the maglebys

a view

2012-02-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

last night i went to the church to help make a quilt that was being made for the Bishop and his family who are moving away to the Philippines. it is a tradition they do for all families who move out of the ward. after they gave us directions on how to cross-stitch our name onto the square, we got ready to leave. Martha, another American in the ward, was kind enough to drive me to and from the church since we don't have a car. before leaving the church she offered to give another girl named Sonya a ride to her home. she is 18, trying to learn English, and lives in one of the homes on the hilltops that I showed you in this post. she was so sweet, and asked me different questions as we were driving to her home (Martha being the translator between the two of us- she has lived here for a year and had a tutor and can speak Spanish pretty well). as we were driving up the hill i whipped out my camera because i wanted to get a shot of the amazing view of the city. sonya watched me do this, and then proceeded to tell me that the view from her home was amazing and that i should take a picture when we get there.

the area on the hill where she lives is much more "Chilean" than the area we live in. while the neighborhood we live in is littered with fancy gated houses, tree lined streets, and massive malls around the corner, this neighborhood is lined with small homes built with scrap metal and plywood, stray dogs running the streets, and kids and neighbors outside just hanging out with each other, playing games and visiting. there is a wonderful community vibe about that area despite it being known for not being as safe.

when we stopped to drop sonya off, i got out to take a picture from the street. sonya went on to tell me that she meant i should take the picture from inside her house and beckoned for us to follow her. she was so sweet and so kind. we went in her very humble home and walked to the back of it where there was a window. from there i got this most amazing view of the city captured below.

If you see the freeway in the top left corner, and go right to that big white tall apartment building, then go over one more to that brick red apartment building... that is where we live!

The homes just below Sonya's home...

To get to the entrance of the homes, you walk down these stone steps from the street to get to these little alleyways that take you by the front doors. There are more steps that lead down to other alleyways and more homes. It is really neat. I tried to capture what it looks like above, but it turned out pretty blurry, and I felt kind of weird and inappropriate snapping pictures at everything, but you get the idea.

as we drove down the hill to go home, we passed by some kids and adults playing calle on the courts. they are there every night, until very late. i love it.

people just hanging out. they are on summer break here right now, but regardless, being up and out late at night (even for young children) is a common thing around here. lunch is the main meal and then long naps are taken in the afternoon, followed by dinner which is eaten around 9- 9:30pm. you can only imagine when actual bedtime would be. they think it's funny that we put our kids to bed at 7- 7:30. go figure. i was told by a fellow american it's a nice thing though because when we want to go out to dinner at restaurant on the weekend at 6:30, they are empty and you won't ever have a wait. too bad we hardly ever eat out!

martha told me on our ride home that i was really lucky to have Sonya invite me into her home like that. apparently they aren't quick to invite gringos into their homes, and she said it took a very long time for a Chilean to feel comfortable inviting her into their home when she moved here. it made me smile and feel grateful that i was able to have that experience.

the people here are so beautiful. they are friendly, and humble, and grateful for what they have. they are quick to give even when they have very little. at least that has been my experience with them so far. seeing the way a lot of them live reminds me how spoiled rotten i am. i am given so much and have so much to be thankful for.

--------------

ps. the stray dog thing is no laughing matter. when we dropped her off there was a dog attacking a smaller dog and sonya told us to be careful walking because the bigger dog was "dangerous" and had attacked people before. she told us to walk slow and kept looking back at it as it was FOLLOWING RIGHT BEHIND US. my heart was beating so fast, and i kept thinking 'he can smell my fear and is going to bite me' and if you know me well, you know that i already have a small fear of dogs (even tiny innocent ones) so this was a frightening experience for me. thankfully we got to her place in one piece and she even walked us back to the car with a huge wooden stick she grabbed from her house to ward off any possible dog threats.

i climbed in that car so fast.

{you can laugh at me now}

my favorite thing

2012-01-31T05:29:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing about being here in Chile is that I get to be with these people everyday with very few distractions. Sometimes it's nice to be in a smaller home, in a country where you hardly know anybody. You pack the basics and leave a lot of the overload of who-knows-what-crapola boxed up at home. Life gets simpler and your days are filled with things that matter most. It's nice. Really nice.

And despite the fact that there have been some challenging things... like dealing with cranky children, and really hot weather (with no AC), and feeling like an idiot when my neighbor tries to talk to me in the hallway and i'm ALL ALONE without Steve's assistance... (yeah picture that image real good in your head right now)...

it's all good.

i have these peeps pictured above in my life and for that i am a really lucky woman.

the weekend

2012-01-30T06:17:00.000-08:00

we took it pretty easy this weekend. stuck close to home and did nothing too out of the ordinary as we're trying to get the kids adjusted here. we cleaned our apartment and did a lot of laundry. we played in the pool and made some yummy meals made complete with fresh bread and fruit. The cantaloupe here is the bomb-diggity.

We got dressed and went to church. Met some more people.

Made smoothies. This one being peach, blueberry, banana, strawberry (and ice, bioculture, spinach and carrot).

Went on a Sunday walk and took some pictures. I'll share some more in a separate post.

One of my favorites from that day

And there you have it. Hope your weekend was a good one!

five tidbits for your friday

2012-01-27T12:57:00.000-08:00

just a photo of my loves at the pool

1. Steve didn't try out yesterday. Long story short: our contact that is helping him get set up with these teams called and said the coach wants him to come next week instead of this week. A little frustrating... but trying to be patient. I'll keep you posted the more I know.

2. They sell these cookies all over Chile called Alfajores. They are a soft cookie with manjar (dulce de leche) in the middle. Then the cookie is usually covered in milk chocolate but you can get all varieties. I bought some today to try them out and they were pretty delicious. Steve said you can buy them in Provo at the store by the hospital called Many Lands (or something like that?), incase you wanted to know.

3. Jayne is starting to pick up on a couple Spanish words. We've been working on "gracias" and "por favor" and she is already getting pretty good at saying them without our help. Like today, when the concierge unlocked our building door for us, without skipping a beat she says "gracias!" all by herself. It is pretty cute.

4. I went to a Relief Society activity yesterday at the church. We had a lesson on eating healthy (all in Spanish... so yeah, I don't really know what was said but I could probably guess) and then we ate ice cream afterwards. It made me laugh a little inside, but I sure didn't complain! We also played a few fun games with some balloons. I met a couple other Americans, so it was nice having some people to talk to. Once again, I was reminded at how frustrating it is to not speak the language here. I hate that I have to segregate myself with other Americans, I wish I could just sit and talk to everyone comfortably. Any way, just me venting a little. I realize it's up to me to do something about it.

5. We've been itching to go and explore the city. Where we live is really beautiful, but it's not really 'typical' Chile. I figure if you're gonna live so far away in another country, then you've gotta really see the country you're living in while you're there, you know what I mean? We're gonna try and plan a day to go explore next week. I'm looking forward to it.

That is all. Have a great weekend!

transition

2012-01-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

I think this move of ours rocked these two a little more than we realized.

Since upon arriving here, Jayne has:

- asked for her "other home"

- asked for "grandma's house"

- says "I miss my home"

- says "I miss my room"

- got sad when she saw her room over videochat with my sister

- started crying when she saw her Grandma and Aunt Lauren over videochat.

- has had major meltdowns and tantrums every day over little silly things

Vinny has:

- become insanely more clingy and wants to be held by me all.day.long, no exaggeration

- cries and screams a lot more than he ever used to.

It is easy for me to forget that a move like this could affect them, even as young as they are. Jayne couldn't have been any more clear that she was having a hard time, and yet we still didn't see it. In fact, it didn't dawn on either one of us that their unusual behavior had anything to do with the move, until I had a good long chat with a close friend of mine the other day who finally clued me in (and who had been through it all just before me). I was explaining to her about all the things they'd been doing, and telling her that I thought maybe they were feeling cooped up in a tiny apartment, having come from a larger home. While that may be a small part of it, it was definitely not the bigger reason. My kids are adjusting to a big move, and it's taking a toll on them.

