Ah The Simple Things In Life...

Its funny how its the small things in life that seem to make such a big difference. The things that you sometimes take for granted until you don't have them. BUT then when you're finally able to obtain them again....

YOU CAN DO LAUNDRY AT HOME!!! YAY!!!

We FINALLY got our own Washer and Dryer! Oh I am SOO Happy!! Since we moved to WY, we have been mooching off our wonderful friends every week or two to get some laundry done! Not fun... I'd go until we were completely out of underwear and all of Tray's clothes were dirty, sometimes even worn again and made twice as dirty as clothes should ever get. Then I would, feeling very embarrassed, beg one of my friends to let me use theirs. It was very stressful.. Although it was better than using the facilities the complex offers. Doing ONE load would cost 8 bucks!

But the other night my WONDERFUL husband went out and bought us these... They're small and used but I couldn't be happier! They're perfect! Thank you Bear! I love you Sooo much!

This is one HAPPY Mama! :)

You NEVER Know...

PLEASE Read this post.. Then read the information below...

Hey everyone... I am copying and pasting part of an email that I read this morning. I read through the different tips and am really glad I did. I never think about what I would do if I found myself in a scary situations. Most people, including myself, think "oh that will never happen to me". And even while reading through the email I was thinking its great info to have but I doubt it'll ever happen to me. But these things do happen to people everyday and I think its really important to think about what you will do before hand.....

Just this morning RIGHT after reading this email Tray and I went on our morning walk. we went up to the library and over to smiths then down to the mall. We were just getting ready to leave the mall when I noticed a man watching us. I just tried to ignore him and keep walking. He tried to get my attention by saying "miss" but I tried to keep walking. He came and got in front of me to get my attention. He asked me, if he paid me ten dollars, if I would let him use my phone... Instinctively I thought 'Of course he can use my phone..' That's just me... and that's why Darren constantly gets mad at me and tells me I shouldn't be so friendly to people... then I thought about this email... and I thought to myself, 'If he really had ten bucks to give he could use a pay phone. So there's something else he wants..' Then I thought of my baby son sitting in his stroller in front of me and thought that even if all he wanted was to grab my phone and run with it there's no way I could go after him cause I have Tray with me... But he also could want something else. And I wasn't too excited about putting myself or Tray in that situation. I looked him in his dirty face and said, "I really don't think so" And turned to walk away. He started saying something after me but I didn't pay attention.. I walked as quickly as I could the other way. I called Darren so I could be talking to someone while I hurried home, then locked my door and called the mall security so they could find they guy and get him out of there.

**Heads up** The guy was in his mid-late forties, tall, brown hair+receding hair line, long face, really dirty, wearing all black. Black jeans, long sleeve shirt and boots.**

My little mall experience probably wasn't anything like the situations given in the email below...but you really never know.. maybe it could have been.

Please read....

WE'VE READ THIS BEFORE, BUT IT'S TIME TO REFRESH OUR MINDS AND STAY ALERT LADIES!




Everyone should take the time to read this information "" It may save your Life "" especially you WOMEN,


Because of recent abductions
In daylight hours, refresh yourself
of these things to do
in an emergency situation...

This is for you,

and for you to share
with your wife,
your children,
everyone you know.

It never hurts to be careful
in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :
The elbow is the strongest point
on your body.
If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. .. Learned this from a tourist guide.
If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,
DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.
Toss it away from you....
Chances are that he is more interested
in your wallet and/or purse than you,
and he will go for the wallet/purse.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,
kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole
and start waving like crazy..
The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.
This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars
after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit
(doing their chequebook, or making a list, etc.
DON'T DO THIS!)
The predator will be watching you, and this
is the perfect opportunity for him to get in
on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,
and tell you where to go.
AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR ,
LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.. If someone
is in the car
with a gun
to your head
DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
Repeat:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF!
Instead gun the engine
and speed into anything, wrecking the car.
Your Air Bag will save you.
If the person is in the back seat
they will get the worst of it .
As soon as the car crashes
bail out and run.
It is better than having them find your body
in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting
into your car in a parking lot,
or parking garage:

A.) Be aware:
look around you,
look into your car,
at the passenger side floor ,
and in the back seat

B.) If you are parked next to a big van,
enter your car from the passenger door.
Most serial killers attack their victims
by pulling them into their vans while the women
are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car
parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,
and the passenger side... If a male is sitting alone
in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back
into the mall, or work, and get a
guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator
instead of the stairs.
Stairwells are horrible places to be alone
and the perfect crime spot.
This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun
and you are not under his control,
ALWAYS RUN!
The predator will only hit you (a running target)
4 in 100 times; and even then,
it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.
RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying
to be sympathetic:
STOP
It may get you raped, or killed.
Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,
well educated man, who ALWAYS played
on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.
He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often
asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle,
which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point:
Someone just told me that her friend heard
a crying baby on her porch the night before last,
and she called the police because it was late
and she thought it was weird.. The police told her
'Whatever you do, DO NOT
open the door..'
The lady then said that it sounded like the baby
had crawled near a window, and she was worried
that it would crawl to the street and get run over.
The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,
whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'
He told her that they think a serial killer
has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax
women out of their homes thinking that someone
dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it,
but have had several calls by women saying that
they hear baby's cries outside their doors
when they're home alone at night.

