tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70960778757353790642024-02-06T19:46:37.120-08:00Brownie BunchA Small Glimpse Of Our LivesMariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-15909145761347655272014-06-30T07:36:00.001-07:002014-06-30T07:36:49.461-07:00HopeThe majority of June has been really rough for me. Travis left for his two week military training at the beginning of the month, and depression hit me hard this go around. I became a recluse while he was gone, not leaving the house to even get the mail from the mailbox. The only time I stepped outside was to go to my karate classes in the evenings...Thank heavens for karate! I let myself go, let the house and yard go, and barely took care of the kids. I ate nothing but junk (gaining 10-15 lbs as a result), stayed up way to late watching shows on netflix, didn't do ANY cleaning, resulting in a very stinky house, didn't water or weed my flowerbeds which were my babies before, and stuck the kids in front of movies all day. The ugliness of depression was all around and was abounding. It got so bad that I had suicidal thoughts, freaked me out enough to at least let Travis know how badly I was doing. I hit rock bottom, and couldn't seem to find my way up.<br />
<br />
I am very blessed to have amazing people in my life who see me at my worst, and love me anyways. Because of these sweet angels, I made it through the time Travis was away. When Travis got back, everything felt better, at least for the first few days. And then the realization and guilt of how much I neglected EVERYTHING while he was away hit. And although I had my up days, the depression still lingered.<br />
<br />
I had a rough day yesterday...I didn't feel like going to church, so I didn't go, and then I beat myself up all day about it. But this morning I woke up feeling a sense of hope! It's a new day, and I have the ability to make it a great day. AND June is over!! Tomorrow is a new month, and I am going to make it a whole lot better than June!Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-57764928174966433502014-05-15T02:22:00.000-07:002014-05-15T02:22:53.712-07:00InsomniaKarsen came upstairs crying around 2:45 a.m., so I got him settled on the floor by our bed, and then climbed back in bed to get some more slumber...it is now 3:15, and I have realized that sleep is eluding me. As I lay in bed, I kept thinking about my blog and how its time to start documenting our life again! I recently read a list of things successful people do, that really caused me to think, and one item on the list was writing in their journal daily. I don't care so much about worldly success, but I do want to be the best version of myself, and I know that journaling is very important. Over the next little while, I plan to go back and document the last two and a half years of our lives, and try once again to blog daily! Wish me luck...here we go!!! But for right now, I'm going to try to get some sleep!!Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-31859555336495880512012-01-18T10:10:00.000-08:002012-01-18T10:10:05.935-08:00Kid TalkJust thought that I'd share a funny little conversation I had with Parker.<br />
<br />
Mommy: "Parker, I think you are pretty cute!"<br />
<br />
Parker: "No, I'm AWESOME!!"<br />
<br />
Mommy: "Oh ok!!"<br />
<br />
Parker: "Chloee is cute, I'm Awesome!"<br />
<br />
There you have it!!!<br />
I'm glad that he thinks he's awesome!!Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-72862646692729286692011-11-13T08:48:00.000-08:002011-11-13T09:09:17.834-08:00True Love<div>I am SO in love with this little sweetheart!!!!!<br /><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674525705926351138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiNOR6jJ10l-XuXxfLDGkofF3xl0c9jJgZ9PSNKRIYW3lqWnnfpm1dx-DvU8m48ECRUlVyMdStptke0a_PIv0o3CnxfaTAI1d-R9idCG5S9fFdN97nNlDAcOVdp32X0XWv5EQCN0Bv3w/s400/101_5548.JPG" /></div></div><br /><br /><p>It is kind of ironic because I was the least excited during this last pregnancy about having a baby, but now that Karsen is here, he is my favorite baby out of the three. Just to make it clear, he is NOT my favorite child, I love all three equally, but at the newborn stage he has been my favorite for several reasons. He hardly ever cries, he is so snuggly and cute, and overall has just been a really easy baby, so I have been able to enjoy him more, and have been stressed out a lot less!! The fact that I am not breastfeeding is also a big factor, but that is a topic for another post!!<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaLJwIkM5tnPOSORYjga7mspFv1E4EI1bwO16pFChiF2g-Y9j0qevqvtxHnMT5KoTWIe_hQvTopYpzgISBruYoFNREtHGANx11o7VhcKqzWMyhB_a7XtBdWUlSeCzK4CqhWEgO1_0MSI/s1600/101_5546.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674528122971576194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaLJwIkM5tnPOSORYjga7mspFv1E4EI1bwO16pFChiF2g-Y9j0qevqvtxHnMT5KoTWIe_hQvTopYpzgISBruYoFNREtHGANx11o7VhcKqzWMyhB_a7XtBdWUlSeCzK4CqhWEgO1_0MSI/s320/101_5546.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><p></p>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-83294050156293040152011-11-11T21:14:00.001-08:002011-11-13T08:47:33.003-08:00Veteran's Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYw7b7XaUToV6N55SQ3kPyq_ERhT2n5EJ9SIPbRCv1bNpeKAa2DfzkrUodI5HzLXWNnXScTHJI4fJczMyrwcUldrvCxU6QAM_LhXcTE0q9bXgJS2SLRlUyO5XJz10Ch6Jtdb6m5HHGa0/s1600/usflag.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674522972289861826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYw7b7XaUToV6N55SQ3kPyq_ERhT2n5EJ9SIPbRCv1bNpeKAa2DfzkrUodI5HzLXWNnXScTHJI4fJczMyrwcUldrvCxU6QAM_LhXcTE0q9bXgJS2SLRlUyO5XJz10Ch6Jtdb6m5HHGa0/s400/usflag.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>I am so grateful for all of the military men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms and way of life. I am so proud to be an American and love this country that we live in. I am especially grateful for my soldier, for his hard work and dedication. Travis is a great man, and I am so proud of him for his willingness to serve in the military.<br /><br />So on this Veteran's Day I want to say a big <span style="font-size:180%;">THANK YOU</span> to all of the soldiers out there, including my very own!</div>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-36802878681363979142011-11-06T10:19:00.001-08:002011-11-06T10:46:03.964-08:00Photo Shoot<div>The other day I did a little photo shoot of Karsen so that I would have a picture of him to hang on the wall. What do you think?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This is my absolute favorite one!! I LOVE it!</div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaeSaPGJEa9eYUV5TT5eZUkm1ErdQavGB7pUY01soa4deCbycRfqd0xFsC5Xj1aOHAgeR5xusErQoluY8EMziRjIiGsudWQbBHpTLSigUBRtaqxwuMjT8iYYUsh7MURO2yVlZViI-0Wk/s1600/Karsen11.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671953451520149730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaeSaPGJEa9eYUV5TT5eZUkm1ErdQavGB7pUY01soa4deCbycRfqd0xFsC5Xj1aOHAgeR5xusErQoluY8EMziRjIiGsudWQbBHpTLSigUBRtaqxwuMjT8iYYUsh7MURO2yVlZViI-0Wk/s320/Karsen11.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcZfdTdXzXZ5tzowhmMbb9fDxtD4OFm_kJvcV3z4rnhvj6dH5dXeg_ljrUhE-QaNXCEdiYNfBl4yOXGQU10Srr8D3w5MgunzpYxi3GGIpKAF8YT-J5nQJRY1XA2_CZMr7sih5MD0rWiI/s1600/Karsen10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671953444664154642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcZfdTdXzXZ5tzowhmMbb9fDxtD4OFm_kJvcV3z4rnhvj6dH5dXeg_ljrUhE-QaNXCEdiYNfBl4yOXGQU10Srr8D3w5MgunzpYxi3GGIpKAF8YT-J5nQJRY1XA2_CZMr7sih5MD0rWiI/s320/Karsen10.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhfuNu2QsU7ogS6Qc-P9ySw64q7i8TrU4lbpV0-kFhWqMK5X5N5aCLcplToKoK4-n92DP642x2FgcSSuzwcDO448vgPUdL7if1SLbB14d3_ubF7PAxEtJd3B-Oy7DlaO80pTl0CpNJHM/s1600/Karsen9.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671953436044102562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhfuNu2QsU7ogS6Qc-P9ySw64q7i8TrU4lbpV0-kFhWqMK5X5N5aCLcplToKoK4-n92DP642x2FgcSSuzwcDO448vgPUdL7if1SLbB14d3_ubF7PAxEtJd3B-Oy7DlaO80pTl0CpNJHM/s320/Karsen9.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbrsD8YT2D8ejdBLzVupc1c3Puv1YLLXF-hgc4kLXrz722ByEWTUa_OHcemshCuglr4QMGfaugBr51VPZ7MizQL_RXvIuT1VfqSllvi1GIZwgRSLz7xepZ8gJzTBz_Jnc-CXCz55I89A/s1600/Karsen7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671953433637284178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbrsD8YT2D8ejdBLzVupc1c3Puv1YLLXF-hgc4kLXrz722ByEWTUa_OHcemshCuglr4QMGfaugBr51VPZ7MizQL_RXvIuT1VfqSllvi1GIZwgRSLz7xepZ8gJzTBz_Jnc-CXCz55I89A/s320/Karsen7.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzsQu_e1YZM4EnBsInAtJhUr4iSSMGVrbzwAkCrL0_szy9cXznh7wSRtNoDPkiGo8hQLRDvcQGLHYTV5rj5s_ZVqP3wSfopSVnZxXaV7rvhdOPIhENVenyx3k1JhewhR9OBcFnWYyQIg/s1600/Karsen6.