Smithology

Eden's big day...

2010-10-06T22:00:00.002-06:00

On July 13th, Eden turned One year old.

To celebrate we invited our family and friends over for cake and ice cream in the backyard. The warm July weather was perfect.

Here's our little birthday girl.

Chloe wanted a picture with Edie and I don't think it could've turned out any cuter.

We are so lucky to be surrounded by such great family and friends. Aside from grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, Edie had 6 great-grandparents at her party. I am glad they are a part of her life, and that she is getting a chance to know them.

She was spoiled by absolutely everyone that attended. She made out like a bandit with a boat load of clothes and toys. This is the beautiful dress Alicia gave her. Thanks to everyone for all of the adorable gifts and for taking time to come party with us.

The spread.

The cake. Made with love by me. Okay. Made with love by the nice lady at Dick's bakery.

Attempting the candles. She needed a little assistance.

The traditional eating of the cake. Eden was apprehensive at first but then dug right in.

We let Indie in on the action. She just rubbed it all over herself.

I can't believe it was a year ago that Eden joined our family. The time has flown. She is such a sweet and funny little girl with a big personality. I have learned so much from her and I am amazed by how dang smart she is. She is a great example to her older sis and Indie is learning and growing so much just by being around her.

I love you Edie.

Kisses from Indie...

2010-08-27T08:47:00.004-06:00

Usually Indie is pretty stingy when it comes to doling out kisses. However, on the fourth of July, for one reason or another, she was feeling rather generous.

I will just say there's not much better than getting to kiss those sweet, tiny pursed lips.

Eyes closed and all...

Going in for the kill...

Oops, missed...

By the time she was done I think she had kissed all but a few of the bar-b-que guests.

It was adorable.

God bless the U.S.A...

2010-08-24T08:29:00.000-06:00

I've said it more than once but I'll say it again, the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. This year it landed on a Sunday so we had a three day celebration.

Me and my sisters plus Edie and Cashy at the Kaysville Parade.

Chelsea, Lindsey, Cash, Alicia, Me, Eden, Lydia, Indie and Mom.

Munching on an apple before the big parade began.

Fourth of July cuties...

Handsome little devil.

This year the parade was super long and super hot. This was my favorite float because it was probably one of about 5 actual floats.

Cort and Rodgie were in the parade this year. It was fun to see them and they hooked us up!

Tony gave the girls a birds eye view...

For the past three years the Taco Time float has thrown out beads and every year we end up with a bunch. This year was no different.

How quickly this...

can turn to this...

My babies.

My love...

On to the rockin' Rigby bar-b-que where we all eat till we're sick and then gorge ourselves on homemade ice cream.

My sweet grandpa...

My flag cake.

Keeping with tradition, we went to Eaglewood Golf Course for a picnic and fireworks.

And of course we had to take our traditional photo...

Only this year we've added two little ones to the tradition.

Thank you to all the brave men and women who have defended this great country. I feel blessed to live in America and enjoy the freedoms that I have.

Days 7 and 8...

2010-07-11T21:05:00.000-06:00

Day 7

We went to Pebble Beach and drove along 17 Mile Drive. We got out and took a picture right here. Hopefully one day Tony will be able to take another picture here while he is actually playing this really expensive course.

The famous "Lone Cyprus"

Spy Glass golf course is in the background. It was so beautiful.

We went back to fisherman's wharf and had lunch at Old Fisherman's Grotto. We ate probably the best clam chowder I've ever had...except for yours Annelee. We were stuffed.

That evening we went to make a bonfire on the beach but the tide came up so quickly we had to abort. We drove along the beach and watched the sun go down.

Almost every night we were there Brooke and Mike played games with us. I always thought Tony and I loved board games but these guys really love them. They own hundreds of games. It was so fun to finally get to play games with the real "gamers." They taught us a new game each night. My favorite was Agricola. It was really involved but really fun.

Day 8

Sadly, day 8 was our final day. We packed up early and headed for home. We were going to sleep in Reno again but we decided to just push through and we made it all the way home in one day. The girls did pretty well on the drive home.

So I wanted to say that Brooke is my eldest cousin. She is the oldest child of my mom's older sister Le Anne. Brooke and Mike got married when I was like 12 or 13 or something and Mike is in the Army so they have lived all over the U.S. and in Germany. We really didn't get to see them very often. In fact, in the 7 years we have been married Tony had only met Mike once. It was so much fun to spend time with them and get to them better. Tony and Mike really hit it off and I, of course, loved spending time with Brookie.

Brooke and Mike,

This trip was just what we needed. We seriously had so much fun. You live in one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. Thank you for letting us stay with you so that we could witness it. We love you guys so much.

The End!

Day 6...

2010-07-09T08:44:00.002-06:00

We spent the day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is the biggest Aquarium this side of the Mississippi. I just made that up, but I think it is pretty big. I know it is pretty incredible.

I love this picture of Edie peeking up.

The aquarium is located on Cannery Row which reminded us a lot of Main Street in Park City.

That evening my dear sweet cousin offered to watch our children so we could go on a date. She even made us a reservation at one of the most amazing Greek restaurants I have ever been to. If you ever find yourself in Carmel you must eat at Dametra Cafe. The food was delicious and the service was top notch. The owner was the nicest guy ever and even hugged me and Tony when we left.

Spanakopita, gyros, kebabs, souvlaki and baklava. A.maz.ing.

After dinner we went down to the beach to make out just like teenagers. Like we didn't have a care in the world. Just kidding. It was fun to spend some time with Tony sans kids. This was one of the most memorable nights of the trip so thank you Brookie for making it happen.

Only one vacation post left...

Day 5...

2010-07-08T08:22:00.001-06:00

We went on a killer hike. Killer because not only was it beautiful but killer because I carried Eden on my back. 5 hours, 5 miles and up 2200 feet in elevation. My shoulders were screaming. It was definitely worth the view from the top.

Indie mid freak out.

Edie slept most of the time.

These trees were huge. It was amazing to hike through this forest.

Edward and Bella...ur, I mean, Mike and Brooke.

Luckily Tony is really strong and was able to move this tree so we could pass by.

I guess hiking it not really Indie's thing. I'm not sure if she was sick or if she had allergies or what, but she had a snotty nose and was really whiny the whole time. Poor little lamb.

To be continued...

Day 4...

2010-07-07T08:12:00.002-06:00

We went to beautiful downtown Carmel and walked around the quant city. There are shops and art museums lining the streets. We grabbed some food and headed to the beach.

Cute little Soy Boy fell asleep on our way to the beach.

We had a picnic in the park.

We went to a shop that sells the most delicious cheeses ever. You can sample all kinds of different ones. We went with an amazing 7 Year Cheddar and a Cracked Pepper Gouda. We grabbed a couple baguettes and made it a picnic. It was incredible. Are there cheese shops like that in Utah?

I asked Tony the other day why the cheese doesn't go bad after 7 years. He said we would have to ask a cheese expert. So for any and all cheese connoisseurs that read this blog... how does it not go bad after 7 years?

Then it was time to hit the water.

Edie loved eating the sand.

Indie loved letting the sand sift through her fingers.

Tony took the plunge. I honestly don't know how he did it. I got in up to my knees and it gave me a brain freeze so I don't know how he got his whole body in.

He couldn't pass up a chance to swim in the ocean.

Indie accidentally fell into the water and soaked her clothes so she had to ride home in her diapie. I love this picture of her.

That evening we enjoyed a spaghetti dinner out on their patio.

Elly loves spaghetti.

Oh Sweet Sadie

After dinner we headed into town for a farmers market.

I love this picture of you Brookie!

