Temple Square

Along with a trillion other families, we made the trip up to Salt Lake to visit the lights at Temple Square. And - to top off the magic, we made it on a Monday Night which is a traditional "family night" for LDS families. Needless to say, the grounds were busy!

We did successfully bundle up our bodies enough to fight off the single digit temperatures and did not turn down the make shift hot chocolate stand that the cafe had put up to capitalize on all the crazy visitors. After waiting in line for the presentation at the Christus, we walked over to enjoy the virtually empty tabernacle and Meeting house. A break from the cold chill and crowds was very welcomed.  And - for a grande finale, we witnessed a proposal. At first I thought it was a joke, only then to realize that in fact it was real and I think she was excited. It was hard to tell, but in her defense, it was 3 degrees and he sort of sprang it on her mid photo. Ah nerves and young love. Tender.

Our venture was delightful, and Cameron sure enjoyed the "pretties" that were everywhere. I'm not sure we will put this down in the December traditions book, not sure the magnificent sights was worth dealing with the cold and the crowds.

Ranting and Raving

Rave: Internet Shopping. This is such a great luxury in our generation of time. I am so much in love with getting a whole list of shopping complete during one nap time. Most of the items are shipped without cost, I can get exactly what I want, with a million color options, all in one place. I never have to worry about them being out of stock of my item, going to 3 different stores to find it. It's just an awesome example of the modern age.

Rant: CALSTRS. The required organization where my retirement money was kept during my teaching stint. I have been trying to transfer the funds to a different investment and they can not get it right. It's been just shy of a year now. Wow.

Rave: The 2014 Mormon Mommy Planner. Click right about here to see the marvelous planner that I CAN. NOT. WAIT. to use. It is so organized and clean with all the color and cute fonts a girl could want. I open it and stare at it's brilliant pages every day. Again, can. not. wait! Bring on the new year - I'm going to be crazy awesome!

Rant: HOA. I have never really liked the idea of an HOA, and now that both live in one, and own property in another one, I am having a hard time being okay with this association and their claims for a better community. It seems like a lot red tape and rules for property that I own. If I want to put a shed up to store my gardening supplies, I should be able to do it by the mere nature that I own the backyard and it's a free country. But no, I must clear it with the HOA and the neighbors who will be affected with the sight of it. Grr!

Rave: My coworkers and the job that I have are fantastic. I work with some awesome women who are funny and kind and just really cool to know. I have been blessed to work from home for these 18 months that Cameron has been around, and I couldn't have been more blessed.  Recently, the company reorganized, and my position was dissolved for now. I know I had it good and have been so blessed to be associated with such great people.

Rant: Bank of American Fork. People - get your website working better. Please. I get so frustrated when I have to sit forever to wait for the page to load, only to have the internet tell me that your server isn't responding...again! Just fix it please so I can pay my bills online and balance my checkbook the moment I sit down to do it.  Not within the hour. thanks.

Rave: I'm on a doTERRA kick. I have been loving their oils for all their medicinal purposes. I believe there is a time and place for doctors - don't get me wrong. But there is something really awesome about some of the healing properties of these oils. I'm really loving Breathe right now, and OnGuard. Awesome.

Rave: Maxi Skirts. These are awesome. I am fighting the culture of my county to wear these skirts to every function, but come on - they are basically sweat pants in a skirt form. And -bonus- they come in every color and fit every shape. Hello winter body!

Rant: It is COLD! and the infamous inversion layer is gross. Please do not mistake me, I love this weather. Seriously, I love the snow; I think's its beautiful and peaceful and winter. But, the inversion is nasty; it smells weird, it clogs the air, it clogs my pours; gross. And it is cold-for a long time cold. 7pm is our high and that is only 12 degrees. Cold mornings and evenings are fine by me, but at least 30 during the day would be nicer.

Merry Christmas

 Hello Dearest Loved Ones,

   It’s another delightful holiday season, when our home fills with joyful music and our fridge fills with scrumptious food. The weather has turned crisp and cool, and I sit here excited to catch up our friends on the goings and doings of our lives. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I look forward to the annual Christmas postage all year long. Plus, the US Postal Service is highly under-used! So here’s to a traditional Christmas newsletter from our doorstep to yours.

   We leapt into the year with the huge, rather unexpected decision, to relocate our family from our life in California, to Mark’s old stomping grounds in Utah. Mark transferred his Real Estate license in February and has been enjoying the flexibility that the career path allows. The first few months here were flooded with new friends and family that lives close. It was more welcoming and wonderful than any of us could have hoped. In April, Kay’s mom Diane was re-married in Farmington, Utah, to a man who found her on an internet dating website. What a lovely chance for them both to finish out their lives here on Earth with a companion to share it with. Kay ran her second half marathon in May, and was reminded why she had only done one previously, they are intense. In June, Cameron competed in his first, (and only) pageant. After a brief interview, he was selected among hundreds of children as the “Most Charismatic” child in Orem, a title that I fear will follow him the rest of his life. July brought Cameron’s first Birthday, filled with way more Disney paraphernalia than I care to admit. But with parents like these, who can be surprised? August, Kay went to Girls Camp with the Young Women in the ward (church congregation) where we live. She came home with all kinds of stories about how different it was from her Girls Camp days and a truckload of memories to add to her scrapbook. September was another big month for us, as we finalized the purchase of our first rental property in Arizona. We have always wanted to invest our retirement into Real Estate, having seen the success with my mother after the passing of my dad, and so this was a huge step into the future we are building. October had us venturing north to take a family vacation to Yellowstone. Sadly, this trip conflicted with the week of the Government shut down, so we only made it into the park one time. November held a lot of travelling, with a few business trips (mixed with pleasure) for the Real Estate Investment company. Sprinkle it all with several trips of Disney Magic, a few visits with the Arizona cousins, and a LOT of Café Rio.

