The Ray Family

Time Sure Flies!!

2012-01-18T09:20:00.010-05:00

*****Warning: A very LONG post, but LOTS of pictures!***
It has been awhile. Things have been pretty quiet and low key around here. I know some of you were a little worried about our little family over the holidays with our Daddy being deployed, but everything worked out great. We spent Thanksgiving with about 6 families from our ward. The kids ran around and played and the adults sat around and chatted. It was so nice that I didn't want to go home! Nana (Brett's mom, Peggy) came out to visit us the first part of December. It was so nice to have her come and hang out with us. She went with us to pick our our Christmas tree. I have to say, I think we picked the best one. It was the perfect height and had a very pretty shape. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it all decorated in our house. T has decided that he likes Santa Claus and M is still scared of him. So we have pictures of T with Santa and M is as far away as possible. I also don't have any pictures from Christmas because we were able to skype with Brett while the kids opened their presents. T got a couple of train sets and it was a trial to get him to open any other presents after he saw the trains! The trains are well loved and played with at least once a day, if not more. The trains even go to bed with T most nights!! M got a Leapster Explorer and loves playing with it. Our Christmas day was so low key and relaxing. We have loved spending our Christmases with our extended family, but I must say it was nice to just have our family. I love having Christmas on Sunday. It seems like the perfect way to celebrate our Savior. I did make M and T's Christmas outfits. Unfortunately, T did not cooperate and this was the best picture I could get of him!So far this month, we have not done much. It has been so cold and windy. I am thankful that we have not had hardly any snow this year. I have not been looking forward to all the snow that good ol' NJ can get! We are starting to get into the home stretch of our deployment. It will be good to have Brett home. I have told him that I don't want to know any dates of when he will be home. Too many times, those dates change more than once and I don't want to deal with that. I have some guesstimation of when he will be home. It helps being a key spouse because you are privy to information, like when deployments are leaving!! Brett should be home sometime around the first full week of February. Part of me is excited for him to get home so I can leave and not have to worry about the kids, the house, or be a parent for a little while. I figure he had 5 months of not seeing the kids, I can have a day!

M and T really have been very good. I look at them and see them getting so big. Brett is going to be in for a surprise when he gets home. T was talking, but it was very garbled and you could barely understand what he was saying. Now he is talking so much clearer. He has also gotten so much bigger. T is really a thoughtful kid. He is funny because he can be so particular about things. T has started doing puzzles. I am amazed at how much he can do by himself. He does get frustrated at times because it doesn't go the way he thinks it should. He does crack me up on many occasions. The other night I was putting him to bed for I am sure the 12th time (he is a master of stalling) and had just come downstairs when I hear him calling for me. When I got upstairs, he had his hands behind his head and his eyes closed and said to me "I rest now, mommy. I rest now, Mommy." How can you be mad at that!!

M is doing so well at school. I went to Parent Teacher Conferences a couple of weeks ago and her teachers had all good things to say about her. They told me that she is the child they want every year because she is so helpful and willing to learn. M has been so helpful at home too. She helps out with T so much. They love playing together and can't go to bed without saying good night to each other. I have been reading M "The Tale of Despereaux" She loves it and hates it when we miss a night. There are so many times she sounds just like a teenager. It makes me wonder what she is going to sound like when she really is a teenager. M just lost her first tooth!! She pulled it out all by herself. I was helping clean out our primary closet at church and I got a phone call from M telling me she had pulled out her tooth. I was so proud and relieved I didn't have to pull it out!! M is starting to read more and more. It seems like it wasn't very long ago I was pregnant with her and now she is almost 6. My how time flies!One little thing about me. My friend and I decided to study our scriptures this year and so on Jan 1, we started reading the Book of Mormon. The challenge, to read it in 40 days. I know huh!!! I have to say there are days it has definitely been a challenge to read 5-10 chapters at a time, especially when they are the Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi. But it has been really neat too. I have read the Book of Mormon before, but never without a lot of pauses. It has been nice to read and see the stories. I have found a couple of things that have really stood out to me that I had never noticed before. So I am on Day 18 and will read Alma 11-14. It has really been an awesome experience so far!

It decided to snow the other day. I was not thrilled because I had to shovel snow, but the kids had fun playing in it for a little while!

Our life as we know it!

2011-11-21T21:24:00.006-05:00

We have had an eventful month. My parents came the last weekend in October for a couple of days. It was so much fun to have them here. I made my parents go up to Palymra, NY with me and my dad, bless him, had to drive us home in a snow storm. We do not have the mountains they have in the west, but the snow was just the same in the Poconos of PA. My kids had a fun time dressing up for Halloween and going door to door for candy. T started saying "trick or treat" and "Happy Halloween" in his little garbled speech. I have to say it was pretty darn cute! M was Tinkerbell and T was Peter Pan. I had fun making their costumes. I copied Make it and Love it's blog tutorial. We have had fun keeping busy. We went to the Crayola Factory in Easton, PA a couple of weeks ago and to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia today. Anyways, I know what everyone wants is pictures, so here you go!

Musings of the last month

2011-09-26T20:45:00.005-04:00

So, a lot has happened to our little family recently. Brett left and will be gone for a little while, M started kindergarten and loves it, and T had a very minor surgery for which he was awesome for and is doing great. So M started kindergarten and loves going to school all day (well, I love her going to school all day!). However, she did today tell me that there was too much work, and it was too long and it made her tired. She is starting to read and I am so excited for her to read. I hope I have planted a little nugget so she will love books as much as her mother!! T did have a minor surgery to fix a hernia. He was a champ and never cried at all. The nurses were impressed and thought he was super cute, which he is! Brett is doing well. He has a routine so that makes things easier. He has almost been gone a month and I must say time really can fly. So, that is about all of our happenings of late. I have been trying to not go insane with my crazy kids. I must say I am so glad that we live on base and have an amazing ward. I have the best of both worlds when I have members of the Church who are also military. They know what I am going through all the time and are so willing to step in and help me whenever I need it. I definitely have a family here. And now for the part that (at least my mom) you have been waiting for: the pictures!!

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-29T17:43:00.002-04:00

As some of you know, Hurricane Irene hit us Sunday morning about 1 am. I am not sure if it was still a hurricane when it hit us or a Nor'easter. Anyways, our power went out at 2:30 Sunday morning. We finally got our power back today at 2:30 pm. We were without power for 36 hours. I have to say, when Brett and I found out we had power, we were jumping for joy! M went around the house and turned on all the lights and keeps saying she is so glad we have power. From all the worry and stress of preparing for a hurricane to hit, I realized how much I was and wasn't prepared. I also realized how much of our food requires heat to be able to eat it. I do have 72 hours worth of food for each of us, but we didn't have enough water stored or a regular 72 hour kit. Luckily, we had running water the whole time and we had enough non perishable food we didn't have to get into our food storage stuff. We are also lucky it ended up being a much smaller storm than originally thought. I know after this experience, I am going to start building a 72 hour kit and become more prepared. I never thought I had a need before because I haven't lived where there are earthquakes, tornadoes, or hurricanes. Well, this last week proved me wrong. We felt an earthquake from Virginia, and also survived a hurricane. You never know what can befall you, no matter where you live.

Summer Time!

