The Brown Spot

Oh my goodness oh my goodness!

2012-01-22T16:06:00.002-07:00

There is so much to blog about I don't know how to write about it all without boring you all so I will just quickly highlight a few things! Sorry this is a very disorganized post!

- The holidays were awesome! Filled with lots of family time and good food!

- Some women say they don't leave the house much after having a baby but I did just the opposite! We have been everywhere! I just wanted to slow down a little and relax after the first 4-6 weeks or so! We have finally been doing that and it is wonderful!

- Michael and I left Kayla with my parents for our first date when she was three weeks old. We went to a movie so we were not gone too long. I HATE leaving her lol.

-Kayla is growing so fast! I know everyone says that about their little ones but it really does happen! A little about Kayla....
         - She loves the shower
         - She started smiling on Christmas eve and began cooing pretty good about 2 weeks ago!
         - She is 9 weeks this weekend and weighs 10lb 14oz and is 23 in long.
         - Kayla is a GREAT baby! She gives us very little problems. We are blessed more that we could have ever of asked for!
         - She has been in size 1 diapers for a week and is officially in 0-3 month clothes.
         - She is nice and lean and long! The only chubby thing on her are her cheeks! She is our little cream puff!
         - She looks a LOT like her mamma but has some great features from her daddy! We think she has her daddy's smile and dimples!
         - She has been sleeping for about 6 hours a night since she was about 2 weeks old. She now will sleep for up to 8 hours a night!
         - She has a love hate relationship with her car seat. Sometimes she is just fine and will sleep forever and sometimes she hates it and will scream so hard that she loses her voice, sweats, and can't breathe! We think she think we leave her because when she sees us she is okay!
         - Her sweet hands are very ofen up by her face juse like when she was born!
         - Her favorite position is on our shoulder so she can see everything!
         - She has always had a strong neck and holds her head up great! She just started pushing herself up with her arms too!
         - She is very prim and propper with her hands while she is sleeping or is relaxed! Her hands and fingers are most often spread out!
         - She does not like to be swaddled! She likes to have the room to spread out as she pleases!

- Michael and I were released from primary and scouts! It was bitter sweet because we really loved our kids! Michael was very excited to be put in Young Men's though! He is not an advisor to the Teachers!

- I went back to work at my dads office the second week in January. It has been very hard to go back but I am so thankful that for now I am able to take Kayla with me! I am doing a bunch of back office stuff which allows me to still be with her and work at the same time!

- Michael and I just celebrated our 4th anniversary! It has been a wonderful four years and we were blessed to have out little Kayla with us this year!

- My grandpa Wagner passed away just before New Years. He had a few bouts with cancer the past 8 years and the past 3 years have been the hardest. He has been in and out of hospitals and rehab centers. He had surgery about 3 years ago and had a lot of complications from that surgery. One thing after another kept going wrong and his body just could not recover. I am thankful that he is no longer hurting and has been reunited with family and friends who are on the other side!

Sorry I still need to download lots of pictures onto the computer so those will come soon! Now that I feel somewhat caught up, I will try and post more often!

Blessing Day

2012-01-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

Our little Kayla was blessed into the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints on Sunday December 4th! It was so nice to have family and friends come to her blessing. Thank you to all those who came and supported us! I had waited a long time to see Michael bless our little one and it was a wonderful, special, experience. After the blessing we went to my parents house where more friends and family were able to meet Kayla. Not too much so say about this day that pictures can not say. So here they are!

Oh... some have asked so I will just say now that no I did not make her dress. I have had my eye on it for the past 4 years and so when I found out it was a little girl I was so excited that I could buy it! I got it from a booth in a store in Utah called Quilted Bear... BEST STORE EVER by the way! I did make her hair thing though! :)

Newborn pictures

2012-01-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

A good friend from high school is starting up a photography business and took pictures of Kayla when she was one week old. She did an AMAZING job capturing everything we will want to remember of our little Kayla! They turned out better than I could have ever imagined! Here they are!

Kayla's Story

2011-12-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are interested, here is Kayla's birth story. I'll try to keep it as simple and to the point as possible!

I was going to be induced on Friday November 18th at 8am. Michael and I got up VERY early in order to get all done that we hoped to including a priesthood blessing for me, getting ready for the day, packing last minute items, and tidying up the house ONE last time! I received a phone call from the hospital at 7am and the nurse told me that they were so busy that they did not have enough room for me to come in so we may need to reschedule if some rooms did not lighten up.

I will be honest in saying that I was ticked and very sad that I may have to wait longer to see me little girl! I had waited what felt like forever for this day to come and now it was going to be delayed?! After calming myself and saying many little prayers I knew that it was all in the Lords hands and it was all going to happen when it needed to.

At 10am I received the good news that they were able to get me in at noon! Thank heavens! First of many prayers that were answered over the next few days! We arrived nervous, excited, and ready to go just after noon and got all checked in and settled into our room. My mom and little sister Madi arrive just before one and got all settled in as well. Madi was going to be my scribe/record keeper/photographer which she did a great job! My mom of course was there to be whatever Mike and I needed her to be!

At one my doctor checked me (I was dilated to a 3 still) and broke my water then I was started on the pitocin! I was able to take the contractions for a few hours, felt that I had experienced the contractions enough, and received my epidural at 4! WOW!!! What a difference! I guess I was way lucky because the epidural worked perfectly!!!!!! I was also surprised at how little pain I felt while receiving the epidural! It was a family friend who administered it and he was for sure the hero of the day! Thank you Steve Harline!!! I was then checked again and was already dilated to 5cm! Things were going along great!

Now when I was feeling every contraction (being as close together as a minute apart and some lasting up to 2 minutes long), Mike put a movie in to help distract me which worked well. I was having a lot of back labor and was very thankful that I had my rice bag with me because that helped relieve a lot of the pain. I was also extremely blessed to have an AMAZING coach by my side the entire time. He was so good in letting me know when contractions were coming and when they were almost done. He rubbed my back and just knew all that I needed! Sometimes I was not sure how he knew what to do because I never told him what to do, he just did it! Well once I was feeling blissful and the epidural kicked in, I once again was able to talk to those around me and enjoy the rest of the journey.

We watched another movie over the next few hours, talked, laughed, my family all got dinner, and I enjoyed a few snacks such as popsicles, juice, jello, and a sucker. At seven the nurse checked me again and we were all hoping that I would at least be to 7cm, that was all we wanted. Much to our surprise I was fully dilated!!! WOOHOOO!! Baby girl was still kinda high so my nurse let me labor down for some time so she could work her way a little lower.

About 8:30 the nurse checked me again and we were ready to start pushing! We thought for sure our little girl would be with us by about 10 or 11. The epidural was still working great. I was numb enough to pretty much feel no pain but I was still able to move my feet and legs just enough that I was not dead to the world. It was kind of hard to feel when the contractions came so I relied a lot on everyone else to tell me when they were coming. I did eventually figure out from the pressure in back back when a contraction was coming which helped as well.

Well I pushed for quite awhile. The nurse and my mom and Mike kept telling me what a great job I was doing and they kept telling me that they could see her head and she had lots of dark hair! I was so excited but was having a hard time understanding while she was still not here. Finally one of the nurses brought in a mirror so I could see the progress in hopes that it would help the entire process. I was not sure on how I felt about it but it was awesome! I loved having that there! For those of you have not had it there during your delivery, I would recommend it, very cool experience! It was great to see what was happening! The down side of it was that I could see the progress and the regress. Her head was playing peakabou and we were not in the mood to play! Just before midnight the nurse began talking c-section because I had been pushing for so long. When the doctor came in to check me and make a decision, I must have showed her how determined I was to have her via vback because she said with an episiotomy

HERE IS THE KICKER! As she crowned, we saw more than just her head... her HAND was there too!The REASON she would not come out was because her right hand was up by her head! No wonder that little stinker would not come out! She made things much more difficult than it needed to be. That made me feel a little better knowing I was just not a wuss at pushing!

So all in all I was in the hospital 12 hours (12pm check-in, 12:25 had baby Kayla), in labor for about 10 hours and pushed for ALMOST 4 of those 10 hours! Pretty good for my first baby I think!

Kayla Marie Brown was born on Saturday morning at 12:25am at 8 lbs 10oz and 21 inches long. She has LOTS of dark hair and is the most beautiful baby!

When the nurses were doing all their fun little tests on her they found that her blood sugar levels were low. We gave her formula regularly for about 12 hours. At every feeding they checked her levels again and they were not getting better. The pediatrician called me at about 2pm Saturday afternoon and said that they would need to admit her to NICU so that they could give her an IV and get her blood sugar levels where they needed to be. Well being EXHAUSTED and a new mom I broke down. I was so sad but also thankful that she was going in for such a minor reason. She was released from NICU on Monday morning with her levels finally stable. There were a few concerns with hypertension for me so we stayed until Tuesday and finally took our baby girl home!!

The overall experience was just wonderful! The labor was grand without much pain involved, our stay at the hospital was incredible, the staff went above and beyond their call of duty, and quite frankly we can not wait to do it all again! How thankful I am to have this beautiful, healthy baby girl in my life. I have been blessed in many many ways but SHE has been a gift as well as a blessing! As usual, I would not have been able to endure what I have over the past 3 years as well as the incredible journey over the past 10 months without my sweet husband who has been my my side through the good and the nasty (really and truly), prayer and my Heavenly Father, and the support of family and friends!

Introducing Miss Kayla Marie Brown

2011-12-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

I have A LOT of catching up to do so I suppose I'll get right to it!

Our little bundle of joy, little Kayla Marie, joined our family on

Saturday November 19th just after midnight at 12:25am.

She weighed 8lbs and 10oz with lots of dark hair!

The following are pictures of right after delivery!

Another beginning starts..... TOMORROW!

2011-11-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

Okay I should really be in bed right now but my mind is racing!

Yesterday we went in for our last doctors appointment. All went well. Too well. We were talking about the induction next week and my doctor told us that he will actually be in the OR on Monday and that there is a good possibility that he could not deliver our little one.

That was not my favorite thing to hear. I REALLY like my doctor.

He then said that we could do it Tuesday but he is not on call that day. He will be in the office but we still run the chance of not having him there for the delivery. Michael jokingly suggested that Saturday would work for us, the doctor came back with "good luck trying to find me" hahaha it was pretty funny. He then suggested that he would be on call Friday and we could do it then...

THAT WAS LESS THAN 48 HOURS AWAY!!! I am dilated to 3 already which is a great sign too!This ball had officially begun rolling, I was shocked!

We are so stinking and blasted excited! I am being induced for medical reasons. Those being mainly because of the blood thinners I am on can be a problem (too much bleeding) if the are not stopped in enough time before delivery. There is a chance that I could NOT get a epidural if I had taken my injection within a certain amount of time! I would rather not play around with those possibilities!

So the past 24 hours we have gotten done the last few minute things that we needed to. The bags are packed (they have been for weeks to be honest), the house is clean, her room is pretty much ready, Christmas is up, and we are as ready as we will ever be for our daughter to get here! Now all I have to do is sleep tonight, which will be easier said than done....
So that is where we are at. We check in at the hospital at 8:30 tomorrow morning and we will get started. I am hoping that since my body seems to be kicking into gear already that all will go smoothly.

Here is my last post as an expecting mother, the next one I will be a proud momma Brown! Michael is like a 6 year old before Christmas morning, it is so much fun! Wish us luck and we will post the good news and lots of picts soon!

Another blog

2011-11-15T22:32:00.001-07:00

So Michael decided about a month ago that he wanted to start a blog. As we got talking about what kind of blog he wanted, he was very interested in writing about being a father and his thoughts and feelings on the subject. It didn't take us long to get it up and going and for Michael to write his first post! The thing is I don't think I ever really told anyone about it! The blog address is http://thoughtsonfatherhood.blogspot.com/. He is way excited about the blog and would love for all to check it out and comment lots and follow it!
He is such a sweet man and I love that this is one way that he shares emotions. It's amazing the therapy that blogs can be for us all!!
So check out the blog and let us know what you think!

IT'S NOVEMBER!

2011-11-04T22:06:00.001-06:00

There is lots to say today so I will get right too it!

I never got a chance to talk about my baby shower 2 weeks ago! My very sweet friend Stefani gave me a wonderful, yummy, and fun shower. We had a great turn out with some very fun and original games. It was a pumpkin theme so the food was naturally amazing (some very good recipes that I will need to get soon)! Naturally, everyone blessed us with beautiful, piratical, and fun baby gifts so thank you to all those who have helped us get ready for baby girl!

Halloween was last weekend and I just had to do something fun and different for costumes. I did lots of research online of lots of prego costumes and we decided on me as an oven with a bun cooking, and Mike was the bun maker. We had so much fun making our costumes! We went to the Halloween party at my parents ward and we had a blast (our costumes were a hit!). Then on Halloween we went to my parents and carved our pumpkins, had a very yummy spooky dinner, and handed out lots of candy to many darling children (oh and we dressed up again, we got lots of comments on the costumes again)!

We had another doctors appointment this Wednesday and went in with lots of questions as usual. Oh and I am 37 weeks as of tomorrow!
We told him of some of the little concerns that we have, one of which is the ridiculous amount of swelling that has occurred over the past 2 weeks (I gained 15 pounds in 16 days!!!!!!!!!!) not only in my feet and legs but my fingers look like sausages and my face keeps gaining chins lol! I also told him of the slight pain that I feel under my right ribs (I had attributed to her pushing my innards all up in my ribs) and my slightly raised blood pressure. Well after discussing all of this issues he agreed that he was not totally happy with it all and was worried about toxemia. Good news was my blood pressure was not alarming enough that there was no cause to induce me right that moment. Now the pain I have been having he became a little concerned with my liver. So he took some action.
We first set a date for me to be induced which will be Monday the 21st, first thing in the morning! So no matter what, she will be here for Thanksgiving!!!!
Then he ordered some labs and told us that if the results were not where he wanted them to be, then he was going to induce me FRIDAY! We were excited yet shocked at the same time. He told us that we would be called on Friday and told what the plan would be. If all came back well, he wanted me to come in on Monday so he can keep a close eye on me. If he didn't like the results, we would be brought in right away to have this baby. That night we frantically did some last minute packing, cleaning, organizing, planning, and shopping. My dad also came over and was able to assist Michael in giving me a blessing which I was so thankful for.
Well all labs came back okay so we are safe until Monday. I am SOOOOO excited for her to be here but at the same time I am so thankful for the extra time to continue doing the things that I want to get done before she gets here! My doctor now seems to think that I will not make it to the 21st (afraid that the toxemia will set in).

We completely trust our doctor and know that he knows us well as well as our concerns and is going to do what is best for the baby and I. We are thankful for such an amazing doctor who cares so much!

2 of my mom's sisters and my cousin came in town this weekend for a fun girls trip since it is time for the annual hunt! We have a fun filled weekend planned and are already having a great time (yes I am blogging while everyone is playing hand and foot but I HAD to put my feet us for a few minutes since I was unable to feel them and they look like they will explode at any moment). Pictures will come soon!

