Love And Whimsy Valentine's Day

Modern greeting cards and party invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Christmas Card 2010

Family Wall Red Christmas Card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Driving in a Storm!

So I made kind of a bad judgment last night. I decided to drive from my House in Roy to my moms house in West Valley. I am spending Thanksgiving with them this year while Hyatt is in Afghanistan. When I started to drive it was snowing lightly but the wind was blowing pretty strong. As I got on the freeway it started to snow harder. I was very cautious about how fast I was driving as it grew darker. There was not very many cars on the road so I didn't have to worry to much about staying in any lines. I got on to Legacy highway and the sun had gone down and it was almost impossible to see because the snow was now coming down extremely fast and there was lots of it. It got to the point where I could barely tell where the road ended and the shoulders started. It was getting bad and there was a build up of sleet on my windshield wipers. I had about a 3 in. space where I could still see out my window so I pulled over and cleaned off my windshield wipers. That helped till I got to about the I-80 west exit on I-215 and then it happened. The Sleet build up on the windshield wiper was so bad that my windshield wiper stuck to the frozen sleet on the left side of my windshield and Broke. I carefully pulled off to the side of the road and got out to try and switch the passenger one to the drivers side. As I was trying to take off the other one a Highway Patrol Officer stopped and came to help me. She was able to get off the other windshield wiper and we went around to the other side of the car. As she was putting the windshield wiper on for me, that one broke too. I didn't know what to do. I thought about calling my mom to come get us but the Officer said that in a storm like that we couldn't just leave the car there. She suggested turning up the defroster all the way and continuing to drive really slowly. She said that she would follow me till I got to a place to get new windshield wipers. So I started to drive and I couldn't see at all. But then I had an Idea. I rolled down my window and took the windshield wiper and used it to wipe off the windshield with my hand. so for about 6 miles I drove rolling my window down about every 30 sec. to wipe off my windshield. A frozen Arm and 6 miles later I pulled into a checker Auto parts and bought new windshield wipers. I know that I would have not made it to my moms house if I wouldn't have said a prayer before we left. I feel blessed that I was able to make it "Home" safely. I know that the Lord gives us trials so that we can learn. The Lesson I learned was... Don't try to drive in a snow storm. And Always try and have an extra pair of Windshield Wipers with you when you are going to try to drive through a storm.

Oh the JOYS of Pregnancy!

So this last Wed. I went to the hospital in excruciating pain. Come to find out, I have Gall Stones and will now need to have my Gall Bladder removed. However, My Dr. thinks it wise to wait till I am at least 37 weeks to even attempt to get it removed. I am 32 weeks now and I have been watching what food I eat. I have switched to fat free most everything and I am staying away from high fatty foods as well as fried food. Plus side is I lost 4 lbs. in the last week. Minus side is I can no longer eat anything that I crave. (Except Yogurt.) Also a negative is that I can have that same pain anytime I eat the wrong thing. Like tonight, I was eating some tortilla chips with the boys and all of a sudden I am doubled over in pain. This time it only lasted for an hour, thank goodness. the first time it happened the pain lasted for about 3 hours. My Dr. gave me a prescription for Lortab but I cant pick it up till tomorrow. I basically have to hope that I don't have too many more episodes in the next 5 weeks or hope that my gall bladder doesn't decide to go septic on me. That would require emergency surgery and that can put me at risk of going into pre-term labor. I think that I am going to try and be optimistic about this and do my best to keep healthy. I mean heck, whats 5 weeks on a no/low fat diet going to do but help me eat better and maybe continue to loose some weight. Wish me luck!!!

Our New House!!!

Outside front.
Kitchen

Kitchen still.

Dining Area

Front Entry

Front Room (just off the entry)

Family Room (just off the Kitchen)

Aview of the Kitchen from the Family Room

Downstairs Bathroom

Master Suite

Backyard.

RV Pad on the West side of house as well as the shed in the backyard.

So What does everyone think? We are super excited to move in and we cant wait to make it our own.

All The Excitement Going On!!!

Well to start off, Andrew and Kaleb are getting so big. They love to do stuff together, but at the same time they are both so different from each other, that it is sometimes hard for them to get along. Andrew is 4 and will be going to preschool this year. Kaleb will be 2 this year and loves to eat and get into things. Andrew loves to talk and make up stories, and Kaleb is into climbing on things and getting into everything. Andrew is my little Sunshine Boy and Kaleb is my Chunky Little Monkey. I love my kids but I am finding it a lot harder to keep up with them lately.

On November 25th 2009 we found out we are gonig to have a 3rd. I am just about 20 weeks along now and we should be able to find out what we are having on Tuesday. I am pretty sure that we are having another Boy, however, Hyatt and Andrew are pretty convinced that it is a girl. Andrew is already telling everyone about his little sister. We dont have a boy's name picked out yet, but we have had a girls since before Andrew was born. Kirana Kelsey McDougal. So If you have any Boy name suggestions we welcome them.

