More from our Canada trip!

Well I have a few more pictures to put up, and since it's been awhile, I should definitely catch up! We've been pretty busy here, and today and tomorrow are our only dull days. Jeremy arrives tomorrow at midnight (YAY!) and then we are off to Lethbridge for Canada Day activities and then back here for family photos, then off to a family reunion for the rest of our visit! This is probably my last chance to blog until I get home, so try not to be too upset for the next week and a half when there's no updates. The following pictures are a mixture of funny hair, cute outfits, hanging out at the lake, riding the mower with Grandpa Smith, and our boating day. I didn't get in the water because it was so cold, so no wakeboarding pictures, but we will probably go boating a couple of more times, so there's still hope you guys will get to see how hard core I am.. (just joking for any who didn't catch that). Without further ado, here's my rapidly growing and changing 13 month old!

Update

Just a quick update on our visit.  Sorry, no new pictures, but I'll upload some more soon and put them up!  Well, last night was Brenna's first sleep all night long in her own bed!  I hope it means she's acclimated to Calgary now and will sleep good from now on.  Tonight is not looking great, but I have high hopes!  Thank you for all your suggestions and tips!  It's hard when you get desperate for sleep!

We've been keeping pretty busy, and still have lots on our to-do list.  Brenna LOVES being outside here too.  If someone ever goes outside and doesn't bring here she gets really sad.  It's nice to see her playing in the grass.  Also it turns out she's a stair master, and if we turn our heads for one second she will be halfway up the big staircase.  We have the downstairs blocked off, but haven't found a really good solution for the upstairs.  It sure keeps me on my toes!  There is also a tricky step into the family room (it's a sunken room or whatever they're called, so there's a step down to get into it) and she's really scared of it!  She fell down a couple of times, and now she walks to the edge and then stomps her feet and whimpers a little until someone lends a hand to help her down.  It's really cute actually, and today Grandma spent some time teaching her to sit down to get off.  Now she can do it, but she still wants help.  She's getting so independent it's crazy!  She's a full fledged mommy's girl now, but is also really friendly to other people, especially children.  She'll approach any child, from 0-10 with no fear at all and try to play with them.  It always surprises me!

We are having a good time so far, missing our Jeremy quite a bit, but looking forward to the reunion in 8 sleeps!!  Brenna LOVES seeing her daddy on the web cam and gets really excited when he talks to her.  I am so often reminded of how lucky we are to have the technology where it's so easy to keep in touch with loved ones!  We couldn't do this separation thing without it!  

BAD Sleeping Habbits

So, I am REALLY enjoying my visit home.  We have been busy and doing lots of fun stuff.  I have absolutely no reason to complain, especially since Brenna was such an angel on the flight here... but just a little bit of complaining anyway!  It is currently 4:33 AM here in Calgary, and I am up.  Not only am I awake, but I have been for about 3 and a half hours.  So I went to bed around 11:30, and at about 1 I was awoken by a crying little girl sleeping at the foot of my bed.  This has been happening every night, and usually lasting for two hours before I can get her to sleep again (with me downstairs on the couch usually).  Last night we made headway though, and silly me I thought it would be a breeze from here on out.  WRONG!  Now it's her worst night so far!  I have tried everything..  I tried to cuddle her in my bed.. didn't work.  I tried to let her cry it out (for over 40 minutes with me saying silent prayers the entire time).. didn't work (also woke up everyone else I'm pretty sure).  I tried to feed her a bottle... she ate it, but.. didn't work.  After some more cuddling in bed and me nearly breaking down like a baby myself.. I finally relented and brought her downstairs to play for a little...... HELP!  I don't know what else to do, and I might just go insane if this continues.  Naps are fine, which makes me optimistic, but nights are nightmares!  I am hoping it gets better, but dreading the idea that maybe, just maybe, it'll get worse!

It's a Beautiful Day!

