Sarah's Pre-Birthday Party!

Sarah celebrated her 2nd birthday at Grandma Resch's home on Sunday. She is turning 2 on Friday!! Can you believe it?!

Here are some fun pictures of her party.

Grandma Resch made the yummy cake and spelled Sarah's name with M&M's. It was very creative and very delicious. Sarah kept asking for 'milk' which to her means 'more'. Always a good sign!

Sarah opened her gifts too. Grandma gave her some pretty princess panties which hopefully Sarah will wear soon! She also got a princess backpack that she absolutely loves! Sarah loves wearing it around the house and sticks everything inside of it! Now the joke is, if you can't find your car keys, look in Sarah's backpack!

Seeing Sarah all grown up makes me so sad! I can't believe how quickly time has slipped past. Come another 3 years and Sarah will be in school!! Can you believe it?! She'll be putting that backpack to great use, no doubt.

Dad's/Bompa's Birthday

So, for my dad's birthday we went to Pickleville Playhouse in Garden City, UT. We watched a fun little melodrama T.J. Davis wrote (he was in the same ward as me growing up) and had fun booing the villain, cheering for the hero, and ahing for the maiden in distress. It was quite fun and Abby, Sarah, and Aiden loved it. Aiden was leading the music, right on beat too. Abby was entranced with the eugine and Sarah just had fun eating popcorn, listening the the music, and watching the dancing.

After the show, we went to the cabin for some dinner. Liz, Mike, Aiden, Abby, Becca, Dad, Mom, and Sarah and I were all there to celebrate. Jordan had work, so he couldn't come, same with Adam. So, the girls in the family celebrated with Dad this year.

Mom made a yummy dinner and then we had cake and ice cream. Abby chose the cake out and the ice cream, so we had a lot of sugar, needless to say. But it was very yummy!

Dad opened his gifts from us. This year all of us, save Mom and Dad, wrote stories about Sam Dog. It was a year ago yesterday that Sam passed on and he was Dad's beloved pooch (Mom's too). We thought it'd be nice to write a memoir of him and publish it in a nice book with photos. Dad was so happy he almost started crying. Ahh, nothing says it like a perfect gift.

Abby and Sarah just wanted to play with each other. Abby doesn't get to see Sarah that often so when they have a chance to be together they take full advantage. They are so cute together!

The next day we arose early, thanks to Sarah's internal alarm clock, and ate breakfast. We headed out on the boat for the morning. I would've wakeboarded, but I twisted my ankle pretty bad a few days ago. My ankle is still healing and if I tried to shove my foot into the wakeboard boots there was no way I'd be able to get my foot out without straining my ankle more or breaking it.

Sarah and Abby had a lot of fun 'driving' the boat. Bompa was nice enough to take a small step back and allow Sarah and Abby to take the wheel. Aren't they cute?!

Aiden loved the boat, in fact, he fell asleep on the way back. But not before we captured some great pictures of him!

After the boating adventure, we headed to the beach. Abby decided she didn't want to put her swim-suit on, so she walked in the lake with all her clothes on! Silly girl!! Abby and Sarah had so much fun together I had to capture it on camera. Moments like this don't last long enough, but they are at least burned into your memory.

Sarah had so much fun in the water! Abby would go fill the bucket up with 'fresh' water and then Sarah would wash her hands in the bucket. This process was repeated at least 30 times and each time both girls would giggle and think this was the funniest thing to be doing. We should take lessons from kids, huh.

Sarah was also fearless when it came to entering the water. She takes after me, since her daddy has a phobia of water. She'd plunge right in and sit down letting the seashells and sand get all over her. She was a sandy mess, but she was so cute! She was having so much fun, I couldn't stop her. Kids need to have those messy moments without Mommy saying no!

After the beach, we headed back up to the cabin for some lunch. Liz, Mike, Abby, and Aiden had to leave to go to the Arts Fest in Park City. But that's okay, Becca got back from the baptism she attended that morning and Sarah had a new playmate.

