Cara and Steve

The Past 2 Months...

2011-05-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

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?

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?)!

Of course we had to meet Mickey and Minnie:

Riding on the merry-go-round... she looked like such a big girl holding on by herself!
Casey Jr.'s train ride:
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.
Off to meet Tinkerbell...
After riding Dumbo...
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.
Encounter with Jack Sparrow... I just love Grace's expression in this one; they just stared at each other for the longest time.
The merry-go-round for a second time...
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.
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.
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!
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.
And, I always seem to find some time for crafting. I took an old tank top of mine and created this...

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!

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!

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...
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!
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!

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!

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!

More updates to come soon....

Time Travel

2011-03-20T20:40:00.001-07:00

After putting off updating this blog for a month or so, it's time to take a journey back in time...

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.

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!).

I couldn't figure out why all of my peppers were so small... I found out later they were of a dwarf variety.Just a few of the yummy tomatoes...A few flowers to add to the mix.Rosemary smells soooo good!Basil... yummy!The peppers had a hard time growing. Probably due to lack of sunlight because of the direction our building faces.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 ;)Next up on our journey back in time is a visit from Nana, Papa, and Abby!

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.
Girl & I...Grace enjoying her grilled cheese... what toddler doesn't like grilled cheese!
The journey continues...

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!

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!
Reunion of friends!Although our visit was short, we spent some time with cousins...
Up next: RAGNAR Del Sol 2011.

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!

Our Team Name:
Van #2 buddies.Running into the gorgeous sunset...
Showing off our team spirit! (I am runner #11 & I had the pleasure of sharpie-tattooing some sweet bubble letters!) Warming up...Couldn't forget my pom-poms to cheer our team on!
"Say cheese!"
Glowing in the dark!We look a little like aliens!Our chorus line, but with no chorus... we are runners :)

Party afterwards!

Jamming with Mariah... yeah!And the last stop on our time travel adventure: an Indian wedding... AWESOME!

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.
The evening before the ceremony, we learned some awesome Indian dances. Neema and Ashish had the most incredible attire for each event!
A gorgeous bride...Ashish greeting the bride's "village" and family.The happy couple :)
And so they danced...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!).

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.

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but she is starting to enjoy other shows besides Pingu! Her latest is "Ni Hao Kai-Lan." 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.

Showing off her wispy locks...Two words: ink cartridge.
Playdate with Tenley.Strike a pose."Little Sailor" photo shoot:
Ready for summer already sporting her watermelon swimsuit (from last year actually... this girl just doesn't seem to grow!)

26.2

2011-02-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

Course elevation map: see below.

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.

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!

A marathon isn't a marathon without a stop at the porta potty...

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!

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.

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!

Last 1/2 mile...

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.

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.

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.

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!

I can hardly wait to do another marathon... one that is very FLAT and on PAVEMENT!

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 :)

She's Still My "Baby"

2011-01-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

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.

Although, part of me longs for her to walk since her pants are becoming worn and black in the knees.

"My head now can accommodate the headphones to the flip-down TV in the car... but don't worry mom, I'm still your baby."
"I can manage to climb into the dryer... but don't worry mom, I'm still your baby.""I'm composing the first movement of my concerto in G major... but don't worry mom, I'm still your baby.""I can still wear tutus and get away without wearing a shirt... I'm still your baby.""I can still ride in the jogging stroller... I'm still your baby.""Don't worry mom, I'll always be your baby."

Holiday Happenings

2010-12-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

So 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.

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.

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:

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.

Christmas morning... someone looks tired!

Our Princess Turned One!

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!

Thanks to my sister Abby for making such tasty and beautiful cakes!

Loving her adorable tutu that my friend made especially for Grace! Parachute Games!

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!

Grace loves her pretty pink piano!

"Thanks Nana for helping with my party!"

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!

Halloween, Birthday, Visit from Nana, Sunglasses Update...

2010-11-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

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: Arcadia Farms. The food is DELICIOUS and the desserts are very tasty. We then took a trip over to the MIM (musical instrument museum). This attraction is fairly 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 headset 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!

We also went hiking in the South Mountain park and decided to try the "Mormon" trail. Notice the sign below.I think it's about time to get a new hiking pack for Grace. The baby bjorn was too heavy to carry in front, so we managed to get it on my back...Grace enjoying her first piece of cake...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.Luckily, my mom was here for one of my most favorite holidays: 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 store 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! Right after we dropped Nana off at the airport to go home, Grace and I headed to the polls...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:
I am SO EXCITED to finally have a bike! Steve scored big when he saw this bike on Craigslist. 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 triathlon, but never really got into it. I'm just excited because now I can train for my first triathlon and not have to use spin class as training! I can't thank Steve enough for finding it!

And we had to cheer on our Utes this past weekend... unfortunately their undefeated streak is over.
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! Soooo excited to see you Ange!

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!

They must be Jinxed!

2010-10-17T13:54:00.001-07:00

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.

Featured here...And here...

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:

1st time gone missing:

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.

2nd time gone missing:

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.

3rd time gone missing:

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!"

4th time gone missing:

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.

5th time gone missing:

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.

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.

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!!

Picture of his younger years..."Happy Birthday Daddy!"

Playing Catch Up

2010-09-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

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: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.

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). More pizza please...Playing dress-up at Nana and Papa's Riding on Papa's boat...Barbeque with friends... thanks Rache for organizing everything... it was a blast!!Lunch date with my friend Lindsey... always a treat!I just had to throw this picture in... "Mom, I think I'm teething..."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).

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!And here are some updates on my life other than being a mom 24/7:

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!

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.
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.Carseat canopy and diaper cake for my friend Kristin's shower.

