Happy Birthday Jas!

Well today my hubby turns... old! HA HA! jk babe you aren't old, you are still married to a 20 something year old at least for a few more years. Happy Birthday Jason! I can't imagine my life without him, he truly is my very best friend! He works hard so that I can stay home with Alex. He is my biggest cheerleader and believes in me when I don't believe in myself. He makes me laugh, occasionally frustrates me but always stands by my side no matter what.

If Alex could type he would inform you that he has the best Daddy in the whole world and I would have to agree!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart! We love you! XOXOXOXOXO

Jason's usual photo smile or lack thereof

An engagement photo

My favorite thing to do.. kiss those sweet cheeks

Alex with his buddy camping this summer

Jason joins in on the fun.. his favorite thing

Happy Birthday Buva Buva!!

It's a birthday weekend, first my Dad's and today my Brother Brandon's. On a cold and snowy Utah day he is probably enjoying the sun in Florida. Might I add I am very jealous, 33 and snow in October is not my cup of tea.

If he has been here he would probably be taking in the fresh powder on his birthday. He definitely got my Dad's genes enjoying nature. He is in his element if it's just him and the great outdoors. He loves fishing, camping, hiking, skiing, anything with physical and outside included.

Brandon out fishing

As he gets older ( we won't mention his age but only that he is 8+ my elder, now that's old!! ) he looks more and more like my Dad. Last year I received this Christmas picture and would have swore it was my Dad, beard and all.




My brother is super talented. He is a self taught Musician and an incredible artist. I wish I had some of his artwork saved on my computer to share with you. It's so amazing what he can do that I still have a hard time believing it myself. I remember watching him in awe as he took a picture from a National Geographic and recreated it using paint on our computer. He also did a picture of a Man by just using dots. Perhaps why I find it so incredible is because I can barely draw a stick man and not a very good one at that. I wish I had just an ounce of his talent.


My brother has a very odd and unique sense of humor. I notice this allot in photos. Here are a few of his crazy faces over the years.

Christmas of '05, every picture of him opening a gift had this crazy face attached

Dinner in CA after my Wedding reception, my Mom smiling and

my Bro pulling a GQ look

It's been a few years now since my brother moved to FL with his then GF Susannah ( now his wife). I don't get to see him as much in fact it's been a year and a half since I saw him last which was on his wedding day. I hope we can travel out to FL soon to stay in my inlaws' condo and take Alex to Disney World. Brandon has also promised to take my little boy fishing like his Grandpa Roger would have if he were here.


We have always had a love/hate relationship. I want to kill him when he is around and miss him when he is gone. Although he has always loved teasing me I know under that tough exterior he really does loves me. Right Buva Buva? Happy Birthday! love, your baby Sis Shar

Happy Birthday Dad!

Tears fill my eyes as I read back over last year's entry about my Dad. Today would have been his 63rd birthday. I miss him so much! It has been 18 years since he passed away. So much has changed since he was with us. Every year on his birthday I put together some thoughts and send them to my family. I have saved these over the years and also the responses I have received from others. It is nice to read back on all the memories we have of Dad. Today I want to share a few poems I came across in my scrapbooks while looking for pictures of him. I hope that someday Alex will be able to read this and learn of his Grandpa Roger. I have several fun photos of my Dad I would like to share but unfortunately my scanner is not working right now. I will try to add them later. For now here is one of my favorites that I have shared before.

Two poems I found and included in a poem book I made in High School

A Season's Wait

Daddy's remains we buried in the cold, trampled earth by gnarled, aging tree trunks anguished by limbs withered to leafless decay, where amidst perished bough and barren ground lie fallen seeds strewn all about, lying in wait for sun and fair showers knowing those windblown, shriveled shells spring time is just a season's wait. - Miles Tuason

Graduation

by Emily Ivie

Wait.

Before you cross that hall this last day,

Wait for me.

I have one more thing to say

Before the end.

I never had the courage, but

I may not have the chance again.

Just stop a moment and let me say

How I feel.

I have to tell you

How much you meant to me.

The doors are closing in each room.

The windows shut and cut me away

From all I knew.

Before I start my newest life, I must

Finish the old.

Before you leave, I must

Confess at last

That your life has touched mine.

Wait.

A poem I wrote for the same poem book.

