Thanksgiving Vacation

We are back home now and things have started to settle down. We've been having so much fun lately I wasn't even sure I wanted to go back! But now that we're all settled, I remember how much fun everyday is, too. For those of you who didn't know, we like to do a family vacation once a year and thanks to my dad who flies for Southwest and shares his free passes, we have done some awesome things in our three years of marriage-- for free! This year we decided we just missed Jessica, Dustin, and Thomas so much we needed to fly out Florida for our family vacation. And it turns they were able to get us into three parks in Orlando for free! :)

Here's a recap of the AMAZING time we had!

We went to SeaWorld the first day. Jessica lives about 5 walking minutes away so we didn't even have to pay for parking. SeaWorld had some fun roller coasters and Jessica was nice enough to watch the kids while Paul and I rode all the rides. That was until I couldn't take them anymore. That's right! I'm turning into my mother!! After the 3rd roller coaster my stomach was in knots. But perfect timing because we wanted to see all the of marine life. We watched the dolphin and whale show, touched the sting rays, saw penguins, sharks, polar bears, and watched the Shamu show which was the best.

Dolphin show-- the were so neat!

stroking sting rays

The next day we went to Walt Disney World which I was so pumped for. DISNEY! There are four parks in Disney World but we only had one day so we soaked in as much as we could. We got to go to Hollywood Studios and ride the Tower or Terror and such. Then we went to the Magic Kingdom. It was... magical! Very much like Disneyland so of course we hit all the classics. Pirates, Splash Mt, Big Thunder, etc. And we were able to take Susanna on lots of fantasy land rides like It's a Small World. It was so much fun. The Cinderella Castle is breathtaking, especially at night.

The next day we took off in order to recuperate from the last two. We got to hang out with Jennifer (another of Paul's sisters), watch movies at Jessica's, went to downtown Disney at night, and just relaxed for a day.

Next came Universal Studios, home of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Sweet! The Hogwarts Castle was so cool! We ate at the Three Broomsticks, shared a Butterbeer, and went on the rides. We didn't run into any death-eaters.. whew.

The rest of Universal was pretty neat too. I liked the Jurassic Park ride a lot, the Mummy ride, and Jaws!

It was fun to have Susanna and Thomas together. They are only three months apart and enjoyed splashing together in the bath tub. They both did a great job with all of our running around. Susanna slept in her stroller whenever she needed a nap and did great with the two hour time difference. We were so lucky!

This may seem long but it's such a brief summary of all the fun we had! It's a trip I'll never forget. I loved getting to spend some time with my sister in law. She was so hospitable and made our trip very special. I married into a great family!

We flew home, spent the night in our own bed, did lots of laundry the next day, and left the following morning to spend Thanksgiving in Cedar City with my family. This time we drove. It's an eight hour drive from Phoenix to Cedar and once again Susanna was a trooper. She just goes with the flow. I loved being with my family for a few days. No matter what, being with my mom, dad, and siblings is precious time for me. Following the lead of our fearless-black-friday-shopping-Tiffany we ventured out Thanksgiving day at 9:30pm. We returned 8:30am the next morning. And wow. I was a zombie after about 4. But I did my best to make my sister proud! I think we did alright for ourselves! Despite the insanity, it was pretty fun.

"Turkey" Vegetable Tray (as seen on Pinterest)

Mom always does such a great job on the table. Those are acorn candles we lit. We each said our favorite Thanksgiving memory then blew out our candle.

We have so much to be thankful for. I am very grateful we were able to take these two weeks to be together with our families. It was great to have Paul, all day, everyday for those two weeks. He has started a new quarter and I miss him already! We are happy the Christmas season is here! Our Christmas tree and decor is up! Merry Christmas everyone!

(PS: In regards to the new picture of Susie at the blog title--- are you kidding me!? Have you ever seen anything so cute in your LIFE?!?! Yeah. I get to be her mother.)

Makeup

If she wants to starting wearing makeup when she's four, we'll know who to blame.

Our October

We've had a really fun October. It is finally cooling off here and I am more than happy about that. We still have 90 or 95 days here and there.. right now it is 87. Not too bad. It doesn't feel like October weather but I'll take it over 120. We'll be in Idaho for Christmas so at least we will get to see some seasonal weather there!