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671953429171165506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzsQu_e1YZM4EnBsInAtJhUr4iSSMGVrbzwAkCrL0_szy9cXznh7wSRtNoDPkiGo8hQLRDvcQGLHYTV5rj5s_ZVqP3wSfopSVnZxXaV7rvhdOPIhENVenyx3k1JhewhR9OBcFnWYyQIg/s320/Karsen6.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Vl8ywRQVAk0mvSoiPaMAsrBpS5A1NO3wThdi91T56gpzHaetqOABXrGR2jYaBUxlt5gDj9PqzJWm43WN5t8UD4ujiCOEhj75sALGLG-UzCpu_Rk-H8iFU5ItjGXmjflNk-pz8cnXsDs/s1600/Karsen5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 219px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671951188010858450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Vl8ywRQVAk0mvSoiPaMAsrBpS5A1NO3wThdi91T56gpzHaetqOABXrGR2jYaBUxlt5gDj9PqzJWm43WN5t8UD4ujiCOEhj75sALGLG-UzCpu_Rk-H8iFU5ItjGXmjflNk-pz8cnXsDs/s320/Karsen5.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSKLPSiEamI03dqTqHLEF_GHBo4FoqGY6clQyhMc68jxphDWfK-_zcG2zIJSuKDmL2A3U3cVoXnr0KdZlU-oW6CMHhRIdtGgqMa0lRCrhCc983L6aTT8fnNXfN4UlDY_7rxsKWh6qiqY/s1600/Karsen4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671951184236689618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSKLPSiEamI03dqTqHLEF_GHBo4FoqGY6clQyhMc68jxphDWfK-_zcG2zIJSuKDmL2A3U3cVoXnr0KdZlU-oW6CMHhRIdtGgqMa0lRCrhCc983L6aTT8fnNXfN4UlDY_7rxsKWh6qiqY/s320/Karsen4.jpg" /></a><br />This is the one we chose to hang on our wall. Just precious!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12Uy-12Oqe5UqF9Dc_W1ha1WLkWJBta2ZVMybzgTGlGMjTE1E-dCGSuBeOdhsoEYiutYH6PA1wDPJ8n_Q8YVtR42wjK4D3bUiXRUbUPbkUZWEZMnKscvOVEynQ-3wmujv3KNciDeNTx0/s1600/Karsen3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 255px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671951172798047682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12Uy-12Oqe5UqF9Dc_W1ha1WLkWJBta2ZVMybzgTGlGMjTE1E-dCGSuBeOdhsoEYiutYH6PA1wDPJ8n_Q8YVtR42wjK4D3bUiXRUbUPbkUZWEZMnKscvOVEynQ-3wmujv3KNciDeNTx0/s320/Karsen3.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUHk_MnQ9CA70rEVTt9Tmq9-9kXVe6PGHwzfpy6SoMR42ecShuxgaQyZQQoSas3fe_B36dAMjg9GzS_RMkA4Ptb7j44fJRdxRMM1zshgykWP9npXFtTHAIFPiN9heaae0Op9DfUwFVeM/s1600/Karsen2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671951164231427938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUHk_MnQ9CA70rEVTt9Tmq9-9kXVe6PGHwzfpy6SoMR42ecShuxgaQyZQQoSas3fe_B36dAMjg9GzS_RMkA4Ptb7j44fJRdxRMM1zshgykWP9npXFtTHAIFPiN9heaae0Op9DfUwFVeM/s320/Karsen2.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFB0KLmhb0tNB9LdEXDVckjMHgqipvMGcXKf0gM01G6ov9EORb75L4SJ-79codj2WKZW0nYcbIZuay8mDN7nz4CaLIzXTrHkdgZkBRQr5Ns3DHxjhdziG0s6YEfqySMtYx4-nQwgGpG4/s1600/Karsen1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671951162100967602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFB0KLmhb0tNB9LdEXDVckjMHgqipvMGcXKf0gM01G6ov9EORb75L4SJ-79codj2WKZW0nYcbIZuay8mDN7nz4CaLIzXTrHkdgZkBRQr5Ns3DHxjhdziG0s6YEfqySMtYx4-nQwgGpG4/s320/Karsen1.jpg" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-48503634826695959722011-11-03T16:17:00.000-07:002011-11-04T10:57:50.628-07:00UpdateI've realized recently that I am not a very good blogger while I'm pregnant for some reason! I have written more blog posts in the past two weeks since I've had Karsen then I did during all of my pregnancy. Anyways, I figured that I'd better write an update on our lives for my own records! For those of you who didn't hear, Travis did NOT get deployed after all! They told them that they would be getting deployed in a year instead, which was very frustrating. We were happy that Travis would be around, but we were not looking forward to the year of anticipation and preparation again. We had accepted the fact that we would be separated for a year and were ready. But there wasn't anything to be done except to accept whatever came!<br /><br /><p>Well fast forward a couple of months to October 29th, Travis' drill weekend, and we found out that now the plan is that they will be getting deployed in January. Life is crazy I tell ya! So there is a 95% chance that Travis will be leaving in January to go to Fort Hood, TX for a few months of training, and then will be shipped off to Afghanistan in May. We are ok with this news, and are very grateful that Travis could be around for Karsen's birth and the first few months of his life. Leaving in January is much better timing than leaving in September would have been.</p><br /><p>On to more exciting news, Travis got promoted with the military!! He is now a Specialist!! I was able to be there when he got promoted to put his rank on his uniform, which was a good experience! They have a little ritual with promotions where the spouse removes the old rank and replaces it with the new rank, and then punches the soldier as hard as they can in the chest! So I got to slug Travis in front of his whole company, which was pretty fun!!! I look forward to future promotions, just so I can punch him again!!! (I am really not as violent or abusive as I may seem! Travis is amazing and doesn't deserve to be hit, but traditions are fun!!)</p><br /><p>Well that's what has been going on with our family!</p>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-60506933999814609032011-11-01T10:56:00.000-07:002011-11-01T12:18:50.016-07:00Halloween 2011<div>We had a fun Halloween this year! We were fixing costumes up until the last minute, but I think they turned out pretty well. </div><br /><br /><div>Our knight/king riding his noble steed!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670093984551045826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH5CXtArLbOQUKkqx1bgTHWK4XZWeY04wpj54c4vaWJ1UTkjq9814SDCZKoLwNAVa38qvfBCG_-M_YdnH07mwcc8NAjkoqrjQpCB1B7vaCXoWoFSEeEVEhyXiX7KvBnkS0DaZ-GNyGfY/s320/092.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><p>Our little ladybug!<br /></p><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670093998897509138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS84Z4JvwldldIVB4gp1dSNzmXRoymeIErEgsJ1pWY2gi8oar9VvYYdxLg_CmrvEeICJDxdVzXflgt9PGDLTssACxpiMTzCFlyCfNeiNkyU_n7WeTQuNbOvmK-YfM_0B6CZksHEDYj5dg/s320/094.JPG" /></p><br /><br /><p>And our little pumpkin!!<br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDOw8YxT6nL11O4Bb-8gxyvVK7xigzLiWqSZY0iRef0WxI37kCV_jxQGE6KVLyVnaKPNNNN_IN7XfHN2Um6jGngQ2L165DNrs463BjR7UM8gHFXHymkWdhgTxCDhyphenhyphenURGPhmx4-mClXXU/s1600/095.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670094007609069890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDOw8YxT6nL11O4Bb-8gxyvVK7xigzLiWqSZY0iRef0WxI37kCV_jxQGE6KVLyVnaKPNNNN_IN7XfHN2Um6jGngQ2L165DNrs463BjR7UM8gHFXHymkWdhgTxCDhyphenhyphenURGPhmx4-mClXXU/s320/095.JPG" /></a><br />All ready to go trick-or-treating with daddy the jester! (Except Karsen of course!!)<br /></p><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguCo5V8F3D2grMkekiuLx1giu-zAt6AtyIwkb41O9bhxkCuVwS8GiDc0OCd_Fy_be2AM1mvuivqnPYj0c7LWXPkkOyBIo4IIjNNdfsL5kug1i0LOPkqN9X9N5poLcoTAp9aRSVsmpZk4/s1600/090.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670093983916842482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguCo5V8F3D2grMkekiuLx1giu-zAt6AtyIwkb41O9bhxkCuVwS8GiDc0OCd_Fy_be2AM1mvuivqnPYj0c7LWXPkkOyBIo4IIjNNdfsL5kug1i0LOPkqN9X9N5poLcoTAp9aRSVsmpZk4/s320/090.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>This year we just took the kids out trick-or-treating for about an hour and a half and then came home and had a little impromptu Halloween party with my parents! My parents were kind enough to stay at our house with Karsen and hand out our candy while we took the kids around. </div><br /><br /><div>For our "party" we bobbed for apples, had doughnut eating contests, danced to Halloween music, and then watched Casper! It was lots of fun!! </div><br />Daddy demonstrated how to properly bob for apples!<br /></div></div></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670097176621517986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZs6it1vZeIHsBqZmiLy4ZQvu038CoJ8rclkMnxolKuUgay8BmIPXGKxIXoWaEUP9er5qyYeJ64gneD8FaEKRTa3WbIbFt-QtSRHEGSw4bpC7QPoQB8Dek-oBWngGpZOZqhaC3T23XwPo/s320/096.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div>Chloee put her face down by the water, but then decided it was more fun to grab the apple with her hand and throw it back into the water, creating a big splash!</div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670097224411301826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUV0FCW-3P5SuOup4R_jv5X5TZ15PAYqDUBTCSVIBWaonWTUgm_Xdme0PGuuHCDvBskp2voSj-F2ZJL0y8CebTPl5c2w1PnrRTorowGsJs-UrGqDMt_7zniSI4GlFux8qsokT7vNcVuQ/s320/097.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div>Mimi got one!!</div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670097233040552338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQr9EDotUY9SKj2wwDzMpyb8ploY_d-UrPJC0arXZfG_SL23FVagkllGqFRlx5iNLT4FutvtMLhCtz3mYe4MXGT0cIST6WzcwYDRGlOlxLKpT8ha7z9Bgazdp4OK988S9Mani0EYY_Ow/s320/103.