Our Open Book

2010-11-04T21:54:00.001-07:00

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My talk at Mom’s funeral

2010-11-04T21:46:00.001-07:00

I am in the middle of packing up my house ( which isn’t something I want to go into right now) and I came up on my talk that I wrote for my Mom’s funeral. This is something personal to me but I am actually posting this so that if I do accidentally lose the notebook, I have it here.

“ My words just won’t do justice to explain the beautiful person my Mother was. Like a magnificent butterfly fluttering from one flower to another, touching each one in different places, she did that to each of our lives. Like icing on a cupcake, double scoop on an ice cream cone, the warm sun shining on a breezy day or your favorite meal cooked after a long drive home- she made things that much better.

A little bit about her: Ma was kind of shy if she didn’t know you, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have anything to say. She would buy little gifts to surprise her friends, but didn’t want to get anything for herself. She was FIERCELY loyal to the ones she loved. If you crossed her family, she wouldn’t have it! Having her in your corner was a blessing! :) She was a sweet one with a feisty side to her! My Ma always wanted to be that kind of person that people love, think is so sweet and make someone’s day- but she was that person and didn’t even know it!

My Ma gave so much to this life. She was a free spirit, for sure. She loved simple things and was easy to please. I can almost smell her kitchen. Her and John always were cooking up a storm and trying different recipes. My heart is just broken. I feel like it is a great disservice to have taken her from this world. If we had more people like her, there would be a lot more smiles, no doubt.

She always made me feel so important, always checked up on things I had talked about in previous conversations. Always made me feel like she REALLY cared, worried and loved me. She was a best friend. And, I know Mother Daughter relationships are a little bit more special, but you know, the more I talk to people that were in her life, the more I realize that she did that for everyone. She made all her friends feel important and loved by her. She just has amazed me with her ability to make so many people feel like they really do matter.

The last time I talked with her she was planning a trip to visit me and she asked how long she should plan to stay. 7 or 10 days? I said a month or just move here!! And now, in some aspects, she got what she wanted, to be with everyone she loved all at the same time. You better believe she is still with us; not just for the fact that she loves us but b/c she is too nosy not to! ;)

Remember her with me:

Remember the love she had for her grandkids and Preston!

Her cute Dakota accent

her secret love for reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother

Remember her enjoying reading a good book on the couch

the way she loved to sleep in on her days off from work and take naps (arms up just like both my boys)

her appreciation for good music (old and new)

remember her telling you she loved you or giving you a good hug

her cute little legs walking into a room

Remember her laugh after she snuck up behind you and scared the living daylights out of you

the way she told a good story

how she listened like a loyal best friend would

the hard work she put into each of us

Her precious little feet

Her love for animals

the love she had for YOU

And, Remember the way she was, REMEMBER TO REMEMBER HER.”

Christmas 09

2010-02-24T21:44:00.001-08:00

Christmas was good this year…a pretty quiet holiday. My Dad and Alli were in Belize for 2 weeks during this time so we just really hung out with Bryce’s family which was always relaxing and fun.

Christmas morning, we had to wake up Elias! Does that ever happen? lol. Bryce and I have really started to feel like Christmas should be about family and the kids. Elias had been asking this whole last year if he could get a Power Wheels for Christmas and we kept saying, “Maybe, if you make good decisions.” Well, I found a blue jeep and it was the right price (ok, it was a bit expensive, but TOTALLY worth it) so I bought it. Christmas morning we opened the other presents (which weren’t much b/c of the jeep) and it was so cute because we had the jeep over at Bryce’s parents so he didn’t see that yet. I thought he was going to be a total brat and be upset b/c he didn’t get his jeep but he was the complete opposite. (This kid never ceases to surprise me) I asked him on our way to Bryce’s parents:

“So, Elias, did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?”

E: “Yup! I did!”

Me: Sorry we couldn’t get your truck/jeep power wheels this year. Mom and Dad just couldn’t do it….

E: “Thats ok. Maybe for my birthday or something.

Awwwwww!!!

Then when we got to Grandma and Grandpa’s, we surprised him and he was sooooo happy. It was so cute to see his face light up. That day, we exchanged gifts with the rest of the family and ate a yummy dinner. Bryce’s family’s tradition is to wear these paper “crowns” and drink sparkling cider. They also usually do a light show about the birth of Jesus Christ….they pin up a big white blanket and have to big lights so all you see is the outline of the figurines….and they tell the story of J.C. and get the kids involved.

It was a great Christmas but what really stands out now to me more than ever as I look back is that we didn’t spend a ton on expensive gifts (except that jeep that burned a hole in my pocket. :) just kidding. ahem. kind of.) but that we had our little family. Our beautiful boys that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with. What stands out is the MEMORIES that were made. The laughter, the love and the Gospel. I feel a lot of gratitude to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It has changed my life and I am eternally grateful.

