The 3 O's

My 24th Year

2011-10-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I turned the big 2-5! As I was thinking about my 24th year of life, I was thinking of all of the really awesome things I got to do! I've definitely have had my highs and lows this year, and dont get me wrong, this year hasnt been all lollipops and gummy bears, but I am grateful for all of the amazing times I have had!

In January, me and Trent were able to go on a cruise with Moxie. It was the first cruise we had been on and the first time I had ever left Nash overnight! It ended up being so much fun. We loved relaxing on the boat and hanging out with some of our favorite friends. We also got to go para sailing and hang out in Cabo. It was a blast!

The day after we got home from Cabo, I was able to run a 10k with my bestie, Colby. This was a HUGE milestone for me because I have never dedicated so much time training for something I never thought I could do. I have flat feet which means I have issues with my knees, hips, and lower back but I've always wanted to run! So I decided to just suck it up and do it. It was great for me to finish and so fun running with my best friend motivating me to keep going!

Trent and I also got to go to St. Croix with Trents parents. It was such a relaxing little get away! The island is so beautiful!

In July, me and Colby took a little time away from our kids and went to San Diego. Every mom should do this at least once a year!! It was one of the best vacations I have been on! We did whatever we wanted when we wanted. We saw movies and ate amazing food and cupcakes! We laid on the beach, rode bikes on the beach, and took naps on the beach. It was amazing to say the least. Oh and we also crossed an item off Colbys bucket list and tried out for American Idol. (my second time) It was so fun and I cant wait to do it next year!!

A few weekends ago, Trent and I took another trip with the Moxie crew to San Diego. When we got there the power was out in San Diego and all the way down the coast to Yuma. We had no electricity which made for a fun night! We all talked and played Sardines. As soon as the lights came on we were glued to the tv, ipads, cell phones and laptops! It was a great weekend though. Very relaxing, good food, some thrifting, and lots of laying on the beach. The best part was skydiving! Trent won a skydiving incentive at work so he was going to go with Austin, Ashytn and one other guy from the office. I was going to take pictures of them. The morning that we were getting ready to go, Ashtyn told me she had a surprise for me and was taking me skydiving too! It was crazy! I think we all were a little nervous.

Looking back at my 24th year I can truly say I am one lucky lady. I got to do all of these things plus watch my baby boy learn and grow, see some of my best friends get married and have babies, spend time with my family and friends, and celebrate my 4th wedding anniversary with the love of my life.

Goals for 25:
plant a garden
run a Ragnar
go to a J Biebs concert
save money $
have a baby
read the scriptures cover to cover

Lifes an Hourglass

2011-05-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

I want a baby. I want a baby real bad.

I keep telling Trent that and we've actually been trying to get pregnant since February. { I know 4 whole months is not long AT ALL but when you desperately want a baby it feels like a long time. My ♥ goes out to all the mothers who have been trying to have a baby for years }

I had a miscarriage this past month and its made me realize how grateful I am for the baby boy that I do have. I have been treasuring every single moment I spend with him.

I have been doing little things with him to make him feel special. He is a busy boy so we've been staying extra busy doing the little things that he loves.

We make breakfast together.

We stack his blocks up really high so he can knock them down.

We go for walks {sometimes 2 or 3 a day if he wants}

We play with our close friends.

We run in the sprinkles.

He helps me hold the hose when we water our grass.

We read books {I try to read while he quickly turns the pages}

We make yummy treats.

We watch cartoons together.

We go see the animals at Superstition Farm.

We write with chalk in the backyard.

We color together.

We play at the park.

I feel like he has grown into a little man in the blink of an eye.

I love watching him explore and find things that he loves.

Everyone tells me how much energy he has {or how stubborn he is, or how he already knows what he wants and hes not even two, or how crazy he is}

I just tell him to keep being his adventurous, brave, and crazy little self because I wouldn't trade him for the world.

I know that he is not always going to want to sit on my lap while I read him books. He is not always going to grab my hand and take me to the door when he wants to go outside. He is not always going to want to help me unload all the silverware from the dishwasher. He's not always going to want to sit on the counter and help me stir the brownie mix. So I treasure these little moments I have with him.

"When you reach for the stars, don't forget who you are. And please don't turn around and grow up way too fast. See the sand in my grasp, from the first to the last. Every grain becomes a memory from the past. Oh, Life's an Hourglass."-{that Mrs. Gledhill is a smart lady}

Nursery

2011-01-11T11:56:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Nash is in nursery. He started going a few weeks ago because Trent and I both have callings that don't allow us to watch him during the last 2 hours of church. Anyways, here is the big boy in all his glory on his big day. I am such a crazy mom and every time I get a chance, I peek through the little window just to see what he is doing. I tear up every time. Love love love him.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-27T20:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is spent with Trent's Dad and Step mom. We eat Mexican food and then go open gifts at their house. Nash and Aiden were so cute together. I love seeing them play with each other and I'm glad they don't fight!

