The Justice's

Golfing at the park

2012-01-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

When Mike's fam was here for the New Year, they all golfed at the park whilst I tested out my new camera.

December 2011

2011-12-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

They both love their baths!
Aunt Sarah

Decorating the gingerbread house!
watching TV with Grandpa

Christmas lights!

The Suns game for the boys! Too bad they aren't better this year...

Christmas was so great this year! The kids had fun, and we all got spoiled! I need to figure out how to use my new camera, my new sewing machine, and my new Bosch mixer!

November 2011

2011-11-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

Sister Dalton, Sister Thompson and Sister Esplin visited Tuba City all at once. It was such a privilege to hear from each one, but especially to learn from Sister Dalton as I have been in Young Women's for over 2 years now. She is SO amazing!!!!

Happy Birthday Diane!
haha this is when Camryn woke up from a nap. she looked a little drunk....
trying on wigs!!

Triathlon

2011-11-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

So I competed in my first ever race! We did a mini-triathlon (400m swim, 10.3 mile bike, & 3 mile run) and it was a blast! Thanks Talia for training with me and introducing me to the world of races. I actually reached a point in training where I didn't DESPISE running! So excited about that, and never thought that day would come!

Thanks Mike, Mom, Dad and Sarah for waking up bright and early to come support me :) And thanks for the pictures dad!
Once again I went to watch my girls cheer! They are so beautiful and such great cheerleaders. I miss them!!
Tegan is so funny. He copies EVERYTHING Mike does. He grabbed the glove and put it on, then lined up the ball himself! He would just do this over and over.
This girl is officially on solids and doin' great!
I turned 26! We went and enjoyed Cheesecake Factory! So yummy :)
My babies on Halloween!
Mike even got in on the fun with some glow in the dark teeth from the ward party.

Tegan is 2!!

2011-10-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

October Conference weekend means a birthday for Tegan! He got spoiled by his grandparents and aunts and uncles! This is what Tegan does when I ask him how old he is.
Birthday breakfast from Aunt Jen: french toast!
Cousins!
Tegan helped me clean the cake beaters
So I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do for Tegan's cake, and I saw this the day before. Looked easy enough!

Playing a tune on his new recorder for his cousin
Thanks to everyone who made Tegan's day so special!

Labor Day

2011-10-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

We spent Labor Day in Tuba City :) We helped Mike's parents harvest most of their garden. There were a lot of vegetables!!
He loved these grapes! Grown in the Justice yard. He also loves running around with no shirt on, and playing in whatever water he can find (the fountain, hose..)

Don't worry. They only rode in circles in the driveway.
so cute
She's finally rollin from back to tummy! Except now she will do it at the beginning of her nap, and she doesn't realize she can just roll back over. So she cries until I go and roll her back on her back.

I am in love with these two!

2011-09-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

July!

2011-08-12T10:34:00.001-07:00

I know I need to update more often (Maria) so I am sorry! But I figured I would copy what you did last time and update on each one of us.

Tegan
Tegan can now get in or out of any door he pleases. Locked or unlocked, knob or lever, child-proofed or not. Back sliding door, garage door, you name it! So it has been an adventure teaching him where he can and cannot go. He got stung by a wasp twice last week in Idaho, then bit by a small dog on his nose. He is quite a little trooper.
He has been talking well, but lately he rambles a bunch of nonsense as if we should perfectly understand what he is saying. (mostly when he is on the phone with someone.)

Camryn
We were at the doctor a few weeks ago and she asked me if Camryn has rolled yet, and I said no. She asked if I have been doing tummy time, and lying I said "yes". (I don't do tummy time because she spits up so much!!) So it was kind of embarrassing when the first second she put Camryn on her tummy, she rolled over. haha whoops! Camryn is as smiley as can be and as chunky as can be! She loves her big brother.

Mike
Has been doing real estate over the Summer and recently got a job with VIP homes. He is excited about this opportunity as he is able to continue doing resales with clients as well as working for the builder. He is a great dad, and does a fabulous job of keeping our yards/garden in pristine condition!

Me
As for me....I am just busy being a mom and loving every minute of it! This is the first time in my life where I haven't had a "paying" job. To be honest, it didn't take too much getting used to. I guess the kids/house fill in that time pretty effortlessly!

For the fourth of July we had a swim/bbq party. So fun!
Well we spent almost the entire month of July in Utah!! I had a fam reunion at the beg of the month, and Mike had one at the end of the month. So instead of driving with two young kids up to Utah twice in one month, we decided to just stay up there! Luckily Mike's aunt and uncle Joni and Kenneth were SUPER sweet and let us stay in their basement the entire time!! They were so hospitable and Joni whipped up delicious meals every night! They took us on a fun little hike!

We got to see our friends Ben, Gwendolyn and little Henry! How cute are they in their Sunday best?!

We walked around temple square and Ben showed us Brigham Young's grave

Eatin' a popsicle!
Thanks Grandpa Larry for my BYU hat! BYU is my favorite school :)
We got to spend a WHOLE weekend in Midway with Jeff, Maria and Boston! Oh it was great. Tegan would not put this bat or ball down the whole time! He LOVED Jeff's parents yard! It was gorgeous. I could've easily spent a few more weeks there. The Gertsch's trip was MUCH too short!!

Teeg and Boston got along SO great!!
After Mikes reunion in Utah we drove up to Idaho with Mike's immediate family to go fishing on the snake river. Unfortunately Mike's dad's back went out and they were unable to do the fishing they wanted. But they did get to go on this animal safari thing! I am so bummed I didn't go. I didn't realize how much fun it would be otherwise I would've gone, but I was super sick and needed a nap (only to find out later it was just really bad allergies! grr thx whit!!) So they took Tegan, and he had the time of his life! There was a petting zoo too where he got to feed deer and goats and stuff. Not sure where those pics are at.

The house we were staying at in ID was only 20 minutes from my dear friend Whitty! I was SO excited when I found this out. They whipped up a delicious chinese food dinner for us, and we spent the evening with her, Jordan and Fox! I am bummed they are not moving down anytime soon, but hopefully someday! I wish we got a picture! :(
Utah was so great. We got to see so many of our friends and family. I am so glad that we stayed up there for that long, but I was also happy to be home!

We got home to a 31 pounder watermelon in our garden! Only to cut it open to find out it was no good. Bummer!
Tegan got bit on his nose by my parents little dog. He was sticking his face in hers and she didn't like it too much (I wonder why). haha
Random pics...

Now we are back at home where we get to see more of our close friends and family. :) Life is good!!!

2011-06-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

4 years ago today my best friend proposed at my favorite temple. It was the perfect evening. I can't believe how the time has passed so quickly and how much more I have fallen in love with him.

p.s.- If you have not heard of Anna Graceman check her out here or here. Holy Cow. This girl has some serious talent. Not only is her voice one of the best I've heard, but she writes her own music and is only 11 years old! (she was on America's Got Talent)

Fathers Day and more

2011-06-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

At Camryn's 2 month appt she weighs in at 13 lbs 10 oz (97th) and she is 23.5 in tall (90th). She is a little shorter than Tegan was at 2 months, but just as chunky! She is a happy girl and sleeping 8-12 hours a night! I love her! :)
Mike's cousin got married in Utah memorial day weekend, so we decided to go up!
Tegan with his great-grandma Orrock
Camryn's second cousin Alexis who shares the same birthday as her!

