Trevor & Lauren

Superbowl Party

2012-02-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

I love that the Super Bowl is an excuse to get together with good friends and eat good food. I only snapped a few pictures but we had a great time at our place this year. The food was plentiful and yummy. It was fun to hang out with friends and catch up while watching football in-between. It was also fun to see all the little ones running around and interacting together. I like the Manning's so I was glad the Giants won- especially after Gisele and her crazy antics. We love our friends-thanks everyone for coming!

Snow Weekend

2012-02-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

Trevor mentioned on Thursday that it was supposed to snow, but we had no idea what we were in for. It started late that night and didn't let up until Saturday. We woke up to almost 2 feet of snow. You would have thought the world was ending (people were calling in Snowmageddon). People were frantically going to the store stocking up. It was pretty funny since snow is a regular occurrence in Colorado. Work was canceled for Trevor and for our good friends the McCabes and Gross' so we decided lunch and a movie was in order. We had chicken noodle soup and watched In Time while we all relaxed and enjoyed doing a whole lot of nothing. That night cabin fever got the best of us and we decided to drive around and enjoy the snow and house hunt at the same time.

The next day the roads dried because of the beautiful sun we always get here in CO and we headed to take B to play in the snow with her cousins. She wasn't loving it due to being exhausted but we still got some pictures of her in her snow suit. I'm thinking she is warm blooded like her mom (sorry Trev- no winter camping for this little girl!) After that we headed to watch our favorite littlest sister, Skippy, at one of her last bball games. It was a fun weekend and we enjoyed relaxing. The sad news is both B and I got a cold and have been stuck at home for the past few days. Nothing is worse that having your baby sick and not being able to do anything. We have had lots of steam room sessions in her bathroom the past few days- it's much easier on me than the nose syringe which is basically torture for both of us.

My philosophy- if it's gonna snow, snow lots! And I'm glad it did- it is beautiful outside!

It's like our family is walking North Face ad, pretty funny.

Liza is a snow bunny

Grandma and Brooklyn

The little girls

This is after Trevor shoveled twice!

Gotta love Colorado

Emi is about to POP!

2012-02-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

My good friend Emi is about to have a little boy on Friday and I am beyond excited for her! A little bit jealous she gets to have an itty bitty baby (they grow up way too fast), but still so excited for her! Julie and I were excited to plan her shower and got the ball rolling months ago. We found out the two of us together equals lots and lots of ideas which equals lots of fun day dates with the kids putting those idea into action. It was a "POP" theme and we had everything from Tootsie Pops to Ring Pops to popsicles to old-fashioned soda to homemade pop tarts. We filled the house with balloons and hid two plastic babies in them. Everyone ran around the house popping them trying to find the babies and win the prize, it was lots of fun. Emi got lots of fun things and we all had a blast celebrating her little baby boy (B's future husband). Thanks for having a baby Emi so we could all celebrate. I can't wait to meet your little guy, he will be beyond adorable!

The adorable invitation Emily designed

Me, Emi, Julie

The Spread

Old fashioned Soda POP

For the party favors we made cowboy cookie mix in mason jars are made them look like bottles.

Emi & Me

Julie & Emi

She is one cute pregnant lady and got the cutest gifts!

Bethany & Me

The candy portion of the spread

Gift table

Balloons all over the floor (luckily Julie is smart and found the bike pump. About 10 balloons in we were both about to pass out!)

Thanks to Leslie, Emily, and Bethany for helping out too!

We are so happy for you Emi!

Mountain Man

2012-02-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

SO... Trevor has been a busy bee lately. Turns out he doesn't know how to function without physical activity. He works all day, then either rocks climbs or plays basketball for a little while each night, and then hikes some insanely tall mountain in terrible conditions on the weekend. He's crazy. I've said it before and I'll say it again, 50 mph winds in the freezing cold while trudging through snow is NOT my idea of a good time. But, this boys loves to takes the worst mother nature can give him, and for that (and many other reasons) I admire him. This is Mt. Bierstadt. It was one of the many climbs they are doing in the next two months in preparation for their Denali training week. I'm thinking B and I need to take a little mommy-daughter trip while he is gone :). Good thing we are headed to Costa Rica in 3 weeks so he can defrost.

When Mom's Away...

2012-01-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

We were heading to Trevor's basketball game (for the team of little boys he coaches) and I asked him to get Brooklyn dressed while I got ready. This is what I came downstairs and saw. We removed the du rag before we left the house. Those two crack me up when they are together.

Well worth the calories...

2012-01-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was making fajitas (cuz we didn't have enough in Mexico :) for Trevor's family for Sunday dinner. I forgot I needed a dessert as well and started searching through Pinterest to find something that had peanut butter and chocolate. The only two things I need to make me happy. I found a recipe for homemade Reese's bars. Sold. I made them and Trevor actually said "these taste just like the real thing!" It made way more than we needed so I made sure to take care of that today. Whoops!

Here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter Bars
1 c. butter
1 c peanut butter
2 c graham cracker crumbs
2 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 c semi-sweet choco chips
4 Tbsp peanut butter

Directions: Melt butter & 1 c peanut butter. Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Mix until well blended. Press into ungreased 9"x 13" pan. Melt choco chips with 4 Tbsp peanut butter (either on stovetop or microwave) and spread on top of graham cracker mixture. Refridgerate for at least 1 hour.

http://morganmoore.typepad.com/one_more_moore/2008/08/makin-stuff.html

Cancun, Mexico

2012-01-08T18:54:00.001-08:00

Christmas came and went, and we left for Mexico! It was nice to leave the cold weather and head to the beach for a week of fun with Trevor's family!

The week consisted of: early morning runs on the beach, long days at the pool, boogie boarding, playing in the sand (B), floating in a Disney Princess inner tube (B), reading Goodbye Jimmy Choo by the pool (well worth the read), way too much Diet Coke, daily dinners consisting of fajitas, fajitas, and more fajitas, late nights of Mexican Trains, naps by the pool, watching Bowl Games on the sling box, and mostly just having fun hanging out together. The weather was perfect and the scenery wasn't too bad either :)

It was blast and Brooklyn couldn't have been a better traveler. She loved the pool and sand, once she got used to it of course, and could have floated around for hours. She LOVES texture so the sand was heaven for her. I love that she is getting to experience all of these things so young. I think it was stimulation overload because she slept and napped like it was going out of style. I will admit that traveling with a wee-one and their all of their luggage (and there is A LOT of it) is very stressful at times but I was glad we still got have a relaxing trip in the sun. It was so much fun to play with her in the water and watch her take it all in.

The only real hiccup was Brooklyn's mega-meltdown on the way home. The flight was delayed so her sleeping was all out of whack and she was awake for close to 6 hours. She has never been up for longer than 4, so you can only imagine how tired the poor girl was. She finally reached her breaking point and screamed for 5 or 10 minutes. It felt like 5 hours. She finally fell asleep, more like passed out, and we, and everyone else on the plane, let out a sigh of relief. The poor thing did all she could to last the flight but had just had enough and I don't blame her. She is such a sweetheart for putting up with being on the go for a week! For all you new moms out there, that moment you imagine where your child is screaming and everyone is staring at you and you don't know what to do and nothing will calm them down really is as bad as you think it will be. Trust me. Minus that, she was champ and we are oh so grateful for it! We can't get enough of that little girl and her smile. Thanks for a great trip Mom and Dad Tripp!

Nickie took some great pictures of us while we were there - thanks Nick!

B and aunt Skippy

Brookie and Aunt Tiff/her swim coach

I made sure she was protected from the sun!

this makes me laugh EVERY time I look at it

I really can't get enough of this girl.

One of my favorite pictures.

B didn't always love the pool/beach...

we went to this restaurant, La Parilla, on our honeymoon and it was fun to take B back with us.

I love being her Mom.

Brooklyn and Grandma

The whole gang at dinner one night

parasailing

these two girls were our entertainment

she didn't mind the obnoxious amounts of sunscreen I put on her. It was actually one of her favorite toys, it even went in the pool with her.

Brooklyn's First Christmas

2012-01-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is my favorite time of year. It's like a wedding. You are excited, you plan, you do a million things to get ready for it, and then BAM it's over in one day. I wish it was longer but it's not so I try and make the most of it. I put up the decorations, ordered Brooklyn's stocking (which didn't match ours exactly, thanks Pottery Barn), and shopped 'til I dropped. Brooklyn frequents the mall and actually loves looking around at everything that is going on. Having B around for the Holidays made it that much more fun. I was so excited to get her Christmas pajamas and Christmas books and a few other fun things. Shopping for infants is way cheaper than adults. And she will never remember the outfit and shoes I got her but it was still fun to wrap all the presents. Since Tausha got married 4 days before Christmas, there was lots of family in town which made it really feel like Christmas.

Christmas Eve is always a big deal in Trevor's family and it always takes place at his Grandma's house. Trevor dresses up as Santa and gives all the kids presents. Trevor as Santa is quite a sight to see. We played lots of minute to win it games, frosted sugar cookies, and listened to Grandma tell us stories as we all sat around. We had Christmas Eve brunch with my family at The Original Pancake house and ate ourselves sick but it is always worth it there. My mom bought all the girls outfits for the day but I guess I didn't get them memo she was supposed to wear it to breakfast so Liza and Rachel were all dolled up while Brooklyn was in her "Florida retirement home sweatsuit" as my dad likes to call it. It was cold, that's my excuse for the fleece sweat suit.

Christmas pajamas!

It won't be long til Brookie realizes Santa is Dad...

Trevor's little cousins were so cute with Brooklyn. Megan just adores her and B loves her just as much. We wish she lived closer so she could be our perma-babysitter!

We spent the night at Trevor's parents house because driving over at 6 am with a 6 month old didn't seem that appealing. We stayed up late and talked with the agreement the festivities would start at 6:30 am. Brooklyn slept through the first part so we saved her presents for last. She got so spoiled and got lots of fun toys, clothes, and books. All of these toys have made my days much more productive! We then went to church and headed over to my parents house. Liza could barely contain herself and while we weren't looking had already opened some of her presents. It was hilarious. My favorite present was a Vitamix blender (bring on the green smoothies) and Trevor's was probably his 6-day trip to climb Mt. Rainier. I guess it's a big deal because I had to sign a consent form saying I knew just what he was getting into. That's my mountain man. His present from me? A pair of mountaineering pants that are indestructible. He picked them out and I wrapped them. I don't get it, but I go along with it :) All of his crazy outdoor adventures may scare me a little bit, but he loves it, so I love it and try not to worry. I told him he had to up his life insurance policy!

Yes, my brother got a bag THAT big. I asked why and the response was, "when we climb Everest I will need this." Oh boy.

Liza loved her new sleeping bag we got her.

Christmas was a blast and we had so much fun spending it with our families. We are so grateful to have them close because it's holidays like these that help you realize family really is all that matters. We couldn't love our families more and are so blessed. Although Christmas was a whirlwind this year we didn't forget the true meaning of Christmas. We are so grateful for the birth of our Savior and all the blessings we enjoy because of it. I'm grateful that we have this holiday to remember Him and all he has done for us.

Tausha gets married!