So, these next couple weeks are going to be concentrated on them and bringing some predictability and familiarity into their lives. We're going to focus more on schedule and routine so that they can trust their new home and start to feel more comfortable and happy here.

And to think we were about to start potty training today... what were we thinking?!

Any other tips and/or recommendations you might have with small children and big moves would be greatly appreciated. Send them our way!

-------------------------------------------------

P.S. Check out our sweet grocery store below...

wanna go grocery shopping with me?

2012-01-26T04:44:00.000-08:00

Like I've said before, little man loves the sunglasses

I thought it might be fun to show you guys where we grocery shop. Random, maybe, but we go there every day and the food is one thing that takes adjustment to when moving to a new country, so I figured I'd share.

When we were in Denmark, one of the biggest things I had to learn to adjust to was the grocery store. There, they are significantly smaller and for the most part, they only carry the basics. You won't go finding little things like semi-sweet chocolate chips, thai curry paste, or green enchilada sauce. They carry the usual staples you'd think of (with the exception of stuff to make sushi- they love their sushi), and then they only carry 1 (maybe two) brands of that item. Also, food there was outrageously expensive, so every shop at the grocery store was a little depressing. This was very different from the states where you can get an array of different brands for several different items, and you can find pretty much anything you need for a recipe at the grocery store.

In Chile, it's a whole other story. The grocery stores are huge! They have significantly more brands of one item than the states. For example, while you may have 1 or 2 large refrigerators full of a few brands of milk in the states, Chile has an entire aisle filled with various brands. While you may find a small section of butter in the dairy aisle, Chile has an entire aisle devoted to butter. Your grocery store might have 2 or 3 different brands of olive oil on one shelf in the baking section. Chile has an entire aisle shelved from top to bottom of, you guessed it, just olive oil. Various brands. Catch my drift? At first it can seem a little confusing. When we went for my first time and walked down the milk aisle I asked Steve "So... which one is the milk we would drink?" to which he says "All of it. Just pick one." It's almost a little overwhelming trying to decide from so many options of all the same thing.

At the same time though, you won't find the little things you might need in a recipe.... like baking soda (which I have yet to find). I'm sure they have something like it but I haven't figured that one out yet. That isn't to say the states trumps them all. I am sure people from other countries, who come to live in the states, fail to find items they typically use in their country. So it's just the way it is, and it's all good.

As far as pricing, Steve seems to think it's slightly more expensive then the US (but nothing like Denmark), but I feel like it's pretty closely the same.

My favorite part of the grocery store is the bread section. They bake the most amazing bread daily for customers. It is fresh, it is different, it is delicious. It goes without saying (but I'll say it any way) we've been eating a lot of bread since we've been here. They also carry packaged name brand bread as well.

The left side of the milk aisle.

The right side of the milk aisle. Yes, all milk comes in small cartons. Makes it much easier for storing, and fitting in your fridge when using.

Tons, and I mean TONS of produce.

MORE produce.

This is where you get your eggs. I think we are one of the few countries that refrigerate our eggs.

Oh yeah, even more, fresh produce. I love it!

That massive amount of yellow there, that would be your butter section... and it goes even further on the other side.

The yogurt aisle... from beginning to end. I will say, I love this too. I love me some good yogurt. They have this greek yogurt that comes with all different additions- coconut, papaya, mango, etc. I haven't seen it in the states but I'm curious if they sell it there. It is amazing.

Check out lanes. They have this place set up so you can't even leave without checking out your food. Well, I take that back, there is a small place at the far end where you could leave if you didn't buy anything, but it's guarded- not that we'd be sneaking anything out by any means, but just to show how it's different. Things here are much more protected. Denmark grocery stores were the same way. It's a tad annoying though because the lanes are SO narrow and close together that we can't fit our stroller through. So each time we go, one of us has to wheel the stroller to the opposite end while the other checks out, and then we meet at the exit. Not a big deal, but just how it is.

The entrance/exit to the store

Wasn't that fun?

Good Luck Steve!

2012-01-25T04:02:00.000-08:00

Steve, making me laugh out loud with this fake smile for the camera. It almost looks real!

Steve will have his first day training/trying out with a team here tomorrow. We are very excited and praying that they will like his ability and ask him to play for them. He's worked so hard for this! If he doesn't make the team, there is another team he will try out for, but it is farther away from where we live, and therefore, it is not as ideal. This one is just down the street so it's perfect. If he doesn't make any team, all will not be lost. Steve will help coach youth teams here which will be a lot of fun and give him the experience he needs for what he plans to do in the future. So we are hopeful, regardless of what happens.

Good luck babe! I know you'll do awesome!

gelato

2012-01-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

I like to stick with chocolate. So good. Carlos mooched off me the entire time.

Meet Carlos

and the mexican handlebar mustache.

Pink ice cream, forever and always

lots of good sharing...

for family home evening we went out for some delicious gelato. there are many places around here that serve gelato- a good thing and a bad thing. as in, good for my taste buds and bad for my self control. but it's just sooo good! i figure i can limit myself to the occasional family home evening treat.

and walking there and back evens it all out, i suppose.

Sunday

2012-01-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

This here is the LDS church building we will attend every Sunday for the next six months. Like you may have noticed, it is behind a gate, as almost everything is. It's not that it isn't safe, it's just a South American thing, Steve says. I had an interesting time trying to pay attention to an all Spanish speaking sacrament meeting. On the plus side, the members there are all very friendly, and there are a couple other American families in the ward, which means we might just have found ourselves some friends. Bonus!

It is crazy to see all the homes lining up the mountain top

The street our church is on

Most people here are Catholic.

On our way home we walked by a farmer's market. I couldn't believe how much produce there was being sold. We don't buy things on Sunday, as part of keeping the sabbath day holy, otherwise I would have been all over this.

They were selling handmade crafts as well

The pedestrian button we push every day to cross the street. "Espere luz verde"

Vinn passed out on the way home from church. What a cutie.

Here's a look at the barbed wire and electric fencing I was telling you about.

And a quick Sunday dress photo op

Jayne stuck stickers all over herself during church

This is kind of random but I thought I'd share. Since just before the new year, Steve and I started doing fruit/vegetable smoothies almost every day for lunch. It is the very best way to get fruits and vegetables in the body. And we have become quite addicted. We change them up every day with different fruits, but we try to stick a carrot and spinach in every time. The one above was our smoothie this afternoon- carrots, spinach, blackberries, blueberries, banana, water, ice, and strawberry activia bioculture juice.

It's fun to see how the colors vary depending on what you put in.

now it's time for a nap.

good night!

an evening outdoors

2012-01-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

we took the kids outside to play in the grass and get their energy out before bedtime since there isn't much room to run around in our apartment. the weather was absolutely perfect and everyone was in good spirits.

it was one of those "kairos moments"

have you read this article traveling around?

if not, you should, and then you'll know what i'm talking about.

i think she's pretty spot on with the whole motherhood thing, with a little bit of good humor too.

doctor, milkshakes, and a walk home.

2012-01-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

As it turns out, Jayne has mono and not strep. The first test they took (the swab) came back positive for strep so they put her on antibiotics assuming the blood test would say the same. But when the blood tests came back, it was negative. I guess the swab can sometimes be faulty and the blood is more accurate, so she no longer needed to be on antibiotics. Her blood test for mono came back positive which doesn't surprise me at all as it was what I had theorized from the very beginning. The only comforting thing is knowing that mono is actually better to get the younger you are and way less severe. In fact, most adults have had it and don't even know it. Although it may be another week or two until she's 100% healthy, she is already feeling much better and acting more like herself. After going over the blood tests with the doctor, he did a quick exam on Jayne to see how her throat looked and make sure she didn't have any swelling in her tummy. Jayne was hating it and especially dreaded opening her mouth for the doctor. We bribed her with milkshakes and it seemed to do the trick. True to our word, we headed over to Johnny Rockets after for some American milkshakes. Jayne was thrilled when her "pink" milkshake arrived. I always love a happy girl.

