Drum roll please....

pink ribbons and bows here we come!  We're having a GIRL!!!  We're super excited!  The boys are as well.  They have said it was a girl the entire time!  We do however, understand there is a chance that it could still be a boy but we're going all out.  Nothing to lose.  We're set on boy things but girly frills and pink, we are running low.  If it does turn out to be a boy...that's okay but they said GIRL and I'm going shopping!  Always be Prepared is the scouts motto and I'm married to an Eagle Scout, so no complaints there! 

The ultrasound measured me at 19 weeks, one week earlier than what I was first said to be, but give or take a week or so, not a big deal. 

Name wise, we're thinking of Kambelle Elizabeth.  Spelling still under concideration.  We'll keep you posted!

If you have any great sites for bows and frills, I'm in the dark and would love to have the inside scoop on girly things.  I'm in need of a girl overhaul! 

Our Little Artist

Benson has found a great love for drawing and coloring. It's always amazing the things he thinks up in his mind and then can transfer onto paper. Unfortunately, I can't take any credit for that talent. He's a natural born artist!

Benson: "This is me walking from our car into my school.  And look, I'm flying a kite!  And my backpack has the handle on top to hang up on the hook. And the sky is blue and the grass is green!"


He's AMAZING!!!

Boy or Girl?

As of today I am 15 1/2 weeks.  In about three weeks were headed in for an ultrasound. Will it get to adorn the nursery with every color of pink and add bows and ribbons to our army men collection or will we just add more army men?

Take our poll!!!

NINE years ago today

fell on a Sunday. And on that particular Sunday, I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I've pondered on the last decade of my life recently and watched the Lord's hand guide it ever so precisely. It's amazing to look back and see how my life was altered in a couple brief moments of time and where I am now today, because of some those moments.

I've been fortunate most of my life to have been protected and guided by Spirit as much as I was, not always realizing what "it" was that was leading me. When I think back to the teeny, tiny testimony of my youth and my very vague knowledge of the Holy Ghost, I am amazed that my mind listened as often as it did and that protection was always close by.

The way of the Lord is incredible and I stand ALL AMAZED everyday how the Lord works the way he does. So many unexplainable blessings, miracles, answered prayers, simple nudges, LARGE nudges and quiet whispers.

I am so thankful for an incredible family who brought me into their lives, their home and their hearts. I am forever grateful to them for the guidance and love.

God lives! He plays a great role in my life everyday. I feel so blessed to know that I have the Holy Spirit abiding with me as I am worthy of its presences. Jesus is the Christ! He has atoned for our sins and has made it possible for us to return to live with Him again. The sacrifice that Christ has made for me and for you has been completed, I know that it is up to me to take advantage of it and partake in the blessings of repentance. The Holy Spirit is real! The gentle warmth that overwhelms me, the promptings to look one more time, the sudden thought of a friend in my head, the urgency to fall to my knees and pray are many of the ways the spirit has touched my life. I can’t go without saying how my life has been guided so carefully by the gentle nudges of the Spirit. I feel so blessed to have been placed in on this earth at this time. It’s true when the Prophet states we are a chosen generation to come forth at this time to prepare our people for the coming of the Savior. I bear witness of this! We are so blessed to be here at this particular time – I strive daily to be as molding clay in the Master’s hand. I love my Father in Heaven and Savior very much. I put complete faith in them in all that I do. The temple of the Lord is our piece of Heaven here on earth. Within the sacred walls we make covenants that are eternal. Within the walls, we are sealed as families forever. The temple is peace, the temple is joy, and the temple is our retreat to be as close to our Father in Heaven as possible while here on earth. I testify that Joseph Smith has restored this gospel to the earth for the last days. The Book of Mormon is truly another testament of Jesus Christ. The priesthood in its entirety has been restored to the fullest. We have not been left alone to wander throughout our lives. President Monson is a prophet; he is the mouth piece of the Lord. When we follow his counsel we will be blessed. I testify that when we serve the Lord, whether it is in missionary work, our callings or in our families, we have the power of revelation. It is through fasting, prayer and meditation that inspiration is received. It is also through our service that our talents are developed, strengthened and magnified. As I have served in my callings my testimony has grown and my faith has increased. I am especially grateful for this time of year we have to celebrate the birth of our Savior. What tremendous blessings we all have to be thankful for!

December thus far...

