Preparing for the Holidays !!!

I absolutely love this time of year!!! And the fact that we get to celebrate it with our foster kids makes it that much more memorable. This year we even had the pleasure of having Travis, one of our old foster sons, come and help us decorate as well. It is so nice to be able to remain friends with our kids. We love each and every one of them and hope that we can create as many memories for them as they do for us.

Kyle pretends that he doesn't like to be photographed, so I have to be sneaky. He has been a joy to have in our home. We are excited to see what his future holds for him.


Travis had so much fun decorating the tree.
Because of his size, he got to decorate the top of the tree.

Miridyan had a blast getting into all of the ornaments and decorations.
She wanted to help everyone with everything.

Grandparents are the BEST !!!

With Christmas just around the corner, my parents are going crazy buying things for the girls. The only problem... my mom can't seem to wait until December 25th to give them things. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining one bit. These are all things that Miridyan needs, including pajamas, hats and gloves, Christmas books, toys, etc. Miridyan loves every bit of it. Thank you Gram and Gramps!!! We all love you... and your over-flowing heart!

I am thankful for...

There are a million things that I am thankful for in my life. My family, my children (foster kids included), my job, my health, etc. I really don't have much to complain about in life, as far as the major things go, that is. Lately there is something, rather someone, that I can't give enough thanks... my brother Kennon... aka Uncle Ken. Donny was out of town for three weeks, so on the days that I worked it was him who came over to watch Miridyan (minus the days that he sent his fiance over - thanks Maggie!!! ). Keep in mind that I have to be at work at 6 AM. There were even a few days when my sister needed him to watch Paityn as well. So... Ken would come to my house at 5:45 am, wait until Miridyan woke up, fed and dressed her, loaded her up in the car and drove over to my sister's house to watch both girls. There were times he was exhausted! Lucky for him the girls were exhausted at the same time.


Kennon, I can't thank you enough for being such an great brother and an even better uncle!
The girls are so blessed to have you in their lives.
Thank you again, and again, and again or all that you do.

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Happy Birthday Morgan !!!

Happy Happy Birthday to YOU !!!

I am so blessed to have you for a sister. I know we didn't get along that great growing up, but times have changed... thankfully! You have been such a great friend to me and an amazing Aunt for Miridyan. We all love you very much !!!

Catching up !!!

Today Josh and Michele Mitchell had a little get together for some of our old dance friends. It was so fun to be able to see everyone again after so many years. I hope that this can be a frequent occurrence. Only next time, it would be nice to see others that were missing. Dancing was a huge part of my life for over 20 years so some of these people are like family to me.

In this picture we have Nicole, Brad, Robby, Myself, Mike, Patrick, Josh, and Michele
In this picture we have the above stated guys plus Adam (Nicole's husband), Chris, and Paul (Lindsey's husband)
And here is a picture of the girls: Me, Mindy (Patrick's wife), Michele, Nicole, Heather, Lindsey, and Jen (Mike's wife)

This was mine and Miridyan's first little road trip with just the two of us. She did amazing as far as the car ride went. What an angel. We tried to get as many visits in as possible. We stayed at my Grandma Perry's house which is always a treat. I love spending time with them. My cousin Tjaden has me addicted to Yahtzee now. I need to go out and purchase the game so I can practice up and whoop him next time I am up there. You better watch out Tjad !!! We were also able to spend some quality time at my grandma and grandpa Lukes' house. Miridyan adored them. She just kept pointing and smiling.
We love our grandparents !!!
Some others we got to see included Brandi and her kids, Ashleigh, Alex & Emily, Rick and Julie and their kids, and Nikki and Troy

Halloween 2008

We have had a very busy couple of days leading up to Halloween itself. Trying to get pictures of the girls in their costumes, going to plays at the kids school, birthdays, and cleaning the house for visitors is all worth it in the end.

This year both Miridyan and Paityn were little skunks !!! We actually found these costumes last November, I believe, at The Children's Place for 99 cents ! Can you believe it? We couldn't resist. We didn't love them at first, but after actually seeing them in them, we fell in love with them instantly. I am already debating on what to dress her up as next year. I love Halloween !!!





I have yet to introduce our newest foster son, Travis ! He is an amazing kid and we are so blessed to have him as part of our family at this time. Of course I will have to post pictures of the real him. Donny did his make-up and everything. It's definitely hard to tell what he really looks like from this picture. Miridyan wasn't scared of him at all. She actually laughed at him at one point. In fact, when I put a skeleton close to her face and say "BOO", she leans over and gives it a kiss. Guess she won't be too picky when it comes to dating ;)


Miridyan and I went to Travis' school to watch him in a play. It was so fun to go and watch him play so many different roles. I never would have thought that he would be interested in theater. We also went to our old foster daughter's play earlier that morning. She happens to go to the same school and called to invite me personally to come and watch her. Way to go Travis and Tara !!! You both did a remarkable job.



