Brian, Melanie, and 3 active boys

random derek video

2009-04-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

The hilarity we all experience daily.

Extreme Hutch Makeover

2009-02-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited for my hutch transformation! A few months ago my sister in law got a steal of a deal on a black hutch from an overstock furniture store. Of course they were gone by the time I went to check and see if there were any more left. So I decided to create my own. I bought an oak hutch on craigslist that I got down to 150 dollars. I removed the doors, primed it, took out the two center supports and painted it dark kettle black, the same color we painted our built-in entertainment unit. I even kept the original hardware - I primed it and then sprayed it with appliance epoxy spray paint in stainless steel. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it turned out, and I'm so excited to show you all! It took hours, but it was so worth it!

Carter's Annual Cub Scout Blue and Gold Dinner

2009-02-27T21:22:00.001-08:00

Keeping the tissue paper sucked onto the straw relay game

Derek and Tyler joined in as well

This photo says so many things to me. Carter looks sharp as ever, and I am so proud to be his mom. He's growing up, old enough to be in Cub Scouts, understand respect for the flag, etc. I love you Carter and you make us so proud!

Carter and the Cub Scouts all lined up

Nascar Weekend at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA

2009-02-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

Our favorite Driver (Brian, Melanie, Carter#99 Carl Edwards!)
Derek still favors Tony Stewart who now races for Office Depot, and Tyler is yet to be determined.

WE LOVE NASCAR!

Racing under the lights

Last weekend was great - it was our annual trip to Auto Club Speedway! On Friday we watched the qualifying, Friday night we stayed at a hotel nearby in Ontario, and Saturday we went to the double header race - the truck series and then the nationwide series. We look forward to this every year, it become an annual tradition for us!

Its Nascar Time, Baby!!

2009-02-27T21:00:00.001-08:00

Could those big brown eyes get any bigger? I can always count on Derek for his multi-faceted facial expressions!

Tyler enjoying himself

Melanie studiously watching the race and keeping tabs on #99 - Carl Edwards!

Brian and Tyler enjoying the race

Bad, Bad KITTY!!!!!!

2009-02-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, some of you who have Facebook know of what happened yesterday, but for those in the blogging world, I'll reshare my story. And yes, I actually said the word pissed.

Here was my status update yesterday: Melanie is pissed.... literally. The cat of all places decided to pee (why??!!) on my white linen upholstered chair from Pottery Barn...... bad bad kitty!!!!!!!!

Yesterday morning I was taking some clothes off of my WHITE linen upholstered chair from POTTERY BARN that is in our master bedroom when all of the sudden I noticed a big yellow spot on the seat of the chair. I leaned down and smelled it, and let me tell you, it wasn't human pee. I had Brian verify my suspicions, and lo and behold, it was CAT PEE.... nasty x 100!!!! Our cat Bart must of done it when we didn't realize he was roaming in the house or one of the kids let him in without us knowing.....

So yes, I'm pissed. The "S" word... SHELTER came into my mind as well as Brian's instantly. But you know what? I actually don't want to take him there! I love him and he is a part of our family... although he is definitely BANISHED to the outside world unless he's sleeping at night in the garage (which has had no accidents since there's a litterbox in there)

Hold the phone.... Melanie is turning compassionate towards her pets???!!!

So now the clothes are on the "sanitize" cycle and the cushion is going to get the washing of all washings.... we'll see how this all turns out. I'll keep you posted. (By the way, I thought this picture that I found on google would be an appropriate photo for this post as it looks just like him)

Now I'm going to take a deep breath and go see how the clothes turned out.....

Yes, we raise Monkeys....

2009-02-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

More proof that we have BOYS.................

Time with the Nieces!

2009-02-08T15:33:00.001-08:00

Emily being a ham for me

My new niece Mallory (Cheryl's daughter)

Me & Mallory Kate Robbins

Me & Emily - she said cheese!

I took a well needed break from the kiddos and drove down to San Diego to spend a day by myself to see my new niece Mallory and help watch Emily while Heidi and Jason moved. I enjoyed spending some quality time with both! I was so happy to get a photo with Emily smiling with me! Mallory is just adorable, I love that little girl so much already! I could of held her all day and stared at her the whole time. Cheryl is recovering quite well and Brady loves to hold his new "little shissher".

