James Yvonne and Elise

Happy Holidays

2011-12-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

May 2011

2011-10-20T11:47:00.002-06:00

Spending Memorial Day in Malad Idaho

Elise with her great uncle Darl!

Malad Cemetary

Visiting Aunt Jenna Lee - we miss her so much!

Salt Lake City

We took my brothers Blake and Cade to U2. We all had a blast!

Jim and his friend Jason who together have seen 13 U2 shows in 6 different states since 1992!

Elise and her uncle Cade walking in Provo Canyon. This picture melts my heart. Cade is 15 and Elise just loves him!

Bridal Veil Falls

My little tiger!

Memorial Day 10K finish line!

This is "hottie runner" my sister and I see him running all around Orem. Usually he doesn't have a shirt on but it was cold.

I went up to him after the race and told him I am a big fan and wanted my picture with him. He thought I was crazy!

Hogle Zoo

Las Vegas Girls Trip

2011-10-20T11:21:00.000-06:00

Las Vegas Girls Trip

April 2011

The Cosmopolitan pool was amazing!

Looking up to the rooms from the pool

My awesome sister and I

Carrie and Sara

The Cosmopolitan is AMA-zing!

Playing Catch Up

2011-10-20T11:11:00.000-06:00

More Birthday pics

March 2011

This girls lOVES to play in dress ups! Don't mind the messy room...sheesh!

Repunzel on her Birthday

Our favorite Roni!

Party for a Princess

2011-03-29T09:17:00.009-06:00

We celebrated Elise's 3rd birthday over the weekend. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. She has gone from a baby to a little girl over night! Natasha and Cale were gracious enough to allow us to have the party at their house. Elise has been talking about her Tangled party ever since the movie came out. She saw Tangled 4 times in the first month. I think it turned out cute and everyone had a great time.

Come on in

I found the Tangled party ideas here

She was so excited for her new princess dress! Elise and her cousin Kenz being silly

My mom made her cute cake

My sister Natasha with Elise and cousin Emelia

The lost princess as she calls herself, waiting to open her presents

Someone partied like a rock star!

Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet little Elise. You bring so much joy into our lives. We love you!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Zions Nat'l Park 2010

2010-07-21T16:31:00.012-06:00

We took a family trip to St. George over Mother's Day weekend with our good friends the Baldwins. We went to Zions, played in St. George and had a blast the entire time.
Thanks Baldwins!Elise LOVED riding the bus in Zions and begged to "ride bus" the entire time!

We hiked to Emerald Pools, which is a gorgeous hike. I hadn't been there since I broke my foot hiking the same trail in 2007 which coincidentally we were with the Baldwins then also.
No injuries this time!

Jim and Todd decided to hike Angels Landing while Frances and I took the kids to the cute little town of Springdale. We shopped and walked around for a couple of hours until we heard from the boys. I'm pretty sure they set a record of hiking Angels Landing...62 min to the top, 30 min on the summit and 35min down. That's fast I tell ya!

Jim at the top of Angels Landing

I am guessing the people around them didn't think this was too funny.

Jim and Todd also hiked Signal Peak while we were in St. George.
Jim doing what he does best...thinking.Elise and Cambree were so cute the entire time.
They were best little friends and play together so well.

Cambree celebrated her birthday while we were there. For her birthday she got cute little princess dresses, which kept she and Elise entertained the entire time!

Strawberry Days Rodeo

2010-07-15T16:54:00.008-06:00

My friend and co-worker Tia and I took Elise to the Strawberry Days Rodeo in June. The evening started out windy and cold so it turned a lot of people away but it was great for us. It wasn't very crowded which is unusual and made for a perfect night at the rodeo. It was Elise's first rodeo and she loved it. She loves horses and cows and had fun being able to walk right up to the fence to see them. I love the mutton bustin!

We had a fun night and as always Elise was so good.

She and Tia have become cute little buddies!

She's Two!!

2010-07-15T16:31:00.005-06:00

Our little sweetheart turned the big 2 in March! It is so much fun to see her grow-up. I love this age and I love how much she talks and can carry on a conversation.

Elise loves Minnie Mouse so we had a fun little party with family. We also took her to the park on her birthday were she could swing and go down the slide, two of her favorite things to do.

May

2010-05-05T09:24:00.005-06:00

This post started out being about Mother's Day but then we went out of town for the weekend and I didn't finish it. So all I have to say is I love being a Mother. It's really easy when you have one child who is an angel. She is the joy of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Here are some pictures of that said angel. Two is such a fun age, she learns more and more everyday and she keeps us laughing.

I won, I won!

2010-04-09T13:32:00.004-06:00

I won a contest! I am so excited to get these earings. Kate Benson is an amazing photographer. Her work is perfection! If you are looking for a great photographer check her out!

See her website here.

Happy Birthday Elise!

2010-03-19T16:38:00.006-06:00

I can't believe that 2 years ago we went from here....to here...

and today we are here...

(I know, the picture quality isn't too great but the laugh just kills me)

Happy Birthday to my baby girl Elise!!!!

An Angel, from the Realm of Glory...

2010-03-11T09:48:00.010-07:00

In December we had the opportunity to attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. For a very special reason, this wasn't just any Christmas concert, it was an opportunity to see (and more importantly feel) the Lord's hand in my life and experience one of those "full circle" type of moments. We weren't planning on going until the last moment and thanks to some very kind people we were able to get fantastic tickets. I can't explain in words the feeling that was there that morning. It was a very memorable and personal experience.

This song was part of the program. If you watch closely at about minute 3:51 you will see a cute little blond in the right hand corner. Yep, she is the reason we were there. Almost 11 years ago this took place. I never could have imagined that I would be there seeing her sing. It was beautiful, it was wonderful. I will never forget that day.

I am so blessed. This song brings back so many good memories of a great day. I had a glimpse of an angel and I will forever be changed.

Our Big Girl

2010-02-05T14:16:00.004-07:00

I know that most little girls go through the phase of changing clothes and this little one is no different. She loves to take her clothes off and dress herself. We are in the process of potty training her so she LOVES to run around naked.

I love that even at this young age Elise has fashion sense!

She knows it's hip to wear your shirt backwards.

That cute skirt is really a shirt....she is so fashion forward.

Shirt inside out and backwards, it's what all the cool kids wear

All dressed up for church. Mom got her dressed this time.

The little stinker, I was trying to take her picture so we could send it to Grandma and she wouldn't hold still and show me her face.

It Doesn't Get Much Cuter

2010-01-11T14:20:00.003-07:00

Wow! Has it really been almost 3 months since my last post? I guess you can say we have been busy, or lazy. For some reason blogging has taken a back seat for the last few months. I have plenty to write about but no time to do it. After working out, working 8 hrs a day, fixing dinner, spening time with my family, sleeping and watching my tv shows I feel I don't have the time to blog.

Our Christmas break was wonderful. I had 10 days off of work and it was great! Elise is such a happy little girl. She loves to play with her dolls. She is so fun to watch as she takes such good care of them. I think her favorite thing to do is change their diapers. She uses baby wipes and all. We are enjoying this stage of life so much. Elise will be 2 in just a couple of months!

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring when we can once again emerge to the outdoors. I don't think it is coming soon enough.

Snowbird Tent Revival 2009

2009-10-21T14:29:00.012-06:00

Our friends Jason and Rebecca invited us to the Snowbird Tent Revival in August.

It was a gorgeous fall day in the mountains.

Our friend Cory was playing with his band: Cory Mon and the Starlight Gospel.

Check em out on itunes, they are pure awesomeness!

This little girl loves to dance
Jim in his happy place

hallelujah!
Elise was really getting into the music
Chillin in BOB

Summer 2009

2009-10-21T14:25:00.004-06:00

Yes, we like to take a lot of pictures of Elise. It's so hard not to when she is so sweet and cute.