Roger

Loving, funny, kind

Father of Kim, Shane, Brandon, Sharie

Lover of Pam, nature, work

Who felt love, hope, pain

Who needed respect, acceptance, family

Who gave encouragement, service, money

Who feared failure, loss, pain

Who would have liked to see world peace, kindness unity

Resident of heaven, in the clouds above

Stewart

A few of my friends have lost loved ones recently. A spouse, Father and Grandpa and with each one a piece of me aches for the pain they are enduring. Sadly I know that although time may help it will not heal all pain. After eighteen years I still miss my Dad. I had a conversation this week with my friend who recently lost her Father. She told me that her niece reminded her family that with death comes new life. I thought of the upcoming arrival of the newest member of our family. Jillian ( my oldest niece) is expecting a little girl the end of the month. It brings me joy to think of my Dad spending time with this precious new baby before sending her to us. I feel his presence often and know he isn't too far away. Happy Birthday Dad, I love you!

We're back

We are back and finally getting settled after our week long trip to California. There's so much to blog about but I will try to keep it to a minimum.

Thursday Alex came down with his 2nd cold, not a fun way to start our trip but we managed with a ton of tissues on hand.

On May 9th our 5 year wedding anniversary we packed our bags and headed for the airport. We planned to meet Jason's parents and little sister in California. They drove, we decided to fly. We were a little nervous about how Alex would do on the plane so we invested in a few new snacks, made sure he had his bottle as we took off etc. to ensure a good flight. Overall he did very well. He made friends quick with the stewardess' and neighbors on the plane.

After we arrived in Oakland we rented a red dodge charger and drove to Napa Valley where we would be staying for the week. The drive was pretty seeing all the wineries. I could enjoy the beauty even if I'm not a drinker.

We arrived at the timeshare to meet up with Jason's family. They looked like separate little cabins oh so cute but upon further inspection I pointed out to Jason that they were single wide trailers. HA HA!! Perhaps not our home but clean, and quite nice overall. We later found out that this area floods often so they have trailers so that they can move them all out instead of building and having rooms flooded. Smart I suppose!

That night for dinner we headed to "Go Fish" in St. Helena. Jason's parents wanted to treat us for our anniversary. We had heard of this restaurant on the food network so we were anxious to go since we all love seafood. Jason wasn't very thrilled with his dinner but Alex adored his mashed tators and my sushi was quite tasty. On the way back we stopped at good old Wally World for Alex supplies and snacks. Although it looked very upscale on the outside we soon learned it was just like the Wally Worlds back home. If you can't tell I am not a huge fan of Wal-mart, sorry to those who are.

Saturday Jason, Alex and I did a bit of exploring with our GPS to find some breakfast but ended up picking up the old standby Micky D's. After getting ready we headed to Berkley for a family party. Jason's Aunty Max and Uncle Bob live up in the hills of Berkley. It was a crazy ride up there but way worth it. Dinner was delicious especially Aunty Max's famous homemade fried chicken and the dream cake my FIL spoke so much about. We spent the day visiting, eating and enjoying the view. Alex especially had a great time getting to know his Dad's family and his cousin Elianna. They had a ton of fun playing together.

Alex and his cousin Elianna. She is a year older, a few inches taller and about a pound heavier. She loved playing with baby Alex.

The view from their balcony was breathtaking

Sunday was Mother's Day, officially my first. I spent allot of time reflecting on Mother's Day last year when I was in the hospital with false labor. After being checked out I was given a Morphine shot and sent home to wait it out. We spent the day walking, walking, and walking some more. I wanted Alex to come so badly, luckily it was just two days later that I made it back to the hospital for the real thing. Now a year later I am officially a Mommy. I do my best but I have days where I question if I'm good enough to be Alex's Mom. I know that no Mom is perfect and if I do my best that's all I can do. Being a Mother however has really made me appreciate my own Mom more. She is one amazing women!! She has endured many things in her life. People will ask me how does your mom do it. Honestly I don't know but she has and does. I love that she loves me no matter how different I am from her, and no matter what different paths I have choose to take in my life. I love that she gives her love unconditionally and asks for nothing in return. I love how excited she gets about her kids/grandkids. Hearing her brag about Alex always makes my day. I love you, my best friend! I feel so blessed to call you Mom. I hope I can be the type of Mother to Alex that you have been to me.

