The Brackens

Dune Trip #2

2012-02-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

I forgot my camera on this dune trip, so didn't get any pictures of Jaden :( but will post some cute ones I have taken recently just for fun..because what's a post without pictures of my sweet little guy! As usual the dunes were awesome and we got some good rides in. I'm still not the best but hopefully someday I'll be able to hang with the big boys.

Here are a few pictures of Jaden. My sweet little boy was not feeling to well because he got four shots at his 15 month check-up. I guess the only thing about him not feeling well is that he is super snuggley!!

Hahha he was so out of it from not feeling good he didn't even notice I put toilet paper on his head...sweet little boy!

Car-Seat Canopy....My favorite craft

2012-02-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

My first sewing project with my new sewing machine was yet another car-seat canopy for my friend. I have made quite a few of them and am really starting to get pretty good at the basics of sewing. I love to make them and find so much joy in putting together cute fabric to make such a simple but wonderful creation.

Josh wants to me to sell them, but I figure since there so easy to make that people would probably just end up making them themselves instead of paying for one. Also I'm still obviously not the best with the sewing machine yet so that would also factor in as well.

Anyways if anyone would like me to make them one (for free) let me know cause I could use a good project and the practice!

Family Pictures

2012-01-29T16:00:00.003-08:00

As you can see from my new set of pictures up top we had our first professional family pictures done. It was time to start replacing some of our wedding pictures and put family ones up haha only a year late...so enjoy!

Our sweet little Jaden at 15 months old!!

My sewing supplies complete..IN PINK STYLE

2012-01-26T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hahahah yeah I know I'm obsessed with pink and I admit it proudly!! So since I got a sewing machine for Christmas I haven't gotten a chance to use it. Well today I decided it was time to make time for it, so I needed to go shop for much needed supplies. So of course the storage case, scissors, measuring tape, and anything else you use for sewing had to be pink.. it's a sickness I know haha. I really hope Heavenly Father blesses me with having a girl for our next baby so that I can pass the pink obsession on to her : )

My blog book

2012-01-23T14:15:00.001-08:00

If you don't print your blog..YOU SHOULD!! Making my blog into a book was worth every last penny. I don't keep a journal because I'm really bad at it, so my blog is my journal as I'm sure it is for most of you. So I really recommend printing it yourself or having it printed through a company. I used the cutest blog on the block website to have them create my book and it turned out BEAUTIFUL!!!

My good little eater....FINALLY!!

2012-01-17T16:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of him after eating lasagna...such a messy eater and I LOVE IT!!

I hope this is not just a phase but Jaden has recently(like in the past week)become a good solid food eater! I am the happiest mommy in the world, because as you all know for a long time Jaden has pretty much rejected solid food. He now comes up to me anytime I'm eating something and begs for some, and when I give him food in his highchair he eats every last bite.

I'm not sure exactly what brought about this change but I love it! It might be that I switched to soy milk formula, which a nurse recommended to me in the hospital. He definitely hasn't spit up since I switched and now he has a appetite for food!

Jaden's first and hopefully last hospital visit

2012-01-16T13:20:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday being the 8th of January Jaden started throwing up, and continued to do so after he drank or ate anything. So on Tuesday I made an appointment to see the doctor for that day. We went in and I told the doctor what was going on.

Now a little history behind this is that Jaden has always been a spit up baby and I thought it was a result of acid reflux, however he had never been tested just put on the medicine for it when he was around 6 months. I took him off of it after a few months because it seemed to be getting better. So when all this started happening again (10x worse) I thought the acid reflux was coming back with a vengeance, and that it also might be the reason he rejects solid foods so much.

So the doctor was very concerned w/ all of what I was telling him and decided that Jaden should be admitted into the hospital for testing. So I'm thinking OK he will go to the hospital and get some tests done and go home. Yeah I was definitely wrong! We ended up being there overnight because the doctors wanted to keep him for observation and when your inpatient you also get priority testing done, otherwise if we would of left they apparently couldn't do the tests till weeks later. So we spent what seemed to be the longest day, night, and another day at the hospital. Poor Jaden was poked at, x-rayed, held down, and barley slept at all because of the trauma of it all.

In a nut shell all the tests came back normal and he has minor acid reflux. So yeah I feel like we went a little overboard with the hospital thing but I guess you can never be too cautious when it comes to your baby. He does however still have this horrible cough that seems like it has come off and on for a long time now. So we will be back to the doctor soon for his 15 month checkup and also to see if we can get rid of his nasty cough. On top of all this going on my poor husband got sick and still remains sick, so needless to say it hasn't been the best start to a new year.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of Jaden in his little hospital gown...such a cute little patient!

Late Christmas/Dunes 2011 Post

2012-01-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry this is such a late post, I wish I could of actually done this in 2011 because now my blog book will be a little off..oh well life happens (which is a whole different post that will follow). Anyways, Christmas was wonderful this year! We spent two wonderful weeks in Arizona with both of our families for Christmas, Jaden of course was spoiled with lots of toys from both sides and had so much fun spending time with his grandparents,aunts and uncles. This Christmas we did Christmas morning with Josh's family and went to church with them. We then ventured over to my house and did Christmas night and dinner with my family. So the first set of pictures will be Christmas w/ Josh's family and the second set will be with mine.

Christmas Eve we went to see the Mesa, AZ Temple lights with my family, needless to say Jaden loved all the pretty lights!

Jaden also met his cousin Brityn for the first time, which he was so gentle with her and it made me happy that he will be a good big brother someday!

From Josh's parent's Jaden and Brityn got super cute outfits to wear to church on Christmas Day!

Next was all the fun present opening..I think the pictures say it all!

My favorite gift was from Josh...he got me my very own brand new sewing machine!!! I'm not a good sewer yet, but I really hope to become good now that I have my own machine.

Josh holding his baby niece Brityn for the first time!

Now we go to later that day and have Christmas with my family!

Jaden in a pile of presents from grammy and grandpa!

So that's the end of Christmas 2011! We had so much fun sharing the holidays with our families and our so grateful for them and all they do for us.

For New Years we went to the Sand Dunes where I got to wear my awesome pink helmet,gloves,socks,shirt and goggles (thanks to my father in-law) hahah I was very pink and loved it! Jaden had so much fun at the dunes because he could walk around and play in the dirt all day, he was so dirty and I could barely stand it haha but he loved it! All the kids at camp loved to play with him too..I think Jaden is the most social little toddler I know.

Note: In the picture of Jaden with the Dr. Pepper can there is nothing in there, lol I don't give my child caffeine.

So yeah, all in all we had a wonderful Christmas/New Years and are now back in Washington. As much as I miss our family and Arizona it's good to get back to a routine and not living out of a suitcase. Also I need to loose holiday weight so back to dieting again which sucks. So to all I hope you have a wonderful New Year and I'm excited to see what this year has in store for us. Moving in to our house is something I can't wait for this new year and also if I can wrap my head around it trying for another baby lol but that is in the distant future still!

Reflections

2011-12-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

I don't really have anything specific to blog about, just thought I would post some cute pictures and reflect on this past year. 2011 has a been a wonderful year full of lots of changes for our little family. We moved back to Arizona in January, then 5 months later moved temporarily to WA for Josh's work. We bought a beautiful house in Gilbert, AZ (which I can't WAIT to move into and do all the upgrades that I want to it, and make it our sweet home!). We then decided we were going to stay in WA a little longer which is soooooo bitter/sweet and a hard decision to make, but in the end was for the best.

Our sweet little Jaden has blossomed into the cutest toddler EVER! He talks all the time saying: "uh ooh", waves bye bye and says it too, "Da Da","Ma Ma", and "Pa Pa" (short for grandpa). He is learning so much so fast, WALKING everywhere AWWW I love it!! I also decided to give up on taking away his bottle, I'll do it when I feel he is ready, but that is not now, and I have no idea when it will be. I have learned with Jaden that he will do things when he is ready, and I'll just go with my motherly instincts on what I think is best and not to worry so much about the little things (like him being a fussy solid eater, which is getting better). Being a mommy is the BEST and HARDEST job ever and I wouldn't trade it for the world. This past year I think I have grown a lot as a mother and wife, learning that not ever day is going to be perfect or easy, but that I can get through it with the love and support of my wonderful hubby and my Father in Heaven. I don't think I have ever prayed as much in my life then I have since I became a mommy, and know that I need my Heavenly Father in order to get through life successfully!

