The Gallegos

2011-12-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

Fun with Grandma

Last week we went to Temecula for the day, and my mom found this fun play place for little kids. It had everything Aidyn loves....slides, cars, trampoline, ball pit, etc. It was a lot of fun watching her run around and play with all the different toys. My mom bought like 10 passes, so it will be fun to take her back every so often.

These are a few of the pictures I salvaged over Thanksgiving...I am still so bummed most of my pictures were lost, but at least we had a few cute ones of Aidyn.

This is me, 31 weeks pregnant, and already done being pregnant

Little Miss Photogenic

2011-12-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

The last few months have been crazy busy for us...we spent a week in AZ for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, all of our pictures were lost, so I don't have any to recap that vacation, but we have been taking a lot of pictures of Aidyn lately. Here are a few of my favorites. Sorry there are so many...I think she is the most adorable girl ever, and it is hard to choose.

Aidyn loves being outside...it is kind of hard now that it is getting cold, but we still try to make it outside, even if it is to run up and down the driveway. She loves it.

This is her winter coat...has only been used a few times, but it is so cute so I put it on her every chance I get

Playing in the leaves

I can't wait until we have an enclosed backyard...for now it is just the front yard

my angel

We took Aidyn to a park to take some pictures...she loved running around, as you can see

Aidyn and mom, and baby brother...I think this was at 30 weeks

We played at the mosaic display they have at the park...Aidyn loved all the colors

She is so cute...I can't believe it

She has become quite the little poser for pictures

looking at herself in the glass

Running from the dog

One of my favorites

Disneyland

2011-11-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

My uncle Mike spoke at a conference, and they took all the employees to Disneyland. Luckily they had extra tickets, so we were able to tag along. They bused everyone over from the hotel around 5, and we were there till about 10. The company even rented out a section of Disneyland for their employees only, and there was a buffet dinner and dessert. It was so much fun!

Aidyn fell asleep right as we walked to the entrance...it had been a long day.

Grandma dancing with Aidyn

Aidyn was getting very tired

On the tram

Watching the parade...Aidyn couldn't keep her eyes off it...as you can see

With my Aunt Tami

Still watching the parade

Taking a little nap

Beach in November

2011-11-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

We went to the beach a few weeks ago with my Aunt and Uncle that came into town. It was 85 degrees and perfect! The water was cold, but Aidyn loved it anyway.

At the Park

2011-11-28T12:23:00.000-08:00

I took Aidyn to the park a few weeks ago...she loves it. There were a lot of dogs around, and she loved that too. She would just chase them around. I love this girl!

Halloween

2011-11-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

We were able to go to Bates Nut Farm as a family this year...it didn't quite turn out how I thought...apparently our camera was broken before we got there, so we didn't even get a chance to take any pictures with a good camera...we ended up taking a few with Jeff's phone. Aidyn loved the pumpkins, but wasn't really in the mood to pose for the pictures. She just wanted to run around.

She did enjoy a ride in the wheelburrow

Her new favorite position...I don't know why, but she does this a lot on just about every surface

Happy Halloween

Mommy and Aidyn

Daddy and Aidyn

Trying to pick up a pumpkin

Just walking around

On our way to the ward trunk or treat...Aidyn was the cutest bumblebee there...and there was quite a few

Aidyn with her friend Gavin...we gave her one sucker and she made it last all night. It may have hit the ground a few times, but it did make her very happy.

Fun with Aidyn

2011-10-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Aidyn has grown so much the last few months...and I have really been horrible at taking pictures. It is my new goal to be better with having my camera on me and always taking pictures, we will see how I do. Here are some pictures of Aidyn around the house, playing, etc...she really is so much fun and I couldn't imagine spending my time in any other way than being home with her. Sorry for the major long post, but I figured I would just do a recap of the last few months.

around the house

playing with mom

on our way to the Wild Animal Park...it is so fun that it is only 10 minutes away...we go quite often and she is loving it more and more

petting the goats

chasing the goats

Aidyn and mommy

watching the ducks

Looking at the meercats

watching the ducks in the pond

sleeping so soundly...she needed to wake up though so I kind of sped up the process

She finally got up after me persisting for a few minutes

And then she is her happy self...takes a second for her to wake up...kind of like daddy

We got Aidyn's friend a birthday present and had to try it out...Aidyn was more interested in climbing the thing than playing with it

She loves climbing anything

Also her new favorite thing...climbing in boxes, cupboards, etc and laying down...I find her randomly in the bathroom cupboards or lying down on the tile...it must be a texture thing..

One of my new favorite pictures of her...just playing outside in the yard...when she is the happiest

daddy and Aidyn...Jeff didn't have to work until night, so we were able to go as a family....way more fun having him there than me just going on my own

Aidyn's favorite part of the whole park...the petting zoo. She just chases the goats around all over and is lucky if one slows down enough for her to pet it.

Aidyn finally is old enough to enjoy the splash park they have there...she loved running around and getting wet with the other kids.

Daddy and mommy

mommy and Aidyn

Jeff's favorite part of the park...the lion

Finally a pregnancy picture....this is at 25 weeks with baby boy (no name yet)

I love this girl so much...she loves being outside and running around

she especially loves going on bridges...I don't know why

5 Generations

2011-10-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Back in July I had the chance to go to Utah for a few days while my family was there...we were able to go see my great-grandma and take a 5 generation picture...how neat to see her posterity and think of how much one person can make a difference. Here are all 5 girls....

Summer 2011

2011-08-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

We have had so much fun these past few months. Aidyn is getting so big and she is so much fun. In June my parents took the family to Hawaii for a week. It was so nice to see everyone and enjoy being together. Other than that...we have just been hanging out. Here are some pictures from this past summer.

Aunt Rylee and Aidyn...we are so sad Rylee just left to go to college in AZ...we won't see her for awhile, and Aidyn is really going to miss her.

We took some family pictures while in Hawaii

Jeff showing off Aidyn's favorite trick...I think we may have a cheerleader in the making

Aidyn loves to be thrown in the air...I wish I could have zoomed in on her face

At the top of Munoa Falls...a beautiful hike

Aidyn enjoying the ride

Out to dinner for my dad's 50th birthday celebration....he chose the Hawaiian favorite...Chilis :)

At the Dole Plantation

Outside the Temple...we were able to go in and do a session of sealings

Our family of 3...soon to be a family of 4 :)

Snorkeling in a lagoon

During the Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center

Jeff and I

Our Family

Aidyn and I at Waikiki

We tried to keep her out of the sand...it didn't really work

All the girls excited to finally be in Hawaii

Aidyn hanging with Grandma on the plane

Nap time for Aidyn

At the Wild Animal Park with some friends

Aidyn hanging out with her friend Dillon

Grandma was able to go with us to the Wild Animal Park

Grandma and Aidyn

Mommy and Aidyn

At the pool with daddy...Aidyn doesn't quite like the water as much as dad

Having a bbq with some friends

Hanging at the beach for Jeff's company party

One of Jeff's boss' absolutely loves Aidyn...he wouldn't give her back to me

Playing with some drawers...so happy!

