Milestones.

In case you missed all my facebook posts, or my screaming from the rooftops, or me screaming out my car window as I drive anywhere.....JAMISON IS DONE WITH SCHOOL. GRADUATED. GOODBYE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH. WE WON'T MISS YOU. PEACE OUT. we are OUT!!!

Really, if you know how long we have waited for this moment, and how hard it is having a husband working full time and going to school full time, not to mention being the husband who is actually doing it, while raising 2 young kids, then you understand our excitement. People may wonder why it took so long.

Let me break it down for you.

Jamison returns from mission.

Jamison goes to BYU.

Jamison hates it.

Jamison goes to UofU and doesn't do so well.

Blah Blah Blah....

We meet.

We marry.

Jamison starts back up at UofU with plans to be a pharmacist.

Jamison changes his mind a few years into it.

Jamison starts all over again with new major.

cut to 3 yrs later, and Jamison is done.

Can I just say that I am SO proud of him. He chose not to do the whole cap and gown ceremony, and thats O.K. All that matters is that he is done. Now we are playing a bit of a waiting game. His current employer does not want to lose him, and has created a new position specifically for Jamison to fill (a position which requires the very degree he now has). But, being that he works for a very large corporation, creating a new position, and then submitting it for the approval process takes time. So we are just waiting...and waiting, and it seems to be taking forever...but we are hoping and praying for the best. (and I really miss him right now because he is currently on a business trip. So Jamison, if you read this, I MISS YOU.)

But while we wait we celebrate! I am a poet.

We got together with all a bunch of friends this last Saturday and had a delicious dinner at Thaifoon in celebration of Jamison's graduation.

(and a funny side note about the picture taken at Thaifoon, sometimes when we get together with everyone, instead of couples sitting together, its just easier for wives to sit together and husbands to sit together. This way no one is yelling over anyone else trying to carry on a conversation. Us wives talked about many important things...like the weird and sometimes scandalous dreams you have while your pregnant. The husbands planned a spur of the moment camping trip to lava hot springs for next weekend for just the guys. I am OK with this. I hate camping.)

Before dinner we finally went and saw Inception. I really really liked it. Probably one of my favorite movies of all time. I'm not going to lie to you.

All of these pictures were taken earlier in the day. We had a family member in town, who had never been to Utah before. One of the things she wanted to do was see temple square, so we went and took a nice little stroll.

A beautiful butterfly

And speaking of Jamison being done with school, today Chase and I went to her preschool orientation. She starts next week. Will I die of a heart attack as I am attempting to drop her off for the first time? Its possible. I tend to think of every possible horrible thing that could happen to her when I am not around. Literally, it keeps me up at night. Jamison is always telling me to "turn my mind off" while I am laying in bed trying to sleep. But, I do feel better about the whole thing after today, and its clear she is going to love it. I just need to learn to let go a little bit. I may shed a few tears, but I will soon get over it, and life will go on.

That is all.

Oh, and incase you forgot, Jamison is done with school.

My favorite performance of last night...or maybe the whole season.

Oh my goodness. Did you watch SYTYCD last night? Travis Walls contemporary routine that Kent and Niel danced I thought was A.MAZ.ING. And I loved the story behind the routine. Someone you love and trust and lean on stabbing you in the back, and having to learn to go on without them, and just walk away.

I just loved it. I couldn't resist posting it.

Have you read it yet?

I just finished reading Eat Pray Love.

I might be the last person on the earth to have finally read it.

As it turns out, I LOVED IT.

Have you read it? What did you think?

I don't usually enjoy biography type books. I have started many, and finished very few...as in none. Wait, I did finish the Porter Rockwell biography, and I did enjoy it. I mean, the guy is fascinating.

I suppose this book isn't so much a biography, but more "one women's search for everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia", as the front cover explains.

Truth be told, I could not put the book down.

I found it so honest, refreshing, fascinating.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"...people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't you will leak away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments."