December has been CRAZY! I've been so busy getting all my Christmas card orders designed and ordered and the family pictures to go along with them. Finally, they are done, the Christmas cards that is. I've had several phone calls in the last couple of days for last minute pictures and wondering if they can get printed before CHRISTMAS!!!! It's nice to be busy but a little less would be great! This Saturday is PACKED!!! And unfortunately not with family stuff, lots of family pictures, ward dinner (which I somehow became in charge of the program..again) youth dance pictures and widow/widower dinner.

Justin has been busy with his first of many tithing settlement appointments. Our December this year is a lot different than years past. He's gone a lot as usual but it's harder when we would like to have some family time and others in the ward need something, late night meetings, etc. By the time we adjust and it becomes the new "tradition" he'll be getting released. Okay, enough complaining.

The boys are enjoying life. They love this time of year. There is always candy around. Santa is ALWAYS watching. Jack Frost has visited many times. Gymnastics is a great place to burn off some energy. There are always Christmas songs playing whether in the house or in the car. It's a GRAND thing when we see Christmas lights on a house. Lots of family time and cousins. Always treats at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Fun things to do and color at school. Singing stuffed animals, decorations and a TREE that are just for boys to touch and play with ALL DAY LONG!

On the morning of the 12th week I woke up feeling GREAT!!! I stopped taking my nausea medicine, energy had returned, kind of, and I didn’t have to eat every 30 minutes to feel okay. Well, yesterday that all changed. I didn't keep much down for the day. Until Monday I hadn't actually thrown up but like normal, at least with the boys, this is when I've been really sick, my second trimester. As of today, I'm feeling okay but still nausea lingers.

Christmas cards are headed out in the next couple of days but I thought I would post our as well. I designed ours last this year and wasn't very happy with my last minute "throw-together" so a couple of days later I designed another one, which I like TONS better. (As I was sitting in the DRs office I saw an article that was written in a similar form from which my design came from.) However, because of time restraints I had to have them printed at Sam's Club which I was very unhappy with. The background color is an off-white rather than white and the coloring is completely off. So when yours arrives, it will look different...ENJOY the real one!

What did you....

SAY??? Yep, we're having another baby! We just found out that I am 8 and half weeks along. Due date is June 22, 2010! I've been feeling AWEFULLY sick in the evenings for the past several weeks and then Halloween mid-morning I felt the worse I'd felt yet so I took another test and it finally said YES! Each test I've taken over the past couple of months have said no...I thought I was losing my mind. I couldn't figure out why I was so tired when 8pm came around and why I was feeling yucky, but then finally some validation to my sickness!!! It's been the norm for me to feel sick around 10 -13 weeks and lasting to about 20 weeks but this time it has seemed to come on a lot sooner...perhaps that's a sign of a different gender?!?!?! We'll have to wait and see. For now I'm taking it day by day. Some days are okay and some I can't even move I'm so nauseous. My OB prescribed me some prescription nausea medicine that has seemed to help over the last day...I hope it continues to easy the queasiness and let me take care of my family. Justin's been great in it all. He comes home with dinner almost every night and then tries and get as much done around the house as he can before he heads for the church. He's doing the best he can but it's impossible to squeeze in what I do in a day in an hour or two a night. I know he'll be happy when the sickness comes to an end!

Benson now is telling everyone at school that I have a BUG in my stomach and it makes me throw up every time I eat (which by the way, is not true...I have yet to actually throw up.) To the contrary...I feel better when I'm eating which, in its self, presents a potentially HUGE problem.

Tolman Baby #3

And if you see a second mass in there..your eyes don't lie.  We had another "blighted twin/vanishing twin", just like with Max.  This one only was about 3 weeks old before it stopped developing.  I had asked Dr. Ainsworth that the problem might be since this is twice now and he said that I'm just very fertile and somewhere in the transfer of the chromosomes there is an error and that nothing can be done to prevent it.  CRAZY!

Happy Halloween!

the TOLMAN SUPER HEROs!  We had a blast this year dressing up.  The boys picked our theme and it went from there.  A huge THANK YOU to aunt Sue for helping me put my skirt and boot covers together!!! 

To the church for TRUNK or TREAT

Jaxon - Karsyn - Blake - Chase - Benson - Tyler - Brenden - Brady - Tanner - Max

Max eating as much candy as possible while we're not paying attention

Cheese-ball SpiderMan!

After TRUNK or TREAT we headed to the Nielson's for a Halloween party.  The kids loved running around and playing all the fun games.  Charla made her famous homemade Donuts and the Sannars with their YUMMY hand-dipped corndogs.