But, time slips past and soon it was nap time. Mom, Becca, and I went into 'town' to get a shake for Dad and a plague for the cabin Mom wanted. It was Raspberry Days at Bear Lake, so it was extra busy. But, it was so much fun! Dad stayed behind and listened for Sarah while the girls went out.

Sarah awoke from her nap early and she was very cranky. I convinced Dad to take us out on the boat for one last spin before Sarah and I had to head home. The one last spin ended up being another 2 hours, but it was worth it. Becca got some wakeboarding in and Sarah, Becca, and I jumped off the boat and swam around in the lake (of course we had life jackets on because holding a baby in deep water isn't that easy).

Soon it was time to head home. We drove through Evanston and got home a little after 9pm. Sarah was completely tuckered out and went right to sleep. I was pretty pooped out too and joined her. All in all, another great weekend! I love summer time!

Camping at Cottonwood

For Pioneer Weekend we went back to our Heaven on Earth, Cottonwood. I couldn't resist! I'd already been once, but I couldn't resist from going again when the opportunity came. Jordan, Sarah, Anna, Karina Lindsey, and I all went. We also brought Daisy Mae along since we were in tents and not in the cabin.

Since Anna and Karina have faithfully read all my books, I decided to treat them to a trip to Star Valley, WY. It took us 5 hours to get there, but it was well worth the time, money, and effort.

We arrived early evening on Thursday and thankfully my cousin Brandon and Uncle Brent set up my tent for us. When we got there, all the campsites were taken and people were searching around for a campsite. Whew, planning ahead saved us from sleeping in a meadow where the moose are!!

We all hurried and ate dinner, which was a hot dog roast, and then launched the boat. We drove to the other side of the lake where the cabin is at and I visited a minute with my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. It was great seeing Karen's family from Oklahoma. It seems like its been years since I've seen them at all.

After that, we went back to our campsite, put Sarah down for the night, and then the adults enjoyed a fire and smores. Anna built the fire, bravo Anna!, with one match and no gasoline or fire accelerator. She is a true LDS Young Women Camp Graduate. Both her and I have learned how to start fires with and without matches and without any help from flammable liquids (unlike boyscouts!!).

The next day Sarah awoke pretty early, so we had an early start on the day. We ate breakfast, Jordan the master cook, and then headed out on the lake for a quick fishing trip. All five of us piled into the little boat.

Karina and Anna had fun taking lots of pictures of the place I've talked up my entire life. I was glad they were both enjoying Cottonwood and also found a love for the place in their hearts as well. Cottonwood is so beautiful and peaceful, you can't help but feel close to God when you're there.

After fishing, Jordan and I went 4-wheeling with Sarah. This time there wasn't any snow on the trail at all. We got pretty far up, but we turned around a little early. Despite that, we were still about 45 minutes up onto the trail and deep within the mountains. I couldn't help but take pictures.

When we returned, we ate lunch and then decided to put Sarah down for a nap. While she was napping, Anna, Karina, and I went off into Afton to see the town where my character Andi lives.

We stopped at Star Valley High first where my character goes to school. SVHS, Home of the Braves. Star Valley High is actually pretty big, but it is the only high school for the entire valley. Still, there isn't a lot of students. When it was built they were thinking ahead, obviously way ahead. The school is surrounded by fields and farms alike. It is rested in the center of the valley and is surrounded by the beautiful mountains.

Next we searched for houses that could be Andi's and also a house that could logically be Doc's as well. Here are some pictures of the houses we found.

After house searching, we stopped at the local (the one and only) grocery store and picked up some items we forgot. After which we headed back to Cottonwood where we discovered Sarah didn't sleep at all and Jordan was confined to the campsite with her and the dog. Poor guy!!

Anna and Karina decided to go 4-wheeling and Jordan and I decided to go fishing. So off they went and off we went. It was great fun.

Upon returning, we discovered my family had pulled the old pontoon boat out of the lake in preparation for a new toony boat. I don't like the pontoon boat, never have, and I'm afraid I won't like going on this one either. I just don't like things that can still float with water submerging it. It's not right. Either way, I took this picture of the pontoons maiden voyage on Cottonwood. May this be the first of many, many trips.

Later that night we had a campfire roast with my family on the other side of the lake where the cabin's at. Karen had all her kids there, Rachel, Jacob, Riley, and Oliva. Alice and Brent had their kids as well, Brandon, Nicole, her husband Zach, and their son Colin. It was a lot of fun.

We packed everything into the boat, headed on over, and began cooking our dutch oven dinner and BBQ chicken in the fire. The problem was we forgot to bring everything with us the first trip. Poor Jordan had to run back not once, but twice. Then Sarah decided to take a swim in the lake, or more, face-planted it, and got all muddy. Jordan then had to run back a third time to get her some clean clothes. Well, the good that came from that was Sarah got a bath and the rest of us remained stinky the entire trip.

The next day Sarah awoke early once again. I swear that child is a bird inside because the instant the sun is rising, she is too. So, I got up, cooked pancakes, and then we were off hiking. We wanted to get our hiking in before it got too hot. We hiked up to Dead Lake, aka Slide Lake, and stopped and rested there for a while. I caught Sarah a butterfly along the trail and she loved holding it in her viewing box.

On the way back, we decided to take the 'old' trail back that my character Andi and her sister Sam took. We had to take off our shoes and socks and wade across the river. Since that trail hadn't been used in many years, the makeshift willow bridge is nonexistent. But, the river is there and it is very, very cold!!

Anna and Karina went first over the river. Then Jordan and I did. Jordan wanted me to stay with him and help him, but he was going too slow and the water was way too cold. I had to cross then or forever hold my peace. But, I got some really good pictures of Jordan and Sarah!!

In this picture, this is the river where my character Andi gets stuck and injured. The water is still rigid cold, even in July. It's easy to see why she could suffer from hypothermia when she fell in and how hard it would be to try and escape the rage of the river during a spring runoff.

After the hike, we headed back to our campsite. Jordan, Sarah, and I went fishing again while Anna and Karina went on the 4-wheeler. I finally caught a fish too, but I released it. After spending a little time on the lake, I put Sarah down for a nap. That's when Anna, Karina, and I decided to wash our hair in the water pump at the campsite. Note to self, never, never think it's a good idea to wash your hair in glacier water! It's way too cold!!

Sarah slept for a while and soon the weather started to turn sour. I ran back to the lake on the 4-wheeler and got Jordan off the lake. It started to downpour just as we hooked the boat back up. We hurried back to our campsite, made a fire to stay warm by, and hunkered down till the storm passed.

After about two hours, the storm blew over and we had blue skies again. The road was muddy though so no one wanted to go 4-wheeling. We decided to launch the boat one more time, take a spin around the lake while Jordan fished (he never caught a fish the entire trip, just me). Karina and I decided to hike the trail next to the cabin which went around the lake. We couldn't get too far, however, since it was muddy and slippery. We hiked back and then Karina decided to check out the spring to our downrun by our cabin that we get our water from. I told her to go on ahead, since I didn't want to hoof it up a mountain side that was wet and muddy.

Once we were done hiking, we got back on the boat, hooked it back up, and hunkered down for the night. I wasn't feeling too good, suffering from a pounding headache, so I went to bed early with Sarah. Jordan, Anna, and Karina enjoyed smores over the campfire.

Sunday came all too fast. We got up early, once again thanks to Sarah, and then packed up. We left Cottonwood at 9:30am and got home a little after 1:30pm. All in all, it was a very, very fun trip! I can't wait to go back next year and have the cabin with flushing toilets and a shower. Sadly, though, we know we can't take Daisy since no dogs are allowed in the cabin. But, we can always go camping again!

I hope Karina and Anna had a great time and saw the place where my books take place and fell in love with it as much as I have. Star Valley is really small, but it is a wonderful, beautiful place to be and visit. I wouldn't mind living there either, it sort of reminds me of what Logan used to be like when I was a child.

Sarah Went Potty on the Potty!

