2009...o you were FINE....sort of.

When I was thinking about this post and what to write I honestly couldn't even remember what the heck we did this year....I know right. So I opened up my I-photo and low and behold we did live this year. So here is our year in pictures.
Above was my last time being a momma of 1 and it was bitter sweet. But we are so happy that our Scotti is here.

Our little princess Scottlyn Reece was born on Feb. 4th. I was not very excited when I found out I was pregnant with this little girl. I didn't even tell anyone for almost 4 months. O but I always knew that she just couldn't wait to be with her big sister again. (they are only 17 months apart) and o how they LOVE each other.


My best friend Courtney married her prince charming Landon. It was a beautiful wedding.

We went to Corys cousins funeral in Wyoming and we made a little stop is Salt Lake. The trip was freezing and it was the first time the girls got to see SNOW and Rubi has been talking about it ever since. (this is the trip that started us getting sick before Cory got GBS)

We had a beautiful spring. I loved taking pictures of the girls in their Easter Dresses. The day was perfect and it was the last thing we did as a family before Cory got sick.

My little brother Ben came home from serving a two year mission in the Philippine Islands. Sadly we didn't make it to the air port to meet him because it was the same day Cory was taken to the hospital for the next few months. This picture is Ben talking to me on the phone.

This was one of Corys lowest points. What a miracle it is that he is still here with us today.

My little sister Steph graduated from high school. My parents made it through 30 years of the Mesa Public School system. Way to go Mom and Dad!!! (heaven knows that was an accomplishment.)

Cory worked very very hard to learn how to swallow, talk, and walk again so he could come home. We are so grateful for all of the wonderful therapists and nurses that help keep Corys spirits up so that he could recover so quickly.

June we spent swimming and waiting for dad to come home from the hospital. Rubi was our little fish this year and LOVES to swim. Our friend Collette came over and gave her private lesson that Rubi absolutely HATED until about the third day we figured out that she did a lot better when I was in with her. We had so much fun and I am so happy/scared for her life, that Rubi loves swimming so much.

Cory got to come home on July 2nd and we had a family reunion on July 4th with my dads family from Denver and New York. It was a very fun time

I had my own little 4 day stay in the hospital because I picked up a little/ awesome bug at the hospital while I was hanging out with Cory at the hospital. It was awesome that Cory was coming to the hospital to see me with his walker. Did I mention that it was AWESOME.

Miss Rubi had her second birthday and is pretty sure she is the Queen of the Universe (a title she stole from me and is now well deserved)

Cory and I both went back to school. Cory and my little brother Ben were in all the same classes at MCC and I just took a refresher math class. We both did awesome and got all A's.

We finally started feeling normal again and started doing things as a family.

We moved into our new house. Rubi and Scottlyn love having their own rooms...almost as much as mom and dad love having their own room.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving at Corys uncle and aunts home. We were so thankful for our health and family this year.

We had a very Merry Christmas and Santa brought me and the girls Lily (my bike) and a trailer....now we just need to go get dad a bike so he doesn't have to walk or run next to us. (maybe we can get our insurance to pay for it and say its part of his therapy :)


Oh how grateful we are that we are sitting here and another year has come and gone. 2008 was a drag 2009 was bitter sweet. So I say BRING IT ON 2010 I have got my dukes up and I am ready to take you on!!!!

Facebook status cont......

Cory's cousin Taylor is a Marine and has been fighting on the front lines in Afghanistan. So back in August he asked me to help him surprise his family because he was able to come home for Christmas. So last night I picked him up from the airport and we spent hours talking about his CRAZY adventures in the war. Then today I spent all day taking him around surprising our family. The emotions were varied and all were very grateful that he is home safe and sound.

His mom who is in Utah still doesn't know that he is home so all the extended relatives please keep this a secret....he will be surprising her tomorrow night!!!

I love the Christmas season and that I was able to help this amazing solider make some Christmas wishes come true! Tay you are our HERO and we love you very much. Thanks for fighting for our Freedom.

Vegas

Well for my birthday back in August Cory bought me tickets to go see So you think you can Dance in Las Vegas. Soooo this was the weekend.