Vinny enjoyed sharing my chocolate milkshake while wearing Steve's sunglasses. Funny thing is he won't even try to take them off. He thinks he is so cool. Which he is, clearly.

I wanted to take a few pictures on our walk home to give you an idea of what we see every day. All of the homes in our neighborhood are guarded with high walls and sharp edges, or barbed wire, or even electric fences on the top of the walls. So you can't ever really get a good look at the homes here, with the exception of the roof (which are mainly terra cotta tile).

The sidewalks are lined with beautiful trees and sometimes flowers.

Daddy's girl, truly

this and that

2012-01-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

This here is Jayne passed out and sick on our bed the other day. You might be thinking 'poor thing! why won't they get her some clothes and some blankets and make her comfortable!' But what you don't know, is that she is on the verge of sweating because there is no AC (don't worry we purchased two fans, one for each bedroom that has made a world of a difference) and absolutely nothing was making her happy for a good hour until she found this position on our bed. She konked right out. Baby is doing much much better today. Thank goodness!

That right there is my vincent enjoying a sweet strawberry at dinnertime

'my precious...'

This was our dinner last night- cheese empanadas, or emapanas con queso. sooo goood.

This is Jayne before she was feeling better. Unhappy. No pictures, please.

That is our swimming pool!!!! We love it!

These are the beautiful grounds on which we live.

This is Jayne, today, feeling much more like herself (still a bit sick but much better than before). I caught her checking herself out in the mirror while eating her lunch.

There's a smile!

And a laugh! Yes, a laugh!

And the little one is finally eating again which is great because she was starting to look anorexic.

She ate two peanut butter sandwiches in one sitting. That's my girl!

we made it!

2012-01-17T16:36:00.000-08:00

me and vincent enjoying the view from our back patio on this hot sweaty day

we made it safe and sound to santiago early monday morning. it was a long travel, with a very sick baby in tow {jayne}. she hadn't been feeling so hot before we left, so we took her to a doctor before leaving (jayne's doctor was not available so we had to go to someone else..won't mention any names) to figure out what was wrong and she couldn't seem to figure it out {i could complain on this forever in a whole other post... but i'll spare you the vent sesh} and we left the country in hopes she'd get better on her own. sadly, she got drastically worse on the plane ride there, and we had to take her to a hospital that night in santiago. lets just say i was freaking out
a little. <------ thats a lie. i was freaking out a lot. where do we take her? is the care good enough? what if it's something really serious? will our insurance cover it? obviously i knew that she'd probably have to see someone at some point in the 6 months of living here, but i figured i'd have more time to research that out first. thankfully the clinic here took excellent care of her and took her blood to run some tests. she came back positive on strep and now we are waiting to see if she is positive on mono. apparently two year olds can get mono. who knew. poor thing is the sickest she's ever been which leaves us feeling a little bit helpless. she's on an antibiotic now and should be feeling better within the next couple of days.{major sigh of relief here}. we'll find out if she also has mono tomorrow. i have a feeling she does (because of her symptoms) but we'll see.

aside from our dilemma with our sick little girl, our first impression upon arriving here was a good one. chile is beautiful! in some ways it reminds me a lot of utah with its mountains, but it is also so different in a lot of ways and much more tropical then i had remembered (i came here in 2008 with steve and his soccer team). the climate is wonderful- warm in the day, cool at night, not too dry, not too humid. our first interactions have been with very friendly chileans. they are kind, offer to help, the first to say 'hola!', and we learned quickly that greetings are accompanied with a big hug and kisses to the cheek (love it). it drives me absolutely bonkers that i can't speak spanish since being here. it is frustrating to have to rely on steve to talk to anyone and i can't just do it on my own. it makes me feel insecure and it's just no fun and i don't like it (have i made myself clear?). so, with that said, my new year resolution is to learn spanish. wish me luck. it's going to happen, people.

although we are not living in the heart of the city, our apartment is in a really nice, gated, safe area about 15 minutes out and we really like it. it has beautiful grounds and a nice swimming pool (which will be great for the kids), and a little gym (when i feel motivated). we are close to a big mall and grocery store, and close to the church. although our apartment is small, it's cozy and has the basic necessities (with the exception of a working vacuum, and if you know me and my obsession with a clean home (not yours- just mine), this is one thing that will have to be remedied quickly).

we have spent the past couple days unpacking and getting settled, that is, when we aren't helping jayne feel comfortable. like i said, she is having a hard time. it breaks my heart and makes me sad that there isn't more i can do except wait for her to get better and do my best to console her.

we are excited to get to know this city better and to explore in and around the many places we have heard about from those of you who have been here (or know people that have). many thanks go out to those who have given us tips and advice. we really appreciate it and feel really lucky to have so many people looking out for us (family and strangers alike). we feel really lucky to have this opportunity and are excited for the experiences we will have here. like jayne says, "it's an adventure!"

before i tell you about our arrival to chile...

2012-01-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

... i want to give a little shout out to my just-turned-eleven-months-old, "vinny vinn" magleby (his most recent nickname.. of the many)

this little guy is the best thing ever. he is such a happy kid and loves to smile and laugh pretty much all day long. he is the squirmiest thing. he is very inquisitive and curious and loves to grab and touch and get into everything, climb up to stand on everything, army crawl all over the place... he is a true little boy with a whole lot of energy. he can be quite exhausting to take care of, but his cuteness sure makes up for it.

other things he loves:
- his doggy and blankey
- his sippy cup (thinks he is the bomb when he drinks from it)
- climbing up to stand on everything
- eating whenever he sees anyone else eating
- his grandpa (he gets really sad when his grandpa can't give him his sole attention 100% of the time)
- his uncle Javier (who helps him kick soccer balls- he loves it!)
- his bottles... as soon as he sees me making him one he starts freaking out
- reading books (he is much more into it than jayne was at his age)

he can:
- clap
- stand up (takes a couple steps and then falls.... right on the verge!)
- say "mama" and "dada" and lots of other babbling words
- loves to sing

and above all, that kid loves to DANCE! funny, but true. doesn't matter what music is playing, he will find the beat, and groove to it, without fail. pretty sure my sister-in-law kate has a sweet video of what i'm talking about. maybe she'll email it to me (you reading this kate?).

still can't believe he will be 1 in one month. insane in the membrane.

vinn- thanks for being such a sweet boy. we sure love you bud!

saying goodbye to friends

2012-01-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

Vinn is quite the doggy lover

We ventured up to Kaysville on Monday to say goodbye to my dear friend Shannon Day and her little girl Layla and little boy Rider. She is expecting baby number three any day now, and it kills me that I won't be here for when that little boy arrives. We enjoyed the late morning and early afternoon talking about her upcoming delivery, eating lunch, and just hanging out. It was exactly what I needed after a busy week prior of organizing and packing.

When we got there I was holding Vincent in the kitchen and he kept leaning over my shoulder jibber jabbering and being super wiggly like he wanted to see something. For a minute I could not figure out what he wanted until I spotted Kashi over by the window. He wanted to see the dog so badly. I set him up near the window and he was loving just checking him out. It was so cute. I told Shannon that he probably likes him from behind the window but wouldn't so much if he were any closer. We brought Kashi in to see how Vinny would react and to my surprise, he was loving him! He didn't even mind when Kashi would lick his face. It was pretty cute, and very different from Jayne's reaction to dogs (sheer agonizing fear... no exaggeration).

"Hey you."

How cute are these two together? Jayne and Layla had fun playing together in her room. These two get along so well and I love it.

I am going to miss this girl like crazy!

Hugs goodbye

Nice Jayne, nice.

---------------------------------------

On Thursday my friend Kim organized a little get together with our group of friends as a little farewell on my behalf. We met up at Provo Beach Resort for lunch, treats, and to let the little kids play and run around (and to ride the carousel of course).

Kim made the yummiest cookie dough cupcakes. I'm still thinking about them.

Kate brought cake bites. I will miss cake bites when we were in Chile, this I know.

Jayne and Ellie-- quite the little buds. I will miss having them get together.

