{ life: or something like it. }

Merry Christmas - 2011

2011-12-31T19:24:00.001-07:00

Another Christmas down - how do the years fly by so fast?

This year we spent Christmas with my family, in Perry. We had a good long weekend up there and enjoyed all the festivities of Christmas. Personally, it was probably one of my not so favorite years (due to the fact that I was sicker than sick with a cold, nauseous, and had a sore neck, ... just to name a few) but all in all, Avery had a good time, and that is all that matters!!

Santa Claus brought Avery all sorts of great things... a new baby doll, an Abby Cadabby doll, books (like she needs more of them), a tea set, clothes, blocks...

From both sides of our families she got a shopping cart, some movies, a bike, a wiggle car (which she LOVES), puzzles, another tea set...

The lists could go on forever. Basically, she was spoiled rotten. But, she is so loved, so how can you not??

Sadly, I did somewhat of a bad job in the picture taking department this year. I know, I am horrible. But, if you could have seen how sick and miserable I was, you would understand.

Here are a few pictures that I did manage to take...

june bug.

2011-12-10T21:32:00.011-07:00

Oh wow, this girl is busy. She goes 100 miles an hour, every day, and aside from wearing us out, she also makes us laugh - really hard. She does the funniest stuff, says the funniest things, and has the funnest personality. It is so fun to watch her learn new things and to see her imagination starting to go wild. She is so fun. (Have I used the word "fun" enough yet?)

Here is bit of what Miss Avery June Bug has been up to lately. It's a lot of pictures - so consider yourself warned.

Wearing Mommy's high heels around the house.

Loves her owl hat - loves owl's altogether. (Avery, what does the owl say? Ahh-Ahh.)

Collecting some favorite things from around the house, placing them in the laundry basket, and then sitting in them. How fun is that!?

Ready to go play in the snow!! Yay!

I found her like this the other day: hiding in her closet, sitting in her baby cradle, sucking a binkie that she is not supposed to have anymore (hence the hiding.) When I originally found her here, she was also wearing her bike helmet. Wow, now that was funny.

Almost everyday, Avery gathers ALL her stuffed animals / dollies, throws them up on our bed, begs me to lift her up, lines them all up, and then jumps in the middle of them. She will repeat this over and over and over. Cracks me up.

Enjoying a little Thanksgiving dinner, with her FAVORITE cousins: Aush (Austin), A-e (Ally), and Dobe (Corbin), at Aunt Shiz (Liz) and Unk's (Justin) house. She LOVES these guys. She talks about them daily. She will carefully list each one of their names and then say - house. Meaning, I want to go to their house. Oh, and she loves Cloe - Cloe, too (their dog, Cloey.)

Here again, with the cousins (and Gma Jan), having her very first encounter with Santa. I think its self explanatory how she felt about him.

Another random spot to sit - who wouldn't want to sit in a kitchen drawer?

Watching Abby and Elmo (Sesame Street.) She LOOOOVES Abby and Elmo!

"Helping" daddy rake the leaves.

Looking soooo big - seriously, she looks so grown up in this picture!!

And there you have it, the comings and goings of this adorable little girl.

Love her.

best weekend ever.

2011-12-09T13:21:00.006-07:00

It was one of those weekends that I want to re-live. It was that good. We left Avery with Grandma and headed to Salt Lake for a little "mini getaway." We stayed downtown at the City Center Marriott - which was A-mazing. It was such a nice hotel. We walked out our hotel onto the ice skating rink in the Gallivan Plaza - filled with Christmas lights and all. If you haven't ever stayed downtown, during Christmas, its a must! The lights, the hustle and bustle, the snow... it was so fun. We rode Trax everywhere - and walked a lot too. We shopped and ate at all the best places. We drank lots of hot chocolate, enjoyed Temple Square, slept in, and even got to go to dinner with Joe and Tai one night (they were in town from Seattle!)

We enjoyed every minute of being alone - just us. Like I said, I totally want to re-do the whole weekend! It was perfect.

round #2

2011-11-17T13:14:00.003-07:00

Ready or not, baby #2 is in progress. 9 weeks along, to be exact.

Wow! I was shocked. I mean, happy and excited, but shocked. After all my trauma, 3 weeks after delivering Avery, I thought conceiving #2 would be rough. I went through all sorts of tests and doctors (blah blah blah) and I have to admit, it had me a tad nervous (not to mention all my other problems in that area.) But, just as before, it didn't take long at all! I feel blessed for that. I have seen so many close friends suffer through the woes of not being able to get pregnant, so to have had it this easy, thus far, is a miracle in my eyes.

So far this pregnancy has been different. At least I think it has. Maybe I have just forgotten, but I swear I never got this sick with Avery. I have had a rough couple of weeks. The nausea has been enough to throw me over the edge. And my energy.... gone. Which in turn means I don't get a whole lot done throughout the course of my day. I make it to the gym every morning - and then I crash. Like, literally, I crash. My hair... not being done. My comfy sweats... are almost worn out. My house... is a mess. My husband... is getting use to cold cereal for dinner. Oh the joys.

June 24th is said to be the big day. Man, that seems like forever away!! I know it will come fast though! We are now in a mad dash to get our house built. As soon as spring is here we will start... and hope that we can get it all finished before the baby comes - which could get interesting. I am keeping my fingers crossed it will happen.

So, here is to the next 7 months. Wish me luck.

Family Pictures - Fall 2011

2011-11-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

halloween - 2011.

2011-11-01T13:56:00.001-06:00

This year was a fun one! Avery was the cutest ladybug in town. She enjoyed all the Halloween festivities - especially all the candy!! She loved the "punky's" (aka pumpkins) and loved answering the door for all the trick-or-treater's. We did attempt to do some trick-or-treating of our own, but Avery didn't love that as much. She would not walk up to any one's door - she made them come to her out on the sidewalk. I think she was afraid that I was going to leave her there. She gladly accepted the candy, however, as we made our way from house to house. The weather was perfect - not too cold, which made the night even better.

panguitch.

2011-10-15T13:26:00.001-06:00

Lazy weekends in Panguitch are always the best, especially when Sarah and Austin decide to come!

We (I) typically don't do much more than eat, relax and eat some more when we are here, but we did actually go for a few rides and enjoy the (somewhat) nice weather this time around. Which was nice seeing how a few more weeks and it will be winter (ahhh!)

summer in review.

2011-10-08T19:51:00.011-06:00

How is it that summer is already over? September came and went in the blink of an eye, and now October is in full swing. Which is fine, I am always excited for Fall... but the cold/rainy/snowy weather the past few days has been a bit out of my comfort zone. I needed just a few more weeks of nice weather. Just a few. Then the cold can take over.

Anyway, here are some highlights from our summer.

Flower pots.

Weekends at the cabin.

My first 5k.

Weekends at Grandma and Grandpa's house (LOVNG the cats.)

Piggy PJ's

Swimmin' at the Richfield pool.

Planting our garden.

Vegas.

4th of July Fireworks.

Ice cream cones.

First time at Lagoon.

Colorado.

Runnin' the river with all the Bostwicks.

Family Reunion.

Sprinklers.

Books, books, and more books.

Lots of Daddy time.

New bike.

Cowgirl Boots.

St. George rodeo.

Tuachan - Little Mermaid (LOVED it!)

And I think that is where I will draw the line as to where our summer ended.

We had a great summer and we're sad its over, but we're ready for Fall and all the favorite's that come with it!!

Good-bye summer... see you next year.

18 month photo shoot.

2011-09-29T20:08:00.004-06:00

I normally would choose just a few pictures to post, but I could not seem to choose. I have too many favorites!! Which was a pleasant surprise seeing how this adorable child of mine decided at the last minute (upon entering the photo studio) that she WAS NOT in the mood for pictures. Kicking, screaming, tears... all of it. I thought for sure it was going to be a bust. So, I was beyond thrilled with the result.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love this baby of mine?

happy birthday daddy.

2011-09-25T20:43:00.001-06:00

Birthday sign... check.

Cupcakes and candles... check.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We really do love you!!

naughty and nice.

2011-09-23T20:44:00.003-06:00

So, so naughty...

Yet so undeniably cute.

No matter how much attitude this little girl is sportin', this smile makes it all okay.

corn on the cob.

2011-09-13T20:38:00.002-06:00

Avery's
new
favorite
food.
Nothing beats fresh corn on the cob... nothing.

a new bike.

2011-09-09T12:29:00.003-06:00

For this little girl.

She loves it - even if her helmet is a bit too big.
With a little more practice she will be a pro.

Insert tears here.
How is my baby already big enough to ride a bike?

our labor day: 2011

2011-09-05T20:41:00.010-06:00

hiking. pizza. long naps. attempted backyard camp-out. banana oatmeal cookies. sunday afternoon walk. playin' at the park. flags up, flags down. maple bar donuts. jeepin' with the top down. high school football game. chinese. relaxation. new bike. corn on the cob. movies. cantaloupe. gardening. new friends. books. yard work.

a great weekend.

the end.

i am a mom.

2011-08-31T19:07:00.004-06:00

I search the house for sippy cups full of milk.
I wipe a runny nose every 5 minutes.
I eat PB&J for lunch everyday, and like it.
I scrub down a sticky highchair 3 times a day.
I sing primary songs before bed.
I know what "ugh ugh ugh" means.
I don't mind sticky hands on my clean shirt.
I don't even know what high heels are anymore.
I pee with the door open.
I slide down slides and swing on swings.
I clean up scattered books throughout the entire day.
I find measuring cups in my bathroom drawers.
I enjoy slobbery kisses.
I have a purse full of "nack nacks."
I sometimes don't have time to do my hair and make-up.
I can do most things one handed.
I always have bananas, cheese, and milk in stock.
I have hand-prints on my glass door and windows.
I have a messy car.
I wake up in the morning to a sweet voice calling my name from down the hall.
I hold baby dolly's and give them kisses.
I can put pig-tails in with zero cooperation.
I give horsey rides.
I count to 3 a lot.
I kiss owie's all better.

I love being a mom.

Even on the hard days.

All about Avery.

2011-08-28T12:49:00.000-06:00

Where to start?

This little girl is growing so big and is full of so many changes. It seems I am constantly saying to myself "I need to write that down" ... so here we go, a post all about Avery.

She is talking up a storm, learning new words everyday. Her most frequent words include: thank-you, eye, Jesus, book, grandma, grandpa, cookie, boots, cheese, apple, ball, bee, please, baby, and there-it-is. She also has "kinda words" for things such as: nack nacks (fruit snacks), mimi (binkie), and vrum-vrum (daddy's jeep.)

She has all the animal sounds down - which is a total crack up. The pig and kitty are my favorite... maybe the lizard, too. Okay, all of them are dang cute.

She loves to point to body parts, such as: eyes, nose, ears, mouth, chin, and belly. Watch out on the belly one - she will insist on seeing your belly. She also loves toes and loves playing "this little piggy" on them. Her favorite part: Wee, wee, wee, wee, all the way home. She does it so well, racing her hand up your leg to tickle you. I love it.

