The Life of the Lewis'

Birth Story :)

2011-12-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

Parks Andrew Lewis 7 lbs. 6 oz. 19 1/2 inches

Friday December 2nd we welcomed baby Parks into our family! It was a special day for the birth of our son because it was my Grandma Hatch's birthday as well who passed away just a little over a year ago.

It had been a long month previous... being told that I will probably go into labor before my due date. At my 36 week check up the Dr. told me he'd be surprised if i made it to my next appointment. Well 1 week passed, then 2, and then my due date (December 1st) had come and I was still pregnant! I went into my 40 week check up and I didn't even have to ask... The first thing Dr. Broberg asked me was would you like me to schedule inducement for tomorrow and I excitedly said yes please!

Tomorrow (Friday December 2nd) finally came! We were up at 5 a.m. waiting for the hospital to call me in. They hadn't called by the time 6:30 rolled around so I called them. They informed me that all their rooms were full and to call back in a couple hours. So we crashed on the couch to get a couple more hours of sleep in! We woke up called again and still were full. At around 11 a.m. I got a call from the hospital and they said be here at noon! We arrived filled out some paper work and then waited in a triage room while they cleaned the room I'd be delivering in. The nurse checked my dilation and I was at a 4.5... she moved me to my room and started pit at around 2. Contractions were definitely coming but I wasn't quite feeling them yet. All the sudden about 3 pm or so I heard a popping noise and then a gush flow... I turned to my nurse and said I think my water just broke and sure enough it had! Contractions started coming on like crazy not too long after and it was then that I decided I want an epidural! My sweet husband helped me through each contraction until the anesthesiologist got there and hooked me up! Might I just say... the epidural was FANTASTIC! :) By 7 pm I was dilated at a 10 and ready to push! My nurse contacted my Dr. on call who was Dr. Rees and she informed me he was on his way to Timpanogas hospital to deliver another baby and then would be right over. I was thinking are you kidding me?! I'm ready to push NOW and am STARVING!! But it was what it was and the baby's heart rate was good. So I just chilled there very uncomfortably watching the foodnetwork channel drooling over all the food on the screen! Finally at 8:50 pm Dr. Rees arrives and we get to business! After 15 minutes of pushing Baby Parks arrived at 9:05 pm. Tears rolled down both Andrew and I's cheeks... our sweet Baby Boy whom we had been anxiously waiting to come, was here! But... Something wasn't right, they didn't hand him to me like I had asked them to right when he was born. I didn't hear him cry and he was immediately taken by a team of NICU nurses. Dr. Rees explained to me that he had ingested meconium which is causing him not to breathe very well if not at all. He assured me that he would be ok. At that time Andrew had left with Parks to the NICU where they hooked him up to the CPAP mask, an IV, and other tubes and wires. After what seemed forever Andrew returned, hugged me and was bawling. I immediately got scared and started crying too... I thought everything was going to be ok. Andrew proceeded to tell me that Parks didn't look good that his body was greyish/purple and that he's struggling. The nurses informed him that theres a chance he could get pneumonia. So many thoughts ran through my head! Us being first time parents and so excited to meet our sweet son, this is not how we pictured it. It was an emotional roller coaster for us! But... after 8 hours in the NICU, Parks didn't have pneumonia, was breathing normally and was able to leave and be with us!... what a long 8 hours that was but we are so so grateful for the wonderful nurses who helped Parks get through it all and for Dr. Rees who is a fantastic Dr. by the way, even if he did make me wait a long close to 2 hours before pushing! :)

Babies are truly a miracle and I'm so grateful for the opportunity that Andrew and I have to be parents to Sweet Baby Parks. He is so precious and the best Christmas gift we could ever receive!

Japanese Dinner, Big Belly, and Baby Shower

2011-10-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

So my sweet husband, a few days ago, informed me that we are having dinner at a friends house on sunday (yesterday), but would not tell me any details. So of course I strain my brain and try to get any clue out of him I can to figure it out. Little did I know he had been planning a Japanese Dinner with one of his co workers, Jenny Wall. Jenny served her mission in Japan and is very passionate about their food, and created her dining room into a Japanese Dining room... low table, pillows for chairs, and all! Its really a spectacular/beautiful dining room and so fun! I had no idea what was going on until we got to this unknown house and knocked on the door... and behind that door Jenny answered! I had guessed we'd be going to her house only because she was one of the 2 people I know that lived in Saratoga Springs! But I was still pretty surprised!! We were introduced to Jenny's husband and 4 adorable kids! They are such a fun family! Jenny shared her Japanese recipes with us and together we all cooked up a Japanese feast! We then enjoyed our meal in their Japanese Dining room and even ate with chop sticks! It was so fun!! Thanks Andrew for the wonderful surprise! You are stinkin cute and I love you!! And thank you to the Wall family for welcoming us into your home and for sharing a yummy meal with us!! :)

This is Andrew and I with Jenny and her kids in their Japanese Dining Room!

And for another pregnancy picture....

This is me at 32 weeks and 2 days... My belly is growing at rapid speed now! Ahh!! At this point in my pregnancy I'm starting to get a bit uncomfortable... sitting in a theater to watch a movie or sitting anywhere for too long is miserable and I toss and turn mostly every night trying to find a comfortable position to fall asleep and it seems that just when I find that spot I have to get out of bed to go pee! Parks also likes to do his kickboxing exercises just as I lay down! Little stinker! I've definitely got the pregnancy waddle down and Andrew is constantly making fun of how I often use my stomach as an arm rest! haha Lets just say I'm counting down the weeks wishing they'd go by a little quicker! Whenever I see newborn babies or just cute little kids I can't help but get all excited for our little guy to get here! I've almost got the nursery together and am super excited about the furniture I found on KSL! Not only did I get a good deal on both a crib and dresser, but they're both stinkin cute! :)

One last thing!!.... My sisters and sister in laws were so sweet to put on a baby shower for me in Arizona! It was so so fun to see and visit with friends and family there! Thank you all who came and for your love and support and fun gifts!! and to my sisters for all their hard work and creativity in planning it all! You are awesome and I love you all!! I was super bummed that I didn't get any pictures with my friends/family that were there! :( I think my sister in law snapped a few randoms so I'll have to track those down! The above picture though is absolutely adorable... My SIL Mindy made this diaper motorcycle cause she knows how into motorcycles Andrew is... how cute is that?!

40 years

2011-10-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend my whole family got together at our cabin in Colorado to celebrate my parents 40 year anniversary! Thats including my siblings, inlaws, nieces/nephews, mom, and dad for a grand total of 40. How sweet is that!? My parents have created a family of 40 in 40 years! :) It was quite the houseful, but we all had a grand ol' time! Below are pictures of our adventures and weekend together!

All because 2 people fell in love... my lovely parents! They are seriously awesome and I'm so grateful to them for all that they've done and sacrifices they've made to raise our family! They are incredible and I love them dearly! Happy 40 years Mom and Dad! WE LOVE YOU!

This is all 40 of us at the cabin!

My cute nephew Jordan! I seem to always get a picture of him gutting some kind of animal when at the cabin!

Kalicia was quite proud of the rabbit she shot!

Glenn and the boys! Adorable!!

The boys and their big guns! Watch out!

A few of my parents 21 grandchildren (mine will be #22!) :)

This was quite fun! Our family took a scenic train ride going from Durango to Silverton and Silverton back to Durango... this is Andrew and I in front of the train in Silverton.

Missing a few, but alot of us in Silverton just after eating some lunch!

Half of us on the train!

So beautiful!

Glenny poo and Willie!

More beauty!

Andrew and my Dad!

Some of the gang! My brother Jake his wife Lexie, their 3 boys, and my sister Amber!

More nature

More of the crew! My brother Jarom his wife Katie their 2 boys, mom, dad, Kalicia, and Willie!

Concert and Wedding

2011-09-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

So a couple fun things happened in the month of August... Andrew and I were so kindly given tickets to a Josh Groban concert from my boss (seriously my boss's are totally sweet!) The concert was incredible and Josh Groban not only has an amazing voice, but is quite the comedian as well... he puts on a good show! It was so nice to have a night out on the town with my hubby! Thank you Phil and Shani Smith!! :)

Meet ELEW... He opened for Josh Groban with his amazing piano skills!

Josh and his band bowing after the show!

At the concert!

Also my good friend Mallori got married, and I got to be one of her bridesmaids! Mallori and I became roommates soon after high school and at one point were inseparable! We've had good times and many memories to look back on and reminisce! She married Jason Fuller whom I think is awesome and together they are ADORABLE!! There wedding was Beautiful! Congrats you two!! I love you both!!

Coming out of the temple after their sealing... Such a wonderful/exciting feeling!!

At their reception in Vernal! It looks like they were nice with the cake, but it got pretty messy!

My sweet husband! (at the reception) I love those cheeks! And his cute facial expressions :)

Us with the newly weds Mr. and Mrs. Fuller!!

28 Weeks

2011-09-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well this is me at 28 weeks! Pregnancy has been going well besides a few back aches here and there! I really can't complain. We are so anxious and excited! Its been so fun to see my belly move and feel him kicking inside. Little Parks we already love you soo much and can't wait to meet you in less than 3 months! :)

Summer Time!

2011-08-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

Well thus far its been quite the summer!! Here's some pics of things we've been up to!

Our nieces came and visited us from Arizona! We took them for a hike to the "Y"

We got to spend a few days at Lake Powell and somehow Andrew convinced me into going on a Dam tour.... So here we are (i'm taking the picture) getting ready to go on our Dam tour... isnt Andrew's hair lovely?! :)

The giant Dam

My oldest brother Jason with is family and my sister Amber at Lake Powell

Lone Rock beach! Very windy... 1st and possibly the last time we camp there :)

Part of our Lake Powell crew! Thanks Jo for the sweet boat rides!

Us with my little sister Mckala and niece Chelsea at Bridal veil Falls!

The 4th of July at the Stadium of Fire! Brad Paisley is one good looking cowboy with a sexy voice and David Archuletta has quite an amazing voice as well! It was a good show!

Thank you Mom and Dad we had a blast!! LOve you like crazy!!

Jon and Steff took us out on their boat on Utah lake... Thanks you two!!! :)

My good friend Mallori is getting married in 2 weeks!! This is at her Bridal Shower... so fun! :)

Isn't he so stinkin cute?! This is our nephew little Dave at the Pioneer Days parade!

At the Snowflake Pioneer Days Parade!

More nieces and nephew at the parade! oh how i love these munchkins!

We visited Eagar for a day while in Arizona... got to see where my little sister and her hubby live! These are some horns my brother in law found... just to give you an idea how big they are!

Kalicia and Willy let us shoot their bows and arrows... it was quite fun if i do say so myself!

Kalicia and Willy... they're pretty much pros!

After visiting Arizona we drove to St. George and spent a night there! It was so fun and so nice to spend some alone time with just my hubby!! We ate at Brick Oven for dinner that night, it was delicious!!

We stopped by the St. George temple... it is beautiful!!

Well a couple more weeks of summer and then its back to school for Andrew! Summer always goes by WAY to fast but this one has sure been busy!

