Thanksgiving in Utah

Sophy hating having her picture taken

I love seeing little kids all bundled up in snow gear!

Okay I know this posting is late but I am writing it non the less.

Since our house is being rented out in Utah it was weird going home and not being able to go "home".  We stayed at three different family members houses.  We were suppose to stay at one more but I was tired of moving around.  I felt bad for my sister, Megan, because we were suppose to stay with her at our parents house.

My sister Rachelle has four kids that were awesome to play with our girls.  They had a ton of fun staying and playing at their house.  Thanks Tysh, Tacee, Dallon,and Dawson.  Aspyn was so excited to play in the snow which Sophy caught on quite quickly.  they kept on talking about it and I don't think they got sick of it.

While being in Utah Aaron and I had our five year anniversary.  The only problem was he was in Texas and I was in Utah.  We had plans when we got married to go on a "Big" five year anniversary trip which is why our honeymoon was short and local.  However, things don't always go as planned.  

The best part of Thanksgiving was being with family and seeing Aaron.  The night that Aaron got home we stayed at the Buchanan's.  It was so much fun seeing cousins and aunts and uncles. I know that they were very excited to see Grandma Shauna and Grandpa.

On Friday we celebrated our Anniversary going Christmas shopping.  I know it sounds crazy but I love shopping with Aaron. 


Then the next couple of days we spent at Shanelle's and Barbee's house.  We had so much fun and were very excited to come home again for Christmas.  We had fun seeing a couple of our friends and we wished we had time to see everyone that we wanted but time was short and we want you to know we love and miss you all.

Happy 5 Year Anniversary

This is way over due.  With that being said I would like to wish my husband a happy five year anniversary.  It was only back on November 22.  I thought that I should still post something because hello, it has been five years. 

These have been by far the happiest and hardest five years of my life.  Aaron has taught me to be a better person in so many ways.  I really can't imagine my life without him.  That sounds so cliche but I really don't want to think about not having him in my life.  He does so much for me and whenever I am having a hard time with life in general he is so eager to help me in whatever way he can. I don't even have to ask.  He is an amazing cook and he loves playing with our girls and they love playing with him!

You are so spiritual and so smart.  I love that when I don't know something I can just ask you and most of the time you have the answer.  It does make for good "debates" when we both think we know the answer!  I love that you are eager to learn what things I am interested in (i.e. the breed of the dog walking down the street).

I love that when you come home from work that you want to tell me about your day.  I love that you are the one who initiates the prayer at night and I am the one who falls asleep before you even get through the beginning part of your prayer. I love that you are a hard worker.


 I love you Babe and I am excited to spend eternity with you!

10 Things I miss and Love

I am way far behind in my blog posts.  I feel like I am so behind that I should just pick up where I am now. 

I am missing Utah right now and the people who make Utah what it is in my mind so I am writing about it.These are not necessarily in order but just what came to my mind.

10. Grandma Sycamore bread (there is no bread quite like it).  I might as well add Leatherby's and Cafe Rio.

9. My old neighborhood.  You would see kids out in the circle everyday.  I miss seeing them.

8.  Going over to the Buchanan's on Sundays and eating and playing games with them.

7. Having fun things to do with the girls or just at all,  ie. Wheeler Farm, Thanksgiving pointe, and discovery gateway.  

6.  Taking Aspyn to dance.  She loved going to dance and she tells me quite frequently how much she wishes she were in dance.

5.  How green it is and the mountains.  I miss waking up and looking out my front window and having that great "Mountain View", no matter where you were in the valley.

4. My visiting teaching companion and my friends that we had an excuse to go and visit at least once a month.

 3.  My sisters (including my sisters in law, they are my sisters).  While I am on this topic I also miss my nieces and nephews.  I miss watching them play with my girls and I miss talking to them.

2.  Working out with Shanelle at the gym.  It was so fun to go with her and talk and push each other while working out.  I should say that I miss Beth too!  She is a miracle worker.

1.  While being in Utah it wasn't the same with my parents being gone.  It was like part of "home" was gone.  I miss my parents.


With all of that being said, I do have a list of things that I like/love about Texas

10.  The weather.  It is warm and sunny and it is the middle of January and I am wearing shorts and flip flops and I am not freezing.