Susanna and I went and visited my parents and siblings in Cedar City for two weeks. We left Paul to fend for himself and had ourselves a great time! It was Susanna's first time on a plane and she did pretty well. A little fussing but not too bad. While at home we made homemade donuts and cinnamon rolls, went bowling, hiking, to an Apple Fesitval, spent a day shopping in St. George, crafted, had a birthday party for Mom and Dad, and Olivia and I even got to go to a Yellowcard concert (it was her first concert and we had a blast!). It was such a great trip filled with fun memories. I love spending time with my family. Coming home was pretty fun too. :)

on the plane

Yellowcard

bowling- Olivia begged for the bumpers. She threw it straight into the gutter almost everytime. I think she bowled a 38.

bath time

Also this month was the prestigious Midwestern White Coat Ceremony where each of the first year students in all the medical programs receive their white coats.

Jon, Rob, Seth, and Paul. Future pharmacists of America.

For Halloween I couldn't come up with anything coordinating and inexpensive. :( So Paul was a Pharmacist (he wore his white coat), I was a pirate (Tiff let me borrow hers), and Susie was a pumpkin (Goodwill- $3). All of our costumes begin with "p" so that's as coordinating as we got this year. We dressed up '50's style for a murder mystery party we went to, and our "p" costumes for the ward trunk or treat. I'll tell ya- our ward knows how to throw a party! They have the best ward parties I've ever been to! Today we went to a Midwestern-Halloween-get-together.

We are excited for the approaching holiday season! We have our Halloween decorations up and light our pumpkin candle every chance we get. And there is more fun to come! Paul likes to make fun of me for starting to celebrate Christmas a few months early, however, it was his suggestion that we watch a Christmas movie this Sunday (Miracle on 34th Street). So he is just as bad as I am. We are flying out to Florida in two more weeks for our Orlando-parks-extravaganza with Jessica and Thomas, spending Thanksgiving in Cedar, and Christmas in Rexburg. We can't believe 2011 is wrapping up. It's been a great year and we are going to make sure it goes out with a BANG!

A few of our halloween decorations:

My witness

Often when I feel an inclination to share my testimony or what I believe, I am hesitant. Especially with those that I know do not agree with me, I am afraid of being pushy, preachy, or offensive. Sometimes I think of these occasions and afterwards the scripture in Romans always comes to mind, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.."

With that in mind I do want to share my testimony. My testimony of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has grown immensely in the last year as what I have believed all my life has been tried and tested. The experiences I have had have caused heart ache and confusion, however, and thankfully, I was able to turn to Father in Heaven. I remembered the many times in my life that Heavenly Father had answered my prayers. I knew for certain that there was a God who heard and answered my prayers. I knew that I could ask for direction and so I did. It is amazing to me the answers that I have received since then. As I have acted in faith, I have grown so much. I have been given many silent witnesses. These experiences are precious and I can not deny them.

What a happy thing to know what I know! What a peace in brings in my life to know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who is always going to help me in my effort to live a righteous life. I know that I am a child of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that when we trust the spiritual witnesses of the Holy Ghost we are blessed, line upon line, and are able to become more than we could on our own. I'm so excited to know that as I do my best I can be made better-- not just by my efforts alone. I can become the woman Heavenly Father would have me be with His divine help.

As much as I want those I love to have this for themselves, it is difficult for me to describe in words the testimony that is in my heart. But I will do my best because I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation and fills my heart with so much joy.

Loved General Conference by the way! Here just a few of the things I jotted down:

-reading the Book of Mormon consistently will bring a greater light and peace in my life

-having children is what the Lord wants us to do

-the things of God matter most. The clock of mortality is ticking-- use your time for what matters most

-It is better to look up

-have charity, be a witness, and endure to the end

-wait on the Lord with patience and diligence

"Believe in God, believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth, believe that man doth not comprehend all things which the Lord can comprehend."