Dad playing with Aidyn

2011-05-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Jeff spends so much time with Aidyn, now that she can interact and respond. This is one of the newest favorites...It always warms my heart to see them playing together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUM-dhOmOUo

Aidyn at 7 months

2011-05-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Aidyn is still working on her crawling...she is a little faster, but still prefers to scoot. She especially loves dogs, and that is always a way we can get her to move around

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_HnhvXSBTs

Jessica's Wedding

2011-05-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

In March we had Jeff's sister Jessica's wedding. We didn't get a lot of pictures because Jeff was recording a lot...but there are some. We are really glad Bobby is in the family now...he is a really cool guy and both he and Jessica are so happy!

Aidyn ready to go to the wedding

Aunt Jen and Aunt Monica at the reception

Cousin Beckham with Aidyn...they were so cute together

Cousin Cash

Aunt Jen and Dad

Aunt Jen with Beckham...we were so glad we got to spend time with them while they were here

Bobby waiting for Jessica to walk down the isle...the wedding site was beautiful. Oddly enough I don't have any pictures of the bride...it was all on video...sorry Jess!

Here is a video of us feeding Aidyn some of the cake...she definitely has her dad's sweet tooth!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgw3Q9YD5QI

Hiking with Grandma

2011-05-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

You can barely tell...but Aidyn is in there somewhere

Mom and Aidyn

Grandma and Aidyn

The weather was finally warm enough so we got to go hiking with Grandma. There is a really cool lake right by our house in Escondido, so we took a couple of hours and enjoyed the sunlight. Aidyn rode in her backpack, and was surprisingly great. She slept the entire time. We tried to keep her covered so she didn't get a sunburn...it was pretty hot. There were even some girls on the trail in bikinis...not a bad idea to get a tan and workout at the same time. Hopefully we will be able to go on more hikes this summer.

Aidyn is scooting

2011-03-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

Aidyn has started scooting...she even sometimes gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth, but she is mobile. This video is of her when she was a week shy of 6 months...since then she has gotten even better at it, but still is not crawling.

Here is the link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrEz5AA80a4

Disneyland

2011-03-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

We had a contest to see who could make the coolest face...I think Caleb won

The married couples

Jeff and I

Aidyn and Mommy...she has the cutest smile ever!

The Snell sisters on the teacups... we were missing Mckenna

Cutest baby in the world

Aidyn loved the Buzz Lightyear ride...she just stared at all the lights

Lindsey and Caleb came in town mid-January, so my dad took us all to Disneyland. It was a lot of fun going on the rides together, and although having Aidyn there was a little bit of an inconvenience, it was still really fun. I look forward to taking her when she is a little bit older and can appreciate it.

Aidyn's first time laughing

2011-03-07T17:06:00.001-08:00

I was lucky enough to have the camera around when Aidyn starting laughing...she had never done it before, so it was so funny to see her laughing so much.

Here is the link....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ielZSIzCjk

If your wondering why she is wearing a snow suit...it is because we just came from a soccer game, and it was really cold.

Aidyn 4 Months Old

2011-03-07T17:02:00.001-08:00

We gave Aidyn rice cereal for the first time when she was 4 months old....she was kind of weirded out by it...the video is really long...I didn't realize Jeff was taping the whole thing. Here is the link...it was too big of a file to upload directly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVFLQfalLvY

Mckenna's 20th Birthday

2011-01-05T15:55:00.001-08:00

Rylee, Dad and Mom

Mom and the Birthday Girl

Looking at the menu

Mckenna with Aidyn

Jeff and I

We were lucky to be in town and have Mckenna here for her 20th birthday. We went to a new restaurant in Temecula, Yardhouse Grill...the food was really good and we enjoyed spending time with the fam.

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

Our First Christmas

My favorite gift....Jeff got me two bands for my ring...I absolutely love it!!!

Jeff's protein powder...he wants to bulk up for Hawaii

We got a lot of Blu Rays from Walmart-$5 on Black Friday

Our new favorite game...Monopoly Deal

My Family Home Evening Board...now we just need to have a lot of kids to fill it up

My Uggs from Jeff's parents....they are so cute and comfy

Aidyn's cute outfit from G&G Gallego

Another cute outfit from G&G Gallego

Fun mobile from G&G Gallego...Aidyn just loves to stare at it

Aidyn's gift from Mom and Dad...she loves her bumbo!

Christmas morning...right after we woke up

Our Tree

For Christmas this year we stayed the night at our house, and then after we opened our presents we went to Temecula to open presents with my family. We got Aidyn a bumbo for Christmas, and she got a few other gifts from Jeff's parents. I got Jeff the new Call of Duty game Black Ops, some protein powder (Jeff wants to bulk up for Hawaii), and a card game that we played with some friends and liked. Jeff also got a smoker from his parents. Jeff's parents gave me some new Uggs, and Jeff gave me two bands for my wedding ring...I had been wanting bands for awhile, so I was so grateful he remembered that. He also got me a shelf and a FHE board from Deseret. It was a great Christmas.

Christmas Eve with the Gallegos

2011-01-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

Jeff's brother Jerry, his wife Kim and their son Cash

Aidyn's gift from Auntie Monica

All the neices and nephews

Our family

Jeff and Aidyn

Jerry's son Cash...he is now 10 months

Aidyn loves this position

Jeff's half-sister Monica and her husband Mike

Mom and Aidyn

Auntie Amy and Aidyn

Jeff's family had a party on Christmas Eve at Olivia's house (Olivia is Jeff's dad's ex-wife). The whole family got together and exchanged gifts and had awesome mexican food...I sure love that I married into a family that can make homemade tomales, beans and rice....so good. Aidyn enjoyed the gifts she got from everyone, and we enjoyed seeing all the family.

Nativity Festival

2011-01-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

My grandma and I

Jeff and I waiting for Corrie to sing

They set up nativity sets all around the cultural hall

Jeff kind of looked like a creepy terrorist

While Aidyn was still happy

Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus

So I go to institute every Thursday with my mom in Temecula. While I was there one week a woman in the stake came up to me and asked if Jeff and I would be willing to play Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus for the Nativity Festival this year. I told her we would, and after convincing Jeff how much fun it would be, we decided to do it. We got there early to get dressed, and everything was going great...Aidyn was happy (I made sure to feed her right before) and it was a lot of fun. Then Aidyn went crazy!!! She wouldn't stop screaming and we tried to do everything we could think of to make her calm down, but she wouldn't. The lady came up to me in between groups and told me to take Aidyn out and they would have to find a replaement until she could calm down. I took her out and she really didn't calm down, so we never ended going back in. Poor Jeff. He was left all alone as Joseph in the Manger for about a half hour. They ended up replacing me, Mary with some other older woman in the stake, and they replaced Aidyn, baby Jesus with a doll. So there stood Jeff, with an older woman who was supposed to be his wife, and a fake plastic baby as his child...needless to say I apologized for that one and I doubt he will agree to do it again.

