our storybook.....

pure love.

2011-10-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

Last night at 6:30pm our family received a very special gift, a gift so precious that we will love and cherish forever…a beautiful 4-month-old baby boy. Just a short few weeks ago my life was changed when I received an email from a very special girl, his mom. She wanted the world for her son, and felt she could not give him everything...Until last night when she gave him a mother, a father, and a big sister. She blessed my life in more ways that one last night. I have never witnessed such love and selflessness. My heart is FULL; it is aching for a sweet mother who left last night without her baby boy in her arms, all because of LOVE. I will never comprehend the strength and courage that I witnessed last night but feel extremely blessed to have witnessed such a miracle. The tears continue to flow with a culmination of emotions but mostly filled with unconditional love for our new baby boy and our sweet birth mom.

To our sweet Juli…we love you more than words can express. I know your heart is aching right now and we are praying for you and will continue to pray for you to have comfort and peace. I have been up all night thinking about you and the amazing person that you are. Thank you for blessing our lives with such an amazing gift that we will love forever. Last night was very emotional for all of us and we feel blessed to have witnessed such pure love. Your sweet baby boy will know you and love you forever. Just remember last night wasn’t goodbye it was just the beginning of a new chapter for all of us and you are still apart of his story. Thank you for choosing us to be your son’s parents, we will forever be grateful.

To our sweet son…you are an answer to our prayers. We have spent our lives preparing to be your parents and promise to love and take care of you the very best we can. You are such a special little boy, so special that you were sent by your Heavenly Father to bless two mommies. Your little spirit is so strong. Your birth mom loves you and was the best mommy she could be. She wrote you a book that you will cherish forever. We love you SO much and feel complete now that you are in our family... xoxo

Roma's safari.

2011-09-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

When trying to think of a theme to go with for her 2^nd birthday, I knew it had to be something with animals. She loves all animals so I finally decided on a Safari theme. Who doesn’t love a Safari Party! Anybody that knows me knows that I am a little obsessed when planning all the details…let’s just say I started months in advanced, but loved every minute of it. With lots of creative friends to help the party planning was a success!

I wanted to have something that greeted the guests as they arrived at the party. So I put Kiley and Addison to work. They greeted the little ‘explorers’ with binoculars and a personalized sticker. The kids loved it...and so did Kiley!

Next was the food table. I wanted something 'safari-ish' for the table cloths..because after all it was a Safari Party, right! I called my super talented friend Sarah and described my idea, we met at the fabric store and hours later she created exactly what I had in mind! Don't you love it?

The food was catered by Plates and Palates & it was delicious. We had mini phyllo pastry cups filled with goat cheese, caramelized apple & onions and also Chicken with balsamic, sun-dried tomato, capers & basil. They were amazing! Of course we had their wonderful salads and rolls to go with it. For the little ones we had mac&cheese, fruit kabobs & bamboo cones filled with chips!

It's not a birthday party without LOTS of sugar! I am pretty sure Roma ate more sugar that night then she has in her entire life..who cares though it was her birthday!

I loved the idea of using lots of Burlap to create a Safari feel to the party! I spent hours collecting mason jars for drinking and wrapped each of them with burlap and twine. Using paper straws is a must...look how cute they are!
I didn't think it would be smart to have the wee ones walking around with glass jars so I wrapped juice boxes with animal print paper and they were thrilled about it.

Sugar cookie party favors for Roma's little friends. These adorable safari animals were my favorite part of the party! They were amazing and super delicious.

(vendor information below)

These cupcakes were amazing...banana cream pie, rootbeer float, and cookies and cream! Not one cupcake was leftover. My sister made her delicious homemade oreo cookies!

This might be my favorite cupcake holder EVER! It's perfect for the minis...

Mini fruit pies & doughnuts from a local bakery. What kid doesn't love a doughnut?

We hired an amazing face painter that was recommended by a friend! Wow, she is incredible. It took her under a minute to create a perfect 'safari' animal. She is a MUST if you have lots of kids to entertain.