2011-08-23T12:47:00.004-04:00

We have had a fun and eventful summer. M's last day of preschool was on June 17th and on June 20th, we left for Utah. We had fun driving the 2200 miles to visit Pa and Grandma. M and T were actually pretty well behaved. There were times we were all ready to get out of the car. We were able to stop and see some friends we hadn't seen in many years. It was so fun to see the Chris and Jenny in Missouri and stay the night with our friends the Harper's in Colorado. I was so excited when we finally crossed the Utah border and knew we didn't have much farther to go. While in Utah, we had 2 family reunions to help with. It was so much fun to see my extended family. Some of them I haven't seen in years. Living so far away limits the number of people you get to see! Brett had to come back to NJ early and so I made the trip to OKC with the kids. We did pretty good and I didn't completely lose my marbles. The kids and I were excited to get to OKC and spend time with Nana and Grandpa Joe. M and T stayed in OKC for about 2 weeks. We did get to see our cute new niece/cousin Calley. She is so cute. I made the trip back to NJ by myself and had just over a week to do whatever I wanted to do. It was kind of nice. Brett and I switched some rooms around so the kids each have their own bedroom. We also went to Atlantic City and walked the boardwalk. We can now check that off our list. Since the kids have been back, we have spent our days at the pool, the zoo, children's museum, and the aquarium. It has been fun and adventure packed. I am so ready for school to start in 2 weeks. M is so excited to start Kindergarten. She has been working in work book for the last couple of weeks. I hope she always loves school as much as she does right now. Brett is going to be leaving us soon for a while. Thus is the nature of being in the military. He is going to pretty safe place, so we are excited about that. So, that has been our summer. Crazy, busy, and at times, pretty low key. Here are some pictures. My mom would probably disown me if I didn't put some pictures with each post.

Hamburger

2011-06-14T16:25:00.004-04:00

In just a couple of days, we are headed to Utah to see my family. I am so excited to see everyone, but I am also excited because my mom and dad are nice enough to give me as much hamburger as I want! I am known as the "hamburger snob" by my NJ friends. I just wish I had a bigger freezer....

Updates!!

2011-05-18T21:13:00.006-04:00

I had every intention of posting these pictures last week, but I got online to blogger and it was down. So that is one of my excuses for being even later with these pictures. So much has happened lately. My little bug is not so little anymore. She turned 5 a couple of months ago. Where did all the time go??? She drives me crazy, but she can be a complete sweetheart. M loves going to school and gymnastics. She practices her handstands all the time and she is definitely getting better. She likes to get her own way, but is working on sharing and trying things another way. She loves T and loves to play with him. They are each others buddies. One day we were getting ready to go somewhere and M said she just wanted to stay home and play with T. I thought that was so cute. I love that they love each other so much. Now if they could only remember that when they are fighting with each other. M loves to ride her bike and is going to start trying to ride it without training wheels!! (If only we can get daddy to take them off!) She is still the friendliest little kid around. She has friends everywhere we go. At church, I swear she gives a hug to everyone there before we leave. M went with her Daddy to a dance last month on base. She was so excited and had such a fun time. Brett could dress either in his blues or in a suit and M chose a suit. (I really wanted the blues!) M loves to have a campout with dad on the living room floor. It doesn't happen as much as before, because dad has to work, but she is so excited every week. M is such a happy kid and is growing up way to fast! Love you bunches and bunches M!!Next week my little man turns 2. He has a personality that is hilarious to watch. He loves to watch me cook and spends more time playing with M's kitchen than M does. He loves M and loves to go and get her off the school bus. He loves playing with his jumbo leggos and loves building things. He has decided that he is a big boy and will walk down the stairs because that is what everyone else does. T gives the best hugs and will grab my face and give me a ton of kisses. T likes to have everything how it is suppose to be. He will get up and get something for me because I am suppose to have it. He knows where everything goes and loves to help unload the dishwasher. T loves to go on walks and will sit in the stroller until we leave. I have decided that you know when T is getting ready to do something he shouldn't do because he will look at you with the biggest grin on his face. He is starting to talk better, but most of what he says still sounds like it is from a foreign country. T is my cuddle bug and I have decided there is nothing like those little chubby arms around my neck. I can't believe you are going to be 2. It seems like only yesterday you were my cranky, gassy baby and now you love to laugh and are so happy. Love you tons T!Here is a picture of M and T in their Easter outfits. I am very proud to say that I made their clothes and it cost me about $10 for both of their outfits!! I have a lot of fun making clothes for them. I guess I have a little of my grandma in me!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T15:09:00.003-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's day from my little leprechaun's.

(I made the pants T is wearing. They are made out of some funky looking old man fabric, but look so cute on him!!)

Sister and Brother

2011-02-15T15:25:00.005-05:00

So lately I have taken some pictures that I am sure T will truly hate when he is a teen, but they are so cute, I had to take them. T loves M so much that he puts on her backpack, coat, gloves, etc so he can go to school like her. He has done this a couple of times and it cracks me up. I am so glad they love each other!! Of course, if T gets his picture taken, M has to have her picture taken too. My kids love the camera and love to say cheese! Here are a couple of pictures of the snow we got last month. And of M and Brett both building their first snowman.

A Happy New Year

2011-01-05T19:11:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it is already Jan 4, 2011. Time sure did fly. We all went to Utah for Christmas and had so much fun. M and T had tons of fun playing with their cousins. Three of the 4 grandchildren are within 4 months in age. It was interesting to have 3 little ones running around getting into everything. Thankfully, the house was still standing when everyone left. For Brett and I, there were many late nights full of name calling and "Pounce" yelling. We played games the whole time we were home with my brothers and their wives. Our game of choice was Pounce! Unfortunately, we can get pretty competitive. It was so much fun to be home and spend time with my family. Time went by way to fast. After I got home, I realized that I had hardly taken any pictures at all. I guess we were all having too much fun to remember the cameras!! As much fun as Christmas was, I think we were all ready to head back to Jersey and to our own beds. M started school again on Monday and was so excited to see her friends again. I have been busy with my new church calling. Right before I left on vacation, I was called to be the 1st counselor in the Primary presidency. With a new year starting, we have been having a lot of things to do. My week started with a list that has just kept getting longer.

With the new year, I have been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year. I have decided that instead of having a ton of goals, I wanted to find a word that would describe how I would like this year to be. My word is "Healthy". I want to be "Healthy" physically, mentally, and religiously. So far, I am doing fairly well except with the physical part. I just can't seem to get to the gym, but I am going to keep trying until I can make it an important part of my life.

Oh, so I did just think of a couple of pictures to post. Here you all go:
We had a few sick people over Christmas and some uncooperative kids, but what a good lookin' bunch!!

December Already!!

2010-12-04T21:57:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it is December already. We had a great Thanksgiving. Brett's mom and stepdad, Peggy and Joe, came and spent the holiday with us. The kids and I went to Valley Forge and met my cousin, Michelle, and her family. It was fun, but super cold. I think Valley Forge is meant to be seen in the springtime, at least that is when I am going to go back. It did make me appreciate what those Revolutionary soldiers went through surviving a cold eastern winter! We all got to go to Philly with Peggy and Joe and see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell again. M was so excited to see the Liberty Bell again. That was her favorite part. We did get to go through a detour of Chinatown on our way to historical Philly. GPS's and some of the roads around here are not very good friends! We are now just getting ready to go to Utah for Christmas!!! Yeah!!! Now if I can get everything done that needs to be done before we leave, it would be great! We are so excited to go home and spend the holidays with our family. I think they are more excited to see Brett and the kids than anything else. My family is going through Brett withdrawals because he didn't get to see everyone this summer and hasn't seen some of them in a couple of years. Speaking of a couple of years, we hit our 2 year mark in the Air Force next week. Brett probably disagrees with me, but I think it has gone by so fast. Well, I am off to bed, but I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas because I probably won't have another post before then. Have a great Christmas with your families!!!

Halloween

2010-11-03T15:37:00.003-04:00

Our kids didn't go trick or treating on Sunday night, but they more than made up for it at the Ward Trunk or Treat, the squadron Halloween party, and a carnival my friend put on. For the family that didn't buy any pumpkins this year, we ended up with 4. Go figure. Anyways, here are some pictures of the kids in their costumes. I am sad that I didn't get more of T, but he wasn't really cooperating! M's school had a Halloween parade at her school. She was so cute and thought it was really funny that her teacher was a present.

