Puppies Galore!

Our sweet Sadie had her puppies the morning of Maddie's birthday. That was quite the experience! She did really well, but we thought that since this was her first litter she would only have 4-5 puppies. Well, she had 5 puppies in the first 45 minutes and we thought she was done. An hour later she had 3 more! While 8 puppies helps my cause to go to Disneyland at Christmas, 8 puppies has been a challenge to take care of!

The Boys- Mack, Toby, & Red

The Girls- Lucy, Aria, Lulu, Pumpkin, & Maizey

They are so cute and have so much energy! The girls love snuggling with them ALL.THE.TIME! Luckily, we have sold all the puppies quickly. They should be going to their new homes at the end of August. 

I don't regret having puppies, but breeding is not something we want to get into! They are way too much work and mess to do it again!

A Little Update

I thought it was about time for a little update. I am so tired of opening up my blog and seeing Christmas! It seems like it was just yesterday, but now it's March and the time has flown by! There hasn't been anything real exciting going on at our house recently, we've just been trying to live regular life and get through the winter. Despite the very mild winter we've had this year we have been sick for most of it. Can I just tell you that I am so sick of being sick! I'm pretty sure that next year I'm going to pass on the flu shot and see if I get sick less.

At the end of January we helped Maddie put together her science project. Uncle Matt was a huge help since he is going to be a science teacher soon. Maddie was excited to have a real "scientist" help her! Her project was on showing what different types of materials dissolve in different liquids. Some of the reactions were really neat and we both learned something along the way! It's interesting to see how science fairs have changed since I was a kid. We used to get to do real science projects and there were no limitations. Maddie's school sent out a booklet for them to follow an outline and then told us all the things we couldn't do. Pretty much they wanted you to show pictures at the fair, which I thought was pretty lame.

We are planning something exciting I want to tell about though. Brandon put the kibosh on any and all vacations this year, but I couldn't give up that easily. I was talking about how fun it would be to take a cruise and he said it could be a possibility with our tax returns. That's pretty much as good as saying "Sure, honey I would love to go on a cruise with you. Go ahead and start planning it!" So, that's what I did! My friends Diane and Karen want to go with us and maybe some other friends too! We have vacillated back and forth about where we are going. We have discussed the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Alaska. I think we have landed on Alaska, which is Brandon's first choice. I would like to go somewhere tropical, so he promised that when/if we go on another cruise that is what we will do. We're in the process of getting our passports and booking the cruise. I am so excited!

My neighborhood has started a craft group, which is really a lot of fun. I have got to know a lot more of the ladies in my ward and have discovered that I really miss doing crafts! I have had a craft table set up in my front room for the last month and have spent way too much money at a wood craft store. My sister and I have spent a lot of time painting our new purchases. It's okay though, since it's all in the name of beautifying my house... right?!

Oh, there was something really exciting that happened a few weeks ago! My brother and his wife had their baby girl, Nora! She is absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way! I had the special opportunity to be at the hospital with them and take pictures of her when she was born. They let me be there with Miles as well, and both times have been experiences I have been so grateful for. Brandon and I have had little twinges of thinking that maybe we really aren't done having kids, but those thoughts quickly leave our minds when we get back home and deal with the all the drama! I guess I'll just have to snuggle other people's babies from now on! I am so happy that my brother and sister both live in Spanish Fork, so that we can see them more often. I love each of my nieces and nephews like they are my own and it is so much fun to see all the cousins get together to play.

My photography is slow right now, but it should be picking up when the weather gets better. In January I did pictures of an amazing family in my ward who had a son leaving on his mission. They were so fun to work with and I made some new friends... and found some new potential babysitters! Coming up this spring I am taking my nieces engagement pictures, have a few kid sessions, and I have a few people in my neighborhood that want me to take their senior and family pictures. I am excited to finally get my name out there and hope to expand my hobby a little more this year. If you know of anyone that wants less expensive pictures done send them my way! Check out my photography blog to see some of the stuff I've done recently.

Work has been pretty crazy lately. A while back they announced that they were combining the two adult day treatment programs, which directly effects me. There is a part of it that is exciting, but for the most part it is a hard change. Since the announcement a few of my co-workers and my friend, Diane, have taken jobs in other departments, we have started construction on my new work space- in a new building :(, and have hired a bunch of new employees. I am a person who enjoys change, but I complain along the way. Ultimately, I go along with everything and like to help make decisions and make the best of the situation. One big change we made was hiring another full time secretary to work with me. I thought it would be hard to give up some of my job duties that have been my baby, but I have been so busy that I have gladly given them up. We found an amazing lady to work with me and we have quickly become good friends. Change is hard and stressful, but in the end it could be the best thing for us.

