Another Niece

I'm a little behind (as always), but on Tuesday, December 2nd, our niece Allie came into the world around 3pm weighing 7 lbs 6 ounces and measuring at about 21 inches long. She has a head full of black hair, just like her mommy (Dustin's sister). Although when you look at her face there is a little bit of her daddy in there, she just has a lot of her mommy.

We were able to go to the hospital on Tuesday just about an hour or so after she was born and she is just beautiful! We love her so much! So now Taylor has two girl cousins... one that is 2 months older and one that is 3 months younger. Hopefully they all don't get into too much trouble as they get older. Congratulations Lindsay and Tim!!!!

Bryson holding his cousin as we wait for Lindsay to move in to the maternity section of the hospital...

Of course I didn't pull the camera out when we were with Allie because apparently I was just too excited to see her and hold her so we went back to the hospital on Friday night so I made sure to pull out the camera. When we got there, the lady at the hospital who does the newborn pictures was taking pictures of Allie. For any of you that know Lindsay, it was no surprise that she Allie had to do a few outfit changes for the newborn pictures. It made me think back to Taylor's first couple of days in the hospital, and t is so funny for me to think of how different my mindset was. Taylor's her birth mom got newborn pictures taken at the hospital, but to be honest I don't think I ever saw the pictures nor thought twice about them. I had to make sure just to get an outfit to take her home in so that she didn't have to go home in the hospital's white long-sleeved shirt and swaddled in a hospital blanket. :)

The second meeting of Allie and Taylor

Aunt Jamie holding her precious new niece

One of these days Taylor will ham it up for the camera, but apparently she still has no interest in doing so. What's crazy to me is that Allie is even bigger than what Taylor was when we brought her home. This was the very first time when I actually thought that Taylor looked big!

So on a totally unrelated note since I am actually on the computer, I wanted to make sure to capture Taylor at her very first Jazz Game. Unfortunately her good luck from the Utah football games wore off and the Jazz lost to Miami but she was an angel through the entire game. I think she really loves the lights and she's already become a people watcher at her early age!

Goooooo Jazz!

Happy Thanksgiving (a few days late)

I always seem to be a day late and a dollar short, but I just wanted to recap my Thanksgiving and just highlight a few of the many things that I am grateful for. This weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to go up to Dustin's Family Cabin in Fairview which is just 2 hours away. We went up Thursday morning and came back Saturday. Even though it was short, it was nice to get away and spend some time with family. I made up my Praline Sweet Potatoes and headed up. Although it's amazing how an almost 3 month baby triples the amount of things that you can't leave home without. This is a very new experience for both Dustin and I.

Taylor with her cousin Mia whom she finally got to meet. (Only two months apart, can you believe it?)

The cutest nephews in the whole world (Bo, Bryson and Tate) making their scary faces for Uncle Dustin.

On Friday night we went to a light parade near the temple in Manti... so cute and so fun! The kids got excited to Santa on top of the fire truck!

Quique was very mad that we went four wheeling without her so we had to be sure to take her on a ride of the souped up golf cart. She loves having the wind blow in her face, no matter how cold it is.

Dustin and I had some time to talk on the way home from the cabin and we are just amazed at what 2008 has brought us. It started out to be a really rough year, not only with the miscarriage, but other things we were going through at the time and despite it all, it ended up being the very best year and made us realize just how much we had been blessed with.

I am grateful for:

Dustin - I can't believe this is our 7th Thanksgiving as a married couple. The holiday season definitely brought us some stress the first couple of years, but I look at how much both of us have grown over these years and that I love him so much more every day (well almost everyday.. love you honey). He constantly makes me want to be a better person and I have seen such a sweet and sensitive side come out with Taylor in our lives.

Taylor - As I have said before, she is our gift from God. She is smiling all of the time and I love her so much. My life has made a 180 since she came to us three months ago and I wouldn't want it any other way. My mom always told me that the love for your children will be different than anything else and I am seeing that more and more every day! But I can't be grateful for Taylor without being grateful for her birth mom Jami. Without her, we wouldn't have been given the most amazing blessing in our life. She sacrificed so much and did one of the most Christ-like things that anyone on this earth can do. She is in our prayers every night and she deserves to blessed with all that she desires.

