I'll take what I can get!

Shane and I only had three weeks of summer together before school started... at first I had a terrible attitude that three weeks was such a measly amount of time, but before I knew it we had plans every single day to do something FUN. I had been able to create such valuable memories with my love in the past few weeks than I had during the entire year!

On one of the days we took some friends out boating...

Kenzie & Rachel

Although this picture doesn't show it, we were flopping around like goldfish out of water... WOW.

Shane...my MR. INCREDIBLE

Oh yes, I had to prove to Shane that no matter how hard he tried to get me off...

I STAYED ON THAT TUBE!!

Really it was just that I was terrified of the tiger muskies eating me alive... but hey, it worked! ;)

Welcome, baby angel

Halo Serene...

7 pounds

18.5 inches

Grandma, Aunt Kenzie, and baby

baby and Mommy... Nina

Look at that adorable face!

Grandma and baby

Happy family... Nina, Eric, and baby Halo

Eric (my brother), Me, and Halo

It is hard to try to explain with words how touching it has been to have this baby here. Nina allowed me to experience so much of her pregnancy, including being at the ultrasound where we found out that Halo was a girl. Eric and Nina have been so good to allow me to be a part of their experience...it has filled a small void that my own heart has been yearning to fill.

Baby angel,

On Christmas Eve I heard the incredible news that you were on your way... my whole body was filled with excitement, so much so that it poured out of my eyes! As tears ran down my cheeks I noticed that Uncle Shane's did too; we were so happy for your Mommy and Daddy to have you...you were a miracle for all of us. As you grew stronger I thought of you... I wondered what you would look like, what kind of personality you might have... I yearned to hold you and tell you how much I loved you.

The night you arrived my heart grew. The moment I held you my love grew.

You are a very special one, Halo...

You are our very own baby angel.

I will love you to the heavens and back...always.

Unexpected Adventure

Since Shane was finding his own adventure at scout camp a few weeks ago, I found some for myself! My oldest brother invited me to go hiking up Bear canyon early on a Saturday morning because Shane was gone. 6:30 AM rolled around on Saturday and Cory (my oldest brother), Danny (my other brother visiting from Texas), Mat (my brother in law), me, and Dundee, Griswold, and Fletch (a shelty and 2 golden retrievers) prepared ourselves for the hike.

It was gorgeous! About halfway through we came to a jungle. HUGE ferns were growing everywhere (most of them taller than ME), and the trail could hardly be seen!

Eventually, despite our unpreparedness, we all decided that the hike would only be worth it if we could go all the way up to the radar towers. This picture is showing the last tiny bit of the hike UP (it seemed straight up) to get up to the trail leading to the towers.

Almost there!

Made it! (Cory, Me, & Griswold)

I can now say that I have hiked up to Francis Peak and all the way back down! It was a challenge, but it feels so darn good that I did it!

7.27.2011 = 4 YEARS!

Our anniversary started off with Shane riding up into Snow Basin to arrange the most beautiful bouquet of wild flowers for me... Shane is so sweet! That arrangement of flowers meant SO much more to me than if he had run to the store and bought some just like it!

That evening Shane surprised me with dinner at The Roof in Salt Lake. We had $96 saved up in our piggy bank...a perfect amount to spend on an incredible dinner spent with an even more incredible man!

We then took a stroll around temple square...


Then relaxed by the water fountains to watch other couples just beginning their lives together. We saw three couples taking wedding pictures and one girl get proposed to!

We then wanted to go up to the roof of the Conference Center. We hopped on an elevator with another couple who were visiting from China. None of us could figure out how to get up to the roof! (we also didn't know that the elevator requires a certain "key" to make it up there...) The couple we had just met seemed sad that we couldn't figure out how to get up to the roof, so we had them follow us to find someone who could take us there. We eventually ended up with a VIP tour of the top of the building! Most people don't get to walk and see what we were allowed to see. It was so fun, and at the end of our tour, our new friends gave us each a penny to make a wish into the fountains. What a fun way to finish out our anniversary date!

I feel so blessed to have Shane to share eternity with. We have had our fair share of trials over the past 4 years (resulting in health insurance paying over $100,000 for us), but each of those difficult experiences were accompanied by many, many blessings. What an amazing experience it is to spend every moment with the person you are madly in love with!

Now let's just keep our fingers crossed that the wish Shane and I both made with our pennies at the water fountains comes true...soon!

xoxo

My Best Friend's Wedding

Debra has been one of my very best friends since we were in the same kindergarten class over 17 years ago, so you can imagine what an incredible treat it was for me to support her at her wedding on July 22. My mom accompanied me to the sealing and luncheon, and Shane was able to spend the entire night with me at the reception...it was such a beautiful and fun day!

Look at that BEAUTIFUL dress!
Carter, Debra, Debra's Mom, nephew, and Dad

Debra and Carter...they just adore each other.