We're Back Online

2009-02-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened in the 2 months that we couldn't find our battery charger for our camera! Life kept us really busy through Christmas with Tyler in his spica cast, which was removed on January 19th. On January 15th Brian lost his dad, and January 16th was the passing of his Grandma Peters. We got to spend a lot of time with our extended families, and it made for some sweet memories. Tyler also started walking 6 days after his cast was off, which was miraculous.

Out of Order

2009-02-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone, we lost our camera battery charger and have been unable to take photos to upload to our blog.... Brian just FOUND it today in his laptop bag so we'll be up and running again shortly... stay tuned!

Tyler's Accident and Hospitalization

2008-12-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

Here's the photos of Tyler in his new spica cast at Loma Linda Hospital. Tyler and the boys were horsing around playing a "tripping game" Monday night when Tyler tripped and broke his femur bone.We did not realize that his leg was broken but we took him to urgent care since he looked like he was in a lot of pain. We thought maybe he twisted or tore a ligament in his knee. Urgent care did x-rays and then an ambulance was sent to transport him to Loma Linda Hospital. It was quite a serious break - a spiral femur fracture I believe is what they called it, although fracture I thought was a huge understatement when I saw the x-rays! His whole bone was split in two. We were in the hospital from Monday night to Tuesday afternoon.The team of orthopedic doctors that worked on getting him into his spica cast were wonderful and very informative.He is pretty much immobilized for the next 6 weeks at a minimum. We'll follow up with the orthopedic surgeon in 2 weeks. He has to wear a special seatbelt and must lay down in the car to transport him so we will be doing minimal driving during this time. We're all hanging in there and getting adjusted to our new routine. We're so thankful for our ward ,neighbors, and family who are making this transition easier.

Putting up the Christmas Tree

2008-12-15T13:08:00.001-08:00

The boys have been so excited to put up the Christmas tree this year! We got it up right after Thanksgiving, and we all had fun hanging ornaments and listening to Christmas music!

Gingerbread Sleighs at Mike and Maureen's in Idaho

2008-12-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

Mike and Maureen

A completed gingerbread sleigh!

Carter and Jackson working on theirs

Me and Tyler pausing for a break

We had so much fun staying with Mike and Maureen for the night and making gingerbread sleighs! Mom, Kristin, and Heather came up from SLC in my mom's 4-runner so it was fun making part of the roadtrip together!

Visiting my Alma Mater

2008-12-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

I haven't been back to BYU Idaho since a trip to see my old roomates back in the fall of 1998. It has been 10 years.... wow! It was so neat to go back on campus and see what's changed.... and a lot has! They now have the Rexburg Temple across the street from the campus, and they're definitely upgrading my adding new buildings, etc... I have so many fond memories of being there, so it was such a special experience to go back, even though we just took a quick walk to the bookstore and around campus.

I'm LOSING it!!!

2008-12-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

Well, literally.... depends on the day. But I am losing it.... the extra weight! I've hit a total of 35 pounds so far since I started the Optifast program through Kaiser at the end of September. It has been hard, but SO worth it! I feel so much better, inside and out. Anyways, I've been keeping it quiet, but I'm so excited! I am so thankful for my mom and Brian who have been such a good support base for me. I'll keep you updated with my journey! :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

Well, after taking a 2 month siesta from blogger, we're BACK! Now with a new computer, a new internet service (so it doesn't take about 10 min just for 4 pics to upload), and a working digital camera! (Memory card wasn't working, so we shoved a piece of cardboard in there, and voila... works like new!) I have a lot to upload still from the last 2 months, but figured we'd get started with some Christmas pictures!

Carter and Derek

An outtake (thanks Derek)

The whole family (not pictured: Bart, the family cat)

I've been Tagged

2008-10-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

10 years ago I...
1. Graduated from Ricks College - now BYU Idaho
2. Was carrying 19 credits there while being engaged and planning a wedding at the same time
3. Married my sweetheart Brian.
4. Got food poisoning with Brian from Chuck A Rama and we ended up with IV's in the emergency room side by side. (how romantic....... right)
5. Was riding horses for my environmental biology class.

Things on my "to do" list...
1. Finish cleaning the house - is it actually possible to have all rooms of the house clean at once?
2. Work further on my digital scrapbooking.
3. Catch up on the budgeting and finances
4. Finish painting the bedroom furniture
5. Finish cleaning and organizing my craft room

Snacks I enjoy...

