The Summerhays Daze

Yay!

2012-01-17T11:05:00.001-08:00

Lucy rolled over today! Front to back. Unfortunately, it was not captured on camera. But here's a cute picture of our littlest movie star.

Naked Baby Hang Out Time

2012-01-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

I was changing diapers on both of the girls the other day when I thought it would be cute to take some photos of them in just their diapers. Well, they were being so cute together that photos turned into video, so voila!

Nice Day

2012-01-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

We've had beautiful weather this week, but we've been sick. Yesterday, I finally took the girls outside for a while to breathe in some much needed fresh air and soak up some sun. We all needed it, and Mia especially enjoyed her explorations in the back yard.

One of the few moments that Mia will actually draw. She usually tells us what to draw.

She feels like such a big girl when she climbs this ladder, though Josh and I freak out the higher she goes.

She may look mad, but Lucy was really enjoying the fresh air.

Bonus! The first fruits of our mandarin tree. Yay!

A New Year: Update

2012-01-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

First of all....HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2012 has been quite beautiful so far, and I look forward to the rest of the year.

Lucy update: She turned five months on Jan. 2nd. I can't believe how fast the time is going. Two of my girlfriends at church just had babies over the weekend, and their babies are SO tiny! Lucy is definitely not newborn size anymore. She's already in nine month clothing, and continuing to grow everyday. She's such a happy girl, always smiling and laughing. Mia can really make her smile just by getting in her face and saying hi. They are going to be good friends as they get older. Oh! And Lucy got her first tooth the week before Christmas! Looking back, she showed all the signs of teething; the drooling, the chewing on everything, the extra amount of fussiness; but I didn't think anything of it b/c that all had been going on for a couple of months. Plus, Mia didn't get teeth until around nine months, so I wasn't looking for it. So, when Josh looked at her, and said, "Hey, she's got a tooth," you can imagine my surprise. I was so excited for her, and she got excited, too, when she saw me squealing. She had a proud moment:-) And this week, she cut a second tooth, which has been rough on her, causing her to not feel very well. But she's been such a trooper, smiling through it all.

Mia: She is growing up so fast! She talks and talks and talks...and I can understand the majority of it:-) She loves learning, especially about animals. She loves Blue's Clues and Dora, and she recently got into Elmo. She loves our iPhones, and can navigate them better than I can at times. She's happy and sassy and so much fun to watch.

So smart!

2011-12-01T20:59:00.001-08:00

Today, Mia was rummaging through our stuff when she found a roll of duct tape and dry erase marker. She used her creative juices and started banging the marker against the tape and called it an instrument. There was no prodding on my part to get her to even say instrument, let alone create an instrument. I'm so proud of my smart girl!

Photos

2011-10-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

The girls had some photos taken this week. Mia was a little intimidated by the photographer, but she was really cooperative. We were so proud of her. And Lucy was such a peach throughout the session. She didn't cry once! Bonus, we got some super cute shots! Here are a few.

Welcome to the World

2011-08-25T13:13:00.001-07:00

Mia became a big sister this month! On August 2nd, our little Lucy Adele arrived. At 7lb 13oz and about 21 inches long, she was the exact same size as Mia at birth. Life with Lucy is amazing! She is such a calm baby; sleeping much of the time and hardly ever crying, she has made our transition into parents of two much easier than I had even hoped for. She has such a happy demeanor; she smiles so much for a newborn, even when awake. Mia is absolutely fascinated with Lucy. She's always giving Lucy high fives and kisses on her head. So cute! We feel so blessed and are grateful to have both of our girls with us!

Recent Pics

2011-06-16T14:18:00.001-07:00

Mia's Words

2011-04-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

Mia's 15 months old now, and it seems she's learning and growing everyday. She's such a chatter-box these days. I wanted to take a moment to list all of her words/phrases.

*Momma (my favorite)
*Daddy
*book
*home
*Where'd it go? (in reference to her binky when she can't find it)
*uh-oh
*quack quack
*meow
*pizza (It's her favorite food right now. :-/ )
*picture
*cheese
*bye bye (She loves to scream this one for some reason.)
*Hello? (sounds a lot like uh-oh in question form)
*Hi Dad!
*flower (one of her favorite words. Every plant is a flower to her sometimes.)
*tree
*stuck (this one is very helpful for Mommy!)
*No no! (probably her first word, and she's very good at this one, and get's sassy with it.)
*yes
*Oh come on! (She says this a lot when Daddy and Mommy get excited during intense sports events)
*A ball! (also a favorite of hers right now.)
*Good girl! (She says this whenever she's accomplished something like finishing a bottle or closing the refrigerater door or putting her blocks in the their box.)
*Yucky! (Every time we change her diaper, she points to the dirty diaper, and says this. I'm glad she recognizes the fact that it IS yucky!)

My, that's quite a list! I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple, but I just needed to journal this before I forget anymore.

Hello World

2011-04-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hi there. It's been a while since I've written. While I'd like to summarize what's been happening in our life since November, I don't want to focus too much on it b/c I'll never get caught up. But here are the few big moments:

1)We found out we're pregnant again...and we're having a girl! She's due August 1, and the time is just racing. Can't wait to meet this little one!! Any ideas on names???? We need help. :-)

2)Christmas. Wonderful! My dad came to visit for a week, and we just loved having him here. He and Mia really bonded. And he was the first person we told about the new baby. We told him over dinner at Macaroni Grill; he choked on his water with surprise. He was thrilled to say the least. Had fun at the Summerhays Christmas party where there was a soup contest and a white elephant gift exchange. There were lots of good soups to choose from. We made a potato and broccoli soup; not bad for not ever making soup, but we didn't win. Josh's sister remains the soup/salad champion as she always sets the bar high. It's a fun challange.

3)We celebrated one year in our house in January. I can't believe it's been a year already. We love where we're at right now and are grateful to be in our home.

4)Josh took the CFP exam in October. He had been studying for months, and was so nervous when test time came, but thanks to his prep and a lot of prayers, he passed. They didn't let him know he passed until January. That was torture! I think he gained a few more grays during the whole process. It's such a relief to have that stress lifted from him. Congrats, honey! We're so proud of you!

5)The Steelers went to the Superbowl again this year. Yay!! Unfortunately, they lost. Boo! Grandma and Papa Shoe gave Mia the cutest little cheerleader outfit for the big day. That was the only upside to the game. Ha!

6)My little sister, Megan, got married in February!!! So happy she found her love in Adam. I'm still in shock that she's married though, just b/c she's my little sister, and she's supposed to stay that way forever-little. I feel so old!! Congrats you two!

Well, I think I've covered the main highlights. Hopefully I'll be better about blogging. We'll see. :-)

Mia Learned to...

2010-11-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

CLAP! Here's a sample.

Mia update

2010-11-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

Mia is growing up so fast. I'm consumed by this thought every day. Where did my little newborn go?? She's crawling everywhere, and she's getting close to walking. This week, she's been able to stand alone without leaning on anything for up to 10-15seconds. Josh and I get so excited when we see this; we start squealing and then Mia gets a little scared and sits down. She likes following us around, and when she reaches us she pulls herself up on our legs, and then we walk together. So cute!
She also has a total of SEVEN teeth that have cut through her gums, but you can really only see three of them when she smiles. Here are a few pics.

"White Fang"

Too close!

She saw Josh walk in from work. She always get's excited to see him at the end of the day.

Her sweet bed head, and awesome wake-up face!

Splish Splash!

Fun in the Tub

2010-11-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

Mia has been loving her baths lately. She's so content playing with the rubber duck and kicking and splashing in the tub.

Mia Loves Feet

2010-10-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is from a little while ago, but it still cracks me up.

Bike Trip

2010-09-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

Josh went mountain biking with some buddies last weekend. He had a pretty good time, but got a little beat up along the way. He needed some definite r 'n r afterwards.