   We are thrilled with our new life in Utah and are daily grateful that we had the choice to move our life and start anew somewhere else. We recognize the Lord of All in the details of our personal lives. We stand as witnesses that he does live, and he loves each of His children upon the Earth. May we fill our home with His love this Christmas season ~

                                    Morrell Family

                                   Mark, Kaylinn and Cameron

Christmas 2013

A Day of Thanksgiving

It had been well over 6 years since Mark has been able to spend a Holiday season with his family, so upon moving to the area, it was an unsaid agreement that both Christmas and Thanksgiving would be spent with the Morrell's. We celebrated Thanksgiving like most people do, with lots of sitting around and socializing, too much delicious food, and naps all around. 

I was responsible to contribute the rolls and the Candy Yams. The rolls were gone by the time the day was over, the only sure test that they were good. Passed! We played games. Uncle Tom is the master of all things games, so we were introduced to a few new ones that we liked, and some that we took half a game to understand. Malissa made the darling Turkey candies from Pinterest; Cameron had it all over his face in seconds; mamma didn't raise no fool. And the weather was perfect that we were able to get a few runs around the front yard before the sun set. 

I have so much to be grateful for; a list wouldn't scratch the surface. But I recognize that I have been blessed and express my appreciation to my Heavenly Father for all he has sent my way.

Preschool

I have a love of school. Most nights, my dreams are in a school setting with either me as the student or the teacher. I reflect back on my high school teaching days fondly. I collect teaching materials like a hoarder for "one day" purposes. I love school. So when the opportunity for me to work as a co-teacher at a local preschool was made, I jumped at the chance. Plus, I have dreams of having a Mommy's Little School with Cameron one day. 

Being in the class with these kids has been super fun, and a huge learning curve for me. Going from High School to Preschool was a bit of a jump. :) Some kids are beyond awesome at following directions, sitting still, listening to stories or lessons, and just being in a learning environment in general. Other kids are off the wall! It is good for me to see the affects of parents who are involved and those who are not at such a young age. Oh how I have high hopes for my boy.

I can't say that I don't have my favorites - I totally do. But as a high school teacher, I totally had favorites as well. (Disclaimer: favorites did not affect anyones grade - just to clear the air) So I'm not surprised. I am excited to see Cameron's little personality when he is of preschool age. 

As the semester has progressed, I find that I am more excited for Christmas Break than I thought I would be. Although working has been fun, it has been a little stressful for me too. I've been working the morning class which takes a toll on Mark's schedule as he stays home to be with the lad. I am falling way behind in my chores, and my hobbies have taken a back seat which makes me sad. So - I think I'll have to move on after December and catch up on my life come January. But it has been a really fun ride!

No Place Like Disney

I almost feel like writing a blog about yet another disney trip is a little unnecessary.  Y'all get the point right? We drove, we played, we ate, and we came home. I played Midway Mania - and scored higher than the other players in my car, we saw Mickey, and made our usual rounds around the park. And loved every moment of it.

 Cameron is now old enough to really have changed the dynamic of our park going adventures.  Being that we went solo this time around, we didn't have any families to pawn him off onto so Mark and I could ride bigger rides.  Thus, our day was full of magic with Cameron. And he just loved it! He took to the characters amazingly well. Would run right up to them, and then stop - to touch fingers with them, or point out their nose. Hey, at least he didn't cry. His favorite ride seems to still be the carousel. And is now old enough to ride by himself. He seemed to like Pirates by our 5th ride. And would enter the line saying, Yo Ho - unprompted I might add. Be still my Disney heart! The Disney Junior show was also a thrill for Cameron. Mark loved watching Cameron get really into the puppets and songs with the rest of the children there. So very cute.

 The park closed early being that it was the off season, but Disney did grace us with a Fireworks show and some "snow" for our liking. I had arranged to see 2 of my all-time Favorite students from my La Sierra days. They were brave enough to come out and see their old Teacher, and spend an evening with me. I still think they're fun kids, and am lucky that I got to teach them for 4 years.

We managed to stumble on Santa, quite unintentionally and made the effort to get a Santa photo op with the lad. Mark captured the moment perfectly! Maybe next year Santa, but can I put in a word for my son? He has been grand this year, and wants cars. Preferably the ones where you push the drivers head and it zooms off. Cameron did take the candy cane without hesitation, and for that I think Santa might have a chance at winning him over one day.

