7 Big Ones!!

Today is our anniversary. If you can't guess from the title is has been 7 big years. I was looking back through old pictures and had some good memories that I thouht I'd share with you. Beware: there are going to be alot of pictures.

While we were dating. (Left): Dixie College Homecoming Dance
(Top): Jason's College Graduation
(Bottom): Watching movies at Jason's house

Wedding Day

I love these "Cutting the Cake" pictures. This was at the reception in Heber

We moved to Salt Lake just before our first anniversary to go the University of Utah. I worked at the hospital as a CNA and Jason worked at Sky West. We were able to fly for free to many places. We were able to fly to Chile (where Jason served his mission) on First-Class for VERY cheap.

We saw people he knew which was great but we got roasted in the sun sooooo very badly that we had to return home after 5 days instead of staying 2 weeks. All in all what was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime ended up being the worst trip of our lives.

However, we did have many fun trips like this one to 6 Flags, CA to celebrate Jason's BF's birthday.

And this one to northern Idaho to see Jason's other BFs. We got all dressed up to go get dessert. People couldn't stop staring but it was a great time.

After a year we moved back to SG and went to Nitro racing in LV with my bro.

For our second anniversary we went to Yellowstone camping and then on up to ID to see our friends again.

Graduating with my AS.

Hanging with good friends.

(Left): Casey and Kelly Niederhauser

(Middle): Travis and Amber Sheffield

(Right): Two good-lookin' people

4 Year Anniversary

Bringing Regan Home '06

Christmas '06

Kristal 34 wks pregnant, Jason 29 wks, and Mark 24 wks.

May '07

December '07

Life has been good to us these last 7 years. It seems like it hasn't been that long, yet thinking about all that we have done and all these memories, it seems like a different life time. We have moved 4 times and are about to move again. I finished dental hygiene school, and Jason is about to start architecture school. We have two beautiful daughters. We have made many amazing friends that we will have for life. We truly have been blessed. I know I have. Jason is without a doubt the perfect match for me. I don't know how he puts up with me the way he does. He is the best thing that has happened to me. Love you and Happy Anniversary!

The Office

Which Character From The Office Are You?

More on The Office. Created by BuddyTV

So you all know that I LOVE the TV show The Office so I found this character quiz. Hahaha, not what I was expecting, but pretty funny if you ask me!

Finally new scrapbook pages!

I have been in kind of a scrapbooking rut lately and haven't done any pages, but I have been working on some projects and needed to get these done so...enjoy!


Big shout out to my mom! It was her birthday yesterday and she is 32 (wink wink)! I love you and hope you know that you are the greatest and best mom in the world!

Congratulations to Jason!!!!

My awesome husband got accepted to the University of Utah School of Architecture!!!! I knew you could do it Jason! I love you so much and know that you can do anything you set your mind to. Way to go! Big changes up ahead for the Joy family so buckle up!!

Regan!!! Couch!!! Sophie!!!

Well here is my story. I have not been on the computer as much lately because I feel alot of mommy guilt during the day, so I try to do it when the girls are asleep. Well, Regan and Sophie have not been getting to sleep until late and by then I have time to take a shower and go to bed, or just chill with Jason. If I do get on I check my email and that's about it. So here is what has been happening around here...

Regan!!!

I decided to take a shower in the morning instead of my usual night time shower and I thought it would be ok. Sophie stood by the tub crying because I wouldn't let her in. Regan was sitting on the floor sucking her blanket and playing with my hair stuff. No big deal.

"This will be easy", I unwittingly thought. When I was done, I opened the shower curtain to find 2 things.

