Bess Family

Hinckley's Birthday & what we are having!

2012-02-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

It has been a fun month so far! Hinckley and I went done to St. George the week before his birthday cause Burke was on a job. While we were there we had a little birthday party with the Bess'! Hinckley had so much fun and there has not been a day where that train is not pulled out!!! His cousins gave him a football which was also the perfect thing as you can see from all the birthday themed pics! Thanks everyone!

We then had a birthday party the weekend after his birthday in SLC. My parents came up and then my brother lives here so he came over. We had dinner and cake and even played a little ball! Thanks for coming it was so much fun!

Random and fun Pics

Hinckley watching the German Pancakes

Burke teaching Hinckley how to play broom hockey

Hinckley's new shoes :)

5 Months Picture and the baby is.....

A BOY!!!!
We are so excited and I know it will be so much fun to have two boys next to eachother!!

Hinckley will be 2 next week ( 2 yr. old pics)

2012-01-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe he used to be this little

and now...

He is this big!

Kassidy Baker is always so nice to work with Hinckley...this time especially. He was in a goofy/grouchy mood but she still did a great job in capturing his personality!

A few fun facts about Hinckley:

Loves "Futball"

Says "I got you" when in reality you got him

When he wants anyone to come with him, he says "up" or "in der"

He loves trains

Favorite show to watch is Curious George

Loves playing doctor but HATES the concept of going or seeing a doctor

He now understands that when dad isn't home he is at work instead of school

Says "nack" for snack

Recently holds the hymn book in church and sings along while waving his arm

Loves saying hi to everything by waving. For example, waves to animals in books

He says "where are you" when looking for something

LOVE YOU HINCKLEY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY (next week)!!

Just a few fun Pictures

2012-01-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

I had made some banana bread and Hinckley wanted some. I gave him a piece on a plate and told him he could go sit in the living room. I walked in and he was sitting like this so I just snapped a quick picture!

Hinckley has been watching a You Tube Video found here of one of my friend's (Cori White) nephew who I grew up with. You have got to watch it, it is so funny! Anyways it is of this little boy swimming and jumping in the water and Hinckley just loves it (we watch it everyday, 4-5 times a day). Every time he watched it he wanted to go swimming so we decided to take him to an indoor swimming pool so this was a picture taken before we went....he looks so happy in this picture hahah but he was sooooo excited to go. I hate taking valubles to the pool but I should have cause we were practically the only ones there! oh well...He had a blast and I guess that is all that matters. I have to keep telling myself that memories can just be memories and not always captured on camera :).

This picture is a little blurry because I had taken it on my phone. He is already to go to church :) and I thought it was so cute of him! I didn't realize he had scissors in his hand but he is learning how to cute paper. I know i know...I am just waiting for the day he cuts his hair, the couch, or some clothing item! It is bound to happen someday haha.

Trying to learn a new skill...

This year I decided to try and teach myself how to crochet. My oldest sister has taught me a little bit so with A LOT of trial and error I finally completed this. I might make a few changed to the next one I make. I followed the pattern found here that you can purchase for 5 $. It's pretty fun once you get the hang of it and you can kind of mix it up to make your own unique styles!

Snow has arrived :(

2012-01-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

The snow has arrived. I am not too happy about it but somebody else it :). Hinckley loves playing outside whether the sun is shinning or not. Burke and I were inside watching him out the window...that's why he is looking up at us with that cute little face.

I am four months today. I feel a lot bigger than I look in that picture. I used the timer so It may have caught it when I was taking a breath in from running to get in place hahah:).
We are in the middle of switching doctors so we're going to have to wait a little longer than normal to see whether it's a girl or a boy but it should be about the middle of Feb.!
What do you think it will be?

you will be hearing from us more!

2012-01-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

I am happy to say that we finally have the internet and you will be hearing from us more!!!! To those of you who live far away, I am sorry for my lack of updating and as you can tell there are a lot of pics of Hinckley...who you really want to see ;).

The move from Cedar was really hard. Leaving Grandpa was really hard and I catch this little guy talking to him on his fake phone at least once a day (heart breaking isn't it)! Hinckley kept busy playing in all the boxes while we were packing up our way too many belongings. I wished it was summer so we could have had a yard sale...we made too many trips to DI with things I wasn't really wanting to get rid of, but had too.

For those of you who didn't know we are expecting again:). I will be four months next week. This pregnancy as been a lot better as far as sickness. I am super tired, but then again I wonder why. I am due June 26th!

We had Christmas at the Ranch this year in Panguitch. We decided to go Tubing the day before Christmas Eve and everyone had a blast. I request that we go again in two years...as long as I'm not pregnant again haha.

Christmas Eve was a blast! We attempted the nativity and it was a success! Of course it is a little bit of a mess with all the kids but it is definitely worth it....the memories are too priceless! (Thanks again Kate for making my hat)

Christmas morning was a blast and so magical with all the kids! Hinckley loved everything he received. He never keeps hats on but he doesn't play with his truck now without it. He pretends he goes to work about twenty times a day. So cute!!!

We went to my parents the day after Christmas and of course the first thing he asks Pa to do it turn "futball" on....that kid is in love with it!

Well our little place is coming a long. We had to get rid of a lot but in the process we found we needed a desk and a table a long with a few chairs. I forgot to take a pic of the table but we found a cute one that Burke re-did the top! We also found this chair for the desk. In the before pic, I already threw the top cushion away. But picture a gross worn out yellow with gray tint stripped fabric....or something really ugly. Thanks to Hinckley he is modeling the finished product :).

We found this desk at DI too! It had a crappy spray painted red job done. So we decided with our extra red paint from the door we did forever ago we would paint right over it and add some nice little handles....I think it turned out great myself!! Thanks to Burke for all his hard work right before starting his Job!

Hinckley is adjusting. Thanks to the nice weather Hinckley can play in the Christmas Present from Grandma and Grandpa Bess! He absolutely loves it....especially throwing the sand out :)

Moving to a new place is really hard and always takes some adjustment! I have to remember how lucky we are in this Economy. Burke has worked so hard and I am especially so proud of him for getting an education and establishing a great Job!

New Pictures

2011-03-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

We had Kassidy Baker take some family pictures for us and some singles of Hinckley since he is one now. I was so worried cause the weather was not the best but they turned out GREAT! Thanks Kassidy!! Here are a few (and maybe a little more) for you to view :) :

I can see these on a wedding video in say 22 years or so!

as of lately...

2011-03-16T17:36:00.001-07:00

Hinckley is getting so big and keeping us busy. Here are a few pictures of what we have bee up to lately. Picture overload but it's mostly for family who live away and don't get to see him much :).

This is where Hinckley sits when I vaccuum. He is absolutes terrified of it.

Hinckley has learned how to walk...and is getting into just about anything and everything.

Loves playing the piano

With walking comes the bumps and buises...fell and hit a piano bench leg. (No stiches thank goodness and it looked ten times better the next morning)

Learning new tricks

Yes he got in there all by himself.

Burke's birthday-the big 25!

Spending time with Mom and Dad

Swinging with Great Grandpa

Hinckley is just getting so big so fast. It seems like after he turned 1 he is just a little boy. He does something each day that just makes us laugh. We are so lucky to have him in our lives. He is just so cute if we don't say so ourselves !!!!

I have been trying to learn some new things with my sewing machine I got for Christmas. So far I have accompliched a skirt and a pillow. Finally learned out to do piping (on the pillow) and how to put zippers in. YAY!!

Yes I am blogging!

2011-02-05T20:37:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2010

It has been way to long since I have blogged. The holiday season was so busy and we have quite busy schedules...so I hardly, ok never, find time to go somewhere to have access to the internet. This week was extremely busy. I helped to plan a baby shower for a friend and had two parties for my new little one year old! It is so much fun to gather with family and friends!

I can hardly believe he is one. It seemed like just yesterday I was meeting him for the first time. He is so much fun and his little personality is coming out more each day. I know there are some of you that live far away and have been wanting to see pictures so here they are:

Dressed and ready for church

Loving my cake- Cedar City party

Our dads are cousins

St. George Party

I am such a BIG helper!

My favorite thing to do

He is so much fun and we are lucky every day to have him!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HINCKLEY ( as our friend's mom put it- "We're glad you came to our house.")

The Start of the Holiday Season

2010-11-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year! Outside is like a new art picture everyday and the time with family increases! For Halloween we were down South with family. It was Hinckley's first Halloween and we didn't go to all out but we still had fun dressing him up and going to the houses of family and friends.

We went to my sister-in-laws and she was so thoughtful to get him a baby treat that he could actually eat!

Cori and I grew up across the street from each other all growing up. I can't believe we have a child of our own now. Jackson is passing Hinckley up quickly and is a few months younger. Lets just say they were a little curious of one another. The cute little one is Gavin Cori's brother and Sister-in-laws boy. He is so adorable and tiny....we just had to get him in with the boys!

We were outside one day and I put Hinckley down in the leaves and he absolutely loved it! I was surprised that he didn't put any in his mouth like he does with every other object.

I have been working on a project for out little entertainment center that is built in. We have stuff that we store on the bottom shelves that I don't want Hinckley getting into once he gets moving (I will post pics soon). Hinckley is such a momma's boy lately and will not let me out of his sight. He wins and cries until I pick him up. I let him do it for awhile...but I can only take it for so long. So this is the result....

He just wanted to be my little side-kick and be in on all the action.

Well, here is a quick update but I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of the Holiday Season as much as we are!!

