Play Group

Every couple of weeks our ward has play group. I just want to say that I LOVE play group. It's the greatest to get together with other moms and let Lexi get together with other kids, and just be able to let loose. It's nice to have a scheduled event so I don't have to think up something fun to do that day, and it automatically provides you with half a dozen friends. We may not have the most sophisticated conversations, and 9 times out of 10 our discussions come back to our kids, but who cares? Lexi's having a good time, I'm having a good time, all is well!
This particular week we went to Wheeler Farm, I also LOVE Wheeler Farm. If you've ever come to visit Matt and I, chances are we've taken you to the Farm. There's plenty of grass, lots of ducks to feed, and animals to practice your animals sounds with. Most of Lexi's first words were animal sounds, and I think it is a direct result of this farm. The greatest thing about the farm is it's FREE, so if you haven't been, you should really check it out.

Committed

Ok, So I know I've been changing the blog background and colors a lot lately, but I'm committed to this one! I know it is boring, but I can't get my videos and pictures to fit in the cute background templates, so this is it. I may change my colors around from time to time, but I'm sticking with the boring basic stretch page!

Relief Society Retreat

Last weekend our ward had our annual Relief Society retreat. Every year Stacie Thomas invites the whole Relief Society up to her cabin to enjoy some much needed time away from the rest of the world. I think it's safe to say that everyone who went had an awesome time! I was only able to stay for the evening, but we had a great dinner, an awesome 'spiritual moment', and then a fun round of Cranium. I took some pics and video of the highlights. It was too bad I left at 11:00pm, cause I hear the party didn't die down till 5:00am the next morning, these girls really know how to have a good time! If you're in our ward, and didn't make it this year, plan for it next year, it's way too much fun to miss!

Summer Projects

We have been busy this summer trying to get a few house items in order. Matt is applying to school for the Fall of '09 and if he is accepted out of state we may have to sell and move out of here. But don't get too worried yet, we talked about going last year and it didn't happen, so who knows where will be a year from now :) But just in case, we want to get the house in as good of shape as we can, especially before the snow falls! About a month ago we had a good friend build us a deck, if any of you have been to our house, you know how crazy our stairs were, so we are SO happy this got done! Jake Staker was the man who made it happen, and we are thankful for all his hard work! Here's the finished product:






About 2 months ago we happened to be at Taylorsville Park, minding our own business, and there was a pile of junked grass. Matt started checking it out, and decided it was good enough for us! Lucky my mom was in town so we borrowed her truck and hauled a bunch home. I guess what they say is true, 'One mans junk is another mans treasure!'


The sod did awesome, and made a vast improvement to our lawn, so Matt went ahead and ordered tons more to cover the rest of the backyard. The Elder's Quorum Pres, his son, and his counselor showed up to help lay it down, and we are super grateful for Aaron and Ned's hard work! Aaron's son was awesome with the wheelbarrow as well! So we're on our way to decent yard! Isn't home ownership great? Ha!









PS I can't figure out how to get these pictures to line up straight, so sorry they are all over the place!

And so life goes

My blog today is going to be a little bit more personal, so log off now if that's not your thing. The truth is, it is against my gut reaction to put the sorrows of my heart on my blog, but in lieu of making who knows how many phone calls, here's the story.

For those of you who didn't know, I was pregnant, and unfortunately the past tense is appropriate, as I did have a miscarriage. At 8 weeks we went in for our first appointment and couldn't find a heart beat, however at that time we weren't too worried because they tell me it is normal that early on to not hear anything. At 11 weeks I started having a few symptoms that made me concerned and I went in to hopefully hear the heartbeat to set my mind at ease. Sadly, there still was not a heat beat, and the ultrasound the following day confirmed that there was not a live baby. Strangely enough, there was not a baby at all, evidently there was something abnormal about the egg and it stopped growing after 6 weeks and never actually developed into a fetus, however my body didn't initially notice there wasn't a baby and continued to prepare for the pregnancy, making a miscarriage inevitable for what was still in there. A D & C was scheduled for Monday, however it didn't end of being necessary as nature does tend to take it's own course.

