Chase n' Manda + 2

Up to Date.... FINALLY!

2012-01-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

Wow!! Having 2 babies is insane, and I think that might even be an understatement!! Our sweet boys have been home with us now for almost 3 months!! I can't even believe how fast the time has gone by. I'll be honest, the first month is just a blur of events caused by lack of sleep!

This is mostly for me and my record keeping so I'm going to start from the beginning.

Sept. 30, 2011:: Sean & Scott are born!! Sean weighed 3.7lb,s was 16 inches, and a head circ. of 11.4 inches. Scott weighed 3.11lbs, was 16.5 inches, and had a head circ. of 11.8 inches. They spent 5 weeks in the NICU. During that time they each spent time on oxygen and were given a dose of caffeine to keep their hearts beating when they would forget to breathe. Each of them struggled with apnea up to the day they came home. They were on feeding tubes for the first 3 or 4 weeks and then were weaned to nipple from a bottle. Those 5 weeks are now a blur. I can barely remember them being so tiny and looking at them in their isolettes and longing to just hold and snuggle them. I remember being so excited when they got moved into an open crib and got to be next to each other and wear little clothes!! It was the best feeling being able to give them their baths and change their clothes! Scary, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Gary Scott Phillips

Bradford Sean Phillips

They loved snuggling together


These were my favorite outfits. I can't wait until they are older and I can pull them out to show them how tiny they were!

One night while we were in the NICU visiting, one of the nurses mentioned that our boys could be coming home within the next week! We were so excited! It was amazing the progress they had made in those few weeks! I was told that the Dr. would be contacting us on Friday to let us know when we would be able to go have a sleep over and bring Sean & Scott home. On Saturday morning we had not heard anything so I called the hospital to see when we should expect to have them home. I was told that we could come stay over with them that night! Wow!! We were so not prepared! Chase and I cleaned like crazy people and went to the hospital at 5:00pm. The boys were coming home with heart and lung monitors and would still be on caffeine, so we had to have a little lesson on how to use the monitors. I'm pretty sure neither of us slept a wink that night!! It was a surreal experience and I was a little bit panicked! We had gotten comfortable with the routine in the NICU and to be given full control and access to our babies was like being handed a chinese puzzle!! It was strange being able to hold them as long as we wanted and able to do things our own way because there wasn't a nurse by our sides!

Going Home!

Nov. 6, 2011:: Our babies came home!! Sean weighed 4.11 lbs, was 17.3 inches and had a head circ. of 13.2 inches. Scott weighed 5.3 lbs, was 18.9 inches and had a head circ. of 12.8 inches. When we got the boys home, Chase and I just looked at each other and nervously asked "What do we do now?!" Luckily my mom was on her way down to stay with us for a week to help get adjusted! Thank goodness for her! Chase and I just stared at Sean & Scott for hours. It was so hard to believe that they were actually home, and they were ours, and no one was going to be checking on them and us to make sure we were doing everything right.

Let me just summarize the next few weeks. Change babies, feed babies, snuggle babies, REPEAT (every 3 hours)!!! When they got home they were still only eating about 60 cc's which is about 2 ounces. By the 3rd week home we were feeding them 3-4 ounces! They were improving so quickly! Having my mom here was a lifesaver! We would rotate through the feedings at night so that someone would get some extra sleep. My mom stayed 2 weeks with us. I cried the day she left for home! It meant I was on my own! Chase was going back to work the next day so I'd be flying solo with 2 babies! The first day was exhausting, frustrating, exciting, and frightening all at the same time! I'm happy to report - - - WE SURVIVED!! I found that I enjoyed being with them by myself. I had found my routine three days in. I look back and wonder how I'm still alive. It was hard to find the time to eat or have any time to myself. Somehow, it all worked out!

This was our lunch most days!

We had our first pediatricians visit 4 days after the boys were home. That was quite the event getting everything ready to go out! The dr. was impressed with their improvement and we were scheduled to come back in one week. At the next appointment the dr. couldn't believe the rapid weight gain each boy had! It was a good feeling! The caffeine was dropped 2 weeks after being home with no alarms on the monitors! I was very happy about this, I hated the effects it had on my babies! And by the end of the month we had said good-bye to the monitors also! That was probably the best part, they were now more mobile. We were sort of stuck to the living room with the monitors because they had to be plugged in and were a pain to have to carry around. So we moved the boys into their crib! It was a great feeling. And they love their room!


completely zonked!

We did a photo shoot about a week or so after the boys had been home. It was a lot of work!! I applaud the photographers who create amazing photos with babies!! It's no easy task! But we got some great photos and I will treasure them forever! Here are some of my favorites!

Dec. 6, 2011:: 2 month doctors checkup. Sean weighed 7.5lbs, was 20 inches, and had a head circ. of 14.4 inches!! He had gained 4 lbs in a month, and grown about 3 inches!! Scott weighed 7.14lbs, was 21 inches, and had a head circ. of 14.4 inches!! He had gained about 3 lbs in a month, and grown about 3 inches!! It was a proud day! The were doing so great! They both ate about 4-5 ounces at every feeding and still ate about every 3 hours. Still not on the charts for height or weight, but they were rising on their own charts! Both boys developed reflux pretty bad. Feeding them was a nightmare, they would just scream unless they were sucking on the bottle. It was bad for about 2 weeks and we finally went to the doctor. They are now on Prevacid which has been a complete lifesaver. They are now happy to eat and be burped!! By the end of December we had experienced an almost full night of sleep!! It was exciting! The boys sleep pretty good, but every once in a while they throw us off and wake up every 3 hours. I think it's just to keep us on our toes, no slacking!!

I'm going to end this post here. Hopefully I'll continue soon, since Sean & Scott are 4 months old now!! I promise to get pictures of the nursery too. It's my favorite room!

::Changes:: {in the blink of an eye}

2011-10-21T21:38:00.001-07:00

Bradford Sean Phillips:

31 weeks & 6 days

Born 9/30/2011 @ 7:41 pm

3 lbs 7 oz 16 inches

Gary Scott Phillips:

31 weeks & 6 days

Born 9/30/2011 @ 7:42 pm

3 lbs 11 oz 16.5 inches

What a ride this has been! We knew our boys would come early but we didn't know it would be this early!! We had just been to our doctors appointment on Wed. (Sept 28) and everything checked out great! I had a NST done and had a few contractions but apparently nothing to be worried about because the doctor just said be sure and take it easy. Well I took it easy, but Thursday night I started having contractions. I didn't think much of them because I've contracted through this whole pregnancy thanks to my rapid growth! So I thought they would go away eventually, but these were different than the others. It was like one huge contraction that didn't ever go away. The night was awful, I sat in the bathtub hoping that would help, I tried to ignore them and sleep, but nothing was helping. So Friday morning I called the Dr.'s office and talked with a nurse. They didn't have any openings so she told me to go up to Labor & Delivery and have them do a NST to watch the babies.

Again I didn't think much of this cause it wouldn't be the first time we got sent to the hospital for that. So at about 10:00 am I went up and told Chase. We took our time getting ready!! I showered and everything! On our way out we both stopped and wondered if maybe we should pack a bag or something but both decided it would probably be just like last time and we'd get sent home in an hour!! I did at least grab my own pillow! And that's where our adventure begins!

Admitted at 12:00 we got in our room and I got hooked up to the monitors and the boys were doing good. They were moving and kicking and having a party I think. I, on the other hand, was having contractions that were pretty strong (I had no idea they were THE REAL DEAL!!). The nurse checked me and I was already dilated to a 4!! So the rush began. I was pumped full of all kinds of medications to slow the contractions and steroids for the babies lungs. I didn't get any pain meds because they had to be able to tell if the contractions were getting stronger. They were! The shots I got to slow the contractions had side effects like an energy drink x 100. My heart rate at one point was 125!! I had the sweats and shakes! After about an hour things seemed to ease up. I finally got some morphine which just took the edge off. I was still able to feel each contraction. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt before.

When the morphine started to wear off things progressed more. They tried the shots to slow me down again, but there wasn't enough time to let them kick in. The contractions were horrific by then and were very close together. The deciding factor though was when Sean's heart-rate started dropping with each contraction. He was showing distress, so around 7:30 pm I was off to the OR for a c-section! I guess the nurse was worried that with as small as the babies were and me being dilated to a 5 at that point meant that they could come out any time. I was lucky that there was time to do a spinal block instead of having to be put completely under. That was kind of scary. Here I was with full swing labor contractions trying to lean forward and not move!! It all worked out good though and before I knew it I couldn't feel my legs or stomach! The whole surgery only took about 20 min. Chase even got brave and watched them break my 2nd water and pull Scott out. It was the strangest feeling to be able to feel the tugging and pressure but not have any pain associated with it. Once the 2nd baby was out I felt a huge relief.

They had 2 teams of nurses ready for the boys. I got to see each of them for just a second before they were rushed out to NICU. I'm so thankful for all of the nurses and doctors that were there and ready to take care of them. It was an overwhelming feeling when I was wheeled into my room, knowing I couldn't see my boys until the spinal block wore off. At about 2:00 am I was finally able to feel my legs and stand, so they let us go into NICU and see our babies. Talk about emotional!! There they were!! So perfect and beautiful! The tubes and wires made my heart ache for them. Luckily they didn't stay on them long. Our boys are fighters!! Sean had to be on a ventilator for the first 2 days. It wasn't breathing for him, but would kick in when he would forget to keep breathing!! Neither of them had to be on straight oxygen which is amazing. By day 3 they were both completely off the oxygen. Scott was able to be off his IV's sooner than Sean. He was eating and digesting like a champ! As of Wednesday the 5th Sean was off his IV and eating and digesting his food. They are both getting increased feedings right now. So far only Sean has had to be under the Bili-lights and was only there for a day.

We feel so lucky to have such strong baby boys. They are improving by the day and we can only hope that the progress continues. We don't know when to expect them to come home. Maybe 4-6 weeks? But we are so thankful for all of the amazing nurses that are taking care of them right now. I have no doubt they are getting the best care possible. I love our time there visiting and holding our babies. They are such sweet little spirits. I never want to leave them, but I have the comfort of knowing they are being loved and watched over.

We will keep you all updated as the time goes on. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. I know they are working!!

<::Twenty Seven::>

2011-10-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

September 21 I celebrated my 27th birthday. I had prepared myself for it to suck! I was put on strict bed-rest the week before, so I was ready to enjoy the couch for my big day! I had my 31 week appointment that afternoon and I got released from the strict part and was just advised to take it easy! That was the first great news, and we got a great ultrasound picture of the babe who had been hiding through each appointment... the day was looking up!

I spent the day resting thanks to some contractions that were coming and going. Chase worked later than normal that night. So I wasn't expecting anything!! But he came through with some great surprises! He got me a cake complete with candles! And got me some great gifts! He bought me the book "The Help" (I highly suggest this to all! It was a great read.), he also got me the Adele cd (love, love, love it!), and he got me one of those amazing pregnancy pillows (not just a body pillow, it's 100 times better!!).

It was a perfect night! Probably one of my most memorable birthdays yet. Thank you Chase for making me feel so special and loved! I love you.

::Chase's Summer Love::

2011-09-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

These last two summers Chase has been learning to kayak with his brothers. He really enjoys it, but hasn't gotten to into it yet due to the lack of owning his own kayak. Who knew those things were so expensive!!! Anyway, this summer he really hasn't gotten to get on the river much (thanks to these two darling boys growing inside me)!

I had no idea kayaking was such a popular sport!! Did you know there are "parks" for people to go play in and learn new tricks without hitting the major rapids?! Ogden has a few neat places for this. Chase was able to get out the other day and play in a little waterfall that is just behind the new Wal-Mart off 21st in Ogden. He conquered his first ever "river roll" and managed to figure out how to "surf" the wave. Everyone makes these things look super easy, but apparently it takes a bit of skill to do it. So I got to be the proud wife for the afternoon!!
Here is some video footage from the day.

First "River Roll"

I hope our boys get his love for water instead of my slight fear of it!!

{shadow play}

2011-09-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun day!! Chase and I worked on the basement bedroom together! We primed all the walls and ceiling this morning and painted the ceiling this afternoon. Can't wait to get the walls painted tomorrow and Tuesday!! It's a lot more work doing it 7 months pregnant... but it's going to be worth it! While we were cleaning up tonight the sun was shining in the window and made a perfect spot for shadows on the back wall. Here is a favorite we captured!

I'm thinking this could be something fun to do with maternity photos!! Definitely will keep it in mind!

:: Babies Update ::

2011-08-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

Well it has been quite some time since the last post!! Guess I'll start with the most interesting thing going on in life!! The babies!! I am now 7 months!! Phew.... where did the time go? I feel like we were just finding out and sharing the news with everyone! Now we are on the count down until the boys get here!!

