This past weekend Robbie did a 10 mile race! He signed up with several of his friends a few months ago, and though he wasn't able to train totally like he wanted, he still did awesome!! We were so proud of daddy! Even though we forgot to bring the sign we had made for him :( It was on this trail that used to be a train track...so it was just cut out of the trees...so beautiful! Nicole and I barely made it to the finish line to see our hubbies finish (that's another story!). We were so proud of our men! I only wished I ran it with him! We're going to try and find a race to do while we're in Costa Rica!!
I have been meaning to post these next pictures for the past month or so...just some fun highlights of our past couple of months: Bree started Pre-school! (A little coop that I do with a few other moms...it's been SO FUN!!) Funny story, we were at Costco and there was a table of pajamas. Bree had been needing some and so I was looking through the pile; there were purple ones with crowns and jewels, there were pink ones with ballet slippers, and then there were these green ones with balls all over them. I grabbed them before she saw the others and said, "Whoa cool! How about these!" Bree was kindof excited, and then I saw some for Gabe and said, "You could be twiners with Gabe!" Then she was way excited. When we got home she was so excited to wear them. I was thinking, "Yes! Success!" (Nothing against all the princess stuff, I just want her to be well rounded...and she has a little too much "princess" influence sometimes!) But after putting them on she went straight to her room, got a necklace, bracelets, and her princess shoes... :) Well, I tried!
One of Bree and Gabe's favorite games is Bree will go to the far end of the room and she'll run straight for Gabe. He gets the biggest smile on his face and then laughs hysterically when she tickles him...one of those things you love to watch as a mom.

Never a dull moment around here!

I've been wanting to write this post since May actually...but the past weekend just impressed this point even more. I have AMAZING women in my life! First I have the most amazing mother (who just pulled off an incredible wedding!!) and most amazing mother-in-law (who never ceases to amaze me) in the world! Amazing grandmothers, sisters, cousins, and aunts from whom I learn so much every day. But God has also placed some of the most amazing friends in my life from whom I have also learned SO MUCH. I realized this last May when several of these amazing women moved away...living away from home has allowed me to get so much closer to women around me because I don't always have a mom to rely on. I think God knew that I would learn faster this way...they are all things that my mom probably did or does, but because I was so close to it I didn't always notice. I have learned things like stepping in when seeing a mother who needs some help (Ami how do you always know?!), how to be the perfect hostess (Lizzy Stevens I'll never quite reach your level!!), to loving being pregnant (I'm still working on that one Emily!)...and wish I could list everything and could name all of the women who have impacted my life so much, but that would take all night! This past week while we were in Utah for my sister's wedding (pictures from that to come!) I got to spend a little time with one of my dear friends. She came to the reception right as Robbie and I were about to run my sister's and Dave's stuff to their hotel room (since they were being driven from the reception in a cool old car to the hotel and then taking a shuttle to the airport in the morning). We were going to take our kids but she said, "Just leave them with me and you guys run...have a little time together!" I sat there thinking, wow! Did she really just suggest that? It's too nice to be true! It really was the sweetest thing, especially because she had come to the reception just to see me! As we were taking their stuff in the room Robbie brought out a bag Dave had given him with candles and rose petals to put all around. I thought about how fun that would have been with Gabe crawling all over eating the petals and Bree blowing out all the candles after we lit them...it would have taken twice as long! So she entertained them at the reception while we were gone for a 1/2 hour! So I have to THANK YOU!! Thank you to all the women in my life who have done something like that for me...and for others. Because of your service do I think of doing those things for others! And through you I see the example of our Savior whom I want to be like more than anything. I am so blessed and hope to be like you all in so many ways!!
THANK YOU!

So living at Baity Hill (the married student housing at UNC) has been amazing. We have been here for over three years and I have really loved it so much! Though I am excited to move to Costa Rica and then to ? (we'll know in a couple months!), I'm realizing that it's going to pull my heart out to leave North Carolina. It seems like every day someone asks me, "Oh are you getting excited for Costa Rica? When do you leave?" Yes I am getting excited, but I want to enjoy every minute of being here while I can!! One of my most wonderful friends just moved last weekend, fortunately just accross down, but it hit me just how little time we have left here! So, we are going to live up these next three months!