Well, we made it to Canada safe and sound! And actually I was blessed with a very tired baby! We had fun exploring the airport before we got on the plane... Brenna liked the shops with breakable valuables especially.  I tried to show her the big planes outside a few times, but she wasn't too interested in that.  We got to board the plane first, and thankfully it wasn't full and so we got to sit by ourselves!  Brenna was fascinated by all of the new things to play with, and that kept her entertained for a little while.  Just before take off I decided to lay her down and see if she'd take her bottle, and amazingly she did!  And even more astonishing.. she fell asleep after!  We hadn't even taken off yet!  I was in shock, and so grateful!  She slept for nearly the entire flight too.  About two and a half hours of napping!  It was perfect, and quite honestly and answer to my prayers.. I apparently got really stressed out for nothing at all!  So we arrived on Tuesday, and everyone is amazed at how much Brenna has grown, how much hair she has now, and how well she walks!  It's been really fun so far, especially to see the boys (my brother and dad) treat Brenna like a little princess.  On Wednesday I went with my mom out to lunch with some of her friends, and after I let Brenna run around in a nearby field while they visited, and I got some cute pictures of her first experience with dandelions.  Since these are basically all the pictures I've taken so far, I'll post them up for everyone!

Oh, Canada!

Well, as usual before traveling, I've spent nearly 24 hours getting ready in various ways and I'm still so stressed that I probably won't sleep, but I think I'm JUST about ready.. I can't stop going over and over my "things not to forget" list in my head... I've got that feeling when you know you've forgotten something.  I'm sure it'll come to me though, and even if it doesn't, I'm fairly certain we'll survive.  Now I am just concentrating on 2:27 PM (1:27 AZ time) when we will be landed in Canada and the nightmare of flying with a one year old will be over.  I don't know for certain that it'll be a nightmare of coarse, I'm just trying to be positive.. ok, I'm finding it hard to be optimistic about the day of traveling!  Well, wish us luck, and I'll be wishing everybody a happy Canada Day and a happy Independence Day when the time rolls around!!

Engagement Story

I am writing this mostly for personal reasons because I have been meaning to write down the story for a really long time, but never have.  Since I can't sleep and I have no good ideas for a blog entry, it seemed like a good time!  I promise not to be offended if nobody wants to read this, but this is how we got engaged!

It happened on February 15th 2006 late that evening.  As a tiny bit of background, Jeremy and I had just had a.. discussion shall we say a couple of nights earlier where we mutually decided that waiting until late in the evening to call me wasn't nice, and me calling him all the time was equally un-nice, so our compromise was that he would call earlier on in the day, and I would not call!  So Valentines day rolls around (which I had secretly said in my head a few weeks earlier that if it hadn't happened by Valentines day, then it probably never would) and passes by.  The next day, I don't hear from Jeremy for a very long time.  By 10:00 at night, I'm pretty upset.  I mean, we JUST talked about this!  So when the phone rang, I picked up in a huff with every intention of saying I was just going to bed and didn't want to see him.  Before I could say any of my well planned excuse however, Jeremy just said "I'm coming over" and hung up.  So, being the emotional person that I am, I burst into tears.  One of my roommates was home (Cortney Gibson, now Camberlango) and she happened to know that there would be a proposal tonight and she started freaking out a little at my angry tears.  I didn't understand why she was SOO concerned about it, until Jeremy knocked on the door.  I composed myself and marched to the door to tell him to just go home, but all I found was a yellow rose.  For those of you who don't know, I LOVE yellow.  So, the waterworks start again, but for a totally different reason!  I knew right away it was a proposal because, not to be rude, but romantic generally is not Jeremy's style.

So I open the card attached to the rose and it has a note that says stuff like "We are different, but we love eachother anyway, life without you would be the worst thing I could imagine", and all sorts of sweet things, then there's a card that says:

Hi! Welcome to scavenger hunt with Jeremy time!!

Clue one: 

Under the place where I first saw the fluid that makes your body tick.

(Not a happy day in my life)

I hope you have your truck!!

So, I found the next clue under the sink where Jeremy cleaned out a bad cut in my head when we first started dating.  (I ended up getting 7 staples there, but that's for another blog!)  So under my sink, I find another rose with another card attached.  The next card reads:

Here is where I first saw the inside of Lana Smith, oh what a sight!!  I don't think red is your best color, maybe in the future we can keep the red off of you!  Remember the good old days of Lana the accident prone!  Ahh good memories - I hope you will stay on your feet from here on out!  

