Dancing in the Rain

Day 5...Thankful for the Army

2011-11-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to say how thankful I am for the Army. Now this is somewhat of a double edged sword because the army is one needy needy job and takes my husband away from me constantly and controls my life and has made it impossible for me to have a strong footing in one place...BUT I am so thankful for a wonderful job that my husband enjoys and for all the wonderful blessings that we get. We have food and shelter and everything we could need and much much more because of this job. We have job security and for some people in this economy I know that is a huge deal. Also we have full medical coverage. For me this is something so important and I am so thankful for all the things that the army offers my family. Not to mention the little things, the opportunity to travel, the opportunity to meet new people, and the opportunity to learn to grow. I have had to become a stronger woman then I ever knew I could be due to the trials the army life puts our family through. But I wouldn't change any of the challenges or experiences I have got. It has helped make me into the person I am now.

Day 4...Thankful for my creative side

2011-11-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to basically say how thankful I am to the Lord for giving me my talent in arts. I love to create things and paint and draw and sew and all of that. I know how blessed I am to have a "knack" at this. I am so thankful for the Lord for blessing me with this particular gift because it is a gift that I can use to give to others constantly. I love the ability to make and do things for friends to make them happy. So today I am thankful for my creative ability and my love of arts.

Day 3...Thankful for my church

2011-11-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to say how thankful I am for my church. Though I struggle at times and am not the perfect Mormon, I love my church. I love the people of my church and most of all, I love the teachings of my church. I am thankful for finding the church at the age that I did and was able to then meet my husband and have two beautiful kids, and be sealed in the temple. I am thankful for Joseph Smith and the restored Gospel. I am thankful for a modern prophet on the earth today. I know that my church is true. I know that Christ is my savior and through him I am stronger then I ever thought I could be. I am thankful for all the wonderful blessings I have in my life because of the church. And I am so thankful for my ward that I am in. I have some amazing people in my ward that are always there when I need someone and continue to show faith in me and never give up hope. I am very very blessed. This I know.

Day 2..Thankful for a roof over my head

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

So today I woke up with a beautiful picture outside. We are covered in snow! I love the snow. I think it is beautiful, majestic and makes me happy for a day of hot chocolate and cuddling. But it also makes me think of something else. I am so truly thankful for a roof over my head and a warm house to be in on days like this. I know that not all are as fortunate. I know that I am truly blessed to have a home and heat. And not only do I have a home, I have a beautiful home. With no leaks or cracks in my walls etc. I know that a lot of people in this world have so much less than me and I am so very fortunate to have a wonderful home that I get the joy of decorating and making my own. Days like today remind me how many less fortunate are out there right now in this cold and just looking for a way to get warm. It really makes me think about ways I can help out more.

Day 1..Thankful for two healthy children

2011-11-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

So since its the month of November and its a time to think about all the things we are thankful for I decided I wanted to write one a day for the month of things I am thankful for in my life. I am WAY behind on my blog and I will work on catching that up but I am going to be doing this each day.

Today I wanted to say how thankful I am for two healthy beautiful babies. I know that I don't always appreciate how truly blessed I am to have two great kids that are healthy! There are so many people out there that would either love to have kids of their own and can't or that have babies but are sadly fighting a disease or sickness. I have been so lucky to have two kids that are very rambunctious and playful and good kids, and they are healthy. For this I am truly thankful.

Yummy good time!

2011-06-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Been doing lots of stuff with the kids lately and after a long day of playing at the splash pad I thought I would take them to enjoy a little frozen yogurt! We had Ada's friend Alaura with us and as you can tell they loved the yogurt!

Bray on the other hand was a bit to tired to enjoy it! He ran himself out at the splash pad!

I of course, am never to tired for chocolate! Especially when its fat free! Yum!

Garden of the Gods

2011-06-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

I decided to take the kids to Garden of the Gods to hike around and enjoy the beautiful weather we have been having here. Not to mention that we have such a gorgeous place right in our backyard. I can't help but go there when I get the itch. We had a good time exploring some new trails we hadn't been on before and I let both the kids run and play in the dirt. It was a good time! Then since we were up by Manitou we went to the awesome park they have for kids there with different toys than the typical play ground. It was a lot of fun. I didnt remember the camera there but thats cause I was playing and I just didnt feel like taking pictures. Afterwards we walked around manitou a bit and got the kids some ice cream. All in all it was a great day!

Can't believe how fast they grow..

2011-06-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today Brayden is 16 months old. I can't even believe how fast time flies!! I swear it was just yesterday I was having his first birthday and another 4 months have already passed! I dont know how it happens. Brayden is such a joy to have in our family. Hes a little turkey and of course a handful but I wouldn't change a single thing about him. He's such a sweet boy and loves to cuddle with his mommy. Hes starting to learn a lot more sign language and picking up on some words too besides just mommy and daddy! He can say truck, please, Ada, Eat, and milk. Hes breaking through a few more teeth right at the moment so I can't say he is a joy ALL of the time, but for the most part he is a good baby. Though hes not much of a baby anymore. He is very head strong and knows what he wants and knows how to make himself known. He wants to be included in everything and loves to watch his sister and do whatever she is. Gonna have to watch that one as she gets older! Brayden, we love you and we are so happy to have you in our family! You are an amazing little boy and I can't wait to watch you grow!

Fathers Day

2011-06-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well Scott is still gone so we really couldn't celebrate Fathers day but we didnt want him to think we forgot about him. Its hard right now because we are no longer able to send him anything so we couldnt even send him a card or gift. So I came up with the idea of at least making cards and what not and just emailing him the pics of them. I know its not the same as getting the card but at least its something right?

So we got out the paper and pain and got a few fathers day print off offline and went to work. Bray really liked painting. This was the first time I have done it with him with an actual paint brush. Of course I had to help him a lot but he really enjoyed himself. Ada, as always, LOVES to paint so she was all about it. Plus it was for daddy so that made it even more fun for her.

I got Scott a new phone for fathers day for when he gets home but thats a little boring and so I went ahead and made him something for his night stand or dresser. I traced the kids hands and quilted a wall decoration or table decoration. for him of their hands, and at the bottom it says, we will always reach for you. I like the way it came out. Scott is an amazing father and we are lucky to have him as the leader of this family. The kids adore him and I am one lucky girl.

Playing at the park

2011-06-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Just playing at the park and snapped some phots...

A day with the kids!

2011-06-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to do more hands on things with the kids. We have been doing a craft almost every day. I have also been letting Ada help me out more in the kitchen with the cooking. She really likes to help add things, and mix things. To bad she thinks she knows everything and doesn't always want to listen to me when I tell her what does or doesnt go in things. She is quite the opinonated little girl but no one to blame for that but myself. Anyways, both kids love playing with play dough and I just snapped a few pictures of them playing and then Ada helping me out with some home made pizza! Yum!

This is where he stands when we won't let him help with the cooking...its not a mans job he just doesn't have a man around to show him

Splash Pad with the kids

2011-06-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

Colorado finally decided that its time for summer and its been pretty hot here the last week or two. Finally got up to feeling a bit better and got the kids to the splash pad here in Fountain. Its free and its actually pretty nice. I wish we would have used it more last year but this summer I think its going to become a regular place for us. Bray was a little apprehensive at first but once he got used to it he was fearless running through all the water. Ada got cold pretty fast cause the wind here sucks. But all in all it was a good day.