On a funnier note, one thing we love about Baity Hill are all of the international neighbors we have. They are so sweet and come from wonderful cultures with wonderfu languages...most of them are learning English and we have loved hearing some of their comments that I'm sure sound better in their language :)

From our neighbor from Turkistan after looking at Gabe just a few weeks ago in the elevator: "...oh his eye-balls are so different? So cool!" (eye-balls?)

From the sweet Chinese woman who just moved in after meeting Gabe: "...he's so fat!" (picture the asian accent... "hees soo faat!")

From our nicest custodian, Zlati from Bulgaria, who was a doctor there but moved here for his son's schooling and since he can't speak English very well can only find work as a custodian: "...what a beautiful lady! You are a movie star!" And he was talking to Bree :)

From the Korean lady whose name I can never remember because I can hardly pronounce it:
"...she is so skilled!" as Bree was climbing up the ladder at the playground :)

Oh so fun!

This is the first night we put Gabe in Bree's room...Gabe had been asleep for about 45 minutes and Bree was so good about being quiet as we sang songs and said prayers...and then ten minutes later I thought I heard laughing? This is what I found:

I think it's going to be a bit of a transition...I'm just expecting the worst for the morning! (Not to be pessimistic, just knowing that he'll probably wake her up, or she'll wake him up and it will take a few weeks for them to get used to each other's noises! And if I expect the worst I can only be delightfully surprised! But don't think that I live my life expecting the worst :) By "expecting the worst" I mean that anything can happen, so I'd better be ready!)

This was so funny (and embarrassing, but you just may be able to relate) I just had to share it. So this summer I have been taking a dance class...first time since I got married and had two children. I am going to be teaching four children's classes in the fall (starting next week) and so to keep up my technique I really wanted to take a class. Robbie was so sweet and really wanted me to and can I say, I have been in HEAVEN!! It's crazy that it's been three years since I took a class when I have danced my whole life (except for on my mission I guess), because it doesn't even feel like I left it! I often talk to one of my girlfriends on my way home and she said tonight, "you're always on cloud nine after dance!" And it's true. I JUST LOVE TO DANCE! And afterwards Bree always wants me to show her what I "learned", and she just thinks I'm the best dancer. It's so cute.

Well, the class I am taking is an advanced modern/jazz. I absolutely love the teacher but tonight we had a substitute. She seemed nice, and at the start of class announced that she would be doing a strictly jazz class. The class was going great, I liked the teacher. Then she said we were going to do jumps. Fine. I hadn't done jumps (8 in first position, 8 in second, 8 in fifth, etc...) since ballet in college...and not that I can't still do repetitive jumps, it's just that...I've had two children!! For those of you who haven't given birth yet, the area where you birth your child doesn't exactly close like it used to...and so if you have any liquid in you at all...yup, you guess it, LEAKS OUT!! So I didn't think about this as I started jumping, about my third jump I thought, "Oh crap..." Of course I was on the front row and right about that third jump the teacher walked right in front of me. So I couldn't just run out when she was right in front of me!! So the lame "competitive, want to impress" inside of me proceeded with about 8 more jumps and finally she walked on and I ran out to the bathroom. So a little wetness in the pants...ok a lot of wetness in the pants. And the best part was, I was wearing grey pants! I walked back in and they were doing kicks across the floor. Ha. Needless to say I got home a little early from dance tonight!

All I can say is the sacrifices we make for our children...are totally worth wetting my pants :)

So I need to post for two reasons...first, I haven't posted for way too long... and second, to get that huge picture of ME down so that it's not the first thing you see when you pull up our blog! The day after I cut my hair my girlfriend called me, "Jess your hair cut is SO cute! I just love it!" I was a bit confused because I hadn't seen her since I cut my hair, then she said, "I just saw the picture Robbie posted on your blog..." What?! Awe man! Did he really?! I immediatly sent him a text at work: "So what do you know about the picture of my haircut that was posted on our blog?" His reply: "You cut your hair? We have a blog?" He tricked me into taking a picture saying that it was to send to our families...But I will say that he is so good at making me feel "smokin hot" :) and I just love him for it!

