Merry Christmas To All

We spent Christmas Eve at my parents house and it was great like always. All of my family was there, and it will be the last time for two years since my brother Preston will be leaving on his mission this Spring. We decorated and judged sugar cookies, played games, read the Christmas story in Luke and put on the pageant, and watched a Charlie Brown Christmas. Christmas morning was an early one for us. June decided to get up at 6 am, but everybody else didn't get up until around 8:00. June loved her presents and even kind of caught on to the whole "Santa" thing this year. Her favorite gift was her new baby doll, but she loved opening presents - even if they weren't hers.

This is her first sighting of her new baby!

Sean got this very stylish new hat, and as you can see he was thrilled with his new socks. He did get ski's, boots, and poles as well.

I was the most spoiled. Along with these lovely snow shoes, I got a new PINK Kitchen Aid and the coat I have been wanted for a year now.

June got a sled too, but I don't think she liked it very much. This is the face she had while we pulled her on it.

We got so much snow this year on Christmas day that we postponed our Marshall Christmas party until the day after. It was fun too. I am always glad I married into the family that I did. That family is constantly growing so before too long we are going to need a bigger room to hold us all.

Our Christmas was a great one, and I hope yours was the same.

An Anniversary Not to be Forgotten

December 17th was my 3rd wedding anniversary and I am most positive that it will be embedded in my mind for quite some time.



Things were going as planned that day. Sean went to work, but was leaving by 5 pm. June and I had been playing at home all day, and I was planning on dropping her off at grandma's later that evening so Sean and I could go out. Then things took an unexpected turn. June was on the counter, which is one of her favorite places to be, and I was right there with her. June loves to climb and is not one bit afraid of heights. I turned my back for a few seconds and then next thing I knew there was a loud BANG. She had fallen off the counter and was laying face down on the floor. I immediately picked her up gently and assessed the damage. No broken bones, no blood, and she did not lose consciousness. I could tell she got the wind knocked out of her because it took her a few seconds to start crying. The next twenty minutes were spent trying to console a crying baby. I was a bit of a wreck because it was obviously my fault that she fell, and I hate when my baby gets hurt and I can't make it stop. Then June threw up all over me. Besides the initial shock (June has never thrown up before), I was even more concerned now. For those of you who know anything about head injuries you already know that vomiting is never a good sign. I called my mom who is a nurse, and whom I trust above pretty much anybody else. She told me to keep monitoring her - watch her pupils, don't let her fall asleep, keep trying to talk to her, and keep her alert- and that she would call back in a little bit. I felt a little better after that. I few minutes later June threw up again. This is when I really started to panic. My mom called back and when I told her what happened she said that we had better go to the emergency room just to be safe. I agreed.



Sean got home shortly after with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, and I filled him in to all of the events that had take place. He gave June a Fathers Blessing and then we were off to Redicare, which is like an urgent care facility. We got in quickly and the P.A. looked June over. She seemed fine - eyes were normal, no blood in the ears, she was acting like her normal self - besides the big bruise that was forming on her head. The P.A. was still concerned about the vomiting because that can be a sign that there is serious brain damage, and he suggested June get a CT scan. We of course agreed, and headed over to the hospital.



Anybody who has ever had to go to the emergency room knows that it is never a pleasant experience. It wasn't too crowded that evening, but it still took forever to actually see the doctor, and then I think they forgot about us for a while because a nurse came in about an hour later and asked if June had got her CT scan yet. We said no and it wasn't too long after that that we got taken back to the machine. Having never experienced a CT scan myself I was nervous. This next part was pure torture for me and for June. They had to strap June down to the machine because you have to lie completely still. June was screaming bloody murder. How do you tell a 19 month little girl that it is going to be OK when she is strapped down and being moved into a tube with red lights while four people try to keep her head and body still. I am a pretty tough customer, but I couldn't help but cry as my little girl screamed my name and there was nothing I could do to help her.



After more waiting, the doctor told us that the CT scan came back normal and that there was no brain damage - thank Heaven!!! We got to go home then (after more waiting to be discharged). It was about 10:30 pm and we were all starving at this point. Not much was open, but Applebee's was so that is where we went. Not much of an anniversary dinner, but it was better than Denny's.



It was a very eventful 3rd anniversary, and I am just so happy that June is OK and that no serious damage occur ed. We are very blessed.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The Holidays are finally here!!! We have so much to celebrate: Sean graduating, our 3rd anniversary, CHRISTMAS, and New Years. I love this time of year as I'm sure you all do. The only thing that could make it better this year is if it would snow!!! Sorry that these pictures are in reverse order from what I wanted, but oh well. These lovely flowers were presented to me by my sweet husband just this past Wednesday. I love when he does things like this (and it isn't even our anniversary yet). We set up the Christmas tree for family home evening and June just can't get enough of it. Just the other night she thought it felt funny to have the needles touch her little tummy - what a nut!!! She loves when we turn the lights on, and she enjoys taking off all the ornaments that she can reach.

Oh, this next picture is just a funny story. I was blow drying my hair out in the kitchen before church on Sunday because it was too humid after Sean got out of the shower (my hair does not do well in humidity). Anyway, I was blow drying away when I noticed that June was doing the same thing, just wi1th her bubble machine. This is just one of the many reasons I love her - she never fails to make me laugh in new creative ways.

Last Saturday we headed up into the mountains to cut down a Christmas tree. I have done this pretty much my whole life, and now I think I have gotten Sean hooked on it too. It is just fun to be up in the mountains and see how beautiful the world is all covered in snow. Sean hauled the tree down once we found one, and I carried June down until the very end when she wanted to help.

She thought she was so big being able to help Daddy.

Tag - I'm It

This is for you Kelltie

5 years ago I was. . .
Living at the Ridge in Rexburg and attending BYU-Idaho. When I wasn't at the library (my second home) or in class (I think I had 20 credits), I was doing crazy things with my two best buddies Brittney and Kelltie. For example, taking all of my friends stuff in her room and hiding it in various places all over the apartment!

5 things on my to do list:
Get Christmas cards printed at Sam's
Have my mom help me sew a super hero cape
Get June to take a nap
Cook dinner
Go to mutual

5 snacks I enjoy:
Fruit snacks
My mom's cookies
licorice rope
ice cream
Twix

5 places I've lived:
Provo, UT
Evanston, WY
Phoenix, AZ
Idaho Falls, ID
Rexburg, ID

5 jobs I've had:
Souvenir girl at the I.F. Padres (minor league baseball)
Lawn mower for the City of Idaho Falls (my most favorite job)
Little league baseball Ump
Babysitter
Melaleuca R&D

5 things I'd do if I won the lottery:
Build a new house
Buy a new car
Go on vacation with my family
Buy land
Save and invest

Back to one child

Last week I had the pleasure of babysitting a family I know from my old home ward. The mom and dad got to go on a cruise, and I got to watch their 5 kids. It really was a lot of fun, and the kids were very good to me. The oldest was 14 and the youngest was 3, plus I had my own 18 month little angel with me. We went swimming, watched movies in their sweet theatre room, baked brownies and cakes, played and watched their basketball games, played Mario Kart Wii, built forts, did homework, and lots of other stuff in between. Below is two of the kids with their "decorated to the extreme" brownies. June and Max were home with me during the day while the other 4 went to school. We read lots of books together, watched cartoons, played outside, went to the library, and were the best of buds. The kids got along so good together, and June is really missing Max now that we are back home. I think my sweetheart needs a playmate other than her boring old mom.

It was fun to have 6 kids for eight days, but I don't think I am ready for that many children all of the time - hopefully quintuplets are not in my future!!!!!

Blast From the Past

The above picture is of me and my mom when I was one year old, and the pictures below is of me and June. My mom made the costume for me, and twenty three years later my baby gets to wear it!!! I think that is pretty sweet. Oh, and doesn't my mom look great!

Halloween Fun

Happy Halloween to everyone!!! We had a great time celebrating this year. My little June was a dinosaur with pink spots. My mom made the costume for me when I was one year old, so it was sweet to have my little girl wear it too. June loved wearing her costume, and she looked so adorable in it. When we asked her what a dinosaur said she would respond with a ROAR, so I think she got into character very well.

Our ward had a trunk-or-treat in the parking lot on Halloween night. It was well attended and the kids had fun going from car to car to say trick or treat. I stayed by the car and handed kids the candy, and Sean took June around. I think she was a little overwhelmed with all of the kids, but she did manage to say trick-or-treat a few times when she came up to the trunks. Sean and I dressed up as well. Sean wore his grandpa's army jacket from WW2 (his grandpa was in the 101st Airborne), and I was his protective nurse.

The picture below was taken a few days before Halloween, but June wanted to wear her costume, and who could say no to this sweetheart.

On Wednesday we went to "Boo at the Zoo." It was a really big event that ran for 3 nights. We went on the first day thinking we would avoid the crowds, but there were tons of people there. June wasn't too interested in the animals, but she liked all of the Halloween decorations that they had put up.

On Monday night we carved pumpkins. June helped me pull the guts out and thought sucking on the pumpkin seeds was a great idea. Her pumpkin is the one with the big smile.