Oops

2011-05-04T05:26:00.001-07:00

So its been a little bit since I blogged...ooops! Give me a few days and I am going to try and catch up!!!

Scotty Update!

2011-03-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to throw up a few pictures he has sent me recently. He is doing pretty good. The boy is a work out machine and has got himself in great shape! Also he was promoted back on the first of March! We are so proud of him and all his hard work! Sadly he is sick right now with an intestinal infection, they think Giarddia or something a long those lines so he is pretty miserable at the moment. Otherwise though he is doing ok and just wanting to hurry up and get home! We are still looking at around the first part of August as his return date! But we can always cross our fingers and hope for earlier!

Bray's Big Birthday Bash!

2011-02-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

Brayden had an awesome first birthday party! It was a lot of fun to spend it with good friends. I only wish his daddy could have been here to celebrate in all the fun with us. We did a monster theme party and I had fun with decorating for this. Especially his little shirt he wore. Ada had a lot of fun helping baby brother open all his presents and the kid is spoiled rotten! He got tons of loot! Thanks everyone who made it such a special day!

Ada's Sleepover

2011-01-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

Well I thought it was about time for Ada to have her first official sleepover. So we invited her friend Claire to come over and hang out and do the girly thing and have a sleepover. We had a lot of fun. We all went to church together, then we brought the kids home for lunch and stuff. Then we played a few games with the girls. Ada and Claire had a lot of fun with the Elefun game. It was fun to see them really trying to catch them and getting so excited when they did! After games it was time to make brownies that Claire's mom brought with them. The girls loved this part. They each got to take turns adding the ingredients and then they stirred it all up together. After that they both helped give Brayden a bath, and then they took a bath themselves. Next was painting nails of course. What sleepover doesnt have that part right?! And then we all ate brownies together. After wards we set up the pop up house in the basement and rolled out the girls sleeping bags. They had so much fun all snuggled up in there together and watching a movie. Then it was lights off! All in all it was a good night! Ada had a blast!

An afternoon at the park

2011-01-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

Enjoy :)

January thus far!

2011-01-18T22:50:00.000-08:00

Well Lupus has been kicking my butt lately so its been a rough time but also a very strong time. I am learning what I am made of and thats in some ways, a very good feeling. I am learning new ways to take care of my kids and new ways to depend on others. I have never been good at asking for help and for once in my life, I have to ask. Its not a maybe, I have to! I have learned very quickly who in my life is truly here for me and who I can count and depend on. I can say that my ward family has been amazing and that its just an example to the kinds of people they are. Its just one more way that I know my Savior loves me and will always provide a way for me.

Anyways, this month has been fun in some ways. The kids and I have spent more time just hanging out since mommy has had to slow down a little. I have been doing a little crafting again which is nice and been doing some studying and reading on things that interest me right now. I have spent more time playing with the kids and reading lots and lots of books. Ada has been such a sweet girl and knows when mommy is having a rough day and will just cuddle up on the couch with me and talk or watch a movie. She helps out a lot with baby brother and that is very nice for me. In some ways I hate to see how much she notices the changes but in others I think it can be a great lesson for her. Its teaching us about family and how we always need each other.

Another positive note, I booked my trip to Disney World! I am so excited!! I will be taking the kids on Feb 28th, and heading to Florida to spend time with my mom. We will be going to "mickey mouses house" as Ada likes to call it for 4 days and spending another 5 with my mom. I can't wait to do this, I am only sad that Scott is not here to share it with us. I can't wait for that man to come home so that we can be a family again. Ada really misses him and talks of him every day! We write him lots of letters and draw him tons of pictures. She really enjoys helping me put boxes together for him and picking things out at the store to send him. I made both of the kiddos new daddy pillows which they love. Bray will crawl to it if I ask him where daddy is and just attack the pillow. He is starting to recognize who daddy is in pictures. Its not the way I wanted him to get to know his dad, but for now you work with what you got! Ada has enjoyed talking to dad on the phone every few days and though the conversations are short she talks about them for hours after wards.

Another side note, Bray has almost mastered drinking out of the sippy cup! Good thing since hes not far from his big first birthday and bottles will be going bye bye!

Bray and his daddy pillow :)

The kids laying with daddy ready for story time

Ada playing with her jewlery making kit

This is where he likes to hang out
Cuddling on the couch
Bray drinking out of his sippy cup! And yes, he still likes his swing!
Adas new daddy pillow
Brays new daddy pillow

Playing in the snow

2011-01-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

Well we finally got some snow here! It wasn't much but it was enough to get out and play a little! I can't believe how little we have gotten this year! Of course as soon as it hit everyone forgot how to drive in it and their were accidents every where. Stupid people stopping in the middle of a road and then everyone behind gets stuck. It was awesome! Haha.

Anyways, I took Ada out to play in it for a little bit and she had a blast! I am hoping we will get more here at some point and when she is feeling a little better I can take her sledding. But for now snow angels in the front yard worked just fine!

Christmas!

2010-12-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

Well I dont even know what to write! It was a great Christmas this year even though Scotty wasn't here to enjoy it with us. I really wish he could have been here for Brays first! My mom came in and spent the holidays with me which I was thankful for. She got in a few days early and we spent the time doing Christmas stuff like shopping, and decorating cookies for Santa, and opening presents! Ada loves having her Grandma here and I enjoy the break she gives me. We watched lots of Christmas movies and just enjoyed being together. Both of the kids have been a little sick so we tried not to go out to much.

On Christmas eve the kiddos got to open the traditional jammies and then bath time of course. Afer that we let the kids open a couple presents from Grandma before bed and of course Ada loved that. I also got to open a few from the kids and I loved the electric blanket I got! After that mom and I played Santa claus and lets just say these kids are way to spoiled!

On Christmas morning Bray was pretty sick and started the morning off by puking all over mommy. So we were up to an early start. He started working on his stocking after that and then Ada came up the stairs and the look on her face when she realized her stocking had stuff in it which meant Christmas was here, was PRICELESS! Needless to say from there on it was a mad house of opening presents. Ada and Bray loved all the gifts they got as did I. Ada got baby doll stuff and a care bear from Santa, A shopping cart and littlest pet shop from mommy and daddy, Lots of zoo zoo pets and some new clothes from Grandma Debbie, Mobi go and dora things from Grandpa and Tiffany, and Dora cards from G & G Cotner, and a doll from her cousins among others. Bray got a sweet race car toy from Santa, a tool bench and a tunnel from mommy and daddy, a sweet new gun and wooden spoon from Grandpa and Tiffany, basketball hoop and sorter toy from Grandma debbie, and some books from G & G Cotner, and her cousins, among others. All in all it was a great Christmas. We spent Christmas dinner with some friends of mine here. It was a good time spent with good company! Ada got to get a ride in her friends sweet new car!

Can't wait for next year and having my husband home with me to share in all the joys of the holidays. If there is one thing I know its that family is everything and the holidays without your better half is not that much fun!

Batallion Christmas Party

2010-12-20T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well we got the joy of going to the EOD Battalion Christmas party and it was actually a lot of fun even though we didn't have Daddy with us. We enjoyed spending time with some awesome ladies and having some good conversation. Not to mention a delicious feast of food! On top of all of that Ada and Bray got to see Santa again. Now there is a story behind this and I have to get it down because I want to be able to tell this to her when she gets a little older.