The farmers market was closing down a little early so we just ended up walking around town and around fisherman's wharf. All the restaurants on the wharf offer samples of clam chowder. So we sampled them all and decided where we would go for lunch later in the week. We also tried some Buffalo Calamari. Umm yeah, it was amazing.

Then Brooke and Mike introduced us to Trader Joe's. I had heard of it but never been in one. I discovered one of the most delicious desserts and have been craving it ever since. It was like an oreo with mint ice cream in the center...heaven.

Stay tuned...

Day 3 in Carmel...

2010-07-06T08:23:00.001-06:00

Brooke planned something fun for us to do and something beautiful for us to see every single day.

Day 3 was spent driving along the coast and seeing some of the most amazing views I have ever seen.

We walked a trail that ran right along the ocean.

This little cove was called China Beach.

Spelunking in the cave.

Brookie, Edie and me...

Bixby Bridge is in the background of this picture.

A cookie and a nappie.

We went to a cafe for lunch and sat outside while eating delicious bacon and blue cheese hamburgers. Then we headed to Lover's Point.

Yet another beautiful place. Can you imagine living in one of those houses?!? I could get used to waking up there everyday.

It was a windy day and wind=tongue out for Indie.

We drove along the coast to Asilomar. I honestly could have sat there all day watching the waves crash into the rocks. It was spectacular.

To be continued...

Carmel by the Sea...

2010-05-18T08:24:00.001-06:00

Days One and Two...

For Tony's Spring Break we decided we wanted to go on a real vacation. We called my cousin Brooke and asked if we could come visit her and her family in their beautiful home in Carmel, California. She, being the sweetest person ever said yes, of course. So we packed up and headed to warmer weather.

On Saturday, March 20th we left for the halfway mark...Reno, Nevada. We were hoping to get out of our house by 10 a.m. but in our typical fashion didn't leave until 1:30 p.m. About an hour into the drive both the girls were whining so much Tony found these earplugs and tried to drown out the noise. We were wondering what we had gotten ourselves into.

Thank goodness for portable dvd players. What did people do on road trips without these puppies?!?

We arrived in Reno at about 9 p.m. The normal 5 or 6 hour trip turned into almost 8 hours for us with all the stops and breaks we had to take. So goes traveling with kids. We stayed at a nice little Courtyard Marriot Hotel far enough from downtown Reno that it wasn't ghetto.

Dad and the girls playing around.

Notice our smiling faces...had we known we were in for one of the top 5 worst nights we've ever had with Indie we would not have been smiling. Seriously, I'm not sure what happened but it was awful. Poor Tony wandered the halls of the hotel and drove around town with her so I could get some sleep. We literally debated turning around and heading for home, it was that bad. Luckily we decided to power through.

Edie's tub cribby was a lifesaver. Thankfully, she slept like a champ.

An early morning swim.

Could Eden's smile get any bigger?!? I mean, honestly, she is the cutest little bug ever.

Indie is in a sleep deprived haze.

Bathing beauties...

Five minutes after we got into the car Indie was dead asleep...you've got to sleep sometime right Ind?!?

After another long day of driving, stops and breaks we finally made it to Carmel, right in time for Sunday dinner. We spent the evening settling in and planning out the week.

More to come...

Indie Marie turns 3...

2010-04-27T21:19:00.001-06:00

Our little girl is not so little anymore...

Indie turned 3 on March 19th and I honestly can't believe it has already been three years since she joined our family. We celebrated with our closest family and friends.

The Decor: A throw back to Hello Kitty...

The Menu: A smorgasbord of cakes, cupcakes and ice cream...

I've been working with Indie for the last few months on blowing out candles but she is just too mesmerized with the heat from the flame to want to blow out the fire. She gets close enough to feel the heat and then accidentally blows out the candle with her breath. Hey, whatever works, right?!

I love these pictures, Tony even caught the smoke...

Cousin Beck...

Eden and Eliza...

The birthday girl with grandma Smith...

Indie recently learned how to hold up two fingers, one on each hand, when we asked her how old she was. Now we go and throw another year in there, so here she is holding up two and one...kind of. We'll keep working on that.

Opening her gifts...

The guests...

The loot...

We were grateful to have so many people there to celebrate with us. Indie was spoiled as usual so thank you to everyone.

We are beyond blessed to have Indie in our family. She brings a special spirit into our lives and into our home. Anyone that meets her can attest to that. She is an incredible girl and I couldn't be more proud or honored to be her mother.

I love you Boozer.

1st day of pre-school...

2010-04-11T23:08:00.001-06:00

Indie had her first day of pre-school on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. She is in a program called "young 3" at a local elementary where she will finish out the school year with other kids that just turned 3 years old. School will be held twice a week for an hour and a half. I think this will be a perfect transition for her into longer class time next fall.

Here is our big girl, dressed in green and ready for her big day, back pack and all.

She had a small meltdown about 5 minutes before we walked out the door. I hadn't scheduled out our day very well and she had missed her nap so I thought we were hosed.

Once we got to the school she calmed right down. She headed into class and never looked back. I had to hold back the tears. I am so proud of Indie.

Her teacher is adorable and said she did great.

All that schooling makes a girl thirsty.

Sorry for the picture overload but I thought they were all so darling.

All tuckered out on the way home.

Due to spring break, vacation and sickness, Indie missed a few weeks so tomorrow will be her second day. I am really excited for this next step, and I think Indie will continue to grow and learn during this new adventure.

No itch here...

2010-03-17T22:09:00.001-06:00

On February 22nd, Tony and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary.

We kept hearing about the so-called "7 year itch" and the issues that came along with seven years of marriage. To be honest, this was probably one of the more difficult years we've dealt with. We both voluntarily quit our jobs, moved from a home to a basement apartment, added another child and Tony started pursuing a graduate medical degree. The latter has brought about hours and hours of homework and hours and hours of Tony being away from us.

Despite the difficult life changes we have only grown closer as a couple and as a family.

I cannot believe it has already been 7 years and yet I honestly can't remember life before Tony...sometimes I can't even remember life before kids. Anyways, a lot has happened in 7 years. We've lived in 3 homes, we both graduated college, we added two beautiful daughters to our family and we have made so many memories along the way.

I am beyond grateful that Tony and I have each other.

Every other year we take turns planning a little anniversary getaway. It was Tony's turn this year and he didn't disappoint. He talked me into leaving the girls for two, that's right two, nights, and whisked me away to Vegas and Mesquite. Thankfully his wonderful mother agreed to babysit so I felt perfectly at ease. Thanks Kim!

Turns out my cousin Cortney and her husband Rodger were going to be in Vegas the same weekend so they invited us to stay with them for a night. We stayed at The Wynn Encore and let's just say it was pretty sweet. Probably one of the nicer hotels I've ever stayed in. Thanks Cort and Rodgie!

We took full advantage of being "childless" and walked up and down the entire strip...no strollers, no diaper bags. We went out to eat and actually had time to just talk. It was magical.

The bathroom had a vanity where I could powder my nose while watching t.v.

Cort and I were just kicking back.

Rodger was taking care of a little business...hey, someone had to pay for this sweet room.

Inside the Venetian.

We went to a killer sushi restaurant called RA. I highly recommend it.

We said goodbye to our friends and headed to Mesquite.

The weather could not have been any better for our round of golf at The Palms.

It was so nice to get away but it was also nice to get back to my girls.

Thank you baby for an amazing time.

I love you.

To the birthday boy...

2010-02-11T16:40:00.003-07:00

Tony turned 29 today.

He had to spend the day in class so we tried to make the most of the evening by going to dinner at the new Sonora Grill and getting a treat at Cold Stone. Thanks to Joan, Linds, Cort and Rodgie for the team babysitting.

