Am-biance

Coming SOON?!

2012-02-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

Yes.

Coming Soon....In fact September 20th to be exact.

Baby Beyer No.3

I know we didn't waste anytime. I could NOT believe it. I bought 2 tests...still not convinced :) I went out and bought a third! Yep. Preggers.

All we went through trying with Greyson, I will take it! A little sooner then expected but, needless to say we are thrilled and excited to welcome our new bundle.

So, 8 weeks and counting....

First ultrasound down, so far so good.

Our Monkey is 1.

2012-02-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

He is such a JOY! Our monkey Greyson is ONE...I cannot believe where the time has gone.
Being the very curious, wandering, and acrobatic little guy he is we threw him a....

Sock Monkey Party

Our boys are the love of our lives and our baby is now one year old. He grows by leaps and bounds everyday. So inquisitive and wanting to do whatever big brother is doing. He says Mama, Dada, waves bye-bye, patty-cake, peek-a-boo, "no-no-no-no-no-no" (while he ferociously shakes his head so) climbs on EVERYTHING. Finds "holes" places under and behind furniture that I cannot reach him, he thinks it's pretty hysterical. I love watching my boys together. The are the best of buddies. Brayden has already taught him the "motor" lips....Yes, Greyson already has the motor noise going when he is playing with cars. They melt my heart and are my greatest joy and blessing. I love you my baby!! Happy Birthday.

Yellowstone.

2012-01-24T20:51:00.000-08:00

Yellowstone is Breathtaking.

Even in the heart of winter it is a sight that was picture perfect. The definition of a beautiful winter wonderland. Brady and I had such a great time. So FUN! We were welcomed by a blizzard, dumping loads of snow. Snow so high it covered the windows and doors up. Really "snowed in". It was so cozy watching the snow fall, and curling up by the fire in the lodge. We walked around town yes, in the blizzard. Visited the few spots that were still open. This small town shuts down at 7 pm...So we hit the local market. It had been there since the 50's. Local Culture. They had a memorabilia wall. A ton of old pictures and the market's original canvas tags.

Next stop. A Native American jewelry store. The pieces they had were so interesting. And I am mad at myself for not taking any shots of the necklaces they had there. Agh! SO PRETTY! I fell in love with one it was turquoise on one side and a precious rusty color stone on the reverse side. Just chunky and big, loved the design of it. Brady asked to see it out of the case, we held it and it was so heavy. And it also came with a heavy price tag too. $1200.00 to be exact. But it was fun to look anyway. Brady did buy me an interesting pendant. A big blueish stone with brown veins through it. It looks like branches. It was a fun surprise. Also, the cute little old man that was running the store had to be at least 80 years old. He was fun to talk to about the historic Indian artifacts they had there. Including antique children's moccasins that had actually been worn, a beaded leather overcoat that was $10,000, also an antique. It was something to see. The detail was a work of art. When he was ringing us up he went over to this gorgeous silver register. I of course asked the history of it. It was from 1914. Hand crank, cash bell and all. In perfect working condition.

Sysco never disappoints in the food department. We ate at some yummy local places. All superb!

Ready to go all suited up. Yes that is my super suit. Be jealous.

And off we were seeing such amazing country. Big beautiful bison, swishing the snow away with there big heads. We were incredibly close.

Tundra Swans. They were HUGE!

This was one of my favorite things. A Bombardier. It is a snow coach type ride from the 1940's and 50's. They are everywhere in the park for tours. They are so loud, like a muscle car. Very vintage. Very fun.

What did I say? Winter Wonderland. Perfect!

These are the hot springs and mud pots. It was so cold and they were so hot it was like walking in a cloud...We didn't get very many pictures of this incredible sight because our lens kept fogging up. Could not see a thing.

Good Old Faithful...

This was one of the highlights of our trip. As we were heading down the trail, there was a carcass in the river and just as we came around the corner we see this guy trotting up the trail. Really no more then 10 feet away. It was amazing!! A coyote, never seen one. They are so pretty. He of course wanted lunch and was after the animal so we watched. He sat down by the river, jumped in, swam across, and feasted.

Bald Eagle.

I think that this was the best part of our trip. We rode up to the top of "Two Top" mountain. Seriously a tundra. NO exaggeration. It was a white out. Nothing but ice. It was one of the neatest things I have ever seen. They call these Ghost Trees. Reason, they are covered in so much snow and ice when it is a REAL blizzard they white out and blend in with the mountain. You cannot see them at all! They are frozen solid.

Yes. That is me at the top. FREEZING. But so fun!! I had to walk up the trail a bit while our guide drove the snowmobiles up the steep hill. I probably walked no more then 15-20 feet in snow over my knees, a very steep hill, white out conditions, over 8,000 feet up. I thought I was going to pass out. The air is so thin, it is the craziest feeling. I have a whole new respect for those who climb Everest. Wow.

We had such a blast. This place has such incredible beauty and wonder. While I was sitting in the snow enjoying and taking in everything I looked around and it was so peaceful. Just pure silence. Except for the creaking of the old tree's swaying back and forth in the wind. It was almost eery. Everything about this trip was incredible. Loved it! Can't wait to go again....

Cowl.

2012-01-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

One of my guilty pleasures in life is yes..Crocheting.
I like doing it when I can find the time. Something about it is soothing to me, I wish I was better at it but practice makes perfect right?
This is my latest project. A Cowl.
I have seen dozens of these on Etsy, selling for up to $40. Mine is not as sinfully cute as those are but, Meh...it will do. Something to keep the neck warm and cozy.

In fact, the other night I had fallen asleep with it on. Nice and toasty.

I wish that I could accomplish something like this

Isn't it darling?!

Art Show.

2012-01-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

LeConte Stewart Art.

"Painting is more than expressing the apperance of things;

it is expressing the spirit of things."

~LeConte Stewart.

Brady and I took in an Art Show the other night. Breathtaking and Stunning.

I have a deep appreciation for Art. Love the texture, color, the feeling you get when you look at a work of perfection. And it doesn't hurt that my brother is an artist so I know the extreme thought and hard work that goes into every piece. These are amazing. It makes you feel like you are right there. Sitting on that hilltop, looking out into a field, or seeing a unique frame of an old home.

I also LOVE history.

Seeing a painting that was finished in the 1900's is unbelievable to me. Seeing it right there, right in front of my eyes. Knowing that it is decades old, wondering where it has been what it has seen, it's own story. It enriches my soul.

This artist paints mostly landscapes, rural Utah to be exact. He also has some pieces that were painted in the great Depression years. Train cars, run down buildings, gas stations, storefronts, they are beautiful. He called it, "The raw side of life." Brilliant.

I read something interesting about him, he mentioned that if he saw something that struck him, he HAD to paint it. It was like an obsession, something deep within him screamed until he could paint it on canvas. A true Artist.

These pictures are a wonder! His sketches were also on display, so detailed.

It was a fun evening.

Downton Abbey.

2012-01-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

I am in love.
This new drama series titled Downton Abbey is AMAZING.

It is set in the early 1900's in the years leading up to WWI. I am telling you the furniture and fashion is epic ladies!! Agh...I just sit there and drool. And one of my favorite actresses Maggie Smith plays a wonderful role. She is brilliant, I love her! Of all people Brady got me hooked. Well both of us anyway. We blew through the first season and the second season starts in a few days. We can't wait.If you have any appreciation to look at beautiful things, gorgeous outfits, and good drama this is worth your time.

Happy Holiday.

2012-01-03T18:57:00.000-08:00

We had the happiest of holiday's.

First of all we have each other. Our health. And our home.
That is all that matters.
But, dear Santa...did deliver, and boy did he ever!
We were thrilled for Greyson to experience his first Christmas as well...
I think Brady and I were more excited then the kiddos were.
We were so giddy and excited together....getting ready for Santa on Christmas Eve :)
Among the many gifts the big daddy of them all was...Yes. A 4-wheeler!
Don't ask me how Santa will top this one next year.
Brayden was excited and drives it like a pro...
I am amazed. This child has no fear. Heaven Help Me!

After a great morning we headed to......

the Beyer household to enjoy...

Our gift was a trip to Virgina Beach and D.C. with the fam. Yay!!

We are thrilled and cannot wait until July!
Vaca...here we come.
It was so cute...all our "planes" on the staircase.

After we then headed to Mom's.

Again...very VERY spoiled. We enjoyed a YUMMY YUMMY Christmas dinner with all the trimmings
and opened a mountain of gifts. All so nice~

Mom got out the "Gold Goblets"...They were my dear Pop-Pop and Granny's...
I remember sitting at the Holiday table with these sparkling beauties...They are pretty!
And my Gran always said.."They make you feel Fancy :)"
We had a toast! Cheers...to my Gran!! Love you...

But most of all, my dad has had to work Christmas day for the past couple years.

Our greatest gift was that he doesn't have to this year!!

We are ecstatic he will be able to spend a full Christmas with us this year.

The kids had a wonderful.Loved.And very spoiled Holiday.

Well, they are just loved.Period.

Thank you to our wonderful Family for making this yet another memorable one.

Love you all!

Better Watch Out!

2011-12-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, our little family tradition.
Breakfast with the big fella'. We always have such a great time.
Brayden gets so excited every year to get to see Santa. He loves that he can write him a letter. Spend some quality time with him and really sit on his lap!!
Millennial Falls has a fantastic Breakfast with Santa.
This Santa makes sure that each child that is there gets some major personal attention from him.
And for little one's that have been waiting all year...that means A LOT!
He is Jolly, Ho-Hoeing all the time, has all the right features, and is FULL of energy
which makes it fun and is infectious!!
By the end of this event, I have a sugar headache and I didn't even eat anything sugary!
He is pretty sweet that Santa.
Greyson seemed alright with him if he kept his distance. He gave him some funny looks but, when it was time to sit on his lap he looked at Santa, looked at me, then Santa, then me, and then burst our crying..
HaHaHa..Poor Greyson.
But Santa wanted to see if he could calm him down. He did a little with his jingle bells.

Didn't last long.
We had a fantastic time. hot chocolate bar, breakfast, entertainment, balloon animals, and a box of treats to go.
We are so extremely blessed that we have this opportunity to take our children to these things.
And to make our Holiday Memories so very Special.
It was priceless seeing our dear boys that morning.
Merry Christmas to All.....

Ready.Set.PAINT!

2011-12-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

I finally finished up a couple of painting projects around the house. The kitchen was really bothering me...it just looked washed out. I had always intended on painting but never got around to it. Now, it's FINALLY done.

Yes, still drawn to the dark colors. Yes, still love them.

I also hung my lantern above the island. I love this "little" accessory. I was lucky enough to get it at The Black Goose. The best furniture and accessories in Utah!:)

Done.Check.

