Some of our Favorites...

Chad and I have been getting a kick out of this for the last few days. It's super corny, but pretty darn hilarious in parts: ) Maybe it's just funny because I can picture myself doing something similar not too long ago.




This one also had us dying laughing. I swear the Japanese always have the craziest most hilarious pranks. Chad and I decided we need to get some Japanese friends: )



And this ones just kind of cool....we definitely should have done something like that; ) j/k could you imagine Chad and I? It wouldn't have been nearly as cool



okay, it's obvious that Chad and I spend a little too much time on youtube, but since we don't have regular tv, we sometimes find ourselves searching for a little entertainment.

What are some of your favorite youtube clips?

Taking A Moment to Express

One of my recent journal entries.....

April 4, 2008

Wow, I think I have just been reminded of one of the reasons why I've been feeling down lately. I don't know if it's like this for everyone, but it really gets to me if I don't have time, or make time, to sit down and write out my thoughts and my emotions and my experiences. I feel like if I'm not taking that time to write it out that it's all slipping away from me so that I'm not able to learn the intended lesson. I feel like I'm going through the motions, but not learning anything, not internalizing, not becoming more because of my experiences. And that bothers me. I get almost frantic knowing that a certain thought or impression I had was important and realizing in the next moment it has passed me by because it wasn't internalized. I guess for me writing is internalizing the lessons being given. I have to think it, see it, put it into words, and read it; then somehow it truly becomes mine. And once I know it's mine, that it's really become a part of me, then I feel like I'm actually becoming more than I was yesterday through this earthly experience. I don't know if everyone needs that feeling, but I need that feeling. I need to know I'm learning the right lessons, the one's that Heavenly Father is giving me. I need Him to know and I need myself to know that I am listening; that I am getting it. I'm already feeling so much closer to heaven just by writing this out. I'm thankful for this gift. I'm grateful for this opportunity to better understand myself.


*Back to the present.....I'm doing my second internship at a Juvenile Correction Center and let me tell you, it is amazing and difficult and inspiring and eye opening and disturbing all at once: ) I really love it though and I have already learned so much. I get to work with a group of 12 girls that do every thing together. They eat together, sleep together, brush their teeth together, run the mile together (literally they can't leave one peer behind), use the bathroom together(also literally: ), play games together, learn together, and most importantly they express together. It just amazes me time and time again how healing it is to express what you're feeling, experiencing, have experienced, learning, etc., etc. It is often so hard for them to get those feelings out, its especially hard for them to get those feelings out appropriately which is why they are so often throwing punches, swear words, and spit at each other. Despite all of that, however, they are learning to express and it is a little miracle to watch how it heals them and creates a bond between them. They really do care for one another and it's awesome.
So my question today is what are you're thought on expressing yourself. How do you do it? How does it make you feel? How do you feel when people express their thoughts and feelings to you? Have you seen it make a difference in your life?

To Charlie...

I was tagged so long ago with a "Favorite Things" post; sorry it's been a while kel and karrie....so I thought I'd finally get this post out there, but I want to tweak it a little bit if I may.

We've recently discovered a new found love (some may say "obsession"....sadly enough) for the series "Lost". We made the discovery far later than everyone else who's been ranting and raving about the show since it first began four seasons ago. This means that we've spent the last four months cramming three years of the show into our lives. My point is that I wanted to make this post a tribute to Charlie, one of my favorite characters in the show, by posting "My Favorite Moments" instead of my "favorite things". Those of you who've seen the show will know what I'm talking about. For those of you who haven't seen the show, there is an episode where Charlie, a fun loving Irish member of the band "Drive Shaft", is looking back on his life and in attempts to cherish all the good that his life gave him he scribbles down the five greatest moments of his life with a permanent marker on a piece of notebook paper.

So here it goes.....to Charlie:

1. The moment I let myself love being me.
2. The moment I realized I really did love Chad; I loved him more than I ever knew and I never wanted him to not be a part of my life.
3. The day I wet my pants laughing with Anna; or when we rolled down the mountain on her motorbike because we couldn't make it any farther; actually, that whole summer before our sophomore year is one of my favorite moments (if we can call three months a moment)
4. Being in awkward jr. high, yet getting a card from my older brother Mike that said he hoped to someday find a wife just like me.
5. How proud I felt as I sucked on the worm my brother's dared me to eat when I was little. Even though it tasted like dirt and chemicals I knew they thought it was so cool of me.
6. The day Crystal and I stopped on the side of the road to pick flowers for her mom and sister; the way her nose wrinkled and her eyes lit up when she told me about her secret crushes; and singing to the songs on the radio together on our ride home.....I miss her.
7. The adrenaline rush and excited anticipation I would feel jumping in the huddle before warm-ups for basketball games. (many moments compiled into one)
8. How incredible it felt the night I sang and played my song on acoustic night with the drums, piano, and base behind me; They made that song come alive.
9. The moment Kel started crying with me after I lost the Student Body Elections; that meant the world to me that she would cry right along with me. (I appreciate you so much kel)
10. Kissing Chad for the first time with the snow falling all around us; the incredible and warm feeling I had all the next day.
11. Standing side by side right after our wedding hugging all of our friends and family that were there; we were both flooded with an overwhelming love for all of these people that meant so much to us. We were so happy we could share that moment with them.
12. The moment I turned all my pain and heartache over to my Heavenly Father; the moment I knew without a doubt He was there willing to take it for me.
13. The moment I saw my emyri and her little precious body for the first time; I was so happy to finally meet you baby girl: )

I have so many more awesome memories, if only I could write them all. I really hope that in heaven we get to sit down and watch all of the amazing moments in our lives over again. Wouldn't that be the best: ) I love life....it really is so incredible to me. I want to live so that every moment will be meaningful. I want to look back and always be able to smile and see that I was able to make a difference for someone somehow.

