Fun summer activities

Since Travis doesn't have to work this summer, we have been doing a lot of fun activities together which has been so nice. I am taking advantage of this because come the end of August I won't have a husband for a while.
We have been to the zoo a few times this summer. Once we went with Travis sister and her 3 kids, and then we went with them again but her husband came as well as grandma Allen and Auntie Lindsay.
McKenna loves the zoo and all the animals. We got to see the new baby elephant Zuri which was soo cute! I think her favorite animal though was the giraffe.


We experienced raw nature while we were at the zoo both times. The first time we went we were at the gorilla exhibit and the gorilla had just taken a dump and then picked it up and started eating it. It was pretty gross....and people think we evolved from them....hmm.
The kids got a kick out of it though so it was pretty funny. The second time we were there the giraffe's were outside and the male giraffe was drinking the female's urine to see if she was ready to mate....needless to say the kids got course 101 of the birds and the bees.
We had a lot of fun looking at the animals, but I think the kids favorite part was riding on the carasoul and eating ice cream.

I am so glad I get to enjoy fun special moments with my family, I love seeing the joy that McKenna gets from spending time with us and her cousins. She will be so sad when we move and don't get to see her cousins very often.

Travis and I took McKenna to Bridal Veil Falls the other day and we had a lot of fun playing in the water and climbing up the rocks to the waterfall. The water was freezing, but McKenna didn't seem to mind one bit. It was really beautiful!


We have also been doing a lot of swimming in the back yard in the little pool,
at Scera pool which is like a little water park, and at Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Brandon's apartment pool. It has been really fun swimming. McKenna loves swimming, it is her favorite thing and can practically swim on her own.

It has been a really fun summer so far despite being pregnant, and I am looking forward to a lot more fun the rest of the summer.

Baby Shower

There is both good and bad things to be said for having the baby shower come and gone. The good thing is that it means I am getting closer to the end and actually have stuff for the baby, but the bad thing is that it is over and that I can't look forward to it anymore. I guess I will just have to settle for looking forward to when the baby comes. :)
Courtney is the best, she threw such a cute baby shower for me and even drove here from Rexburg to do it. My sister Lindsay was a co host and so it was fun to have a baby shower thrown for me from a good friend and my sister!
Amber came down from Rexburg with Courtney too, so it was like good old times all being together again. We had a lot of fun together, we went swimming
and out to dinner and just talked. It was so nice to have some girl time!
It was nice to hang out with our old roomie Annie as well, we all have so much fun together.
Travis mom was so nice and flew down from Oregon to be here for the shower, and of course she spoiled the baby to death. My mom was here a few days before the shower and likewise spoiled him, but I guess that is what grandparents are for right?
It was fun to have family and friends together for the shower, and I got a lot of cute things for the baby.
I always forget how much stuff you need for a newborn and how much stuff I didn't have that I had borrowed from my sister when McKenna was born that I now have to get. At least this gave me a good start! Thanks all who came it meant a lot to me to have you there!

With only six weeks to go, I am getting more and more anxious for baby to come. I still don't know what I am going to do with a boy, so any advice is welcomed! I just hope he is more mellow then McKenna cause I don't really think he could be worse......hope I didn't just jinx myself on that one. I am definately feeling the affects of the final stage of pregnancy and will so be glad when I can actually bend over all the way, or ride a bike, or lay on my stomach....I never thought I would miss such little things.

McKenna is so excited for the baby, she will touch my tummy and say "mommy I want him to come out...I want to hold him" It is the cutest thing ever! She is going to be such a great big sister. She is already so willing to help me with things so I am excited to have an extra pair of hands when he comes since I won't really have a husband for the next year or so. We are all just counting down until he arrives, I just want him to come!
Well, we had a fun time at the shower and I am so ready to have him here with us and then to move to Oregon and get settled in with our new addition.

