Sharpay I worship you!

Bow to me loyal subjects!

With Colonel Sanders in Montana

Most of the pictures are Courtney and Emily in matching drsses from Grandma and it was so darn cute I had to take as many pics as possible!!!!

We had a great week in Spokane last week for Christmas. We did everything we wanted to do, like geocaching and getting out for a date. Christmas was awesome, all our gifts were just perfect, like slippers and movies. On Monday we were able to get together with some couples from our ward for FHE. We played an hour long game of chinese checkers and it was so much fun! Not too much other excitement this week. It's month end for Devin which means he has to work 8-8 on Thursday. It's actually a really nice schedule because he usually works 12-12 on month end. This is going to be the first time we get to count down to the new year together, so I'm way excited. Here's some pics of the princess for you to enjoy!

Duggar baby

I just wanted to use this time to brag about Josie Brooklyn Duggar. On TLC's website Michelle set up a blog asking for baby names for #19, and I suggested Josie. I don't know if I was the only one, but I did. Because I'm awesome. Really awesome.

Caldwell/Metallica

Well we were back in Caldwell this weekend. Devin and Dominic have been longtime Metallica fans, and they came through Boise on Monday. MaryRuth and I tagged along. Well, she tagged along; I wanted to go. Probably the best rock band out there since they sing about political stuff, not vulgar, inappropriate stuff. It was so cool! Since the show wasn't sold out we were able to move to the first row of the arena, just not down onto the actual floor. I could lean over and almost touch the cases for their stuff (pictured below). They had crazy laser lights and pyrotechnics that were so big we could feel the heat blast by us! The lights were hung from large metal coffins (because of the new album they're touring for below) and they would start up at the ceiling and then drop so low I thought they could reach up and touch them!The music was even better live than on CD. Lars the drummer and James the singer/rhythm guitar have little kids, and before Metallica came out, the kids came out and had their pictures taken "playing" drums, and everyone cheered for them, it was so cute. It was crazy though, the crowd down in the pit was so crazy that when metallica came out, they had to run to the stage because people were trying to jump the gate and stuff. We left yesterday at 12 to go to the mall and start xmas shopping. We finally got on the road to head home at 4:15, but we were so tired from the concert (we didn't get home til 1) that we pulled over to try and nap. We also stopped in Burley for dinner at a chinese place. It was so, I don't even know a word for it. Some of the walls were wood paneling, the other walls were gray CARPET!! If you needed to go to the bathroom, you had to walk outside around to the back. But the food was cheap and tasty and the hostess was so nice, she even let us sit by the kitchen so we could watch a home design show with her. We got home at 10 to a huge disaster because we forget to leave some water running; the water pipes had frozen! Luckily they didn't burst, but we had to move courtney's space heater to the cellar to defrost the pipes and blasted the heater in the living room to 90 to try and defrost the pipes up here. We opened up the curtain to the kitchen, so the house didn't ever really warm up to 90, but we slept on the couch next to the heater anyway. It was crazy though, we were checking the faucets, the kitchen and tub didnt work, but the bathroom sink did turn on. When I went back in a minute later, the water I had run froze in the sink, and the water in the toilet was frozen too. This morning the kitchen was running at half pressure, and the cold water in the tub was working. Today I have a lot of cleaning because the house was a mess before we ever left, and now it's got gifts and duffle bags all over. So off to work I go.

Spotlight

I'd like to highlight myself this week for finally being able to wear a pair of pants from high school! Yay me!

Life in General

This week, on Monday, was month end which meant Devin was scheduled to work 8-8. When the company offered overtime, he stayed until 10! It was so busy the rest of the week that overtime was extended so Devin worked 8-11:30 on Wed, and 8-12, 3-11:30 on Thursday. Needless to say it was a little lonely this week, but since we're going to Spokane it'll be good to have some extra money saved up. Courtney is as cute as ever. She now crawls more than she drags, and she even used the couch to pull herself up to her knees yesterday! I've included a pic of her first visit with Santa at the ward dinner last night, one of her wearing a cute bow, and yesterday while she was sitting next to me at the computer I looked over and she was looking down her shirt! It was so random! I've also included a video of her "High School Musical Happy Dance". She shuffles her feet and kind of jumps around whenever I put in High School Musical!!!

