tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7286277181142577022024-02-19T00:16:52.146-08:00Cara and SteveCara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-11304413218977759582013-11-20T10:58:00.000-08:002013-11-20T11:20:00.283-08:00A Disney Dream Come True!I am just a little bit of a Disney fanatic. Over the past 6 years, we have been to either Disneyland or Disney World 5 times! To me it really is a magical place and I just excited thinking about it. About a year ago, I told Steve that I was dying to get my Disney fix, but I knew that our budget was too tight to even fathom a big vacation like Disney World. Well I was determined to make it happen so we did a lot of saving and A LOT of planning. I was determined to get the best deal possible for this trip and also to start saving to make it a possibility.<br />
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<u>The Disney Money Jar</u></div>
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I constantly researched deals online and read blogs about making Disney affordable. My "go to" websites included <a href="http://mousavers.com/">mousavers.com</a>, <a href="http://couponingtodisney.com/">couponingtodisney.com</a>, and all questions could be answered at <a href="http://disboards.com/">disboards.com</a>. I booked our trip about 7 months in advance so that I could make our dining reservations early. About 3 months later I scored a deal online for free dining at Disney... yes, I said FREE! All of our food in the parks was free & we ate at many nice restaurants including a lot of character meals. After doing the math, this was about $1200 in food alone! Eating at Disney is very expensive. That's about 3 1/2 months worth of groceries for us! I decided to stay in the cabins at the Fort Wilderness campground. Nana and Papa came along for the trip, so we were able to split the cost of the cabin. In the end, the trip turned out to be quite affordable, but without sacrificing any of the fun. In fact, we spent about $1500 less than our original budget!<br />
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One perk of staying on the Disney property is the transportation. And luckily since we were staying at the cabins, we got to take a quick boat ride to and from the Magic Kingdom! Here is our first boat trip. Notice the matching Disney shirts fit for the occasion!<br />
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One perk of having the Disney Photo Pass... </div>
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lots of fun borders, photos at character meals, and everyone gets in the picture!</div>
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<u>Chef Mickey's</u></div>
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One of my favorite highlights was breakfast at Chef Mickey's. The character meals saved a lot of time waiting in line to meet all of our Disney pals!<br />
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Celebrating my birthday. Free cupcakes at all of the restaurants! I'm all about anything that is free!<br />
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<u>Minnie Mouse!!!</u><br />
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Gabrielle just loved Minnie Mouse! She was even playing with her nose!<br />
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I love how Pluto has to hold the book to sign his name...<br />
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<u>EPCOT</u></div>
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It's not everyday you get to go to France, Ireland, Germany, and Canada in one day!</div>
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Meeting all of the Disney Princesses at Akershush in Norway! One of Papa's favorite places we ate.</div>
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Gabrielle reviewing her autograph book...<br />
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<u>Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!</u></div>
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Ever since Steve and I went to Disney World before we had children, I was hoping one day we would have girl so I could take her to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Luckily, we were blessed with 2 little princesses!!!</div>
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When the day arrived, my plans didn't go according to plan. I made the appointment for a time before the park even opened so we could walk down Disney Main Street without all the crowds. These appointments go fast and I had to call months advance. Well, we were all ready to take our boat ride over to the Magic Kindom 30 minutes ahead of time, only to realize the boats don't run that early! To make a long story short, we ended up 45 minutes late. I'm sure it was a sight to see a crazy panicked mom running down Disney Main Street with her very confused 3-year-old dressed up like a princess. A lady working in one of the shops said to me, "no need to rush dear, the fairy godmother will wait for you!" Apparently, she had seen this scene before! I felt like one of the crazy moms from Toddlers & Tiaras!</div>
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Luckily the fairy godmothers at Cinderella's castle were very accommodating and she wasn't going to be late for the ball after all! I have to say the price tag was worth it... we <b>both</b> had a lot of fun playing princess. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFTE5eXFf5ZlVNnNC1gm4XUDxIdMJM7FdjAzCBUATQ8GPHE75uo8XZFsdrTrQGSe045zeOItYV1xKRFDH1ZZVsudsBeJxL055FW2dcHJHyQ__2MWtpvtUsMMhyReZcu5ZwlgGuEdL3RTu/s1600/P1010613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFTE5eXFf5ZlVNnNC1gm4XUDxIdMJM7FdjAzCBUATQ8GPHE75uo8XZFsdrTrQGSe045zeOItYV1xKRFDH1ZZVsudsBeJxL055FW2dcHJHyQ__2MWtpvtUsMMhyReZcu5ZwlgGuEdL3RTu/s320/P1010613.JPG" width="320" /></a>Breakfast in Cinderella's Castle! What more could a little princesses ask for?!? Can you tell I'm reliving my childhood through my daughter yet?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYKWUthCxHj_i_ebp9TLS641qiVDkUlyhjXqAyenHJ842emFOs5uTX85QriwRurHQKwGE3J-rTGpqOFs1LyGPz0QCDA5v_0Pv_qG-EiJ7lkMyeEJ7GqoP48zgkdS9s2ByJlKyyuzgdjCI/s1600/wdw201329615169500_6875369306_18.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYKWUthCxHj_i_ebp9TLS641qiVDkUlyhjXqAyenHJ842emFOs5uTX85QriwRurHQKwGE3J-rTGpqOFs1LyGPz0QCDA5v_0Pv_qG-EiJ7lkMyeEJ7GqoP48zgkdS9s2ByJlKyyuzgdjCI/s400/wdw201329615169500_6875369306_18.jpeg" width="266" /></a><br />
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This is one tired Snow White!</div>
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<u>Animal Kingdom</u></div>
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Lunch at Tusker House. The was so yummy with a big dessert buffet!<br />
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<u>The Tree of Life</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaYNGC6BZbvWNdKFYv5k93Dx3bKNMZo_7Up0a7vJQ-6HHNtLwWqjoleMppTbUHO4nS87LmI4SZd7h_T8d9tPCozGVRh8nDZRINKSRpeiMQpCCISKVXc9P1nLTMXVEED0J1Gw31oBJgDGo/s1600/51723950195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaYNGC6BZbvWNdKFYv5k93Dx3bKNMZo_7Up0a7vJQ-6HHNtLwWqjoleMppTbUHO4nS87LmI4SZd7h_T8d9tPCozGVRh8nDZRINKSRpeiMQpCCISKVXc9P1nLTMXVEED0J1Gw31oBJgDGo/s400/51723950195.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<u>Hollywood Studios</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrzIepXQSRSXhBlPJhVO0TfCEKj4tsSYmXhQT1kPAtlrOEaV96s4RHF18_kCJAX6R2YoCjF1bhtLT3ZVu3Rpbi5ZadFVTmmP0nqYIdZQqmOba_uljUHvK_b10jTRWD1H8uMdw9UQcr5Ty/s1600/51723950202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrzIepXQSRSXhBlPJhVO0TfCEKj4tsSYmXhQT1kPAtlrOEaV96s4RHF18_kCJAX6R2YoCjF1bhtLT3ZVu3Rpbi5ZadFVTmmP0nqYIdZQqmOba_uljUHvK_b10jTRWD1H8uMdw9UQcr5Ty/s400/51723950202.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<u>Birthday Dinner at Be Our Guest</u></div>
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Be Our Guest is one of the newest restaurants in the Magic Kindom, and it is also EXTREMELY difficult to get a reservation. Well, all of my advance planning skills were put to the test and I got us one of the last reservations available when I called at the earliest time I could make a booking. It was definitely a highlight of our trip! Who wouldn't want to eat dinner in the Beast's castle?!? </div>
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Surprise Birthday cake from Papa!</div>
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All the ride photos we got with our Photopass:</div>
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Rockin' Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios. So much FUN!!!</div>
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This one makes me laugh. Steve and I have the look of a dear in headlights, and I the picture wouldn't be complete without the random guy wearing a white American flag tank top.</div>
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Classic Disney Picture!</div>
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Scoring Points with our Astro Blasters!</div>
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Grace was so brave on this ride! </div>
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One of Nana's favorites! </div>
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Burning some rubber!</div>
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A few last highlights and memories of our trip:</div>
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1. Grace falling out of the bunk bed in the cabin because she said she saw a spider in the middle of the night. Her landing pad was Gabrielle's port-a-crib with Gabrielle in it!</div>
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2. Getting lost trying to find Walgreen's to pick up Papa's lovanox injections for the blood clot he got in his leg a week before the trip! So grateful he was still able to come with us. </div>
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3. Arriving at Hollywood Studios 45 minutes before the park opened so we could ride Toy Story Mania before the line got to be a 2 hour + wait! </div>
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4. Counting and keeping track of all of our dining credits. I wanted to maximize the value of our free dining plan!</div>
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5. Steve finally getting some time with the family without having to worry about work! Yaaay!!!</div>
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One of the most memorable vacations we've had yet!!!</div>
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Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-6323831167937248712013-09-25T10:11:00.000-07:002013-09-25T10:11:46.102-07:00Back to the Blog!Alright, so we have been alive for the past 2 years! I have been feeling guilty about not having a family journal and we've done so much since I last wrote!!! A lot of changes have occured and it's time to get back into documenting it all. Where do I start?!? Here is a rundown in no particular order:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgelktwArWt0mRjBN_RkqLYGIj7wKwMRjS35tuuOrCCwAFuh6jFY_ElNeZuUe_V71cf0qdubx78iCsxvjtlpKzdifqYzxoMIC8jZ06P4V91kcrngWBEba3dB2L8Sn1dgyVE4_GMP7bnGjt/s1600/princesses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgelktwArWt0mRjBN_RkqLYGIj7wKwMRjS35tuuOrCCwAFuh6jFY_ElNeZuUe_V71cf0qdubx78iCsxvjtlpKzdifqYzxoMIC8jZ06P4V91kcrngWBEba3dB2L8Sn1dgyVE4_GMP7bnGjt/s320/princesses.JPG" width="239" /></a>1. Grace is a big kid. This girl is almost 4-years-old, well, she will be in December. She started preschool this month, and although the first few weeks were a struggle, she has adjusted quite well. Her behavior at home has improved tremendously and it's nice to finally have a daily routine/schedule.<br />
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We are taking a trip to Disney World in October and it's all she can talk about lately! She has the most adorable Ariel princess dress you could ever imagine ready for the occasion. We have a "Disney World Jar" that is quickly filling up with spare change and earned money for good behavior. I'm very curious to see what she is going to purchase when we get there...<br />
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2. I had a baby. Yes, can you believe I had a baby 4 months ago and I haven't even blogged/journaled about the adventure! Now you can understand my guilt! Does Facebook count as a journal? If so, I guess I have been doing a pretty good job.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigf84otdCX1o5E8vDcxfKdAJppI_o8JY7EVVmAz2MzkZ7i5Ba9WpwxkxDqc9Wb7HFJSxAxRZGG8Fc8RvjLeB5zpxaYlBbZJlsgAE_LcjgDk6kpbL4uUJ_258fu38hlz-_AdwwQJaMxUq0/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigf84otdCX1o5E8vDcxfKdAJppI_o8JY7EVVmAz2MzkZ7i5Ba9WpwxkxDqc9Wb7HFJSxAxRZGG8Fc8RvjLeB5zpxaYlBbZJlsgAE_LcjgDk6kpbL4uUJ_258fu38hlz-_AdwwQJaMxUq0/s320/photo+(2).JPG" width="239" /></a>Gabrielle was born in May and she is the sweetest baby you could ever imagine. She is much different than Grace in so many ways. She sleeps consistently 9-10 hrs straight at night and has been doing so since she was 2 months old. She is very chunky. This girl loves to eat!!! Now, that alone sets her and Grace apart. And she smiles A LOT, it is so cute!<br />
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Her birth was an incredible experience. I had been wanting so desperately to have a VBAC. My birth experience with Grace was very different than I had anticipated. I had planned to have a natural child birth, took hypnobirthing, and sought out a wonderful midwife. Well, I'm learning more and more than you may have plans, but they will always change. And it's this change that helps us learn and cope and grow. Gratefully, Gabrielle came into this world in a way that I had prayed so earestly for the past few years. And of course, looking back I know it made the experience even that much more special. So, I have to thank Grace for coming into the world the way she did.<br />
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3. I did an Ironman. Yes, call me crazy (I do all the time). After doing that sprint triathlon I mentioned in a post a while back, I got this thing in me similar to a runner's high, but I guess you would call it a triathlete's high. So without thinking much, I decided to do a half ironman. And without thinking at all, I then decided to do a full ironman! Needless to say, the half ironman went very well and I followed that by a nearly boston qualifying time at the St. George marathon. I was feeling pretty good, and thought, what's the next step? Hmmm, an Ironman. Anyway, the training was intense. It took up a lot of time and it was a big sacrifice for all parties involved (i.e.- my husband). Steve was very supportive through it all and I could not have done it without him. The race was tough and the conditions were rough. White cap waves and wind gusts pretty much sums up the conditions of the 2.4 mile swim. After 112 miles on the hilly bike course, I donned my running shoes and set out for the 26.2 mile marathon. The emotions I felt at that finish line cannot be described with words. As I banked that last turn to the finish line, I put my hands to my face almost in tears, and said to myself, "I did it, I finished."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1WdXz24-8dehC8NFKVdyrHLKLFoohvTLdEHfe1YtscsvvWMw8jSqaSy8m1nuJ4cGwUJd88_W2ab-JVbf179JfiWG7KbJ8kZLiaAKdoCaD7R5vuqlC9E2j9S__um6DA38E5k72VWW9IK0/s1600/IMG_8369_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1WdXz24-8dehC8NFKVdyrHLKLFoohvTLdEHfe1YtscsvvWMw8jSqaSy8m1nuJ4cGwUJd88_W2ab-JVbf179JfiWG7KbJ8kZLiaAKdoCaD7R5vuqlC9E2j9S__um6DA38E5k72VWW9IK0/s320/IMG_8369_2.jpg" width="213" /></a>4. We moved to Ohio. All I can say is this place is very different from Arizona. We live in a small town that affords not much in regards to shopping, dining, and decent roads to bike and run on. If you know me well, you would come to the conclusion that I have been deprived of some of the things I love most this past year and a half! However, because of that "deprivation" I have realized my many blessings and have learned to focus on the things that matter most in life. We've learned to live on a lot less and I'm realizing more and more how blessed we are. I've also learned that I can deal with running/riding on the shoulder of the highway or on roads cracked and worn with potholes. At least I can run and I'm very blessed to have a nice bike. <br />
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So you are probably now wondering why we would move to small town Ohio? That brings me to number...<br />
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5. Steve graduated from medical school. My hubby has worked so hard over the 7.5 years we have been married. I don't know how someone could handle going to school for that long, and then continue onto doing a residency, which is pretty much like doing even more school, but you finally get paid a little for all your hard work! Steve is doing his residency in emergency medicine and I think it is the perfect fit for him. Gratefully, he does well enough that I'm able to stay home with Grace and Gabrielle. This has been a big adjustment because I really do enjoy working outside of the home, but I've also discovered that it is a huge blessing that I can be home with our kiddos. With crazy schedules and hours, Steve is often absent from dinners, bedtime stories, church, saturday activities, etc. I feel very blessed that one of us can hold down the fort at home. <br />
<br />
Well, it seems that I covered the highlights of the past 2 years. I've commited to at least posting once a month so you won't see another post like this when residency is over! <br />
<br />
It feels good to be back,<br />
<br />
Cara<br />
<br />Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-77040113580783846122011-05-29T17:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T19:31:51.057-07:00The Past 2 Months...So, I fell off the blogging bandwagon for a while. I actually tried several times to post, but since we got a new camera, I've had issues with uploading pictures to Blogger (anyone else have that problem?). And of course we've been crazy busy as usual, but I knew I had to post before June came along. So what have we been up to?<br /><div><br />Well, we took a trip to the happiest place on earth in April (aka "Disneyland"). I'm a little bit of a Disney fanatic and have been wanting to take Grace although she is still young. We purchased her an autograph book and a feathery sleeping beauty pen so we could look back and remember these magical moments (can you tell I was reliving my childhood?)!<br /><br />Of course we had to meet Mickey and Minnie:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtcUsMuD9CQbVS70savfCtcvbMjkoRjBQBuuXBMZGLPx8ljf7R8vY2rVYSAeFKpIvvqiMtZqph-qG9jipaCs5MmHAJlKfIdYYU8InYlB8FwgC6tAxRYxXywFP2NUS4ufVylIDOtckJumr/s1600/disney+land+march+2011+066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612295577462666722" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtcUsMuD9CQbVS70savfCtcvbMjkoRjBQBuuXBMZGLPx8ljf7R8vY2rVYSAeFKpIvvqiMtZqph-qG9jipaCs5MmHAJlKfIdYYU8InYlB8FwgC6tAxRYxXywFP2NUS4ufVylIDOtckJumr/s400/disney+land+march+2011+066.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TsLDUv3gFbkDI1uBPrsm71GzudaboIoLJpMtWKwM7WT8pg2NGEGuIeTi03Nv6N_467FjILFWOPSZUbRKyxXdiYYHjLJRcd1mWP8OfcSWvSYDoD9wuNDdCkKJ-BIXGcjBelkH2mIC79Kt/s1600/disney+land+march+2011+069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612295958338332578" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TsLDUv3gFbkDI1uBPrsm71GzudaboIoLJpMtWKwM7WT8pg2NGEGuIeTi03Nv6N_467FjILFWOPSZUbRKyxXdiYYHjLJRcd1mWP8OfcSWvSYDoD9wuNDdCkKJ-BIXGcjBelkH2mIC79Kt/s400/disney+land+march+2011+069.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQG7ls64QYYuERlyQYhSOC3JvUnJw8Ey7-KKui_i_JowH3JMxXfiSI0YhruZlfO4-VmWyVw6I2wtlCRvNjXJYVjH6mn2YGYJ8H8trjc0_S1UleGI6h2j08bYOaysO2ZXcdemyOFMeRIMLJ/s1600/007+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQG7ls64QYYuERlyQYhSOC3JvUnJw8Ey7-KKui_i_JowH3JMxXfiSI0YhruZlfO4-VmWyVw6I2wtlCRvNjXJYVjH6mn2YGYJ8H8trjc0_S1UleGI6h2j08bYOaysO2ZXcdemyOFMeRIMLJ/s400/007+-+Copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612311018360486738" border="0" /></a>Riding on the merry-go-round... she looked like such a big girl holding on by herself!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2LQ_QXnOY59XnBWbsJmUqcTwHO1o0AmfEKn_0DGgMmagjQuzNiOcLlX__NIZdBuB_v8dskhSFQNeCpZTX1rqLFBUiPw4QKbKHYWwgGfKm4fK49_e781YPKgQWwTLeb-usd02C5jkUIDs/s1600/disney+land+march+2011+063.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 225px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612268718725883858" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2LQ_QXnOY59XnBWbsJmUqcTwHO1o0AmfEKn_0DGgMmagjQuzNiOcLlX__NIZdBuB_v8dskhSFQNeCpZTX1rqLFBUiPw4QKbKHYWwgGfKm4fK49_e781YPKgQWwTLeb-usd02C5jkUIDs/s400/disney+land+march+2011+063.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuR1NHuQNjUX3KnNSYxe_REzi1ueQ2vfREGb6dSmiM8zXc-ZFxZa7XUxRpjXvDTZBke3nss8KvM-oTrCm1CKSupeSPjhTwEIdB70AHzNscZgkjN_jhTMewAfspRS3wN0AkwK1waKOJKa70/s1600/disney+land+march+2011+062.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612267226156724658" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuR1NHuQNjUX3KnNSYxe_REzi1ueQ2vfREGb6dSmiM8zXc-ZFxZa7XUxRpjXvDTZBke3nss8KvM-oTrCm1CKSupeSPjhTwEIdB70AHzNscZgkjN_jhTMewAfspRS3wN0AkwK1waKOJKa70/s400/disney+land+march+2011+062.JPG" border="0" /></a>Casey Jr.'s train ride:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0F9urpDKZNNxH4RiTII-GoKc9-H2Ck0zKstkqpG9rvih9heDCT56YA9mUArMWZP8ln_XWzZjV3PMqBQnQbWokCxlqi6EKoYRVzAwdwtVEMWe5jn0GoESIUvbXCjA-vKHqMquC9dK2bzD_/s1600/disney+land+march+2011+039.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 225px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612269360097226562" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0F9urpDKZNNxH4RiTII-GoKc9-H2Ck0zKstkqpG9rvih9heDCT56YA9mUArMWZP8ln_XWzZjV3PMqBQnQbWokCxlqi6EKoYRVzAwdwtVEMWe5jn0GoESIUvbXCjA-vKHqMquC9dK2bzD_/s400/disney+land+march+2011+039.JPG" border="0" /></a>We did some splurging and enjoyed lunch with the Disney Princesses at Ariel's Grotto. It was so much fun to see Grace meet each princess (reliving my childhood again). I have to laugh because she really had no idea what was going on and isn't looking at the camera in any of these pics... oh well.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloN2bLBbZA9IoHHKSdTM10TWgEjfd9K0OEkX7CWLZJPX0ZKQQ_42jMxKZh7ql-by27hFv1CgxvhbZvCHCTgSz-Vltj6a5zpaJwMTfHDpkJPbj_aaXdRAHaQTxwqerdxw6kmmmqXOodq_0/s1600/104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612266785053104146" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloN2bLBbZA9IoHHKSdTM10TWgEjfd9K0OEkX7CWLZJPX0ZKQQ_42jMxKZh7ql-by27hFv1CgxvhbZvCHCTgSz-Vltj6a5zpaJwMTfHDpkJPbj_aaXdRAHaQTxwqerdxw6kmmmqXOodq_0/s400/104.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcq-a829Br92d7JEt8DZSvkH-ws0DwP-WPm-OZRJB8o0kAtIjqOfPrgY-yozCjogjqYNxIUSakRcuo8tEzSBo6nK20Q9b5Uh2KkqmRggsYE8zgpM-a9LOKtG4AbKxEYz95xC1Qy_yDmlM/s1600/113.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612295129652761938" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcq-a829Br92d7JEt8DZSvkH-ws0DwP-WPm-OZRJB8o0kAtIjqOfPrgY-yozCjogjqYNxIUSakRcuo8tEzSBo6nK20Q9b5Uh2KkqmRggsYE8zgpM-a9LOKtG4AbKxEYz95xC1Qy_yDmlM/s400/113.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCVqG7-b_Z-wuEacBG5iAxwIh6u1qPSLoedN6ODsKGr0ytWMS9ZVcugnl0YqQKpsHv9geFDTU20xXoAL0zJJmb3WRiW-Ubu3eVEPSaymbZiretAdxPjwKnedShg_18Iw1ocS-KMPhNtrX/s1600/108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612267917425950850" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCVqG7-b_Z-wuEacBG5iAxwIh6u1qPSLoedN6ODsKGr0ytWMS9ZVcugnl0YqQKpsHv9geFDTU20xXoAL0zJJmb3WRiW-Ubu3eVEPSaymbZiretAdxPjwKnedShg_18Iw1ocS-KMPhNtrX/s400/108.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicJVHYPKlAXdCg6iuJHnNk0bAR6THTRldWYIn_GjHeg1arvEFjsB19P6eH7c3quGHphlusNvh6cwcHCUcm5fmQXpFeGrP51jOR5QneEIWYSp8BilPxKDyOzk7qIRiXzolb2A8sMLvl_IX/s1600/106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612267578165372738" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicJVHYPKlAXdCg6iuJHnNk0bAR6THTRldWYIn_GjHeg1arvEFjsB19P6eH7c3quGHphlusNvh6cwcHCUcm5fmQXpFeGrP51jOR5QneEIWYSp8BilPxKDyOzk7qIRiXzolb2A8sMLvl_IX/s400/106.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGn7VB5uRJL14pCPIdiqwH3ZgH9_hqwQ07lcqZ-cpj1GcZaMvuIUMlCpXJdPKdq3isDf6QqrIVk0VSX9YGK8wF62qbN02f_2KS2VzM12yuMPTHc3R-LURS2Qa_n-EoNBUZioVlD5rsOO2/s1600/109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612268263502182194" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGn7VB5uRJL14pCPIdiqwH3ZgH9_hqwQ07lcqZ-cpj1GcZaMvuIUMlCpXJdPKdq3isDf6QqrIVk0VSX9YGK8wF62qbN02f_2KS2VzM12yuMPTHc3R-LURS2Qa_n-EoNBUZioVlD5rsOO2/s400/109.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnOKEIJAXheDKIjvv0YY3iQMiIEOMPGWwIYJiUPai68jmxEgRkbbzI9ZjTxbH7ZWPW-wPVNion3cNsQrNkM_2Giq7C6XWFtJvg5xHB5gF-UpKbohHee16xhVPgNdkreCV7i_R80kRyEb0/s1600/111.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612269066481838770" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnOKEIJAXheDKIjvv0YY3iQMiIEOMPGWwIYJiUPai68jmxEgRkbbzI9ZjTxbH7ZWPW-wPVNion3cNsQrNkM_2Giq7C6XWFtJvg5xHB5gF-UpKbohHee16xhVPgNdkreCV7i_R80kRyEb0/s400/111.JPG" border="0" /></a>Off to meet Tinkerbell...