It has been way to long

2010-09-15T12:58:00.001-07:00

Having no internet gets me really behind.
Can't post without a picture....Hinckley now has two teeth on the bottom front...so we figure we better start with the brushing early. He is just so dang cute and getting too big way to fast.

We are doing really well. Burke is in school full swing now and Hinckley and I are taking advantage of the nice weather while we have it. I do wish it would stick around. Going on walks to take Burke lunch is what we do daily.

In the meantime we have been doing this. It has been so much fun to use our creativity for something we think people would enjoy.

I hope everyone is doing as great as we are. I will try to do better with blogging....I have failed to do so in the past.

2010-09-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody here are some of Hinckley's new 6 month pictures. He was not in his best mood but Kassidy still got some amazing shots of him! Thanks again Kassidy
If you want to see a few more of Hinckley and check out Kassidy Baker you can go here

We have been busy

2010-08-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

This summer has been full of excitement. We are sad to say that we are going back to Cedar today and will no longer be in St. George full time :(. We had soooo much fun and did a ton of things. It has been the summer we dreamed of...just being around family 24/7 in sunny St. George.

Balloon Festival in Panguitch

Here we are at the Goodwin Family Reunion

Taking Hinckley swimming for the first fime and many times after that

And going to California with Tom and Nichole (Brother and Sister-in-law). Went to lots of museums and also to the Beach. Wish we were still there :).

I have been very bad at posting...but we have been busy enjoying life. Hope everyone had a great summer!

2010-07-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here a some new pictures of Hinckley. Isn't he just so cute. For more pictures from this shoot (that Teresa won a few months ago on give-away-today) click here

2010-07-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Teresa!

Here is a Shout out for my lovely wife Teresa. It's her birthday today and she is getting old. Just want every one to know that I love her and think that she is the best wife around. Hope you all had a happy 4th of July.

~Burke~

Finally an Update

2010-06-22T12:14:00.001-07:00

I have had many requests to update my blog which is understandable seeing how the last post was really long ago. We have had a busy summer so far with two trips up north and Burke working two jobs. We are lucky enough to spend most of our time in St. George with family because one of the jobs is located in St. George. We are enjoying every minute with Hinckley. He makes our day with his cute little smile and his adorable laugh. When he was first born, I didn't ever want him to grow up but each new stage he goes through is so much fun!Congrats to Alex and Necia! We got a new Sister-in-law!!

Cutest little boy! One of my favorite pictures! LOVE HIM
Happy 1st Fathers Day Burke! Best Daddy in the world!
Tried rice cereal but it didn't go over too well :)

I will try not to wait so long in the future to update and hopefully i will figure out how to get a few videos on too!

Posting this picture just because....

2010-05-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

...THEY ARE CUTE!

GIVEAWAY--Beverage Wrangler

2010-05-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

So I came accross this giveaway on a blog. I thought it was such a great idea....and someone gets to win 25$ towards one!! I hate when the counter gets filled with glasses and you don't know who's is which glass (I ran into this problem just the other day. The Beverage Wrangler solves this problem and I totally want one!! Go here to Learn more about them!

The Giveaway ends Monday at noon so hurry and check it out!!

To enter the giveaway go here

Hinckley's Three Month Pictures

2010-04-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

This past week while we were down in St. George we asked a friend, Kassidy Baker, to take some pictures of us. She did a great job of capturing Hinckley and his cute personality and also us as a little family! She was great to work with and has affordable prices so check her out! Thanks again Kassidy!!

HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE:

So....We went on a Houseboat Trip

2010-04-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

AND IT WAS A BLAST!!

Yes we went in April and yes it was a little cold...but we still managed to get a little tan and did a couple of runs on the boat slide. It was such a blast to have the whole fam there! Not many times have we all been together since our wedding. Here are a few pictures that can show you what fun we had!

Update

2010-03-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Burke turned 24! We spent it by being in St. George enjoying the awesome weather out on the town. So much fun to have no set plans and just go shopping with my love!AND

Hinckley got blessed last Sunday! It was a great day. Hinckley was so good and looked so handsome! Burke gave the most beautiful blessing and I am so grateful that he is worthy to hold the Priesthood and be the one who could give him the blessing! We had so much support as you can see! Thanks EVERYONE and WE LOVE YOU HINCKLEY!

Hinckley's Pics

2010-03-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody this is me Burke. My first ever blog post. And I wouldn't expect it to be much. Just wanted to let you know about some pics we got for Hinckley. They are on this Blog. Look forward to a post from Teresa Soon.

Life In The Fast Lane

2010-02-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

Life is extremely busy but we are loving every minute of it! Hinckley is so huggable, kissable, loveable, and just so cute! We can't imagine life without him now that he is here. It is a major adjustment and some nights are really long, but the snuggles and looks he gives us make it totally worth it! We have had a great first week home with lots of visitors to see him. This past weekend we made a little trip to St. George. I just had to get out of the house and Hinckley did great for his first little trip. It is so nice to have both families in the same town so we don't have to go far for everyone to see him. He is loved that's for sure!

He loves the sounds the heater makes

Burke is just amazing with him and I love him so much! I could not have asked for a better husband and father for Hinckley!

We just Love him and are lucky to have him a part of our family!

(Posts may be further apart now that I am home and don't have direct access to the internet)

Hinckley is Here!

2010-02-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to express the way I feel as I sit in this hospital room knowing that we have a son that is all our own. The responsibility is overwhelming, but the excitement and love we have calms all nerves. Hinckley is so adorable and a blessing to us in every way we could imagine. We have had such support and love from so many that it is indescribable. Thanks to all!!

(Burke putting on the first diaper)

The delivery went extremely well and faster than we expected. Because of my Gestational Diabetes and High Blood pressure I felt like I was hooked up to everything imaginable which resulted in me being out of it for a few hours/even days. Burke is an amazing Dad and took care of so much. I am so grateful for him and everything he does for us. Hinckley weighed in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. and 20 inches long! LOVE HIM SO MUCH!

Project

2010-01-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

We decided to do a little project involving the ABCs. It was fun to design it and work on something again. We used to do projects a ton and got out of doing them for awhile. I need to take more pictures of other things we have done but some include:
This ABC wall hanging
Making Rocking Chair Pads
Taking pictures of objects that resemble letters to form his name
Re-doing a swing cover
Making a car seat covering

36 Weeks (9 months by weeks)

2010-01-30T11:09:00.001-08:00

This picture was taken awhile ago (on the day of my shower) but I was 36 weeks. Needed to post it before I actually have him! Today I am 38 weeks. Things are going really well and we are just taking one day at a time!
I love this picture of Burke with all our little nieces. This was after the baby shower and they were all trying to get him. It is hilarious to watch!

St. George Shower

2010-01-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

I am so behind in blogging right now that I won't take too much time telling about everything. I had a shower in st. George and it was such a blast. My family, both my side and Burke's side, did so much to make it such a great day! People were so nice and little Hinckley was spoiled. He definitely has everything he needs now!

One Month Left...REALLY?

2010-01-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

The time has flown by! I have been so anxious to get him here and now that it is almost here I am not sure I am ready. My due date is exactly one month from today!

I have come to the realization that it will no longer just be me and Burke (of course I knew this in the beginning but it is so much more real now). No more quick late night runs to get ice cream together or just pick up and go. A baby will definitely occupy all of our time and change our lives to the extreme.

However, I am more than excited to get him here. We started a pre-natal class the other week and took a tour of the labor and delivery. I have to admit that when they were explaining how everything goes, I just about started to tear up! Every day I look forward to the first time I will get to hold him in my arms. Even better to see Burke with him, Father and Son.

The fun times we have had during this pregnancy will never be forgotten: The first time Burke felt the baby, finding out "it" turned out to be a "He," setting up the bedroom, and working on projects together. We have enjoyed all of these experiences and know that having a baby will make life even better!

I will be 36 weeks on Saturday (picture to come) and I am going to take full advantage of these weeks of having the baby all to Burke and myself....selfish right? I am going to enjoy all of his movements and the little time Burke and I have to ourselves and preparing for is arrival.

Hopefully we will get to meet him in just about 4 short weeks...Can hardly wait :)!!

New Years Eve

2010-01-01T10:00:00.001-08:00

Here we are re-uniting! We were all roommates up at BYU....yes we were known as the short apartment. It was so much fun to catch up on what everyone was up to and talking about the past! We sure had some good times together and very grateful for the experiences that helped me grow into who I am today!

Love my Husband to death!!

Anniversary-Two Years

2010-01-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

Burke really surprised me this year! I had no idea what he was planning until about a week before our anniversary. He was able to earn some extra money that I had no idea about and planned a little get away for us. I had mentioned a few months ago that I would love to do a couples message together. Little did I know it was already in the planning. He played off my comment like he wanted nothing to do with it. It was the best thing any woman would want when being pregnant. We got there a little early and were able to relax in mineral pools and then enjoy a FULL HOUR body message! It was absolutely amazing! I love you so much babe and thanks for always thinking of me!

HAPPY 2-year ANNIVERSARY!

I have been wanting to make him a blanket for some time now so for our anniversary I put one together. It is made with pictures from the past two years and then some of our old t-shirts from our past. It was so fun to surprise him with!

Christmas at the Ranch

2010-01-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas we were up at the Family Ranch with Burke's Family. It is always nice to get away to a quite place where no one can reach us. Everyone in the Family was there except for Graham (Kate's Husband) and we missed him so much!!

Fun to have two grand daughters old enough this year to show excitement! Can't wait for Hinckley to join them soon!

