For Your Viewing Pleasure

I'm too lazy to write a full update. Plus, not much has been happening, so here's a picture run-down of recent happenings. Enjoy!

Doesn't this look cozy?

Amelia loves pushing this little stroller around our cul-de-sac.

At the Governor's Gala. Don't worry, I'm not 6 months pregnant. This dress was just a little too big and not a flattering cut. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Picture of all the kids on our street playing one night. And, this is basically just our family and one other. Perfect, right? We love it.

Getting ready for a cruise.

I don't know what was happening here. Oh wait, it's a head shot for one of those "sponsor a poor foreign orphan" campaigns.

Um, someone's excited about being let loose in a puddle of water with no shoes on (this was on Daddy's watch).

Pumpkin painting with Grandma (who saved the day by watching my kids so I could get away for a few hours).

Pumpkin carving with Daddy.

The finished product.

How does a child go from this (see above) to this (see below) so quickly?

Amelia obviously wasn't a fan of the mullet. But I'll tell you who was...

Uh huh, looking good!

Amelia in her new winter coat that she loves wearing... in the house.

Oliver turns 4!! And more!!

Ok, so this is ALMOST a month late. But, my goal for getting this up was within a month of his b-day, so I'm doing just fine by my book.:) We had such a fun day together- doing all of Oliver's favorite things: library, pool, Provo Bakery for a doughnut, lots and lots of treats, and hamburgers for dinner. If it were up to me, I would have just stuck some candles in a cake and called it good. But, thanks to Aunt Julie, Oliver got balloons, a motorcycle for the top of his cake, and even a few more presents. (I'm not a big , extravagant birthday person, never have been, probably never will be.) Beau, Amy, Seth, and Julie all joined us for burgers and cake and it was a really great day for my sweet, little Oliver.
Oliver really is one of the sweetest, most tender boys. He loves to snuggle and give loves. He is very creative and can draw houses, cars, and trucks better than his Mom. He also knows how to write his entire alphabet (thank you, Super Why). He loves music and can pick up a tune and memorize a song within just a few times of hearing it. He's a very good imitator, too, just like his Daddy. He loves his little sister, Amelia and they play so well together (most of the time). He is VERY social- loves to play with other kids- girl, boy, younger, or older. He is such a handsome, fun little guy and we love him soooooo much!

The handsome birthday boy with his chocolate peanut butter motorcycle cake.

Singing "Happy Birthday."

What could that be...??

A new bike!!


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On another note, we gave Provo a good try, but after 3 months, we decided it wasn't for us and so we made the move up to American Fork. So far, we LOVE it. Our ward is awesome, we live in a cul-de-sac with tons of kids to play with, and it's so green and pretty here. Another exciting note:

AMELIA IS FINALLY WALKING!!!!

I know some of you had your doubts about our little chickadee walking, but at the ripe age of 18 months, and only one week after entering nursery, she is really doing it.

"He he he he- I showed you guys!"

Bear Lake 2010

We went with Bells up to Bear Lake, UT at the beginning of August. It was such a fun trip complete with a rodeo, beautiful hike to Bloomington Lake, trips to the pool and lake, tons of fun games on the HUGE field of grass, and, of course, the best raspberry shakes in the world.

The hike to Bloomington Lake

Bloomington Lake

The boys- about to get in the water.

Hanging with Abe at the rodeo.

I had no idea how beautiful and clear the water is at Bear Lake.

The cousins

BBQ'ing

I walked out on our patio the other day and this is what I found. How did the little monkey get in there and what was she thinking??? Don't worry- a thorough bathing soon followed.

Ok, SHE wasn't happy, but I haven't laughed that hard in a while.

Blahg

That's about how I'm feeling about blogging lately-blah, blah, blah. So, here's a little update on our July. Since the 4th, we've had Oliver in swimming lessons just about every day. He's feeling so much more comfortable in the water, but not yet a full-fledged swimmer. Next summer, hopefully. Anyway, we have been going to the pool every day so he doesn't forget all that he's learned. We discovered the Veteran's Pool in Provo that is so great- slides and a huge splash area for the kids with an immersion entrance so I can watch him without having to get all the way in (i.e., lay out). Amelia is also loving the water, if we can manage to keep the sunblock out of her eyes. If we're not at the pool, we're at the library or hanging out with Julie. We went to a BBQ for the 24th of July (Pioneer Day in Utah) with some people from Christian's work and then headed to Farmington for the weekend. As soon as we get to Grandma's house now, it's as if we don't exist- he follows Grandma around everywhere and talks her ear off. He loves his Grandma! As for me, I've been running again after about 3 weeks of physical therapy on my knee. It feels good to be back at it, though I've lost a lot of endurance. Christian's still working hard and getting things done. Anyway, like I said, "blah, blah, blah."