I was surprised with a visit from a dear friend of mine from New York, Jeff Lange. He had just finished up a project in California and was driving back to the East Coast. I am so glad that he was able to stop and say hello. It had actually been 7 years since I had seen him. I met him on a train from Connecticut to New York. I had a ton of luggage due to me deciding to move to the city. He was kind enough to help me carry my DVD player that was in this huge box. I can't thank you enough Jeff !!! I hope to be able to see you again soon.



And last but not least... HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENNON !!! My little brother turned 21 years old this year, on the 28th to be exact. I still can't believe how grown up he is. He is such a wonderful uncle to Miridyan. She smiles so big every time she sees him. And she absolutely loves to play with his beard.

I CAN SEE !!!

I finally did it !!! I had LASIK !!! I am so pleased with the results. I had it done at the Zion Eye center here in St George. Everyone was so good to me... and not just because my mom happens to work there. In fact, my mom actually got to come back and watch the procedure (so prouud of her for handling it so well) and afterwards, Dr Cohen turned to my mom and said " hey, I think I met one of your daughters the other day" (referring to the pre-screening done about two weeks ago). My mom just looked at him and said "oh, you mean that one" as she pointed to me. That is when one of the techs asked why no one told any of them that I was her daughter. It was comforting to know that I was treated so great, regardless. Thank you to all the staff there at Zion Eye !!!

9 Months Old !!!

I can't believe that my little girl is 9 months old already. She is truly the best baby ever. She smiles at everyone, and has just started to scrunch her nose with each one. She also loves to point at people if they are not paying attention to her. We were at Lowe's and the employee was trying to explain something to me and she kept pointing at him, which made it difficult for him to focus on what he was saying. It was actually quite funny! She is definitely a people pleaser on top of an attention getter. At her 9 month old doctor appointment Miridyan weighed 19 pounds 13 ounces and was 27 inches long. Her head circumference was enough to put her in the 94th percentile !!! She must get that from her dad for sure ;)



I am so blessed to be the mother of such a beautiful daughter. I am so excited to see how she turns out as she grows.



I LOVE YOU SWEETHEART !!!

Miridyan's Nursery

I want to thank my dear cousin, Brandi, for turning Miridyan's dream nursery (my dream, that is) into reality. It turned out better than I ever imagined. I should have posted these pictures a long time ago (I think she actually painted it back in April) however, I wanted it to look perfect before I took them. I will be so sad to leave this room behind when we move.

The theme of the nursery came from the book The Twelve Gifts of Birth. I absolutely love this book and can't wait to teach Miridyan these wonderful life lessons.

Brandi, I can't thank you enough for doing such a wonderful job. I am blessed to have you as a cousin, as you are blessed with such an amazing talent. Let me apologize now for when we do move. Just know that your work will be admired by all those who see it, including the next family that lives here.

Fun with the Family !!!

After dinner tonight we played the game Wackee Six. It is actually a really fun game. The best part about it is that everyone plays at the same time, so it keeps everyone's attention. Even my dad was into it. I was surprised when he was the one to say "just one more game". It's also pretty interesting to see who becomes competitive.


My mom didn't get to play the card game, but she did get to spend some quality time with Miridyan, who absolutely adores her! By the way... didn't I read somewhere that you are not supposed to introduce your child to the television until they are like 2 years old? I guess Grandmas can get away with whatever they want. Love you mom !!!

Music Music Music

Well... the time has finally arrived !!! Miridyan is on the move ! She has been attempting to get where she wants for quite some time. It is amazing at how these little minds put everything together. Tonight she crawled right over to Grandpa's drum set (well, scooted on her hands and belly). She absolutely loves to sit and watch him play, just this time she wanted to try and play herself. Right now it's cute, but I am awaiting the day when something gets broken. (Hey dad... guess you will have to invest in a second set of drums, one that the girls can play with!)


We took the girls to their very first concert. It was the Honkey Tonk Tail Gate Party, which featured Mark Wills, Trent Willmon, Buddy Jewell, and Ray Scott. It was a pretty mellow concert. Miridyan and Paityn played on the blanket and watched the people around us. They were perfect the entire time.


Paityn was caught a little off guard here. I am not sure what emotion she is displaying in this picture, but we love it !!!

A new season is coming !!!

There aren't too many stores here in St George that specialize in children's clothing so we LOVE the Children's Place in the outlets. Ever since having Miridyan, shopping has become a weekly event. They just have the cutest little girl clothes... it's not my fault !!!

Ahh !!!

So... Miridyan's new thing is whenever she see something to her liking, she drops her jaw as if she is saying "Ahh". She is quite the little crowd pleaser. Donny's niece tried to get her to put her hands on her cheeks as she did it, but she wasn't having it.

Best Friends !!!