Here some other pics from that day:

What a ham!!! Uncle Craig The beloved Jeep.

Elias Tball

2010-02-24T21:13:00.001-08:00

So…Elias did his 2nd season in Tball and he really is super athletic. It is pretty apparent. He hits the ball so well, so hard and runs so fast. It amazes me. We took a break b/c it was a tad cold outside but will hopefully resume again in a couple of months. Bryce has always been good at “hitting balls” and playing baseball with him. My heart warms when I see them do this together.

Pribyl Reunion 09

2010-02-24T21:06:00.001-08:00

I have a lot of posts to catch up on! Whoa. The day after Xmas (which I will catch up on next) we had a Pribyl family reunion at one of Bryce’s cousins home in Gilbert. It was really nice to get together with Steve’s side of the family because I haven’t really had the chance to get to know them all before. They are very kind people. Bryce’s cousin, Jeremy, held the reunion at his house and it was beautiful. They had a jumpy thing in the back and all of the offspring (:)) played and jumped and got rowdy. It was such a sight to see that many 2nd cousins/kids together…all family in some way. My father and mother’s side of the family have never been that way. I love that the LDS church really encourages that kind of relationship with family.

T’s cousin with Grandma Pribyl

Over the last couple months, Lorraine has watched Tyce a lot for Bryce and I while we go to appointments or date nights….he has really warmed up to her!!! He loves Grandma!

Amber and Derrick-Newlyweds…it was nice to have them here visiting!

The Geigles and Pribyl’s.

Steve and his sister Dana. And below, the twins and I.

That night, the family went around telling stories and memories of Ray and Mary and celebrating the family they made. It was a nice reunion.

Crafts by Elias

2009-12-02T15:21:00.000-08:00

I had to stick this one in of Tyce and Elias taken this morning. They just love eachother and I know they will be buddies always. I wanted to post these pics of Elias cute crafts he is bringing home from preschool. He really loves his "school" and his teacher Ms. Neva. Before this yr, he wasn't into glue, coloring or painting but now he is diving right in! I love the cute things he is bringing home. Bryce has a whole wall in his office dedicated to Elias' art work and school stuff. Elias gets very excited when Dad puts the stuff up.

We have had a lot going on the last month- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Pribyl Reunion and birthday parties! More pictures and posts to come soon. Love-K

Tyce Steven

2009-09-12T23:39:00.001-07:00

This was Bryce and I minutes before going back to have Tyce. I don’t look it here, but I was dreading the big freakin needle they were about to put into my spine and the large cut into my abdomen after that. Good news is and was that we got baby Tyce Steven. He was born 05.12.09 at 6:37 pm. He weighed in at 8 lbs 1 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. He definitely made sure we all knew how ticked he was to be pulled out of my warm belly…that is for sure! He was such a brut! So big and burly!

So, about the whole birth…things didn’t really go as planned. That’s why they say, “ Don’t even make a birthing plan”. After I had Elias via C Section I looked back over the years and really felt robbed that I couldn’t give birth normally. I really felt like if I was more educated about the birthing process back then, I would have NEVER said ok to being induced. That, I believe, led me to my c section. Anyways, so when I learned I was pregnant with Tyce, I went to the same doc as I did with Elias. I had asked him if he would be willing to do VBAC (vaginal birth after c section) and he said “Its too dangerous”. So, naive old me believed him and went on my way, planning to have a repeat c section. I didn’t want this. I am terrified of surgery. I wanted to experience a vaginal birth. I wanted to try “all natural”. My mind was all there. But, I was told it was too dangerous. Well, about 6 wks before I was due, I kept getting nervous about c section. I scheduled my surgery for the week I was due. I felt like the Spirit was tapping my shoulder to try for vbac. I started looking online and reading and researching vbac statistics and talked to some fellow vbac supporters I knew. Bryce was nervous b/c he believed our current doctor before reading anything. He just wanted me and baby to be safe. I told Bryce that I really wanted to try for vbac. The more I read and talked to others who knew about it, the more I felt like it was the right thing to do. Long story short, I changed doctors 3 weeks before my due date. Call me crazy, its my middle name! :) I changed to a practice that delivers vbac often; more often than my previous doctor. My new doc, Dr. Phillips, was kind, quiet and open to my concerns. He didn’t rush me out of his office. He gave me answers that I felt were the truth. He told me he would support my efforts to try to deliver vbac. About a week before my due date, I had been stressed to get to a doctors appt on time. I was rushing and sweating; no bueno. I got to the Doc’s office and they checked my blood pressure. It was high. Went over to Triage and was still high…so over the next week, nurse and Doc said I couldn’t drive and to basically be on bed rest. I was so upset and totally in denial that I was having a hard time and on verge of being toxemic. After some stress testing days later I had another follow up appt. My blood pressure was still high and my Doc told me that it won’t get any better (BP) until I have the baby. I wasn’t dilated at all nor effaced. He said my cervix was still pretty hard and I was just 2 days shy of my due date. I was sooooo swollen and now he did consider me toxemic. Bryce and his parents were really concerned. Dr. Phillips explained that when this happens, he would normally induce. But, since I have had prior c section, it wasn’t very safe. I just said, “lets just do the C-section” I was really upset and sobbing at this point. That was at 10 am. He told me to go home and come back around 2 pm to get ready for surgery. I wanted to spend my last hours doing something fun with Elias. So, we took him to Pump It Up and I watched Bryce and him play and jump. I think the hardest thing about knowing when I was going to have Tyce was spending my last hours with my first born. I was excited to have Tyce but sad that just Elias and Mommy chapter would turn a page.