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div>Chloee eating her doughnut while dancing!</div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670097243059702706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLdmtOeLK5-oO0BAHlpgkWShALOZvzwzF6s7DnHdhzPphAATuXk_ffgcw0x3qKk3pliNdqCugwVx5RuVucs_Zc5LlET6ervnU22xB3V44mOENlWlZ16XIWxKcuys-wz0lePDRzJN-JeI/s320/104.JPG" /><br />Parker LOVED this activity!!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670104879175945938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MPQZtGzCi1r6gItst3dg-aUitEojS0QciWdZ6tvERzj65xKsXO4z9l46OV3i3exmuLXh0KhW2k_eqV_uvMf1vCLlEIT6YbCU_ADvYDQHpf5r0owWakXSunvtsCbiUY415Kvx3dfxhQs/s320/105.JPG" /></div><br /><div>Yum Yum!!<br /><br /></div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670104932057796130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgcExSe5AaqmLZjHNmxmCwweMD_rb3RWggNZZi46sL9LSbhBNFfU2tNcrBE_J9m4AOOjVawJEbBCdrNuQbjhN3PyYVn8v0eay5CMyhcoDF_2kN3mi3MT-7ocFas-adYNKYF4DvzABm5Y/s320/110.JPG" /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Travis and I competing! Travis won, although he did have a smaller doughnut!!</div><br /><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670104892761138914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdj50zc55gOQNhCqVpgkct6tpIYjExCzmCClKIvXVs1a8XLhBGNyYneMIxYQECMQrmYiL4TpUpXg-VEakfvq8wOjnAtm8FC_OKRAVBFHDgbD1_rzlMcEl9oftVAMWOAFkh8M6VDfciWvc/s320/107.JPG" /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Mimi and Papa competing. Papa won, but only by a hair! It was very close!!</div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670104920796834562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsZS80hyafNv2gcUdpj9aYSLCrfZhSpb3WDdt6KE4jwmQlVltaL-YwiLVf6Iay-H-09Q31kb0T3y2aqUThoIaVmWjEz8g1V6uTm88gITXYxlpqHnxjjLp0-4vogSx80gaL_LoqF8Se44/s320/109.JPG" /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Open wide!</div><br /><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670104904096054258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zYbpv58rtNH3LubwVdhBHCIt_tS9nOoYxaqz0S_rvuY05Iy1IciMo8hAk6uP3yHzYDzJ1s2NS2EyuvbuAGGjZ7cysnslASskRHP7QrSvb-TY9w06FecS_bB8i2RLsBxHjFxQKZvxhfU/s320/108.JPG" /><br />Karsen slept peacefully while we partied!! Such a sweet baby pumpkin!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubuXySP4n6s_kwnGmWGbl-YsW_DZNmNhL5P0IFSUnu5TlxGg8YF4IGDcTDnfRwLP1-63GKeMrbkpXg-Id3AymMrPpgf3Z-lZyMWFdbouotTtejcewgn9k5PPSZEJ1UPo8YzRiD46KH84/s1600/112.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670106886827510642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubuXySP4n6s_kwnGmWGbl-YsW_DZNmNhL5P0IFSUnu5TlxGg8YF4IGDcTDnfRwLP1-63GKeMrbkpXg-Id3AymMrPpgf3Z-lZyMWFdbouotTtejcewgn9k5PPSZEJ1UPo8YzRiD46KH84/s320/112.JPG" /></a> </div></div></div></div>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-8649826850070491472011-10-30T10:21:00.000-07:002011-10-30T15:25:25.024-07:00Who Would Have Imagined?Three kids under 5 is not unheard of or rare, but I never imagined that I would have three kids under 5 all in diapers. Let's just say I deal with a lot of poo in one day! But, it could be worse, and I am very grateful for all three of our children. They bring lots of joy to my life, AND hopefully before long both Parker and Chloee will be potty trained. (Fingers crossed!!)Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-60037273799820337662011-10-28T13:45:00.000-07:002011-10-28T14:12:59.588-07:002+1=3!!<div>The kids were able to come meet Karsen at the hospital, which was so fun! When Chloee was born, it was the middle of swine flu season, so Parker wasn't able to come to the hospital. So luckily this time around they could! Parker and Chloee were both SO excited to meet baby Karsen, and still love him a week later! (What a relief!!!) </div><br /><br /><div>Checking out their new baby brother.</div><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668650330629694498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOO2AOXYMbM3hg5QIrJ09627lUemC3LzWxCln2sEPAueue8_ll9KNgWtuy3AQPv7N5vPazKKDPrPAlfy7jehG8aHdnqD0kqs_LS5gdH-DqiLXGw_zkyw3EAoKL4HsXniMX-irHgt01D3U/s320/101_5447.JPG" /></p><br /><p>Chloee being a big helper.<br /></p><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668650341132104770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxCWBZStky3mP5ziP5Wddhn3r0cKpVsqyn1yydrry_TCxaPGQSXZ88-05y5m0hlkeCLdxWOHK7q4JpJ9SAWpcDF18ZNQIqdKSgcIcrt0YwTVElT__fpVKzB_qWal2GrmkIWn6BAG0_mg/s320/101_5450.JPG" /></p><br /><p>Brothers, and hopefully best buds!<br /></p><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668650328044155378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKv_bdc8rLY5Pk5nd6q6AaAJ9fhBeWJ3wWGUqzz5Ihr7HIqSwvhAkGc0XZXLQS-sCUtRxp1vAuDtACrRXBwMYFv4yxCfvCLIlFrQNFk1OEfDpQpKlf-5V8AYl0VQ0Ne7gqO25BwiV68SE/s320/101_5446.JPG" /></p><br /><br /><p>Both kids climbed up on the bed to cuddle with me, but I only got a picture of Parker.<br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEMeqFN-7z2RNaip29afrgargPiR1oOT9_74pjYC6tlo5wgdZraBeGNuMgLdC6Sf_KEiTiiBtNnfSuXsJDI6Is4qfpxM-C0OEiFIN7_lG0gV4lrtzNrrN7jUd3-uNWoXT5GuLxciEYsQ/s1600/101_5455.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668650344090247618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEMeqFN-7z2RNaip29afrgargPiR1oOT9_74pjYC6tlo5wgdZraBeGNuMgLdC6Sf_KEiTiiBtNnfSuXsJDI6Is4qfpxM-C0OEiFIN7_lG0gV4lrtzNrrN7jUd3-uNWoXT5GuLxciEYsQ/s320/101_5455.JPG" /></a> </p><br /><p>Chloee LoVes baby Karsen!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPG5Vv8QHm3_VjBlBYx54Z87B8VysTFLSUKv1T6DCDVU8zMt7QmfiivZgjlp8RoAVJnM3D3bmPu9uO0W9M9jQqW_86ll8eZYVgcNBIuvGEdy6CAl8ERS_ynq4FNwdk4EETU9ry4KYc1M/s1600/101_5457.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668653296208740274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPG5Vv8QHm3_VjBlBYx54Z87B8VysTFLSUKv1T6DCDVU8zMt7QmfiivZgjlp8RoAVJnM3D3bmPu9uO0W9M9jQqW_86ll8eZYVgcNBIuvGEdy6CAl8ERS_ynq4FNwdk4EETU9ry4KYc1M/s320/101_5457.JPG" /></a></p>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-18024411155919079952011-10-27T11:55:00.000-07:002011-10-27T15:56:43.404-07:00Introducing.......<span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;">Karsen Leany Brown!!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668262311166827026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52NxsNvl5laoBGOZHVj-RqLIjRaoNF49MIZOav1o0SnKKaT_-xkiaESn6sTIeMLzpO7Oi5gPO5Xn5nxaXpitmergd7HCHly7JSxdmD7RNc5sShn0pRtOh7mft61Xd_O8rGr9m92AzL48/s320/101_5458.JPG" /></span><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#330000;">Our newest addition arrived on October 20, 2011 at 4:34 p.m. He weighed 8 lbs. 14 oz. and was 21 1/2 in. long.</span> </span></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>My due date was October 27th, but because we thought that Travis would be gone to train for his deployment we opted to get induced a week early so that he would be more likely to make it back. So early on Thursday morning, Oct. 20th, we loaded the kids into the van and headed for Salt Lake City. We dropped the kids off at our friends' house, and then got the call from the hospital letting us know that they were ready for us. We got to the hospital at about 8:00 a.m. and got all checked in and ready to go. At 9:00 they got me hooked up to the pitocin, and we were on our way! I tested positive for Group B Strep, so I also had to have antibiotics for 4 hours before they would break my water.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668256817038398914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJdrdIk3YhQUAdPRj3t9HK5kMOhGoM54gJNmgNcHL4H61RPQBywhGD21UBztxTuwLhBz0NcxQgME455Zb3Y_fFS68GruG6-P505RmSM5RXkQU-mvRKoGRuPnoq2xmDl_YaB4iGtitgS8/s320/101_5431.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div>When we arrived I was dialated to 2.5 cm. By 10:00 the contractions were getting uncomfortable and I asked for the epidural. Unfortunately it became pretty busy, so the anesesiologist was unavailable at the time. But luckily I wasn't really in pain, it was just more discomfort than pain. I got the epidural at about 12:00, and then got my water broken at about 1:00. At that time I was only at 3.5 cm. So we waited and let the labor progress. I was checked again at 4:00, and was to 5 cm. By then I was starting to feel the contractions through the epidural, and had them come and up the dose. By 4:30 I had them check again, and I was fully dialated, and ready to have my little man! </div><br /><br /><br /><div>I only had to push once and our precious baby boy was born!! It was a wonderful experience!</div><br /><br /><br /><div>Meeting Karsen at last!!<br /></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668256834552248018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_nHZpPnCjaHGwSUZ1GPFIsoVWr8YqfZ0eJp4cy6Jwgv9O-IgPeqV_HFROxE1gNXYb71JZkGOvgfd0patQZ5Yst50DStVfhVrMQckGIm6lXtkxM6YU8WJG9eeigzGcDxPY7QtVXauwzY/s320/101_5435.