A Recap

2010-10-07T12:07:00.006-04:00

So, we have had a few fun things happen for us in the last month. M started preschool! She was so cute and excited the first day. I thought it could get a little iffy because she doesn't always do so well in new situations, but she gave Brett and me great big hugs and kisses and sent us on our way home. She also rides the bus everyday and I was worried about that too. Nothing to worry about!! She gets right on the bus and is on her way. She is too cute for words. Here are a couple of pictures of her on her first day:
Brett participated in a Mud Run here on base with some people from his squadron . The kids and I went and saw Brett go over a couple of obstacles. It was fun and Brett was covered in mud!!
Brett and I got go to up in a C-17 last weekend. I have been in the plane a couple of times but never in the air, and Brett is on them all the time. It was a lot of fun, but I got very airsick. There are not any windows in the C-17 except in the cockpit. We did get to go and hang out in the cockpit for a little while, it was awesome. I was a little worried at times that someone wasn't flying the plane though!!! So to see the sights, the back was lowered. It is something that was a ton of fun, but I don't know if I will be doing it again any time soon! There was another C-17 flying in formation with us, so the pictures of the plane are of the other C-17 (ours looks exactly the same though). The people sitting on the end of the ramp were crew members. It was fun to watch them, but I was glad I wasn't out there hanging out like they were. The last picture is a C-17 with Atlantic City in the background. Look at the horizon in some of the pictures and then you can see why I was so airsick! Here are some pictures so you can see what I mean.

Photography blog

2010-09-22T11:23:00.003-04:00

So I started a new blog that will hopefully help me keep going on my photography. I love photography, but I go through stages where I don't take a lot of pictures or edit them. I am going to try to add at least one new photo every week. So go check it out here.

It is about time!!!!

2010-09-12T22:02:00.007-04:00

I know this is what everyone is thinking!! It is about time I updated our blog!! Things have been crazy the last couple of months. The kids and I made it safely back to Jersey after our little vacation. We had a lot of fun and were finally glad we made it home. We have been here for just over a year now. It has made me think about all the things that have happened in the last year and all the first we have had here. It is the first time I have lived 2200 miles away from my family, first time I have driven almost across the whole country, first time to NYC visiting Central Park, Times Square, and Rockefeller Plaza, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois (yeah, covered a lot of country driving home!), just to name a few things. M had her first day of school a couple of weeks ago. She absolutely loves it! Brett and I took her to school on the first day. I expected to see some tears and an "I don't want you to leave!" but all I got was a hug and kiss and a wave goodbye. She was so excited. She has also been so excited to ride the bus every day. She is on the bus for maybe 5 minutes to school and 5 minutes from school. Yes, we really live that close. She is the last stop to get on the bus, and the first stop to get off. M also started gymnastics last week. She had so much fun. I don't know what it is, but I have always seen her as a little gymnast. T has been getting so big. He doesn't say much, but somehow, we are able to figurehim out, sometimes. He does things that constantly surprise and amaze me. The other day he was trying to get his toothbrush out of the drawer and kept getting M's instead, so he pulled the stool over to the drawer so he could look into the drawer. I thought it was so darn smart of him. Well, there is the recap of our lives for the last couple of months. So here are the pictures I know you are all wanting to see.

Vacation Time!

2010-07-14T00:28:00.003-04:00

Changes in plans, flight and baggage agony, family, camping, riding horses, herding cows, MOUNTAINS, sewing, picture taking, driving, the feeling of being home, no sleep, very cute niece and nephew, new used car, laughing, beautiful landscapes, fresh mountain spring, coyotes, campfire, starry nights, MOUNTAINS, more picture memory, friends

Just a few things that I have felt and experienced in the last 6 days since I went on vacation. Pictures to follow when I get home!

A Long Time Coming!

2010-05-31T08:21:00.006-04:00

I am finally posting pictures!!! Our computer, that has all of our pictures, has been getting fixed, so I finally downloaded pictures onto our other computer. T turned 1 last week. He is the stinkiest, cutest kid ever. Both of my kids are adorable, but I am their mother, so I can say that all I want! So to make up for being horrible about blogging, here are some much anticipated pictures of my adorable kids (because really, everyone just wants to see them!) Oh, I decided to just use my kids initials when I blog about them! And to make you all jealous, the beach pictures were taken in April!

2010-03-30T14:57:00.002-04:00

I am horrible about updating my blog. I am so sorry. This month has been an eventful one. My cute little daughter turned 4. I still can't believe she is that old. Last week I registered her for preschool. She will go to preschool 5 days a week for 3 hours each day. The preschool is ran through the school and she will even ride a bus down the street to school every day. She is an energetic, active, playful little girl. She loves her brother and is always excited to see him and hold him. She loves to make Ty laugh and most times laughs right along with him. Micole still says "lasterday" for anything that happened earlier than right now. It is so cute and adorable. My parents were able to come and visit us and be here for Micole's birthday party. She had to have a Tinkerbell party, and it was a lot of fun. She had a lot of friends come to her party.

I was so excited to have my parents come and visit. I didn't realize how much I had missed them until they were here. It was hard to see them leave, but we had a fun time with them here. We went to Philadelphia and got to see a lot of the historical things there. It ended up being a beautiful day and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my mom and I both forgot our cameras, so we have no pictures to show for it! This month, Brett was put on 12 hour shifts. He now works 4 days and has 3 days off. Those are really long days for me and Brett. After a couple of days of 12s, I am jumping in his arms as soon as he gets home and then heading out the door for a little time off. It has sure been a different experience.

We are car shopping also this month. It has been another interesting experience for us. We have a very small budget and are finding it hard to find a car that is not a totally heap pile on wheels or being sold by someone so shady you are scared to get out of your car! Not really, but you know what it is like. We have seen some pretty shady ads on craigslist. So on top of car hunting, our computer upstairs decided to spaz out and needs to be fixed. Needless to say, there are no pictures to be had because they are all on the computer. We are getting ready for warm weather, Easter, and Conference. I wish you all a Happy Easter!

I Made This!!

2010-02-25T22:22:00.010-05:00

I am so excited tonight. I made a shirt for Ty!! It is really the first article of clothing I have made that isn't way simple, like a skirt. Give me a bag to make and I am all over it, but clothes, scare me. I found this tutorial on MADE for a 90 minute shirt, so I decided to try it. I really think it turned out cute. I definitely learned a few things about working with knit, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And because I am starting to be harassed by my family because I haven't posted pictures of my kiddos recently, I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and use my cute little Ty as my model. Micole took some pictures of Ty and me, and I must say, she did a pretty good job. The lighting in these pictures is not great, but that is also because it is too late to edit them and the lighting was bad this afternoon. Another major snow storm for us!!! I thought I left the snow in Utah, but apparently, it followed me!!
I hope this display of pictures will tide over my friends and family for a little while. Oh, my mom and dad are going to be here in one week and I don't know who is more excited, me or Micole!!!

The Funniest Thing

2010-02-05T18:11:00.003-05:00

So, I was checking out craigslist for a couple of things, and I saw this ad:

For sale Snow Panic Toilet Paper per roll - $10

Did you goto the supermarket today? Disappointed that all the toilet paper is gone due to the impending snow storm. I have a great deal for all you last minute supermarket visitors. Forget the crowds, forget the lines, forget the madness. If you live in Gloucester, Camden, or Salem counties I will personally deliver rolls of toilet paper to your home for the snow special of $10.00 per single roll. WOW! What a deal! You can rest assured you won't be snowed in with no butt paper if you act now. Interested buyers act in the next 30 minutes and we will include for free a single dryer sheet so you can have a fresh finish. Hurry while supplies last. I am not full of crap, this is a legitimate offer.

I cracked up laughing. I don't think I have seen anything so funny in a long time! I wonder how many people took him up on it!!