What We've Been Doing

It's been quite a while since I wrote a new post, so I figured I should at least change my template from winter to spring! While I'm on here I'll do a little update too. In the middle of January Brandon got cellulitus in his face. He swelled up twice it's size and it went into his eye. We took him to several doctors and they put him on some heavy duty antibiotics. A couple weeks later on a Sunday morning while he was sleeping he had a seizure. We found out that he had a seizure because of the antibiotic they put him on. Last year when he had a seizure his work found an office job for him to do until he could go back to working on his machine, but they couldn't do that this time. So, since the end of January he has been at home with the kids. He should be released to go back at the end of April. I know he will be relieved when he gets to go back!

In March our niece, Kayla, got married. Her photographer fell through, so I took pictures at the wedding for her. It was a long and tiring day, but I had a lot of fun. Here are some of my favorite pictures from her special day:

Doing these pictures renewed my interest in doing pictures for other people again. I'm not an expert, but I do give it my best. If you know anyone that is looking for a cheap photographer please send them my way. I am willing to try anything to get more experience.

We have some fun things planned for the next month, but they're a secret, so I'll post about it later. I will say that I am as excited about this as I used to get for Christmas when I was little! I am also so thankful that it is spring! I love the sunshine, flowers popping out, and the grass turning green. I have a tendency to get depressed during the winter, so spring is a great time for me! The kids have been playing outside with their friends, riding bikes, playing dolls, and just doing girly things! I love living in our neighborhood with all the kids around.

Boot Scootin' Boogey

A few weeks ago Maddie had her little 4-H recital for the line dancing class she has been taking. Maddie has been in the 4-H classes since 1st Grade and I think they are wonderful! This year she was able to get into the line dancing class and she loved learning the new dances. We took her out and got her a pair of new pink boots that she just had to have! Here is a picture of her class and one of her and her friend Addy.

An Update

I mentioned before that things have  been a little crazy around our house. We (mostly Brandon) have been working really hard to get our yard finished. We finished the landscaping in the front yard and I must admit that our flowers look beautiful! The biggest project has been the backyard though. It seems like we have completed a very carefully choreographed dance through the summer. First we had to level the backyard- luckily Brandon's Dad has a friend that brought a tractor in and moved the dirt around. If it hadn't been for him we would probably still be shoveling dirt around the yard! We were scheduled to have our fence installed the middle of June, but thanks to some much needed rain we didn't get the fence until Maddie's birthday in July.

During that time Brandon was cleared to work his regular shift, so he started working nights and weekends again. I also interviewed for and got my old job at Lakeview. I am very happy, but it has been a little stressful to do both jobs. My replacement has officially started, so things are starting to slow down a little bit.

Anyway, back to the house. After the fence was installed we had to put in a sprinkling system. Brandon didn't have any experience putting in sprinklers, so we had some friends and family come and help. (Which was greatly appreciated!) Brandon is now a pro at sprinklers and I'm very proud of him! After the sprinklers we spent a couple weeks shoveling, spreading, and re-leveling the dirt. Just last weekend we laid the sod in a marathon 4 hours with the help from family & friends again! We now have the perfect house that has all the items on our checklist when we were looking for it! Now we get to sit back, relax, and enjoy our new house until something breaks and needs to be replaced... oh, did I mention our AC motor died last night?! Home ownership- you gotta love it! Here are pictures of our new yard:

Before

After

 We still have to do the flowerbeds and plant trees, but it looks like there is an end in sight! It's been hard, but rewarding- but we both decided that if we ever buy another house the landscaping will already be done!

The rest of our house has suffered while we have worked on the outside- like my mountain of laundry (which is something I won't post a picture of)! August is also the birthday month for our family, so I need to get my act together quick!

Bryn usually gets ear infections every month, so we went to see an ENT. He recommended that she get tubes. It's a little unusual because she should be growing out of ear infections rather than increasing them. He said we could treat each ear infection, but we decided to put tubes in. The bad part is that she has to go through same day surgery, which is scheduled for this Friday. I know it's not invasive, but I still get nervous anytime one of the kids has something wrong. Unfortunately, Bryn is used to doctors and hospitals.

Maddie starts 4th grade in a couple weeks and is excited to go to her new school. She is growing up so fast and becoming very independent. She has thrived in our new neighborhood and has made a lot of new friends. She is also a huge help around the house and has taken on more responsibilities. I am very proud of her!

Miss Emmy is as cute, spunky, and mean as ever! I love her silly faces!

 

Waiting Game Continued...

UPDATE:
I just heard back that the bank took the other offer. I should have known that it was too nice of a house for the price. I thought buying a house was supposed to be exciting and fun, not depressing. From here on out I can't get attached until we know that it's a sure thing. The next post I make about anything to do with the house will be that we are signing closing papers.

