Floors

Slide.com has been a pain in my side the last week or so. I've been trying to post some pictures of our floors, but it's been having some html problems. Finally I solved the problem and here they are!
Our floors still aren't quite done. We decided to get new carpet in our front room as well. Our front room looks so junkie compared to everything else now. So new carpet comes September 2nd. Yeah! Then maybe we'll finish up this project! Marty amazes me with what he can do sometimes!! It was lots of hard work, but we are happy with the new look. Thanks to all the friends/family who helped as well! I'll have to post some better pictures of the end product later, but this is all I have for now.

Friends!

Friends are the family one finds along the way

Several weeks ago, and I do mean several weeks ago (I'm so slow on blogging everything I would like to lately), our good friends Jess & Scott Orchard came to Utah to visit their family. Luckily for us they were able to take one day to see some old friends. The moms and the kids got together to play during the day and then everyone meet up later to have dinner together. It was a lot of fun! Sadly, I don't have any pictures of all of us, but I took several of the kids. Brooklyn just adores these three little boys (Alex, Easton, and Carter).
We played water balloon volleyball and Brooklyn and Easton wanted in on the action!
What's a good friend gathering without some yummy treats?

I'm glad we could all get together. Things have sure changed since the Orchard's moved, but I'm grateful for each and every friend I have and for the influence they have in my life! Thanks everyone!

A Family Night idea

In honor of Monday night, I thought I would share a fun Family Night idea for the month of August (for those that live in Utah). We did this a few weeks ago, and it wasn't even on Monday night, but we still had a fun family night.
We went to Tracy Aviary with our ward's playgroup several weeks ago and while we were there Brooklyn saw the little amusement park area. Most people aren't even aware of this part of Liberty Park, but there are a few little rides. If you ever saw the movie Charlie, it’s where they filmed the Ferris wheel.
Anyways, so Brooklyn wanted to ride the rides when she first saw them, but one ticket was $1.50. However, while I was there I noticed a sign called "Hot August Nights". For the month of August, you can get an unlimited riding pass for $5. This is only Monday through Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. I thought it was such a deal that I brought Brooklyn back just so she could ride the rides. She had a blast!
Now I must warn you of a few things though, I would only recommend this for kids under the age of 6. If they are older, they could ride the Ferris wheel and the Swings but that might get boring after awhile. I guess it would depend on the child. Also, these rides are from the 1950’s if not before. They are pretty old, but Brooklyn didn't care and it’s much cheaper than going to Lagoon and having her ride basically the same things.
And lastly, my main complaint was they only have two people that start the rides and they can only have one ride (per attendant) going at a time so there is a lot of wait time. However, I still think it was worth the money!
Plus, plan on buying a snow cone afterward for only $1. Just make sure you buy it before they close at 7:30!
Brooklyn has loved the Merry-go-round since she was big enough to ride so this was a favorite. The only problem was picking just the right horse to ride. Marty didn't even need to buy a ticket, but I was glad he was there to ride with her because it made me sick just to watch.

These airplanes are fun! I think this was Brooklyn's favorite ride by the end of the night.

These cars are what Brooklyn wanted to ride the most. They go pretty fast at first, but no tears from this girl (even though other little boys were screaming so hard they had to stop the ride!)

The famous Ferris Wheel! Brooklyn was worried about riding this ride, but was saying "whee" within seconds.

I knew it!

It was exactly a week and a half since I was released from Nursery when Marty comes home from Bishopric meeting with a new calling for me. I'm not sure why I would expect anything different, but when Brooklyn was born they gave me a few months of freedom at least. Not this time though. I was called to be the Visiting Teaching Coordinator. I can't really complain though, it seems like a good calling for my situation right now and in the near future. I'm pretty excited though I've never held this calling before so I have no expectations. Wish me luck!

My Beautiful Wife -- The Birthday Girl

I (Marty) want to take a minute and celebrate my beautiful wife on her birthday while she is taking a nap. I want to tell the world how amazing she is! I feel so blessed to have her in my life. Here are the top ten reasons why I love her so much:

1. She is my best friend. I am able to confide in her all my deepest aspirations and all my trials. She is always there for me.


2. She is my eternal companion. I am grateful that if I live worthily, that I will be able to spend eternity with her. I cannot think of anything better!