20 weeks Preggers

2011-08-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

I'm actually 22 almost 23 weeks along now but never got a chance to post about the exciting things that happened at 20 weeks.... We found out we are having a BOY!!! To see the ear to ear smile on Andrew's face when that little wiener popped up on the ultrasound screen and we both knew our first born would be a boy I was filled with happiness and excitement! We are SO excited!!! Then to make things even better, that very night we found out it was a Boy, I felt him move inside me! He gave me a few good kicks to the stomach, I had been wondering when I would get to feel the little guy move! Now he kicks and does somersaults daily, he's quite active, and Andrew gets to join in on the excitement of feeling him move too! Its so fun! We are looking forward to having Baby Parks (still thinking of a middle name?!) join our little family! Can't wait to meet you!! :)

20 weeks along!

I Love RAGNAR

2011-07-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Well I think I'm becoming a Ragnar Addict! This was my second Ragnar, the So Cal Ragnar with friends from Arizona & Utah, as well as my sister and 3 of my sister-in-laws! It was a blast!!! Thank you girls for such and enjoyable weekend! :)

Our team except for Becky (she had to catch a flight)... Scrambled Legs N' Achen rocked the So Cal!

My sister and I!

Teresa and I sporting our RAGNAR tats!

Sheridan after her adventurous run 2 miles longer than expected!

Van #2, missing Sheridan, she is running!

Me and my good friend Mallori!

Amber and I are gathering runners for the Wasatch Back (Utah) ragnar next June! We would like to sign up by July 28th! Let me know if any of ya'll would like to run and could have the $105 fee to us then! :)

Baby Update 18 weeks

2011-06-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

So I had another Dr. Appt. today.... I've gained about 8 lbs, blood pressure is good, and the baby is kicking and healthy! It was a breathe of fresh air to know my baby is ok cause I still haven't felt a thing! So I lay down on the table thing and my Doc measures my stomach and then asks me "Now you only have 1 baby in there right?" I say yes thats what I've been told. So he continues with the probe thing listening to the heartbeat.... listens for a couple minutes and then looks at me with an unsure look and says come with me. So immediately in my head I'm thinking oh shiz does he really think there's twins inside of me?! I was kinda freakin out, but at the same time excited! He leads me to another room with an ultrasound machine... we see the hands, the feet, elbow, arm, head, but only one head.... and thats when Doc assured me welp there is only one baby in there! So nope we are not having twins, but that would have been fun right?! Someday :) ...... Cutest thing though as we were checking out my baby... he/she was sucking on his/her thumb! So so cute! I started giggling a little and got quite giddy and anxious to meet our little one! People ask me all the time if I want a girl or boy.... I want a GIRL! Andrew wants a BOY! We get to find out in 2 weeks, we are SO excited!! :)

Fun News!

2011-06-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well the news is out... I'm PREGNANT!!! This was a bit of a surprise to Andrew and I, and I've been in a little bit of a state of shock (and kinda freakin out) for the last little while. On top of being very nauseous and sick in bed for days, I just didn't know how I was going to survive! But now I'm past the sickness and have gotten used to the idea we're going to have a baby and realized you know... there's really NEVER going to be a "good" time to bring a child into this world, life is crazy and it only gets more crazy and busy as time passes! Heavenly Father knows us best so if he thinks we're ready to become parents well then we're ready and putting our all into it!! So I along with Andrew are absolutely thrilled and feel very blessed that we will be able to have our first child and become parents! We are SOO excited!! I am now 14 weeks along and due December 1st. Can I just say that I am so so excited to see Andrew as a daddy because I think he is going to be the most adorable daddy ever!! :)

So thoughtful!

2011-04-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

So my sister and I went to Arizona about 6 days before our husbands were able to come for the wedding and I tell ya whenever I'm away from Andrew I miss him like CRAZY!!! Amber and I planned to pick our husbands up from the phoenix airport and I was quite anxious! As I've mentioned before, Andrew and I are obsessed with The Cocoa Bean cupcakes! Guess what Andrew surprised me with when he got off that plane at the airport?!.... 3 delicious and full of yumminess cupcakes from the Cocoa Bean! He is seriously the best!

Dang!!! He's smokin... and I am lucky!

Ha yes I couldn't wait, we broke those babies out while waiting for the luggage!

Wedding bells!!

2011-04-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well this is about a month late but congrats to Willie and Kalicia! They are officially married and have been for a little over a month now! It was so fun to have the family all together in celebration of the two of them! Welcome to the family Willie! :)

I didn't get any pictures from the temple dangit! But if you'd like to see some more go to http://tylerryepics.smugmug.com/Weddings/Hamblin

on the left me and my two sisters and on the right my three beautiful nieces. In the middle my bro in law Ck's mother, she was helping with all the food, she is fantastic!

The beautiful bride!

Kalicia and our nieces Camry who caught the bouquet, as well as Jacelee and Alisa

At the bridal shower we threw for Kalicia :)

We played the game "how well do you know your fiance" each time she got a question wrong she'd have to chew another piece of bubble gum, she got to the point where she couldnt chew anymore! ha!

Valentine's Day

2011-03-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately this years Valentine's Day fell on a Monday which means I worked during the day and then continued work throughout the night because Andrew's schedule was just as busy... school during the day and work until midnight. So our schedules clashed which left us with no time to spend together on this day of love, but nobody knows me better than my sweet husband! .... When he arrived home late late monday night, he surprised me with a BEAUTIFUL bouquet of FLOWERS as well as a box of GRAPEFRUIT! I have a little obsession with grapefruit. If I have them on hand, which usually I do. I'll have 3 or more a day. I have sores on my tongue because of how acidic they are, but that will indeed not keep me from eating them. And what girl doesn't love beautiful flowers given to them by a super hot boy that they're crushin on?! So... to the best Valentine's Day surprise!!!! I love you Andrew William Lewis! Thanks for making me feel special! :)

Yes, at this time half of the grapefruit is missing... they found my stomach real fast!

Aren't they pretty?! :)

Vaca to Idaho

2011-02-12T09:42:00.000-08:00

About 3 weeks ago Andrew and I as well as some friends paid a visit to Victor, Idaho. The Smith Family whom I work for has their 2nd home there and so kindly let us go and stay in it! The home is ABSOLUTELY incredible and BEAUTIFUL!! We were not able to leave until a thursday EVENING, therefore putting us through a snow storm the whole drive to Victor! Which should have been a 4.5 hour drive turned into a 6.5-7 hour drive! Lets just say we were MORE than ready to be there when we got there! Our friends Nesha, Brock, Ryan, and Alyssa joined us! Because we were 30 minutes from Jackson Hole and thirty minutes from Grand Targhee we spent a day at each! It was fantastic! Definitely a weekend I'll never forget!

This is the Smith Home in the middle of a WiNtER WoNdErlAnD... so beautiful!!

An old roommate from BYU-ID and Good Friend of mine along with her husband Rhett and baby Jolee came and spent a day with us! We built a giant snowman, had dinner, and played games! Thanks for coming Jenn, I love you!

I must brag a little about how stinkin cool my boss is! While we were staying in their home, they called up the spa just down the road from the house and treated us to a couples massage! It was AbSoLuTely AMAZING!! As you can tell in the picture we are quite relaxed! They seriously are the most generous people! Thank you Phil and Shani, We love you guys!!

Brock, Nesha, Me, and Andrew after a day of snowboarding at Grand Targhee! Imagine snowboarding in complete fog and not being able to see 5 feet in front of you, who knows you could easily run into a tree or fall off a cliff... ha yes that is what it was like at the top of the mountain. A tid bit scary, but we still had a BLAST!

Nesha decided to get a little crazy and ride through some branches.... ya she kinda got stuck, it was quite funny!

Nesha and Brock!

My lover and I :)

This is in Jackson Hole... nothing better than an animal fur jockstrap!? I give it two thumbs up!

The Merry Piglets Mexican Restaurant... yum!

I've always wanted to see a live moose, it was my lucky day!

Nesha and I rockin it at Just Dance 2

Brock and Andrew rockin it at Just Dance 2

Our GIANT snowman! I'm hoping its still standing to greet the Smith's when they return to visit their home! :)

yes this is my husband and he is CrAzY!

My good friends husband Rhett and baby Jolie... adorable!

We HAD to turn around and take a picture with the GIANT spud after we had already passed it! Now thats a BIG potato!

This is Nesha and I on top of the potato....

This is Nesha jumping off the potato and as you can tell by the expression on her face... I don't think it felt very good, but to me it was quite humorous! haha

Entering into Jackson Hole Wyoming!!!

It was indeed a fantastic time!! Thanks friends for joining us, it wouldn't have been the same without you! :)

Cupcake Obsession

2011-02-10T15:49:00.000-08:00

So I have to tell ya'll about Andrew and I's new favorite place....* The Cocoa Bean*.... A gourmet cupcake cafe! If you haven't been there, you must go and enjoy a cupcake to yourself! They have TONS of different flavors that they rotate through and a variety of 8 flavors each and everyday! I have the schedule hanging on our refrigerator with those that we have tried, highlighted. We have decided thus far our 2 top favorites are the Ultimate Brownie and Luscious Lemon Blueberry... YUM! I hate to admit, but I'm kinda addicted! I have cravings for CuPcAkEs!! :) They may be the cause of me PLUMPING right up! So if you see me and that is the case, I blame The Cocoa Bean! :)

Andrew's half way eaten Carrot Cake :)

My half eaten Dirty Turtle :)

Two HAPPY people after a delicious CuPcaKe!

And of course the schedule.... Look at all those YUMMY flavors!!

To my LOVER and Best FRIEND

2011-02-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

This post I dedicate to that guy up there ^... you may not recognize him because of his funny facial hair, but that is indeed Andrew, my husband, my lover, and my BESTEST friend in the whole wide world. He makes me smile and I LOVE him!! Andrew is a very busy busy person... he is currently taking pre-med classes at UVU and works at the hospital... SO his life consists of school, studying, work, and more studying. So really I'm lucky if i get to see him during the week! Our schedules completely clash and it stinks, because I just want to be with him ALL the time! but such is life... I have to tell all of you how proud I am of him! He pulled straight A's this last semester in his classes that consisted of Chemistry, Chemistry Lab, Biology, and Biology Lab! I didn't work when I was in school at BYU-Idaho and I didn't get a single A besides in my exercise classes! Lets just say I'm glad he's in school and is VERY smart cause I was a bit of a slacker and possibly the very opposite of smart! Congrats Lover and keep up the good work!! Andrew will be able to apply to Med School in spring of 2012... we are both looking forward to it! P.S. Andrew you're the best husband EVER! I love you!

Wedding bells!!

2011-02-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Willie and Kalicia!!! My little sister is engaged!! Wahoo!!!! Congrats you two, I love you and can't wait for the big day!

Christmas 2010

2011-02-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas was absolutely wonderful as it always is!! Nothing is better than good food and spending time with family!! I love love love it! This year we spent Christmas with my family in Arizona! Imagine 37 people in one house.... its a little CRAZY! but so much fun of course! It's been a few years since all of my siblings and their families have been all together, and the first time Andrew had spent Christmas with my family... it was wonderful! We were even able to get a family picture, it was great!

We also came home to utah after Christmas in Arizona to most of Andrew's family! Amy and Jesse came the day after Christmas from New Mexico, Sara and Stew came for a few weeks from California, and Jon and Steff came from Sandy! We were missing Ben and Leah who live in Florida, but are looking forward to seeing them this summer!!! yay! :) ... Anyways it was so fun to spend time with our family over the holidays. Andrew and I were definitely pooped by the time it was over, but all the fun was well worth it! Andrew was not very thrilled to go back to school... it was SOOO nice to spend time together!! But back to school and work we went....

