Baddley In Love!

Updates of all kinds!

2011-12-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

Annual North Logan Pumpkin Walk!

2011-11-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

It's about time I post something. My dear friend, Amelia, was so kind to take pics of Cambry during our Pumpkin Walk so now I have something to blog about! Thank you Amelia!

Cambry had lots of fun posing for the pics. Some of them didn't really turn out but I thought were just as cute as the ones that did. :) Enjoy!

Cambry's 1st Birthday!

2011-07-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you to family who came up all this way to see our little girl! It was so great to be able to spend some good times with family. Here are some pics from the party :) (Thanks Steph for taking all these pics for me!) We love Cambry and are so eternally grateful that she can be ours forever! (Oh and yes, I made the cake all by myself, decorated and everything!)

Computer Broken...

2011-05-19T14:27:00.002-07:00

So my computer's broken. Yep, dead, won't turn on at all. Luckily I have a wonderful husband who knows computers and will help get all of my documents/pictures/etc off the dead computer. So until then I will have nothing new to report besides Cambry of course getting cuter and cuter everyday. I can't wait for her 1st birthday! I'm already planning the cake, etc. Though...if you do have any creative/good ideas for other things like decorations or what we should do suggestions are definitely welcome :). Happy day to you all!

Between being sick and walking...

2011-04-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY finished the curtains for Cambry's room. They look more like shower curtains but oh well, my first sewing project ever is finished!!!!

Learning guitar with Daddy!

Still Not Crawling!

2011-04-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

But She is Walking!

She'll be doing a marathon by next year!

She's the cutest ever!

6.5 months (continued)...

2011-02-19T11:57:00.001-08:00

6.5 months!

2011-02-18T16:01:00.001-08:00

Befores/Afters and (of course) Cambry Updates!

2011-01-26T11:35:00.000-08:00

1st: Jason's had this flag and frame from when he was in the Air Force. Jason's never really liked how it was put together, and therefore never wanted to display it. So for Christmas I decided to refurbish it for him (with the help of others) and it looks great now (and is displayed proudly!).

Before

After

2nd: Right after Christmas break we moved from Aggie Village to the Townhomes...SO nice!!!

Before

After

New Updates:

After we moved in to the Townhomes Jason was hooking up our washer. He turned off the little lever by the hose hook-ups but it wasn't really working so he thought he could be fast enough to just quickly hook up the hose while the water was coming out, which might have worked had Niagra Falls not been hooked on the other end! The water pressure was too much that he was not successful. So instead we had a very fun and eventful morning!

Fun Cambry Updates:

(She's going to try the skeleton next...)

Showing off what Great Grandma Stewart got her!

Eating is tiresome work!

Doctrine & Covenants 11:21

2011-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

I was reading an article on lds.org titled The Savior, the Master Teacher, by Elder Jay E. Jensen. There was a scripture that he referred to in his talk that I hope to live by, for the sake of my children:

“Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men”

If we obtain His word first, only then can we know how to share it. We have to know what we're sharing before we can know how to share it with others. I'm going to try to memorize this scripture and its reference because something else that Elder Jensen mentioned in his talk was that citing scripture is much more powerful than if we just paraphrased. We and others will "...be certain that Jesus is the Christ when we read, study, and cite—not paraphrase—holy writ to strengthen ourselves and others."

This is one of my new goals.

NC House Sold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-01-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

It was the most amazing feeling when we got the check in the mail of the proceeds from the house. But now we really can rest easy and not hesitate to celebrate because we just view our mortgage account and it said, and I quote, "Principal Balance: $0.00". We are officially done!!!! This passed year has been quite the nightmare with this house. We fasted and prayed, along with all of our family (Thank you!) and it sold within 1 month of our initial fast. Our goal was to have it gone by January. Now it's gone and we don't have to worry about it any more. We can actually pay off some of our debt and even save some! Our testimonies have definitely grown in this process, so for that I wouldn't take away our experience, however I don't ever wish it upon us again either! :)

My Parents...