Not much to tell, other than I'm growing quickly! The last couple of weeks have been a real eye-opener as to what the human body can do! I feel like I have grown inches over night! I thought it was kind of fun to compare all the pics I've taken along the way just to see the rapid growth. You're lucky I'm a good sport and will share them with you all!!

I'm trying to do better with taking pics more often. Let's see.... Oh we had our big Target Ultrasound in July. That was a pretty neat experience. One of the boys was a champ and showed us his little face, but the other one has yet to let us get a good look at him. It could have something to do with the fact that he's crammed up in my ribs!! But I think they are pretty cute already!

The "good son!"

The "shy one"

When we announced they are boys everyone told us not to count on it cause it could change on the next appointment. Well it didn't change, and I'm 100% positive it WILL NOT change! They were both very willing to show us their stuff!!

Our summer has been a little different this year trying to get prepared for our life changing experience, but we have managed to squeeze in a few trips down to Willard Bay and we finally made it to Bear Lake (didn't get any pics from Bear Lake). But it seems like every weekend has held some kind of home improvement project for us! Chase is a trooper, cause I'm pretty demanding!

I'll post pics of the nursery in the next post. It's coming along nicely and I think is super cute!! I can't wait for it to all be done and put together!

Oh I will share this as a big picture because I was really excited when I finally reached the stage of being able to use my belly as a table/holder!! Chase thought it was pretty cool too!

From Drab to Fab

2011-06-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

Since it's been a while since I posted, I figure I better get something up here. This is my amazing find at the D.I. It called my name instantly. The potential was so great that I couldn't just leave it behind. So for $10.00 the chair became mine, and the ideas started swirling!

And so began the project. I knew I wanted it to be painted a turquoise, but wasn't sure on the fabric to recover the cushions. So I searched and searched the stores and internet. And finally landed on a site called http://www.fabric.com/ It's wonderful!! Their fabrics are pretty cheap compared to stores! So here is what came of my ugly brown chair.

It makes my entry way that much more fun to look at!!

12 Week UltraSound

2011-05-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun day. We got to go in for my 12 week Dr. appt.!! Chase and I were pretty excited to see the babes again!! We had bets on how big they were going to measure. I was pretty close!! They both measured right above 6cm!! So they are doing good and growing fast!! Their little heartbeats were strong and I was so shocked to see them MOVING!!! That was an unreal moment. They both showed off their acrobatic skills and did plenty of flip flopping around! I'm so excited for our next appointment in June, we should be able to determine the sexes of them!! And judging on how much moving they did this time, I really don't think we'll have a problem getting them to show us their stuff!

These pics are hard to decipher!! Hopefully next time we'll get some better shots of them!! I'm so glad we get a video of each ultrasound, it's way better to watch them then to just look at the pictures! Also, as the doctor put it, I'm expanding nicely!! Apparently carrying twins puts me about 4 weeks ahead (size wise) of someone carrying just one baby. And here is the picture to prove that!

We are so excited!! I can't wait to finally know what they are going to be so we can start choosing names and clothes and all the fun stuff!

Trouble... x2!!!!!

2011-04-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Things are about to be turned upside down in our world!! We got the good news on April 20, 2011. I am currently 9 weeks pregnant WITH TWINS!!!!

The doctor says that they are probably fraternal judging by the space between them. We couldn't be more excited/terrified/overwhelmed/happy!!!! (the list could go on with the feelings we are having!) So far the pregnancy has been great! A little nausea 24/7 and exhaustion is about as bad as it's been!! I think I'm okay with that!

I never fully understood what everyone talked about when they talk about hearing the heartbeat for the first time and seeing that little person inside of you. I'll just say this, it is awesome!! I'm so glad Chase and I got to experience that together for the first time. First, the shock of there being not just one, but two! And then the little heartbeats and being able to see the little hearts fluttering like a butterfly!! It overwhelmed me to say the least! I immediately had an unconditional love for these little 1.8 cm beings that I was growing!!

I laugh to myself because I never thought I could be any more of an eater than I already am!! Welcome to pregnancy I guess!! I eat every hour, even through the night!! I should be as big as a house by now, but I guess having two little beans inside of you growing and taking all those nutrients makes the fat process a little slower!! ha ha!

We couldn't be happier for this new adventure! I'm having fun dreaming up different nursery ideas and names!! Imagining what they will be like and how great its going to be that they will always have a friend!! I can't wait for my next visit to the doctor to see them again!!!

one YeAR & a FuLL CirCle

2011-04-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

I had to laugh the other day as I reflected on all of the happenings of 2010 up to now!! I would have never in a million years believed life would have thrown me for so many loops in a 13 month period. Just for my own documentation, let me give you the rundown.

February 2010. I left a job (a very cushy job) of 5 years to pursue the world of Aesthetics. Those who know me, understand that I am NOT a risk taker, but I was in a life rut and desperately needed a change and needed some passion back in my days. If I learned anything, it would be that usually if things start bumpy, they are going to end bumpy. I worked in a spa over in Eden, UT from March 2010 until June 2010. It was fun, the days soon became slow and monotonous though. As the dread seeped into my mornings I knew this wasn't going to last long. Thanks to a chauvinistic man pig and a very irresponsible wannabe business woman I had a job on a Friday. And come Monday - - - no more job for Manda!! This was a first in my life. I've always been the one to leave, or quit my jobs. It was always a choice. And now my choice had been taken away. I was a little bit devastated, and in a panic!!

July 2010. After 3 weeks of stressful job hunting, worrying, and lots of cleaning. And poof, I landed a part time job back in the construction industry. I started working for a building supply house in Ogden. It was easy work, and surprisingly fun. I really enjoyed it. After enjoying the summer months of only working from 8 am to noon, I decided it was time to find something to fill the other hours of my day. Something that paid! I got lucky, or so I thought, and got a job doing some office work in South Ogden. I almost forgot the best part. This all took place around my birthday (September) and for my gift this year my sweet husband finagled a deal with Split-Enz Salon in N. Ogden. I would start working there on November 1, 2010!!! YAY!! I should have been jumping for joy! Instead I was stressing out!! How is it that a few months before I was jobless, and now a few months later I have 3 jobs! For a month I worked both office jobs, while working on setting up my room at the salon, and somehow found joy in the chaos. My second job decided they really needed me full time, which I was hesitant about because I was struggling to find enough to do during my part time hours. But I jumped in feet first! Go figure... Things were good for a little while. But eventually it turned to pot also. Cat fights in the office, lots of imaginary scenarios playing out with me as the winner, and many days leaving early because of the lack of work.

January 2011. Another choice taken from me. Work was good, the weekend was great. Went to work on a Monday at 9, left jobless by noon!! WTF!? (do you see the pattern here?) At least I had the salon right?! Well that was the other problem. I kind of depended on the paycheck from the office to help fund my booth rent at the salon! Oh well I guess. If I have learned anything from all of this, it's that worrying is not going to fix anything! So I am learning to enjoy my freedoms and go wherever the wind blows. This is hard for me, but I'm doing okay. Through February I helped clean houses in Park City to bring in some extra $$, and devoted myself to making the salon busy enough I wouldn't need another job in an office.

March 2011. The beauty biz is picking up nicely!! I'm learning to embrace the unknown!! And then I got my tonsils out. Holy crap, I will not recommend it to anyone. No matter how much better it makes me, the pain was insane!! I'm 3 weeks into recovery and beginning to wonder if things will ever feel the same?! I hope soon!! I laugh with Chase that I am a Jack of All Trades. This month I am doing some freelance bookkeeping for a small contractor. I am actually enjoying my unknown schedule and have learned that it all works out in the end. I'm past the point of worry and anxiety of my situation. I'm finally starting to branch out and embrace the world of "what if's."

Life is too short to worry about the trivial things. I have my health, my happiness and my hubby!! The 3 H's - - they matter. I am very excited for the future and to see where the wind blows me!! I think I have proven to myself that I can roll with the punches. So bring it life!

Re-visiting the big #28

2011-03-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

Finally got my hands on some of the pics from Chase's birthday party in January! Just thought I'd share them!!

I sure love this guy :)

Birthday Boy

Me & Bri rockin the Red Heads

The guys at PF Changs

Where do I begin??

2011-02-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

Wow... blogging is becoming a thing of the past I feel!! It's so hard to bring myself to do it! There has been many ups and downs since my last posting. And unfortunately I have really slacked on the picture taking to document it all. SAD.
Turkey Day was a success at the Phillips household. Nothing caught on fire this year, and no one got hurt!! We had fun going down to see the Temple lights. We rode the Front Runner down and had a great night!

We had a night on the town and went to see the Cody Jordan Band play live at Teasers in Ogden. It's a dive, but given the right company it can be fun! We are now in love with the music that comes from this band. Check them out, you won't regret it!

Well Christmas came and went. We had so much fun in Idaho with the fam. We went sledding up at Pomerelle. It was a blast!! We had a great hill and had my dad groom a track for us! Seriously, I had forgotten how much fun sledding is! Santa spoiled me and Chase ( I'm seriously the best Santa ever)... I got a super cute new Columbia coat and some other great things. Chase got the watch he's been eyeballing FOREVER and some other random items.

The New Year was kind of lame this year. I was oh so ill with a wicked head-cold so we didn't do anything exciting. Chase turned 28 on Jan 8th. I threw him a birthday party down in SLC. It was amazing! We had dinner at PF Changs (super delish), and then went to Keys on Main (a dueling piano bar). It was such a great night. Chase got called up on stage and had to sit on one of the piano's while they sang him a song. I of course have no pictures to document it. I could scream!! We stayed at Little America with some friends and enjoyed their breakfast buffet Sunday morning. Wow... it was so good!

Work for me was going good. Seemed like things were finally working out. And then on a lovely Monday morning at work I lost my job. Yaayyy..... best thing ever to start a week off!! It was a weird situation and I was really pissed about it at first. But I have decided that things happen for a reason, and I'm going to take advantage of this! Things at the salon are going great, so I'm hoping to keep growing my clientelle and not have to find another office job!! My house is finally getting the TLC it has needed for a while, and I'm getting to learn how to deal with "going with the flow" which for those of you who know me, it's extremely hard!! I am a planner through and through, so for me to not know what each day is going to bring is agonizing!! But I'm dealing!

Other than that, life is good in Willard! Hope everyone has a HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

The Sun is Gone... The Leaves Have Fallen... The Snow is Coming

2010-11-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

Ya... it's been quite a while since we've had an update!! It's not because we aren't doing anything!! Life has become quite a whirlwind these past few months! I'll just hit the highlights these last few months!!

SEPTEMBER:

My 26th Birthday!! Wasn't super excited about it!! But it turned out awesome! I got my hair cut and colored that day (what girl doesn't love that?), I got a beautiful bouquet of roses, and 2 JOBS!!! Yay... just what every girl dreams of... a job for her birthday gift!! ha ha... I can laugh now because it has turned into an amazing opportunity for me. Chase got me a room at Split-Enz salon in N. Ogden to do my esthetics. While he was arranging that, I was interviewing for an office job at MOSC-Affiliates in S. Ogden!! Well... I got them both! More to come on the salon stuff later!

We took a trip to Lake Powell with some super fun people!! I have missed that place for the last few years!! Thanks Mike & Stephanie for the chance to enjoy life again!!

OCTOBER:

We decided to celebrate Halloween to the fullest this year. So Chase got a wild hair and we put on a haunted house in Brigham City at the old Indian Schools!! It was stressful, but guess what... IT WAS AWESOME!! Everyone who came through loved it!! We broke even and considered that a success considering we did ZERO advertising for it! It is now going to be a yearly Phillips Family event!!

Chase's brother talked us into going on a "ghost tour" with a group of friends. We were under the impression that this tour would take us around SLC and let us tour some haunted buildings while hearing about some awesome story's or perhaps experiencing our own.. Boy were we wrong!! Thank goodness for fun friends and imagination!! We didn't get to get off the bus hardly at all, and the story teller was HORRIBLE!! But it was a fun time being out!

Yes.. he's laying on a grave. FREAKY!

My annual girls night with Camille and Lindy was a hit again this year. We hit up Nightmare on 13th in SLC and headed up to dirty Dee's for some icecream afterward. It was a night full of laughter, screaming, running and me getting called mom by some radio dj. Thanks dick!

Time to get going!!

2010-08-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

Well I've been thinking it in my head for months now! I took the first step to getting my own thing going with my lashes and waxing and other various esthetics services!! MY BUSINESS CARDS ARRIVED TODAY!! Next step is to paint and re-arrange the extra bedroom to be a little more comfortable!! Here we go!!

Bragging Rights...

2010-08-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

I needed to share my newest creation with everyone. I have been wanting a cute jewelry holder for some time now!! This idea has been brewing in my mind for over a month now. I finally sat down and put it together! I have to admit, I'm like a school girl getting to show off her winning art project to people! I LOVE IT!!

