MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!!!

Hello all! I haven't updated for so long! I guess that that is alright, we are all busy right? We are doing well here in Las Vegas. Keeping busy. we had a great Halloween and Thanksgiving! My family came for turkey day and we had a lot of fun being together! I am happy to be out of school and spending more time with Audrie and Martin. We are looking forward to the Holidays here at home. It will be our first Christmas without snow...that seems a little weird, but we have plans to go Ice skating and sledding at Mt. Charleston! Martin always will come up with something to keep us entertained! Do for now, this is all that I will write, and the slideshow is a compilation of the last few months! Enjoy and Merry Christmas all of you! We love and miss those that we can't be with this Holiday, You are all in out hearts!

October trips and fun...

HI All... I have so much to catch up on! But I will keep it short and sweet! we are really enjoying our time here in Las Vegas, especially now that the weather is starting to cool off! Audrie is learning and growing everyday and it is so much fun! Last sunday we layed her down for her nap, and she didn't make a peep until we heard a knocking on her door telling us that she is awake, we were so happy that she took such a great nap. So Martin went to get her, I was in getting ready for church when I heard the pitter patter of her running feet across the floor and when I saw her I was AMAZED...she looked lik a little alien! I didn't even recognize her!

So apearently, during her nap instead of sleeping she took a nice little lotion bath...it took days to get the lotion out of her hair, and we were late for church holding our little troll doll. It was great fun...we had a lot of comments on her hair that day! She is always keeping it fun!

Another fun thing we did in October was fly up to Utah and Dorve to WYO to visit Martins parents! It was a blast! When we got there it started to snow and we fed the horses and had lots of fun teaching Audrie all about how to get the horse to come to you. We carved a pumpkin and built a snowman because it had snowed all night. Audrie had a lot of fun with Grandpa and Grandma...playing dolls and fun games that she had never played before. Martin and I were able to get out for a bit and we drove up to Marsh lake and went canoeing. We had a blast! It was freezing cold, but we had hot chocolate and were very bundled up! We found a rope swing that made me a little nervous, but we did it and I am glad we did. The lake was so awesome looking. It was such a beautiful day, the lake had a beautiful fog rising up from the water, and the sun was in and out of the clouds! Just such a relaxing, fun vacation! It was a really fun trip and we loved seeing all our family! Well, that is all for now! Talk to you all later!

HI everyone. I am struggling with this slideshow thing...it isn't working when I put it in a post...so we changed it up a little...we love you all!

September Skydiving and Activities!

Wow!~ I can't believe that September is almost over! Where does the time go? Just a few days ago, Audrie was just this little baby and now...she is two! We had a fun birthday with her. Just her and her Dad and Mom. All day long she kept saying, "two, HAPPY!" she was such a happy girl! We made her cake and She helped frost it. I just can't believe how much of a little person she is, I love it. She says new words everyday putting more and more together all the time. I had a volleyball game on her birthday and class that night, so her Dad came and picked her up after work and they had a fun Daddy Daughter Date. He took her out to pick out a fun beta fish that she has named, Lishyy. She makes sure that he is well taken care of. Anytime she has something to eat, she makes sure to offer some to Lishyy. She'll sit on the counter and try to read to him, she is very accommodating! we just have so much fun!

Martin found out that there are pine nuts up at Mt. Charleston, so we went pine nut "hunting" as he called it. He climes from treetop to treetop like Tarzan, collecting the pine cones that has the pine nuts. We have started calling him, "Marzan". You have to cook the pine cones in order for them to open up to actually get the nuts, so my house has smelled like Christmas for the past two weeks! I don't mind too much though! When we went the first time, Audrie insisted that we all wear bandannas. It was fun.

The first weekend of September, we met up with all the Cook Family and had a little adventure! Last March, Martins' Sister passed away in a car accident. It has been a struggle dealing with all the feelings that everyone goes through when such a tragedy happens. However, we have felt a huge comfort and peace throughout the process. At Christmas we had all taught her how to snowboard, and when she got home she started talking about skydiving. So for her birthday we all went skydiving! It was the most incredible, amazing thing that we have ever done. What a way to be remembered. It was great being with all of the Cooks. We had a picnic at a park with cake and really good food! We love our family. And miss all of you!

