Gooo Padres!

The last couple weeks Matt and I were able to get away one last time this summer.  We were lucky to get 2 trips in 1... we drove to Utah, flew to San Diego for a few days, and back to Utah to be with family. It was so much fun, but it always feels good to be home. Bella has been recovering all day by sleeping way more than usual (i actually had to wake HER up this morning). Here are some pics from San Diego:

walking the soft-sanded beach in the most perfect weather  :)

There's just something relaxing about watching kites fly...

Spent hours touring this Navy aircraft carrier used in World War II. Matt was in heaven and I thought it was pretty neat too.

THE most amazing temple ever!

Did I mention how perfect the weather was? I would die for a nice cool breeze during the summer in Vegas. Ha!

The Padres put on an exciting game for sure, but we lost.  The game went way too fast if you ask us.

Petco Park- one of the coolest stadiums ever. Spent way too much money filling our bellies, but it was so worth it.

our "Save The Kiss" reenactment... okay, we need a little more practice.

Always the best way to end the night. Yum!

Hello August!

This summer has been going way too fast. It's already August and the thought of going back to school in a few weeks makes my stomach jump with nervous excitement. I'm so close to finishing my nursing degree and I can't wait to graduate in just a few months! July was busy for us- Matt and I had the opportunity to go as leaders to a youth camp for our church. We were separated by a few miles (boys/girls) and were lucky to see each other once while up there. I only took a couple pictures though and am hoping someone else took a few more! (then I can post more about it)

Kolob- such a beautiful place!

My parents watched Bella for us and met us in St. George to give her back. She had fun with their dogs and all the excitement over there. Well apparently she had so much fun that as they were driving away she leapt (is that a word?) into my dad's unrolled window and onto his lap!! She was probably thinking "it was nice seeing ya, but I'm going back with the grandparents!"  I may have shed a tear at the thought of her not wanting to come home (and from laughing so hard). But since we've been home, she is back to normal. 

I like to think it was just a big "thank you" kiss 

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It was about 6 1/2 years ago when my sister lovingly placed her baby with two wonderful parents who were ready to raise another child in their home. Their family lives across the country, but how exciting it is every summer when they come to town. This little girl knows exactly who her birth mom is and her adoptive parents are very open with her about it. While visiting her birth grand-parents last week, she says "Why does everyone love me so much?" :) She is one lucky girl and there is so much love all around her.

The resemblance makes me smile. This little girl looks exactly like her birth mama when she was little (and now!)

And HaPpy BirtHday to this cutie pie! Love you, chica!

{My niece is cuter than yours}

We're approved!

We are so excited that we can finally say we are officially approved for adoption! The email came last week along with reassuring feeling that everything will happen when it should. And then came the panic that anything could happen at any given moment! While the thought of that is exciting, the unknown always makes my stomach jump a little. Are we ready for a little bundle of joy if we were to get a call in the middle of the night... even tomorrow? Well the answer is yes! Yes, we are ready for anything to happen! I think that is an exciting part of adoption. I wonder sometimes what our story will be like. Will we get that call in the middle of the night and happily run to the hospital while frantically calling our parents? Or will we be able to attend the birth mom at her ultrasounds and possibly even the birth of our child? There are so many different ways our story could go and whichever way it goes will be perfect for us. 

You can view our online profile by clicking here.

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Bella and I were able to visit family for a couple weeks in Utah (missed you, Matt!).  We had fun with all the kiddos and there was never a dull moment. Between everyone in the family, we have 6 (SIX!) dogs which meant Bella had a blast too. It's pure craziness when everyone is together and so I loved the time I had with each of them individually- swimming, watching movies, playing barbies, and getting ready for bed.

Sittin on my parent's porch with just a few of my favorite kiddos (plus Bella)

We could have played "sharks" forever in this pool (My mom is on the left with the twinners)

We are all worn out FaceTiming.  I love cuddling with my Bella girl. And no, she didn't sleep on my bed, but it's really hard to push her off sometimes!

Before coming back to Vegas, I went with Matt's family out for dinner and some indoor sky diving. It seriously was so much fun! I was hesitant at first, but am so glad I did it. Matt was able to FaceTime us too and see how brave I could be! That night I was dreaming about all the different tricks I should try next time I go. I even considered doing real sky diving for a split second (sorry Matt, didn't last longer than that).

My father-in-law and I just flying around (love that he wore his cowboy boots)

Mattt came halfway to get me and we visited my ancestor statues in St. George on our way home. Pretty cool stuff.

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HAPPY BURTDAY TO MY CUTE NIECE TODAY! LOVE YOU!



*I'll have to add some more pics from our Utah trip soon- but I had to update real quick