Keri with Krugh and Jade.

Jessie-- who drove all 45 minutes from Nephi to be there-- with Avery (and Max).

It seriously meant so much to me that all of them took the time to come. It's usually hard to get all of us together at once since a couple have moved farther away and we all have varying schedules with kids and work, etc. It was such a treat to see all these girls (and their kids) one last time before I left. I love them so much!!! Thanks chicas!!!

Now back to packing. Have a great day!

pizzeria seven twelve

2012-01-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

We took an afternoon date to Pizzeria 712 yesterday, to not only eat our favorite pizza ever and get some time alone before we leave the country (and have no instant babysitters on hand), but to also see Steve's Aunt Holly who is apprenticing at the restaurant. In other words, she is our inside to all the delicious tricks and secrets to what makes that place so good. This place really does serve the best pizza, in my opinion. No offense to NYC or Denmark, but the top notch pizza restaurants we have tried (even legit Italian pizza in Denmark) still hold second to our Pizzeria 712 in little old Orem, Ut. Something about the dough and the simple yet fresh ingredients. Every time we go we are further convinced.

Very excited to go eat

(we had a few minutes to hang out in the car- and play with our camera- as we got there a little bit too early)

Mexican coke for me, green olives for Steve, and hummus to share.

Margherita for me. Uh-mazing.

Sopressata for Steve. Equally as delicious.

Snuck a picture of Holly working the oven

Dessert: Chocolate pudding

Even better with the cookie crumbled in

Holly working the dough. Isn't she a babe?

It was a great lunch date.

{and a special shout out and thank you to Holly.... she knows why!}

cabin fever

2012-01-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night after the BYU basketball game, we headed up to the cabin for a late night of games (Wits&Wagers and Dominion) with a few family and friends. I was so glad Juliet came. I love that girl. Not only is she beautiful but she is hilarious. I think we all had a little 'cabin fever,' as evidenced from a few of the following photos:

Am I really showing you this? Apparently so.

I'm pretty sure the BYU Cheerleaders' Head Coach will be giving us a call any day now.

A few more snipits from this evening:

- I ate my body weight in cookies, goldfish, and candy (it was fast Sunday the next day obv)

- I won Dominion three times in a row what! what!

- We stayed up until 1:30 am (I honestly can not remember the last time I have ever done this, aside from my insomnia days)... i'm such a party animal

pretty sure i'll regret posting these pictures in the morning.

goodnight!

sundance

2012-01-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

We went to dinner up at Sundance Foundry Grill on Friday to celebrate three birthdays this month: Eric, Mike, and Javier. It felt good to get all dressed up having been in scrubs that whole week whilst packing and cleaning and getting ready to leave the country. Steve and I got a new camera lens for Christmas from my parents so we (more like I) wanted to test it out. I could pretend like Steve begged me take these pictures of myself and I was all embarrassed and didn't want to but what the heck i'll just pose and smile!....... but lets get serious, I asked him to. I need proof for my kids that I am not always a scrub in sweats with no make up on every day. Any way, it was fun to pretend to be cool though for just a minute, not gonna lie, and I really do love this lens (Canon 50mm f/1.8).

One of few shots I could get of Steve. Surprised?

Its ok though cause he's got a nice toosh if I do say so myself.

My gnocchi- delish

Steve's filet minon- also delish

Wanna be our friends???

Twins with our stripes

Chocolate pot de creme. I need to learn to make this. Heaven on a spoon.

Max- the origami expert- getting a good look at the stars

Sundance is one of our very favorite spots and if you've never been, do yourself a favor and go there!

And don't forget to order the chocolate pot de creme.

last one i promise!

2012-01-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

here are the photos from our first day at disney world (remember when my stellar husband let me have a break?). we had a grand old time riding all the roller coasters we could manage to find. josephine and max went on their first roller coaster rides ever this day. their fear and tears (literally) turned into laughter quickly. now they love them as much as we do. it was a really fun day. (thanks javie and suzie for the photos!)

HARRY POTTER WORLD!!!

not the most flattering picture ever but i like how it shows the hogwarts express. they did a really great job with Harry Potter world.

and here are a few more beach pictures. this was the very first day at the beach.

Max getting a beach swirly. Shame on older brothers.

The boys braved the freezing water. In white shorts mind you. Lets just say there were a few PG-13 moments for some (not me! i averted the eyes at all times!).

gorgeous sunset

christmas eve & christmas day

2012-01-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

don't mind the cupcake bib... it's jayne's. he'd make a pretty cute little girl though eh?

Technically, we were in Florida over Christmas eve and Christmas, but we pretended it didn't happen until we got home for the sake of not having to pack all of our Christmas presents and bring them with us. So instead, we celebrated when we got home and it was great because it gave us something to look forward to after our vacation.

Kids in their Christmas PJs drinking their 'babas'

For "Christmas eve" we had a delicious dinner and then gathered in the family room for a Christmas message and 'meaningful gifts' from Steve's parents. Every year they give a new message along with a gift that represents the message given as a reminder. It is a really great tradition. This year the message was about striving to raise the bar spiritually in our lives, to remember that we are of royal decent as children of our Heavenly Father, and as we strive to improve ourselves spiritually, we will be stronger and more prepared in our battle against the adversary. The guys were given purple ties (purple signifying royalty) and the girls were given pretty necklaces that had a crown on them as well as "CTR" on the other side (Choose the Right).

After meaningful gifts, we went around and opened our not-so-secret santa gifts (we were each assigned a family member). Josephine had me, and she got me some sweet pink sparkly toms, a fun sequined top and a really pretty necklace. Score. Monette also got everyone Christmas PJs. We took some fun pictures and then called it a night.

Christmas morning began with Grandpa ringing the bells. You aren't supposed to get out of your bed until he comes around ringing the bells. Its a fun tradition. Surprisingly, Jayne was not awake yet when this was all going down so we had to wake her ourselves which is a rare occurrence. As a result she was a little bit out of it when we went down to check out all that Santa had to bring. I'll have to post the video of Jayne that morning when I get ahold of it.

Vinny loving his stocking stuffers

Jayne checking out some of the gifts under the tree

Jayne loved her ice cream play food

Javi and Suzie

Josephine

Jayne loved opening her presents. She would gasp in awe even before she saw what it was. Pretty funny.

Eric's sweet new beanie

We each take turns opening our gifts

Kate!

Some of the aftermath

More of the aftermath

Vinny loved this ball toy he got from Monette and Eric

Best buds

Jayne loved her Cinderella Dress from Santa

This kid was all smiles all day

Crazy hair

We had a fun little photo shoot later that afternoon. Cinderella doll made an appearance.

That night we took the kids to go see the lights at Thanksgiving Point. We were so glad they had them going on until New Years Eve so we could get to enjoy them.

This was Jayne the whole ride. Pointing out the lights in excitement. So fun.

Little man sat on my lap during the lights. I was amazed how perfectly still he sat as he looked out the window at the lights. It was so much fun!

florida vacation part 5 {the end}

2012-01-05T20:18:00.000-08:00

Jayne loving "her house"

We went to Sea Side (just a short drive from where we were staying) to check out the location where Truman Show was filmed. It is a cute little town, a lot of cutesy (somewhat tacky, in my opinion) colorful homes like the one we found above that Jayne boldly claimed as her very own (I wonder why...).

So we took a minute to pretend like it was ours.. I think Steve enjoyed it more then Jayne, no?

Yes.

Truman's home

More my style than the colorful homes

This is the other end of that home. I love the outdoor decks with the drapes. How pleasant it would be to eat a meal out there or read a good book with the ocean breeze. mmmm.

Jayne making her way up.

The town had a bunch of really great food vendors lined along the street. Although we didn't eat, it all looked pretty good.

The local post office. Adorable right?

Well folks, thats all I got for Florida pictures.

Did you enjoy? I hope so.