1. Regan sitting on top of the counter (which is a first for her, she's not a big climber).

2. Vaseline covered over every surface of the bathroom.

Needless to say I was just a little alarmed. I mean, how easy is it to clean a non-water soluble substance such as vaseline?!? I found it on the floor and stuck to all the shredded toilet paper that Regan had so graciously left me. It was covering the mirror and the sink and globs stuffed in the drain hole of the sink. It was all over the soap dispenser and I even found some smeared in the toilet bowl! Oh and not to mention it was all over Regan. I was so dumbfounded, I didn't know what to do. So I did what any crazy-minded mom would do...I grabbed the camera. Too bad vaseline is not colored or you would get a better idea of the stickiness of the situation. I washed Regan's hair but it was greasy for 2 days afterward. The night before Regan had pooped in the bathtub with Sophie in it. I was in my bedroom and came in to find them playing with it up on the bathtub shelf. So when this vaseline thing happened I was thinking that I would put a post on the blog that said...Regan For Sale...Free Delivery! Of course you didn't see that so I did cool off a little bit, but DANG! While I was freaking out, Regan said, "I in big tubble". Good thing she's cute!

Couch!!!

I want to pay tribute to our old, yellow couch. It has been with us for most of our marriage. We got it from my high school seminary teacher and it has really become a part of our family (Jason would think otherwise). Recently the girls have loved taking all the coushions off and "make a house". This is how I found Sophie the other night...she was SO tired.

So we decided that it was time to get a new couch and when Jason took the old, yellow couch to D.I., I was kind of sad....until our new one was delivered!!! I LOVE it!!

Sophie!!!

Sophie is my little risk-taker and climber. She can move up a flight of stairs faster than you can blink. And she has figured out coming down by grabbing onto the railing and stepping down. Man she is different than Regan. Regan still is a little scared of stairs and uses the bum method to come down. So lately she has been taking a few steps here and there! The little squirt is so stinkin' cute!

Yesterday I was working and Jason took the girls down to his parents at lunch time. He was sitting on the couch and Sophie was standing at his knee. She all of a sudden turned and started walking to the coffee table, which was about 6 steps away. Well, she made it 4 steps and fell face forward into the HARD wood coffee table. Grandpa Joy said it sounded like a hammer hit the table. Her nose took the hit and she bled like a stuck pig. It is swollen and starting to bruise. I will be surprised if she doesn't get black eyes. She won't let us touch it so there is still crusted blood in and around her nostrils.

These pictures don't do it justice. It is actually worse than it looks here. It is now turning purple and blue and spreading. Her eyes are getting puffier too. Makes me sick to my stomach every time I look at it.

Lady bugs

This post is for Kathi who is making lady bug cupcakes for her daughters bday. I made these for Regan's bday and it took me stinkin' all day long, but they turned out so stinkin' cute! Anyway, I told Kathi that I would post a picture for her to see.

Pictures

I had my friend Amber Sheffield "Blue Iris Photography" take more pictures of the girls for their 1 and 2 year old pics. We went to the Brigham Young Home and it was a perfectly gorgeous day! It was so windy the day before and I just prayed it would stay nice for the shoot. They turned out so great! I love them all. Trying to choose a favorite would be like trying to choose a favorite color Oreo....it just can't be done. You can go to her web site (there is a link on the right) and see all of them if you want, and why wouldn't you? They are only the cutests girls in the west! Awww...so many scrapbooking possibilities!!!

Mother's Day Reunion

Mother's Day weekend we had Regan's birthmom and her two boys come and spend a couple of days with us. Regan is a really friendly girl and had no trouble talking with them and playing with the boys. The first night we had a bbq at my in-laws and Jake and Kelly Colvin came since he has known Jennifer since he was a kid. We had a good time and went to Zion National Park to show them some of the beauty there, although it was alot of traveling all said and done. However, I made matching bracelets for them to wear and wrote a poem to go with it. I hope she knows how much we appreciate her.

Mother dear

I saw this Q&A thing for mother's to fill out and I thought it might be interesting to read in a few years or to have my girls read it when they are mothers.

