Optometry School

     That's right it's the loaded question we have been asked all four years of our marriage. Where are we going to optometry school? Well I am here to tell you we have finally made a decision! Drum roll please......

      I am so excited to tell you all we are going to Southern California College of Optometry! We are moving to Southern California!! We are very excited!

     It was a long hard decision. My amazing husband worked hard all summer got an amazing score on his OAT and Got to interview at every school he applied to. Not only that but he got accepted to every single school too! He is an amazing man, and how lucky are we to get to choose where we want to go!

     Then we had to decide. It was a serious tie between Southern Cali and Oregon. We really wanted to go to both places. We were leaning towards Oregon but we just couldn't commit. We loved the idea of something different and the small town it was in but once we sat down and really talked and listened we couldn't ignore the promptings from the spirit. We knew we were supposed to be in California. The minute we said it out loud we knew it was the right choice and we were so relieved.

     We couldn't be more excited for our new adventure! Tyler graduates in April then we are hoping to get jobs out in Ely for the summer and save every penny we make. School starts the 19th but we have to be there by the 16th for Orientation. So the beginning of August we are hoping to move in and get settled.

     It's weird to think we only have 5 short months left in Provo. We will miss our wonderful friends we have here and our family that lives so close. It is time to move forward though and our kids will love California. I can't wait to take Sophia to Disneyland and to the beach! She is in love with Minnie mouse and the first thing she does outside and get in the dirt. California will be heaven to her!

     I was going to wait till our Christmas cards go out because the news is on those too but I couldn't hold it in anymore so don't be surprised when you read it twice ha ha.

               ~A

Thanksgiving

     The week before and the week of thanksgiving were quite eventful for us! First Sophia got moved over to a big girl bed. She loved it! Here she is in the adorable quilt my mother made her that I have been saving since her first birthday.  

     She did really well. The first 3 nights she got out of bed 3ish times and I would immediately go put her back in bed. The 4th night she either fell out of bed or woke up scared in the middle of the night and we had to put her back in bed 3x again. Since then she has never gotten out of bed since. It has been wonderful. Naps have still been happening too. When she wakes up if I don't get her right away she just reads her books or plays with her toys. Sometimes I might leave her in there a while if she is happily playing, oops. 

Sophia's hair is finally long enough with curls to wear in a ponytail! it only took two years! I love how perfectly imperfect it is, and how the curls hang out.

      The Sunday before thanksgiving we had a sibling thanksgiving at Hanna and Eric's place. Even Nathan and Seth came up for it. It was really fun and I am glad we did it since we were all in different place for thanksgiving. It was a fun night and the girls decided to top it off with a lovely mess. 

      While we were in the kitchen visiting after dinner we realized the it was a little to quite. The girls tend to scream when they play together and there was none of that going on. We went looking for them and this is what we found!

     The girls had played in the Toilet and toilet paper. Made a lovely mess and soaked each other in it. The funny part is that the door was closed and the toilet bowl closed, which Mia can't get into. Sophia has never played in the toilet bowl before ever. So Mia and Sophia somehow communicated to each other and got Sophia to open the door to the bathroom and open the toilet and play in it. Ha ha those stinkers. They were immediately put in the tub. We are in for it when these girls are 4 or 5 and can talk and conspire with each other ha ha.   

     So after that on Tuesday afternoon we headed to Ely for thanksgiving. It was just us and Seth out there for the week. We got in just in time to make it to Seth's basketball game. It went into overtime and he scored the winning basket! It was really fun to see him play. Wed. Tyler drove out to Logandale and St. George to pick up Gandpa Bohn and Aunt Millie. 

     Thursday, our Thanksgiving day was lovely. We ate to much, had 9 pies for 10 adults, and had lots of good company and relaxation.  

     Friday Aunt Millie and Saundra and I went black Friday shopping in Ely! Ha ha it was actually really fun and we found some really good deals. 

     Saturday we went to chop down some trees. Sophia was so excited, so was Aunt Millie! Grandpa Robertson gave us the perfect location of some great trees and we all headed out. 

                                    Even baby Joel was super excited! How cute is that face!!

Then he got a little confused by the bumpy ride ha ha.

Sophia was ready with her awesome sungalsses from grandma and grandpa

Sophia was so intrigued by the whole thing. She even attempted to saw it down but we didn't get a picture of it.

The gang with our loot! Two trees in 45 minutes pretty good timing! 

Sophia brought home a stick and was so proud of it.

Joel was pooped after tree cutting!

     Saturday night we finished the weekend with some hair cuts and a movie. Then Sunday we headed home. Sophia got this princess crown on our shopping trip and she loved it. ha ha I had to take this pic of us going home.

On the way home our mileage hit 123456 and Tyler made me take a pic of it! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! We sure did and I am so grateful for all the wonderful people in our lives and family we have!

                  ~A

Blessing Day

     We blessed our son on Sunday. It was a great day! Tyler gave Joel a beautiful blessing and we were so lucky to have so much family and friend support and love.

This is what awesome looks like! ha ha

     Here is the cute guy in his suit. My mother made this out of my wedding dress. How adorable is it?! My mother also made Sophia's blessing outfit out of my wedding dress. Here is some pics of the two of them together.

This dress was quite elaborate. It has the main dress underneath, then she made a jacket to go over it. It's beautiful!

Main dress front

Main dress back

Jacket front

Jacket back

My next plan is to get these in some form of shadow boxes and hung in their rooms. We will see when that happens. Ha ha 

Can you believe Sophia used to be this little? Or that she even looked like this!?

Sophia wanted to take a picture too so she took this one of me and Joel. Not bad.

I feel like Joel looks huge in this pic!

I am so grateful for our church and the priesthood and my wonderful worthy husband. The blessings we can give our children are such a gift. Joel's blessing is so near to my heart and this guy brings so much joy to my life. I feel truly lucky to be a mother and am so excited to watch my children grow. 

~A

Entertainment

This is how Sophia entertains Joel for me!

She gets distracted easily.

2 Months

J is 2 Months old! Crazy. It still feels just like yesterday he was playing soccer on my bladder. and now he is this adorable 2 month old! Some awesome things about our boy.

~ He is smiling like a mad man!

~ He has the cutest little cooing noises!

~ He is super strong and loves to try to stand.

~ When I don't pick him up fast enough he tries to pull himself up into a sitting position! This kid is strong!

~ He loves his swing.

~ He loves his sister!

At his two month check up he weighs in t a whopping 12lbs!! And is 22 inches tall. Which means he is in the 80th percentile for weight and only the 40th for height. I am worried he got my height genes ha ha. Sophia is this super tall kid and Joel is a shorty, but boys grow different than girls so hopefully he will have a couple growth spurts! It does make him have a cute chubby face though!

For your viewing pleasure!

Isn't he great?! 

Halloween

We figured this was the last year Sophia would let us pick  out her Halloween costume. So we decided to make it count! I give you,............Richard Simmons!!!

Doesn't she make the best Richard Simmons?! I was tempted to get some fake color and make her hair brown but I didn't have time.  

I made that little shirt. I am pretty proud of it. There is 500 jewels on there! I glued each one individually. Yes I am that crazy but the rest of the costume was super easy!

Our little skeleton. He is the cutest! 

We just went around to friend's houses to trick or treat and hang out. Maybe next year we will really take her trick or treating. 

~A