Karlie, Sidney, me, Debra, Franki, Kiera (and little baby girl!), & Jenny.

At the reception I was able to visit with Katie and Abby... we also went to elementary, junior high, and high school together. Katie now lives in Chicago and I haven't seen Abby since high school so it was very fun to see them and hear about the wonderful things they are doing with their lives!

Carter, Debra, Kenzie, & Shane

I feel so happy that Debra found such an amazing guy to spend eternity with. It is so clear how much he loves and cherishes Debra, and I don't know if he will ever realize how important that is to so many people!

I LOVE YOU DEBRA!

our summer hasn't been uneventful...

We have had tons of fun!!

We began our 4th of July holiday by hiking up Adam's Canyon. We experienced beautiful scenery, but even more beautiful was being able to spend that time with Shane!

Also in July we happily enjoyed the annual family vacation at Bear Lake. Boating, swimming, band-aid tattoos from my latest excursion at the doctor, bike riding... and my personal favorite, dancing on the deck with my love while the sun set over the lake.

Here was something new... I have been dying to visit this place for YEARS. Shane took me to Utah's very own,

HOGLE ZOO!
And I must say, I had more fun than I had even expected!

The bird show was INCREDIBLE. I never knew I could be so fascinated by flocks of doves and roosters, and it was amazing to see some of the more exotic birds. Shane and I learned so much during that 30 minutes!

Ah, the armadillo! I was so excited to see one of these cuties. It was my FAVORITE animal as a child, and I think it still might be...just look at that awesome little creature! (he was a little nervous...hence the head buried in the sand...)

And of course... the giraffes. Always a crowd pleaser.




It was really exciting to see mommy elephant with her baby, Zuri. Little Zuri would mimic everything her mom would do. It was so precious.



We also stopped by to say hello to a few of Duke's family members. We apologized for not being able to take them home with us because we know Duke would just LOVE having them around! Oh well, I guess we can visit often enough, right?

Well this summer has been much different from the other 3 summers Shane and I have spent together as a married couple. We have finally been able to actually enjoy playing together without ending up in the hospital with some sort of terrifying injury!

Hmmm...maybe I should go find some wood to knock on...wouldn't want to ruin our chances of FINISHING out the summer the way it STARTED! :)

:)

Beautiful Bryce Canyon

In June Shane and I went camping down South to Bryce Canyon National Park with two of our greatest friends, Mike and Rachel. Shane and I had both been to the park and fell in love instantly with the beautiful natural formations, but neither of our friends had been there so we knew that it would be a perfect trip!

We arrived in the park at 1:00 AM and COULD NOT find a site to set up our tents. After searching in the dark for an hour, we settled on sleeping in the car at Ruby's Inn parking lot (hmmm... ghetto? yes.) Keep in mind there were all four of us packed in there!



"Wall Street" hike on the Navajo Loop trail




Just coming out of the Navajo Loop trail

Can you find the statue of Queen Elizabeth?

Back at camp, eating our DELICIOUS tinfoil dinners. This was a first for Rachel... she loved them so much I worried that she was going to eat the rest of ours! ;)

Starting Day 2 of hiking

Awww... how sweet

Cute Rachel and Mike, enjoying the little bit of shade we could find

'Inspiration Point'

Shane, Kenzie, Rachel, & Mike at 'Bryce Point'

You can see how far we hiked on Day 2! Shane is pointing to our campground, and I am pointing to 'Bryce Point', the furthest place to hike in the park. GO US!

After dinner on day 2 we went exploring on part of the 'Rim Trail' just a few steps away from our campsite. We saw some pretty amazing things while the sun was setting!

Shane & Kenzie

Rachel and I climbed into a small archway that looked out over the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon. It was also a drop off... fun!

And no vacation would be complete without Shane testing his limits and scaring both Rachel and me HALF TO DEATH... but hey, he's one adventurous fellow and I've got to hand it to him that he kept his balance despite the cliff he was hanging over.

Day 3, on our way out of the park...

On our drive home we stopped to do one more 6 mile hike called 'Calf Creek'. It was HOT and very SANDY but very worth it because we made it to....

THE MOST AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL!

The hike was SO worth it.

Mike, Rachel, Kenzie, Shane

What a wonderful vacation spent with wonderful friends. We laughed our hearts out all day and had a blast together. Now we need to decide where to go next, if you have any suggestions let us know!

Grand Canyon (Shane and I haven't been)

Arches National Park (Shane and Rachel haven't been)
Mesa Verde (Shane and Rachel haven't been)

One of the nights at Bryce Canyon Shane and I went out late onto the Rim Trail and looked up at the diamond-filled sky. Everything was full of such beauty, and it was impossible to not thank our Heavenly Father for creating such masterpieces for us to enjoy!