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><br /><p>He is a big boy!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668256820354979634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiNC8rWM5tSZiCjQUltDkr3nV8y5LDuLyV3LJdpBwR8W-0qy8VHPHyrCRLFtKRa39OpoQ579pO6kmDOEagqFbaMtXbFMBcdjbJvu7MLhTzfKwwg_HleVIYj6HIU6tBks0Ok6ANZhBHd0/s320/101_5432.JPG" /><br /></p><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3W1K4QmsKZQWQu9eHayb8sBmIFhp5F5u8CuPUXUBGj3z2ZMiTBvVQMcAQP8pMwE5aUQ0gUm89cICGDF-D6HJ8NNYD-Dg8cVXbYau4BG1lkqkuE0yiAGChxqxfovCUd7oK4JZMl01Fipg/s1600/101_5434.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668256829401453266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3W1K4QmsKZQWQu9eHayb8sBmIFhp5F5u8CuPUXUBGj3z2ZMiTBvVQMcAQP8pMwE5aUQ0gUm89cICGDF-D6HJ8NNYD-Dg8cVXbYau4BG1lkqkuE0yiAGChxqxfovCUd7oK4JZMl01Fipg/s320/101_5434.JPG" /></a><br />Happy parents!<br /></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668259376040139138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibK0prECzxAqrUN5jr4RqOCC0S2CLbtSF8nLMxSL5h185Xs3OC2VvbNVz0aRHX_ANFa5fpTYakR6FO9_GxOc_8Osu4KOrdAYCN3QtDpAl7zr7zI22mHu-xdhJiC5XKF5N2TNpTB_QPZBQ/s320/101_5437.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><br /><div>I always have the BEST support when giving birth to our kids! First, my aMaZiNg husband Travis!</div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeTnpDheIweK-CWV0xQgZ9FOQnpDFfgNCDq-oiSpwvrDroQ05DKGnDN1r2IR7-r76jf1U-V-XONDp9Gmg9-_nD8NTUzbAMZPxMnE1SncEgOlOi2esHJPy2wzIZ29PZxsM5YFUP1zafdo/s1600/101_5440.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668259395859940402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeTnpDheIweK-CWV0xQgZ9FOQnpDFfgNCDq-oiSpwvrDroQ05DKGnDN1r2IR7-r76jf1U-V-XONDp9Gmg9-_nD8NTUzbAMZPxMnE1SncEgOlOi2esHJPy2wzIZ29PZxsM5YFUP1zafdo/s320/101_5440.JPG" /></a><br />And my always faithful sister Heidi!</div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6395mWmcqPU1pOTmdA3azwA5Qv22H5SHVjtb-d13f9EZE0e-YVmaatw8818qCD9pUTm3TAob73rspUTrr6Eek_KII8UwS2TOZTYWjvXroqec5R7XFjfhfk8ra_D-SVtfGVm0UbEMmIA/s1600/101_5441.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668259392605107874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6395mWmcqPU1pOTmdA3azwA5Qv22H5SHVjtb-d13f9EZE0e-YVmaatw8818qCD9pUTm3TAob73rspUTrr6Eek_KII8UwS2TOZTYWjvXroqec5R7XFjfhfk8ra_D-SVtfGVm0UbEMmIA/s320/101_5441.JPG" /></a><br />And my wonderful mom, and the best grandma ever, Mimi!!!!</div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668261565449828546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zGVcj81mriQ76G-11Y6P9mQSdGo9oEcLRzQUxFlB_yS_C5_cPkhDv0D2_SE-EswY0Rz4PYLWySDb-_eLafFwTqb9EYyECYjmLH4VH6yHogQLIvcSru_bW3D2ypjJS_0RwSsV4tiuQjY/s320/101_5443.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><div>All set to get my tubes tied. (That's right, no more kiddos for me!)</div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTlQO-wXzvQ0gFvCzlrnHvHKhyphenhyphenRHTPagCfl3O53WDF3lkqXuwJNZpo6LgfcPSIP2jYtanJPV0f6x_hhM2KQ0ZCj_u0SW4ZvuX-0GSVTme3aLZUT14PeiDmYBX1z9hRw76-kY2X2ICDzo/s1600/101_5438.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668259380132222850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTlQO-wXzvQ0gFvCzlrnHvHKhyphenhyphenRHTPagCfl3O53WDF3lkqXuwJNZpo6LgfcPSIP2jYtanJPV0f6x_hhM2KQ0ZCj_u0SW4ZvuX-0GSVTme3aLZUT14PeiDmYBX1z9hRw76-kY2X2ICDzo/s320/101_5438.JPG" /></a><br /></div>Being wheeled up to our room together.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-Y2kthHyrnMtYXcyA6kYlEWxVAmhjaJ2-_W2o1ZoJbyaT7bAStB_oV5Monpmqn9XyTWeQHUf6OIOS_H323HhKi6hHVNloCjQI8pEYQhEQiS7v2a2Vl9AQmgonSI7HkV1nZpsV_fjKmM/s1600/101_5444.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668261568134615682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-Y2kthHyrnMtYXcyA6kYlEWxVAmhjaJ2-_W2o1ZoJbyaT7bAStB_oV5Monpmqn9XyTWeQHUf6OIOS_H323HhKi6hHVNloCjQI8pEYQhEQiS7v2a2Vl9AQmgonSI7HkV1nZpsV_fjKmM/s320/101_5444.JPG" /></a> </div></div></div>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-76507391447511208492011-07-07T14:10:00.000-07:002011-07-07T14:37:41.003-07:00It's Been AwhileMan it has been awhile since I posted anything, and I have so much to post now! Travis has instructed me that I need to be better at posting often because he leaves this weekend to start his training for the deployment. He said that reading my blog helps him feel connected to our family, so I am going to try really hard for him to be better at keeping it updated.<br /><br />Anyways, in the past couple of months we have had a lot going on. First off, I thought that I would share our news that we are having another little boy!! We are so so excited to be having another boy. Parker understands a lot more this go around and seems excited to have a baby brother. I am exactly 24 weeks today, so I only have 16 weeks to go!! Hooray!<br /><br />We also have made some changes to our house in the past couple of months. We are just renting right now, and our house had carpet in the kitchen and bathroom(two of the worst places for carpet in my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">opinion</span>!) So we talked to our landlords about replacing it and putting in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">linoleum</span> tiles. They were fine with it, so that is what we did!! We started with the kitchen, and got it all put in and the new baseboards put up in no time at all! (We do still have to fill in the nail holes and touch up the paint on the baseboards!) Then we decided to get started on the bathroom. We wanted to paint the bathroom first and then redo the floor, so we got ready to do so, and ended up finding mold in the walls. So our bathroom painting and re-flooring turned into a complete bathroom redo. I will do a separate post just on that! <br /><br />When it rains it pours, and for a few weeks it was pouring at our house. During the same time that we found the mold in the bathroom, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chloee</span> ended up getting really sick and had to go to the emergency room. She had a fever of 107.5!! That is HOT, and scared us to death. Luckily they put her on some good antibiotics and she was better pretty quickly. Also during this time our dog got hit by a car. (Speaking of dogs, we got a new dog since I posted last! I will do a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">separate</span> post about her also!) Luckily it wasn't too serious, and we didn't even have to take her to the vet. <br /><br />I also had Youth Conference that same week, and then the following week ended up with pink eye. Life has just been crazy! I told Travis that I think Heavenly Father was giving us plenty of other things to think about and worry about so that we didn't have time to focus and worry about Travis leaving. In a way it has been good, because I really haven't thought about it too much until just the past couple of days. <br /><br />Now we are on the brink of this next trial/stage of our lives as Travis leaves. I am doing pretty good so far, but we will see once he actually leaves. I will let you know how it goes!!Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-90683784499393080162011-05-07T07:37:00.000-07:002011-05-07T07:43:08.630-07:00My OTHER BlogBecause I am no longer making jewelry to sell, I have decided to change my Mariah's Creations blog into more of a craft blog to share some of the projects I'm doing. So I've started to post a few things that I have done or plan on doing over there. My hope is to inspire others to use their creativity to make fun things too. I plan on posting often to keep it interesting!<br /><br />Feel free to check it out if you'd like!!<br /><a href="http://mariahscreations.blogspot.com/">http://mariahscreations.blogspot.com</a>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-87660153261939028062011-05-06T08:36:00.000-07:002011-05-06T15:13:59.433-07:00Easter 2011I realize that I'm a bit late with this post, but I wanted to document the fun we had this year, even if it is late! Our Easter fun started on Friday evening when we colored eggs.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603688594008300674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNy_Eowa4dogWOcgK4jrxuWtNTfS4YiTc-MGycaFlys-4sNK1VCznOBW3sFLDa9ESIjCnl7io4j8KNqXk0yKQFCcVduEs_lNRe022gZSyX99SVIQkLbrcjH8HCRs7gOyMoUukEmMER5Q/s320/100_0364.JPG" /> Parker loved it!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603688590094382386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPUqJilOduUSkTz8gibu7y5qgb4SXrlIzKwUWceSEKhFtYwcdYPnzrPiuJo9ndOKG319J4z7xdhQ2tz3Lh2LjY_ovl7lg4K-W-sz1o5wMc-qA8V9oq4z5Fa_dK3Qn_2zg7GwFOBFKWWw/s320/100_0363.JPG" /> Chloee just wanted to crush the eggs. We let her have fun with one that was cracked anyways!