She FINALLY updated?!?

This is quite overwhelming! I haven't written on my blog in over 2 years! So much has happened that I honestly don't even know where to begin! But here's a try:

After 7+ years of living in Provo, we are now living in Henderson Nevada! It was a bitter sweet experience to be sure. For several years, we were itching to be out of the Provo 'bubble' as some call it, mostly because we had been complex managers for students at BYU. And as great as they are, it becomes a bit tiring  dealing with never ending problems, difficult landlords, etc. But then we said goodbye to the managing and entered a new living situation that was (almost) entirely student-less. We lived further away from campus and life was GREAT and fun. We made amazing friends and started to settle into life in our new Provo experience.

 Then came another exciting adventure:

Spencer had an opportunity to make his way up in the hotel industry. His company recently acquired new Marriott hotels and needed Spencer to help in the transition to new ownership/get it up and running to Lodging Dynamics (his company) standards. They own hotels all around the U.S., and we luckily got relocated to the place where Spencer grew up AND where the majority of his family is! HENDERSON, Nevada! We get to see Grandma and Grandpa often along with an Uncle and an Aunt :) Such a fun way for our kids to grow up. Speaking of kids.....

Notice how we only had ONE child in these posts? Well, now we have THREE girls!

On July 18, 2011, we welcomed Leah Katherine to our family.

She is quite the sweetheart. She was always such a good natured baby and now we'll shortly be having her 2nd birthday next month! She is still such a blessing, but she also has a bit of spunk to her, for SURE! And a bit of a temper when it comes to older sister Maddie when they 'attempt' to share. She's gotta hold her own, right? Can't be pushed around by big sister-that's a definite no. She learns so much from her older sister, Maddie--she already knows most of her letters and numbers and is starting into the princess phase of dressing up and pretending to be (mostly) Disney princesses. I guess that's inevitable with girls, right?

And then 16 short months later, we welcomed Hannah Elyse into the family.

Now I know what the automatic response will be to the age difference--YES--she was a surprise, yes life can be a bit crazy, but ya know, life just wouldn't be the same without her! She is such a sweet little thing--all smiles and giggles with hardly any fussing (unless she means business--the 'eating' business and then the '#2 poopie' business). We didn't know what we were missing until she came along! We love her so much!

And Madisen:

She's gonna be 5 on Monday (June 17th!) Can't believe this! And in the fall, she'll be starting kindergarten. So weird that i'll have a kid in school! She's so excited, though. She has recently started to really pick up on writing/reading, and surprises me often with how much she knows! She is as energetic as ever and LOVES helping Mom take care of Hannah. She's my little helper and I couldn't do it without her :)

(Sidenote: Isn't it funny how much they look alike? We liked the first prototype so much we just kept it the same for the others ;) har har)


We are very much enjoying our new life here in Las Vegas. Trying to get used to the hotter summer temperatures, though! It was 115 degrees last week! So when it's in the low 100's, it's time to get out and play (still at early hours, of course).

I promise to be a bit better about the blogging experience (note: I said 'better' not 'perfect' or everyday, so as long as I post more than once every 2 years, I should be good, right?) and not go another 2 years without writing!

So glad we're friends...

Thanks to a WONDERFUL friend who is a GIFTED photographer (although she refuses to believe it), fun memories were captured today at playgroup!

Maddie and Abby taking turns blowing dandelions


Maddie giving Abby a turn

*Right after this shot, both Abby and Maddie dabbled in tasting the dandelion. Maddie literally chomped it, and we spent several minutes trying to clean the seeds off her tongue.*

Abby is, I daresay, Maddie's best girlfriend. When we are not playing with her, she wants to be. When she SEES her, she squeals in delight. And when we have to leave, she asks me when she'll see Abby again. Seriously, two little peas in a pod. Maddie couldn't ask for a better friend. And neither could I--So glad we're friends, Lauren. We so enjoy our time with them and will be sad to see them leave...we just won't even think about that...

Yay for friends!
(excuse the pink pants--Mommy had to change her since she fell in wet wood chips!)