We went home and got ready and went back and that evening,

Tyce was born!!!! Elias, since day 1, has been in awe of his baby brother. I think the sweetest thing is the two of them interacting. Tyce LOVES his big brother. And, Elias feels the same about Tyce. There has only been one time that Elias has really complained about Tyce. Elias has been such a big helper with Tyce…very over protective. Elias makes funny faces and Tyce’s eyes light up whenever he sees big brother. Tyce has been so sweet….he has always been a good eater; he's all business when it comes to eating. Elias use to eat for a good hour and take his sweet time. Well, Tyce is exact opposite. He is a little chunker and already weighing in at 19.5 lbs at 4 months. Yowza!!! He likes to sleep too! He smiles often and loves to be held facing outward. I also love that everyone seems to think Tyce looks a lot like me and my side of the fam. Its nice to hear b/c Elias is a clone of Bryce! Handsome boys…all 3 of them. ;) We feel so blessed for our baby Tyce and our big boy Elias. They both bring happiness to our home! Here are the latest shots of Tyce. He is 4 months in these last two pictures. With Love, Keri

" I MAM"

2009-07-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Elias has been saying some seriously funny stuff lately! I know I am posting this after Tyce was born and I should be writing about the birth but I have been meaning to write down some funny stuff Elias has said so I don't ever forget so I need to do this post first.

Here are some classics he has said in the last 3 months:

Was one of the days I actually did my hair and looked somewhat decent while 9 months pregnant.

I was pulling him out of the carseat and he looked at me and said, " Mom, you look so pretty! Your lip stuff looks pretty too" ( I had put lip gloss on right before)

"Mom, the moon looks like a cashew!" (it was a crecent moon out)

"Look Mom, my balls (sorry, had to tell it) are going to blowed off"

"Mom, I telled you I want to play with Jaden!!! That's it, after this sleepy time, you are gonna call Jadens Mom and tell her I want to wrestle her! " (He has a thing for Jaden apparently)

"Ohhhhh Snap!!!"

"I told you Mom, we shouldnt have bought a baby! I told you I just wanted a baby sometimes, not all the time!" (After he accidently hurt baby Tyce and Mom got upset with him)

"I want to buy a girl like her Mom" ( He sees a pretty girl in a magazine or picture and he thinks he will in the future, be able to buy a girlfriend. Great. My 3 yr old already thinks he participate in something illegal. lol)

"Mom, i don't know why she keeps talking to me. She keeps talking and I just want to play!" (Very frustrated as he walked in from out back playing with Jaden)

At a Doc appt, the nurse let Elias know his baby brother would need to get shots done. Elias started crying saying he didn't want that to happen b/c it would hurt Tyce. Then he got this serious look on his face and said, "Lets go Mom. Lets go right now. I mean it. Lets go."

"No, you knock it off". I wasn't too happpy about this comment.

"Im sorry Mom. I know that was special to you."

"My Grandma in heaven is an angel huh?"

Randomly, we will just be sitting on the couch together and he melts my heart with an unprompted, " I love you Mom". Nothing better comes out of my 3 yr olds mouth.

"Im going to kick your butt Dad, oh yes I MAM!"

Elias is really starting to develop a personality all his own. Hes sweet but not a push over. Hes funny but not annoying. He is my special Elias.

Cali Trip-Legoland

2009-04-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

We decided to do a super fast trip to California-I don't know how we managed to do it with Bryce's work and Fire Academy schedule, but we did it!!! We wanted to do it for Elias mostly- a last trip before his baby brother arrives! We drove to Palm Springs and stayed with my bestie-Elyse for the night. Boy, was Elias in love!!!! He was acting so crazy and trying to show off...was pretty cute!!! He has been pretty aware of "pretty yadies" as he would say!

We apparentely got the 2 days mixed up in preparing for the weather...I have to say though, that the day we went to Legoland, the weather was really perfect. I LOVE OUR LITTLE FAMILY! Bryce had to do a lot of the legwork on this trip b/c I was 33 or 34 wks pregnant, so I was tired, ankles swelling and contracting! I couldn't believe how brave Elias was with the rides there! Bryce and him found a rollercoaster the last 20 mins before the park closed....they went on it 4x!!!! They would run out and run right back in-there was no lines at that one ride so that helped too! The picture up top with Bryce and Elias in the boat making funny faces makes me laugh- Elias has really been developing his personality! He puts his hands out, opens his eyes brightly and says, "What? Just do it....(whatever he wants us to do)"

I have noticed Elias is the HAPPIEST when we 3 are all together (which is pretty rare the last 6 months with bryce's schedule) but we do the best we can. And, I think Bryce has made it more of a priority to carve out time for Elias and I every couple days! Bryce is in school M-W from 5-10-usually getting home around 1030. And, then he is also gone all day Saturday. It has been tough but have gotten use to leaning on my Dad and trying to make lots of play dates. Elias and I have really bonded during this time too.

The morning after Elyse's, we headed to Oceanside. Bryce wanted to hit the beach. We rented this 4 seat bike...Bryce did most of the work-he even attempted to go up a steep hill but the fat cow I am at this point, Bryce had to get out and push that from the back!!!! WAs pretty funny! Was windy and chilly though, so Bryce decided to go with his gut and pass at jumping into the water.

I am really happy we made this trip-it's times like these that make memories forever.

Day at the Museum

2009-02-16T22:07:00.000-08:00

So, today we got to take a visit to the Children's Museum downtown! I love this place. We have been a couple times before but this was the first time Bryce was able to make it out. What a fun family day.....Elias was soooo happy Daddy was there...and boy do I feel pregnant!!! I had to use the elevator!!! :(

Elias said the grocery store was his favorite part! He was so serious....he always has this serious look to his face lately- you would think we are grouchy old parents, but I promise we laugh, tease and play A LOT with this child-don't know what all the seriousness is for!

I love this picture! We didn't see this part of the Musuem last time we came out- but you just run through all these foam things...aside from Elias and another boy colliding right into his nose, Elias had a blast. I think Dad had just as much fun!

See, there he goes with the serious face!! lol. Btw, he didn't want his trailmix until the boy in the chair behind him said that he loves trailmix-then he was all about it!!!!

As for the boy in the yellow boots- this could have been a post on it's own....He has been wearing them for 3 days now-non stop. We were at Old Navy, he saw these rain boots and had to have them! He cried, tried them on and begged. He's not usually a beggar. So, I told him if he had 12 in his piggy bank, he could buy them. He was so upset I couldn't finish my shopping. Im a sucker and took him straight home to count his money....what do you know? He has MORE than 15 dollars in there and so, we were back at Old Navy within 15 mins buying his yellow boots. He even wore them to Church yesterday....oh boy! :) I love this kid!!!!!

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

Lookie! My hubby got these flowers for me for Valentine's! Aren't they pretty???
Bryce had school all day and I was planning on ordering take out from this resturaunt that cooks Puerto Rican food (Bryce loves) and had checked on it and everything- but when I called on Valentines, they said they were too crowded and were not doing take out orders!!!!:( My surprise was ruined! So, I did Bryce's other fave, Abuelo's. Even though my car smelled like a stinky toot by the time I got home, Bryce was thrilled to have his shrimp wrapped bacon....we were going to go to this fun Vday party one of our friends were having but Bryce's was socially exhausted (can't blame him) so, we went and saw "Confessions of a Shopaholic". It was his idea...can't believe it, couldnt believe it until the end of the movie...he finally confessed he thinks Isla Fisher is the exception to unattractive redheads. :)

Cheers to another Valentine's with the one I love....

Sweet picture

2009-02-16T21:49:00.000-08:00

I just came across this picture and thought what a sweet picture. It was taken several months ago after date night-we came home, my Dad was snoring in his bed, but little Elias was content as could be. This reminds me of my bedtimes with Dad-he is such a great Papa! Elias just adores him. (The light wasn't on by the way, we just have a strong flash on camera!)

MOM

2009-01-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

A year ago today, my Mom was alive, happy and probably bundled up on her couch with comfy jammies watching her favorite show on the TV. The past yr, I have wondered why I didn't call her that night just to chat like we did often. The week before she passed, I felt like we were both pretty busy & didn't get a lot of time to catch up. I remember the day I got the call from my Uncle Rod telling me it didn't look good for my Mom. It was a Thursday, I was driving home from running errands and running around with Elias. I remember that morning reminding myself it was her rotating Thursday to have off and was excited that I would be able to talk with her today. That morning for some reason I got too busy to call her in the morning but knew when Elias went down for a nap, I would give her a call to catch up. Unfortunately, that never happened.