Julie gave Amelia a haircut and it's so cute. We're twinners.

July 24th weekend. Someone stayed up too late watching the fireworks.

At the pool during a lifeguard break.

See what I mean about the sunblock? Ugh- it's so sad!

July 4th Weekend

I kinda loved that July 4th was on Sunday this year so that we could celebrate on Saturday AND Monday in different places and get to enjoy 2 parades and just basically have 2 days of parties. So, it started out at the Kaysville parade on Saturday morning. I know you're probably thinking, "Kaysville parade? No thanks." Well, I'm here to tell you that Kaysville was where it was at. We walked away with so much fun stuff including a yo-yo ball, a t-shirt, a handsome tie, bead necklaces, and a bag full of candy. Plus, if you stick around til the very end, huge water-squirting trucks come by and "cool" everyone off. It was seriously a really fun parade, only made more fun by the fact that we got to be there with tons of family. After the parade, we went to my sis-in-law's parents' house for a pool party. Then, we went to the Bell's for a yummy BBQ, s'mores, and fireworks. On Sunday, we had my siblings and their spouses over for burgers (note to self: never make turkey burgers EVER again, esp. when Christian's going to be eating them). Sunday night we went down to University Ave. where the Provo parade comes through. Beau and Amy had gotten a prime spot and were camping out overnight to secure it for the parade the next day. So, we hung out for a couple hours, played some games, roasted s'mores, and ate way too much candy. The next morning, we joined the campers just in time for the parade. It was really touching to see all the veterans and families of soldiers killed in Iraq. It really made us appreciate the freedom we enjoy because of the brave men and women that are fighting/have fought for our country. After the parade, we went to Amy's parent's house for gourmet burgers and swimming.

Oliver and Abe ready to score some serious candy at the Kaysville parade.

At the Kaysville parade, eating lunch with Amelia.

Sporting the red, white, and blue.

Some of Christian's blogger friends were in town so it was fun to finally meet them.

Greg and JoLynn riding in style in the Provo parade.

Random... Christian thought it'd be funny to load Amelia in this bag and tote her around for a bit. She loved it and actually fit quite nicely inside.

Big 5

The only picture from the whole weekend (at Cheesecake Factory).

Happy 5th Anniversary to us! We had such an amazing time celebrating last weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Bell were kind and generous enough to watch our kids ALL weekend long. After we dropped Oliver and Amelia off at their house, we went to dinner at my favorite restaurant, Cheesecake Factory in SLC. The next day, we spent the whole afternoon at Seven Peaks water park. I'm not a huge fan of amusement parks, but I'm a major sucker for water parks- I love 'em. That night, we drove up to the most beautiful little park I've ever been to. It's South Fork park, up the Provo Canyon and it is GORGEOUS. After my husband, Bear Grylls, I mean Christian, gathered a tree from the forest, chopped it up, and started a fire (with nothing but a lighter and some newspaper) we roasted hot dogs and s'mores and attempted to tell each other some ghost stories. I say attempted to tell ghost stories because I only got about one sentence out before Christian asked, "Is this the hook in the car story?" Yeah, well. Anyway, it was SUCH a fun weekend and it was so nice to be together- just us- for a couple days. I'm so grateful for Christian- for what a hard worker he is and for what a sensitive, interesting, sweet, thoughtful husband he is. Since it was also Father's Day this weekend, I'd just like to mention what an incredible father he is as well. Our kids really couldn't have a more dedicated, devoted, active, fun Dad. I am so grateful for for him.

Utah Valley Marathon 2010

It's over! I ran the Utah Valley Marathon this weekend! It was an absolutely gorgeous course, one that would be difficult to match in beauty. I had really been praying that I wouldn't have the anxiety that literally cripples me before races and, good news- I was hardly nervous at all once I got to the start line at 5:30 am (yes, you read that right). It started to rain just before the race began which made for kind of a cold, miserable first half, but there are advantages to the rain too (mostly a decreased chance of dehydration). Anyway, it stopped around mile 11 or so, so I was pretty much dry by the finish. So, the race started in Wallsburg, a quaint little town up the Provo Canyon. At about mile 4, I suddenly felt this intense pain on the outside of my left knee as I was running down a hill. I've never had knee pain before, so I chalked it up to the cold, steep hills, and the fact that I hadn't yet stretched. So, I took a moment to stretch out and then kept on going. Every time I reached a hill (which was 90% of the first 20 miles) the pain would just shoot through my kneecap and keep throbbing until I was on flat ground again. I plugged through, though, determined to keep the 3:40 pacer in sight (that was my goal time and Boston qualifying time). There were a few times that my knee would totally buckle and I would have to stop and stretch (and there might have been some- no, a LOT of crying). But, I would kick it back in to gear and catch up with the pacer again when I thought of all the training I had put in to this for the past year. I did this for the first 23 miles and was right on target to qualify when my knee just completely gave out. Every step I took my knee would buckle and pain would shoot through my leg. I was determined, though to finish this race and did finally cross that finish line at the end of 26.2 miles with a clock time of 3:46. Overall, I was pleased with that time considering the pain I had to push through and the race conditions. Most of all, it was a huge confidence boost for me because I KNOW that I could have finished in 3:40 if it weren't for my knee. So, St. George- here I come!