Deals, Deals, Deals

2010-01-28T13:09:00.003-05:00

I don't know about you, but I love getting a good deal. I have tried the coupon thing and am not very good at it. I usually forget my coupons or don't know what is on sale (base grocery stores don't send out sales fliers). So, I usually get my good deals elsewhere. This week the deal of the week was at Target. I was there with a friend and we were walking through the home section (you can find some great deals in the home section). I had decided I wanted a white comforter, so I was looking at anything white and found a down comforter on clearance. It was marked to 29.99 from 59.99. I debated and debated on whether to get it or not and just decided to go for it. When I was checking out, much to my delighted surprise, it rang up for 15.00!! I was so excited. I love it when that happens! 75% off, now that is what I am talking about!!

Thank You!

2010-01-27T21:13:00.002-05:00

I want to thank everyone who voted in my poll. I really appreciate it and was so excited that I had 18 votes! Yeah!!! Just in case you were all wondering, the boat came in first and the sunset came in second. Those two are my favorite too, but it was nice to know that other people liked them! So thanks to everyone!!

I Need Some Help

2010-01-20T20:29:00.010-05:00

I am taking a photography class and we had to bring in what we thought was some of our best work. I found some pictures I liked and my class decided which ones they liked. I don't know if I agree with them on which ones were the best, so I am asking you, who read my blog, which ones you think are the best. If you want to leave a comment as to why you like it, that would be helpful. If not, please take my poll. I don't mean to sound desperate, I just want to know what everyone thinks. There is a poll on the side of my blog for you to vote for your favorite. Without further ado, here they are:

(I tried to make the pictures bigger, but this is as big as I could make them without cutting the pictures off. I hope this helps!)

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What an Example!

2010-01-15T20:16:00.003-05:00

This morning I got an e-mail from a member of the Relief Society presidency asking everyone to donate items for some refugees from Haiti that are right here at McGuire AFB. It really hit home that what happened in Haiti is horrific and there are so many people who need help. The list of things was very basic: diapers, coats, toys, books. Little things for the kids who lost everything. Well, I really felt that I needed to do something, so I gathered up a couple of things like diapers and some blankets. I thought it would be a good teaching moment to ask Micole if she wanted to help. I told her there were some little kids just like her that lost all their toys and asked if she wanted to give something to the kids. She went over to one of her toy bins and found a couple of things to donate. We weren't able to take the stuff over until tonight. In the meantime, Micole ended up adding a couple of things because "Those kids need a bunny rabbit," she said. I took Micole with me to the base gym, where they are housing the refugees that came in today, and made our donation. She was so cute. She wanted to stay at the gym and play with all the kids. She did so good giving her stuff to the Air Force personnel. Micole was a huge example to me today. Disasters happen all the time and I haven't really given them much thought in the past, but being right here, less than a mile away from people who really need help, made it real to me. Let us all try and do all we can to help those in Haiti and others around us that are in need of a little service. It really will make you feel so good.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2009-12-20T19:58:00.005-05:00

So, everyone I have talked to from NJ has told me that it doesn't snow very much here. Well, we had a snow storm yesterday and got so much snow it set records. Philadelphia got 22 inches and parts of NJ got 24 inches. This morning, we measured ours and we had 18 inches. Now being a Utah girl, I have driven in lots of snow. It doesn't really phase me much. But people from NJ were freaking out. I swear no one knew how to drive yesterday! I am also use to life continuing like normal even when there is a foot of snow on the ground. Not here! Yesterday, (before there was a lot of snow) our ward party was canceled. And today, church was canceled. We were pretty snowed in, but having everything canceled it not something I am use to. Brett and I were pretty unprepared for the snow storm. We kept thinking that we wouldn't have much snow, so we kept forgetting to buy a snow shovel. Well, we really needed it today! Our neighbors were nice enough to let us borrow theirs. Guess we need to go buy one!! I am attaching some pictures so you can see how much snow we got, a couple of the kids because my mom is going through withdrawals because she doesn't get to see them everyday anymore, and one of our Christmas tree. I hope everyone is having a warm and happy night as they are scurrying to get ready for Christmas. I know I am scurrying!! Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Tree

2009-12-05T13:18:00.002-05:00

So we went and got our Christmas tree today. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to post!! Read on and you will soon see why. This was a new experience for me. I have been spoiled and have never had to buy a Christmas tree. My dad has always gotten one for me and brought it to me. Well, this year, we live too far away for my daddy to bring me a tree. We went to a you cut tree lot and found us a tree. However, the day we decided to go was cold, rainy, and muddy. It was probably good it was bad weather because I couldn't be too picky on the tree. If any of you know my dad and Christmas trees, you know he is super picky about what trees he puts in his house. I am afraid that his blood runs through me, and I picked out 3 trees before I found the one I wanted cut!! I could have spent all day walking around the lot trying to find the best tree, if the weather would have been better. We have a cute tree that is, at the moment, trying to dry off in the garage because it is so wet. It is a different tree than I am use to, but I am excited to get it in the house and decorated! I will have to post pictures of our tree when it is up. I hope everyone else has happy tree hunting!!

Inspiration

2009-11-24T15:23:00.002-05:00

Lately I have been inspired into sewing and crafting and just making things. It has been a lot of fun. There are some blogs that I completely love because the women are amazing and have some of the best ideas ever. I have had a couple of people tell me I should list them on my blog, so I have finally done it. There are links to the blogs underneath my blog list. I hope these blogs are as inspiring to you as they are to me!

Warning!!! Looking at these blogs could be hazardous to your health, because you will get addicted and have to have more!!! I anxiously await everyday to see if they posted something new!!

Family Pictures

2009-11-08T14:38:00.010-05:00

With the help of my friend Melissa, I was finally able to get some pictures taken of my cute little family. The fall colors here have been amazing; unfortunately, they are almost gone. The weather has been rainy lately, so when we had a good day, we jumped at the chance to take pictures. Here are a few:

I decided it is hard to pay someone to take your pictures when you know how to do it and you have a good friend to help. That is the hard thing about being the photographer in the family!

Halloween
Last year, I got into a really good sale at the Disney store and was able to get some costumes for Micole. This year she was Minnie Mouse. She looked so cute in her costume. As per our family tradition, I guess, Ty was a pumpkin. (Micole was a pumpkin her first Halloween too). I must say he was stinkin cute.

Books, Books, Books

2009-10-23T08:52:00.002-04:00

For those of you who really know me, you know that I love books!! Well, my sweet little daughter loves books too. All of a sudden, it seemed, she has wanted us to read her books, lots of books. I was putting my books away, because we finally got a bookcase (which I completely filled! I really didn't think I had that many books!) and came across my childhood copy of Charlotte's Web. Micole wanted me to read it to her, so the last couple of days, we have been reading Charlotte's Web. She will just sit there and let me read to her. I love it!! I have to say, I was surprised that she would sit so still and read a book that has very few pictures and keep wanting to read more. In fact, I am getting ready to read it to her right now! Happy reading!

Should I be Concerned??

2009-10-14T21:05:00.004-04:00

I am starting to wonder if I should be concerned. I have a 3 year old that can say things makes her sound like she is 10, who also can't wait until her 4 month old brother is finished with his rice cereal so she can have the rest. To top it off, I am starting to wonder if my 4 month old is going to have anger issues because he looks at his toys and screams and yells at them as he is biting the heck out of them. Should I be concerned?!?!?!?

On a more positive note, things are going well with us. We ventured on our first touristy thing last weekend. We went to Cape May to the beach. It was awesome and also pretty cold and windy. It was so nice to be at the beach and have the beach feel that I love. By the way, the Jersey shore is really nice and pretty. Ty rolled over on Monday and has been scarfing down rice cereal since he realized he likes it. We just have to keep Micole at bay until Ty is done eating because she really does love rice cereal. Micole is loving preschool and will now wave at me when I leave, which is quite an improvement from a couple of weeks ago. Brett is doing some training right now and likes it because he isn't really in training all that much. Sometimes I think he is home more than in training! I have found a friend who is a major workout buff and have been following her to a couple of classes at the gym that have totally kicked my butt. All in all, things are going pretty good.