2010-12-17T16:02:00.001-08:00

Not too many of you know that my dad has been out of a job for about 9 months now with some leads here and there but nothing panning out, continuing to get their hopes up. Just yesterday there was a really great opportunity for a job that my dad would be absolutely amazing at. But just like the others, this one didn't pan out. The thing I'm constantly amazed with is their ability, though hard to take rejection after rejection, to get back up and brush themselves off again praying for new opportunities for their future. There have been many things my parents have taught me, from how to most efficiently load a dishwasher to how to stay positive when you don't really feel like it. But the most important lesson that they've taught is one by example, how nothing, absolutely nothing would ever shake their testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel. A lot of people might turn cynical or frustrated with the lack of financial opportunity. However, my parents have been more blessed in ways that are only understood by those who have had to go without. Seeing the fruits of their selflessness: being a good neighbor, paying a full tithe (even when it's equivalent to the Widow's Mite), finding the positive things in life, counting blessings has been an amazing thing for me to witness. It's amazing how, though I have started my own family, I still lean on my parents for their strength, especially when they "should" be down and despaired. My parents are amazing people. They never complain about their circumstance. When they talk about it, it's more like a matter of fact than anything else. They live so close to the Spirit that I have no doubt whatsoever that they will be just fine and Heavenly Father will continue to take care of them has He always does to all of us. Especially during this season, go and hug your children with more ferver than you ever have before, testify to your friends and spouse of the truthfulness of the gospel and why, call your parents and tell them how much they have changed your life. It's better that we come together now than wait until later! I love my Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ for what they have done for me. They know me individually and answer my prayers. They give me the Holy Ghost to comfort me when I need Him there. And most of all, They have given me eternal life so that I might live with Them again and with my family forever.

Never mind...

2010-12-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

Well the days when Cambry puts herself to sleep is OVER! In fact, it's been taking 2-3 hours to put her to bed. She's asleep, we put her in her crib. She cries 10 - 20 minutes later. We put the pacifier back in, walk out. She cries immediately. We walk back in do it again, she cries immediately again. We walk back in and pick her up this time, bounce/rock her for a good 10 minutes and repeat the previous for the whole 2-3 hours. Now, one little disclaimer, I think that she has been battling bad gas which I'm sure is the cause but even with gas drops, she just has been having a really terrible time. (She was doing fine before we left last weekend.) Anybody have any suggestions??? (Remember, she is only 5 months...) Thanks in advance!

Our Family Video

2010-12-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

What we like to do in our spare time :)

Family Video

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Personalize your own free greeting card

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2010-12-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely LOVED this book! I have never been so sad to be finished with a book in my life. Though it has the longest title ever it was so well written and amazingly endearing. It's a book written through all letters to different people. I thought that it would be a difficult read or sort weird but it was enchanting, seriously! It made me want to go to Guernsey, England right now to seek out those who I have become friends with through reading this book. Thank you to Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece, Annie Barrows, for studying and researching so meticulously as to get the stories correct. The best part is that it's a true story! It does take place in post WWII England but despite that it has a rather cheery tone to the book, which I loved. Read it, it's totally worth it! I almost cried 3 times, two during the story (read it and you'll know why), and one when I was finished...

View all my reviews

Cambry goes to sleep by herself!!!

2010-12-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

'Nuff said! I can't believe it! This morning at 6:30am she woke up because she was hungry. I fed her and she wasn't falling back asleep though I could tell she was tired. I put her down all bundled up still awake in her crib. I was still tired, even if I got only 10 more minutes...well, 2 1/2 hours later, she woke up!!! I can't believe we have the best baby in the world! I didn't have to do the whole cry it out thing. She just decided on her own or something! I hope this lasts. One thing I know now that once I think some new development is here to stay, the next day it leaves! We'll see how long this lasts! :)

2010-11-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

Cambry has officially become the cutest baby on earth! Our condolences to all other babies who were in the running. We would say keep trying, but c'mon we all know the outcome will be the same. I'm just glad we're not biased at all - we're wise like that.