I went back and forth on the idea of having some sort of animal entertainer for the kids! Afterall, Roma loves monkeys & gorillas so why not have them at her party! I knew that the reptile shows were NOT an option..I didn't want to frighten all the parents! ha. After searching many traveling animal shows I came across a bird show. This was perfect...safe & pure entertainment for the kids and adults!

Our talented face painter is also an equally talented balloon artist. You have never seen anything like it! She created whatever the kids wanted! She will be coming to all of our party's!

Did I mention I love BURLAP! I made a 'Roma's Safari' banner out of burlap and table toppers for each table.

'Fireflies'

Mason jars with tea lights hanging in the trees.

Wooden cut-outs of various animals for the little explorers to find. We had a couple giraffes, baboon, elephant, monkey, antelope.

Mommy and her perfect little butterfly! I can't believe MY little girl is 2 years old! She is such a joy to me and her daddy & everybody else that knows her. I can't imagine life without my little junebug. I love you baby doll!

I hope you enjoyed 'Roma's Safari' as much as we did!
Vendor Credits:Bitty Bakes cupcakes: http://bittybakes.blogspot.com/

Scales and Tails: http://www.scalesandtailsutah.com/

Changing Faces: http://www.changingfacesut.com/

Plates & Palates: http://www.platesandpalatesutah.com/

Party Express: http://www.birthdayexpress.com/

Jen Herem Photography and Invitations: http://jenheremphotography.com
Custom Stickers: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleMissMissy

Cake Dad: http://www.cakedad.com/

Exquisite Cookies: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jducour

Wooden Cutlery: http://www.greenfeet.com

**Special thanks to Roma's Grandma for hosting her safari**

us.

2011-07-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I have updated our family blog. So I will start off with an update on how we are doing.

Phil...is working hard and as a result Daddy is gone a lot lately. But we still find time to see him during lunch and in-between important meetings. Phil is enjoying the summer playing golf and going to LOTS of movies with his brother! If you know me I only watch chick flicks so I am more than happy to give him a kiss and send him out the door to watch Transformers! Phil is still serving as the Elders Quorum President in our ward and is loving getting to know the families and serving them! We are proud of him for providing and working hard for our family.

Me...I am staying busy looking after a very busy almost 2 year old! I love every minute of it! Roma and I have so much fun and stay very busy with this beautiful weather. I am currently training for the Portland, Oregon marathon with my mom in October. I am up to about 8 miles and I am tired...only 18 miles more to go! I am still doing Eyelash extensions out of my house and I have got it to where I am only doing appointments one day a week! I love it because it gives me more time to just focus on our sweet little Roma. We are hoping to add to our little family through another adoption and couldn't be more thrilled! I am still teaching Relief Society and actually really enjoying it. I have learned so much and my testimony is strengthened by the wonderful Women in my ward!

Roma June...I am the cutest little 2 year old that my parents have ever laid eyes on. Although I am busy and into everything, I am just learning to be like my momma one day! I have become familiar with the phrase 'time-out' and I actually really enjoy it...when I hear momma say those two words I just walk myself over to the designated area and relax, but shh don't tell mommy! I love to EAT and I love snow cones, I just wish my mom would give me my own so I could eat it all by myself. I am in swimming lessons and learning how to float and kick and hold my breath under water. I really don't enjoy when my mom passes me off to some strange lady so I cry for 15 minutes so she knows. But I am really learning a lot so maybe mommy will keep taking me :) I love the zoo! I love lagoon! But I love dance class the MOST. I can't wait to have a little brother or sister to play with. Love, Roma!

Here are some pictures from our latest session with Jen Herem Photography.

shoes.

2011-03-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Wow..TWO posts in one day!!!!