New Pictures

2009-09-27T22:01:00.005-04:00

So, for all you whiners out there that want pictures, here you go!! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of NJ. I know that is what you all really wanted to see. I do, however, have some more recent pictures of my children....want to see??

Micole as a flower girl, Brett and Ty,

first dinner in our new house

Caitlin, Kage, Micole, and Ty

Life on the East Coast

2009-09-26T18:23:00.000-04:00

So, we have been in good ol NJ for a couple of weeks now. Our house is still a mess as we are still trying to go through boxes. There is only so much one person can do when they have two kids to deal with in the process. Brett has been good to help, but when he comes home, it feels like we have a ton of errands to run and things to get figured out. I will be glad when things get settled and we can have a normal routine going on. Micole started preschool this last week. She goes 2 days a week for 3 hours, and can I say I love having a little time just me and Ty. I end up running to the base about 4 times in 4 hours, but it is nice to have a little free time. Next year, Micole will go to preschool 5 days a week and ride a school bus. That is how it is done here. Where we are is kind of nice because it is more country. I have decided that when I have a little bit of free time, with no kids, I am going to start driving around with my camera. I see so many picturesque fences, silos, and houses. It is even going to get better when the leaves really start changing colors. So because we are in the country, we have to drive about 30 minutes to get anywhere. That anywhere could be 15 miles away, it still takes you about 30 minutes to get there. We have ventured out because we have had some shopping we just couldn't do where we are at. Mapquest is quickly becoming our friend, but I think we are going to break down and buy us a GPS system. I never thought I would be one of those people, but around here, you really don't have much of a choice. One thing that Brett and I have decided we really don't like are jughandles. Jughandles are on the right hand side of the street and in some places, if you want to make a left hand turn or a U-turn, you have to take a jughandle on the right side. These jughandles can either be before you need to turn, or after. Let me tell you, they really make life complicated, especially if you don't know where you are going and you miss it!! Things are going good, and we are getting use to living on the East Coast. I think we just may survive!!

First Look at NJ

2009-09-05T21:33:00.002-04:00

So, I am officially in New Jersey. I can't say I am really impressed at the moment! It was a long flight with two little kids by myself, but they really did do pretty well. The frustrating stuff came after we got off the plane. The people we had asked to pick us up ended up not having room for all of us in their little tiny car, so we ended up having to rent a car in the middle of Labor Day weekend. The agent at the car rental place was very nice and super helpful. I was really thankful for all of her help. The first thing that happened when we crossed the NJ border was get passed by someone who was flipping us off. What hospitality!! Especially when I hadn't done anything but drive the speed limit. I didn't even cut them off! We also were rudely honked at by someone passing us. Really people!! We ended up taking the back way to the base and needless to say, it has been quite the long day!

It's Official!!!

2009-08-25T00:21:00.005-04:00

It is official. We finally have a moving date. Our lives have been so up in the air that I can hardly believe we are almost ready to move to Jersey. I bought our plane tickets for the kids and me to fly out on the 5th of September and the moving van leaves on the 2nd (my parents graciously volunteered to drive it). Brett is already there and starting his processing and holding down the fort. We have a house on base and I am so excited. We are just waiting for the construction to be finished. Yes!!! We are moving into a brand new house!!! I am so excited. The last couple of days I have been trying to get things packed and this morning Micole asked me if we were done packing!! I only wish!!! I am excited to start our adventure and to live with my husband again, but I am sad to be leaving all our family and friends behind.

New Pictures

2009-07-20T00:02:00.004-04:00

I know, I know, I am so bad about posting to my blog. In my defense, I am spending my time chasing after a 3 year old and trying to figure out my newborn. Anyways, Houston and Audrey (brother and sister-in-law) were here with my cute little nephew, Kage, so I finally downloaded my pictures. Here are some new ones of Ty and some of Kage. Here they are for your enjoyment!!

My nephew Kage

I took Ty to the doctor yesterday for his 8 week check up. He weighed in at 11 lbs 7 oz and 22 inches long. He is growing like a weed and is super sweet. He just started smiling and laughing. Micole and I are having fun trying to figure out what makes him smile. It is awesome!!

God Bless America!

2009-07-03T07:59:00.002-04:00

With the approach of the 4th of July, I have found myself thinking more and more about our country and patriotism. I was talking to my mother-in-law and both of us agreed that we are more aware of patriotism in our nation since Brett joined the Air Force. It is amazing to me how the experiences in our lives make such an impact on our patriotism. I am so thankful for those men and women who are sacrificing and fighting for our country. THANK YOU!!

Our Little Man

2009-06-05T10:57:00.003-04:00

I know I have taken forever to post these pictures of our little man, but what can I say, it is harder with 2 kids than one. I definitely don't get much sleep!! So, here are some pictures for you all to enjoy!!

Our Little Family

Proud Big Sister

Micole is so cute with Ty. There are definitely times when I think she loves him too much. She loves to hold him, kiss him, and hug him. She is such a big help when I am changing his diaper and picking out clothes for him to wear. She loves to just watch him. If anyone asks if they can take him home with them, she quickly replies, "No! He can't go home with you!" We are so thankful for our little man and the sweet spirit he has brought into our home.

Our New Addition

2009-05-26T18:29:00.002-04:00

The newest member of our family, Ty William, was born at 7:03 this morning, weighing in at 8 lbs 7 oz. He is super cute with dark hair, and Micole is so excited to be a big sister. She had fun holding him and giving him kisses. I will put some pictures up in a couple of days when I can get home and download them from my camera. I was so glad that Brett could be here and my parents and Brett's mom. It has been a good day!!!

Exciting Stuff for Our Family

2009-05-22T23:47:00.003-04:00

So, I am so excited because I get to pick Brett up from the airport tomorrow morning!!!! Yeah!! His Commander and First Sargent were nice enough to let him come home for the birth of our little boy. Micole is so excited to see him. She hasn't seen him since February. I am excited to have them play together and just spend some quality time together. It is also a little strange to think that I am going to have a baby again in 4 days. I am so ready, but at the same time a little nervous. I am use to handling a 3 year old not a newborn. I am a little sad that it isn't just going to be Micole and me anymore. We have bonded a lot in the last 5 months with Brett gone. She definitely knows how to try my patience and at the same time melt my heart with by doing something super sweet. I know it will be good to have a new little member of our family, but it is just going to be different. So much fun stuff happening this weekend!!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-11T00:57:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to give a shout out to all the mothers out there. I am so thankful for my mother, mother-in-law, and grandmothers. I am so thankful for all the love and sacrifice mothers make for their children. I know I didn't understand how much my mother did for me until I had a child of my own. Even now, my mom is still doing little things for me. I don't know what I would do with out her. I have been fortunate to live somewhat close to my mom and know that if I ever needed anything, she would be right there for me. Here in a couple of months, it isn't going to be that easy. I love you mom for all that you have done and the person you are. I am so thankful for the things you have taught me and the things I continue to learn from you on a daily basis. Thank you!!! And Happy Mother's Day!!!

And our final destination is . . . .

2009-05-08T02:15:00.002-04:00

I know we have a lot of friends wondering where we are going to end up after Brett is done with is tech school training. Well, I finally have an answer. But first, an update. Brett will be done with his training around Aug. 19th, probably a few days later than that. He is currently taking classes from 11:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. every night. It has been hard for him, but he is doing well in his classes. Well I know that everyone reading this just really wants to know where we are going to be stationed for the next couple of years, so I will get to the point. We will be stationed at . . . . . . McGuire AFB. McGuire is located in Wrightstown, NJ. Yes that is right, we are going to be moving to New Jersey, you did not read that wrong. It came with some mixed emotions, especially from Brett, but he has resigned himself to live in the Northeast with the Yankees for a couple of years. We are getting excited, and I am already planning on the places we can go. It is a huge step for both of us. I have never lived outside of Utah or Idaho. Brett and I both come from such small towns, we are really going to have to get use to living in a more populated area. So, all we can say is bring on the adventure!