Now onto the Master Bath. I painted the main bath a while ago, but the little "potty room" was driving me insane! It is the first thing you see as you walk in so I wanted something eye catching. At first I thought a fun mustard color, and I really wanted to do a trellis pattern on the wall, but come on....I was scared to even attempt it. And if I did, it probably would turn out to be the biggest nightmare...

No worries though, I still want to do this pattern in my bedroom. Eeeekkk, we shall see.

So...I ended up striping it. Yep, hopped on the striped train.

Finished it up with a grouping of some frames that I painted cream.

I also found this cute little matchstick front door. It was so charming and detailed, had to have that! Painted it :) and gave it a little glazing.

Done.Check.

Now.......onto my next project! Hmmm, what will it be?

Oh My Baby.

2011-12-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

Oh My Baby.

This picture melts my heart...Greyson fell asleep on dad

Tummy down. Lips puckered. Looking like an angel.

Look at those cheeks and lips!

Where has this year gone?

Seriously.

My sweet Greyson boy is almost one year old. One YEAR!

Just within the last few weeks I have noticed quite the personality. He is extremely curious. Wants to know where 'brother' is at all times. It's funny, when we get in the car, Greyson always sits up in his seat and looks over to see when Brayden will be hopping into the car. And when they make eye contact..they both smile and laugh. He is such a joy. Yes, he is a Momma's boy...boy oh boy! But that is perfectly fine with me :)

He has the most deep almond chocolate lovable eyes you will ever see. And has a few teeth, but still prefers the straight across, sealed lip smile with those adorable chubby little cheeks.

ewww......just want to love on 'em.

Greyson wants to do everything that big brother wants to do. He wants nothing really to do with his toys.

He wants the big cool stuff Brayden has. Which I think is pretty normal. Right?!

They play good together and I can see already that they will be the very best of buddies.

Brayden already has told me a few "plans" for Greyson when he "gets to be big".

Greyson loves LOVES bathtime...well, water in general. Bathtime is a hoot at our house!

One night Brady got him out of the bath, all dressed and ready but Brayden was still in...

This determined little bug crawled as fast as he could pulled himself over the side of the tub, and

SPLASH...clothes and all..he just sat up, look at us and smiled. :)

He also has lighting fast hands. Seriously, I have never seen anything like it.

He is like a snake ready to strike, and just.............................SNATCH!!

In no joke, a second I can have anything spilled or on the floor just like that.
We are so very close to walking now. He loves to Stand. He thinks it's pretty "neat-o" too.
He will stand so big, look around, make sure everyone is watching..then, KURPLUNK!
back down he goes. It won't be long until I am in REAL trouble.

My boys. My sweet, perfect, boys. I love them with every fiber of my being.

Children are a gift. There is a spirit about them.

Innocent, pure, sweet, loving, honest and all they want to give is love.

Brayden and I have this joke...I ask

"Brayden, How much does mommy love you?"

Brayden stretches out his little arms, fingers spread wide, and a strenuous silly grin on his face...

Brayden: "This much mommy..."

Me: "More than that!!"

Brayden again tries to outdo his first stretch, but this time he involves legs..almost does the middle splits.

Brayden: "Is it this much?"

Me: "That is A LOT!! Yes, I do love you that much...even more then even Daddy could stretch and even more then anything on this earth could stretch!"

Brayden stops, looks at me.

"Wow, that IS a lot huh mom? :)

Makes me smile every single time.

My boys are my life.

I am grateful I am there Mother and get to be with them to see all the little

stuff they do to make our family smile.

Mmmwah...love you Moop and Meep! :)

Is it Christmas? This Day?

2011-12-13T22:16:00.000-08:00

This is what I have been hearing the last few days.

Brayden is so so excited for Christmas. The past few mornings he asks..

"Is it Christmas? This Day?"

Sooooo....to help with the countdown. Brayden and I made a

Christmas Countdown Chain

Now everyday he gets to pull off a chain and count.

He worked very hard on it, and you can see it in his little expressions.

Puckered lips, tongue out, intense stare.

I will forever remember his little face...working so hard at all he does.

I Spy.

2011-12-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

I spy with my little eye...

Last week I meandered down to the Gateway..A rare treat!

And of course a must-stop...Anthropologie was calling my name.

I saw this and HAD to have it. I even whispered this to myself at the store when I saw it.

(It was a little embarrassing, hope no one noticed)

These little trinkets in life make me happy. I could not tell you why, they just do.

And look...

Colored.

Heee.SO CUTE.

I also saw this little guy.

Meandering at....Harmons!

Ha. I love Harmons. He just was so darn cute. And Christmasy!!

Cheers to the little things we "spy"

Gobble.Gobble.

2011-11-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

What another great Thanksgiving we had! We have so very much to be thankful for. We are so SO blessed, all that we have, our great family, and to be able to be together to share and give gratitude and thanks.

This year we went to my mom's. It was super delish as always! Table was set so darling and the hor derves, turkey and all the trimmings were YUM!! The turkey was a work of art, stuffed with fresh herbs, and orange slices. It was so fragrant and cooked to perfection.

After a great meal we just enjoyed...It was so nice. It was good to visit with Brandon and Jess, it is a treat to be able to see them since they live in the "Logan" :).

This year I attempted Brady's mom buttery, flaky rolls. That are to put it lightly are TO DIE FOR.Well, it is actually his great-grandma's but this is something that I want to master and be able to make just like her. And keep this great recipe in the family.

She was a sweetheart and took the time out from her dinner to come over and help me make these little puffs of heaven. Thanks Kel, they turned out great!

Toast to the Hosts of the feast! Thanks guys for a wonderful day!

Brayden and his own turkey platter...Silly kid.

Afterward we headed to Gordon and Kel's for a slice of pie...and to relax and unwind.

I am sad though, I didn't get any picture's of Thanksgiving "Eve"...

But it was so nice...none the less!!

Love all of you guys!

Queue the Holiday Tunes....

2011-11-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year....

This is something I look forward to every year. Decking the Halls.

Love it.

Christmas Tunes a blarin'...Jingle bell rockin'

I reeeeeeally want a new tree. A flocked tree. Looked at them last year but never bought.

So this year, I attemped to flock my own. It turned out alright but not without a fight.

First of all, I bought the snow in a can...it did an alright job but I wanted it a tiny bit thicker in a few spots. So I whipped up some "flock". Yes, there is a recipe for flock.

While I was grating the bar of soap, I grated my thumb along with it. Ouch!

And then...(yes there is more) I was mixing together all the ingredients with my hand mixer..Hands still soapy and slippery, I started putting in the beaters and I accidentally turned on the mixer...fingers intertwined in the beaters...motor ferociously torquing..beating my fingers in between them. I tried to pull the plug out but my hands were too slippery. Brady was close by and I screamed for help. We got it unplugged. Yaaaaooooowwwwzzzaaaa!!!

It HURT. BAD. Like the kind of bad when you can't talk for a minute. Brady didn't even really know what happened...He kept saying,"Are they broken? What happened?"

I looked at my fingers, purple, and deep indentations from the beaters.

Dandy.

Needless to say I have a flocked tree...looks alright but cost me some pain right?! :)

I also made linen stockings, doilie garland and some ornaments...All accident free.

Now I get to enjoy.

Brayden's little tree. He is super excited to have his own this year. `And loves plugging it in at night.

I think that this is my most prized Christmas Accessory. I LOVE my nativity.
I get so excited to put it out. In fact, it is ALWAYS the first thing I put out.
Everytime I look at it I think of Mary and her struggle to bring our Savior into this world...
A few years ago I taught a Young Women Christmas lesson.
I was deeply touched by the spirit I felt and I will never forget it. I felt so close to her.
Maybe it was because I had a son of my own. And I had some sort of glimpse of what it was like to carry and bring a child into this world. I cannot even imagine her trial.
Relying just on her faith, knowing the child she was carrying was to be the Savior of the World.
Being the chosen mother to raise Jesus Christ. Traveling under tremendous strain. Being turned away at the Inn, not knowing where she could go to bring her new precious son into this world.
Giving birth in a Manger.
What an incredible, strong, faithful, loving and perfect mother.
I get so emotional whenever I think of her. And what a miracle the birth of Christ was.
It is one if not the most important story we know.
I am grateful for her and her sacrifice.

Merry Christmas to All.

My First Pin.

2011-11-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

Pintrist.

The dark hole of everything that I love!

Projects.Design.Clothes.Health Tips.Etc.....

It has stolen A LOT of my time lately.

Pintrist. I love you.

Browsing through all these wonderful inspiring pins sometimes I feel ummm...not that creative :).

And at times it seems like I am hitting my forehead saying,"Duh, Why didn't I think of that?"

It makes me happy to know there are so many talented, creative people out there!

And the pintrist world networks, shares, and encourages that inner creative girl...

This year for Christmas since I have a 10 month old into EVERYTHING. Literally, I wanted ornaments that were non-breakable and kid friendly.

Thinking, I looked around and found some doilies at the craft store.(I know kinda Grandma)

But, I love thev lacey vintage looking pattern.

Sewed some together and pulled apart. And Voila!

Kid friendly ornaments..Non breakable and fold flat for storage!

I also sewed together a bunch for a garland and some other little goodies. This years tree will be really different then anything I have done in the past. So we will see how it goes!

And we will see how far the pinning goes as well!

Hallow's Eve Party.

2011-11-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

BOO!!

We had SUCH a great Halloween. Every year it just gets more fun.

Brayden and Dad had a blast carving "Jack" the pumpkin king, and taking out all the guts.

I love watching these two working together, warms my heart. Brayden is so curious and asks a lot of questions...and Dad answers every one of them.

The anticipation of Halloween for Brayden was infectious, so I decided to "spook" it up a little..

I feel so blessed to have the family that I do. They are all so dear to me and show such support and love to our little family. I am so grateful we can get together and share these memories (Although Uncle Bern and Aunt Jess were not able to make it, they were there in "spirit" and they were missed!!!)We all had a blast dressing up...which everyone's costume's were SO MUCH FUN!! Everyone showed up dressed to the nine's, made it special and Brayden thought it was pretty cool!

This year we were the Star Wars Fam...

Dad~OB1 Mom~Leia Brayden~Darth Vader Greyson~Yoda

Brayden had a great time trick-or-treating with the fam and made a haul.

There was yummy food, good company, and laughs from Halloween charades...

What a "Spook"tacular night...looking forward to next year already!

Happy Haunting...until next year!

Closet Bomb.

2011-10-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

That's right...CLOSET BOMB!