Please Excuse My Lack of Tact

2010-09-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to say it. Mia is scared of old people. We went to Winco (grocery store) today, and I decided to try Mia out in the kid seat part of the shopping cart b/c she's getting too heavy to lug around in the baby bjorn for longer amount of time. Anyway, we were in the produce section, and as I was picking out some apples, this sweet old lady started smiling and talking to Mia. I was behind Mia picking the apples, so I didn't see her face, but the lady said she was smiling, so I kept picking at the apples. A split second after she said that, Mia just started wailing. Great. The lady felt really bad, and walked away. Meanwhile, Mia wouldn't stop crying until I carried her, which I didn't want to do for obvious reasons. But, the baby rules, right? So, Mia helped me pick out the rest of the produce and some canned veggies. I had enough, so I put her back, and the only way she would stay in the seat w/o fussing was when she held on to the car keys. I normally try not to let her have them b/c keys are dirty and gross, but she really likes the Golden 1 rubber key chain part, and I was desperate. She was fine for the rest of the trip, but my keys got ridiculously slobbery. Priorities, right? It's interesting how having a child makes one realize the need for patience in one's self, her baby, and even, perhaps especially in total strangers.

If You Look Closely...

2010-09-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

Mia got her first two teeth in this month. It's been really difficult to get a picture of them b/c every time we try, she always covers them with her tongue. But finally we were able to get a good pic of them.

These are the two best pics we could get of her teeth. Please, excuse my hideousness in the second picture!

Strange Deja Vu

2010-09-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

I was one of those women who wasn't terribly ill when I was pregnant last year. There weren't too many smells or foods that made me nauseous. However, this one sound got me sick to my stomach every time I heard it, and that was the sound of the band called the Ting Tings. They're this British pop-rock band whose album a bought just before I got pregnant, and all throughout my pregnancy whenever I heard a song of theirs, I felt like yacking. Their was even a Fructis shampoo commercial on television that I couldn't watch b/c they were singing in the background. I don't know what it was about their sound that made me feel sick. It's not like I didn't like them otherwise, but I just couldn't stomach them. Well, Mia's 7 1/2 months old now. Today, as I was doing some house cleaning, I wanted to listen to some upbeat music to keep me focused, and I chose the Ting Tings b/c I missed them. Sadly, all those yucky feelings came flooding back. I couldn't get through three songs before switching to Keith Urban. Has this ever happened to anyone else, a sound making you feel sick, and then re-experiencing those same feelings a long time later? Maybe I'm just crazy!! Anyways, thanks to Keith, I'm feeling much better.

I am Truly Blessed

2010-09-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Mia doesn't like going to bed at any time, no matter how sleepy she is. I try not nursing her to sleep anymore, and just putting her down when she's drowsy. Most of the time she cries her lungs out for a while until I can't take it anymore and come in and put her binky back in her mouth and hold her hand, while she still cries. Caressing her head used to calm her down, so did patting her back or rubbing her belly. Now, they do nothing for her, and she still keeps crying. Needless to say, getting this child to sleep (and stay asleep) is a real challenge.
Today, though, I put her down for her morning nap after feeding her (so she was good and drowsy), and she put up her usual fight. I forgot to mention, she now pulls herself up to the rail in her crib and cries, but she hasn't quite figured out how to get back down without hurting herself, so she just keeps crying. Well, she was doing that today, so I came back in her room and laid her back down with her binky. Sometimes, I can get her to stop crying by singing her the Sunbeam song. So, I tried that today, and she just laid there looking up at me, totally calm. Usually, only the Sunbeam song works, but I branched out and tried other Primary tunes, and after about five minutes, little girl closed her eyes...and they stayed closed once I stopped singing, instead of her crying again! Woohoo!!! I've never sung her to sleep before. And it was the first time she fell asleep without my touch. Amazing!
While I was singing to her, I couldn't help but feel a sweet spirit in the room that reminded me of what a precious angel and blessing she is that Heavenly Father has given our family. Our world is a better one because she is in it. I love being a mother. I love being her mother.

Our Little Musician

2010-09-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

Mia loves music, and she really loves the piano. She would sit at it all day if would stay with her. Here's a sample of her future genius!

A Golden Day

2010-09-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

Josh and I have been to San Francisco quite a few times, but neither of us had been through the Golden Gate Park, so we decided to head down there yesterday. We took a little detour through Union Square before going to the park where we did some shopping and people watching. The city was more crowded than usual since it's Labor Day Weekend. It made me appreciate our quiet city of Lincoln and the quality of normalcy it has. Everywhere we walked there were people yelling at each other, weird outfits and hairdos, young and old playing their instruments for money; and then a man in the middle of it all holding a poster that said, "Jesus loves you all." I'd have to say that SF is like a Picasso painting- lots of colors splattered all over the city canvas.

All our walking took it out of Mia, so she decided to nap.

The Park was amazing! We were sad that we went there so late in the day because it is a huge place where really we could have spent the entire day. It has botanical gardens, science and art museums, a Japanese Tea Garden, places to hike and bbq, soccer fields, polo fields, and more...all in the middle of the city. We found this really cool amphitheater and decided to take most of our pictures there. Mia really enjoyed being outside and seeing new things.

Still with all the beauty around us, our favorite sight to photograph was our little Mia.

She inherited her daddy's eyebrow lift!

Good trip!

Ahh, the Little Things...

2010-08-31T13:15:00.001-07:00

So, I was folding laundry today, and for the first time EVER in my life, there was a match for every sock. As I got closer and closer to the end, I kept looking for spares, but there were none to be found. My heart pounded just a little bit faster for a moment, and then, of course, I just had to drop everything and write about it. No joke, the folded clothes aren't even put away yet. That's how excited I am about this tiny detail of my life today. :-)

Good Things. Bad Thing.

2010-08-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Good Things:
*Mia went down for a nap today without a fuss, AND fell asleep without me even in the room!
*Mia's first tooth broke through yesterday, putting a hold on her insane fussiness for a little while. Congrats little one!

Bad Thing:
*My first attempt at making lemon bars went terribly wrong. I tasted more egg than lemony zest. Yuck. I promise I followed the recipe; even looked over it more than once.

New Heights

2010-08-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Every morning, after changing her diaper, I put Mia back in her crib so I can find her something to wear. This morning was no different except that when I turned around, she was standing up, holding onto the crib herself. The video showcases this awesome (and scary) feet. *Pay no attention to the mother in this video!*

We Saw Them!

2010-08-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, even though the meteor shower wasn't supposed to peak until the wee hours of the night last night, I couldn't stay up that late, so Josh and I took our chances on the earlier hours of the night to see if we could catch some shooting stars. The two of us laid on a blanket in our backyard and just watched the sky. As we were doing so, it occured to me that people, including myself, don't seem to appreciate the stars as much anymore. With cities getting larger and busyness happening twenty four hours a day, we've seemed to block the heavens out. But how grateful we should be that not only did our Father in Heaven paint us a beautiful evening sky with the sunset, but he gave us a neverending game of connect-the-dots! Laying there with my husband, looking at the stars, just reminded me that I should taken more productive time outs, rather than just vegging to a movie all the time. Anyways, we ended up seeing a few meteors. We even saw one with a tail, similar to a comet! It almost seemed to being going in slow motion. It was awesome! Afterwards, we packed up and went to bed. Later, Mia woke up for a night cap, and after I put her down again, I looked out my bedroom window for a few moments, and I saw another one. I should have made a wish!

The Heavens are showering upon Us

2010-08-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

The Perseid meteor shower is going on right now, and it supposedly peaks tonight through tomorrow morning. I guess there could be up to 60-70 meteors an hour traveling through our sky. We live in a community that's a little further away from the city lights, and we can usually get a good view of the stars, so hopefully, we'll be able to see a few of those meteors. I definitely can't stay up as late as I used to (the whole having a baby thing...and getting old), but Mia still wakes up in the middle of the night, so maybe I can sneak out at one of those times to catch a glimpse!

6 Months

2010-07-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

Mia had her 6 month check up on Monday. The doctor was pleased with her growth, and that "they don't get much healthier than that!" I knew she was a healthy girl, but it's always nice to hear it from the doc.