My New Fav

2009-04-13T23:03:00.000-04:00

So, my new favorite website is tipnut.com. I stumbled across this site, and I have to say, I absolutely love it. I was looking for free patterns (because I am now starting to be obsessed with making things) and this site popped up. It is full of different ideas and tons of free craft/sewing patterns. I have spent hours looking up things on it. Like I said, it is an awesome site!

Craziness!!

2009-04-10T00:10:00.002-04:00

As I was looking at everyone else's blogs, I really decided that I need to update mine. Life has been absolutely crazy lately. Last week, Micole and I started our long trip. I took Micole up to Wyoming to spend some time with Brett's mom and stepdad. She had so much fun, even though they were snowed in most of the time. I proceeded to fly to Louisana, and then drove to Biloxi to see Brett. It was so good to see him. Time has really gone by pretty quickly, but it still goes by slowly some times. Biloxi was really fun to go and see. I missed a pretty big storm, so I was glad about that. There are still a lot of places in Biloxi that are being fixed still from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Brett and I went to the air show on base. It was so much fun to see those F-16's flying around doing all their crazy stunts. I am sure glad that we had earplugs though. I don't know if I would still be able to hear things if not for the plugs!! An update on Brett: He is currently on a bus headed for Wichita Falls to begin the 2nd stage of his training. We are hoping that his training will be shorter than we are expecting, but aren't getting our hopes up. We should know in about 2-3 weeks where we will be stationed. I am looking forward to that. I really want to know where we are going to be. It has been hard not knowing what our future holds, but I guess that is the way life works sometimes.

Micole's 3rd Birthday

2009-03-05T22:21:00.005-05:00

I know I am a couple of days late posting this, but Micole turned 3 on the 2nd. I can't believe she is 3 years old already. She is getting so tall and has such a cute personality. She has some of the funniest sayings.

Here are a couple for your enjoyment:
You're too heavy for me.
I can't want to
Bye gator later
Copcorn (popcorn)
Bye croc-a-later
It to big for me (when she really means it is too small for her)

Here are also some of her favorite things:
ABC Song
Twinkle, Twinkle little star
I am a Child of God
Hush little baby
Cheese
Tortillas
Cake and Cookies
Her baby dolls
Curious George
Imagination Movers
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Places Micole has been:
Texas 5 times (3 times flying, 2 times driving)
California 2 times
Idaho
Wyoming numerous times

I thought I would post some pictures so you could see how much she has changed in the last 3 years. I am also going to post some of her birthday pictures.

Then:Now:
Birthday Fun!!
Micole has decided that her bike and her babies are her favorite things right now. It is too cold for her to ride her bike outside, so she has learned how to ride around the kitchen. She is a character!! We love you, little one!!!

Air Force Graduation

2009-02-14T23:29:00.003-05:00

I am a little slow posting this, but when am I not slow at posting!!! Last Friday, Brett graduated from Basic Training at Lackland AFB. Micole and I flew down to San Antonio to see Brett. It was so good to see him!!!! Everything that happened at the graduation stuff was so awesome and amazing to see. It is really neat the presentation that happens when someone graduates from military basic training. Brett probably doesn't think it is really that neat, having lived it for 8 weeks. Right now, Brett is in Mississippi working on his tech school. We just found out that his training is really not as long as we originally thought. We thought he would be in Mississippi for 14 weeks, but it will probably only be 10 weeks. We are super excited about this. It is a month less than we originally planned on. The best thing about Brett being in tech school is I get to talk to him every night. It reminds me of when we were dating and he was in Texas and I in Utah. I will be glad when all this training is over with. All with due time I am sure. Here are some pictures from San Antonio. We had a ton of fun. I only wish the wind wouldn't have been blowing what seemed like a 100 miles an hour and that Sea World would have been open! We had a lot of fun seeing the Alamo and going on a boat ride on the River. Micole was just excited to see her daddy. It took her a moment or two to warm up to him, but after that, she wouldn't let him out of her sight! He either had to hold her or push her in the stroller. We LOVE our husband and daddy and are so proud of him!!!

Boring Life

2009-01-27T00:34:00.002-05:00

I am so bad about updating my blog, but I tell you all, I have nothing fun to share. We lead a very boring life. Seriously, the thing we are looking forward to tomorrow is play group. We are kind of slow on the whole making new friends thing. It is too easy to just stay around the house or go up to my grandma's for a while. I have lots of projects to keep me busy, but you have to be motivated to do them!!! I am way excited because we are flying to San Antonio next week for Brett's graduation. I am so excited, but I am starting to get really nervous about being in a strange city, in Texas, that I have never been too before and Brett isn't much help because all he has seen of San Antonio was the airport and Lackland AFB!! For those of you who don't know, probably most of you, I get so turned around in Texas. I have no idea which way is north, south, east, or west. I never know where I am going. Now, give me any town in Utah with and address and I can take you right there!! I love how Utah towns are laid out on a grid!! I think we will be in for an adventure, but we get to spend 4 days with Brett. Everything will be worth it when I get to see him Thursday morning!! I know, I am getting sappy, but it really has been difficult to not see or even talk to Brett for the last 7 weeks. I got to talk to him at Christmas and that was really it. Just think about how hard it would be to be away from your best friend and the one you love and you can't even call and chat. But on the bright side, I get to see him and while he is in tech school, I can talk to him on the phone. Life will be a little bit better. Now, we just have to get through the next 6-7 months. Two down, a whole lot more left!!

Good News!!

2009-01-09T23:08:00.002-05:00

I know it has been another long time since I updated our blog. I like to put pictures on our blog and when I don't have any pictures downloaded, I don't update. Lame, huh. Just so you all know, Brett is doing well, I guess as well as can be expected. We are in the home stretch and I am so excited to see him in less than a month. I have our plane tickets and February 4th just can't get here soon enough. I did get to talk to Brett a lot on Christmas day, way more than I expected. It was so good to hear his voice for more than 2 minutes and to know that he really is okay. One thing that is really exciting for us is we found out what we are having. Brett probably hasn't gotten the letter yet, so you all may know before him. We are having a little boy. We are so excited and I know that Brett will be super excited. He has been waiting for a boy. I have even started getting Micole excited. She likes to point to my belly and tell me that is where Ty is. Just so you know, that is what we are going to name our new little tyke. So, just a small little update. Micole's vocabulary is astonishing me. She says things that totally take me off guard. The other day she told a friend that she was 2 and will be 3 in March. I thought it was pretty cute. She is starting to tell me maybe and that she will be right back when she leaves a room. They grow up so fast!!

Update!!

2008-12-15T23:26:00.005-05:00

I know there are some people out there that have been wishing I would update our blog. So much has happened in the last month. I think I am finally starting to feel a little bit normal again. For those of you who don't know, we moved from Orem and Micole and I moved in with my parents. It has been fun, so far. Right after we moved, we went to Wyoming to visit Brett's mom and stepdad and then drove to Texas to have Thanksgiving with his brothers and grandma. It was fun, but a long trip. Brett was sworn into the Air Force last Tuesday. Micole and I have been adjusting to him being gone. It has been hard. Micole asks for her dad every day and has even said that she just wants him. I did get to talk to him for about a minute, well as long as it took for him to give me his address and tell me he was okay. Just a side note....if anyone wants to send him a letter, I know he would really like that. I wouldn't send Christmas cards, but a Christmas letter would be nice. Anyway, just e-mail me at brettandkristi@gmail.com and I will send you his address. Here are some pictures of him being sworn into the Air Force.So as you can all see it has been a little interesting for us. We have all had a little adjusting to do. On a brighter note, we had a snow day today and Micole had to go and play outside in the snow while her Pa was shoveling the sidewalks. She had some much fun and was so cute. She had the cutest little red nose by the time she was done. I am attaching a picture of that too.Oh, one more thing before I close. I can't remember who I have mentioned this to and who I haven't, so if you are just finding out, I am really sorry. We will be having a baby around May 26th. We are super excited and will be finding out what we are having in January. So, now everyone knows and like I said I am sorry if you didn't find out before now. Well, I need to go so I can write my nightly letter to Brett. I am amazed at how much I can write to him. I didn't realize how much I would tell him about what was going on. I really miss that and I miss making him get up with Micole in the morning so I can sleep in!! Well I hope this satisfies everyone's curiosity about what has been going on with us. Like you can all see, A LOT!!

