Merry Christmas!

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!

10 Months Old

Julia turned 10 months old last week! She is loving staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house. She is getting attention 24/7 and has them wrapped around her little finger! She has grown so much this past month and is such a crack up. She is constantly making us all laugh. She LOVES to dance and snap her fingers to any music. This include hymns at church. She is saying (or attempting to say) so many words. The latest are: baby, grandma, stop, and more. She is standing on her own and thinks she can go anywhere. Her newest favorite book is Frosty the Snowman. I can't begin to tell you how many times I read it in a day....too many to count. She drags it over to you and climbs in your lap. It gets me every time. She is also great at smiling for the camera. Every time you tell her to smile, she scrunches her nose and makes the silliest face. She is so fun and oh so busy! We love her so much!

The Zoo and Dino Museum

It's been a while since I posted so I thought I would post a few pictures of the last couple of months. Time is flying by and I can't keep up! Before I moved away my sister and I took the kids to the dinosaur museum and the zoo. We had a lot of fun and the kids loved it. The dinosaur museum is amazing. I was fascinated and so was Julia! Both Julia and Tanner loved digging for fossils.

We picked a beautiful day to go to the zoo. This was Julia's first time and she loved it. My sister on the other hand, said she won't go back with me because I made it too depressing by commenting on how bad I felt for all the animals. I just can't help it, I love watching Julia smile and point to all the animals but my heart just aches for them. The proposition just passed to get the zoo more funding so hopefully they can afford to put a plant or two in their cages!

I have so much fun with my sister and nephew. I don't know what I will do without them in Texas but I know they will come visit often.....right Jen?

The Move

Stage one of our move is officially over. We are moved out of our house and in with my parents. I must admit I got a little teary eyed when I shut the door to our house. I truly loved living there and will miss it so much. However, I am so glad that the packing, moving, cleaning, and chaos is over......for now.

9 months

Our great renters fell through on Saturday so we are now looking for someone else to rent our town home to. If you know anyone who is looking for a place in the Draper area, please let me know.  Hopefully we will find someone soon.

On a happier note, Julia turned 9 months old last week. She is getting so big and is learning so fast. She is all over the place and is into everything! Let's just say by the end of the day, we are both exaughisted! She loves to smile and be silly. She now waves, dances when music comes on, says Mama, Dada and baba and is standing on her own! I think it's only a matter of time before she starts walking! She is so cute and so much fun. We couldn't ask for a more perfect baby girl. Here are a few recent pictures that I love.

Dallas or Bust!

So, the decision is final.... we're moving to Dallas, Texas! Travis got a job offer there and we are hoping this will be a good stepping stone for his career. We had such a hard time deciding if we should pick up and move half way across the country but we decided that if we are ever going to do it, now is the time!

Travis starts work in 2 weeks and will have to fly back and forth until after Christmas when we will make the big move. We rented our house out to a great couple who we know will take good care of it. Bad news is I have to be out by December 1st! Yep, I have about two weeks to move everything into storage. Julia, Kelso and I will then live with my mom and dad until January. I definitely hate packing and moving. It's for sure on the list of my least favorite things in the world.

I am anxious, nervous, sad and excited all at the same time. It's going to be an adventure for sure! I am so sad to leave our home, neighborhood, ward, friends and most of all family. I don't know how I will survive without seeing my sister on a daily basis or seeing my parents often. I know it will be hard at first but I hope we meet some new friends and start a life of our own in Texas. Life is crazy and Travis and I never thought we would move to Texas but you just never know what will happen next. We hope to make our way back to Utah sometime in the future because Utah will always be home. 

I have always been so curious what it is about Texas, that Texans are so proud of. Everyone I have met from Texas just can't stop talking about it. I think it's funny. Can you imagine if I wore Utah shirts and hung the Beehive State flag in my window? While looking for homes, I even saw a Texas flag shower curtain! Strange, if you ask me. I am going to get to the bottom of it when I get there! YEEHAW!!

Club

All club friends, please check the club blog for details for this month!

Meow!

 

Julia had a great first Halloween.  She was the cutest cat on our block!  We had bigger plans for her costume but she threw a MAJOR fit when we tried to paint her nose black with little whiskers. After about the fifth attempt, we called it quits. I still think she looked so cute. I couldn't stop laughing at her little face poking out from the costume. 