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7WccphioxP-5mXSnl8zNTePBnQW91-GVfYEbWyYBJlXEc1_zv87RMErIcgO2PqQfT-DIJ_2fPmRXX1Zsz49CIiPU9k3wVnlOwpSQ9zo57j5e8noN5WXl6wSWZ5xw4nX5RWCZS_CvPGH4/s1600/disney+land+march+2011+043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612270880171394210" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7WccphioxP-5mXSnl8zNTePBnQW91-GVfYEbWyYBJlXEc1_zv87RMErIcgO2PqQfT-DIJ_2fPmRXX1Zsz49CIiPU9k3wVnlOwpSQ9zo57j5e8noN5WXl6wSWZ5xw4nX5RWCZS_CvPGH4/s400/disney+land+march+2011+043.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4pve5s9TX-zdNu6yeoIabU6Ecln2L-XUPUmMZ1HOCyh9odshEyuxZJy9iH44dMJy8acd3L41FAH3akR6Im24awYep9xdPJ_RU00frB6wMVJJ5Lly0OUKTi8q5Yckqnkl34pgrFr-wb7O/s1600/disney+land+march+2011+047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612270284377753154" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4pve5s9TX-zdNu6yeoIabU6Ecln2L-XUPUmMZ1HOCyh9odshEyuxZJy9iH44dMJy8acd3L41FAH3akR6Im24awYep9xdPJ_RU00frB6wMVJJ5Lly0OUKTi8q5Yckqnkl34pgrFr-wb7O/s400/disney+land+march+2011+047.JPG" border="0" /></a>After riding Dumbo...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVvc05nxUrgdjY6ZEuY621PelDDtUnh8Fdeogf9UC_3lHPNpPuiL8CD3mCzsiLlHnAYFsQeoU7UwHPDd65Q7zpy9P0z58BqTIgSXjgNNmfQ0Hoex3SsL27pT-OVkvrnHDF_m-NEwXQLeZ/s1600/085.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612265091003099378" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVvc05nxUrgdjY6ZEuY621PelDDtUnh8Fdeogf9UC_3lHPNpPuiL8CD3mCzsiLlHnAYFsQeoU7UwHPDd65Q7zpy9P0z58BqTIgSXjgNNmfQ0Hoex3SsL27pT-OVkvrnHDF_m-NEwXQLeZ/s400/085.JPG" border="0" /></a>Enjoying a ride on the teacups! Steve and I usually try to spin as fast as possible, but in this case, it was a pretty relaxed ride.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vCHb2j6_6Lk6z1ibrT74q3-0YaoMCbtz6GeRrrJKCGGSZTUIK9ManC1rI2Y91QvEpVtRhtSMe8iUxGfQmmpUnMe5HhYuYFC4PdY64kwjW6H8MOCV2Xowo1yVxGST5Zy2-Y-3XNhnim__/s1600/014+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612285809884053042" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vCHb2j6_6Lk6z1ibrT74q3-0YaoMCbtz6GeRrrJKCGGSZTUIK9ManC1rI2Y91QvEpVtRhtSMe8iUxGfQmmpUnMe5HhYuYFC4PdY64kwjW6H8MOCV2Xowo1yVxGST5Zy2-Y-3XNhnim__/s400/014+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" /></a>Encounter with Jack Sparrow... I just love Grace's expression in this one; they just stared at each other for the longest time.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9iF5l4IenvemkVGd0ntCODWfh8LDHxAudvlWgVySmKAHZHjCqhuMG_Gyzmus0ZqvwwSsoJLDSdZHOdbYzdmo2Ud6x4US-mVFsi4QysPKc9B06CQ-UYM1wFkVm514Oc4U5H27QpKoUPpR/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612284253150820658" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9iF5l4IenvemkVGd0ntCODWfh8LDHxAudvlWgVySmKAHZHjCqhuMG_Gyzmus0ZqvwwSsoJLDSdZHOdbYzdmo2Ud6x4US-mVFsi4QysPKc9B06CQ-UYM1wFkVm514Oc4U5H27QpKoUPpR/s400/025.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFmLVBSjTfBn5xDzY2CqmQV3We2PD86D1K36gzP1FPtkCzgDYw2zldPNyz3E2ShhPX1nwW4qgeXjDewsB_FEwVA2ZyFqFdwblHy6rvq1I6jtAl6JszxrldQFAjrpDWivp_TBurbwXZABa/s1600/010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607928576393450258" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFmLVBSjTfBn5xDzY2CqmQV3We2PD86D1K36gzP1FPtkCzgDYw2zldPNyz3E2ShhPX1nwW4qgeXjDewsB_FEwVA2ZyFqFdwblHy6rvq1I6jtAl6JszxrldQFAjrpDWivp_TBurbwXZABa/s400/010.JPG" border="0" /></a>The merry-go-round for a second time...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIy92dT9w4ORFg5TH94e-r6t9h8eTpaP8wLcQWwqrujvoMWFhntBnEyyXbljrRt32gfzon3Z9OFR1Itq8CIGkeW32E51pWq4nR15R0RlntR9jflVq26l3GEEOhsVkXXPazmCeqoACyql2n/s1600/054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612265817027348338" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIy92dT9w4ORFg5TH94e-r6t9h8eTpaP8wLcQWwqrujvoMWFhntBnEyyXbljrRt32gfzon3Z9OFR1Itq8CIGkeW32E51pWq4nR15R0RlntR9jflVq26l3GEEOhsVkXXPazmCeqoACyql2n/s400/054.JPG" border="0" /></a>Grace looked so cute with her seatbelt on as we went from ride to ride. I was surprised at how many rides she could go on being so young... it was pretty cute.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamBe7-iR9Y7kJ66_Zl2VsJlCnkh61auluDTbCpboo1lPrPJodwq5iYXUaEqmqrAhMhcoDG1ALdmcDVHKuwap_sC5DVolijgZflGJ6vuO7SODvp504YcKau34HTTykBxgr7_aH6e7FanZZ/s1600/136.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612266258941017554" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamBe7-iR9Y7kJ66_Zl2VsJlCnkh61auluDTbCpboo1lPrPJodwq5iYXUaEqmqrAhMhcoDG1ALdmcDVHKuwap_sC5DVolijgZflGJ6vuO7SODvp504YcKau34HTTykBxgr7_aH6e7FanZZ/s400/136.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiJxNEZpy40Ka-46XHIt1TfTLtAH2i5ieu2axYA0afb4Mn2Cl2kEL74h8zSECTCR-xeQigggHNGcUNQ_kG5Gj09aykSaNjxtNHJKJBu5VpZtgbev-5XBvNac-7QL-goK3Yrkra0S4G7c9/s1600/053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607919075284529298" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiJxNEZpy40Ka-46XHIt1TfTLtAH2i5ieu2axYA0afb4Mn2Cl2kEL74h8zSECTCR-xeQigggHNGcUNQ_kG5Gj09aykSaNjxtNHJKJBu5VpZtgbev-5XBvNac-7QL-goK3Yrkra0S4G7c9/s400/053.JPG" border="0" /></a>Before leaving, we stopped by Build-A-Bear and got this cute little stuffed dog. Grace is obsessed with dogs as of late, and she can clearly say "doggy" and make an adorable barking sound. If we didn't live in such tight quarters, I actually would consider adding a furry friend to our family.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYz3netO_CD8HZT8VzEfIRMcNAWf4JSqU3qMeo5k1xrXRUZYswmE8v1R4lm1S6VQtw-GNUxpbhUMwvjd1uIyjaQQM7xf3qexjzFb_V6sgJTUZrBAxim2k2CFSpgcJgJabx9R_gK7Wpe-E/s1600/disney+land+march+2011+101.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612270590865659474" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYz3netO_CD8HZT8VzEfIRMcNAWf4JSqU3qMeo5k1xrXRUZYswmE8v1R4lm1S6VQtw-GNUxpbhUMwvjd1uIyjaQQM7xf3qexjzFb_V6sgJTUZrBAxim2k2CFSpgcJgJabx9R_gK7Wpe-E/s400/disney+land+march+2011+101.JPG" border="0" /></a>And in more recent news, our little angel is growing up quickly. I emphasize the "growing up" part because she really isn't "growing" all that fast and is quite petite. However, she is learning so many new things... it's amazing how quickly children learn! She loves this show called "Word World" and has been learning her letters! I have a bunch of magnetic letters that I made on the fridge, which she loves to point to saying "A, B"... "C"... "T".... "E". I was really surprised when she started doing this because I never really taught her any letters, but then I realized while she was watching her favorite show, she was repeating the letters that they spelled!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aQKHUrgxjUsCnDJZEt73FqH2l73O-IFb1jxK_YMyVoBLPB13LKA8tCeVLyaApadLBvAQyoQEk8QIEqrvRY7391QX9NVVyPmLfXe1ZTPvk0XcwXmvuMjF0N1TgjdYdCW0gJcmZ-m8qpdL/s1600/IMG_4240.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612273441556573794" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aQKHUrgxjUsCnDJZEt73FqH2l73O-IFb1jxK_YMyVoBLPB13LKA8tCeVLyaApadLBvAQyoQEk8QIEqrvRY7391QX9NVVyPmLfXe1ZTPvk0XcwXmvuMjF0N1TgjdYdCW0gJcmZ-m8qpdL/s400/IMG_4240.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRil8y5b5NLp6EE-0VxsG2kCRLvv4U998gn8WUfsivStNExRkpjkp9J7_7Xpb_-f2BEl_1YZw4UsF90TWyEirT0MZTPcWvCy7B_FG3XhvyX1iFbg6pMYEbCp5XaASFPer6B4hw-k4fqy9U/s1600/IMG_4245.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612273097447504034" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRil8y5b5NLp6EE-0VxsG2kCRLvv4U998gn8WUfsivStNExRkpjkp9J7_7Xpb_-f2BEl_1YZw4UsF90TWyEirT0MZTPcWvCy7B_FG3XhvyX1iFbg6pMYEbCp5XaASFPer6B4hw-k4fqy9U/s400/IMG_4245.JPG" border="0" /></a>And here is a pic from Easter. I actually missed her first Easter egg hunt! I had to work that day, but Steve documented the event for me.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAxfwEMJ4qDPEfjgPqHJHtjxxl_JmOreIuvxl_AW_xrj0lZOWN-_PBVKKZMHsoslxgReR1rGvsGc5Og8pnexZFStqNOL-tY5djQuc44XxEi0YtyOw3NbM2aWClLlDfYvz8H7nfZ1cr9qq/s1600/P1000280.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612275115468719346" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAxfwEMJ4qDPEfjgPqHJHtjxxl_JmOreIuvxl_AW_xrj0lZOWN-_PBVKKZMHsoslxgReR1rGvsGc5Og8pnexZFStqNOL-tY5djQuc44XxEi0YtyOw3NbM2aWClLlDfYvz8H7nfZ1cr9qq/s400/P1000280.JPG" border="0" /></a>And, I always seem to find some time for crafting. I took an old tank top of mine and created this...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6M2q9Jmy1o_uCcitX0YUYA6rFUCffBVsNVx2WNikBjfo3a4uW0z_qrqtasLB-HLVswGnKMZUhKqCOph3fbLfZTr6OqCGjVsMHASF8fgnArYvgNOCkx8KEm7NEiTmrdYsQV7LD8qR7PoaB/s1600/P1000256.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612274403977700322" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6M2q9Jmy1o_uCcitX0YUYA6rFUCffBVsNVx2WNikBjfo3a4uW0z_qrqtasLB-HLVswGnKMZUhKqCOph3fbLfZTr6OqCGjVsMHASF8fgnArYvgNOCkx8KEm7NEiTmrdYsQV7LD8qR7PoaB/s400/P1000256.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmpLW9LHHhSDt0Il2i2ENI_2OjUS8wgUW7-TA5FbOYaTnWKvm1l-fhP-rL6TebdChI8DlZr8Q5dfk30fJtN_9AzsDo7yyUkZpJCHBAQLMV9zqyODpTWSvj-uX2_paBWszcEIuhmHSN1RT/s1600/P1000254.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612274689063651506" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmpLW9LHHhSDt0Il2i2ENI_2OjUS8wgUW7-TA5FbOYaTnWKvm1l-fhP-rL6TebdChI8DlZr8Q5dfk30fJtN_9AzsDo7yyUkZpJCHBAQLMV9zqyODpTWSvj-uX2_paBWszcEIuhmHSN1RT/s400/P1000254.JPG" border="0" /></a>And after wanting to do a triathlon for the past 2 years, I finally reached my goal! I did a sprint tri in St. George, Utah. What made this event even more special was that I did it with my 2 brothers, my sister-in-law, and my niece who is in the pic below! My niece did awesome in her "mini-tri" race... following in her dad's footsteps!<br /><br />I ended up placing 6th out of 27 in my age division, and 19th out of 147 overall for women... that was definitely a surprise!<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVvc05nxUrgdjY6ZEuY621PelDDtUnh8Fdeogf9UC_3lHPNpPuiL8CD3mCzsiLlHnAYFsQeoU7UwHPDd65Q7zpy9P0z58BqTIgSXjgNNmfQ0Hoex3SsL27pT-OVkvrnHDF_m-NEwXQLeZ/s1600/085.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612299937901329218" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9co7RH_8jICb_NDUHnhjemSIyYwQEtcvgZaakhjnJHuZ4IEeFP8C6Tq1r5155Z4CXOJz_r73pqeDrFHUKoymNdi_nxoOM4SfpNUV-k7a09w6Xh6E1bzmPf5S8-VkuvhEpbu7U0fv74Rm/s400/SG_TRI_2.jpg" border="0" /></a>I performed a lot better than I thought I would, especially considering that I really could not swim well at all 2 months ago. I decided to take some private swimming lessons since I never had lessons as a child. My first 2 lessons were torture and I was getting so out of breath. After some great coaching and a lot of practice, I was swimming much better within 2 weeks. I also had the added challenge of swimming in a lake, but luckily I scored an awesome wetsuit on Ebay and could handle the chilly water better. I think I look like I stepped out of Star Trek...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCs85XosAPTt_OEIVv7B34fiMs4JAueRgbjAkpIN1G82TRMebTOrmVwWgDwBRJrugNRZInA6QgZMZFyVawY8kxnTwWREx7hTZfZThgrAhs-j62Q2cmk1sEIuUmz616V80kpwOcIF8Q4vFU/s1600/P1000291.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612275447786075890" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCs85XosAPTt_OEIVv7B34fiMs4JAueRgbjAkpIN1G82TRMebTOrmVwWgDwBRJrugNRZInA6QgZMZFyVawY8kxnTwWREx7hTZfZThgrAhs-j62Q2cmk1sEIuUmz616V80kpwOcIF8Q4vFU/s400/P1000291.JPG" border="0" /></a>And meet "Coach Chris". This guy taught me how to swim in 4 lessons, and also gave me a lot of pointers on doing triathlons having completed several Ironman's himself. I probably would have been the last one out of the water if it wasn't for his help. I am now swimming in his Master's swim class and can swim 2200 meters!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dW3tuSnMoGXnajEFVzWEzoksdCJz1JYXFLJXuSqiWDf3HJf0tHwYyesAnRcbM-cdTS4BYfzzFJFyzsy51l8PfdYbZW0HFFqPku7VEpaZmZh-l22-oBnh9jVoTa01irQesx_o6qwaJ_5U/s1600/coach_chris.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 180px; display: block; height: 250px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612282028753500930" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dW3tuSnMoGXnajEFVzWEzoksdCJz1JYXFLJXuSqiWDf3HJf0tHwYyesAnRcbM-cdTS4BYfzzFJFyzsy51l8PfdYbZW0HFFqPku7VEpaZmZh-l22-oBnh9jVoTa01irQesx_o6qwaJ_5U/s400/coach_chris.jpg" border="0" /></a>Because I had so much fun doing this race, I actually said "yes" to my younger brother when he asked me to do a half Ironman with him this August! So, I basically workout now for 2+ hrs a day, and I'm getting used to waking up at 5 am or earlier to get my workouts in (I have to beat the heat here in AZ!). It sounds like torture, but surprisingly, I'm loving it!<br /><br />And of course, my training won't stop because I got into St. George Marathon this October! I didn't make the lottery last year, and I was pregnant the year prior, so I'm super excited!<br /><br />And before I wrap up, I have to mention that Steve is finally into his 4th year of medical school! He will be traveling a lot for his rotations this next year, but we are hopeful that it will help him get into a great residency program. He has decided on doing emergency medicine, and I think it will suit him well. And luckily, we get to do a rotation in Utah for 4 weeks!<br /><br />More updates to come soon....<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-88537545045532805422011-03-20T20:40:00.001-07:002011-03-20T22:41:48.605-07:00Time Travel<span class="Apple-style-span"><b>After putting off updating this blog for a month or so, it's time to take a journey back in time...</b></span><div><br /></div><div>A lot has happened within the past couple of months, and I would hate to continue blogging about this and that, unless I mention a few highlights.</div><div><br /></div><div>After living in AZ for a couple of years now, I have been dying to tap into my domestic side and plant a garden, but this is kind of hard to do as an apartment-dweller. However, I was determined to make it work! I bought a variety of planters and pots, hoping to sprout some home grown produce. Planting and growing season is different here in AZ, so this all started back in October... and sure enough within a few months, we had a variety of tomatoes, peppers, and some fresh basil and rosemary! And to add to our plentiful harvest, our apartment complex has about 15 grapefruit trees that bear the most delicious fruit... I even think it cures the common cold (and prevents it too!).</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEX6lWlKeYOqvwYCMcdJJI8oYr7ddIyTtP5zcXu1oVTZhllR7IZ0IFMwLPcBPmRATNLs2r95RT35hovz2PtoDUgViP1BU1SQ48MFHu_Dp8h7qgxweVk8xBlJUuxjWYNdVtPngHse2JLBy/s1600/IMG_4127.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEX6lWlKeYOqvwYCMcdJJI8oYr7ddIyTtP5zcXu1oVTZhllR7IZ0IFMwLPcBPmRATNLs2r95RT35hovz2PtoDUgViP1BU1SQ48MFHu_Dp8h7qgxweVk8xBlJUuxjWYNdVtPngHse2JLBy/s400/IMG_4127.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586379838736708258" /></a>I couldn't figure out why all of my peppers were so small... I found out later they were of a dwarf variety.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxCZpPHpq-8zXeupW-u2XZn5DK800kNFxAV1_2dqSqDvroPld4vvrOv6bKdU24ZjPCwBSL-duxLuZ445-UGNmozGJ3MVH6jOUoOzLSZjzLZhRkAWUVRG-5AjPmZvmA0fnFAx_zIwUUEPt/s1600/IMG_3906.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxCZpPHpq-8zXeupW-u2XZn5DK800kNFxAV1_2dqSqDvroPld4vvrOv6bKdU24ZjPCwBSL-duxLuZ445-UGNmozGJ3MVH6jOUoOzLSZjzLZhRkAWUVRG-5AjPmZvmA0fnFAx_zIwUUEPt/s400/IMG_3906.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586379831809601090" /></a>Just a few of the yummy tomatoes...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsclJT2m8gkvD9eV8yc7BhR-yedv1MQgTBnCjLV3oNrhckesAiMREohRpJjUfijt_FUmAlNQA09B3BI7B0qDU1hnljemcSKXJctA1QIIL29RGgYkeJTI5UOfkIwiBGaVw9ThbB3n1-9DjS/s1600/IMG_3899.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsclJT2m8gkvD9eV8yc7BhR-yedv1MQgTBnCjLV3oNrhckesAiMREohRpJjUfijt_FUmAlNQA09B3BI7B0qDU1hnljemcSKXJctA1QIIL29RGgYkeJTI5UOfkIwiBGaVw9ThbB3n1-9DjS/s400/IMG_3899.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586379829411347442" /></a>A few flowers to add to the mix.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkS8DbwVrHUAyz5dVIM_Sz6uQJX1OMoexZUe6Y4LAoGXiL41OpxN_vM0ASut-VnNfouL8hoSU5Flbfz4fqLHsohM2Ys2MZc3SpWoP99vZ0eoyZ-ljQ_aMadK0g3wpShvDUhFI0ynETjTw-/s1600/IMG_3896.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkS8DbwVrHUAyz5dVIM_Sz6uQJX1OMoexZUe6Y4LAoGXiL41OpxN_vM0ASut-VnNfouL8hoSU5Flbfz4fqLHsohM2Ys2MZc3SpWoP99vZ0eoyZ-ljQ_aMadK0g3wpShvDUhFI0ynETjTw-/s400/IMG_3896.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586379820208643778" /></a>Rosemary smells soooo good!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eX4U_ZROzgYb9m2_91PD_Q4BgXB5hBO03UuvnROBhtqB7k3fE1Nb-G87i1RqzBppGf0GIKg27FMj8a-gzY3oXYHnVASlYqu0mnOPVqmShrWdijOE6Zgl3do3vcZl9I5F7DY-OelYHwri/s1600/IMG_3895.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eX4U_ZROzgYb9m2_91PD_Q4BgXB5hBO03UuvnROBhtqB7k3fE1Nb-G87i1RqzBppGf0GIKg27FMj8a-gzY3oXYHnVASlYqu0mnOPVqmShrWdijOE6Zgl3do3vcZl9I5F7DY-OelYHwri/s400/IMG_3895.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586379265002048562" /></a>Basil... yummy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxI-TYQQ1E26rJ0xY0mnm8JiHPo5j6dsW-SCWvFhaUVSnfN7Km3NF9EkNyp86Yvi2rdwuVvXzVk5Q5V2lSNe4vAIe1pH8fuk7-sqmlKKwFUOzdxOlPQydS3YmzCvpy9CU5obqamT3aDNX/s1600/IMG_3894.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxI-TYQQ1E26rJ0xY0mnm8JiHPo5j6dsW-SCWvFhaUVSnfN7Km3NF9EkNyp86Yvi2rdwuVvXzVk5Q5V2lSNe4vAIe1pH8fuk7-sqmlKKwFUOzdxOlPQydS3YmzCvpy9CU5obqamT3aDNX/s400/IMG_3894.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586379256780356722" /></a>The peppers had a hard time growing. Probably due to lack of sunlight because of the direction our building faces.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EgrzpU921hI7NNN17y0lP2DW1z7PX9N2T3zKQyMlfJ45iBVxvFEGuWCFj6tDgzdOZzOdoLcv8Rxdxfv2GGWyy2uEHRV1do1fjuDUAoGZAfih1-0VMLz9ibf1Wg3YKcXJp-ubkBMbrU1e/s1600/IMG_3892.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EgrzpU921hI7NNN17y0lP2DW1z7PX9N2T3zKQyMlfJ45iBVxvFEGuWCFj6tDgzdOZzOdoLcv8Rxdxfv2GGWyy2uEHRV1do1fjuDUAoGZAfih1-0VMLz9ibf1Wg3YKcXJp-ubkBMbrU1e/s400/IMG_3892.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586379255384986722" /></a>I got one tomato that grew really well (seen at the bottom of the plant). I'm hoping they will all be that size the next time around since I will have more of a green thumb ;)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D7Mxz8fNaL2FuPBn-_hL9dJcfTuEZr8_XJhjCOJIuX3lFWcghSCeTvFu876Km6Uw7olW97MwxDfz09ePHJXqIB6D75yeVVlyoJoXSPRDduuGuOkJq7e5LGLfCSPh5VyWph-oUDRZpGFj/s1600/IMG_3890.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D7Mxz8fNaL2FuPBn-_hL9dJcfTuEZr8_XJhjCOJIuX3lFWcghSCeTvFu876Km6Uw7olW97MwxDfz09ePHJXqIB6D75yeVVlyoJoXSPRDduuGuOkJq7e5LGLfCSPh5VyWph-oUDRZpGFj/s400/IMG_3890.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586379249781154082" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Next up on our journey back in time is a visit from Nana, Papa, and Abby! </span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>My parents came down to enjoy the AZ sun. And of course, we had to stop at my FAVORITE restaurant: Arcadia Farms. Just love this place! If you ever decide to try it out, make a reservation and ask to sit on their back patio.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjL-gCwj9vOWeUHjkbsrN43xEqjbaqNOhaoj7qND7zLDufBZ4d2uWSS7aOoPKaWtuR5DVRKaaWXgmNdunJdX7d8dwJsMR_AUi2MkLwZdNGdf7_KKyzFjiRgx20jQ93WgxUyzUL8Sg0Lbtd/s1600/IMG_3959.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjL-gCwj9vOWeUHjkbsrN43xEqjbaqNOhaoj7qND7zLDufBZ4d2uWSS7aOoPKaWtuR5DVRKaaWXgmNdunJdX7d8dwJsMR_AUi2MkLwZdNGdf7_KKyzFjiRgx20jQ93WgxUyzUL8Sg0Lbtd/s400/IMG_3959.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586379245769147346" /></a>Girl & I...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3_jI_lBwUL_t_bmHy1IKfLmd5JFHVWe0Ofay2j5ErLEKXWyyWd7EtoOWer6OJWdAQQYH7MbKFfO0JuOBE_01bCuW2EyACXkhghkvIGB6_tT5Yjg8kmRznm8F5Fzf5VC4QVWHRTiwhdR1/s1600/IMG_3961.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3_jI_lBwUL_t_bmHy1IKfLmd5JFHVWe0Ofay2j5ErLEKXWyyWd7EtoOWer6OJWdAQQYH7MbKFfO0JuOBE_01bCuW2EyACXkhghkvIGB6_tT5Yjg8kmRznm8F5Fzf5VC4QVWHRTiwhdR1/s400/IMG_3961.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586378430333998658" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQGoXjKRvzPkYBQUzlyk0rbYeLZzSRg-k6Ezz7auVLSY8vMwv7ENZ-0iWPTiT7r2tLcX8qKCKaXrl6ThI6FCCkEYs5996yy_EWbWteRcD1MIAGKRIK2rAJTw41XmjQSEUOYBs-v_tGn-F/s1600/IMG_3964.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQGoXjKRvzPkYBQUzlyk0rbYeLZzSRg-k6Ezz7auVLSY8vMwv7ENZ-0iWPTiT7r2tLcX8qKCKaXrl6ThI6FCCkEYs5996yy_EWbWteRcD1MIAGKRIK2rAJTw41XmjQSEUOYBs-v_tGn-F/s400/IMG_3964.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586378424687844546" /></a>Grace enjoying her grilled cheese... what toddler doesn't like grilled cheese!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAYSkTbox7trZ3dxiVqxhZQsFv-7iM6IO46UQKK9h9-ADNFIuyDRbB0A3SkseXi8gE3eaYQu7F7VyslvKteuoGwZ4BSnR09Ygf8-6Nfmy9jemUsLXrFNZbnTPcfB8EqKuWxZxccU4t8yZ/s1600/IMG_3958.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAYSkTbox7trZ3dxiVqxhZQsFv-7iM6IO46UQKK9h9-ADNFIuyDRbB0A3SkseXi8gE3eaYQu7F7VyslvKteuoGwZ4BSnR09Ygf8-6Nfmy9jemUsLXrFNZbnTPcfB8EqKuWxZxccU4t8yZ/s400/IMG_3958.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586378421578612242" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span">The journey continues...</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Grace and I made a very quick trip up to Utah because I simply could not miss a certain event! My friend Emily married Steve's cousin, Taylor. Emily and I have been friends for as long as I can remember (since age 5). I had the honor and pleasure to see this perfect couple marry in the Salt Lake Temple, and I couldn't be more happy for them! </div><div><br /></div><div>A few years ago, I had this nagging feeling that I should line these two up. It makes me so nervous to do this because I always fear it may go horribly and I'll regret the whole thing! I couldn't shake off the prompting I had, and Steve and I joined these two for their very first date. I'm glad I didn't ignore that feeling and took a leap of faith that this just might work out because these two look so happy and are blissfully in love! The wedding was beautiful, Emily was gorgeous, and Taylor couldn't stop smiling!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4q_f3hXf2Ay3FcN5PjoJjAXF0pJUPw58nPsGHNmsxsPRu65C_4XcBSaPq9YHPUmefd3HQV3i4LZ0hTaRzoV22DycgGF4hVR0cNqBVDAZehFcOIM5i1WrEElxI2JKnLNQg0wznoeM8QL_q/s1600/IMG_4001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4q_f3hXf2Ay3FcN5PjoJjAXF0pJUPw58nPsGHNmsxsPRu65C_4XcBSaPq9YHPUmefd3HQV3i4LZ0hTaRzoV22DycgGF4hVR0cNqBVDAZehFcOIM5i1WrEElxI2JKnLNQg0wznoeM8QL_q/s400/IMG_4001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586378418218651218" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyP17syHM7aeUapt4gx6uLPpzhiVxmhQT-up4jq8Y1aNrFKKnfyWAWymoS3TDRIJfXcAgirQe5mP_lSKOtrIquq1z3lb4IP2Hp0AnzQqp2t3rGzE-cD5qGfjJzE-o5tR4cdQhyphenhyphenz_9l91e/s1600/IMG_3999.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyP17syHM7aeUapt4gx6uLPpzhiVxmhQT-up4jq8Y1aNrFKKnfyWAWymoS3TDRIJfXcAgirQe5mP_lSKOtrIquq1z3lb4IP2Hp0AnzQqp2t3rGzE-cD5qGfjJzE-o5tR4cdQhyphenhyphenz_9l91e/s400/IMG_3999.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586378406241061778" /></a>Reunion of friends!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOslA_a3uyDScEEIh1lFlQrTpZu3Ytk5ydY3f3xQiK9cFt6JH43MjvrwHnK7N2CZVpWSqFBBQoPKQaT4P-ulPdaiX7btX7KLNB6mFo1zbOV5QBMBI0UByo8FTBpUy6VBNwfCcepeIprnxj/s1600/IMG_3998.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOslA_a3uyDScEEIh1lFlQrTpZu3Ytk5ydY3f3xQiK9cFt6JH43MjvrwHnK7N2CZVpWSqFBBQoPKQaT4P-ulPdaiX7btX7KLNB6mFo1zbOV5QBMBI0UByo8FTBpUy6VBNwfCcepeIprnxj/s400/IMG_3998.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377798337835938" /></a>Although our visit was short, we spent some time with cousins...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMhJutdGrZxsecALogavBMF3lRV78X56QIVH1eW4LIiLZehbpBkSkdbtizC34cb4HhPZZAtXuJcLSozhyaQA9uNbJjPiPXWdJU6plUBBvEW6sr-agAm1HxxeLWgxFwDGg46mt4eNSx_ps/s1600/IMG_3992.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMhJutdGrZxsecALogavBMF3lRV78X56QIVH1eW4LIiLZehbpBkSkdbtizC34cb4HhPZZAtXuJcLSozhyaQA9uNbJjPiPXWdJU6plUBBvEW6sr-agAm1HxxeLWgxFwDGg46mt4eNSx_ps/s400/IMG_3992.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377792948006930" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Up next: RAGNAR Del Sol 2011.</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>So, I have been wanting to participate in one of these crazy relay races for a while now... and I finally did last month! With an awesome team of 12 runners, we conquered 197 miles of crazy fun! I ran a total of 15.3 miles, divided into 3 legs, over a 24 hr period. Let's just say I was exhausted afterwards, but it was all worth it! </div><div><br /></div><div>Our Team Name:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRrB1v0gDl0sfVibtS8gAo3bA0IYp18cRA5GKDGnGjBvHxPIKXUMfMKnvJnZ_QWsfN2vCuYnyVx-kY8dU48pUihwpumw9oRze-_2FBCHOm0jjVGDXiqJzVwZjqPRohlRssDpZ2tdBn6jO/s1600/IMG_4021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRrB1v0gDl0sfVibtS8gAo3bA0IYp18cRA5GKDGnGjBvHxPIKXUMfMKnvJnZ_QWsfN2vCuYnyVx-kY8dU48pUihwpumw9oRze-_2FBCHOm0jjVGDXiqJzVwZjqPRohlRssDpZ2tdBn6jO/s400/IMG_4021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377789819867746" /></a>Van #2 buddies.