3 ounces. That is definitely one of my favorite days ever!!!

MARCH- just a couple weeks later my sister Laura had a little girl Declyn she was born with a head full of hair making it a wonderful month for the chick and the duck to cuddle.

APRIL- Zoey was blessed on April 8 on a beautiful Easter Sunday her blessing was short and sweet.  this month was full of unpacking and organizing our house.  But the best part of this month was being able to stay home and cuddle my little z bug all day even if she still did wake up 3 to 4 times a night it was wonderful.

MAY-  I went back to work and it was kind of hard leaving my sweet baby.  but this month was a big month for us we had OUR 4 YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!! we went out on a date while our friend cory watched zoey for us it was nice to be able to go out on a date and come home to our beautiful daughter.  We also bought a brand new car after the dodge had died on us :(

JUNE- we had another niece born this month Savannah banana or that is what i call her.  Zoey went to 7 peaks and lounged in the water for about 20 minutes and than decided she was hungry.

JULY- I started a family water fight on the fourth of July it was super fun and enjoyed running around.

AUGUST- Our angel turned 2 on the 23 and I had a 5 day weekend that week.  we celebrated her birthday and than i went to my first scrapbooking all day party thing it was lots of fun.  I really enjoyed being able to get my creative juices flowing.

SEPTEMBER- we went to the Zoo as a family for the first time we loved being able to show zoey all the animals and i look forward doing this again with her this next year.

OCTOBER- we dressed up for Halloween as a whole family zoey was a cute elephant, i was a dark angel, a pixie or whatever else (i guess), and hubby dressed up as the phantom from phantom of the opera.  we went trick or treating with our friends Adam, Becca, and Wellington.

NOVEMBER- Brandon turned 26 becoming an old man we went to Tucano's and a BYU basketball game for his birthday.  I got Thanksgiving off for the first time and it was wonderful not worrying about having to go into work.  I went Black Friday shopping on Thursday night and got all the stuff we really wanted for Zoey.  I went out on Black Friday morning and i guess the stores i went to were just really dead it was weird.

DECEMBER- we went up to temple square, had a wonderful first Christmas with zoey and no the end of the world did not happen :(... also Brandon and I had a hard time buying presents for us this year because really our present is a beautiful happy healthy baby girl who has both of us wrapped around her little fingers.  oh yeah Brandon is quitting up at USDC this month which is very exciting because one more semester of school and than he will be gradumacated from the Y.

so this upcoming year i hope i blog more but no promises... because I'm going to be chasing and playing with a cute little girl everyday