2012-01-04T13:36:00.001-08:00

Trevor's second littlest sister got married on December 21st in the Denver Temple! I barely made it in due to my air headed self and the fact the I forgot my recommend. New Years Resolution: don't be such an air head. Trevor is pretty excited about that resolution. Anyways, the wedding was gorgeous, Tausha was stunning, and all around it was a wonderful day none of us will forget. My mother in law knows how to plan and decorate with the best of them so the outfits/reception/pictures were nothing short of stunning. We love Tausha and are excited to have Jacob join the family! Here are some quick pictures before we get all the edited ones!

Disneyland '11

2012-01-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

Disneyland was a blast. Brooklyn slept through most it, like she doest most of her life, but I think she still enjoyed herself. She rode her first ride, the dumbo ride, and saw lots of characters. Baby Rachel went on the ride too- I think we were the only ones with infants! The best part was Liza and her melt down when she had to leave Minnie. It was lots of "MINNIE COME!!" "MORE MINNIE PLEASE" and her running back to find her in her house. It was so cute. By 5 o'clock she was delirious, half asleep, and muttering "more disneyland please." She is such a doll and keeps us all laughing all the time. B idolizes her and watches her every move. I am excited for all these girls to buddies. It was fun to go back, minus the 200 bones to get in :) I guess I took having a season pass as a kid for granted. It really is a magical place and seeing it decorated for Christmas made it that much better!

Newport Beach '11

2011-12-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

Kozak & Associates recently opened an office up in Newport Beach, Ca, so a business dinner for clients was scheduled for December for all of the boys to go. The girls decided it was the perfect time for them to go have fun and play. And that we did. Since I grew up in California, it is always a blast to go back. It will always have a special place in my heart. It was especially fun to be back there with my brother where every street seemed to bring back memories. We stayed on Balboa Island, one of my favorite locations in all of Southern California. It is quaint, charming, unique, and absolutely gorgeous. I would have no problem retiring there and never leaving the island. We shopped, ate, went on many walks, played in the sand, went to Disneyland, and spent time with great family and friends. I am so excited for the new office because hopefully that means more time there. Brooklyn also got to meet my best friend Lindsey and that was so much fun. I think Brooklyn loves Lindsey as much as I do :) I will blog about Disneyland later, I don't have the energy to tackle that beast tonight! Thanks mom and dad for a great trip!

This little girl was pure entertainment the entire trip. She is hilarious and we all adore her.

The boys built Liza a sand castle that she couldn't wait to destroy. The water was freezing but the boys braved the water and surfed.

I love that face.

I really can't get enough of her.

Papa making B laugh.

We went on lots of walks around the island. Probably 2 a day. It was so much fun walking as a family, admiring all the houses, and going on morning donut runs.

These little toes touched sand for the first time.

It was so fun to take her to the beach.

Balboa Bars are famous there and worth the hype! My dad prefers the frozen bananas but it was like biting into banana flavored ice.

Beautiful Balboa Island

Daddy and B at the beach.

Our cute little beach house!

My brother and I grew up going to this arcade. It seemed huge and magical back then. It broke our hearts to see how abandoned that part of the boardwalk was. It once had bumper cars, 3 arcades, and a merry go round. Now, just the one arcade stands. They are turning it into a museum.

One of the days we got together with my Dad's ENTIRE family, minus little Kassey and Trevor ( he wasn't there yet). We haven't all been together for a long time, it was lots of fun.

I just love Balboa. Trevor and I took our engagements on that Ferris Wheel.

We found the deal or no deal game at the arcade and Liza loved it!

Brooklyn napped like a champ the entire trip. Wherever we were she took her naps and was a happy camper.

Kristy and I with the girls on the ferry.

It was perfect weather

Being on the island, we had to take the ferry (a whole 3 minute ride) to get to the beach/arcade/etc.

B's photo shoot.

2011-12-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

My cousin Hayden took the cutest pictures of B over Thanksgiving, I love them!

Tausha's Shower

2011-11-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

Trevor's little sister, Tausha, is engaged and getting married December 21st. It goes without saying we adore Tausha. I consider myself pretty lucky to have her as a sister in law. I was so excited to help plan/throw her shower. I wanted to make it as "Tausha" as possible, which means bright colors, girly, and lots of polka dots. I think the mission was accomplished. Thanks to the Carney and McCabe girls! It was lots of fun getting everything ready and seeing it all come together. We had a blast setting up for 5 hours! We are excited for Tausha to get married and have Jacob in the family! I didn't edit any of these pictures so they are kinda dark, oh well.

Time Flies

2011-11-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our little Brooklyn is almost 4 months old. Where on earth has the time gone? People always told me "they grow up too fast" and I never really took it seriously. Until now. She has grown up Way.Too.Fast. So fast that I may or may not have cried in the past week thinking about how I wish I had a remote for her to freeze these moments I can't get enough of. I think the whole newborn thing is done all wrong. How come when they are these tiny, precious little things you are recovering, exhausted, and totally clueless on the who parenthood thing? So unfair. Every day I think, could she get any cuter? Could I love her more? and well, every day I do.

It totally blows my mind how much I can love this little thing. It's crazy how 3 months is such a short amount of time but she has changed so much. Maybe it's because my little one already wants to stand on her own, hold her own bottle, and grab iPhones. She is past the point of cuddling and looks at me like "um...mom, I can hold my head up already, I'm too big for this whole cuddling thing." Sometimes she lets out her annoyed scream while I'm doing it but I still make cuddle. Selfish, I know. Everyday brings something new and she changes slightly every time I see that smiling face when I get her out of her crib in the morning.

As much as I miss her tiny little self and her being so dependent on me, I am loving watching her learn and grow everyday. I could stare at her all day long and just watch her take in and try and understand the world around her. I wish I could lock her up in the house and never let her have to face this crazy world, but hopefully by the time she is actually facing it, I will have come to grips with it. :) She is my whole world now and I couldn't love it more. Now that I have her, I totally understand what every other mom said about loving them. No matter how exhausted, frustrated, or stressed I ever get, it takes one little squeal from her to remind what is really worth worrying about.

I am thankful for her everyday and have loved every second of the 119 days I have had her. Now, if only pregnancy went this fast and the first 9 months went as slow at growing her did. Now that, is a genius idea. At least she is stuck with me forever. I am eternally thankful for that.

How did this little girl...

turn into this little girl so fast?

I love those cheeks.

Baby's first Halloween

2011-11-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

I always thought about what holidays would be like with a babe around, and, well...it's WAY. MORE. FUN. My mom was never the biggest Halloween enthusiast and dressed me in her old clown costume for more years that I would like to mention, I decided to fully embrace it. I will, however, give her credit for manning up one year and making me and my best friend Betty and Wilma- we rocked the trunk or treat that year. The other day she casually said "I should get out the clown costume" to which I quickly replied "NO!!" It's an ongoing joke in our family. I'm sure one year I'll make Brookie wear the clown costume. I got Brooklyn a cute lady bug costume one night, and an "i'pood" the other night. If you know Trevor it will make perfect sense.

For our pre-Halloween activities, my friend Emi put together a fun little outing to a pumpkin patch. This wasn't just any pumpkin patch, this was a pumpkin farm where you cut your pumpkin off the vine. Minus two massive blowouts, Brooklyn enjoyed herself. It was fun to get out and do something new this year.

Julie had her annual Halloween party that was as fun as ever. She knows how to throw a party. It was fun to get together with all of our good friends and eat lots of junk food. It's not as easy to not eat like you're pregnant when you're not pregnant. I'm working on it. It doesn't help that Trevor (who lives for handing candy out to the kiddos) told me to get lots of candy and a whole 4 kids showed up to our door. I should have listened to my mom's advice and bought candy I don't like. Oh well.

all the babes- this picture cracks me up

Steve Jobs and his "i'pood"

We went to our ward trunk or treat and had some great chili and cornbread before heading out to the cars to pass out candy to the little kids. It was freezing out that night but still lots of fun.

I'm certain they will find this funny 10 years from now

Having Brookie here for Halloween made me beyond excited for her first Christmas. I'm already planning obnoxious amounts of traditions. We will see how many I actually put in action. Having a little one around is more fun that I could have imagined and I can't get enough of her.

Bath Time!!

2011-10-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn LOVES bath time, well at least now she does. The first few times I am certain the neighbors thought we were beating her. But now the second she gets in the water she lays there like she is in a coma. And I love it because she looks so cute and I just love her monkey towel! Basically, we can't get enough of her and sometimes, well most times, fight over who gets to hold her and play with her.

Linger

2011-09-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago our dinner group tried a fun new restaurant downtown. It's become a monthly tradition that we all look forward to. Trevor and I are usually along for the ride since we don't know all of the great places to eat downtown. This time we went to Linger. It has quite an interesting story. It used to be a mortuary that has since been transformed into this amazing restaurant. They assured us no bodies were ever in the room where we were eating (not creepy, right?) The menu is divided up into continents and all of the food is based off of authentic street food from areas around the world. We had ceviche, fried jalapeno poppers, blood orange duck wings, sliders, pad thai, Korean pork, sweet potato fried, and some really weird flash fried cheese thing. It was lots of food and lots of fun. We were hoping to sit on their roof deck but it was pouring rain! We braved the weather and tried Little Man Ice Cream. It just as good and people say it is and I'm sure would have tasted better if it weren't freezing cold. We ran into a middle aged man that talked to us for what seems like forever. He had a huge ring on that Trevor immediately noticed. Turns out he was a punter for the Broncos when the won the Super Bowl. Trevor had to try the ring on... We can't wait for next month!

Brooklyn's Blessing

2011-09-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

We blessed Brooklyn on 9/11/11. It was a great day filled with lots of food, family, and friends. We are so grateful to everyone that came! Brooklyn's dress is her great great grandma's blessing dress that was made from her great great great grandmas wedding dress. I was so excited it resurfaced in the family and she was able to wear it. It was lots of fun and a day we will always remember. We love you, Brooklyn!

Roommate Reunion

2011-09-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago one of Trevor's best friends Austin emailed him and said we should all meet in Omaha for Labor Day. At first I thought there is no way we can drive 7 hours with a 7 week old but the more I thought about it I decided she has got to learn to travel sometime and we couldn't miss out on a weekend with our favorite people. Brooklyn was such a champ and I kid you not, slept the entire way. She didn't make a peep the whole 7 1/2 hours. I think she was excited to go too. Tyler, Lara, and Macie live in Omaha so Austin, Natalie, and Cooper came from Wisconsin and we came from Colorado. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. We all have kids 6 months apart and it was so much fun to have them all together. Tyler and Lara were amazing hosts and fed us like kings. We golfed, shopped, laughed, ate, and watched the BYU game (tennis for me- thanks Bid!). I am so glad we made the trek and we are already looking forward the 2012 in Chicago!

Bid, Lara, and Macie

Austin, Nat, and Coop

We had to make sure we had all of our sports covered.

Brooklyn's first trip to the golf course, I'm sure anything could have made Trevor happier.

You don't see this on the golf course everyday...

