Finding Joy in the Journey

Christmas was wonderful, it was nice to be able to stay home and relax all day. Jason and Michelle, and the boys(Brian's Brother and family)came over and we had a guitar hero festival. I have to admitt that guitar hero brings out the best in people, we have alot of musical talent in our family:)




Brian and Jaran will not be happy that I posted these videos but who could resist!!So I am asking forgiveness in advance:)

This one is Jaran and Mason's room: GO BRONCOS!!




Here is Talia's Room - I love the pink and Brown and the border is so her!!





Here is Brevin's Room - we are starting early so he will continue in the family tradition fo loving Boise State!!




We have big plans for the rest of the house but will have to be patient and maybe we will finish someday!!

I know that I am totally biased but I think my kids are soo Good Lookin!! Thanks Nicole for taking some great pics of our fam!!

Yes I was one of the many crazy people that went to the midnight release of Twilight- It was totally worth it!!! I went into it with low expectations as movies are never as good as the book - I was pleasantly surprised, though not as good as the book - I LOVED the movie!! And I even stayed awake!! I couldn't believe all of the people that were there- the theater was packed!! So much fun - I can't wait for New Moon!

We went to PF Changs for dinner before the movie - Loved the great wall of chocolate cake for dessert.

Here are all of us in the theater patiently waithing for the movie to start!!

Brevin has really started to talk to us and has started giggling ~ it is too cute!!

As you can tell the kids love to make him laugh.

This week has been so much better than last week - It started off Monday with Brevin getting to go to work with me! I work in a great office and the Doctors are ok with me bringing Breivn when we don't have patients!!




It was great as he took a long nap and I got lots done!

Then today I get a phone call at 8:30 -Talia saying that at 9:30 is the reflections assembly ~she won an award, her picture will get to go on the the state competition!! Again I have a great boss that let me go at the last minute!



This is the picture that Talia entered- She took it at Grandma Hope's house - Talia loves to take pictures and it amazes me how beautiful they are!!


Natalie if you read this please tell Brandon and Dale again how much I appreciate them and how flexible they are!! :)

I did it! I survived my first CRAZY week at work. Aside from the stress of going back to work this past week, we topped it off by all getting sick- Jaran, Talia and Brian got the flu, and Mason and I got colds. I decided that it can only get better-right?

We had a great time trick or treating even though it was raining for part of the time, our friends the Webbs came over and we all went together. We live in an awsome neighborhood!


Mason was a Boise State Football Player GO BRONCOS!!


Brevin was the cutest Duck!!


Jaran was a "Scary Monster"


Talia was a Fairy (she took her wings off before I got the picture)

I am tired
I know that only I can make myself happy
I want to stay home and raise my children
I have the best kiddos
I dislike people who are artificial
I miss my Mom and Dad
I feel blessed
I hear my baby squeaking in his sleep
I smell baby lotion
I crave a creame soda slurpee
I cry when I think about going back to work next week
I search for a way to be able to stay home
I wonder what it would be like to not have to worry about finances
I regret lots
I love my hubbie
I care about other people
I worry about how what I say will affect others
I remember going on vacations with my Grandpa and Grandma Innes
I believe that Heavenly Father know what we are going through and cares about us
I dance every tuesday night
I don't like cleaning the bathroom
I argue just for fun
I write alot in my scrapbooks
I win Harry Potter Scene it all the time!
I loose when I play May I
I wish I didn't have to work
I listen really well
I can bake bread
I am scared of the dark
I need a hug
I forget everything!
I am happy when I look at my kids and see they are wonderful people!

I tag anyone who wants to do this!

7 things I want to do before I die:
~Travel with Brian to all the places we want to go-Italy,Switzerland,Greece,Australia, Jamacia,Ireland,Scotland, England- too many to name them all!
~Learn how to speak Italian
~Get caught up on my scrapbooks
~Go on Trek at Martins Cove in Wyoming
~Get into the habbit of exersising every day
~Have a craft room with a spot for all of my stuff
~Have a library room

7 things I do now:
~Take care of my 4 kiddos
~Dance
~Read
~excersise occasionally
~Scrapbook
~Run the Hope family taxi service
~Work at Greenwood Dental

7 things I can't do:
~Run -it is a mental thing
~Touch raw chicken without gagging
~Watch scary movies-I have nightmares
~Keep up with the laundry
~Get enough sleep
~Train my Dog- any one willing to help let me know!
~hide my emotions -I am an open book!