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGRn5k3WdN7H9JcIlD5oAGHg9jc8IiyFDiYSKkDa2CviW0zxdzu8KjK-kiEhskkDcchBcVa49sBHOUweFi1PKx8Ws7k9lsBqj1tIEzL-PNBrYVkts6opApWPEklHazVR4l54fZPlSwCmk/s1600/IMG_4012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGRn5k3WdN7H9JcIlD5oAGHg9jc8IiyFDiYSKkDa2CviW0zxdzu8KjK-kiEhskkDcchBcVa49sBHOUweFi1PKx8Ws7k9lsBqj1tIEzL-PNBrYVkts6opApWPEklHazVR4l54fZPlSwCmk/s400/IMG_4012.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377787676113970" /></a>Running into the gorgeous sunset...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cKzbLbbZkHISf23JipsYs84GYC6VLONHazd5dmGDSMrat4iXRSPMsmPyGR_0yOcz2KnvdfPoyd4bUFv4QOnbQE1EfcUak-6dajG6XfejueLPQEktqJw7BkUvrnPgIHneIXCq_wH-lb-m/s1600/IMG_4016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cKzbLbbZkHISf23JipsYs84GYC6VLONHazd5dmGDSMrat4iXRSPMsmPyGR_0yOcz2KnvdfPoyd4bUFv4QOnbQE1EfcUak-6dajG6XfejueLPQEktqJw7BkUvrnPgIHneIXCq_wH-lb-m/s400/IMG_4016.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377776172202466" /></a>Showing off our team spirit! (I am runner #11 & I had the pleasure of sharpie-tattooing some sweet bubble letters!) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jO1bBO4GH2SQZLjVnpNiYNEWImU_KU9Qornxfqa3DADlQy5qE7JeY_g2iXYPkKD_hSXQTo-2cYbvo9du0j7EWNcJoJqja22F-Mst19_POgZMBoKQZzlxK1J6Qop_QIh8t5mg-AThpEwD/s1600/IMG_4022.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jO1bBO4GH2SQZLjVnpNiYNEWImU_KU9Qornxfqa3DADlQy5qE7JeY_g2iXYPkKD_hSXQTo-2cYbvo9du0j7EWNcJoJqja22F-Mst19_POgZMBoKQZzlxK1J6Qop_QIh8t5mg-AThpEwD/s400/IMG_4022.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377168514616274" /></a>Warming up...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4MUY1bFsTKzo5lkBbei2hMAaAWiJijdrdw2Wz_9t1IKwTmqBzJ85Jkx0Bxj5SrNcQn6Uvgps63anVWWFcJ12qcgadSXOLoplNzfinBqKjxMBSeLfekDpPlEUlLErtDWRefgUFQrP8IUV/s1600/warmup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4MUY1bFsTKzo5lkBbei2hMAaAWiJijdrdw2Wz_9t1IKwTmqBzJ85Jkx0Bxj5SrNcQn6Uvgps63anVWWFcJ12qcgadSXOLoplNzfinBqKjxMBSeLfekDpPlEUlLErtDWRefgUFQrP8IUV/s400/warmup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377164212361666" /></a>Couldn't forget my pom-poms to cheer our team on!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ3t8MNo_HiCock2OsbeAdM0opPquK6GzFWaKNtRDVAqZtW5-h4otkXETLUKZYl1k6Iaj7yP7rYfwohyyRrsAuMAn7ozFQgGemw6kLFiefMrzJmtiCADGRzgCpm6EXoyh9Z5SYOYFmn38/s1600/cheer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ3t8MNo_HiCock2OsbeAdM0opPquK6GzFWaKNtRDVAqZtW5-h4otkXETLUKZYl1k6Iaj7yP7rYfwohyyRrsAuMAn7ozFQgGemw6kLFiefMrzJmtiCADGRzgCpm6EXoyh9Z5SYOYFmn38/s400/cheer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377154259509282" /></a>"Say cheese!"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0LPP_sd94nVICYx3kQN3PRzSxs-WCVv37a5137yl673yzf9XT4Mbj21KlivmOkJWyF10dqbkvN1p_d8dyGC8ji4Kos9usP9huIWqXbXK755XVKmS_0Rxpst2rRwo0cSgpRcT1LSnOHQu/s1600/cheese.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0LPP_sd94nVICYx3kQN3PRzSxs-WCVv37a5137yl673yzf9XT4Mbj21KlivmOkJWyF10dqbkvN1p_d8dyGC8ji4Kos9usP9huIWqXbXK755XVKmS_0Rxpst2rRwo0cSgpRcT1LSnOHQu/s400/cheese.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377155301624818" /></a>Glowing in the dark!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9R9NJOPcQL8jHREuyTJpfcNkGkfI_jyFb-5oXL6AUkAJFgX1ppl_Q87ZccYw_vVTSW-TUKS8_tGAE_LhHtnFaNv5SgUsYLHqaXQvhysAisCDrQ7oBK3fyQX8ZxQtwJjetetg0nKO4fVF/s1600/shine.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9R9NJOPcQL8jHREuyTJpfcNkGkfI_jyFb-5oXL6AUkAJFgX1ppl_Q87ZccYw_vVTSW-TUKS8_tGAE_LhHtnFaNv5SgUsYLHqaXQvhysAisCDrQ7oBK3fyQX8ZxQtwJjetetg0nKO4fVF/s400/shine.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586377143690608690" /></a>We look a little like aliens!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyMZelG445-JEXcG0fkc21dC_ncCoOLuH-YFlHqe78lLBEDg1Jxk3I4bfRzOoyTCsrTA1yRu7uRPg7QBFwVXNLUwsLg0l2RYjP7YdUBGUhyphenhyphenW6h5EX15X4CNx7vIA4TDSldtFV7RaCA5PP/s1600/glowing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyMZelG445-JEXcG0fkc21dC_ncCoOLuH-YFlHqe78lLBEDg1Jxk3I4bfRzOoyTCsrTA1yRu7uRPg7QBFwVXNLUwsLg0l2RYjP7YdUBGUhyphenhyphenW6h5EX15X4CNx7vIA4TDSldtFV7RaCA5PP/s400/glowing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586376535413697314" /></a>Our chorus line, but with no chorus... we are runners :)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidawghHE3Ea1wY2YbFvb7jcbqhpPdyy-W29pplqptkxss8ObYWbGf0NmZ26XEO9_zsRnyh58Wqm_13wLiPDecMiSt3i6lhUa9qzNV0NaJHbUSwX6k7n0PdzINb5KlAdEYea2Zh-FTD8Wta/s1600/high+knees.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidawghHE3Ea1wY2YbFvb7jcbqhpPdyy-W29pplqptkxss8ObYWbGf0NmZ26XEO9_zsRnyh58Wqm_13wLiPDecMiSt3i6lhUa9qzNV0NaJHbUSwX6k7n0PdzINb5KlAdEYea2Zh-FTD8Wta/s400/high+knees.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586376531010051298" /></a></div><div>Party afterwards!</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzHsCiPCOfibZD_LQ0UQXCccRwRpS7HRX0GLCR7Usm2_HMyscJ_hOqtLtyxjg5h_zB1XQJmmalBHqUel46yNW3gJ153UKqnz8EVWjalzpClCsoMRyK3vDcy-KnDvVMIpu-w8C0iW_tI7f/s1600/rock+on.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzHsCiPCOfibZD_LQ0UQXCccRwRpS7HRX0GLCR7Usm2_HMyscJ_hOqtLtyxjg5h_zB1XQJmmalBHqUel46yNW3gJ153UKqnz8EVWjalzpClCsoMRyK3vDcy-KnDvVMIpu-w8C0iW_tI7f/s400/rock+on.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586376529205369666" /></a>Jamming with Mariah... yeah!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkxrcd6LC1ckzylr0fJCw_chqjtZ9jVZzCGDCLP-_pLRqklvXNGqvrkM2xtio_GRp0OHircq-ZacAGKxRaCkKruo-hd1W5MFkyShID92P0VHnmiF7TacWHJaqlXw-xFzTQakGZbTJZMMo/s1600/air+guitar.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkxrcd6LC1ckzylr0fJCw_chqjtZ9jVZzCGDCLP-_pLRqklvXNGqvrkM2xtio_GRp0OHircq-ZacAGKxRaCkKruo-hd1W5MFkyShID92P0VHnmiF7TacWHJaqlXw-xFzTQakGZbTJZMMo/s400/air+guitar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586376524675405458" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span">And the last stop on our time travel adventure: an Indian wedding... AWESOME!</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Steve and I had an awesome getaway weekend in Albuquerque, NM, without Grace thanks to my cousin Carli, to see these to happy lovebirds get married! I met my friend Neema through work when we first moved to AZ, and about a year later she met this fabulous guy, Ashish. They both happen to be Indian, and therefore, we were able to witness this spectacular event of Indian culture, food, and tradition! This was the first time Steve and I had left Grace overnight, and I can't thank my cousin Carli and her husband Dustin enough for taking such good care of her while we were away.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7z3sCgBacJIzuIxOvP-R9ievEMn50jZYrsAxCpGnGehd26uUClhTUCJBPP_AVGo2m7pC49mPcbZ-3w9hGXXzlTbNGmA9Uudgdm1hK5whvCiyOZf2gpzAr0ajHBwY-RdmTdDbpfSyKYfbL/s1600/IMG_4110.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7z3sCgBacJIzuIxOvP-R9ievEMn50jZYrsAxCpGnGehd26uUClhTUCJBPP_AVGo2m7pC49mPcbZ-3w9hGXXzlTbNGmA9Uudgdm1hK5whvCiyOZf2gpzAr0ajHBwY-RdmTdDbpfSyKYfbL/s400/IMG_4110.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586376521083499170" /></a>The evening before the ceremony, we learned some awesome Indian dances. Neema and Ashish had the most incredible attire for each event!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUoJpH93wQfxu8n_xTzi5rOFnGWw9UIHZrEjgYz_Vodkgvh-VvLlFReImI24ghedxPE3sMVJ6dXEuYzF0bsAEjJB8xxsPgOw2RToHDZr73GHsYc956MsG8625iywvXj06uRUvwhkwSvGE/s1600/wedding+eve.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUoJpH93wQfxu8n_xTzi5rOFnGWw9UIHZrEjgYz_Vodkgvh-VvLlFReImI24ghedxPE3sMVJ6dXEuYzF0bsAEjJB8xxsPgOw2RToHDZr73GHsYc956MsG8625iywvXj06uRUvwhkwSvGE/s400/wedding+eve.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375800695520338" /></a>A gorgeous bride...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXFj-umYyQVujm2DoPK9GquH8ESkm4UzkY0nY9f5xOxv63DKHXM3Y0xBALr5r3AN4gc9HCLs6nhOR8o5xSJ647cPIwugXZkQMvzDGxaQ6cbi68guuq-z3sLypBP9liWhKKlqv012gk9wM/s1600/gorgeous.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXFj-umYyQVujm2DoPK9GquH8ESkm4UzkY0nY9f5xOxv63DKHXM3Y0xBALr5r3AN4gc9HCLs6nhOR8o5xSJ647cPIwugXZkQMvzDGxaQ6cbi68guuq-z3sLypBP9liWhKKlqv012gk9wM/s400/gorgeous.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375797704290274" /></a>Ashish greeting the bride's "village" and family.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZD3YjE5PPktvtuTRDtRJ9cfPXB0-4iJ3BoZYCkAMsiUj_eBEGXqqhO3J-a9d534YgblsWrKf3DRpcTyRyUZJCTaqW5fqOBGfUv2uNizrYLIvRcY0I7lRYQhOeNne_YEIFXeSQyfJFqLV/s1600/ashish.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZD3YjE5PPktvtuTRDtRJ9cfPXB0-4iJ3BoZYCkAMsiUj_eBEGXqqhO3J-a9d534YgblsWrKf3DRpcTyRyUZJCTaqW5fqOBGfUv2uNizrYLIvRcY0I7lRYQhOeNne_YEIFXeSQyfJFqLV/s400/ashish.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375794599857490" /></a>The happy couple :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuRIDc1Wv-3FxUPpjjhIo5vFiIlJzmRgN2a7EwRGy9Xn2w9La1Tf6D5EY0Rvenzt3fB34uUkjwNIZ8g_jYwl-ET33U9jteQ1zIx-N42XV6SAUD1TW4tS_RiK9ysjy-pqZEa8mzGfxSEp6/s1600/newlyweds.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuRIDc1Wv-3FxUPpjjhIo5vFiIlJzmRgN2a7EwRGy9Xn2w9La1Tf6D5EY0Rvenzt3fB34uUkjwNIZ8g_jYwl-ET33U9jteQ1zIx-N42XV6SAUD1TW4tS_RiK9ysjy-pqZEa8mzGfxSEp6/s400/newlyweds.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375788095423138" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmqFyAxw4cnbuvXmsGiWExTllHKrf6HDVVvbZMRm1z8M7bdPmJEnTOKchVPvnsFbH72BFy23DPqC1itOeJOxutMATMQlxxAbiAIxQvgzxgnw9qx7wDlcWP11QY3fvWVlS3tl47NiPtPx1/s1600/perfect.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 372px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmqFyAxw4cnbuvXmsGiWExTllHKrf6HDVVvbZMRm1z8M7bdPmJEnTOKchVPvnsFbH72BFy23DPqC1itOeJOxutMATMQlxxAbiAIxQvgzxgnw9qx7wDlcWP11QY3fvWVlS3tl47NiPtPx1/s400/perfect.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375789875052290" /></a>And so they danced...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsuoqPGRayC1nCTacZti1efhadBv5LlTbvYpYfO1oa5oS0SyMtVYWF0ol511_dYiO0JHsmgBRq38SFvNgnFBqdc4yTMf3YzqJAze9b1rAcVo8e8oyJQsEPgVLriFCgBuT48cBIFQaBUY1/s1600/IMG_4116.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsuoqPGRayC1nCTacZti1efhadBv5LlTbvYpYfO1oa5oS0SyMtVYWF0ol511_dYiO0JHsmgBRq38SFvNgnFBqdc4yTMf3YzqJAze9b1rAcVo8e8oyJQsEPgVLriFCgBuT48cBIFQaBUY1/s400/IMG_4116.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375400732632290" /></a>And before we leave this adventure, I have to post some pictures of the other love of my life. I can't tell you how much I love this little girl! She is growing up so quickly and learning so many new things. Just today, she repeatedly said "hi" over and over while we tried to Skype Nana and Papa (they never even answered, and she continued to say it!). </div><div><br /></div><div>She is a little defiant and stubborn at times... and I have succumbed to the fact that she will learn to walk when she realizes that her knees can't take anymore abuse from the carpet, concrete, grass, etc. She gets where she wants to go, and that's all that matters to her. </div><div><br /></div><div>And I can't believe I'm saying this, but she is starting to enjoy other shows besides Pingu! Her latest is "<a href="http://www.nickjr.com/ni-hao-kai-lan/">Ni Hao Kai-Lan</a>." It reminds me of Dora, but the little girl is Chinese and teaches the kids Chinese phrases and culture. It kind of makes me laugh because Pingu is a Japanese-made show. Something tells me that Grace might explore Asia one day. </div><div><br />Showing off her wispy locks...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6HcED5A8ahDVpUGqqBrBSRpnwx8V1EBwwzRM88GVA3RW6eMgs1Cj7DJOWSPvM0kAPkb1a6SXcwG8V_WQ6Fk5-GWd1lbp3gsK6LawsY27jXJ41sRoCtfuFMMTYj7FvuT2NL4S34q4N2zC/s1600/IMG_4008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6HcED5A8ahDVpUGqqBrBSRpnwx8V1EBwwzRM88GVA3RW6eMgs1Cj7DJOWSPvM0kAPkb1a6SXcwG8V_WQ6Fk5-GWd1lbp3gsK6LawsY27jXJ41sRoCtfuFMMTYj7FvuT2NL4S34q4N2zC/s400/IMG_4008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375398561285010" /></a>Two words: ink cartridge.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6b3BxXihI2BWyB2-dt0Dxq5utPk2Cis6NGqcb69LBT3aI7A8q6RAP_WvLN_qSHvX3sUuVSRbd-Tvg-sB9vKyblIgHX_T_EOfiFRs0-HRWSpcKYCQjGiz_9AnvCHIgSpRhaKY8gG7elZn/s1600/IMG_4023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6b3BxXihI2BWyB2-dt0Dxq5utPk2Cis6NGqcb69LBT3aI7A8q6RAP_WvLN_qSHvX3sUuVSRbd-Tvg-sB9vKyblIgHX_T_EOfiFRs0-HRWSpcKYCQjGiz_9AnvCHIgSpRhaKY8gG7elZn/s400/IMG_4023.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375392842675506" /></a>Playdate with Tenley.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBCh_I5iVZtl1I6HcbzqEgx3SmXINd5KlPKN9KU1pA2nhfCFmA10nWk1n-55mF2LOLzLlwQYFUmfxyrOLIHIpWEpVmJv2WGTVPoyGNoAy26lYZKibMaCh_onF0zLGtTdFIEFOzY6JAQWM/s1600/IMG_4049.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBCh_I5iVZtl1I6HcbzqEgx3SmXINd5KlPKN9KU1pA2nhfCFmA10nWk1n-55mF2LOLzLlwQYFUmfxyrOLIHIpWEpVmJv2WGTVPoyGNoAy26lYZKibMaCh_onF0zLGtTdFIEFOzY6JAQWM/s400/IMG_4049.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375385694385746" /></a>Strike a pose.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Zt2RFAtjUmBknUbCFl7vj-wH_gRhofD9eM7xWjVPYVX6-KQ5P2kChDlyBMSYv_u2ZEqsKa9Q487OD98J93D8mOX3KWOOsFMuWhQ4n8qmK57EyjPXpddlaI3X7npCMdvxg0V-px6I3TzL/s1600/IMG_4058.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Zt2RFAtjUmBknUbCFl7vj-wH_gRhofD9eM7xWjVPYVX6-KQ5P2kChDlyBMSYv_u2ZEqsKa9Q487OD98J93D8mOX3KWOOsFMuWhQ4n8qmK57EyjPXpddlaI3X7npCMdvxg0V-px6I3TzL/s400/IMG_4058.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586375380793938162" /></a>"Little Sailor" photo shoot:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nETwzrAd6aF3m-QUOsE97E6G-tUzXSEAWI33hjIzQQa_4b-VxcAtI628nxN28iRWVx0pyUuHohrecB0Fn08_um0CwweYT3Bhx9Pmu95HRVFz644xpvIGOmLi943Dpv3uu7hRSi8H1CeY/s1600/IMG_4059.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nETwzrAd6aF3m-QUOsE97E6G-tUzXSEAWI33hjIzQQa_4b-VxcAtI628nxN28iRWVx0pyUuHohrecB0Fn08_um0CwweYT3Bhx9Pmu95HRVFz644xpvIGOmLi943Dpv3uu7hRSi8H1CeY/s400/IMG_4059.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586373870086900354" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17anpvCVIDpMDVNbLvGj8_6JBzentOy9Dat-93ROz1zl0ETTtJf5cZSGSDwP-by0mHOwiSSwiiOW69LKpzmPepQz97FTEB3v5rasDL-VomBiWfaaWJdGiWj1HewQxG_Tmg02vKn0nzQ1_/s1600/IMG_4060.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17anpvCVIDpMDVNbLvGj8_6JBzentOy9Dat-93ROz1zl0ETTtJf5cZSGSDwP-by0mHOwiSSwiiOW69LKpzmPepQz97FTEB3v5rasDL-VomBiWfaaWJdGiWj1HewQxG_Tmg02vKn0nzQ1_/s400/IMG_4060.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586373863052455154" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZAFxxF0SbWfRDASdNyVJCD5_RnwdoXVyJ-rtSmvOh45Q9tnmSAg6puTqUHATTuOP3A_2jcNwzSuCG_Gpl_pidde6ezDxRRRtY63_6GwDKcnD6TcOpLF_dB5KhA7v4DwO-xG7f7tQxN6-/s1600/IMG_4066.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZAFxxF0SbWfRDASdNyVJCD5_RnwdoXVyJ-rtSmvOh45Q9tnmSAg6puTqUHATTuOP3A_2jcNwzSuCG_Gpl_pidde6ezDxRRRtY63_6GwDKcnD6TcOpLF_dB5KhA7v4DwO-xG7f7tQxN6-/s400/IMG_4066.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586373855315020914" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtBh3cQudeeNWlCq-brM0ZzVfW_9NvQCOjOyn32500s_jb8YkW6sf6IUvicJVLT9JC8HZYPp9Cy1xW8mV2vBf2HKiPDfZ0IIv5bdmBGVw-surmME396Scg5-coIErmDZbahdUlvFdJell/s1600/IMG_4078.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtBh3cQudeeNWlCq-brM0ZzVfW_9NvQCOjOyn32500s_jb8YkW6sf6IUvicJVLT9JC8HZYPp9Cy1xW8mV2vBf2HKiPDfZ0IIv5bdmBGVw-surmME396Scg5-coIErmDZbahdUlvFdJell/s400/IMG_4078.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586373849781737122" /></a>Ready for summer already sporting her watermelon swimsuit (from last year actually... this girl just doesn't seem to grow!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uqIg_E-KMj5jOV5hsM-1Q5OMgOJYF5cXaayeLXf1Cs1FzTUw8R9iUdBlVnAJ-6MKtkdJS-saXK7RlLl0_YtUDhSuoQs0hr6_c6jYMW5SDdQNNafDnca3QkhrmS9X2U-c3Solg79Ycd5J/s1600/IMG_4130.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uqIg_E-KMj5jOV5hsM-1Q5OMgOJYF5cXaayeLXf1Cs1FzTUw8R9iUdBlVnAJ-6MKtkdJS-saXK7RlLl0_YtUDhSuoQs0hr6_c6jYMW5SDdQNNafDnca3QkhrmS9X2U-c3Solg79Ycd5J/s400/IMG_4130.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586373844138196866" /></a></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-53162021148538994902011-02-14T12:16:00.000-08:002011-02-14T19:09:51.449-08:0026.2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLQW6zf8CrXfGkUgrGOFzsZSn_lMe1qpFCLcE9uFVd7a74WOIxipJ7Vemv76ngqZlHQa_Ae_toBuc1saEBX6jR5ZshWydH1cB_YbvHUwKZRXX06Z3u8zi4DDB2YfSO3nRecQoUyG9l-eP/s1600/sedona_marathon_logo.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 292px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573671095720423570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLQW6zf8CrXfGkUgrGOFzsZSn_lMe1qpFCLcE9uFVd7a74WOIxipJ7Vemv76ngqZlHQa_Ae_toBuc1saEBX6jR5ZshWydH1cB_YbvHUwKZRXX06Z3u8zi4DDB2YfSO3nRecQoUyG9l-eP/s400/sedona_marathon_logo.bmp" /></a> I can honestly say I just accomplished to most physically challenging thing I have ever put my body through. I never thought a marathon could be so difficult. After running the St. George Marathon 3 times, I now realize how EASY that course is... yes, I just used the words "marathon" and "easy" in the same sentence! I trained hard for this race. There aren't many hills to train here, so I found myself running up and down the same hill over and over. I even did trail running once a week to prepare for the 40% of the course that was steep downhill/uphill trail running. And to give my body a chance to recover from the toll of running, I was dedicated with weekly yoga and pilates.<br /><div><br /><div><div>I knew the race was going to be challenging, especially with the big change in elevation (1,117 feet to 4,326 feet). However, I assumed that the trails would be well-groomed and free from too many rocks. And I looked at the course elevation map thinking I would sprint the downhills and jog the uphills if I got tired. Haha... I laugh a little as I type those last two statements. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>Course elevation map: see below.</div><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 98px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573668296599450946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZm9xh7AJ_aNNDnM28Vnxx-hRavVURuzpaS9Ps17N4Vq86bHn_CzinBOeI62zQpzioKAwmLF5dW8KcWkj9otoMCfeON8ohYdDe8GdKh2ru39lWP_Mrw7R59n2K7lcDDB4HvTZOlWMb0aJ/s400/sedona+elevation.jpg" />The trails were rocky and extremely hilly. I usually get lost in my music as I run, but I found myself so focused on my footing, the hills, and my breathing, that I could have left my ipod at the start. It was difficult to breathe at times and it felt as if I were breathing through a straw on the uphills. The scenery however was breathtaking! The weather was perfect, a little cool in the morning, but it was beautful by midmorning/afternoon. Although it was a challenge, the first half went surprisingly well. I did a PR for my half marathon time in 1 hr 59 min.<br /><br /><div></div><div>The way back was a different story. In this race, you run 13.1 miles and then turn around and run back the way you came. At the turn around point, I was faced with a 500 ft climb on trail in about 4 miles... yeah, I walked most of that. At mile 15 or so, I had to stop to use the restroom. I hate doing this because it kills your time, but at least I knew I was staying hydrated. Then another stop.... had to take off my shoe and sock to put moleskin on a newly formed blister.... oh the joys of marathons! </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>A marathon isn't a marathon without a stop at the porta potty...</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573671091531401714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwEn_VHSEn78H_IiILIgYG6vb3VRBdcrsKdfsGKB39m-SY1nT02329mmpfpyYlKtXDBIXWw3QP6D6kgGhTP4ltsbONaWqFD9akK3k7hoa7I0Am66n8aTYJyjQ5msm-_T9_PkVvXGiUfUt/s400/porta+potty.jpg" />I really don't remember too much more of the second half of the race. I don't ever recall running on flat ground... you either go uphill or downhill. I was physically exhausted, but somehow I kept going. I do remember I got a burst of energy at mile 22 and made up some time I had lost previously. I had to laugh because several volunteers said my hair looked great around that time... you usually don't here that while running a marathon! </div><div><br /><div></div><div>I ended up running with a fellow Sedona marathon participant around mile 24. I thought that we would help push eachother, but come to find out he was actually training for his 3rd Ironman and was having some digestive issues. He also normally runs a very fast pace (around 7 min/mile). When I met up with him, he said he was feeling better enough to run and got a burst of energy too. We started sprinting down a steep hill... my pace jumped from 11:00 to 7:30... my legs were killing me, but I didn't want to leave his side because I knew it would make up time. I finally told him to go on, but shortly after saw him walking up the next hill... this course was even tough for an Ironman. </div><br /><div>The last mile was extremly difficult, but my dad joined me for the very last uphill and gave me that last push that I needed. It made me think back to my first marathon when he rode his bike along side me for the last 5 miles... "one foot in front of the other," he says. Oh, how I love you dad... thank you for being there!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>Last 1/2 mile...<br /></div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573671886184888130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35yhbAqdeIFaEP9JVqTgdKy4PBaFTXF72akr6YSN_oA7CaeLRkWuiReo3vPCExnTfa37mGl-DiPUdkx7DcG0FwJ6k-JiyeRDKOC2NAbyxoZnn-eo45iaj_fYvzNK8dVjMyCX49GFtBygX/s400/2011-02-12+12.29.37.jpg" />And so I finished... 4 hrs 31 min. And I can honestly say I am proud of this time. I placed second in my age division and that doesn't ever happen to me. Usually I feel like I could have done better or pushed harder, but I don't think I could have given it anymore... I gave it everything I had. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>My sister Abby and I post-race. And in case your wondering, Abby didn't run the half marathon in that skirt! She got to shower after her race. I got to take a "hobo bath," as Steve calls it, in the gas station restroom because we had to check out of our hotel before I finished.<br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573668295054905298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7RMLKNy12t8MlJ-WSnOPL1gjRnN-y_qIutFiX1T4E6ZAELpqVkWiKEeevvTqPHGkiU643L1YE6csqW1Sta1L7PmCV7GWrlUm6R4NePms-LpEOwTuiXDh9ogYC791WnqMt4lqKqHbFHDP/s400/2011-02-12+13.12.54.jpg" />And now I have a lovely sunburn and some very sore legs, but I did it! I also can say I will never do this marathon again, but I'm glad I did because courses that I once thought were challenging, won't seem so difficult. </div><div><br /><div></div><div>I do have to mention a few other friends and fam that ran this crazy course as well. My sister Abby ran the 1/2 marathon in 2:17.... incredible! It was so fun to have Abby and my parents come down from SL. Steve ran the 1/2 as well with no training whatsoever and suprisingly averaged around an 11 min/mile (that was with walking the last 4 miles of the race!). My friend Megan and her friend Abby ran their first marathon! I'm amazed they finished an incredibly challenging course... WAY TO GO!</div><br /><div>I can hardly wait to do another marathon... one that is very FLAT and on PAVEMENT!</div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyeKi9gx6VUkew8HRmbdPCQqtm49rjHFSzu5-lGjVD9ttn2BtioVu_ekAi8avvmQcbBSwWFSAn9k3_kwYGJ4A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div>And a side note... I said my time was 4:36 in this clip, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that my chip time (real time) was faster than what I saw on the clock when I finished :)</div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-62346938738212666232011-01-23T10:20:00.000-08:002011-01-23T15:32:59.111-08:00She's Still My "Baby"Grace has been growing up so quickly as of late... I see this "baby" slipping away more and more. Some say that once a baby turns one, they are now considered a "toddler." Grace has yet to "toddle" around so I feel that I can still call her my baby.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Although, part of me longs for her to walk since her pants are becoming worn and black in the knees.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br />"My head now can <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">accommodate</span> the headphones to the flip-down TV in the car... but don't worry mom, I'm still your baby."<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565458131232352274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib82I8PylSXFHAjLNhD0WVX4sLYqzaoheuR9P6jemNHbJ5dGAg0wpvahYc3MtMUCwAfuQvnCkZtPmNAKUhmz43MX2xTqYtsn1WPv86egXbI2iiJi-fqSyMXsi5K7AZkH7TPkelHrfA0nIk/s400/IMG_3840.