Welcome to Oregon

Let me just preface this blog post by saying I have become very lazy with pulling out my camera.  So please bare with me as I give an account of our day to day life.

Emma had a pajama party for her friend Lily's birthday. The sweet joys of childhood.

The girls and I went to Logan to spend Wednesday with my parents and my mom treated us to dinner at Kneader's bakery....di-vine!

Whoopsie, left the water running a bit too long.  Lydia was tickled about it though.

Friday I went back to Logan to get mine and Emma's hair cut.  While I was there I planned an itinerary for my my Aunt Lee's upcoming Mexico trip.  I just LOVE planning things, even when I don't get to participate.

Ryan helped his friend Jed work on his massive garage all day.

We had the Litchfields over for Mexican Haystacks after church on Sunday.  Love those guys and love this recipe.

My niece Rachel turned 18 and we had a fun outing to SLC.  I just adore this girl and have loved being a part of her life.

Ryan and I had a date night to the dollar theater to see Harry Potter one last time before it leave the theaters forever.  I have just treasured this series and am so sad that it's over.

Annie came and spent the night and brought dress up clothes with her, the girls were in heaven!

Ryan caught a black widow outside our house....yikes stripes!

We put our house up for sale.  I think it's time for us to move on to something a little bit bigger than what Ogden has to offer.  Not sure what, but we'll just see if we get any bites.

While people have been viewing our house we like to go up into an undeveloped neighborhood and play hide and seek with our cars.  One of us will hide and the other car has to find them.  It's actually quite fun.

I taught my last Relief Society lesson on Sunday.  I've had this calling for a year and just loved it so much.  The women in my ward are incredible and I have learned so much from them.  This is my ideal calling and I was sad to see it go.

Last year I worked at Olive Garden during the Holidays and loved having the extra money.  I got my old job back and am looking forward to some extra cash for the Christmas season.

Emma has made the most out of the last of this nice fall weather.  She loves her bike and playing outside.

Sidewalk chalk, who knew it would be the best play date around?

We left for Oregon for a ten day adventure to visit the Bundys for Thanksgiving.  Looking forward to good food, games, and family.

Farewell to Fall

We have been enjoying more of our friends the Tippings.  We took advantage of their smoke grill and had the yummiest cabo tacos.  Then Ryan stayed to help Matt with their new entertainment center.

Emma has been loving riding her bike and going running at the track.  She may fall down all the time at home, but outdoors she is a great athlete.

I took my dear friend Carrie's family photos.  We just love this family.  Then we had Addi join us for a sleep over.  I love having kids the same age as my friend's.

My mom came and took a group of the grand kids to the dinosaur park.  This was Lydia's first time that she could remember and she was in heaven.  

I've been sending the girls outside to play every day so they can take advantage of this nice weather.  They play so good together and I love not having to worry about danger while they're outside.  We live in a little cul-de-sac that is perfect for kids.

Sunday we took the girls up North Fork to have foil dinners and enjoy the leaves.  It was so fun to play hide and seek and no bears are out tonight.  I just love the girl's ages right now.

I love clothes, I do.  I love good quality clothes, like baby gap and such.  However, I have no problem wearing second hand clothes, in fact I prefer it.  So a big thanks to my sister Stacey, my friend Amanda, and kid to kid and ebay.  They allow me to indulge but not splurge.  Everything Emma has on is secondhand, except the jean jacket, but I got a killer deal on it.

Emma plays with this little neighbor boy Tristan almost daily.  He's a funny kid who has become a regular around our place.  This photo was taken at his birthday party.

I was pleased to find good use for Emma's Halloween costume last year as I incorporated it into a decoration.

Honey crisp apples are my new all time favorite.  We dipped them in home made caramel, then white chocolate, and coated them with snicker doodle sugars.  They're the perfect treat to take to the neighbors.

 The girls played outside with sidewalk chalk literally ALL day long.  The best $1.97 I've ever spent.

Ryan and I attended the adult conference session to hear Matt Townsend speak.  He has his own show on KSL and did a fantastic job speaking on relationships.  It was a perfect date night activity.

We headed up to Logan to help my cousin Jake celebrate his 18th birthday.  Jake is such a great guy and it's heart warming to be around an 18 year old with such a bright future.

We played ultimate frisbee and then headed to my parent's for some gym games.  A perfect family day.

I volunteered in Emma's Kindergarten Party  and I just love seeing her in her element.

Halloween night was one of my favorite nights as a mother.  The weather was ideal, and our neighborhood and setting is just everything I hoped it would be for my girls.  I absolutely love the area that we live in.  Even more, I love letting my girls create such fond memories here.

Sunrise hike

These little girls are so funny.  I'm not even sure how this happened, but they figured out the best childhood memory ever.  This activity has kept them entertained for hours.  It's relatively safe, and it looks like a blast.  I'm rather jealous.

 The Litchfields took us to dinner at Five Guys in Ogden.  Ummmm, hello.  Why are those burgers so yummy?!  Loved the company and the food.

My mom came and spent the night with the girls so Ryan and I could have a date night.  We met up with the Tippings and hiked into Ogden Canyon a ways and then built a fire, had foil dinners, and great conversation.  This is one of my favorite date night activities.

The next day the girls and I took the train with Annie to the Gateway.  We had lunch on the train and then went and saw Born To Be Wild at the IMAX.  Soooo cute!

I picked my sister Stacey up from the airport and I loved having her to myself all day.  We went to multiple consignment shops and out to lunch at Zuppas.  Then that night we got together with my mom and sisters for dinner and a girl's night slumber party.  This rarely happens and is just so much fun when the stars align to make it possible.

While I was having a girls night, Ryan took his girls on a daddy daughter date.  They hiked up the mountains behind our house and had a fire and dinner.  Emma was loaded down with a pack that I would normally carry.  She is just the best outdoor adventure gal I know.

The sister's night continued into the next day when we all went to Witches Night Out.  My niece Rachel, who I adore, also joined us.  Witches Night Out just can't be beat!  One of my favorite Fall activities.

 Stacey and I posed with these random men who were there as well.  I don't know why on earth a man would attend, but at least these men got into it.

Okay, this day is my most favorite and cherished day since being a mother.  I woke Emma up at 5:30 to join me for a sunrise hike on Ben Lomond.  She is such a champ!  She kept a great pace and a positive attitude and really just soaked in the beauty and excitement of our adventure.  I'm so excited for this next chapter in my life where I can find a true friend in my children.

 All the adults we passed just couldn't get over what a trooper Emma is.  She could have kept hiking much farther, but I knew that what goes up, must come down, and so I made us turn back before she was ready.

 

 My little peacock and flamingo birdies were so good to let me take their photos.  I love having matching costumes and I know I won't be able to get away with it forever, so I'm enjoying it while I can.

We originally had a hard time with potty training Lydia.  She just didn't WANT to go on the potty.  We tried everything.  In the end it was the Phantom of the Opera that did the trick.  We told her she couldn't watch that movie again until she went on the potty.  Sure enough, next day she went.  She was so excited and said "Yeah!!  I get my barbie now!!  And the Phantom is so proud of me!!"  Go figure.  In the photo below, Lydia is wearing some of Emma's panties, that's why they are tied up with an elastic.  We have since bought Lydia her own, but they are still baggy since she is just a little minute.