Bricker Beginnings

Mexican Valentine's Day

2012-02-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

Skyler was incharge of Valentine's Day this year. It was fun.

First we dropped off Eliza at our new friends the Johnsons. Then we headed over to the Mesa Temple. Lucky us found ourselves in a Spanish session. So, I were the headphones. It was nice to hear it in both Spanish and English. We sat in the celestial room for awhile and then decided to head home.

Next, we got a burrito to share at our favorite authentic Mexican restaurant, El Asadero on Main Street. It was sooo good!

Our final pitstop was at a panderia that we had seen on our way to the temple. We thought it was worth a try... and it was! It is on Gilbert between Main and Broadway. They had a variety of piedras for 3/$1. We got some of those and some cream cheese rolls.

Next we picked up Eliza who had been having 4 hours of nonstop fun. Including dress-up, playing at the park, matching finger and toenail glittery blue polish, etc... We cut up our pan dulce to share. It was a hit. We will have to go back for sure!

Eliza Lane was definitely tired when we got home after so much fun. So,, we called pan dulce "lunch" and put her down for a nap. That meant we had family nap time. It was the perfect Valentine's day celebration.

After naptime, Skyler went to work and Eliza and I continued on with the festivities. We made Valentines with watercolors and stickers. It was pretty fun! And the watercolor was not nearly as messy as I thought.

After that we had some crockpot enchiladas and watched a really great love movie. Well, Emma is long, so we really only watched 1/2. Then it was bedtime.

It was a great day.

We hope you have a good Valentine's Day too!

The last picture has nothing to do with the holiday, but I couldn't help but look at Eliza Lane today and think... where did this big girl come from? I guess we need a new baby... 11.5 more weeks!

Trip to Las Vegas

2012-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Skyler didn't take the camera... it was hiding. We found it once he returned home. So, I stole pictures off of the internet to give you a glimpse of his vacation... I mean professional conference.

The confernece was organized by "When pigs fly" and Skyler won a flying pig in one of the raffles. He also won a couple books. We are so proud of his "luck".

The first day was hosted at MGM Grand and they were able to go through the CSI experience. Skyler really enjoyed it.

They rode rides and spent the other two days mainly at Circus Circus and stopped by the Stratosphere.

Skyler said that one of the major highlights was hanging out with his cousin's family. Brandon, Michelle, & Teagan were just as or more fun than the Las Vegas Strip!

Overall it was a great trip! Skyler came back wiser and with some good networking done.

I obviously survived! Eliza missed her daddy and cried for quite awhile after dropping him off at the airport. But we prayed for him and his airplane everyday. It worked! But she keeps praying for daddy or mommy's airplane. Oh well.

Skyler is headed to Las Vegas...

2012-01-30T08:29:00.000-08:00

this afternoon for work. He and his manager, and a coworker are going to a ride operations training and conference until Thursday night. It is his first work conference and he is going to get "certified" as a ride operator trainer. They are staying at Circus Circus; it should be fun.

Meanwhile, I will be going through midterm week and my midterm grades are due Thursday morning. Wish me luck! We have been trying to prepare for my single-working-mom-ness for a couple weeks. Hopefully it pays off and I will be successful. It is only four days!

I will let you know how successful we were in a few days...

Wahoo!!!

2012-01-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

Skyler just finished his coursework at BYU!!! Yippee! His teacher approved his final paper and final exam! YEAH!!! We are so excited for him to be completely done with his degree... Now we just need to do an ecclesiastical endorsement and a little official paperwork done... ya know. His official graduation date will be April 2012!

We are so proud of him!

Go Cougars!

The Jingle Bell

2012-01-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

My mom gave us a bright red jingle bell ornament for Christmas. Eliza loves it. She always asks to open it and skyler and I have been trying to explain that it is impossible. She decided that maybe she wasn't explaining herself well enough.

Yesterday's conversation:
Eliza Lane: Open bell, Daddy? It's hard.
Skyler: No. We can't open it. It doesn't open.

Eliza Lane: Ok. Break bell, Daddy?
Skyler: No. We don't want to break it.

Eliza Lane: Crack bell, Daddy?
Skyler: No. We can't crack it or break. We just listen to it.

So funny! It all means the same to her. She just wants to look INSIDE!

Hanging out with Friends

2012-01-02T14:07:00.001-08:00

Two of Eliza's favorite people are Makakoa and Berkley. Here are some snapshots.

We visited the snow for Christmas...

2011-12-31T20:41:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas with the Bricker family in Flagstaff. It was so much fun. We need to steal some pictures, but here is a snapshot of the show.

More pumpkin carving pictures

2011-11-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Carving at ASU

2011-11-02T16:13:00.002-07:00

Arizona State University's (ASU) American English & Culture Program (AECP) has an annual pumpkin carving contest for their students. The students are grouped together by their reading and writing teachers. You have 30 minutes to carve at least one pumpkin. We carved two and then decided which one we thought looked the best. My students... and just about every other student loved Eliza's costume. We all love hand-me-downs!!! Thank you Malia!

She had at least 20 students ask to take a picture of her and or with her. So funny. I had flashbacks of being in Costa Rica or Albania and children walking around in traditional clothes, BUT if you took their picture, you had to pay like $5. I was so tempted to say, Of course... that will be $5 per picture. It is never too early to start saving for college, right?

You may notice and Eliza and I are dressed in short-sleeves... that is because it is still very warm here. The picture with the waterbottle is after she has been walking around for awhile, that is why her hair is sooo sweaty from where her flower hat was.

After the party, we decided to have authentic Chinese food. It was pretty great. Everyone that walked in was either Asian or with an Asian. So, I think that means that we ate real authentic food. It was right next to an Asian market. I definitely decided not to go there. My sense of smell is a little too acute right now, and I could smell the fish from our car.

Guess what is the size of a plum?

2011-10-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

Our baby #2!!! I am happy that the first trimester is drawing to a close. If this pregnancy mimmicks Eliza's, then I will feel pretty good in about another 2 months!!! YEAH!

Luckily, I am feeling a little better this time around. I think that the weight-loss over the summer did its job. So far, I weigh the same at 12 weeks that I did at 8 weeks last time. :)

Eliza kisses my belly. It is pretty cute, but she thinks that she has a baby in her button (belly button) as well. Oh well.

Are you serious?

2011-09-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

I have asked myself this question quite a few times since I moved to Arizona. I don't ask anyone else that because it is usually just a response to something I think is illogical. Particularly this is in relation to the heat. August had a record breaking amount of days over 110 degrees. Needless to say, it has been hot. There are two observations that I have made recently that make me ask the question, "Are you serious?"

1. I don't see the value in palm trees. I think they are striking, but when it comes to providing shade, they just aren't good. I have tried to walk in the skinny little shade the is provided by a palm tree. It is quite less effective. As I have been walking through the enormously large log 59 trying to get to my car, I wonder, why is the parking lot full of palm trees. They don't shade the cars, or the poor people trying to get to their cars. These palm trees are huge, so maybe no one wants to dig them because they have been there awhile... but really, they don't have that much green, so they can't be producing that much oxygen, and they don't provide shade. Thus, I suggest digging them out and replacing them with trees that not only provide shade, but also help the struggling drivers get enough oxygen to breathe.

2. I understand that when people are hot, they usually wear fewer and lighter clothes. This general concept is one that I am quite familiar with. Except for those who are trying to be "modest" which comes in varying degrees on ASU's campus. By the way, I found myself right in the middle of that spectrum. There is a phenomenon that I just don't get at all: some girls walk around campus with daisy duke shorts on, and a thin skimpy tank top. This is not surprising. It is the smallest amount of clothes that you can get away with on campus. What is surprising is that they will then have long hair that covers their shoulders and back. How does this make sense? If you are trying to stay cool by wearing fewer clothes, wouldn't you also pull your hair back? Or if you weren't concerned about the heat, wouldn't you wear more than what a lot of people wear at the beach? This is my quandry. I want to bring elastics to campus and hand them out to the girls in this situation. I could show them how to pull their hair back in a pony-tail, braid, or bun. However, I haven't quite come up with a line to say before handing them something to pull their hair back. Any suggestions?

Shannon and Ashleigh came to town...

2011-09-05T09:46:00.003-07:00

That meant that we all went up to Flagstaff. We hung out at the cabin, went shooting, experience a Flagstaff fair in the park. We ate greek food and watched belly dancers. Then we drove to Sedona and held live snakes and tarantulas, then tried to shop at the outlets. We drove around the red rock and downtown Sedona. Then we headed back to Flagstaff. We ate at a small Chinese place and then ate coldstone for dessert. After that we watched Stardust. It was pretty fun. The next day, we went to church, went on a walk, and ate brownies. Today we have been chilling and chilling. It has been so fun! Eliza is pretty spoiled because she has so many fun people around who love her.

Islam and America

2011-08-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

I have now moved to a program with a very high number of Arab students. We have far more than what I have been previously teaching. I have always been concerned that the relationship with the Islamic world would be too tense in America. I feel like an exception because I have lived in and loved an Islamic country, Albania. With that said, Kelly Zirker, posted this article on her blog,
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/08/30/140053835/muslim-americans-overwhelmingly-satisfied-with-their-lives-poll-finds.
It turns out that right now, Muslims in America are more satisified with their life than other Americans.
Thank you America for realizing that extremism and terrorism are not a necessary part of Islam. I really do believe that America can be a wonderful mix of cultures and an inviting space for those who choose to come here and contribute to this great country. I absolutely love living in my bubble that I call teaching ESL in America. It is so rich with culture and curiosity!