Next up, Christmas!

florida vacation part 4

2012-01-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

sick of florida yet?

these pictures were taken on a beautiful beach day. fun was had.

makes me look forward to warm days ahead {so very soon!}

jayne loved jumping in the hot tub (with her floaties of course)

--------------------

parts 2 and 3 below

florida vacation part 3

2012-01-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

Day two of Disney World was spent at Magic Kingdom. Jayne loved riding the carousel, the elephant ride, and the tea cups. We split from the older kids (they headed off to Hollywood Studios) and went on Its a Small World, had lunch, and then watched the afternoon parade with some ice cream cones. Jayne loved seeing the Princesses (more like star struck... she wouldn't say anything but was completely zoned out on them- so funny) and Mickey and Minnie Mouse. After the parade we headed over to Animal Kingdom to meet up with the rest of the clan.

Animal Kingdom was really cool. We were kind of bummed because the last Safari ride had left about five minutes before we arrived there (that would have been so cool to do), but riding the Expedition Everest roller coaster 3?? 4?? times made up for it. That ride was probably my favorite of them all.

We ended the night with a water ride. We all managed to get a little wet.

Jayne loved riding the "Sarah" ride (same dinosaur as Sarah in Land Before Time) and rode it countless times with different family members.

Grandma caved and bought Jayne a light up Minnie Mouse toy and a flashing necklace for Vinny. That's what Grandmas are for! :) Jayne enjoyed every minute of those two days.

We all had a great time!!!

florida vacation part 2

2012-01-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

We drove down to Orlando for a couple days to hit up Disney World. The last time I was there I was 18 years old and our family was going on the Disney Cruise but had one day beforehand to hit up the world renown theme park. I love Disney World. Its fun, friendly, magical, etc. But you wanna know what was NOT fun, NOT friendly, and NOT magical? The drive down there. Our babies were little terrors! Don't get me wrong, I realize it was not their fault that we woke them up at 3:45 to hit the road... but one would assume that naturally they'd go back to sleep in the car. This was not so. Whining, crying, screaming (and then repeat) was what ensued. I am embarrassed to say that I was on edge and very cranky by the time we got to Disney World. My point in telling you this is to share with you what my rockstar husband did for his wife's sanity that day. Knowing I was having a hard time, he took our children to Sea World so that I could ride my little heart out with the rest of his siblings at Universal Studios. I was child-free for almost a whole day! As much as I love and adore my kids, it was exactly what I needed!!!

Major bonus points for the husband.

With that said, these photos are from Steve's day at Sea World with his parents and Jayne & Vinny. They had a really great time, and by the end of the night I missed them so badly and couldn't wait to see them at the hotel.

The pictures pretty much speak for themselves... enjoy!

i sure love those guys!

florida vacation part 1

2012-01-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

*while it may appear we have a favorite child from the imbalance of pictures in this post, i assure you we love them both equally (for the most part, jk! jk!) and just let it be known that jayne no longer likes to take pictures. wonder how that happened. don't worry, i was able to sneak a few in without her realizing.

christmas vacation was spent with steve's family in florida. steve's parents rented a home in panama city, and we spent most days playing on the beach, swimming in the heated pool/hot tub, playing games at the house, enjoying meals together, and spending some quality time as a family. i am all for house rentals compared to a resort hotel. you get more quality time together, its more comfortable, and its generally a lot cheaper.

although the weather wasn't quite warm enough for jumping in the ocean (although that didn't stop mike and javier) or laying out on a towel, it was pleasant and comfortable, and much better than the chilly weather we left back home. it was so fun taking vinny to the beach for his first time. while jayne was timid (scratch that, more like terrified) of the ocean, vincent was all smiles and couldn't get enough of the site of the waves and the feel of the sand between his fingers and toes. he LOVED the beach. it was hysterical and completely adorable.

the house was just a short walk from the beach, so we tried to go down there each day. on this particular day it was slightly overcast which made for some great pictures. after our fun at the beach we went back to the pools and got ourselves cozy in the hot tub. i'm pretty sure we stayed in there for a good hour playing "i've never" before heading back inside for lunch. it was a good time.

pretending to throw me in the icy water. he would never. because i would take him down. obviously.

that's my girl!

------------------

posts of steve's birthday and new year's eve below!

steve turns 28

2012-01-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

we were in florida over steve's birthday. its a common occurrence for us to be anywhere but home over his birthday, so we made sure to make it special. we started the morning off right with breakfast in bed.

after a fun day spent outside, we went out to dinner at a yummy mexican spot. it was quite delicious, despite the fact it didn't have the same beef fajitas (steve's favorite) as Rio grande. Can't win em all. but the chips and guacamole were pretty amazing if i do say so myself.

this little boy is already learning how to smile for the camera. i love it!

you would mike, you would

the whole clan. again, notice the vinnster. is that not amazing or what?

family shot. please ignore my frizzy mess. it was humid!

vinny fell asleep drinking a bottle later that night in javi's arms. this kid never falls asleep in other people's arms. had to document.

of course, a "happy birthday" song and candles were in order.

blew them all out. his wish must come true!

as tradition, we went around and said why we love steve. he opened presents (comfy sweatpants from me, money from his family), and then per his request, we played games late into the night.

i'll speak for him and say he had a very successful birthday.

-------
i'm playing catch up, so don't miss my posts below.

happy new year!

2012-01-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

we started new year's eve off with the byu basketball game. we killed San Diego. it was an entertaining game and they had Tucanos for the complimentary lunch. can't beat that.

we headed up to alpine after the game for a fondue dinner, games, and counting down to the new year (babies did not stay up incase you were wondering).

shared a new year kiss (thanks to kate for capturing it- ha)

we had to wake up max for the count down.. not so sure how he felt about it

gorgeous!

steve trying out the poppers. we're cool, i swear.

i'm pretty sure max remembers none of this

love the glasses

i still have a lot of updating from the past... steve's birthday, our trip to florida, christmas... so expect an overload of posts here in the next couple days. just when you thought you were done with christmas, guess what, you thought wrong!!!

happy 2012!!

thank you 2011

2011-12-31T10:11:00.000-08:00

january

welcomed the new year with a kiss

february

sweet vincent was born

march

my birthday and jimmer fredette

april

vincent's blessing

and meeting my nephew and niece for the first time

may

tulip festival with the robbins

june

annual poppy field pictures

july

jayne turned two

august

deep creek lake with my family

september

lauren and chris's wedding

october

halloween and our trip to nyc

november

thanksgiving in maryland

december

steve's birthday and christmas

as well as our trip to florida with the maglebys

it has been a fantastic year.

i look forward to what 2012 will bring us,

and certainly hope it's more good things to come.

happy new year!

Steviepie

2011-12-21T11:18:00.000-08:00

it is my lover's birthday today.

he turned 28.

i love him because

he is good to me.

and he is super duper sexy.

happy birthday babe. i love you!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

In lieu of Christmas cards this year ~~because we were lame and just never got them out~~, we decided to send our holiday wishes to you through the blog.

May this holiday season bring peace, love, and happiness to you and your loved ones.

Merry Christmas!

Santa

2011-12-17T20:16:00.000-08:00

We took Jayne and Vinny to meet Santa Clause at Riverwoods. Jayne was so excited and even fell asleep for a nap that day in complete bribery. It was awesome. She chatted the whole way in the car about seeing him. She was all jittery as we waited in line. And then sure enough, she got completely nervous and clingy right when it was our turn. She did not want to even get close, but then Santa... oh that blessed Santa.. offered her a candy cane. Lets just say Jayne is going to have a hard time not taking candy from strangers. Worked like a charm. She plopped right down on his lap and gave a big ole grin for the camera. Thank you Santa!

This man is the real deal, guys. He proceeded to ask Jayne if her favorite toys were Princess Barbies (uh, hello, thats EXACTLY what we got her for Christmas!) and if her favorite princess was Cinderella (you got that SPOT ON St. Nick!!). I kid you not, this is the real Santa.