So yeah that's pretty much all I have to say till my Christmas post, so here are some cute pictures because what's a post without pictures?!

I found Jaden sleeping like this and couldn't resist taking a picture!

Jaden hasn't always been a snuggler but he has started to grow into it which I LOVE!!

While I was doing this post, I hear some commotion going on in the kitchen, and loan and behold Jaden is sitting in the dishwasher taking out all the silverware hahah so cute!

Brityn Raelynn Lamb

2011-12-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

My first niece was born last night December 1, 2011 at 9:09 p.m. weighing in at 7lbs 11 oz and 21 inches long. She is the prettiest little girl and I'm already in love with her.

The proud parents!!
/>

Frustrated

2011-11-30T18:31:00.001-08:00

I'm a frustrated mommy. Jaden is not a good solid eater, really only wants a bottle and I really want to try and get him off the bottle and to rely on solids. Pretty much every time I put him in his highchair he will throw his food on the floor or spit it out. I have anxiety leaving him with anyone because I know he probably won't eat good for them.
I feel like I have tried everything and nothing is working, and on top of that because of not eating a lot of solids he will wake up at night around 3 AM and want a bottle. I seriously can't even think of having another child until I get this one to start eating good. Anyone have the same problem? Any suggestions would be great except for telling me the obvious of going to my doctor haha because I have done that. Or am I being worried for nothing? He is a happy little guy and the joy of my life, I just want him to grow up strong and healthy.

Thanksgiving 2011 and Update

2011-11-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was a little bitter/sweet this year. First off the actual holiday was lots of fun, we had dinner at my relatives house and took family pictures. Jaden was also a huge hit and social butterfly with all my relatives so that made this Thanksgiving lot's of fun too. The reason it's bitter/sweet is that we will be staying in Washington a little longer than planned.

Josh was offered to help with another project up there, which was a financially smart decision and will help further his career. Unfortunately we will not be moving into our beautiful house right away, it will just sit there waiting for us till we get back sometime hopefully in May. The up side is that when I get back to Arizona, I can do all the upgrades and furnishings to my new house that I want, so that makes this living in Washington business bearable haha.So for now I will just be traveling back and forth like usual between Washington and Arizona, but hey I'm racking up those Southwest rewards points so that's another positive.

I will also be in Arizona for the entire month of December so that makes me happy as well. The only down part is Josh has to go back to WA to work for a few weeks, but will be back right before Christmas, and then it's SAND DUNES for New Years..SO EXCITED for that!!!

The whole family!

My siblings!

Our little family!

My aunt had a Santa Clause come to her house for the kids on Thanksgiving. As a parent you look forward to these moments when your little one get's to sit on Santa's lap. As you can see Jaden was not enjoying himself hahha but it's the classic crying picture and I LOVE IT!

Our last ride

2011-11-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

Our time in Washington is slowly but surely coming to an end here soon, so we wanted to make sure and get one last bike ride in. We headed to West Seattle on Saturday and just did a short little bike ride because it was really cold out (thank goodness for getting back to warm AZ!) Time spent here has been fun, but we truly miss our family sooooooooooo much and can't wait to settle down our roots in AZ.

This picture is so funny, Jaden kept sticking his feet out and getting his socks stuck on the velcro..silly boy.

Us!

This is my new favorite picture! It's my sweet hubby and little boy loading the dishwasher for mommy...does life get any sweeter?

Halloween Weekend

2011-10-30T21:20:00.001-07:00

We actually didn't celebrate Halloween really haha I know we are lame. It's hard to really get into the holiday when Jaden doesn't get it and we are here in Washington, so there is really nothing to do. Let's face it, when you have a baby the funnest thing to do is show them off to your family and friends in their cute costume but we don't have any family here and not too many friends so didn't see much point to it. I did however dress Jaden up in his cute little baseball outfit/pj's so I guess I sort of had some Halloween spirit. So this weekend we decided to take a ferry to Bainbridge Island and check out sites there. Yeah really not much to it and the little shops are WAY over priced but the ferry ride was fun and we took some nice pictures of Jaden so yeah that's about it. I really want to get into photography, so I think when we move back to AZ I'm going to take some classes.

A beautiful picture of Seattle from the ferry!

My boys!

Love this picture!

The whole family!

My favorite kind of laundry

2011-10-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

I took this picture a few months ago and just found it today while I was going through my pictures. This is my best little laundry helper!!

I also found these other random pictures that I thought were cute so enjoy!

Happy 1st birthday to my baby

2011-10-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

This post is a few days late but still it had to be done. My little sweet baby boy is now OFFICIALLY 1 years old! Where has the time gone? Since we already celebrated his birthday in Arizona we didn't do too much on his actual birthday. We did, however, let him make a mess with a 2nd cake, which his Aunty Robyn got to witness through facetime (skyping through Iphones), because she was in New York and missed his party.I am excited to begin a another new year and to continue to watch my sweet little baby grow into a toddler!

My then brand new baby boy!

My now big ONE year old!

Jaden's 1st Birthday Party

2011-10-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

Jaden's actual birthday is not till the 18th of this month, however, I wanted family to be there for his birthday party so we celebrated it early in Arizona. Well his 1st birthday party was a perfect success, and it's crazy that my little baby is almost 1 years old. It seems like yesterday I was just holding him in my arms for the first time and now he is almost a toddler. The last year has been the best year and hard at the same time but would not trade it for anything. I am so blessed to have such a little angel sent to me from my Father in Heaven and feel privileged to be his mommy.

Here is Jaden's birthday invitation..simple but cute!

This is Jaden waiting by the front door for everyone to show up to his party...people were late so he was getting discouraged hahaha

This is the whole set up including the delicious cake! I chose a doggy on the cake because that is currently Jaden's favorite animal. Hopefully once we settle into a house we can get him a puppy!

Jaden eating cake was probably what I was looking forward to the most! However, he doesn't really know the concept of eating on his own yet (this is my fault because I baby him and always feed him myself)so he really just smashed the cake around and threw it on the floor haha it was cute!

The Presents! Jaden got so many fun presents that will entertain him for a long time so thank you sooooooooo much to his grandparents and aunty Aubrey it is very much appreciated!

My Creation

2011-10-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

So I don't consider myself very creative,however, I have to give myself props for this oh so cute diaper cake I made for my sister-in-law's baby shower coming up this weekend. I put alot of effort and research into this and with a little help from my mom (she suggested the green tissue paper all over it) I made "my creation". I think we all know who baby Brityn's favorite aunt is going to be :)

Lake Powell Trip #2

2011-10-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

We headed back to Lake Powell for our last trip of the summer and it was a blast!! The last trip is always the best because it's a mini family reunion, and it's so great to see all of our extended family. Jaden did so much better this time, mainly because he was not sick, and we were smart and brought his pack n play. Also my sweet hubby joined me on this trip so of course that made it just that much sweeter! So here are tons of pics from our last LP trip of the year, we will also be moving back home to Arizona soon so I'm really excited about that.

Jaden's 1st Lake Powell Trip

2011-09-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

Jaden has now officially been to Lake Powell for the first time. Things we learned while we were there:

1. He LOVES the boat and usually falls asleep within 5 to 10 minutes
2. Loves the sand and water
3. Hates sleeping on an air mattress
4. Loves all the attention he gets from the extended family
5. Surprisingly likes his life jacket (the nice head support is nice for taking naps)

Camping with a baby is really hard, and I think at least until he gets a little older we will definitely be getting a hotel. Otherwise Jaden loves it and is now in the Lake Powell club! We will be returning again in the next few weeks for our second and last Lake Powell trip of 2011.