Trust me, you didn't want to see the frontal picture. It wasn't pretty.

Post-ice-bath and shower. I know this is a little posed, but you know how some people still look good after a work out? I'm not one of them. (For proof, see past blog posts... I'm not going to put the links up because I really don't want you to go see them again.)

Make a note of it

Before you read Reba's spectacular and new post below, I have some exciting news...

I have a new cell phone number. Rather than tracking down all your email addresses, I'll just post it here.

801-404-8994.

Has it only been 2 weeks?

I literally cannot believe what a whirlwind these past 2 weeks have been. Let me just give you a quick play-by-play to give you an idea of our first week or so here in Utah. We packed the moving van on Saturday (2 weeks ago) and waved goodbye to Albuquerque. We made it all the way to Helper, UT (about 2 hours from our final destination) before our moving van broke down on the side of the highway. We waited there for over 4 hours until Penske finally decided to buck up and just tow us out of there. We got to Christian's parents' house in Fruit Heights around 2am. It was quite the trip, to say the least.
Sunday- day of rest. Literally.
Monday- drove to Provo to find a place to live, signed a lease, and then back to Fruit Heights.
Tuesday- move-in day, drove to Provo, arranged for my family to meet us at our new place to help move us in. Went to a pre-wedding dinner with my brother, Beau's wife's family in Provo. Drove back to Fruit Heights.
Wednesday- Beau and Amy got married in the Salt Lake City temple. Reception at Soldier Hollow in Midway. Back to Fruit Heights.
Thursday- I drove to Provo to clean our house and unpack. Then, met up with my sister, Julie's husband's family in Midway for a pre-wedding BBQ. Back to Fruit Heights.
Friday- Julie and Seth got married in the Manti, UT temple (very long, beautiful drive). Drove back to Provo for their reception. Back to Fruit Heights.
Saturday- Drove to Provo to unpack the house. Spent the night at my parent's cabin in Sundance.
Sunday- Church. Back to Fruit Heights to spend the night.
Monday- Memorial Day with the Bells in Morgan, UT. Drove to Park city afterwards to get Christian some new work attire. Went and bought a car in Murray. Back to Provo to spend the first night in our new place!
Tuesday- Cleaned my parent's cabin in Sundance= nightmare because Amelia screamed the whole time (she's got ANOTHER cold). Jason and Claire (my sis) were our first guests that night in our new home.
Wednesday- drove Claire and Jason to the SLC airport.
Thursday- unpack, unpack, unpack.
Friday- the same.
Saturday- I think I've finally got my head above water. YEAH!

Whew! I know it sounds like a whirlwind, but it was totally worth all the stress and driving because we got to witness the coming together of two amazing, beautiful couples in the temple and also got to spend lots of time with family.

Pre-move: Amelia playing in the rapidly emptying cupboards.

Double Trouble

Amy and Beau after the sealing. Her dress was seriously one of the most stunning dresses I've ever seen. And, she practically made it. This girl is not only fun, sweet, and beautiful, but seriously talented.

It was a dream come true for all the little girls around.

I don't know what's up with the funny face Christian is making here. He might make me take this down once he sees it, so enjoy it while it lasts.:)

With the kiddos at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway.

We tried our best, but conditions were a little windy.

Beau and Amy's reception at Soldier Hollow.

Amelia and Poppy. She was being pretty picky about who had the privilege of holding her but I guess Poppy made the cut.

Julie and Seth after their sealing at the Manti temple. Let me just tell you, it was the prettiest temple I have ever been in. I was seriously regretting not getting married there myself. G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S. Not to mention, their sealing was beautiful and so touching.

Julie looked amazing. Not too hard when you look like Julie, but still.

See what I mean about the Manti temple? It sits atop a little hill and is so picturesque.

The reception at a friend's house in Provo. The florist/decorator/planner was so talented- the reception was so beautiful. Note: this is before the table arrangements and hanging lanterns were in place.

Sisters- Jenn, Amanda, Julie, me, Emily, Jessica, and Rachel.

The spread- all very color-coordinated by the talented chef (Seth's cousin).

I would also like to give a little shout-out to all the wonderful people in our ward in ABQ that helped us with the move. The Young Women showed up and cleaned almost my entire house, so many of my friends watched my kids, and then the Elders Quorum moved us all out. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It truly was an act of charity. We miss you all and hope to see you soon- please call when you come to UT!