Washington for Thanksgiving

2011-01-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Jeff made quite the collection while we were out there...

On the way to Thanksgiving Dinner

The real reason we went to Washington...so Jeff could hunt with his AR

Hanging out in the house

Luckily we had a snow suit for Aidyn...it was COLD!

We couldn't believe how big Beckham was!

So we decided to go to Washington this year for Thanksgiving. We wanted to visit Jen and Wes and the kids because it had been a while since we had seen them, and they weren't able to come for Aidyn's blessing. It snowed the day we got there, and continued to snow for the entire week...so the weather wasn't ideal, but we did have fun. They live in the middle of nowhere in Mesa, Washington, and Jeff's parents and other sister Jessica came as well. We got to have Thanksgiving dinner with Wes' family, and we had a lot of fun hanging out.

Aidyn's First Halloween

2011-01-04T11:24:00.000-08:00

Daddy and Aidyn as a Polar Bear

Mommy and Aidyn

So for Halloween we really didn't do anything because Jeff's family was in town...but the week before Halloween my friend Jessica hosted a Halloween party, so we did get to dress up. I got the pirate costumes from the .99 store, and Aidyn's was from a friend of work who gave us a lot of girls' clothes. The party was a lot of fun, and Aidyn looked so cute.

Aidyn's Blessing Day

2011-01-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

We blessed Aidyn on October 31, 2010...yes, Halloween. Jeff gave a beautiful blessing and we enjoyed having family in town. Jeff's parents came from Nebraska, Jeff's grandparents from Utah, My grandparents from Utah, and my other Grandpa came a few days earlier. A woman in my mom's ward made Aidyn's blessing dress. She used the material from my baptism dress. It was so cute and I love that it is meaningful to me. I hope that she will be able to use it for her daughter as well.

Life as a stay at home mom

2011-01-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love being a mom...everyone tried to describe to me how I would love her so much, but nothing even comes close to the connection I feel with Aidyn. I have loved staying at home with her, and I am so grateful for a husband that insists that I do stay home. He works so hard to make enough money so that I can be the one that raises our daughter...so I am the one that gets to see her smile for the first time, and rollover, and sit, and walk. I would be so depressed if I had to leave Aidyn during the day while someone else takes care of her.

The first couple of days at home with Aidyn were a breeze....my mom and sister were here, and Jeff was off work, so I had all the help I needed. I recovered very quickly...only had minor tearing so very few stiches. The nursing was probably the most painful thing out of the whole process. After about 2 weeks the pain went away...however at about 4 weeks I got an infection, and that lasted another 2 weeks, and that was extremely painful. Once I made it past that...everything was great. A lot of moms say they feel extremely sleep deprived...I never felt that. There are some days when I am tired, but I never really felt like I couldn't function. I guess those years of little sleep did me good. She was eating every 2 hours for the first month, then every 3...she eates very efficiently...done in about 15 minutes, so I have nothing to complain about...I hear some babies eat for 45 minutes. She loves getting a bath or shower, and she is a power napper...like her mom. She never naps for more than an hour, usually only 45 minutes, but she seems to get enough sleep to function. She is still waking up 2 times a night to eat. She has started smiling more and I love that she can recognize me...my face, my voice. I love being a mom...I couldn't ask for anything more. These 2 months have truly been amazing!

Aidyn LaRae Gallego

2011-01-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

Getting hooked up to the IV

Post Epidural

Right after they laid her in my arms

First family picture

Daddy and Daughter

Aunt Corrie and Aunt Rylee

Grandma and Grandpa Snell

Aidyn LaRae Gallego was born on September 2, 2010 at 7:54 PM. She weighed 7lbs 10oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. I started having contractions the night before at about 10 PM. They were enough to wake me up, but didn't hurt too terribly. They were spaced probably 10 minutes apart. At around 4AM I got in the bathtub to help with the pain, and they started wearing off. I had a dr. appt. at 9AM and by that time they were almost gone completely. I told the dr. and he said it was common to start having contractions and then have them stop for up to a week...so I was very disappointed. I was dialated to a 3 and he told me to keep timing contractions, and if they get more frequent to call him. I went home and was bored out of my mind. I called my mom to see what she was doing, and she had an institute lesson to go to in Temecula, so I thought I would just go hang out with her for the day to keep my mind of things. After being in the car for about 10 minutes I started getting contractions again. They were exactly 5 minutes apart all the way to Temecula. I decided they didn't hurt too bad to where I couldn't function so we went to the institute class. This was a huge mistake....They started coming every 4 minutes apart and they were getting more and more painful...and being in a room with 80 women didn't help...I couldn't adjust my position..I just had to sit on a cold hard plastic chair...not ideal for dealing with the pain. The class ended at 11:30 AM and my mom and I went back to her house. I decided the contractions were painful enough and close together enough that I should call my dr. He wasn't available but the nurse told me he would call back. I decided I didn't want to wait around for him to call, so I told my mom I wanted to go back to my house, just incase I needed to get the hospital fast. My mom was convinced that it would be awhile before I could go to the hospital, so she wanted to take her own car. Mistake #2...never drive alone (especially a stick) when you are in labor and contractions are now every 3 minutes. It was the longest drive ever....every time each contraction came I just about cried from the pain. Once I got home I could handle the pain a little better because I was able to shift positions...I ended up on the floor in the fetal position...this seemed to be most comfortable. I got the call back from my dr. and he said to go to the hospital. Once I got there they checked me and I was dilated to a 6 and fully effaced. The checked me into my room and hooked me up to my IV. I was planning on waiting a little bit for the epidural to see how long I could last, but they told me the dr. would be in surgery for the next 3 hours, so I could either get it now or in 3 hours. I decided to get it then...I was dialated to a 7. The epidural was awesome...couldn't feel a thing. We waited for another hour or so...I was at an 8 and the dr. broke my water. Things slowed a little after that, but in about 2 hours I was fully dialated and ready to push. My mom told my dad it would probably be within the next half hour, and I remember the nurse laughing at my mom and telling her that on average, it takes a first time mom about 2 hours to push out the baby...my mom assured her that I would be faster than that. I did one push with the nurses, and they proceeded to tell me to stop pushing because she was coming out. We waited another 10 minutes for the dr. to come...he got ready and I pushed through 4 contractions, about 12 times and approximately 11 minutes, and Aidyn was here! It was such a surreal experience. I couldn't believe she was mine. My dad, Rylee and Corrie were in a few minutes later. They cleaned her up and then it was all over...I couldn't believe how fast everything went. I had checked into the hospital around 3...and I had her at about 8. We stayed at the hospital for a day and a half....and then were able to go home. Having Aidyn has been the best experience of my life. I love her so much and can't wait for all the fun we are going to have together.

Pregnancy...

