Seriously...Where did November go????

Ok I can't believe it is already December! We had a crazy November and I kept meaning to blog...and kept putting it off! So here goes our month....

Las Vegas




We went to Las Vegas with the Stohl's and Taylor's for a dental conference! It was so great to have a little break! It was very nice to sleep ALL the way through the night! And much needed. It was great to shop and have 3 hour breakfasts just chatting...while the poor guys had to get up early and be at the conference. Then we went to the Ellen's Big Show...which was pretty entertaining! And went to a medieval show another night! My poor girls spent a night somewhere different every night! First Emma went to Jeff (Jon's brother) and Jarrica's and Sophie went to Brandon (Jon's Brother) and Jana's, who loved having a baby girl in their house! I think she got lots of loves! Then my sister Lindsey watched them at Wally and Fran's until they got home from a play. And then the next night my parents came and got them on the way to a cabin they rented for Thanksgiving (more info on that...) But I think they had a great time!

Thanksgiving





Right when we got back we headed up to the cabin by the Canyon Resort. It was awesome. We played lots of games, and lots of Wii. Guitar Hero was definately a favorite. Thanksgiving dinner was so nice....but over way too fast! There wasn't any snow up there (now there's tons) Personally I was ok with it...but I know my Dad, Jon, and Dan would have loved to go skiing! We really missed Ryan and Whitney but it sounds like they had a great time on their cruise!


BYU vs utah
Can you tell which team we were cheering for??? What an awesome game! If you were a cougar fan you went from excited because it looked like you were going to win...to total shock that you were now behind with only 1:30 left in the game.....to total happiness, (i'll be honest there were a few tears!) that BYU pulled off a last minute (literally) touchdown (30 seconds left in the game!) We went with Jon's brother Eric (A big utah fan) and his wife Holly and my mom and dad and Lindsey! Eric made great shirts (Totally intoxicated, by intoxicated he meant with football...not with alchohal) to make fun of the totally invested shirts from BYU. Unfortunately because he didn't have a licsence he got shut down. But even as a BYU fan I thought they were pretty funny. Some cougar fan wanted to know how he could get one in blue! If you are a Utah fan it was a pretty rough game....and they pretty much handed BYU their TD!

Sweet Simple Things

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

-Laura Ingalls Wilder

I read this quote the other day while I was running in a scrapbooking book (Real. Life. Scrapbooking. by Rebecca Sower...very good!) I thought it was such a simple but very true statement. So here are a few of the simple sweet things in my life that I LOVE!

Kissing Sophie
Kids laughing
watching Emma make a right choice
spending time with family
not being able to stop laughing
a quite hour
playing Cinderella/stepmother with Emma
watching Sophie sleep
watching tv or just talking with Jon
talking on the phone with a friend

Alright I didn't really plan on doing that and now it's hard to stop....take a moment and think of your sweet simple things...it will make you smile!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! We had so much fun deciding on our costumes! Jon was great and dressed up as the Jolly Green Giant so he would coordinate with Sophie! I found the costume online for a totally ridiculous price and had Fran take a look at it. She said we could make it for half...we did even better and made it for a third. I have no clue how to use a sewing machine (I would really like to learn...but so far my attempts are pathetic!) So I cut all the leaves out and Fran made a pattern and then I pinned everything on and she sewed it all together. Then I died tights and a shirt green! It was perfect! Thanks to Fran for helping and to Jon for wearing tights! It was a definite highlight of Halloween watching him put them on! We went to Brandon and Jana's for their Halloween Party that they have every year...but it was our first time able to go! Jana made homemade Chili (although Brandon was trying to take credit!) We went trick or treating around their neighborhood With Holly, Jana, Brandon, Jon, Lindsey and me...I think we had just as many adults dressed up as kids! It was so fun that Linz would come and hang out with us. And that she was all dressed up in her ballerina too! Some of the highlights of the night were seeing all of the cousins running around all dressed up! Watching Wally (my father-in-law) play the Wii! Jana's parents trying to talk Wally and Fran into going to Cancun with them for Thanksgiving, and Jana's dad made up a song about how fun Cancun is! The bottom pic is of Jon and I, Holly, and Jana and Brandon (of course a few kids had to be in it too!) Brandon made a great Austin Powers! I have loved being close to family and being able to be at all the stuff we just heard about!