She's Earned Her Wings

2010-07-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

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:

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: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: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):

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!
Experiencing some jet lag... "all of this traveling is wearing me out mom!"
Diddles after some spaghetti... it's hard to imagine Grace getting this messy, but I know it's coming soon!
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).
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.
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!

Enjoying all of these new tasty foods.... "mmmmm... sweet potatoes!"
Going out for a swim...
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.

Grand Canyon Getaway

2010-06-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Steve 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.

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:
Here is a better perspective:

Grace: "Daddy, does mom know your taking this picture? I don't know how to stand on my own yet & I'm not sure if it is safe to lean me up in this corner."

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.

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. 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.Sunset in the Grand Canyon... just beautiful (minus the haze from the fire in Flagstaff).

Grace loves to hike in her Baby Bjorn... to bad I can't get her to stay in it any other time.

4 Years and Counting!

2010-05-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

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 really 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!

Who needs a thumb when you have a foot!

2010-05-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

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:

So much to say...

"Mom, haven't you taken enough pictures already?"
"I spy with my little eyes..."
"This pool is the perfect size for a little peanut like me, thanks mom!"
"I like big books"...... "I like big chairs too"

Always Keeping Busy

2010-04-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

So, 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.

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.

Last week, my friend Lindsey and I had a little photo shoot with Grace:

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.
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.
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.
I just can't resist those big blue eyes. Love you Grace!
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 here. There are also some pics from her blessing. Em, your awesome... thank you for some great memories!

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.

Baby Seat

2010-03-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

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 :)

He also thought it would help him study and used it as a thinking cap:Or not...And of course, its intended use:

Little Soccer Player

2010-03-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

So 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.

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:

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:

Spring has Sprung!

2010-03-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

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...

She Made it to the Summit!

2010-02-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

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 Piestewa 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 saving "grace." I can't thank her enough for all of her help.

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.

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."

Grace doesn't seem to like the adorable bassinet we scored on craigslist 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.

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?"

You'll notice this adorable onesie Grace is wearing. My friend Brooke made it for her... she is so crafty. Thanks Brooke!

To help with the fussing, I have to give thanks to the Sleep Sheep. This adorable little stuft animal makes 5 different soothing sounds; Grace prefers "ocean," but "rain" sometimes does the trick as well. We tote this little friend all around. I also think Grace's tummy tends to give her trouble. These gas relief drops have helped tremendously... we're almost already on a second bottle.

Baby Grace

2010-01-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

She'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 :)

Her first night home...Getting ready for bed in soft jammies...A proud daddy...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.

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.

Trying to coax her with music...

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.

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. 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).The whole procedure was actually pretty quick and she was in my arms just 1/2 hr. later.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.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.Grace has been such a good baby. I am so grateful that our little angel is here... we love her so much.

Getting Ready for Baby

2009-12-10T08:34:00.001-08:00

Sorry, about the lack of posts... preparing for this little one consumes the majority of my time when I'm not working. I just have to say that I'm sooooo 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.

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.

Over the past few months, Steve and I have been preparing by taking a hypnobirthing 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 hypnobirthing in a very simplistic way, a mother uses self hypnosis (deep relaxation) to naturally birth her baby. Let's just say that hypnobirthing has completely calmed my nerves about having this baby... I'm so excited and look forward to a beautiful birth!

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.

A physical therapist I work with has been so generous... she sold us her crib, changing table, and glider for a very affordable price... thanks Mariah!
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.
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!

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.I was able to find this adorable blessing dress for an awesome deal... 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 seat belt diaper bag. Steve thinks it's totally impractical, but I absolutely love it!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.

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.
And how could I forget... I'm sure many of you want to see a prego pic before I wrap this post up. This was taken at about 36 1/2 wks. (sorry... it's a little blurry and dark).

U2 concert & Halloween Pics

2009-11-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

A 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!).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.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. They had this gigantic screen that was segmented so it could stretch/grow... kind of hard to explain, but it was pretty cool.

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.

And here's another at 31 weeks (without all the glitter accessories).

Updates at last!

2009-10-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

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:

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).

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.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!Here I am at 27 weeks... people are finally noticing now that I'm pregant and not just thick around the middle. 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! Here they are about a month before the wedding... what an adorable couple :) 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!). 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.

Angie and I in our cute navy dresses (luckily the dress was forgiving through the middle). Dancing the night away...

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!

As far as preparing for the baby goes, I've gone a little crazy and have hit a "nesting" phase.
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.

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!

In case you didn't hear...

2009-08-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

We are expecting a baby GIRL!!!
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!!!!

More pics from our adventures to come...

Summer Fun

2009-07-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

So, 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 :)

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.

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 excessively, but I know he won't have another break for a long time).A couple of weeks ago, my two friends Lizzie and Kendra came to visit. We had a blast even though it was extremely 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!

Here we are at the Phoenix Art Museum (enjoying the children's exhibit)...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. Here we are at an incredible Italian sorbet shop... it was soooo yummy :)Kayla loves her uncle Steve...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.The kids enjoyed the petting zoo they had there. I think they were more comfortable touching the animals than me.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. Everything was so green here... what a change from Arizona.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.Here we are visting the pier...The weekend we were there, Charleston was doing a historical celebration and there were tons of old battleships in the harbor.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.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.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.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!)Steve enjoying the ocean waves... it always makes me nervous when he swims out really far.

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!

Please VOTE for my Sister!

2009-07-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

So I really need your help! My sister is in a contest called the Summer Music Showcase sponsored by mormontimes.com. She is incredibly talented and really deserves this opportunity. If she places as one of the top four artists, she will perform in a semi-final and hopefully she will move on to the finals. The top three winners will win a cash prize. Although she could really use this money as a poor college student, this would provide her the opportunity to perform and get her name/music out there. Currently she is in 5th place... let's make it #1. You can vote once everyday during July. Please vote for her at:

http://music.mormontimes.com/contest.php?id=3533&nocache=1

** To vote you need to provide your e-mail address... you won't be sent any mail from this site... I haven't received any mail from them. They just use your e-mail because you can only do one vote per day per e-mail address. Please, please, vote!

