Flipped

have you ever been so crazy about a certain guy or gal that you just can't think straight? that's exactly how julianna baker has felt bout bryce loski...since she was seven. she's chased him around and daydreamed about sharing her first kiss with him for more than six years now but does that mean bryce feels the same way? nope. bryce has wanted nothing to do with juli and has spent the past six years scheming to get away from her.

flipped was written from bryce and juli's point of view, switching narration from chapter to chapter. it was fun to see both sides of the story.

Eleven

yep, that's my beautiful daughter, alexis, and she turns 11 years old today! she has grown and began to mature into a beautiful young lady.

she wanted a nail party for her and all her girl friends. it was a blast! the fabulous emily was happy to oblige. alexis and her girlfriends.

and even though she didn't want a cake, she still wanted a candle.

happy birthday beautiful!

alexis stats:

weight - 81 lbs

height - 5 ft 1 in

compare her stats from last year

Be Mine

we are all excited for valentines day and have even been using this awesome little countdown to keep us on track.

you can make your own here.

i wanted to make homemade valentines for the girls to take to their teachers and found some cute ideas here and here.

totally cute huh?!

and for their classmates we chose.....these!

these lucky ladies have an awesome grandma who loves them and made them each their own pj's embroidered with their name. i'm jealous!

i hope you day was full of love!

mine was!

xoxo

Family Time

we were supposed to go rappelling with some friends up around the salt river but when those plans fell through we decided to make the most of our little outing.

we were all ready to spend some time outdoors and couldn't wait to stretch our legs.

we just walked around. and it was a blast! these monkeys just like to be outdoors and we have been having the best weather...win! win!

2 against 1? jay, those don't look like good odds.

be nice girls!

ariana had a minor meltdown and had to spend some time calming down. lol

look at these crazy roots!

strong enough to hold up this kiddo.

and they made a good fort too.

we hope to go rappelling soon but enjoyed our family time!

Mr. and Mrs. Dee Giles

we were happy when dee told us he had a girlfriend. we were excited when they were engaged. we were absolutely thrilled to be at their wedding. we love dee and are so happy he has found his eternal companion. congrats love birds!

at the reception, they had a caricature artist. does this look like us?

One Year Ago

february 11, 2010 was one of the most difficult days i have had in my life.

i found out that i was not pregnant.

jay and i knew before we got married that in order to add children to our family we would have to do ivf, in vitro fertilization. we went through a series of tests and more tests and i was put on hormones to control my cycles. i was at the doctor weekly and then daily for blood draws. the egg harvest went well and we had 7 embryos fertilize. two of those made it to the blast stage and were transferred into my uterus. we prayed for heavenly fathers will to be done. we prayed that we would accept the outcome either way. but when i received that phone call, that negative result crushed me. i couldn't control my tears. the following days were a blur. i would pull myself together for the girls and then come unglued when i was alone at home.

this year i have been trying to learn why we had to go through this. i never used to think twice about infertility. did you know that 6,000,000 women deal with infertility? i didn't. i have a much greater respect for those women. every day i am reminded of how blessed i am to already have 3 of heavenly father's children entrusted to my care.

i know that heavenly father heard our prayers. i know that he will answer our prayers. if you are struggling with infertility or know someone who is, pray! our savior has felt all of our pains and he wants to help us get through them. heavenly father will hear your prays and will send his spirit to comfort you when you need it. please know that i love you. and that my heart aches with you and longs to rejoice with you.

Before and After

ariana has had some pretty crazy hair in the mornings and i thought it was about time to document it so i have some leverage when she brings home her first boyfriend.

before - 6:30 am

she had a really hard time keeping her eyes open but you get the point about the hair.

and after - 7:30 am

what a difference an hour can make!

Perfect Pleats Top

isn't this the cutest shirt?! you can find it at downeast basics for $22.99.

http://www.downeastbasics.com/perfectpleatstop.aspx

no thanks! i figured i could make my own version for much less! i saved more than 50%!

1. get two matching shirts
2. cut one into strips. i made mine 9in long and 1in thick.

3. now get sewing!

i was pretty pleased with my first attempt and i'll be making more for sure!

Chocoholic's Paradise

glendale's chocolate affaire is described as "a delicious assult on the senses." and for good reason! there were thirty chocolate purveyors, a tour of glendale's own chocolate factory, cerreta's and so much more. we enjoyed the tour but wished they had more samples! lol they had a 500lb santa and fresh chocolate dipped strawberries! it was an interesting look behind the scenes. i know now that i do not want to ever work in a candy factory! i wanted to eat everything in sight!
all i did eat, and share, was a chocolate covered cheesecake. oh man was it gooooood!

my sisters and i had no reserves about getting our fair share!

it was so rich that the three of us couldn't even finish it!