happy new year

i can't believe 2014 is already here. 2013 was a great year. lots of great things happened. we moved. we had a baby. curtis graduated with his masters. and so much more. 

i really love new years because it makes me fee like i can start fresh. a new beginning. i love that. normally i make a huge list of resolutions that never get accomplished and i'm not going to do that this time around… this year i am only making two.

the first one is that i want to read 12 books. it doesn't have to be one a month or anything specific like that. just 12 books this year. 

the second one is that i want to lose 50 pounds. i've really lost myself after having two kids and i am officially ready to get it back. by the end of this year i want to be back at my pre baby weight and i know it can do it. i will post my starting weight tomorrow and at the end of each month i will post my weight. i've tried doing all sorts of things here on my blog about weight loss and i'm just not going to make huge commitments for logging things here because i never follow through. this is simple enough. the last day of every month i will post my new weight and hopefully it's less and less each time until i hit my goal. it. will. happen.

here's to a great new year. a year of positive changes. 2013 you've been great but 2014 you will be the best one yet!

christmas 2013

this christmas was probably the most mellow christmas i've ever had and it was great. christmas eve was spent at my in laws house where we had a mary and joseph dinner where we eat only what marry and joseph may have had to eat such a bread, and cheese and fish and so on. then i of course had to make a last minute trip to target. christmas eve at our own home was fun. we have never spend christmas eve and christmas morning on our own before and it was pretty fun to do it with just us. brooklynn and quinn opened up their first present which had their christmas PJ's. we put cookies out for santa and carrots out for the reindeer. we only had a few carrots left since brooklynn loves carrots and ate almost all of them. silly girl. 

both girls slept in our room that night since i didn't want brooklynn getting up and seeing everything before we got up and quinn is just so sick with this nasty cold that i wanted to have her close.

chirstmas morning was hilarious. you have got to watch the video of brooklynn coming out and seeing everything. apparently she wanted a magic scooter and not a regular scooter. hahaha. she of course later was super excited and has been non stop riding her scooter but her first reaction was pretty hilarious and will be very fun to have for years to come.

after we opened presents we went back to my in laws for a yummy breakfast. more gift opening and a yummy chirtsmas lunch. we also played games and watched despicable me 2.  it was a pretty amazing day and we had a blast. so sad that christmas is over! i am already counting down the days until next year! christmas is so much more fun with your own kids! and it just gets more and more fun as the kids get older!

i hope you all had a very merry christmas! 

until next year!

^^so many pieces!^^

^^taken with my new iPhone lens that curtis got me!^^

you have got to watch this video of B coming out and seeing everything. 

such a funny kid!!

happiest baby on the block

i know i have already posted this photo to instagram and Facebook but i could not help but post it here too. my little quinn is just the happiest little baby and her big open mouth gummy smile just kills me!

happy holidays!

thanksgiving weekend // the polar express

i know this is a little late but better late than never.

thanksgiving weekend was awesome. my parents planned the most fun trip to arizona for some great adventure. it started off thanksgiving evening in prescott where we had dinner at the cutest little restaurant murphy's. it was delicious! that night my mom did story time for the kiddos and then of course we all went night swimming at the hotel.

friday morning we ate at this seriously yummy restaurant for breakfast that i cannot remember the name of but it was seriously so good. i wish i could eat there every morning! i'm serious. so good. then we went back to the hotel where my sister-in-law basically brought color me mine to us and we all painted ornaments. brooklynn loves to paint so she was really happy about this. 

that night we went to the local zoo for some zoo lights. we all had flashlights so we could see that animals and the whole zoo was covered in beautiful lights! so much fun! i'm not sure how much the animals liked everyone shining flashlights in their faces but we loved it. ha

early saturday morning we all packed up and headed up to the grand canyon and had lunch at el tovar. my mom got there super early to be the first in line since they don't take reservations so we could sit in the one spot of the restaurant that was next to these huge windows that would overlook the grand canyon. we got those seats which was awesome… except for the fact that is was extremely foggy and you could not see a thing! it was still really fun and the food was superb! 

we then checked into our last hotel which was in williams, az. this town is seriously the cutest little town. and we stayed in this hotel that was right next to a train station where we would later be boarding the polar express train. this hotel was so much fun. fully covered in christmas decorations and there were kids running everywhere and it just had the best feeling about it! ah, i want to go back to that fun christmas town!

that night we all boarded the polar express train which was just an all out blast! there was hot chocolate, and cookies and singing, and santa who gave all of the children bells! it was just magical. if you have never done this i highly recommend it!

a huge thank you to my mom and dad for that amazing trip! 

we all had the best time!