Pumpkin Carving/Harvest time

It's that time of year again, Walnut Harvest!  Last year the boys really enjoyed going out into grandma and grandpa Tolman's with Jordan and picking up walnuts during the day and I can't believe that was a year ago.  Here we are again, time to harvest the nuts.  On Monday the sweeper came and swept all the nuts to the center and then they were picked up by another piece of equipment (don't ask me, I'm not a farmer).  Left behind are tons of nuts, both in the cracks and still left on the trees.  We'd been out during the week picking up buckets of nuts and on Saturday spend several hours out getting more. 

Benson and Max taking turns with the walnut picker-upper

Later Saturday night was our ANNUAL Pumpkin Carving Contest - where EVERYONE Wins!  Ann always gets cute little treats for the kids and they LOVE it!

Like mother like sons, my boys don't like getting their hands yucky in pumpkin guts! YUCK!

The boys taking turns with a HUGE scraper. 

Benson tried his hand at tracing/poking the lines of his design. He did pretty well.

To match their halloween costumes Benson chose a SPIDER and Max a BAT

Brenden - Tyler - Jaxson - Max - Brady - Benson - Tanner - Addison - Alyssa

All the yummy treat throughout the night were great! Ann and Aunt Sue made these super cute witches hats that were chocolate cookies with hershey kisses and sprinkles and eyeball cupcakes. Alisha made these white chocolate covered donut holes that looked like eye balls. All the treats were a huge hit!

Halloween Festivities have begun

Benson has enjoyed going to the pumpkin patch with his cousins for their school trips and now he has been able to enjoy his own class's field trip for the second year.  For the second year in a row we've gone to the MIRACLE RANCH PUMPKIN PATCH in Biggs, right by Gma Tolman's house.  He and Max had so much fun!

This pig was so funny.  The kids got a kick out of him jumping out toward them to get the apple!

Max had fun picking out his pumpkin.  He picked each one up and then threw it down and whichever bounced the best that was the "pumpkin ball" he was going to get!

Benson went straight for the largest pumpkins they had!  Best use of his $5 he had for pumpkin pickin'!!!

Benson's class + Max

Hay Rides!

Train ride around the ranch

Notice Max flipping down the slide - he thought this was great!

Later that evening we had a Bonfire at the Miskin's home!  The boys had so much fun with their friends.  Max's friend, Matthew who's house we were at, had fallen asleep before the party even started to Max tagged along with Benson and Kennison all night!

Max - Benson - Kennison

We also had a mummy race which we didn't participate in but we sure did have fun mummifying dad!

Grandma Bagley

was taken from the earth on October 20 2009 to be happily reunited again with the love of her life. What a joyous day for them to see one another again! You will be missed, Grandma!

From the handful of years I've known Grandma Bagley I've learned so much. I've seen the efforts of her labors in the current lives of her children and grandchildren. She was so lovely, caring, humble and meek. A wonderful exemplar of the Lords vision of a mother. She was generous with her time and talents to those around her, never too busy to lend a hand. The stories that come from those in our family about Grandma always exude love and tenderness. What an amazing woman we had in our lives. May her example of a woman stay alive through the generations to come.  We love you, Grandma! 

Utah Wedding Weekend

This past weekend we took a quick trip, minus our boys, to Utah. We crashed in on the the Taylor family (Justin's Cousin) for the weekend. Justin's old roommate from college was getting married. It was a beautiful wedding ceremony. Our day was filled to the max, trying to squeeze everything in.

We left at around 1:30 Friday afternoon and arrived at the Taylor's house at 2am.

Mt. Timpanogos Temple

~Eric and Elise ~

Justin and Eric

After the ceremony and a couple pictures we walked around and then headed to visit with the Marshall's that had recently moved from California out to Highland. We gabbed a little long and then headed back toward Provo for the wedding luncheon. After eating way too much we headed over to campus and walked around, taking pictures for the boys and visiting the BYU Bookstore. It was fun to walk around and Justin reminisce about his years at BYU.

GO COUGARS!


Justin pretending to have his hand being eaten by the cougar.


We didn't have anyone take a picture of us at the reception so we took advantage of the glass ceiling and did it ourselves :)

We got back to the Taylor's at about 10:30pm and then up bright and early the next morning to head back to California.

After passing into the Pacific Time Zone several miles Justin's phone had changed but mine was still Mt. time.

I hadn't ever stopped at the salt flats before so I thought I'd document this event. Too bad I don't have anyone to ever take pictures of me.....hint, hint :)

The last time we were in Utah it was before we were married. Almost 6 years ago to the date. Hopefully we'll make it back sooner than later.

{Thanks again Taylor's for having us. It was great to see you, even if it was for a brief couple of moments!}