Brenden's Videos

Brenden talking to his Mommy.

Brenden Rolling Over

Brenden has been talking to himself and rolling over for awhile now, we just figured we'd get it on video so that everyone else could see. Brenden does this thing where we'll be so excited to show him off to everyone else, but when the time comes when people are over he just freezes and won't really do anything other than just lay there on the floor. Camera shy? No, not really. Maybe just people shy. But here it is for everyone far, far away, and all of our friends that come over and Brenden has decided not to show off for. Hope you enjoy!

Happy 2-year Anniversary

Yesterday was Chris and my 2 -year Anniversary. It was grand!!! Chris and I have been talking about doing a Harry Potter marathon for some time now so that's exactly what we did! Keep in mind that before this I really hadn't seen any of the Harry Potter movies and Chris pretty much knows everything that there is to know about Harry Potter, thanks to his brother Josh. So here are some pictures of my attempt to create a fun anniversary night for us. Enjoy.

This is our kitchen table all decked out. Notice that it's in Gryffindor colors. Yes, I did my research.

Our lovely anniversary cake, made by your truly. Misspelled in honor of Hagrid.

So, I have to admit, most of the rest of this, I really had no idea what anything was, but I did the best I could.

This is the Whomping Willow, the tree that Harry and Ron crash the Weasley's car into when they miss the train in the second movie, I do believe. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Here are some games that are wrapped up to look like Tom Riddle's diary, AKA Voldemort. 

 I used some yummy candy for the Quittich snitches.

This is a necklace my Great Grandmother gave me that I used for the Slitherin Locket.

And is it me, or is Dobby just the cutest ugliest creature ever?

The Hufflpuff Cup. This is a silver cup that came with a pitcher from Chris' family. It worked perfectly.

And of course we needed caffeine for this absurd marathon.

One of my Welcome signs.

This was a growing snake, its now about 3 times this size. Very fitting for wizardly.

My sad attempt at a crown. I was seriously running out of time. Chris was do to be home in 5 minutes!

Chris' movie glasses, made to look like a dork, we were having a Harry Potter marathon after all.

And here are mine, quite festive I do think.

Our bookstore happens to be DVD's. Everyone comes over to borrow DVD's, weekly.

Our ceiling fan in the living room, in Gryffindor colors. Brenden loved laying on the floor watching it go and go.

Chris' anniversary presents if you couldn't tell.

Me waiting for Chris to get home from work. A day well spent of decorating.

Chris' first present was scrabble slam. A seriously addicting game. If you haven't played, cross scrabble with speed and that's pretty much it.

Get Ready....

Oh yes, Sorry. We love this game. Its very competitive with us.

Chris got me this pretty amazing piece of the Las Vegas Temple. I loved it.

Brenden was pretty excited for us too.

I love his great big grin!

Now it's time to be serious. Ha ha.

Get ready for some movie time!

Chris being nerdy with his cool glasses.

Love at first sight.

Why is he so goofy?

Yea! For 2 years!

Finally.

I found the camera so we're ready for pictures and story time. I'm horrible about playing catch up. I finally found one of the cameras, it was left in the stroller from vacation. I had found Chris' video camera the other day, we found it in the washer. OOOPS! I put it in some rice, I just haven't tried to turn it on yet, hopefully it does work when we turn it on.

So this post is going to be about the trip down to California and our trip to Pharaoh's, its a water park in San Bernardino.

So get ready...

Brenden getting some shut eye before the big trip.

A picture of Vegas as night from about 5 miles away from the strip.

A hotel off of the strip in Las Vegas. We thought it was fitting since we've got some friends living in Main Street Station Apartments in Rexburg. Ha ha.

This is the Bellagio. Chris and I stayed here for a few days of our honeymoon. Best hotel I have ever stayed in.

Brenden waking up, telling mommy its time for some eats.

Brenden before he got all messy.

 Brenden eating. We found this awesome bottle/spoon combo before we left. It's really the best invention I've seen for babies. You just squeeze and his food comes out onto the spoon.

Brenden is so happy. Good thing we're almost to San Bernardino!

Chris and Brenden at Pharaoh's. Brenden had gotten a TON of sun.

Car ride back to Cousin Jared's from Pharaoh's. He was kind of in a daze the whole way back.

So mysterious with his popped collar.

My baby is such a thumb sucker and I think it's CUTE!

And again, I'll post some more pictures of out time in California when Chris' camera is up and running. Sorry the trip down was so boring, it was dark almost the whole way.

Sundays are the Best!