The Lewis fam at Pirate Island... such a cool arcade place with yummy pizza!!

My cute niece Bree... she was wearing about every necklace I own... along with my hair bow! so cute! :)

Isn't my husband SO stinkin hot?! :)

The Hatch Family! :) Thank you Tyler Gardner for taking our family pictures!! You're the bomb!

My nephew Kru was blessed while in Arizona at my parents house!

My stinkin cute cousins and Aunt Janice that I rarely get to see!! They came for Kru's blessing, it was so good to see them!!

Grammy and Grandpa got the nieces and nephews plasma cars... so fun!

Little Max... isn't he cute!! :)

Little Dave and Jamon... such studs!! :)

Chrismtas morning!

My mom said my dad wasn't opening their gift fast enough so she jumped right in! haha... love them to pieces!!!!!! :)

Isn't my dad the cutest in his new Christmas pajamas?! I sure do love him!

Baby Austin... he was warn out!! :)

My nephew Josh was quite excited for his new game!!! I love seeing the excitement in all the kids!!

My nephew Jamon and sister in law Mindy pregnant with her THIRD boy!! It's been years since we've gotten a girl in our family!

My brother Jarom, his wife katie, and nephew Dave on Christmas Eve!

My nieces Jacelee and Alisa! They are so fun!

My sister in law Lexi and nephews Brighton and Teal, & niece Jocelynn!! :)

Angels as part of the Nativity :)

The Nativity... I always look forward to this!

Andrew and I took our nieces Kaylene and Chelsea, Sister Mckala, and nephews Jordan and Josh to the movie! We pretty much had the theatre to ourself.. it was great!

Lunch with the Girls!

2010-12-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday my good friends Amanda, Noelle, Lori Jane, and I were able to get together. This is something I look forward to each time we plan a lunch or dinner date! These girls were strangers to me a little over two years ago, but when we became roommates for our 25 day American/Church History tour back in September 2008, they became some of my BEST friends! I love them to pieces and am so glad they are part of my life! Amanda will be leaving on a mission to Kentucky the end of this month... we will miss her!! Good luck girl, I love you!

Amanda, Noelle, Lori Jane, and I at Kneaders for some brunch and catching up on life :)

Below are some pictures/memories from our Tour.... It was so fun looking back and giggling to myself of all the fun times we had together! Good times I will never forget!

This is the whole group! Our family for 25 days!

Far West

Boston... oh how I love Boston!

This is Noelle and a perfect picture of what you get when you put the 4 of us together!

NYC

I'm already forgetting where some of these pictures are... Girls, can you fill me in here?

DC Temple!

Williamsburg Colonial

Ragnar Las Vegas October 22-23, 2010

2010-11-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

12 team members/friends, two vans, 30 straight hours of running between all... 195 miles total

So this is me on my 1st leg (6.4 miles)... SMILING and thinking, I got this, no sweat! After a couple BIG hills I was ready to be done with my first leg!

Moving on to my second leg.. It was a total of 3.1 miles in the dark, dark night. My biggest fear of running the Ragnar was running in the dark. I'm SO scared of the dark and I especially hate being alone in it. I was told oh no worries my team van would be able to stick with me along the whole way. YA RIGHT!! I begin my 2nd leg and probably 1/2 mile into it I am suddenly on this dark trail with a fence on one side and a wall with trees up agains it on the other side the only thing lighting it was my headlamp and what little moonlight there was.. I'm alone for a while and FREAKING out, running as fast as I can to get off the trail! The trail went on FOREVER it seemed! Soon a couple girls catch up with me (thank goodness!!) and we stuck together til the end of the trail and were on the road again with streetlights. Phew! That leg ended, and I survived!

By now its really starting to hit me, 15 hours into it.. im tired, feeling nautious, and my body is aching! Thankfully we got to go back to our hotel to get a few hours of sleep before starting our 3rd leg. I sure needed it, although when I woke up, a couple hours later, I was thinking to myself am I CRAZY, what was I thinking?! I'm tired, SO SORE, and I still have another 6.9 miles to go! AH! ha! So here we go again! On to the LAST exchange where we will start our 3rd leg! I was the 4th runner so I had a little bit of time to mentally prepare myself! Karen, Cindy, and Dana flew through their third leg and now it is my turn.... I get out there and off I go... 6.9 miles on a rocky dirt road. I was hurting and wanted to cry, but I kept telling myself "you can do this and once you do, you'll be done, COMPLETELY done!" My team was AWESOME, they cheered me on the whole way and kept me going!.....This is me after handing off the wristband to Hank. Not so smiley, tired, beat, and not wanting to take another step, but I actually felt GREAT! If that makes sense? I was DONE and I ran a total of 16.4 miles!All done! Can you tell, I'm ready to hit the sack?

This is half our team Van 1 at the 1st big exchange (Lake Mead)

This is van 1 and van 2 (the whole team except 1, Paula Flake, she took off right after). Celebrating our Ragnar Accomplishment with some good food! Well done team! Thanks for the fun experience!!

This is one of the many CRAZY team vans, nice huh. ha!

So that is my Ragnar story.... would I do it again? MOST DEFINITELY!!! Even if I was hurting, aching, and lost alot of sleep... It was one of the funnest things I've done!

Oh Christmas Tree!

2010-11-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

We got our Christmas Tree up and it is beautiful! The Christmas tree has always been my favorite Decor of Christmas, along with my mom's beautiful Nativity set! I could just sit for hours by the Christmas tree and just stare! I love Christmas time! The lights, the feeling, the giving, and the remembrance of our Savior's birth! I hope ya'll have a Happy Christmas Season!

I was anxious and excited to decorate this year because I got all my decorations last year after Christmas so I could get them all 50% or more off! So They've been sitting in a box just waiting to be used!

I had to show off my one piece pajama... Andrew gave it to me for Christmas 2 years ago and has been giving me a hard time about not wearing it very often. So I broke it out and he loved it! haha... it wasn't long before my feet got super hot and I had to take it off to let them breathe! Once my feet get hot I get very uncomfortable! But at least I was warm!!

Homemade pizza!

2010-11-25T22:52:00.000-08:00

So Andrew and I agreed that homemade pizza is just not the same as Papa Johns or Pier 49 or any other pizza place. The crust always seems to be flat and just not the same, so Andrew and I have been determined to find a recipe to prove us to be wrong and that homemade pizza can be good! Well Andrew found that recipe and we tested it out.... the results... Delicious and it even looks good too! Recipe below! :)

Dough:

1 Cup warm water

1 pkg. (.25 oz.) dry active yeast

2 3/4 flour

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1.Place water in a small bowl and stir yeast. Let Stand 5 minutes

2.In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, and salt. Make well in the center and add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until dough comes together and forms a ball. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed. Form into a disk and place in a bowl that has been lightly coated with olive oil. Turn disk over and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

3.Remove dough from bowl and punch down. Roll out into desired diameter

*For best results cook on a round pizza stone

After rolling out dough and placing on the pizza stone, spread 2-4 tablespoons of BBQ sauce (I recommend Sweet Baby Ray's) on top of dough. Add your desired amount of cheese (we used colby jack as well as mozzarella). Then spread cooked chicken that has been covered in BBQ sauce (we used george foreman grill to cook chicken) on top, about 3/4 lb. chicken breast. Then spread 1/2 RED onion (next time I'll use more cause it tastes so yummy!) on top, as well as pineapple tidbits. Top with a little more cheese! Bake at 500 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until crust is nicely browned. ENJOY!!!

Girlfriends... love them!!

2010-11-09T16:35:00.001-08:00

Better late than never!... My girlfriends from home; Lawryn, Aleesa, and Christina came and visited Conference weekend! It was a weekend full of fun and loss of sleep (but totally worth it!) I love these girls like crazy! Next time they come it'll be snowy and wintery and we'll be hitting the slopes!! Right girls!?! :) Some things we enjoyed together.....

General Conference...

Trying on sweet glasses in a costume store....

Lunch at the Roof, before going to conference (my fav, so yummy!)....

Pedicures (so relaxing!)...

and Jamba Juice with a slice of Great Harvest Bread (yum!)

Thanks for coming girls! It was so fun to have you girls here! See you at home at Christmas time! Can't wait!!! Love you all!

Cheesecake.. Yum!

2010-11-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

Well a few weeks ago I attempted my first cheesecake and well... I decided if I attempt it again I won't start making it at midnight, I hadn't a clue what I was getting myself into! The results though... absolutely delicious!

I wanting to have the cheesecake for Sunday dinner dessert, got home from hanging out with some friends Saturday night and thought ah I should probably start the cheesecake right now, midnight, 12:00 am, well past my bedtime!! I whipped the crust out (which i will definitely do a thicker crust next time), got it baked and out to cool and then began the other part. I got it put together, threw it in the oven and continued to read the baking time instructions which read....

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes THEN turn the oven down to 225 degrees and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes, THEN turn oven off and open the door wide AND allow cake to set in oven for 30 minutes. By the time all this had happened it was 3:00 AM... I was thrilled to be hitting the sack, but the thought of having to wake up in 3 HOURS after the cheesecake had cooled to put it in the fridge was not a happy thought!

6 AM surely did roll around TOO FAST and I drug myself out of bed, put it in the fridge and immediately went back to bed! 11:30 AM rolls around... Andrew pops up out of bed, looks at the clock and says surprisingly (because he NEVER sleeps in) "Jena its 11:30, we're LATE for church!" ha... the cheesecake baking left me sleep deprived! We made it to church just at the end of Sacrament meeting in time to teach our little SUNBEAMS which by the way... are ADORABLE! Then later that day we enjoyed a yummy and delicious cheesecake, which turned out to be worth the loss of sleep! :)

FOR THE CRUST

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)

1 Tbsp. sugar

6 Tbsp. butter melted

(I personally think there needs to be more crust, so add some more if you please!)

FOR THE FILLING

2 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

HOW TO MAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

To make crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, two at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2-3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.

Choose a topping! I used raspberries mixed with jelly like the recipe said but I personally would not recommend the jelly idea! I loved the raspberries but will probably use a box of danish dessert gelatin stuff instead!

Recipe from BAREFOOT CONTESSA cookbook.... ENJOY!

Halloween

2010-11-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Oh how I LOVE Halloween!!! This year Andrew and I were Willy Wonka and Oompa Loompa! Because of my sweet mother and her sweet sewing skills we were able to pull my costume together... thanks mom, you're the best! The friday before Halloween our friends Nesha and Brock had a costume party in which we went on a scavenger hunt... it was a blast! Andrew and I won first place for the costume contest and got an ash tray, cigarettes, and a couple bags of candy bars.... hahahaha! Since we got our first pack of cigs we decided... heck lets give em' a try! ha... just kidding :) They'll be making a GREAT white elephant gift, with the Holidays around the corner! Thanks Nesha and Brock! :) The following night we got together with our friends in our costumes and went to dinner at Outback! Below are some fun costumes of everyone!

Oompa loompa doompadee doo!

All of us at Outback!

Andrew and I had the privilege of having my good friend Aleesa from Arizona with us all weekend! She was a little hesitant on dressing up, but we got her in costume and I think she made the best hick in town! :)

Nesha and Brock as Astronauts! How sweet are their costumes?!?