It was so bad I did not even take a before picture (embarrassing)

I finally took on the project of cleaning and organizing my hall closet that I seriously have not touched since I moved. Agh.

I would open that silly door, look at it, sigh and then shut it. It was just too overwhelming, a dumping ground for anything that did not have a place. I love to organize...and clean so I worked myself up and got it done. Phew, one more thing I can check off my list...

And it only took me 2 years! Ha...

Now I love to open it. Everything is in it's place. Magazines, Fabric, Sewing and Craft items...

This white pitcher was my Great Grandmothers. My mom had it lying around her house forever and at one point when my Granny had it, unfortunately fell and broke the top. But my pop-pop did the best he could to glue it back together. A couple weeks ago I went to go throw away something in my mom's garbage and I saw it lying at the bottom. I freaked! After telling my Mom..."Mom, you don't ever throw away pottery that is over 80 years old!!" we both laughed :) and after a good cleaning and love it has now found it's new home in mine. I love old stuff like this...and I remember seeing it in my Great Grandmas home. Glad he was rescued. Even if he is a little broken.

Heaven.

2011-10-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

Yup. Heaven.

Last weekend Brady and I had the amazing opportunity to stay at the St. Regis in Deer Valley. If you have not seen this place, GO! It is beautiful, the view alone is worth the drive. I feel so lucky and blessed that I was able to go. We were treated like....well, I have never experienced this kind of service. Really, this is a totally different lifestyle. First off, you cannot park "at" the resort. You have to take the findicular. See that big track behind on the mountainside? That is what takes you there. First class right as you step in the door of that thing. I am a total weirdo and APPRECIATE that it had bomber leather tufted seats..ha.I could have just stayed in there and been as happy as a clam. We checked in, warmly greeted and the concierge asked before we left the front desk..."Will you be requiring anything else this evening, Mr.and Mrs.Beyer?" just like in the movies. It made me giggle. As we ventured to our suite, I was peeing my pants...Seriously. In love with the ENTIRE design, dying over the furniture and drooling over the lighting fixtures. I think I must have said..."Oh my gosh, look at this babe" and "did you see that sideboard and the wallpaper?!" a million times over..Brady was not as excited over it as I was. As we opened our door...yes, we had and "entry" with amazing wood floors that was it's own space completely separate from our room..

Hi Anne Curry...the tv in the bathroom mirror.

Check out the basket weave travertiene for the backsplash...Loved the open double sink vanity, complete with cute baskets and crispy linens! I reeeeeeealy wanted the ring holder they had on the counter..it was so handy and PRETTY!
This was the view from our room..aghhh..Can I live here please?! Also, they had this gorgeous writing desk with a orange leather nailhead trim, and a hammered copper lamp. And look what was waiting for me..One of my favorite mag's. Ready for me to curl up and read..How did they know? :)

Oh yes, and the gorgeous waterfall I heard outside our window...

Everything was taken care of..including the excellent yummy room service! One night I wanted popcorn SO bad. It was not on the menu but I asked anyway and $16 later (yes $16, we were dying over how much everything was..and felt bad, for a minute :) hey, Brady worked his tail off for this trip :)) I had a gourmet personal bowl of lightly flavored basil popcorn. It sounds strange but it was SUPER yummy!!

Every night our bed was turned down, down comforter and pillows with a chocolate on top. Slippers, by the bedside begging for me to put them on. And classical symphony music playing...The first night we walked in from dinner and looked around, Brady and I looked at eachother and laughed..."Fancy...Schmancy" it was dreamy I must say.

Most of the furniture looked just like a company I used to sell..Lorts. They were all GORG!!

Our friends Curry and Cody...The were a BLAST to hang out with..and eat with... Curry and I had breakfast every morning on the deck while the boys were in meetings..She is expecting her first babe in a month..

Here is the grand foyer..the fireplace is HUGE...just look at the size of the chairs (which were very large) in comparison to it. Beautiful.
This is kind of hard to see but it is custom wallpaper...and yes it's Main Street Park City.

This little number made my heart go pitter-patter. They are the tiniest gold beads strung around the light. Breathtaking.

Remede. The Spa.

Here is where I was pampered.pampered.pampered. I received a hour massage and a facial. I felt like a new woman. They had an aromatherapy steam room which was lavender and eucalyptus. Rainfall showers and a warm bubbly relaxation pool...which I used them all. Right before my appointment I was pointed towards the "waiting" room which was filled with fresh fruit, chocolates, and orchid cucumber water.

All delicious.

My robe was super comfy, I curled up by one of the fireplaces put my feet on the ottoman and dozed off a little :) heavenly. Then I heard my name, down the stairs we went. At the bottom was this river running through the middle of the spa...sounded so tranquil.

As I was chatting with the masseuse...she told me a few famous people had come through a couple weeks before. Including Sandra Bullock and Ryan Renoylds (together, I may add)

and Steve Carrell. I thought it was pretty snazy.. :)

During our stay, a wedding was going to take place there and they had been setting up for 3 days...Everyday I checked the progress and would sneak by the tent. They had these huge logs and branches...giant planters and flowers everywhere..I wanted SO BADLY to go help! I was half tempted just to start hauling logs and pretend like I belonged...Then a thought occurred.
What if I crashed...........the wedding?! :)

I just wanted to see the end result. And yes, I DID. HA! Don't worry, I didn't eat the cake or anything....I just snuck in the back with another gal from Sysco. Right as the groom was giving a toast, we just started to clap like we were supposed to be there. I was in awe of the entire thing. It was gorgeous. Her flowers, lights,oodles of candles and lanterns cascading down the grand staircase was unreal. The band was good too.....I wanted to snap some pictures but I thought that was going too far..

Glad I went!

Sysco also set up our own, "Amazing Race" around Park City. It was SO much fun.

We had to run around, do these activities and score points. And I loves me a good old fashioned competition. Especially when there is a cash prize involved!

We ended up in 2nd place....DANG!!! didn't get the cashola but it was still a lot of fun. And my prize was just being there.

Our last meal...Breakfast delivered to our room. Blueberry pancakes and eggs. YUM.

So long St. Regis...It was truly an amazing trip.

It was good to go and relax, but I missed my boys terribly. A huge thank you to "Mimi" for taking care of our kiddos...we knew they were in the best of care!

It was a much needed getaway. Perfect.

Personal Farmers Market.

2011-09-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

~HARVEST TIME~

I feel so lucky. I have a personal, healthy," Farmers Market" in my own backyard. I LOVE my garden...and that I can go out and hand pick a healthy snack anytime. We planted tomatoes, peppers, a couple different kinds of squash, pumpkins, carrots, beets, and Brayden picked out his own cherry tomato plant...Which he just helps himself to and picks a couple off when were hanging out outside...And I am a beet fan. LOVE beets. There slight sugary sweetness and tenderness about them, they are perfect. Not only do I have veggies, we have our eggs too! Wow, I should just set up my own stand in front of my house! Ha. It is a great feeling to be able to produce something that is super yummy, healthy and you know where it is coming from. So~my next attempt is to pickle and can all of these lovely beets. I am sure it will be a learning experience..we shall see how it goes. And, if it goes good {no major catastrophies}, maybe some tomatoes as well..

And I of course I had my super cute helper...my grubworm lovin' the dirt!!

I have the sweetest boys....TOTAL BOYS!!! Gettin' down and dirty, on our "Farm"

Here's to growing a garden!

Spook.

2011-09-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Okay. Brayden has been BEGGING me to get out the "Pooky" (spooky) decorations...Now that the Halloween stuff is out at the stores, he thinks "it's coming up very soon...this day" He his freaking hilarious. Just love him. So I promised him I would get out the Halloween tote when he got home from preschool and we would put it out together...And secretly I was pretty excited too. To be honest I have never been much of a Halloween decor kinda gal, just Fall. But~this year I decided I needed to get more into it...Brayden LOVES Halloween as I am sure his brother will too. So yes, I know it is a little early but this totally made his day.

He even helped me "accessorize" and he did say "accessorize" Ha! Taught this boy well...

This was his little contribution, he was so proud..

he said, "Mom, that looks pretty good doesn't it?" :)

"Yes...It looks beautiful!"

All we need now are some Pumpkins...Every year that goes by Halloween just gets more exciting for our family!

Happy Early Spooking!

I was downtown the other day and couldn't resist stopping by my favorite consignment store...EmileJayne. I have been wanting a scale for a really long time but never came across anything I really liked. Truth be known I would LOVE a heavy duty stainless-steel one but I cannot bring myself to pay what they are going for new....Anyway I stumbled across this little sweetie stuck on the bottom shelf in a corner! I knew it needed a good home, a little lovin' and good scrub...There were old stickers on it from the 50's and it works!! Finding these kind of things are an adventure for me. He is currently nesting neatly on my kitchen counter.

And I also picked up this old Hamm Radio Transistor, it just looked too cute..I have no idea what I will be doing with it but, it was just calling my name.

Cheers to good adventure finds!

Skate Mom.

2011-09-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Most Moms are soccer moms..

I am a Skatepark Mom. Brayden LOVES the skatepark, he is just so cute with all the "big kids".

Yes and he is 4. He has no fear whatsoever. Still needs a little push on the big ramp but I would too. It is amazing what your kids can do!

Aghh...Love this kid!

CAMP.

2011-09-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

My little Camper.

I LOVE this first picture! Makes my heart melt. It just says it all.
Brayden was so excited to go camping, fishing and make a "fire" with Dad.

A couple weekends ago we ventured out to the Uintah's. A quick family getaway.

It was beautiful and the weather was perfect. Brayden had a ton of fun catching fish and just getting plain ol' down and dirty. Just like a true boy should be.

It was fun to watch my boys enjoy the great outdoors. And boy was it great!

Fishing was such a highlight. He is such a good fisherman. It only took a couple of casts until he got it down him self. And a mighty good caster I may add...Takes after his Dad for sure! Brayden was mighty proud of his fire. We polished off the night with classic toasty mallow's and smores. When it was time to leave Brayden had a hard time pulling out. He started to cry and said, "But we will lose our good campin' pot (spot)"...Kinda broke my heart so we had to pull over halfway home and have a "camp lunch". One last time.

It was a great time. And a gorgeous picture perfect weekend.

Will you accept this rose?

2011-08-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh...the drama! Yes I have been sucked in by the bachelor/bachlelorette the last couple seasons. And the tradition with our friends is to have our own "rose" drama night. Really, we just pig out, discuss the drama and make our hubby 's squirm. It is always something I look forward to! We always have a good time and lots of laughs....It's Tradition.