Original Post:
We are still playing the waiting game with the house. I think I'm going to go crazy! We submitted an offer on house #1 about three weeks ago. It took a week or two to hear back from the bank that they accepted our offer. Since then we haven't heard anything. Is it happening- is it not? Who knows! House #2 was way too expensive for us, so we gave a low bid in hopes that they would come down. We wanted this house over house #1. The bank came back with an offer that was only $650 less than their original price. So, scratch house #2 and we were happy we were accepted for house #1... but we haven't heard anything from them about a closing date.  In the meantime, house #3 comes up. It was listed less than 24 hours when we went to see it. We walked in the front door and I knew it was ours. I know it's silly to want a house so bad, but I can see our future there. We put an offer for asking price on it that night. The selling Realtor said everything looked great and we should hear back in 24 hours. We drove by it yesterday and saw another couple looking at it. I so wanted to jump out of the car and shoo them away! Last night was the 24 hours and we hadn't heard anything. This morning our Realtor called and said that they had another offer come in after ours that was competitive, so they were giving us another shot to give our "best" offer. Well, we had given our "best" offer to begin with. We upped the offer price a tiny bit in hopes that the other people come in lower than us. In the meanwhile I am a nervous wreck. It would probably be good if I was at work today so that I wouldn't sit and stew about it, but Bryn, and Emmy, and I are all sick. So, I'm sitting here at my computer drinking a diet coke, eating potato chips with leftover Superbowl dip, and chocolate... in other words, I'm "emotionally eating". Please let this end soon!!!

My 100th Post

Happy 100th post anniversary to my blog! I love updating my blog because it's easy, doesn't take a lot of time, and I don't have to make a mess to do it! The Cutest Blog On The Block just added a new feature so that you can turn your blog into a scrapbook. I have messed around with it a little bit, so I need to get it done. Unfortunately, I don't have time to scrapbook and I can't stand 6 little hands trying to help me. Someday I'll get to do a real scrapbook again, but for now I'll use my blog as a scrapbook!

It's 10:30 at night, the kiddos are tucked in bed (uh, oh- I just heard Emmy cry)... Okay, I'm back. (I wish the neighbors would go to bed and stop waking my kids up!) Where was I?... I'm in the middle of making a double batch of Berri cookies, which equals about a billion cookies, Brandon just got home from work, I have a mountain of laundry sitting on my bed to be folded. I just realized I have had a busy day- 8 hours at work, grocery shopping, watched the poopy parade, made dinner, washed dishes, made a batch of hello dollies, and now I'm making cookies. My eyes burn, my back aches, and my mind is in lala land- wah, wah, wah! These are the ramblings of an exhausted mad-woman. I think I'll put the laundry back in the baskets for another day and climb in my comfy bed.

The Ultimate Sacrifice!

Brandon made the ultimate sacrifice this week and sold his baby! No, not one of our beautiful girls, but his very own beautiful grey truck! We have been throwing around the idea of selling it for a little while, but he never wanted to do it. I think the close living quarters have finally gotten to him though, so he took the plunge and put it on KSL Tuesday night. By Wednesday night he had it sold and the kid was driving away in it on Thursday. Honestly, he wasn't very fun to be around last night because he was very depressed and moping around! Anyway, we are now a 1 car family and on our way to home ownership (in a while)! For some reason, I don't think we'll be as sad to leave our 2 bedroom apartment! Thanks Brandon for all you do- I love you!

Beloved Swimmy

Meet Swimmy.

Swimmy was our speckled gold fish that Maddie and I picked out a few months ago when we were on a date. Maddie promised to take care of him... of course that didn't happen and I ended up feeding him and cleaning his bowl. (We should have named him Stinky!) The other day I noticed his bowl was really cloudy, so I decided to give him a water change. Well, he didn't like the change and went belly up. Poor Swimmy. Luckily, I noticed his little corpse before Maddie woke up and I gave him a proper burial. This morning Maddie was reminiscing about her quality time with Swimmy and said "Mom, I know you fed him every day, but I really cared for him..." (giving me a great big hug)and in the same breath said "...can we get a hamster next?!" I quickly replied with a big fat NO WAY!!!

Fruits Of Our Labor

Here it is....

This is where we have spent our last few weekends. We really want to see the fruits of our labor and have this house sell fast! If you know of anyone that is looking for a 5 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath, 2500 sq. foot, .18 acre, 2 car garage home in Layton send them our way!

We Hate Moving!

No, we are not moving, but we are helping my sister move. For the last two weekends we have loaded the kids up in the truck and journeyed to Layton. My sister owns a big stair-filled house up there that we're trying to get ready to sell. It looks like a never-ending task, but we are glad to help her out. She said to me today that after this is all over we will have our Saturday's free to go to the mall... yeah right! Oh well, for now it looks like we won't be bored- wish us a speedy and profitable sell! (If you know of anyone looking for a 5 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath, and 3 living room house in Layton send them my way!)