Sari and Mckell as nerds!! They were Buddy the Elf and Elf the night before... So good!

Cass and Jordan and little Quinlee! Loofa and Soap on a rope, very Clever!

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A HAPPY HALLOWEEN! We sure did!! :)

Pumpkin Banana Mousse tart

2010-10-14T22:48:00.000-07:00

One thing I always look forward to in the fall and during the holidays are all the yummy pumpkin treats! I LOVE PUMPKIN! I got this recipe out of an Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa cookbook and it was delish! It's kinda like pumpkin pie but with a twist! YUM, YUM! Enjoy!!

For the Crust

2 c. graham cracker crumbs (14 crackers)

1/3 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 stick of butter

For the Filling

1/2 c. half and half

1- 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

1 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 extra-large egg yokes

1 package (2 tsp.) unflavored gelatin

1 ripe banana, finely mashed

1/2 tsp. grated orange zest

1/2 c. cold heavy cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

For the Decoration

1 c. cold heavy cream

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

orange zest (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11 inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool to room temperature.

For the filling, heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes.Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them, then pour the egg pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4-5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. You don't want the eggs to scramble. Remove from the heat.

Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Whip the heavy cream in a bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

For the Decoration, whip the heavy cream in the bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle, if desired, with orange zest. Serve Chilled.

Playing Catch up!

2010-10-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well it has indeed been a crazy and busy last couple of months.... it seems like I was out of town every weekend! It really made me miss my Sunbeams! Oh how i have grown to LOVE them!! They are so fun!! Anyways... here is an update of what we've been up to the last 2 months....

My sweet Grandma Hatch passed away on September 22... Almost 93 years old... I knew the time was coming soon, but wow did the emotions hit me hard! It was a bit of a bittersweet... I laid in bed the night of the day she passed away and I thought to myself, 'I wonder what grandma and grandpa are up to now that they are reunited?!' (Its been almost 11 years since my grandpa Hatch passed away) I began to cry, but smile at the same time! I am truly grateful that I have an eternal family and that I will again see my grandparents one day! Grandma, you were an incredible woman and I will miss you dearly! Above is my family at the grave-sight.

My cousins Kaitlynn and Tyrel, it has been quite some time since I last saw them! Love you guys!

Grandma's casket was absolutely beautiful!

Andrew and I ran one of the funnest races I've ever ran before! The Dirty Dash! It was a 10k run with obstacle courses and in the MUD! We hopped over hay bails, crawled through tunnels, hopped over walls, ran through swamps, slid down a giant slide, and SWAM in mud to the finish line! It was incredible and I look forward to next years race!

After the Race, all muddified! :)

2010-10-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

My dear sister and bro in law... love them!! They so kindly let Andrew and I join them for a SPECTACULAR meal at the Red Iguana! It was delicious!! It may have been just as good as La Cocina De Eva's (oh how i miss the yumminess of her food!) But I think Glenn has introduced us to a restaurant that will satisfy my mexican food cravings!

We also took a stroll on Main street in Park City! Glenn and Andrew decided to try some EXTREMELY hot, hot sauce. Typical. Andrew LOVES hot stuff. By the looks on their face... you can tell its PRETTY hot!! That was just a lick from the tip of a toothpick!

The famous moose on main street!

The moose has some sweet cowboy boots eh?!

Our sweet Christina's wedding reception... Lawryn, Aleesa, and I (especially) enjoyed the cupcakes! They were delicious!! And her reception was beautiful! It was so fun to be reunited with my girlfriends from home!

Me, Tina, and Aleesa just after the sealing, isn't she beautiful!?

Jordan & Christina Reidhead... love it!! :)

2010-10-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

The Day Alla went back to Russia! We will miss her!

Sorry! Its upside down?! I thought this pic was so cute! My crazy nephew Jett... at our family cabin in Colorado... he loves to catch toads in all sorts of shapes and sizes... and obviously stick them on his head!

The family at a beautiful waterfall in Colorado!

Aren't my parents the cutest?! Love them to pieces!! :)

Andrews find of the day! a big ol' crawd ad (spell check?)!

Have you ever seen a 72 year old jump a trampoline?! It was Alla's first time and she loved it!!

I love this little guy! isnt he cute?!

At a baby shower for my sister Trisha! She had baby #5 back in September... Austin Kent, he is adorable!

Its become a tradition of mine and Andrews to go to the Sandy Demolition Derby each year... This year Mckell and Sari joined us! We had a great time! :)

At the Demo Derby! SO FUN!

Summer of fun! PICTURE OVERLOAD!!

2010-08-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well this is what our summer has been full of starting with most recent, back to June! Its been full of family, friends, and lots of fun!!

We spent Pioneer Day Celebration back home in Taylor/Snowflake where we enjoyed a car show^.....

Ran a race, Mckala placed in her aged group!....

Andrew and I after the Pioneer Day 10K.....

Went to the play Beauty and the Beast.... Mom, Andrew, Shannon, and Chelsea scrunched in the back of our car after the play!

Tyce was the center of attention by all the cousins while we were in Arizona.... and that concludes the pictures of our trip to Arizona.... We also got to meet our new nephew Pilot while home! He is adorable!!

We put together a softball team and well we didn't do so hot, but it was fun to play!!! Thanks team, ya'll are the bomb!

Amber and I have spent many of our summer days at Seven Peaks....

Sam and Tyce enjoying the sun at Seven Peaks!

Sam spent 5 days with Andrew and I while his family went to lake Powell.... It was the CUTEST thing seeing Andrew help me with all the daily things a baby needs to be taken care of... I sensed a bit of baby hungry from Andrew! :) He will be such a good daddy one day!!!

4th of July weekend was spent with Lewis family as well as the Hatch family!! Above is Andrew and his brother Jon roasting some mallows

Lewis family enjoying the firework show, thank you Jon for the SWEET fireworks!!

Andrew was being extra cautious with his safety goggles! Better safe than sorry!! :)

While the Hatch family was in town for the 4th we went to the vendors and Chelsea and I spotted this sweet van.... A subaru 360, I will have one someday!!

Andrew and I ran the Freedom Run 10K, our first race together!!

Sisters! watching the Stadium of fire fireworks!

My Mom and Dad aka the SWEETEST parents ever!! Love you!!!

niece Chelsea, me, and sisters Mckala and Amber.... still watching the fireworks!!

Lovelace family... watching the Fireworks!!

Thanks to the Smith family, we were able to enjoy a night of swimming and roasting marshmallows in their backyard!! Thank you Smith's, I sure love you guys!!

Chelsea, me, alien aka Andrew, Mckala, Amber, and Tyce

My lovely husband :)

Dad, Mom, Tyce, and Amber in the hot tub!!

It's become a tradition when the Hatch's gather in Utah to go bowling on BYU campus! good times! :) Thanks mom and dad!!

Thanks to Easton, I discovered this sweet toy store in the Riverwoods of Provo! So I convinced my family into going to check it out and we had a good ol time and spent at least a good hour in the store!

Meet the Fairbanks Boys! Cole, Jack, Braden, Camron, and Sam (hiding in the carseat behind Camron) These boys are totally sweet and I'm lucky enough to get to chill with these boys 2-3 times a week! We spent the day at 7 Peaks and then enjoyed snow cones at their favorite snow cone shack, Hokulia in Provo!

Can you tell what flavor of snow cone Jack got?!

Andrew and I enjoyed a hike together to Stewart Falls!! Haven't done the hike up Mt. Timp this summer yet, but plan too soon!! We enjoy hiking!

We also have celebrated Tyce's 2nd birthday this summer!! His lollipop was one of his FAVORITE presents!

Happy birthday Tyce!

So cute!!

I got to make Tyce's Birthday cake! It was a lot of fun!

Our niece Courtney came and visited us from Arizona for a whole 3 weeks!! It was a blast!! We painted nails......

went to lake powell!.....

Sari and I got some sweet tats while at Lake powell!

Andrew caught a HUGE fish!

water wiener wars were my favorite!

more wars!

and more....

Also while Courtney was in town we went swimming at Scera Pools.....

Went to Jump on it!!

We sure loved having you in our home for a few weeks Courtney! You are so spunky and fun!! We love you and look forward to the next time you come to visit!!

And well this catches us up for a bit!! Happy Summer!!!

Florida and Arizona!

2010-05-30T14:54:00.001-07:00

Well the last few weeks were a bit crazy, but so fun!! Andrew and I had the opportunity to go to Florida to visit Andrew's brother Ben, his wife Leah, and their sweet daughter Alyssa... as well as celebrate our 1 year Anniversary! We had a fun filled week of beach time, Miami zoo, Marlins baseball game, walks around the neighborhood as well as at the ginormous mall, dinner at cheesecake Factory on our Anniversary, delicious meals made by Leah (she is little mrs Betty Crocker!), delicious Apple Pie made by Leah :), a morning run around a beautiful loop (I felt as if i was in paradise, it was beautiful!), Russian grocery stores, paddle ball.. trac ball.. and volleyball on the beach, and family time spent with the Ben and Leah Lewis Family! It was a blast! Thank you Ben and Leah for being so hospitable, we love you guys and look forward to seeing you in August!

When our Florida vacation came to an end, we flew home... got home at 1 a.m. Thursday morning.. got a few hours of sleep and then drove together with my sisters Amber and Kalicia as well as nephew Tyce and continued our vacation to Arizona for our sister Mckala's 8th grade graduation! Mckala looked adorable! I just can't believe she'll be in high school next year and whats even crazier to me is my oldest niece will be getting her license next year as well! These girls use to be so little.. where did the time go?! Amber, Kalicia, Andrew, and I gathered our nieces and nephews as well as Mckala's friends and played COPS AND ROBBERS one of the nights we were there.... it was so fun!!! It was so fun being home with family, its quite chaotic when we are all together with all the nieces and nephews running around, but I look forward to it every-time we get to go home to visit! I love my family and am so grateful I am blessed with the love and support of my wonderful parents as well as each and everyone of my siblings!

After Mckala's graduation we got together for some dinner at Eva's (mexican food) so yummy!! Thanks mom and dad!!

Keeping Tyce entertained on the drive! :)

Courtney and Tyce are inseparable... Tyce use to cry for me, but now I think Courtney has taken my place! Loving cousins, its cute!

Andrew and I brought along our beast of a waffle maker and prepared a waffle breakfast for the family! Here's a good group of the kids!

Mckala at her graduation! She's all grown up! :)

Family at graduation!

Pit stop on our way to Arizona!! Tyce had a blue ring pop... can you tell?!

FLORIDA!!

Alyssa is so sweet, because they moved to Florida when Andrew and I first started dating I wasnt able to get to know Alyssa very well. She is so fun and sweet!! According to her Andrew and I were called "nena and nena" :) haha she couldn't quite remember "drew" so Andrew was nena too!

Andrew's sweet trac ball skills!

He was trying to look like a camel ... I think he did a pretty good job! haha

At the Zoo! It was a humungous zoo!

Ben, Leah, and Alyssa

Marlins game! It was a blast!!

After the beach!

Andrew and Ben in sweet snorkeling gear

At the beach!

1 Year Anniversary

2010-05-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today is indeed our 1 year Anniversary and it has been the most incredible year being able to spend it with my best friend!! I love you Andrew William Lewis and am excited for many more years spent with you!!

Late Post- Vegas!