And our JP won! Darling Jen and Broc...babe on the way. SO EXCITED for them!
Jen made these fun, festive spritzer drinks...super yummy! They just made me smile. Loved!Brookeee of course made the BEST homemade Rocky Road ice cream and Carmel sauce...AGHHH, so SO GOOD!! Makes me drool!Bachlorette girlies :)The cute kiddies enjoying sweet treats!

Kev and cutie pie Lola.

Thanks my friends for accepting my rose! Until next season :) Love y'all!

Preschool.

2011-08-17T18:02:00.001-07:00

My Babe. He is growing so fast.
Brayden has dove right into preschool. He just loves it. And as a Mom that is such a comfort. I didn't send him last year just because I felt he was not ready. This year, he IS SO ready. Perfect timing. He loves his teacher Miss Shelia, she is so fun! First week already he had the "snack box" to take home. Grocery day was extra special he got to go shopping for all his "friends" and we ended up with individual goldfish grahams. I was not as emotional as I thought I would be. I did tear up the night before when he put his backpack on, he just looked so big!
The next morning was his big day, while he was eating lunch right before class I turned on Sesame Street...and this came on. What are the chances?!

"Preschool Musical" it is so cute and Brayden was GLUED. It made him even more excited to go!! I love how spazy the puppets are...it made me laugh.
Of course I was early for class and we sat in the car for a bit and watched the kids with their big backpacks line up at the door. It was darling! Brayden walked right in, hung his pack on the hook, sat down and started doing puzzles. Gave him a big kiss and hug, told him I would come back in a little bit and he looked up and said..."Ok, moooooomm" :) just darling. I am so proud and blessed that he is mine.
Love you Buddy.

Fluff.

2011-08-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been feeling the itch. To FLUFF! And switched up the bedroom yet again. What I originally had there before the switch will be going back up in the next few months anyway.

I have always been partial to dark, rich, indulgent colors and still am. It's what I love the most. But have decided I needed a change. It all started when I was cleaning out a closet and came across some darling sheets that I got for a steal a really long time ago and never opened them. I should have got a close up but they are bright white that have a darling eyelet detail on the top. So I thought to myself, ok. I should do white and creams together. Fresh, crisp, clean. Painted some frames, brought up an old window I had sitting in the basement and gave my door
(which is one of my most treasured items) a coat of cream paint to brighten it up a bit. I am sure it will be many more colors :) Truth be known it has already been 3. I did find some white drape panels that filter just enough light through and puddle perfectly on the floor to help frame in the end windows. Call me crazy, I know I am. I just cannot help myself. I have a sickness. I love to change, re-arrange, and well...design.To leave a space better then when it was found.

But I will be returning to the dark/indulgent side soon.....

My cozy reading corner. Well, in reality, it is a jumping platform for a 4 year old boy that loves to pretend he is s superhero flying off a building...Who am I kidding?! Lucky if I get 2 pages read.
But, it does feel good when I walk in. Serene... like a breath of fresh air. Ahh.

{*}

{*Project on deck*}

{Painting the Master Bath}

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting to do this!!!

Happy Couple.

2011-08-10T18:55:00.001-07:00

July 30.

Brandon and Jessica tied the knot. Yeah! They were so happy and we were all so excited for them to start their new life together. The day was perfect, they looked fantastic and the reception turned out wonderful.
Congrats and Cheers to the Happy Couple.
Love you guys.

BBQ.

2011-08-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

We had such a great 24th. BBQ fun with the whole fam. Yummy food, good company, and a great firework show.

We also played a friendly game of Wii bowling. So funny, good laughs.

Best Nana and Mimi Ever. The whole crew...waiting for the show.Sparkle.

10 Years.

2011-07-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

7.27.

Friendship.Learning.Travel.Dreams.Love.Hardwork.Laughter.Tears.Memories.Good.Support.2Homes.2Dogs.2Beautiful Boys.10Years of marriage.I cannot believe it. Gone by so quickly. I am so happy and blessed to be able to spend my life with my best friend. We have had so many wonderful memories and experiences together. Marriage is definitely a learning experience. You grow, and get to know your spouse everyday. You have to work everyday at it. Some days harder then others but in the end it is all worth it. I have an incredible husband. Through these 10 years I have learned he is the hardest, most determined man I know. So supportive, loving and has been the most wonderful father I could have ever hoped for to our children. Just grateful for my guy.I was going through my old scrapbooks, Brady and I talking about everything and everywhere we have been. Back in the day we didn't have digital camera's so I had to take pic's of my pic's. Ha. It it crazy to look back at 10 years. Virginia Beach, D.C., Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean. Toronto Canada.Vegas. Monterey Bay. Jackson Hole.Cali. New York. Hopefully....Europe will be added to the list one day. Before we headed out for a romantic evening Brady surprised me with an Ipad. I am so excited to use it. And BLOG baby!! This will be so handy for me.

I gave Brady a couple of coats, this was one. Patagonia one of his fav's. It looks really great on him and I was loving the houndstooth/menswear look.We then went to my FAVORITE FAVORITE restaurant ever....Metropolitan!

In my opinion one of the BEST places to eat in Utah. Period.

I asked about the history of the building, the architecture of the building is incredible. It used to be a car/autobody shop. It has a domed ceiling and the windows are huge, from the 1950's. All original. Amazing.
Are you ready to see what we ate?! Works of art.

Creamed Heart of Palm Soup with fresh chives Truffle potatoes.red wine reduction.tender mushrooms, potato cylinderOrganic wild greens.local honey.drizzled in light guava dressing. sweet berries.Cheese tortellini. Tender flaky crab. Sweet basil sauce. Fresh peas topped with arugula.

Um, Hi...I am a fresh apricot with a tangy passion fruit sorbet. Please enjoy me.

Brady's T-bone steak, as big as his head.Seriously.Grilled on Mesquite Wood. Smelled Wonderful.

Along side were 3 amazing dippers. Reduced Mushroom gravy. Sweet Carrot sauce. Beet horseradish whip.My delicious meal. Crispy green beans bundled. Beef Wagu.Yukon gold potato with creme frachie.Eeekkkk.....so excited to taste!Our amazing chef. Justin. He is unreal. Everything you saw, cooked by him. I would eat cardboard if it was prepared by him.Sparkly. 10 years. Finished off with Apple Purse A la Mode.

Vanilla sherbet. Caramel sauce. Sea Salt. Minced apples and baby grapes. Served in a warm flaky crust. Viola....Are you full?!!What an amazing night. Who would have thought, this would be us 10 years down the road. It has been a wonderful adventure. Can't wait for 10 more. I love you Brady!

What a Weekend.What a Guy!

2011-07-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

No days off. He works 7 days a week, all hours. No matter what, weekends, holiday's and sometimes a midnight call or two. Whatta Guy....Brady! I have an incredible hardworking husband. I am so proud of him. This past year with Sysco he had set a high goal of achieving "Chairman's Club" which is a tremendous honor and accomplishment, this is extremely difficult to do and he did it!! He beat last year's sales, increased gross profit dollars and generated $3 million dollars in sales! Whoa!! The last day when he found out he made it Brayden and I made him his favorite cookies and stuck this sign on the door....We were so happy and proud of our Dad!! He made the top 5% in the company. Every year Sysco puts on an incredible dinner and award show up at Snowbird Resort. We had a yummy dinner, great appetizers, and divine dessert. They even put everyone up in a room for the night. Brady was recognized and gave the sweetest speech, thanked our family for our support and love. I was SO proud of him, moved by emotion I stood up when he was presented with his award. I love you babe, thank you for being such a hard worker, tremendous father and supporting our family. You are incredible.

And I reaped the benefits as well...He got this YUMMY basket filled with goodies. The best caramel apple, chocolate pretzels and dipped nutter butters. All from a company in Manti, UT called Candies on Main. So good.

I have to sing praise to Sysco. They are such an incredible company to work for. They really care about your family and include everyone in there success. They treated everyone and there families to a SUPER FUN day at Lagoon. Catered a fantastic BBQ and all the ice cream treats you could eat. Brayden ate his fair share of sherbet push pops and nut sunday's. We all got to wear our Sysco T's too!

We had SUCH a BLAST!! Brayden loved every minute of it, rode A LOT of rides but his favorite was the airplanes with daddy. Watching his face on the new bombora roller coaster was priceless. He was drunk with fun. Hilarious. I was not planning on staying as long as we did. We shut Lagoon down, didn't leave until it closed. Greyson is seriously and angel baby. He was incredible all day long. It was pretty hot and he just trucked right along. He was so excited to hear and see all the rides and the flashing lights. He would kick and squeal, so darling! Both our boys were such troopers. It was a GREAT day. Good memories.

This ride brought back so many memories. When I was a little girl this was my favorite ride. My dad was so much fun and did every ride with me. He made it so much fun, we would laugh so hard together and had the best time. The Tidal Wave seemed SO BIG to me when I was young. I even remember the musty smell, the yellow chipped painted seats we sat in, and the strange colored pirates looking down at us. The sound, the humming of the boat taking us higher and higher. Dad and I would scream and lift our hands up. What a sport, Dad loved the thrill rides and it rubbed off on his daughter. I will forever remember my fun daddy when I see this ride.

Agh, so HOT...sticky weather!

My sweet angel guy.

Brayden and his bud Issac.

Hung out with Ryan, Leslie and their sweet fam, the boys had such a great time together.

Wouldn't be complete without a summer sunset departing on the ferris wheel.Sunday we snuck up to a lake in Herriman under construction. This is such a find! It will be great when it is all complete. As of now, there are no trespassing signs everywhere so we hurried and ate a snack. Brayden wanting the water we stopped off at a splash pad for a few minutes and soaked up the sunshine.

Loving Summer. Whatta Weekend! I have a great family.

Best Read Ever.