Quique - I know that she's a dog, but she is full of love and fun and I just love her like she is my child. She was my baby when I didn't have one and she cuddles with me and loves everybody, especially dogs and little kids. She has the cutest personality of any dog I have ever met and she fills my life in so many ways.

My family - My mom and sister are coming in a couple of weeks and I am like a giddy child waiting to open her gifts for Christmas. It's so hard that they don't live near me, but I love them so much. My mom is my greatest example of sacrifice and love. She is a role model for me as to the mother I can only hope to be. My sister is my very best friend. She is so much of what I am not. She is courageous and carefree, yet she has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. I'm sad that I only see my Dad maybe once a year or so, but I love hearing about all of the new recipes he has come up with. My dad can fix anything and he is one of the most creative people that I know. I always had the best when it came to my dad, whether it was a synchro stage or swim-suit or a graduation all nighter. He always got involved in all that I did. Thanksgiving just isn't the same when I don't have my family to share it with. But I am so grateful to them for all of the memories they have given me to treasure year after year.

My in laws - It's nice to have some of my family close and I am so grateful that they have just taken me in as their own and love me so much. I am so blessed to be so loved and to be given so much from my in laws. My life wouldn't be full if I didn't have my nephews and now my niece and soon to be nieces. I was laughing all weekend at everything that they were doing. I am sure it will come back to bite me one of these days, but sometimes I can't help but laugh!

My friends - They are my rocks. I could never have gotten through these past two years without them. I have been lacking in the friends department since I moved out to Utah, but I am grateful for my friends that have moved away from UT (Autumn) or that I have moved away from (my swimming and high school friends) and I am grateful for my neighbors who have become some of my very best friends.

My faith - The gospel has gotten me through so much in my life and it has given me the opportunity to work with some amazing people that have impacted my life forever. I am grateful for the teachings as to how to live my life and for all of the many ways that it blesses my life and gives me the faith and strength I need to constantly move forward and progress.

The list could go on and on, but these are the staples of my life. I am who I am because of the list above, well at least the good parts. I am fully responsible for the not so good parts...

We're Going Bowling (BCS Style)

Well Saturday was one of those truly amazing days. The Utah Utes went 12-0 for the second time in 4 years with 2 different coaches - HISTORIC! I remember getting bundled up early 4 years ago to go to College Game Day at the University of Utah with Dustin and his dad. It was a special day and in some ways even more special. We slaughtered everyone we played in 2004, but this year it was not at all expected at the beginning or even middle of the year for that matter. I will say that I was a little more confident going to a Bowl Game in '04. I was ready to go head to head with USC, Oklahoma or Auburn, but this year, my confidence isn't quite as strong. It looks like we may be going to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and assuming that Alabama beats Auburn and loses to Florida we'll be playing Alabama. How crazy is that? My hope is that we have a good showing and that we don't get creamed! :) It was an amazing season and I'm so glad that Taylor was able to take part by attending a couple of the games. We opted not to take her on Saturday, however we stayed surprisingly warm, so she probably could have gone. That was the only thing missing on Saturday night. It was such a fun game and the Utes put together an amazing game plan that gave them the W!

When it was a week or so before the TCU game and looking like a BCS bowl was a possibility, I asked my mom what she thought about us going to a bowl game for a couple of days since she is going to be visiting us at that time. The rest of the conversation went as follows:

Me: What do you think about us leaving you for a few days while you're visiting.

Mom: Would you leave Taylor with me?

Me: Yeah.

Mom: Well then I don't care what you guys do.

Apparently I am no longer the apple of my mom's eye. I guess the truth hurts sometimes. Anyway, it was an amazing day and an amazing season! Can't wait to find out for sure where we're going on 12/7!

Fiesta Bowl 2004 - before the new Stadium was built

Utah win over BYU (11/22/08) - 12-0 Baby!

Wedding Ring(s)

I think that I am somehow jinxed when it comes to wedding rings. Growing up, I was known to lose everything and Dustin knew this before marrying me so I think that he was already nervous about my ring. However, that doesn't seem to be my problem, there's actually another problem that I seem to have that has now become recurring.