I wondered what a Disney trip with just the 3 of us would turn out like, but I must say - it was magical to the last drop. I did learn a few things I didn't know before. (1) The Dole Whip dessert is way over rated and I will not be wasting my time in line, or my money to be getting one of those again in the future. No offense to the lovers of the Dole. (2) We waited in line at Jungle Cruise for a good 30 minutes, only to see that we had another good 30 minutes before we were close to the boats. We bailed. Later learning the cruise was Christmas themed. Drat. (3) We didn't go into Tommorwland once, and I didn't miss it. (4) I tripped and scuffed my knee pretty bad - the ladies in the First Aid were super nice, and I expect a "get well" card from Mickey with all the info they took. (5) Cameron is half way to the proper ride hight. Almost there. And yes friends, this will be the last Disneyland vacation post of the year!

Pumpkins and Halloween

Halloween was splendidly fun this year with a little boy who was just old enough to understand that something was going on. We learned our lesson last year, after carving our pumpkins too early and having a moldy mess on our porch before Trick Or Treating night even arrived. So this year, we waited until the week of Halloween to have a carving Family Night activity. I thought Cameron would dive right into the guts and just explore the feeling of it in his fingers. Alas, he was more interested in playing with the scooper than anything else. 

 I choose to carve something fast and simple, while Mark went much more advanced.  He searched the web for a perfect pattern, settled on Ghostbusters, and carved a rather delightful looking pumpkin.  Nice work hubs. We had a nice turnout this year if I do say so myself.

On Halloween, we boarded a plane and headed south to visit my brother David. A delightful choice for 2 reasons.  One: my brother is delightful company, and Two: the weather merits an easy costume. Thankfully, Lesley had a stash of old costumes (being the awesome parents we are, we didn't bring one) and threw Cameron in the bear suit with a little makeup. Hot Dog he looked cute! We hit the streets with cousins, Jack and Cubby - both home made costumes; she puts me to shame. Cameron had the whole trick or treating gig down after the second house. He was knocking the doors and holding his cute hand out for some candy. Then dropping it in his pumpkin. One house had the bowl of candy on the doorstep and the little lad just sat right next to it and starting loading up his pumpkin. I better keep my out for this one; looks like he'll be THAT kid.

 The rest of the weekend was just spent hanging out with the family. We enjoyed a morning soccer game, and dinner out, and lots of warm weather and sun. The cousins are warming up to each other each visit.  A few more in and I think I'll have them convinced to be friends. Spencer is still a bullet train compared to Cameron's slow reflexes. But soon enough I hope they'll keep each other entertained. I can only hope.

Rowley's Red Barn

One thing about Utah that I have loved (among many things) is the fall. It has been so beautiful and crisp and fall-esque that my little heart just bursts with joy.  California lacks greatly in the celebration of fall, so I was thrilled to join the hoards of families that make their way to the little fall activities around town.  One particular Saturday afternoon, we decided to hit up Hee Haw Farms, a popular pumpkin patch/farm place near my home.  Two key words, Saturday and Popular. Abort Mission.  So we headed south to the Big Red Barn. 

Oh what an absolutely delightful time we had. There were hardly any crowds giving us free reign of the pumpkin patch pickin's, the apple orchard tractor ride, the hay rides around the farm, and the gunny sack slide. 

Cameron was just barely big enough to get that he got to choose a pumpkin to take home, although he didn't seem to get it for more than a moment. Mostly, he just loved running around and patting the pumpkins with his delightful chant "hi pumpkin". 

Afterward, we made our way to the barn to partake of some of their famous home made ice cream. Which was creamy and delightful I must admit. Although I had to share almost my entire scoop with my son, I thought the few tastes I had were amazing. We were tempted to buy some fresh Apple Cider, but did not given the price; so we went home and juiced some of our own apples and called it a day.
I must say, I feel a tradition coming on. The Big Red Barn may have won over Hee Haws for our family. Happy weather!

Yellowstone

I'm finally taking the time to update the blog. I know, it's been pathetically long. But this seems to be the trend for me right now; blog a lot, then none for a phase. I'm taking what I can give right now and loving that my hubby is watching the boy this morning so I can do this.

For our Anniversary trip this year, I planned a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Granted, our anniversary is in April, and we took this trip in October, such is the way our family has run since the day we were married.  We do something small in April, and then a big "anniversary" trip in October. We stayed at the Worldmark resort in West Yellowstone, just a stones throw from the Park entrance. What a wonderfully neat trip this was. Granted, the weather was extremely cold, I loved going back to the park I haven't visited since I was a young girl.

Our first day we decided to take the south loop and see the hot pots.  Loads of wildlife was seen on this first drive in, which was totally worth it.  The Elk Buck was really cool, and right next to our car. We even had a few buffalo roaming on the street. Those animals are so much bigger than pictures ever seem to make them feel. So that was really cool!

The hot pots were everything I remember seeing as a girl. Despite the weather, we trudged across the walkways and watched them bubble and steam. Very cool. Want to know why they look so blue? Because the temperature of the water has reached over 200 degrees F. Yes, that is some hot water!