To say Roma has a bit of a shoe obsession would be a HUGE understatement! I am not sure what brought on this obsession but it is real and it is getting worse! Should I be worried that one of her first words was 'shoe', should I be worried that she wakes up in the morning and from naps and points to her closet and says 'shoe', should I be worried that every store we go into she asks for 'shoes', should I be worried that when my clients come for lashes and remove their shoes Roma quickly jumps inside and takes off with their 'shoe', should I be worried that she can walk quite gracefully in my high heels, should I be worried if she gets mad if she can't find the match to one of the shoes she wants to wear!

The latest obsession is her rain boots...she usually jumps right in them when she gets up in the morning and is determined to do it by herself! Thankfully she lets me take them off for nap time! Oh Roma you make us laugh with your cutest obsession with shoes.

Now see for yourself.......

{sad part is I have only been able to document 1/8 of her latest shoe ventures}

{poor quality iphone pics}

If she can't find shoes these will also Work! ha!

{such a funny pic...she is standing inside two DOG BOWLS}

{usually stands inside two bowls and walks around the house}

Is it possible her obsession was created by ME?

{hmm...I did put shoes on her when she was just a wee little one...like every day!}

Nah...Just a girl that loves her Shoes!

St. George Weekend.

2011-03-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we headed to 'not so sunny' St. George for the Parade of Homes and some fun with our little family! Even the weather was the pits we had a great time being together and enjoying some very much needed relaxation. Our little Roma is getting so big and is such a littler performer...she entertains us ALL DAY LONG...and we LOVE every single minute of it.

We Stayed at the Inn at Entrada and WOW this place is gorgeous! Not only was the place amazing but it is right in the red rock canyon and every view is a sight to see! Roma especially loved sitting by the fire watching movies, taking 'bubbles' in a HUGE jetted tub (however, the was not impressed by the jets AT ALL).

This is Roma's new 'surprise face'. All I have to say is 'Roma let me see your surprise face' and she pulls this oh so funny expression. Did I mention I am obsessed with this little face!

Daddy and Roma swimming! We didn't bring any gear to swim but we weren't about to miss out on this amazing pool and spa...so a trip to Target cleared that up!

This is the 'Roma let me see your smiles' expression!!

Breakfast at 25th and Main!

Can't wait to head back to 'Sunny St. George' and enjoy some more relaxation!

Tumbling & Dance Class.

2011-02-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

I have been counting down the days until Roma was old enough to attend a dance class and it did not dissapoint! With winter being super boring and cold we {roma and I} needed something to get us through the winter 'slump'...so we started our very first gymnastic class and Mommy & Me dance class! Roma did amazing her first day but kind of struggled with waiting her turn to 'jump'. I am not sure she is quite old enough to get the concept of waiting, but she still does fantastic! Roma is a natural dancer...she instantly starts shaking her hips and shrugging her shoulders when she hears a beat..she is perfect! Her first day of Dance one of the mom's asked me if Roma has been in dance before because she was so good at following the teacher and loved it! I have dreamed of having a little dancer and hope she continues to love it! GO ROMA!

*Next week I will take some pictures at her dance class!! (cause I know you are dying to see..ha)

V is for Valentine.

2011-02-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

I just love Valentines day because it's a day to focus on the ones you love! This Valentines day was no exception. Basicly the week of we treated ourselves to an amazing and super romantic couples massage, fancy dinners, and a candlelight dinner at home with our sweet Roma and some friends! I was also able to gather some super fun VDay traditions that I can't wait to start next year when Roma is a little older. {stay tuned for next year..ha}

*a few pictures of our dinner at home and Roma and her little Boyfriend Boston*

lovely flowers from my one and only!

It wouldn't be Romantic without heart-shaped pizza!!

Happy LOVE DAY.....I {heart} you Roma!