Tony, I love you. You are my best friend and I'm so glad you were born.

Happy Birthday.

Indie's first sledding experience...

2010-02-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

...turned out to be a success.

She loved it.

Check out my sassy pastel get up...

Leash and the kids joined us at the local sledding hot spot for an afternoon of fun.

A small meltdown resulting in a re-bundle and then it was back to the hill.

More or less...

2010-02-02T23:14:00.002-07:00

I'm on the fence with the whole idea of resolutions. Looking back I can't think of a year that I kept a resolution for an entire year so I feel like making new ones would just set me up for failure. Undoubtedly, there are still several things I would like to "work" on this year. Whether I can maintain them all year or not remains to be seen. They will at least make me feel better for right now and really that's all I can worry about.

So I give you my list of things I need a little more or a little less of in my life...

more quality time with the girls

more quality time with Tony

less time worrying about my messy house

more scripture study

more family prayer

more patience

less road rage

more organization and simplicity in life

more cooking

less ice cream and donuts

more fruits and veggies

more working out

more water

less pop

more monthly visits to the temple

more blogging

There you have it.

2010...Bring it.

Rockin' New Years...

2010-01-28T21:28:00.002-07:00

We played a little rock band...

(Photos courtesy of Jeremy)

Indie played a little air guitar...

and we brought in the new year with a bang.

You ain't got no alibi...

2010-01-25T20:21:00.001-07:00

For our annual Christmas party with the McKean family we opted for an ugly sweater theme complete with a contest for the ugliest. We ate delicious soup in bread bowls, played games, exchanged gifts and finished off the night with fondue.

Here are a few of the contestants...

Tony and I searched high and low for Christmas sweaters but to no avail. We went with the classic tie dye and toys 'r' us kid sweaters from my childhood.

We found this little gem at D.I. I saw it from afar and knew we had to own it. Indie ended up winning the contest because of it.

Another shirt from my childhood, although this one I don't consider ugly, just hilarious. I found this Rainbow Brite shirt while rummaging through our old doll clothes. I promptly pulled it out and hung it in Eden's closet.

Parker had his hair parted to the side, it really added to his circa 1987 sweater.

Jessica, looking classy in her gold leaf Christmas apparel.

Annelee in a rather cute sweater, not quite ugly enough to win.

Greg was feeling the Christmas spirit in a duo that looked like he pulled it right from my great aunt's closet. Sparky took another route. He decided to tease all the Ute lovers in the family by wearing red. I'll be honest, Tony had the same idea but couldn't find a BYU sweatshirt in time.

Mi familia...

The Smith Family

I believe this is the only picture we have of our entire family. I guess it's okay we are wearing ugly sweaters and crowns.

The McKean Family

Greg, Jimmy, Mandi, baby "O" in utero, Sparky and Annelee

The whole family...and it only took about 9 attempts to get it.

It was a great night spent with great people.

***

By the way, during this party I received this new baby. Come spring 2010 I'll be hittin' the links and smackin' the hell out of it.

Butter cookies...

2010-01-23T23:38:00.001-07:00

It is a tradition in the Smith family to make butter cookies around Christmas. A tradition that I thoroughly enjoy.

Everybody was getting in on the action...

Even Edie...

Okay mostly she just played with the cookie cutters, but she looked awfully cute doing it. I took a few nibbles of her between my nibbles of cookie.

Christmas...

2010-01-21T21:24:00.001-07:00

This year Christmas was the holiday that kept on giving. We managed to spread the celebration out over a few weeks.

Christmas at Grandma Kim's home...

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Rigby's home...

Tony bought the girls darling University of Utah clothes.

Paging Dr. Smith...

During the holidays we were able to spend a lot of time with family and friends which, to me, is the greatest part of Christmas. We were spoiled as usual during all of the gift giving so thank you to everyone.

Happy Birthday Bloggie...

2010-01-04T23:15:00.003-07:00

Today marks two years since I started this here blog.

And this entry marks my 300th post.

To commemorate I thought I would share a few favorites.

A post about Big T.

A classic picture of Indie.

Tony channeling his inner Bear Grylls.

Trying to teach Indie to crawl.

Eden's birth story.

25 things about me.

I love blogging, I really do. I just wish I had more time to do it. Among other things, blogging more often is something I intend to do in 2010.

Here's to 300 more...

I want to go to there...

2009-12-15T21:36:00.001-07:00

Just doing a little dreaming.

The announcement...

2009-12-14T22:45:00.003-07:00

Here is Eden's gorgeous baby announcement made by the uber talented Jessie.

Check out her website here.

Oh and 'tis the season to send out Christmas cards, she does those too.

Do you know what this means?...

2009-12-13T18:09:00.002-07:00

If Eden is sick,

then Indie is sick.

If Eden and Indie are sick,

then mommy is sick.

If Eden, Indie and mommy are sick,

then daddy is sick.

Isn't it funny how it always works that way?!?

Last week we all dealt with a little cold and a whole lotta snot.

This week we are feeling better, but unfortunately we've now shared it with grandma and grandpa and Cash. I guess it's only a matter of time before it finds its way back.

Thanksgiving 2009...

2009-12-07T22:42:00.001-07:00

It was the week that kept on giving and for that I am thankful. Tony took a few days off of studying and we played it up.

During our weekly Ticket to Ride game night my cousins Cortney and Rodger mentioned having extra tickets to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert. Without hesitation I accepted their offer. So Wednesday afternoon we headed to the matinee. I can't quite describe what this concert turned out to be. I was literally expecting an orchestra with an electric guitar. Instead I got a strong dose of 80's hair metal meets a string quartet. It was pretty incredible. Their was a lot of head banging/instrument playing going on. And they rocked us for over 2 1/2 hours. Thanks for the fun night Cort and Rodgie.

I took a few little videos but to get the full effect click here.

We packed to stay the weekend at Kim's house but only planned on staying one night. You see Indie is very finicky about sleeping in her own bed so we figured after one horrible night we would head home. But I had a plan and if it worked we could stay the entire weekend. I brought Indie's crib pads from her cribby and put them in Kim's crib and successfully duped my child into thinking she was in her own cozy bed.

So let the fun weekend begin!

We awoke early Thanksgiving morning for the annual Attitude of Gratitude 5K. Then it was time for the annual gorging of scones at Annelee's for breakfast.

Later, we hot tubbed, napped and prepared for dinner that evening.

The dinner at Annelee's was off the hizzy (I don't use that word in any seriousness, but in all seriousness the food was amazing).

What? You mean you didn't have turkey shaped butter at your Thanksgiving dinner?...Sad.

Friday morning we went to a little known parade in West Valley. It was rockin', we walked away with more loot then you could imagine.

You are my same height, that is neat.

Is that one of the sweetest faces ever?

Friday was grandma Rigby's 80th birthday so to celebrate she took us all out to dinner at The Mandarin on Saturday night. Happy Birthday! I love you Gram.

So have you ever heard of the trick where you add "in bed" to the end of your fortune from a fortune cookie? My little old aunts had not and thought it was pretty hilarious when we read our fortunes.

I spent Sunday afternoon with the girls in Provo while Tony studied. I went to my cousin Ellynn's house to visit my cousin Geoffrey who was in town from Virginia. About 8 years ago the three of us lived together in dear ol' P-town. It was great to be together again and reminisce about the good times.

It was a great weekend filled with my most favorite things...family, friends and food. Kim, thank you so much for letting us invade your house and for being my own personal nanny.

