Surprise Visit

Today Avery and I got a surprise visit from two of Louis' sisters:  Kamila and Tifannee.  They spent a few hours with us.  We watched Charmed, took silly pictures, and had dinner together(lasagna).  Here are a few of the pictures we took.  If you want to see all of them you can look on facebook.

P.S. This weekend is the family reunion (the one that I have been stressing over and planning for the last year?) I really hope everyone is going to have a lot of fun, with the Brandley's it's hard not to have fun though. Be sure to come back here next week to hear all about it!

I NEED SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!

Anyone and everyone who reads this post please comment!  Louis and I are hosting the Joel Brandley family reunion this year. We've been working on it for about a year now and it's now only a week away!  I've really put a lot of thought and work into it.  

A LOT!  

Louis originally came up with the idea of having teammates and playing competitive games.  Which could have been fun, but I really don't think I would have fun with Louis' family doing that.  They get too competitive, and it would have been a mess.  So with the suggestion of my sister Charissa we came up with a new idea that will still be SO MUCH FUN (I hope at least, I worry a lot)  We're keeping it a secret because it's still going to be a little bit of a competition and we don't want to give anyone an advantage by letting them know what we're doing so they can practice or something.  

Here is what I need suggestions for:  We're going to have a little award ceremony the last night, there will be a first, second, and third place, but we also want to have some awards that the family can vote on.  Some funny ones, serious ones, you know.  We have a few ideas:  funniest performers, most congenial team, best performers.  So please give me your suggestions of what we can do for awards!  Thanks!

Our Awesome Weekend

I don't even know where to start. . .I guess at the beginning would be good.

Friday:  

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

I've heard a lot of people's thoughts on the movie, personally I loved it.  I did get frustrated at the end with the Harry/Voldemort fight, and how he died, and how the Malfoy's left.  Louis probably got annoyed with me saying "That's not how it was in the book!"  "That's not what happened in the book!" "That's not how it happened in the book!"  The Bellatrix/Mrs. Weasley fight was good, I'm glad they added it in.

Overall I was satisfied, I even cried.  I was so giddy during it too.  I LOVE HARRY POTTER!  I want to re-read all the books now.

We're so excited for Harry Potter!

One of the reasons I love Megan

After the movie we went over to Megan and Ben's new apartment, it's huge and they have their own fenced in yard and a garage.  They made us dinner and we had a good time Louis bonded with their kids.  They took pretend naps together.

After dinner we needed to leave for the airport to meet up with the Myron Brandley family.  We were so nervous we were going to be late and I'm not going to tell you how fast I was going.  We ended up getting there in plenty of time and it was so exciting to see Katie after 19 months!  Everyone kept asking if she's changed, I told them her hair was shorter.  I was so upset that I forgot my camera when we went into the airport, but we did stop at In&Out Burger so I got a few pictures there.

It was great to see Katie again!  She kept saying to Avery, "You're real!  You're not just a picture"

Saturday:  

We didn't have any plans, we just went to spend the day with Louis' parents.  I did go to Tia Pan with Megan, but the rest of the day we were just with them.  

 Grandpa Grandpa playing with Avery

At Lee's with Kamila getting doughnuts

Sunday:  

Was a busy day:  farewell, singing, farewell, fireside, fireworks.  The first farewell was Louis' cousin Daniel, he really did an excellent job.  Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the luncheon after because I was singing with Megan in her ward.  Communication errors made us two hours early though so we could have gone to the luncheon.  They're sacrament is last not first.  I felt like we did a good job though, we sang an arrangement of "Come Thou Fount" that we have sung before and I love.  After singing I went to pick up Katie and we went to our friend Brittany's house she leaves for her mission to Chile on Wednesday.  Then we went to the fireside at the Dee Event Center where Jeffery R. Holland spoke about pioneers.  After that we went to Weber State for FIREWORKS the Brandley's are awesome by the way.  They bring a grill and Joel is an awesome cook.

 Katie and Avery in their Canada shirts

 The best picture I could get of Louis and me

They have an awesome firework show

This weekend was so fantastic and very busy and I'm pretty sure we went to bed after midnight every night and oh my gosh I'm so stinkin tired!

Can't Wait!

This weekend is going to be the BEST!  Here is a preview of what we're going to be up to:

Today we are going down to Ogden first of all to see. . . HARRY POTTER and the deathly hallows part 2.  I can't believe it's the last one!  The books are amazing I love them and the 7th one is my favorite, I love how everything comes together and how clever it is.  I'm just so excited!  It better be good and they better have Mrs. Weasley fighting Bellatrix in it.  That was one of my favorite parts of the book.  The movies haven't been too disappointing yet so I'm hopeful.  After Harry Potter we're going down to Salt Lake and we're going to go to the airport to pick up Katie from the airport.  She's returning from a 19 month LDS mission in the Halifax Canada mission.

  Woohoo!  

Saturday we're going to go play at the park and go on a stroller walk with my sister Megan.  I'm sure we'll do something else exciting Saturday as well, but that's all we have planned for now.

Sunday is going to be super busy.  It's going to start with going to Louis' cousin Daniel's farewell then I'm off to sing in Sacrament meeting with Megan (Come Thou Fount) then hopefully I'm going to make it to Brittany Hathaway's house, so I can see her before she heads off to her mission.  (her farewell is also Sunday, but I can't make it) Then we're going to Weber State for FIREWORKS Every year Louis' family goes there and they bring food and games and it's lots of fun!

So like I said it's going to be the best weekend full of lots of fun and excitement and fireworks and family!  I can't wait for it all to start!