2010-06-16T12:22:00.001-07:00

So I haven't posted anything in awhile, and I now have posted like 5 things, so I apologize about not keeping up with my blog...I need to be better. I figure I should say a little something about my current condition (with the pregnancy that is). It is going much better. I have pretty much stopped the throwing up all the time and feeling sick. I still feel a little light-headed and I randomly throw up once, but it is so much better. My biggest problem currently is accepting the weight gain. I know that I need to gain weight for my baby, but I have been gaining a little too much weight for my liking, and my doctors' too. He had me in tears at my last appointment because I had gained too much in the last month, and in his opinion, I am eating too much take-out, ice cream, fried food, and not working out at all. I tried to explain to him that I am not eating that unhealthy (sure I have ice cream every once in awhile), and I have been trying to be more active, but he says if I were doing those things, the scale would suggest otherwise. Kind of frustrating for me having my doctor tell me I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing, even though I am. Anyway, this last month I have made even more of an attempt to eat only healthy things, and to get even more exercise. I have my appointment in a week, so we will see if it made any bit of difference. Needless to say, I have not been that impressed with my doctor, and I most likely will not be going to him for any of the future pregancies I have.

I am now 27 weeks, and can finally feel the light at the end of the tunnel. Next week will begin my 3rd and final trimester, so that is very reassuring. I want to have her so bad I can barely stand it. She is moving around all the time, and Jeff just loves holding my stomach to feel her kicks. I recently had my glucose screening test, and that came back normal, but I did find out that my iron is extremely low, so I have to take two extra iron supplements a day. I am getting more and more excited every day, and I can't wait for this pregnancy to be over so I can hold my little girl in my arms. I don't have pictures specifically of my belly, but there are plenty of me below that you can see maybe why my doctor is a little concerned.

Suprise Wedding!

2010-06-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

My cousin Tara was engaged to be married on the 12th, but had to postpone due to finding out she had a brain tumor. She found out the weekend of my sister's wedding, and they decided that they would wait until after surgery to make any more decisions. Well, she had surgery and that went well, but later they found out the tumor was pretty much the worst it could be, and there is a huge chance the tumor would come back. Unfortunately, she needs to start chemo as soon as possible, and it will last at least a year. After finding out this horrible news, Tara decided that she wanted to enjoy whatever time she had left, and that included marrying the man of her dreams. They made the decision on Monday to be married, sent out invitations (we got ours on Thursday) and the wedding was on Saturday. It was such a neat experience and I am so glad I had the opportunity to go. Their entire ward pulled together and planned the whole thing. There were groups of people at the house all day Saturday setting up the backyard for the reception, all the meals were provided, and all the clean up handled. It was so touching to see the love that Tara and Josh have for each other, and the cealing ceremony was so wonderful. I am so glad they have the opportunity to be sealed forever, and that they will be able to go through the next trying year together...

Her cute hubby Josh...finally Jeff has someone in the family that will be on his same eye-level. He is such a neat guy, and loves Tara so much...I look forward to get to know him in the future

Coming out of the temple...so happy. They looked absolutely perfect!

They definintely love kissing...but who doesn't???

Together forever...Congratulations Josh and Tara

Such a beautiful couple

Corrie's Graduation

2010-06-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had the opportunity to go to Corrie's 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony. She was so excited and she kept saying all day long, "I graduated!" She was able to sing in the choir, and she did an awesome job. We love Corrie and are so excited that she will be in high school in the fall. Go Pumas!

Waiting in line to shake the Principal's hand

My mom tried to get her to "pose" near the tree...kind of hard to get Corrie to look natural

Mom and Corrie

Me and Corrie (I can't believe how puffy my face is)

Corrie singing with her show choir group

She has always loved singing...

Me and the Graduate...Yay Corrie!!!

Mom and Corrie

I told Corrie that when she shakes the Principal's hand, she needs to turn and look at me and smile so I could get a picture...she did exactly what I told her, even if it did hold up the line a little.

Happy Birthday Corrie!

2010-06-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

So on the 6th of June, Corrie turned 14! I can't believe she is going to be in high school this fall. She is growing up so fast, and is still the cutest, most innocent girl in the world. We had the opportunity to go out to dinner with my family. Corrie chose Macaroni Grill, and although the food wasn't my particular favorite, we did have a good time. Happy Birthday Corrie!

Jeff and I

Rylee and my mom

Kate...a daughter of a woman in my parents ward. My mom watched her while her parents were away on a getaway weekend. My mom is practicing for when I drop Aidyn off at her house to play with Grandma.

Corrie showing that she is now 14

Corrie and Rylee

Mr. and Mrs. Miskin!

2010-06-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

So I realize my sister got married over a month ago, but I am just now getting around to posting pictures. The weekend was so much fun. We got to spend a lot of time with family, and the temple ceremony, the luncheon and the reception were awesome. We got to see a lot of friends we haven't seen in awhile. My sister looked amazing, and I am so glad that someone else is married in the family. Welcome to the family Caleb!!! I have only like 10 pictures from the entire weekend, so I am a little bummed about that...turns out you don't have a lot of time to do anything when you are in the wedding party. I can't believe I don't have any pictures of the bride and groom...I guess we will have to wait until the photographer sends us the pictures.

Jeff and I outside the temple...pregnancy as overcome my whole body unfortunately, and I am swollen everywhere!!!

Rylee, myself and Mckenna

My cousin Kyla, sister Rylee, and cousin Tara with her fiance Josh

Sadly, this was the San Diego Temple the day they got married...looked more like Mordor from Lord of the Rings

Name

2010-04-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

No, I don't have any pictures yet, but I am really excited because we have a name for our baby...and when I say "we," I mean "I." Jeff is not convinced, but he will learn to love it. Our daughter will be named.....

Aidyn LaRae Gallego

I am really excited that I can actually start calling her by name now, and I grow to love the name more and more. Let me know what you think...

Pregnancy

2010-04-07T10:20:00.001-07:00

So I have been a huge slacker with my blog...we have so much going on in our lives, and yet I can't find the energy to keep this thing updated. We found out a couple weeks ago that we are having a girl. Talk about shock. I had always imagined myself the mother of a lot of boys, but I guess the Lord has other plans for us. Our families are excited...mine a little disappointed that we wouldn't be adding some testosterone to the overload of estrogen. My dad says he will have to settle for an athletic tomboy...thanks dad. I figure, I got married first and had the first grandchild. I will give Lindsey the opportunity to have the first boy in the Snell family.

My experience with pregnancy has been nothing but horrible. I can honestly say the only good experiences I have had is when we get to hear the heartbeat, and see our child at the doctors. I don't wish to complain, I just think I should document my feelings. My first trimester was the worst. I was very sick, throwing up a lot, very tired all the time, and feeling bloated and fat. My doctor refused to give me medicine to help with the sickness because I was gaining weight. I had absolutely no energy to work out, or even do anything after work. I couldn't sleep at night, and I was feeling very worn out. My only hope was that it would all subside after the first trimester, and I would feel fabulous, like the books say. Books lie. As I hit week 13, 14, 15, and even 16... I was still feeling sick, throwing up every other day, very tired, lots of headaches, and massive heartburn. I am now at 17 weeks, and feel the same. I am having an even harder time sleeping at night...I read it is from the cramping going on in my stomach due to my expansion. The expansion is coming...I can feel it. My stomach grows progressively throughout the course of the day, but it is definitely growing. My pants are extremely tight, and all my shirts feel weird.