3. She is very spiritual. She is a great example to me as she reads her scriptures, writes in her journal, prays, etc.


4. She is an amazing MOM! I am amazed at why Brooklyn is so smart. If you wonder why, it is because Angie spends so much time with her. She reads her books, tells her stories, sings with her, dances with her, and is teaching her who she really is; a child of God.


5. She does such an amazing job taking care of both Brooklyn and me. I sometimes am more of a hassle than B.


6. She supports me in all that I do. I am very busy with work, my church calling, the bike team, softball, etc., etc. She is always there to support me in my likes and interests.


7. She is willing to help me out in everything that I do. She is the greatest secretary and keeps me organized and under control.


8. She is an amazing cook. Something has to account for the 70 pounds I have gained over five years of marriage.


9. She puts up with all my silliness. I like to tease and make jokes with both Brooklyn and Angie. She sometimes has to put up with a lot.


10. She is a great housekeeper. She keeps the house clean and looking great. Brooklyn and I do a great job of making the house dirty. She does a good job of cleaning up after us.

There are a lot more than ten reasons why I love my wife, but I thought I would share a few with you.

So Angie, on your birthday we want to say that we love you and hope that your birthday is great. Thanks for being a part of our lives!

Salt Lake County Fair

On Saturday, we decided to take a break from the flooring project (update: the flooring is all in, we just need to do the finishing touches, but it's livable). Marty probably would have rather stayed home to finish this, but it seems like he always misses out on fun things while he's at work. I decided he needed a break and he was willing so we went to the Salt Lake County Fair. Admission was free, but you had to pay for parking so we filled up our car and went! My mom and my niece, Caitlin, came with us. We enjoyed seeing all the animals. Brooklyn loved to look, but wasn't so fond of touching any of the animals.

Then we took the kids for a pony ride. Brooklyn wasn't so sure at first, but after a few seconds she was saying "wheeee!".

Next we went to the petting zoo section. Brooklyn touched some of the animals here, but only the "baby" ones. We bought food to feed the animals. It wasn't such a great idea because those things know when you have food and they all seem to attack at once. Let's just say Brooklyn didn't feed any of the animals.

And our treat was a huge snow cone. Brooklyn would only eat some of her daddy's. Everyone else offered, but she only had daddy's. Yum, Yum!And finally we ended the night just down the street from our house watching the fireworks from the Fire, Water, and Ice Festival. Luckily the rain stopped enough so we could enjoy them!

We had a fun, family day!

My poor Nephew....

Wow, I've been such a blogger lately...I'm so impressed!

Anyway, I wanted to share with you a story about my poor nephew, Gunner. We were at his house last Sunday for a family gathering. It was way past time to leave (about 10 pm), but a few of us were still hanging around outside. Brooklyn, Dani, and Gunner were running around the yard. Gunner is faster than Brooklyn, but Brooklyn loves to chase people so she was chasing him. Well, Gunner stepped off the sidewalk into the grass and fell right on the ground and let out this yell like I've never heard before. I knew something was wrong by the way he sounded. He wouldn't move or anything, he just laid there and screamed. His mom, Shyann, said she heard something crack. Well, she was right. He broke his femur bone. Now Gunner is 3 years old; the age where all you want to do is run and play outside. Well now he's in a full body cast for 6-8 weeks!! Poor guy, I really just can't imagine.

Released

A friend of mine wrote on her blog once that "released" meant "to be set free" according to the dictionary. I'll try to keep that in mind.
I was released from Nursery on Sunday. I wasn't there to actually hear I was released since I had a baby blessing to attend, but Marty came home and let me know it was official. I had been told I would be released about a month or two ago and then another lady in Nursery needed to be released quickly because she was having problems with her pregnancy so I was asked to stay a little while longer. I've been in Nursery since April 2007 (Brooklyn was 13 months old and came with me since Marty had other responsibilities). Brooklyn couldn't even walk when she first started going to Nursery. It's crazy to think how much she has grown while I've been in Nursery with her.
But alas, now it's time to cut the strings and drop her off and go to class without her. I'm really looking forward to this actually, but part of me is a little sad that I won't know what she does for those 2 hours. I hope she adjusts well. I'm sure this will be a good thing for us both. I actually think she'll be better behaved when I'm gone (at least I hope). The last few months, she's been pushing her luck with me and refusing to do anything I ask of her while in Nursery.
Marty had told me I should go in and help this Sunday (I was supposed to teach the lesson anyway), but a member of the Primary Presidency came over yesterday and took my book and key and said thank you and that they didn't need me to help anymore. I felt a little lost at first and sad that I won't say goodbye to the kids, but I have a feeling I'll be in there again. I'm sure I'll substitute or something at some point. So for now, I'm free! I'm sure it won't last long.

