The start of Christmas!!

So...I don't much care for how user unfriendly blogspot is with reorganizing pictures. I need to get a strategy down for the order in which I want my pictures to be posted, cause I can't seem to move them around. ANYWAY...Christmas is starting in our life! We got to go downtown to the parade of lights a few weeks ago. Emma and I caught the #15 bus...and for those of you who live downtown and partake in the bus system you know how FUN that was. It was actually super convenient so we didn't have to park anywhere. It was RAD. Anyway, it was cold and of course we got there early, but we bundled and were warm enough. We had a really fun night. As you can see, we chose really cool lights for our tree this year. Blue and white lights. I think the blue lights are KILLER! They make me want to sing and dance a little. I love to turn the lights off and see the lights reflect off my walls...pretty eh? Well I think so. Anyway, I hope everyone is having fun getting ready for Christmas, we sure are!

Um...they had lights ON their costumes. Reminds me of the Hunger Games a little. I wish I could have lights on my outfits...

See how bundled up we got? Lots of layers was the answer.

Again with the lights! RAD!!

Us

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

So here is my Thanksgiving post. We had a blast this year, except that we missed Shel and Micheal and their kids so much...they will be here soon though, so YIPPEE!! We had a TON of people at my parents house this year. Brian's sis Tammy and her family were there, Joe and Lara invited a couple from their ward, plus our family. So I think all in all there were 35 people there! PHEW! Thanks to Lara and her rad camera we got a ton of family pics that turned out pretty cute! I love this time of year. I love to spend time with my family. I've always had the best time with them. Maybe our family is oddly close? I love it though!

My sweet Emma

Here's me pretending like I'm contributing to the basketball game...my lungs were actually burning.

Um...I was pretending to be a model???

I made a rad 7 layer jello, and my sis Allyssa took this pic, which we thought was pretty funny. I think it was the best jello there...but then again, I made it...and it was the first one gone, so you decide.

Cute Emma

I worry about senior pics in a few years. She's just so dang cute!

Finally...another post!

OK...OK! I'll post again! Some of my friends that I don't see often, or even the one's I do say this is how they know what the heck I'm up to so...Sorry I've been totally slacking, but I started my new job as a real live nurse! It's taken up much of my time for sure. I'm starting to appreciate my days off much, much more. So anyway, the most exciting thing that has happened was WICKED!!! I took Emma to see this fabulous broadway show a few weeks ago. I would post pics of that, but of course I deleted them from my camera before I made sure I copied them to my pictures. Whatever...my brain isn't functioning well really. So then we move on to Halloween, which was totally fun. Emma was Elphaba from Wicked and her friend Katie was Glinda, also from Wicked. They have had this planned for a year or so. They looked great! Oh...and I turned 33 this week...Yipee!!! I don't want to grow up yet, so I'm going to pretend like I'm 25 or so. No one guesses that I'm older than that anyway. So here are some pics from Halloween...don't be scared!!!

This is Katie's hair pre-Glinda. This is how we got it to be curly! She even slept on it...what a trooper. I did my hair like this for halloween night, and my head was so very sore!

At trunk-or-treat

Emma looks sooo scary!

This is pre costumes. We started preparing at like 11am for the night. We had a blast.

Oh gosh...make up is coming off...

In the midst of collecting a TON of candy. So much for losing weight this month...CRAP!

I'll get you my pretty...and your little dog too! I LOVE this pic!

By the way...I'm not a huge TV person, but one show I LOVE is GLEE. For those of you who are Glee virgins...oh man...watch it!!! It will make you smile...ALOT! There is also a soundtrack of all the Glee-ers singing all the songs from the show. It's FABULOUS!

It's been awhile! Let's recap!

Wow! What a busy summer we've had...better yet, what a busy last 2 years it's been! I finished nursing school in Aug, which let's face it is RAD! We had a fun summer. Emma got to go to TN to visit her dad. They went to DC, Maryland and to VA to see Shelley and the boys. She had a blast! In Aug Emma and I went to VA to see Shelley and the boys again. We had tons of fun! We went to the beach...ALOT. Emma is definatly a water child. Maybe we should move to an oceanous state?? She'd live at the beach! Emma also started middle school in Aug. She was so excited! She is loving Morey and is making tons of new friends. I've applied to University to be a nurse there, but am still awaiting an answer from them. Hopefully all goes well. Anyway, here are some pics to capture some of our summer.

Emma in DC...she loved it here. Guess her and I will have to go.
Emma, her Dad and Stepmom, Julie. She had a blast with them.

Shelley's cute house in VA. I only saw one roach the whole time I was there...lol!

The kids in Williamsburg trying on armor...cute

Sweet baby Ryan. He is such a great baby!

Emma and Liam in the ocean. Both of these kids could live in the ocean I think.

Emma's first day of school. Isn't this a cute picture? I thought it was.

Also a cute first day of school pic.

OH yeah...we also went camping this summer. Somewhere up HW285. It was a beautiful spot. I haven't set up a tent in forever! Thanks Jon and Twila for the use of your tent! Emma and Ethen had so much fun exploring. They get that from my dad. They are unafraid!

Here's our tent. Not the most comfortable nights sleep I've ever had...

Well that's our summer wrapped up in a nice little package. Sorry it's been so long since I last blogged. I'll become much better at it...hopefully!

Danskin Tri

So this post is about me...I don't do that many blogworthy things, but this event is blogworthy...I think. A few months ago my friend from nursing school sent out an email to see if anyone would want to do a tri with her. Six of us decided to make 2 relay teams and go for it. I'd like to say I trained hard and long...but I didn't...maybe 2 months. Anyway it was a really cool experience. I did the swimming leg of the race since I swam in HS...remember however that was 15 years ago. These are the girls I raced with. I will miss them when nursing school is over. Anway it was scary and exciting and I'm not sure if I'll ever do it again, but it was a great experience.

Me right after my race...I was thankful I didn't drown!
Just before the swim...so very nervous!

Maggie and I waiting for the fun to start!

Emma's graduation from Teller...WOW!

So my baby graduated from Elementary school today...it brings a small tear to my eye. I can't believe how time flies in life! Emma is an amazing kiddo...I couldn't have been blessed with a better child. She has totally thrived at Teller, and has such a kind heart. She always cares about other people's feelings, and is friends with others when no one else is. I just love her. I remember a few years ago when she was 5 and I took her to her first day of Kindergarten. She was so excited! I cried of course...but not her. Nope, she said "I love you Mommy" and kissed me and ran to the playground. That's how she's been ever since. She goes all out on everything she does. She joins every school group: student council, the green peace group, the PEace group...she's so social. I'm so very proud of her!

This is her teacher Ms. Santorico
Beauen, Casey and Emma

Emma and Quinn

My sweet girl

How beautiful is she?

Graduation

So this last weekend probably was one of my favorite weekends of my life. After working long and hard I finally graduated from college...granted I have 16 weeks left, they hopefully are easy weeks. I got my practicum placement in the ED...just where I wanted to be. I love that I went to school and persevered. I can't go back just yet, because I'm sick, sick, sick of school, but in a few years I'll be going back for sure. So...here are a few pics of this last weekend...

Emma and Zoe going to my pinning
My lovely cake my mom got for my graduation...along with a delicious mexican fiesta catered by a delicious mexican restaurant here in town.

My future Graduate

Here we are!