Colors Everywhere!

I am so excited because after slaving away in our garden attempting to make something grow, I finally see the fruits of my labor! I have roses galore and some peonies and a tree saplings. We are still waiting on the wildflowers Keegan planted but it is nice to see cheerful colors in the backyard.

Nothing terribly exciting has happened lately. I got really sick last week and had to spend a few days in the hospital. I took this week off to rest and heal and I go back to work Monday. It is really boring being sick and stuck at home. Netflix has Family Ties on Instant Streaming and I watched 38 episodes this week. Sad, right? I am so blessed to be in a great word though. The Relief Society sisters organized meals and took turns taking Keegan so I could get some sleep during the day. I am so glad that the Church has these fantastic organizations where we can serve one another.

My  Mom and Dad and brothers came out last weekend to help for a couple of days and cheer me up since I was feeling kind of down about being sick. It was so great to see them! I am looking forward to a nice vacation in Seattle this August. Hopefully we are going to do some really fun things like go to a Mariners v. Red Sox game, Les Mis, the beach, etc.

We also got a second kitty named Lucy, aka LuLu she is the most snuggly, sweet cat ever. She has just fit right into our family. Surprisingly she and Gilbert really took to each other and seem to be the best of friends now.


Craig is insanely busy. I have no idea where he summons his energy from. He is gone every day by 5:30 AM and does not get home until around 7:00 PM. He is continuing to intern with the Boise State Strength and Conditioning program. Since Men's basketball is not in season right now he is training the Women's Volleyball and Soccer teams. When he is not doing that he is juggling school and work. I don't know how he is not more exhausted. Just going to work 8 hours a day completely wears me out.


Keegan is doing great! He is seeming more and more like a big kid everyday. His speech is getting very clear and it is fun to chat with him. His favorite things are basketball, playing trucks, and chasing the cats. He loves playing with his friends and working on learning how to ride his trike.

Hopefully we get some free time to do something really fun soon. I am hoping for a fantastic 4th of July weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend

It has been a really busy week for us! On Monday, I started a new job full time. I accepted a job with Wells Fargo Financial. They have a corporate campus here in Boise. I'll be wearing a lot of hats. Helping with branch support, starting loans, credit cards, fraud prevention, answering calls from customers. I am excited to have my own office and not teller anymore. It is a huge blessing for our family as it comes with a nice salary package and great benefits.

Tuesday, was our three year wedding anniversary. I just can't believe how quickly the years have been going by. We are soo lucky. We have such great blessings in our lives and our home is filled with so much love and laughter. Craig and I are even more in love today than we were on our wedding day. We are best friends and have such a sweet little boy. What more could we ask for?!

We were really excited about the three day weekend. We are so busy that we don't have a lot of time to just relax and be together as a family. Saturday was so gloomy and stormy so we just relaxed until we got really bored. We drove 30 miles away to this little town called Horseshoe Bend on the Payette River and had a delicious dinner and the best pie ever. We also took a nice drive and had fun taking pictures. Sunday we went to church and I made a big roast dinner and we just enjoyed the quiet and being together.

Monday, we woke up early and packed supplies for a mini road trip. We drove 2 hours away to Shoshone Falls outside of  Twin Falls, Idaho. We went with Craig's sisters Becky and Kaycie and our nieces and nephews: Hayden, Carson, Kenzie, and Mady. It was a blast! I had never been out there before and it was absolutely gorgeous. Luckily it was the only nice day this weekend. We took a picnic lunch out there and spent a few hours exploring. We tried to go walk around the Twin Falls Temple on the way back but the gates were locked. Keegan was disappointed.  When we drove by the Boise Temple as well as Twin  Falls today he kept yelling: "Temple! Temple!" We're so happy that he recognizes them. It feels like some of what we are trying to teach him is sinking in!

All in all, it was a great week and weekend and I am so grateful for our freedom and the opportunities that we are blessed with.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

With all of the rain that we have had in Boise the last few weeks I have felt as though I am back in Seattle! It seems as though Spring has finally decided to stay in Idaho and grace us with her presence. I've been really enjoying spending the warmer days out in our garden. Luckily the previous owner had done some landscaping and put one in. I don't think I am anywhere near skilled enough to have started from scratch. Every few days I discover a new plant or flower. I know I have rose bushes (they have not bloomed yet) but my tulips are coming in! It is relaxing sitting out there weeding and watering while Keegan plays basketball or rides his trike.

Keegan has been helping me. I took an old gray planter and painted it black, put in soil, and Keegs helped me plant a mixture of wildflowers. The little sprouts just started coming in yesterday. I really hope to see some pretty flowers soon!

Our garden came with a really cute little turtle decoration. We have named him Franklin the Yard Turtle.

We are really enjoying this house. It was definitely the right move for us. Having extra room and an actual yard to play in is just so nice. We've been spending a lot of time outside after dinner. I hope that later in the summer we can get a nice patio set. We have this really cute covered patio area that I want to fix up with some nicer planters and a table set where we can eat and bbq and everything. Right now I have a small table and some plastic chairs out there but I want something more beautiful!

Easter Weekend!

We had a lovely Easter weekend. On Saturday night my best friend Claire came over to have an Easter Eve dinner with us. I roasted a whole chicken that I stuffed with lemons, onions, and cooking wine and it turned out great! I was really excited because it was my first time doing that sort of thing. We also had stuffing , rolls, steamed veggies, and home made angel's food cake. I had so much fun cooking and baking. It is always nice when it is for people you love.

We also dyed eggs with Keegan. That was pretty exciting. His idea of dyeing his egg was to toss it right in the bowl. We had fun laughing at all the broken eggs.

This was the first year I did Easter baskets for our little family. Keegan's first Easter he was only 8 days old an we were pretty exhausted so we had a low key affair at Craig's parents. Last year Easter was on Keegan's birthday but the day before we had a huge 1st birthday party so we went to church and everything but did not do eggs or baskets etc. I had a lot of fun choosing things for the baskets and putting them together. My Mom sent out a really cute package full of stuff so even though she was in Seattle, I like to think of it as a joint effort! :)

We had a good day together as family. We went to Craig's parents in the afternoon for an egg hunt and delicious feast. Keegan had a really fun time running around with his cousins and playing basketball with his Dad, cousins, Papa, and aunts.

We didn't make it to Stake Conference on Easter because unfortunately Keegan can't handle being in the chapel for that long. We did play spiritual music  though, had prayer, and reflected.

The first thing I thought of was this poem that my Mom read to me when I was a kid that was later adapted into a song by the LDS group Afterglow. When I think of Easter and the Resurrection I often remember these words:

THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER'S HAND

'twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile:

"What am bidden, good folks?" he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar! A dollar!" then "Two! Only two?"
"Two dollars, and who'll make it three?"

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice . . .
And going for three . . . " but no.
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.

Then, wiping the dust from the the old violin,
And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As a carolling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars! And who'll make it two?
"Two thousand! Who'll make it three?
"Three going once? Three going twice?
"And going . . . and gone!" said he.

The people cheered but some of them cried,
"We do not understand!
What changed its worth?" -- Swift came the reply,
"The touch of the Master's Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune
And battered and scarred with sin
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.

A "mess 'o pottage"
A glass of wine
A game and he travels on.
He's "going" once
And "going" twice
And "going" . . . and almost "gone"

Then along comes the Master, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul or the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's Hand
I hope that all of our friends and family were able to have a great weekend with those that they love. I am so grateful for the blessings in my life. When I am going through trials and d