Elise and cousin Emelia

Roni's Wedding

2009-10-21T14:09:00.007-06:00

My wonderful, awesome, sweet, funny and dear friend Roni got married on July 31 in the Manti LDS temple. It was such a beautiful day in a beautiful place. Both Jim and I cannot believe we didn't get married in the Manti temple, it is awesome!

We love Brett and Roni and we couldn't be happier for them. Jim and Brett are both huge football fans and although Brett loves the Raiders we have still welcomed him into our family!

Go COWBOYS!

Her dress was GORGEOUS!

The happy couple

It was a wonderful summer evening for an outdoor dinner
Farewell beautiful Manti, UT

P.S. Roni is a hair stylist. She is the best around. Have you ever wondered how Jim and I always have great hair? You can thank Roni, or better yet you can give her a call and she will make you look as good as us!

If you want her # let me know.

18 months...

2009-09-23T14:26:00.008-06:00

It's hard to believe that much time has gone by since this little beauty came into our lives. She is a spunky little girl who knows what she likes and what she doesn't, and, has no trouble letting you know either way! What a joy she is to our family!

Strike a pose!

Elise loves water! Whether it's bath time, pool time, or move the sprinkler time, she loves to get wet. She also loves to wear other peoples shoes. While she has her own dress up shoes that she walks around the house in, she can often be found tromping around in shoes that belong to daddy. She loves her blankies and her sippy cups (ba ba). Some favorite foods include mac and cheese, cheerios, crackers, cheese, peaches, yogurt, and cottage cheese - can you tell she loves cheese? Best of all though, she always, always wakes up happy. We love her!

You can't really tell, but she's wearing Jim's basketball shorts. She brought them to me saying "da da" and was trying to put them on by herself.

Even though she hasn't been in a baby seat for over 6 months, it's her favorite toy. Thanks to her cousins Gage and Emelia she still gets to play in one...

It's hard to explain how much we love this little one. Looking back, those first few weeks after she was born were so hard for me (I have never been so tired and "out of it"). I remember thinking "why didn't anyone tell me this was going to be so hard?" But now, I think how blessed we are to be parents - the joy that it brings us is so, so worth it!

4th of July

2009-09-04T16:30:00.008-06:00

Our 4th of July started early at the Freedom Festival Balloon Fest. This has been a tradition in my family since I was little and someday daddy will join us in this great tradition of getting up at 5:00am and watching the balloons launch. Doesn't Elise look excited to be there?

Jim's Grandma also shares her birthday with our country so we spent the afternoon with her and Jim's family at their campground in beautiful American Fork Canyon.

Mackenzie, Grandma Leigh, Ellen, baby Gage, Jim and Elise

Baby Gage, Ellen, Kathie, Jim, and Elise

Jim and Elise playing in the river.

Elise trying to get Jim to give her a bite of his ice cream bar.

Beautiful American Fork Canyon

1st Time in a Swimming Pool

2009-09-04T16:24:00.002-06:00

Yes, our daughter was 15 months old when we took her swimming in a pool for the 1st time. Don't judge...remember the bad virus/flu that went around last year that shut down the pools? Well I didn't want to chance my daughter getting some illness from the public pool so I waited until she was older to take her. She has no fear of water and LOVES to be in the pool.

Eating On Her Own

2009-09-04T16:07:00.003-06:00

Elise has always been so good. Since she was born she has been so easy going. When it comes to eating she is the same way. One night while I was feeding her she wanted her spoon to do it herself, this was the result. Lucky for us she doesn't normally want to feed herself and she keeps her clothes and the walls clean.

Here is a video of the aftermath

Hanging with the Dogs

2009-08-26T16:52:00.003-06:00

Everyone in our families has a dog, except us, which Jim is okay with. He said he refuses to have a dog until we have property big enough for a German Sheppard to run around and defend. Don't worry, I'm working on him. Until then, I am okay being dogless because we have plenty around us.

Elise chillin with Tamone (sister's dog) and Babette (grandma O's dog)

Thanksgiving Point Farm Country

2009-08-26T16:43:00.003-06:00

June 2009

We went to Thanksgiving Point Farm Country with Grandma Kathie. We had a good time even though it was a little warm (as you can see from Elise's pink cheeks). Elise and daddy both have the tendency to run a little warm, which means I better get used to air conditioning and sleeping with the windows open...

Can you tell she is looking up at an airplane? Thanks to the air show she knows what a plane sounds like, and she'll look up anytime she hears one.

Thanks Grandma Kathie, we had a great time!

Father's Day, Blake's Birthday, and Elise's Birthday do-over

2009-07-24T16:47:00.004-06:00

My not-so-little brother turned the big 15!

(can't you tell he is excited to have his picture taken and open his presents in front of everyone)

Father's Day BBQ at the Olenik's

My brother Dale holding my brother Brent and Jenni's baby Emelia

Elise getting ready to eat her "real" birthday cake

Flour Girls and Dough Boys in American Fork made this cake.

If you haven't been you must go. Everything they have is delicious!!

"Finally, my parents are letting me eat some real food. Damn hippies"

Cheese! it doesn't get much cuter than this. She loves to have clean hands. She has found the best way to clean them off is to run them through her hair.

*warning nudity*

Birthday aftermath

If you read about Elise's first Birthday cake you will know that I made her a sugar/flour free cake. I have felt bad that she wasn't able to properly delve into her cake. So, we decided to have a birthday do-over. She turned 15 months on Father's Day and Blake's Birthday so we rolled them into 1 family celebration.

Elise definintely enjoyed this cake much better than the 1st one!

Joel McHale

2009-07-24T16:40:00.003-06:00

We love us some Joel McHale. He is the host of The Soup on E! He performed at A-brave-anal (Abravanal) Hall in Salt Lake City. He is a great comedian and he had us rolling the whole time. Next time he comes to Salt Lake City I will be there!

Kelly Clarkston Concert

2009-07-17T16:02:00.005-06:00

On June 11th, Kelly Clarkston played a show in Orem at Brent Brown Ballpark. I decided it would be fun to take Elise to her very first concert, so off we went! Unknown to me, the apparently cash strapped city of Orem required everyone have a ticket no matter their age. So, while 15 month Elise can get into Disneyland for free, she was unable to get into the Orem City Days concert without a ticket. Thankfully some sweet girl who saw what was going on came up and gave me an extra ticket she wasn't using. Very nice of her I thought!

We all had a great time and the weather held out:

Elise hanging out before the concert:

Our friend Ben Truman's band Truman played a song before the concert. It was great -watch out for him folks, he is going to be big!

A "beautiful" night for a concert:

She was so happy to be there....

Okay, so really she was thinking, "How can I get to a real show, like going with Dad to see the Black Eyed Peas and U2 in Vegas?"

Air Force Week Air Show 2009

2009-07-08T15:56:00.004-06:00

The Air Force Week Air Show was held the first weekend in June at Hill Air Force Base - the weather was perfect for plane and people watching. Elise did awesome, and loved watching all the people. Jim did okay driving and being surrounded by over 200,000 people. When I told him he would love it he just rolled his eyes. When we left he thanked me for making him go as he was in Jimmy military heaven. Much better than the History Channel he said. Elise didn't get scared at all until until the Thunderbirds started flying at low altitude and high power. All in all it was a great day and a wonderful way to celebrate the dedicated men and women of the United States Air Force.

Elise chillin in "BOB"

Jimmy eating with an aiplane on his head

The boys
Blake, Fred, Cade, Dale and Jim

World famous Air Force Thunderbirds
People watching...my favorite thing to do

Saweeet! (middle of the picture, right above the guy in the hat)

The Thunderbirds were a little too loud for her.

They aren't kidding..."earth shaking flyovers"

Some lame dude ruining Jim's photo op with an Apache helicopter and its stud pilot sitting on top. The first picture I took only had the hotty pilot in it...

Elise 1st Birthday

2009-06-30T22:12:00.002-06:00

I know it's over 3 months late...but here are some pictures of Elise at 1 year.