We went golfing on Labor day...all of us. It was hilarious pushing strollers and golfing. We dubbed it the "Omaha Cup". I'm still not sure who won. Nat and I threw the towel in after 7 holes haha.

The girls and their babies.

One happy family

The whole gang at the Temple

Macie was nice enough to let Brooklyn use her crib (which was a total lifesaver)! She is the happiest baby I know. She may be the only little girl that has teeth coming in, a running nose, and cant sleep and still has the cutest smile on her face all day. We just love that little girl.

Cooper could be the cutest little boy EVER. He has more energy than anyone I know and was the life of the party. We are so glad we finally got to meet him!

Brooklyn wasn't quite as good at standing...but she tried.

Winter Quarters Temple

Lara made Cafe Rio from scratch (it was so yummy) and slaved all day so the boys did the dishes! They turned on music and cleaned- it was a crack up.

Brooklyn and I at the Winter Quarters Temple

Brooklyn Hannah Tripp

2011-08-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn Hannah Tripp

7/17/11 @ 7:30 pm

7 lbs 14 oz

21 inches

Brooklyn is here!! She has kept up plenty busy, hence the no blogging. My down time is spent napping most days. I'm not going to go into the whole birth story because it was quite brutal and details most people have no interest in reading. We couldn't love her more. We can't get enough of her. We are just so thrilled to finally have our little girl here. We think she is pretty cute, but we are probably biased :). She sleeps 20 hours a day and is the sweetest little baby. She loves to eat and loves to be held. We couldn't be happier. I'll post more later but for now here are some pictures of our little Brooklyn!

Brunch at the Inverness

That smile melts my heart!

She loves bath time- even when Trevor mohwaks her hair

My favorite picture of Brooklyn and her daddy

Brunch @ Inverness- love her cheeks!

Hanging out with Dad

Brooklyn and her BFF Ashlyn

First time at the pool- we had to wake her up to put her toes in.

First outing to dinner for mom's Bday

My favorite thing in the while world- I LOVE naps with her

Leaving the hospital!

Dad and his little girl

Her favorite big cousin Liza

Proud Daddy

FINALLY

2011-07-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

So my due date (July 13th) came and went and Brooklyn is camping out (she must be like her dad). So tonight at 6pm we are going in to the hospital and they will start the whole process of inducing me. We can't wait to meet! I'm a little nervous for the whole process but I think my excitement is making it easier. Next time I post, I'll be a mom!

Brooklyn's Nursery

2011-07-16T09:48:00.001-07:00

So... I finally got around to taking pictures of her room. I just love it and can't wait to bring her home to it. I was hoping to have a more detailed post with everything we did, but since I am being induced tonight, I am way too tired to go to that much work! We re-finished the crib, the dresser, the shelf, and the end table. My mom and I made the curtains, bedding, and cushions for the rocker. It was a lot of work to do so much DIY but it was lots of fun! The crib was a total nightmare but once I got the hang of it, it turned out great- thanks to Julie for letting me use her supplies and Emily for coming and saving the day to help me finish. The crib and dresser were both dark wood before, so you can only imagine the overhaul that took place. It definitely kept me busy the last few months. There are still a few pictures that need to go in frames but other than that its all ready for her! Thanks for all your help mom!

Crafty?

2011-07-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

So, as I have mentioned before, I am not good at crafts or sewing or being very creative. I would much rather hunt down a good deal then take on a tedious sewing project. Whenever I sew I get way too worked up because I hate unpicking or having to redo anything. My mother has to constantly remind me that it is part of sewing and I constantly remind her that is why I don't sew. Anyways, I decided to try the whole sewing thing since I got a machine from Trevor for Christmas. Well, I actually kinda like it (as long as everything goes smoothly). I wont lie and say I don't swear at my machine every once in a while, but it's kinda fun knowing how to sew. My friend Julie made all of these adorable onesies for her little girl Hadley so I tried to copy them for Brooklyn. With my mom's help I made some cute skirted onsies that I was very pleased with. Then, my sister-in-law asked me if I wanted to make a quilt. I first laughed because that seemed way above my skill level. I agreed only because she said she would walk me through the whole thing. It turned out SO cute and I love it. Hopefully Brooklyn likes it too because her mom put some serious sweat into that quilt. Lastly, I made a car seat cover since it seemed easy enough- and it was! It was lots of fun and kept me busy. By 11 am I am bored out of my mind and need something to do so these little projects are great. Now I just need this little girl to get here! (The iphone pics aren't great)

4th of July

2011-07-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

I was hoping I would be in labor on the 4th of July, but that ship sailed. Even though we didn't get to have a baby, we had an amazing 4th of July weekend. We decided we had to go to the Rockies game for the fireworks show again this year since we had such a blast last year. Once again, it didn't disappoint. We went with our good friends Mike and Emi and Trevor's dad came too. We love being able to go down on the field and see the show, and surprisingly the Rockies won.

On the actual 4th we had a ward breakfast in the morning where Trevor cooked over 300 pancakes! It was lots of fun but HOT. It was almost 90 degrees by 11 am. We then headed over to Trevor's parents house and saw Transformers 3- we highly recommend it. After that we met up with my family and had dinner at CPK. After that, we headed up to Lookout Mountain with Mike and Emi to see the fireworks all over the city. It was amazing. We didn't really know what to expect but assumed there would be a good view and there definitely was. It was so cool to see so many shows going on at once and to be in the mountains. It was a great 4th of July.

I am so grateful for all of the men and women who serve our country. I recently found out about a kid I went to High School with that was killed in Iraq last week leaving his wife and 9 month old daughter. It broke my heart. I am so grateful for his service and sacrifice. The sacrifice these men and women make for our country is so humbling and I know I will never be able to thank them enough. I am so blessed to live in this amazing country.

Greys and Torreys

2011-07-03T12:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Trevor, along with his good friend Jason and my brother, decided to hike Greys AND Torreys peak. Why not knock 2 14ers off the list in one day? Greys is 14270 and Torreys is 14267. They left around 5:30 in the morning and were back by 3. I was lazy and went shopping while he climbed. He said they had a blast and these were two of the more picturesque peaks in Colorado. The pictures were amazing- once I'm not preggo anymore I think I may be joining him on SOME of these hikes- in the summer of course ( I will never understand the thrill of winter hiking :). That boy loves his mountains!

Pregnancy

2011-06-21T09:02:00.001-07:00

So... I have 3 weeks left and I haven't really documented anything. I'm sure some day I will regret that but right now I am way too tired to think that far ahead. I have taken pictures throughout, but haven't documented what weeks I was at so I guess those won't be very helpful either. I guess there is something about documenting getting larger that doesn't appeal to me, go figure.

I have this natural talent of putting things off and doing them last minute (if you know my mother you know that I must have been switched at birth.) She is the most organized woman there is. She has been a LIFESAVER the past few months. My nursery may have never gotten finished if not for her. She took all of Brooklyn's clothes (which is way too many than any infant needs) washed, and ironed them and then brought them back to me in bins organized by size. She came out on multiple days to help me de clutter my house, and then deep clean every square inch of my house. I'm talking baseboards, windows, everything. She knows me too well and knows that I need everything organized BEFORE Brooklyn comes for my sanity and Trevor's (he is just as organized as my mom). I'd like to think, and you'll have to ask Trevor to validate this, that I have been quite on top of everything since! Mission accomplished mom. Thanks!!!

It is finally hitting me that she will be here in 3 weeks. I have avoided really thinking about it because it made time just drag by. I have the next 10 days planned out so I never have down time. That way I don't have time to let anxiety or stress get the best of me :). I am SO excited to have her here. 9 months is a really long time when you're pregnant, much longer that I thought it would seem. I keep picturing what she will look like and if she will have hair or not. Trevor is hoping my brown eyes aren't going to ruin our chances of Brooklyn getting his blue eyes. Maybe she will miraculously be blonde with blue eyes. I am super excited for our lives to change but can't believe it will never be just Trevor and I again, how crazy to think about! It is going to be the best change to ever happen to us.

I am going to miss feeling her move all day long, she is an acrobat in there. I love just laying down and watching my stomach move. I won't miss my joints throbbing every night when I wake up, feeling like a whale, having to sleep on my side, and not being able to eat turkey sandwiches (what else are you supposed to eat for lunch?). It's been quite the journey but one I wouldn't trade for the world. I am so grateful we get to have our little girl here in 3 weeks. I'm just hoping Trevor will still tie my shoes for me when I don't have a belly, that has been a perk :). And I'm hoping she makes an early appearance for my sanity, a girl can dream right?

Father's Day

2011-06-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

So I don't have any pictures of Father's Day, whoops. I blame it on the fact that I was cooking all day. It was lots of fun to celebrate it seeing that Trevor will be a dad in 3 weeks, yes 3 weeks. I made him French toast that morning, we went to church, headed to my parents, and then came back to our house to have dinner for his dad. It was one busy day, but full of family and fun.

Seeing as I am the only girl in my family I have always been quite the Daddy's girl. I admire my dad so much and feel so lucky to have him in my life. He is one amazing man. If not for him who knows how girly I would have turned out, ha!

Trevor and I are so grateful for his dad as well. We love lunch dates with him and never stop laughing when we are around him. We are so grateful to live so close to both of our dads and that little Brooklyn will know them both so well.

I am so excited for Trevor to be a dad. He is going to be a way better parent than I will, I'm certain of it. I have never met a kid that doesn't adore him or a kid he doesn't adore. Brooklyn is one lucky girl. I am grateful everyday that I have him in my life.

Happy Father's day to all the dads out there!

Trev goes to the U.S. Open- golf edition.

2011-06-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

So last week a call came into the office and someone asked if anyone was interested in tickets to the U.S. Open. We thought they were talking about the tennis U.S. Open in September but these tickets were for golf in Washington D.C. Trevor and my dad jumped at the chance to go so they bought tickets and were on their way a few days later. I was super jealous! Trevor had never been to D.C. so he got to not only fulfill his golf dreams but also see our nation's capital. I was excited for him to go but missed him lots while he was gone. I sent him with strict orders to take lots of pictures and he did, but only 2 of himself! He said he had a blast and loved seeing the sights. He said the golf course was amazing and he loved being able to see the pros just a few feet away. I think they saw most everything they could in 36 hours. Brooklyn and I are glad to have him back!

He took this for me :)

They took a bike tour around the city. He said if anyone wants to know how to see D.C. in 36 hours, just ask him.

Chalk Art Festival

2011-06-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

I love downtown Denver. Trevor and I always wish we lived right downtown but it never made sense for Trevor to commute out of downtown since he works in the burbs. We always wish we got down there more often and have been making an effort to do so. Every year Denver has a chalk art festival and I have always wanted to go but we have never gotten around to it and this year I was determined. We went with our good friends the McCabes and Gross'. It was just as fun as I thought it would be. The art was amazing and it was fun to walk around Larimer Square. I think we will definitely be making it a tradition!

My belly! Only 3.5 more weeks.

Ashlyn, like usual, was a trooper! we love her!