Cambry talking!

2010-11-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Shots...not so fun

2010-10-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

Although I'm a month late in getting Cambry her 2-month shots, she did receive them today. What a brave little girl! I should have brought my camera with me to the doctor's office but didn't think about it. She only cried a little while the nurse poked the 2nd and 3rd ones, then stopped after the bandaids were on. When we got home I took a pic, you can't even tell she had her shots today! Isn't that smile infectious!

Later in the afternoon they kicked in and she got real fussy. Hopefully tomorrow will be full of happiness again! :)

Here's a video of her sitting up (not on her own, of course), it's real exciting!

Updates of all kinds...

2010-10-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

Flowers from Jason for my birthday! He is seriously the best husband I could have ever imagined!

Cambry's walking already... :)

Cambry loves playing with Daddy!

And the most amazing present from my dad. We were able to custom order this, even down to what kind of wood we wanted. We wanted it to be darker so we picked Walnut. Then we got inspired by looking at Jason's uncle's children's crib (wow, that's a lot of possessives all in one sentence) for the overall design. This is us putting it together in Cambry's room. The following pics are of course trying to show it off... (The blanket being displayed was hand-made by Jason's mom. Thank you!) Enjoy!

Cambry is really starting to lift her head a lot! She doesn't like Tummy Time for too long, but has made HUGE improvements in such a small amount of time!

Family Pics...

2010-09-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Last week we were able to get some family pics taken by a friend here at USU. She did a great job! Thank you Stephanie Hyde!

My two most favorite people...

2010-09-08T16:49:00.001-07:00

Well, we've moved up to Logan, UT, put away almost all of the boxes, and grad school has started. We're doing pretty well here. We haven't met tons of people yet but we'll get there. :)
Here are some pics of our apartment. Our apartment is about 500 sq. ft., so VERY small! Due to this we've had to get creative with where our stuff should go. These are shelves that Jason cut, built, and put up by himself. (And yes, that's our washer in a closet...go 70's!Here are some pics from Cambry's blessing day as well. I don't know why but we never got just her or just Jason, her and I. But oh well, we're going to take a family pic this week :) Anyway, here is a pic of the Baddley's too.

Moving and Smiling...

2010-08-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

This week is our last week in Pleasant Grove and next week is our first week of living in Logan and Grad School! We're so excited for this change and very excited to be RAs. This means easier on our finances and more opportunity to meet people.

AND Cambry has been smiling more and more lately in response to us and our facial expressions. It's very exciting to see her more and more engaged in "conversation". We are so blessed to have her as part of our family. We'll try to get her on video soon.

A picture can say a million words...

2010-08-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well, only two come to mind, Time Out! Cambry received her first time out today. Can you see why???
I've heard of projectile vomit/spit-up, but never projectile POO! We cleaned up most of it before taking pictures, just because it was SO disgusting! I was just changing her diaper like always and just as I was all done wiping her bum from the poo she did in her diaper and was reaching for another clean diaper, she blew up!!! I was able to dodge that one. I called Jason in to help me clean it up because it got EVERYWHERE! He came in and she let it blow again, just as I was coming in her line of fire. Yep, she got me good, on my face, shirt, everywhere! (Thank goodness I closed my mouth in time). She even made it all the way to the bed! When I talked to her about it, she just smiled, no sorry or anything!...Hence her first time out!

Tummy Time!

2010-08-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

Cambry loves laying on her tummy but I thought that that was just because it was me she was laying on...Nope! She just loves laying on her tummy! What a strong girl!

And some other cute pics!

Cute cross-eyed baby!

First Time Bather...

2010-08-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Cambry had her umbilical cord fall off about four days or so ago and we gave her her first immersed bath! She loved it!

Sleeping on the Floor!