Look at this cutie

Hanging out with dad on a Sunday afternoon.

Eating of the cake

Opening of the presents

The famous pig cake.....

When I was 3 or 4 my mom made me a pig cake just like the one pictured above.
For Elise's 1st Birthday I thought it would be neat to make the same cake, only Elise's hippy dad wanted a sugar-free, wheat-free, apple sauce sweetened (essentially taste free) version for his little girl. Up until this point we hadn't given Elise any sugar and we were hoping to continue the trend. The pig decorations were real candy of course, but we took those off before she ate it.
While the cake turned out cute, Elise had a hard time finding anything to eat because the "all natural" cream cheese frosting had hardened into a substance that can only be likened unto concrete. So, needless to say I felt bad that she wasn't able to enjoy her first birthday cake as I had planned.

There is a continuation of this story....stay tuned.

What We Have Been Up To

2009-06-24T09:11:00.007-06:00

The last couple of months have been very busy for us. We have moved to Utah, started working, celebrated holidays, birthdays, Orem City Days, Strawberry Days, spent time as a family and enjoyed the beautiful weather and we have pictures to prove it.

Elise and cousin Emelia

Memorial Day- getting ready to watch the parade.

Elise loves her purse and carries it around on her shoulder, it is so cute.

Memorial Day visiting Uncle Stephen's grave

Hanging out with cousins at the cemetary

Strawberry Days concert in the Park

New shades

Emelia with Great Grandma O

First bath with bubbles (I know my child is deprived)

Cousin Emelia- we love when she comes to visit

Bubbles

2009-06-24T08:46:00.003-06:00

Thank you Grandma D. Elise loves her new Nemo bubble machine!

The link to my video

2009-06-09T22:19:00.000-06:00

https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/ct/eng/site/pregnant/what-are-my-options/single-parenting/the-choice-i-made/

The NEW itsaboutlove.org

2009-06-03T08:58:00.012-06:00

Today is a happy day!

I think one of the great advantages of the internet is to be able to share important ideas, feelings, and events with family and friends. So, that is why I'm writing this post, to share some of those with you!

10 years ago this August I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Mckenzie. Two days later she was placed with her adoptive family. Adoption, and the process it entails, is very near and dear to my heart. It has been a blessing to me, and has shaped my life in ways that I will always be grateful for. I have so much to be thankful for from my experience with it, and because of that, I love to share my story. I have done many speaking engagements for different agencies over the years. I enjoy talking about what a beautiful and wonderful experience this was for me in the hope that it will help someone else.

We found Mckenzie’s family through LDS Family Services. There are so many there who devote so much of their lives to this process of bringing birth parents and adoptive parents together, and I'm grateful for their help and assistance.

About a year and a half ago I was asked to work on a project with the LDS church and LDS Family Services. They had finally received the go ahead to update the website itaboutlove.org I feel so privileged to have been able to be a part of this miracle. There are so many who worked tirelessly on this project and let me tell you...there are perma-grins that it is finally live.
The site it beautiful, there are so many great resources for birth parents, adoptive couples and anyone just interested in adoption.

One of the greatest things about the new site is that it is real people telling real stories. What you see on the website are not actors, but experiences shared from real birth parents and real adoptive families. I know cause I'm on it. :) You might have to search a little to find me, but here's a hint: What are my options…single parenting…the choice I made.

Love,

Yvonne

Some of our Favorites

2009-04-17T16:20:00.005-06:00

We love this girl!!!

Family Pictures

2009-04-11T13:42:00.002-06:00

While we were in Utah for Spring Break we had our family pictures taken by Maggi Quackenbush. She is amazing and does such a wonderful job. I am officially declaring her our family photographer. She took our engagement photos, bridals, wedding photos, and our family photos. You can see a sneak peak of them on her blog here. Thanks Maggi!!!

I love George!

2009-04-10T12:07:00.002-06:00

One of the greatest cyclists ever. I am so excited to see this!

Young Jim starts his dance career

2009-04-08T16:36:00.007-06:00

Happy Birthday baby!!

2009-03-03T19:14:00.012-07:00

Happy Birthday Elise!! Our baby girl is 1 today. It doesn't seem like that is possible. Time has gone by so quickly and she is no longer a baby. We are celebrating with family today and we are so happy to be here in Utah with them. We love this little girl!!!

1 day old

1 month 2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

B is for Balloon

2009-02-26T14:11:00.008-07:00

Here is some fun video of the little one and her new favorite toy. If you listen close around the 1:30 mark, you may even hear her say "balloon" as she looks up. Or, maybe not...

11 Months.....already?

2009-02-20T11:43:00.013-07:00

This little cutie is 11 months old today!

Her first piggy tails

She loves her daddy!

Daddy got a balloon for Valentines day and Elise LOVES it!

We love her

She loves to help in the kitchen
When she dumped the bag of marshmallows she knew she had done something wrong and wouldn't look up to have her picture taken...so dang cute!
She is a fashion-ista....takes after her mama

She is a good little sleeper.

Maybe we had the TV up too loud and she couldn't sleep so she covered her head.
It's hard to get anything done when all you want to do is love this little girl all day long!

2009-02-12T22:46:00.009-07:00

What We Have Been Up To

When the weather is in the 70's, it's hard to stay inside all day.

We like to go for walks to a little park by our apartment. As you can see, Elise loves to swing.

2009-02-04T11:12:00.002-07:00

A Valentine treat that is O so sweet

Chocolate Cherry Stack Cake

I made this cake a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious!! I thought I would share the recipe from Better Homes and Garden. I made the cherry frosting and it turns out kind of runny but it has great flavor. Also, the recipe calls for you to slice your cake and make layers but I just kept it as one cake and put on lots of frosting.

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Cherry Stack Cake
3/4 cup plus 1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Recipe Cherry or Chocolate Frosting, recipe below
1 Recipe Chocolate-Dipped Cherries, recipe below (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6x2-inch round cake pans or spring form pans. Mix 1 teaspoon each flour and cocoa powder; dust pans. Set pans aside.

2. In bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

3. In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.

4. Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack.

5. Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total. Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with layers. Place top layer on cake. Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks. Refrigerate. To serve, top with Chocolate-Dipped Cherries. Serves 8.

6. Cherry Frosting: In large mixing bowl combine one 8-ounce carton sour cream. 1 cup whipping cream, 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice. Beat on medium-high until fluffy.

7. Chocolate Frosting: In large mixing bowl combine one 8-ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. Beat on medium-high until fluffy.

8. Chocolate-Dipped Cherries: Drain 16 maraschino cherries with stems; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 teaspoon shortening. Cook on 50 percent power (medium) 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set. Store, covered, up to 24 hours.

2009-01-31T19:51:00.003-07:00

Once he was sad...

He deserves to be happy
I am so glad he is dating this girl:
If you haven't heard, Jesse is dating Holly from season 12 of the Bachelor. Go Team Jesse!!

*This is now Jim writing. As you can tell, all my efforts to ban Yvonne from watching reality television have failed... I cannot assume any responsibility for her blog posting, and disavow myself from "Team Jesse", although, if you think about it, the guy is pretty charismatic. Love you Yvonne, but seriously, our daughter won't have a chance if you expose her to this stuff. :) It's already enough that you make her dance to the Ellen show...

2009-01-29T08:54:00.007-07:00

What We've Been Up To

Now that we have been home for awhile, and back in the swing of things, I wanted to get caught up on my blogging. We had our first "winter" storm of the year. Not much of a winter storm according to me, but the schools closed early Tuesday and then started late on Wednesday due to the "icy" conditions. What made it really weird was that for the past couple of weeks we were enjoying 70 degrees with sunshine... Anyway, I'm not much of a cold person so I hope our old weather comes back!

Here is a bit of what we have been up to lately:

We watched the inauguration of President Obama.

Elise and I stayed in our pajamas all day and watched the festivities.

No matter what your political views are, it's neat to watch history being made.