Me, Emi, Leslie

Baby Shower #2

2011-06-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to have 2 baby showers for little Brooklyn. I got to have my fabulous one out in our new area and then last weekend I had one back in Highlands Ranch with all of my dear family and friends I have known for so long. Donna, who was my wedding planner and like my second mother, threw me a beyond amazing shower. Her little girl Ellie has been like a little sister to me since she was 6 months old and I started babysitting her. Lesley, Shelley, Dorothy and Cindy all helped and made it so much fun. I can't thank all of them enough, I am so blessed to know such great (and talented) women! I'll let the pictures do the talking! Brooklyn got SO many great things, she is one lucky girl. Thanks to everyone who came and made it so special for me, I love you all!

This little girl shared her Birthday with my baby shower. I have loved watching her grow up. I can't believe she is already 12- crazy how time flies.

My sister in law is due a month after me. I am super excited for Brooklyn and her little girl cousin to be the best of friends.

I just love my mom- I hope to be half the mother she is.

The decorations were beyond amazing. I walked in and was speechless, it looked like it was right out of a magazine. Her design talents never cease to amaze me. We drank water out of glass baby bottles, the tissue papers balls were on stair spindles she had cut and painted, and she made the napkin holders herself. I dream of having those kind of talents. I couldn't have asked for anything better. She said the yellow shoes were her inspiration (little did she know I have been eyeing them at the Gap for months!)

I am so lucky to have so many great friends in my life.

I can't wait for Brooklyn to get here- I am going crazy. I am not only excited to not be pregnant (expect for feeling her kick all day long- I love it) but I am excited to see what she looks like and to love this little girl so much. One more month!

Memorial Day

2011-06-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

This year, Memorial Day snuck up on us and we didn't have any fun plans like we had hoped. Trevor decided golf was a must so he went with my dad and his dad and golfed at Arrowhead Golf Course in Roxborough. It is gorgeous out there! My mom and I worked on the nursery (pictures coming soon) and then went and met them for lunch. Nothing too exciting but I had to post pictures of how beautiful it is around here this time of year.

On a side note: ONLY 5 MORE WEEKS TIL BROOKLYN IS HERE! It can't come soon enough :) We are dying to meet her.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2011-06-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

My dad turned 49 (he is still a spring chicken) and we had a great night celebrating! We had Lou Malnatis pizza from Chicago and Kristy made a great chocolate cake. He got lots of running and rock climbing gear and loved it all. I admire my dad so much and feel like one lucky girl to have him. We love you Dad!

D Bar

2011-06-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

If you know me really well, you know that i LOVE food. I love trying new restaurants and unique places in every city we go to. It drives most of my family crazy that I put so much thought into where we are going to eat dinner. I can spend hours researching restaurants before a vacation. Maybe thats why NYC is my favorite place on earth - endless food possibilities.

Sadly, one of the downsides of living in suburbia is the lack of mom and pops and the surplus of chains. Downtown Denver is such an amazing city and Trevor and I always wish we spent more time down there so we recruited one of Trevor's friends to take us to a new place downtown and, as expected, he didn't disappoint. He refused to tell us where we were going so it was a total surprise when we showed up to his house. We ended up going to D Bar, which is owned by Keegan Gerhard, who judges all the cake contests on the Food Network. The food was beyond amazing and the dessert was, well lets just say if he is judging contests it's probably because he has won all of them. I had a fried chicken sandwich with belgian waffles and sweet potato fries (sounds weird, i know) and Trevor had Kobe beef sliders that he says were the best he has had. Dessert didn't disappoint either. I had to be rolled out of there. It was so much fun to catch up with good friends and eat good food. We can't wait until we have our next adventure downtown. Thanks Ben!

3 years.

2011-06-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

On the 29th, Trevor and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. It was a blast. We went downtown to our favorite pizza place (Proto's in the Highlands- I HIGHLY recommend it) and then to the Rockies game. Trevor got us great seats and the Rockies killed the Cardinals which made it even more fun. The past 3 years have been the best ever and we can't wait to have little Brooklyn join our family this year!

Mt. Sherman- 14,046 feet

2011-05-10T19:24:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Trevor and his friend Michael decided they wanted to hike Mt. Sherman- 14,046 feet. Friday night we went to Chipotle for dinner and then the boys packed their meals and headed out around 10 pm for the 2 hour drive to the trail head. They didn't get to bed until 2 am and woke up at 6 am to start their hike. It took 6 1/2 hours and they made it to the top to find 60 mph winds that about blew them over. While they were doing that Emi and I went to see a chick flick and ran lots of errands, a successful day in my book. They came home BURNT from the sun and the wind. Trevor is still in horrible pain because his lips are blistering and his face is as burned as I have ever seen it. He has quite the raccoon eyes going on right now. He claims he put sunscreen on but it wasn't a match for 14,000 feet. Beside the burn, he said it was an amazing climb and he loved the old mine shafts they got to explore on the way up. The trail was still snow covered so they were in snow shoes the whole time. Trevor lives for his weekends in the mountains! Another 14er checked off the list for Trevor. I love my mountain man!

Mother's Day

2011-05-10T15:43:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day was lots of fun this year. Trevor and I are pretty lucky in the mom department. We have two great moms that live close and are way too good to us. We just love them so much and are so thankful we have them in our lives.

Trevor spoiled me and celebrated my first mother's day perfectly. He got me a new point and shoot camera (so I can take lots of pictures of little Brooklyn) with all the accessories and some very pretty flowers I have loved having on my table this week. I just love that boy.

We spent the morning at Trevor's parents house and made breakfast for Kenna and then the afternoon at my house. My brother and Trevor made dinner for everyone (cornish game hens, garlic mashed potatoes, rolls, and prosciutto wrapped green beans). It was so delicious. They wouldn't let any of us lift a finger- it was great. Trevor spent the afternoon playing baseball in the backyard with Liza- too cute. Every time she sees him she says "T!!" in her high pitched voice. We then stopped over at Grandma Nolen's house to have some dessert and see the rest of the family. It is always fun to go over there! Although we drive all over the greater Denver area on most holidays, I wouldn't trade having family close for anything.

Baby Shower!

2011-04-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, my amazing friends threw me a baby shower. I can't say enough about how fabulous it was. Julie, Emi, and Emily did such an incredible job-EVERYTHING was so adorable. They were WAY too good to me. I can't thank you girls enough! From the invitations, to the decorations, to the food, to the games, it was so much fun. The bottle sucking game was hilarious! I couldn't stop taking pictures of how cute everything was. I am so grateful to everyone who came, Brooklyn got so many fun things! I feel so lucky to have such great friends and family. Thanks again girls, I couldn't ask for better friends!

Trevor runs the SLC marathon

2011-04-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday night I got home from Georgia, unpacked, washed my clothes, and packed again for our trip to Utah. We drove Wednesday night after work for Trevor's marathon, got a late start and hit stop and go traffic from Denver to Fort Collins. Then in Wyoming, we hit a blizzard. After a LONG night in the car we finally go to Logan- 10 hours later! For how long it took us, the drive actually went by pretty fast. We got to my cousin's house late that night and fell asleep within a minute of laying down. We spent the next day seeing my cousin's adorable little girls and hanging out in our pajamas all day. Trevor and I couldn't remember the last time we got to do that on a weekday. I made him rest his legs for his race that Saturday.

We then drove down to Provo to stay the night so Trevor could golf Friday morning. I forced him to get a cart so he could save his legs and sent him with a Nalgene and strict orders to fill up every 3 holes so he could hydrate- I think I was driving him crazy haha! I got to see two of my best friends Courtney and Jenna that morning and it was such a treat. We then met up with our great friends Tyler and Amber and got to see them and their adorable little girl Ella and newborn baby Cooper. Then we headed to the airport to pick up Trevor's parents and headed to our hotel in SLC. We felt like gypsies that weekend and lived out of our car it seemed. We went to dinner that night and stocked up on bagels and bananas for Trevor and Tausha (she ran the 1/2 marathon).

It was early to bed and early to rise. We all got up at 5:45 and saw Trevor and Tausha off to the race and then hurried into the car to stake out our spots to find them. We saw them both at mile 4, right before the courses split and they looked great. I think they were both sad they had to run alone after that. I then met Trevor's friend Mitch downtown because he was going to run the last 3 miles with Trev. We rushed to mile 18, cheered him on there, got back in the car and raced to mile 23 to wait for him. Mitch hopped in and they ran the rest of the race together. Trevor ran an amazing race and beat his goal time by 10 minutes.

He never ceases to amaze me, I was so proud of him! I'm not sure he will be doing another one anytime soon but he is happy to have checked it off the bucket list! We are running the Denver 1/2 marathon in October! It was such a fun weekend and we loved being able to see family and friends and I had so much fun watching Trevor run, I just love that boy! Congrats Trev! I told him Brooklyn was cheering him on the whole time cuz she was going crazy in my stomach. We can't wait to meet her!

Trip to the South

2011-04-17T19:36:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago my mom and I took a trip to the South to see Savannah and Charleston. I have always wanted to see the South and was not disappointed! We had a blast and have such fun memories from the trip.

It was the perfect trip with a mixture of relaxing at the beach, exploring new cities, and eating lots of good food. I fell in love with the houses there and spent the majority of my time taking pictures of porches and windows. I came home and realized I only had 1 or 2 pictures of an entire house, oh well. We stayed on Hilton Head Island since it was a somewhat central location. Lucky for us our connection was in Chicago- the world's worse airport- so we were delayed for 4 hours and arrived in Savannah about 2 am. We sacked out that night and woke up and headed to Savannah. I can't say enough about this city, I fell in love. My friend Megan went to school there and gave me all the best places to eat and see. She didn't disappoint. We got on a trolley and explored the city hopping on and off whenever something caught our eye. The architecture, the people, the food, the shopping, and the quaintness were all to die for. I'm already looking forward to someday going back!

The next day we stayed at the hotel and spent the day at the beach. I had never seen east coast beaches before, since I grew up on the west coast. I loved the tall grass. It was perfect weather that day too. We went into town that night and saw a lighthouse and ate dinner on the water at The Salty Dog, which is supposedly famous but had terrible food. My mom said thats what I get for ordering chicken at a seafood restaurant. She is probably right. I tried hush puppies, deep fried cornbread, and lets just say good thing I don't live in the south because I would have them with every meal. Grits, on the other hand, I could do without. I don't have any pictures from this day- whoops!

The next day we headed to Charleston. It took about 2 hours to get there, but we didn't mind because the drive was so pretty. Charleston was such a cute beach town. We took a carriage tour and learned all about the history. We explored the town, ate some more good food, shopped around, and then headed home that night after dinner.

Before we headed to downtown Charleston we stopped at Magnolia Plantation. It was GORGEOUS. I couldn't stop snapping pictures. We learned all about how plantations worked back in the day, the slave quarters, and all about farming in the South. The family that built this plantation still owns it today.

Our last day we spent in a little town called Beaufort that my mom had been to before and had been telling me about ever since. It was a quaint town with a bunch of little islands surrounding it that you could drive on to. We went and saw a beach that reminded of Where the Wild Things Are and saw an amazing lighthouse. Well worth the trip.

We headed home the next day and luckily our flight in Chicago was on time- I was so excited to see Trevor!