I just noticed that Linz didn"t put this pic on and I thought it was such a great idea! Emma had to be a ballerina after she found out that Linz was going to be one! Also just an after halloween note we stayed up way to late! We didn't get the girls home and get them to bed until 11 (I know we are bad parents!) So after a few meltdowns I decided to not torture Emma's preschool teacher and just keep her home! Who knew that a funny holiday would cause such exhaustion!

Lindsey's Birthday!

Happy 22nd Birthday to Linz! (it was the 23rd...like I said I have struggled with blogging!) She was very nice to invite us to her college birthday party and start it an hour early so my girls could go before bed time! She called me all panicked about an hour before that she had burned cupcakes so could I go and get some more boxes of mix! It was pretty funny and the whole time at the store Emma kept asking "why did aunt lindsey burn the cupcakes?" I kept saying "I have no clue...ask her when we get there!" Her apartment was totally decked out in halloween decorations...it was so cute! They even had extras to give to Emma! I felt really bad because an 8 pm party does not sit well with college students so nobody was there! Linz was freaking out that no one would come to her party and I kept telling her she had 100 people last year at her party I am sure people would show up after 9! I told her I would text her later that night and if nobody was there I would come back and get her! Of course I didn't have too! She said it was a blast! Emma had a great time decorating her cupcake and eating it!

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This is just a random picture from the other night when Sophie was so tired she just layed on Emma's lap and let Emma rub her hair. It was so sweet!

Costa Rica!

***WARNING GROSS PIC***


Costa Rica was not quite what Jon was hoping for, but he still had a great time. It rained for 3 straight days while he was there! Which didn't make the best fishing/golfing weather! Unfortunatly a little friend must have bitten his arm! He noticed a little bite Thursday morning...and it just kept growing and growing! On Wednesday it looked horrible and I could tell it was causing him some serious pain (he was trying to be macho) we finally had to go to Instacare and have them lance and drain it. He also had to get an antibiotic shot....which the nurse said was like peanut butter. It must have been pretty horrible because Jon just about hit the floor! After Jon having to witness and ER visit with me for a bloody nose, and two babies...I was just not ok watching him in pain! I felt so bad! Now I know how he feels just standing there watching and not being able to really do anything! I would much rather be in pain than watch someone in pain! I know Chelsea and Lindsey are dying of shock right now! They don't handle pain so well! The next day it was WORST and we just decided to go to the ER where it was drained and lanced again and he had to get an IV of antibiotics. They decided that he would need more so they left his IV in and he has to go back for the next 4 days to get more meds! POOR GUY! He has both arms wrapped up now! Anyway we took a picture of it! I don't want anyone to die of shock so I put it at the bottom....let me just say that this is a huge improvement of what it was yesterday! I will keep you posted!

California

So I hope I am not the only one who is having a hard time with blogging lately! Everytime I sit down to post, I just get right back up! I haven't really even read anybody's blog! I am going to play catch up this weekend...so watch for comments! (I really hope everyone is in a slum too...or I might be glued to the computer!) We had so much fun in Cali! It was great to spend lots of time with Grammie and aunt Ne ne! I was really bummed about the byu game...but life goes on! It was nice just to spend a few days in jammies! We were so lucky to go to Disneyland 3 times! The last day we got to meet Jack and Jami there and see them! It was fun to do a little catch up. I think I am already ready for a dental school reunion (speaking of which...if people are going to be in Utah over the holidays let me know and maybe we can try to get something together!) We of course did a little shopping! And I think I watched Wallace and Grommit Were-rabbit movie at least 15 times, but it is actually a really funny movie! We were really excited that Brandon and Jana and their boys could go out for a few days too! My mom took some really cute pictures of Emma with them at Disneyland but I of course forgot to burn a disc from her computer!

It's my pity party....

So we have been in cali for a few days...and really it has been a blast...I will post on that part later though! I am so bummed! I was supposed to go to the BYU game in vegas with my mom, ryan, whitney and Lindsey this weekend and my aunt was going to watch the girls. Of course they both woke up with colds, and Emma started crying when I asked if I could still go! So I decided I better be a good mom and stay home and take care of the kids. I am hoping that it is some sign that if I went BYU would lose...but if I stayed home they would win! I love my girls, they are so much fun! But I was really looking forward to one full night of uninterrupted sleep and some adult only time! (Jon's in Costa Rica! Lucky him! But it is a good break for him before his vacation time comes to a stop!) Anyway I just felt like I needed to have a little pity party for myself! I am feeling better already just getting it out there in the open! GO COUGS!!!