Some good news? Because of the hunt, I am pretty much done with work! I was going to try and go back on the 14th part time but when I told my doctor that, he was not too thrilled. It looks like my working days are done for now and I can focus on our little girl getting here!!

Soooooo much is going on, there is so much excitement, and I love it all! We never thought that this month would come but it is really here and our dreams will be coming true very soon!!

(It is late for me so I hope that this post makes sense since I am very tired lol!)

Pictures

2011-10-25T18:28:00.000-06:00

About 2 weeks ago Michael took a few maternity picts of me! Luckly we were able to get some of the fall colors in! Enjoy!

My mom have us 2 bears when we got married and they sit on our bed. We will be keeping the tradition so this is the sweet bear will be the new addition to the bed!

A little scare

2011-10-24T20:47:00.000-06:00

Our little girl thought that it would be funny to play hide and seek this weekend.... we did not enjoy the game so much! She won lol.

Here is the story...

So Michael's mom came out for a quick visit this weekend, mostly to be here for my shower! One of my very sweet friends gave me a baby shower on Saturday (I will post about that later) therefore we had a very busy weekend!

Starting Friday evening I was not feeling a lot of movement but I thought I was moving all day long and I just wore her out! Saturday she moved very little but I was able to get her to move at the end of the day, once again another very busy day and she could have been just sleepy! Sunday was even worse because she moved just a tad in the afternoon. I had enough at the point and thought I would give her a chance to move over the evening and during the night then I would call the doctor in the morning. Well I tried everything to get her to move and she was not biting!

About 7:00 I started having a few very mild contractions and I ended up having them till about 5am this morning. I. Got. No. Sleep. Poor Mike was up pretty much all night with me and he had to work today (I was lucky and had the day off). About 4:30 Mike got me out of bed and gave me a priesthood blessing. What a comfort that was. I was praying at the point just to know what to do. Do I go to the hospital to be looked at? Do I wait till morning and just call my doctor? Or I am totally over reacting to it all? I calmed down enough to be able to sleep and we both slept for just a few hours.

About 7:15 I woke up with the thought that I needed to call the hospital and talk to the nurse right away and panic kicked in. Now looking back, I feel a little silly worrying like I did but I was very tired and very worried at this point. I called the hospital and they told me to come in so they could monitor baby and make sure all was okay.

To try and keep the story short. All is well. They monitored her for about an hour and she FINALLY did all the right things. Our nurse was wonderful and explained a lot to us about what to expect and watch for from baby girl over the next couple of weeks. Not only the good things but the bad things that we should come back in for. I was thankful that we had such a wonderful nurse. The thing that made me laugh was once I was on all the monitors and we knew baby girl was okay, the nurse told me "now that all is well with baby, I am going to lecture you. DON'T YOU EVER GO THAT LONG WITHOUT FEELING HER MOVE AGAIN!" She didn't have to tell me twice!

I was trying to not over react but I know that I would rather be safe than sorry! So thankful I went in!

We are down to just under 5 weeks! After this morning I have been making more lists of what needs to be done in the next few weeks. Our nurse today told me that because of my swelling and all the stuff that comes with it, she does not think that I will go full term and I will have this baby a little early! We will see if she is right! My BP has been a little higher than my normal but still not enough to be worried. We just need to watch it. Just all these little things that are happening that tells us she is coming!

My mom came over today and helped me go through and take inventory of the baby stuff we have. WE HAD A BLAST! Slowly but surly we are getting there!

What makes the difference?

2011-10-24T20:11:00.001-06:00

Well, to be honest, lots of things. But today I was thinking of one thing in particular. His name is Michael.

I just wanted to publicly tell him how much I appreciate all that he does.

As our baby girls due date gets closer, I have noticed the uncomforts that come with time. Does it make life more tiring and my body a little sore? Sure! But that only means that she is ALMOST HERE! I am reminded daily of how lucky I am to be pregnant. With these uncomforts comes some blessings because I have a husband who loves me.

Here are some of the little things that he does almost DAILY. Make dinner, do the dishes, clean the house, rub my feet, massage my back, tell me he loves me, gets me what I need when I am comfy in a chair, rub lotion on my itchy belly, gives me my daily shot, and tells me how beautiful I am.

Wow. I am a very. Lucky. Woman.

I try not to take the little things for granted and this is one I hope I don't.

Birthday Time!

2011-10-10T20:56:00.000-06:00

My best friend and amazing husband have the privilege of having our birthdays 3 days apart! Michael's is the 28th of September and mine is the 1st of October so it always makes for one great birthday week! We had pretty low key birthdays this year but that is okay!

On Michael's birthday I had made his his favorite dinner (lasagna, salad, and french bread), then gave him one of his favorite desserts, banana cream pie and eggnog! We relaxed all night, just the two of us with nothing to do.... it was grand!

For my birthday we went out to breakfast to Golden Coral which was AMAZING! It held us over until dinner actually! We were able to watch General Conference all day and just relax and enjoy the many MANY wonderful talks! Michael then surprised me and told me I was going to get an hour long pregnancy message which was amazing! I am a very lucky girl!

My family was out of town last weekend so last night we went to dinner with my family to Cheddars (which we had never been to before) and once again.... AmAzInG!!! We are lucky to have family close by to celebrate with. We are also lucky that Mike's parents are not TOO far away. My mother-in-law- is coming in two weeks to visit and we are VERY excited to spend the weekend with her!

I think we are most excited about our combined birthday and Christmas gift that will be arriving in the next 7 weeks or so (maybe sooner?!)... our baby girl! We can not believe that the time is really coming for her arrival! We have been taking a birthing class at the hospital that has been very helpful! I think we enjoy it much more than the other couples do. Some of the other women (I say women and not girls because I think they are all 10+ years older than me) look like they want to cry and throw up during each class! It kind of makes me laugh. We are almost there! Still lots to do but we are slowly making head way!

Until the next exciting event!

It's fall yall!

2011-09-12T22:35:00.000-06:00

I have to start with our newest good news. Michael got a full time job! I am telling you, it is either feast or famine. Two weeks ago he actually had 2 job offers in a 24 hour period and we went with the one that was closest to home (since the pay and duties of both were comparable). Now he is the newest employee of Pikes Peak Cargo Secure which is a company that makes sells cargo and shipping supplies for the military. It is a small company but he enjoys the people he works with and his responsibilities. He is considered the office manager and he will be just about anything else that they need him to be. It is just nice to have him working every day at a secure job... I think he forgot what that felt like! It is definitely a blessing that we are thankful for. I am just happy that he is enjoying his job and is happy with what he is doing.

Other than that... we are plugging along.

27 weeks

I am OFFICIALLY in my 3rd trimester and have just under 11 weeks to go! I can not believe that we are this close! I know I have been blogging a lot about my pregnancy but this is a great way to keep a journal and there are a few things that I would like to share!

Okay I am going to get down and personal. I can not believe how I have popped!!! My tummy is HUGE and I just LoVe it! I have officially gained 35 pounds and the doctor said I will probably gain another POUND a WEEK! WOW! Oh well... I feel good and I don't THINK I look ridiculously huge. I am still working on eating somewhat well (those cravings are STRONG though lol) and I am really working on getting a little bit of exercise. I guess my body is doing what it needs to do!

Overall I love being pregnant! There are a few side effects that can be a little ruthless (heartburn/indigestion, VERY swollen and sore feet, getting poor sleep, and exhaustion) but there is a ton that I love (feeling her move CONSTANTLY, the prego belly, and food cravings). Oh and I felt her hiccups for the first time yesterday! SO COOL! Yep... overall I have been a lucky pregnant woman!

29 weeks

Since we are getting close to my due date (FINALLY) I think I have started feeling the rush to get lots done! I have been making lists for months for what all needs to get done before she is born and I think I am doing fairly well with it! I have made half of my Christmas cards, completed about 30 handmade thank you cards for the future, began making some of my Christmas gifts, made my mailing list for my Christmas cards, making some fun crafts for baby girl, written out my hospital packing list that I will begin packing for the first of November, and in the meantime TRYING to keep up with the hours and hours of sleep that my body needs!

I am beginning to feel the pressure of all that needs to happen before she gets here and some days I don't get anything done because I become overwhelmed. I am REALLY working on keeping my stress down these days as well so I don't get too out of control (actually, Michael does a pretty good job of that)! Luckily I still have some time on my hands and as long I keep working a little each day I know I will get it all done!

In the meantime fall is just about here, football has begun, and we are loving this time of the year! There are lots of things to look forward too over the next month (birthing classes, I and Michael's birthday, family visiting, and scouts) and we will for sure keep busy!

Until next time... HAPPY FALL YALL!!!!

A post to remember!

2011-08-17T21:16:00.000-06:00

Just a few things I wanted to share (more or less for my records) about what is changing while being pregnant!

- Feeling her move is the most AMAZING thing I have ever experienced! She is very very active and I am feeling her every day! It is good for my mind and I know she is okay because I feel her so often. We are not quite to the point where we can see my stomach move or where others can ALWAYS feel her but once in awhile she will kick hard enough to move my hand!

- No one told be about heart burn and acid reflux! I have had indigestion for a few months now and have learned how to deal with it. The pits is I get it with almost ANYTHING that I eat! The reflux has just started and I do NOT like that part. I am still trying to figure out how to fix that one. I know the old saying, that she will have lots of hair because I have heart burn and all I can say is BRING IT ON (I got lots of fun things for her hair already!)

- The water retention in my feet and ankles is too funny! I am not swollen all the time (thank goodness) but when I am it makes for great entertainment! I do need to put my feet up as much as possible to help them not be so sore. Luckily I don't have too much back pain yet, mostly just at the end of the day!

- Sleeping. Well I didn't expect to have troubles this early! Between getting up multiple times in the night (yes... multiple times already!) and not getting comfortable, some nights I sleep well and others feel like I am wasting my time with sleeping because I feel worse the next morning! I am checking with my doctor but I feel like I need 10 hrs of sleep a night and it still is not enough! Maybe she is going through a growth spurt and I really just need the sleep! I have crazy odd, creepy, off the wall dreams, and often get leg cramps that wake me up with me screaming!

- Oh the water works. I am a pretty emotional person before I was pregnant and it seems like with each passing day I am crying more and more. It has been pretty funny because Mike will just start laughing and I get laughing and then I bawl like a baby! This has also given us quite a bit of entertainment! Not that we need a reason to cuddle but all the water works has given Mike and I good cuddle time because all he can do is laugh and hold me when I get slightly out of control! This is a part of being pregnant that I do not mind so much!

- Cravings. Well I don't really crave one thing and one thing only. Okay maybe a piece of cake from Albertsons makes its way back into our home at least ONCE a week. Sweets are a fave of mine as of late weather it be a piece of cake, cookies, cupcakes, or muffins. It is all Divine!

I mostly will crave something and then it is about all I can think about until I can fulfill my craving!

Mexican is another favorite (enchiladas with red sauce and chips with salsa).

Next would be salads (odd right?!?!) especially Olive Garden's salad, any Caesar salad, any LOADED salad, or the cluck salad from Red Robin!

Last is anything spicy like Red Robins buffalo style clucks and then their frys are AMAZING!

I have craved some things that are out of my nature like PB'J sandwiches and a JR bacon cheese burger from Wendy's!

I am truly grateful that I have my appetite back and that so much of what I eat hits the spot! I LOVE this part of pregnancy!

We had another ultrasound last week and it was once again magical! SHE IS ALREADY SO BEAUTIFUL! Anything they were watching or were slightly concerned about is no longer an issue and all is well! We are so thankful for that! We were able to see her yawn and that was way cool. She weighed 1lb 11oz and is in the 56 percentile! She looked long to me but they said that they can not measure her length because she is now too big!!

Here are some of the 3D picts we were lucky enough to get!! We think she is beautiful already!!

I have been working on her room lots and finally got it organized! Well not completely but good enough for now until we get the rest of all her stuff! I'll take picts soon! We also put together her stroller and read all about her car seat. Mike can not wait to put it in the car and I am right there with him!

Life is... well throwing us MANY curves that keeping hitting us pretty hard. Though we are not quite sure what the next few months have in store for us, there are a few things we do know. We are more in love with each other than we could have ever imagined. Together, as a couple, we are flying high and are in the best place that we have ever been in. Michael is my best friend. There is no one I would rather be with then him! We have so much fun together! The best part of my day is opening the door and having Mike jumping up to give me a hug and a kiss. What a lucky girl I am! I don't mean to get all mushy, I just wanted to express my appreciation for my marriage.

Since this post has been more on the boring side, I promise to make the next one more exciting!

Enjoy the end of summer because fall is knocking at all of our doors!! WOOHOO!!

Baby showers are the best!

2011-08-11T20:00:00.003-06:00

I am a lucky girl and was given my first baby shower! I know it was a little early but my good friend Lisa was in town and wanted to be here for it so she asked to be the hostess and she did a great job! We had so much fun and the food was AMAZING (because you know it is all about the food these days)! There was lots of food, fun games, gifts, and tons of chatting. It is always so nice to be sourounded by the family and friends that you love so much.

I was unable to adiquately express my appreciation to all those who came and for all that they gave to me. Our baby girl is already so bless and loved. I honestly got a little chocked up at one point as I was opening my gifts because ALL the gifts were filled with so much love and thought. Every individual gift was appreciated and I wanted to tell them each how much it meant to me and Mike. I will never be able to tell anyone quite how I feel but it was nice to have one those moments where I realized that she is truly on her way and we could not be more thankful!

THANK YOU SO MUCH LISA for all your hard work. The decor was DARLING, the food was SCRUMPTIOS, and it was jsut an all around great shower! I was lucky to have lots of neighbors, close friends, family, and besides Lisa, a friend come from out of state who I had not seen in years! Those who were unable to attend or who were too far away were missed, I hate partying without ALL my friends and family with me! Though I must say that I can often feel their love! I once again am a lucky girl to have lots of loved ones so there will be another shower coming up in a few months! We certinly do not have all that we need quite yet but we have a great start! I am not sure how people get all that they need without showers! They are such a blessing!

So here are a few picts... I was 23 weeks!

What is happening!?

2011-07-25T21:17:00.000-06:00

So I have been totally amazed with a new discovery on my tummy.

Mike was feeling our little one move last night and realized that my belly button is not as deep as it use to be! I am afraid that I may be getting an outie - I am almost FLAT!! I NEVER thought that that would happen to me! It feels so smooth, and... well odd! We have been laughing about it all day!

It is amazing how our bodies change as pregnant women. At least it makes for some entertainment!

WE ARE TICKLED PINK ALREADY!!!!

2011-07-21T23:01:00.002-06:00

Yes I am sure you have guessed, WE'RE HAVING A GIRL! There are no words to describe how we feel. Let me tell you a little about our ultrasound appointment!

Her head and profile

The top pict is her foor and the bottom is another of her profile!

Seeing my little sweetheart for the first time on an ultrasound was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. It truly brought having a baby to life. Michael was so darling and held my hand the entire time and he had a grin that reached from ear to ear! I couldn't believe that it was an entire 45 minutes we got to see her! So far, she is good and healthy. She moved around so much during her appointment that we have to go back in August for another ultrasound to get a better look at her... DARN! We didn't find out until the VERY END of the appointment that she is a girl but it was well worth the wait. Here are a few more fun things we found out about our sweet pea.