9.  Having the laundry on the same level.

8. My new car.

7.  Learning a new culture

6.  Being a minority.  Our girls totally stand out.  Lets' face it all white people here do.

5.  At least I get to talk to my family and see them through Skype.  Hurray.

4.  Having it be the middle of January and putting a jacket on the girls and sending them outside to play.

3.  Having Aaron drive home from work and it only taking 15 minutes in traffic.

2.  Our ward.  The people here are so nice and I am so happy that I am in this position so that I can have them as my friends.

1.  Tasha and the Biesingers!!!   They are the Best.  I cannot say enough good things about them.  Plus this post is already long enough.

Even though we are far apart at least we are together as a family.  I would not have it any other way!

Crafts for Christmas

Aspyn has told me on a number of occasions that she wants to go to school.  For this purpose I have started doing more crafts with her and have tried to teach her things that I think a preschool would teach. 

  Well last week while I was putting up Christmas decorations I found this.  It was a craft that was left over from the Westbrook 6th Ward Christmas party last year.  Of course I didn't put it together so I thought that now would be a great time to have some mommy time with Aspyn while Sophy was sleeping.  She loved it!  It surprised me how much she loved it so we made a wreath too! 

  I had to glue on the pieces with a hot glue gun so I had her stick the pieces onto the felt.  I am learning that I have become somewhat of a perfectionist in some aspects.  I guess having kids has taught me that.  Well, I have to admit that when she put a piece on the felt I had to fix it so it wasn't sideways or whatever way Aspyn put it on.  I am going to have to work on that.  So when we made the wreath together it wasn't "perfect."  It was really fun just watching her have fun and watching her learn.  She was so excited for Aaron to get home from work so she could show him what we did together.

  I realized that when we were putting together the nativity scene that she didn't know the story.  I know that she has heard it before but it was when she was younger so she didn't remember.  What a fun experience/memory I now have of this teaching moment.  Well, when she showed Sophy she told her the story.  How AWESOME!  Now they both want to play with baby Jesus.

  Since Aspyn loved putting this together we went to the store to buy more.  Yeah for inexpensive crafts.   Will I keep this or chuck it in years to come I am not sure but I do know that it has created a cool memory in my mind and heart. 

Sleeping Angels

A couple of weeks ago Aaron walked in and saw Aspyn sleeping like this.  He told me to come in and see so I took a picture of it.  Then a couple of days latter I walked in and saw Sophy sleeping like this.  They are so dang cute!

These are the BEST moments of having kids.  They look so peaceful and it shows how fun kids are.

Halloween Trunk or Treat

In years past we have had the Trunk or Treat inside the church.  This year was the first year that we actually had it outside.  Why you ask?  My guess is that it is much warmer in Texas during Halloween then in Utah.

Aspyn is a Witch and Sophy is a Fall Fairy.  I had so much fun doing their hair and getting them dressed up in their costumes.  Having girls is so much fun!!!

I could not get Aspyn to look at the camera.  She was constantly looking at
Sophy.  The picture above is of Aspyn and Porter.  He is from Utah as well.  He and Aspyn are fast friends.

Banana Bread

I had two bananas that were brown.  You know what that means?!  Yes, time to make banana bread.

Before

My cute Aspyn wanted to help me and since I wish that I spent more time learning how to cook when I was younger I thought that it would be okay to let her help me.  She is great at dumping in the flour and other ingredients.  She loves cooking and helping.  My favorite thing is after we put whatever we are baking into the oven, she flips the light on and says she wants to watch it grow. 

During

Here is the recipe if anyone wants it.  I got it out of a recipe book that my mom got us girls. 

After

1 3/4 cp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cp. shortening
1 cp. sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cp. nuts
Bananas

Set oven to 350 degrees

Mix flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  In separate bowl, cream sugar and shortening; add eggs.  Add bananas and dry ingredients alternately to creamed mixture.  Mix well; add nuts. Pour into floured and greased pan.  Bake for 60 minutes.

I do not like nuts so I don't ever add them but I do love chocolate so I add semi sweet chocolate chips.  I don't do it all the time but sometimes when I feel like I want to eat a little bit of chocolate.  It tastes so good when it is cold outside.  It makes me feel all warm inside.