Elise got an early birthday present from auntie Tasha...

But, as you can see, she was more interested in eating the paper than unwrapping it.
Elise loves her new super soft blanket. Thanks auntie!

It is so cute when she lays on her blankets.

All we say is "oh, so soft" and she automatically lays down.

It doesn't get much cuter in my honest opinion!

Our poor little one has a cold. It is her first "real" cold/illness. She has a runny nose and this awful cough. It's sad when she coughs, it sounds like she has a lot of junk in there. Still not as bad as her asthmatic father when he gets going... Anyway, we took her to the doctor because I wanted to make sure there wasn't a problem with her lungs. No problem, the lungs are great, but her sinus' are draining to her throat --hence the reason for the cough. I don't like that she is sick, it makes me sad and a little scared as a new mom.

On a happy note Elise is 10 months old! She is not walking yet, but she does pull herself up and can stand when she is holding on to something. She likes to stand all by herself with her back to the couch. She thinks she is a big girl who can play with the big kids. I am fine if she doesn't start walking too soon.
She loves to play in our closet while I get ready in the mornings.

She is gonna love shoes just like her mama!

P.S. On a side note, she crawls everywhere and gets into anything that is near her. Therefore, living in an apartment without much room presents a few "exploration" problems. We bought a fence thing that we put in the living room and connect it to the couch. That is the fence you see in the background. I promise she is not a caged animal. Mostly she just loves to walk all around it while holding on. She actually sits and plays with her toys instead of always getting up on the computer desk or TV stand. It works great!

2009-01-10T21:01:00.003-07:00

To my grandparents, auties, uncles, cousins and friends

Thank you for letting me come and stay, play, and crawl at your houses over Christmas. I really enjoyed my time in Utah. Seeing snow for the first time was so much fun for me. I am glad that I have so many people around me who love me so much. I look forward to seeing all of you again in a couple of months.

Until then this video of me should do. If you listen carefully you can hear me saying hello and then I'll wave to you.

Love, Baby Elise

2009-01-08T00:37:00.008-07:00

Christmas 2008
We have had a wonderful month visiting our family and friends in Utah. We are so thankful for all of our blessings.

Our holidays this year were spent together as a family

We enjoyed the beautiful lights on Temple Square as we were running to our car after an evening with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We were trying to beat the traffic, downtown was a nightmare.

We enjoyed the snow.

Jim enjoyed driving his old truck.

Making carmel apples at my cousin Pam's house is a tradition. We girls all had a great time. I always make a few extra we can eat.

We all came at different times so this is who was there when we were leaving.

Cousins played together.

Jim got to play with his favorite niece.

Jim was able to go snowshoeing. He went alone which I strongly discourage him from doing. He covered over 10 miles that day. I am glad he was able to go to his "happy place"

I love that he took a bunch of beautiful pictures. This is one of my favorites.

This is not one of my favorites. What the ??? Do you think bear spray would keep this animal away? Good thing he didn't have to find out. He said it was most likely a cougar. I guess they don't like tall things with large packs on.

Elise enjoyed her 1st Christmas

She also enjoyed just hanging out.

It snowed some more.

Does it get any cuter?

We hung out with our wonderful friends at the happiest place in American Fork....JCW's.

Last but not least my baby who is not so much a baby anymore turned 9 months.

Back to the real world we go. Jim has already returned back to Texas and started school. Elise and I will be joining him at the end of the week.

2008-12-12T16:21:00.002-07:00

Home Sweet Home

We are home. We are happy. Life is great.

And by home I mean we are in Utah.

2008-12-07T21:22:00.009-07:00

Everything's Bigger in Texas

They aren't kidding.
This huge grasshopper was on our screen the other day. It was 3 inches long and the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. My hand is there as a reference. Don't worry it was outside on the screen and my hand was safely inside on the glass.
The sky here is HUGE and the sunsets are gorgeous.

The biggest thing in Texas...my HEART. It loves this girl so much.
Notice the nice red mark on her cheek. It was our first big owie. She was kneeling and took a dive onto her toy box. I am afraid this won't be the last of her owies. The same day she hit her head on the entertainment center. Poor girl.

2008-12-05T23:02:00.004-07:00

Our computer got a virus. It has been getting fixed all week. I have felt somewhat out of it not having a computer. The other day I called Jim at school and asked him if he would check my email for me. He opened my email and said I think you should go to the library and read your email there are way too many. I had forgotten how nice it is to just check my email throughout the day. Although I must admit it was nice not having that distraction during the day. I like to look up a lot of things on the Internet. Especially living in a new city I will pass by a store or a restaurant and if I haven't heard of it before I will go home and google it. That is how I have found some of the "gems" here in Lubbock.
We leave to go home for the holidays in less than a week. I am so excited to hang out with my husband without school or work for 3 weeks. Also, I am going to get to meet my nephew Riley for the first time. My brother Brad and his wife are coming in from
San Juan Island, Washington. It will be the first time my whole family has been together since their wedding 3 years ago. I am looking forward to spending time with family and friends!!

2008-11-28T15:34:00.007-07:00

A Typical Day
Elise loves to play with her toys.

She love to play with Bentley. He is a 2 year old we have watched a couple of times a week while his parents are at work & school. It is fun to see her play with other kids.

She loves to play around our files and computer desk. We live in a 2 bedroom apartment and so our computer desk is in the living room. Whenever she can she crawls over to it and plays with anything she can get her hands on.

Nap time is the beset!! I love that she fell asleep looking out of her crib.

Playing--she's 8 months old, that's what she does.

Going on walks and to the park. We try and go on a family walk a couple of times a week. Elise loves to be outside. Since our weather here is still really nice we are able to go out almost everyday. I am so grateful for where we live. We are in a great neighborhood that is so quiet and close to so much. The park is just around the corner. This girl loves to swing at the park.

2008-11-28T15:27:00.004-07:00

A Little Late But Worth the Wait

Here are Baby Elise's 7 and 8 month old pictures. I can't believe how much she has grown compared to last month. She is just the cutest dang thing and we love her so much.

2008-11-24T20:14:00.007-07:00

8 Tag

My friend Devri tagged me.....

8 FAVORITE TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH
The Amazing Race
The Office
Survivor
The Hills
Ellen
Dr. 90210
Real Housewives of the OC
The Biggest Loser

8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
JCW's
Taco Amigo
Pizzeria Seven Twelve
Bailey's Sandwich Shop
Texas Roadhouse
Whataburger
Macaroni Grill
Bombay House

8 THINGS THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY

Listened to Jim speak in church
Taught the 6 year olds in primary
Called to teach the Marriage and Family Relations class
Cooked a pizza
Watched some football
Gave Elise a bath
Ate Muddy Buddies
Watched The Amazing Race

8 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO

Spending Thanksgiving with our friends in Texas
Jim being done with this semester
Going home to Utah for 1 month
Meeting my nephew Riley for the first time
Seeing Timpanogos and all its beauty
Running with my Dad while I am home
Shopping with my sister while I am home
Spending 3 weeks of no school or work with Jim and Elise

8 THINGS ON MY WISH LIST

Live closer to family
Go on another cruise to Alaska, this time with Jim
My daughter to grow up a strong and confidant woman
A house
Range Rover-black and pimped out
Be a better person
Rachel Zoe as my personal stylist
Jim to be done with school

People I am tagging
If you read this consider yourself tagged

2008-11-23T16:37:00.010-07:00

8 Months old

It is hard to believe that Elise is now 8 months old. She is getting to be such a big girl. She makes us smile everyday. We feel so thankful to be parents to this sweet girl.
Here are some of the things she is doing right now:

Has her first tooth
Starting to crawl
Sits up on her own
Pulls herself up so she is standing while holding on to something
She likes her rice cereal and sweet potatoes but doesn't like her multi-vitamins (yuck, I don't blame her)

We are having fun watching her grow and learn. We are so excited to be going to Utah for the holidays and spending time with family and friends.
Here are some videos of Elise playing in her crib. ENJOY!!!

