{ o }

.one.

2012-01-08T12:06:00.014-07:00

so the day came and went and now we have a 1 year old. we can't believe time has gone this fast, it's so cliche, right? well, the day started out nice but wyatt just wasn't himself, super whiney, clingy, and grumpy. i thought he was getting sick, but he seemed much happier by the evening, so that was nice :)

cam and i wanted to start a fun tradition for our kids to have TONS of balloons for them when they wake up on their birthday. wyatt loves balloons and he loved waking up to this..

later that night, we headed to PF for some yummy food, cake, and presents with our families..

i attempted cupcakes, which turned out good, and my sil, jenn, made this adorable smash cake..
some fun family

birthday boy..

family photo :) wish cam was smiling..

yea! we love birthdays..

having fun with daddy..

before the smash..

checkin' out the fire..

during the smash..takin' his time to get acquainted with the frosting..

ok, now i get it.. stuff it all in as fast as you can..

and after..

to finish off the night, after presents, he showed off a few steps for the family.

we want to thank everyone for coming and celebrating such a fun day with us. we are so blessed with so much love for us and our little boy. thanks everyone, for all the gifts, you really didn't need to do that!

until next year.

.t minus 5 days.

2012-01-02T15:30:00.004-07:00

in 5 more days our little boy will be turning a year old .. it feels just like yesterday we were here...now look at him.. such a happy little baby. we could not be more in love with him..

but we don't really have time to be sad about it, cause we'll we doing it all over in MAY! so exciting. more to come after we have the big party :)

.blue times 2.

2011-12-29T15:20:00.006-07:00

..santa said wyatt wished for a..

and he's getting his wish

coming may 20 2012

can't freakin' wait

.belated cruise post.

2011-12-28T15:13:00.032-07:00

wow, has it already been a month since we went on this trip!

on thanksgiving day we met up with our good friends mel and brandon to leave for new orleans. we spent 2 days in NO and then boarded a ship for a week to the western caribbean! so much fun! here's some of the fun stuff we did...

we're HERE!! overlooking the mississippi river

jackson square (or alexander square as b kept calling it:)

dinner on bourbon street. cam got some yummy seafood gumbo and jumbalaya.. unfortunately, pregnant ladies get the boring grilled chicken..

mel and i posing by the trolley

mississippi river. the next morning the ship ported just to the right in this picture.

while we were in LA we got to go on a swamp/plantation tour. this is the destrahan plantation.. one of the most successful sugar cane plantations west of the mississippi.

my favorite part of new orleans was this airboat tour.. amazing!

the alligators we got to hold! this one is about 1 year old

i loved this part

the ship on the right is the one we took 2 years ago, this time we upgraded to the voyager of the seas.. such a big, beautiful ship.

the ship had a cute christmas tree

taking pics on the deck

dinners.. yeah, we ate a lot

had a blast with these guys

first stop was cozumel mexico.. we toured the tulum mayan ruins. these are amazing.

the temple

this was one of the only nice days.. we had lots of clouds.. so we didn't do much sunbathing :(

the ruins were right on the beach

next stop jamaica

we did this grotto cave tour. pretty amazing. below are some bats hanging out

while in jamaica we hiked the dunns river falls. very fun!

getting ready to go! they start on the beach and you hike all the way up.

we loved it.

kinda scary being preggers, but luckily we didn't have any falls!

but saying we missed this boy is an understatement. of course, he did so well and had so much fun with both grandmas.. but we couldn't wait to get home and kiss those chubby cheeks! sorry we ditched you, wyatt, but we had to :)

.dump post.

2011-11-14T14:01:00.016-07:00

first off, i thought we'd give you all a good laugh. this is my awesome husband who is so handy. so handy, in fact, when he ventures into our attic he dons this lovely get-up. clever? or desperate? either way, it's hilarious. notice the duct tape at the ankles and waist to fend off the 50 year old insulation. he might kill me that i posted this!

september/october update:

took wyatt to the fair. to say it was a hit is an understatement. loved the animals. love that face.
as you can see, very excited boy..

on the baby front:

things are going well.. i'm WAY more sick this time, all the symptoms are 10xs more dramatic.. does that mean girl?? don't know but i'm SO glad the 1st trimester is DONE. starting to feel a little better every week, but i still feel pretty drained. no complaints though, can't wait to meet owens #2 in may.. woot woot.

one thing that hasn't changed, this boy loves to eat! EVERYTHING!

on thing that HAS changed. this boy is all over the place, it was like it happened overnight and he's crawling. i love watching him learn and explore. so fun.!

i caught him in the bathroom causing trouble and playing with the plunger.. good mommy :( also, such a good mommy for putting him in 6month onesies.. come on, ash, he's 25 lbs! poor boy.

first bubble bath. loved it.

and can't forget HALLOWEEN. with being so sick i didn't even get wyatt a costume.. plus i was working that night. thanks to alli in our ward we borrowed this cute chicky costume. he loved the suckers and all the kids visiting the house.. i was sad to miss it. next year we'll go out and trick or treat, wy, i promise.

and for good measure.. happy halloween, from the owens'

and that's the end of this photo dump post. thanks for stopping by. oh, and wy has hand foot mouth disease... so NOT FUN. we are quarantined for the next week.

.ah, strollers.

2011-10-16T20:26:00.003-06:00

ok, ladies. i need your help. first of all, i know it's a little premature to be worrying about this yet, but i really want a nice double stroller. cameron would be disgusted if he knew how much this beauty is...but it's the one i want. i feel that it has all that i would need until our last kiddos were big. i'd love a sit n stand, but wyatt will only be 16 months and not quite ready for that, i'm afraid. am i crazy for thinking this is a good "investment" and should i just bite the bullet, pick up a few extra shifts and get this stroller? i'm SO not against buying used if it's a good deal either.. so if you know anyone selling one, please let me know. also, if you have any comments about double strollers that you LOVE please leave a note. i'm racking my brain over here.

.gasp.

2011-10-03T17:48:00.005-06:00

so just as we were getting used to being a family of 3, like this:

we discover this:

baby owens #2

coming may 2012

we're over the moon :)

to read more about how this all happened you can go to our other blog:

http://owensbabies.blogspot.com/2011/09/still-in-shock.html

.roofing :(

2011-09-18T12:30:00.015-06:00

as many of you may know, our roof started leaking this spring and had to be replaced. we knew we didn't have long before it finally did but when we got the bids we were astounded at how much people wanted. we figured we'd save a few grand and do it ourselves. note to self: DO NOT ROOF YOUR OWN HOUSE. ok, we we did save a lot of money but it was A LOT of work. i never thought it would be that hard. anyway, we could not have done it at all if we didn't have such wonderful family and friends who came and helped. thanks everyone. now for the pictures.

this is what we found under our soffit.. lots and lots of wasp nests.. they were NOT happy we displaced them

this is before the carport came down and the bin was delivered.. we were just mostly tearing down posts and old aluminum, preparing to tear the old roof and carport down.

one of cam's good friends from high school, jeff, was a huge help the first day we started tearing off shingles.
this is the first day we started actually tearing the old roof off, 3 layers of asphalt shingles and tar paper, and one layer of cedar shake shingles.. huge pain the butt... this is where we should have hired someone to help!

the bin was delivered and everything had to come off. we filled the whole thing up to the top, we weren't even sure if we'd stay under the weight limit...but we did by a hair.

this is the sub-roof.. we were surprised we only had to replace a few boards that were rotted.

ok, so not a flattering picture, but i wanted to prove that i helped out.. this was when blake and i were getting that nasty tar off the brick with hatchets and chisels

and to prove that cameron was working his butt off too, he was our project manager.

and this is what the baby did a lot of the time :)

we just wanted to thank everyone again.. such a huge accomplishment

so this is what it looks like now, but we have a stucco guy coming this week to finish the gables to match the garage.. we love how it turned out.

.in love.

2011-09-11T19:59:00.005-06:00

family photos 2011

.food lover.

2011-08-15T13:24:00.006-06:00

we have YET to find a food wyatt doesn't like... even limes :)
this was wyatt's first trip to the park to feed the ducks, and of course feed ourselves KFC..
it was a total hit. wyatt just loves animals..

isn't this picture just precious?

hope you are all enjoying the last bit of summer, i already have anxiety thinking about the weather getting cold soon

:( boo

.HELP.