One year older and wiser too...?

I'm not sure about the wiser part, but I definitely am one year older and more BLESSED than ever, thanks to a WONDERFUL husband (and loving family and friends) who made my birthday so special.

I definitely have a lot to be grateful for.

A couple of thoughts brewing in my mind....

1.) I DO recognize favoritism when I see it.
2.) Why in the world is my daughter still awake in her crib at almost 11p.m.?? Tomorrow should be fun.

And i'm done.

Sorry, I had to vent.

Pitching our Tents

(*Preface--the date is ACUALLY 10/2/2010--i started writing this last night, and blogger won't let me change the date*)

In preparation for Conference , our family literally and figuratively pitched a tent towards the Prophet (or the t.v. where conference will be broadcast) this weekend. This came about as we were reading in Mosiah about King Benjamin and how the people pitched their tents to wait and hear his words. We came up with this idea last year and created a dinky little blanket tent. But THIS year, since we have a bigger living room, we decided to get our real tent out and make a weekend of it. And how FUN it has been! Here's some pictures to give you an idea of how much room this tent takes up in our living room:

and we have a PRETTY big living room!

And camping wouldn't be complete without tinfoil dinners!
(Spencer and my brother, Gary, eating in tent)

Turned out quite nicely, I might add--and easy clean up too!

And delicious, hot smores too! :)

The next morning....

Let's just say sleeping in a tent is no where near as comfortable as a bed, but hey, it's part of the camping experience, right? Spencer went quickly to work on our breakfast...omelets in a bag, boy scout style. lol. And here is my concoction:

(Please excuse me--afterall, I just woke up!)

All analogies and family traditions aside, I just LOVE the opportunity I have hear from these wonderful men, these men of God! I honestly look forward to this time of year, and it never comes too soon--i'm always ready and eager to hear what they would have me do. I do remember being younger and sometimes dreading two whole days of broadcasts, but I have learned to appreciate the importance of hearing from our Prophet, especially knowing that he is our Father's mouthpiece and speaks to us by and through the power of God. How incredible is that?!? I know without a doubt that our Heavenly Father has placed a Prophet on this earth to lead and guide us. Many faiths believe that God no longer speaks to those on the Earth, but I say to this--if He wants to speak, He will. He has placed Prophets on the Earth throughout its history, so why would he stop? He hasn't. And to many of my non-member friends who read my blog, I invite you to listen to these wonderful men and hear for yourself the message of Jesus Christs' gospel. Just go to: www.lds.org, and the main page will have a link so that you may listen. Please open your heart and mind to the messages, for they will truly change your lives if you let them.

Enjoy your Conference Weekend! :)

Follow the Prophet

Family Home Evenings can be challenging with a two year old, mainly for two reasons:

1.) They don’t sit still
2.) They’re not even listening half the time

But I’m an avid believer in consistency in hopes that with enough repetition, it sinks in. And last night, it DID! We are preparing for General Conference this weekend and thought it only fitting to have a lesson on prophets. We told Maddie that Heavenly Father has “helpers” here on Earth to helps us make good choices and they’re called Prophets. And for our activity? While holding a picture of Thomas S. Monson and Joseph Smith, we marched in a line around the house while singing “Follow the Prophet”. Now we did this for at LEAST a half hour, needless to say that Maddie loved the object lesson. And the crowning jewel for Mommy happened afterwards when Maddie was able to repeat this back to me:

SUCCESS! :) And now she can't get enough of Prophets. :) She goes over and talks with their pictures all day!

How grateful I am for the opportunity to teach my daughter the gospel. It is such a blessing for me when I see the gospel in action in my home. Madisen already has a love for temples and makes sure to point them out everywhere she goes. For example, here's a conversation we had in the car today on the way home from the University Mall--she spots the Provo Temple:

Maddie: "Look, Mommy! I love to see the temple! I'm going there someday!"

Mommy: What do we do in the temple, Maddie?

Maddie: We listen and we pray. And get married. Mommy was married in the temple, Daddy was married in the temple, Grandma was married in the temple, Gary was married in the temple...