I had such a blast with my mom. The trip was so much fun and I can't thank my mom enough for taking me. I loved the South and seeing a new part of the United States. The geography major in me loves it!

Spring Break in AZ

2011-04-12T18:30:00.001-07:00

Lucky for us, Trevor's little sister is still in High School and we get to tag along on her spring break trips! The annual Arizona spring break trip was as relaxing and fun as ever. It seemed to be JUST what the doctor ordered. Every day was pretty much the same: wake up, go work out, head to the pool at 10 am, read, eat, swim, repeat. We went out to dinner most nights and even saw Sourcecode which was a great movie. It was so much fun to hang out and do a whole lot of nothing everyday. Trevor golfed and played tennis with his dad and even squeezed in his marathon training while we were there. He was WAY more productive than I was during the day. We got a tan and came back refreshed, thanks mom and dad Tripp for a great vacation. We can't wait til little Brooklyn can experience it next year!

Go Cougars!

2011-04-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

So...a month ago we went to Vegas and I'm just now blogging about it. Ya, that's how on top of my life I have been lately. Just ask Trevor- I lost my brain when I became pregnant and openly admit it.

Vegas was blast, as usual. We go every year for the Mountain West Conference Tournament to watch BYU play and hopefully win. Well, they always let us down in the finals, but we still love them. With the Jimmer craze this year, we were more excited than ever to go. The games were a blast and we had AMAZING seats every game due to the amazing Leavitt Family. They were nice enough to host us once again and treat us like family. We just love them and have so much fun visiting them. We went to the pool one day, saw the strip, ate lots of good food, and watched A LOT of basketball. I deserve the wife of the year award for watching 12 straight hours of basketball in one day, ha! All of the games were great, and even though they lost in the finals, we still had fun. We can't wait til next year!

Going Home!

2011-03-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Once I moved to Denver, I went to California multiple times a year in High School to see my best friend Lindsey and all my family that is still there. Since being in college, married, and being a grown up, it hasn't been that easy to get out there with work and all. So, in January I was dying to get away and hadn't been back in a while so Trevor was so sweet and got me a plane ticket for Valentine's Day. I was so excited!

I only went for 3 days so it was whirlwind of a vacation. My flight sat for an hour on the runway both ways- what are the odds. I love California, going back always brings back so many great memories and Lindsey and I go to all the same places we did when we were younger. The first day I went to Fashion Island with my grandma, shopped around, ate lots of good food, drove down the coast, and took a nap. That was a busy day for the pregnant lady and the old lady. Lindsey came down from San Diego and we went to In-n-out and stayed up late talking and eating Sprinkles cupcakes. Since she is engaged we checked out the wedding venue and then once again went and ate good food. Im pretty sure I go to California to eat. I got to see my aunt and twin cousins and my other aunt and uncle in LA.

I felt like I was going a million miles a minute while I was there but I was glad I got to fit everything in while I was there. I had so much fun and always love going back to California, thanks Trev! Hopefully next year I can take little Brooklyn out to experience it!

Oh ya, and once I got there I realized my camera was broken so I only have a few pictures from Iphone. Bummer.

It's a Girl!

2011-03-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

So.... I haven't blogged in ages and I have very good excuses for my slacking but I just wanted to post that IT'S A GIRL! We are SO excited and can't wait to meet our little girl! The ultrasound tech said she is going to be a handful, she was going crazy in there- we can't wait!

I still have to blog about our ski weekend, my trip to California, and Las Vegas and I will soon! We went from a staff of 7 at work to a staff of 2 so needless to say I am working 6 days a week with lots of overtime. Let's hope my poor feet can handle it- retail is no bueno while pregnant :) but I may as well work my butt off before our little one gets here!

I'll get my act together and post soon!

Mountain Week

2011-03-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago my family headed up to the mountains for the week. My parents rented a place in Keystone so we could ski, snowshoe and hike for a week. My activities were limited but the relaxing week was so nice. Standing up all day at work makes for exhausted legs that love ANY sort of a break :). Sadly, Chris Kristy and Liza got sick and had to go home early. They had colds, sinus infections, and bronchitis. It was much easier to get better in their own beds. We missed them! Trevor and I had a blast with my parents though. We watched movies, played blokus and apples to apples, and ate lots of good food. The best part of the trip was that Trevor actually SKIED!! My little snowboarder put on skis and I was like a proud mother! He did great and loved it. How is it so easy for him to be good at everything?! We love the mountains and feel pretty lucky to have them in our backyard!

Funny

2011-02-18T20:36:00.000-08:00

So, now that I am showing (which is quite a weird feeling) random customers ask me if my "bump" is a baby bump. Funny thing is, I barely have a bump at all and these strangers are asking this! I find it a little ballsy to ask someone that. What if I had just gained weight or that was my normal stomach?? It took everything in me not to say "no its not, thanks" just to see their reaction. I have actually wanted to do that but don't want to make someone feel that terrible! It would be pretty funny though. I just can't believe people ask that. I feel awkward even asking someone that is 39 weeks pregnant, just in the off chance I'm wrong.

Oh, and the other funny thing is I haven't told anyone at work. I have told my few friends there, people that I wanted to tell but other than that no one knows. I feel like it's kinda weird to just walk up and tell someone you work with. "Hi, oh and by the way I'm pregnant." So I just haven't gotten around to it. But now that I look a little heavier in the stomach region, my coworkers don't seem to look me in the eye anymore and just awkwardly look at my stomach and try and make it look like they aren't. I wonder if they are gossiping in the back as to whether I have gained weight of am just pregnant haha. I should probably tell them. I guess I'll see how big I can get before someone actually asks me.

On another random note, only 5 more days til we find out the sex! I can't wait, I am going mad waiting! I really feel like its a boy for some reason. I haven't had any dreams or anything, that has just been my gut instinct for a while. Tausha has had 2 dreams that its a boy so maybe she has some intuition as an aunt and she knows haha! I don't think Trevor has a guess either way, he says "I'll be happy either way". As much as he wants a little boy to play basketball with, little girls have a way to his heart. He is in love with my niece and she adores her uncle Trevor. Trevor's best friend just had a baby girl and we can't get enough of her already. We are so excited and feel so blessed to have a little one of our own on the way. Secretly, I want a little girl cuz the clothes are so much cuter, but the other part of me wants a boy since I love having an older brother. In the end, its not up to us anyways! I'll update you all once we know! Let us know if you have any guesses! Thanks for all the love and support we have already gotten, we have such amazing friends and family!

My Best Friend's Wedding

2011-02-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

(Me and Lindsey at my Wedding)

My best and oldest friend Lindsey just got engaged! I am so thrilled for her. She has been dating Kevin for over 6 years, longer than I have even known Trevor, ha! She text me a picture of a ring and said shhhh, I haven't told my mom yet and she would kill me if her mom found out before she could tell her, ha! She is so amazing and deserves the best, and Kevin is. I can't wait for the wedding, and since it wont be until Summer 2012 I wont be huge and pregnant, yay! I just booked a flight to go visit her and celebrate in 3 weeks, I can't wait to go back to California. I'm so excited for you Linds!

Exciting!

2011-01-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to say........

We are having a BABY!

Little baby Tripp will enter our little world on JULY 13 (tentatively of course) and we couldn't be happier! Hopefully not any later, for my sanity. I'm hoping for a 4th of July baby! Im already almost in my 17th week and so far so good. Zofran (my anti-nausea medicine) has been a lifesaver. I told Trevor bulimia would be a walk in the park after my first trimester, ha! But other than that I have felt great, so I can't really complain. It could be MUCH worse for me so I am grateful that has been the worst of it. I feel great now, as long as I get around 10 hours of sleep a night :) poor Trevor has been on his own most nights. Once 9 o'clock hits, I'm a goner and am useless until the next morning.

Trevor is already convinced it's a BOY! At our first ultrasound Trevor said "HE looks like a little worm!" And still refers to the baby as a boy. A boy can dream, right? Really though, we are just so excited to have this new little addition enter our family. We can't wait to meet him/her! JULY FEELS LIKE AN ETERNITY AWAY. That just gives us 5 more months to debate names. Our child may be nameless.

Life lately has been crazy and the last thing I have wanted to do is blog, just the thought makes me tired. BUT, we have had lots of fun this month. We spent a weekend skiing in the mountains (I played with little Liza), have had lots of fun nights with our amazing friends, went to the BYU game in Ft. Collins, and have planned our last few trips before baby gets here.

Colorado life is great, can't complain to see the sun almost every day. And my cute little husband has anxiety if he doesn't get to the mountains and do something extreme at least twice a month. I guess my dreams of living in NYC wont come true since the Big Apple doesn't have 14ers! I'm not sure where all of his gear will go when the guest bedroom is no longer his and baby takes over. He told me he would give up half of the closet and they could share, oh how I love him. I Love how much we Love this state.

We are so excited for the next few months and all of the adventures we are going to have this year, I'm thinking 2011 is going to be one of the best yet.

Once the Australian Open stops consuming our lives, I'll try and blog again. Until then!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-30T20:07:00.001-08:00

First off, I love Christmas. I long for it all year long. I will say that working at Nordstrom kind of sucks the fun out of the holidays due to excessive gift wrapping for other people. But the store decorations still keep you in the holiday spirit. We spent Christmas with my family this year. We went to the Chart House in Evergreen on Christmas Eve and had a HUGE meal of fish, filet mignon, and chocolate lava cake. Then went and saw Narnia- perfect choice for the night. We went to bed that night so excited to open presents. My mom started this new thing a couple of years ago where she gives us our christmas money and then she and my dad pick out one present each for us that are complete surprises. It lots of fun and you get to put more thought into your gifts. So, since we had NO idea what we were getting for Christmas we were all excited to open our presents the next morning. It was 6:3o and I realized Trevor wasn't sleeping so I went upstairs to find my mom already baking and Trevor putting together all of Liza's toys. Chris, Kristy, and Liza came over at 7 and the festivities began! We all got things we LOVED: bose headphones, sewing machines, watches, outdoor gear, clothes, etc. It was so much fun. Little Liza was way more fascinated with the boxes to her toy than the toys themselves. Needless to say she is getting boxes next year ha!

After that we went to Trevor's house to have Christmas with his family. We ate some more and opened more presents. It took a long time because every electronic someone got Trevor was fully explaining how to use it. It was pretty funny. Everyone got just what they wanted and was so thrilled!

After that we went to Grandma Nolen's house for Brunch with the extended Nolen family. More good food! It was fun to see everyone and play games together. It's a great tradition that we look forward to ever year.

After that...haha... we went back to my house for Christmas dinner. We shipped pizzas in from Lou Malnattis in Chicago to have. And let me just tell you they were AMAZING!! My mom made homemade foccacia bread and we had cranberry ice cubes and martinelli's. Moral of this story: I probably gained 5 pounds and ate til it hurt. We then watched a movie and all went home.

It was such a great Christmas and we are so blessed. We have amazing families that live so close and are so generous. We just love them and feel so lucky to have them!

Thanksgiving- a little late!