2011-08-01T23:11:00.002-06:00

hey everyone..

some cute kiddos need our help. i have posted about SMA before and these kids are just precious. i blog-hop around and find more and more kids with SMA and here is one blog that will just melt your heart. this little girl is so special and i've never even met her.. you can just feel it. please go check out their blog and help if you can. i know wyatt, cam, and i will be sporting these bracelets around asap!

http://2pinkbutterflies.blogspot.com/2011/07/smard-research-fundraiser.html

thanks for stopping by.

.10 pm.

2011-07-31T21:51:00.002-06:00

it's 10 pm
i'm at work
and i'm thinking.
this post will be pictureless
i just wanted to write down a few feelings that i've had recently
i can't believe how different i feel since becoming a mom
i'm more calm (after the anxiety of a newborn wore off, of course)
i'm more observant of life, of my surroundings
i'm more happy
i'm more reverent (does that make sense??)
i'm more content.. maybe that's what i've been getting at..

when wy was first born, i was sure i'd made a mistake..being a mom was NOT for me. i thought maybe heavenly father had been trying to tell me that with our infertility ride.. that i was not meant to be a mom. now, i realize that having a baby makes you feel like that, maybe because the responsibility is so great that we can only take in little bits at a time. i'm still taking baby steps into the motherhood thing. i really don't look too far into the future because thinking about teaching our little guy about EVERYTHING he needs to know is just too overwhelming.. and let's be honest, i'm still learning about life myself. sometimes i think wyatt was such a blessing to us, and not so much us to him.. but he's a little miracle and i'm soaking in every second. i can now say, i know i'm supposed to be a mommy, i'm just still trying to take in all that it entails. thank you, wyatt, for bringing me more joy than i deserve. we are truly blessed, beyond measure.

.first hair cut.

2011-07-24T21:08:00.004-06:00

can you believe wyatt already needed a hair cut? well, we had mixed feelings about doing it, but now glad we did, he looks so handsome. and since belle got SO neglected when the baby came, she developed too many mats that she also needed a hair cut! ugly, we know.
and has anyone noticed i'm obsessed with photobucket...and this baby

can't get enough

.6 months.

2011-07-17T19:35:00.004-06:00

remember this..(no wonder i'm already baby hungry)

6 months ago this little guy creeped his way into our hearts.

there are SO many things i want to remember about this time with him

namely:

his smile.. oh my gosh, he melts me every morning

his chubby thighs

his giggle

his sweet, calm, happy personality

his slobbery kisses

how he pulls my face to his

how he holds his breath when a kid or dog walks by

how he is in awe of every little thing.. like trees, dirt, and grass

his long toupee hair.. (been called donald trump and conan a few times)

how he blows rasperries with food in his mouth

how he thinks cameron and i are SO funny

how he LOVES his crib.. i swear he asks for it

how he sleeps with a blanket over his face

how cute he looks sitting up all by himself

how frustrated he gets when he can't reach something

his flawless bellybutton

how he scrunches up his toes ALL the time

how he looks for my approval when a new face approaches

how much he looks like his daddy

we are so lucky to get to spend everyday with this little man.. he brings us more joy than we ever thought existed...sound cliche..? i know.. it's true.

.jackson hole collage.

2011-07-13T15:43:00.002-06:00

.july '11.

2011-07-13T14:51:00.015-06:00

having fun with daddy.. these two have a blast while i'm at work :)

chillin' in the stroller at the antique show in jackson hole.. teton village.
can't leave jackson hole without a cheesy cowboy picture

this was at the restaurant before we drove home. such a delicious breakfast, and such a delicious happy baby

at the rodeo with mom

as you can see from our pictures, july has been so busy and it's only half over.. we have loved the warm weather, the fun holidays, and the fun vacations..

over the 4th, we just went swimming at gmas and came back to our house with friends to do fireworks.. lucky wyatt, got to go to bed and missed it all :)

last weekend my cousin, dottie, invited wyatt and me to go to jackson hole with her and her 3 kids.. it was kind of spur-of-the-moment and it was a total blast. wyatt behaved wonderfully which was surprising because it was me, dottie, bennett, maysen, gage, and wyatt in ONE room! luckily they all were so tuckered out by the end of the day that we all slept pretty well. thanks grams for the fun weekend.

apologize for the quality of the photos.. we used our video camera because i didn't want to lug around the big one in jackson hole

.thoughts.

2011-07-02T09:45:00.004-06:00

so i have been having lots of thoughts lately.. some good, some sad, some exciting.

things to look forward to:
-wyatt dropping his last night feeding (soon hopefully)
-going to seven peaks (salt lake) more with our season pass
-using our new bike trailer for biking and roller-blading.. yes, roller-blading!
-tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and more from our garden
-our cruise coming up in november (a surprise from the hubs)
-going camping over the 24th
-wyatt finally getting those teeth that are so close to the surface
-and last but not least, our trip to hawaii in feb

things i'm sad about:
-wyatt growing up WAY too fast and feeling like i'm not soaking it all in enough
-summer going WAY too fast
-wyatt getting those teeth, i love his toothless grin
-not going to lake powell this year
-putting away all of wyatt's 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes (why didn't anyone tell me how hard that is)
-that cameron will be totally so busy this next month, we'll be re-roofing our house.. booo.

those are just a few things that i've been thinking about. i really cannot believe wyatt will be 6 months old next week. very, very sad.. but he's so adorable and we'll just keep lovin' on him all day.
-

.5 months.

2011-06-22T08:26:00.012-06:00

first of all, this baby is 5 months old (really almost 6).. how fun is he?

we just want to eat him up!

second, we went to duck creek with cameron's family and it was a total blast. wyatt did great but woke up a lot at night so when we got home on sunday we started sleep training. happy to say, he goes down at 8, only wakes up to eat around 5 am and back to sleep til 730. i am a firm believer in HSHHC! did the extinction method and tossed out the binky for sleep time because hewould wake up looking for it and not being able to put himself back to sleep.

happy summertime to you all!

.milestone movies.

2011-06-08T20:42:00.005-06:00

june has been a busy month already, and it's only a few days in. these videos are super cheesy, espcially since i'm always behind the camera making silly noises and being annoying. oh, the things you do to get your baby to smile :) mostly these are to document wyatt's milestones.. and they're cute.

st.g

2011-06-05T13:02:00.006-06:00

ok, can i tell you how much i am LOVING wyatt at this age! he is just so smiley, fun, and thinks i'm hilarious.5 months is just so much fun. i can't believe how much he's changed and am amazed at all the things he is learning. it must be so overwhelming to learn so much so fast. right now wyatt is rolling over every time i put him on the floor...and he hasn't learned to flip back to his back and he doesn't really love tummy time, so that's funny to watch. we just started some oatmeal and this kids is more than ready for solids. he dives for the spoon whenever he can. he

loves to sit in highchairs at restaurants. it must make him feel big? over memorial day we went off to st. george for some fun in the sun... and wyatt's first swimming experience was a hit. we just knew he'd be our little fishy. here are some pictures from our trip.

.so big.

2011-05-15T19:49:00.005-06:00

well, it's been a while since i posted because we've had so much going on! ok, not really anything big, but just hangin' out in the warm weather and working out in the yard.. just the other day i was looking at wyatt and realized how much he's changed. wyatt- thanks for being such a good baby, you have been an absoulte joy to your daddy and me. keep being adorable.whoa, look how much he's changed in 4 months

4 month stats:

weight: 16 lbs 12 oz -- 81%

height: 26 3/4" -- 97%

.easter.

2011-04-25T15:08:00.005-06:00

the owens' just wanna wish you a happy easter... a day late :)

and perhaps a future conan 'do??

.a utah man am i.

2011-04-20T17:47:00.005-06:00

brainwash them early :)

and this kid can pack on the rolls.. aren't those thighs just lucious

.happy boy.

2011-04-16T11:48:00.003-06:00

so this baby has turned into the happiest thing. he cried a lot the first 3 months and i was certainly overwhelmed and thought i was such a bad mommy. but, he is so smiley and finally starting to laugh! so much fun watching a little human discover his little world. and not to mention he is a whoppin' 15 pounds! he's HUGE! we love you bug.

.3 months.

2011-04-01T16:13:00.005-06:00

look who turned 3 months today...

and, yes, we have a reflux baby..thank goodness the meds are working and it doesn't burn anymore when it comes up :) getting in some quality daddy time (of course watching tv)

and we LOVE the bumbo..so mom can get some things done around here

.blessing the babe.