Ada has been asking for a care bear since her birthday. Well for her birthday I looked in A LOT of stores and could not find them. So I told her maybe for Christmas thinking she would honestly forget about it and move on to something else. Of course I was wrong and she has continued to ask for this thing since then. So I have been telling her if she is a really really good girl maybe Santa would bring her one. She has since asked Santa each time she has seen him for a pink care bear. Its the only thing she is 100% consistent on wanting for Christmas. Well after a little hard work I finally found one online and it wasn't to cheap. But she really wanted it and I didn't want to crush her belief in Santa so I got it for her. Now she of course doesn't know this and it will come from Santa on Christmas morning. Well the day of the party I told her that she would be seeing Santa again and that he would have a little present for her. They always hand out a small toy to the kids at this thing. Well she then told me all day that Santa was going to give her her care bear. I told her probably not tonight but if she was good hopefully Christmas morning. She insisted she was going to get it from him that night. Well the time came to go sit on his lap and ask him for what she wanted. As soon as she said care bear I was ready for the let down, and then Santa reached over and goes "I think I can do that" and hands her a CARE BEAR!!! I about hit the floor! Now part of me was so happy for her because she was beyond excited that Santa knew exactly what she wanted...and he really only did have ONE of them in his package of toys. But the other part of me wanted to hit Santa in the face!! I had searched high and low for this thing and was beyond excited to give it to her Christmas morning! Luckily this Santa only had a green one and she is still saying that Santa will be bringing her the pink one Christmas morning. But seriously?! What are the odds?! He had a bunch of the same toys, dolls for girls, and cars for boys and then about 5 random things, and of course one of those was a care bear! She has since then had this thing glued to her. She has to sleep with it every night. So I am just hoping she will still be excited for Christmas morning. Way to ruin it SANTA! haha

Anyways here the pictures I was able to snap that night. We had a lot of fun playing some games and decorating cookies and making a cute picture frame for her Santa picture.

Best I could get of the two of them

It was to cold outside for her

Bug and Jackson
The two of them being the two of them!
Theres the care bear
Doing a little putt putt
My handsome boy

December 10th

2010-12-12T19:21:00.001-08:00

As I sit here and begin to write this post I honestly don't know what to say. I think I am still processing all of it and I really don't know which emotion best describes how I feel right now. Some of you know that I have had some medical things going on the last month or so and the doctors were having a very hard time figuring out what is wrong. I had to have a lot of help and have been in some of the worst pain in my life. Not being able to function and take care of my kids each day has been very trying. I finally got an answer to why all of this was happening on Friday. I was diagnosed with Lupus. They do not know yet which strand I carry, or if it is a combination of more than one strand. They do think that I have SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) but are not sure if that is the only form I have or not. I will be back in the lab on Monday to do the final tests to figure out which forms I have and then it is off to the specialists to figure out a treatment plan. They have started me on a few meds for now until I can get a more specific diagnosis due to the pain I have been in and the other things that it is effecting. Right now the meds are pretty hard on my body and I am experiencing a lot of things I am not used to. To have a doctor tell me that I would have to step down my life a bit and learn to take it more easy was pretty hard for me to hear. I am finally not pregnant or breastfeeding and starting to get back into working out and doing some of the things I love like running and hiking and snowboarding, and then to have someone tell me that those things may not be able to be a part of my life, or at least not in the same way was pretty hard to swallow. Granted I will know more as I see my doctors and get my care team who will be in charge of me, but still hard. I have told Scott about everything and of course he is a bit worried and hates being so far away. I have told both sets of parents and other than that I haven't talked to much of anyone else about it except a few close friends in town. Its a lot to take in and will take time for me to adjust. I know its nothing that is instantly life threatening, and it could have been a lot worse, but it is still a serious condition and I am going to have to get used to some changes in my life and know that there is no cure for this but rather something I will have to learn to treat and deal with in my daily activities. I just wanted to share this with anyone that may not have heard already, and also put a few thoughts of it down on here. It is still sort of a journal of sorts for me.

Going to see santa

2010-12-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

Well I took the kids to see Santa at a christmas bazaar that we went to. Neither one of them were scared at all! They both thought it was great! And Ada made sure to remind Santa that she really really wants a care bear, and a barbie, and a puzzle. He told her she had to be good and today she told her friend Jackson that if he was naughty Santa wouldn't bring him any presents. Thought it was pretty cute. Love that kid!

Go Ducks!!!

2010-12-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

Civil war game...need I say more?

Christmas Time

2010-12-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

Well its the holidays and we have been doing all the fun things to get the house ready! And doing some fun crafts and other things. I don't always remember my camera but here are a few pictures from the happenings the last week or so!

Bray discovering what a tree is!
Ada helping with the tree!

Our Christmas tree!

Ada Bug and her snowman she made!

What the gingerbread house is supposed to look like! Ada working on the houseTime for a little snack :)Finished project!

Brayden Crawling

2010-11-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

Well he finally did it! Up on all fours and crawling! This was two days ago! And about as soon as he started crawling, he was pulling up and into everything!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T21:32:00.000-08:00

Since it is Thanksgiving I thought I would take just a second to write a few of the things I am thankful for. This year has been a trying one, but also an amazing one. I am thankful for the birth of my son Brayden. He is an awesome little man and such a blessing in my life. He keeps me on my toes and always can bring a smile to my face. I am thankful for an amazing husband who is serving overseas to help keep this country safe. I am thankful for all that he does for me and for our family as well. Scott, you are the best husband a girl could ask for. Thank you for continuing to put up with me through these 5 years of marriage. I love you. I am thankful for my beautiful little girl. Watching her grow each day and seeing how much she is no longer a baby but a big kid now. She is constantly learning new things, and just wants to discover all life has for her. I am thankful also for two healthy kids. That in itself is a great blessing and I hope that its one I will continue to have for a long time. I am thankful for my family. I have great parents that are there for me. I am thankful for the relationship I have with each of them, and how as I get older we have more we can relate to each other on and a better understanding of one another. I am thankful for awesome inlaws that are always there for me as well. I couldn't have asked to marry into a better family. I am thankful for brother and his family, and all of my brother and sister in laws. I have some great people I get to call family and I couldn't be more blessed. I am very thankful at this time for my army family. For all the amazing women that I have been lucky enough to meet since we have joined this life and for their never ending support. No one will ever understand me like they do, because they are the ones here for me in those hardest times. Girls you know who you are and I will forever be in debt to you. Thank you for being part of my life. I am thankful for a house to live in, food to eat, and clothes to wear. This year has been so hard on so many Americans and I know those simple things in life are so much more. I am so thankful to not have to worry about those things. I am thankful for my ward family here in Colorado. I have an amazing Bishop and some great people I am lucky enough to have met here. They have been a support to me this year in so many ways and I want to say thank you to them for all they have done, from meals, to watching my kids, to just being a friend. Thank you. And last but not least, I am thankful to know my Savior. I am thankful for his attoning sacrafice and for the power of prayer. I am greatful for my faith, and I am thankful for the knowledge I have, that I am a child of my Heavenly Father, and through Christ all things are possible. I hope you all know how much I love each and every one of you. And I hope that this holiday season brings everyone great memories, good food, and being surround by the people you love!