My Mom will kill me for posting this picture but I can't resist. This picture was taken when Alex was a few weeks old. My mom offered to cuddle him while I did some baking. When I came to check on her i found them both asleep and grabbed the camera.

My brother did some wierd affects with these two photos, I love them!

So Sunday we shopped around Napa and went to lunch at Taylor's Automatic Refresher. We heard about them from Guy on Diners, Drive Inns and Dives. The have yummy garlic fries and I loved their PB chocolate shake. It was strange to see people drinking a glass of wine with their burger though.

That night we had a big Chinese banquet at a local restaurant. It is a Chinese tradition to have a party when a child turns a month old. Well being that Jason's family lives in California we decided to hold off until Alex was one year old. So for alex's first birthday along with his Grandpa Al's birthday ( same day) we celebrated with a 11 course Chinese dinner. My cousin Jes who lives out in CA was able to join us that night. She even ventured back to our 5 star resort to spend the night.

Monday we went out for breakfast and then laid low for a few hours while my FIL Al's got some lights fixed on his car. Later that afternoon we went to the Jelly Belly factory. We were the last group of the day and the only group so we had a private tour. It was fun because we were able to view areas not usually shown to big groups and could ask any questions we had. We did a little shopping there including picking up some belly flops. We then attempted to go to a local amusement park however it was closed so we shopped around instead and had dinner at a cute little Mexican restaurant. We finished the night with a trip to the creamery.

Tuesday we got up early and headed to San Francisco. We walked around a bit and ate some clam chowder before heading out to Alcatraz for the day. It was Alex's first trip on a boat. We tried to take him outside to enjoy the ride but it was super windy.

As many of you know I am not a huge museum person or history fan at all however this was different. An old prison fascinated me. If you haven't had the opportunity to go out there before I would highly recommend it. We were able to go on the audio tour. They give you a little tape recorder thing and you can walk around at your own pace looking at stuff. I loved how you could heard the cell doors slamming and the inmates chatting. It really brought you back in time. We also shopped around the pier and had some seafood for lunch. It was a very nice day with perfect weather. Alex's favorite thing was the homemade donuts we bought. I really should have taken a picture of him. He couldn't seem to get enough of them.

Wednesday we laid low hanging out at the pool and getting lunch again at Taylors. It was super hot about 98 that day so taking bug out didn't sound very fun. Alex has never been swimming so we thought it was about time to break in his new suit. That night we met up with Jason's cousin Ron for more sushi. Two meals of sushi in one week makes one HAPPY Sharie.

Thursday was Alex's first birthday. I honestly can not believe that my baby boy is a year old now. He is growing up way too fast. It was also my FIL Alan's birthday. We decided to try and escape the heat but heading to SF closer to the bay and hit the zoo. Well our great idea didn't get us far enough from the heat. It was soo bloody hot we almost went home as soon we arrived however we toughed it out and it eventually cooled off. Alex seemed to enjoy seeing the many animals. My favorite happened to be the baby cubs, so cute.

We debated on where to get dinner that night. We didn't want to leave the city yet because we would get stuck in traffic. We decided to use our GPS to find a local place to eat. BIG MISTAKE!! We drove around forever finding either dumpy places or non existent restaurants. We finally stopped along a street of restaurants and asked a local for a recommendation. We ended up at a Italian place that was quite tasty. On the way out I had the opportunity to change a massive poopy diaper in the car as traffic passed by. All I can say is YUCK, YUCK, YUCK. How can a restaurant not have a changing station, honestly?

That night I packed up our stuff while Jason let Alex have his first Oreo cookie, he loved it.

Here are a few pictures of my birthday boy ready for bed in his new jammies his grandparents gave him. On a side note we took him to the store in these jammies on Saturday and a lady ask if he really is a Sound Sleeper, I just laughed in her face. Ya right!

Friday we stopped by a honey farm on the way out of town. I was hoping to bring back some Napa Valley honey for my mom, instead we left with nothing, quite disappointed. We took our time getting back to the airport before we headed home. Alex wasn't nearly as delightful on the way back. I would chalk this up to a week of ciaos, fewer naps, less sleep, new places and people. He did okay and seemed to impress the people behind us but Jason and I know him better. He wouldn't sleep a wink but as soon as his head hit the stroller in the airport he was out and slept all the way home (well almost). It was a very fun long week. Thanks to my in laws for making this trip possible and to all of Jason's family who were so welcoming. We had a terrific time!

