Hammer Dulcimer Kicked Up a Knotch

This year for the ward talent show I thought I'd play hammer dulcimer, but I wanted to add a flare. Thanks Braden and Brian (my soon to be new brother-in-law) for helping me do my talent as I envisioned it. They never even practiced! So, do you think Brian fits in with the family?

Because I have a linen closet...

You guessed it. Ever since we've been married Braden has wanted a gun but in the past we haven't had much extra space. The response he always got from me was, "You don't get a gun until I have somewhere to keep my towels". Now that we're in our own house, and I have a place to keep my towels it was time. So I've been saving money every month from the grocery money so Braden wouldn't catch on. Hal did the research for me and picked the perfect gun-a Remington-something-or-other. We both took Braden to the Bass Pro Shop to get the gun! He was so surprised, delighted and I might add impressed that I saved the money without him even noticing! Christmas Magic!

The Mojave River

A few days after my due date Braden and I took the kids down the street to the Mojave River. Of course we drove the truck since we were "off roading". We bumped up and down driving around the river but I still didn't go in labor.

What's In a Name?

I'm due October 21. Thats in just a few weeks. But Braden and I don't have a name picked out. Why is this so hard? I just want the perfect name for my little girl.

I've come to the point in my pregnancy that labor pains are starting to resurface in my memory. I think Heavenly Father blesses women to forget labor so they can have more than one child. But the thought just hit me-there's only one way out of this!!! This week I decided I should probably get ready for the baby so I dragged in the baby girl clothes from the garage and washed them. So cute. Olivia had a hard time with it because she thought everything was hers-which it was two years ago. She found her "shwimp suit" from last year and insisted on wearing it.

I also set up the baby's bed-which Levi and Olivia quickly filled with Olivia's dolls. I walked into my bedroom and heard Levi singing "baby mine". Every few days he asks when the baby will "come out". He is really excited for another little sister. This time around he really knows what it means for Mommy to have a baby. My sisters Ashley and Brittany both had baby boys earlier this year so my kids are around babies a lot-which I'm very glad because I've been able to help Olivia learn how to be soft around a baby (Poor Porter!!!!).

Five years

In July to celebrate our 5 year anniversary Braden and I left the kids with family and drove across country to Nauvoo, Il. It was an awesome trip. I am amazed with America landscape. The Grand Canyon, Corn, Corn and more Corn, green lush fields, rivers, creeks and rivers...Braden and I loved watching the scenery change.

The Grand Canyon-it was a bit out of the way but we HAD to go to the Grand Canyon! I didn't hike or anything seeing how I was 6 months pregnant at the time. (I thought I was so big and now I'm 36 weeks, ha-I was so little on that trip!)
The Mississippi!!!!!! I've wanted to see the Mississippi ever since 1990 when for school that year we studied "Adventures Down the Mississippi". Braden couldn't believe how excited I was to drive over it. This next quote is for my family: "Steamboat cross the Mississippi River!
5 years of marriage. How many of them happy? 5.
The Nauvoo Temple-I'm glad we made it to Nauvoo after the temple was rebuilt. We came out of it just at sunset-it was just beautiful. I loved Nauvoo-the pagaent was awesome, we watched it twice.
We stayed in a bed and breakfast in a home that used to be Willard Richard's. It was down on the flats of Nauvoo-walking distance to the old town.

"She's going to the TEMPLE and she's gonna get MARRIED"

On June 14, 2008 one of my dearest friends, Jasmyn Bradley, was married in the Redlands Temple to Marc Nehring.



Me, Jasmyn, and Amber (Jasmyn's sister and my friend). We didn't plan to match.
Braden and I are coming up on our 5th wedding anniversary!
Jasmyn and Marc's reception was beautiful. The Cultural Hall was transformed into a garden, complete with bird bathes, fountains, trees, flowers, garden benches and twinkle lights strung across the ceiling.

Working on the House

The first few weeks after we were given the key we worked on the house. New paint, new fans, new toilets and lots of cleaning. We're still fixing things up...Hal tells us that you're never really done fixing everything up. It's just like women's work, it's never done.
Dallin and Braden smile after successfully installing a new ceiling fan. A good ceiling fan is essential in the Mojave Desert summer heat. During the day that fan is on at the highest speed. We won't be seeing much of Dallin this summer since he took a job in Pennsylvania for 3 months. Notice the great paint job behind the guys. Gaila balanced on a ladder and got the edging just right. She did an awesome job.
Levi is a really good helper. In fact, if he sees someone working he wants to works with them. He was especially interested in painting. The first night we were working on the house we were walking out to the car and we noticed Levi wasn't walking with us. My Mom found him setting down a paint brush on the front patio. We didn't think much of it until the next day when the light of the sun showed his handy work- he primed under the family room window. After that we decided to keep the kids out of the house while we were painting.