1. What time do my kids wake up? Right now around 7am. Still early, but it's not what it was thank goodness.

2. On a good night, what time do my kids go to sleep? Before daylight savings it was 7:30. Now it is all screwed up. More like 9:30.....d@$% daylight savings time!!!!!

3. How long have I been a mom? 2 years and counting!

4. How old was I when I became a mom? Barely 25 years

5. What is my favorite kid show? Wonder Pets

6. Least favorite kid show? It's a toss up between Teletubbies and Barney.

7. Favorite chore? Reading with my children. I know it's not a household chore but it's a mother's chore and much more important than cleaning toilets or sweeping floors. Remember this next time you come to my house and it's less then tidy!

8. Favorite meal to cook? Hmm......which one is the easiest? Well, I actually like making Tortilla Soup. Easy and really tasty.

9. What's the meal cooked most often? Burritos and quesadillas

10. What is your kids favorite meal? Regan loves chicken and Sophie eats anything we're eating.

11. What is my favorite thing that Jason does with the kids? Everything Jason does with the kids. I love that he is willing to do anything for them....play, change diapers, bathe them, etc. He is the best dad around.

12. What are the 5 things that make me smile while being a mom? Listening to Regan sing. Watching Sophie dance. The funny things Regan says. Seeing them learn new things and giving me and eachother kisses.

13. Where do I want to take my kids someday? I want to take Regan to the zoo so badly! She loves animals and I know she would LOVE the zoo!!! If we move to SLC I am getting a season pass to the zoo. I wish SG had one.

14. When was the last time Jason and I went out without the kids? A few weeks ago we went to the temple.

15. One thing you said you'd never do as a mom? I don't remember specifically, but maybe I said that I would never let my house get really messy....hahahaha.

16. Favorite past time with my kids? Singing

17. Favorite quality that my mom has? Patience and unending service/thought/concern for everyone around her.

18. Advice for new moms? Take time for yourself. If you're drained and beaten down you'll be useless to your kids. Also, find some friends. It's good to be able to get out of the house with other moms and realize that you are not alone in the things you are going through.

You know, motherhood has it's ups and downs. At the end of the day I try to look back and find one moment or two that were great moments with my kids. I didn't realize that sometimes it would be difficult to find those moments, but they help me to focus on the positive aspects of motherhood and not the negative ones, like Sophie crying all day or Regan peeing all over the house all day.

Being a mother is a journey, not a landmark (as I once thought). Which brings me to my next thought. Along this thorny, rose laden journey, I hope that I can evolve into the mother that my mom is today. She does everything with her children and grandchildren in mind. I hope that I can have as strong a testimony and desire to do right as she does. I hope that I can instill in my children the same love and dependence on the gospel that she has in me. Thanks for this mom. I don't know what I'd do without you.

And the winner is...

• Best sleeper... Sophie (Regan currently sleeps on the floor of our bedroom most of the night...ugh)



• Best to have sleep in bed with you... Regan (Sophie is the wiggle worm of death)



• Best eater... Sophie (she can eat as much as me!!)



• Daddy's girl...Regan



• Mama's girl...Sophie



• Loudest screamer... tie



• Most tickilish... Sophie (Regan has never really been tickilish)



• Most cuddly... Regan



• Most wiggly... Sophie



• Most clothes... Regan



• Most daring... Sophie



• Loves to read books... Regan



• Loves to eat books... Sophie



• Most clingy... Regan (although Sophie is getting close)



• Best dancer... Sophie (she likes shakin' what her mama gave her)


• Most patient parent...Kristal


• Softy parent...Jason


• Best dancer parent...Kristal (she also likes to shake what her mama gave her!)

I thought these pictures were so funny of the girls. Regan was playing with this box and started sitting in it, then she got distracted by something on TV. I couldn't help taking a couple pictures. Then I wanted to take pictures of Sophie and the only way to get her wiggly bum to hold still was to give her my chapstick. I just love her little mouth, it is so daintily cute.