Dylan drove us to our potential new home/neighborhood

Ok, so maybe Dylan didn't drive us there, but today the family drove down to Lehi to explore housing options for us. Why Lehi you ask? Close to family, good neighborhoods, good schools, out of the Salt Lake Valley pollution, more home for the money, longer commute but worth it, Thanksgiving point, shopping, restaurants. My parents just bought a home in Lehi, my brother Darrin lives in Lehi, and my brother Scott lives nearby in Draper. In-laws live in Sandy which is not too far away either.

Mcathur homes being built 3 minutes off the freeway and close to Thanksgiving Point.

This is one of many styles to choose from. Homes are currently being built so we could help customize one the way we want to. I am excited to go through the model home on Monday with my agent and discuss options. At the base price, these homes are affordable to us, but that doesn't include air conditioning, upgrades, etc. So we will just have to wait and see if this is something we can truly afford.

We also drove around to look at pre-existing homes and found a few that we like that I hope to go through on Monday as well. Wish us luck on selling our Condo fast and getting into a great home that we can raise our family in!

I'm stuck!

Dylan loves to get himself stuck in small places. This is where I found him today! He is such a funny child!

Weekend trip to Moose Hollow Condo in Eden, Utah

We just got home from a fun little trip with two other couples. We had a ton of fun and here are a few pictures to spotlight the weekend starting off with Dylan's favorite part of the trip. This was our balcony this morning and he loved romping in, rolling in, and eating the snow.





On Saturday we went snowboarding and the first picture is of our friend Danny after he crashed and landed on the fence. So funny!!

Beautiful view from the ski lift!



The next pictures are of the condo we stayed in and the awesome views from the balcony.





We went to this same place last winter with the same group of people and look forward to this hopefully continued yearly tradition! Thank you to Veronica and Lori for watching Dylan so Bryan and I could board:)

Preparing for Valentines!

I have never made successful sugar cookies and I wanted to make good ones for Valentines, so I started practicing early thinking that it would take me awhile to find just the right recipe. I was surprised when the first recipe I found turned out just right. They were fairly easy, soft, and tasty. Here is the link where the recipe came from www.ourbestbites.com/2008/12/sugar-cookies.html
I have recently became a food blog junky and now for the first time ever my husband calls me a 'good cook'. I guess when you start off with tried and trued recipes from other successful cooks anything can happen. My favorite food blogs are: www.ourbestbites.com, mykitchencafe.blogspot.com, and sisterscafe.blogspot.com.


My sweet husband had these flowers delivered to me at home randomly last week! I do not give him the credit he deserves, so this is why I love him so much! He works so hard at his job to provide for us. I complain a lot that he works too much, but if he didn't he wouldn't be as successful and probably wouldn't have gotten the steady raises he has had even in a declining market. He is smart and so far has a 4.0 in his Master's program. He is a wonderful dad. He spends his every Saturday with Dylan while I work. My mom is constantly telling me that not many guys would do that and never complain. Dylan is constantly yelling "da da, da da" and will go and knock on the office door at our house hoping that his dad is there. Besides the word no, dada is the word most commonly spoken by Dylan. Bryan tickles my back almost every night before I go to sleep because he knows how much I love it and it helps me get to sleep. Bryan loves my parents and family just as much as I do and that means a lot. He is always sincere and kind to everyone and that is an attribute that is hard to find. I sure do not have it. Bryan has a great sense of humor and loves to make people laugh. Bryan married me in the temple and honors his Priesthood. I love knowing that our family is Eternal and that I will always have this man to brighten my day and light up my world. Thanks Bryan for all that you do for me and our little boy! I love you so much and wish I were better at telling you these things on a daily basis. I love you!

Motherhood

Here is about the best picture I can get lately from this child who does not stop moving!

I have been thinking a lot lately about being a mother. Before becoming a mother I was so cocky and thought that I would be the best mother, that it would be easy and that all other mothers make it out to be too hard. Boy, have I had a reality check lately. It is actually by far the hardest thing I have ever done. The feeling of responsibility alone is one of the hardest things for me. Some days I do not feel worthy of such a calling and do not feel like I am doing a good enough job. Having to leave him while I go to work and trying to entertain him somehow while I do homework makes me feel guilty. I just have to remind myself that I am doing these things for him so we can be financially stable and provide a good home, neighborhood, and the things in life that he will want and benefit from. In another thought, I always thought I was a patient person. That was one of the big qualities that has helped me be a good nurse. I have all the patience in the world at work and everyone tells me that, but I have had the hardest time lately being patient at home. Why is this? Isn't the most important to be loving and patient to your own family at home? I think that it is the feeling of responsibility for me that make me lose patience. I want so much for Dylan to be a good, smart kid and do what he is told and eat good food and have good sleeping habits. When Dylan does not do these things I feel I am not doing a good job and I get frustrated and then impatient. So how I can I fix this? I have many ideas and ways that I think I could help myself and my family, but I would really like some input from my blogging pals out there. Sometimes outsiders looking in can give different perspectives and insights to things, so I am requesting some great ideas and look forward to reading them. Thanks in advance!

Stephanie Nielson: Plane crash survivor regains hope

Stephanie Nielson: Plane crash survivor regains hope

Click on the second title to this post to read the most amazing story of survival. Do not attempt without a box of kleenex close by. I came home from work tonight and was searching through my sister-in-laws blog list and came across this blog that touched my heart and I read and read. I found the link to this published story about this family and what they have been through. The story is sad, touching, and a lesson of faith, hope, and love. After reading and crying, reading and crying, I have found a new motivation to live and love more that I ever have. I would hope that in the same situation I would have the same courage and determination as Stephanie has had. She is a true role model and I hope that her story touches your lives in a way that leaves you hugging your loved ones a little closer and enjoying the small moments with them. I know that I held Dylan closer and thanked my Heavenly Father for him and for my health and my many, many blessings.

Dylan's First Adventures in the Snow

I figured that before we got ready for today, we would spend a little time playing in the snow. Dylan was mostly interested in eating the snow though. He had a hard time walking in his boots and big snowsuit, but soon got the hang of it. It is so fun to observe Dylan as he does things for the first time.