Merry Christmas

Well, here I am again with an update. I am really bad at this blogging thing. I guess that now I'm on Christmas break, I really don't have any more excuses.

Scott: Scott continues to work at Provident Funding and does an excellent job. Although it can be stressful, I think he really enjoys it. He has some great co-workers that make the job even better. He recently got the new PlayStation 4 and enjoys playing in his spare time. Scott keeps busy teaching gospel doctrine every Sunday and recently playing with Alice in the snow.

Abby: I just completed my third semester of dental hygiene school. It was the absolute worst semester of all and I am happy to say that I survived. I have a month off of school and then I will start my fourth and final semester in January. Before graduating in May, I will need to take 5 boards to become licensed. I am hopeful that I can pass all of these the first time. For now, it is good to be home and to spend so much time with Alice.

Alice: Alice continues to keep us on our toes. She will be three in February. She is a happy, smart, energetic little girl that makes the worst and fastest messes. Alice enjoys reading books, playing with dinosaurs, and "camping" in our bedroom closet with her numerous stuffed animals. She has recently rediscovered her love for snow and loves when Daddy gets home to take her outside. Alice continues to amaze me with her vocabulary and how fast she picks up on things. Although she is not potty-trained yet, we are hopeful for the future.

2013 has been good to us. We have been blessed to continue living with the Hewitsons and we have enjoyed health and happiness. We are excited for 2014 with the possibility of graduation and a new job, moving into a house, and increasing our family. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!

Life a Year Later

The last time I posted was almost a year ago! We had just gotten back from a family trip to Florida and I think that I was so overwhelmed with all of the pictures that I just gave up and forgot about the old blog. Trust me, though, the trip was great!

A lot has happened since last year. Here are the highlights:

*We moved in with Scott's parents. Although this wasn't quite a welcome change, it has been a good one. Along with saving money and being closer to school for me and work for Scott, it has been good for Alice to wake up in her own bed and be watched by her Auntie. The family support is great while I am in school and we will forever be indebted to the Hewitsons for putting up with us. We plan on staying until I graduate next May and moving into a house (fingers crossed).

*I have completed one year of dental hygiene school. This has been one of the hardest and most stressful things I have ever experienced! I absolutely love what I am learning and love the field that I am going into, so that helps. Another amazing bonus is that I have the most amazing group of girls a girl could ask for in my class with me! We have become instant friends and it is such a comfort to be going through all of this together. I have one year left at SLCC (2 semesters) and then I will be done. Hopefully I can pass my boards and come out a registered dental hygienist!

*Scott graduated from the University of Utah. Scott completed his Bachelor's Degree in Business Management in December 2012. He has worked so hard and I am so proud of him. Now to pay off his student loans...

*Scott started a new job in his field. Two months after his graduation, Scott landed a job at a company called Provident Funding. He is a credit analyst and has learned a lot about the mortgage industry. In May he went to San Francisco for a two-week training and had a lot of fun. It was much harder on Alice and me, as I had to stay home to take finals. We are very happy with his new salary and that we finally have benefits for the whole family! Now if only insurance was cheaper....

*We got a new car. After nearly 7 years with dear Truman (my 1998 Chevrolet Prism), we said goodbye to him forever. He was a great first car and I am so grateful to my parents for getting him for me. It was a bittersweet experience for me, but I am very pleased with our new car (yet to be named). He is a gray 2013 Hyundai Elantra and we ended up getting a great deal. I remember telling Scott that my dream was to have a car with seat warmers, and I am here to say that that dream, though some might call silly, has come true.

*Alice turned 2. Alice is the cutest, sweetest, silliest little girl and I am constantly amazed that I get to be her mom. She is very tall for her age and is often mistaken for a 3 year-old. She has an excellent vocabulary and is very independent and active. Her recent interests are dinosaurs, Batman and Thomas the Train. Although she has a propensity for mischief, she is constantly making us laugh. I just can't imagine life without Alice Ann. I recently introduced her to the toilet and after much trial and error, we decided that she isn't ready yet to give up her diapers. There's always next time!