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565458123494656978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtEPvA5N-tsheGFW5DWQG-anlG10LL-qr6TC7j1eKrZg4J9haBPRmp0Mkxy-vLjfIGrOiCHNSSPJqlid3V4H4XsS8tuX_8TlzQEXq6WCv4Zen4GhPV1ofUAooTM4X73gWnFkarHlvSSbn/s400/IMG_3839.JPG" />"I can manage to climb into the dryer... but don't worry mom, I'm still your baby."<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565460411615414018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuyNDzoQ1n7226r1E05M6o9n7edmTy0o06rmCB3-Tuj8Sem3uMCiBMJqOMhA_NFq8wP6b8SN8suScak0njDaSIyCePo14OAzeWK8FgLuZOrjwVy10G4IaV0ISu5snk_tfiSy3BDkHWPoG/s400/IMG_3883.JPG" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1-kfnxTGh_GYQFotjd3hf8N08mtSAuVTOUIaesg83gRTK_VzAmuSRiQmdmYqczAPLy5a_7PEYtPf3Bxz3GzOIuLIGrlPaBZ7_lWUSd452KIkPJmxHz95ZpNtdlirn9orMuYclvdQT7oW/s1600/IMG_3882.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565459313893834514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1-kfnxTGh_GYQFotjd3hf8N08mtSAuVTOUIaesg83gRTK_VzAmuSRiQmdmYqczAPLy5a_7PEYtPf3Bxz3GzOIuLIGrlPaBZ7_lWUSd452KIkPJmxHz95ZpNtdlirn9orMuYclvdQT7oW/s400/IMG_3882.JPG" /></a>"I'm composing the first movement of my concerto in G major... but don't worry mom, I'm still your baby."<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565459298889315250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKLRu9G3tuPier948GcHerJE9Ys3OcXPNf5Jrd_ZcoOi1SqOMDxbhxxfMIYcyr2aeB4enBRPI3xtn8K1zzGxv79C2lVRfSpXlTh0mVI3vgPIgGCYFR_vPyWNesOi3gDEHMHZJy92ysiD_/s400/IMG_3875.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565459290657561042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUo6AepW2tk32_R_xLCHFCfXsn2Os0jVj_yP1901g4LMVHmHPvdL2oDAfFqA4bhHbbbBWc4aEOflo5JRuHVslSNj9Eytso1OB9dMv9jQgPwj4OREi8plXJrVAzpWiNg4pjdQIsqxF4EZ3/s400/IMG_3874.JPG" />"I can still wear tutus and get away without wearing a shirt... I'm still your baby."<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565459284828451970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbykxi3htiM0rPuQAwSDryqpyR0_aafgwfl6cLOGVSf6GQY6lIR2ov-iOjySYh4E81GJ64ePCQ49MWe2SZWQJdwl5661COXUY9wJr3Fi2-COlBjn6NZMtbnzMjX-uBjuItQ5uXI1-_2VvT/s400/IMG_3851.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565458143871762834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTBANcN0miySz5vRWO82JJfbHIPPxyBsaS9YVwo30q3-b5JJNaHGGh1nrnsge0xbeQ3PrDAg_Kc2Wv0n2aOlxV8-5z4-DLjeH6nYBd-aOrGfbeeQUoIjAJRit3ZvDKQfo_OFYh9BNtFSB/s400/IMG_3843.JPG" />"I can still ride in the jogging stroller... I'm still your baby."<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565458134080781042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrBqpbKfUEFqknhv-pfVBqBu-eD0pKeUCo8h0YBOYby-jf0z_TZvnVndWxOcbICHNs1kks5IvtG27O2hZzen6Vs7hKo8eALaaLK3tQVe_BKHg7SDYbHZLnqljHucqCCQtIF26bou09cso/s400/IMG_3859.JPG" />"Don't worry mom, I'll always be your baby."<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565458122931878290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-Py1wS9aRGUTN6vmQDBIWduizMl9F9FdzjohgXL1Ro34YmW4uRPgFKQg0xtcJ-12XkEIVirrrixA2o43eVGpOUMjExPWs0mJFiTsnpflxo1GkhMagvwI8zx2eXpk1D7I7qS1W72NyV5T/s400/IMG_3838.JPG" />Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-34305640495802197042010-12-31T16:09:00.000-08:002010-12-31T17:44:34.001-08:00Holiday HappeningsSo I made a New Year's resolution last year to post at least once every month. And here it is New's Years Eve and I am quickly entering this post for December... looks like my procrastinating hasn't changed yet. <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></div><div align="left"></div>Steve, Grace, and I are up in Utah right now visiting family and friends. We will be leaving January 2nd after a long 2.5 week trip up here. I came up with Grace a little early and managed to drive all 11 hrs with only 2 quick stops with a very grumpy baby in the backseat. <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></div><div align="left"></div>It's been a fun trip, but I'm excited to get back to AZ... it seems to be growing on me more and more. Here are a few of the highlights from the past couple weeks:<br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Celebrating a Norweigian Christmas Eve at my Aunt Marie and Uncle Charle's home... such a special tradition! Grace got to open 1 gift that night after watching Santa put presents under the tree.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557006265906488274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4s9s-0ILrKZiKcKdq_l_-9OezBqdieOtEA5Wi1E_aFU0nBgT_Fg_AQMuD-fXzH85wG-oI2wBIxaxcbGkkAdl808z-TSoZInF0cS18AmV3YD2tnQ1K31aTvzP0mobmK53ocgvakf4WJTl/s400/IMG_3644.JPG" /></div><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557008142014017618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0J5RlXVhLfzh1D9ednFAzi3Mzktk7mqd1IO3BaCfT5lJL4cYVd768AW-D3_cHYBXDOdxfOlKN5DEEJG6W21pEduGE9Y9ZFbL0Y1vLan2s4TzRxZ2p-7dFogsHhMW5E6kYd2b-khxaURgt/s400/IMG_3636.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557008791057041698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbC2AP_jcErIctdVyn1d5hHnJcYatLJ2VnShCp0WvjD88OjJKKz8PTxUG8NH4LkMjqnCnHowD9iVg61XFtxCJEJozuqWsRfF84CxU3TmRGI-lsFy-BoZ8dFYXINlj8milWXbgeMw825K5/s400/IMG_3657.JPG" />Christmas morning... someone looks tired!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557007375466211378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6Et34qO1EyJ5Cl7zOSdlBQTDsOKJ0QDhl0kn0o77Hqg4SFrZ6dEgUG-aIdoDKMVQXRhUEd5IVwfUmXfY4I_iK-RFn6bzfmskSg4lYTGUbOjhOgVAaJgQfHydlvv_09nluHBEEFd96WQP/s400/IMG_3671.JPG" /></p><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Our Princess Turned One! </span></strong><br /><p>So, my baby girl turned 1 today! We had a fabulous princess party yesterday with lots of royal guests, decadent cake, and games fit for a princess! </p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zA_coazvK0vV9rIawE2VOwSwxmrpxjGW8KYcwwCHOkNa3Pjs0XJ9snA_blcnzHNRU5vY9o0Dfuib0gBoTAygr-h7d7M8C-oCFgs3D-hdAhiO-Vww0ty5luniye9PMd6sSHWwh7qbPK9v/s1600/IMG_3759.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557009082635198210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Bx5KQlvNvTMGCtHiRUArI7cH7E6V9n42w_-YCd7Jf2t7f9doDO6PP3hg_AJJjAJhf2uOrvgqK74orAMrJh8tlQ8XJdJxBNtuvyxI_A4aeqG3ncaHJzDCqW8zxqXDcjqKxJ1sLQaXuGeh/s400/IMG_3679.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHzq_aEJiYDbf_dMhlfEqE5ohhjsO4wF4dOaxl6xxuWVzPiOcYVujK2lUlSZhj-dTpQaW-XHPTLh3W2p3g8YZhalq_MQ_paxIGpeo5if_gk1UeU0cMtjttkSyMJjFJ2zWY34t8TmdtAhP/s1600/IMG_3684.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557005470798001522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHzq_aEJiYDbf_dMhlfEqE5ohhjsO4wF4dOaxl6xxuWVzPiOcYVujK2lUlSZhj-dTpQaW-XHPTLh3W2p3g8YZhalq_MQ_paxIGpeo5if_gk1UeU0cMtjttkSyMJjFJ2zWY34t8TmdtAhP/s400/IMG_3684.JPG" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Thanks to my sister Abby for making such tasty and beautiful cakes!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557008796453147122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQokVA-Ppz-c4p0A_QMe9wjSI0DSKmKGBvsdaoMAv22vh5ui86qhVUwuMX86BrRbSXSCiMqKAkzr1xJBXke58bk24S6V3O9-1zC-uWmsBJqIqsocOablYsJ6TukiWmfZUcbYV6yciA0TYR/s400/IMG_3687.JPG" /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Loving her adorable tutu that my friend made especially for Grace!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557006257230151890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax-cFMcR7dpRzAHC7TaHm-AmyYCX-mrmfc3a177kW1aMrbDJNp0Vk1J6cSv5udo09gTzqI6O9JkUsZwLonG3W4a1ylQxd8Auayyz0wI2bfF5P70G2EGtOfHkrr15QHp1FHYZzqwqmcomK/s400/IMG_3692.JPG" /> Parachute Games!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cIzo25PzanJg5V9oJC4rIkLtm3eEKayRUYz8GU-8ImW64BcwuSBHANwtNa4VAhvYNA91IPhazEMYVip9xgZOicWIHU5IiUXAAfJqDY-yZL2KLWvsFUEhbZIZmy_khgyKSnC0QHqdk1z1/s1600/IMG_3758.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557005467451015266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cIzo25PzanJg5V9oJC4rIkLtm3eEKayRUYz8GU-8ImW64BcwuSBHANwtNa4VAhvYNA91IPhazEMYVip9xgZOicWIHU5IiUXAAfJqDY-yZL2KLWvsFUEhbZIZmy_khgyKSnC0QHqdk1z1/s400/IMG_3758.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zA_coazvK0vV9rIawE2VOwSwxmrpxjGW8KYcwwCHOkNa3Pjs0XJ9snA_blcnzHNRU5vY9o0Dfuib0gBoTAygr-h7d7M8C-oCFgs3D-hdAhiO-Vww0ty5luniye9PMd6sSHWwh7qbPK9v/s1600/IMG_3759.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557007389798414434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-WybX60kzNkbONe5x5APhGgUnlDytYE-jyTkddU4BzFVSA3elW_1zqqhRAD3SLFgaju1r41xre6WEJ1Emlo_rD60DkHiegRP4QCNAOuRF8X-2oEHopFUButjbPUXwvXsXvQeyHU5V-4f/s400/IMG_3752.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zA_coazvK0vV9rIawE2VOwSwxmrpxjGW8KYcwwCHOkNa3Pjs0XJ9snA_blcnzHNRU5vY9o0Dfuib0gBoTAygr-h7d7M8C-oCFgs3D-hdAhiO-Vww0ty5luniye9PMd6sSHWwh7qbPK9v/s1600/IMG_3759.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557005479652851986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zA_coazvK0vV9rIawE2VOwSwxmrpxjGW8KYcwwCHOkNa3Pjs0XJ9snA_blcnzHNRU5vY9o0Dfuib0gBoTAygr-h7d7M8C-oCFgs3D-hdAhiO-Vww0ty5luniye9PMd6sSHWwh7qbPK9v/s400/IMG_3759.JPG" /></a>Enjoying some yummy cake! So, I didn't let Grace go all out with this one, but rather she had 1 dainty bite-sized cupcake. No mess to clean up and we avoided a sugar high too!<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557005476179174930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcEzaE8xWo_-yfWOXrM9wDMOIqPXadMau8Pew9_XMXnEiz_VV8Mt9ZJk0OadgEzZorXm6GI-Paecqhme2c7VEJr4OYzowSod1p62I5aV0xsrPzUGBw1l0Miy3Bog4Z2f6ooE4P0BSZAV2/s400/IMG_3775.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557007398456670066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGU1ZV655PfzzlzXrhrDrOX1k_9oxcGhsaNyhn54uvAwhIVmyHoJVJVAdGU1CTfotEXtLSRdgF75-uh135etMZ2D4OQZToQoVeZeuDzVkoKX4daIBgs-LlFAjJZiuqNg9lr3pMiwnvLZM/s400/IMG_3777.JPG" />Grace loves her pretty pink piano!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557008132605570562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6Y7WIYijqsF8lb68c2o3YXAs3hNvOfW6IwMBZ2SUsJVmmRoL6zuDvpj9HFDgLrayYup75L5Z3mIerpnhfGIPVyLghwJJ3YLndZMSGMejZiPMPYc1TU-xNj_v1VokaBga2HEulY97c6SR/s400/IMG_3798.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557007404986583298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-GgedivT1eRvx5s9RxzUSEpT-4V0ifhyrIDvKUtPnl9hdDOOXeYnejUhNjOjjts0lxPZ0vGm9fq2R-E8CJYJBBMl165e3DSSE_7Lx7sVZefpwpZIiGa8UXrSRsLYlGKkxHmNI-HBlkUG/s400/IMG_3796.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557008137693828786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y5jHKoCpBGcZWxM0p1dZXnolECwOi6VSG5Nx-HWnOkz_CpY-LoW2lJ_gjWs4sHvyCTlr3HYM7e2bGDJI2gYdyk80mOnQjajAJbM_s-7HpQUz0DwwKVaKU_AoZw8C_EzinTRx5BvD4qFd/s400/IMG_3802.JPG" /></div></div>"Thanks Nana for helping with my party!"<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557005456207062658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIwaWvW310rgNQ4gsy2-KqTw0jhXwdBqKwHcTjOgcsUPBiKiJ3ejqntojQhKGZvXVIwtsqEVlDp8OlXix8ctYZbwdx49995GS41ehLnBOLYpilOoJiT8XC8_EwmYdK0AErDOQqvKSBxtH/s400/IMG_3696.JPG" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zA_coazvK0vV9rIawE2VOwSwxmrpxjGW8KYcwwCHOkNa3Pjs0XJ9snA_blcnzHNRU5vY9o0Dfuib0gBoTAygr-h7d7M8C-oCFgs3D-hdAhiO-Vww0ty5luniye9PMd6sSHWwh7qbPK9v/s1600/IMG_3759.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557006275189404594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlOJKIXGmiS1cQqM6JTLwbdnXDALbDZ3ZI0MZyvIFlroIqi0ghSBadQWZK17BKT2KiKQf66PMH-JdGGuiVFt4TXzI-4kVu08yK0ogp4G8aVTgPxdORre47OFkZJUgw6cu0-kGhu4ApatN/s400/IMG_3825.JPG" /></a></div></div>And before I forget, here are a couple pics from Grace's first experience with snow! She LOVED being outside in her puppy snow suit!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557006262254049218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-EI2bbx4m_bvbBrHKxGysgzmF1ovMQJgejWLlaM2eYblEK4oQPLHSYd0YubqiU4_3bdpPm7E6jpX9u-b9mSPbfbFT5Y4u7WdsXW16hp6j96lq9aO6gV0nRxpaw-skwp8N2LK2Bt6ir45/s400/IMG_3609.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557007381641984946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRkgCRx8OtN1gpbvgYvErM3KKmJBjmQUykpmiSkLhEw-77LgyfhzS7kTc3cnFq5YI8dGDPkzg3BLALhS67BzeHjaYPcnxR6UnIXR6u_ZAqGetMthDpbfC_qL20xKBqxY0EfT2qKxXNI4w/s400/IMG_3607.JPG" />Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-67619932538001924682010-11-07T19:02:00.000-08:002010-11-08T12:38:35.060-08:00Halloween, Birthday, Visit from Nana, Sunglasses Update...So, I had the best birthday present ever about a week and 1/2 ago... mom my flew down on the morning of my birthday, and we had a blast while she was here! Steve has been in Tuscon for one of his rotations and I was getting a little lonely here at home by myself, so this present from my mom is just what Grace and I needed. We went to one of my favorite restaurants in Scottsdale:<strong><em> </em></strong><a href="http://www.arcadiafarmscafe.com/afs/index.html"><strong><em>Arcadia Farms</em></strong></a>. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 283px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537028363753590018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7A5lUNn0TV_TyX13vnZNWNwxb6l5IctJZHSah-XvyRIY7oivLgGm-8BQuYlqXX2UGIKqwVIcNxJdd7_oSnwSNgKIs_sh-Jh7ftmrv40kQotwFwqcgHCARwuMTP9AlC0eZCbpf7pyiZsdq/s400/arcadia.jpg" />The food is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">DELICIOUS</span> and the desserts are very tasty. We then took a trip over to the <a href="http://www.themim.org/"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><strong><em>MIM</em></strong></span></a> (musical instrument museum). This attraction is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">fairly</span> new to Phoenix and if you live in the area or come to visit, it is well worth your $15. They display instruments from all over the world and you get to hear a huge variety of music and culture. One might think this museum would be very noisy, but is actually very quiet... let me explain. On the tour, you wear a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">headset</span> hooked to a receiver. Each display has a TV showing people from almost every country in the world playing instruments native to where they live. As you pass in front of the TV, the transmitter picks up the signal and you are able to hear the music... it is awesome!<br /><br />We also went hiking in the South Mountain park and decided to try the "Mormon" trail. Notice the sign below.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537018136672178306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTd47kGEj-ASwEwW-_m3RtDotQ4MoDFcYhVYKuMPz168qhBWcdAMJ1VHiu7YAIbpyBQCw7-gisuCcd5sYldPwinKsS-ttRTWnLbKJoFXjxfF_3jYppJ-2U4bXU-vxgvEFYQTv6MR7xywd/s400/IMG_3500.JPG" />I think it's about time to get a new hiking pack for Grace. The baby <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">bjorn</span> was too heavy to carry in front, so we managed to get it on my back...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537019407339464194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIHQryBFWdG4_tjrSj19iMTROJh9hk7qiucmAbC7pbUbQvg4FuJwIxs-c8PFtCQ2MXGYnfgFx6ovrfnWu5pI4v-pSEGGZWHHym2zMqZul4TJJxECFibj6sZ6X3OyHViSoMmkxlpNtgfFP/s400/IMG_3516.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537020888694263858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2PgotNI01QrCps8qe4xJXf3CfJ4Nd4FbhGFfsA4bUhvaQYQe5dCpvhooVjf5UUg5RJAaAGfmu4mxUousCCP19afLs2-Y7nAr6iy8TFGflcUhM6FgraU4WcDePHn8xkHEDda7z6wLi-E4/s400/IMG_3511.JPG" />Grace enjoying her first piece of cake...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537020879163251970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9eoqVSeyVYxBPl846Zcnd-DfYlWE5urZIhvvbPvWQdisRhMeiH31ElQBOAxtGbJ9qBr6pEMpuyDYWDZfyzijhWQVMs70tLfjNmmVFkHZQ_i-Yi5hQnwG_yIAsDmdIcnBzJ1M0nquQWr6/s400/IMG_3498.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537018128240889506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRlaU4L9xPyw2CT3wA4Mp3qDJchN-nvBnop25G3zhHoDJu1gL56PfbTHhdbn4_UrNdLFtJT4DO62zaI_2Q1pzlMa4HdM2yrdMd0dtSBNAnr13TttJ5g579d3BedqxKzq4QjngPJZK5kAn/s400/IMG_3495.JPG" />We made these fun jingle sticks for a music class I teach in our ward. They were a lot of work, but I think they turned out great and the kids seemed to like them.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537020896835094770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Uw3QH6Cl6Nv7ibeaqeLX_exc17Uy5HKt5Gl1vCuI_kWypY6W0dLHTXU8efHAeRSI4EPaft-O_6pFHDs97ZUtc-ig7QKAbPc7QKTBI8y2t6jzFjTiW6qu3QLkfErssW66omid31ZyofNi/s400/IMG_3485.JPG" />Luckily, my mom was here for one of my most favorite <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">holidays</span>: Halloween. Grace was supposed to be a lion this year, but the costume was just too big for her. I made a quick trip to my favorite <a href="http://www.tjmaxx.com/"><strong><em>store</em></strong></a> ever and picked up this adorable flower costume. Grace is quite petite, and this 6-9 month outfit was the perfect size... it makes me laugh because Grace is 10 months old! We went to the trunk-or-treat at church and Midwestern also had trick-or-treating throughout the campus with some other fun activities. I felt a little silly grabbing candy for Grace, but I enjoyed it later! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537018122458665778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFm7706Aw1an8lGPbeAf7wRjXQYvxm1U5EzngUwduRAQVDrg0lBIUDaZ7N5POU5fxyug_cLionSpVFGcXFzBZ-oiEsYL-jGqyB73THqp_ETTezyHuQYPOFnY_ysYgBfzE4tLsQn-uT8JzR/s400/IMG_3475.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537018117080887778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPq7FpoG2fNdRoaCTqd3joSpZQR6uiYXu0Nnf0wu4vpk7lhgpBtHYxxJswn0KbBnBbtQEy_ejsUMbdcChC46cckjH8VUzR-eM6EuoWkhO8ICwCVfilmYPylaKaBJ8qbRQp4dv9SEOtyN8A/s400/IMG_3462.JPG" /> Right after we dropped Nana off at the airport to go home, Grace and I headed to the polls...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537020885587544210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Evs-mwtcYilLGjVmtq5QVgfHOBBBQUtT3_towmJEolOtmaynwbjWsU308jt31KG-a_X4ryp2OzgTESE2KyFoRszo76_feqMiE2jQpNwMbLDso1NZ-MhGgs9h1M5tH6SUwReZ1fh2rJWm/s400/IMG_3518.JPG" />Steve was able to come up for the weekend from Tuscon. Since he wasn't here on my birthday he said he would have a gift for me on the weekend. And he surprised me with this:<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537019438598945954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVeTkgf75q2Ut-iiO16UADYHm6lwwwcu_68xXoW5P7T7M2WeobnQ1p1sUHAoDpvfub2TKUjEu5VUUzFIlP_ka2dhfejM8tSmY-jIRqHmWp9_9LJktB6UcSbw5nZwkIyyOUJnqHr8DhqJP/s400/IMG_3559.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537019418855461474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTn-sShPSyEu0nwcQJVJEP3CwwZaDG35iZJtwm5fp6_y7DNc02zxtoxmGcLNEWL1azpqLxBJdcldzm7SjE2z5FopNRSafssCEcqGx5cPjNqVQII52Ees16NDLROruQaLH5jGY1iMtL6xw/s400/IMG_3558.JPG" /> I am SO EXCITED to finally have a bike! Steve scored big when he saw this bike on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Craigslist</span>. I didn't think I would be able to get a bike this year because they are so expensive, but I am so grateful that Steve found such an awesome deal on this one. The lady that he purchased it from had ridden it only 8 times. She had all of the gear too, and amazingly it fit me perfect.... shoes, shorts, helmet, etc! The bike was purchased for about $2,000 (she even showed Steve the receipts) and he bought everything for $550!! She planned to train for a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">triathlon</span>, but never really got into it. I'm just excited because now I can train for my first <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">triathlon</span> and not have to use spin class as training! I can't thank Steve enough for finding it!<br /><br />And we had to cheer on our Utes this past weekend... unfortunately their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">undefeated</span> streak is over.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537020891491172098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2yDxOIrPV8k9_JHEEjcWEN0PEzzVn5_dAz1N2D9K4s3D76oiBCpiDVa8TlG-_N-rcrPx9oIwS2O68NxzeCI3hlqkbEqUMVZIhOIzqvX9F8watCfasyDmnexSFtXVbRZj0Egat019gwD3/s400/IMG_3529.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537018141165073058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ob_PQtVRwFB7Q4iH_s86dhdDHmhrr5mTbWJtqgUpfEXqn0-QyU3Xm-sSs_sNd0bcFLiPHcWjDunVQRXoIZSDuKZGAUxq6qoCaXPfD94YoeR5oHfwjw6WShtDCPpiHB9VwFwD66qOr_9M/s400/IMG_3536.JPG" />And just another side note, Grace started crawling about a week ago! My mom was still here and saw her timidly creep across the floor. She doesn't like to go very far, but I'm sure that will change with time. Steve is back down in Tuscon, but I won't be lonely for very long because my sister is coming to visit this week! <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Soooo</span> excited to see you Ange!<br /><br />Oh, and before I forget... my sunglasses were lost once again. But this last time was quite ironic. When I went to TJ Maxx to purchase Grace's costume, I left my jinxed shades on the counter at the register. Luckily, I called and they confirmed they were still there. This makes me laugh because they got left at the place I originally purchased them at! Wow... I wonder where they will end up next!Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-14128488326027810322010-10-17T13:54:00.001-07:002010-10-17T15:46:46.900-07:00They must be Jinxed!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 156px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 205px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529139088692796770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQkKrkvqktn1jgUH8f_Erml1PKJFMRWN1LkoCySsmMoELwj750tr2AboIbZn2t_E-9iOJp21Ss5zVMPEeVOpw1aHm-ZUQmdRtIBn5lWQP5Bxu5bR_WEhMXhTKyucafQzOAo4zBuCvedFO/s400/pCKI1-7037208v600.jpg" />So, I have a pair of sunglasses that I'm surprised still exist! I have often heard to not spend a lot of money on sunglasses because for many people they easily get lost, stolen, broken, dropped in a lake, etc. So I bought this lovely pair for about $40 at my favorite store ever (thanks to my mom): TJ Maxx.<br /><br />Featured here...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529139108491855202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcP7jqnQvH2nFmDWYI8AZRq0JPH081l4Hb46zSLugwK7Iq_mQ6_QUeyILP2QklH-jaFlCtfAQMyYawE-jGLkL10mK0k8nnlIWK8pzPhpmK9-s5H7c7GYcnFLymzsLqUDVMueUfVWPxw9O/s400/IMG_3260.JPG" />And here...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529139101763927778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Vo9ZYBZ9yzSiWMAMiKFWoiC5q4eVXaRWQgT1TcHMgPCO6mubxeTidKm5hqGoRqLLoaKhBn0H7Jvr0dqtqxfjeuItVNW6-0nyh98QBDtZ-FI7y_CW7F7bzeXPkhxpyR0qxrNJRgkOx7b4/s400/IMG_2765.JPG" /><br /><br />I've gone through many a pair, but I have somehow managed to hold onto this particular pair for a while now, meaning for about 2 years! This is very surprising to me because they seem to been lost more than found, however, they somehow always get returned... let me explain:<br /><br /><div>1st time gone missing:</div><div>My aunt comes to visit this past spring and the sunglasses get left in her rental car. I call her just in the nick of time before the car is returned. Unfortunately, they went back to Utah for 3 months. On my way up to WA to visit my brother, I picked up my favorite pair on my layover in SLC. </div><div><br /> </div><div>2nd time gone missing:</div><div>While visiting Utah, I'm enjoying my recently recovered sunglasses. Of course I had to attend a family reunion and then leave them on a picnic table. Not knowing this, I searched everywhere for my shades. After flying back to AZ, I realized that they may have been left at the reunion. Luckily, someone had picked them up and I managed to track them down after making some phone calls. Talk about good fortune. My mom mails my favorite pair to sunny AZ. </div><br /><div>3rd time gone missing: </div><div>I'm finally enjoying my sunglasses again in the blazing sun here. Then one day, Steve's aunt Kathy watched Grace while I went to work. After installing the carseat base in her car, I left the glasses on the floor of the car. I get a phone call 2 days later saying that a pair of sunglasses were found. "Wow," I thought... "how do I keep losing these things!"</div><br /><div>4th time gone missing:</div><div>After about 3 whole weeks of NOT losing my sunglasses, they of course had to dissapear once again. This time, however, they didn't wander too far. But after all of my luck, I thought for sure that I had thrown them away on accident... just like I had thrown away our remote control 2 years ago. I searched our apartment as if I were a crime detective; they were nowhere to be found. I remember sitting for about 30 min on the floor trying to retrace my steps from the past week. I realized they must be in the diaper bag, although I had gone through it 4 times already! I dumped the whole thing on the floor and there they were.... at the very bottom! I also realized that I should probably clean out that bag more often.