2008-11-05T11:39:00.008-07:00

Baby Girl's First Haircut
The Baby girl's hair was just getting a little long on top. It would flop over into her eyes and I couldn't get it to stay out. Tasha was getting her hair cut so we took Elise along. Our friend Devron cut her hair and did a great job. Elise did great and was pretty good while Dev cut it. Having her sit on Tashas lap was a good idea since she could still see me. I love the zebra print smock. I must admit I was a little afraid of what Jim would say since I didn't tell him I was doing it. He loves it!

2008-11-04T13:56:00.006-07:00

Team Jesse
I am so sad right now. If you haven't heard DeAnna broke up with Jesse. You can read all about it on their website. The link is under friends on the sidebar. I think he is such a great guy, any girl would be lucky to be with him. I think DeAnna is still in love with Graham!!

2008-11-04T12:59:00.010-07:00

Our Trip To Utah
What we did:

We went to Park City

Saw the beautiful mountains we miss so much, especially Timpanogos

Enjoyed the fall weather outside

Slept in everyday!

Played football with Cade and Jake

Got ready for the "big game" which wasn't so big after all

Went rollerskating at Classic Skating for girls night

Went for a beautiful walk up Provo Canyon

Enjoyed Bridal Veil Falls. It was Elise's first time to the falls

Went to Gardner Village (twice)

Hung out with family
Got haircuts. That's right Elise got her first haircut. I will post more about that later. Thanks to Roni for my great cut and color and to Devron for cutting Elise's hair. We love our new do's.

2008-11-01T10:57:00.003-06:00

Halloween 1976
Yvonne

Halloween 2008

Elise

My mom made this turtle costume for me in 1976. When I went home to visit we pulled it out and put it on Elise. It has held up pretty well considering it is 32 years old. I know I wasn't the only one to wear it either. I think all of my brothers were put in it at one time or another.

Natasha and Yvonne Halloween 1976
-she's still a little devil-

2008-10-30T23:44:00.002-06:00

This little ladybug says:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-29T15:26:00.006-06:00

Back in the Swing of Things
Elise and I returned home to find our sweet Jim-Dad waiting for us. When you are the one on vacation time seems to go by a lot faster than those at home. We had such a great time with family and friends and I am so thankful that Jim let us leave him for 2 weeks.
I have a ton of pictures I need to post of our fun trip to Utah. I forgot my cord to my camera at my parents. Hopefully I will get them posted soon.

2008-10-15T16:26:00.007-06:00

A Day At The Park

The weather this time of year is gorgeous. Today we went to the park with Jim's sister Ellen and cousin Mackenzie. Elise and I had a great time and we enjoyed being outside in the beautiful fall air.

I love this girl

Elise loved the swing

Elise and Mackenzie

Ellen and Kenz getting ready to go down the slide

Ellen is a good sport, even though she is 5 months pregnant she still went down the slide with Kenz. She is brave.

Kenz climbing to the top of the slide all by herself.

2008-10-15T16:13:00.003-06:00

Who Let The Dogs Out

Elise is getting to be around dogs, something she hasn't ever done. She loves them and is cute to watch as she tries to play with them. Thankfully both Grandma Kathie and Aunt Tasha have mellow dogs that love kids. Uncle Brent and Aunt Jen's dog Solo is a little bit more playful which Elise loved.

Playing with Otis at Grandma Kathie's

Elise and Tamone at Aunt Tasha's house

2008-10-15T15:55:00.002-06:00

Our Flight to Utah

Elise did so well on the airplane on our flights to Utah. She is such a good little traveler. We had to change planes in Las Vegas and as we were waiting to board our flight we sat next to the slot machines. Elise loved the noise and just sat there so content listening to the slot machines. Note to self in 21 years watch Elise around the slot machines.

New Kids On The Block were playing at Madalay Bay that night. I figured this is as close as I was going to get to the concert.
We are so happy to be at home in Utah for 2 weeks. We woke up to snow on Sunday morning which was so fun. We miss our Daddy who is working hard at school in Texas.

2008-10-10T15:50:00.002-06:00

The Rock Star Ride

Our friends Todd and Frances gave us this when Elise was born. She is pretty happy in it, and now thinks she deserves to be "chauffeured" around town (our apartment). Baby girl now has a rock star ride to match the her rock star hair. This afternoon we found her strapping herself in and pointing in the direction she wanted to go. Once you give in to their demands.... Little diva.

2008-10-05T16:54:00.003-06:00

My Two Babies

We have had a nice relaxing weekend at home as a family. I love this time of year and watching General Conference for our church. In case you are interested and want to watch it click here.
I feel renewed and am committed to being a better person and serving those around me. I feel thankful to be a woman and a mother. I am so blessed by my Heavenly Father. I was also reminded this weekend that we have many opportunities living in Texas to make new friends and share our beliefs.

We love technology and are grateful that we could watch all the sessions on the internet from the comfort of our own home. Today we have had a huge thunderstorm which made us cozy up even more while at home.

Elise continues to bring us joy. She loves to roll around in her blankets on the floor. I will come up to her and say "where's the baby girl" She just laughs and keeps hiding. It is so cute. These pictures are her coming out of her sausage roll.

2008-10-01T21:09:00.006-06:00

I Am Okay With My Husband's Man-Crush

I am excited about the new James Bond movie coming out in November but not as excited as my husband. He really likes Daniel Craig and isn't afraid to admit he has a man-crush on him. Lately, Jim goes around telling me to call him "James" and asking for his protein drinks to be "shaken, not stirred." My opinion? I think he has beautiful blue eyes.....o yeah and he isn't too hard to look at either. Jim thinks he's a great actor and loves his "action" moves. I think Jim is confused about what those "action" moves are....

2008-10-01T10:07:00.003-06:00

For the Grandparents

2008-10-01T07:57:00.002-06:00

The Shirt Says It All

I am not really sure why Elise has decided that she likes to wake up at 3am to eat. She has always been a great sleeper, sleeping through the night since she was 2 months old. However, lately she has been waking up to eat around 3am. Maybe she is just teething or having a growth spurt. Whatever the reason we hope she goes back to her old schedule.

We are enjoying our new life here in Lubbock. We sure do miss our friends and family in Utah. Elise and I will be going back to Utah for 2 weeks. I am excited to see our families and friends. Jim has a very busy October with school so we figured it was a good time to go. We are going to miss Jim but thanks to Skype we will be able to talk to him each night.

2008-09-25T14:15:00.003-06:00

Two Reasons I Love Today

I am so excited!!!!

2008-09-20T17:41:00.003-06:00

6 months already?

It doesn't seem like 6 months ago today this was Elise

She was so little

This is her today

No longer a little baby

We love this little girl

2008-09-19T12:29:00.007-06:00

Husband Tag

1. Where did you meet? We met in 1999 when we worked together at the Provo Marriott. Didn't start dating until 2002.
2. How long did you date before you got married? 2 years
3. How long have you been married? 4 years
4. What does he do that surprises you? He can hike 27 miles in one day no problem but struggles to run 3 miles. Also he loves me unconditionally even when my OCD takes over.
5. What is your favorite feature of his? I love his shoulders. I also love that he is tall because I like to wear heels.
6. What is your favorite quality of his? He won't admit it but he is very sensitive to others feelings. He genuinely cares about people.
7. Does he have a nickname for you? Baby cakes, cakes, mama, and pooks
8. What is his favorite color? Blue-Cowboys blue, Carolina blue, BYU blue
9. What is his favorite food? Anything I make and anything from JCW's, something we miss being here in Texas.
10. What is his favorite sport? let me think...FOOTBALL, basketball, soccer, cycling, hiking, climbing really he just likes sports.
11. When and where was your first kiss? He finally kissed me after almost a month of dating. It was at my sisters house where I was living.
12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Get it on
13. Do you have any children? Yes, see question above.
14. Does he have a hidden talent? Yes, refer to question #12
15. How old is he? 33 almost 34
16. Who said I love you first? I think we might disagree on this one but I am going to say he did.
17. What's his favorite music? anything really but his favs are U2, Pete Yorn, and Neil Diamond
18. What do you admire most about him? He is his own person. He love the outdoors and it makes him who he is. I admire that he is honest, he is a great dad and husband, and he thinks I am funny.
19. Do you think he will read this? It is a football weekend so he might see it when he is online checking his fantasy football stats.