Little One on the Way...

2009-06-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, many of you already know, but for those of you who haven't heard...

we are having a BABY!

Since we don't know if it's a boy or a girl we call the baby "little bug"...

I am 12 weeks along & looking forward to the end of the first trimester in about a week. I hear that pregnancy gets a lot better at about that time. I've had a bad case of what I call "evening sickness." I actually feel pretty good in the morning and by the end of the day (about 5:00) I get really nauseated. Luckily, I had about 2 "good days" this week and I think all of this will ease up soon. I'm not as exhausted eithernow... I can do with 8-9 hrs. of sleep instead of 10 or 11.

I'm not really showing, but Steve and I are going to take pictures of my belly profile every couple weeks and make a flip book in the end.

We are so excited to welcome a new little one. My due date is January 2nd. It's funny because many people have reminded me (mostly guys) that if the baby comes before the new year we get a nice tax credit :)

Lots of Happenings

2009-06-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

So, it's been an entire month since my last post... I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. This past month has been quite eventful. About 2 weeks ago we had the first Lake Powell Paulsen Family Reunion... it was a blast!!! (Thanks mom & dad). All of my nieces and nephews were there. My sister and her family even flew all the way from North Carolina to be there.

Lake Powell

The whole fam at Rainbow Bridge. Each time I see it, I always wonder how much longer until that thing collapses. Steve testing his wake-boarding skills after a hard year of med school.I love to ski on glass... what a treat!My brother Isaac... the pro wake-boarder in the family. He always gives us a show.

Isaac and the wicked back-flip...

Steve and I showing off our fair Arizona skin.Miss Makayla enjoying the water.

This is a silly video of Makayla. She is very good at saying names, but she loves to call me by the wrong name (I've realized this is on purpose). I'm know she thinks it's pretty funny because I always get a good laugh out of it.

Emma with her favorite uncle Steve... what a silly pose.My brother Josh just being himself :)Jane loving the wind in her hair.Emma and my sister Abby showing off her cool shades ("I got them for only a dollar!").Audrey making sure the sun stays out of her eyes.Emma is always ready to set sail!Isaac with his lovely girl Megan along with my two sisters. It was so fun to have Megan there!Bryce Canyon

So our trip was supposed to end at Lake Powell, but our plans changed. My grandmother, Bestamor, passed away on the last day of our vacation. We extended our trip a couple days more so we could attend the funeral. Luckily we weren't too far from home and we were very grateful to spend more time with the family. We first made a detour by stopping in Bryce Canyon with my sister's family. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery and did some fun hiking with the kids. After spending one night there, we headed up to SLC. Salt Lake Trip

Once we arrived in SLC, we were busy making plans for Bestamor's funeral. Many of these plans were already written in detail by Bestamor before she passed. She knew exactly how her funeral should be... a celebration with lots of "fun"... she always emphasized the "fun" part of fun-eral. Abby and I worked on putting together all of her favorite songs, many of which she had written, into an organ hymnal arrangement for the prelude music... it was amazing... Abby is so talented. I know that Bestamor loved the music and hearing her children speak. She was an amazing woman and I am so grateful for her influence in my life.

Bestamor always said that if something ever goes wrong, " just put it up in a balloon, and let it go." I thought it would be very appropriate to emphasize this simple, but powerful phrase buy sending off some balloons at the cemetery. Bestamor was 80 when she passed, so with the help of my siblings we brought 80 yellow balloons to let go. It was a beautiful day... just the way it should be.
When we arrived someone else in the family had purchased 80 white balloons. So after a countdown everyone let go of the balloons... it was an unforgettable moment.
We'll miss you Bestamor!

2009-05-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

Ever since Wicked came out in 2003, I've been wanting to see this Tony Award winning musical. After six years of it playing on Broadway, I finally have the opportunity to see it!!! Steve and I are going on July 4th and our tickets arrived in the mail today. Although I've never seen the show, I already know every lyric to every song by heart. I feel like I've seen the show many times already in my head. We traded fireworks for a musical instead on the 4th of July, but I wouldn't have it any other way! ** note: For those of you who are not familiar with this show, Wicked is about everything that happened before Dorothy arrives in Oz. You primarily see how the Wicked Witch became wicked.

Rubber Ducky, you're the one...

2009-04-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

So this is my adorable little niece Mikayla ( a.k.a, "kayla-bee"). Last weekend I was able to go home to S.L.C. for a very quick trip. My sister was in town with her girls and I just didn't want to miss the opportunity. After a very long day at work last Friday, I flew out that evening to find the little kiddos sound asleep.

We played all day on Saturday and Sunday.

I bought these adorable sunglasses for Kayla-bee at Children's place.I got Audrey sunglasses as well, but....she seemed to prefer Kayla's.Mom, Abby, and I went on a little hike Sunday afternoon. We still had our dresses on from church along with our tennis shoes. I refused to go home without doing a hike... I miss the mountains soooo much (the hikes in Arizona just don't compare).

My brother, Isaac, with the caramel popcorn tower. He made his special "mixed drinks" (non-alcoholic of course).After a fun-filled weekend, I flew back very early Monday morning and drove straight from the airport to work (I made it there by 9:00 and worked 10 hrs... let's just say I was sooooo exhausted).

Calling All Recipes

2009-04-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Steve and I love to eat out. This could really be considered one of our hobbies. Over the past few months we've tried to cut back and limit ourselves to only once or twice a week, but it just didn't seem to work. Luckily we are both active and the effects haven't shown up on the scale, but it really isn't the best thing when you are trying to be health conscious. Eating out also isn't the best when you are trying to budget (although, you can find some really good deals out there).