Just a bit of randomness...

Hi everyone,
Just getting settled in for a new semester of school, and trying to relax, thinking of all the wonderful things that we have in our life! I am so happy to have such a great support at home while I try to conquer going back to school. Martin came home from work, just as I was getting home from volleyball, gave me a kiss, and said to go relax and get started on my homework. He took over making Audrie laugh, made dinner, cleaned up, gave Audrie a bath, read her a book and tucked her into bed. I just love my little family. I made it to just in time to tell her goodnight and giver her a kiss. Just love it! I have the best little family ever!! I love Martin so much, he is such a great help and support. I get so anxious, going back to school and all, and he is just so understanding and helpful! I know I can do it with his help!

Here are just a few snap shots from the last little while...

Audrie LOVES LOVES LOVES to chew gum, so we were on a hike, showing it off to the camera...

My best friend and Dad in all the world!
Showing off her flower, she was playing "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" with her Dad, and it was hilarious, we had flower pedals all over the kitchen!

July...Jacob Lake

Well, we are always looking for an adventure, if you know us at all! We haven't done too much lately though. July was a fun month. About five years ago I worked at a place called Jacob Lake, near the north rim of the Grand Canyon, so we took a weekend to go visit and spend some time there. I loved that summer and it was so great to be back among those beautiful trees!!! Some of my fellow workers from that summer joined us, and we all had such a blast! We visited the famous fire tower...right at sunset, which was beautiful! And spent a day at Lees Ferry, putting our feet in the ice cold water...Martin even jumped in! Crazy kid. Walked across Navajo Bridge and spent some time at the Rim. We loved it, but mainly we loved being back at the lodge, eating the wonderful food and COOKIES!!! and hanging around the old 'Stompin' Grounds"! So much Fun! That is all I have to say about that!

Up and Running

Hi Everyone! we are working on getting this thing up and running! Little by little I think we can do it! So, to recap this past year, we have had quite a ride...so "Lets start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start...when you sing you begin with "Do, Rae Mi'...but when you move you being with one two three"! Around the beginning of last year Martin took a job in Twin Falls ID. we were both very excited to be starting new and doing different things. He was working at a power plant...and to be honest I am not exactly sure what he was doing, but it was beautiful. Working right on the river in the canyon. It was so beautiful! We put our house up for sale and we were having such a blast designing our new home that we would build and exploring the area of Twin Falls. We packed up a lot of our stuff and moved it up. Martin was driving back and forth to be with Audrie and me every weekend and I would go up when I could. We were excited...but unfortunately, times got tough when our house didn't sale month after month and Martin had to quit his job and move back home to Millville. Blessings come in many forms and from this experience we learned patience! Once we were settled again in Millville an opportunity rose to move to Driggs ID. And let me tell you, WE LOVED IT! We loved being just min. from Jackson Hole and Targhee Ski resort. We were busy and surrounded by so many beautiful things! Our family met so many people that touched our lives. (By the way, we did sell our house by this point!) Martin, Audrie Rae and I were in Driggs for a while. At Christmas we built a snowman taller than our house! It was the most beautiful white Christmas that I have ever had! It snow days on end and I just love it! Cuddling in the warm house and looking out at all the white snow! MMMMmmmmm, brings warmth to my soul. However, we are not sure why life plays out the way it does, but just after Christmas, an opportunity came to us that we felt was the right move...so yes, we moved once again! We packed up (and hopefully for the last time...for a while...I have become a pro and I am ready for a break) put all of our belongings in a rental truck hitched up the vehicle and pulled out of the most beautiful place ever, on a cold snowy winery day and began the trek south...to you guessed it...sunny Las Vegas! So here we reside. We purchased a home and have moved in and settled down. We really enjoy our life here and having lots of fun exploring the beauty here. we love Mt Charleston during this time of year, it is so much cooler! we will go on hikes or just small picnics to beat the heat. In the cooler parts of the year we enjoy Red Rock and everything else Vegas has to offer...(well not EVERYTHING as you can imagine) So that is that, that is our life in a nutshell for the past year. It has been up and down but we are so excited to be settled and look forward to the many fun memories that we have made and that we will make. So, for now. So long, farewell avedasain adieu!