2011-03-15T18:10:00.010-06:00

cameron gave baby wyatt such a beautiful blessing on march 6th... he was pretty emotional which i thought was super sweet. i am so proud of him and so grateful for these 2 boys in my life. thanks, cam, for being such a great daddy and fab hubby.

aren't they cute

just wyatt and mommy

he was telling us how excited he was for his big day

four generations

love you grams

family photo op

and a great day would not be complete without wyatt blowing out his diaper, especially since he was in an adorable white outfit. love you, little bug

.new mexico with a newborn.

2011-03-15T17:22:00.019-06:00

definately different than new mexico without a newborn. cameron and i were so brave and took little wyatt down to buckhorn, new mexico to visit wyatt's great great grandad. we braved the 13 hour drive there and here are some of the fun things we did and saw :)

prickly pear

yuccas

windmills on grandad's property

grandad used to deliver gas to this exact gas pump in 1932

ghost town called mogollon (pronounced mug-i-own)

crazy hair

family pic with the tractor

wyatt's first ride on the 1940s grey tractor

love this guy... he's 96 and the drs can't find anything wrong with him!

the family with old blue

five generation picture

the catwalk hike

he loved the bjorn

oh, i love these two.. here they are relaxing on the front porch

the best mexican in silver city... jaliscos!

just hangin' with mom in the hotel

fun trip but i think we'll wait a couple years before we make that trek again

love ya, grandad

.sadness.

2011-03-04T13:45:00.003-07:00

our little boy is growing up :(

2 month stats:

weight: 11 lbs 9 oz (57%)

height: 23 3/4 in (84%)

i have always been the girl that sorta laughed when parents would cry when their kiddos got shots. i must confess. i was on the verge of tears when wyatt got his yesterday :( i have NEVER heard him cry like that and he didn't stop for 10 mins. i was heartbroken. sorry buddy. sorry moms out there... i will never laugh at you again.. i apologize.

.blog reality check.

2011-02-28T12:41:00.007-07:00

so we all know that blogs tend to make most people's lives look just peachy all the time. we all know that isn't true..it just seems that people like to document the happy times as opposed to the not-so-peachy times. we're all guilty of it :) i'm going to do a blog reality check right now. am i loving being a mom?? yes.... now. the first 3-4 weeks were kind of a babymoon. wyatt was so happy and sleepy. but then.. the clouds rolled in. and weeks 5-7 were rough to say the least. wyatt was just so fussy and wouldn't sleep in his crib very well and seemed to have forgotten everything we worked on. geez, and i thought i had this schedule thing down. anyway.. i called the dr and got the little guy on some reflux medication and i have to say, i have a different baby! he is SO happy every day. he even slept all through church sunday :) i'm not betting that there won't be times like those 2 weeks of hell, but i'm grateful to have a happier baby for now. the books are SO RIGHT... the 6 week peak is rough! anyway, life isn't always peachy but i'm so grateful i know the not-so-peachy so that i can appreciate the sweet times so much more. and cam, sorry i cried so much last week... hormones :)

so in our attempt to catch that cute grin on camera, here's our little guy lovin' his tummy time!

cheese ball

and if you think you're havin' a bad hair day...it is SO unmanageable, what are we going to do with it?? it just keeps growing and not an ounce of curl to it. he's his father's son, for sure!

hope you all have a great week

.photos.

2011-02-21T10:59:00.005-07:00

oh geez. this blog is now becoming a wyatt blog :) maybe it's because that's all we do now, take care of and play with our little bug. these are just a few shots of our newborn photo shoot with caroline (carolinerebecca.com). just precious.

.sleep.

2011-02-18T22:10:00.004-07:00

is the number of hours wyatt has slept through the night for the past few nights :)

and it's all because of these books:

HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS, HAPPY CHILD

and

BABYWISE

now my mom would call me a "nazi mom" because of my insanely rigid schedule we've gotten wyatt on. but, for my sanity, and cameron's it is finally paying off. mostly we've had to be this scheduled due to the fact that i'm going to be working nights and cam will need some predictable night routine while i'm gone. the first 6 weeks were kinda rough since we've been "teaching" wyatt to fall asleep on his own in his own crib, and there were times we'd have to go into his room 10 times just to get him to take a 1 hour nap. but for the past few days he has been falling asleep on his own in his own room. now, there were many times i wanted to give up and just let him sleep in his swing or in my arms, but we stuck with it and it's working! so i'm posting this for all you moms out there that are struggling with sleep problems. these books are AMAZING. i think every kid is different and every kid needs different things to fall asleep, but if you're at the end of your rope, get these and tweak them to your kiddo. i promise it works! we used the babywise EASY schedule for the structure for feedings, waketime, and sleep..and used the healthy sleep habits, happy child book for soothing techniques and looking for sleep cues :) love it.

.xoxo.

2011-02-14T16:14:00.003-07:00

wyatt and cameron.. my two most favoritest people,

happy valentine's day

i love you to pieces

.one month.

2011-02-07T16:23:00.006-07:00

well, we made it through the first month with a newborn. phew. those hormones are NUTS! i totally feel back to normal and have even renewed my gym pass...can't wait to get back to getting some exercise. cameron was so awesome last week and asked me if i wanted to join my parents in st. george while he stayed back here and worked. as much as i hated being away from him.. and taking his son away too.. it was a much needed break from the monotony of the days and little wyatt was stellar! he slept all the way down and back, only stopping once to feed and slept great every night. we were able to go on lots of walks and even got some shopping done. wyatt is just such a great baby. i can't believe it. we've even moved him into his own room and he sleeps from 10pm - 3am and then goes back to bed til 9am. i'm not holding my breath, but i've really, really enjoyed being with him this last week, much more than i was able to the first 3 weeks due to my crazy baby blues. i even see him trying to smile..hopefully we'll get one out of him here soon. here is the ever-so-cheesy one month photo with his sophie the giraffe :) we just love this little one... and i think he's almost 10lbs! getting so big..

feets

sleepy boy

.better.

2011-01-31T15:05:00.005-07:00

so last post was a downer :) don't worry, the emotions are still up and down but i'm totally feeling so much more comfortable taking care of our little dude. he's still a pretty easy baby. sleeping 4-5 hours at night and quite a little chunker (okay, he's still small but gaining weight pretty fast). he had a dr. appt last week and he's already 8lb 6oz. so he's gained a whole pound from his birth weight. dr. f said by his 2 month appt he bets he'll be over 11 lbs! so, he's not starving... he's been an absolute joy to have around and i'm still hoping that these crazy hormones will chill out over the next few weeks. it's awesome to think january is OVER...and we're heading for better weather. can't wait to show little wyatt that the world is more than just our house! we just couldn't love him more.. he's our little miracle baby. just a few shots of our last few weeks at home.

first bath in the tubbie... he loved it.

love that little mouth
our little man

.photo shoot.

2011-01-25T10:33:00.004-07:00

wow, i can't believe little wyatt is almost 3 weeks old. time flies. this little boy is such a good baby. i swear he never cries.. so as far as the baby goes, life is perfect. now i'm going to be brutally honest about the postpartum emotion part. whoa, was i blindsided by the rush of emotion. i guess i wasn't prepared because i thought that after all the hormones i've taken, that there couldn't be a hormone shift that i couldn't handle. NOT! i have been SO EMOTIONAL. mostly with happy, overwhelming feelings, but sometimes those inadequate, unsure feelings creep in and make you question everything you're doing. i find it hard to balance putting wyatt on a schedule and just holding him all day. if i don't hold him, i feel like i'm neglecting him or that i'm not bonding with him enough. and on the other hand, if i don't put him down, i feel like he's getting used to be rocked to sleep. AHH! my brain is telling me that all these thoughts are ridiculous. i know they are. but sometimes i can't help but over analyze every action. i think most of those feelings are behind me, as this week i've been super happy just hanging out with my little guy. i made a pact with myself last night that i would stop over thinking and just enjoy my baby, because he'll only be this little for a very short time. i don't want to wish his littleness away! anyway, so that is the deal with me... i'm pretty crazy, and cameron has been so wonderful to be supportive and understanding when he comes home and i'm bawling because i think i'm a bad mom! thanks honey. this too shall pass...hopefully sooner, than later. on a lighter, more adorable note, we got wyatt's newborn photos taken, here is a preview.. thanks caroline!

