Strawberry Reservoir Trip

Mara, Aniston, and Kylee crawdad hunting.


Jeremy and Ethan fishing.


I caught the only fish-and it was a big one. It was so big it broke my line and got away.


Cade, Aaron and Austin fishing in the early morning fog.


Aaron, on the cover of GQ Fisherman.


The main room of the cabin.


The kitchen.


Jade sitting up all by herself.


Jen and Jeremy during our scooter races.


Aaron racing on the scooter. He was pretty amazing, won most all of the races around the patio.


Mara's grandparents' cabin from the bottom of the hill.


Me standing by Strawberry Reservoir.


Aaron at Strawberry Reservoir.


Jade playing in her pack-n-play.

October 13-19, 2008: This week has been a busy one, full of work and play. Aaron left for California on Monday and was gone til late Wednesday night. In the mean time I worked Sunday and then had ACLS classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The grandmas were nice enough to watch Jade while I did class all day. She seemed to do really well at both houses. I did notice that Jade is starting to sit up by herself. She requires some assistance but for the most part she does it on her own. You just have to watch her close cause she tips over easily.
On Thursday, we met up with the Sorensen clan around 3:30pm and headed to Strawberry Reservoir. Mara's grandparents own a cabin up there and they let us borrow it for the weekend. Their cabin is very large, has 5 bedrooms and serveral bathrooms, not to mention a huge loft, kitchen and grandroom. It fit us all really well. Every family had their own room so we could lock the babies away for naps. Plus there was plenty of room to play and eat in. The cabin sits up on a hill that overlooks the reservoir but the walk is only about 15 minutes to get to the water.
Thursday night we all just played around the cabin and had dinner. Each family was in charge of specific meals which means we had lots of food and snacks. For Roanne's turn she made homemade lasagna and breadsticks. Yummy! The boys ordered Dish so they could watch the football games all weekend and we just hung out watching tv and playing games. Mara's grandparents also own these small scooters that you rock back and forth in and they move. I think we spent all of Friday afternoon having races around the patio. One morning, Austin, Aaron, Cade and I got up early and went fishing. The lake was covered it fog. It was really pretty especially as the sun came up. The only bad part was the lack of fish. I was the only one to catch one. Jade did really well while up at the cabin. She stayed on schedule and would take her naps really well. She also can officially sit up by herself. She did it all weekend. It was all of a sudden she could just do it by herself. It was fun to see her with all the cousins. There was just so much excitement and things to see all the time that she had a blast just watching everyone. We brought up her exer-saucer and she sat there for hours on end just watching people run by. She was a great baby and we had a lot of fun with her there. All in all it was a fun weekend and a great time being with the Sorensen family.

Jade is 4 Months Old

October 5-12, 2008: We found out that Jade loves to take showers. I put her in the Bumbo and stick her in the corner of our shower with the adjustable shower head and she loves it. She doesn't mind getting her face wet and tries to drink the water from the shower head. She would sit there until the water ran cold. It's fun to watch her.


Jade is four months old. I took her in for her three mnonth check up a month late because I didn't think they would give her the shots she needed due to a runny nose. However, I learned that only a fever will keep her from getting shots. I'm glad we went because we found out Jade has bilateral ear infections. That could explain the continual nasal congestion she has had for the last month. I hope she hasn't had ear infections that long. Poor baby. I feel like such a bad mother. I should have known. But other than a runny nose and being occasionally more ornry than normal, she didn't have any other symptoms. She is getting pretty big though. She weighs 15.9lbs and is in the 75th percentile for her head circumference, weight and height. The pediatrican was very impressed at how well she seems to be progressing and even said she was advanced for her age.


Ethan Sorensen's birthday was on the 7th. He turned 5 years old. We went over to Jen and Jeremy's house and had cake and ice cream. It was fun to watch Jade amongst all the kids. She was very intent on watching what all the kids were doing and if she could have walked, I'm sure she would have gotten right up and played with them all. She loved being there.