A couple weeks ago, I decided to start planning meals for the week and then make a grocery list according to the menu.... it totally worked! Steve and I didn't eat out at all that week, and I actually liked the things that I cooked. It was nice to come home from work and know immediately what we were having for dinner and not having to worry about missing ingredients. We then made the goal to do this for an entire month. So far things have gone pretty well. We went to Olive Garden last week because we had a gift card. Interestingly, we both kind of felt sick after because we ate too much and the food was really rich. I guess our bodies are getting used to the healthy home cooked meals.

Since I am still working on my domestic side with all this cooking, I would love to get any of your favorite recipes (hopefully they aren't too complicated, I am still a beginner). So, my challenge to you is to write a post or leave a comment with your favorite recipe to share. I know many of you are awesome cooks!

Here is mine:

Macaroni Lasagna

Ingredients:

*2 1/2 cups of macaroni/elbow noodles

*1 lb of lean ground beef or ground turkey

*1 cup low fat cottage cheese

*1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese (I like to use cheddar).

* 26 oz can of spaghetti sauce (about 3 cups)

*1 tbs of dehydrated onion

Directions:

1. pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. cook noodles until tender, set aside.

3. cook ground beef/turkey with dehydrated onion (I like to use seasoning salt as well for more flavor).

4. spray/grease a 9x12 baking pan (I use a stone one, but glass works as well).

5. place a small layer of noodles in the bottom of the pan (about 1/3 of the noodles)

6. next layer some meat, continued by the shredded cheese, cottage cheese, and then some sauce.

7. add another layer of noodles. Repeat above step 6 above.

8. add one more layer (as said in steps 6 & 7) ending with the shredded cheese so it is on top.

** all of the ingredients should be divided into 3rds so you can layer each ingredient 3 times (the layers should be small).

9. cook at 400 degrees for about 30-45 min.

Time to Say Goodbye...

2009-04-02T17:47:00.001-07:00

In only a few hours the cast and crew of E.R. will take their final bow. Many of you may know how big of an E.R. fan I am. In 1994 the first pilot season of E.R. was shown on NBC. It became a huge sucess and I became a true blue fan at the age of 11. Ever since then, there are very few episodes I have missed. In fact, I can remeber many times recording the show so I could watch it over and over again. The cast has completely changed over the years. I was absolutely devistated when Dr. Ross left (played by George Clooney). It's somewhat strange that I had a huge crush on that guy when I was only 12. I must say that the original cast was my favorite, but I have continued to watch it even with the changes. I will miss my Thursday night E.R. ritual, but it seems that Grey's Anatomy is also becoming a favorite (it does not however amount to E.R.... there's a little too much drama in it for me).

The original cast...

Dr. Doug Ross...

Dr. John Carter...
The current cast...

Lots of Updates

2009-03-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

So, the past few weeks have been a little busy... sorry for not posting in a while. We were in Salt Lake this past weekend for Steve's brothers wedding. The wedding was beautiful and it was so much fun to see family and friends. A few days prior to leaving Steve and I went to the zoo and aquarium... it's been forever since I went to the zoo. For St. Patrick's day I cooked a green dinner. I always thought the whole green food on St. Patrick's day was kind of weird, but I really had fun with it. Here are some pics/videos from the past few weeks:

This is my niece Emma... she is soooo much fun!

The kids love to jump on the tramp. I love how their stands on end because of the static.It's so hard to get kids to look at the camera at the same time.

This is a video of my nephew Jacob... he is so adorable. He loves to talk, but it is all nonsense... I love it!

The kids love their uncle Steve.

This is Jacob in his jumping swing. He loves jumping around.

My dad with Jacob.

This is my sister Abby. She has an incredible musical talent. She made up this song about the 5 food groups for her nutrition class... it's pretty funny.

Here is Steve's brother, Richard, with his beautiful wife Shannon. They got married in the Salt Lake Temple this past weekend. We are so happy for them!

Before going up to Salt Lake, Steve and I went to the zoo. Here are a few pics:For St. Patrick's day, I made this green dinner. Although it looked kind of strange, I think it tasted pretty good.

Disneyland Getaway

2009-03-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

So, it had been a while since Steve and I had a trip to Disneyland (we were both in high school). Since this destination is only 5 1/2 hours away, we thought it would be a fun trip since Steve is on his spring break right now. We stayed at the Anaheim Marriot... it was beautiful, but it's too bad that nice hotels don't have a continental breakfast ( I think an omlet was nearly $13 !). We spent 3 days there. On Saturday we met up with some of our friends, Kristin & Brian and John & Liz.What is a Disney trip without a classic picture with Mickey Mouse?Lightning McQueen...Me with my 3D bug eye glasses... quite the fashion statement.Steve playing the organ at Mickey's house... he had way to much fun with this picture.

This was at "Minnie's House" in Toon Town. One of my favorite rides is the Tower of Terror. About a year ago my sister Abby went to Disneyland and recorded a video on her phone of the ride... it was so funny to hear her scream. I decided to do the same. I had no idea a screamed this much... maybe I was just nervous about losing my camera on the ride. (warning: you may want to turn down the volume on your speakers if you view the 2nd video.)

This picture was taken while waiting in line for Midway Mania... it was so much fun (one of Steve's favorites).The only downside to the whole trip was the expensive food. Can you believe this, $5.99 for a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich!

First Quilt

2009-02-23T18:48:00.000-08:00

So, I was racking my brain trying to think of what to write about. I am currently in the process of making a quilt, but I didn't want to post about it until the finished product was complete. I am about halfway done with it and I decided that it might be nice to show you what it looks like now and then show some pictures when I'm finished.