.the story.

2011-01-15T12:26:00.008-07:00

so, i thought i'd give a quick version of how wyatt came last week. i can't emphasize how great our experience was. so dr. g agreed to induce me on jan 7th due to some increased swelling and slightly elevated blood pressure.. i was so grateful. she estimated wyatt to be in the 7 lb range and felt good about the induction. so on friday morning i woke up at about 8 am waiting for L & D to call with an induction time, since i was the 4th induction that day. they called at about 8:15 and asked if we could be there by 9, so we rushed to shower, finish packing, and get on the road. (sidenote: i had actually started having contractions at home for a few minutes, but weren't sure they were real... by the time i had the gown on, they contractions were about 5 minutes apart and took my breath away, i guess wyatt was coming on his own :) we got to IMC at about 9:10, by 9:30 i was hooked up to the pitocin and the RN checked me. in the office on wed i was 3.5cm and almost 100%, when she checked me at 10 am i was 4-5cm and 100% effaced. i really wanted my epidural asap, but cam wanted me to wait it out for a bit. i lasted about 40 minutes and i was ready to see the anesthesiology god. and he came...and i was in heaven. i got my epidural at 11 am and by 12 i was 6cm and dr g broke my water. we rested and hung out with family and the RN came back in around 2pm, checked me, i was complete and ready to push. dr. g was busy for a bit and the RN wanted to get lunch...since i was so numb i told them go ahead and i'll "rest and decend." i couldn't feel anything...my epidural was a little heavy, but no complaints. at 2:50 the RN was back from lunch and we started pushing. i was so numb i didn't even feel like i was pushing, but he was coming down pretty well. i pushed for about an hour and we could finally see some hair. the RN called the dr and she got there about 3:45. two more pushes and little wyatt was here... at 4:03 pm, weighing in at 7lb 8oz. pretty much fast and furious! i couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience. he came out squawking and with TONS of long hair. we feel so blessed with this little angel. i'm just waiting for it to get hard... but he's such a great sleeper, fabulous eater, and cutest little guy. he could go almost 5 hours in between feedings so i always have to wake him up in the night. i know it will change..but for now, we couldn't be more thrilled that he's here. i can't complain either, i feel amazing and can't wait til RSV season is over so we can go out and enjoy life!

and this was all made possible by hundreds of injections and horomones:) you were worth every little heartache, wyatt. we love you.

.wjo.

2011-01-10T16:22:00.003-07:00

. wyatt jackson owens .

7 lbs 8 oz

born

january 7th at 4:03 pm

we'll update later, just loving our little boy

.friday's the day.

2011-01-05T19:53:00.004-07:00

just thought i'd leave a quick post to tell everyone that friday is the day we'll meet our little boy. i'll be being induced and can't freakin' wait. i had a dr appt today and was 3.5cm and 80% so dr. g felt confident that i was ready...(just love her).. wish us luck and we'll post pictures as soon as he's here.

Nativity Scenes

2010-12-27T16:20:00.011-07:00

Bored as hell... and bloggin'

Hello everyone, this is Cameron... yeah I know, I can't believe I am blogging either (it will probably be my first and last time). I thought today would be busy at work and that could not be further from the truth. Needless to say I am bored as hell and had these pics on my flash drive and knew that Ash would eventually post them so I'm saving her the time.

The pictures below are of our nativity scenes that we have collected over the past 7 years and are one of the things we like to look for when we are on vacation.

These little red guys are from Panama

These chubby guys are from Puerto Rico

This set was made from fish bone and was our first set, Cabo San Lucas

These are from Curitiba, Brasil (The set initially had more pieces... but after flying all over Brasil these are the only ones that made it back in one piece)

This set was found in Silver City, New Mexico and is one of my favorites

This set was found in Roatan, Honduras

Ash got this one in Hawaii when she was going to BYU

These are made from banana leaves and are from Venezuela

.playing catch up.

2010-12-17T15:50:00.008-07:00

well, the past few months have flown by... here are just a few pictures to document our october and november fun. this was our halloween costume this year, if you don't watch Billy the Exterminator, you might not get it, but Cameron is Billy from VexCon and I'm a spider infestation :)

this was at the black out game on november 6... too bad we got slaughtered. still fun to hang out with the family though..

this was such a cute picture, mostly because my parent's never graduated :)

this was at one of my baby showers... i believe i was about 30 weeks.

and this, was just last week at 35 weeks, yeah, HUGE.. can't wait to get him OUT!

i wish i had a picture of my ankles after a 12 hours shift last week, i'm not lying, they were tree trunks! i'm sure glad water weight goes away! thanks for stopping by.

.a new one.

2010-12-13T23:52:00.002-07:00

okay, so cameron and i were watching something on tv (can't remember what it was) but it brought up ozzy osbourne's name. and we both looked at each other.. i was thinkin,' hmm. cute. ozzy owens. i'm not sure if cam was thinkin' the same thing (were you, cam?) but it really struck me. everyone i've asked so far has HATED it. but i really like it. it's different. and i like ozzy's music. what do you think? come on guys. be honest.

.early presents.

2010-12-07T23:09:00.002-07:00

if any of you know cameron and me.. we just can't wait for presents.. we are so impatient. on our first christmas, i had wrapped a few of cameron's gifts at the first of december to put under the tree.. after a long day at work, exhausted.. cameron talked me into opening ALL our gifts for each other, this was on like december 5th! needless to say, we're not buying or at least wrapping our kid's gifts til the night before! well, this christmas isn't any different.. we got ourselves a new toy...this beauty. i rationalized opening it early so that we can "practice" our perfect photo skills for when our little boy arrives. better get reading the manual!

.crunch time.

2010-11-28T14:58:00.002-07:00

so, i posted this on my "baby blog" a few months ago.. but it's getting down to crunch time and we need some opinions. cameron and i have narrowed down the names we like and now we want to see what you think because we can't pick JUST ONE. i bet we'll still wait til we see him before actually deciding on a name, but we really want to see what our friends and family think. so here you go.

-todd cameron
-wyatt ward
-crew cameron
-mitchell ward
-(griffin ward is still on my list, but cameron is still on the fence with that one)

please leave a comment and let us know..i'm mostly concerned that wyatt will be too popular in the next few years...and i hated being one of a million ashleys. but wyatt is the name we both really like. crew would be cameron's next choice after wyatt. and todd and mitchell are ones cameron just sorta likes. so it's SO tough. too bad this little man is a boy cause we already had a girl name picked out for sure... ha ha. can't wait to meet him.. only 6 more weeks!

.really??.

2010-11-27T19:31:00.003-07:00

did that really happen?? crazy game! loved the ending...didn't love the 2+ hours leading up to it. can't wait for next season!

!ESPN GAME DAY!

2010-11-06T09:37:00.005-06:00

so college game day came to the u this week. and we definately didn't want to miss it. unfortunately, cameron had his hunter safety class and couldn't come, but my mom and dad and i were up there bright and early to take part in the festivities. SO FUN!us just as the sun was rising.. with our hot cocoa

isn't that sky pretty, especially with the UTES flags to compliment it..

so what do you do at ESPN game day?? well we paint our bodies!!

so this is NOT going to be our little boy's name, but my dad loves the name and will probably call him that anyway..so dad, this is for you. as we were walking out of the parking lot to go home, we saw big buddah doing live clips for the news and they were lining up a bunch of guys to show their spirit by lifting up their shirts... i thought, huh, i bet i can beat them all with my big spirited painted belly! so i was on live tv with my utah belly.. check out the clip. ha ha.

.long, sucky week.