This year I was finally able to finishe Burke's Mission Book. I had a blast putting it together and I think it was almost more fun to give it...I could hardly wait! I love how importnat his mission is to him!

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas too!

(I had more pictures to share but computer was not working with me)

Christmas Traditions

2010-01-01T09:09:00.001-08:00

Every year my mom makes chocolates, Peanut Clusters and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. They are very delicious if you ask me. This year I was able to make them with her! It was so much fun to go from beginning to end and learn for myself how to make them.

32 Weeks

2010-01-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

Finally posting a picture at 32 weeks. Tomorrow I will be 34 weeks. We are amazed at how fast time flies...Hinckley will be here in about 6 weeks!

Thanksgiving and 28 Week Photo

2009-12-10T12:14:00.000-08:00

I am a little behind on blogging since we don't have the internet and I have started working full-time until the baby comes! We spent Thanksgiving with my Family over at my brothers home. So much fun to be around family and see those we haven't for so long (both mine and Burke's family)! We also had a great time ringing in the Christmas Season with a Christmas Kickoff with Burke's family including good food and a classic Christmas movie (don't have any pictures to share of that). Here are just a few photos from Thanksgiving--

We spent some time outside with the grandkids...Burke was awesome to help them build a big leaf pile!

They all have their own little personalities...We can't wait to see what kind of personality Hinckley adds to the mix!

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Here I am at 28 weeks. Today I am 30 weeks and 4 days so this picture is a little old. I can hardly believe how close we are getting to having him here! Life is going good...I am getting used to the diabetes, there really isn't much change except for not eating very many sweets. Not hard at all at this time of year ;). Burke is just finishing up with his finals and then he will be home free for the Holiday Season! We are so excited to be able to spend some more time with family and the time is going to fly!

Today I am Thankful

2009-11-25T08:44:00.001-08:00

-This time of year just helps us to remember that-

Last night we watched the movie "We are Marshall." Have you ever seen it? Definitely a must see in my opinion. It is an emotional film but one that helps you remember the loved ones in your life who you should be thankful for.

1: Thankful for my Husband, Burke. He is so amazing and most perfect for me. Going through this emotional ride of me being pregnant and just dealing with it, I'm sure isn't easy. He reminds me of the good things in life and that everything will be okay through the little things he does everyday. Without him I would be even more of an emotional wreck! The best decision I ever made was on October 13th, 2007, when I said YES! LOVE YOU BABE

2. Baby Hinckley. So thankful to have this little guy inside of me and having the privileged of feeling life everyday. His POWERFUL movements remind me several times a day of the great miracle/gift we are given to create life. I am extremely thankful that we are being trusted by our Heavenly Father to raise this little guy and can't wait to meet him on his BIRTHday! Our love for him grows deeper everyday!

3. My Family. My family is incredible. Of course we have our little corks like everyone else but they accept me for me! Now that we are older and each starting our own families it is so much fun to get together and reminisce about how truly grateful we are for our immediate family and amazing parents who raised us and provided us with a great lifestyle. THANKS!

4. My in-laws. I could have not asked for a better family to marry into. I truly feel like I am PART of the family. I BELONG. It is so nice to marry into a family who has the same beliefs and standards that I am used to, raised a son into an amazing man, and now treat me as one of their daughters! THANKS!

The Ability to LOVE is amazing...we once had a speaker in Church talk about how he learned to love. It took him until his mission to actually know what it feels like. He would always have his companions telling him that they loved him, but he could never tell them back. He had the hardest time expressing love. Today I am most grateful that I can look Burke in the face and tell him I love him and he can say he loves me to...I am excited to be able to tell my son how much I love him and for him to one day say he love me too!

Showered with Love

2009-11-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

Moving from Provo has made me a little homesick for it and all my friends up there. My Sister Holly and long life friend Becky are amazing and gave me a shower for our little guy! It was such a blast to see everyone and spend time with family and friends we have missed. I spaced it and forgot my camera so here are a few I got from Becky's blog!

Thanks everyone for such a fun weekend...our boy will be decked out!!
(sorry the pics are a little small)

-LOVE THESE TWO GIRLS-The food was absolutely delicious! I could have a few of those desserts right about now!-Some of the people that came! So much fun to see everyone!

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UPDATE

So the other week I had to do that fun Glucose test that every Pregnant women has the privilege of doing. It consists of drinking a sugar drink and then waiting an hour at the hospital and then getting your blood drawn. Not fun but I made it through in high hopes that I would pass.

The next day I found out I did not pass and would have to do another test that takes 3 hours. This time I had to fast for about 10-12 hours. I then had to go in and get my blood drawn to make sure it had been long enough. After that I had to drink another sugar drink with twice the amount of sugar then the last one. I wish they would have only had to take my blood one more time but no it was three more, every hour on the hour! Not fun but again I left hoping I had past.

The next day I received a call from the doctors office and they informed me that I had failed the test once again and now have GESTATIONAL DIABETES! Great just in time for the holidays. FUN FOR ME...not so much!

I will be meeting with a Dietitian on Monday but until then I am supposed to watch my carbs and stay within 30-45 a day. I have come to realized that that is not very much and I hope she changes it for my real diet! Pregnant women usually eat a lot you know :)!

Vanilla Mint

2009-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

I got new chap stick, Vanilla Mint Chap Stick
I put it on more often then not because of the delicious smell.

The smell under my nose reminds me of the Holidays approaching
The food (love the food), weather, colors, clothes

Excited to smell my favorite, pumpkin pie
And listen to the dancing jingles in Christmas Music
But most of all, excited to see family members that miles of road separate.

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We went to my 26 week appointment yesterday for Baby Bess. We can not believe how fast the time is flying by. 3 weeks is Thanksgiving, then about 4 til Christmas, then six more and he could be here! CRAZY.

Everything is going great. Heard the heart beat which is always re-assuring. On track with weight...4 more pounds can be added for a total of 21!

I had to take the fun Glucose test yesterday...not as bad as I thought but not a fun test either. Just wanted to get it over with and hope I don't have to do it again. Blood work is honestly the worst part of pregnancy so far. We also noticed for the first time last night that my ankles are slowly swelling. Do not want that but bound to happen.

Pregnancy is an experience all in its own. I have grown to really appreciate and have great respect for mothers. I am enjoying every minute of it although my attitude may show differently at times. Everyday our love for this little miracle growing inside of me is growing!

Things That Change

2009-11-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

I received an e-mail today that contained a few things of what changes when you have a baby. I feel like a few of them can also apply to when I got married which makes life so much better. I can't wait to feel them even more when our baby arrives!!

1.You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

I WON!!

2009-10-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

I NEVER EVER win ANYTHING!!
BUT today is a different story!

I visit this blog called Give Away Today every day to see what great new items are being given away. On Friday there were three items, all of which I was interested in. I decided that it wouldn't hurt just to enter. There's always a ton of entries so I do not figure I will win anything.

When I went to the blog today I didn't figure to see my name, but there it was. I wanted to scream but of course I was at work and had to hold it in! Go HERE to see what I won!

Also Check out The photographer's blog. She does amazing work and it will be great to get some fun shots after the baby is born!

--New Prego Picture in post below!

24 Weeks

2009-10-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here I am at 24 weeks. I can not believe how fast time is flying by. This picture does not nearly show how big I really am, believe me I am big.

What we have noticed:
-I can no longer see my feet very well
-I am finding that I can not walk around stores nearly as long as I used to cause my back and feet start to hurt
-My belly button is slowly disappearing
-We can feel Baby Bess very clearly from the outside-whole body parts
-His kicks and moves are very strong from the inside
-Last doctors appointment I had gained 4 pounds (a pound for each week of the last month and a total or 17 pounds)

What we have done lately on the Baby's room:
-Set the crib up that my sister gave us (Thanks)
-Purchased the crib bedding-the one I posted a little while ago
-Re-did a rocking chair that we purchased for 20$ up North
-Re-did a swing cover for the swing my sister gave us (Thanks)

We get more excited every day for Baby Bess to get here! Although we know it will be hard and an major adjustment, (as many people have freely informed us) we are still extremely excited!

Today

2009-10-20T10:33:00.001-07:00

On this rainy day

I would rather...
be driving up the canyon looking at fall colors
with rain pounding on the car
listening to my favorite music playing.

I would rather...
be home wrapped in a blanket
reading a good book
with the rain hitting against the window

I would rather...
be home snuggling with Burke
drinking hot chocolate
with the fireplace blazing
or
taking a long walk hand-in-hand under an umbrella.

INSTEAD
Burke is at school
and I am at work wishing we could be together.

Blessings

2009-10-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

I know that it is not November yet but My sister-in-law Kate did a great post on death. You can read it here. It really got me thinking of all that I am blessed with.

We currently live with Grandpa in Cedar City.
It is so much fun and a privilege to get to talk with him everyday. We hear his stories and words of wisdom. I have found myself laughing, crying, and filled with excitement for the next thing he shares with us.

Often times I have a hard time leaving him home alone.
His wife passed away 10+ years ago. Although he is used to being alone I can't help but feel sad when we drive away with him staring out the window.

We are blessed to have Grandpa in our lives.

The other day we had a doctors appointment.
On the way we passed the graveyard where a new burial grave was being dug. I couldn't help but think of the excitement we were having as another family was having an emotional load dumped on them (which reminded me of Kate's post).

The experience of being pregnant.
Has brought about many new emotions in me, as I am sure it does in most women. I am excited, frightened, delighted and honored to me trusted by Heavenly Father with one of his children.

We are blessed to be able start a family with our little guy.