Our transition

2011-08-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

We officially moved to AZ on Sunday August 14th. We were sad to go but ready for our new adventure. Skyler and I were both wearing University of Texas- Austin T-shirts to celebrate our moved out of state.

Since then we have been
1. organizing our stuff at Skyler's parents house. We bought big tupperware boxes at Wal-mart which we hope to use in our future garage for storage, but for now they are our expansive clothes organization system.
2. getting really good at inflating and deflating my mom's queen aerobed. We inflate it as part of Eliza's bedtime routine. Our sheets just stay on it , so we don't have to redo our bed everyday. Eliza has been sleeping quite well on some blankets. Who knew we didn't need a pack 'n play or crib? In the morning, we deflate the airmattress and make room for Rylee to use her school room.
3. weaning Eliza off the bottle. It is official. She doesn't take a bottle anymore. She is definitely a BIG girl now!
4. fixing the car. Skyler and his dad have been working hard to make sure that we can drive our car. The windshield was replaced this week and it is amazing how clear and easy it is to see everything without the cracks and dirt. Pretty soon we will pass our inspection, get our salvage title, and then get our check from USAA. YEAH!
5. driving around a lot. Especially during the first week, the whole family was in the car A LOT!!! The sticker books have been really great!
6. following up on jobs. Skyler has had two interviews since our arrival and one job offer. We are waiting to hear details about it, but it isn’t a good time to find a job in recreation management. One job already decided not to hire anyone.
7. navigating the highways. I have been driving on my own with different freeways and commuting about an hour each way. I am a big girl because I can find a lot of places, but particularly ASU and MCC.
8. teaching new classes. I am teaching a level 4 grammar class at MCC and a reading & writing class at ASU. It is definitely busy to get into the groove of those classes all at once. MCC’s department is really laid back. ASU’s department is definitely more structured. There is one shared faculty room at MCC. It has been pretty empty when I have used it. ASU gave me ½ of a ½ desk. Yes that equal ¼ of a desk. It is a little cramped, but my desk buddy and I are trying to figure out our schedules better so that we don’t crowd each other out.
9. living the dream! That is our phrase for this phase of life.

It is hot here...

2011-08-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.weather.com/weather/alerts/localalerts/USAZ0166:1?phenomena=EH&significance=W&areaid=AZZ023&office=KPSR&etn=0008

But we are surviving.

We made it!

2011-08-15T22:27:00.001-07:00

It definitely feels like we are on vacation since we have visited so many times in the last month... but I think that in a week when reality hits, we will realize that we actually MOVED to AZ.

Feeling like Nephi

2011-08-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

I might have mentioned this before, but I have been feeling like Nephi for a couple months for various reasons related to our move to AZ. Recently, Skyler and I have been reading 1 Nephi because it has been very inspiring. For example, Nephi saw "many ^eafflictions ... nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God... Right now it feels like we have many afflictions but are also blessed as well. I love how Nephi says that he is telling this history to show "that the tender ^cmercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of ^ddeliverance." We have definitely gotten a lot of tender mercies recently. I will have to write a post about that someday, probably in AZ.

Also, we are moving to Phoenix early Sunday morning. That means we are leaving Provo, where I have lived for almost 10 years. It is interesting how a place is so much things all wrapped up and full of emotion. I am definitely in complete denial, excited, sad, and EVERYTHING else.

One of my students from Colombia talks about how she is never 'satisified' because when she is in the US, a part of her yearns to be in Colombia and vice versa. I think when we die we end up with so many different "homes" really. It is weird to call Provo "home" but it really has been. Eliza Lane will never remember it, but it has been our family's home for almost 3 years. We were going to have a goodbye party... but with the accident, a totalled car, injuries and the stomach flu we decided not to.

Cousin Camp installment #1

2011-08-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

Cousin Camp Teaser

2011-07-31T01:37:00.000-07:00

On the Road again...

2011-07-28T22:52:00.001-07:00

Yes... I am flying in and out of Phoenix tomorrow/Friday. Yes that is my 3rd time in 2 weeks...

4th of July with the Hansens

2011-07-24T20:40:00.001-07:00

The Hansens had a family reunion in Lehi at the park. It was really fun. Eliza loved spending time with her second cousins. She also had fun reading books with Grandpa Hansen. These are the only pics that I can make work on the computer... maybe more to come later.

On the Road again...

2011-07-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

Our plans seem to change everyday a few times... In case you are wondering, we are headed back to AZ. Skyler is driving out on Friday. Eliza Lane and I will fly out Saturday morning. Then Skyler will drive back Monday morning in time to pick us up in SLC on Monday night late. It should be an adventure... We will see what we figure out while we are there. :)

I think we are getting a little better had doing things that don't make sense but feel good. But we are still a little resistant...

Wrapping up Provo...

2011-07-19T16:34:00.001-07:00

So, I feel like our family is on a speeding freight train. Skyler and I made an UNEXPECTED trip to AZ last weekend. Sky got some face time and a few unofficial job interviews. And we feel like we need to move into Skyler's old stake in Gilbert AZ. I am flying back to AZ this weekend to figure out housing and get "officially" hired at MCC. The following weekend, Skyler's family will stop by for a night and then take Skyler down to Arizona where hopefully he will have a few more interviews, and wrap up our housing. So... it has been and will continue to be a little crazy around here. It is nice, though, to feel like we are supposed to move and that the spirit will guide us as we go.

We had a few experiences this weekend where I almost cried (partly due to lack of sleep) because for that brief moment, everything clicked and I knew it was right. The sacrament meeting was about the pioneers and they focused on stories of people who knew where they needed to go, but didn't know how to make everything fall into place. In the end, they prayed more fervently and miracles happened. I truly feel like this move is a miracle, though it stresses me and frustrates me sometimes. I know this next months will still be "unexpected" an I am trying to be spontaneous and just follow the spirit.

Skyler just laughs because he thinks it is sort of "ridiculous" that we are moving into his old neighborhood. He said that if we both didn't feel strongly about it, he would assume he had some sort of disorder where he needed to go back and live where his "glory days" were. I think it is ironic, but probably most importantly it is inspired. So, it makes me kind of nervous because if we are "supposed" to be there, then there must be a reason. I guess we will have to wait and see what it is.

One of the tender mercies was that it wasn't nearly as hot as it could have been. Thank goodness!

Anna's Garage Sale

2011-07-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry but I don't have new photos of Eliza Lane...

2011-07-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't been good at posting any pics... but here are some announcements:
1. I got my new social security card in the mail yesterday.
2. I having officially lost 15 lbs. I am now 5 pounds lighter than my first appointment with Eliza Lane at 8 weeks pregnant.
3. It is my brother, Nathan's birthday today!
4. We are moving to Arizona in exactly one month- August 13th...
YEAH!!!

I changed my name

2011-07-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

So, this week I decided to change my name.

Now according to the social security office, my name is Rachel Elizabeth Hansen Bricker.

I am also officially a Utah driver with a temporary Utah driver's license. I got 100% on my open book written test! I passed the vision portion... with squinting since I need new glasses... and they have my name as Rachel ElizabethHansen Bricker. (No I didn't forget a space, my name wouldn't fit with the space between the two middle names.)

So... I guess our family will have an easier time with health insurance, doctor files, etc.

Oh... and I got a job at Mesa Community College. They are sending me the HR packet asap and I will mail it back to them. Gotta love that snail mail still works! :) I don't know details, except that I will mail a little bit more per credit hour than I do at UVU... but no where near what I make at BYU. :)

Today

2011-06-22T16:00:00.001-07:00

In case you were wondering... the church is true, esp today! I survived my BYU class and my lecture seemed to not be a complete failure! Hallelujah!

Now off to my next class...

The Excursion Course- Day 1

2011-06-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

These are some of the pics from the first day... There are more to come.

We had our first stop at Moab and then continued on to our campground at Monument Valley.

We had a couple unexpected pitstops because our car had a problem with overheating. Besides that, it was a great day!

The move...

2011-06-02T12:37:00.001-07:00

This is our new place... the basement down the stairs.

Here is a look at our neighborhood in all directions.

We were very excited to have a yard to put our pool... but we did fill it up a month ago... and it was still a little chilly.

Look at these great friends help us move ALL our stuff! They SAVED our LIVES!!!

Eliza had to find unique ways to entertain herself while we packed up and moved.

Albanian hats.... eating during a movie..... climbing in things... etc.

Easter came while we were packing. Eliza Lane loved the chocolate!! and the BALL!!!

1/3 of the way there...

2011-06-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

So, I am almost a 1/3 of the way to my goal weight... so I thought I would show my progress.

This is me in my "goal pants". That means that I do NOT where them right now... but I did for the picture.

Just so you know... these are not "flattering pictures" but I wanted to show what I actually look like... muffin top, belly, chubby arms, and all.

And just so you know... Eliza Lane and I have matchy-poo hair! :)

Update...