2011-07-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

There have only been 2 books that I have absolutely could not put down. I LOVE it when that happens. This book that I recently read is #3. But in my opinion this tops the list. THE BEST book I have EVER read.
The Title is Messenger. The legacy of Mattie Stepanek. Written by his Mother Jeni Stepanek. A courageous angel sent to earth to make a difference in this world in the short 12 years he was here. And I think that ALL human beings should read it. I do have to warn you it is NOT for the faint of heart. It is absolutely heartbreaking but at the same time you can feel the love, peace and inspiration he expressed. I don't even know how to explain this story. It has touched me deeply. I mean that, his goal was to deliver a message of peace, hope and positivity. To see our glasses half full instead of half empty, I can tell you he succeeded with me. He made me think...DEEPLY.
I heard about the book on Oprah (of course) Mattie the young boy and her had become the closest of friends and was on her show a few times. This family has went through trials beyond anything I could ever imagine. Mattie's mom gave birth to 4 children all who were born very sick, the doctor's could not figure out what was wrong with them. They had a hard time breathing and moving. All three of her children passed away before the age of 4. When his mother was pregnant for the 4th time the doctor's did testing on her and found out that she had Dysautonomic Mitochondrial Myopathy a rare Muscle Disorder that she had passed onto her children and now onto her 4th Mattie, on the way. She was advised by doctors to put her child in an institution and “let nature take its course, so that she wouldn't bond with her child, making it more difficult when he would die”. Jeni his mother was appalled and did just the opposite. She made the very best of every day with her son and in return her son was a light to the world. I have this book marked with quotes, thoughts, and poems that Mattie has said. A few have them will stay with me forever. He battled every step of the way, never feeling sorry for himself or the situation. His mom did the best she could to give him a normal life in everyway possible. They enjoyed traveling together, the beach, sunrises, and of course lots of practical jokes and laughter. Lots and lots of laughter. It was what kept them going on.
One day in particular Jeni said it was too overwhelming and she was just frustrated of not only Mattie's health but her's was now deteriorating quickly. She was now too in a wheelchair. The doctor's had explained to her that her son's trachea had basically nothing left. He is going to cough, laugh or sneeze and it will split, perforate and he would die. Jeni, in complete shock and sadness, all while thinking how in the world to I even explain this to my precious, fragile child Mattie? Working up enough courage and put on a brave face for him she proceeded to tell her little boy what would happen soon.
After explaining this to him, Mattie said to her, “ If you have enough breath to complain about anything, you have more than enough reason to give thanks about something.” Mattie is Unreal.
He was grateful that he did not always live his life in a wheelchair or on oxygen. He was happy that he could remember when he could walk, even swim and achieved a black belt in karate. Happy memories. He said most kids that are born this way never could walk. Never could swim. But he was blessed that he could do a lot if only it was for a short while. He came up with a theory, a life lesson, “Play after every storm” meaning....When there is a trial in your life or something that you think is difficult (a storm) you have to remember to play after...Do something fun or silly. Find the good in the bad.
One of his hero's was Maya Angelou. A famous poet.
Mattie was a fantastic poet himself, and all his books, Heartsongs, made the New York Best Seller list at the tender age of 10. This is one of my favorite poems he had written..
Let our breath be gentle wind,
Let our ears be of those who listen,
Let our hearts be not ones
That rage so quickly and
Thus blow dramatically,
And uselessly.
Let our spirits attend and be
Most diligent to the soft
Yet desperate whisper of
Hope and peace for our world.
He was such a happy boy. Never once did he complain, ask why he had to go through this, or feel sorry for himself. Always thinking of others and their condition. His mom didn't have much money, it was a constant struggle. One day after a horrific episode at the hospital he asked if they could stop and get something to eat, his stomach hurt. She said she only had $7 with her that day and she had to pay for parking but what they had left over she would buy something for him. On there way to the car he saw a father and 3 young children in the hospital garage. His one child was very sick as well. He had lost there parking ticket and had to pay to park but could not. Mattie, starving and looking forward to dinner asked his Mom for the money she had left over, wheeled over to them and gave them the money they needed . He had a big heart bursting in that little broken body. There are so many stories and I don't want to ruin the book for those of you who want to read it.
There were a couple of times that he was very near death and before he had passed he told his Mom. “Mom, promise me you will choose to inhale life, and not breathe simply to exist.” This stuck like glue to my brain!! I will never forget that.
“Don't worry about me Mom, Heaven is a wonderful place.”
A while after he had passed his Mom was going through his computer and his writings. She came across one file that said. “Dear Mommy”.....He wrote her a good-bye letter the night before he had his last “storm”. I can tell you I had to stop a couple times and take a break, but it was so intensely beautifully written. In my personal opinion, I think he knew when his time was coming. That letter must has been a bittersweet thing to read, but yet comforting for a Mother.
I bawled my eyes out during the entire book. It was like hitting a brick wall. What an amazing little boy. His story is incredible. It will change the way you think.
It's all about the simplicity in life.
Read It. You will be inspired.

All Cooped Up.

2011-07-06T22:12:00.001-07:00

So apparently you have to be on the top of your game all the time around my animal sanctuary. Today I was all cooped up. LITERALLY! Yes, let me explain...Being the nice chicken mom I am I decided to go out and give the silly birds a special treat. And also being the sucker softie I am, I had to put the food where there was a cool shady spot so that they could all eat in not such extreme heat. So I go into the now extended chicken coop(Brady built a large cage/wire around the actual coop so they could come out but still be confined to peck a certain area) blahhh, anyway. Stepped in the coop to put the stinkin' food in the shady spot toward the back of the coop when I hear, "SLAM......CLICK" the door shut me in and I turn around like..."whoops" thinking I can get back out in a breeze...Ahhhh...no, not so easy. I couldn't even believe I had done such a stupid thing! Here I am in a flippin' chicken coop with all these crazy pecking, scratchy, dirt flinging , squawky chickens. Thinking, this is the stupidest thing I've done. Everyone in the neighborhood is going to think I am a complete MORAN!! Or they may think Brady locked me out there on bad behavior. Either way this is mortifying. I look around for a stick, or something small I can flip the latch with...Nothing. My chubby fingers are not even close to fitting. So I try pushing the sucker thinking it will maybe move enough I could reach my arm out and around. Nothing.

Then I thought...crap, Greyson will wake up any minute now, and Brayden is inside chowing down on watermelon I just gave him. I'm thinking, whatta sight, how dumb could I look right now, I can't even stand up straight in this stupid thing. For 10 minutes it was just me, the coop, and the chicks. Groovy. Then at that point I started to yell for Brayden, no little hero to my rescue. I thought, K...Brady should be home any minute now. Still worried and thinking about Greyson, I punched the top of the chicken wire off hard, so I could reach around and just lift the latch. I think I said," you gotta be friggin' KIDDING ME" about 10 times.....to myself. Man, I REALLY hope no one saw the crazy chicken neighbor lady!! Talking to herself and punching out the chicken wire :) hahahaha..... So I walk inside my house and guess who I see, my hubby chowing down watermelon with Brayden....Whatta team! :) Nevermind Mom stuck in the flipping chicken house...90 degree heat and all :) Afterward, it was pretty funny.

Lesson Learned, don't get all cooped up!

Boys.

2011-06-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

I am the luckiest Mommy in the world....I have the sweetest boys, they are so good and just make my heart so happy. Greyson is such a joy. There is something special about him, it's something I can't explain. He lights up the room and is such a happy good natured baby. His eyes just sparkle, you can feel his sweet spirit, I call him my Happy Soul. I seriously could just eat him up. Making him laugh is my favorite thing to do, and it is really easy because he laughs at everything :)A TOTAL time waister...actually, NOT a time waister. Time well spent. He is learning and grabbing at things(I call it the death grip, sometimes my neck looks like I have hickeys all over, ha, but really it is from his sweet fingers just squeezing the life out of me) he is so excited to play with his big bro. They will be the best of friends. Brayden tries to involve him with play Hot Wheel cars and bigger kid things...It's a hoot. Greyson would be all for it if he could only sit up for more than 1 minute :) He is very vocal. Squawks and Squeals....flaps his arms around, kicking legs. It's the cutest thing ever! I try to have my heart take a picture of these tender moments. They will never be this way again. How grateful I feel and how beautiful and blessed my life is.

My big Brayden boy. He is just getting to big. Agh, tears me up. But so happy that he is healthy and progressing. Next month people, PRE-SCHOOL....Don't know if I will be able to keep a dry eye. Okay I know I won't. I will try not to be the mom who's nose and hands are pressed against the glass window, eagerly waiting for my guy to tell me what he learned. This is a big step for him and ME! My baby.....sniff....He is so ready and will have a great learning experience. It's funny because in the last few weeks his conversations have become totally mature. Full, correct and complete sentences. An actual conversation....He is a total crack up and does act like a 14 year old. Already asking me, " Ummm, Mom when can you take me to the skate park? You can watch me if you want, but I will wear my helmet k..."

"What?!" Skatepark, correct me if I'm wrong, but do most 4 year olds ask that?

Which by the way he is on his BIG bike with NOOOOOOO training wheels. TADA!! Can you even believe it??!! As his Mommy I am bursting with pride! He rides like a pro, like he has been doing it for 10 years. Has not fallen one time, stops on a dime, and takes corners as sharp as they come. (pictures to come) Well, maybe I will take him to the skatepark. And I'll bring some bubble wrap.......Just in case! :)

I love My Boys!

Greatest Joy of My Life!

Running and Reading.

2011-06-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

I am NOT a runner by ANY MEANS. But for the past month or so, I have really tried hard to run everyday! No marathon's or miles upon miles.(not yet anyway) No Forest Gump here. Running just for me, with just me. It is MY time, alone time, to think and have some sanity time. Focusing and clearing my head is almost an essential part of my life now. If I don't get my run in, or exercise everyday. I truly feel it! I am to the point where my body kind of craves it. Funny. I have always liked to be healthy and feel good. But for some reason I really am focusing on this goal. To be more active, make healthy choices, more so now then ever before. I want to be able to play with my kiddos and be the very best Mommy that I can be!
I have recently finished a book called “I Am A Runner”. It caught my eye at the library and in fact I chuckled under my breath and said, “Yeah, right.” This book was a good read. It was like having a coach with me. . Which was funny because the author is a High School Cross-Country Running Coach. But before that, holy smokes. Ironmans, after Marathon, after Tough-Guy contests, he just couldn't get enough. He admitted it almost became an addition to him. He wanted to make the Olympic Summer Team. He trained and ran races all around the world. Worked so hard. In the craziest brutal, grueling races that you could never imagine doing. Crazy things. Amazing Things. In the book he mentions that there should be NO EXCUSES. You can literally make and excuse for anything that you don't really want to do. It's you that will suffer in the end. You will feel the guilt and the nagging little voice saying,”You should have weeeennnttt!” No Regrets!! I learned things and thought differently about running then I ever had before. Yes, there are days that totally SUCK the first mile, but after that it does get easier. The satisfaction of running further and further feels so good. I also like to run at different times of the day. Mornings, Afternoon with the kiddos, (which I should totally invest in a jogging stroller, but pushing the beast of a stroller I have is good resistance)and I think I am partial to the night runs. Cool breeze and you can smell every aroma of plant as you run the neighborhood. Aghhh, sigh. Deep Breath. So Good. Just as the sun sets behind the mountains, people are heading indoors. It feels like just you, the pavement, and the occasional grassy patches I will run on.(which I love) soft, green, and lush. Feels good to have something softer to land on.
Yep, running is growing on me.

Warm & Fuzzy.

