Day 14 of 30 Days to 30

July 16, 2008 - Today was my brother, Kyle's, 19th birthday! I remember the day he was born. My parents dropped us off at my grammy's house while they went to the hospital. Just 5 days before he was born, my mom went into false labor...so she was ready when Kyle came! He has always been an absolute joy to have in our family! I am so grateful for Kyle! He is a blessing. I love you Ky and am so excited for your mission!! Happy birthday!
Also, today was a hard day. My best friend, Lisa, whom I've been friends with javascript:void(0)for 25 years called today. Her little brother, Stephen, was diagnosed with testicular cancer last night. It is pretty serious, but we are hoping for the best! I must say, I'm so grateful for modern technology in which we are able to rely and help us. Stephen is in very capable hands.
For this 30 Days to 30, I spent my day crying and reflecting on life and all the obstacles that we have to go through. And felt very blessed. I'm grateful for the knowledge I have that God has a hand in all we do and blesses us.

Day 13 of 30 Days to 30

July 15, 2008 - Today I called and made my hair appointment for next week! I'm so excited to get my hair cut and colored...it has been way too long! I spent the evening with Rob and Amelia! We watched America's Got Talent! We love that show!!

Day 12 of 30 Days to 30

July 14, 2008 - So in this the 30 day countdown until my 30th birthday and the end of my decade as a 20-something...I've come to realize how much of a bore I really am. I know that I didn't start my twenties out this boring by any means. I also, back then, did not have the responsibilities that I have now, but why would that change me from being the fun loving person that I am. I must say it is a bit discouraging. My life is extremely mundane. Not that I don't have wonderful things in my life and that my life isn't good...because I do and it is. But I'm not always out and about doing things, which is okay. I have started looking into joining a city symphony, which I have always wanted to do...but it won't start until the fall. Which is alright. I suppose no matter how mundane a day seems, I have a beautiful little girl for which I thank God every day for. So, for this my 12th day of my final 30 in my 20's I spent the evening playing with Amelia. She is getting so big and is so interested in the things around her. She smiles and laughs a lot, which brings joy to my heart. I am truly blessed!

Day 11 of 30 Days to 30

July 13, 2008 - Today we went to Kate Allen's first birthday party! Kate is a month and a half older than Amelia. She is the daughter of Christian (Rob's brother) and Sheena. It was fun to watch Kate eat her cake, she picked at the icing and then smeared it on her dress...it was hilarious!! We had a great time!! Thanks Chris and Sheena for inviting us for cake and ice cream!

Day 10 of 30 Days to 30

July 12, 2008 - This is day 10 and we had yet another mild day. I met a family that we may split a nanny with since I'm not too thrilled with the whole day care idea. It was fun to see Amelia interact with an older girl. This evening Rob, Amelia and I went to the Real Salt Lake soccer game, which was a lot of fun...and it was even better since Real Salt Lake won! It was 2-1 against the Columbus Crew! Amelia didn't feel very well, but she acted fine and we had a great time!

Day 9 of 30 Days to 30

July 11, 2008 - Today is Peter's birthday and so I talked to him on the phone to wish him a happy day! This also marks 3 weeks until my birthday! I can't believe in 3 weeks I am going to be 30!! I'm so pumped! Today was yet another gruelling day at work, but overall a good day. I started reading Dr. Laura's book

The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands

. So far, it is a pretty decent book! I made dinner for our family and Rob and spent the evening discussing nanny's and daycare centers since Rob's mom won't be watching Amelia after she turns one.

Day 8 of 30 Days to 30

July 10, 2008 - Today I returned to work after my week long vacation in Colorado. Overall it was a good day, but I did wish I was still on vacation! I spent the evening with Rob and Amelia just hanging out as a family. It was overall a great day!

Day 7 of 30 Days to 30

July 9, 2008 - I am really bad about getting on here and blogging every day! Today was fun! Amelia, my mom, Aaron, Chris, Kyle and Lilly all spent the afternoon with my Grammy! She made a wonderful lunch (which included wonderful homemade pies) and we had great conversation! It was fun to have Lilly and Amelia together one last time before we flew home and Aaron, Chris and Lilly leaving for Korea. It was a bit of a difficult good-bye. We have lived apart for so long that I didn't think it would phase me that she is leaving to live in a different country. I suppose I never thought it a big deal since I knew if I needed to I could jump on a plane or just drive to her if she needed me...now...it is much more expensive and further away. We will be seeing them next year in Hawaii, which will be great! I'm so glad I got to spend this time with their family. I love you guys!!

Day 6 of 30 Days to 30

July 8, 2008 - Today Rob flew home and Amelia and I spent the day with my mom. We went and had lunch with my best friend, Lisa. Then after Amelia's nap we went and spent the afternoon with my mom's best friend, Kristy. It is always nice to visit Kristy because she is such a wonderful person! We have known Kristy since I was little, and though her health isn't the greatest, she moves forward with such a great attitude. I am a much better person because I have known Kristy. Today was such a great day to just veg since I have been going and going for so long. Thanks to my mom, Lisa, Kristy and Amelia for being a part of my day today. I love you all!