Mommy: That's right! Except for Gary isn't married yet. Someday he will, and someday Maddie will get married in the temple too!

Maddie: Yeah!

Her knowledge is so simple still and so pure, but she's learning everyday, and I"m grateful for the chance to help her learn and grow. :) Being a Mommy is the best!

I Canned, I Peeled, I Preserved!

Let me start out by saying that somehow I've become obsessed with canning. I NEVER knew there were so many possibilities with what you could can, and now that I do, watch out mason jars! I'm coming for you!

I got started last year when a co-worker taught me the art, but I was a bit turned off with how long the process took. Lo and behold, you DON'T have to peel each individual peach with a knife--there's an EASIER and more EFFICIENT way to do it. **This technique doesn't work with all fruits, but it does with peaches** You just put a bunch of peaches in boiling water for 30-60 seconds and then dip them in cold water and VOILA--the skins come right off!

With this little tid bit of knowledge under my belt this year, canning became a delight, and even Spencer wanted in. It is somehow therapeutic for me. I love working with my hands and i've always loved cooking. And if I can save a buck in the process by canning my own stuff, count me in! :) We've finished now 14 quarts and have 2 more to go! Now on to apples, then strawberry jam (i'm cheating and buying the strawberries from Costco instead of a local vendor), and then some homemade salsa. If anyone wants in, lemme know! :)

For now, i'm enjoying the sound of popping lids. What a nice sound that is. :)

Insomnia

How is is that you can be sooo tired that you're practically nodding off in whatever position you're in....but when you hit your pillow, you are wide awake and cannot turn your brain off? It seems in that moment all of the world's problems hit you like a ton of bricks and you feel you must resolve each and every issue before sleeping. And even if you WANT to sleep and try multiple times to turn over or to adjust your covers, pajamas, and pillows, sleep just won't come.

At this point, I had no other choice than to take a Tylenol PM as I have been awake now for 2 1/2 hours just tossing and turning (Poor Spencer..i'm sure his sleep isn't restful either with me being so fidgety). Hopefully this helps as I will have to be up in 6 hours! And let me tell you...I'm quite grumpy when I haven't gotten at least 8 hours.

Bring it! If you won't come sleep, then i'll make the most of it. Heck, Spencer might even wake up to a spotless home, with even nook and crannies sparkling. Eh, I think i'm getting ahead of myself...I AM too tired for that. So Law & Order, I'll settle for you. Which brings up another thought provoking question--how come Dish Network has NOTHING on at 1:30 a.m.?

Sigh....

Where to begin...

I know this will probably not suffice, but since it HAS been such a LONG time since I have written, i'm gonna have to do most of my updating with bullet points. And if you want to know more on a specific bullet, feel free to text, write, call, or facebook and i'll give you all the info you want to know:

• Went on a cruise to the Caribbean with my siblings and parents--we visited Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, and had a BLAST! Thanks to Mom and Dad Williams for covering all expenses and allowing us to have such a fun reunion. It's always fun getting together with siblings and parents as we all live so far apart!
  

• While I was gone, Spencer moved us (with help from a WONDERFUL Mother-in-law and sister-in-laws) into our new home! We're so excited to be here even though it's temporary. We love having the space that a little apartment doesn't allow. Along with a new house came a new, more flexible job for me. I'm still in the real estate business, now working for Legend Real Estate as one of their managers. I only work 13 hour weeks from my home and they pay our rent too! Spencer is finishing up all applications for dental and graduate schools (we're covering all our bases this year) as well as working for Marriott and Legend Real Estate. Things are busy, but we are loving every minute, me especially. Since Maddie was born, I worked 40 hours a week at Liberty Square Apartments and never got to be a stay at home Mommy! But now since I can work from home (and only 13 hours!), I'm enjoying life immensely. Not only can I be a mommy, but I have time for a social life and callings which was near impossible before.

• We have enjoyed a summer full of fun events with both sets of Grandparents and aunts/uncles. Both the Empeys and the Williams have been able to come visit and spend time with us and it's been so fun! We love having family visit!

