Big News on June 1st

(Zions Nat'l Park)
Despite the icky, wet weather that May has offered us, we've been too busy around here having 
FUN
(as you can see)
& blogging has taken a bit of back seat as of late.
But I am determined to catch up soon!
Lucky you. ;)
The exciting news of this week however will be that we are having my 20 week ULTRASOUND on Wednesday to find out if this baby is a boy or girl!
We really don't have a preference on the gender....We're just excited to welcome whoever is supposed to be next in our family.. and I can't wait to reuse the thousands of bins of clothes that I've been saving of Parker or Emmie's. I'm outta room!
This will likely be our last baby (mostly so says Chris - but he doesn't use the word "likely" he just uses "IS"...), so I'll also be happy to start purging the opposite gender's piles of clothes that have been storing up these last few years...
& I'll really be happy for this baby to have an identity of "he" or "she" rather than "the baby" and "IT".
Who wants to be called "It" anyways?
Any guesses on what we're having??? :)

Best day for a best friend

Do you know how every once in a while, you are just blessed to have an amazing day, one that you have been waiting for? And do you know how there are some people who you just know were simply destined to be a part of your life? Well, combine those two elements, and they make for one incredible day! 

On May 6th, my beautiful, long-time friend and one of my favorite people of all time got married in the Salt Lake Temple. It was an awesome day to say the least and I am so happy for she and her new husband! He is one lucky guy!

The Happy Couple

 Lacey and Dallas

Lacey and I met back in 8th grade (um, that's 18 years ago :/)and quickly became best friends after she passed me a note during class one day. I practically lived at her house during High School and couldn't have had a better example by my side during those crazy and impressionable years. She and her awesome fam made a huge impact for good on my life and I give them much credit for the good decisions I made early on that have kept me on the path I am still on today.

Lace and her cute sis Brookie were my adopted sisters since I didn't have one of my own. :)

I adore these girls!

I spent over an hour last night trying to find some of our (sweet) high school pictures but with no luck. I pretty much found every picture I've ever taken but the ones I wanted. Apparently I'm not that organized.

But I do have a few that were already scanned into my computer...:

Here Lacey and I are in our limo on the way to prom - with our dates of course. Lacey and I fell in love with the same dress, (I know not a great pic of them) so we showed up (yes, on purpose) to our senior prom in identical dresses, just different colors. We thought we were pretty awesome but I don't think anyone even noticed that we had the same dress on.  

On a side note, my date (yes, also my high school boyfriend) is to the left (your left) and is a lot nicer -and cuter- than this picture presents.... and not to be prideful but isn't my hair awesome? :) I loved it.

L to R: Cami, me, Tammy, Amanda, Lacey, Jill & Megan

Here we are with some of our closest friends from back in the day. Believe it or not, we all still see each other regularly. Except for Megan that is... where are you, Megan?!

This (above) is the night of our senior yearbook signing - 13 years ago! 

Yep - 13 years.

I cringe at that number.

But we still look the same, right?....

Amanda, Lacey, Jill and I at the reception.

I love these girls!!

YAY for Lacey & Dallas!

... &CHEERS to girlfriends, and lifelong ones at that!(we missed you Cami and Tammy!:)



Special Easter Treats Take II

*FYI*I actually posted this last week, but happened to do so just in the time frame that Blogger had a major malfunction (sounds like my luck) and all posts and comments made during that time were erased from thousands of blogs, mine being one of them. So for those who left a comment on the original post - I didn't go through and delete your comments, my original post was just never restored! So here I go again!

Although I usually prefer baskets full of candy and some hard boiled eggs on Easter morning, the Easter Bunny decided to generously bless me with an extra nasty bout of morning sickness this year

(albeit my 15 weeks at the time). 

Not to complain - such is life these days & it's not a huge deal - it just makes for getting much of anything done near impossible.;)

So since I spent much of the morning with my head in the toilet, getting ready for Stake Conference on time at all was out of the question, not to mention getting the kiddos ready. So Chris went himself and by 12:30 or so I managed to have the family ready for the holiday.

That sounds about right these days.

But not without a few quick festivities first....

(I know - messed up priorities on Easter but at least we could do these in our pj's & with vomit breath:)

Parker and Emmie were thrilled to find new bikes amidst their Easter surprises.

 I know, I know. Bikes are usually Santa's gig, but let's be real. How fun is it to get bikes for Christmas, in the middle of the winter in Utah, only to have them sit in the garage for 5-6 months until the sun decides to show it's shining face (which in May we are still waiting to see btw..)?

Not so awesome.

So bikes it was for Easter this year. 

I think the kids were more excited for the chocolate in their plastic eggs though.

Go figure.

The kiddos finally in their polished attire for the day.

They of course didn't have picture perfect smiles for the camera, but were pretty good at offering some unsolicited silly faces.

Next it was off to my cute Grandma, Mimi's house for the afternoon. She is always a great party hostess and her annual egg hunt that she's put on for the last 30+ years did not disappoint. Parker not only came out with 2 Easter baskets full of fun treats via my Grandma and my Dad (as did Emmie), but made $11 on the egg hunt!

Not bad for a four-year-old!

I went a little crazy taking pictures of my brother Steve and his wife Kylie, but it was just to make up for the fact that they were just weeks away from leaving to live back in New Jersey for the summer where Steve(n) will be doing an internship with the NJ Nets! Last year it was New York and Times Square, and now this!

What fun for them!

Next we were off to the Hansens for yet another 

egg hunt, a delicious turkey dinner, fun fun fun with the aunts and uncles and lots of swinging!

My kids would swing all day if they could!

It was a fun, BUSY day!

I'm tired just thinking about it.

I think that next year I am requesting that the E-Bunny visit us on Saturday.

Sundays shouldn't be that crazy!:)

Just like mommy

Last week this little cutie went running past Parker and I, headed to the bathroom, shrieking,

"Frow up! Watch out guys! I'm gonna frow up!".

We followed her to the toilet, which she proceeded to spit into numerous times. After her dramatic display, she wearily patted her tummy and announced,
"Oh, I so sick. My baby is sick."
She talks about the baby in her tummy often.

I guess watching me in action this last four months has rubbed off on her.
When they say that kids model behavior, they're not kidding!
YIKES!
p.s. Thanks Aunt B for the darling dress! :)