The Lovell Family

2011-12-23T18:08:00.001-08:00

Maternity Shots

2011-11-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

So, my awesome photographer sister took these shots...She does such a great job. Looks like we will be having baby girl next week! Can't wait to meet her!! So, here is a sneak peak so far.

I'm Back!!!

2011-11-10T23:44:00.000-08:00

WoW!!! I can't believe that it has been over a year since I last posted. Here is some major catching up......

Year 2011

March- Found Out we are expecting a baby! Later, we found out it IS A Girl!

May- I became very sick with this pregnancy. Was doing iv therapy at home. The IV clinic nurses were having too hard of a time getting iv's into my dehydrated self, so I ended up getting a midline iv put in. A few days later, I got a deadly bacterial infection in my arm from the midline. After spending a few hours in the ER, we finally had an ultrasound on my arm (since I couldn't move it) and found that I had blood clots in my arm headed towards my lungs. I had an ambulance ride from the regular hospital over to the Womens Hospital, where my fabulous Dr watched over everything. I was hospitalized for 6 days. Since that day, I have had to take Lovenox blood thinner shots twice a day in the belly

June- Our big boy Cael turned 2 years old!

July- We moved next door to my parents in Bloomington, so that I could have the extra help since I was visiting the hospital a lot and too sick to do much.

September- Brienne turned 9 years old...wow! Brienne also got braces put on her teeth.

October- We made major life changes. Jens left SkyWest Airlines in August on a family medical leave to help me out. Then we decided for Jens to leave completely. We sold our gym, and decided that Jens would attend SUU in Cedar City to do their pre-med program. We moved to Cedar City at the end of the month.

November- Reagan turned 7 years old on the 9th! Time flies!

I am almost 36 weeks pregnant. Waiting for the time to finally deliver our cute little baby girl. That is the quick happenings of this year. I will post more soon!!

October 14 2000

2010-10-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

Jens,

I will always cherish the day you and I became "one".

When we were married,

I became the happiest girl in the world

and still remain so.

I can only hope to make you as happy

as you make me everyday of my life.

Happy 10th Anniversary!

~Lora

Happy 8th Birthday, Brienne!

2010-09-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today our "little" girl turned 8! I can't believe it!! Where did the time go? We are working on getting a baptism date together. Because of General Conference, they are not holding any baptisms in October....so lots will be in November...too many! So, hopefuly we will get it worked out to where she will get baptized in Oct...

Once Again......Very Behind!

2010-09-27T21:25:00.001-07:00

So...we went to court on Sept.1, and everything went well, except that the State told the judge that they would like him to have a copy of our homestudy. After court, our case worker tried 6 different people to get a hold of it. It was like pulling teeth.....but, a few days later....the adoption papers were signed, stamped, and we are DONE!!!!

Cael is now "officially" ours.....FOREVER!

We changed the date of our Sealing to Sept. 18th...it was great to have it done so soon after! It was such a beautiful day! All 4 of our children got to go inside of the Temple, which was so neat for all of us! We had family and friends there supporting us. It was soooo cute to see the ladies bring in all the kids, dressed in white....in the Sealing room that Jens and I were sealed in. Of course Cael cried during his sealing to us, but Brienne, Reagan, and Carter just sat there and watched! (picture outside the Temple shown at the top as a family, one by himself, and a picture with his beautiful birth maternal grandmother...how neat is that?)

It is so odd not having case workers coming over monthly, or having the dr. fill out state paperwork, it is now OUR life! What a relief!!! There has been so much stress involved, and now...we can relax....yay! We truly have seen miracles!!! We have been led this whole time to find lawyers, and people helping us financially, etc....We have been blessed beyond anything we could have imagined! We are all finally an Eternal Family!!!!

Holy Cow!

2010-08-22T09:20:00.001-07:00

Apparently it has been a VERY LONG time since I last wrote on here.

So here is a quick review of our lives since May.

~Brienne started school at Vista Charter School on Aug. 11....this is the first year that we have put anyone in school. We have homeschooled for a few years now, and have loved it, but with the two baby boys, we wanted to make sure that Brienne was getting enough learning time and socializing time that she needs. She loves it! She loves her uniforms, and has made some cute little friends. We are proud of her!

~Reagan will be going to Kindergarten this year as well! He too will be attending Vista. School for him starts on Sept 7. He will be there for the mornings. I cant wait for him to grow so much more! He is so smart, and it will be really great for him to have more of the structure that he really needs, and something I can't provide well right now.

~Cael turned 1 on June 21st. He woke up the next morning and decided he was too old to be crawling, so he woke up walking and has not crawled since. His favorite foods are fruit, fruit, fruit...and of course his whole fat milk in his bottle during night night time. His first words are, momma, dadda, "ba" for bath. He loves to point at everything....pretty cute!

~Carter is now 8 months old. He is crawling everywhere....and is so quiet while doing it. He only cries when he is hungry, or if he really is wanting to be picked up after a while. He has such a sweet spirit, and has been such a joy and a blessing. We all just absolutely adore him!

~~The other day, we just got an email from our lawyers saying that we are Finally able to adopt Cael! On SEPT 1, we will be going to court at 3 pm to have the judge sign him over to us! This is something that we have waited for, for over a year!!! It will be such a great day!

~~We hope to be sealed to him in the St.George temple on October 14th, our 10 Year Anniversary. It will be such a beautiful day! All four of our kids dressed in white.....awwww.....cant wait!!!

Court Update:

2010-05-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

This last week, we won the case on being able to now file a "Petition to Adopt". Not over yet....the court will look over which home is better for him paternal aunt (who he does not know) or us. Both his parents lost their paternal rights to him completly this last Tues. I recently spoke with his birth mom and she is in complete favor of us keeping him, she just doesn't have a say at this point (unfortunately)....but, I feel like we have her blessing at least, and we are not "ripping" him away. It just makes me feel better. So, we will keep updating as things go.

2010-04-28T20:24:00.001-07:00

Can I say......MIRACLES????

This has been such a beautiful, hard, wonderful, challenging week for us! Cael was scheduled to leave us this last Saturday.......

We were blessed to have found some great lawyers! One of which is David McConkie, 1st counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency up in Salt Lake City....he is wonderful! With much work, all 3 of our lawyers were able to get an emergency hearing at court on Friday at 1:15. We finally got a call from McConkie around 5pm, while I was at the Relay For Life event. He was saved by about 15 hours! God is with us! And we love HIM for that!

The judge looked at the paperwork, and asked everyone (the state) why they were removing this child from our home, and why trying to do this so fast? He said that he needed more education on the case, and that he was not going to go anywhere. So, Cael's paternal aunt and uncle were half way here from South Dakota when they were told about this. I feel bad about that part of it.

But, we are feeling sooooooo blessed right now! We have another court hearing on May 13th. Please, lots of prayers!! There has been sooooo much DRAMA with the State ....which we will write about later! All this has made our testimonies grow so much! We are feeling loved for sure. We have been blessed with many other things as well!

2010-04-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to take this moment to Thank everyone who has thought about Cael and our Family, prayed for us, and fasted for us! This has been such an emotional roller coaster for us and all who is involved! There is too much going on right now to comment about the case, but as soon as things settle down and we know what is going on....we will fill everyone in. In the meantime.....keep the prayers coming! We love you all!

2010-04-11T22:36:00.001-07:00

Here is a photo from Carter's Baby Blessing. It was held on Sunday, March 28, 2010...we had wonderful family and friends that were able to make it. It was also held on the day that we had a family fast for Cael. It was a Beautiful Day! We love you, Carter!!!