I've made plenty of fleece tie quilts, but this one is a lot more complicated. I decided to make it out of the production shirts from all the shows I did at Hale Center Theater (13 total). Unfortunately, I couldn't find 2 of the shirts, but most of them were in great condition since I hardly wore them.
The color combinations are a little wierd, but I think it's more about the sentimental value. I still need to decide on what color to use for the border and the back. Any suggestions?

Another Race Done

2009-02-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Although I ran a half marathon just a few weeks ago, I decided to do it all over again. This past weekend, I did the Sedona 1/2 marathon with some friends from church... it was a blast! My time was slower with this race, but I didn't even care. It was the most beautiful course I have ever ran. This race had some major hills (up and down), but the scenery seemed to distract me from the inclines. I finished in 2 hr. 7 min. which actually placed me at 9th in my age division. That sounds really good, but there were only 21 people in my age division (I just don't like telling people that). I finished the first half of the race in 58 minutes, but I probably walked about a mile toward the end of the race. The best part was running in perfect weather, on an amazing course, and with some great friends!
You can get an idea from this elevation map of the hills that this race involved. Phoenix is flat and low in elevation which makes it very difficult to train for this kind of terrain.

It was so much fun doing this race with some friends... they are all great athletes.Here is Tara and Julia the night before the big race.Here I am with Tara after the race. She did an awesome time in 2 hr. 3 min! We got these really cool shirts... they are bright lime green.
So, it seems I have to make some plans for my next race now... I'll keep you updated.

Dumpster Diving... Literally

2009-01-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

So, I have a funny story for you (maybe I shouldn't be sharing this story because it is actually somewhat embarrassing, but I think it is very blog worthy). Last night I was debating whether to take the trash out or not... it was late and it was one of those nights where you just want to veg, but you don't because there are just certain household duties that need to be taken care of.

Luckily, our trash can has a lid on it and it can only hold so much trash until the lid can no longer be securely fastened. Lets just say that lid was not going to shut if anymore trash were shoved into the already compacted Rubbermaid trash receptacle.
I sometimes get scared taking the trash out at night even though we live in safe area with a gated community. In order to calm my nerves I decided to take my pepper spray with me and I also locked the door before leaving (just in case any burglars decided to break in during my 1-2 minute absence).
So I ventured out with pepper spray in my right hand and the plastic trash bag and keys in my left. As a tossed the bag into the gigantic dumpster, I thought to myself, "don't throw your keys into the dumpster." I must have jinxed myself during that moment because as just as I went to release the bag, my keys caught tangled up in the plastic and went straight into the bin.
I stood in shock for a moment while I internalized what had just occurred. In a short moment I started briskly walking back to our apartment to retrieve a flashlight since it was pitch black outside. After taking only a few steps, I stopped and realized that I had locked the door and if it wasn't for my paranoid thoughts my keys would not be in the bottom of the dumpster.

Contemplating what to do next, I thought of knocking on my neighbor's door and ask to borrow a flashlight, but decided not to since the conversation would be very embarrassing, "hi, can I borrow a flashlight? I locked my door before taking out the trash and I accidentally threw my keys into the dumpster."
So, I decided to go for it... diving right in. I blindly searched for my keys. I'm glad that it was dark so I couldn't see how germ infested the dumpster really was. Within 30 seconds I found them. Fortunately, they were still tangled up in the plastic trash bag and hadn't fallen to the bottom. Well, this whole experience taught me an important lesson: don't be too paranoid or else you might throw your keys into a dumpster.

I thought this was pretty funny:

New Endeavors

2009-01-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I did my first 1/2 marathon this weekend! I ran in the P.F. Chang's Rock n' Roll marathon and 1/2 marathon... what a HUGE event. Over 30,000 people ran in this race! It's ironic that I have actually ran 3 marathons, but never a 1/2 marathon... let's just say it's a lot easier. My goal was to run it in 1 hr. 45 min, but I came in at 2 hrs. 7 seconds. I just kept thinking to myself, if only I had ran 7 seconds faster, I would have broken 2 hours... oh, well. I can't complain because I kept a fairly good pace at 9:10 minute miles. Steve also participated by volunteering on the race medical staff.

My race medal:

Pics from the race (note the huge amount of participants):
We were all divided up into 26 corrals. They let each corral go every 2 minutes so things wouldn't get too congested.

It got up to 78 degrees towards the end of the race! There were bands at each mile.

So when is my next race? In approximately 3 weeks I will be running the Sedona 1/2 marathon with my friend Tara. I'm excited because it should be a lot more scenic and not as many runners.

Well, with all this running I have been getting somewhat eager to try something new. I have always wanted to try a triathalon, but this past week I took some steps towards acheiving this goal. Today, I started seriously swimming laps for the first time ever... wow, what a workout! This will definetly be the toughest part so I have decided to start with swimming and add biking in a few months.

I checked out a few books to help me along the way...

Lots of Updates

2009-01-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

I'm back!! Sorry about slacking on updates... I think I will blame it on the holidays... I'm sure you all understand. Well, it has the past few weeks have been very eventful. I finally feel like I can take a breath and sit quietly at my computer to update my blog. Here is the recap:

So we spent 5 days up in SLC to visit our families. We had a blast! There was even enough time to take 1/2 day and go night skiing up at Brighton. My favorite part was giving my nieces and nephews lots of hugs and kisses!

My mom and nephew at my Grandparents house.

At Steve's aunts house in Liberty, UT.Lots and lots of snow!Christmas Eve fun...I couldn't believe all the snow we got.Isaac always makes me laugh.Don't they make great news anchors?At the Salt Lake Burger Co.Don't you love that smile?I just had to play in the snow the day before we left.We made this gigantic sledding hill.The annual friend Christmas Party... one of my favorite highlights of our trip.