2010-10-22T13:59:00.005-06:00

i'm pretty sure i've NEVER been this annoyed in my whole life. the week started off with me having my one hour glucose screen.. test wasn't too bad, but the results came back slightly elevated. great. so i was scheduled for the 3 hour test where you have to fast for 12 hours and then drink the lovely orange melted popsicle drink :) try that and not puke. it was tough. there were about 30 mins that i had to hold back the vomit...got all flushed and started salivating like crazy, but if you throw up, you have to start all over! luckily i kept it all down and just found out i passed with flying colors. thank goodness, i could NOT cut out my carbs without dying.

if that wasn't a bad enough week to have to stress out over that test, my mom and i were at the gym (trying to blow off some anxiety about the test) and after a fabulous workout...we got out to my car and both my mom's and my purse had been stolen from the trunk? what the hell? of course ALL my important items were in there. 3 credit cards, 1 debit card, my insurance cards, my drivers license, checkbook, my cell phone, my work badge.. yup. so i spent 4 hours on the phone cancelling cards, accounts, and cell phone plans, and alerting the police and credit fraud companies :( i have not been this unlucky, ever. i have never lost my purse or wallet and this is seriously the WORST. i pretty much had a once in a lifetime breakdown last night, and on top of that, i had to start fasting for my test at 7pm! i was a very grumpy pregnant lady for SURE!! sorry cam, bad week.

on to happier news. we finally finished the nursery.. mostly. as i was searching for a cute bedding set for the crib a few months ago, i was unimpressed. all the cute one, i felt, were ridiculously priced, so what did i do. i recuited my mom to help me make a set. i think i spent under $100 and we made a crib skirt, valance, dresser runner, a comforter, a bassinet sheet, and lamp covers. so worth it! and i think it's mostly gender neutral so we can use it again. what do you think??

.go utes.

2010-10-15T22:28:00.006-06:00

so the past few weeks have been busy, busy, busy. we've been lucky enough to have season tickets again to the utah football games. this is before the 2nd game of the season.. i believe i am 24 weeks in this picture? mostly just look pudgy, but that's ok, right? i also have been busy doing some sewing projects. i'm still learning, so don't laugh at the crooked seams :) who ever said dressing a boy up wasn't as fun as a girl? don't you just love these little shosies?

and of course, the ever-so-creative carseat canopy. i still think these are somewhat cheesy, but we're having out little one in the middle of rsv season..so i guess the functionality of this piece far surpasses the cheesiness.
can't wait for january.

.7 year itch?.

2010-10-06T01:15:00.005-06:00

i don't think so. the past 7 years have been the best of my life! only because it's been spent with this guy...so last saturday was our 7 year anniversary and i'm sad to say we really haven't had time to "celebrate" the day. but who am i kidding? we pretty much celebrate every day. cameron has been a dream come true for me, i know, sappy suzie, but it's true. i can't even put into words how perfect he is for me. i'm just slightly nervous that this little one coming in january will change our relationship...i know it will, i'm just hoping that it enhances it.. we've waited so long for this little one and we're so excited and very nervous. mostly nervous because we're so used to our routine life we've made for ourselves, but couldn't be more thrilled to welcome our son into our little family. ok, so this post was about our anniversary, anyway. cameron, thanks so much for making me one happy lady. on our happiness scale, today, i'm a 9...what aout you? love you, sweetie.

.love it.

2010-10-05T00:51:00.005-06:00

love it when the utes have a bye week and we're still movin' on up in the rankings :)

and can i just say how much i also love my shakey....

run, shakey, run

.changes.

2010-09-13T01:29:00.002-06:00

so i got a call from the executive secretary in our ward...never a good thing.. well, i met with the bishop last sunday and i have a new calling.

i have such mixed feelings...

i am so sad to leave my last calling... where i was teaching relief society. the ladies in our ward are inspirational and the presidency was so wonderful.. but it's time to move on...

ONTO...

YOUNG WOMEN's. so i haven't been in YW since i was one. i was called to be the YW secretary and i feel SUPER inadequate, but absolutely excited. we introduced ourselves to them yesterday and they were so receptive and nice. i can't wait to get to know them all better and the best part? instant babysitters for when little owens gets here, right?

.need help.

2010-09-10T04:13:00.002-06:00

many of you who went to olympus or live in the area have already seen these videos and have already been involved with these wonderful opportunities to help the Coleman's, but i wanted to get the word out to EVERYONE who reads this blog.

i went to high school with both of these amazing people. they are the sweetest, most courageous couple i've ever met. they have been dealt a very difficult, but special hand. there are a lot of ways to help and if you would like to be involed just email me (if you don't have my email, comment and let me know). there will be a carnival on october 9th at olympus high school where there will be a silent auction, many things to purchase, and of course, ways to show your love and support. volunteers, garage sale items, and silent auction donations are all needed and welcome. and if nothing else, just spread the word...the more people to come and support, the better.

Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_x3EIP-loo is their story...

here http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=12164604 is their KSL news story..

and here http://www.coleman2family.blogspot.com/ is their family blog where you can directly donate to them, perhaps if you live far away or can't make the carnival.. many tissues will be needed, i promise.

much love, ashley and cameron

.free udder cover.

2010-09-10T00:37:00.002-06:00

hey everyone..

i'm ALWAYS up for free (or almost free) stuff. i just found this fabulous deal on an udder cover. you just have to purchase the cover you want, and at checkout you type in 'breastfeeding' for the promo code. that means you just have to pay shipping :) so fun. even if you're not breast feeding...it's always a fab baby gift since it retails at $32!

http://www.freebies2deals.com/2010/08/free-uddercovers-theyre-back.html

i know it works too, just got mine.

.that time again.

2010-09-02T15:27:00.002-06:00

!GAME DAY!

..let's go jordan..

.thrilled.

2010-08-24T19:46:00.004-06:00

wow, what an amazing experience to see the little man's parts...

he looks healthy, good heart, good brain, good boyish parts...

we couldn't be more thrilled

can't wait to meet you, little guy

.the big day.

2010-08-10T13:45:00.002-06:00

so i've posted a poll over here -------------------------->

if you wanna weigh in, it'd be fun to see if majority rules.

the big day is in 2 weeks. aug 24.. :)

.finally, finished.

2010-07-17T20:14:00.007-06:00

so we have (ok, cameron mostly has) put a bagillion hours of work into our yard, garage, and house over the last 2 years. so i thought i'd finally post the befores and afters.

this was our house when we first bought it in 2007

and this was us tearing the yard up after we finished the garage

cameron and the trencher, putting in a new sprinkler system

this is the finished entryway to our house.

and the final product..with the garage and new lawn! belle is in heaven...we haven't had grass for 2 years while we were in the process of all this. thankful to finally be done. love you cam. you worked SO hard.

.powell.

2010-07-17T20:04:00.007-06:00

over the 4th of july, we headed to powell with my parents and aunt and uncle. it was SO relaxing and we mostly just swam, took small hikes, and lots of cards and naps:) my kind of trip. some fun pictures of our time there.

hottie hubby :)

start of our hike

we found froggies, you can't see this tiny one, but he was cute

and this is a bigger one that cameron found.

fun trip.

.new post.

2010-07-14T00:25:00.003-06:00

ever just get sick of your last post, but really don't have ANYTHING to blog about? well, that's why this post is here. cameron and i have been doing tons of fun things this summer, we just SUCK super bad about pictures. and let's be honest. i don't feel my super cutest anyway! over the 4th we went to powell and i do have some pictures of that, so i'll post them when i get home tomorrow (i'm at work now). last weekend cam and i went to raging waters...just the 2 of us. it's so fun to think that will be the last time we go with just the 2 of us:) we love it there. it's so ghetto..but we love the people watching, love the sun, love the wave pool, and let's be honest, the slides are awesome, even though i was unable to do most of them this time :( so, no we're not that boring we just never document the funness. not to mention the fun times we had last month at duck creek with cameron's fam. those pictures to come also. i guess i'm just a slacker...i HATE uploading pictures...almost more than i HATE being in the pictures. i guess, more to come..stay tuned.

.SYTYCD.

2010-06-13T13:48:00.004-06:00

holy smokes. anyone else SUPER excited about these 2. they are all good, but seriously, these guys are so AWESOME!

so, my predictions of who will go far (or in other words, my favorites) are:
billy bell
alex wong
adechike tobert and
lauren froderman

now, for the down side...i'm SO bummed that they only took 11. it's nice that we have a long time to get to see them perform but i LOVE it when they put 2 new contestants togeter, not with an "all star." does anyone else think this will sorta suck!? we've already seen the all stars perform, I WANT TO SEE NEW PEOPLE perform together. anyway, we'll see how it goes. i am glad to see mark and courtney back. i'm still skeptical.

.surprise.

2010-06-02T12:55:00.004-06:00

for those of you who do not read our "other blog".. we just wanted to say surprise.. we're having a baby! i suck and haven't scanned our ultrasound picture yet, but i will. we are so excited to be welcoming a little one into our lives in january.. yes, that's an eternity away!

