The Foster's

Random

2012-01-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

Here are just some random pics from lately that I wanted to put on the old blog.

These two love each other so much!

Mel loves to put everything on her head. Especially her pants.

She wears all my shoes.

She spends a good part of the day playing in Sawyer's kennel.

There's nothing I love more than Mel in just her diaper.

We finally got rid of our ugly red carpet!! We got new carpet downstairs to match the upstairs a few months ago (because Bella, our cat kept peeing downstairs after Mel was born. And by the way we had to give her away) And now we bit the bullet and got it in the family room too.

So soft and fluffy!

December 2011

2012-01-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

Well this December has been awesome. We have had so much going on. Lots of parties, get togethers with friends and family, and just spending time with our little family. Drew had 3 weeks off. I love these breaks he has.

Christmas was so much fun. Mel was pretty slow with unwrapping and once she got a toy she just wanted to play with it. It was pretty cute.

The fam at dinner. My grandma always comes from Wisconsin. It was great spending time with her.

We got to see a bunch of our friends that were in town. Love these people. We also went to breakfast with our friends Doug and Jamie, and Brandon and Meghan and their cute little baby boys. As well as hang out with Brent and Christa and their girls. Unfortunately I didn't think to take any pics. But I loved seeing you all.

Here is Carson going in for the kiss. Mel was playing hard to get.

It was also our 5th anniversary. We went Downtown and stayed at the Grand Hyatt and went to dinner at our favorite place, The Cheesecake Factory. This is me reading my annual anniversary letter from Drew. I love that we started the tradition of writing each other letters on our first anniversary.
It was really a perfect night. We ate a lot, relaxed, went hot tubing (which overlooked the city), played ping pong ( I know we are kind of losers), and just enjoyed being together.

Here's Drew at breakfast, lovin his hot chocolate. I love staying at nice hotels. Everything is just so fancy.

This is the view from our room. I should have taken one at night. It looked awesome with all the lights leading up to the mountains.

I know it's a dark picture, my bad... but this is from the bed. It was an awesome view to go to sleep to and wake up to.

Birthday Girl

2011-12-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Melanie is one. It is just so crazy how fast it is going. It's making me kind of sad. I am trying to appreciate everyday I have with her. She had a birthday party on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I LOVE planning parties. The theme was from the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
We had about 35 people here. Which was about the limit. But it worked out.

Here's the invitation

Here's the invitation unfolded.

Party favors

The monthly progression pictures next to her bear.

This is the food from the book. Also, cake pops are the way to go for kids birthdays. Small and no mess. And they love them.

Here's the birthday girl. She took a little tumble down the stairs so she wasn't in the best mood for a while.

Dig in!

Nice!

This is a video Drew put together for Mel. I love this song. It is so cute.

Bruce

2011-11-28T18:40:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to go with a bunch of friends and chop down a Christmas tree in the forest. It was a lot of fun. We all brought food to share and ate lunch when we got there. Then we all went to find a tree. Ours is a little Charlie Brownish, but I kind of like the less full trees. His name is Bruce.

This is Bruce in his element.

Mel was very interested in Smokey the Bear.

Oh and I love having Christmas lights up!!

Fall 2011

2011-10-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry if you are my friend on facebook and you have already seen these pics. But I have some faithful followers that are not facebookers. Plus this is really where I document everything. So.... anyway are some of the happenings.

Here we are with our harvest moon.

Pumpkin carving with the fam.

Here I am with my lovely assistant and lady bug.

Mel and her friend Clayton. Mel didn't understand what was goin on.

At our trunk or treat at church

Melanie's first time playing in the snow. Yes, the snowsuit is a bit large.

Making a snowman

Eating the snow

My neighbor loves photography and asked us if we could be her subjects last Sunday. So here we are.

Mad face!

Oh I love this one of them.

This is Drew's old sweatshirt in Elementary school.

Grandma Maggie made these cute skirts for all the grandaughters. We are missing Kelly, Jane, and Audrey

Mel's Tricks

2011-10-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

I just needed to make sure I documented Mel and her funny tricks. Her most famous is her mad face. Sorry that you have to hear our voices. She is more fun everyday. She is also so good at folding her arms for prayers. I love it!

Mel's First Steps

2011-10-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

Here is Mel taking some of her first steps. We are in trouble!

Melanie at 9 months

2011-09-14T18:22:00.001-07:00

Mel is already nine months. Or I guess nine and a half already. She weighs 16.12 lbs and is 27.25 inches long. She is in the 15th percentile in weight and 50th for height. She is a pretty slim little lady. I just can't believe how fast it is going. It seriously feels like we just had her. She is more fun every month. We are so in love with her. She is such a good babe. She is ALL over the place these days. She crawls so fast, stands on her own, and is into everything!

This is from a few weeks back. I had to strip her down every time she had a graham cracker. She is much better now, but I love this pic.

This is her angry face. She also breaths really hard out of her nose when she is like this.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend we met up with some of our friends from our BYU days. We are scattered around in different areas now but we decided Grand Junction was a good place to meet up. One of our friends with us is good friends with a family there and they happened to be out of town so we took over their house. It was perfect. The house is kind of tucked away and has a lot of land and tons of spare bedrooms. We played a lot of games, ate a lot of food, went in the hot tub, played some sports, and just relaxed. It was a blast.

Whenever we all get together we play pictionary men vs. women.

As you can see the women dominated.

Mel loves her friend Keith.

They had this cute little chair just for Mel.

We did some 4-wheelin

Drew and I took on Keith and Tash in some football.

We went on a hike at Colorado National Monument.

Kenna, I love that your husbands shorts are shorter than yours here.

They also had a basketball court. It actually got pretty intense.

Mel was cheering us on.

The boys football game.

We played a lot of the game "Celebrity," it was so fun.

Thanks again everyone for a fantastic weekend. Can't wait for our next one.

Grays and Torreys

2011-08-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

My sister Lori and I just hiked two 14ers, Grays and Torreys. Although it's really like we hiked one mountain and two separate peaks. But still..... two 14ers. It took us about 5 hours. Not bad. Thanks Lori!!

This is at the top of Torreys.
(I didn't post the one on top of Grays because I wasn't even looking)

This is coming down Grays on the way to Torreys.

This is going up to Torreys. That was pretty tough.

Summer Break

2011-08-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

The past three weeks have been so fun. I love when Drew has a long break like this. I could have him home all the time. So here are some of the things we have been up to.

This pic is blurry I know, but I will replace it with my friend's later. This is Jessie's wedding. All of us have been friends since elementary school. It was a blast.

Jena and I with our sweet shades, that we took from the people sitting across from us.

Mel was a hit.

Yeah, Brad is funny looking.

We also had a pool party the day after the wedding. Pics to come.

My family went up to Estes Park for a little weekend get-away. So fun.

Rocky National Park

Sissy and I

Check out that moose. (No not me)

Drew and I hiked Mt. Elbert. It is the second highest mountain in the continental U.S. Pretty steep, but so great. I love hiking with my hubs.

We were in a cloud at the top.

Sawyer loved every minute. He ran up and down the entire time.

We also went on a little camp out at Devil's Head with some friends. Mel did great. Thanks to Jeff for the finely cooked food. So good.

Sterlings, Greens, and us

We went on a hike the next day.

These are the stairs to the very top. Pretty sweet.

Mel couldn't make it to the end without a nap. So cute.My friend Allie and I at her bridal shower. Can't wait for the wedding next week!

And of course I had to add a few cute pics of the Melster.

We find Mel in so many funny positions now in her crib.

Pulling up!

Poor Sawyer. This is his life now.

Update on Mel:
*Super fast army crawl, so close to a regular crawl
*waves "hi" and "bye
*pulling up on everything
*can go from laying down to sitting up
*loves loves loves baths
*still the cutest girl in the world

Foster Family Reunion 2011

2011-07-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

We just got back from our family reunion in Breckenridge. It was AMAZING. We had such a good time. The place we stayed in was incredible. Each family had their own super nice room and bathroom with sleep number beds and all. We did so many fun things, but just being with the fam was good enough. And now Drew has 3 weeks off! Ah... perfection.

We went on a nice little hike (Drew wasn't here this day)

My sister-in-law, Dana and I. My soul sista. I cried from laughter with her several times. I still can't stop.

The ladies went on a little trip to town and had lunch. I love all the ladies in the Foster fam. So fun.

The kids made this fort. So cute.

We had a luau on Thursday night.

We took a ride up on the gondola.

I love Mel's smile here.

Mel loves uncle Adam and aunt Laura.

Liz and I on a walk to the park.

Dance Party! Hilarious.

Limbo!

Our limbo winners. Nice work ladies.

Manliest Man competition. This is the "rock heave." This is seriously hilarious to watch.

The car push

The broad jump.

The rock throw. (They had to hit a target)

Rock hold

The 2011 Manliest Man with his trophy.

We did some serious hot tubbin. It was great after the kids went to bed too. We had two hot tubs so we had to mix and mingle. Red Rover style.

Mel was tearin it up in her roller. She was rollin over kids left and right. Watch out people!

The kids all slept in the loft. Slumber Party!

P.S.

2011-06-20T18:41:00.001-07:00

I forgot to give a shout out to Mickey and Margaret, my in-laws for watching Mel. Mel did a great job. She also was great in the car. Here she is greeting me at the finish. (Is that better Emily:)

Ragnar Relay

2011-06-20T15:33:00.001-07:00

Well we completed the Ragnar!! It was amazing. I absolutely loved it. I want to do another one right now. If you aren't familiar with what a Ragnar is I will attempt to describe it. You have 12 team members split between two vans. Each van is decorated. Van one starts, and in our case they started at 6:15 a.m. All the teams are staggard so we aren't all going at the same time. Each runner in van one runs their first leg. Each leg is a different length and different difficulty. After van one goes van two runs their legs. We did this three times. We ran from Logan, UT to Park City. A total of 192 miles in 28 hours and 58 minutes. There were a total of 1,200 teams. CRAZY! It's the biggest Ragnar they have. The scenery was incredible. We ran through the day and night. It isn't easy running in the middle of the night but it is quite an experience. I loved doing this with family. It was Drew's brothers and their wives, plus a few more extended family. What a great bonding experience. Go team Fostersize! (If you have ever seen the movie Heavy Weights, that was our inspiration) Love you all!

Overall I was pleased with my runs. I averaged a 7:20 mile pace with all three legs.

Here I am on my first leg. Don't worry I am about to pass this girl. In Ragnar world they call this a kill.

This is what one of the exchanges look like. We had to use a slap bracelet as our baton.

This is after my night run. Check out all my night gear. We also had to wear a "butt" light as we called it.

Some of the team ready to cheer on Becky.

Drew is a beast. He just ran up a pass like it was nothin.

We were waiting for van one and captured some people using the lake to ice their muscles I guess. So cold.

I just had to put the picture of this grass man. He just kept jumping out of the woods at the runners. So weird.

I just love this pic of Angie. She had some really hard runs. This is how she always is even up a mountain.

Look at that encouragement!

The whole team together. From left to right.
(Weston (Angie's brother in law), Dana, Ty, Garrett, Beth (cousins), Me, Drew, Laura, Adam, Becky (Angie's sister)

Family Photos

2011-06-06T16:26:00.001-07:00

My friend Olivia Langford took some family pics of us. She is amazing. Seriously. If you ever need pictures of anything let her know. She is so easy to work with, has great ideas, so many different locations to shoot at, and will meet your needs. You can check out her website here

We were goin in for the kiss. She doesn't know how she feels about that.

This and That

2011-05-28T19:03:00.001-07:00

We have been staying busy this month. So I thought I would just put whatever pictures I had.

Here are some of my good friends from high school. My friend Jessie is getting married. Her bridal shower was a tea party. It was so fun. Such a good idea. Lacey and I did wear hats, but don't have them on in this picture.
My manly man built this fence for Sawyer. Now he is forced to go to the bathroom in this corner of the yard in the wood chips. His urine is apparently toxic, because it discolors and kills the yard. It will be so nice to not have him poop in the yard, or dig holes, or kill the grass. We will still let him play in the yard when we are out there.

Here it is from another view.

We put up a baby gate that the previous owners had. Luckily Sawyer has no idea of his ability to jump, and has no desire to try.

These are a few of the bags I have been making for the young women (teenage girls) at church. They are in love with them, so I have been doing a lot of sewing.

Here are a few of the pictures my neighbor took of Mel outside.

I love her blue eyes. I hope they stay this blue forever.

Here is Drew giving the jogging stroller a try outside our house. It's been so nice to have if I need it. Although it does make the run a bit more difficult.

Melanie Laughing

2011-04-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

I caught the end of Mel laughing at Sawyer. She loves him. He seems to get her to smile and laugh the most. Don't mind the fact that Drew is barking.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

I love Easter. I love the candy, dresses, eggs, ect. But I don't want that to be the focus of Easter. I tried really hard this month to study and ponder about Christ's life, atonement, and resurrection. I really have to try to separate the fun traditions from what the real purpose is. BUT believe me I really love the traditions too. And yes I am aware that Mel is a little young for all of this, but I couldn't resist. Enjoy the pics and the video, it's a good one.

We dyed some eggs.

Drew thought it would be a good idea to put Mel's hand on the spoon. Oops. IT was pretty funny. Like mother like daughter, because about five minutes later I spilled another cup all over my jeans. That wasn't as funny. ( sorry the picture is blurry, it was a little chaotic)

No this has nothing to do with Easter. But seriously so cute.

Four Months

2011-04-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here is Mel at 4 months. I take a picture of her each month next to this bear so I can see how big she is getting. She just started using the exersaucer. She looks so tiny it it. I think it's so cute. She eats her hands all day long.

Here is Mel talking. She is wearing a huge bib because she drools like crazy.

Cousin Time

2011-03-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Drew's brother Adam was doing a rotation for medical school in Denver, so him and his family have been staying with his parents for the last month. I have loved seeing them so much. It's been fun seeing their two kids and Melanie together. Jane, their oldest is so cute with Mel. I love the way she says her name. Audrey, their younger one and Mel are about 3 1/2 months apart. I hope they become good friends. They enjoy staring at each other for now.

Matchy matchy

I think this picture is so funny. They are both deep in thought, or just bored.

We got to go to the zoo. (Drew, Liz and Justin were there too, but somehow we didn't get a picture of all of us)

Mel loves her shades. She is so cool. Oh and Drew too.

Bags!

2011-03-18T08:15:00.001-07:00

My sister-in-law Laura and I have been able to get together and make some bags. Laura is a sewing master. She has made so many amazing things. She taught me a lot of things about my sewing machine and cutting board that I didn't even know. Laura made a beach bag for this summer and I just made a bag for whatever. I had so much fun, thanks Laura!

Fun Times

2011-03-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

We have had a really fun week. Our friends, Keith and Tasha flew from Texas and James and Tracy flew from Provo and stayed with us. We were all friends in Provo so it was fun to get together again. It was such a blast. Because they were on vacation I felt like I was too. Before James and Tracy came we went skiing/snowboarding at Copper. It was the perfect day. The weather was awesome and the snow was great. (A BIG thanks to my sister-in-law for watching Mel, who won't take a bottle anymore)
We also played a lot of games, watched BYU basketball games, talked, shopped, ate and relaxed.

Yes, Drew is wearing his goggles for the picture.

A nice break for lunch.

I seriously felt like a teenager. None of us wanted to go to bed. It was like a slumber party. I haven't stayed up that late in a long time. Luckily we all share a love for the show LOST so we ended our night with a great episode.

Here are the boys making us breakfast due to losing at pictionary the night before.

On Saturday I helped plan a baby shower for a friend, but I forgot my camera. But this is the diaper cake for the shower.

And of course here are some random shots of the babe. She is so stinking cute right?

ER Adventures

2011-02-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

Last night was a fun little adventure for us. Ok, not really at all. I had my first experience with a kidney stone. Earlier this week I had pain and some blood, so I thought it was my period. (Sorry probably TMI) But it had subsided so I didn't think too much about it. Yesterday I was feeling fine; went on a four mile run, ate dinner, and then around 7 I started having pain in my back on the right side. And it hit me like a truck. I was in tears probably thirty minutes later. I tried to take a bath and use the heating pad. I got a blessing, but by 8:30 I couldn't take it we had to go into the ER. It's so funny when I experience pain like this. I just transform into this other person. I don't care that I am moaning and crying while people are just watching me in the waiting room. I was seriously begging them to get me in to get some medicine. It was way worse than labor. So pathetic, really.
I was thinking you might be thinking that I am a wimp because of my labor story, but let me just mention that I got 10 stiches and felt everything during delivery. Although the pain couldn't match when she crowned... I don't think anything ever will. BUT this was excruciating. It turns out the stone is 6 mm (which I guess is VERY large). They gave me some meds, but nothing really worked until they took a cat scan and knew what it was and gave me a specific drug for kidney stones.
One of the nurses realized I was LDS and told me she married an LDS guy for 6 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days. YIKES. She was talking my ear off about a million things. She said a lot of things that weren't exactly true, but I could barely talk so I just nodded my head the best I could. So... bummer I feel like I want to talk to her about it, but too late now.
Thank goodness for Drew's parents who came and got Mel and took her back to our house. We got home around 2:30 a.m. Now I am on percocet and lots of IB profin. Percocet makes me feel really weird but I'll take it. I woke up at 7 with the same pain, but the meds are helping.
Hopefully I will pass it, but if not they have to go in and implode it or take it out I guess. Cross your fingers it will pass.
The worst part is they said now I could get them the rest of my life. Darn it. But I just kept thinking, what would I do back in the olden days with out medicine? I think there is a reason I was born in these times. Pain is not my friend.

2 Month Video

2011-02-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

Check out some cute pics on my last post!

Two Months

2011-02-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Well our little Melanie is over 2 months old now. She had her appointment and had her shots. (Which I hated by the way). It was terrible to watch, and she was sore the rest of the day.
Anyway, she is soooo cute. She is smiling like crazy. She is 22 1/2 inches long and weighs 10 lbs 6 oz. She can hold her head up, and we never have to help her anymore. I took a video of that but it isn't working right now, I will try to upload that again tomorrow.

Blessing

2011-02-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

Today Melanie had her baby blessing. It was wonderful. It was so fun to have friends and family there. Thanks for coming everyone, and for your love and support. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures at our house; I guess I was too busy chattin it up. We went to our house for lunch after sacrament. It was so fun to visit with everyone.

This dress has been passed around the family. I loved her in it.

19 Weeks and Counting

2011-01-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

The Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay. The Foster Family is running this in June. It goes from Logan to Park City (in Utah). It's pretty intense, but I am excited. It's been a little tricky finding time to train, so thanks to family and friends who are helping take care of the Melster so I can train.

six weeks

2011-01-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

This little lady is 6 weeks old today. We have been joking all day that everything happens at six weeks. It seems like everyone has said she will do something or not do something at six weeks. Basically just everything. We laugh about it but it was pretty funny when we gave her a bath today and she loved it! Usually she screams like crazy.

This is what she wore to church. I love her little leggings. This is one of my favs, too bad she decided to pee all up her back so I had to change her during church. Bummer.

Because it's six weeks, she found her hand and now sucks on it.(Ok she actually found it a few days ago)

White Coat Ceremony

2011-01-12T19:25:00.000-08:00

Drew had his white coat ceremony today. It signifies him beginning patient care. He will actually be working on people! Crazy. I am so proud of him and how well he balances his life. I know most of you probably feel this way about your spouse but I just feel like I will never be able to adequately express how much I love, appreciate and respect him. I really just feel like I won the jack pot with this one. He really amazes me. You're the best Hubs!Here he is getting his coat.

He is there somewhere.

Jeff, Zach, and Drew

Drew, Jeff, Chris, Nate

Megan (Drew's sister) came and supported him.

This is what I mean. This is how Drew studied all morning.

She loves her daddy!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-01-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

I want to wish my lovely wife a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! and let her know how much she is loved in our family. You may have guessed by now that this is Drew, Kristen's husband, and that I have hijacked her blog for a few minutes. The reason I post this here and not on my blog is because nobody has checked my blog in long long long time. And I can't say that I blame them cause I also haven't checked my blog in a long long long time.

I count my blessings everyday that this women said yes to me. She has proven recently also that not only is she an awesome wife, but an unbelievable mother. I watch her with Melanie and am blown away. Thank you Kristen for being such a great person in all our lives. We love you and hope that your B-day rocks the house!!!!

Love,

Drew, Melanie, Sawyer, and Bella (Actually when I asked Bella if she loves you she just rolled her eyes and fell back asleep. I don't think she really meant it though, I mean, I'm sure she loves you...as long as you don't touch her, look at her, or speak to her unless on her own terms. Typical cat, they show no respect!!!)

2011-01-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

Here is the reversible car seat cover I made today. I got a little tired of putting a blanket over the car seat and it always falling off so this will be great.

Updates

2010-12-31T09:49:00.000-08:00

Well it has been an eventful December I must say. We have had fun these past four weeks. Drew has been on break since Melanie was born. He has to go back to school on Monday. We have had so much fun, but I think we are ready for a routine. We have been spending time with family and friends, watching movies, going on walks, eating food, and catching up on sleep. I definitely think that Melanie was born on December 5th for a reason. I have been so lucky to have Drew home for as long as I have. He has been awesome. He helps out at night as much as he can and is happy to do it. He loves Melanie so much it is so cute.
Yesterday was our anniversary, and I forgot my camera but it was really fun. We went to a really romantic movie.... True Grit. Ok not so romantic but it was pretty good. We then went to PF Changs and exchanged our traditional letters to each other. Melanie joined us for dinner and slept the whole time.
Things have been going well. She is off and on with sleeping well at night. Don't ask me about last night, but it hasn't been too bad overall. It's so funny, because when I first get up in the middle of the night I am so exhausted and think I am going to sleep all day tomorrow, but then the next day comes, and I think, oh that wasn't too bad. And then the same thing happens the next night. I just don't like sleeping during the day, there are so many other things I want to do. She is growing up quick. There is something we see her do that's new every few days. Other than that she is great. Very cute and lovable.

Four generations.

Oh my goodness, this little lady LOVES her changing table. She would spend all day there if she could.

My friend Susan and I. They are three days apart.

My sister Lori and I with Brayden and Mel. They are matching with their cute little outfits. "All I want for Christmas is my Auntie." Don't they look happy?

Drew with Kyla and Sawyer

I love how much Kyla (my niece) loves Melanie. She wants to "pet" her hair all the time.
And check out those boots. It's not a good shot of them but they are awesome.

She loves her aunt.

Great Grandma

These are her little baby pics a friend of mine took a few weeks ago.

Melanie Ann Foster

2010-12-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a little video we put together of the first week of Melanie Ann's life. Special thanks to Justin Bieber for music, Margaret for taking the pictures in front of the tree (for a Christmas/announcement card), and Melanie for being so cute and easy to love. Enjoy.

The Babe

2010-12-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

Melanie Ann Foster arrived on Sunday December 5th at 11:40 a.m. She weighed 7 pounds 13 oz. Actually smaller than I anticipated, but that is still a good sized baby. Everything went well. On Saturday night at 1:30 I woke up with contractions. We timed them and they were 5 minutes apart so we called and went to the hospital. The contractions got worse and worse. Pretty much the minute we got there the nurse asked if I wanted an epidural. I was thinking well... yeah... but it's only been 3 hours. I was worried it would slow down labor,(and that it was a little wimpy) but she said it wouldn't. I decided to do it. AND oh my goodness was I a happy lady. Holy cow, honestly I don't know how people do it naturally. I applaud anyone who does. That will probably never be me. I did have a patch that it didn't reach, but it actually helped me know when to push because I knew when I was having a contraction so it all worked out. I was in labor for ten hours. And I was progressing great. I pushed for an hour. And it wasn't too bad until the very end. OH MY GOODNESS, I thought if I had an epidural that it wouldn't hurt that bad. I was very wrong. After she crowned it was the worst pain of my life. But the moment she came out it was pure joy. What an experience. It's crazy.
So far, she has been a dream. It's just so intense how much you love your own child. WOW. I am obsessed with her. She is the cutest. Nursing has been so great. She just latched right on, and hasn't had a problem (except when she can't stay awake) since. I love that time. Watching her little fingers touch me and grab onto my shirt kills me, it's just sooo cute. Her little body melts my heart. I also love love her hair. I think it will all fall out and maybe change colors, but I love it right now. Her cry is a very cute cry too.
The first night we were home was a rough one. I got one hour of sleep. But then last night was great. She does not like sleeping flat on her back yet, so we have her in the swing and she loves that.
We had our first doctor's appointment today and she is doing great. She does have jaundice I am sure you can tell. We have to go back tomorrow to see if she needs her own little tanning bed. So we will see.

Updates

2010-11-11T16:16:00.001-08:00

So.. I went to the doctor today for my 36 week appointment. She did an ultrasound and everything looks great. AND our "little" Melanie is 6 lbs 8 oz already! Talk about chunker right? I was wondering why I look so big! Even at 32 weeks I had this convo with a lady I had never met before.

Lady: Oh, you must be ready to pop any day now.

Me: um... well I still have 8 weeks.

Lady: (shocked face) Twins??

Me: No.

Lady: Must be a boy right?

Me: No.

Lady: Ohhh wow... huh good luck

Let's just hope she doesn't gain a pound a week!

Anyway, other than that I had my last baby shower. It was a lot of fun. My friends did an

excellent job. I got more great gifts. We are totally set now. Thanks everyone. Check out the pics.

These are the girls who threw the shower.

(Andrea, Hillary, Jandi)

These are the cute decorations and food Jandi did. Andrea, did that homemade fruit platter:) She is so domestic!

There was a game where they had magazines and had to make my baby. They were pretty great, and also a little scary.

My friend Stacey made this awesome icecream cake. It was soooo stinkin good.

I gave her the blanket Laura (my sister in law) made for her inspiration.

RaeLyn made this hooter hider for me. Now I have two which will be really nice.

Halloween!

2010-10-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

We went to a Halloween party last night, and I went as a soccer mom and Drew went as himself, a nerd. Just kidding.... kind of. My friend Andrea showed up as me. We pretty much looked like twins except for her tan skin, tall and skinny legs, and dark eye brows. But that jean jacket she is sporting is totally me. That was the largest shirt she could find at the thrift store. The volleyball in her shirt made a pretty great baby too.

My hat says #1 mom if you were wondering

Jandi, me, Andrea, and Jami

Baby Shower

2010-10-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been really fun. My friends Emily and Kelsey threw me a baby shower on Saturday. It was SO fun. It just made me feel so grateful. Grateful for all the people who are in my life, grateful that they would want to drive so far to come, grateful that they would be so generous with gifts and really loving to help us out. I am so thankful to have Emily and Kelsey who put in so much work. It was awesome. You guys are the best.

I didn't get a group picture, but I chose a select few (mostly because I can't look at some of the ones I am in, so sorry if you are not in these:) Allie and Mara, I can't find the pic we took. If you have one on your camera will you send it to me? Thanks.

One more shower to go. I am having one with my church friends Nov. 6th. Man, I love baby showers. Can't wait!

Look at this diaper cake!! Emily made it. So amazing. I can't take it apart I love it too much.

The wonderful food. Seriously it was sooo good.

My sister-in-law made this blanket. Unbelievable. She is so talented. I have the best sisters-in-law.

Megan, Angie, and me

Kels and Alexis

I just love this picture. I don't know what Emily and I are looking at. It looks very important though.

Debbie, Kyla, Lori (my sis)

My niece Joy

This is part of the nursery. Check out the name. If you didn't know we are naming her Melanie. Emily made the letters. I just picked out the paper and she did the rest.

Lovin' It

2010-10-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well it's official, I am 80 years old. That's right I have started water aerobics, and I am by FAR the youngest person there. My joints hurt so much that this really helps, and you can get a good workout. I still do the eliptical, stair stepper, and walk on the other days I don't have water aerobics. I have such an urge to work out really hard. When I first got pregnant I was kind of excited to not work out so hard, but now I really miss being able to push myself. It seems like it's going to be forever before I can run again. I guess I should just live it up now.

Other than that life is fabulous. I have enjoyed this first week and a half off. I have been doing lots of crafts for Christmas presents, scrapbooking, sleeping, reading, and cooking. It's AWESOME. I will never have this kind of opportunity again so I am trying to enjoy every minute of it.

Retired!

2010-10-01T16:36:00.001-07:00

The day has come. I am retired after 3.25 years. Ok I realize I can't call it retirement, but I just like it ok. Right now I am thrilled I have to be honest. I think it will start to sink in soon. It's really strange though, because it's almost like my identity has been being a teacher. My conversations are often around teaching. Now I am just hangin out until the babe comes. I have to say though that I don't know how teachers or anyone else works up until they have a baby. Teaching is so demanding with your body, your energy, and sanity that I definitely think it's a good thing to stop before I am unhappy and way too uncomfortable being there. I have loved these past few months. My class was fabulous. So it's good to go out on a good note. My work threw me a baby shower which was sooo nice. Kelsey headed it up and she did a great job!

Here is my wonderful team, Miranda, Kelsey, Me and Katie. Can't wait for our weekly lunches at my house!

I just had to show off Kelsey's skills. She made roses out of little baby socks. So cute, and useful.

My principal ordered Jason's deli for breakfast. It was so good.

I got some sweet stuff. I really can't believe how generous everyone was. Thanks to everyone!

Kelsey, me and Alexis. I am not a huge fan of this pic of me, but these days it's slim pickins for pictures I actually like of myself

Update

2010-08-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

Things are going well in the Foster home. I just wanted to share the talents of my amazing sister-in-law Laura. She made this blanket for me and it is hanging over the crib. She also made a nursing cover which I love. And I added a few belly shots to show the progression. Somehow we lost the 16 week picture.

12 weeks

20 weeks

25 weeks

It's A...

2010-07-26T15:28:00.000-07:00

Girl!! So much for mother's intuition. I thought for sure it was a boy. It was so fun to be totally surprised.

Here she is on the outside

Can you tell from the front?

Here she is on the inside.

I Love Garage Sales

2010-07-25T11:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went on a hunt for baby things at garage sales in Highlands Ranch. There were sooooo many sales. We had to go home because we ran out of room in our car. Here are some of our findings.

Jogging stroller- $30

32 books- $ 7

2 baby einstein movies- $.50

Changing pad (don't worry I will disinfect it)- $.75

Bread Machine (used once)- $10

Filing things- $3

toy- $.25

And check out these beauties. When we were leaving a guy living next to someone having a garage sale put these out on the sidewalk with a FREE sign. They are workin great!

A Change in Plans

2010-07-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

So very quickly my schedule for the fall has changed. I had told my principal a few weeks ago about not coming back next year. I just figured she would say, "Ok, good luck with everything." But no she said, "well, why don't you just teach the first quarter and then we can have a sub teach the rest of the year." By the way the first quarter is two months. That totally threw me off. I had completely checked out of teaching. I even pretty much packed up my entire room. I know you might be thinking that it doesn't sound fair to the kids. I have been struggling with that. Although, kids adjust easier than you think. They will probably forget all about me. And that is just fine.

I just figured it would be better to be busy for a few months and earn some more money than to be at home alone. Six months would be a long time to not work.

We have a family reunion the entire first week of teacher meetings before school starts. So I told her I wouldn't be there, and then I figured she would say oh, well then never mind. But she said, "oh no problem I totally understand". NICE! Teacher meetings are the worst anyway. So I would show up the first day of school; a little crazy. THEN I thought, oh no she thinks I am coming back the next year. So I asked her if she thought that, and she said, "Oh no I figured you were planning on staying home with your kids for a while."

So it's pretty much a sweet deal. I am trying to check back in for a few months. I now need to go to my classroom and organize things again.

Summer Summer Summer Time

2010-06-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Summer has been great. Being a teacher has it's benefits. Everyone asks if I am getting bored yet. But no way, I have been too busy enjoying. I have been able to get together with lots of friends. I have had lots of lunch dates, dinner dates, nap whenever I want, work out with Kelsey every day, work on my gardens/yard, and organize my life. I love it. I realize these days will end. So why not take advantage of it?

I went out to Provo last week to hang out with some girlfriends. I stayed with Marcy. She is getting married in August, so I got to tag along and help with some wedding stuff which was fun. We were able to shop, eat, relax, visit people, and chat. Unfortunately I wasn't the best company the first few days. NEVER again will I eat Chipoltle and then fly. Bad combo. I am past the sick stage but that brought it all back. Literally. I think they were a little freaked out the rest of the week, wondering when I was going to throw up again. So I was lame with pictures, but I managed to get a few.

These are some highschool friends. I could talk with them forever. So fun.

This is a reinactment of Monday night after the plane.

We went to Park City and did some shopping.

Oh Baby!

2010-06-06T11:23:00.001-07:00

Alright people... the time has come to share the news. I am pregnant! I am now officially in my second trimester. I am due December 12th.

It seems like for a long time the word "pregnant" has been a bad word to me. I really didn't enjoy hearing it, and it almost made me cringe each time. We had been trying to get pregnant and stay pregnant for a long time. I don't know why we couldn't or why we are now, but obviously Heavenly Father has a plan for us.

I don't feel like I have had that many really hard trials in my life, but this has been on the top of the list. It's one thing when you have a trial and it's hard but you know you will get through it, but it's another when you don't know if it will ever end. Several times I wanted to write a blog about how hard the trial was but how much I have learned from it or that I still had faith and hope that Heavenly Father was doing what was best for me, but I didn't want the added pressure or sympathy. I would like to think that even if I never got pregnant that I would still be faithful and happy just the same.

Faith is an amazing thing. I have a friend who is just beginning the process of trying to become pregnant and she asked me how I dealt with it. I said, "Well... I'm Mormon." She was slightly confused I think. I told her that I honestly don't know how people get through trials without some sort of faith to hold on to. Some reassurance that it's happening for a reason, and the knowledge that Heavenly Father loves them, and understands how they feel. I told her to try not to just suffer through it but learn from the experience. NOT to say that it isn't HARD, because it is.

I know that in the whole grand scheme of things we didn't have to wait that long, but it feels like forever while you are going through it. This experience has brought me to the depths of humility and gratitude. I still can't really believe that we have been blessed to be pregnant. I don't know if I would have felt as grateful or as close to Heavenly Father if I didn't have this trial. Another thing I learned was patience. Patience when you have absolutely no control over the situation. And to be happy for others. I know it sounds selfish, and it made me feel extremely selfish when I wasn't genuinely happy for others. It's funny because when I finally felt like I REALLY could be happy for others and not just fake it or go to baby showers and have fun is when it happened for us. I know it sounds weird to say that I am grateful for the trial, and it seems easier once it is done, but I really am grateful, and that I was able to see that throughout the trial.

Anyway, we find out the gender in July, so stay posted.

Garden

2010-05-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

My first flower garden. I have been so excited to plant some flowers since we moved in. I know it looks sparse right now, but don't worry it will fill in.

Random

2010-03-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Ok so look at me.... another blog baby!

So we had Drew's parents and sister over for dinner tonight because they all have birthdays at the end of March. Margaret's is March 24th, Mickey's is March 27th, and Megan's is March 31. To celebrate, my wonderful husband and I made some kabobs. This is the third time we've made them and I love them!! I thought I would share the marinade that we use. Also I am loving seasoned tomatoes with mozzarella cheese.

On a completely different note, I put a picture of Kathleen and I from her bridal shower on Saturday. Kate and I have been friends since we were 2. She is living in Montana right now so I don't get to see her that much. So it was so good to catch up on the last couple of months. We are getting so old!

I am now on Spring break!! Woo woo. I have some fun plans. I will share when it comes to an end.

1 1/2 c. oil

3/4 c. soy sauce

2 tbsp. dry mustard

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp. parsley

1 tbsp pepper

1/2 c. vinegar

1 clove garlic (I just use minced garlic)

1/3 c. teriyaki sauce (it's fine with out as well)

1/2 c. honey

snow day

2010-03-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Correction... make that a two day work week.

Estes Park

2010-03-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

You all should be impressed, because this is my second post this month! Well, Drew and I went up to Estes Park for the last few days. He is on spring break. No, I am not on break yet... of course it is next week. But actually let's be honest this is so much better. Having a three day week of work and then spring break.

It was soooo fun. It is exactly what I needed. I love having my hubby all to myself. I know I pretty much always have him to myself. But it's different when we are on vacation. There's no school, work, homework, cooking, ect... It was perfect. I feel like I laughed for three days straight. We have so much fun together. I love him so much. Here are a few pics from the trip.

Here I am getting my snow shoes on at Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a beautiful day!

I am standing on a frozen lake.

Drew is a bit more daring by going out to the middle of the lake.

Ok this looks like a very small jump. I don't know why from the top it seemed far.

This is the result.

We hiked up a few steep hills.

This is looking down from a little ways up.

We found some elk. No moose though. Drew was hoping.

Look at this burrito. I couldn't get over it. It might just be the biggest burrito I have ever seen.

We played a little pool.

Here is our conversation before hand.

Me: Hey Drew do you want to play pool?

Drew: Well sure but it won't be very fun for you.

Me: why?

Drew: Because It will be a short game. I'm pretty good.

Me: uh huh.

Guess who won? Well I wouldn't be sharing this if I didn't.

They had a nice workout facility. This is me workin hard.

Unfortunately I forgot to pack Drew's workout shorts. He did the bike in his swim trunks with me. Nice guy.

Here's Drew relaxing in the tub.

Go Green

2010-03-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

So.... yes I am a slacker. But here is a short post to give you a glimpse into my life. Today was St. Patrick's Day and I think it might be one of my favorite days. We did leprechaun traps again. It is so fun to see their creative juices flowing. I had Kelsey come in and destroy the room while we were at recess. I think she really enjoyed it because I am such a neat freak with my room. They were so crazy when they saw what the "leprechauns" did I even had to blow my whistle to get their attention.

We just completed CSAP (colorado state test) today, and doing something fun was definitely needed. Oh man I am glad that's over. I think they did well though.

Here are some pics for your enjoyment.

Here's Kels and I going head to head. We actually really do go head to head all the time. In a good way. We are so competitive with each other. I am so glad to have met Kelsey. My days would definitely not be as fun with out her. Our students have seen us in some crazy moods together. I don't know if they know what to think about it. We go to the gym everyday, which has motivated me a lot more. We even have a gym boyfriend who loves to help us with our lifting:) We are even having a weight loss challenge. It's been really fun.

This group brought a brick to drop down and apparently kill the leprechaun instead of catch it.

This one is hard to see, but it was a spa for the leprechaun to come and enjoy.

Hittin the Slopes

2010-01-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went skiing/snowboarding with Kelsey (friend from work) and her boyfriend. It was sooo fun. I haven't been snowboarding that much the past few years, so it was great to be reunited with the slopes.

Here is Drew in his hard-core pose. He hadn't gone skiing since high school. He did great!

This was my attempt to take the picture myself.

Kelsey and Andy decided to switch equipment for one run. I was slightly worried Andy would seriously injure himself, and Kelsey didn't make any friends when she was on the snowboard. They were so brave. It was hilarious. Let it be known that when they are using the right gear they were much better than Drew and I.

If you were wondering why my head looks so big it's because I am wearing a helmet.

Do you think we look alike? At work the kids get us confused all the time.

This is just random, but I had to put this on. They were both just sleeping all over Drew. They are going to be best friends.

A Quarter of a Century

2010-01-12T19:11:00.001-08:00

Well I am now officially OLD! I had my birthday on Saturday, and let me tell you Saturday birthdays are the best. It was so fun. On Friday my students were so cute and nice; one brought cupcakes for the class. Friday night I went out with some girlfriends. It was SO fun. I don't know if I have said how much I LOVE my ward and the friends I have made. We went out to dinner and had cake and of course talked forever. On Saturday my parents came and we went to breakfast. Drew sent me off shopping for the afternoon and then he made me a nice steak dinner. Sunday we went to Emily and Kevin's house for a little birthday dinner. They made Cafe Rio. Soooo good. I've decided birthdays should always last more than one day.

My friend Kendria took these pictures. She is an excellent photographer.

Kevin had to have gotten some all time high score in Yahtzee. Can you figure out his final score? Actually, I can't tell.... Em??

2010-01-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

Ok I know I need to blog. So here's the update. We got a puppy!! The plan was to get one this summer when I would be home, but we found the dog we wanted now, so what were we supposed to do? He is a vizsla. We named him Sawyer, after our favorite character on the show Lost. Yes we are obsessed with Lost we already know. He will be a medium sized dog. Well basically he is the smallest of the "big dog" category. He is super athletic. We are excited to take him on hikes and runs. Right now he is like a baby. We are potty training him at the moment. We are aware that it's a lot of work, but we are going to make this puppy into a sweet dog with the right training.

Him and Bella (our cat) have been hilarious to watch. I think they are playing. At least Sawyer is. Bella would just leave him alone if she didn't like him, but she follows him everywhere, and she stares at him while he sleeps.

Other than that we had our anniversary on the 30th. We went to the Cheesecake Factory of course. It was really nice. It was nice to just come home and not have to travel somewhere this year. I am so lucky to have married Drew. How many people can actually say they married their best friend? Well... I can:)

I have to go back to work tomorrow, and I am not exactly thrilled, but I am excited to see my students.

The Latest

2009-11-29T08:46:00.000-08:00

The biggest thing lately is Drew getting Lasik surgery. He had terrible vision, and with studying late into the night it was taking a toll on his eyes. We were very excited about this. I was a little worried that maybe I would look different to him, but I guess not. I had to watch the movie, "At First Sight" afterwards. Anyway, he is loving his new eyes.

Also we decorated for Christmas. I started about a week ago, maybe a little too early. I love Christmas and all the decorations. I come home with something new like everyday. I can not resist. We also put up lights on the house. Check it out

Drew right before. Don't ask about the face. No one knows.

This is Drew all jacked right before surgery. He was very relaxed.

These are his hip new sunglasses for the next week. It's been pretty funny going out in public with these bad boys.

The new eyes.

Megan helping decorate the tree.

Megan, Mickey and Margaret came over to help. Thanks again!

Sick

2009-11-24T07:07:00.000-08:00

So I have had a rough month. First I got strep throat and I thought maybe I was going to die, but then I went to the doctor and they gave me some penicilon. I am allergic to Bactrim so I made sure they weren't related at all. But apparently I am allergic to penicilon as well. I broke out in a nice rash (only on my face). So in the midst of this rash I started getting a bad cold. Now I am home and not at work AGAIN. I am so congested it is driving me crazy. I just had chicken noodle soup for breakfast. If anyone knows any home remedies that I don't know about please share. Sorry, next post will be more uplifting. Just had to complain a bit.

A Great Book

2009-10-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law Mark Foster is a doctor by day and an author by night. He has written a new book titled, Grey Matters. I have personally read it, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a book that not only holds your attention but also makes you think about the deeper meanings in life. I could not stop reading it. After I finished I couldn't stop thinking about it and all that had happened. I am not just saying this because he's family, this is definitly a book I would have picked up at the library. You can read it if you follow the link below.

http://www.authormarkfoster.com/

Trip, ect..

2009-10-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

So just a quick update about our lives. Recently we went back to Utah for our friends Keith and Tasha's wedding. They are some of our dearest friends whom we spent much of our time with in good old Provo.

Apparently you have to be 45 minutes early to the airport to make your flight. Who knew?? Not me. We were 44 minutes early... yes 44! And we missed our flight. We missed the dinner the night before and we weren't able to pick people up at the airport in Salt Lake. So instead we studied and did lesson plans in the airport for three hours. We did eventually make it and had a blast. It was so fun to be back and see our friends.

On another note I cut my hair again. The reason is because it had problems. It was totally uneven and weird in the back. I went to Great Clips, and they had a good laugh and then fixed it. It is a lot shorter, but it's fun for now. I think I liked it at the longer length so we will see what I decide.

Other than that things are going well. Drew is rockin dental school, and school is going well for me. Today we had a dance off in class and let me tell you my students have some sick skills. I don't know if I have ever laughed so hard. They were laughing at the white girl (me) show off her moves. (yes, I also teach things like math and science)

These pictures were in order, but then I added more, and for some reason it's hard for me to move them. Therefore the pictures are no longer in order.

These are some of our Provo friends. We played croquet. Weirich loves his boots.

Drew got a little angry. This is not the first time we broke one of these.

The fellas and Tash.

Nice!

We at the Chop House in the airport. This is just after our flight was cancelled. Do you see that anger. (let's be honest, it was really I who had the real anger)

This is after we ate. We were happy once again.

I totally did not want to stand next to them. They should be in a bridal magazine.

My mom wanted a pic of our cat. She is sleeping here, but still very cute. Much bigger too.

The new hairstyle. Not the best pic, but I am too lazy to get another one.

It's an A-line, so it is much shorter in the back. Again, not the best photo.

Bye Bye Hair

2009-09-19T12:41:00.001-07:00

So I did it. I finally cut my hair. It was becoming WAY too long. I was able to donate my hair so that made me happy. Many people have told me that I am not a person that should have short hair, but I decided I didn't care, and it's hair so if I don't like it oh well, it will grow back.

I will say it was pretty funny because I am pretty sure the salon I went to really only cuts African American hair. I was definitely sticking out, but it was really fun.

What's Shakin'

2009-09-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

I know I have been a terrible blogger ok, but here is a quick update. Things are settling down here in Denver. We are loving the house so much! Drew has started school and is really enjoying it. He just had his first test last week and rocked it. School for me is going well. I really like my kids and my teamates. There are some things I am not fond of, but I am just so happy to have a good class and good co workers.
On another note, my sister had her baby boy, and he is adorable. He looks a lot like Kyla when she was born. My sister is now a mother of two.
This last weekend we had our first house guest. My friend Marcy came to visit us. It was sooo fun, and just what I needed. We did a day in Denver, just relaxed, made food, ate food, and talked a lot of course. We went to 16th street mall and then to the Taste of Colorado. It was so fun. I think just people watching is a highlight for me. What is it about girl friends that is so great? And three day weekends are the best!
Anyway, all in all things are going well.

I suppose my sister should be in this pic, my bad.

Flip That House

2009-08-02T19:44:00.001-07:00

We are now settled into our new house. If you have ever seen the show "Flip That House," you will appreciate this blog. Here is the before and after shots.

Ok this is the front with the newly trimmed bushes, thanks dad!

Front room before. (I had to work around the red carpet)

After. I painted that picture to try and match the room. The room is now a light brown.

I didn't really do this in order but this is the 2nd bedroom before. Wall paper!!!!!!

After (Marcy it's callin your name)

This is the closet in that room, I have been using it as my craft room. Sad.

Our bedroom before.

After

The backyard. I forgot to take a picture of the nice grill thanks to Mickey and Margaret.

At night. We sit out here every night.

This is the kitchen, with the nasty chandelier.

The new and improved chandelier.

I guess I forgot to take a picture of the kitchen before, but it was just white. We also put in a microwave and faucet, check it out. I have such a handy husband.

This is just the view from upstairs.

Living Room before. It was yellow.

After

This is the same room.

Downstairs bathroom. Carpet and purple walls.

Blue paint and tile. Our friend Kevin helped Drew with that.

Downstairs bedroom/office. Wall paper took 4-5 hours.

After
Our new washer and dryer, courtesy of my mom and dad.

And last but not least our new kitten!!! Bella. She is tiny and precious. Yes I used to hate cats, but after living with Drew's family this summer (they have a kitten and a cat) I bonded with them.

New House

2009-06-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

We bought a house!!! I will put pictures of the inside after we paint and decorate. We are really excited, it's a great house for us right now. We LOVE the back yard and deck. The back faces a huge open space which is nice and cozy.

In the contract we asked for the patio furniture and the lawn mower, and we got it!

Update

2009-05-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

So these past few weeks have been crazy, and it's only going to get more crazy. So first off we went to Bear Lake last weekend with 3 other couples who we have been friends with for a long time. Meghan's grandparents own a cabin up there. It was kind of like the last hoorah before we move. It was a lot of fun.

On another note, school has been super busy. I have cleared out my classroom and it looks really sad. I think it makes the kids sad, but they also know it's almost over so they're crazy at the same time. We have been able to do a lot of fun things now that testing is over!! I am going to miss my school sooooo much. I had a very interesting class this year, and not to say that I am not going to miss them, but I am ready for a break. I got a job for next year as a third grade teacher. I am excited to be going back to 3rd grade. I loved 2nd as well, but I dealt with a lot more crying (not me, them, although sometimes I felt like I wanted to). It's going to be hard for any school to compete with Spring Creek. Provo school district is really nice compared to a lot of places. It's interesting because I am sure my new school won't have everything Spring Creek has, but I will get paid like 4 thousand dollars more. So there is a trade off I suppose. Anyway, we're excited because now we can probably buy a house!

I have to say I am sooo sad to leave Provo. When I first got here I didn't think I would get attached at all, but it feels like home to us now. There are so many things that I am going to miss like, all of our friends, Cafe Rio (funny that it came to my mind before everything else), Provo River Trail, our garden, the mountains, Spring Creek, BYU sports, BYU everything, our house, and mormons everywhere! It has been such a blessing to be here. I have learned so much and have made so many good friends who I know I will keep in touch with. Everyday I say stuff like, "oh this might be the last day I drive on this road." Or, "This might be the last time we sit out on our porch."

All that being said, we are excited for the move to Colorado, and I will be happy to be near family and friends again.

Bear Lake

Bear Lake crew.

Craziness getting in that water!

BYU track runners come to play kickball! They were very good at getting them hyper!

Our sweet limo. One of the parents owns a limo business, so I made a deal with him at the beginning of the year, if all my kids passed their 2nd grade sight words we could take a limo ride. It was awesome. We drove around, went to a park, ate donuts, and acted like movie stars.

LA

2009-04-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

So this past week we went to LA. Drew had a track meet and I had spring break so it worked out perfectly. We went from Wednesday to Saturday. The day we left Provo it was snowing really hard, so it made me even happier to get away.

Let's just say we should always plan our vacations around track meets. We just had to pay for the plane ticket, which was awesome.

Anyway, we stayed at a super nice resort, which I wish I took more pictures of, but it was on the top of this big hill, and on a golf course over looking the city.

We went shopping at this place that is like canal street in New York. We also checked out the beach, and yes we also drove in a LOT of traffic. We went out to eat at some good places, and hung out at the track meet in really good weather.

It was rough going to work today. I really didn't do any school stuff over the break, so this week is a little improv.

Where's Drew? There were so many people in his heat that it made for some pretty nasty stuff, like pushing, going outside of the track, bloody shins from being spiked. So the race was not the highlight of the trip for him, but he still looks pretty hot.

This is where we went shopping. That is my new purse for $7 and earrings that were $1. Yes my eyes are closed and it is not the best picture of the place. The streets were just packed with shops.

This is at Santa Monica beach.

These are the boys we hung out with the whole weekend. It was a lot of fun.

This is a pic of our room. It was pretty spacious. Again, I don't know why I didn't take more pictures. It probably has something to do with having a bad camera.

Races

2009-04-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ran a 5k in downtown Provo. It was very cold, but after I got started it wasn't so bad. I decided it was time to start running again, and the only way to really motivate me is to sign up for races, so two weeks ago I signed up for this one.

I also got to see Drew race at BYU on Friday. It is very exciting because I don't get to see him race that much. He did great! I get so nervous for him before hand, more so than him even. I unfortunately didn't get a picture because I went straight from work and forgot my camera. I stood and cheered him on in the cold and he did the same for me.

Anyway, if you want to sign up for something with me let me know, it's much more fun with people.

This Week

2009-03-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

So... I know I know I have been bad about blogging, and I am sorry. The past few weeks have been pretty busy. Last week was St. Patrick's Day, which is always a good time. I had the kids make leprechaun traps again this year, and they were hilarious of course. They all had these crazy ways of trapping the leprechaun. We also made the Blarney Stones again but I forgot to take pictures. Anyway, after they went to lunch I had some kids from last year come down and mess up the room so it looked like the leprechauns had been there. They freaked out when they came back. Yeah then try teaching math after that!

Also I had parent teacher conferences which was tiring, but good. I feel like I need a week just to recover. But that is the last one of the year!

Other than that we have totally been taken over by LOST! I didn't really think that I would like it, and didn't really want to start, but everyone watches it and Drew has been wanting to start for a long time. I finally agreed that we would watch one a week. HA!! Yeah right, holy cow we have watched it nonstop. It has taken over. That's all we think about and talk about. Drew sends emails of what he thinks is going to happen and I am dreaming that I am in the show, let's just say it's gotten bad.

This is a movie theater, with glue on the seats just to make sure they will be caught.

This one is tied to a chair, which I guess was supposed to fall over when they went inside.

The leprechauns left candy and a trail of gold.

This is after the destruction.

Hilarious

2009-02-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

So... today I had to have a sub for the morning because I had a meeting. I had them do a lot of President's Day activities. My directions were to decorate the sign with things associated with America or the president they chose. When I came back that afternoon I see this on one of my students desk, honest Abe with the Mexican flag. I laughed so hard, and felt the need to show everyone in the building, and now to you too.

No one knows what the sub was doing, but hey at least he put a lot of effort into his art. I mean just look at that bird!

Color Me Mine

2009-01-28T20:12:00.001-08:00

This past weekend my friend Marcy and I went to Color Me Mine. It's a sweet place. I love it! They have a ton of pottery that you can choose from and then paint it. I decided to go big and design a cookie jar. There are a few rough patches but for the most part it's great. Drew said that because it was a bit pricey that I had to promise to fill it with homemade cookies at all times. Do you think he'll notice that the Oreos aren't homemade?

Marcy made a plate, and it was amazing. She's an expert. I didn't get a picture of her finished product but it was fabulous.

So anyway when you come by have yourself a little treat:)

Here's Marc. Look at that design!

Here's my cookie jar before.

After

Inner Tube Water Polo

2009-01-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

Well we have found our new intramural sport. Inner tube water polo. We had our first game on Friday. It was pretty fun. My arms were super sore.

I almost had to wear a shirt over my swimsuit because I forgot it's against the rules to wear a tankini at BYU, so I tucked it into the bottom. Yeah I did look pretty cool.

I think our team is going to be pretty good. I need a few more games to practice. We are going for another shirt baby!

The Festivities

2009-01-01T08:01:00.000-08:00

Well I realize I haven't posted in a while, so I will just give the run down of what has been goin on.

We left Provo on the 19th to head back to Colorado for the holidays. Drew came to school with me that day. I wish I had taken pictures during the party, but I didn't. They loved "Mr. Foster." It was so cute.

The day after we cam home we got together with a bunch of high school friends. I love having the same friends, it's so fun.

I will try and share some other moments with pictures.

Opening presents on Christmas.

Snowboarding with my mom at Breck.

Ave's game. It was so fun!

We tried to clear out our pores.

He was trying to get away from the camera. But I finally got proof that Drew did it too!

We hung out with Emily and Kevin. It was a blast. It makes me so excited to move back.