Shortly after returning home, my sister and her family along with my parents came down to AZ to visit.

Celebrating the U game!

Audrey on the Bosu.

My friend Neema from work and I at the Suns game.

Too bad they lost.

Well, so that is a quick update of what we've been up to the past few weeks. Now that things have settled down I'll be sure to keep up with my weekly posts.

Busy in December

2008-12-21T17:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought that things would slow down a bit this December since we are not close to family, but that has hardly been the case. Steve started up his 2nd quarter and is determined to achieve straight A's... I didn't think it was possible to study as hard as he does. While he has been off studying, I have kept myself occupied with making Christmas cards, buying gifts that will easily be transported on a plane, Christmas parties, and training for a 1/2 marathon in January. Although things have been busy, I am so excited to be going up to Salt Lake in a few days to see our family and friends!

Picture we used for our Christmas card:
My work Christmas Party:

These are two of my good friends from work, "Sparky" and Laura.

Mesa Temple Lights

2008-12-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Steve and I went to the Mesa Temple with some friends. When we came out of the temple they had just turned on the lights for the very first time this year... it was amazing. I was so sad because we had forgotten our camera. I really wanted to post some pictures, so I decided to just browse for some on the internet. Here is a little taste of what we saw:

A Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I can now say that I have officially hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner! Luckily everything went fairly smooth and our guests seemed to have a great time. We wish that we could have spent this holiday with our family, but this new experience turned out to be so much fun. It not only makes us very grateful for our family, but we are also blessed to have such wonderful friends. Here are a few pics from the special occasion:

We got a great deal on these dishes at Linens and Things (unfortunately they are going out of business).

The turkey turned out really well thanks to Reynold's Wrap Oven Baking Bags.

Turkey carving.

We had 3 couples join us and they all brought yummy dishes to share.
I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Advice for a First-Timer

2008-11-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

So, it seems that I have taken upon myself a somewhat challenging task... hosting/cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. Yeah, it sounds somewhat daunting, but I am determined to succeed. Since we are not traveling home for Thanksgiving, I decided to take a leap of faith and invite a few other couples over for the occasion. Although I am not cooking the entire dinner, I am still taking charge of the "meat and potatoes" portion of the meal (turkey, potatoes, and stuffing). So, my question for you is: what advice can you give a first time Thanksgiving cook/host on anything and everything from cooking, decor, food assignments, etc.? Wish me luck!

** just a note: I already put the Turkey in the fridge today to thaw.

Thanksgiving THEN

And NOW

Things sure have changed...

Sedona

2008-11-16T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well, Steve's finals are finally over! To celebrate, we decided to head up north to Sedona for the weekend... it was soooo much fun. I'm very excited because Steve gets 2 weeks off for Thanksgiving! He still has some things that he needs to study over the break, but I we will definetly have a lot more time together. Here are some of our adventures this weekend...

We did about 9 miles of hiking on Saturday... it was amazing!
I was a little scared when I walked over to that ledge... it looks a lot higher in real life.
This one reminds me of Lake Powell.
Steve climed up to this little cove... and he even had a sprained ankle from playing basketball the day before! I just think he has a very good pain tolerance.
Hole in the rock... literally.
Taking a nap...
I can't believe he got his whole body in there.
The challenging part is getting out! We saw lots of art too.

This is actually a painting.

DDR

2008-11-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

So, it seems that I have a new addiction: Dance Dance Revolution. I know this game is kind of old and its popularity died out long ago, but I have wanted to own one of these things for years. Steve got me one for my birthday a few weeks ago, but the story behind this birthday present is what makes me realize how lucky I am to be married to such an amazing person. Since we have only one vehicle, Steve's current mode of transportation is a bicycle that has a knack for getting flat tires (as some of you may know we sold Steve's car before we moved here). I occupy our vehicle almost everyday of the week and and some weekends because of work. Steve wanted to purchase my birthday present without me knowing and decided to use his bike for transportation. Luckily when he made the trip to Wal-Mart he didn't have a flat tire, but the journey was still quite eventful. Steve rode about 6 miles to Wal-Mart on a very warm Arizona day with his backpacking pack to put the presents in. He not only got me DDR, but also a sewing machine since I can no longer make a trip to my sister's house to use hers. Unfortunately the sewing maching box did not fit in the backpack. Steve rode all the way home with a DDR box in his backpack and a large sewing machine box on his handlebars! I'm such a lucky girl...

You can see the intense concentration.

But, it all pays off in the end... a nearly perfect score.

note: REENACTMENT

Now I just have to figure out how to use this thing...

The Coffee Run

2008-10-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

So, not everything that I do at work is related to physical therapy. It seems that everyone I work with is addicted to coffee. Now this is something that I don't really mind because although I do not drink coffee, I still reap the benefits of the weekly coffee run to Starbucks. Little did I know, Starbucks offers a variety of drinks that do not contain coffee or caffeine... they do however contain plently of calories. My current job not only requires me to assist patients with their physical therapy, but I am also required to order 10-15 drinks at Starbucks and manage to have them all safely arrive at the office. In fact, I actually wrap my seatbelt around the cardboard drink holders to ensure their safe arrival. I thought that I would share some of my "non-coffee" favorites:

The Vanilla Bean Frappuccino...

Consisting of iced milk, vanilla bean flavor, and whipped cream (this is my favorite).

The Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino...

This one is VERY chocolately, but it is a yummy dessert.

The Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino...

I love the delicious strawberry flavor. It's kind of like a strawberry shake, but 10 times better.

The Caramel Apple Cider...

This is a yummy holiday treat.

The Pumpkin Spiced Cream....