As with most people.
Life gets busy and we get caught in the motion of things. Life is expensive. Worries, concerns, and hard days fall upon us.

Thanks to the little things.
The little things in life, which are big at the time, help to get us through life. Like being "forgiven" for the rest of my school loan, receiving a grant for school, and simply being around family and friends when needed lightens the load.

We are blessed with tender mercies.

Of course there are many other blessings in my life but those few things have been on my mind lately! Burke always reminds me that Life is Good...and it is!

Five Months (Twenty Weeks)

2009-09-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here I am at twenty weeks...Getting bigger and feeling it! It is so much fun to feel him move around all the time now. My last appointment I had gained 7 pounds! I about died but I have to remember that everything adds up! Trust me though...I am taking advantage of this time and eating lots of shakes and chocolate along with the healthy foods of course!

Burke is so great to me and already worried about my ankles swelling (they are not yet though) so he rubs them practically every night! We have learned that it is important to take advantage of the time we have with just "us" before the baby comes but we love to fantasize what it will be like and ready to be the "three of us!" We are just so excited and grateful to be having a little one soon!

Choices

2009-09-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

¹name

Pronunciation: \ˈnām\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English nama; akin to Old High German namo name, Latin nomen, Greek onoma, onyma

Date: before 12th century

a : a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing b : a word or symbol used in logic to designate an entity

Choosing a name for Baby Bess is so difficult...I don't know how some people just know. This is the name he will be known by for the rest of his life! I am one of those people that wants a name decided before he arrived. We think we have something decided and then the next day it has changed.

For now...we will give it a rest and maybe something will come.

Burke felt Baby move on Sunday 9/20/09
It was fun to see his reaction!!
Baby already has him
wrapped around
his finger :)

Five months (twenty weeks) tomorrow
picture soon to be posted

i was measured the other day

2009-09-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

I had to get measure the other day
I know I am short,
but for some reason I thought the last time I measured I was 5 foot 1 inch
I always round up so I tell people I am 5 foot 2 inches (just a small fib)
Well,
the other day I was proven wrong
I measured 5 foot 1/4 of an inch (maybe I wasn't standing straight).

...Now I will round up to 5 foot 1 inch.

Now the Fun Begins!

2009-09-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Love this Crib bedding! Who knew Boy bedding could be so cute?!

Proof that there is Something Growing

2009-09-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's A BOY!

Yesterday we had our ultrasound to make sure everything was going great...not to mention to find out whether our baby is a boy or a girl. It was so exciting to see Him moving around in there...He was seriously moving! I can not believe how active our baby is. The Ultrasound Tech was so great and was just loving every minute of it...she took a ton of pictures. I was trying to figure out what we were having that I was not even looking in the right spot. Burke said "Oh, it is definitely a boy!" I asked, "You can already tell?" Of course he laughed at me because there it was plain as day....a BOY! We already love him so much!

Here are a few pictures for you...sorry the one that announces is not on here.

He constantly had his hands up by his face sucking on his thumb.

He was always hiding from us with he feet straight in the air.

Four Months

2009-09-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken at four months. I will be eighteen weeks on Saturday and we are scheduled for an ultra sound on Monday! Boy or Girl?

3 Months

2009-08-26T15:15:00.001-07:00

Here I am at three months. It is a little late because I will be four months on Sat. We have an ultrasound scheduled for the 14th of September to find out if it is a boy or a girl! We can hardly wait!

Thanks to Everyone!

2009-08-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

We are finally settled in Cedar City. We do not have the internet yet so I have yet to post pictures that I have. I sometimes go to the library with Burke so I will try to post my 3 month and 4 month pictures as soon as I can.

We just wanted to put a big THANKS out to everyone for helping us look for jobs while we have been in transition. I finally landed a job at Infowest as a receptionist thanks to two good friends. We have decided that it would be best for Burke to just take a full load and focus on school.

Although life has been super busy the last couple of months, we enjoyed seeing friends attending weddings and being with family! It is so nice to be closer to home!

WORK WANTED-

2009-08-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

Moved to Cedar City and of course the economy is bad right now and it does not help that Cedar is a small city
BUT

If anyone hears of any possible job leads, let us know! We would love to look into it.

Teresa is looking for:
A full-time position with benefits (if at all possible)
I would love to work in an environment with kids
or work for a business as a secretary/receptionist.

Burke is looking for:
A part-time position (Afternoons after one PM)
He is a Business major so anything in that area would be great
However, at this point any job position would be nice!

Thanks for keeping your eye open for us!

It may not look like it...BUT we are EXPECTING!

2009-07-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

Baby Bess is in the oven and doing GREAT! We are actually almost three months along and have already had one ultrasound and heard the heartbeat. It is amazing how hearing those little thumps calm all my nerves and worries. We have a while left but we can hardly wait til it gets closer to February 13th!

I have not been too sick but I have got to say that Burke has been very patient with me and is going to be a great Dad. He takes great care of me when I am sick and never ever complains...I would not blame him if he did.Three month prego pic coming soon...got to love them:)

CALIFORNIA

2009-07-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

We went to California with Ben, Kim, and little Annie last week. It was so much fun to just get away and go to the beach! We did spend some time in HOLLYWOOD and a Science Museum that was really amazing. Wish we were still sitting on the soft sand at the beach! (The pictures are not the greatest because we could not find our good camera before going so we had to use an old one)Gotta love Burke's Face :)

Annie is absolutely adorable! The boys love creating sculptures in the sand.

Where Have We Been?

2009-07-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of moving down to Cedar City and our lives have been crazy! We have been out of town practically every weekend since the end of June and we are about ready to settle down! Most of my SD Cards with all our pictures on them are in Cedar so I guess I will borrow some from others or just tell you what we have been up to...I just need to catch up on blogging:)

It all started with watching this cute little little niece of ours for a week. She is really a great baby and we had a lot of fun with her. We absolutely fell even more in love with her and actually felt empty handed when she was gone!

We went to the ranch for a family reunion. Thanks to Kate for these great pictures with the Polaroid. it was so much fun to explore the ranch and just relax. Also, many of the family members had never been to Bryce Canyon so we decided to take an extra drive to see that.

Can't forget celebrating my Birthday! I love sharing it with the Nation's Birthday too! I'm twenty three and for some reason I just can not get that down quite yet.

One of our weekends consisted of going to Jackson Hole Wyoming with our cousins Cameron and Jessica to visit KC, Mary and Sophie. We spent the weekend hiking, water rafting, and just completely wore ourselves out! Thanks for the great weekend!

Well that is where we have been. It has been a busy month but we are just about to the end. We are excited to get our lives going in Cedar City but we will definitely miss Provo and all that we have experienced and learned here!

New Projects

2009-06-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

We have started a few projects for the summer. This is the time of year we absolutely love! We both changed into work clothes and realized we were wearing the same thing! When my neighbor came out she was laughing at us and took a picture of us! Aren't we just looking our best?When my niece and Nephews come over, they have nothing to play with so we decided it was time to make a few things. Burke has started to make wooden blocks but they are not finished (It is always fun for kids to use their imagination to create using wooden block. Together we made ABC blocks and then I made soft ABC/123 blocks with bells inside. We have found that this is something we enjoy doing together and it is always fun to see the outcome. One night for date night, I went and bought three canvases for us to paint on. Together we created a little bit of art to hang up in our house :). You should definitely try this for a date night. You can learn a lot about each other!

DANCE DANCE DANCE

2009-06-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

The school year finally came to an end! For the end of the year we had our Ballroom Club perform all that they had learned. They performed: The Cha-cha, Swing, Waltz, Tango, and a dance they made up on their own. A lot of the boys in our club came in not wanting to dance or hold a girls hand. They went out loving it. The parents were very excited to see their children dance and were amazed with how much they had learned.You are probably wondering why I am wearing the same outfit as the girls...Well, at last minute one of the girls could not make it so I was lucky enough to dance one of our fifth grade boys!
For the last week of Burke's GT class they created a zoo in their classroom. The students had a lot of fun making all the animals and turning their classroom into a zoo. The students absolutely loved Burke and after he left the school for his other job, his students were constantly asking me where Mr. Bess was!

Stock Paid Off

2009-06-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

In one of the classes Burke took he was given fake money to invest. He became really interested in it and we decided to invest some of our own REAL money. For graduation Burke sold the stock and had earned enough money to buy me a Bosch mixer! I was so excited and we have already made a lot of great goodies!
Burke has also been saving his monies and he decided to buy a chop saw! It is so fun to see him doing the things he enjoys. We have now started many new summer projects! Oh how we love summer!

Graduation-HAPPY DAY

2009-06-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Since we have not had the internet for awhile I need to catch up on what has been going on in our lives!

Graduation finally happened. Walking finally made it feel real. I never thought I would ever graduate, let alone from BYU. It was a satisfying day and it was great to have people there who have helped me along the way!

We are tending the littlest one for four days soon. It will be an experience:)

Teresa is looking for a Summer Job...HELP

2009-05-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

We are moving to Cedar City in the Fall but we are staying in Provo for the summer so I can make it to Camp for Young Women's. I am still filling in at the bank but I cannot only depend on that so I am looking for a temporary job just for the summer. If anyone knows of any positions, send them my way. With my degree in Marriage Family and Human Development, the ideal job would be working with kids and providing childcare.

Where I have worked in the past:
I have worked in a bank for four years and have gained many office/receptionist skills.

For the past year I have worked in an elementary school teaching students reading skills, teaching ballroom dance, and working with special-ed.

If you know of anything send it my way...THANKS!