I thought about what I should say in this post-should I talk about how devastating the next weeks were going to be for me & how she passed-all the pain our family felt etc....but, I don't want to keep those memories alive. All I can say is that it was such an empty feeling. I was real numb. I couldn't believe it b/c it was so sudden.
Looking at these pictures brings back some good memories of my Mom. If you can think of anyone who turned their life around & tried to make it right, it was my Mom. She had a really, really tough childhood. She wasn't taught certain things to make her successful for adulthood & b/c she wasn't taught some of the most important things a child should be shown like love and compassion, she battled with what kind of person she should be....what kind of person she wanted to be. And, after all that suffering she went through, bad choices, lifes ups and downs, she became one of the most admirable people Ive known. The more time goes that I am a Mother myself, the more I can understand a little bit of how she felt when she was a young mother to me and my brother.

My Mom turned her life around & did everything possible to be the best Mom to my brother and I. I am so grateful that she became such a big part of my life. If anyone knows my story well, I didn't have my Mom in my life consistently for about 7 or 8 yrs, but the last 8 yrs of her and me made up tenfold. The last 6 yrs we became extremely close. She supported me in anything I wanted to do. Even when normal mother jitters hit her when I was getting married, she stood by my side. She just wanted me to be happy.

My Mom was in LOVE with her little Elias. She helped me so much in being a better Mother. I would call her and tell her little things he would do and I could tell she was so tickled with him! She loved all 3 of her grandchildren. I remember she would always tell me," just give him a popcicle for dinner Keri." I was being so uptight b/c I thought it would make too much of a mess, but boy, one of the first things she did during her trip down to Phx for his first bday was....give him a popcicle!!!!! She also taught him one of his first words...."HOT". Now, Elias asks me about Grandma in heaven, why she's up there. I am so happy he got a little bit of a chance to know her. It makes me so sad to think that none of my other babies will have her here to spend time with her.

There are so many reasons why I loved/love my Mom so much. I love her for all the things she was not. She wasn't perfect, made off to look that way. She wasn't afraid to speak up, tell me exactly what she thought, even if she had to tell me I was wrong. She wasn't super smiley, sociable or loud and boisturous. But, I loved those things about her. She was so real. Such a hard worker. Watched and kept to herself but very perceptive to others. She was soooo giving. After that tough childhood I talked about, she still was one of the only ones in her family that took care of BOTH of her parents with love until they passed. How hard would that be? To forgive & give to people that didn't do the same for you for most of your life. And then, when her two younger brothers died within 6 months of eachother, within a yr after both her parents died, she kept marching. She kept it together & tried to take care of everyone. She was definetly a fighter. When she had her quadruple bipass, she fought to stay here & take care of us. See what Im saying? She had so many things working against her but she didn't quit.

This past year, I have thought a lot about what has happened. Part of me thinks that maybe when that thing burst in her, she was tired. She was so tired of fighting. That's all she did her whole life. I was really mad at Heavenly Father for taking her away from me and I miss her like crazy...words can't even bring to justice the kind of friend I had in her that Im missing in my life. It's like this hole in my heart. But, part of me knows that he wanted her for bigger reasons. If anyone proved themselves to be able to be given a chance in Heaven, it was her. I have been blessed to have her show up in several of my dreams-Im so grateful for that. Some non believers would say that can't happen, but I have had my Mom talk to me in my dreams. There is not an ounce in me, that doesn't believe it was really her visiting me!

There is only 1 major thing I wish I could have told her before she left-it's not even that I loved her b/c I said it to her so much that it was imprinted in her!! But, I wish she could really understand the validity of her time here on Earth. That she could see all the people that she really touched & how many miss her. She helped so many people in little steps that became big footprints on our hearts. She never saw how special she was to me. I hope now she has had a chance to see how lost I am without her. But, I know that one day, we will be together again. I am hoping that when it is my time to pass, she will be waiting for me at the gates of heaven with a happy smile.

I love you Mom. You were more important than you ever knew. I miss you, always.

Love,

Keri

It's been too long....