Cameron seemed to be more aware of the cold weather than the location of our journey, so we cut it slightly short and got back into the car. Our second day we ventured the rest of the southern loop, out to the Old Faithful Geyser. Going in the off season merits you less crowds, which is nice. But it does mean you'll be dancing in the cold trying to keep your limbs warm! Once the geyser set off, I have to admit, I was expecting more. Don't get me wrong, it was cool and all, but I just thought it would be more...impressive I suppose. 

We stopped by a few more hot pots on our drive back before we headed home for some hot chocolate and a movie by the fire! Totally worth it.

That evening, while getting the TV ready for our movie, we were distracted by the commotion the news was making about the possible "government shut down". Sure enough, 2 hours of our evening were gobbled up as we watched the event unfold. The government had shut down, and that meant all the National Parks would be closed. There goes our plans for the Northern loop and the rest of the sites! (of course, the ones I have never seen!) I am sure glad we took the first 2 days to go in and see a few things; I should be grateful for that!

 So, we hit up the Internet for some local things to do and were thrilled for the tips from friends who have lived near or in the area! The candy shop was visited more than enough times, we did a puzzle for a lot of hours, and we drove up to a peak to view the valley below. Very nice.  Luckily, the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, right across the street from our resort, wasn't run by the government and had lots of wildlife that we could see at close range. The bears were probably my favorite, although the eagles were rather majestic.

The most interesting exhibit to watch was the bear opening the failed "bear proof" garbage can. It was crazy awesome to see him work that lid and get it unscrewed to fetch the treats inside. Totally awesome. 

 We also took a venture to the West Yellowstone museum, which was mostly lack luster but I was extremely interested in the small exhibit they had about the old Yellowstone days, back when the train brought in the guests to West Yellowstone, and then wagon tours would take you into the park.  For just 20 bucks you could get a 5 day 6 night stay right in Yellowstone with some makeshift cabin tents for sleeping, and your food included. Those were the days! I loved seeing the pictures and reading the accounts of life back then. Super interesting.

It was a great trip despite the government mishap. We have hopes to go again when both the weather is better and the park is open for the entire duration of our trip. We can only hope.

Little Dude.

How could I not ooze with gratitude and joy over this little boy joining our family. He is just as darling as I could have ever hoped for. My heart droops when I think of him going into nursery in only a few more weeks. He is too fun, and I love his little self.

** watching him learn words is so fun for me. He has several that he knows all by himself, and then several that he can repeat when we remind him what they are. Drink, Help, Car, Bye, Hi, Dog, Shoe, Sock, Bath, Treat, Lion, Book, Up, Down, Grandpa, Daddy, Collin, Church, Cheese, Nap, Two, yes and no are a few of the words that he knows.

** he has mastered the stairs, although I didn't think it would come without several spills. Surprisingly, one day, he just figured out how to turn around and slide down. It was awesome. He usually gets on his tummy and starts pushing towards the stairs several feet too soon. Which is too cute to not love. I still put the gate up when I'm not in the mood to chase him up and down as I'm not totally confident in his abilities just yet.

** Loves technology. What kid doesn't, right? He knows the iPad and iPhone well. Can swipe through the screens and to and from the home page. Knows where his apps are, and can switch them when he is board of one or another. And, of course, gets downright angry when playing time is done. Classic.

** Molars have been coming in for what feels like his entire life. But we have finally started to see them poke through and are looking forward to an end in site.

** Enjoys going to preschool with me...sometimes. He loves the kids for about an hour, and then gets overwhelmed and unsure for the rest of the time. But he loves the songs and will even do some of the hand motions if we sing it enough times in a row.

** Has leveled out at 29 lbs for the last several months, which has been super nice. He's wearing 18m-24m clothes; leaving me with the huge chore of cleaning out all the clothes that don't fit anymore!

** Holds hands. Be still my mother's heart. I love when he reaches up to hold my hand while we are walking. Especially when there is a stair that he isn't confident about going down, he'll reach up and say 'hep, hep, hep' (help). I can't soak up those moments enough.

** You know the game where mom and dad hold each of the child's hand and then "one, two, three" they swing the child into the air. Okay, we play that game, of course. But the cute part is that we say "one..." and Cameron will say "two"...and then wait for us to say three and toss him into the air. It is so darling, we almost do it too many times just to hear him say two.  So cute.

** Sits in church. I know, right? He is beyond wonderful for almost all 3 hours of meetings. We get through all of sacrament meeting and then go for a walk around the entire church before going in for Sunday school, we get through about 3/4 of that class before he starts to loose patience. After another short walking break before YW, he will then play quietly with his diaper bag full of goodies for the last 1/2 hour before I really have to step in to get through to the end. It is awesome. And unreal, I realize.

** Loves playing with cousins. He spent the entire evening with the Bouche's the other night and I haven't had a more worn out little boy than I did that night. Makes me smile to see him try to keep up with the big kids. Luckily, Collin (2) seems to tag along with him quite nicely and he's taken to him as his buddy. After spending a day with Collin, the entire drive home Cameron chanted, "bye Collin" over and over again.