2010-12-30T18:35:00.000-08:00

So...this is quite late but better late than never, right? Thanksgiving was a blast this year. Since we live so close to both families we see both of them on holidays. This year it was at Trevors house so we spent most of the day there. His mom was in charge of a turkey trot so we all participated in that. My participation consisted of cheering them on since I had the worst cold I think I have ever had. Having to work retail didnt help either. I spent an entire week in bed while everyone else was enjoying the festivities, but it was actually quite nice to have a week to relax! This year my job was the rolls and pies. So, I used the Lion House recipe that my sister in law uses. I have never made anything involving yeast without my mom so this was quite the challenge. I think I called my sister in law every 5 minutes with questions. Surprisingly they turned out AMAZING! I was so thrilled! I made pies with my mom and sister in law the day before so we had a blast doing that. I usually just play with Liza and help them when needed :). All in all, we had tons of fun and love our families so much! Oh, and we saw Unstoppable which was a great movie!

Boys Weekend/Girls Weekend

2010-11-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Trevor, my brother, and dad decided they wanted to hike a 14er in sub zero temperatures in knee deep snow. Why you ask, would any human find this fun and put themselves through that? Well, I have no idea. Mostly because that isn't my idea of fun but for these 3 it's heaven. I couldn't get that boy to leave Colorado for anything. My dad said there were many points throughout their 8 hour journey that he thought "this is it, we have to turn around" but Trevor wouldn't let that happen, so they made it to the top to find fiercely windy conditions and freezing temperatures. They snapped a few quick pictures then were on their way down. They were so tired when the came home my brother said someone needed to get Liza from him while he was walking down the stairs because he thought he might fall over. Trev is still sore.

While the boys were doing that....the girls went to dinner and watched a chick flick at home. It was lots of fun to hang out and have a relaxing night. Once Trevor got home we raced over to Grandma Nolen's birthday party and then on to one of Trevor's friends birthday. By the time we got home we were whipped (I have no excuse to be, but Trevor did) I had to beg him to come upstairs and sleep in a real bed. He didn't want to have to walk up the stairs. He amazes me everyday with how driven and adventurous he is. Don't get me wrong, I love physical activity and pushing my limits but I have to draw the line somewhere.

You know you're married to Trevor Tripp when...

2010-11-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

1. you voluntarily listen to sports talk radio-even when he isn't in the car.

2. you anxiously await to hear what Steve Jobs is announcing next.

I'm married to a sports enthusiast and a Mac nerd. I love him.

Amazing

2010-11-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

Last night was a very special night for us. Trevor is the scout master for our ward and loves his calling. Those boys adore him. One of his scouts and his family just got baptized last night and Trevor was able to be a part of it. They are the most amazing, humble, generous family we have ever met. They have such amazing spirits. I was almost in tears the whole night just seeing them make that huge step in their life and how thrilled they were. They are such an example to us and we feel blessed knowing them. Trevor was able to confirm Dave today and I was in tears again as I saw the look on that little boys face. I am so grateful for the gospel and how it changes my life every day. I am also grateful for Trevor and the Priesthood.

Halloween Party

2010-11-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

My friends and I decided we wanted to have a Halloween Party. Julie was generous enough to host the party and do a ton of the work. I was in charge of food, Emi was in charge of games, Julie and Emily did the decorations and all of the other cute, crafty, way out of my league things. It was so much fun and the costumes were amazing. We always love a good party! Thanks girls for all you did to make it so much fun, can't wait for Christmas! The party turned out fabulous!

Juno and Bleeker the mummy and the sailor
Barbie and Ken
the bun maker and the bun in the oven (she's pregnant)
Jack and Jill
We went as Tiger and Elin Woods. Trevor hated having
makeup on but he had to be black so he had no choice.
the zoo keepers and the elephant

Orlando 2010

2010-11-07T17:56:00.000-08:00

Trevor was invited to a work conference in Orlando for a week which turned out to work nicely in my favor. Since Trev, my dad, and brother were in meetings all day long, the girls got to sit by the pool and relax all day. It was the perfect trip in the middle of a crazy fall. The hotel was amazing. Trevor's day consisted of meetings, meetings, and more meetings. My day consisted of breakfast buffets, lazy rivers, book reading, and playing with little Liza in the pool. I had a blast! The poor boys would meet us for lunch in the 90+ degree weather in their suits and sweat to death. I couldn't ask for a harder working husband. I'm one lucky girl to have him.

The last day of our trip everyone spent the day at the pool, but not me. I was going to go to Harry Potter World, even if I had to walk there. No one shared my desire to go, but my dad was more than willing to go with me. We had a great daddy daughter day. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter did not disappoint. I was so impressed with the whole thing. It was like walking on the set of the movies. The roller coasters were amazing, although butter beer was not. My dad about puked after 2 sips. Hogwarts was exactly like in the movies. I can't wait for the movie to come out in 2 weeks. Thanks for going with me dad!

We went out to the mall for dinner one night, went to downtown Disney the other night, and spent the nights playing in the pool or playing tennis. I do have to say I forgot how much I hate humidity. I complain about Colorado being dry, pretty much my only complaint with this amazing state. Side note: every day I drive to work and have a perfect view of the Rocky Mountains as the sun rises and I remember how lucky I am to live here. Anyways, I could barely move while playing tennis because I was sticking to every piece of clothing on me. We did get to do Disney World one day, and that we did. We hit all of the park, minus Epcot. We went from 8 am to 7 pm. Liza was quite the trooper and besides peeing on Kristy 3 times, seemed to have a great time. Since I grew up 20 minutes from Disneyland, I can't help but associate it with many of my childhood memories. My brother and I were transformed into little kids the second we walked in. The lines weren't long and we never waited more than 20 minutes. It was such a fun day.

We had sooooo much fun in Orlando. It's always nice to come home though. It is still 70 degrees here and perfect fall weather. I'm kind of hoping winter never comes. My family would probably disown if they read this. I'm the odd ball that doesn't live for snow. I never want to leave Colorado, but what can I say, I'm a California girl at heart.

Cookies and Pumpkins

2010-11-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

I love Halloween. Maybe its because my Mom openly dislikes the holiday and I was a clown for 8 years, ha. I wanted to make sugar cookies to give to my sunbeams and to have for our Halloween party (blog post coming soon) so I roped my friend Emi into helping me make 6 dozen. We figured we needed to entertain the boys somehow since they weren't chomping at the bit to help us so we got pumpkins for them to carve. Mike ended up carving the pumpkins and Trevor was the creative director, if you will. He hates getting the guts out of the pumpkin. Basically, he found the most difficult faces online and challenged Mike to recreate them. Mike did a great job and we both had awesome pumpkins on our porches for Halloween. He only had one battle wound from the night that he refused to put a band-aid on. Emi and I had fun, even 4 hours in. I think by the end we would have been happy never seeing sprinkles again, but we still managed to have a blast like usual. Thanks for helping me Em!

Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker

2010-10-18T20:42:00.001-07:00

My friend Emi and I had been talking about going to this concert for months and finally decided the week before to buy tickets. I love Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley and couldn't believe they were coming together. I met some guy in a Best Buy parking lot downtown to get the tickets the night before, but it was well worth the sketchy meet-up (I didn't go alone).

The concert was amazing. They were both such great performers live. Darius Rucker came out in jeans, a t-shirt, and a nike baseball cap, I loved it. Brad Paisley was hilarious as usual. I have to say it was one of the best concerts I have been to. We had a blast on our girls night out!

Lindsey comes to visit...

2010-10-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

My best friend Lindsey came to visit me a few weekends ago and it was a blast. We have been friends since were were 5...(yes I am aware my zipper is down...)I was having a bad day a month ago and she called me and said "I'm going to visit you, I just booked my ticket" It was such a nice surprise. She works a ton so she flew in late Friday night and out late Sunday night. We decided to go to a farmers market Saturday morning followed by a drive up to Estes Park to hike Bierstadt Lake, dinner in Boulder, then a late night movie to see The Social Network. Sunday we relaxed all day, watched Conference, baked peanut butter cups, and had dinner before we sent her home. It was short and sweet but I wish we had longer. I just adore her and had so much fun.

On a side note...Colorado is so beautiful. I fall more in love with it every time I go to the mountains. The views on the hike were breathtaking and I think Lindsey was quite impressed with the Rockies!

One Crazy Weekend.

2010-10-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends was getting married on October 9th. I have known her since the day I was born. Our moms have been friends forever so we have grown up always seeing each other. I think the world of her. I was so excited to go out to her wedding in SLC. Her wedding was gorgeous and she was a stunning bride. I am so grateful I was able to be there to see them sealed.

My plans quickly changed when my sweet great grandmother passed away at 92 years old. My grandfather passed away in June and she was longing to be with him again. She didn't want to live if it wasn't with him. She was in a lot of pain and it was a blessing that she is now reunited with him. So instead of flying out we drove through the night on Wednesday with my brother, sister in law, mom, and 10 month old niece (who was a trooper). We spent 2 days in Logan with my family and I loved every minute of it. I got to see my cousins, aunts, uncles, and my cousins twins who I could never get enough of. We had a sleepover and watched Princess and the Frog.

My dad and cousin were running the Chicago marathon on Sunday and my mom thought someone needed to fly out to run it with him. My brother suggested one of us should go and after much debate I am the one that ended up getting to go with my mom. So, we flew out late Saturday night and surprised my dad and cousin. they were so excited! We went right to bed, helped them get ready for the marathon, then ran around trying to find them. We saw them both at mile 13 and they looked great. Then at mile 19 I found my dad and ran the rest of the marathon with him. I ran him to the finish line until they kicked me out and then ran back to find my cousin and run with him. The marathon was great and they both did an awesome job. It was over 80 degrees and 12,000 of the 48,000 runners didnt finish. It was scary how many people were on the side of the road. It was such a blast to run it with them and get to be there with them. We had a great time in Chicago, even if it was for 24 hours. My mom and I did a quick tour of the city and then we had real Chicago deep dish- pizza will never be the same after that. Dad and Tanner could barely walk and sat with ice on their legs for 4 hours but they are both glad they did it- what an accomplishment. I am hoping my knees can hold up so I can run the next one with them.

It was a whirl wind of a weekend, but it was a great one.

DIWJ

2010-10-13T08:49:00.001-07:00

I have blogged before about how I wish I was more DIY savvy. I am clueless in this department. I am much better at finding sales then I am at being crafty. So, this all started with Trevor and I not having enough space in our dresser (which is because we bought a cheap IKEA dresser and some of the drawers don't shut because they sent us faulty parts) so we work with what we have. I had been meaning to buy on old dresser at a garage sale or something and refinish it. I was at my moms house one night and asked her what she was doing with my 10 year old dresser that was laying around and she was thrilled I wanted to get it out of her house. So I sanded it (turns out its not even wood but just cork inside) and was ready to paint. This is where my clueless-ness became a problem. So instead of DIY, I DIWJ (Do It With Julie). Julie is my great friend whose entire house has been refinished and painted and it looks like its strait out of a pottery barn catalog. she has a paint gun and was so generous to help me paint it. It turned out fabulous and I love it. I couldn't be happier and trevor immediately started switching his drawers so his clothes could fit. I'm addicted now and am constantly thinking about what else I can paint! Thanks Julie- you're the best!