We sent our kids to stay with Ma-maw and Papa Gifford and we headed on our way. We got to the air port with an hour to spare so BEFORE we went through security I saw Paradise Bakery and I got really excited because just last Wed. morning my sister took me there for breakfast and introduced me to the AMAZING oatmeal (o and did i mention it comes on an oatmeal raisin cookie bowl and is topped with strawberries and bananas yummmm soooo good) So anyways I HAD to stop and get another I mean come on this was part of my birthday present right? So we get up to the counter and all they had was breakfast sandwiches....grrrr.....o well, so I settled for a sandwich. So after we are done eating I dont know what we were thinking but we only had 20 min to get through security and to our gate that was in BFE!!!! To make a long story short we cut everyone we could....I ran through the airport with out my shoes and left Cory behind (haha he cant run that fast these days) and we missed our plane by 3 min.

Well after missing two more flights we finally got onto the 3rd. So we made it to Vegas and I said so Cory where did you rent the car from...."ummm" he says...."I figured we would just rent it once we got there" (why are men sooooo dumb sometimes. Last week I had found him the website with cars for $15 a day and all he had to do was rent the darn thing) To make another 3 hr. long story short we finally got our rental car and let me just tell you we ended up paying A LOT more than $15 a day.

Luckily after this point the trip was pretty smooth sailing. We stayed with our Amazing friend the Smiths, and had a wonderful time, eating, talking, and laughing.

Saturday night we went to SYTYCD and I must say I am so glad that we got to go see some of our favorite dances again. I really think season 5 has been the BEST so far. I went to the season 2 tour and it wasn't nearly as good as this one. So thanks Cory for the fun and ADVENTUROUS Birthday present.

Well we made it back with out any hick-ups and I must say I am very glad to be home and refreshed with my two little beauties.

love.

This n That

Well life....is....

Life is fun.
Life is coloring with a two year old.
Life is eating pumpkin seeds.
Life is going to the park.
Life is cleaning the color off the walls.
Life is having your baby whisper in the morning "I love you mommy"
Life is lighting apple cinnamon candles.
Life is reading books.
Life is making dinner for two of my best-est this week.
Life is going to the Veterans Day parade
Life is being grateful for the opportunity to live, worship, and love as I please.
Life is studying.
Life is test taking.
Life is making bottles.
Life is holding a 9 month old until she falls asleep.
Life is playing referee
Life is going to Las Vegas today.

this is my life....and its beautiful!!!

love.

Say WHAT?

Are you kidding me? I was just in my car and the gauge said 92 degrees. Are you flipping joking. Agggg....now sister knows my legs are getting a bit pasty and I could you some sun right about now but gosh dang it thats what tights are for and I really want to wear my TIGHTS!!!! the end.

love.

(did I mention I spent hours last week sorting through and packing away the summer clothes...grrrrr)







(all these little beauties are from anthropologie)

The morning after.

Well, Halloween was had and the Mermaids swam their way from door to door. It was a tough decision for me as to what my girls were going to be for Halloween but, after much agonizing shopping and online browsing I decided that the mermaid costume that was given to me for Scotti would be the best choice. However, I couldn't wrap my head around what Rubi should be so finally I decided to make her a mermaid costume too. Now, I USED to consider myself a "crafty" and "creative" person but, as of late I feel as though every creative bone in my body has been broken. This however was not going to stop me from MAKING Rubi's costume.

So, I began shopping for materials and after sewing (ps I have decided I need some lessons ha) and gluing and tying her costume together I came up with something that I thought was pretty cute. The next trick was getting her to put it on so I could make the necessary changes. Unfortunately she wouldn't have anything to do with this so called mermaid costume. No bribe or coax could get this two year old into it. I was crushed to say the least. Luckily as the night came and all of the cousins were getting into their various Buzz-light-year, Witch, and Garden Nome, costumes lo and behold she jumped into my arms and said "Mermaid Mommy" oh what sweet words those were after all the trauma I had put myself through.

This was our first REAL door to door Halloween. We went out to my sisters house to be with the BIG KIDS so they could show us the ropes. It wasn't long before Rubi learned that those three magic would reap great reward. So after about 15 whole houses this mom decided we had enough loot to last us. Why is it that the younger and cuter the kids are the bigger the handfuls seemed to be. Oh man she made out like a bandit. As for Scottlyn she had fun just being carried around by mom and dad and having people goo goo and ga ga over the little mermaid. All in all, the night was a sugary success.