Hopefully I will be better about updating the blog, though I can't make any promises! I don't really have an excuse, though, as I am home with Alice for the whole summer. Although it has been nice getting a break, I have decided that I am a happier person when I am able to work towards something (like school). I will probably say the opposite, however, once I start school and the stress starts piling on. So what have I been doing with my time, you ask? Well, I have read 5 books, taken some excellent trips to the cabin, gone to girl's camp with the young women, and taken it easy with Alice. Although my life hasn't turned out the way I thought it would, I wouldn't change it and I feel so blessed!

Summer Lovin'

We have really been enjoying summer thus far. Alice loves going on walks outside and soaking in all of the sun that she can get. We have been visiting the cabin in Park City, using our Seven Peaks Pass of All Passes, and going to movies. We caught a few RSL games, went boating with my sister and her husband, celebrated three years of marriage, and recently attended the zoo. We also bought Alice a cute little kiddie pool that she loves. Below are some pictures of our adventures:

Alice loves the slide at the zoo

drinking out of the lion drinking fountain

happy sliding

getting sleepy at the zoo

we bought her an eagle that she wouldn't let go of

the giraffes were her favorite

look, mom!

the tiger

stroking the sea lion

the Rocky Shores exhibit

trying to sit on the rhino

with dada

waiting for the elephant show

at a ward picnic

walking along Main in PC

Alice with her cousins Grace & Ella

she loved the zoo!

We love our summer adventures thus far, but we are so excited to go to Florida this Friday! We will be going to Disney World, Universal Studios, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the beach!

Alice's First Hike

We went on a hike at Donut Falls in April. The water was FREEZING and there was still some snow, but it was the perfect day for a hike! Alice loved the fresh air and all of the rocks.

Alice with Daddy

Alice in the carrier

running free

close up

a nice stranger took this for us

loving the rock

Alice with mommy

a hug for daddy

she loved picking up rocks

Playing Catch Up

So, it's been a long time since I have updated my blog. I am terrible at this! Life has been very busy since I last wrote. We have gone through several changes:

*I have been accepted to the SLCC Dental Hygiene program for this fall. I am quitting my job and going to school full-time come August 22nd.
*We have moved back to Murray! Scott's parents have graciously welcomed us into their home so we can be closer to school, save money, and not have to run Alice back and forth while I go to school.
*Scott is going to start his last semester at the U in the fall. He will graduate in business management at the end of December!
*Moving to a new ward has presented more responsibilities than before: I am the 1st Counselor in the YW and Scott is the Gospel Doctrine teacher! He does an excellent job and it's fun to see him teach. I have been enjoying myself getting to know the sweet girls in our ward and teaching as well!
*Speaking of church, Alice can go to the nursery now. Does she, though? NO. She went the first few times without incident and then recently has decided that going to nursery is a death sentence. Simply walking across the threshold of the nursery room gives her anxiety and she cries like I have never seen. I never thought that my happy little girl would be one of those kids!
*Scott and I have been trying harder to get into shape. I have been running a lot and Scott has been dieting. He's lost about 20 pounds and I am so proud of him!
*I have gone back to being a blonde. While being a brunette was a fun change, I have decided that I look the best with blonde hair. Who knows how long that will last, though. I love to change my hair whenever I can!

Here are some pictures that I haven't taken off of my camera:

 back at the old apartment

 Alice in her Easter dress

 on the Hewitson Family egg hunt

 wow, my hair was dark

 at the Dickson Family egg hunt

 Alice with daddy

 the spoils

 Alice in the tubby

 Alice loves to empty cupboards

 Alice with Grandma, Grandpa & cousins

 Alice loves to snuggle with us on our bed

 she doesn't need to take the wrappers off

 she finally got the hang of it

 she eats anything she can (that's not edible, that is)

 is this one mine?

 in trouble

cute little bottom

Alice's One Year Photos

We finally got around to getting Alice's one year photos taken. Last time I got pictures taken, I went to Kiddie Kandids. Big mistake! They charge way too much and the pictures aren't even that great. This time we went to Fotofly in Draper and got a lot more for our money. You just pay a flat rate for a 45-minute session and you get all of your pictures on a CD with the copyright release. Plus they were super nice and by the time we were finished, we walked out the door with all of our pictures. We even got a few family ones. Alice got super fussy at times because she hates it when strangers get close to her, but we ended up getting some cute pictures. Here are a few: