Count your blessings

When I miscarried my first pregnancy, I was only 10 weeks along. I hadn't heard a heartbeat and wasn't too devistated. We got pregnant quickly and I was confident that we could get pregnant again right away. For the next 19 months, I lived in 2 week increments, calculating fertile days and being dissapointed with each passing month, failing to conceive. Finally, we decided to try artificial incemination. It took on the first attempt and Phoenix was born September, 2008. 1 year later, we decided to start trying again. After 6 months, we went for another AI, which failed to take. 2 more missed ovulations, then the night before my birthday, I got a possitive pregnancy test.

I was so discouraged and felt so sorry for myself, wondering if I would be able to have children. My trials were a cakewalk compared to those of so many others. I have recently read 2 blogs of families who lost their babies. Preslee, at 18 months www.patrickandashley.blogspot.com. And Kaden, at 5 months www.rustyandjacquiefife.blogspot.com. These families have endured every parents worst nightmare, yet, through their knowledge of, and faith in, The Lord's gospel, have been able to survive these tragedies and be an inspiration to everyone who comes across their stories.

I know of mothers who only got to hold their babies for months, days, hours, or only after they had returned to live with their Father in Heaven. I am so grateful for my 4 month old, wo wiggles so much I can barely hold him, and who had turnned me into the walking dead most nights. I am grateful for my 2-yr old, who gives me so much attitude that I worry about her tweenage years. My kids drive my nuts sometimes, but I think of the mothers who do not get to be embarrased by their children in public or who do not get to rock their impossible infants to sleep and long for it. I have been blessed beyond measure and I refuse to take it for granted. My children are on loan to me from my father in Heaven and I am at his mercy to let me keep them for the rest of my mortal life.

Your children need your discipline, of course. But be sure to hug them and make sure they know that you love them, even when you are mad at them.

Kellie, Thank you for sharing Preslee's blog with me. I love sharing my birthday with your sweet little neice.

Yard Sale / Anniversary / Park City weekend

So my dad has this big ol' yard sale every year. It's like a holiday for our family. My goal is usually just about $100. My dad makes quite a bit more....We didn't get the turn-out this year that we usually do, but we did pretty well and had lotsa fun doing it! I had one chika try to swich up some Mary Kay boxes and try to rip me off. I havebeen working retail for 7 years, I know how to steal! So I busted her and she knew it. Watch out!

Testing out the merchandise....Dog pen
Head of Security

Putting rocks into a cone kept them busy for a good 30 minutes with no fighting

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So after yard selling for 2 days, We headed up to Park City on Saturday night for our 6th anniversary. Kyle & Kellie were already up there, so we just hung out with them Saturday night and swam with them on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, Baja Cantina was closed, so we settled for pizza and we didn't even blow an extra $10 at theRocky Mt. Chocolate Factory. We missed out on the Alpine slide on Sunday because it closed at 6 and I napped until 5:50. So we hung around a little longer on Monday, to ride at 1:00pm.

Phoenix and Kasey on Alpine Slide

Phoenix having a blast on the train. She rode it 3 times!

1 time around on the airplanesAnd 2 rounds on the carousel....before ride operators rotated and the new guy only let her use her ticket once. The chick before him didn't care, much cooler gal.

And the Family shot

Playin at the Treehouse!

Phoenix's membership to the Treehouse expired at the end of May, so we had to get in one last hurrah to hold her over for a while.

She can't wait to ride Jorys horses

This one's for uncle Kyle

Just like her mother

Making dinner.....not so much like her mother....

Just chilling in the oval office with Barak Obama-oma-oma, aye-aye-aye

Spring Photos!

I said I'd never be crafty

I just love weddings!

As you know, I kind of like to take pictures (http://www.randeescott.blogspot.com/). So I shot this wedding on April 30th and had so much fun! The set-up and decorations make all the difference! So I'm kind of jealous of the fun that these decorators get to have making such gorgeous and creative settings for weddings and receptions. Now, I'm kicking around the idea of starting a decorating business. I'm just super intimidated by business-ology, mainly taxes and such. Plus the start-up costs for that kind of business is roughly $15,000...... Just a thought. anybody have their own little business that could give me some advice?

How cute is this candy table?

Jeep Safari

Last week was the Scott family annual vacation to Moab. I look forward to 4 things each year: Moab, my Birthday, Sourdough Days and Halloween. This year was so much fun, despite the severe lack of off-roading. Thursday, We hiked up to Corona arch, even with Phoenix and Parker. That was pretty much our only day of nice weather. Friday was pretty much wasted, but we did get to celebrate Emrie's 7th birthday. So Saturday, we were stoked to finally take our jeep off the freaking pavement. We attempted Poison Spider Mesa trail and totally could've completed it, but one of the Jeeps in our entourage died about 2 miles into the trail. As always, it became an adventure. First of all, Kasey made me drive one of the scariest climbs. I made it up about 5 feet and started to slide. Once it stopped, I put her in park and made Kasey finish it. I tried and I was brave, but I am not going to be the one to roll our Jeep, with my whole family inside. When we were towing the red Jeep back down that same spot, it nearly rolled. I was totally spooked and couldn't relax until we were off that trail. Unfortunately, because of the cold weather, we couldn't take Phoenix on the go-carts, so that will have to happen next year. This was my 6th year going on this trip and I am happy to report that it is the very first year that Kasey and I did not get into a fight! Seriously, it's over the dumbest stuff, too. But we've seen so little of each other since he started working graveyard shifts, that we were not going to waste our 5 days together and we liked each other the whole time!

We weren't even sure that Kasey and Rory would be able to go until 3 days before we left. They both got scheduled and had to fight tooth-and-nail to get the time off. Kasey even transferred stores, so he's closer to home now and it'll be easier for him and Rory to get the same time off. We are still trying to get new, day jobs, but until then, we've just got to be grateful that we both have jobs.