Trip back to Colorado

2010-11-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

Well my MIL helped me drive back to Colorado and we made a stop in Utah for a day to see family and visit my newest nephew Gibson and take some photos for them. I also made sure to go to see the SLC temple. My SIL Jen and nephew Bryce came along for this. It was a lot of fun. I had a good little visit there and was glad to stop for the day. My MIL spent a few days in Colorado with me and helped me get back in the groove of things and get a few projects done around my house. It was really nice to have her out and to have the help on the drive! Thanks Mom!
Ada with her newest cousin
Anastasia and Bray!
Tara and Bray
Tara did not know Mom was coming!
New nephew Gibson!

Bryce and Ada at Temple Square

Ada where her mommy and daddy got married!
Bryce!

Bryce with Gibson

Getting Big

2010-11-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

Well Bray sure has been growing like a weed! He is starting to pull himself up on things now. He still doesn't due much more than an Army crawl but he is very capable of getting around. He also has popped out two teeth on the bottom and they are very cute! Still no hair though. I think he might be bald until he is 3! Just kidding but he really doesn't have much. He is babbling a lot now. And he can say mama and dada even though I dont think he is to sure he is doing it. He loves to watch his big sister play and will laugh and laugh at her. He is a little feriocious eater! If you are eating around him you better be prepared to share or have something to offer him! He really doesn't like to be left out and will try and get in the middle of anything any one is doing. He is a sweet sweet little boy and I am so thankful to have him around.

Grandma comes to visit

2010-11-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

Well due to some health issues, I needed some help for a bit and my mom stepped up to the plate and came out. She was a great help and I was very thankful to have her here with me for a while. Since it wasn't a leisure trip I dont have many photos but I did get this good one. Thanks for all your help Mom!

Scotty comes home

2010-11-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Well I ended up making a last minute trip to Portland in September due to Scotts grandma making a turn for the worst. It was her time and the family was gathering so I felt it was needed for us to be there too. Packed the kids up and off we went. I got there on Sunday morning around 11 and she passed late that night. I was able to spend the next week with Scotts family and mine and hang around Portland and see a few old friends because they were sending Scott home to be with his family. It was great to see him and since we weren't getting R&R until June anyways why not right?! Well it was a long stay and there are just to many pictures to post so I am just gonna put a few from the trip. We were able to have some fun going around Portland to some of our favorite places, like voo doo donuts and 23rd street. Also we took a trip to the beach and had fun there. Got to see the house scott grew up in which was kinda cool. Mostly though, we just spent some time as a family and enjoyed being together. We got to visit with my dad and brother and cousin. Also were able to see all of Scotts siblings (me not him). Ada also got to spend time with her cousins which I know she liked. It was a great trip and we were so happy to have Daddy home even if it was only for a short while. Also Scott was home for my birthday and we were able to go out with a few friends to the melting pot for some delicious dessert! It was nice to get to go on a few dates with out the kiddos so thanks to everyone that helped watch the kids for us!

Ok picture overload! I tried my best but they are in no order at all! But enjoy anyways!
Birthday dessert!

Cooking with Tiffany
Pumpkin patch with Grandpa
Slumber party with cousin Seryna
Wy man and Bray
Picking veggies

At Battery Russell
Flying kites with Daddy

Sand time!

Think they are related?

Looking at plants with Aunt Jen
Me and my niece MashaAda and Uncle Drew

Me and Ada after riding the OHSU tram

3 year old pictures

2010-11-19T09:31:00.002-08:00

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

Well while we were home in Oregon and Scotty was with us. We went to the pumpkin patch with my Dad. It was a lot of fun to take the kids and do all the fun pumpkin patch things. There was a tractor to sit on, a cow train to ride. Of course we did the hay ride and picked out the pumpkin. We got to look at farm animals and all that fun stuff. All in all it was a good day!

New Etsy shop

2010-11-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

Decided to try my luck at selling some prints. Check out my shop and share with your friends if you can! Would appreciate any business! And I swear I will get this blog caught up by the end of the weekend! Well that's the goal at least!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sCaPhotography

Halloween!

2010-11-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know I am totally behind so these next few posts are all gonna be short but Ill do my best to include some cute pictures. Life has just been crazy and a lot has happened in the past few months.

Ok so Halloween was pretty fun! I had a good time spending it with friends I love. My first adventure was the friday before and we went to a local school that was having a little carnival with my friend Lauren! Unfortunatly she had just found out that her husband was injured in Afghanistan (one of the reasons things have been crazy!) so this was her last night in town and she has yet to come back! :( Makes me one sad girl with out one of my best friends here. But ok, back to halloween. So we did the carnival!

Then Saturday we carved pumpkins since we had been out of town for a bit and handn't got around to it yet. Then it was the ward trunk or treat and we went to that and had a good old time eating up some good chili, one which I brought, and then trunk or treating with the kids! It was good to be with my amazing ward family and see all the kids have fun!

Sunday was the day of Halloween and we went out with our good friend Kristin and her little boy Paden. It was a lot of fun. Ada completely had the hang of things this year and was off like any kid should be on a day all about candy! Paden was a little apprehensive so he didn't do to many doors. We got more than enough candy to last us forever!!

All in all it was a great halloween even though we didnt have daddy, and always wish he could be here for these things!

Business Update!

2010-09-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

Ok so I know I am totally behind on things right now, but what can I say, life is BUSY!!

Quick update though on my business. We are doing great and have a pretty steady stream of customers which is AWESOME!! I can't even believe how much it has taken off. So anyways..had to do a little face lift to the web page cause it just wasn't up to par in my book.

So go check it out and let me know what you think!

http://www.wix.com/scaphotography/sca-photography

Promise I will update more on family and kids, (the real reason you look at this) here in a couple days. Hope all is well with everyone!

Not a good day

2010-08-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well I really debated on writing on here what I was feeling today but you know what, this is my blog and I want to write whatever it is that is going on in my life. I know that I mostly use this blog to keep people updated on my families happenings and of course to post pics of my kids for all the family to see but today that is not what its about.

As most of you know Scott is deployed right now to Afghanistan right now. Its been a rough start to this deployment to say the least. We have had a number of techs get hurt or killed since he got there. And up until now we have been lucky enough to say that they were not people from our unit. We did have a couple good friends get injured that we knew from school but they were ok and recovering. A couple days ago I found out that a guy in our unit was badly injured from a land mine that he set his hand on. He is being flown to Germany to recover for a few weeks and stablize and then will be headed back to Ft Carson for extensive surgeries to repair the damage that has been done. This was a big shock to us. Our last deployment we were lucky enough to not have anyone seriously injured or killed. Knowing this guy and knowing who he was and having spent time with him just made this very real. I was pretty upset about it but I knew how lucky he was to make it out and be ok. Well this morning I found out that one of the Techs in our unit was killed yesterday. The circumstances have to do with his vehicle getting hit and he did not survive the explosion, and neither did 4 other guys that were with him. The other four were not people we knew, But this man was. He had a wife. He has kids...one which is only a few months younger than Bray. Scott was a paulbearer for him. He helped to put his friend, brother, fellow soldier on a plane in a coffin. This was undoubltly one of the hardest experiences of his life. Not only does my heart go out to my husband and all that he has had to see in just the last few days but my heart goes out to their families. That poor wife that has had her world come to a grinding halt. I am at a very hard place at the moment and I don't know what emotions I am feeling. This has been a very hard time for me and for the other women here that are my friends. It very quickly makes you re evaluate your life and the things that are going on in it. I think back to the wasted moments with my husband. The pety fights, and the lost kisses. I wish I had him home with me right now so that I could show him exactly what he means to me. In one very short month we have already had one soldier seriously hurt, and another killed. In a unit with only 40 guys thats a very big hit. I am not sure what to make of this or where to go from this. I dont know if this is a forshadow of what I have to look forward to this deployment or if it was just a bad week. I guess you wont know and either way it doesn't change anything. He is there, and he is fighting. He is putting others before him and doing his job because he believes that he is making a difference. He told me today that we have to be strong and just know that we are doing something good. I can't believe his overwhelming desire to serve and do good. Im sure this is all coming out as one big jumble but I wanted to get my thoughts out there. I wanted anyone that reads this to know that this war is still raging and people are losing their lives every day. The death toll spiked this last month and I fear its going to keep rising. Please pray for the troops, pray for their families. Pray for all those that can't sleep in a warm bed tonight because you can. Don't forget. And tell those around you that you love them. Let the little things go and focus on whats important. Know that every minute you have may be the last so make it count.