1. Chocolate covered pretzels
2. Nacho cheese Doritos
3. A handful of almonds and raisins
4. Just about anything chocolate
5. Crunching on baby carrots

If I were a millionaire I would...
1. Pay off our house
2. Set aside money for college and missions
3. Travel, travel, travel!!!
4. Contribute towards humanitarian projects
5. Get my sisters into their own houses too!

Places I have been...
1. New York City
2. Washington DC
3. Freeport, Maine
4. Nassau, Bahamas
5. Canada

Jobs I've had...
1. Babysitter
2. Cashier at TJMaxx
3. Cashier at Office Depot (where Brian and I secretly dated and kept it a secret for 3 months) Aisle 2 is still a fond memory for us, that's where he would kiss me!
4. Medical Transcription/Medical Record Review
5. Real estate agent

I tag... anyone who would like to do this too!

Apple Picking at Riley's Farm

2008-10-11T23:07:00.001-07:00

Today we took the boys up to Riley's Farm in Oak Glen to go apple picking - they have something called u-pick where you can purchase a bag/basket and then go fill it up with fresh apples off the tree.

The boys had fun each taking turns picking apples, it was so fun to watch it!

The weather was in the 50's, it made for the perfect day! By the way, the apples were juicy, crisp, and delicious! We are so excited that we even made a fire in the fireplace tonight - The first one of the season!

Key West, Florida and the snorkeling mishap

2008-08-27T11:53:00.001-07:00

Some of the beautiful homes on the Key West shoreline

One of the 2 boats that was taken out to snorkel (we were on the other)

Our third destination was to Key West, Florida. It was absolutely beautiful! The water was gorgeous, it was a blueish teal color. Since we had so much fun on the jetskis yesterday, we decided to rent jetskis again. Since it was first thing in the morning we got the whole bay to ourselves! There was no traffic - just imagine having Mission Bay all to yourselves! We had a 4 mile radius to stay in, and it was just us! The waves were still choppy from hurricane fay, so needless to say we got some AIR with those jetskis. I got up to 52 miles an hour, and then hurriedly slowed down as I calculated how far I would of gotten thrown if I had biffed it on one of the waves. Unfortunately our underwater camera was the only thing we could bring so I'll have to post those pictures later from the CD that was made for those ones.

Then right after our hour of jetskis, we went straight to our sail and snorkel adventure. This was quite the..... adventure. Let me tell you a funny and TRUE (yes, I can laugh about it now that its over) about what really happened snorkeling.

We got on the sail boats which took us an hour out to the 3rd largest barrier reef in the world. The water was pretty choppy (thanks a lot fay) it was more like snorkeling in the ocean since the waves was so choppy. We got on our gear and jumped off the boats to go take a look around. I kept getting mouthfuls of saltwater, which at this time its about 2pm and the breakfast that I had eaten that morning was long gone. So, mouthfuls of saltwater on an empty stomach. After about 1/2 hour of snorkeling around the reef I got this overwhelming feeling of uneasiness and swam back to the boat, got my gear off, and grabbed a cup at the bar - and I threw up. After that not so lovely incident I went to go sit down and collapse where I had on the way to the reef. Only I noticed that it wasn't our stuff sitting there. It as someone else's. Then it hit me. My head swung around to the left and then I realized it............ I WAS ON THE WRONG BOAT. Oh, it just keeps getting better and better! Since they had an exact head count on the boats, I needed to go back to my boat. Could they drive the boat over there? NOPE, I had to swim it. I took a few minutes to compose myself and then grabbed some of my gear and jumped off the boat again to swim over to the boat I was actually supposed to be on. Those pictures are on the underwater camera too, so I need to get the CD to upload those pics. What a day!

Coco Cay, Bahamas

2008-08-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Sunscreen 101: This is what happens when you dont put on sunscreen - rainy day or not!!!

The fleet of jet skis

our cruise ship out in the distance, they had to ferry us in since the water was too shallow for the cruiseliner.

Coco Cay is a private island in the Bahamas that Royal Caribbean owns so that was our second stop.

We were able to go snorkeling here and ride jet skis for the first time - we each paid to get our very own one to drive - a guide took us around the island . The water was beautiful as we zoomed out to different places, the water under us was clear - and it was translucent emerald green! Gorgeous. Snorkeling was fun too, unfortunately the water was murky (this is what we get for taking a cruise in hurricane season) - the waves were pretty choppy but we had fun anyways and got quite the workout swimming around with our fins.