Computers and Internet...BLAH

2009-05-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

So in case you have been wondering where we have been...we are still here. I have so much I want to post but we currently do not have access to the internet. Our neighbors who have been in charge of it have moved and we are waiting for our other neighbors to take charge because they will be here longer then we will be. I never realized how much I use the internet until now. I keep trying to hop on to check anything and everything and it never works. Anyways we are currently at the library where we have never been to so much until now:).

I thought I would hurry drop a line and tell you we are here and a few of the things I want to post are:
-Our trip home
-Graduation
-The new Bosch Burke gave me (a total surprise and I love it!)
-Burke's new chop saw (it is now summer so Burke is back to do doing his GREAT and CREATIVE projects)
-Our Ballroom Club's performance

I am sure there are a few more but I will get to them someday...I promise!

2009-04-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

For Family Night last night, Burke and I made Chocolate covered Strawberries! I have never been very succssful at making thsese! But for some reason they turned out great! Plus, because of the price, they were better than the ones you buy at a chocolate store;)!

For the lesson Burke pulled out "Preach My Gospel" and we did the Attribute Activity on pg. 126. This activity lists all of the Attributes of Christ and you rate yourself from 1-5 on each one. It is a great activity to do with your spouse and recognize the areas you can work on individually and/or together! I definitely recommend this to everyone! It is a great FHE Idea...Thanks Burke!

Conference

2009-04-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

My Niece from Idaho was on spring break so she came to visit us the weekend before Conference. It was so much fun to have her here! We went to the Young Women's Broadcast up in Salt Lake at the Conference Center. This was so fun for her because up there they never really get the opportunity to go. We did a lot of fun things with her. For Family Home Evening we went bowling. Of course Burke won, second was Melissa, and I came in last:(. She is getting older which means she is getting taller. As you can see she is comming up on me! We had so much fun spoiling her! Love you Lisa!Conference Weekend Burke and I had tickets to the Sunday Morning Session of conference. It was such a relaxing weekend and Conference made it that much better. We were able to see Burke's brother KC and his friends up there too!

I really enjoyed many of the talks. It has been hard for me to see President Hinkley not at Conference. However, I have no doubt That President Monson is called by God and leads and guides the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

--HAPPY BIRTHDAY--

2009-03-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun planning for Burke's birthday this year! I decided to bake a kind of cake that I had never made before and I liked the way it turned out (I want to learn more about making cakes). Lucky for me I got to see him all day long because we work together and surprise him with balloons at work! All the kids were so cute and told him Happy Birthday a bazillion times and I can't even count how many cards he was given...I think I may have some competition with a few of the little girls ;). The day was a lot of fun. Burke loves Panda Express so we went there and then I sent him on a little scavenger hunt for movies that remind me of him and dates that we have been on. It was so much fun to create and watch him discover where the next movie was hidden!

Burke is Incredibly handsome, Amazingly talented, Extremely smart, and a Tremendous guy to love! Love you lots sir!

(This picture is a little blurry but I loved it!)

-WELCOME HOME-

2009-03-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

Last night our close friend, Becky Graf, came home from Serving a Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Russia. Her flight did not land until mid-night but we were not about to miss her! Becky and I were room-mates when we moved up to Provo to go school and we did just about everything together. I have always looked up to her and knew she would one day go on a mission. The people in Russia were lucky enough to have her! Becky is full of love and willing to serve anyone with whatever is needed. Of course the airport is such an exciting and busy time so we are looking forward to talking with her more and hearing about her great experiences as she served in Russia. Welcome home Becky--We love you!

Jackson Hole

2009-02-19T16:36:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went up to Jackson Hole Wyoming to visit family. It was such a blast and we want to thank them for the fun time we had. Since we went over Valentines we didn't mind splurging on passes to go Snowboarding. I watched little Sophie for a little bit with Kate and then decided that I might as while give snowboarding a try. When we were dating Burke told me that he would only teach me how to snowboard if he found out he loved me. Well, since that came true:) he now had to teach me! He was a great teacher and was so patient with me! I fell down a couple a times on the first few runs and then I was pretty good from there. All the credit goes to Burke....he was an amazing teacher!

I am Addicted

2009-02-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

I am addicted to heat bags. A few years ago I made a heat bag with my niece and it just recently broke :(. When Burke and I first got married he hated my heat bag because it was always with me! However, as time went on he started stealing it from me every so often. When mine broke I told him I would make one for him too. On Saturday we got the material and Burke decided he would sew up his own. I wish I would have gotten one of him on the sewing machine because he says that is the only time I would catch him sewing! He did a great job though and now we each have our own!

Have you ever...

2009-01-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

...walked on a frozen lake? It is a little frightening but very amazing at the same time!
Thanks to the Monday holiday we were able to have a full day of fun with some friends:) Utah Lake was completely frozen over. When we first got there, it was a bit hazy and the frost on the trees were amazing! We were hoping the lake would be more glassy so we could do a little ice skating but we still had a blast walking and running on it, finding cool ice sculptures, and having snow fights. We took a lot of pictures but here are a few from the exciting day.
Following the lake we decided we didn't get enough of the snow so we went sledding for another few hours. We went down some pretty large hills and hit some big jumps, also got a few injuries (I wish we would have gotten a picture of the huge scrape on the Burke's back, but it was all worth it! Here are a few videos--Sorry that they are sideways but again they won't change.

Burke and Aaron

Teresa and Jenny

It was nice to finally have a snow day and I hope you got as good of a laugh as we did! :)

Happy New Year

2009-01-12T09:08:00.001-08:00

For New Years we got out the rest of our wedding cake and ate a few bites. It was still really good! It was a great cake thanks to Byron! We also Went with Taran and Michelle to watch the Fireworks and bring in the New Year, 2009! It was a great to see friends and celebrate!

Crocheting and Sewing

2009-01-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break I made and learned a few things that will keep me busy now that I am finished with school! My sister-in-law, Nichole, has been into crocheting and taught me how. I completed one scarf and I am currently working on my second. It was so much fun--and who knows maybe one day we will make a blanket. You can go to her blog to see more ideas. From Mary, my other sister-in-law, I received a gift card to a fabric store so I decided to purchase a bag pattern and material. For a couple of days Clo, Kim, and I made the bags. They turned out great I think and I got to use some of my new sewing supplies!
I eventually wanted a sewing machine but knew that I probably would not be getting it any time soon. However, My friend, Jenny went to California over the break and brought me back a sewing machine her sister-in-law no longer wanted. I was so surprised and grateful. Burke is happy because now he doesn't have to get me one :)! I can not wait to sew something else! Thanks Jenny and Aaron!

Clo is 50!

2009-01-12T08:35:00.000-08:00

Clo turned 50 on the 30th of December. We decided to throw her a surprise birthday party. It turned out so well and she had completely no idea.
This cake was amazing--Byron has such a great talent!
Charles peaking to make sure we know when she is on her way!
Happy Birthday Clo! We love you!

"It's Never Too Late"--So Here's Christmas

2009-01-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so much fun. It was nice to be able to relax for a couple of weeks and just be with family. We had nothing scheduled and each day was a blank slate to be created. Here are a some pictures for a glimpse of Christmas morning...FYI-we had just woken up:)! (some of the pictures are sideways because for some reason my computer won't rotate them)
Burke picked me out a lot of sewing supplies that I have wanted! He did such a great job and I was so excited!
Burke had to go down to Mexico with his Dad so while he was away I made him a stocking for this years Christmas. It was super quick and easy and I was excited about how it turned out.
All Boys still need toys! I was excited when I picked this out for Burke. It is so much fun to fly and figure out.

My Dad made us gifts this year. He made my Mom a new towel rack, and all the kids a type of shelf. They turned out Beautiful...Thanks Dad!
Last year when I was at the ranch for Christmas with Burke's Family, His parents gave me part of the Willow Tree Nativity. This year for Christmas they made the backdrop for it. Isn't it just perfect?! I loved it...Thanks Clo and Charles!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-03T12:35:00.001-08:00

The next few posts are a little late but I wanted to show what we have been doing over the holidays! Christmas Eve was really fun. This year we were at my house for Christmas so there were just two couples from my family and my parents, a total of six. My Sister-in-law, Nichole is great at making gingerbread so we made houses out of real gingerbread! I have never really been the one to be great at creating gingerbread houses but It was so much fun to start from scratch and end up with an actual house :). I have not had much luck in the past so I was quite impressed with what we ended up with.As you can see from our houses Burke comes from a landscaping family and Tom comes from a carpentry family!All around it was a great experience and Burke and Tom think next time they are going to be partners and make the Monticello--you know the building on the back of the Nickel. Nichole and I spend too much time decorating so we will be together on the next house...the competition is on!

One Year Anniversary

2008-12-31T09:15:00.000-08:00

I can not believe how fast one year can go by... it has been the best year of my life! Because we work at an elementary school we were both able to have two weeks off. We have loved being down in St. George with our family and spend Christmas, Birthdays, and New Years Eve (Posts to come with these events) without planning the wedding! It is kind of hard to have a anniversary around the holidays; especially when we want to be with family too. However, we escaped and spent a night out together. We had such a blast and it was nice to take advantage of what is in St. George. We talked about the highlights of the year and here are a few that we loved about being in married in 2008:

Going to Disneyland for our Honeymoon-and the funny experiences that came with it
Visiting Puerto Rico, Culebra with the Bess family
Doing all of our fun projects together
Spending time with all the Goodwin Family and attending a siblings family sealing
The opportunity we had of being a Ma and Pa for the Youth Trek (the friendships that we have developed from the experience :))
The joy of becoming one (getting used to everything being "ours" instead of "mine" and "yours")

We have a had a lot of fun this year and anyone who has followed our blog would be able to see that. We were told when we got married that the first year of marriage would be the most fun but also the hardest year. We have come to find that to be true but we would not change anything about it. Burke is such a great husband and I am very grateful to be able to be with him for Eternity!