Mike turned 26 on the 6th. Last fall I found out that Les Miserables would be coming to ASU gammage theater and neither of us have ever seen it! We have both wanted to see it numerous times, and never been able to. So I bought the tickets MONTHS in advance in hopes that I would be able to keep it a secret for that long. It worked! We were out to dinner at Outback when I gave him the tickets. It was SO good!Wearing sister's headband and socks.

Mike went on a last-minute trip to NYC for a few days with his mom and sister.
Our garden is still producing a few things even in this heat!

I sure love the fathers in my life! (oh and Mike just had surgery on his ear, hence the cotton ball)

Mike's graduation

2011-05-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Mike graduated from the WP Carey Business Finance program at ASU. We are so proud of him!!
Thank you Sarah and Joseph for coming with me and helping with the kids!!!

Jennifer's Wedding

2011-05-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Jennifer and Chad's wedding was beautiful! It was quite the long day with juggling two kids out for the first time, but they both did great.
Tegan for the first time in the double stroller.
What a bunch of good-looking boys!!
Tegan was obsessed with this fountain at the reception!
waiting for the bride and groom to exit, and testing out my friend Tarryn's camera she so graciously let me borrow.

What a gorgeous bride!!!!!!
We could not take Tegan off the dance floor ALL night!!

SO cute!

Some 1-month-old pictures of Camryn taken by my dad:

Camryn's first cousin was born just 4 weeks after her! Little miss Peyton (Mike's brother James' baby)

What a goober....

This was his "time out" spot. haha the bouncer he used when he was just a few months old. I don't know why I thought it was so funny to see him standing up in it! He has gotten so huge since the last time I saw him in this.

She's smilin'!

It has been a busy few weeks!!!! One more post and I think I will be caught up for a bit :)

Camryn's Blessing

2011-05-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

One of the few newborn outfits she fit into (just a week or so old)

Here's a couple pics of her first bath. Of course big brother is always right there to "help"

He finally touched the stove....and suffered the consequence. I didn't expect the blister to get that big!!
If you look close you can see it on his middle finger.
We blessed Camryn on Easter Sunday because we had family in town for Mike's sister's wedding. It was such a special day. Mike's blessing was beautiful, and it was neat to have so many family members present. Mike's family stayed for the remainder of church so they weren't in any pictures. My brothers were both in town as well!
3 generations of girls :)

Thanks Talia for letting us borrow your gorgeous blessing dress!!

Like father like son...

2011-04-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Workin' in the yard with his grandpa and dad

Her first two weeks

2011-04-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more pictures of Camryn-
Grandma Diane
Grandpa Larry

Auntie Sarah
Grandma Carma
Their first sibling pictures! Tegan's a goober.
This is probably my favorite picture (below). Tegan's nonchalant face: (doing something he knows he's not supposed to) and Camryn's reaction. hahaha
But he loves her :)

Tegans girlfriend Brynlee :)Tegan has been in a big boy bed now for about a month and he has been doing great! There was never an issue with transitioning. He sleeps well and has recently started waking up and playing quietly with toys until we come get him. I went into his room last night to turn on his monitor found him like this. haha
No surprise-

Camryn's two-week stats:
Weight: 10.3 lbs (97th percentile)
Height: 21 3/4 in (95th percentile)
Head: 75th percentile

Tegan's 18-month stats:
Weight: 29.8 lbs (slightly under the 90th percentile)
Height: 35 in (above the 97th percentile)
Head: 90th percentile

LARGE children :)

It's been a rough couple weeks. Not because of my healing or even being up at all hours of the night. It's been rough mostly because of ONE reason! 5 days after delivering Camryn, I was carrying Tegan down my stairs and slipped! My lower back hit square on the edge of a stair and it was scary! At first I checked Tegan to make sure he was ok. Besides a rug burn on his elbow he was fine. He was crying pretty bad, but only cuz I was freaking out. I thought I was fine too besides the rug burns on my elbows. So I went down the stairs and sat down with Tegan on my lap. The second I got up from sitting, I dropped to the floor in pain. There were shooting pains all up my back! I think it was a pinched nerve. Anyway, after a LONG week and a half it has finally started feeling better where I can move somewhat normally. You don't realize how much you take your back health for granted! It is nearly impossible to do your day-to-day necessities! Thanks to my mom and Mike helping out, and my friend Talia's dad's advice (a physical therapist), I was able to get through. :)

Oh and I got mastitis again. But no worries, this time I knew EXACTLY what it was VERY early on, and Mike happened to have an unused bottle of antibiotics that I started taking immediately. So no flu-like symptoms, no trip to urgent care, and no feelings of "I think I am dying".
So things are looking up around here!

She's Here!

2011-04-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I know I am a little slow at posting this, but I have seriously sat down to do this 6 or 7 times, and something always comes up! Well, here she is!

Camryn Paige Justice
born March 31st, 2011 2:41pm
9 lbs 13 oz
20.7 in

Quick story-
I was scheduled to be induced the 30th at 7:30am and the hospital was super busy, thus I got pushed back til the next morning. I got the phone call to come in at 4:51am on the 31st. They started me on pitocin once I got there. Doctor broke my water at 1:15pm, took me awhile to have some strong contractions, and I finally progressed from 5cm to 9cm in about 1 minute! Got the epidural, and she was here after about 20 minutes of pushing. I had a small scare with the epidural not kicking in in time because I was progressing so fast, but luckily the anesthesiologist was able to rush back in and help me out :)

This is the story of my life with Tegan over the past two weeks. Whenever I am nursing or holding her, he wants to hit her or throw things at us. When we let him hold her he just laughs and smiles. It is so cute. I wish I had more time to give to both of them!!

Thanks Dad for capturing such great shots at the hospital!!
Who does she most look like?
Her room!

before (well besides the paint)

after

Still Cookin'

2011-03-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on baby girl.....she is still in me. And the ultrasound on Thurs morning said she is measuring at 9lbs 14oz! Why am I cursed? Best case scenario she is 8lbs 14oz. Worst case I've got an 11 pounder ready to exit. NOT so thrilled. I haven't been having many contractions, so I am scheduled to be induced Wed morn at 7:30am. Wish me luck! I don't want to have a C-section unless I have to. Either way I don't consider myself cursed. The fact that she and I are healthy is all I can ask for.
SO excited to meet her!!
Here's a baby pic of me. Check out the rolls....that's probably where she's getting it!

Our Holidays

2011-01-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

Even though this is overdue, we had wonderful holidays! We spent Thanksgiving at my Aunt Margie's in Snowflake. We had some serious MarioKart tournaments... and some serious pies. I really think there was enough pie for everyone to have one and a half whole pies all to themselves.
This was our first attempt at a family picture. Mike and I didn't get the "nice dress" memo. Hence the jeans. We only got the "black and white" memo. haha
Our friends Jeremy and Cori had an ugly Christmas sweater party, so I made Mike wear this. Can't you tell how excited he was?
We spent the night of Dec 23rd at my parents, and these were the only pictures I got! (well my mom got.)

we then traveled to Tuba City Christmas Eve. We got spoiled at both houses for Christmas.