It's only missing the finishing touch here. I have a cute little knob to screw in the wall above it and staple some cute ribbon to it so it's hanging from the knob! And I was toying with the idea of having a cute little vinyl saying made: "I just want to be fabulous" quoted by Miss Marilyn Monroe herself!! What do you think?

Better Late than NEVER, right??

2010-08-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Well July came and went almost as fast as a storm blowing over Willard Bay!! We had a crazy busy month, and made some great memories!!

Over the 4th we headed up to Bear Lake with the Phillips' side. It was a lot of fun, but the one day we went to the beach it was overcast and kind of chilly! Needless to say, no sun for me! And I'm not sure why, but I have ZERO pictures from the whole trip! I am starting to slack on the photog side of life!

Shortly after that little trip we celebrated Chase's sister's wedding! It was a lot of work! She had it at the Phillips' residence in Morgan, so we all got to help out getting things ready. I'll tell you one thing.... this family sure does pull together some dang amazing decorating/set up!! We had a great time hanging out with all the friends and fam that came to celebrate! Congrats to Whitni & Rob! We love you guys!

During July Chase and I also celebrated our 3 year Anniversary!! I can't even believe 3 years has gone by! I don't want to get all mushy or anything, but I am so thankful for every day that goes by knowing that I have a companion like Chase to spend my life with. He is amazing and I can see the progress we have made together and it is amazing how much two people can grow together. I get excited thinking about our future together and starting our own little family. (no this is not an announcement!!) We celebrated in style, as usual!! Would you expect anything less from us?! We headed to Park City for the weekend! We were completely spoiled that weekend, we got to stay in a HUGE house in Deer Valley (thanks Shelley!!) it had more space than we could ever use! The hot tub out back was nice too! Chase had won a gift cert. to Ruth's Chris Steak House at a title convention earlier this summer, so we got to enjoy one of the best steaks I have ever tasted in my life!! I'm not joking! We headed out to the Alpine Slide and the Alpine Coaster. Oh we laughed and laughed!! It was like being a kid again! Such a great place to spend time together! And we ventured out to the Farmer's Market on Main Street. It was amazing!! They had live bands playing, food cooking every where and some of the most unique vendors ever!! I want to go back before it's over! So that's a re-cap of our LOVER'S WEEKEND!!

I love you Chase Phillips!!

Let the Sun SHINE!!!

2010-06-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Wow!! What a busy month we have had!! My mind goes blank when I try to remember what exactly it's been busy with, but I swear... there is SOMETHING! In the last post we were just working on the front flower bed and the patio. And now they are FINISHED!! I am so happy, and now I'm just patiently waiting for my flowers to BLOOM!

Love me my Poppy's!
The full view

Chase has also finished our patio project! I could not be happier with how it turned out! I LOVE it, and more importantly, I love Chase for being such a hard worker and getting it done!!

Check it OUT!!

2010-06-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

I feel like this makes it all REAL!!

Spa Parties & Esthetics: by Amanda

Now featuring GLITTER TOES!

www.spapartiesbyamanda.blogspot.com

Oh! The Adventures We've Had!

2010-05-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

A lot has been going on since the last post!! (I would only hope, since it HAS been a month!!) Any way.. Just a quick re-cap on life.

Easter was a lot of fun! We spent it with my family in Idaho, well part of the fam! Only one brother could make it. We had a good time hangin out and the Easter Bunny brought us all kites! So we headed out to the field and gave them a whirl. Mine didn't fly so good, not enough wind :( It was fun to be around my niece Makell. She constantly makes me laugh! She was recovering from a black eye that she got playing at her grandparents house in Colorado. She was pretty proud of it though!

Makell likes to watch videos on Chase's phone... It makes him feel good!

Makell and Grammy flying the kite

We have been doing a lot of work around the house! Chase went to work and tore up our patio so we can put down some paver stones to expand it a little. It's not done yet, but that is because of the crappy weather we've been having. We have plans to do it after Mother's Day! I also talked him into building up my flower bed in the front! I love how it turned out! I'll post some more pics when the flowers in it start to bloom!

Our back patio in the works
The front flower bed...

On a sunny Sunday morning we took our first hike of the season with our good friends Stevi and Clayton. We just went up the mountain side behind our house. We found a neat cave and got to climb up a cool stream made by the spring run-off. It was a lot of fun! Apparently there are some Indian ruins/drawings in some caves. We were trying to find them, but got severely side-tracked with our photos!

Me and Stevi

Chase on his perch
Clayton and Chase inside the cave

And last but not least.... May 1st, I participated in a small boutique in Brigham. My main goal there was to get my name out to get some Spa Parties going, but I thought I'd try my hand at selling some crafts. That part of it didn't go over so well!! I came home with some inventory. But I'm just considering it new decor for the upcoming holidays! So it's okay! It was a lot of fun just being there and I'm glad I gave it a shot!

A few crafts that were up for grabs

So that pretty much sums up our lives the past few weeks! We have some more adventures in store, so stay tuned!!

Long Time No Blog!

2010-03-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

Well February was here and gone!! And here we are in March and let me tell you Spring Fever has set in at our house!! Here is a little tid bit on what's been going on at the Phillips' household!

25th Street in Ogden had a Winterfest this year. We didn't hear about it until the very end, but we showed up for the ending fireworks!! It was a lot of fun. Apparently they trucked in enough snow to pack the big hill and have things like skiing races and sledding, and then there was of course the snowmobile racing. Sure wish we would have known about all of the fun stuff going on!! You can be sure we have marked our calendars for next year though!!

(yes, Clayton and Chase had to buy light sabers!!)

I have officially started my new job at Oria Spa in Eden, UT. It was a long time coming, and I had quite a bit of time on my hands with the weeks between jobs! So I tried to be useful, by painting the bathroom downstairs!! I am so happy about the way it turned out. The pics just don't do it justice!! The color is Bamboo Shoot from Lowes. And as you can see I still need to get a mirror to put in my frame, because some dumb contractor glued the freakin mirror to the wall! Who does that!? I also came so close to finishing the living room. For those who have forgotten we did a venetian plaster in there. I will forever curse that stuff. I have one wall still needing the final coat and then we have to do the final polishing. Perhaps next year!!!

The pics are my fav. Old school magazine covers from the 40's!!

We had a spontaneous night and met the Jaques' in SLC at the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. It is located at Trolley Square. I always have this tiny fear in the back of my mind when going there since the whole freak shooting a few years ago and all. But it was a fun night!

Last but certainly not least we got to go to the Jazz vs. Rockets game a few weekends ago. Chase got the tix at an auction at one of the title conventions he and his bro went to. We had fun with his brother Skyler and wife Heather! We had dinner at the Gateway. Here is where you will laugh. Of course we don't plan ahead and by the time we got there all of the restaurants of choice had a wait of 45-60 min. So we defaulted to the food court!! It was good though! The game turned out to be a good one! Heather got her minute of fame on the Jumbo-tron!!! I of course ducked the other direction!

So if that isn't enough, just know that Life is Good!!

Life in the Fast Lane :)

2010-01-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Wow!! What a month January has been! We celebrated Chase's 27th birthday to kick it off!! I surprised him with a night of go-kart racing and some good southern BBQ cooking! I even made him wear a blindfold while driving to Speed Street in Layton! He's a good sport! Thanks to everyone who made it out and helped make it such a great b-day for Chase!

Next... I've landed a full time Esthetician job at a new spa in Eden, UT! I get to quit driving one canyon and start driving another, much more treacherous one! At lease I will be happy to do so! I start February 2nd.... I'll have much more to tell after that!

Our good friends The Romero's are expecting a little boy in March. This weekend was the big baby shower and I was so excited to make something! So I made this adorable magnet board for little Nixon. Can't wait for him to get here!

Happy # 27 to an AMAZING man!!

2010-01-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

Just want to give a shout out to the best husband in the world!! Today is Chase's 27th birthday!! I cannot belive I have known him for so long! I truly hope he has a wonderful birthday and that 2010 can bring him more happiness and great experiences!!

27 Things I LOVE about Chase

27. is strong both physically and mentally

26. is always looking for ways to better himself

25. smile melts my heart

24. is devoted

23. is accepting of my random OCD

22. likes to organize the garage

21. has an amazingly creative mind

20. is my support beam

19. is technologically savvy

18. has a love for music

17. enjoys a good adventure

16. is witty and clever

15. has a love for the outdoors

14. encourages the ones he loves

13. never gives in to my guilt trips!

12. is loving and kind

11. works hard at home and the office

10. shows patience always

09. willing to 'learn how' at just about anything

08. plays with his nieces and nephews like he's one of them

07. respect

06. his kisses still give me butterflies

05. his sarcasm

04. takes me golfing and brags about me!

03. always compliments everything about me

02. is a gentleman

01. I LOVE YOU!!!

Happy Birthday babe! I can't wait to share another year with you!

Very Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a lot like Thanksgiving dinner. You work really hard to prepare everything and it's over in what seems like 10 seconds! We had a great Christmas this year! Don't worry Santa didn't forget where our house was :) We also had a great time at the Phillips' Family party in Morgan. We had tons of food and lots of fun! We went sledding in the dark and I felt like a kid again! I definitely need to do it again soon!

Our Tree

Me & Lindsay after sledding

Me & Chase

And now it's time to take all my hard work down... probably my least favorite part about the Holidays! Taking down the decorations! Would you all laugh at me behind my back if I just leave them up year-round?!

My latest craft :)

A Little Winter Fun!!

2009-12-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Chase and I braved the snowy roads last Saturday and went to Salt Lake. We met up with the Jaques' and ice skated at the Gallivan Center and had dinner at The Melting Pot! It was so much fun! We had a great weekend!!

Another craft I made for a Christmas gift this year. Is it bad when you really want to keep what you make for other people?!

Thanksgiving in Idaho

2009-12-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

Chase and I had a great Thanksgiving break in Idaho with my side of the family!! There was always something going on, it made the days go by way to quickly. The dinner was delicious and as always took way longer to prepare than to scarf down!! I guess that is how it goes though! The girls braved the crowds and headed shopping on Black Friday!! It was actually a lot of fun, and I had a great time. I think that it works out better if you go with no real plans of actually buying anything, because then you can't really be let down! I ended up purchasing a video camera and some stuff for the nieces b-days that are coming up! So I was a winner!!

I took Chase to the one of the many things Rupert does to celebrate the holidays. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, Santa comes to the town square to turn on the christmas lights. It is a huge deal and there is fireworks too!! I forgot how much I miss the small town things like that! I think Chase had a good time and was impressed at how many people come out to support the event!

Chase did a lot of shooting with the boys, including clay pigeons and us girls even went up and gave it a whirl. Let's just say, I am not a good aim!! We also got to spend lots of time with our neice and nephew on the Cook side!! That was my favorite part! Makell was so much fun to play with and she is sure becoming a little spit fire!! And baby Tye is growing sooo fast!! He is the cutest little man ever!!

Crafting makes me HAPPY :)

2009-11-18T08:26:00.000-08:00

Had a recent craft night with the girls. It was a much needed time for us all! We made some cute stuff too! I don't know what it is about letting your creative side take over, but it sure makes a difference!

Recipe Holder (just need some magnets)

Countdown Blocks!

Cute little trees

H-A-double L - O-W double E-N (Halloween!)

2009-11-03T17:20:00.001-08:00

October has come and gone.. but that is the great thing about October it leaves with a bang!! Halloween is a favorite holiday of my husbands, for example: He chose to work every weekend at a Haunted House so he can scare people. So we decided we were going to throw a Halloween Party. It turned out to be lots of fun, so it will become a traditional thing. We had a pinata, played Charades, and had a donut eating contest. And a ridiculous amount of candy and treats!

We also did a costume contest. Chase won the Scariest Costume. Dustin won the Funniest Costume, and The Clarks picked up the BEST COSTUME!

If you are one who is easily offended, I recommend not scrolling down. :)

On actual Halloween night, we went up to a party in Logan. My friend and I went as "Girls Gone Wild" girls! It's not what your thinking... we made fake boobs out of nylons and stuffing and sewed them to our sports bras!! I thought it was hilarious... but that is just me. Chase was the "devil" that made me do it! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

~Sneaky Sneaky~

2009-11-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd share this funny little story with everyone. Those of you who know Chase, know that he can be quite the prankster. So, we have started an on-going rivalry between a few of our friend couples. As of a few weeks ago The Phillips' had yet to be pranked back. Well that all ended on the night of pumpkin carving.

The story goes as follows:
After we finished up with carving, Camille and I were sitting around and I heard this beep. I kind of looked around to see if I could see anything flashing and there was nothing. I asked Camille if she heard it and she did. The beep continued on intervals of around 10 - 15 minutes. I decided to ignore it for the night and just go to bed.
The days went on and the beep continued to irritate me. I had pin-pointed the location to the kitchen near and around the stove & microwave. On my day off I decided I was going to find what it was. I unplugged, reset, moved, rearranged and anything else possible, still no luck. Thursday I almost went insane because of the beeping. I had spent 4 hours baking treats for our Halloween party on Friday and the entire time the beeping continued. You can imagine - - it was something like the Edgar Allan Poe poem "Tell Tale Heart".
Saturday was my day of success! I was cleaning things up from the party and gave one last shot to find the annoying sound. I pulled the oven out (for the 3rd time) and VOILA'!! I found this:

Note: in the bottom left corner is the word ANNOY!