<br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603688585692078562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdCGQTefunQr1_pS4s1k60h7uyiynudN8pkrULvpKLiqwyFZqcbWp7wqBtaEcVJyoFZtEh_4O-X06BxoeUq5uEAHz_t2YVfCx2OAR-bQ2Pbn9hlO7wAk5GTT3jdzD7ojrGc6s7Fkep6U/s320/100_0362.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div>Saturday morning we got up and had an easter egg hunt for the kids. They had a blast searching all over the yard for their eggs.<br /></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603692182238451746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5cujHtesZZU0CdTRPTj3WYaW7Cxwv-ukO56zco5_Xsh6BtWa82A68kJODjp1cU4VGjb_43m358bjmX5hs9FBHNV1ueeeaSwK78UIuSUYnLXXZuB1Hsc5sHbiTzs9XbFgDlV8CwR9nWA/s320/100_0384.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603688610348929090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-H_bsxvbfkyCzVOM_y1AAiHHvSgZifqrTTT80u4g4NE-TgpvpI5Nx299gGq2dUHN9xN4wO1CDIIeb5Pm3pgSb0v_p9YLjogKr7FbdGnCQ62HMyO7uB_AdhQl1wFU92ISFMbJlUHjCuew/s320/100_0377.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603688604582662770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxmvtRxpD4hhUY79QEzf5aFCocW_FM24prxvr85p3kSBl5vwK57mT4EdUgRydF39ntorynJSDZfT1_2foyfxoOES3DA77V2naYSSAhzj7wTFhfkZgb6lfkCZjKihnbmmLE8Aq6HMxuyQ/s320/100_0375.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603692173412457346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEy9jdCUHmI4Xwwr68TrlUvtj-dQ_nvrGgYNLpkbsG8gx5mKJFPexV-Q5iQeskB4AaJH6knsvVdARsOQDVTbO2hDrCiF55d8GEsWzdHlZFloICESMlyih26G47oPv937M6dY1Ab0jjzA/s320/100_0379.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603692185896449506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBtcIO65JcovJvwMqdWm9Wijkk5c9RmoEJ8DMtsf5yaB7DoFeHqYMczhkOfjNU8hM6ld6fOc-RH_leBM0CtOtf-lwffv9VO7nNM19tnobJIbaG0jPaG-ElJ5-PIRrKaHdD5__C_1t6DM/s320/100_0391.JPG" /><br />I was really sick all day Saturday, which was no fun. Gotta love being preggo!!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603684314336006482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIIpyPD3Sa3nDzLvnYzKFa8viu3E7znGaY6k6ht9xBNlcimb2QjHViFO1fHGLMSKchL50NcUFHQjtLkgSdoKZrqvlLt4eLxz3m95KyYdW7m2TWJmWGYRDRuHQ3eXn8lQqB_hjp3vligA/s320/100_0392.JPG" /> We had a barbeque for lunch, and spent the rest of the day having fun with the family. We had everyone together except Aiden.<br /></div></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603692196041279794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8Cckm80YBl73Svs6yAHIQy6Yl45e7DAf-NxJ5u9ZW-n05Zb0KDH2KY2CCH9Kw4lFQmOPmRxIQsgWpPjXsbeZgcUid3VuHQJjfTgQwfe0b3rI4sQxr5FDxw6ACzS6fIywRt4ouCuhN6I/s320/100_0399.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603692199545835794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0VhtApvX2reLm5yWy2ftV48Tmqghn7LgsOyZCc61M1yFR2V14I0RlW59iKjWc-1jiQTIxGb7cqmdd1Q_JAj2LrE1XpgK8z-IG8eEsLK6AgzqZCR3QMcXKpZE2jVYTkH55siXNJIdtyE/s320/100_0403.JPG" /><br />I spent the rest of the day in bed :( Luckily I woke up Sunday morning feeling much much better, and the Easter bunny came!! (He even cleaned my house! Thanks Easter Bunny!!!)<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603726690177938802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WNNlMcuFxbYRM3SgX7EtxZgzAek3fOjDcSdmZxmd-xTmv71erKbOC2TwllymtgLlqejTMD96s5NrauvyyE62BmOaZkmhXo-jvbn8qEvFU4zp4wWjKm6WRaAtROUM27xEkGf8SpbG5l8/s320/102_5163.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603634731718252786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFRS7HwYVo8tbcZF5c7YMTtFHGUF2IIiHyLPmcU2oXBLB3htk50nd6-2wvDbk-88s6VwuXxkBwi92WWSvyUn0b74TBggcd23c4UohqP2I-8E3u78l1Lrj1flr_M2-zM81Xnqzodu-urw/s320/102_5164.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603696168795873058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1LX6UlCGiLLoFAQAx1V9iesGlg-DRQtUtXhvcpIYSNOx1_GTXX9YkVnPB6uL6hHqYlOvDTVNzKiK5yU3pQoB0x3ECt00Sj94bkRs74hNx8gWrfpCLXrn6vjiTK4au6w7Gs4_arvml_Y/s320/102_5165.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603634755236750450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AwlvcZFQ1Fpbu1mGeLUhQomIbDdOvjxIGb-CD1EVVlP4x32AcLyH-GPbURbvMmyK7KeQWQayprMyFAERS5sYuvsW3RI7DeLFWoOg06ueCq5DxZeznUXjY1nvua03KkROa4BGKEmhQpg/s320/102_5171.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603634747313637810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdGNOdSfpF-sDlP64DHd5T4ZNVqG2ifSUt5yV3z87L_Fdh5mIe1gm4qc_HxqLs0EMNHh6_Dtqrll7ZmYFFDP1v7pbosgCPHzjYAX5JSCLYqmaDJiekU2sVnUAGFFMFFD5nFnEfci4kyU/s320/102_5169.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603634745532168370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiad46GBaok5yQCniKHeCqzbge2UbSQtytDuHVhLAQLBeLwMJbzyslNdwzuWzMb_j4hbtEqz2Luy5350-6gYwR_2qR50yIssuhQtuqNpeWIn9r0XmS1502yqAdaxBYwucyQHQSmSFJ0HO0/s320/102_5168.JPG" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-48653782995640355722011-05-02T14:17:00.000-07:002011-05-06T15:43:35.232-07:00We had a Ball!<div>So I didn't get around to writing an update about my dress dilema, but I did find the PeRfeCt dress that evening, and even got it for a great deal! There is a store called 20/20 in the mall and everything is under $20 (they are like the damaged things that can't sell for full price) and so I got my beautiful dress for $19.99!!! The only 'damage' it had was a little run in the material at the top of the back of the dress, but it was covered by the shrug I wore over it! Hooray for great deals! </div><br /><br /><div>It did take quite some time and lots of trying on dresses before we finally found "the one". Being tall and pregnant and having a budget makes it quite difficult to find a nice dress at all. But in the end it was a success! I would have never thought that I would end up with a more form-fitting dress while I was preggo, but that is exactly what I got! </div><br /><br /><div>Anyways, on to the main event! Travis and I had a wonderful evening. It was so much fun getting all dressed up to go out together. We had dinner at the Olive Garden before, and then headed on over to Southtown Expo Center for the Ball. We had a blast dancing the night away, and watching everyone else get their groove on! </div><br /><br /><div>Travis knew a couple of people there, but I didn't know anyone. I think that the Military Ball will get more fun as the years go by and we get to know more people! We also decided that we need to learn a few types of ballroom dances for the future also, like the waltz, cha cha, etc, so we can join in on those dances also!! </div><br /><br /><div>I didn't take my camera with me, so I only have a few pictures of us before we left.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDr0EyvTQLS1whLEf5KuV6QKtKYEl9YSx1FazngwxPt58tiy4-79Jq8HiLNDCalN74YKn8TE_fAnEuYMTS0SjuMAeclOT912V65UrHoaQYytrH68ic8EDop6AzgWuMN7m6eKmeaj9uW4A/s1600/102_5218.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603736575132943842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDr0EyvTQLS1whLEf5KuV6QKtKYEl9YSx1FazngwxPt58tiy4-79Jq8HiLNDCalN74YKn8TE_fAnEuYMTS0SjuMAeclOT912V65UrHoaQYytrH68ic8EDop6AzgWuMN7m6eKmeaj9uW4A/s320/102_5218.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mq7DdSfy4tudVkY4zpsY3I31DlZYO2mn2y9vN0FxJaQG46tRS0lqfppk5k4xby2A40R9PybgeEAPPbcr3HjzV-ROV7PDI5ElxF2Cv7o9S8reTbQJzP7RxO4-JRGRLSfNvB9tQiInJX8/s1600/102_5217.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603736570527494834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mq7DdSfy4tudVkY4zpsY3I31DlZYO2mn2y9vN0FxJaQG46tRS0lqfppk5k4xby2A40R9PybgeEAPPbcr3HjzV-ROV7PDI5ElxF2Cv7o9S8reTbQJzP7RxO4-JRGRLSfNvB9tQiInJX8/s320/102_5217.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0ptxn0MunEml4LqTgub-5qKWb1qaARw-jiuLSABYPPGnWV6S4wAN4UbnVgxJbvb2xbPqUQdAirEi4-8nCrJzBM6hNaHrUeYlEP-2ad7t9Wnb1q4EqMxNhxdYTGchyphenhyphenXQkX4bZM9n_lQc/s1600/102_5216.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603736565644610498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0ptxn0MunEml4LqTgub-5qKWb1qaARw-jiuLSABYPPGnWV6S4wAN4UbnVgxJbvb2xbPqUQdAirEi4-8nCrJzBM6hNaHrUeYlEP-2ad7t9Wnb1q4EqMxNhxdYTGchyphenhyphenXQkX4bZM9n_lQc/s320/102_5216.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3Gmp9yXsYBpllbEMaiAT3Rxm_TL0ZQNGqodV42_MriHM88sdFjQfiBa0EI_Fy2G2PoZu2_vor9Qzdkoy_hyQvTLVWqARKj25aXLgdeDJt708APh2TSwjkCVEEW3BcTqpCG5EJXDhpjs/s1600/102_5215.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603736557563145810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3Gmp9yXsYBpllbEMaiAT3Rxm_TL0ZQNGqodV42_MriHM88sdFjQfiBa0EI_Fy2G2PoZu2_vor9Qzdkoy_hyQvTLVWqARKj25aXLgdeDJt708APh2TSwjkCVEEW3BcTqpCG5EJXDhpjs/s320/102_5215.JPG" /></a></div></div></div>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-22896355594919828072011-04-26T14:16:00.000-07:002011-04-26T14:25:11.481-07:00Such a P.R.O.C.R.A.S.T.I.N.A.T.O.R.So remember a couple of months back when I posted about the Military Ball coming up, and needing to find a dress for it? Well it is this Saturday, and I still don't have a dress! YIKES!! The problem I am having is this darn growing belly! I'm thinking I am going to have to go with an empire waist dress. My mom and I are going in search of the perfect dress tonight, and I am determined to find one! So I will let you know if I am successful! Wish me luck!Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-37163928419441680492011-04-25T16:05:00.000-07:002011-04-25T16:23:17.735-07:00Parker's BirthdayParker turned 4 years old last Monday. I can hardly believe that he is already 4, time goes by so fast. We just had a low-key celebration with family this year. We thought about doing a friend party, but decided to just keep it simple while we can! He had a fabulous day, and enjoyed telling everyone he could find that it was his birthday!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599663041746687890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQf_-Tmbb-VKo8oVahsFl6XiUExbyNp1Jou7qemAko-ESqgZH5FimgzG2o8ziv3l86ipKXohw_5VFii4PzfwLs0twp-XlTiNMvGZzpMaeOftoerUGsagoDUWdSSJ8BRI4Iws_CZYt6vdo/s320/102_5158.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599663033565598690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih882Bd8X5xGsU_BL_phR3o_5k4V45y3JSFKR8GQNxauONc2B-egAvQwpGngkg1A2kP_HxXnrU8b4_8b-NLVGMVp_ZDxb0xbF28DEet7Bpon5KR-08eWC6g4AIXWeSrGTxpSCB5vQU3Rc/s320/102_5161.JPG" /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599663054924110626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kTaEkeScjofE-2zCVDF2RCr6-WLdb8SmM6AxySlH6E_D7eZnLMBRah9PSG_p-g8zOxAnb2qxSrfYMrIbIUXbGS4GXvjVMQ-KHSHTD8_m65F7EKhsQzWcwxm_xND41779v8olMUlYU9g/s320/102_5162.JPG" /><br /><br /><br />He got spoiled from everyone!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599663029798588626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqnKq1GlC5b2DHfLtM38lyDZag3KapKmcG8aG9YkH_VVj7LzzU7pihr0kMbGXrTO2xPzKuPmPANqnT886sHFD19SRLhPXDE8Y32uQ6jOm-Oz3SlCiW8Zk-L5Blye_NdCQmBPzcHMKUYo/s320/102_5201.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599663020276020242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmuT3Mj80gzG_ypamJexJNQumByxH7ialKn2_MeV9526V9afcWqh80neGJVUDBIuzhmLz2WXr9J6vkggWCnY_EPXfaTquAujh40RSYblh_NcK9fKuebaaCVoOWP2u3_QXctl4AljZp4A/s320/102_5195.JPG" />Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-9005572626036190132011-04-20T08:24:00.000-07:002011-04-25T12:19:27.321-07:00Travis' Baby<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXIAWCl2h4Kt59OWXEKtuZGiSLQCx5VpTgs8aYZNyzX22F4J5tl5awXhfGVd_EVPBT0Nwq3bixgrzqIJLaA7uW7jyvfSeYBlzi9pHFyuaKD-jsOtp6cLAXJzhTRIgI-h6XkFJ_i_mGkw/s1600/102_5146.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599601362178709698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXIAWCl2h4Kt59OWXEKtuZGiSLQCx5VpTgs8aYZNyzX22F4J5tl5awXhfGVd_EVPBT0Nwq3bixgrzqIJLaA7uW7jyvfSeYBlzi9pHFyuaKD-jsOtp6cLAXJzhTRIgI-h6XkFJ_i_mGkw/s320/102_5146.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div>Travis has wanted a motorcycle for forever! I on the other hand, have had mixed feelings about that idea! But, Travis finally got his wish a couple of months ago. He found a great deal on one on KSL, so we used some of our tax returns to buy it. He loves it, and I love that he has a hobby that he enjoys, and has a better option for commuting than our van (on the nice days!)</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQrosiLdoR5OGehRD0HGFO8f2sISH6n2yKDi6Pz1fkvwfrovxGVk_tbDLDLQYZp38L-N3jcyaPDCs1W4WgmxZ_AgQEjEtJF9Z7gja2w4Icrj0Kq2NrQJDFsxXU4PqtPW9y865JY1IAq8/s1600/102_5186.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599601360600878578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQrosiLdoR5OGehRD0HGFO8f2sISH6n2yKDi6Pz1fkvwfrovxGVk_tbDLDLQYZp38L-N3jcyaPDCs1W4WgmxZ_AgQEjEtJF9Z7gja2w4Icrj0Kq2NrQJDFsxXU4PqtPW9y865JY1IAq8/s320/102_5186.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div>Of course once my brothers heard that he got one, they had to have one too! So now we have a little brothers biker gang in our family! It is pretty funny because they are all three parked in our little garage.</div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF0eZEFA_mEfsuMTkfvLy-jIpIdUZxY8K73JNXEa4RhyphenhyphengPKWInnq6pxnXRM2iQu1UGxiOX91kXVfHNyPGCMVzbrZKnDqDEfTDE4JX8N62yp6wLSRozkxggQUGVVeEL2nlPdRhgojMmRc/s1600/102_5185.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599601353145555266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF0eZEFA_mEfsuMTkfvLy-jIpIdUZxY8K73JNXEa4RhyphenhyphengPKWInnq6pxnXRM2iQu1UGxiOX91kXVfHNyPGCMVzbrZKnDqDEfTDE4JX8N62yp6wLSRozkxggQUGVVeEL2nlPdRhgojMmRc/s320/102_5185.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74yI17A2RGkV9EUZYeskpccfNbsGIyWVz5EN0N-jwj-ulGyev1tjjm99Sm6Bojvzz70BZ_6x2D8rkyhcKSX1I6UU-D5AYjgrjeHGwxpWmfkM7Y3bB4KEdjPiDjF3Q5AGTnk-3rRcOpPA/s1600/102_5184.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599601348552299554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74yI17A2RGkV9EUZYeskpccfNbsGIyWVz5EN0N-jwj-ulGyev1tjjm99Sm6Bojvzz70BZ_6x2D8rkyhcKSX1I6UU-D5AYjgrjeHGwxpWmfkM7Y3bB4KEdjPiDjF3Q5AGTnk-3rRcOpPA/s320/102_5184.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-87790219509013230562011-04-15T16:59:00.000-07:002011-04-15T20:37:47.976-07:00DepressionDepression is no fun. For most of my life I have watched as my dad and other extended family members have struggled with depression. It really just plain stinks. Then after I had Parker I got to experience it first hand, which was no fun at all! We were living in Florida, thousands of miles away from our families and my mom had to leave after only three days, the exact same day that Travis went back to work. I can still remember that day feeling so lost and alone. As the months went on following Parker's birth I made more friends, we bought our first house, and I gained a stronger support group from our ward there, so the depression got better and better, until it was pretty much gone. Then, Travis lost his job, which turned our lives upside down, and I hit a new low. I was in a deep depression for months, even to the point of having <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">suicidal</span> thoughts, but was in denial about it. I didn't want to admit that something was wrong with me and that I needed help. It took me at least 6 months to decide to get help and go see a counselor. Counseling helped me out a lot, and taught me lots of things that I can do to prevent myself from falling into depression. I want to control myself without taking a "happy pill" (not that I won't ever need to, but I just don't feel like a pill fixes everything). In my opinion you have to be proactive and do things to make yourself happy. Anyways, I am kind of rambling, but when I was pregnant with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chloee</span>, I was nervous that I would struggle with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">postpartum</span> again. Luckily I had a great support system, and didn't have problems with depression, even while Travis was away at Basic Training. This winter though, I have been struggling again, especially the past couple of months since I have found out that I am pregnant. I think that the fact that Travis is getting deployed has a lot to do with it, and just the fact that I have added hormones going crazy in my body. I had a bad day today, so I started thinking about the things that I need to do to keep myself from getting depressed, that I haven't been doing. I haven't been <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">exercising</span>, not that I exercise a lot while I'm pregnant, but I haven't been very active at all. I have also been slacking in my spirituality. I have been just kind of going through the motions, and we haven't even been doing our family prayers, scriptures, and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">FHE</span>. I have been worrying <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">WaY</span> too much about the future when I will be practically a single parent with 3 little kids, that I am depressing myself. I have a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">tendency</span> to doubt myself and what I am capable of doing. But as I prayed for help today, I was reminded that I can do <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">AnYtHiNg</span> with the help of the Lord, and that he will help me to get past these feelings of depression now, and that he will help me get through all of the challenges that will come with Travis being gone. I just have to allow him to help and have faith. And do better at the things that I can control, like reading the scriptures and praying more sincerely. So I am going to be working on it! And hopefully on those bad days, that are inevitably going to happen every now and again, I will remember that the Lord loves me and will help me if only I let him. Note: I love Travis so much, and if it weren't for him, I would be lost. As I re-read through this post I realized that it kind of sounded like Travis was the cause of me being depressed. That is Not the case!! Depression is something that I will probably fight my whole life, and the truth is that Travis is my world and I rely on him for so much of my happiness, that when he is not around I become unhappy. I am trying to figure out how to be happy even when he is not around, but its hard!!Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-75696457351981321572011-04-04T12:52:00.000-07:002011-04-04T12:58:32.133-07:00Somethin's Cookin'That's right! There is a bun in the oven!!!! <br /><div></div><br /><div>Baby #3 will be here at the end of October! We are pretty excited! We went to my first doctor's appointment on Friday and found out that there is only 1 baby in there(sorry if I fooled you on facebook!!) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Here is a pic of my growing belly.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591819975345054578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUPCjLl2Q9OrzEDXeWkHWngUbG3dQRACS4QvIgflE0kuhmDco5Bg9e6fs2tfeeSO7koT1xERAD1y2hpuOzgZPbswade01utmP62peIxWnzSNGM79BL6fTwHzg8co8pKYixEtIawV-XIPA/s320/102_5140.JPG" /></div>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-28609358586088711282011-03-30T10:36:00.000-07:002011-03-30T10:39:18.877-07:00HELP!How do I make my post publish to my blog with the paragraph breaks that I wrote it with? Does that make sense? I tried several times to get my last post to show up with separate paragraphs, but every time I went back to view my blog, it was just one big paragraph. Ugh. How frustrating!!! If anyone has any advise I would love all the help I can get!!!Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-72736055261059177972011-03-30T08:52:00.000-07:002011-03-30T10:36:10.520-07:00Attitude.....<span style="font-size:180%;">...It's a choice!!</span> I've always known this, but have too often chosen to have a bad attitude about difficult situations. The last few weeks in particular I have not been good attitude weeks! I haven't felt very well, and I've been feeling the pressure of life and Travis being deployed in particular. But I was reminded that I have the choice to have a good attitude recently and have re-committed myself to have a better attitude and to be more plesant to be around when I'm stressed! One area of my life that I needed an attitude adjustment in was with our little cousins that I babysit. The majority of the time they would drive me crazy or just annoy me, and so I was grouchy with them. Travis has told me countless times <em>"they are just kids"</em>, but I let them get to me and chose to have a bad attitude towards them. Monday I decided to try and change my attitude towards them. I knew it would be hard, because sometimes our attitudes become habits whether good or bad, and I was in the habit of having a bad attitude when they were around. Anyways, Travis told me to try and just "kill 'em with kindness" so that is what I have been trying to do. I haven't even done anything major, but I have changed the way I talk to them and have just tried to be extra nice. And it hasn't even been hard like I thought it would! Do you want to know what is really sad, Trent, who is one of our cousins that I watch, said <span style="font-size:130%;">"Wow, you're being really nice today."</span> And all that I did was say hi and ask how their day was, and then offered them a snack right away. That was kind of a reality check for me, obviously I had been the wicked witch and that is what they expected from me. HOW SAD IS THAT!! I don't want to be the wicked witch in anybody's eyes, so I am going to try really hard not to be. I am on day three with the kids, and each day at least one of the kids has commented about my good mood or how nice I've been. Then this morning Trent gave me a $1 coin, and said that it was just to say 'Thank you'!! How sweet is that! It is wonderful! I like being the nice one!<span style="font-size:85%;"> (Not only because of the gift either!!)</span> And the best part is they are acting better, and I can handle them so much better. <span style="font-size:130%;">All because I made the choice to change my attitude!!!! </span><span style="font-size:130%;"></span>So, if anyone is struggling with having a bad attitude about something, I challenge you to just try it. Make the choice to change your attitude, you will notice a change within a week, I promise!!Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-44293118423208631572011-03-22T07:53:00.000-07:002011-03-22T12:55:43.586-07:00Playing Catch UpOn the 12th of this month, Travis and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary. It is crazy to think that we have already been married for six years. Time flies by so quickly, it seems like just yesterday that we were getting married! These past six years have been wonderful, having my best friend by my side through the good times, and through the trials. I am so grateful for Travis and for all that he does for me. He makes me so happy! Our anniversary fell on a Saturday this year, but Travis had to work that day, so we didn't have much planned for that evening, and ended up having to go rescue my brother, and tow his car home! It was a pretty romantic date!! We decided to take a mini vacation during the following week to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday (the 18th!) So we made plans to leave our kiddos and go to Las Vegas for three days. We had a ton of fun!(Without gambling or drinking or going to nudey shows!!)<br /><br /><div>Some highlights of our trip were:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Going to see The Lion King, for FREE!</div><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586929890602591554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFrAo8gzkVY06rMRrItwIMkqV_CuL9CEfXkDZvS8H1hdL1MApw9t1gMKJ85iLN0mTX_8Z67YZ2nyZa74T892oVNeIdM5hFrOrXCFX0gQKS0prwQqVAgpkhLmeiIylhS39yNZ8YBoDVtw/s320/102_5124.JPG" /><br /><div>We had planned on going to see this show anyways, but when we arrived at our hotel they told us about a promo they were having where you could get free tickets to a show of your choice if you took a tour and presentation of a timeshare. We decided to give them a few hours of our time to save money, $90 to be exact, which is a lot of money for us! The presentation was fine, they tried to pressure us into buying a timeshare, but we stood our ground and told them no about 25 times!</div><br /><div>The show was AMAZING!!!!! I was crying by the first scene because it was so awesome! (I am extra emotional right now!) And cried at a couple of points throughout the show! Music in general has a significant power over me, but when you add the fact that it was live, with the outstanding choreography, costumes, set, etc., and it was extra powerful and touching! Anyways, I could go on and on about The Lion King, but I won't, but if you ever get the chance, go see it!!!! I would pay to see it again, it was so good!</div><br /><div>2. The water/light show at the Bellagio</div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586929908491125314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ia88-mWOQ2MLZbz01thZx8Vzm5ZvOaxVux_7ouavCJEpDncHWlg0LTxNxns3SLEAYN_0YnmRaLaAmSX4XnImsTgezzRK2GGqcV3vhXVpZ7tC9yWY7T9p01qMlMk6eKN4x0fW4UXkb14/s320/102_5108.JPG" /><br /><div>We have been to Vegas one time before, but we didn't ever see this awesome water show. SO, this time we made sure that we watched it several times. I am amazed at how each song has its own choreographed water "dance"! Somebody spent a lot of time to do that, and it is amazing to watch!</div><br /><div>3. The Gondola Ride at the Venetian</div><br /><div>We decided to go on a gondola ride, and I am glad we did! Our gondolier was great! I loved listening to him sing italian songs!</div><br /><div>4. Spending time with my Sweetheart!</div><br /><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586929917063812354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwes9lIpFc5y8SkVJjeJpUQzsRq3yBqhPFMjZnhfbvK4ENWUZSe4ovsFfe4hNAb8GYHhfn5eHsD56ioiMUk9XYaxPAWYtaSBNszkWA7kHYriBTgSeb0eql6zH-7AMCrmCpndHPczXm0Og/s320/102_5088.JPG" /><br /><div>This was the best thing about the whole trip!! We got to be with each other 24 hours a day for three days, uninterupted by our kids! Kids are a great part of life, but having a break is also great!! We had a great time walking up and down the strip seeing all of the sites, and seeing the insides of all of the hotels. Man they put a lot of money into making their hotel something special, and to attract people into their casinos! We enjoyed seeing the design of them all.