We went to Telluride, CO the day after Christmas again for the 3rd year, and it was beautiful! Although this time was a little different for me because I was pregnant and could not snowboard! Luckily I've got a sister-in-law who is also pregnant and we are both having girls! So instead, we spent the time crafting. :) We brought tons of stuff to do, but really only had time for this...

A rag quilt! It was a lot of work, but worth it! It was good to feel comfortable using a sewing machine and now I am excited to make some burp cloths :)
This was on the Chondola into Mountain Village at night. I had some fun with picnik editing some of these photos.

We did not have gloves for Tegan so he sported these ones. He didn't seem to mind. He LOVES being outside.

After Telluride our friends Ben, Gwendolyn and their son Henry met us in Tuba for New Years! We only got bath pictures. haha

I went and saw some of my former cheerleaders at their basketball game! They are in high school now and all doing great! They will be competing in February and I hope to go watch!
little squirt
I was laughing SO hard at this. This is just a normal size mixing bowl, but lately Tegan likes to sit in everything. I had to run and grab my camera in time. hahah I don't know how or why he would want to fit in this...

Lately Tegan has been "talking" a little more. Today he pointed at a dog on a cereal box and said "da" then started barking too. He says, "hot", "dada", "ba" (ball), "mama" (only a couple times). He knows the sign for: more, eat, milk, airplane, please, thank you.
He got 3 of his 4 molars in in just a couple weeks! we are anxiously awaiting that last one to come in because lately he has been waking up once or twice a night, and it is rough. He sleeps from 8:45 to 8:45 usually and I love it. I don't know if I am ready for a newborn quite yet....

New York

2010-12-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

So Mike and I had the chance to visit New York City this past week! It was a spur of the moment trip that begun with Mike sending me a text on Thursday saying, "call me when you can, I may have some good news for you." So I called him and he said, "you want to go to NY on Monday?" I didn't ask too many questions before I was like, "yeah, duh!"

Mike's uncle works in NY from time to time, so he offered for us to stay at his hotel for free, and Mike's dad had the flights taken care of through a rewards credit card, so it was a hard trip to turn down!

Central Park. We were freezing the whole time and could barely smile cuz our mouths were numb....

Radio City. I wanted to go inside to see where Glenn Beck does his show, but we never got the chance at the right times.
We went to the broadway show Rain and it was good! Even though I'm not the most die-hard Beatles fan in the world and even though we were probably the youngest ones in there by a full generation, I really enjoyed myself!! The guys looked and sounded JUST like the Beatles. Plus Mike was taking an online Beatles class at the time, and was interested in seeing it.

We stayed at the DoubleTree hotel right in Times Square

I thought this sign was a little unnecessary and ignored by everyone...

We took a hop-on hop-off bus tour that went all the way around the island, so we walked around the financial district and
saw the Brooklyn Bridge (the best shot I could get. We were too cold to get off the bus)

It also took us up to Harlem where we were able to see the Apollo TheaterWe went to Rockefeller Center and saw the big tree and ice skating rink
Mike and Jake at the multi-level NBA store.
FAO Schwartz toy store Soldier guy
I love Candy Stores!
Serendipity. The restaurant was on a wait, so we passed on eating
Central Park at dusk
We were walking to go on our "night holiday bus tour", when we overheard these guys on a corner say, "discount wicked tickets for tonight." We had looked the previous couple of days, and nowhere could you purchase discount tickets for Lion King OR Wicked, so we had given up all hope with Wicked. Until we heard these guys! $50 a piece (instead of $120 minimum). We couldn't turn it down. Even though I have seen Wicked twice, it is my FAVORITE and I would see it over and over again. It was about 7:30 and the show started at 8, so we rushed on over and watched it! It was incredible. And the first time I had seen it in NY. Everything was phenomenal.
Bryant Park

Grand Central Station. (I was excited to see this place because of this video)

Whitty! This was for you :)
Earlier in the day BEFORE we bought the Wicked tickets, we had already purchased Lion King tickets for the next evening. So we saw Rain Tues, Wicked Wed, and Lion King Thurs. We outdid ourselves just a little, but it was worth every penny! Lion King was absolutely breathtaking. The costumes and music and stage were all unbelievable!
I might appear as if we didn't ever change our clothes, but we are just dumb and only brought one warm coat each. If I would have known that it would be THAT cold (the wind made it 10 times worse), I would have brought my huge/long parka-looking coat! Thanks Uncle Kenneth for showing us around and Mike's parents for the flights and taking care of our baby while we were gone!

Pre-holiday update!

2010-11-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

So much has happened in the past few weeks and the holidays haven't even begun!

This is what Tegan did one day Mike left for school :( He doesn't like to see his dad leave...

He also loves to hold the football any time possible. Even while he's eating...

We went to Sarah's last football game of the season

Sarah had a birthday

I had a birthday... 25! I feel old... Mike took me out to P.F. Changs. SO good! And we celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary!

We honored the beautiful Young Women in our ward. Such a great evening!

And my brother came home from his mission! It has been so fun having him home!!

We took a trip to San Diego over Veteran's Day Weekend.

Mike's brother Jacob came home too! It has been such a blast!! (second from the left)

Here's the whole Justice clan after Jake's talk in church.
Our attempts at a quick family Christmas picture (I am 20 weeks already!.... it's going a little faster than when I was preg with Tegan)

Whole family Christmas picture to come in their Christmas cards :)

We are so excited!

2010-11-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

I can barely contain myself...

Goofy

2010-10-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

We've got a goofy little guy. I love it. Tegan and I started doing this in the car one day, and he loves it now. I look at him through the rear-view mirror and we both make this dumb face. haha I can't get enough of him!!!!!

Goof again...

Lounging with dad on the couch. He actually sat still here long enough to get out the camera and take a picture.

Fun at the park. This is the first time he has needed shoes. I had to walk back to the house and get them cuz the grass was dead and prickly, but he didn't seem to mind!

Mike and a couple friends were throwing the football back and forth (across a field), and poor little Tegan was standing in the middle and thought he could walk his way over to the person with the ball every time. It was like they were playing "keep away" from him. And once he got a hold of the ball, he would NOT let it go!

p.s. he has some chubby feet and these flip flops were a little snug....

My brother gets home from his mission tomorrow night!!!!!

Tegan is 1!

2010-10-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

My baby turned one a couple weekends ago! Where did the time go?!

He is a pretty comfortable walker and his favorite foods are grapes, bananas, yogurt and sweet potatoes. He definitely knows what a cookie looks like and always wants a little taste.

Whenever you pick him up he points at anything and everything in sight. His favorites are ceiling fans, lights and pictures on the walls. He won't stop pointing at it until you say what it is or who is in the picture.

He is a big boy!

He weighs 25 lbs 90%

height 32.5 in 99.7%

I saw an idea of sports cakes online, and I thought it was the only appropriate thing right now for Tegan! He LOVES basketballs, footballs, and anything he can throw and kick around.

Our families were so nice to bring Tegan gifts! He got a fun push toy, a music set, a couple halloween costumes, and some foam splash balls. He even got a cute shirt from his best friend Boston up in Washington! Thanks everyone :)

We planted a garden! And by "we" I mean: Mike's dad, his brother James and Mike. We wouldn't have been able to do it without the expertise help of his dad. :) He was even mentioned in a church news article for the Navajo and Hopi gardening efforts.