The American Cancer Society - 2010 Relay For Life of St George UT:

2010-04-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

The American Cancer Society - 2010 Relay For Life of St George UT:

2010-03-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

It's been all about teeth lately for us!

* Brienne lost her first tooth a few weeks ago...she got a whole $2 in quarters for her first tooth from the very nice tooth fairy. She looks pretty cute missing her bottom tooth.

* Reagan has teeth like his mommy! Poor guy! He had to have a tooth removed, and had some caps put on along with some fillings.

* Cael got his first 2 bottom teeth in. It seems like he has been teething for 7 months...but they are finally here! So Cute!

* Me.....still wearing the dang braces....can't wait to get them off in the not-so-near future.

So there is our story on TEETH

2010-02-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

2010-02-03T14:43:00.001-08:00

Second Set of Tubes! So, this morning, I took Cael in for his second set of tubes in his ears! Our fingers are crossed that this will be it, and he will no longer have pain in his ears! The poor thing tries so hard to be happy even with all the pain. His little spirit is just sweet! We love him.

We are counting down the days for the last court date, Feb.18th! Yay! I hope that we will be done with everything then.....

2010-01-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

Poor Cael......

So, Cael was happy until Friday night. We found out that there is a huge blood clot covering the tube in his right ear, meaning that the fluid is not able to get out. So, we are back to the beginning with the right side. Next week, Cael has to go in for another surgery for New tubes. I feel so bad for him. Our poor baby.

2010-01-21T23:05:00.000-08:00

So, we had court on Jan.19th. It went pretty well. Parents rights have now been terminated. But, the dad's sister in South Dakota is working on getting him as well. But, we will have the last court date, where permanancy is determined on February 18th! So, please....we need lots of prayers! We are soooooo close now, and we are getting very nervous! We feel so strongly that he is ours for eternity, And are praying that things go our way.

The next morning at 6am,(pic taken by Jens' phone) poor Cael had to get tubes in his ears due to lots of ear infections, and has had continuous fluid in his ears. He has cried a lot for weeks and weeks and weeks due to the constant pain...so sad. He is doing sooooo much better now. And his hearing has really improved. We can see now that he was having hearing problems. But, he is doing well.

The rest of the family is doing just fine. Life is finally settling down a bit. Still very busy, but I feel like we have more control over things...finally. We are getting the hang of 4 kids, and we love it! We are getting a "kick" out of what our life has turned into...we are a true "family".

Welcome Baby Carter

2009-12-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

On Dec.16th....we welcomed Carter Ashton into our family. He was born at 12:51 am, and weighed 6lbs 14 oz, and was 19" long. I think this is our first baby with hair! He is such a good baby and we all love him!!! Life has really changed with a 7 year old, 5 year old, 6 month old, and a newborn. Not a lot of sleep happening here. On top of it, Cael, our 6 month old has 2 ear infections, a cough, and thrush. Poor buddy is miserable. I think that I am finally overcoming the "baby blues". I don't remember feeling this low before...luckily Jens has been able to take vacation at SkyWest, although, he is still training at the gym...which I look forward to him coming home fr0m everyday. We had a great Christmas all together as a new growing family. And we are feeling so blessed to have each of our kids. We have a court date on the 29th, for Cael and will update more after that.

2009-12-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

Lovell Fam Update:

It has been a while.....

Well, I am still pregnant....just waiting. I am so greatful that baby boy is healthy, but I sure would love to see him enter the world now. If I don't have him soon on my own, then there will be an inducement happening on December 23rd...a true Christmas baby.

We are still going through all the struggles of the foster/adopt process. It will be a long road, and we can't wait for it to end. We love Cael so much and are praying with all our might that he will be ours for eternity. At this point, the state is letting the court know that they feel that us adopting him would be in the best interest for him. Which is really exciting!! But, there are so many other unknowns out there....it could take a whole page to explain...but we will keep everyone posted.

Brienne and Reagan have been busy. Brienne turned 7 in Sept, and Reagan turned 5 in November. Time is really flying!! We are just trying to make life as normal as possible right now with all the "baby stuff" going on.

We moved again, the week of Halloween. We love it here. We are finding out that our utility bills have indeed dropped significantly since moving to a newer home, with newer appliances, thicker walls, etc. We also found out after we moved here that we have 2 outdoor pools, and an indoor pool, club house, and workout center all included in our monthly payment. So, that was some exciting news. We hope to spend some nice time at the indoor pool, with it being so chilly outside and getting some energy out of the kids. We also live closer to our gym as well, which is nice, since Jens is there a lot!

Jens has been busy with our gym CrossFit StGeorge gym (http://www.crossfitstgeorge.com/) He went into partnership with Martha J....a surgeons wife, and so she has been able to help out a lot financially, and coming to the gym so that Jens can sleep (since he is still working nights at SkyWest) and she recently got certified to train as well. So, it is certainly growing...we moved the gym the same week we moved our family...into a larger gym. It looks awesome!

So, this is what we have been up to.

I have included more of our most recent photos...October.

2009-10-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well.....my sister is a stud! She delivered 2 baby boys yesturday. They are healthy and darling! Baby A: is named Malakai Elijah, and Baby B: is named McKade Parker! Congrats Rachael and Jake.....and Big sister, Marshae!!! We Love You All!!!

2009-10-12T04:42:00.000-07:00

So, once again....Bethi Starr Photos has come to the rescue! We needed family pictures done fast, and Bethi was so awesome to work with us and get them done. Here are just a few of the awesome ones that she got. Brienne is now 7, Reagan will be 5 in November, and Cael is almost 4 months, and I am due in about 2 1/2 months! Thanks for the AWESOME job Bethi!!!!

So, we post-poned the move until October 26th....so are house is half packed and I am ready to get gone. I hate the "in between" time...yet I am greatful for a little extra time to clean. And Jens' new bigger gym is getting prepped right now and will be moving in there soon. We are looking forward to living closer to the gym, which will save a lot of driving time.

That is about it for now...just wanted to quickly post some of our newest photo's from Bethi Starr!!!

Very Busy...

2009-09-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

As you can see.....it has been a while since I last posted! I have been one, busy "mummy"

I ended up switching my OBGYN, and I am feeling great! He is watching me closely, checking my cervix every 2 weeks, and allowing me to not be on bedrest and/or getting a cerclage....and it has been wonderful! My cervix is perfect right now! But, this last visit...he saw a little bit of a concern. My placenta is moving and is now touching the cervix, and so it is not a complete placenta previa yet, and we are hoping that it won't be. If it is, then I will have to have a c-section. So, we are watching that closely right now....but, everything else with the pregnancy is going well! I have another very active boy, and I am getting kicked and punched a lot! Uh oh.....another Reagan! But, loving that I can have a "normal" life while being pregnant! Something that I have NEVER experienced before with my pregnancies!

Let's See.....Cael, our darling little foster/adopt baby is doing well! He has gained several pounds in the last few weeks. He was having problems with all his formulas....he was always sick, not gaining weight, and throwing it up all the time. It was very frustrating. So, we are now buying fresh goat milk from a sweet lady, and it is working well for him! He is soooo chunky now and happy! We call him our little "goat boy". The next court date is October 6th....so, we will know a "little" bit more of the case...can't wait!

I am homeschooling Brienne....She is doing 2nd grade this year, a year ahead...and is doing great! Reagan is even getting in on the action! He is loving learning now...when he can sit still long to do something!

And I am selling some Halloween tutu costumes. I should be done in the next 2 weeks. Just enough to feel creative.