2011-06-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

I had the fantastic opportunity to make some warm and fuzzy's inside and out! Lately I have been thinking what could I do to help someone. Where could I start? Well, I thought I could start small. I know it is not much but hopefully it will help someone somewhere. Looking at my sweet Greyson I thought, what about those Mom's who don't have anything? Not even a blanket to snuggle their new little angels? So I put together some fuzzy blankies, not anything super special but something to keep warm. I took them down to The Road Home shelter. It was amazing to see all the donations on the dock. A TON of diapers, clothes, and other essential items. I just hope that they will come in handy for a mother. I have so much and am so blessed.

It feels great to give a fuzzy.

In With The Old.

2011-05-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

Out with the old, in with the old. I consigned my old phonograph machine. Needed a change. Surprise, surprise. This took it's place, an old bookcase that was my Granny's. And here's the kicker, I didn't even have to paint it! (gasp!) I love it just the way it is, all chipped, stained and imperfected. It's perfect.....Ahhhh, sigh....Love the old stuff.

Lucky Duck.

2011-05-25T18:24:00.001-07:00

I am Human. I make the dumbest mistakes sometimes. Today I was just one plain Lucky Duck.

While I was busy running errands, mind of course preoccupied with the things I needed to get done. I was finishing up at the good old Walmart putting my bags away getting Greyson in and such. Put my cart away already thinking of my next stop and what I had to get. Pull in the parking lot of the next store which luckily was not that far away. Get out, Open door, get the carseat....Purse, wait....NO PURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sheer PANICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looking, looking all around my car, thinking CRAP!!!!!! Oh NO....saying NO, NO, NO out loud!! I knew then that I had left it in the freaking CART! In of all places the WALMART PARKING LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP....

Flying back into my car, throwing it in reverse speeding away. Praying just praying, shaking..couldn't get there fast enough. I don't know if any of you have lost your purse or credit card but it is seriously one of the worst feelings ever. Screeching in the parking lot 10 minutes if that, checking the cart I just left. Of course, NO PURSE!!! Finding a parking spot as fast as I could, get Greyson out, literally running as fast as I could back into the store.

There standing in front of the greeter is a lady holding my purse.

I run up behind her and just hug her. So grateful. I have had my purse stolen before and it is just an absolute NIGHTMARE!

Getting hold of my emotions, I was in tears thanking her so much for her honesty and goodness. I wanted to give her some sort of reward and she refused. She just smiled and was a little teary too, she could see how much her honesty meant to me. I thanked her over and over she then told me that she did the very same thing not too long ago. How blessed and watched out for I was today.

Today restored my faith back in the honesty and good in people. I am so grateful!

Oh.Oprah.

2011-05-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

So I admit. I love Oprah. She is an Incredible Inspiration.

There are so many mindless, pointless reality television shows airing these days. Waste of time. Period.

But Oprah, everytime I watch it I come away wanting to do better and be better. The stories that she tells, her guests she has on are SO inspiring! There lives are just incredible and their "stories" are unreal. I am a fan. I have not always been a faithful watcher but recently I have been so into it. And I am very sad that she is retiring the show. In the last few days she has had on such amazing stories. People who have fought so hard for all they have. Been through incredible trials and conquered the unthinkable and have the best attitudes, gratitude and just plain love life. Grateful to be here on earth.

My mom and I love talking about the shows. There are a couple memorable guests that have just plain stuck with me and I will forever remember there stories. 2 young girls at the time of the sicking genocide that was going on in Rwanda while over 750,000 people were being killed all around them they hid in a banana tree for hours praying for there lives. Hearing there grandparents being killed, knowing they couldn't make a sound and not knowing if there parents were killed as well , held on for life. Finally when it was safe they came down to find everyone gone. Living in refugee camp after camp there was a family in America that wanted to foster them. They brought them here and gave them a great life. Still searching for there parents not knowing if they were dead or alive. One of the girls went on to achieve a great education at Yale. So smart and amazing. Her perseverance was infectious. Oprah had them on her show thinking that the girls were there to tell their story...But, yes amazing Oprah. She told them on the show that she had a letter from there parents and that they were indeed ALIVE. Just that brought them to tears...And then, she goes on...But before you open this letter, I want you to meet them in person...They are here. And I tell you what that was the most touching and incredible reunion I have ever seen. They were all sobbing, thankful, hugging and rushing to eachother. Can you even imagine?! What a story, among countless others.....

She has this connection with women that is just unexplainable. Full of wisdom, and hanging on to very word she speaks. Yes, I have ended up in tears a few times. It makes me think of my own life and what I can do to make a difference. How can I do better? And to just SHUT-UP, stop complaining and look at all the gracious goodness and blessings I have. If only there were more Oprah's in the world, what a difference it would make.

Her show is one of my favorites. Feel Good Television, for once.

I will miss it, and my good cries ever once in a while.

Thank you Oprah....Lots of Love, until next time!

Hip-Hip-Hooray!

2011-04-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hip,Hip,Hooray! Let's hear it for my brother oozing with talent....Brady and I had the opportunity to travel to Utah State to see Brandon's graphic design portfolio/art show. HOLY SMOKES, so worth the drive! I am so proud of him, he had worked his behind OFF! I was completely blown away at what he had put together. He seriously can do anything! The show was literally packed, great turnout you couldn't really move. The students displayed there portfolio's and had them on tables for people to browse and awe at. I looked at quite a few of them and I have to say Brandon's ROCKED!! He is just amazing. In fact someone that was at the show asked Brandon for a card and was already interested in offering him a job! I am sure that he will land an outstanding one! A big pat on the back to you Brandon.

Here is his own design and logo...This was really cool, suspended from the ceiling..picture of all students in graphic design.Brandon's at the bottom.....Created letterhead, company labeling. This company is an outdoor clothing & recreation brand.This was a label/logo he created for a friend that owns a company that does recording...and his last name is Rock.This is one of my favorites, a picture of Brandon, but the amazing part is he did this all by individual words and created his picture. Even around his eye's are words. Alot of the students snapped a picture and did words over it. Not my brother, talent at it's finest. All by hand.Another one of my fav's, each puzzle piece placed carefully. He has so many more and every single one is perfection.Standing room only.

You should be so proud of yourself, I know that we are! You are outstanding...Love you!

Thank You~I'm Drooling...

2011-04-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

My sweet Goose Girls (whom I miss terribly) and I went out for a yummy goodbye dinner together. It was so much fun and great food! So great to share more laughter with these remarkable ladies. They gave me the CUTEST basket filled with fun goodies, I should have taken a picture of it but I was WAY to excited to rip into it! Among the darling yummy things was in my opinion the BEST cookbook I have ever owned...HANDSDOWN!!

Our Best Bites...

these darling mini pies in a jar...seriously...could they get any cuter?One of my fav's so far...Cilantro-Lime SteakI have already tried a dozen recipes so far, cooked out of it every night for the past couple weeks...Yummy breads, dips, calzones, cilantro-lime steak...everything is so delicious and pretty easy! This is a MUST HAVE for those who like good, fresh, interesting food. These scratch cupcakes with the most delicious whipped buttercream frosting are a little bit of heaven on earth...Thank you so very very much my girls for the great night and the treasured gifts...Everytime I open this book (which will be a lot) I will think of you gals .....

MMmmmwaahhhh, love you all so much!

Blessed.Our little Sprout.

2011-04-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

Our new little sweet boy Greyson, was blessed on April 10th...It was such a great day, so wonderful to have all the family there with us to share this special day. Brady, as always did a great job, I think I was more nervous then he was. The blessing was just perfect, I am so thankful for a husband that holds the priesthood and what a blessing it is to be able to watch a father bless his new son. Of course I cried and was overwhelmed with the spirit, there is nothing in this world that is more precious then your sweet new babe being blessed.

Or-gan-ized!

2011-04-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I finally made it to the project of Food Storage and Pantry organization. Ever since we moved my food storage has been in total disarray. Now I have a system of rotation and my pantry is just the way I want it. Labeled, clean, and everything at hand! Yeah...

Anthro Copycat...

2011-04-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

So I was down at Anthropologie the other day browsing at the things that I couldn't buy :) I just love going down there to be in a fun, creative, inspiring place and I fell in LOVE with this necklace! It was $60, not too spendy but I thought, what the heck....I could probably make something close to this. And~I did. It could use a little more loops but I made it from Memory, I didn't google a picture of it until after it was complete.

The colors were so bright and fun...needed something to remind me of bright spring/summer..

So~ladies, what's the verdict?

Autobots...TRANSFORM!

2011-04-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

Brayden had such a great Birthday...I cannot believe that he is 4...Holy Smokes, where did the time go?!

He is such a joy and blessing in our lives and is always making us laugh. Continues to be all BOY...He was spoiled or should I say just overly loved :) As always he made a haul, transformers galore, games, toys and yes we got him a Wii. (i love the Wii)

This year he wanted a Transformer party and that is what he got! Bumblebee and all!

Thank you to all of our family and friends for making his day extra special!

Found.

2011-03-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Bittersweet day. I knew someday that this would come. After much heavy contemplating, praying, wondering, worrying, asking and questioning I have decided to start my job as a Full Time Mommy. The last couple weeks have just tore me up. I LOVE my job as a designer, it's a passion, I will carry with me forever. And when I say passion, I eat.sleep.breath.think. design ALL THE TIME, my mind never seems to stop. Creating and making spaces beautiful, seeing clients surroundings become something that they dreamed of become a reality is what I live for. Like I said-A passion, and something I WILL return to!

My girls-My sweet goose gals, friends for a lifetime. I can sincerely say I love each one of them so much! They are my second family and I have had such a great time. Not a lot of people can say the LOVED every single person they worked with & LOVED doing their job, but I can. I can.

These Ladies are each individually so extremely talented, amazing and wonderful. I learned so much from each of them. I love to laugh, and I laughed every single day at work. Love you girls, I will miss working with you beyond measure. Thank you so much for being who you are.

It's funny, I have played this tug-of-war in my head...

Love my job-crazy to let it go for now-want to be there for my boys-I can't leave, built this career for years and I am going to give it up just like that?-This is who I am and what I have worked so hard for-it's what I live for....and on and on. so SO HARD!

This is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make. I think to myself I am totally nuts & What am I doing???!! But then I see my beautiful children. Brayden blowing kisses to me through the window, looking at Greyson's big beautiful eyes and just staring at him thinking I don't want to miss a moment. Being a Mom is such a blessing & an opportunity to focus fully on my boys.

This is a life changing decision, completely different then what I am used to. I have ALWAYS worked, it makes me feel accomplished, BUT who's to say being a Mom is not being accomplished? I am sure it will be difficult but I can't second guess my decision. At the end of the day I am just grateful. My life has slowed down, I am SO used to going 100 miles an hour and LOVED it!! But now, Mommy comes first. Total lifestyle change.