We recently put Andrew into swim lessons and he is loving it. He doesn't really like being on his back, so we need to work on that. But as long as he has his Goggles on he will swim with his face in the water. He loves to jump into the water from the edge of the pool and he loves to float on his belly as long as he can touch the bottom when he is standing. We are going to be taking a short break from lessons so that we can make sure that nothing interfears with our next adventure.

We are going to be moving into our new house sometime in April. Our closing date is currently set for April 8th. We are really excited. It is a 4 bedroom/3 bathroom house on a corner lot. The house sits on just about half an acre of land so our backyard is huge! We are currently taking donations for the Hot Tub that we want to put back there. ;) The kitchen is fantastic and we hope that we will get a lot of people who want to come visit us. We will try to post more pictures when we actually get to move in.

All in All, life is really busy but we have so much fun stuff to look forward to. We hope that everyone is well and we look forward to what else life will bring our way.

My Life as a Military Wife!

So on July 17th, 2009, Hyatt left For Afghanistan. I am so proud of him for his selfless acts for the sake of our country. This has been an especially hard trip for Hyatt for a couple of reasons, I think. One is that he really misses his boys. They are growing up so fast and they really miss Daddy too. Andrew will not go to sleep with out his Daddy Doll. It is a pillow like thing that has a picture of Hyatt sewn on the front of it. It is in the shape of a bowling pin but Andrew insists on calling it his Daddy Doll. He really misses being able to give his Daddy hugs and Kisses. Andrew has such a tender little heart and he is trying to understand why his Daddy has to go away.

Kaleb was taking maybe 2 steps before Hyatt left. He is now running to keep up with Andrew. He climbs on everything. We call him our Chunky Little Monkey. He weighs maybe 7-10 lbs. less than Andrew and will eat anything that is put in front of him. He doesn't really talk much but he sure does love to say DADADADADA all day long. He will go around the house in a sing-song little voice singing for his Daddy. The only time he says Momma is when he falls down or when Andrew takes a toy away from him. Kaleb Loves his Brother and they play together all the time.

On August 13th, 2009; my brother Michael Left for his mission. This is the last time Hyatt and Michael got to see each other for the next 2 years. Michael is going to miss quite a bit but I know that the people of London, England are going to be blessed to have Michael teaching them the Gospel.

Another reason that Hyatt is having a hard time over there is because, on August 10th, 2009 I was leaving Hale Centre Theatre after a long Tech Week. It was about 11:45 pm and I had asked Michael to walk me to my car. As I stepped down off the curb, I rolled my Right ankle and My Left ankle jammed in the gutter and as I fell I dislocated and broke both the bones in my Left ankle. I was taken By ambulance to The IMC ER and was told that I was going to need surgery. So on August 12th, 2009 I had my first operation. I had 2 screws put in the bone on the inside of my L ankle, and I had a plate put on the outside bone of my left ankle. My poor Brother Mikey was second guessing Going on his mission Because of all that was happening. I am grateful that he choose to go.
I know that the Lord gives us trials that we need to learn to overcome and I am grateful that I have a fantastic Family that is always there to help me get through those trials. I am also grateful for a fantastic Husband who has such a willingness & drive to want to take care of his family. I look forward to having him home again in just a few short weeks.

The End!

Happy New Year!

May we all have a fantastic 2009. I was so bad with resolutions last year that I can't even remember if I made one or not. Of coarse I was pregnant and emotional that my husband was on his way to Iraq at the time the new year began so that is my excuse. This year I would like to be more physically fit. If that includes losing lots of weight then Fantastic. But I do need to try to eat more consistantly as well as healthier foods and be better at a consistant workout plan. I want to be better at doing my visiting teaching on a regular basis and not just sparatically. I also have decided to be on time to church 3 out of the four week in a month. It takes us about 15-20 min. to get from our house to church and we had the 9:00 block. Saturdays are also our only other day besides Sunday when we get to do anything in the evenings. Well now we have the 11:00 block and I think it will be a lot easier to get my 3 boys ready and going. :) I want to bake more. I have discovered that I have sort of a new found love for baking. I have been trying new recipes and I like to create so I think that one will be fun. I Wish the best for all my Family and friends in this new year. May God Bless you with what you need. And Maybe even spoil you a little with what you want. ;) ~Em

Kaleb's Next tooth.

So the day after I discovered Kaleb's first tooth I felt the second one coming in. It is right next to his first one. So his two bottom middle teeth are the first ones. My baby is growing up so fast. :(

Kaleb's First Tooth!!!

So this evening around 7:00 I was playing with Kaleb and he grabbed my hand and put my finger in his mouth. As it was going in I felt something scrape against my skin. I thought at first that it was just Kalebs fingernail because his hand was in his mouth too. Then he took out his hand and shortly there after I felt the scrape again and I went looking for it. I found his bottom left tooth had poked through. I think that the right one will be following shortly. I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. Kaleb is 6 months old and growing too fast.