Another Favorite:

"...all the sorrow and trouble of this world is caused by unhappy people. Not only in the big global Hitler-'n'-Stalin picture, but also on the smallest personal level. Even in my own life, I can see exactly where my episodes of unhappiness have brought suffering or distress or (at the very least) inconvenience to those around me. The search for contentment is, therefore, not merely a self-preserving and self-benefiting act, but also a generous gift to the world. Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else. Only then are you free to serve and enjoy other people."

And just one more..

"The other problem with all the swinging through the vines of thought is that you are never where you are. You are always digging in the past or poking at the future, but rarely do you rest in this moment. It's something like the habit of my dear friend Susan, who- whenever she sees a beautiful place- exclaims in near panic, "It's so beautiful here! I want to come back here some day!" and it takes all of my persuasive powers to try to convince her that she is already here. If you're looking for union with the divine, this kind of forward/backward whirling is a problem. There's a reason they call God a presence- because God is right here, right now. In the present is the only place to find Him, and now is the only time.

Maybe you should just read it, instead of me posting my 20 favorite quotes from the book.

I am interested in how the movie version of the book is going to turn out.

Anyone up for a girls night to find out?

This movie...I really want to see it.

There will be time in the near future (about 2 wks to be exact), when Jamison and I have time on our hands. Time to spend together.
I am requesting that a portion of that time be spent watching Scott Pilgrim vrs The World (trailer below). It looks real real good.
Real good.
We still haven't scene Inception...which is apparently amazingly good. I think we will use our time to see that also.
Speaking of movies, I am so excited for the next Harry Potter (pretend I sang the words "Harry Potter"). Thats how excited I am.
All the twilight movies need to just not exist. They are that bad. I guess all the millions of people that like them just didn't get the memo.
Harry Potter is king.



Speaking of movies with Micheal Cera, I came across this interview where he addresses the Arrested Developement movie rumor.
I hope it really does happen!!

Camera and phone clean up. Plus, the count down is on.

holy shabiz. There are a lot of pictures in this post. You know those peeps that post 1 picture and its sufficient? Well, I probably could have done that...but I didn't. Because I am so indecisive and can't pick 1 thing, I pick them all.

Deal with it.

Funny story: While I was posting pictures Jamison was attempting to give Chase a bath...in the back yard...with the hose. Awesome right? He told her it was time for a bath, she said she wanted to take a bath with the hose, he said "OK". I probably would have been like "no way", then she would have got upset and it would have caused this big drama....but thats what Mom's do. Dad's are just like whatev, its not a big deal. I wish I could be more like that.

Any who, back to the post. These are all pics taken in the last few weeks. My husband and our laptop have been holed up at his place of employment and his school as he prepares for his finales. And by finales I mean FINALES...as in THIS IS IT. IN 2 WEEKS HE WILL BE DONE WITH SCHOOL. Let us all do a toe touch in celebration. I know I am.

Anyways, what I was saying was I haven't scene the laptop in ages, and the desk top has none of my pictures on it.

Hello laptop. I missed you.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, 1000 pictures.

Wheeler Farm. Smells like cow *%$# but the kids love it.

A few days ago Chase was playing dress up. We ended up in the back yard with her on top of the stairs telling me some story about how she is going to climb the mountain to get to the witch and snow white. While she was telling me this story she was doing all these awesome poses. I had to get some pics. These are 2 of about 20 I took. And just so you know, in my family everyone makes fun of the amount of pics I take. Well in there faces when 20 years from now when my kids are enjoying that blog book I am going to create and are so grateful for all the pictures there mom took. BOO YA.

Chase and Hailey at the pool. This pic was taken when everyone was forced to get out because some kid took a crap in the pool.

I love this boy. He is such a boy. He likes to hide things around the house. I might go to get into the cupboard one night and find the remote control. I want to kiss his cheeks off.

Popsicles are delish.

The fourwheeler that Chase refuses to drive. She is scared. But my 1 year old son will gladly drive it. Its awesome.

Chase and Toka.