New Pictures

2008-11-14T08:27:00.005-05:00

Here are some new pictures of our little one on Halloween, in her Texas jammies, and having fun with dad!!!

Moving Day

2008-11-14T08:13:00.002-05:00

I know it has been a long time since I last posted anything. Life has been completely crazy for us the last month. With moving and doing all of our last minute stuff and Christmas shopping, we have had some very long days. I was trying to sleep and was just laying there. We are moving today and thus starts some more really busy weeks and then Brett leaving. Our lives are definitely going to be interesting. With moving today, it has gotten me thinking about all of our great friends and how much we are going to miss all of them. We have had a wonderful time living in our neighborhood and being members of our ward. We have great friends and people who really care about us. It is hard to leave all that and venture out into the unknown. I just want our friends to know that we love them and will miss them dearly. Hopefully in the months that Brett is in training, I will be able to see you all often. Well this is pretty sappy so I should probably stop now before it gets any sappier. Love you all!!

Photography

2008-10-15T23:54:00.004-04:00

So, I love to take pictures and I would really like to do it professionally. I am just really slow on the getting started part. Anyways, I am doing my first wedding in a couple of months and tonight I took her bridals. I just thought I would post a couple on here and see what everyone thinks. I think they turned out pretty good, but that is just me. What do you all think?? This is one area I have to have a lots of reinforcement. It helps boost my ego and my confidence! It was so much fun to take Crystal's bridals. She was such a good sport and is so cute!! So here you go.....

Update on Us

2008-10-08T00:59:00.004-04:00

So I was checking out others blogs and realized that I haven't posted to mine in awhile. I think it is just because I don't have anything fun to blog about. Nothing exciting really happens to us!! Brett has been working and is really looking forward to his last day of work on Oct. 15th. He says that he wants to be here to help me out so we can pack and move and all the jazzy stuff we have to do in the next month. I am still a little skeptical about it all!!! Just Kidding, honey!! I know he will be a help. Keeping Micole entertained will be a big help. On Saturday, Brett had a meeting with his recruiter and there was a couple there from Hill AFB. It was so nice to be able to talk to a woman about all the things we are going to be dealing with for the next year. She gave me some great pointers and was a huge help. We had decided to go up to Hill one Saturday soon to check it out and really kind of see what base life is going to be like. Now we a couple to hang out with and visit when we go up there. I am so excited. Our first Air Force friends!!! Too bad we probably won't get stationed at Hill. If we do, I will be excited and Brett will not be. He says he is ready to see and experience new things. On Sunday we finally went up the canyon to see the leaves and find some cute places to take some family pictures for the Rhoads. The leaves were so pretty. Here are a few pictures....

Cute Pictures

2008-09-22T01:12:00.003-04:00

So we just got back from Loa and having family pictures taken. Saturday, Brett, Micole, and I had our family pictures taken and the today we had the whole Doug & Merlyn Oyler family pictures. If you would like to see a glimpse of the pictures taken on Saturday, you can go to faundimages.blogspot.com and look at the one with the title Micole. It was fun to have pictures taken, even if Micole was being a little stinker!! We did get some pictures of her smiling, but boy did we sure have to work at it. A little hint, make sure your kids have a nap before they have pictures taken!! And someone there to play peekaboo with!! Just a shout out to Jessica and Craig... Oh my gosh, I am so excited you found us and I total need your e-mail address. I was so shocked and excited to here from you. Well, it is getting late and I just wanted to let everyone know about the pictures. Faun did an awesome job.

AIRFORCE UPDATE

2008-09-13T16:49:00.003-04:00

We finally have the information that people have been wondering about! Brett has to report to duty.... DECEMBER 9th. His job is integrative avionics systems. We don't really know what it means, but according to his recruiter and other Airmen, in the Air Force, it is a really good job. We still aren't sure how long his tech school training is, but after 8 1/2 weeks at Basic in San Antonio, he will spend some time at Keesler Air Force base in Mississippi and then at Sheppard Air Force base in Texas. We are thinking that his tech school training will be around 4-6 months. We will know more later. After tech school, Brett will find out what base he will be stationed at, so more on that later. We are way excited for this new adventure in our lives. Go AIR FORCE!!

Remembering 9/11

2008-09-12T00:36:00.007-04:00

This morning when I stepped out of my front door and saw the American flag flying in my yard, I couldn't help but think back to the morning of 9/11. Every year I try to remember the events of that day so that I won't forget. I know I will never forget the horror I felt that day as I watched the World Trade Center crash to the ground from my living room couch. I never want to forget what our country went through that day and the days and weeks following that day. I am so thankful to live in place that is far from danger, but I feel for those people that are always put in harms way. With Brett joining the military, I feel my patriotism is growing and getting stronger. This country is a land of freedom, but with that freedom comes great responsibility and great sacrifice. I am so thankful for the firefighters that fought so hard to save as many people as they could on 9/11, and I am so thankful for our military that are fighting right now so we can be safe at home in our beds tonight. I pray we will all remember 9/11 and how it has changed each of our lives.

Camping

2008-09-07T23:26:00.007-04:00

Last weekend, for Labor Day, we went camping on Cedar Mountain. We had a lot of fun, even though the weekend didn't turn out exactly as planned. We went camping on Saturday night and woke up to this....

Needless to say, it started raining on us when were packing up camp. We ended up hanging out at Jeff and Marie's house and playing games. We also took Micole to Discovery Park in Cedar City. If you haven't been there before, it is the coolest park ever. There is so much stuff for a kid to do, adults too. I use to play night games there in college and we had a ton of fun. OHHHHHH!!! I am so excited to become an aunt!!! Jeff and Marie also found out they are having a little girl!! I am so excited. Here are some pictures of our camping trip and Discovery Park.

I guess I have been tagged!

2008-08-27T00:50:00.004-04:00

I looked at Heather's blog and saw my name. I am going to have to find away to get her back!! The Rules: Answer the questions using only ONE WORD. Then tag four others. I'm going to tag Robin, Kanien, Amanda, and Cami
1. Where is your cell phone? table
2. Your significant other? Brett
3. Your hair? brown
4. Your mother? Merlyn
5. Your father? Doug
6. Your favorite thing? laughter
7. Your dream last night? nothing
8 Your favorite drink? Lemonade
9. Your dream/goal? photography
10. The room you’re in? bedroom
11. Your hobby? reading
12. Your fear? reptiles
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
14. What you’re not? perfect
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? mixer
17. Where you grew up? Loa
18. The last thing you did? blog
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Favorite gadget? ipod
21. Your pets? none
22. Your computer? desktop
23.Your mood? tired
24. Missing someone? Several
25.Your car? Elantra
26. Something you’re not wearing? Socks
27. Favorite store? Target
28. Like someone? always
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Saturday

The Last Days of Summer

2008-08-27T00:32:00.003-04:00

I know there is still a little bit of time left of summer, but once school starts, it just seems over. I am not in school anymore and it still feels like that. With the end of summer, I have been thinking about all the things that happened this summer. I had some great and crazy times. Our summer started out going to Mountain Home, Idaho, to visit Brett's cousins and deciding that he was going to join the Air Force. What a way to start summer break!!

