Monday

Baking pumpkin cookies... Yum, yum

We are getting ready for general conference this weekend. Tonight we had some friends over for FHE and Jorge taught about king Benjamin and the tower he built to speak to his people. The kids built towers w/ Jenga blocks and had a great time.

Rainy Day

Today it rained all day long. It was kind of a nice change since we have had hot weather since we moved here. I'm embracing the fact that we are moving into Fall and I'm ok w/ it :) if you know me this is a big change because historically I've not been found of cold weather but I've decided that what I really like is that as it gets cold and the weather changes it causes you to slow down a bit and spend more time at home, which means more family time. Today we read and painted and played. I also love the different foods we eat, more soups and stews and that your wardrobe changes as you move into winter. So I guess I'm saying I'll take the rain when it comes and bring on Fall.( and pumpkin bread)

I had to get a picture of Stella's friend Talia, she came over today w/ her bright yellow raincoat and darling blue hat. The girls play really well together, it's so nice that most of her friends live w/ in the same complex as us. 

Girls Night In

All you need is love

Love this girl!!

Love my guy!!!

Jorge's trip to Atlanta

Jorge and his fellow MBA student/ our neighbor, Luis, from Mexico City, having dinner.

Jorge, Luis, & Peter at an Atlanta Braves game. Peter is also our neighbor and is from Brazil. The 3 of them shared a hotel room and car on the trip. Peter has an awesome video of Jorge doing the tomahawk chop and singing at the game, maybe someday I'll get a copy of it ;)

Random moments

Stella and I enjoying some soy beans during lunch. I was so happy because she seemed to enjoy them, it's always fun to share something you love w/ someone else and they share your enthusiasm for it. 

Jorge is up for dad of the year. Tonight I was trying to encourage Stella to practice making bubbles in the bath like we do at swim class and she wasn't going for it. Jorge was studying nearby and he came to the rescue. He took of his glasses, knelt down, put his face in the water and starting blowing bubbles and Stella quickly followed. 

Feeling Grateful

These are a few photos of our escapades today while visiting my brother and sister in law. Tonight I was reflecting on the day and just feeling so thankful to be a stay at home mom (SAHM). It is so wonderful to be able to spend everyday w/ Stella. Of course there are days where you feel like you need a break but overall I wouldn't want to miss this time w/ her for anything in the world. I love how much time being a SAHM allows for you to visit family, serve others and be your child's full time support. Today was one of those warm late summer afternoons where the kids ran around in there bathing suits (after running through the sprinklers) while Emily and I sat on the driveway and talked about life. It was kind of magical.

Ice cream

Nothing better than an ice cream cone on a hot day

Family night at the park

The weather today was amazing; warm w/ a slight breeze, perfect really. So we took advantage of it and had a picnic in the park tonight. After we ate dinner we found a little grove of trees and had Family Home Evening and talked about and got excited for general conference coming up. We've been talking about it the whole month of sept and I'm really hoping that it will help Stella in some small way be ready. Stella loved every minute of being outside. We took off our shoes and ran bare foot through the cool grass, raced up a hill and took in the incredible views of Utah Lake. Utah has really grown on me life here is so quaint. There are families everywhere, you always feel safe & it's so clean. It would be a great place to raise a family.

Photo booth

Stella and I in the photo booth at the opening social yesterday. 

Saturday

Stella's 1st swimming lesson. Today she learned how to blow bubbles under the water and float on her back. We have a lot of practicing to do this week in the bathtub ;) it didn't come as naturally to her as I would have thought. 

Later that day I participated in an obstacle course w/ my ward against other members of the stake, it was fun. The first two pics are self explanatory but the last one is me sitting on a balloon. After you finished the course you had to run back to the beginning and blow up a ballon while you are out of breath, challenging to say the least, and sit on it until it popped. So I'm sitting on my ballon trying to pop it, surprisingly it's pretty hard.

All gave some, some gave all

Happy Anniversary to Jorge!!!

Jorge and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary today. I can't believe it's only been 4 years it honestly seems like we've been together forever. He is the best husband and father I could have ever asked for.