</div><br /><div>5th time gone missing:</div><div>So, it had been about another 3 weeks of holding onto my jinxed shades, until yesterday... I just had to leave them at my friends apartment after attending her son's 1st birthday. It's nice to know they are in safe hands (as long as they are out of reach of her 1-year-old) until I can get them back, once AGAIN. </div><br /><div>Am I the only one who has a pair of sunglasses that seem to disappear and reappear so many times? Maybe one day they won't make their way back to me, but as for now, I'll just enjoy the time I have with them, especially because sunglasses are ESSENTIAL year-round in AZ. </div><br /><div>And on another note, we celebrated Steve's 30th B-day a couple weeks ago! I managed to pull off an awesome surprise party, and much to my surprise, he was VERY surprised :) We splurged on some Coldstone ice cream cake and Steve loves his new Halo Reach game. Now I can tease him since he is in his thirties and I'm still enjoying my twenties :) Love you baby!!</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Picture of his younger years...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 269px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529139097449922834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-3cHzsvB0q5rNdCtDvjOrRhQ31aRKdqcwaP3hKGwKN9aZ8HFdlLMxT4_JN9ALa6ihKyqs4AiXm7fXJSEZqQxsvVg_Cm2Rufd6AW1ZQ6Y8u-1HZNruitifzjYkHBQeJTQk9EsxYZwR2CC/s400/steve_edit1.bmp" />"Happy Birthday Daddy!"<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529139112975233282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG5mQGwTIRbaKblpy9HTRgnMHBJUNmpt4Ybg-nXI5_l5UEJJCiNlme7k54n4A1Wm9_pPrs8WE15WZ_7RnrJg5qaMFgZru6ZbX3h-gt3jt-nF8n6MCrvXJ-oSeSeRd9TVKrvbR6Nr_YWsj/s400/IMG_3422.JPG" /></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-88051966287954651972010-09-07T19:42:00.000-07:002010-09-07T21:43:41.460-07:00Playing Catch Up<span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Where did August go? My goal was to post at least once a month this year... oops. I admire the moms that manage to post weekly and capture every moment on camera to tell the story of their day to day lives. I often find myself saying "this would make a great post," but 90% of the time those imaginary posts are simply stored in my memory. So here is, yet again, another recap:</span><a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd_7O31ejEP1XEkoI2ToEzKDYgXYiekHGRgWXf7swke1TEQ9ReEdeih6od1PmOzLjn-WP30S94zpb__N8TSTL0mq21C8FGRzizTnPymdoMLEmOu9VjBitwwwa3APbpIM7R5Q2BP1kB28B/s1600/IMG_3282.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd_7O31ejEP1XEkoI2ToEzKDYgXYiekHGRgWXf7swke1TEQ9ReEdeih6od1PmOzLjn-WP30S94zpb__N8TSTL0mq21C8FGRzizTnPymdoMLEmOu9VjBitwwwa3APbpIM7R5Q2BP1kB28B/s400/IMG_3282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514378703300235602" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">I see my little baby turn more and more into a little girl. She can now clap her hands on command and twirls her soft hair like her mommy from time to time. I can no longer eat anything in front of her without sharing... even when I know she is not hungry. She is a little fish and can't get enough of the water. She's even been under a few times and finds it funny to come up coughing out any swallowed water.</span><a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRteq2SgeEVrfXxOHuM61dqKNhcizt6saVR19h9KDcGZ7gdOLHE9Pk9N2ghhOR_tH5Oqlj-YZYW5bI-8PGFwmNQdFJCLSoq-JsMg_n9CFAUdqvLBNvXJ3VKGc1A-7NfvzR_TyRlfos-I8-/s1600/IMG_3343.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRteq2SgeEVrfXxOHuM61dqKNhcizt6saVR19h9KDcGZ7gdOLHE9Pk9N2ghhOR_tH5Oqlj-YZYW5bI-8PGFwmNQdFJCLSoq-JsMg_n9CFAUdqvLBNvXJ3VKGc1A-7NfvzR_TyRlfos-I8-/s400/IMG_3343.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514378725147551874" border="0" /></a><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx2kVATY3sGo1oWQYPolvxJCTlmzXZ-wzYCjurhh2LCIsShdKrcSSB9uemRmlVh8PlIY9uAHQvkzGjQBQ4YEA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Playing in Nana and Papa's hot tub on our trip to Utah (it was cooled off of course, just in case you were concerned). </span><a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaW_3Vfm6414eUi1Bew1YZ26TaVCdCG7aPWrDeyvyFGdSrlymBuWeJaFLD6lYR41d2gq_TvDtqImdxvC0MfGe-Hi55VKyfFftOvKqszFwsNYYc5u3YBbBVn4zI5rx85ovi8ujk5OM9HWs/s1600/IMG_3331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaW_3Vfm6414eUi1Bew1YZ26TaVCdCG7aPWrDeyvyFGdSrlymBuWeJaFLD6lYR41d2gq_TvDtqImdxvC0MfGe-Hi55VKyfFftOvKqszFwsNYYc5u3YBbBVn4zI5rx85ovi8ujk5OM9HWs/s400/IMG_3331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514377419218074626" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">More pizza please...</span></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBpe2k5nmjK3W9-v9clfEE3d8u9noEKtHhoQAxtgz5F-xlPNwcfkNSX_JLtD2NwBG_OI1u7GCvI4-LFsG7rh-FaNx670gxTq-tHuZCKGdVfOAb55hq4nkEjPUyncDyCJCx-YzsrOXCHjY/s1600/IMG_3272.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBpe2k5nmjK3W9-v9clfEE3d8u9noEKtHhoQAxtgz5F-xlPNwcfkNSX_JLtD2NwBG_OI1u7GCvI4-LFsG7rh-FaNx670gxTq-tHuZCKGdVfOAb55hq4nkEjPUyncDyCJCx-YzsrOXCHjY/s400/IMG_3272.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514377396894695634" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Playing dress-up at Nana and Papa's</span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYX1a0ORmBmYGjfiDjxRu0h5NALZjD4oPVVISG3buy6BDkaEUOjTanz2iw13faGTqp4BaIMnWeDLXkgB5-uBi722rxLndb1BhV_RYE0ix159BJLQZZCh_KssnYP2gbnsIJqzm367oSfPy/s1600/IMG_3293.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYX1a0ORmBmYGjfiDjxRu0h5NALZjD4oPVVISG3buy6BDkaEUOjTanz2iw13faGTqp4BaIMnWeDLXkgB5-uBi722rxLndb1BhV_RYE0ix159BJLQZZCh_KssnYP2gbnsIJqzm367oSfPy/s400/IMG_3293.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514378708354282834" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Riding on Papa's boat...</span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwl5KkK5XGVWxeMgO0GbibmoIULkgWDFuET3zRK3TNWKaUfu_nnzMRTeQhX-Amg1lgx8Qnnp0Qeg2qdI5b0PrLKNr_-0soRJivPOVSjlzA1L5bXXQfM0cjWi0WRCy_Q85_LuIv3xx8FjI/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwl5KkK5XGVWxeMgO0GbibmoIULkgWDFuET3zRK3TNWKaUfu_nnzMRTeQhX-Amg1lgx8Qnnp0Qeg2qdI5b0PrLKNr_-0soRJivPOVSjlzA1L5bXXQfM0cjWi0WRCy_Q85_LuIv3xx8FjI/s400/IMG_3220.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514377387907514546" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Barbeque with friends... thanks Rache for organizing everything... it was a blast!!</span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41K6sxUW8tnzW20qqXTf-S_qNQojO2E_kpR_SSbfrRwsdUSimFHX1WiLXo5Jcpq8Wfed4_zgKhDBF2227NkPPDYklb8x_Ic0jtspPkAoUgegJ-DrrPJu1dDNIKv0KOta2VpaDSsVCiKvy/s1600/IMG_3310.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41K6sxUW8tnzW20qqXTf-S_qNQojO2E_kpR_SSbfrRwsdUSimFHX1WiLXo5Jcpq8Wfed4_zgKhDBF2227NkPPDYklb8x_Ic0jtspPkAoUgegJ-DrrPJu1dDNIKv0KOta2VpaDSsVCiKvy/s400/IMG_3310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514377405883721698" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Lunch date with my friend Lindsey... always a treat!</span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVO64wuUJkE6GNUxTCFHbKdFn227lmifiI_Ur-CnSl6uGSBh_ka_9WCGwX5WePvebN7YFyXhs7bt_yiRRtl0Yo_W8qapoiWlmsKNOT7IP9RUAGzGDVaHc6N7_nD6LdFuIxJ5Dl5_SFYL_/s1600/IMG_3312.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVO64wuUJkE6GNUxTCFHbKdFn227lmifiI_Ur-CnSl6uGSBh_ka_9WCGwX5WePvebN7YFyXhs7bt_yiRRtl0Yo_W8qapoiWlmsKNOT7IP9RUAGzGDVaHc6N7_nD6LdFuIxJ5Dl5_SFYL_/s400/IMG_3312.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514378741952211330" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">I just had to throw this picture in... "Mom, I think I'm teething..."</span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhhc8_0ceNMSvpD05iS-MuiXoTaj_KwoXO8GGQnvipe9hP3xc8Nl5YZNKWWMHu01qBAnYDuoT97fxmwycYK4sjEiUOkO4zTcdXESFd59_WFqvUKQYq81pmb25P3DsZFolhZxXcHLxmP6r/s1600/IMG_3396.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhhc8_0ceNMSvpD05iS-MuiXoTaj_KwoXO8GGQnvipe9hP3xc8Nl5YZNKWWMHu01qBAnYDuoT97fxmwycYK4sjEiUOkO4zTcdXESFd59_WFqvUKQYq81pmb25P3DsZFolhZxXcHLxmP6r/s400/IMG_3396.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514380869006165362" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Steve has been busy with rotations, but manages to make time for family and finds his daughter irresistible. We realized that we hadn't been out on a date, just the two of us, since our anniversary in May. You might think this is crazy, but we absolutely love going out with Grace. We've taken her out to dinner, to the movies, and over to friend's houses in the evenings (she'll just sleep in her carseat in a different room).</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Here we are in Scottsdale at the Fairmont Princess Resort. We wanted to go on a little trip over Labor Day weekend, but didn't want to travel far. We scored an awesome deal on Hotwire.com, it's was blast. The pools were amazing and very baby friendly too!</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWavqZdnCl5jRS9BP3HckBkbYuLJHt-kUecyu7YZkFlKfNl3thqOmKiq4pI1gCKq9Ir4-4BIsufz6HO5PbzfCQ0AMqvwBKypeupUmeYfh4AxJEH7P5NvTHnOd7ckMY9UC_Hpg5wnPnaKzj/s1600/IMG_3379.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWavqZdnCl5jRS9BP3HckBkbYuLJHt-kUecyu7YZkFlKfNl3thqOmKiq4pI1gCKq9Ir4-4BIsufz6HO5PbzfCQ0AMqvwBKypeupUmeYfh4AxJEH7P5NvTHnOd7ckMY9UC_Hpg5wnPnaKzj/s400/IMG_3379.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514380896720867906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphqCvZqlHqi26KzTjg7rxPzb1QulbDGDfXK74-Qc4HkYszDUNAABlvrVieP_5jJGDR4FtzsGyM0zJ2t_khyphenhyphen8wiDoMzeOuipvyMm7vmH-S4_l8lEw6aJiEuUyZEJPhCqbUHd1Ijjs-R9vh/s1600/IMG_3370.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphqCvZqlHqi26KzTjg7rxPzb1QulbDGDfXK74-Qc4HkYszDUNAABlvrVieP_5jJGDR4FtzsGyM0zJ2t_khyphenhyphen8wiDoMzeOuipvyMm7vmH-S4_l8lEw6aJiEuUyZEJPhCqbUHd1Ijjs-R9vh/s400/IMG_3370.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514388943083587042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtU6rO8KRENczM-UnVbA3U6SdFqiQHurEn2DRey4jwhPETpMlJRNhOfAPeHqIY8c_wbwIgIZV5zmjW6D67RM1ijFC3UWpa-SWCDH6PceXL9ZBiTQeCXKw1nf2K13JM61WkyF2EPEJQSRA/s1600/IMG_3384.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtU6rO8KRENczM-UnVbA3U6SdFqiQHurEn2DRey4jwhPETpMlJRNhOfAPeHqIY8c_wbwIgIZV5zmjW6D67RM1ijFC3UWpa-SWCDH6PceXL9ZBiTQeCXKw1nf2K13JM61WkyF2EPEJQSRA/s400/IMG_3384.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514377427054182962" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSb5dIwg38E6x_ZV1HY8AbRSWNnEZ7OKAZ1ZMJm4NUcaIxlDqqWJfccVOdPQr0DAu47AELb2mxyJ5daW6grke_wruksPKfsv6zlBSVeUF-WdPhif0nR_cuWpMHXZ340PqIZzUCoeUthMPG/s1600/IMG_3386.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSb5dIwg38E6x_ZV1HY8AbRSWNnEZ7OKAZ1ZMJm4NUcaIxlDqqWJfccVOdPQr0DAu47AELb2mxyJ5daW6grke_wruksPKfsv6zlBSVeUF-WdPhif0nR_cuWpMHXZ340PqIZzUCoeUthMPG/s400/IMG_3386.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514380877546326354" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">And here are some updates on my life other than being a mom 24/7:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">I have been working from home and absolutely love the flexibility it gives me. I usually can finish most of my work while Grace is napping. I have also been going into the clinic on Saturdays and fill in on a few shifts a couple times a month... it's great!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">I'm officially registered for the Sedona marathon in February. I'm so excited for this race... the course is beautiful and I'm excited to run with some of my AZ friend's! Aside from running, I'm really enjoying my twice-a-week yoga class... I feel so much stronger and flexible doing this than my usual routine. The instructor really is inspiring (she is nearly 70, but looks as if she's in her 50's)... I hope I look like that when I'm her age; it must be the yoga.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjr7_e8quUvqs1sOM_UC24e7ZIGfOacJyt1vKPcHuPAQ-S0THBHooVKtIt-gq7JalHsV4GV7kW-XtqsWqlrTkWu-gPb1jpSWiowQjdEBMJfym1kbfu1Is17paprEuAA5LNplbshwNQWAbK/s1600/yoga.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjr7_e8quUvqs1sOM_UC24e7ZIGfOacJyt1vKPcHuPAQ-S0THBHooVKtIt-gq7JalHsV4GV7kW-XtqsWqlrTkWu-gPb1jpSWiowQjdEBMJfym1kbfu1Is17paprEuAA5LNplbshwNQWAbK/s400/yoga.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514383794633720786" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">And lastly, I can't seem to stay away from the craft/fabric stores. Hobby Lobby is one of my new favorites... they have EVERYTHING there when it comes to crafting and sewing. I have so many projects I want to do, but there just isn't enough time.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCBFifsdyVr4f3pVL7NCghe5s_nSZHmANBsBz4m9i5QwM01bVDvn1THWVfXYeZqg_FTAmjg833uCi-culq9S5aiLxUZ3ZWkVd4yZ8Aowr7NPU2UF9PLzCo1luaInDRb2En41JQEzOzs1D/s1600/IMG_3172.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCBFifsdyVr4f3pVL7NCghe5s_nSZHmANBsBz4m9i5QwM01bVDvn1THWVfXYeZqg_FTAmjg833uCi-culq9S5aiLxUZ3ZWkVd4yZ8Aowr7NPU2UF9PLzCo1luaInDRb2En41JQEzOzs1D/s400/IMG_3172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514388956245550242" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Carseat canopy and diaper cake for my friend Kristin's shower. </span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG10q_ayF35wYg6cUP-CT00uKSOXcJXnW_3eeZzYAtBZmGSdlcMzh1MzX4C4u00BcRrNFYzxaK6g350-BhY2wNbwY9lar_TciAx2Pidtbgg7CaZslQltO6FpGXkoGLaVloT4rqP_k4BQzh/s1600/IMG_3181.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG10q_ayF35wYg6cUP-CT00uKSOXcJXnW_3eeZzYAtBZmGSdlcMzh1MzX4C4u00BcRrNFYzxaK6g350-BhY2wNbwY9lar_TciAx2Pidtbgg7CaZslQltO6FpGXkoGLaVloT4rqP_k4BQzh/s400/IMG_3181.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514388947554712386" border="0" /></a></span>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-21472142377210070272010-07-30T14:24:00.000-07:002010-07-30T15:51:15.879-07:00She's Earned Her Wings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB5FLq8KE3aWAeP4cf_ZxAP1ufSCND4iOyV6jtXix1Y6hbqSpaF9sHE2FS1oCt7DpMBeouuZxRZzMJnzG6XXMzNb1ZmeYmQt8BhyphenhyphenkaVaHSUf43mND6GSR7y7skxEfE_SDvmUZY6pctfF3/s1600/wings.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 327px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB5FLq8KE3aWAeP4cf_ZxAP1ufSCND4iOyV6jtXix1Y6hbqSpaF9sHE2FS1oCt7DpMBeouuZxRZzMJnzG6XXMzNb1ZmeYmQt8BhyphenhyphenkaVaHSUf43mND6GSR7y7skxEfE_SDvmUZY6pctfF3/s400/wings.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499830761140667202" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShXxDii0VuDfL5_3WmA191eTzEWBO5ZqTOmVIyaSbGq8CGfDQCOg4nk0pC-f3amh560IN4ycVz0Mvo_3N3qLcfGk-X-y5-krbZQmncfTrZeyPubyHTfxL4EbPiXsnraRA5sngKEIoFP4f/s1600/IMG_3131.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShXxDii0VuDfL5_3WmA191eTzEWBO5ZqTOmVIyaSbGq8CGfDQCOg4nk0pC-f3amh560IN4ycVz0Mvo_3N3qLcfGk-X-y5-krbZQmncfTrZeyPubyHTfxL4EbPiXsnraRA5sngKEIoFP4f/s400/IMG_3131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499830771210874562" border="0" /></a>I have been not so good with the blogging as of late, but then again, Grace and I have been on several trips over the past few months, so I guess that it is a good excuse. Although Grace just barely turned 7 months old, she has already flown 5 different times (excluding layovers) So, here is a brief recap of our many adventures:<br /><br />In May, Grace and I flew to Detroit for a friend's wedding. I was so busy taking care of this little one, I had no time to take pictures. So here is the one picture that the wedding photographer took at the reception:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGzfYin3wsp-sq9zFr7OZxEPq7QiVO5s8085j4jhw2qi3X5uSfm3KcoDR0Bro2NcujFMuXsb5SjfFx88Afdg7vI-kjcU2GuIKaVTIg4UIOZJxTAIaUr1vA6J7asr2qy03n_fEUsKrz3DQ/s1600/wedding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGzfYin3wsp-sq9zFr7OZxEPq7QiVO5s8085j4jhw2qi3X5uSfm3KcoDR0Bro2NcujFMuXsb5SjfFx88Afdg7vI-kjcU2GuIKaVTIg4UIOZJxTAIaUr1vA6J7asr2qy03n_fEUsKrz3DQ/s400/wedding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499828515668289074" border="0" /></a>After that, Grace and I flew from Detroit to visit my sister and her family in North Carolina. It was beautiful there; I love how green everything is. Once again, I didn't take too many pictures since Grace and I both didn't get very much sleep on this trip. We were able to spend time with these adorable kiddos:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMrWRDynMIvUqKd-dlIIcXCrvqd7T6ylkmdxF26VE320D_yLbkVkRRipPO4Ybs8HpQWFxCB0OyyDD3Egg9CZRuHopSlTsym_vapRo88k6Nq6PUQpTdNMBHPWI5H43XbEbaoMKXlIBUjUq/s1600/13734_184944167807_550432807_2817996_5104995_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMrWRDynMIvUqKd-dlIIcXCrvqd7T6ylkmdxF26VE320D_yLbkVkRRipPO4Ybs8HpQWFxCB0OyyDD3Egg9CZRuHopSlTsym_vapRo88k6Nq6PUQpTdNMBHPWI5H43XbEbaoMKXlIBUjUq/s400/13734_184944167807_550432807_2817996_5104995_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499824670660294802" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo568h8FrDSC7dpni8DlRgotd9XLQJgVA6yjBfRE5zfGGtRNtyqhyphenhyphentdBtni16v4K4c_Aagj0wmyFvEc6XbTwJq0rfKGuVyhvXGJ4p4W-tUxQRGPN59nkzv-w-7MmOMASG_Ljbc7q4oCfQQ/s1600/makayla.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo568h8FrDSC7dpni8DlRgotd9XLQJgVA6yjBfRE5zfGGtRNtyqhyphenhyphentdBtni16v4K4c_Aagj0wmyFvEc6XbTwJq0rfKGuVyhvXGJ4p4W-tUxQRGPN59nkzv-w-7MmOMASG_Ljbc7q4oCfQQ/s400/makayla.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499824656248583458" border="0" /></a>Then last week, Grace and I found ourselves in beautiful Pullman, Washington to visit my brother and his family. They live a small town, so our highlights consisted of the blue water tower, the metal statue, the yellow plane, and the garage-o-mahal (fancy name for a storage unit). The weather was amazing! Especially, since it is 105-115 here in AZ! It was a blast spending time with Yaks, Boo, and Diddles (nicknames):<br /><br />This pic was taken at the SLC airport. I purposely planned a 3 hour layover, so I could spend time with my mom, sisters, and Grace's cousins... and of course, I had to have some yummy Cafe Rio for lunch! The only downside was I had to go back through security; not an easy thing with a 7 month old!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9OW0aDpuCSYAIRykFRzjoVXtvG1Av25f7v6oGU1J_631s0aAMJZmizVA92gJ5IGzxr_eDjZVv2Me1iUdtJaqBHAaTc7Ci60_k-Onxpt2WEKj3xGNIHanC7V1rYREgFe9z6tqc7PMF7Cb/s1600/airport.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9OW0aDpuCSYAIRykFRzjoVXtvG1Av25f7v6oGU1J_631s0aAMJZmizVA92gJ5IGzxr_eDjZVv2Me1iUdtJaqBHAaTc7Ci60_k-Onxpt2WEKj3xGNIHanC7V1rYREgFe9z6tqc7PMF7Cb/s400/airport.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499824677729787554" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></a>Experiencing some jet lag... "all of this traveling is wearing me out mom!"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFSqzMxXT4TjPDnUkdaymAt1FT2WCn_GKcO1gatapcmVocDw6DP9t-a6D341L4rkfounTFOxgi_EKMy2vZcrYAbfO8Mmnf_VSrsDgN8W5IrRqRNIaYf25Kab7Ci6ca3ZAXAjqc0Um2qy3/s1600/IMG_3136.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFSqzMxXT4TjPDnUkdaymAt1FT2WCn_GKcO1gatapcmVocDw6DP9t-a6D341L4rkfounTFOxgi_EKMy2vZcrYAbfO8Mmnf_VSrsDgN8W5IrRqRNIaYf25Kab7Ci6ca3ZAXAjqc0Um2qy3/s400/IMG_3136.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499826223824395874" border="0" /></a>Diddles after some spaghetti... it's hard to imagine Grace getting this messy, but I know it's coming soon!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiGO7gBR2UiJl3Gww3D82U_OK7iK4Q7cBPyO6Lo17TOluikemZFCwVJEHagVYFi-wIl0JLSyjpci12oIN1MORgfEp2tlokOO7Mu6zufJt2QMJch4HT1SpVICDUNBuZmlXqadKk_q4nF5p/s1600/IMG_3146.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiGO7gBR2UiJl3Gww3D82U_OK7iK4Q7cBPyO6Lo17TOluikemZFCwVJEHagVYFi-wIl0JLSyjpci12oIN1MORgfEp2tlokOO7Mu6zufJt2QMJch4HT1SpVICDUNBuZmlXqadKk_q4nF5p/s400/IMG_3146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499826243093605794" border="0" /></a>Yaks and Boo riding their bikes... they earned a dollar or a piece of candy for each lap they completed... I don't think they realized that a dollar could buy more than 1 piece of candy (they usually took the candy over the dollar).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmScfnJ54sfSJn2MCANO-3sNTmnQWfhCMsmHj3LljGhPYaLvhaaM_xVeybsOkaj3Hg05lget3ElAPYXnbbtCX5aGSzLbfqfizNFovccNj_06S8ApH8dA9tN82gF9kZYvLZS97iK3ynB8J2/s1600/IMG_3153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmScfnJ54sfSJn2MCANO-3sNTmnQWfhCMsmHj3LljGhPYaLvhaaM_xVeybsOkaj3Hg05lget3ElAPYXnbbtCX5aGSzLbfqfizNFovccNj_06S8ApH8dA9tN82gF9kZYvLZS97iK3ynB8J2/s400/IMG_3153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499826252577286258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJimUDBVMNldBfju2KpGu61YVlEtngNZTzzZ_KRTBkpG24fwE80LNyHaKDf26BjgHtqAp-vOfpnDV4l1joDW05svwpJDwhx1y7V-JtRJnywdfiCguxBeGGbzrxdNQtIb72n61ujeIunuB/s1600/IMG_3152.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJimUDBVMNldBfju2KpGu61YVlEtngNZTzzZ_KRTBkpG24fwE80LNyHaKDf26BjgHtqAp-vOfpnDV4l1joDW05svwpJDwhx1y7V-JtRJnywdfiCguxBeGGbzrxdNQtIb72n61ujeIunuB/s400/IMG_3152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499826256956707074" border="0" /></a>Having a photo shoot on Sunday. If you look close, you can see some little accessories on this gal's ears. Yep, I got her ears pierced. The pediatrician Steve was shadowing on his last rotation said he would pierce them... this gave me some peace of mind since I was a little nervous about it. She only cried for a minute and then was happy as can be afterwards.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJimUDBVMNldBfju2KpGu61YVlEtngNZTzzZ_KRTBkpG24fwE80LNyHaKDf26BjgHtqAp-vOfpnDV4l1joDW05svwpJDwhx1y7V-JtRJnywdfiCguxBeGGbzrxdNQtIb72n61ujeIunuB/s1600/IMG_3152.JPG"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBJ0M8al-f8Q6C0rj-193f6QUIurjEF0MrjgB2ujASEweaDAezN18jCjzgJipg20sheR7Ze3TKeA4VZl698GtUCKJINcre2AuRuzjm9xlvT2GiEfwo2ENgjHPfQR2pISC6-POsFXZae9t/s1600/IMG_3164.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBJ0M8al-f8Q6C0rj-193f6QUIurjEF0MrjgB2ujASEweaDAezN18jCjzgJipg20sheR7Ze3TKeA4VZl698GtUCKJINcre2AuRuzjm9xlvT2GiEfwo2ENgjHPfQR2pISC6-POsFXZae9t/s400/IMG_3164.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499826229616149122" border="0" /></a>And of course, we have just one more adventure planned. We are flying up to Utah this coming Sunday to see the rest of the family! Here are just a few more pics taken over the past few weeks, sorry I can't resist this little girl and there are too many cute pics!<br /><br />Enjoying all of these new tasty foods.... "mmmmm... sweet potatoes!"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpqegECpOcua_2WwhG4Q9DJilZ5lCrRLIowiEop_DbCYm1rMs0PPzGsGZFzyV47Zy8UQ2fuSK4ienGbNkArqACjYJLXRYEufCaf_QphXUAFSyTHN13jxtgLl0x7z1En0GdURfAUH6PTVM/s1600/IMG_3134.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpqegECpOcua_2WwhG4Q9DJilZ5lCrRLIowiEop_DbCYm1rMs0PPzGsGZFzyV47Zy8UQ2fuSK4ienGbNkArqACjYJLXRYEufCaf_QphXUAFSyTHN13jxtgLl0x7z1En0GdURfAUH6PTVM/s400/IMG_3134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499828510248803986" border="0" /></a>Going out for a swim...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3xXH0iysYoNt-hvw-ZeU_wjf3PuC4Wg6d4pfE4vLaxGUWnS8XwhnY5GhgfYFNOvvG_KI6ldsUYZLA6R3aoO0jJC28Z4yIRH469bEEq_hO4r8WuPvcVyFBJGQG60M00RKxn4IUwrREiaZ/s1600/IMG_3122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3xXH0iysYoNt-hvw-ZeU_wjf3PuC4Wg6d4pfE4vLaxGUWnS8XwhnY5GhgfYFNOvvG_KI6ldsUYZLA6R3aoO0jJC28Z4yIRH469bEEq_hO4r8WuPvcVyFBJGQG60M00RKxn4IUwrREiaZ/s400/IMG_3122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499828494975347058" border="0" /></a>If you need tips on flying with babies... I've got plenty to share :) I have even managed to breast pump while on a plane since Grace doesn't nurse... crazy, I know.Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-68676875868063535522010-06-22T12:54:00.000-07:002010-06-22T13:36:07.121-07:00Grand Canyon GetawaySteve is officially all done with his Step 1 boards now!!! He finished about 1 week ago and I'm so glad they are over. He has been studying nonstop for the past few months, and hopefully all of the hardwork will pay off when he get his scores back. He feels pretty good about them, and that means a lot coming from Steve. He starts rotations next week so we have had a little bit of time off before things get crazy again. To celebrate we headed up to the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff for a few days. Neither one of us had been to the Grand Canyon so we were both pretty excited.<br /><br />Here is some proof of why Steve has spent countless hours of studying. He also had to tell me that each one of these pages had been read at least "3 times". I wonder how many trees have been sacrificed for this:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmGRDzCcytxJV28uYXOhL3hDh95B4nBmprGxoS02A_IkWJlCZRwRDmC3mmQEYdsQjOmDMhng4ywgNQ_O7tFXALLJf5Kc5zjN_oPcUIMnmh1sk2zpt8XPHvwl5vn5Hp0cB9wKhQbS7LyFe/s1600/IMG_3055.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485694059376804866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmGRDzCcytxJV28uYXOhL3hDh95B4nBmprGxoS02A_IkWJlCZRwRDmC3mmQEYdsQjOmDMhng4ywgNQ_O7tFXALLJf5Kc5zjN_oPcUIMnmh1sk2zpt8XPHvwl5vn5Hp0cB9wKhQbS7LyFe/s400/IMG_3055.JPG" /></a> Here is a better perspective:<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66F5CgXPDnmtY3gWdMf8thWfJN6Elz1CUsTZXsK1Mg2ASy2PNGzxR6JE39w3as8DQ6OL6C8JkmTey_Cn-LD_CvuShI8uUlL7yshZvszPSemrtHd9w3dKqESq10hs7gPpOx6l9AyFUnpIi/s1600/IMG_3056.