Love you, Jeremy

Clue 2: 

The one thing we both agree to watch without the other person compromising. :) 

(picture of a little man with a gun.. Jack Bauer)

So I found our 24 DVD's and there was another rose behind there!  The next card read:

Hmmm - 24, such a good show, I don't think you realized when you told me you were an addict how much of a turn on, or interest getter that was - I was quite excited!  We'll just have to wait and see how season 5 turns out!

Love ya!  Jeremy

Clue 3:

The place where I 1st learned about you and your weird eating habbits. (After a nice hike)

We ate at a mexican place across town, so Cortney and I jumped in my truck and hustled over there where we found card #4:

You don't eat cheese unless it's melted - WHAT??  You can't eat two things at the same time??  (Are all Canadians this weird?) My 1st thoughts while eating with you here!  Still are my thoughts actually haha - but I wouldn't have it any other way!  

Love you Mucho, Jeremy

Clue 4:

HAVING FUN YET??  I hope so!!  You don't have to go too far for this one: The 1st place I "hung out" with Orville!  I mean, Orvil.

We drove to a restaurant called Wingers close by and read clue 5!

SEEMS like we were just here doesn't it?  I liked "hanging out" with your parents here.  I love your family - they were so good to me in Canada!  Plus they made one of the best girls I've ever met!!  ((That would be you)) mmm sticky fingers.  Grab another sucker while you're here!  

Love ya, JEREMY

Clue 5:

The place where you were all wet and freezing and I 1st noticed your rosy red cheeks!  Good hunting!

P.S. I'm the hunter!

This was at a stake party at Smith park, so we drove over there!

Who goes in a dunk tank in Rexburg?  Seriously?  This is where I 1st notice the cute girl that would steal my heart away.  I guess we kind of owe it to Adam and Jocelyn, but I think God had his hand in it!  Jeans and a green jacket! 

Love you baby, Jeremy

Clue 6:

The place you 1st wooed me with your skills and I made my 1st move - muah!

Our first kiss was in the Taylor building on campus where I was playing the piano while he studied.. at least that's what we said when we made the plans, but it also ended up being our first kiss.  It happened when I accused him of being a player, and he reassured me that he in fact was not a player, and sealed it with a kiss!  Anyway, we headed over there in a hurry!  The exact room was being cleaned, so it was a room across the hall where I came in and saw the rose on the piano, so I ran in, grabbed it, and ran back out to the truck to read it.  It says:

OOOHHH!  I still remember those remarkably smooth lips - uh huh!  Many smacks later you've got me pretty well addicted to those sweet kisses.  I know there will be many more to come - right? - haha

Te amo mi amor, Jeremy

Clue 7:

You can't finish this until you've plaed your favorite hymn - from memory.

So Cortney and I sat in the truck puzzled for a good long while.  FINALLY I decided to go back in and play the song in that same room.  When I got there I realized Jeremy had been there all along, I just ran in and out so fast I didn't see him.  So I played hymn #284 If You Could Hie to Kolob (not from memory) with shaking hands, and then I opened the piano bench and there were rose petals spread out with a beautiful ring box in the middle.  It was perfect.  Well, JUST about.. amidst all the excitement and confusion I opened the box and put the ring on... so no down on one knee thing, but I was just so excited!  

So that's the story, we rushed back to the apartment after to tell all my roommates and we tracked down my brother and told him, called the parents, yada yada.  One last detail, in all the cards there was also a letter, I read these later.  They were letters that Jeremy had written to his future wife during a "preparing for eternal marriage" class a couple of years earlier, and one recent one about me specifically.  They are beautiful, but to save your gag reflex, I'll keep them to myself (as if the explanation to that last clue didn't have you reaching for your grab bags already... like I said, this is more for my personal history book so I don't want any details left out!!)

So, that's how it happened.  And I love him to death!  This is by far the most romantic thing he's ever done, and it's EXACTLY how I wanted my proposal to go, and I didn't even tell him!  Also it was a big surprise, and he picked out a beautiful ring all on his own.  What a guy!