Each year, the brothers and sisters draw names for gifts. I picked Ashley this year and lucky for me she wanted homemade gifts! I made her a cute black pillow, a picture frame, and jewelry hook.

I love this family so much. I feel so blessed to have married into a great family!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

Schnepf Farms

2010-11-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Both of my brothers worked at Shnepf Farms this year so we got to go for FREE!

Free=Awesome. We invited our cousins, Kristie and Evan, to come with us and it was a blast. Here are some pictures from Trent's phone to prove it :)

One of the many joys of having a child is that you can make them do things like this:

I pretty much love Schnepf Farms. I remember when I turned 14 I was so excited because I could work there for the Pumpkin Chili Party. I thought I would meet some cute boys {didn't happen}, make some money {at 4.25$/hr} and get to eat good food {werent allowed}. Instead, I was in charge of the little animal petting zoo. I was stinky all the time and had to make sure small children didnt feed the goats popcorn or let them out of the gate. One goat was found belly up one morning because of all the popcorn it had been given. I was not good at my job to say the least.

I love taking Nash there just because I feel like its a little piece of Queen Creek that hasnt changed much in the past 18 years, and thats just how I like it!

2010-11-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Just some pictures of the cutest baby in the world, seriously:

Halloween

2010-10-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. It was so much fun this year. Remember last year? Let me remind you. This boy was not a happy monkey. He still didnt understand the concept this year but he actually loved wearing his hamburger costume and everyone got a kick out of my little burger. We went to my moms ward trunk-or-treat on Friday, our ward trunk-or-treat, and a Halloween party at Bup and Bridgets. {which I will not post pictures of me and Trents costumes because they were SUPER lame. I was Wendy, the Wendys girl and Trent was a hot dog.}

Woods Canyone Lake

2010-10-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

We were able to take a day trip up to Woods Canyon Lake with Trent's family. We rode quads and Trent's dirt bike, ate, talked, and just relaxed. It was a great day. We love getting out of this heat {even though it is October, its STILL hot} and spending time with our family for a day.

2010-10-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

Nash is getting so big I can hardly stand it. I got out our swing for my cousin to use while she was here and it stayed out in our family room for a while. Nash loved watching his morning cartoons in it. Everyday he does things that remind me that he is growing so fast but I love that he still does things that he has done since he was a little baby, like suck on the corners of his blankie. I love this boy. He makes my life an adventure and I couldnt ask for a better one.

Winner! Winner!

2010-08-26T11:24:00.001-07:00

Guys, I'm the worst. I know. Here are my excuses for being the worst ever.

a} My husband is in Hawaii. I'm in Virginia. Enough said.

b} My mom has been in town and we've been touring DC.

c} My baby has been sick.

d} I've completely lost all my sassy-ness. Its gone and I need to find it. {hopefully it can return with some hair color}

Anyways, I totally didn't put any pics of my boy stuff on my etsy because really, in the back of my mind, I already consider it a failure. Sad. But true. I'm not one to deny the obvious. So hopefully this winter I can get my onesies into some fun boutiques. My mom says the pics don't do them justice. Shes my mom tho. She kinda has to say that.

Here are the applique boy onesies..

Here is my main man in his.. Doesn't he look so yummy. I could put a slab of butter on that face and some syrup on those rolls and eat him for dinner. Yup. I really could.

Delicious.
So I did a random number generator and the numbers it gave me were 3 and 17. I promise. I can not tell a lie. {ok. I can. but not about this.}

So my cute cousin

Brittany

and

Ms. Appel

email me and let me know what onesie you would like!!

{chardaisy 15 at msn dot com}

and to all you other people that commented, Im trying to come up with a prize for you too. I cant leave you guys out of this.. Ok. here we go.. For the next week, you can get one of the girl onesies listed on here or a boy onesie for $14.oo. So pretty much Im giving them away for free! Dont order them through etsy though.

EMAIL ME and tell me if you want a boy onesie. I can do pretty much anything you want. If you want a girly one, tell me what number!

and here are the girly ones to refresh your memory.

#3 (no ruffles on bum :( sorry)

A giveaway by the one and only...

2010-08-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Wanna know the best feeling ever? Having all of your laundry washed, folded and put away. But then that feeling is dashed when you realize the clothes you, your child, and husband are wearing are dirty and so there will once again be a pile in the corner of the closet by the end of the night.

Wanna know what else sucks? Starting an etsy shop. I'm so bad at making my descriptions for my items. I'm like, just look at it and buy it if you like it. Is it that hard? Ive started an etsy about 18 times and when it gets to the part where I have to use descriptive describing words for what I'm selling, I quit. But I cant quit this time because I promised myself I wouldn't.

So I'm starting a shop. Its literally taken me 3 weeks to get it up and ready with a whole 5 items in it.. {i will add more tomorrow!} There's really really cute onesies and eventually Ill do matching headbands. And I'm doing a giveway. And since I only have 2 regular readers that I'm aware of {my mil and my mom} scratch that.. since I only have 1 regular reader {my mil}, you will probably win.