2008-09-17T16:19:00.004-06:00

Bouncing Baby

I took this video of Elise today. She loves to be in her bouncey seat.

2008-09-14T12:01:00.003-06:00

Church got out early for us today

yep that's poo, all over Jim. It even got on his shoes!

2008-09-10T08:32:00.010-06:00

4 years ago today

We were here

With those we love

Celebrating

That was then

This is now

We are still celebrating

I couldn't have imagined

We would have so much joy

I have the best husband

Happy Anniversary Baby!!

*Thank you to our friend Maggi for the great family photos. You can find her website here.

2008-09-08T14:44:00.010-06:00

I Do Not Take it For Granted

I have always wanted to nurse my children. I saw my mother do it with my younger siblings and knew for me it was something I wanted with my own babies. Before Elise was born my mama friends told me that it may take some time and it isn't always easy. I didn't worry too much about it and looked forward to actually being able to try it out.
That first night in the hospital I tried to nurse her but she just wouldn't latch on. Now, in case you don't know I am well endowed. Sorry to be blunt but it's true. My little one had this teeny tiny mouth and it just wasn't happening. Over the next few weeks we would try everyday. I pumped and fed her from the bottle or try the nipple shield which was a very time consuming process, as some of you know. Everybody I talked to including the lactation specialist told me to just be patient and not give up.
I prayed. I prayed everyday that she would nurse.
After 6 weeks of this I didn't think I could take it anymore. I wanted this so badly and I didn't want to give up. I was returning to work soon and knew that I wouldn't be able to keep up the same routine at work. She was going to have to start nursing or take a bottle. After 6 weeks of nipple shields, pumping, and bottles, it happened. I took my friend Maggi's advice which was nurse her and use nothing else and my cousin Stacie's advice of try at least 10min a day. miraculously she latched on.
I know there are many who can't nurse or choose not to. I am sensitive to that, and do not wish to make anyone feel bad. I am just expressing my gratitude and sharing my experience.
For me it is something that I do not take for granted.

2008-09-08T14:36:00.007-06:00

Rice Cereal

Now that we are here in Texas and a little more settled in I decided it was time to give Elise some real food, if you can even call rice cereal that. I wouldn't touch the stuff if you paid me. As you can see from her face she feels the same way. It has been fun to watch her face and the reaction of having a different texture in her mouth. I think this cereal thing is going to take some time to get the hang of it.

2008-09-08T14:29:00.006-06:00

A New Hat

The mom of one of Jim's classmates made this hat for Elise. I can't wait until it is cold enough for her to wear it. It is darling!

2008-09-02T12:18:00.012-06:00

9 Years

I have been getting my nails done for 9 years. That is a long time and a lot of money. I have loved having my nails, they have become such a part of me. Over the past 9 years I have only had 2 people who have done my nails. Marilyn did my nails for 8 years. She has become one of my very dearest friends and I will always cherish the time we spent together sharing our lives and experiences. I love her to death. The second person is Mandy, she had just recently started doing my nails after Marilyn. I was having a great time getting to know her and sharing our life stories.
After moving here to Texas we have decided that the best place for me to be right now is at home with my baby. In order to make this happen we have to make some sacrifices. One I have made is my nails. Today as I sat and cut them off I felt a little liberated, sounds silly I know. I will miss them but if it helps me to be at home full time I am more than happy to let them go.

So Now

I can paint my nails again and these are the little beauties I have my eye on.

Lauren is showing off her amethyst nail polish. I can't wait to have mine!!

2008-08-31T19:26:00.002-06:00

NCAA Football 2009
Jim got a new game this week. I was on the computer tonight and looked over and this is what I saw. Elise is going to be a football fan I can feel it! In our house we love football season. I grew up in a house full of fans so naturally I love football too. I am not so much into the video games but since we can't watch BYU here at least Jim can play them.

2008-08-28T17:44:00.006-06:00

5 Months Old

Elise turned 5 months last week. Where does the time go? Here are some pictures of her from the last few weeks. She still has her amazing red hair that stands up. She gets stopped by admirers wherever we go. At the grocery store today we had 3 people stop and make a comment about her hair.
She is a true rock-star.

Help! I am a prisoner

Chillin on Mom and Dad's bed

Hangin out in the swing

Sooo cute!!

Elise rolls over all the time. This is her usual position

Sucking on her toes. Her new favorite trick

2008-08-19T08:57:00.004-06:00

We Are Here
After driving for 2 days we made it to Lubbock on Friday. My Mom drove with us and stayed until today. To say it has been nice to have her here would be an understatement. It has been a blessing to have her. I could not have made the 1000 mile drive with a 5 month old without her. It was sad to drop her off at the airport this morning. Ever since Elise was born my Mom has been my rock. This will be such an adjustment for us as we have had family and friends close to us for so long. I know this is where we are supposed to be and I know we will make friends. So far we really like it here. The people are so friendly. I will have pictures and more to post later.

2008-08-05T17:12:00.004-06:00

We Have Made a Decision
and this is what it involves....

That's right, we are moving to Lubbock TX. It has been a tough decision for both of us but we feel that it is right. Jim will be starting the Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program at Texas Tech University. We leave next week!! I am sad to leave family, friends and a great job. Now the dreaded task of packing begins. Jim was at Scout Camp all week last week and I was in Orlando for work all week. I am a bit overwhelmed but we will get it done.

2008-07-24T12:00:00.011-06:00

Baby Elise is 4 Months old
Elise turned 4 months on Sunday 7/20. We are so thankful to have her in our lives. She is such a blessing to us. I love watching her grow and discover new things each day. She comes to work with me each day and she is an Angel. Everybody loves her beautiful red hair! Here are some random pictures from the last month.

Family picture before Daddy went on a long hike somewhere. I can't remember where he was hiking that day. And if he wasn't out hiking Lone Peak today I would call and ask him where he went that day.

Jim at the top....again, I don't know where he is...sorry

4th of July with Aunt Natasha

4th of July Balloon Fest. Notice Dad is not with us, he is home in bed. What?? Who doesn't want to get up at 4:45am to see some hot air balloons? It's tradition.Why does my Mom make me wear these bows on my head!
Dad trying out the Baby Bjorn...she loves it!

I love watching these two together. And if anyone is wondering where Elise gets her beautiful red hair from....

2008-07-09T19:41:00.006-06:00

My husband
This goes out to my wonderful husband. I am so thankful for him and all he does for me and Elise. Who would have thought that in May of 2000 when I started working at the Provo Marriott I would meet my future husband. It has been 8 years and I can't imagine my life without him.
Jim loves the outdoors. Maybe that is an understatement. Any free time he has you can find him hiking some peak in Utah. He is what they call a peak bagger. I love that he has such a love for the mountains. We always miss him when he is gone but I know he is doing what he loves. He has invited me to go with him plenty of times and I have to refuse. In 2003 we hiked to Silver Lake and let me just say he almost broke up with me after that hike. In my defense I had run that day and lifted weights. I was tired. Last year when we were in Zions with our friends Todd and Frances I broke my foot hiking. Anyway, you get the point this is something he does without me and I am perfectly fine with that. You can check out some of his hikes here.
I love my husband and watching him with our baby girl is so rewarding. He is such a great DAD!