So today is a great and glorious day even though Chris is at work. Brenden and I stayed home from Church today and we're watching Sunday movies. We watched one this morning that was really inspirational. It was a short movie, but very to the point and very good. It was set in the 1800's with a family, focusing on 2 children, a boy and a girl. The girl looks to be about 12, and the little boy is only about 3-years-old. The family is a hard working family and one afternoon they all get to take the afternoon off and go out picking gum root to make gum. Everyone in the family is so excited to go, especially this little 12-year-old girl. She's day dreaming of the fun they'll have and is rushing to get ready. Her Father then comes to tell her that she can't go and that she has to stay home with her little brother. She's so upset, she has this idea that she should take her little brother and meet the family there. They have to cross this gully they call the sink that has a a lake of ice cold water at the bottom. They have been told never to go there, but its a short cut. They're about halfway across when they realize their path is being blocked by a rock slide. The little girl decides they should go anyways and that her Father would be so excited to see them that he wouldn't be too mad. They start to cross carefully, but then the rocks start to slip from beneath their feet. They slide down with the rocks about to fall into the ice water, the little girl starts praying, saying that she will never ever disobey her father again if they can be saved; when all of a sudden they find themselves back on the path, on the side heading towards home. This little girl decided that they should go back home, and that she will never disobey her father again. Years later while this little girl is on a mission for the church her little brother gets deathly ill. He tells the Father about what had happened at the sink when they were little and how angels had saved them. When his fever had broken he couldn't remember any of it. The girl comes home from her mission and the Father tells her about it, and she doesn't even remember seeing angels. The Father says that the little boy was so innocent in everything and Heavenly Father wanted to save him and sent down angels to rescue both of them. That's pretty much where it ends but its a great little movie. If you're interested its only about 15 minutes long and it called, In the Arms of Angels.

I think later on this afternoon Brenden and I are going to watch The Living Scriptures and the story of Nephi. I'm really excited for Brenden to start watching these. While we were in Manti a few days ago at the pageant, they had this booth that was selling subscriptions to the living scriptures and it was for such a good price that we couldn't pass it up. So we started off our subscription with Nephi and The Prodigal Son. So we got those 2 movies and an activity book, The Book of Mormon on CD, some CD's of music from the DVD's, and the 10 commandment movies. I'm super excited, if you can't tell.

So Nephi, here we come!

And We're Back!

Hey everyone, we're back in Rexburg. I love being on vacation and avoiding the all so common cabin fever. Chris and I leave Rexburg every couple of months and it great, but by the end of our vacation I am ready to come home. We had fun while we were gone, and I know everyone wants to read about it, but this post is not going to be it. This post is just to serve to my blogging addiction.

So we spent a week in San Bernardino, California, and then a few days in Utah, mostly in Provo. Now that we're back, its unpacking and doing laundry, and cleaning the house for me. I always make sure our house is clean before we leave, but when we come back and get to unpacking, and the house is a complete mess. That has to be the worst part of vacation, and even worse with moving. I am not looking forward to the rest of the day and getting it all done. But I am looking forward to when it will all be done.

So we're back, text me and we'll do something! But for now I will be cleaning our house and doing laundry.

Pictures and Stories of our trip to come.

Good-Bye Blog

That would be a scary thought. I will only be going away for a week, and it might even be that long, I just realize that when I'm away from home that I am not the best blogger at all. I just get so consumed in everything else that is going on. So before everyone gets all up in a huff I decided that I would let everyone know that its a possibility that I may just be too tired and busy to blog for the next few days. Not to mention all of the fun that we will be having. I haven't seen my cousin Jared in a few years and if you ask me, that's far too long. He's only 2 years older than I am and I remember always being really close to him when we were growing up. Especially when our families would get together. He was my favorite person to hang out with. Back then my older brother and I were still in the "we have to fight about everything because we're brother and sister" phase And yes, it was just a phase A phase that lasted until we were both in high school. When I got to be in high school everything changed to bickering with each other to my loving brother being the oh so protective brother. I loved it, but at the same time it drove me absolutely crazy.

So back to my story about my cousin, Jared Love him. He's great. Jared and his girlfriend, Stephanie had a baby back in November, a few months before Brenden was born. Her name is Lily. She is so cute and has the adorable cheeks like Brenden does. We'll make sure to take a bunch of photos of the babies together and I'll post them when we get back. All I know is that there are possibilities of going to a water park, going to the park, and having a wonderful Father's Day BBQ. I love BBQ's and so does Chris. Chris is your typical manly man. He loves BBQ's, making things, figuring out how things work, and being rugged.

It is such a glorious day outside and I'm loving every minute of it. But I can't wait until Chris gets off of work. I'm so ready to get this family reunion started. Maybe that's why I wasn't able to sleep in today. May I should take a nap before we go anywhere. That may be a good idea. Instead, I'm sitting here writing a blog, watching Medium, and trying to decided what I should eat for lunch. Today is just one of those days where nothing actually sounds good. Any suggestions?

Well it's time for lunch, nap, and to take the car in for the oil change.

So long for now, be back in a week. :)

Today is the Day!