2010-08-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

This may not be a big deal to other mothers out there, but since we brought Cambry home she's been sleeping in the swing. I've been trying to let you have more floor time just so she can get used to sleeping on her back instead of reclined sitting. Today is the first time that it worked! She slept on the floor on her back! Yay! I can't wait for the crib (my dad's making it!) so that we can have her sleep in there and get used to that too! First things first...floor sleeping!

Swingin' Cambry!

2010-07-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Look Ma, no hands!

Right after we got home from the hospital we noticed that Cambry was not sleeping very well in our make-shift pack 'n' play bed, waking up every 30 minutes to 2 hours. So we decided to assemble the swing that we received from my sisters and it has been a miracle! Cambry sleeps for about 3-5 hours at a time now. She loves it!

More pics!!!!

2010-07-26T13:28:00.001-07:00

Cambry is here!

2010-07-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

6 days!!!!

2010-07-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

My last doctor's appointment was yesterday and we found out that I'm 3 cm and 75%! So that means that my doctor will induce me on Monday, July 19th if I don't go myself by Sunday!

I can't believe it! We will have Cambry here with us this time next week! We are so excited and having a hard time taking it all in. It's a very surreal experience...

Making Progress...

2010-07-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

One week and one day left!!!! The true realization of what is about to take place within the next two weeks (let's be honest, I have more potential of being late than early) has not really set in. I don't think it will until she's here and even then I'm sure we'll just stare at her all day wondering when we'll wake from this awesome dream come true!

My last doctor's visit we had to see the nurse practitioner because my doctor was delivering a baby at the time. So with the NP measuring I'm at about 2cm (which I'm wondering if that's accurate) and 75% effaced. So we'll see what my doctor says this next week! I'll keep you posted!

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

2010-07-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

I receive emails periodically from lds.org that features new videos or features of the website, etc. Well this morning I found this video in my inbox and after reading a note that Jason left for me before he left for work, I found myself full of tears even before I had eaten breakfast! I love Jason so much, for his constant diligence and perseverance in everything he does. I love our Heavenly Father for he has blessed us with so many things, especially Cambry. We are excited for her arrival and I'm more excited than ever to become a mother for I know that Heavenly Father will be with me through every step.

Oh, how I've grown...

2010-06-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm almost 37 weeks! I can't believe it! My mom and dad came down to help me pack up some non-essentials and get better organized so that moving in two months (one month after Cambry is finally here) won't be so stressful.

It's weird to go back and compare how I looked before to now. I thought I was huge back then, but I have been corrected...

(Sorry, the picture quality isn't that good, it's my fault, not our camera's!)

36.5 Weeks

32 Weeks

23 Weeks

Grand Junction Stewart Reunion 2010

2010-06-07T16:01:00.001-07:00

"Canyon in a Canyon"

Beautiful scenery at least

Too bad our "friends" who were taking the picture didn't get more of the scenery...oh well!

Beautiful!

It was tons of fun as you can see. It was the most perfect vacation that suited everyone so well. I can't wait for the next one, Ray and Julie! Cambry wouldn't mind celebrating her birthday during it--better than our anniversary again! :)

32 Weeks and abs of steel!

2010-05-24T20:18:00.001-07:00

We got a new camera and haven't really used it very much and I noticed that I had updated our blog with a pic of me in a long time. So here it is:

And I'm serious about the abs of steel, my stomach and very hard now-a-days! :)

Friends Showering...

2010-05-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who came to my shower! It was so much fun being with new and old friends together. We received awesome things such as: adorable little clothes, bows, booties, safety stuff, a humidifier, snotter (very useful!) and much more! And a special thank you to my amazing friend, Stephanie, who made it all happen, and with flair nonetheless! She worked hard and made everything look so flawless! Thank you 100 times over!

So Blessed...

