snow day.

When I was a kid, there was nothing more magical than snow. I still believe in the magic of snow, it just ends when December is over. I think it's the cold. Or the wet icy roads. Or the smell that 6th graders create after recess when it's snowy. All bad things. But there is something about watching your child play in the snow for the first time. When she first saw snow falling she pointed and yelled, "Elsa!" (we watch Frozen on the daily over here). I loved watching her waddle around, only  taking two steps until she fell down. My little Scamper the penguin. Walking in boots is a hard task. She liked eating the snow, but loved wiping it off my car. It was like she was my own personal snow scraper. It could have entertained her for hours. And watching her could entertain me for hours.
I guess Harper helped me realize that the magic of snow is here to stay.

Venna's birth story.

So if a website could gather dust, then my blog would be covered. How could I let a year and a half pass without even a peep is beyond me. A new year, a new years resolution: back to blogging. I mean I don't keep a journal, and I have a memory that is worse than the lady on the notebook. I need to write down my life so Shyler can read it to me in the old folks home. Any ways it has been three months since our sweet Venna joined our family and I need to write it down before it is gone from my memory.  We found out we were pregnant back in January (yes last January. and yes I realize it is now January again. time flies). I was late, if you catch my drift, and panic started to happen. Shyler made me take a test the end of the month and when I saw the little pink positive sign, I immediately started to cry. We just celebrated Harper's first birthday and I couldn't fathom having two kids under two. I think the second time around the pregnancy really does fly by. You have your hands full with a little one you hardly have time to think about the little one you are growing. We decided to not find out what the gender was until birth. I had such a hard time with the labor with Harper, I thought it would help motivate me with all those contractions. If only I knew the second birth is nothing like the first. 

It all start September 28th around 4 in the morning. I woke up with cramping. I didn't know if it was false labor, or the real deal. I wasn't due with Venna until October 17, so I pretty much convinced myself it wasn't happening. I think I also have this fear of being a baby so I didn't help.As time went on, they continued to occur and got a little stronger. Around 6, I rolled over and told Shyler that I could be in labor and maybe I should get a substitute for school. I called my mom to come over and help with Harper. I told Shyler to go to work and I would call him when it was almost time to go to the hospital. When my mom got to the house, Shyler ran to the store to get me pebbled ice and some diet coke. When he got back he started me a bath to help me relax. At this point the contractions just felt like strong period cramps. Back in the day I had some nasty period cramps, so it wasn't beyond what I could handle. I got out of the bath and went to talk to my mom for a bit. I could talk through every contraction like it wasn't a big deal. She told me to go lay down and try and rest. This is where the switch flipped. Two minutes after laying and and breathing through each contraction I suddenly felt like I was going to die. I started crying and really started to panic. I couldn't breathe and the contraction seemed to last forever. When it finally stopped, I immediately started worrying when the next one would start. It came on strong again and I was screaming for Shyler to take me to the hospital. Not my finest moment. We luckily live only 5 minutes from the hospital. On our drive over I suddenly felt the urge to push. It was like my body knew exactly what to do, when I didn't have a clue. I started pushing and I felt a pop. My water broke all over the seat (sorry workers at Wiggy Wash). We pulled up to the curb and I started walking, the best I could, up to the labor and delivery room. I had to stop in the lobby as a contraction came, and continued pushing. A security guard saw me (Shyler was trying to get the car valeted) and brought me a wheelchair. By the time we reached the curb of the hospital until Venna was in my arms was 11 minutes. Total.

We got up to the labor and delivery floor, and there was a secretary at the desk who told us she would see if there was a room available. It seemed like she was gone forever, and you guessed it, I was pushing. The security guard started yelling at her, "this girl is pushing!" I guess that put some pep in her step because we were surrounded by nurses and rushed to a room. They checked and said I was dilated to a 10. No time for an epidural.  My. Worst. Nightmare. I am a big believer in modern medicine. That is when sheer fear took over. I don't think I should be accountable for what was screamed out of my lips. Words I had never said in my life. Luckily I only pushed twice until they placed this sweet baby on me. It took me a few seconds to realize that we had a sweet baby girl. I could have sworn it was a boy. It was such a fast labor and delivery. I can honestly say that one of my most proudest moments is giving natural birth.