I am beyond grateful for all the blessings in my life right now. We are probably going through the roughest time in our lives right now with school, studying, raising babies, and barely seeing each other; yet we are finding the joy in it and I get to do it all with my best friend.

I am thankful for Tony and for his dedication to school. I am grateful that he is such a great provider for our family. I am grateful for two beautiful healthy daughters who bring happiness into our lives. They test me, stretch me to my limits and mold me into the person I am. I am grateful for a warm house to live in and for my parents for providing it. I am grateful for my family and Tony's family and our friends. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by people who love us. I am also grateful for the Gospel which makes it possible for me to be with my family forever.

My new kicks...

2009-12-05T18:17:00.004-07:00

I ran faster and harder than ever today.

***

Or maybe I just wanted to get out of the freaking blizzard that hit mid run.

7 years ago today...

2009-11-22T23:19:00.007-07:00

Tony gave me this...

and asked me to be his wife.

I said yes...

and it was the best decision I have ever made.

Eden's newborn photo shoot...

2009-11-19T21:16:00.002-07:00

Our beautiful and talented friend Hannah, of Stayner Photography, kindly offered to take pictures of our beautiful baby Eden. Despite having her hands full with a toddler and a new baby of her own, she took the time to capture some of the most enchanting shots I have ever witnessed. I literally cried when I saw these pictures.

Edie was being pretty stingy with the smiles. This was about the only one of her smiling and of course she was covering her face...little stinker.

My friend Chelsea has a picture just like this that I love so we copied her pose...

Hannah even took some pictures of our Indie. They are priceless.

This is by far my favorite picture. Indie literally lunged at Eden to give her a huge hug and Hannah caught it at the perfect moment. I think this picture portrays Indie's feelings for Eden of pure love.

Hannah, we cannot thank you enough.

Dreams are coming true left and right around here...

2009-11-17T23:19:00.009-07:00

Do you remember when Tony's dream of becoming an Olympic Speed Skater became a reality?

Well another dream recently came true...

I milked a cow.

I know what your thinking, we are really shooting for the stars with dreams of speed skating and cow milking, but for some odd reason I have always wanted to try my hand at it. So as luck would have it there was a pretty maid at the county fair ready for milking.

Let me just tell you, milking a cow is much harder than it looks. The lady had to keep helping me.

The look on my face says it all.

I guess I can check that off my life's to-do list.

I love a good fair...

2009-11-16T22:24:00.002-07:00

At the end of August we made our yearly trip to the county fair. My summer just wouldn't be complete without it.

I think Ind enjoyed the petting zoo.

Even Edie got in on the action.

One of the carnies asked if Indie wanted to sit on this big monster and get her picture taken. I'm not sure who was more scared...her or me. And, as you can see, she never actually sat on the beast.

This cow's name was "Gentle Red" which is now our new nickname for Cashy, it fits him perfectly.

Every year Grandma Rigby enters a painting or two, and every year she gets a blue ribbon. Right on Gram.

Another successful year.

Pumpkin Patch...

2009-11-11T23:11:00.001-07:00

This is my last Halloween themed post, I promise.

My sweet cousin Ellynn and her darling son Finn came to hang out with us for the day a few weeks ago. We made a trip to ol' Packs Farm pumpkin patch.

I'm afraid this is becoming a trend. Can you tell Indie doesn't want her picture taken?!?

Elly and Finny

Cashy, Maddie and Chlo. Cutest. picture. ever.

My sister Alicia and her girls.

I thought this picture was hilarious with Madison's little head poking up.

Ind actually liked the hay maze.

Look at those eyes.

My babies.

The whole crew minus dad, who was taking the picture. Indie freaking again. Cash couldn't pull his gaze away from the creepy robotic farmer named Tumbleweed who actually talks to the kids.

After the patch we enjoyed a walk in the nice autumn weather, chili and cornbread for dinner and then a rousing game of Ticket to Ride with Cort and Rodgie. It made for a great day.

Thanks for coming to visit Elly. Please come back soon.

Halloween 2009...

2009-11-08T23:48:00.001-07:00

Halloween came and went in a flash...I can't believe it's already November. So without further ado:

The Princess and The Pea

Eden was a little pea pod (click here to see Indie in the same costume only chubbier two years ago) and Indie was a lady bug on Friday (I didn't get any pictures) and Cinderella on Saturday. We could not, for the life of us, get a decent picture of the two of them together so then we opted for individual photos.

Keeping with tradition we visited my dad at his office and then went to lunch at the delicious cafe nearby on Friday afternoon. Later that evening the girls and I met Tony at school for a party with the P.A.'s and their families. Good times, especially because I really like a lot of Tony's friends and their wives. After the party we headed to Kim's so she could see the kids.

On the actual day of Halloween the girls and I chilled out and Tony spent it at the library, as that is his new Saturday activity. We really love weekends around our house when tests fall on a Monday. Anyways we visited my grandparents and then had a low key evening at home. I'm not sure Indie grasps the whole Halloween idea yet. She did however love wearing her Cinderella dress all day long.

Pictures in their cute Halloween shirts, and again, we couldn't get a decent one. We did manage to get several funny ones.

Until next year Halloween!

A name and a blessing...

2009-11-05T22:17:00.004-07:00

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

Eden's Blessing Day

We finally got around to blessing our sweet Eden. Never you mind the fact she is almost four months old. Had we waited much longer she would've just walked up there with Tony.

Tony gave Eden the most beautiful blessing. One of my favorite parts was when he blessed her to be a joy and a light to those around her.

When Indie was about a year old I was reading a random blog and saw the name Eden, right then I fell in love. I promptly called Tony and told him I had found the name of our next daughter...and he loved it too. Grace was my great grandma's name and I have always loved it. And that is how we came up with Eden Grace.

A few months ago, I googled the name Eden and found that it means "delight." She truly is a delight and a special part of our family.

Eden was blessed in a beautiful dress that is over 30 years old. It is the same dress I was blessed in as well as my sisters Alicia and Lydia, my niece Chloe and Indie too. My niece Maddie is the only girl in our family that didn't wear it, only because she was too chubby for it.

Edie wore these little lovelies that were hand made by my great aunt Iva Lou for my girls to wear on their blessing days.

It was a great meeting. Afterwards we had a luncheon at our/my parents home. It was great to have family and friends there. I am truly overwhelmed by how blessed I am to have an amazing husband, two beautiful daughters and supportive family and friends.

A great day indeed.

Bewitched...

2009-10-28T22:46:00.001-06:00

We went to Gardner Village last Friday night and who knew it would be so fun. We went last year during the day so unbeknownst to us we missed out on a plethora of nightly activities. Everyone, and I mean everyone, dresses up like witches. Scary witches, funny witches, sassy witches...you name it. The streets were packed and we were probably two of ten people not dressed up. There was a parade, giveaways and all sorts of fun stuff. There were darling shops to walk through and cute little fake witches throughout doing funny activities like dancing or playing baseball. We had a nice time just walking around in the beautiful fall weather.

Of course, we couldn't get both of them to look at the camera at the same time...

We are going back next year but we will be rockin' a costume.

The highs and lows of our girls weekend...

2009-10-25T21:15:00.001-06:00

*spending time with Allie, Jessie, Britnie, Janelle and Michelle

*staying at the new Hyatt downtown

*being within walking distance to everything at the Gateway

*shopping without my little redheaded sidekick

*seeing Love Happens (this was a high and a low)

*two adult women and two babies sharing a queen sized bed

*discussing OB/GYNs

*bonding time with little Eden

*finally having time to read all the blogs on my google reader

*being constantly "attached" to a fussy baby, who probably gained 3 pounds in 3 days

*seeing this cute little face peeking out

*food, food and more food

*eating this monster

*at this restaurant

*deciding you have to be smokin' hot to work at Trio

*seeing these two BFFs together

Another successful weekend...