He is just learning and growing just like kids always do; quickly! Since starting preschool, I feel like it is going faster and I am missing far too much of his little life. As I finish up this post, he is stirring awake (an hour too early, darn him) and I must go and snuggle my little man. I am such a lucky mamma.

If I didn't have a budget

Sometimes, when I've got nothing to do and Cameron and I are going stir crazy, I like to go to the store and just walk around. Just to look at all the things that are there to buy. Oh man, if I didn't have to worry about where my money was going, I'd fill my cart up with all kinds of goodies. And so, I made a list. A lovely list of things I would buy today if I had all the money I could ever want to spend.

-- hand blender (like for home made soups)
-- cake decorating kit and dye colors
-- cake pop kits
-- new dishes
-- curtains
-- a new bedroom furniture set; sleigh bed style
-- and upgrade to a California King at that
-- book binding maker
-- new wardrobe
-- a house! 6 bdrms, 4 baths, full finished basement, fancy home office, media room, 1 acre lot, view of mountains.
-- and all the furniture to go with it
-- scrapbooking kits
-- camping gear
-- bikes and kid gear
-- jogging stroller
-- plethora of workout gear
-- organizing bins for pantry
-- bins for holiday (crap) storage
-- new bathroom decor
-- new bedroom decor
-- new decor...everywhere
-- new couches. did I say furniture already, well, the couches for sure
-- a cruise. for me and my friends
-- and a trip to London/Paris for me, the Hubs, and the BIL tour guide.
-- BBQ
-- more WorldMark credits
-- better printer
-- dye cutter
-- unnecessary office supplies galore
-- a safe
-- a swanky trip to DisneyWorld with all the bells and whistles

What happened in Vegas

I could not have been more excited for this year's Sister's Weekend; a tradition I hope sticks for the rest of our years to come. Jennifer must get the props for hosting this year's event, and Vegas was a perfect choice as it was fairly easy for everyone to get to and had too many things for us to do.  It was awesome.

We came in at different times on Thursday evening. I was elected to be the driver of the group being that my home was just 6 hours from Vegas. So I got the blessed responsibility of maneuvering Vegas Strip traffic. At least I don't have any hesitations or fear about busy roads, so it worked out fine. We stayed in a great suite with kitchens and family rooms and all, so we were all able to put down our things and still have somewhere to sit and socialize. We utilized the hot tub first thing being that A) I'm not pregnant so I could soak right up to my neck for as long as I wanted, and B) I had no kids to keep me from doing so.  A great start! It must be said this was also my mom's first knowledge and encounter with my brown hair. I had purposefully waited to share it so she would be surprised when she saw me in person. And it was the best surprise yet. She gasped, and almost choked as she stumbled toward me. It was so great as she tried to adjust her eyes to what she was seeing. Oh, it was funny, and I loved it.

We spent the next 2 short days walking the strip and seeing all the different hotel's that we could. Everyone underestimated the distance between the Treasure Island hotel and the Bellagio, despite my suggestions at such, and we ventured on the long walk there, through every hotel along the way, and back.  Wow! Our break at the Belligao hotel was beyond welcomed.  A 3 hours stint in their Buffet was my best memory of the trip. We sat, and laughed, and ate, and talked. It was awesome. Our table was perfectly situated in a quiet corner so nobody bothered us and we didn't bother anybody else. It was by far the best night of the weekend!

Saturday we attended the Las Vegas temple together - another delightful choice, and finished off with tickets to the Mystere show in Treasure Island. The acrobatic stunts are stunning and we all left with a jaws on the floor! Awesome.

I couldn't be more lucky to have such awesome sisters. They are funny, and friendly, and smart, and give me ideas on how to be a better mom, cook, wife, and friend. I am so grateful that we love each other's company! Cheers to Vegas for a great trip!

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice.

Twice a year, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the general conference of the church. Everyone, members and not, are invited to listen to a prophets voice, and hear the words of God. It is the most awesome 10 hours one can dedicate in any given weekend. And I look forward to it every year. This year was no different. Though sometimes the talks can tend to lull me right into a slumber, I always go back and study all the talks to pick out any and all instruction that I need to know to better my life as God would have me do. I found some cute conference journal ideas on pinterest, which I duplicated for myself in an effort to pay attention more, and longer. Victory to the n-th degree.

It was awesome. I learned so much. My testimony was strengthened. I came out a better, more spiritually minded woman than I was when I went into it.  I know God speaks to his children today through those men called as Apostles and Prophets in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Make time to study the word of God, given for his children today. Go here.

Favorite Things

Several weeks ago, the young women had a favorite things night for our mutual activity. In an effort to really make the scene better than a bland room with chairs in a circle, I had a whole themed spread with tons of cute Pinterest printables and ideas. It turned out so cute. And, rather than bring in just one thing, I put together a whole pile of my favorite things to share. It was awesome. It gave me a reason to contemplate the good things in my life and what I have that brings me joy and happiness. I collected little things around the house that represented each thought; oh how I wish I took a pictire to accompany this post. Alas, here is a list of the things I thought up. 