I didn't think I would have the time to blog today with everything going on, but look at me! Its 930 in the morning and just about everything I needed to get done today is already done. I love waking up early and getting everything done and having the rest of the day to enjoy to myself (and Brenden!). I just feel so accomplished when I wake up early and get everything done. So for today I have finished up the laundry from yesterday, cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen, vacuumed all of the floors, finished packing Chris and Brenden, put Brenden's clothes away, finished packing myself, started to load up the car, made some lunch for my honey, packed up the cooler, swept and mopped all of the floors, all while taking care of Brenden. Its been great. He's been such a good baby this morning and letting me get everything done. All that's left for today is to clean off our bed, put the sheets back on the bed that are in the wash, and make it, take the car in for an oil change, and finish up a birthday project I started over the weekend. Its almost done, I'm just doing the finishing touches and I can get it out in the mail. I'll post pictures once this special birthday has come and gone.

I think I'll be working on this project today, finishing up my work, and napping for the rest of the day. What a day, it feels great, maybe if the sun comes out I'll go and enjoy that too. I'm going crazy in excitement. Its like I'm a little kid waiting to go to Disneyland. Almost, but not quite. Well for now, I'm going to go call my mom and try to to get a hold of her. I've been trying all week with no answer, so wish me luck!

BABIES

It seems since I have had Brenden in February that everyone that I know on the face of the planet is pregnant and having babies. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited for them, giving birth and having children is the best gift that we can have. I say we, as in every women on the earth because we all know when it comes to giving birth, it's all on us.

Over the past year I have read so many great things on being a mommy and giving birth. I have been so informed, its nuts! And now that I've gone through the birthing stages and have a baby that's 4 months old, I know so much more than I ever could have imagined. Its great! I'll know so much more for the next one. Ha ha. I know exactly what I want out of a birth, and the things I can say "no" to. I know that I can request a different nurse or doctor/midwife. I know that baby's do not break. I know that if I needed to I could do it all again, with out drugs. I know that I won't have to go to the hospital as many times as I did with Brenden. I know how to fed a baby. I know to bring food to the hospital with me. Well, because the hospital food doesn't taste that great. I know that I have a loving husband, although I was telling him he was doing everything wrong, he was doing the best that he absolutely could. I wish I would have known that one. I know a baby's different cries, well Brenden's anyways. I know how to soothe a baby so much better now. I know that it's ok to let them cry for a time. I know that their little toes get so cold. I know they get messy and have blow outs. I know that baby's teethe, but it won't last forever. I know the happiness I feel when that cute little baby smiles at me for the first time.

If you can't tell by this post already, I am so ready to be pregnant again. And what brought this on you may ask? Well I went visiting teaching today and found out that one of the girls I teach is pregnant. Its a funny story actually. She almost 4 months along. She didn't even know she was expecting until a few weeks ago. Apparently she has a pretty irregular period so when she missed a couple months she didn't think anything of it. So one day she decided to take a pregnancy test just to rule that out. So. she takes the test and its positive. She freaks out and buys another test because she just think it was possible. Another positive test. So she goes to the store and buys a digital test. Positive again. So she finally tells her husband and they make an appointment to see the doctor. So they have her take another test again. Can guess the result? Yes, once again positive. While they're at the doctor's they had no idea how far along she was since she had missed a couple periods. The doctors measures her and sh'e about 15 weeks along. She is so excited. Every time I would take Brenden over she was so excited to see him. She would talk about baby's the whole time and talk about how she wanted one so bad and how her husband wanted to wait a little bit longer. And now its here, she's pregnant, she's on her way to her dream of being a mother.

I love stories like these and I can't wait until I can have another story of another pregnancy and another baby. I know it will come soon and I know that I'm being selfish for talking and thinking about it all the time. But this is what I want to do with my life. I want to be a mother, I am, but I want to be surrounded by children. To nurture them, to care for them, to play with them, to teach them, to give them everything that they could ever want.

I just want a baby in my tummy again.

The Last 4 Months of Brenden!

5 Days Old.

Brenden was only a few days old, this is his first trip to the doctors office. All bundled up and ready to brave the cold.

1 1/2 Weeks Old.

Brenden first crawling adventure. I left him on his tummy in the living room, went down the hall to do laundry, and I find Brenden in the kitchen.

2 Weeks Old.

Right after Brenden's first bath in his tubby.

3 Weeks Old.

A photo we took while his Gran was in town. So cute!

6 Weeks Old.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

2 1/2 Months Old.

Brenden's first airplane ride.

3 Months Old.

Back home in Rexburg, right before Daddy's Birthday.

4 Months Old.

Ready for sold foods!

4 Months Old.

Hanging out in the Love Sac. Getting so big.

4 Months Old.

Giggling it up. Entertaining himself for the first time.