* She is a wiggler already - it was so fun to watch her move around and see all her developing body parts!

* She has big feet - well, what else did you expect!

* She only measured 2 days ahead of schedule so she is right on track!

* We forgot to ask what her length was but she was 11 oz... just kind of cool.

Right after our appointment! 19 weeks

After our appointment, we skyped mom and dad Brown and told them by holding up a pink piece of card stock. Now Michaels mom was darling and said "Oh no, I am not good at these kinds of things... it's a pink paper ITS A GIRL!" You could just see the wheels turning in her head and then hear the excitement in her voice as soon as she got it. She was so excited! It was one of the best reactions of the day!

We had planned to go to Carters after our appointment and celebrate by getting a few outfits! So we promptly got over there and got 4 DARLING little outfits. My family still did not know the gender of the baby so we went over to my parents place, made everyone leave the room, and when they returned we had the outfits out on us! They loved it and are just as excited!!

After we told my family!

I am now feeling her move every day and I LOVE it! Michael felt her move for the first time this past Monday night and that was pretty special. I can't wait until we can constantly feel her with our hands and other can feel her too! Man, it is so cool to be saying HER or SHE by the way... :)

I am doing really well, loving this part of the pregnancy. I am pretty tired but part of this is my fault... I'm pushing it with the late nights. I am EXTREMELY thirsty these days and am using the restroom like a racehorse! Food is AMAZING and I look forward to EVERY meal. My emotions on a good day when I am NOT pregnant run wild so these days, I seem to cray multiple times a day. Some days I don't feel like me, it's kinda funny! So besides the minor achy back, restless nigh sleeps, and tired feet and legs, I'm doing awesome! Like I said before, I just can't wait to feel her more though I don't think that will take long!

Michael... I may get a little emotional during this part of the post so I guess I'll make it short and sweet. He has treated me like his queen since day one and has not stopped. I don't know if this is possible but I have felt more special than ever since we found out I was pregnant. We are just loving life together. I feel like some days we are dating again, there is just a little extra spark and I am so thankful for that. I had no idea that our love would grow like this... I truly fall more in love with him each day. I can not imagine life without Michael and am grateful that I get to go through these adventures with him by my side.

I have had lots of people ask so I thought I would share our two favorite names. We have had them picked for awhile! We like Olivia and Kayla. We probably wont choose one until she is born and we get see her. How will that change our minds? I am not sure but I\we just feel like we need to meet her in person first.

As always, thank you for EVERYONES love and support. We have a lot to be thankful for these days. We are so excited for the adventures that are ahead of us and some days we REALLY wish it was November... we are a little too excited I think! I know I am not the best but I am really trying to blog more! I'll slowly get better again and into a habit. So until next time... LOTS OF LOVE!!!

20 weeks!

Boy or Girl?!

2011-07-03T21:04:00.000-06:00

I totally forgot to ask and we are curious to know what others may think; is Baby B a boy or a girl?! The big appointment is Wednesday afternoon and we will have ants in our pants until then! There are NO WORD to describe how excited we are, it is truly ALL we have been talking about for the last week! I have set up a pole just to the side of this post so please share with us what you think! I will for sure let you all know Wednesday night!

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-03T01:24:00.001-06:00

Okay! Here are the pictures of our place! There is still quite a bit of decorating that I am anxious to do but that will come with time! We LOVE our new home!!!!

Living room (looking from front door)

Living room from hallway

Dining room from living room (loving our FIRST table!)

Dining room and kitchen from living room

Kitchen

Hallway from from door

Guest bathroom

Laundry closet in hall

Craft room (and what will eventually be the baby room shared with my crafts)!

Closet in baby room

Our bedroom

Our bathroom

Our closet (both bedrooms have good size walk in closets)

Take a virtual tour with me if you would like! :)

Fathers Day and Blessings

2011-06-19T21:24:00.000-06:00

    This Fathers day is a little extra special this year. Though our little bouncing bundle of joy won't be here for another 5 months, it's nice knowing that we will be parents THIS YEAR! Michael is especially excited to be a daddy. He is constantly telling me that whether we have a little boy that he teaches to throw a ball or a little girl that he has tea parties with every day, he doesn't care. He looks forward to spending precious moments with our little one and teaching them the things that he or she needs to know. He will be an incredible daddy at that. He loves children and is very good with them. He is patient, kind, fun, loving, and very child like himself! He talks about cuddling with the little one on his chest. He likes that we can go to a restaurant and we will be able to say Browns party of 3! We are constantly thinking of the every day errands and chores that we will have to do with baby B in our mists. Most of all I can not wait to see our first born in my husbands arms for the first time. That is the moment I am waiting for the very most.
     My dad actually talks a lot about what it was like when I was born and how he felt. He has shard his thoughts and feelings about the day he became a dad and I cherish each and every word. He is an incredibly sensitive, loving, and incredible man. He has taught me more than I could spend in a lifetime explaining. He is that daddy that my Father in Heaven knew that I needed. I hope that Michael writes down how he felt and his experiences of that day for when our first born is older. These little talks I had with my dad is what I cherished the most.
   On this note, my heart it full today. I can not but help and think about all the little but significant blessings that are in my life. I love the beauty of the earth and the way that the Colorado scenery makes me feel. The colors and the majesties of the mountains takes my breath away each day. How thankful I am for the relationships in my life. From those who simply put a smile on my face, to my best friends who are always there for me in good times and in bad. Those friends who let me vent and then find ways to life me back up when I am down is what makes a difference in my every day life; I often think of them all as my sisters. Then to my family who cares to love me in the simple ways by service and simple acts of love. Ending with my sweet husband who loves me unconditionally, forever, and always. He is my best friend, my confidant, my comic relief, the love of my life, and the father of baby B that is growing inside of me. How lucky I am for the little things in my life!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL THOSE FATHER FIGURES IN MY LIFE!

Today was a great day!

Our new adventures!

2011-06-12T21:00:00.001-06:00

I have to say that many MANY prayers have been answered over the past few months and we have been blessed TRAMENDOUSLY! Here is what has been going on in our fun little lives…. sorry in advance for such a long post!

Well we have been trying to get into our own place for QUITE some time now. We started looking back in the first part of May all over the Springs. We looked around quite a bit at MANY apartment complexes and well…. I forgot how expensive it is! We would really LOVE to get into a house; unfortunately we are not sure what lies ahead of us in life so we decided that renting an apartment would be our best option!

It is funny how when we found the right complex, everything fell right into place! The apartment was available at any time, it was on the second floor (first floor apartments have garages and are more expensive) and we got lucky because it is a corner apartment and no one is above us so our ceilings are vaulted! Then our building is in a perfect spot in the complex, we have a great view and lots of parking by our building. Sorry If I am bugging you with some of the details but I am always interested in hearing the specks on my friends place! Our place is a 2 bed 2 bath, just over 1250 square feet, wood/tile floors, nice carpet, large deck (we got a FREE grill from a neighbor that was giving it away!), large bathrooms with archways above the shower, grand windows, large walk in closets, washer and dryer, and all the every days amenities that come with a nice place like this. The club house is AMAZING and they have a grand pool area and work out facility! We moved in over Memorial Day weekend and we LOVE IT! It honestly feels and looks more like a condo than an apartment, it is just so well kept and pretty!

Our move in day went extremely smooth. We were moved out of my parents place, had the storage unit packed up (that is where all our stuff has been for the past year) and had moved EVERYTHING into our new place in 2 hours! We had just the right amount of people come and help so it went fast and smooth. My family was nice to stay and help us unpack so we had my kitchen and bedroom set up and unpacked in about an hours and a half! Well by the end of the weekend I was pretty much unpacked and had decorated the place. I just couldn’t help getting everything out and unpacked because it had been so long since I had seen all my stuff! It was almost like Christmas!

We are so thankful and excited to have our own little place again. Those blessings that we sometimes want or need can come at very unexpecting times! I am sorry I don’t have pictures yet, I have been at girls camp over the last week and will take some this week for those friends and family who are far away and can’t come visit!

Okay this is a much longer post then I expected! I guess I have lots going on finally!

The best news that I could possibly tell anyone right now though is that I AM EXPECTING!!!!!!! We found out a few months ago and after MANY doctors’ visits and some stressful weeks, we are doing great and all is well! I am 4 months along, we find out Jusy 6^th what the gender is and I am due November 26^th which is Thanksgiving weekend! Not many people understand this. The fact that I am due during Thanksgiving means the world to us. We have been trying for so long and have been through a lot emotionally, physically, and mentally that being due around the holidays, especially THANKSGIVING, is a little tender mercy that we have been given.

We did have an ultrasound early on when I found out that I was expecting and there was only one baby which I was a little sad for lol. Yes I am one of those crazy people that would love twins! The sadness only lasted but a second because I JUST FOUND OUT THAT I WAS FOR SURE PREGNANT! Here is the crazy thing. I had gone off all fertility meds the month before and we were saving up for artificial incemination. Well naturally that next month we VERY unexpectantly got pregnant. The specialist was laughing when he came into the room. He was a little perplexed but said that he “jump started” my body somehow!

It has been an interesting ride. I was very emotional and confused at first. I wanted a baby for so long. I had literally dreamt of taking a test and seeing the word PREGNANT on the test. I can’t tell how bad I wanted to have morning sickness not just nausea from my meds. Well I realized once I found out that I was expecting, I was very much stressed. I realized that I had come to accept that it was not our time. I had accepted that the Lord had a different plan in store for us. We were still in my parents place and we were trying to get financially ready for whatever was set in our path. Well I was flustered that I had come to these terms and not everything changed and I was not ready for it. I was not ONCE angry or upset, I was overcome with gratitude, thankfulness, happiness, and love from my Father in Heaven. I just had to aligne my plan once again with my Father in Heavens. Once we changed our 9 month plan and saw where our future was going, we have been living on cloud 9 just knowing that we are going to be blessed with a little one!

I did have some nausea in the beginning, I never threw up but I was VERY sensitive to smells and textures and my gag reflex was unreal! Then about a month ago I caught a cold that kicked my trash and once I got better, EVERYTHING got better and I have felt pretty good ever sense! Naturally, nothing is ever simple for me. About a month ago, my grandma on my mom’s side tested positive for Factor 5 (a blood disorder) and her doctor told her that all her daughters and granddaughters should be tested for it as well. As far as I understand it and what my grandma was told by her nurse, it is a blood clotting disorder where the blood clots too easily and can cause massive blood clots, miscarriages, problems getting pregnant and more. So I was tested and I am positive as well! When we talked to my doctor about this he said that usually he does not have problems with patients that have factor 5 and have NOT had any problems with clots. Those who have factor 5 run the risk of placenta previa, blood clots in the mother as well as in the umbilical cord. Luckily my doctor is not very worried about me and these injections are more preventive than necessary. He would feel better doing this because of my history and we would rather be safe than sorry. He also said that it would help him feel better and he knows that I would sleep better at night knowing that we are taking all precautions possible. Therefore he has placed me on Lovenox injections every day for the rest of my pregnancy! This is not really a problem, just another thing to worry about. I am so thankful for my awesome doctor and for his awareness of how I fell! He is truly the best. He told me at my first appointment that If I was ever worried and needed to hear the baby’s heartbeat that I could come in in-between my appointments and he would let me hear it!

So at this point we are going out of our minds waiting for our ultrasound appointment in July and are checking and looking for movement of the baby daily (I know it is a little early but we are just so excited)! Mike is so excited and that brings so much joy to me. He cares so much and is very brave giving me my injections every night. In the beginning he was so good to help find what I could eat and he was honestly excited that I was so nauseous because he felt that meant that the pregnancy was going well! He constantly talks to the baby, rubs and kisses my belly daily, and talks about what he will do when he is a daddy. Mike would love a baby boy and I would love a baby girl but really and truly we could care less what the gender is as long as we are having a healthy baby! We have had 2 names picked out for each gender and we will not decide what he or she will be named until they are born.

These were taken on mothers day!

So now I should have lots to blog about and our computer is back so it will be easy for me to blog! We wanted to take a moment and thank all those who have had us in their thoughts and prayers. I know it is something small and simple, but because of the small and simple things, great things are brought to pass! Life is not quite perfect, Michael is still looking for full time work with benefits so your prayers in that area is appreciated but it is because of faith that we have been given the blessings of having our own place and expecting our first little one! Thank you to all our friends and family for your excitement in our behalf. We are thrilled to share these special times with you ALL so please, those of you who are far away, we invite you to come visit us this summer/fall or early next year once baby B is here!

As always, lots of love to all!

Catch Up...

2011-05-15T21:59:00.000-06:00

Once again I am playing catch up. The good thing is we got our computer fixed so I should be back on a regular basis! I am not going to say much about the last 4 months because to be honest, not too much has happened!

- Basketball ended in February. Mike loved coaching the boys and he even got to coach a varsity game! He also looked so dashing on the bench and was a great advocate to the boys :)

- Our good friends Alan, Lexi, and their little Lindy surprised us and came out in February for 10 days! We had such a blast and enjoyed having them here! We played lots of games, visited, and just relaxed! It was good to spend some good quality time with them!

- Mike got a job at the Hampton Inn that I helped open back in 2006! It is very close to my parents and is a great place to work; it has been such a small yet great blessing. He started out part time and was able to move up to part time a few weeks ago which was another great blessing!

- Mike and I made a 11 hour one way visit to Utah for Grandpa Brown's surprise birthday party! We were unfortunately there only about 36 hours but it was so good to see mom and dad Brown, Michelle and the kids, as well as Mikes grandparents and extended family.

- As a family home evening activity we went to a Rockies game and had a BLAST! It was a lot more fun then I anticipated! We ate lots of baseball treats, sang, and Mike got a very nice Rockies jacket! It was something we will for sure do again soon!

- Every year our stake and a few other surrounding stakes puts on a Easter Cantada musical program on Easter weekend. My mom has played the piano for it for the past 11 years and she just loves it! A lady by the name of Sally Deford writes these AMAZING programs (as well as a lot of other music for the LDS church) that are all about Christ and his life. She has an amazing gift for music! Well this year Mike, Logan, Landon, and Madison, and I all had the opportunity to participate and sing in this beautiful program. There were about 140 in the choir and we had about 6 musical instruments. What a blessing that was!

- The best news yet?! Well we are moving into our own place! We are so excited! We are thrilled that we have the opportunity to stay here in the Springs, we will just be moving about 15 minutes south of where my family lives into an apartment complex. It has been a huge blessing that my parents have let us stay with them over the past year and we will never be able to completely repay them for all that they have given us. We have had a great time and are glad that we will still be close to them! I have been joking that it will be like getting married all over again because all of our stuff has been in storage for the past year so it will be so fun to get all of our stuff back out!