And since I'm so original this is what you have to do:

♥ Post about my giveaway and new shop on your blog to get.. guess how many entries? 1

♥ Post about my giveaway and new shop on your facebook and you get 1 more entry.

♥ Then, just for being cute, you get 1 more. Do separate comments to let me know you did them!

I will be giving away 2 onesies! So if you do this you have a big chance or winning both of them. {remember I only have 1 reader. sad for me. good for you.} The winners will get to choose any item in the shop or a custom onesie {under 25$} I will have my giveaway open until a week from today! {monday august 23rd} JUST DO IT! YOU MIGHT WIN!

***POST EDIT*** Tomorrow I will be adding my custom applique onesies that are DARLING for little boys! So if you have boys dont be sad and think I dont have anything.. OF COURSE I DO! Check back tomorrow!

Weekend Shenanigans

2010-08-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend was glorious. There is no other word to describe it. It was a bunch of awesome things all in one awesome weekend. Friday night called for a girls night. Me and some of the girls from the Moxie office went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse and then we all went and saw Charlie St. Cloud. Oh, Zac. I love you. These girls are hilarious and so much fun! Im so glad I got to hang out with them!

Saturday night was A.MAZ.ING. This is the second John Mayer concert I've been to and I fell even more in love with him. He has this insane passion for his music and entertaining his audience. Its unbelievable. He is hilarious and witty. I could listen to him all day long. Me and Trent were in heaven. Before he came out to perform I asked Trent if we could make it a yearly tradition to see John in concert. Trent said "I think every other year is good." After the concert Trent asked me when he was playing in AZ and said we can go every year. John really is that good. The weather was amazing and it was so nice relaxing on the lawn. Me and Trent havent stopped singing his songs since.

Holiness in Motherhood

2010-07-26T10:46:00.001-07:00

I have this craving and desire to be the worlds greatest mom. I don't care if anyone else thinks I'm the greatest as long as my kids do. I want my kids to know that they are the most loved human beings on the face on the planet. I want to teach them to be responsible, respectful, reliable and most of all just sweet :) I want to take time to play and love on them. Its really easy and so much fun right now since I only have my little man. I worry that as I have more kids I will lose sight of all of those things and get caught up in the rush of everyday "stuff". There is a blog I read that I love. The mom, Shawnie, writes about her cute family and shares things about motherhood that are so uplifting. I'm not good with words but she says everything I feel about being a mother in such a beautiful way. She makes me excited to have more kids and gives me hope that things wont always be perfect but they can always be great. I especially love her post today about "Holiness in Mother".

Check it out and be inspired.

Giveaway by the one and only....

2010-07-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Wanna know the best feeling ever? Having all of your laundry washed, folded and put away. But then that feeling is dashed when you realize the clothes you, your child, and husband are wearing are dirty and so there will once again be a pile in the corner of the closet by the end of the night.

Wanna know what else sucks? Starting an etsy shop. I'm so bad at making my descriptions for my items. I'm like, just look at it and buy it if you like it. Is it that hard? Ive started an etsy about 18 times and when it gets to the part where I have to use descriptive describing words for what I'm selling, I quit. But I cant quit this time because I promised myself I wouldn't.

So I'm starting a shop. Its literally taken me 3 weeks to get it up and ready with a whole 5 items in it.. {i will add more tomorrow!} There's really really cute onesies and eventually Ill do matching headbands. And I'm doing a giveway. And since I only have 2 regular readers that I'm aware of {my mil and my mom} scratch that.. since I only have 1 regular reader {my mil}, you will probably win. And since I'm so original this is what you have to do:

♥ Post about my giveaway and new shop on your blog to get.. guess how many entries? 1
♥ Post about my giveaway and new shop on your facebook and you get 1 more entry.
♥ Then, just for being cute, you get 1 more.
Do separate comments to let me know you did them!

I will be giving away 2 onesies! So if you do this you have a big chance or winning both of them. {remember I only have 1 reader. sad for me. good for you.}

The winners will get to choose any item in the shop or a custom onesie {under 25$}

I will have my giveaway open until a week from today! {monday august 23rd}

JUST DO IT! YOU MIGHT WIN!

One!

2010-07-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my sweet boy turned ONE! It was such a fun day. I love my boy so much and have been so blessed to have him. He makes me so happy everyday and I can't imagine my life without him. I love being a mom and Im so grateful that Heavenly Father has entrusted me with an amazing little boy. He is learning new things everyday which is so much fun to watch. I could go on and on and on but I will not.. :)

Here are some pictures of him on his day. We are the kind of lame parents that wont give our children parties until they know what is going on. I did put up streamers and blew up balloons for him and I even made him a cute cake! We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. He ate an entire roll by himself, some of my chicken and my entire bowl of applesauce. He is finally loving real food but he still loves his bottle!

I don't think he could be any cuter!He loved his cake! It was so fun seeing him pick up the entire piece and shove it in his mouth!

Happy Birthday Mr. Nash!