And then, our gym is moving in to new location....we have way outgrown the current one, so we found a place right across the parking lot of the current gym that is twice the square footage! For just a little bit more money....Yay! We now have turned the business into an LLC....and we have some financial business partners, so we are excited about where our business is going. Most of our clients are currently doctors, surgeons, etc....we are loving it!

And last....we are moving once again!! I know.....we are crazy! But, this last summer has cost us soooo much for electricity. Since this is an older home, it means old appliances, old windows that let in hot/cold air, and a fireplace that blows in the hot air from outside....so, we found a new home (still renting) that is in Paradise Canyon, off of the top of Snow Canyon Pkwy. All new appliances, way more energy effecient....so we should save a lot on the electricity. It is a beautiful area, and very quiet. We are going to be in there by October 13th....just a day before our 9th Wedding Anniversery!

So, there is a lot going on here. Sorry about the Novel!

Ouch....

2009-08-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

So, I am currently on Progesterone shots, to keep me from going into pre-term labor. This will be the 2nd time that I have gotten it done. The 1st week, the doctor wanted to Jens and I to come into the Dr.'s office, while a nurse watched him give it to me.....in the BUTTocks!

Jens is thankfully a good shot giver, and gives it to me every Monday. It is not the shot that hurts....it is the aftermath. Last night, I don't think that we warmed up the "oil-based" liquid enough, because it took a really long time to get it all in, and hurt like no other. I don't like that it is oil based....because it hurts so much more, and the pain lasts a really long time. My left cheek is still in a lot of pain after all night and morning.

I will have to take these shots until I am 36 weeks along....just 16 more! WoW, that is a lot more than I hoped it was. So, that is what is going on currently here at the Lovell house.

WoW....Another Boy!

2009-08-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

So, this morning was our ultrasound appointment to find out what I am "cooking" inside~ Brienne and I were hoping for another girl, since there is now Cael, but it is not a Girl....NOT EVEN CLOSE! At first his legs were tightly crossed, and he was not showing anyone....and when we were just about done, I felt a huge movement, and so, I suggested we look one more time. Sure enough, he opened wide for a very good shot!

So, now we will have 1 girl and 3 boys!!!! Holy Cow!!! Poor Brienne, she even started crying, she so badly wanted a lil sister. But, I explained that she will always be our princess. And Jens and Reagan are sooooooooo excited to out-number us girls! But, we are all truly excited and feeling so greatful to have a healthy baby, and a good pregnancy. There will definantly be a lot less emotions flying around with less girls :-) We can't wait to meet our lil man!

TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL.....

2009-07-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I was up ALL night very sick and didn't get any better the next day. It got so bad and I was sooooo dehydrated that I wasn't breathing well, and my arms were going really numb, and I was contracting badly. So, Jens took me to the ER where I was given 3 liters of fluids, oxygen, phenergan, zofran, and morphine. I stayed for several hours til I was feeling better. While there, I learnded I had a really bad UTI as well.

Since then, I have really struggled trying to get in enough fluids. That is what does not stay down with this pregnancy. So, Jens has spent a few days giving me 1-3 oz of fluid every 10 to 20 minutes, just to keep it down,and get me hydrated. Poor guy. So, next week at my Dr. appt, we will be talking about the possibility of getting IV's through a hydration clinic. I just wish that I could have some oxygen here at home to help with all the nausea :-) So, this is the latest with us!

Update on the baby boy we are trying to adopt: We have FINALLY named him (something other than what he goes by with the state).....Cael Aiden Lovell

Our Newest Addition.....

2009-07-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

No.....I still have one in the oven.....

We got a call from the Foster/Adopt person last Wednesday night. They were desperate to get a hold of us and lost our phone numbers, so they ended up calling SkyWest to get Jens number. Anyway, they said that there was this newborn baby boy needing to be picked up from labor and delivery the next day.

We have been waiting for a call like this for a really long time, and of course it came when I am now finally pregnant. :-) I knew that we would be looked at like we were crazy for doing such a thing....but LOTS of prayers told me, that it was going to be hard, but worth it. So, here we are! Honestly, he could not have come at a better time for me....I have really struggled mentally/emotionally from being so sick with this pregnancy, and having this shiny little spirit has helped us all!

We are praying that we will be able to adopt him....only time will tell.....we are very hopeful! So, he will be 2 weeks this Sunday, and is perfect in every way! (thanks Bethi for the darling pics)

Updates Since March of Our Family......

2009-06-08T22:13:00.001-07:00

Brienne was a fairy at her first ballet recital. She is a natural ballerina,

and did such a great job! We are proud of her! (she wasn't able to smile....she had her snack in her mouth between shows)

My sister Danielle and I decided to take our daughters, Brienne and Dalynn, to the David Archuletta Concert....since they have such HUGE crushes on him.

So the evening started out at The Pasta Factory, where we filled up on yummy breadsticks

and delicious pasta. Then we went to the "girl-crazed" (and mommy crazed) concert.

We did have a lot of fun!

We flew up to SLC to visit Jens' family, and enjoyed the Children's Museum while there!

Brienne and Reagan walked a 5K for MS! It was lots of fun!

Brienne did her own FHE lesson and "treat".

She did a great job, and everything looked beautiful!

Here has been a little bit of our life, besides the rest of the craziness.............

Ultra Sound Update

2009-06-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

Well, on Monday, we went to the Dr.'s office for my first ultra sound. The good news is, I am 8 weeks like I thought, and baby is doing fine. The bad news is that the Dr. found a TON of blood surrounding the outside of the placenta. Not a good thing. So, to try and save this pregnancy, I am on Progesterone Pills 3x's a day, and am on light bed rest, no picking up things or kids, etc......

So, please keep us in your prayers. Only time will tell if this is all going to work or not. I was needing to be on Progesterone shots weekly starting at 16 weeks to keep me from going to pre-term labor...so we are just starting super early this time.

2009-05-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

So, I am really at the stage of some serious "morning sickness". Who came up with that name anyway??? It is never just morning...it's more like morning, afternoon, and night. I am taking the medication called "Zofran", for nausea...something that was not available with Brienne or Reagans pregnancies (they were old-school)...so, I have been on it for about 4 days now, and so far....no difference. Dang!

And the food issues are not too fun! I think that we are going vegetarian...poor Jens. I keep thinking that I am going to cook chicken, etc, but can't go near it. The only thing that has tasted decent right now is Chicken in a Bisket crackers, with cheese, and grapes. Of course I have to eat a cracker, cheese block, and a grape all in one bite. Otherwise, no good. Awwww the fun of "morning sickness".Something that I can laugh about later I guess.

Apparently I look like crud as well. The other day I went to Albertsons to get beef for $1.89 a lb(they wrapped it for me, so that I didn't need to see a thing) and I went into the checkout. There was a lady in front of me that looked like she was in her 50's and pregnant (kinda different)...anyway, she was huge with pregnancy. But, when I got up to the checkout...the cashier looked at me and said, "Do you need help out with this?"....Guess that I am not looking so good :-)

But, I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for this opportunity of being pregnant. I know that it will be a long road for us, and I pray that everything will go well...and I will take this sickness and weight gain, and know that it is for something grand!

Yes!

2009-05-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I am officially Pregnant! We found out 3 days ago, and I am 6 weeks along! I am really nervous since I have not been pregnant in like 4 1/2 years....and I am already really sick! Shoot! Not my favorite part of Pregnancy! Anyway, the baby is due January 11th! We are very excited for this!!!

Wow.....Where Has The Time Gone????