STATS:
Height-- 2' 2"
Weight-- 15lb 9oz
Head-- Nornal size for her age. (whew!)

All good stuff. Then, she got another round of vaccinations. She did great with the oral one. She thought she was just getting to eat again, which she loves. But then came the shots. As soon as the nurse put on those blue gloves, Mia knew something was not right. She started crying right away. All I could do was hold her hand and kiss her forehead, as just cried and looked at me like, "Mom, what are you doing to me???" When they were done, and I could pick her up, she calmed down, but she didn't let the nurse come near her again. All in all, though, she was a trooper. We ended up having a nice relaxing day afterwards because she was so worn out and sore. She just slept most of the afternoon.

OTHER MIA INFO

THINGS SHE LIKES
+sitting up
+eating
+dancing with Mommy or Daddy
+being tickled on her rib cage and upper thighs
+juice
+Baby Einstein videos
+fresh air
+Daddy's funny faces
+the remote control
+jumping
+Mommy's phone
+the toy phone that Mommy got to distract Mia from hers
+mirrors
+tags
+the piano (listening and playing)
+cups (She loves not only chewing them, but talking into them to hear her echo)
+pretty much anything she can get into her mouth
+being anywhere that Mommy's at

THINGS SHE DOESN'T LIKE
+not being held
+crowds
+car rides
+her carseat
+getting her diaper changed first thing in the morning
+naps
+lying down or being on her belly for too long (like 5 minutes)
+loud sudden noises
+getting a toy taken away (she'll scream like a banchee)
+the beach (both times we've taken her, she's been quite fussy. I think it's the wind and the sun that get to her)

Here are a few recent pics.

Daddy Makes Mia Laugh

2010-07-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

Love this Little Girl

2010-07-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

A week from today, Mia will be six months old. I cannot believe how quickly she is growing. I feel like time is racing me, and I can't keep up. It seems like yesterday that she was introducing herself to us, completely helpess and so lovable. Now, she's smiling, laughing, rolling, grabbing for toys, and even sitting up on her own if only for a few seconds; plus, a lot of other stuff. Those are big accomplishments for a baby! She's so fun to be around. She makes me so happy. Our favorite time of day is when Josh comes home from work; that is when she get's uber-happy. No one can make her laugh the way her daddy can. I don't know how he does it. I try all his tricks, but I only get a confused look. I think she likes his face and his dark hair. Anyway, we love our little Mia, and are so grateful that she is in our family. I'm excited to watch her continue to grow and learn even more.

Something fun

2010-07-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

I did not see that coming.

Baseball Fever? Not So Much...

2010-07-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Josh's dad had some tickets to the Rivercats baseball game, and he invited his kids and their families to go. We were fortunate enough to snag a couple of those tickets. The atmosphere of a baseball game is always so much fun. I love watching all the funny things that people participate in like dancing for the camera, throwing pies at one another to win a free haircut, the wave. We always enjoy ourselves there. Well, having a baby with us changed things a little bit. First of all, Mia did not get very good naps in that day, so she was a bit cranky to begin with. Secondly, I think I overfed her in hopes that she would settle down and be in this milk-drunken state that would keep her calm and happy for the game; which caused her to have a tummy-ache instead, and be cranky. Thirdly, I don't think she was used to having a ton of people surrounding her so closely; we sat in the bleachers...at first. And fourthly, it was an evening game, so she was tired. Needless to say, I didn't see very much of the game. Not that it mattered because we ended up losing 11-0! Anyway, Mia likes to be up and walking a lot, so that's what we did, and eventually, we parked it in the grassy area where there was a bit more breathing room for her. Shortly after that, she fell asleep in my arms and stayed that way for about 4 innings. Sweet! I just relaxed, enjoyed the weather, and pretended to root for our losing team. Who goes to actually watch the game anyways? Josh went back and forth between staying with us and sitting with the rest of his family that was there, which I was totally fine with, but I think he was torn. He really likes being social, especially with his family. He was really great and patient with the whole situation. All in all, we had a very nice time, but I don't think we're going to be taking Mia back to a baseball game until she's a little bit older.

Zzzzzz's

2010-06-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Mia woke up at six this morning, which is way too early. A couple of hours afterwards she fell asleep for a brief time, but she was still pretty sleepy when she woke up, so I'd been trying since then to get her to sleep (and then I could get a nap too!). Well, she just wouldn't sleep, so I started getting ready to go run some errands. Whenever I need to change or do my hair/makeup when Mia is awake-because I can't be out of her sight EVER- I just lay in on the Boppy on the floor in our closet which faces the bathroom. She's usually pretty content to stay their with a binky and small toy. Anyway, so I laid her on the Boppy and proceeded to get ready, and when I was done in front of the mirror, I turned around, and this is what I saw...

Mia, your timing never ceases to amaze me!

Congrats!

2010-06-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday marked the 29th wedding anniversary for my parents. I'm so grateful for them and the example that they set for me. Being married isn't always easy, but it is worth it. They have always showed my sister and me that they love and are in love with each other, even if they might be upset with one another for a time. They are each other's best friend. And as someone once told me, it isn't life unless you have your best friend to share it with. Congratulations, Mom and Dad. Twenty nine down; an eternity to go! :-)

Momentous

2010-06-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

Up until a couple of nights ago, Mia has been getting up every 2 or 3 hours in the night, making it very easy for those dark circles to appear under my eyes. BUT two days ago, Mia only took one nap during the day (normally she took two solid 2 hour naps). This made her extra tired, and she ended up sleeping a whopping SIX hours before waking up hungry. [Listen to the choir sing "Halelujah!"] I thought that maybe it was just a fluke. Then, last night she slept a full SEVEN hours before waking up. The sleep that I got was amazing, refreshing, wonderful, etc. So, I think that limiting the naptime is a good thing for her. Now, the only issue is how do I keep her occupied while I try to get some house work done. She's still very attached to me, which I love and get frustrated with at the same time. She's so fun to hang out with, but I just know that Josh gets tired of seeing piles of clean clothes on the bed and not in the closet. Like the fabulous husband he is, he doesn't ever comment about it. He knows it'll get done eventually (I can just hear my mom getting frustrated over that remark. She knows I know better...)

Anyway, today was a big day for Mia because she finally discovered how to roll over on her own on more than one occasion...and without wailing in frustration. It came as such a surprise to me because she doesn't really like being on her tummy. I laid her on her back to watch a Baby Einsteins video so I could do some cleaning. I then went to check my phone, and when I turned around, she was on her tummy. I squealed with delight, which I think caught her by surprise, but when she figured how happy I was, she just smiled back at me. [Wipe a tear] She ended up doing this multiple times today, so much so that I don't think she likes being on her back anymore. I laid her down for her nap, and she rolled over onto her tummy. That's yet ANOTHER exciting thing that happened; she went to sleep today without needing the assistance of her "food source" in order to fall asleep.

Today has been a good day. Now, I just need to finish the laundry! :-)

Before

After

Let's Chat

2010-06-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Mia has found her voice this past week. Almost everyday, I'll put her in the bumbo or stroller with me in the kitchen while I work, and she'll be content to provide me with some very thought-provoking conversations. Here's a sample.

On an unrelated note, we have a local radio station out here that just plays music from the '90s, which is awesome. Yesterday, I heard "Men in Black" by Will Smith, which brought back some fun church dance memories. I found myself doing the little dance that goes with the song. I was very proud of myself for remembering the moves. I then took the liberty of finding this fun hit and put it on my ever extending blog playlist. I encourage all to take a few minutes to enjoy the tune. :-)

Something New

2010-05-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday, Mia tried rice cereal for the first time. I don't think she liked it very much. The video says it all.

Auntie Meg Comes for a Visit

2010-05-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, my little sister came up from So Cal on break from her Air Force duties. It was a short but very enjoyable visit. I don't get to see Megan very often, and she hadn't met Mia yet, so this was a real treat to hang out for a little bit. Mia took to her pretty well, and even gave her an opportunity to change a poopy diaper. Meg was a real sport in changing it, though, I think it was good birth control for her. The rest of the time was spent just chatting, watching Josh's soccer game, and attempting to cut her hair. All I can say about the hair is "I'm so sorry, Megan!!" ;-) It was so refreshing to have her with us. Thanks Megan; we love you!

