Saved

Here is a pic of the fire from a house in our ward. It didn't get this close to my house. By the grace of God our town was saved last night.

Steve and I drove from my parents house (where we were staying) over to Wal-Mart to get a view of the fire at about 2 am. It was so horrifying to see. It looked immenent that at least half of our town was going to burn down. I thought there was a pretty good chance that our house would be gone by morning.

The fire fighters are so brave and such heros. Everyone hug a fire fighter today.

I Don't Understand How This Happened

Nearly five years ago, I was curled up in a ball crying my eyes out. I had my first baby and if I can be real, I knew that my life was over because of it. I was so upset and for the first time in my life I felt real depression and I couldn’t do anything to make it go away.

I recall a specific instance where Steve came home from work to find my BFF Heather on the couch holding my new baby and me bawling in bed. Steve came in and held me and told me my life wouldn’t be over, it was just going to be different for a while. He told me that she wouldn’t be a baby forever and soon she would sleep through the night and before we knew it she’d grow up and in three years we could put her in pre-school.

I remember finding great comfort in the fact that it was temporary and that someday she would grow up and I could have my life back.

Turns out, that depression I had only lasted about 6 weeks and then Poof, it was gone and I haven’t felt it since.

Anyway, when she turned three, I couldn’t bear to let her go to preschool. She was my best bud and ally. Now she is nearly five and it is obvious that she is ready to fly the coop, at least for a few hours a day.

Last week, she had her first day of preschool.

I just can’t believe it. I can’t believe I have had her for 5 years. It seems like 18 months tops.

Isn’t she adorable?

Not only is she adorable, she is sweet, smart, kind, cuddly, obedient and so beautiful.

She is a great sister and puts up with a lot from her 2-year-old sister Sunny-Bunny.
She is cleaver always coming up with new ideas and ways to make things work. She takes great pride in her accomplishments.

I love spending time with her. I love fixing her hair. She is so patient while we make each hair-do. Not that I’d try, but if I wanted to fix her hair for an hour straight, she’d allow it.


She loves avocados, cats, the Brady Bunch, her grandmas, jewelry, her cousins, smelling flowers, dancing, going on vacations and being tickled by her mom.

I love this baby girl more than I ever thought was possible. I cried the whole way to preschool and while I dropped her off. Thankfully she didn’t notice because she was with one of her best buds, our next door neighbor Hadyn.

I remember the day I met his mom. I was standing out in my driveway while their realtor showed them the house they were buying. I was enormously pregnant and Jenny told me she was expecting too (although you couldn’t tell by looking). I just knew our unborn children would be great friends.


My premonition came true as I watched them scamper off together to preschool hand in hand.
I’m sure I’ll see this pair go to Kindergarten together too and then in about 6 months they’ll be off to college.

I was lucky I had Jenny there with me who gave me a shoulder to cry on.
It's so great to have such wonderful friends as neighbors.

If my post-partum self I knew then, what I know and feel now, there would have been no reason to be blue. *This was the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Don’t grow up too fast baby girl. I wish I could just bottle her and keep her forever as my four-year-old big girl.

*Besides meeting Steve.

What? I don’t have a spending problem.

I am now collecting receipts and tracking the amounts we spend in the computer. Steve and I setup a budget and I am the one overseeing it—really.

I never knew accounting could be so much fun! No wonder Steve and his friends have such huge smiles on their faces all day every day.

Really it is embarrassing to have a paper trail of all the little expenditures I make. I had no idea how much I was spending without even being conscious of it. Sad. Hopefully this will help me reform and only spend money I really want to spend.

My sexy midnight flight to the Big Apple

Have you ever left your kids and gone on a vacation? I haven’t until this trip. It was so exciting and terrifying at the same time.

I spent the week getting the house cleaned schedules printed up, food bought and packing the kids things. Then there were my own trip preparations to make. My parents were kind enough to watch them for three nights as were Steve’s folks. The kids were excited about the extended stays, but I wasn’t sure if they really understood just how long we’d be gone.

Steve left Sunday morning to be there in time for his class called Risk Based Auditing- Bringing the Sexy Back to Internal Audit. I didn’t leave until Midnight on Monday.

We love to travel, but some of you may not know that I get physically ill the day before and the day of the trip. I guess it’s some kind of anxiety disorder, but I never let it hold me back, because I always have a great time once we are actually in route.

This trip was no different except I didn’t have Steve with me to talk me down. I actually did okay by myself. Pride.

I hired some help from two neighbor girls to get my house cleaned while I finished up a few tid-bits that needed done before I left, then I packed up the kids and headed for the drop-off at my mom’s. Yes, I cried the whole way over to her house. Why do you ask?

Although my mom was feeling pretty crappy that night, she assured me they’d be okay. I put them to bed and then called my brother Randy to come take me to the airport.

Of course I’d forgot to charge my phone last night. Why would I want a functioning phone on the day I arrive solo in New York City?

I made my way past the ticket counter and into the security line. People are always unpleasant in the security line, but on the midnight flight people are 10 times more unpleasant. I disrobed as is the procedure now at the airport. Everyone has to go through naked now.

Just kidding, you just have to take of your shoes. Anyway…I took off my shoes and notice they were sending everyone through the new Air-Puff-Look-At-You-Under-Your-Clothes-X-Ray machine. Put your hands over your head and spread-em. I had so much dignity at that moment.

Anyway…they let me through and I went and found my gate. The crowd seemed very disgruntled and angry. After a few minutes I realized everyone was just tired and not angry.

I found a spot to sit on the floor and charge my phone for a half hour while I waited to board.
I also took a nite-time cold tablet so I would sleep on the plane. I had big plans to hit the ground running when I arrived at 6 a.m.

I boarded the plane next to some people who I’m sure were very nice, but I promptly fell asleep. Have you ever slept on a plane. It’s no Serta perfect sleeper or Intellibed that is for sure. I finally found a way to sleep. It was a throw-back to the way I used to sleep in high school and college. I put the tray table down and rested my arms and head on it. It worked surprisingly well since the Moroccan guy I was sitting next to wasn’t interested in cuddling.

I woke up as the Captain started speaking over the PA. I felt very rested as you can see from these very flattering photos I took of myself. No…no one thought it was strange that I was taking pics of myself just after waking up…why do you ask?


The east coast sky was amazingly red and beautiful, so I also took a photo of that too like it was my first time flying. Breaking dawn really is beautiful. It's a shame it always happens so early.

We landed and de-boarded the plane. I found a bathroom and changed my clothes since I was planning to go right to the TODAY show. I headed through JFK and down and out to the street. I was hauling my bag down this flight of stairs and this guy took my bag out of my hand and said, “Let me get this for you.” I wanted to say “No thanks, I know how you New Yorkers are, I’ve seen Law and Order,” but I didn’t. I was pretty sure I would never see my bag again, but turns out, he just wanted to be nice and helpful. Hmm.

I followed the instructions Steve gave me about how to get on the right bus to Grand Central Station, but I was only pretty sure I was doing it right. I waited on a corner for about 30 long minutes, and then…the bus came. I was so relieved. I felt like a fish out of water, plus I was deliriously tired and hungry.

I paid the man some money and the bus took me through queens where I am sure I saw Doug and Carrie’s house. I also fell asleep at least five times on this bus ride.

We arrived at Grand Central Station and I got off the bus to find Steve waiting for me with a New York bagel. He is so sweet to me. I thought I was going to find the hotel myself, but he came to meet me, with breakfast.