2008-07-08T09:09:00.004-06:00

Pizzeria Seven Twelve

I have been meaning to blog about this for awhile now. If you live in Utah and you haven't been to Orem's Pizzeria Seven Twelve, you must go. On Thursday nights for the past few weeks now Jim and I have dropped the little nug off at my parents and made our way to a little bit of heaven. The atmosphere and the food are wonderful. The menu changes quite often so if you want something you had better order it when you are there because there is a chance it will be replaced with something just as wonderful next time you go. They buy most of their produce from local farmers markets, so it is fresh. You can’t just try the pizza either. You must have a bit of everything. My favorites right now are the following

Appetizer: grilled corn on the cob-seriously this is so delicious

Salad: Greens, homemade mozzarella cheese, yummy croutons, this lemon oil dressing that is amazing

Pizza: Corn pizza. I can’t remember what all is on it but it is the best. Actually all of their pizzas are great but this is my favorite right now.

Dessert: Plum crisp with spotted dog ice cream

Jim loves that they also sell Coke in the bottle.

If anyone wants to go and needs a friend to come with them just give me a call. I crave Pizzeria 712 daily!

2008-07-08T08:45:00.006-06:00

Yeah team Jesse!!

Needless to say I am pretty happy with the final rose ceremony on last night's episode of the Bachelorette. I wonder if Jesse will get cold feet before the wedding or if this one really lasts. I am curious if anyone thought the whole Matt and Shayne thing was a bit awkward. I wasn't really feeling the love from either of them. And Matt's shaved head is so not flattering. As always my favorite re-cap of the show is found here.

2008-06-24T15:02:00.006-06:00

Team Jesse

Don't get me wrong, I like Jason but I am all for Jesse. I just think he is so darn cute (he looks like my brother Brent) I don't know if he will be the final man standing but he is the underdog and that is why he is my choice. If you missed last nights episode here is a great recap.

Brent the Utah version of Jesse

2008-06-04T11:43:00.009-06:00

They Grow So Fast

I was going through my pictures today and I can't believe how fast Elise is growing. She is 11 weeks old tomorrow. She has started to loose that little baby cry and she is smiling. We are so excited to have her in our home and I love to be with her every day. I feel so thankful that I get to bring Elise to work with me (until she is 6months old) She is such a good baby and lets me get my work done. She has started to smile, which is darling. Here are some pictures of her from birth until now. Sorry about the quality, they are from my cell.

1 Day Old

9 Days Old

5 Weeks Old

7 Weeks Old

9 Weeks Old

10 Weeks Old

2008-05-13T15:30:00.012-06:00

Blessing Day Post from Papa

Okay, so there are a few life events important enough a man can blog and still hold onto his, "I am a man card." Sunday May 3rd was one of those events. My first post announced that Yvonne was pregnant, and my second is to tell about blessing little Elise, aka--"Nug, Nug" or "The Nuglet." How I love my little girl, she is amazing! I have decided that having your finger squeezed, and then making eye contact with a little one of this age, is about as good as it gets. So, here goes......

Picture 1: After wrestling her into her blessing dress, she is not looking so happy. But so would you if you had to go around with a lace bow attached to your forehead. Don't get me started on this, but even I suppose it was pretty cute.

Pictures 2 and 3: We're a little more relaxed at this point. I think Elise has realized that negotiations have failed concerning the bow, dad failed, and this is going to be on the rest of the day.....

Picture 4: Reality has sunk in....this is not a comfortable onsie!!

Picture 5: Outside the Olenik's home. Dad does his best to appear goofy in all photos. I really don't have to try that hard, it just comes naturally to me. Yvonne is beautiful as always, as is Elise.

Picture 6: We've added Grandma Kathie to the mix and the picture continues to improve. No, wait, there I am with that same look on my face.

Picture 7: Yvonne's parents Fred and Margene. I don't think of them as in-laws, I think of them as mom and dad number 2. You would to when you see the large, tasty, thing of goodness they got for me at the bottom of these pictures.

Picture 8: My way cool sister and her way cool husband Johnnie 5. Yes, this is the same sister who is gave Elise her first bath and first IV. Oh yeah, and their very special little girl named Mackenzie. Speaking of Mackenzie......

Picture 9: Is me and Mackenzie holding baby E together. There will be few things I miss more than hanging out with Kenz, calling her a monkey, and hearing her call me names I'm not allowed to print on family friendly blogs. Just kidding, but she is a funny one that one!

Picture 10: The tasty goodness I spoke of above. Who does not love Costco cake? Well, I don't know, but you shouldn't trust anyone who doesn't. Ok, so this time I tried for a dorky look. I think I succeeded.

For our friends unfamiliar with the LDS church, the blessing of an infant is similar to a prayer in their behalf. It was an amazing thing to hold my little one and try to convey the love and blessings of her Heavenly Father. Thanks to all who participated! And a special thanks to (my younger, and wiser siblings) Ellen and Steve for being examples of what parenting is all about--Ellen I still get to learn from here; Steve I'll get to learn more from later.

Ok, well, that's my blog about this special day. If I post again, maybe it will be of super manly things like: Pictures of Todd and I backpacking in southern Utah; recent campouts with my scouts; or my hero Bear Grylls. Until then, I'm off to watch a Jazz playoff game to forget about the fact I "blogged." Oh well, Elise, you're worth it!

Love,

Dad

2008-04-25T20:42:00.006-06:00

5 Weeks old
I cannot believe that baby Elise is already 5 weeks old. She is growing so fast! We are so in love with her. For those of you interested we will be blessing her in our ward on Sunday May 4. Anyone who wants to come is invited to the blessing.
Here are some pictures we have taken this week. I seriously love her rock star hair!
Jim left this morning for Arches Nat'l Park with his friend Todd. They are going hiking/camping for the night and will be back tomorrow night. It will be nice for him to get away for a night and do what he loves best...be outdoors. My awesome Mom is coming to stay the night with us tonight which is great. I don't know how I would do this without Jim.

My little onsie Daddy bought in Texas....Go Cowboys!!

Daddy and Elise's hands

2008-04-25T20:38:00.002-06:00

Jim's Graduation
I wanted to update everyone on the status of Jim's Graduation speech. He was not chosen to speak at Graduation which I think he was a bit relieved. He had a great experience and I am so proud of him for writing such a great speech. Jim will graduate this coming Friday May 2! Yeah for him, he has worked so hard to get to where he is and I am so proud of him.

2008-04-11T14:58:00.005-06:00

My Sweet Husband

This post is for my husband. A week ago on my Birthday he came home with these beautiful flowers. Jim normally doesn't buy me flowers because he knows how I feel about them. I love flowers but I would rather have the $$ spent on flowers for shopping and buy something that lasts longer. But it was so sweet of him to think of it and I really do love them. Even though we stayed home to celebrate my Birthday this year Jim went out of his way to make it special.
Jim is a wonderful husband, throughout our marriage he has always been so caring, sweet and helpful. While I was pregnant he was amazing and always did little things for me that made being pregnant just a bit easier. Never did I dream that once we had a baby that would change. Well it has....for the better. I am in awe at how great he is with Elise. He really is a GREAT father. I am so in love with him and love to watch him with her. He has also taken care of everything around the house so I don't have to worry about it. I feel so lucky to be married to such a great man.
I know he will kill me for putting this in but I think it deserves attention. A couple of months ago Jim got a letter from the University of Utah asking him to submit a speech for Graduation. After much persuasion from me he decided to do it. Well, this week the U called and he is one of 10 people chosen to come give their speech in front of a committee. If chosen he will be speaking at Commencement on May 2. I am so proud of him and all he has accomplished!
Love you baby! Good luck on Monday.

2008-04-03T11:57:00.009-06:00

Our Little Angel

We can't get over her hair. She has so much and it is such a pretty color. I hope it stays that way.

