The Sweet Life

Cornbread...Mmm Mmm!

2012-01-26T15:43:00.002-07:00

The other night we were having tortilla soup and cornbread for dinner (thank you ourbestbites.com) and looked over to see Grace in her high chair, head buried in her bib, to sup up any remaining cornbread crumbs. So hilarious, I had to share!

Happy First Birthday Gracie!

2012-01-12T12:57:00.001-07:00

This Tuesday, January 10th, we celebrated Gracie's first birthday. In some ways, this year has absolutely flown by. But in other ways, Boyce and I can't remember what it was like not to have our Gracie. She is a tremendous blessing to us and teaching us so much. She now stands up without depending on anything for support, and takes a precarious step or two before deciding crawling is easier. She now has 7 teeth with two molars coming in (poor thing). She babbles incessantly and has three definitive words, "Mama," "Dad-dah," and "Hi."

She'll give kisses if and when she's in the mood and will wave goodbye and "Buh" means "Bye." She knows how to make herself go limp when we pick her up to try to take her away from something she wanted and is all about testing Mommy and Daddy to see if they really mean "no" (such as, "Do they really mean no when I touch the fireplace, the stereo, the outlets, the candles...etc.?"). She has mastered self-soothing during naptime, much to relief of Mommy especially.

Back to the birthday though. We had so much fun celebrating for her birthday! Boyce graciously hung the decorations, I attempted to make a pink ruffle cake (which actually turned out!), and we invited some friends over to celebrate with us by having pizza and cake. Gracie LOVED eating her cake. Once she finished off the piece of cake, she moved on to licking her fingers for any leftover frosting.

The Baileys' and Maughans' children are both Gracie's age, and the three of them had a lot of fun opening the gifts together. :) All in all, it was a wonderful first birthday. Happy birthday Gracie Lou Lou!

Christmas

2012-01-06T15:32:00.001-07:00

I can't believe the holidays have come and gone. Where does the time go? I LOVE Christmastime so, so much. Our little family had a wonderful Christmas.

To start things off, Boyce got a full 2 weeks off from work, and we decided to take full advantage. The first week, we drove down to Bakersfield, stayed a couple of days with Boyce's parents, and then left Gracie with Grandma and Grandpa while Boyce and I took a little mini-vaca. We went to Disneyland and had so much fun! How is it that Peter Pan is still my favorite ride (from the time I was 4)? We got there before the park opened and were one of the first ones in, and so many Disney workers greeted us as we went in. Seriously, you feel so special. :)

Us at the Blue Bayou Restaurant Inside the Pirates Ride

Suzanne's Dream Disney Job - Rollerskating Snowflake Girl

It's a Small World All Decked Out for Christmas

The next day, we took a ferry to Catalina Island and spent 2 nights there. We'd never been there and had a great time. It was the off season, so the island was very quiet, and lots of local shops were closed. But we took advantage of the quietness and just relaxed. We did manage to do the island's eco-zipline, which was amazing! The island has a place called The Casino that was built by William Wrigley during the island's heyday, and now the Casino is just a huge movie theater. So we went and saw Tin Tin (it only shows one movie a week, and to our dismay, we missed The Muppets by a night).

We also had a chance to walk around the island a little, where we stumbled across an actual pet cemetery. Wow. Who knew?

Actual Pet Cemetery

Pelican with The Casino in the Distance

We ended our excursion with a semi-submarine tour where we got to see lots of the local fish and marine life.

After Catalina, we went back to Doug and Rinez's and enjoyed a couple more nights with them before heading back on Christmas Eve.

My dad and sister then came the day after Christmas and stayed the week. We had a great time just being together as a family. Since they came a couple days after Christmas, we waited until they were here to open presents and have Christmas dinner. As expected, Gracie didn't really know what to do as far as unwrapping presents, so we helped her out a little. :) But she sure enjoyed her gifts - a little piano and teacup set, both that play lots of songs. She is quite a lover of all things music, so they were a hit.

Grace with Aunt Kat

New Year's Eve with Dad, Kat, and Her Boyfriend Brian

Halloween

2011-11-14T13:51:00.001-07:00

We had such a fun time this Halloween. For months I have been looking forward to dressing Gracie up and showing her off! After receiving a cute yellow and orange tutu and some bright orange fairy wings in a gift basket we got at Boyce's school carnival, we decided to dress Gracie up as a candy corn princess. I found a "Candy Corn Cutie" onesie and an orange bow to complete the outfit!

And wow did she turn out cute! :)

I got her dressed up and took her to Boyce's school Halloween parade. We walked in the parade with all of the kids, and I'm telling you, Gracie KNEW she was dressed up and cute! She had the time of her life!

We dressed her up one more time that day and took her to our friend Cami's for a Halloween dinner. What a great Halloween it was!

Nine Months

2011-11-03T12:40:00.008-06:00

Wow, apologies to those who have given up on our blog. I'm terrible at keeping it up to date! But I would like to pay tribute to my lil' munchkin at her 9-month milestone! First off, Gracie's growth has tapered off. At 9 months, she weighs 19.4 lbs. (62%). She is 28.75" in length (87%). She was such a big girl at the doctor when he gave her her flu shot (yuck).

At 9 months, she is crawling around. Boyce describes it best and says she looks like a windup doll. It's so true! She still only has the 6 teeth, but we think we see two more poking through up top. Still just the two on bottom though. She is looking more and more like Boyce - the cheeks, the mouth, the expressions... I sometimes whine to Boyce that she somehow only got my vices, like my scowl and my impatience when it comes to eating time.

She loves, LOVES being social. Loves crowds. At storytime at the library, she could care less what we're reading or singing, but loves making friends with the other babies and adults. When we are in a restaurant, she cranes her neck to see the people at the tables all around us, not giving up until they flash her a smile.

This happened more at 9 1/2 months instead of 9, but she is a full-fledged stair climber. She LOVES stairs, much to Mama's dismay! We spend lots of time by the many stairs in our house so she can climb them (and may I mention we have a TON of stairs!). And until she learns how to climb down them, Mama and Daddy will be right beside her.

She says "Mama" crystal clear, though I don't think she necessarily knows it's me. We try to say "Daddy" but nothing yet!

She's getting great at games. We play hide-and-seek, and just last week she learned how to blink when we blink. Check out the video. So fun!

Love you little girl!

Seven Months!

2011-08-16T10:15:00.004-06:00

Our lil' Gracie Lou Lou is seven months old. I can't believe it and truly don't know where the time has gone. It seems like just yesterday my little angel baby was inside of me and I was wondering what she would look like and what her personality would be. Now I know she is a beautiful, healthy little baby with a fiery personality to match her strawberry blond hair!

At seven months, the little lady is SOLELY focused on moving around. She is rolling and scooting herself constantly. She has officially graduated from her gym set, which would require her to be stationary. And might I mention, the purpose of every game is to get Object A into her mouth.

She is a teething maniac. At four months she got her bottom two teeth, and two weeks ago I noticed her top two were breaking through. Just yesterday, Boyce and I looked again and saw another two breaking through. Poor baby. That would explain the continuous drooling and persistent impatience.

We are moving along the "solid food spectrum" quite nicely, and so far, she's liked everything except for green beans and rice. We've tried the store bought and homemade variety, both to no avail. But despite that, she'll appease us and down a good portion before protesting. I know she's my baby because her favorites are the sweetest foods, like sweet potatoes and peaches. That's my girl!

Gracie was a complete trooper on our vacations last month! Through all the driving, she really only fussed when she was ready for a nap, and liked watching the Baby Einstein videos we took with us.

She's becoming more and more like Boyce: the ultimate social butterfly. On our trips, it was practically impossible to feed her in public because there were people to coo to and interact with. On more than one occasion, Gracie would refuse to take the bottle until the people at the table next to us noticed her. Once she was satisfied with their attention, only then would she eat. Not kidding.

I love watching my girl learn and grow and play. Through watching her, I love remembering to find beauty and happiness in the little things. I'm learning too, and it is a wonderful thing. Love you Gracie!

Nauvoo the Beautiful!

2011-08-05T08:37:00.049-06:00

So our July was a complete whirlwind, with Boyce getting some much-needed vacation from work. On July 9th, we set out for the ultimate roadtrip - final destination: Nauvoo, Illinois.

Day 1 - On Day 1, we drove through Colorado and stopped at this beautiful mountain town of Frisco. After a LONG day of driving, we stayed in a tiny little town called Sterling. The only thing I will remember about Sterling is that the first room in our hotel had cockroaches. I was NOT okay with this, so thankfully Boyce got us a different room, and after a thorough scan in which no roaches were detected, we settled in for the night.

Day 2 - More driving till we reached Omaha - Council Bluffs. We stopped at the Winter Quarters Visitor Center, where we walked around the beautiful temple grounds and cemetery. Later that night we ventured into downtown Omaha where we ate dinner. We thought downtown Omaha was actually pretty fun!

Day 3 - Still more driving. At about the time when I thought I was going to pull my hair out, we stumbled upon the little town of Eldon, Iowa. And guess what's in Eldon! The American Gothic House. If you don't know what that is, you're not alone. I didn't, either. But it's the house represented in this famous painting:

We stopped at the American Gothic House for a few minutes, which gave us the momentum to finish our journey to Nauvoo. We got to Nauvoo and checked into our cute little hotel (Zion Mercantile Hotel). Then we went to find some dinner, and ate at Ziggy's, a quaint pizza joint. Afterward, we decided to go see Rendezvous. We were the last people to squeeze into the auditorium, and, with the exception of a little, exhausted 6 month old, we quite enjoyed it.

Day 4 - The first thing we did on our first "complete" day in Nauvoo was take a wagon ride through the town. It was great, because it took us all around historic Nauvoo and gave us ideas of what we wanted to see and do while we were there. It was on this wagon ride we saw a barge on the Mississippi, being pulled by a little tugboat. Very cool! Afterward, we headed back to our hotel, where we were surprised to find a bagpipe band playing in the courtyard just outside our hotel. They were so good!

Later that day, we went to the "Youth of Zion" vignette, where a group of actors portrayed Mary and Caroline Rollins and a few others. I hadn't heard this story before, but the young Rollins girls watched as men tore up and scattered pages of the Doctrine and Covenants. Knowing the worth of those pages, the girls risked their lives and ran to rescue the pages. The men saw them and chased after them, following them into a corn field. The girls hid in a row of corn, praying fervently that the men would not catch them. They did not!

We also toured the Jonathan Browning home and saw his gun collections and learned about his history as a gunmaker. We took lots of pictures for both our dads. They both love guns!

We also caught the show "High Hopes and River Boats," which was amazing! The actors were so talented! After that we headed to another vignette, "Women of Nauvoo," located in the Relief Society garden. The garden was so lush and beautiful.

That night, we decided to the Nauvoo Pageant. I really had no expectations, but I was blown away. First of all, BEFORE the Pageant, the church puts on what they call the "Frontier Country Fair," where they have all sorts of fun games for children and adults alike such as square dancing, horse shoes, log sawing, an old-time puppet show, and more. Boyce attempted to walk on stilts, which was HILARIOUS.

Afterward, we watched the Pageant. I didn't realize beforehand, but all of the music portrayed in the Pageant is live, and the cast was phenomenal. Parley P. Pratt welcomed all of the visitors to the Pageant, and then unfolded the story of life for the saints in Nauvoo - up through the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum. The Pageant finished with the beautiful Nauvoo Temple illuminated in the background. At the end, the cast was now dressed in white, meant to symbolize them as spirits, and they thanked us for spending the evening with them. I can't say enough about the Pageant except to say we went twice, and every member of the Church should go see it one day.

Day 5 - On Day 5, we went to more vignettes, including "Letters of Joseph and Emma" and the "King Follett Discourse." I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the "King Follett Discourse." The actor portraying Joseph Smith in the Pageant presented portions of one of the Prophet's last major discourses, which he gave at the funeral if his close friend King Follett ("King" being the gentleman's actual name). Boyce and I truly felt like we were listening to the Prophet and had stepped back in time.

We also took a wagon ride - different than the carriage ride in that this wasn't about touring Nauvoo so much as it was a ride that talked about the many amazing, spiritual experiences the saints had. For instance, it took us by the well that King Follett fell into, where he died.

Also that afternoon we toured sites owned by the Community of Christ church, including the mansion house, which was built to house the influx of saints who'd moved to Nauvoo until homes could be constructed for them, the Red Brick Store, and the cemetery where Joseph, Hyrum, Emma, and other members of the Smith family are buried. The cemetery was one of my favorite parts of Nauvoo. I couldn't help but marvel that that was where the actual Prophet and his family members were buried!

Later that evening, I got to go to the Temple while Boyce watched Gracie. I loved having some time in Nauvoo to reflect on the gospel, which was the entire reason the saints in Nauvoo endured the persecution and hardships that they did.

Day 6 - This was our last full day in Nauvoo. We woke up early so that we could go to the "Trail of Hope," the walk down Parley Street that the saints took as they left their beloved city for the last time. That morning, members of the Pageant cast lined Parley Street and, donned in pioneer attire, shared stories of what "their" life was like in Nauvoo. It was so touching. At one stop along the Trail of Hope, two young women sang a hymn that had strengthened them during much of their persecution, and I couldn't help but cry. The Trail of Hope finished at the bank of the Mississippi River, where the saints crossed as they journeyed to Zion.

After the Trail of Hope, we headed to Carthage, where we walked through the jail where the Prophet, Hyrum, John Taylor (and others but I can't remember whom exactly) were martyred. What a sacred place this was. In the tour, they take you to the actual room where the mob shot through the door and windows and killed Hyrum and Joseph. John Taylor escaped alive.

Later, we visited a few sites that we hadn't gotten to yet, including the publishing house where the Times and Seasons newspaper was printed (I still can't believe all the time and effort it took to produce a newspaper back then!), the Family Living Center where we got to eat bread baked in a real brick oven, the brick shop, and the bakery.

That evening, Boyce got to do a session in the temple, and met Gracie and I at the "Sunset on the Mississippi" show. And after that, we couldn't help but go see the Pageant again.

Day 7 - I was so sad to leave Nauvoo. I kept asking Boyce if we could stay another day. He would ask me what we would do if we stayed, and I didn't really have an answer, so we left. On this day, we drove through Iowa and Minnesota, and got caught in a torrential downpour on the freeway that forced us to pull over. Seriously, Minnesota, your rainstorms are no joke.

Day 8 - This day of our trip home took us through South Dakota. I sort of thought South Dakota might be totally boring, but I was mistaken. We got off the freeway in Mitchell because Gracie was hungry, and low and behold, the town was having a parade. As Boyce puts it, "I never knew John Deere made so many different kinds of farm equipment until the Mitchell Parade." It's true. Lots and lots of farm equipment. But that wasn't the coolest part of Mitchell. The coolest part is that Mitchell is home of the Corn Palace! In case you never knew corn palaces exist, they do. In Mitchell. PS - They redo the murals (made out of corn, in case you couldn't gather) EVERY year.

After experiencing the Corn Palace, we piled back in the car and kept on driving. That evening, we pulled into Keystone, South Dakota, checked into our hotel, and promptly went to Mount Rushmore. I LOVED Mount Rushmore. It is such a patriotic place, and the amount of time and effort that went into creating that monument is phenomenal. They had to dynamite with exact precision, people. I have some serious respect for the people who created Mount Rushmore. We ate dinner there at the monument, walked around, and then that night watched the movie about the monument, and at the end, they light up the mountain. It was truly beautiful. Except for the part where some lady stood up on the bench to see better, grabbed Gracie's stroller (which she was in, sound asleep), and then lost her balance, sending the stroller into the air for a split second. I don't think it's possible to truly convey the wrath of a mother over her child, but it came out. I was NOT happy.

Day 9 - Whoa is me, MORE driving. We were done. Gracie was done. And unfortunately the last day of the drive was through the ugliest, worst part EVER. Wyoming. Wyoming, I know you do have some redeeming qualities, like the Tetons and Yellowstone. But most of you is dreadful. Or at least the part we drove through. But we survived and made it home! Home, sweet home, at last.

Five Months!

2011-06-20T14:34:00.005-06:00

I can't believe Gracie has hit the 5 month mark (as of June 10th)! My little girl is growing up way too quickly. In the last two weeks, the little misses has sprouted two bottom teeth (that's right, and she is quite the drooler right now) and begun to easily roll over from back to tummy (tummy to back isn't quite there yet).

We're not exactly sure why, but for some reason, she's also started to pound the crib mattress with her legs as hard as she can. We think it's because she was wrapped in a thinner blanket, so we've retracted back to the former blanket in hopes this will solve the issue.

And speaking of blankets, Gracie fights the swaddle blanket tooth and nail. The worst is when she breaks out of it at like 3 am. So as of this week, we are beginning to wean her from it, sleeping her every other nap with just one arm in the swaddle. I am slightly skeptical and frankly terrified to enter this new phase, but it's a necessity. She just can't be a burrito baby forever, I suppose.

Last week, as you know, we started the Rice Cereal Escapade, which is going fantastically. Miss Gracie is now eating rice cereal 2x a day. In the next week or so, we'll try oatmeal.