We have been having some serious summer fun! My brother got married the end of June so it was back to Utah...but with Robbie, so it was WAY more fun! My brother married an absolutely WONDERFUL girl named Rachel Petersen, and the wedding couldn't have been more perfect. Bree loved the dress she got to wear :) and even though Gabe looked so cute in his little tux, he didn't love it (well maybe it was staying up so late!). Then we stayed through the 4th of July with Robbie's family and had a blast! We enjoyed all of the Freedom Festival festivities- Bree's first time trying cotton candy, seeing a giant snake, face painting, an airshow (Bree didn't want to get out of the little airplanes!), and Robbie and I were able to attend the Freedom Festival Awards Banquet. There they honored four individuals who have made a large contribution to the cause of freedom. (One of the original eight "Frog men" which became the navy seals, and even President Packer!) It was SO neat and SO patriotic! I left wanting to be a more active contributor to our country. My whole 4th of July week really helped me see how much our country needs patriotism! Patriotic celebrations have such a unifying effect. Someday I would love to start a Freedom Festival of sorts wherever I live! And it was so wonderful being with my handsome husband. He is such a great example to me of patriotism and looks up to our founding fathers so much.
Then we always love coming home to our little apartment, but it was a big adjustment this time; the kids getting used to the time change, and Bree getting used to not having ALL attention on her! Oh we will be grateful when there are more grandchildren :) But we have had fun teaching Gabe to eat "real food"...so far he loves squash, carrots, bananas, applesauce, and sweet potatoes. Bree loves to help (picture her inserting the spoon into his mouth and he gags because she puts it so far in :) gotta love siblings!). But Gabe really does love the food. Though it doesn't seem it from this picture (it was his first time!), he just wants more more more! Then we finally took our first trip to the North Carolina beach!! It was a B-L-A-S-T!! We went to Topsail, which is about 2 1/2 hours away. We took off first thing in the morning with some of our favorite friends, and spent the whole day just having fun! (Oh and on the way we passed Rocky Mount where my cousin Tanner is serving and honked and waved!) Bree seriously loved it! I had to ask her to eat (which is very unusual for her!), she just wanted to play in the waves and the sand all day!! And Gabe was an angel...he just sat under the umbrella and played with his toys. And the best part was, when we first got there and were unloading a man walked by and asked if we needed any help carrying stuff, then he proceeded to say that his beach house was just across the street and they had an outdoor, all enclosed shower that we were welcomed to use at the end of the day! (Since we all grew up going to Lake Powell and not the beach you have to know that beach sand doesn't come off in the ocean!! There was a little faucet by one of the bathrooms that we would have had to wash off with and drive home mostly sandy!) So this way we got all showered off, stopped at a park to have our picnic dinner (oh so delicious...just like dinners at Lake Powell :) and then let the kids crash on the way home (it seriously took Bree LESS than one minute and she was out!)! It was a perfect trip! Robbie actually enjoyed it WAY more than he thought, being a mountain/Lake Powell kind of guy. We can't wait to go back!!

Then this week on Monday for Family Home Evening we went to a Durham Bulls baseball game! Bree and her friend Maddox had fun running up and down the stairs, cheering when everyone else clapped, and kept saying, "throw the ball to me!" Maddox had a glove and really wanted a ball to come to us (we were sitting in the outfield seats). Well, the kids had to go to the bathroom, so the dads took them and Nicole and I stayed with Gabe. Sure enough while they were gone a ball got hit right to us...no joke! I would like to say that I jumped up and caught it, but I looked up in the air and saw it coming straight for us and since I was holding Gabe I got so nervous that it would hit us so I just screamed, closed my eyes, and covered Gabe!! It landed right behind us! Nicole and I were laughing so hard but felt so bad that our husbands had taken the kids!

Summer is the best. Life is good!