2011-05-28T23:05:00.001-07:00

So...
I have lost a total of 8.5 pounds! I am 1/2 pound to my prepregnancy weight.
Eliza Lane decided to start talking... so she is up to about 20 words (some only signs, some only words, but a lot of them are both).
Skyler is continuing the job hunt and doing an excellent job as Mr. Domestic.
We are in a new little ghetto basement apt close to BYU.
We LOVE our new ward.
I am teaching like crazy... and feel a little crazy!
Eliza Lane cut her 5th tooth. We think another is on its way.
EL decided to be a toddler... She screams "NO!!" at you when she doesn't like something. She drops her body to the ground with force so that you lose your grip on her. She runs around everywhere. And she climbs on EVERYTHING. Isn't that what toddlers do?
We currently have a tent in the living room.
Skyler and I went to the temple this morning.
Eliza Lane wore braids to a party today.
I like my students.
Skyler has been working out... and looks great.
We are hanging mini crates on the walls in our house to make up for storage space. Two have fruit and one has Eliza Lane's shoes.
We have a new nephew, who is getting blessed without us in CA.
My cousin, Anna, just started chemo for breast cancer.
Most of our stuff made it successfully to AZ and is in storage in Flagstaff.
We will be moving in 2 1/2 months...
I might be an editor for an academic book with 12 chapters...
I ride the bus... and I LIKE IT!
Skyler and I have been sharing a twin bed since we moved... so far, so good! :) It is extra cozy.
We have a kiddie pool... anyone want to come to a swim party?
Eliza climbs onto the chair and then onto the table... or onto the chair and then turn the faucet on.
We don't have a tub... but the shower seems to be just as much or more fun for EL.
That is it for now!

In case you wondered...

2011-05-26T13:45:00.001-07:00

We are still alive! :)

We love our Family

2011-04-25T10:29:00.001-07:00

It was fun to spend time with family for Skyler's graduation!

Somebody graduated today...

2011-04-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming...

2011-04-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Um... I lost 3 pounds!

2011-04-12T19:14:00.001-07:00

I just thought you might want to know that I am currently eating healthy and exercising. It is amazing how much better you can feel! :)

Skyler is graduating....

2011-04-05T04:19:00.000-07:00

We are excited for Skyler to graduate and we are starting to get everything figured out: announcements, family photo to go inside, return addresses labels, addresses, etc.

If you would like a graduation announcement... write your address in the comments section, please! Just to get you excited... this is a glimpse of the photo we are putting inside.

You will have to wait another week and a half for the rest of it!

Getting Out

2011-03-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

Eliza Lane has been sick from her 1 year vaccinations. I have taken a couple days off work cause it has been a little crazy. we are definitely stir-crazy. So, we took a suggested trip to the Monte L Bean museum. It was, as always, a blast!

Eliza Lane's party!

2011-03-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

The party was super fun! We got to see lots of friends and family! The Hansens, the Durrants, and even Grandma Hansen were there! The Austins, Apsleys, Bielerts, and Calls were there! It was a Saturday morning so we had yogurt and muffins. The Provo Beach Resort was of course the location... and we decided it was perfect for running around, and riding the carousel!

Party in Arizona

2011-03-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

Skyler had two interviews at the Arizona State University facility management department on Monday to become a full-time custodian. Though some may scoff at this type of job... it comes with free tuition, a convenient schedule for our family-- 4am-12:30pm, and benefits. Since we feel that we need to move to the area, we have been trying to think outside the box. Skyler and I decided to abandon Eliza Lane with Grandma Hansen instead of taking her with us. I am sure she was very very appreciative. We really appreciated Grandma Hansen's willingness because it made the trip a thousand times easier!!!! We left on Sunday afternoon around 11am. We arrived in Anthem, AZ that night late. We ate pizza, briefly visited, and went to bed. We woke up a little late, so we quickly got our driving directions and Skyler showered and ironed his shirt. I must say that we looked pretty cute when we left.

Then we hurried off to Tempe. Skyler got there 10 minutes early, so he changed his shirt before checking in at the reception desk. I sat outside and the whole building was dark because of a power outage. I was trying to figure out how to cover my class that day. My substitute wasn't able to do it, and I hadn't found someone who could. Finally, I called my program chair. He told me that if everything was posted on blackboard, he would make sure my students knew to just got to blackboard and do it. About 30 minutes later, Skyler arrived. He changed his shirt back to a t-shirt and we hit the road. I needed internet access. We stopped by the ASU institute building and they were nice enough to give us the access code for temporary use of their wireless internet. I typed and posted my lab activity quickly. Then we stopped by the American English and Culture Program also, on ASU campus. I dropped off a thank you note for Ms. Mary Chang, the program direct, because she has been incredibly helpful.

Next, we left ASU and went to Rio Salado community college, which is also in Tempe. We took a self-guided tour. I really liked the campus, and also like the idea of teaching Introduction to Linguistics online. Hopefully it works out. Then we hit up Mesa Community College. Skyler got his associates degree there and gave me a quick tour. Then I had an informal interview with Jeffrey Andelora, the English department chair. He basically told me that he didn't have a position for me this summer, but should for the fall semester. YEAH!! He said that it probably wouldn't be an ESL position, but would probably be English Composition.

The best part of the day followed; we went to the Mesa temple visitor's center and had time to just soak everything in and see how we were feeling. Despite the chaos of the day, everything felt incredibly good. That was definitely the most productive part of the trip. We are headed in the right direction. After the temple, we hit up one of Skyler's favorite Mexican food stops. We got an enchilada-style burrito, rice and beans, and a Mexican hotdog. They were delicious!

We didn't want to be late, so we headed back to ASU. We arrived in the parking lot, an hour early. Ten minutes later, Michelle from facilities management called to say they could see Skyler early. YEAH!! He ran in, changed his shirt, and had his second interview. He was done by 3pm, when his interview should have started.

Then we really hit the road back. We went through Phoenix via Grand Avenue. We thought it was a better idea to go through Vegas, St. George, and Cedar City since we would be driving through the night and might need a place to stop. We found a new CNG fueling station in Vegas. We stopped in Cedar City to sleep at Liz Bates' house. It was great to see her... but unfortunately her precious baby doesn't wake up at night... so we didn't meet little Sawyer! Then we woke up a few hours later and headed home.

We got home in time for Skyler to quickly change, pack up my mom's cradle, and get dropped off at work right on time. Then I drove up to South Jordan to pick up Eliza Lane. We got home around noon. I quickly got ready; picked Skyler up early from work to get to school early to cover Kelly's class. Then I taught my class... and then week has continued...

Tender mercies:

1. Skyler's interview getting moved up and already being in the parking lot to make it work.

2. Grandma Hansen being in town and watching Eliza Lane.

3. Having quiet time at the temple to ponder.

4. Liz Bates letting us crash... we were really exhausted!!

5. Skyler making it to work on time.

6. My lab being covered

7. ASU institute internet

8. It wasn't hot... actually it was raining part of the day!

9. well I could keep going...

Embarrassing moment:

About an hour into the trip, we stopped in Fillmore to fill up on CNG. There was a cute little blonde girl with her mom. She giggled when her mom turned the fan on to dry their hands. I almost burst into tears because I was so emotional about leaving Eliza Lane. Don't worry, I made it to the stall before I cried.

Fun moments:

I loved spending the driving time with Skyler. We were able to talk and talk. It wsa liberating to not have to worry about anyone but ourselves. So, we were able to relax, talk, laugh, and tease each other. It was like a really long extra fun date! It was also very reminiscent of our trip that we took when we decided to get married and met each other's families.

Overall:

I think we are moving to the great Phoenix area. It just feels so good. We prayed before we left that we would be guided by the spirit and know if what we are trying to do is right. The spirit was such a sweet blessing. We feel more calm about everything and know that it will work out... it would be nice to know how it will... but I guess we can practice patience.

The Big One!

2011-03-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

Eliza Lane's birthday was fun. We got pan dulce at Rancho market: churros and puerquitos. While eating them in the car, Eliza Lane sang "Popcorn Popping" with the actions and saying "pop pop pop". It was a proud moment as the ward nursery music leader! We went swimming at the Orem Fitness Center. Eliza Lane was definitely ready to call it a day after swimming. And we opened presents. She loves her baby crib, beads (everyone loved the beads!), and especially the baby's bottle!

It's my party...

2011-03-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

We rented out 1/2 of the flowrider at Provo Beach Resort. It was fun! Shan, Kelly, Travis, Sky, Eliza, Mel & Joseph accompanied me as we flipped, got washed up, and had a blast!

YEAH being 30!

P.S. to power up for the big party, we had feta cheese, tomato, hard-boiled egg, and toast! YUMMY!! I love Albanian breakfasts!

On the fifth day of my birthday,

2011-03-10T11:34:00.001-08:00

My parents gave to me, a "life-size" blue-eyed dolly

On the fourth day of my birthday...

2011-03-10T11:32:00.003-08:00

My parents gave to me... a brand-new black carseat!

On the third day of my birthday...

2011-03-07T18:08:00.001-08:00

My parents gave to me a tray with slices of strawberry!

On the second day of my birthday...

2011-03-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

The Sunflower lady gave to me, a balloon with a yellow string!

On the first day of my birthday...

2011-03-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

My parents gave to me... 1 pair of Dora Pajamees. (accent final syllable)

My best friend, Kaylee Bielert, now has the same pair. We are too cute! I can't wait to take a photo shoot together.

For those of you wondering... they are size 18 months. The bottoms are a little long, but everything fits!

Decluttering!

