Popsicle Girls

We moved to Anaheim the very end of June. Here is a picture of our apartment in Rancho Penasquitos, where we called home for about 6 months at the beginning of this year.

This is the clubhouse of our condo/apartment. (They are technically condo's, but used to be apartments, and because we were always used to living in apartments, that's what we called it)

That is my 4Runner, our moving truck (that Cody's company paid for. woohoo for movers!) and Cody's car in front. I would park there because it is the closest to our apartment, but it's still pretty far away. Especially when you have 2 kids and 10 bags of groceries.

Usually it doesn't have stuff everywhere...That's from the movers just doing their job. You can see me on our balcony. 

We totally loved our apartment and the landscaping and the area. San Diego was so good to us and when we got all our stuff packed and gave our manager the keys, I cried and cried and cried. I literally stood on the curb and cried my eyes out. I was really sad. I remember Cody telling me that everything would be fine and that our ward here would be just as good as our ward there (Our ward was aaaamazing) and I just kept saying, "No one is as good as these people! They are just so wonderful to us!! 

***Be right back...I just spotted a cricket in our house. What do I do now?!?!

Don't worry. I got him.***

When we got to our house in Anaheim, we had a LOT of boxes to go through. So many, that Cody made some box houses for the girls. They loved playing in them!

Preslie was sleeping.

Another thing they loved about living here, was all the popsicles we got to eat. We didn't have air conditioning in San Diego, but it never got hot enough to need it. That is definitely not true here, where we are also lacking in the a/c department.  

This is how we deal with it.

Something else very exciting about having our own place? We can sidewalk chalk to our hearts content. Which is a lot.

See the blue by her mouth? It's chalk.

Taking a break to get an Eskimo Kiss

Showing Daddy her messy, chalky feet

I totally love this picture of her

Showing off all her precious chalk

...Preslie slept through this one too. I promise we love them the same.

5 Years, Almost.

This Tuesday will mark the 5th anniversary of my sister and her husband's death.

I've learned so much these past 5 years from what happened to them, but sometimes, it just really sucks.

Sometimes, most of the time, I just really miss her. I miss them. I miss how much they loved me and Cody. I hate that I didn't realize that for so long.

It just sucks.

It seems like basically everyone I know right now is pregnant, so I was looking at baby names recently, trying to pick names for my family and friend's kids. :) I looked up Steve and Catheryn and do you know what they mean?

Catheryn means "Pure." Steve means "The Crowned."

I don't know why I think that is so awesome, but I do. What better meanings could you have?

I just watched the music video of Hilary Week's song, Beautiful Heartbreak. It was a beautiful song with a beautiful meaning. We all have trials. We all have to go through them. We should try to come out from the trials having learned something, and having turned it into a beautiful heartbreak instead of wishing it away.

Sometimes I still want to wish it away. Right now is one of those times.

And then I remember how loving our Savior is. How could I wish away anything He has done? Because of their death, I am so much closer to Him now. I guess that's the beginning of the beautiful part of it.

And just because...(This is my brother, Dan - not Steve, Catheryn's husband)

I miss you, guys. A lot.

Where Have I Been?

I know, it's been a long time. I did post in September...but only once so it doesn't really count. Honestly, I've been busy. Really, really busy. I kind of hate when people say they're so busy because it makes me feel like they're trying to be better than me (is that just me or does everyone feel like that?). So I promise I'm not trying to act better than anyone, I just really have been busy.

I started going back to school this semester (which started September 12 and ends December 17). In order to get my degree without having to do an internship, I have to finish by fall 2012. I don't want to do an internship because that would be impossible, and because I took extra classes when I was in school so I wouldn't have to do an internship. So basically I have to be going to school pretty much full time until December 17, 2012 so I can get my bachelor's degree.

What do I want to do with my degree?
Frame it.

Because I have been so busy with school, my calling (Primary Chorister, which I love), my kids and family (I am a married/single mom, but I think everyone knew that already) and lots of visitors and parties, blogging has definitely been on the backburner. I also had over 1000+ blogs in my google reader, and I always read the blogs of people I knew personally, but all the craft and other blogs I look at, I'm getting a little sick of. So that would make me sick of blogging in general and I just didn't want to do it. But because we've done so many awesome things lately, I think I should try to make a comeback.

That being said, I'm not promising to blog everyday, because I definitely can't do that. As soon as the girls go down for naps, I do homework and as soon as they go to bed, I do homework. So I'm hoping for more of a once a week blogging routine.

Here We Go.