Poor Tanner got the stomach flu on Halloween but luckily we got a picture of the puppy dog and kitty cat earlier. With Tanner sick, we bagged our plans to go to my sister's house and went trick-or-treating with Grandpa Miller instead! We had a lot of fun. Julia was so intrigued with the entire process. She got a ton of candy.... for Mom to eat which is the last thing I need!

25

Travis turned 25 yesterday! We celebrated all weekend long. We went shopping and out to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, went out to dinner with my family at Red Robin and on his actual birthday we had his favorite meal, spaghetti and meatballs. He had a few friends over to watch the World Series and have cake.  Happy Birthday Trav! We love you so much.

5 Years

On October 16th Travis and I celebrated our 5th anniversary! I can't believe we have been married 5 years but it is hard to remember when I didn't have Travis in my life. Looking back I can't believe how young we were when we got married but I feel so lucky to have found my soul mate so early on in life. We have had an amazing 5 years together! Travis is my everything and is such an amazing husband and father. I feel so lucky to be married to him. 

Travis had the day off so we decided to spend the day down town. We ended up walking around temple square. The day was so beautiful just like it was the day we got married. 

We had plans to have a nice dinner later that night but Julia suddenly came down with an awful fever. We just couldn't leave so we ended up watching movies and ordering in. Sometimes I think that is better than going out anyways. 

Julia was getting her top teeth so I figured that was causing the fever. To make a long story short.... after 4 days of an extremely high fever and two doctor visits that entailed a number of tests, she was diagnosed with roseola. I knew nothing about roseola so to all you mothers, I suggest clicking on the link and reading about it so you don't panic if your baby gets these symptoms. It scared me to death. A lot of times it causes such high fevers (Julia's was 104 on Tylenol) that babies have seizures. Thank goodness Julia didn't because I think I would have lost it. It was still pretty scary to see her so sick and not know what was wrong.  But I am happy to report that she has fully recovered and is back to her smily self!

Gardener Village

My mom, Jen and I took the kids on our annual trip to Gardener Village to see the witches. The day we went just so happened to be the coldest day of the year. It was freezing but we still had a lot of fun. Julia couldn't take her eyes off the witches!  She was so bundled up she wouldn't move. She was like the kid on the Christmas Story.  Tanner liked the witches but was sure to keep a safe distance from them. 

My family also had their annual pumpkin carving contest/Halloween party. This year the entire extended family came and participated. It always gets so competitive but we had so much fun. Travis usually wins but with his gimpy hand, he was out of the game. Jen and Glen took 1st and 2nd and Eric took 3rd. I didn't place this year but let me just say I am already planning my approach for next year!

Surgery

Travis loves football and for the past few years he has been playing in a flag football league with a bunch of his friends.  I think they love to try and relive their glory days, because they take it pretty serious! Last year Travis hurt his foot pretty bad and was on the verge of having to have surgery. He ended up in a big ugly boot for a few weeks.

So this year, I wasn't surprised to hear that Travis had gotten hurt. He called and said he thought he had jammed his finger really bad and it wasn't a big deal. I didn't think much of it until he came home and his finger was bending completely in the wrong direction. I told him I was pretty sure bones don't just bend like that!! Well, one surgery later, complete with pins sticking out of his hand, I was right. I think Uncle Rico has reached the last of his football days! He keeps saying,  "At least I went out on such an amazing play!"  I keep telling him I hope it was worth the cost of all his medical bills.

First Word

Julia has grown up so much this past week! It all started with her first word, "Mama". The other day, I left the room to get something and she started crying. While crawling towards the door, she said "Mama".  She has since then cried out "Mama" while reaching for me.  It is just enough to make my heart melt.  All she has to do is say that little word and she gets anything she wants :) 

The day after her first word, I went into her room to find her standing up in her crib! She is now pulling herself up on everything. We have had quite a few head bumps but I guess that is all part of the process!  She also loves to give EVERYONE kisses, including all of her toys. 

The Food Nanny

Our family friend, Liz Edmunds (Joey's mom) just wrote a cookbook! She is an amazing cook and has been writing this book for the past few years. Liz raised seven kids and had a homemade meal on the table every night. To me, that is super mom but with the help of her new book I hope to do the same (not the 7 kids part)! Her recipes are delicious and easy. Nothing fancy just good, fresh, home cooked meals. This book is so much more than a cookbook. It helps you organize and prepare for upcoming meals. For example, everyday of the week has a theme: Monday is Comfort Food, Tuesday is Italian, Wednesday is Meatless, etc. She then has her recipes organized into each theme. She helps you plan a two-week meal schedule, organize your shopping list and even gives you a list of what you need to stock up your pantry. She also does private cooking classes and I was fortunate enough to have her come and teach me a thing or two. I am now baking fresh bread, making homemade pizzas, and I always have a hot meal on the table when Travis gets home from work. In the midst of all of this, I suddenly realized I LOVE cooking!! If you are sick and tired of looking in your cupboards every night wondering what you are going to make for dinner.....order this book here.