GRADUATION

2008-12-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

As of right now Burke and I have both earned a degree! I have finally earned my Bachelors Degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development (MFHD). I thought this day would never come and yet it has not really hit me yet. I am currently looking for a full-time position so if anyone has heard of anything let me know because I am interested:)! Burke just finished his last final with the high of the whole class! I wish I had his brain! He has now received his Associates Degree. I keep telling him that it is a huge mile stone to get an Associates Degree. We are both very relieved to have our finals over and done with. We can now finally begin celebrating the Christmas Season!! Thanks to all family and friends for supporting us in our education and we are excited to see you all!!

White Thanksgiving at the Ranch

2008-12-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

I apologize for such a late post!
This year for Thanksgiving we went to the Ranch! It was so much fun and nice to be away from all the busyness of city life! We were surprised to arrive to fresh snow falling because there was no snow up until we got to the ranch. Here are a few pictures of what we did at the ranch. Burke and I made a little snowman the night we got there. The snow was so amazing and it really wasn't that cold at all.Here are the two nieces of the Bess family Annie and Sophie! They are so cute and so much fun to be around!
Kate and Clo preparing for the Thanksgiving Dinner.
Burke decided he wanted to make another snowman. This time Bigger! It didn't take too long for all the boys to join them! It was quite the process to finish it but here is the finish product! If you can tell...the top three layers are from the snowman the night before :)
We took advantage of the beautiful scenery and went on an excursion--
The next day we went down to St. George for a few days! I went out with all the girls in my family and had a little contest of who could find the best deal, most Christmasy, most outrageous item. It was a lot of fun and if you look closely, a few of them are hilarious!

Satisfaction

2008-11-06T07:16:00.000-08:00

This new term at the elementary school Burke and I got asked to do a Ballroom Club for the After School Program! Of course I immediately accepted while Burke was a little hesitant. I went to a training the other week and it completely overwhelmed me. The program is really intense and the students can even compete against each other at the end of the term if they want. Luckily most of our students are third graders which does not qualify them to compete...so the pressure is off! We have only taught the class three times but yesterday we finally finished the warm-up routine with all 30 students. Once they finally got over the fact that they would have to actually hold a girls/boys hand and that it is okay for Mr. and Mrs. Bess to dance together, they got into it and everyone can hardly wait until the next dance class. Because we were a little reluctant on accepting this challenge, it brings great satisfaction that the club is turning out this well.

HALLOWEEN--SO MUCH FUN

2008-11-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

This Halloween was a little different then all the others we have had! First of all it was our first Halloween together as a married couple. And second, all of my family, well almost all, decided to come to Provo for the festivities. We had a blast going to the "Trunk or Treat" in my sister's ward and just spending time with family that we don't see too often!
They all looked great in their costumes!
My nephew got tired of carrying his tail...so he asked Burke to :)
This is my oldest niece who is almost taller than me! She is Great!
All the boys in character
Grammy and Pa of course are loved!
Saturday was also so much fun! We got to go to the Salt Lake Temple for a family sealing! It was so much fun and the kids looked like Angels. It was our first time to the Salt Lake Temple and we are definitely going back to do a session! Saturday night my sister put together a Halloween dinner! It consisted of brains, blood, and bones (Spaghetti, jello salad, and bread sticks)! She is so creative. I am sure it will probably be posted on her blog soon so take a look! Thanks for coming family, it was fun to see you!

Fall Is Here For Good

2008-10-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a picture of what the roads looked like when I drove to school today. It reminded me of 100 S. In St. George on a fall day on my way to Dixie State College. The color of the trees are so gorgeous and we have the brightest red bushes right out our parking garage. I love everything about Fall except the cold weather that comes with it!

This past weekend we went to St. George over Fall Break. It was definitely a break! I seem to enjoy being with the students I work with when I have had a little break from them :)...sound familiar to any of you Moms? Anyways we had an absolute blast! Burke had projects to work on so I made a table runner with my mother-on-law which turned out great (sorry for the lack of pictures. I seem to get lazy now that we lost our good camera...that's right, we still can't find it.) and went shopping with my mother to spend her gift card from her birthday! It was such a blast to do things that we normally can't do on other visits!

We did end up carving pumpkins and It was one year ago this time of year that we did the same thing (I have a picture but it was too hard to find). It was the next visit down after our engagement. Burke and I always buy one pumpkin and then want to do different faces so we decided to split the pumpkin right in half and we each carved half...I know we are weird but it was fun.
Our little niece, Sophie, was staying at the house while we were there. It was so much fun to be around her enough to get to know what she is like! She is such a fun and happy girl and communicates with you like she is five. She knows baby sign language and it is amazing! Our newest niece, Annie, was also blessed on the Sunday we were there! Now we have 8 nieces and 5 nephews all together!
It was such a fun weekend and we are so lucky that we live remotely close enough to visit all the time. Our favorite thing is to be where family is! Thanks for the great weekend!

Conference Weekend

2008-10-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was so much relaxing and fun...for some reason it felt like such a long break from school and work. On Friday night we went up to Burke's mission reunion. Awhile ago we got together with some of the Elders and one of the mission couples so it was nice to have known a few (I visited with some of the couple missionaries while he reminisced about the mission times with the Elders :)). Plus, I think every wife can agree with me, it is nice to go to a mission reunion to meet all the people you have heard so much about...after all he did spend 2 years, 24/7 with these people!

Saturday Morning Taren and Michelle Hansen came to stay with us for the remainder of the weekend. Burke and Taren are best friends so it was fun to get to know both of them a little bit more! We really enjoyed having friends stay with us and catch up on things. We went up to the Conference Center Saturday Afternnoon in hopes that we could get some tickets. We got to Salt Lake about fifteen minutes before the session started so it was'nt likely. However, Michelle and I dropped the boys off and within five minutes they called with 17 tickets in hand! I don't really know how they got them but they kept four and gave the rest out. We were left with car in the pouring rain and the boys had to go in to get their seat but left out tickets at the door. To make a long story short, we FINALLY found a spot hoping it was not an illegal one and ran with shoes and umbrella in hand (I really wish we had a picture of us :)). By the time we got to the Conference Center, we got the wrong tickets, got confronted by a man telling us we were foolish for not being inside yet, and saved by a nice host who helped us get to our husbands all safe and sound!!

Following the afternoon session we grabbed a bite to eat and dropped the boys off again for the Priesthood session to hopefully get some tickets. The same thing again happend...before we got to the end of the street we received a call with tickets in hand! They are so LUCKY! They were off to a spiritual evening and we were off to do what girls do best....shopping!

It was a great day all together and we topped it off by meeting Scott and Hilary Curtis at a restaurant (I can't remember what it is called because it wasn't any of our favorites and the service was terrible). It was so fun to see them and to have all the Boys together!

The Hansen's left after the Sunday morning session and we were up to Salt Lake for our final time....thanks Charles for getting us tickets! This time no rain, assigned parking spot and we were on time. We even had time to see this original 1847 log home, which was eventually transported to Temple Square, we had never seen before. Conference in the Conference Center was definitely worth the drive (I seem to stay awake when I am all dressed up and not in the comfort of my home). At the end of the day we went to my sister's house for dinner. Burke gave the nephews a bug catcher thing...so of course he is now the favorite :).

Sorry for such a long post but as you can tell we had a GREAT time being with friends, family, and each other! It was fun to have a little get away weekend in our own town!

Family Home Evening and Nine Month Anniversary

2008-10-07T20:51:00.001-07:00

September 29, 2008
As you probably can tell I really behind on my posts...sorry to all those who may have been wondering what has been going on in our lives. Our camera is still lost but we located my dinosaur camera and it is doing the job okay.

The Sunday before our nine month anniversary Burke was making his Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. I like to Clean up as I cook and Burke likes to get everything out and then clean up so I was getting on his nerves a little bit because I hate getting my clothes dirty. To solve the problem Burke went the next day and bought some plain white aprons and paint pens to decorate them with for Family Home Evening and for our nine month anniversary. I thought it was such a great idea...the twist was that I got to decorate Burke's apron and he got to do mine. They turned out so great and now I don't have to worry about messes. Thanks Hun! Here are some pictures:

Reason to Live

2008-09-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

We have had this plant on our doorstep for a very long time (if you have been to our house, you know which one I am talking about). For more than half the time we have had it, it has looked dead. There is a little green left at the top so Burke has insisted that we keep it. Every day I try to talk him into dupping it out. I was about to throw out the poor little guy today with out telling Burke. However, after running to the store early this morning, I noticed a little purple flower had bloomed! I guess the plant just wasn't ready to pass on...and that little flower brightened our morning. Burke had fun rubbing it in and now he insists that we keep it even longer. We can't find our camera at the moment or I would love to show you all a picture of how sad the plant looks and see what people thought about it. I am sure most of you would agree with me and it should be thrown out. We'll have to see how long it really lasts :). Anywho Burke did show faith in the sad looking plant and there ended up being a little life left in it!

Sick of being Sick

2008-09-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

I love having days off from school and work but not today! I am home today but only because I am sick. I don't know what it is but when I get sick, I really get sick. My sicknesses always consist of a sore throat, ear infection, and then the 24 hour flu. Poor Burke has been sooo board. I always feel so bad because he is always so great to take care of me, even if I do keep him up all night. I have yet to take care of Burke when he is sick...he just does not get sick. Right now Burke is at work and I am extremely board. There is only so much a sick person can do! I am grateful for the down time because I am constantly going, but I am really ready to be well again!