Not much to say...

Well I really can't think of anything exciting to blog about! But I know my mom is dying to get her hands on Emma and Sophie. So I thought I would put a few pics on for her. We took these last week before school one day. I also wanted to show Whitney that Sophie fits into the pink shirt! (she has the same one!) We can't wait to see My mom, and Ryan and Whitney next week! Then I will hopefully have some fun stuff to post!

Happy 7th Anniversary!

So today (sept 30th) is our anniversary, and I have loved on other blogs how they shared what they did on each anniversary....

2001: We stayed the night at Little America (where we stayed our first night), and went up to Park City. I just remember that we decided to walk from one place to another and it started pouring! We also got a cute key with our wedding date on it from Little America. And we had a great brunch the next day!

2002: Unfortanately I had to have surgery after realizing that my pregnancy was a molar pregnancy (fake...their was no baby) We were really bummed, I left the next day to go to my parents to rest a little. (I must mention in hind sight this was really sad...but also a big blessing)

2003: We had only been in Louisville for a few months and I was 6 1/2 months pregnant with Emma. I don't know everything we did, but I know we went to Shogun (a great japanese steakhouse) for the first time! We loved it and went lots more while we were there.

2004: Once again I ditched my husband and went to California to watch my cousins while my aunt and uncle went to Ireland! I am sure we went to dinner and a movie to celebrate...sorry Jon!

2005: Our fifth anniv. was great! Jon surprised me and took me to the Galt House (a super nice hotel downtown!) It was also our first night away from Emma (I am still grateful to the Stohl's for watching Emma!) When we checked in there was a ring box on the bed with a note that we got to go to a store and I could choose a ring! I was so shocked! We went to the store and Jon had selected a few rings with 5 diamonds and I got to choose which one I wanted! We scored even more when they had lost the white gold one that I wanted and got the platinum one for the same price! Then we went to dinner at the hotel on the top floor over looking the River...it was one of those cool restaurants that circled while you ate! He scored HUGE points!

2006: Oddly enough I remember every year but last year! I know I was pregnant with Sophie and not feeling super great. And we had just moved into a house we rented. I know we said that our trip to Hilton Head SC was going to be for our anniversary! Which was a great trip with the Shipp's and Stohl's! It was such a great break!

So happy anniversary to Jon! I am so grateful for his love, hard work, and devotion to me and the girls! I love him lots and lots! We were really lucky to go to his best friends (Ryan who was Jon's best man) wedding yesterday. It was such a great reminder of our sealing. The sealer told Ryan that he probably thought he loved Alexis as much as he possibly could..but that years from now it would be thousands of times greater! I thought this was so true! Every year we just get stronger and stronger...I am very blessed!

Too Funny

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

I saw this on a friends blog...sorry guys! It was too funny to pass up!

Curly Sue and First feeding

Emma has show-n-tell every week for school for a letter of the week. Last week it was the Letter C...so we did curly hair. After getting her hair all rolled and her off to bed...which was a total pain! She came out 20 minutes later crying that her ear hurt. I thought it was the curlers since she has never had any ear problems before. Well an hour later when she was screaming and couldn't sleep...I knew we had a problem so I took the rollers out of her hair (ugh!) And she finally fell asleep. She didn't get to go to school the next day, but she wanted me to put curlers in AGAIN, the next night and she could do her show-n-tell a day late. So once again we put in curlers...much easier the second time. But when she woke up she had a rash all over! So she missed school and had to go to the dr's instead. She had a bad ear infection (her 1st) and a viral rash (gross!) So we just got to enjoy her curly hair at home. It was so curly! I need to buy one size bigger of sponge rollers! She looked totally different!
This is just a pic that Emma took of Sophie and Me. We were trying on a new hat from Grammie! It was very cute!

This really could be a post on its own...but I seem to put off posts until I have too much to add! So we fed Sophie for the first time Saturday night (sept 22) I really wanted to wait a little longer but she would cry every time we ate and she was stuck watching. She was so funny. I remember when Emma ate it was messy and she spit 95% of it back out! Not Sophie it took her two bites and then she was dive bombing the spoon trying to get it in her mouth as fast as she could!