• Potty training--I expected this to test my patience and leave me quite frustrated most days, but it ended up being quite painless. Maddie is still perfecting the art of pottying, but picked it up quickly. We cleared our schedules for a whole week (no girl time or play dates almost killed me!) and dedicated ourselves to the cause. Within a couple of days of running around half naked, she understood the process and could go by herself. Once we introduced panties, the trick became trying to make her TELL me when she needed to go as she couldn't pull her panties down in time (lots AND lots of laundry). But we're in the clear on that one! She now tells me (sometimes at the last minute though) when she needs to go. With time and practice, she'll have no problems, i'm sure. And now we're not stuck at home all day!

• I've become quite obsessed with canning. Spencer let me open my birthday presents early as it was all canning themed--and if I waited until mid-October to open them, i'd miss the opportunity to can peaches and apples, etc. So now that I have the proper equipment, i'm gonna jump right in! We went and bought a 1/2 bushel of peaches from a local provider and will start this weekend! If anyone would like to join me, i'd be happy to have you here to help! I'm planning on doing peaches, apples, strawberry jam, and homemade salsa if any of those tempt you! :)

So far these are the things that I can remember about our summer. I know this is just a quick recap, but I have made it a goal to be better and post at least once a week for friends/family. Unfortunately, writing on my blog is the first thing I start to neglect when there's a lot going on, but NO MORE! Or at least that's my goal. But if it's anything like my goal (or dream, rather) to fit into a size 2, then it might never happen!! :)

Love to all!

I. Have. Been. A. Terrible. Blogger.

Life has been crazy, and the first thing to go for me is my blog. But no more!! I owe it to my family members and closest friends (who CONSTANTLY ask me to update) to keep all in the loop! But tonight is just not the night to finish at where I left off. Just too much to say... And since t is now almost 11:30p.m. and I'm about to turn into a pumpkin, I will be going to bed now. But I am promising to all who read this that I have made it a goal to become better at writing about all of our adventures!

Much love!

3 Days Left!

It seems all so surreal--I feel like i've been at Liberty Square for forever (4 years almost to the day), and now in 3 days I will be done! Bittersweet, merely because we'll miss the sweet deals we've gotten like free rent, salary AND health insurance, but MOSTLY sweet since I'll get to go to a more flexible and smaller complex which will allow me to be with our sweet Maddie girl. :) It's ALSO only 4 days before I embark on a Caribbean cruise!! HOLLA! For my dad's 60th birthday, my mom planned a cruise for her, my dad, and all the siblings--only catch? No spouses allowed which means I hafta leave Maddie and Spencer behind for a week. Sad for sure, but I am excited to spend time with my parents and siblings. :) And you know...beaches and sun sure sounds good too :)

Here's a snap shot of what I'll be seeing in a few days....

Be jealous...Be VERY jealous.

Not What We Expected..

I've been TERRIBLE at blogging lately--so many things going on in life and not any time to sit down to really jot down our happenings. Most importantly, our lives are being taken in a different direction than we expected. Spencer applied to dental schools and after 'X' amount of time, no real offers have been given, so we had to make other arrangements for our family. The stresses of working at Liberty Square have gotten to me, and in about 6 days, I will be done as the Office Manager. This is GREAT news for multiple reasons, mainly that I will finally get the chance to be a stay at home Mommy...

It makes no sense to move outside of Provo, so we found a small complex that we will start managing at the beginning of June called Foxwood Apartments. Although I will still be working, office hours are only a maximum 4 hours a day and the office is the front room of our home. :) This does have both advantages and disadvantages (the only disadvantage being you can't ESCAPE the students--they KNOW where you live!), but i'm excited to at least have the opportunity to be at home with our little Madster. :) Spencer will work maintenance at the complex and has starting working for Marriott again part-time. If anyone needs a "Friends and Family" discount on a room, we can give it to you! :)

It's been so interesting to see how Heavenly Father's plan works--you set up your own ideas of what your life is going to be and then realize that our Father's plan for us is QUITE different than you had in mind. And although there were many tears and stress involved, He helped us through and provided a way for 1) me to be at home 2)financial obligations to be met with new jobs and 3)for us to have a rent free HOUSE while we're at Foxwood. Yes, dental school will have to wait another year, but what's a year in the grand scheme of things? Will our lives be that much altered because of 365 days? I think not. Spencer knows and has felt strongly that he needs to pursue dentistry, so we'll reapply again this upcoming June.