I just have to tell this story so I went out to sweep our front porch area this afternoon and closed the door and was locked out w/ Stella on the inside. (Family in Ecuador are probably thinking no surprise there ;)so I ran downstairs and my neighbor asks me if it's my birthday i say know its my anniversary and then I said how did you know? she said your car is full of balloons. I said oh I didn't know that. Then she felt bad for ruining the surprise but at that moment I didn't care about it  because I was frantically running around to try and get the master key from the the community aides and then the office which was closing at 5 and it was 4:53. After Stella and I reunited ;) we went to the car and retrieved the balloons. Jorge surprised me by attaching pictures of us throughout our marriage on the end of each balloon w/ a note on the back. I loved it!!!  

This is what happens when you move to a new area and you don't have a babysitter, you have your anniversary dinner out as a family :)

Rain, rain go away, come again another day

It's been raining a lot here the last few days, today it really felt like Fall.

Stella's first real play date in Provo, we had to take it indoors because of the bad weather so we invited everyone over to our house. 

Love this quote!!!

"May I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.”

Jeffery R. Holland

A gorgeous Sunday afternoon drive

Alpine Loop

Gifts of the heart

Every year the community comes together to donate clothes, toys and books to poor college kids. Since the MBA spouse association is in charge of it we get the first pick of the stuff. It was amazing how organized everything was and how much stuff there was. I got some things for Stella, a t shirt for Jorge and a little back massage tool for me. 

View from inside

As I was leaving this was line outside and I couldn't even capture how far it went.

If you know Stella you know about her mild obsession w/ the TV show Yo Gabba Gabba. I got the sweatshirt and the foofa doll there and was pumped. It was so fun to see her so excited. She did everything w/ foofa today, including putting her in a time out :) as I write she is sleeping along side her. 

Trying out the back massager, notice bottom right corner something pink ;)

Vivian Park

Stella hasn't been taking naps lately, well at least in her bed (the minute she gets in the car she's asleep). I thought that it was just something that was happening at grandmas house because that's when it started but no, it's carried on at our house too. Man I rely miss those couple of hours of alone time in the afternoon. It was a mental and a physical break. She is SO busy and into everything as a two year old is but when you are trying to get your home together after just moving it can be frustrating. Lately when I feel frustrated w/ the fact that I can't get as much accomplished as I would like I go do something fun with her. We walk to the park, I play w/ her or we go somewhere. It makes such a difference, she loves it, I stop forcing something that isn't working and we are all happier because of it. Tonight I was looking at a friends blog and observed how grown up her kids are, sometimes it's easier to see other kids growth than your own. I remember when her kids were babies and now her oldest is in high school. Life flies by and I want Stella to have an amazing, wonderful childhood, one that she can look back on and smile. Today we left to run errands in the afternoon and she fell asleep so I decided to just take a drive and let her sleep and not be frustrated about the fact that I would have to wake her up and carry her into the store and that she would be grumpy. I drove up Provo canyon and while I was enjoying the scenery I noticed a sign for Vivian park. This is the place that President Monson's family had a cabin and he grew up going there every summer. It's a tiny little community tucked in at the base of the mountains and adjacent to the Provo River. It's really quiet and peaceful there. When Pres. Monson's talks about it it's with so much fondness, I love that. Stella won't remember that she nearly killed her mom by stopping to take naps at an early age but she will remember the fun times we spend together. 

Enjoying the last days of summer

Fresh raspberries from the garden. Stella w/ her cousin Chloe. They both love raspberries.

Random

Jorge totally read my mind because on my drive home I was thinking how great it would be if I walked in the door and their were flowers for me. #itsthelittlethings

On our walk this morning at the Provo River.

Tonight I attended the MBA spouse association Opening Social. These guys don't joke around. We had to dress in Sunday Best and the speaker was on of the Marriotts, she was very down to earth and inspirational. 

These are my friends from Brazil and Mexico. 2 of them are also in my ward, they are all super nice!

The long road home

We made it back to Provo tonight. Saying goodby to grandparents/parents is always hard but it's especially hard when they aren't 100% well as is the case w/ my mom. Her arm is still in a sling so she is limited in what she can do but she is recovering nicely and she's getting close to being able to take the sling off. I was comforted that before I even left today the Relief Society president came to visit and now that the first almost four weeks of pure family help is over they will step in and help as needed. We made a quick visit to my brothers house on the way home and had fun catching up and playing in their awesome backyard. We left w/ tons of vegetables from the garden which I'm super excited about. You can't beat the taste of something homegrown.