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485694051070686290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66F5CgXPDnmtY3gWdMf8thWfJN6Elz1CUsTZXsK1Mg2ASy2PNGzxR6JE39w3as8DQ6OL6C8JkmTey_Cn-LD_CvuShI8uUlL7yshZvszPSemrtHd9w3dKqESq10hs7gPpOx6l9AyFUnpIi/s400/IMG_3056.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Grace: "Daddy, does mom know your taking this picture? I don't know how to stand </span><span style="font-size:85%;">on my own yet & I'm not sure if it is safe to lean me up in this corner."<br /></span><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">Enjoying the nice cool air while camping in the Grand Canyon. I'm glad we were able to get some use out of this adorable jacket. There is not much use for it in Phoenix when it is 105 outside.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqB6lIyQT8pvFlHw172jHO8GjzHOqncn2i3wLGbXoBfkDwAOdTlylAnn-3aS3BllX5ruaSzdK0IE0RgY683HAK9GdTAMWeG89YhB6aEpMiVSEK5vuG9pzhl2qXmrZKDiFeC52L8ieKW3Q/s1600/IMG_3062.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485694039391523282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqB6lIyQT8pvFlHw172jHO8GjzHOqncn2i3wLGbXoBfkDwAOdTlylAnn-3aS3BllX5ruaSzdK0IE0RgY683HAK9GdTAMWeG89YhB6aEpMiVSEK5vuG9pzhl2qXmrZKDiFeC52L8ieKW3Q/s400/IMG_3062.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dR-O59p44U52nnk2BoAEuQxLUoLlTie7g1oVkWNLZSw0_xqX8Rb-c22KoDlrxhWJ7dAOye8uetVIGWyccNxlIP1QiHGmb5XUdXJZStZYIcM_pYDVHSd8BoAIDH20bi4K28VaDcygXUt0/s1600/IMG_3061.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485694037987234130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dR-O59p44U52nnk2BoAEuQxLUoLlTie7g1oVkWNLZSw0_xqX8Rb-c22KoDlrxhWJ7dAOye8uetVIGWyccNxlIP1QiHGmb5XUdXJZStZYIcM_pYDVHSd8BoAIDH20bi4K28VaDcygXUt0/s400/IMG_3061.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Hanging out in Flagstaff. I told Steve we could put Grace in the stroller, but he insisted on holding her... I think he likes to show off his little girl.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30AIOezKv3kTE1jIcbSJ4PUJer3qHwp321yQAwabCkAwTi7sTrvdOd85T_U_ORrjTV0HE18vGIJ874PlRTr32NI4olVORvopRKMk5XxOBeFw-AxuP1qCZCb1n4Yf1lrWMwzZmUDaxi7xA/s1600/IMG_3088.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485694025015833426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30AIOezKv3kTE1jIcbSJ4PUJer3qHwp321yQAwabCkAwTi7sTrvdOd85T_U_ORrjTV0HE18vGIJ874PlRTr32NI4olVORvopRKMk5XxOBeFw-AxuP1qCZCb1n4Yf1lrWMwzZmUDaxi7xA/s400/IMG_3088.JPG" /></a> Enjoying a little day hike with spectacular views. And you'll have to excuse my sunglasses in all of these pictures; I've had some issues with my eyes and they are extremely sensitive to light... these were the darkest pair I could find that covered my eyes well enough.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQuNbKFiBQfRame18HRgX4E6_fgTwTU9gbznc-uKd-FINWNbbCCpuswckxOLJ_lP67WX2AOocabeWzvgu4tQYVlNtqlvBlTk2XomijQg23rzBAl9PDwXWSQuua5wFkHqi5iQUZ4naOS4k/s1600/IMG_3087.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485692319275248066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQuNbKFiBQfRame18HRgX4E6_fgTwTU9gbznc-uKd-FINWNbbCCpuswckxOLJ_lP67WX2AOocabeWzvgu4tQYVlNtqlvBlTk2XomijQg23rzBAl9PDwXWSQuua5wFkHqi5iQUZ4naOS4k/s400/IMG_3087.JPG" /></a>Sunset in the Grand Canyon... just beautiful (minus the haze from the fire in Flagstaff).<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1Wa2S3t6EV9W9AQYZVJvCMym-5waSFo2zmbzbvff4VOy8sF5HNdqR333zD5Jeyrbs96KDi4QnvEmxz29vRer8rV1LHLOKwTUtC0hMNKQw77Dd-UolKwH38jjugsczhF9ZY1unfrz_7ba/s1600/IMG_3070.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485692313967695186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1Wa2S3t6EV9W9AQYZVJvCMym-5waSFo2zmbzbvff4VOy8sF5HNdqR333zD5Jeyrbs96KDi4QnvEmxz29vRer8rV1LHLOKwTUtC0hMNKQw77Dd-UolKwH38jjugsczhF9ZY1unfrz_7ba/s400/IMG_3070.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCZBT58tRb0pd9E4cwvQ9qf858tv_cQtkAoTLdkCpYJIYswfD13Q_npCtTz6KSVS_gkDVU8RPNTZ12tUB-JjQpnpnmUu74KnkAFXhbiPT-mZYGAnzIOzinzYt4V-IaX4Z8syWfpH9w4bw/s1600/IMG_3068.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485692299645793186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCZBT58tRb0pd9E4cwvQ9qf858tv_cQtkAoTLdkCpYJIYswfD13Q_npCtTz6KSVS_gkDVU8RPNTZ12tUB-JjQpnpnmUu74KnkAFXhbiPT-mZYGAnzIOzinzYt4V-IaX4Z8syWfpH9w4bw/s400/IMG_3068.JPG" /></a> Grace loves to hike in her Baby Bjorn... to bad I can't get her to stay in it any other time.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZdp0eSfAp0PVVk0hv1WdHML-plSUdg5IrIoSUeBLFMYzn6I4uI570S_imSU9Db24qsvTANQ46G3twIaVd-CONxsdCoiVvLpQCksnv65lVHVj8i9f-fETZ1yOdX2ibMn79E8YGDRvDEiw/s1600/IMG_3081.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485692291732417586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZdp0eSfAp0PVVk0hv1WdHML-plSUdg5IrIoSUeBLFMYzn6I4uI570S_imSU9Db24qsvTANQ46G3twIaVd-CONxsdCoiVvLpQCksnv65lVHVj8i9f-fETZ1yOdX2ibMn79E8YGDRvDEiw/s400/IMG_3081.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vBLdxZbeEbt_NhmF-3dU_v3K-TJlBgyeg1kMgMATGMYIIKuqrRyl_zrjVOy3roITOInnhUaUZ5GFcIxGJpLgRJvIv9KLTmXEDrbszOe3NWt7LyBKWUB3jU4etEIfHZEqOaDwBf7j7qzI/s1600/IMG_3082.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485692283386383618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vBLdxZbeEbt_NhmF-3dU_v3K-TJlBgyeg1kMgMATGMYIIKuqrRyl_zrjVOy3roITOInnhUaUZ5GFcIxGJpLgRJvIv9KLTmXEDrbszOe3NWt7LyBKWUB3jU4etEIfHZEqOaDwBf7j7qzI/s400/IMG_3082.JPG" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-47637448732251035272010-05-29T17:22:00.000-07:002010-05-29T18:21:49.104-07:004 Years and Counting!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0n-QQSbtaIqfYp7FQbFLcv2hFXrwgowY8FMGlw_rCvobU4uIe-g3Pfcf-HhYc7DNH05WS6bsG7FpKjNdNr8l6zsWoHJR4rCX48NrOveBoH9fT5RhMRhT0LfJJNnrMUUG-sudzj3fymmx/s1600/dsc_5465.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476864858703991346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0n-QQSbtaIqfYp7FQbFLcv2hFXrwgowY8FMGlw_rCvobU4uIe-g3Pfcf-HhYc7DNH05WS6bsG7FpKjNdNr8l6zsWoHJR4rCX48NrOveBoH9fT5RhMRhT0LfJJNnrMUUG-sudzj3fymmx/s400/dsc_5465.jpg" /></a> Steve and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary on May 20th. Of course, it is just like me to post this kind of news a little late, but better late than never! Our anniversary took place amidst finals and such so we didn't have a chance to <em>really</em> celebrate until a few days ago. My friend Lindsey watched Grace, and we enjoyed a night out to ourselves. We went rocklimbing and then had some yummy food at Claim Jumper. I feel so blessed to be married to such an amazing guy... thank you, Steve, for 4 fabulous years!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476857114796187138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEEfjjM26rfupzxerGVLT06TQfbDNX1qaR4Cb3jfNkJSQkJFsbz7doiWZxq50tpvOVFZFjjl0fGRDm7yS4Y05Sg3Whsti5nTysvHjdhesv_bNAm9SxmahOplTCOx9LmJAlMGtENOWtlo3/s400/_MG_5165.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476865170925642098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxcVPWMS-Lh1g0eQUFBnk1Vl6IFdGfa4UcYG2JSwuxEdZtKx1MXVzJYWQA-WXl8K_bgOaFetyPMzecTaubAfPVJANZ8FkIkK7H3ER3IS8U7NKkfTZlrUjD38ky6ZQUqyCY-iNo2xkTCsg/s400/_MG_4894.jpg" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 323px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476857130497358946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPtvDK17arN74FvPE7RmSM-LUuu9WeuKvJh0ZlZyKhISneb2DgmqtU46UkJFnZqyZ_u-7KOduDtOOXeGPVKOJRWlq8mYjNTOv_miDLJXdev4aoaErcuDC-bQS6V-J48cXc-mdaPNgys9m/s400/_MG_5447.jpg" />Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-5750034810605421682010-05-25T20:54:00.000-07:002010-05-26T09:37:37.941-07:00Who needs a thumb when you have a foot!So, I thought for sure that Grace might turn out to be a thumb sucker... especially if she is anything like her mother. Let me clarify: no, I do not suck my thumb, but yes, I did for a very long time. My thumb was my comfort and soother as a child. I was nervous that Grace might fall into this same habit. Fortunately she has not, however, she has found some other methods of pacifying herself:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dypVcUsW-sN07TjOwIOjV404B5aagnA5LVxz4I9ioYmTeZk3zeD24ZEzxr_M9jVcPJbqRsPoKWJ5t7hLjPLlA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />So much to say...<br /><br />"Mom, haven't you taken enough pictures already?"<br /><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsqPvCz0yyaDywCZHIcSRCgYByW0OnOh3X1RQyHkr8lUsWa97X_vkVy2WH0wFN4mmxt2aLjo1mZJ9AMoF_xUMoSFFiaVHnq2otwUatJtWsxf321qW-EYmUsl-IUZp3FFKBldIVGEs9rB8/s1600/IMG_3040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsqPvCz0yyaDywCZHIcSRCgYByW0OnOh3X1RQyHkr8lUsWa97X_vkVy2WH0wFN4mmxt2aLjo1mZJ9AMoF_xUMoSFFiaVHnq2otwUatJtWsxf321qW-EYmUsl-IUZp3FFKBldIVGEs9rB8/s400/IMG_3040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475423752907810994" border="0" /></a>"I spy with my little eyes..."<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHP4b0Acen3cINww3wnwoQiQtN9dN8wc1y8F8WkrB-Gu9Q9MTCaxeJZlN4amNeMz3_7C1vXJXNlO5gQKdGTwK02YYC2t7Ubq5RCiFrOwPmDp4i3KxReIF0U7r6XCHVfoVZTh6cNfoh1Ml/s1600/IMG_3031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHP4b0Acen3cINww3wnwoQiQtN9dN8wc1y8F8WkrB-Gu9Q9MTCaxeJZlN4amNeMz3_7C1vXJXNlO5gQKdGTwK02YYC2t7Ubq5RCiFrOwPmDp4i3KxReIF0U7r6XCHVfoVZTh6cNfoh1Ml/s400/IMG_3031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475423744816746706" border="0" /></a>"This pool is the perfect size for a little peanut like me, thanks mom!"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKF7bSFgBuS5XPWWtW4NDyT5xYdANNLiDDcmU59WKK2O5bXbtwCIgeKFvQYMrBeHXKZqS7MUtMTEj42RqGZRMlSRk2tsoa_KCIhYyzxkYLJCmq0f8-_HQ9dW1fIY3rpaUCIzy6lheppNlO/s1600/IMG_3018.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKF7bSFgBuS5XPWWtW4NDyT5xYdANNLiDDcmU59WKK2O5bXbtwCIgeKFvQYMrBeHXKZqS7MUtMTEj42RqGZRMlSRk2tsoa_KCIhYyzxkYLJCmq0f8-_HQ9dW1fIY3rpaUCIzy6lheppNlO/s400/IMG_3018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475423736998033298" border="0" /></a>"I like big books"...... "I like big chairs too"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjca9F3VQ2SS8QBaGH2NB5oBme-leQ8TM-FHiwodZPqLZ7f8y84WMoH5cl4pOupLHP3e5CD3wVU8YNazf5IUiyj4hZzinyO6cdIzYY-Y3YFrI1-PzZE2clot7Uh9ty3y1jRFWQGIQJCFvRT/s1600/IMG_3023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjca9F3VQ2SS8QBaGH2NB5oBme-leQ8TM-FHiwodZPqLZ7f8y84WMoH5cl4pOupLHP3e5CD3wVU8YNazf5IUiyj4hZzinyO6cdIzYY-Y3YFrI1-PzZE2clot7Uh9ty3y1jRFWQGIQJCFvRT/s400/IMG_3023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475427971287762562" border="0" /></a>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-24198130680488211352010-04-26T16:41:00.000-07:002010-04-26T19:21:51.008-07:00Always Keeping BusySo, it's been a while... but I have a good excuse for not being so diligent about blogging. First of all, this little one keeps me so busy. I think we have hit the teething stage and it seems that Grace is always a little grumpy. She does have her cute and happy moments though and I am amazed by all the new milestones she accomplishes.<br /><br />My second good excuse, as some of you may know, I still work about 20 hrs a week for the clinic I worked full time at before having this little one. I have been doing medical transcription from home... it's a huge blessing. I also work a few hours every Saturday and teach a class for overweight children twice a week. It's fun to have other things to occupy my time, but it definitely can be pretty busy at times.<br /><br />Last week, my friend Lindsey and I had a little photo shoot with Grace:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSfpea9QIew-_R98kuF4e0HYX-1oJccX-E1NSMKzc7qlX_rd6zHXzcSX-N2dE_lwtBJrI4DMnPXaJs4QtyBHuWMZtWjayApzjOzgoryny6agxE29SQbUza-_fM-H-pBu36WPtIFT_iDc8/s1600/IMG_2961.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464607950523546674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSfpea9QIew-_R98kuF4e0HYX-1oJccX-E1NSMKzc7qlX_rd6zHXzcSX-N2dE_lwtBJrI4DMnPXaJs4QtyBHuWMZtWjayApzjOzgoryny6agxE29SQbUza-_fM-H-pBu36WPtIFT_iDc8/s400/IMG_2961.JPG" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPjdWv9tW7Oy-Wlb6nIHqvRhBmW5q_pxLk_BVAidXvR8OngoOo11z9kuEtXHxcrimIgyz2Q1ikdPQ7dgMgd09ycfnBr3W6oC0Vcb4_tK1IbX6XmZClKJYg2adnYydmO7DXq3jgHUr2rMk/s1600/IMG_2967.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464613933656507138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPjdWv9tW7Oy-Wlb6nIHqvRhBmW5q_pxLk_BVAidXvR8OngoOo11z9kuEtXHxcrimIgyz2Q1ikdPQ7dgMgd09ycfnBr3W6oC0Vcb4_tK1IbX6XmZClKJYg2adnYydmO7DXq3jgHUr2rMk/s400/IMG_2967.JPG" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnc02isZQVOE9d5r2pd2H3ulcRMTXvvZv3_e9LZZRwlSl6ymSLX1OlqLW0G5_QZfpQ9dl61Vw9CZ9PnuddSHoXaLGYelKmfqVvCVFM6wSHKyFqLLCGyUInrU0QiTP4Fk-6mHla9RZ7izD/s1600/IMG_2980.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464607943640006114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnc02isZQVOE9d5r2pd2H3ulcRMTXvvZv3_e9LZZRwlSl6ymSLX1OlqLW0G5_QZfpQ9dl61Vw9CZ9PnuddSHoXaLGYelKmfqVvCVFM6wSHKyFqLLCGyUInrU0QiTP4Fk-6mHla9RZ7izD/s400/IMG_2980.JPG" /></a>And of course I find some time for crafting. I made this onsie for a friend who actually had her baby prematurely... she probably won't be wearing it for a while because she is so tiny.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_zwXxZapmhB1qKlgKza-mQMWQd-TNHT4iJ8l7KWbkymkFJdFP5bHxGryz9V9QfwGmu8U6pTc_bmd0ao9LW6tukX23IfJyHJS31pt8zg10gmkcPTIaUU3wMf0eIXZmsLujDJ-2ga-yzXE/s1600/IMG_2901.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464613927068668962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_zwXxZapmhB1qKlgKza-mQMWQd-TNHT4iJ8l7KWbkymkFJdFP5bHxGryz9V9QfwGmu8U6pTc_bmd0ao9LW6tukX23IfJyHJS31pt8zg10gmkcPTIaUU3wMf0eIXZmsLujDJ-2ga-yzXE/s400/IMG_2901.JPG" /></a>And I find some time for running. Grace loves the jogging stroller, but we'll have to start going early in the morning since it's starting to heat up.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05GTe73yEJ5wH5Xo9kuJ69W-usdHvJRggoEBmpOa2b2ouZEF_yOgQMcJ87RcmyVwGWlduDUtzgHVq6FMTOaHljRqbJCbW3akleONM1zDnERbrtKtEWfmB1Lf_C57jJgcki_9yfhkG6kbG/s1600/IMG_2992.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464610082517813010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05GTe73yEJ5wH5Xo9kuJ69W-usdHvJRggoEBmpOa2b2ouZEF_yOgQMcJ87RcmyVwGWlduDUtzgHVq6FMTOaHljRqbJCbW3akleONM1zDnERbrtKtEWfmB1Lf_C57jJgcki_9yfhkG6kbG/s400/IMG_2992.JPG" /></a>And I also have to thank our little sweetie for being born on the 31st of December (just 4 hrs. short of the tax deduction deadline!). Thank you, Grace, for helping mommy and daddy with a little extra money.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorqzhwYlhQ2qnJwRfTGx-uxLwGmGjpq0Zf6vRM9xC3Wl3QSb5EaBziOMLVbLhKDCbRpQkdoRHT4H9y7HYv321BBi766XlF-ntfLPdBBHZMIYDUlx0Urf3-dwvLJ08zIR83PjBLMecJRpE/s1600/IMG_2935.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464607930912162034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorqzhwYlhQ2qnJwRfTGx-uxLwGmGjpq0Zf6vRM9xC3Wl3QSb5EaBziOMLVbLhKDCbRpQkdoRHT4H9y7HYv321BBi766XlF-ntfLPdBBHZMIYDUlx0Urf3-dwvLJ08zIR83PjBLMecJRpE/s400/IMG_2935.JPG" /></a>I just can't resist those big blue eyes. Love you Grace!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRbi45dJbqJ_OgAyfLoAFZuoUNaQExKKV7JaunhmQ7uu1P6TqiPTsB0LTec9oUEY5rFaKwnVp2dFvYhprG7neIzV95u-FtLXryJWeYcjf6_LnQa__4HF4Pk29eLB-aprDb60eGhWVMHRb/s1600/IMG_2989.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464607912872287730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRbi45dJbqJ_OgAyfLoAFZuoUNaQExKKV7JaunhmQ7uu1P6TqiPTsB0LTec9oUEY5rFaKwnVp2dFvYhprG7neIzV95u-FtLXryJWeYcjf6_LnQa__4HF4Pk29eLB-aprDb60eGhWVMHRb/s400/IMG_2989.JPG" /></a>And before I forget, my friend Emily took some amazing pictures of our family. I tried uploading them, but I was having some technical difficulties. So if you want to see some more pics of our little fam click <a href="http://relivingthemoments.blogspot.com/2010/03/lyons.html"><span style="color:#000099;">here</span></a>. There are also some pics from her <a href="http://relivingthemoments.blogspot.com/2010/03/graces-blessing-day.html"><span style="color:#000099;">blessing</span></a>. Em, your awesome... thank you for some great memories!<br /><br />And one more thing... little Grace has become such a copycat. It's amazing how much of an influence you can have on a little one.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzH15Qi__LSEdXvvORgUF7afgtGbcdaJoa5X8bg7MX99jMj5emEY5NCBSBsjzJ4WHkqijmS6l1TRJysFGZkhA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-64102654292168355102010-03-26T10:29:00.000-07:002010-03-26T10:40:50.380-07:00Baby Seat<div><div><div><div>So, I bought Grace this nifty baby seat last night. She LOVES to sit up, but she can't quite keep herself completely upright. Steve, of course, thought this new gadget was ridiculous and often reminds me that she has way too many "things." Well, without me knowing, he took this picture this morning. He sent me a txt and said, "look at the pics on the camera," I had a good laugh. I guess she was trying to brush her gummy smile :)<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452997041683155138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq02C8hha6-v6AHsMWPW0jaSIm324RpZCgw3D2Rcx7uLVZ-a-J7_stY_CdslrUM6AYbK2YDhHQ3twDUVd8vHJ_-SIpLmBNi0HGA9YxE8cJrMaSSHn_ypXG0h2VC2UJvXZ9uG-QIJBdWyOm/s400/IMG_2908.JPG" /></div></div></div></div><br />He also thought it would help him study and used it as a thinking cap:<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452997715317929090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERESOb_BSlVFNoPOmsQnRiWnLAbdJ-yonEQHI9YZBjrO-M3JzbfsqPdO1nuZ_mA493Cw46pGp4G35ux_DndOg7as4fznhyWX7xJpoxIqYFknVvxzkSn3gzTbiWxzKpjWanz0TeMiXtCZ9/s400/IMG_2907.JPG" />Or not...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452997727106366578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkICgfr5E9HXbjqfRHW9EsyBXgOqmx_AZgwM4-HktrQ71F8jpCNtGJKd0i3uMcdXPePsp4OWeNeZPshOyoFG1XQTLE14lmnIMzGyEiZhS4PmgrCiEehUSDNrqVjnSD5jU-rx6nnIIDotsa/s400/IMG_2906.JPG" />And of course, its intended use:<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452997733067941314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmuZvkdobRlSQOtRyyKm_jRYCDi4W32Iv1KaF3EeXXaNjQtGA_KW-xPlWnjPNSYa3SpPLGKX9jBcAc4BfVz64s9aiP2Ao6-SLqlX0plL93ruYjGn4Pmr4S-mCj1VtHOYoKpumJlplxNrB/s400/IMG_2910.JPG" />Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-37056486903017361582010-03-20T15:19:00.000-07:002010-03-20T16:20:10.754-07:00Little Soccer PlayerSo this blog has basically become all about Grace (sorry, but she occupies my time 24/7 so there isn't much else to blog about). I promise the next post will have some variety.<br /><br />The other day I put little one in her swing to play. She just had her shots so I didn't think she would be very active, but I guessed wrong:<br /><br /><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwMyuRIpRtUiz18rrz7WxM1pb58QZRfevk-ITHez38Lf5TMoEtze9A5WxNq1eWY5rvauxSn0mETN-tS-TpKZg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>Also, Steve got Grace dressed in her PJ's last week, I had a good laugh in the morning when she woke up, you'll see why:</p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzkikhcDy2_PLQAE9BhmqylWy9BxCRBNmdvqE8XvEJcjJ3dIW74GyeH0aNafrUErHFTb5W3SJW6d4976XD2-Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-78243503257882464782010-03-11T13:53:00.000-08:002010-03-11T13:59:09.279-08:00Spring has Sprung!<span style="color:#cc6600;">After a fun spring break up in Utah, I have lots of cute pics to share of Grace. My friend Emily took some adorable pictures of our little family while we were there. They are currently still in the editing process so there will be more to come, but here is a little sneak peak...</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoarAbmjgIqcwqQ4taOkZwp6TwOj9lJo1hpLH7DLdK1CxNdmCE18XvO3ke6AcuZuxlqXN1j6aLnnPFxomZ2L1zGX7I8yBnFwlfJmXVisXbHOhmPSOPIj0ndgiYWrXgsu1K1nW8h_TzCg8/s1600-h/Grace.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447498229211774610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoarAbmjgIqcwqQ4taOkZwp6TwOj9lJo1hpLH7DLdK1CxNdmCE18XvO3ke6AcuZuxlqXN1j6aLnnPFxomZ2L1zGX7I8yBnFwlfJmXVisXbHOhmPSOPIj0ndgiYWrXgsu1K1nW8h_TzCg8/s400/Grace.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-57440552725926011882010-02-03T09:28:00.000-08:002010-02-03T10:08:29.785-08:00She Made it to the Summit!So, maybe she had a little help on the climb... in fact she slept the whole way. My parents were here a few weeks ago and we got outdoors and hiked <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Piestewa</span> Peak in Phoenix. It was so nice to get out and be active... something I can't get enough of. My mom was here for an entire month to help with Grace; let's say she was my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">saving</span> "grace." I can't thank her enough for all of her help.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXKnDdQ1ix056PnzUKLpyRB8623sVbly8m5CAI9ZobAhfAwtbiJ_TpFSEYgewWRoGFzlKydAmFssytUw9XgXyIq7sdYFSfkiFyTa8cgA-sh1nhizAl-dlrUsulUAoF0h7ylIkqB3DsFef/s1600-h/IMG_2765.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434073322790345570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXKnDdQ1ix056PnzUKLpyRB8623sVbly8m5CAI9ZobAhfAwtbiJ_TpFSEYgewWRoGFzlKydAmFssytUw9XgXyIq7sdYFSfkiFyTa8cgA-sh1nhizAl-dlrUsulUAoF0h7ylIkqB3DsFef/s400/IMG_2765.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Grace is such a cutie... that is when she is not fussing... something she tends to do often, but I can say that I think she is getting better. I guess it's tough being little and not being able to tell your mommy that your tummy hurts or you are having a hard time falling asleep.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1qfQzjSSdeX3_iY3w16Xuoljzb-JrjVyUMznQrCAQt2c_I31l8vyVCm-gvqUNVMz_yVBpqxRv4wgFquO6YiV-EZakd3dXi9n0pJAs09pByzm3_vQieZefWKGiNU2ShQoAs9mx7B0o82X/s1600-h/IMG_2788.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434073317857187618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1qfQzjSSdeX3_iY3w16Xuoljzb-JrjVyUMznQrCAQt2c_I31l8vyVCm-gvqUNVMz_yVBpqxRv4wgFquO6YiV-EZakd3dXi9n0pJAs09pByzm3_vQieZefWKGiNU2ShQoAs9mx7B0o82X/s400/IMG_2788.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Steve and I tend to talk for Grace (mostly me). It makes it easier for me to listen to the fussing and sometimes it's just a fun way to joke around when just Grace and I are at home. Here she says: "the light was to bright for my eyes, so I decided to put my blinders on."<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKOPDNFXtjuJRGEsa4muBDVeQkgzSs0cSgk468qcaR6zxx5-usZrLniRIAFYdPIbOz-xQWnphidEgyFWre-FJDs2MLdPjJ-lLkeAPSC38R9m-9HHWa-oAlZ_xzf-jBm_BtM8GBpu_5A7C/s1600-h/IMG_2781.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434072737232294722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKOPDNFXtjuJRGEsa4muBDVeQkgzSs0cSgk468qcaR6zxx5-usZrLniRIAFYdPIbOz-xQWnphidEgyFWre-FJDs2MLdPjJ-lLkeAPSC38R9m-9HHWa-oAlZ_xzf-jBm_BtM8GBpu_5A7C/s400/IMG_2781.JPG" /></a> <div>Grace doesn't seem to like the adorable bassinet we scored on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">craigslist</span> for her. She prefers to sleep in the bouncer. I must say it's nice because I don't have to get out of bed when she wakes up.</div><div></div><div>Once again she says: "Is it morning already? I need a little more shut eye since I was up most of the night... sorry mom. Can you please dim the lights?"</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF_3YY4LCgCfhcUYHnWdeKre2x6ABf67oZbx2gSnJqeu5U_oPfi-IombFhOxTA81nPicTtirKosdC5KJHBtfyOFECQKE7KAfR4VVCEz3NStfZ0kjjkoOX_Yprco3v6lQCMExWu6AfIaZo/s1600-h/IMG_2755.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434072736808773170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF_3YY4LCgCfhcUYHnWdeKre2x6ABf67oZbx2gSnJqeu5U_oPfi-IombFhOxTA81nPicTtirKosdC5KJHBtfyOFECQKE7KAfR4VVCEz3NStfZ0kjjkoOX_Yprco3v6lQCMExWu6AfIaZo/s400/IMG_2755.JPG" /></a><br /><div>You'll notice this adorable <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">onesie</span> Grace is wearing. My friend Brooke made it for her... she is so crafty. Thanks Brooke!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjbk8y1_SHFz_2OO-ZUMr2UkoqoDd7zqDprJW9HH2Je6gVmG7t7mOhIAk-I8l3QAf__EKW5Vgb6nNvLk1LRyQOhcY2LfEVKwQ3MHBkubLutTNfJYXn9esFF43qC7WSyH7JzcWXRrfZ7vg/s1600-h/IMG_2752.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434072724558325938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjbk8y1_SHFz_2OO-ZUMr2UkoqoDd7zqDprJW9HH2Je6gVmG7t7mOhIAk-I8l3QAf__EKW5Vgb6nNvLk1LRyQOhcY2LfEVKwQ3MHBkubLutTNfJYXn9esFF43qC7WSyH7JzcWXRrfZ7vg/s400/IMG_2752.JPG" /></a><br /><div>To help with the fussing, I have to give thanks to the Sleep Sheep. This adorable little <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">stuft</span> animal makes 5 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">different</span> soothing sounds; Grace prefers "ocean," but "rain" sometimes does the trick as well. We tote this little friend all around.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwCF474iaPygCfMvCVFwlm7OxsQGSK7-12l2WshJskWw0QUTi3PdD5mKwmeHoqQDCFK2DEmreiCp85kDNjXrcsiNJHUW-BpBjkswxEKz9_d0ZnKNud5nAP3EClaNSH6lP-VzBgIKP6PAp/s1600-h/sleepsheep.