Love it

Afterwards we walked around Blickenstaff's toy store and then headed over to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for some hot chocolate

mmmmm yummy little boy

We can't go to Riverwoods without stopping by Provo Beach Resort for some 'pink' ice cream (this time it was peppermint instead of strawberry)

this little boy was quite the happy camper... (like i keep telling you, he's amazing)

Jayne + 'pink' icecream = heaven

Her exact words after doing this: "Mmm! So yummy!" (referring to her snot, not the ice cream)

The lights around Riverwoods are pretty magical. It was cold outside but zero wind so it wasn't all that bad walking around and checking them out. Kids loved it. We loved it. Success.

a real date and gingerbread houses

2011-12-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Steve and I went on a date. It had been a long time as many of you know. We celebrated our few hours of freedom from our children at the Original Pancake House in Salt Lake for brunch. I got the Chocolate Chip Pancakes and he got the Belgian Waffle with fruit and cream. My pancakes were amazing, and the few bites I was able to steal from the hubster were amazing too. Its hard picking off the menu at that place- everything sounds divine.

After brunch we went to the BYU vs. Utah game. It was a sad beginning but we won in the end and that's all that matters.

We picked up the kids from Crystal and Morgan (they were so awesome to babysit them for us) and headed up to Alpine for gingerbread house making. Jayne got to decorate her very own gingerbread house and she LOVED it!

Her gingerbread men that were suppose to reside outside the home... and that she ended up eating the arms off of. Woops.

Loads of candy

Working hard on the soon-to-be masterpiece

Jayne sneaking in as much candy as she can

Ta da! Isn't she beautiful? I can't take much credit. All I contributed to was the stone fireplace. So if you like that stone fireplace- the credit is MINE!!!

I think we should seriously consider putting our homes in a competition.

This talent needs to be used for something.

10 months

2011-12-15T08:37:00.000-08:00

loves to dance. clap. wave hi. laugh at his sister. tackle his sister. take baths (splashes from the second he's in to the second he's pulled out).

recently started saying 'mama' and 'dada' (prob by accident or coincidence but i don't care!). eating more real people food. army crawling all over the place (like a wounded soilder). got his first sickness.

is a serious mama's boy. happy little kid. sweet little boy.

we are more in love with him than ever.

Chile.

2011-12-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

our future home come january

so i know i have left many of you in the dark with steve's whereabouts the last month. there were a few reasons for that. one, i wasn't super excited about publicly announcing the absence of my husband while we were home alone (i get scared enough as it is at night... even with steve around). secondly, i wanted to know the surety of our plans before i declared them to you all.

so, as it turns out, we'll be moving to santiago chile come middle of january for steve to play soccer. we're basically doing the same thing we did in denmark, but now in south america! steve was in santiago training with a team (and finding us a place to live), is now home, and we'll return again all together in january for him to try out for a team- hopefully make a team- and continue playing until the Spring.

i'm really REALLY excited. i am not going to lie, a few months ago when we talked about doing this, i agreed a little half-heartedly. i kew it was an amazing opportunity that we needed to take, i was excited for our family to go on another adventure, for steve to live his dream, to meet people and learn things that will prepare him for some things he wants to do in the future, to be the supportive wife that i am.... yada yada yada. but i was slightly hesitant because i know the challenges that come with it. however, the more i think about going, and the closer it is coming, the more and more excited i am getting. i think living in denmark was a good learning experience for doing this again, and i do feel better prepared. this time will be a lot different too- we'll have warm weather, different food, things will be cheaper... its going to be awesome!!!

anyway, that's why i was a single mom for a few weeks. i'm sure many of you were convinced steve and i had marital issues and we decided to go our separate ways.... how foolish of you. if that were the case i would have obviously given HIM full custody of the kids and all their dirty diapers. DUH! but no, no, we are still very much together and in love........... for now. (Jk babe!!!)

Woot Woot! Chile here we come!

sweet moves for your monday

2011-12-12T09:41:00.001-08:00

this kid couldn't resist grooving to Frosty the Snowman. notice his adorable little "hi there" at second 21. cracks me up everytime.

cleaning machine

2011-12-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

this is me today. minus the enthusiasm.

we're back!

our old home is ready for a scrub down after being neglected the past 2+weeks we've been gone.

i'll have some more interesting posts here when my floors are shining.

have a nice day.

the rest of our shoot

2011-12-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

i thought elyse did an excellent job as photographer on thanksgiving day taking some photos of me and vincent. we took turns and i got some of her and the little man as well. vinny LOVES elyse. and she is so cute with him. she is going to make an excellent momma one day.

geeze.... when will i ever get enough of that face?!

{btw- i thought about editing off his scratches and drool, but then i thought

'you know what, that's what makes him a little boy!'}

chipotle and the festival of lights

2011-12-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

on thursday night we went to the festival of lights at the washington dc temple. we hit up chipotle on the way there for dinner. my dad and brothers are in love with this place.

inside the visitors center auditorium, they had a little program where a choir sang christmas songs, a few talks were given, the lighting of the trees took place, and then everyone joined in singing christmas carols. it was a great evening, and really enjoyable walking around the grounds checking out all the lights. it was a site to behold.

Jayne's face here cracks me up

One of my very favorite temples

i can always count on having a good time at home

2011-12-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

this comes as no surprise, but i love my family like crazy. being home is always the best and i'm always sad to leave and looking forward to the next opportunity to come back. i've been slacking on blogging because we've been busy enjoying time together. but here are some things we've been up to, or at least the things i have pictures of.

We hit up Shake Shack in DC. That place has become an obsession of mine. I love it.

We took the kids to see Santa Clause. It cost 20 bucks to take a picture. Lame! But Jayne and Vinny were surprisingly happy to sit on Santa's lap (Jayne was a bit shy and wouldn't look at his face), and they got a cute book from him. Success. We'll probably see him again (and take pictures this time) when we get back to Utah.

Remember Jayne's tongue obsession when she was little? Vinny has one too. He is usually always sticking it out just a tad like shown.

I love our many neighborhood walks

We try to squeeze in a hike to the falls everytime I come home.

We went to my Aunt Suzanne's for pizza, shakes, and dancing. She is the best hostess and even gave us all gifts for Christmas.

Adam's straw glasses

My Dad and Aunt Suzanne

Lauren and Chris teaching some of their dance moves

We had quality park days

Had a sweet campfire with hotdogs and marshmallows one pleasant evening (the weather has been awesome)

Went out to lunch

More walks around the neighborhood- showing off my latest purchase

Went to the Newseum in DC. Saw part of the Berlin wall, Pulitzer Prize Photograph winners, and the FBI exhibit/artifacts. Great museum- highly recommend.

Saw a 4D movie at the museum. SO wish I could have videotaped Jayne during the movie. She kept trying to grab the images. Hilarious!

This little boy LOVES riding Papa's shoulders.

Another lunch at Shake Shack

Visited dear friends from high school. Alison Feldman- love her to pieces. So much fun catching up with her. Also got to see my friend Kelli Cissel and her sweet family as well. I love catching up with old friends. Its the best.

Fun instagram photos of the kids...

Cafe Rio in Olney with the family

More fun included:

black friday mall shopping

movies and backtickles before bed

saw festival of lights at the temple (separate blog post for that one)

dinner at home with good conversation

lots of videochats with Daddy who we miss like CRAZY

... and i'm sure there is more that i'm simply forgetting

double stroller at last

2011-12-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

my kids ride all shined up

many of you know about my lengthy turmoil on deciding and buying a double stroller. there are so many options out there. so many pros and cons. SO EXPENSIVE. but after months and months of trying to figure out the best double stroller for my needs, and doing a lot of research and test driving, I decided on the indie bumbleride twin. deciding on a stroller was a big deal guys. these things are no joke. i take my stroller decisions very seriously. problem is, this stroller retailed for $730. you could buy an old car for that much. so, i resorted to craigslist in hopes of finding a semi-used one for sale. being busy with kids it was hard to keep track on craigslist, so steve being the stud of a husband that he is, tracked it daily and found this sweet baby in maryland right by my parents home. it is a 2010 model (no real difference between 2011) and mildly used. in fact, when we went to see it i was shocked how new it looked. the wheels were in perfect condition, the aluminum was clean and barely scratched. the only giveaway that it was a used stroller was the dirt and grime on the fabric. in fact, one of the seats was baaaadly covered in mold (seriously wish i took a before picture!). gross. i was a little worried about it but my sister assured me we'd be able to get it out with a power washer. i was a little skeptical, but trusting, and bought it.

the next morning we pulled out the power washer and power washed that bad boy. let me tell you something. i am a believer in the power of a power washer. that thing washed out every speck of mold and dirt possible. when all was said and done, i had a brand new looking stroller for...