She is entertaining the idea of potty training - all on her own. I started putting her on the potty before baths, just to get her thinking about it, and now, she insists on going potty by herself. We aren't all the way trained yet, but seriously getting close. That's a scary thought. Personally, I am not sure I am ready for it.

She loves to sit out on the front porch and wait for daddy to come from work. Most days, around 4:00, we go out to wait. The second she sees his jeep come around the corner she squeals in delight! Kurtis honks the horn all the way to the driveway and is just as excited to see her as she is him. It melts my heart every time.

She still loves books more than anything. She spends so much time in her room surrounded by a pile of books. She pretends she can read, turning each page, and pointing to all the pictures. Her little voice raises up and down as she "reads" each page. It is the cutest thing.

She loves piles of clothes, so laundry day is a real treat for her. She sits in the middle of each pile and examines each article of clothing. She puts pants on her head and shirts on her legs.

She loves her dollies. She tucks them under her arm and takes them everywhere she goes. She takes them for rides in her baby stroller and wraps them in blankets. She also loves her stuffed animals... her monkey had to go swimming with us the other day and today she insisted that her cow sit in the highchair with her while she ate lunch.

She gets WILD after bath time. Its like her last attempt to get our minds off the idea of bedtime. Speaking of bedtime... she still makes life easy for us here. She goes down effortlessly and sleeps 12+ hours every night (with a 2-3 hours nap during the day.) I pray that all my children are this easy.

She loves to say "hi." If you have been around her lately you definitely know this to be true. Being in public is always entertaining, as she says it to EVERYONE she sees. People get a real kick out of her at the grocery store, restaurants, and church (even if it is during the prayer.) Oh, and if you don't say "hi" back she will go into repeat mode until you do. "hi, hi, hi, hi" ... actually, even if you do say it back she still goes into repeat mode. Kind of embarrassing... but oh so cute.

She loves clocks and points to them with great excitement.

She insists on feeding herself, which pretty much means cleaning up has become my new full time job. She eats lots of apple sauce, oatmeal, and yogurt. But her most favorite food is cheese. We go through lots of cheese around here. She also loves grapes and pb&j sandwiches. Fruit snacks and marshmallows are her favorite treat... and nilla cookies, too.

Oh Avery June, we love you.

a bringing up to date.

2011-08-13T08:51:00.009-06:00

On life, that is.

{I feel like I have neglected to include the little day-to-day things in my blogging. And as I have starting to convert my blog into books it has made me realize how important my blog and its information really is! So please bear with me as I document all the non-important details that our lives currently include.}

My Birthday:
Was great. Although I turned 28. Something about inching towards 30 that has me freaked out. How did I get this old? Anyway, I had a great day filled with all the things I love. My husband, my baby, shopping, and eating out. Kurtis surprised me and came home from work early, and informed me we were heading to St. George so I could do some Birthday shopping in a city with real stores. Real - as in my favorites. So we headed down, dropped Miss Avery off at Grandma's (thanks Jan), and shopped. Then I picked the best restaurant ever to eat at. Don Pedros. Which Kurtis was a bit surprised at. "We eat here all the time." But its my favorite. Carne Asada, salsa, and guacamole. Can't beat it. Jan kept Avery for the weekend and Kurtis and I headed home Saturday to attend his company party at Fish Lake. We then went to church without a busy 1 1/2 year old - which was great... but also strange. We both missed her. After church we drove to the cabin in Panguitch to pick her up. She had a fun time with Grandma and Grandpa! So, that's that. Happy Birthday to me.

Richfield:
It has been a solid 3 months now since we moved. I am happy to report that I absolutely love it here. Truly. I love the feel of a small town and the slow pace. Life is so much simpler here. We love our ward, too. Of course we already have callings, activity days for me and Sunday school teacher for Kurtis. Not too bad. We still are enjoying our little house, but we are starting to get a little antsy about finding a place of our own. We have looked at a few houses but nothing we really love so far. We found a piece of property that is for sale, in a neighborhood we like, so we are in the decision stage of whether to buy it and start building. Kurtis and I are not very good a big decisions, he says its up to me and I say its up to him. So, we'll see. Hopefully one of us will get the courage to decide.

A free Saturday:
Which would be today. First free Saturday to do whatever I want in a looooong time! Months! I have been deep cleaning my house (floors so clean we might eat dinner on them tonight!), blogging, baking, laundry... basically all the things I never have time for! And all of this fun has been accomplished with my music (today's music choice: Rascal Flats) turned up on high! My favorite thing to do - makes cleaning seem not so boring! This summer has been so full of busyness that it feels good to finally have some down time.

Zucchini Bread:
I was warned about the plethora of Zucchini's my little plant would produce - but seriously, this thing is wild! I can't keep up with it! It has taken oven my whole backyard! Today I attempted to make Zucchini bread, which seems like an easy task... Well apparently its not because I have had no luck getting it right. Under done, soggy middle, stuck to the pan, mess. Oh well, at least I tried. And I feel much less guilty throwing a lump of soggy bread away than a beautiful green Zucchini squash.

Bad Luck:
With my car. Just to catch you up, in the past year I manged to pretty much trash my car, mostly by no fault of my own. Everything from the valet driver that smashed in the front fender, the hit and run in the Target parking lot, the snow storm I was stuck in and had to be pushed up the hill by another car (deep scratches across my back bumper), and then a "on the loose shopping cart" in the Wal-mart parking lot on a very windy day. All of this bad luck was finally put to rest (or so I thought) when we forked out the money to get my car looking back into tip-top shape. Yay! I was so excited and loved having my perfect car back again. Well, it didn't last long. On the way to St. George last weekend a semi in front of us blew a tire and it came right for us - it whipped under my car and somehow ripped off a part from down below the headlight. It also left some chipped paint. I pretty much think that my car is jinxed (or I am?) and that I better just start riding a bike - with a baby carrier on the back.

Going to the gym:
Has pretty much been non-existent from my vocabulary for the past... oh, 3 years or so. Until we moved to Richfield. They have the best gym here. Its a small town, little, old gym that I absolutely love. It has a small daycare that takes kids in the morning (a great lady named Sandy, who Avery absolutely loves!) I have, for whatever reason, been faithful about going everyday. Avery and I both look forward to our 8am gym class (Zumba being my favorite!) I'm not getting any skinnier (dang-it) but I feel better, and really, I just like going. Weird. Did I mention that it is free? Even better! (Kurt's work pays for it.)

Dr. Pepper:
Okay, seriously, if you know me at all you know that my soda of choice changes often. Cherry Coke, Diet Coke, Pepsi... well these days its Dr. Pepper. You also know that I go back and forth in my soda drinking all together. Some weeks I am a soda drinker and some weeks I am not. Well this week I am. Ahhhh, what is it about those bubbles that is so addicting!? I am craving one right now!

SUU flashbacks:
A few weeks ago, when I was in SLC for work, I got together with one of my old friends from SUU for a quick lunch. Chelsea and I had not seen each other in over 8 years! It was soooo fun to see her and to catch up! She is such a cute girl and I am so glad we are back in touch! What was even better, SHE suggested we go to Cheesecake Factory. (Usually I have to beg people to go there, because I love it, but not this time. Thanks, Chelsea!)

I think that should do it in the catch up department - at least for now. I think I have documented just about all the non-sense my brain can handle for one day.
Good-night.

all about daddy.

2011-08-09T22:01:00.000-06:00

Most little girls like walking around in their mommies shoes...

Well, not this little girl.
She loves walking around in her daddies shoes instead.

Quick catch up.

2011-07-30T21:57:00.010-06:00

Is it just me, or is this summer flying by faster than ever?

Here is a quick review of what we have been up to.

Hoogle Zoo to see all the animals.

With G'ma and G'pa Noyes - even better!

Avery LOVES her G'pa!

We got to see the Angel Moroni being placed on top of the new Brigham City Temple (my home town.) It was a very windy day, as you can see, but I am glad we were there to see it!

Avery playing in the water at grandma and grandpa's house.

She has turned into a little fish - LOVING the water these days!

And how about a little ice cream cone, too!

Avery's first trip to Lagoon! We went with my family - my brother and his family were visiting from Oregon. Avery loved meeting her cousins that she had never met before.

She loved all the rides...

Especially this one! She screamed when it was over and had to ride it about 5 times in a row before she would calmly walk away.

We have been enjoying the fruit of our labors from the little garden I planted this year. (Lots of labor I might add - who knew a garden required so much work. Why didn't anyone warn me? Sheesh!)

And how about spending way too much of my time cleaning up after this little one. Messes in every room she graces. Her favorite mess to date... emptying all of her clothes from her drawers and scattering them all over the house...

Fun!

And last - more sprinklers. On a daily basis Avery brings me her swimsuit and BEGS (aka - whines) to put it on so we can go outside and run through the sprinklers. How can I say no when she clearly loves it so much?

I am to the point this summer where all I want to do... is stay home! We have had so much fun being out and about, but, I am exhausted. Too bad there aren't any lazy, relaxing weekends in the forecast... I guess we will just have to keep having fun. Darn.

Gotta love the 4th of July.

2011-07-05T14:05:00.018-06:00

As I have said before, I love the 4th of July. It is most definitely one of my favorite holidays. The summer, the food, the fireworks... all of it makes me happy.

This year we went to Vegas where our good friends, Sarah and Austin, live. Coincidentally we have spent the past 3 fourth of July's with them - so we figure we better just make it tradition from now on. Fine by us!

Sarah and Austin just had their first baby girl and we were so excited to finally get the chance to meet her! Tatumn is such a beautiful baby! We went down to Vegas for the blessing and had a great time.

I think Kurt may have become a bit baby hungry, holding baby Tatumn, but I told him he needed to think long and hard about it before he got too wrapped up in the thought.

{Okay, so I might have that mixed up a little bit - it may have been ME that got baby hungry after holding the adorable Tatumn... I can't really remember exactly how it went, but either way, Tatumn is ADORABLE and we all loved every bit of her!}

Being in Vegas, you know we had to go out and do some shopping... one of Kurt and Avery's favorite things to do (yeah right!)

Give Avery a bag of mini marshmallows and she's happy as can be...

Kurtis on the other hand is a bit harder to control... I usually don't claim him when we are out in public... instead of an easy fix (like a bag of marshmallows) he finds much more embarrassing things to keep himself entertained.

Case in point:

Oh well - these boys always make me laugh, so I won't complain!

The next day was the blessing. Austin did an amazing job. It is so fun to see him as a daddy! Kurtis and Austin have been such great friends for such a long time - so seeing them together for special events like this is always special. We are so happy we were able to be there.

Group shot - where Miss Avery would absolutely NOT put her bottle down for the picture.

The next day we went swimming - which was the PERFECT thing to do on a HOT Vegas day!