2008-12-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

So, it's been way too long since I last wrote and a lot has happened...but, probably nothing too interesting for anyone to read. I just posted some pictures of Christmas. This first one I can't help but post b/c he was so excited that his screwdriver fit right in his pants....he even posed for me!!! He is my little best friend. Christmas this year was really all about being with the ones we love and cars, cars, cars for Elias!!!! He loved everything he recieved from us and Santa- especially his new bike!!!! Alli got him a big light for the bike and when he was opening the gift, he said, "ALRIGHT- my own garage opener!!!" It was hilarious! I really could have wrapped socks or brussel sprouts for all he cared- he just liked opening the presents!!!! This yr was a weird Xmas- it rained all day- but it was nice to have the temp drop for a while.

For some reason, Elias has started to play "you can't catch my whole face for a picture"..I don't know how many pics I have had to retake in order to "catch" him and his whole face. He is really developing into a little boy and is such a smartie pants. If I am sad, he kind of panics and says, "no Mom, don't be sad, don't be sad" and gets sad too. If I am frustrated with him b/c he didn't listen to me or whatever, he gets really worried and says "but, are you happy Mom?" He is so wrapped up in how Mommy is feeling-so empathetic.

We had dinner at Bryce's parents house for Xmas and the food was to die for!!! Unfortunately, I have a hard time eating anything anymore. My taste buds are so out of whack with this pregnancy-it's a huge bummer!!!!

Anyways, I just wanted to say that this yr has def been a crazy one for us-like many others. But, what I have really come to realize is that when we had the most, we had the least, and when we had the least, we had the most. For the first time in my life, Christmas wasn't about me getting presents. I know how selfish that sounds. But, this yr was truly sobering & I honestly just wanted to have enough for Elias- to have enough time spent with both sides of the family. Even though this yr has been extemely tough financially, I have sooooooo much to be thankful for. I am so thankful for a wonderful family, the memories of my Mother, a beautiful son and one on the way & for the Gospel in my life. Love to you all,

Yay!!! One of my favorites....

2008-10-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not really that into Carrie Underwood-but I am ecstatic to see my FAVORITE bachelor come back into the public eye!!! Travis Stork is, I guess, Carrie's new beau. It's a little weird to me only b/c he's this distinguished Doctor, older and seems to be pretty intellectual (only from some of the episodes of Bachelor and interviews) and Carrie just doesn't seem like she would have those qualities. I have read some interviews of her and she seems to be very humble and nice-but a little blondish if I do say so myself. Anyways, maybe it is their Southern roots that have magnetized these two together-whatever the reason, I am quite happy that I may seem him more in US weekly for a couple weeks upcoming. :) Anyone else remember Travis????

Here is the link, since I am really dumb w/ working this blogger.com stuff.....

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/carrie-underwood-steps-out-with-bachelor-travis-stork/14820

Elias is turning 3!!!!

2008-09-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our little baby Elias is turning 3 on Saturday! You never really believe other parents when they say time flies by, but it really does!!! Elias has been too good of a blessing for me...I just still can't believe that our Heavenly Father would bless me w/ this incredible spirit-entrust me to take care of him. Being a Mom has changed me in every single aspect. I can't even begin to tell people why I just love him so much but I will name my favorite things I love about it right at this moment. 1. He looks so stylish in red goggles. lol
2. When Im having a bad day or am sad, he hugs me & asks me why Im sad. (And, he really wants to know why)
3. He asks "Why?" 5x in a row...yes, it can drive me crazy sometimes, but it can make me ridiculously happy at the same time.
4. When he's naked around other people, he says "Don't look at my pepe!!!!"
5. Even after I put him in time out, he still wants to hug me.
6. I know he will love me if I gain 300 pounds.
7. He dances like a pro.
8. He yells for me while Im driving & we have a not so bright driver in front of us. lol.
9. When Im talking, he says "Excuse me man" instead of Excuse me Mam....I can't be the one to tell him he is saying it wrong.
10. When he says I love you- he says "I YOVE YOU TOO!" He is my precious little boy. Thinking about him brings tears to my eyes-what a blessing. What a blessing.

Here he is at his gymnastics class-yeah, it takes a real man to handle 4 girls on his own! ;)

Love to all....until next time! ;)

HOT

2008-09-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

So, over the Labor Day weekend, Bryce and Krista were determined to go camping. Of course, I did not want to. I hate to say that I'm not a "camping kind of girl" b/c people automatically think I am high maintenance. And, I think I am far from that. But, anyways, I really don't like camping. I never have & after that trip, lol, I never will. Bless their hearts (Krista and Bryce) for trying to make it really fun for me. Elias must take after Mom because 10 mins after getting to camping grounds, he demanded we go back home. (We didn't of course) Long story short, we woke up at 2 am being slammed by rain. Poor Krista & Bryce-they were on both ends of the tent & by 3 am, their pillows were soaked. I don't think any of us got any sleep. We woke up at 6am and got the heck outta there!!!!! (So thankful for that).