First Maternity Session

2010-08-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Got to do my first official maternity session just a couple days ago. I had a really fun time working with this couple and you could tell how laid back and relaxed about everything they were. She had some good ideas of some things she wanted and I had a few ideas that she was very open with. All in all I really like how it all came out!

Two new wreaths

2010-08-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Well the wreath on my front door had pretty much died...haha ok not so much died but the sun here had worked a number on it and it was time to take it down. So that meant it was time to get to crafting. I haven't been crafting as much lately as I would like to but life has just been crazy and hectic. Anywhoo...So I of course hoped on my blog sites I loved and starting looking around for some inspiration on what I wanted to make. I knew that on my door I somehow wanted to add "Welcome" Well I remembered these pretty fabric flower things I made once a while back and decided to just throw something together. My objective was to get this made during one tv show at night after the kiddos were in bed. Heres what I came up with...
I actually really like it and the best thing is it didnt cost me a penny! I had the scrap fabric laying around and the wreath was the same one I used before I just pulled the old fabric off it. All in all a great little project.

While I was surfing blogs for inspiration I did come across something that I really wanted to try. It was another wreath and I thought it was really pretty! But it looked like an expensive one and well Im not into spending to much money. Come to find out, the whole thing only costs $2 to make! In that case I knew I had to try! So here it is...
This whole wreath is made out of coffee filters! Yep! Pretty awesome huh!

Adas first day of Pre K!

2010-08-24T15:04:00.001-07:00

Well today was Ada Bugs first day of school! It was such a bitter sweet thing! I know its only two days a week for a few hours but its still such a big milestone! I can't believe how fast she is growing up! She had an awesome day at school and said she had a lot of fun coloring and playing. I am so glad that she had a good time and she didnt cry or anything when I left her. I mean a small part of me wishes she missed me and would cause a big fuss when I leave her because she loves me that much, but we all know she is independent and just fine without me. Bray and I spent the afternoon running some errands without her and it was actually very nice but a little lonely with no one jabbering at me. Anyways here are a few pictures from the day. We went and had ice cream afterwards to celebrate her first day. I thihk thats a tradition I am going to keep each year!
This was her at about 10 this morning just ready to go and didnt understand why we couldn't go yet. Her class didn't start till 1.

All ready to go with her backpack!

Her and her teacher, Ms. Josie. She was to excited to take a picture for me!

Sitting and listening to the teacher read a story

Brayden at 6 months!

2010-08-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is half a year old! I can't even believe its already been 6 months since I had him! Time really does fly by when you aren't looking and they grow up sooo fast! I took some pictures today to celebrate so enjoy!

Things you are doing at 6 months:
*Rolling from stomach to back to stomach to back to stomach to back...etc etc :)
*Eating a full 2nd stage food twice a day
*Started to eat puffs and other baby snack foods
*Can sit up on your own for a few brief moments
*Love to laugh and watch your sister play
*Thinks the dogs are great!
*Goes insane in your jumper
*Makes daddy cry when he sees pictures of you
*Teething like crazy but no teeth yet
*Very smiley and happy most of the time
*Sleeping almost through the night except for one wake up
*Loves to snuggle and just be held

Brayden you are such a joy to have in our family. You have such a sweet spirit. You bring a smile to my face every time I see you. You always have smiles for everyone and especially love to watch your sister. You are such a snuggler and will sleep with mommy for hours. You are such a happy and carefree baby and for that I am so grateful! Daddy hates watching you grow up from afar but he loves to see your smiling face on the web cam. Know that your mommy and daddy love you so much and look forward to seeing you grow into such a handsome little stud. Your sister is always looking out for you and making sure you have what you need. We hope as you get older that you will know how much you are loved and how much we love having you in our family. Also we hope you always remember to follow the Lord and keep the gospel as a strong part of your life. Remember to always serve others and be kind to everyone you meet. And always dream big! We love you little man!

A few more photo shoots!

2010-08-09T21:14:00.001-07:00

Just a few pictures from some photo shoots I have done recently. I love doing these shoots and I only hope my business keeps growing and growing!!

Playing around town

2010-08-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well since Scotty left we have of course been trying to keep busy, and what better way to stay busy than to play in the water! Especially since it is sooo hot here most days and we don't have ac! I have some amazing friends that I go and do things with on a regular basis. Here are just a few pictures from some of our outings lately!

Scotty got his senior badge!!

2010-08-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well Scotty has been doing this whole Army thing for long enough now that they decided to go ahead and give him his senior badge! I was very proud of him that day. I know that he sacrifices a lot for this country. I am proud of the accomplishments he has made and the Tech that he is. I know that he is competent and all the more reason to know he will be just fine on this deployment. Way to go baby! I am so proud of you and I love you!!!

Missed Post

2010-08-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Well I just had to at least include this. Over fourth of July weekend we went camping with some good friends of ours and it was the first time that Ada has ever got to do smores! I didn't have my camera out much on this trip but I thought I would share a few pictures. It was a really fun time with really good friends.

Jackson and his smore

Ada and hers
First time roasting them! She did not want to take a picture
Bray all sweaty cause it was hot!

Lauren was not so sure about Scottys fire building technique

Trip to Utah

2010-08-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well we decided that we wanted to go to Utah to see family before Scott headed out again. So we packed up the kids and the dogs and headed to SLC. It was a pretty easy road trip down since Scott did most of the driving and I slept :) The first day we were there we decided to go to a water park with all the family. It was a lot of fun to see all the kids playing and especially to meet my two new nieces. All the kids had a blast and us grown ups tried to take turns the best we could so that we could even get in a little play time too.

That night we decided to have a little bon fire up at a spot in the canyon which was a lot of fun. We just did some hot dogs and smores and hung out. Ada and her cousin Bryce got a long really well this trip and the two of them had a lot of fun hanging out and playing in the dirt. Brayden of course loved watching the fire. He thinks its very interesting.

On Saturday we had the opportunity to go to the Bountiful Temple and see James and Tara get sealed. It was a really special day for them and I am so happy they were able to do that. I also got the chance to snap some pictures for them that day which was fun for me!

After the sealing we went to a little luncheon for them at a park nearby and enjoyed some good food. Ada had fun trying to sneek off into the creek that was right there at the site. I took a few pictures of some of the family there.