Avery LOVES the water and had so much fun! And of course, she was rocking her shades the entire time.

Just relaxing poolside...

And what would lounging by the pool be without sippin' on a little Pina Colada? Just like her mama, she loved it.

That night we all went to BJ's - which is one of our most favorite places to eat!

Avery was the star of the show all decked out in her 4th of July outfit.

We headed home Monday afternoon so we could catch the Richfield fireworks.

We had the best view in town, right from our front porch!

Waiting for the fireworks to start...

Being silly...

Avery managed to stay up and even though it was an amazing show she wasn't interested in them for long. After the first few she didn't think they were all that cool anymore and started collecting rocks from the side of the road instead... she had the time of her life. Interesting, that child of mine.

Hope everyone had a Happy (and safe) 4th of July!

balloon festival 2011

2011-06-26T20:25:00.010-06:00

This was our 3rd year of attending the balloon festival. It has become something I look forward to every summer. Needless to say, it has now become a Thompson family tradition. What makes it even better is that the cabin was done this year - which makes for a really fun weekend in the cool, sleepy town of Panguitch.

This year my Sister-in-Law and I decided to run the 5k race on Saturday morning. It was the first time for both of us - so we were both a bit nervous on how we would do (or if we would even make it!) To our surprise we both did great and really enjoyed it!

Here are some pictures from our fun weekend...

Our usual shot in front of the big balloons.

Group shot (minus Jan and Kenny.) We tried to get a good shot with the balloons lit up behind us - but after what seemed like a million tries we gave up... this is about the best we could do.

We just so happen to run into some of our BEST friends - Jeff and Melis! Okay, really, we invited them to come and to my surprise they actually came! I have been telling Melissa every year that she needed to come and I was so happy they made it this time! Micah and Halie seemed to love it and even commented that it was better than Sea World! Totally agree.

Liz and I before the race. Look at all those balloons in the background - the perfect view for our run ahead!

Little Aust ran too - and he did AWESOME! Good Job Austin!

Just about to take off from the starting line - asking Liz one last time... "are you sure we want to do this?"

And here is the famous after shot... beautiful, I know (blah). I came in 15th (out of 60) and did it in 32 minutes. To some that may not sound all that great - but to me it was! For my out-of-shape booty I was just happy to make it across that finish line!

And last but not least - little missy in all her glory, having the time of her life.

Enjoying all the treats a 16 month old could ask for...

Loving on Cousin Ally...

Having Daddy pack her around...

Spending time with Grandma Jan (who she loves more than me)...

And watching all the balloons light up in the sky. (She doesn't look all that happy here - but I promise she was. The binky rule was broken in order to keep her that way throughout our late night of festivities!)

We had such a fun weekend and can't wait for next year!!

summer - so far.

2011-06-11T21:24:00.010-06:00

So many things to document - and we are only a few weeks in to summer!

I do have to say, we have been thoroughly enjoying the warm sunshine the past few weeks - we were done with all the rain! I am happy it is actually starting to feel like summer - FINALLY!

Here are a few of the things that we have been up to...

Learning how to say "cheese" for the camera.

And more importantly, learning how to take off our own diaper, put on our hat, and sneak a peek into mommy's "no touch" drawer.

Spending weekends at the cabin in Panguitch.

Where we can roam free in the meadow....

Relax in the hammock...

Kick it with the boys on the porch...

Play in the biggest pile of dirt you will ever see...

And eat all the Birthday cake a girl could want!

{Thanks to the Birthday Boy, Corbin.}

In other news, Avery has been loving the daily chore of watering the flowers.

She has it down to an art - and takes the job very seriously.

Playing on the toys at the mall - and throwing a major (aka- embarrassing) fit when it was time to get off.

And the swimming pool...

Avery is IN LOVE with her new pool.

Actually, we both have been loving it - cause as you can see, mommy needs a tan!

Taking a quick break from yard work to re-fuel and cuddle dolly.

And last, but not least, going to lunch today with G'ma and G'pa Thompson.

So far this summer, life has been good. We have lots of busyness still to come - lots of places to go and things to do - but that is what makes summer so fun! And sadly, what makes it fly by so fast.

sunglasses and piggy tails.

2011-05-22T15:14:00.013-06:00

I think all these pictures say enough on their own, but in case you need some explanation...

Avery's hair is finally long enough for pig's... which was an exciting moment for ME. Her hair is finally to the stage where I can actually play with it, curl it, and make it look "pretty." She isn't as scared of the curling iron anymore - which has made the whole hair doing process a bit easier. She use to cry every time she even looked at a curling iron (she is scared of anything that has a cord attached... poor girl.)

She also has a new pair of sunglasses that she absolutely loves. She wears them everywhere and thinks she looks pretty cool in them. What one year old actually keeps sunglasses on? Strangely, mine does.

We happen to think she looks pretty darn cute in them (pigtails and sunglasses), so naturally we have taken about a hundred and one pictures.

(no pig tails or sunglasses here, but you gotta love the hat she also sports around in.)

As I always say, I LOVE this girl to pieces!

home sweet home.

2011-05-18T20:38:00.006-06:00

Well, we made it.

All moved in, unpacked, settled, and starting to feel back to normal again.

It was a crazy couple of weeks, but we still managed to have fun and enjoy all the craziness!

Graduation went well and it turned out to be a great day.

My cute husband - such a proud wife I am. I could have just ate him up all dressed in his cap and gown.

The "after graduation" picture - the best we could do anyway. Avery was not in the picture taking mood after sitting through the whole graduation... go figure.

Kurt gave his stole and tassel to Avery and I - naturally, we wore them proudly.

We said our final goodbye's to the University of Utah and made our way out.

We all went to lunch at Rodizio Grill afterwards. It was fun to be together with both sides of the family to celebrate. Thanks to everyone who came to be there for Kurtis.

We headed back home and continued packing and loading. Ugh, what a job!

Avery seemed to enjoy it though. She was in heaven... she had both Grandma's at her beck and call all day and she loved every minute of it.

Our last night sitting out on the back porch. I could have possibly shed a few tears here in this moment, but I don't really remember... okay fine, I did.

The next morning we headed out. U-haul packed and ready to go. Not to mention a whole other 20 foot trailer, a Yukon, my car, Kurt's Jeep, and my parents car... all packed to the brim. I know, I know - I have waaaay too much stuff. Trust me, I heard about it more than once.

Good-bye to our amazing view of the Temple - we will miss seeing it everyday.

I cried my eyes out as we pulled out of the driveway and headed down the road.

Good-bye, Draper. You will be missed.

And that's that. We are here, in Richfield, and so far so good. No complaints... other than I do admit to already having some shopping withdrawls - and its only been a week and a half...

I might be in trouble.

Anniversary #2

2011-05-08T23:58:00.000-06:00

Two years down... Eternity left to go.

I love you, Kurt.

Richfield.... here we come.

2011-05-04T20:55:00.006-06:00

Wow - I can't believe its finally here. It seems like we have been talking about "the big move" for so long, so it never felt like it was really going to happen.

But here we are. All boxed up and ready to head out.

Kurt graduates on Friday and we plan to take off the next day (Saturday). He has all of next week off and then will start his "real" job as a "real" Engineer on that next Monday. I am so proud of him for all his hard work... (more on his graduation later).

As I sit here in a room full of boxes and bare walls, I'm starting to get sentimental. So many memories have taken place here in our perfect basement apartment and I am sad to leave.

As I pulled Avery's room apart today I couldn't help but think about all the "firsts" that have taken place here over the past two years... As you can imagine, the tears started flowing as I briefly relived everything that has taken place here.

Kurtis keeps a close eye on me - as he knows that at a drop of a hat my emotions can take a sharp turn. He has known me through enough moves to know that I always get emotional. As the walls become bare and the boxes become full, I without doubt start to tear up.

I know that once we get all settled into our new place things will be fine. New memories will form and a whole new world of "firsts" will come along. But I feel sad to leave everything we have here behind.

I will miss everything about the past two years.

Richfield is going to be an interesting adjustment. And that is literally what it will be - an adjustment. No more mall, no more Target, no more Hobby Lobby, and no more (gasp) Chick-fil-a. Although this move might be a bit rough, I am excited to get back to my small town roots. No more traffic to battle, no more driving 30 mins to get to Walmart, and no more yucky inversion. I love the feel of a small town and am looking forward to everything that it has to offer.

We are renting a cute, little old house in Richfield. The home belongs to my mom's neighbors sister (follow that?) who moved out of the home a few years ago. Her husband passed away a few years back and she re-married and moved in with her new husband. Her home has sat empty ever since and when she heard about us moving to Richfield she called me to see if we wanted to rent it out. Worked out perfect for us - and for her. It was nice to not have to play the "search for a place to live" game. Thanks, Mom, for networking to all your friends about my life - it worked out perfectly!

Now, this house has definitely got some character... to say the least. Different colored carpet in every room, floor to ceiling wallpaper, mint green counter tops and wood paneled walls. I am determined to put my OCD to rest for the short time we live here. We will make it work, with a positive attitude, until we figure out what we want to do... Build or buy? And in which town? So many decisions to make... so we will take our time, feel it out, and go from there. In the mean time, my daughter will have to live with a room of pink carpet and pink floral wallpaper... yay.

One last thing... I want to thank all of those that have helped us this past week in the hustle and bustle of moving. Babysitting miss Avery so we could actually get stuff done... bringing us dinner since our kitchen is all packed up... and driving all the way to Richfield to help me clean the house (love you mom and dad!) We appreciate it all! And to all of those that will be helping us in the next few days - loading, unloading and all the in between - thank you. We have such great friends and family!

Cheers to moving!

Wish us luck.

easter 2011.

2011-04-27T15:13:00.001-06:00

Our Easter started a little early.

On Thursday, Grandma and Grandpa Thompson came for a visit from St. George and brought Avery her Easter goodies. They also brought Easter goodies from the rest of the Thompson's - which we loved. Sugar cookies and homemade chocolates!! Mmmmm! Thanks guys!

On Saturday we went back to The Hee Haw Farm, in Pleasant Grove, with my family. Grandma and Grandpa Noyes, my sister and her boyfriend, my sis-in-law and niece and nephew all came down to enjoy the farm.

The farm put on a big Easter Egg hunt and then we had fun playing and holding all the baby animals.

Going with dad to find some eggs...

Found one!

Avery loved going down the slide - her and Kurt's face's are priceless here!

Hunting for more eggs.

Playin in the hay - look at that face! Love it!

We had a fun morning!

We then drove back to Perry to color eggs!

Here, Avery is pulling one (of many) of her funny faces - she is so hilarious with her face pulling.

We love to color eggs - well at least I do!

Then we had a mini Easter egg hunt of our own - in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard.

Avery loved finding the eggs and putting them in her basket - she loved even more opening them to see what was inside. I think she got her fair share of candy.

Group shot - the best we could manage, anyway.

The kids had fun playing on the tramp with Auntie Tina.