Anyways, we got home at 8 am from a sleepless night-and here is my HOT husband doing his best impression of Simon Baker in the movie 'Something New'....it was so hot outside, and Bryce got all the cars vaccuumed out, cleaned & then, thats not all!! Shampooed all the carpets in our house. (6 rooms in total). He def follows his Dad's footsteps in being a workhorse!!! He was seriously outside working non stop from 8 am until 330 pm. Not that he should have to do anything like that everytime I should feel grateful for him-it definetely made me stop and think. I am pretty lucky right now. I mean, yeah, he drives me crazy 50% of the time. ;) But, he makes me happy 80% of the time...if that makes any sense. Even when he is driving me crazy, I am still happy at times. This is a shout out to my hard working husband- I am so happy and grateful to have such a hard worker like you....I always know that you will provide for us-in some way or another. Love you!

A Target Outing

2008-09-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

So, we are in the midst of potty training Elias. He is doing really well but I am still a bit reserved about going out and having him w/out a pull up on so that will be our next step. The other day while we were shopping in Target, Elias said he had to go #2. (TMI, im sorry) So, I said lets hurry and go to the bathroom. He said, "no, Mom, I don't need to go anymore-Im just going to hide." Well, you know what that means- poo poo in the diaper! So I said "no, lets go Elias to the potty, Mommy will go too!" So, we ran to the bathroom and just as he was getting himself on to the potty, he fell backwards, lost his grip and fell right in!!!!! I have kind of turned into a gerb phobe since having Elias, so it almost repulsed me-luckily, he hadent gone potty yet!!!! Water from the toilet was all on his back and his legs flew straight up in the air. It was one of the cutest moments ever. I started to laugh and he looked at me like, dont laugh at me. I asked him if he thought that was funny and he said no. lol. It was really cute. Until next time.....

Anniversary

2008-08-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

In August, Bryce and my 4th Anniversary was nearing (as was my mother's birthday, the same day actually). Bryce's mother had offered to watch Elias so Bryce and I could have a night away to celebrate. I told Bryce that we should just stay in town, maybe go book a night at The Pointe and just relax by the pool and have a good dinner. He agreed and the plan was set. Well, two days before our actual anniversary, Elias came out of the back room w/ a card in hand. I opened it up and to my surprise, Bryce had put together a quick San Francisco trip!!!!!! I was soooo excited b/c San Fran is one of my favorite cities!!!!! Bryce had already planned w/ his Mom to watch Elias so we could go away for two nights. Coincidentally, the weekend before, Bryce's parents had done a work trip there and I was talking to Lorraine telling her how envious I was of her that she was there and I wasn't!!! And, of course, she already knew I would be there sooner than later! :)
We arrived there at 10am and took the BART (train/subway system to get around) straight to downtown. Bryce booked our room at The Westin St Francis.....which was so antique looking. Just my style! The hotel lobby was beautiful! Even though our room was probably the size of our kitchen, it served its purpose. lol.So, a couple weeks ago, Bryce and my 4th Anniversary was nearing (as was my mother's birthday, the same day actually). Bryce's mother had offered to watch Elias so Bryce and I could have a night away to celebrate. I told Bryce that we should just stay in town, maybe go book a night at The Pointe and just relax by the pool and have a good dinner. He agreed and the plan was set. Well, two days before our actual anniversary, Elias came out of the back room w/ a card in hand. I opened it up and to my surprise, Bryce had put together a quick San Francisco trip!!!!!! I was soooo excited b/c San Fran is one of my favorite cities!!!!! Bryce had already planned w/ his Mom to watch Elias so we could go away for two nights. Coincidentally, the weekend before, Bryce's parents had done a work trip there and I was talking to Lorraine telling her how envious I was of her that she was there and I wasn't!!! And, of course, she already knew I would be there sooner than later! :)
We arrived there at 10am and took the BART (train/subway system to get around) straight to downtown. Bryce booked our room at The Westin St Francis.....which was so antique looking. Just my style! The hotel lobby was beautiful! Even though our room was probably the size of our kitchen, it served its purpose. lol. The first day we got there, we just had lunch at this really cute Italian shop and shopped and walked around. The weather was beautiful. We are such a "nap family"....I swear, if we could put two king beds together and have Elias in bed napping with us, we would be in hog heaven!!! So, we took a nap that day and went to Tadich Grill, which we were told was the oldest resturaunt in the city! To be very honest, Bryce and I were kind of disappointed w/ the food and service. It had a total men's club feeling to it which was kind of cool, but the food was mediocre. We were told the bread was to die for, but we ended up almost chipping our teeth of the piece we were given. The first day we got there, we just had lunch at this really cute Italian shop and shopped and walked around. The weather was beautiful. We are such a "nap family"....I swear, if we could put two king beds together and have Elias in bed napping with us, we would be in hog heaven!!! So, we took a nap that day and went to Tadich Grill, which we were told was the oldest resturaunt in the city! To be very honest, Bryce and I were kind of disappointed w/ the food and service. It had a total men's club feeling to it which was kind of cool, but the food was mediocre. We were told the bread was to die for, but we ended up almost chipping our teeth of the piece we were given.

