The end of summer....

Our friend Micah, who coaches for Fresno St., got us tickets to the Utah state game. It was a fun game to go to. And it was great to see him afterward. However, I would like to make sure everyone knows that it was Fresno Red, not Utah red. I couldn't believe I was wearing Red in Utah on a game day. But I did it for a friend!
We've been taking advantage of the final summer days as much as we can. We've gone to Thanksgiving Point a few times, and make many trips to Trafalga. Gabby recently discovered ponies, and is pretty much in love with them. Every time she sees them, she gets so excited, she can't breathe....literally. It is quite hilarious! We went to Trafalga one day last week, and some company was there, and they brought in ponies. And it took me forever to get the girl away from them! It was cute.
Charley is a pro now. She is getting so dang big! She'll be 4 in three months....I just can't believe it! She wont let me call her baby anymore....she is a "big girl"...

Story time started again at the library, they took the summer off, so now we're back, and the girls love it. We are also waiting for basketball to start for Charley. Right now they are doing Itty Bitty Football. I was thinking of signing her up, but I decided to wait and just do basketball.

We are having fun everyday, the girls keep us on our toes. But I'm trying to do as much as we can before we get stuck in the house in the winter....then I'll have to be more creative on ways to get out of the house.

Summer Projects

My parents gave us this dresser when we got married. It was a lighter wood with a mirror on top. (I still have the mirror if anyone wants it) I sanded it down, stained the top a mahogany color, and painted the body black. The handles are what was on it....I just cleaned them with Braso and now they are sparkling new!

I found the headboard on KSL for cheap. It was white, I just painted it black. There are some detail to it, but it's hard to see in the picture. I also painted the little side table. It is just a cheap Ikea table, that was originally the light brown color. But after re-doing the dresser, it didn't match. Instead of buying a new one, I just sanded it down a bit for the paint to stick and painted it black. Since it was a table, I put a coat of polyurethane on it so the paint wouldn't come off. There is another one just like it on the other side.
I found this dresser on KSL for $20!! It was a great find! I sanded it down and did a 2-tone paint job on it! It matched the girls "Tinkerbell" room. The lamp shade was one I already had, I just primed and panted it as well. And the curtains are left over table clothes from Char's wedding.
These frames were originally white. Char bought them for me years ago at a neighbors garage sale in GA. I was prego with Charley at the time, and they had some cute little pictures in them for the nursery. Now that we don't have a nursery, and the girls room is Tinkerbell, I didn't want these nice big frames to go to waste. So I stripped and stained them. These were actually a lot harder then I first thought. Getting paint off stinks! And these had like 20 layers of paint. But now they match in my living room! And the girls pictures look so pretty in them!
My first project was this dresser/table. It is kinda like our little entry table. It replaced a bookshelf we had. I found this on KSL and was previously in a little boys room, and it was a disaster! I had to sand this down....fill all the scoffs with wood filler....stain, and bought new handles for it.

I wanted to decorate our house this summer, but the things I actually wanted was WAY out of our price range. Then I decided that if I just re-did furniture myself, I could do it the way I wanted for a fraction of the price. Plus it is actually really fun!

Next summer I want to find an armiore for our room, and re-do it to match our dresser, and I want to find something to do with our table. I need to figure out if I want to re-do it, or just get a new one! ....but that is for later. I'm done with my big projects for the summer. This winter I am going to work on stuff for my walls!

Park City & Blessing

Our view from the back balcony

a busy weekend....with some tired girls!

with their grandbabies!

Ryan Jr.'s blessing day! My mom made his cute outfit!

Breakfast before my family left at Burger King....the girls loved the hats!

This past weekend my family came in-town for Ryan's blessing. My parents were bringing Bella, Jordan and Ruben, and Lexi was going to be coming up from BYU. So instead of all squeezing into our little apartment, PCG (Private Capital Group) Ben's client, let us use Little Belle, their condo in Park City. But this isn't any condo, it's a huge 4,000 square foot condo with beds for everyone, and 5 bathrooms!!! We LOVE PCG!! they are so nice to us! (this was the same place Ben and I stayed for a night for our anniversary last month)

....Add in the BYU football game with at win!....and you got yourself a perfect weekend!

7Peaks, J-Dawgs, & Trafalga....

On Friday we did the ultimate Utah experience!....we went to 7 Peaks, then ate at J-Dawgs, then went to Trafalga! It was a fun day, and the girls were knocked out by the end!

We bought these passes where we get unlimited access to 7 Peaks, Trafalga Orem & Lehi, Orem Owls games, and Utah Flash games!!! So we went with some friends who also bought passes! We are gonna have a fun year!

Dino's with RyRy...

This past week my sister and her family were up here to bless their new baby Ryan Jr. We wanted to hang out, and we let Charley pick, and of course she wanted to show ryry the dino museum! He was probably a little too small to enjoy it, but my girls loved it.