We stayed the night and Avery woke up to find her basket.

She had fun going through it and pulling everything out. She again loved opening all the eggs to see what was inside.

We now have eggs scattered through out our whole house and Avery is still finding random pieces of candy in them... wonderful.

We drove back home on Sunday morning and went to church. This is our best attempt to get a picture of miss Avery... as you can clearly see, it wasn't successful - but that is what you get when you wait to take the picture after church is over. Feel free to zoom in on this one - its pretty funny.

We had a great Easter weekend with all our family. We are sad its over though because now we have to face reality and get to work on packing up so we can move next weekend....

Blah.

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

some things never change.

2011-04-13T19:52:00.001-06:00

April 2010.

April 2011.

Kurt will hate me for posting these pics of him... but how could I not?

{Sigh}

Love them both.

it's the simple things in life... that make me happy.

2011-04-10T19:41:00.004-06:00

A couple of days ago, I woke up in the worst mood, ever.

It was one of those mornings where I wanted to hide under the covers and stay there all day long.

Unfortunately, the joyous sounds from an angry child (sick of being ignored in her crib) forced me back to reality. So, I rolled out of bed.

I hated the dishes in the sink. Despised the growing stack of laundry that had remained untouched all week. Was irritated at every email/phone call I got from work. And wanted to fight with whomever decided it needed to snow.

At that point, my morning was not looking so great.

But then, I walked into the kitchen and found this:

And it made me laugh.

And then, I painted my fingernails a color called "cajun shrimp" ...

And it made me smile.

Later, I made some oatmeal cookies... And I pretty much ate the whole batch myself.

I then happened to notice these tiny shoes by the back door... And I felt blessed.

And then, at about 6:00pm, I realized Avery and I were both still in our jammie's...

And I was totally content.

My day ended up to be not so bad.

It's amazing what can happen when you stop, take a look around, and realize how great life really is.

hee haw.

2011-04-06T20:22:00.016-06:00

Welcome to Hee Haw Farm. The funnest place on earth. Seriously!

Being early Spring, all the baby animals are being born. They are all so cute!

I could have stayed and played all day!

Oh, and Avery loved The Hee Haw Farm, too!

Here are a few pictures from our fun day... okay, maybe more than few.

{Look at these adorable PIGLETS!! I LOVE them.}

Da Da, can we come back tomorrow?

I recommend taking a visit to this cute little farm in Pleasant Grove.

We had such a fun day!

poor baby.

2011-03-31T11:53:00.007-06:00

On Monday, Avery had her first "real" accident. She fell on the tile floor and landed face first. Seems somewhat normal for a toddling one year old... but Avery had her bottle in her hand and so she wasn't able to catch her fall.

I reached down and picked her up. I quickly examined her head, thinking she hit it on the tile. Of course, she was crying, and I then noticed she had blood coming out of her mouth. My first thought was that she had bitten her cheek or tongue... As I looked closer I saw that one of her front teeth was missing! At first glance, it looked like the tooth had been knocked all the way out, but when I looked closer I could still see a little white spot where the tooth had once been... did it break off? Or did it get pushed up into her gums (is that even possible?)

Naturally, as any first time mom would do, I panicked.

Actually, I contained composure through the blood and tears and even safely made my way to the Doctors office. He took one look at it and said, and I quote, "I know you don't want to hear this, but this is rare, I don't know what to do, you need to call a pediatric dentist."

Wonderful.

After he checked her lounges to make sure the tooth hadn't been ingested he gave me the name of a good pediatric dentist and wished me luck.

I took the referral card from my Doc and headed straight to the dentists office. They got her in right away, took some x-rays, and confirmed that the tooth had actually been pushed all the way up into her gums.

The dentist gave me a quick pep talk, informing me of what he was going to have to do... "this isn't going to be fun but I need you to hold her as tight as you can, this is going to hurt."

The dentist pried open her little mouth, and by hand, literally shoved her tooth back down to the surface...

After many tears (both mine and hers) out popped her little baby tooth.

Poor baby girl.

As you can see, a swollen face with a little bruising was what we woke up to the next morning... but she didn't let it get her down. As always, she was a good girl through the whole thing.

I think things like this are harder on us moms than on our babies.

PS- notice the pony tail Avery is sporting? First pony tail, ever! Love it!

holey moley...

2011-03-30T16:11:00.014-06:00

Its been a crazy month! We have been out of town almost every weekend this month!

{Missing church that many Sundays in a row makes my 6th ward peeps a little nervous, but do not fret, we are alive - not inactive!}

Here is what we have been up to...

Hiking in the St. George red hills... Which is exhausting! Afternoons at the St. George park, practicing Avery's cheer leading moves... And strolling along with two of her favorite people.

Swinging on the baby swing! Oh wow, she LOVED the swings!

A little skeptical about the slide, but still fun.

All in all, going to the park on a sunny Sunday afternoon is well worth the 4 hour drive.

............................................................................................................................................................

While at home we did happen to get a few warm days... warm is maybe taking it a bit too far, but we did see some sunlight.

Avery begs to go outside and thinks running around on the cold concrete is the best thing ever. Strange, that child of mine.

Here is Avery getting ready for another hike, proudly sporting her Minnie Mouse baseball hat.

................................................................................................................................................................

We spent a weekend at Grandma and Grandpa Noyes' house and found some of our other favorite people! Cousins! Yay, Avery says!

Drinking her bottle with Grandpa. I love this picture. Almost makes me teary. Avery loves her Grandpa Noyes!

...............................................................................................................................................................

I threw a baby shower for my good friend, Tai. She came "home" to Utah (from Washington) for one weekend to squeeze in all her baby showers. It was so fun to see her pregnant! What a cutie she is. The shower went well... a HUGE thanks to Maresa and Ash for all the help!

Its always fun to get together with all the BC gals... love them all!

.............................................................................................................................................................

We then took another trip to St. George, although we picked the cold rainy weekend to go. Bummer.

We had fun though!

We found some baby chicks at Donna's house... Avery was ecstatic! She went crazy trying to get at them! Good thing there was a wire cage between her and them... pretty sure she would have mauled a few had it not been there!

An air mattress and the kitty book... what could be better?

Enjoying more of that Dixie sunshine!

Oh! And the wiggle cars!

Avery LOVES the wiggle cars!

Goodbye, March.

It's been fun.

THE Party Details

2011-03-05T21:39:00.010-07:00

The invite.

The set up.

The Birthday Girl.

The Cousins.

The Presents.

The aftermath - and on her way to the bath.

{I got great video of the cake experience - but no still shots.}

I think I am still in denial about my baby being one...

We had a great time! Thanks to all our fam for coming, and for all the great presents!!

it seems like just yesterday....

2011-03-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

I was as big as a house, anxious for our first baby girl to arrive.

On March 2nd (2 days late) she made her grand entrance, and changed our lives forever.

She was the most adorable thing we had ever seen. We were instantly in love.

Every day she seemed to change.

Full of so many smiles.

And so much personality.

From her first bath...

Her first Easter...

And her first time sitting up...

She had us wrapped around her little tiny finger.

Her yummy cheeks are so kissable.

Her silly faces are hilarious.

She literally melts my heart.

Happy 1st Birthday, Avery June Bug! We love you!

I LOVE....

2011-02-26T14:33:00.002-07:00

My assistant, Amy. About 6 months ago the company I work for hired me an assistant. She is wonderful. She does soooo much for me and makes my job 100 times easier. I joke with her all the time and threaten her to never leave (no seriously Amy, never leave). She is wonderful. She even makes house calls... she comes to my house and does all my filing (since I work from home), delivers me office supplies, and even babysits Avery for me on the days I do go into the office. She is a true gem and I am not sure I could survive without her.

Cookie dough. Gosh, I hate it when I get addicted to the unhealthy stuff. The front of the package clearly reads "do not consume raw cookie dough" and yet I still eat it by the gobs.

Sunshine. I want to bust out my shorts and flip flops. I want to take Avery to the park. I want to plant my flower pots. I want to lay out on my back patio and listen to the warm breeze blow through the canyon. I want summer. Bad.

Using a new tube of mascara. Is that strange? Its like the best feeling when you open it for the first time and its all clean and sleek... not dried out and clumpy.

My sweet baby girl... you didn't think I would leave her out of this, now did you? She is seriously the best baby EVER. She eats whatever we give her, sleeps 12 hours a night, still takes 2 naps a day, plays contently by herself, rides well in the car, goes to bed at night effortlessly, and seriously makes life complete. Definitely LOVE her.

Chick-fil-a. Okay, if you know me at all this is not news. And if you know my love for Chick-fil-a you probably also know my love for Jimmy Johns. Well interestingly enough they just built a new Jimmy Johns right by my office - the office I no longer go to everyday... hmmm... Even more interesting is I just heard they are now building a Chick-fil-a there too! (Whats next? Cafe Rio?) Why do they build them NOW? Now that I don't drive to the office everyday. Oh, and all my co-workers, they think its hilarious. They KNOW my love for Chick-fil-a and Jimmy Johns and find it amusing to send me random emails about where they are all going to lunch... how cruel.

S'more Pop Tarts with a big, tall, ice cold glass of milk. 400 calories and worth every single one of them.

The manicure and pedicure I just had done. Its been a whole year since my last pedicure... ONE WHOLE YEAR! Ahhh, it felt wonderful. (Love Kurt for giving me the gift certificate!)

Many more things I love, but these things seem to stand above the rest.

Valentines - Part 2

2011-02-15T17:03:00.009-07:00

I'm not sure why, but for some reason I love Valentines Day. I understand that its just a commercialized excuse to waste money... but its still one of my favorites. Possibly because it means January (my most busy month for work) is over ... or maybe because I enjoy any excuse to be festive...

What ever the reason, I love it.

Avery was dressed for the occasion - looking as cute as ever.

Walking, babbling, and pointing - this girl's top 3 favorite things to do these days.

Posing with mom.

Kurt had a "extra" surprise Valentine present for Avery when he got home - a new car seat! Time to face forward! We (all) love it! A few weeks shy of one year - but close enough.

As we were pulling out to go to dinner we had a surprise card in the mail. A Valentine card from G'ma and G'pa Noyes! Enclosed was some money for Avery's piggy bank and a sweet love note.

When we got home from dinner, G'ma Jan was at our house with some goodies.

Treats from the fam back in St. George. (Thanks guys!)

And what holiday would be complete without sugar cookies from Aunt Tammy...

Kurt didn't waste any time and dove right in - these are his FAVORITE!

Avery tasted a few things too - and loved it all.

Until next year, Happy Valentines Day.

PS - In case you wondered, my Valentines ended with a gift card to my favorite day spa. Thanks babe - good job!

my two valentines.

2011-02-14T10:56:00.005-07:00

Opening their Valentine gifts...

Enjoying a chocolate covered heart marshmallow... yum!

What can i say... i love both my valentines to pieces!

pictures for grandma jan.