18 months

2011-02-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

Yes, my baby is 18 months already! I can't believe how fast time has gone by. I feel like we were just anxiously awaiting her little debut into the world yesterday and here we are 18 months later! Life with my little Roma is like having a piece of Heaven with me at all times. Her little spirit is so perfect and so meant to be with us! I am amazed every day at the new things she is learning. She repeats just about every word she hears, she LOVES to sing and learns so much from nursery, she is my best friend! Roma started her first dance class and tumbling class and loves both of them So much! I know she is a little young but it's been so great to see her interact and explore her little body through movement. Her first dance recital will be this spring and OH MY we can't wait!

I can't believe how much she has changed and how big she is now......see for yourself! (pics taken at each of her doctor appointments)

18 months.

3 weeks old.

3 months old.

6 months old. (um don't ask about the bow..I don't even know what i was thinking!)

9 months old.

1 year old.

New York City

2011-01-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we took a last minute trip to the big apple for some fun in the COLD! I use the word cold, but it really doesn't do it justice...it was the type of cold that makes your bones hurt. I packed for the 'cold' weather but obviously not good enough! My feet and legs were cold and my eyes watered for 3 days straight from the wind chill! Although this description sounds somewhat miserable we had the time of our life. Kiley will be having a birthday soon so we thought what better present than to take her to NYC to explore all the wonderful things she has only heard about!

Some the highlights: Staying right in Times Square, Cupcakes at Magnolia, Shopping on 5th Ave...a trip to the American Girl Store (kiley was in heaven), Natural History Museum, Experienced Fine Dining at its FINEST (more on that below), Canal Street, China Town, Little Italy, Subway, Statue of Liberty, WICKED....

Wicked was amazingly SPECTACULAR...I want to go back just to see it again...and again...and again!

Next time you are in NYC you need to make a stop at the awarding winning Daniel for dinner on Park Ave. Although it is liable to put a dent in the pocket book it is worth the experience! I wanted to take pictures of each course but the atmosphere was such you would feel completely AWKWARD pulling out your camera to document! Let's just say we had 4 waiters to our table and each of us were treated like we were the only people in the place. The food presentation was art and the way they served us was like an orchestra with everything happening on count! Kiley's favorite part was each time you would stand up to leave the table a waiter would be right there to pull out your chair and wait for you to return! We tried squid, flounder, frog legs, and many other things we have no idea about!

The next best thing about the trip was coming home to our little Roma cakes!!

NYC I will see you again in April for our GIRLS TRIP!!!

we're back.

2011-01-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

We are back to the blogging world in hopes to document our little Roma's life better. Stay tuned while I get my thoughts in order and try and catch up the best I can on the last 18 months of our life. yes, 18 months...I can't believe Roma is that old!

Happy Halloween.

2010-10-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

This Halloween has been so much fun with Roma! My wish was that she was walking in time to walk around in her adorable costume...and that she is! She loves to wear it and even LOVES the wig! She is our precious little girl that just melts our hearts! We love her so much and can't imagine not having her in our family! Did I mention she loves getting her pictures taken!

Happy Halloween. Love Roma.

private...

2010-09-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

We are making this blog private so we can document more of our little family and not worry about privacy issues!!! If you want to continue to follow...or start following now that I will be blogging more, please leave your email! Happy Blogging.

princess spa party.

2010-09-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

I promised my adorable nieces that I would have a little party for them at the end of the summer before school started! We were a little past our deadline but we made the party happen this last weekend! The party was inspired by this book...found by the girls of course!

our first stop was PEDICURES! they were both so excited...as you can see by their cute little faces!

My little party friends.

On the menu: strawberries filled with frosting and sprinkles.

Activities: homemade lipgloss, frost and decorate sugar cookies, art project!

Roma loves these two girls and enjoyed pulling their cookies of the table, ripping their stickers, and eating lots of frosting....Oh but she is my little princess!!

Oh and don't worry daddy wasn't left out...he was at the spa!

sweet adi.

2010-01-29T06:33:00.000-08:00

{sweet: AKA...attitude}

My sweet little Adi is the cutest little thing. She is the baby of her family with so much personality. She also LOVES her cousin Roma and gives lots of hugs and kisses. Sometimes a little too much! Adi is so used to being the princess and 'baby' in the family she has shown a little jealousy with Roma but is still SO sweet to her! I took Addison shopping with me yesterday and she wanted EVERYTHING..well mostly just sparkly shoes and dresses. She was happy to walk away with this...

