Our walk to remember

france was perfect

We are back, we got back home last night.  We had the most wonderful time!  We have over 2400 pictures to go through so if you can imagine, I need a few days (.....probably more, we'll see how things go) to make a post all about it.  Sam and I are at the very bottom of the picture, we are standing inside the castle walls, it was beautiful.

did someone say France

I received this lovely little package in the mail on Tuesday.  It's from my lovely mother-in-law.  What's inside you ask?  Excitement my friend.... excitement!

I open the box and it's wrapped so nicely with tissue paper.

and some fun little filler.

(drum roll please)

This, super cute yellow polka dot bowl and post cards of places in France.  What's the significance?  Why does it represent excitement?

Well, my mother-in-law sent this little gift to get us excited about going to FRANCE!  That's right, we're going to France, in just a few short weeks!

Am I excited? Oh yes, little girl giddy excitement, I just want to shout out in giddiness.  I can hardly contain it.  Before I know it I'll be barging along the southern canals of France :::sigh:::

And, NO KIDS!  (thanks mommy)

Speaking of kids.  Preston's not been feeling so hot lately so Monday night I grew suspicious of an ear infection.  It was confirmed at the doctor yesterday but not only that, it was infected and now is a blown ear drum.  We started him on his meds. yesterday and I can already tell a big difference in how he's feeling.  He's much more happy this morning than he has been.  Poor little guy!  I wish I had taken him in on Monday but I was thinking, he always throws me for a loop, I think something is wrong, but he's fine.  So, I waited and now...... oh, I feel bad for him.  The doctor said it should heal and that everything will be just fine.  Hopefully!

Well, you'll receive all the details after our trip to France!

trip to phoenix

I left almost 2 weeks ago to visit my family in Phoenix because my brother Travis went through the temple for his first time.  It was such an exciting thing to see him go for his first time, it was also exciting to go with all my siblings and parents for the first time since I went through for myself, now there is one more sister and we will all be there, it was awesome.

After we were done I waited outside the temple for my brother to take a picture with him and as we are waiting we are wondering if he left without us seeing him, sure enough we see his car driving away.  So I made him take a picture at the restaurant.

Lots of people there to support him!

Lauren, a friend, had her nose job done, she was born with a clef-lip and pallet and wanted it fixed better, she's waited a long time for this so I was so excited for her.

These two were being so cute one morning as I was getting ready for the day.

The girls and Travis out to lunch at Paradise Bakery.

My mother with Carlee.

My sisters Alisa and Monika.  I had to put this picture in because I love laughing pictures.

 

This is Carlee with her cousin Morgan.  When they first came over that morning to my parents house, Carlee ran over to Preston with Morgan and showed her Preston, almost as if she was showing him off.  I was so excited to see her do that, she loves him, she loves him so much she wants to show him off.  I love that sibling love.

Aren't these girls too cute, cousins, Carlee, Janey & Morgan.

And last I was able to do some catering with my sister (mom no longer does it).  It was fun and a little extra money never hurts, right.

the happy couple

Natalie & Cameron Braithwaite, congrats to you both!

And would you believe it, her mother made that dress, it had so much detail & it looked beautiful on her.

This is all of us that were friends at Eastern Arizona College that came into town for the wedding.  Jordan & her daughter Olivia (Jordan is prego).  Me without Carlee because I had just come from the sealing and Carlee was with my mom.  Rachel and her wee one, his name is totally escaping me... it's right on the tip of my tongue (sorry Rae).  Maren & her sweet little girl Brynlee.  & Brooke, who is also expecting, & her son Copper.

And one more of the girls. Amanda, me, Jordan, Natalie, Brooke & Maren.

family and friends

I got to have a quick little visit with my good friend MyKelle.  Who is also one of the roommates who encouraged & helped me when I liked Sam to be able to talk to him & invite him over for games at our house.

There were two other babies born just before Carlee.  Far left: Parker & his mom Trisha, Parker is about 1 1/2 months older than Carlee.  Center: Morgan & her mother Alisa, Morgan is about 3 weeks older than Carlee.  Far right: Carlee & I.  Since they all are about one at the same time we celebrated while we were there & all the babies got to have some cake.  It took Carlee a bit to get into it, but by the end she had it everywhere!

Here is a cute picture of all three.... um I think they all have quite the blue eyes!  Morgan, Parker, Carlee.