Most of the crops are sprouting up already, but these beans take 1st place! Only after a couple weeks!

We got a new sofa! It is so nice to have our first piece of real furniture that we purchased. We also go two bedside tables and a foot-end bed table for our room. (until now we have been given lots of hand-me-down furniture which has worked SO great for us!)

News...

2010-09-22T22:35:00.001-07:00

So I am so bad at blogging! So much has happened since the last time I posted. Whitney got married!!!! It was a beautiful day and she was a stunning bride!!!!!! Her and Jordan are perfect together!

Tegan is walking and getting into everything. His favorite is to tear apart the bottom couple shelves of my pantry at least twice a day.

This was the funniest thing. Tegan saw Mike and James working out with these dumbbells, and he was trying so hard to lift them so he could copy his dads workout.

Oh and he might be a duck for Halloween. We have to decide between this duck and a fluffy pumpkin. haha I love being able to dress them before they can speak for themselves...

And one last thing...

This 'lil guy is going to be a big brother! I am 12 weeks and due April 6th. Tegan and the baby will be almost exactly 18 months apart. We didn't plan to have them this close together, but we are thrilled!

July Vacationing

2010-07-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

What a fun couple of weeks we have had! We first drove up to Utah with my family for a reunion. We stayed with Mike's sweet grandma until our reunion started. She is always so kind to let us stay with her when we are in town.We were also able to visit our friends Ben and Gwendolyn and their Henry! It's always so fun to see you guys!! Thanks for everything you helped us with!

For my family reunion we stayed at a beautiful lodge up in the mountains near Logan and Bear Lake. It was a blast. I love my family!

(Thanks Dad for all these neat pictures!)
After a fun week in Utah we flew to Spokane Washington for a week to visit our friends Jeff and Maria and Mike's mission. I had never been to Washington before. It was so beautiful! Tegan and Boston got along great!
We visited the mission office where Mike and Jeff were able to sit with their sons in their old chairs. :)This is a house in Deer Park where Jeff and Mike were companions.
Coeur d'Alene Lake was so pretty! We walked around for awhile.
Jeff and Maria have some friends that live right on Liberty Lake and we were able to hang out on their dock and go on their boat for a day. It was such a blast! (the lake water was a little cold compared to AZ lakes though)

Going for a walk!
One of Mike's converts from his mission was so kind to have us over for dinner.
Her husband had a lot of animals around the house... This one scared me the most... haha It looked A LOT bigger in person....

We love you Jeff and Maria!! And your cute little Boston! Thanks for being such good hostesses. :)

9 Months

2010-07-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Tegan is 9 months! He has been doing so much lately. He is cruisin' along the tables and couches, and loves looking at himself in the mirror. I love his little personality. He is still so smiley, and he is crawlin' so fast all over the place!

Weight: 24 lbs 90%
Height: 30.5 in 97%
Head: 47.5 95%
Any suggestions on how to get them to start taking formula???

Girls Camp

2010-06-29T00:18:00.000-07:00

So I left my sweet baby for 5 days and ventured off to Girls Camp! It was such a blast with these great girls. The camp theme was "University of the Strong and Courageous (USC)" and we chose the "Red Rubies" as our mascot. (Hence all the red)These girls won the spirit award on the first day! We were the smallest group, but didn't have any problems being the loudest :)

So as a prank we dressed up as another ward's mascot (the nerds). We make pretty great nerds if you ask me....
The girls let us curl their hair up in fabric
The next day it looked like this!!
Each night we spotlighted the girls and had them walk down "the red carpet" with a crown and bouquet of licorice.

...SO ready to go home and see my baby!

Tegan's Crawling!!

2010-06-05T12:01:00.001-07:00

I don't have my video camera with me, but I will post a video soon. He has been rockin' on his hands and feet for several days now, but today I think he's got the crawlin' thing figured out! He just crawled across the room pretty quick and pulled himself to stand on the stair railing. oh no....my life has changed.

All smiles

2010-05-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

This babe is always smiling! We love it!

He even thinks it's funny to get peas up his nose! Probably cause I was laughing SO hard.

The Book of Mormon

2010-05-07T14:09:00.001-07:00

Members of our faith or not, I wish everyone would have 4 minutes to watch the following clip.
If you have ever questioned the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, (or the LDS religion), Jeffrey R. Holland powerfully testifies of why it is true.

Testimony of the Book of Mormon .

Teeg

2010-04-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

I just found a few pictures on my phone that I wanted to share! This lil guy has me wrapped around his finger like nothing I have ever experienced!
I think this was his first time with carrots. I'm not too fond of carrots cuz they are so messy! I like the consistency of peas and bananas :) Tegan just likes his milk...he's not the biggest fan of anything else, though he'll still eat pretty much whatever.

This last one is my favorite. I could stare at it all day long and it would make me smile.Tegan is FINALLY rolling over more. The doctor said..."he may have a lack of motivation" (aka lazy) haha but pretty much every time we lay him down for a nap he is rolling all over his crib and ends up in a different spot than we originally placed him. He is on a schedule where he eats 4 times a day and averages 9-10 hours of sleep at night.
He is such a joy! I never knew motherhood would be so rewarding :)

Is Obama a socialist?

2010-04-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

If you have wondered...as I have,
Is Obama a socialist?
Well here is proof. Tell your friends.
Make sure and click on the link at the bottom of the above page which is a clip of Glenn Beck discussing this topic on his TV show.
If anyone has proof otherwise, I would love to hear it. Really.

6 months

2010-04-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

My lil sweetie is already 6 months!! 1/2 a year ago we were watching General Conference from a hospital bed, now we all get to sit together as a family and enjoy it from our home.
Tegan is sitting up on his own, eating rice cereal, and lately he has enjoyed chewing on his toes...
stats:
weight: 21.2 lbs (95th)
height: 28 1/4 in (95th)
head: (90th)

Spring Break

2010-03-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Mike and I and 3 of his younger siblings went to San Diego for a few days and it was a blast! It was Tegan's first time at the beach!

Valentine's Weekend

2010-02-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

We had such a great Valentine's Day because we got to spend it with 3 extra people that we love! Jeff, Maria and Boston came down to visit. This has been a long-awaited trip. Maria had never been to AZ before so it was a blast to spend time with them!

We made dinner for the boys on Sunday and we even had some Martinelli's to celebrate...except me being the spaz that I am, I dropped our plastic 'wine glasses' on the floor and they broke! Don't worry...scotch tape did the trick.
We didn't take enough pictures! We miss you guys already!