Along the way I have FOUND out a few things about myself.

~FOUND...I can set a goal and achieve it and at times exceed it!

Knowledge. Learned new skills and put them to use.

I can be a daymaker.

Friends to last a lifetime-My Goose Gals

Hardwork pays off.

Focus,discipline, and responsibility.

I could conquer fears of "I can't do it"

I can!

Beautiful furniture and accessories at a killer price(kicking myself..agh,will miss that)

Moments of joy

It's ok to cry at work :)

Unpacking new product is like Christmas morning!

My obsession of glass jars.

Stress can be a good thing.

The pleasure of seeing a perfect room.

Unbelievable Customer Service Skills (I don't handle poor service well now)

Celebrating Groundhogs Day,"Smoke Breaks", and the way of the beaver :)

LAUGHTER!

Friday's will ALWAYS be "floor day" to me.

I love fabric-everything about it.

I can lift and carry downstairs A LOT of furniture :)

I love to draft, it's soothing.

~BUT, most of all I FOUND myself.

Never lost, always found something great...

ALL my love to the BG and cheers to Mommyhood!

Pictures.

2011-03-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

LOVE.

Too Funny.

2011-03-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

My life recently has been consumed by.......FEEDING my sweet Greyson all the time, and with that comes ALOT of washing of the bra's....The other day my bra was hanging in the bathroom drying out and Brady and Brayden were getting ready. All of a sudden Brayden looks up at Brady and says, "Dad (long pause)......these are wet boobs."

We about died of laughter!! And the way he said it was too funny.

He is always cracking us up....

Fans...

2011-02-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

Yes, Brady and I are fans of ...........

This Old House!

When we do have a moment on Saturday afternoon we sit down, watch and learn! I don't know why, but to us it is super entertaining. And I learn something new everytime I watch it. The homes that they renovate are absolutely AMAZING! It is inspiring and interesting. And we like to practice our Boston (Baastan) accents too. HA...

Every segment from home repairs, new construction, (and my fav) LANDSCAPING are great. I love to watch the before/after photo's. I would DIE if they came to my house. The show did come to Salt Lake City not to long ago and worked on a home up in Olympus Cove. Jealous.

This year I will be subscribing to the magazine. These guys make everything look like a breeze to do, and when it's over we have to laugh because not only is the show so motivating, and inspiring to do those good ol' home projects but the commercials make you want to jump off the couch and DO STUFF! We love to talk about what we will/can do to our home.....but, it's just talk....for now!

We will be putting in our yard this summer, so we hope to be inspired!

{Love this show!}

Really?!

2011-02-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been eventful here at the Beyer Household. We had a beautiful baby boy, such a joy! He was a bit jaundice, so the doc suggested that he should be put on lights, the little "suitcase" ones. Luckily he only had to do that for a couple of days. But I felt that my eye's had not been shut the entire time looking at the blazing lights. 2 day's later Brady came down with what we thought was the flu, he was in a lot of pain and throwing up for hours. Finally at about 11 pm he came into the room and said that he was going to the emergency room. Something was wrong. Being the tough guy he is, he somehow drove himself to the emergency room, was checked in. Had an ultrasound on his stomach, they couldn't find out what was wrong. So next step a CT scan, morphin injections and still throwing up from the pain. No conclusions, but when the results came back. APPENDICITIS. Myself ,being up for almost 2 days straight, with a new babe and the next night on the phone with my poor hubby. Talking every hour wondering what was wrong with him...Finally he called and said that he would be going into emergency surgery at 7 a.m. the next day! Phew, relieved it was something that was fixable. But felt so bad that my guy had to go throught all of that alone. I am so very grateful that he is alright, and YES that totally gave me a scare, after a few tears were shed I composed myself and prepared myself to get up, take our newborn son to the peditrician to get his bilirubin levels checked and have enough time to go pick up my hubby fresh out of surgery in a timely manner.
My Mom to the rescue....She dropped all her plans and came and got Brayden immediatly the next morning. Hot soup in hand to give to Brady, telling me, " Don't you worry about Brayden, he will have so much fun with us. It will be a good day for him. My pleasure to take him. And tell Brady to get well" Siggghhhhh, of relief. Love her.
So when we made it home and things started to settle down, we thought everything was back to normal. Then I open my big mouth and say..."Ya know things like this comes in 3's :)" duhhhhh.....
Sooooo~ #3 Currently ALL of my food from my fridge are in coolers on my back porch. Good Times, friends....Good Times....
OUR FRIDGE WENT OUT! REALLY? People REALLY!?
Last night and this morning we have been packing our food in coolers. And I am DYING to have an ICE COLD DRINK... We have a repair man coming to look at it, but lucky me, I have been waiting since 2 pm this afternoon for him. Time now 9pm. And he just walked in. Awesome! :)
But on a good happy note, I am grateful for my sweet new baby boy, in perfect health and is such a great baby! Blessed that I have a wonderful hubby that is so sweet still helping me throughout his own pain, and surgery. So happy that he is alright and will be fully recovered in the next week or so!
As for the darn fridge, it's just a fridge....Just one more thing that we can look back at and laugh. Funny how an icy cold drink sounds so amazing when you cannot have one. So yes ladies, I have went to Sonic
this evening to satisfy my thirst and love for the Sonic ice! Aaaaahhhhhh.............so good..Life is funny, but good :)

Meet Greyson.

2011-01-23T04:19:00.000-08:00

Meet Greyson B. Beyer

1~21~11

7 lbs. 5 oz.

19.5" long

Born at 5:05 pm

Healthy.Perfect.Adored.

*I am so thankful to be surrounded by great photographers,thank you for capturing these precious moments and great shots...More to come*

Clean.Clean.Clean

2011-01-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

Well, for the last week or so I have been "nesting". Seems like nothing is clean enough! I do consider myself yes, a CLEAN FREAK but what can I say I love everything about it. The payoff of good hardwork around the house is priceless. My recent tasks have included washing walls, baseboards, blinds, carpets, and of course all of the usual housecleaning day to day things. And, if I am going to clean like this I clean with what I consider one of the best products from a company called Caldrea. The countertop cleaner I cannot live without. Literally. My closet is STOCKED with this at all times. If you have not tried any of Caldrea's products you are missing out, it is a must have. It makes me so happy! They have a special vegetable protein extract that removes odors, essential oils and tree bark extract cuts the grease. In my opinion, best cleaning product on the market, the scent lasts for hours. And it is so much better then spraying chemical in the air. All of there scents are fabulous, but I am partial to the lavender and citrus spray.

To feed my addiction, my wonderful Mom got me and entire bag FULL of Caldrea products for Christmas...

{hand soap, counter cleaner, hand balm, candle} ahh, so spoiled

http://www.caldrea.com/

Happy Cleaning

No Words.

2010-12-26T14:12:00.000-08:00

This was my Christmas gift from my brother. I have no words to describe how perfect, beautiful, detailed, and amazing this is. (okay maybe I do) It captures everything about my son the colors, skin tones, hair color, eyes, just amazing! I opened it and just lost it, I couldn't talk just sobbed. Brandon is so SO talented, he worked so incredibly hard on this and I don't even know where he found the time to do it. Between all of his classes, website building, painting, sketches...etc, etc.. He did this amazing piece! I cannot stop staring at it. I found it's perfect home, in my bedroom across from my bed. I wake up to it and am just in awe everytime. This will be such a treasure to our family. I still cannot believe how lucky I am to have such an amazing brother and for him to give me such a piece of him.
Thank you a million times over...No words.

The Big Guy...

2010-12-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Every year we take Brayden to see the Big Man, and have breakfast. Each time it gets more fun! I have been talking to him about not being "shy" with Santa and that he needed to tell him what he wanted...Brayden is pretty shy around people sometimes, which is ok...Rest assured I know he WILL NOT talk to strangers! All week he told me, "Mom, I won't alright..I will talk."

What do you think happened? :) Still our shy little man but in total awe of Santa, of course he was a million questions when we got in the car..."Where are his reindeer? Is this the North Pole? Why does Santa come here? Is this his house?Why can't I see his sleigh? Does it land on the roof? Is Santa going away soon? Why? How does he get down our chimney? Is it magic?"

I cherish all of these little intelligent questions, this is always something I will look forward to.

He just kept staring, and staring...with the fork straight up in the air....

Afterwards, we built a gingerbread house...Well, Brady did! Yes, Brady...doesn't it look awesome?! Way better then I could do, Brayden's cute friend Izzie gave this to him and he had a blast "building" Thanks Iz!

Cozy Christmas.

2010-11-23T14:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays...

Love the holiday season, I look forward to decorating my home putting up the tree and making everything feel warm and cozy.

Hot Chocolate by the fire anyone?

These chairs are the latest addition to my table. Love this fabric, it's a script pattern with a darling texture. They are super comfortable, adds height and softens the look of all the wood side chairs. Just couldn't resist these little cuties...Aghh, the guilty pleasure of furniture.

Grateful.

2010-11-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

I am so overwhelmed by all the blessings that I have. I don't even know where to begin. First off, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a Mommy, I have such an angel child. Brayden is the light of my life and has taught me so much, I love him more than words can explain. My mom always told me, "When you have your own children, you will understand." And now I do, that deep love that you cannot describe. He melts my heart everyday, and makes me tear up just thinking of how precious he is to me. My Brayden boy...
So thankful for my family, a loving supportive husband that means the world to me. I am grateful for his constant efforts to give our family all of the needs and comforts that we enjoy. He is such a great daddy and a good husband. Love you with all my heart!

Wonderful parents that have taught us so well, they are all tremendous examples and a blessing beyond measure. Thank you for being who you are.

Sometimes I wonder why am I so blessed? I feel that I have so so much. I recognize and acknowledge ALL that I have and I am extremely grateful.

Today I was thinking of Thanksgiving, the big dinner, pies, and family. And my thoughts went back to my wonderful Granny and Pop-Pop. What a wonderful time thanksgiving was. They are always in my thoughts, but this holiday season I am so emotional about how much they gave, how much I love and miss them! I was polishing my Granny's beautiful dining table that I was so lucky to inherit, and it hit me all the dinners that we gathered around this table and shared laughter, traditional family toasts and phenomenal food. My Pop-pop always joking and carving the perfect turkey Granny slaved over, or slapping another giant heap of mashed potatoes on your plate when you think that you were going to BURST! I always remember him saying,"Now, we have a lot of time to eat, so sit down, enjoy and take your time, no one is leaving for a long time." And my Granny would be on the other end of the table saying, "Bob, just let them eat what they want."

