Surprise Suprise!!

This past week of Easter vaca was one of the best ever. I think I will be writing several posts about it. As I wait for some pictures (yes, camera wasn't working so we are waiting for fam to make some for us), I am deciding to document the beginning where no one had pics in the first place.

I was told last Wednesday that I had 15 minutes to pick up my brother in Salt Lake City. Needless to say, I was very upset that I was given such a short notice. I didn't bother to mask my anger as I called my sister to vent.

So, my brother who needed to be picked up at 1:30, didn't even have his ride leaving until 2. I felt horrible. So Sara calmed me down and gave me the number to southwest and everything. It was even more frustrating because he was not answering his phone and I had no idea what his flight number was. (It might be important to note that it is a huge pet peeve of mine to leave
people waiting at the airport--I waited for 2 hours when I got home from my mission).


I drive up, not know where to go so decided to go searching. I turn the corner and see my sister Sara holding her baby
(who both are suppose to be in Texas). I could not believe it. Is this for real? Where is my brother?

I jumped out of the car and just started screaming and ran to my sister. I just danced around her while people around us started staring. I cannot believe it at all! What a shocker. There really are no words to describe the feelings I had once I saw her. I had missed them all so much.

My family is very big into surprises. We love the shock factor, and let me tell you that this one was so good. I cannot believe that this HUGE one was kept a surprise. I don't have any clue how they kept this one, but Sara and Spence...I needed that. So, anytime you want to do that surprise I will take it. That made the whole trip. I miss you already--but we will have Christmas right?

SO MANY Updates on our life!!!

It is about time that I blogged about this---since we got the news a while ago. Steve received a job offer from ARUP laboratories in Salt Lake City!
Yeah! CONGRATULATIONS Sweetie! We are so excited and I am so proud of him...I knew he could do it. His official job title is (drum role please...): MOLECULAR SEQUENCING, GENETICS-ONCOLOGY FRAGMENT ANALYSIS (in the Infection Disease Division)



He will be starting after he GRADUATES around the beginning of May. You heard me, graduation. Yes, Steve is receiving his bachelors in Molecular Biology and I am making him do the grad ceremony (more for my final goodbyes than anything).



We are officially scheduled to move out of our first apartment May 12th. From there we will be moving in with my in laws who are being so gracious to put us up in their house for a bit.
(caption reads: This House Also includes a Mother-in-law Cottage)

This picture isn't exactly accurate---we will be IN their home, not around the corner. I am nervous that I won't be a good house guest, but very excited for the possibilities it entails and just so grateful for this opportunity. It is going to be serial to leave our first apartment, so many memories...

Steve will be taking the MCAT on June 13th, and we are ready to have that done and over with. He is studying hard right now, but his studying will come better once school is done. After the MCAT, we will be applying to medical school-where we hope to be starting next year. So, please say your prayers for Steve. He has alot of pressure on him right now. It will be nice to earn some money for a year before getting into that. He plans on being a family doctor, and, if I do say so myself, is going to be a n AMAZING one.
For more recent news, this is probably the last post on here for over a week. My family will be coming into town as of tomorrow for Easter. We are driving to St. George to be with the entire family and are looking forward for a much needed mini-vacation. I am happy to have little babysitters around and looking forward to see a little more sun. I will post about it when we get back. For now, loving life and loving all of our prospects. For a while there, it felt like we were in a huge hole and rut. We are so happy to be having a light at our tunnel, and many prospects to look forward to.

I caught you...

Out little Angel is at that age where if I turn around for a second, she somehow manages to find some mischief....The funny thing is that she doesn't even crawl yet (she manages to roll around everywhere, not even scoot, but she gets there).So, the other day...I left the room to put a dish away. I was away for a little longer than I planned. When I returned, Andy had found the Ensign and was "reading" it.

I just stared at her for a bit and couldn't stop smiling. She has no idea what she is doing...but I hope this leads to good habits in the future. It is just incredible how a little child holding a magazine up can cause such reflection. I am just so happy she is part of our family.

This picture was taken right before she decided to rip up our issue of the ensign. Yeah, she loves the sound of those tearing pages. Oh, she really is just too much fun for words---"Ms. Mischievous". Can't wait to see what happens once she starts to crawl........YIKES!!

A NEW ADVENTURE, A GLANCE, A TURN AROUND

My hubby is so wonderful and just an incredible worker. Last Friday he called me around 7 and said he was going to help his friend out and do his overnight shift for him. So, after a very long day, he ended up working through the night for a total of 16 hours. As a thankyou, this friend gave him a gift certificate that can be used at Red Lobster or Olive Garden.This is all we have been talking about all week. We have been a little down on the money, so this adventure of going out to eat was just what we needed. Both Steve and I have never done Red Lobster (I have never been much of a seafood fan), so we decided to adventure out there and try something a little different for us. (The family that keeps tabs on us know that Olive Garden is a very special place for us...and kind of our "default" restaurant for special occasions). So, Red Lobster would really be a change...but Steve and I are all about trying new things.


This really was the highlight of our week...what we had been looking forward to and planning. We weren't sure how we were going to react to it, and what the prices were, so we had a plan that if we looked at the menu and it cost more than our gift card we would just leave.