Yesterday I had Adi over for a play date but I think secretly she only wanted to come over because I have binkis floating around my house! Adi is almost 4 and hasn't had a binki since she was 2 but she is still obsessed with holding things and just getting what she wants. I am not sure if she really wanted a binki or if it was just the quest of getting it! Well, come to find out she really LOVES that binki. Let's just say her mom and dad weren't too happy with aunt whitney!

We took her home last night and she fell asleep with the binki in her mouth! It was priceless! Hmm, I wonder if she still has that binki!!

I love these girls more than they will ever know!

dear kiley.

2010-01-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

I just have to say that I have he most adorable, sweet, innocent, lovable, honest, kind, beautiful, best friend and niece in the entire world! Kiley is my best friend and just adores 'baby Roma'. When Kiley was a baby I would beg my sister to let me have her over for girl dates. We would go shopping and get pedicures...both of which Kiley would choose! She is so girly and I love it. Kiley has the biggest heart of any 7 year old I have been around. She naturally cares about other people and kids she is around. Kiley is so good with Roma and already thinks she is old enough to babysit!! I can't wait until Kiley is older and can travel with us and take care of her sweet cousin!

Kiley is our natural little poser. She loves the camera...can't you tell! What a beauty!

How can you not LOVE this girl?!

Kiley, thank you for the being my best friend and for loving Roma.

sitting up.

2010-01-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

This is our new trick of the week. Roma starting sitting up on her own. She can balance pretty well and we have only had a couple falls...but don't worry I was there to catch her! Roma is the happiest baby I have EVER been around. She has the sweetest little spirit about her. We couldn't be more happy!

milestones.

2010-01-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

We are having a lot of milestones happening at our house lately! I have to say I never knew being a mommy would be so rewarding and exciting. I adore Roma and love watching her grow and change every day. She started rolling over last week and it is the cutest thing! She can only go one way but I am sure before too long she will be rolling all over the house. Ohhh I just love this girl!

november 2009.

2010-01-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

I am so behind with blogging and lots of firsts have been happening for us. Roma is getting so big and loves to hang out in the BUMBO! We just adore her and cherish every single second we are with her! She is changing so fast and although it is so fun to see her do and learn new things we want it to last much longer....so here is a preview of our november!

Roma went to her first jazz game to watch cousin Kiley dance and half-time! It was super loud but she loved all of the flashing lights! I think there will be many more jazz games in her future!

Roma has always loved tummy time...but this was the first time she popped her head up for the camera! I thought it was the cutest thing ever!

We spent Thanksgiving with my family this year. It was wonderful to have all of {or most of} my aunts and uncles and cousin in town from Oregon and California! We were always doing something fun and had a FABULOUS dinner at my moms...thanks mom!

holiday season.

2009-12-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying the holiday season this year. We have so much to be thankful for and love spending every minute with this little girl!

{thanksgiving pictures coming soon}

3 months.

2009-11-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

{can't get over those BLUE EYES...just like her daddy! Oh..and she LOVES to blow bubbles}

I can't believe my baby is THREE MONTHS OLD! Wow time sure goes by fast when you have a little PRINCESS to spend all your time with! Roma is an absolute blessing to us...we just can't possibly get enough of her and can't believe we were SO lucky to be her parents! She is perfect in EVERY way and is ours forever!

bumblebee

2009-10-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from our little bumblebee!

6 weeks.

2009-09-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

i love this little girl so much. she is getting so big and changing every day. i love that she is starting to smile and notice things around her. she is such a joy in our lives and fills our hearts full of LOVE. at 6 weeks... she is sleeping through the night (since day 1). smiling. making sweet noises. eating like crazy. loves car and stroller rides. and LOVES her mama and dada!

to see more visit http://marissavargasonphotography.com/blog/?p=883

heaven sent.