Wonder Woman Award

Thanks Deanna for nomanating me for the Wonder Woman award! It really made my day! And it gave me a great opportunity to nominate a few (wish I could do everyone!) of the girls who I think are wonder women!

MY MOM: She is so amazing! She dives into any project with two feet! I have never seen a more dedicated YW president to invovle ALL of her girls and make them all feel welcome. She often bends over backwards for our family to help us, and to make sure we come home often! She was such a fun mom when I was little and now she has become such a great friend. And she is a great Grammie, who will read book after book after book. Emma claims she has the bestest bestest bestest books! And my mom is great at noticing a two pound loss and making it feel like you have lost 20! Thanks Mom!

KIM: Through all your bad luck you have always kept your head up and often cheered the people around you! I really admire that! I couldn't have asked for a better friend to have during dental school! I love that I can always tell you everything that is going on and you always take my side and agree with me! You are such a great mom and have at least 10 times my patience! I am so glad that our friendship didn't end with dental school and we have a VERY LONG time to continue to be friends. The only problem with Kim is that she has gone private and I STILL can't get on her page!!! (hint hint)

JULIE: You have got it together girl! I love reading your blog! I have admired you since we met! You are so generous and thoughtful! I miss talking to you and girl's night outs that we didn't do nearly enough! You made the adjustment to dental school so smooth! I love how you are friends with everyone. You are just a great example of how we should be living our life! And of course you let us steal the name Sophie!

On another note...after hearing some stories and reading blogs I have decided to go private but I want to make sure everyone is invited (the book club blog will still be public) so I am going to give it a few days to make sure I have everyone's email address! I guess you can't do too much to protect your family!

BOOK CLUB

I am such a procrastinator...funny I am talking about that at church on Sunday! I know many of you have already received emails to contribute to the book club blog (onceuponabookblog.blogspot.com) I have been meaning to put a post on here to let more people know about it! I love reading and passing on good books, and I love when a great book gets passed on to me! Anyway I saw this card at a store and it reminded me of the book club in KY...where really either no one showed up or no one read the book! Really it was an excuse to get together! So feel free to let me know if you want to contribute...or if you have already excepted your invite...let us know what you are reading!!!

The past few days...

I can't believe that Sophie is sitting already (Sept 13th)! She is getting big way too fast! She is so fun! She will smile and laugh pretty much at anything! Like in this picture I couldn't get her to look at me...she is fascinated with Emma!




It only took Jon and I (almost) seven years to go back to where our reception was! It was so pretty and amazing how much everything had grown! While we were there we had to go see the animals too! Jon went to Cabella's last time we went so it was fun to have him along...except this time Emma was afraid to feed the goats....but they were pretty scary! Poor Sophie is just stuck in her car seat wherever we go!





























Yesterday we took a drive around the Alpine Loop (Provo Canyon and American Fork Canyon) and stopped at Cascade Springs. There was a fire up there 3 years ago...and Jon and I hadn't been there for 5 years or so. It was sad to see the fire damage, but amazing to see how quickly nature recovers. There were so many new bushes growing up around the burnt trees. I was a little amazed with Jon's ability to find fish in the springs! He is so colorblind...and yet he can spot a brown trout in mossy brown water! I forgot what a pretty drive the Alpine loop is! Especially with all the fall colors starting to show!

It's Here!!!

Yeah! So I was finally able to order my elliptical...after much saving! Well not really...Jon kept putting money in my little stash! I had to wait two LONG weeks for it to get here. Jon was great and got up early Saturday morning and got it put together for me! During the BYU football game I ran for not as long as I thought I would be able to...oh well! I will get there! It is so nice to just have right here and I don't have to drive anywhere! And it really doesn't matter if I where the way too tight of shorts! Although I must admit it has been very nice to walk outside, so I think I will keep that up too while it isn't freezing outside! And freezing to me is anything below 50! I am such a wimp!!! Since I take most of the pictures...and because I probably wouldn't let Jon take a pic of me on it...the picture are of Jon enjoying a good workout...and Emma took the second pic!

Labor Day

The Egg Dance

What a VIEW!!! The very top of Snowbird!

After all the hard work...Sophie crashed!