My dad wearing Jaden's hat haha very funny!

Driving the boat with Grandpa!

Happy Lake Powell baby!

Too much fun in the sun!

My baby boy and I snuggling on the boat!

Davidson Family Reunion

2011-09-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks after we went to New York it was the Davidson family reunion (my mother in-law's side of the family) in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. We had so much fun river rafting, going to the lava hot springs, and playing at the big water park. Here are a few pics from that adventure!

3 Year Anniversary

2011-08-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Happy 3 year anniversary to my sweetheart and best friend. The last 3 years have been amazing and I'm so happy that we are forever!! Love you honey xoxooxox!

The biggest loser..well almost

2011-08-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

I have been battling to lose weight really ever since after I got married back in 2008. It has been the biggest struggle for me because I LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat and I just like yummy foods in general. So of course I got prego and then really packed on the weight eating whatever I wanted and never working out (although I worked 40 hours a week so that had something to do with it). Anyways, after I had Jaden I vowed to loose the baby weight, and all the extra weight I had put on before getting prego. Well I worked out 5 days a week but only lost maybe 5lbs which was frustrating to me because I was working out so hard. Well my oh so kind brother finally told me that it was time to loose weight for real this time, and that dieting was going to have to be hard core along with working out really really hard. Thus began the battle of seriously loosing weight eating really only chicken, salad, and apples along with working out 5-6 days a week sometimes twice a day. Well my hard work has paid off, which I'm not where I want to be yet but still a work in progress. My brother Jason is a personal trainer and though he is brutal with dieting and working out he has truly helped change my life for the better. I have so much more energy now and just feel better about myself so thank you so much to my awesome brother!! This post is not to brag in any way but hopefully gives inspiration to anyone who just wants to get healthy and in shape.

Called to serve

2011-08-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

This is important enough news that it deserves it's own post! My wonderful brother in-law Logan received his mission call while I was in Arizona. Which was such an amazing experience to be there for, and am glad I could be a part of it. The mission he will be serving is:

Argentina Buenos Aires West

He will report to the MTC October 19th, the day after Jaden's 1st Birthday. We will miss Logan very much, but know that he is serving the Lord and blessing lives, Congrats Logan WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Bracken Family Vacation

2011-08-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well this summer has been to say the least very eventful so far. Josh's family does a big vacation every year and usually we go to San Diego,However this year they decided to do an East Coast vacation which included the following:

*Hill Cumorah Pageant

So being LDS you would think I would know what this was about but yeah no I didn't haha. I did find out though that it's all about the Book of Mormon and the Hill Cumorah is where the golden plates were burried. I can now proudly say I understand The Book of Mormon. So if anyone doesn't understand go see the pageant cause it does a great job of breaking it down in a way slow people like me can understand lol.

*Church History Sites

We visited the Joseph Smith Farm, the Sacred Grove, and the first Book of Mormon publishing house, all which were amazing to visit.

*Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls was amazing. We took a ride on the Maid of the Myst right up to the falls and of course got SOAKED! It was SOOOO humidly hot that we were all happy to get wet.

*New York City

We finished off this wonderful vacation with fabulous New York City!! We went to the top of the Empire State Building, Ellis Island (toured the immigration building), Battery Park, Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Time Square, Central Park, The store DASH (my sister in-law Aubrey and I are Kardashian fans haha), Chinatown (which we ate at the most AMAZING Chinese food restaurant), took a tour bus all over Manhattan, and into Brooklyn and the Bronx. My amazing father in-law also used his company connections and got Box Suite New York Mets tickets. It was so nice and I don't think I'll ever be able to go to another baseball game in regular seats haha.

This was an amazing vacation and it was made possible by my wonderful in-laws, so thank you so much to them!! From New York, I headed back to Arizona for a week to visit my family, then ended in Idaho for a family reunion. I am now back to reality in Washington, which it feels good to be back into routine, cool weather and to be home with my hubby again!

Fun with our new camera

2011-07-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

As I mention in a previous post we lost our camera somewhere here in Washington, so we were "forced" haha to buy a new one. Really it was probably time for an upgrade anyways so here are some fun pictures I took. The one I took of Jaden's nursery is just a rough look of what I want to do when we get into a house in Arizona. I hope to have my mom help me make it look better and of course have matching curtains so yeah don't judge on the temporary look haha.

Sleepless in Seattle

2011-07-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hahah I always wanted to use that title for something (although it does not fit this blog post at all). Anyways, this is a picture at Gas Works Park that over looks Union Lake, and also downtown Seattle. Every weekend now we bike ride to new places which is not only tons of fun and cheap but great exercise!

4th of July Events

2011-07-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

So I thought I would expand a little more on what we did for the holiday. This 4th of July was probably the funnest ever! We started out the day just kind of being lazy and sleeping in, which is always a great to start to a holiday. In the early afternoon we packed up our bikes (which bike riding is now our favorite thing to do) and headed off to downtown Seattle where we rode around all day long, stopped for dinner, then headed over to Lake Union where the big firework show was happening. Jaden loved the fireworks and didn't even mind the loud noise. Of course by the end of night he had enough fun for one day and became very over tired/teething and needless to say it was not a fun end of the night.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

Jaden's 1st 4th of July (out of my tummy)!!

My sleepy boys

2011-06-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

So cute how they fell asleep holding hands...AWWW I love them!

Jaden's 1st Haircut

2011-06-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long time between updates but I lost my camera and still need to get a new one so that's why I haven't blogged. Basically I need to have pics to blog ahahha kind of dumb I know but I can't blog without pictures. So the pictures you see are from my dad's camera. Anyways, Jaden had his first haircut, not that he needed a major one but just the hair growing over his ears and a little bit in the front. His aunty Robyn who is the best hairstylist ever did it for him. After his haircut he then took a little swim with Uncle Jason. Oh and don't mind my cleavage haha I just got done working out and was still in my workout clothes.

I will post pictures of our apartment once I get a new camera, and I actually don't care about my camera as much as I care about the usb card in it awwww I'm so sad about it but oh well.

The Advenutre Begins....

2011-05-29T16:21:00.001-07:00

So far the "temporary relocation" to Washington has not been too bad. I still miss Arizona like crazy and our wonderful families. However, Josh and I decided to make the most of this time and purchase a city pass which is a just a one time cost and you can do all these fun tourist things such as...

The Space Needle

The top has the most amazing view!!

The Seattle Aquarium

Jaden loved all the fishies!!

The Ocean Pier

We have lots more adventures to go on but I thought I would start now as not to fall behind on documenting our fun here. We have also found a really cute apartment that we will hopefully be moving into in the next week, so I will of course have an update on that when we get settled in there.

Photo Contest

2011-05-25T14:02:00.001-07:00

Just for the heck of it I entered Jaden into a photo contest, so if you would like to vote go to the link below.

http://gapc-vote.com/?p=2911452

THANKS!!

7 Months Old

2011-05-22T11:58:00.001-07:00

Jaden enjoying his new high chair!!! We finally decided on the Graco Duodiner 3-in-1 highchair. I liked this one because it can disconnect from the legs and become a booster seat.

I received a book as a present called "How to photograph your baby" so I tried some of the techniques I read about. Here are just a few of the pictures I took. It talks a lot about taking pictures close up haha I'm not very good though.

TEMPORARY Relocated

2011-05-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

I have been holding this back for awhile since I didn't really want to accept that it was real but yes we have temporarily relocated to Washington state for five months. Josh has been working on a project up in Washington a lot, and he missed Jaden and I too much so we decided that it would be best for our family if we were all up here together. Also it was a great opportunity for Josh to move up in his career w/ Boeing and we do get out of the heat so I guess that will be nice. I of course was very reluctant because I LOVE being close to family and love Arizona. However, this is only temporary and we will be back in no time to finally get a house and settle in AZ FOREVER hahah. Nice thing was that Boeing moved all of our stuff and cars up here, so we got to fly up instead of driving and I got my very own brand new Ford Edge for a rental car which is so nice, I want to keep it really bad haha but my Neon will have to do for the time being.