Fireflies, cool thunderstorms and family, what more could you ask for

Last week was my first time seeing fireflies even though the first one I saw happened to be smashed on the windshield, but hey it was still glowing so that counts right? They are really cool bugs though, and it was really neat to see them in the darkness with their on and off gleams.
Another awesome thing I saw was thunderstorms like you don't see anywhere else. I loved it when it rained because it was humid and warm so it felt really good when you were outside.
You might be wondering where I saw these really cool things, and the answer to that is Nauvoo, Illinois. We were able to go out there for a whole week. I have been there before but I don't really remember a lot of it.

We left over Memorial day weekend and arrived back this last Saturday. We were able to travel with my sisters Abbey and Lindsay and their hubbies so it was a lot of fun being on the plane and driving with them. My brother and his wife and family came from New York, and my parents and sister Annie of course live there already so that is why we went to visit. My other brother Brett came down with his family from Iowa so we had the whole Marshall gang together for a week of laughs, fun times and of course drama because it is not a family vacation without that.
We flew into St. Louis Missouri where my dad was waiting in a huge van to take us 3-1/2 hours to Nauvoo. Needless to say it was a long day of traveling, but very worth it. If I would have had to drive for 2 days instead of flying and only driving for 3-1/2 hours I would have lost it so I am very glad we didn't have to drive the whole way.
We stayed in a really nice lodge the first few nights which was huge and there were bunnies outside which the kids loved to go and see and hold.
The other nights we stayed in this house which was kind of an adventure in and of itself, but that is another story.
We toured all around Nauvoo seeing all the houses and going on carriage rides and wagon rides pulled by Oxen. We walked the trail of hope and went on a private tour of the Nauvoo temple courtesy of my dad, and went through a session there. It was the first time my parents and all of us siblings have been in the temple together and it was such a neat experience.
We got to dress up like pioneers and play some of the games they had. This is McKenna riding a sheep. Her and her cousins could have played at this park forever. Overall it was a really great experience to be able to be where the prophet and the saints lived and to feel the sweet spirit that was there in the town.

We also went to Carthidge and went through the tour there and that was really neat. I have been there before like I said but it was just as sweet of an experience the second time as it was the first. We got a picture outside with all the grandkids except for Callie because she is too little to sit up there with everyone else.
The kids went swimming at grandma and grandpas and just had a blast running around and being with eachother. It was a little noisy at times with all the kids that you would think you were in a zoo at times, but fun nonetheless.
There is so much to do we didn't even get to see everything, but the best thing was just being with the family and enjoying the time we got to spend there. McKenna had a blast playing with all her cousins and was very sad when we had to say goodbye to them all.
I was not ready to leave, but like they say, all good things must come to an end. I always get so anxious for things to come and then when they do it just goes by so fast. I need to relax and not be so anxious but just enjoy every moment even if it is just being satisfied with taking McKenna to the park and entertaining and teaching her things each day. I should be just as excited for those moments as I am to go on a vacation right?
McKenna loved flying on an airplane, she kept telling everyone she was going to fly on an airplane even if she didn't know them. It was so cute and she did so well so it made my life so much easier. We experienced pink berry frozen yogurt for the first time and it was deliscious! It was a little hard for her while we were in Nauvoo because we were always so busy she didn't get naps in so she was not her usually well behaved self, but what can you expect from an almost 3 year old?
One thing we got to do which was really neat to me was to tour Brigham Young's house and so I got a picture of Travis and McKenna there because he is their great grandfather, 4th for Travis and 5th for McKenna.
I am so grateful for family and for the many blessings we have been given to allow us to take this wonderful trip. I am especially grateful for my parents who did so much to make it such a nice trip, we are very fortunate and I am so glad we got this opportunity.
Memories are some of the best things we have and I am glad that I have made so many good ones with Travis and McKenna so far and I look forward to many more with them and with our new son when he arrives.