Lastly I have to say how blessed I am. When life gets hard you really notice the little things that you take for granted every day. I am so blessed to have a family who loves me and my husband so much that they have shared their home with us over the past year. I have a marriage that is stronger than ever and a husband who loves me and shows me his love each and every day. He does more for and with me than I think most husbands do with their wives. I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and hears my prayers each and every day. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later days Saints and that in and of itself gives me a reason each and every day to put a smith on my face. I am thankful for the stunning and beautiful scenery that surrounds me each and every day. Yes. There is a lot to be thankful for and each day there is something new!

Long over due

2011-02-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

So I am so happy to shout Logan's home! I can not believe that glorious day arrived! So here is the story!

Tuesday January 11th - Logan's homecoming eve- we were just about done with the cleaning of the house, the shopping, and all the other fun stuff! Landon had a game at PC that night and we were out the door when we got a very devastating phone call. I answered the phone, saw that it was Connecticut and got very excited. I answered expecting it to be Logan and on the other end of the line came a deep voice that asked for Sister Rogers... It was Logan's mission president! I knew that could not be good. Well long story short was there was a huge snow storm on its way out east and they had shut down the airport in Heartford and had canceled all the flights for the next day... THE DAY LOG WAS SUPPOSE TO COME HOME! Log would be coming home Thursday if not Friday depending on when flights were up and running again. It was an intense night for everyone. many tears and phone calls later we worked everything out. So now Log was coming home (we were hoping at this point) on Thursday .The minor problem with that was my dad and I were going to be in Alamosa seeing patients all day so we would miss him homecoming! Well naturally my dad missed his son very much and reassured us all that he would reschedule patients for another day. He was not going to miss his sons homecoming.

Wednesday January 12th - the day Log was suppose to come home but even better.... OUR 3rd ANNIVERSARY! We were going to very nicely share our special day with Log but we ended up having the night to ourselves ( for the most part). We went to dinner and just hung out together which was much needed. We decided that we are going to celebrate some more when life calms down a little. We did exchange a few gifts and I was tickled that Mike had gotten me a necklace from Jane Seymour's open heart collection! I just love it! I guess this part is a little anti climatic... we are still madly in love and that is what matters most!

Later that evening my mom, Madi, and I made all of Logan's signs to take to the airport. We found out that Log was in face coming Thursday at the same time and all... just one day late. It was funny because it felt a lot like groundhog day! We were saying the same things we had said the day before "can you believe Log will eat dinner with us tomorrow?" "can you believe that we will be able to hug Log in 16 hours?" Yes... that went on all day long!

Thursday January 13th- the day Log ACTUALLY comes home! Well there is not much to say beside we could hardly stand it... Log came in around 1:30 and we were ready. There were lots of cheering, emotions, tears and laughter. Log came walking our with camera in hand videoing US! It was quite funny. We then went from the airport and went to lunch, then straight to Madi's first bball game of the season, then straight to the church where Log was released, spoke to the high council, then finished the night at Chick-Fil-a where we had dinner. Log got to "go home" at 9:30 that night and we promptly listened to all the up-to-date- music and unpacked our very tired and emotional return missionary. I'll finish with pictures because they speak 1000 words :) Log... it is AWESOME to have you home. I have missed you!

3 more days...

2011-01-09T15:47:00.001-07:00

AND LOGAN COMES HOME!!!!
and
It's our 3 year wedding anniversary! I'm so excited!

So I had to blog just because I am so stinking excited! My brother is coming home from his mission Wednesday afternoon! He was in the Hartford Connecticut mission I can hardly stand how excited I am! Not to mention it will be our anniversary. Because of all the festivities on the 12th, we will celebrate in a few weeks. Any who, It seems like all we can talk about the past week is about Log coming home! He has just loved his mission and has been so faithful. He has been saying "I'm livin' the dream!". I am so proud of him and just am thrilled to spend some with him! I will for sure post about the homecoming and his party later in the week. In the mean time...

New Years was wonderful. Mike, Madison, and I went over to our good friends the Johnson's house for new years eve and we had a blast. It was kinda funny because my mom and dad went to the New Years Eve dance at the church and chaperoned... therefore Madi would have spent the night alone at home! So she came with Mike and I and we had a lot of fun! We played WII for awhile, talked for a long time, and naturally ate LOTS!

Other than that... still moving forward! More will come later this week!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T10:27:00.001-07:00

Christmas this year was wonderful! The best was spending time as a family! We did lots of cooking, shopping, family games, and watched lots of movies! It has been a relaxing vacation and I am so thankful for this time of the year. The only disappointment was the weather. Not a snowflake in sight! I can not believer the lack of snow we have had this year! I hope that it comes soon! Okay so here are a few picts from Christmas Eve!

For breakfast we went to the Egg and I with my aunt and uncle and their family!

Then the Taylors came for dinner and we played lots of games!

Us all playing BINGO and there were GREAT prizes when you won... GIFT CARDS!

So many of you probably know about Michaels stocking... well here it is and IT WAS DONE BY CHRISTMAS MORNING! I will admit that I was up putting the last finishing touches on until 5:30am on the 25th but none the less it was done by the time Michael got up! I loved doing it, I think it turned out great, and I can not wait to start another!

I was not able to send out as many Christmas cards as I wanted so here it is for those of you who were not able to receive one!

Basketball season has begun and it’s extra special this year because Michael is the varsity assistant coach for my alma matter Pine Creek! Landon is on varsity so it naturally has become a family affair! I have to say that I am their LOUDEST fan!

Rogers family has 7 in the house once again! We moved to Colorado Springs back in the summer and have been living with my parents until we can get on our feet!

Once and for all, Michael is done with school! He graduated from Utah Valley University back in May with a bachelor’s degree in Aviation – Professional Pilot! We are so happy he is done and hope that a job comes along soon!

Working with my dad has been a blessing. I’m his right hand girl and love being with him!

Nursery is where Michael is meant to be! He is a nursery leader in our ward and he just loves it! The little ones have really taken to him and it is really fun to see him interact with them all! One little boy tell his mom that he likes the “big strong guy” in his class!

Sewing has become a new love and hobby of mine. I am currently attempting to start up my own business and hope to get it off and running soon! Michael and I have also begun a little photography business taking family photos. He is the photographer and I am the stager, we have a lot of fun working together and hope to do lots more in the future!

We hope that your holiday season is full of laughter and cheer. We love and miss you all!

Michael and Megan Brown

Here are the family picts we took for my mom's Christmas card (plus our 2 handsome missionaries)!

Being Greatful

2010-12-16T20:01:00.001-07:00

Life is interesting. Through our recent trials I have been looking for new ways to "distract" myself or fix some of the craziness in my life. Therefore I have been trying VERY hard to look for all the "unordinary" blessings in my life. Here are some of the good things that have been going on.

Michael is an assistant coach for the boys varsity basketball team at Pine Creek (my old high school!) and he is LOVING every moment of it. He still has yet to find a job but in the mean time he has been keeping very busy with all them high school boys! Not only is he coaching at the best high school but he is coaching Landon (my brother) who is a senior this year! The head coach is actually my high school coach's husband and he was helping the girls team when I was there! He is a wonderful man and an uplifting and hardworking coach and we appreciate his time and willingness to let Mike help! I think Michael has brought a lot to the program as well. He has put a lot of time into the boys, helping each out individually and being their advocates in showing them their potential! I have had a couple of parents come up to me and tell me what a calming yet encouraging presence he has on the court! I am so glad that the boys have taken to him so well!]

We have entered the photography world! Actually we started a few years ago doing a friends wedding (thanks Em and Rob!) and engagements of Mike's 2 best friends! But lately we have started doing more and more family pictures for friends and neighbors! Michael gets better with every shoot and I am constantly coming up with fun, new poses and prop ideas! We are still VERY new at this but we have had a lot of fun "working" together again. I think that I am going to name the business M&M Photography! Do you like it? Any who we make a pretty good team if I say so myself! We are hoping to get a few new photography gadgets such as a flash, photoshop, and some little props; as well as expand our photo shoots in doing more than just family photo's!

Basketball games. Need I say more? Nothing gets my blood pumping and my heart racing like a good basketball game! My brother Landon's games are so exhilarating! I don't think that many people know this but I AM A CRAZY FAN! You can ask my husband (who try's to ignores me while he is on the bench concentrating) and my family who sometimes has literally held me back! I try to be an encouraging voice most of the time to our boys and coaches thought I know that once in awhile I get a little flustered with a few gentlemen on the court who have quite a bit of control on the game! One thing I do not tolerate and it gets my blood boiling is when the other teams players begin playing dirty! .......... but luckily that does not happen very often. I mostly love the rush of being by the court and hearing all the sounds of a good basketball game!

My brother comes home off his mission in 27 days! I am going out of my mind! Logan and I were very close in high school and we have grown apart somewhat since I left for college but I am so excited to be here at home when he gets back! It seems that that is all we can talk about lately at our house! He has been an incredible missionary and I just can't wait to have one of my best friends home!!!!

A simple hello in the hall at church, hug from a friend, text from someone far away, and a telephone call just to say I care has been the things that have meant the most to me the past few months. Hoe often do I forget these simple yet powerful mannerisms? I am trying to do more of these in my life as I have seen the difference It makes to me!

Making new friends is something that I cherish. Being in a "new" area has open a new doors for new friendships. I am amazed at all the amazing faithful, sweet, gentle, caring women who are out there! Old friends can never be replaced yet new ones are so fun! I love getting to know girls, hearing their stories, and serving them! I am thankful for those new doors that have been opened to me!

How blessed I am to know so many wonderful girls who are bring little lives into this world! I can not believe how many of the ones that I love are pregnant! I love hearing stories of their pregnancy's, the births, and the journey of being a mom! I had a friend who was here a few weeks ago and she is about 36 weeks along and she let me feel the baby move and kick for MANY hours (I even put my head on her belly for a short time... I know I am kind of odd)! What a simple joy that was for me! I was so excited and was asking all sorts of annoying questions! I see the change in each of my friends when they are pregnant, the glow that they have is something that I can not wait to share! They are so in tune with the Lord and are just beautiful! I know many of them at times feel like they look like a balloon at times but I believe that there is noting more beautiful than a woman who has a pregnant belly which is holding a new little baby! It truly brings a smile to my face!

Okay, I think I am done for the night though I keep coming up with more and more things that have made me smile lately! I know I am by far a great writer but I hope everything made sense! Thank you to all those who have had us in their prayers, they are felt and appreciated. Hopefully new pictures will come soon when we get our computer back!
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season!

Just a post

2010-11-16T17:00:00.002-07:00

So I have wanted to post about our Halloween and our fun costumes but Mike's stinking rude lap top hard drive is going out on us and we have only had it for 14 months! I am TICKED! Not to mention the warranty JUST expired.... grrrrrr. And to boot we tried to back everything up and it won't let us so now we have to PAY Best Buy to transfer everything otherwise I will loose ALL our picts over the past year! Computers.... it's a love hate relationship, right now it is more hate though lol. So... Halloween was wonderful and we enjoyed the scary movies (though Michael brought me to tears one night he scared me so bad!). Once I can get a hold of our pictures I will be sure to post our costumes!

I hope all our friends and family who are far away from us are doing well. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful examples in our lives and we are thankful for you all! Remember to keep those you love close to your heart and let them know of your love for them! Lots of Love!!

Fall Time!

2010-11-08T10:21:00.008-07:00

So the last 8 weeks have finally slowed down.... just a hair though lol. Mike and I celebrated our birthdays- Mike on September 28th and I on October 1st. It was a very simple birthday for both of us this year but we were just happy to be together! I was able to surprise Michael and have one of his best friends come out and visit for a weekend. It was a very hectic and crazy weekend but it was good to see them and visit for a bit! Thanks for coming out Seth and Cindy!

Mike's mom and dad had the opportunity to come visit us back in the middle of October! We had so much fun and was so glad that we were able to host them! We did all the fun touristy things that you do when you go on vacation and of coerce, we relaxed and visited quite a bit!
So to start off, we drove to the top of Pikes Peak and it was so beautiful! I had not been up on top is years! I will have to admit that the ride up got me just a hsir, but the ride back down was not bad at all! After that wonderful trip, we went and visited the little town of Manitou Springs. It is a nice, quaint little town that is nussled up against the bast of Pikes Peak. We just walked around for an hour or two and found our Halloween costumes! We were so excited! !The next day we went and had a private tour of the Gleen Eyrie Castle. It was the home to the founder of Colorado Springs and the castle and land is just BEAUTIFUL!!!

We last visited the wonderful red rocks in Colorado Springs... Garden of the Gods! It's amazing how all the rocks got that way, but I wont bore you with the hundreds of pictures we took . We had a great time! In closing, there was lots more we wanted to do but not enough time, life is funny that way! We were lucky that the weather was just perfect the weekend they came out so we were able to enjoy the beautiful Colorado outdoors. Thanks again mom and dad Brown for visiting!

Pay It Forward

2010-10-28T17:53:00.003-06:00

So this post will be a little different than usual. I am not sure how many of you have heard of the Sullengers Story and have read their blog, it is truly inspiring. I personally do not know them but a friend of mine had a post about them back in July and I have been following their story ever sense. Their little baby girl died this summer in a drowning accident and they are putting together a service project in honor of their little one and for her birthday. I am anxious to help in any way that I can and wanted to pass on this incredible opportunity. It is called pay it forward and to read about what they are doing, just click here. I am not quite sure what draws me to them and to their experience but I think about them often and ponder on the topic of I Can Do Hard Things. I just wanted to share this incredible story and hope that some of you will be just as inspired as I have been.

The close of summer....

2010-09-26T09:17:00.002-06:00

I am not like most people. I love the different seasons and love ALL the elements! It is sad to see that summer come to the end but I am very excited for fall! To sum up the last few months, It has been busy and wonderful!

One of our best friends, Seth and Cindy, got married in August and we are so happy for them! They are a stunning couple and the wedding day festivities were grand though I had to miss some of them, I was glad that I was able to make it to all the important stuff)! It is so good to see those you love get sealed together for all time and eternity in the house of the Lord. Thanks for letting us be apart of your special day Seth and Cindy!

The happy couple at the wedding luncheon

Mike and I at the reception

The newlyweds leaving the party

About a 6 weeks ago my dad had bought a few Bronco's tickets for their first home game of the season. Well unfortunately my mom and dad could not go so someone had to take the kids to the game. So surly Mike and I were not going to pass this opportunity by, we took the kids to the game. It was such a blast! Madi and I got all dolled up, we packed lunch so we could tail gate and we took off! Tailgating was great... we barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs, had pasta and all the goodies that go with that! We tossed the football around and jammed out to some good music! The seats we had were amazing! We were right at the enzone about 6 rows up! Though I think that Madi and Mike both thought that the best part of the hole night was getting pictures with the cheerleaders hahaha! Our broncos did end up loosing the game but none the less we had a great time! Thank you so much again mom and dad for letting us go!

Tailgating:At the game:This little girl that sat in front of us was so darling the whole game! She just loved it!The gang after the game!

My mom and I had our annual open house for Stampin Up! and it was AWESOME! We had a blast and had a great turn out! Our theme was a sweet shop and we had made a hole "shop" made out of sweets! In fact, it went so well that we are doing it again this next week! It doesn't cost a thing and we will have food, make-n-takes, classes to sign up for, clubs to join, free product, and stamps for sale! For those of you who are interested, it will be Thursday the 30th 6-9pm and Friday the 1st 1-4pm. I will be posting pictures later of all the goodies!