Mosiah 4:9

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Photo Shoot

We recently discovered that Susanna knows exactly what to do when we pull out the camera. The other day when she was doing some pretty adorable babbling so I pulled the camera out in hopes of getting it on video. As soon as she saw the camera, she stopped babbling, and started showing me her biggest smiles. I thought, "how funny! She knows to smile for the camera!" I've tested my theory several times, and sure enough, whenever she sees the camera, she knows its time to smile! Isn't that the cutest thing?! That, and a 7 month old birthday today called for.. a photo shoot!

7 months old today!

I thought it would be fun to get her dressed up but I knew she wouldn't think changing outfits was fun so I just slipped on some mismatching things.

We had some fun trying to get a standing pose.

She loves to scratch things with her fingers and listen to the different noises it makes.

I'm one lucky girl. :)

LIfe is Good

Nothing really new here! This semester is more difficult than the last, so Paul is studying quite a bit more. Susanna and I are just enjoying every day together! She has started babbling consonants, which I think is exciting. Mostly dah-dah-dah and bah-bah-bah but I'm pretty sure I heard a ma-ma in there somewhere. She is cutting her first tooth and is getting more frustrated about not being able to move around as much as she'd like! She rolls over and over but no crawling yet. She is so fun to be around. I love to see her every morning and know I get to spend the day with her!

Here are a few pictures...

Braden Vacation

For Labor Day we traveled up to Concho, Arizona. Never heard of it? I'm not surprised! It is a beautiful little spot about 30 minutes outside of Snowflake. It took us around 4 hours to get there, and what a scenic drive. First all we could see what cactus, cactus, and more cactus. Which was pretty cool, actually. Hills just covered. As the elevation got higher we drove through some beautiful forest areas with great views. We stopped in Payson, Arizona, got out of the car, and AH! It was so refreshing! I had completely forgot what 80 degrees feels like. Now I remember.. it feels like HEAVEN!! The weather the remainder of the weekend was superb.

Grandma Braden put in a lot of effort to make everything perfect for our visit. And it was perfect! We walked toured their property, looked at some great pictures of our family, and Grandma taught me how to can meat. She even sent me home with a large pressure cooker and $30 worth of meat so I could do more at home! I'm excited because having meat ready to go is going to cut meal preparation time in half. I'll admit I am a little scared to do it without her... I need to summon the courage.

I'm so glad we had a chance to go see them. I love them so much. Here are some pictures of our visit.

Our drive up! Susie and I in the back seat partying it up.

Susie and Dad

Susie and Grandma

(this one was actually taken earlier when Grandma had come to visit us)

Susie and Grandpa

We didn't bring a Pack N Play so Susie slept in a this large tupperware!

We drove by the Snowflake Temple on the way home.

We have some exciting trips coming up as well. Susie and I are visiting Mom and Dad for their birthday in October (we'll use one of Dad's passes and fly up so we don't have to drive-- thank goodness!) Then in November we are flying to Orlando to visit Paul's sister, Jessica. Her husband, Dustin, works for SeaWorld and so they have the hookup down there. So far we are planning on SeaWorld, DisneyWorld, and Harry Potter World! Can't wait! We are planning to drive to Cedar for Thanksgiving and then come Christmas time we'll be driving all the way to Rexburg, Idaho! Lots to look forward to!

Love this girl!

Summer fun and a 6 month birthday

Summer is coming to a end but we've had some fun. Mother came for a visit which was blast. She stayed for three days and it went by incredibly fast. It was so nice to have her here. She fed Susie her first fruit, bananas, which was a hit of course. We went shopping, ate salsa, swam, saw The Help, and had pajama parties of course.

Paul had a week off from school and we tried to take advantage of that. We went to the Arizona Science Center which we thought would be pretty cool and it far exceeded our expectations! It was awesome! They had exhibits on building, the brain, the body, weather, natural disasters, and the sun. There were so many interactive exhibits and we learned a lot. We also went to Arizona Mills which is a HUGE mall with lots of outlet stores (if only we had money to spend!!) and visited the SeaLife Aquarium. That was a really fun day. We explored the aquarium and then walked around the mall for awhile.

Susanna turned 6 months old on Sunday. My little girl! Here are some of the things she likes to do:

-She can roll over both ways.

-She loves to grab at anything and everything, including the sacrament trays...

-She loves when I sing to her-- all smiles.

-She enjoys laying under her mobile and grabbing things.