4 Generations-Yvonne, Grandpa Olenik, Elise, Great Grandma Olenik

Grandma Kathie
Uncle Dale

Cousin Mackenzie

Uncle Brent and Aunt Jen

We are all doing well. We are trying to adjust to this new schedule of no sleep. I have been told all along that this little baby will change our life but nobody really tells you how hard it is. You will not sleep for days and everything you do is for this little one. I can't wait for the day when she sleeps through the night! With all that said I love her and love being a Mom. She has changed our lives forever and we love it. Thank you for all of your comments and well wishes. We love to read them.

2008-03-22T21:04:00.016-06:00

March Madness of a Different Sort...

Elise Genevieve was born 9:09 pm March 20th. What a great way to welcome the first day of Spring! There is a lot going on (getting her Bilirubin numbers down, getting her to want to eat, etc) so I won't spend to much time on this. She had some respiratory trouble and a few other issues, but all seems to be getting better. Suffice it to say, I love my wife and my little girl! What an experience, what a tender time. I'm sure Yvonne will update this with more detail, but until then, here is a few pictures of our last few days. Thanks everyone for your love and support, advice, good will, and prayers! We need em, well, not Yvonne, but I know I do!

This is a few hours before baby arrival time. I just ate a JCW's bacon cheeseburger to bring good luck.

Just after she was born:

Just after my sister (who is a PCT) got to wash and check her out. Just a shout out to my awesome sister who helped more than she knows!

This is my sister Ellen holding her up for the family to see:

My little girl, yea, I love her! Click on the picture to check out her sweet hair. Daddy is proud.

Our family of three:

Welcome Elise!

2008-03-19T19:36:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is the Big Day!
We got the go ahead and tomorrow I am being induced. We are really excited, but nervous as well. I pray that all will go well and Elise's lungs are well developed. This morning we went to the hospital to have the amnio done and the Dr. couldn't find a good spot to stick the needle that wasn't through the placenta. So he and my Dr. decided it wasn't worth the risk of both me and the baby so they opted to not do it and go ahead and induce tomorrow. I can't believe that this is all coming to an end and I am going to be bringing a baby home. We will update and post pictures as soon as we can. Love to you all!!

2008-03-13T17:49:00.005-06:00

No Baby This Week
We had the amniocentesis done this morning and the lungs are not developed enough to have her this week. It is a bit of a let down but I want to do what's best for this little one so I will wait. I go back in next Wed. and they will test her lungs again. If the lungs are mature enough they will induce on Thurs. 3/20 If they still aren't mature they will wait another week (39 weeks) and induce then regardless. So we still have 1 maybe 2 weeks left. At least the house is ready and I can relax a bit. I am going to keep working until I have her so that is good and will keep me busy. I just have to remember that the longer she is in there the better. If she isn't ready I don't want to force it. It's not that I am tired of being pregnant it's because of my blood clot and being on blood thinners that the Doctors want to induce early. I just want to do what is best. So, we wait!!!

2008-03-12T19:28:00.004-06:00

Our Chubby Baby
This past Saturday Jim and I went to get our re-takes at the 3D photo studio. We had originally gone in December but the baby was sleeping the whole time with her hands in front of her face. I am so glad we got to go back at 36 weeks because she looks so different and looks like a baby. The Dr. doing the ultrasound kept saying "very chubby baby, with big lips" I am so excited to see what she looks like when she arrives. Here are a few pictures of our chubby baby!

Tomorrow morning I go have the amniocentesis at the hospital and if the lungs are mature, which I don't doubt they will be, I will be induced Friday morning! We are so excited for Elise to arrive.

2008-03-03T16:55:00.009-07:00

Baby's Room
I promised I would post pictures, so here they are. We live in a 2 bedroom apt. and even though we have moved our office to the living room--this room is still housing all my scrapbooking stuff. I figure the baby needs a place to sleep, be changed, and a place to put her clothes. So, that is what I have. I think it has turned out pretty cute.

Baby's bed:
The crib bedding is couple of different styles from Pottery Barn. Definitely some great deals and I loved the colors. Notice the pink flamingos and dragonflies, so cute.

Changing table/storage
I got the idea to use an IKEA bookshelf and turn it on its side from my friend Molly, thanks Molly. I think it has turned out pretty well. And someday when we no longer need it as a changing table I will use it as a book shelf. I love IKEA!

Lastly, my cute car seat. I wanted something that could be used for both a girl and boy. I really like the colors and it will be easy to clean.

I think we are ready for this sweet bundle to enter our lives. A HUGE thank you to everyone who has been so generous in your advice, gift giving and friendship. I know that our lives are about to change for the better and we couldn't be more excited!

2008-03-03T16:46:00.005-07:00

Purse Tag

I know I am slow but here is my purse tag from Michelle. It was good to go through my purse and throw out some stuff. I know my purse is huge but I love it. I also know that soon enough I will be trading it in for a diaper bag!

Here is what's in the bag:

Wallet, check book, i-pod, phone, gum, extra packet of Emergen-C, lip gloss (2), Burt's Bees chapstick, pens (2), business card holder, lip stick case, spare key, zipper pouch with all my necessities ie. tums, Tylenol, more gloss, super glue you get the idea.

2008-02-18T11:49:00.004-07:00

Trip to Texas

Well, hello everyone! I am taking a turn blogging because Yvonne is eight months pregnant, and lately, I am doing things I just don't normally do. What things you might be asking? Well....I am running to the freezer to get cups of ice for her to munch on, arranging pillows in a comfortable manner, comparing the various pros and cons of differing onesies, and discussing crib color schemes. Oh yeah, and then running back to the fridge for more ice..... My favorite phrases now begin with, "Umm...can you..." I wouldn't trade it for anything though! Fun stuff I say.

A little update: Yvonne is doing great, while she is still considered high risk because of her blood clot, the pregnancy is progressing normally. Little Elise (yes, I am officially refering to her by her first name these days) is doing great! I am forbidden from rubbing Yvonne's tummy in public, but every now and then I sneak in a quick hello to my little girl! Yvonne was released from Young Womens a few weeks ago. I am proud of her, and while she won't admit it--she did awesome things for those young girls. But now, a little rest is in order for the next few months. We have been blessed with great gifts from showers etc, and are almost "ready" for her to arrive. I say almost cause I don't think anyone is actually really ready for the event.

For us, life these days is a little crazy. I have been accepted to the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Syracuse, and I just got back from an interview down at Texas Tech that I really enjoyed. I should hear back from both Texas Tech and BYU in the next few weeks as well. It's an exciting time as decisions on where we will live for the next 2-6 years are being made. Want to hear something cool though? Whenever I start to get stressed out about it all--I just think of my pregnant wife and little girl, and it all washes away! I have found that the family can be a source of great comfort and strength. Almost, as if, there was a grand plan behind it? Hmm.... Anyway, we should know in a month where we will be headed: Syracuse, New York; Lubbock, Texas; or Provo, Utah.

Last Tuesday, Yvonne and I went to speak to a group of girls who are, or have been pregnant, and are considering adoption or keeping the child. Yvonne rocks! I love to watch her talk, bear testimony, and give advice at these events. She really is amazing, and I realize the importance of this type of work in general, and of adoption in particular.

Ok, well, that's about it. I do want to say thank you to all of Yvonne's friends and family who are doing so much to help her/us out!! One last thing, while I was at the Dallas Ft Worth airport I picked up the Dallas Cowboy onsie. I don't care if it's not girl colors!!!

2008-01-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

To All My Momma Friends
As most of you know I am going to be a new Mom. It still hasn't sunk in yet but I know that she will be here soon enough. As we get closer to the due date I am starting to panic a little due to the fact that I only have a crib and some clothes bought for her. My problem is there is so much out there. Now, I am not the type of person who has to have everything but I know there are things that I will need and must have. That is where all of you come in. My question is What are your favorites and something you couldn't live without? You know favorite brands of diapers, best kind of rocking chair, swings, toys, etc. things like that. I already have the carseat and stroller chosen. But other than that I am really at a loss.
So to all my Momma friends please help me out. I would love your advice and your list of must have's. It will be much appreciated.