OUR 100TH POST!!!

I can't believe it - we started this blog just a few short months ago and we are about to celebrate our 100 mark!! 100 POSTS!! CRAZY! So in honor of this monumental event I decided to post 100 things that I am most grateful for! Here it goes - this could be really long!!

1. My HUSBAND!! He is the best man in the world! He is righteous and strong, smart, hardworking, a GREAT DAD, and amazingly cute!!


2. My little GIRL!! Isabella Grace she is the light of my life!!


3. Our new little bundle – coming August 2008!!
   
4. PARENTS…we are so blessed to have TWO really great families! My family is awesome! I have the greatest parents a girl could ask for!! My mom is so fun and cute and my dad has always been an example! Nate’s family is great too! And they both make really great grandparents!! We love you guys!


5. Siblings! Nate and I were also blessed with great siblings…and I have to say…great in-laws!!


6. The CHURCH! This one is huge – seriously without the church in my life I don’t know where I would be! It is so great to be able to live your life knowing who you are and where you are going – knowing that your family WILL be TOGETHER FOREVER! And that we have a brother who was willing to die for us so that we could all live with Him again someday! It is the greatest gift!


7. KETCHUP!! Yes I know – it is pretty sad that after the church the next thing I thought of was Ketchup – but if you know me well – you know that Heinz Ketchup is one of my favorite things – I can pretty much down a whole bottle by myself with a burger and fries! YUMMY! And – I am so proud – Bella is following in her mother’s footsteps! Ha ha!


8. Spending time with my MOM – I think it is really fun when I get to hang out with my mom all by myself! Those moments are always my favorite! This past year for my birthday she took me shopping and to lunch! It was so much fun! We also got to hang out a lot at Lake Powell too! Good times with the Mother! She even tries to come to a lot of Bella’s little activities!!


9. Seasons – especially FALL and SPRING! I just love all the fun that the different seasons bring! CandyApples, Falling Leaves, Pumpkins, the COLORS – love it! Flowers, Crisp Air, and a newness with Spring!


10. PARTIES – yes I love parties – I think it is so fun to get together with friends and family and celebrate – makes life exciting!


11. Exercise – ok so I will admit I don’t actually like having to do it – but I love the how your feel after a really great workout! Lately I haven’t been able to workout because I have been too sick – BUMMER!


12. MY RED COUCH – yes I have a red couch and I love it! I just feel like it has so much personality!


13. Date Nights! I wish I could go out more with my cute hubby – but when we do we have a lot of fun!


14. ORAGANIZATION – I love to be organized!! In fact I would say I am kind of obsessive about it!


15. FRIENDS – holy cow I can’t believe I am not putting my friends on the list until now – they need to be like number Seven or Eight! I HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS EVER!! I love old friends, new friends, and even friends that I have just met through the blog!! I love that I can still talk to friends who have moved away like we have never left each other! It is the best! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!


16. My Shaved Cat! Cosmo is our cat and I love him – but I love him more when he is shaved! HA HA!


17. GRASS! – I love green things! It just makes the world such a pretty place when there is grass and trees and lush landscape!


18. The INTERNET! The best invention ever – need I say more!


19. A clean house – yet again – nothing more to be said.


20. BabyGAP – best kids clothes ever! I die over all the clothes every time I go in!!


21. TAYLOR SWIFT – love her music! I can rock out to her in my car and sing away – when is she making another CD?!!


22. CRUISES – best vacations ever!


23. John and Kate Plus EIGHT! Ha ha – I am addicted to this show – it helps me realize that my life is pretty easy!


24. SWIMMING – I love to go swimming in a pool or the lake – but not so much in the ocean! I tell Nate all the time that I would love to have a pool right on the ocean so that I can stay clean and not be eaten by a shark but still enjoy the beach! Ha ha!


25. Disposable DAIPERS! Yes this is quite random – but who wants to have to wash poopy diapers and such! I am so grateful I can just throw them away! Is that bad – am I not very green??


26. CHICK FLICKS! I love a good chick flick! Lucky Seven, Ever After, While You Were Sleeping, Sweet Home Alabama, oh I could go on and on!! I can’t wait to see some of the new ones that just came out – I don’t see too many in the theater so I have to wait until they come out on DVD!!


27. Good Books – I am not the biggest reader ever – but I do have some favorite authors – Mary Higgins Clark and Stephanie Meyer!