2009-09-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

dear roma.

you are a perfect angel and miracle to us. we are so lucky to have your sweet spirit in our lives. every day we sit and stare at you for hours and feel so blessed to have you. it is amazing and nothing short of a miracle that you left your Heavenly Fathers presence trusting that you would find your way to our home. we prayed for you, we thought about you often, we love you so much, we think you are perfect in every way. we are lucky to call you our daughter.

love mom and dad.

dear M.

we could never thank you enough for the selfless act of placing your baby girl in our arms. we adore her and we always love her unconditionally. the strength and love that you showed is something we are grateful to have witnessed. your life will be greatly blessed forever. we feel such a strong bond with you and know that this was planned out before we came to earth. when Roma is old enough to understand we will tell her all about you and tell her how much you love her. we are honored for her to be named after you.

Two women cry into the night,their eyes are filled with tears.

Oh God why is this happening? I need to feel you near.

One woman sits alone in the darkness, Decisions she must make.

She wants to do what's best for the child, It's life she cannot take.

The other woman clings to her mate

And she doesn't understand why they can't have a child of their

own as so many others can.

These women come from different worlds.

Their lives are miles apart.

But God would deliver the pain they felt and heal their broken hearts.

And then one precious morningtheir lives became intertwined.

Both women's prayers were answered as they felt God's plan unwind.

One woman touched her newborn's cheek

and whispered to the babe,

"Because I love you little one, sacrifices I've made."

With the strength she felt from heaven,

to the other woman she gavethe miracle of a baby

for her to love and raise.

The other woman looked down

at her precious baby's eyes

and thanked God for the woman

who had helped fulfill her life.

Two women pray into the night

and thank the Lord above

for the opportunity he's given them both

to feel a Mother's love.

welcome home little romy.

{photography by: jen herem}

new beginnings. roma june.

2009-08-24T09:04:00.001-07:00

What an amazing journey we have been on and continue to ride every day. Adoption is nothing short of a miracle and very close to my heart. I am grateful everyday that I was lucky enough to have adoption part of my life. I feel extremely blessed!

Our little bundle of joy was born on August 12th at 9:11PM. We were lucky enough to be in the room for the delivery and witness pure Love. We were blessed with the worlds best Birth Mom that I love very much. What a special bond that we share…I know that our paths were meant to join together. The love and strength that we witnessed from her is beyond any words that I could ever use to describe it. As we witnessed our little girls first breath into this world I couldn’t help but feel a LOT of pain for our Birth mom. I immediately loved this little girl and also felt a lot of emotion for our birth mom. What a selfless act…and I am grateful that I was able to witness such an event. Our birth mom has so much love for her little one…so much that she wanted the very best for her. Some how we were lucky enough to fall into her plan.

We spent two amazing nights in the hospital with our little girl in our room. She was an angel from the beginning. Barely cried and latched onto the bottle like a pro. We loved her unconditionally instantly. I never knew that with so much love I could feel so much pain at the same time. Our birth mom was just a few rooms down from us and I couldn’t help but think of her all day and night. I wanted to tell her so many things…I wanted her to spend some time with her little girl that she nurtured for 9 months…I wanted to be with her forever. The day came for placement and there was still so much I wanted to talk to her about. The words didn’t come easily but I knew that time with Roma was what she needed. I walked OUR baby to her room and left them alone for some very special time. My heart continued to ache and I wasn’t sure how I was going to stay strong for placement. The time came and she was so strong..stronger than anybody had ever witnessed. I have to believe that angels were surrounding all of us giving us the strength we needed. That was they way it was supposed to be and there was no denying it. We watched as our birth mom left the hospital and we were both in tears. The LOVE that was shown that moment was something, I believe, most people will never witness or truly understand. I am grateful. I love them BOTH unconditionally.

jen herem photography.