Dustin and I got engaged in Cozumel, Mexico when he was working down there. We did a little ring shopping while I was visiting and I found a setting I really liked. It was just over three years after we had been married and I remember the day vividly because it was the day that I found out that my favorite job was relocating to Orlando, FL in six months and I was devastated. After an emotional day, I got into bed and was taking off my wedding ring when I noticed that one of my side bezeled diamonds had fallen out. I remember thinking my day couldn't get any worse (even though it always can but luckily it didn't). Things were pretty crazy the next year or so and since I'm a procrastinator, it took me about a year and a half to finally take in my ring. I found out the goldsmith on the ring was pretty poor and I pretty much needed to have the whole thing redone. I decided to change it up and do something a little different, but I was going to keep my same diamond and then take the 3 remaining bezeled diamonds and turn those into a small diamond necklace.

So that brings us to two days ago. I was cooking a ton and cleaning the house to get ready for pinochle club that I participate in with some of my extended family members and this month I was the host. So after a long day, it was around 10pm and I sat on the couch to talk with Dustin about the day and he gasped. I couldn't understand what he was gasping about. He said... "your ring". I looked down only to see that my main diamond was no longer in my ring. Let's say I pretty much freaked out. I spent the next two hours on my hands and knees with a flashlight scouring my entire house. Even though it was dark, I checked out in the car and on our front lawn. I couldn't sleep even though I was exhausted and I was sick to my stomach.

The next day, Dustin made a claim with our insurance and luckily because we had the ring appraised this time, we would be able to receive some money towards a new diamond, but it certainly wouldn't have been for the full amount. I was retracing all of my steps and called Dustin's parents and left a message because I had been there earlier that day, but didn't put much stock in it being there. I had also been to Costco. I can just imagine calling Costco and asking if they had found a loose diamond on their floor if they could give me a call. They probably would have thought I was insane and just laughed at me. A couple hours later I got a call from Dustin's brother, Steve. He said "I found your diamond". My jaw dropped to the floor and I was like "yeah right". He said "No, seriously, I found your diamond. It was behind the bookshelf in the entry way". April was with me when I got the call so she can testify to my utter amazement and disbelief. I don't have a big diamond in my ring so how he ever found it is beyond me. Apparently my mother in law had heard something drop when I was in talking with her and my sister in law so she thought that maybe it was in the vicinity. How amazing is that?

Honestly, I have already had my big miracle this year. My wedding ring certainly doesn't compare to Taylor, but I was heartbroken not only to have to pay for another diamond, but more so for the sentimental value that that diamond holds. I think that my miracles are all used up for the year, probably until the next baby comes, but I am so grateful to my mother in law, Steve and my father in law for going around the house on their hands and knees and finding my diamond.

So now the dilemma is, once I do get my ring fixed, I think that I may be a little too scared to ever wear it again!

What a Week!

It has certainly been one of the crazier weeks. Dustin was out of town for a few days, which always seems to make the days a little bit longer. But mainly it was volleyball, volleyball, volleyball this week. As I've mentioned before, I work with the Young Women in our church and they made it to a region tournament for volleyball which was great, but made it a really long week! Our sweet little Taylor was a spectator for close to 15 hours of volleyball in the span of 3 days and she was a champ! The girls played awesome and if we had had all of the girls for all of the games, we probably would have won the whole thing! But instead, we settled for 3rd place, which was so great!!! I am definitely getting old because this was exhausting for me and I didn't even play!

As for the latest Taylor updates, when I prop her up in the corner of the couch, this past week she has been pulling herself up past sitting position which usually ends up with a nose dive into the couch, so I decided to try her out in the Bumbo chair to see if I was getting way too ahead of myself and look what happened...

She was awesome! She was actually sitting up in her chair without her head bobbling all over the place. I was so excited that I took a picture of her on my phone and sent it off to her dad and grandma. Since I had to talk about it with someone, I walked over to Liz's house to make sure that this was okay and I wasn't torturing my poor child. We sat her up on Liz's counter and she just cooed and smiled at Liz... it was adorable! After that we came home to try out Baby Einstein. When I was out for a church activity on Wednesday, Dustin bathed, fed and showed Baby Einstein to Taylor, so I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. She was glued! I couldn't believe it. My two month old stared at the tv longer than I can hold her attention... it was hysterical!

Then on Saturday, after some chores, we watched a lot of college football. In fact, Taylor was so into the game, I couldn't even get her to look at me for more than a minute. A Ute and a football fan... as if she hadn't stolen her daddy's heart already!