4 months

2010-02-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

Tegan weighed in at 18 1/2 pounds and he's 26 1/2 inches tall
The Dr. said he's also getting his first two teeth...which I'm a little nervous about since he already tries biting me sometimes!He'll actually sit in his bumbo now and we are super excited. I guess he didn't like feeling so restrained before. He likes to hang out with me while I cook or clean up in the kitchen. :)

Our Wonderful Holidays

2010-01-15T23:49:00.000-08:00

I feel like all of my posts are long "catch-up" posts. I need to get better about blogging more often! Anyway, here goes...
Our lil guy at 3 months

Over Thanksgiving we were with Mike's family and the boys had lots of fun paint-balling and shot-gun shooting!
My Dad had a birthday!
Tegan was blessed! This was the only picture we got of him on his blessing day :( Mike and I had to stay for the remaining two hours of church to teach lessons, so we missed out on all the fun with friends and family.
So we took a picture of him in his cute tux a few weeks later! He's a little too big for it. hahaWe did Christmas with my family this year and it was so much fun!
This was us on Christmas Eve. I am bummed I didn't get more pictures of Tegan's first Christmas! :(
I always love seein my brother Jason! Yes Tegan fell asleep sitting up. Thus creating about 6 rolls under his chin. Cutest thing ever!!! Oh and his outfit appears to be bursting around the buttons. :)My cousin Gavin got married! We love Gena and it was so good to see family from Utah: Rachel, Matt, Rebecca and Grandma!
After Gavin's wedding we went up to Telluride Colorado with Mike's family again. Snowboarding was a blast! Even Mike's dad got in on the fun...Tegan stayed up with us to bring in the new year!After Telluride we went straight to Utah to see our friends with all their new babies! Mike and I could barely stand that there were 3 new babies that we hadn't met yet.
All these boys served their mission together and have remained great friends!It works out nice cuz I love these girls! Ben, Jeff and DeLorne couldn't have chosen better wives! It's so fun to have so much in common
This was us just one year ago in December at Jeff and Maria's wedding.
One year later, 4 more boys have joined us! We didn't even plan it, but it has been such a blast!
Tegan getting ready to bench...I finally went and saw my former cheerleaders at a game against my sister Sarah. I miss coaching so much!My mom had a birthday too. Our holidays were great. The best part is seeing our friends and family that we love SO much!
Tegan has had two 10 hour nights that made me the happiest mom alive, and sleeps 100% in his crib now! He just started laughing and is such a joy all the time. I seriously can't get enough of him. I love it!

2 month stats

2009-12-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

Tegan had his 2 month appointment today. He is a tank!
Weight: 14.12 lbs 97th percentile
Height: 24.5 in 95th percentile
Head: 39.5 in 50th percentile
He also got his shots and it made me so sad :( He was a good sport.
Here's a little preview of what he'll be doing in 19 years :)

8 weeks

2009-11-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Tegan's 8 week mark, and he slept 7 hours and 45 minutes! haha I was so happy. He has had one other night where he slept 7 1/2 hours, and several times where he has slept about 6 hours. Thank you Rose for lending us BABYWISE!

Catchin' up

2009-11-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

I know this was two weeks ago, but we went up to Tuba City for Halloween/Stake Conference weekend and had a blast! (Warning....picture overload)Bundling up for the cold :)
Great-grandparents
Grandma and GrandpaCall me lazy, but this was the extent of Tegan's costume...haha a beanie and socks from my mom. Thanks mom!I got socks to match :) and I turned 24! Mike's parents were gracious enough to get me a massage envy gift card for a massage! I have been wanting one for sooo long now and I can't wait to use it! My mom got me a darling Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag with makeup, dried mangoes and some Viva la Juicy perfume-mmmm. Sarah got me a pedicure! Whitney got me a much needed gift card to Olive Garden cause she knows we won't eat out without a gift card. And best of all, Mike wrote me the cutest, most thoughtful poem. I had no idea he had that in him! Thanks everyone for such a great birthday! And for all the phone calls/texts too :)
4 Generations!A glimpse into how chunky he is getting......and lazy
2-week-old infant photos taken by Tarryn McCormick:
some of my favorites-

Best of all we had our 2-year Anniversary!!!
What a blast these last two years have been! I could not have asked for a more righteous, committed, loving husband. He is everything to me and I can't wait for what we will experience together in the coming years.

Family Photos

2009-11-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

My dad took some family pictures of us on Sunday. Here is his website.
Thanks dad!
Also my friend Tarryn took some infant photos of Tegan that I will be posting soon.
Tegan had his first "real smile" 3 days ago! So rewarding!
We weighed him on our home scale yesterday and he weighed 14lbs! Whew. haha

p.s. it was 91 degrees yesterday. Seriously?? I guess I can't complain. I would take 91 degrees over snow any day.

3 weeks

2009-10-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

Tegan is doing great! He is getting better at sleeping for long stretches at night which has a direct impact on how much energy I have throughout the day. The house was starting to look like a tornado had passed through, but the past couple days he has been sleeping really well, and I have been able to finally get some things done! We have just started putting him down for naps in his crib. He cried about 15 minutes the first time, 10 min the second time, and today I just put him down, and no crying! If that continues that will be SO nice! We love having him in our home, but I can't wait til he is a little older and I feel comfortable taking him out to run errands with me! I wouldn't be nearly as paranoid if it weren't for the swine flu.
Stretching out after eating. He is SO relaxed after he gets a meal :)This was his first bath. By the look on his face he didn't quite know what to think of it, but we have realized now how much he LOVES the water!
Tarryn came over with her daughter Brynlee. It was fun for them to finally meet!Whitney came all the way from Idaho to visit! She even got him the cutest clip-on church tie! Thanks Whit!Spending time with Dad...

1 week old

2009-10-09T16:19:00.001-07:00

So Tegan is a week old, and I now understand what new moms go through with all the picture taking! I will try to keep the pictures to a minimum, but here are some I could not resist...
Mike and I love this little guy SO MUCH!

Baby Tegan

2009-10-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

Tegan James Justice

born Oct 2nd 9:07pm
9 lbs
21 inches

Our sweet boy is here! I was so happy he came 10 days early on his own. I had a Dr. appt on Wed Sept 30th where I was 3cm and 80% effaced. I asked the Dr. to strip my membranes to help speed up the process. Thursday was pretty uneventful. Then Friday morning at 4am I had my first "real" contraction where I experienced some lower back pain. Intermittently throughout the day I was having these contractions. It wasn't until about 3pm where they started hurting pretty badly. I began timing them: 10 min, 8 min, 5 min, 5 min. After that and some serious pain, I ran down the stairs to Mike and said, "It's time to go!" I was a little scared cuz I wasn't quite expecting it to happen so soon! So we got to the hospital where I was having seriuos contractions. They admitted me right away. I was 4cm and 90%. The contractions were getting stronger quickly! I don't know how anyone could deliver without anesthetics. Luckily once I got the epidural it was bliss!.. Well until I had to start pushing that is. After about 1 1/2 hours of pushing, our little Tegan (sounds like Teegan) entered the world! It was funny because when the Dr. first got there she said it looked like the baby would be 7 lbs even or in the high 6's. When Tegan came out 9lbs she was shocked! The nurses all said he had huge hands!
It has been such a blast so far with him. He is a great eater, and so fun to just look at. :) We love him more every day.
Mike is a great dad already, and so helpful. My mom is wonderful also! I am so lucky to have such great people in my life, including Tegan. I just think of all of the things that can go wrong with pregnancy and delivery, and Mike and I feel so blessed to have this sweet spirit with us.

Induction

2009-09-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

I am going to be induced Sunday Oct 4th at 5am! Yipeee (I'll be watching General Conference from my hospital bed)
They are willing to take me a week early because he is still measuring big. On Tues his weight was approx 7lbs 5 oz which is still a week ahead of schedule. I am 2cm and 75% effaced.
10 days...