2011-03-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

We have been slowly sifting through our stuff for awhile. The idea of moving, however has spend the process up. It is quite liberating to have fewer things. I think that it is still a little painful to get rid of things... I am a packrat. But I really like the results! I was sitting in Eliza Lane's room and thinking, "WOW! it looks so much better in here!" It gave me a burst of energy to continue the process. It has seeped into other areas of our life... I just deleted 28 friends on facebook. I went from 808 to 780 and I only went through the A's and B's. I think the best result is that I actually see what I like because I am not surrounded by things that I am indifferent to. :)We are taking a car load of stuff to DI in the morning... YEAH!

I am 30!

2011-03-02T20:30:00.001-08:00

The morning started bright and early with tres leches cake that we bought at Rancho Market the night before.

It was DELICIOUS!!

Then we remembered the Fanta exotic in the fridge...

Things got a little crazy at that point!

When I got home from work, Eliza Lane and I had a fun picnic dinner which included: hot dogs and watching "Income Property" on HGTV.

At the end of the night, Skyler came home from class with THESE :)

It was a good day!!!

Eriola came to town...

2011-03-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

Jamie and I were excited for Eriola to come to town and tried our best to share her. Jamie picked her up in SLC and the following day we met up at Bajios and then went over to play at Provo Beach Resort. The kids loved playing around.

The next day, Eriola came to my class and then we went skiing up at Sundance that night! It was fun! Eriol and I tried to not constantly fall and Skyler patiently helped up every time we fell.

After we got home, we opened up our treats from Eriola: Milka & Kinder chocolate, Fanta exotic, Biskrem cookies, and my favorite wedding cookies. They were delicious.

The next morning we had a photo shoot with Eliza's new Albanian outfit.

Then I had to take Eriola to the airport. Visits are always too short... but always sweet!

Official Announcement

2011-02-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

Well, in case you didn't know. We will be moving to the Phoenix Arizona area this summer. Here are some answers to questions that you may have:

1. No we do not have jobs. We are currently looking and will start turning in applications in the next couple of weeks.

2. No we don't know where we will be living. We are going to find out where we get jobs and then determine our exact location.

3. We are going because we decided to pray and find out if there was somewhere that we needed to be after Skyler graduated. So, we prayed about it. And then the next day we both felt like we should be in AZ. After continuing to pray and fast... the answer was still clear.

4. We are not really excited about it yet. We never really thought we would be moving to that area. However, we think that we will enjoy being there. We will be near the Brickers, who we like a lot.

5. We don't know exactly when the move will happen. We are moving out of our apartment after Skyler graduates the end of April. Then we will probably stay up in South Jordan for 2 months and then move to AZ.

Vajza ime e vogel

2011-02-24T10:40:00.000-08:00

Eriola came to visit and brought someone an amazing present!

We didn't let Eliza Lane taste the Fanta exotic... but she knows something good when she sees it!

Nothing Better

2011-02-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

I don't think that anything is better, or more fun than a healthy, happy 11-month-old! Especially if she is cute!

ps... yes that is a shoe that she is cuddling with while she sleeps. and yes that is a braid in her hair. and yes she has had a significant haircut.

Is it me or does she look like a toddler?

The Bug

2011-02-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know. Eliza Lane has a bug... an ugly one. This is your official update.

Sunday afternoon Eliza was kind of clingy at nursery... but I thought that she just wanted to be like the other kids. Then after we got home we gave her a movie so that we could quickly get dinner ready. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she watched and she didn't even wimper. We knew something was wrong but didn't know for sure what it was. About half an hour later she had a high fever and then threw up. She wouldn't eat at that point and we finally got her to sleep when her motrin kicked in. Sunday night she didn't sleep well but didn't sleep horribly either.

Monday was a pretty rough day. She would cry if she didn't have a movie, and a parent holding her, and a cell phone to play with. We had never seen her this sick and miserable before. Around 1pm I called our pediatrician's office because even with the motrin, her fever was still 101. So we got the last appt at 4:45pm. I left class a little early and we went to the appointment. The doctor asked questions and everything seemed to point to teething... major drooling, not eating/drinking well, fever, her ears were "textbook" and "beautifully clear", she has some swollen gums on top, etc... But then he depressed her tongue and saw her throat. I am not kidding; he said, "Wow! Can you see all of those lesions?" He had the doctor in training come over and look because they were all over her throat. He then said that she had every right in the world to be grumpy because she was really hurting. He said that there wasn't really much we could do because it was a virus and that it was definitely going to get worse before it got better. I will admit it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear. He suggested a 1-2-3 method of drugs which wouldn't work because she can't have Benadryl... so then he said that the only thing he could do was prescribe lidocaine viscous, which is NOT for babies, and told us to only use it if we really needed it and she refused to drink anything. He told us to not worry about nutrition and feed her ice cream if she would eat it so that we could keep her out of hospital for dehydration. He told us to call if things got worse or if she wasn't having 4 wet diapers in 24 hours.

So we came home. I went to Wal-mart and picked up about $35 of sweet liquid stuff: pedialite, pediasure, popcicles, sherbert, etc. She took a couple of bites of pediasure with wheat in it. She drank a tiny bit and went to bed. That is when everything got worse... as predicted. She just stopped eating and drinking. So, we sent Shannon to pick up our prescription of lidocaine. About 25 min after the lidocaine she would drink about an ounce. The night wasn't absolutely horrible but it was long and poor Skyler took care of most of it.

Tuesday morning Eliza was perkier than before. Now that she was on Tylenol, motrin, and lidocaine, her fever was controlled. She would play by herself occasionally and wasn't quite so demanding. But she was definitely not wanting to swallow and all. By 1pm she had had 2 wet diapers since 8pm the night before. We weren't gonna make the 4. So, I called the pediatrician again and they said it was time to force fluids. So, I went to work and Skyler had to start forcing pedialyte down her throat with a syringe. It wasn't fun and if she did eat anything it was plain yogurt. At bedtime, we called to see if we needed to wake her every hour at night to force the fluids. We had had one more wet diaper (totalling 3 in 24 hours). The doctor said, give her 3-4 ounces before bed and then try to just fill her up when she has to take medicine anyway. I told Skyler and we both sort of laughed because 3-4 ounces is like 30 syringes of fluid. We gave her three but she was screaming and crying so much that she spit it all up. So we waited, gave her more lidocaine, waited and then put her down. After tons of praying, I was able to get her to drink 1 ounce and Skyler got her to drink 3 more.

She drank another 8 ounces during the night after we gave her medicine. By 6am, Eliza was not going to sleep anymore and Skyler let me go back to bed because I had a really bad sore throat... I wonder who I got it from! Around 10:30am our pediatrician called to check on her because he was worried that we might have to take her to the hospital. He gave me his cell number and said he thought things had settled down and we wouldn't need to take her in. So, she is down for a nap... I am going to take one too!

I know it isn't done because her lesions are still worse than Monday. Last night they had creeped up onto her soft palate. But we avoided the IV for now. YEAH! I will let you know how the next few days go later.

Morals:
1. Prayer and priesthood blessings work, even if it isn't in your time frame.
2. Don't shut off your emotions all day and then turn them back on as you arrive at work... your students will be bewildered as they watch her cry in front of them.

p.s. Eliza Lane is 20 lb 15 oz and not quite 11 months.

Valentines

2011-02-03T11:18:00.001-08:00

We might be giving out Valentines this year.

These are some possibilities. Which one do you like the best?

p.s. you might need to click on them to see them bigger in order to decide.

Oh Tirana!

2011-01-23T06:23:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, there was a huge anti-government protest in Tirana, Albania. Approximately 20,000 protestors want to move up the next election because of alleged corruption. The government and riot police violently responded to the protesters. Sali Berisha, the current prime minister has been urged by the US and EU to stop using provocative language. Three were killed and over 130 police and protestors were injured.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12253624

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/investigation-urged-albania-protest-2011-01-21

Also you can watch the video of one of the shooting victims http://shqiplajme.com/kush-jane-vrasesit-e-vertet-video/. The video has helpful commentary in Albanian, which many of you will not understand. However, there are helpful visuals like circles and numbers. So, just pay attention to what they have marked and you will get the gist of the idea. The video basically asks the question, "Who are the real killers?"

Keep Albania in your thoughts and prayers. I pray that they will find peace and freedom from corruption!

9 and a half months old

2010-12-31T06:28:00.000-08:00

So Eliza Lane had her check up yesterday morning. The consensus is that she is a healthy, tall, and skinny girl. She is 29 inches long which is 95%, 19 lbs 11 oz which is 50%, and her head is 44.2 which is 60%. And for all of those who were curious, her hemoglobin is 12.4.

Is seems that no matter how much mango and avocado Eliza eats... she just keeps running around. I hope her cute little rolls don't disappear too quickly!

ps. I remember when she had a big double chin that made it difficult to clean her neck and arm chubs that kind of overlapped over her wrists. Is my chubby baby gone forever?

Teething

2010-12-30T15:07:00.000-08:00

So in 20 days, Eliza Lane has cut 3 teeth and has one more on its way. Her bottom two middle ones are showing. Her top right middle just cut through and I believe her top left middle will be cutting soon. It hasn't been my favorite part of being a mom, but it seems to be a useful cause. I think the teething stress has made Eliza Lane more vulnerable to fever, diarrhea, and viruses. But hopefully her new teeth will be worth it!

It is official...

