I updated...wahoo!!

Geez!  I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated the blog!  Shame on me! 

Lot's has happened since we found out in July that we are going to have a new baby join our family...I'll give you the short version of some of the important events and a few pics to go along with (so you don't get bored reading!)...

~My brother Mark and his family came to visit this summer.  It really was a lot of fun

to have them stay with us!  We did lot's of fun stuff together like

 swimming, spending time with family, and more swimming! 

Finally...updated family pics...

 too bad they got outdated the very next day when my sis had her baby...oh well...maybe next summer?!

~the kids were signed up, enjoyed, and passed level 1 of swimming lessons! 

By the end of the session they were both swimming under water like fish...they absolutely loved it!

and I couldn't have been prouder of them both...they have my love for the water!

~I attended the I Heart Faces photography workshop in Park City...it was amazing! 

Super informative, learned lots, took lots and LOTS of pics (you can see some of them here),

met some pretty amazing people, and made some new friends!

 Plus it was free (i won the giveaway spot to the workshop!)

...what more could you ask for?!

hey that's me...

~Went camping at Tanner's Flatts with the Marsh Family...had lots of fun as always!  If I wasn't lazy...i would have edited these and put these in a collage...but i don't care that much right now! 

Clayton with Gma Debbie...

being silly...

smore kisses with auntie rachel...

zach teaching the kids how to save the world...

Dave being our cook...jer observing :)

~Went to the Temple and did family names with Mark and Amber! 

Such an amazing spiritual experience to do the work for our ancestors...it made it so much more special! 

From baptism to sealings...it was awesome!  

~The kids spent 1 WHOLE week in Boise, Idaho with my Mom and Mike...they had a blast! 

 It was a nice break...but we missed them like crazy! 

~Jer started school...

working on an Executive Masters of Public Administration at the University of Utah

~I photographed a wedding in August

~My lil sis had her baby Aug. 15th...we love little Aly to pieces!

~Aspen started 2nd grade...

~Clayton started preschool...

~We went to the state fair...ate lots of junk food...

and watched the kids ride on every kiddie ride...

I got in trouble for taking their picture while they rode the ponies! 

I know i'm terrible for not wanting to pay $5 each for some dude to take a picture with his point and shoot camera...when i could take one for free with my professional camera...I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for the stupid pop up flash...i had forgotten to switch my settings after letting someone else take a picture on "auto"...oh well! 

~Jer and I celebrated our 1st anniversary with dinner at The Roof!  I totally stuffed myself...

and it was so good...

and a plus that I didn't throw it up later! 

~ Clayton had a birthday...September 22nd...he turned 5!! 

We celebrated with family and he was spoiled! (pics of that coming soon)

~Aspen and I went to Witches Night Out at Gardener Village with some friends...

we had lots of fun...like always! 

Aspen lasted longer this year...mostly because we did some shopping

...but then eventually she got "sick" of being around so many people! 

She takes after her dad in that way...doesn't like to be around big crowds!

If you look close you can see my 18 week baby bump...

~Halloween was lots of fun this year...but crazy running around everywhere...

We started earlier that day at the school parade...then after school we went to our friend John Johnson's house...so he could give the kids some yummy rootbeer...

then to Gma Darcy and Gpa John's and Dewitts,,,
then off to Gma Debbie and Gpa Dave's to trick or treat in their neighborhood...

we didn't even make it to my dad's because traffic was terrible!

Jer and I've decided that next year we are spending Halloween at home...

we'll take the kids around our own neighborhood, then pass out candy,

eat yummy food, and watch Harry Potter...doesn't that sound fun?!

The time has come that we are sick of running around all night! 

So, if you want to see the kids next year...you'll have to come to us!

Oh...and Aspen was Pippi Longstocking...and Clayton was a Skeleton Zombie :)

~On November 1st...we had our "real" ultrasound...baby looks good...healthy as can be!

Jer had a hard time trying to figure out what we were looking at...

but as soon as the lady passed by trying to see the belly button...I new it was a BOY! 

We both couldn't be happier and are so excited to have him join us in March! 

Clayton was super excited...and Aspen said "i wanted a girl" but then decided later it was going

to be fun to be the only girl...so far anyways! 

Clearly it's a boy!!

~We spent Thanksgiving with my family at my Dad's house...Jer was worried there would be tofu instead of turkey (we have some vegetarians in my family)...
I tried to assure him that my Dad would make sure we had turkey! 
We did...and it was delicious...especially with the mashed potatoes and gravy!

The only bad thing about not cooking your own dinner...is you don't get to have leftovers the next day :(

And that's all i have...for now! 

Aspen is doing really well in school...despite the fact she says she hates it.  I think she just hates waking up in the morning...getting ready...and the homework!  But she is doing great in Math and she's been reading chapter books on her own like crazy!  She had A's and B's at the end of the 1st term...which we were very happy about!

Clayton is growing like a weed!  Seriously he gets bigger and bigger every month!  He's enjoying preschool...learning his ABC's and counting to 20!  Which some people might say is easy peasy..and maybe your kids have been doing that since they were 2 years old...but I'm very proud of him!  He has never really been interested in singing nursery rhymes, learning his ABC's and 123's...basically anything school related until recently.  He's not dumb though...that kid is a memorizing and gadget fool...he knows how to use my iPod better than I do! 

Jer is enjoying school...i think?!  He's busy doing his homework, writing papers and such.  He's been working at the Red Cross full-time and just got offered a job to work at the Provo office being the Development and Community Relations Manager...basically he'll be taking care of all the fund-raising in provo.  It should be a really good job for him...and for us when I stop working after the baby comes...

I'm not super excited that he'll be working so far away...

especially with only a few months away til I have said baby...

but it will potentially give us the opportunity for good changes in the future

...maybe even the possibility of a new home?!  we'll see...

And me...well let's see...

I'm still working at the U...busy with Young Womens...

and doing some photography on the side (which i love!)

I'm 25 weeks preggo this week...ready for this little guy to join the family!

Being preggo this time around hasn't been the funnest...

I've been sicker, more tired, my body hurts more, and I'm bigger than i ever was with the other kids! 

Most of you already know that I only gained 11 and 12 pounds with Aspen and Clayton (don't worry they were both 8 pound babies)...well at my last appointment at 22 weeks I had already gained 10!

For some reason I think being older has made huge difference...it's harder at 28 than it was at 20 and 23! 

Jeremy laughs because he constantly hear's me say, "my back hurts!!!"

Any one else agree that its harder when your older?!

Baby boy is doing great also! 
He's measuring perfectly...heart beat sounds good...ultrasound says he looks good! 
It's scaring Jer a little bit that things are going so well! I'm just grateful...and hope he is just as good on the outside of my belly as he is on the inside!  The kids and Jer have all felt and seen him move inside my belly!  The kids love it...Jer thinks it's weird! 
It is a little alienish i guess..but I love being able to feel him swim inside me! 

Anyways, life is good!  I'll try to update more regularly...especially once I have more time when baby boy comes in March!  I'm REALLY looking forward to staying at home with my babies...and so grateful that I have a hubby that works so hard so that it will be possible! 

All the love in the universe~