Our Makeup Beauty!

Ummm time to hide the makeup ;) She is too pretty for it anyway..right?!!! She is great though, only on her face..nowhere else! The fun moments of little ones...I love it!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is such a great time to take the extra time to be thankful for everything! This year I am especially thankful for so many things, the past few months since we have moved have been some of the most fun and some of the hardest times for me! I am grateful for both. It makes me realize how thankful I am for the gospel and the peace that it brings!!

I am thankful for an amazing husband who even though he is busy with school he takes time to spend with us and listen to me whine on those tough days ;)I am thankful for a beautiful little girl who is healthy, smart, and full of life, who brings us so much happiness on a daily basis! I am thankful for family who constantly give us support and love even without them being close in proximity to us. I am thankful for the freedoms that I get to enjoy from living in this beautiful country and for those that have served and continue to served to keep our freedoms..Thank you to all of you! I am thankful for so many little things on a daily basis from good weather to clean house to food to eat to a good day at work to cuddle moments with Emma to singing and dancing in the kitchen to a home to live in and keep us safe to constant love that I feel.

Even though my job and workplace isn't my favorite and has been the biggest struggle for me since we have moved here, I have had those horrible days when it takes all I have to go back, there are days when it isn't so bad and I am able to recognize the blessing I have from working with the patients that I get to. I have become so much more thankful for a healthy body. I know I have taken for granted that I can do pretty much whatever I want and my health doesn't get in the way so seeing those that are sick and struggling really makes me grateful for my good health and the health of my family, and makes me really want to help those that I work with. I have also gained an even greater testimony of how blessed I am to have the gospel and the knowledge of the plan of happiness. I have had a few patients when I walk into the room I can just feel that they have made decisions in life that have led them so far away from our Heavenly Father's plan that the distinctive peace and happiness isn't there, these patients my heart goes out to and at the same time it is difficult to go to the room because of the feelings that you feel by being in there and then looking into their eyes and seeing the sadness and emptiness is hard and makes me say silent prayers right there and then for my gratitude for my Savior and His love for me. These experiences and the moments that you get to hear that you have made a difference in someones life makes my struggle of my job more bearable and I know that it is Heavenly Fathers way of strengthening me through the good and tough times. So even though it is hard I have changed my attitude to look for the tiny miracles He sends to me!! He is teaching me and it is my time to learn!!!

A few years ago in a relief society class our teacher shared a story called the "Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet" I thought it was a great story and had a great perspective on gratitude. I decided at that time that I needed to be more grateful for the thorns in my life and not just the flowers. I know that when we give thanks to our Heavenly Father for ALL and recognize His hand in everything that things are better and you can feel His love so close to you. So I decide that I wanted to start the tradition in my little family that we each Thanksgiving we would have our own 'Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet" to help remind us to be grateful for the good and tough times! Here is our bouquet this year! I know the lady thought I was crazy when I called to ask for a bouquet with thorns still on the rose stems and no flowers ;)


This year we got to have Thanksgiving at our house with lots of fun guests! I am so bugged with myself that I forgot take pictures of all of our food and friends!!! But even without pics it was great! Thanks Haley, Scott, Weston, Becky, Elder Schatt, Elder Black, Little Braden and Kade for sharing your Thanksgiving day with us! We had to use both leaves for our table..it was HUGE but we were able to fit everyone on one table!! We enjoyed tons and tons of yummy food, our first time baking our own turkey even turned out great!! Thanks for a fun evening!!

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!!

LADY ANTEBELLUM!!

After the heart walk went home got ready, picked up the babysitter and Andrew and I had our first official date night without our little lady since we have moved to Houston! Andrew took me to see Lady Antebellum! The concert was amazing..they were so fun to watch and sooo good with the crowd! Such a fun night!

David Nail opened for them..I wasn't sure who he was till he started singing and then I realized I knew a lot of his songs! Amazing voice!

Our seats were amazing! Nobody standing directly in front of us...loved them!

These guitarists were sooo good! I kept thinking about how amazing it is that Heavenly Father blesses us each with different talents and how I could never do what they do but I am grateful they do it and share it with everyone! The only bad thing the whole night was I took my small camera and the batteries were dead so we got a few on battery save mode but not much...next time I must check them..oops!!

Thank you babe for such a fun night!! I love you!

Heart Walk!!

The Houston Heart Walk! This is our crew from our Unit at Memorial Hermann. From left to right: David, Me, Haley, Cherylann, her daughter, Jill, and taking the pic..Scott (Haley's hubby).