2009-04-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

To Our New Gym.....that's where! Phew! So, we have been really busy getting our new CrossFit St.George gym up and ready. We leased out a space (industrial) and got to work getting tile in there, building a kid play area, painting walls, replacing bathroom sink, etc.......It has been exhausting. Every waking hour, Jens has been working at Sky West as an Airline Dispatcher (graves), and then training our clients, and trying to do construction on the gym. I have been busy babysitting 2 babies for a total of 65 hours a week, and will be adding 1 more baby to the mix for an additional 16 hours...we are hoping to purchase all the extra equipment we need along with other things for the business. We are happy to say that we have done this whole thing with cash...no debt (for this project). Along with babysitting, I am taking care of Brienne and Reagan's busy selves, and "helping" out with the construction, such as painting, and telling people what to do..oops!

We have many wonderful clients, and new ones every week! This has been such a great experience for all of us....very stressful at times, but we are really learning patience, faith, and working with each other. It has been scary for Jens to take this huge leap and get into a gym...(not me....I am all about the excitement). This has been a huge blessing for us that so many people are wanting to better their lives and are taking their time and money to come to our gym without advertising once. Everything has been by word of mouth so far. (Once everything is complete, we will advertise for our Grand Opening.)

We have already had visitors from other CrossFits. This last Saturday, we had two gals (that are freaking awesome & fit), stop by....we have been watching them online competing to get into the CrossFit games...which is HUGE for Crossfitters....and they just "stopped by" from out of town to see our gym! It was an honor to meet them. We have been having so many neat things happen with all of this and have met so many great athletes and various people, and are really feeling blessed.

Well, that has been our life lately! I will try and keep posting as things go on.

~www.CrossFitStGeorge.com~

Bryce is Heading to the MTC today!

2009-03-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

Well, my lil' brother, Bryce is heading to the MTC today, and I am already missing him. In two months he will be heading to Mexico. Yesturday, we got pictures taken by BethiStarrPhotos.com. Aren't these pics of Bryce and his gorgeous girlfriend of 2 years just awesome? Bethi, once again....you did a beautiful job! Thanks for dealing with all of us!!!

CrossFit St George is on a Roll!!!

2009-02-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

So,we finally have a website up and we have around 15-20 clients coming to our home daily! It is very exciting to see the fire of CrossFit spreading. The most exciting part for me is that we are working on opening a gym by April! yay....I can have my house back :-)
We want people to come and try it out....so if you are interested....your first time is free, just to see if you like it! Jens is only charging $5 a CrossFit Personal Training session...which is insanely cheap! But, he is not trying to rip people off, and wants everyone to enjoy it without being put out from the money! One client has lost 6 lbs in one week! She is ecstatic!! So, check us out at www.CrossFitStGeorge.com

A little Catch Up....

2009-01-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess that it has been a little while since I last posted on here. Time is flying so fast! Jens has been busy with CrossFit. He has several groups of people that he is training for free right now (let me know if anyone wants to join and try it out)...mostly at the College Football Stadium. There has been a big buzz about his training going on at SkyWest. He also has a few places that are wanting him to train there as well. So, we will be praying a lot and trying to decide on what is best for our family. In the meantime, I am eating well and exercising a ton, and so far have lost over 7 lbs in almost 2 weeks! I have a long way to go, but at least this is a start!

This coming Saturday, Jens and I will be heading to Las Vegas for a CrossFit Nutrition Certification. So, I am hoping that after I get my cert done, and continue to improve my nutrition, then I can help others out. There has to be both excerise and nutrition to achieve full fitness...so we both are really excited for Saturday!

Last Sunday, we gave our "new ward member" talks in church. So, that is a huge relief that it is over, for me....Jens doesn't mind it at all (obviously). Brienne has been busy with doing 1st grade homeschool with me as her teacher, and Reagan is starting to get excited about learning as well, especially Brienne's history. And they both spend hours outside jumping on our new 12ft trampoline. It gives me a much needed break in the house.

I think that is about it so far....I will have to post pictures soon!

New Year's Eve Party with the Family @ Our House!

2009-01-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

We had lots of food and fun when welcoming in 2009! We roasted marshmellows in the back with a firepit, kids got to watch movies on a projector in the playroom, fun games, etc! There is always wrestling involved at any "Schall" parties! We had all of my siblings along with hubby's, girlfriends, my parents, etc...and even my brother-in-law's brother and his family were there for the fun! It was a memorable night! Can't wait for next year!

Check Out Our New CrossFit St.George Blog

2008-12-30T09:17:00.000-08:00

So, we are just getting our (Jens') CrossFit blog up and going....it is not finished yet, but it is a start! So, check it out at:

www.CrossFitSaintGeorge.blogspot.com

Leave us some comments!!

Fire!!

2008-12-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had a little fun. I have been sick since yesturday with a cold-flu thing, and I was too tired to make dinner. So, Jens and I decided to stop off at Papa-Murphy's Pizza, and pick up a pizza to cook at home. Well, half-way of the baking (while Jens was getting ready for work), the smoke detector went off. I thought nothing of it, fanned it and it turned off. Then my dad (my parents came over to pick up one of my sis's) noticed a ton of smoke coming from the oven, and once again the loud alarm went off. Then it really got bad. Jens or my dad (it all went too fast) opened the drawer below the oven, in which there was a fire. A hot pad had caught fire! So....our pizza had burnt hot pad all over it...yummy! In the meantime, I am having to smell nasty smoke inside the house. Sick!

Snow In Saint George

2008-12-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

I am sure that everyone here in Saint George have all posted about the snow! And everyone else that doesn't "know" St.George are all wondering what the big deal is....so what?? It snowed?...Well, it is a BIG deal! And we loved it!! When we went over to the park...it was so cute! There were a ton of little boys there doing the snowball fights, and building their snow forts, etc...just like "The Christmas Story" movie! Totally cute!

Christmas Poem....(author unknown)

2008-12-13T19:43:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the town
Not a sign of Baby Jesus
was anywhere to be found.

The people were all busy
with Christmas time chores
Like decorating, baking,
and shopping at stores.

No one sang, "Away in a Manger
no crib for a bed"
Instead, they sang of Santa
dressed-up in bright red.

Mama watched Martha Stewart,
Papa drank "rootbeer" from a tap.
As hour upon hour
the presents they'd wrap.

When what from the T.V.
did they suddenly hear?
'Cept an ad...which told
of a big sale at Sears.

So away to the mall
they all flew like a flash...
Buying things on credit...
and others with cash!

And, as they made their way home
From their trip to the mall,
Did they think of Jesus?
Oh, no...not at all.

Their lives were so busy
with their Christmas time things
No time to remember
Christ Jesus, the King.

There were presents to wrap
and cookies to bake.
How could they stop and remember
who died for their sake?

To pray to the Saviour...
they had no time to stop.
Because they needed more time
to "Shop 'til they dropped!"

On Wal-Mart! On K-Mart!
On Target! On Penney's!
On HallMark! On Zales!
A quick lunch at Denny's

From the big stores downtown
to the stores at the mall
They would dash away, dash away,
And visit them all!

And up on the roof,
there arose such a clatter
as grandpa hung icicle lights
upon his brand new step ladder.

He hung lights that would flash.
He hung lights that would twirl.
Yet, he never once prayed "to" Jesus...
Light of the World.

Christ's eyes...how they twinkle!
Christ's spirit...how merry!
Christ's love...how enormous!
All our burdens...He'll carry!

So, instead of being busy,
overworked, and uptight
Let's put Christ back in Christmas
and enjoy some good nights!