Sunday was Church and then baptisms for the two girls. Anastasia and Maria were both baptized and it was a really meaninful day for them. I was so happy to be a part of it. It was so nice to see how happy they were after they made that decision. There was A LOT of people at that!!! Ada loved getting to play with all her cousins so much!

Monday was a much needed down day! Tuesday we got the opportunity to go see the girls get sealed to their family in the Jordan River Temple. I think this temple has a special place in my heart because it was the temple that Scott and I reguarly attended after we got married and moved to Utah. I really love this temple. It was so amazing to know that after adopting both girls they are now sealed together as a family. Such an incredible blessing. After the sealing we all headed back to Jenns house for dinner with all the family...again A LOT of people!!

We also tried to do a few pictures with grandma and grandpa and all the cousins that were there...wow!

We were supposed to head home on Wednesday but we decided to hang out a bit longer and go camping with the family and go play on a boat! It was a lot of fun and I am glad we decided to hang out for a couple extra days. I got to wake board for my first time and I loved it! I got up on my fourth try which isn't to bad. I can't complain. Showed me how I was getting old cause the next day I was sore! Scotty of course had to wakeboard to and I loved watching him! Ada loved being on the boat and really liked playing in the water with her cousins. She really likes camping too of course!

We headed home on Saturday morning. All in all it was a really good trip. I am glad we had the opportunity to go and spend time with family and I know Scott really loved getting to see everyone. I am grateful to have a great family I married into as well as my own great family that I came from. I couldn't be more blessed!

Braydon and his tongue obesssion

2010-07-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

Braydon is all about sticking his tongue out now

Family Shoot

2010-07-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Another family from our unit wanting photos before they all leave.

A couple shoot!

2010-07-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

This was a session I did for another couple in our unit. Just wanting some good shots before the guys deploy

Another Session

2010-07-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

This was a photo shoot I did for a baby that was 7 weeks old and a little boy who was 3! I had a lot of fun taking them!

Family Photos!

2010-07-12T11:04:00.001-07:00

We decided it was important to get some good family photos before Scott goes. Be prepared for A LOT!!! But I absolutely love them all!

My webpage!

2010-07-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Well I put together my own official web page. I am pretty excited about this because it gave me the opportunity to order business cards that way I can hand them out and hopefully start getting more business! For now I am under anothers domain because I want to make sure things take off before I pay to host my own but I am still very excited about all this!

Check it out!
http://www.wix.com/sCaphotography/sCa-Photography

If you have any suggestions for me please send them my way!

I have not finished with all the galleries yet but at least you can see how its coming along!

sCa Phtography

2010-06-29T13:58:00.001-07:00

Well I decided to give my photography skills a shot since my friends were pushing me to. I guess I am a bit afraid of failure at times since I was raised to always exceed. Well I decided to post a few ads and make a web page and just see what happens. Well guess what?! I got my first real client and did the photos this morning!! That's right, a real paying gig! Who would have thought. I know its only one, but hey I am excited! Here is a small preview of some of the photos taken today.

And there is a link to my page on the side if you want to check it out! And of course if you are in the area or know of anyone in the area and you want a session just write me!

Ada Bug

2010-06-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

Well I attempted to take some new pictures of Ada at the park today but she didn't really want anything to do with it. I think she just wanted to wear her pretty dress. But here is what I got anyways. Ill try again another day

Brayden at 4 months

2010-06-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my little man is already 4 months! I am sure I have said that every time I post one of these monthly posts on him but my goodness he is growing up way to fast!! He is so much fun to have around, although he has started to teeth and that is just no fun for him at all. But on a big boy note, he has also started to eat some real baby food. We started him out on cereal just past his 4 month mark because he was just a hungry boy and needed some extra substance. He now does cereal in the mornings and a little baby food in the evenings. He is cooing and laughing and smiling all the time now. You can really start to see his personality coming out. He loves to be in the jumper these days as well as his exersaucer. Tummy time has always been fun for him but now he really enjoys it and can hold his head up strong. You can tell when he is on the floor playing he is ready to be moving but he is just not quite there yet which doesn't make him happy. He is such a joy to have in our family and I love to watch him grow and learn each day. We love you Bray Bray!

Family Visit Part 2

2010-06-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

Tuesday while my family was here we of course, went to Garden of the Gods. I love that place and it is always fun to go there and see the beauty of it. Having all the family there was good for pictures too, but some how we did not get a single picture of all of us at the same time. Go figure. We had fun walking around exploring. The kids had fun climbing on all the rocks. After Garden of the Gods we went and walked around Manitou Springs and did a little shopping and had lunch. It was fun to explore the shops. The kids also got to play at a really cool playground there that had unconventional playground toys that I thought were pretty cool. Afterwards we just headed home and had a good old bbq and hung out for a bit. The kids had fun playing and swimming as usual.

Patty and Sandy had to leave the next day and so we really didn't do to much that morning. We got out the door a little late and ended up going to Waffle House for breakfast. After that I had to stay home so that I could go to a deployment briefing and the rest of them headed up to the royal gorge. They eneded up doing horse back riding for an hour and I was super jealous I missed it! It was Adas frist time on a real horse back ridding session. She was with Aunt Jenn and from what I know she did really well and had a lot of fun!

The next day was Matt and Lewis last day there as well so we drove up to Denver again since we were going to take Lewis to the airport and went to the Denver Aquarium. It was a pretty fun aquarium but smaller than I would have thought from the outside. Bray was in aw of the big fish tanks and Ada thought it was the coolest place she had ever been.

Since it didnt take as long as we thought it would to get through the aquarium we wandered down to a water area we had drove past and ended up playing in the river until it was time to go. We didnt have suits but the kids didn't care. They played and played. It was a really HOT day!

The next few days were just my mom and us and it was nice to just relaxing for a few days. She let Scott and I go out on a date on friday which was really nice of her. We took her to the airport on Saturday and have been recovering ever since!

We also snapped a few good shots of the cousins together before they all left and had a little mini photo shoot with Seryna in one of her dresses.

Family Visit Part 1

2010-06-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well I am going to have to do this post in sections because man was it a LONG week! I had family come visit us from Saturday to Saturday and it was TONS of fun! I couldn't believe how tiring it can be though. My mom flew in on Saturday night and my brother, his wife, their kid, my cousin and his kid all came in that night too! We started out that first night with a bang and had a good time just hanging out and relaxing. We ordered pizza and just stayed up to late talking and catching up.

The next day for Fathers day we drove up to Denver and spent the day at Elich Gardens, a amusment/water park here. It was a lot of fun and it was a really nice day for most of the morning. Then about the time we decided to head over to the water side, the clouds started rolling in. But that was ok because all the kids were exhausted and it was time to head home anyways. We had fun taking all the little ones on the rides and us big kids even got to ride a few ourselves!

On Monday we went to a place called Cave of the Winds here in Colorado Springs. Its was a lot of fun to walk through and see the inside of, but I was stuck trying to carry Brayden on my front through some very small holes and having the tour guide shut off all the lights and haveing Ada freak out in the dark. It was still fun though. After that we headed over to an old ghost town museum and walked through and looked at all the old shops and did a little panning for gold.

My Aunt Patty and my Aunt Sandy and her husband Bobby all came to visit that afternoon/evening. We had one full house!! Luckily not everyone was staying at my place cause we were running short on space! We just enjoyed a nice dinner out on the deck and had a relaxing evening. It was nice to have everyone together in one spot.