My Vain Little Sweetie

2010-05-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Mia's favorite room these days is our bathroom. She loves watching us get ready. Everyday, she'll study Josh as he shaves and puts in his hair gel. She also gets captivated by my hair dryer. I thought she would be scared of the loud noise it makes, but every time it comes on, she goes into this calm place and watches.

But her favorite thing in there is the mirror. I've been standing her in front of it lately to introduce her to herself, and she finally found her face this week. Now, every time she sees herself, she gives the biggest smile and squeals. I think she likes what she sees. :-)

Here's a recent photo of our sweetie.

A Mother's Heart Melts

2010-04-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

My baby laughed today!!!! I almost started crying when I first heard it. It was beautiful music to my ears. I called Josh at work immediately to let him know b/c he's been so anxious for her to start laughing. For a man to doesn't show much emotion, he sounded pretty dang excited, too.

Thank you, Mia, for bringing happiness into ours lives. We love you!!

A just because pic.

LOVE it!!!!

2010-04-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

So, back in my teeny bopper days, I was a mega fan of Hanson. I sang Mmmbop all the time, got all their CD's, put all their posters on the walls of my bedroom, and even skipped a morning of school to try and win tickets to one of their concerts (sadly in vain. never won :-( ). Then, once the hype of their bugglegum hit faded, I my fanship started to as well. But now! they've come out with a new single called Thinking 'Bout Somethin' and I like it a lot. It's catchy. AND they've got a killer video to go with it. You Blues Brothers fans will be amused by it. So, here for your amazement, enjoy their video. P.S. Once a fan, always a fan:-) P.S.S Check out Weird Al Yankovic playing the tamborine!

Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

HANSON | MySpace Music Videos

New Stuff

2010-04-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Mia is growing so fast. It's interesting to watch the phases that she goes through. When she was first born, she was so very cuddly, and liked to sleep on my chest, facing inward with her head right over my heart. Then at one month, she liked sleeping by me, but on her side. A few weeks ago, she started enjoying sleeping on her back more...still with me, but with some space. That was combined with sleeping in the swing on and off through the night. Now, she can sleep fully by herself in her own room in her crib.

Her sleeping habits reflect how she likes to be held, too. She as she was so cuddly to sleep with in the beginning, she liked to face inward and cling to mom when being held. Now, not so much. She loves seeing everything that I see, and studying everything I do. She's very attentive. I love it. She's fascinated with the hair dryer. She could be extremely fussy when I have to put her down to get ready, but all I have to do is sit her in her car seat next to me and start drying my hair, and viola! No more fuss!! She has the same reaction to this Chopin piece that plays as a demo song on our electric piano. That's Josh's go-to when nothing will calm Mia down, and she doesn't need to be fed, and I have chores to catch up on. Works like a charm every time.

Mia's also getting very strong. She can hold her head up like a pro. And she likes to sit up instead of lay down. And she really likes being on her feet. I think she'll start to walk before crawling. We'll see. Josh and I felt it was time to purchase the Bumbo chair to help her strengthen her already stellar sitting skills. She likes it, but only for about fifteen minutes at a time. Little steps. She's so fun!

Here are some pics.

One of the few times that Mia will just sit with Dad, which was nice for him b/c he was pretty tired. It was too cute that I just had to capture it. Who knows when that'll happen again?

Mia's new "friend" Dotti. Josh's sister gave that to us when I was pregnant, and it's become one of Mia's fascinations.

As I was photograhing this, she kept grabbing at Dotti's ear and looking at it as if she were thinking, "Hey! What is this?!"

One Big Baby Step

2010-04-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ever since Mia was born, she has slept on me, beside me, or in the swing by our bed. In those positions, she has slept great. Mom on the other hand...not so much. I tried putting her in the crib a few times before, but she would just throw a fit every time. She liked being close to me. The crib at the time was just a few feet away from our bed, but that wasn't close enough.

Well, Mia's room is now all in order, so we moved her crib in there, but we didn't have any monitors, and I wasn't comfortable leaving her in there all night w/o them in fear that I might not hear her when she "calls." So, I just kept her in bed with me. Finally, last night, Josh and I purchased the baby monitors and tested them on Mia. I didn't think she'd last one hour, but to our amazement, she lasted THREE hours before waking up hungry. HOORAY!!!!! So, she woke up at one, four, and 6:30, which is normal for her anyway. Good job, Mia! We are so proud of you.

Here's a little picture of her having fun with Daddy.

Let's Try This Again

2010-04-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

So, here is what I failed to post on April 1...Mia rolling over.

Karate Baby

2010-04-03T10:18:00.001-07:00

Love her!

April Fools!

2010-04-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

So, I really didn't do two entries in the same month. I forgot that today is April 1st. Oops! Also, my computer must be playing a prank on me b/c it failed to upload my video. Nice. Just so you know, Mia was pretty dang cute in it...

Two in a Row in the Same Month!

2010-04-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

So, Mia is in a pretty good mood right now, so I thought I'd get another post in while I can. We've just started doing "tummy time" with our little girl this last week, and we've always known that she has a strong neck (since day 1), but we learned that she can roll over now too. Exciting stuff for the baby and her parents. Here's a video of the exciting moment in Mia's life. :-)

One for the New Year...a little Late!

2010-03-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

All right...so most, if not all of you that read this blog should know that Josh and I bought a house and had a baby girl in January. As you may have noticed by my lack of entries, we have had our hands full; and loving it! It's still hard for me to comprehend our owning a house, AND being PARENTS. CRAZY!!!! I absolutely adore our little Mia Lynn; she is so much fun, even when she's throwing a temper tantrum. Yes, 2 months olds can throw temper tantrums-at least my little girl. She can be quite sassy sometimes. Lately, she's been smiling a lot more, and let me just say she has the cutest smile in the world. Josh and I have taken way too many pictures of her, most of them when she's sleeping. We first-time parents HAVE to capture every moment, ya know.

On March 21st, Josh blessed Mia. What a wonderful event in a child's life as well as for the parents! Josh spent a lot of time preparing for what he was going to say. That Sunday, he went into a very quite place within himself, taking Mia with him, just to ponder. So tender! He gave a beautiful blessing. I cried, only a little. My dad came in from Ohio that weekend to participate in the blessing too, as well as actually meet his first grandchild. He and Mia became good buddies in just a few short days. She was very comfortable in his arms, and he even made her smile. It was good to see him again. Heck! It was nice to have an extra pair of arms to hold Mia, so I could get a shower w/o her getting upset. Thanks Dad!

So much time has been spent with Mia that hardly anything has been done on the house. Josh painted Mia's room pink; which, it used to be this hideous indigo blue and yellow. Yuck! And even this last weekend did we just get her crib and other things in the room, tho she doesn't do much sleeping in there. She likes to be near to her mom and dad at night.

Here are some pics.

There's more, but Mia's waking up. Gotta run. Happy belated New Year!!

Long Time...Again!

2009-11-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

So, I've really gotten out of the habit of writing on here. Since July, Josh and I have found out that we're having a little girl come January, and we couldn't be more excited. I'm even more excited now to meet this little one, excited to get to know her outside of the belly, and anxious to see how long it takes before she has Josh wrapped around her little finger. She grows so much everyday and is very active. She's big enough now that I cannot only feel the kicks and punches, but see them, too. I could watch that all day long! Momma's been feeling good for the most part, just a little tired, hungry, and sore. Papa's doing great, and has been the best, supportive husband/dad-to-be. He's so patient with my many little complaints, and he's quick to help me with anything I need. I'm at a point where I get stuck in the sitting position quite easily, so when I need to stand up, he's always there to give me a good shove. Thanks, honey!
Here are a couple of pix from the formal ultrasound back in August.

Sorry, no belly pix. Someday, I'll take one.