2009-07-29T11:31:00.001-07:00

talent = jen herem photography.
check out her site and sign up to win $50 off a photography session in August!
i {heart} contests!

dodge-ball.

2009-07-08T09:02:00.001-07:00

Friendly game of dodge ball......

Came to end when this happened…..
i love you kiley!

the birthday party.

2009-07-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband had a birthday on the 28th of June! I wanted to plan something FUN with all of our family & friends to celebrate his big day. Since he is still a ‘young’ adult and hasn’t hit that milestone birthday of ‘thirty’ I decided to plan a CARNIVAL party. The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful night.

{we had guests directed to the backyard for the party}

the entertainment.

What would a carnival be without a clown to entertain the little ones?! We seriously had about 25 kids to entertain so the adults could enjoy some ‘adult’ time! NEWSY did a fabulous job making balloons, playing games, and doing magic tricks!

the food.

Of course the food had to be themed around an old-fashioned carnival. Sorry for the three day sugar high!

the guests.

We have such amazing friends and are lucky to know so many special people. Thank you to everybody for coming…. You better believe we will be making this an annual event…my wheels are already turning with ideas for next year! STAY TUNED!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE!

that’s a rip-off.

2009-07-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Kiley: OH MY GOSH! I can’t believe it!

Me: What Kiley?

Kiley: $.25 for a napkin! That is so stupid!

Me: Laughing

Kiley: what a rip-off!

{you gotta love the innocence of kids...she continued to point out free napkins that were available and couldn't believe somebody would pay for one!}

New York City.

2009-06-29T09:22:00.001-07:00

New York is officially my favorite place on Earth! It was a very last minute trip but was a huge success. Girl’s trips are always exciting because there is no end to SHOPPING, even when you have blisters from wearing high heels! We spent four nights in NYC and didn’t stop running from place to place until we literally fell over at night. We would start our day at 7AM and go until 1AM and loved every minute of it. Here are some highlights from the trip!

Central Park.
We figured the only way to see all of Central Park (and the fastest…more time for shopping) was to take a carriage ride in the park. What a beautiful park. I would have loved to spend a day exploring all of the little buildings and restaurants—next trip for sure!

Times Square.
We stayed right in Times Square; which I highly recommend. There is nothing like Times Square in the world. I have never seen so many people in one place at the same time. I could have spent all of my time just people watching. The pictures do not do it justice!

My sister, My mom, My aunt, Me

Broadways.
Our original plan was to see one Broadway so we could do other things in the evenings. Our plan quickly changed as we stood in Time Square and saw everybody going to plays and standing in LONG lines for tickets! We didn’t want to miss out! Our first night we say Mary Poppins. It was spectacular! The staging and set was straight from Disney. I would highly recommend this play.

The second night we saw Billie Elliot. The dancing and singing was phenomenal. I still can’t get over that Billie, the star of the show, was only 11 years old. He could sing, dance, tap, and act and ALL very well.

The last show we saw was Rock of Ages. WOW, WOW, WOW! This show was very entertaining and I never wanted it to end. This show was featured at the Tony awards and received A LOT of positive remarks. It was said to be the ‘MUST SEE’ show of the season. We had front row balcony seats and couldn’t have been more entertained. The star of the show was idol’s 3rd runner up Constantine Morales…he did an amazing job. The show was based around an 80’s rock band trying to make it big! I could see this show every night! All three plays were VERY different so it’s hard to rank them in any order. However, I am sure you can feel my excitement about Rock of Ages!

Food.
The most important thing on any trip, right! We ate and some awesome deli’s and some not so awesome delis! We also hit the ‘star’ spot Serendipity for some famous frozen hot chocolate, which was fabulous! We couldn’t leave New York without enjoying some famous cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery. We also enjoyed a fabulous Steak Dinner at Mortin’s (my favorite)! Let’s just say you definitely don’t leave New York feeling hungry!