Day 5 of 30 Days to 30

July 7, 2008 - Today we (meaning Rob, Amelia, Aaron, Chris, Lilly, Kyle and I) went to Elitches here in Denver. It was a lot of fun! It is funny how we change. I say that because when I was younger I enjoyed going to theme parks purely for the rides, now I enjoy going for the atmosphere and the shows. Riding rides is still fun (except the ones that give me headaches) but not the main purpose of going. Perhaps I also like to go because of spending time with family and friends. Another difference is that long ago we would stay at the park until closing, and last night we left at 6pm, all having our fill of fun! Oh, I almost forgot! We also took Amelia and Lilly on the ferris wheel...their first ride ever!!! It was a great way to spend my 5th day of my count-up! (by the way...I will be adding photos as soon as I get home from vacation and can put them on here)

Day 4 in 30 Days to 30

July 6, 2008 - Today my sister Aaron had her baby Lilianna blessed at church by Kyle. Lilly looked beautiful and we had a great lunch after church. We went back to our hotel and had a great time hanging out with each other and my mom. Kelly & Jason flew back to Salt Lake this evening, while Peter had flown back to Texas early this morning. We turned on a movie to watch and of course I got really tired...so I went to bed to fall asleep around 10:30pm tonight. At 11:10pm the fire alarm to our hotel went off and I woke up swinging. We went downstairs and Kyle called 911. This is the most unbelievable part of the whole story...and I really hope that people that live here in Littleton, CO have better success with their 911 operators than we did. Kyle called 911 and told them that we were at the Extended Stay and gave the address, then told them that the fire alarm had gone off and that there was smoke on the 1st floor, that operator then said she would have to get her manager.
She then transferred Kyle to someone else, to whom he told the same information to, they told him to call the local fire department because they couldn't help him since he was on a cell phone. They then transferred him again, finally reaching the actual fire department who showed up within 2 minutes of Kyle telling them that there was a problem. WOW!!! I would hate to actually live here and have an actual emergency that required fast response. Luckily in this case it was a faulty dryer that had just started smoking. The other thing was people were walking back into a building they were unsure was safe. The fire department hadn't shown up yet and they were going back in...also some people followed the fire department in when they got here. Have people forgotten elementary school fire drills?? Unbelievable!!! After the fire department came out and said it was safe, we went back to our room. Poor Amelia is so tired and luckily went back to sleep quickly. Kyle did a reenactment of my response to the fire alarm going off. I apparently almost killed Rob because I came up swinging. It was pretty funny! So this was my great Day 4!! These photos were taken by my brother-in-law's cell phone. So not the greatest, but still capture a bit! Thanks Chris for taking the photos!

Day 3 in 30 Days to 30

July 5, 2008 - Today my father had his 5th of July party. He has made it a tradition over the years that his 4th of July party happens on the 5th. It was a lot of fun! We lit off fireworks, wrote our name with sparklers, ate great food, and had to keep reminding people that there are babies asleep...All 5 of us (Peter, Aaron, Kelly & Kyle) were together today and it was a lot of fun to spend time with my brothers and sisters. We took family photos today as well! It was an overall great day!

Day 2 of 30 Days to 30

July 4, 2008 - Today was the birthday of our country! I started the day off picking Rob up from the Denver airport and then we spent the day with my mom. Tonight we went to my best friend's, Lisa, house for a 4th of July party! We had a nice time (and as soon as I get back from vacation, I will add photos). We then headed to my dad's house for the night so that we could get Amelia to sleep. I had a wonderful time seeing Lisa and her family! Thanks for inviting us to the party, Lisa!

Day 1 of 30 to 30

July 3, 2008 - Today signifies my first day on my trek to 30. I will be 30 in 30 days. I can't wait! Today was a great day! Amelia and I spent the day with my dad, Vickie and my brother Kyle. Later in the evening I went to Denver to pick my brother, Pete, up from the airport. My sister Aaron and her family are moving to Korea next week and our whole family is gathering one last time before she leaves and before Kyle leaves on his mission. I loved today because I was able to spend great time with my brothers and that is what life is all about, our families! Thanks Peye and Kyle for being my brothers and being wonderful! I love you both!!