She still likes to wake Mommy and Daddy up at least once in the night, and up to this point, Mommy has always caved in and brought her in bed with her. But no more. That's right ladies and gentlemen, even if it means little sleep for the next week or so, Miss Gracie will be learning to self-soothe back to sleep in the wee hours of the night (unless she's hungry or has busted out of the swaddle, of course).

So last Saturday, Boyce and I entered Gracie in the Utah Valley Freedom Festival baby contest. Let's just say there were babies EVERYWHERE! Baby girls dressed up in tutus (not Gracie, though. We decided to be different), baby boys dressed up in army fatigues and sailor suits, huge glitter bows and flowers, and glitter everything-else, for that matter.

Gracie in her "baby contest" outfit

We weren't sure what to expect, but there were just two judges who had some toys and watched how the babies reacted. Gracie, of course, who likes to make people work for her smiles, offered only one small smile when Mommy proceeded to sing "Rocket Ship, Rocket Ship, Going to the Moon." Daddy was slightly embarrassed that Mommy sang the whole song, but I only did it in hopes of creating a couple more smiles from my baby (to no avail). Gracie did not win, but it was fun nonetheless! There were lots of baby vendors there, and we even picked up some new toy blocks, a teething ring, and a stuffed discovery snail for which we hope Gracie will enjoy hours of entertainment. :)

Rice Cereal, Yum Yum!

2011-06-17T15:04:00.006-06:00

So this past week we've started Gracie on rice cereal. It has been so fun to watch her try this new food and new way of eating. The first day she grimaced after the first bite and clamped her mouth shut, refusing to eat any more. But we've come a long way since then. She's now eating rice cereal in her high chair (which she protests) at her 1 o'clock feeding every day. I don't think she particularly likes it (But who would? Have you tasted that stuff?! BLAND!) but she's doing great!

Now if I can only figure out HOW to break her of her swaddle blanket... :)

Four Months!

2011-05-23T15:18:00.004-06:00

Where oh where is the time going? I CANNOT believe my little "Missy Moo" (who knows where we came up with that nickname, but it stuck) is already 4 months old. She is looking more and more like a baby and less and less like a newborn.

This is actually a picture of her at 3 months, but I don't have any 4 month shots handy. We just had her well visit last week, and she is now 14 lbs. 11 oz. (54%) and 26" long (90%!!). My little lady is TALL. She is so long that she can easily play in her exersaucer, which is her new favorite toy. She can control her head now and truly enjoys chillin' in the Bumbo watching whatever her mama or daddy are up to.

I can also finally say we have turned a corner with daytime naps. She's learned how to self soothe by nuzzling up to the crib bumpers. Hey, whatever works. :) She smiles easily now and even giggles, which is my very favorite!

I love you little Gracie Lou!

Two Month Checkup

2011-03-22T21:07:00.008-06:00

Okay, so this post is a little late (since Gracie is now 10 weeks old), but we recently had her two-month check up with the doc. When she was born she weighed in at 7 lbs. 5 oz., and I'm happy to report that at two months, she's now 10 lbs. 11 oz. (40th percentile) and 23 1/2 inches long (85th percentile!). The little lady did amazing as she received her vaccines (I think Mom had a harder time watching her cry).

Gracie at 2 months

I'm so proud and amazed every day as I have watched her learn and grow. She has started cooing and talking to us up a storm, and it melts my heart every time she smiles. She bears weight on her legs already, can roll over, and just today (10 weeks) held her head up 90 degrees for about 60 seconds during tummy time.

She is sleeping through the night but fights daytime naps; I think in part because she loves spending time with Mommy and Daddy. She LOVES bathtime but despises getting out of the bath and turns a very dark shade of purple as we put lotion on her following bathtime. She has the most adorable pouty face we have EVER seen.

Gracie, we love you! Happy two months! :)

Grace's Baby Blessing

2011-03-22T20:19:00.021-06:00

A couple of weekends ago we had Gracie's baby blessing. What a wonderful occasion! My and Boyce's parents, Boyce's sister Megi and her family, and several other of our closest friends and family joined us for the blessing. It couldn't have been a more perfect occasion.

Boyce's mother made Gracie's baby blessing dress, and it turned out to be exquisite. I asked her to make it out of my wedding gown and use some of the beadwork from the gown, and she transformed it into a beautiful blessing dress fit for a little princess, which Gracie is of course. :)

Boyce administered a really lovely blessing - praying for Gracie to receive an abundance of blessings, including:

Continued health so that she can enjoy good health throughout her life
A desire and love for the Gospel and the Lord
To be an example to her younger siblings and everyone around her
A desire to get an education
Integrity - that she'll have the strength and courage to do what's right
A love for wholesome, uplifting music that will help her grow closer to the Lord

After church, we all went home and had a feast and a VERY full house of people as we celebrated. It was so, so fun, and Boyce and I were sad to see everyone leave and our families to head back home.

Here's to many more occasions to celebrate our Gracie!

The Story Behind Welcoming Baby Grace

2011-01-27T16:31:00.009-07:00

So before I forget the details and they become fuzzy, I want to record the story behind having Miss Gracie. First of all, because of my blood thinning issues (which I didn't know I had till becoming pregnant), I had to be induced so that I could go off of my heparin at least 24 hours before giving birth. The earliest my doctor would induce me was at 39 weeks, and I scheduled the induction right at 39 weeks to be safe. So I was scheduled for an induction on Jan. 10th. I learned the day before I was the 3rd of 7 to be induced, and that the hospital would call me on the 10th and let me know when I should come in. I figured, being 3 of 7, that I could sleep in a little and not rush to be up early. So Boyce and I got up about 8. At 8:30 - right after I'd scarfed some breakfast down - I got the call from the hospital. They asked if I could be there by 9. Wow. 9? The hospital was 20 minutes away. Sure! We'll try!

We got to the hospital just a couple minutes after 9 and they took us up to Labor and Delivery. I was amazed at how calm I was. I wasn't afraid; just excited! And for any of you who know me, that's pretty much amazing! I thought maybe it would take awhile to fill out any paperwork and get hooked up to the pitosin, but wow was I wrong! By 9:30 they had the IV in me and the pitosin going strong. I was already dilated to a 3 at the time I got to the hospital, and by an hour or two of pitoson I was to a 4. By 4 cm, I opted for the epidural. No trying to be a brave woman here! My goal was not to stress and just enjoy my labor, and the only way I knew how to do that was to get an epidural. It was the right decision. :)

Boyce and I watched a few movies for the next few hours (I only caught glimpses of the movies; I actually slept a lot of my labor). At around 3 o'clock, I started feeling intense contractions. Hello - wasn't that why I got the epidural? I pushed the button to administer more of the epidural and waited a few minutes for it to kick in, but it didn't seem to, and the pain got stronger. Pretty soon I was clenching Boyce's arm and gritting my teeth through contractions. This was intense - even WITH the epidural! At around 3:30 the nurse came in, surprised to see me in pain. I asked if she could please give me more of the epidural. She did, and decided to take a look at my progress.

"Wow, no wonder you're hurting!" the nurse said. "You went from a 4 to a 10 in a half hour! You're ready to have this baby!"

WHAT? Well, that makes sense! I was dying!

My nurse (whom I LOVED), told me to just enjoy the next hour, finish my movie (she turned down the pitosin), and that we'd start pushing around 5. So the next hour I recovered from that half hour of heck and finished our movie.

At 5, my nurse came back and had me start pushing. Because of the extra dose of the epidural, I was so incredibly numb I couldn't tell I was doing anything, but Boyce and the staff assured me I was! Twenty minutes later, little Miss Gracie was born!

And Miss Gracie arrived at 7 lbs. 5 oz., 20 inches long. She was so beautiful!

WELCOME MISS GRACE KATHLEEN CAMPBELL!

Introducing Grace Kathleen

2011-01-25T18:56:00.008-07:00

Grace Kathleen was born on January 10, 2011 at 5:22 PM. She weighed in at 7 pounds 5 ounces and 20 inches long. She is adorable as can be but more work than we ever imagined. We are loving being parents and loving being blissfully tired! Here are some pics for now. We'll update more some day when we wake up!

Welcome Grace Kathleen and just look at her beautiful Mommy!

Just an hour old, right after her first bath!

Grandma Campbell with her cutest grandchild!

Just chillin' in the "tanning bed". She had to sleep for a couple of days in the bilibed because of jaundice! She was a trooper and did well, just a little fussy at night, wanting to be cuddled.

Gracie, 6 days old

7 days old, sleeping peacefully

All dressed up and nowhere to go!!!

13 days old, having some tummy time

Grace getting her first cousin visit!!!

Two weeks old and yes that's a flower on her bum!

Two weeks old, chillin in the swing! Yes...this is her happy face!

There's a picture walk of Gracie so far! Check back for more updates when we wake up!

Pampering While Pregnant

2011-01-09T17:35:00.009-07:00

So one of my favorite methods of relaxation is getting pampered. Not that I do it very often, but every once in awhile, I love to go get a pedicure with girlfriends, or get my hair done, get a massage, or if I really splurge--a facial.

Well, throughout my pregnancy I continued my R&R ritual, although many of the experiences did NOT turn out as I had hoped or anticipated. Many so-called relaxation experiences actually turned out so utterly ridiculous it became comical. So nevertheless, I have decided I need to blog about the reality of being pampered while pregnant. If nothing else, to inform future moms-to-be or even to remind me when I'm pregnant again (which will definitely not be for awhile!). So here we go:

Nails: Ah, getting my nails done. I love the feeling of getting a pedicure and having my toenails covered with a new, fresh coat of polish, and my feet to feel smooth. And seriously, what better way to relax than having someone massage your feet? LOVE it. Well, throughout this pregnancy I've had I think 3 different pedicures, and each time, my experience goes something like this: I walk through the door and immediately smell the strong scent of nail polish and remover, and whatever other chemicals the salons use. "Am I killing my child?" is the first thought that rushes through my mind and seems to park itself in my brain. Subconsciously, I start breathing into my sleeve or hand and doing whatever I can to avoid taking in a big gulp of not-so-fresh salon air. And as my feet are being massaged (which again, I normally LOVE), I think to myself, "They had better avoid that spot on my heel that I know is a pressure point that can induce labor." If they happen to somehow even SKIM my heel, I feel a rush of adrenaline. And disappointingly, I end up leaving wondering if the whole experience was worth it.

Hair: So the warning in all the pregnancy books is this, "Check with your practitioner--you'll likely get the green light." So being a prudent person, I did exactly that and checked with my practitioner. And he said, to my chagrin, "Most likely it's fine, but knowing your personality (the guy can read my anxious personality like a book), if you did get your hair done and anything were to happen, you would put a lot of blame on yourself, so you may want to avoid it." He didn't tell me I couldn't, per se, but gave me enough of a complex that I've only had my hair colored once during the pregnancy. And that one time, my experience pretty much mirrored my pedicure experiences (see above): Walking in and smelling the strong chemicals, thoughts pouring into my mind of how I'm giving cancer or ADHD or who knows what to my unborn child, having my hair stylist simply touch up the roots, and getting out of there as fast as I could. Not my fave.

Facial: Ah, the memory of the one and only time I got a facial, which was over the Thanksgiving break with my sister. Mind you, by that point, I was 7 months pregnant, but what better way to spend some quality sister time than to go get a facial? How can one go wrong with a facial, anyway? Well, we went to an Aveda Beauty School (first red flag: beauty school! Hello, at beauty school there are 19-year-old girls who have NEVER been pregnant working on you! BAD idea). The girl takes me back to a small room with a flat table and gives me the normal instructions to lie down on the table. I take one look at the very flat table and ask, "Do you have any wedges or padding or anything for pregnant women?" The 19-year-old stares at me blankly and shakes her head.

Already, I'm sensing this was a bad idea. "Maybe a pillow?" I ask bleakly. The 19-year-old perks up and rushes off to get me a pillow. She returns with a small pillow, at which point I finally lie down on the table and wedge the pillow behind my head. The 19-year-old rushes off to mix up the formula (...which could cause cancer, ADHD, elephant disease, who knows?!) and returns 20 minutes (20 MINUTES! Not 5! 20!) later.

By that point, my lower back is killing me so I have rolled over to my side. "Um, do you think it's possible to work on me in this position?" I ask hopefully. She looks at me like I'm the biggest idiot in the world and shakes her head. Dang it. "Hmm...can you maybe find a couple more pillows?" I retort. She rushes off again and is gone for what at this point SEEMS like another 20 minutes, although it probably was only 3. By the time she returns and I shove them under my knees, I am truly wishing I were courageous enough to just walk out and leave, but being a wimp and not wanting to cause a scene, I remain. Besides, by then I didn't know if I COULD get up.

So I painfully and regretfully lay through the remainder of the facial. Normally I LOVE the different coats they paint on your face (though this time I was convinced the first coat was giving my unborn child cancer, the second coat ADHD, the third coat elephant disease, and so forth...). The only pleasant thought rushing through my mind was, "Well, at least since this is a beauty school I will be able to evaluate this girl at the end and let the school know they NEED something for us pregnant chics." But of course, when the end finally came and the 19-year-old scooted me to the check out counter, no one asked me to provide an evaluation of any sort, and again, being the wimp that I am, I didn't dare tell the lady at the check out (also 19, I might add).

Moral of the story: I will NEVER get a facial while pregnant. Bad, bad, bad idea, and very bad for the back.

Massage: Okay thankfully, unlike hair, nails, or facials, massages are chemical free and I KNOW places offer pre-natal massages. Getting a massage HAD to be a nice R&R technique for a pregnant lady, right? Well, massage #1 (at 4 months along), I went to a nice massage place for a pre-natal massage. The woman escorts me back to the room and has me lay on a table with foam wedges and instructs me to lie on my stomach. "Lie on my stomach?" I repeat, unconvinced. After all, that is where my small, ever-growing baby is perched. "Yes, on your stomach" she confirms. So I do as she asks, and while the massage WAS really nice and it actually felt GREAT to lie on my stomach, again unwanted thoughts of me killing my child rushed through my mind. "What if I'm squishing her in this position?" I asked myself probably a dozen times. And once again, when the time was up, I was secretly relieved.

Massage #2 was at a massage school (again, red flag: massage school! School = young students who have never been pregnant and who may have never even worked on a pregnant woman before). This one, of course, I have at 38 weeks, so I'm pretty far along and pretty uncomfortable nearly all of the time. And let's just say I was REALLY looking forward to this massage. The 19-year-old (sorry, everyone in today's post is 19. That might not be their real ages and trust me I do love 19-year-olds, so really I'm just using 19 to illustrate my point) takes me back to the little, curtained off room where I am surprised to see different-shaped wedges than massage #1, and several more. She explains to me what I am to do, "Okay, put your head here, face that way, put your bottom leg on this one and your top leg on this one and there are a couple of divots here and here." Pretending to understand but not really having a clue, I nod, and my little 19-year-old disappears while I attempt to get on this wedge-maze-of-a-table. Well of course, no matter what position I contort my body, I cannot find a position that feels like it is the one I'm supposed to be in, not to mention one I can endure for an hour-long massage.

My 19-year-old returns and I am beneath the blankets (to be modest, of course) but warn her that I am teetering on the edge of the bed and could fall off at any second. I ask her for help and she and I spend at least 7 minutes trying to shift me into a position that's workable, all the while keeping me beneath the sheets so I remain decent. It was tricky. When I arrive into the most workable position possible, my head is pillow-less, and she retreats to find me one. While she's gone, I struggle to fight back tears. "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" I ask myself. "Why didn't I just wait until a few weeks after baby is here to do something like this?" NOT fun. She returns with a pillow in hand, and I feel a little better with that. And after about 20 minutes when I'm flipped (yes, getting a massage is a bit like being a hot dog on a roaster), I thankfully arrive at a MUCH more comfortable position, and finish off the massage actually getting what I wanted: a bit of R&R. But even despite that, when the time is up, I'm not disappointed. I sort myself out and meet Boyce in the lobby. "How was it?" he asks, grinning. "It sounds like you were struggling." I'm now at a point where I can laugh about it. "Oh honey," I tell him. "I'm just going to have to blog about getting pampered while pregnant."

And thus, here you go. Take it or leave it. These are just my experiences, after all. :)

Week 38 - Here We Are

2011-01-05T13:55:00.005-07:00

Dear Baby Girl,

Guess what?!!! I get to meet you NEXT week (or sooner!). Doc has scheduled an induction for this coming Monday, Jan. 10th. Normally it would be routine to let you bake until you're completely ready, but since Mommy is on blood thinners and has diabetes, it's better for you to come out a little more scheduled. Regardless, I can tell just by the way my body is acting that you'd come out on your own around that same time anyway.

Are you ready to meet your Mommy and Daddy? Hopefully you'll recognize our voices, since we've been talking and singing to you this whole time, especially Daddy, who can sing basically right into your ear (Mommy would have to maneuver into a really impressive yoga pose to get my face that close to you!).

One of your greatest joys in life at this point seems to be sticking your little foot out to my left side. Yup, I just checked, and your foot is there now. I wonder, will you do that when you're here? And you get the hiccups basically every day. Will that continue?