Another couple that are friends of ours had their baby boy about a month ago! We are so happy for McKell and Jason on their new bundle of joy! His name is Austyn and he is just doing great and is getting big too quickly!

Here is baby and daddy

So I know there are a few of you who know that I am trying to start up my own craft business but I am struggling with the name of it. Does anyone have any suggestions? Meg's Making is the lame sauce name I keep coming back to but I want something a little catchier... like here are some ideas or words I like: precious pieces, sweet-n-simple, cherished(pieces,treasures), simplejoys, precious treasures, love them, love of gifts, etc. Ya... as you can see I am not quite sure what I am doing. What I do want in my name is some sort of explanation of why I am doing what I am doing. I love to make things. I do it mostly to fill in that little void that will be filled in one day with a little one from up above. I feel that when I craft, I feel like I can help someone out and give them a little piece of happiness. It is my out, my service, my way of sharing a gift (at least I hope it is a gift lol) that I have been given from my Heavenly Father. I love to find joy in other peoples happiness and I feel as if I am apart of their life's simple pleasures. I am not sure if that helps anyone but if you have any suggestions I WOULD LOVE SOME HELP!

In the meantime, Michael and I are hanging in there. We are counting the many blessings we do have. We have hit a speed bump in the road (though sometimes it feels like it is a mountain) yet we are pulling together and coming closer to our Father in Heaven through this hard time. There are many little blessings that we receieve each day and that it what gets us through! We are so excited for this next weekend because it is General Conference and we get to listen to the apostles of the Lord! How thankful we are for this Gospel and for the testimonies that we have!

Until next time, with lots of love!

ONLY 90 DAY'S TIL CHRISTMAS!!!!

SuMmEr FuN!

2010-07-31T15:07:00.007-06:00

Man has it been a very busy yet fun July! Here is a time line of what has been going on!
July 1st : Michael passed his test and is an official commercial pilot! He came out to Colorado that same day! It is sooooo good to be together once again!
July 2nd-3rd : My dad, Michael and I went four wheeling down at my grandparents, we had a nice and relaxing time!July 12th-17th : Daughters of Virtue Camp (or girls camp). This camp is a grils camp that our church puts on for all girls 12 to 18 years old and it is amazing. I was called to be a stake cook which meant there were about 6 of us who cooked approximately 7 meals for around 300 people. It was crazy and a lot of work, but VERY worth it! I was so thankful for the opportunity to go and serve all those girls!
July 20th-24rd : Stampin Up! convention was AWESOME! I am so glad that I get to work for such a great company who has so much to offer! My mom and I went to Salt Lake and spent 4 days learning new techniques, making make-n-takes, swapping cards, setting goals, eating, receiving free supplies, and SOOOOOO much more! Not to mention the new products this year are awesome!
July 25th-30th : Family camping trip. This year was great! We were able to have my Aunt Trudi and Uncle Alan come along with my Aunt Tina and her son Giavanno. It was good to be in the beautiful outdoors away from the world. We went four wheeling, played lots of games, ate lots of good food, slept, and ate some more! This years trip did seem a wee bit shorter compared to past years but still good.

Hope you all had a fantastic summer and just for those of you who are curious... only
138 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!!!!

Little Accomplishments

2010-06-26T15:53:00.008-06:00

Michael is scheduled to take his test! WOOHOOO! I had to share this because we know that the end is near!!!! I am so excited to be with him again and not just for a day or two! He has worked so hard and if all goes according to plan, he should be back with me by the end of the week! I was able to go visit him last week and it was awesome. Though I think I should not say it like that anymore because people have come up with some odd ideas of WHY I was visiting him! I was able to visit some old friends, window shop, play lots of game, and just relax! I went to the Princess festival with my sister-in-law- and my 2 nieces, they had a bast!
Brooke, my cousin, was able to fly back to Colorado with me so she could spend a week out here with all the kids! It was nice to have a buddy to fly with! This week has been pretty good and productive. My mom and I have worked a lot on the study and SLOWLY it is all coming together. My cousin Ashley celebrated her 16th birthday and we were invited to her surprise party! I was assigned to make a backdrop to take pictures at and it turned out pretty stinking cute!!!! She was very surprised and the night was a lot of fun.
Oh yes.... and here is a picture right after I chopped off my hair!!

Lame-sauce

2010-06-14T09:22:00.003-06:00

So I have been wanting to blog for a week or two now but the problem is I have NOTHING to blog about. So here is what has not been going on around here!

I am still single! Okay not really but Michael is still not here with me. The good news is he has his test dates for flying so he (cross all your fingers) should be here by the 23rd :) We are hoping that this will all go right for once! I am so thankful for him and for sticking through it all. I just can't wait to be with him again! So for moral support I am going out to see him on Wednesday and will drive back with him (cross your toes)!

P90X.... do I need to say more? I have officially began the insanity! Some women in our ward/stake invited my mom and I to do it with them! So we are working out with them Mon, Wed, and Fri. We have the videos as well so we will do the other days on our own! My first day was on Friday and it was BRUTAL! Lets just say that today I am finally moving with grace haha! But I really like it am excited to see the results!

Crafting is AWESOME and I am trying to do lots of it!!! Yes... I am STILL working on my craft blog and should have it up and running soon! I have also been working on this little craft business... more info will be coming soon! Oh and my mom and I are not apart of a card exchange club! I am so excited!

In the meantime my mom and I have been cleaning the house out and getting lots done. Michael studies, studies, and well studies! All is well though.... hopefully the next post will be more interesting and will involve pictures! :)

A new beginning!

2010-05-14T10:26:00.015-06:00

Man lots has happened since I last posted! It has been a very busy past 4 weeks!

To begin, we moved out of our wonderful little apartment that I already miss! We moved out on the 24th of April and loaded all our stuff into my dad's enclosed trailer. Thank heavens he had it! It was a huge help. Thank you too all those who helped us load it up! (Sorry I was too busy packing, I got no picts of the move... I am kicking myself!!)

MICHAEL GRADUATED! It is official, Michael is officially a graduate of Utah Valley University and I couldn't be a prouder wife! His major was Aviation Science, professional pilot. Graduation was great and it was so nice to have so much family attend! Here are a few pictures!

Michael with his mom and dad

Michael,my mom and me
Seth, Cindy, Michael, and I

BFF's forever :)

Doesn't he look handsome?

Next, my cousin Nicholas got engaged and we just love his fiance! Her name is Amy and she is perfect for him! They will be getting married in August and we are just tickled for them!

Last, I am officially in Colorado and living here! I came out with my mom on the first of this month and have been supper busy thus far! I am working for my dad at his dental office part time and then working/helping/having fun with my mom around the house doing great big projects part time! I have loved it so far and there is still so much to do! We are staying in the basement and have moved Logan and Cameron out of their room and I am working on getting all our stuff set up! I should have it all done by the end of the month! Unfortunately Michael is not out here quite yet. He had to stay in Utah for a few weeks to finish up a couple things with flying so I will be glad to have him with me again! We hope to have him here by the end of the month so STARS.... PLEASE ALIGN NOW! Thanks :)

The main thing that was hard to leave was our family and friends. We had so many loved ones out there that we are going to miss like crazy!Little miss Lindy. I wanted to thank Alan and Lexi for letting us spend so much time with their little one. She is so precious and has helped us fill some little holes in our heart!

Lexi and I

Cindy, Lexi and I put putting

Here is the gang :)

So before I left, Dr. Swenson (the dentist I was working for) took me and the office to lunch. They were so sweet and gave me a going away basket with lots of fun goodies. I have so cute picts but I can't get them off my camera so I will have to post them later. I am already missing them all so much, especially Melissa! She is due with her first baby in June and I can't believe I wont be there! She knows that I will be thinking of her lots and will come visit soon!

Well I could go on and on about the loved ones that we are missing but we are very excited to be in the Springs and living with family! As always, lots to look forward to and a long wonderful journey ahead of us!!

As always, Lots of love!

'Cus you gotta have faith!

2010-04-11T20:29:00.006-06:00

Well March madness is over and we are couldn't be happier of the result! Michael and I both did well on our brackets. I got seventh place in my work bracket and second in Michael's work bracket, and Michael got first place in his work bracket (and we both won prizes)!!!! That was all just a bonus because the best part of it all is DUKE WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! All they needed was a little bit of faith in themselves (and we had some faith in them!). It was a night of celebration! We had Cameron, Michelle, and Colton over for dinner and celebrated Cam's birthday on top of the great game!

AND..... Here is our other news.....

We are moving yet AGAIN! This time it is going to be to a different county AND state! We are moving to Colorado Springs at the end of the month! We are actually moving out on Saturday the 24th and will be staying with my nanna and pappa for that last week. Michael graduates on the 30th and then we will move onto newer and better things! It has been a tough decision but we are excited for this new adventure in our lives. We will really miss our ward and all of our friends! We are so thankful for all those friendships... and not to worry, we will be back to visit! I think this quote sums it up. "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." :)

I think spring is on its way!

2010-03-29T21:32:00.019-06:00

I finally have taken some pictures! WOOHOO!

Al and Lexi invited us to The Festival of Colors. It is one of the ways that the Hindus welcome in spring. So we went to the Hindu temple down in Spanish Fork, bought some chalk, and then threw it at eachother! There were over 3,000 people there and we were ALL covered in chalk! Then there was a massave throw when everyone tossed their chalk in the air and it was like we were in a dust storm. We couldn't see the sky or the sun! It was crazy! Anywho we went for the fun of it all, not all the ritual stuff lol and we ended up having a blast! I felt like a kid again :) This is what we looked like afterwards...

These are all the awesome girls that I have been playing basketball with! We ended up being the Reginal Champions! The season was awesome and I have made some great new friends!

Just because I like my man in uniform!!

Michael and I went to the planetarium in down town Salt Lake and it was pretty fun! Here is us visiting other worlds :)

I am WAY behind on posting this picture, but these are some of my friends from work. We were were at a conference in SLC a few weeks ago and had a blast!

*Lots of Love*

Lame...

2010-03-14T16:53:00.003-06:00

So I will admit. I have not posted in awhile because I don't know what to say because there is not much that is going on right now! So here is my lame post with a few little things that have been somewhat exciting to us lately!

- CONGRATS to Seth and Cindy... Seth purposed to her this week and we are so excited to have her join the "family"!

- My craft room is all set up! WOOHOO! I finally got it all organized and I am loving it! It makes me just want to stay home from work every day and craft! Mike will even sit with me while I craft and he playes with his Legos so it works!

- Work is.... work :)

- Mikes basketball season ended bitter sweet. They were the stake champions which is exciting but their first regional game was not their best. They ended up going into double overtime and they lost. It was sad. My team did get into regionals and our first game is Saturday... so wish us luck!

- Congrats to Jessie and JB.... they had their little boy and he is a doll!

- One of my friends at work gave me the most amazing recipe this week (it's easy and fast)! YOU ALL HAVE TO TRY IT! Here it is...

Chicken Davine
2-3 Chicken breasts
Broccoli (use however much you would like. If you use fresh, then steam it first so it is cooked better)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of Mayo
2 tsp lemon juice (I used lime juice and it worked too!)
Cheese

Boil the chicken till cooked and then cube. Mix the cream of chicken soup, mayo, lemon juice, and chicken. Put the broccoli in a casserole dish along the bottom. Then pour the mixture over the broccoli. Sprinkle some cheese over the top. Heat the oven to 350 and let it cook for 30 minutes. SO EASY AND SO FAST AND IT HAS AMAZING TASTE! Enjoy!

So that's it today for my lame post :) Thanks reading and I'll post again soon!

The year gets better and better!

2010-02-08T18:54:00.002-07:00

Oh my goodness this year keep flying by faster and faster! Well the last month has been a ton of fun! Here are a few highlights...

- Mike is playing ward ball... for TWO wards! We are going to a young family student ward so he is playing with them AND for the family ward we would have been in! He loves playing and I love to watch him tear up the court!

- I am playing basketball too! Yes... even though I have not played in years I am having a ton of fun! It has been a great opportunity to make some new friends too! We are a pretty good little team but we mostly love the workout!

- The down side of playing ball is that there is a chance that you can get hurt... and naturally I can manage that! About 2 1/2 weeks ago I took a charge during our game and fell wrong and my head whip lashed back and I hit the floor HARD! We checked for a concussion and Mike watched me closely all that day but nothing was really wrong besides me having a horrid headache! Well last week I decided to go to the doctor to make sure everything was okay. I STILL had the headache and I had been recently feeling nauseous. So I went to the doctor and he decided to order a CAT scan of my head! Well I was fine with it until the technician freaked me out! He stuck me in a little room all by myself and told me to stay there until he called my doctor! I SAT THERE FOR 40 MINUTES FREAKING OUT! Luckily everything was fine, it was just procedure (which would have been nice to know)! So I am still waiting to hear back from my doctor to see if anything small was found, I am just thankful there is not a bleed somewhere in my head!

- Friends - We are finally meeting some couples in our ward and are making some awesome new friendships! WOOHOO! Friends can always make my day - old and new :)

- Supper Bowl Party- Lets get honest.... the best part of the game is having a reason to invite lots of friends and family over and have a good time! That is just what we did, invited some people over, had lots of food and lots of fun! :) Thanks to all those who celebrated with us!

Sorry, no picts this time but I will try and take some soon! :)

Our January!

2010-01-25T18:29:00.005-07:00

Well 2010 is going well so far! Michael and I celebrated our second anniversary on the 12th! We can not believe that 2 years has passed! They have been awesome! We didn't do much this year to celebrate but relax, go to dinner and a movie.

We do want to congratulate Alan and Lexi for having their baby girl! Lindy Faith was born Monday January 18th and mom and baby are now doing well! Lindy was in the NICU for a few days but they are home now! She is so so so cute! We are very excited for them! :)

Other than me going craft crazy and Michael and I enjoying some of our favorite TV shows, not too much has happened.... sometimes having not much to report is a good thing :)

The End of 2009

2010-01-04T20:58:00.015-07:00

Hohoho.... Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We love the holiday season and kept very busy! There were Christmas parties, gift shopping, carrying out traditions and lots of love! We were able to spend Christmas with my family here in Utah at my Nanas house. There were about 35 of us most of the time and the number even got up to about 50 at one point! Every day was planned for about 5 days straight and it was VERY crazy yet VERY fun! Some of the activities were ice skating in downtown SLC, going to see the lights at temple square, gingerbread house making, scavenger hunts, lots of food, lots of games put together by Nanna, a visit to bountiful to visit my grandpa, again MANY games, and SOOOOOO much more! We were also able to talk to Logan on Christmas day and he is doing AWESOME! He says he is "livin' the dream'! We can hardly believe that he has been in the mission field for a year now! Here is a fun picture of him of when the leaves were changing back in the fall.