It's about time

You are probably all used to my sporadic postings, so here is another update to what has been going on.
We moved into my grandpa's house in Orem at the end of April and are loving it here. It is so nice to have a backyard where McKenna can go out and play as well as being able to work out in the yard and just enjoy being outside in it. It is a lot quieter than our other apartment. No more sirens waking McKenna up.
We are really close to this really big park and swimming pool place as well as all the shopping places, so it is so nice to have something to do all the time. My sister and her husband are moving in with us for a little while so that will be really fun too.
McKenna is staying very busy these days, she loves going to the park, playing outside, playing with blocks and toys, coloring and reading books.
She does have an attitude now, but that is expected I suppose of an almost 3 year old. She is actually starting to eat more foods I give her which I am so happy about. She used to only like certain types of food, but I can pretty much get her to eat anything now. We have so much fun with her and she is growing up way to fast.
I am just starting my seventh month now, so I am getting big, at least that is how I feel. Everything is going well, I can feel him kicking all the time and doing whatever other weird things inside my stomach. I feel more uncomfortable with this one then I did with McKenna, but I am happy to bear it. Here is a pic of me at a little over 6-1/2 months. It is still weird to me that I am having a boy, I don't think it will sink in until he is actually here, but I am really excited and can't wait!
I am really looking forward to summer and all the fun things we have going on. I will definately have lots to blog about these next couple of months.

Easter egg dive and other fun festivities

We had a fun Easter this year, though I didn't really get to take many pictures, mostly because I forgot to do it, but hey I will work with what I got.
We went up to Haramen Utah where Travis sister lives and we went to an easter egg hunt with her, her husband and her three kids, although I wouldn't really call it a hunt but rather a free for all for the parents. It was freezing and we had to bundle up in winter attire to brave through the cold. The kids were of course excited despite the cold, but since there was snow on the ground at the park, they had the easter egg dive as I will call it, under the pavillion. The 0-2 year olds went first which was nice because McKenna is in that category. They had candy strewn out all over the floor and had a fire engine there that would put the siren on when it was time to go.
On the sound of the siren, the kids went out onto the floor to collect the candy, although at this age it was the parents pushing their kids into the center and diving in grabbing all the candy for them; if I didn't know any better I would think the parents were the ones needing an Easter egg hunt.
McKenna was kind of frozen in place because of the siren, so I picked up a few eggs and showed her how to put them in her basket so she would get the idea. She finally caught on and started picking up all the candy around her. I wish the parents would have let their kids do it themselves, but what can you do. Travis couldn't even take a picture because there were so many people scrambling all over that he couldn't even see us picking up the candy. In about 1 minute or less the floor was cleared of all the Easter goodies and the kids whose parents helped them had overflowing Easter baskets while some kids had only one or two things. It was a crazy mess, I am not sure if I will be attending one of those again. I think I will just take my chances at a nice Easter egg hunt at home where it is safe from crazed parents and the cold.
The rest of the day we just spent up at Travis sisters while the cousins played together and ate Easter candy.
Easter morning, the Easter bunny came to visit McKenna. Lindsay had spent the night so it was fun to have her there in the morning. She covered her eyes while we brought it out to her.

Her face was priceless and she pulled her old man face (those of you who have seen her know what I am talking about). She loved all the candy and toys she got and was glad the Easter bunny came.

We went back over to Travis sister's house and watched conference, or more like tried to watch it while all of the kids were playing and screaming. It was nice for McKenna to play with her cousins though and we at least were able to be uplifted by conference even if it was only a little bit.
We had a big dinner after conference with Melanie and her husband and kids, and some of Melanie's husbands family. The food was delicious and it was so fun being around family and enjoying time and good food with them.
All in all it was a pretty good Easter even if it was full of crazed people, screaming kids and candy I shouldn't be eating in the first place.