Thanksgiving

Friday night we left for a weekend in Caldwell, ID (west of Boise). We went Saturday morning to the Boise temple. Fun fact, I have wanted to go to the Boise temple since I was in elementary school. It was the first temple I saw in real life and I thought it was so pretty! And it's even prettier inside! I actually even wanted to get married there, but that didn't pan out. Devin and I were the first couple again, so it was another great, involved experience at the temple! There's only one room before the celestial room, so that was a neat experience to do it differently than Rexburg. Saturday night we went and visited Uncle Bob and Aunt Betty. Most of their kids were in town too! Brian, amber and Megan. Lacey lives in Kansas City so she couldn't make it. Courtney was so good and they all thought she was so adorable! Another fun fact, Uncle Bob served a mission in Argentina, so he and Devin talked for a bit in Spanish together. Devin told me later that Uncle Bob speaks better then the guys he served with who've only been back for a couple years! They've moved since we visited them for the reunion at Roaring Springs, and he's sold Roaring Springs, and they seem to be doing well. They have a really pretty house and it was decorated for Christmas too! Sunday was pretty calm, we went to church and then went to look at a house that Dominic and Maryruth are considering buying. It's a 1600 sq ft, 2 story house. It's way cool! The owners are leaving the swingset in the back; it's pretty big and I even wanted to play on it! We got back at 8 and Courtney went right down. Now I'm just messing around on the computer, waiting for the heater to warm our room before I go down!

Baby Bach

We have found Courtney's talent and it is piano! She is so cute and just loves banging, er, i mean playing on the keyboard.

Bored

Lots of excitement last week, but now I have a quiet week to get things done, such as catching up with you all! Devin and I finally got to the temple last Thursday after almost a year hiatus! Yikes! What a great feeling to be there that night, and then again Saturday morning. We were the first couple there on Saurday, and you know what that means! It was awesome to be involved in the session that way. Together again at the altar! We spent alot of time in the Celestial Room talking about the session, and having Devin answering my questions I threw at him; he is too darn smart! We traded babysitting with our friends the Drapers, and their girl, Tiffany was clingy! My back is still sore from carrying her and courtney all over the house! Our house has only 1 central heater in the living room, and even when we'd turn it up to 80 the house was still chilly! So Devin got the idea to hang a curtain in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. I guess because of the door and windows in the kitchen, it was sapping all the heat! Now the heat circulates all the way to Courtney's room and I keep it down on 65. We're in the process of sealing the windows with shrink wrap. We've done our bedroom and it's way warmer than before! Courtney learned how to clap and will clap at whatever she sees fit; it is too cute! And I finally finished the tour of the house, so I'll have that up too!

Birthday!!!!!!!!

Monday was my birthday, and what a great birthday it was. Our friends from church, the Drapers, babysat Courtney while Devin and I drove to Idaho Falls for lunch and to go shopping. My favorite gift was my Wii Fit Plus!! As you can see we all three enjoyed it! I also got a nice black pencil skirt and two dress tops, all for just about $35 dollars! Yay clearance racks! Devin also surprised me with a gorgeous autumn bouquet. Now it's even prettier because the yellow roses have opened and they're red inside! They're way pretty. Last night I took a turn watching the Draper's baby, Tiffany, and tonight they will again take Courtney while Devin and I attend the Collegiate Dancer's Showcase. It should make for a fun night!

cleaning is done

my nephew benjamin got hold of my camera and he was a natural with it

she used to get stuck on her side while attempting to roll to her back so cute

first words? courtney's a sheep

holding her own sippy cup

i had to do dishes, she had to eat...

still clearing out the camera...

she used to grab for stuff out in front of her and get so angry!!

hold to the rod....