Thanks to everyone who made it happen.

Daddy Daughter Weekend Report...

2009-10-11T23:18:00.008-06:00

Things I learned/(re-learned)...

1. Putting ponytails in a precocious redheaded toddlers hair is nigh unto impossible...

2. Indie likes fresh rasbury ice cream... she also likes hot tubs... but she REALLY likes fresh rasbury ice cream in the hot tub!

3. Indie loves her grandma, but when she is really sad, she needs her daddy...

4. Indie HATES sleeping anywhere but in her own little cribby!

5. I am fast becoming a master with a flat-iron.

6. Indie's new trick is taking her own pants off randomly and carrying them to me...

7. There is absolutely NO greater honor, blessing, title, rank, degree, or any other accomplishment in life that compares to being a father. The GREATEST three days of my life, were the ones that each of my girls came to my life! Each one has completely stolen my heart and soul in their own unique and special way. I am NOTHING without them. They lift me up, keep me laughing, and make me the man that I am today... I owe my life to them and hope they know that everything that I do is for them, and that I am so glad that they take such good care of me! I am the proudest husband/daddy in the world...

Now hurry home and play with me!!!!

While the Momma cat's away...

2009-10-10T00:16:00.005-06:00

...these mice are gonna play!

Here's to a great daddy-daughter weekend!

Like father, like daughter...

2009-10-07T22:15:00.002-06:00

Umb, bmaybe one day our little girl will grow up to be a theoretical physicist. Step aside Stephen Hawking.

(In my best nerd voice)

A Apple...

2009-10-05T22:16:00.002-06:00

So apparently this is how my niece Madison eats an apple.

By the way...

My title is a throw back to this hilarious movie.

I promise I have better grammar than that.

Say that in my good ear...

2009-09-28T22:52:00.000-06:00

About 2 months ago Indie took a pretty bad tumble. She fell right into my mom's wooden couch leg and oddly enough ended up bruising her ear. The poor little thing just screamed and rubbed her ear for about 5 minutes after it happened.

Her ear was very swollen and red for several days, I wasn't sure if it would ever be the same.

Eventually it turned purple and stayed like this for about two weeks.

Thankfully her ear is back to normal now.

Post Script:

Check out my family blog to see why we are so excited for my cousins Meagan and Chelsea!

The Great Hunter Returns...

2009-09-27T22:54:00.003-06:00

Every year my dad goes hunting in the little town my grandma grew up in named Yost. It is right on the border of Utah and Idaho.

This year he returned victorious, which means deer jerky and deer roast for Sunday dinner.

I miss the days of dressing in camo, eating chili by the campfire, tromping through the pines to scare up deer and getting "buck fever" while hunting with my dad.

Good job Big D!

So long old friends...

2009-09-24T21:09:00.001-06:00

On January 5th, I received the type of phone call from Tony that I never wanted to receive. While driving his car, the Malibu, he had been in an accident, on the freeway no less. It had just started snowing and he had slipped in the snow. He fish-tailed across all 3 lanes of traffic and luckily didn't hit any other cars but crashed into a barrier.

From the outside it didn't look too bad.

But he hit hard enough for the air bags to deploy.

Our insurance company ended up totaling out our car so after much searching my brother-in-law Kevin found us this beauty. We love our little Saabie.

As if this story couldn't get worse, about 2 months later, on March 12th I got another similar phone call. After a very long day of work and evening of being on call, Tony had fallen asleep on the freeway while driving my car, the Accord. He bumped the middle barrier, was startled awake and swerved across all 4 lanes of traffic. He ended up facing the wrong way in the slow lane. Freaky to say the least. Again no other cars were involved which was such a blessing. I have these horrible images of a semi careening into him but thankfully he was fine. You can see his screech marks in the picture below.

This is my baby, my very first car, that I bought with my very own money. Sure she looks okay but if you will notice, one tire is facing straight and the other is pointing in.

The alignment issue coupled with the scratches down the side were enough for our insurance company to once again total out the car.

Another view of the scratches.

To be honest I cried as I cleaned out my car and drove away from her...is that weird?!?

So we took our insurance money and upgraded to a newer Accord, again thanks to Little Kev.

So in two months time we went from two paid off cars to two newer cars but luckily only one car payment. Not too bad I guess and at least I still have a husband.

Guten Tag...

2009-09-22T00:00:00.006-06:00

Frau Eden

This pretty little embroidered outfit reminded me of something a little German "madchen" would wear. We called her Frau Eden all day.

***

For those who don't sprechen Sie Deutsch, madchen means girl. I wanted to use a German word and ironically enough "baby" is just "baby" in German.

Studious and sexy...

2009-09-16T22:32:00.000-06:00

Big T has been doing a lot of this...

which necessitated a new pair of these...

and I think they look pretty dang good.

Ummm...

2009-09-14T21:30:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty sure I have the cutest kids ever...

I'm just sayin'

Back to life, back to reality...

2009-09-10T20:49:00.008-06:00

Tony's break is over and what a cold, wet slap in the face it has been. Just kidding. But I really do miss him. We tried to play the crap out of his break and I think we succeeded. We were able to check off most of the things on "the list" but we almost needed a break from the break.

It took a lot of energy and planning, but I am so glad we were able to do so much. I'll be honest, I still have not gotten the hang of going anywhere alone with two kids, so it may be a while before I venture out to do things on my own.

I am slowly adjusting to two kids and getting on a schedule. I really don't know how people with a lot of kids do it, I mean really, how do they do it?!?

Anyways, it was so nice to have Tony here lending me a hand, helping with meal time or bath time, which for some reason is the hardest part of the day.

I am happy that Tony was able to spend time with Eden and get to know her. Tony has a very special relationship with Indie. When she was born he would work 7 days in a row and then have 7 days off so he was able to spend a lot of time with her. I worked part time and he would watch her, he was as good at caring for her as I was. I think they really developed a bond. I want him to have that same bond with Edie.

So I guess there won't be anymore mid-day walks to 7-11...

or days spent playing playstation...

or evenings spent watching all 5 Harry Potter's...

but it was great while it lasted.

Thanks Tony for all of the fun memories we made.

I. love. you.

Bear Lake, part two...

2009-09-03T14:32:00.010-06:00

Neil and Allie invited us along with Jessie, Preston and Mike to Bear Lake. Neil's friend at work offered to let us stay at his "place" which turned out to be a trailer home. But hey, beggars can't be choosers, right? And we appreciated a place to stay. Anywho, we rolled into town and hit up LaBeau's for dinner. Okay I am just going to admit it, between the two trips to Bear Lake, in one weeks time, I had 5 raspberry shakes and I am proud of it. Plus I am a nursing mother so I am burning calories just sitting here (that's my way of justifying). The next morning we rented two surrey bikes and rode around town. The best part of the ride is when Allie, Jessie and Preston careened into the back of us and pieces of their headlight went flying. Something about the brakes not working.

Ignore Indie's poor little red eye in this picture, Tony didn't believe me when I said he needed to use the stick sunscreen instead of the spray sunscreen on her face because the spray always gets in her eyes...I guess father knows best.

Obviously Indie was loving our surrey ride.

Fischer joined in on the fun.

We spent the afternoon at the beach. Tony's family happened to be there that day too so we got together with them and enjoyed the sunny, perfect day.

For dinner, we opted for the largest pizza this side of the Mississippi. Literally...

Old Ephraim measures 28 inches across.

Tony was lovin' him some pizza and didn't notice he was sharing with the babe.

