The rest of summer...Now onto Fall!

I'm a little behind on my blogging. Now that I'm back at work and Nutcracker has started, I have no time. The rest of summer went good. We enjoyed our garden. Although now we can't even give the food away. Once a week Brad goes and leaves it on a families porch around the corner. We sure were blessed with a flourishing garden. We took a trip up to my parents mountain home. It was fun to spend some time up there. They even took us to a cute little waterfall close by. Brad turned 26 in August. We both decided birthdays are pretty lame when you are older. We still did all the required partying though...presents, cake, decorations, etc.
Now we are back on a schedule and spend all our time working. It's nice to stay busy. I really like my classes this year, and I'm so excited it's holiday time. The next 3 months are always so exciting. I love the Fall and it's crazy that it's almost October and it's still in the high 70's low 80's.
I'm almost 5 months along and will soon be finding out if this little baby is a boy or a girl. Maybe then we will make time to start our baby shopping. Right now our baby room has well nothing in it. We are excited though, and are surprised at how fast the time is going now that I'm not sick! Exciting times our coming our way:)

Baby...bloating...and that other B word!!

We are very excited about our baby!! I'm due March 5th and we got to see our little baby and it's beating heart a few weeks ago. We have changed it's name from "Johnny Appleseed"-to "our little blueberry"-"baby raspberry"...and well you get it. I went to another appointment today and everything is going good. I just wish I could kick this BARFING. I'm sick and it seems like it's getting worse, my Dr. gave me some anti-nausea medicine so we will see how that works. This baby better be cute (I know it will be) for making me this sick. I'm just grateful to be pregnant and to be having a baby!! I'm also grateful to have such a supportive husband. Making dinner and holding my hair while I'm laying over the toilet is more then I could ask for. I love my Brad!!
This weekend we went to Grangville. My mother-in-laws dad turned 80 and we went to celebrate with him. It was a fun little city to visit and I'm glad I got to meet more of Brad's family. We shared a room with Brad's sister Lindsay and her cute little girl Stella. It was fun to wake up to her saying my name "Towwie." I love my nieces. I did realize that any long period of car riding does not help my nausea situation. Thank goodness I packed some paper bags!!! Grandpa Taylor wanted to show the family some property he has in the mountains. Well after 2 hours of curvy switchbacks and dirt roads we made it. Let's just say next summer I will stay in town if there is an excursion up to Hunger Ridge again.
I feel bad for being such a pathetic pregnant lady...I'm pretty pathetic and I'm annoying myself! One of these days I will feel better and remember how it feels to not want to barf every time I smell food! But until then I will focus on the positive, like how dang cute these baby clothes are!!!

Vegas BABY!!

For our Ballet Festival this year we went to Las Vegas!!! Las Vegas never really was on my top list of places I wanted to go back to. When I was little we would go visit my aunt there, and I really didn't remember the strip to be that amazing. Then when they told me we were going to Vegas for our festival this year, I was just excited to get away...and be warm. Well the weather sucked but we had a BLAST!!!
On Sunday we (and by "we" I mean Gaye who is my bosses sister) and 18 girls flew to Las Vegas. We stayed in a Hotel off the strip where all our classes, meals, and performances took place. So basically I didn't go outside for 4 days...and did I mention the hotel was filled with smoke. Besides the stinky-ness, I had fun watching classes and getting inspired by other teachers, and getting inspired by all the amazing dancers. Now this was my 11 festival. I started going when I was 14, and haven't missed one since. I never remember the dancers being so good!! They get better every year, and so do our girls. The last night of the festival was the Gala performances and banquet. Four of our girls got scholarships to summer programs or dance camps, and one of the older girls got accepted into Julliard!!! After the dinner we went midnight bowling at the hotels 70 lane bowling ally. It was crazy...we were the loudest by far and realized by our bad scores how tired we were. Pretty sure I got a total of 20 hours of sleep the whole trip.
Thursday we hit the strip. Debra who is my boss could have a second job as a travel agent. She is amazing at planning trips and activities. There never was a dull moment. I'm not one of those people who on a vacation likes to hangout and do whatever...I like to have a plan. And boy was this day planned out very well.
We went and saw the Lions at MGM, rode the roller coaster at New York New York, saw the fountains at the Bellagio, went to the Forum shops at Caesars Palace, saw the volcano erupt at the Mirage, took a hour bus tour at night up and down the strip to see the lights, took pictures at the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, and my personal favorite saw the Cirque Du Soleil show "Beatles LOVE"!!!! It was amazing. I along with all the girls we brought, want to be a Cirque performer now. I just need to get over my fear of heights (haha since I have everything else it takes to be one:)
It was a great festival and a great trip!!