Funny story. We went to the cabin this last weekend. It happened to fall on the same weekend as Jamison's yearly Harley ride with his friends. On the way to the cabin we stopped in Midway to pick up Jamison's bro in laws Harley because its the bike Jamison usually uses for the ride. Long story short, the bike broke down...like 10 times right after we picked it up. This pic is one of the times. Jamison was SO bummed. He loves the Harley ride. They were even going to end the ride at the cabin since we would already be up there and swim and eat when the ride was all over.

We had to turn around and take the bike back, and poor Jamison had to miss out on the ride this year.

But...theres always next year!

Hailey and Chase fell asleep watching Coraline. I thought it was cute and picture worthy.

Gardener Village.

Random pic of Chase.

Hailey and Chase. They have been hanging out a lot this summer. Chase loves it (hopefully Hailey does to...)

Remember how I mentioned how we went to the cabin this past weekend? Here are the pics to prove. I kinda feel like we have been there a lot these past few weeks. That is OK. I want to live there. I will be a mountain woman and reside in the cabin.

I do not like this picture of me..but it was funny because for some reason it was extra dusty when you would ride the four-wheelers this trip. I took off my glasses and had raccoon eyes from all the dust. I should have posted pics of everyone with the raccoon eyes but I had to draw the line somewhere.

Chase, Jamison, and Hailey making bracelets. They do not mess around when it comes to bracelet making.

My boys.

Jamison directly after a ride on the 4-wheeler. Sunburned/dusty face. Hair sticking straight up.

One word can sum it all up: SEXY.

It was so dusty infact that Jamison busted out the goggles to wear while he drove the 4-wheeler. Do not be jealous of how hot they are. I think I am going to wear them as my sunglasses from here on out.

If you see a girl driving around in her car wearing goggles its me.

I repeat, don't be jealous when you see me.

(the helmet in front of Jamison contains Chase's head. My arm wasn't long enough to get us all in the pic)

Cute cousins in this incredibly beautiful meadow my step-dad took us to on the 4-wheelers.

I can't remember what this is called...this thing Jamison's doing. Its something you do when you can't get your ear to pop. Apparently it works wonders, and also gets all the wax out of your ear. I don't suggest trying it at home.

(also, that is not a cigarette in my Step-Dad's mouth. Its a match fools..incase you couldn't tell)

Nanna and some of the grand kiddies.

Chase caught a fish!! (with Grandpa's help of course)

Hangin by the river. Jamison is totally rocking the bracelet Chase made for him. I think its cute.

Here is the fish that was caught. It was released directly after this pic was taken.

Michelle and kids in beautiful meadow. They are sitting on the remains of a loggers cabin from long long ago.

Jamison and Chase picking flowers in beautiful meadow (which is totally illegal).

So, we drove the 4-wheelers to this cool area and carved our names in some trees. Chase kept telling me she needed to pee,and I kept telling her to try and hold it until we got back to the cabin. I mean, its hard being a girl and squatting in the forest...and when your a 3 year old girl squatting, you are pretty much doomed to pee on yourself, and I just didn't want to deal with it.

I learned my lesson. Basically when she says she has to pee, she has to pee. After her telling me like 10 time that she really needed to go and I just brushed it off hoping she could hold it, she looked right at me and peed her pants.

In my face.

This is the pic I tried to get of her running funny after peeing her pants. You can't really tell.

Check out the awesome turtles we made from rocks we collected.

We are so crafty.

I pitty the fool.

Smores are really good.

Chase and Hailey kickin it by the river.

The end.

Now I am going to watch So You Think You Can Dance.

I look forward to watching it every Wednesday and Thursday (maybe a little to much).

Kent kind of bugs me...but I predict that he will win this season.

And then he was 1.

When I found out I was pregnant the second time I new it was a boy. I don't know how but I just couldn't picture another girl. When I tried to imagine another baby girl it didn't quit feel right...but when I pictured a boy, I just new. It was like a puzzle, and picturing a baby boy addition to our family was like the piece that fit so perfectly....if that makes sense.

I wasn't surprised at all when the ultra sound confirmed it.

July 10th.