$400!!!!

Bonus: it came with a raincover (normally another $50) and a few other little accessories

Isn't she beautiful? Seriously, I wish you could see this in person. I made all my family get there faces right up in the seats to smell and see how clean those were. I was kind of a freak about it.

Best part is, the kids love it. Jayne asks to get in and gets really excited to ride. Even Jordan requested riding in my "cool" stroller. The seats fully recline and the footrest can adjust up, which made for the perfectly comfortable positioning for Jayne to take a nap in at the mall later that day. Shazam!

I have my double stroller. I can rest in peace now.

... and i think bumbleride should compensate me for my sweet promotional post. just sayin'.

videos from the park

2011-11-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

We took lunch to the park. It was in the middle 60's, sunny, in other words- perfection. The kids loved playing at the park. Jayne found this sweet spinning thingamajiggy..... and totally bonked her head on it when Jordan tried to spin her. Funny thing is, she wanted to keep riding it. Thats my girl! But a combination of just getting bonked and it being naptime made for a serious crankypants though. Major meltdowns. Don't believe me? See for yourself...

We went home soon after that video for a much needed nap. Vinny had a blast though. That kid is such a stud!!!

And one last video- not from the park- but from our walk this morning. Jayne has a habit of twisting her hair as comfort when she is sleepy, tired, zoned out, or whatever. It gets in the worst knots ever and is such a pain to detangle. I usually try and catch her when she is doing it and she'll stop. This particular time she did not want to give it up.

My favorite part: "Don't touch ANYTHING!" That girl is such a sassypants. We're working on it...

Our Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T06:24:00.000-08:00

We started the morning off with a 2 1/2 mile walk around the neighborhood-- further justifying our face stuffing that evening. My parents have a little wagon that Jayne loved riding in, and Jordan obliged to push and pull her around in it for a good part of the walk, too. So cute.

I love these pictures. Don't you see some similarities?

You aren't a true American unless you play football on Thanksgiving.

This picture of my Dad cracks me up.

My cousins Andrew and Peter were quite competitive.

This picture of Elyse and Vinny is so sweet. She is so good with the babies.

This was the only picture I got of me with both kids that day. Jayne had just woken up and she did NOT want to take pictures. This one cracks me up though.

My mom, who slaved away in the kitchen the two days leading up to Thanksgiving, made the most incredible Thanksgiving feast. I loved every bite. And she decorated the table so beautifully. See for yourself.

My contribution: homemade rolls. Yum. But I will say my fond favorite is the layered jello in the top left corner. We fight over extras.

Of course Kevin tries to ruin a perfectly good picture....

A couple of our guests- Robbie and Ryan

This picture makes me laugh

The kids table- how cute is that?!

After dinner I tried to get Jayne to smile for some pictures. The little sassy one wanted nothing to do with them all day. Can you blame her though???

Maybe if I just don't look at my mom she'll go away....

Maybe If I pretend to be asleep..... (ha!)

Tay Tay always knows how to get her laughing

Videochat with Daddy

This year my sister Shannon put scriptures and quotes under everyone's plates that had to do with gratitude and Thanksgiving. Then we each read ours and said what we were thankful for this year. Then my Dad did the Thanksgiving trivia. He asks the same questions every year and we never get them right. Bad memories I suppose. Runs in the family.

We sure missed the siblings (and their spouses and kids) that couldn't make it this year.

But all in all it was a fabulous Thanksgiving!

happy thanksgiving

2011-11-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

me & vinn just before thanksgiving dinner (jayne was asleep)

i have so much to be thankful for.

but my heart is especially full and thankful this year for (in no particular order):

- my husband and two beautiful children

- a loving Heavenly Father

- my faith in Jesus Christ and the Gospel

- a healthy and strong body

- extended family and friends who care so much about us

i am really thankful for where i am in my life right now. not that my life is perfect (because it's not), but i am grateful for the challenges and the blessings that have helped shape me and my family. i am at a good place in life with good loving people all around me. i am so thankful for that.

happy thanksgiving.

sunday dress

2011-11-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

home for thanksgiving

2011-11-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

we flew home to maryland this weekend to be with my family for thanksgiving. it is so weird not having everybody this year. jayson is on his mission. crystal and morgan and sav will be in utah. bryson and jen and their kids will be in new york. they're so lame. just kidding. i guess thats only normal though with a large family- eventually its not going to work for every single person to get together on the holidays. sad. regardless, its great to be home, even with the small numbers here. shannon and her kids show up today which will be awesome because jayne will finally have a buddy to hang out with. elyse and ryan and adam have been great entertainers but they are currently at school, and vinny can only entertain her for so long, you know what i mean? the picture above is jayne at the airport. she is huge. its nuts. the babies did fairly well on the airplane (don't worry, we still succeeded in getting some 'looks') but i still don't know how i would have done it without lauren and chris's help. you're probably wondering, 'well where was steve?' oh so little do you know.... muwahahaha. more details on that later.

now below is last night during bedtime...

how freaking cute is the vincester?

hope you are having a swell monday.

9 months!!!

2011-11-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

vinn turned 9 months on the 15th. i can't believe he is 9 months old. i'm pretty sure i say that every month, but whatever, it stands true- i am shocked and slightly appalled at how fast my babies are growing up. with that said, here is an oober cute video of my little vincent doing his latest thing- spinning in circles. he is so close to crawling. in fact, tonight he was inching his way around by pushing on his toes (legs straight). so funny.

i sure love this kid like crazy.

{thanks shan for taking this sweet video}

Wednesday

2011-11-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

snipits from this morning.

4:00 am. Vinny cries. and cries.

I give him a bottle and change his diaper. He goes back to sleep. I can't fall asleep.

4:45 am. Jayne cries. Asks for mom.

I snuggle her for a minute and put her back to sleep.

5:00 am. All asleep. Finally.

6:50 am. Vinny awake. He can't possibly be awake. No! Lie in bed and ignore him for a bit. Pointless because I'm not even sleeping.

7:30 am. Get Vinny out of crib. And Jayne too because Vinny woke her up. Change diapers.

8:00 am. Breakfast. Its all a blur. Screaming contest between the kids ensues. I have a headache.

8:15-9:00 am. Jayne keeps bothering Vinn. I'm about to lose it.

9:15 am. Jayne has a poopy diaper. Refuses to let me change it.

10:00 am. Jayne poops again in already poopy diaper. (How do I know this? Three things: Red face, clenched body, grunting noises).

10:10 am. I am still in my PJs. I am so tired.

What are the chances of me getting a nap this morning?

Don't answer that.

Happy hump day.

good times at "school"

2011-11-15T07:04:00.000-08:00

this was probably one of our very last days at the playground (or "my school" as jayne likes to call it) this season. it was sunny out, but freezing, and by the very end jayne was asking for "buttons" (mittens) because her hands were so cold. that says a lot from a girl who typically refuses to wear any kind of warm clothing when its cold outside (jackets, sweaters, etc.). as always, i took a bajillion photos. enjoy.

Vinn absolutely loves the swing

a forced smile, ha!

"no pictures!"

Our friend Atticus, from our ward was at the park too. He kept wanting to be in the pictures, it was SO funny. So we had him join in. Jayne did not want to take ANY, and just wanted to "go home", hence the pout.

Cute boy that Atticus

"for reals, mom? you've taken like 500 of us already"

"is she kidding us Vinn?"

They started running circles around Vinny and he was loving it.

I can't get enough of this little man. He still needs to grow into that winter coat!

ahhh the playground. you will be missed. hopefully we can squeeze in a few more days. crossed fingers.