Formal dinner night

2008-08-27T11:35:00.001-07:00

After touring Nassau for the day we got showered up and ready for our Formal Dinner night on the cruiseline. We sat directly across from another LDS couple from Utah that had just gotten married - and next to us we had a great Kosher couple as well. The 6 of us had a great time talking at dinners during the week!

I got my dress off of ebay of course - it was brand new, and I was able to get it for 90 dollars with shipping - the retail on it was around 600 dollars. I was so excited to wear it! I haven't had anything to get this dressed up for in a while - not since PROM and my wedding day! So I decided I was going to do it right. (Oh yes - as I'm sure you noticed - Brian finally shaved his head!)

Nassau - Part two: Sunshine!!!

2008-08-27T11:26:00.001-07:00

The rain went away for a few hours and we were able to get a better look at the water - this is what I came for!!! The water is just absolutely breathtaking!! The sand is incredible - its a light beige color - so clean, so unspoiled!!

We were the first ones on the beach since we didn't care if we had to swim in the rain or not - and we got to be the first ones to take pictures of the unspoiled beach before all the footprints were embedded in the sand from others.

I wish we would of been able to snorkel, this water was just incredible! You could see down about 30 feet without any equipment. It still takes my breath away. (After being here, I dont know how we can ever go to a San Diego beach again)

I still can't believe we made it here! I can't wait to come back one day again!!

Nassau, Bahamas Part one: RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

2008-08-27T11:16:00.001-07:00

We took a taxi over to Paradise Island to go to the beach and to see the hotel Atlantis. Our snorkeling adventure got cancelled due to the rain. That was a bummer!

Inside the Atlantis hotel

The Atlantis hotel across the bay on Paradise Island.

Well, the first day in Nassau - it was pouring rain! We decided to make the best of it and got in our swim clothes and then went to tour Nassau - we didn't come this far just to sit on the boat! We got drenched head to toe, but it was worth it! The drivers on Nassau are absolutely crazy - it reminded me of New York City back in 2001. I was honestly worried that we would make it unscathed to Paradise Island.

Lightning Strikes on the waters.....

2008-08-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

Our cabin stateroom

Monday night Brian went out to take some pictures of the nasty thunder and lightning storm that was raging on the open waters.

Bahamas Vacation: Day 1 Sunday/Monday

2008-08-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Our hotel suite in Miami the night before the cruise

Checking in for the cruise

On the cruise ship in the main lobby - Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas

The Miami downtown coastline

Brian and I were lucky enough to go on the trip of a lifetime! My wonderful mom flew down from Utah so that Brian and I could go on a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate our 10th anniversary. I've always wanted to see the gorgeous waters of the Caribbean for my own eyes. It was so worth it!

Brian and I went to Sacrament meeting and then we drove ourselves to the Ontario airport, and flew out to Fort Lauderdale, FL. We stayed overnight in Miami hotel - the hilton - we were able to get a suite and it only cost us 70 bucks on hotwire!

Dancing at Seaport Village

2008-08-11T10:14:00.001-07:00

The kids got into the music for a little bit - I thought the photos were too cute!

I heart Craigslist!

2008-08-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

As you know, I just love craigslist, and this is my newest find! It's a pottery barn white linen oversized chair! They still had it wrapped from their move. It's in great condition, and it was only 75 dollars. I put it in our master bedroom, where I was wanting to put an oversized white chair. Gutsy with kids, but I love it!

The Crazy Hat Shoppe

2008-08-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a fun weekend with my sisters and mom - we went swimming in the morning, took a nap in the afternoon, and then went to Seaport Village! The kids rode the Carousel, saw a juggler with fire sticks, and we had lots of fun trying on all the crazy hats in the crazy hat shoppe!

4th of July

2008-08-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

On the 4th of July we enjoyed spending time with Kevin and Marilyn's family, as well as taking a swim at the Hadad's in the afternoon. Tyler had no fear of the water, and loved being underwater and would even smile at you underwater! He loved jumping off the ledge into the water! He's definitely a water baby! Now time for those swimming lessons...

Our 10th Anniversary!