2011-01-23T20:19:00.009-07:00

While we were in St. George, a few days before Christmas, my mother-in-law (Jan) wanted to do some pictures of all her grand kids . My sister-in-law (Liz) has a friend that did them for us and she did a great job.

Jan picked out and bought all the matching outfits - which we appreciated very much (seeing how they are the cuttest things I've ever seen!) Jan can't wait to blow up the prints, get them framed, and hang them up. Can you blame her? She has the most ADORABLE grand kids, EVER!

The cute Thompson cousins - Corbin, Austin, Avery and Ally.

Avery loves these 3 kids and is always entertained beyond measure when they are around.

Avery especially loves Corbin's ears, as you can see. Corb is such a good sport and patiently allows Avery to tug, pull, twist, and yank on them endlessly.

And of coarse, some solo shoots of miss Avery June herself.

Adorable, I know.

gadget girl.

2011-01-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

got buttons? cause if you do, this little girl will be your new best friend.

i love my husband.

2011-01-08T20:21:00.003-07:00

Today was not a fun day. I had to force myself to get some work done, so I shut myself in my office and slaved away all day. Not my idea of a fun Saturday.

Kurt took Avery out for a little while and when he got home he came in to tell me he had a surprise...

Now, after my long day of working, I am relaxing with a few of my favorites.

He even bathed Avery and put her to bed - without me having to ask.

Like I said, I love him.

Very Merry Christmas.

2010-12-29T22:21:00.017-07:00

Indeed we did.

Our weekend began in St. George. We had Christmas Eve breakfast with all the Thompson's, where all the "little" cousins exchanged their gifts.

Next we headed to the cabin in Panguitch where we spent Christmas with Kurt's family.

That evening, Ally and Austin read us a few Christmas Eve stories...

Which as you can see, Avery enjoyed.

Then suddenly there was a surprise knock at the door - where we found a bag Santa had dropped off, full of Christmas Eve presents.

Christmas PJ's for all the kids...

And books for everyone, too.

Then we headed off to bed so Santa could come.

Santa definitely found us and brought Avery everything she had hoped for.

Our Christmas morning family pic - don't I look stunning? Barf.

We stayed at the cabin for a few more days and enjoyed spending time with all the fam.

We went sledding...

And enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

We got physical with the Wii... well, Kurtis did. This was my best attempt at catching him doing "the turkey dance."

We made yummy snowmen...

And even better, took lots of baths in a real bath tub.

All in all we had a great Christmas...

But we're kind of sad its over.

firsts.

2010-12-19T21:59:00.014-07:00

We had Christmas with my family today, seeing how we will be spending Christmas at the Thompson cabin this year.

It was so fun to watch Avery with her new presents from Grandma and Grandpa Noyes. She got her very first Cabbage Patch doll (a Noyes family tradition) whose name just happens to be Avery!

She loved it.

She also loved her Lady Bug Pillow Pet...

And her sippy cup that has her name on it...

And the best part about tonight was...

{warning: don't turn your volume too high - unless you want to hear a very high pitched scream from a very proud mommy}

Um, ya. My baby took her first steps - and we got it on camera! How great it that!
Merry Christmas to Me and Kurtis - we were both pretty excited about it (hence the screaming.)

All in all we had a great time and appreciate all the gifts... especially the chick-fil-a gift cards. You know me too well, Mom.

Oh, and PS: Happy Birthday today to my cute Dad.

a soda from sonic + a new lap top I need to break in = a big long blog about nothin'

2010-12-16T22:58:00.001-07:00

Kurtis took this picture of Avery the other night as she was drinking her "bed time" bottle.

What is it about a sleeping baby that is so heart warming. Its so peaceful and calming and is my favorite thing to do these days. I sneak in her room every night and soak in the goodness. Kurt and I try not to wake her as we laugh at her sleeping positions. She totally has the stink bug position goin' on and is always smashed up in the same corner of her crib.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my baby?

She makes me so happy.

We had an impromptu photo shoot over the Thanksgiving holiday - and this is what came about.

Not my favorite pictures ever taken, but they worked for a quick Christmas card that I happily checked off my list of things to do.

Speaking of check lists...

It seems the holidays are always stressful and crazy for me - so many things to do and not ever enough time to do them. Every year I vow to not get wrapped up in that part - and I always tell myself that instead of focusing on the hustle and bustle I need to be focusing on the true meaning instead.

Each year I try, but I usually fail miserably.

However, this year has been different. The worry of presents and shopping has been just a small agenda, instead of a stressful one. Sure there are still presents to buy, parties to attend, and neighbor gifts to deliver - but the decision Kurt and I made this year has seemed to make all the difference.

Instead of us thinking up random gifts to buy for each other - that usually end up a waste of money (ex. sweaters Kurt will never wear and kitchen appliances I don't have room for) we decided to totally do away with presents this year and buy something for each other that we really do need.

Food storage and 72 hour kits. (And not just any 72 hour kit... we're talkin' custom built status.)

Boring, right? No, not boring at all! Food storage and 72 hour kits are always that nagging thought in the back of my mind - you know, the thought of knowing that you need to have it but actually spending the money seems too hard. I am so relived to know that the next time I hear about the importance of preparedness - I can sit back, relax, and let that rush of panic pass me by.

Its a good feeling.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still enjoying the shopping, the treats, the lights and the bustle - but eliminating the stress of buying for my 'oh so picky' husband has been wonderful. Now I can sit back, turn on my Christmas tunes, whip me up some Christmas cookies, and enjoy what Christmas is all about.

Moving on...

My baby girl has finally cut her top teeth! Two little top teeth to match the two she has on bottom. It's so funny to think about the excitement I feel when I reach in and feel those little things poking through... could be the fact that the clingy, slobbery, fussy child will soon turn back into the happy, smiley, oh so sweet one I know so well.

Yep, that's the one.

We made it through the much dreaded week of finals. Kurt took his last final today and will now get a much needed break from the gibberish they call "engineering". I am not sure how the boy does it. He leaves for school everyday at 5am, gets home about 6pm and then goes straight to studying and homework right up until the minute he goes to bed. I am so thankful for his hard work and dedication.

And I think thats all for now. My Cherry Coke is starting to wear off.

Which basically means...

Good night.

catch up -aka- picture overload.

2010-12-05T14:12:00.010-07:00

Grandpa Thompson is having Avery withdrawals, so this post is for him! A whole lot of pictures from the past few months!

Avery was a zebra for Halloween - and a very cute one, I might add.

We did lots of fun things during Halloween. Trick or treating, several parties, pumpkin carving, cookie making...

We also made special Halloween goodies and delivered them to all of Avery's friends.

Which was lots of fun!

We spent Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa Noyes' house. Here is Avery helping her cousins with a puzzle. As you can imagine, Avery is really helpful with puzzles.

We Cuddled by the fire place - our most favorite thing to do at grandma and grandpa's house.

And here we are cuddling by the fake fire place (aka - space heater) at our house. Our heater was broken when we got home from our Thanksgiving weekend! Burrrrrr, it was sooo cold!

Once our heater was fixed we were able to strip down and get comfy.

Avery and her new best friend, Dolly. She drags this doll around the house all day. It's about the cutest thing I've EVER seen!

Taking strolls around the house - Avery's new favorite thing. She LOVES walking everywhere and begs any willing soul she can find for help! Watch out - cause once you start, she won't let you stop!

Most recently, here she is helping with the Christmas decorations! Look at the excitement in her face... priceless!

Avery's other best friend, Santa.

Who she also likes to drag around the house - which is quite the sight, seeing how Santa is about Avery's same size.

And last, reading books with Daddy. Notice how she grabs dad's hand and shows him what to do.

And that brings us up to date - at least for now! With all the pictures we snap, it won't last for long!

thankful.

2010-11-28T20:42:00.006-07:00

Better late than never, right?

I know Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is now in sight. But in light of Thanksgiving I want to document the things that I am thankful for.

Of course, the obvious things first come to mind. I have a warm house. A car. A great job. Amazing family. A wonderful husband. And a beautiful, happy, healthy baby girl.

But for me, there is much more to be thankful for this year.

My health. The big scare 3 weeks after delivery shook us all up a bit. I look back on that experience and realize how blessed I am. I am so thankful that I made it out alive, and that I was able to recover and bounce back so quickly.

New careers. Some of you know, some of you don't. Kurtis was offered a job after graduation (this coming May.) He will be working at a coal mine in Salina (near Richfield) as one of their Mining Engineers. What a huge relief it is to already have a job lined up. No stress about what happens after graduation - just a guaranteed spot at one of the biggest mines in the Utah. Although moving away will be rough, I am looking forward to kissing the college days goodbye!

Friends. I am so lucky to have such great friends. Old friends, new friends, and all of the ones in between. So many of you that are there for me always - whether its babysitting Avery in a pinch, or just listening to me vent - I appreciate my friendships and cherish them all dearly.

The Gospel. Where would I be without it? I am so thankful to have such amazing direction and guidance in my life. The blessings and faith it has brought to me is undeniable. Undoubtedly, The Gospel is the reason I have so much to be thankful for.

And just in case I have bore you to death with all my thankfulness, here is the latest picture of my adorable baby girl - which I should mention (once again) how thankful I am for. This little girl brings the very most joy to our lives, and I am so incredibly thankful to be her mommy.

The end.

today's adventure...

2010-11-18T20:07:00.007-07:00

Avery didn't love.

Sorry Curious George.

house plants, baby socks, and egg nog.

2010-11-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

baby socks.
is there a trick that i missed when it comes to keeping socks on your baby. i put socks on avery, and five minutes - scratch that - five seconds later they have either fallen completely off or have scrunched down to a sloppy mess. this means that all day long i am constantly readjusting and reapplying her socks. who knew motherhood could be such fun.

printer paper.
i have this thing with my printer. i hate putting paper in it. every time i am printing and i hear that 'click, click, click' - meaning its out of paper, i feel a rush of annoyance at the thought that i actually have to put more paper in. with all the technology we have, shouldn't there be some sort of something that can magically load the paper for you? or better yet, a printer that just never runs out. okay, i know i'm being silly. i guess i will just have to continue loading the paper myself. geez, how inconvenient.

walmart lines.
is it just me or does it seem a little on the ridiculous side that walmart is always short staffed in the check out department. i mean, really? your telling me they can't staff enough people to make the lines bearable? oh well, regardless of the madness, i will still still find myself standing in these long lines, wasting my time, and spending waaay to much money... on things that i don't really need.

egg nog.
i totally caved last night. ive been resisting it the past few weeks, but last night i couldn't take it anymore. i bought some at the store, came home, and drank my first glass. i instantly felt the holiday cheer. mmmm, i love egg nog.

house plants.
my sweet mother in law gave me a house plant. my immediate thought was - this cant be good. but i decided to take on the challenge. i found the perfect place for it, a cozy corner on my desk, in my office. i watered it faithfully and even set it in the sun every morning. about 3 weeks in, it died. sorry jan, i tried.

winter.
usually i am so excited for the cold weather to come. it means holidays and festiveness. hot chocolate and snow. but my attitude is somewhat different this year. and i am not sure why. i'm ready for summer to come back. is this too much to ask?

days of our lives.
seriously. how did this happen? i am hooked. i have a small tv in my office and always have it on channel 5. throughout the day i listen to all the talk shows and news shows as i am working. at 2:00 days of our lives comes on. at first, just listening to it was annoying, and i usually ended up turning the tv off so i didn't have to listen to the non sense drama. but then, somehow, it roped me in. i started following the story, and now, i have to record it if im not home to watch it. sad, i know.

can you say random?

thanks for listening.

little helper.