My sweet little Jaden is growing up so fast. He is now 7 months old...seriously they grow up so fast, so I'm trying to treasure every moment. Here are a few updated pictures.

I also in my spare time have made a few car seat canopy's for some friends. My mother in-law helped me learn how to use a sewing machine w/ the first one I made and the second one in this picture is one I did on my own. I am definitely not the best sewer but w/ practice I hope to get better. These canopy's are fun to do and if anyone want's one let me know!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Washington Trip

2011-04-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

Josh has had to travel up to Washington State quite a bit for his work, so Jaden and I decided to join him up there for a week. We went to downtown Seattle and saw the space needle, fish market, and the first Starbucks store that was ever opened. Like in Utah where there is a Mormon church on every corner, in Washington there is literally a Starbucks on every single corner. We had so much fun although it rains there all the time so it is definitely not somewhere I would want to live. So needless to say I was happy to come back to sunny Arizona. Jaden did really well on the plane ride there (slept the whole way) and did pretty good on the way back (woke up at the end and cried because of his ears). One place Jaden loved was the Rainforest cafe because of the big fish tanks and all the cool things to look at, it's definitely a fun place for kids!

My Pretty Boy

2011-04-11T21:16:00.001-07:00

This is just a pretty picture that was taken at the right moment!!

Random pictures from my phone

2011-03-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

I found these cute pictures of Jaden on my phone that I took recently so I thought I would post them!!

Jaden's FIRSTS

2011-03-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since I blogged, but life is so busy now with a little one, and living in Arizona there is always a million things to do..which I love! So since I have last blogged Jaden has had a lot of first time moments which are as follows..

*First trip to the Phoenix Zoo

My friend of almost 20 years was in town from Minnesota so we took our little ones to the zoo. Jaden didn't really know what was going on but hey it was my first time too so at least I got something out of it haha.

*First time to the Sand Dunes

Jaden loved the dunes and even got to ride with Grandpa on a quad! Can't wait till he can actually go riding out on the big dunes!

*First Birthday with Daddy

Jaden loved helping daddy blow out his birthday candle for his 26th Birthday! Happy Birthday sweetheart we love you!!

*Rolling over ALL THE WAY for the first time

He has rolled over half way but tonight finally rolled over all the way so thank you Uncle Tate for all the tummy time practice hahaha. Also Jaden is eating from a spoon now which we started at 4 months and it has been going really well. He loves bananas mixed with rice cereal and hates the rice cereal all by itself, although I can't blame him because it's gross plain. It has been so fun to watch our little boy go through all these first moments and can't wait to continue to watch him grow and have many more firsts!

3 Months Old

2011-01-19T10:20:00.001-08:00

Our baby boy is growing up so fast, but with each day that passes he only gets more fun and cute!!

Gerber Baby Rice Cereal is my HERO

2011-01-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

So for about the first month Jaden was not sleeping well at night, which is to be expected since he was a newborn. However, I talked to my doctor in Idaho, because he would be up for hours at a time at night and I was suffering bad on sleep. He recommended putting a little rice cereal in a bottle w/ my milk cause it would keep his tummy full longer. Well I tried it and it TOTALLY WORKED!! Ever since I started putting a little bit in his bottle only at night he sleeps all through the night till about 9 in the morning ( I also swaddle him too so he can't hit himself and wake up hahah) so yeah any moms that need some help with baby sleeping this totally works..at least it did for me. I only started doing this when he turned two months cause I didn't want it to upset his tummy, so I don't recommend starting it any earlier.

Smiles

2011-01-08T10:26:00.001-08:00

Jaden's Blessing

2011-01-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

Today was Jaden's baby blessing in church and it was such a wonderful experience! I am so proud to have a worthy husband who has the Priesthood to give our baby boy a beautiful blessing. Thank you to all of our friends and family who came to support us. Jaden wore the same little white tux that Josh wore when he was blessed, and if you could see Josh's baby pics when he wore it they look just alike.

Our little baby is growing UP

2010-12-30T23:26:00.000-08:00

Looking at pictures of Jaden when he was just a little new born and pictures of him now (2 months old) he is getting so big so fast. It makes me a bit sad to see him grow so fast, but he is becoming so fun to play with, watch him learn, and smile ALL the time I LOVE IT. His first Christmas was fun haha, although he didn't get too much excitement out of it since he so little. However, being in Arizona made for the best Christmas ever for Josh and I. Josh will be starting his job in two weeks so we are excited for that, and hopefully in the next few months get serious about looking for a house! Jaden's blessing will be this Sunday but that will a separate blog post w/ details and lots of pictures

Blessings & Moving On

2010-12-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

Wow so much has happened since I last blogged I don't really know where to start. Well most of you already know that we have finally moved back to Arizona which we couldn't be happier about. The biggest blessing happened to us when Josh was offered a job with Boeing in Mesa which was a HUGE surprise and MERRY CHRISTMAS to us!! So now starts the journey of settling in Arizona and finding a house, which I am soooo excited about, and basically starting a new chapter of life w/ our little family. I will definitely miss a few things about Idaho which are: Our awesome ward, no traffic, yummy cold tap water, our family doctor, and the very little crime in Rexburg (which of course the only crime I witnessed was our crazy neighbor below us shooting her gun off) other than that I am glad to be out of Idaho and into beautiful Arizona with all of our family!!

Jaden is now two months old and growing up so fast. He is getting so big to me, but watching him grow is so much fun, it seems like he learns new things everday and smiles more and more! He has his two month old check-up this week and will have to get his shots :( which I'm sad for him but it's for the best.

Jaden's first walk in AZ..riding in style!!

Our speical deilvery from Santa!!

Grammy getting Jaden all clean and ready for bedtime!!

Grandpa Bracken w/ Jaden and Cousin Ashley

Jaden's 1st Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

Well our sweet little baby Jaden enjoyed his first Thanksgiving, well as much as a one month old can hahha. We went down to Utah and met up w/ my parents at my sister's house in Provo for Thanksgiving this year. It was so great to spend the holiday w/ family and have them hog Jaden so that mommy could have a little break! I have so much to be grateful for this year and have been blessed in so many ways. I think this year being able to be a first time mommy has been the biggest blessing, it is the greatest job in the world! I can't believe how fast time goes by, it seems like just yesterday Josh and I got married, and now we have a little baby who it seems like is growing up so fast. Here are some picture to enjoy!

Pictures of my sweet little boy

2010-11-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

I have gone picture crazy hahha. Every time I dress him up the camera has to come out...here are some cute pictures of my sweet little Jaden and some random pics as well!

One Month Old and Questions

2010-11-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our little boy is already a month old!! It seems like time is flying by, so I'm trying to take as many pics as possible so I don't miss any moments of him growing up so fast. He has been such a little joy to have and being a parent has been the most rewarding job of my life! Here is a one month old pic of little Jaden..

Now I have a few questions for more experienced mothers on sleep haha. So Jaden for the first few weeks was really good about night time sleep. He would would wake up every three to four hours to nurse which was great! However, this last week he has decided he wants to stay awake from mid-night to about four or five in the morning, and wanting to it seems eat every hour between that time frame. He is not crying so I know it's not colic he just wants to be awake, and I don't want to just feed him because he is just over eating and spitting up. I don't know what to do to break him of this bad habit...any suggestions? Also anyone know where to get a cute baby book to document Jaden's life? Last question..how long does it take to get the birth certificate and social security card mailed to your house? It has been a month and I have received nothing from the hospital, so just wondering about that.

Weekend w/ the Family

2010-11-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

So this last weekend we were able to go down to Utah, and Jaden was able to meet his aunt,uncles, and great grandma who were not able to be there when he was born. Also it was Jaden's first time at the Ophir cabin, and his first time out of Idaho which he enjoyed a lot (or at least Josh and I did haha). It wasn't bad coming back until we saw all the snow on the ground, and then remembered why we want to live in AZ so bad.