It's nice to know, though, that no matter what, the Lord provides a way for all of us, even if it's not necessarily what you expected. I have grown so much through this experience, mainly because i'm a worrier by nature. But now I have exercised a great amount of faith and KNOW how important faith is in dealing with not only big rites of passages but little moments in a day as well. How grateful I am to know how much my Father in Heaven loves me--He loves me enough to challenge me so I will have the opportunity to learn and grow. What more can I ask for?

Going Private....

I haven't written in forever, but I'm writing a quick blurb to let you all know that we're going private! :) There's many reasons we're doing this, but mainly to keep our family secure. Feel free to email me if you'd like to be added to our blog, though--we'd love to include all of our friends!

Roadtrip to Ohio

My sisters only live three hours apart even though they're in two different states (Michigan & Ohio). So after Christmas, we all headed down to visit Kimberly and her sweet family. On the way there, how do you think Maddie was entertained? You guessed it...High School Musical 3 all the way! She LOVES that movie and still asks for it at least four times a day. She can pretty much sing every song and is getting the dance moves down too! :) She didn't seem to mind the three hour trip with her portable DVD in front of her! (Thank heavens for technology!!)



Look at how intensely she's watching! You can tell she's enjoying herself or else those headphones wouldn't be on---normally she hates anything on top of her ears, but when HSM:3 is the movie playing, she doesn't flinch! Oh how I love that sweet little girl! :)

Christmas Day

So fun to have a child that can participate in Christmas! :) Spencer and I soaked up this day as much as we possibly could. It was a wonderful time for our family! :)

Waiting on the Stairs to open presents

Santa has come!

Maddie's FAVORITE present, a baby doll w/ stroller


Maddie strolled her baby around EVERYWHERE that trip!


Eating a fruit snack from her stocking! How'd Santa know that was her favorite treat?!?


A tired Momma & Dadda


Christmas Breakfast
(Breakfast Souffle, Cinnamon Rolls, & Hot Coco)

Christmas Eve in Michigan

Now, I know this is like a month late, but better late than never, right? Since pictures are worth a thousand words, I will only write small captions for each picture. Here's our Christmas Eve with the my Mom and Dad, my brother Gary, and the Dyal's (my sister Julie and her family). We had 3 of the 5 siblings together!

Siblings (Julie & Gary), Dad, and me


Christmas Eve Breakfast at IKEA (A Dyal Family tradition)

Aunt Julie & Maddie


Cousin Logan & Maddie


Christmas Eve Afternoon Movie:
Girls went to "Princess & the Frog" and boys to "Avatar"


Cooking for Christmas Eve
Family tradition of hors d'oeuvres for dinner




The Cooks on Christmas Eve
(notice all the prepared food! Lots of work!)



Logan & Maddie playing hide and seek


Empey Family Matching Pajamas

Siblings Matching (3 of 5 children-missed you Kristen & Kimmy!)


Williams Family (Mom-Dad taking picture), Dyal Family, & Empey Family

Almost February?

I have come to find that is is VERY easy to neglect a blog. My last post was on December 1st and it is already almost February! Time sure flies! I will make sure to post pictures of our Christmas in Michigan/Columbus soon!