.oh, those dreamy eyes.

2010-05-20T01:16:00.004-06:00

first of all, don't worry, cameron already knows how much i drool over this boy. he's not threatened. but man, those dreamy eyes! i hope he wins, he is so deserving and certainly doesn't act like he's the bomb..but he SO is.

oh, and for those of you who are just DYING for the next season of SYTYCD to be on...don't you worry, i have already dvr'd they series.. and the fun begins may 27th!

.just thinkin'.

2010-05-11T03:28:00.002-06:00

so what do you guys do when you just have a few minutes (or hours) to yourself. tonight i'm here at work, just thinkin'.

thinkin'...

how lucky i am to have such an awesome job

how hard cameron works and how much i think he doesn't think i appreciate it

how weird life can be sometimes

how much support i've been givin' throughout this year from everyone!

how fast this year has flown...can you believe it's almost half way through may

how excited i am to go to st. george for memorial day

how much i'm looking forward to seeing my friend at the end of may

how great friends are..i'm lucky to have lots of friends from all over, some from work, some from church, some from FOREVER, and some from high school

how great diet dr. pepper is

how old i'm getting...holy smokes, 30 is only a few years away

how sad i am that my manager at work is getting promoted :(

how fabulous my parents are

how excieted i am to have grass again!

and most of all, just how grateful i am that i'm alive, healthy, happy, and blessed. that's all.

.stockings, anyone.

2010-05-01T06:59:00.005-06:00

so this is what our front and back yards look like right now. cam's been workind SO hard to get it ready for a new sprinkler system and new sod. i can't tell him enough how grateful i am that he works so hard and i know (even though he complains now) that he'll feel so rewarded that he did all the work himself..in the end. and i know it will look amazing cause he's such a perfectionist. cam, now don't say i don't appreciate what you've been up to while i was in vegas, you now have public recognition. love you.

and since there has been NO good weather the last 2 weeks or so, our yard has been a muddy mess...and if any of you have doggies...and don't have grass for them to pee on, then they get to wear these homemade little booties to keep them from getting too muddy when they have to potty. i took an old pair of socks and made them into belle's little socks. funny huh? she hated them.

.may be premature.

2010-04-09T18:05:00.004-06:00

well i may be jumping the gun on this, but i'm putting it out there anyway. cameron and i have decided to adopt. yes, we are still going to go through with ivf #4, but still are going to turn in our adoption application. so this is where you guys come in. over here ------------->
is our adoption blog link and we'd LOVE you to link us over to your blogs. we know that 1/3 of adoptions come through word of mouth..so, if you know of anyone that may be thinking of placing their child for adoption...please keep us in mind. we love you all. thank you.

ps. the adoption blog is far from being completed, but just wanted to start to get the word out. thanks.

.my new love.

2010-04-09T11:53:00.003-06:00

this machine is my new love. after hitting the gym 5 days a week for 3 months straight...i started to plateau with my progress... until...i found this. it seriously is the most fun to use and makes it hard to get out of bed the next day...it uses every upper body muscle you could think of. even your abs. makes me wanna buy one. anyone else love the rowing machine?

also, i wanted to ask you all if you've had problems with plateauing in a workout routine. i saw lots of results the first 3 months but not much since? any ideas? i haven't been quite as meticulous with the diet, but i should still be losing a little weight since i try to only eat 1200 cals. any one?

.baby legs donations.

2010-03-29T22:37:00.007-06:00

hey everyone.

so, i've posted before how much this family has inspired me..and now i'd like to help give back to them. this is for a great cause...so please help us remember makenzie by helping other kids that have to spend cold nights up at primary children's...

i have promised to donate 5 a month until december...hopefully i can do more.

see the link below to learn how to help.

baby legs donation project

.quote.

2010-03-18T00:06:00.002-06:00

"You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make."

-Gordon B Hinckley

i don't usually post quotes..mosly 'cause i'm lazy. but this one touched me today.
i think it was so striking to me beause i heard an awesome thought in relief society a couple weeks ago...i don't have the actual quote for that but it went kinda like this...
'when heavenly father sees it fit to give a blessing or miracle to an individual, he always places that person on a path of sacrifice to receive it.'

as i was in the temple last saturday...it was the first time i really understood the law of sacrifice. what a great lesson.

.bathroom face-lift.

2010-03-10T13:25:00.005-07:00

well, if you'd seen our bathroom before, you'd know how big of a face-lift this really is. we have ZERO cupboard space so we had to get creative as to where to "hide" all of our bathroom crap. i love the baskets (thanks, ikea) and all the new wall decor we got for a steal (mostly from home goods). cam is the man when it comes to smoothing out the walls and we used a nice elephant grey paint. love it?

.holy awesome.

2010-02-20T16:51:00.005-07:00

ok, if you ladies have not heard about threading...for your eyebrows, you've got to check this out. i'm a huge fan. while i was in vegas cameron's aunt took me to have my eyebrows threaded and it was so awesome. i don't even really know how they do it. but it takes ALL the unwanted hair out and it's so fast, cheap and looks so clean! love it. i don't know if anyone does this in utah, but i'm sure it will catch on soon! i only paid $5 and it took about 3 minutes. fabulous!

here is a synopsis and a video...SO LOVE IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIeHYNt-rl4

.gonna try this.

2010-02-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

http://thelongestyear.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/06/tutorial-easy-peasy-swaddle-sheet.html

.carribean photos..finally.

2010-02-02T21:48:00.014-07:00

so as you know we went on a 9 day carribean cruise over new years and i'm just now getting to posting the pictures. mostly i just wanted to post them and don't really want to label them all. i'll just give ya a few highlights. we snorkeled in grand cayman, a place called JM's favorite snorkel spot. JM was our guide, how original. we also visited sting ray city in grand cayman...loved loved loved that. what a fun experience. we scuba dove in roatan, honduras. way fun and saw lots of lobsters, star fish, and fishies. we stopped in costa rica and just fatted around on the beach (no pics of this). and in panama we visited the gatun locks and watched a couple boats go through. did you know that it costs a cruise ship over $400,000 to pass through the canal...and to think that we gave that canal back for FREE!!! ugh. the crusie ship was amazing and we loved all the formal nights and fun activities that the ship had to offer. not to mention that many, many sessions of mario cart in our room on our nintendo ds's. fun times. we loved spending time with our family and can't wait to do it again in a few years. hopefully. who knows, maybe we'll move to grand cayman. i could live there. ps. sorry the pictures are all screwed up...the order is crazy...but i'm lazy and don't want to fix it.

.carribean photos..continued.

2010-02-02T21:11:00.008-07:00

the following pictures are just of grand cayman and the cruise ship. i love those star fish...

.forever changed.

2010-01-20T23:04:00.004-07:00

for some reason this blog has forever changed me. i stayed up late, until 4 am just bawling reading this family's story. i don't know them. as hard as i think my life may be right now, i hope that i never have to let my child go to heaven before me.. websters.. we are praying for you.
www.kendraandryanwebster.blogspot.com

.please sign it.

2009-12-13T22:55:00.007-07:00

everyone who reads my pathetic blog, even if you NEVER comment. PLEASE sign this petition so that our children and grandchildren do not have to suffer through the financial burden of paying 100% out of pocket for infertility treatments.

thanks. love you.

.can't stand it.

2009-12-13T20:17:00.007-07:00

the only reason to post is because i could NOT bear to look at that picture anymore. fyi, ivf #2 - - failed. sorry i don't have it in me to post something "happy" or "christmas spirited," other than this. happy "hall"idays and a "classy" new year.

love, kevin.konnie.mckenzie.blake.jenn.ashley.and cameron.

.the baby makin' trip.