(This was a great reminder to me...sorry that it is soo long)

CrossFit St.George

2008-12-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

In November, Jens went down to Las Vegas to get certified as a CrossFit trainer! I am soooo excited for him! He was also recently accepted into their affiliate program, meaning Jens can now open his own CrossFit gym! He is stoked! Today, the state of Utah accepted his business name, and now he will own....CrossFit St.George! Yay! We are looking around for a cheap warehouse type building, and in the meantime, he will be able to train people here at our house. He got started with CrossFit.com when he was in Iraq. He can't wait to get started...and he says that I will probably be his hardest client....and I guarantee it! I am so proud of him. He has worked sooo hard for this, and has lost 25lbs so far, and is getting in great shape.

A Fun Night!

2008-11-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

So, Brienne and I left the "boys" (Jens and Reagan) home while we had a "girls night out" to go see the Christmas trees at the Jubilee of Trees. I am always so impressed with the Christmas trees and the ways that people come up with decorating them with a theme.

Then to top off the night, we got to see my brother, Bryce's beautiful girlfriend, Holly Gustaveson, dance! She is gifted. So, I came home with many decorating ideas for Christmas....not that I can afford any of them :-)

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere.......

2008-11-24T20:14:00.000-08:00

Okay...so, our kids love taking baths in Jens and my jetted bath tub. When Jens and I came back in to check on them...they had dumped out our entire new bottle of Aveeno body wash. So, the jets made these huge bubbles for them. It took forever to finally get the soap and bubbles gone, but they had a lot of fun!

Oh...and don't look at my plants...I guess you can say my green thumb is a little "dead".

Happy Birthday, Reagan!!

2008-11-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

I am so behind on everything! My little buddy, Reagan turned the BIG 4 years old on Sunday! I cannot believe that our "baby" is 4! This is out of control!! Anway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REAGAN.....WE LOVE YOU!!!!

November 1st.....was a great day for us!

2008-11-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

Well....on November 1st....Jens completed almost 10 years of military service! We are a little bit sad about it, and then on the other hand...very excited! No more deployments! That is a good thing! So...Jens, congrats! Thank you for your service, and good job in serving our country! I love you!

Tagged......by Bethi Baron..... >^..^<

2008-10-27T21:26:00.001-07:00

My Favorite TV Shows

* Property Virgins (1st time home buyers)
* Trading Spaces
* At the moment...anything Halloween
* 17 Kids and Counting

My Least Favorite TV shows

* Kids Cartoons
* Crappy, One-sided news
* Hmmm....I don't know what else....cause I don't watch anything that I dont like

My Favorite Restraunts

* The Olive Garden
* Cafe Rio...does that count?
* SwitchBack
* Don't remember the name...it is up in Pine Valley

My Least Favorite Restraunts

* Wingers
* Chile's
* ????

Things that happened yesturday

* woke up early
* got ready for church
* woke up the kids
* got them ready for church
* went to church
* played the piano in Primary for the last time in our ward
* I don't remember the rest...I was so tired

Things I am looking forward to

* moving in 2 days
* having everything unpacked
* Thanksgiving and Christmas in our new house
* using our fireplace this winter
* the kids having a backyard to play in

Things I am not looking forward to

* moving in 2 days
* unpacking everything
* living out of boxes
* cleaning the aftermaths of moving

Things that I love about Fall

* my anniversary
* both my kids birthdays
* Thanksgiving
* leaves changing color
* cooler weather

Things on my Wish List

* A Baby
* A family vacation
* piano
* to lose the weight
* Land Rover
* horses

Things I don't wish for

* hubby getting activated again
* losing a job
* bad news
* sick kids (I am with Bethi on that)

People I am tagging

* Danielle
* Rachael S.
* Clarissa

Breast Cancer 5K

2008-10-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

So, this morning....Jens and I and my sis Danielle ran the 5k for Breast Cancer awareness. It was a beautiful morning, and a perfect time and day to run this. This is Jens' and my second year running it. It is our new tradition. This year I felt closer to the cause....as many of you know Mindi Baxter's mom was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and now has to do chemo. So, today while running, I was able to think of these women who have or are suffering from this. I saw several Breast Cancer survivors! I just thought "Rock On....You Are A Fighter!"

When Brienne was only 2 weeks old....my doctor found a lump....that was one of the scariest weeks of my life. When I went into the hospital to have a biopsy done...it was so scary, and so lonely. I was so concerned and emotional about it all, especially having post-partum blues on top of it. Thankfully, it tested negative. But, I will never forget those feelings.

Go Pink!

Moving.....Again???

2008-10-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yep! We are getting the keys to our new house on Halloween! We are sooo excited. Brienne calls it the "Big house with the red door". We have had problems here at our apartment with the neighbor upstairs. He bangs on our ceiling whenever the kids cry, scream, laugh....which is a lot! So, it has been very stressful.

For the fun of it...I began looking around at houses to rent...and found this one! It is 1900 sq.ft, lots of windows, a huge laundry room, a sitting room, a big fireplace, a jacuzzi tub and his and hers HUGE walk-in closets, has lots of large trees, right next door to church, and only 2 miles from SkyWest Airlines, where Jens works. The layout is perfect, lots of storage, huge garage, and even a huge sunroom. There are french doors throughout...so we are very excited. And....we will only be spending $74 more a month on this house. So, it will be crazy for the next 16 days, but are excitedly counting down the days!!!

8 Wonderful Years......

2008-10-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well, today is our 8th Wedding Anniversary! We cannot believe it! It seems so short, yet so long. We were talking this morning about all the things that have occured in our 8 years years of marriage....many hardships, like losing our sweet Connor, 2 activations, losing Brookelynn, etc.....and, we also agree that we would not have traded these experiences. We feel that we have grown so strong TOGETHER, and that is important.

And our great things in life, like having Brienne and Reagan. We are so lucky to have them, and are grateful that I delivered them successfully...a little early, but they were good. We look back at all our blessings, all that Heavenly Father has given us. We have never had a lot of money, but always enough to survive on....we truly have been watched over.

Jens, I love you and am so excited to grow old with you! You are the man of my dreams. Happy Anniversary, and I Love you for all of Eternity! Kiss, Kiss

Welcome Baby Kaleb!!!

2008-10-10T13:58:00.001-07:00

Well, little or should I say big baby Kaleb Kohler has come into this world. I just got off the phone with Spence, and he informed me that he was 9 lbs, 2 oz and was 21" long. He came a little after 2 this afternoon!

So, Congrats Spencer, Julie, Ben, and Maddi!!! We can't wait to meet little Kaleb...as soon as we are well over here! We love you guys!!!

General Conference

2008-10-05T12:49:00.001-07:00

So, I am really enjoying General Conference! I am in between the two Sunday sessions. I am sitting here on my couch with "chipmunk" cheeks from my wisdom teeth surgery on Friday...I am a little drowsy from pain meds...but, I am getting the messages full and clear. There was a talk in particular yesturday by Dallin H. Oaks about the importance of Sacrament Meeting....how we dress, the time that we arrive, etc. He specifically talked about dress when attending sacrament meeting. We wear certain footwear to the beach (like flip-flops)...that we should not be wearing to church. (I am guilty of that). Also, this is the most important meeting of all of Sunday. Well, I am usually late, our meeting starts at 9:00 am and we are pushing out the door to at least get to primary, where I play the piano. Anyway...so far, I have had some wake-up calls.