Birthday Time!

So I turned 25...I was not very happy about this. The night before my birthday I had a little break down. Now I know 25 is not that old, and people tell me "just wait until you are older, 25 is not that bad." But when you feel like you are 18 still, and people think you are 18 still...25 is a little scary. I started to think about where the last 7 years have gone. I have accomplished a lot though. I have the husband I always wanted, the job I always wanted, and a beautiful house. I know I'm truly blessed, but the time sure has flown by (I know it will only go faster from here).
When I woke up on my birthday I was feeling a little better. I didn't have to go to work so I got to spend the whole day with Brad. We went to breakfast, saw "Water for Elephants" (so good) and finished off the night with some Famous Daves BBQ. I told Brad all I wanted was clothes, which is what I always want every birthday. I got them in the mail a week before my b-day and he made me wait to wear them. He wrapped them up and gave them to me with a Ipod. I was not expecting that. Brad always spoils me though...and so did the rest of my family. I don't know what I did to deserve all the generosity. I need to be more generous to others!!!
I'm doing ok with the age change now. Although, I almost lost it when I went back to work and one of my boy students said "Happy half way to 50!" yeah...I could have gone without hearing that. But it's the way it goes...we get older and wiser. Hopefully someday the wiser part will happen to me!

Handouts

A few weeks ago I was giving a lesson on the Priesthood and found this cute idea for a handout online. On the back I put a little message that went along with the lesson. The girls loved them. I try to make some kind of handout every week so they can remember something that we talked about. I wish I would have payed a little more attention to the lesson when I was a young women. There are some good ones. I'm lucky to have the calling I do. I'm going to be really sad when I get released. Hopefully I will one of those women who spends all her years in the same calling. Maybe I have so much fun because deep down inside I still feel like I'm 16. Whatever the reason is I'm glad for it!

Spring Break in Arizona

We had so much fun in Arizona! I love it there! It was beautiful sunny weather most of the time!!! I had a great time hanging with Brad's family, and meeting some of them for the first time. We went for a run/walk each morning. Sat out by the pool and got a tan/sunburn (I'm no longer allowed to put sunscreen on myself. I forgot my shins and they are barley done peeling) We went shopping and to the Mesa Temple. One of the nights we drove around looking at all the fancy houses. I told Brad we need to start saving our money now for when we retire to Arizona. It was so nice to spend a week without thinking about work and being cold. I'm so glad we got a vacation and had time to be with each other. Only a few more weeks until I go to Vegas for work.






My favorite house. It's very wacky, but pretty dang cool.

3 Years!!

Our finished basement!! Last year at this time we were just beginning.

My how the time has flown by! We had a good anniversary...well as good as it could be after spending all day at work. Life is so comfortable with Brad. I'm so happy I'm not single anymore. I made life so much harder then it needed to be. I would worry about stupid stuff, and I never really was at ease with myself. Now crap will happen during the day and as soon as I walk in the door I forget about it. It's nice to be with someone who makes you feel good. I can always count on Brad, he is my best friend!! I couldn't have done better:)
The beautiful flowers Brad bought me!! Lilies are my favorite:)