Life is good: )

Help the Lamb Family

Ben and Teea (Tye) Lamb's 6 month old baby girl Kynslee Jean Lamb passed away on Tuesday April 15th. I knew Ben at Snow College. I can't even imagine all that they've been through in these past six months and I feel for them. I look at my own little girl and my heart aches for them. Since they spent the last six months in and out of the hospital their friends have set up a fun for them to help them out with funeral and medical expenses. If you can donate even a little bit, please do.

To read Kynslee's story click on Ben and Teea Lamb's link in our sidebar, and here's a little bit about their situation I copied from one of their friend's blogs.

Kynslee Jean Lamb, daughter of Ben and Teea Lamb was born on Monday, September 24 at 7:12 pm. She was 5 lbs and 10 ounces and 19 inches long. She was born with many heart problems including Hypo Plastic Left Heart Syndrome. We were unsure that she would ever take a breath so we have been blessed with her sweet spirit for the past six months. This is a miracle in of itself. After a long hard battle she returned to her Heavenly Father on April 15th.
Ben and Teea have been left with many financial burdens. If you would like to help ease those burdens donations can be made at any Washington Mutual branch. The account is under the name of Kynslee Lamb or Amanda Carol Anderson. The best way to access the account is through this account number: 4414863088. Any contribution will be greatly appreciated.
Ben and Teea would like to thank everyone for there love and support through this difficult time. If you have any questions please contact Amanda Anderson at
801-372-0340 or at acranderson02@yahoo.com . Thank You.

Funeral Information: Sunday Evening April 20, at the McDougal Funeral Home there is a viewing from 6:00 P.M to 8:00 P.M for all who would like to come.
Monday April 21, at 12:00 P.M The Funeral services will be held at the Taylorsville Stake Center.
McDougal Funeral Home Taylorsville Stake Center4330 South Redwood Road 1350 West 4800 SouthSalt Lake City, Utah 84123 Taylorville, UT 84118

Thanks guys: )

Aroma Therapy

Here's an idea: If ever you want your room to smell continually delicious and refreshing every time you walk through the door, just simply put a small bottle of Ralph Lauren lotion inside of the wall heater, wait for your unsuspecting mom to turn on the heat, then let it melt.
Apparently, Emyri wasn't satisfied with her current room aroma and came up with this little doozy of a solution to fix all her smell whoas. I must say however, after the initial billowing of smoke and chiseling away of melted plastic, her room does smell quite fresh now: )

p.s. who invented those heaters anyway?......waaaay too dangerous.

Despite Popular Belief, We Are Not Dead

I'm sorry for being absent for this entire month. It's been so super busy....I have had quite a few post ideas rolling around in my mind however, but now is still not the time to post them.....I've got to finalize my thoughts a little more. So, I just have a few minutes before emyri can't stand having a "stinkin" diaper any longer and I'll have to go change it, but I just wanted to let you all know we're still alive and well.
Emyri just started to really put two word sentences together this last week and it's been so fun. "Sorry (pause) Mommy"; "Hold it?"; "Autin's (Austyn her friend) Baby"; "Tickle (pause) daddy!"; "Dada-a-work?" (that ones slowly reaching three word status); (not really a sentence, but funny nevertheless) "Waka-Waka!" (she got that from baby bear on a Muppets show); and our latest favorite "Dada (pause) stinkin'!!!" followed by a hearty belly laugh arising from her own obviously hilarious joke: ) Needless to say, we're lovin having this little girl around.
Also, Emyri has never been much of a cuddler, but lately we'll be sitting down and she'll just come and kiss us on the cheeks or give us hugs. We melt at those little "loves" because they're a rarity.
Yesterday Emyri missed her nap (and emers is one of those babies that needs her naps); so she was having a pretty rough evening. After a major melt down resulting in coming in from outside far too early in emyri's opinion, she fell asleep in my arms. You may be thinking, "No big deal, right?" but you see, Emyri is also one of those babies that can't fall asleep unless she's in her crib or her car seat, so this was the first time in forever I was able to sit and rock my baby while she slept in my arms. And honestly, my soul needed that. This has been such a crazy semester, I'm not saying it hasn't also been wonderful, because in its own way it has, but really this has probably been the hardest semester we've had so far, and I've missed being with my baby girl. I needed that precious time with her in my arms, even if it only lasted 15 minutes: )
p.s. random thought...I think we'll dress emyri up like Aunt Jemima for next Halloween: )

Bye, Bye "BINTY" old buddy old pal

Okay, so I may be a bad mother for even admitting that my daughter was still very much attached to her "BINTY" (binky) at 19 months old, but the good news is that we were able to slowly drift the binky out of sight and out of mind over the last two weeks and it actually went rather smoothly as well. Emyri no longer wanders the house calling out "binty...binty?" as if they were little buddies playing a game of hide and seek and suddenly it would jump out of it's hiding place and find it's way back into her eager mouth. She also has stopped wimpering, "my binty.....my binty" in between sobs when she's fallen down or has found herself just too tired to stand another minute of life awake. I have to admit though....I'm going to miss her doing those cute little things. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm really proud of her for being such a flexible and easy going baby and for being able to move on from something that really meant a lot to her, but at the same time it makes me sad to see that my baby girl is growing up and doesn't even need a binky anymore. How did my newborn become a 20 month old so fast? I swear she changes everyday right before my eyes.