Circus fun!

2010-06-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Well Scott was able to get some free tickets to the circus this last weekend and we decided it would be a fun family day. It was a good circus too! It was Barnium and Baileys Funundrum or something crazy like that. Ada has never been to one before so it was so much fun to watch her take everything in. She loved getting to see all the animals before the show started. We got her one of those light up spinning toys and she thought that was pretty cool. She wasn't to sure about the clowns when they tried to talk to her, but she loved all the pretty princesses as she called them, as they spun on the hoops up in the air. Im pretty sure she thinks any girl that wears a pretty costume is automatically a princess. All in all it was a great day and loved just getting to spend time together as a family doing something fun.

Us looking at the elephantsAda and her sweet toy Bray enjoying his first circus
Not to sure...
My new boyfriend :)
Our family

Upcoming deployment

2010-06-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well for those of you that don't know, Scott is getting ready to head out on his next deployment. This will be #2 for our family and though I know we are lucky that in 4 years of service so far this is only our second, I am still dreading every minute of it. Deployments are something that as a military spouse you come to accept and you come to look for the good in them, though I think its rather hard. Please tell me what can be good about stealing a dad away from his children, and taking a loving husband away from his wife. I have lately been trying to see the good that can come from this deployment but as the time is drawing near I just cant find much. I know that when he is gone it will help teach me to be more independent and how to do things and be a strong woman, but what if I dont want to be a strong woman? What if all I really want to do right now is throw myself one big pity party, with chocolate ice cream and lots of rants and screams and tears. I am sure there are plenty of other military spouses out there that would be wanting to join me because I know we all feel this way at times. The army runs our life. It tells us when we can have vacations, where we are going to live, what kind of house is "acceptable" for us. It tells us when we get our daddy home and when we don't. Sometimes I just wish I could make the decisions. I know I know, I'm being a big baby, but hey don't we all have this right at times?

Scott will be gone for 12 months this time. He will be in Afghanistan. Last deployment was Iraq and from what I hear this is gonna be a whole new ball game for us. I am scared. I never felt that way before last deployment. I wasn't worried. Maybe its because I have had so many friends lately know a Tech that was killed. I swear in the last month I have seen like 3. Thats a lot for EOD. I have yet to know someone that I actually knew to have been killed in combat and truly that is not something I ever care to experience. Though I know that if we stick with this for a career my time will come. Everyones does. You eventually know someone that has lost their life for this country. Though I am so proud of my husband for the sacrafices he makes and I know his are much greater than mine ( I couldn't imagine not seeing my kids for a year) I just hope and pray that he will never have to make that ultimate sacrafice. Scott is my best friend and the man I could never imagine my life without. He keeps me calm in this life and helps me to remember the things that are truly important like him and our kids.

Ok so I know I am getting all emotional here but things lately have just been rough. Not because there have been anything bad happening, but just because we know the bad is on the horizon. I dont want to lose my husband for a year. I dont want my kids to miss their daddy, or even more, in Brays case, forget their daddy. I don't want to know what its like to be a single mom again. I have some great friends that I will be near this time around and I am hoping with my support system I will be able to just keep going day by day. I hope that he is able to have communication there, and that we will be able to talk frequently. I hope that the kids don't freak out because he isn't here. I really really hope that he comes home to us safe and sound.

I know that usually I just use this blog to keep up with family on what we are doing and such but I also use it as a journal for myself to look back at different things. This was something I just wanted to get on paper so I don't forget the way I am feeling. I am sure there will be lots of posts about this deployment on here over the next year.

More pictures to enjoy

2010-06-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

The kiddos relaxing after a long day
Bray on his new tummy mat! He loves loves it!
My smiley boy!
Ada wanted to help him...I dont think he liked it haha
She is so happy!
Crazy woman driver! Look out!

He loves his new exersaucer!
Can't believe he passed out like this
My boys :) Doing what they do best..

Painting the house

2010-06-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well I have always hated white walls and this is the first place we have lived since we got married that has allowed us to paint. I have been so excited to do this but since I was prego when we moved in I knew it was going to have to wait. And then we had to wait for the winter to finally be done since it was always snowing outside and we needed to have the windows open. So FINALLY I was able to put some color on these walls. I am so happy with the way it all came out. I know that I picked colors that are not what a lot of people would pick but if I am going to paint then I am going bold and gonna love it. I am the one that has to live here afterall right?! Well here it is...

I went with a nice shade of green in the kitchen. Everyone that has seen these pictures says that it looks much brighter in the pictures then it actually looks on the walls. Its really a nice color if you ask me. I have always wanted a green and red kitchen and now I finally have it!

The color I picked for the bathroom was because of the awesome shower curtain I have that I really really love! I will admit, its a little more orange than I was going for but I actually really like it! Ada was nice enough to give me a hand in the painting process too...

This face worries me....its the, Im about to do something that I am not supposed to, face. But isn't she just to darn cute! She was so excited to get to help!

Not the best picture, it was off the cell phone..

And for the final reveal...drum roll please....My living room!

I am 100% in LOVE with this room!! I really really really REALLY like the way it all came out. I ended up re doing my pillows my self which I really like and I got new curtains, and I just did a few new touches here and there and then the color made it all come together! I think it really brightens up the room and gives it the feel that I was going for! We also mounted our TV on the wall if you can see it. I really like this cause now there are not more sticky fingers on it! I still need to find something new to put above it, and something for each side of the mirror on the other wall but all in all I love love love my living room now!

Well thats all there is to share!

Brayden at 3 months

2010-05-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby boy is already 3 months old! Wow where has the time gone!! Brayden is such a joy to have around! At this stage he is learning to smile more and more. He now coos and talks and is becoming quite the little character. You can see his personality really starting to shine. He loves his mama and anytime he hears me or sees me he lights up! I absolutely adore it! He is learning to really love his daddy now too since he has been around this last month. His big sister still thinks he is great and gives him lots of hugs and kisses. He will just watch her as she runs all over the place like its the most entertaining thing he has ever seen. He loves to sit under his play mat and he enjoys his bath time. He has been sleeping in his crib now just like a big boy and most nights goes down around 8 and doesnt get up until 4. Makes mommy very happy. He can still roll over from his stomach to his back but he usually enjoys his tummy time so he just sits there and plays. Its very sad for me to think that he is growing up so fast but at the same time I am so happy to see him happy. Each stage is such a fun new experience with him. We love you Bray!

This is what we call his Elvis face

oI love his smile in this one

Sleeping in his bed like a big boy

My New Life

2010-05-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

So this is a video I saw on a friend of mine's blogs and I just had to share it with everyone. As I sat and watched this video I wondered about my own life and the things that I find as struggles. Wow, do they seem so small in comparison. I know that we each have our own challenges in life but this woman has more strength than I could ever hope to have. She is an example to so many people. Probably more than she will ever know. When watching the movie it made me think a lot about where I am in life at this time. I am not a perfect person by any means. I struggle each and every day to do the the things that I know are right and true. I struggle to be the mom that I want to be, the wife that I want to be, the daughter, the sister, the friend. I want the people that have had such an important impact on my life to know it. I want to have that impact on the people I loves lives as well. I struggle to do the things for my children that I know they need. Each day I want to do more for them, teach them more, have more patience with them. Show them how much their mother cares for them and would give anything for them. My role as a mother in this life is one of the most, if not the most important role I will ever have. I have been entrusted with these two beautiful children that need me. They depend on me for everything and I just don't want to fail at it. I want to raise them right and teach them correct principles. To see a woman like this who has to overcome so much and still knows that her role as a mother is the most important, shows and teaches me that I can do it. I know that I can. I will work each and every day to do better and to be better for them. I know with Christs help I can accomplish this goal.