(1) family: I have an awesome family, both those that I grew up with and those I live with now. I have an awesome in law family too which is a triple bonus. I know that I am lucky to have such a perfect companion in my husband. How much he cares for and watches out for me, encourages my interests, and works for my happiness is unusual in many family circles. I son is just an awesome buddy to have around. He is fun and happy and curious and smart. He is talkative and quiet, busy and still. He is everything I prayed for in a kid and The Lord has blessed me beyond my wishes. My family is one of my favorite things.

(2) teaching: I have a folder in my drawer with an envelope full of all the notes that I received during my stint as a high school teacher. I frequently think back on my days in room 101A and 3002. I remember being exhausted, annoyed, burned out, lazy, and frazzled. But I also remember the funny kids, and the feeling of satisfaction in my career choice, and living near Disneyland, and yearbook class, and watching the sandlot and remember the titans every quarter for freshmen seminar. Today I try to get my fix in preschool and YW lessons/mutual activities. Teaching is one of my favorite things. 

(3) travel: I love to experience places. I love to see the world, especially the history of the people and events that once were. If I had a million dollars, I would spend a majority of it paying for myself and my loved ones to travel together. Cruises, Europe, luxurious DisneyWorld trips in the fancy hotels - so much. Traveling is one of my favorite thigs. 

(4) yearbooking: I love to put my year if pictures into family yearbooks. I have been especially busy putting 2013 together these past several days and it reminds me how excited I am for it to be printed and then to have for generations to come. I love to look back and see the pages of my life, and love to share it with others. It's awesome and wonderful and is most defiantly one of my favorite things. 

(5) lists, colored pens and calendars: I always feel a need to buy more. I love writing lists of everything; menus, to dos, goals, to get, to call, to write. Using a note pad and a myriad of colors just makes my day feel good. Like I am on top of everything. I am super excited about my 2014 planner that is on its way. I found the Mormon Mommy Planner, purchased, and now want January to get here immediately so I can start using it. It's out of this world perfect for me and just writing about it now is making me want to hold it and look at it's organizing pages for hours in anticipation of using it. Google it - it's awesome. These are a few if my favorite things. 

(6) food. I am on a constant diet. That I constantly disregard. It's horrible and awesome all at the same time. I try to be healthy, and have moderation on all things, but it isad constant battle between what I want to eat and what I want to look like. I eat when I am sad, stressed, happy, celebrating, tired, bored, watching TV, relaxing with a book, on the move, in my car. Food is certainly one of my favorite things. 

(7) cafe rio: yes. I put it on the list separate from food. It is unreal how much I love this place. I would go 4 . . . Maybe 5 times a week if my metobilism could keep up. I.  Love. It. 

(8) Pinterest: genius the person who made this forum of all things creative and Orginizational and printable and doable. I love to sit with the TV in in the background and scroll through it's many idea boards. It's soothing, motivational, and awesome. Pinterest is defiantly one of my favorite things. 

(9) Disneyland. Another thing separate from travel. This place is so magical for me. It removes my worldly cares. It makes my heart leap. It makes me feel like I'm on a permanent, romantic honeymoon. Lucky for me, my husband loves it too so it isn't too much to go 4 or 5 times a year despite the 10 hour drive. When I loved close, I would just go there and sit on Main Street and listen to the crowds and the music and eat a chocolate covered Carmel Apple. And maybe a churro. I still think those moments were wonderful and would do it again if I could. Disneyland is certainly one of my favorite things. 

(10) spiritual conferences: I love all things spiritual. I love getting into groups and talking about or listening to spiritual things. I love the encouragement my heart feels when I listen to truth and take notes in how to apply Christlike principles into my daily habits. Women's conference, general conference, education week, EFY, firesides, books, even going to Deseret Book on a Saturday afternoon is awesome. The church if Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is probably my most favorite thing. 

New Hair

I am pretty excited about fall finally making it's way to Utah.  Fall has been so beautiful and crisp - all the things that I just love about this season.  I have been thinking for quite sometime now, that come the fall, I would change the color of my hair.  And by "quite some time" I mean, several years now. I always knew that I wanted my cousin to do it for me, being that she is just really good at hair, has blonde hair naturally herself, and is my muse in hair life. Conveniently, we were going through that part of town on our way up to Yellowstone National Park. The timing couldn't have been more right, and the change more perfect.

I have found that I have to reintroduce myself to basically everybody - but it is exactly the look that I was going for. I have been blonde my entire life - except for that one summer when I decided to be a redhead.  It was just a college phase that ended in pink hair for the summer. What a mistake! But this - this is nothing like that and I am so excited about it.  Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with my roots so that I don't look like a scary granny when the blonde grown in and looks gray! Love it!


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An unrelated side note about my neglected blog.  I'd like to say that I've been too busy, or that I don't have much to blog about. But neither are true.  I've been lazy.  But - these past few days I have been working really hard on catching up my family yearbook and am so glad that I do have phases when I am diligent at keeping this current. It helps me remember trips and moments and photos. It help bring a little life to my books. And it helps me keep all things in chronological order. So - I've planned to get in at least 6-8 posts before the end of the month.