2010-04-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

So Sunday morning comes and I'm mostly ready for church with an exception to make-up and hair, just reading the Ensign on the couch. Jason still needed to look over his lesson (he usually doesn't procrastinate that much, it's been an incredibly busy, crazy week). He comes over to me with his manual and asks me, "So did I do your feet well enough last night?" And I said, "Yeah...but just not long enough" and smiled. He sat next to me and said, "how about you read my lesson out loud and I'll finish rubbing your feet!"

I love the selflessness that can come so freely in a marriage, especially one that is bound and sealed eternally. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful, thoughtful husband, who cares more about my needs and comforts than his own. He has been working so hard lately getting ready for the GMAT (which he's taking on Wednesday, good luck honey!) and staying on top of his projects and his two classes! I can't express enough in words my love for him. All I can say is I love this man...

My Dad is cooler than your Dad....

2010-03-23T18:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, so maybe not totally, but my dad is pretty dang cool! Just look what he did! Now, can your dad do that from scratch?!

23 Weeks!!!

2010-03-23T18:35:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I'm just over half-way done! I can't believe that it's gone that fast. I'm getting so much more excited with every move she makes (Steph, this is where you start singing...) We're so incredibly blessed to be able to have Cambry with us forever. What a wonderful blessing it is to have the fullness of the gospel restored and know it's true! Here's a pic of me at 21 weeks, I haven't changed much in two weeks, so this will have to do for now :) And Happy Birthday GMA STEWART!!!!

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

So, most of you were right! We are having a girl! It was so amazing to see her in real-time. She was very active, kicking herself in her face and almost sucking her thumb!

Thank you for humoring us and making it more fun by voting what you thought it might be. Stay tuned for more info about my baby showers. I'll be needing addresses soon! :) Here are a couple of Cambry's first pictures:

2010-02-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

What you all are now looking at is not a figment of your imagination, but a snapshot of all of the loans we have through UCCU...You only see one account (our credit card which we never use)...

Our car USED to be on there but it has officially been paid off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How good it feels to be so much closer to "debt free" than we used to be!

Boy or Girl?!?!

2010-02-16T15:50:00.000-08:00

In 2 weeks we will find out if any of you were right in guessing boy or girl. March 3rd, 2010 is the day of our ultrasound...we'll see if our child takes after his father (shy) or his mother (basks in the spotlight)...

17 Weeks and a TURNIP!

2010-02-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

No one guessed Turnip...

Anyone know what a turnip is or how one is eaten????

Apparently it's bigger than an avocado...

16 Weeks and an AVOCADO!

2010-02-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry this is so late! I'll be better next week.

Stacey, I'm glad you were wrong! :)

So, Avocado this week, what fruit/vegetable next week????

Clarification...

2010-01-30T08:41:00.000-08:00

Just to let you all know, I was just kidding about the baby's gender being female... We're actually not sure yet, we haven't found out and we won't be able to until probably Week 20. But I think I'm kind of hoping for a girl first, but I'd just be happy with a healthy baby, whichever gender!

So, place your vote to the right and see if you're correct! I'll post the gender once we find out!

15 Weeks!

2010-01-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

Our little one is just cruising through the produce aisle...This week they are the size of an apple! Here's what BabyCenter.com has to say about what's going on in the womb:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam.
You all read it! It's going to be a girl! ;)

Last week it was a lemon, this week an apple...Any guesses to what it might be next week?!

14 Weeks and the 1st Craving!

2010-01-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor's today and heard the heart beat again, 151 bpm this time. We are so grateful to have a healthy baby, so far.

I'm so glad to be in the 2nd trimester now! I feel like I have more energy and motivation to do more things around the house (apt), but my appetite is still slow in coming back...I hope it does come back eventually! I still can't really do any version of ground beef, and therefore mexican food. But I had my first craving: Cheddar Cheese Pringles! Not sure why, but I guess I don't have to, I'm pregnant!

Christmas Down and No Camera...