I am looking forward to our next visit...the amniotic screening, when we will get to spend an hour looking at our daughter's organs, and make sure everything is ok. I have been feeling some flutters in my stomach...like popcorn, every once in awhile, and it makes me happy. I hope I can feel her kick sometime soon...I have some huge expectations when it comes to our daughters' future as a soccer player.

Jeff is enjoying my expansion. He loves when my belly looks big, and he can rub his hands on it. Before he leaves for work in the morning, he always kisses me goodbye, and then works his way to my stomach to give our daughter a kiss goodbye as well...so cute. I know he will be a good dad.

Sorry about the long post with no pictures, but I thought I should write something, and I have yet to take a pregnancy picture. I will try and get one up in the next week or so...I think I would regret not documenting my progressive transformation into a whale.

Baby!!!

2010-02-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

I know most everyone knows by now...so I thought I would post it finally. We are having a baby!!! Jeff and I had a doctor's appt. this morning and our little "alien" is doing very well. He/she is moving around a ton, even though I can't feel anything yet, and has all the appropriate limbs and parts. I am about 11 weeks, and have been extremely sick, throwing up all day long for the last couple months...not fun. Hopefully that goes away soon. We can't wait to find out if we are having a boy or a girl next month. The picture scanned a little big...so to zoom you can just double click on it...

Happy New Year!!!

2009-12-31T13:55:00.000-08:00

So with the new year coming, I have decided to write down my new year's resolutions. I know that if I write them down where I can see them often, I am more likely to follow through. So here goes:

Be better at having spousal prayer daily
Be better at saying my personal prayers daily
Daily Scripture study
Make Sunday a more meaningful/sacred day
Write in my journal at least once a week (this ones for you Mom!!!)
P90X Workouts (I have already started this and let me tell you...it is a killer!)
Read a book instead of watching tv
Eat a healthy, balanced diet
Read a book with Jeff just for fun (I am determined to change Jeff's perception about reading!)
Be better at staying in contact with my family
Work on my domestic skills (baking/cooking/sewing/decorating)
Help Jeff plan his primary lessons each week so he is more prepared, and his knowledge of the Scriptures grow

Wish me luck!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T10:03:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas morning with my parents in Temecula. We opened presents and then had amazing stuffed french toast. We also had a great suprise when Caleb, Lindsey's boyfriend, proposed to her while on a bike ride in Meadowview. Yay!!! Lindsey is getting married sometime in May, and I cannot wait to help her plan the wedding. Christmas afternoon we did a service project with a couple of different families, and then headed over to the church where we played dodgeball and then volleyball for a couple of hours. Christmas was a lot of fun and I am bummed it is over.

After announcing their engagement

Lindsey showing off her diamond ring to her friends.

Admiring the ring

Lanae looking at the ring

Gorgeous diamond band...the new thing

Organizing the gifts

Mckenna and Rylee

Mckenna and Bella

Our family on Christmas morning

Me and Bella

Lindsey and her new mountain bike

All the kids...we line up on the stairs every year in order of age

All the kids again

Family Time

2009-12-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

My favorite part about the holidays now that I don't live at home, is having everyone come home for Christmas. We have been able to spend a lot of time with the entire family, and it has been so much fun.

Friends of the family...Gavin and Natalie. Jeff invited them over to our house for the BYU game

Lindsey and Kaleb

Corrie enjoying the game, and the food...as always

My cute parents

My dad...kind of a weird smile, but I took this as he was lying down so maybe that is why.

My mom...I hope to be like her someday

Mckenna and corrie

The two lovebirds watching the game...very focused.

The whole gang...

This is about the best picture we can get while everyone was watching the football game

Jeff and I at my friend Heidi's wedding reception

Lindsey and Kaleb at the reception

My dad

Mckenna and Mom

Corrie's Singing Group

2009-12-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

So every year Corrie joins a singing group for Christmas. Their group sings at the Crech Festival, in a number of different programs, and their last performance is at the Mall in Temecula. This year Jeff and I were able to go, and it was so fun to see Corrie singing with her group.

The whole singing group

Corrie got to dress up as a shepherd while she sang...she looks so cute!

I didn't know shepherds had transition lenses on their glasses :) (lenses that get darker in the sun, like sunglasses)

All the kids had props and dance moves as well

Jeff and Kaleb...Lindsey has been dating Kaleb for about 5 m onths now, and has brought him home for Thanksgiving and now Christmas. It has been so fun getting to know him...he and Jeff get along really well, and my dad is very happy to have another guy around.

Corrie using her star to block the sun from her eyes...

She knew the dance moves so well, and looks so concentrated

Corrie looking a little bored

Say ch eese...we are still working with Corrie on smiling pretty...she doesn't seem to understand it

The cutest girl in the whole group :)

Puppy!!!

2009-12-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

So I finally backed down and let Jeff get a puppy. He has been wanting one forever, and all of our friends have dogs. Every time he goes over to one of their houses, he is in heaven. He plays with them constantly, and I have never seen him so happy. I decided that getting Jeff a puppy for Christmas would be the ultimate gift, and nothing would make him happier. We rescued our puppy from a shelter. She is a mix of breeds, we are not exactly sure. She is about 4 months old, and she couldn't be sweeter. She snuggles up with you, and is so loving. She never barks or is loud, she sleeps all night long, and plays with Jeff when he is home. We are still working on potty training her, and hopefully she masters that soon.

Our family
Bella and I at the mall in Temecula

Jeff and Bella...if the tv is on, she will just sit there and watch it.

She has the sweetest look...if she wants you to play with her, she just looks up at you like this...how could we say no???

The newest addition to the Gallego household...Bella (no, we did not name her after Twilight, we just both liked the name, and thought it fit).

Our Living Room

2009-12-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

So Jeff has worked really hard this last month doing side jobs after the 40 hours he puts in with his actual company. I told him he could use his side job money to get something he wanted...he chose to update our living room with a new theatre system, and furniture. He and his friend Ren put in the surround sound speakers, built a new equipment rack, and got the top of the line tv. The quality is very different, and it feels like I am in a movie theatre whenever we watch a movie. He also got a blu ray player, and has started his blue ray collection.

Our new kitchen table...it is a lot smaller than our other one, which is what we wanted because there really wasn't enough room for it

Jeff's new equipment rack...along with his new computer that his friend Ren built

The rack has a fan built in to cool down the equpment, and Jeff painted and sealed it

Our new tv...the Samsung 55" flat screen...and when I say flat screen, I mean it. The tv is about an inch thick, if that. It is pretty amazing.

Our new couch...much nicer than the previous one, and very comfy...gotta love craigslist

Jeff put surround sound speakers in the ceiling. These are the two on the back wall.