2010-12-17T21:28:00.000-08:00

I am now allergic to both cats and dogs... sad day. Does that mean I can't ever have a puppy? Skyler said I could have one in about 5 more years... but I don't think it is gonna work out now... oh well.

What it looks like around here...

2010-12-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

Eliza has had the flu all of this week... so we have been lounging around. Her hair is really growing out and she currently likes to smirk...

Also... it seems that two little white things are trying to push through her swollen gums...

And it is starting to look like winter... a little less in Provo, but still like winter. These pics are from the storm before "The Blizzard of 2010" in South Jordan.

Ellie's update

2010-12-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

So, our little neice Ellie Marie Hollingshead was diagnosed with crouzon syndrome which is a mutation on a gene on the 10th chromosome. With this mutation Ellie has or will have multiple health issues such as craniosynostosis (premature fusing of the sutures of the skull), eye problems, teeth problems and possible orthodontic surgeries in the future, possible seizures, possible spinal problems, etc. She is going to be having surgery on the 15th which will open up the skull and give the brain room to grow. The room that will be given on the 15th will be filled in two weeks because her brain will grow that fast. She will be in the hospital for about 5 days. After the surgery her head will be so swollen that her eyes will be swollen shut. Once she can open her eyes and eat properly she will go home.

Please keep Ellie, her parents Ryan & Whitni, and the doctors who will be performing the surgery in your thoughts and prayers!

Living on the Wild Side...

2010-12-02T13:41:00.001-08:00

So we decided to go napless today (which was me not being a control freak and rolling with the punches)... then Eliza Lane fell asleep in the car, so I had to carry her in her carseat through the parking lot, into the building, down the stairs, and down the hall to Kelly! She stayed asleep another 15 min and then watched Baby Einstein with Kelly while sucking on an apple. She loved it. Then on my way back to class, Amy convinced me to let her have Eliza while she waited for her tutoring appointment. She promised she would bring her back if her appointment came. Well... she lied... an appointment came and I found Eliza Lane on the computer table eating Gerber puffs. Doesn't she know that food isn't allowed by the computers?

So, we headed home and she was only moderately grumpy, but we decided to pick up Skyler during his lunch break and have him take my mom's van to work so that it will make dropping it off in South Jordan easier. So, AGAIN she fell asleep in the car. So, we came home and I took her out of the carseat and into her crib with her snowsuit still on. She lasted about 8 more minutes and woke up. So, after eating a little bit of mango oatmeal, she is back in her crib for a nap... hopefully. We will see because currently she is singing in her crib. Maybe if she has enough cat naps it will be almost as good as a real one.

So this is us living on the wild side! Aren't we crazy?

My prediction is that our cute baby is gonna fall asleep in the car on the way home from dropping off the car in South Jordan and then NOT sleep tonight.

Disclaimer: I don't mind it when Eliza Lane sleeps in the car... only when she wakes up and doesn't take a real nap. :)

Sidenote: Today was one of the days that I feel like a working mom. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. When I am frantically trying to get grading done and Eliza is playing in her exersaucer or when I am trying to read over my lesson plan while playing with her, I feel like a working mom. But often they seem like two very different things to me. But today as I had Eliza Lane on my hip as I went back and forth to the copy room in order to bring my students books, I really felt it. Then as I carried her in her carseat with my backpack and her diaper bag... I also felt it. :) I don't know how moms work fulltime; they are definitely hardcore!

Control Freak...

2010-12-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

I know it is BAD but sometimes I like to do things FOR other people... it seems faster, more efficient and more like MY way. It is oh so tempting as a mom... especially right now when Eliza Lane needs to go to sleep so that I can wake her up and take her to school... but she is probably gonna fall asleep 5 minutes before we leave... but I WANT her to learn on her own. I want her to learn on her own. I want her to learn how to do things on her own... right?

Flashback to becoming a mother

2010-11-25T03:50:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, I am trying to record my stages of becoming a mother. For more information... http://skylerrachel.blogspot.com/2010/04/something-to-laugh-about.html

I have documented breastfeeding so far and I was working my way backwards. So, I am going to skip recovery and move right into Part 3: Labor, Delivery, & Initial Recovery.

This is my account:
I remember when my niece Isabel was born; I was sitting in the hospital waiting room with my mom, and Diana’s mom and sister. They laughed because I said that as soon as I got to the hospital, I would ask for and get an epidural. I think that labor is one of those daunting fears that we all know about growing up. My best friend, Amanda’s grandma said that of course it heard because it was like crapping a pumpkin. That definitely added to the vividness of my fears. Though my sisters and sister-in-laws seemed to have positive birth experiences, I continued to have fear. My ultimate fear is that I would rip really bad. This could have been reinforced by friends that had really difficult recoveries due to tearing.

So with all of this anxious energy, I decided that I needed to determine what I wanted to do about my upcoming labor and delivery. I really debated because I was conflicted about getting an epidural and not getting an epidural. I hated the idea of being confined to the bed and not being able to move. It felt so restrictive and people I knew that had had both methods took longer to recover with an epidural. I was nervous about the headaches that you can get after an epidural, and also the needle. A part of me was also irritated that it seemed like everyone thought that I was a weirdo for considering not having an epidural. But to me, just because I could get an epidural, did not mean that I wanted one. I didn’t want it to be a given, it had to be a decision.

On the other side, I was really nervous about the pain. I had no idea how my labor would progress and I didn’t know how to prepare for such an unknown. As I looked into it, it seemed like everyone disagreed. Even my midwives, who I thought would encourage natural delivery, didn’t. Some seemed to like the idea, and others seemed to encourage getting an epidural. I read blogs, talked to people, prayed and finally decided that I would see how it went but that I would try to see how far I could go with out an epidural. I was hoping to go until I progressed til a 5. Then I could see how my labor was and decide if I wanted to go natural for the next baby. I felt good about the decision. I didn’t know what would happen, but was excited to try and see how it went.

After the holidays came and went, I was about 8 months pregnant; I had really abnormal Braxton hicks. I had had my first Braxton hicks really quite early. Well, early in relation to my family members, but my midwives informed me that it wasn’t that abnormal to have them throughout my pregnancy. So, I didn’t worry about it. But I did learn to go sit down when they came. I could avoid a lot of discomfort by relaxing because they would go away a lot quicker. When I went to my check up after my first Braxton hicks, the midwife, Sara suggested that I drink more water because dehydration can increase my Braxton hicks. I had been sick with the flu and decided to try relaxing and increasing my water. It really seemed to work. Once my flu was over, if I drank a lot of water, the Braxton hicks didn’t come back.

So, when I had Braxton hicks while lying in bed in the middle of the night, I was caught off guard. The first time they came, it came on quickly with a lot of pressure in my back which moved to the front and then started to constrict everywhere and didn’t seem to release at all. I think I went into shock because I didn’t know what to do and I started to hyperventilate because my breathing was so irregular. I had no idea how much time elapsed, but Skyler woke up concerned and didn’t know how to help me. But he started to breathe deeply and told me to breathe. Surprisingly it helped a lot. I didn’t know that I needed him to tell me to breath and model it… but I really did. It started to fade and we laid back down, while Skyler rubbed my back. Then it started again, this time we were a little more prepared but it was worse. I found myself just crying and trying to breathe because it hurt so bad and I didn’t know what to do. It felt like forever, but our best guess is that it really last about 3 min. It doesn’t sound long, but it really wore me out. After that, Sky rubbed my back and we went back to sleep. The next morning, I was really discouraged and called my sister, Emily who gave me some tips for dealing with the pressure. She told me that I needed to master my mind and use more positive self-talk. She was right.

The next night, I told Sky that we couldn’t say the word, “pain” so that I could improve my ability to control my thoughts. I practiced throughout the day when I had little Braxton hicks. I would have Skyler feel how hard my stomach got during and after them. It helped me feel a little more legit when he gave me verbal confirmation. So, that night, I was woken up again. It again started in my back, moved forward, then intensified everywhere. I timed it this time and the most intense potion lasted about 5 minutes. It didn’t seem to let up at all but just got more and more intense and then started to gradually go away. The first one was SO much better then before, it was longer but I was better prepared and so was Skyler. I hoped it was done but about 2 minutes later it happened again. But this one was much worse. I started to time it as it climaxed, I prepared myself for about 5 minutes and told myself, that I could do it just like the other one. As I continued to look at the phone as my timer, I felt somewhat validated and it distracted me but I had to stop looking after 5 minutes because it wasn’t stopping, releasing, or becoming less intense. I started to sputter because I was trying so hard to breathe and I couldn’t. Sky was rubbing my back and breathing with me. He was giving me words of encouragement. He previously requested that I use some sort of hand signal so that he had an idea of how it was going. So, a clenched fist meant it was getting more intense and a flat hand meant that it was starting to relax a little. The hand signals also worked much better. But with all of our preparation, I had a hard time keeping it together. After it started to relax, I realized it had been 15 minutes. My mom had said that I should be feeling breaks in a 5 minute contraction. This time, I tried really hard to feel a break, a release of some sort. There wasn’t one. It made me really nervous and I called the midwife on call. It was like 3 am, and she said that if they came regular, go to the hospital. They didn’t come regularly and we went back to bed.