2008-08-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

The morning of our anniversary I woke up to lots of roses- in the kitchen, the dining room table, and by the big screen TV. We can't believe how fast the time has flown! We got a babysitter for the kids and enjoyed the day at Glen Ivy swimming in their mineral pools and spas and then went to Corona for massages. It made for a great relaxing day!

Carter's End of School Awards

2008-08-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

At Carter's end of the year assembly, he received two awards! One award was from the principal called the Principal's Award, and the other was a library award with a medal. We're really proud of Carter doing great job in school!

A "Carterism"

2008-07-08T19:27:00.001-07:00

Carter to Brian: Why don't you call your dad by his name? (Paul)
Brian to Carter: Because he's my dad, so I call him dad
Carter to Brian: Well can I call you Brian?
Brian to Carter: No, you can call me Dad.
Carter: So does that mean you should call us all "kids?" (instead of Carter, Derek, Tyler)

Classic!

And just right now at the table Carter just asked me, "Mom, when you were a kid did you watch TV in black and white?"

Wow. I guess I really am getting old!

Tyler's 911 call and 1st Ambulance Ride

2008-06-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

As you can see we had quite the scare yesterday. It was just after 7pm, and I was sitting on the patio watching the boys play. Tyler was up walking on the ledge on our patio and he fell off landing straight on his head. I screamed and then ran and picked him up and noticed the deep gash in his head. I knew it was going to get real bad since with head injuries you have a lot of blood. I grabbed the phone and called 911 to get an ambulance out, and there was blood everywhere, it was just running out all over him and me. Carter got our next door neighbor Keith who is a police officer and he helped me get him laying on his side and what to do. I didn't realize that we have a 10 minute response time. They made it in about 7 min. That was scary. The paramedics and fire dept got his carseat out of the van and they strapped that to the gurney and then took us to the closest hospital. Good old Hemet Valley Medical Center. It was busy there, and I kid you not, they took him off the gurney in his carseat and placed him on a chair in the GENERAL WAITING ROOM where we stayed for almost 3 hours. Unbelieveable. That's a story in itself. He got 4 staples in his head and he has been a real trooper. He's home with us now taking it easy.

Incriminating Photo of Brian #3

2008-06-05T13:59:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, Brian says that he can fall asleep practically anywhere. So I have had fun over the years documenting this incriminating yet funny evidence. There was the famous falling asleep on the ottoman, falling asleep on the wood floor - and this one gets both - he fell asleep on the wood floor with his feet ON the ottoman last night. I had to threaten him with pulling his ankles across the wood floor to our bedroom before he would get up.

This is SO fun to do! Now I guess I better show Brian what I did. :-)

Tyler's New Body Art

2008-06-04T14:37:00.001-07:00

This is why I believe in ONLY washable markers for kids! I was going through real estate paperwork and catching up on email at the kitchen table when lo and behold, Tyler emerged from my craft room with some pretty cool artwork.... on himself. I THOUGHT (first mistake) he was watching Derek play a computer game. As much as I believe in only having washable markers which are SO worth the extra buck, I must admit we do have sharpies from Brian's work around the house, all of which SHOULD be out of reach. Emily Watts, a popular book author states that parents who have Sharpies in the house deserve whatever they get. I hope we never have to post that one on a blog... "knock on wood"....

Twister with Grandma!

2008-06-04T14:29:00.001-07:00

Derek showing off his cool moves

My mom came down to our place on Sunday on their way from Utah to San Diego to say hi to us and the grandkids. Kristin and my mom were making a trip to get the rest of Kristin's stuff moved up to Utah. Grandma was a great sport and accepted an invitation by Carter to play Twister.

Kristin played "airplane" with the boys too. Brian came home just in time from another church meeting in time to say hello and visit with my mom and kristin too.

It made for a fun Sunday afternoon!

Little Boys + Dirt = Lots of MUD

2008-06-04T14:18:00.001-07:00

While we were outside organizing the garage, carter and derek decided to make "waterfalls" in the dirt.... aka a muddy mess. Of course Derek always takes it a step further and really got into it. The poor kid got a cold hose clean-off before he was allowed into the house, but hey, that's what you get when you're in the mud! Boys will be boys....

Honey... Repair the sink please!

