About Me

Welcome to our blog!! This is a blog about our life, mostly from Jennifer's perspective. We were married in July 2007 at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas and then sealed together for eternity in the Albuquerque New Mexico Temple in June 2009. We welcomed Ms. Ellie Sophia into our lives on February 9, 2010 and she is absolutely the light of our lives. Then we added Silas Ian on January 4, 2013 and his smile just brightens our days. We live in Rio Rancho, New Mexico where Justin works as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and I pursue my PhD in Nursing while being a stay at home mom! Life is so chaotic but we really couldn't ask for a more perfect life!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Tea Party

Ellie recently got a new princess dress (Rapunzel -- after falling in love with the movie Tangled) and she decided to get dolled up and throw a tea party for all of her friends...


Princess Ellie Sophia requests your presence at a tea party 
to take place in her room hertoforewith:








It was a major shin-dig and anyone who was anyone was in attendance.....

Monday, November 26, 2012

Oh Christmas Tree


It is that time of year – to bust out the Christmas decorations and get the house ready for the most wonderful time of the year!! This year Ellie is actually old enough to get excited and to help in all the decorating fun!

We had our huge tree to get up, our stockings to hang, our mantle to decorate and the stairway to get set up. You don’t realize how hard this is to do when you are pretty much 9 months pregnant! However I think we did a fantastic job and it was nice to have such an enthusiastic helper!!









Our finished product






Merry Christmas!!

Dear Silas: November bump


Dear Silas,

This is a picture of me while I was about 7 months pregnant with you......and let me tell you it was getting harder to walk, sleep and do just about anything! We are so excited for you to join our family and are so glad that everything has been looking great with how you are growing and developing. I think your sister is a little apprehensive about your arrival and a little unsure what will become of this growing bump in my belly. We are also eagerly anticipating figuring out how you will "fit" into the puzzle pieces of our lives --- I am sure that it will be chaotic at times, perhaps frustrating, but I guarantee some fun, love and excitement  thrown in there as well.....

Love you already

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Thanksgiving....

This year for Thanksgiving Justin, Ellie and I headed out with Ellie May to Phoenix. We got Ellie tickets to see the Fresh Beat band and so we decided to make a trip out of it. We went to the Christmas light set up at the zoo and, of course, went to the outlet mall!

Ellie was super excited to see the Fresh Beat band however the show was at 7 pm and after a day with no nap she completely crashed. Once we arrived she was ready to leave and had NO interest in the show. Epic Fail?!?!

We stayed at a little resort in Phoenix and had our Thanksgiving feast there....I am sure that my mom thinks we are just the weirdest people in the world for choosing to spend our Thanksgiving this way however she went along with it!


Here we all are after having dinner at Dave & Busters!


No pictures of our feast or of the Fresh Beat (no cameras allowed)......I swear we were there though!

{Zoo lights!}














Hitching a ride!

 Holding dada's hand


 Cheeeeese!!!!


 Love!



While at the outlet mall Ellie met with Santa. She asked from (1) candy and (2) Christmas cards!





It was a whirlwind trip but it was fun nonetheless....
Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is in the air!!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Conversations with Ellie: Tricks


I am asking Ellie to do something that she, of course, does not want to do. 

She turns to me and says, "Mama, I know all your tricks." ---- guess I've been busted!

Friday, November 16, 2012

PhD Journey --- Oral Exam

This morning I survived the 5th circle of hell by completing the Oral Examination phase. It was 2 hours of my committee members grilling me about everything under the sun regarding how I was proposing to structure my dissertation. I have never sweated so much in my life --- but I passed and now I can officially apply for PhD Candidacy!


Monday, November 12, 2012

Conversations with Ellie: Mirrors

Bought Ellie some Lip Gloss today - as we are driving she finishes putting it on her lips (and cheeks, and nose, and forehead...) she announces, "I'm ready for my close up!" 

We get home and she runs into the bathroom to look in the mirror - after close examination she announces, "I love mirrors!"