7 Months Old

Julia turned 7 months old today! She went in for her shots and weighs 14 lb 12 oz and is 25" long. She is still only in the twelfth percentile in both areas but she is strong and healthy! She is our teeny, tiny girl and we love her so much. If you have been around Julia, you know she is such a good baby. She is so happy and content and nothing seems to phase her. It is so fun watching her grow and see her personality develop. I can't even remember life without her.

Big Girl

There is not a moment in Julia's day where she is sitting still. She is crawling everywhere and exploring everything around her. She is definitely keeping us on our toes!

Excuse Me?

After physically going to Babies R' Us 3 times and calling 5, giving two different people all of my information to contact me if they found my wallet, I decided I would call one last time just to be sure. When I described my wallet to the lady on the phone she said, "Oh we have it, it has been here all week!"
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I HATE BABIES R US!!
I am officially boycotting!

Starting Over

I have never lost my wallet in my entire life....until now!!

A few days ago I was trying to exchange some clothes at Babies R Us. It is such a long story but to make it short, I ended up getting mad at the lady working there who was going to give me 70 CENTS for 3 outfits! I know it wasn't her fault, but she was extremely rude and so I was rude back (this may surprise some of you, but I now speak up when someone is being awful). I left huffing and puffing telling myself I would never go back to that store again.

The next day when Jen picked me to go to lunch and run errands, I checked my diaper bag to make sure my wallet was in there and it wasn't! I panicked and literally tore my entire hose and car apart looking for it. I called Babies R Us, which was the last place I went with it and they said it wasn't there. I drove there myself and checked every cart and all over the parking lot. It is such an awful feeling to lose something so important, not to mention the thought of someone having all of your information is so creepy.

After an entire day of looking, I finally came to grips with the idea that it was time to start over. I had to cancel EVERYTHING. I never realized how much of my life was really in that dang wallet. Not only did I have to start a whole new bank account because my checkbook was also in my wallet, but I keep remembering small things like my Costo card, gym membership, health insurance card, etc. It truly is a nightmare! Julia hated sitting in line at the DMV for hours and so did I. Why do they hire the grumpiest people in Utah? Is it a requirement to work there?

I think this karma for being mean to the awful women at BRU. I think I left it on the counter and she snatched it!! I think she wanted payback! I guess I better take horrible customer service with a smile from now on.

Tiny Babies

A few new babies that are very important to us have entered the world. My cousin Aimee and her husband Eric welcomed their sweet baby boy, Branson into the world. He unexpectedly came about 6 weeks early and weighed 3 lbs. 15 oz. He has lots of hair and is doing well! He is breathing on his own and is trying to learn how to eat on his own. We can not wait to meet him and are thinking and praying for all of them daily.



Our friends Audy and Ashlee also welcomed their twins, Finn and Sophie into the world. They were born about 7 weeks early and each weighed around 4 lb. We were lucky enough to go and visit them in the hospital. I had never been in a NICU and it truly opened my eyes to how amazing technology and modern medicine is. Their babies are so beautiful and so tiny! Pictures never do it justice to how small these tiny miracles are. I can't believe how strong they are and are both doing remarkably well. Both are eating and breathing on their own!



I am so impressed with both sets of parents and admire them for their strength and courage. Life truly is a miracle! Julia can't wait to meet all her new playmates.

The Park and Being Cute

I found a park near our house that is basically hidden. There are no busy roads around it and never a soul in sight which means Kelso can run free! We have taken advantage of the drop in temperature the last few days and have been enjoying the fresh air. Juia is always so facinated by the grass and it is so fun to watch how curious she is! I am so ready for fall and for mild weather.
You can also see that Julia even has enough hair to blow in the wind! Okay, so it is only a strand or two but we will take what we can get!



Lately when I have been going into Julia's room to get her from her crib, she hears me say "good morning" and she crawls over to the edge, pulls down the bumper pad and greets me with a big smile. I love her so much!



This is just because I love her crystal blue eyes.