Here's Your Birthday Gift...

Happy Birthday Mom!

In honor of your birthday I made you a bag and of course I wouldn't have been able to make it with out the input and help from Shawn and Victoria...so the gift is from them as well.

Here's something to carry all your seminary goodies in, and when you're out and about you can turn the bag inside out for a new look...and pin the flower wherever you want...if you want it.

(My mom is an early morning seminary teacher)

...so you can see the bottom of the bag.

...and the inside.

Hope you have a perfect day today! We love you SO much!

(P.S. I'll send the bag on Monday...sorry it's not there today.)

Blizzards... And I Don't Mean The Dairy Queen Kind

Now I've got myself thinking about a Reese's Dairy Queen Blizzard...I feel a craving coming on....yup...now I've GOT to have one! Maybe this post about all our recent snow will make me forget about it (is it possible to forget a craving when you're pregnant?...I don't think so. I don't care what 'What to Expect When Expecting' says...grabbing a handful of grapes is not going to satisfy my blizzard craving).

Anyway we've had quite the snow fall here in Maryland this winter. The fist blizzard was just a few days before we left for our Christmas vacation. I think we got around a foot or a foot and half of snow overnight with that storm. Church was canceled and schools were out for a couple of days. Just last week we had "Blizzard '10" were we got over two feet of snow...and then a few days after that storm we had more snow, almost another foot. Church was canceled again, businesses shut down, people were not allowed on the roads during the storm, power was out in some areas, and the schools closed for the whole week...I think they just went back today. It was nice to have Shawn home for a couple of days though! At least we finished up more painting around the house! But I think we are all pretty sick of the snow and cold days around here. Please, Snow, melt away fast so spring can come already!

Pictures from "Blizzard '09"

Doing a little snow dance.

Shawn shoveling during the first storm. With his sauconys on...no boots. Are you sure you're from Utah, Shawn?

Pictures from "Blizzard '10"

By the end of the storm, that red bug could not be seen.

Victoria's snowman...Daddy's hat, Mama's scarf, grapes for eyes, a rock for it's nose, and sticks for it's mouth...she loved it.

It was really bright outside.

Shawn's boots crack me up! They smelled so gross...he kept saying he should have bought the more expensive ones ha ha!

I couldn't pass up this picture of Victoria standing on an upside down basket to check up on her snowman from our front window.

Christmas Memories 2009

I know Christmas is old news by now, but I had to post about it for our family record. We spent a week at my house in California for Christmas. It was SO good to be home and as an extra treat my sister and her 4 kids were there as well. I finally got to meet the newest member of the family...Preston. My sister's youngest who was born the end of August. He looked like a 6 month old...way too cute, I couldn't get enough of him! We did a ton of stuff in one short week and had such a good time...

We headed down to the Americana for a night of lights, Santa, trolley rides, and The Cheesecake Factory.

The pictures below are us waiting in line to see Santa. Because my brother worked at the Americana he gave us special treatment and took us all to the front of the line to get our picture with Santa!

The Big Guy....This picture is priceless and puts a smile on my face every time I look at it! The only thing that would make it more perfect would be if Cody had his famous scowl on his face.

Of course Christmas wouldn't be Christmas with out my mom's Christmas cookies...and all the other classic holiday cookies from the neighbors that we've gotten for the past 21 years! We all took part in decorating the cookies and eating them. We even found Cody hidden under a blanket eating a cookie that he had sneaked!

The Christmas tree...it's huge, and every one of the ornaments has a story to tell.

Christmas Eve and Christmas morning are below.

Victoria loved the park ( Wendy Park...the same park that I would spend hours at growing up...even as a teenager) and leaving was the last thing she wanted to do! Did I mention how beautiful the weather was while we were there?...I miss it so much!

We also spent some time at the Aquarium of the Pacific...totally expensive to get in and after 2 1/2 hours everyone was ready to go home ha ha. Victoria's favorite part was the bird forest. The birds would land right on you, fly right at you almost knocking you over, poop on you, and if you were too pushy they would bite. 

Our second week was spent in Logan Utah with Shawn's family, where Victoria opened a ton more gifts, Shawn went "bunny hunting" (gross, I know), I threw up a bunch, and we all welcomed in the new year.

Victoria opened this special gift from her Aunt Melissa and Uncle Justin. Apparently she hated it ha ha.

Victoria with her cousin Harlyn in Utah.

Trying to get a picture with Grandpa Waldron.

Maybe I Should Document At Least a Little Something

I hate getting behind on blogging...especially when I have a bunch of documenting to do from the holidays...still! I just have so many pictures from our trip that I am trying to narrow down for the blog, but it shouldn't matter how many pictures I put up...it's my blog my way, right? Right! Anyway, I've decided on a few new year resolutions, still working on resolving some from last year...been busy thinking about blogging, cleaning, cooking, making animal sounds, singing "If your happy and you know it...", laughing, crying, worrying, being grateful....and we've only finished just one month of the new year! Our biggest news? I am pregnant! Just over 11 weeks pregnant. I started feeling pretty sick while we were home in California, so I waited it out a little while and finally took a test when we were in Utah (our second part of Christmas vaca) and sure enough It was positive! So we will be blessed with yet another miracle on August 20th.....and Shawn's little sister, Melissa and her husband are also expecting their first...four days after us!

Well, Shawn will be home any minute so I better head upstairs and act like I've been productive all day. Maybe he'll take me to The Sweet Factory (candy shop), I've been craving sour belts, and chocolate covered gummy bears.