I have yet to try this one, but it looks very good. I saw it online while I was browsing for these pictures. It consists of steamed milk, pumpkin, cream, and other fall spices.

Our New Home

2008-10-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally have my camera... hooray! I know that many of you have been asking about where we are living and how the adjustment has been in gerneral. I am glad to report that I love our new place and we are fortunate to live in a great neighborhood. The ward here is wonderful and Steve and I have met a lot of other couples in our same circumstance. There are also 3 LDS couples that live in our apartment complex which has been really nice. Here is a little tour of our place: Here is our front living room.

The dining area.

I made the cushion for this little bench before we moved and found some organzing bins that fit perfectly in it (that was a headache).

Here is our amazingly spacious kitchen compared to our last apartment.

The master bedroom. We also have a bathroom right off of our bedroom which I really like.

This is outside on our patio/balcony.

The laundry.... I think the magnetic board makes this space kind of fun.

The study.

Here is our guest bathroom... so if anybody wants to come visit, we have plenty of extra room.

Here are a few other pictures that I took before we moved...

Packing everything up... including myself!

Here we are up at Snowbird with my family the day before Steve drove down to AZ.

Freezing Cold in St. George

2008-10-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I can officially say that I completed my 3rd marathon. However, the experience was very eventful to say the least. St. George weather is usually quite warm in October, but this past weekend was filled with rain, wind, and chilly temperatures. Here is a synopsis of the race:

The sky was dark and cloudy...

Mile 1
A black garbage back is handed to me at the starting line as my only shield against the elements.

Mile 3
I realized that this "shield" was contributing to a considerable amount of wind drag.

Mile 4
The black garbage bag is discarded at the aid station in order to improve aerodynamics.

Mile 6
3 minute wait for the porta-potty.

Mile 7
Hunger is starting to set in (that carbo-loading the night before just wasn't enough). I ravenously scarf down a 1/4 banana and a cliff bar which I tore open with my teeth because my hands were too frozen to open the package.

Mile 8
My shoes begin to make a "goooosh" sound as I run because of the pelting rain.

Mile 10
A big hill appears in the distance ahead, but my legs feel strong and run up the increased elevation.

Mile 11
I scarf down another 1/4 banana and a power shot (yuck!). note: a power shot is this weird gooey substance that is supposed to replenish your energy stores. I recommend not trying the coffee flavor.

Mile 12
My right i-pod earphone shorts out from the rain.

Mile 15
My parents meet me on the course and give me a very bright yellow jacket so I don't freeze the rest of the way.

Mile 15.1
I realize my hands are too frozen to zip up the jacket. I ask a random spectator on the side of the road if he would zip it up for me.

Mile 16
Received a rub-down of "icy hot" on my calves from a volunteer at the aid station.

Mile 17
Ingested another 1/4 banana. I-pod headphones are starting to fade from all the rain. Temptations to walk begin to plague me.

Mile 17.2
I meet a girl who begins to walk... I tell her "to keep going" in order to stop myself from doing the same. Denae and I chat for the next 3 miles... the distraction helps.

Mile 20
Another 3 min. wait for the porta potty.

Mile 23
Another 1/4 banana... I will regret all of the bananas later.

Mile 24
My i-pod headphones play a muffled version of "Chariots of Fire"... almost there!

Mile 26
Only .2 miles left to go!

Mile 26.1
A sprint to the finish line!

Mile 26.2
A finish time of 4 hrs. 26 minutes.

Yeah, I think I look just a little exhausted...

Marathon Ready

2008-09-30T13:21:00.001-07:00

Well in approximately 4 days, I will embark upon a 26.2 mile run in St. George, Utah... sounds like a lot of fun, huh? Why would anyone want to torture themselves with such a grueling race? I often ask myself that same question.

So, my training started way back in June. At that point in time I couldn't handle running more than 3 miles. Now I can say that I can run 18 miles when it is 85-90 degrees outside (that's a cool morning in AZ). My training has been difficult since the move. Before we left Utah, I could run 15 miles with no problems. My first run here I could barely pull off 3 miles because of the heat and humidity... it was like re-training all over again. Also, Arizona doesn't provide optimal training landsape because it is very flat in the valley. The "mountains" here also look more like hills to me.

This is a picture of the courseHere is the running shoe that will take me all 26.2 miles.

Hopefully, race day will go as planned. I hope to complete the marathon in 4 hours or less . My current personal best time is 4 hr. 16 min. I've had some trouble with my arches, but thankfully my knees haven't given me any problems like they have in the past. One thing I'm most excited about is seeing some of my family who are coming down for the weekend... it's only been about a month and I miss everyone so much. Unfortunately, Steve won't be able to come with me since school is very demanding. It is his birthday on Oct. 3rd and I won't be around to celebrate it with him... be sure to wish him a happy birthday!

Medical School

2008-09-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

So, I thought it might be kind of fun to give you a little tutorial of what medical school is like (even though I really have no clue because Steve is the student) and show you some pictures of the campus.

Well, Steve is currently taking his "basic science" classes... although I would not call them "basic" because they really are quite advanced. They also teach you how the sciences are applied in a clinical setting. Right now he is doing embryology, histology, anatomy, OMM (osteopathic manipulation), and biochemistry. I think he has 23 credit hours right now and the semester is only 10 weeks long. He will take these kinds of classes for his first two years and then he will start his rotations for his 3rd and 4th year. His rotations include things like family medicine, surgery, ob/gyn, etc. His day starts with class from 8:00-5:30, a little break for lunch and dinner, and then he usually studies for 3 hours at night. Saturdays consist of about 8 or more hours of studying because all of his exams are on Mondays... yeah, our weekends aren't too exciting.