And the culprits were Camille and Kelly themselves. One word Jaques' - - REVENGE!! Just you wait for it!

Pumpkin Carving!!

2009-10-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Monday night we had some people over to carve pumpkins!! It was a smash :) Here are the pumpkins!

All of them lined up on the counter

Chase's creation

Kelly's Creation

Bryon's Jack Skellington

Amanda's Marilyn MonWitch

The Latest and Greatest

2009-10-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a few of my latest crafts! My cousin Andrea is having a little girl in December... so for her baby shower I made this super cute bow holder. Its missing the finishing touch which was a cute iron piece that mounted on the top of it to hang with. And the couple of bows that my mom and I clipped to it. But oh well, you get the picture! (yes those are rhinestones!!!)

Second is my attempt at being artsy. Chase has been wanting me to make something for this office with pictures of us. So I came up with this little photo collage. The wording says "My heart (only its a picture of a heart) Loves Your heart" Kinda cute!

And last is my very very favorite! I painted and modge podged this cute little step stool for my kitchen. The colors don't match but it is very much ME! (the other 2 legs are hot pink, and orange)

And that's it! Stay tuned for more!

A Haunting We Will Go....

2009-10-14T20:54:00.001-07:00

I suppose it's been long enough since my last post to make everyone wonder what we have been up to. Well let me just tell ya! We headed to Idaho the first weekend of Oct for a baby shower and family picture (taken by Camille Jaques herself!) I'll post those later when they are done :) Lots of fun to be with the entire family and be together for the first snow storm of the year. Ugh, it came much to soon if you ask me!

And then there was our stellar Girls Night Out!! I can't even tell you how much fun it was because you would all be super jealous and sad you weren't a part of it. Its okay though... we'll do it again soon! Camille, Lindy and I went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse and hit not ONE, but TWO haunted houses! We got some Rockstars and slammed them, and let me just tell you - - - we made so many new friends while all hyped up! Camille got Lindy and I boyfriends at the first haunted house. We will name them Skeletor

and Chain Gang

. We had so much fun at Nightmare Mansion that we HAAADDDD to go check out Nightmare on 13th!! Totally worth it. It was full of colorful language, many trips to the floor, and lots of pushing and shoving eachother!! Who could ask for more?? Seriously??

I went to a Super Saturday that our ward hosted and made this super cute witch hat for my front door. I'm lovin it!! It made me so excited to decorate for a holiday that I went out and bought some lights and a scary window skeleton!! We are the coolest house on the block! (I'm not bragging!)

Chase is currently working weekends at the Haunted Hollow off of 12th street. He pretty much LOVES it! I'll get a picture up later of his character! It's a good one if I do say so myself! I am very excited for the coming parties and get-togethers the next few weeks brings! Not to mention dressing up on Halloween!!!

Also, I made my first investment to my new idea of a business!! What's in that big black bag you may ask... Well I'll tell ya! It's a portable massage table!! For those who haven't heard of my amazing plan, I want to start doing Spa Parties!! Much like the Scentsy, Jewelry, and many other "parties" I'll be going to someone's house and giving spa services at a much discounted rate! Hopefully they will catch on big time!! But anyway... More on that to come. I still have a few more items to purchase before I'm ready for the adventure!

Autumn.... It's here!

2009-09-27T13:32:00.001-07:00

As much as I hate to admit it. Fall has come. At first I was really disappointed that summer had come and gone so quickly, but I really do love the season of Fall. The leaves are changing through Sardine Canyon - - which makes me smile when driving to work on a crispy fall morning. And I can make cute new decor for the season! Hooray for cool weather and all the cute new clothes to wear!

NEW - - hair ~ nephew ~ tradition

2009-09-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well quite a bit has been going on these past few weeks! And I'm happy to share that it has ALL been good stuff!

First things first... I got a new do! I had been wanting to do this for quite some time but always chickened out. So finally I just did it! I DYED my hair RED!!! And I love it!

Second... Chase and I got a new nephew!! Mr. Tye James Cook was born on Aug. 31st! My brother Jason and his wife Laree welcomed him with open arms! But how could you not when he is so stinkin adorable! I'm a proud auntie and even got him a bib to prove his love for me! It says "I love my Auntie!" He is going to be a heart-breaker for sure!

And the last excitement we have had was going to Peach Days in Brigham and enjoyed some famous peach cobbler! While we were there we HAD to ride one carnival ride and we chose "SPIN OUT" - - for those of you who are unfamiliar with the carni rides, it is similar to the Samurai at Lagoon. Holy cow, I was ready to cry by the time we were done! Hands down, best carnival ride ever!!! Also, we were able to see Jon Schmidt perform his "Taylor Swift meets Viva la Vida" song! It was amazing! Again, truly a major motivator to get my piano inside my house!

Stevi & I - -so excited to see Jon Schmidt

And to finish the night, we headed up to Mantua to camp! We found a spot at "Dock Flat" :) It started out as an eventful night and continued to progress! While there I showed how we Idaho girls gather firewood! We had neighbors who came over to invite us to their "camp party" - - we declined. Then later they started shooting guns! Totally not okay in the hunters safety guidelines. I feared for my life for a few! But then they quit. We camped out under the stars in the back of the truck! Such a great time! Cheesy filled hot dogs + The Phillips' + The Sherman's=LOADS OF FUN! It is going to be must every year!

Sandy's Wedding

2009-09-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well it's over!!! Chase's mom was married to a great guy last weekend! We had so much fun being with all of the family! I will admit it was incredibly exhausting and very stressful getting it all ready. But the outcome was phenomenal!!

Friday night we got to have dinner with all of Dave's kids. He has 4 daughters!! The Phillips' don't know what to do with this many girls around! It was a lot of fun spending time with them and getting to know one another! There is always that fear of mingling two families - - what if we don't get along?! But it was meant to be. I think we all clicked pretty good!

The BIG family!! 3 new bro in laws, 4 new sis in laws!

Saturday was the big day, and boy did we accomplish tons! I have the best brothers and sisters on the Phillips' side! We all work soo well together and come up with amazing ideas! Jamie did the flowers and they turned out beautiful! We had music, balloons, great company and great food! What more could you ask for right?!

Sunday was the best day! All of the kids stayed the night at Sandy's, and we made a huge brunch and had Grandpa and DJ over and some surprise visitors from Colorado. Chase's great aunt Venice and uncle Terry!! We had a blast cooking and playing in the pool. I was so sad the day went by so quickly! I love having all of us together!

Chase and Mason in the pool

Everyone enjoying the sunshine and breakfast

Chaddy & Mason

Kinley being her cute self!!

Congratulations to Sandy and Dave!! We are so excited for their future together!!

August - - WHERE DID IT GO?!

2009-08-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well here we are at the end of August!! I am still wondering where the month went... We have been busy as usual!! Lots of fun stuff happening lately! Gosh- - where do I begin? With the first of the month I guess. :)

August is always fair time and I love it! I had to work in a booth at the Cache County Fair (only one night!) It was fun as always! Love the people watching at fairs.. it always brings out the best of the best - - if you know what I mean! We also hit the Morgan County Fair and enjoyed some navajo tacos and the LAST scone of the night with the Jaques. No it was literally the last scone on the whole entire fairgrounds! Camille and I felt so lucky it was ours! Later that same night the boys played poker at the famous Steph's Drive-In in Morgan, and Camille and I went and saw the movie "The Ugly Truth" LOVED IT! Mostly loved Gerard Butler ;)

On the 13th we celebrated a good friends 25th b-day with a surprise party!! Happy Birthday to Clayton Sherman!! We headed up to the Migliori residence in Liberty. We bbq'd and played water balloon volleyball!! It was lots of fun! Thanks to Stevi for the invite!

the water balloon launch

And that weekend we had an amazingly fun photoshoot with Camille! We all met in Morgan and the Phillips' residence and used the neighbors barn and cool old truck for our pics. They turned out wonderful and we had soooo much fun! I can't even wait for the next one!! Get ready Camillie!!

And last weekend we headed up to Lava Hot Springs to camp and hit the pool! It was such an adventure! We left Saturday night and finally arrived at like 9:00. The campground we reserved online turned out to be what looked like a huge parking lot with bumper to bumper tents!! We opted to not stay! We found a nice spot up a canyon and went back into town to meet Grant and Maddux and find some firewood to buy. When we finally got back to our camp spot there was a train blocking the entrance!! FINALLY we got camp set and started a fire and roasted - - - I know you are all thinking that is gross, but honestly they were amazing!! My new favorite campfire treat! We got up early the next morning due to the rain coming down on us! Headed into town for some breakfast and the pool. Luckily it was just overcast when we went to swim and then the storm rolled in! Everyone swam in the rain for a while until it was coming down too hard and we headed to the indoor pool. It was a great trip and a very memorable one! Thanks to all who made it and had fun with us!

And stay tuned next week for the pics from Sandy & Dave's wedding. It is this Saturday!!! We are all soo excited!

Happy 24th in Lake Powell!!!

2009-08-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

For the 24th of July (yes a little late posting) we headed down to Page, AZ to enjoy the waters of Lake Powell!! We had so much fun with the Phillips clan. It is insane to see how big the family is getting! We barely fit in the boat we rented! It was so nice to be in the hot weather and have the lake right there to play in! I think everyone enjoyed their time away from real life and we can't wait to do it again! We had some exciting news given to us while we were together as a family. My mother in law Sandy is getting married!! We are so happy for her and are excited to add Dave to the family. Congrats you two!

BeAr LaKe~FiRewOrKs~& an AnNiveRsArY!!

2009-07-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well its no doubt we crammed a ton of fun into this weekend too! I'd say we're doing pretty good for the month of July! My brother Jared and his little family came and stayed with us for a few days. It was so fun to have them! They got to go see George Strait in concert Friday night, which meant I got to babysit Miss Makell! That was quite the event... I took her to the store with me and learned its incredibly hard to get anything accomplished with an 18 month old in tow!

Saturday we headed up to Bear Lake to play on the beach for the day. I love it there! We had so much fun! Lindy & Maddux met us up there and hung out too. It was fun watching Makell - - she loved it there. The water was perfect for her to just plop right down in and start flinging mud everywhere! I also learned an incredibly valuable secret this time around. 50 SPF baby sunscreen spray DOES NOT WORK ON ADULTS!! That was all we used since it was easier to apply than the lotion sunscreen, and all of us burned except the kids! Kinda crazy huh... so just an FYI for future use!

Sunday were the Weber State fireworks to kick off the 24th of July week. Bryce & Jessi came down and we BBQ'd before we headed out. We had great company there! It was fun sitting in the sun and catching up with the Romero's, Sherman's, Bingham's and Phillips! That is until the rain came down!! Luckily it only sprinkled for a little bit! The fireworks were good as always. They seemed shorter this year, or maybe its because I was gabbing through them all!

And Monday (the 20th) Chase and I celebrated our 2 year Anniversary!! I can't believe it has been 2 years already! (actually it feels like longer!) We hadn't really planned anything since it crept up on us. So we both went to work and got home around 6:00 p.m. We lazed around for a bit and played with Crank (our new kitty). Then decided we were going to go to Hamilton's in Logan and visit the Bingham's to see their new puppy. It was lots of fun, and a very chill evening! I just want to let Chase know that I love him so much and I am so happy he is my one and only!

Here's to another great year babe!

Bear Lake & The Uintah's

2009-07-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

We crammed a ton of fun into last weekend! Started off by camping up at Beaver Mtn with our friends the Jaques and the Andersen boys! We had some yummy dutch oven and roasted marshmallows and starbursts!! The next day we headed down to the beach at Bear Lake.

We had so much fun! Chase and I have had this floating island for about a month now that we have been dieing to try out! Lets just say it was a hit, and it will be joining us wherever there is water! We had it named "white trash island" but considering the envious looks we were getting we decided it probably wasn't as white trash as we hoped! ;) The weather was so-so... overcast and a bit chilly at times, but just enough sun to make it okay to hang in the water! Enough said... I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

After the lake we headed over the mountains to a cabin in the Uintah's. The cabin was awesome and we had so much fun (thanks for the invite Miles & Jocelyn!). Sunday morning we got cleaned up and headed over to Mirror Lake and the Provo Falls. We had lunch and the boys hiked around and through the water. Then we drove through Kamas, Oakley and Morgan to get home.

It was an awesome weekend, and hope we can keep it up until I'm back to school on the 28th :( I don't like to think of how fast that day is coming up! So I'll stop thinking about it and get some pics on here!