Then we traveled up to Logan and spent time with Michael's side of the family for the new years. This was a nice change where things were much more low key. we played lots of games, slept lots, ate lots, played lots of wii, went sledding, and had lots of family together time. It is so fun to spend some time with our nieces and nephew! They are so stinkin cute! All together the holidays were wonderful! Here are a few pictures!

Oh and yes... I chopped my hair! I cut about 12 inches about a month ago and I am loving it! I tried to donate it to locks of love but they would not take it because I had bleached highlights.... lame. Oh well... it has been very fun!

I was not able to send a Christmas card to everyone so here is the picture we sent out and the little saying that went with it....

During our second year of marriage our great life gave to us….
12 months of lovin’
11 doctor’s visits
10 temples visited
9 weeks of Mike’s new job
8 days at Disney World
7 Holidays spent with family
6 days of camping
5 weeks of military
4 BYU football games
3 nieces and a nephew
2 years of marriage
And our first time moving as a couple!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas!
With Lots of Love,
The Browns

So I will close with this. How thankful we were for such a wonderful year and for all that we were blessed with. We have truly felt the Love of Christ this year and could not have done it without the Gospel in our lives! Our family and friends are so precious to us and we are who we are today because of them. Our love for each other grows stronger each and every day and with that love, anything is possible!

* HAPPY 2010! *

The Post

2009-12-13T21:06:00.001-07:00

I have had a hard time gearing up to write this post but I think I am now ready. Unfortunately, I miscarried on the 3rd. We went to the doctors for our 12 week visit, our first ultrasound, and to hear the baby's heartbeat. When the ultrasound was preformed my uterus was empty. No baby. My doctor was slightly concerned and I had told him that I had not bled or cramped at all. So he sent us over to the hospital to get another ultrasound done and he wanted a radiologist look at it. Once back to my doctors, we found out that the radiologist had found the gestational sac. I asked the doctor how old the baby had gotten. He thought I may have "miscarried" back at 5 or 6 weeks! I had my 8 week appointment where we had the full OB blood panel and all looked normal. We asked the doctor why all the blood work would come back normal if I had miscarried. He told us that sometimes it takes awhile for the body to go back to normal, and because of the progesterone supplements I have been taking; my body continued thinking and acting like it was pregnant. Therefore it never got rid of the gestational sac.

It was a complete an utter shock. We were not prepared for that news. We knew that I may have a hard time keeping the baby when I first got pregnant so for the first few weeks they did lots of blood work to make sure all my hormone levels were where they needed to be. Once we got all positive results we thought that we may be ok and that I wouldn't miscarry. That was the hardest part; we were not ready to see nothing. Because we have had some difficulty getting pregnant and we were not quite sure how we got pregnant in the first place, we anxiously asked the doctor what the next step was going to be so I could become pregnant again. He told us that we needed to get through the miscarriage first and that we would make a game plan in 2 weeks (which is this coming Wednesday). Since I had not miscarried yet, the doctor gave me some medication to help me get rid of everything. Let’s just say that I will ask for prescription medication next time. It was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had. I was told that miscarrying can be a lot like being in labor and so I am grateful for the option to have an epidural when I am in labor one day.

There had been a lot of good come from this and there is a lot to be thankful for. We are thankful to know that I am able to get pregnant and that has been huge for us considering we didn’t know how we got pregnant in the first place! The Lord has been by our side through this whole thing and that is what gets us through each day. We are so grateful for family and friends who love and support us. All your prayers have been greatly appreciated and felt. We know that our time will come to begin our family and we just need to be patient. Needless to say it doesn't stop hurting instantly. It has been a very hard 2 weeks emotionally. Michael said something to me the other day that really hit me. He had said that the saying "you don't know what you have till you lose it" truly means something now. We didn't realize how attached we were already to this little one and how excited we were till it wasn't there. We are ready to hop back on the band wagon and to start trying again once we get the okay from the doctor.

Wow, I said a lot more than I expected, sorry! Last, I have to say that I could not have done it without Michael by my side. He is my angel and my strength. I thank my Father above each and every day for sending Michael to me. He is my best friend and he stands beside me through everything, I am so lucky to have a husband who loves me the way he does. It may be a long and hard road but we are willing to take it if the destination is parenthood, it will be well worth the trip!

We love you all and wish you a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy the holidays!

Update

2009-12-05T12:42:00.003-07:00

Well, our new place is wonderful and we just love it. We are all unpacked and settled in, it feels awesome! Thanksgiving was a wonderful weekend. We spent it with the Browns and the Parkers up in Logan and it was all so relaxing and so much fun. Sorry to be so short and sweet, picts and more updates will come soon. Lots of love!

IT IS TRUE... HERE IS THE BEST NEWS!

2009-11-12T17:49:00.002-07:00

Yes all of our dreams are coming true.... we got a great apartment, Mike got an amazing new job, AND WE FOUND OUT WE ARE PREGNANT! Well I am pregnant! We found out a few weeks ago and so far so good! I am due June 18th and am 9 weeks along. So definitely in the early stages and an exciting road ahead of us! Michael has been so cute, we have visited Babies R Us already and we wanted to buy the whole store! Some days I think he may be more excited than me! He is going to be an incredible dad! I have been having some morning sickness but nothing has come up yet! I have managed to keep it all down! Just my appetite has disappeared which I am not happy about. It all goes aways when Michael tells me "honey just remember why you are feeling this way". I have also taken the term "eat often" literally and that helps.

So there it is... we are excited to finally be having a mini M&M!!!!

The move is over!

2009-11-03T18:08:00.002-07:00

We are officially in our new place! So far we love it! It is always a bit overwhelming at first but its all a good thing! The best part of the new place is that I have a BIG kitchen and a big second bedroom! We are so thankful for all of you who helped us with the move! I will try to post picts soon but I am trying to make just a walkway to get from one room to the next. Now we are hoping that life will calm down just a bit! :)

*Love to all*

Another blessing has come our way...

2009-10-15T20:04:00.003-06:00

Michael got a job! He has been looking for many weeks now and this wonderful position opened up just the other day! He will be the MANAGER for a parking enforcement company who patrols all over Provo and Orem apartment complexes. He gets to work part from home and is out and about the rest of the time (meeting with managers from different complexes, booting cars, and solving problems)! The pay is even better than what we were hoping for! They called him Wednesday night and he started today! WHAT A BLESSING! Thank you to all those who have had him in your prayers, they have been answered! Man, when it rains blessings it sure does poor! I am so proud of him and all his hard work! He will do a great job! Love you sweetheart!!!!

It's Official....

2009-10-11T19:48:00.002-06:00

WE ARE FINALLY MOVING! All the papers are signed and we are so excited! But no worries for all of our friends and family in Utah, we are only moving to Orem! We have been looking for a new place because we have out grown our cute little one bedroom apartment. We are sad to leave the area; we have loved living in Pleasant Grove but this is a great and bigger place so it is worth it! It is a cute two bedroom basement apartment that is owned but a fun young couple who live on the main floor. We are hoping that this place will get us through for the rest of the time we are here in Utah! We will be moving in on the 31st so let the packing begin!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

2009-10-08T20:32:00.011-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BROWNS!

Yes, to Michael and I. Our birthdays are 3 days apart, Mike's was September 28th and mine was October 1st. Our biggest birthday gift to us was our trip to Disney World but we had a few little celebrations of our own on our special days!

Michael got a free birthday dinner coupon for his birthday from Tucanos to Tucanos (which was AMAZING)!

We then went to the park and and walked around and took pictures! It was good to spend a night together!

On my birthday we decided to go to Cornbellys Corn maze and we had a blast! It was a HUGE and they had a ton of fun other stuff to do. There were pig races, big adult slides to go on, AMAZING pumpkin carvings, food, duck races, and lots of kids!

There was a rocking chair bigger than Mike! YIKES!

My Cinderella carriage :)

My sister-in-law and her family were able to bless the baby a few weeks ago and it was such a fun weekend! We got to spend time with family and enjoy the outdoors!

CHECK THIS OUT!

2009-10-04T10:06:00.005-06:00

Hey all you Scrapbookers and Stampers and Crafters... you HAVE to go check this out! You will love it... WIN A FREE WORKBOX! AMAZING!

http://makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/2009/09/biggest-giveaway-ever.html

DISNEY WORLD!!

2009-09-24T20:01:00.004-06:00

So we were lucky enough to have our friends Alan and Lexi ask us if we would like to go to Disney Wold with them! They have a time share down there that they needed to use and Disney is having a special through December for all military men and women and their families for a LARGE DISCOUNT. So we thought it through very quickly and decided to go and celebrate Michael graduating and to celebrate our birthdays! WE HAD A BLAST! It was so much stinkin fun! We were out there for 8 days last week and man was it a packed 8 days! We visited all 4 Disney parks, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. One fun thins that Mike got to do was be in the Indiana Jones show at Hollywood Studios! We also got over 50 Disney character signatures... they were so much fun! As a bonus we got to spend a day at Sea World. The Orlando temple was not far so we went and attended a session one night, it was beautiful! The last day we had the chance to visit my aunt Rina and her family, they were so kind to let us stay with them for a night. While on the coast, we visited the beach and watched the sun rise and set! I would love to tell you all more but I would talk for a week so here are a few pictures... they speak louder than words! Thanks Al and Lexi for inviting us!

Playin catch-up!

2009-09-24T18:27:00.016-06:00

It has happened again! I have had the hardest time keeping up with the blog! My computer is ready to hit the dust but I think I might be able to bring it back so hopefully I can get back into the grove of blogging! So here is a quick re-cap of the last month and a half! Hod on tight cuz here we goooooooooooooooo!!!!!

We were able to attend the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House and it was beautiful (as they all are!) We are excited to go do a session sometime soon! My little cousin Kessley got baptized and we were so lucky to be there... she looked beautiful!
Just a fun family photo!

MICHAEL HAS GRADUATED!!!! I pulled of a surprise graduation dinner for Mike with some family and friends! We had so much fun and he was totally surprised! It was awesome! Thank you to all those who were able to attend and we missed those of you who were not able to make it! CONGRATS BABY! LOVE YA!!!!

Our friends Al and Lexi moved into a new place and we got to help them tear down wall paper and paint their new place! It now looks so good!

We went to Logan a few weekends ago and went canoeing with Mom and Dad Brown... it was so much fun!

We were able to watch our little nieces and my new nephew with at Mom and Dad Browns and we had a blast! They are so darn cute!

We have a nephew!

2009-07-26T19:48:00.012-06:00

So Michael and I have been hoping that my sister-in-law Michelle would have her baby by this weekend because we were going up to Logan to visit. Well we got lucky! On Wednesday night, July 22nd, our new little nephew was born! His name is James Jay Parker, 8lb 1oz and 20 1/2 inches long. He is beautiful! All went well and all is well for baby and mom! We are so stinking excited to have him here! Mike and I picked up grandma Magnusson and went up to Logan Thursday night right after work. Friday morning, mom and dad Brown, Mike and I, and grandma went to the hospital and got to see baby James and picked up the girls.

We took them to the Pioneer Days parade in Logan and had a lot of fun! We were blessed enough to have cloudy weather so it was not TOO hot :) We then took the girls to the park and played with them for some time. Later that afternoon, Michelle and James were released from the hospital so we took dinner over and we shot off fireworks! It was a great day and it was fun to celebrate Pioneer Days with family!
Saturday morning we went to the historic site Golden Spike National Park where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met! We watched a little movie on it, saw the reenactment, took a car tour, and took a hike. It was a HOT but fun filled day! We had a great weekend and are trying to get ready for another week!
WELCOME BABY JAMES!!!!

Man oh man...

2009-07-17T21:47:00.016-06:00

...It has been way too long! So much has happened and my computer has taken a turn for the worst. So finally I am getting the chance to update! Here we go!

Magnusson Reunion - We had the chance to go up to Ogden canyon and spend some time with Mike’s mom’s side of the family at a nice time share! We spent tons of time together playing lots of games and eating tons! Thanks mom and dad Brown for a great time!

Crystal and me!

Good news! - Well my mom has been out here a lot helping my grandma Wagner because my grandpa has been in the hospital since February. It seems that anything and everything that could go wrong, did. Well about 6 weeks ago we though he was going down hill again and much to our surprise he made a miraculous recovery! He was able to come home on Monday and he is doing well! He is eating food for the fist time since February and we all could not be more excited from him! LOVE YOU PAPA!

Me, my mom, and Nanna at the hospital!

Jim Brickman - Mike and I had the chance to go see Jim Brickman in concert at an outdoor theater! He is a romantic pianist and he sings beautifully! Anyone who does not know his work needs to get to know it! Unfortunately our allergies were getting to us to we had many sniffles. Otherwise it was a very romantic night out under the stars, snuggles up in a blanket together, letting the music take effect on us!

Waiting for the concert to begin!

Rogers Camping Trip - We were lucky enough to go on the annual week long Rogers camping trip down in southern Colorado. It is just my immediate family but we have a blast! This year was a little more relaxed than most years. My mom and I took naps every day, I read a book, the boys were constantly playing horse shoes, we four wheeled a ton, the boys shot guns all day long, and naturally we are like campin’ kings and queens! It did rain every day but it was kind of nice because it kept the mosquitoes away! We saw some very beautiful scenery and spent a lot of time around the camp fire and enjoyed one another’s company! We also were able to spend a day with my dad’s side of the family because my cousin Nicholas came home off his mission so we went to his homecoming! It was good to see family that we had not seen in awhile! Welcome home Nick!

Mike got my little cousin to sleep. My heart melted!

Mike and his walking stick!

Getting ready to ride!

The boys gutting a squirrel!

I love the mountains!

My mom and I riding together!

The boys look like bandits!

LOGAN’S BEEN OUT 6 MONTHS!!!! LOVE YA ELDER ROGERS! He also had his first baptism this past week!

I think I covered just about most of it! So I am getting back in the grove of blogging so I hope to be back here soon! Hope you are all having a fantastic summer!

Mike and I up at military!

SURPRISE!!

2009-05-27T21:05:00.004-06:00

We went to Colorado for the weekend and it was great! Mike and I made a last minute decision to go and did not tell ANYONE that we were coming! Cameron had graduated from high school on Thursday and then Landon's birthday was Saturday and my cousin Brook flew out there to Surprise Landon!! So we decided that we could not miss out on the festivities! We left right after work on Friday and got in around 10:45, just in time to catch the end of Cameron's graduation party! It was held at a church house and was for all the graduates in our ward. We snuck in and my mom flipped out when she saw us! My brother Landon came running across the gym and was screaming! It was hilarious! My whole family was so excited! Saturday was Landon's 16 birthday and we through him a surprise party and again, we had a blast! He had no idea and we had a great turn out! We played games and Miked BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone! He LOVES to BBQ! Sunday was a little more relaxing. A good friend of mine, Christie Kofford, got home off her mission on Wednesday and she gave her homecoming talk in church! We were able to catch up for a minute and it was just so good to see her again! That night my grandma and grandpa Rogers and my cousins came over for dinner (left over BBQ)! Unfortunately our trip ended there and we left Monday afternoon. The sad part of the story. Saturday morning my dad noticed that my tires did not look so good. Well we had worn the back 2 tires all the way down to the steal belts! Yikes! The front ones were in a little bit better condition but still not the best. The tires were only a year and a half old so they SHOULD have been covered under warranty but since I never rotated the tires, they would not replace them!! RUDE! I was a little bitter but... I learned a lesson. So we immediately took my car into the shop to get 4 new tires! We were very lucky that the tires didn't explode and fall apart on us while we were on the road, so it is a blessing that we found out before anything happened. It made a little more sense why we were slipping all over the road on the way there too. It rained most of the way but it was not too bad. We had to go slow because we kept hydroplaning and slipping but no one else was! Well now we know why! Man oh man.... well so much for a cheap trip lol :)

We are home safe and sound and had a grand weekend! So...