2010-11-01T15:55:00.001-06:00

I knew this day would eventually come. The day when chasing this little girl all over the house would consume my every minute. It seems she is into everything - and wanting to "help" in every and all situations.

Although it becomes exhausting, it is also so fun. I keep reminding myself what a fun age this is and that one day I will miss this stage.

Avery is getting so big... where does the time go?

Here she is attempting a little online shopping. I guess she wants to pick out her own clothes now.

She's got the coupon cutting down to an art.

Some cookie making - and a mighty fine taste tester.

Some much needed organizing in mom's office. Look how great it looks now.

And dads homework... don't worry, she's got it covered

I think we'll keep her around.

hello fall.

2010-10-23T21:49:00.006-06:00

Oh, and Happy Halloween too.

Why I love my Mother-in-Law: Reason #86

2010-09-28T20:11:00.005-06:00

She brings me gifts, such as this, just because...

Ya, she is that wonderful.

st george rodeo - 2010

2010-09-19T21:46:00.018-06:00

Not just any rodeo...

Avery's first rodeo.

Can you see the excitement in her face?

No?

How about now...

Clearly you can see that Avery loved the rodeo.

Almost as much as she loved me shoving her chubby little feet into those adorable cowgirl boots.

road • trip

2010-09-07T12:49:00.029-06:00

I overcame a huge hurdle this past weekend when I agreed to a weekend road trip.

A road trip that involved leaving my sweet baby at home.

Like I said - huge hurdle.

There were some major tears shed (all mine) but I still managed to have fun and enjoy myself.

{A big thanks to mine and Kurt's parents for taking Avery all weekend!}

Our good friends Tai and Joe came with us. It was our final goodbye to them, since they decided to up and move to Washington. (Which I am still in deep depression about.)

Here are a few of the pictures from our get-a-way.

Okay, more than a few.

Here we are in our new jeep - all loaded up and ready to go.

Top down - check.

Camping gear - check.

Let's go!

Our first stop was The Palisades golf coarse, in Sterling.

I'm an avid golfer now, didn't you know?

Okay, maybe not. But I am a good driver.

And an even better ball washer.

And that flag... don't worry - I got it!

Okay scratch all that - really all I'm good at is riding and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

After our two days of golf we headed to Capital Reef where we hiked one of the slot canyons.

Which we all enjoyed - it was so awesome.

Until we came to this part...

"Be safe boys, we'll just be sitting here on the stable ground waiting for you to get back."

Kurt and Joe are the adventurous ones. Me and Tai try, but this was a bit out of our comfort zone.

Our new favorite place to eat... Slackers. Best chicken sandwich E-V-E-R.

Here we are all snuggled up in our tent, ready for bed. Please try to ignore my no make-up camping face. Oh, and my 20 inch roots. Why would I post such an obscene pic of myself, you ask? Well because everyone else looks adorable. And because this is a night I hope to never forget.

Laughing until our stomachs hurt.

Yelling at our next door campers to shut the *bleep* up.

Gazing at the stars through the open top tent.

Eating ice cream cookies.

Yeah, it was a fun night.

{Please note: because of my unknown hand postioning, my new nickname is now "hook".}

The next day we drove a bit further and hiked Calf Creek Falls.

I think this picture says it all. The hike was long, hard, and HOT but it was so worth it.

It was beautiful.

Luckily Tai and I kept up - or at least attempted to. Our most loving husbands always just so happen to "accidentally" leave us in the dust.

The water was FREEZING but we still took a dip.

And last, here we are in front of Slackers, again. This pic will go down in the record books. The laughter that this picture brings to us four is priceless.

Love it.

We had such a good time on our road trip. Even though leaving Avery for 4 nights was tough - it was so good to get away and enjoy the outdoors.

Thanks Tai and Joe, for coming with us. We love you guys and will miss you so, so, much. (Is it Christmas yet?)

In closing, I must admit that there was one high point to being away from my baby all weekend..

PB & honey with ice cold milk!

Normally dairy is out of the question for me (while I am still nursing) so being able to cheat tasted sooo good!

And finally, when we got home, this adorable face was there to greet us.

Which was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend.

The end.

bitter sweet.

2010-08-25T17:29:00.008-06:00

Sweet because I always love my nights out with these girls...

Bitter because it is Tai's last time.

She thinks that she needs to move to Washington with her husband.

Something about a job and moving up in the company.

Yada, yada, yada.

Stupid excuse if you ask me.

I'm going to miss you terribly, Tai. I'm so sad that you're leaving me.

PS- The Mandarin in Bountiful has the best Chinese food, ever.

NOTE TO SELF:

2010-08-19T15:46:00.006-06:00

YOU WILL NEVER BE GOOD AT GOLF...

NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY.

oh well.

photo shoot.

2010-08-17T20:52:00.014-06:00

About 3 weeks ago we had Avery's 5 month pictures done. My good friend Keely (who I've seriously known my whole life) was so nice and took the time to do them for us!

We also did some family shots. Our first family photo's... ahhh, how special!

Thanks so much Keely! We love them!

Avery's side of the story.

2010-08-06T16:26:00.006-06:00

Do I really have to eat this stuff you call "rice cereal"...?

Cause this is what I think of it...

How about I just eat this instead?
Thanks.

hAppY bIRthDaY... to me.

2010-08-05T22:08:00.014-06:00

The big 27... wow, I am getting old.

Good thing my sister brought me my favorite treat... papa murpheys cookie dough!

I could eat this stuff all day!

After Avery went to bed we broke out the triple chocolate chunk cake. Mmmm... even better!

I blew out some candles (yes, my sister sang me a solo!)

And we took silly pictures that make us laugh for hours... like we always do!

Oh ya, and we had yummy chips and salsa too - a sure staple at my house!

Then we watched this beautiful sunset outside - the perfect ending to my special day.

The only birthday wish that didn't come true was having Kurtis here... good thing he'll be home tomorrow to make up for it!

Thanks to everyone for all the sweet birthday wishes! I felt special today.

What have you guys been up to?

2010-07-21T23:42:00.005-06:00

Lots of things actually.

Like lounging out on the patio with this little one.

And having sleepovers at Grandma's house.

Which was extra fun because Aunt Tina was there, and she is fun to play with.

And apparently she is fun to sleep on too.

We had fun watchin' the Draper Days fireworks from our back patio.

With our good friends Joe and Tai.

Sadly, this is the only picture I got of Tai.

And even sadder is the only picture I got of Joe.

You gotta love this kid.

We also have been enjoying Avery's new favorite toy.

Although it can be extremely exhausting!

And capturing Miss Avery after church in her Sunday dress.

Don't you just want to squeeze those cheeks?!

And last, trying to survive the loads of work I have to get done this month.

Good thing I have some help.

these two.

2010-07-14T18:14:00.010-06:00

I'm sitting here wondering why I am wasting my time blogging when I have about a million other things that I should be doing...

Dishes - that have been in the sink since breakfast.

Errand's - that I have put off running for almost a week.

Avery's laundry - poor girl is down to just about nothing to wear (okay, I'm lying.)

My hair - I'm serious, I still haven't done my hair today.

Picking up my house / straightening my couch pillows - If you know me at all you totally get the couch pillows thing.

Work - Oh yeah, work... probably should be working... those dang quarterly deadlines are creeping up on me. Not to mention I have a stack of filing spread from one end of my house to the other. Oh, and payrolls that kinda have to get done by tomorrow...

But who wants to do any of that?

Not me.

Blogging sounds so much better... and so much easier.

So here I am, blogging my life away.

...............................................................................................................................

The past few days I haven't been able to stop thinking about how thankful I am for these two people:

My two baldy's.

These two cuties happen to be the center of my world and the reason I love my life so much.

{Blah, Blah, Blah... I know how cheesy it sounds. If you are already getting queasy you better just stop here. It only gets worse.}

Maybe I feel inclined to share this because Kurt has been working out of town and I miss him terribly everyday...

Or perhaps because every time I look into my Avery's eyes I see Kurtis all over her face (she totally looks like her daddy!) and she melts my heart.

Either way, I love my little family and I love waking up every day knowing that I have them.

I am so thankful that I met and married Kurtis. 3 years ago I thought my life was over and I wasn't quite sure how I was going to pick up the broken pieces. And then I met Kurtis and suddenly my life turned from really sad to really happy -- A true happiness that I didn't know existed until he came along. He makes me smile every single day and treats me like gold. I love him madly and can't imagine my life without him.

And then there's Miss Avery. I love that she consumes my every minute with her needs and demands and that every time I hold her close she makes me feel that strong, overwhelming love and emotion -- the kind that just takes over inside. She is the meaning of what happiness really is and I love her more than anything in this world.

And there you have it.

Sappy, I know. But sometimes I just can't contain it.

meeting minnie.

2010-07-12T12:13:00.005-06:00

Good thing cousin Aust was there to protect Avery...

Cause she wasn't too sure about the whole thing...

Really Mom, really?

But almost a month later, here she is all cuddled up to her Disneyland Souvenir...

I think her and Minnie are now friends.

4th of July.

2010-07-08T18:56:00.006-06:00

Our 4th of July weekend was filled with all sorts of fun!

We went to the famous Perry Parade...

Which Avery thoroughly enjoyed.

Went swimming for the first time...

Which was a new and interesting experience.

Went to the Zoo and saw all the animals...

And also rode the train.

Went to Temple Square ...

And had a BBQ at Grandma and Grandpa's house...

Which is always fun!

And all so exausting!

We ended up having a great weekend! It was soooo nice to stay home and not be out of town (like we have been all summer!)

I ♥ the 4th of July.

guess what?

2010-07-07T22:35:00.002-06:00

I can sit up now.

Cause I'm big like that.

top ten.

2010-06-06T13:33:00.004-06:00

Top ten reasons why I LOVE THIS BABY so much...

10) she gets chubbier everyday, which makes those cheeks even more fun to kiss.

9) has mastered sleeping through the night with almost no effort on my part.

8) is the best shopping partner around.. giving me big smiles when I ask her opinion.

7) thinks i'm hilarious, laughing at almost everything that comes out of my mouth.

6) looks absolutely adorable in EVERY outfit she owns.