Hot Springs on the 4th!

2009-07-07T13:28:00.001-07:00

Chase and I ventured up to Idaho for the 4th again this year. It's becoming a tradition to head that direction and escape the crowds at the parades. This year we hiked into Skillern Hot Springs with my mom and dad. Skillern is located in the Sawtooth National Forest, Smokey Mtn. Area. It was a ton of fun! I finally got to prove to Chase that I'm no sissy when it comes to the outdoors!

Friday morning we got everything together and loaded our packs and headed out. We hit the trailhead at about 2:00 p.m. IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY!!! The hike in took us 2 hours, which isn't bad when your packin all that extra weight! It was a couple miles in (my dad says 5-6, but it didn't seem that long). We set up camp, enjoyed a soak in the pools and came back to start dinner. It had been thundering a little, but we thought nothing of it. Until it started to pour down hail the size of marbles! We thought "oh... it should pass quick" NOT!! After huddling under some pine trees for about 15 minutes trying to stay dry and eat our spaghetti, we decided it wasn't letting up so we made a break for our tents. One hour and 30 minutes later it quit raining! That is a long time to spend in a tiny tent when your not sleeping! We had to stand around what was left of our fire and try to dry things out. It was quite the experience, but I have to say it could have been a whole lot worse!

We hiked out Saturday and made it to the truck in 1.5 hours. When we got home we weighed our packs to see how tough we really were. The results go like this - - Dad = somewhere around 30-32 lbs. Chase = 26 lbs, plus an extra 4 lbs from the gun he was packin. Mom = 18 lbs. And mine was only 15 lbs. (I swear it was more on the way in!!)

So much fun we had! Thanks for the good times Mom & Dad!

Movie Mania!

2009-06-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sure no one will find this post at all interesting, however - - - I am bored at work and shall post what I want! This last week has been movie madness for me. I've been to 3, yes count it - - THREE, movies! Its like a record! So I thought I would share my views on them, since I scored and 2 of the 3 were amazing!

Movie #1 - - The Proposal

I loved this movie! It was a great girls night out show :) Full of laughs and even got a little teary eyed! Gals - - get out and see this!

Movie #2 Year One

There were some good laughs. But overall it only gets a so-so from me. Wait for it to come out on Redbox if you really want to see it!

Movie #3 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

AWESOME!!! Chase and I loved it! We decided we must own these movies for life! Everyone needs to see it! Its funny, action, love story.... It is just intense!! SEE IT THIS WEEKEND!

Vegas Vacation

2009-06-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed out to VEGAS again for a little early summer vacation and for the International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Convention!!

A little something for me to earn some extra hours (50 to be exact) for school by attending. We invited the Jaques and Binghams to come have some fun with us (and we sure hope that is what they had!).

We flew out Saturday morning and arrived in sunny Las Vegas around noon... walked the strip until we could check in at our hotel, and then lounged at the pool for a bit.

(Planet Hollywood)

Later that night we went to a Cirque de Soliel show called KA. It was an amazing experience. For those who have never been to one I am highly suggesting it! I was in awe the entire show. I'm still baffled by all of the amazing things that went into it.

Sunday I spent my time at the convention and had a good time. There really isn't much to tell about it. There were a ton of good deals, and of course I came home empty handed! Oh well... next year!

Monday was our day to leave, but not until later in the evening! We had fun and kinda did our own things. It was a long day, and a great trip. I am glad to be home though! I lost $15 on the slots, but got some sweet mardi gras beads from some run down place in "Old Vegas"! Oh and I can't forget to mention my attempt at rebellion - - - the trashy airbrushed tat I got that lasted a whole day!! I love Las Vegas!

Crazy/Beautiful Weekend!!

2009-06-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Chase and I had quite the eventful weekend! Friday night was Christian's graduation from Morgan High School! We are so proud of him and the accomplishments he has made throughout life. Congratulations to Christian and good luck in the future!

Saturday was an amazing day. We got to watch our adorable niece, Kinley, during the morning while her mom and dad (Skyler & Heather) were taking out their endowments at the temple and get her ready to meet her parents at the sealing. As their one year anniversary this little family was sealed to each other in the Salt Lake City temple. It was a great day and we are so happy for them and the choices they have made and the examples they are to us. Congratulations Sky & Heather!!

Later Saturday afternoon we went to Bountiful for a graduation BBQ for my "little brother" Braxton. He graduated from Davis High on Friday! For those of you who don't know I have what I like to call a second family whom I have been very close to since the age of 12!! We had such a great time catching up with them! Congrats to Brax who made it through and can't wait to move away! Love you guys!

(Braxton & Brecklee - - my little bro & sis!)

On Sunday we braved the weather and went to Hill Air Force Base to watch the Air Show. It was awesome and we had so much fun. Even in the 5 minute monsoon that blew threw and soaked us! Our favorite was the Thunderbirds. We were in awe at the precision and teamwork that went into their performance. I told Chase I felt like I was in the movie Top Gun! It made me proud to be an American!

I'm so happy we got to spend an entire weekend together! That hasn't happened in quite some time thanks to my Saturday schooling! I hope everyone else enjoyed their weekend as much as we did!

Inspiration...

2009-05-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

I recently came upon this video on someone else's blog. I fell in love with the piano music. It has made me really want to get the piano I inherited from my Great Grandma refinished and inside the house so I can start practicing! Its now a goal to be able to play this!!! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Memorial Day in Sunny St. George!

2009-05-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day Chase and I ventured south to visit Chase's oldest brother and his family. We had so much fun while we were there. I could definitely live down there! While there we went to dinner at Benja, a Thai restaurant, it was delicious!! We hiked the Red Cliffs with Jamie and the boys while Adam was at work on Friday.

Chase climbed with Dylan on his back to see if there were any more pools up higher.

Me, Jamie & Mason hung back and waited for them.

Chase golfed with Adam & Dylan and got to meet Derron Williams (yes, the Jazz player)! I shopped with Mason & Jamie.

We lounged at the pool for a few hours then headed back up to Red Cliffs for a campfire to roast hot dogs and make smores! We had such a great time and miss Adam & Jamie and their stinkin cute boys sooooo much!!! We can't wait to go back!

Why I LOVE this time of year...

2009-05-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

There is a lot to get excited about during this time of year. Looking forward to all of the summer Bear Lake trips, and exciting summer activities makes this one of my favorite times of the year. I stopped for a minute today to get some pictures of a few of the things I love the most during the Spring months.

The first one being the spring runoff waterfall in Willard. I can't even explain how this puts a smile on my face every time I pass by! I love watching it when its at its fullest, just knowing that summer is on its way and that the mountains will be beautiful and green soon!

I'm a nature lover at heart! I love to plant flowers and watch them slowly grow and bloom into beautiful colors. If I could I would have a huge garden (both vegetable and flower) and I would be in them every day weeding and enjoying the satisfaction it brings to me. We planted a couple of pepper plants in a pot this year and its so fun watching them grow into something I will soon be able to eat! And I bought a Gerbera Daisy to keep inside and it has slowly been blooming and is finally there! I love it - - - I am smiling just thinking about it.

And of course last but not least... the amazing sunsets that we get to see out of our kitchen window. Willard Bay may not be amazing for many things, but the sunsets awesome!! This was taken late at night with the last light of day illuminating the water.

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-10T21:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you mamma's out there! Hope everyone had a good day with their families! We enjoyed our Sunday in Morgan with Chase's family. We had a great lunch and hung out the rest of the afternoon. I thought I'd share with everyone our gift we gave to Sandie. We had originally started it for her birthday in February (haha - - go ahead and laugh... we are lame!) and it quickly turned into a project that was much harder than a couple days of work. So here we are in May and the project is finished and was a hit!!

Chase's face is showing how heavy the dang thing is!

Put on your Poker Faces!!

2009-05-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Chase decided to have a Poker night. Usually this means I have to find somewhere else to occupy my time, but this time the boys were gracious and let the wives join in on the fun! We played Texas Hold'em (?) and it was such a blast! The buy in was $5 so there was a chance to win a good cash stash! Bryce, Jessi, Craig & Brooks all came down from Logan, Kelly & Camille drove up and my friend from school, Stevi and her hubby Clayton came over.

It was so fun, and of course since there were girls involved, that meant yummy snacks!! Stevi and Clayton made jalepeno poppers (which were amazing!) and there was tonz of candy and soda!

The game came down to Camille and Stevi against each other. The last hand was crazy... they ended up splitting the pot! Congrats to the girls for kickin the boys' butts!

Feelin Sassy...... Peach!!

2009-05-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

So I officially have "paint fever." After getting some color in the kitchen I decided to make a bold move and paint my laundry room a bright peachy color! It had the potential to go extremely WRONG - - - but to my joy it is awesome! Since I spend a lot of time doing laundry I figured the room needed to be cheerful and make me like being in there! And it does! So for those of you who fear color, I just have to say "DO IT"!!! Here are a few pictures to show off my new look!

I like this picture the best.. it shows the true brightness of it!

The Latest Happenings...

2009-04-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Well needless to say we have been pretty boring lately. Seems like all we do is go to work, go to school and sleep! I sure can't wait for a change in life! But for the time being I'll just be happy about it all!

Nothing too exciting has been going on. Last week I finally gathered up enough motivation and energy to paint my kitchen! I have had the paint for quite some time now, just no "oomph" to do it! My friend Stevi came over to help - And thank goodness she did! I would have given up! It was not as easy as I had thought! Now that it is done I love it. I still have to touch up the ceiling area - - that is the crappy part of painting. Why can't the tape peel away and leave a nice straight line??? I'm open for suggestions!!

BEFORE

AFTER

For school we got to help with the ballet "Alice in Wonderland" that took place at the Peery Egyptian Theatre in Ogden. It was a ton of fun. I was fortunate and got to do the makeup on the little girls. They were so fun and cute about everything. Guess they haven't been in the business long enough to be big brats! We had fun doing that.

For Easter we finally made it up to my parents house in Idaho. I haven't been home since Thanksgiving! It was so good to be with all of my family. I wish we had more time to spend with them. I didn't get any pictures... I was too busy having fun with my niece Makell. She is such a cute little thing. She is 15 months and in to everything! We took the wii with us and got Grandma Johnson to give guitar hero a try! It was pretty funny!

BuTteRfLY FloWeR - - my new obsession...

2009-03-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share with everyone my new favorite fragrance from Bath & Body Works. It is so yummy! I have the oil to scent the house and its such a "pretty" smell!! Go out and try it!! Promise you will love it!

LOVE IT!!

Spring has SpRuNG!!

2009-03-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Well onto my shelf anyway!! I got to have an entire day off (school and work) the other day and I spent it getting my hair done and hangin out with some friends and doing some crafts!! It was great! I introduced them to Modge Podge. I feel like I should start doing M.P. Parties!! Who knows maybe it would make me millions!

Anywho... excited that Spring is almost here (I say almost because apparently its supposed to storm this weekend) I made myself a little spring decor. I must say I'm quite proud of them! I need to get a shelf put up that is designated for holiday/seasonal decorations!! Oh well this works for now! I just love the way the sunshine makes me feel. I'm immediately happier!! And don't worry I'm already spreading fruity summer smells throughout the house. I believe Coconut Lime Verbena is in my oil thing now. LOVE IT!!

For those who care - - - I would love to see your names on my schedule at school!! I can do it all now! Microdermabrasion, Facials, Chem. Peels, Pedicures, Manicures, ALL Waxing!! And really I'm only asking cause I would love to get some sign offs going!!

Viva Las Vegas!!!

2009-02-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

For Presidents Day weekend Chase and I decided to do something totally spontaneous. We went to Vegas for 2 days!! My good friend Jen and her beau Ryan were getting married on the 19th at one of the wedding chapels there so we decided to surprise them and take a small vacation for ourselves.

It was an absolute blast. And this is how last minute it was... we booked our flights on Saturday (yep for the big V-day we hung out on the computer finding the best deals!), and we left Sunday morning at 9:15 a.m. and arrived at 9:45 a.m.!!! We couldn't check in until 3:00 so we left our bags at the good ole Excalibur and went off site seeing. This was my first time being in Vegas and I was so excited! We walked from the hotel clear down to Treasure Island and back, not to mention we went through all of the hotels to see all of their amazing attractions. I bet we walked 4 miles that afternoon and probably 8 miles total! (my feet hate me right now!) We had a great time - - - I recommend to everyone taking a vacation where there is absolutely no schedule involved!

Seeing the sites (the Wynn was amazing!)