These two are so cute together. Fischer is always so sweet to Indie. Several times during the trip he would chase Indie around saying "Give me a kiss."

Our place had a great view of the lake.

The only thing that could've made this trip better is if Indie would've remembered that she needs to sleep at night. I had a horrible time trying to get her to sleep and then she woke up about 5 times per night and got up for good at 6 a.m. I don't know how she functioned on that little sleep, I know I wasn't functioning. Little stinker.

Thanks for the fun trip guys.

Check out Allie and Jessie's posts too.

Bear Lake, part one...

2009-09-02T22:30:00.004-06:00

We were invited up to Bear Lake with 4 other guys and their families from Tony's P.A. class. We stayed at a beautiful cabin right on the golf course and had so much fun. The people we went with were awesome and it was fun getting to know them and their wives.

The first night we were there we stayed up until 2 a.m. playing pool, ping pong, laser tag, board games and just talking. I felt like a kid again, despite the fact my two babies were asleep in the next room.

The next day we went to the pool at the condos in Sweetwater and had a picnic in the park.

Later Tony got in 9 holes of golf with the guys while I hung out with the wives and the kids.

You can't go to Bear Lake without a trip (or two) to LaBeau's for their famous raspberry shakes.

Before we headed home we took a drive around the whole lake which took about 1 hour. Then we grabbed some lunch at LaBeau's and played at a nearby park.

I love, love, love this picture.

And this one too, she looks so cute.

I love Bear Lake. It is so beautiful and I have so many memories of that place.

Thanks for inviting us Jack and Ty!

Roy Aquatic Center...

2009-09-01T23:13:00.005-06:00

Another stop during the break was to the Roy Aquatic Center. This place was rockin'. Slides, diving boards, 3 different pools, tons of stuff for little kids to do and all for only 5 bucks. I didn't get a picture of Tony going down the slide but he rocketed out of that puppy and skidded across the water for about 15 feet.

Indie has been pretty picky this year when it comes to pool temperatures. Unless it is "bathtub warm" she is not interested.

Tony was like the Pied Piper, the kids were following him around begging to be tossed.

Another great day.

I highly suggest this place, it's well worth the drive to Roy.

Ogden splash pad...

2009-08-30T09:26:00.007-06:00

Pineview...

2009-08-26T14:09:00.007-06:00

We took another trip to Pineview during Tony's break. We went with Allie, Madelyn, Erinne and the kids. The weather was much cooler and quite windy so only Tony swam but it was still a nice, relaxing day on the beach.

Please notice Indie's muff in this picture. The wind was blowing it all forward and she looked like Hans Klopeck.

Foo Fi playing in the sand.

I love Pineview. It is far enough away to feel like you are getting away but close enough for a day trip. I wish we went there more often.

A zoo, literally and figuratively...

2009-08-25T21:40:00.002-06:00

To kick start Tony's break we took a jaunt to Hogle Zoo with Alicia, Neil, Allie, Jessie and all ten kids. But thanks to Indie and a little stroller drama we experienced a zoo and just happened to see some animals too.

At the time we didn't have a double stroller so we brought two single strollers, however, Indie insisted on either walking everywhere or being held only by me. We ended up pushing an empty stroller while holding Indie or chasing after her. In the end we folded one stroller up and put it on top of the other and looked pretty ridiculous with that wide load. We have since got a double jogger.

Here are some pictures from our adventure.

Me, Leash and the kids.

Indie loves sticking her tongue out to feel wind. If there is even a small breeze her tongue will be out. There were huge fans with misters attached to them blowing throughout the zoo and Indie loved cooling down in front of them...tongue out, of course.

This little guy is new to the zoo and is so cute. He looks little but is probably as tall as Tony.

Tony and the girls.

This was, by far, our favorite part of the day. The baby meerkats were one month old.

The meerkat and Indie were having a staring contest.

Indie just kept touching the glass and it would come right up to her. It was so funny.

Tony took this sweet shot of this big guy.

Luckily Eden did a lot of sleeping while we were there. Look at those long fingers.

So what started out a little rough turned out to be a fun day.

My 25 things...

2009-08-11T22:02:00.000-06:00

1. I started writing Tony while he was on his mission in Mexico, having never met him before that. We wrote for six months before actually meeting.

2. I am horrified of car accidents, earthquakes, bears and sharks.

3. I have had 11 different sets of stitches in my life and that doesn't include about 7 other sets from surgeries. I was kind of accident prone as a kid.

4. I could play Ticket to Ride into the wee hours of the night if it weren't for my little red-headed alarm clock. I love that game.

5. I don't swear. It's not for lack of knowing how (I am a Rigby) I just got out of the habit and don't do it anymore. I only swear when I am really, really mad.

6. My "love language" is service.

7. I am a total germ freak. I wash my hands a hundred times a day and I think it is disgusting when people don't wash their hands after they go to the bathroom.

8. I weighed 11 pounds when I was born.

9. I would love to be a home organizer and my dream job is to work with Peter Walsh on Clean Sweep.

10. I grew up camping, hunting and fishing. I can shoot guns, gut a fish and field dress a deer better than any boy my dad could have hoped of having.

11. I love reality t.v.

12. I rub my feet together until I fall asleep at night.

13. Being a mom is my greatest accomplishment.

14. It is a toss up what I love more...food or sleep.

15. I am a psycho without the above mentioned food and sleep.

16. I think toilet plungers are the most disgusting necessities.

17. My favorite part of my pregnancies is feeling the baby kick.

18. I am the shortest of my two sisters and I am just shy of 5'11''.

19. I will run a marathon one day.

20. Tivo has revolutionized my life and whoever came up with assigned movie theater seating is a genius.

21. I backpacked through Europe when I was 18 and again when I was 19 with my sister and cousins. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I can't wait to go back with Tony. I have been to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands. I was even propositioned in a red light district in Amsterdam...thanks Adam.

22. I love to swim and would go everyday if I could. I am just as comfortable in water as I am on land.

23. I have a unique relationship with my family and extended family. I consider them my best friends.

24. I am really proud to have a college degree.

25. The gospel is the only thing that makes sense to me in this crazy life.

My day of birth...

2009-08-05T21:10:00.009-06:00

8.4.81

I am 28.

We spent the day at Pineview...

Our attempt at a family picture...

I love how Eden is upset...

And I love how Indie is touching Tony's face...

As we were driving to the lake we passed a house that is obviously owned by people that have so much money they don't know what to do with it. Their house was beautiful with a huge yard and an amazing pool. I guess that wasn't enough so they went ahead and bought 4 fake cows and one fake person to place in the yard. That's right...they're fake...

Anywho, we bomped by Chris' at the bottom of Trappers Loop for shakes and headed home. Alicia offered to watch Indie for us and Tony took me to The Proposal and to dinner at McGrath's.

It was a great day.

Luckily it was a much better day than my last birthday.

Summer break at last...

2009-08-03T21:34:00.005-06:00

For the next 3 weeks, I've got this guy all to myself. No work. No school.

The only question is, what are we going to do to live it up during his break?

Here is our to do list:

Pineview Reservoir

The Treehouse Children's Museum

Antelope Island

Hogle Zoo

Discovery Gateway

Splash Pad at the Gateway

Bear Lake

Splash Pad in Ogden

Cherry Hill

Bike the Legacy Parkway Trail

Hike Adams Canyon

Did I miss anything? I need your input. What are some fun things to do in Utah, in the summer, with two kids in tow?!?

Eden's first bath...

2009-08-02T22:50:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures from her first little sponge bath...

During the 4 a.m. feedings...

2009-07-29T22:09:00.003-06:00

This is the only thing keeping me sane...