Midwestern University is a health science graduate school where they only offer graduate programs in the health sciences such as, osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physicians assistant, dentistry, occupational therapy, etc. Many of you have asked, "what is osteopathic medicine?" One difference is that when Steve graduates from medical school he will be a D.O. instead of a M.D., but he will be just as qualified to practice medicine like an M.D. So what is a D.O.? Well, here is a good explanation:

"A D.O. is a fully licensed, qualified physician who has graduated from an accredited medical school and passed state licensing examinations. This means a D.O. can specialize in a certain health care area, do perform surgery, and prescribe medication. D.O.s practice a "whole person" approach to medicine. This means they look not only at your symptoms or your illness, but your body as an integrated whole. This allows D.O.s to treat your illness as well as well as provide outstanding preventative care."

This is a picture of the OMM lab where students learn to do osteopathic manipulation (it is similar to chiropractic manipulations).

Here are some pictures of the campus:

Something to Occupy my Time...

2008-09-18T15:39:00.001-07:00

Well, good news everyone... I finally have a job! Although I got this news just yesterday, I already started work today. It felt soooo good to be finally working again. Nothing can make you more grateful to have employment than being unemployed (and I only had to experience it for 4 weeks). So, I am working at Foothills Physical Therapy as a physical therapy technician. After working in busy hospitals for the past 4 years, working in a clinic feels so good. Things are much more laid back and there is actually an adequate amount of staff to do the job well (something you won't find to often in hospitals, except for Primary Children's... they did pretty well with staffing). Another perk is that I am only 1.5 miles away from work!... you can't beat that. The clinic also has a separate business where they do personal training and provide some group fitness classes. So, maybe in the future I'll be able to become involved with that as well. Thanks to everyone for their love, prayers, and support... I feel very blessed.

Here is a picture of the clinic... sorry for the lack of pictures as of lately. As you may know, my camera is still in Salt Lake.

Almost Employed

2008-09-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a job interview today and I must say that it went very well. I interveiwed for a physical therapy assistant job at Foothills Physical Therapy. The office is a super short commute from where we live and the hours should be really good (much better than 12 hour nights shifts, holidays, and weekends). The owner, Doug, was very friendly and he seemed highly interested in my resume. He actually said in the interview that although he is only looking to hire someone part-time, he would try to make it a full-time position... I'll just have to wait and see. He also mentioned that I would fit in very well and when I offered to give him some references he said that he didn't need them because he felt really good about the interview. So, I can't say anything is for sure yet, but keep your fingers crossed. I also decided to take the day off from job applications... you can really get a little burned out from it.

As for other updates, Steve is getting very busy in school. He said that there is just sooooo much material to learn. For example, in one 3 hr. lecture he got more information to study that he got in some of his undergraduate classes in 3 weeks! However, he has been setting aside 30 min. to 1 hr. each day for "Cara time," so it isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Our ward here has been great so far. I have met soooo many new people and a lot of women that are in my same position: jobless with a husband in medical school. So far this week I have been to book club, playgroup (even though I don't have children), and tomorrow I am going to an institute class and cooking club. It seems that are ward isn't lacking people serving on the activities committee. Well, our camera comes back in less than a month now, so check back for pictures soon!

Doing Well in Arizona

2008-09-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been here for about 1 1/2 weeks and the heat hasn't taken us yet! Actually, it has been surprisingly "mild" if you are considering Arizona's usual highs of 108 during this time of year. This past week it was only around 100... not to bad I guess. The only problem is that it is "monsoon season" right now so it has been very humid. I had no idea that Arizona could be humid, but it's the truth.

So, you probably are hoping to see some pictures of our new place and some of our moving adventures, but I hate to disappoint you. During our "moving adventure" I accidentally left our camera at my parents home in Salt Lake. So, you will have to wait another month to see what we have been up to. I plan to get my camera back when I run the St. George marathon during the first weekend of October... so until then, you will have to just read... I know it sounds kind of ancient.

Steve started classes today. He actually was pretty excited... the three day orientation last week did not satisfy is intellectual mind. As for me, I am still looking for employment... it sounds really strange to say that I am currently un-employed. I did, however, have a job interview last week, but still no word. Our apartment is really nice and I am proud to say that everything is unpacked and almost organized. This new place has sooo much more room that our last apartment, and I am pleased to say that we have plenty of room if anyone wants to visit.

Well, I promise to give updates more frequently in the future, but for now I am continuing my "job hunt" online... wish me luck!

Family Trips Before the Big Move

2008-08-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

So now that we're getting close to moving, it seems that everyone wants to go on some last minute family trips. Here we are with Steve's family at the Lyon cabin (the baby in my arms is actually my niece, she is soooo cute).

Playing in the river...

The box game...

This simple looking game actually proved to be quite difficult. Steve and Dave tied, but I came in a close second. It's not easy picking up a box cut down to 1/4th of an inch off the ground, while standing on one foot and only using your teeth to retrieve it!

We also enjoyed some time with my family up in Midway a week later. The festivities included the "So You Think You Can Dance Finale," boating, swimming, and lot's of play with the kids.

Ethan loved tube rides (all by himself!)

Emma likes to stand up in the tube and do some pretend water-skiing (I don't know if Ethan likes that too much).

Almost a Graduate!

2008-07-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well, only a week 1/2 left of school! It's getting pretty tough to stay focused, but I think I will make it. I won't get much of a break though... Steve and I are moving on August 18th! We are flying to Phoenix tomorrow to look for apartments. I am going to miss our place...

Finally a blogger!

2008-07-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally gave in and decided to start a blog. This was mostly due to the fact that Steve and I are moving to Arizona in a few weeks and I want to keep in touch with friends and family. Hopefully I can get some pictures on here soon... but we have to get a camera first... I lost ours on our trip to Florida. Check back in a few weeks and hopefully things will look a lot different.