Our First

I know it looks a little ragged in this picture, (I don't have the post renovation pics yet.) but this is our first Investment property! Open for renters immediately. We just closed on it yesterday and couldn't be more excited with this first step in our new Business venture! Celebrate with me!

Here is my quick story, for memory's sake.

About 6 weeks ago, Mark and I were introduced to a Real Estate Investment group. Going to our first meeting, I remember that I was Mad at Mark (capital M intended) for making me go listen to another pitch about the perfect solution for all our financial goals.  It was a waste of my time for sure.  Well, I walked out of that meeting eating my words. We sat with the president of the company, Kris, and everything he said just resonated perfectly with me. Everything was exactly what I was wanting. This company, Strongbrook, is exactly what Mark and I have been looking for to meet our financial goals.  We have always known we wanted to invest in real estate property, just didn't know that way to go about doing that exactly.  Well, Strongbrook is unique in that they have created a system that does the work for us. They research the markets, they find the homes, they get us in touch with a realtor in that area to complete the sale paperwork, they then set us up with your property managers who will rent the home and manage it's needs, and then, they continue to watch the market for us and will let us know when it is time to sell, refinance, or whatever. It is so awesome.

We are loving what they have for done for our financial goals, and are already looking forward to purchasing our second (and other) properties.

Dear world: if you have EVER had any interest in real estate investments, but aren't quite sure how to go about doing it for yourself, I would strongly recommend looking into Strongbrook's system and see if it resonates with what your looking for like it did for us.  Let me know if you'd like more information. Click below for the website where you can check it out for yourself.  If you want to speak with someone from the company directly, you can sign up for a "gameplan" on their website or just contact me and I'll get you started. I highly recommend their company!

Click here if you're wanting more information

AZ Cousins

I am a fairly spontaneous person by nature. I can't say that I play on this characteristic a lot, but I do have a history of making sudden plans.  So, it was no surprise to my brother when I sent him the text saying, "I'm coming down in 2 weeks. K?" He took a few days off work and we got to just hang out and enjoy the AZ lifestyle. And it lived up to it's HOT HOT HOT stereotype. OOo-Whee.

We escaped the heat by heading over to their community swimming pool most days. Cameron was really timid around the splash pad at first, this being his first time. But, before long he was walking right through the shooting water like a toddler. Oh be still my mother's heart; it was darling! I still can't get him to love the swimming pool, but he sure loved that splash pad. He learned the word swimming while we were visiting - and that was beyond darling when he would repeat it back to us when we told him that is what we were doing.

 Lesley did great and planned several things for us to do during our visit.  I suggested that we go to the newest Arizona construction site. To my surprise, they are almost done, so there wasn't much to see other than the missing landscaping. But, we took a short gander, giving a little personal thanks for the blessing of having temples on the earth today. (to learn more about LDS temples, click here)

 I was really lovin' that Cameron got to hang out with his cousins. He and his cousin Spencer are only a few days apart, so the closeness in their relationship is really important to me. It took Cameron a couple days to get comfortable playing with the boys, but by the end of our trip, he loved chasing around the house with them and playing without my immediate supervision. Glorious.

 Lesley did a great job satisfying my History loving heart. She planned a whole day in Phoenix to visit a few museums and just enjoy the city. Sadly, the first museum/old house was closed for the annual refurbishment. (boo) so we headed over to the second stop - the Arizona State History Museum; free of charge-bonus! Sadly, we got there just as it was closing so only got to run through a few of the exhibits. Some highlights included a piece of the USS Arizona from  Pearl Harbor, items from the French Peace Train, and a replicated Senate house where the Arizona constitution was drafted. The boys ran around like children would in a museum, which was a damper on the read-every-plaque part of me. That and my son is a whopping 30 lbs, so carrying him around is a bit of a work out. Whew!

 I loved that I got to go and see my brother. He and I have always had a great relationship, and I'm lucky to have him in my family. The boys are darling, and I must capitalize on their newfound friendship while it is still fresh - I guess that means another trip very soon.

P.S. Dear Lesley - I suppose you'll be wanting some of these photos. I'll need to be getting them to you right quick so you can scrapbook them away with your renewed scrapping skills! Done and done.

Little Dude.

Nicknames: Cam-a Ram-a, Cam, Poops (uncle Tom).

Most Common (unprompted) words: Daddy, Dog, Kitty, Treat, Drink, Outside, Bath, Shoe, Lamby, Nap, Mickey, Woody, Dinner, Eyes, Up

Other words (with prompting): Book, Adventures, Please, Lunch, Breakfast, Church, Dressed, Car, Banana, Swimming.

Size: 18-24M clothes.

Most common food loves: Ice Cream & Watermelon. Fish crackers over Pretzels. Paper, grrr-are we not out of the mouth phase yet?

