A Decade!!!

1 wedding

2 bachelors degrees

3 children

1 medicine degree

5 moves

2 states

8 jobs

1 old house

6 cars

3 Thanksgiving Turkeys

1 residency

Thank you so much for 10 crazy-happy years! I feel so blessed to have you! Happy Anniversary, Babe!

I LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!
Mwwwaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Only Four Weeks Left...

...till we're done with this residency thing.

Last weekend we celebrated at the Annual Residents Dinner/Dance. The food was just meh, but the DJ was awesome! That guy really earned his money!
It was extra fun to boogie with our good friends, Chris and Lisa. Congratulations, Weights! We're almost done!

The Rumors are True...

Girls ARE easier to potty-train!I was planning on waiting until after we moved, but Hannah was just so interested in the potty that we decided to give it a try. She LOVED putting stickers on her potty chart and got very upset whenever she had an accident. We've been at it for about a week now, and I think she's about there! Last night, we took the kids to a movie (Monday nights - 75 cents! Oh yeah!) and Hannah asked to go to the potty 5 times! She never actually "went," but she sure tried. AND she kept her diaper dry all night!
I've had a child (or two) in diapers for eight straight years now!!! I'm so excited to go to Costco and NOT buy a case of Huggies (sorry Dad!)!

Hannah also started sleeping in her big girl bed a couple weeks ago. We wanted to sell her crib and dresser before we moved, plus we needed new tires on our car, so we killed two birds with one stone.

This toddler bed was made by my Dad and has survived three of my siblings and all three of my kids! That is some good quality craftsmanship, Dad!Hannah has LOVED her new bed. Whenever I tell her it's bedtime, she says excitedly, "Girl bed?!" She has been so good to stay in bed and sleep all though the night!
I'm so proud of my BIG GIRL!!!

Earth Day at Horseshoe Park

Last week, Hannah, Logan, and I celebrated Earth Day at Horseshoe Park. It was a little chilly, but clear and sunny.


Logan was so proud of himself, climbing to the very top!
I just love this little smiley guy! I feel blessed to have such a good, fun baby to babysit. He was such a good sport at the park while the kids played.
Horseshoe is such a beautiful park! There is a little lake, several trails and bridges that wander through the surrounding woods, a big stone fireplace for roasting marshmallows, and a cute little treehouse. Even the play structures seem to fit in so well with the natural surroundings. There is such a peaceful feeling there and I always find myself feeling a little more grateful for nature and the beauty of God's creations.

Old Friends and Amish Country

Last week, we were so lucky to have our good friends, the Chouinards visit us from Buffalo, NY. We met the Chouinards back in our good 'ol med school days at the University of Utah. We were next door neighbors in the student housing apartments, playground buddies, and Carly was my angel, babysitting Andrew and Logan when I was working.

We decided to visit amish country while they were here. About an hour into the drive, their "check engine" light came on and our tire went flat, but that couldn't stop us! Onward we went, even on the spare!

Our first stop was to Heini's Cheese Factory - CHEESE HEAVEN! They have about 50+ different kinds of cheese, and you get to taste each one! Hey locals, if you haven't been to Heini's yet, go NOW! Really, get in the car and GO! And bring a small ice chest. You're going to need it for all the loot you're going to want to bring home. Did I mention several flavors of Cream Cheese Fudge? Oh yeah!

We also got to take a tour to see where all the magic happens.
The next stop - Rolling Ridge Ranch. Also a definite must-see! The kids and I went once before when my mom was in town, but it was every bit as fun the second time! I was glad Bryan could come with us this time to see what all my raving was about!
Riley and Hannah were so cute together. Hannah was IN LOVE with the "duckies" at the petting zoo.

Logan's really not in pain - this is his picture smile.

Andrew, how did you get so grown up?

Andrew and Valen ready for the wagon ride.

Could these tall smarties really be these same silly little kids? (Timpanogos, 2005)

Funny side story - when Andrew was about 3 years old, I was chatting with Carly in the hall of our apartment building when Andrew and Valen ran inside the Chouinards apartment and locked the door... with the keys inside. We asked nicely for them to please open the door - nothing but giggles came from inside. We then begged, bribed, pleaded, shouted, and threatened, but they wouldn't budge. About 15 minutes later, they finally decided to open the door, and BOY WERE THEY IN TROUBLE! Come to think of it, it wasn't very funny at the time, but it sure is now.