My Review

I have a lot of posts I want to get done tonight, so I'm going to do a quick review... I can say the movie was entertaining. I was a little disappointed because it left a lot of stuff out that was in the book. I thought they made Carlisle look goofy, but they did pretty good with the others. That's all I have to say- not too impressed!

I'm Going To See It!

This is where I'm going tonight, I hope the movie is as good as the book! Thanks for getting the ticket for me Krissy!

It's Confession Time...

Last Saturday I was looking forward to an evening home with the family and playing with the kids when I got a phone call from my sister saying that our cousin had 2 free tickets to New Kids On The Block for that night. I was never a fan, so I didn't even have to think about it... "NO!" Not so fast, Amber explained that Ally really wanted to go and no one else would go with her. (Why did they have to do that to me?) Anyway, my love for Ally won out and so I went...

...I have to confess that it really wasn't that bad. We had incredible tickets on the front row close to the stage. Natasha Bedingfield opened for them, so that was pretty good. They had another opener- Lady Gaga, which I can say that I am definitely not a fan!

The best part of the night was watching the pure joy in Ally's face as the NKOTB walked right past us after performing in the middle of the crowd. She was lucky enough to get to touch all 5 of them! I snapped a couple quick pictures and got this one of her holding onto Jordan's hand...

I am finally getting my hearing back. (The noise level was louder than the Bon Jovi and Def Leopard concerts I have been to!) It was fun stepping back in time for a little bit and I had a great time with Ally! (Ally, I stole the pictures from your blog! Sorry)

Change

Well, I have to agree that change is never easy. I have been going through plenty of it this week. Last month I had an interview with our CEO for his secretary position. I really wanted the job, but I ended up not getting it. The lady that got it vacated her job, so I interviewed for it last week. That very day I got a visit saying that I got the job. Since then I have been going through the whole range of emotions. I am the new Adult Services Assistant (fancy term for secretary). I have worked at Lakeview for 10 years and have pretty much created my job and helped build the program, so this change is bitter-sweet for me. I think I have spent a couple days crying at my old job, a couple days cleaning at the new job, and more than a few days being overwhelmed with everything. This is a substantial promotion for me, but now instead of going on activities and trips with the clients I will be in a lot of meetings with administrators. Brandon's happy because I won't be around the clients anymore, but that's one of the down-sides for me. I also will be leaving a lot of very good friends, but hopefully the friendships will continue!

Old Friends

On Monday, I took the kids to the park to play with a couple of my friends from High School's kids. Maren has 4 girls and Chelsy has 2.
The kids had a great time playing together and getting to know each other and Maren, Chelsy, and I spent our time catching up on all that has happened in our lives over the past 12 years.

We had a great time and promised that we would do it again soon!

I'm Amazing!

For my friend Diane's birthday we did an Amazing Race game. We got to race around Provo to find a bunch of clues and do crazy things, and I got to brush up on my Mario Andreti skills!
I have never watched Amazing Race, but I can tell you that I wouldn't want to be in it- my mind isn't clever enough!
I did have a good time out with the girls though... much more than I can say for Emmy who cried the whole time! Our team came in 1st, so we got little trophy's to remind us how "amazing" we were!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On Saturday (06/07/08) my friend Karen got married. I was fortunate to get to help get things ready, but my dear friend Diane got the brunt of it! Mom also went above and beyond and had the wedding lunch and open house in her yard. She has spent many many days and nights working in the yard to make it perfect. It was beautiful and everyone raved about her gardens! The ceremony was very nice and the chapel that they had it in was gorgeous. Karen's family came from all over, but mostly from back East. Her family was so kind and by the end they felt like our family. Everyone had a great time and we are so happy for her. As happy as we are for her though, I think I can express for me, Diane, and my mom that we are very grateful that it's over! We now need a week of vacation just to recuperate! (What am I doing up at 11:30? I'm exhausted!) I love you Karen and am so happy for you and Michael!!

Yipee... I did it!

Well, thanks to Karen's friend Shelly, I now have a new blog template. I didn't even have to mess around with cookies, unzip files, or expand widgets (don't ask me what any of that means)! Brandon has been getting sick of me spending hours at night looking for new blog templates, so he should be happy about this too. Anyway, I just wanted to report my success! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Experiblogging

Now that I have this blogging thing down I have decided to expand my knowledge and dive into the creative blogging world. I found my new joy... smilebox! I'm sure everyone else will get sick of me using it, but I think it's really cool! If anyone out there knows how to get a new blog template then I could use some pointers. I'm a litte nervous to start unzipping files and all that other technical stuff, so I would appreciate any help that you can give me. Happy blogging and smile boxing!!!!