Mom ♥s you!

OBX

2010-07-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were able to take a little trip to Outer Banks, NC. It was so beautiful and so much fun. We {Austin, Ashtyn, Dax, Trent, me and Nash} started the trip on Friday night after Austin and Trent got off work. We packed up Austins truck and headed out. We drove about 5 hours and stayed in an awesome {by awesome I mean scary} hotel. Nash wouldn't sleep so I had to drive him around this creepy little town until 5:30am to get him to fall asleep. We got up that morning and continued our drive to Outer Banks. We got there around noon, ate lunch and played on the beach. Nash liked playing in the sand for a little while but wasn't too crazy about the water.

{I love his sand goatee in these pictures}That night we went to a local seafood buffet! It was awesome! Me and Ashtyn had been saying that we wanted to eat at a seafood place like the one they eat at in Dear John and we got pretty close! It was so good and the best crab I have ever had! I was in heaven. The waiters also brought out ice cream and sang to Trent for his birthday!

{the picture is dark but he is wearing a birthday hat... and Nash wanted that ice cream real bad!}

Nash wanted to catch up on some reading after dinner..

Funny faces in the mirror {check out Trent's sunburn-that's what happens when you use SPF 4 Tanning Oil}On Sunday, all the boys went jet-skiing in the ocean. Here they are with the instructor that had a great tan and not an ounce of fat on her body. Blegh. I like that they are all looking down except for Austin. hahaWe also had more time to play in the water. Nash was actually starting to like it!We left for home around 5 and stopped and got some barbecue for Trent's birthday. It was so much fun! Next time I am going to try to get pictures of me and Nash and of us and the Clarks.

Some of my favorite moments of the trip: our funny conversations on the drive about old times and the ring of fire, Colby Callait on repeat, trying to find a DQ and Austin refusing to make U-Turns, the bumpy bridge on the way home, going in the underwater tunnel, taking a nap with Nash in the cold hotel room after a hot day at the beach, eating 10+ pounds of crab, seagulls attacking Ash and Dax, me and Trent being so excited to sleep on separate beds {sad, but true. we like our space} Trent playing with Nash in the mirror, Nashs sand goatee, Nash and Dax not fighting {too much}, Austin singing "this is sewious, we need to help her, this is sewious!" and our numerous stops to try to find fudge and hats.

2010-06-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

Today is our sweet cousin Lorins birthday. I wrote this after he passed away from cancer.

He is truly an amazing person and will never be forgotten. We love you Lorin!

Cancer: That word has always been my worst nightmare. When I was 11, my dads beautiful cousin Monica was diagnosed with cancer. She was so fun and full of life but the cancer took her life. I remember staying up late at night, laying in bed being so scared that I had cancer too. I would think of all the things I would do and how my life would just end. I have always had a fear of doctors also. It always seemed like people were just fine, then as soon as they went to the doctor their health decreased and eventually they just passed on. I use to swear it was the doctors that had made them sick. I would think about how much I would suffer if my mom or dad even had cancer and that I could not possibly live without them. Then when I got married I worried about my husband. These thoughts have continued to give me fear until Lorin Merkley. I have known the Merkley family since I was probably 9 years old. They were always the cute boys in my ward that sang together in sacrament meeting and I would whisper to my mom, "Im going to make my boys do that, too." My senior year of high school I tried out for the play and actually got the lead role. Brandon and Lorin were in the play and all the girls just loved them. When I met Trent, I was happy to find out that his dad was LeAnns brother. This made me even more determined to marry him :) Lorin played the piano at my wedding dinner and he accampanied me at our family Christmas party. He is simply amazing. Looking back, Im not sure I even thanked him. I didnt give him a hug and tell him how much I appreciated him. I just always thought he would just be here. 3 months ago Lorin was diagnosed with cancer. When I found out I just tried to block it out. I tried not to think about it. When we saw him in the hospital I broke down. How could this happen to this amazing, talented, happy, obedient person? I cried for his mom and dad and his brothers who were going through this with him. LeAnn being the amazing person that she is was there to comfort me. Sheput her arm around me, looked at me and said, "He's ok. He's going to be ok." She then told me stories about Lorin that made me laugh and feel better. Here I was being comforted by his mother who day in and day out saw what he was going through. Lorin fought a hard fight. He passed away on Tuesday evening. He is ok now. I know that he is with our Heavenly Father. I am no longer scared. I see how strong his family has become through this. They have made it. I looked at LeAnn and Craig at the viewing on Saturday, yet again comforting those crying eyes that came through the line to look one last time at Lorins beautiful face. Knowing Lorin is in heaven makes it easier to not be scared of dying. He has come here and made his mark. This experience has made me no longer scared. I am not scared of dying. I am not scared of getting cancer. Miracles happen and although it was not the miracle we thought we wanted, it was a miracle nonetheless and I know there are many more to come.

my boy

2010-06-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm totally drooling over this blog during nap time right now..

Oh the life of the rich and single.