Back to School--In More than One Way

2008-09-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

I hope this picture makes you laugh because I was cracking up! This picture explains all our feelings for the past week. I started school on Tuesday so now we are both officially in school. I don't have as big of load as Burke does because I'll be graduating in December. I have to say that because I don't have as much to do, I am getting a small taste of what it will feel like when I don't have school at all. I will definitely have to pick up some new hobbies and be a patient little wife :).

As for the update on our new jobs. Things are going great at the Elementary School. It is funny to walk around together and have people looking at us because they think it's so cute that we get to work together! I have to admit that it has been fun to work together and to talk to each other and know exactly who and what we are talking about!

Working with kids is very challenging which makes us like the job. It is exciting to see the kids improve and also learn some new techniques for teaching children reading skills. However, by the end of the day we are exhausted. People have told me that working with your own kids is completely different....I know you still get exhausted but I hope they are right. Right now things at the school is a little unorganized because it is the beginning of the year. We have been so used to jobs with very strict schedules and organization that we are going a little crazy. I think that within the next week or so things will start leveling out.

The After School program is a little different than we thought. Burke is going to be known as Mr. Bess as he teaches the first and second graders in the Gifted and Talented Program (he gets his own classroom and everything)! It is so cute to hear all the little girls say "Hey Mr. Bess!" While he is doing that I get to help out in the kindergarten class. I will also be teaching every Tuesday. For the rest of the after school program Burke is helping out in the "Sports Club" and I am in with the "Learning for Life Club." I was a little disappointed to find out that there was actually no "Dance Club" this term so I guess I will have to make do with the "Learning for Life" :). Anyways it is not something I was expecting to be doing but I guess I can make do with what I have and make the best out of it. The lessons kind of seem like little primary lessons so hopefully it won't be that bad and I will probably end up loving it!

Anyways sorry to ramble off but there is a quick update so you know we are still alive and doing well! We still don't know our plans for the upcoming semester but hopefully we will finalize plans soon.

One of the Last Projects for the Summer

2008-08-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

Before Summer comes to a jolting halt, we thought we would finish up one of our last projects for the summer (Burke still has a few others in mind)...an antique dressing screen. It is hard to see all the detail from a picture but believe me Burke did a great job! Burke thought it might be fun to try and sell it somewhere but I think I'll want to keep it :).

Home-made paint booth

The Finished Project

Cost of the project

Screens: $10

Paint: $8

Hinges: $2.25

TOTAL: $20.25

A Dressing Screen made by my husband...PRICELESS

Change is Good...I Think

2008-08-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have now worked at a bank for three years so I feel pretty comfortable and in my comfort zone. All the jobs I have ever had have been working straight with the public. I have enjoyed it a lot and have made many new friends through my jobs. However, I have been getting ready for a change. Working at a bank has been a great job, but working with people and their finances is a little stressful at times. People don't quite understand that Tellers at the window are simply there to help them deposit, withdraw and answer some simple questions. Everyone probably uses a bank so just a little advice (and some things that I have observed from being a Teller..and I guess a little of venting)...

Try to be ready when you go to the drive-up
Tellers are not supposed to fill out your slips for you
If you don't know the teller, then the teller probably does not know you, so always include your driver's license
Don't spend more money then you have and then blame it on the bank
Tellers and the bank will always be there to help you but they will be more happy to help you if you are nice :).
Trust your bank
There are rules that have to be followed in the banking business so try to be understanding if something can not be done that you are wanting to be done
With all the money I have dealt with I can tell you that money is just money...Don't worry about it so much.
Try not to be demanding or seem helpless
Whether you have little or lots of money you still have problems.

Now that the Summer is coming to an end I have been looking for an internship to finish up my last semester at BYU. Burke's is also coming to the end of his summer job so we were both in the need of new jobs. I do not like change so looking for a new job was not fun for me. We have been applying and putting in resumes everywhere and finally yesterday we both landed on a fantastic job. We applied as a Teacher's Assistant at the same elementary school in the Provo School District thinking that one of us would get the job. When we both got called in for an interview it gave us hope that maybe we would actually both get to work at the same place but didn't think it would be possible because we are married. The interviews went great and only a few hours later we both received a call being offered a position at the same school and working at the same time!! The Elementary School is only about two miles from our house and we are lucky enough to just drive to work together. Our job will consist of tutoring first graders in math and reading and then helping out in the after school clubs. Because of our background,I will probably be involved in the dance club and Burke will be doing the speech and drama club! We are completely excited! Burke has had a job before where he worked with kids and did activities with them so this is a little more out of my comfort zone than it is for him but I think I will be ready for this change.

I don't know if it happens to anyone else, but when I get a new job I get nervous and scared and it makes my current job not seem so bad and I think maybe I could stay and deal with it a little longer. However, I am ready for a change but I will still be lucky enough to work a few Saturdays a month, if i choose, at the bank. There are many people that I will miss there and my co-workers have been great, but this new job will actually apply to what i have been studying the past few years and allow me to grow in areas that I would not be able to at the bank.

There is Always a First Time for Everything

2008-08-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

I knew it would be hard but I never knew it would be this hard. Tonight is the first night that Burke and I will be apart...let me just say that I sure miss him a lot! I had previously agreed to fill in for a girl at work which means I would be working a full day tomorrow, but tomorrow is the day that Jacob and Kassidy would become Mr. and Mrs. Baker! Burke is really good friends with Jacob so he tried really hard to get his work schedule open for tomorrow so he could go to the wedding...but unfortunately I still have to work. We decided that he should still go ahead and go down and I would be catching a ride with another friend after work.

It is nice to know that when Burke is gone I have great friends to be with! Aaron and Jenny Johnson have been great. They invited me over tonight for dinner and to watch the famous So You Think You Can Dance! It was so much fun and the food was scrumptious! Thanks guys for everything! Although I miss Burke a ton, I am glad that we were able to make things work so he could make it to the wedding and spend some quality time with his family and friends. Love you Burke and I'll See you soon!

Park City and Moochie's

2008-08-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Kate and Graham came up for the weekend because Graham had to do some work for the Shutter Place. It was so much fun to have them here...We stayed up way to late for out own good and we were also able to spend a day with them in Park City at the Art Festival. I have been wanting to go up to Park City for awhile now because I have never had a chance to go there and really look around. It was a lot fun to walk around and see all the interesting art...and I mean interesting! After a fulfilling day of looking at art and enjoying the outlet stores (The boys not so much) we went to Salt Lake City to eat at a place called Moochie's. Thomas had told Graham about it and said that we really should go there. The food was pretty good but it was more about the experience :). The place has some pretty interesting things to look at and they are all about meatballs! If you like new and interesting places, this would be a place to try out!

There's No Place Like Home

2008-07-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

We Were able to go home for a little longer than usual this past weekend and we had a blast doing so many things with family and friends. We stayed with my parents to help my mom out a little after her knee replacement surgery. It was so hard to see her limping around and not able to do much but she is a great sport!Thursday we were able to re-do a book shelf that my dad had extra so we went to the shop to to that. Thanks Dad for helping us out!

That night we went to Les Mis out at Tuacahn (Thanks to Alex) with Cleola and Charles and we absolutely loved it! They did a great job and it is definitely worth seeing. On Friday night we went to see Wall-e with my brother Tom and his wife Nichole. It is a great movie but if you are wanting to see it I would wait until it goes to the dollar theater or something :). On Saturday we were able to go out to lunch with some of our friends that still live in St. George and then later on that night we got together with Kate and Graham to do a little art. We started out putting paint inside balloons which we were going to pin onto a white canvas but the balloons kept popping and the paint got everywhere (literally everywhere. On the walls, counter, mouths, and hair! Cleola was great for letting us do it in her kitchen!) so we ended up with less balloons than we wanted. After popping them with blow darts and a BB Gun we went Jackson Pollock style and started throwing the paint with our hands and the paint containers.
It was so much fun and it was an awesome idea that Kate came up with!!! After this weekend there is no other way of putting it other than there is NO place like home!

The Pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked...

2008-07-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

This post is a little late but it is the perfect week to honor the Pioneers! Working with the youth is a blast but definitely a new experience. I can now say that I have more respect and love for my parents and all of my leaders :). Burke and I were called as a Ma and Pa for the trek. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done but also one of the most spiritual. The Faith and motivation that the Pioneers had must have been incredible. They went through so much (Snow, Rain, Chilly Winds, Many Deaths of loved ones, etc.) but yet continued to keep going. We only had a small glimpse of what they went through and yet it was still very difficult.

Some of the things we experienced:
Martin's Cove

This is where the Martin company came to get out of the snowstorm because there was more room and trees to help cover them. Many Pioneers left loved ones behind in Martin's Cove

The Sweet Water
They had some statues near the Sweet Water which represented the four men who helped carry the women and children across the cold icy water. We were able to walk through the water, get carried, or push a hand cart to see what it must have been like.

The Women's Pull

This was probably the most touching part of the trek. The men were all called to become the Mormon Batallion and the women were left to push the carts by themselves. The hill that we pushed the carts up was very sandy and had a lot of rocks. My family only had three girls (including myself) and it was extremely difficult. It is amazing to watch the change in all the boys. They were able to stand on the side and watch us and afterward they told the girls that they didn't need to push the carts anymore (they were very cute). This experience helped me to realize how hard life would be without Burke and in a Modern sense it would be very hard to go through out life today with out him...he is the love of my life!!