Venna Darling we are so glad you came so soon, we can't imagine life with out you.

happy anniversary

shy and i just recently celebrated our second year anniversary. there were so many things that  helped us grow in our second year of marriage. the obvious big one is having our sweet little baby. having a baby definitely changes the makeup of a marriage. we were both raised so differently, so coming together on how to raise a baby has been a little challenging. there has definitely been arguments on what do when its bedtime, or dinner time, or bath time, or nap time ok you get it. although there have been disagreements, there has never been so much joy in our marriage. becoming parents has changed how we value spending time with each other. a night out with out the baby is like liquid gold. i love having time with just the two of us. it has helped us see how important taking time to do little things for each other is. for our anniversary we went up to salt lake and spent a night in the peer hotel. i begged shy ever since i saw that it was supposedly haunted. apparently the elevator is haunted by ghosts. it is the oldest hotel in utah and the elevator can only carry three people at a time, but it was perfect for us. in fact in the morning we were headed to breakfast, when we stepped on the elevator and hit the button i started thinking about the ghost when all of a sudden the whole room went black. the power went off for a split second and then i got all spooked and was glad to be leaving her here. for dinner we went and ate at la caille. we had eaten there once before in high school when he had taken me for my birthday. how a high schooler could afford a 200 dollar meal was beyond me, because we could barley afford it now. it was such an amazing dinner. the food was absolutely incredible. we felt so rich sipping our lemonade and eating such exquisite food. we sat out side and they have peacocks wandering around the grounds. one came up to our table and i could have died. one of my favorite parts was when they brought out a chocolate mousse plate that said happy anniversary with a sparkler on it. just another reason why i love shyer, he always makes things so special.

there are so many reasons why i am completely in love with shyer. he is everything that i am not, and i would like to say that i am the things he is not. alone we are not as much, but when we are together we are the perfect pair. he is the most service orientated person i know. constantly looking to help others, which i need help to do. he works so hard for our little family, often staying up late in the night to study, since he spent time with the two of us. everyone knows that if i don't get enough sleep i am like the troll in lord of the rings. shyler is always teasing me that i have such a child like faith that helps him remember what is important.  i am so blessed to be sealed to my sweetheart for eternity. the best decision i ever did do was ask him to the sadie hawkins dance. love you to the moony moon moon, to infinity and beyond.

welcome to roley city high school.

murder. murder murder. yes, we love how to host murder parties. hannah threw one that was just, oh so fun. it took place in the 50's. which just so happens to be my favorite time period. ever. shy and i have actually have been quite busy lately and put our costumes off until an hour before the party. lucky for us we happened to have all we needed stashed away in our closet. shy and i were a couple named Cal and Pris. we were the nerdy, studous pair. which i think is fitting for one of us hee hee.
the decorations were perfect and it felt like we were in a real diner, sipping coke, eating onion rings and club sandwiches. 

unfortunately i was in charge of dessert. i brought a cookie dough pie that just would't quite cook, so it was more like a soup. heaven knows i need some cooking classes. poor shyler either gets chicken and rice for dinner or pancakes. those are my two specialties. 

after four rounds of trying to figure out which one of us murdered poor Rocky Roley, we finally cast our votes and all information came to light. yes folk, it looks like i married a murderer.
shyler, or should say Cal, killed that rockstar Rocky.

spry cafe.

things have been pretty crazy as of lately. shyler and our friend tyrel and have been taking over restaurant (with the help of my brother and father in law), in salem. it used to be called simply juicy, but with many changes it is now known as spry cafe. 

restaurant (dang hard word to spell! same word i missed in the 4th grade spelling bee, always coming back to a haunt me!!) any ways, restaurant business is quite the busy beee business. we have been remodeling the cafe which really has taken weeks. my favorite part of remodel is the wood wall. we collected tons of free pallets and cut them apart to create the wall. i think it looks amazing and maybe someday, when we finally have a home to call our own, we may have a wall like it as well. 