2010-05-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago Andrew and I had the opportunity to go to Vegas... It was indeed a quick trip, but here's a few pics of our Adventure...

My two sweet sisters whom are both currently prego, Amber (left) due in October and Trisha (right) due in September!! Trisha will be having a boy and Amber we do not know yet! I am quite excited for the both of them!!

While the boys went to the races, we treated ourselves to lunch at Pei Wei with a pedicure to follow! It was quite nice and relaxing and in the end we came home with cute toes! Thanks for the fun time sisters!! Love you both!! :)

Andrew caught this on camera... Our sweet niece Alisa and nephew Tyce (cousins) snuggling while watching a movie! So cute!!

A walk on the strip.... We were on an adventure to find the Strip House Steak House... Supposedly they have a 24 layer chocolate cake in which we discovered on the Food Network channel... we didnt quite make it to the restaurant before we decided we'd get it another time, it had been a long day and we were pooped!

Andrew took the camera to get some pics at the races... well here is picture number one (some random guy) and....

picture number two and that concludes his photos of memories at the races.... typical guy I suppose! ha!

P.S. 11 days til Our 1 year anniversary!! Can't believe how fast this last year has gone by.... Spending it with my Best Friend has been INCREDIBLE!!! To celebrate, we are heading to Florida for a week (leaving next week).... SUNSHINE here we come!!!! :)

OH! and... I chopped my hair....AgAiN... its well... ReAllY short! Pictures to come...

LOTS TO CATCH UP ON!

2010-04-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well it's been quite the eventful last month or so! There are many posts below, sharing our adventures! Our dear friend Baba Alla left a couple weeks ago to go visit her granddaughter in Wisconsin... She will be there for the summer and we will get to see her again in September before she flies back to Russia! She was such a joy to have around! Such a sweet lady! We love her and miss her and look forward to seeing her again in September!

Graduation!!

2010-04-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Andrew graduated from the Paramedic Program!! We were both thrilled for him to be done!! He put MANY MANY hours into it and I rarely got to see him because of his CrAzY schedule! So I'm grateful to have my husband back and am SO proud of him and all his hard work! Congratulations baby!!

Andrew's parents treated us to dinner in celebration of his graduation.....

We chose to eat at El Gallo Giro, Andrew ordered "The Rock" for him and I to share.... look at that beast!! Lets just say it wasn't quite my cup of tea and it does terrible things to the body :S

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVER!

2010-04-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Andrew's 24th birthday on April 21st! We had friends and family over to enjoy some birthday cake (Fruit pizza by the birthday boys request!), as well as mingle, and played some ping pong! It was an enjoyable night! You're the best Andrew William Lewis, I sure love you and hope you had a fantastic BIRTHday!

oh how I love CONFERENCE WEEKEND!

2010-04-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Conference Weekend is something I look forward to every 6 months!! My family comes from Arizona and we spend all weekend in Salt Lake and usually get into 1-2 sessions at the Conference center! My parents have made it a tradition and I have grown to LOVE it! This Conference Andrew and I not only got to be with our family, but we also had Alla with us which was a special treat, all the way from Russia! Thanks Mom and Dad for such a wonderful weekend! We love you both SO Much!!

Alla, Me, Tyce, Mom, Mckala

My sister and I with our wonderful Parents!

Family :)

Sweet Alla and my good lookin husband in the Conference Center

Spring Break

2010-04-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

It was spring break for Easton, Savannah, and Tanner a few weeks ago, so thanks to their totally sweet parents we had a great time throughout the week!

We visited the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point, I had never been there before and quite enjoyed it!

Savannah and I had girl time and gave ourselves pedicures and glitter toes!

Soakin the feet!

We went to the 3D showing of How to Train a Dragon and LOVED it!

Thanks for the good times!! I seriously have the best job because of the totally sweet people you are :)

Funny boy!

2010-04-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

An update it is much needed and I have lots of pictures to share, but for now, I'll share a funny story of my day today....

So I took the cute little boys I nanny to the park because it was such a BEAUTIFUL day! Anyways.. Jack (5 years old) was crossing the monkey bars, got clear across and then on his way back across again he says to me, "Damnit, I'm good at these!"

I at the moment thought I heard him say what he said but was not positive, but it was confirmed that he sure enough said what I thought I heard when he finished getting to the other side and then asked, "Is damnit a bad word?" hahaha!!! The things little kids pick up on! I couldn't help but laugh and then say, "yes Jack, you probably shouldn't say that!" :)

Bobooshka Alla

2010-03-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

The last couple weeks we have had the privilege of having Baba Alla in our home! Alla is a SwEeT lady from Russia. Andrew served his mission in Russia and Alla was like a grandma to him and the other missionaries in the Vladivistok mission. When Andrew left Russia he promised Alla he'd find a way for her to come to America so that she can visit temple square, attend conference, and what not! Thanks to Andrew's parents that promise was kept! .... I was a little nervous about the communication situation (she doesn't speak English), but it has all worked out! We've learned to communicate with our hands!

This last Friday my mother-in-law, Alla, Andrew, and I went to the Salt Lake Temple and did a session... we got out of the session at about 5:30 and were starving cause we had all skipped lunch. Alla was peacefully enjoying the temple as our stomachs were growling, but of course we didn't want to push her along, it being her first time there and possibly her last. After about 15 minutes or so Andrew said something to the effect of, "Alla, I want you to take your time and enjoy, but Jena is REALLY hungry...... " Immediately Alla replies, "Oh! We better go then, it may not only be Jena that is hungry... she might have a baby inside there!" HA! If things were Alla's way we'd be popping out babies left and right! She loves to tease us about having kids NOW!!

We then went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and she LOVED the food, as do I! Andrew and I told the server it was her birthday (a little white lie) :) and sure enough they brought out the saddle and on hopped Alla (after she realized it was OK that all these people were surrounding her and shouting)

We've had many adventures thus far with more to come! Andrew took Alla on a motorbike ride and she LOVED it! Imagine a 73 year old woman on a motorcycle telling Andrew to go faster! He got up to 125 mph and she wasn't scared, not at all! She just wanted to go faster! She is a hoot and such a fun grandma!!

Alla has been busy making each of us slippers out of yarn! They're so comfy and warm!

I LOVE THESE GIRLS!!

2010-03-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

It's been about a year and a half since the four of us ^ (Me, Noelle, Lori Jane, Amanda) ^ went on the American/Church history tour where we met and became roommates for 25 days... and those 25 days were incredible! We flew into Richmond, Virginia where a BYU-Idaho bus awaited us and thats where it all began. We got to see, experience, and learn so many fun/cool/interesting/spiritual things. And it was throughout those 25 days that the FOUR of us became the best of friends! Sadly its been a year and a half since the last time we were all together, but this last weekend we were able to meet up at Zupa's in Draper and catch up on one anothers lives! We had a ball and laughed and laughed and laughed again! It wasn't until we started to get looks from Zupa's employees as if saying, "seriously, you're STILL here!?"(3 1/2 hours later) that we decided we should probably go. It was SO fun and i sure do miss these ladies! Lets not let time fly by us like that again girls! :)

Below are pictures of some of our Adventures!

Williamsburg Colonial

Ah Amanda! :)

By far the BEST caramel apple I've EVER... found in Williamsburg Colonial

Beautiful DC temple

Philedelphia, its the truth, they have the BEST philly cheesteaks

Central Park

NYC!

Wicked!! in NYC! everyone must see at least once in their lifetime!

Birthplace of Joseph Smith!

We had lots of time on the bus..

.... I mean LOTS of time! and LOTs of laughs!

Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood/Susquehanna River

In the Susquehanna River

Kirtland Temple!

Skyline of NYC

Walden Pond!

Women's Rights Museum

Mansion homes in Rhode Island, they were AMAZING!

Beautiful view and backyard of mansion homes!

This was a CRAZY night!! Can you tell? :)

Boston... I LOVE Boston

Beautiful Palmyra temple!

The Sacred Grove.... so peaceful!

Hill Camorah!

Niagara Falls!

Beautiful Nauvoo Temple!

The whole group in the JSMB at the end of the tour! My family, for 25 days!

It was indeed sad leaving everyone at the end of the trip, but seeing Andrew and being able to be with him again was the best feeling in the world! This ^ is 2 months after Andrew and I met, we were apart for the whole second month of us dating... I believe absence made the heart grow fonder, I missed him like crazy! :) The two little lovebirds at the other end of the picture were in the same position as us, and are now married as well!! CUTE :)

Ice Castles

2010-03-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago some good friends Nikki, Wes, Sari, and Mckell and ourselves got together and headed up to Zermatt Resort. We ate dinner at a little restaurant and then toured the giant ice castles they had made there. Nikki, Wes, and Mckell bummed out on going through the ice castles because it was pretty chilly, so it was just Andrew, me, and Sari who did the touring while the others waited in the car... (whimps!) :) We ended the night with some swimming and hot tubbing there at Zermatt. It was indeed a fun night! Thanks for coming friends!!

What to do with those Christmas Cards?!

2010-02-18T20:56:00.000-08:00

Have any of you wondered what the heck to do with all the Christmas/New Years pictures and cards family and friends send you over the holidays?! Well I learned this cute idea from a show I watch with all kinds of crafty ideas. All you need is some cute Christmas scrapbook paper, chipboard (or i just use a cereal box!), 2 snap rings, and whatever else you desire to decorate your Christmas book. Begin by measuring the biggest picture/card you received (you may need to measure the biggest card in width and then the biggest card in height) and then use those measurements to cut out 2 pieces of chipboard! Cover both pieces of chipboard with scrapbook paper... decorate front however you desire. Punch two holes in the cover pieces as well as your pictures/cards and bind together with snap rings! Just an idea! :)

Valentine's Day

2010-02-17T14:49:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately Andrew had a clinical at the hospital ALL day long on Valentine's Day, but he was able to come home by dinner time and it ended up being a wonderful evening together! When I was on my way out to my car to head to church that morning I noticed little post it notes stuck to my window and all around inside my car! My sweet husband had written me a poem which lead to the CD he had made me and as soon as I turned on the stereo it immediately began to play. He had put together all the songs with meaning to our relationship... most of which are on our wedding video! It was the cutest thing and reminded me just how sweet and thoughtful my husband is! He also treated me with LOTS of YUMMY chocolate, chocolate covered strawberries, a grapefruit spoon (which i've been wanting for a while since I'm kinda obsessed with grapefruits), and a connecter cord so i can play my ipod through the surround sound on our TV. Isn't he the best?! OH HOW I LOVE HIM!!!! :) When he arrived home (FINALLY!!) I had the table set and ready for a Valentine's dinner together. I usually stick to recipes I know how to cook because trying to cook new things is kinda intimidating to me, but I decided I was going to cook out of the box... I tried something new and it turned out pretty good! I learned it from Rachel Ray.. Her Reuben stuffed chicken along with some buttery sweet potatoes I also learned from a cooking show that were so addicting and delicious! Served with a little Martinelli's and cupcakes for dessert! It was our first Valentine's together as husband and wife and it was very special! I love you Andrew William Lewis!

Visit from a friend!

2010-02-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

My good friend Aleesa Gail Hunt paid a visit to Utah this last weekend, so we were able to get together for a night and catch up on life! We went to Farr's Fresh for some Ice cream (absolutely delicious!) and then caught a chic flik at the theater... Dear John, so good!! It was so good seeing you Aleesa... I had a wonderful time! Can't wait to see you again!