5) instantly falls asleep as soon as she is put in her car seat.

4) keeps me company while I cook dinner.

3) scrunches her nose when she giggles.

2) loves her mamma and depends on me for her every need. (totally love this.)

1) is the perfect addition to our growing family.

obsessed.

2010-06-02T22:23:00.009-06:00

With Soda.

This bad habit has somehow managed to creep back into my life.

Any kind of soda... Cherry Coke, Dr. Pepper, Diet coke...

Pretty much anything bubbly, I want it.

Not good, not good at all.

Shopping.

Lately I have been in a serious clothing rut... but don't worry, I manged to climb out.

However, every time I walk through the door with a handful of shopping bags, I have to give Kurtis the "justification speech."

You know how it goes...

"this was on sale so I couldn't pass it up."

and

"i totally needed one of these cause my other one shrunk in the dryer."

and

"don't I deserve some new things? I work so hard and do so much and..." (this one always works!)

Thankfully he hasn't made me take anything back yet.

Yet.

After tonight's binge, I may have reached the end of my rope. It was good while it lasted though.

This CD.

Like I always do, I have been listening to it on repeat. Especially #7. Love it.

Avery loves it too. We jam out together in the car... its great.

Boiled eggs.

Strange, I know. But I seriously eat like 5 a day. I have my mother-in-law to thank for this, she always gets me hooked on certain foods.

And last, but certainly not least...

This little girl.

Don't you just want to kiss those cheeks off??

A week of many first's

2010-05-24T14:23:00.006-06:00

Last week Avery managed to figure out the art of rolling over...

Good thing, because as you can see... she does not like being on her belly.

She also figured out how to grab her toys, and of course, put them straight into her mouth.

And most importantly, Avery got her first coat of color on her tiny little toe's.

Oh, and did I mention how much she loves playing with her tongue?

Could she be any cuter?

Nope.

a trip down memory lane.

2010-05-23T12:53:00.001-06:00

Last week I was in good ol' Brigham City for my nieces dance recital.

Little Lindsay did such a good job in her dances. What a cutie this little girl is!

As you can see, Avery enjoyed herself as well... she didn't make a peep through the whole show.

Yes I know, my daughter is perfect.

Now back to the point...

The recital was held at the good old Box Elder Jr. High, which for those of you who do not know, was my old stomping ground. It was my sister's old school too, so we decided we needed to do some reminiscing.

We talked the poor janitor into letting us past the locked gates and we excitingly made our trip down memory lane.

Sneaking in...

Breaking some rules...

Our old lockers...
Ahhh, the memories...
{please don't make fun of my sisters broken foot... poor girl learned the hard way not to play flag football without shoes on.}

Walking up and down the halls... remembering all our old teachers... smelling the familiar smells... seeing all the old stuff that has not changed in so many years...

We had a blast.

And for the record...

Yes, we are complete dorks. This I know.

Go BEE's.

my cousin colton.

2010-05-17T18:02:00.001-06:00

We're only one week apart and we already love to play together.

Well, Kind of.

Judging by the look on Colton's face, he may feel otherwise.

Happy A-Day.

2010-05-14T21:28:00.005-06:00

Kurt and I celebrated our one year anniversary last Friday.

Yes, one whole year.

We had a fun night out on the town while my wonderful parents came and babysat the sweet pea.

It is crazy to think back on the past year. We have conquered, accomplished, and been blessed with so much.

Case in Point...

This little angel.

Happy A-Day Kurt. I love you.

cheesecake factory anyone?

2010-05-07T14:59:00.003-06:00

my sincere apologies to the poor boy seated at the table next to us gals...

birthing and lactation stories are all we got these days...

Snow in May. Really?

2010-05-01T20:38:00.000-06:00

This would be the sight we have woken up to the past few weeks, and I am so not okay with it. I'm ready to go outside and soak up some sun, go to the park, take my baby for a walk... even just going outside without a coat on would be nice.

My poor flowers aren't too happy about it either. They have had to spend the night inside one too many times.

Warm weather.... please come soon.

mass production.

2010-05-01T00:25:00.005-06:00

Tonight is the night.

Avery and I are home alone (Kurt is out of town) and we have just finished eating our Chik-fil-a. Now we are ready to play the game of catch up.

So here they are... post after post... I have posted them according to the correct date so you may have to scroll down a few to see them.

Hopefully I will be keeping up a little better from now on... hopefully...

Enjoy.

a day of many blessings.

2010-04-25T22:00:00.001-06:00

What a wonderful day we had. We had so many great friends and family that came to share this special day with us. Thanks to all of you for being there.

Avery’s Blessing dress was very special to me. My sister and I both were blessed in this dress... which makes it over 30 years old. Definitely a special family keepsake. She looked beautiful in it.

Gotta love the shoes.

We had a little "get together" at our house afterwards. It was so fun to have everyone over and to enjoy everyone’s company. We ate Navajo Tacos and had lots of yummy dessert. (ps-don't ever bring Costco brownie bites to my house and leave all the leftovers... to my dismay, I can quickly consume a whole box in a matter of days. Love them.)

I am so thankful for my little miss Avery. She has brought such a sweet spirit into our home and we thank our Heavenly Father each night for blessing us with her. I am so thankful for Kurtis, who took Avery in his arms, and by the power of the Priesthood, gave her a name and a blessing. He did such a good job. As I sat there listening to his every word I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with the spirit.

We are blessed.

A special thank you...

2010-04-24T09:22:00.001-06:00

To the valet driver that wrecked my car last night.

Awesome.

i love my daddy.

2010-04-23T17:53:00.001-06:00

He's comfy.

And funny.

from start to finish.

2010-04-11T15:15:00.014-06:00

A few days before.

A few minutes after.

A few hours after.

A few days after.

A few weeks after.

Today.

What more could we ask for?

my first easter.

2010-04-04T22:00:00.000-06:00

Hmmm... not too sure about this easter basket thing.

Mom, are you serious about the hat?!?

Really? Another picture with the basket?

Fun... I guess.

Ahhh... now this I like.

Happy Easter.

birth~day {3.2.10}

2010-04-01T12:20:00.001-06:00

The month of February seemed to drag on forever. Our anxiety and excitement was at an ultimate high, as we anticipated the arrival of our first baby girl. My doctor had me thinking I would deliver a few weeks early, seeing how I had been dilated to a 2 and 60% thinned for such a long time, but the days of February kept passing us by and soon enough we found ourselves baby less on my actual due date, February 28th.

We attempted delivery on my due date, but sadly we were sent home with a "sorry, not yet..."

We shamefully left the hospital wondering when this baby was going to come...

The next morning I had a doctors appointment. We went prepared, thinking for sure my doctor would send me straight down to delivery to get the party started. But to our surprise, he didn't. Instead he told me to schedule an induction on our way out.

Nice Doc, thanks.

We scheduled my induction for the next morning, but I didn't make it. I struggled the whole day at home, laying in pain, timing my contractions. By 10pm that night I had had enough. We drove back to the hospital, and for real this time, checked into labor and delivery at 10:30pm.

My contractions continued to get stronger (something I didn't think was possible at that point) and at about 3am I had my epidural. At 7am I started pushing, and at exactly 9:30am our sweet baby Avery was born.

The moment she was placed on my belly was unexplainable. Incredible, emotional and breath taking. With her perfect little eyes wide open she laid there peacefully and instantly locked eyes with her daddy.

In that moment us 3 became a family.

What a special moment that was. Love at first sight.

By the time they took me to my room, I was exhausted. I never knew it was physically possible to be so tired. I even asked the nurse if she had slipped me something for the pain, thinking that was the reason for feeling so loopy, but she hadn't, it was literally sheer exhaustion.

I guess 2 1/2 hours of straight pushing will do that to you...

{Did I mention she weighed 9 pounds?}

The next few days in the hospital were great. We stayed 2 nights and brought her home on Thursday, March 4th. Avery had Jaundice in her little body, so we had to bring her home on the lights... but her blood work the next day was good, so thankfully we sent the lights a packin'.

{I love telling the jaundice story and acting like it was no big deal... if only you could have been a fly on the wall, you would have seen quite the opposite. For some reason (post partum emotions, we'll blame it on) I was a complete wreck about it. When they first told me at the hospital, I cried and cried and cried. When we got home, I cried and cried and cried. And as I sat next to her through the night, as she laid on the lights, I cried and cried and cried.}

Yep, definitely those post partum emotions.

The next few weeks were great. I felt great. Breastfeeding was a breeze. All my pregnancy weight was gone (water weight is a wonderful thing.) My bleeding was minimal and my hormones and emotions seemed to be (pretty much) back to normal. I kept telling Kurtis how lucky I was to have had everything go so smoothly. I bragged myself up to all my friends and family about how great I felt and how thankful I was for everything going so good...

And then...

I jinxed myself. On Monday the 22nd, at about 6am, I woke up to a strange feeling...

{Brace yourself, I'm not holding any details back.}

As I laid in bed I could feel blood slowly trickling out. I thought it seemed odd, seeing how I had not been bleeding hardly at all thus far, so I got up to go to the bathroom to check it out. As I stood up blood literally started pouring from my body. I ran into the bathroom, screaming Kurtis's name. He came running in after me and in complete horror found me covered from head to toe in blood.

Literally, my bedroom and bathroom looked like a scene from a horror film.

We knew I needed to get to the hospital, fast.

With RSV being so bad this year, we didn't want to take Avery to the ER and we didn't have time to find someone to come stay with her, so in complete panic I grabbed some towels, wrapped myself up, and drove myself to the ER.

After a long day of non stop bleeding, failed surgeries, and dose after dose of different medicines, my doctor was running out of options.

The bad news of a hysterectomy was possibly the only thing left to do in order to save my life.

We were scared.

And emotionally, we were exhausted.

At 8:30pm my Bishop came to the hospital.

He and Kurtis gave me a blessing.

At 9pm the bleeding stopped.

All the medicine, procedures, surgeries and shots couldn't get my darn uterus to behave, but one amazing Priesthood blessing quickly did the trick.

A true testimony builder.

By this time I had lost over half of my blood and was so weak and tired I couldn't even open my eyes. Through the night I received a blood transfusion. As the blood was pumped back into my body, I slowly started to feel myself come back to life.

The next few weeks were interesting. It took my body some time to rebuild itself and for me to get feeling back to normal. Thankfully I have the best behaving baby in the world, that made my recovery a lot easier.

Today I feel great. My doctor says I am completely fine and that this "incident" should not effect anything in the future...

I hope he is right.

All in all, life is good. Avery has both Kurt and I wrapped around her tiny little finger and so far we are both loving every moment of this adventure.

Parenthood... here we come.

"all of our dreams have now come true..."

2010-03-08T12:33:00.003-07:00

Avery June Thompson

9 lbs. 1 oz. 21 in.

Born March 2nd, at 9:30 am.

Working from home... seriously, love it!