I was awe struck with all of the magnificent structures and detail that went in to each of the hotels. My favorite is the Venetian. I loved walking through there and feeling like I was on the streets of France or Italy (which ever its supposed to be!) I got my picture with one of the human statues. He scared the crap out of me. We were walking along talking, laughing, not paying any attention - - I glance over at this amazing white statue that looked so real. I thought nothing of it so I kept going, but then his eyes caught mine and I screamed a little and jumped! He was amuzed and so was I so for a buck he let me stand with him for a pic. Then there were these tree ladies. They were amazing! I took a little video of them. Watch it, they were so graceful in their movements, it was hard to believe they were on stilts. I guarantee I couldn't move like that 5 extra feet in the air!

Inside the Venetian

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

To condense our trip for everyone we got to witness a great marriage to a very happy couple at "A Special Memory wedding chapel", see the water show at the Bellagio, the volcano at the Mirage, the light show on Freemont Street, eat the best chili cheese fries ever :), wander through each hotel and gawk at everything! It was so much fun, and a much needed vacation for the both of us!

The wedding - - Chase and I took a taxi there, but didn't think about how we would be getting back to the main strip. So we walked through scary "old Vegas" in the rain! It was fun!

"Old Vegas" Freemont Street - - We love it there!

I LOVE LAS VEGAS!!

I should start a business!!

2009-02-13T21:27:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share with you my newest craft project!! More letters for my other cousins little girl! This time I did it different and was pretty proud of the finished product! Again it was done with Modge Podge!! (go to Wal-Mart and buy some - - I know you want to!)

Baby Elizza will have the cutest room ever! (Heidi if your reading this I hope you like them, and sorry to ruin the surprise, and I need to see you soon to give them to you!)

Latest Craft...

2009-02-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

So I haven't done much crafting lately and I've been feeling a void because of it. My cousin Sydnee is having a baby boy here any day now so I thought I'd try my hand at modge podge!! All I have to say is that was the easiest thing I've ever done. I cut some blocks, found some cute wooden letters and some cute scrapbook paper and went to town!!
Here's what I came up with. They are naming their baby Cannon. So I made these blocks to put in his room. (Sorry for ruining the surprise Syd! - - they are in the mail and will be to you shortly!)

Obviously I'm not the greatest picture taker either. But seriously everyone should own a jar of modge podge. The stuff does everything!!

Chase's B-day Outing...

2009-01-15T21:42:00.000-08:00

For Chase's birthday we got together with some friends on a Saturday night and went to dinner and then bowling. Dinner was at Chase's newest favorite place - - - Holy Smoke BBQ in Layton. Its definitely different, but if you like bbq, you'll love this place. After eating we headed over to what we remember as Muskrat Lanes. Apparently Muskrat under went a face lift and is now Spare Time of Clearfield. It was fun! I bowled better than Chase so I was happy!!

Thanks for those who came out and made it a great night!!

The NOSE wax!!

2009-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

So a few weekends ago Kelly and Camilly came to visit and Kelly was nice enough to volunteer to get his nose waxed! I was soooo excited to finally have someone to use my new wax kit (Chase got it for me for Christmas) on! He was such a good sport and Chase got it all on video!! Enjoy!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This was Chase's reaction to the whole idea of a nose wax.

Happy Birthday to My Main Squeeze!!

2009-01-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

Today Chase turns 26!! We don't have any killer plans for tonight. I have school til 9 and he is working late into the night with his cousin. But this weekend we have a few things in mind. I can't believe Chase is 26 this year. We met when he was just 20 years old!! Its crazy to think we have known each other for that long.

To honor the birthday boy I'd like to share with you 26 of my favorite things about Chase. (Hopefully I can think of that many!! ;) )

26. He can make friends with anyone

25. He is turning into quite the handy man

24. He doesn't let me get away with whining

23. He loves his family and mine too

22. He is always on the go

21. He doesn't beat around the bush with anything

21. He is always more than willing to help someone else

20. He see's every side to the story before he makes his opinion

19. He works hard every day - - whether he's in the office or somewhere else

18. He is always there for me with love and support

17. He loves playing with kids :) its so cute!

16. He understands that sometimes a girl just has to buy something!!

15. He is very good at listening and helping solve problems

14. He still gets excited about Christmas!!

13. He has started trying to learn to cook in a crockpot!!

12. He never complains about having to shovel the driveway... even at 1:00 a.m.

11. He constantly amazes me with his ideas

10. He very rarely complains about anything

9. Secretly he is nerdy and I love it!

8. He lets me play guitar hero all day and never says a word about it!

7. He never "lets" me win at board games!

6. He always eats what I cook!

5. He encouraged me to go back to school

4. His sarcasm

3. He keeps me spontaneous

2. His smile can melt me

1. He is mine... forever and for always

I love you Chase and hope you have a stellar birthday!!

Crown Paradise Club - - Cancun, Mexico!!

2008-12-27T12:43:00.001-08:00

Its a little late, but finally I have most of the pictures loaded on my computer. So I thought I'd share a little of our vacation with you all! We went to the Crown Paradise Club Resort in Cancun for 7 days. It was awesome!! Here are some pics of our room and the awesome view we had from our balcony.

Amanda's entire family was able to come on this trip so it was a lot of fun. It was an all-inclusive resort so we ate, and ate, and ate!! It was soooo good! We took a trip into downtown Cancun to shop at all of the flea markets. It was a lot of fun, but I forgot my camera. :( We went way into town to a place called Market 28. I'm not going to lie, it was scary for me. Everyone is in your face and little kids are making you feel bad and trying to get you to buy their handmade bracelets and belts. Definitely not my kind of shopping. Here are a few random photos by Chase of all of us eating.

We thought we would take advantage of a free Lunch Lagoon Cruise the resort offered. So we all loaded up and headed out for the Cancun Queen. The cruise was around the Nichupte Lagoon. Little did we know it was going to turn into a booze cruise. Pretty embarassing and awkward to be on a booze cruise with you parents and grandparents! We had a good time though. They played some games a forced some Tequila on some (I won't name names!). Then we had a nice lunch and played some more games. Below are a few pics of our afternoon.

Most of the days there we lazed on the beach and played in the waves. The weather was beautiful. High 80's for the day with a nice breeze. And the night cooled to the low 70's. Me and my sis inlaws (Emilie & Laree) got our hair braided on the beach. That was kinda cool. I only left mine in a few days, then they got too dirty and itchy! But it was nice to not have to worry about keeping my hair out of my face! Chase rented some boogie boards one day cause the waves were perfect. Everyone had a good time trying those out. My mom and I had a hard time finding our ocean legs and would often be tumbled to the beach by some of the waves! We would just sit and laugh!

We also took a trip to Tulum and snorkeled in Akumal. I haven't developed the underwater camera we used at the ocean in Tulum and for the snorkeling. But here are a few pics of the ruins in Tulum. It was probably the hottest day that we decided to go see the ruins, so we were all pretty impatient and sweaty!! Next post I'll get the other pics in!

Kick start our Vacation!!

2008-12-22T22:36:00.001-08:00

As many of you know, my (Amanda's) family just returned from Cancun!! Here is a little taste of what we did to kick start our vacay! My mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, brother & sis in law came down Sunday afternoon and we headed down to Salt Lake. My grandparents have never seen temple square, let alone at Christmas time when all the lights are on. So we all got rooms downtown, and enjoyed dinner at the Olive Garden (which my grandpa had never eaten at), and walked temple square and enjoyed each others company!

2nd Annual "Ugly Sweater" Christmas Party

2008-12-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

Last year we started a traditional Christmas party with all of our friends. Its the "Ugly Sweater" Christmas party. Everyone is supposed to wear the ugliest sweater they can find. Last year wasn't such a success in the sweater department, but I'm happy to say this year we had a few more ugly sweaters show up. This year we played Catch Phrase (which I am NOT good at), we voted for the UGLIEST sweater, did a White Elephant Gift Exchange, and enjoyed lots of yummy treats!

Some of the white elephant gifts were hilarious... a few chose to take the naughty route. I'll have you all know, Chase and I kept ours clean! The boys pretty much cleaned house on Catch Phrase, and Dustin won the UGLIEST sweater!!

Can't wait to do it again next year!! We will keep getting better and better! Thanks to those who came and enjoyed the night with us!!

A Little Holiday Cheer!

2008-12-22T22:03:00.001-08:00

So I'm a little late on getting all this posted. But I wanted to share with you our Christmas tree and decor!! I put up some of the big ornaments above my cabinets and put lights up there with them. I have to say its my new favorite Christmas decoration!! We haven't been home much to enjoy all of it, and sadly enough our tree is crispy dead!!! Oh well at least it has the nice pine smell still!!

Thanksgiving w/the Phillips'

2008-12-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

This year Thanksgiving was spent with Chase's family in Morgan. It was a lot of fun to be able to have the entire family together! For those who don't know the family there are quite a few of us! We had a great time with everyone. Friday morning while all of you crazies were out shopping, we were sleeping! We shopped later in the afternoon and met up with everyone at the Gateway for dinner and a visit to the Temple grounds to see the lights turn on. Needless to say, we were late and the lights were already on by the time we all made it down to the Temple! It was still a lot of fun to be with everyone!

We walked Heather all over town that night hoping it would induce labor and we would have our niece sometime during the weekend. But baby girl Phillips' (that's what we called the baby) stayed put until a week ago!! (That's a whole other blog in itself) We got lots of fun pictures too!!

Enjoy!!!

Love the Temple in this one Me & Chase :)

The Clan: Chase & Amanda, Chad & Fe, Sandie,
Adam Jamie Dylan & Mason, Skyler & Heather, Whit, Sarah & Jen

The Girls

This sign was in the Rocky Mtn. Chocolate Factory.
It reads: We don't touch your banana so !!!PLEASE!!!
Don't touch ours!! - - I just thought it was hilarious!

Stinkin Cute Nephews!!

2008-12-11T12:56:00.001-08:00

Over Thanksgiving all the Phillips family was together! It has been quite some time since we all were gathered at the same house for a holiday, or event. We had such a good time. Thanksgiving was good, really any food any time is good! We stuffed ourselves and had a great time watching all the cousins play together. This year was the first time the boys all played TOGETHER... the other years they entertained themselves. It was so cute watching them follow Dylan around the house like a little gang! Here are a few pics (thanks Whit) of them enjoying the tub together!!

Dylan, Mason & Parker

Jen & Ryan's Visit!

2008-12-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

My friend Jen, from California, came up to visit last weekend with her boyfriend Ryan. We had a good time together! Friday night we met up with a bunch of friends and ate at Noodles and Co., then rode tracks down to Temple Square to see the lights. Here are a few pics!! Can't wait to return the favor and visit them in Cali!!

We had to get a pic with the bag pipe guy. He was playing Christmas Carols, so we threw some money in and figured we needed a picture too!

Because I laughed...

2008-11-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

I got this e-mail from my friend Jayme Richards... I love it! And decided I'd just post it so everyone can enjoy!

Mattel recently announced the release of limited-edition Barbie Dolls for the Utah market:

' Park City Barbie'

She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade Handbags, a Lexus SUV, a long-haired foreign dog named Honey and a million dollar home. Available with or without tummy tuck and face lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with the augmented version

'Plain City Barbie'

The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Wind star Minivan and matching gym outfit. She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.

'Ogden Barbie'

This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a meth Lab Kit. This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills) unless you are a cop, then we don't know what you are talking about.

'Bountiful Foot Hills Barbie'

This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or Hummer H2. Included are her own Starbucks cup, credit card and country club membership. Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper. You won't be able to afford any of them.

'Malad (should be in Utah) Barbie'

This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and tweety bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Bud light and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's butt when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.

' St. George Barbie'

This collagen injected, rhino plastic Barbie wears a leopard print outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends. Percocet prescription available as well as newly built high rise condo.

'Brigham City Barbie'

This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of Tremonton Barbie's house. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through halter-top. Also available with a mobile home.

' Logan Barbie'

This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight brown hair, arch-less feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you call her Willow . She does not want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Boise East End Barbies and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.

'Tremonton Barbie'

This Barbie now comes with a stroller and 2 infant dolls. Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass. White boy Gangsta Ken and his 1979 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.

' Provo / BYU Barbie'

She's perfect in every way, mainly due to the high levels of antidepressants in her system. We don't know where Ken is because he's always at church meetings.

Victims Needed!!

2008-11-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

Alright girls... we've both been waiting for this day! I'm on the books at school finally!! All day this Saturday and next Thursday & Saturday. I can do all waxing (face & body), lash extensions, ear candling, and facials!! Soon I'll be able to add some more fun services on there. But for now that's all I'm certified in!

So I'd better see some faces I know soon! If you're curious on pricing just call the school and they can tell you! (801) 394-5718 :)

Halloween @ Hamilton's!!!

2008-11-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween we went up to Logan and went to Hamilton's for their Halloween Bash. Our expectations were greatly exceeded and we will probably make their party top of the list for next year. Hamilton's is a restaurant (for those who don't know) and they cleared out the tables and made a dance floor. There was a DJ and lots of snacks and great costumes.