Alex has many firsts this week. A plane ride, boat ride, seeing the ocean, being in another state, learning how to point, swimming, using a sippy cup successfully, walking around furniture and eating his first Oreo cookie. He loves to pull his mean face and give lots of hugs. My little baby is now a little man.

Another year Older & Wiser ( not sure about that part) too!

So yesterday April 28th I turned the big 28. It seems so old to me.. didn't I just graduate from High School? I guess not! I remember last year being miserable, so pregnant and just begging to get my baby here. I didn't feel well but Jason had planned a surprise birthday party so he was bound to get me out of the house. It was an awesome birthday!

This year my birthday was great as well. It was filled with tons of activities which spread out over the weekend. Here is a recap of our busy weekend.

Friday- I made a batch of tortilla dough so I could play with my birthday present my sister bought me. It's a homemade tortilla maker, it's super cool, anyone want to have a dinner date? Later on my friend Cami took me to Joy Luck for my birthday lunch and then we went scrapbooking shopping at AMM before their final day. Jason and I headed to Babies R Us that night to shop for presents for Alex's 1st birthday. It's so fun to shop for toys.

Saturday- I woke up early so I left bug with Jason and headed out to a few yard sales in my neighborhood ( nothing good). Then I went over to the Creating Keepsakes 75% off warehouse sale. It's nice because their headquarters is only 2 miles from my house. The crowd was crazy!! I grabbed the freebies ( a box set, a handwriting book and mini albums valued over 60 bucks) and then I joined the mad women grabbing all the fabulous deals. It wasn't until I saw the ginormous line that I decided I could live without the stuff especially after going to the scrapbook expo the week before. I took my freebies and left. I did all my errands and then headed up to get ready. Jillian and Clay were nice enough to come down to watch Alex while Jason and I had a date for my birthday.

We went to lunch at my favorite place Hagermann's ( yummy) and the got a couples massage. I am embarrassed to say that I got a massage gift certificate from my good friends Natalie and Beth for my b-day last year. Better late then never right it expired on Sunday and we used it just in time on Saturday. Thanks girls, it was AWESOME!! I am still not used to some strange man massaging me naked but I got over it quick. =0) After our massage we hit the Verizon store to buy me a new phone ( lipstick red) and to Zurchers for party supplies for Alex's birthday party. It was nice to get away and know that our baby was in good hands. Thanks Clay and Jill!

Sunday- We headed to gateway to shop and have lunch with my in-laws for my birthday. We went to California Pizza kitchen. As usual it was tasty! My in-laws bought me some PJs and turbie twists for my b-day. Jason and I as a joint gift received a GPS just in time for our trip to California. They spoil us! Thanks Al, Judy and Alanna. We then did a little shopping and ended the day with Ben's cookies. The weather was so nice, it was great to get outside.

Monday- My Birthday!! After a long night with a migraine and Alex not sleeping I let my boys sleep in while I got up and checked my e-mail. I received lots of birthday cards, text messages and phone calls oh and a few people signing to me =) ( thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday, it means allot to me). Jason, Alex and I met my Mom for lunch at the Cheesecake factory ( super tasty). My mom gave me a new shirt, bag and gift certificate to Target. Thanks Mom, I love ya! My Mom headed back to work and we headed over to the mall for some shopping. We had a few gift certificates we haven't used up so we bought more stuff for Alex of course. Lots of fun stuff for his birthday. Later that night we went out to get bug some diapers, dinner at a new Italian place, not so good) hit See's chocolates for dessert and came home to hang out the rest of the night.

It was great birthday!!

Fun Filled Weekend!!

We headed up to Brigham City Saturday morning after a good dose of snow fell Friday night. The roads were slick and slushy. We were hit with slush twice, luckily Jason was driving because it scared me shit less!! * is there such a thing?* We arrived exactly at 10 am as the opening song was being played for Shae's baptism. I gave a talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost. It wasn't my best talk seeing that I haven't done any public speaking recently but overall it went smooth. I had numerous people stop me to tell me that they enjoyed my talk. I even had many people in the audience crying. It sure made me miss public speaking. After the baptism we had lunch, opened birthday presents and had cake. Shae wore her new white dress, she looked like an angel. Her baptism turned out really well.