There were two other couples in our ward that went with us, Bishop and his wife, Alicia & Aaron and Jenny Johnson. It was so much for to get to know them! They are such fun and loving people!!
The trek was a great experience and I am so grateful that I was able to do it with Burke!!

Fourth of July and My Birthday

2008-07-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July was so much fun. For my birthday I woke up to flowers that Burke got me for my birthday (he also got me a purse, some jewelry and one of my favorite movies, First Daughter). We went to the Provo Parade and then Burke took me to breakfast. It was such a fun and relaxing day. My family was all up here because one nephew (Jacom) was wrestling and then my new niece (Ada Grace) was being Blessed on Sunday. So that night we went over to spend time with them for a BBQ and some fireworks.We missed everyone that we didn't get to see on the Fourth but it was still a fun break from school and work...and Burke made it a GREAT birthday for me

Family Reunion

2008-07-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

I am really behind on my posts. We went to Panquitch a little while ago for a family reunion on Burke's side. it was so much fun to get away for a little bit and spend time with family. It was especially fun for me to get to know a little more about the people I met for the first time at out wedding. They are so fun and I learned a lot about Panguitch and what there is to do there:).

We got to tend Sophie while Cleola and Charles went out (K.C. and Mary's daughter). She is so cute and such a great baby!
In the morning there was the festival of hot air balloons. It was really early in the morning but we decided to go down to it anyways. On the way down Burke said that he was thinking all morning that it would be cool if we got down there and ended up being able to ride in one. We were standing around and a lady asked us if we wanted to help someone set up their balloon. Of course we did and so we sent over to one and actually ended up getting to ride in one!!! Can you believe it? It was so fun to experience that and it was something we have both wanted to do and can now mark it off our list of things we want to do. however, we didn't get to ride in it together but that is okay.
I love going horse back riding and when we were at the ranch Burke's cousin Troy brought all his horses up. He was so nice and let us ride them for awhile. We rode them up in the fields and through little rivers.It was a blast and another thing we have never done together! I have to say that I was extremely sore for the next couple of days.
The project at the ranch for this reunion was to build on a room for a washer and dryer. Burke, Ben and Charles worked really hard all day and got a lot accomplished. Burke also was able to do a couple of appointments for his work so I was able to see exactly what he did for his job. At the end of the day we went to the Glow, which is where all the hot air balloons are lined up on center street and lit up.
The Weekend went really fast but we were so glad that we went to see the family and do things that we have never done before!! Thanks everyone!!

Color Me Mine

2008-07-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my Stats class so we decided to have a fun weekend to relax from the long 6 weeks of a boring class and Burke not having any fun because I was always doing my homework. To do this we went to the water park with my brother-in-law and niece and nephews during the day and then the two of us went to Color Me Mine to do a little art (I would recommend anyone who loves doing art to go to this place). It was such a fun day and we can finally have a more relaxing summer!

Manti Pageant

2008-07-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

We met Burke's parents and Zach in Manti to watch the Pageant. Burke and Zach had never seen it before so they were excited. The night was so much fun and it was so fun to see family.

Finshed Project

2008-06-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

Remember the side table we were re-doing? We were finally able to take it down to my dad's shop to Spray it burn-out black. We took a lot of pictures when we doing it but for some reason I got them all messed up so we just have a picture of it finished. It was a lot of fun and we learned some new things about woodwork. Burke made a great find!! Thanks Dad for helping us finish it!

What I Love

2008-05-20T17:53:00.001-07:00

I love when Burke gets excited about things. I am not sure what kind of tree it is but it has these certain leaves on them that Burke calls "Helicopter leaves. " The wind was slightly blowing when I came home from work... Burke went to go get the mail and ran into get me to show me all the "Helicopter leaves" flying everywhere. It felt like some kind of movie....kind of like the movie "Twister" when all of those metal things flew out of the truck. Anywho, that is just one of God's little toys that Burke has pointed out to me since we have been married.

I love that the weather is warming up in Provo. It has been in the high eighties lately and we have totally taken advantage. Saturday was a blast. We both didn't have work of school work to do so we loaded the whole day of things together! We figured that we should start getting in shape for our trek so we hiked the "Y" ( you don't really live in Provo until you have done it)... and realized that we have some work to do :)!
After hiking we decided that it would be a great day to paint this door that we are turning into a picture frame. It was fun to pick out the color and finally get it finished...i will have to post it again when we get it all finished (with pictures inside). This was Burke's idea and I just love it!!!
Also, I am a little short for our apartment and can never reach the top shelfs. Burke was so thoughtful to pick out this stool for me so I don't have to climb up on our counter tops when he isn't home...it works perfectly.For the end of the night Burke surprised me with movie tickets to the movie "Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian!" It was really really good. I would recommend it to anyone...I even liked it more than the first one!! We had a great day and only wish that we could have more like this with out school and work....Burke's uncle reminded us that days like this are important (never forget to take time to spend together) because "life is the moment that you're in."

Summer Projects

2008-05-05T18:32:00.001-07:00

Now that we are finished with Winter Semester, we have a little more time on our hands. Burke is always thinking of creative things that we could make or do with old furniture...so we have a few projects to work on this summer. The one we are working on right now is a side-table. Burke went to DI one day and found this table for a great price so he bought is. I was a little skeptical because I didn't get to see it until he brought it home, but I loved it and we started on it right away.
We didn't like the current color so we stripped it and sanded it (yup right outside our little apartment...I am sure our neighbors are so sick of us). Now we are ready to paint as soon as we can decide on a color. The current handles are going to be replaced as well. We are having a lot of fun working on this together and it will be fun to see the finished project!!

Ma and Pa

2008-05-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

We recently got called to be a Ma and Pa for the Stake Youth Conference Trek in July. Burke has been on one trek and I have never been so we are really excited to be able to serve and be with the youth. We are going up to Martin's Cove which will make it even more significant since that is where everything really did happen. We definitely need to brush up on our Pioneer history and learn about all the details before we go. I didn't realize what we were really getting ourselves into until we went to our first meeting. We are going right in the middle of rattle snake season (they did not inform us of that when we accepted haha)!!! We are looking forward to this experience and very happy that we get to do it together. It does feel crazy that we are going as leaders because we are only a few years older than some of the youth and one of the youngest couples going. However, I know it is going to be a great experience and I hope that we will be able to teach the youth as much as I am sure we will learn from them!!

We Can Hardly Wait

2008-04-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

School is finally coming to an end. By tomorrow morning we will both be finished with finals and definitely ready for a break. I have to start school again next Tuesday and Burke will be starting a new job...so until then we are heading to St. George on Friday to enjoy time with our families and the warm weather! We can hardly wait!!

"Livin' the Dream"

2008-04-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

When someone asks Burke "How he is doing," He sarcastically responds with, "oh ya know, just livin' the dream!" Well last week we actually did "live the dream!" However, the dream did not actually come until we reached Culebra (the island where we were going to camp). Going to Puerto Rice was quite the experience with a 9 1/2 hour layover in the Atlanta Georgia airport in the middle of the night. We were so excited to finally make it to San Juan to meet the rest of the family. After everyone was together we found out that the high winds was causing the ferry to be down for awhile. We were kind of disappointed to find out the ferry was not running and had to make alternate plans for the night....long story....but we finally all pitched in and decided to take a flight to Culebra from San Juan the next morning. The flight turned out to be a great time and something that won't be forgotten. It was a really tiny plane that only fit the eight of us and the flight was a little rocky but we finally made it. The adventure was not quite over yet. Because it was so early in the morning, the taxis were not running yet....so we started to walk to the beach. It wasn't long before a van stopped and picked up a few of us and all the luggage. Once we got to the camp site, we set up our tents and got right in our swimming suits to enjoy the wonderful view of the Caribbean.We snorkeled a lot while we were there and we got huge sunburns on the back of our legs...Burke even got stung by a jelly fish!We all got together and made a snake (Culebra means snake). It was a blast. Burke also found huge shells. We did not have room to bring them home, but I kind of wish we figured out a way! He is also very creative and made a mat out of palm tree leaves, a necklace for me, and a couple of bracelets.
The trip was a blast and even though we had to come back to school and work it was well worth it and the memories with family will last longer than our grades :).

Sad to say but we are back

2008-04-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

We just got back a few days ago from our trip to Puerto Rico. I have been dying to get some pictures up and post about the fun times we had but coming back to a hectic life of work and school (not to mention finals) has not permitted me to do so. My computer is also slowly crashing so I have to wait until Burke's computer is free....I should be able to get to it Sometime this week! On the bright side, the trip was amazing and something I would definitely do again. Waking up to the sounds of the ocean and the gorgeous view is something everyone should experience sometime in their life. So keep in touch and pictures are soon to come!
For now...to give you an idea of how amazing it was...here is the beach where we camped at for a week!

I Know I'm Loved

2008-03-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

My Husband is by far the cutest!! Not only does he tell me he loves me everyday but he always surprises me with things that lets me know it is true. Here is a little example, after a hard day at work, I came home to a little candle light dinner on our card table (we usually sit at the bar with stools cause there is not really room for a real table) with a homemade meal!! he was so creative with what we had that It made everything that happened during the day worth it!! Today I came home from my night class in Salt Lake to a flower and a Crunch Bar (my favorite candy bar)! He knows how much I love fresh flowers...so he makes an effort to practically always have some sort of flowers in our home. He is the best and I definately know I'm loved!!!