You and I both have to be brave on Monday, okay? If you can make that little trek out, that I can make it, too, right? We're a team -- and Daddy will help us too!

And guess who else you get to meet on Monday? Your Grandma Nez! She is an angel and is coming to take care of both of us next week. You are so very blessed to have a Grandma like her. I am sad to say that your other Grandma passed away 11 years ago, but because of that, I wonder, might you have already met her? She's Grandma Jan, and I know she loves you a lot too and will be watching over you from Heaven. :)

We're also going to Skype in your Grandpa John and Aunt Kathleen from the hospital once you're born. See how much you are already loved?

Everyone is so excited to meet you!

Love you,
Mom

Christmas 2010

2011-01-05T13:28:00.008-07:00

So this year was a very different Christmas from what Boyce or I are used to. Instead of packing up presents and driving or flying somewhere to be with family, instead we spent Christmas at our home, just the two of us. We are now in the "no travel zone" via the pregnancy, so we really couldn't go anywhere. Boyce's family had a family reunion planned in Arizona beginning the day after Christmas, which meant his family was all headed down south for the holidays, and my family opted to do Christmas in Oregon and come visit Boyce and I to see the baby this spring, which is what we all preferred anyway.

We decided to take advantage of the calm, cozy Christmas, and admittedly had a wonderful time. On Christmas Eve, we read Luke 2 and watched a movie about the nativity. It made for a peaceful, wonderful way to bring in Christmas. We also decided to open one gift each that night. Since Boyce and I really mainly needed a few remaining baby items, we decided we'd buy and surprise each other with baby stuff, and simply get one small "non-baby" gift for each other.

On Christmas morning, we woke fairly early, got up and threw some cinnamon rolls in the oven, and sat in front of the tree to begin the gift-giving. Boyce surprised me with the exersaucer I had fallen in love with (it is VERY girly), some essential feeding and other miscellaneous necessities, and a cute little newborn girl outfit.

Cute Little Outfit Kat Got Us

I gave him a baby gym set that provides 3 different stages for baby as she grows that he had mentioned he'd liked, and the bouncer from our registry. We both got each other a few different little things for the upstairs guest bathroom, which we're re-doing in rubber ducky theme. The best part is that on Christmas Eve as I was fishing for a gift to open, one of the presents Boyce had gotten for me started quacking! I learned Christmas morning it was a ducky soap dispenser. The thing seems to have a life of its own, because sometimes it will quack independently of anyone being in the bathroom. The quacking might get old, but not yet. :)

We finished off Christmas with a yummy Christmas dinner, consisting of a Honeybaked ham (those things are expensive, but YUMMY!), cheesy potatoes, a green bean casserole, and for dessert--a lemon meringue and chocolate mousse pie (thank you Lion House Pantry for the delicious chocolate mousse pie).

Next year, our Christmas will be more traditional, surrounded by family and of course our new little one. But for this year, we got to enjoy the love we have for each other, and the simple joys of reflecting on our Savior. And it was a very Merry Christmas.

Week 37 - No Way!

2010-12-28T22:01:00.006-07:00

Dear Baby,

HOW did this happen? WHERE has the time gone? Here I am, just 3 weeks away from the big day (possibly less than that), and I can't believe it! I will be honest, I am SO excited to meet you ... to see what you look like and your little personality. Do you have my nose or Boyce's? Will you continue to have the hiccups incessantly? Do you have as long of legs as I imagine? How big (or little) are you? I am so anxious to hold you in my arms and give you a lifetime of my love.

On the OTHER hand, I am a little terrified. First, I have to go through labor. And little darling, when you're all grown up and ready to have a child of your own, might I suggest you DON'T read up on all that labor entails? A few symptoms I have read include vomiting, wheezing, pooping (WHAT!), and ... well you get the idea. Of course, you are worth it! But mommy is a bit of a wuss, and the doc has told me because of the fun blood thinners I'm on, that I might not be able to get an epidural. I realize "epidural" is a big word but it just means less stress for your mom who is often a stress case anyway. But by the time you read this, we'll both be over that little milestone. :)

I'm sorry I haven't written for a long time. Life just kind of took over. I'm afraid that's how life will be when you arrive. I'll blink and before I know it you'll be past the baby phase, past the toddler phase, past the little girl phase, and all grown up before I know what to do. My goal for you, my little one, is to enjoy every tiny moment with you, knowing the time will pass too fast.

I have a feeling you're a little bit of a stinker (I say that with love!). After all, on my birthday you decided to give me diabetes. And I'm sure by then you KNEW how much your mommy loves her sweets. I will admit I shed tears for a few days, until I learned I could still eat sugar, just a little less, and spaced two hours apart. Small price to pay for you! :)

Your daddy and I are ready for you, sweet child! Your room is ready, your bassinet is set up in our bedroom, your outfit for the hospital is all picked out, and with the exception of that labor part (again, frightening paragraph described above), we are ready for you!

We love you SO much and cannot wait to see you!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Baby Shower

2010-12-28T21:26:00.013-07:00

So my dear friends Cami and Jen were kind enough to throw me a baby shower. Originally, I had thought about perhaps doing the shower at a tea time at the Grand America or another tea room, but the practical side of me took over and instead I opted doing a simple cozy shower at Jen's house. The girls were so sweet and decided to make it a tea time theme anyway!

Check out the cute little scones, cookies, and ribbon sandwiches Cami made! She is so sweet! And the fun baby shower favors Jen found. SO cute!

And look at the fun little tea sets that the girls found as part of the decor! I LOVED it!

It was so wonderful to have so many of my girlfriends there - from all sorts of walks of life. In fact, one of my best friends in the world, Julie, who lives in Germany, happened to be coming out to Utah for Thanksgiving, and I got to have her at my shower!

My friend Jules and I. :) Love You Princess Jules!

Another wonderful treat was that my sister Kathleen was able to fly out here for the weekend and be at my shower.

Kat and I! Definitely My Better Half!

All of my friends completely spoiled me, and I walked away bearing lots of wonderful gifts that I know my sweet baby girl will love. In fact, my dear friend Alicia surprised me with a beautiful, handmade car seat cover in the same fabric as I had picked out for my nursery - unbeknownst to her! She just knows me well!

Alicia and I. Roommates for 6 Years!

More Fun! Cute Cami in the Blue. My Friend Whom I Aspire to Be Like.

Thank you, dear sweet friends, for giving me such a perfect shower. I could not ask for better girlfriends. I love you all dearly!

This post wouldn't be complete without mentioning how much I love and adore my sweet husband. Boyce surprised me with a gift at the shower - the Pack N' Play we had registered for - accompanied by a sweet card. I am a lucky lady, and this little gal is lucky to have Boyce as a dad!

Week 28 - Your Mommy!!!

2010-10-24T19:00:00.005-06:00

Hi Baby Girl,

This is your Daddy! I have let your mom do all the talking but I decided I should chime in and talk to you a bit as well. Mostly I just want to brag about your mommy and how great she is and how much she loves you.

You've started getting the hiccups a lot lately. I even felt them the other night. Its just another confirmation that you're alive inside of Mommy and that you're a becoming this cute little person that's going to join our family soon. Your Aunt Megi had the hiccups a lot when she was in Grandma's tummy. I remember watching Grandma's tummy bounce up and down with the hiccups whenever Aunt Megi would have them. Maybe that means you're going to be like Aunt Megi!!! Who knows? We love wondering what and who you'll be like.

Here's Mama in the new glider!

We've got your nursery pretty much all put together now. The glider came this week as did the mattress for your crib. The glider is Mommy's favorite. She sits in it all the time and just enjoys your bedroom. It also feels really good on her back. Since you're getting bigger, her back is having a hard time on some days so the glider gives her the support she needs. Your mom has decided on all the decor she wants and we've found most of it, we (I) just need to get it put up on the walls now. Your Grandma Campbell is making all of your bedding and the curtains and I know she's already started working on it so as soon as she gets that done then we'll put that in your room as well. You will LOVE your Grandma. I hope that you take after her in so many ways. She's a great woman and you will love her.

These are two of the drawings we got to up in your room! We hope you like butterflies and dragonflies!

Now, I wanted to tell you a bit about your wonderful mother. I have loved watching her get ready for you to come and I can tell she loves you so much already. She has sacrificed so much for you already and is going to make the best mother. She has given up her exercise because her body has had a hard time carrying a baby so the doctor said she couldn't run or bike the way she loves while she is carrying you. She loves you so much that its not a big deal.

We got this so you'll never forget where you come from. (and to help remind us as well)

She worries about you constantly and wonders about you all the time. We talk about what to name you and what you'll be like and how we'll take care of you. Now, your mommy LOVES sweet things. Chocolate especially but any sweet thing is her passion. Lately she loves cupcakes. Now just to show how much she loves you, she is starting to eat a lot less sweets. The doctor told her she has gestational diabetes so that means she has to watch her sugar intake now and be careful. As hard as it is for her, she doesn't think twice about giving it all up to take care of you.

We love you so much and can't wait for you to get here. Your mommy is a trooper and is taking such good care of you while you're inside. Can't wait for you to get here!

Love,

Dad

Week 27 - Stripes

2010-10-17T20:22:00.008-06:00

Dear Baby Girl,

So this weekend Daddy had his Fall Break (UEA) and your room was the lucky recipient of most of his time! Daddy is AMAZING at painting (he's got that streak of perfectionism in him when it comes to doing things around the house), and this weekend he finished painting your room. He even agreed to paint stripes on one wall. Your Daddy is an angel - you'll learn that soon enough. Now I'm going to unabashedly brag but I can't help it - I ABSOLUTELY love how the painting of the walls turned out!

After Daddy finished painting, I asked him if he would want to put together the dresser and changing table, and so we did that too. Daddy gave your Mom a job that didn't seem too intimidating (dealing with the drawer slides), which kept me busy for awhile. Although, at one point, a screw kept falling on the ground before I could get the screwdriver onto it, making it VERY difficult for a pregnant lady to peer down close enough to the carpet to find it and pick it back up. And well, sadly that sort of did it in for me, and poor Daddy had to finish up the dresser by himself.

The end result of your room (sans the glider, which is currently on order) is very feng-shui, if I do say so. My next task is to find some cute wicker baskets to put on the shelves in the changing table. Anyone know where to find cute wicker baskets? Babies R Us's selection was appallingly sordid.

Did I tell you I'm reading Baby Wise? I'm so glad I'm reading that book, but can I just tell you I don't know how I'm supposed to remember everything I'm reading (abnormal cry times / normal cry times / different cries mean different things / and so on ...)! I think I'm going to re-read the book when you arrive.

We just had our 27-week check up and everything sounds great. Your heartbeat is healthy and strong. You're measuring slightly small, so I'm wondering if you're going to end up being slightly small, like me. I guess I'll just have to wait to see you to know! :)

Love you!

Mom

Week 26 - Ready Already!

2010-10-10T21:33:00.004-06:00

Dear Baby Girl,

Well, guess what?! We are nearing the end of our 2nd trimester - just one more to go! We're also less than a 100 days now (99 days to be exact), so the end is in sight when I get to meet you (sort of!). Although I have a hankering suspicion that these last 100 days aren't going to go quite as quickly as the others. I really want to meet you and am ready for you to come NOW!

Daddy and I finished registering yesterday, and it was so fun to pick out things that we thought you'd need and want. We've now also got your dresser and changing table, so most of the big pieces of your nursery are just waiting to be put together.

Dad gets a 4-day weekend this weekend, so we're hoping he'll have time to finish painting your nursery. I can't wait for you to see it.

I feel you kick every couple of hours, which I love! I'm glad you're active and that you can reassure me that you're growing and doing well. Apparently, though, you like being a bit of a drama queen (not shocking), because you've made me nervous a couple of times, and in fact, the last two ultrasounds we've received, you've had your hand over your forehead ("woe is me" - already?)! But dear sweet baby girl, would you please do me a favor and not make me go on bed rest the last few months, because I'm not that patient, and I do think I might go stir crazy if that were to happen. And what's worse, I think I might drive dear Daddy crazy too. I will make a compromise and slow my pace down a bit, if you can promise me you won't make me do that. Deal? Good. :)

I'm reading lots of good books so that I can at least try to be prepared for your arrival. Right now, I'm learning that you need a sleeping schedule to be happy. And guess what? I also need you on a sleeping schedule to be happy. It's a win-win.

I love you so much and I really, really wish that January were closer. Only 99 more days (but who's counting!).

Love,
Mom

My Sweet Baby Sister

2010-10-03T20:32:00.007-06:00

My sweet baby sister. I had a great conversation with her this evening, and it made me think about how wonderful it is to have sisters. And when I say sweet baby sister - she's actually 25 years old and not a baby at all. She's quite successful. She has her master's degree and working in Portland. Last year, she pulled off a full-time job, full-time school in the evening to finish off some prerequisites for a second Bachelor's degree, bought two puppies to keep herself company (as if she wasn't busy enough!), and still maintained a happy relationship with her boyfriend.

But really, all of these aspirations aside, the most wonderful of my sister's attributes is her love and kindness. She wants to take care of everyone, and often forgets she needs also to take care of herself. My sister loves to laugh; she sees the good in those around her. She strives to live life to the fullest, to take in new experiences - it's her own form of life-supporting oxygen.

Really, my sister is amazing, but after talking to her tonight, I realized she doesn't think she is amazing. She sees all her weaknesses, and it makes me sad. After a wonderful General Conference weekend, I was reminded that all of us are amazing, and unfortunately it's just Satan who wants to and often does tear us down.

To my sister, and to all of us who are struggling and discouraged, I am reminded of the quote by Nelson Mandela:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God."

Sis, I know you know that life can be turbulent and overwhelming. Don't try to go it alone. Rely on those of us who love you. We want to comfort you and help you. It's okay to be weak. It's okay to cry. Heaven knows, it's okay to make mistakes.

Turn to the Lord. I know that seems hard, but He really does know you intricately. He knows you by name. He knows every single big and little desire you have, every hardship you endure, every sadness in which you mourn.

The Lord offers us good advice:

"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good. Yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye shall do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day." (Alma 37:37)

And just remember this life is a tiny piece of a bigger journey.

"Ye cannot bear all things now, nevertheless be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours." (D&C 78:18).

I love you sis! You are a hero! You are a daughter of God. Don't ever forget that!

Happy 2nd Anniversary Suzanne

2010-09-26T15:34:00.002-06:00

Today we celebrate 2 amazing years of marriage and I can't believe how fast time flies. As we've mentioned to each other before, 2 years have flown by yet at the same time it seems like we've always been together! I just wanted to let you know how much I love you and how thankful I am for you. Here are just a few of the reasons why I love you and am so thankful for you.

1. Your smile - When you really smile at me it completely makes my day. The greatest reward I can get for anything I do is a smile from my sweetheart.

2. Your laugh - I love laughing with you. Just like we learned this weekend....when you can laugh at it, everything will be ok!

3. Your sweet innocence - You help remind me always of how we're supposed to be. Your sweet innocence and the way you approach life in that innocence is truly humbling and beautiful.

4. You are a complete hottie - Of course you know this already from your flirty single days...I just had to remind you that you're the most beautiful woman alive and I'm glad you're mine!

5. The way you cry - Now don't get me wrong...I hate it when you cry. It hurts more than anything....but the way your bottom lip starts to quiver and puff out is the cutest thing I've ever seen.

6. The way you take care of our beautiful home. I know you wish you had more time at home and hopefully that will happen soon but you do such a good job taking care of our home and me...I know you take that job seriously and I love how important it is to you.

7. How much you love our baby. You are going to be such a great mother. She gets so much care and love from you now and you've sacrificed so much for her already. I know you're going to be an amazing mother and our little one is so lucky to have you.

8. I love the way you care about me....I don't quite understand it but I am so thankful that you love me. I have so many imperfections and yet somehow you see past all of those and still manage to think I'm great. That makes me love you so much!

Thank you for an amazing two years together. You're the best thing to happen to me! I can't wait to spend the rest of eternity with you!

I love you!

Week 21 - Nursery, Clothes, and a Stroller!

2010-09-07T21:51:00.005-06:00

Dear Baby Girl,

Wow have you grown, and so have I! All of a sudden I look and feel very pregnant and I'm convinced that you're perfecting your own set of acrobatics in there. So Daddy and I made a lot of progress this weekend in getting ready for your arrival.

First of all, we went to Swiss Days this weekend and it was SO fun shopping for you! We found an adorable painting of dragonflies and then two smaller matching picture of butterflies. We also found a cute wall hanging that says "I am a Child of God" so you'll never forget who you come from. But I think my favorite find was an adorable cream satin and lace skirt that you can wear when you're 3 months old. In fact, when I told the lady you're my first baby, she got so excited that she agreed to make you a matching satin and lace top for free. See how many people already love you? I also found two cute dresses you can wear in the summer that you'll look beautiful in of course.

The biggest purchase of the weekend was that we got you your stroller and car seat! After a lot of reading and researching, and looking at our friends' stroller/car seat system, we decided on the one we wanted for you. Forgive me, it's not all frilly and cute, but in case you're joined by a baby brother in the future, we needed to find one that didn't seem too girly. But I promise it's still cute and most importantly it will keep you safe.