On Friday, Jade and I went over to Grandma Gunn's house all day. We went to JCPenny's and shopped for about 4 hours and Jade did exceptionally well. She played in her stroller the entire time while Mom and I tried on clothes. While we were in the dressing room, Jade pooed her pants. I pulled her out to change her and realized the poo was all the way up her back. Unfortunately mom was out getting more clothes and so I didn't have any help. I normally could do it on my own but this particular poo was runny and all over. I couldn't change her without getting it all over her or the carpet. Fortunately, mom came in time to help me and we were able to clean her up pretty well, but it was gross. That's a great reason why I always keep an extra pair of clothes in a plastic bag in her diaper bag.

On Saturday I put Jade in the Bumbo and gave her cereal with a spoon. She did really well. The bumbo is the greatest invention. It has saved my sanity and Jade loves it.

More Pictures!

Okay, so blogspot wouldn't let me put more pictures on that one entry. So here are some more.



It was Sunday morning and we decided to play without clothing...except on Jade's head!


Jade loves taking baths! She was probably a fish in her previous life :)


Just hanging out after bath time. Look at the huge bum! She gets it from her dad! :)


Sitting in a bumbo. These things are great. It suctions around her so that she can sit up by herself. Yeah!!!!


Asleep in Grandpa Gunn's arms. It's a miracle. She never does that.


Grandpa Gunn took that picture while Aaron and I were in NYC...to make us homesick!


Having a sleepover with Grandpa and Grandma Gunn while Aaron and I were in NYC.
There is a super cute video of Jade and Grandpa hanging out in bed together.


Jade in the bumbo with her cousin Boston on the left and Tylar on the right.


Aunt Cierra was watching tv with Jadester and she feel asleep in her arms. Poor smooshed thing!

Random Pictures

Here are some random pictures that I took throughout the month of September that I didn't add to any blog entry.


Pretending like Jade is a seal and balancing stuff on her forehead.


Jade likes to drink her bottle with her foot cocked up on something.



Pictures of Jade's room all decorated.


The front of our house. Nice green lawn.



Super Jade with her pink cape and amazing head holding abilities.

Happy Anniversary!

September 28-October 4, 2008: This has been a very busy week. I'll just recap the highlights.
Sunday 28th, Aaron and I were released from our Primary calling. We taught the CTR 5C class for 2 years. Basically since we have been married. We had some good times teaching that class. Some of my favorite memories are: Carson wanting to answer Dalton's question for a piece of candy and him getting so frustrated that he almost pucked, Aaron almost killing Dalton for karate-chopping him in the throat, Richie playing Simon says and being a "Bee". Buzz Buzz Buzz Sting!, Aaron and Carson playing Wolverine and having to have his "claws" taken away or the time that the class was so out of control that all we could do was sit there and laugh. Well at least I did.
Those were fun times. However, I am ready for a change and would like to know the ladies of the ward a little better. So when we got released I was hoping that I would be called into the RS. However, the bishop had different plans. I was called to be the Primary Chorister for both Junior and Senior Primary. Aaron was called as First Counselor to the Young Men. I was a little disappointed but figured that is where I am supposed to be right now. I think Aaron is a little nervous but excited to be doing something new and something with the young men. He will be really good at it. I'm excited for him!
Monday 29th: Was our 2nd wedding anniversary. Aaron surprised me by taking Jade and I up to Park City for the evening. We went to Baja Cantina, our favorite Mexican restaurant and walked around downtown until Jade fell asleep in the stroller. Aaron then took us to our hotel room were we spent the night. It was fun to just get away even if it was for one night. The room ended up being so small that Jade slept in the bathtub. We placed lots of blankets in the bottom and she fell right to sleep. That way we could also shut the door and not hear her make every little noise.

While we were getting Jade ready for bed, we took some fun shots of her on her tummy. She moves her legs a lot lately while on her tummy and she kept sticking her butt up in the air. I just had to taken a dozen pictures. It was too cute to pass up!




Tuesday 30th: Roanne invited the daughter-in-laws and children out to lunch at the country club they are members of. I accidently forgot about the lunch date and didn't remember until about 20 minutes before I was supposed to meet them. Unfortunately with getting Jade and myself ready to go, I was super late. We decided that I would just meet them at the country club and they would get started without me. In my rush to get there, I didn't see the motorcycle cop pulled over scanning people. Of course I was going 55 in a 35 and got pulled over. I did end of getting a ticket but luckily he only wrote it for 5mph over the speed limit. Aaron says that I should throw out the fact that I am a RN at JVH but this was a Sandy cop and I figured he would be partial to Alta View Hospital, so I didn't say anything. I should have though. Maybe it would have saved me a ticket and traffic school.
Needless to say, I didn't enjoy lunch as much after that. Jade did really well though, at least in comparison to Tylar Sorensen who cried the entire time. For the most part Jade is a very good natured baby and rarely cries. I think I credit the fact that she is on a good schedule. Way to go Babywise!