Paityn and Miridyan were destined to come to Earth at the same time. They absolutely love each other already. Here they were both able to pull themselves up in Paityn's crib.


When one needs a bath, the other just can't resist play time in the tub. Our only challenge is making sure one doesn't hit or kick the other while splashing !!!


Besides loving each other, they love Grandma just as much. I am not sure what I would do without her. Paityn and Miridyan have no idea how blessed they are to have this wonderful woman as their very own Grandma.

A Beautiful Day !!!

Today we got to be a part of Donny's best friend Patrick's wedding. Donny was one of his groomsmen. So... to start out the day we headed to the Salt Lake Temple where Patrick was to be sealed to his lovely fiance Maria. It was a beautiful day for a wedding.



Miridyan and I walked the Temple grounds while the ceremony took place. It was absolutely beautiful, as always. Miridyan loved all of the colorful flower beds and the water fountain. If she had her swimming suit on I am sure she would have jumped right in.

The reception was held at The Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. If you have never been there to walk the grounds, I highly recommend it. I had no idea it was so amazingly beautiful. Miridyan and I walked around while the wedding party took pictures. The reception itself was held right in front of the waterfalls. We were all in awe !!!
Congratulations Patrick & Maria !!!

Kind of funny... I guess !!!

Alright... so I love Bumbo seats. Miridyan does pretty well sitting in ours... now. When we first got it, I would sit her in it to feed her baby food and she would fall asleep every time. Well, recently I have been sitting her in it at one end of the shower while I take my shower. She loves to play in the water, so it works out really well for both of us. Anyhow... today was another story. She actually pooped in the bumbo chair while in the shower with me. I can change a dirty diaper, I have cleaned multiple bedspreads/sheets after she has peed on them, I don't even mind cleaning up spit-up, however... there is something wrong with having to clean up poop in places where it shouldn't be in the first place (that is the number one reason as to why I would never make a good nurse). Don't worry though... it is all good now. This was just one of those things that I figured should be documented for the future, for me and for Miridyan.

Are you ready to laugh ???

So I found this spoof video on another blog page. I just had to post it !!! It is one of the funniest things I have seen in a while. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Let me know what you think.

Fun in the Sun

Well... I haven't had too much to post on the last little while up until this last week. It's like we are bored for a while and then we find a ton of things to do. I am not complaining though... I do not mind doing nothing every now and then. It's nice to sit around and relax, occasionally go out to lunch with friends and family, be stress free... almost (I will take whatever I can get).

We went to the Main Street Park one night. Usually we will let the girls sit in the stream of water, but for some reason Miridyan wasn't content there. So, we took them over to the fountains where they sat and played with the water. There just so happened to be on that was not as powerful as the rest, which was perfect for them. It was quite entertaining for us as well. Miridyan kept leaning over to get the water and would put her face directly in it. She would catch her breath and then smile and laugh. Paityn and Miridyan love to watch each other. Hopefully they will learn only the good habits from one another.



Morgan and I with our girls. By this point we weren't too worried about getting a little wet ourselves.



Last weekend my good friend Lark came down to stay with us. It was so much fun to catch up with her. She was fabulous with Miridyan, which was a bonus. And... Miridyan absolutely adored her as well. I told Donny that if we ever got a nanny for our children, I would like her to be like Lark. One day... one day !!! I love St George, but when it comes to finding things to do to keep a guest entertained... it wasn't that easy. We went shopping at the outlets, out to dinner and lunch (a few times), got pedicures, and went to a baseball game. I truly had a great time and hope that she did as well. I hope that she will come down again soon. It's not too often that I get to spend time with friends. (The picture below is of Lark in the relaxation room, just before we got our pedicures).


About a week ago our stake had a blood drive. I was so excited to be able to donate, I even talked my mom into going with me. When we got there we both went through the pre-testing to make sure our levels were up to par. Well... I was rejected do to a low hematacrit (iron level). I was bummed, but my mom on the other hand... PERFECT !!! So... here she is, giving back. She did great !!! Atleast I got some cookies and juice for being there.

If you're Pretty ......

When we were at the airport a few weeks ago, we had to wait for our stroller as we got off of the plane. As we stood there we began talking with the lady behind us, who was waiting as well. As she stood holding her little girl, the proud grandma said "If you're pretty raise your hand", and without hesitation, the little girl threw her hand up straight in the air and smiled. We loved it so much, that we decided to steal it !!! So... this is Miridyan just being pretty !!!

Fast Asleep

I had to post this picture!!! The other day Miridyan was playing with this butterfly and almost instantly fell asleep on it. It is one of those pull toys where you pull one end and it plays a lullaby. I thought that she was just way tired and just happened to knock out on it. The next day, however, it was time for her nap and I decided to try it again. So I pulled the end and placed it right by her head... she was yet again, asleep withing a minute or so. I LOVE THIS TOY !!! It has worked every time. So... either she needed a pillow or she needed a nap buddy !!!