Here's a quick update on our family's progress:

• We had such a FUN time visiting the Dyals and the Brown's on our vacation this Christmas! It was so fun for Maddie to get to spend time with all of her cousins and for ME to see and spend time with my family, too (all were there except for the Buhlers--we missed you!) It's times like those that I wish I could live close to every member of my family. We had an absolute blast! Thank you, Julie and Kimberly, for opening your homes to us. And thank you, Mom and Dad, for helping us get there! We enjoyed every minute! :)

• I currently have only 84 more days as an employee of Liberty Square Apartments (not that i'm counting.lol). Being an apartment manager of 166 units can take a lot out of you and i'm very excited to be done with this part of my life. There's so much about this place I just won't miss--mainly being away from my Maddie girl. It's a struggle every day to leave her, especially when she won't let go of my leg!! haha. I'll be glad when I can spend all day with her soon! ;)

• Applying to dental schools: Spencer started the application process for dental schools back in September and we're still waiting to hear back from UNLV. This has been quite the process and has required a lot of faith and prayer, especially for me. I have a HARD time with the uncertainties of life; the sheer fact that our lives are dependent on an admissions committee freaks me out. I know that Heavenly Father will do what is best for us in the end, but i've certainly had to try and align my will with His. Easier said than done...

• We have a 19 month old! I know this quick update won't satisfy, but Madisen is continually amazing us with all her knowledge! She can literally quote and sing most of the words to every "High School Musical 3" song and even gets a lot of the dances moves accurate too! The first time she started to sing it aloud, Spencer and I looked at eachother in amazement. She calls this movie "Sixteen" because that's the first musical number of the show. EVERY day, she asks for "Sixteen" at least 4 times. And as a result, both Spencer and I have become well versed with the lyrics and dance moves as well. Anyone need performers for their next party? :)

• A family cruise: Thanks to my wonderful Mom, the Williams family will be celebrating my father's birthday on a cruise to the Caribbean (shh--if you talk with my father, he doesn't know about this! It's a surprise!) We'll be touring in Haiti, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Cozumel at the end of May! But before that time, I have resolved to lose ALL my baby weight so that I won't be bashful in a bathing suit. My wonderful husband is being so supportive and helpful in this area--i told him to MAKE me exercise even if I fought him on it----it reminded me of when Dumbledore tells Harry Potter to keep making him drink the water to get the horcrux in the 6th movie. (I'm a nerd! lol)---so i'm finally becoming serious about it! Only 15 more pounds to go! Wahoo!

• I was released as the primary secretary and called to be the Ward Choir Pianist! I haven't really broadcast the fact that I can play, so when they asked me to be the pianist, I thought it was a joke at first. lol. But i've loved it so far! I do miss the kids with all my heart, but if anything is to fill the gap in my heart, it would be music! :) I'm thoroughly enjoying it thus far! :)

That's mostly it in a nutshell! More updates to come, I promise! And i'll be better about updating more frequently too--I should've made THAT one of my new year's resolutions! But I didn't wanna set myself up for too much failure. :)

Christmas time is here...

Spencer FINALLY let me put the outside decorations up. We've had our inside decorations up for about two weeks, but he would not allow me to publicly display Christmas lights until after Thanksgiving. But they're up now! Here's a few shots (pardon the blurriness):

They are simple, but beautiful to me! AND no blog post would be complete without an adorable picture of Miss Maddie. She's become quite the social butterfly and is CONSTANTLY talking on her cell phones (that's right, plural--cell phoneS). We can only dread what our phone bill will look like when she becomes a teenager!

And she actually has conversations, mostly to "papa" (that's grandpa in maddie talk). There's a "hi" at the beginning, a bunch of jibberish interspersed with the real words she knows, followed by a "bye", and a quick punch of the "end" button. One must experience this to sincerely appreciate the cuteness.

Oh how we love our Maddie girl!

Piano Prodigy

Every time Mommy starts to play the piano, Maddie is not far behind. She LOVES to strike the keys and ruffle through Mommy's sheet music.

Hopefully this means she'll be a pianist as she gets older! Time will only tell!

Snowing in Provo

The last two weekends it has snowed! And Maddie was introduced to it in style. We bundled her up after church last week and let her out to roam freely. She LOVED the snow. She didn't wanna touch it, but loved stomping through it. Here's some highlight pictures:

We're so excited to be able to play with Maddie in the snow! And it'll only get more fun from here on out!!