Okay but I saved for last my favorite purchase for you! I ordered this cute butterfly/dragonfly mobile for you special on Etsy.com (love that site!) and I think you will love it. I hope you love it as much as I do. I had it made in the same colors as you're bedding that your Grandma is making for you.

Guess what else we did this weekend?! We started painting your nursery! Okay, well, we never actually got to the painting part, but we did clean out your room and did all the masking, so now all your room needs is the coat of paint, which we'll add soon.

I love you!

Mom

Week 19 - Introduction

2010-08-22T20:19:00.004-06:00

Dear Baby Girl,

I admit I am copying this idea from a blog I saw, but I thought it was so cute and had to do it. So every week, I'm going to write you a letter, and you can get to know me and your Dad. So this first letter is an introduction. I am your mom, and have been waiting for you for a long, long time. And I am very glad you've decided to join us.

Your Dad and I have been lucky to see what you look like at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, and now 19 weeks. You are amazing, and wow do you grow fast! Apparently, you are now the size of a banana, or something like that. But don't worry you are MUCH cuter than a banana.

You've been kicking a lot lately - did you know that? Daddy told me you're not meaning to kick necessarily, but really, you are quite the little athlete. At our last appt. the other day, you were squirming all around, and refused to give the technician a good view of your heart. Though your heartbeat is strong - a healthy 167 beats p/min.

Daddy got to feel you kick for the first time yesterday. You must have enjoyed dinner because you were really going to town. Maybe you'll like Mexican food as much as your mommy, because that's what I had for dinner yesterday.

Did I tell you Daddy and I were convinced you were a boy? And I mean we were CONVINCED! All of Daddy's brothers had little boys first, so we figured you'd follow that pattern. We'd picked out some boy names and everything. But no - you chose a different path! We are so excited that you're a girl and have been busy planning your nursery to make it perfect for you when you arrive. We hope you'll like it!

Love,
Mom

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

2010-08-22T19:53:00.007-06:00

Well, probably most of you know, but Boyce & I are so excited to announce that we're welcoming a little girl into our family! The little gal is expected to arrive Jan. 17th, and we are anxiously counting down the days. We are at 19 weeks; only 21 more to go.

We are SO excited to welcome this bundle of joy into our family and can honestly say she is an answer to many prayers. She will be our own little miracle, and in fact, everything about her has already been a miracle. We first found out we were expecting on Mother's Day. That evening, I asked Boyce to give me a blessing of comfort, and even then, I felt this pregnancy was to be different. I felt very strongly it was going to work out. We quickly calculated her due date, and when I realized her due date was my sister's birthday, I felt even more reassured.

The picture below is our beautiful girl at 15 weeks. Even at 15 weeks, she is the most perfect, precious site I have ever beheld.

Everything about pregnancy causes me to marvel and strengthens my faith and testimony in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. How else do you explain all of the intricate, natural systems and development taking place each week, creating a perfect little body and merging it with an independent thinking, human soul? No other explanation will satisfy. There is a Heavenly Father who created this magnificent universe, this earth and solar system, the millions of different animals and plants - and this crowning creation called man or woman. We have this Heavenly divinity within us, if we will only let it shine and draw upon our Father in Heaven and our brother Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful to be able to bring a beautiful daughter of God into this world, and that we can raise her in a righteous, loving home. I pray that, despite our mistakes, she will never forget where she comes from and always remember that truly this mortal experience is just a short piece of an eternal journey.

Independence Day Weekend

2010-07-16T12:35:00.008-06:00

It was kind of fun having the 4th of July fall on a Sunday this year. We were able to celebrate and bbq on Saturday, reverence our nation on Sunday through patriotic church services and other services and then celebrate again on Monday with the observance of Independence Day.

Suzanne and I with friends Cami, Angela and Sandra!

Carrie Underwood doin her thing on stage!

Saturday we had some friends over for a bbq and then headed up to Stadium of Fire at Edwards Stadium with Carrie Underwood. The show was great and patriotic and made my eyes water on occasion. The fireworks were very fun and it only took us about 25 minutes to get home (normally about 5).

On Monday we started super early. I woke up about 4:45 to go pick up my packet for the Freedom Run 5k. After getting my packet I went and staked out a spot for the Freedom Days Parade in Provo. Around 6:30 I was joined by Suzanne and our friend Cami. Cami and I left for the Freedom Run while Suz held down the fort at the parade. The run was great and its fun to run down the parade route with thousands of people watching.

After the run we watched the parade. I haven't been to a parade in a long while. The Freedom Days parade is actually quite good. I was impressed and the atmosphere was super fun. The overall theme this year was Boy Scouts of America since its their 100th anniversary.

We had lunch at the Freedom Days food booths and then headed home to meet Mom and Dad as they were passing through on their way home from Idaho. Dad was nice enough to help me install our new dishwasher and then I fired up our new grill and cooked up some corn and filet mignon! YUM! Happy 4th of July!

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!

2010-06-30T20:58:00.002-06:00

Some of you know that I can sometimes get my dander up and my temper can get the best of me. The other night it happened but it was actually kind of funny and the situation was so frustrating so I just have to share and get it out!

I was with Suzanne on a shopping trip and she was waiting for a fitting room. While waiting for the fitting room a young woman came and started chatting with friends by the fitting room. The friend knew people inside one of the fitting rooms so as soon as that friend was done, the young woman instantly flew into the fitting room. Suz and I were not happy but hey some customers are just rude and maybe she didn't know. No problem. Suz got a room soon after and I waited outside. Pretty soon the young woman came out of her fitting room and I thought about saying something to her but decided to leave well enough alone. Suz had her room and we would be going home soon UNTIL SHE WALKED INTO THE EMPLOYEE LOUNGE!!!

As she walked into the employee area this is what happened:

Me: "Excuse me, do you work here? (indignant)
Her: "Uh yeah" (trying to close the door of the lounge)
Me: "And YOU an employee just cut in front of my wife for a dressing room?"
Her: "Oh I was waiting for the room, I was just looking at other things....I'm on my break" (closing the door)
Me: (stopped talking as she closed the door and just got redder and decided she was NOT going to just close the door on me.....off to find the manager)

I told the manager what had happened and she was very nice. While I was telling her the girl came out to the counter to continue her shift. It made me so mad to see her again and the way she had treated a customer that this is what happened then:

Me: "HER....thats the one who did it. SHE should be FIRED"
Manager "Uh..."
Me: "Its one thing to have rude customers....that's out of your control but to have an employee cut in front of a customer and not even APOLOGIZE is just unforgiveable"
Manager (looking a little scared) "Sir I'm so sorry I will take care of it"
Me: "Thank you....I know its not your fault so I'm not upset with you...just please handle that situation"
Manager: "Ok sir I will"

(I think the employee was probably 18 or 19 and the manager didn't seem much older....I was probably some crazed customer to them)

The rest of our time at the store, the manager was very attentive and helped Suz with whatever she needed. The other girl stayed far away.

It was the end of the day and I was tired....it would have bothered me either way and luckily the manager was great or I really would've self-destructed. Moral of the story - you can mess with me but DON'T diss my wife.....I won't stand for it! :)

Eureka Springs

2010-05-22T20:08:00.006-06:00

To end our trip we drove to Eureka Springs, AR which is about halfway in between Bentonville and Branson where we had to fly out on Sunday. We stayed at this cute bed and breakfast called the Mount Victoria. It was beautiful and quaint and we loved our comfy room.

Unfortunately the drive combined with some possible food poisoning didn't sit too well with Suzanne and she was sick our first afternoon and night there. By the end of the second day she was feeling better. We walked the streets, toured the shops and the beautiful architecture. We even took a ghost tour of the haunted Crescent Hotel. Despite Suz being sick, we mostly had a good time and relaxed for our last couple days of vacation.

On Sunday we checked out and went to church in Berryville, AR (pronounced Burvul by the locals). We had a hard time finding the building as the GPS first took us to a Community of Christ church and then to a Baptist church. We finally found the LDS church and attended the small branch there. After church we continued on to Branson and flew home to Provo.

In downtown Eureka and out to dinner at Rogue's Manor

By one of the springs and the town square

The crowded and quaint downtown of Eureka Springs

Out to dinner at Ermilio's Italian Restaurant...yummy!

As we were driving around town we saw this huge lookout tower and a sign that said you could go up and lookout. You just had to put a few coins in and you could go in and look out over the Ozarks. It was beautiful!

As you can see it was pretty windy at the top!

We had amazing and yummy breakfasts on the veranda outside our room each morning. Ahhh to live in a bed and breakfast!

We'll miss you Mount Victoria!

Bentonville and Fayetteville

2010-05-20T19:30:00.000-06:00

We spent the next two nights with my friends Stacie and Matt. Stacie and I sang together at Ricks and then I met Matt at BYU when he got back from his mission. They were so kind to open their home to us. We had so much fun with them getting reacquainted and catching up. They love living in Bentonville and we could see why as we mingled with their friends and at church activities.

We spent a day in Fayetteville seeing the sites from Suzanne's childhood. We stopped by Suzanne's grandmother's house to see what it looks like now. The current owner was kind enough to show us the house and let Suz reminisce.

We also visited the University of Arkansas where Suzanne's Dad went to school. The campus was beautiful. We had lunch there and walked around the grounds.

We had fun driving around Fayetteville and the different neighborhoods. We ended the day by going out to dinner with one of Suzanne's childhood playmates from her summer's there. It was good to have them reconnect.

Suzanne and Gwyneth

No visit to Bentonville, AR would be complete without paying homage to the birthplace of Wal-Mart by visiting the site of the original Walton's 5 and 10 which is now a museum in Bentonville.

On top of seeing my friends Stacie and Matt Pabst, we also took a quick visit to see my friend Jadene Hughes (Snedaker) who also lives in the area. We went to high school together in Bakersfield and it was great to catch up a bit and see her home and her family there in Arkansas. What a small world. Friends everywhere!

We loved our stay in Bentonville and even survived an Arkansas thunderstorm that had the potential to develop some tornadoes. We were spared but it was a GREAT storm just the same.

Many thanks to the Pabsts for making our stay so comfy. Good friends are the best.

Here we are with two of the Pabst boys. There were two more but they were at school by the time we remembered photos! So much fun!

Arkansas here we come!

2010-05-18T21:09:00.003-06:00

So today we got up and had originally planned to possibly see a morning show in Branson but decided we had seen enough and were happy to just relax. We hit the hotel gym and then went in search of a healthy breakfast which apparently doesn't exist in Branson. No juice bars or health food cafes in the south! The blank stares we got from people when we asked were hilarious.

We were sad to leave Branson but glad for the time we had there. Its a very family friendly place and also caters to the older demographic. Here's a few pics of interesting things we saw while there!

This was in the theater parking lot....priceless.

There is a Segway park in Branson....like a skate park only its a place where you rent segways and ride them on the paths provided....its like a skate park for the elderly....priceless!

Driving around Branson we came across this sign and I did a double take....19% grade???? And then we came over the hill and looked down....

It was like a roller coaster. We actually turned around at the bottom so we could take a pic of the sign....our little rental Hyundai barely made it back up the hill....crazy!

We left Branson and had a beautiful drive through the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas. We drove to Beaver Lake, Arkansas to visit Suzanne's Aunt Jerry and Uncle Gary. They live right on Beaver Lake and it was gorgeous.

We had a great visit with them. They took us out on the boat and we enjoyed being on the lake. Then we had bbq salmon out on their deck overlooking the lake and we both fell in love with the setting. It really was a beautiful place. We stayed the night there, had breakfast in the morning and then headed down to Bentonville. It was a great visit with family and fun to reminisce and get to know some of Suzanne's extended family. Her aunt shared memories of Suzanne's mom and it was great to be able to get to know more about the mother in law I never knew.

I was sad to leave such a beautiful and lush setting....but the vacation must go on!

Silver Dollar City

2010-05-17T10:59:00.000-06:00

Today was our day to spend at Silver Dollar City, an amusement park in Branson. We woke up and hit the hotel gym before heading over to Silver Dollar City. Now I grew up going to Disneyland and Magic Mountain so I was shocked when we pulled in and the parking was FREE. Then they shuttle you to the front gate.

When we got to the front gate we went to buy our tickets and an elderly couple was standing outside the ticket office. The wife addressed us in her thickest most proper Alabama accent and asked if we were buying tickets. We nodded and she told us that she and her husband had two free tickets that they received with their season passes and they would just go in the trash if we didn't use them. They wouldn't let us pay for them so we thanked them profusely and entered the park. Without even doing one thing I already LOVE Silver Dollar City.

It was the PERFECT day for an amusement park. No crowds, great weather, and the park was so much fun. We enjoyed the sites, went on a few rides and saw a few shows, all with a few of our favorite friends over 70. Seriously...what is it about this place that attracts the older crowd?

Some members of the Red Hat Society waiting for the show to start!!

Everyone is so darn nice here though. I am loving the southern hospitality and just how friendly and laid back everyone is. The park is itself is well kept and pristine. It really is a very nice amusement park...better than this California Amusement Park snob was expecting.

Boyce on the Powder Keg waiting to take off....Suz passed on this one!

We got into the Silver Dollar City spirit by watching them blow glass and by racing our frogs....I think mine won!

We left Silver Dollar City around 6:00 PM just before closing and headed over to Branson Landing for dinner. Branson Landing is this new development on Lake Taneycomo and we were told it was great so we went to check it out. It was a beautiful development in a beautiful setting. We had dinner at Cantina Laredo right on the lakefront and watched a fun fountain show while we ate. It was a great way to end the evening.

Off to Independence!

2010-05-16T08:33:00.004-06:00

Today, being Sunday, we weren't quite sure how to spend our vacation. We didn't want to sit in the hotel room all day but we wanted to honor the sabbath in an appropriate way as well. The weather also predicted rain so spending time outdoors would be out of the question as well. After some quick research we found that the LDS Church history sites in Independence and Liberty Missouri were only 3 hours away. So we got up and got ready for church and made the drive to Independence. We made it just in time and enjoyed the sacrament service there. We think we might have attended a Polynesian ward but were later told that there is a heavy Polynesian influence in the area which surprised us both.

After church, we hopped next door to the Independence, MO Visitor's Center. We were not prepared at all for the experience we had there. Sister Burton was our tour guide for the afternoon and we are so thankful for her and for willingness to follow the Spirit as she guided us along. It was just the two of us with her so the tour was tailored to us. We loved seeing the history of the area and hearing the stories of the early church. The religious turmoil that continues in the area is amazing to me.

While touring the historic displays, Sister Burton stopped and told us that if we had time she would love to show us one more exhibit upstairs. So we went along and she took us to an exhibit called "God's Plan For His Family". This exhibit walked you through "life" as it began with a couple having a baby and then walked us through life's different blessings and obstacles. Suzanne and I were both very emotional as different things hit home with us in our lives, with our difficulty having children, our loss of my sweet sister Shannon, our loss of Suzanne's mother and just daily life on this earth. At the end we just wept quietly together as we felt the Spirit surround us. We could not begin to speak and share how we were feeling but we all knew. Suzanne and I were so thankful we chose to come there this day and so very thankful for Sister Burton and her attentiveness to the Spirit and to our own spiritual needs that day.

Reluctantly we left and drove up to Liberty, MO where we had another inspiring tour of the Liberty Jail visitor's center. Again, it was great to be in such a sacred place on the sabbath day.

The drive "home" to Branson was beautiful and peaceful. The Missouri countryside was beautiful and green and lush. As we enjoyed the drive, we started to notice signs like this one:

I looked at Suzanne and asked her if we were in Amish country. She had no idea so we began to keep our eyes open for any signs of the Amish. Pretty soon, off to on the right hand side of the highway, there was a buggy rolling along at quite a good clip with a bearded gentleman and his wife riding down the highway. I admire and respect these people so much but am very much in awe of their lifestyle in today's world. After getting back we found that Missouri has quite a large and growing population of Amish. Who knew?

It was a great day and we enjoyed every minute.

Welcome to Branson!!!

2010-05-15T19:07:00.003-06:00

So for our "summer" vacation this year we decided to go early and go visit some of Suzanne's childhood memories in northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri. So we both took the week off of work and flew out to Branson.

Upon arriving in Branson, we immediately realized that we were out of our age bracket and most people seemed to be 30 + years our senior. The airport in Branson is small yet nice and dressed up to look like an old saloon/barn type atmosphere. We speedily rented our car and drove into town to try to make an afternoon showing of The Twelve Irish Tenors.

We made it and had a good time in the show. The tenors were fun and the music was nostalgic and brought back lots of memories. During intermission Suz tried on some of the local apparel. What do you think?

Even though we were much younger than the rest of the audience, it was a fun show and we really enjoyed it. I was impressed with the family friendly atmosphere of Branson and also the religious undertones that accompanied each show and also the people in the area. People were not shy nor hesitant to mention God or Christ in daily conversation and share their testimonies through music or through word during any given moment. It was quite refreshing actually. At the end of the show Suz got a picture with her favorite tenor. She thought he looked the most authentic. I think she secretly has a crush on him.