2008-06-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well, our faucet bit the dust, it decided that it would only spray out the back and drain underneath, so Brian went out and did his "man job" and exchanged it at lowes for another and reinstalled another one. He hates any kind of plumbing jobs, but he was flying out to the Bay area for a work conference and we would of been without a sink for about 4 days. Tyler decided he would be the "light man" and would help daddy see better with a glowstick. I thought it was so cute!

The long awaited..... BATHROOM PICS!!!

2008-05-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Isn't it beautiful! We love it... just need to touch up some paint and put the crown moulding valance on the blinds, and we're done! Well, at least the mold issue has brought something good out of it!

Another view of the bathroom, we saved the tub to save on $$ and had the tile around it like it was previously

I refinished the dingy oak cabinet to a nice ebony color, I painted it with foam brushes so I wouldn't get brush lines and added new hardware

You always have to do a before and after photo to appreciate it! This is a look of the bathroom before we bought the house. Yes, that's pink tile trim folks. And a lot of soap scum on that glass door. The pink poofy valance went down pronto after we bought the house, plus we had the walls painted cottage white. Now they're a nice grayish blue. Also gone is the faux wood tile. Yes, the tile was faux wood looking. Interesting.

Well, it took a lot longer than expected and cost a lot more than we thought, but overall we are very happy with it, and we are even more grateful that we were just able to pay it off. Nope, homeowners insurance didn't cover it. Slow seepage isn't covered, so beware if you know of a leak! And a lot of homeowners policies have mold excluded from it. It sure is nice to be able to put this all behind us!

Memorial Day Elder's Quorum Football Game

2008-05-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

Monday morning the guys met and played a game of football. The weather was great, and even though Brian stood on the sidelines due to his previous ankle injury, we all had a great time! We both had fun taking action shots with our camera. Even our boys enjoyed some tutorials from the Barragan's on how to throw and catch a football!

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-05-28T09:19:00.001-07:00

oops

2008-05-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

OK, sorry, its the active 5, not brianandmelanie5, I keep getting confused about the new address!

Laundry.... loads of fun???!!!

2008-05-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

When your 8 year old can climb within the laundry pile and hide, you know its outta control! One thing is for sure.... death and taxes and......... laundry. lots of laundry. loads of fun, right???

Our new cat named Bart

2008-05-27T21:10:00.001-07:00

And no, that's not the name we gave him! :-) We were given a cat by a friend of ours who was going through a divorce and losing their home. Bart is 4 years old. Derek has really wanted a cat for a while now, but unfortunately I am definitely allergic. Bart was an indoor/outdoor cat at his previous house, and now he's mainly an outdoor cat but we let him inside for a few minutes at a time and my allergies have been just fine as long as its short times.

We have already found a dead gopher and mouse, so we're pretty happy that he's keeping the landscaping clear of annoying pests! He is really a sweet cat, after all, what cat do you know that will let a 5 year old and a 2 year old hold him like that and not freak out!! Derek and Tyler just LOVE petting Bart, and he's been OK with that too! He also says "hello"... no joke! (Sounds like hewwwooh???) It's fun to see Derek and Tyler enjoy their new pet. And besides,a cat that will let two little boys hold him like the pics, its hard not to love him!

Carter's Baptism

2008-05-27T20:59:00.001-07:00

Carter was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on May 3rd. He turned 8 on April 18th. Wow, we cant believe how time has flown! This has always been a landmark in our marriage (one day Carter will turn 8..... no, that's so far away!) Well, that day has come! It was a beautiful day, we celebrated his birthday on the same day so that family coming in from out of town could be there for both. We had a bouncy house, pizza, and a great time spending time with family and friends!

The baptism was simple and just beautiful. I cried once the opening song started and I bawled my way through the baptism and confirmation, it was just so emotional for me - but I was so happy! I was so proud of Carter and watching him grow into the boy he is now.... he just blows me away with his sensitivity to the spirit, his strength in the gospel, and his testimony. I just feel amazed that we have been blessed with such a special child. I also thought of my dad during this time, and knowing that he was there, even though he was on the other side of the veil. I felt a deep sense of gratitude to my Heavenly Father and I truly felt of the joy that is meant for all of us to feel. The church is TRUE!!!!

Our blog address has changed

2008-05-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

I decided to change our blog address at Brian's request - he was concerned with the fact that it had my first and last name in the address due to privacy issues on the internet, so I decided to change it to brianandmelanie5 so the last name is not displayed. So, please update our new address!