After seeing the trailer and almost crying, I knew I had to read the book.

I am about 200 pages in and I can't get enough.

Come August 14th, you know where I will be.

Who says PA school is hard...

2009-07-28T23:11:00.002-06:00

I am somewhat frightened that the future bread winner of our family is dead asleep during class.

Birth...

2009-07-22T22:51:00.002-06:00

Get ready for a boat load of pictures and a very detailed birth story...

Eden moments after birth...

Back from the nursery, so fresh and so clean...

Look at all that blonde hair...

The first time Indie saw Eden, she had her finger in her mouth and had a cute little look on her face...

First family of four pictures...

Headed home...

(Please notice the birthing ball, yeah we never quite needed that)

The first time Chloe and Maddie saw Eden...

The traditional car seat picture...

After surviving our first night home, I took these adorable pictures of Daddy and his girls...

So here is the story...

Sunday, July 12th, at about 10 a.m. I started getting pretty consistent contractions that were about 20 minutes apart, by noon they were about 10 minutes apart. At about 4 p.m. they were about 8 minutes apart and getting a little more uncomfortable but still not bad. We were able to go to Harper's blessing but by about 6 p.m. I was ready to go home. Tony had been in denial the whole day that I was actually in labor so he loaded Indie up and headed to his grandparents for dinner and told me to call him if things got worse.

I putted around the house still trying to get my bag packed. By about 8 p.m. they were about 6 minutes apart and not comfortable but I could still talk through them. My doctor had told me not to come in until they were 4 to 5 minutes apart and I couldn't talk through them. After a little coaxing from Alicia telling me that I was, in fact, in labor I decided I better call mom and dad. They were camping about an hour away and when I told them I was having contractions every 6 to 8 minutes they were loaded up and home in no time. Tony pulled in about that same time and we put Indie down for the night. At about 10 p.m. they were getting a little more intense so I asked for a blessing while my family was all there. Tony gave me a beautiful blessing that helped me to relax.

At about 10:30 p.m. the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and they were getting worse to the point I didn't really want to talk through them. Mom said we should call the hospital and see what they thought we should do. The nurse told me to drink a big glass of water and lay on my left side for about an hour. If the contractions got worse, I should come in, if they got better I didn't need to come in yet. So I did just that. At first they got worse and were about 3 minutes apart and then they got even more intense but they were only 6 minutes apart. I guess I should jump in here and say that I was planning to have Eden naturally and that's why I was laboring at home for as long as possible. I had been taking a Bradley Method class that my friend Jessie teaches. I felt prepared but still really scared for what was ahead of me. When the contractions were getting further apart but more intense I really started to doubt myself. At 11:30 p.m. I finally told Tony that I was getting nervous and I just wanted to go to the hospital. That way they could check me and I could get a better idea of how much longer it was going to take.

Tony was supposed to take a final the next morning at 8 a.m. so in between my contractions he had been emailing teachers to let them know the situation. So when we finally decided to head to the hospital (secretly I think Tony was still in denial at this point) I literally came crawling out of the bedroom toward the door and I look over to see Tony on the computer...updating his facebook status! I almost went through the roof. He said, "Hey I am just letting everyone know we are headed to the hospital." And I replied in my nicest "in labor, about to transition" voice, "Honey, I don't care." At which point he quickly took me out to the car that luckily we had already packed, by this time it was about 11:45 p.m. As we pull out I tell him to be careful and not get a ticket. As we get onto Highway 89 things start to get even worse. The contractions are about 3 minutes apart, very intense and I feel nauseous.

This next part may be a little too much for some so just scroll on down to the next paragraph. When you have a baby naturally, they say that you know it is very close when you feel like you have to poop. Well unfortunately I was getting that feeling as we are halfway there. I calmly tell Tony, "You need to hurry."

As we are getting closer to the hospital there are several stop lights and of course every one of them is turning yellow right as we get to it. I have thrown all fear of getting a ticket out the window and I am telling him "just go" through all the lights. I lost track of how many yellow/mostly red lights we ran. As we approach the hospital, I tell Tony that I honestly can't fathom getting from the car to the second story Women's Center. He said he would run and get a wheelchair. It felt like he was gone an eternity. He got me in the wheelchair and we got in the elevator. I am normally not a claustrophobic person but that was seriously the worst elevator ride ever. The whole time I am worried about the car that we left running, with the doors open, and my purse in the front seat. And Tony just keeps telling me not to worry.

We come to a screeching halt at the front desk and the nurse proceeds to check us in. She is asking my birth date (to which poor Tony, who I think has finally come to terms that I am in labor, fumbles up) my height, my pre-pregnancy weight. I am sweating, my face is pale (Tony later told me), I am thirsty (poor Tony is running around trying to find me water) and I am about to give birth and they want this information?!? The nearby nurses are starting to notice the scene I am inadvertently causing and ask if I am the one that called in an hour ago? Yes, yes I am.

Now they want us to go to another desk to check in. At this point I have had it. I slam my water down and loudly say, "I need to push." They finally get the idea and wheel me into a room. As I am crawling onto the bed I am pulling off my shorts so that someone, anyone can check me tell me what I am dilated to. They also say in natural childbirth that you lose all modesty and I can attest to that.

Tony takes off to park the car. The nurse checks me at which point my water breaks. She says, "Your water just broke, there is meconium in it, and you are at a 10." They page my doctor and I beg them to not make me wait for her to arrive. The urge to push was overwhelming. They say she lives close and I needed to wait for NICU to arrive anyway because of the meconium, they would need to suction the baby before she took her first breath.

About 10 minutes later, the room is buzzing with nurses, my doctor blows in, throws on her booties and tells me to push with the next contraction. 1 contraction and 4 pushes later our little Eden entered the world at 12:25 a.m. on the lucky 13th of July, as perfect as can be. They were able to suction her right away so she didn't aspirate any of the meconium. She was born "sunny side up" or face up just like her older sister but was no worse for the wear.

I felt great and instantly relieved. I did it.

Eden was checked out by the pediatrician the next day and he said she looked great and there were no signs that would indicate to him that she had any form of Trisomy.

We are so blessed to have these sweet angel babies in our home. We are about 9 days in and we are slowly getting on a schedule and getting back to normality and loving every minute of it.

Introducing...

2009-07-14T16:20:00.003-06:00

Eden Grace Smith
Born at 12:25 a.m. on 7/13/09
8lbs. 1oz. and 20.5in.
Mom and baby are both doing great... thanks for the love and support!

...the story (and more pics) to follow...

38 weeks...

2009-07-09T21:30:00.005-06:00

So only two more weeks until my due date of July 23rd, although yesterday I went to the doctor and when she checked me I was already dialated to a 3 and 80% effaced. My next appointment is next Thursday but my doctor said she might see me before that. I am getting very excited to meet this new baby and I am even more excited that I am almost halfway dialated and I haven't really felt anything yet.

So here is my bare belly which may frighten some people but I wanted to document it.

I feel like I haven't done a great job of documenting this pregnancy. I have felt really great the last few weeks, especially since the weather has been consistently nice. We have been able to get out and go for walks, runs and bike rides and that has made all the difference. Indie likes being outside as much as I do so we both have been loving it. We got Cherry Hill passes again this year so we have been doing a lot of swimming and I have been getting a little sun which makes a huge difference too. You always feel better when your tan, even if you are 35 pounds heavier than normal!

This baby is a kicker to say the least. I remember Indie kicking a little bit and I could feel her little feet on my left side. This baby kicks the heck out of me on my right side and digs her little feet into my ribs. She is having a party in there, especially at about 4 a.m.