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Dear baby


Dear Silas,

I think it is fair to answer the question for you (in advance) of who we are. I have told you a few words about our family collectively but none about us individually. So here it goes….


Ellie Sophia – She is currently 3 years old and she is a total charmer. People meet her and they instantly love her. She will start up a conversation with anyone, she asks a million questions (plus one more) and she is always curious about everything. She loves pink and all things princess but she also likes dinosaurs and pirates. She loves to run, swim, play in water of any type, she doesn’t like to eat, she likes playing on the iPad, loves the laptop, and likes to have the TV on even though she doesn’t really watch it. Her favorite shows to watch are Peppa Pig, Max & Ruby, and Bubble Guppies. Her favorite move is Tangled. She is loud. She is a big ball of energy. She is sweet and kind. She usually puts the needs of others ahead of hers when it matters. She will be your best friend and your biggest competitor.

Dada – Your dada is such a great man and a great example to you of what a man, husband and dad should be. He is patient with his family and a bulldog when someone else pushes his buttons. He is so very smart and everything he does – he does well. He is a perfectionist. He is a neat freak. He, much like your sister, is super inquisitive and likes to know as much as he possibly can about everything. He is the hardest worker you will ever meet. He is a great provider for us – he gives us way more than we need and does it with a smile. He gives great piggy back and shoulder rides. He isn’t afraid to sit on the floor and be silly. He always wants the best for himself and for us. He is, currently, finishing his Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree  (University of Alabama) and is working as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (University of Utah). He also has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (New Mexico State), a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (University of New Mexico) and a Master’s in Social work (NM Highlands). As you can see……he loves learning!! He has 1 sister and 2 brothers.

Me (mama): I met your dada because we grew up in the same town – so I guess we have always known one another. I grew up as an only child and I didn’t really ever feel like I was missing anything but now that I am older – I kinda wish I had a sibling. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Eastern New Mexico University), Bachelor’s in Nursing (University of New Mexico), Master’s in Social work (University of Texas-Austin) and I am finishing my PhD in Nursing (University of New Mexico) --- so I kinda of like learning too!! I always thought that I would have a high-powered career but then I realized that I wanted to be a mom. I wanted to stay home, take care of and love on my babies. When I had Ellie I wasn’t sure if I was cut out to stay at home but I have learned that it is really what I love to do. I am scatterbrained, I am forgetful, I don’t listen very well, and I have a short attention span. I like to cook but I sometimes don’t get around to it. Your dada and I love to travel and have adventures with Ellie – and very soon – with you!


Well, that is a little about us!

We can’t wait to meet you and begin to write down the in/outs of Silas.

We love you beyond words,
Mama, Dada, & Ellie

Monday, November 5, 2012

Phew!

Today I passed my Comprehensive Exam which culminates a long journey in the PhD program. This means that I can now move onto the dissertation phase of the program!!

I am so relieved and so excited yet I am apprehensive about what the next step will be. I know that many people did not believe that I could be a stay-at-home-mom and make any progress in this program. I reflect back on doing the Robert Wood Johnson Fellowship and being told that I had to put Ellie in daycare if I wanted to finish and/or be successful. I am so glad that I stuck to my convictions and continued to stay at home.

When Justin and I made the decision to have kids we resolved that sacrifices would be made to ensure they had the best life possible. Once of the sacrifices I knew I'd make was in my career/school -- I knew things would take me longer and my career would likely be on hold. As I reflect on that choice I would not have it any other way.....It has been the greatest honor of my life to get to stay home with Ellie.


Truth.


Sunday, November 4, 2012

Conversations with Ellie: Dear Santa

Told Ellie we were going to have to write Santa Claus a letter to tell him what she wanted for Christmas. 

She asked, "Why can't we just call him?" Then she pulls out her phone (her hand) and pretends to dial and tells him her name, that she's a big girl and what she wants. 

Then she hangs up and tells me, "See, now we don't have to bother writing a letter." 

The girl gets things done....