So, we get in the car and drive---with excitement in the air. We pull up and start to head in. Steve opens the front door to the waiting area. And, before we had a chance to go through the second door---I was overcome with the smell of seafood. It was too much for me to handle. I started hurdling over as if I would be sick and said "I don't think I can do this." It didn't last more than five seconds.


We turned right around, got back into the car, and headed to our old favorite OLIVE GARDEN! Steve said, "you should really blog about this..." We were laughing at how quickly our new adventure ended...sooooo funny!

Let me just say, that it was worth it. An old friend, Erin, works there...so we asked to be seated in her area. She, of course, made it all so much more fun.

Steve and I are chicken fans, and decided to venture out with meals we never had tried. Needless to say....it truly was one of the BEST meals we ever had there. Andy sat the whole time in a little highchair and ate the bread sticks. SO MUCH FUN!

At the end of the meal, Erin gave us an employee discount ( of course, she is just so great)...so we didn't even use all the money on our gift card. We left the restaurant and got to drive home in a mini blizzard (this weather is summer one day, then winter the next).Overall, it truly was a wonderful time. We may not have branched out, but we started on our new adventure...at lest we gave it a little glance before we turned around. What a great time!...

Giggles, Giggles, and MORE GIGGLES

Today at church was, well, an ADVENTURE! Right at the very end of the last talk Steve did something (the best part is that I don't even remember what it was) and I just laughed a little. You know, the "cough under your breathe" kind of laugh. After about ten seconds, he laughed back.
You guessed what happened next--I had another laugh. Of course it is in the middle of church (thank heavens we were sitting in the back).

I all of a sudden can't control it. Instead of "under my breathe" it started coming out in rather loud bursts. I would then calm down, breathe, and start up again. It kept going to the point where I had to leave. I took the baby as an excuse and decided to sit out in the foyer.

As I sit down, I completely lose it...no holding back. It was one of those times where you get the giggles, and just can't stop. The people around me started laughing with me. I kept saying--(or giggling it) "I don't even know what I am laughing at." I continued for Literally ten minutes.

Steve came out, and I started up again...Needless to say, I wish I could paint the ridiculous picture. Steve told me it made his day. I think I burned a few calories. I saw the bishop and he told us about how he laughs sometimes in the middle of a prayer and can't finish. It reminded me of all the times in my life where I just couldn't get through something serious because of one reason or another due to the giggles.

My Bouncing Babe!

This is a picture of Andrea in her favorite little "toy". I think this is one of the greatest inventions out there. Not only is she completely entertained, but I think I am more entertained than her. We have 2 "not-so-well-done" videos of her in it below....(you'll have to push play. The second one is better, I think)

This little gal LOVES this toy--and so do I...My favorite toy out there. I could watch her in this all day! My little "crazy" bouncing, jumping, kicking and giggling babe!

Sally, thanks for letting Morzy borrow this version of a toy and Sara, thanks for posting it so we could learn about this wonderful toy. I really really can't express to you just how much I love it. We were so grateful to get a little bargain on the thing (we joke, she doesn't have a crib..but at LEAST SHE HAS HER TOY RIGHT?) It took Andy about a week to get the hang of it, and understand just what it was. She didn't understand quite how to "bounce". We had to do it for her. But now she has it down. She loves how the music goes crazy along with the bouncing ( I wish we had sound to show it). Now she begs to get in the thing---once again-----THANKYOU!

The Favorite--an unhealthy obsession!

Lately, for some reason I have been obsessed with this concept of being liked and accepted. I don't know why it has become more eminent ( I pretend it has to do with the blogging world and feeling like what you say doesn't really matter. Maybe I have been too involved with Glinda the good witch and her need to be "Popular"?).

I do not understand my little obsession with needing to be validated. After all, I have everything I ever wanted in my life and dreamed of, lived for. I feel so out of a loop. Do you ever feel like you are the last to hear what is going on? And when that happens, why is that? Is it because people just don't care if you know?

Sometimes I think it is because I am too real for everyone...I don't paint everything perfect. I just tell it like it is...and let me tell you, sometimes life is hard, and it is ok to say that.

As I go off on my rant, I realize again, I might be saying too much ( and yet feel like I hold so much back). I have taken a look at myself , pondered on the concept, and concluded that in some way we all ( whether we like to admit it or not) have a need to be validated. We need to feel like we are of worth, that our opinion matters, that our voice can be heard.

While coming to this realization that I am not alone in my desire to be admired, loved and liked...I rediscovered I really already have that. If I am not happy with me, then it really doesn't matter what others think. Maybe it is an inner thing.

In the end, I understand at the end of the day ( as my husband has taken to telling me lately) that I am HIS favorite. He reminds me that my baby needs me, and looks up to me. He tells me "aren't I all you need?" It is true.

I don't need to be the first person called, or the favorite on everyone's list...The funniest, the cutest, the smartest, the richest...I know my Heavenly Father loves me and sees in me what others can't, including myself. He sees my potential to be the wife and mother I desire and how my talents can help them out. I am so grateful for my GOD and for his faith and love for me.