Although, I'm pretty sure it doesnt compare to this:

I'll take the runny nose and soggy diapers anyday as long as it comes with this cute, chubby, little man.

I'm so lucky I get to spend every day with the love of my life.

{i love trent too :)}

he's awake. time to make some lunch and watch UP.

I love my life!

ps. Check out this blog if you're pregnant. Check it out even if you're not pregnant and want to be informed. She takes the words right out of my mouth.

DC

2010-06-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

Anyone sick of my Love post yet?? I am! Well, we are officially in DC for the summer and we are loving it. It is so beautiful here and there is so much to do and see {definitely a change from Oklahoma} Trent is finally getting in the groove of selling and had his best 2 weeks ever! He is doing awesome and I am so proud of him. Here are some things we have done in the past month..

National Zoo

{where Ashtyn witnessed a monkey barfing and then eating it}

Washington Monument, Holocaust Museum, the White House and Lincoln Memorial

Air and Space Museum {my favorite so far}

Klemyjontri Park

{amazing park in a beautiful little town called Mclean}

7th Street and 7th Hill Pizza

{recommended by this lovely lady}

I hope to be better at posting all of our outings! We booked a hotel room in DC for the 4th of July and I can not wait!

Love.

2010-04-13T00:27:00.000-07:00

{my favorite recent candid of T on Easter getting ready to throw water on his sisters}

The first day I saw this face at my singles ward, I was hooked. He tells the story like this...

"I went to sacrament meeting and I saw this cute girl sitting down the row from me and she kept staring at me and looking at me from the corner of her eye."

This is when I butt-in and say

"I was NOT starting at you. I looked at you once."

Which is a lie. I was totally staring! When he looked at me, it was like he was staring into my soul. I had never felt that before.

But I was having major guy issues at the time and wasn't about to get into another issue with another guy.

The next night was our ward family home evening. I didn't usually go but since I was going to be moving out of the ward I thought I would go and say bye to everyone. The plan was to play goofy games in the cultural hall and learn a dance {oh singles ward, i do not miss you}

When I walked in I saw HIM. Still, I wouldn't let myself get carried away. I stood in the back while everyone was learning the dance and watched him.

He was laughing and smiling. I had never seen anyone so happy and comfortable with themselves.

I wasn't about to make a move though. "He's WAY too cute for me." I thought.

After the dance part, we all sat down to play a game. He sat right behind me. I've never asked him if this was on purpose or accidental. I'll say it was on purpose. Him and his friend were discussing the word "cornucopia" and didn't know what it was. I turned around and tried to explain it to him, turned back around and didn't say anything else. After the game, I was extremely bored and decided to leave. I didn't say bye to anyone. I just left. {like I mentioned earlier, I was having issues at the time.}

As I was about to get in my Beetle, I heard footsteps running behind me.

I turned around and saw his gorgeous smile and amazing green eyes.

I was in shock and my brain literally stopped along with my heart.

He said "hey, I wanted to talk to you before you left."

It was at that very moment I knew I was going to marry him. I knew it. There was not a single doubt in my mind. I had never been so connected to a person without actually having a conversation with them.

He asked me out for Friday night. He text me the next day and said he wanted to go out that night but he had softball. I told him I would go out with him no matter what time he got done.

{I probably sounded desperate?}He picked me up that night and I just remember being in a trance, smiling the entire time, laughing at him and just listening to him talk about who knows what. He dropped me off and the next morning before I got in my car for work I saw a note on my car door that read,

"Char, I hope you have a great day! -Trent"

Really? Could he be any cuter?

After 3 months of dating, 3 break ups and get back togethers, and one extremely long week apart, he finally asked me the question I had been dying to hear.
And the love story just gets better and better every single day.

I love this man more than I love life itself. He has brought me more happiness in the last 3 years than I have had my entire life.

He makes me laugh everyday, forgives me for my stupidity, makes me feel beautiful, makes me want to be a better person, loves me for who I am, laughes at my bad jokes, thinks I'm cute when I swear and don't wear make-up, loves the gospel, gave me the cutest baby, is the best dad to that cute little baby, still gives me butterflies, is a hard worker, loves life, loves people,

and has a huge heart. He is the most selfless and reliable person I have ever known.

I am so grateful for the last 3 years we have had together, loving, growing, and learning from each other.

I love you, babe.

Renters Wanted!

2010-04-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

Trent and I have bought a home in the Power and Queen Creek area. Since we are leaving for Virgina, we are looking for some good people who need a place to rent for the summer {preferably no pets} The home is brand new and Trent would like someone that wouldn't mind keeping an occasional weed out of the yard. Since we'll only be gone for 4 months, we're not charging much for rent and were willing to work something out. Please let us know if you or anyone you know is interested! Email me at chardaisy15 at msn dot com. Thanks!

8 months!