I love General Conference! I always feel the spirit, and feel like I have been given some good "pep talks". I love that there is always something to take away from them. I look forward to April and October. I am so grateful for our Prophet, and the man that he is. What a sweet, and caring man. I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for allowing us to have a prophet in these days....since we all need his help!

Anyway, I better get going...the last session will be starting in a few minutes. Hope that anyone that has been watching has felt the things that I have felt!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRIENNE

2008-09-29T15:35:00.001-07:00

Well, yesturday was my sweet Brienne's 6th birthday! I am a little late posting...yesturday was a busy day with church and then gathering everything for a family birthday party at my parent's house.

Having a 6 year old is making me feel a little bit old...I have to admit. But, I am excited that she is growing into a beautiful young lady. I am so proud of her and I love having her in our family! So......Brienne.....Happy Birthday! I love you!!

We are being watched......

2008-09-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

Well.....sad for me, but we are having to make our blog PRIVATE....we have found people that we don't know using our photos publically on the internet, without our permission. Shoot! So, now to protect our kids from the scary side of the internet, we are having to go through the tedious job of trying to get everyone's email addresses.....SO...please send me your email addresses to soldiers_proud_wife@yahoo.com and I will add you. I am only keeping it public for one week. Thanks everyone!

Adoption......

2008-09-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

So, today we went to our adoption orientation at LDS services and are filling the paperwork out as I am writing this post. Jens and I are soooo excited and cannot wait to have another little munchkin join our family and we are looking forward to this...although, it could be a very long road. So, we are letting all our family and friends know that we are trying to adopt....and want the word to get out...

I have still been doing a ton of tutu's for our "Adoption Fund"....which makes it all worth while. Brienne and Reagan ask everyday when a new baby brother or baby sister will come. I've been telling them for years now that as soon as the right baby is ready for our family, Heavenly Father will send him/her to us. Unfortunately, it's even hard for Jens and I to be patient.

Happy Halloween!

2008-08-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Okay....I know that it's not really Halloween....but it is here at our house. I have been crazy busy with making and selling my Boutique Tutu Costumes. It is surprising how early people are buying their munchkins costumes. I am very grateful for the extra income, but I am also scared because my house will be destroyed until Halloween :=) I would also like to note that Bethi Baron is the great photographer for all my tutu outfits. She is awesome! Find her on my blog for all your picture needs....(a little advertising)

Bugs!

2008-07-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

So....my dear little busy Reagan decided that he needed to draw some bugs for me on our couch cushion with a PERMANANT MARKER! So, if anyone knows how to get that off of microfiber couch...let me know! So, we have had rocks that he drew on one couch cushion so that he could "rock climb", candy cane stripes, and now these "bugs"! He is keeping me very, very busy. But, I still love my little Reagan!

Happy 24th of July...Pioneer Day!

2008-07-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

I am so greatful to all the tough pioneers that walked with great faith. I don't think that I could do it. I was reading some pioneer stories to my kids this morning over breakfast, and I was reminded of some of the things that they went through! They are all truly my hero's! We have it so easy. I could not imagine what it was like. I need to remember these stories on days that I feel I have such a "hard life". Happy Pioneer's Day everyone!

Mini Vacation....

2008-07-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

So, I guess that it has been a while since I last posted. Sorry! It's Summer! Much going on...anyway, we went to Lake Havasu, AZ to see my dad's newest project this week. He and his brother are building a senior citizens place...and it looks fantastic! They did such a great job!

We spent a little time at the lake while there. Brienne was finished with the water as soon as she saw a large dead fish on the sand. She was literally standing paralized screaming, and everyone was looking at us like we were from another planet. She ended up scaring Reagan out of the water as well. So, the lake visit wasn't too long. Oh well!

My Newest Tutu Creations...Thanks to Elizabeth "Bethi" Baron for such great Photo's!!

2008-07-02T16:05:00.001-07:00

Hair Cut Anyone?

2008-06-27T23:26:00.000-07:00

So, Reagan is our newest ..."fur & whisker-stylist". Reagan, our busy little 3 year old boy was on on his own for about 30 seconds....I then walked into the living room, and noticed fur clumps everywhere. I looked for Jack the Cat. When I found him, I saw where he got "trimmed" on his beautiful white fur coat, and then I saw IT.......HIS WHISKERS WERE CUT OFF!! Oh...Reagan keeps me very busy! So, if you or your pet need a trim-Reagan would be happy to help! Poor Jack! It is a good thing he is an indoor kitty....other cats would make fun of him if they saw him like this.

Happy Birthday Julie Kohler!!

2008-06-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Julie! Hope you have a Happy, Happy Birthday! You are such a dear friend and you deserve a great day! Enjoy!

You Know You Best!!

2008-06-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

(Sorry to Julie, Rachael, and Danielle....who get to hear all about this again...) As some of you know, I have been trying to get answers about a lot of symptoms that I have been having. Including, but not limited to, weight gain, tiredness, anxiety, panic attacks, getting sick often, not being able to sleep, etc, etc, etc.....Well, I went to a doctor here, whom I have really liked as a doctor. I explained all the symptoms, told him about some things that I found on the internet (of course) and asked him if I could get certain tests done. After all was said and done...he thinks that I am crazy, and I need some mental help or something. My blood tests came back normal, except a little anemia, but I knew that wasn't everything. I knew something else was going on. He wouldn't get anymore tests and I think that he is now irritated at me for pushing.

So, I heard about a great doctor from a friend at Costco, and I decided to give her a try. She listened to everything I had to say. Jens and I were in there for a good 45 minutes talking to her. Anyway, she felt my thyroid glands, because I told her that I thought I had a problem with my thryoid. She agreed that they felt very large. She ordered more blood work, but that too came back normal. But, did she stop there?? No!!! She then ordered an ultrasound on my neck...and guess what??? My thyroid gland measured too large, and there was also a lump, which she will be watching.

Why do I share this with everyone? Because....if you or someone you know has gone to doctors, where they just brush you off and tell you that you are fine, when you know that you aren't...don't be afraid to get 2,3, 4 different opinions. I kinda felt disloyal or something to the first dr.??

I am feeling so blessed that I pushed for months for some answers and I finally recieved them. I am now on medication and need to wait a few weeks to start feeling better. I know that if I took what the first dr. was telling me and went home, I would continue to get sicker and sicker. So, please...pass this on! It is sooo important. You know you best!!

Graduation!

2008-06-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

Yay....Brienne just "graduated" from her Calvert Homeschool Kindergarten! Brienne has worked really hard with her school work, and is a very smart girl. With the Utah laws, Brienne's birthday fell a few weeks short of the cut-off date to put her in public school last year. She was sooo ready for school, so I began homeschooling her. This year she has learned to read, do addition, subtraction, telling time, and money. We are sooo proud of her. If I were to send her to public school, she would be just starting Kindergarten. So, we are excited that she is ahead and ready to begin Calvert 1st Grade! Good Job Brienne....we love you! (She loves reading my blog).

Meet The Newest Member of The Family......

2008-06-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

Meet "Jack"...the newest member of the family! I know...you can see the Lovell in him, can't you? Well, we got really lucky here. I called around to a few places for kittens that were in the paper. The first call was to a gentleman who was a little bit "odd"...he called his cats FLDS cats...so I ran from that one. Then the next call was to a lady, and she heard my kids in the background and she asked how old they were. I told her 5 & 3...and she told me that they were too young for her. I was soooo irritated! So, we decided to go to the St.George shelter. Well...there was only 1 kitten, and many other cats. They were all content except this cute white cat. He was really loud, looked uncomfortable, kept putting his arm out and would grab our fingers and pull them into his cage. When we found out that he was just brought in from a family who's daughter was too allergic to him, he was neutered and declawed! Amazing!! Well, he was the winner. He would save us a lot of money....so we thought! When we got home, we called the management office where we live and asked if we needed to sign any paperwork. Well, we knew that we needed to pay a little extra a month to have a cat, but we got the shocking news that there was a HUGE deposit that we had to put down as well! We about died when we heard the amount. So, we are calling that our "Savings Account" for when we move out.