Here's a sample of their music if you want to listen in:

After the show we went and checked into our hotel and then enjoyed dinner at the Lonestar Steakhouse. Again we were impressed with how nice everyone was. Suz's meal wasn't brought out with mine and immediately the manager came and apologized along with the waiter. We ended up with two free desserts (which we did NOT need). Incredibly nice and hospitable.

After dinner we went to catch another show for the night. We went to see the group SIX, an a cappella group of brothers originally from Orem, UT. The show was packed and we were glad we had seats. Apparently its one of the hottest shows in Branson. Again we were entertained with great music that brought us to tears of joy and gratitude. Again, it was great to be in a place that was clean and wholesome and filled with good music that was both uplifting and religious as well. These guys were amazing as EVERYTHING was done with their mouths....no instruments at all. It was very well done and fun to listen to. At the end they sang a tribute to their mom who died of cancer a few years back. These six brothers sing but they have 4 four more younger brothers. The song was called "Love times ten" representing their mom and the love she had for her ten sons. Here's a couple clips of Six.

We went back to our hotel exhausted but uplifted after such a fun afternoon and evening.

I can see clearly now.....

2010-04-23T19:15:00.004-06:00

So a few weeks ago we were noticing how spotted and dirty are windows were. A combination of winter storms, dirt, sprinkler overspray and just lack of cleaning left our windows in pretty bad shape. We decided it was time to get them professionally cleaned and WOW! The difference is amazing. I'm sitting on the luv sac in the family room watching the evening sun set on the beautiful Rocky Mountains and I'm LOVING the spotless view.

We had such a good experience with the window cleaning company we hired that we would definitely do it again. Cascade Window Cleaning was professional, friendly and efficient. They cleaned our windows inside and out and it didn't even take them that long. They even had a doggy mascot who quickly caught Bailey's eye and they were fast friends. If you've ever wondered or contemplated getting your windows done, we would highly recommend it. We hired them here in Provo but I know they also do windows in Park City.

Here's to clean windows!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not know, but I have the best husband ever. It's not opinion - it's just a fact. I remember the week before Boyce and I married, and being afraid of what I was jumping into. Maybe we had rushed things. Maybe I didn't know him well enough. Maybe we would marry and I would quickly realize we were better off friends. Fortunately for me, those were needless worries. Yes, it's a fact - ever since I married Boyce, my life has been better. I've learned how to be a better person. How, you ask? Here's how:

Boyce knows how to calm me down. I, unfortunately, am a worrier by nature. I worry about everything. My sweetheart reminds me not to worry about things that are out of my control, and to only worry when necessary.
My husband's personality is larger than life. His smile, his laugh, his happiness and contentment - it's contagious. I love being around him, because when I'm around him, I'm happy.
He makes me laugh. I mean, he is ALWAYS making me laugh - and I love it!
His love of others. Sometimes, it's easy for me to get caught up in my life and concerns. Thankfully, I have a husband who makes it a priority to love and serve others. Boyce has taught me how to look outside myself and reach out to others. I am still learning, but I am learning from the best.
Boyce takes care of me. I never realized how much I needed someone else to take care of me, but now that I'm married I realize how much I need Boyce to lift me up when I'm down, to kill a spider, to fix a broken vacuum cleaner, to be a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. I love that he takes care of me. I need him, and I think Boyce needs to be needed. It's a win-win. :)
My sweetheart is an AMAZING cook. Sometimes I tease him that he's a "cooking snob." Sometimes, I order him out of the kitchen when I'm trying to cook and I don't fix the meal according to "his standards." But I love cooking with him, and I love eating what he cooks!
My husband is sensitive. I have learned that not all men are sensitive, but the best husbands are. They will cry with you when you're hurting and empathize with you when you're upset. They can be tender and sweet. That is my husband.
He is humble. My husband isn't perfect, but he owns up to his mistakes, apologizes, rights his wrongs, and sincerely tries to learn from his misdoings. Not everyone makes the most of his mistakes, but I believe my husband does. It is one of the reasons I love him most.
Boyce is friendly and outgoing. Oh, how I wish I was even a tenth as friendly and outgoing as my sweetheart! I am friendly and outgoing on my own terms, but my husband is friendly to all. He is the one looking for the newcomer to the ward, a new neighbor to welcome, someone who's in need of comfort, and he is there for all of them. It's not surprising my dear husband has 1,000+ friends on Facebook, and he really is friends with all of them! He would do anything for anyone. How many people can really say that?
Last, but most certainly not least, my sweet Boyce loves the Lord, and loves to serve Him. He understands his relationship with Christ and strives to be like Him. He respects the Priesthood and uses it as an instrument to bless others. He encourages us to be better at FHE, morning and nightly prayers, regular temple attendance, daily scripture study, and other things that will bring our family closer to Christ.

I am so, so grateful for my darling husband. He makes me want to be a better person. He is my better half. He is my best friend and the love of my life. Happy Valentine's Day, my sweetheart!

Life Can Be Hard, But Count Your Blessings

2010-02-14T15:04:00.009-07:00

So, this week I have learned two VERY important lessons. Lessons that I have learned before, but seem to have forgotten. Lessons that will likely be re-learned throughout my life because they're THAT important. The lessons I've learned this week are 1) That sometimes life can be hard, but despite those things 2) You should still count your blessings.

I'm going to be frank. My husband and I have not had an easy time having children. We want them very badly. We optimistically entered marriage excited that, in a year or so, we would be starting our family. Eighteen months later, and a handful of failed pregnancies, we are still anxiously awaiting those blessings. This trial has been a bitter pill for me to swallow. After all, I married at 30 years old, and am now 32 (and a half!). I am sometimes certain I can actually hear that biological "tick, tick, tick" warning me that indeed, if I want a family, I need to HURRY! And really, I am more excited at the thought of raising righteous children and wiping off little fingerprints from the furniture than working full time in the corporate world. I often feel the juxtaposition of life's priorities as they argue about within my mind and soul.

Truthfully, this isn't a trial I saw coming. Do you ever have those kinds of trials? I guess the technical term for them are "trials of adversity." The ones you didn't bring on yourself, that you don't expect, and yet they have the power to sting you to the very core. Yes, this trial in particular, seems to knock the wind out of me.

When it comes to trials like this, I am not particularly good at overcoming them. I'm not even good at dealing with them. I throw tantrums. I kick. I scream. I blame God. I seem to forget that "men are that they might have joy" and that the Lord has promised us that "thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment." I am so grateful for this promise. It is what helps me get up when I fall. It is what restores that "brightness of hope" that is so important in achieving any of our dreams.

Sometimes, I think we feel like, if we are living righteously, that we are entitled to go through life without experiencing pain and suffering. That we will only be blessed with good things. No really, I think sometimes I feel that way. I will see someone who is suffering deeply, and I will feel so sorry for them, and at the same time, so grateful that I'm not dealing with what they are. For me, this trial has reminded me that the Lord loves all of His children, and He loves them equally, but that all of us experience pain. Just because an earthquake destroyed Port-au-Prince and not Provo, Utah, doesn't mean He loves the people of Provo more and loves the Haitian people any less. All it means, is that "unto whom much is given much is required."

My very wise sister-in-law gave me some counsel that I hope never to forget. She counseled me not to grow bitter, not to avoid baby showers, but to remember that each baby is a miracle. I refuse to become embittered. I sincerely hope, despite my imperfections and my "natural man," that I can learn from these experiences. That I will be teachable and that I will learn what the Lord will have me learn.

Today we had our stake conference. As part of the stake choir, we sang the most beautiful arrangement of "Count Your Many Blessings." This morning, I tried to focus on the lyrics of that hymn, and the words spoke peace to my heart.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings every doubt will fly, And you will be singing as the days go by.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged God is over all. Count your many blessings angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your many blessings; See what God hath done.

I am so richly blessed. At the beginning of my life, I didn't have the gospel of Jesus Christ. I didn't know about the blessings of the temple or the Priesthood or the principles of eternal marriage or families. And now, thanks to the Lord's tender mercies, I have access to all of it.

This week, as Boyce and I have struggled to understand and endure this hardship, I have been in awe of the outpouring of love and kindness from family, friends - even strangers. We have received meals, flowers, notes of love and sympathy, hugs, phone calls, even some telling us their own struggles to begin their families. So today, I feel very, very blessed. I love the Lord, and I hope throughout my life, I can learn to better handle these trials of adversity, to rely upon the rock of my salvation, and to allow Him to lift my burdens. I know He understands, and I'm so grateful for that. And thanks to all of you who continue to teach me how to better deal with the curveballs of life.

There is hope!

2010-01-10T11:36:00.004-07:00

Recently my wife and I have become aware of several people whose political beliefs have led them to live in fear. They are afraid and yet sometimes don't even seem to know really what it is they are afraid of. Its troubled me and I try to politically persuade them away from their fears but it doesn't work. Yesterday we had another such encounter. Instead of getting into a political debate I opted to just listen. My beautiful and wise wife chimed in and spoke of the gift that we have of the gospel and to know that everything will be alright. We needn't live in fear regardless of political affiliation or beliefs because we have hope in the gospel, in our Savior and in our Heavenly Father. Our church leaders are constantly speaking of hope and optimism if we do what's right. I watched the conversation change and our friend's whole demeanor changed as she said, "You know thats right. We do have hope in the gospel and I need to remember that!" It was a rewarding and humbling experience as I was reminded by my wife to rely on the Lord and let Him take care of things instead of trying to do them myself.

Today as I perused LDS.org the message on the home page was on....yup you guessed it....HOPE!

Here it is for you to enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbsU3b2srQA

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-14T21:19:00.003-07:00

Turn up the volume and enjoy a picture walk of our year!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,

Boyce & Suz

Budget budget who's got the budget?

2009-10-06T22:08:00.003-06:00

One of the rewards of being married is finding solutions to problems or situations. Budgeting has been a thorn in our sides only because its been hard to find a tool to use that fits what we need. We've tried some of the popular tools and have found them to be restrictive and useless. Most software out there appears to merely be accounting software and doesn't really help you budget...just keep track. We kept searching and we have finally found something that fits us and is working well for us. Budgeting is now fun and exciting and liberating and we love it.

I have always been drawn to the idea of the envelope method of budgeting. This is where you put a specified amount of money in separate envelopes each month. Each envelope has a different purpose. When you spend money on a certain thing, you use the money from that specific envelope. In today's world we don't work with cash so we wanted to find some software that would keep virtual envelopes for us.

We found several options and finally settled on NeoBudget. Its cheap and does what we need it to do. Plus its online so we both can access it anytime we need to. We LOVE it! As I've talked to friends, many have shared our frustrations with budgeting. Thats why I decided to post this blog. We love this program because it puts money into the envelopes we create so its like we have several little savings accounts within our budget. Plus its super cheap. Its only $2.50 a month and less than that if you buy a 6 month or 1 year subscription.

Since using the program we've started doing things we've never done before when it comes to money like sticking to a limit with grocery shopping. This week we went grocery shopping, had a limit in mind, AND used a calculator to help us as we loaded up our cart. It was AWESOME. We actually had to make some decisions and prioritize if we were gonna stay below our limit. We put things back, weighed our produce, and made some trade offs for less expensive options. In the end we got everything we needed AND were $25 under budget. Now that $25 stays in our grocery "envelope" and can be used for other things next time or maybe even a splurge since the money will be there. We were VERY proud of ourselves and excited for the possibilities to come.

Here's a referral link if you're interested. Yes we do get rewards for referring friends but the main purpose of this post is just to share our successes in the hopes that someone else may benefit! Happy budgeting!!!

http://www.neobudget.com/r.Suzanne897

Shannon

2009-10-05T22:17:00.006-06:00

A year ago today I lost my sweet sister Shannon to a battle with Cystic Fibrosis. The year has flown by in so many ways yet it seems like I haven't seen her in so long. I haven't heard her laugh or heard her angelic voice sing praises or listened as she so naturally plays a song on the piano for over a year. Its hard to believe.

I love pictures of her from her wedding day because she looks so beautiful and angelic. I feel like it gives just a glimpse of how beautiful she must be now.

Today as I drove to work I listened to a cd that Suzanne bought me for our anniversary. Its a cd I fell in love with in Hawaii. Really I fell in love with all Hawaiian music but this cd was a special one for us. He sings a rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that is unlike any other I've heard before. Maybe its just because she's on my mind right now but tears welled up in my eyes and I thought of Shannon throughout the song. From now I'll always think of Shannon when I hear this song. She's our angel now and hopefully she's watching us from on high with all of the twinkling stars!

Some of the pics in this video are cheezy but its the song I wanted to share!

One Glorious Year

2009-09-26T08:30:00.003-06:00

A year ago today I was sealed for time and all eternity to my beautiful wife Suzanne. It was a wonderful day and a beautiful celebration with family and close friends. I was so happy yet so unprepared for the happiness I would experience in the coming year. I'm so thankful for my Suzanne. You make me a better man and I can't wait to spend many many more years with you here on earth and forever with you after that! Thank you for loving me despite all my shortcomings. I love you and Happy Anniversary!

Forgive Us, Dear Readers

2009-08-23T15:26:00.004-06:00

Hello dear friends and family,

Please forgive Boyce and I for our "extended absence" from our blog. There are no good excuses or reasons for our tardiness, except to say that life is unbelievably busy. I know, I know, we don't have children, but despite that fact, we keep ourselves pretty preoccupied. So I am going to give you a glimpse into the day-to-day affairs of our lives, so that when we aren't blogging regularly, you will have a pretty good idea what we're doing.

Below is an example of a typical Monday in the life of Boyce and I.

5:45 AM - The alarm goes off.

Suzanne: WHAT? How can it already be the morning? I loved my dream.
Boyce: I can't remember my dream. Are you going to get up? Because otherwise I had to endure the awful sound of your alarm for no reason.
Suzanne: It depends (Sometimes I get up and go exercise. And sometimes, I don't. Being a Monday, the odds are pretty good).

7:15 AM - Boyce leaves for work, but not before a glaring look from Bailey, our dog.

8:00 AM - Suzanne puts Bailey in his crate.

Suzanne: Bailey, kennel up (No movement from Bailey).
Suzanne: Seriously Bailey, kennel up (Still no movement). Suzanne spends at least three minutes fishing for a dog treat Bailey will respond to and waving it in front of him, until finally, he decides to be obedient.

8:03 AM - Suzanne leaves for work (Well, I TRY to leave at 8 AM, but sometimes it's 8:10, or 8:20).

8:30 AM - 5:30 PM - Suzanne tries to think very cleverly about how to communicate with the media about the company she works for, and avoids being lulled by the candy bowl at Cheryl's cubicle, evil thing that it is.

8:00 AM - 4:30 PM - Boyce is changing the world - much more philanthropically than Suzanne is - in the public school system.

6:00 PM - Boyce and Suzanne fix dinner.

Boyce: What are we having for dinner?
Suzanne: I have no idea - I pulled some Dream Dinner out of the freezer last night. I think it's chicken-something.

6:30 PM - Boyce and Suzanne eat dinner. Bailey is at Boyce's feet, day dreaming that a piece of food will fall from his plate, which actually happens quite frequently.

Boyce begins telling Suzanne about a friend he saw at the store today.

Suzanne: Oh, do I know this person?
Boyce: YES! You met them a few weeks ago at Costco.
Suzanne: Oh, right. (Pause)
Boyce: You don't remember, do you?
Suzanne: No. Not at all. You have a billion friends. How can I keep them all straight?

Fits of giggles last for a few minutes.

7:00 PM - Our attempt at FHE.

Suzanne: I found a conference talk I thought we could read. It's called "Celestial Marriage."
Boyce: Seriously?
Suzanne: Yes - what's wrong with that talk? Do you not want to learn about "Celestial Marriage." Hello, it's important!
Boyce: Oh no, I do. Which is why we read that talk last week for FHE.
Suzanne: WHAT? We did not.
Boyce: Yes, we did.
Suzanne: Bummer, I was really looking forward to that talk.

So we find another conference talk to read.

8:00 PM - We walk the dog.

Boyce: Do you want to come with me to walk Bailey?
Suzanne: Do I have to?
Boyce: No, but I want you to.
Suzanne: But I'm tired. And you always talk to EVERYONE we see, so it takes us forever.
Boyce: I won't talk to everyone. Come on, it will only be like twenty minutes.
Suzanne: But if I go, I'll miss "Cake Boss."
Boyce: We can TIVO "Cake Boss."
Suzanne: Okay, fine. I'll come.

PS - It doesn't take us twenty minutes. It takes us an hour. Good thing we TIVOed "Cake Boss." But despite my lack of enthusiasm, it was fun.

9:00 PM - "Cake Boss!" Yay! Boyce gets bored after five minutes and hops on Facebook, where he spends the next hour.

10:00 PM - Bedtime number 1. At least this is my target bed time. It never happens because Boyce is a night owl, so we end up talking or watching the news or distracting ourselves for at least a half hour.

10:30 PM - Bedtime number 2 - Suzanne's bedtime anyway. Boyce continues distracting himself.

