the fourth

We changed our minds at the last minute this year and took advantage of the four day weekend Charles had (yea to government employees) and decided not to throw the big party and to get out of the heat instead!

We headed up to the cabin and enjoyed rain, 75 degree weather, and cute community events like a barbeque and fireworks! It was glorious, other than the ATV ride my dad took me on that I swore was gonna put me into labor. Although the view was almost worth it. Sorry I didn't take my camera. Audrey of course loved it and loved being able to play outside. She loved the fireworks and kept saying "boom" and clapping her hands loudly in the car till she just crashed and fell asleep. Enjoy

Flash back

Just cuz I am trying to do some scrapbook catch-up from this year and not wait until the end of the year here are some super cute pictures of Audrey from Easter.

A little catch up

My brother finished law school in May. He has no job yet, but after a trip to visit family in Boise Idaho last summer they pretty much fell in love with the place and decided to move there. Nathan started a bar review class right away so he didn't have time to drive across the country. So my most awesome parents decided to help out and they flew to Florida and agreed to haul all the stuff from Florida in their truck to Boise. Retired people get to take it easy so they planned to make quite the cross country little trip. Well, they made it as far as Indiana. My dad had had some chest pains a couple of times so they decided to take him to the hospital. Chest pains turned into some of his heart not even pumping, turned into needing a stent, turned into quadruple bypass surgery to make a long story short.

It was quite a shock to hear this all happening. My dad has diabetes but has never really had any health problems in his life. I am sure he has never felt real pain like this before either. My mom was there alone and the surgery had to take place there. Although she thinks that they were where they needed to be. This was 6 weeks ago and he is doing just amazingly. He took me on an ATV ride two days ago that rattled my bones plenty. So he must be feeling fine. They flew home a few days after the surgery and he attended a wedding and church that same weekend with a wide proud smile showing off how strong he is. He keeps joking that it took him 60 years to clog up those arteries so he has got to have at least that many more with brand new ones!

So, all this happened quite unexpectedly and it left us with a little dilema...You will remember that they were driving Nathan and Colleen's stuff all the way across the country. Well, they obviously couldn't finish the trip. Colleen had flown out to California with the girls to visit and pick up a few things. Well, I drove out to California to get them and then they spent a few days in Vegas with us. Then we were all driving mom and dad's truck up to Boise with all of their stuff that was kept here to meet up with everyone and spend a grand old time together and helping them get settled. WELL! That didn't exactly happen. So Charles once again came in his shiny armor and saved the day. He hoped on a plane Thursday night to Indianapolis. My mom picked him up at the airport and he dropped her off at the hospital and then started the long drive towards Boise with Nathan's truck and stuff. He drove pretty much straight for three days to get the to Boise, by the weekend when we arrived from Las Vegas, and then took mom and dad's truck home on Monday before starting a new job on Tuesday. We kept him in town long enough to have a barbeque and so he could blow out some candles for his very pathetic birthday weekend! Who in the world wants to spend their birthday driving across some of the most boring countryside ever?! He is so amazing and without him there would have been some big problems!

So although it started off quite a crazy endevour here are some resulting pictures of the couple of weeks I spent with Colleen and the girls in Boise and Vegas. It was fabulous to see them again and watch the girls be old enough to have fun together.

WENT DOWN TO SAND DIEGO FIRST TO VISIT DEVENEY AND PAISLEY

THEN ON TO YORBA LINDA AND BACK HOME WITH THE GIRLS
THEY HAD A LOT OF FUN TOGETHER. MOSTLY. AUDREY PULLED A HUGE CHUNK OF HAIR OUT OF NOELLE'S HEAD (I STILL FEEL SICK ABOUT THAT) AND THEY BOTH BIT EACH OTHER A COUPLE TIMES BUT OVERALL I THINK THEY BONDED!!

THEN TWO DAYS IN THE CAR ACTUALLY WENT PRETTY WELL ON OUR WAY TO BOISE

WE GOT TO AUNT NANCY'S HOUSE AND NATHAN TOOK THE GIRLS OUTSIDE AND THIS IS WHAT AMAYA HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE FREEDOM OF A WONDERFUL BACKYARD

WE ALL GOT TOGETHER TO TAKE THE GIRLS TO THE ZOO. AUDREY'S FIRST TIME THERE. SHE HAD A TOTAL BLAST

THEN WE HAD BREAKFAST IN THE YARD TOGETHER ON MY LAST DAY THERE AND AWESOME COUSIN JULIE WALKED THE GIRLS AROUND ON THE HORSES! AUDREY GOT VERY GOOD AT HER HORSE SOUNDS. SHE BLOWS AIR THROUGH HER LITTLE LIPS AND IT COMES OUT JUST LIKE A HORSE SOUND!