2010-01-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

Hey Family and Friends! Being New Year's Day we took our Christmas tree down and all the decor that went with it. We are officially finished with Christmas this year, which is always bittersweet. But unfortunately through the holidays this year our camera decided to die, so I have no pictures of the holidays or of our newly "undecorated" apartment. If any of you have a camera you're not using and would like us to borrow it, we would be much obliged. :)

160 bpm

2009-12-21T18:48:00.001-08:00

Today Jason and I went to our first baby doctor's appointment. I didn't really know what to expect. I love my doctor and I'll be sad when we move to Logan and won't be able to see her anymore. But she wanted us to ask questions, anything. We couldn't really think of many, but then she said, "well, you want to listen to your baby's heart beat?" So she placed the doplar "machine" (thing) on my belly and we could only hear my heart beat for the first 3 minutes or so. She kept reassuring us that it sometimes takes a little while before its found, and even if it's not found, it doesn't mean that it's not there or alive or whatever. Well, Jason and I were VERY relieved when she found it and stopped on it for a little minute for us to take it in. I could've listened to that all day! I didn't cry, but how beautiful it is to be able to be a part of something so special! I am so blessed to be an entrusted vessel from our Heavenly Father. He entrusts us with His little ones...We are so blessed!

July 19th!

2009-12-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

I guess I neglected that small detail. I'm due July 19th. And yes, I'm announcing it kind of earlier than most people might, but being our first, why not?! I would rather everyone be excited with us than having to wait to tell people...I couldn't even wait four days, let alone 3 months!!! Anyway, y'all are great! Thanks so much for the congratulatory gestures. :)

Two Little Pink Lines!!!

2009-12-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard already from either my mom or Jason's mom, I'm totally PREGO!!!! We are so excited! We found out on the Friday before Thanksgiving (November 20, 2009). I know, I know, I waited that long before putting it on here, but I guess it's better late than never! So here's the story:

We were going to wait to tell our parents on Thanksgiving since we would see both parents during that weekend. But after going out shopping with Julie that same Friday night, it was too much for me to handle waiting more than the three days. So we ended up inviting the parents over for a dinner ("just to catch up", "it's been a long time") or so we told them. We put out little nut cups and put a pacifier in each of the mom's cup, an arrow in the dad's cup pointing to their respective wife's cup. The reaction was so perfect. They looked at Jason and I, then looked at each other and started crying! (The mom's that is :)). Since then I've been less sick than I thought I would be, but more sick than I would like to be... I'm excited for the second trimester so that I can look pregnant and not just feel pregnant!

80's Day!!!

2009-10-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

It's Red Ribbon Week (Drug-Free Week/Spirit Week) at Canyon Elementary where I work. Today was 80's Day...it's just so funny how the decade I grew up in is now not only a "new/trendy" fashion statement, it's being used as part of spirit week in schools! I don't know about the rest of you, but I hope to never really relive the true fashion of the 80's! Here's another teacher at my school and I trying to relive our 80's days! (I do have a side ponytail, you just can't see it)...

Moving...Again

2009-08-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday (two days ago), the Sherman's called and said that they were coming back about 1 1/2 months earlier than originally planned. So they gave our eviction notice: September 20th! Aaaggh! That wasn't part of the plan...but it will be nice to move into our own place!

That evening I made a few phone calls to different apartment complex offices and individuals, however it was after office hours...Dang! I was in "project mode" and nothing to do about it. I couldn't gain any ground, get any answers, look at any apts, or make any progress...

The next day, yesterday, I arranged 5 showings of apartments that evening. There were two in Orem, two in American Fork, and one in Pleasant Grove. (Why was I looking in AF and PG? I'm actually not quite sure...)

The two in Orem were nasty and gross and definitely not worth what they were asking for. We crossed those off our list

The two in American Fork were about the same in construction (what were they thinking in the 70's?) but one was priced better than the other, so we crossed off one of those. Okay, great, we're making progress! Since we were up in AF we decided to visit the Baddley's for a little bit. We left there around 7:00pm and drove to PG to see the last apt for the evening.