Mike is a Realtor!

2009-09-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

As of today, Mike is officially a Real Estate Agent in the state of AZ! woo hoo! So if you or anyone you know are looking to buy/sell/rent a house or property, Mike would love to help. This has been something that he has developed an interest in, and he thinks it will be a good job to do for at least the next couple years while he is finishing school.
His #: 928.380.8081

Also, I got my substitute teaching certificate today and will be applying at as many school districts as possible in the East Valley. I don't plan on working a ton, but I would like to have the options available before and after the baby comes.

Sailing and Church History

2009-09-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Mike and I have been wanting to go sailing one more time with my dad before the baby comes, so a couple weeks ago my dad took us, my friend Whit and Mike's sister Jen sailing! It was such a relaxing couple of days, besides the time when Jen got seasick out on the open ocean... :/
Thanks dad for a great time!

Mike's parents were so kind to take us on another church history tour a couple weeks ago. Going for the 2nd time definitely had a more severe impact on me. I was able to remember stories better and my testimony of what happened at these sites grew immensely. Mike and I only went on half of the tour because of school starting. (New York, PA, and Ohio) We went with two of Mike's good mission buddies Jeff and Ben, and their wives Maria and Gwendolyn. Also Mike's bro James and his wife Ashley, and Mike's sister Jen.
3 of us are pregnant on this trip. Can you tell who is the biggest??
The Susquehanna river where the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthood were restored.There were such great skipping rocks, and Mike's mom Diane was the best out of all of us!Below is the Palmyra temple. We are standing in front of the "Hinckley Window". It is the only window in any of the temples in which you can see from the outside-in. President Hinckley wanted the members to be able to overlook the Sacred Grove clearly from inside the temple walls.

The Sacred Grove
Kirtland Temple where we got a "behind the scenes" tour!
Mike and Larry in between the 1st and 2nd floors :)
Up at the very top next to the bell tower

Mike and I are standing in the room from which Joseph was dragged out in the middle of the night to be tarred and feathered. Then below we are sitting on the actual steps from which he preached the very next day.
The boys had some fun playing 'king of the rock'

Lake Erie
The boys had way too much fun throwing rocks yet again...
This trip was such a blast with our friends and family, and we are so appreciative to Mike's parents for giving us these opportunities to learn.

Our baby is huge

2009-09-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

So I had my 34 week Dr. appt yesterday, and the Doctor said my belly was measuring a little larger than normal. So she scheduled an immediate ultrasound appt for today just to check and make sure things were looking alright. Turns out with all of his measurements (head circumference, abdomen, etc), I should be 36 weeks, not 34. AND his approximate weight is already 6 lbs 6 oz! What the heck? So either my original due date was off to begin with, or he is just growing like a machine (or both). Either way....I'm ready for him to be out. The good news is the tech said everything else looks great, he's just on the 'generous' side of things.
The ultrasound tech said that she can't make any conclusions for me and that I would have to talk to the doctor before I have any answers about when he could be delivered...so hopefully I'll have some good news soon!
With any luck, I'd love to have him this month!!

miserable heat

2009-08-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Somebody remind me again why I am 8 months pregnant and living in Phoenix valley... For our entire monsoon season this year, we have received a whopping .33" of rain. (In the running to be one of Arizona's top 10 driest monsoon seasons ever.)
Oh and we're also in the running to break the record of consecutive days that it has been OVER 110 degrees. Don't worry-we're close. We've gone 25 days in a row, and all we need to beat the record is 29 consecutive days.
No wonder my feet are swelling like crazy. I feel like I am walking on bubble wrap all the time...

Baby's Room

2009-07-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

After borrowing countless tools from my generous parents, about 15 trips to Home Depot and some good quality time with Mike in this little room, it is finished! Now all we need is our little boy!
Testing out the paint colors...the bottom initially was too dark...hence, one of the 15 trips to Home Depot.My mom and I sewed this valence together! She also made an adorable pillow out of the same fabric to toss in the crib.

4th of July

2009-07-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

We had a fun day with some great friends to celebrate the 4th.
Check out this cake that our friend Melise made from scratch!
The boys had fun playing basketball in the pool and grilling

Then at night we met up with my cousins to watch fireworks. Laura and Rachel were both in town, and it was so good to see them!!
Rachel brought her puppy Samson. Him and Sophie (my parents dog) had quite the time together. Samson would charge ahead in Sophie's face, then as soon as Samson turned around, that was the only time Sophie got courage to chase after. What a wimp.My dad is off on a solo open-ocean sailing adventure from San Diego to Catalina Island...well almost solo. He has this little pup to accompany him. Don't worry. She also has a life-vest in case she falls overboard. It has a handle on the top for easy retrieval.My brother Jason was also in town from Salt Lake!

James' Wedding

2009-06-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

Mike's brother James got married this weekend in Salt Lake! It rained every single day of the week except for Friday! (their wedding day)
Thursday night was a beautiful dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building where Mike gave a great "Best Man" speech :)

A little bachelor party basketball is always fun... (Thursday night before the wedding day)
Friday night at the reception. Don't these boys clean up nicely??Jeff and Maria! So good to spend time with you guys! Mike and Jeff were good mission buddies.

We're so glad Jacob was able to take time off of his mission to be with us :)

catchin up!

2009-05-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

So school is out!! I am more relieved than I thought I would be. Overall it was a good year, but I've decided I enjoy my freedom... especially from a few token 12-year-old students. :)
One thing I will miss are my cheerleaders. The girls made me so proud! They were the best Jr. High squad! (I'm not biased)
my 7th and 8th grade team togetherThese are a couple of cheerleaders that I also had as students. They are both math experts and very talented cheerleaders! You can kind of see my belly in these...
The only thing that we for sure need to work on is how to TOSS candy lightly to the crowd to get them cheering. Poor James (Mike's bro) was there with his fiance and unfortunately they were sitting in the danger zone (couple rows from the front). He got nailed in the head with either a starburst or a sucker and it drew blood!!! Sorry James!!
We got to talk to these two cute Elders on Mother's Day! It was so fun!Mike surprised me on Mother's Day with these flowers! I was totally not expecting anything cuz I don't feel like a mother yet... It was so sweet of him.It's league basketball time again... (AKA wife panic time) This sprain was accompanied with a black eye and a shoulder injury after their first game. "No worries though, they won." Don't know how much more I can handle...
Tarryn is having her baby in a few weeks! Her shower was beautiful!Congrats James and Jen for both graduating from ASU!! whew! P.S. Mike just received a 25 on his ACT and achieved higher than a 3.0 GPA in his ASU core classes!!!!!! That means he is into the W.P. Carey finance program!!!! Congrats honey!

We are thrilled!!!...especially Mike

2009-05-12T16:54:00.001-07:00

Mike could barely keep from leaping out of his chair in excitement. I will post the ultrasound pics later, but it is definitely a boy :)

2009-05-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

So I love when my mother-in-law comes into town because among many things she always has neat things to show us on youtube! :)

This video is so neat! It is 8 minutes but you have to watch the whole thing. It is a beautiful piano/cello of 'Love Story' and 'Viva La Vida'. It is so refreshing to see this kind of talent.