Fun in the bath!! These were cute pics so just had to add these in.

Aunty Monk and Jaden

Uncle Logan and Jaden

Uncle Jeff and Jaden

Great Grandma Lila and Jaden

Aunty Aubrey and Jaden

Update of life in the last week

2010-10-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Things are finally settling down and coming together since our little one has been born. All of our family has gone back home now, which has been hard because it was so nice to have all the love and support around us. I can really never thank my mom enough for all the cooking, cleaning, and staying up w/ me all night w/ Jaden while I learned how to be a new mommy. I just hope that I can be half the mom she has been to me! I would also like to express so much appreciation to my wonderful friend and visiting teacher Lindsey who gave me so many necessary baby things I didn't know I needed and just being there for me, and the girls from my ward who brought yummy dinners THANK YOU!! It just strengthens my testimony more and more each day of how the church is true and how I could never get through this life w/ out it.

Josh is a wonderful husband and an amazing daddy!! It is so fun to watch him bond w/ his little boy and can't wait for him to teach Jaden all he knows! Ok the little one is crying so need to go, but here are some more pics for enjoyment.

4 day old pictures

2010-10-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

My dad and his first little all star!!

My sweet little boy!!

Jaden Joshua Bracken

2010-10-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

Born: Monday, October 18th @ 11:45 pm
Weight: 7lbs and 3 oz
Length: 20 1/4 inches

His labor and delivery went great! I started my induction at around noon and he came about 11 hours later. Josh and I are so in love w/ him and he is such a blessing to have. Thank you to everyone for the congrats and love!!! I will post more later about all the fun details of his birth and put up lots of pics.

38 Weeks Prego

2010-10-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

Yeah I'm big that's all I have to say. I have loved being prego, but it's definitely time to drop the LB's once this little one comes out!! This will be the last picture of me till I'm skinny hahaha so enjoy!

Baby Showers & New Truck

2010-09-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

In the past three months I have been so blessed to have several baby showers (two in Idaho and one in Arizona). The first one was hosted by my good friend and co-worker Alexis, the second by my sweet visiting teacher and good friend Lindsey, and the third by my one and only awesome sister in-law Aubrey. To you three girls you are all so wonderful and I feel so blessed to you have in my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that came and for all your love and support for the new little addition coming to our family. We are pretty much set to go w/ all of our baby needs except for a diaper bag and rocking chair which we will hopefully be getting here in the next several weeks, if I can ever not be so picky hahaha.

Josh and I recently ventured down to Arizona (home sweet home) where he sold his Toyota Tacoma and bought a F-350 Truck. Josh is absolutely loving his new truck, and it is such a blessing to have because it's a lot bigger for towing and for fitting the car seat in the back (which we couldn't do in his Tacoma). Here is a pic for your enjoyment!

As far as life goes everything is great! Baby is growing strong and healthy, and should be due here in the next five weeks hahah if he is not late. Josh started his short internship and really likes it so far, I'm still working although maternity leave is coming here soon I think, so pretty excited about that!

2 Year Anniversary

2010-08-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Today is our two year wedding anniversary!! I have been so blessed to be married to the smartest, sweetest, hottest, most perfect man for me on this earth! This year for our anniversary it fell on a Sunday so we celebrated last night by going to Olive Garden and Josh gave me the most beautiful white roses w/ the sweetest note attached. Pretty low key this year, but just being together is the best thing I could ask for. I am so excited to spend eternity together and see what the next year brings!!!

Graduation, San Diego 2010 and Updates

2010-08-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been forever since I blogged, but for some reason I was not able to log into my blog to make any changes and it kept redirecting me to a different site. However, I finally got it working again so yeaaa now I can update everyone on the latest and greatest events in our lives.

My wonderful hubby is now an official graduate of BYU-Idaho w/ his B.S in Mechanical Engineering, so needless to say I am very proud of him. His whole family and my family came up for his graduation at the end of June and we had lots of fun celebrating and being together for this wonderful time in his life and are all so proud of all his accomplishments up to this point. Here are some pics of from graduation and Josh's senior project which might I say my husband is a genius.

So after all the graduation excitement ended it was time for our Bracken family vacation to San Diego! So we packed our bags and first headed down to Arizona where we stayed for a few days which made me SO home sick and I seriously can't wait to be back living there again. We stayed in San Diego for a week and had so much fun camping on the beach, riding bikes, swimming in the ocean, and touring the USS Midway Aircraft carrier. It was a very fun and eventful trip, and I was so sad to see it end. Here are so pics from San Diego..

Our sweet little boy is growing strong and healthy everyday, and it seems like my pregnancy has flown by. I can't believe he will be here in just a few months! We don't have a name picked out yet so that is still under debate, but I think we have some goods ones picked out so far. Josh is going to be starting a short internship here in Rexburg so we will be staying in Idaho for a bit longer, which is good because I will keep my awesome insurance and also get to keep my same doctor who I trust and like a lot to deliver our little one. So that's our lives up to this point and I will keep everyone posted on new things to come!

4th of July

2010-07-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

This 4th of July was very low key for Josh and I. We spent the day hanging out and washing our cars hahah pretty exciting I know. Then we went down to Idaho Falls and watched the awesome fireworks, we originally weren't going to go but I convinced Josh because it's our last time seeing them in Idaho. Here is a a prego pic of me before we headed out to the fireworks--almost 25 weeks now!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO EVERYONE!!!!

Lake Powell 2010 and Update

2010-06-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

Lake Powell was as usual--amazing this year!! It was so nice to relax in the sun, be with family, and finally get a tan on our white Idaho bodies. Also I figured it was time for some prego pics to go up even though I don't think I look good hahah, but being pregnant has definitely been a joy and I wouldn't trade it for anything!! I also included a picture from President's day weekend at the Ophir cabin which was a ton of fun too. Life is good, Josh graduates in July and our sweet baby boy is growing and moving a ton which I am loving every moment of. We still don't know what were doing after graduation although we really hope to end up in Arizona, so hopefully all works out as planned and we will move there before the baby is born. So here are some fun pics to look at, don't judge..... I'm pregnant hahahaha!!!

It's a BOY

2010-06-03T08:55:00.001-07:00

So I had my first ultrasound to do all the measurements and see our baby for the first time, and of course I was so excited to find out the gender. Well the tech did all the measurements but the little stinker would not move to a position where she could see if it was a he or a she. So I left kind of sad because that was my one and only ultrasound so I basically was out of luck. Then I went to work and my co-worker told me about Rosemark Womens Clinic in Idaho Falls that does gender check ultrasounds for only $20, so needless to say I wasted no time and made an appointment. Well the tech there was awesome and got him to move just enough so she could see his little "goods". So we are super happy and can't wait to meet our precious little boy!!!

2+1=3

2010-04-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

After holding in this exciting news for awhile it's finally time to tell all friends and family that we are expecting our first baby!!! I just went to the doctor today for my 12 week check up and was able to hear the little heartbeat -- 160 beats per minute! Josh and I are very excited and can't wait for the arrival of our little one in October!!!

Valentines Day & Update

2010-02-17T19:35:00.000-08:00

Valentines day this year was sweet and simple. Josh sent me flowers at work which was so thoughtful of him, and had this incredibly sweet note that melted my heart. He also is going to let me get my nails done because my fingers are going to fall off if I don't (anyone that knows me knows the story behind it hahah). I could not of asked for a better husband and someday daddy, I love him w/ all my heart and am so happy to be with him for all eternity! Some exciting news is that Josh found out he can graduate in July so we have some very big decisions ahead of us on if he does where will we go and what will we do till he goes to grad school. So many life decisions and unexpected things I love how it keeps us on our feet all the time! So we are excited for the road ahead and will keep everyone updated!