Recently engaged couple (obviously not right after)

The engagement box, I still have.

All the roses... I dried them, but ended up only keeping some petals.

My ring!

6 More sleeps!!!!

Updated Photos

Brenna got a pool from her Grandma Cook for her birthday, so we blew it up to give it a try!  She wouldn't get IN, but she enjoyed playing in it just the same!

  She's not a big fan of pools (or baths for now) but if you get her by some sprinklers of any kinds, she's in kiddy 

I love watching her play in the water, and I especially love that when she's cold and tired from all the water and running around, she likes to cuddle in a towel with mommy!!

I'm Alberta Bound

Just incase any of my Canadian friends/family read this, I'm coming back!!!!  Not for good, but for almost a month!  I get there on the 16th, and Brenna and I are ready to party!!  Seriously though, I am very excited to see family, and I hope to see a lot of friends too!  Get rid of that snow so we can leave our sweaters and jackets at home!  10 sleeps!  Can't wait!!

Trying to be Better

*OK, This is my first blog about "life".  Wish me luck!*

Trying to be better.. that's what I'm doing.  I'm earnestly trying to be a better person, mother, and wife.  I made a goal a few days ago to begin writing in a journal every day.  I have always had a journal, but it would get written in every couple of months or so.  My mom is an amazing example to me.  She writes in her journal every single week.  she lent me her journals from when I was born up until I am about 3.  I have enjoyed reading them so much, and it got me to thinking that I want my children to have something like that to read about their childhood!  So I missed about the first year of Brenna's life, but I'm trying to backtrack as much as possible, and really that's not a good reason not to start at all!  

A day or two after I started that (I've done 4 days of journal writing now!  I'm on a roll!) I made another goal to keep a cleaner, and more organized home.  I have a confession.  I'm a slob.  I have a very hard time doing dishes right after I use them, or putting laundry away right after I fold it, or cleaning up Brenna's toys for the 10th time in one day... but I can do hard things!  At least that's what I keep telling myself.  I started reading a housekeeping/organization book, and I'm earnestly trying to do better.  I got off to a good start yesterday, and I am going to give it another go today!  Wish me luck!

Lastly, I am going to conquer my fear of "outside".  It sounds silly, and it probably is, but ever since we've lived in our home where we finally have a yard of our own, I have developed a slight phobia of our yard.  I don't know if it started when I realized it was infested with crickets, or if it was when I noticed our huge ant problem, of if it began when we were made aware of our scorpion issue, all I know is that it's there, and my daughter doesn't care.  She loves being outside for some reason!  I want to take her our, but as soon as she lifts up a rock I want to rush over and make sure there weren't any harmful bugs on it, and I can't sit down anywhere without my heart racing (oh yah, there's also the black widows that made a nest in our chairs last summer, now I'm afraid to sit on them "just in case" they're back and I can't see them).  Long story short, My daughter wants to play outside, and I want to let her, so I am going to BUCK UP.  At least I think I am.  First though, I'm going to take a whole bucket of bug killer and drench everything on our deck/patio... 

Brenna's 1!

Well I guess it's about time I told you all about my 1 year old!  Yup, Brenna is one, and I can hardly believe it!  Although her new little miniature temper tantrums remind me that it's true.  She had a very nice birthday and I'd like to thank everybody for their gifts and birthday wishes!  We did the whole "cake and ice cream" thing, and at first she wasn't sure, but as soon as I put some icing on her tongue, she was sold.  I even caught her trying to lick her plate clean once all the big pieces were gone.  I was trying to think of something really cute to do for this blog entry, like 12 things I love about Brenna or about being a mom, but it all seemed sort of silly, so just know that I do love being a mom, and I love Brenna and there are far too many and too obscure of feelings to put into a list of things.  I feel very blessed to have been given a sweet a spirit as I have, and although I do miss having a tiny baby, I also am looking forward to the next year and the ones after that and praying that I can teach her all of the right things!

Also I have a video from her birthday.  It's a little long and not all that interesting, but for friends and family who weren't there and want to see her eat cake and wearing a birthday hat, I'll post it anyway!