The next day I went to the clinic and was really concerned because they didn’t feel like my other Braxton hicks and they weren’t “normal” contractions. The midwife there didn’t believe me about my contractions. She checked Eliza Lane’s heart rate, which of course was normal by that point. I was 37 weeks and I was hoping that all of that pain was helping me progress towards labor. But the midwife, Heather, said that they don’t normally check until 38 weeks. She said that if they were irregular that it was probably some intense Braxton hicks. I tried to explain that I had timed them and that they didn’t release and that I was concerned. After she thought about it for awhile, she decided that if it ever happened again, that I need to go started to the hospital so that they could check on Eliza Lane’s vitals and they could monitor what was really going on. So, that became the new plan. I hadn’t had my labor class at this point, and I was concerned that I might not ever have it.

After we came home, we continued to try to figure out what could be causing all of this fuss. We had asked Heather if she thought that maybe the decongestant that I was taking could be involved, she didn’t think so. I had had a bad cold, which was NOT abnormal for my pregnancy and decided to take a decongestant. The mild one didn’t seem to do much and we decided to take a stronger one. That one seemed to help a little bit more. But the nights that I had the horrible Braxton hicks were also the nights following a regimented dosage of strong decongestant. We thought that there was a connection, because decongestants can cause dehydration. I asked Heather, but she pinched my skin and said that I wasn’t dehydrated. But after we went home we decided to go completely off the decongestant. And the Braxton hicks didn’t come back.

I looked out the window and what did I see?

2010-11-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

So, this is Eliza Lane watching the window this morning. If you can tell she sort of lost interest. Why would that be? Well, cause there really wasn't anything different to see...

If you have a hard time telling which are before and after pictures, I will give you a hint. The fuzzy ones are from last night. The clear ones are from this morning. So, I have officially called it the "Unblizzard of 2010"! Skyler says he has seen a bigger blizzard at Dairy Queen! :)

The Blizzard of 2010

2010-11-23T18:39:00.000-08:00

That is today! I am not being dramatic (well a little bit)... that is what they are calling it! We have gotten tons text messages, emails, etc from BYU, the BYU police, UVU.. ya know. UVU and BYU and Utah County's Department of Health and just about everyone else closed up this afternoon early and won't be open tomorrow because...

A significant winter storm is working its way across northern Utah bringing snow and strong winds. Snow is starting to fall at the airport and visibility has already dropped below 1 mile. Expect snow and wind through tomorrow morning, with accumulations of 3-6 inches in the valleys, 6-12 in the benches, and up to 24 inches in the mountains. Once the blast goes through tonight, temperatures will plummet, with highs only in the teens tomorrow. Kevin Eubank, Live 5 Weather HD 5:21 PM 11.23.10

So we stocked up on formula, and veggies, and we are going to be hanging out INSIDE! We talked over where to park our car because my mom's van is in our garage... and then called everything good.

The saddest part is that I think I forgot my camera at my mom's house. I was sooo looking forward to before and after pictures... and I can't find it. So, I am trying to use Sky's phone's camera... but I don't know how well they are going to work... so stay tuned tomorrow!

The crib...

2010-11-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering, Eliza Lane loves loves loves her crib! If she isn't starving,she will just quietly play in her crib and before naps and bedtime she will just walk around, chew on the rail,play withthe window or blinds, or just look at books! She also "watches"the window like a TV.

Skyler and I think she likes it because she can pull herself up and feel in control and also she can sit down from standing and grab things, and it seems like she really enjoys squatting down, grabbing something and then jumping around with it.

Her new favorite is to drop things off the side. Gotta love gravity. It works everytime!

I can't believe Eliza Lane is 8 months and one day old

2010-11-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

It is kind of like you can round up to 1 year at this point... not that we would.

But I do think she is seeming a little bit older recently. This week I keep getting Brittany Spear's "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman" song in my head. (in case you were wondering: I actually looked up the lyrics because it has so much potential to be a really great and profound song... and it isn't.)

I think it keep coming in my head because Eliza is seeming less like a baby but not quite a toddler. But sometimes when she is jumping around and standing in her crib she seems almost like a little toddler.

She has been laying around on her back more these days and I think it is because she wears herself out sooo good by jumping and jumping and jumping.

Anyway, time flies.

Babysitting...

2010-11-12T15:39:00.001-08:00

So since I returned to work a lot of my students have asked who is taking care of my baby. Depending on where my students from, they have different reactions. Some were surprised that I had a baby half-way through March and started working 6 weeks later. Others don't seem so surprised. Some are surprised that my husband takes care of Eliza Lane as much as I do... and others are not.

Yesterday, I was tutoring a middle-aged student who was recently married and they are trying to figure out how to start their family and both go to school. I said, "Well it is tricky but you can do it!" He seemed encouraged.

Well, then TODAY happened and I was like... well maybe it is doable most days... but not today!

I stayed up late to work on a project, so Skyler put Eliza Lane to bed and then went to bed. I thought I would be able to "sleep-in" but Eliza woke up at 5am and was ready to be awake for the day. I changed her diaper, rocked and fed her, and put her back in. So she woke up. Then I rocked her again and put her to bed with me... and she started to blubber my arm and grab my face. So, I rocked her again and fed her again and put her back in. She finally went back to sleep but it was 6:45am.

So, by the time Skyler got home from work at 8:15am she was happily playing in her crib and waking up and I was trying to wake up... it didn't work. So, at 9:20am Skyler came in and asked when I wanted to go to work. He was incredibly polite because I was supposed to leave at 9:30am. So, we ran around got my breakfast lunch and dinner ready, grabbed Eliza's stuff and they dropped me off at work. Then he put her back to bed, woke her up, ran to school, dropped her off with Shannon and ran to class. Meanwhile at UVU I was tutoring, making copies for students from my textbooks and running to class. I got to class, and then I set up my class with their assignment. Everything seemed fine until I realized that one of my students had already left and I hadn't announced the homework, given handouts for the Tuesday meeting, etc... So, I ran upstairs, grabbed handouts, made a lot of announcements, realized that I had to change arrangments with students, and then leave class early to cover a shift at the tutoring lab.

I began tutoring again and I was supposed to have extra time to get my following class in order, but I feel bad when people need help, so I helped two extra people and then ran to my next class.

Meanwhile, Skyler has been trying to arrange his schedule around Eliza's need for naps, his class, his teacher consultation, and an job interview that he found out about his morning. It wasn't working and I was trying to help figure everything out inbetween my tutoring appointments. So, we talked about 20 times (not exaggerating) on the phone because I would have to get off when my next appointment showed up. So, Skyler was able to change his interview, postpone his consultation and Shannon ended up having to get Eliza dressed so that she could sleep a little bit longer and hopefully be happy during the interview.

So, I ran to class with a freshly printed lesson plan. But I was anxious to find out what happened with Skyler's interview. So, during my breaks or trips to the copy room, I would try to call him. It didn't really work. So, for some reason half my students do their assignment and I couldn't really do what I had palnned for half of the class... so I changed my lesson plan and well... that took a lot longer than I had expected... and then I tried to catch up... and that didn't happen. My short activity ended up confusing my students and so we never got to atleast 45 min of the lesson. So... my class was really not THAT effective and I am now totally behind. Oh well.

Meanwhile, Skyler has been putting Eliza down for her second nap so that they can pick me up so that we can babysit tonight. After class, one of my students papers was missing. No one could find it... well, I had accidently stapled it to another paper... uh... So, Skyler had already called me twice. I thought he might already be at UVU. So, I called him and grabbed my stuff. But he was really calling because Eliza was asleep and he didn't want to wake her up. So, I needed to grade or something. I decided to warm up my lunch and wait patiently.

To be honest, at this point my brain was not wanting to grade... so I decide to talk to Skyler and finish my lunch... at 4:30pm. Well, in the middle of talking to Skyler about his interview, my phone died... So, in order to have Skyler pick me up I had to find an available phone. I would have borrowed a student's cell but they were already in reading class. I would use a campus phone but Skyler's number is long distance... So, I borrowed a campus phone to call Shannon so that she could call Skyler and tell him that I would be waiting in LA 216 until he showed up. Then I realized that no one would have a way to relay information. So, I walked back to the campus phone to call Shannon to see if Skyler thought it would work. Then I went back to the computer lab, ate my bagel sandwich and started to write htis post. It is now 5:15pm they just showed up to pick me up and we need to get home, and babysit four extra kids. It is gonna be a fun night!

The moral: It really is doable! But when our schedule gets off... like going to bed late... I feel like I am playing catch up all day long!! :)

Sometimes I think I need more than 3 hours of babysitting a week. :)

Before it is too late!

2010-11-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

The afternoon started off innocently enough with a couple ponytails...
(Do you think this cute 6-9 month outfit is getting a little too small?)

But somehow two turned into seven ponytails!

Eliza really doesn't mind if she is able to watch one of her favorite movies...

Then I took four of them out and we headed outside!

The park was definitely a must do because it is getting cold a little quickly. We didn't know when we would get another chance!

Halloween week...

2010-11-06T11:59:00.001-07:00

Eliza Lane wasn't feeling good last weekend for Halloween. She had some sort of flu or something. And now I am trying to get over being sick...

Anyway, we didn't do trick or treating. But we decided to count going to Sundance as Eliza Lane being a polar bear.

... And last Friday the ESL program at UVU had a party. We went as an 80s family! Too bad we didn't get a group shot of our outfits...

Can you tell that Eliza Lane is only 2 months older than the little sleeping vampire bat?

Watch Out...