11:00 PM - Bedtime number 3. Boyce's bedtime.

2:00 AM - Wake up call from Bailey. I look at Boyce pleadingly and try to send telepathic messages begging him to take out the dog. No response from Boyce. I take Bailey outside.

4:30 AM - Wake up call from Bailey. No response from Suzanne. Boyce takes Bailey outside.

Hope you enjoyed spending the day with us! :)

Look to the rainbow

2009-03-31T23:22:00.004-06:00

A couple of Sundays ago, I was eating breakfast with Suz and we had the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's weekly broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word on the TV. We were enjoying our breakfast and Sunday morning chat with the beautiful background music when all of a sudden I recognized a tune they were singing that immediately brought such a surge of emotions that I could hardly contain them. I ran down to the family room and sat close to the TV as the choir sang "Look to the Rainbow" and did one of the best renditions I've heard.

Now let me tell you what makes this song so special. My sisters loved watching movies over and over and over growing up. The movie Finian's Rainbow became a popular repeat in our home mostly because we LOVED the songs. "Look to the Rainbow" was a favorite of my sister Shannon who passed away last October. We have a home video of her when she was very young, just belting it out in her proudest voice with her best Irish accent and making up words she doesn't know!

As the choir sang the lovely tune, I just sat and cried with my sweet wife next to me, holding me and comforting me. This phrase was very fitting and rang true with me "Tis a rhyme for your lips, and a song for your heart, to sing it whenever the world falls apart."

As I listened to them sing I became overwhelmed with gratitude that I have such great memories because of my sister. Without Shannon, I wouldn't love that song and it wouldn't tug at my heartstrings. It was almost like she was giving me a message through her memory...thats there a lots of places I can turn "when the world falls apart" even to a song from a silly childhood movie. Although I miss her like crazy, I am so thankful she's my sister and for the role she played in my life!

Various members of my family are participating in the Salt Lake Marathon on April 18. Some are running the marathon, some the 5k, some the half marathon (me). We're doing this to raise money and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis Research. Please click HERE to donate whatever you can! $1, $5, $10, all amounts are welcome. Just give whatever you can in memory of my sweet sister Shannon and to help others like my sister Lindy to live fuller, healthier lives.

Click here for the song clip from the movie in the opening credits. The Motab version is better but this gives an idea of the song and the movie (for some reason the movie isn't as good as when I was little, but I still love the songs). Hopefully the choir will record their song for all of us to enjoy!

Goblin Valley

2009-03-29T18:00:00.002-06:00

So a few weeks ago, Suz went to visit her sister in Oregon and I was left all by myself. It was going to be ok because family was coming into town but their plans changed. I didn't want to spend the whole weekend by myself and the weather was warming up a bit so I decided it might be a good time to head south and do some camping with my dog!

After perusing possible sites on the internet, I decided on Goblin Valley State Park. I'd never been there but had heard great things and it was south so the weather forecast looked promising. After packing up for Bailey and I, we made the 3 hour drive down to Goblin Valley. I LOVE this part of Utah just because of its unique beauty.

I was glad to see very few people when we arrived. We found a spot away from any people mostly because I didn't want Bailey to bother anyone and I wanted to leash him up as little as possible. We set up camp and went off to explore. We hiked crescent canyon and then returned back to camp for dinner. By this time I was sorry to see the campground was getting more popular but still not too bad. I built a fire, cooked up some fajitas, had some hot chocolate and then snuggled into bed with some movies I had rented. (What else are you to do when you're camping alone?)

During the night I heard some noise in our campsite and knew a critter must have been exploring. Bailey growled a bit and his hair stood up but I wouldn't let him out because I didn't want him to get in a fight with a rabid raccoon or something. I did not sleep well. It was freezing and I kept hearing things and Bailey would occasionally crawl over to my sleeping bag and lick my face just to be sure I was alive!

Morning finally arrived and I was shocked with what I found outside our tent. The "critter" had eaten all of Bailey's dog food and his water and had pooped in both dishes as if to spite us. He also took the additional baggies of dog food with him...bag and all since they were nowhere to be found. The most puzzling was that he left all my food alone. Didn't touch my steak from the fajitas or my granola bars....he only wanted the dog food.

With no food for Bailey I didn't want to do anything too strenuous so I altered our morning hike plans. First I had some eggs and bacon and shared that with Bailey as well as some beef jerky. Then we hiked over to Goblin Valley via a scenic view trail that led us up to a bench above the valley before we took another trail and dropped down. Bailey LOVES to hike. I let him off the leash unless people were nearby and he loved to explore and always stayed nearby. He even helped scout the trail a few times. We headed back to camp via the entrada canyon trail which was a fun little canyon trail with no scenic view but lots of cool formations.

We cleaned up camp and headed for home. It was good to be home and the camping was fun...but next time I'd rather be with my wife!

Sisters

2009-03-26T23:45:00.007-06:00

If you know me at all then you know how much I love my family! Lately two of my sisters have occupied a lot of memories: Shannon, because she passed away last October and I am constantly remembering her and Lindy because she has Cystic Fibrosis as well and the thought of losing her too soon in this life really tugs at my heart strings.

My brother Jerel and Shannon's husband Paul are running the Salt Lake Marathon on April 18 in memory of Shannon and to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis research so that people with CF like my sister Lindy can be cured! We are participating as a family in various ways with some running the marathon, the half marathon and the 5k. We'll all be wearing t-shirts to help draw attention to the cause.

I'm asking any and all who read my blog to take a moment to donate whatever amount you can to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/BoyceCampbell6264. Every $1 helps!

If you didn't know my sister, you can click here to read other posts about her and memories of her. If you don't know my sister Lindy then you're missing out! She's one amazing spitfire of a sister and I love her like crazy!

This was taken the last night I got to see Shannon. (top left) She passed a few days later while we were on our honeymoon.

Thanks for reading! Donate what you can and if you're in the area, come join us at the marathon and ask me how to order a tshirt you can wear at the event to raise awareness! Here's to many more years with Lindy!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-03-10T19:25:00.009-06:00

Today is my mother's birthday. She's not around anymore (she passed away 9 years ago), but if she were alive, she would be 58 years old today. Sometimes I don't do a good job of remembering my mother and all of the wonderful things about her, so today I thought I would take a second and reflect on what an amazing woman my mother was.

The picture on top is of my mom and dad on their wedding day. Look at how cute they were! My mom was always fun to be around - she was an optimist by nature and always saw the good in other people. She was my favorite playmate as a youngster until my sister was born - and would play Barbies with me or anything else I wanted. She was one of the most humble people I've ever met, and never gave herself airs.

Unfortunately, my mother had an addiction that she was unable to overcome in this lifetime, but despite her limitations, I truly believe she tried very, very hard to be a good mother. The last year she was alive, I was able to spend Christmas with my mom, who was living in Arkansas at the time. In order to save up money to buy me a few Christmas gifts, my mother rang a bell for the Salvation Army. Every time I imagine my mother ringing the Salvation Army bell, I am proud of her and feel of the love she had for my sister and me. And there is never a time when I pass by someone ringing a Salvation Army bell that I don't think of her. I always try to find some spare change to give the bell ringer.

So today, mother, I wish you a Happy Birthday! Thanks for being a great Mom.

Special Friends

2009-03-09T17:45:00.000-06:00

So I forgot about these pictures that I have of my niece playing with Bailey shortly after we got him. He was about her height so they immediately became friends and he loved having a captive friend to kiss and lick all over. I thought these pics were just very cute and had to post them!

Gloria's LIttle Italy

2009-02-23T20:47:00.003-07:00

This is our all time favorite restaurant. We LOVE Gloria's. It started as a small little restaurant not too far from our house and they quickly outgrew that location. Its run by an Italian family and the food is AWESOME. They recently relocated to a beautiful spot in downtown provo on the corner of University Ave and Center Street across from Los Hermanos. We LOVE the new location. We went this weekend and of course enjoyed our experience there again. We were delighted to find that they've added live music on the weekends. There was a harpist and a singer who traded off doing sets throughout the evening. It was a very nice evening. The desserts are heavenly and its worth going just for dessert if you choose...or take dessert to go if you're too full from your meal. You won't regret it. It gets pretty busy on the weekends and we hate for it to get more crowded but we want it to do well because we LOVE it! So go check it out in Provo! You won't be sorry!

Taken

2009-02-23T20:32:00.002-07:00

This weekend Suz and I went and saw the movie "Taken" while Bailey was getting groomed. My brother Shad recommended it and it was AWESOME. We haven't had good luck with movies lately and were glad that this one was a winner. Lots of heart stopping action and suspense. It wasn't too long which was good because we were exhausted by the end due to all the suspense!

New Haircut

2009-02-23T20:18:00.002-07:00

So Bailey was getting pretty shaggy and growing out of his puppy fur. We decided to take him to the groomer to get cleaned up. She said he did good except for at the beginning. When she turned on the razor he got a little scared and he had an accident. Poor little puppy...Here are some pics of him with his new look! (Sorry for the spooky red eyes)

Bored???

2009-02-22T21:58:00.003-07:00

Suz and I came downstairs the other day to find this!!! The toilet paper was the one thing we didn't think to move out of reach. Pictures are worth 1000 words here!

Doggy Day Care

2009-02-22T20:46:00.003-07:00

So being a dog owner has certainly been a learning experience for me/us. There are a lot of resources out there for dog owners that I never knew existed. While we were gone in Idaho we boarded Bailey at Rock'n Dogs Resort. Its a place where they let the dogs roam free instead of caging them up all day. They play together and just have a blast during the day and are put in their kennels at night. They also do Doggie Day Care for those that want to leave their dogs there to play during the day while they're at work. Who knew?

We picked up Bailey on Tuesday afternoon and he was tired and happy. He certainly had fun playing with the other dogs. We got him home and he fell asleep immediately.

He was super tired and also super stinky. He'd played hard all weekend. He even got a report card. Its a whole new world!

NO U-TURNS ALLOWED

2009-02-22T20:39:00.002-07:00

So as we were driving through Cascade on Sunday evening deciding if we needed to eat and where, we suddenly saw some flashing lights behind us and I pulled over. I had no clue why we were being pulled over. I wasn't speeding and there are no stoplights so I was confused. The policeman was very nice and explained that U-turns aren't allowed in the town of Cascade and I had just made one. Really I had turned left off of the main road and turned around on the side street where apparently u-turns are allowed but Suz discouraged me from arguing with him since he was so nice. We didn't get a ticket and he told us to be sure not to make any more U-turns. Who knew!!!!

Sunday singing, family time and snow sculptures

2009-02-22T20:26:00.004-07:00

Today we got to sleep in a little and then got ready for church which was right next door. I sang "Love One Another" in church since my uncle is the branch president in Cascade and asked if I would do that for their branch. Its fun to go to these small branches where the people are so nice and church is just very cozy.

After church we spent the afternoon with my Uncle Roger and Aunt Jackie. They fed us a yummy lunch/dinner and we had a good time catching up with them and chatting in their cozy house by the fire.

After spending the afternoon with them, we drove up to McCall to look at some snow sculptures that were built the weekend prior during a big festival that McCall puts on. The sculptures were incredible. Here are just a few of them below!

We hurried back down to our hotel in order to be back by 8:00 for cookies and milk. The cookies were yummy and warm and the milk was very cold and so yummy with the cookies. We had our share, grabbed a dvd from the front desk and retired to our room for a quiet evening together.

Sleigh ride with the elk

2009-02-22T19:52:00.006-07:00

After a quick check in at the Ashley Inn we drove up the road a little ways to catch a sleigh ride to see the elk. It was cold but we bundled up and brought blankets with us. Again, the country side was absolutely gorgeous but I wasn't prepared for the experience of driving right into the middle of a herd of elk that come right up to the sleigh to eat from the hay.

There weren't too many people on our ride which made it nice. The elk were magnificent. It was really cool to watch them in their own environment. There were only a few bull elk and they were sure to make their presence known. One young bull especially loved to bully around the other elk and got very fiesty. We think he was showing off for us.

Our driver was very informative and told us all about the elk and their behavior. We weren't supposed to really interact with the elk but they had no problem nudging our bums with their noses to get to the warm hay. When the bull elk came around it was a little trickier because their antlers were a little scary!

We just sat and observed the elk for a long while. It was beautiful and peaceful and magnificent. We were sad when it was over but glad at the same time as it was getting very cold!

After the sleigh ride, we drove up to the town of McCall where we had a great Valentine's dinner (that we had to wait a little too long for)! It was a great evening and we were glad to arrive back in our comfy hotel room at the Ashley!

Happy Valentine's Day Suzanne! I LOVED our first Valentines Day together and am so thankful to have such an amazing and beautiful (inside and out) wife. Thanks for making me feel like such a great guy! I love you! MWAH!

Valentine's Weekend Getaway

2009-02-22T08:12:00.008-07:00

As a wedding present my aunt & uncle gave Suz and I a two nights stay at a cute little hotel in Cascade, Idaho. We decided to take advantage of the 3 day weekend and go relax up in the mountains in this quiet little town.

We packed up Friday after work and we were off. We only traveled as far as Burley on Friday night and spent the night with my sister Megi and her family. We had a great time chatting all night long (well almost...until 2 am anyway) and then Megi made us a great breakfast the next morning. It was so much fun to be with my sister, her husband and their adorable little girls.

I took these pics of Meg and her little one. I included all three because in the first one she wouldn't smile. The next one Meg was trying to get her to smile. Then she finally smiled. I thought it was cute and shows what a cute mother my sister is. My other niece ran from the camera...so maybe next time!

After a leisurely morning, we got packed up and said our goodbyes. We had about another 3 1/2 hours to our destination. We pulled away from the curb and something wasn't quite right. We had a flat tire....and I mean flat. We were very thankful that it hadn't gone flat during our travels and commenced to change the tire. Ty helped me out and actually did most of the work (Thanks Ty). We got it changed, took it the tire shop to get it fixed and then we were REALLY off!

Once we left Boise, the drive up the mountain to Cascade was a beautiful winter wonderland and we were so excited. The snow covered canyon seemed so quiet and peaceful and snow gently fell from the tall pine trees. The Payette River gently flowed beneath the snow and ice and came out to greet us once in a while. It was a gorgeous drive!

We arrived in Cascade at the very charming Ashley Inn and checked into our room on the 3rd floor.

Suz of course loved every inch of the inn. Its like walking into Grandma's house, very cozy and lots of antiques, knick-knacks and floral patterns everywhere! :)

The room was beautiful and I was happy to see they had set out the 2 dozen roses I had sent for Suz for Valentine's day!

There's even a fireplace in EVERY room!

Who's that hot model they found to pose in their rooms? Whoop whoop!

After a quick check - in we got bundled up for an afternoon sleigh ride! That will be in the next post! :)

Lie To Me

2009-02-21T20:34:00.008-07:00

Suz and I have a new favorite show. It comes on Fox on Wednesday nights and its VERY interesting. It's called "Lie to Me" and its all about the little things we do when we're lying or hiding something. Its based on real scientific research. In the show there is a man and his team who help solve crimes based on this research. The best part is they show pictures from real life to show these types of emotions. Bill Clinton shows up a lot as do other political figures.

You can watch episodes online by clicking here or catch it on Wednesday nights!

The New Music Makers

2009-02-21T20:34:00.007-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Suz and I went to see the BYU Young Ambassadors in concert. It was a fun evening of good music. Some songs were amazing and some were so so but all of the music was good! All in all it was a fun date night. To see a video of "Can't Help Falling in Love" click here.

One of the most well done songs was "Sherry". These four guys did a GREAT job! Unfortunately there is not a video but there is a sound clip by clicking here!

The last song was "The Color Purple" from the musical of the same title. It was AMAZING. If the whole show would have been of this caliber than it would've been a spectacular event. All in all the music was great with oldies and fun broadway songs!

Wise Words

2009-02-08T09:53:00.004-07:00

Suz and I have been reading in the book of Mosiah and I have decided this might be my favorite book of scripture. There are so many teachings of hope and love and service. Its been fun to read together. As we read, there was one teaching that really stuck out to me so I decided to share it. Its part of King Benjamin's address.

Mosiah Chapter 4

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.
17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—
18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.
19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?
20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his bSpirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

Verse 17 particularly rang with me. I've heard this excuse used many times for not helping those that are in need for any reason (including from myself). Not just those that are in need temporally but for those that have made mistakes in their lives. We justify not helping them by thinking, "They made their bed, not my problem". I was overwhelmed with a renewed courage to be there to help how I can, not just for the beggar on the street, but for my wife, family, friends and anyone else that He might direct me to. Wouldn't the world be great if we all did this? And I can tell you from personal experience, the joy really is great!

Bakersfield

2009-02-02T23:29:00.009-07:00

Yes that's right. I said Bakersfield. That's where I'm from. No I'm not from Baker, the home of the world's tallest thermometer. If you're from Utah and have driven to L.A. on I-15 then you have not driven through Bakersfield nor have you stopped at the McDonald's there.

Baker, CA , just over the state line from Nevada, population 500. This is NOT where I'm from.