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 345px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434072719514102994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwCF474iaPygCfMvCVFwlm7OxsQGSK7-12l2WshJskWw0QUTi3PdD5mKwmeHoqQDCFK2DEmreiCp85kDNjXrcsiNJHUW-BpBjkswxEKz9_d0ZnKNud5nAP3EClaNSH6lP-VzBgIKP6PAp/s400/sleepsheep.jpg" /></a> I also think Grace's tummy tends to give her trouble. These gas <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">relief</span> drops have helped tremendously... we're almost already on a second bottle.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUHNyirezGTMlFlSI9OW5h7anhN5E_h2jZpH3Sf9LBRstofEu9yyOL-H9lHA_tiDBH_AaPdOTDMKQb7zkPYzOOqYiBTBW3I4IhWegDl1GGvxpaZW2ANz22Xj0JrDGwinmBSTw-g7eZT2Q/s1600-h/littletummy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 260px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434072713642273714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUHNyirezGTMlFlSI9OW5h7anhN5E_h2jZpH3Sf9LBRstofEu9yyOL-H9lHA_tiDBH_AaPdOTDMKQb7zkPYzOOqYiBTBW3I4IhWegDl1GGvxpaZW2ANz22Xj0JrDGwinmBSTw-g7eZT2Q/s400/littletummy.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-68022194079527234602010-01-10T11:54:00.000-08:002010-01-10T13:45:30.157-08:00Baby GraceShe's finally here! Our baby girl was born on New Year's Eve and she made quite an entrance. Last week Steve was joking around with me during a moment of stress and said "well our little girl is in 'breech' of contract."A few days before Grace was born we found out that what we thought was her bottom was actually her head. Yep, our baby girl decided that she liked to be right side up instead up upside down... and nothing would make her budge... she was what is medically termed as a"breech" baby. Interestingly this occurs in only 3% of pregnancies... Grace likes to do things different, just like her mom :)<br /><div><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 248px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 188px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425205269080744066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIT7R24uEcZioQT-ycYR7FW9Q3IB-Fh-ty-Cqmdnt6iHnR3CoEzUAPqGW59jn6LJ8obbO80XQxT8NYAx94CMPXUqVtTl2RhDAEpLrRJbYX8XVCtavp4MkSlJEGaNOZ3z6TuaZJWwWBPNZU/s200/IMG_2676.JPG" />Her first night home...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 246px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 201px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425205282866002818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAzPPoiKMh5kPCid8Ub2ZQoVhUy5psP4RNpfTdDTRHlrvzyKuuHhuMTQctMScqYV1XFRVYh8UPu-vwDYDYY2emSbx5lXkVXo_SAjT3WmHitXty5_KmYPeMfouBzlD79kjqOgCYCErhbl1/s200/IMG_2688.JPG" />Getting ready for bed in soft jammies...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 244px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 199px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425207850626144050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYsIy4ZxM-jQiYCXh5z0ig5iDcIS1eWP5bvq8f-F5mrePTvNk2Eixlo7vJA-L2m5XhRchiBDo9TsZRyvz9cQfozbmQyMFjoMD53izPkZnPrcHStRr-8xALU4pMpcfpVFJd8DIWPV4N7VF/s200/IMG_2711.JPG" />A proud daddy...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 244px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 189px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425207856772000882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOZcVebI0M8PGyspr2V1tXDBYdCX33r0yTxnhvI13p0B7KTIFZxAoGeh0pz7_r2W-sOBhcfZIwfUYiKQPcTAF_d88SQd7WKpXd-MC57d1P2QSD01rCsBSoc18OxpF8ilZa84uTbAmdeRQ/s200/IMG_2725.JPG" />So, I will now tell you the iteresting story of the days before Grace's birth. The day after we got the news, we decided to try EVERYTHING we could to turn our baby. I did handstands in a pool, layed for hours at a 30 degree incline, attempted a headstand, coaxing with music, wrapping my belly with an ace wrap, and chasing her with an ice pack. None of these natural measures seemed to work. So the next day I went to the hospital to have what is called a "version" to manually turn the baby. This just left me with a sore red belly. </div><div></div><div>The next day I was having consistent contractions and I thought that there was a possibility that I could be in labor. We finally decided to go to the hospital, when we arrived my contractions seemed to stop completely... I basically spent 4 hours hooked up to a monitor for no reason. They asked me if I wanted to schedule a c-section while I was there. I was totally exhausted and I felt that for some reason our baby wasn't supposed to turn. I asked if I could schedule it for the next day (New Year's Eve). Apparently it was completely booked up and I couldn't be scheduled unil the following Tuesday. I went home discouraged and exhausted. </div><div></div><div>Trying to coax her with music...</div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 243px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 204px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425203499056664386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iLU-UPoRKxDvTElZ7ZI8YF8arG-oVpNCRabUmLPIfEuI4YqQTcRI_8we6cblRqS0tCT2X40lzRDjpjMdM8OSebV8SBzvKRODoeOW2u77IuMpqAAnnw-ns1t0HDmzFp_ScgwajN6byH8o/s200/IMG_2654.JPG" />With the help of some Ambien, I finally got good nights sleep. The much needed sleep must have given my tired body the energy to actually go into labor. I had contractions all day that definetly felt different than before. I didn't want to go to the hospital for fear that the contractions would stop, but they were getting pretty intense. By the time I finally gave into the idea that it was "real" labor, my contractions were 2 min. apart and lasted a good 45 sec.-1 min. We got to the hospital at 6:30 and baby Grace was born an hour later. </div><div></div><div>I never even considered the idea that I may have a c-section during my pregnancy. I spent a lot of time planning my natural childbirth and pushed the alternatives aside. Grace was pretty much folded in half inside of me (she looked like a diver in a pike position). I couldn't imagine trying have a vaginal birth considering the circumstances. I am just grateful that she arrived safely and that I was still able to make it a special experience. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 243px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 196px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425203490743249234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-z0ix3eeu_VHfIU7mY8rFudkhGpNntgrNoeFEIz3rD2a0zvQe-JBSXwZRQtrUHJ0Ch3fY2XnACBTwuVH75eLcMsBQg2VgaXP4TvG8zNfDWWzYIL0oHGIe9giywVUEGi214YOdemra8FO/s200/IMG_2658.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 241px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 203px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425203516442552066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XNe1SOl1qKnC0iO_xg_VhoNqgXgOLgeI5soeSgRlNUUre2C5AeXh4LPis6y4YlQl8vgc3yQoLrvz2qhWgjfrKj89jHeJMN2rnW5DShl9WkMz8gLw_CMLAixWQomg0656wGcZr8uVSr82/s200/IMG_2665.JPG" />Before I had the c-section, I gave the nurse this blanket to wrap her in. I hung it in my closet so that it would have my scent since I couldn't hold her immediatly after she was born. After a quick weigh in and other measurements, Steve was able to bring her close to me. (She came in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. and 22 inches long).<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 236px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 195px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425203508822987362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lutIaJFxs_hxqs6iz0cwDG2TVsCqfKD4KjCHjj9ekNvk8vzVVaIInpeWmCRHPDOQH9E4faRAxivBscBy_XZbjv5UfWRWXbDPS8mE-ROc5waOUJpWJKUf5VwqnEHjgroOjJVtbd33Z98x/s200/IMG_2668.JPG" />The whole procedure was actually pretty quick and she was in my arms just 1/2 hr. later.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 187px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425203524901660114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt1aaNaJ_obm5_m2Z9fUIT6NbkXHxP28s-d1sy_Urv5zPQTzAo49QtbpdpzkHxTawUbuHkaQGhQXpujbCJthSF_7DjDEvoGtzZuhrrrVJeXNC-O0bevNJyLcd-lVcBscuQaZmOMXfPAo-/s200/IMG_2670.JPG" />I told the nurses not to give her a bath until I was able to get up and share that experience with Steve... she didn't like it all that much, but she loved having her hair rinsed under the faucet.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 238px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 188px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425205275845743762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRtTusw-CEzttV-0u36twr3LoVTrJXSIAWuQNwbUaZF3larPEXc4YvEwcL8dGL5t0X9P-7LTJxkYuPOcWoFSRzd_gOlAQE-Dc83PePZwNYgB-kfP1RrXd9IWrr7OnZPWO7nC5_FiTgd9P/s200/IMG_2681.JPG" />We arrived home a day early. I did laps around the nurses station while pushing Grace in the bassinet... they really had no reason to keep me another day.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 237px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425205295996656210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicopSgUhqyJXcGIgFtqE9LSXHSjB6m2J5ZGHorPlL4lmmsnURqANSFFZ0C3p9RksmT8ObUJvUmC46ZzAc5YRm6nxjs4drTBcwl2Chc-kHu_lfVoneOtFR_Fpn4Yq4DGZIJ8y8c8zrYLgH4/s200/IMG_2695.JPG" />Grace has been such a good baby. I am so grateful that our little angel is here... we love her so much.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 232px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 183px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425207842314197906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQPBef6qbXOUuozNdAHnteQ_UoiDbn_0Kj9Wn7ujPKIvWbDLKalpx_NzR5V0odv5-U-6RFZPeOkNDMybxifvUwm6j74A1POzE4Y2nvbLqYqWfUFVzIOAzR0wconQx4BTSPOU7uf-13W8S/s200/IMG_2705.JPG" /></div></div></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-656026913541778662009-12-10T08:34:00.001-08:002009-12-10T17:51:46.055-08:00Getting Ready for BabySorry, about the lack of posts... preparing for this little one consumes the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">majority</span> of my time when I'm not working. I just have to say that I'm <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">sooooo</span> excited to meet our baby girl. I feel like I know her already, but I am so excited to see her features and kiss her tiny hands and toes. <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><div>My pregnancy has been going well. I'm still able to work, but I've cut my hours back... more time for sleep! Of course, I'm feeling somewhat uncomfortable and I encounter back pain occasionally, but I know it will all be worth it.</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 79px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413785286702859266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhml7G4moe0ViP_LUQGosRNyWyP_9mppvuxn5Voii4UTyZEUDHabT_kPKj5V3FQ2OxrR4pBy-RmtX2GWJzLRuTxu-pj2UIav9Fr4uOpNJiTWOU4D2S-i6LlItWyi5mSzs-MEcdrzzXSozrQ/s400/HypnoBirthing_logo%5B1%5D.jpg" />Over the past few months, Steve and I have been preparing by taking a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">hypnobirthing</span> course. The reactions that people have when I explain this to them is pretty funny. Some think I'm a little crazy and others are quite interested. To explain <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">hypnobirthing</span> in a very simplistic way, a mother uses self hypnosis (deep relaxation) to naturally birth her baby. Let's just say that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">hypnobirthing</span> has completely calmed my nerves about having this baby... I'm so excited and look forward to a beautiful birth!<br /><br /><div></div><div>We have been very grateful for the generosity of our family, friends, and co-workers. We've had several baby showers over the past few months and I feel very blessed by the generosity of those around us. The nursery is pretty much done except for one project that my mom and I will tackle when she comes to visit.<br /><br />A physical therapist I work with has been so generous... she sold us her crib, changing table, and glider for a <em>very </em>affordable price... thanks <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mariah</span>!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413781979729601362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUswGq3xA32SgfoBjeWO-6kUiUkRItkFbYtSAZty58MLyrMArdISSvjnEns47yWunBZNuE5MMqn_FPQ_lvIkivjJBZ1RLlVJlXftOtNQZZTAmytV-3ilVhDXminVYGW9gSaKq-0nMsChU/s400/IMG_2644.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 401px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 281px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413781987518319682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJCz7bG9iXL7U3WWeYwYdexQik09O69s3gze1ZNriv2K4vS5o31f2j_8Ismtog5a6EJNyIyVAwZyiaXM2kLm0g_H0SXO5LJRWbF2xHuuHgvz0an2cznvAEW1Al4mC7JGd35XkRjAYV-wS/s400/IMG_2645.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 325px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 385px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413782001728558450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68NL63gFiuib60FBjFCxAE15SZTFx2Nsd7VFzbMV1OOJeDH83rgYqkZGfkTUzsCwoxfQhuta7WJbwnmezUQ9Un_3pa3MtrYQX5NB0WwhtbkMI5gOHjbkyr0fn6PFx7THytS1EcPsRf9EL/s400/IMG_2653.JPG" /> I spent many hours working on the curtains in her room, but I think they turned out perfect. I had the lights off so you can see the butterflies when the light shines through the window.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 323px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413778640073918706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3DXUdTV0o2qnGEZj0IINnV6mX3lLbWvKIhfCr1a4_ozzO_7Tg3LLbJla8VPcsUU9QL2OMLWrheYQi2zkBHw5cRpPF3lZ7NooRxgXK5mH36likpoP9H-8W88avszS0LwKN5MOJOhsGdWw/s400/IMG_2632.JPG" />You can never have to many diapers! I have been stocking up on diapers using coupons and other great deals for the past few months which has caused a shortage on closet space! </div><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413785278989561602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NOZSVTmV0VjsOkGw0_MMAmaHZy5GRHQ-FvsfQSlpEYfU71WAev4yCaTtv_gxvBz9pfwZfmv7gNLi8zX6nFjO2TQdds_jfcz4qQrQcpMJrhguQGR-Dfy2AEaL4vOP26_vQB2Vcmq4VRs_/s400/IMG_2648.JPG" />And my philosophy... a girl can never have too many clothes. Baby girl clothes are just too darn cute... I think I have enough baby/toddler clothes for the next 2 yrs.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 302px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 335px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413781995459132818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4T9Bt2OnGKHEnhFxhMyglisiFj36bsa4453sN6f8bNjjmPb6vErMNmqdY-9zuoicdRA-pA5wsnlRX_NkdMIKaCw41gbtzF-Xi-9zZuAdFvXuw3yVIL854wDoguAkxCIj6IagLtKzc1ra/s400/IMG_2646.JPG" />I was able to find this adorable <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">blessing</span> dress for an awesome deal...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 402px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413782012331488578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39snQgesdk2fsx_A9dUwikippv4W_ExjONZvdmsZ_j34QYWGxlIqxyeSY41tUl-6oWcENBNSWGIbLFlHEjzpeWS1HXC9wrgZoF311nJCMypJrtg4TRHJ00b1lCojcasfUkUS6gDGZ8Yyy/s400/IMG_2652.JPG" /> My work threw me an amazing surprise baby shower... hence no pictures because I wasn't prepared with my camera! One big surprise at the shower was this <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">seat belt</span> diaper bag. Steve thinks it's totally <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">impractical</span>, but I absolutely love it!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 387px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 316px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413778631133078354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyiAySbdsBKwVXSgzJVyA10A3nWvglV0qr4S6dyZsuyfMBH7myM9ueSA05Y83Qp3ra3iFsTRvrOaDzSuLwL-OKDTc9orA5YrGODZ4hQE9t4-1WXyAwjF_WELDdXZAoKG6Hs8GqeF1zYYv/s400/IMG_2643.JPG" />My friends at church threw a double shower for my friend Tara and I... it was so much fun! They went to a lot of hard work and it turned out perfect. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 385px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 303px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413774426927782930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4FXqEFZPheK-vwytWaMhPuODxE2rTYRrLZYfQY_YZfv2GkoJYD7suBsTZJwycJgsxIsEftpNzPviD0GHTwvcNPsILvMoMUJDscyMdcL3-tWGf47KphrM1qdo7b_AfQx7p_09olm7fSe2/s400/IMG_2626.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 385px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 304px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413774409998916050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaeDngST1I5jCJvDMNQU9acvuvC259Xj5Mmts_xk1nF_tKGtKSWu7ZGSB6MeUXAJOneu1pmN_bNhjpnLnIpbmklCnngTIqUsDKE6aGMzHYMNPErO5uSXXeZ4pDZO2n5KilmzewQuvNYRJ/s400/IMG_2591.JPG" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 387px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 304px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413774417042883474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMq87rddcvjs7S6HXEhEwNVPfKvL0R2XlsYYmHcMlqRtECZNroIrQWWg8Z0Z2Y2uxm2u_d-CrvqeZL2HLJcxDgo7Nl0V4XSvVz_Ju0gqSX3oJ9_Yk-rle1l5lUlTfIUn_DxCrrfamNWWmc/s400/IMG_2613.JPG" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 393px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 308px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413774395292736722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5YpzpZ3-fde0mWVTJgYz7U9eH0g0r0AaAu-4ICD3TtVnjjxWH1qDDAzKTdMnx3qyvq7uNOWYcRFIbYJzNE5OBNoV76WuZadTl6YYrCedjkA2mPjfqxktOTizbIG4nCSugXjCWznlEr11/s400/IMG_2584.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 393px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 293px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413774435668915362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-huRFlsn-MiaLZmXaL0UmuJazCuPUJYt7dsCHvMXZqbqK98yKg1rf7rhGQ5O6yR4XAwJ5A8J1xjScO35hYonutLkeK0lYp0sbYE1Sa-jfyBdy6EuGFL3CEvAnNELAAw05ZSJg_UNxvoc/s400/IMG_2628.JPG" /> And of course amidst all of this baby planning, we had to decorate for Christmas since we won't be heading home this year. We purchased this beautiful tree... it was so much fun to decorate.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 329px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 418px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413778624929163250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA5KmH_1_kuK9SeoTHQrgjdrvLBwWF4JxVbrp5T9TY18vJemxXYPACc9HUhEQT2BBHaXaFW0SyPjPzTAyRJII3b8dIYmHaniaY31kBgbcZCSDwDdbn1IeyNXNzdgPJEIZKvf1kLg368Ks/s400/IMG_2641.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 328px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 416px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413778613982855506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnRG3qpja4Jm93WWptg4zG4EVCHgRiscv8SDRYNyzOnmclXvoYDFow8rlPZ0WHOA3IfaFNsi5EQUKy5ShXCMtIMAPk2TDYVYx0O0DrC8oNh3BwEp-h0ilZQVShlhwrmEqAfhhmuywz-OW/s400/IMG_2642.JPG" /> And how could I forget... I'm sure many of you want to see a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">prego</span> pic before I wrap this post up. This was taken at about 36 1/2 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">wks</span>. (sorry... it's a little blurry and dark).<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413778609626430866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsF58WlubE5IJMksYoWGbUTMP6ycL54AIsu3mAMDMDSVcA2To1zbfNen_kx6kcWGQB8jGdWgKMypVugIA_neH4YN4N-ok-1krgJ75ADtKSOeE1P0AZ6eQ93OgR_SulfvAK_8ZS8FVeQYR/s400/IMG_2636.JPG" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-18644566547271889332009-11-03T19:42:00.000-08:002009-11-03T20:14:45.606-08:00U2 concert & Halloween PicsA few weeks ago we rocked out to U2 (and Black Eyed Peas)... little baby included. My boss at work is awesome... he got tickets for everyone at the clinic & they were amazing seats (Thanks Doug!).<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400093003849140226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFT8JOs1Z7kAN0zd3mRLKV5vaUq1sq00dVKXY61jhUmjz5SL4Vq5JNNBC8O0ggBElnDoxhuvi_akISCS_zEhorC_wJ1jW-Hq0ECoKnLF5grADT3FRifW17zbl-FJSZWK8FyjgZZAC8d9wq/s400/IMG_2514.JPG" />The baby was bouncing around in my tummy... I hope it wasn't too loud for her, but I think she enjoyed it. Steve luckily took the night off from studying and was able to join us.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAepyiJER3UZZKa92DAFeAUjBmWvwoSMgLniFnJB5sC41ZPo7F6On99RauLAYnOH44P9ePXASBVME3vljFtmfGJaRjyjGFgHRbAwDPiEUyl9tHF0K7iNU19J1y45dc5fIjqze7PmB1aa4/s1600-h/IMG_2517.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400093011381476642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAepyiJER3UZZKa92DAFeAUjBmWvwoSMgLniFnJB5sC41ZPo7F6On99RauLAYnOH44P9ePXASBVME3vljFtmfGJaRjyjGFgHRbAwDPiEUyl9tHF0K7iNU19J1y45dc5fIjqze7PmB1aa4/s400/IMG_2517.JPG" /></a>Our camera has a pretty good zoom, so we got some close up shots. They are a little blurry because of the lights, but I think they turned out pretty well. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQEOu-CCR7iVAR7z5hiLBIyOmS9oti88ubgbvNeKN2kV5cslWwjH3A951D4xE4HjOULhsqwR7JL9v-Rb_GxXpDwkjDJ373yYGjJeHbTzBez_5yYzkyuExMIOizKaagSJ0ODqOX3o6ICbs/s1600-h/IMG_2538.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400092995115559730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQEOu-CCR7iVAR7z5hiLBIyOmS9oti88ubgbvNeKN2kV5cslWwjH3A951D4xE4HjOULhsqwR7JL9v-Rb_GxXpDwkjDJ373yYGjJeHbTzBez_5yYzkyuExMIOizKaagSJ0ODqOX3o6ICbs/s400/IMG_2538.JPG" /></a> They had this gigantic screen that was segmented so it could stretch/grow... kind of hard to explain, but it was pretty cool.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVeKHkPmUCvbvrtm4NwYDAML1VmvcnB6n3bpjRsajEScCOTzeSV7NcN1KYDmChMUekdTLE2WWTPrH6VG3H3bEd6NaoNPEAsi2nSCaCjdiCe90GZ0N3fc-Js_415N5MmG_MQCb79d23Qei/s1600-h/IMG_2551.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400092024016445938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVeKHkPmUCvbvrtm4NwYDAML1VmvcnB6n3bpjRsajEScCOTzeSV7NcN1KYDmChMUekdTLE2WWTPrH6VG3H3bEd6NaoNPEAsi2nSCaCjdiCe90GZ0N3fc-Js_415N5MmG_MQCb79d23Qei/s400/IMG_2551.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTZwwISmnfbHv00cHb550Zduc7_31zAd2iPyqpy8OEbpmRsiuoyQhHik6WXHHaBbWtbInZvohUdynX8VxcOUaZbH2I2stFutdxcJ350OwzwUCNiZUhGIlVuLUKlwTgEzmIU2W65ePOQYy/s1600-h/IMG_2541.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400092020316533618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTZwwISmnfbHv00cHb550Zduc7_31zAd2iPyqpy8OEbpmRsiuoyQhHik6WXHHaBbWtbInZvohUdynX8VxcOUaZbH2I2stFutdxcJ350OwzwUCNiZUhGIlVuLUKlwTgEzmIU2W65ePOQYy/s400/IMG_2541.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHofm7ocInHwFje8v5xg0E2rT9p6QlOmShElPdGTqoZJ6h-BuL2u2EAPPEDeBepuewT4CSTtcqa7_qU0uhS9xv2XUfBAQz14RRY7CwuSUh1iD21fP_KhOw7BdFUMDrIQfP3UvQAhivqDpw/s1600-h/IMG_2557.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400092011046567554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHofm7ocInHwFje8v5xg0E2rT9p6QlOmShElPdGTqoZJ6h-BuL2u2EAPPEDeBepuewT4CSTtcqa7_qU0uhS9xv2XUfBAQz14RRY7CwuSUh1iD21fP_KhOw7BdFUMDrIQfP3UvQAhivqDpw/s400/IMG_2557.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JSv95bEicO6oYKq7ydQYkVEWL0RdEtvx57K3ttjyBT2kyF5tI-VBDd7Wz_kQTiwzQhJaHpcJa9agkr_ynD_YhIzehmFWWNxZ_p-YY9UJqQc1gW7ZBQbKZtaiuvnZm7hDD2IUdpx0cFvO/s1600-h/IMG_2553.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400092002742809218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JSv95bEicO6oYKq7ydQYkVEWL0RdEtvx57K3ttjyBT2kyF5tI-VBDd7Wz_kQTiwzQhJaHpcJa9agkr_ynD_YhIzehmFWWNxZ_p-YY9UJqQc1gW7ZBQbKZtaiuvnZm7hDD2IUdpx0cFvO/s400/IMG_2553.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lqoStiu-QieEiB46lAMiRioYUeVrvFg4lA33sYM-vxOmzdhD8ZkL14TvknSscfnkAFRADJu1c2-n9vHpZEz92gRQAvdfqqkW-dlGrbcCd1tS2DB3Q-ifL4u40YSUlIco9Ap2Al82TO1v/s1600-h/IMG_2537.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400091993279751314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lqoStiu-QieEiB46lAMiRioYUeVrvFg4lA33sYM-vxOmzdhD8ZkL14TvknSscfnkAFRADJu1c2-n9vHpZEz92gRQAvdfqqkW-dlGrbcCd1tS2DB3Q-ifL4u40YSUlIco9Ap2Al82TO1v/s400/IMG_2537.JPG" /></a> And of course... the long awaited prego pics... or should I say "super hero" prego pics. We all dressed up as super heros at work. I wasn't quite sure on what super hero I wanted to be so I just threw this together. Everyone thought it was pretty funny... especially the emphasis on my ever growing belly. I got the name "super-prego" for the day.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNBB2OMOHdmfg3NPqmBHb1ih9dExFIrHoBV9KtOpGzYLg6eRCC_YaHib5kXJGG_PFmHM-1Tuemz1qJ2ifJyPklF71ZoTkUMWTIUNgLcfzOffnabkjdFvCt6rQpXffFiD2WvHN6Lpyx871/s1600-h/IMG_2569.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400090431332996546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNBB2OMOHdmfg3NPqmBHb1ih9dExFIrHoBV9KtOpGzYLg6eRCC_YaHib5kXJGG_PFmHM-1Tuemz1qJ2ifJyPklF71ZoTkUMWTIUNgLcfzOffnabkjdFvCt6rQpXffFiD2WvHN6Lpyx871/s400/IMG_2569.