Also, I think I would speak for a lot of people when I say that Britain has more talent than us. Watch this dance group called "Diversity".

2009-04-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

This last weekend Mike's cousin Dani got married! She was such a beautiful bride!!
My little sister Sarah was in her school play, "Bye Bye Birdie". Her character was 'Kim McAfee'. She did such a good job! We were all so proud of her!
Sarah recently got her braces off and people are saying we are looking more and more alike...what do you think?Whitty was in town all week last week from BYU-I! It was such a fun time!!!!! Her parents house is right next to my school where I teach, so I was able to leave the jail (aka school) on my breaks and go visit her. Thanks Whit! It made for a much less stressful week.
We realized this was the first picture we had taken together since she got back from her mish in Dec. We had such a great time together even though it was short!
I have been SO busy lately, but luckily the cheer season is ending this week, and school will be done in 4 1/2 weeks! (20 school days) (not like anyone is counting down...)
But when you find yourself coveting the construction workers jobs on the side of the road, you know the end of the school year has to be nearing..........................

Am I really pregnant?

2009-03-30T22:38:00.001-07:00

So there have been times over the past 3 months that I have wondered...'am I really pregnant?' No doctor has told me, "yes, Joelle you are indeed pregnant." The only indicators we had were a weak pregnancy test and the obvious. I haven't been sick or felt too different than normal. But today we heard the heartbeat! There is definitely a little something something in there. One of the coolest things ever. Anyway, just thought you should all know how thrilled we are :)

2009-03-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so I know this is kind of weird and I don't normally care about celebrities and their personal lives, but I can't stop thinking about this! Just recently loving the movie "Taken", I have grown to like Liam Neeson. (I also loved him in Schindler's list) Not only is he a phenomenal actor, but actually seems like a decent all-around guy. He has been married to Natasha Richardson for 15 years, and it breaks my heart for Liam Neeson and their sons that she passed away so suddenly. One of the few successful Hollywood marriages...such a tradgedy.

Jose and Courtney Wedding

2009-03-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

Last month our friends Jose and Courtney got married. Mike and I were both in the wedding party, so it was a fun experience! (My soon to be sister-in-law Ashley did my hair, and she did a fantastic job!!! She's a natural. Thanks Ashley!)Mike had to give a 'best man' speech, and did a wonderful job! (btw-that is cider :)

I love my hubby

2009-03-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Ok so Mike is so cute! He is on his Spring Break and I was at work all day. I came home and the house was spotless! He did all the dishes, cleaned the stove, emptied the trash, swept and mopped!
Whoo! It makes for such a relaxing night after a day at work. I love him so much!

oh baby

2009-03-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

Well, Mike and I are pregnant!! We are SO excited! I am only 8 weeks but could hardly wait to tell everyone! I am due October 12th which seems so far away, but we are thrilled :)
I haven't got sick at all, and I am crossing my fingers that it stays that way!
Our baby should be a mix between the following pictures....(chubby, squinty eyes...oh and maybe bald)

Mike

The joys of Junior-Highers

2009-01-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

Breaking up a fist fight when I have no idea what I am doing, getting flipped off in my own classroom by my student, witnessing a boy hysterically crying on the floor when he forgot his HW, and being told, "Mrs. Justice, your hair is all out of place. You look like 'Einstein-the-girl'."
All in a week's work as a Junior High teacher.
Love it.

Domestic

2009-01-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

So my friend Courtney is getting married next month and her shower was this weekend. I made my very first veggie tray and must say I am very proud of it!!! Isn't it beautiful? Yes it was my first. I know I should be more domestic, but I am working on it!

Stop the Freedom of Choice Act

2009-01-18T22:52:00.001-08:00

As most of you know, Obama made a public announcement that he is going to sign the Freedom Of Choice Act, which will allow all types of abortions including partial birth abortions, also allowing babies who are born alive due to botched up late term abortions, to be set aside without any medical care or nourishment and left to die (most of these babies have no medical problems and most of the ones that do, have things like cleft palates, club feet, things that are correctable, still they are murdered in the most cruel and inhuman way. They feel everything that is happening to them. There is more mercy for dogs that are put to sleep) This Bill also will make it mandatory for doctors and nurses to perform this murderous act even if they do not want to do so. This act also allows under age teens to have an abortion, even partial birth abortions, without parental consent.
Catholic Bishops have pleaded with Obama not to go ahead with this horrible murder of innocent babies. They have also told Obama that if he persists in signing this Bill which would require even Catholic Hospitals to perform these acts of murder, they will have no choice but to close all Catholic Hospitals. Please let us join with these courageous Bishops who will go to any length to change Obama's mind. Please take a minute to sign this statement and let our voices be heard.
This is a great, informative website. You can click on the video of Obama's speech to the Planned Parenthood group where he promised that the first thing he would do if elected President would be to sign the Freedom Of Choice Act. He isn't even in the White House yet and he made a statement last night that he will go forward with his plans to sign this outrageous bill. He still can change his mind because the Bill cannot be signed until he is actually the President.
Please let your family and friends know about this Bill and ask them to also sign this petition. Please click on the web site below. It will take less than a minute of your time, doesn't cost anything and God will bless you for standing up for Him and His commandment, "Thou shalt not kill".
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing"

Click on the link below to sign petition.

http://www.fightfoca.com/

Telluride

2009-01-14T20:34:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break we were with Mike's family this year, and we went to Telluride Colorado! It was the first time we had all been there, and it was beautiful! The town had a bunch of cute different colored houses.

So in Telluride when I saw this on the Justice's suburban-rear-view-mirror, I freaked out! It's kind of blurry cuz we were driving, but it definitely says, "N 6* (degrees)" six degrees! Maybe that's not too intense for all you Idaho people, but wow! It was definitely chilly up there.

The snowboarding was a blast! There are 18 different lifts, and riding up all of them you can view AMAZING cabins! Oprah and Tom Cruise both own a house there.
This is the view up at the top of one of the highest lifts (12,000 feet). The weather was nice and sunny for the first 3 days.
Jen and I saw a porcupine! It really was! It was the weirdest thing to see it hobbling slowly in the snow out of nowhere. I took a video with it moving, but I was trying to balance on my snowboard at the same time and it didn't turn out too well...
There were elk everywhere!
Nothin like a good snowball fight with no gloves!

The last day snowboarding right before we left was incredible! It was snowing constantly, and the powder was sooooo fun! I had never been in that much powder before, and it felt like we were snowboarding on a cloud! What a way to end the trip! If you'll notice there are no pictures from that last snowy day cuz it was freezing!
So I have to say that this being my first winter back in Arizona (from being in Provo for 4 years) I am loving it! You really can't beat this weather! Driving home from work today I had to turn on the cool AC for a bit. :)

Jeff's Wedding

2008-12-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Jeff got married on Saturday!! Mike and Jeff were mission companions in Washington, then roomed together in Provo. Jeff married Maria and she is darling! She has such a warm personality, and seems perfect for Jeff. We are so happy for them!!

It was neat to get together with Mike's other close mission friends...

and their wives! Jeff was the last to get married, and Maria definitely completes the group.

We stayed with Rose, DeLorne, and Grace in Lehi. They are the sweetest little family, and we love Grace! Mike and I already miss her...
Rose and DeLorne are doing a fantastic job of raising a sweet sweet girl.