Big Changes

We have some pretty exciting news to share and since I haven't blogged for a while a lot to catch up on.
Travis got accepted to Willamette law school in Oregon, so we are moving there in August....wohoo! Travis got a scholarship there which we were really shocked about but very glad. It is a big blessing to us. I am so excited to be able to go back to Oregon and get out of Provo Utah. It will be so nice to be close to some family opposed to no one if we went somewhere else for law school. I will miss my sisters like crazy though since they are both here with their hubbies.
The second bit of exciting news is that yay, we are having a boy! We were really shocked when we had the ultra sound and you could tell 100% that is was a boy. We both thought it was going to be another girl, so we were really surprised but super excited. Now that I will have one of each, I don't care what I have after this one. McKenna is so cute and is already saying "hi baby brother" to my stomach and is ready to have him come. I babysat my friend's kids the other day and she has a 4 month old and McKenna just wanted to hold him and kiss him and give him his pacifier the whole time. She is going to be a great big sister, maybe kind of annoying because she will love him to death, but hey it is cute.
Here is a prego picture of me at 20 weeks. It is not a great picture but hey it's a picture. I know mostly just my boobs have grown, but hey, what can you do.

We are also moving yet again out of our apartment at the end of April because my grandpa who is 100 had to be put in a nursing home so we are going to be living at his house until we move to Oregon in August. It will save us a lot of money so we feel very blessed. I am very sad though that I won't be able to be in YW anymore, it is so fun! I have really enjoyed this calling and I love my ward so it will be very hard. I can't wait till Travis is out of law school so that we can settle down for longer than a few years in one place.


McKenna is getting so big! She talks so well I find it hard to believe she is almost 3. She seems so much older than she is but maybe that also has to do with her height since she looks like she is 4. She is so polite though and says please and thank you for everything and is such a big helper. I am so glad I am having another baby because she is all grown up now and is no longer my little baby anymore.
Some of the funny things she says now are "oh great" whenever she is happy about something, "don't do it" if she doesn't want you to do something, and "don't touch mommy's boobies" because she started doing that and I had to tell her we don't do that and so she will just say it to people randomly which is pretty hilarious. She sings songs all the time and knows all the words to "I love to see the Temple, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Alphabet song, Pat a cake, and so many more. It is so fun and precious to see her sing songs. She is such a joy and I love being able to see what she will do next and how much she is growing.


All in all we are great, just waiting for those big changes to come this summer.

Slacker

So I have been a really big slacker when it comes to blogging, but I am going to blame it on my dumb computer and lack of good internet connection. We have and will be going through a lot of changes this year which we are really excited about although somewhat stressful. Our most exciting news is that we are expecting our 2nd child this August and are really excited to welcome the new little one into our family. We feel so blessed and I know this new little one will be such a joy to our lives. McKenna is already excited about it and constantly touches my tummy and says "hi baby, I wuv you." She also says it is mommy's baby when anyone asks her about it. We find out next month what we are having so we are counting down to that. I don't really care what I have, I will be happy with whatever angel is sent to us. McKenna has been going through hormonal changes it would seem as she screams and throws tantrums on the slightest whim and is very strong willed and has a hard time listening with certain things. Thankfully they don't last long and then she is totally fine and goes on being her happy self. I think we will have a bi-polar child for a while. She is so smart though and has gotten to that stage where she asks what everything is and such. She is such a joy to our lives though, I don't know what I would do without her. I love being able to spend time with her although sometimes it does get a little overwhelming. Travis still has a job as a regional manager at a company called Western Watts which is a translation company and is heading up a big project for the FBI which he is really enjoying. We feel very blessed that he has done so well and that he will have a job until we go to law school. Speaking of law school, that is one of the other big changes we have coming up. We are still waiting to hear from one school on whether he got in or not, but as soon as we get that we will be making the big decesion on where to go. He has already been accepted to a school in New York and one in Florida so we are happy to have a few choices right now. We will be moving in August since that is when he starts school, so it will be really stressful since the baby is being born in August and I don't even know if Travis will be able to be here for the birth. Keeep your fingers crossed the baby comes early! As for me, besides various parts that keep expanding I am doing quite well. Travis got me a gymn membership with a kids club membership so I can go work out and take McKenna with me. It is such a nice thing to be able to get away and just work out and do something for myself. I am the 1st counselor in the YW presidency and I absolutely love it! It is so much fun to be around all the yw and their sweet spirits.
We are all doing great though but miss all our family and friends and hope you are all well too. I wish I could have posted pictures and some cute videos of McKenna but alas my computer is way to slow so maybe next time.