BEFORE...
AFTER...

Murder Mystery Dinner

2010-09-18T15:49:00.001-07:00

When Trevor and I got invited to a murder mystery dinner for a friend's birthday we were so excited! We had done one before a long time ago and thought it was a blast. Trevor was the rich guys brother and I was the responsible daughter. Since costumes and creativity are not my thing, my friend Julie pulled through for me. She got these awesome dresses at a thrift store (she was the spoiled daughter). It was lots of fun and we all had a blast. Thanks for the pictures Julie! :)

US Open 2010

2010-09-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

The US Open is one of our favorite trips. We love the tennis, the food, the shopping, and the city. Chris and Kristy didn't come this year since little Liza is still a little young to sit through long tennis matches. We missed them this year!

We lucked out this year and a guy my dad does business with offered us courtside seats to the matches. We got to see Federer and Sharapova play right in front of us. It was great. We saw some awesome matches. I will say I was sad to see Andy knocked out so early but you can't complain to watch Federer play. I also saw Melanie Oudin in the elevator at our hotel and she was SO adorable. I just love her.

We ate lots of good food as usual. It still amazes Trevor how my family goes on vacation just to eat, you would think we were Italian or something. We had dessert every night from Buttercup Bake Shop or Pinkberry. I fell in love with the lemon cupcakes and have been on a lemon kick since.

We had so much fun, my parents are so generous! Between wandering the city, morning runs in central park, trips to the bakery, fun subway rides, big meals, shopping in the village, and seeing some of the best tennis, this trip will go down as one of the best. We can't wait for next year.

Me and Melanie Oudin

I love my dad!

Maria Sharapova

My cute parents

John Isner

Chatfield

2010-09-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Trevor's dad decided one Saturday he wanted to go to the lake so we jumped on the opportunity. We are always up for some time on the boat. We called our friends Michael and Emi and we all went out on the boat for the night. The water was terrible, beyond terrible. I felt like I was back in the ocean in California. We decided to surf, wake boarding would have been a joke. It was lots of fun and we had a great time! We finished the night off with Chipotle and Yogurtland, not too shabby. Just a few more reasons we love Colorado.

Camping/Off Roading

2010-09-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we went camping with Trevor's Aunt, Uncle, and three cute cousins. They are such a fun family and always up for an adventure. They told us about this place in Empire that you had to drive into with their Land Rover that can climb over anything. We took Trevor's truck which turned out to be quite eventful. As soon as we got off the paved road and onto the rocks Trevor said, "my truck is not built for this kind of off roading" and literally a minute later we hear air coming out of his tire very quickly. We both jumped out of the car to find his tire completely blown, not the best way to start the trip. We go to get the jack and the spare tire and realize we can't find the piece that drops the tire from the bed of the truck. His uncle's doesnt fit so we finally realize we are going to have to drive into town and hope to find something because it was already 8 at night.

We get to Empire only to find a board shop with stoned employees that told us to "go down to Johnny's house because he might have something". We opted to not go to Johnny's and drive down to Idaho Springs to find another Nissan and try and buy the part off of them since all auto part stores were closed. Me and little Lauren were flagging down cars in the road to try and get them to sell us the part but no one would. We decided we had to choice but to drive the 20 minutes to Walmart and see what we could do.

Walmart didnt have the part so Trevor's uncle got creative. We all wandered Walmart hoping to find something that might work. We ended up getting a curtain rod and a towel rack hoping one of those would work. We got back to Trevor and the two boys at about 10:30 at night to find them with a fire built in the middle of the road. Trevor claims the only thing that got him through that was his left over Chipotle, haha. His uncle used a mini ax to bang the rod into the shape we needed and we finally got the tire out and were able to change the tire. We ended up getting to camp at 1 am and all of us were exhausted. They promised when we woke up it would all be worth it, and it was. We were camping next to a gorgeous lake right about tree line. It was perfect and well worth, well kinda, the chaos of the night. We went off roading in the Land Rover for a few hours and then headed to Lewis' Sweet Shop, an amazing candy/shake/treat shop that has been there for years!

Lake Powell 2010

2010-08-22T19:42:00.001-07:00

The one constant in our life is Lake Powell every year. We are like little kids before Christmas. Trevor would rather go there than ANYWHERE on earth he claims. It is pretty awesome. July was one hellish month for us where we felt like we never saw each other and were always busy. I think we had dinner together twice. Between scout camp, girls camp, weddings, funerals, etc. we were two busy kids! I was SO excited to relax and have nothing to do for a week. With no cell phone service, no tv, and no computer, its easy to forget your worries while at Powell.

Lake Powell consisted of: rocking out to Miley on the boat, longs talks on top of the house boat, dessert 10 times a day, lots of diet coke, books, magazines, sunscreen (for everyone but Tausha), starry nights, stormy nights, hair braiding, girl talk, mom tripps hilarious ambien moments, violent games of spoons, afternoon naps, christmas card pictures, hilarious 16 year old girls, lots and lots of food, cliff jumping, wakeboarding, tubing, slalom skiing, birthdays, back massages, waterfalls, jumping off the house boat to catch a football, showering in the lake, shooting bats, killing bats, dance parties, advil PM, snoring, laugh til it hurts moments, and memories that will last forever!

These 3 girls were entertainment the whole week

Tubing with two boys-bad idea...

Somehow they managed to hold on.

tube time=girl talk

Tausha knows me to well...

Happy birthday to us!
No fear of heights for them
Tausha and I went swimming- I just love her!
Christmas card pictures-hilarious

Winston's idea of fun...
Sun bathing like usual
Trevor got serious air
Mitch and Tausha on the boat...
Tausha Wakeboarding
Me Wakeboarding
The gross bat Chris and Cody shot and killed!

It took Mitch a little while to get up on the wakeboard so Trevor jumped in to help
We love our little Taush Posh (aka sass pants!)

Many hours were spent with Mitch here...

And Trevor here...

Dr. Tripp was tired...

All of the rain meant lots of waterfalls...
It stormed most nights so we ALL ended up inside...

Something to think about...

2010-07-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

I came across this today and it really got me thinking. I just love Sister Hinckley.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing my neighbor's lawn.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with the children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tear of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

Marjorie Pay Hinckley

My Newest Teapot...

2010-07-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

Since marrying Trevor, my birthday has always fallen on his family vacation at Lake Powell. So my mom decided to make my birthday dinner tonight. We had amazing fajitas and sopapillas. Yum. My brother and sister-in-law and adorable niece got me a new teapot to add to my collection and I just love it! It looks perfect on my wall- I almost need a new shelf!

Trevor turns 25!!

2010-07-22T19:59:00.001-07:00

Today Trevor turned 25! My husband is a quarter of a century old! I feel like Trevor's birthday is celebrated for a week strait. Last night my mom made an amazing meal. When we were in Switzerland Trevor ate this pasta in Bern that he said was "top 10 meals ever!" so my mom recreated it and then made home made foccacia bread and spinach salad with homemade cobbler. I am still full. This morning I made him french toast in bed. Then tonight we went to California Pizza Kitchen with his family then to Yogurtland (my favorite). And tomorrow we are going to PF Changs with all of our friends. I won't ever want to eat again! He got some great presents- from a tent, to a basketball, a suit, rei gift cards, and golf clothes. We are so lucky to have such good family and friends close- we sure love it! I love you Trev!

Our new addiction...

2010-07-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

Lately, Trevor and I can't get enough of this show. It makes you want to laugh/scream/cry all in one hour. Its brilliant and we love it! The 11 year old rapper may win the whole thing.

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

I just love the 4th of July. I hope someday to take my kids every year to a very patriotic city (D.C., Boston, Philadelphia). After being in Provo for the 4th of July for the past 2 years, and going to the Stadium of Fire, I was so excited to hear that Trevor's mom bought us tickets for the show. Trevor had scout camp all week so he wasn't going to be able to go but I was ready to book my flight only to find out my work wouldn't give me the time off, bummer. So, I was determined to find something fun to do here in Denver.

I have always heard the Rockies fire works show was the best in Colorado and somehow I have never seen it after living here for 10 years. I was on craigslist for an hour before I finally found a deal and called the guy immediately. We went with our good friends Michael and Emi. Emi and I drove downtown by ourselves to meet a stranger to get the tickets, sounds safe, right? Let's just say we didn't leave the game disappointed.

The game itself was great, besides the fact that the rockies lost. Our seats didn't allow us to go down on the field so we were trying to sneak in only to hear Trevor say "hold on a sec" and find him returning 5 minutes later with 4 tickets for the field. Somehow, Trevor gets what he wants and can always make things happen. It is quite amazing. So we headed down to the field and found our seats on the grass and waited for the show to start. It was amazing. We laid down and watched the fire works look like there were going to fall right on us. It was an experience we will make a tradition.

Sunday, we slept in before I had to work- how lame. That night we went over to Grandma Nolen's for a feast and lots of fun.

Monday, after I had to work all day. we went over to Michael and Emi's for a shrimp boil (she is from Tennessee) and us being Colorado kids had no idea what we were in for. We loved it. Trevor said "all my favorite things shoved in one pot!"

It was a great weekend, and even though I wasn't at the Stadium of Fire rocking out to Carrie Underwood with Tausha, we had a blast. If only every weekend was like that! Now its back to work! July @ Nordstrom means SALE TIME which for me means lots and lots of work!

On another note, I didn't have time for my annual Wimbledon post. It was quite the year at the all England club. Andy Roddick lost to an unseeded player AGAIN, and I was mad as usual. Federer lost early as well, I think he is just getting older and wants to be home with his twins. I couldn't force myself to watch the women's match because seeing Serena win again makes me enraged. At least they lost at doubles. Women's tennis is so inconsistent it drives me crazy! Hopefully in a couple years, we will be there to see it all ourselves. I will sit on Henman Hill someday :)

I love America

2010-06-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that today may have been one of the best sporting days of my life. #1 on my list is watching Andre Agassi say his final goodbye at the U.S. Open while I stood crying the stands. This may be my #2. I was cleaning this morning with one TV on the world cup and the other on Wimbledon. I was rushing back and forth. I don't really follow soccer, but any global sporting event, I am obsessed. I watched and waited hoping they would score. I knew time was running out but I also knew they weren't going to lose. I continued to yell "just give it to Donovan!" I adore him. Well when this happened I was screaming and running around the house...

On another note, I watched John Isner play for 7 hours today and still not finish his match. It is 59-59 in the fifth set and they had to postpone play because of darkness. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. They didnt break serve EVER. I love tennis. And I now love John Isner. I have a feeling he will put that little French guy away early tomorrow.

...and Andy Roddick won.

I love America!!

One Eventful Week...

2010-06-21T19:39:00.001-07:00

This last week was very eventful. I was planning on leaving Wednesday to go to my friends Jenna and Trevor wedding but my plans quickly changed. My great grandpa passed away at 96. It was a blessing, he had been read to go for quite some time. I didn't think I would cry or get emotional because he was so ready to go. But when my great grandma, who just celebrated her 75th wedding anniversary with my grandpa, kissed him goodbye for the last time before they closed the casket, I couldn't help it. I hope Trevor and I can live long enough to celebrate 75 years. Because I was there early, there was no point for me to come back home just to go back to Utah again so I got to spend time with these adorable kids. I can't get enough of my cousin's little kids. They are hilarious. After the funeral, the twins, Ally and Avery, were playing funeral and using the coffee table on wheels as a casket. I walked downstairs to hear Avery saying, "I am honored to speak today". They are 4.