Long Time...

2009-07-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have not written in a long while. Time for an update. It's hard to recall EVERYTHING that has happened in the past months since by last entry, but here's the main thing. Josh and I are expecting our first child, which is due January 27, 2010! We couldn't be more excited! I'm at the end of the first trimester, and will be glad to get past the morning sickness, though, I am lucky to have not gotten it as badly as some women. Anyways, here is a picture of our little one. It is at our twelve week appointment.

It was really neat to see the little one in motion at the ultrasound. Fortunately, it was awake when we saw it; it was twisting and turning the entire time, so we saw it's profile, front, and rear, and even it's spine! So much detail has already formed on and in this child. What a miraculous process!!
We can't wait to find out what the sex is in September.

In other events....

In May, my step-grandfather passed away, so Josh and I went out to Monticello, Utah for his funeral. Eventhough, it was a sad occasion that brought us out there, we were grateful to see everyone. Josh got to meet people in my family for the first time and get re-acquainted with ones that he met at our wedding. My dad even surprised everyone with a last minute flight there. It was so wonderful to see him especially, because he had been in Kuwait last year, and I hadn't seen him since before he left. So, again, eventhough it was a sad occasion that brought us together, I was grateful for our mini family reunion. Here are some pics.

We also got to see our dear friends, Shalee and Rex, even for just a brief time while we were there. We'll have to do it again soon!

It was a very good trip. Thanks everyone!
More updates to come...

Speed Scrabble!

2009-03-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

Our friends introduced us to a new and exciting way to play Scrabble. Speed Scrabble! No Scrabble board. Your own space with 7 letters starting, and whoever puts there letters together first says "Done" and everyone picks 2 more letters from the community pile in the middle of the table, and it goes like that until the letters are gone, and whoever finishes first gets to consider him/herself a genius!
Here was my winning clump of letters!

P.S. Thanks Jen and JJ for the fun times!

32. Not too Shabby! But it's still a failing grade...

2009-02-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it was fun! Just Bold the ones you have done and then post it on your blog!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland or Disneyworld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Olde Faithful Geyser Erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie or on a TV show
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Had an encounter with a wild animal
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a Jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Taken a martial arts class

Long Time

2009-02-26T21:58:00.001-08:00

Wow! It has been a while since I've posted anything on here. And sadly the last thing in here I leave you with is a story about my ear! Sorry folks. Here's a picture of us. Nothing has been going on in life that's been picture worthy except for the clouds (see "Clouds" post). Ta Ta for now!

Clouds

2009-02-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

Josh and I were taking a drive in Roseville last weekend, and we saw some of the most beautiful clouds.

Nice fluffy clouds on one side of town...

A magnificant rain storm awaiting our return home.

Longwinded Tale of the Ear Wash

2009-01-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

About a week and a half ago(on a Monday or Tuesday), I was cleaning my ears with Q-Tips like I usually do every few days (Normally, I clean them with a towel in the mornings after my shower, but I do deep cleaning every once in a while with the aforementioned tool.). No big deal. Sometimes, after cleaning my left ear, it feels a little clogged; again, no big deal b/c the feeling goes away. Well, last week that clogged, pressure feeling didn't go away after a couple of hours. I kept yawning and chewing gum to see if I could get it to pop, but to no avail. The pressure remained. This went on for a couple of days. When it started to feel sensitive, I figured I was getting an ear infection, so I went to the drugstore for some over-the-counter drops to help my situation. When that didn't work and the sensitivity turned into real pain, I began to worry that I might have a really bad infection. So, I went to the doctor's office on that Friday, where I was told they couldn't see anything in my ear b/c it was being BLOCKED by a big ROCK of WAX (!!!) and that they were going to flush it out. I couldn't believe it. I've never had issues with my ears in the past, so this was new to me. The nurse said it would be no big deal since I'm young; I guess old people come in all the time for ear washes, and the nurses have difficulties flushing the wax out b/c they have dryer wax; since I'm young and have not so dry wax, it should be a jiffy to get the stuff out. When she told me that, I thought, "Sweet, just a quick flush with some warm water, and I can get out of here- pain free, able to enjoy the weekend. WRONG! She started flushing and little bits of wax would come out, only scratching the surface after a couple of soaks with solution and water being jetted into my very sensitive ear. At one point the nurse uttered, "Huh, it's harder than I thought." Yeah, that was comforting! Unfortunately, the office was about to close for the evening, so they shewed me away with a bottle of that solution and strict instructions to soak my ear 4 or 5 times a day until Tuesday (!?!), and then come back and try again. Great. So anyone out there who's had ear infections will understand when I say that ear pain is the most annoying pain in the world!
For the next four days, I walked around with that solution in my ear, covered by a cotton ball, and my head tilted to the side, so it would ensure complete soakage. By the time Monday came around, I was in so much pain that it brought me to tears. I couldn't wait for Tuesday to come. But I was also nervous for Tuesday to come b/c I knew the nurse would put even more pressure in my ear to get the wax out, and I knew that was going to be painful, and I don't do well with pain (although, I have had a few experiences this past year that have proven to me how much pain I can really handle, but that's a whole different story).
Finally, Tuesday came, and I was ready for the wash. The pressure and pain were awful, and the only thing I could hear was a high-pitched ringing that you hear in a quiet place after being in a very loud place like a concert per se.
I went to the doctor's office first thing in the morning, thinking that there wouldn't be that many people there yet to wait behind, but there were. So, I found the corner of the waiting area where the magazines were, and it was there that I found a little miracle. Someone had left a copy of the October(Conference) issue of the Ensign there. That office never has magazines like that there. So, I opened it up and starting reading Pres. Uchdorf's message about hope and faith. It was just what I need to calm my nerves. Immediately, I felt the love the Savior has for me, and the care that He took over me with something so minor as an ear flush. My nerves were replaced with peace, and I new that my pain would be gone very soon.
When the nurse called me back, I was so excited. I would be able to hear again. I would burp and yawn without pain or pressure. She looked in my ear before flushing and commented on how soft the ball of wax looked and that it would come out very easily. Yes! It only took two or three squirts of water to break through. Hallelujah! I could hear again. And (now this is gross folks) I couldn't believe the amount of wax that was stuck in my ear! I saw little balls that if put together would equal the size of a quarter in diameter. Again, I could hear! I wanted to give the nurse a big hug to show her my appreciation, but I thought that would be a little frightening for her. Instead, I thanked over and over again like an idiot. Oh well, I was cured. And I'd never appreciated the gift of sound more than on that day.
Moral of the story...don't clean your ears with Q-Tips b/c they just push in the wax instead of cleaning it out. Also, there is always relief on the other side of pain, but savour the pain b/c it allows you to appreciate the relief. The end.

Funny

2009-01-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

I was blog surfing, and I thought this was hilarious!

More Christmas

2009-01-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

Here are more photos of Christmas fun. Josh and I went over to his sister's house on Christmas eve, and at one point, the Tower of Babel came up in conversation (Tyler thinks it was an attempt at building a spaceship...crazy! but awesome if true), so Josh took it upon himself to build his own Tower out of little Avery's giant legos. Sadly, the tower wasn't even as tall as he, so I guess he's going to have to find another way to Heaven. Sorry sweets!

Christmas morning was spent blissfully sleeping in, Josh and I hanging out together in the morning, opening presents and eating Christmas Crepes (crapes). Then, his parents had everyone over for their open house, which was so fun. Anyways, voila!

What a beautiful Christmas afternoon! I LOVE that all I have to wear is a sweater and a scarf in December!! This is actually in Josh's parents' driveway where everyone was taking part in a family photo shoot with a new camera that Josh's brother was trying out. This is ours.

Our morning Christmas. Don't we look marvelous!

Christmas 08

2008-12-31T07:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was so fun. Josh and I stayed in California this (we go to Ohio every other year to spend it with the Shoemaker side). We spent quality time with the family, and I really loved just being with Josh on Christmas morning. And as a side bonus, this was the first year that we mailed out Christmas presents to family on time!!! That's a first for me.