My little girl, turned big girl went on the toilet last night! Of course Anna and I had to sit with her in the bathroom for nearly 45 minutes, but she did it! Yeah Sarah!! So, last night Anna, Sarah, and I went and got poster board and made Sarah a very handmade potty chart. Now each time she goes on the toilet, she gets a sticker she can place on the chart. We marked certain goals and once she's reached them then she gets treats or little toys.


This last weekend was busy, busy. My dad was very generous and came down to SLC to help Jordan wire the basement. Jordan did accomplish a lot, thanks to Dad, and also learned a lot. We decided to take Dad out to dinner at Carino's Italian Restaurant. It was very yummy. Sarah clinged to Bompa while he was staying with us and always wanted to be near him. Sarah loves her Bompa very much.

After dinner, Jordan, Sarah, Grandma Resch, and I went to Anna's band concert in Murray. They played lots of neat songs! My favorite, however, was The Flight of the Bumblebee. It really sounded like a swarm of bees was headed our way!!

I gave Sarah a bubble bath the other day, something I haven't done in a while. When I stuck her in the water, she was scared of the bubbles! I couldn't believe it! I think it was because she couldn't see the bottom of the tub. But, it didn't take long for her to get used to them once again and love playing in the bubbles! Daisy even came in and played with the bubbles for a minute. My little cutie-patutie is growing up so quick!!

I have to write this down, otherwise I think I may forget it, but Sarah did the cutest, darnedest thing the other week. It was Saturday a few weeks ago and Sarah decided to wake up extra early. She was calling to us to come and get her and I somehow convinced Jordan to get her for me. So, Jordan got her, changed her diaper, and then put her in bed with me. I was in denial, not wanting to wake up, but Sarah was all about waking Mommy up to play with her and make her breakfast. So, she came up to me, patted my shoulder and said, "Nat! Nat! Wake-up Nat!" I grumbled and said, "Hey, its Mommy to you!" And so she amended her words. "Mom! Mom! Wake-up Mom!" It was so cute! I rolled myself out of bed and had to make her some pancakes for breakfast.

Gearing Up for Cottonwood

Well, Pioneer Day is coming up and I'm taking off to Cottonwood again! Yeah me!! I'm so excited I get to go back to my favorite place on earth twice this year! We're camping, granite, but I don't care.

We're taking Anna and Karina Lindsey with us as well. Since they've been loyal readers of my books, I thought I owed them a trip to see where my books are based. They are both ecstatic as well to come.

Well, I hope Thursday comes quick!!!

Relationship Tag

1. What are your middle names? Well, I don't have one. Jordan's is Everett after his grandma Opal's maiden name. Suites him if you ask me.

2. How long have you been together? May 16, 2003 was our very first date. How do I remember you ask? Because exactly 8 months later we were married!

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating? Right away. We met online and our first chat session he asked me out on a date on a whim. On a whim, I answered with a yes and said I'd go, although I always talked to men for a while before I ever agreed to meet them. Something about Jordan felt different and I decided to go with gut instinct. Later, I discovered, he impulsively asked me out on a date. All well, it all worked out!

4. Who asked who out? Read above answer and you'll know.

5. How old are you? I'm 25 and Jordan is 27 (we're getting old!)

6. Whose siblings do you see the most? Since Jordan's sister lives with us, I see her daily. But, I don't see his mom or brother too often. Since my family is in Logan, I generally visit them for days instead of sporadically. I think it evens out mostly, if you don't include seeing Anna every day.

7. Do you have any children together? One beautiful little daughter, Sarah Marie. She turns 2 in August.

8. Pets? We have Daisy Mae, our crazy yellow lab who thinks she's a small little lap dog, loves the water, and is the best pet to have with kids. Jordan says one pet at a time, so I have to adhere by his rules.

9. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Nothing really. I mean, there are times we struggle through, but together as a couple we always pull through the tough times. Jordan is there for me and I like to think I'm there for him too.

10. Did you go to the same school? Nope. I am a Cache Valley girl and he's a city slicker from SLC.

11. Are you from the same town? Nope, see above answer.

12. Who is the smartest? Well, it depends. Book smart is me, people smart is Jordan. I watch people a lot and assess who they are before I really approach them. I like to figure people out. Jordan, however, just gets along with all types of people from all different walks of life. Also, Jordan knows engines better than anyone else I know. He can fix just about anything.