My dad playing with Carlee on the trampoline.

arizona

Carlee and I are in Arizona visting my parents.  The main reason we came down is for my girlfriend Natalie, she is getting married tomarrow.  Last weekend I went to Las Vegas with two of my sisters for a scrapbooking weekend, we had a lot of fun.  And I was child free, my mother watched her for me & while I was gone she fatened Carlee up a bit!  She is eathing so much better.

I can't post any pictures until I get home because this computer doesn't have the software for our camera.  Sorry, but I will post some soon.

But a quick thing about Carlee, her new thing lately is laughing at me every time I tell her no!  And it is too funny, it takes everything in me to keep from laughing.

okay... i know

It's been a really long time.  My girlfriend Maren, whose birthday was yesterday happy b-day,  she said yesterday "It's been 10 days since you did a post", I'm sorry, I know.  I told Sam the other day that I'm not in the mood to clean or even blog.  He told me I was on vacation too long.  Carlee & I got back last tuesday evening & Sam got back last thursday but we have been busy! 

So, the news, Sam got a job offer to a school called IFTA in California.  Yey, we will be back to the west coast & so close to family!  He is putting his two week notice in today & we are planning on leaving December 4th, so very quick.  I have been supper busy & have a million things to do before then.  On thursday I spent like 4-5 hours calling catering places (which is really not very long, it felt like it at the time though) trying to sell our 44 inch chocolate fountain .  And we sold it friday to a place in orlando, which will pay for the moving truck.  It's so awesome we know we are being looked after.

I have to stop and say I'm watching Carlee, right now, she is sucking on her arm & it's pretty funny.  She is going between her wrist & upper arm.  I keep laughing at her & I don't think she has any idea why but she laughs right back along with me.  In this picture I put a little circle around her wrist you can see a little red mark.  I couldn't get a picture of her doing it.

The face she is making is cracking me up.  Anyway so I'm just going to post a few pictures from our wonderful trip!

We took some pictures of Carlee in the garden & this was my fav, unfortunately I didn't have our good camera until the last few days

We went on a shopping trip all day & Carlee was all tuckered out & this was only a few stores into it.  She did really good considering she had to get in & out of the car seat & it was literally all day from the time we left to the time we got home.

I went and got Carlee from her nap & found her like this.  She somehow got her arm out of her sweater & onesie.

I stole this picture form my mother-in-law just to show a picture of me there.

At the YW activity we had a campfire, Carlee's 1st campfire.

here is pepsi, their hipper fun dog.

I love this picture with Carlee & papa in the background.

And here is Sammy, he really did join us the last few days!

Sam & I were able to take a few pictures of Mason, sam's brother.  Here is my favorite.

I love this one of him & all you girls just have to wait until he gets back from his mission!

And last picture for today is of Carlee this is my favorite picture that I got of her on that trip.  I went outside & was snapping a few pictures of her & she found this stick & obviously started putting it in her mouth like everything else.  Before I took it away I got this photo of her & think it is so stinkin' funny & cute.

we're in cali

So Carlee & I are here in California visiting Sam's parents, while poor Sam is working.  But he is at least in California too, well soon!  Get this, he is with my family for a few days.  Carlee is having so much fun & is happy to be with her Grammer & Papa.
And once again, Carlee is loving the playing with the dog.  This time the dog, Pepsi, isn't scared of her!

Family Fun!

This last week for my 2 year anniversary, Sam's gift to me was plane tickets to see mine & his family.  It was so much fun to bring Carlee & go see everyone. Carlee did rather well on the plane ride's.  First we went to Arizona & saw my family.  There were a lot of people at my parents house everyday.  I'm use to that, but Carlee on the other hand is not, but she did great.  She just roles with the punches as they come.

My sister Monika & I joke a lot about who is Dad's favorite.  One day my mother was holding Carlee & my dad asked to hold her.  After, Monika comes up to me & says "Dad asked to hold Carlee, I guess you are the favorite".  I'm glad she finally realizes!

I have a sister & sister-in-law who had babies within a month of Carlee, we took some pictures of them together, they all have such different personalities.  I loved seeing them.

Next Carlee & I flew over to California & Sam's dad picked us up, we met Shannon & Annna who flew in just previous to us.  Then Sam who came in just after us.  This weekend was Denver's mission farwell talk.  He did a great job, we were glad we were able to go.  We had fun relaxing & enjoying one anothers company.  Mason, Sam's younger brother, smashed his finger in the car door, it built up a lot of pressure so Sam performed surgery with his own instraments.

Anna & Carlee got to meet eachother, cute cousins!

Carlee also had a 1st - Swimming with Dad!