I know its hard to believe but I-15 is not the only freeway in California unlike here in Utah where I-15 is pretty much the only major north-south corridor. California is a big state and just because a city isn't on I-15 doesn't make it insignificant...it just means you're ignorant. ( I don't say this to be mean...only to drive a point). See the maps below if you're still confused!

I guess you could say I've become a little sensitive to the issue. You see, within the state of California, Bakersfield is known as the armpit of the state. Its every Californian's whipping boy. Here in Utah people don't even know where Bakersfield is because its not en route to L.A. or San Francisco.

I grew up in Bakersfield and its my home. It is not a perfect place and has lots of things that deserve to be made fun of, but the purpose of this blog is to highlight some of the better things about Bakersfield and educate those out there who don't know. Here's a little blurb from wikipedia:

Bakersfield is the 11th fastest growing city in the United States with a population of over 100,000, and the fastest growing city in the United States with a population of over 250,000. As of 2008, the population was estimated at 328,692^[1] within the city limits, making it the 11th largest city in California and the 57th largest city in the United States according to U.S. Census estimates. The Bakersfield Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a population of 780,711, making it the 65th largest metropolitan area in the country. It is California's third largest inland city, after Fresno and Sacramento. The city's economy relies on agriculture, petroleum extraction and refining, and manufacturing.

For the whole article click here.

Beautiful downtown Bakersfield....ok maybe not beautiful but it has charm!!!

As you can see, a lot of people live in Bakersfield. Its a big place. Bakersfield is known for its warm summers which makes a lot of people call it a desert. By some definitions (yearly rainfall) it is a desert but its not your typical desert landscape. Bakersfield is set at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most fertile valleys in the world. Next time you're at the grocery store and you buy the baby carrots from Bolthouse Farms, check where they came from....yup Bakersfield. And what about those Clementine Cuties that everyone loves? Yup you guessed it....Bakersfield. The list goes on and on. A lot of our nation's produce comes from that valley and yes, even from Bakersfield.

Being that its in a valley, Bakersfield is surrounded by mountains on three sides. One of my favorite drives is through the Tehachapi mountains and foothills down into Bakersfield in the spring time. The wildflowers are stunning and its beautiful. Granted, the hills are brown most of the year, but the show they put on in the spring more than makes up for the rest of the year.

Wildflowers in the Tehachapi Mountains outside of Bakersfield in the spring!

Golden poppies on the foothills of Bakersfield

The Kern river that runs through Bakersfield is a great river to raft on and flows through the beautiful Kern Canyon. Its a dangerous river for swimming but great for rafting!

The east side of Bakersfield has lots of rolling hills that give way to some bluffs that give a beautiful view if you're not distracted by the oil fields below. The bluffs themselves are a beautiful place to run or walk. Below you'll see a beautiful sunset on the bluffs!

North Bakersfield is covered with oil fields and has oft been described as looking like Iraq!

Though it does get very hot here, its also been known to snow on rare occasion!

The bluffs covered with snow!

One thing I love about Bakersfield is that it randomly shows up in the oddest places.

Movie, Where the Heart Is - She talks about moving to Bakersfield cuz it "sounds nice"
Movie, Castaway - He finds an old outhouse that he attempts to use as a shelter on his raft. The side of the outhouse says, "Bakersfield, CA"
TV show Brothers and Sisters, One episode called Bakersfield...apparently they traveled there from L.A.
Nashville West - home of the "Bakersfield Sound" in country music made famous by Buck Owens and Mearle Haggard. Hardcore country fans KNOW Bakersfield!
This is what prompted this post....the other day I was in a classroom where the students were practicing their handwriting. I had to do a double take when I saw the page they were working on. I almost laughed out loud.

So this has been a very random blog about a place where I no longer live but I have many fond memories of home. To end I thought I'd include a funny video from Youtube where they interviewed people about the best and worst of Bakersfield. Their answers are pretty right on..a couple are hilarious! There is another video rap about Bakersfield on Youtube which is hilarious but not entirely appropriate so I won't post it but you can look it up if you choose (Its called, Armpit of the State).

Its a great place to grow up and the people there just can't be beat. Lots and lots and lots of really good people! Its not a perfect place and has lots of flaws....but for today....I love you Bakersfield!

Growing Pains

2009-02-02T23:16:00.004-07:00

This has been a rough week for Bailey as we had him fixed, gave him his last round of shots (including rabies) and had him microchipped (so we don't lose him). Since he got fixed he has had this lovely cone on his head which he quickly got used to but unfortunately its like he forgot that he has it on. Suz and I have plenty of injuries from the cone. He's been a good puppy overall and has been healing quite nicely.

Bailey with his 1st cone earlier today while on a walk.

Tonight, however he learned that if he curled around just right while working the rim of the cone under his hind leg then he could reach the site of the operation and lick his wounds. Around 8 o'clock tonight we discovered that he had managed to reopen the site just a little bit and it was really red. So we took him to pet urgent care where they glued him back together. They were very impressed that he could reach his wounds even with the "cone" on. Lucky us, we have a talented dog.

We were glad to see it wasn't a big deal to fix him up and that he hadn't done too much damage. Due to his cunning smarts we were forced to oufit him with a bigger cone on his head. He looks slightly more ridiculous than before....poor guy!

Bailey with his new cone!

So we returned home from our adventure tonight a little bit poorer than before but glad that our puppy is ok!

Winter Beauty

2009-01-29T22:37:00.005-07:00

Most of my family live in places that don't get very cold in the winter. I have many friends who are currently enjoying the winters that southern California is famous for. Some of my friends and family feel it necessary to "brag" about where they're living during the winter time by posting pictures of themselves at the beach or occasionally just posting what the current temperature is.....just for fun.

Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE the beach and I LOVE beautiful mild days in the 70's just as much as the next guy. I never thought I would end up living in a place where it snows regularly, much less the great state of Utah. By living here however I have come to appreciate the beauty of this place. It really is a uniquely beautiful state. This year I've finally come to appreciate the beauty of winter. I'd rather it didn't have to be cold to create this beauty but I can appreciate it nonetheless. Recently I've been impressed by different winter scenes as I drive or walk around. Unfortunately all I've had on me is my phone so the pictures don't quite do the beauty justice but I thought I'd share them just the same.

I took this pic while on an afternoon walk with the dog. The sun had just set behind Utah Lake and the mountains to the west and the sky was a beautiful watercolor. I really was taken back by the beautiful valley we live in as I looked out across this winter scene.

I took this photo one early morning on my way out to visit a school in Eagle Mountain. The sun was just coming up and it was frigid cold but there was a peace and a calm out that was breath taking. The snow and cold have a way of almost stopping time.

Another shot near Eagle Mountain, UT just as the sun was rising.

I took these one morning when the thermostat in my car said it was 2 degrees. There had been fog and it had just lifted as I came outside and saw the beauty the fog had created on all of the trees. If you click on the pics and enlarge them you can see how intricate the frosty designs are on each branch. Very cool...err...cold.

So there you have it...I know its not the beach....and I do like it when its warm...but I can appreciate the unique beauty that comes with winter too. I just hope it doesn't stay too long!

Harvard Student Explains the LDS Faith

2009-01-27T20:53:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone,

The other day my friend from work sent this clip of a young woman who's a student at Harvard who participated in a panel during Harvard's Days of Faith. She is asked a series of hard questions about the LDS religion and is asked to address many of the misconceptions that exist in our society. Her answers are fantastic, and I have no doubt everyone present was impressed (including the man to her right). If only all of us could be so eloquent when asked tough questions!

Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin from Harvard Hillel on Vimeo.

A couple more....

2009-01-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday when I posted the cute things that Suzanne says, there were a couple I couldn't remember. Today I remembered them and wanted to share two more.

As you know, we have a puppy that we got after Thanksgiving. When we first got him, Suzanne was very worried about his water consumption and would often try to persuade him to drink. One daty I was in the family room and heard her say, "Bailey, come here and get a drink! Mmmmmmm water!" I never heard anyone try and make water sound so good. She still does it today and it makes me laugh everytime.

We take turns praying each night in our couples prayer. Whenever Suzanne finishes praying, she'll look up and say, "How was that?" It makes me laugh. Last night I responded with, "Well, on a scale of 1 to 10..."

I love you Suz...thanks for making me laugh!

Cute Quips

2009-01-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Some members of my family have been posting "cute quips" from their children. They post the cute things to say and its super fun.

Well I have the most adorable wife in the universe and she says the cutest things all the time and constantly keeps me laughing so I thought I would share some of the funny things she says when they come up. Here are a couple just to get started.

One morning we were not wanting to get up. Finally she gets up and looks at me and says, "Come on...get up...spot spot!" I kind of look at her funny and say, "spot spot???". She says, "yeah...you know like Mary Poppins." I looked at her and said, "You mean spit spot?" We both started laughing hysterically.

The other day I came home from work and we were having our usual afterwork small talk about our days. Suz went upstairs and called down, "Hey honey did you hear about the tornado in Utah today?" This caught my attention and I anxiously said, "No, really?" She comes out on the landing of the stairs and says forcefully, "Yes, it happened in our room on YOUR side of the bed!" (I guess I can tend to be a tad bit clutterly sometimes) Again...we laughed hysterically!

What's that mysterious moving light?

2009-01-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

So, the other day I was sitting on the couch checking my email and I noticed that Bailey was kind of going crazy about something. I looked over and saw he was intently staring at the wall but I couldn't tell what had his attention. I went back to typing and saw him going crazy again. This time I realized that the sun was reflecting off of my watch onto the wall and when I typed it moved pretty quickly and drove him nuts. I decided to play with him a bit and took a video of it. Enjoy!

Redecorating...One Room at a Time

2009-01-21T20:50:00.005-07:00

This is Suzanne, and this is my inaugural post. I believe this post is very historic, considering the nation's momentous presidential inauguration happened just yesterday. :) Boyce and I have been having loads of fun turning "our house into a home," if you will. Our first project has been our front room, which really just sported Boyce's futon (that I believe he picked up in the early 90s) and an heirloom chair I was given by my family. So we decided we needed to update our front room.

A few weeks ago we went to my very favorite furniture store (Gardner Village) and found a sectional that we loved. The only sad part about this sectional was its ill-fated price tag of $1,600. But we LOVED the couch. It was deep chocolate brown and rustic looking (but not too rustic like it belonged in a cabin with antlers hanging all over the walls or anything) and microfiber but looked like leather.

We were just about to go buy it when - alas! - we found another couch, the same exact look, but not a sectional, and on clearance for HALF the price. We were ecstatic. That allowed us to purchase the couch as well as a beautiful modern chair and a bench to put underneath our bay window.

This is a view of the front room with the brand-new clearance rustic (but not "antler" rustic) couch and our very Jackie Kennedy-looking chair. Above the couch you can see the mirror Boyce gave me for Christmas (thank you honey again!). Again, another Gardner Village purchase.

Here's a slightly different angle of the room, with the bay window bench (to the left, my heirloom chair, thank you father). We are now moving into our next home project...the bathroom. Wish us luck!

Bailey's First Snow

2009-01-04T17:51:00.006-07:00

We finally got some good snow in the middle of December and Bailey LOVED to play in it. He just had a blast and didn't even seem to notice it was cold!

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T15:05:00.005-07:00

We want to wish all of our friends and family a very Merry Christmas. We're posting our Christmas card here for all to enjoy! We love you.

2008 a Banner Year for the Campbells
Year Brings Unexpected Surprises for Boyce and Suzanne

Provo, UT—(Dec. 18)—Boyce and Suzanne Campbell, of Provo, Utah, enjoyed a handful of surprises brought on during 2008. During an Easter program, Suzanne watched Boyce perform a beautiful arrangement of “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need,” and knew then and there she wanted to try dating her dear friend. Two days later, she approached Boyce, who graciously accepted the request, and the two began dating.

Not two weeks later, Suzanne embarked on her first European vacation with her good friend, Angela Brooks, on a Mediterranean Cruise. The two ventured to Barcelona, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Venice, Athens, Croatia, Ephesus, and Istanbul.

“Everything about the trip was breathtaking,” said Suzanne Campbell of her adventure. “It was incredible to see the difference between ‘old’ in America and ‘old’ in Europe – I saw churches and buildings sometimes 2,000 years old!”

Once she returned, Boyce left on a week-long Florida adventure with close friends Cami Larsen and Angela Day. The trio spent a few days touring Disneyworld, peering for alligators and manatees, and enjoying being pampered by Angela’s family.

Boyce and Suzanne continued dating, and on June 19, Boyce asked for Suzanne’s hand in marriage up at Aspen Grove. Then began the wedding arrangements – with Suzanne stressing over every detail. The wedding came together beautifully, and the two were blissfully married in the Salt Lake Temple on Sept. 26.

After all of the crazy wedding planning, the two were grateful for a week-long honeymoon to Puerto Rico. The couple stayed in a beautiful ocean-front villa on the island of Viequez for most of the week, exploring serene beaches, snorkeling, and of course the highlight – swimming in the mysteriously beautiful bioluminescent bay.

“The bay is something one has to experience to truly understand,” said Boyce Campbell. “The microorganisms light up when they feel movement, so you and everything that moves in the water lights up and glows!”

On the last day of the honeymoon, Boyce and Suzanne visited El Yunque, Puerto Rico’s spectacular rainforest. The couple stayed at the top of the rainforest in an isolated bed and breakfast overlooking the rainforest canopy.

Right after the wedding, Boyce lost his sweet sister, Shannon, after a long fight with cystic fibrosis. The Campbell family hosted a beautiful funeral arrangement to honor their “Lovebug” Shannon, and the spirit was felt by all in attendance.

Recently, the couple added a new member to their family – a sweet-tempered miniature Australian Shepherd named Bailey. The new puppy has consumed a lot of Boyce and Suzanne’s free time, but the two have enjoyed training their new little addition.

Boyce and Suzanne are grateful to celebrate their first Christmas as a couple, and to pay tribute to their Savior who gave His life for all. They hope everyone will take time this season to reflect on the glory and magnificence of the Lord.

Bailey

2008-12-04T06:52:00.004-07:00

Yes we did it! We got a puppy. He's a miniature Australian Shepherd. His name is Bailey and he was 9 weeks old as of last Monday. We're having a lot of fun and learning a lot as we teach and train him. He's very good and easy to train and has lots of personality. He's totally a mama's boy which Suzanne loves but he loves playing hide n seek with me.

Joy in the Journey

2008-11-25T21:42:00.004-07:00

This weekend I visited my home teaching families in the ward. Its fun to get to know the people around where we live. In an area like this home teaching should ALWAYS be done. I can throw a stone and hit the houses of my families (I would never throw a stone at their homes....that's just how close they are). There's really no excuse plus its FUN!

Anyway....this month we just got to know our new families and shared a brief thought with them from conference. I decided to share some thoughts from President Monson's talk "Joy in the Journey" since it seemed to coincide with the season of being thankful for our blessings. Tonight I was reviewing the talk just before going to home teach and I thought of the perfect example of someone who really does find joy in her journey.

My sister Lindy just turned 30 and for her birthday took a trip to Hawaii. She LOVES Hawaii...attended BYU there and has always wanted to return. Lindy has Cystic Fibrosis though most of the time you would never know it. Even when she's feeling really poorly she rarely lets on. Well, every year and a half or so its common for people with CF to go in to the hospital just for a "tune up" to keep themselves healthy. Lindy could tell she was about due for one but the doctors ok'd her to go to Hawaii and Lindy planned on getting her "tune-up" after the trip. Well unfortunately, due to her health, she had to cut the trip short and is now in the hospital. When I heard the news I was devastated for her. She just wanted to have a fun trip in Hawaii and now she's in the hospital, away from her husband and daughter, and she gets to spend Thanksgiving there.

My sister Lindy with her husband Jonathan

Well today I gave her a call to cheer her up. Little did I know it was going to be much the other way around. She answered the phone with a cheerful "Hello!" and never once did she even mention how rough things might be for her. She technically could have lots of reasons to be sad, depressed, upset at the world....but she's not. She's finding joy in today!

As I read the article again, tears came to my eyes as I thought of my sweet sister and how upbeat and cheerful she is through all of her physical trials.

Two thoughts from President Monson's talk: "I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not." "Our realization of what is most important in life goes hand in hand with gratitude for our blessings."

He also quoted the Roman philosopher Horace, "Whatever hour God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand, nor postpone your joys from year to year, so that in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily."

Thanks sis for being such a good example to me. I love you so much and I hate it when you're not well but your attitude and positive outlook are a strength for me. I'm going to think of you often when things get rough and remember to find joy in my own journey.

Recover quickly and get home soon! I love you like crazy!

I love you Suzanne

2008-11-23T14:34:00.003-07:00

I'm feeling especially grateful for my sweet wife today. I am so blessed to have such a beautiful and loving wife. She puts up with me and all that I bring to our marriage. She's patient and lovingly teaches me day by day. I often look at her and just am in awe of her beauty and the blessing that she is in my life. She makes me want to be better all the time. I am trying daily to be the man she deserves. I love you Suz! Thanks for loving me too!

We went out shopping the other night. I had to take a pic of her looking all cute with her new haircut and her schnazzy little hat!