^^brooklynn loves her carson so much^^

^^cutest mimi and papa^^

^^brooklynn straight up stole papa's ipad^^

^^mimi with my niece iris and quinn^^

^^the family in front of the grand canyon… haha^^

^^mimi and the babies again^^

^^the whole family!^^

^^best buddies^^

^^brittany and brooklynn^^

^^us^^

thank you mimi and papa again for the best family trip!!!

we love you guys so much!!

3 MONTHS OLD

our quinn girl is 3 months old and i just can't even believe it. she is just so much fun i love her so much. she is all smiles these day and it is the best. there truly is nothing better than baby smiles. it just warms the heart right up. she has gone from waking up once a night to twice a night but i don't mind because i just want to squeeze her all of the time! she is just getting more and more fun every day and i am so thankful for this little bundle of joy!

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND

yes, i know i am a little late on posting about halloween weekend but better late than never right? this weekend was particularly special because the entire duty side of the family was together for the last time before my brother in law leaves for an lds mission to moscow, russia. curtis' older brother josh flew in from texas and his younger brother, his wife and daughter came up from cedar city. so the whole fam bam was together and it was awesome let me tell you. i seriously love curtis' side of the family and it was so much fun to have everyone together.

so thursday night we headed over to the in laws house and went trick or treating in their neighborhood. brooklynn seriously had the time of her life, it was hilarious. brooklynn was so particular about what candy she got. most children just accept whatever candy is given to them but not brooklynn. she would examine each candy as it was given to her and if she didn't like that candy she would ask for a different one. and then before she put it in her bucket she would make sure to show all of us what she got. it was awesome to see her have so much fun! brooklynn went as doc mcstuffins and quinn went as lamby. 

on friday we went up american fork canyon to roast hot dogs and enjoy the beautiful mountains we have here in utah. as we were looking for the perfect spot curtis' dad lead us on a little off roaring adventure which didn't really work out for our prius and we had to turn around and find somewhere a little lower in the canyon. we settled in a great little spot and had a blast. we really do live in a beautiful state.. (still miss my california though ;) )

that night we went to hee haw farm. since it was the day AFTER halloween it was pretty much empty which kind of made it seem a little bit gross.. but it was still fun. there was a huge slide. and train ride, pony ride, hay ride, animals and much more. i saw a huge pig trample a tiny newborn pig and i about lost it because it was the saddest thing i've ever seen. boo! but other than that little incident it was way fun

^^there were no other kids going on the train ride other than brooklynn and her cousins and for some reason brooklynn decided she wanted to sit all the way in the back, funny girl^^

saturday my brothers wife took some family photos for us since we were all together and then that night since keaton will not be here for thanksgiving we had our thanksgiving dinner which was amazingly delicious! 

sunday we all just played games and hung out until it was time for josh to leave.

^^josh and quinn^^

basically it was an amazing weekend! 

QUINN WAS BLESSED

on october 20th at our church my quinn ruth was blessed.

it was a very beautiful and special day

thanks so much to everyone who made it out!

^^this slip my great grandma ruth made for me when i was blessed^^

^^ah these little botties are to die for! my dad picked them out in italy on my parents trip there last month!!^^

^^love this little ruffle bum^^

^^the dress that brooklynn, quinn, and i were all blessed in. so special!^^

^^family^^

^^all the men that stood in for the blessing^^

^^love my little family of four!^^

BROOKLYNN TURNS 3

brooklynn,

you are now 3 years old, and i cannot believe it
where on earth has the time gone?
we had such a great birthday weekend with you
your mimi and papa came into town which was such a treat
we went to breakfast at kneaders and you had a yummy cinnamon roll
after that we went to jump on it with mimi, papa, me, daddy, grandma, jackson, reagan, courtney, brittany, and scott
we jumped for hours and had such a blast
then we had lunch at johny rockets and you had mini hot dogs and a chocolate malt
then we went home to prepare for your family party
you opened your presents and we had a princess cake
it was a great day
i love you so much
you bring such light into our lives
you love to play dress up and play doh
you are very into coloring which i absolutely love
you have such a fun personality
right now you are really into growling which is just hilarious
you love your little sister and she loves you
these have been the best 3 years of my life
thank you for being you
i love you so much

love,
mom