The table was always set with such flare, beautiful in everyway...Granny cooked like a gourmet chief, looked like a bombshell while doing it, basting the turkey in the oven yes, in heels :) setting out appetizers making sure everything was perfect. And I do have to laugh because I always will remember the "boxed" wine by the kitchen sink....it is a precious, fun memory to me and reminds me of what grand people they were. They loved to have a good time. I love them with all my heart and miss them, but I know that my Gran will be cooking another wonderful dinner for my pop-pop and that they are so happy together.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Everyone. Be grateful.

Nursery=Check!

2010-11-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

InspirationFinal Product.

Here is the final product. It was a lot of fun to do, and we are so excited for our little guy!

Nanananana-Nananana-BATMAN!!

2010-11-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, Happy Halloween from the BATMAN! We had a great Halloween and Brayden was a total hoot in his batman outfit. Yes, he did stay in character when he was in the suit, jumping off of porches, flying from house to house, and showing off his sweet fighting moves...

We had our tradition of the family over for hot soup and salad, followed by yummy pumpkin cake. Which was fitting for the chilly, wet night.

Brayden made a haul with the candy and is already looking forward to next year!

Happy Halloween...

"Stay"Cation

2010-10-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

Park City,Ut-We just got back from a fabulous stay-cation! Good family time, great weather, gorgeous setting and time to just relax. Brady had a work conference up in there so he booked us a little retreat for our fam. Complete with a massage for me :) much needed for the prego wifey. Brayden had a great time, swimming and staying for a "sleepover" in the Hotel. We stayed at the Canyon Resort, it was so pretty the leaves were vibrant and it actually felt like Fall up there. We enjoyed walking up and down Main Street looking in all the fun shops. Brady also took me to the St. Regis Hotel in Deer Valley......okay~STUNNING! The hotel is clear up on the mountain and you have to take a gondola to get there, or in Brayden words a roller coaster. This place is beautiful. Antiques, rich carpets and walpaper, dramatic draperies, yummy furniture, the lighting fixtures were a works of art, all of it was over the top. I of course had to snap a few pictures and they do not do them justice ~But if you have the opportunity to go and see this place it is a must! Brady is so thoughtful, he knew that I would just eat it up, lots of eye candy! Needless to say it was a fantastic time....and he even bought me a delicious carmeled apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, what more could a pregnant gal want?! :)

Thanks Babe...

Inspired.

2010-09-17T21:25:00.001-07:00

Finally, Inspired. This is what I am thinking for the nursery. It is still a work in progress, but hopefully you get the idea. Most of you have heard of this site Polyvore, it is a fashion/design site that allows you to create "sets" or boards of your ideas and inspiration. It was really helpful to put all of my ideas together in one picture so that I could see the semi-finished product. They have anything and everything you can think of. But let me warn you, it is a total time waster!!! :) This reminded me of doing design boards, they were a lot of work but I do miss doing them. So the room is cleared and ready for paint! I will post the real pictures when "Project Nursery" is complete. Getting excited for our little guy!
P.S. the "G" is for Greyson...were pretty sure on the name!

It's A.......

2010-08-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

B-O-Y! oh boy, oh boy!! We are so excited...Here is the first picture of the little guy. We found out this morning and I still cannot stop smiling :) I am thrilled that Brayden will have a little buddy. We told him that he would have a baby brother soon and right away he said, "I will take him on motorcycle rides with me, I will drive and he can sit on the back" (so Brayden...)

I have to admit that I have not been that motivated to do a nursery, I don't know why, that is just not like me. But NOW~I am back baby,

LET THE PLANNING BEGIN....

L'Hotel de Coop.

2010-08-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

Yes. That is right the Hotel for our chickens is completed. It is everything I would dream of if I were a chicken. Individual "rooms", lovely arched windows, cedar shingles, lots of fresh air, and walnut hand-planed floors (which frankly, I am kinda jealous of )

They all seem to be loving there new home. They fly up on the roof, run up and down the ramp, just come and go as they please. Brayden likes that the chickens have there own "house" now too. He is so funny, he makes sure that the chick's have lots of food and water. Oh, and that they get played with everyday too.

They are sweet little things, when you go outside they all come running up to you as if they are saying "Hello, were so glad that you are home."

Such the life as a chicken....

One day this will go by our garden which I cannot wait for....

Guess we are all about the Urban Farmin'

Mirror.Mirror.

2010-08-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

While I was leisurely browsing at one of my favorite consignment shops I stumbled upon this darling red frame, I had been thinking of some ideas for my hall bath mirror. Instead of getting an entire new mirror I thought it would be different to mount this right on top.
I know, call me crazy! I do and think of some strange things sometimes but it is fun to see something out of the ordinary...

So Not Martha...

2010-08-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

So for most of you I know that you would be posting a picture of a beautiful finished baked goodie...Well my friends, this morning I attemped to make made from scratch cupcakes and this was the end result.

I thought it was pretty funny, in fact 15 min. into the baking process I carefully opened my oven door to check on these little sweeties and the next thing I knew my jaw dropped and I just laughed out loud! I could not believe my eyes, flat as pancakes!! And as I continued to watch the rest of the cupcakes they just kept falling in one by one....I have to admit, it made me laugh!

So~for the most part I can bake but this time.....It was SO NOT MARTHA!

Hard work is his Middle Name.

2010-07-22T21:20:00.001-07:00

Yes, Hardwork is the name. I just wanted to let my husband know how very much I appreciate ALL of the hard work he has done for our family. With the purchase of our new home, along came a large yard to put in as well. Brady has been extremely diligent coming home from a very long hot work day, helping customers, solving problems, driving around in traffic for hours, landing a HUGE account at work. All to come home, to work in the sweltering heat, digging, laying pipe for sprinklers, tilling, and making sure everything works properly. And as if he didn't have enough to deal with, the car he drives to work is currently on the fritz. So in between the yard, work, being a hubby and daddy, he gets to play mechanic on the car!

Oh yeah and I forgot to mention he is building a "hotel" for our chickens too..Every single night he has a project lined up for him. He does not complain, or procrastinate, he just DOES.

I am forever grateful for him and that he is willing to work so very hard to provide the very best for our family. Lately I have been amazed at Brady and his focus of getting all of these things in order. Love you babe!

Up, up, up..

2010-07-18T18:04:00.001-07:00

While I was blog hopping I came across these great pictures of some darling staircases...Would be so happy climbing these EVERYDAY...This one is my favorite! Dontcha love it?!

Up, up, up and away...

Good Laugh.

2010-07-15T18:35:00.001-07:00

So the gals at work showed me this HILARIOUS website...

Of course I think it is so funny because it makes fun of everything that I LOVE!!!!!

The statements are so creative, now I will think of this everytime I pick up a Pottery Barn catalog. If you love design and good fun comedy check out this site...It is a good laugh!

Keep your hobbies to yourself…

Gary, we were having such a lovely afternoon with the Andersons until you decided you just had to show off your string ball.

http://catalogliving.tumblr.com/

GORGE-ous!

2010-07-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we are back from our yearly tradition of family fun at Flaming Gorge. It was GORGEOUS!! We had such a blast, and Brayden had SO much fun. I think it is more fun every year with him, he is ALL boy. Just loves camping and boating. I am a little disappointed this year with myself, I did not take that many pictures. But~we will be heading back in August so hopefully I will be a little more camera friendly :)...Thank you to our sweet family, Gordon and Kelly for the great time that we had!!

Half asleep still wanting to drive the boat!Stunning cliffs in Horseshoe Canyon

Sisters..

We stopped in Evanston and bought fireworks :) They were SO much fun to see!!

Gordon shooting a rocket off of a shovel into the lake... ha, love it

Hunting for "crabs" with Uncle Curtis..

Finally crashed after many busy days!!! Can't wait to go back....

Big News...

2010-06-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Read the sign....B-A-B-Y...We are expecting and

are super excited!!

January 28th is the big day....

Can I Stay??

2010-06-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

Brady and I just returned home from yet another incredible weekend. I feel so very fortunate to be able to experience these sort of things. We spent the past few days in Island Park, ID...Awhhh...so breathtaking!! I did NOT want to come home, I felt like I was in a dream. We had a memorable, good old fashioned fun together as a family. Loved every moment of it. We stayed a a BEAUTIFUL "cabin", complete with all the luxuries, lakeside view, private boat dock, fire pit, wrap around deck, warm sunny mornings and cool fireside nights.

Did I mention I did not want to come home?

Brayden had a wonderful time, there were 4 other boys his age and they played until they couldn't stand up anymore. We all had a ball!

This was a fantastic past few days.....

This was the "playground" for the kiddos...If Brayden was not around, this is where he was...

This was called the Springs...It was the CLEAREST water I have ever seen, and the neatest part of it, the water just bubbles up from the ground...no stream! It as so amazing, and the wildlife was really neat to see...huge fish and this little muskrat swimming around.

Cali~

2010-05-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

(yes, this was our view from our room, loved waking up to it)

We just got back from an amazing trip. Brady and I went to Monterey, Ca. It is so beautiful there, so mountainous yet the beach is right there. The best of both worlds. This was a much needed trip for both of us to relax and enjoy. We did soarly miss our little guy but he was in the best of care with both grandparents. He did so great and was a good boy, he had a ball...Thank you to our parents for taking our man!

This restaurant was called FishHopper~Oh my, oh my...the most amazing seafood I have EVER eaten. I had lobster, and crab...well, I won't tell you EVERYTHING I ate :)This was the view from my seat, gorgeous...

Fresh....YUMBabe enjoying his meal, bib and ALL
All I can say is YUMMMMMEEEEEE

Brady got to tour the Eathbound organic farms, and brought me back this HUGE strawberry, it was so sugar sweet....These taste nothing like we get in the stores, this was picked just an hour ago!Look how enormous this is, as big as the plastic carton!!

Horseback riding was beautiful, one minute we were in a forest, and the next....Stunning Spy Glass Golf course, and exclusive homes.. it is hard to see, but they are amazing...On the beach....I think that I would have a home here :)

Took Highway 1, all the way up most of the coast...drove up by Big Sir. So amazing!

This night we received tickets to the Aquarium and for a "tasting" of restaurants in the local bay area with well known chef's. They prepared some of there best dishes, they were all so unique and tasted great.

Animal Life...By Fisherman's Wharf

Last night there, we had a fun dinner, fresh salmon. Complete with games inside the beach house, and a traditional bomb-fire on the good ol' beach with Smores of course...delightful

One of the best parts was of course coming home. We were so surprised to see Mimi and our Little guy waiting for us at the airport holding a Welcome Home Balloon ...the sweetest sight!!Fun to go, but great to come home!!