But, we love him. He is more like a dog. He loves to be rubbed on his belly. He follows us everywhere. He sleeps with the kids every night. So, we are excited to have a new little member of the family!

I've Been Tagged.....8 Things.....

2008-06-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks Brandi for the Tag :=)

8 Things I'm Passionate About..........

1. My Husband (he is my Best Friend in the whole wide world)
2. My 2 beautiful children (not a dull moment)
3. My family...everyone else
4. The Gospel
5. My Boutique Tutu business
6. Shopping/Selling on Ebay
7. Bike Riding with the fam
8. Lap Swimming

8 Songs I Can Listen To Over and Over Again.....

1. "Everything" Michael Buble
2. "Feeling Good" Michael Buble
3. "Fever" Michael Buble....yeah...I love his music :=)
4. "American Soldier" Toby Kieth (for my honey)
5. "There You'll Be" Faith Hill (I cry everytime)
6. "Don't Take The Girl" McGraw (sorry...I am a country fan)
7. "I'm A Survivor" Reba McEntire
8. "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye" Patty Loveless

The Past 8 Books I Have Read.....

1. "An Inconvenient Book", Glenn Beck-currently
2. The Book of Mormon, currently
3. "The Boss of You", Lauren Bacon
4. "The Ultimate Career", Daryl Hoole(Love)
5. "15 Secrets to a Happy Home", Janene Baadsgaard
6. "Good Credit is Sexy", Kristy Welsh
7. Lots of Kid Books
8. ...More kid books

8 Things I Say Often........

1. "Hurry"
2. "Stop That"
3. "I Love You"
4. "Knock It Off"
5. "That's Great!"
6. "No"
7. "Let's Go"
8. "Kiss, Kiss"

8 Things That Attract Me To A Friend.....

1. Not judgemental
2. Same tastes
3. Easy to Talk to
4. Listens
5. Respects my beliefs
6. Fun
7. Can laugh at stupid things
8. Is "human"

8 Random Things About Me....

1. I worry about Everything
2. I love being artistic
3. I can be a little "hormonal"
4. My family is my life
5. I am not good with $$$$
6. I love chocolate
7. I love to workout (I know...they don't mix)
8. I write lists for everything

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die....

1. I want to travel with my hubby
2. I want to travel with my kids & hubby
3. Own a successful business
4. Get in Shape
5. Adopt
6. Own horses
7. Do A Triathalon
8. Para-Glide

8 Things I Have Learned this Past Year....

1. Life Goes Too Fast
2. You have to fight for answers
3. People are human
4. I hate moving without a moving company
5. Chocolate really tastes good when stressed
6. Sleep is nice...when you can get it
7. "Things" are not important
8. My family is the most important thing to me

People I tag....

1. Julie Kohler
2. LeAnn Knighton
3. Brittany Harney
4. Michele Boatright
5. Erin Watts
6. Jen Bulkley

Have Fun!!

Barnes and Noble's Grand Opening!!

2008-05-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

So, our family is very excited for the Grand Opening of Barnes and Noble Bookstore! We went there last night for the Grand Opening. The mayor spoke for a little bit, then they had the ribbon cutting....but most importantly...Clifford, the Big Red Dog was there giving autographs. So, Brienne and Reagan got their faces drawn on...Brienne got a big red paw print, and then Reagan got Clifford's face . They had a good time, but we will need to go back when we have some $$$ to spend.

Congrats Danielle & Mike!!!!

2008-05-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

So, my sister Danielle had her baby boy! Finally! All you that saw her, noticed that she was getting a little large. So, she has finally had some relief! Anyway, she named her beautiful Baby Boy, Desmond Koa Rees. Desmond is Mike's middle name, and Koa came from ????? He was born at 2:49am, today May 20th, and weighed 8 lbs 12 oz, and was 21" long. We were a little shocked that he was not around 10 lbs and 9oz like Kayden was, like we were expecting. She had a great delivery...it was about 6 hours total (makes me jealous), and no tearing at all (nice). Anyway, we are all excited to welcome a new little baby boy in the family! Congrats Danielle and Mike! We love you guys!

Play the Piano????

2008-05-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

I just got a new calling....I am now the Primary Pianist. I was shocked to find out that there are only 4 piano players in the whole ward. I got cornered our first day there when they saw that we were a new family, and the first question was, "Do you Play the Piano?". So, since I couldn't lie...especially in the church building....I reluctantly said yes, but I made sure that they knew Jens plays the piano as well. HaHa....I even purposely left out on the "new ward member" paper that I could play because I haven't even touched a real piano in about 2 years, and I don't like to accompany...I just Love to play Sheet music. So, when I said that I would accept the calling, I made them give me a key to the church so that I can practice weekly, especially since they learn a new song every week. But, I enjoy playing the piano and so it is nice to be able to go over there, by myself, to sit and play.

My Little Chefs.............

2008-05-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

My kids LOVE to cook, and Jens is so patient with them. He allows them to cook with him anytime they want, where as I am always in too big of a hurry to have little helping hands. I need to start allowing them to help out more....especially since they won't always want to. They are really cute chefs though!

Happy Birthday, Babe!!

2008-05-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

So, Saturday was Jens' 30th birthday! Whew! (Yeah...I am a little late on the blog). Since he looks at my blog while he is at work...I want him to know that I love him! He is my Sexxy Hottie! I am so proud of his willingness to serve our country...everytime they call him up. He has sacrificed so much for our country and our family. He is the greates husband and daddy! Jens...Happy Birthday & I Love You!! Kiss, Kiss

Ride 'Em Cowboy......

2008-04-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Reagan ran off to go and put on his cowboy boots and hat. Then he decided that Shadow needed to be his horse. I guess we better take our kids for a "real" horse ride. (Pardon the mess...those are my D.I. bags that need to be taken)

Babysitting.....

2008-04-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Actually, I guess you would call this DogSitting. Anyway, we are watching our neighbor's dog, Shadow, until Wednesday. Brienne and Reagan have been talking about this for 3 days now (they are big animal lovers). This is a "Service" dog. Our neighbor is mostly deaf, so she was allowed a dog. We took her with us on one of the bike trails and she had a blast and so did the kids.

Great Bike Trails...

2008-04-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

We are really enjoying the bike trails that are over here. We rode to the Dixie Center and back this morning. It was fun...but once again...the WIND! It was out of control. And now my buttocks are sore from riding against the wind...it ended up being a good workout anyway.

Family BBQ....

2008-04-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Well, we had my entire family come over for a BBQ at one of the pools here. We can reserve the BBQ area(s) anytime (which is really nice). This particular pool, my dad designed a few years ago, so it was fun for him to see it again. We had a good time except the wind...it felt like Tehachapi all over again! We had food flying everywhere, but, we were able to eat a little bit. All the kids enjoyed swimming...until they got out of the pool where the wind froze them. So, we will have to try it again another day!

Both kids were doing something with their teeth...oh well......

Our View....

2008-04-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

Just catching up on the photos...sorry. Anyway, this is the view that we have from our balcony. It looks out at Washington Fields. I just love looking out (of course the camera got it a little closer), but I love seeing the white steeples out among the green fields and against the red mountains.

Pics of Our New Place....

2008-04-20T14:49:00.001-07:00

We are soooo not done with Brienne's room....we need to find some Wallies to put on her wall, and decide on a theme...for now it is just pink/white.

2008-04-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

Reagan's Bedroom...I found these great Wallies murals for his room since he is really into Knights and Castles right now. Cute eh?

Pics of New Place....

2008-04-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

So....I have promised my cuz, Brandi, some pics of new house...so here they are. Please keep in mind, that we are not finished yet. And I left out the master because, you really don't want to see that yet...still full of boxes, laundry, etc. First is what you see when you walk into our home. And I love that I can do dishes while talking to people. Something we couldn't do in our last house.

Update......

2008-04-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Well, we are pretty much all moved in. We have been taking the opportunities that are here for us. We have been riding our bikes on the bike trails (which are so beautiful), rock-climbing at the rock-climbing park here, swimming, flying kites, gardening, basically anything outdoors. We love it. I think that we were getting into a rut at PVTH, and this change was sooo good for us! We are excited for all the things for us to do here, not to mention the quick drives to go shopping, dr.'s, etc...the $$$ saving on gas in another excitement! We also love our new ward. The kids absolutely enjoyed Primary...finally. All you in CC2, know how many little munckins there are in primary, and it can be very overwhelming at times. So, we are excited for a normal sized Primary. And...people knew that we were "new" in the ward. They immediately sang a song to Brienne and Reagan in Primary to welcome them into the ward. That was great...and guess what?? There are actually a lot of youth in ward! Yay!! So, we are loving where we are. I am glad that we have these blogs to share different events and things going on in our lives with all our family and friends. Until next time......

Weight Loss Wars...........

2008-04-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

So, I learned about a fun website for those people that are trying to lose some extra lbs. It is a site where you can have all your friends and family have weight loss competitions, you can post recipes, weight loss, etc...You all should check it out. I would love to have some people join (it is free), and we can get a group started. Go to www.weightlosswars.com/soldiers_proud_wife (my username). There is a place where you can click on to be added to my friends list.

Swimming @ Our New Place

2008-04-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of the kids swimming w/Uncle Tanner & Aunt Tiana yesturday. It was a sunny, but cold day and the water was freezing...but they refused to end their fun.

Home Sweet Home.....

2008-04-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

So, we are finally moved in..if that is what you call it. We are living out boxes right now, but I did get the kitchen unpacked (Yeah). This was a very hard move; working around Jens' work schedule and everyone else's schedules, etc. It seemed to take forever! I am looking forward to getting everything unpacked and get settled. So far, we absolutely LOVE our new house. We took about a half hour and let the kids play at the park that we have here, just so that they could unwind. It sure was nice getting there by walking about 1 minute. Brienne and Reagan love their new home as well. When I went back to PVTH to clean the house, Brienne kept crying because she wanted to go back to our "new" house. So, I guess that is a good sign. We are taking the kids swimming tomorrow at our pool in between unpacking, so I will have to take some pictures and post them. Until then.....

Sigh............

2008-03-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

Well, everyday this week I have been seeing, thinking, dreaming CLEANING! Gotta Love It! Dang, I forgot how much I hate this part of moving. If only I looked as happy and cute as this adorable retro woman. Oh well...just a few more days! We are getting anxious to be done with all this and be moved. We are at that point now. We are being told that we could move in as early as April 3rd. Whew!!

Rumor Has It.....

2008-03-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yep...It is true....we are moving! But, we are still going to be in St.George. We are just moving closer to SkyWest, and closer to Dr's, shopping, bike trails, etc....so that we can save $$$ on gas. We have to be moved into the other place by April 19th,...(Newest Update...April 5th, we are moving now) . We are excited to have 300 sq.ft more and be able to have a small pet, which Brienne is absolutely thrilled about. There will be a lot for our family to do together there and we are looking forward to a change. We will miss all our friends here in PineValley, but I know that we will be keeping in touch. Anyway, there is our latest news!

A Long Time Awaiting.....

2008-03-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

Okay...not for me , but for Brienne and Reagan. They have been so excited to see "Horton Hears a Who". We tried to see it on opening day...big mistake. It was sold out by 3:45pm. So, since Jens has a night off we will be going to see it tonight. The kids have been checking out any Horton, or Dr.Suess books at the library in prepration for this movie...funny. So, hopefully it will be as good as they think it will be.

Happy St.Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

This a picture that I took of Brienne and her 2 girl cousins, Dalynn & Marshae..I made them their own little tutu's for today! Cute!

Happy St.Patrick's Day everyone! Here is my latest boutique tutu! Love!! Brienne and Reagan have been on one today...probably from the gold chocolate coins that they woke up to today from the leprachan's. We put our shoes outside, so that we could get a visit from the leprachan's. They also sprinkled a little green magic in our kitchen because our breakfast of pancakes and eggs had all turned green. Brienne was a little bit disturbed by the green eggs...oh well. We still have had fun.

An Easter Creation....

2008-03-15T00:05:00.001-07:00

So, here is one of my Boutique Custom Tutu outfits...for Easter. I thought Brienne was adorable in it.

A few Pics...

2008-03-10T00:13:00.000-07:00

These are just a few pictures that we took at the wedding reception of Brienne and Reagan and their cousins, Dalynn, Kayden, and Marshae. They are all growing up way too fast!

We're Home!

2008-03-08T12:13:00.001-08:00

Well, we made it home! It was fun, but started off a bit stressful. W arrived at the St.George airport, and because we get flight benefits...we are not first priority, so we couldn't get on the filght that we scheduled because there were no more seats left. We waited around for the next one, and we were the very last people that they would take on that flight...so we were able to get up to SLC on Thursday, a little bit later than we planned. (Apparently everything was booked because of Spring Break...duh). Anyway, we arrived to SLC airport and waited around for our luggage for a very long time. After about 1 hour + we finally went to the desk to find out about our luggage. We learned that they didn't even load our luggage on our flight. We had everything in there for our trip...oh except, I had our toothbrushes in one of my carry-on bags. So, we were pretty stressed out (okay...I was stressed out; Jens kept saying that there were no worries). Anyway, after getting to our hotel, I was pondering the situation and started to get a little bit excited because shoot...this meant that I had to go clothes shopping. The excitement ended when a few hours later we got a call saying that our luggage had finally arrived to SLC. Oh well.

The cake arrived a few hours later with my sister, Rachael. Unfortunately, the cake slid around...it also melted slightly...it wasn't the cake that I had made before we left. But, we made it work. Well, that is our trip in a nut shell...we wish that we could have stayed longer. It wasn't a really relaxing trip, so we will have to do it again soon...without a wedding cake to worry about.

Looking forward to Thursday....

2008-03-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

Well, we are very much looking forward to this Thursday....as crazy as it is, this will be our 1st "family vacation" since Jens got back. We will be heading to SLC for a family friend's wedding. We will be using Jens' flight benefits (yeah) to go up there and actually get to stay at a hotel, Brienne is especially excited for that part. As excited as I am, I am also very stressed out...I am making the wedding cake! She is a country girl and she wants brown fondant and sunflowers. I have had a heck of a time trying to find Brown Fondant, so I ended up making my own. When I get the cake all done, I will have to post pictures...if it turns out :)

2008-02-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

I am just trying to do a little bit of catch up for this last year. This is a picture that we had taken just a little bit before we lost Brookelynn. We hiked around Zions and had a great time!