We went with Bryce & Jessi (Little Red Riding Hood & The Big Bad Wolf), and Chad & Fernanda (Mariachi Man & Gypsy). Chase was the Devil and I was a Dark Angel (only because finding black was much easier than white)!

We had a great time and hope everyone else did too!

Feeling Loved!!

2008-10-23T21:17:00.001-07:00

So I never imagined I'd be tagged by so many friends to do the exact same blog... You all know it and love it!!

8 THINGS...!!!!

** 8 TV Shows I Watch:

1. Simpsons

2. Family Guy

3. Gossip Girl - - when you only have 4 channels you can't be picky!

4. Fox News at 9

5. Seinfeld

8. Guess it really sucks not having cable... I only have 5!

** 8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Cleaned the Kitchen

2. Worked on My Fashion Show Costume

3. Had lunch with my aunt

4. Got some groceries

5. Talked on the phone

6. Dropped off some mail

7. Went to school

8. Showered :)

** 8 Places I Love To Eat:

1. Tepanyaki

2. Firehouse Pizzeria

3. Wingers

4. Happy Sushi

5. Olive Garden

6. At Home

7. Panda Express

8. McDonalds (once a month - - stop judging)

** 8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. Mexico in December

2. Thriller (on Saturday)

3. Finishing Esthetics school

4. Thanksgiving (a good break from school & work)

5. Children (in a while)

6. Pumpkin Carving

7. Taking clients at school

8. Painting the kitchen

** 8 Things On My Wish List:

1. A new wardrobe

2. Have a few bills disappear

3. New Furniture

4. A BIG FAT RAISE

5. Our basement to be finished

Wow... guess I need to take some time and start wishing for more stuff. I honestly can't think of anymore!

So there you have it!! I have no one left to tag, because they have already done it. So have fun reading!!

Lazy Sunday...

2008-10-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

Alright so this post is super late, but I just had to put it up!! Last Sunday the Jaques came up to visit so we went golfing at Remuda - - - Don't judge, we had to take advantage of the beautiful weather since that is about to go down the drain.

While golfing Kelly and Chase decided to play a game and throw golf tees at eachother while we were driving the carts. (Mostly Kelly threw them at Chase) So of course the innocent game turned deadly when Chase caught one - - pointy side first. It tore some skin off his finger and bled like a sive. Good thing we were on the 8th hole when it happened, cause it totally threw Chase's game!!!

After golf we grabbed some dinner and decided to visit some friends. Since they weren't home and their lights were on and doors unlocked, they fell victim to us!! Sorry guys... it was tooo easy! All of their pictures got turned upside down, food from the pantry was stacked like a nice castle on their counter, and the remotes were hidden. I realize the saying goes "Paybacks are a B**CH" but we lock our doors!! :)

Stacey's Fall Fashion Show...

2008-10-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

So at the end of the month (the 29th) Stacey's - - my school - - is having a Fall Fashion Show. This means I am a participant!!! We have to get a model and do their makeup in front of judges and also we have been given an ugly white paint suit to transform into a cool/cute outfit for them to wear!! I'm really excited for this challenge, however stressful it may become! I have already been practicing the makeup. I decided to embrace the season and follow the color scheme of fall. I had the bright idea of tracing a leaf over one eye and filling it in and using the same colors normally on the other eye. And of course the fake eyelashes. I did a trial run on me, of course I'll have to do some major practicing, but I'm confident it will be awesome!

So I took some pictures to see what everyone thought. I have to find some better makeup. If anyone knows where to find red eyeshadow please let me know!! I used lip gloss for this round!!!

Date Night: THRILLER!!! -

2008-10-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

On Saturday October 25th at 7:30 we are going to see "Thriller" at the UofU Kingsbury Hall. If anyone wants to join please do!! We thought it would be fun to do a date night and grab some dinner before hand. Tickets range from $20 & up. I believe we will be going with the cheap seats in section E!! You can get tickets online at http://www.kingsburyhall.org/ Hope to see everyone there!!!

Grant's B-day Pics..

2008-09-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this works. I couldn't get my slide to show up in the other post.. so maybe creating a new one for it will work???? HOPE SO!!

Fall in Sardine Canyon

2008-09-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

I always curse my drive from Willard to Logan. But I have to be honest... out of all the places to commute this is one of the prettiest canyons in the fall. When all of the colors start changing I quit cursing the drive - - - That is until the snow starts falling!! But just to show everyone what I get to see everyday during the fall, I stopped and took a few quick pictures. I'm going to stop and try to get some better ones because these DO NOT do it justice!!

Grant's Birthday!!

2008-09-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night we got to go out with the Ralls & the Jaques! It was a lot of fun... good thing since we were celebrating Grant's big 26th Birthday!! We all met at Tepanyaki's in Layton and enjoyed some of their amazing food!! We love it there!! Afterwards we hit up the Muskrat (that's what I called it) Lanes for some bowling. It was so much fun!! It was so fun to get dressed up with Chase and go out and have a nice date night! It seems like forever since we had done that!

Happy Birthday Grant!! And thanks for inviting us out!!

I asked Chase to take a cute pic with
me and this is how many takes it took
before he actually smiled good

My SwEet LitTLe MakELl!!

2008-09-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

My sister in law, Emilie, just had some new pictures of her little girl taken!! I just love my niece and miss her to death!! Just wanted to do some bragging since I only have a cat - - - and lets be honest NO ONE CARES ABOUT A CAT!! I hope when the time comes my kids are this cute! She seems to have a lot of Cook in her (she looks like my brother!)

Manda's 24 - - SURPRISE!!

2008-09-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was my birthday (the 21st) and I had no idea what we were going to do. Well my amazing husband put together a surprise party for me!! I couldn't believe it! All of my good friends were there and it was fantastic! Everyone was waiting in my kitchen when I got home from school Saturday night. I was absolutely surprised!!!

There were decorations everywhere and balloons!! Everyone was nice enough to help out and there were tons of goodies to eat!! Chase grilled up some shishkabobs and pineapple... it was wonderful! We even had a pinata!! That was a riot!! After all the fun of the pinata and food, we all went inside for a competitive game of pictionary (girls vs. boys). The boys killed us! Who knew they could draw a bunt cake pan!!?

I am so sad that my camera battery was dead :( So I didn't get very many pictures. Just a few of the very beginning!! All I can say is I am soooo spoiled by my husband!! I will forever remember this birthday!!
I got a cute pink iPod Nano!!!

THANK YOU to everyone who came and helped out! I have the best friends anyone could ask for!!

Some of the girls The cute cupcakes

My surprise

Painted Room!!

2008-09-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

So today I had the day off and my mom came down to visit and help me paint our bedroom. I have been wanting to paint for quite a while, but its so scary choosing a color and just going with it... So finally I found some colors that I decided would look good, and let me tell ya - - - I LOVE IT!!

Not to sound braggy, but it looks so good, I just want to sit in my bedroom now and just stare at how different it looks and even feels. I did the wall that our bed sits against a dark brown (called BonBon from Lowes) and the other walls are called Chantrelle (also from Lowes). I absolutely loved the brown when it was done, but the other color kinda scared me a little, but once it was on all the walls I was okay with it.

It was definitely a project... alright I'm lieing, it only took from about 8:00 to 12:30 to finish it. That included all the taping and everything!! Not to shabby! Here are some before and after pics - - they kind of don't really do it justice, but you get the point. Oh I was also proud of my curtains!! Lame, I know but I'm not really good at that kind of decorating!

BEFORE

AFTER

To pass the time...

2008-09-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am so bored at work today I could probably die! So to pass the time I thought I'd share a few of my most favorite things with you all! I tag all who read it to post something similar!! :) I know some of you out there are as bored as I am!

Pedicures!! (what girl doesn't love these?)

Orange Chicken (I am seriously craving it at this very moment!)

Nature Valley Yogurt Bars (best on the go snack!)

I LOVE MOUNTAIN DEW!!

Lounging on any beach!

I rock the X Balm!

Lounging by pools!

Pizza (its always my lazy dinner!)

Gerbera Daisy's (are my fav)

My cute niece Makell

and of course I LOVE HIM!

Learning sooooo MUCH!!!

2008-09-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

I know you are all probably thinking "geeze.. are we seriously going to have to hear about every single thing she learns?" NO... I promise the newness of it all will wear off and I'll stop blogging it! But this week has been a lot of fun!! We did more eyelash extensions (apparently they are really popular), and WAXING!!! We waxed legs, arms, armpits, bikini's, eyebrows, and lips!! I LOVE IT! I'm not going to lie though... I almost cried like a baby when they waxed my lip. Seriously, don't do it if you don't need to!

Supposedly on Saturday we are learning eyelash tints and perms. I'll have to take a pic of my before and after! I'm pretty excited since i have straight white eyelashes!! My fear is that they will fall out!! Cross your fingers for me! Sorry if I'm boring any of you... but this is pretty much my life now :)

First Week of School!!!

2008-09-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

So I have made it through my first week of school!! I think I deserve a pat on the back. Here are a few things we did in our first week. (Its only Tues, Wed, Thurs and Sat) Tuesday we jumped right into things!! The first hour of class is Theory, which consists of highlighting important things in our book and working on our workbook. Then we went straight into learning eyelash extensions!!

Wednesday we started learning our massage techniques for facials and I got to give my first mini-facial to a classmate!

Thursday I was the recipient of a facial, and Saturday we did another facial, finished our workbooks, lash extensions and our Chapter 4 test.

Chapter 4 was on anatomy & physiology... who knew there were so many muscles, nerves and bones in a human face?!
I was pretty nervous since we didn't have much of a heads up and since we were new she wasn't going to make us test on it, but then changed her mind!! But I was very proud of myself, I studied a little - - not as hard as I could have but I managed an 88%!! Yay for me!

Weekend Events!!

2008-09-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

So normally on a long holiday weekend people take a little trip somewhere, we decided this time to stay home and just enjoy ourselves. And we did...

Friday night we had some friends over (thanks to those who made it)!! We had big plans to play croquet, and maybe a wii tourney (Thanks to the Jaques' for bringing it), and hang out. Before we could get outside to get the croquet going it was dark - - - such a sad time when you notice it is getting dark before 9:00, and we tried to get the wii tourney in place - - but no one was feelin it. So instead we ordered pizza and just hung out. Lindy and her little boy Maddux came, and boy are we glad she brought him. He was our total entertainment for the night!!

My favorite line from him was when I was trying to get him to pet our cat, and he says to me "I can't... She's black and I already washed my hands today!!!" I thought that was pretty great. Chase and Kelly enjoyed swinging him around in a blanket, making him so dizzy I was sure he'd puke!! And for some reason Chase drew a kitty face on him with markers. Thanks for being such a great Mom Lindy!!

Saturday we slept in later than usual and it was soooo nice!! I cleaned a little and around 11:30 we got a visit from my brother Jared, his wife Emilie, and my totally cute niece Makell. They hung out and chatted and mostly we stared at Makell!! When they left Chase and I headed down to the Gateway to meet his brother Chad and his wife, Fernanda. It was the Brazilian festival or something like that and Fernanda wanted to go. (They got married in Brazil a year ago, and she finally made it back after going through the long process of getting a Visa. So we are very glad to finally have her around) It was a lot of fun. I imagine it would be what a fair would be like in Brazil. They had all kinds of foods you could try, a band playing, lots of booths with very pretty jewlery and tons of people! We tried a few of the foods, our favorite was some kind of dumpling with shredded chicken inside and deep fried!! YUM!! They also had lemonade to die for!! It was amazing. We browsed the booths and listeded to the band a little. And of course we shopped!! (What is the point in going to the Gateway if you don't shop?!)

It was a great weekend!! We'll see what this Labor Day has in store for us... so far not looking good. Rainy, cold and drab outside!! Someone CALL US!!!

SNL: Weekend Update

2008-08-28T21:36:00.001-07:00

Saturday Night Live...

2008-08-28T21:33:00.001-07:00

So one night, Chase and I were in bed watching some TV - - and the SNL: Weekend Update came on. I had never seen it before, but this particular skit was absolutely hilarious!! Chase and I cracked up so hard we both had tears in our eyes!! So I want to share it with everyone!!

Amanda's Celeb Look-a-likes

2008-08-25T20:50:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Chase was truly disappointed that my look-a-like wasn't Debra Jo Rupp. Most of you will know her as Kitty Foreman on "That 70's Show" - - and I have to admit, I do resemble her in more than just looks!! Just ask some close friends or Chase.. they will tell you!