I should clean out my videos more often!

this is courtney's early attempts at crawlingi stuffed courtney in the ottoman and now she has hiccups! poor girl

she's eating her feet!

even swaddled up she can roll over...no more SIDS risk (pretty much)

nothing makes her happier than a bottle

Happy birthday to moi!

tomorrow I turn 21 and I am so excited! Not that anything will be different since I don't drink, but people will see me as older. So this week and I rented our cellar, attic and garage for storage space to 2 people. I got another email for someone needing storage space...this could be my true calling. Storage manager. Cool. I have so many pictures and videos of Courtney. One I don't have yet is of Courtney spinning in her green toy she got from the grandparents. She can only spin herself halfway around and only to the right. I guess she's not an ambi-turner. I finished one of my online classes and should finish the other in just a few weeks, meaning my winter break starts early! Devin is also doing well in his classes and we both really love the classes we're in. Tomorrow for my birthday we're dropping off Courtney with some friends of ours and then heading into town to buy my Wii fit and also get some new shoes and maybe some church skirts!!! Devin and I were called to sunday school 2nd counselor and sunday school secretary respectively last wekk and I was called to sacrament chorister today. Devin's job is to make sure the teachers are present on sunday and fill in for any that are absent. I take care of the attendance and I get to ring the bell :D

Just wanted to get up some pictures of the babe!

Yesterday we got more than an inch of snow! It all melted away by last night, so now we're stuck with a slushy mess everywhere! Courtney is going to be crawling anyday now. She can do like a weird turtle move when she's on her belly and eventually she'll figure out to bring her knees up, then there'll be no stopping her! She is also very talkative; she babbles mostly, nothing intentional. She'll say stuff like mama, gaga, dada, baba, she can blow raspberries, it's all very cute. School is going well. I have my first real test this week, and Devin got a B on his test last week. Here are a bunch of pics and videos that have been sitting on my phone, the cake photo is from the county fair modeled after a bridal gown, I also have a video of her turtle move, balancing on her side, and her first try with the sippy cup. Have a good week!

Courtney

We went to WIC this week, and found out Courtney is 15 lbs and 63 cm. Why the switch between metric and standard? I don't know, but after she was measured she peed...alot...on the table... Here is a cute little video, she's wearing a little sailor outfit which is very cute.

Celebrity

Cami Nelson on the homepage of BYU. AWESOME

I finally got around to taping a tour of our house............and the batteries died. I don't currently have any, so you're going to have to wait to see the bathroom and the master, sorry. Courtney has her two, front, bottom teeth coming up together, but she hasn't made a fuss over them yet. She's been a very easy baby; I'm lucky to have her. Devin is hunting for another job. Two years at any job is more than enough, and Melaleuca is definitely getting old. Although I do love the free products. School started last Thursday, and both of us are taking classes online since the city of Rexburg decided to make public streets around campus permit only and construction takes up most of the other parking lots. Someday we're gonna transfer to Provo...I hope.

Well, it got way cold today, 42 actually. I started a walking program just like mom because it worked so well for her. I have to walk inside because I have a baby and I don't have a walking partner. I know it gets way cold everywhere, but I found a great book at the library. It's called "Walk away the Pounds" by Leslie Sansone. She has good tips for boosting your walk and good moves to add that won't throw you off balance. She only uses a 2 pound weight for each hand, but she suggests a water bottle in each hand too. It is so easy, I would definately check it out.

Courtney and I have had alot of fun around the house while Devin

is at work. I have been working hard to get the house cleaned up and I promise I will have an "after" video posted this week of the house. I was bored today, but Courtney was having fun playing with a teddy bear I got from my parents in high school. I decided to see if she could fit into the bear's cheer outfit and took some cute pics. The top is short and I couldn't fit around her tummy to velsro it, but it's still adorable nonetheless. Devin's brother, Dominic, and his family came to visit this week as well. I posted pictures of Courtney with Sammy and Leesy, and also one of her with Benjamin. We went to the State Fair Saturday. I guess I didn't wear very good shoes because my back was sore all day sunday, yesterday and still today!! Hope you enjoy this week's pictures!