2009-11-22T07:56:00.011-07:00

so we went to california to make these beautiful little embryos. as most everyone knows now, we have a baby making problem, so we followed my dr (whom i love SO much) to his Los Angeles office to do ivf with icsi. to read the full report on how that part of the trip went, see this link..http://owensbabies.blogspot.com

this is dr. marrs office, just one mile from the LA temple.

while i was incubating follicles, we did a lot of this, just my mom and i. my hubby and dad flew out later.

after the eggs were retrieved, we did DISNEYLAND, something i've wanted to do since we got married. it was fun. probably can wait to go back til our kids are 3 or 4 though.

we did honey, i shrunk the audience and even wore the h1n1 infested glasses. we used a lot of hand sanitizer. you should have seen it, i think about 80% of people getting off the rides were spraying and gooping on the stuff like it was worth a million bucks.

had to ride indiana jones a few times. the lines were non existent. it was so nice, and the weather was great. 75 degrees all week.

we also had the opportunity to see a chargers game while we were there. we sat on the 3rd row. holy crap! it was SO much fun. but i still like college football better, good experience though.

we got to see this guy, weddle, a former ute, make some amazing tackles from 20 feet away. he was awesome.

seriously look how close we are.

and we also went to the price is right for my mom, unfortunately we didn't get on, but she LOVED it.

all in all, it was a busy, fun, and stressful trip. now we're heading off the st. george to actually relax for thanksgiving. and technically, i'm pregnant for the time being. :)

.one year older.

2009-11-03T09:51:00.001-07:00

happy 27th birthday to this girl today.

gotta love that face!

.ok, i'll keep him.

2009-11-03T09:44:00.003-07:00

well, my birthday isn't til thursday, but my totally sweet hubby gave me this early since i've been wanting it for months. he always does such a good job surprising me. i'm freakin' lucky. thanks babe. love ya. and love my new enV touch.

.trick or treat.

2009-10-30T08:03:00.004-06:00

well, around our house there is certainly someone who is ready for trick or treating...

these are cute little boxes i made at a scrapbook party...

and this has NOTHING to do with Halloween, other than i look SCARY. cameron took this picture one morning after i had just fallen asleep from a long night at work. isn't belle the best snuggler.?

hope y'all have a happy and safe halloween. as for us, we'll be at the UTAH BLACKOUT game.

.like sister, like brother.

2009-10-29T07:31:00.004-06:00

hey, just wanted to give my little bro a big shout out today. he's a licensed RN now! we found out he passed his boards early today. good job, buddy.. i'm so proud of you! now, GET A JOB, ya lazy a**.

love ya, ash

ps, stole this pic from my sis-in-laws blog.. thanks jenn.

.whoa.

2009-10-27T01:08:00.002-06:00

ok, so i just finished watching SYTYCD...it was the showcasing of the season 6 top 20..and i can't believe it, but i LOVE them more than last season. was wade and amanda robson's routine not totally SICK! i loved it. i can't wait to see what these dancers bring to the table this season.. i have a feeling it's going to be (as napolean would say) NASTY! so my top picks for this season so far, and hopefully these folks will end up in the top 5...

1. russell-- oh boy, who couldn't love his face..and smile.. not to mention he is a ridiculous performer.
2. nathan-- so this boy can pirouette, man..and he's adorable
3. ellanore-- she is such a cutie, and a very mature, dynamic dancer
4. channing-- i think she will "grow" the most
5. jakob & billy-- these boys tie for 5th for me.. they are both great contemporary dancers

runners up
pauline
legacy
victor
noelle

can't wait. tomorrow is going to rock!

.oops.

2009-10-25T11:38:00.002-06:00

i wonder if any of the byu fans expected this?? i know i did...but did they?

.oh, i forgot.

2009-10-12T05:50:00.004-06:00

i also wanted to say, if you have not seen JUNO yet, it's a must see. i've loved it ever since it came out and my mom and i just watched it this weekend...we almost peed our pants, several times. very, very humorous.

- all babies want to get borned.
- nice legs.
- my mom uses color-safe bleach, go carol.
- well i'm a nail technician and i think we should both stick to what we know.
- my five year old daughter could do that, and let's be honest, she's not the brightest bulb in the tanning bed.

so this playlist is a trubute to my love for JUNO.

.hmm, what to blog about.

2009-10-12T05:27:00.002-06:00

so, don't i usually only blog at night while i'm at work? i think so. anyway, despite the odd hour, i'm just sitting here trying to think of something interesting to blabber about. mostly what is running through my head is how GOOD it's going to feel to get into my bed in a few hours...yeah.

i'm also very concerned about what i'm going to wear to the UTAH game on halloween. it's a black out game...so something black, and it will be VERY cold (probably).. so something warm. but halloween is my most favoritest holiday, so something SCARY! can you think of anything. oh, and it can't be a witch cause then nobody could see the game over my huge hat? i'm stumped.

on a lighter note, the new KOHL's just opened by my house...LOVE IT. i've already been 4 times in a week. they always have just what i'm looking for, and in those 4 trips have only spent about $75. not bad at all. got a new shirt, some flower barettes for my hair, and new sheets for the bed. yes, kohl's is good.

haven't spent time with any friends lately. need to do that for sure this week. i was in DEPRESSED mode last week. today starts a new week, therefore, my attitude must change. i'll work on it.

general conference. so who didn't love elder bednar's talk about being more concerned at home. as much as i like to say, "i'm pretty good at this," i know i can always do better. this year has been spent selfishly caring about MY feelings. how hard it has been for ME. how badly i hurt. time to prioritize. cameron's feelings have been somewhat neglected this year, and hello, does this trial not directly involve him? i've been selfish..and i know i can change that. so i will now focus on being more concerned at home. nothing is more important in my life right now, than my marriage.
(funny sidenote: cameron was sorta making fun of this talk, because of how many times elder bednar repeated the "more concerned at home" part- but it stuck, right.?)

i just need to put a plug in for my wonderful parents. my mom has been hanging out with me a lot and i just wanted to thank her and my dad for always being there. as much as we are all busy, they are never too busy to cheer me up. i don't tell them enough...thank you. i couldn't ask for better examples. cameron and i love you both.

i think this ends my rabblings for tonight, or rather, this morning. good night.

ashley

.serious decisions.

2009-10-03T19:11:00.003-06:00

alright. after one failed attempt at ivf, cameron and i have seriously sat down and considered adoption. we will probably attempt ivf again, but for now, adoption seems the more "guaranteed" route and we're in a hurry to get our family here. this is where my friends and family come in handy. if any of you have experience, tips, or insight on how to get our profile "seen" by potential birth parents...we'd greatly appreciate it. we have not created a profile yet, like i said, this is a fairly new path that we are considering. but cameron and i have felt very inclined to look into sooner than later. it's pretty scary because you put your heart out on the line and there are several adoption horror stories that i've heard with the birth parents backing out, but we're willing to risk that. we want a baby. please let us know if you have any input.

feel free to email me. ashandcam@gmail.com

thanks everyone.

.mrs. domestic.

2009-09-30T19:28:00.005-06:00

as i have been trying to keep my mind occupied with happier thoughts this week..i have found a new hobby. it all started when my friend from nursing school, melissa, invited me down to bottle peaches. i tried some of hers from last year this spring and LOVED them. i had to try it. it was a super fun day and i'm so glad i went because now, i'm a mad bottler. this sparked a thought, "i bet i can bottle grape juice with the grapes from our neighbor's grape vine." our neighbors are very elderly and don't use their fruits and veggies that they have growing in their yard and he always says, "if you want some, just come get 'em." so i picked the grapes off the vine that separates our yards, and this is the result.. beautiful grape juice. it is such a fun thing to do and is so much better for you than store-bought stuff. not to mention, inexpensive. it has also been fun hanging out with katie, my friend from work, learning together! thanks girls.

me, and the "fruits" of my labor..
in their new home in the pantry

i think this is my favorite picture. they look so good!

oh, and i forgot to mention that my mom and i have bonded doing this together too, it has felt good to have my mommy here.

.why.

2009-09-23T00:14:00.000-06:00

i just have so many questions as to why?

it just hurts.

2009-09-13T22:04:00.002-06:00

so, i'm at work and super bored. thought this looked fun. all the ones in bold are things i've completed. see how much you've done!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (acutally lived there)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (i think i was in 5th grade)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (does repelling count?)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason (love ya, cam)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Riden on a speeding motorcycle (dad!)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (rabbit :))
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (i like to think i do that at work sometimes)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (always rubbin' it in, huh)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

i guess i've done a few things in my day. try it.

.operation smile :).