People who are aware continue to ask me how I'm doing, and the truth is, I am doing pretty well, all things considered. My initial feelings when I was told was a huge sense of disappointment and sadness, but surprising stronger than that was guilt for Lexi. I waited until I felt I was 100% ready for a new baby, which is a little longer then most of my friends, and now she'll have to wait even longer for a sibling. I was having this conversation with a friend in the ward who has actually been right where I am (hi Stacie), and I have to say it helped a ton to know now that she has her 2 little girls 3+ years apart, and she has no worries about their differences in age. I hope I'll start to feel the same soon.

My last thoughts are those on trials in general, I hear many people say they are thankful for their trials, and I think ya right! and while I certainly am not thankful we have to go through difficult situations, I'm amazed at how it makes you grow, and learn, and figure how you want to deal with your life. I could be angry, or think God has it out for me, and let it pull me into a never ending depression, but I choose to accept this is the way things are, sometimes crazy bad things happen, and there is nothing to do but deal and move on. I choose to be happy regardless of the sad things in life.

Thank you to all who have been there through this, all the encouraging words and phone calls filled with love are just what I need, and I truly appreciate all the friendships you bring me!

I would blog today...but someone told me if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all...pretty sure it wasn't my mother, she'd rather just say it, but it seems like good advice, so I'll remain stale for another day. I'm pretty sure Matt's cooking up a good blog though, so stay tooned, sooner or later something good has gotta come out of this house.

Here's to you Mom

My mother says my blog is getting stale...and I need to post more often. Well this is all I've got today, more pictures! On our way back up to SLC, we stopped at Grandma & Grandpa Webb's house. The sure get a kick out of their grandchildren. My favorite picture is Lexi and good old Grandpa Webb, hanging out on the hammock, they are already good friends!

San Clemente

Matt and his little girl!


Uncle Doug...not the greatest pose from Lexi...


This is Grandi and her 9 great grandchildren, her posterity is booming!


Wes and two of Grandi's great grandchildern.




Each evening we gathered to eat dinner with one another, wonderful times and good memories.



We played on the beach all day for 3 days straight! Lexi played in the shallow waves a lot, and then went way out into the big ones with Matt. I'll admit I was holding my breath watching them out there, but she loved it! There were lots of games of frisbee, football, and of course body surfing. We girls walked the pier and the shops, and I think there were at least 3 copies of Stephanie Meyer's Breaking Dawn being read fiercly. Lexi even found a tent to nap in, that girl is just like her mom, she can sleep just about any where :) In the evenings (and pretty much any other spare time) the board games were broken out and there were plenty of games of Monopoly, Settlers, and Mormon Bridge, they just can't get enough! We had a wonderful time with all of the wonderful family gathered around us. Matt's younger brother left on his mission to London mid-week, and we were happy to be there for the setting apart, he's gonna be awesome! All-in-all it was one of the greatest trips we've done in a long while! We'll be looking forward to more reunions in the future!

Bryce Canyon

For the first half of our trip, we hung out with my family in Bryce Canyon. It was great to hike a little, play a little, and visit a lot! Wonderful to see my brother, his wife, and Lexi's one and only cuz (on my side)! We don't see them enough! And of course it just isn't a family gathering without some awesome dinners and even more amazing deserts, I think I gained 5 lbs in one day...good thing we did a little exercising :)

Safe and Sound

We made it! Down to St George, back up to Bryce Canyon, through Vegas to Valencia, and down to San Clemente, and back all the way to Salt Lake City, whew! It was a wonderful trip full of fun times, great people, and good memories! I'll get to the pictures later this week when the laundry is done and the car cleaned out, I just wanted to say hello to my fellow bloggers, and pledge to post some good stuff when I'm well rested and the house is sufficiently clean :)

Party time!

We're leaving on vacation today, whoop whoop! We're excited to see family, play on the beach, and eat lots of food...that's what vacation is all about right? Wish us luck with the drive, the gas prices, and the 2 year old in the back seat who's still working out the kinks of potty training!