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.