2010-10-31T18:59:00.001-07:00

One of these might be coming your way...

If you want to make sure it does... write your address as a comment to the post. :)

The New Frontier

2010-10-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

So... Eliza Lane has been "crawling" for less than a week... and I am definitely scared because her new goal is just to get "into" things, literally.

Skyler decided to join in on the fun!

She can be quite determined as you can see below.

Can you guess what she is reaching for in the video?

Sundance

2010-10-27T16:26:00.001-07:00

Skyler got to do a site visit to Sundance and meet with the big dogs there and learn about their theories on experience planning... so Eliza Lane and I tagged along...

With all of this snow, can you believe that it is October and not even Halloween yet?

After Skyler was done with class... we got special treats! A rootbeer float lollipop (so worth a dollar) and two caramels (so worth $0.33).

We walked around and took pictures.

Eliza Lane loved the snow!

Lunch...

2010-10-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

We really need to go grocery shopping. Eliza only has two jars of baby food and cereal...
We don't have vegetables except some left-over kale. We have no tomatoes, no tortillas, no bread, no bagels, no soymilk... well you get the picture... we have some older apples... and feta cheese... and spaghetti sauce, and chocolate ice cream... and frozen burritos...

Anyway, is feta cheese and chocolate ice cream a good lunch? It sounds so good and I don't really feel like "preparing" anything. :)

The madness is beginning...

2010-10-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Army crawling today... running tomorrow...

I want to see the temple...

2010-10-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

So, Skyler and Eliza Lane and I needed a break... so we went to the Provo temple.

We all felt rejuvenated after!

Her Daddy...

2010-10-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

Smiling...

Smirking...

I think that Eliza Lane is a daddy's girl. This could be because she squeals with excitement every time he comes home! Her eyes light up, she smiles, and she starts to jump up and down flailing her arms in the air. But another reason why I think she is a daddy's girl is because I think she looks more and more like him every day.

The new haircut

2010-10-18T14:52:00.001-07:00

Eliza Lane loves the Exersaucer that she is borrowing!

Also, the cute pajamas were $1.50 at Kid to Kid! :)

This is also your photo evidence that she does not have a mullett and that her bangs are almost long enough to be all pulled up!

The Fourth Haircut

2010-10-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

So, two nights ago, I broke down and trimmed Eliza's mullet for the fourth time. I tried to let it grow out for awhile this time but I just don't take it anymore. It really was an inch and a half longer than her other hair. She also had a patch of hair on the sides that was two inches long than the rest, so I trimmed that too. The back of her hair is growing a lot and their was a patch of that that was really unevenly longer, so I trimmed that too.

I can't wait until her hair catches up with her perpetual mullet! But in the meantime, she will have short but slightly even hair. :)

ps Every time I trim her mullett I remember how many red birthmarks she has right at her hairline. I tried to get a picture of them but she didn't cooperate. There are just clusters of little ones. So, there are three main birthmarks. Her lip, her hairline, and on the side of her left knee.

Catching up...

2010-10-11T06:55:00.001-07:00

So, I have been falling behind on things ever since I started my Master's program... It got worse when I started work on my thesis and even worse when I was falling in love, getting engaged, and trying to graduate. Needless to say, I am trying to catch up!

A long time ago, I decided to make all of my neices and nephews a blanket. Well, it worked really well when I lived at home because my mom basically did all of the adorable edging. The first time I did a whole blanket by myself was the twin comforter that I made for my Master's degree. (but to be totally honest, the bottom is not edged yet... so pathetic, right? but I totally forget it isn't hemmed until I use it and then forget again.)

I started to get behind on baby quilts in that crazy time about 2 1/2 years ago that I mentioned. During that time Emma, and Malia were born. Then Hawke was born, then Londyn was born, then Ellie was born, and now I am expecting another neice or nephew. So, I decided that it was only gonna get worse.

So, I did a Conference weekend project. I pulled out Emma's fabric and batting that I cut out years ago and basted them on my tile floor. Then I used my sewing machine to quilt it. Then I rolled up the edges and sewed it up. It took hours because I hadn't done baby quilt like this before. I have never tried to quilt on my sewing machine... it is really tricky because even with super thin batting it gets tricky to move it around. I broke two sewing machine needles. I created a lot of "birthmarks" as Skyler calls them. Which means that there are countless imperfections!!! But, I FINISHED!!!

Because of the baby wild animals, I decided to use a totally unpredictable and "wild" quilting pattern! ;) Well that is what I told myself when I couldn't make it look planned!

Moving Out

2010-10-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

Eliza Lane moved out of our room and out of the cradle a week ago. She seems to being enjoying the crib. It was Skyler's crib a long time ago...

It feels kind of weird to have our room back to ourselves... But I think we both like it!

Anticipation...

2010-10-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

So, I have my favorite outfits of Eliza Lane. She was lucky enough to get a lot of cute hand me downs! She also got some cute new outfits. Among those new outfits, I had a favorite. It is pink and orange striped and has adorable fuzzy pink flowers that have orange flower centers. There are two flowers on the front and one big flower in the bum. Oh it is sooo cute! I waited with anticipation for Eliza Lane to fit into it. As soon as she didn't look totally drowned in it, she wore it for the first time.

So, a couple days ago, I put it on her again and realized that it was now too small. The long sleeves were too short. The pants were high-waters. And the worst of all was that it pulled on the middle cause her torso was too long. The poor girl looked a little silly even though it was a 6 mos outfit and she is not yet 7 months... I was sad, so I kept her in the outfit all day anyway. It was a house day... so no one saw her.

It made me realize that I had already started waiting for the "next phase" in Eliza Lane's life and not quite ready to let go of it when the other "next phase" arrived. I guess I need to live more in the moment and not be so excited for what is coming or sad that something is past.

Recently...

2010-09-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Eliza Lane seems to get very excited by her newest accomplishment and just wants to do it all the time. That means that currently she just loves to stand. She of course can't do it on her own... but she just wants someone or something to help her. I have tried to put her in the play pen recently and she won't bend her knees... so funny! :)

About a week ago, she just would not go to sleep. She had been almost asleep but then she woke up silly and wouldn't settle down.

We went to Olive Garden to have our family anniversary celebration. It was hilarious to have Eliza Lane with us... it was far more interesting to have a grabby little girl.

We were evacuated when a gas pipe broke in our neighborhood. We ate at Diego's. We went to Smiths. We visited the Giauques. It was fun!

Eliza Lane borrowed my toothbrush and adored it.

Skyler's cousin got married in the Timpanogos temple. I stayed outside with Eliza and Skyler attended the sealing. We went to the reception together.

We didn't realize how cold it would be. So, I put Eliza Lane in all 5 onesies that we had on hand and then we swaddled her.

Ethan came over for a little while to play. He is definitely one of Eliza Lane's favorite people. When she won't smile at anyone, she frequently still smiles at Ethan!

Just a few of the latest happenings. If you can tell, our battery died for awhile, and we used the cell phone... :)

Eliza Lane is 6 months... well almost 6 1/2 months...

2010-09-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

We could have narrowed down the pics we posted... but we haven't decided which ones are our favorites... so... :)

Which ones are your favorite?

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2010-09-25T10:29:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that it has been 2 years tomorrow! Time flies when you are having fun...

Ellie Marie Hollingshead- our newest neice!

2010-09-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

Almost exactly 6 months after Eliza Lane, Ellie Marie was born: 7 lbs 5 oz.

Whitni, Skyler's sister, went into labor on Sunday and was admitted into the hospital that night. She went to a 6 and then got an epidural. Then she went all the way to pushing and pushed and pushed and pushed. By that point, she and the baby's heart rates were high, so they did an emergency C-section. Ellie had been sunny-side up, so she wasn't coming out.

Whitni is doing well and will probably go home tomorrow, Thursday afternoon. Ellie is in NICU and they are running some tests. Once she is able to eat more and hold her weight, she will be going home.

Please keep them in your prayers!

Fountain Green, UT

2010-09-09T15:21:00.002-07:00

To celebrate my dad's birthday early, we headed down to Fountain Green.

We also celebrated Canyon's birthday late!

Eliza Lane and Londyn enjoyed the outdoors. They are both getting so big!!! I think Eliza Lane is catching up on size!!

We had a picnic near the fresh spring, which was probably the highlight of the excursion!

Eliza Lane really enjoyed the spring because she loves water!!! I think she is gonna be a swimmer like her daddy!

Eliza Lane's Name

2010-09-02T05:11:00.000-07:00

Skyler and I decided on a boy name and a girl name about 7 or 8 months before we were ready to get pregnant. Skyler humored me because I really wanted to pick out names really early...

Anyway, we had lots of reasons for liking the name Eliza Lane:

1. I have always liked the name Eliza. It might have come from listening to the Great Mormon Women series as we traveled to and from UT and being impressed with Eliza R. Snow's courage. But I also like traditional names and it sounds very pretty to me. I decided this when I was a teenager and somehow fended off any Eliza's in my family for about 10 years after that decision. This was an accomplishment because Eliza Lane was grandchild number 15 on my side and both my sisters at one point liked the name. On Skyler's side, her cousin who will be born this month had Eliza on the list... but our Eliza had her name first.