2009-09-06T21:44:00.007-06:00

i am SO excited about this post.! i have always wanted to do a medical mission, even before i wanted to be a nurse, but i have always thought that you had to pay your way to go on one, and with trips to rural foreign lands costing a small fortune, i thought that would be something i'd do when i'm older, and a little less poor. well, come to find out, operation smile doesn't cost a lot at all, $500 to be exact..and you can go on any of their amazing missions. i have a friend i work with who does them every year, and she just NOW tells me that they pay your way there after the $500! okay, so i'm frantically getting my resume, references, and licenses in order, because i'm going to do OPERATION SMILE! it may not be til later in 2010, but i'm doing it, for sure! plus, if you do nights over there, they waive your $500, and you go free! food, lodging, and flights are taken care of! i'm so grateful i came to work in the pacu because you need er, pacu, or peds experience to go..so i would be doing recovery after surgery. anyway, i've been looking at missions, and there are SO MANY wonderful places i'd love to go, some of which are: brazil (then cam could come later and play with me), africa, egypt, india, asia, phillipines, and vietnam to name a few. this is just so exciting i can barely stand it. anyway, if you are some of my medical friends (melissa, you're coming too!) and you want to go, we could get a group together! i even think i have an anesthesiologist who wants to join in. so, this is an invitation to change your life and the lives of those beautiful children. take care.

.it's game day.

2009-09-02T21:40:00.002-06:00

oh yes, everyone. the UTAH FOOTBALL season will officially start tomorrow! i cannot express my excitement and anticipation for this season. cameron and i have purchased season tickets and will be attending all the home games! i'm sort of a freak about UTES football, so hopefully with our new quarterback, we can keep our good reputation going from last year. we are prepared to take a few losses (we can't expect a season like last year!!) but hopefully we can have some really good wins, too. GO UTES!

.the lp.

2009-08-26T14:42:00.009-06:00

well, it was time again to visit this beautiful place. cameron and i were able to go with my family this time and, boy, was it action packed...as always.

this is my old man, he still has "skills" we were lucky enough to borrow an air chair this trip.. and i think we're all sold that we need to purchase one for next year. it was SO MUCH FUN.

me on my new favorite powell toy...the air chair. i don't wanna brag, but i was pretty skilled..first time.
and of course, my hubby, cameron, had some serious "skills" too.

it really is easy, and it is not tiring like skiing or wakeboarding. just like sitting in a chair.

and of course. the boys had to "battle tube."
here's cam mid-air, going to take out huey.

and another mid-air shot.

some other highlights..

16 of the 21 people getting the flu and puking our guts out for a day or so
grandma having her picture taken every day asleep in the hammock..she looked dead
the kiddos keeping us entertained
my fun ride with maysen on the "jeep" tube
playing mormon bridge
playing the train game
super yummy food...even though we all were sick half the time
jenn's first trip with the bennetts. she did awesome.
and of course, cam and i on garbage duty the last day

.wow. LOVE picnik!

2009-08-12T16:04:00.008-06:00

ok, my friend, katie, stated that this website http://www.picnik.com/ was blog-worthy..and boy, was she right. i know that i'm not smart enough or have enough patience to learn photo-shop. but picnik has a lot of editting capabilities and it's FREE. look what i can do...

mels..these two kiddos are georgous. hope you don't mind me "bloggin" them.

.bath time.

2009-08-11T12:55:00.000-06:00

so funny, belle. think she loves bath time? no.

.done.

2009-08-11T12:49:00.005-06:00

well, it's finally done. I can't imagine having this type of construction INSIDE my house, the outside construction is AWFUL. anyway, karen, here are our pictures..

in the middle of construction

all done

side door to the house, with stamped concrete

we really like it, and it was built by tuff-shed, can you believe that!?

.let down.

2009-08-04T01:17:00.003-06:00

i am SO upset. how can you eliminate someone that can do 6-7 flawless pirouettes in every routine he does. i cannot believe that he was eliminated over evan. ade, i will so miss you. you really are the gentle giant...and melissa...i loved you too. the show will not be the same. :(

watch ade's solo...unbelievable!

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

.list.

2009-07-22T05:05:00.002-06:00

i am sitting at work, it's 415 am, and i don't have anything to do while i'm waiting for my patient to come out of surgery. so i thought i'd get on and jot down some thoughts.

- i love raging waters. cameron and i went last saturday, just the two of us, and had a blast. it's a lot more fun than i remember it being. the tall, tall slides were my favorite, even though it took a good bit of coaxing from cameron to get me to try it. i've gotten whimpy in my old age. if you haven't been, GO...it's fun.

- i think that i could really be onto something here. you know how every single american is looking to find the fastest, easiest way to lose some unwanted pounds? well, i know the answer. just bottle up whatever potent bug i ate last week and in no time you'll be shedding the pounds. i lost 7 pounds due to severe food poisoning. good times, the toilet and i really bonded.

- i woke up a couple days ago at my usual time after a night shift...2 pm. it dawned on me that I'M SLEEPING MY WHOLE SUMMER AWAY! ugh. so from here on out, i'm doing something productive or fun on my days off...every day.

- i really like my calling. i teach rs once a month. it's a great job, just once a month, and i feel like i'm actually growing spiritually.

- i'm annoyed because the life flight helicopter keeps circling the hospital and it shakes the whole room i'm sitting in. it's loud. land already.

- oh, i don't think i've posted about our massive garage that we're building yet. it has been quite a project (for the workers, at least) and as of next week it will be done! stucco is getting done monday. love it.

- my brother is graduating from nursing school in 2 months so if you know of any job openings let me know. believe it or not, there is actually not a lot of people hiring for rns, even though there's a shortage. health care, ridiculous.

- my sister might be getting married soon. shocked!

- and last, but not least, i'm obsessed! with my nintendo DS. i just got done with a 2 hour session of zelda and i'm disappointed i can't keep going, but my eyes hurt and i'm getting dizzy. that was a GREAT $120 time waster! but if i didn't have SO MUCH time to waste...maybe i wouldn't need one. oh, and if you have one, try professor layton and the curious village. FABULOUS.

to all of you who actually read this...you're in need of a time waster. get a DS. :)

love, ash

ps, wanna give a shout out to my friend melissa...who just had her 2nd baby girl. welcome, avonlea. can't wait to meet you.!

.testimony.

2009-07-05T20:41:00.003-06:00

ok, so usually i don't post spiritual stuff, not because i don't have a testimony, but because i usually find this stuff more private. until today. we had such a great lesson on joy in RS today, and it really made me realize that i need to work on my testimony. the main point of the lesson was to find joy in everything, even in the midst of a difficult trial. it is so easy to forget about the eternal plan when you're faced with trials, such as infertility. i have been strengthened and empowered today and i hope to keep that momentum going to better myself and my marriage. life is so good, i'm lucky to have all the blessings that i do. thank you to all who care about us and have given us hope and faith. we love you all.

.the new wife.

2009-07-01T15:33:00.001-06:00

tacky photo, yes. but here is cameron's new wife. drastic, i know. what do ya think??

.frustration.

2009-06-18T16:27:00.004-06:00

i am SO frustrated! i'm a HUGE fan of so you think you can dance. and i'm so shocked at how great all the couples are and just can't really bear to see any one of them go tonight!

i will try and rate the couples from my top picks to the bottom, but really NONE of them deserve to go. does anyone else agree that this season of dancers is FABULOUS..i can't wait to see what surprises come this season!

1. kayla and max (i love kayla, she is so deserving and picks up so quick)

2. melissa and ade (i think ade will progress the most, and love that melissa is a ballerina)

3. phillip and jeanine (these two are just adorable together)

4. ashley and kupono (ashley is georgous, and their dance last night gave me chills)

5. karla and jonathan (they are a cute couple, and didn't deserve to be in the bottom last week)

6. randi and evan (they are growing on me, i liked last week better than this week)

7. jeanette and brandon (they did a fantastic disco that made me move to the groove)

8. caitlin and jason (she is phenomenal, but i just haven't been impressed with either routine)

9. auska and vitolio (she bugs, and he is just adorable and humble)

.our truck.

2009-06-04T11:54:00.005-06:00

ive hesitated to post about this, since the item in not quite in our possession yet, but cameron and i bought a new truck. we got it for a steal on ebay and currently it is on a big truck coming to slc from maine. its a very nice family car and as much as id rather have an suv, trucks really are convenient when trying to do yardwork, go the drive in, or go on vacation. it even has a dvd player so i can watch movies while cam drives. ha ha. its a Ford F-150 and its a dark brown color. so, here's to our new set of wheels.

thank goodness the contractors will be starting construction on our new garage (or should i say, warehouse) next week so that we can feel better about the safety of our vehicles, not to mention the luxury of not having to scrape the car off in the winter!!