I so clearly remember the day he was born. I remember sitting in my Mom and Step-Dad's back yard watching Chase jump on the trampoline. It was that time of evening when it was just barely starting to cool down. It had been a blazing hot day. And blazing hot is especially uncomfortable when you are nearly 9 months pregnant. I remember getting this overwhelming feeling that he was ready to come. That he was coming that day. Within 30 minutes I had my first contraction. It was big. It was painful. I'm not sure what I was expecting. Maybe an easy birth like Chase's was. Something I could manage. But this pain was almost unmanageable. Within an hour there was almost no space between the contractions and we were on our way to the hospital. And this time it wasn't as easy breezy as it was the first time I did it. This time I was reminded of the movies where the wife is screaming at the husband to drive faster. Over and over I told Jamison I couldn't do this. "You need to drive faster, I can't do this, you need to drive faster, I can't do this".

We got to the hospital and checked in. Jamison started making small talk with a nurse about a family member who also worked at LDS in maternity and if this particular nurse new her. As he was trying to remember last names of so and so that worked at the hospital, and turned to me wondering if I remembered, I had the overwhelming desire to scream. To tell all these people to stop everything they were doing and HELP ME. I was in more pain than I could ever imagine was possible. I wanted an epideral and I wanted it NOW!!!

Finally in the hospital bed I was doing every thing I could to somehow handle this insane pain I didn't think I was capable of handling. Jamison kept asking what he could do to help me. I turned into that wife. The one who says "don't touch me, just stop talking". I wondered how many times that exact phrase has been said to husbands in that very room by women who were trying with all there might to deal with the pain. I didn't want any distractions. I just wanted to close my eyes and deal with it alone. To tune the world out.

When the epideral was finally given (it seemed like forever I waited), I remember the women who gave it to me specifically told me to hold very still, and curl into a ball. She told me that I would get the urge to suddenly jerk when she inserted the needle, but if I could, to resist it.

Not only did I jerk, but I think it may have looked like I had a minnie seizure. I scared Jamison, the nurses, and the anesthesiologist half to death. Then we all just burst out laughing.

I didn't think it was possible to laugh so hard while you were trying to handle such intense pain....but incase you were wondering, it is.

Then the sweet release of being numb.

A few minutes later the nurse tells me that because my doctor is running late (my doctor had just returned from a carribean cruise that night), she was sending in another doctor to break my water.

When this doctor walked in Jamison and I looked at each other in surprise. The kid looked like he was 17. But when your at that point in labor modesty doesn't much matter anymore. And if its some 17 year old doctor thats going to hurry this along then so be it.

Then it all happened so quickly. Not like Chase where I was in labor for hours and hours and hours. He was ready to come and he was coming now.

My doctor got there just in the nick of time. She told me to start pushing.

After the first push I was informed by my doctor that our baby boy did indeed have red hair.

A couple pushes later and he was here.

How do you put into words that moment when you first meet your child? I remember almost every detail of both my kids births. I have no other memories that are so clear.

Its like all the sudden you see the world in a whole different light. Its not about you anymore. Its about these little people. You just know. Just like that. You say "I would give up anything and everything for this person I don't even know yet."

And you thought you new your capacity to love. But you are so wrong. Because the love you feel at that moment is so intense, and so amazing.....I can't put it into words. I could try for 10 pages to do it...but even then I don't think I could.

Then I blinked and a year had gone by.

The Party.

Chase and Cohen.

The favorite present.

At 1 year old:

He says "op!" (meaning stop), and "go!" and "mama".

When asked what a lion says he will roar. Its beyond cute.

He walks like a pro and has been doing so for almost a month.

He has a temper to match the red hair.

When he gets mad he hits. Its really funny to watch, and even funnier when hes doing it to you.

He will literally carry on a conversation with you in his giberish baby language.

He adores his big sister.

He also does what brothers do best and torments Chase to no end.

I am in love with his curly red hair, and the little curls that are visible behind his ears.

And those blue eyes! How did he get blue eyes from 2 brown eyed parents?

He pretty much always has a bruise or goose egg on his head, and scraped up knees.

Happy Birthday Cohen!

photo by scott heffernan