For the Summerhays family, there were two Christmas parties...well, technically a Christmas party and a Christmas open house. With a family as large as Josh's, any gathering turns into one big party. The first was spent five days before Christmas (my bday) at Josh's brother's house, which was so fun. We had lots of food, a salad contest, white elephant, a live nativity done by the grandchildren, and even Father Christmas came to visit. Here are some pics...

Okay, I've run out of time to post. Gotta go to work. More posting of Christmas fun to come... In the meantime, Happy New Year's Eve!

Just the Two of Us

2008-12-07T19:04:00.001-08:00

One thing I did get pictures of is Josh's and my trip to San Francisco last weekend. We hadn't been down there in a long while, so it was fun to get back. We just shopped and rode the trolley and wandered around town. And for some reason, a favorite sight is that of the sea "oversized terd" lions, and we captured some of their proudest moments too. It was good to get away for a couple of days.

Thankful for friends

2008-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was Thanksgiving, and there was much to be thankful for. I am married to a wonderful husband whom I love dearly. We have an awesome family; we have a roof over our heads, and we have our jobs; as well as many other blessings.

I'm grateful for major holidays b/c it unites not only families, but friends as well. This Thanksgiving, Josh and I were blessed to reunite with some of our best friends from Utah. My friend Shalee (BFF from Ohio) came out with her husband to Sacramento, and Josh's high school buddies Jeremy and Bethia visited as well. We had a good weekend just catching up, playing games, and staying up until all hours of the night like old times. Shalee has always been a breath of fresh air everytime we get together. She's so fun and uplifting; I can't help but be a little bit happier after hanging out with her. I'm lucky to have such an awesome best friend! And I'm grateful for Jeremy and Bethia, too. They're so fun to be around, and Jeremy has one of the best laughs EVER. I can't help but laugh along. So, thanks for the fun times guys!

Sorry, no pics for this, but I just wanted to give a shout out to them! Love ya!

Random Photo-Op

2008-11-08T10:23:00.001-08:00

Love it!

Halloween Party

2008-10-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Josh's family threw a Halloween party, which involved lots of catching up with family, good food, and a sweet costume contest. Josh and I dressed up as thugs, and won the contest! Sweet. Here are some pics. And thanks to Rose and Mandy for putting on a great party!

Awesome!

2008-10-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

I went to Costco today to fill up the gas tank, and found a sweet surprise...the price of gas went down to $2.39 a gallon. That was amazing! I almost peed my pants, I was so excited. Luckily, no leaks! I can't remember the last time gas has been this cheap in California. And I can't believe that not too long ago, the price of gas was over $4.50. Crazy! I was expressing my glee to Josh the other day when it was $2.99, and he crushed my excitement by telling me that oil companies are rumored to cut back the supply of oil, which will make the price go up, so they can make more money. That's probably inevitable, but for now, I'm enjoying cheap gas!

Tahoe

2008-10-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Monday the 13th was Columbus Day, a day that only doctors and banks take off. Fortunately, I work at a doctor's office, and Josh works at a bank. Sweet! A day off together meant road trip to Lake Tahoe, and it was the perfect day to go. The skies were clear, the temperature warm, and there weren't that many people there, so we could enjoy the scenery and shops a little more.

Bored

2008-10-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

Josh and I were just hangin' out at home the other night, and decided to have a little photo session to cope with our temporary boredom.

Ah, sweatsuit chic!

Josh is very suspicious of something...

Strike a pose!

No words...

We are trying to stay warm in front of a fireplace that's not giving off fire.

There ya have it. This is what boredom does to the Summerhays family!

Concerto!

2008-10-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Josh and I saw Dashboard Confessional in concert last weekend, along with Plain White T's and Panic at the Disco. Josh has had a longtime man crush on the lead singer from Dashboard and was pumped to see the band live. At first I wasn't too excited about seeing them b/c I always thought he was too whiny and dramatic (Dashboard, not Josh). But I was pleasantly surprised to witness the hilariousness that is Dashboard. He was making jokes and really having fun with the crowd. And by the end of his portion of the concert, I found myself getting a little crush on him, too. Josh is okay with this b/c they look so much alike, so he just thinks I have good taste in men. Oh, and the rest of the concert was good too. The PWTs had a good live sound, and PATD was just crazy. I'm not such a fan of PATD, but I will admit, the lead singer is very talented in music. He sang, he played the guitar, and went wild on the drums. His screamo voice could have broken glass; it definitely dented my eardrums! Anyways, it was a good night. Here are pics. Josh's sister and her beau came with us, too.

Happenings

2008-09-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last wrote, and seeing as how this is my one hope of a journal, I should probably update it.
Actually, not a whole lot has been going on in my life. Hmmm...let's think about this for a sec. Ah, yes. Most of you should know by now that our friends, Rob Staples and Cindy Long, got married on August 2nd. We were so excited for this union! Cindy is such a darling person with an incredible amount of energy, and Rob is such a sweet guy who we haven't seen this happy in a long time. Heck, at the reception, we read the most beautiful poem written by Mr. Staples about his Mrs. Staples. It is a remarkable woman who can move a man to poetry. Good job, guys!
Here are a few pictures from their reception.

In other not so recent news...Josh and I have been on this Bocci Ball kick lately. Josh and I would always play with his sister's set, and we felt badly about always borrowing it, so Josh finally bought a set for us. Now, this is a game that can be played in any field you can find, BUT there just happens to be a stellar bocci ball court just down the street from where we live. Awesome! We've had the pleasure of introducing this game to some friends of ours. Here are some pics of one game with our friends, Jessica, Matt, and even their son Dax got into it!

Josh, showin' them the ropes. Good form, Honey!

Josh is a stickler for accuracy and the "integrity of the game," (though at least one person might disagree with that--Tyler) so he keeps a tape measurer by his side during close games. Dax got a hold of it this time, and felt that the way he could participate would be to help measure the close calls. He did a pretty good job, too!

The official winner's pose!

Okay, fast forward a few weeks. Josh and Rob felt like being one with nature, so they invited their not-so-nature-loving wives on a little camping trip to Island Lake. Don't even ask me where that it; I'm terrible with directions. Anyway, it was quite the experience. The boys hadn't been there in five years, and they didn't bring directions. The car ride was less than amusing, going twenty miles out of the way, on which the road was beyond bumpy, and poor Cindy was getting a little car sick. (Thank goodness for Tums!) When we finally made our destination, there were only a couple hours of light left...and we had to hike in a couple of miles to the campsite with all of our stuff! That made the girls quite cranky! But it was all worth it when we saw where we would be camping...on cliffs next to the most beautiful lake, second only to Lake Tahoe. And we got there just in time for sunset. Breathtaking! After setting up camp, the rest of the evening was spent relaxing around the campfire, catching up on each other's lives, and listening to Rob read a very cheesy scary story. Oh, don't forget the marshmellows! That's the best part of camping, roasting marshmellows. The next day, we decided to go on a hike around the entire lake. I think that was the most fullfilling part of the trip for me because at one point, we had to carve out our own trail to get back to the tents. I felt like a pioneer of some sort, and I was proud to actually keep up with everyone. The entire trip was so fun! We should again...in five years!

That's all for now! Peace!

A Heavenly Sight

2008-08-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

If you're not doing anything tonight, check out of the city and look to the night sky for a spectacular meteor shower that peaks well into tonight! Here's an article I found to give more info about it.

The 2008 Perseid Meteor Shower
07.22.2008
Mark your calendar: The 2008 Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 12th and it should be a good show.

"The time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday, August 12th," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center. "There should be plenty of meteors--perhaps one or two every minute."

The source of the shower is Comet Swift-Tuttle. Although the comet is far away, currently located beyond the orbit of Uranus, a trail of debris from the comet stretches all the way back to Earth. Crossing the trail in August, Earth will be pelted by specks of comet dust hitting the atmosphere at 132,000 mph. At that speed, even a flimsy speck of dust makes a vivid streak of light when it disintegrates--a meteor! Because, Swift-Tuttle's meteors streak out of the constellation Perseus, they are called "Perseids."