HAPPY SWEET 16 LANDON

and

CONGRATULATION CAMERON!!!!

WE LOVE YOU!

It is time...

2009-05-04T19:19:00.004-06:00

...to get into shape! Mike and I have been wanting to "get back into shape" for some time now. Well after a harsh lesson on my part, we decided it was time and we were not going to waste one more day! So we have been working out for the past week! We have been running 1.2 miles (for starters) and then doing push-ups and sit-ups! It has been very painful yet good. I know it will take some time to notice any difference but you have to start somewhere right! We have been enjoying running outside and being in the sun a little bit... this is our way of bringing in the good weather! Besides wanting our clothes to fit better, we are excited to be in shape again and I am especially looking forward to having a bit more energy!
Along with the good weather, Mike and I went out the other day and flew kites for about and hour! I was at Wal Mart and they had them for $1 so naturally I bought Mike a Transforms kite and me a Lightning McQueen kite! We had a little trouble finding the wind at the park but it picked up eventually. Then we had to train Mikes kite because all it wanted to do was fly in circles and do nose dives into the ground! It was very funny! We can not wait for the weather to stay nice so that we can have picnics at the park and more kite flying days!

Spring Break

2009-04-23T12:33:00.004-06:00

So this last week was my spring break and it was wonderful! I was able to get a lot of spring cleaning done which felt great! Mike and I were able to go out to Colorado for a few days to help my mom out with a workshop and we had a great time! Unfortunately we were only there for about 40 hours but It is always nice to go home! My little sister Madison was able to fly back out to Utah with us and she stayed with Mike and I for the weekend! It was my mom's birthday on the 17th so we went to dinner with her and then had a little party at my Nannas house! We all gave here an ipod and she was so excited!!!!

Maddie and I went to a baby shower for my friend Afton and we had so much fun! We both LOVE babies! She is due on the 16th and we are so excited for her little one to come! Then on Sunday we stopped my the Mt. Timpanogas temple and took some pictures with Maddi, it was a BEAUTIFUL day! Then that night we went up to Bountiful to visit my grandpa and his wife. There is a girl from Vietnam who has been living with them for about 5 years and she is going to culinary arts school. Well she was making some spring rolls for a a party she was going to and she was doing all sorts of fun tricks with the food so she taught me how to do some of it! I actually did it and it looked good! I was so excited! This is my creation! Overall it was a great spring break!

Our Easter Weekend

2009-04-12T19:22:00.005-06:00

This weekend was wonderful! My Sister-in-law Michelle and her family came down to Provo this weekend and we had a blast with our nieces! Friday we went out to dinner with Michelle, Russel and the girls and then after we went to their hotel and went swimming! We had a grand time! Then on Saturday Mike and I went to school for a few hours and I helped him out with a little homework :) Later Friday night we went up to Salt Lake to watch the Jazz game with Michelle and the family. It was a very hard game to watch but we had a great time and had a lot of fun being with family! The girls are getting so big and are so much fun to be with! We love them oh so much and can not wait for #3 to get here... we are all very excited to see him!

Then this morning mike and I exchanged our little Easter baskets for each other colored our eggs! Mike grilled some steaks and I did the side dishes and we had a wonderful little Easter dinner! It has been a wonderful Easter weekend filled with family and lots of time with each other!

How thankful we are for this Easter season. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband who loves me and cares for me. We are thankful to live so close to the temple and that we are able to attend regularly. We have been blessed to have the gospel in our lives and to be raised with parents who love us and taught us that our Heavenly Father loves us too! We know that our Savior lives! He gave us his life so that we might be able to return to live with our Father in Heaven. We are truly blessed, to have each other and to have such wonderful family and friends!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!

Crafts, Vegas, and everything inbetween!

2009-03-31T20:15:00.007-06:00

So I have been a craft maniac lately! I have been having a ton of fun with my sewing machine and finding any projects that I can make! A good friend from work, Mari, said that she would teach me how to make a rag quilt and I was so surprised how easy it was! The blanket is not for anyone in particular. I decided to keep it because it was my first blanket and it is so stinkin cute! The skirt is made out of an old pair of jeans and I am quite pleased with it (I was watching TV one day and someone was demonstrating how to making a jean skirt so I wrote down the directions and thought I would try it)! They were both supper easy and so much fun to make!

Dr. Swenson decided to take the office to Las Vegas for this big dental conference/convention. We were not going to have a lot of down time so we all decided to go down early so we could play a little bit! We stayed off the strip at a huge hotel called South Pointe and I totally recommend it (It is just south of the strip a few miles)! It was very nice! So we left Wednesday morning and go in mid afternoon time. So we took our time having dinner and then we rode 2 of the rides on top of the Stratosphere and that was a blast! Then we went and checked out the hot tub which was huge and the perfect temp! Thursday we did some shopping on the strip and just relaxed. The Conference started that night and we were in class from 6-9! Friday and Saturday was the same story but different times! Class from 8am-6pm with an hour lunch and 2 little breaks and then Sunday morning 8-12! It was a good conference and we learned a TON it was just hard to sit there and listen for that long! But I must say that they fed us very good and you know it was not cheep food either! They even had snacks for us during the breaks!
Friday night Dr. Swenson took us to the Cheesecake Factory and then we walked the strip a little bit and watched the fountains at the Bellagio! After the show, this kinda creepy magician asked us if he could show us a few magic tricks. Lets just say that all the girls grabbed there purses closer to them lol. And actually he was pretty good! I have now seen a street magic show! Then Saturday night after classes, a few of us went and rode the roller coaster at New York New York and went to a little diner for dinner! It was a good and relaxing night so therefore we spent about an hour and a half at the hot tub! It was all a lot of fun! Other than that everything is about the same... liven life and loving every moment! :)

You want in on the fun?

2009-03-18T17:58:00.006-06:00

Well you can! I am having a few friends over this Friday from 4-6pm and we are making cards and tags! We are all always needing birthday cards, thank you cards, get well cards and lots more (even Mothers and Fathers day cards!) so I thought I would let people come over and use my supplies and make homemade cards and tags for gifts! It is $1 a card and $.50 a tag. If anyone, who is around my parts, would like to come you are welcome to and bring a friend! Let me know if you have any questions and have a great day! :)

Here are some samples :) I picked some of my spring samples but there are many more!

Tagged by Emily!

2009-03-14T14:04:00.005-06:00

5 Things I was doing 5 years ago:

1. I was a junior at PCHS

2. Just finishing basketball season

3. Taking my siblings everywhere my mom couldn’t

4. Driving a truck (oh ya Em!)

5. My day began at 5am and ended sometime between 12-1am... haha I couldn't do that now if I tried!

5 Things on my to do list for today:

1. Work on my blanket

2. Clean the bathroom

3. Do something fun with my sweetheart

4. Get some good sleep

5. Get my oil changed

5 Things I would do with a million dollars:

1. Pay off Mike's school and my car

2. Get into a house with a yard, a garage, a kitchen table... I don't ask for much!

3. Buy my honey an airplane of his choice :)

4. Travel around Europe with my man

5. Do lots of crafts! (I'll do them with you Em!)

5 Places I have lived:

1. Bountiful, UT

2. Kansas City, MO

3. Colorado Springs, CO

4. Rexburg, ID

5. Provo, Orem, and Pleasant Grove, UT

5 Jobs I have held:

1. Office assistant (At my dad's dental office)

2. Worked at the front desk at Hampton Inn and Suites

3. Office manager at a dance studio

4. Dental assistant

5. Someday a mom :) (I have not had 5 jobs lol)

5 Things I want to be doing in 5 Years:

1. Be a stay at home mom :)

2. Be in some kind of house (condo, townhome, etc.)

3. Doing lots of service

4. Have my Stampin' Up! business up and running

5. Doing laundry, cleaning the house, taking care of the kids, running errands and cooking on a daily basis!

5 People I tag:

Afton T, Melissa M, Kellie B, Carissa R, and Lexi A

Counting Blessings

2009-03-09T20:29:00.002-06:00

This month has been a great month so far! Not much has really happened but life has just been good! This morning my family got to talk to Logan before he flew off to Connecticut! It was so good to talk to him and to hear his voice! He is doing so well and is so strong and has inspired me to be better. I could not help but think about how good things have been for Michael and me lately. There are always challenges and hardships but often the good outweighs the bad. There are a lot of family’s struggling for many reasons throughout the world right now. All day all I could think about were the many yet simple blessings that the Lord had given me. It is true, once you are blessed, all you want to do is give back to the Lord and right now that is all I want to do. Most of all I am so thankful for the Gospel, my amazing and loving husband, and for a family is stands besides me! :)

Our February

2009-03-01T16:36:00.012-07:00

A few weeks ago my dental office attended the UDA (Utah Dental Association) Convention up in Salt Lake at the Salt Palace! It was a 2 day convention where we attended classes and walked around all the dental booths! As on office we went to lunch one afternoon to Benihanas and it was Dr. Swenson’s treat.... it was so yummy! All us girls decided to sped the night up in Salt Lake and we got a hotel... well unfortunately the one we picked was not what we expected so to make a long story short, Dr. Swenson offered to upgrade us and put us up in the Little America! He was so sweet to do that! Anyways we had a great time on our girl’s night out! The girls at my office are all so sweet and we had a great time together!

Since then not much has happened! We are keeping busy as usual which is good. I am so proud of Michael, he is working so hard at school and is really working on his flying… I am so lucky to have him in my life! He brings me so much joy and happiness. Just when I think I have figured him out, he surprises me! The night I came back from the convention in Salt Lake, Mike had bought me some beautiful tulips and had cleaned the house, done all the laundry, and made us a steak dinner! Then a week ago, Mike treated me to breakfast, then we went to a movie, and we had a coupon to Borders so Mike let me pick out 2 books! It was all very simple but spending time together with no where to go and nothing to do for a day was great! I thank the Lord for sending him to me each day! I am truly blessed!
Last night I actually pulled out my new sewing machine that I got for Christmas and used it for the first time! I know it is bad that it has taken me this long to use it… oh well, I really was so excited to figure it all out! So I found a really simple pattern online for a baby burp cloth and for some baby booties! I know I have no one to make them for yet but I’ll be ready! They actually turned out pretty cute! I was quite proud of myself! I suppose that this is just the beginning of some really fun crafts! My Pappa was diagnosed with throat cancer back in December and so he had a surgery about 2 1/2 weeks ago where they took out half of his stomach and esophagus. He is having a really hard time and is not recovering like he was suppose to. The doctors told him he would only be in the hospital for 2 weeks and he is now going on 3 and he still has all the tubes that he started with (feeding tube, breathing tube, a tube draining his stomach, etc). He keeps having setbacks so we are praying that he will at least get the feeding tube out soon. He REALLY is missing eating and drinking! So my mom came out to help my Nanna because she has had a hard time. My mom understands a lot of the medical world just because she has delt with it so much in the past 5 years so she was able to help her understand what is going on. We were lucky to have her some down on Tuesday night! She spent the night and then on Wednesday we went to lunch, made Logan some treats, sent him a box, and then I went back up to the hospital with my mom and we played some games with my Nanna in the waiting room! On the way up to Salt Lake I saw the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen! It was the first time I had ever seen a full rainbow and it was just huge! I didn't get a picture of the entire thing but I got some of it. I am a sucker for the weather and sky and when I see such beautiful sights like that, I think my Father in Heaven for the simple things in life!

A Very Fun Valentines Weekend!

2009-02-17T20:02:00.007-07:00

So over the Valentines weekend we had the opportunity to visit our dear friends… Emily and Rob! We had a BLAST!!!! We went up on Friday night and when we got there Em had prepared a great dinner and we watched the Shinning on TV (it was Friday the 13th so there were scary movies on). We then played a wicked game of Disney Scene It… that is an intense game! Rob had to work so when he left the 3 of us talked till our eyes were closing in the middle of conversation.

Saturday Em, Mike and I went to Porters (Rob was sleeping) and bought a bunch of crafts… I had such a hard time deciding on what I was going to make and not spend over my allotted amount. There were too many cute things! Let’s face it, I am meant to be a homemaker J Anyways… Em and I crafted all day! It was so much fun! Her apartment looked like a mini craft store between my 3 tubs of crafts and Em’s drawers of stuff! While we crafted the boys played LIFE and we all watched Disney movies… It was awesome! The best part was when we would all bust into song with the movie! Mike gave me my Valentines gift… a white pea coat!!!! I LOVE IT!!!! Mike’s gift… well I ordered him a Duke hat online and I had it shipped to Emily’s but it took longer than expected so it never came, he will get it soon enough! That night the boys took us to dinner to The Hard Hat! I love that place! The scones are awesome so by the time Em and I got our food, all we had were a few fries and we were full! That night we played a game called Celestial Companions and I am not sure if it brought us as couples closer together or pulled us apart! If our spouse answered the way we didn’t want them to then the other couldn’t believe it! We were all laughing so hard…. Lets just say Mike and I will be getting to know each other a little better!

Sunday we went to church in the morning and then headed back to their place to make lunch, taco soup! Robs cousin and her husband and Casey came over for lunch and for desert we busted out the chocolate fondue! We watched Emma Smith My Story and that was so good! I LOVE church history! After Robs cousins left we played What’s Yours Like, we were in a gaming mood this weekend! Casey, Emily and I then decided to go visit some old friends from our freshman year at BYUI. We first visited Derek and then Jenna and Ryan and their little 9 month old boy who is adorable! I miss them all so much! Later that night after Rob went to work (so sad… we wished he could have stayed home!) we played win, lose, or draw and we seriously laughed our heads off!

Unfortunately we had to go home on Monday but on our way out we were able to stop and see my dear friend Jessie! Overall it was an awesome weekend and had so much fun! Emily and Robbie’s hospitality was awesome and we are going to miss them so much when they move! It is a botter sweet thing to have them leave, we are happy and excited for them to move on with life and at the same time we are REALLY going to miss them! It was a good getaway weekend which is what Mike and I needed! THANKS!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY MICHAEL BROWN! I LVOE YOU!!!!

Sickies...