And these are the three in t he front, above the tv.

This is the tv from a front view

A picture of the tv at an angle...you can really see how thin it is.

The tv really opened up our living room. Before we had a tv stand, and a bigger tv...this tv is perfect!

This tv is Jeff's pride and joy...he is always looking for ways to invite people over to watch a movie...he worked so hard for it.

Thanksgiving...a little late

2009-12-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

So I have been a huge slacker, and haven't posted any pictures in the last month. I figure I should post Thanksgiving pictures before Christmas comes in 2 days. Better late than never...right??? Anyway, this Thanksgiving we went to Panguitch, Utah, and spent a couple of days with Jeff's family. Jeff's grandparents own property there, and their whole family gets together a couple times a year. We really enjoyed relaxing, playing games, and getting to know Jeff's extended family better. Jeff really loved shooting his new gun that he got from his parents, and riding the four wheelers. I swear he was outside more than half the time we were there, and it was, on average, about 20 degrees.

Some of the family eating dinner...there's Kimmy about 7 months pregnant :)

Jeff's cousin (or uncle, I can't remember which one) and his girlfriend Jessica

Some more of Jeff's family...there were so many people there it was hard to get to know everyone

Taylor, Tate, and Chase. It was so nice to see them...we never get to now that they moved to Washington

Jeff and Jen's newest addition, Beckham

Me and Beckham...he is the happiest baby I have ever seen. He never stopped smiling

Jeff and I in the car ride to Utah. We rode with Jerry and Kim.

Jerr drove the entire time

In the car

The beautiful Utah mountains...why can't we get any of those in Cali?

I love a good deal!!!

2009-11-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

So I was at work today when my sister-in-law Jen called me. She had just returned from a grocery shopping trip at Albertsons, and wanted to share her shopping secrets with me. She told me what to buy, which coupons to print and use, and how exactly to check out and pay (I had to divide my groceries strategically into 3 different purchases...clever). I could not wait to get home and spread it all over my kitchen table and take a picture to put on my blog. I am not trying to brag, because all the credit goes to Jen, but I just get really excited when I can save money!!! I ended up buying 7 boxes of Progressive beef or chicken broth, 1 packet of Lipton soup mix, 2 packages of flour, 2 Wishbone salad dressings, 2 boxes of Cheerios, 2 boxes of Coco Puffs, 8 boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (Jeff's favorite), 2 boxes of Trix, 2 rolls of paper towels, 4 Betty Crocker boxes of mashed potatoes, 6 packages of Knorr Rice dinners, 3 cans of Betty Crocker frosting, 4 packages of Betty Crocker cookie mix, 3 boxes of Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Reeses Brownies (my favorite), 7 cans of corn, and 4 packages of Yoplait yogurt. Are you ready for the total??? With coupons and the $15 off your next visit I got in each of the 3 transactions for buying certain products, I ended up paying $44.08, plus I got another $15 off my next purchase. I ended up saving $113.63. A great deal, and I was able to buy name brand stuff, not the cheap brands...Let's just say Jeff and I are really excited to eat "rich people" food this next week! Thanks Jen!!!

Happy Birthday Jeff!!!

2009-11-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

Jeff's birthday was last week and my parents took us to go see The Lion King musical. It was playing in San Diego at the Civic Center. We went to dinner beforehand at California Pizza Kitchen where Jeff opened some of his presents. My parents gave him two new white church shirts, which he very much needed. The play was amazing. Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

The birthday boy! Happy Birthday Babe!!!

On the car ride to the play...we were so excited.

At dinner

Corrie and I

My mom and dad...we finally got my dad to make a real smile :)

The two men I love most in my life...

Corrie loves her big brother Jeff

Rylee chose the play over a friend's Halloween party...hope you had fun Ry!!!

Corrie absolutely loved the play...all the animals, and she could even sing along

My mom and dad...23 years married in February

The whole crew...

Jeff and I before going in to see the play

My mom, Corrie and I

The only two men in the family...very handsome if I do so say so myself

There was a beautiful chandelier inside the theatre

Washington

2009-10-22T18:42:00.001-07:00

Jeff and I made a quick trip to Washington a couple weekends ago to see his sister Jen. The Nielsons just moved out there and are staying with one of Weston's sisters. It was so much fun to see the kids, including their new baby Beckham. Jeff enjoyed showing me what he did on the farm as a teenager. He used to work on the farm every summer when Wes and Jen used to live there. It is definitely a different lifestyle out there...45 minutes from town...500 lb pigs in your front yard...and fly traps hanging from the ceiling in your house with about a hundred dead flies on them. We had a lot of fun and hope to go back sometime soon.

Jeff's expression once he realized he forgot to bring his drivers license to the airport...security had to call Washington D.C. and do a background check to make sure Jeff was actually Jeff, and we barely got through security in time to board our flight...talk about cutting it close.

Jeff and I waiting for our flight in our layover in Vegas.

This is the 500 lb pig that was pregnant when we were there...she actually gave birth to 11 piglets a couple days after we left.

They were huge...the people in town enter the pigs in contests and they get prizes for them...kind of like Charlotte's Web.

Just hanging out because it takes too much energy to walk around...what a life

Jeff feeding baby Beckham and watching Taylor play on the I-Phone before going to school.

Chase all ready for school

Tate all ready for school

Jeff and I while he and Jen are giving me the tour of the big farm...

The Nielson family owns thousands of acres out there in Washington...it was amazing to see exactly how big it was.

This is basically what all Washington looks like...kind of different than San Diego County

You could literally see for miles and miles....

It is soooooo flat

Taylor's soccer game was cancelled while we were there, but we did get to see the boys play. This is Taylor kicking the ball around at Tate and Chase's game. I am so proud that they are playing soccer...Jeff used to bring all the kids to watch my soccer game in high school, so I guess they decided to follow in my footsteps :)

Tate was a natural...

Chase loved using his hands...even when he wasn't goalie.

All the kids had the chance to rotate in as goalie, and Tate did really well at stopping the balls

Chase kind of got a little bored during the game...he would kind of just hang out until the ball got close. Soccer probably won't be his best sport...

Taylor hanging out...

Tate warming up before the game...

What a handsome kid...look out Jen and Wes, this kid will be a heart breaker.

Baby Gavin!!!

2009-10-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

I am a huge slacker and haven't posted anything in awhile...including the fact my good friend Jessica had her baby. Baby Gavin is finally here!!! We was born at 4:35 in the morning on the 29th of September, weighing 7 lbs and 12 oz. He is so adorable, and gets cuter every day. He is now a little over 3 weeks old. Jessica is doing fine, and loving being a mom. Jeff and I were able to be there a couple hours after he was born.

The proud new daddy :)

He is so cute!!!