We were in a nicer neighborhood, which was nice for a change. We saw one house on the whole street that had the red brick outside and thought for sure the address on our paper would match the address on the house...It didn't! It was the really nice house next to it, the one with the boat and SUV and stone siding, and built more recent than the 70's!

Right then and there we both looked at each other and pretty much decided that that's where we wanted to live. We looked at the apartment, in their basement, and fell even more in love. It's quite small, only 800 sq. ft., but it's all that we need and in far better condition than any other of the apartments we had been looking at. We knew we had been guided directly to this apartment.

Anyway, I'll be getting pictures soon enough. We're planning on moving out and in as soon as possible, so within 2-3 weeks! Yay! Our own home where we can decorate the way we want and organize the kitchen the way we want! I'm SO excited and humbled by the beautiful blessing we have just been given!

School starts again in 1 1/2 weeks!

2009-08-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Does anybody else think that that's super crazy?!

My New Office!

2009-07-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

My old office used to be the dining room table! My laptop, cords leading to the outlet and leading down to the foot pedal cut across the entryway making it difficult for those walking in to avoid everything. Also, I was putting the keyboard on my lap and typing like that, which actually made it more difficult and slowed me down in the long run. So, Jason and I decided to go to IKEA for FHE this week and buy a desk that would last us a while and be beneficial in keeping our house neat and orderly! Julie came over yesterday and helped me put it together while Jason was fulfilling his calling, out with the EQ Presidency. Here's a picture of our setup, so far it's working great! (Now we just need to get Jason one!)

Bear Lake

2009-07-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Lewis' (Jason's mom's side) had a family reunion at Bear Lake this last weekend. We were able to hang out with 8 (out of 14) siblings and their kids. It was so much fun! We went to the lake Friday and had some great fun with a JetSki and the sun--everyone forgot to put sunscreen on! Right when we got there, though, Jason wasn't feeling that great so we started throwing the football around. And about the 5th catch, I decided to not open my hand all the way and jammed my finger. It wasn't until Jason's dad pointed out the fact that I would now have a more difficult time typing that I realized just that. It's like we're just falling apart! Between Jason's ER visit for his gall bladder and my finger, hopefully we'll stay healthy for the rest of the year! Here's a picture of it now. It looked 10x as bad before...

The next day, Saturday, we stayed while most of the others left. We had fun playing volleyball and just chillin in the great outdoors. That night we built a fire and made s'mores and different variations of them (people were getting creative).

Wishopy.com

2009-07-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

We need everyone's help! Please write a comment telling us which logo you like better and why. This is for Jason and his brother's business that they are going to be kicking off this Fall so we would like this post to be an interactive one where you get to help pick the logo for a potentially nationally/internationally known business! Here are the logos. (There are only slight differences between the two, so look closely and far away to get a good look at them.)

Logo 1:

Logo 2:

One week down...

2009-07-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I have completed one week of my new job. And I'm still not entirely sure that we'll make good money off of it, however I have improved over this one week alone, so I guess there's potential for me to go faster. But so far I have typed claims from California, New York, New Hampshire, and Texas. The material that I'm typing isn't that exciting, but it's fun to see my progress even while I'm typing, to notice that I'm not stopping and rewinding the tape as much! So, I guess overall, there is slow, but steady progress. I just wish that I could type as fast as my mom (over 100wpm) already! :)

Minimum Wage at age 26!

2009-07-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

So back when Jason and I were engaged I found out about a great opportunity to type on the side and at home via the internet. It didn't pay as much as my mom's transcriptionist job does but since it would be my first transcribing job, I went for it. I've begun now and let's just say I'm probably the slowest transcritpionist ever! The company gave me a manual that is about 50 pages long of formatting issues that may come up, and do. Just like every other job out there, there's a steep learning curve in which you really aren't an assett to the company yet since you don't really know what you're doing, but you still get paid a fair amount per hour, depending on the type of work. However, in my new job, not only am I learning at a great rate, but I'm getting the least amount per hour that I have ever received, even working at Burger King back in 1997! I hope I will get faster and that it will be worth it...if not, I guess we can say we tried! :)

Any tips on getting faster?

