Monday, May 26, 2008

I AM A MOTHER!


Well, I just wanted to encourage all the moms/pre-moms out there to READ THIS BOOK if you haven't yet. It is a great encourager and I loved every minute of it. It made me feel the power I have as a mom, that I am not JUST a mom or homemaker but I am a shaper of life. Give it a shot. It is only a little over 100 pages so it is a quick empowering read! Tell me what you think!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

UTAH!

We went on an awesome vacation to Utah right after Justin's school got out. We were gone for about 2 weeks, so sorry if you were missing blog updates, but we were too busy partying and enjoying the weather, the flowers, and the people. We went down for a family reunion on my side, to see basically half of Justin's family that lives there, for the birth of Jolene's baby Leah, for Mariah's wedding, and basically just to relax, shop, and play because we love Utah! Here is the Low-down:


THE TRIP DOWN

We drove from Edmonton to Cardston and spent the weekend there. Then we went on the long-haul. Luckily, we were able to take Robbie's "good friend" Cammie back home to Provo after her wonderful Cardston visit. She was SUCH a big help and the drive seemed to go by a lot faster with her there. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP CAMMIE! She fed, cleaned, and played with Zach...and that is tiring! She's wonderful and Zach loved her. I hope you aren't mad I put this picture on Cammie, it was the only one I had and I think it is SO sweet. You say the word, and I will take it off, but I think you look cute when you sleep, just like Zach! I thought it was so cute how they were kinda holding hands!
Zach loved the strawberry frozen yogurt almost as much as his parents do!

Utah Trip Continued...

Once we finally got there the fun began.

PARK DAY!

Peek-a-boo! Jolene got this shot from the other end...my end. Real nice Jolene! It is now on her blog for all to see!
Zach and his cousin Samara. This didn't last long. They both like their personal space a little too much!
Jolene and I just chillin in our shades. :) I just love friends! For those who don't know, Jolene and I have been friends since I was 1 yr old! Now our kids are playing together! Fun. It was so warm. I should have packed more shorts!

TIN FOIL DINNERS AND GAMES WITH THE FRANDSEN'S:

Zach helping Dad and Jason find the perfect fire spot for our tin foil dinners.

This is Jocelynn, Zach's little lady.

Zach stealing some cuddles from Jocelynn. Give her a few years and she won't be so resistant!

To finish off the day we went and visited my friend from nursing school, Jana the night before she went into the MTC. She is now off to Georgia!

VISITING THE PAYNES:
Here is Zach with Darin and Nada's little guy Luke. So cute. Zach was tired if you couldn't tell.


CRIPPEN FAMILY REUNION!

This is at the Sand Hollow Reservoir in Hurricane, UT. It was amazing! So clear, not many people, and red sand! Zach was in heaven and played ALL day. He was a wet mess and has the stained reunion shirt to prove it.
Mr. Sandman himself
Sporting the sunscreen mohawk
Mohawk, potbelly, and the amazingly saggy diaper! :)
He loved it!
I had to capture the clean up. He was mad. Notice the mustache? Minutes later he crashed on my lap. What a day!
Zach and his twin-cousin Reagan exploring the world of caterpillars with Joshua.
I love Reagan's expression here! She is so interested.
Zion National Park!
Zach with Brenna and Ryan on the tour bus.

Zach loved throwing rocks into the Virgin River and loved hugging that big boulder!
Here is what happens when cousins feed you chocolate pudding! Messes...and a cold!

More Utah!

MARIAH'S WEDDING

Grammy and Papa "entertaining" Zach on the way to the Salt Lake Temple.
Mariah! She looked absolutely gorgeous and was SO happy! This was almost as good as my wedding day! I love you Mariah!
Zach and the Salt Lake City Temple. The grounds were amazing this time of year. But then again, aren't they always?
Me with some of my old roomies and Mariah's sister. Bet you can't tell who that is!
The Reid's and the Low's
I wanted a picture in front of the tulips. Too bad it was SO sunny! Sorry Zach!
Awww, 2 of my favorite things!
Between the sealing and the reception we went to the Salt Lake City Cemetery. It was amazing. I want to go back. Here we are in front of President and Sister Hinckley's grave site.
Saying goodbye to the 'rents. LOVE YOU! Happy Mother's Day! Thanks for having me!


FEEDING THE DUCKS

Aunt Joanie and Uncle Ryan met us at the BYU pond to feed some ducks. They took it right from Zach's hand!

Zach really living the "Popcorn Popping" song.
One of the most amazing moments digitally captured. Love you hon!
Zach multitasking! He loves cell phones.
WITH THE BOONES AT THE "DEAD ANIMAL MUSEUM"

Andrew and Zach warmly greeting eachother after a long year apart. They were born 3 days apart!

The twins Hopefully this is the closest Zach ever gets to a black bear.
High Five action shot. The lighting in the museum was awful, so the pictures were mostly blurry.

Catching up on the past year of their lives.

...And a little more Utah!

BBQ AT THE PARK

Zach and Andrew playing under a big tree at our little old ward get together.
The Boone's and the Low's saying goodbye.
Here are some of our friends that came to the bbq. It was so fun to see everyone again.
Zach's first at bat.
It's a dinger!

THE FARM

Justin feeding the crazy donkey
Zach went on a cow ride...
... and a pony ride!
He wasn't so sure about being that close, but he like the ride...half of the time.
Inmates Nani, Zach, and Kea.
ARE WE THERE YET?
For 36 hours of driving roundtrip, Zach did great. He was playful...
...and sometimes bored.
Then, he almost started pulling his hair out! Notice the wings?

Almost there bud! Thanks for being a trooper!