Soccer Party

Soccer ended a week or so ago, but here are some pictures of Charley's last day of soccer.
This is her coach! She was a really nice lady that worked well with the kids.
The kids played some games, got a certificate, balloon and sucker.
Charley with a few of her friends she did soccer with. Itty Bitty Basketball is coming up....we'll have to sign up!

Pictures...

Charlene & Gabriella

aka: Charley, age 3 1/2, she is a beautiful little girl

Gabby, Age 1 (Traditional, Hoop)

aka: Gabbers, Gab, Yo GabaGaba

Michele Reyes is A-MAZ-ING!!!!

She took the girls pictures a few weeks ago, and we got them back today. I've already looked at them multiple times, and I still can't get enough!

I think Michele is one of the best! She is located in Cedar Hills, so if you are in need of pictures taken, she's great! I linked her site, so go check her out!

Anniversary Weekend Get-a-way

Saturday, August 7, 2010 was our 6 year Anniversary! A few weeks ago Ben told me that he scheduled a night for us to stay at Little Bell. Little Bell is a townhouse in Park City that one of Ben's clients, PCG, owns. PCG (Private Capital Group) is a hard money lender. They lent some guy some money, he used his house as collateral and didn't pay, and now PCG owns it. They now just rent the house out for vacationers, but they were kind enough to let us use it as it wasn't booked this weekend.

Then last week, Ben's firm sponsored a hole in a Golf Tournament....which meant that Ben got to play in the tournament....what a fun work day for him! At the tournament they had a silent auction. Ben put in a bid for a one night stay at the Anniversary Inn, dinner for 2 at Tuconos, 2 tickets to a play. He was the highest bidder, but paid less than half of what a room would have cost one night at the Inn....Great Deal! So we decided to use both nights in one weekend!

So Friday Ben came home from work early and we packed and left for our exciting weekend with out the girls!!! THANK YOU to Jordan who watched the girls for us! The girls sure are going to miss her when she moves.

We went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner (they were supposed to send our gift certificates for Tuconos, but hadn't yet, otherwise we would have used them)

Then we went to see a movie! ....we saw Eclipse....Ben let me pick!

Afterward we stayed at the Anniversary Inn. If you have never experienced the Anniversary Inn, you should. Each room is decorated with a different theme. You get to pick what theme you want to stay in, depending on what rooms are open. We called ahead, and decided in the Mysteries of Egypt Suite.

This guy was in our bathroom!

In the morning we got breakfast delivered to the room (it was part of what you pay for) then we packed up and drove to Park City.

We went to the outlets and walked around for a little bit, then headed over to Olympic Park walked around the museum and watched the Flying Aces show! (click the link to see a video...and you can click on the picture to make it larger....we got a picture right as the guy was in the air!) It was AWESOME!!!

Then we drove to Deer Vally Resort and ate at the Royal Street Cafe'. While we were eating this lady came up to us and asked if we wanted her lift passes. They already bought them and decided not to use them, and didn't want them to go to waste. We didn't have anything planned, so we took them and went up the lifts. We walked around the mountain top....and it was freezing! We didn't think we would need coats!

When we were done, we went to check out the Little Bell. It was pretty much the coolest house ever!!! I don't know why we've never took advantage of staying there before?

This was the hot tub/waterfall that was located right off the master bath!!!

We came home an hour before Church started.

It was a perfect weekend!

Love you Ben!!! Happy Anniversary!!!

Princess Soccer Player

If you've ever asked Charley what she wants to be when she grows up, she'll always answer "A Princess Soccer Player" ....not just a soccer player, but a Princess soccer player! So of course we had to put her in soccer this summer. We put her in Itty Bitty Soccer with Lehi Parks and Rec. It isn't a team where they play other teams, but they go the same time every time, with the same kids and coaches. They warm up, go to little stations where they learn different soccer skills, then play a game at the end (not necessarily a actual soccer game) and then have a treat and go home. It is for 3 and 4 year olds, and I think it is perfect for this age. It is 3 weeks long twice a week.

Today was our first day! And yes, I was the crazy mom that followed my child around taking pictures and video!!! This is my babies first "team" experience and I think I may have been just as excited as she was! She woke me up this morning telling me that she got to go to soccer today! It was indoors, which was nice it wasn't in the heat, but it was too dark to take pictures, so I didn't get a lot of good ones.

Night and Day

Our two girls may have looked like each other when they were first born, but after that....they are pretty much as different as night and day. They each have their own individual look and personality. For example, Charley has curly hair, and Gabby's is straight. Charley is very outgoing, and Gabby is more shy. Charley sleeps on her back with her feet up in the air, and Gabby on her tummy with her bum in the air!!! Granted, there are some things they share in common, but for the most part they are their own girl!

We went to the doctors today for Gabby's 1 year check up. Poor thing is already getting 4 new teeth (I swear they are all coming at once! She had 2 teeth for the longest time, now she has like 10!) and now today we added 4 shots!