Christmas 2009 and More

2010-01-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

So here is an update on everything that has gone on in the past month. Josh and I went to Arizona for a week for my sister's second wedding reception and of course Christmas. This years Christmas was awesome and we loved being able to spend the holiday with both of our families. For Christmas Josh and I got a new Sony flat screen TV and Blu Ray player which was exciting however, I would have to say the best present of all for me was my brand new bubble gum pink beach cruiser bike, complete w/ a pink flower cup holder, bell ringer and a pink flowered basket in the front. I have wanted this bike ever since my sister in-law got it for her birthday last year, it was love at first sight, so thank you so much to my wonderful in-laws.

After we got home from AZ it was back to work for me and Josh started his third to last semester, so we are starting on the home stretch to him graduating WOO HOO! About two weeks later Josh's family came up to visit for Josh's cousin's wedding and some great skiing in Park City, Utah and a nice little ski resort in Pocatello called Pebble Creek.
Now Josh and I are back to reality w/ no more vacations in sight for awhile booo, but we are excited to start this new year and can't wait to see what fun new surprises are in store in 2010!

These pictures are from Josh's cousin's wedding in Montana, it was a beautiful wedding and also my first time in Montana, which isn't much different from Idaho!

Jeff and Robyn's Wedding

2009-12-13T15:09:00.000-08:00

Well it's official...My little sister Robyn is now married to her sweetheart Jeff for time and all eternity! This was to say the very least an eventful and a tad bit stressful weekend. My sister was endowed on Friday, which was probably one of the most beautiful and spiritual endowment sessions (besides my own) that I have been to. She loved every moment of it and I know my family loved seeing how happy it made her to be in the house of the Lord. Saturday was the big day and let me tell you this was definitely a day to remember. My sister and I had hair and make-up appointments at 10:00 a.m. however, we were running late so we didn't get there till about 10:45, and so it began a race against time. My sister and I have TONS of hair so it took a lot longer then normal to get our hair done, and we didn't really notice the time because we were having fun being pampered. My mom was not happy to say the very least because the sealing was at 2:20 pm so my sister needed to be there an hour before to get ready. We didn't even leave the salon till about 10 after 1:00 and we were all the way in Layton, and she was being sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple. On top of that we didn't have any of our clothes or jewelry and their was TRAFFIC because the I-15 was closing down. Hahahha so we did make it to the temple eventually but were definitely cutting it really close and had a lot of unhappy people at us. By the time the sealing started everyone was calmed down and the rest of the day and night was beautiful. The reception was at the Joseph Smith Memorial building on the 10th floor and the view was amazing. At the end of the night we said our goodbyes and saw my sister and hew new hubby off to their honeymoon in Riviera Maya, Mexico! So one reception down two more to go!!!!

Christmas Decorating

2009-11-29T18:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love to decorate, which usually I help my mom do every year. However, since Josh and I are in the cold tundras of Idaho we are on our own for decorating. So this year we purchased our first little 6' foot Christmas tree from Wal-Mart for only $20, and also got some cool lights and other decorations. Josh and I had tons of fun putting our first Christmas tree together and decorating our front door w/ lights and making it look like a present! It is so fun being married and doing all these first time things together....I just can't wait to be first time parents sometime hopefully in the near future!!!!

Also Josh wanted be to blog about his so called "man room" which is actually our moving trailer but he considers it his own little work shop since he doesn't have the one at his parent's house to work in so here is a picture of that!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-27T18:37:00.000-08:00

This year we have so much to be thankful for with me having a good job, and Josh doing good in school, and being blessed w/ good health and wonderful families. Although this year for Thanksgiving Josh and I missed being home w/ our families in Arizona we were able to spend Thanksgiving day at Josh's grandmas house in Twin Falls, Idaho. Not only did we get to see his sweet Grandma, but Josh's aunt Hollie was there with her absolutely adorable little girls Ashlie (2 years) and Riley (11 months), and let me tell you I am so in-love w/ these two little girls, they make very good stand in children for the ones I don't have...well for right now!

Josh and I also got the chance the week before to start out the snow skiing season with his parents in Park City, Utah. We skied all day Saturday and Sunday went to church with his parents, and had a wonderful dinner at his other grandma's house. So needless to say we had two fun filled weeks w/ family and can't wait for Christmas to come when we can be home in beautiful Arizona!!!!

Swine Flu

2009-10-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

Well it's official, I have joined the Swine Flu club. I started feeling really sick on Saturday w/ a fever, muscles aches, coughing and congestion. Looked online sure enough those were all Swine Flu symptoms. Went to the doctor today and it was confirmed. This illness is really as bad as it sounds and I can't wait to be over it!

ENGAGEMENT

2009-10-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

Well it's official....My little sister Robyn and her Jeffrey are now ENGAGED!!!! They have been dating for about 7 months now and after a long wait are now getting hitched on December 12, 2009 in the Salt Lake City, Utah LDS Temple for time and all eternity. As a big sister I could not be happier and feel more blessed that my baby sister is being married in the Temple to the boy of her dreams. The wedding plans have already been set into motion so now I will keep everyone updated on fun wedding plans and events to come. CONGRATS TO MY SISTER AND JEFF soon to be Robyn and Jeffrey Meise!!!

Lake Powell 2009

2009-09-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Well we finally got to Lake Powell this year and had an absolute BLAST! We met up with my family and other relatives, and spent 4 wonderful days having fun in the sun. The water has gone way up since we last went so we were able to get up sand hill which we have not been able to do in a few years. Here are a few pics from our trip!

More fun announcements to come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One Year Wedding Anniversary

2009-08-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well it's official...Josh and I have been married for a WHOLE YEAR! This first year of marriage has flown by but oh what a wonderful year it has been. So for our anniversary Josh took me to his beautiful family cabin in Ophir, Utah where we spent three wonderful and romantic days! Friday we got there a little late so we just hung out in the cabin and explored it since we haven't been there for awhile. Saturday, which was our actual anniversary day (August 22) we went quad riding all around the mountains surrounding the cabin, had a romantic bon-fire and cheered w/ sparkling cider to a wonderful year of marriage and an eternity more to come. Here are a few pictures to enjoy from a weekend that ended too soon!

HAPPY ONE YEAR SWEETHEART, I LOVE YOU!

San Diego 2009

2009-08-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

In the Bracken family it has now become a tradition since last year that we go to San Diego and camp right on the beach w/ a beautiful ocean view. Well this year we had tons of fun, especially now that Josh and I are married the sleeping arrangements were so much nicer! It was also really nice to finally have time away from work since I have not been away since I started in March, so needless to say it was a well needed and deserved vacation!

To start out our vacation we went on a long 18 mile bike ride around downtown San Diego, and took a ferry around the harbor to see all the aircraft carriers which was really neat to see. Here are a few pictures to enjoy from our bike ride....

The very next day my wonderful in-laws took me to Sea World for my very first time and let me tell you it was a blast. I loved seeing all the shows, especially "Shamu Rocks" which was the night time show, and SLL (Sea Lions Live) which was just like the show Saturday Night Live. It was really funny and the sea lions really act like people and are super well trained it honestly did not seem like they were real sea lions (I was very impressed). Also the Shark exhibit was awesome and going through the shark tunnel was a bit creepy since basically the only thing between you and a shark is glass, so a bit scary. Here are some pictures from the Sea World adventure....

Josh and I decided before we ended our wonderful vacation we would stop home in Arizona to see my family and hang out for a few days. Well that ended way to quickly and before we knew it, it was time to come back to Idaho. I cried the whole way home because I'm a baby and I hate saying goodbye to family, and well to be honest I love Rexburg but I am so ready to be home in Arizona...only a year left!

Utah Trip and the latest and greatest update

2009-07-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Josh and I ventured down to Utah for a fun filled and spiritual weekend! First thing we did on Saturday was go to the Salt Lake City Temple to do a LIVE session, which may I say was such a wonderful experience that I hope to do again very soon. It was also fun to see the tons of girls getting married that day (I asked a temple worker and there was a little over 70 weddings that day..CRAZY) but it reminded me of my wedding day and put a big smile on my face.