Embarassing!

So I've had a weekend! I've been down and out of it most of the weekend, but I thought I would share with you my most recent doctor's appointment story. I went on Friday for my regular checkup. I wasn't feeling too great in the morning, but had felt like that off and on for a few days so I didn't think much of it. I dropped Brooklyn off at a friend's to get watched while I went to the doctor.
While I was waiting in the waiting room for a room, I started to get some strong back/side pains. Then it started moving into my abdomen. And then I just felt really hot. I was getting a little worried, but was just grateful when I finally got into the room to wait for the doctor. I mean, what better place to be if I don't feel good, right?
Well, the pain just got worse while I was waiting for the doctor. I tried sitting, standing, laying down, etc. I tried it all and just couldn't get comfortable. And then the heat started again. The pain was something I hadn't ever felt before and it scared me to death. Of course, I started worrying about my baby and what could possibly be wrong. And then it hit me! I found myself over the sink in the room throwing up! Then seconds later what do I hear, oh just the happy doctor opening the door saying "Hi, Angie, how are you?". All I could mutter was "not so good". And what does my doctor do? She says "oh, you're sick....let me give you some time to yourself" and leaves the room. My first thought was "what, you're the doctor, get in here and help me!" But she leaves and sends her nurse into help me. Aren't doctors great?
When the doctor finally comes back in, I'm still in so much pain and I'm crying because I'm seriously worried I'm going to be taken to the hospital and my baby will be born early. She checks me though (even though she normally wouldn't at 24 weeks) and tells me everything is fine with the baby and says I probably have the stomach flu and sends me home.
So there I am leaving the doctor's office with my "bucket" just in case. I couldn't look anyone in the eye in the waiting room. I felt bad for the nurse that probably had to clean that room after I left and bad for the next patient that had to be in that room after me. I'm sure it didn't smell too well.
So to conclude my story, I really don't think I had the stomach flu because I've had the stomach flu before and I've never had so much pain like that in my life. I had the back and stomach pains off and on throughout the weekend and then another symptom started on Saturday night, which is when I was able to diagnose myself. After not sleeping most of the night, I called the doctor on-call Sunday morning and he called in a prescription for an antibiotic. So I should be good now, but I'm so done with being pregnant it's not even funny! It seems like it's always something, though I know I shouldn't be complaining.

Kanab

Marty did me a huge favor and put the pictures from our camera on the computer last night. It's not like I couldn't do it, I just hadn't done it yet. So I thought I would post some pictures of our Kanab trip a few weeks ago now. Marty went down for work and we tagged along for something to do. Marty's work rents a car for them to drive whenever they travel so they don't have to put miles on their cars. We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast, which was fun, but we got lots of strange looks from all the "honeymooners" when we had our child out eating breakfast with us, who of course was louder than most people! Oh well. Birth control, right?

Marty had a co-worker take us "off-roading" one night. They even had a car seat in their Jeep already for Brooklyn. It was fun to see Kanab from a different angle. Brooklyn loved looking for bunnies and playing in the dirt. She found so many fun rocks that she HAD to bring home with her.But of course, dirt meant she needed a bath. They only had a jacuzzi tube in our room. She thought it was a swimming pool pretty much, but she dealt with the washing part OK.

Brooklyn and I spent most of our time at the one park in Kanab. It was a neat park and from what I heard (this is for you, Kristen), Stamin' Up donated this park. I should have made the pictures bigger so you can see, but the ground is actually old stamps. It's very bouncy, but soft when kids fall. My only complaint, the rubber smell! However, I think it's much better than the wood chips our parks have. Who ever thought falling on wood chips would be a great idea?

This is Brooklyn on the way home. We bought a slushy drink and Brooklyn took one drink and wouldn't give it back. Not to mention the licorice. Talk about a sugar-high, huh? We had a fun few days. I could have done without the 5-hour drive, but it was a nice break from the norm.