Twilight

2008-11-22T12:08:00.002-07:00

So Suz broke down and read the Twilight book a little while ago and has been dying to see the movie. I still haven't read the book but agreed to go to the movie with her. Well...we went on opening night which I usually HATE doing. It actually wasn't too bad. A little crowded but we only got there an hour early and still got good seats. Here's a picture of my Suz with the crowd.

We both LOVED the movie. I had zero expectations and was just praying I wouldn't be the only man in the theater. Many husbands and boyfriends accompanied their ladies so it was ok. The movie was good...lots of action and intensity....yet a very passionate love story just the same. I can't wait to start reading the book now!

Aida

2008-11-22T12:00:00.002-07:00

So I finally got to see Aida this week! I LOVED it! Suz has seen it several times and loves it and now I can love it with her! It was playing at the Hale Center Theater Orem and they always do a GREAT job! I knew a couple of the cast members too which made it fun. Its a very sweet, heart-wrenching story with awesome music. I found a clip on youtube of one of my favorite songs from the play. This isn't the cast I saw but it gives you an idea of the song. I highly recommend going to see it if you ever get a chance!

BYU VS UTAH

2008-11-21T11:49:00.005-07:00

So this Saturday is the big BYU versus Utah Football game. This game is always huge no matter what has happened the rest of the season. The rivalry brings out a fun atmosphere in the area. Most people have fun...there are a few who take it too far but I LOVE it. I get up every morning and read the latest rivalry articles in the local newspapers. There are always some fun facts and some fun trash talking that goes on. This is going to be a close game for sure and I can't wait for it to be here. I won't brag about who will win....I prefer to do that after the game. I'm just excited for the game and will be ecstatic if we win...and sad if we lose...but its fun just the same.
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo COUGARS!!!

Here's the fight song for those of you who think it only says "Rise and Shout". You better practice it...you might be singing it a lot on Saturday!

Dancing

2008-11-20T18:49:00.003-07:00

I LOVE ballroom dancing....not actually dancing but I LOVE to watch it. Don't get me wrong I love to dance as well but I'm not very good at it. I love to watch good dancing and just imagine that its me. Its so fun and so elegant. This weekend Suz and I went to Dancesport at BYU. Its a ballroom dance competition for all levels and all ages. It was so much fun. The youth were our favorites....those young kids are AMAZING.

Suz also puts up with my obsession with Dancing With the Stars! The season is almost over but its been tons of fun. I wish I could be a star and get weekly dance lessons from a pro. Here are a couple of my favorite couples and their dances. The finals are next week which are fun.

Cody and Julianne got voted off but they are my favorites...mostly just cuz I like Julianne but Cody has tried hard!

This is the couple that I want to win, Derek and Brooke (Derek is Julianne's brother). They are very fun as well.

And here is another amazing jitterbug by Lance and Lacy!!! I think they may win overall.

New Haircut

2008-11-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

I just had to show off my beautiful wife with her new haircut. She looks cute as ever! I love you Suz!

I couldn't believe it!!!

2008-11-12T16:30:00.002-07:00

I don't know what gas prices are doing in your neck of the woods but this afternoon at the Maverick in Eagle Mountain I only paid this much:

Happy Birthday Shannon

2008-11-12T13:49:00.005-07:00

Shannon turned 27 today! I never would of thought when she was born that she would've lived 27 years. Cystic Fibrosis wasn't very well known and it was common for children to die fairly young.

Shannon loved to sing and though she could be very serious, had an extremely silly side. While Shannon was here at BYU going to school we did quite a lot together and we'd drive in the car and sing our hearts out to the radio. The song that's playing on the blog right now, "Mockingbird" by Toby Keith became one of our favorites to sing to. Last year Shannon called me out of the blue and told me she wanted to sing this song at our family reunion that was held June 2008. We practiced separately and even over the phone since she was in California. She was so excited to surprise everyone and just perform a fun, silly song. Due to her health she couldn't make it to the reunion and we couldn't sing together. I still hear her singing it whenever I hear the song and it makes me smile. I love you Shan. Thanks for making me laugh!

Tradition

2008-11-08T14:26:00.003-07:00

When I first met Suzanne's family we played a game called Humbug. You have to hum different tunes for your team and they guess. Well the first card I got had "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof on it. I was sure this would be easy and we would get some easy points. Well after humming it all the way through and seeing several blank stares looking back at me I realized that not everyone grew up watching "Fiddler on the Roof" like I did. Nor did they have little sisters who insisted on watching everything 107 times so that you really got to know it well and have every part memorized!

Well I finally got to introduce Fiddler on the Roof to Suz this week. Its been a while since I've watched it and I was excited. Suz recognized a lot of the music and generally really enjoyed the movie..except the part that it is so sad. During the opening song of "Tradition" I surprised myself by getting extremely emotional. For some reason strong memories of Shannon came rushing to my mind and I really missed her.

Tradition was/is certainly a way of life in my family. Nothing compared to those in Jewish Russia but there were just ways you did/do things in the Campbell household. Shannon clung to those traditions and sometimes became the enforcer of said ways. She also loved singing the classic musicals and was very good at transporting herself into the setting of any movie or scene. Maybe thats why it touched me...or maybe just because it reminded me of home and Shannon's passing is still very recent. Whatever the reason I enjoyed the movie more than ever and am sharing the clip below with you! Enjoy!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T11:38:00.004-06:00

We had a very relaxing and fun Halloween night. Last night we carved a jack-o-lantern and Suz admitted to actually enjoying it. Apparently they're more fun to make when you're married then at a singles FHE

You can see Suzanne's birthday flowers in this pic on the left!

Tonight we relaxed at home waiting for trick or treaters. I bought a good amount of candy and promised Suz it would all be gone. Well two hours and only 5 trick or treaters later we decided to call it a night and head out for some of our own Halloween fun.

In the midst of the trick or treaters we got our own little plate of goodies. Somebody "Boo'd" us and left us some yummy cupcakes and cookies! How fun is that?

I'd been pestering Suzanne to go to a haunted house and she finally gave in. After researching online we chose "The Dreaded Grove" in Pleasant Grove. The ambience for the night was perfect. It was out by Utah Lake in the middle of nowhere, the night was overcast and drizzly. We had to wait a long time but it was well worth the wait. We entered and just walked down the path amongst the trees. I love outdoor haunted houses because the ambience is so real. There's no decorating or fake stuff....just your imagination running wild wondering whats going to come out from behind the next tree.

The goblins loved getting right in Suzanne's face and she about twisted my arm off going in circles around me to get away from them. There is only one thing that absolutely paralyzes me in haunted houses. I love the goblins and the spooky things jumping out at you. I just can't handle the chainsaw! At one point we entered a small shack and couldn't see because of a bright light at the other end. Pretty soon in the shadows a man appears and fires up a chainsaw....talk about tingles down my spine. I didn't move for a while until I felt Suz pushing me from behind and we were off. Another scary moment was a dugout we had to enter....but we didn't want to go in...because a dog was barking from within and he sounded mean. It was actually a man who sounded very much like a dog...scared us to death. We loved it and will probably go back again next year! The website is pretty cool. Check it out by clicking here.

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart

2008-10-26T11:37:00.000-06:00

Today is Suzanne's 31st birthday. Since its on a Sunday we went out last night to celebrate. I had some roses delivered to the house this afternoon just for her! Suz has been itching to go see the Bodyworlds exhibit in SLC so we went there for the afternoon. It is incredible. It was amazing to see the different organs and how they are affected by the different things we do to our bodies. The lungs probably hit me the hardest because of my sisters' fight with Cystic Fibrosis and the recent loss of my sister Shannon. It was all fascinating and if it ever comes to a museum near you I reccommend going to check it out. For more info click here. After the exhibit we had a yummy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory topped off of course with some yummy cheesecake!

Today is also our 1 month anniversary. Its hard to believe we've been married for a month already! What a great month it has been. I surprised Suz with breakfast in bed and 18 red roses this morning. I think she was genuinely surprised.

For her birthday we had a few friends over for fondue and cake. It was a great day of celebrating the birth of my sweetheart and the one month anniversary of getting to marry my best friend and my true love. Happy Birthday Suz!

Forever Strong

2008-10-17T11:37:00.001-06:00

For our date night tonight we saw the BEST movie! Forever Strong is just another one of those feel good, inspirational, you can conquer the world type movies! What made it more fun is that its about Salt Lake City's own Highland High Rugby Team. We enjoyed the movie and then had a yummy dinner at Olive Garden! If you want a good movie then go check it out!!!

The Bakersfield Reception

2008-10-11T16:06:00.001-06:00

Life definitely has its ups and downs. Sometimes its hard to shift gears. Yesterday we celebrated the life of my sister Shannon and mourned her passing. Tonight we celebrated my marriage to Suzanne with many of the same people. As ironic as it sounds the timing for Shannon's passing was perfect and we were honored to share our weekend with her. She always liked stealing the spotlight from me anyways right Shan? :)

These were the pictures we had displayed behind us. Everyone LOVED the pictures!

The guestbook table

Our reception in Bakersfield was perfect. Well...it was perfect for us. After a slight hair mishap and finding something to keep Suzanne warm everything went pretty smoothly. Who would have thought we would have to worry about the temp being too cold in Bakersfield of all places. We held the reception outside in a friend's backyard. Mom and my sisters did a beautiful job of setting it up. Suzanne expressed often that it looked just like a fairy tale. Pictures can't really capture the beauty of the evening since it was dark. It was a bit chilly but we had outdoor heaters as well as some impromptu hot chocolate to serve the guests. It worked out beautifully.

The spread, the ambience and the line.

Bakersfield was a bit more intimate than our Utah reception which was nice because after standing in line we were able to just sit and chat with friends and family.

The evening was lovely and all too soon came to a close. A big thanks to our friends for hosting us at their home and also to my family and close friends of my family who helped make our reception a success. A lot of people helped our family this week between the funeral and our reception. We wouldn't have been able to do any of it without all of their support and love!

After such a nice night we just went home and all was well....WRONG! We went out to the car and were greeted by THIS!!!

Yes, my family had decorated our car. Isn't it lovely? I guess I kind of deserved it. Supposedly I helped do several of their cars over the years though I don't remember that. They got us good from seran wrapping the doors, zingers in the handles and in the gas cap(yes...we found this one the next morning when we filled up), balloons filling the inside and all sorts of clever sweet nothings all over the windows. I would be remiss if I didn't say job wel done. But as many amatuers do, they made a big mistake. They were so proud of their work that they took pictures and I'm posting those pics here so you can all see who did this to us. Don't worry, Suzanne has already taken down all your names and is planning sweet revenge.

Thanks everyone for a great evening. I love you Suzanne! I'm so excited for forever!

Shannon's Funeral

2008-10-10T13:49:00.004-06:00

The flowers from my siblings and I for "Our Lovebug"

Words can't express how beautiful today was. It was my little sister's funeral but it was such a peaceful day filled with love and family and good friends. I have to pause and thank my beautiful wife Suzanne for being so great. I drove down to Bakersfield on Tuesday while she flew to L.A. for a business trip. She got to Bakersfield Wednesday night. My whole family came so we had 26 people staying at my parents house ( normally 31 but Shad and Jodi stayed with her parents). Luckily as newlyweds we were granted the honeymoon suite, the trailer in the backyard. It wasn't the Hilton but it was nice to have a place to get away from the crowd because there was nowhere in the house we could do that. Suz was such a good sport and has been so supportive and wonderful whether its coming along with family who she doesn't know that well, making me laugh and just letting me cry. I love you Suz and I'm so thankful you came at just the right time in my life.

This week has been fun and hard all at the same time. Its been good to be home with my siblings and parents but sometimes the memories are so good that it hurts. We've helped run errands and plan the funeral and we've just talked and talked and talked.

Megi called me as I was driving home to Bakersfield and told me that she wanted Lindy, Jerel, and I to sing with her at Shannon's funeral. I laughed because I was sure she was kidding. If you know my family you know that we cry when we sing at any kind of emotional event. They all claim its always my fault but I think I've been used as a scapegoat. Meg wasn't kidding and we decided as siblings that we could do this and do it well for Shannon. We sang "Go Ye Now In Peace" A Capella ending with the 2nd verse of "God Be With You Til We Meet Again". It came off beautifully at the funeral. I couldn't look at anybody and just kept my eyes looking straight up at the ceiling of the chapel which goes against the performer in me but I had to get through it for Shannon.

Many, many friends and family came to greet us before the funeral and it was good to reunite with so many people. Suz was a good sport letting me introduce her to hundreds of strange people. Many friends overwhelmed us during the week also with visits, kind cards and meals for the family. There are so many good people in the world.

The pall bearers (my brothers and I, in laws too) at the graveside

Being a pall bearer was an emotional task for me. It was harder than I thought it would be to carry my sister's casket. I think it made her death very real to me. The graveside service was short and beautiful. We returned to the church for a family lunch and enjoyed being together. I love you Shannon! Thanks for being my sis!

My siblings and I at the graveside

Shannon's Obituary

2008-10-08T13:32:00.001-06:00

My sister Megi wrote this beautiful tribute to Shannon. I know it wasn't easy for her but she did a great job and I wanted to share it with everyone!

Shannon Jacille Campbell Royer
1981 - 2008

Shannon Jacille (Campbell) Royer, 26, returned to our Father in Heaven early Sunday morning, October 5, 2008, after a long and courageous battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Shannon was born on November 12, 1981, in Bakersfield, CA. She graduated from East High at the top of her class in 1999 and thereafter attended Brigham Young University, majoring in Recreation Management. Shannon loved to share herself through music. She was a gifted pianist and she had an angelic singing voice that calmed and uplifted all who heard her. Some of her other hobbies included soccer, scrapbooking, and collecting dolls.

In the summer of 2005, Shannon met and fell head over heels for the man of her dreams, Paul Royer. Paul and Shannon were married for time and all eternity in the Newport Beach Temple on May 19, 2006. Their love was evident by the selfless way they treated each other. Shannon thoroughly enjoyed making her house a home in which all felt welcome and secure. Though she was unable to become a mother, she took a great interest in the lives of her 15 nieces and nephews. Family always came first, and she loved to just be at home, spending time with those closest to her.

Shannon was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had a deep, abiding testimony of our Savior, and her faith in Him allowed her to endure her trials with grace. She exemplified a love for life as she continually fought to overcome seemingly unbeatable odds. Shannon understood and accepted that death was the pathway to take her home, where she now rests in her Father’s arms. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2Tim 4:7).

Shannon is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 2 1/2 years, Paul Royer; parents, Douglas and Rinez Campbell, Bakersfield; three sisters, Janel Campbell, Mesa, AZ; Lindy and Jonathan Woodland, Santa Monica, CA; Megi and Ty Jones, Burley, ID; four brothers, Eric and Kristi Campbell, Thousand Oaks, CA; Jerel and Camille Campbell, Mesa, AZ; Shad and Jodi Campbell, Queen Creek, AZ; Boyce and Suzanne Campbell, Provo, UT; parents-in-law, Scott and LaDawn Royer, Bakersfield; sister-in-law, Megan Royer, Ft. Collins, CO; grandparents-in-law, Naomi Paulsen, Pocatello, ID; Patricia and Leonard Royer, Sun Valley, CA; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Family will be receiving friends on Friday, October 10th, at 9:00 a.m., at The Bakersfield South Stake Center, 2801 South Real Road. Funeral services will be held on Friday, 11:00 a.m., also at Bakersfield South Stake Center. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Southwest Memorial Park (Panama Lane). Flowers can be sent to Alma Funeral Home, 2130 E. California Ave., or donations can be made in memory of Shannon to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (www.cff.org).

Shannon Jacille Royer 1981 - 2008 Alma Funeral Home

My Sister Shannon

2008-10-05T21:54:00.003-06:00

We arrived home from the honeymoon late last night. I couldn't really sleep because I was thinking about Shannon so much. I called Mom and we chatted for a while. It was hard to believe that Shannon could really be leaving us. I finally did get to sleep.

The phone rang at about 5:30 this morning. It was my mom calling to tell me that Shannon had passed away in the night peacefully. I couldn't believe it. I can't believe it. We were just with her in the temple last week and she looked so good and so happy. How could she have gone so quickly?

Shannon was born with Cystic Fibrosis. I have grown up my whole life knowing that she might have a shortened life but its hard to believe its actually happened. As a family we have prepared for Shannon to leave us on a few occasions but she's always pulled through. This time she just decided the time was right. Heaven knows she's been through a lot on this earth. She had Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes, two double lung transplants, had her eye removed due to a fungus, and has endured all of the medications, treatments and side effects that accompany all of the above.

I am at peace with her passing but I haven't come to terms with it yet. I am experiencing such a whirlwind of emotions because I don't want this to overshadow Suz and our new marriage in any way yet I want to mourn the loss and be with family too. The ups and downs of life are so interesting. I can't really think straight right now even though I'm fairly calm. Maybe I'm in shock. I love you Shannon and I will miss you!

That's Shannon in the top left with her cute little eye patch on. This was taken one week before she passed. This is the last picture I have of her. Sadly my whole family wasn't there so this picture is missing two siblings, Eric and Janel.