Knowing, or at the time thinking, that Brett was going to join the Air Force had us wanting to do things that we have never done since we moved to Orem almost 4 years ago. One of the big things was hiking to the Y. We had never done it before and within 3 weeks, we hiked it twice! Brett carried Micole up the mountain and boy, did Brett get his workout. That trail is steep, especially carrying about 40 lbs on your back. At one point, we let Micole get out of the backpack carrier and she wanted to carry the backpack herself. We helped her for a little ways. It was funny to see the expressions of some of the people we passed on the trail.

My next big adventure for the summer was my 2 week vacation, where I was on the go constantly. It all started with Girls Camp up at Heber Valley Camp. I love the young women in my ward and I love girls camp. Heber Valley is really a plush camp, but it is fun to interact and be around the girls. After doing that for a week, I came home and went to a family reunion in Loa. After the family reunion, I finally got to sleep in my own bed one night before heading of to another family reunion at Martin's Cove. Brett wasn't able to come because he had to work, so it was Micole and I, my mom and dad, and Audrey, Houston's wife. It was a very interesting and different experience for me. I think I may have learned in a small way what some of the single pioneer women went through going across the plains. At one point, I had to carry Micole almost 2 miles. She was tired and wouldn't let anyone hold her. My arms and back hurt so bad, but all I could think about was how many women carried their babies. I couldn't even think about complaining when I thought about that. While at Martin's Cove, we were able to hear some of our own family history as well as the history of the pioneers that were stuck in Martin's Cove. It has really sparked my interest in my own family history and what my ancestors went through so I could be a member of the Church. It was definitely an experience I hope to always remember.

This summer we have tried to spend a lot of time with our families, knowing that we will be living away from them once Brett is finished with all of his training. We helped herd cows and went to Rawlins to see Brett's mom and stepdad. We have had an eventful and sometimes uneventful summer. The events all seem to happen at once and then we have a drought. We have also had some ups and downs. Not knowing if Brett was going to be able to join the Air Force to the joyous call that said he was in. Like I have said, it has been a great summer.

Zoo Day

2008-08-11T22:40:00.007-04:00

On Saturday, we took Micole to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake. She was so cute and so good. She loved seeing all of the animals. Here are a few pictures from our trip....

WE'RE IN!!!!

2008-08-11T22:36:00.002-04:00

We just found out today that Brett was approved by the Surgeon General and can now officially join the Air Force. We are so excited, but a little overwhelmed all of a sudden. Tomorrow Brett will go and finish his military processing, and on Wednesday, he will be sworn into delayed entry. From there we will have to wait a little bit to see when he will be shipped off to Basic Training in San Antonio. We have been planning and waiting for this for 2 months and now we are in shock. Our possible future is now becoming a reality and it is a little unnerving. We both feel like celebrating!!! Thanks to all of you that have been praying and rooting for us to get in. It finally paid off. YEAHHHHHHH!!!!

I love to read!!!

2008-08-06T12:59:00.005-04:00

So, I have been really bad about updating this. But my excuse, I have been a nerd and reading the new Twilight book that just came out, Breaking Dawn. I finished it this morning. It is so good!! I loved it. Now I just have to wait until the movie comes out in December. This series is really good for those of you that haven't read it yet. I am so tired because I have been up until about 1:00 every morning reading the book. Really I am such a nerd. I am just glad that there are other people out there that are just as bad as I am and love reading the Twilight books.

Musings from the day

2008-07-24T01:10:00.006-04:00

So, I am really trying to get into this whole blog thing. I can't believe how much time I have spent trying to make it look cute and to try and get it just the way I want it. Sometimes it is kind of crappy when you are a perfectionist!! I try really hard not to be, but somethings just get on my nerves if it just isn't they way I want it, especially crafty, artsy stuff.

Today has been quite the day and my patience was definitely wearing thin a few times. I finally had to get out of the house and take Micole on a walk so we could kill time until Young Women's. I am the Young Women's secretary and love it. Tonight was mutual and our combined activity with the Young Men. We went up Provo Canyon to a park and played water games and had 800 water balloons to have fun with. We also had dinner up there. I had a fun time. Micole gets to come with me because Brett has to work every night. The Young Women in my ward love her. They are so good to watch her and play with her. Micole loves to go to young women's too. I think it is because she gets so much attention. All I have to do on Wednesday nights is say, "Micole, lets get ready to go play with the girls at the Church." and she is heading out the door. Tomorrow is the 24th of July and I don't have to work. I am so excited to spend the day at home. We have done and gone to much the is summer. My house is sorely neglected. I am going to enjoy relaxing and cleaning my house. Well, maybe not enjoy cleaning my house, but I will enjoy it when it is all done. This is probably a long and boring post, sorry about that, but that is how it goes sometimes. Life can be boring yet full of surprises!

Playing Around & Updates

2008-07-21T23:55:00.014-04:00

Yesterday we wanted to be outside. Brett and Micole were being so cute together. Brett was teaching Micole how to do a somersault. I, of course, could not pass up a photo moment. I really love having a digital camera for this reason!! Micole has some of the best facial expressions. I love it when I can catch one. She is so expressive!!

An update on the Air Force. So much stress and so much waiting!!! Brett and I are wondering if we will be able to survive the waiting. We had a slight hang-up. Brett had surgery done on his right hand while he was on his mission. We had to find all of his medical papers for the surgery. That took about a month to get everything. AUGGGHHHHH! We thought we were in the clear, but we aren't. Brett has really bad eyesight and I guess it was borderline to get into the Air Force, so we had to have an eye exam done. No biggy!! Well, it turned out to be a biggy. There was a big difference between what the Military said and what the eye doctor said, so it all got sent to the Surgeon General. We are crossing our fingers that the SG will pass Brett and that he will do it quickly. So keep your fingers crossed and remember us in your prayers.

Must Love Dogs and Golf

2008-07-21T23:37:00.005-04:00

Micole spent a week at her Nana's (Peggy) and Grampa Joe's. (Peggy and Joe are Brett's mom and stepdad). They have two Pomeranian dogs, Bear and PJ. Micole is not so much a fan of dogs, so we all knew it was going to be interesting for her to spend a week around the dogs. Brett and I went up to Wyoming on Friday to pick up Micole and stayed until Sunday. Much to our surprise, Micole decided that she really did like the dogs. Where she wouldn't even be around them early that week, you can see she was all hugs and even chased them around the yard trying to tickle them. I think Bear and PJ were kind of glad Micole was leaving when all she wanted to do was play!!

Joe and Peggy like to play golf, so of course they had to buy Micole her own little golf club. I tell you, that girl can hit the ball when she wants too. She had so much fun playing "golf". She would keep saying "Again, again!"

Micole

2008-07-09T16:20:00.005-04:00

Micole is so cute. How can we not love the little tyke?? The other day, she saw Brett's hat and started putting it on. I thought it was so cute, I just had to take some pictures. I have realized that I love having a digital camera!!! It makes taking pictures so much fun. I can snap away and delete later. I think you would all agree that this is a keeper picture.

Micole was playing baseball with her cousin at a family reunion a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if she even knew what she was doing, but she had fun swinging the bat. She is pretty athletic for a cute, little, 2 year old girl. She can throw and kick the ball pretty good, but she has never played baseball before. It was a first for her!!

Photos

2008-07-08T20:39:00.003-04:00

I am going to put some pictures on here, I promise!! I just got my first digital camera. I know what a shocker. Most everyone has had one for years. I would have too, if i wouldn't have been so picky!! I finally got the camera I have been drooling over for years! The sad thing is....I don't know how to use it!!! Well, I have taken some pictures and I think they are pretty cute, but I don't know how to get them onto the computer yet. I have a new project to undertake. As soon as I figure out how to download my pictures, I will put them on the blog. I really don't know what I am doing!!! Cross your fingers that I will figure it out soon!!

The Beginning

2008-07-08T16:56:00.000-04:00

We have never done a blog before so this could be interesting!!! Brett is joining the Air Force and so we will be moving here before too long and everyone said we needed a blog. So here we go!!