Serious meteor hunters will begin their watch early, on Monday evening, August 11th, around 9 pm when Perseus first rises in the northeast. This is the time to look for Perseid Earthgrazers--meteors that approach from the horizon and skim the atmosphere overhead like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond.
"Earthgrazers are long, slow and colorful; they are among the most beautiful of meteors," says Cooke. He cautions that an hour of watching may net only a few of these at most, but seeing even one can make the whole night worthwhile.

A warm summer night. Bright meteors skipping overhead. And the peak is yet to come. What could be better?

The answer lies halfway up the southern sky: Jupiter and the gibbous Moon converge on August 11th and 12th for a close encounter in the constellation Sagittarius: sky map. It's a grand sight visible even from light-polluted cities.

For a while the beautiful Moon will interfere with the Perseids, lunar glare wiping out all but the brightest meteors. Yin-yang. The situation reverses itself at 2 am on Tuesday morning, August 12th, when the Moon sets and leaves behind a dark sky for the Perseids. The shower will surge into the darkness, peppering the sky with dozens and perhaps hundreds of meteors until dawn.
Above: The eastern sky viewed during the hours before sunrise on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008.
For maximum effect, "get away from city lights," Cooke advises. The brightest Perseids can be seen from cities, he allows, but the greater flurry of faint, delicate meteors is visible only from the countryside. (Scouts, this is a good time to go camping.)
The Perseids are coming. Enjoy the show!
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Author: Dr. Tony Phillips Credit: Science@NASA
more information
NASA's Future: US Space Exploration Policy

I'm Famous!

2008-08-06T18:31:00.001-07:00

Okay. This will only really be applicable to those of you who live in the Sacramento area, but for everyone else, still check this out. I work at a little place called Folsom Optometry Center. If you go to our website (http://www.folsomoptometry.com/), you will see ME, and my other co-workers. I'm still just posting them here, so I guess you don't have to go to the site to see me, but still check it out.

We have a plethora of fashionable sunglasses!

This very important test, called the Optomap Retinal Scan, can detect certain health issues in the eyes like Diabetes, Retinal Detachment, Macular Degeneration, and even high blood pressure. I recommend it!

And make sure to schedule your yearly eye exam with your local optometrist/ophthalmologist today!

New Do!

2008-08-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

So, a few weeks ago, I played model for our sister, Amanda, as she took the practical part of her state board exam for cosemetology. We had so much fun, and BONUS, she passed! As a thank you from her, she offered to cut and color my hair. I jumped on that train! Here's the before.

And here's the after.

Okay, so there's not that much of a difference, especially when it comes to the cut, but I'm great with that. And there is a lot more blond in my hair than what this picture reveals, but this is the best shot I could find. Thank you, Amanda! You're the best, and congrats again!

More Redwoods Pix

2008-08-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here are more pictures from our Redwoods trip. I must note, though, that the eye is the best camera, so I recommend going up there sometime to experience Mother Nature at her best.

This is at the beginning of our trek...when I was the most cheery. Neither one of us paid much attention to the signs along the trail b/c we were so caught up in the scenery. We ended up taking the Nature Trail, coming back, and starting over at the Miner's Ridge Trail, taking that to the beach, and coming back on James Irvine Trail. I just did the math, and that's 11.3 miles! Here's what we saw on the hike.

I'm so small!

So green and Secret Garden-like!

Josh caught between a stump and a hard place!

Our reward...the beach!

As you can see, absolutely no one was there.

On our way back to the hotel, we saw some elk on the side of the road. Beautiful!

They were shy and didn't want to face us, so here is a spectacular shot of elk bum!

Like I said, Mother Nature at her best!

Breaking Dawn

2008-07-29T21:51:00.001-07:00

All right, all you Twilight addicts out there. As I'm sure you're well aware, Breaking Dawn comes out this FRIDAY. Yay, Hooray, yippie skippie, and all those immature excitement exclamations! My only problem is....I'm only halfway through the Host!!! So, what am I doing blogging??? Peace out.

More Redwood tales to come, I promise.

It's About Time!

2008-07-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

I should have posted this a couple of weeks ago.

Josh and I had our second wedding anniversary on the 14th. Hooray!! We made it. In Hollywood years, that's an eternity! Anyway, to celebrate we went up the the Redwoods near Eureka. Neither one of us had been there before, and Josh thought that was inexuseable for him at least, since he's lived in California his entire life. Plus, it was the perfect opportunity for us to get away from the smoke that had settled in Folsom from all the forrest fires in the surrounding areas. So, this is the story....

I had just finished work on Friday, the 11th. I go home, and just about everything has been packed for us to begin our journey that night. We figured it would take about 5 or 6 hours to get up there, so we went about halfway up Friday. We didn't want to take anything to hard or rushed. The goal was total relaxation. At the halfway point, we found this older inn where some friends had suggested we stay. It was gorgeous! It surrounded by virtually nothing but forrest and garden and a golf course. The feel was very Victorian; inside was dark mahogany wood everywhere. There were no modern forms of entertainment aka no television, radio, ipods, etc. There were, however, fabulous Victorian sofas in front the main fireplace, a board game corner, puzzle areas, and an older upright piano free for anyone to play. Everything was pleasantly old fashioned. In our room, again there was NO television. Replacing it on the dresser was a bottle of brandi and two cups. There was a little sitting area with tons of books. The chairs were red velvet in band-aid pattern. I could picture Hugh Hefner sitting in there in his ever present robe and scarf, smoking a pipe, maybe picking up one of the books. I've never stayed in a hotel like this. It was a cool experience. P.S. We didn't drink from the brandi bottle.

This is the back pattio.

After our cozy stay there, we went farther up on the Avenue of the Giants, which is just this winding road with tons of oversized trees. We took some stops along the way to stretch our legs on some nature walks. I must note that they were just walks; the actual hike was yet to come. On the walks, we came across the BIGGEST tree I'd ever seen. Take a look.

So, now I have to get back to work. More will come....

Blue Tooth

2008-07-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

So, starting July 1st this year, Californians are not allowed talking on the phone while driving...something due to excess accidents, I guess. I think it's a crock really b/c one's more likely to get in an accident while eating than talking on the phone in my opinion. Anyway, like good citizens Josh and I bought Blue Tooths (teeth?) and have been using them successfully, but they crack me up because picture this. I, Amy, am driving, hands free of my telephone, and say I'm talking to Josh or a girlfriend, and I think something's funny. I laugh, right? Yes. But along with the laughter comes head bobbing and flailing arm movement b/c that's just what I do. Now, imagine pulling up next to me watching me do all of those things...and my hair's covering the blue tooth. I must look pretty retarded!

Nick

2008-07-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

So, one of my friends on Facebook shared this great link with us. For those of you who loved Nicelodeon as much as I did as a youngster, I think you'll enjoy this.

SYTYCD

2008-07-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

I am a HUGE fan of So You Think You Can Dance. Everytime I watch it, I get so enthralled in it that it's impossible to talk to me because I won't even hear you. Josh can vouch for that. But that has nothing to do with this post. Last night on the show, there was a guest dancer who originally tried out for the show, but quit. BOOO! Anyway, he's amazing. In the words of Cat, "Take a look at this!"

Happenings

2008-06-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while since I last wrote. I wish I could say that sooooooooooo much has happened since then, but alas, I would be lying if I did. With that said, here is what's been going on in our neck of the woods.