Weekend Getaway

2010-02-08T06:09:00.000-08:00

Because of the wonderful family I nanny for, Andrew and I were able to get away for the weekend at the Solitude Ski Resort! We spent friday on the slopes enjoying the day with little Easton, Tanner, Savannah, and Phil. And thanks to Phil, again Andrew and I were able to enjoy fresh powder on saturday as well!! We spent the night in their beautiful condo just steps away from the lift! It was an absolutely fantastic weekend and just what Andrew and I needed because he is deep into clinicals and rarely home! Thank you, thank you, thank you Smith Family!!

On our way to the mountain!

Andrew, Me, and Tanner on top of the mountain about to prove ourselves experts :)

Savannah and I... One of the sweetest/cutest girls I know!! Sorry boys, I'm saving her for my nephew :)

My studly husband and I :)

Isn't he cute? :)

Our friends Tyler and Sarah joined us for an evening of games and fun!

Oh how I love the snow!! It is beautiful!

On the balcony of the condo... it was a beautiful view!

They're was even a skating rink ^... sadly we didn't take advantage of it :(

This was actually at the gardens of la caille (spelling?!) resteraunt... we stopped on our way home to see all the fun animals that just wander around.

ARIZONA

2010-01-28T18:22:00.000-08:00

I had the Wonderful opportunity to go home to Arizona to visit my family! Unfortunately Andrew was too busy with school and could not come, so him and I were apart for a WHOLE WEEK and after being away from him for 3 days I decided I will not allow us to ever be apart for that many days ever again! I had a fantastic time being with my family, but I missed my husband, best friend, and love of my life like crazy!! Here are some good times I had in sweet home ARIZONA....

My dad, my nephew Dave, and I... Isn't family the best?! I had a great time wrestling with my dad and teasing him that he better be careful or he'll have to live with the shame of getting taken to the ground by his 22 year old daughter :) I sure love you dad!!

Lawryn, Christina, and I got together and watched the Bachelor! Oh the drama on that show... I look forward to it each week! :) Thanks girls for a fun night together and catching up on old times!

One of my goals while I was there was to help my mom organize her kitchen. While there I got a little taste of how crazy her life is between babysitting her millions of grandchildren, being a mother and wife, as well as the relief society president!! She is a BUSY woman!! I sure love you mom and am glad I got to spend some time with you in the kitchen and laugh at the realization that you were acting like grandma at moments not wanting to throw away a few junk items! haha oh good times! :) here is a before picture of the project....^

and after..... I didn't get to every single cubard and drawer like I would have liked to, but I got the majority of it! I love to organize, I do it quite a bit as part of my job and the finished project is always refreshing to look at!

Nieces and nephews at McDonalds for some Ice Cream, they are so darn cute and I can't believe my oldest niece Chelsea (on the far right)^ will be getting her license in ONE year! Crazy how time flies and how fast they grow up! My nephew Jett is too funny... I was chasing him around the house and suddenly he stopped and said (with his cute little lisp), "I don't have time for this.... I'm too busy!" and then went and played the Wii. We had to CONVINCE him into leaving his game on the Wii in order to go get some ice cream. Addicted?! I'd say :)

This was a special treat!! I got to meet my best friends from high school, little girl Brooklynn!! She is such a doll and such a good baby! Lawryn you make such a good mother! You and Tyler have began a beautiful family! love you guys!!

My cute nephew Jordan... him and I went to the Stake center and played a little basketball, he pretty much whooped my butt! He killed me many times in the game of Horse and then again in a game of one on one!

Little Dave... ah that smile!! I love it :)

Katie and I took the youngin's to see Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squekual. It was such a cute movie and I had a great time spending time with nieces, nephew, sister, and sister-in-law. Thanks Katie for coming along and thanks kids for putting up with your Aunt Jena and Mckala in your case, your sister, one whom is it bit bossy towards you but truely appreciates all that you do! You're the best little sister! :) Chelsea... you've got to stop growing, you're taller than me and 7 years younger!

Believe it or not, it DOES snow in Arizona!! Anytime I say something about snow in Arizona to someone who is not from there, I always get a response of , "what?! it snows in Arizona?!" Haha..... it snowed like crazy in the white mountains of Arizona while I was there visiting.... So much that they closed the Ski Resort on the day I was planning on going because there was just TOO much snow! Total bummer cause i was looking forward to snowboarding, but the snow was absolutely beautiful... This was on the way to phoenix to catch my flight to come back to Utah, I thought I was going to get snowed in, in Arizona, but roads opened and I was able to come back to my husband!

On the way to phoenix as well, it went from lots of beautiful snow the majority of the way, to a beautiful waterfall....

And the BEST ending to my trip... My sweet husband Andrew told me he'd not be able to pick me up from the airport because he had a 24 hour clinical shift at a fire station. So I made arrangements with my sister Amber to pick me up and to my surprise, as I came around the corner heading to get my luggage, Andrew was standing there with the most beautiful flowers in his hands... I almost started crying at the fact that he was right there and I was not expecting it! It was the BEST feeling in the world, I was so down about not getting to see him for ANOTHER day, but he pulled a few strings and was able to be there!! Thanks babe for being the MOST INCREDIBLE husband in the world!!

Aren't they pretty?!

I also got to go on a couple lunch dates, with my friend Rikki, as well as my other mother Deanna, and Lawryn. I had my camera with me both times, but forgot to get a picture darnit! It was so good to see ya'll, especially you Rikki, since its been YEARS since we've gotten together! love you ladies!! :)

Also a dear friend of my families, Emmett aka Dr. Hayes from California, was visiting my family as well while I was there. He taught me how to make Swedish Cinnamon Rolls and OH! were they yummy!! Thanks for the cooking tips and a great recipe Emmett!

And that concludes my trip to Arizona... it was a good one!

It's a New Year!! 2010

2010-01-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

Well this New Year has been a good one so far! To bring in the New year my mother-in-law, father-in-law, amber, glenn, andrew, and I played some Uno! It was quite fun!!

We then went over to Tyler Gardner's where we played some more games and welcomed in the New Year once midnight struck the clock. Then we made waffles and feasted upon them to celebrate!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Kalicia, Willy, Shay, and Lance just chillin

Tyler the chef of 2010's waffle feast

So back in August Andrew and I got tickets to go see stomp! So we've been looking forward to it for quite sometime and that is how we celebrated my 22nd birthday!! They were AMAZING!!! I couldn't help but bang on everything I came across when we got home, just to see what kind of music I could make out of it :) ha! Thanks baby for a fantastic night!

The STOMP crew

I think this may have actually been before the New Year.... but I still wanted to post it! Shaylee, Kalicia, Willy, Andrew, and I went bowling. It was totally sweet! We had a good time. Shaylee just recently moved to Utah and we are excited to have her here! She is such a sweet girl! :)

Well here's to a New Year! Andrew and I sat down together to set some New Year's Resolutions. Here are a few....

Run a half marathon
Visit 10 new temples that we've never been to
Become a better swimmer
Take a road-trip to Las Vegas on the MOTORBIKE
Write in journal at least once a week

And the list goes on!! May 2010 be a good one!! HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! May it be filled with joy and happiness!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

Well it was my first Christmas away from home and although I did miss my family, my in-laws and husband sure made it a wonderful day! Andrew and I discussed traditions we would like to have with our kids in the future... some carried on from Andrews family, others carried on from my family, and ones of our own. I'm excited for them and the many memories to come!

Christmas Morning in our Christmas PJ's

Sara and Stewart announced some exciting news in which we were all not expecting, but of course super excited!!! Our niece Ali who is 8 months old was wearing a onsie which said "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" on the front... and then on the back it says... "Our new baby will soon be here" When we first read it we thought they were kidding, but nope they were quite serious! This will make Ali and the new baby 15 months apart when he/she is born! Congrats Sara and Stew!! We can't wait to meet our new little niece/nephew! :)

My sweet sweet husband has been quite sneaky the last couple months. There were quite a few days where I would receive a phonecall from Andrew telling me that I MUST inform him when I'm on my way home from work and if I didn't then I'd ruin EVERYTHING! ha silly boy! One day as I was doing laundry I noticed some of his clothes covered in saw dust.... I knew he was up to something!! So after much curiosity I finally figured it out on Christmas day. My sweet sweet husband made me a step stool to make up for my lack in height! I was SOOO excited! I can now reach into my kitchen cubards... its fantastic!

I just about ruined Andrew's Christmas surprise for him... I bought his present about a month before Christmas and when I had purchased it, it was on my mind the rest of the day. So as we were laying in bed that night with thoughts going through my head of whether he'd like it or not... I suddenly said out loud, "Andrew I think you're really going to like your new gun." Immediately I froze realizing what I had just said. I COULDN'T BELIEVE it, I just ruined the surprise!! Andrew then asked me what I had said.... PHEW... relief!!! He didn't hear me! So indeed he was very surprised Christmas morning!! :) Thank you Jon for all your help in finding and purchasing a gun, I clueless to anything about a gun couldn't have done it without you!

My father-in-law and sweet little niece Ali

Another surprise from Andrew! A sweet picture of Amsterdam... perfect for my big blank wall!

Our nephew Blake... Doesn't he look like a stud in his new construction goggles and hard hat?! :)

Little Bree playing Dr. with Samantha with her new Dr. gear!

We hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas !!

The Wonderful Month of December

2009-12-27T12:13:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful month it has been. We enjoyed many fun activities and festivities with family and friends! I was quite anxious to attend the festival of trees having heard many good things about it.... for those of you who don't know about the Festival of Trees it is a charitable celebration where people create and decorate a tree and donate it to the Festival of Trees where they auction each tree off and all the proceeds are donated to the Primary Childrens Hospital which I think is totally sweet! Our sister in law decorated and donated a "Fancy Nancy" tree... it turned out SO SO cute!! Thanks Sari and Mckell for joining us at the Festival of Trees!!

My sister Amber and her husband Glenn invited us to spend a weekend with them in Park City @ the Westgate Resort @ the Canyons. It is a beautiful Resort and we had lots of fun! When Andrew and I woke up the next morning we found Tyce sprawled out on his daddy... we walked out for a few minutes and went back into their room where we found Tyce this time sprawled out on his mommy. ha! Amber says its a riot sleeping with him! Thanks Amber and Glenn for the invite! We had a great time!

In the last few months I have become addicted to a show called studio 5... People around salt lake and utah valley share their ideas, crafts, recipes, and much much more on this show. I DVR the episodes and sit and watch in my spare time to learn something new! They sometimes have a question they have us watchers answer on the studio 5 website. I decided I would go online and respond to the question, it being... "where to you find great deals or bargains?" A few days later I was called and informed that for answering the question I was randomly chosen to win 4 tickets to the Forgotten Carols along with the storybook, cd, and dvd of the live performance! Andrew and I invited our friends Braden and Mandy Boyer to come with us and had a jolly ol' time! Thanks for coming along!! It was so nice to see the two of you!!