I have had really bad heartburn. I get charlie horses in my legs while sleeping. I have been really uncomfortable at night. And I have really been missing sleeping on my back or stomach. Sometimes I wake up in the night on my back or stomach and maybe that is why I am really uncomfortable. I remember all of this happening with Indie so I guess it is just a part of being preggo.

Well I guess that is my update. And when I do pop, this blog will be the first to know...stay tuned.

The Tradition...

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

Going to the fireworks at Eaglewood golf course on July 3rd holds a special place in mine and Tony's hearts.

This picture was taken July 3rd 2002 and was the night of our first kiss. Almost every year since we have recreated this moment.

July 3rd 2003

July 3rd 2006

July 3rd 2007

July 3rd 2009

Wait...something's missing. Oh yeah, my husband who had to work. But the tradition continues anyway.

Let freedom ring...

2009-07-07T22:16:00.002-06:00

I love the 4th of July.

It is my favorite holiday and the favorite of most of my family so it always turns out to be a pretty awesome day.

We started the festivities on Friday night with our traditional picnic and fireworks at Eaglewood golf course with Tony's family. Sadly, Tony was working but Ind and I had a great time.

Check out the rice crispy cake Mandi made, so adorable.

We tried to recreate this adorable picture from two years ago...

but thanks to Indie's tantrum, ended up with this picture...

Saturday morning we headed to the parade. Thanks to the slightly overcast weather it was one of the best parades I have been to in years.

Our Little Firecracker...

That afternoon we went to my Aunt Paula and Uncle Bill's home for a refreshing swim. Then it was time for the annual "Rigby 4th of July Bar-b-que," which wouldn't be complete without homemade vanilla ice cream.

That evening we went to the high school for the firework show.

This is how Indie watched the fireworks...

Another great 4th of July. I am so blessed to live in America and enjoy the freedoms that are ours. I am grateful for the brave men and women who now, and in the past, have fought and even died for that cause.

God Bless America

A Saturday to remember...

2009-06-29T21:48:00.004-06:00

June 27th 2009

1:00 a.m.
Went to bed after spending all day Friday packing

2:45 a.m.
Woke up to go to the bathroom (surprise, surprise)

3:30 a.m.
Finally fell back to sleep after worrying about everything that needed to be done

6:00 a.m.
Alarm went off

6:20 a.m.
Made myself get out of bed
Continued packing

8:00 a.m.

Tony and backdoor neighbor kicked it into high gear and loaded nearly all of the plain boxes into the truck and made a huge dent in a seemingly insurmountable load

10:00 a.m.
4 guys from the Elders Quorum, my mom, my aunt Joan, Cort and Rodgie and Little Kev arrived to help pack our 26 foot long moving truck while Leash and the kids entertained Indie

11:45 p.m.
Headed to our new place to drop off a load after realizing everything was not going to fit in the huge truck. Joan took Indie for the remainder of the day. Lyd, Neil and 4 people from my moms ward met us there to unload. 2 guys from the Elders Quorum stayed and mowed our lawn

12:30 p.m.
Went back to the old house to finish loading the truck

1:45 p.m.
Left for Parker and Jessica's house where we would store all of our stuff for the next two years

2:30 p.m.
Kim, Annelee, Sparky, Parker and Jessica met us there and the unloading began

3:30 p.m.
Break for a much needed lunch

4:00 p.m.
Mom and I take the huge truck back while they finish

6:00 p.m.
Mom, Lyd, Tony and I finally head for home squished in the car that, of course, doesn't have working air conditioning at the moment. I insist on driving to get us home quickly

6:21 p.m.
Get pulled over for going 80 in a construction zone and despite my sobbing breakdown we still get a ticket (he did give us a "better deal than most..." his words, not mine)

7:15 p.m.
Shower for the first time in days, all the while I am debating if we should just bag my ten year high school reunion

7:20 p.m.
Tony says we are going

7:30 p.m.
Indie arrives home from Joanie's house via Leash and Kev and mom proceeds to get her ready

7:45 p.m.
Walk out the door, wet bun and all...not exactly the way I wanted my hair to look

7:50 p.m.
Arrive at the reunion
See tons of old friends and am really glad I went

9:30 p.m.
Come home, to our new home, to find mom and dad have put together our bed, Indie's crib, our table and have set up our whole little place

10:00 p.m.
Wendy's for dinner

10:30 p.m.
Crash...hard

Words cannot express how thankful I am for the people in my life that were willing to help us move. I have come to believe that moving is one of the worst things ever. We couldn't have done it without all of you so thank you, thank you, thank you.

We went for it...

2009-06-29T21:36:00.000-06:00

A few weeks after Tony started school we were talking about our finances and how we would need about $40,000 in loans just to pay for our house for the next 27 months. We threw out the idea of selling the house and moving in with my parents and it just felt right.

About a week later Parker, Tony's brother, put up a sign and about a week after that literally the first people to walk through the house were interested. They will lease the house for a few months with the hopes of buying it in under a year. Plus they wanted to move in by July 1st.

Everything was working out perfectly except that meant we only had a week and a half to get out. AHHH! Oh well I would much rather do it before the baby is born.

And so the packing began...

Ruby, Maxwell and Harper...

2009-06-18T21:24:00.007-06:00

I would like you to meet three of the cutest babies, who just happen to have three of the cutest names...

Ruby (whose middle name is yet to be determined, see here) Bennett

5.11.09

Born to my cousins Adam and Mindi

Click here to read Ruby's birth story

Click here to see the coolest video with the greatest music

Maxwell Broadbent Castleton

5.27.09

Born to my BFF from high school Cassie and Dave

Harper Kate Adams

6.5.09

Born to our BFFs Neil and Allie

Click here to see more about baby Harper

I haven't met Ruby yet because my cousins live in Denver but being around Max and Harper has made me very excited/nervous for our new arrival. Nervous only because Indie had a small meltdown every time Tony or I was holding the new baby which just gave me a peek into the future.

Good job guys for bringing these cute little narfers into this world.

Dreams really do come true...

2009-06-17T22:29:00.003-06:00

For some reason, possibly because he has the thighs for it, Tony has always wanted to try his hand at speed skating. So I surprised him with lessons for his birthday. Twice a week for 3 weeks he felt the thrill of the speed at the Olympic Oval.

View on to see Tony's dreams come to fruition...

By the end of his lessons Tony was the fastest in his class by 30 seconds with a time of 50 seconds per lap. Only a mere 25 seconds off world record pace so watch out 2014 Olympics, here comes your next Apollo Anton Ohno.

Big Haircut...

2009-06-15T20:37:00.001-06:00

This is what we have to do during Indie's haircuts:

I hold

Grandma cuts

Grandpa sprays

and

Tony takes pictures

I could see the headlines...

2009-06-11T05:25:00.001-06:00

An Entire Family Dies at Disneyland

When I was in junior high my entire Rigby side of the family took a trip to Disneyland. For some reason we thought it would be fun if all nine of us rode on Splash Mountain. To be entirely honest, I seriously thought we were going to die. It didn't help that everyone kept saying we are going to die and that Uncle Stan went into great detail of how it was going to happen. I think I even cried. I envisioned us flying off the track right into the Rivers of America. We were taking in water before we even went down the big hill. It was horrifying. But as you can see I lived, and for that matter, we all did. Soaked and scared, I continued on with my Disneyland adventure. But hey, we got a pretty hilarious picture out of it.

That must be a good book...

2009-06-08T22:15:00.001-06:00

This lady is actually walking down the street while reading. She does it all the time. There have been witnesses on more than one occasion.

Talk about multi-talented. I would trip for sure.

I wonder what book it is?