30 Days to 30

So, I'm stealing an idea from someone else to do 30 days to 30. This will consist of my doing things for myself and just recognizing the great things in my life. I am hoping to be able to go out of my 20's with a bang...perhaps some skydiving at the end...we will see. My 20's has been a wonderful time of growth and maturity and a lot of fun! I started my 20's as a sophmore at Rick's College (now known as BYU-Idaho) in 1998, then headed out to Sydney Australia as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints from 1999 to 2001, came home and attended BYU in Provo, Utah, met Rob in 2001, got married to Rob in 2002, graduated college from Utah Valley State College (now known as Utah Valley University), got my first real job in the chosen field of law at Snell & Wilmer in 2004, got pregnant with Landon in 2005, had and lost Landon in 2006, got pregnant and had Amelia in 2007 and here I am in 2008! I've had many laughs and not as many crys in the last decade. Overall, my 20's have been wonderful! I look forward with great anticipation to my life as a 30 year old and beyond! I know that the 30's will be great because I will get to watch Amelia grow and develop! I just thought about that and that when I turn 40 Amelia will be 11...weird. Anyway, this is my tribute to my 20's! Hope you enjoy!

Amelia the Fish!

We took Amelia swimming for the first time a few weeks ago and man does that girl LOVE the water! She wanted to lay her head back on the water and float, so that is what we spent most of the time doing. I put her on her stomach and she held her head up and started kicking, it was great! She eventually put her face in the water and did very well. Mind you, not every time she put her face in the water did she hold her breath, but she did the majority of the time. I love the pool and it has been fun taking Amelia to swim and seeing her enjoy it too! I'll post photos when i get my camera fixed.

Amelia Visiting Grandparents

As I posted just moments ago, we went to Colorado this past weekend so spend time with family and go to Kyle's graduation! We left home at 7:30pm on Wednesday night to arrive in time for Kyle's 9am graduation on Thursday. We arrived at my dad's house at 4am and Amelia would not go back to sleep. Around 6am she and I got in the shower to prepare for the day. After the shower, I laid her down on her towel to dry off (she has a bum rash) and she fell asleep.

I finished getting ready and sweetly woke her up so that she too could get ready for the day. After she was ready we were on our way to Red Rock Amphitheater for Kyle's graduation. Amelia loved seeing her Nana, but the heat did finally get to her and Amelia, Vicki and I sat in the shade trying to keep cool. She eventually fell asleep so when it was time to take photos she was out for the count!

After graduation we went to Olive Garden and Amelia had fun sitting with her dad in the waiting area after we were finished eating. I really can't believe how big Amelia is getting!!

We stayed up at my dad's house this trip. My dad lives up in the mountains and has a beautiful landscape. Amelia loved playing with her grandpa! Grandpa took Amelia outside to see the elk in the pasture.




Amelia also enjoyed spending time with her Nana and Uncle Kyle! My mom is a nanny for a family and the kids love Amelia. It was fun to watch them play with her too.






All weekend we had to let her bounce in our laps because we didn't bring her bouncy chair, so the first order of business was to put her in her chair, and she went to town. Here is a little clip from her fun once we got home!!

Kyle's Graduation & Mission Call

We went to Colorado this past weekend to see my brother Kyle graduate from high school! His graduation took place at Red Rocks Amphitheater, which was an amazing venue. After graduation we went to lunch at Olive Garden and then went to my mom's and checked the mail. In the mail was Kyle's mission call!!! Seeing my sister Kelly waving the letter in the air reminded me of the day I received my call. We all ran inside and started making phone calls to my sister Aaron, my brother Peter and Kelly's husband, Jason for all to hear where Elder LaBarre would be sent. Of course we gave Kyle rules, such as he was not to jump ahead and read where he was going before reading it out loud, and he had to read every line. As Kyle began reading the spirit hit me so hard that here my baby brother was going on a mission, something he has been preparing his whole life for. Kyle is called to the Honolulu, Hawaii mission and reports to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on September 3, 2008. Kyle will be English speaking. This is so exciting!! I think it is interesting that he and I (the only missionaries in our family) were both called to the South Pacific. I am so excited for Kyle! Since he received his call, he went to the temple in preparation for his mission. Rob was his escort and it was a wonderful day. It was a very filling weekend!

Amelia's Blessing/Mother's Day

This year was the first happy Mother's Day I have had since we lost Landon. The day was bitter sweet as I still miss and think of him often, but felt so blessed because we blessed Amelia at church that day. Rob blessed her and did a wonderful job. He reported that Amelia was extremely squirmy so holding her was a bit hard. That's alright, there were many in the circle helping hold her up! Before her blessing I had her photos taken in her dress and other outfits too! I will update this post when I get more photos from the actual day, but here are some of her 8 month photos we had taken. Enjoy!








These are just a few of the excellent photos that were taken! I look at them and am amazed at how much Amelia has grown in the past 9 months. And I can hardly believe it has been 9 months since she was only 1 pound. She is such a joy in our lives. Rob and I are truly blessed to have her. She is our miracle!

Preeclampsia

As most of you know, I suffer from Preeclampsia when I am pregnant. Preeclampsia affects many women and the only current cure is delivery of the baby. I had to deliver at 27 and 28 weeks with both of my children. Because of this, I participated in a walk to raise awareness of Preeclampsia. Here is a brochure about preeclampsia and also some photos from my walk. My dad and Vicki came and walked with Amelia and I. It was a lot of fun. I am going to make this a annual thing I attend.