2010-03-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

This little guy is 8 months old. He is getting so big! He is rolling everywhere, loving the sound of his screaming voice and is such a happy baby. He is so sweet and so much fun! He likes playing with his toys in his crib, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and eating {if you cant tell} Remember the baby food I slaved over for him? I tried to feed it to him and he started gagging... seriously? If it wasn't the funniest thing I had seen I wouldve been mad, but it was funny.

CharBees Closet!

2010-03-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

Check out me and my cute SIL's new blog..
Leave a comment and let us know if you are interested!

www.CharBeesCloset.blogspot.com

Day 2, 3, and 4 and some other stuff

2010-03-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

So day 2 and 3 of no TV were pretty successful..

On Tuesday I accomplished a lot {can't really remember what exactly?}

Over the past couple months I have been obsessed with making these flowers.

thought I had this genius idea of doing interchangeable flowers on headbands but a couple days ago I found out I was wrong..

But I decided not to be discouraged. So Ive been making flowers and headbands like a mad woman. So look.. you can wear the same headband like this.. {sorry for the bad pics}or this..
or this..or this..
or this..
or this..
or this..
or this..
The flowers are all separate so you can mix and match whatever you want!

{let me know if you'd like one}

I've also been wanting to make Nash home-made baby food and I did it today!

It was quite a mess but it was all worth it when I open my fridge and see

those bright colored jars lined up in my very dirty fridge.
I also took Mr. Nash for a walk.

It was gorgeous outside today!

He has been extra grouchy lately and I'm pretty sure he is teething.

He is rolling everywhere. I turn my back and he is on the other side of the floor.

He is so freakin cute. He is babbling and does this crazy growl sound.

He copies Trent whenever he does it and its the cutest thing I've ever seen.

He is finally sitting up all by himself, too.

Oh I just love love love him.

There is nothing better than waking up in the morning to the sound of him babbling away in his crib.

There is nothing better than seeing his huge, gummy smile.

There is nothing better than kissing on his yummy cheeks.

Have I already said

i♥ him. cuz i do.

Day One and a wedding

2010-03-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

Day one of no television was pretty uneventful! I woke up at the crack of dawn to go work out. {I have a love/hate relationship with working out at 7am 3 days a week} I got home and got ready for the day, started laundry, did the dishes, made crepes, and cuddled on Nash all before 11:00am! {that's already an accomplishment} We are house hunting right now so we went out to Queen Creek to look at a home. Then we headed over to my in-laws house. I spent the evening over there chatting with my cute SIL's and MIL. We watched a movie {movies aren't part of the diet} and had a great time. I came home, folded laundry, and went to bed before 11:00pm! {that never happens but it might've been because a had a nasty earache too} But all in all it was a successful day..

Sorry this is so boring. I just need to remind myself what I get done during the day.

Here is something a little more exciting.. Maybe.

This weekend we got to take part in an amazing wedding. I was a bridesmaid and Trent was a groomsman for our good friends, Jake and Kendal, who finally tied the knot after 3 years!

Nash was so cute and so good!

I love this chunky monkey!

The Girlies

Trent was lookin' pretty good in his suit ♥

All of the festivities were gorgeous and so much fun! Congratulations J & K!

The Week of No TV..

2010-03-09T10:40:00.001-08:00

{picture has nothing to do with the post, except for me, trying to be a better mother.}
Hi my name is Charde' and I'm a television addict. Seriously. It was getting out of control. I had "my shows" on every single night.. sometimes 2 things recording at a time from 7:00-10:00. The Bachelor, One Tree Hill, Life Unexpected, Biggest Loser, 90210, Vampire Diaries, The Office, Greys Anatomy, The Real Housewives of OC... yeah.. the list goes on. I usually record my shows at night then watch them all the next day. Pathetic. I know. So when the Ensign came out this month, I was drawn to an article titled "Digital Detachment and Personal Revelation". If you haven't read it, it is a must. I thought about how my TV addiction has interfered with the things that I want to do with my life. For the past 2 years, I have wanted to start an etsy shop with my baby onesies, jewelry and headbands. Why haven't I done this?? 1-I'm a procrastinator 2-I'm scared of failing and 3-I fill my days with TV when I'm not playing/taking care of Nash. I also want to start playing the piano again. Music was my biggest passion and I've somehow forgotten that. Instead of spending time practicing something I love, I have let the TV consume me. For the past couple years, every night before I go to bed I always think "I could've been so much more productive today."

I don't want to live my life like that anymore. I want to be able to hear the whisperings of the Spirit in my life and I know that when the TV is constantly on that is not possible. I want my home to be filled with music and fun games. I want to be a mom that is creative and fun. I want to be a person that uses my talents and works to make them greater. I want to be a primary teacher that makes treats and takes them to her kids during the week. I want to be a friend that calls you just to see how you are doing. I want to be a wife that keep a tidy house, gets ready for the day and makes delicious meals EVERDAY. I want to bake more, read more, and go out to lunch with friends more.

So Ive decided to start a television diet. This week, I am not watching TV. I am not even recording my shows to watch them next week. I am going to be the person that I have always wanted to be and I realize the first step is taking TV out of my life. {The next step is cancelling my facebook.} I am excited to write about the things I am doing, learning, and accomplishing!!