Rocking him to sleep

The new mommy...very tired but so happy

Gavin sleeping

Jeff holding Gavin at the Hospital

Today's Accomplishment...found out I am very boring

2009-09-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

This will either make you feel accomplished, or make you feel completely boring...Unfortunately, I found out that I am very boring. The object is to copy & paste the list of "99 things" to your blog & bold the things you've done!! It looks like I have some things to do in the next couple of years...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo..... Duet, but no solo...
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (want to, need to)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Visited a Castle
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Spent New Years Eve in Trafalga Square
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone...no bones, but I tore a ligament
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle...four wheeler, I don't think I have done a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Have been published
81. Visited the Redwoods
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Testified in court...does it count if my dad made Jeff and I "testify" in his courtroom to tell that truth when we were dating???
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Our Finished Remodeling Project

2009-08-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Well, we have finished the remodeling in our new house...for the most part. There are still more things we want to do, but the major renovations are over. We were able to have a housewarming party this weekend, and it was a lot of fun. Our camera taker for the party failed miserably, so we don't have any pictures of the actual party, but I took some pictures of the house.

My new kitchen!!! This is my absolute favorite room in the house...and the biggest party of the renovation. It was so worth the wait. I love cooking here and I absolutely love every inch of it.

My mom also helped decorate our kitchen. She brought a lot of fun things to put up above the cabinets, and it really helped it to look more personal, and more like a home.

We also got all new stainless steel appliances. We found them all on craigslist...our favorite store...and got an oven/range, microwave, dishwasher, and fridge, all for $750. A steal of a deal.

Our countertops are granite tile. We were going to go with laminate, but ended up choosing the granite for a slight price difference. It was well worth the money.

This is looking into the kitchen from the dining room...by opening up the wall, it makes our house look bigger, and it allows us to visit with friends even if we are in the kitchen.

A view from the dining room into the kitchen...this used to be a solid wall, but Jeff and his brother knocked it down and created a bar height pony wall so you can see into the kitchen...I absolutely love it.

Our dining room...we were given this dining set by Jeff's parents. We eventually want to get something a little smaller...probably a dark wood table that seats 6 instead of 8.

A view of dining/living/front room. This is what you see when you first walk in the house. We have a beautiful picture of the San Diego Temple on our table which my mom gave us. She bought it at Costco...I am still amazed at the things you can get at Costco.

Our living room...we still need to get a new coffee table...one that is preferrably not lime green.

We love our fireplace and can't wait until winter when we can test it out. I also love the mantle because there is so much room to put pictures on. Eventually we might change the brick, but for now we are grateful to have one.

We still have the same T.V. We eventually want to get one that can mount on the wall to save space, but that is something for later down the road.

Guest bedroom

Guest bed...we still need to get some bedroom furniture for this room, but for now the mattress is just on the floor. Eventually, this will be a great baby room. :)

Guest bedroom entry from the living room.

Guest bedroom shelf and currently our piano is in there.

Our guest bathroom.

Guest bathroom toilet and storage shelf.

Guest bathroom vanity and mirror.

A view of the guest bathroom. I still need to do some decorating, and definitely get new towels...it looks like Halloween in there.

Behind the bi-fold doors is our washer and dryer. We used to have to go to the garage to do laundry...it is so convenient having it in the house now. There is also a linen closet which is great for extra storage.

This used to be used as a wet bar...now Jeff converted it to a laundry room with a linen closet

Our master bedroom...we still have to paint and decorate a little more, but for now we like it and are excited to finish it.

We recently got our bed set and we love it. We also got 2 sofa chairs to go in our room. They are really comfy, we just need to recover them.

Jeff also recently put blinds in...we used to have a beach towel as a curtain.

My mom bought us the two pictures to go above our nightstands...she has a great eye for decorations. Now we just need to add a picture to go directly above our bed.

"Buzz your girlfriend...woof?"

2009-08-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

Can anyone name the movie???

While I was at the Moonlight Theatre in Vista with my family, we had a little fun messing around...

Corrie has always been able to impersonate Buzz's girlfriend in the movie Home Alone. We all tried to make the face, but nobody does it quite like Corrie.

See the resemblance?

Jessica's Baby Shower

2009-08-30T10:08:00.001-07:00

My friend Jessica is having a baby in a couple months, and I had the opportunity to go to her baby shower a couple of weekends ago. It was so much fun!!!

Jessica 7 months prego

The shower was at Jessica's friend Alexandra's new house. It looked so beautiful, and Alexandra really did a great job hosting the party.

These are two of Jessica's friends

Jessica, her mom, sister-in-law, and her daughters

Jessica's mother-in-law Dana, her sister-in-laws Natalie, and Annie, and her friend Steph

These are some more of Jessica's friends, Alexandra's mom, and Jessica's grandma.

Alexandra put me in charge of the dessert...and Jessica asked me to bring the chocolate fountain. There is nothing quite like a preganant woman eating chocolate...

Family Reunion

2009-08-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we took a break from all the house remodeling, and flew to Utah for a Snell family reunion. The reunion was at Aspen Grove, a family camp sponsored by BYU, up in the mountains. It was a lot of fun spending time with the Snell family because we do not get to see them that often. We enjoyed playing sports, rockclimbing, games with the family, swimming, paintballing, and just having time off work.

Here is my Zoolander pose...

This is Jeff and I at the Salt Lake Airport

Mom and Corrie

Playing games with the family...

A view of the mountains

A General Authority playing paintball

Taking pictures before church on Sunday

Me and Mckenna

Me, Mckenna and Rylee

Jeff Repelling down the rock wall

Jeff, Jon, and Audi

Jeff on the zipline

Jeff climbing up the log

Jeff in his rock climbing gear

The family paintballing

Remodel Day 10-20

2009-07-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

We also went to Home Depot this week to buy our cabinets. We were initially going to go with a medium wood because it was the best color they had in their pre-assembled selection. However, the night we went to buy them, Jeff and I found these dark wood cabinets for about the same price. I am so glad we found them...they look so good. The cabinets also ended up being a little cheaper than we expected, which was awesome...considering we have been spending at least $100 a day from Home Depot.

After painting, Jerry came over and helped us assemble the cabinets. Tonight he finished them, and I can't believe how great it looks. This project is almost over, and although it was a nightmare, it was so worth it. I just can't wait to have people over and be able to use the kitchen. I am so grateful to Jerry for his help. We wouldn't have been able to do it without him...he is such a good brother to have...Thanks Jerry!!!

Remodel Day 6-9

2009-07-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Once the drywall was on the walls, we spent a couple of days mudding holes and corners. Once everything was mudded and sanded, we hired a texture guy to come and texture the walls to match the rest of our house. He charged us $300 to do everything...which is a great deal, and well worth it. Once he finished, we primed and then painted...and it is coming close to look like a kitchen. Jeff also worked on the electrical stuff this last week. He put the cans in the ceiling, and wired all the circuits for under cabinet lighting as well as pendant lights to go above the pony wall.

Remodel Day 4

2009-06-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

The 4th and 5th days of the remodel was really all Jeff. I went to Temecula for a couple of days to spend with my family, and when I came back, Jeff had pretty much put drywall on the entire kitchen. He has been working so hard lately, and I am so grateful for a husband that knows how to do this kind of stuff.