Andrew couldn't come with us because of school ;( but Emma and I still went and had a good time walking and visiting with Haley and Scott! Emma was a little angel..I was a little worried she would get bored in the stroller but she made it the five miles and was great! Yes we are wearing sweat shirts and coats...it was in the 60's to start with but ended up warming up, Andrew thinks I won't ever be able to survive again in Utah ;) I assured him I would!

Emma fell in love once again with this beautiful dog!! She followed it everywhere!

After the walk they had a bunch of blow up toys for the kids and of course emma wanted to join in so here she is with all the BIG kids...if you look close you can see her little blond hair in front of the kid with the memorial hermann shirt on...

Getting higher..

On her way down..

She went up and down tons and tons and held her own with all the big kids ;)

Fun little pond with ducks everywhere!

This park is in the middle of downtown. Some pretty buildings around us! In the car on the way, when downtown comes into view so Emma can see it from the back seat she pointed and yelled "Castles!" I guess they could be castles;)

After we had parked and I was coming out of the parking garage she looks up at them and says 'wow mountains!' Yikes! We really need to take her to see mountains again ;)

Random picture of Emma later after church yesterday..I was fixing dinner and I had her candy bag hanging in the pantry when I turned around it wasn't there and I found my little lady behind daddy's desk checking out her candy ;)

Halloween Weekend

The 'Farmer' with his 'pet cat' and 'prize pig'!!

Friday night of Halloween weekend our ward had a ward party with games, food, and trunk or treating. It was a fun night seeing everyone dressed up and having fun;)

Of course Ems found 'Nelson' to pet and love on!

The balloon room was a definite favorite of our little lady!!

Emma and Abbie who are the best of buds! First time seeing each other dressed up..priceless, not sure why they each look so funny ;)

I love these two!!

Water...so of course we spent the rest of the time here 'fishing'!

Then Saturday night I had to work so Andrew took Emma trick or treating with some friends to a bunch of people in the ward! The only pics I got from the night... but I am sure they had lots of fun! My mom made Em's trick or treat bag..so cute!! Thanks Mom!

Sunday the official day of Halloween we went to our friends house with a few couples and their kids and had yummy Halloween dinner! Lots of fun! I took my camera but didn't take a picture..oops!

Pumpkin Carving!

Last year Emma loved to play in the pumpkin goo but this year was another story... she didn't want to touch it... so this is what our little lady did while we carved pumpkins!

Working in progress. . . and the final projects! Mine a little lame and un-original but still a fun FHE ;) We love having dad around to hang out with us!

Showing me her red tongue and keeping far enough away from the "hand" Andrew had to get it because it scares her. . . ;)

Train Ride ;)

This is a little train ride that I took Ems to with our friends who have a little girl the same age as Ems. They are little pals together!! So it started off and I didn't think Emma would have any issues with it considering she is an adrenaline junkie . . .

Our caboose. . . little Abby!

And they are off. . . by this time Emma is getting a little concerned mom isn't coming. . .
Meg running along with the girls ;)

By this point she was REALLY worried and starting to cry! And just around the corner...screaming!!! Charlie (our friend) went to help but she only wanted mom soooo... I got to get in and ride;) Silly girl, but fun for us both!

Softball!

Andrew's school put together a softball team for a fund raising event for breast cancer so we got to go watch. It was beautiful weather and lots of fun! The day started with Em's doing this cause she wanted to play with dad! ;) Eventually she got over it but sad for a few minutes.

Andrew's team was all made up of his class mates so it was fun for me to get to meet some of them. They were all really nice and fun to be around!


Emma loved exploring and entertaining the girls in Andrew's class that weren't playing ;) They were great sports to let her sit by them and play with her toys!


Almost caught it!




Everyone played really well especially for never practicing together. By the last game they played everyone was exhausted! Andrew was quite sore for several days...using muscles he hasn't in long time ;) Thanks babe for an entertaining day!

I love this Little Lady!

Emma and I have lots of fun hanging out around the house! She came running to me one day so excited because she was wearing my socks...see that smile!

She loves to play in Yankee's crate...completely sicks me out! Hair everywhere when she is done... I sweep and sweep and sweep and vacuum and still I find hair!

A day playing at the park in turn equals 'dirty little lady'!!! She was absolutely filthy, this park has rubber for the ground so it doesn't help keeping them clean, I realized after this day how much she wipes her face!!!

Cute little bunny! Our friend let us borrow this bunny costume thinking that Em's could be a bunny for Halloween, but when I got home and tried it on her it fit but a little tight and she wanted to hop around like a bunny and every time she did I could hear the Velcro coming undone...so no little bunny for Halloween since we didn't want to ruin their costume but fun for a few minutes!!

I just love this little smile ;)