The next adventure we had was going to the REAL Salt Lake MLS (major league soccer) game which was a ton of fun. It was Salt Lake vs. Canada and WE WON 3-0 so it was a sweet game. There were also a ton of crazy fans that were singing songs, yelling at other people, and making fun of the players from the opposite team the WHOLE time which was entertaining.

So to end this wonderful weekend of adventures on Sunday we went to my cousins farewell which was fun because I got to see my cousin for the last time before he leaves for two years, and also got to around my relatives and sister! So needless to say a very fulfilling trip, it definitely ended way too soon.

The weekend before that my parents, grandma, and aunt came to Idaho to visit with us in Shelley (where my other aunt lives). We had lots of fun sitting around the camp fire and just visiting the whole weekend. I got to mother my new baby cousin the whole weekend too so that was lots of fun for me since I don't have one of my own yet. Of course that weekend ended too soon as well and my family had to leave which was really hard for me cause I love being with family, but my sweet husband comforted me so life is still good (but it will be better when we are back in AZ)!

The ceiling fan.....A SUCCESS!

2009-06-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

So this is a continuation of our home improvements that we did not think would happen but did...we got the ceiling fan installed yeaaaaaaaaaaa! Josh is basically a genius and figured out a way to get it in so I definitely owe him because I was thinking it couldn't be done. So we will now be nice and cool during these hot summer days in Rexburg, Idaho hahahahha because we all know it gets so hot here!

Home Improvements

2009-06-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was home improvement weekend, although not all of our improvements worked out the way they were supposed too. We finally put up new curtains which I have been wanting to do for a long time, and now since Josh and I have decided that we are staying here in Idaho (Josh is now officially on fast grad)till July of next year when Josh graduates we decided now was the perfect time, so we put up curtains in our living room and in our bedroom!

So our next home improvement was to put in a ceiling fan in the living room to keep our apartment cooler during the summer. Well we took out the light fixture and in a nut shell basically realized that the boards in the ceilings are not going to allow us to put in this support rod in order to hold the fan so no ceiling fan. However, my handy-dandy husband is still trying to figure out a way to make it work so it still might happen...I'll keep everyone updated on our ceiling fan dilema.

Update

2009-05-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

So my good friend Pez aka Lesli pointed out to me that I need to update my blog hahahaha so here it goes. Ummm where do I start...well I had a birthday in April so I'm now a cool 23 year old and I got to spend the weekend in Utah with all my family so that was a blast. Also for my birthday I got the movie Twilight and a new pair of pink Nike running shoes, and clothes from my little sis so all in all a pretty sweet birthday!

(LOL this picture was taken last year in Utah so I thought I would just throw it in to make it interesting since posts are funner to read when there are pictures hahah!)

Josh is doing really well in school and loving every second of his major, except for all the homework and studying he has to do, but other then that he is pulling straight A's and only has three semesters after this one to go so I'm very proud of him. I am really enjoying my job at Qwest and actually just graduated from training 3rd in my class so I'm now an "official" employee of Qwest and my job is now somewhat secure yeaaaaaa!

So not really sure what else to blog about since nothing has really changed to much in our life, oh except Josh and I just had our 9 month anniversary so we are getting super close to our One Year which is very exciting because then I will have something to blog about hhahahaha and pictures too!

Graduation Day!

2009-04-10T19:18:00.001-07:00

Here are just a few pictures from Graduation Night! My parents and Josh's parents flew in from Arizona for the event, so needless to say I am blessed to have two such wonderful families who love and support me so much!

Me in all my glory right after I received my "diploma" lol actually just the holder

My parents brought me this beautiful arrangement of flowers!

OFFICIAL GRADUATE

2009-04-06T20:36:00.001-07:00

Yup if you are reading this post then you know that.............I PASSED MY ONLINE PSYCHOLOGY FINAL!!!!Yup, I am now (officially on Thursday) a graduate from BYU-Idaho with a B.S. degree in Communications with emphases in Business and Psychology! It has been a long four year journey but I made it and feel AWESOME! So thank you to everyone who helped me get here namely my family for supporting me through school and my wonderful husband who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself to actually pass that super insanely hard Psychology final, also to everyone who kept me in your prayers to pass that dang final THANK YOU!

Here is my graduation picture with complements to Brother Smith the photographer here at BYU-Idaho who took it for me!

Happy Birthday & 7 Month Anniversary to My Joshy Squashy

2009-03-23T22:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday was Josh's Birthday and he is now a big 24 years old! I got him some cool new basketball shoes and some shoes for just wearing around...he is very happy about them!

From his parents he is getting money for a gun (all of a sudden he is way into guns..no idea where it came from) and his loving sister got him some gun things to go with his new gun! I also made his favorite cake German chocolate with coconut pecan frosting which was super yummy! We also on Sunday celebrated our 7 month anniversary... I can't believe it has already been that long, before we know it we will be at one year! Anyways after 7 months of marriage we are still so in love and cherish every moment we have with each other, and can't wait to see what the future holds for us. I LOVE YOU FOREVER SWEETHEART MUAH XOXOXOXOOXOXOOXOXOXOOXOXOOXOXO

New Job

2009-03-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well after my months of getting nowhere finding a job I FINALLY was blessed to get a job at Qwest Communications in Idaho Falls. My position will be a customer service and sales rep. and the training is 10 weeks long but of course I get paid for it so I'm not complaining. Since the job involves selling I make commission on everything I sell so there is tons of money to be made at this job, which is definitely a bonus! I work from 10-7pm Monday through Friday and weekends off which is a bonus, not to mention the absolutley amazing benefits they offer which kick in thirty days from the day I started so that is another huge blessing. I am so grateful that I was able to find a job especially with the economy the way it is so thank you to everyone who kept me in your prayers! Also if any of you are interested in any of the products with Qwest let me know, and I'll hook you up!

Mommy and Pappy visit!

2009-03-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

Well Josh and I had quite an adventurous weekend! On Saturday we drove down to Utah to meet up with my parents who came from Arizona and we all met up at my sister's apartment in Provo. We had tons of fun hanging out all day Saturday and going to church on Sunday to my sister's ward, which was weird going to a singles ward again lol definitely don't miss those days!

Anyways Josh and I drove back home Sunday night and my parents drove up to Rexburg on Monday to spend a few days up here with us and to see our apartment! On Tuesday Josh had to spend all day at school studying for a test so my parents and I went to Idaho Falls to shop (I got an early birthday present which was this perfume I wanted really bad called True Religion...it smells sooo good and for getting the big bottle I got a free bag!)I also go a pink Harley Davidson ear warmer which is super cute!

We also went to the Titanic exhibit at the Idaho Falls Museum which was really cool and interesting. I have been wanting to go for awhile so I'm glad that my wish to go finally came true, so now when I see the billboard I won't tell everyone that I really want to go ha ha ha! I'm very sad that my parents had to go but they will be back soon for my graduation yeaaaaaaaa!

Ophir Cabin 2009

2009-02-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

Every President's Day weekend (also this year Valentines Day)the Bracken family goes up to their cabin in Ophir,Utah. So Josh and I spent the weekend up there with all of his family and we also had our first married Valentines Day together, which was tons of fun because we went bowling and out to a very yummy Chinese dinner.

We also went on a very fun snow quadding ride up the beautiful canyon, which was packed with snow so it took us awhile to get most of the way!

So on President's Day our last day in Utah, Josh's dad took the whole family skiing at Park City, which is a beautiful ski resort and tons of awesome ski runs!

Here are a few pictures of what the cabin looks like from the inside out....

This mountain lion is one of my favorite parts of the cabin because it looks so real and was at one point before its fateful death came

I like to think of this one as Colby and Samantha's Elks long lost little brother ha ha ha!

A few more pictures of everyone having a good time together...

This is Josh and his awesome little brother Tate being a goof ball!

Aubrey and her boyfriend Eric...so cute!

This is the whole Bracken Clan!