I couldn't believe how beautiful Logan is this time of year.

My cousin just built an amazing house on her husbands family farm. It was stunning inside.This is what I saw every morning when I woke up at my Aunt's house.
Then I headed down to SLC to celebrate my cousins, who is also my best friend and the sister I never had, birthday! We had quite the spa day and lots of good food!

Then I headed up to Idaho for this beautiful girls wedding. Jenna and Trevor have been dating for what seems like forever. For as long as I have known them, they have been madly in love. Trevor used to skateboard alongside us while we ran Freshman year so we wouldn't get kidnapped. The wedding was perfect. It was amazing to see how in love they are and how many people love the both of them. They are going to have an amazing life together. Jenna looked gorgeous, as always, and Trevor couldn't have looked more perfect for the occasion!

It was one eventful week, but I had lots of fun, even with the 30 + hours of driving I did. I am SO glad I got to be there for the funeral and for Jenna and Trevors wedding! I love you two!

Estates Sales...

2010-06-06T21:25:00.001-07:00

I went to my first estate sale this weekend and what an adventure it was! My friend Julie loves them and I have been dying to go so I finally had work off and went with her. We drove past mansion after mansion thinking we were going to be pulling up to one of those but instead it was an OLD house with lots of "treasure" inside. Her kids call them "treasure houses" and I now know why! We found lots of furniture and large pieces we wanted but couldn't fit them in the car. We decided Trevor's truck will be a great asset to the hobby :) We walked down into the basement and I laid my eyes on these bad boys- real wooden skis that were in pretty good condition. I paid a whole 12 dollars for them- well actually my mom did because she is going to put them in her house in the mountains. I also found a cool old frame that I am going to use for my gallery wall. My brother was so excited to actually try them on the ski hill- I'll let you know how that goes. I can't wait for the next one.

On another random note... I finally started my tea pot collection. I have a vision of eventually having a huge wall filled with my tea pots from all over the world- and cheap ones I find at TJ maxx haha. Trevor so kindly put up the shelves and I am loving how it is starting to look. Things are FINALLY starting to come together in the house- I'll post pictures soon.

BolderBoulder

2010-06-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

I have lived in Colorado for 10 years now and have yet to run the BolderBoulder. I can honestly say I have run 1 marathon and never another race less, kinda ridiculous. I prefer 6.2 to 26.2. My friend Julie talked me into running it and I am so glad I did. It was such a blast. We had so much fun running it together. We all ran at different times but luckily found each other at the end. The snack bags were worth the 6.2 miles. When I finished all I could think about was how on earth I ran 26.2. It was so much fun and I will definitely be doing it next year!

2 years ago...

2010-05-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

2 years ago yesterday Trevor and I said "I DO". We celebrated by going to Benihana's and red boxing a movie. It was so much fun. I would love to relive our wedding day, it was such a blast and I am so grateful I get to spend eternity with Trevor! Happy Anniversary!

Bergen Peak

2010-05-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

This is why I love Colorado. I know that I can wake up drive an hour, hike for 2 and then be here...

Last weekend I had Saturday off so Trevor and I took full advantage of it. We got up and headed to the farmers market by our house and bought lots of fun stuff- like 2 different kinds of BBQ sauce and some amazing bread. We then headed out to Evergreen to hike Bergen peak. It was gorgeous and we had a blast! It was so nice to have the sun out, it seems like we had the longest winter that would never end. Colorado, we love you!

smiles

2010-05-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

Whenever I need to brighten my day I look at this picture and cant help but smile. I just love her little face and that little smile. She is such a doll, trevor and I can't get enough of her :)

Europe 2010

2010-05-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

Trevor and I both graduated last August and for our graduation present from my parents they gave us a trip to a destination of our choice. It took us months to decided on places...Thailand, Brazil, Bora Bora. All seemed to fall through and we decided to go to Europe. Trevor had never been and I am absolutely in love with the culture, food, and landscape there. We booked our tickets and were very excited! Then 2 weeks before we were supposed to leave the volcano erupted in Iceland and threatened our plans- flights were canceled for five days. We finally got out and were 8 short hours away from London. We got to London and first thing we did was eat and then hop onto a double decker tour bus to see all of the sights! It was such a great way to see all of them and we loved it. The texas embassy photo is of the building where the tickets were sold for the Titanic. I absolutely loved London and would love to live there. It doesnt have a reputation for good food but we lucked out and got some great food. We wandered the city and saw all that we could in such a short period of time. I fell in love with Harrods and my mom and I wandered around the food rooms and the entire Kensington area, it was a blast.

We spent three days in London and then took the Chunnel to Paris which was fun to see the country side of England and France. We got to Paris and I was excited to speak French. We stayed in an apartment and it was great to have room to relax. It was really cold while we were there, much colder than forecasted so I spent ten days in my north face jacket and beanie. Paris is such a massive city with huge buildings. It was so much fun to see all of the architecture and eat all of the food. There were some days I consumed 100% carbs. My dad claimed on day 9 that bread and cheese was seaping out of his pores. We rented Vespas one day and went all over the city, it was so amazing to see ALL of the city.

We then rented a car and drove down to Switzerland. I couldn't wrap my mind around how green and plush everywhere in Europe was, it never ended. We drove through lots of small towns and finally got to Switzerland. We stopped in Bern but stayed in Interlaken and hiked and played for 2 days. It was gorgeous. We took a gondola up to a little town called Gimmelwald where no cars are aloud and its a population of 30. Its the adventure capital of switzerland. My dad and I did a canyon swing which is a 180 foot drop before a rope catches you and you swing between 2 canyon walls, what an experience. We spent the last night in Geneva, the watch capital of the world. The volcano erupted again and canceled our flight, bummer :) My mom and I hoped we would be stuck all week and we could take the train somewhere but my dad and Trevor had to get back to work so my brother called and got us on a flight through frankfurt that was 2 hours longer because they went about greenland, we then missed our connection in chicago, and finally got home. 24 hours of travel. We felt like train wrecks! But it was all worth it. It was an amazing trip and I already miss it. We are so grateful to my parents, thanks, we love you!!

Food Storage

2010-04-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

So, I have known for quite sometime that I should have my food storage done but the thought of it exhausted me. Then, Trevor got on a kick about how we need to do it and he looked into it and then my mom, my sister in law, and me all decided to suck it up and do it. So after many calculations of just how much food (most of which I dont eat) we will need for a year we figured it all out. We had a long trip to costco and an even longer trip to the cannery. We were there for 5 hours and didn't stop moving, I have a new found respect for factory workers. I have never been this tired. We had the help of another group and a great guy named Fred who helped us do all of it in one night. When we first walked in and said we wanted to do it all, they laughed and said we would be lucky to get the flour done. But with much help and lots of non stop work we did it. I did labels and the oxygen packets and the actually canning machine while my mom and kristy filled the cans and fred then applied the stickers. The people were great to work with and I can't tell you how great it feels to have it done! It was lots of fun to do it with my mom and kristy- it was quite entertaining. Trevor came at the end and had to bring his truck becuase we couldn't fit it all in the Tahoe and there is no way Kristy and I could have loaded it all. This is everything I did tonight, not inlcuding everything from costco. Now, where to put it all!!! I am so grateful for the the church and for the guidance it gives us. The system they have for this is unbelievable- so it must be important! The cannery and I will have another date 30 years from now!!

Europe!

2010-04-06T10:04:00.001-07:00

23 days from today we will be here...
and here...
and here...
Now, just getting through the next 23 days of work!

Spring Break AZ twenty ten

2010-04-03T13:47:00.001-07:00

This year we headed out to Arizona for our annual Spring Break with Trevor's fam. We couldn't wait to leave the snow behind and get some sun! The hotel was amazing! We got there early Friday morning and headed right to the pool and ordered lunch and just sat in the sun, it was amazing. That night we went to Grimaldi's, the best pizza place in Arizona, and then went shopping at Scottsdale mall to get our Easter presents from Kenna- she is the best! Saturday Trevor went golfing and the girls stayed at the pool and had a huge Brunch. That night we went to dinner at Trevor's aunt's house and then went to see Invictus. Not everyone liked it, but I enjoyed it, the history was amazing. Sunday we layed out and played lots of tennis then went to a Mexican restaurant that made us all feel like we were having a "food baby". We came back and played some more tennis until about 11 at night. Monday Trevor and I went running up a mountain by the hotel and then ate a huge breakfast again and then headed to the Rockies Spring training game. It was so much fun. We then rushed to in n out and then RUSHED to the airport. It was such a blast and we already miss the sun!

Vegas!

2010-04-03T13:31:00.001-07:00

This is the best ice cream place EVER, in the sketchiest place EVER
Outside of the new city center
Inside the city center, cool dessert shop
We ran in to one of Trev's best friends Bid and were so excited to see him again, we miss him and Lara tons!!

I haven't blogged in forever so I will catch up on our latest trips! Three weekends ago we headed to Vegas for the MWC championships. We look forward to this trip every year. We stayed with our great friends the Leavitts and wouldn't dream of staying anywhere else. They are so good to us and we always have such a blast. We watched A LOT of basketball. 7 games in 3 days. BYU lost which was quite upsetting! We ate lots of good food (Original Pancake House, In n Out, Yogurtland, Baja Fresh) and the list goes on. I went shopping with my friend Whitney while Trevor went and golfed. Then I went to get a pedicure with the Leavitt girls, which was tons of fun! Other than that we watched a lot of basketball. We went to the strip one night and saw the new city center but were so tired we didn't do much else on the strip. We are so grateful to the Leavitts and can't wait until next year!

Mountain People

2010-01-27T21:39:00.000-08:00

This is my ADORABLE niece that I can't get enough of!!!

Colorado is known for one thing- its mountains! We love the mountains and get up to my parents condo as much as we can. We can't get enough skiing, snow shoeing, and relaxing. It nice to get away from our crazy lives for a few days and just relax. Here are a few pics from our trips this winter.

Australian Open

2010-01-21T20:35:00.001-08:00

Normally, I really don't like January because it means Christmas is so far away and you usually have a million things on your to do list. And now I don't like January because people dont shop in January! But that is besides the point. The only highlight to January is the AUSTRALIAN OPEN! I love knowing that I can turn on the TV from 1-5 or 7-midnight and know I will be watching good tennis. It is so exciting and we can't get enough of it. I personally think Andy will win it all, I have faith in him although no one else does. And Henin is back this year, whom I dislike strongly, very strongly. She has no class and is a wimp but she keeps winning and its driving me crazy! We are hoping for another Roddick-Fed final but this time with Roddick winning. This makes us this much more excited for the US Open! So if I am not blogging that is because I'm watching tennis. The downside is that the live night matches there start at 1am here which means I am not etting much sleep, but it is so worth it.