Audrey's first vacation

Over Labor day weekend, my sister and brother-in-law were generous to take us up to their families cabin in Star Valley, WY. We took a day and drove to Yellowstone, which was so nice to see again. I haven't been back for probably 12 years and I had forgotten how beautiful it is up there, however, the smell is exactly how I remember. It's funny how once you have experienced your first sulfur rotting of the nostrils, it will not be forgotten. Mother nature is an amazing thing.
I honestly don't get how it all works and forms scientifically into what I saw this weekend, I can't explain it, other than the fact that there was a bigger hand involved. I know it sounds cheesy, but I'm so glad that I have the opportunity to go and explore God's creations. We live in such a beautiful place and there are so many things and places I still want to see. I love to travel!
The joke in our vehicle was between my dad and Bryce. Bryce kept getting my dad all worked up joking about how there are people in little huts that push a button for Old Faithful. We saw a branch in one of the pots, covered with mud, and Bryce would say things like, "they really need to do a better job at covering up the pipes to these things". He loves to get my dad riled up, and my dad is so quick to get there. It was a fun trip all in all and it's always good to be with family! Audrey was amazing. I think the fact that I'm always on the go, helps when we do things out of the ordinary. She spent most of the time riding around in the car and she did really good, had it been a few months later, we probably would have had a different out come.
Here are some pictures we took of our first trip with Audrey......
Us getting our first family picture taken on the trip, trying to look not grossed out as Audrey has just crapped in her diaper which happened to leak out onto her clothes, daddy was a trooper to hold her and pretend like nothing was wrong

who needs to search for animals when you have this to look at?

Old Faithful didn't disappoint

in front of Old Faithful

grandpa and Audrey, don't you just love her buffalo purse?

this buffalo walked on the other lane of traffic for quite some time causing a huge traffic jam

did I mention it was windy?


nice Alfa Alfa, it was windy



the crew hiking down to the water fall

beautiful canyon

dad and Bryce

the top of the lower water fall

hey Jen

me and Bryce standing on the top of the lower water fall


the water going over the lower water fall

the upper waterfall

some buffalo

Kendell and Cam

these people were the dumbest I've seen in awhile. First off, they walked right up to this boiling pot of muddy, stinky, and extremely hot water. Second, notice how they don't have their children's hand's. Third, they let them throw stuff into this muddy, stinky, extremely hot water. Fourth, as the children bent over to get these objects to throw into the muddy, stinky, extremely hot water, they bent over right at the edge where at any moment could have fallen face first into this muddy, stinky, extremely hot water. I yelled across the way that they were nuts and they needed to get away from that, but of course they were in la la land, ignored me and went on speaking their different language to one another as the children played on the banks of death.

good bye teton mountains through the back window

this is what Audrey did the entire 3hr drive home

last minute road trip 8/23-8/25/11

A few weeks ago I bought a new vehicle, in Ohio to be exact, which isn't a problem, unless no trucks will pick the stupid thing up!! Last Friday my car final sold and by Sunday night we started talking about flying out to get it. Sunday night I booked a red eye flight for 12:55am Tuesday morning. We talked with parents and of course they would take our little mutt, who wouldn't?
We got to Cleavland Ohio at 9:05am, they met us at the airport with my car and we took off to Kirtland,Ohio to see some church sights.
We got to see the Old Whitney store, the school of the prophets room, the revelation room, the Kirtland Temple, very very quick. We took off on a 8hr. drive to Davenport,Iowa where we stayed at the Black Hawk Hotel, right across from the Mississippi river. It was the neatest old restored hotel from 1914, highly recommend it.
The next morning we got up early to head to Nauvoo,IL. We saw the Nauvoo Temple, Joseph and Hyrum Smith's graves, their homes, etc. etc... we then went over to Carthage to visit the Carthage jail.
We left IL and drove 10hrs that day heading to our hotel in North Platte, Nebraska where we arrived at 1:30am.
We woke up early that morning and had the rest of the 9hr drive through Nebraska, Wyoming and into Utah and on my 30th birthday to boot!
I was so glad that I had a partner that felt the way I did. We turned the situation of having to go to Ohio, into, what can we do since we are going out and how quick can we do it in? We drove 1,950 something miles in 3 days while squeezing in the sights we wanted to see. We definitely could have stayed longer, but we had our little sweetheart, the dog and jobs to get back to.
We had such a fun time with each other and our testimonies grew so much in such a small amount of time. If you have not done some of these stops, I highly recommend it. It was so neat to stand where so many important things in our church took place. These were the starting places of our restored gospel. The Saints that put in the service of building those temples, doing missionary work, building up Zion, will forever be a blessed people.
I'm so grateful for Joseph Smith and for the man that he was. I can't wait to meet him one day and hear his stories of this and that. I know that Joseph Smith restored this gospel in these latter days. I know that he saw God and His Son Jesus Christ and angels. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon and had vision after vision. I'm so grateful for him, his family, and for all the Saints that sacrificed so much for everything that they believed in.
Thanks mom's and dad's for watching our baby girl. It makes it much easier to leave her knowing she is in good hands. Bryce and I are so grateful that we got to take this fun quick road trip.
Here are some pictures, beware, I took a lot in such a small amount of time......
This is where they baptized people in the river. The missionaries said that the water was up over the banks this year

Whitney general store where so many important things happened upstairs

Revelation room, this is where Joseph translated the Bible and received revelations on most of the D&C

school of the prophets room.

school of the Prophets room

I put my camera in a tree and took a picture of us, hence the crooked picture....

Kirtland Temple


on a bridge overlooking the Mississippi river


Nauvoo Temple





Nauvoo Temple

Bryce and me on the steps of the Nauvoo Temple

Nauvoo Temple

the "Homestead", Joseph and Emma's 1st home in Nauvoo

The "mansion", Joseph and Emma's 2nd home in Nauvoo

Where Hyrum, Joseph and Emma were buried


Joseph's parents



Joseph and Hyrum

Bryce and me playing prisoner

These are the actual bullet holes and the original door that the mob came through

This is where Joseph fell out the window after being shot by the mob

Bryce standing in front of the Carthage jail

4 months

Audrey is 4 months old today and I can't believe it! She is growing so fast which is so sad but at the same time it is fun to see her develop more and also getting to see what her personality is going to be like. Just last week, it was like a light went off and said, "oh, this is how I use my hands". She is grabbing things so much better. She is such a happier baby and is laughing and smiling so much more. She slept through 4 nights last week, which makes me so much happier, oh but wait, now I don't sleep through the night. Weird how that works isn't it? I absolutely got the cutest little mutt in the world and I just love her to death.
Today was Audrey's check-up and she did fabulous. She cried for literally 2 seconds and was fine. Her dad wasn't their for this appt. so I'm thinking that he makes her a little sissy lala when he is their. My sister Jamie had to take me since I sold my car and haven't got the new one yet, maybe you should come to more of these appts., it's a lot easier on mom when she's not in tears.
Here are the stats:
weight- 14.1 ---61%
Height- 25.75---94%
Head- 16.25 ---60%

Here are some pics of my little babe...Happy 4 months

Wigs or Rogaine

This is what I find every time I shower now......



I've heard that about 3 months after having a baby it is supposedly normal to leave a small rodent behind. Did this happen to anyone else? When or will it end? If not, I pose the question, should I go for Rogaine or a nice stylin wig?

hmmm?

I never never never thought I would find myself out on my patio furniture on a hot summer evening paying bills to get away from a screaming child! Love her to death, but need I say more????
(more exciting post to come after I find my sanity)