A couple of my former roommates along with friends Laurel and Amy and I got together one evening and made gingerbread houses! We had a blast! Thanks for coming over girls! :)

A couple of my favorite roomates Rachel and Alexis

Laurel, Amy, Alexis, Rachel, and Me

Thanksgiving

2009-12-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

Here it is December 27... Christmas day has already come and gone and I am just now posting about the FANTASTIC Thanksgiving Andrew and I had. My side of the family all met in Vegas, where we all enjoyed one another's company and ate lots of good food, as well as treated ourselves to a movie at the theater... BLINDSIDE (an absolutely fantastic movie which I recommend all to watch)! It was a wonderful weekend and I am grateful for my family and the wonderful people they are!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

2009-12-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

Oh how I love the holiday season! Christmas lights, decorated trees, family togetherness, bundling up on a cold winters night, cuddling next to the fire and drinking hot chocolate, gingerbread houses, lots of goodies, giving to those in need and just giving to give, fun movies such as Elf, A christmas Story, The Grinch, and many more, and MOST importantly... remembering the birth of our Savior! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Andrew and I put up our first and only Christmas decorations last night, which included a few mini lit trees and our stockings... looks like I have some shopping to do to get our house FESTIVE!! We would like to go cut down a real tree, but unfortunately the forest people have already given all of their permits away! WHAT to do?! Be rebels and go cut one down anyways, without a permit?! TEMPTING!!! :)

Well to all of you folks out there, I just want to say Happy Holidays to you all!! It is indeed a wonderful time of year!

Vote for LIZ!!! The biggest Loser...

2009-12-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

So we are down to the final four contestants of the biggest loser and it is up to America to decide who the final 3 is. It is indeed between Amanda and Liz, and I myself, have put my vote in for Liz to stay! I think Amanda is great, but have come to really like Liz. She is a hip southern woman! To all of my blogging friends and anyone who reads this, PLEASE log onto nbc.com and vote for LIZ!!!! If you watch the biggest loser than of course vote for who you think should stay.. but definately consider Liz! :) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do this! It's really easy!! The max votes per email is 10... so go on, cast your vote! Thanks :)

SURPRISE!!!

2009-11-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

I indeed have the sweetest husband!! .... Andrew calls me from work on Friday and says "I have a surprise for you... It'll be tomorrow (saturday) and its up north and will probably take all evening." Of course in my mind I get all anxious and excited and try to think of whatever this surprise may be! I kept begging him for hints but he held strong not to ruin the surprise! Finally it came time to head "north"... We ate at the Salt Lake Burger Co. in Sandy then headed to the tracks where we parked our car and took the trolley to Downtown Salt Lake. The anticipation was killing me! I wanted to know where on earth we were headed!!! I began to guess hoping that I would figure it out! He told me no, no, no, and nope! I began to catch on as all these cute little girls were getting on the trolley dressed in their disney princess and thats when I remembered, DISNEY ON ICE is in town!! I turned to Andrew and asked. "Are you taking me to Disney on Ice?!" with a big smile on my face! He then once again told me no. Ha the little bugger was pulling my leg!!! We arrived at the Energy Solutions Arena where he pulled out 2 tickets for Disney on Ice! I was SOOO excited... ha you would think I'm 5 years old again :) He knew I had been wanting to go, but I just came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to happen this year. What a SWEET surprise!! I loved it and enjoyed every second of being there with my husband right beside me singing the Disney songs as the characters danced on the ice! Haha... really he was singing at the top of his lungs :) Baby... i love you!! Thanks for a night I'll always remember!

The ride on the trolley!!

Aladdin!

Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs

Cinderella

M-I-C-K-E-Y MOUSE! and Minnie!

GOOD NEWS!!

2009-11-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

My husband and Love of my life has been going through the hiring process at Midvale Fire Department. It's been QUITE the process over the last few months!! After receiving letters in the mail informing us he's past the 1st and then the 2nd and then the 3rd parts of testing, we FINALLY received the last letter!!! (Now in the beginning there were tons and tons applying for this job, and people were getting eliminated after each process) But in the end... Andrew MADE the hiring list, which means.. eventually he will get hired which is fantastic!! He is still working hard to complete the Paramedic program and will finish by next spring around april/may. So we are crossing our fingers and hoping the hiring comes before then! Good job babe and thanks for ALL your HARD work!

Good ol' Rexburg

2009-11-12T10:36:00.001-08:00

I had the opportunity to make a trip to Rexburg last weekend to see and visit with some past roommates whom I love dearly! We had a fantastic time together! Poor Jen was super sick from pregnancy, but she was indeed a trooper for spending the day with the girls while feeling poopy! Thanks Jen I love you!! I also met some roommates of my roommates who were wonderful as well! We enjoyed a soccer game in the FREEZING cold... Went to Applebee's for dinner, Chit chatted and caught up on life, watched She's the Man (hilarious!) while painting our nails... Enjoyed Alexis talk and Rachel's musical number in sacrament meeting... and ate yummy buttermilk pancakes! Thanks for a wonderful weekend girls! :)

Little Tyce

2009-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

I get to hang out with this little boy quite often and I LOVE it! Last night when I was baby sitting him... I noticed he was being very quiet, so I peaked around the corner from the kitchen, as I was making dinner, and this is what I found (pictured below) quiet as can be just looking at story books....

He loves to read books!! :)

As soon as he noticed I was taking a picture... He stood up and reached to hand me the books so I could read to him! I love this little guy... He brings much joy in our home, Andrew and I love it!

FREE giveaway!!

2009-11-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Whitney and former roommate is doing a Christmas Card giveaway! She is very creative and has some cute stuff! Click on the button on my sidebar (Your Card Bakery) to read more about it and enter to win!!

Halloween Season!!

2009-11-04T06:47:00.000-08:00

The month of October was a fantastic month... it was full of fun and wonderful time spent with friends and family! Here are a few things we did......

NACHOOOO!!!!!

Costume party- Andrew's sister Sara and husband Stewart

Everyone LOVED Nacho... everywhere we went we would hear someone yell... NACHOOOO!! and then want their picture taken with him... Andrew had chics crawling all over him! Too bad he's taken by the one and only... Encarnacion! :)

Dinner with friends at P.F. Changs

SLC REAL Soccer game Halloween day with friends Jessica and Garrett

Carving some sweet pumpkins with Amber and Tyce... Glenn was there to support us in our carving pumpkins but was too pooped from all his hard work to carve one of his own.

Attended Savannah's Halloween Harp Recital.. It was totally sweet!

And last but not least... a little update on Andrew's spider, living at the front door of his parents house (and has been for months and months now). It is huge!! and is enjoying life as Andrew feeds him when needed. It was the perfect touch for the scenery at the front door Halloween night. It was out crawling on its web above and too the side as Trick-o-treaters made there way up the stairs for their treat!

Draper Temple

2009-11-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

"You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the “mist of darkness.” It is the house of the Lord. It is a place where covenants are made and eternal ordinances are performed."

-Elder Gary E. Stevenson

People think we're crazy!

2009-10-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

So Amber and I went to Wal-Mart to do some price matching... we got super excited about getting pumpkins for $.15/lb. which was posted in Macy's ad rather than $5 a piece. They ended up being around $1.75... much better price for us! Well in the process of looking for the perfect pumpkin... Amber somehow dropped her phone in the mountain of pumpkins! Of course we weren't going to leave it behind so we took as many pumpkins off the top needed for Amber to crawl on in and then she dove in for it. People were wondering what on earth we were doing... you could tell by the looks on their face. I thought it was quite funny! What a good day! Amber... Thanks for the laughs and for saving me money and time by price matching!

My WONDERFUL husband!

2009-10-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

I have to brag a bit about my husband and the wonderful person he is :) Everyday when I get off work I kinda stress about what I should make for dinner. I enjoy cooking, but trying to figure out what to make is my downfall. I do fine with breakfast and lunch, but for dinner, I feel like I make the same things over and over again. It seems easy right?... just open a cookbook and wa-lah! Why do I make things harder than they are?! I dont know?!... So the last three evenings I've come home from work to my WONDERFUL husband cooking dinner. How SWEET is he?! TOTALLY SWEET!!!! Tonight he made stuffed bell peppers and they were unbelievably YUMMY!!!! I gobbled it down without a pause to even realize my stomach was full at halfway. OH WELL!! I have no regrets, it was delicious! THANK YOU MY LOVE, for always being so thoughtful and for relieving my stress of what to cook for dinner! You are the best and I LOVE YOU!

P.S. If any of YOU have yummy recipes for DINNER... PLEASE SHARE!!! :)

Mr. Chef (MY HOT HUSBAND)

We are family!

2009-10-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

Dearest Amy and little Maddy,

We sure enjoyed your visit here and hope its not long before we get to see you again... along with the rest of your family! It was absolutely wonderful to meet you for the first time Maddy, at 4 months old! You are a doll and your chubby little legs make me smile! :) Amy thanks for baring through the alien movie with us! :) We love you!

Love,

Andrew and Jena

Girls just wanna have fun!

2009-10-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

Because I forgot to take pictures of our day full of fun and shopping over the weekend, I found this one ^ from a few months ago when we went and got pedicures together! Meet Savannah... :) I have the privilege of working at her house 2-3 times a week, whether it be running errands such as costco trips, grocery shopping, washing vehicles, etc. as well as yard work, helping with homework, and spending time with the wonderful Smith family! Savannah is a very fun and spunky girl who enjoys scaring the heck out of me whenever she finds the chance! She is very talented on the harp and I was lucky to have her play at my reception here in Utah! This last friday we were able to spend the day together which involved lots of shopping, finding cute clothes, and to end the evening... dinner at Texas Roadhouse! It was an absolutely fantastic day! We had such a fun time together! Thanks Savannah for a wonderful day!

Ryan and Alyssa

2009-10-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well today is our friends Ryan and Alyssa's 2 month anniversary and I'm finally getting some pictures up from their wedding day! It was indeed an exciting and happy day! Alyssa, you looked beautiful!! Congrats you two on 2 months of marriage and many more to come! We hope all is well up in Logan!

The Biggest Loser

2009-10-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

So my sister-in-law Sara persuaded me into watching the T.V. show The Biggest Loser. It didn't take much since the season of More to Love is now over (in which I was very pleased with the ending results) and I was without a show to look forward to! Andrew and I had recorded the episodes and watched the 2nd episode of The Biggest Loser on Monday. SOOOO good!!! I cried and cried. The story of Abby... loosing her husband and 2 kids in a car accident just 5 miles away from her home... I don't know if I'd be able to handle that! By the end of the show I was VERY emotional. It is so sad what America has come to... the rate of obesity is outrageous! Giving these people a second chance at life... to gain their health back as well as their confidence is incredible! It is very motivating seeing these 16 players on the show push themselves and work so hard! I love it!!

A little behind!!

2009-09-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

So I've been quite the slacker on blogging these days! But now I'm all caught up to date with 8 new posts... so enjoy!!!

Andrew has been super busy with school and work... He is well into his first semester out of the 2 for the Paramedic program. His first week of school he brought home needles to practice putting in people. I am terrified of needles and couldn't stand the thought of one being poked into my skin... So he practiced on his mom and dad instead! Thanks mom and dad lewis! :) He is enjoying school and is always anxious to learn more! He does so well and studies hard! He recently tested for a job at Midvale Fire Department, did well, and was asked to come back for the physical testing... So he did and was 2nd best out of 20 I believe! Now the next step in getting hired is the Firefighter skills assessment. He received a letter informing him of his date and time to do this... October 23, seems like forever away, but im sure it'll come quickly! I am so proud of the hard worker my husband is! He not only does well in school and works hard at work, but is always willing to help around the house! I love him and am very grateful for the wonderful man whom is my companion and Best friend through all eternity! Thanks babe for being the person you are!!