The Incline!

2010-05-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well we were supposed to be just doing a nice day hike in Seven Falls but since the park was closed we thought we would go check out the incline. I was not AT ALL prepared for this hike. I was in jeans and american eagle casual boots. Not exactly prime hiking clothes. Especially for this hike. The incline is a series of old rail road ties that lead up the side of pikes peak. It is about 1.02 mils but its as steep as a 68% grade in a lot of spots. You can see this baby as "the scar" from all over the colorado springs area. Why we decided to go do this hike so impromptu I have no idea!! It was really fun though to push yourself and keep going. I had Bray on the front carrier all the way up, then when I reached the top I started to head back down to meet up with the rest of the family cause Scott had Ada on his back and Tara is of course pregnant so they were going a bit slower. Well I went about 1/4 mile back down and took Ada off Scotts hands and headed back up again. It was such an intense hike but the view from the top is absolutly worth it!

To get down we decided to take the Barr trail which is a 4 mile switch back seriess back down to the bottom. Well about half way down it decided to start raining, which really wouldn't have been that bad since I was so hot, but then it started to HAIL!!! Oh it hurt! So we all started running! So just picture me carrying Ada on my back, Scott carrying Bray on his front, Pregnant Tara and James, booking it down a moutain side in a hail storm as its getting darker and darker! Teaches us to not impromptu hike! It was fun though in a way, made some memories for sure!

The bottom of the incline, if you look to the top of the picture you can see a cut out in the trees, looks like the top....its not! It keeps going!

Scott and Bray once they reached the top

Ada happy to be out of the carrier

Looking dowm what we just came up

Bray happy as can be Our family!

All of us at the top
Ada after running down in the storm...still smiling

Us after the storm!

Random photos...Enjoy!

2010-05-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

Holding your head up strong

2010-05-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well little man is getting quite the neck muscles! He is starting to really push up and look around a lot while he is doing tummy time. And unlike a lot of babies he actually has come to enjoy tummy time a lot. He will just lay there for a while and not even try to pick his head up and then he starts to get curious and starts pushing up...usually it will only last for about 15 mins but its still fun to watch him. A lot of the time it ends with him rolling over onto his back and then screaming. I think he still shocks himself that he can do that. I can't believe he is almost 3 months old already! Where did the time go?!

Adas Bedding

2010-05-10T07:54:00.001-07:00

Just had to include it. Here is the bedding I made for her new room. I thought it came out pretty cute!

Zoo Trip for Mothers Day

2010-05-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Well I had a great mothers day. Scott and Ada spoiled me rotten. I got breakfast in bed, and got waited on hand and foot. I didn't have to change any diapers or care for kids...except of course feeding Brayden. We decided to go to the zoo because it was so beautiful out! Well I think just about every other mom in Colorado Springs had the same idea. It was very busy, but a lot of fun! We went with another family from out unit and had a good time. Ada loves going to the zoo and seeing all the animals. This was the first time Scott was able to come with us and he really enjoyed the chance to take her.

Also it was fun cause Scott was in control of the camera most of the day and its fun to see things through his eyes. He got some amazing shots of me with Brayden that I just love! All in all it was a great day yesterday. Becoming a mother was the second best decision I have made in my life, next to marrying Scott. I have the most incredible children and the best friend I could ever ask for in this life. I am truly blessed with my family and I can't believe how lucky I am.

Also I would like to say a big Thank You to my own mom. She is an amazing woman who has always supported me. As the years have passed and I have became a mother myself I see all the sacrifices she made for me and I am truly thankful for all that she has done for me. I love you mom!
Ada spinning in circles

My little man and I
My wonderful children
And thats my man! haha

Gotta love that face!
Our little family, minus Bray, he was sleeping and I wasn't moving him :)
Our little Bug
Feeding the giraffes

Bugs new room

2010-05-06T15:14:00.001-07:00

Well here is what I have been working on lately. I decided that Ada's bed set needed to be re done so I wanted to do it myself. I got the fabric and then decided that I just wanted to go ahead and re do her whole room! I knew I wanted to paint in there since I didnt when we first moved in. And well I just kept going from there. Funny part is I haven't finished the bedding yet which is all I was supposed to do to begin with.

Garage Sale Weekend

2010-05-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

Well Scotty came home on Friday morning and its been nice having him back. We didn't get to spend to much time just hanging out this weekend though cause we had a garage sale that was already planned. It was fun and we did make some good money so that is always nice! Well during the garage sale Leslies husband came over on his bike and all the kids thought it was the coolest thing. They wanted to sit on it and climb on it. So I snapped a few photos. It was so cute especially cause Ada of course was wearing her tutu that she refuses to take off. Haha. Saturday night Scott and I did get to go on a date which was nice since we haven't been on one in about 3 months due to the new baby. We went and saw a movie, Date Night...how funny to see date night on date night. It was hilarious though!!! So anyone that has not seen it...GO!

Brayden in the bath

2010-04-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well Bray was super super cranky last night! So my final attempt to get him to calm down was to give him a nice warm bath. And it was like a light switch! He calmed down instantly and was happy as could be in there. He stayed in for a good 15 minutes. Which is good for him! I just had to snap a few photos cause he looked so content.

Ada liked having someone to share the bath with too!

Picnic Time

2010-04-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Well we went on a picnic today at the park. Ada had fun playing and eating on the blanket. I meant to take more pictures...but the camera died so this was all I got. Brayden enjoyed laying under the tent and just looking around. It was a good day :)

Blue eyed boy

2010-04-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

I am still learning my new camera so I know I take way to many pictures but I just had to post this one. I have been working on better editing of my photos as well. This I took this morning and my friend suggested just leaving his eyes in color. I did it and I think it came out amazing!

And here is two more from this morning that I just liked. One I almost captured his smile in.

Randomness

2010-04-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

Just some pictures I took at the park today while we were out. The sky looked awesome because a storm was moving in. Also there are a few more from our trip to Texas while Ada was playing with bubbles. She loves them still!

Trip to Texas

2010-04-22T11:19:00.001-07:00

Well since Scott was gonna be gone for a month we decided that we would take a road trip to Texas and see our old friends. Plus my friends husband was going to be gone for the month too so it worked out perfect! Ada had a blast playing with her old friends and it was fun to see the kids together again. Plus I got to show off the new little one. We had a good trip. While I was there it was Taylors 5th birthday so we got to join in the fun their. We also took the kids to Wazoos to play. I had such a good time enjoying my friends there too. I have made some amazing friends since we have been in the military and although we end up moving away from eachother we are still great friends!

Unfortuatly on the last day there we had a bit of a mishap. A candle fell off a mantel onto to Ada's head and we ended up in the ER and she got a staple to close it up. It was my first experience with rushing my kid to the ER and I would like to think its my last but I know better, especially considering what a little dare devil my kid can be. But luckily it was just a bad cut and she is ok.