The next day was really exciting. We rented bikes to ride over the Golden Gate! It was overcast that day and that was fine by us! We get enough sun here in Phoenix for an entire lifetime! Bryce and I tried a tandum bike at first but, of course, that requires a team effort, and well, Bryce and I are still working on that! lol. :) Unfortunately, we got stuck behind a big swarm of Chinese Protesters since it was the opening day of the Olympics in China. So, instead of our bike ride taking us the intended hour and half, it took us 3! That was fun. It was pretty good excercise, as we all know I need it! We rode our bikes over to Saulsilito and spent several hours there. We had lunch at this place called Poggio? I think that is how you spell it. Anyways, it was the bomb!!!! The bread was phenomonal. It was just a cute relaxed town and Bryce and I really want to go back and spend some more time there! We took the Ferry back to the city and headed to the Masseuse!!! Yep, that is right. We went to this place that Lorraine and Steve went to and got dual feet and neck massages! It was great!

We got back, Bryce wanted to relax and I of course, was being haunted by the 3 story Forever 21 store down the street so of course I had to check that out. You know its pretty good if I give up a nap for it!! I decided to wear my boots for this excursion and what a dumb move that was. I had to go into the 7 story Macy's right across the street first and by the time I was done there, my feet were killing me!! So, I wasted most of my time trying to find a cheap pair of flip flops to change into and of course, cheap doesn't exist in that city. :( So, I burned a lot of my time looking for those instead of shopping in my beloved Forever 21. It's probably a good thing now looking back.

That night, Bryce once again surprised me w/ a dinner reservation at this place called The Crustacean. It was in the "Vietnemese" part of town. That dinner was the best!!! Bryce is a huge crab eater so he ordered a whole crab and I ordered these Chicken Rolls-kind of like California Rolls only fried. (Super healthy, i know. ) I tried one bite and that was all I wanted to eat there!!! I was already feeling sick....actually the whole trip, I felt like I was going to throw up b/c of the windy roads and Mario Andretti wannabes called cab drivers. So, I was super content w/ my fried rolls and a small salad. Bryce ate every last bit of his crab. We took pics of the meal so once I can figure this blogging thing and how to upload pics and put them where I want, they will be here.

I applaud anyone who has read this whole thing! I think I fell asleep 5 mins ago. ;)

But, I just want to say how grateful I am that Bryce surprised me with that little trip. With this time also being the first birthday passed of my Mom's without her being here, I have no clue how I would have been if I wasn't preoccupied w/ a beautiful city. You are awesome Bryce!!! Thanks for the trip and for all the hard work you do in our marriage! I love you.

And, Ma, not a day goes by that I don't think about you-that memories of you don't cloud my mind and fill my heart. Happy Birthday Ma. I love you.....more than you will ever know.

The beginning....

2008-08-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

So, I started a blog about a year ago on Xanga. I started it b/c my Ma always had a hard time seeing pics when I emailed them to her-so I thought, "What a great idea. I will upload them on the webpage and then she will have no problem seeing them." Well, I ended up only posting one blog...and then, well, most of you know, she just passed away all of a sudden. This entry isn't going to be about her, but I eventually want to dedicate some postings about her. I started this blog for a couple of reasons. 1) b/c my brother started a blog and he is funny as heck when he tells stories, well, in general too now that I think about it. And, I wanted to see if I could be funnier and cooler than him in MY BLOG. lol. Totally joking. But, he did inspire me to write more-there are some things that happen from day to day that are so hilarious and you just forget to end up telling people....and I have heard over and over again that writing is a healing helper. And, the 2) Rachel, my sister in law, lmk that you can make blogs into books!!!!! I think that is fantastic! Bryce actually got some of Steve's journals from the 70's and he has been glued to them!!! He loves reading about his Dad and the times then, and I thought, "wouldn't that be cool if I could do that for my kids?" So, here I am.
I would like to apologize ahead of time for being a little blunt or open.....but, I am going to try and be as real as possible here. No fronts or shows....just me and my family. I am not perfect or close to it. Please forgive me if I offend you, I really don't mean to. Anyways, before this rambling puts you to sleep, I will end for now. Upcoming, I do want to talk about Bryce's family reunion we just went on, which was pretty fun and relaxing and also highlight some funny crap that happens on a day to day basis in our life! Until then....love to you.

Keri