New Addition to the Bracken Household

2009-02-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

For my birthday last year my dear friend Lesli (aka Pez) gave me a gift card to Porters Craft Store. Well I saved that gift card till just recently so I could go and buy a nice decoration for when I was married and had my own apartment to decorate. Now if any of you know how Porters is you know it is basically a girls dream for decorating and tons of fun crafts to make really cute things. So with the great convincing skills of my good friend Lesli she talked me into buying this awesome made by me and Pez creation that now hangs on Josh and I's wall. Josh was not at first so hapy on how much it was to create this wonderful home decoration, but with lots of kisses and telling him that it was a home investment he was OK with it!

Job Hunting & Test of Faith

2009-01-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

So Josh and I have been in Rexburg for almost a month now and I still have not found a job. I have had a couple of interviews but did not end up getting the position. I am starting to become very frustrated with the situation, because being at home all day with nothing to do is not fun at all (I can only clean so much).I think this is a trial that is testing my faith hard, because the faith I have in finding a job is slowly becoming smaller and smaller with each passing day. However, I'm going to keep my head up and try and keep my faith alive! So everyone keep me in your prayers for finding a job because I need it BAD!

*Holidays & Moving to Rexburg!

2009-01-12T15:32:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I have updated everyone on our life so here it goes! The holidays were a lot of fun, for Christmas Eve we went to a get together with my family and relatives, and Christmas day we split the day up between my family and Josh's family, we had tons of fun spending time with family and remembering the birth of our Lord and Savior. For Christmas Josh and I received a lot of awesome and necessary house hold items including a love sac which is sooo comfy and a new comforter and duvey cover for our bed, which we are forever grateful to our families for.

This is Josh opening up some dirt bike riding boots, which came in handy for the Bracken family New Years Dune trip!
Josh and I also got Quad shirts for the dunes, mine of course is pink and I also got pink riding gloves that I love as well which match my shirt.

For New Years of course we went to the dunes in Yuma, California, which we had tons of fun, and I have to say I'm becoming a much better quad rider for it only being my second time going. So this is the whole family toasting to a wonderful New Year with many more memories and adventures to come!

After the dunes it was off to Rexburg, Idaho so that Josh could finish school and I start working and getting ready to graduate in April. It was definitely a rough trip getting up here to Idaho with all the snow storms, but with lots of prayers we made it safely to the Burg. We are now living at Hyde Park Apartments, and we could not be happier with our new place that Josh and I got to decorate and make our happy new home!

This is our living room!

Our living room from a different angle!
Our lovely kitchen!

The hallway!

Last but not least our bedroom (Our bed is sooo comfy, it makes it hard to get up in the morning)!

More of our bedroom from a different angle!
So needless to say we had some eventful holidays and a crazy but exciting beginning to the new year! Right now Josh is going to school full time and I am on the hunt for a full time job and am loving being a full time wife! Josh and I can't wait to see what this new year brings us...maybe babies ha ha ha!!!

Twilight

2008-12-18T15:22:00.001-08:00

Josh and I finally got to see the movie Twilight with some movie tickets that we received as a wedding present. On top of that we went to dinner with a three restaurant choice gift card from a wedding card we just received a few weeks ago (lol keep those presents coming 4 months later). Anyways I have been waiting forever to see it, and I loved it, Josh loved it too, even though he probably won't admit it. So yeah I want to see it again, so if there are any volunteers to go see it let me know!

Our New Blog

2008-12-05T11:23:00.001-08:00

So as I was trying to be cool like everyone else and change my blog background to a Christmas/New Years theme, I somehow completley ruined my old blog, so I have made a brand new one and love my new background ha ha!

Our Wedding Day

2008-12-05T10:07:00.002-08:00

August 22, 2008 was the best and most beautiful day of my life! This is the day that my sweetheart and I were sealed together for time and all eternity in the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple at 10:30 am. I loved the whole day from the awesome pictures and videographer to the yummy lunch-in and oh so very fun reception we had at Villa Siena. I loved the whole day, and wish I could live it over and over again. I owe that day to my mom and dad who made it so beautiful and perfect. My mom is the best at planning a rockin wedding reception!

Thank You

2008-12-05T10:07:00.001-08:00

I would like to say thank you so much to all my friends and family who came to our temple sealing and our reception. It meant so much to us and we love you so much for it! Also thank you to all those friends and family who came from out of town, we know you came a long ways to share with us in our special day so thank you!

Going to Lake Powell

2008-12-05T10:06:00.002-08:00

So tonight my hubby and I are leaving with my family to go to Lake Powell are so excited! I have not been for two years so this is a very exciting event for both Josh and I. We will be gone till Sunday so when I get back you know there will be pictures!

New Internship

2008-12-05T10:06:00.001-08:00

So as some of you know I'm working at a internship right that is way cool, but NOT PAID. Because my dad rocks I got a new internship at the company he works for, and the best part about it is it's PAID, and the pay ROCKS! So needless to say once again Josh and I have been very very very blessed!

Conference & Being Married

2008-12-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

Josh and I loved watching General Conference this weekend together...especially because we are married so no one can yell at us for laying down together! The talks were amazing and we both really learned so much from all the inspired men and women who spoke. It's also so fun to listen to the talks on marriage and how to help your marriage grow, before that stuff didn't really apply to us and now it does and we both LOVE IT! Everything just seems to be better when your married and I definitley think Conference hit a new high point of greatness in our lives!

We LOVE the Phoenix Suns

2008-12-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

So I was sitting at my desk at my work (internship) minding my own business when I hear one of my co-workers walking around asking if anyone wants Phoenix Suns tickets. Everyone was turning them down and I of course was like HECK YEAH I want them! So I got 4 FREE Pre-Season Phoenix Suns tickets, section 121 row 19 basically awesome seats, and I also got a free parking pass to top it all off. They played the Charlotte Bobcats and it was a very close game going into double overtime, of course the PHOENIX SUNS WON because they are the best! I'm trying to pull some strings with some of my connections to try and get even better seats for the Christmas Day game for a Christmas Present for Josh so SHHHHHHHHHH!

*The Brackens*

*Dune Trip #2*

*Car-Seat Canopy....My favorite craft*

*Family Pictures*

*My sewing supplies complete..IN PINK STYLE*

*My blog book*

*My good little eater....FINALLY!!*

*Jaden's first and hopefully last hospital visit*

*Late Christmas/Dunes 2011 Post*

*Reflections*

*Brityn Raelynn Lamb*

*Frustrated*

*Thanksgiving 2011 and Update*

*Our last ride*

*Halloween Weekend*

*My favorite kind of laundry*

*Happy 1st birthday to my baby*

*Jaden's 1st Birthday Party*

*My Creation*

*Lake Powell Trip #2*

*Jaden's 1st Lake Powell Trip*

*Davidson Family Reunion*

*3 Year Anniversary*

*The biggest loser..well almost*

*Called to serve*

*Bracken Family Vacation*

*Fun with our new camera*

*Sleepless in Seattle*

*4th of July Events*

*Happy 4th of July*

*My sleepy boys*

*Jaden's 1st Haircut*

*The Advenutre Begins....*

*Photo Contest*

*7 Months Old*

*TEMPORARY Relocated*

*Happy Easter*

*Washington Trip*

*My Pretty Boy*

*Random pictures from my phone*

*Jaden's FIRSTS*

*3 Months Old*

*Gerber Baby Rice Cereal is my HERO*

*Smiles*

*Jaden's Blessing*

*Our little baby is growing UP*

*Blessings & Moving On*

*Jaden's 1st Thanksgiving*

*Pictures of my sweet little boy*

*One Month Old and Questions*

*Weekend w/ the Family*

*Update of life in the last week*

*4 day old pictures*

*Jaden Joshua Bracken*

*38 Weeks Prego*

*Baby Showers & New Truck*

*2 Year Anniversary*

*Graduation, San Diego 2010 and Updates*

*4th of July*

*Lake Powell 2010 and Update*

*It's a BOY*