I was recently hired to work for another family as a nanny. So I now Nanny full-time for the Smith and Fairbanks Families. They are both absolutely wonderful families and I enjoy spending hours on end with them at their homes. I do many things such as yard work, grocery shopping, errand running, babysitting, homework helper, organizing, etc. It is indeed the sweetest job ever and great experience for when Andrew and I have a family of our own! Andrew and I have been blessed in many, many ways and having work and a job I enjoy is one of our many blessings! A month or so ago I was called to be the 6-7 year old Primary teacher... I am enjoying it and learn so much from the cute kids in my class... They are so smart!!!

This week is an exciting week! We have family and friends coming from Arizona, Las Vegas, and other far away places for General Conference this weekend. For years my parents have made it a tradition to make a trip to salt lake every six months for Conference... I have learned to appreciate it through out the many years and now look forward to attending conference and hearing the words and receiving guidance from our Prophets and leaders! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Conference weekend and am counting down the days when it arrives!

I'm so glad when dad comes to visit, glad as I can be!

2009-09-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

My dad flew to utah a couple weekends ago for the BYU vs. Florida state game. I had no idea he was coming til the day he arrived! I had a list of errands I needed to get done that day.. it being my only day off from work that week besides Sunday of course... but instead I spent the day with my dad! His all time favorite place to eat while he is in Utah is Zupa's... also a favorite of mine! So my dad, Amber, Glenn, Tyce, kalicia, and I.. (my husband was stuck at work all day/night) :( met up at Zupa's for lunch! The food was wonderful as always! A few hours later my dad and I went to the game together! Kalicia and my brother Jared were also there but had seats in totally different sections. We had a good time together even though we did get destroyed by Florida! Bummer!

Me and my Padre at the BYU game!

Glenn and Tyce at Zupa's!

Tyce was sure enjoying running around Zupa's giving people high

fives and knuckles. This little boy isn't shy at all! :)

At Zupa's waiting for others to arrive!!

Girls night out!

2009-09-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

These four wonderful girls... Sari, Mauri, Cass, and Nikki have become my good friends over the past year! Each one of them are so wonderful and I'm glad that through the connection of our husbands we've become friends! We decided that once a month we are going to have a girls night out... whether it be dinner, a temple trip, a movie night, or even a craft night! We had our first girls night a week or two ago... dinner at The Art City Trolley! We had a fantastic time talking, eating, and enjoying one another's company! Thank you for the wonderful night girls! I love yuh and can't wait til next months girls night! :)

Girls trip!!!

2009-09-29T10:06:00.001-07:00

Trisha's husband and 2 of her kids left to Arizona for labor day weekend. Because Trisha was asked to speak at a baptism that weekend, she stayed behind. My sisters Amber and Kalicia and I decided to take a trip to Vegas together and stay with her for the weekend! We did a little shopping, went to the Cheesecake factory, and just spent time together! It was great!

So little Tyce wasn't having the best weekend... He had diarrhea all

weekend which made his bum red and sore! When we finished eating at

the Cheesecake Factory, Amber went to the truck to change yet another

poopy diaper of Tyce's while we waited for the check. Not long after.. Amber

called my phone and said... "Hurry and come help me please! hurry hurry! I

got to go!!" So i run out there and Tyce is screaming at the top of his lungs,

which I was expecting cause thats what was happening each time he

needed a diaper change because of his sore bum. Amber's back was facing me

so I ask her whats going on.... she turns around and this is what i see... I

couldn't help but die laughing... Tyce sharted all over Amber! and the truck!

it was indeed a mess! but funny! Poor Tyce :( he eventually healed and his

bum is back to normal again!

After eating at the Cheesecake factory and the poopy episode....

Amber was there as well but is taking the picture!

The drive back home to Utah... Tyce needed a little break!

I don't blame him!

So cute! Mommy and son

Kalicia was quite anxious to get home... (as was I too, to see my

husband), but I was not in any interest in getting a ticket for

speeding. So Kalicia eventually took over the wheel and we were

home in no time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KALICIA!!!

2009-09-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

Last Monday September 21, was Kalicia's 20th birthday... Amber and I decided to throw her a surprise party! It turned out to be a fantastic party and we all had a good time... with lots of good laughs! Thanks to all who came to the party to support! We hope you had a wonderful Birthday Kalicia... We love you!!!

So this right here was the highlight of the party! Our friend Cradam

is quite hilarious and was all about jumping out of this Happy Birthday

bag in his Speedo... Kalicia was quite surprised!

Happy 20!

Making birthday wishes!

Blowing out the candles!

The Chica's

Family love!

Our sister-in-law who lives in Arizona was here in Utah visiting her

family, so we were glad to have her join us at the party!

Three wonderful people! Mindy, Debbie, and Seth!

Tyce enjoyed playin in the balloons!

The boys!

Sister and Brother Aubrye and Chasen... Don't they look like twins?!

More friends!!!

Last summer vacation to Las Vegas and....

2009-09-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

We decided we needed to get away before Andrew started school again.... So we took a roadtrip to Las Vegas to visit my sister and her family and then to Arizona to visit more family! We had a wonderful time in Vegas! Trisha treated us to the Shark Reef aquarium that was totally sweet! Thank you Trisha we loved it! And thank you for letting us kick it at your house and hang with you and your cute family! We love you!

Andrew and I and Trisha's family except for CK... he had to work, bummer!!

LOOK at those TEETH!!!

We thought this was and interesting fish! Isn't it amazing how many

fish there are in the ocean... and to think how many more there are

that haven't been discovered... I'm sure there's tons! I find it very

fascinating!

We were able to touch the sting rays... so slimy!!

Trisha, Kaylene, Josh, Jacelee, and Alisa... so cute! :)

Who has the bigger belly! I think I beat him by a million! :)

Josh with his sweet shark pen and Kaylene!

Trisha and her cute girls Jacelee and Alisa... These two girls

are only a year and 8 days apart!

..... home sweet home Arizona!

2009-09-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy going home to visit! While in Arizona we did many fun things and got to spend time with family... It was fantastic! I sure do love my family and I've got to say nieces and nephews are probably one of the sweetest things ever! They are SO fun!

My family gets together EVERY sunday for dinner... My brother Jake

with two of his kids Jocelynn and Til on the trampoline after dinner...

One thing i remember most about Jake while growing up, is him ALWAYS either

jumping on the tramp while throwing dozens of backflips or in a

rocking chair rocking for hours! He threw a few flips with Til in his arms... SCARY!

My cute nieces Courtney and Jocelynn and nephew Jett

Andrew and I borrowed some bikes from our nieces and nephews and

went for a bike ride around the town of Taylor!

Jett LOVES his horse Thunderpants... After our bike ride we

found him in the field with many other BIG horses and cows and

then he told us that he is protecting thunderpants from the bigger

horses and cows because he is not afraid of them! He is such a cowboy!

While in Arizona we were able to celebrate Shannon's birthday!

Andrew and I made our yummy chocolate cake for her.

My beautiful Mother and stinkin cute sister

I hadn't had BAHAMA BUCKS in years... so when we just happened

to drive by a Bahama Bucks I insisted we stop! SO YUMMY! :)

The Beautiful Mesa, Arizona Temple.... It use to be the only temple in

Arizona until Snowflake was built about 5-7 ?! years ago... and now

there are few more in the process of being built! I LOVE the temple!

He is so wonderful! :)

Traditions!

2009-09-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I decided we are going to make it a tradition to go to the demolition derby in Sandy each year. One of our 1st official dates, Andrew took me to the Sandy demolition derby... we had such a good time together and decided to go again this year! What is more exciting than cars purposely crashing and catching on fire?! A total redneck event but, it was TONS of fun! We brought along Tanner and he seemed to enjoy it as much as we did! We were glad to have him there with us! ........ This is one of many traditions we want to start in our family..... We would love to hear some of YOUR TRADITIONS!!!

Tanner, me, and my hot hubby.... I work for Tanner's family

so Tanner is indeed like a little brother to me!

Beautiful Colorado

2009-08-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I had the wonderful opportunity to get away last weekend... My brother Jason and his family, along with their friends, Kristy and Randy Olsen and their kids, headed to our Hatch family cabin in good ol' Mancos Colorado... and at last minute we decided to tag along. So they came from Arizona and we came from Utah and met them there. It was an absolutely wonderful weekend! Thanks for letting us come Jason and Shannon! We love you and your cute family!

We spent a day in the mountains and enjoyed lunch by
this beautiful waterfall!

Lil Hailey, Andrew, and Courtney just chillin in the cabin

Jordan attempting to give Andrew a wedgie as Andrew
is trying so hard to catch a crodad (spell check?)

Chelsea was indeed a maniac when it came to crodad
catching, horny toad hunting, salamandor finding, and
dealing with any other slimy creatures around the cabin.

One of the few ponds around the cabin

We caught Jett flirting with Hailey a few times here and there
I think he may have a little crush... but that wasn't the only
crush between the Olsen kids and Hatch kids :)

Going for a ride on the Razer... it was lots of fun!

On our way to the mountains... Jett and Andrew were a bit
sleepy... Jett fell asleep with a big lemon head in his mouth
as well as a piece of gum and a jaw breaker... ha funny boy!

The Olsen and Hatch kids... they were the party of the trip!

Bringing out the lunch... Thank you Shannon and Kristi
for the yummy sandwiches!

Kristi and Hailey :)

Cute little Courtney!

Just me! Thanks for the pretty flower my love!

Near our picnic spot in the mountains

Oh how i love family and the beautiful mountains of
Colorado!

The beautiful view from the tippity top!

My cute niece Chelsea and crazy nephew Jordan!
This boy is nuts! Andrew and i pulled up on the four wheeler
to find Jordan frantically sticking his whole arm in a hole
to find a squirrel he had just shot. He finds it.. brings it out
by its tail and the next thing we know, hes got his pocket knife
out and skinning the poor squirrel... Guess what Jordan had for
dinner that night... thats right... dead squirrel!

Just doing a little rock climbing!

My hubby and I on top of the world!

He may be a little wierd sometimes... but thats one of the many
things I love about him!! :)

My husband is the master at clay pigeon shooting
and Randy is an excellent clay pigeon thrower

This little boy right here is one of the cutest little guys...
he indeed is a true cowboy and loves his pony Thunderpants.
Funny story about him from our weekend at the cabin... He found the
littlest frog I have ever seen.. it was teeny! He brought it inside and set
it on the couch next to Andrew. It wasn't long til the frog was suddenly
dead. He leaned over to Andrew and whispered, "Hey Andrew,

he's dead!" That didn't stop Jett though he continued to play with this little

frog while at the same time eating GOLD FISH crackers. He grabbed
a gold fish stuck it in front of the frog and would say... "want a goldfish?

want a goldfish?... too SLOW!!" and then he would eat the goldfish and

continued while pressing the cracker against the DEAD frog... "On your back,

On your back... too SLOW!!" (then ate the fish) "On your head, on your head...

too SLOW!!" (ate the fish and flopped the frog onto his back) "On your

stomach, on your stomach... too SLOW!!" Who knows where that frog had

been, but he sure had the time of his life teasing the DEAD frog and then

eating the goldfish after smothering the frog with them... eww! silly boy!