I title this...

2011-11-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

...Bottle Buds.

When did you drop your baby's bottle?

Jayne may very well be bringing hers to preschool next year.

a video and a favor

2011-11-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

i know halloween is long over,

but i just had to post this video my sister crystal took of jayne trick-or-treating.

i love it.

--------------------------

also!

i have a favor to ask. my sister-in-law is in need of people to take this survey for a class. if you have 10 minutes to spare, would you mind? thanks!

click here.

See you in two years

2011-11-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

Elder Richards is officially on a 24 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as of yesterday. He'll be serving in the Singapore Mission, and speaking Malay (and probably Chinese as well). Before he crossed over to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) borders, we made sure to fill in some quality sibling time, and lots of FOOD!

For dinner the night before, we went to the new restaurant on University and 400N called Banana Leaf. It is an authentic Singapore restaurant, so it only seemed appropriate. The food was big, as in big portions, and the flavors and seasonings were so new to my palate and really good. It reminds me a lot of Thai food, not because they taste the same (because they don't), but because its one of those foods you need to eat a few times to get accustomed to and then really love. The chef was kind and came to our table to talk to Jayson about Singapore and what it is like. Did you know it is the cleanest country in the entire world? People are imprisoned (or beaten) for littering. Yikes. I kept reminding Jayson to never EVER litter right before I dropped him off....ha! I am sure they will drill it into his head in the MTC, but I was just a little bit paranoid!

My meal... look at all that food!

Steve's meal

Poor Morgan, his wife is still in MD!

For breakfast the next morning, we hit up none other then Magleby's fresh for their famous all you can eat french toast and buttermilk syrup with a side of whipped cream and strawberries. YUM.

This girl was only interested in one thing- the whipped cream.

For lunch we hit up Diegos (one of Jayson's favorite restaurants) on 300 N in Provo. It was really good and surprisingly cheap. If you like Mexican food, I highly recommend. Wish I had gotten some pictures.

At the MTC you can no longer park and take pictures in front of the building. Rather, you park across the street, take pictures in the parking lot, and then drive the missionary to the MTC drop off stations. They literally get out of the car and thats it. Goodbye Elder Richards.

Not sure whats going on here...

Our last moments with our little bro

Lauren fighting back the tears... ha!

Jayson had no fear going into the MTC. Right before we dropped him off he said he was a little bit nervous but more an 'excited kind of nervous.' He had no hesitations, just got out of the car and headed off. I don't know if its because he has NO IDEA the challenges he's about to face, or if he's just really prepared and ready, but I'm sure its probably a bit of both ;)

He is going to do awesome, I just know it.

But, will you pray he never EVER litters? Thanks.

Can't wait to see him in two years!

a quick trip home

2011-11-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

I went home to Maryland for a quick trip last weekend. I left Friday and came home Monday morning. My Dad flew out all the siblings to attend my little brother Jayson's missionary farewell (he is going to the Singapore Mission). It was so great to all be home together. We had a big family breakfast Saturday morning, went to dinner at Clyde's Saturday night, went to church Sunday morning, and then had a delicious Sunday dinner at home in honor of Jayson. Jayson gave a wonderful farewell talk/testimony on Sunday. One of the biggest surprises of the weekend though was sitting in Sacrament meeting and witnessing not only the Bishop of our ward back home getting released, but the calling of my dad as Bishop of the ward! We use to tease him of this calling as a possibility in the near future since he was in the Bishopric for the last six years, but we had no idea that it was happening that weekend or that he had actually been called. So, it was definitely a funny surprise as we were all sitting there in astonishment. It was another reason (unbeknownst to us all) why he flew us all out as he wanted us all there to support him. We were so glad we could be there. It was such a special Sunday. I know Jayson will make an awesome missionary and my dad an amazing Bishop.

babies chowing on pancakes and bacon in their food feeder (btw those things are amazing)

Mr. Daniel flew out with his Dad too

Mi madre y padre

Lil cuties

Missionary on the right

Get a real natural look at us morning beauties

Adam is becoming a man! weird!

Sunday we went for a walk in the neighborhood

(well, we missed most of it as we were both taking a much needed nap, but we caught the tail end of it... as they were walking back in the driveway- ha)

Vinn loves his Papa. Its pretty cute.

Would have been the perfect picture had Lauren not crept her way in..... jk!

Shannon and her little man

Tried to get a sister pic on Saturday. Sun was a little harsh. Oh well.

My sisters are babes.

Trying to get a 'modeling shot' with the sweet car in our driveway (not ours)... we're dorks, i realize this.

ow!ow!

i know chris is gonna pull this one off the blog no doubt.

can't wait to see them all again in just a couple of weeks!

and a special thanks to steve who stayed with jayne in utah so i could be home for this!

i've got a crush.

2011-11-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

i have a serious crush on this little man. i fall in love with him more and more every day when i see that face with those impossible-to-decline chubby cheeks and that adorable one-toothed grin. not to mention those big melt-your-heart hazel eyes. i could eat him alive!!! i am downright obsessed and i don't care who knows it.

on many occasions i find myself humming this tune to him. it has inevitably become 'our song.'

even his sad face is the cutest thing ever.

Our Halloween

2011-11-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

We costumed early (for Jayne any way). Jayne wore Max's hand-me-down Zebra costume. Does it look familiar? It should, because this little guy wore it too. She had a series of outfits to choose from, and this was her very own choice. I love it. We met up with Kim and Ellie at Provo Beach Resort that morning to ride the carousel (one of Jayne's very favorite things to do). She was in heaven riding the 'pink horsey', running around to see the different games, and then getting 'pink ice cream' (before lunch mind you... lucky girl).

waiting for Ellie so they can ride

Miss Ellie as a cupcake! So cute.

Love these two

'pink' ice cream, jayne's favorite as of late (strawberry)

The little man in his monster socks (from grandma) and halloweenesque shirt for the day (h&m, love it)

All ready for trick-or-treating!

Grandma glammed her up with the glow stick and bracelets

Quick lick of the boogers and we're ready to go

The Gilliams joined us

And so did Lauren & Chris (dressed as Mario and Pink Peach- hilarious). Lauren (steve's sister) was with us too- and Jayne's personal carrier in between houses.

zoned out with her glow stick

I need to mention how insanely adorable Jayne was all evening long for my own personal memory's sake. She was a pro at trick-or-treating. She had a whole system. She would march right up to the door. As soon as they'd open the door, she'd say "trick or treat! and then would turn around and set down her bucket of candy, walk up, grab a candy and wait to see if they said she could take another. If they did, she'd grab as many as her grubby little hands would let her and then she'd throw them in her bucket, say "thank you" and "happy halloween" (with my direction), and then ask Lauren to carry her to the "next house!" My favorite was when we got to the fourth or fifth house and when they opened the door and I said "ok jayne.. what do you say?" she goes "(pause) happy treat!" All the phrases we kept telling her to say clearly got her a little mixed up. Too funny. Needless to say, Jayne LOVED trick-or-treating and we LOVED watching her do it.

This girl was so happy the entire time- she loved it!

Crystal was good to dress up- the rest of us were super lame!

Jayne doing her thing

Me and my little tiger

Sister shot

Love her peaking out over her blanket!

Monette had the house eerily lit with candles. It looked awesome.

Mike & Laur and the babies (they need some of their own!;)

Love that little kitty cat

Vinny munchin away on a wrapper

Jayne going to town on her candy

Crystal and I gave Sav and Vinn ring pops to replace their binkies. We were cracking up when they started sucking on them in their mouths and were going nuts over them.

Check out that blue mouth!

This last picture pretty much sums up this little girl's life.

She has it all, and everyone wrapped around her little finger.

It was a great Halloween and I'm glad I finally got around to blogging about it. Already looking forward to next year. Maybe I'll plan ahead and figure out a family ensemble.... maybe.

cow hat and rain boots

2011-11-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

i'm obsessed.

{cow hat from a nyc street vendor, rainboots from target}