"We simply can not point and click on or download a personl, revelatory relationship with our Heavenly Father."

I love cookies.

2010-02-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

I really do. They make me so happy, and yet they are probably the reason I can't lose this dang baby weight. My aunt {its weird calling her my aunt because she is only like 6 years older than me} made these delicious cookies that I would not stop eating while we were in Idaho. She sent me the recipe, but for some reason they didn't turn out for me.. So I tweaked it a bit. Consider this a huge favor, because these are heaven indeed.

Lemon Poppyseed Cookies:

1/3 c. oil

2 eggs

1 Lemon Cake Mix

1/2 box Lemon Pudding Mix

1-1 1/2 T. lemon juice

1 T. popyseeds

1/4-1/2 c. White Chocolate Chips {as many as you prefer, I don't like very many}

macadamian nuts would be delicious in these too.

Mix everything together, roll into 1 inch balls, bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

{they are always better the next day if you put them in a air tight container over-night}

2010-02-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, we took a little trip up to Idaho. Ok, it wasn't little at all. It was really long. Good thing Nash is such a champ. He was truly an angel on that long 14 hour drive. He behaved better than I did. Anyways, we got to visit Trent's cute uncle, aunt, and cousin that live in Chubbuck, his grandpa that lives in Ririe, aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandma that live in Idaho Falls. It was freezing cold, but so much fun. I had never met anyone except for his grandpa before. We had a great time staying up late, playing games, eating out, antique shopping, going shooting {the boys}, playing the Wii, visiting Cambria, bowling, working out, and eating great food.{Nash chillin' at one of our stops on the way} {crazy icicles at Grandpa's house}{Sweet Grandma's house}{Nash loved cute little Bryleigh, I know you can't really tell in this picture}

{We got to visit my cousin that is on a mission in Pocatello}

{Look at the final score.. Booo Yaa!!}

After we had our fun in Idaho, we drove down to Salt Lake for one of Trent's mission companions wedding reception. We all went over the Burrs house after and the listened to the boys talk about their mission. I loved it!

After 5 days, our trip had come to an end and it was time to head back to the 480. I was so glad that we were welcomed back by this..

Arizona, I ♥ You.

2010-02-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Do you see this?? No, not my double chin! I was so excited that Nash was actually laying his head on my shoulder that I didnt realize how awkward I would look in the picture! He is usually so crazy. He usually has to be bouncing up and down or sitting on my knee or playing with something. But not for these beautiful 20 seconds. He just layed his head on my shoulder. It was short but precious. I love him and I love being a mother. It is the best thing I have ever done. I love watching my little guy grow and learn new things. He makes my world go round.

2010-02-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

This year, we decided to not do a whole lot for Valentines Day. We're kind of boring like that. Luckily, Moxie had an amazing night planned for its employees and recruits. We got to dress all fancy, get a babysitter for the night, and have dinner at Clyde and Jamie Bawden's house. Anyone who knows Clyde and Jamie, knows that this is an absolute treat. Clyde is the most amazing pianist I have ever known. He is extremely inspirational as well. We loved being able to hear him play and inspire us with his knowledge about life. It was amazing and life changing for me. Since I have been married, I have pretty much stopped playing the piano and singing. This was my life before I got married. I even went to school in LA for vocal performance. Lately, I have been feeling upset that I have let my talents dwindle. Seeing Clyde's passion for music truly inspired me to start doing what I love again and I am so grateful for that.

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”-unknown

Whats New?

2010-02-09T15:06:00.001-08:00

not much. not much at all actually.
me and nash ran/briskly walked 2 miles at Londons Run. it was a lot of fun to see people that I haven't seen in a while and also a good time to remember Lorin. {not sure why the pic is so dark?} i've also started venturing out and feeding Nash baby food.. this isn't baby food. this is a dried banana. he loved it! if anything goes even remotely close to his lips, he will stick out his tongue. he licks everything and i think it is hilarious.
Trent went out of town for a night and Nash was so excited to see him when he got back.. look at those cheeks! nash and i took a little trip to H&M one day {ok it wasn't little. i felt like i was driving to africa.} but it was so worth it because i purchased this sweet get-up for my little man. {8.30 church wears him out}
Bellas birthday week was last week so we went to Build-a-Bear. she is seriously the cutest thing i have ever seen. She says "Nash! Nash!'' and it is sooo cute! here she is sharing an unstuffed bear. so sweet.
and here she is at her birthday party.

and here is the cute party planner. {nash ♥s his aunt Britt}

and here are more pictures that i couldn't resist posting..

and some more.. {he was sick in these pictures, but still the happiest baby i know!} i love him.

2010-01-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to the F1 Race Factory with the Moxie boys! It was so much fun! They rented out a big game room and had good food. It was fun seeing everyone!