I think she started getting a little weirded out with Mike and I in the car...
They got married in Salt Lake, and temple square was beautiful but freezing!!!

Blood

2008-12-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

I like this video a lot. Mike laughs at me when he catches me watching it just to make myself laugh.

AH

2008-12-08T16:38:00.001-08:00

SOOOO....My good friend Whitney comes home from her mission tomorrow!!!!!!!!! I can hardly stand it! I still can't believe the 18 months is over. So much has happened, including her becoming fluent in Mandarin Chinese! Whitney and I have been good friends since high school. We kept in touch even though I was at BYU and she was at EA, then when she went to China for 6 months and taught English,
and I was still at BYU....and now she has served a full-time mission in Taiwan!!! We were roommates for a year up in Provo right before she left, and it was unbelievable how much fun we had on a daily basis.
In our high school days...

A couple Summers ago we went and saw Celine in Vegas! One of the greatest shows (prob the greatest) I have ever been to.

Whit is such an amazing person and has served an incredible mission! She has one of the strongest testimonies of anyone I know, and she taught me how to have confidence in myself through having confidence in Christ. She is kind and considerate, and at the same time will not take crap from anyone.
In Provo our last 20 or so days as roommates we thought it would be funny to take a picture together every single day. I know we are nerds, but it was quite entertaining.

Another reason I am grateful for Whit is she's the reason I am married to the man of my dreams! If it weren't for her daring me to give my phone number to a perfect stranger (Mike) at that BYU football game, I wouldn't have him! I can't wait to see you tomorrow Whit! 不久见

Meg's Birthday

2008-11-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Meg! I miss you

1 year!!

2008-11-17T13:22:00.001-08:00

Mike surprised me with these dozen beautiful yellow roses when I was home sick today. :)
Our very first picture together...on our first "date" It was a group bonfire thing on November 17th believe it or not!!! It's been exactly two years since our first date. You know, it would've been too 'awkward' to just take a picture with me and him so we had to make it a 'group' picture. Thanks Whit and Tarryn!

Growing up when I would make "my future husband" criteria lists, among MANY other things I always wrote "I want to be crazy about my husband". If any of you know me, you know that I once had a fear of not being able to fall in love. But today I am happy to say that I have been crazy about Mike from the start and it just keeps getting better. He is such an amazing person and I am lucky to have him as my eternal companion.

Glenn Beck puts it perfectly

2008-11-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

This aired today. It is Glenn Beck's remarks to an idiot caller in Miami. These are my thoughts and feelings on the results of the election as well.

"Do you believe that Barack Obama is a centrist? No. The fact is he is the farthest left of anyone in congress. He is the most liberal in congress. But that's not the center. Al, that's not the center. You are right. America is the center and I said Barack Obama people are saying that he's going to govern from the center. And if that is true, that's great. Great. And I will support him. Without betraying my own values, I will support him. I will support him as the President, I will support every policy that he forwards that doesn't force me to betray my values. You can label it any way you want. I do label it Marxism when you are talking about the redistribution of wealth. Now, you may say that's hate mongering, you may say, well, how are you going to unite. I cannot unite around Marxism. And redistribution of wealth is Marxism. Look it up. Anyone who is saying we're going to redistribute the wealth and anyone who says they want the Constitution changed to take those blocks away is a Marxist. I don't believe that's where America is.

We're not the country of Jerry Falwell and we're not the country of Barack Obama, or I should say Nancy Pelosi because Barack Obama appears to be somebody who he's never been before. Let's take him at his face value that he's going to be a uniter, that he's going to rule from the center. Great. That's fantastic. I hope it's true. We're not Nancy Pelosi, we're not, you know, Jimmy Swaggart or anybody like that. We're in the center. We're center-right. Right now we're afraid. And when people are afraid, they panic. We have also raised a generation of people who have given trophies to their kids who came in 18th place. We have told them that there's nothing to strive for. You get it anyway, just by showing up, kid. "Look at you, you're special." No, you're not. No, you're not. Everybody is the same. It's what you do with your life. It's the choices that you make. We're all given the same kind of opportunity. We don't have the same skills. We don't have the same work ethic. We don't get the same results, but we have the same opportunity. That we can all agree on."

I guess we'll see...

If you go to his website he's got all of his interviews and articles in text form. I really like his comments on "The real Sarah Palin", and this interview with Senator Orrin Hatch is kind of scary because it's true: 'Constitution is Hanging by a Thread'.

Anyway, I'm not bitter about Obama winning the election. Yes I agree that he can woo people with his speeches and has good intentions for the American people. However I disagree with just about all of his policies. Sooooo....ya. There's not much you can do. I vote we just split the country in half and have the conservatives lead by a conservative presidency, and the liberals lead by liberals.

That's all.

Church History part 2

2008-10-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

Upper room of the Log Home (Smith's residence when Joseph was a boy) where the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph.
Palmyra Temple in the background (walking from the Log Home to the Frame Home)
Frame Home (the home Alvin was building for his parents when he died. Just a matter of yards from the Log Home.)
Looking out from the houses towards the Sacred Grove
The Sacred Grove
The Hill Cumorah where Joseph retrieved the plates
Trudging through the forest to find the remnants of Emma's parents home, but this is all they found... a couple of intense walking sticksSusquehanna River (where the Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthood were restored to Joseph and Oliver)
There were perfect skipping rocks everywhere!
Fayette Whitmer Farm (where the church was officially established)
The Newel K. Whitney Store
The upper room of the N. K. Whitney store where D&C 89 was revealed. (The Word of Wisdom)
The Kirtland Temple (The Community of Christ owns this great building...I was taking pictures inside quickly because I was unsure if I was allowed...)
Inside the roof of Historic Kirtland Temple!
Where the Savior appeared to Joseph and Sidney Rigdon saying He accepts this house.
We got to go up to the bell tower!
The view from up on top of the Kirtland TempleThe E.B. Grandin printing press (where the first 5,000 copies of the BoM were printed.)
One of the first 5,000 original Books of Mormon printed
The steps where Joseph was dragged out to be tarred and feathered, and where he preached from the next day.Some gorgeous trees and leaves! I couldn't believe my eyes!!! Maybe just because I have grown up in the desert, but my goodness. We were so lucky to go this time of year because the weather was perfect, and it was beautiful!This was such an amazing trip! I want to thank Larry and Diane so much for this opportunity to go and learn! My testimony of this gospel has grown so much because of these experiences.
One of my favorite quotes by Joseph Smith is, "Patience is heavenly, obedience is noble, forgiveness is merciful, and exaltation is godly; and he that holds out faithful to the end shall in no wise lose his reward. A good man will endure all things to honor Christ, and even dispose of the whole world, and all in it, to save his soul." Joseph was such an example to all of us and it was incredible to learn more about him and the early saints.

haha

2008-10-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

So I got this off of my cousin Laura's blog, and I think it should keep circulating...

You HAVE to watch this!!!

2008-10-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

ok.
So the incredibly depressing thing about our country and this election is that Obama might actually win the presidency because of the amount of clueless people there are like this... watch this video! What a joke!! and Howard Stern is a liberal! (It's just an audio clip, so the picture won't change. Just listen.)