28. Potterybarn Kids – Love their stuff – way too expensive! Ha ha!


29. Scrapbooking – I love to make things with my hands! Picture Frames, Scrapbook pages, Decorations! I am going to try to bust into this new wave digi scrapbooking but I might need some help!


30. HAWAII – I have been to Hawaii a few times and every time I go I wish I could stay forever! I just think it is the most romantic place in the world.


31. SUNSETS – so beautiful!!


32. DIGITAL CAMERAS!! I am one of those instant gratification people – so having a digi camera has been so GREAT!


33. Late Night Talks – I love talking with my husband every night – we know each other so well and communicate so well! It makes our marriage run so PERFECTLY!


34. Cookie Dough – I am a huge cookie dough fan! Always have been and always will be! When I was little I used to make cookie dough and keep it under my bed –sick huh!! HA HA!


35. Modern Medicine – I am so grateful for all the great new medical advances – epidurals, ultrasounds, cures, medicines etc!!


36. Cell Phones – I love being able to talk to anyone ANYTIME!


37. Wildflowers – there is nothing more pretty then to see a field a beautiful wildflowers!


38. PEDICURES! – LOVE THEM!


39. Manicures!


40. Bubble Baths


41. Vacuuming – strange but true – I LOVE to vacuum!


42. Road Trips to New Places – I think it is so fun to go exploring! As a kid my family would take these huge road trips to different places and it was awesome! I have seen a lot of places because of it!


43. Sharpie Pens


44. Mountains – I love being able to go up into the mountains and enjoy the cool weather and beautiful surroundings!


45. Campfires – hot dogs, marshmallows, tin foil dinners, blankets, music, stories, cuddling!


46. Walks on the beach – the sand feels so good and it is nice to look out and see ocean forever.


47. My toothbrush – fresh minty breath!


48. Haircuts and Highlights


49. Photography – I love beautiful photography – wish I knew how to take cute pictures!


50. Vermont and Maine – I don’t know why but I have this fascination with these states!


51. Flip Flops!


52. DOUBLE SIDED TAPE!! Can’t live without it!


53. My PAPER CUTTER and MY CRICUT!!
    
54. COUPONS! Good deals are the best!


55. The TEMPLE! Ha ha– obviously this list isn’t in any great order! I love going for sessions as well as just walking the grounds! So peaceful.


56. Email – instant mail!


57. LETTERS AND PACKAGES! I love getting something great in the mail – checking our mailbox is a daily highlight!


58. Vacations!!


59. BYU – go cougars!


60. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – I LOVE THIS SONG…it is so uplifting!!


61. Lotion


62. Humidifiers


63. Aspen Trees – the sound they make as the wind blows through their leaves is so relaxing!


64. My Wedding Ring – it is so beautiful and everything I ever wanted!


65. Summer Rain!


66. Compliments – I love them because they make you feel so good!


67. Big Windows – I love lots of light!


68. BLOGGING – of course!


69. Hot Tubs


70. Hair Stroking – it is the best feeling to get your hair stroked – thanks Nate!


71. Pecan Pie – especially my brother-in-law’s recipe!


72. Bottled Water


73. BBQ’s – so fun!


74. Sleeping in


75. Inspirational Stories – I love learning through other people’s experiences. It is so nice to relate them to yourself and become better because of it!


76. BEING HEALTHY – so truly grateful that my family is happy and healthy!


77. My Garage – hooray for storage!


78. Air Conditioning – Living in Vegas – SO THANKFUL for air conditioning!!


79. Journals


80. Family History


81. Grandparents and GREAT Grandparents – Nate and I are lucky because we still have ALL our grandparents!


82. Fertility Treatments – I am so grateful that there are many different ways to try to start a family if it’s just not working – LOVE YOU SU-zette!! Here’s to April!


83. Beautiful Words – lilac, fresh, crisp, haven, aqua, blossom, dawn, cozy, giggle, eternity, lullaby, mist, sycamore, whisper, and my list goes on!!


84. Cereal – I can subsist on cereal alone!!


85. Running Water and Electricity – I would truly die if I was a pioneer!


86. UNLV Dental School – I am so grateful that Nate is attending a school where he can make a HUGE difference!! He has started quite a few programs and loves it!


87. Sunglasses – just in the past few years I have become obsessed – probably due to the Hawleys!


88. Musicals and Plays – nothing can beat the fun atmosphere of getting all dressed up to attend a performance of Les Miserable or Phantom!


89. Birthdays – yet again – love a good party and birthdays are no exceptions – GO BIG!


90. Spell Check


91. Prayers and Blessings


92. Gum – love how it makes your mouth fresh!


93. Prophets – past and present!


94. Our COUNRTY – I really do feel SO BLESSED – to have been born in the United States! We have a great country! Go RED, WHITE, and BLUE!


95. Decorations – I love getting the house ready for the holidays! Great Memories!


96. Traditions – they make a person who they are – Nate and I both have some really great traditions that we are going to pass down to our kids!


97. Service – or acts of kindness – doing a service can so totally can make my day!!


98. Strawberry Lemonade! Yummy!


99. Reading/Playing with Bella – she is getting so big I cherish every moment I get with her.


100. Bella KISSES and HUGS!

who what??!

Today Bella and I went to this...

the Pottery Barn Sing-a-long!! They have a singer lady come all dressed up and she does a little sing-a-long show. Now I have to admit that when I am with Bella my attention is pretty much solely on her and I tend to not pay attention to what is going on around me. With that said - I sat down right next to HIM...

John O'Hurley from Seinfeld! Yeah - I had no idea. I was singing all the songs and dancing - it wasn't until after the show that my friends were like - do you know who you were sitting next to?? I was like...no...WHO?? Ha ha!! I get so wrapped up in Bella that I forget to pay attention to people around me. So I sat next to Mr. O'Hurley, his wife, and little boy for the whole show and seriously had no idea. Bella and I had to leave soon after the performance - but our friends stayed a little bit longer - I hope you girls got your picture!! Ha ha!

Sunny Days

"Sunny Days - chasing the clouds away - let me take you to where the air is clean - can you tell me how to get - how to get to THE PARK!!" Ok...so it is supposed to say Seasame Street but today the sun and great weather had us playing at the park with friends!! (Sidenot - this Seasame Street song is now one of Bella's favorites and she will just bust out with it anytime and anywhere - SUNNY DAYS!!) It is so cute! Anyways - so since the weather has been so beautiful we decided that we would spend the holiday at the park basking in the warm spring air - in FEBRUARY! Ha ha. It was great, Bella loves the slides and eating lunch in the park is the best! Our friends Eric and Jaime met us there with their daughter Teya! I think the best part of the day was watching Eric and Nate ride the Teeter Totter - ride 'em cowboys!

busy little cupids

UPDATE!! So our Valentine's Day was an absolute blast!! Bella and I surprised Daddy with all our little surprises and he surprised us!! He brought home some beautiful roses for both his girls! My dad used to get me flowers every Valentine's Day and I loved it - so Nate decided that he wanted to do it for his girls too! So - Bella got her very own rose!! She loved it and carried it around the house like it was her magical wand! I love having such a thoughtful husband! He is seriously THE BEST HUSBAND EVER!! He also got me a pretty little watch - one that I have been eyeing in the store FOREVER!! Needless to say I was really excited! Nate was also thrilled - THRILLED - with his new Wii controllers!! Ha ha - boys and their Wii's!! I just love holidays and parties!!

Bella and I have been secretly getting ready for the big V-DAY!! We had a little photo shoot - where Bella only half-way participated. Ha ha. I wanted to get some cute pictures of her in her heart clothes so that we could give them to the Grandmas and Grandpas a.k.a. "Maamas and Papas." We got a few cute shots. We also went shopping for Daddy's Valentine Present - a Wii controller and some dark chocolate M&Ms!! Shhh - don't tell!! Bella had a lot of fun decorating Daddy's wrapping paper. An extra special touch I think!! Good job Bupps!

Yesterday we got together with a whole bunch of Dental School wives and had lunch and dipped chocolates and strawberries!! It was so much fun!! I just love that we have such a great support group - and there are so many kids Bella loves to play with!! Thanks for the cute chocolates and yummy soup - Jaime it was fabulous!!

Then this morning we got up and went to get our table decor! It is tradtion in my family to put the Valentine presents under your plates and then before dinner everyone gets to open up their gifts!! So we got to work decorating and spreading chocolates!! YUMMY!! Bella also spotted a BALLOON at the store which we just had to get for Daddy - or her - take your pick!! It is so sweet because we have been practicing how to say "Surprise - happy day daddy!!" She can say it really well - it will all depend on if she is in the mood to say it when the time comes!! Well - got to run!! Can't wait to see Nate's reaction!! I'll report later!! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I love her little face!! So cute!