Emily, me and Jen getting ready to race

Trent after his race {too bad he didn't win us the XBox}

This will be our 3rd summer working with Moxie and Trent really enjoys it. I love that he works hard 4 months out of the year and then gets to play with me and Nash the other 8 months! It's the best!

We've had great success and so have all of our friends that have and continue to work with us and we want other people to benefit from it. The boys work really hard but have a lot of fun. The girls hang out at the pool, do crafts, and go on little adventures with the babies.

Those of you looking for summer jobs and some $$, this is the way to do it {{plus we need more friends in VA {DC YAY!} with me too!!} }Trent would be happy to meet with you and give ya the low down.

Rainy Day Tomato Bisque

2010-01-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

My cute friend Heidi gave me the recipe to this delicious tomato soup. I feel like I would be denying the world of heavenly goodness if I did not post this for all to see!

Rainy Day{or any day, everyday}Tomato Bisque

1/2 c. onion chopped {i like mine a little chunky, T does not. we compromise.}

1/2 c. butter {set aside 2 T.}

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 1/2 t. dill weed {this is what makes it delicious}

1 t. oregano

1 t. basil

Saute the above in a large pot until onions are soft then add:

1 large can of tomatoes {i have used diced and whole, just blend them up in a blender first.}

1 small can tomato paste

4 c. chicken broth

Let simmer for 10 minutes.

In a saute pan melt

2 T. butter {that you set aside}

2 T. flour

I let it bubble for a little while and get kind of thick. Make sure you keep it on a low/medium temperature because you don't want burnt butter.

Add the flour mixture to the large pot then add:

1/2 t. pepper

1-2 t. salt

4 t. honey

Let simmer for 10 minutes.

Then add:

1 small carton of cream

1 c. milk

Whisk.

Then die.

Before and Afters...

2010-01-25T15:20:00.000-08:00

One of Trent's favorite things to do is find old junk and fix it up. He is awesome at it too! Here are a couple of pieces he has done over the past year.. {i helped a little}

Before..

{nasty red paint faded from the sun and a lot of rust. T bought it for 20$.}

After

{a nice couple coats of baby poop/camo green paint and a lot of other stuff!}

After

{i don't have a before of this.. but it was just solid wood with plain ol' handles. my lighting is really weird in this picture. It was Trent's growing up}

Remember this??
Before

{bought on craigslist for 25$}

We turned it into this..
After
{lots of sanding, antique white paint and cute Hobby Lobby knobs}

It was a little too white.. so I added this.
{thin coat of brown glaze applied with a paper towel}

This one was by far our favorite. We almost cried when we had to give it away.. and it has a story behind it. Trent's mom wanted us to make her a dresser for her Christmas present. We had been looking on craigslist for something but we were having no luck. Trent was over at my parents one day and saw that they were going to take this dresser to the dump. He picked it up, took it home, started sanding it and discovered the it had been painted red, white, grey and black over the years.. turns out my Nana bought it when her and my Papa got married and all of my moms brothers and sisters have used it. look at how amazing it turned out!

Before

After

{I mod podged the paper to the top dresser. Trent did everything else}

This is my cute little end table

Before

{bought at Goodwill for 12$}

After

{to match the TV stand}

This is a cute little table that is in my entry way. I don't have any before pics. But it was white. I spray painted it red and decided it was way too red. So I sanded it and added brown glaze with antique white paint mixed in. Then I mod-podged the paper to the drawer!

i ♥ junk!

Dearest Randa,

2010-01-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

Please come back to Queen Creek right now. Nash misses Tater bug.

and I need to kiss on these cheeks.Love, Char and Nash

The Rice Cereal..

2010-01-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Our first attempt at rice cereal for the little Mister was unsuccessful.

First, I put him in his purple Bumbo. All he wanted to do was turn around so he could see outside. So being a good mom, I turned him around.

I gave him his first bite and he started giving me this look

and pushing it out with his tongue.

After the second bite, he became more interested in eating the bowl,

playing with his bib,

and smiling at me while I was doing "the airplane" trying to get him to open up his little gums..

Well.. wish us better luck next time!

2o1o

2010-01-18T12:41:00.000-08:00

After our wonderful Christmas holiday, we headed up to Pinetop to stay with some of our favorite friends at the Wrights cabin. We ate good food, celebrated New Years, shot off fireworks, laughed at Jersey Shore, stayed up too late counceling each other, had a dance party {which i did not participate in} got pedicures, watched countless hours of football, made up amazing raps, played the blindfold game, tried to play the Toy Story game on Wii, watched contless hours of Teen Mom and had so much fun!

Bup, Trent and Guff lighting fireworks on New Years Eve

Me and my cute boys!

The sexy ladies.. {makeup is not required while at the cabin]

the mommas!

Christmas

2010-01-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas at our house was fabulous.

Nash was drooling over his new books.

First, he stared at them in awe..

Then he wanted to eat them. I cant wait to bake and listen to John.
and Trent loves his new tools!
{here he is, showing us all how to preoperly use a circular saw}

I love my boys!

{Trent is making me add that this picture is from the ugly sweater party.}