10. Water scam!
If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and then attack. Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors!

Please pass this on

The Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on
America 's Most Wanted when they profiled
the serial killer in Louisiana.

Forward this to all the women you know.
It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle..
I was going to send this to the ladies only,
but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc.,
you may want to pass it onto them, as well.
Send this to any woman you know that may need
to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it
and it's better to be safe than sorry..

Weekend At Grandmas

This last weekend we were finally able to go back to Utah and see my family. It has been 2 months since we've been able to go due to retarded cars. But Darren was able to replace the wheel barring in the car so we could make the journey to Sandy. (Although now he says its making a new noise...awesome) Right before we left for Utah, Tray and I were playing with some friends, and on the walk home he fell asleep which is never a good thing before heading out. :)

So I got to sit in the back seat with him most the way there and attempt to keep him happy. We played with about every toy we had in the car after which he was still pretty upset. ( He hates the car) BUT as I was starting on my snack his eyes lit up.... And thus we found the secret to happy car rides...

Of course that meant I was out of a snack but oh well... Ya win some, Ya lose some right? :) Right before church on Sunday Tray was taking his afternoon nap, during which he threw up his entire breakfast. It was awful. All over Grandmas bed... Sorry Mom! Tray has never been a throw up/spit up baby, so we knew something was wrong. The rest of our time there he had a fever and was super snotty. Poor guy. I thought it meant he was finally cutting teeth... Buut we still haven't seen any signs of them coming in. I think it may have been caused a bit by the heat. Its always about 10 degrees hotter in Utah and my parents A/C was down... so it was a warm weekend. So we spent most our time outside eating Popsicles, which was actually really nice. Sunday night we had my belated birthday dinner so my older siblings came to visit too. It was really great to see everyone and the babies had fun. Tray got to play with his cousin Maddie, who he doesn't get to see much, so that was great. And he got to play with chalk for the first time. He loved it! Auntie Heather was the first to show him how, then everyone got into it. My silly camera decided it wanted to die half way through the evening, so I only got a few pics. I actually wanted to get pics of Tray with everyone... Next time!

Tray sitting with Uncles Quinny before church. Aren't they handsome?

Tray with Auntie Heather learning to draw with chalk

My son the Artist..

Everyone (well half of everyone) getting crazy with the chalk

Grandma drawing portraits of the kiddos

Monday morning my super sweet Daddy took us all out to Sweet Tomatoes.. It was soo yummy! I was really glad for a little more time with them before we had to take off. The food was great and the company was even better. Poor Tray was soo exhausted he slept right through it.. but of course woke up in time to yell at me the whole way home. Unfortunately I didn't have an apple to offer him that time. Our time in Sandy always seems too short. But I am very grateful to my dear husband for spending so much time to fix the sad little car so we could go see them. It was good to come home though and get Tray in our cool apartment and in his own bed. His fever is gone now and he's feeling better...

My Little Popeye..

You gotta watch this... I love it!

"I Wanna Be A Fire Fighter Mom!"

This last Monday for FHE we had the opportunity to go tour the local fire station. It was so awesome! Our friend here in our ward, Steve, is a fireman. Cool huh? So he and his wife Ruth offered to take us on a tour. It really was so fun! We met the Chief and few of the other firemen (and one fire women :) ). We received a tour of the building, complete with commentary from Steve, and we got to see the Trucks. (The COOLEST part). We got to sit up in the truck and little T-man even got to drive! The things that these guys do, and all the stuff that they have to know is incredible! I can't imagine being able to run into burning buildings like they do. So I am very grateful that we have these brave men AND women who spend their time and risk their lives to help keep us all safe. Thanks Steve and Ruth for the awesome experience. Thanks for the tour and putting up with our millions of questions. We absolutely loved it!

Steve and Ruth

Tray With Fire Fighter Steve

Tray with Chief Gatti

Tray and Darren with Steve in the Fire truck

Tray driving the fire truck

Tray getting his gear on

Fire Fighter Tray!