Thanks to federal holidays like Memorial Day, I got a day off of work on that weekend, but that wasn't enough, so I decided to take one more day off and go on a mini vacation with Josh. We went to Utah to visit some friends. It was so much fun! We did close to nothing, but it was so refreshing. We stayed with my best friend, Shalee and her husband Rex. They were amazing hosts. The husbands got along great, which, I'll be honest, was something I was a little worried about. Kudos boys! Shalee gave me some great cooking tips and inspiration, and since we've been back, Josh and I have eaten out much less. I've actually cooked a little! (I'm hearing applause in my head for self approval.) Josh experienced a poker revival in himself, but he and others noticed and change in his strategy. The old Josh would be daring and bet it all on hands like "7-2 off suit," and somehow manage to win just by bluffing everyone out. But the old Josh played much more conservatively, throwing hands away like "queen-10 suited" when he felt he was beaten. Our friend Dallin was flabbergasted by this change, and for some reason, he blamed me. hehe

While Josh experienced a poker revival, I went through a friendship revival with Shalee. It was so much fun to just sit a the couch and talk about things from old friends to recipes to church stuff to plans for children. It felt like old times. Thank you Shays for your amazing friendship and sisterhood! And thanks to Rex and Josh for stepping aside for a weekend to let us have girl time! :-) Here are a couple of pics.

Me, with our friends Jeremy and Shalee.This is what we drove through on our way back. We would see rain and these amazing cumulus clouds, and then, every once in a while and window of light would open. The beauty of the contrast between light and dark clouds is so majestic to me. Oh, and we even saw a bolt of lightning! I don't think I've seen lightning in CA ever in the three years I've been here. Crazy!

Must See!

2008-05-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

So, Josh and I saw a truly awesome movie yesterday. It is called Iron Man. I hadn't heard much about it until yesterday, on the radio, dj's kept talking about it and how hugely well it did at the box office over last weekend. I knew the main character was played by Robert Downey, Jr. who I absolutely think is a fantastic actor, so I thought, "what the heck. It'll be a fun theater movie at the very least." So, I convinced Josh to go see it with me...which was like pulling teeth at first b/c he gets very picky about which movies are theater worthy. Actually, he relies on the comments posted on Fandango.com the most, so when he saw that it was a must-see, he said, "All right, Amy. I'm in." Thank you to all of you movie nerds who have an opinion to post on Fandango!

Anyway, we get to the theater for the 3:15 PM showing, and there was practically nobody there. I love virtually empty theaters. I can do as much boisterous laughing and nit-picking as I want, and not feel bad about interrupting someone else's movie experience. Laughing, I did lots of. Nit-picking, none. This movie was awesome. It had non-stop action; the script was witty and well written; the story covered all bases; the cast was amazing! RD, Jr. is incredibly nonchalant and likable as the overindulgent, rich ladies' man who turns almost humanitarian like after a near death experience in the Middle East. Gwenyth Paltrow plays his faithful assistant, and I must admit, I did not picture her playing this kind of role- a role that has her playing a submissive, obedient character. Usually, she plays roles that have her be this liberating, outspoken woman, aka Shakespeare In Love, Emma, there are others, but I can't think of the names right now. Back to Iron Man, it was directed by Jon Favreau who, for all you Swingers fans, played the lead in that movie. He did a great job. I could see, with the type of humor in the movie, how he and RD, Jr. could have meshed well.

In summary, this movie had it all for me, great story, great characters, great action. It is a must-see in my book. Theater worthy in Josh's book.

Boggle

2008-04-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

So, Josh and I enjoy a little boggle every now and then. (For those of you who don't know what Boggle is, shame on you! It's the best 3 minutes of word find there is!) And we enjoy playing it with friends. Well, there are a couple of friends in particular that challange us in that game-by challange, I mean kick our butts-and they always get a kick out of it, too. Seriously, they can get 100 words out of the 16 provided letters in 3 minutes. Mind boggling--hence Boggle! No matter what we do, or how we switch up our strategies (yes, there is a strategy to Boggle, but that is not to be revealed at any time), they always out word us. It's gotten intense and frustrating. Josh never gets mad about losing, but I've seen him lose his cool before (which to me is so funny b/c I'm always the one losing my cool, and he laughs at me, which gets me even more upset, but that's a whole other can of worms to open). Anyways, one day we just asked them how they got so good, and they said they practice online at this site for FREE Boggle. I thought, "Nerds!" But then, Josh and I went to that website, and let me just say, it's freakin' addicting! I probably spend an hour at a time on that site. I justify that seemingly wasted time by telling myself that I'm exercising my brain. And hopefully, one day, I'll be able to beat our friends at it.

Advertisement time: for those of wishing to explore new heights in the titilating game of Boggle, I have the link to the site right here on this blog! No need to try Googling it; I've made it easy for you.
PS. If you're wondering who the friends are, well, you know you are (cough, Jen and JJ).

Hot Stuff

2008-04-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

So, our new friend, Alyson is an aspiring photographer, and she was wanting to build her portfolio. She asked us the other day if we would model for her. "Excellent!" I thought. "Oh no," Josh thought, but Alyson and I pulled his arm hard enough to get him to do it. Here are some samples of her talent. She also has other examples on her blog, which you can find on our friends list. Thanks Alyson!

Season Opener

2008-03-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the first game of the session for Josh and the soccer team. It was a tough loss with the other team coming up with a goal late in the 2nd half. Josh had a great opportunity to tie the game with just minutes left, BUT the shot BARELY missed the goal. Too bad. I think everyone was pretty tired from taking a break between seasons. The soccer wives had fun, though, on the sidelines; taking pictures and being great cheerleaders for our boys. Go Ricochet!

Half-time, and see how tired they look!

In other news, last I wrote, I mentioned that we got a new table set. Here is how it looks:

A New Start

2008-03-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

So, my last post was a half a year ago. As you can see, I'm amazing when it comes to the upkeep of this e-journal thing. Anyway, this last weekend was Easter weekend, and it was fabulous! I took Friday afternoon off to spend some time with Josh since his day off was then, and mine was going to be Monday(today). We bought a new dinning room table and chairs to match. The chairs to match portion is something to note b/c in the five years I've lived away from my parents, I've never had chairs to match a table. Crazy!

Rose, Tyler, Avery, Josh, and I took a fun little day trip down to Half Moon Bay on Saturday. It was a beautiful day! The bay had some vicious waves and a fierce wind current to go along with it. That didn't stop Josh and Rose from attempting some beach volleyball, and Josh and Tyler making up other games with the volleyball. What was I doing, you ask? I sat on the beach blanket tripled layered in towels and blankets because of my wussy low tolerance of wind and cold temps. Hehe I can just hear what my mother would tell me to do about that: "Put some more meat on your bones, girl!" Honestly, though, I really liked sitting and watching everyone on the beach and enjoying the sun. Despite the cooler weather, I did get a little red on the nose. Here are some pics.

After the beach, we started to head home, but got sidetracked because we saw the Oakland temple off the freeway. We all had our weddings there, and because of the new temple built in Folsom, we haven't been to that one in a long time, so we stopped by to take in the serenity and to take some more pics.

P.S. Thank you to the sister missionaries for taking this photo of all five of us. You're awesome!

Golf and Ocean

2007-09-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Labor Day weekend, but there was no laboring going on in my life. (Wow, talk about cheesy beginnings!) My husband, Josh, and Rose, Tyler, Avery, and I went to Pebble Beach in Monterey, CA to watch his uncle play in a golf tournament. I've never been to a golf tournament before, and Pebble Beach was the perfect place to experience a golf outing. The course sits on the cliffs draping the ocean. On the 18th hole, a shelf was built to block large waves from hitting any of the golfers. That's how close this course is! Anyway, it was a perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky; 75 degrees, which was heavenly compared to the 100 degree weather we were having in Folsom! Josh and I walked the entire course supporting his uncle who had a rollercoaster of a game, but he did far better than I could ever do! Rose, Tyler, and Avery tried to make it through, but baby Avery didn't like the wind very much and got fussy, so they ended up sitting on the bleachers of the 18th hole for most of the day. I didn't get as bored following the golf as I thought I would. The scenery helped to cope with any ADD that I could have gotten. So, the course not only sits on the ocean, but it's also enclosed by HUGE houses that looked nothing like each other. Amazing! There was this one Mediterrean "cottage" that was probably 10,000 sq. ft., and it had beautiful landscaping. Yeah, I could maybe live there when I grow up:-)
Well, I will continue with this a little later. Now, I must get ready for work. Peace!