*This is a little side note:  I love winnie the pooh I remember watching it when I was younger, it's the best. Avery even has huge stuffed animals of Tigger and Pooh bear

 and she loves them!  I'm so glad she does too.  The new Winnie the Pooh movie looks so adorable and sweet I am so excited to see it and then eventually (I'm sure) buy it!  It came out today, but I'll probably wait to see it until it's out on DVD or in the cheap theater.  Here's the trailer I got off youtube for it, so cute. Enjoy

Shred It!

Louis and I were doing P90X, but I don't think it's for me.  P90X isn't a bad or an extremely hard workout, but it's soooo long!  One workout can be like an hour and a half.  Just way too much time when I have a little 8 month (almost) old daughter.  She naps two 2 hours naps a day, if I spend an hour and a half working out that only leaves me half an hour.  I don't want to spend all my free time working out. . .

 BLAH!

I recently purchased the workout DVD "Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred" after hearing about it on facebook from Kim Borchert who is also currently doing it after having an adorable baby boy a few months ago.  Today I started it and I was so excited!    Even after finishing the workout today, I'm still so excited!  

So when I heard about this 30 day shred DVD and that the workouts are only 20 minutes long I was all over that.  

I've gotten back down to my pre-pregnancy weight, but not my pre-pregnancy shape if you all can understand that.  My biggest problem with working out is staying dedicated.  Why do something that makes me hurt and sore and gets me yucky and sweaty!  Well I'm putting this up here so hopefully YOU can all keep me dedicated!  If I put it up here I have to keep up with it because then people know. . .  I'm obligated now. Which is good for me, I've also asked Louis to ask me every night, "Did you workout today?"  So hopefully I can keep it up.  If I see a good difference in my body then I'll post some after pictures, here are some before pictures I took today before my workout.

I know I really don't look bad, but when I was pretty skinny before

This was the day I found out I was pregnant that's why I'm standing weird.  But look at that skinny girl!  I want her back!

so good luck to me!

I don't know how good I'm going to be this weekend though, Louis' cousin and my very good friend Katie Brandley is coming home on Friday from her mission!  So we're going down to Salt Lake to meet her at the airport and we'll be down in Ogden the whole weekend so I'm sure I'm not really going to be working out.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

Faith is one of my favorite topics.  The fourth article of faith states:  "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are:  first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."  Faith is the number one principle, you need to have faith first.  Having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can get you through your trials.  It can lift you up and give you peace, hope, and comfort.   

Here is a great quote from Richard C. Edgley that I found from the October 2010 conference:  "Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism."

Check out the whole talk here, it's seriously a great talk.

Faith is a choice, I know my choice.

P.S. Rereading this post just now I have the song for the 4th article of faith running in my head

Idependence Day Weekend

This weekend felt like forever!  I'm not complaining.  Louis was able to have a 4 day weekend, he didn't work . . .

Friday

Saturday

Sunday or

Monday
and that =

Awesome!

Here's a brief  insight into our weekend:

FRIDAY:  

Dinner with Jake & Celestial

Family

Utah State fireworks

Astronomy lessons

On the way to fireworks.  Her face looks silly here

Cuzzy wuzzies Maya and Avery

SATURDAY:  

Cache Valley Cruise-In

Naps,

 except for not as much, Avery wouldn't nap her 2nd nap

Main Street Cruise-In drive by

Fussy baby

 The Bat mobile!

 Delorean

This is an amphibian car (land/water car)

SUNDAY:  

Church

watching the neighbors firework show

 Sunday dress

MONDAY:  

Liberty Days

Family

Avery swimming w/ aunts & uncles

Games

Food

Huntsville fireworks

Before the fireworks in Huntsville

Avery watching the fireworks

After fireworks are over we like to stick around the park for a while so the traffic can die down.  We entertained ourselves by throwing around a football and just talking.  Avery was tired and was actually cuddly which is rare for her so it made it nice for people to be able to hold her.

Kami & Avery

Megan & Avery

  The 4th of July weekend was great, I'm grateful to live in this country and to have the things that I have.  I know right now there may be things that we may not be too proud of in this country, but this land is still a wonderful place.  I grateful for the freedom we have and those people who have fought for it.

Our beloved Prophet

Today in church we sang "We Thank Thee O God For Prophet"

I've probably sung it about a thousand times,

give or take a few.

"We thank thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter days.  We thank thee for sending the gospel to lighten our minds with its rays.  We thank thee for every blessing bestowed by thy bounteous hand.  We feel it a pleasure to serve thee and love to obey thy command."

I have it memorized.

I sang it without looking at the hymn book.

"When dark clouds of trouble hand o'er us and threaten our peace to destroy, there is hope smiling brightly before us, and we know that deliverance is nigh.  we doubt not the Lord nor his goodness.  We've probed him in days that are past.  The wicked who fight against Zion will surely be smitten at last."

The third verse really sunk in with me today though:

"We sing of his goodness and mercy.  We'll praise him by day and by night, rejoice in his glorious gospel, and bask in its life-giving light.  Thus on to eternal perfection the honest and faithful will go, while they who reject this glad message shall never such happiness know."
Really just the last sentence here, "while they who reject this glad message shall never such happiness know."  The message that we have to share is a message of happiness!  I know that is definitely true, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has brought me so much 

joy.

happiness.

peace.

comfort.

knowledge.

It is a wonderful thing to know that we have a true prophet on the earth today.  President Thomas S. Monson is a wonderful man.  He listens to the whisperings of the spirit and he guides our church well.  In the April 2008 conference (the first one after President Hinkley's passing) many speakers started out their talks by testifying that President Monson was the Lord's prophet on the earth today.  That helped to strengthen my testimony of President Monson.  He is a wonderful man and I am so grateful that I have the knowledge of a true prophet on earth.  I'm so grateful for the joy it brings me.

Love this man

We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet was written by William Fowler, if you want to listen to the song go here