Us standing in front of the fire truck. We learned that different counties get to pick the color of their trucks. Steve and Ruth said there was a bright green one where they used to live!

Another truck I thought was really cool

Messy Messy Boy

This last week has been an especially messy one for little Tray-Tray. In the first pics he decided his food was better worn than eaten. Surprisingly he managed to make that big of a mess in just one swipe of one spoonful of food. Now THAT'S talent! :) And then the poor guy had a super bad nose bleed. Oh I felt awful! That was his second nose bleed in the past couple weeks. The first time he and I were taking a nap in my bed after Darren left for work and I woke up cause I heard Tray struggling to breathe through his nose which sounded super clogged and it was frustrating him. So I looked over and saw that my arm had blood all over it.. so I started freaking out cause it was on my arm, my hands, my chest, my clothes.. I couldn't figure out where it came from. Then I look over at Tray and see his face and jammies covered in blood. So I flipped out, jumped up, grabbed Tray, ran to the bathroom, turned on the light and looked him over head to toe trying figure out the source of the problem. Come to find it was his nose..? I guess I didn't realized babies got bloody noses like that? A few other people have complained about nosebleeds lately too, cause of the weather changes. So that explains it, it just seemed weird. Then the other night Tray was having a hard time breathing through his nose again and he kept rubbing it and trying to blow it, so I decided to use the sucker and relieve his little nosey, then after ONE suck (not even a well placed one) it was like I had let down a valve. His nose started gushing! From both sides! I was on the verge of tears I felt sooo bad! But a few minutes and 3 bloody shirts later (Trays, mine, & Darren's) it finally stopped.

Like the toilet paper shoved up his nose? Ha ha I didn't know what else to do.

Lucky 21!

21 baby! Twenty One! Last Thursday marked my 21st birthday! All I've got to say is.. its about time! I know I am young, but turning 21 seemed like a big step for me. I was feeling very good and very grown up until all my wonderful friends let me know that I am still the baby. I guess I just feel older being married with a baby who'll be one soon BUT at least now I will hear no more cracks about not being able to get into bars and clubs or having to be left home cause I'm not old enough. Ha! I'm old enough now! Bring on the booze! :) There's nothing I cant do now! Except maybe get better rates on my car insurance. Stupid system.. apparently you have to be 25 to get the cool discounts. But anyways my birthday was really great this year. It is every year, but this year it was particularly great. My friend Ali decided to throw me a surprise birthday party. She said she was going to take me out to lunch but didn't mention the part that she had invited all our friends. It was so awesome! Crazy Ali... Ha ha thanks so much hun! Thanks to everyone else for coming. :) I was super bummed earlier cause Darren had to go to work and Tray was having a very ornery day so I thought my birthday was a bust. But it really picked up. Later when Darren got home he surprised me with our favorite Chinese food..it was soo good! He told me that he was going to be in charge of dinner and when I got home I asked him what was for dinner cause I didn't see anything.. he said he was heating up some left overs (which really concerned me cause I was pretty sure there was nothing edible in my fridge) so I opened the microwave and found our Chinese food.. the little sneak :) Then he made me a cake and just in time too, right after he took it out of the oven the power went out! We were planning on having friends over for cake and ice cream and I thought the power out would've put a damper on the night but we still had a great time. After stuffing our faces with all sorts of junk we played catch phrase by candle light... very romantic ;) All in all it was a great day. And Tray-Tray even got me a present! The gift of mobility! Ha ha he decided to crawl! Awesome huh?! Now he is just getting better and faster and getting into everything.. I love it! My brother and sister in law came up to visit for the weekend too. We loved having them here, it was so much fun! On Friday we went out to dinner, then got a group together for some mad volleyball, which was so fun! Then Saturday was fight-night! Now that was fun! And right before it was supposed to start the power went out again! (Stupid Rock Springs!) But luckily My friends husband who was hosting the shin-dig had a generator! (nice right?!) So they hooked up the TV and ordered the fight. It was probably the only house in the neighborhood with power it was so awesome. The fights were really cool and the food was super yummy! Thanks for the invite Jen! Then Sunday was my friend Ali's birthday so we went over there for some MORE cake and ice cream. I swear I gained 20 lbs over the weekend. ha ha after eating we got together a giant game of signs which was hilarious! We definitely came home a crashed after all that.. What a great weekend!

Tray Learning to Crawl.. This was the morning after he learned, so he's slow. He's much faster now and getting into everything!

Trays Aunt Christie got to him and did his hair all crazy for fight-night.

Tray With uncle Stu

Tray with Auntie Christie and her super cute baby-belly :)

Me and Christie

This is my birthday present from my mom.. Incredible huh? She's amazing.