May, A Very Busy Month!

I apologize in advance for the long post!...
A lot has happened in May, and with Neil's new camera he received for graduating (thanks to his parents!) We've taken a ton of pictures. I just barely got around to downloading them all.

Here is Neil after graduating with his Bachelors in Occupational Therapy, with his parents and his sister Erica, brothers Ben and Chad. (Only two more years left! Good job babe!)

Here is EmmaLee, trying to be just like her Grandma Scott!

Neil has found a new love for biking! This is him with his brother's Jeff and Ben.

We took some pictures of our kids up at Temple Square. They turned out super cute! Here are a few out of the hundred we took!

My cute sister-in-laws both having babies this summer. (Jessie and Jill)

Neil's brother Chris came home from his mission this month! He was in Brazil! It was so great to see him again. This is his first time ever meeting Carter.

Waiting for Chris to arrive!

Heidi and EmmaLee!

Jeremy took us up to Sundance and we got to eat a great lunch and ride the scenic tour into the mountains. It was a ton of fun. Here is a picture of the Sabin Family!

This is in Idaho where we went camping. This is my parent's property and Neil, my brother Joe, and my nephew Travis, were building a "bridge" across the creek. It's a ton of fun to go camping and be free to do whatever you want. Plus it is gorgeous up there! We saw a shooting star that lasted for forever! I've never seen one that shot across the sky for so long.

Laura, Shannon, EmmaLee and I, checking out the new bridge made!

Neil, Travis and Joe!

Here is a picture, out of order, but this was up at Sundance, after we got off the lift.

And Carter is now walking every where he can! I guess he decided that he wanted to walk before he turned one!

What I Find...

There are many days that I walk into EmmaLee's room, and this is what I find. (I couldn't help but take a picture while she was in the other room!) Her babies lined up in a row, on her bed, covered and asleep. She's going to make such a great mom! Heck, I should be getting her a mother's day present on Sunday!

Wedding Fun!

My brother Joe and his fiance Shannon were married over the weekend in Boise. It was a ton of fun! I just love weddings. It was a beautiful ceremony. EmmaLee was one of their flower girls and she got to wear a very cute purple dress, which she just loved! However, she only made it half way down the aisle, before she got too embarrassed with all of the people looking at her! It was fun to see lots of family that I don't normally get to see. We had such a great time. Joe and Shannon did an amazing job at planning the whole thing! It was a short trip, but a very fun one! Here are a few pictures, out of the thousand I took! The picture above is with all of my sisters except for one that was unable to make it. (we sure miss and love you, Joleen) From L to R: Jana, Jill, JaNeal, Jennifer, Jodie, Shannon (our new sister-in law!) Joe, Jean, Janet and Judy.

Here are a few of my sisters. L to R, Jill, JaNeal, Jana, Jennifer and Jodie. They all had just arrived at the hotel and we were waiting for every one else to come into town.

EmmaLee's cousin's Alex and Erynn. She had so much fun playing with them!

Just something to make you smile!

Here is Carter laughing at EmmaLee. I wish I would have caught this on video a little bit earlier, but it's still hilarious! Why is it when babies laugh, it's so darn cute?

Birthday/Easter

This past week we celebrated my 27th Birthday (I know you were thinking it, so I'll go ahead and say it for you.. I am getting old!) Birthdays just aren't quite what they used to be. I wish that I was excited about my birthday like I used to be when I was a little kid. It makes it more fun that way! But with that said, I did have a great birthday. Everyone was so sweet and kind. My sister Jennifer let me borrow her carpet cleaner (thank you so much and for all of the other amazing things you brought over, so sweet of you!) and Neil's family came over and cleaned my house for me as my gift! I don't think my windows/carpet/walls/baseboards have been that clean since we moved in! Thank you so much! Neil made me go on an egg/scavenger hunt to find my gift! He was pretty creative. For my gift he turned my BLOG into a book. I was so excited because I have been using my blog as my journal and it was nice to have it all printed and have it on paper for forever. With the help of his sister Heidi, they did it pretty cheap and it looks great! We also celebrated Easter with my family and my Birthday on Sunday with a yummy ham and potatoes dinner. It's so fun to get together! Thanks to everyone who made my birthday and Easter so special!


This is the first year that EmmaLee really has understood Easter. (well as much as a three year old can take in!)

Carter and EmmaLee posing in their Easter out fits.

Neil and I posing in our Easter out fits, although they weren't new!

Ben and Chad cleaning the windows!

Jill and EmmaLee cleaning all of my pictures from the wall.

Erica vacuuming all of the doors and carpet.

Elener washing walls.

Kites and Mr. Trouble...

Last Saturday we flew kites and it was perfect kite flying weather! I've never flown a kite before when you didn't have to run a ways to get the kite up. We just lifted the kite in the air and it flew. It was a ton of fun! (Except for when our kite broke! Thanks a lot Joel!)

Do I have to say any more? I find Carter in many different places! He is always into something! This is what I get when I leave him alone for 5 seconds! And each time I find him, he just laughs at me. I think I have a mischievous little boy on my hands, (Thanks a lot Neil! Like Father, like son!) However, although he does get into things he is the biggest sweetheart! Seriously, he is such a sweet boy.

EmmaLee is Three!

I told EmmaLee to say "Cheese" and this is what she did! She really is a Cheeser!

Here is EmmaLee with a few of her cousins! She loves playing with them.

EmmaLee HAD to have a princess cake, so this is what I came up with. I know, I should go into the cake business right! (ha ha!)

Em got a princess dress-up dress from her Grandma and she had to try it on!

EmmaLee just turned three, I can't believe it! She has been the best thing that happened to us, along with Carter, of course! I just love how happy she is, and even though she brings lots of DRAMA into our lives, she is more than we could have ever hoped for! She is a very good helper and wants to do everything that I do. EmmaLee is so sweet to Carter, and loves him very much. She has been waiting to turn three for so long! She has talked about going to preschool and doing lots of activities. We just love her so much! Happy Birthday EmmaLee!

Lots in March

My Nephew Tyrell just came home from his mission. This is all of us at the Airport. Welcome Home Tyrell!

The month of March has kept us busy. Neil and I celebrated our 5th anniversary! Neil bought me a new band to go along with my ring, which I love! And we also flew to Las Vegas and spent two days. Neil was on his spring break, so it was our only chance to get a way. (Thank you to Grandma Scott and Aunt Jessie and Uncle Jeremy for taking the kids! We really appreciate it!) This was me inside the Bellagio, there was a beautiful atrium, with gorgeous flowers, and butterflies.

This is us at the Bellagio Fountains. (our favorite part about Las Vegas!)

Here are Neil's hands compared to Shaquille O'Neal's. Just a small difference!

This is Carter's girlfriend, Kensington! Some day, if Carter can catch up to Kenzie, they might go on a long walk together! Right now, they just steal each others Binky's.

This is one of the first times I have gotten them both to smile at the same time!

Here, Carter is posing in his new outfit we bought for him to wear to church! Adorable, what can I say?

Just a few things..

EmmaLee is becoming quite the little photographer! She posed us in the picture and she made sure her baby Sally made it in, along with the purse...

This picture describes so much. I don't even have to say anything, you just have to look at their faces!

Another picture taken by EmmaLee. (p.s. It seems like Carter is always wearing this jacket when I take pictures... I promise it is not the only thing he has in his closet! What can I say, it gets cold in our house, so you do what you gotta do!)

So this past couple of weeks have been, lets just say, not so fun. I think Carter and EmmaLee were sick the whole month of February. Carter is now currently on his second set of antibiotics and his second ear infection. I am now a regular at the pediatrician, and I think all of the nurses know who I am. We had to test both Carter and EmmaLee's oxygen level a couple of times because of a nasty cough which was making, Carter especially, wheeze. I am hoping this past Wednesday was the last time I have to make a trip to the doctor's office for the rest of the month. Our car, also decided to break down, luckily it was just the fuel pump, but it still cost us a bunch to get that fixed. It, of course, decided not to start on the day Neil was super busy with school and stressed out with tests, and the kids were very sick and needed to get checked out. I think that's the way it always happens! The weather here, is also teasing me. It was so nice for a few days and now it is currently snowing. My patience is definitely being tested. It is just hard being confined to one place and not being able to get out much. Anyway, such is life being a mom, I guess. On the flip side, I have to be grateful that I am able to stay home with my beautiful children. It's hard right now with Neil in school, gone a majority of the time. I am sure it is also really hard on him. But this is our life for the next couple of years, and it is something that we must do and overcome. A quote keeps coming to my mind by President Thomas S. Monson who said,
"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.
Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.” We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us."

I think about that quote often, and it really helps me to keep my life in focus. Whatever happens, it's something that I know I can deal with and to just move on, but move on with love and gratitude in my heart.

Here is EmmaLee singing Big Girls Don't Cry! She loves listening to my ipod and it is hilarious to hear what she interprets as the words to the song!