Gabby's stats:
Height: 28.5 inches 30th %tile
Weight: 18.5 lbs. 12.5 %tile

*Just for some fun I looked up Charley's old stats from when she was 12 months...
Height: 33.5 inch 99+ %tile
Weight: 20.7lbs 30th %tile

We have a Giant and a Runt on our hands!! :)

Gabby:
Gabby is walking along all the furniture and can walk on her own, but only a few steps. She was going really good for a week or so, but decided crawling was a lot faster. She loves patty cake, and peek a boo! I'm not sure if she knows she is actually saying it, or just happens to say mama, dada, baba, and hi. She is very much a momma's girl, but she is the cutest thing when dad comes home, she gets all excited and crawls to him and meets him at the door! Even though she is a momma's girls, she is still very friendly and plays with everyone. As of yesterday, she is completely off the bottle. She isn't too picky with how she gets her milk, so we took advantage of that and just stopped giving them to her....and we arn't going back! She loves to "read" and look at books. I think her sister is a good influence on her. She loves doing whatever Charley does. It may not always be fun for Charley, but Gabby sure does love it.

Charley:
Charley can talk your ear off, and has an amazing vocabulary for a 3 year old! She knows all of the sounds to the letters, and can put some together and read a few words and even knows how to spell some. We've been kinda crazy this summer, and haven't had our "school" since May, but we'll probably start that up again when all the neighbor kids go back to school as well. She is very polite and sweet. She is into anything Princess, Tinkerbell or Dora. And loves her primary class and teacher. The other day we drove by the temple and she told me that the temple was Jesus' and Heavenly Fathers house. Then she asked if we could go there and visit them. It was very hard to explain to her that they don't physically live there. But we can go there and be reverent and feel their spirit and we can pray and talk to them. I still don't think she understood, because by the end she was still insisting that they LIVE there.

Birthday Cake...Yum!

When it comes to her birthday cake....this girl means business!

A Birthday Event

Today was Gabby Birthday, July 20, 2010. I can not tell you how much I love this girl! I think Ben and I got super lucky to have two adorable, loving, smart, so stinkin' cute little girls!

Gabby started the day sleeping in. (do you love her random clothes I put her to bed in?!!) And she woke up just as happy as ever! Crazy hair and all! Love it!
We got her a few big things for her birthday this year, and decided to just give them to her rather than try and wrap them. One of which was her very own big girl car seat!!! She also got a baby high chair, stroller, and cradle for her new baby doll she got (we just wrapped the baby doll, and she opened it later at her party.) those items were too big to wrap, so they were out waiting for her to play with in the morning!

I didn't have time to install the new car seat, but just threw it in the back of the car to put in later. In the morning we went over to our friend Michele Reyes house. A few months ago she approached me about service swapping! I am teaching her boys how to hoop dance, and in return, she was going to take the girls pictures. She was the one who took Charley's one year pictures, and I wanted to have her do Gabby's anyway....so it all worked out perfect!! I love her work, and think she is Amazing! So while I was teaching her boys hoop, she took Charley's pictures, and Gabby napped in her car seat (her old one, she could lay down better). And then when we were done, both girls got their pictures done, then Gabby got her's done.

After pictures we were off to pick up dad at work to take the girls to lunch. We let Charley pick, and she picked Wendy's. She says Wendy's is her favorite food store!...hahaa...
Once we took dad back to the office, he helped us get Gabby into her new car seat. (notice their matching dresses?...I am obsessed with all things matching with girls! That's one of the many fun things about having 2 girls....coordinating outfits! priceless!!!)
She LOVES it! I wish I wasn't driving and was able to film her squealing and kicking her little feet with joy!
What a pretty girl!
We had to run to the store for a few things, then it was back home to put the birthday girl down for a much needed nap. And Charley and I decorated the cake and set up for the party. We had grilled cheese for dinner, and cake for dessert!....

A Birthday Event...cont.

Gabby's birthday party was a princes themed party, complete with princess dresses and tiaras!
Can you tell how excited and happy she was!?! What princes wouldn't love all the attention she got today!

My masterpieces....the princess castle cake, some extra yummy cupcakes, and Gabby's own personal cake.My two princesses before the party!
Opening Presents!! She caught on really quick, and tore right into everything!
Gabby started digging into her cake before we finished her happy birthday song!!! And she literally ate almost the whole thing!!! And besides her hands and face, she didn't get the cake any where else.
Poor Brooklyn. She got excited that we were going to have cake, and then we all waited until Gabby finished her's to start serving (we were all taking pics and video-taping it). But after a while, Brooklyn decided she wasn't going to wait for us anymore! It was really cute!

both my sisters that live here asked what they could get Gabby for her birthday. I told them books. It is really quite fun how much both girls love reading. I admit, they both have their moments (in-fact, Charley had one tonight. It was a really long day, and the party went past her bed time, and she started getting cranky!) but for the most part, putting them to bed is pretty easy.....why you ask?....Books. I put them in bed, and give them each a few books, and they read themselves to sleep. I think Gabby likes doing it because she sees Charley do it. But either way, they both love to read. And I love it!!!....so after I put them to bed tonight, I went back in with a camera, and this is what I found!..

Happy Birthday Gabby!!!! We love you so much!