</div><br /><div>5. FOOD</div><br /><div>We ate A LOT of yummy food while we were away!! I am eating about every couple of hours normally anyways, so it was awesome to have so much good food to choose from! Some of my favorite things we ate were, chinese food(I can't get enough of it!), pizza, and Gelato, mmmmm!! We found a yummy shop that sold pistacchio gelato and it was divine!!! We had to get it a couple of times!!</div><br /><div>All in all we had a great time, and I'm glad we decided to go!</div><br /><div>Here are some more pictures from our trip!</div><br /><br />We stayed at the Excalibur hotel which is designed and decorated to look like a castle. It was pretty cool!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586936207888961938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZG44M0y8uOr4qwVNTLqwhuyK5Bm-Vqynwu9oFLlpNOLN7Kj97UvY5aNtqZDhxprWdFEV2eYJN0RbUMFsyTDoG1BoUfX58aOqUeMH18wjMUXWgZ4CiVFiSezW-bFU9OHOtySljdjuKsI/s320/102_5113.JPG" /><br /><br /><br />We went to M&M World and we got a pic of Travis with the Yellow m&m!<br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586936228717830562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-Jo66jhU64lHIOSX-7KMiXSTXwi-xvLEUlC6aE7LXVxFdQtu4JrjuoQo2skj4RC4kJ9d42j3A3RgQ24jItdMJ4zqwRGD-A6JITBZ9QP5eq_arOPmJH1jGixVeCdtLs_EPJnN4E4vjVg/s320/102_5080.JPG" /><br /><div><div> </div><div>Me with the Eiffel Tower in the background.<br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586936215227298722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9sN31UulHWsYA_QQz5aNeaZE54OYNNWLQXzjqrWmcgHhAW5H7pAlX0BzByCyWdPZHM3eeds3EKKcL2qs95nSTlvwRcFH9-IkG3mvd8hLX7gagtksn2tYxtn9BI8TLfx2idO4cE7CSudc/s320/102_5093.JPG" /> <div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Travis had to get a pic with this guy from Halo. I have no clue who he is!!</div><div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586936226413875442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqc_DgAQI8lG0lgUGBVlP4w9uIsPsJZzfMimuOPoGD4V-UlNsXnWVAj_73EsisHwHWaXpPf6F2LS-6YY2IE9nfI0gton8KGG4XN9sZR7TdnbMtGuM438ZmYPgyRme7zmBzH8CbFFTsHbg/s320/102_5083.JPG" /><br /><br />Travis and I on the strip.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586936211800131522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPjwiY39IFR6645Jy_0v2sRNEMyKlPF4ZQ_TfoCaHWLTpfXa0bKKIu4RhhB756yUKEIfKGvdsA27G0sHHvZa9lX9Foa2a_csEOxa4KyYCdEKMCwQCe5LrwgoT8rPc270mZhnVWih9kcw/s320/102_5094.JPG" /><br /><br />We went to the shark reef aquarium at Mandalay Bay and got to touch some sting rays! They were slimy!</div><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586929902937868674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JCXIy7ITxIwTSaVl-N6f_r1CyEC0QNo_vTe4ZKfpJjgkanQGgfbrSlMiVqRbBM4Ys5NsJRVcuTmizqwBoNv825FlfIuxgwX2ZM7xwOK5llU26-q9ifyYu-nxwQ7GZE0XqDhffWULI7s/s320/102_5116.JPG" /><br /><br />We also went to the top of the Eiffel Tower! The view was awesome!</div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586929925500093586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40IM2oSh2eHbw63IAerQZgk9Btomnt2i29YZT4Pe3S9mC_cv6Z8DOnMe_uk4JFIri55DjLXnjIIqqY-fzhRrxwrN3lpPP5a5RQ1gwGbCTI5ALlpavqjI8chzCj1vG1VmP5cF1G_UCAJU/s320/102_5103.JPG" /></div></div>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-18757102277361099762011-03-10T06:52:00.000-08:002011-03-10T07:30:55.391-08:00T.I.R.E.D.Lately I have been feeling tired <span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;">All The TiMe!</span> I feel like I have no energy, which is my excuse for not writing anything the past couple of weeks. <span style="color:#000000;">BUT</span>, I am going to be better at writing!! That is my goal!Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7096077875735379064.post-64214635857685695772011-02-21T14:22:00.000-08:002011-02-21T19:21:01.632-08:00Human Again<strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;">WARNING!!!</span></strong> <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>This is a Long post!</strong></span><br /><br />I thought about titling this post <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">'Sick of Being Sick'</span>,</strong> but I liked <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">'Human Again'</span></strong> better! Anyways, This past weekend I've had sick kids and it has been no fun. Friday morning Chloee woke up with a fever of about 101.5. She had a runny nose and a cough also. So I gave her tylenol and just figured that she was getting a cold like my mom had. She was pretty much herself, she just wasn't nearly as spunky. All day her fever came and went, then in the middle of the night she spiked a fever of 104.3. I gave her more meds and prayed that it would come down. She fell back to sleep and in the morning still had a fever of about 103.5. She was really congested and sounded bad. I kind of panicked for a little bit, thinking that I would need to take her to the E.R. I talked to Travis and my mom and decided to wait for the Insta-Care to open at 9. By 9 she sounded a little better but she still had a fever up in the 103-104 range, so I decided to call our pediatrician and get their opinion. They said to just make sure she had plenty of fluids and rotate tylenol and motrin to keep her fever down <span style="font-size:78%;">(which I was already doing).</span> I felt a little better.<br /><br />Ok, so let me tell you what I was going through up to this point. I was fine Friday, just bummed that she was getting sick. Saturday on the other hand, <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">I was a mess</span></strong>. I felt very conflicted, being so worried, but at the same time wondering whether I was over-reacting. I spent a ton of time searching the internet for help and advice, and a ton of time laying on the couch holding her while she tried to sleep. I probably took her temp every five minutes and tried to keep myself calm. <br /><br />As the day went on she seemed to be getting worse. She stopped taking her meds, and her fever never went below 102. She just laid on the couch looking miserable. At about 3:30 I took her temp and she was up to 105.3. That's when I decided to take her in to insta-care. My mom went with me and Travis left work to meet us there. They checked her out and tested her for strep, checked her ears for an ear infection and tested her for a urinary tract infection. Everything came back negative , so they sent us home with a prescription for amoxicillin and the instructions to take her to the E.R. if she didn't improve in a couple of days.<br /><br />She was about the same all the rest of the night, and now Parker was showing signs of sickness and had a fever. Sunday morning she woke up and her temp was down to 99! Yippee! Her temp stayed down all day on Sunday, but she was extremely fussy and only wanted me. Parker on the other hand had a fever off and on all day with it spiking up to 105 also. Seeing Chloee recovering helped us not to panic so much about Parker. Luckily Travis stayed home from work to help me out! <br /><br />Now back to me again, I didn't even get dressed yesterday, I lounged on the couch holding Chloee and watching movies most of the day. It was our Stake Conference weekend, and we skipped both the evening session on Saturday night, and the Sunday meeting. I skipped out on my presidency meeting and on a practice for New Beginnings this week. I felt so guilty for not going, but knew that <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">I needed to be at home with my kids</span></strong>. We haven't exercised since Wednesday, and I didn't even think about cleaning my house. Needless to say by the end of the day yesterday I was exhausted mentally and was feeling pretty low spiritually and physically. <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">I felt like a zombie.</span></strong> <br /><br />So this morning when I woke up I decided that I needed to take care of myself a little bit. I <em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">got dressed!</span></strong></em> and started cleaning the house. I also got out of the house for just a few minutes to run to the grocery store for more wipes. I worked on Personal Progress, and have definitely felt more human today! The kids are both doing much better today, thankfully, and I have been able to get back to a somewhat normal schedule. Who knew that I would be so <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">grateful</span></strong> for the opportunity <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">to do the laundry and dishes!!</span></strong> I am definitely grateful that I get to be at home to take care of my kids, but I am also very grateful that they are at a stage where I can get other things done too! <span style="font-size:78%;">(Normally!)</span>Mariahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960888539116552702noreply@blogger.com0