He is sitting up on his own now for about 30 sec. and then he will fall over.
He is such a chunky little baby compared to andrew. Kaleb Weighs 18 lbs. and Andrew weighed 18 lbs from the time he was 15 months till he was about 22 months. Andrew is my scrawney little bean pole and Kaleb is my Chunky Little Monkey. I love my boys and I am so glad that they do get along well. If Kaleb is sad or crying for any reason Andrew will start singing Happy birthday to Kaleb. It is so sweet. My children are so wonderful and I love being a Mommy. :)

Our Trip To Yellowstone

Just a few great pictures from Our trip to Yellowstone in Oct. 2008 This was my first trip to Yellowstone and I was just in Awe the whole time we were there. There are so many wonders of Nature there and I couldn't help but capture some of them. I am thankful to be part of such a great family who values spending time together and goes on these wonderful vacations. I am glad that we had such a wonderful guide while we were traveling through Yellowstone. Thanks Jeremy!!!

We sure did make a lot of side stops and every one was worth the experience. I think that my favorite stop was just before we went to the falls. We stopped to see what a couple of people were looking at on the side of the road and discovered some Grizzly Bears off in the distance. I was able to look through one of the set-up scopes a few times and each time I was able to see the bears. The neatest part was when one of the bears got up form where it was laying down and started to run. It was almost like one of those nature programs you see on TV. Just Amazing!!!!!

The colors of fall were just starting to appear and man were they beautiful. I have heard a saying a few times that says,"All of Nature is a canvas painted by the hand of God." ~unknown and I believe that to be true. We are so fortunate to live in a world where such beauty is abundant and wonders never seem to cease.

Where Animals roam peacefully,

and rivers and streams seem to dance with the land.

I feel so blessed to live at such a wonderful time when Family is such a priority and Blessings seem to be endless. I am thankful for a family who loves me, and extended family who are so caring. I am blessed with 2 wonderful children of God and a Husband who everyday strives to be the best man He can be. I love my family and I love my Life!!!

~Em

My Little Blessings

My Children are such a blessing in my life. Andrew is so bright and full of life. I call him my Sunshine Boy because he is always so happy. He is also a comedian most of the time and I think that he does actually try to be funny, as you can see from his picture. He can make you laugh even if you are feeling sad. He is such a big helper with his new Little Brother. He loves to hold him and tickle him and enjoys trying to make Kaleb laugh. Right now we are in the process of potty training Andrew and he is doing quite well. He wears his "Big Boy Underwear" during the hours of the day that he is awake and he is still wearing pull-ups when he naps as well as when he sleeps. I Can't believe that he is turning 3 in December. Time has flown by so quickly and I really can't believe that I have 2 kids.

Kaleb is almost 5 months old now and He is growing like a weed. At his 4 month check up he was in the 75% for his weight, 90% for length, & he has a small head measuring in the 25% . I think those numbers are amazing because he was really skinny at birth. He weighed in at 6 lbs. 13.9 oz. and was 21 inches.

Kaleb had a little bit of a rough start in life. When he was born he was a bit on the lethargic side and so he was taken to the level 2 nursery. (NICU) and was there the entire time we were in the hospital. He had some trouble breathing and so he was on Oxygen. They had an IV in his little left hand. I wasn't able to hold him till the 2nd day and that broke my heart. I do count myself lucky because he did get to come home with me and that made me happy. I felt sorry for the other parents in there who's children were a lot worse off than Kaleb was, so I count my blessings on that one.

I Quickly discovered that having 2 kids is a lot different than having just one. I have had to try and split my time between the two of them evenly, as well as try to include Andrew when I am spending time with Kaleb because, "He wants to help play with Kaleb." Kaleb was given the nickname Stitch on the day he was born. For those of you who have seen "Lilo & Stitch" you might understand. Kaleb's birthday is 6-26-08. So 6-26 in honor of "Experiment 626" That is my sisters doing.

I Love my boys and Hope that I am doing an Okay job at raising them. I do wish that they were able to spend a little more time with Hyatt. He does try and Andrew loves to play with Daddy. Kaleb smiles a big "Hyatt" smile every time he sees his Daddy's face and that in return makes Hyatt smile.

I love having 3 Boys to take care of, but I do hope that there is a little girl in our future. I Love my Family and cherish the good times that we have had and look forward to the good times in the future!

My First Blog!!!

Well, This being my first blog I want to say Hello to the Blogging world. I hope that I can soon get caught up with the rest of my blogging friends and be as creative as they are. Thanks Hayley for helping me get this set up. :) I feel that I need to Post a Site Under Construction sign until I can get things up and running. So be patient and bear with me while I get things going. ~Em