it is a fresh cafe, everything made is homemade. you can order smoothies, wraps, salads, or street tacos. no worries, if you have a sweet tooth there are cookies, tarts and delicious matilda chocolate cake that is to die for.  sometime i feel like the chubby boy on matilda wanting a whole pan all to myself. we just had the grand opening of the cafe and the chamber of commerce came to do the ceremony where they cut the ribbon. it felt all official.

the two cute business owners together. i can't believe we have been friends for 10 years. look what can happen in ten years.  

me with my cute hubby. sometimes i go and help when things get busy, and sometimes i go to snack when things get busy because everything is tasty tasty.

 the cute girls who work for us. and my little sister is on the far left woot woot.

it has been fun to watch all of our hard work pay off and to see business double in profit. 

maybe one day harper will work at the cafe, until then bottoms up with a delicious pina colada smoothie.

Harper's blessing day (playing catch up).

yikes, it has already been two months since we blessed our sweet babe. and i feel like writing on here, so much has changed! which it has. but here is a little post to catch up on a very important day. 

on sunday march 8th we blessed harper. we waited until sick season was over before embarking her into a dangerous germ infested church building. it was such a special day and we were so happy to share it with so many loved ones.

we couldn't resist another 5 generation picture. all girls. all the time. now if i can just look as good as these ladies when i age.... here is to hoping.

harper and daddy. i am so beyond blessed to have a husband who holds the preisthood and can give us a blessing any time we wish.

harper and mama.

great great grandma and grandpa gilson. grandma had mama over with a seamstress who sewed harper a blessing dress. she had the most intricate dresses that were just absolutely beautiful, it was so hard to choose one that i liked the most. 

harper with grandma dru. if only grandma didn't live so far away. we are planning a visit in august.

harper with granny and papa. shout out thanks to my own mama, who tends harper while i am at school teaching. t minus 6 days until summer!

some of my ramblings.

this past weekend my granny and gg came down from boise to visit little harper lee.

it was one of the first times that i took harper out of the house. we have spent a lot of time at home. i have watched all of the gossip girl series, read many books and even ordered chinese food for the first time in my life. life has been so different with a little one at our house. there is no more up and leaving at the last minute, there is a giant check list of things in my mind before we leave the house....

feeding harper.

pumping.

disinfecting bottles. 

changing her diaper.

packing the diaper bag.

pumping. pumping. pumping.

it has taken me a long time to feel like i am starting to get the hang of this being a mom thing. one of the hardest things has been breastfeeding. it felt as though that was all i was doing with my day. feed her for 30 minutes, pump for 30 minutes and then an hour later repeat. always asking myself is she crying because she is hungry? gassy? poopy? oh gosh, is she hungry? i never could see how much she was eating, so i never knew how full she really was. i started exclusively pumping. it feels like her feeding time has gotten a lot quicker, and i can see exactly how much she is eating. it is going to be interesting seeing how things play out next week when i have to go back to school. that is a whole other story...trying to figure out when and where i will be able to pump. 

harper is probably one of the best babies in the world. i mean we really lucked out with a easy pregnancy, easy delivery and easy baby. she loves to cuddle. she will bury her head into your neck and fall asleep. some of her favorite past times are watching the ceiling fan and singing songs with mama. she is starting to smile, which melts my heart and she gets really excited when it is time for her diaper to be changed. her favorite place in the house right now is the changing table. seriously how cute is that?

really i think that our life can't get any better. i have an amazing husband who takes turns getting up at 2:00 in the morning to feed her (actually he lost a bet and is doing the night feedings for the next three nights in a row wahoo!) on the bright side for him, harper slept until 6:30 this morning making her sleeping through the night for two nights in a row. rrrrrrraaaaaaoooooorrrr (audience applause). 

let's keep our fingers crossed that it wasn't just a fluke.