Friday after school we went out to Schnepf Farms and had a blast. We got a pumpkin painted on our hands, ran in the pumpkin patches, road the train, played on the playground, went down the slides, waved at and talked to the animals, flew in the bumble bee with dad and took our first solo flight. Ok so WE didn't do all those things but, Rubi DID! The rest of us just sat back and watched. It really was the perfect day and it was nice to be out doing things as a family again.

O gosh I better go...Rubi just got out the GALLON OF MILK and as she is wrestling it to the table I asked her if she needed help and she says "No, I got it mom". I better go help her pour it.

love.

Doesn't Scottlyn know that we are supposed to sleep in the morning after the sugar high night? Oh well we will teach her in time.

FALLing in Love.

Ok so I hope that I am starting to "get a grip" on my life...at least enough to start blogging again.

So much has happened that I can't possibly go back a up date all of it so I am going to just start from the present and go forward from here.

Its October again and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the FALL!!!! I love the smell, I love the park, I love the morning and evening walks, I LOVE WINTER GRASS (its so cute and little), I Love the color ORANGE, I love costumes (I love them so much that I can't decide which one I want my girls to be. O Man I struggle).

And my new Oct. love will now be GARAGE SALES haha we did a couple this year and man they are a lot of work but it was actually kind of fun. We were able to meet many of our neighbors that we haven't ever met and to top it off we cleaned house of TONS of fabulous treasures and got a little loot in return. It was a win win all around and I was glad for that.

Well the other BIG news for our family is WE MOVED!!! We have been living with my parents for the past year (almost to the date) and this week we were able to finally move out. It was such a blessing in more ways than one that we lived with my very fabulous, gracious, wonderful, loving, perfect, humble, GOD SENT, parents but it is now time for us to become adults again and face this big bad world a little bit more on our own again. And I am not kidding when I say I am a little scared. I actually have to go to the grocery store on my own again. (have I ever mentioned how much I HATE grocery shopping...no seriously though I hate it.) O well I have to do it again and I will.

As far as the girls go...they are wonderful. Rubi loves her new house. She is so cute she runs around like a new baby colt in the spring time. Some of her other loves at the moment are "I color" She loves her coloring pencils and coloring books. And you know what she is pretty good at coloring for a two year old. She tries to color specific items as opposed to scribbles all over the pages and she is really trying hard to stay in the lines. (can you tell this is my first child and I am easily impressed). Also she loves "pizza in the park" we try once a week to go get a hot and ready from Little Ceasers and then go play at the park. She counts to 20, knows her colors (even though she always calls red green, I hope she isn't color blind YIKES) and she can tell you what most of the letters in the alphabet are, she is a singer and a dancer and loves to tease and make us laugh. Lastly Rubi's most favorite love is "Scotti" oh how she loves her baby sister and Scotti loves her too. They are stating to play and do everything together. Its been hard up to this point for ME to have them be so close together but now I can tell its going to be wonderful for them to have a playmate.

Scotti is almost is 8 1/2 months old and she is perfect. I couldn't ask for a better baby. I just want to take a bite every time I hold her and she wants to do the same back haha. Ok its true I pretty much make out with my baby and I LOVE it. She is just like her sister and is already sitting, pulling herself up and standing. I swore I was not going to let my second child start walking as fast as my first (10 months old) but I have a strange feeling I am not going to have much of a choice. O well what can you do. (I better start putting locks on all my lower cabinets again)

Cory is doing so good its scary. He still has his days where he gets pretty frustrated with his lack of ability to do certain things but those days are getting more few and far between. Also, he is in school full time now and LOVES it. A friend of mines husband just recently had a stroke (please pray for them) and she called me the other day to ask some pretty scary and all to real questions about some of the exact same stuff that Cory went through. This has got me thinking again just how un-real our whole experience was and how eternally grateful I am for all of the love and support I received from the people around me. These experiences are so hard to comprehend and understand when we are in the middle of them and I hated it when people said this to me but if we endure and are faithful, things (as HARD AND AWFUL and they most times are) they will just work them selves out. Everything will be okay. These are the times that make us realize how much we need our Savior and his atoning sacrifice.

Well that's about it for now. Now lets just hope I can get going on this blogging thing again to help me remember all the joys in life.

love.