2010-02-22T17:19:00.002-07:00

That is really all I have to say. It's the best thing ever. I am so incredibly thankful that I work for such an awesome company that has made it so easy for me to stay at home with my baby!

Speaking of baby...

No sign of her yet!

almost there.

2010-02-10T16:23:00.013-07:00

This may be the last photo I allow to be shown of myself before my sweet baby comes. Me and the camera have not been getting along in the past few months... something about a swollen, fat face... go figure.

Its coming down to the wire now. Only 2 weeks until my due date, and from what my Doctor thinks, probably sooner.

We are so excited! We have finally got everything ready for her to come and we seriously can not wait!

My bedding dilemma was finally put to rest.

Here is the final product. The lady that made it for me did an awesome job. Although picking out the material almost caused me a panic attack, I love everything about it and am so happy with the way it turned out.

We finally got her room all put together (minus some wall hangings and the open outlet sockets.)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

These pictures don't do it nearly enough justice. Its much cuter in person!

Kurt spent lots of time making it exactly what I wanted, and I love him for it. Thanks honey.

Now all we have to do is wait for our baby Avery to arrive...

Catch up.

2010-01-16T22:26:00.010-07:00

Its been too long, I know.

Lately my days and nights have been consumed with one thing.

Work.

Yes, work.

I know, my days and nights should be consumed with baby thoughts and plans... but sadly there hasn't been a whole lot of extra room inside my crazy brain. Working 12 hour days has strangely taken over. Something about people needing their w-2's by the end of the month.

Whatever.

Anyways, I have now begun to go into panic mode. Our baby is due in 6 weeks and I still haven't got the necessities done.

Her room... a car seat... diapers...

Nothing.

I know, I'm horrible.

I keep reminding her that she needs to stay put for a while longer. No deciding to come early or anything. Sorry sweetie... you just can't.

My biggest baby dilemma, thus far...

Crib bedding.

Colors and patterns.

Make it or buy it.

Settle or splurge.

The whole situation has made a mess of me. Just ask Kurtis. I am sure he would love the chance to tell you about my emotional breakdown inside Chic-fil-a today.

Trust me, it wasn't pretty.

Anyway, I think I have finally (well, almost) come to a decision... buying the material I want, and paying somebody to make it for me. Brilliant, I know. Now if I can just find the time to make it to the fabric store and the brain capacity to actually make a decision. It may take a miracle, but hopefully I'll make it through.

I can't wait for my little bundle of joy to get here (on or after February 28th that is.) Time has gone by so fast. My pregnancy has flown by. I feel so lucky for how good it has been so far. I really can not complain about anything.

Okay I lied. My wedding ring no longer fits, my back is constantly aching and I don't sleep at night. I cry at the drop of a hat, can't breath and desperately have to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes (literally.)

But honestly, I feel blessed for how healthy I have been and for how smooth everything has gone thus far. I really do feel lucky.

I keep praying that my blessings and good luck will continue as I head into these last few weeks.

Good thing I'll be working from home full time from now on... mysteriously none of my shoes fit my fat feet anymore.

Weird.

trimmings.

2009-12-13T14:37:00.007-07:00

I love that Christmas is right around the corner.

I love the smell of fresh pine and crisp air. I love the Christmas lights and decorations. I love the treats (mint m&m's) and the festivities. I love the family parties and getting together with friends. I love watching it snow and wrapping gifts. I love sipping hot chocolate and snuggling on the couch.

I love what Christmas truly means and doing all I can to remember.

Could there be a better time of year?

growing.

2009-12-08T12:56:00.003-07:00

Remember this?

Well it turned into this...

And as of today, it looks like this.

Holy moley. Really? How does it get any bigger? Seriously?

hitched in vegas.

2009-12-06T12:44:00.002-07:00

Meet Austin and Sarah, the newlyweds. These two love birds were married a few weekends back and we couldn't be happier for them. Kurtis and Austin are best buddies and have been since they served together on their missions. We are happy we got to go down to Vegas (where Sarah and Austin are both from) and celebrate with them.

A group of us went to dinner the night before the big day. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings - which happens to be Kurt's FAVORITE place. Austin and Sarah are on the right - Tanner and Andrea on the left with their cute little boy, Maddex. Tanner also served with Kurtis and Austin on their missions... can you imagine the reminiscing that takes place when these three boys get together?? Trust me, it can get pretty crazy.

The guys posing with the pre wedding gift Kurt and I gave. I will not be disclosing what that gift was, but I'm sure by looking at the smiles on these boys faces, one could take a pretty good guess.

The Bride and Groom with the three handsome Best Men.

Me giving Sarah a last minute touch up. A special thanks to the wedding photographer for taking such a great picture of the back of my head. These days, that's my best angle.

Kurt and I are so happy for Sarah and Austin. Their sealing at the Las Vegas temple was so neat, and we are so happy we got to be there.

Congratulations Sarah and Austin, we love you both.

Just a thought...

2009-12-03T15:40:00.002-07:00

In-laws. Some people secretly hate them. Hate dealing with them and dread spending time with them. I feel lucky. I have great in-laws. No, I take that back, I have AMAZING in-laws. They do so much for us and I am sooo grateful for them.

That’s all.

thankful for...

2009-11-25T13:06:00.003-07:00

the miracle growing inside my belly.
a husband that makes me laugh on a daily basis.
a job that is letting me work from home after I have the baby.
all my lifelong friends that I will never loose touch with.
my sweet mom, who slips me “shopping money” every once in a while.
the chance to live across the street from the Temple.
my sister being back in Utah.

just to name a few…

happy thanksgiving.

dream vacation.

2009-11-13T22:29:00.003-07:00

I've been a complete slacker for not blogging about the cruise my sister and I went on back in September. Probably because the thought of uploading a million and one pictures seemed daunting... or maybe because remembering paradise was too hard -- wishing I was still there... either way, here it is... me and my sister's dream vacation.

On our way to the airport -- believe it or not we were actually excited for our red eye flight to Puerto Rico!

Our first stop was St. Thomas. After arriving we decided to explore the island a bit further and we ended up taking a ferry to another island call St. John. We were glad we did. We found ourselves on this amazing beach -- which come to find out was the beach Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger were married on... interesting, right?

My sister catching some proof to send back home to Kurtis. One of his strict instructions to me, before leaving, was to drink lots of water so me and the baby didn't get dehydrated. I obeyed.

Our dinner table. We were lucky. If you have ever been on a cruise you know that you share dinner tables with other people... well we ended up being by ourselves, which we loved. We laughed our heads off every night. Notice the wet spot in the middle of the table? That would be from me dropping my water all over my sister and her dinner, mid drink. I think I fell asleep... that was my "pregnant and can fall asleep at any given moment" phase. At least that's my story.

Oh, and this would be my "I'm pregnant and can indulge this cheesecake with no guilt" phase. And please try not to be jealous of my fashion forward black bracelet... aka... The Sea Band to help fight sea sickness. Worked like a charm.

Next stop... Dominica. This Island was different than all the others. No great beaches to write home about and a city so small and deserted it was almost creepy... but the snorkeling we found was amazing. With it being my sisters first time snorkeling (and her fear of water) we had an interesting time. Her flip flops breaking mid-hike to the ocean front (on sharp rocks) was interesting as well... fortunately we still had fun and saw some of the most amazing fish and coral.

This gives you an idea of what I spent a good majority of time doing... ahhh, it felt soooo good. Notice the bag of candy at my side... definitely on vacation.

Day three was Barbados. This was another Paradise Island (also the home town of Rhianna -- trust me, I didn't know that, my sister is the "pop culture" queen, not me.) Here we spent a day full of reading, sleeping, and sun bathing. Rough day, I know.

We found this palm tree that hung out over the water... it looked like a cut out from the Corona commercial, so we snuck in a photo op.

Here I am indulging... again... chocolate molten cake this time.

Day four was St. Lucia. Although complaining about being at the beach seems absurd, we did have some small mishaps here. Not only was the beach way too crowed with drunk people, but
crazy islanders pulling out all the stops to get us to buy their "handmade gifts" was quite the episode. I felt like we were in Mexico, but worse. Yes, WORSE! I was woken up from a deep sleep and asked to purchase an animal made out of fig leaves. Um... HELLO... I'M SLEEPING HERE! They obviously didn't care. $5 soda's, the cover charge to use the bathroom, a crazy man asking me to marry him, and a profanity stricken tourist (angry at the hagglers) was definitely not the relaxing day at the beach we expected. We did get some good laughs out of it though, so it wasn't a total loss.

Me and Sis posing in front of our dining room sign. Finding our way each night to the dining room was always an adventure... we got lost every single night!

Here we are in Antigua. We took a sail boat out for a day of snorkeling. It didn't last too long though. Being sting ray season I decided to stay on board. There were millions of them. Everywhere. The boat captain said -- oh don't worry, they will sting you, but it will only hurt for a minute. Um, no thanks. I probably would have gone, had I not been pregnant, but I didn't dare take the chance. So I watched instead.

We then docked at this amazing beach where I got to touch one of the sting rays -- this seemed a bit more safe than swimming around with them.

I also found this star fish - just hangin out on the ocean floor. How awesome is that?

Here we are under the picture perfect tiki hut... I could have spent all day here but our sail boat captain didn't cooperate too well with that idea.

And some random pic's to throw in as well....

Me having a "pregnant moment" or at least pretending to. I was pushing my belly out, trying to look pregnant all night... too bad these days I don't have to pretend anymore!

Formal night. We weren't the most formal there, but at least we made it there in dresses.

My cute sis and her dance moves. Inside joke.

Posing by the Casino -- that we didn't even utilize... seeing how we were both in bed by 9:00pm every night. Vacations will do that to you.

We had an AMAZING time. I have a feeling it will be one of my last "relaxing" vacations for quite some time. The only bad part to report on was missing Kurtis... which I did a lot of. Luckily he was there to pick us up from the airport, waiting with open arms for the biggest hug and kiss he has ever received.

Thanks a million more times to my great sister for treating me to this much needed vacay. It was truly 6 days and 7 nights of pure heaven.

beautiful.

2009-10-20T19:53:00.000-06:00

This would be the view out our backyard.

Takes my breath away.

I love fall.

party at our house.

2009-10-18T12:49:00.015-06:00

Homemade chili and rolls, orange and black treats, and a pumpkin carving contest... a Halloween party indeed.

The Host's:

The Attendee's:

*Eric and Laci had to leave early, so no pic of them.

The Fun:

The Ending Result:

And some more fun pic's that couldn't be forgotten:

Cute little London - loving Kurtis all night long.

Tai, Me, and Nicole cheesing it up for the camera. Don't be jealous of the old school Lucky hoodie I'm rockin' to keep warm.

Proud pumpkin carvers and a hooded crazy man in the back.

The grand prize winner, Joe, and his pumpkin princess pose. Makes me laugh every time.

And finally the end of the night came... Dang we must throw a good party -- we wiped them out before they could even make it home!