7 things that attracted me to my Hubbie:
~He is HOT
~He has a great sense of humor
~He wasn't full of himself
~He loves his family (we went on our 1st date with them)
~He is a hard worker
~He has a testimony of the Gospel
~He loves kids

7 things I say most often:
~I love you
~Please clean up your pile of stuff(at least I say please-right)
~No
~Why do you think?
~Sorry
~I love being your mom
~I am so tired

7 people I admire:
~My Mom - She is the best!
~My Dad - I couldn't have picked a better one -wait I did pick him!!
~Brian - He works so hard for our family!
~Valon - She is one of the strongest people I know!
~Murrena - She is so patient and kind!
~Jayne - So very talented!
~Carlene Tanner - taking her class has helped me be a good Mom!

7 people that have to do this:
~Karen
~Andrea
~Michele
~Marcie
~Lynette
~Kim
~Requel

On Thursday my parents came down to visit. It was awsome to see them again and to have them meet Brevin, I just wish that we lived closer so the could see the kids more often!




Brevin had some bonding time with Grandpa - My question is who is watching who!!

Saturday was a great day! Mason was baptised and Brevin was blessed! It was so nice to have family and friends here to share this with us. I am so thankful for the special spirits that have been sent to our family - I just hope that we can teach them well so they will be able to keep making good choices, and that they will remember how special this day was!!

Aren't these the cutest feet ever!!
I am Trying to wake up!!

This is a Smile Right!

Brevin was born on Aug. 29 at 4:48pm, we weighs 6lbs 14oz and is 19 inches long. We are so happy that he is here!! Everyone is adjusting great to the new addition ~ even our dog Flash!



I will post more pictures as we take them!!

Here is your picture!! I decided it was a good idea as I have lots of friends and family that haven't seen me in a while - So this was taken on Friday morning right before we went to the hosital.

So now that I only have 19 days left until Brevin's due date I have started thinking about everthing I have to do before he gets here! I have Brian painting rooms and moving furniture (which should be done by saturday!). I have washed all the clothes. Being the OCD prepared person that I am I went to pack a hospital bag- and I am stumped! I have totally forgotten what I packed before!! It is crazy how much I have forgotten about what the baby will need - good thing I have lots of great friends that have helped me out in that department - Thanks everyone for all of the wonderful gifts you have given us!!! And if you have any suggestions for the bag let me know!!

I finally finished Breaking Dawn last night - I have to say that I loved it!! I thought that adding a baby was a great twist, although having Jacob imprint on that baby was a bit weird at first but I got used to it. I felt there were a few loose ends though-maybe a future book!!

I figured it out! Thanks for everyone who helped me!

I have half way changed by background, and can't figure out how to get the black off of the background for the posts. It still says that I have the pyzam backgtround even though some of it has changed to the new one. If anyone knows how I can do this without loosing everything let me know!

After much deliberation and changing our minds back and forth we have finally named our Baby - but you will have to wait until he is born to find out!- just kidding - his name is Brevin Trace Hope!

Talia Danced in the Stadium of Fire again this year! It was so much fun, and yes it was hard work too! I am so proud of her and all of the other Divas that danced, all of them put in so much time and energy! I have to admit that I love helping with it to!


We even got to see the Blue Man Group up close!! Little did we know that we had actually seen then in the portal tons of times on Thursday when we were practicing all day! They definitely look different without their blue faces!
The girls were so excited to see Miley Cyrus- Even though they only got to see her on the big screen they still were rockin out!

Just wanted to add a special THANKS to Adrea Olsen our dear friend and director of Divas Dance in Lehi for all of the wonderful things she does for the girls - She truely is an awsome person!!

I thought that I should post an update to the bird situation. The kids left "pitter patter" outside in its box overnight. Monday morning there was a robin on our rain gutter chirping like crazy, and when the kids went to check on the bird it was gone, so I am thinking that the bird chirping was pitter patters mom and he left with her. So I told the kids that the bird is back with its family where it belongs. They seemed ok with that and I don't have to deal with a pet bird.:)

Well today started out like any other Sunda, we went to church and came home to relax and enjoy a quiet day. We happened to be taking care of the neighbors dog, and the kids came home from letting Toma out with "Pitter Patter"

This cute little bird was just sitting on the neighbors lawn, the kids didn't want their dog to get it so they brought it home to our house, built a cardboard box house, found an old nest in out tree, and have been feeding it and holding it eversince. The crazy thing is, Pitter Patter doesn't mind them at all.






In fact it has gotten quite attached to Mason- he even jumped up ont Mason's shoulder!

I just hope that Pitter Patter survives and flies away soon before they want to get a bird cage and bring it in the house!!