-She laughs her head off when we all dance together. There isn't anything much cuter than a baby's giggles!

-When we read library books together she just wants to slap her hands on the books.

-When she gets something in her little hands she usually follows the same pattern... 1. shake it up and down, 2. bang it against something like the floor or the counter, 3. suck on it, 4. throw it away and look for something else to grab.

I think she is teething because she is normally a great napper and she hasn't been taking her naps lately... The pediatrician said he can feel some teeth coming in. I can't feel anything! But boy has she been fussy!

Sometimes I get caught up in comparing her with other babies. I hate worrying that she isn't on track but it can be hard not to. Right now I'm working with her on sitting up, waving goodbye, and am trying to introduce a few signs. Being a first time mom, it's difficult to know if she is behind or not. I just want to do what's best for her.

Susanna is the light of my life. Being a mom makes me the happiest person! I thank Heavenly Father every day that I have Susanna in my life. She is my little sunshine.

6 month stats:

Weight: 6th percentile

Height: 80th percentile

Head Circumference: 15th percentile

What's New

Still hoping for cooler weather! Sometimes I just can't believe so many people live here. Maybe it's something you get used to. I go jogging with a girl in my ward in the morning and I've comeclose to passing out twice! And we go at 7am! They say I'll love it in the winter.. we'll see...

Other than that we are enjoying life. I think everyone has those moments when they sit back and feel contented with life.. like "hey, life is pretty darn good!" I've had moments like that before in life (usually when surrounded by family) however since having Susanna, the feeling has intensified. Sometimes when we are together, the three of us, I feel so overwhelmingly blessed for my family.

We are making a few friends, slowly but surely. Which is a relief because it's great to have them! Paul has made friends from school and we've hung out with their families a few times. I've made friends from our ward and here and there. I have a card making date with some other "Midwestern Wives" this week, which will be fun. Now that I'm home it's fun to try and be crafty. I'm even working on a pillow and two cushions for our wicker rocking chair!

Paul is teaching Sunday School in our ward and I just got called as the YW secretary, which I'm very excited for. Hopefully I can get to know all of the YW in our ward soon. What am I looking forward to the most?... Girls Camp baby!!!

We also finally bought Susanna a high chair. We were feeding her in her bouncer but it was getting everywhere and we'd like that bouncer to stay somewhat nice for the children to come, so we bought a high chair. The first time Susie sat it in she loved it! She was all smiles. It works so much better. She likes to sit and watch me make dinner or do dishes.

I'll tell ya, those cheeks are just begging to be kissed!

Summer Update

It's been HOT.... but's it's been a great summer so far. Starting over in a new place together as a family has been exciting. I feel very grateful to have Paul as my partner and lucky to get to spend every day with my sweet, smiley, Susanna (who is currently napping... what a good girl).

We celebrated the 4th with some friends Paul made at school. We went swimming and barbecued, then got together in downtown Phoenix later on for the firework show. It was stifling, even at 11pm, but the fireworks were amazing! And Susie did so well! She didn't hardly cry and watched the fireworks with awe. She was zonked out on the way home.

Susanna has had some major developments in her little baby life. She started eating solid foods and is now an expert roller over-er. :) We flip out and cheer every time she does it so it's her favorite thing to do. She has started giving kisses, and I love it despite the slobber. She has tried rice cereal (this was first), carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and peas, the latter being her least favorite as you can probably surmise from the picture!

Little Sis/Aunt Livy came for a great ten day visit. We had a blast! Among other things, we went to the zoo, which was a big mistake. We were pretty much the only ones there (most of the animals were even absent) and as soon as we had been there 10 minutes we realized why. It was terribly hot! I wonder where they take the animals when it's "too hot to be on exhibit." I think it's a pretty cool zoo though and we are looking forward to going back in cooler weather. We stayed a whole hour... and almost melted.

Paul and I also celebrated our three year anniversary. Olivia took way to many pictures of us throughout her entire visit, this day in particular. I think I have a least of dozen pictures of the roses Paul bought me, alone. Olivia offered to babysit so we could go on a date (I think the third one we've had out of the house since Susanna was born!). We went to the Macaroni Grill and saw the new Harry Potter movie, which of course didn't disappoint !

Three years and getting better everyday.