Chase's Celeb Morph

2008-08-25T20:28:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities

Watch Chase turn into a major hottie.... Not that you aren't already honey!! But lets face it Colin Farrell is the bad boy in every girls dreams!! :)

Amanda James Phillips

2008-08-14T19:10:00.001-07:00

I am: Amanda James Phillips
I think: Life is what you make of it... so live it up!
I know: Who I am and what I want out of life
I want: Security and love forever
I have: A husband, a family, and friends who ALL love me!
I wish: I didn't have to worry about MONEY!!
I hate: When people aren't up front with you
I miss: The social life from college and a few friends that have moved away. I miss my home in Rupert, and being able to see my mom every day
I fear: Failure, death and heights
I feel: The air conditioning and the cat rubbing against my legs
I hear: The TV downstairs and cars passing by
I smell: Laundry in the dryer
I crave: Pizza!
I search: For answers
I wonder: About life and the future and what it holds for me
I regret: Nothing, everything I have done has taught me something that I needed to get to this point in life
I love: The smell of fresh rain in the foreset. The feel of sunshine on my skin. My husband, family & friends. The way a hay field smells after its been cut!
I care: Too much about what other people think.
I always: Want what I can't have :(
I am not: A pushover, wet blanket, or a doormat
I believe: Karma is real
I dance: When no one is watching!! Or with Chase (he makes me look good)
I sing: In the car and in the shower... That's it
I don’t always: Listen to the other half
I argue: Too much.
I write: No where. I need a journal
I win: When its important to me
I lose: When I could care less
I never: Miss the chance to be with family or friends
I listen: To everyone and anyone who needs a friendly ear
I can usually be found: At work or at home
I am scared: Of childbirth!
I need: Nothing... I'm content right now!
I am happy about: Having the opportunity to go to esthetics school. Not everyone gets to go after something that makes them happy. And having such a great hubby!

Ok… now its your turn… tell me about you!

James Taylor!! ??WHO??

2008-08-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

Monday night our friends, Grant and Lindy, took us to the James Taylor concert at the USANA amphitheatre. Chase was really excited cause he really likes James Taylor... I on the other hand had never heard of him. So when I was told we were going I had to look up some of his songs on the internet at work!! Sad I know!

It was a lot of fun though. His music was really laid back and very relaxing. And I must say for an old guy he plays and sings pretty dang good! It was my first concert at USANA and I really like that place. It was so nice to just sit and lay on our blankets and enjoy the beautiful night! During intermission everyone went to go get snacks but I stayed back... and sneaked a peak at Lindy's copy of "Breaking Dawn." Lame I know!! I couldn't help it though. My curiosity got the best of me on that! Now I have to wait for my copy to show up in the mail. (yes, yes... mine has not shown up yet! I'm getting very pissed off about it too!)

The night was amazing and it was so good to get out and do something! Thanks so much Ralls' for the invite!!

Shoshone Falls

2008-08-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend Chase and I ventured up to my parents house in Idaho. It was a fun weekend! We celebrated my cousins wedding Friday night at his reception, and on Saturday my family got up and went to the Twin Falls, Idaho temple open house. That was a really neat experience, I had never been to an open house before. Though I remember the sealing room from the Salt Lake temple from when my family was sealed together. It was pretty cool to have my entire family together and experience that. What beautiful craftmanship that goes into building the house of the Lord. Amazing.

After that we went to Shoshone Falls. It was roaring pretty good considering the time of year. Its usually at its peak at the very beginning of summer and then dies off before summer is over. This year it has kept a pretty good flow going. On our way there we saw these huge bull elk on the ridge line going down the canyon. At first I thought... holy hell there are a lot of elk right here, that didn't seem right. And then we realized its a new elk farm that is on your way to the falls!! Tons of people were stopped to take pics. But I'll admit it was pretty awesome to see them all standing on the ledge with their huge antlers!

What a great weekend spent with the Cooks!! I love it!

Tag.... I'm it???

2008-07-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

How to play this game of tag: Post these rules on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names.

3 Joys:
** Waking up next to my hubby every morning!
** Being crafty
** Summer time

3 Fears:
** Something bad happening to Chase
** Failure
** Not being able to have children

3 Goals:
** To finish esthetics school on/before Feb 2010!!
** Start painting my house
** Get some debt paid off!

3 Current Obsessions/Collections:
** I have a music box collection
** I'm obsessed with the Twilight Series
** Panda Express - - Orange Chicken

3 Random/Surprising Facts about Me:
** I wanted to be a vet when I was little
** I have played the piano since I was 9
** I like sushi

I now tag Lindy, Camille, Jayme, Natalie & Jen!!

Late Posting...

2008-07-31T09:16:00.000-07:00

So on July 20th Chase and I celebrated our one year anniversary!! I can't belive how fast the first year has gone by... So we decided to celebrate it with those who have helped us make it through!! We headed up to Bear Lake with Kelly & Camilly and Grant & Lindy.
Saturday (the 19th) we headed up and snagged the last camp site at Sunrise Campground (I highly recommend it to everyone). We set up camp and went into town and browsed the shops and enjoyed a shaved ice! Later Chase and I went to The Pickleville Playhouse and enjoyed a dutch oven dinner and the play "Thoroughly Modern Millie". It was really great! Good food, great play!! Then we headed back up to camp and roasted starbursts!!
Sunday morning we headed down for a day at the lake. It was a great day. The weather was nice, a little overcast so it wasn't scorching hot... but we all burned because of it! The boys (Chase, Grant & Kelly) spent a few hours building the mother of all sand castles. I have to admit, it was pretty impressive!! It was complete with a homemade flag, and a stick door! The day was great and we all had a lot of fun! I can't think of a better way to celebrate our first year of marriage together!!

I LOVE YOU CHASE!!

Back to School!!

2008-07-31T09:05:00.001-07:00

So I have been struggling with the decision to go to school or not go to school. And finally we got Chase's subaru sold, so I decided - - - GO TO SCHOOL!! I'm going to Stacey's Beauty School starting September 2nd! I'm so excited.. I'll be enrolled in the Master Esthetics program. So everyone get ready cause I'm the next wax queen!!

I'm really excited, and also a little nervous about it all. I'll still be working in Logan, and driving to Ogden for class. I'm only going part time so its going to take 18 months to finish up. Hopefully something will come along and maybe I can get a job a little closer to home and school so I won't get so burned out on the drive!

Anywho.. I'm really excited to get into a new career! So all of you better come and see me and let me practice on ya!

Weber Fireworks...

2008-07-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

On the 13th we trucked down to Weber State to enjoy the orchestra and fireworks put on for the 24th of July. We met the Rall's and the Romero's there and enjoyed a night with our friends.
We went early to get some catching up done, and of course to feed the mass number of ducks who live on the pond there. I have to admit it was pretty fun to watch Maddux throw the whole piece of bread out to one duck! And the baby duckies were pretty cute too!
The fireworks were fun to watch (since we didn't see any on the 4th)... and it was a great night!

4th of July Weekend..

2008-07-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

For the 4th we headed up to Idaho to hang out with my family (The Cook's). It was a ton of fun. We went camping at Little Wood Resevoir. Its about 2 hours from my house. We had a great time. Dad got the little fishing boat up and running so we puttered across the river to a little cove that we figured no one would be at. We were right. It was such a fun time camping with my parents. It makes me appreciate what a great childhood I had and how much my children (when we have some) will learn from my dad - - - The Great Outdoorsman!!
We fished late Friday night, and caught about 9 between four of us. And went out the next morning on the lake and slayed them! We came home with about 22 fish!! In Idaho they have a kind of fish lottery. Some money fish have been planted in a bunch of lakes. We were hoping to get lucky and score big. But we didn't. It was still tons of fun!
We relaxed on the stickery beach of the lake, shot at some targets (just call Chase "dead eye dick"), we cooked smores and had a great time! Here are some photos!

Bear Lake!!

2008-07-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago our friends, the Richards', invited us up to Bear Lake. It was a random decision to go, so we packed up after work on Friday and got to the camp spot at about 9:30 p.m. It was a ton of fun. Dave, Jayme and their girls, Lyvie & Abi had their camp all set up (they had been there since the night before). So we crashed in and hung out for a night with them.
The next morning the Richards' packed up and went home while Chase and I ventured over to the beach. It was a busy day at Bear Lake. We got there early and within an hour the whole beach was lined with umbrellas and beach towels. It was fun just the two of us. Chase took a nap in the shade while I layed out in the sun. The water was freezing cold, and neither of us could go past our knees.
It was the beginning of many good trips to come this summer!! Thanks Dave & Jayme for letting us bum with you!

Father's Day...

2008-06-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

For Fathers Day we went up to Idaho to hang out with the fam. It was a good time!! While we were there we were supposed to work on our bed, but we were having to much fun to want to work! So we just enjoyed ourselves. My mom wanted to do family pictures while we were all home, so we got dressed up and humored her! Nothing fancy, just our own camera's out in the backyard. We definitely got good at using the timers! It was kinda fun getting dressed up and having our pictures taken. I only have a few on my camera. But enough to get the drift.
The boys had a good time playing outside (and I truly mean playing). They had fun trying to wheelie Jared's little 4-wheeler and had a mean game of basketball on Sunday afternoon. While us gals chatted and enjoyed little Makell and the sunshine. I am so happy that Chase fits right in with my family, it makes it nice to go home and be able to have so much fun with everyone!

And I just want to share a few things that make my dad so great...
He is always supportive of the decisions I make in life
He is always there to listen and offer good advice
He is superman, when I was little I used to think there wasn't anything he couldn't do, and I still think that
He is the rock of my family's foundation
He is fun and spontaneous
He respects others and taught his kids to do the same
He is the hardest worker I have ever met
He is MY dad and I feel so lucky to have him in my life.

Skyler & Heather's Wedding - June 6th

2008-06-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

Chase's brother Skyler married Heather last Friday, the 6th! It was a lot of fun helping them get ready for this big day. Jamie was doing the flowers for the ceremony & reception, so I decided I'd help her out. It was a lot of fun arranging them and getting to be so creative with so many beautiful flowers!

This was my favorite! It was huge!

The wedding was nice, they held out until the last minute and had to move it inside which was a bummer, but it still turned out really cute. All the tables had umbrella's on them which was fun and we had flowers everywhere! My favorite part was that they served slushies for the drink!! It was super cute!

There were so many cute babies in attendance!! We had a lot of fun playing with all of them!

How cute is my niece?!

2008-06-09T11:58:00.001-07:00

Okay, my sister-in-law, Emilie, sent me some new pictures of Makell. I can't belive how stinkin cute she is and how big she is getting. It makes me sad that we don't live closer so I can see her all the time! But I had to share some of these adorable photos with everyone!

This one is my FAVORITE!

Weekend In Idaho...

2008-06-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, Chase and I went up to my parents house in Idaho to start working on our log bed. We worked on it all day Saturday and made pretty good headway!! Hopefully we can have it done by mid-July!! Its a lot of work, but it will be well worth it when its done.

On Sunday me and Chase, my mom & dad, and Jason and Laree went hiking out to the Cedars. Its kind of a place our family can call our own. There are not a lot of people who know about this little oasis of Cedar trees out in the middle of the lava flow! My unlce Jim says that they are Lebanon Cedars, and that these are the only ones he knows about west of the Mississippi, and of course besides those that actually grow in Lebanon. The hike was fun, and it was great weather. While we were out we saw some snakes, a few rattlers and a few blow snakes. My brother killed one of the rattlers and we took it home and dad proceeded to show us how to skin a snake! It was the craziest thing, because even after the head had been chopped off and tossed to the side, the body of the snaked moved like it was going somewhere. We tried to film it, but I couldn't find the movie option on the camera... So sorry, it would have been cool!

I always love to go home.. We always end up doing something fun!

...Snips & Snails and Puppy Dog Tails!

2008-05-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

THATS WHAT LITTLE BOYS ARE MADE OF!!

I absolutely love my nephews (which I inherited from marrying Chase). They are absolutely the cutest boys in the world! I got to hang out with the girls all last weekend and so we got to play with the boys too. Jamie & Adam's little boy, Mason who is about 15 months - is the most adorable little guy! He is a huge flirt and will cheese a grin and then shy away. I just love him. And Andrew's little boy Parker - who is just over 18 months - is an angel!! Parker and Mason had a good time playing with eachother! And we all had a good time watching!
Parker & Mason

Mason flirting with me!

Heather's Bridal Shower!!

2008-05-07T20:48:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I got to hang out with all the Phillips girls. It was a blast! We (Whitini, Jamie, & I) gave Heather (Skyler's soon to be wife) a bridal shower. It was such a fun time! Jamie made the cutest decorations ever - - I was totally jealous that I didn't think of it! The shower was a success and its all thanks to my awesome sis-in-laws... Heather got some cool gifts, the theme was Kitchen/Entertainment. She got lots of much needed kitchen items, along with a few entertaining outfits for future use!! Thanks to all who came and helped. We are so excited for Heather to become a Phillips! And I am so lucky to have such awesome sis-in-laws it makes life easy!! Love you guys!

The Phillips Gals (minus Fernanda who is still in Brazil )

Jamie's super cute decorations made out of fresh flowers & fresh fruit!

Playing the bubble gum game.. She did really good (they were huge pieces of bubble gum) I was gagging for her!!

Opening one of the "entertaining outfits!"