2009-02-10T20:07:00.003-07:00

Well there will be no pictures this post because they would have been horrifying! For the past 2 weeks I have felt sicker than a dog and gave it to Michael. I came down with a horrid cough and the chills at first and thought that I could beet it with a little R&R but no... after 5 days of not moving off the couch and giving Mike the chills, a fever, and my cough, I finally went to the doctor. I had bronchitis! So all the meds I had been taking (including all the cough and cold and sinus medication) were not helping much. So the doctor gave me an antibiotic, some prescription cough medication and an inhaler because my air ways were being constricted! Just last week I began getting another symptom... really bad nashua! No... I am not pregnant for those of you who are wondering... I have been on some other medication prior to getting sick which would upset my stomach slightly but I think with the combinations of all the medications I was taking, it just was not setting well with my body. Well anyways, I am finally on the up and up... not 100 percent but I am much better! Michael got lucky and just caught a cough but that was about it. After a few days of having a fever and being weak he got better a bit quicker than I. He now is struggling with a bit of a stuffy nose, it sometimes seems never ending! We were joking last night that the neighbors know exactly when we get home because we both start coughing and hackin up luggies (I think it will be that way for another week or so)! One thing that I have not gotten back yet is my taste senses... I have not been able to taste my food in 2 weeks! For someone who loves to eat, it is a sad day when everything tastes bad... even POPCORN!!!! The point of it all is we are just both so happy that we are overall feeling better; life is much easier when you are not fighting your body!

Las Vegas

2009-01-20T19:18:00.006-07:00

To celebrate our 1 year anniversary we decide to go to Las Vegas! First it is close and second I have never been there before! So we went down on Friday night and stayed till Monday in the very nice Monet Carlo. While we were there we learned a lot about Vegas... most importantly we learned what to do and what not to do the next time we go :) Unfortunately I was not the smartest and I wore some bad shoes our first day and ended up getting some pretty bad blisters on the balls of both of my feet so we were a little limited on our activities. Most of what we did was walk the strip and visit the hotels. The water show at the Bellagio was awesome and one of our favorite things! One of the nights we were able to go up to the Las Vegas temple and do a session, we mutually agreed that it was the best part of the trip! We ate a lot, people watched, shopped, and just enjoyed the change of scenery! I already have a list of things to do the next time that we go; their is always too much to do and never enough time!

At the M&M store... its the M&M's!

At the beautiful LV temple

Walking around on the strip

One year down, and an eternity to go!!

2009-01-14T20:10:00.003-07:00

We are excited to say that we celebrated our first anniversary! We can not believe that a year has passed since the most amazing day of our lives… and what a wonderful year it has been! How did we celebrate our anniversary you might ask? Well naturally I had to work all day Monday that night we went to dinner at Carrabbas (which is where our second date was at and where he first kissed me) and dinner was awesome! We also had the best waitress we have EVER had! Then we came home and ate a piece of cake from both receptions, I could not believe that freezing both of them really worked! Any who they were both still great! Now for all of you who don't know, Michael is very thoughtful and creative. Well he figured out that the gift theme for the first year anniversary is paper. He found this place online that makes "messages in a bottle" and that’s what I got! It is just that, a message in a bottle with a cork on top. There is a little message on the front of the bottle that says "It doesn't matter where you go in life or how much you acquire, It's who you have beside you that really matters." There is an antiqued paper inside with a poem written on it just for me! Anyways, it was so sweet! I am telling you all, Michael is the best thing that ever happened to me and I don’t deserve him. He is s so good to me and makes me feel like a queen each and every day. We have a long road ahead of us but I can’t think of anyone better to go down that road with! This year will be bringing us many new and exciting changes and so we are ready and anxious to continue this adventurous journey! He truly surprises me each and every day and never lets me down!

SWEETHEART I LOVE YOU AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!

A bitter sweet day

2009-01-07T22:54:00.003-07:00

Well today was the day that my brother Logan entered the MTC. My mom and dad flew out here yesterday with Logan. Then last night my grandma and grandpa Wagner had a very nice big dinner for all of our family in Utah who was not able to come to his open house in Colorado and everyone was able to wish him good luck on his new journey! All morning Logan was jittery and very excited to get going. He was so excited and ready to just do it! Then this afternoon, I, Mike, my mom, my dad, and my cousin Melissa took him to the MTC. Naturally, it was hard to let go. The MTC president told us all that he left our arm and went into the Lords. What a wonderful thing to know! We are all so proud of him and the road that he has decided to take. This is a journey that will be well worth it and will help him shape who he will become. We are all very excited for him yet we will all miss him (my mom and I decided that red eyes will be a new look for us during the next week!). We wanted to thank all of our family and friends for all the love and support that you give to us and to Logan!
WE LOVE YOU ELDER ROGERS!!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2008-12-30T21:05:00.008-07:00

Holy moly time is FLYING!!! December has been crazy but absolutely wonderful! It has been full of lots of family and friends. Let’s recap what has been going on :)
*We went up to Logan to do family picts but we got snowed out so it was a bonus weekend with Mike’s family and we saw the cutest play at USU! Thanks mom and dad Brown!
*Mom Rogers came out to Utah to get Logan from BYU, that’s always a fun bonus!
*There was lots of shopping done
*We went up to Logan for Christmas on the 23rd and were there till the 27th.
*While up in Logan we did lots of fun stuff like sledding, fun family dinners, lots of movie watching, playing with my cute nieces, and lots of games.
*It snowed at least a foot on Christmas day so I finally got my white Christmas! It actually started as rain and we were sledding in it! It was supper wet and I was drenched!
*Mike’s mom and dad took us up to this place called Hardware Ranch where and I went on a wagon ride and saw a herd of about 400 elk... it was sweet!
*We flew out to Colorado on the 27th with 2 of my cousins and are here till the 4th... whohoo!
*A bonus this year was my aunt and uncle from Chicago and their 2 boy’s came out for Christmas and they are all so much fun!!
*This last Sunday, Logan had his farewell and open house for his mission and it was a great day filled with lots of family and friends!
*We have watched lots of movies, EATEN LOTS, played lots of games, had some friends over, and just chilled!
*Monday night, Emily and I kidnapped my 2 cousins and my little sister for a girl’s night where we got treats at Sonic and then we danced in the mall parking lot for an hour! It was so much fun!

Anyways, the fun continues! I will continue with updates and picts... but a Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year! We love you all!!!!

Getting ready for the holidays!

2008-12-04T20:58:00.020-07:00

Well, about a week before Thanksgiving, Mike and I went and bought a couple of Christmas crafts. Okay, maybe a few more than a couple lol. So we went to Michaels and got some cute stuff :) We got a tree and a snowman… thing... that had holes for lights and I got to paint them. Well this is how they turned out... supper cute right? Then we got a couple of ornaments that Mike and I painted together! They turned out REALLY cute! Mikes is the Gingerbread man and the snowman and he did an AWESOME job! My favorite is the gingerbread man :) I did the rest. I also go these two snowmen that I painted also and they turned out great! I was so proud of myself for making my own decorations and for cheep! All of that plus the paint and supplies were only $30! I think I did good! The weekend before Thanksgiving, Mike and I got our VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE! It is an awesome tree and Mike liked that it started out as a Charlie Brown tree! We had lots of fun putting it up and Mike was very good at it all! About 3 hours and 800 lights later, our tree was finished! I of course had to have it up before the first of December so that we can enjoy it for the rest of the year! Then this last week I went and got a wreath and some berries and ribbon and made a cute wreath that is now on my door! I can't believe I figured out how to do all that! I love Christmas! This is one of my favorite parts of being married, doing all this fun stuff together like buying our first Christmas tree, and doing crafts together, listening to Christmas music under our lighted Christmas tree... It is all so wonderful! The only thing is... is has HARDLY snowed yet! I WANT IT TO SNOW WITH ALL OF MY HEART! Well... I am sure it is soon to come :)

Oh Goodness... Beginning of November!

2008-12-04T20:28:00.009-07:00

Well... I have been meaning to update our blog for way too long. I have taken all these pictures and mean to blog about them but this time of year is so busy! So I am going to do this in sections as if I had been doing it over the past few weeks. To begin, my in-laws were able to come down and spend a day with us andgo to the last BYU home football game (Nov. 8th) and we had a lot of fun! They spent one night with us where we barbequed hamburgers and hotdogs and just enjoyed each others company! Then that same weekend there was a Nauvoo reunion where about 65 of us from our semester gathered at a fellow Nauvooers home and chatted with everyone! It was soooo much fun to see so much of the Nauvoo gang like Matt, Brant, Kilay and Kelts (I was sad Jessie couldn't make it though). Then, like many other women and girls, I too went and saw the Movie Twilight the day after it came out! And you wanna know what? I have the best husband in the world because he went with me and we had a great time! Thanks honey… I love you!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-11-01T21:58:00.008-06:00

Well I shall begin with our family’s big news... my brother Logan got his mission call! He is going to Hartford Connecticut Spanish speaking mission and reports to the MTC January 7, 2009! We are all so happy and excited for him and proud of all he has done! We can not believe that this time has come but we wouldn't want him doing anything else!Well Halloween has come and gone all too quickly! Mike and I helped out a good friend, Sister Miner, with her ward Halloween party on Wednesday night and we had a ton of fun! We ran the dancing and doughnuts... it was surly entertaining! I am not sure if her ward enjoyed the dancing but I know that Mike and I did :) I was a cow girl and Mike was someone from GREESE! He looked good :) It was fun to be with the Miners a little bit... they are so much like family to me! Then on Halloween night we finally got around to carving our pumpkin just before trick-or-treating started! He turned out pretty cute considering I carved his out as fast as I could! Earlier in the month we had decorated our door and so I like to think that our little apartment was quite festive! Unfortunately we didn't have very many trick-or-treaters but I guess that’s what we get for living in an apartment complex lol. I love this time of the year! The weather is changing and the leaves are falling and ‘tis the seasons for holiday cheer! Most of I am excited for the cool weather and am soooo ready for the snow! Hope you all had a happy Halloween!

What does the fall weather bring?

2008-10-20T19:12:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately... sickies. Mike and I had both been fighting a slight cold and then it all hit me! I believe it was something between strep, the flu and a cold. This weekend was slightly miserable but with all the TLC from my hubby I was able to get some good rest and I am slowly getting better :) I decided that the only thing that is good about being sick is all the attention and love that you get from your sweetheart (not to mention all the yummy treats and back scratches)! Well October has been good to us so far. I had my 22nd birthday on the first which was wonderful! The best thing about this month is that life has finally slowed down just a bit! I have been working lots and Mike has been studying hard. Besides that we are just trying to stay healthy!! Lots of love!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUNNY!! And a little bit more...

2008-09-29T21:32:00.017-06:00

Oh me oh my how time has flown by! So over the last month we have been very busy! My dad came out again for another BYU football game and was here for a weekend, we had a grand time! One of Mike's best friends got married about 2 weeks ago (and must I say Michael look VERY good!) and all the men were wearing zuit suits!! Something fun that we did was we went on a date on night where we got dinner, went to nickel cade and then danced in the rain.... that was something I have always wanted to do! But this last weekend has been the best! Mike and I went up to Park City to celebrate our birthdays! We went to Main Street and had dinner in a little Italian restaurant, roamed around Olympic park, swam in the hotel pool, and just relaxed and had a great time! It was the perfect little getaway! Then yesterday Mike had his 26th birthday! We celebrated by relaxing, sleeping, opening his gifts and eating one of his favorite meals (biscuits and gravy) followed by dessert which was banana cream pie! Mike was able to get some new pants and a new shirt this weekend as a b-day gift and then I got him a movie and a little gas barbeque!! He is very excited to use it! It was a great day :) So happy happy birthday to my one and only, the love of my life, my sweetheart!

The time has come!

2008-09-09T19:00:00.010-06:00

Well fall is coming... hip-hip horoay! We are very excited and ready for the cool air to arrive. For Michael, school has finally started and so far so good. He is taking 17 credits and will be very busy trying to finish his flight hours and trying to keep up with all his homework. We found out some great news, Mike looks like he will be graduating sometime next year so there is light at the end of the tunnel! The last month was a pretty good wrap up for our summer. My mom, dad and Maddie brought Logan out to school and totally surprised me about two weeks ago! My mom helped me with my open house (which was greatly appreciated) and then we went to the first BYU home game which was incredibly hot but fun! It was fun to have my family stay with us in our cozy little apartment; the weekend was just too short! Just a week before that we had the opportunity to go and visit some friends up in Rexburg Idaho! We relaxed, went to the temple, and then as a wedding gift, Jessie and JB took us up to Jackson Hole Wyoming to a place called Bar J where we had a chuck waggon dinner and then watched a show that was hysterical! So, that cozy-ups our summer and brings us back to where we are which is going to school and working! Love to all and happy fall! :)

Summer 2008

2008-08-14T20:27:00.013-06:00

The summer has been so much fun and we have been very busy! We went to Romeo Colorado where we spent July 23rd and 24th and celebrated pioneer days with the Rogers side of the family! We spent the weekend spending time with the family, four wheeling, going to the carnival, watching the parade, and relaxing! The next week my mom and I were able to attend Stampin' Up! Convention in Salt Lake and we had a blast! I was quite sick but we had lots of fun none the less and got some REALLY cute stuff. I am loving being a demonstrator! Since then we have enjoyed being with family, going to 7 Peaks, watching movies, fighting HORRID allergies (both if us!), playing games, and of course working! I have been kinda sick the last couple of weeks and am finally feeling better and was able to clean my apartment and get organized this last week! The one thing I can not clean though is the yucky ants that will not leave us alone! Almost every day they decide to pay us a visit wither on the kitchen floor or on the stove top! All I can say is 409 is the only way to get rid if them... for a short time at least. After working on feeling better, I forgot that my body has yet to meet the sun this summer and I burnt my thighs, chest, back and shoulders this last weekend and I am at the itching stage... it is miserable. None the less it has felt so good to catch back up! Mike's last day at work is tomorrow so that he can focus on school which begins in two weeks so we are looking forward to our schedules changing... again! Never a dull moment! :)

Car Show

2008-07-20T16:40:00.010-06:00

Well first good news, I get a new job! I am leaving the office I am at and going to work for another dentist that is a little closer to home! I will start that job on the 28th and am pretty excited! This weekend Mike had to work and put the State Farm cars in the American Fork car show so I helped him! We were there all day Saturday but we had a good time! We saw a few very cool cars... two of my favorite, the Dodge Charger! Mike also found a Challenger that he really liked!

Fourth of July Weekend

2008-07-06T16:14:00.009-06:00

Well it was nice for both Mike and I to have a 3 day weekend! Thursday night we drove up to Hyrum to visit with Mike's family (mom, dad, grandma Magnusson and Michelle and her family) and watched the Logan fireworks. Friday morning we all went to the Hyrum parade and it was so much fun to watch my nieces run after the candy! We had a very yummy bbq that afternon and just visited the rest of the day. Later Friday night we drove down to Salt Lake and lit fireworks at Mike's aunt Karen's house. It was such a long and hot BUT fun day! Saturday we helped move Grandma Magnusson into her new apartment and it is so cute! We are very happy for her! Then Saturday night Mike took me to my first drive in movie! It was a doubble feature and we had a blast! We had a great but very busy weekend... It is always fun to visit with family and celebrate our nations freedom!

Welcome!

2008-06-29T21:26:00.000-06:00

Hi family and friends!
It is hard to keep up with everyone especially since it is the summer and so we decited to join the blogging world! We hope you enjoy!