13. Who is the most sensitive? Outwardly-mostly Jordan, Inwardly-mostly me.

14. Where do you eat out most as a couple? Cafe Rio!!! Yummy!!

15. Where is the farthest you have traveled as a couple? Alaska

16. Who has the craziest exes? We don't have exes. I know, sounds odd. Jordan and I were each others first serious relationships. But, I think I have the craziest friends out of us both. I am a theater person, enough said.

17. Who has the worst temper? Me, I think. I can get pretty heated and frustrated at times. Jordan relents to my wishes, which bothers me to no end! But, that's how he is. He doesn't like conflict at all. When I'm really angry I have to step back, simmer down, and take time to think things through and try and understand his point of view. Once I've done that, I approach the topic again and see if we can resolve it. If he presses for answers right then and there, well, I tend to say what's on my mind and hurtful things can be said. So, both of us know that time is what I need before I come to any conclusions to solve the matter we're discussing.

18. Who does the cooking? Me for sure. I cook Sunday dinner for his family all the time, but he does the dishes. He's pretty good about it too (although sometimes I end up nagging him to get up and do them).

19. Who is more social? Jordan and I both are pretty social. I kept in contact with my friends and I do theater, so I keep a lot of friends close to me. Jordan works in retail and he's a people person. I'd say we're about equal.

20. Who is the neat freak? Jordan is more so than me. I like a clean house, very maticulant about it too, but I don't care if my room gets shabby--Jordan does.

21. Who is more stubborn? Me, I admit it. I can get pretty headstrong at times. But, Jordan does hold his own when it comes to be stubborn as well.

22. Who hogs the bed? JORDAN!! When I was pregnant with Sarah I told Jordan it was either him or the dog on the bed. Needless to say, Jordan kicked Daisy off our bed. I couldn't take it any longer!!

23. Who wakes up earlier? Consistently, me. However, Jordan sometimes has to work early shifts and he's up at 4am getting ready for work. I don't get up until 5:30ish in the morning.

24. Where was your first date? We had dinner at Chili's and then went to X2 the movie. Jordan drove all the way up from SLC to go on one date with me. Commit from the start, huh!

25. Who has the bigger family? Me, no question. Jordan has 2 brother's and 1 sister. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters. However, Jordan's parents only had one other sibling. My cousins are countless and my aunts and uncles are right up there. I can count all of Jordan's extended family on two hands. He compared our wedding to 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' since I had so much family!

26. Do you get flowers often? Well, if you count my beautiful flowers blossoming in the garden, then yes. Otherwise, nope. Jordan gets me flowers for v-day, that's about it.

27. How do you spend the holidays? With family, whether his or mine.

28. Who is more jealous? I think we're equal on this. We both don't get jealous. Jordan works in retail and with a lot of women, I work in an engineering office with a lot of men--we trust each other and there's no reason to be jealous.

29. How long did it take to get serious? Not too long, about after 5 dates or so. We would spend weekends together since we lived far apart and during the weekday we'd talk on the phone. So, after about a few weekends together, we starting going steady. We started going steady about the end of June 2003 and then got engaged August 27th 2003.

30. Who eats more? Jordan, 100% he eats more than me and Sarah combined. He's a big boy at 6'4".

31. Who does the laundry? Ha, ha. Well, Jordan washes more, but I fold more. So does this equal out? Well, if not then I'd say Jordan.

32. Who is better with the computer? Me, no question. I work with computers day in and day out. Jordan doesn't.

33. Who drives when you are together? Always him since he likes having more leg room. Whoever is in the passenger seat usually has to slide forward so whoever is in the back as leg room. I'm the shortest in his family (yes, even at 5'8") and usually end up in the backseat or shoved forward in the front seat. Not to mention, whoever is driving picks the music and Jordan gets tired of listening to classical, Broadway, and contemporary. He does like his country music!

Now, I tag Brooke, Jolene, and Martha.