This is the laundry room/linen closet that Jeff framed out by himself. The laundry is in the garage right now, so it will be so nice to be able to do laundry in the house.

Remodel Day 3

2009-06-15T09:19:00.001-07:00

The 3rd day of our project was pretty easy for us. Jeff's brother Jerry and his friend Jason came over to help us cut out a wall, and build a pony wall.

This is the wall that they cut out...it is looking from the living room to the kitchen.

Jerry and Jason built a little pony wall. When the kitchen is done, there will be a bar height eating area...this really opened up the front living and dining rooms.

Remodel Day 2

2009-06-15T09:12:00.001-07:00

The next day we removed the drywall. This was fun for the first little bit, but after awhile it got very exhausting and boring. In the end, Jeff was the one who did the demo, and I cleaned up the mess that he made by taking all the junk to the backyard...we have a pretty nice collection back there now.

We also had the privilege of finding the remains of a rat in our wall. It was in between the drywall and the insulation...pretty nasty!

Remodel Day 1

2009-06-14T22:17:00.001-07:00

The first day of our remodel project we spent hours tearing out the existing cabinets and countertops, as well as the ceiling. It was a lot of hard work.

As we were taking out the cabinets, we found dozens of egg sacs. I can't believe that I actually wanted to keep the existing cabinets...we would have been living with thousands of spiders!

Our Kitchen Remodel

2009-06-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

We recently bought a new home...and we have started to remodel our kitchen/laundry room. Here are some pictures before we started the project. I will attempt to update the blog with our progress and hopefully we will soon have a nice kitchen.

Congratulations Mckenna!!!

2009-06-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my little sister Mckenna had her graduation ceremony for Chaparral. We went out to dinner before and then watched her do "the walk" and receive her diploma. She will be leaving for Provo and going to BYU in the fall. We will all miss spending time with her. Congratulations Kenna!!

The Special Olympics!

2009-06-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

My little sister Corrie had the opportunity to be in the Special Olympics. She swam in a race and got 3rd place for swimming the entire length of the pool. She was so excited to get a medal, and she swam so well. We are all so proud of her!!

Happy Birthday Corrie!!!

2009-06-14T21:25:00.001-07:00

On June 6th my sister Corrie turned 13. My family had a fun dinner for her. My sister Lindsey is in town from Utah and she took Corrie to Disneyland. We all had so much fun being together. I love my family so much, and it is so much fun to be with them

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Fun in the Sun!

2009-06-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day, Jeff got the day off...which is very rare. We went to the pool with our friends Ren and Jessica, and hung out in the sun. It was so great to spend a day with Jeff and not have to worry about work or anything else. Isn't my husband such a hunk!!! I love him.

Jerry and Kim's Wedding

2009-05-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

On May 16th, Jeff's brother Jerry got married. He and Kim have been dating for about 3 years, and they finally got married. The wedding was so beautiful, and Kim looked amazing. I have never seen Jerry look so happy in the time that I have known him. They got married at the military base in Coronado. Afterwards there was a reception, and our camera died just before dinner, so we weren't able to get a lot of pictures. There are pictures of Jeff's sister Jen and her family, and Jeff's other sister Jessica and her family. The other pictures are of the wedding. It was such a nice day, and it was great to spend time with Jeff's family.

Monica's Wedding

2009-04-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

Jeff's half-sister Monica got married last week in Vegas, and we had the opportunity to go. It was a lot of fun to hang out with Jeff's family and celebrate Monica and Mike's wedding. They were married at the chapel in Mandalay Bay, and the reception was in a suite in the hotel. We were able to go shopping with Jeff's parents and sister Jen on Saturday morning. Overall, it was a fun weekend getaway.

Families are Forever

2009-04-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

On March 21, 2009, Jeff and I had the opportunity to go through the San Diego temple and be sealed for time and all eternity. It was such a wonderful day, and we felt so ready. We had a lot of relatives come in from out of town, as well as our closest friends. We are so grateful to everyone who helped in making our day so wonderful, and we can't wait to go back regularly to learn more about the blessings and covenants we receive from going to the temple.

San Diego Temple

2008-12-17T16:54:00.001-08:00

We had to go to San Diego for a side job Jeff had to do, and on our way home we had the chance to walk around the San Diego temple. It was so beautiful with the lights, and there was a childrens choir there singing in the front. It was great to walk around with Jeff and talk about going in there together. We have set the date for March 21st, and are very excited.

Shooting Range

2008-12-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

We had the chance to go to Arizona for Thanksgiving to spend some time with my family. Jeff's favorite part was going to the shooting range with my uncle's and cousins. They had a lot of fun, and apparently Jeff is one of the better shooters in the family.

Playing Rock Band

2008-12-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

For Jeff's birthday, he got X-Box, and with that came Rock Band. We had Rylee over for a couple of days, and we played Rock Band with Ren and Jessica. It was a lot of fun, and we sound so great. I especially love the drums...Jeff is a pro at the guitar.

New Hairstyle!!!

2008-12-17T16:39:00.000-08:00

So I have been wanting to try something new with my hair for awhile. I hate having to keep highlighting my hair, so Jeff convinced me to try going dark for a change. The first color was extremely dark, and I was really worried, but as the color faded, I learned to like it a little better. I still prefer blonde, but it was just fun to try something new.

Ren's Birthday Dinner

2008-12-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

For our friend Ren's birthday, we went to a restaurant in downtown San Diego. The restaurant was called Dick's Last Resort. It was a very cool restaurant, one that Jeff and I hadn't ever been to. Everyone is in a huge banquet room, and there are napkins thrown everywhere. Our waitress made everyone at the table hats which we had to wear, and constantly throughout our meal we got involved in a napkin fight with people at other tables. It was a lot of fun to try something new and different.

Iron Mountain Hike

2008-12-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

So Jeff and I rarely get the chance to spend much time together on the weekends...Jeff is usually working, and if he is not, we usually have the whole day planned with family or friends. But we did get a chance to spend a Saturday morning with each other, and we decided to go on a hike. Jeff used to live in Poway, and knew of a fun hike he went on when in young mens, so we decided we would try it out. We had so much fun...we even ended up running down the entire thing. It was about 7 1/2 miles total, and we loved being together every minute of it.

Halloween

2008-11-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, we had our ward party. We invited Mckenna and Corrie down to go with us...and we had a lot of fun. Corrie was a baseball player, Mckenna was Hermione from Harry Potter, and Jeff and I came up with our costumes an hour before the party. We were trying to be a couple from Grease, but we had to make do with the clothes we had.

Grandma Schlappi

2008-11-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

My grandma Schlappi came down to visit my parents, and she made her way down to see our house and spend the afternoon with us. Jeff and I made a nice dinner for my grandma and my mom, and we had such a good time eating and laughing. I miss my extended family so much, and I can't wait until I see them again...which should be for Thanksgiving. Sorry the pictures are bad...Jeff forgot to turn off the flash.