The Reasons

Ok so here is the compiled long list of reasons why I haven't blogged in like 4 months!!!

Ok, nope pretty much just one reason. MORNING SICKNESS SUCKS!!!!

Yep we are expecting baby number two (December 1) about two weeks before Audrey will turn two. So, Now you know the reason I have neglected not keeping everyone up on our lives. I barely had enough energy to live my life. Although I must say, that I know I am blessed and that there are tons more people out there that have it WAY worse. I am glad it isn't worse because I for sure probably wouldn't do it again!

So now that the sickness is over and I just feel fat!!!! I can get back to my miserable life...hehe. Poor Charles and my family have been amazing. I am a total monster this pregnancy. Who knows I might have been last one too, but seeing as I didn't equate my moodal psychopathy with pregnancy until month 9 I have no idea. It is miserable to have absolutely no reason to hate the world! URG!!! But you sure feel that way sometimes. Charles is wonderful and is as patient as ever. I am sure he scored big almost every day for being married to me!

We find out next week what we are having. I hope it is a boy, just because the Austin family has been totally unable to produce a male as of yet! Oh, and cuz I already have my boy colors picked out! But if it is a girl, that would be fine too. Then Audrey could have a cute little sister to be all girly with. So either way we are excited. I have started coming around to the idea of having a little baby around here again. I just love every minute of being with Audrey and seeing her grow and learn and being her best friend. I am a little sad that neither she nor the new baby will get the same attention. Although, somehow we have faith that there will be enough time and love for both of them right? HAHA.

good stuff

hey just wanted to let all you cute people know....this is the cheapest place I have found to print your 12x12 scrapbook pages.....and it looks like they will print your BLOG for you into a book! Pretty rad for those that use this as a family journal. Now you can have it on your coffee table as well for a complete overwhelming pride to those you love!

http://www.scrappingsimply.com/

Peter and Jill Sealed

Peter and Jill were Sealed on January 17, 2009. It was an awesome day that we have been looking forward to for a year. They were almost able to be sealed on their anniversary, but alas, not really a let down to get sealed anytime right? They had me shoot some cute pictures so here are a few!

Catch Up

I wanted to do a little catch up from what has happened this year. So for the next couple of days I will be posting in the past until we are all caught up on what is happening!

This is from January. The weather was so nice and we got invited with some friends out to Lake las Vegas. We had a blast feeding the ducks and watching the kids run around.

Second Reason for delays

Ok here it is. We took a massive 2 week vacation over Christmas break to Reno then Oregon (I thought of you Deveney!) and I took hundreds of pictures. Well I wanted to do the scrapbooks of the pictures to put on here instead of a hundred pictures....well. Somehow this was one of the last folders I scrapbooked! It was a doosy, but now it is done....AHHHH! Time to take a hot bath. So Here are the 20 pages from just this trip. Enjoy!

Reason for my solitude

Ok. I know it has been a ridiculously long time since I have posted. I think it has been at least 9 weeks because that is how many times my brother has hounded me to get on it!!!

So I will start slow so that you are not all overwhelmed. But here is the biggest reason why I have been absentee from almost everything else in life.

Number one: year end scrapbooking. I am happy to report that I am 90% done with all 2008 scrapbooks, which if you know me and the ridiculous amount of picture I take is quite a feat.

Number two: REDECORATING! I got anzy over Christmas break and decided I had had enough purple. So to all those long in waiting, here are the final pictures of the work. I built an upholstered headboard for $8, I painted the room for free, I made curtains and pillows for about $30, I made all the art on the walls (thanks Cassidy), I built floating shelves for $2, and I made the sconces totally from scratch. I am only in need of finishing the solid squared that you see on the second page, that frame that is sitting on the desk will go in the middle of them as soon as I go get two more! Tell me what you think!

BEFORES!

And originally the bed was on the opposite wall but I took these after that!