On Labor Day we went to Snowbird with the Stohl's. It was so fun to get away for the day and get outdoors! It was the first day of Oktoberfest. As my mom said...it was a good day for a beer and brats....I don't know about the beer...but I know Jon enjoyed the brat! While we were eating lunch, they called up couples to do the egg dance. Jon and I thought we would give it a try. They gave us a VERY cold hard boiled egg and we had to dance with it inbetween our forheads! Thanks to Matt for the great pictures! It was pretty tricky at first but we really got the hang of it! As long as I didn't move! Jon let me know it was down to three...then two....the other team got disqualified because it had rolled down to the bridge of their noses....JON AND I WON!!!!! It was pretty funny! We won free tickets on the tram or ski lift! So we went up the ski lift....It made me really nervous with Emma, so I was more than willing to take a SMALL hike to go down on the tram. Little did we know that it was an uphill switchback 20 minute hike! Jon was pretty amazing doing the whole thing with Emma on his shoulders! It was exhausting but so fun to go down the tram. Since I don't ski, I was pretty entertained! Sophie was the lucky one I carried her the entire way...while she just talked! It was so fun to do something with the Stohl's! It has been a little weird to adjust to seeing them everyday to once a month! And I think that the egg dance will definately be added to the Kershaw Family Activities! And Jon and I might need to return next year to keep our title!!!

First Day of School and Our Conversation

Emma started preschool on Tuesday! She loved it! She has a great teacher and a great class. She was really excited to have lots of girls in her class, since last year it was mostly boys! But I am so glad that she has learned to play with boys too! They do show-n-tell every week with the letter of the week so if you have any great ideas pass them on!

I have to share our conversation on the way to school on Thursday....

EMMA: Mom, I really like those Africans.
ME: (WHAT!!!!) you do huh? The Africans?
EMMA: Yeah! I really like how they can move fast and slow and stuff.
ME: (Oh boy!) really??? Anything else?
EMMA: I think it's cool that they are from another Earth.
ME: (Confused for a minute)... OH!!! You mean the Aliens???
EMMA: Oh yeah the aliens!

We then had a little chat that Africans live in Africa on OUR Earth. And then I had to ask what she meant by slow and fast...she said like Robots! As I left from dropping her off I laughed the whole way home!!!

I have been tagged....twice!!!

***note: i have decided to tag my mom too! After talking to linz we thought it would be funny***


Ok so thanks to Jamie and Jami (ha ha) I feel that I really should get this done. I only could find one picture it was our engagement pic that we sent out with our announcements.

1. Where did you meet your husband?
Jon and I met in our Biology class at UVSC. And I might as well come clean, I pretty much stalked him. I sat closer and closer through the first two weeks of class!

2. What was the first thing you said to your husband?
I really wish I remembered...I am sure it was just hi and what's your name (I was already long distance dating a Jon Fairbanks) Where did you serve your mission...(he served with one of my good friends from HS)

3. Where was your first date?
We went to a restaurant called the Grilled Pepper (now closed...is that a bad omen??!!) and then went skating at classic skate...pretty much one of your classic PROVO dates. I fell really hard...and have a picture of a very bruised knee! Then we went back to Jon's house for ice cream...and Wally and Fran spied on me to see what I looked like! Oh and I was his first date back from the mission.

4. Where was your first kiss?
It was downstairs at his house, while watching Mulan. He said wa hoo...I will never let him live it down!

5. Did you have a long or short engagement?
Isn't every engagement really long??? Just kidding it wasn't too bad. We got engaged May 24th and were married September 30th.

6. Where did you get engaged?
We got engaged at Stewart Fall's up Provo Canyon. And he TOTALLY surprised me! We had a picnic up by the waterfall. And while I was cleaning up he got down on his knee...when I turned around he was holding an empty ring box...I thought he was playing a mean trick. Instead the ring had fallen on the ground...luckily right where he was kneeling!

7. Where were you married?
We got married in the Bountiful Temple in Utah

8. The reception was awesome. It was at the water garden at Thanksgiving Point. It was so pretty and we loved every minute!

9. We went on a cruise to san diego, ensanada, and catalina. It was fun...but too short. We rode bikes, and went snorkeling. Now I am VERY ready for honeymoon II

I guess I am supposed to tag someone else....I don't know who hasn't done it....so I tag....Mind (it's a different one!) and Robyn!!!