Okay, sorry for the detour down memory lane. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

The petting zoo is fun, but the best thing at the Ranch is the horse-drawn wagon ride through 80 acres and feeding HUGE animals up close! It is such a riot! I haven't laughed so hard in a long time!

Carly, Valen, Riley, and Andrew

Hannah feeding the Zonkeys (zebra-donkey mix)!

Summer and Andrew

Andrew and Bryan feeding the water buffalo.

An ostrich and Riley getting a good look at eachother.

Summer and Hannah
We finished the day with a yummy meal at Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen. I can highly recommend the roast turkey platter. YUM! Aaaand the mashed potatoes...and the bread...and the applebutter...and the cole slaw...and the apple sauce. It was all so good!

It was so great to see Carly, Valen, and Riley again! We'll catch you next time, Justin (he's working hard on his master's thesis, so I guess we'll forgive him ;) )! It was so much fun to relive old memories and watch our kids make some new ones together! Thanks so much for coming! I hope you had as much fun as we did!

Logan's New Friends

These guys at Rolling Ridge Ranch really took a liking to Logan!

Bathroom Reveal

FINALLY!!! Remember when Bryan surprised me by taking a sledgehammer to the bathroom? Well, that was over a year ago, and now... I am pleased to reveal...Our. New. And improved. Bathroom!

First, let's see the bathtub BEFORE...
...aaaaand AFTER.
Before - Don't you just love the clashy neon yellow blinds?
After.
Window mistreatment inspired by The Nester. I love her. I made it from one regular window panel (on sale at Pier 1) that I pinned up with safety pins and then tied up with satin ribbon.

Shower floor before...
...and AFTER! (I LOVE the river rock floor! The smooth pebbles feel so good on your feet!)
Sink and mirror before... (are you ready for my favorite part?!)
...and (ta-daaah!) AFTER!
The mirror is a medicine cabinet we found on Craigslist for pretty cheap. The frame was gold before we tackled it with a can of black spray paint.

Before.
AFTER!
Vanity, sink, and floor before...(lovely.)
... and AFTER!
We also found the vanity/sink on Craigslist, painted it black, and added hardware. The paint color on the wall is Valspar Cliveden Sandstone.

Can I just take this moment to say that my husband is THE MAN!!! He worked SO HARD on this bathroom in all his "spare time." I'm telling you, he's got some SERIOUS SKILLS! How many husbands could completely demolish a bathroom down to the 2x4s (did I mention replacing the sub floor, moving the shower drain, and completely rebuilding the shower pan?!), then put it all back together AND make it look this good?! Mwwaaaah! I love you, Babe!
Thanks also to our parents for all their help and advice! This remodel would have taken MUCH longer without you!
I am absolutely in love with this river rock stuff! It came on a mesh sheet, so it was pretty easy to install. I even enjoyed searching for the perfect rock when we had a missing piece here or there. It was like a little puzzle.

Tulips from my front yard. They went a little crazy when I brought them indoors!
It's a little sad that we have to move now that we have the bathroom exactly how we like it. Bet at least we get to enjoy it for a couple of months. It's SO nice to finally have a proper shower again...
...and the kids LOVE having their bath back!


I am joining link parties at:
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Remodelaholic
Lit and Laundry
Making the World Cuter
Between Naps on the Porch
A Soft Place to Land

Happy 5th Birthday, Logan!

Name: Logan Mac Anderson
Age: 5
Best Friend: Rex
Primary Teachers: Bro. Lloyd and Bro. Buckner
Favorite Food: Cereal
Favorite Book: That's Not My Monkey!
Favorite Activity: playing computer games
Favorite Outdoor Activity: riding bikes
Favorite Movie: Veggie Tales Silly Song Countdown
Favorite Song: Umbrella Beach by Owl City
Favorite TV show: The Backyardagins
Favorite Colors: Blue
Favorite Part of Preschool: show and tell
When I grow up I want to be: a doctor
What makes me happy: "Getting hugs and kisses."
What makes me sad: "People talking mean to me."
What I like best about myself: "I'm very good at wrestling!"

Andrew gave Logan OREOS for his birthday!

Logan, I think you are the most loving, affectionate boy on the planet! You are always telling me how much you love me and telling me that I am "the best Mom in the world!" My favorite thing you say is, "Mom, I will always be your buddy!" You always have a great hug and kiss for me. It's so fun to watch you learn new things. You can write all your letters and are starting to read a few words. I can't believe you will be going to Kindergarten this year! You admire your brother,Andrew, and like to do what he does. You are fun and playful with Hannah. You make me happy every day, Logan! Happy Birthday!