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfQza1jVmpAP0v7Agvh417hbA-XjDayjA3Lpu95IJDATjIljjhRTkMPTKxkvDVKO7lYqi13CBnlxlg0OWHeGKIPdwlJsb3pYVLd71PpvPzwBmVh-xmPLwZW3OoSGJvLL86iHGW5rmeNtM/s1600-h/IMG_2570.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400090423913885074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfQza1jVmpAP0v7Agvh417hbA-XjDayjA3Lpu95IJDATjIljjhRTkMPTKxkvDVKO7lYqi13CBnlxlg0OWHeGKIPdwlJsb3pYVLd71PpvPzwBmVh-xmPLwZW3OoSGJvLL86iHGW5rmeNtM/s400/IMG_2570.JPG" /></a> And here's another at 31 weeks (without all the glitter accessories).<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4axqcWqKEUO700E90s3ODHJSZ1o9NElVtybs-Hx6QpOIBAf_CSTz9iHhV0Cnej5h9mo96237vfmoQRhfTTbK2J6iuG56Y6YqK7ph50ydVceFZ7naAbI8E6YELGQmBsF4d9kqF8f1JbYSg/s1600-h/IMG_2574.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400090415932877218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4axqcWqKEUO700E90s3ODHJSZ1o9NElVtybs-Hx6QpOIBAf_CSTz9iHhV0Cnej5h9mo96237vfmoQRhfTTbK2J6iuG56Y6YqK7ph50ydVceFZ7naAbI8E6YELGQmBsF4d9kqF8f1JbYSg/s400/IMG_2574.JPG" /></a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-23557780794481833362009-10-08T16:08:00.000-07:002009-10-08T17:15:29.915-07:00Updates at last!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SVsvn1OlEMI/Ss50G6yrLmI/AAAAAAAAAqc/7Pf-btt4Gxs/s1600-h/st.george.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 62px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390373466218901090" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SVsvn1OlEMI/Ss50G6yrLmI/AAAAAAAAAqc/7Pf-btt4Gxs/s400/st.george.gif" /></a> So, it's been a while... I guess being pregnant has caused me to become preoccupied with baby stuff, baby books, coupons, shopping, showers, etc. So here are some updates:<br /><br /><div></div><div>This past weekend I drove up to Southern Utah for our yearly family tradition: The St. George Marathon. And yes, I registered for this race only to find out a few days later that I was pregnant (unfortunately there were no refunds or deferrals).</div><div><br /><div>On the drive I decided to stop and see the Hoover Dam. I had driven across this thing several times, but I thought that it was time to finally get out and take a picture... I opted to avoid the tour and wait until Steve could come along to do the whole tourist thing.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 353px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 209px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390373457329075234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvO9spsGCtNwmqsWrEdlCgR_eTJ7zauSJKzhzAW0vNBRVCxl_1V60f8DZrq1ZUBjXllcYTeuYT-xFNKfv_-mbq7SkUAL0FI2ufORV1x133uAtDTikovDuyTkcZxK9imczrRxZ_DDliSt7/s400/IMG_2501.JPG" />Although, I had no intentions to run the entire marathon (and risk going into labor), I still wanted to participate in the race. So at mile 23 I put on my number and joined my sister Abby on her last 3 grueling miles. Abby ran her very first marathon and I am so proud of her! I knew how tough it is to run those last few miles and I'm so glad that I was able to share that experience with her. I got off the course before the last 100 yrds. and gave her a pat on the back and said, "you made it, you did it Abby!" I always say that to myself at the very end of a race, but it was an awesome experice to cheer my sister on... WAY TO GO ABBY!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 297px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 402px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390379845054619394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8Kr7z0KYX1IdtGgq9JvQFBpRkelMtX-nT93iqhPuj2pMAx8zKvWCP3Kmqyn_gvSaH8ojGwC2zLCDu8KPtoxEhxh4II9KQmNrZJ5JW6hRLDARKMprr5zJbpOEqetPXL7CtR3ATy4NUht5/s400/IMG_2491.JPG" />Here I am at 27 weeks... people are finally noticing now that I'm pregant and not just thick around the middle.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUsIX_ZIAumVbXWg-4S_u1jnA0v40qK0zLPJDAjA8yDprvRu1nqtD-ZuamEPbnBpopbq2dbTXxSwf5UuG5xZmduxAHjWS3X63O-9un86Fl3vMP3pXO8OlUhdE8r5paLHIANQERp33ji_P/s1600-h/IMG_2494.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390373447352469682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUsIX_ZIAumVbXWg-4S_u1jnA0v40qK0zLPJDAjA8yDprvRu1nqtD-ZuamEPbnBpopbq2dbTXxSwf5UuG5xZmduxAHjWS3X63O-9un86Fl3vMP3pXO8OlUhdE8r5paLHIANQERp33ji_P/s400/IMG_2494.JPG" /></a> My brother Isaac and sister-in-law Megan ran as well. They got married 1 week before the race! I'm sure you can imagine how much they trained for this race with all the wedding planning... not much. In the end it's about finishing. NICE JOB Megan and Isaac!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vy2iCOYjzHB1UbcI1vPQnNJMUEuVnSLVqykSdSb_RcCOoAkz5rtk0F_iXiGkUEQWzdaChAjboErTHSljj-eg_RhRnbJAmwm7_1UlOwCRPet_XmwcNKFRwzqWcO1Rddy2gqChMHHzYytv/s1600-h/IMG_2490.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390372183393959890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vy2iCOYjzHB1UbcI1vPQnNJMUEuVnSLVqykSdSb_RcCOoAkz5rtk0F_iXiGkUEQWzdaChAjboErTHSljj-eg_RhRnbJAmwm7_1UlOwCRPet_XmwcNKFRwzqWcO1Rddy2gqChMHHzYytv/s400/IMG_2490.JPG" /></a> Here they are about a month before the wedding... what an adorable couple :)<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390372165934936514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7g6Ygi5zMPf0VqN4CXrgxs0rbc9L369ija5h2nUEb98PdLza_8sPGkT5XDpt5VQKSE8_1ZQYQ1yfAxF4TeMoJD8cEsdmHd-FjzGyq2i5NxFJ2UVRA2Ry_r_2BfDJ2v8v_mDrL_CvzZ5pn/s400/IMG_2341.JPG" /> I flew up for the wedding 2 weeks ago. Luckily the weather was beautiful and we all had a blast at the reception (which really was an awesome PARTY!).<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgmSIlLES3e43wF1j9Vy1YuSBgVmScsbgb24TzomIwDq13IVpHOv0AFXTG2jM-NniJgg2CU-YNqijIYPchq5rbIH2I4saAidOeYYEh64DufSq8tKcSGQ9WFHEZUy_5rc2ZpI7Y7JPLqQk/s1600-h/isaacandmeg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390372169483499874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgmSIlLES3e43wF1j9Vy1YuSBgVmScsbgb24TzomIwDq13IVpHOv0AFXTG2jM-NniJgg2CU-YNqijIYPchq5rbIH2I4saAidOeYYEh64DufSq8tKcSGQ9WFHEZUy_5rc2ZpI7Y7JPLqQk/s400/isaacandmeg.jpg" /></a> Here I am with my sisters and sister-in-law Amy. It was so much fun to see all of my siblings since we all live in different places.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13Zr7iw-05YtD8j54oSjqUIcM2n0cWLgJN2ScglAAoBbn7I0goQhDSIyudDAzcZZN08CvB0mrNnuXNzwui6j8MC9fi-ikzi02e3bV2RC01hDmbef9uyQ1M5jObu-QLp0PHLQsb7r3XLnw/s1600-h/sisters.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390372150683140002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13Zr7iw-05YtD8j54oSjqUIcM2n0cWLgJN2ScglAAoBbn7I0goQhDSIyudDAzcZZN08CvB0mrNnuXNzwui6j8MC9fi-ikzi02e3bV2RC01hDmbef9uyQ1M5jObu-QLp0PHLQsb7r3XLnw/s400/sisters.jpg" /></a> Angie and I in our cute navy dresses (luckily the dress was forgiving through the middle).<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnAYreAI9cgmR6PEipYdQnV6ahkiea3vaDVBxLS8PdkxgdjHefLkLwXYQvBEk02_l6zVwjBO3pPJZHx5VXOxACxbtLGXe58hNaCazTj4WML-PgyXvur-CAinnmb8YciPNA2tIXtrqwszM/s1600-h/wedding_angie.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390372147234436354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnAYreAI9cgmR6PEipYdQnV6ahkiea3vaDVBxLS8PdkxgdjHefLkLwXYQvBEk02_l6zVwjBO3pPJZHx5VXOxACxbtLGXe58hNaCazTj4WML-PgyXvur-CAinnmb8YciPNA2tIXtrqwszM/s400/wedding_angie.jpg" /></a> Dancing the night away...<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aD18-3_vx4XxLEiChQwPtCdHFM6KMPAkoJPzE5GtjKvQ83Hpeo4hHUWsEbgUOIKbHtFYYUG37Hl1SMeWgQ3dWkNSLkZDnq6sVBJul348DoFBtirD5MBmDBZTl_5uA5Q2vf1qcqPydyqf/s1600-h/wedding_goodtimes.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390370269037069042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aD18-3_vx4XxLEiChQwPtCdHFM6KMPAkoJPzE5GtjKvQ83Hpeo4hHUWsEbgUOIKbHtFYYUG37Hl1SMeWgQ3dWkNSLkZDnq6sVBJul348DoFBtirD5MBmDBZTl_5uA5Q2vf1qcqPydyqf/s400/wedding_goodtimes.jpg" /></a><br />While I was in Utah, my friend Emily gave me an awesome baby shower. It was so much fun to see all of my friends on my short trip. Thanks Em for such a fun shower!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxSAgpcc4kMOfWTrKEGSzXzFTfCbLlOxJP_kDibeAPi8m426PQPucHMA-H0ZbiB5Jghi_VWAr3B5100nK9KKdqB3LPvxeUWrhfPukFscx6rZ34KYMpKWNDKcdlju-TbfHSeJxEHBUC3gm/s1600-h/friend+shower+1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 286px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 456px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390370262256578754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxSAgpcc4kMOfWTrKEGSzXzFTfCbLlOxJP_kDibeAPi8m426PQPucHMA-H0ZbiB5Jghi_VWAr3B5100nK9KKdqB3LPvxeUWrhfPukFscx6rZ34KYMpKWNDKcdlju-TbfHSeJxEHBUC3gm/s400/friend+shower+1.jpg" /></a>As far as preparing for the baby goes, I've gone a little crazy and have hit a "nesting" phase.<br />I am constantly looking for deals and clipping coupons. A few weeks ago, I got an awesome deal on this crib bedding at Babies R Us. I decided to decorate her room in light pink and brown with a butterfly theme. The room itself needs some reorganizing, so stay tuned for some pictures.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-t9Iy_2hRyMKz4tdGhb_Y4DDAcWnpDfavfZIfHZebuBqVh5Kc52uP8cirtHBQTV6X649vCwoPh3FQnTspi8Cf5PBaa47urmFlhpx0Ga-H-Ob8WVKV1Q_EsZaJsGod3YTa23mcJLs2zkx/s1600-h/bedding1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390370251868200802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-t9Iy_2hRyMKz4tdGhb_Y4DDAcWnpDfavfZIfHZebuBqVh5Kc52uP8cirtHBQTV6X649vCwoPh3FQnTspi8Cf5PBaa47urmFlhpx0Ga-H-Ob8WVKV1Q_EsZaJsGod3YTa23mcJLs2zkx/s400/bedding1.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsSVTknlJK5AhT1hlmy92tfjnFIbBbt9DA8cmEg6Jc_yfCjyqHRgrm02RQNOTAJNKCv8WSZpVhiGRtpcwl9Kks1tkQxJQd-iNFCZKfapQdM7Gzo2qYCvqtuOmvxQIZ4mMzYtZqJCNdfeP/s1600-h/bedding2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 203px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390370243292321906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsSVTknlJK5AhT1hlmy92tfjnFIbBbt9DA8cmEg6Jc_yfCjyqHRgrm02RQNOTAJNKCv8WSZpVhiGRtpcwl9Kks1tkQxJQd-iNFCZKfapQdM7Gzo2qYCvqtuOmvxQIZ4mMzYtZqJCNdfeP/s400/bedding2.jpg" /></a> One more thing I thought I would share. So, our baby girl just LOVES music. I started to play the guitar for her and she just goes wild every time in my belly. You can see her poking and dancing around through the skin on my tummy... it's sooooo fun to watch. It's such an amzing thing to see how she reacts to things. She gets really active when I shower and take warm baths. Today I was lying down and I could actually push her from one side of my belly to the other. This whole experience is quite amazing... I can hardly wait to see our baby girl!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimC_Z5JaEw3eTnh-DbpZYTSGTb50TduIAaACMElgYa0sVVSJ8tbBw_pHxv6MOJZWexLfSSIrp5zCX0vO2yOjrOXUD2O21wbngBg8YUHqXWX42JHN_YrFhMoCLUbZWH7E4K_sH8VofZvfNo/s1600-h/guitar.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 157px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390370240132661906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimC_Z5JaEw3eTnh-DbpZYTSGTb50TduIAaACMElgYa0sVVSJ8tbBw_pHxv6MOJZWexLfSSIrp5zCX0vO2yOjrOXUD2O21wbngBg8YUHqXWX42JHN_YrFhMoCLUbZWH7E4K_sH8VofZvfNo/s400/guitar.jpg" /></a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-40515302006957471592009-08-31T21:49:00.000-07:002009-08-31T21:49:52.455-07:00In case you didn't hear...<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">We are expecting a baby <span style="color:#ff6666;">GIRL!!!</span></span></strong><span style="color:#ff6666;"> </span><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375916791521904562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWC0XLOXkuU1szQfssIFMT0QY2a5w01e5HswX8jBbBbRLHju9y0So1BV_-TwP4aYR4xRoG7qyVYqb8ebz5_Lx9_hs661CxYymOQq53TyrO8T14c3P-6dFUiuQeiNX2RCKzicjYHEvYrHT/s400/Untitled.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375916794583852210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dXWOM10vA_K-JtsJzbtwRzPLWMcmaqwJ6PMnWpglOHWHopWn6D-gK0FXqs5lfLQ2b9vEAE7gwEXXnDqEavxwid6TA8zzMW1CpRsBcDk7rKJW94AVU_isX9HyVjLs3cvya4JjOOH-x1Ra/s400/girl.jpg" />We found out about 2 weeks ago, but I've been so busy that the blog was put on hold for a while. This summer has been a little crazy, but we've had so much fun. Being in the Primary presidency has kept me pretty busy. Our primary president was out of town for most of the summer which made things a little hectic, but now that summer is nearly over things should calm down. We also did some camping in Flagstaff. Steve and I then went up to Utah for about a week. It was so much fun to see our family and friends. We had 2 family baby showers while we were there... can I just say that baby girl things are sooooo cute!!!!<br /><div></div><div>More pics from our adventures to come...</div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-728627718114257702.post-68526320035360882272009-07-30T15:54:00.000-07:002009-07-30T17:47:24.508-07:00Summer FunSo, it's been a while since I've talked about what Steve and I have been up to this summer. First of all, thank you to everyone who voted for my sister Abby.... she has moved on to the semi-finals in the summer music showcase concert. In a couple of days the voting starts back up again. Please continue to vote for her so she can have the opportunity to perform.... she's made it so far already. All of your votes are appreciated :)<br /><div></div><div></div><div>Well, here are some updates from the past month or so. Everything is going well with my pregnancy. Although, I don't really look pregnant, I'm sure my belly will "pop" soon. I haven't gained any weight yet, but everyone reminds me it will come soon enough and to be grateful now. I am about 18 weeks along. We find out in 2 more weeks what we are having! My guess is a boy, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm feeling a lot better than I was early on. This pic was taken today... I'm actually wearing maternity clothes for the first time... the shorts are so much more comfortable than button up shorts.</div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364393199290851138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaudYYpjiGnMacTpVbo7yc7qEgSHhVoHDK5UQ_0ZMkTDwJ6jbJ_lE1vSzYsKfJVadxiPBngyNjnv-RslRzex7qB86WW8xDMkD4DUW179o5r0yq4e7CIFHNu1AOzqZYHq17ghWoX2BXfSv/s400/IMG_2322.JPG" /></div><div>Steve recently finished his latest wood-burning. For those of you who know Steve well, you are aware of his hobby for art. His free-time this summer has allowed him to enjoy many of the things that school kept him from doing (including playing his X-Box... I think he plays <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">excessively</span>, but I know he won't have another break for a long time).<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364393206893216562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0XNjuMyVS2zuwGaKUkKWLnfMyuwUW4MhOtDuy1-2kvP7iYyJWb-2lGBVbkpMFSbWIHj8z0ZxDdmZpEixDT7HGXqqv6_TGpvRl45laNqrFedyVw88vLXRckhlS2U_kzYbTMu3VtlGUG9vj/s400/663.JPG" />A couple of weeks ago, my two friends Lizzie and Kendra came to visit. We had a blast even though it was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">extremely</span> hot here that week. I'm so grateful that even with the hot summer temps they spent part of their summer hanging out with Steve and I. Living away from home is not always easy and it was so much fun to have some of my close friends here. Thanks again Kendra and Lizzie!</div><br /><div></div><div>Here we are at the Phoenix Art Museum (enjoying the children's exhibit)...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364393217069556498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-Dku-mWX0_shfgJh7s3kY8fdyzaVjbgpUnDfRiPuv4VJCne4v3OEIkmGlcmsGqcrPMnvxvEr2ELXrbVrZS1kesG2teKhi3lp4c8Pd4Qq1xpDN42Fk2COCHuSy4YbeperqtVe5sx1VQhO/s400/IMG_2306.JPG" />About a month ago Steve and I went to visit my sister and her family in North Carolina. It was so much fun to see my two nieces... I miss them already. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364396859805937442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OtKH6FIMlC7cz7CMq83a6NaEqWUgd4cC3-psxil0zBEmDYN5wTj-mSzQEd8XtTilGbbOzv32w1QDv1gCbtXGXI6rm0EX1zHJqwrhDLUA1c6JmhihmXIpr694s0mzOKXWWoIAeOj95rAl/s400/644.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364405318166249778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__HPeki2xpduotnor9vdH-mjB1zc6T8JKGW7n7ANGCd0n6_A_jUhOL7iijg8JOFYBmifgrnoLpmzxeLF9HyjdAFAv6asKHyBTo-dspZzYkhWbok07dw0TBOaUlQ561yEjv0i3UVelTUFh/s400/653.JPG" />Here we are at an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">incredible</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Italian</span> sorbet shop... it was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">soooo</span> yummy :)<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364397958907951234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8XSYUOXjTO7GdJj1gEyhJ90pVYP79lUlBxhvv2nJpRQL26t_BjjXnrgnl_FPghjgp_uXX3nSjL8gqBOfG-axLZmA3kxRHhcjvRw4ajADCViED4moJzMvkczgeDOS7AkErXgfKeSNA10d/s400/647.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364397963469748514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpO2arpm-Vxvpfjx4espgRQLcDnB8fU26cgQTASq4flQl06pnjiP3u6HKlzWyLnsPAY0UdPOUx3yRTgimUwI0m0MMkE_aifyAsKVgCNsFPKThR9voii1XBlVbkN-M4wUy6qlw9Dg3tMHtt/s400/652.JPG" />Kayla loves her uncle Steve...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364397953045954786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMBFu9BpEhYqrgDNhrlZ3M0airl5WI_HTDkb1QnVnzcM-cLJJQbpthSuDFT62Nyi5ibZczb5dIVxxNgN_1jK-xiE40Z6fS5dICryo10j6_KQT7daMG9U05hK-04tlzvrftXPCwIC38-nh/s400/645.JPG" />We went and visited the Biltmore mansion... this place was amazing. I've never seen a home so huge! Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364393231832594594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI5nar1iy-codkf_KL9oPKHHAP5dKd-AK1R3xe2R9pNooWPvZWe3oU25RWjdkO4lerl-nP21g21mG3a4O2BY3gi8fvfCG8zvs2-qFiTN8LKmad-ejQSyAVjw5RjwfW0PwZ9OjS8xFm-Jd/s400/557.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364393219326865154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GydVn82fVlzP4PulSTFO-GH2YPOZcS4-19iJ3DS-NU19IEwRfbNQNM9yk9IBw_WMFFWA3bR7wgqhFGF68-yMWgSVa6XonyFwO-YMd5DbBKdPRHzlbueYpOl_FvwUnaDB4PdYHr1WAgh2/s400/555.JPG" />The kids enjoyed the petting zoo they had there. I think they were more comfortable touching the animals than me.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364394561768137122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPx-MK8DYj0VJ3P_6CqMd2e2eAqEbk1kigD5v26yST9l63x1252FG-6Uw1F1kfOpMrQGW4WHlaoDrs0qZd7WBM44qV7OfcVPWrmyKfBwobexl-vIYjUxYu5wqvRtF0KMlIn5D3zyP71s5E/s400/576.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364394564736827218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzxh0ASjHYrAJABbhOI_Zw0p8eNckqEOngPVCFu9XmugV29SbEO9ESAA4oGB6wcK-CBQQSheiNY1Ed0UIqEmxDpl3euQTV0hSF4QABayZt27gPFdao1TbgFP18viFJmq6K_2b63sRtk5v/s400/579.JPG" />After spending a few days in NC. Steve and I drove down to Charleston, South Carolina. Steve served his mission here, so he was an excellent tour guide. Here we are with one of the families he baptized. They are still very active members in the church.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXb-O5mdP8f8-PqcOTOf9f4NgTfK7KcxRJJ7NWvIecuEevB983U5giklFp0KPxZiH855vwGlWzgzJwn8wHzi4wa3GSzwYcR5vFNwSiH9l7l0m7fGsumDeTw6rnR8x4_wx1yWBQjb56bP_/s1600-h/582.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364398183959076994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXb-O5mdP8f8-PqcOTOf9f4NgTfK7KcxRJJ7NWvIecuEevB983U5giklFp0KPxZiH855vwGlWzgzJwn8wHzi4wa3GSzwYcR5vFNwSiH9l7l0m7fGsumDeTw6rnR8x4_wx1yWBQjb56bP_/s400/582.JPG" /></a> Everything was so green here... what a change from Arizona.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364395689307721346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPu4mG2Vkm22OSRltLp2_7w5F-q8nX2bF7UYr0j59RT672PrPBgsE7gM6M68rvp-b-wM_2aV4DUwk5kzFabQuIWeC7nEFy75HZMUvbJ1OL5MTfTbuqsXNVZrKBuuCBKaxHgnQjIID0WAj/s400/605.JPG" />We went to the Slave Market museum in downtown Charleston. You learn a lot more about slavery than they teach you in a history book.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364395695225665906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnWKKCXj7WqQlqY5RhpQMe03A0HRp0vAbrUFH-W-UqSnKJMJ0Oe84a9jBZ-LB3MTfu3VgdasTDadRvlAVSpYOG8PAtr2X5rq0FE8PqCvQ06xlw_0LuTiEWP2kHIF6sy7u_U7U7WxCgV8g/s400/608.JPG" />Here we are visting the pier...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364394586685910434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVvmygPHMGnKADHcq6ZHSxUMgNTxUe_Is8BfM3GH2IP7sPyCKCUDvgXuJ-4TgqGN3MbqG34HqYzKYKVpsstUo4J2D5d9GaEIhXJmx0j9f38CSzj0uVsu9PDs8Zq__8s45KkcdF-Xt616P/s400/591.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364394581884766306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6HKLLK_lUQW4FcMghMo1U6jvmvwkEhWHBU7kFpAyRstKSV5ySUzZAH2MXiuzn0fH57fowWp05DYoNA2Qmxa3YGU3nCeE6lI8E3mnKsxHk4fkA6a3XTP1yTWmvww4hK11NFtH8DtbWtZY/s400/592.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364394576127193586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPiZpxF5MEB4pKe9z-56P61TpasukIcIBRHLgzVMnU6PYLU-Wr-IMd0pOIejoj79OyWQYpXJQnUQ9i6ZIWNuqE57jWwWXh0ts34N54AXelFgYCe_WX2BhwWB5bo8d72vncZvqJqIX93st/s400/587.JPG" />The weekend we were there, Charleston was doing a historical celebration and there were tons of old battleships in the harbor.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364396839355212194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOTdnQEI4IzigVfe1DiN2ZMwh3E62JEJKrGqPe65IJ1wWF1_AsWicHpNbL5HeR2bnOBdJ24fg7KpP7dVctXR4-UKN2kNpYcfAbvjQG1JFRZCOtCqieF7uEW3j9LGSY0Lk58eAkbKltGHF/s400/616.JPG" />It was fun to see all of the cobblestone streets... it's like stepping back in time. Many of the buildings are extremely old, but cannot be torn down because they are considered historical sites. The homes in down-town Charleston are very well preserved, but others on the outskirts of down look as if they are about to collapse.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364396840476321970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZA7hDOw-qQvViAcTf83pzMS-941thbIGeaMCDllCIf6ygq25T9pIHoYr7mb1R_94OS9f8tTSGirG-nvLKmd5WmAqIbVYV2BdIa5Zgw33UlY3bDaFISDNB0t4Y7EqeSq1gTRam-67Y7iG/s400/613.JPG" />We went to Market Street. This is where slaves and other goods use to be sold. Now it is an extremly crowded shopping area where people sell crafts, art, and other home-made things.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364395703952220386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDiQ5QmhHdL45yE6BiLfPyEPVd_IMpVNQ05VJJ-Whk-ld0cz1ov8Gh5EE5iY2U8IweiXKMRxt22mAB6dGqTtxxF72k9QoPzOOfokeQlanRwtIbjsd4RslsL_mO6NgzfKgZIQSDzd6xxVG/s400/609.JPG" />There were also many old cemeteries. I thought they were really cool because they reminded me of the grave yards you see in movies. We were able to walk through a few of them. Some of the head-stones date back to the early 1700's. Little did we know, mosquitoes were attacking us during this little adventure.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364395679651156642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8W_E2zZyCG7COQweVq2REXiybbRLyRjwIebFxbY2GuCAPE6i8AIZ667_gp9N7g9w5Lf0SNHryyBioz3_7wq1hsDEnpdiad9-pzcx84di0aXLu81tG-dag0e7w08LL9OeMfFLVKHPzq9h7/s400/598.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364395682365053858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyVr65qigm_XMiNj-dsGMxlokO_SIqKtVJ3xpOZiT8HD50teR6QajP3TC8G1SHehozVFXt1vM9iB30HaFZkDc_N9I9Ng8lWsB_xsq1FI3M_AL0JekJAQ1W-08IYay-Cxh41aVHEz0_UFK/s400/603.JPG" />After spending time in Charleston, we made our way up to Myrtle Beach, SC. We stayed at the most beautiful hotel (we scored an awesome deal on Hotwire.com!)<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364396854733278386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQM2bqBv58I8UckNFs9HWoVH61Yt6iu_uVRbRHPlqryavNA0l1u6-Q_hvd05jHnvjw5RJav-SqIXZsKN1bMzhtMRuPZm7zelyQTDSGQD7XdcnKpfTl5C-aRvdIuZamvndzkw7AwfNx9qa/s400/630.JPG" />Steve enjoying the ocean waves... it always makes me nervous when he swims out really far. <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfvWXnW2yw-JhCYcFEMc3Nib3HHjANLRXgLn4-s-LdUrIUUYrDAztN3uE8NQWoDYwckRnBM4APnKaiT3WPHRnLuS5c7Eeq2-5pHi5nLFxSyePcri5-DGgv5d2jc9EP3JwVu9Kd8cKHqIC/s1600-h/629.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364396849613314866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfvWXnW2yw-JhCYcFEMc3Nib3HHjANLRXgLn4-s-LdUrIUUYrDAztN3uE8NQWoDYwckRnBM4APnKaiT3WPHRnLuS5c7Eeq2-5pHi5nLFxSyePcri5-DGgv5d2jc9EP3JwVu9Kd8cKHqIC/s400/629.JPG" /></a>So far our summer has been lots of fun. It's so nice to have Steve around especially since I can't get as much done being pregnant (working usually takes up all my energy). School starts in about a month, but we are making one more trip up to Utah before things get hectic again... I'm so excited to see family and friends!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Cara and Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11513824520341403242noreply@blogger.com5