Typical: Will hear the dishwasher open and come running. Closes himself into rooms all the time. Standing too close to the TV. LOVES the Pad or Phone; always wants to "play" on it when he sees it sitting out. Wakes up about 6:30 or 7 which is a nice relief from his prior 5:30 routine. Dances to music, sings in church during the hymns, reads books, love errands, stranger danger is pretty intense. Likes to put pencil/crayon/pen to paper. Loves to sing or listen to singing. If he hears us say "outside" he will run to the door and cry when we don't go out right away. Will ask for a bath in the evening when we start going upstairs. Waves incessantly to perfect strangers, but will not say "hi" to people we are talking to. Loves to pull out all the tupperware and towels from the drawers. Gives kisses and "loves" to mom and dad.

It's been so fun to watch him learn and grow.  I take him to preschool already (since I am teaching it...I'm not that crazy) and he learns nothing but I like to think that he is. I am thankful everyday that God gave this boy to our family. Every. Single. Day.

Grilled Pizza Pie

Another fun first happened this summer in our adventures in Grilling Pizza Pies. I had never had grilled pizza before this; and I must say it was really great! Bryan manned the grill while Mark tossed the dough. It was pretty low key, but really fun to just be with the family and have a few laughs.

We were lucky this summer to spend quite a bit of time with the Morrell's. Cameron has grown quite a liking to his cousins, even though he just follows them around endlessly; and Mamma Morrell made her delicious fruit Ice Cream a delightful handful of times. It's been great bonding time, and I've loved it all!

Grandparents

Conveniently, this post comes on Grandparents Day. I didn't plan this, I swear! A few weeks back, my mom and step-dad came to town for a visit. Cameron just loved playing with them. They took him to the park, spoiled him with treats, and played ball outside at least a dozen times. It was so charming to watch them laugh and play. I can't express how grateful I am for stalwart examples for Cameron.

I too love when my mom comes to visit. Since the wedding, our relationship has been more distant than it was in years past. Albeit, I did move 2 states away, and that can put a damper on the closeness of any relationship. So, suffice it to say, it is different now. So I was really glad when she was passing through town and stopped to stay with us. She encourages me to be a better housewife and mom. She supports my hobbies and ambitions. And she just keeps me on the path of being anxiously engaged in a good cause, rather than falling into some "idle-woman" habits. Some of our other activities included a splash pad visit which turned sour due to rain. An ice cream trip to Macey's where we pushed Cameron around in the cart with the car attachment. He was in heaven! A date night for the Hubs and I; to the temple of course which was great. And dinner out to P.F. Chang's.

It's so great to see both Joe and my mom feeling like they have purpose to their lives again. I sure do appreciate all that Joe does for my mom. We feel so blessed that they found each other, despite that their marriage has made them harder to keep track of!

Love that they are the grandparents to my son. Love them both.

Summer Days

My horrifically neglected blog. I must admit, I took an intentional break from blogging last month, mostly because things just got crazy, and I got overwhelmed with my ever growing "need-to-do" list and my much more exciting "want-to-do" list. So I put my wants aside and tried to just focus on getting the dinner on the table regularly.  A feat that requires goal planning and mental dedication for me. I'd like to say that I was successful, but alas, I still feel too busy to blog but my desire to journal overtakes the realist in me. Thus, I am going to blog a ton this month! Some new, some from last month's adventures. Just a myriad of life to remind myself that there is more than what I seem to remember.

And so we start where we left off. 

The family farm has been a fun hit this summer. We've gone up a few times and took a gander at the sites of Brigham City; which are minimal. We went to see the new Brigham City temple grounds, which were lovely, and across the street to the historic tabernacle which turned out to be much less than I expected. Luckily we didn't have to drive far to see it. We love the little cafe there where we ordered enough food to feed an army (can you say crunchy french toast? yum!), and shopped at the Amish store which I don't think is owned or operated by Amish people. Alas, that's the name of the store so we're sticking to it. We purchased a bit of Traffic Jam there, a delightful mix of citrus and berries to spread on your toast; yummy, and some Ice Cream for the drive home. 

Uncle Tome acquired a few kittens to help manage the mice and other rodents that have become pests. They are so tiny and cute, they make me forget that I don't care for cats! Cameron, on the other hand, is enamored by animals.  "Kitty" he says over and over again.  He pets them and follows them around all over the farm. It's too cute to handle! When he hears their baby meow's, he will burst into smiles, jump up from what he is doing, and start looking for them, "kitty?, Kitty?" he is so fun!

The cousins and Uncle Mike have joined in on the visits once or twice. Activities always include several games of horseshoes, climbing on the tractor, playing tag in the vineyard and orchard, and relaxing under the mister that Uncle Tom installed on the Bunk House. It's beyond nice to relax there and watch the others play! I just love it.

 The smell of mint sails through the air from the field on the property. And the shade tree over the well creates a perfect place to sit and read a book while taking in a summer day. It's hard not to love this place. Mark has such dear memories of his childhood and grandparents here. But for me, it's just a wonderful retreat from the world. Farewell, until next summer!

Lastly, this picture has been in the works since our first trip to the farm, and every trip after. A side by side of Mark and Cameron on the farm. It makes me smile every time.  That Morrelly-Belly. It is legit!