Back from traveling...permanently!

2009-07-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Our first month of marriage has been great, but it seems as though we're always planning for our next trip! Our lives calmed down for a bit, just to get busy again! Jason is still in school and in accelerated classes which makes his workload pretty intense. I'm working part-time through Nebo District for the ESY (Extended School Year) program. I work with kids who have severe problems who would regress during the summer if they were not in school and getting the constant feedback and direct attention that they need. So all in all, it's been fun, and in ways difficult. Anybody who has worked with children with autism knows what I mean.

Jason and I spent our one month anniversary in Michigan among wonderful friends and "family". We had the most wonderful open house sponsored by the Sheehan's. Everyone did so much for us without us even asking for half of what we received. Here are some pictures that I took of our trip. Gwen, I think we did pretty good!

Here's what my hair looked like for the open house, which happened Saturday evening. I was worried that it wouldn't work out so well because Stephanie wasn't there to see me through each step, but Gwen helped and made it look 10x better than I would have on my own!

On Monday, we had some time during day while Gwen and Zach were at work so we made our way over to the Holland, Michigan Dutch Village, where we tried on wooden shoes, saw how they used to make them, and tried authentic (pretty disgusting) dutch food.

We also got to see how they make ornate candles. It's an amazing and exact process! It takes someone one whole year to train to do these candles.

After the Dutch Village, we went to Lake Michigan for Jason's first time. We walked out on this pier and were looking over the horizon and all of a sudden a massive wave crashed against the side leaving us soaked! This picture was taken after that happened--notice Jason's shorts, do they seem a little wet to you?

Monday evening Jason and I went to the Pandl's house for some in-land surfing and dinner afterwards. The dinner was great! But we didn't fully catch on to the whole surfing thing...(although Jason did get up for a second. Good job babe!)

We had an absolute blast! Thank you to everyone who helped in big and small ways! And thank you to Gwen and Zach for letting us crash at their place every night! We love you and hope to be able to see you again soon!

Michigan, here we come!

2009-06-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Jason and I are going to be leaving for Michigan Friday morning to see all of our wonderful friends at an open house held in our honor at the Sheehan home in the great city of Caledonia! I am so incredibly excited to see how my old stomping grounds have changed, if at all. It's so fun being married and going back to Michigan, since almost all my friends are married, now I won't feel so much like the 3rd wheel. And it'll be really fun to show Jason where I grew up and have him meet all those who influenced my life while in Michigan. I'm taking my camera so that'll be the first step in taking pics...we'll see just how many we remember to take. Gwen, you and I need to remember to take lots of pics! :)

More pics are coming, I promise!

2009-06-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I know that everyone what's to see more pics, I'm working on a powerpoint that condenses everything so you don't have to go through each one...However, if some of you are too impatient :) to wait for that then you may go online to heatherclarkphotography.com. Go to "HTML site". Click on "Client Proofs". My password is "naomistewart" (all one word, no spaces or caps). Pick whichever ones you would like to view! I hope you all enjoy! And Gwen, we're going to be bringing a video to view during the open house at your mom's, so you'll be able to view some footage there as well. :) I love you guys! Thank you so much for being so dang excited for us. We're so happy being together finally and can't imagine our lives without each other!

Aren't we cute?!

2009-06-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

As you can see from my other blog, the preparations for our wedding day were so much fun. I absolutely love our families. Each person helped us so much in so many different ways. And now that it's done and we're back from our honeymoon, reality hits! Jason is back in school and I'm home creating and updating this blog for all to see! :) Since I will have more time on my hands than before, hopefully this blog won't suffer nearly as much as my other one. I'm planning on starting a couple of different projects this summer that will keep me active and busy, two things I love being! So be sure to frequent our blog so you can keep up on what we'll be doing next!