Here is a picture of Shae in her new dance costume she got from Grandma for her birthday!

Check out this move, she had to have me snap a picture of this one....

Oh and this one.. We could have been there for hours. She was loving ever minute of it.

We then headed to my sisters where Jason and I played games with my sister and brother-in-law. My favorite is ticket to ride, anyone out there played this one, it's fun! About 4:30 Jason and went to dinner alone at Maddox. It was overpriced and not great but it was nice to have a hot meal together, alone!!

After dinner we went back to my sisters so I could feed Alex then it was off to the bed and breakfast for the night * remember our Christmas gift*. We had a wonderful time! It is a small place with only four rooms and we were the only ones booked so we got the key from the owner and were alone for the night, the whole place to ourselves. We stayed in the whispering pines suite. The place has only been only a few months so everything was very clean. I loved all the extra touches they included. Sadly the pictures/video on their site don't do them justice. If you need a night away I would highly recommend it. The owner is very nice to work with and spoiled us. I know we will go back for sure.

Here is a picture of the bed, it was huge!!

Here is the tub, the stone work around it was so pretty!

Here is Jas and I being silly modeling our robes for a self-portrait. I know I look horrible, oh well!!

Here is one side of the basement with our TV, check out the DVD they had playing when we arrived, it was awesome.

Here is the other side of the basement which we sat and had breakfast at.

There are more pictures on their website if you are interested in seeing the place. You would think being away from Alex ( my first night away from him) I would enjoy talking about anything but him but that was not the case. Most of the night we talked about Alex, how lucky we are to have him in our lives, wondered how he was doing but was too scared to call to find out. My sister threatened me about checking in all night. It's crazy how much one little guy can change your life! Overall he was very good for my sister's family. He was up ever couple of hours but I decided it was good birth control for my teenage nieces. =)

Sunday we woke up to more snow. It was the biggest snowstorm Brigham City has seen in two years. We decided not to rush home but instead went back to my sisters house and made potstickers and ham fried rice for my family. After lunch we hung out and played another game of ticket to ride before heading home.

Here is Alex and Daddy hanging out. I told Jas he looked mad in his picture. I took a few more but then he was just being a dork and Alex wouldn't look at me so I leave you with the best shot.

Happy Birthday Shae!

I know another birthday, my life is crazy! Because I have a full weekend ahead ( details later) I thought it would be best to wish my little redhead a early Happy Birthday!

T0morrow my youngest niece Shae turns 8. It seems like just yesterday that she was born. With each of my sister's births we have waited for what has seemed like hours, days for them to come. With Shae my sister called reporting she was headed to the hospital and to meet her there, we planned to watch the birth. Taking our sweet time my mother, cousin Jes and I headed up to Ogden in a snowstorm. We arrived too late. Shae couldn't wait any longer and had arrived just minutes after my sisters made it to the hospital. No one but Daddy was able to witness the birth.

She was an adorable baby with a head full of red hair. She has four siblings, none of them inherited the red hair. They choose to name her Shae after my brother Shane minus the 'n'. The name really fits her.

I met Jason when Shae was just two months old so watching her grow up is like watching our relationship grow. She has been such a joy in our lives. She has had Jason wrapped around her little finger since the beginning. Now she is growing up and loves acting like a big sister to Alex, she can't get enough of him.

Being LDS turning 8 is a very special age. It means that she will be baptized a member of the church and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. She is very excited! Tomorrow will be a special day. Here are a few pictures of Shae over the years.

Happy Birthday Shae! We love you!

Gotta love the cheesy grin!

This is one of my favorite pictures of her, dirty face and all.

I love this picture too although my hair is crazy , the picture is blurry and Shae and I are being silly. It shows just how much joy she brings to my life.

Where did my little red head, blue eyed toddler go?

Here she is posing for the camera. She loves playing dress up. We might have a future model on our hands.

I know I have posted this one before but I love it. Alex with his gut ( the little one he has) and Shae hanging out. She is always excited to be able to spend time with her buddy!