Friday October 3rd: Jade is not feeling very good today. She has had a runny nose off and on for the past two weeks but nothing to be concerned about,. However today she seems really congested. She has a hard time eating she's so congested. That only makes her ornry. Of course she has to be ornry for picture day. Grandma Bills has been insistent that we get a Four Generation picture taken before the end of summer. So with the leaves changing colors, we decided to go up to the canyon and have Dad take some digital pictures. We went up Provo Canyon at Vivian Park and were able to get some cute pictures. However Jade doesn't like to cooperate. She was either too busy looking at people passing by, or the water or putting her hands in her mouth. Then if it wasn't Jade, it was one of us out of place. So it was difficult ot get a really good shot of all 4 of us. Maybe we will have to try again when Jade is older.

Saturday 4th: Today was the Saturday session of Conference. I think I appreciate conference more and more the older I get. It was the first conference with President Thomas S. Monson as prophet. It has been a hard adjustment not having President Hinckley as the prophet and I have prayed and fasted multiple times to have a personal witness that President Monson is supposed to be our prophet now and I think I recieved that confirmation today while watching conference. It wasn't anything big, just a peaceful feeling when he spoke that he was in the right position. It was a good feeling and one that I hope grows as I listen to him speak more as the prophet. Tonight all the ladies went out to dinner during Priesthood session. We ended up at Jason's Deli for salad bars. Jade was super cute and of course the center of attention but because Jade is so congested she also became ornry super fast. So after dinner, instead of going shopping or to a movie, like we have in the past, Jade and I just went home and I put Jade down to bed early. I think she needed it because she went right down. Poor thing. I hope this is nothing more than her teething and not something else like an ear infection.

Here are a few pictures of Jade while at Jason's Deli.

Spiral Getti

September 26, 2008: Tonight Aaron, Jade, Austin, Erica (Austin's latest girlfriend) and I went to the Spiral Getti. Aaron and I first found out about it while we were dating. We were looking for a fun place to just cruise to and I found directions on how to get to the Spiral Getti. The Spiral Getti is a manmade sculpture made back in the 1950's out in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. Depending on how high the water is depends on how far out you can go. It is shaped in a large concho shell and you can walk out on it depending on how high the water is at that particular moment. Getting to it is pretty tricky because the directions are pretty random. I think one says, "go straight past the second cattle guard and there should be a large wooden post at your right. Take the small dirt road and take a left after 2.5 miles." When we did it there were tons of jackrabbits on the road and several times we saw owls swoop down and pick up field mice. It was a really fun trip so when Erica and Austin heard our story, they wanted to go. So we took them. It was later in the year than when we went last so there wasn't as much wild life. We saw jackrabbits but not nearly as many as last time and we never saw any owls. We were able to find it and walked out to the very center. We had a really good time and it was a great way to get to know Erica better. Jade did really well. She pretty much just slept the entire way.



This is a picture of us standing outside the Golden Spike Monument. One of the various landmarks on our way to the Getti. Cute little Jade in her beanie!

I'm A Horrible Mother!

September 24th, 2008: So with Aaron being out of town for several days, trying to get Jade back on schedule, and working two days in a row 1800-0600, I'm exhausted!!!! This morning I fell into a stupor around 6:30am and didn't even hear Aaron get up to go to work. Supposedly Aaron gave Jade a bottle before he left for work and then I guess she fell back to sleep because I didn't hear anything until 9am when I woke up to her crying. However, I was so tired that while I laid there thinking about getting Jade up, I feel back to sleep. I didn't wake up until 10am. When I walked into her room she was just laying there "talking" to herself. I wonder if she had just been lying there for the last few hours while she waited for her horrible mother to wake up and come get her. Needless to say, I felt pretty awful. What a good baby and what I neglectful mother I am!!!!