During our little photo shoot the cat peeked his head through the window - of course - it was so funny to her!
Loves for the cat!
Coloring Daddy's present!
So pretty!
Our chocolates!! I think they turned out so awesome!! Thanks Dental Wives!!
Table Scape and Bella saying "SURPRISE!"
Simple but Fun!
The BALLOON!

PAINTING, BAKING, and a PICNIC

Bella has a new found passion for PAINTING and BAKING!! This weekend we decided to pull out all the stops and let her try many new things. She loved painting and made FOUR really unique pieces of "ART'!! She is quite the little diva because whenever she would get paint on her hands she would demand for us to wipe them clean. Ha ha. She also really liked painting with PINK! All girl I tell ya!!

She also decided that she loves baking. We made sugar cookies for Valentine's Day and Bella was my little helper - ok - so she helped me by eating the dough. Ha ha. She actually didn't mind the dough all over her hands - hmmm - I wonder why? A bath was definitely needed after all that hard work!!

We also decided to have a little picnic outside since the weather here has been awesome! We both wore our sunglasses and shared a PB and J. It was a great weekend - made even better that our whole family is finally getting over the nasty sickness that has been going around!!

(ALSO - Thanks to everyone for commenting on the Chinese Gender Chart - I think it works like 60% of the time - I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens - boy or girl - who knows!!)

does this work???

Ok - this is so CRAZY!! As most of you know we are expecting our second baby this summer and I am just dying to know what we will be having! Anyways - yesterday we went to our OBGYN and they did an ultrasound to make sure everything looked normal and healthy. While we were there the nurse was asking us what we would prefer to have - a BOY or a GIRL - and truly I am torn. I think it would be really fun to have a boy and actually have had dreams that we would have a girl and then a boy - but then I think of Isabella and can just picture her with a little sister. They would play so cute! Well the nurse told me that I should go and check the CHINESE GENDER PREDICTOR CHART. Ha ha - I was like - WHAT?? I am not one who typically believes of falls for wives tales so I thought it was pretty funny. But of course my interest was peeked. So - what do I do right when we get home - look up the chinese predictor chart. Ha ha. According to the chart we are going to be having another GIRL. Hmmm - we'll see - the nurse told me that she has only met ONE person who hasn't followed the chart!! I proceeded to spend the rest of the hour checking all the births that I knew and EVERY one followed the chart!! CRAZY!! Even ISABELLA! So weird - so I am just wondering if you all will do me a favor - check the births of your babies - do they follow the rule?? LET ME KNOW - I want to see just how accurate it truly is!! Supposedly it is 93% accurate!! Oh well - we will find out in FOUR WEEKS what we are having anyway!! YEAH!

Ok - this is what you do - make sure to really think about it you have to get your age right!!

Cross reference the age you were when you concieved with the month you conceived.

Example: I was 25 when we conceived Bella and we conceived her in August.

(Sorry I had it wrong there for a second)

Brotherly LOVE

So - my little brother did something so cute for me this week!! He dedicated a whole POST just to me!! How sweet is that! Yes - I love him! He is seriously the best! He even wrote me the most darling silly poem! I am going to put his link right here if any of you would like to read it!! Ha ha! Chris's Site!! Anyways - I just wanted to return the love and write a poem about him! He is truly the best little brother in the world! We are so much alike and we love it! He is fun to talk to and we get a long so well!! Thanks little bro - LOVE YA!

Ok here is goes - my feeble attempt at a poem! Ha ha - hope you all enjoy!

Here it is a little poem, especially for my bro
He is the funniest, weirdest kid that I will ever know!
Refrigerator, Saltwater, and Kissy Chrissy Poo
These names I call him affectionately and now you sure can too!
He is the buckle on my belt, the tissue when I sneeze
If every brother were just a Ritz, he'd be the easy CHEESE!
I love you lots my studly bro, you are the best you see
Because you are MY brother dear - so special to...to ME!!

There is it!! My masterpiece! Oh - and if you want to know how he got those nicknames - maybe that will come in a later post!!! Ha ha!! Good times!!