2. During my mission, my first daughter (the missionary I trained) was Eliza Robinson (now Ruys). She of course knew everything that I was supposed to be teaching her... but let me think she was still learning. Liza was so warm that she could even melt Albanians, who have a very warm and affectionate culture. During our companionship, we worked hard, and loved hard. Everyone, including me, could feel her spirit and was inspired to be better than they were. I used to refer to her as my first born in the wilderness...

3. Another one of my companions was Elizabeth Lewis (now Bates). We were together for 2 weeks when we became a three-some and our world changed. We had two and a half areas, two and a half sets of investigators, two branches, and now were were training. One of us would take Motra Harrison to train her and the other would take a young woman from one of the branches to get more work done. I don't know how we did it. But somehow we survived. Liz is so good at taking things as they come and letting the less important things fall to the side. After our missions, we went back to Albania together on an internship to start up the LDS Employment Services. We had no manuals translated, and then were given a manual we weren't trained on... but somehow we got our job done. When I was uptight and frustrated, Liz would make me laugh.

4. Later, I worked in Relief Society Presidencies. I worked with some awesome girls. One of them was Elizabeth Harris. She is incredible at getting things done. As a Relief Society President, I couldn't even get everything done that I needed/wanted to get done... except that somehow Elizabeth made things happen that I couldn't. It was magical! Agendas were made, visits were done, reports were accurate, I ended up were I needed to be...

As a friend, she could listen to hours and hours of ridiculous thought processes and somehow set my thinking right. Once again, it was magic. I think it had a lot to do with her loving brutal honesty!

5. Family Name- There are a lot of Elizabeths on my dad's side of the family. As I was reviewing that family line, I was surprised at just how many Elizabeths there were on both my grandpa's and grandma's families. This includes my aunt, great grandma, great aunt, etc...

6. Another Elizabeth of note is of course John the Baptist's mother spoken of in the Bible.

7. The last influence on the name Eliza was me. My middle name is Elizabeth. Both of my sisters have little girls that have a shortened version of their name:

Malissa has Malia and Emily has Emma.

I liked the idea but Rachel doesn't have a cute shorter version... but Elizabeth does! So, it seemed like an even better idea!

So, those were definitely some positive Eliza associations!

On to Lane...

8. My mom's name, for those of you who don't know, is Rolayne Hansen. My mom has an incredible ability to organize and put things together. My mom can take anything and organize it into something magical. You have witnessed it if you attended our reception or have seen pictures. That is also why she is so good at her job as the Activities Director at a 4-tier retirement center. If any of you know anything about Cousin Camp, then you know a little about her creativity and organization. This is also where I got the party-planner side of my personality. Her mom was also a party-planner. Another one of her traits is her work-ethic. Boy, does she know how to work! She is able to shut out everything around her and really focus on what she is doing. Her focus and determination is one of the reasons that she was able to beat cancer twice and continues to sacrifice to work in the temple, which involves driving to the Bay Area and back! My mom used to be called Lanie when she was a girl and that is Eliza Lane's nickname now!

9. Another one of my mission and internship companions is Elaine Flake (now Hyatt). If you need to get a difficult job done, I hope you have someone like Elaine to work with. She knows how to get to work! We worked, and worked, and worked, and then worked some more. It was amazing!!! She wasn't afraid of anything and just jumped in and got dirty, whatever the job! We were companions twice and working with her my last month helped me feel like I was really finishing my mission with all my efforts! On our internship, we worked and worked and worked and then played a little bit. It was so satisfying to work along with someone who pushed me to do more than I thought I could, and realize that it was possible!

10. Skyler initially didn't like the name Lane for a girl because his cousin, Lane Bennion, is a boy. Lane is great artist. You should check out his work here.

I loved that Skyler and I found a name that we both loved and that has some many positive associations for Eliza as she grows up.

p.s. Do you think Eliza Lane looks like her mom and grandma?

Eliza Lane wants to be a cheerleader...

2010-09-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Right now she enjoys being a flyer...

but like her dad, mom, aunt Whitni, aunt Emily, and cousin Jordan... she will probably be a base or spotter... unless she stops growing and ends up as tiny as her aunt Chauncey.

I wonder if Skyler will still be doing this when she is 15 years old... :)

Beginning of School

2010-09-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

Better late than never... this is Skyler's 3rd day and my 5th day of school!!!

How does it feel to have the cutest baby in the ward, the perfect Gerber Baby?

2010-08-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

So, someone asked me that yesterday... just a month after that person had a baby. I thought that was kind of an awkward question around other people... but I hadn't seen her baby yet... so I didn't know what to say. So, I said, "Thanks."

But I hadn't looked at the Gerber baby in awhile and decided to take a look.

As you can see... there are a few features in common... but also some that aren't. Eliza Lane has much bigger cheeks... but their chins are about the same size. Their lips are pretty similar... but the noses aren't. Their hair is actually quite similar... but the Gerber baby's eyes are shaped a little differently. Anyway... kind of amusing!

Eliza Lane in AZ

2010-08-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

Eliza Lane got to sleep on her daddy's teenage mutant ninja turtle sheets and with mommy's travel pillow... she seemed to enjoy them...

It was nice to be out of the city congestion and take a break a little closer to nature.

We went to the outlets in Anthem for Skyler school shopping. Dockers was a hit! The Carter's outlet was pretty great too! Eliza Lane was wearing one of the outfits that they were selling... she should be a poster child! They had a splash zone in the center of the outlets and Eliza Lane really loved it! She loves water!

Eliza Lane was a good helper when Daddy was packing everything up! When we're helping we're happy... I think she was singing it in her head!

Being the only grandchild for a couple more weeks... and from the only family that lives out of state... Eliza Lane got A LOT of attention!

If you look closely, Eliza Lane's hair that is sticking straight up is crimped from being in a braid!!

3 for 3

2010-08-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

You might remember our previous post entitled 2 for 2 http://skylerrachel.blogspot.com/2008/11/2-for-2.html

in which we explained that we had had 2 family roadtrips, been pulled over at both, and received no tickets. Well... we have been on 4 more since then. And on our first family roadtrip with a baby... we were again pulled-over, Skyler smiled politely at the police officer and we did not get a ticket. He just has one of those faces!

Don't you think?

Two of J Skyler's Favorite Things

2010-08-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

1. Audiobooks:

2. Prevention Magazine:

Two of Rachel's Favorite Things

2010-08-22T16:35:00.001-07:00

1. Computers: I don't know what anyone did before computer! We have had a few glitches with computers recently, such as: the laptop dying and taking a few precious files with it, and the desktop beginning to die... but I love computers! They are amazing! Even old ones can save information, connect you to the internet, watch movies... etc! Basically they are AWESOME! And I am very excited that we just bought a new computer off Ebay for $140! It will save me from the current computer that I am using at this very moment, who likes to freeze up a lot! I hope it works... Skyler is going to set it up tonight... well maybe tomorrow!!!

2. Rocking chairs: I don't know how to be a mom without a rocking chair! The beautiful green one to the left has been with us for almost 2 years! I love it!! We made sure to have our crib set match because I wanted it to be the rocking chair in the nursery (that is not a picture of our nursery)... and it conveniently matches the bedspread that I made in college.

Part of the beauty of this chair is that it rocks and reclines! And it is a beautiful green!

When we set off to find the rocking chair that would be our wedding present from my Grandpa Mabey... we didn't know exactly what we wanted. I thought maybe solid wood... so we looked for a solid wood rocking chair that would work and last. We found one and ordered it. Well, it was on "backorder" for about 8 months. At this point, we decided that we needed something else. We looked and looked and decided that we wanted another rocker recliner. We wanted something that would work with the family room stuff that we have now and would adjust with our style. We decided on black leather. The first picture is the one that was accidently given to us by the warehouse. After setting it up in the room we realized it was the wrong one. The warehouse also realized about that time when the people who ordered that rocking chair came to pick it up. They had to drive to our house, pick up the wrong one, and deliver the right one...
We are happy to have it and it is so comfortable. The real charm of this one is that it coordinates with our sectional and that the arms are situated perfectly for holding Eliza Lane !

Two of Eliza Lane's Favorite Things

2010-08-22T15:37:00.001-07:00

1. Rachel Coleman: Wow! Eliza could watch Rachel Coleman for hours and not get bored! Her favorite video is the original VHS "My first signs"... and Rachel Coleman is wearing a red shirt. She will just sit and watch and smile and laugh with her! I think she thinks they are really best friends!

2. Water bottles: She decided that she LOVES to drink water! Well... only if it is not in her bottle. When we went on our trip she was pretty fussy on the way to Arizona and she really was playing with the water bottle and trying to suck on the lid. Well, I thought I would give her a sip of the water... well the sip went down the front of her and she begged for more. This continued over and over and she tried so hard to get more and more water out with her tongue even though that isn't how this kind of water bottle works... but she tried nonetheless. As soon as I took it away she just cried and cried and cried. Poor girl. I tried to give her the water in her bottle and she was really upset... it wasn't the same. Since then, she has even had water out of a glass with the same response... Love! I will say that she is getting much better at actually drinking sips of water instead of just letting it run down the front of her!

Anniversary Trip to Arizona :)

2010-08-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

Our 2-year anniversary is actually next month... but we had time off and took it early!!!

We ended up exploring Flagstaff and Sedona! It has been really fun and Eliza Lane has been lucky enough to be around for most of it... :)

Chauncey tumbling... Abby riding horses...

2010-08-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Lanie likes animals... especially dogs!

2010-08-18T16:58:00.000-07:00