China Town. Little Italy. Soho.
Our time in China Town mostly consisted of people trying to ‘secretly’ ask us if we wanted to come to their ‘back room’ for knock off ANYTHING! It was rather entertaining. We enjoyed some great Italian food and of course more shopping!

Brooklyn Bridge.
We walked the Brooklyn Bridge. The views were breathtaking! Highly recommend doing this!

2009-06-02T07:44:00.000-07:00

Its official we have started our journey to adoption! We are so excited for the experiences that are ahead. We both know that things will not necessarily be easy but I am sure it will be WELL worth it. Our papers are in and now it's just time to wait! We will definitely keep this blog updated more often and hopefully we will have some good news to share soon!

Update:
Phil - he is working so hard and I appreciate everything he does for our family! He is enjoying the summer with Golf and Tennis....oh and of course YARD WORK! We have a couple of trips planned for this summer that we are looking forward to. Of course we both have the Mexico bug but don't think we will be going anytime soon....

Me - still working in SLC and enjoying the commute...NOT! I am not in school this semester but hopefully will be able to go in the fall and graduate next year...I HOPE! I also love this great weather. I have been spending a lot of time with the nieces and nephews and LOVE every minute of it. I took Kiley to her first concert and she was in complete heaven - it was a blast! I am looking forward to a trip to NYC next week with the girls in my family...I can't wait! (more on that to come)

Summer Time

2009-06-01T12:08:00.001-07:00

Enough said....

WINK. Lashes

2009-04-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I am doing Eyelash Extensions! It has been so fun and it has kept me very busy! I have set up a room in my house for clients to receive extensions at ½ the price. You will receive Semi-permanent synthetic eyelashes that are attached - one by one - to your natural lashes and last up to 90 days! If you want to keep them up (which I am sure you will) then it requires that you come in for a ‘fill’ every 4 weeks!

With summer just around the corner I am running a Summer Special for friends and family (including my blogging friends)! If you refer one friend you will receive your FULL SET at 50% off, refer TWO friends and receive a FULL SET for FREE!!

Here are just a few reasons why extensions are so wonderful:
· Look Natural with amazing long eyelashes!
· Saves you time and hassle every morning!
· To make your lashes look amazing without using ANY mascara!
· Spend the summer in the sun? Look beautiful without any makeup on at all!

*Leave a message or send an email if you are interested! winklashes@mail.com

Love

2009-02-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

We are so thankful for all of our Family and Friends and for all the kind words, love, and support that we have been shown! We are excited to share our journey with others and can’t wait for the day that we get to meet our little one. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t talk about what our experience will be like and how sure we are that this road we are on is part of a WELL thought out plan. I already feel an unconditional amount of love for our Birth Mom and can’t wait to meet her! We are still in the ‘final’ stages of getting everything ready and online but we are almost there! Thanks to all of those who have helped us get this far. But most of all, thanks to my PERFECT husband who has been nothing but amazing! I love you!

Beginning of our Journey

2009-02-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

{Faith, Hope, and Prayer}

I feel so blessed to be married to such an amazing person and have a wonderful relationship. I am so happy that we have had 4 years to get to know each other and become best friends. We have always prayed for our future family and have such a strong desire to become parents and teach our children. However, the road set out for us hasn’t been an easy one or one that we would have imagined for ourselves. We have had many ups and downs while trying to add little ones to our family. I have experienced many emotions that I didn’t know existed and I am sure Phil was wondering WHERE his wife was!! I decided to stop worrying so much about it and started to veer my focus elsewhere; on things that I could control. I can’t tell you how many times I have been on my knees begging and pleading for strength. I have had many special experiences and moments that have helped me see beyond MY desires. Feelings that I can’t explain with words have put Phil and I on a new road; a road that I have always felt WE would be on. We have put our adoption papers in with LDS Family Services and pray every day that our baby will find its way safely to our home. We are so excited for our journey ahead!!

Thanks for all the support that our family and friends have shown us. We love you all so much! Please continue to pray for our family.