Emily is our pen pal! Love it.

Dinner with the fam. My niece Kyla. She is going to be a big sister!

Our anniversary dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. We then went to the Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver. It was awesome! We wrote our annual letter to each other. We've made it two years. I love this man!

We then drove up to Laramie to see the Milmonsters. Little Milmonster is adorable. I don't know why it never is normal to see my friends have babies. It is so exciting.

Now we are back in Provo and getting ready for the new year.

Home Sweet Home

2008-12-01T21:10:00.000-08:00

Well everyone we are headed back to Colorful Colorado. Drew got accepted to all the dental schools he interviewed at (which is amazing by the way), and one of them happened to be Colorado. We have been praying very hard that we would get in to CU. Drew is an amazing man, dental school is really hard to get into and he did very well. I kind of feel like we won the lottery. Although I am starting to think about leaving and it makes me really sad. I have really grown to love this place and all of the people around me. But I still have a few months left to enjoy it.

Anyway, besides that we went back to Colorado for Thanksgiving and it was a blast. We were able to do so many things. Just being with the whole family is so fun. I must say I am very glad we won't have to make the drive home so many times a year. The roads were AWEFUL on the drive home. At least through the mountains. All day today I was in such a good mood just because we made it home safely yesterday. I love snow... don't love to drive in it.

Also, we decorated the house tonight, which is always fun. Afterwards we relaxed by the tree with a little hot chocolate (courtesy of Mark and Liz).

I didn't get a chance to take many pictures, or let's be honest I was too lazy. But I did get a few, so enjoy.

This is my niece Kyla.

Do they come any cuter than this?

She loved walking in my shoes.

Drew loves this picture. It looks like it is on fire.

This is in our family room. Check out those blocks. I was pretty proud of myself for making them.

Slanket!

2008-11-20T19:55:00.000-08:00

Well everyone I have my new favorite item. It is called a slanket! It stands for a sleeved blanket. It just wraps around the back. I had never heard of it before until about a week ago when I saw it in a magazine and pointed it out to Drew, and said how cool it was. As it turns out Drew and already ordered me one a few days earlier as an early Christmas gift. He had seen a picture of it in an airplane magazine a month ago. I always complain how blankets don't keep my arms warm if I need to type or work on something. He knows me so well!

Oh and if you didn't know, we keep our house pretty cold so that's why having a slanket will be so great!

Halloween Festivities

2008-11-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Halloween was really fun this year. First of all we went to the trunk or treat at our ward and dressed up as a fairy and an Oger (sp?). I entered my chili into the chili cook off, but sadly there was much better chili there so the prize was a no-go for us. It was a lot of fun. (captions are on the top of each picture)

We carved pumpkins. This picture is blurry I am sorry, but check out that alien

Here is my witch. It was pretty intense.

Ofcourse we cooked the seeds. SOOOO good.

At school I dressed up as a smarty pants. The kids loved it. They wanted me to raise my hand and have everyone else giving me dirty looks. Although it looks like most of them are just looking at the camera:) They are so funny.

Here's my crew, minus a few.

We had a rockin party. Our craft was making a skeleton. Very cute.

Last night we gave out a lot of candy, which is always fun, and then had some friends over and played Scattegories (which Drew and I rocked) and then watched the Skeleton Key. I thought it was a good movie. I also made some graveyard dessert. Overall Halloween was a success.

The End

2008-10-18T16:03:00.001-07:00

Well it was a bitter sweet day today in the Foster home. If you have been following our garden from the beginning you got to see the progression of our gardening experience. It was very cold here about a week ago and it totally froze our plants, and now they are dead:( But the good news is I won't have to figure out what to do with the squash anymore. It was out of hand. Actually we still have a TON. We dug up the garden and found one last surprise as well. You can now come over and not have to leave with a zucchini every time.

Here is a normal sized zucchini next to the big mama.

My Man

2008-09-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Drew and I sometimes have "build up sessions," where we just compliment one another for a certain amount of time. I was thinking that Drew was due for one, and I wanted everyone else to hear it. I love the picture, it's right after he rocked his 800.

So here is the list:

· SOOO good looking
· Athletic
· Smart
· Doesn’t stress.. EVER
· Helps me to not stress
. Always wants to have a spiritual conversation
· Never in a bad mood
· Takes care of all the “man” jobs around the house
· Gets along with everyone
· Loves people for who they are
· Gives people the benefit of the doubt
· Optimistic
· Active
· Competitive (which I like)
. Can figure anything out... it doesn't matter what it is
· Never spends money, but let’s me
· Kills spiders for me
· Determined
· FUN

. Funny
· Makes me laugh

. Confident
· Loves me inspite of my flaws
· Understands that I am a girl

. Knows me better than I know myself
· Rational

. Awesome track runner (I don't know how it's physically possible to be that fast)
· Not critical

. Loves kids

. Truly loves to serve

. The most unselfish person ever
· Never gets mad (I seriously have only seen him upset like twice… in 7 years)
· Loves to dance
· Loves his family
· Well rounded in every aspect
· The best person I know

I LOVE YOU!

Update

2008-09-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

I thought I would update everyone on the past few weeks. Because I know you have been dying to know.

Well, my parents came out last weekend and we had a blast. The boys played golf I got to go to breakfast and shop with my mom, and then we all went to the BYU football game (and did some other fun stuff too). I am pretty sure my parents learned the fight song, and got a taste of BYU. It was just so nice for them to come out. It was a short weekend, but so fun.

I love BYU football. I am really not a big football person, but the games are such a blast. That's a picture of the dance they do before games start.

On another note, school is going well. I think that the beginning of the year is harder than any other time. It's been pretty crazy. Last week Drew was at cross country camp, and it actually worked out. I was at the school most days from 7:15 a.m. until 8:15 p.m. It's calmed down a little bit this week.

My kids are pretty darn cute. The first few days I was thinking oh geez these kids are a lot different third graders (which is true) but I have already grown to love them so much. The thing about teaching is you never know what a day will hold. The things that happen are so unexpected. I have already had so many stories that I've shared with Drew each night. Sometimes I just find my self laughing at night thinking about the things they say or do.

I think it's going to be a good year.

Lastly, I just had to share that I joined a work out class at BYU. It's not an aerobics class exactly. It's like this abs, cardio, free weights class. I think it will be really fun. The girls in the class are really nice. I have always joked around about classes, when I hear the music going and see all these women jumping around.

But, I decided that it was a good choice for me because once the after school program starts and winter comes my motivation to work out is going to drop. I am also glad that it forces me to leave the school. Otherwise it's hard to leave work undone. So just picture me in my cool work out outfit doing some high leg kicks and dancin to the music baby!

P.S. Don't you love this picture... classic

My New Stompin Grounds

2008-08-17T17:37:00.001-07:00

Well if you didn't know I switched grades and classrooms this year. Last year I taught third and this year I will teach second. I was pretty bummed for a while but now I think it will be okay. A few good things come along with switiching to second grade. I have less students, last year I had 28, and this year I am down to 18. I am sure it will change, but I don't think it will go up to 28. Another plus is that I have a bigger classroom, and smaller desks! I went down to the first floor, which is closer to the better copy room, faculty room, and bathroom! (yes, those things become very important to a teacher)

I had back-to-school night on Thursday and it was fun. They are so little. I don't know if they will understand my sarcasm, I got a few blank looks the other night. I will probably have to use more of my cute voice now:) Here are some pics.

They have their own carpet square. Now I can move them around as I please!

This side is a little bare at the beginning of the year.

The reading and listening center

The Topping on the Cake

2008-08-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

Well it is now officially the end of summer (for me at least). I have to start work tomorrow, and it is bitter sweet to say goodbye to this fun summer vacation. We were able to top it off with some really fun things this past week. The first two pictures are of us right before we pickled our banana peps and made zucchini bread. We have SO much zucchini that we don't know what to do with. Luckily we love it and hopefully we won't get sick of it.

Anyway, last week our friend Brandon got married in the Bountiful temple. It was a lot of fun. They had a dinner at Tucanos, which was awesome! Before the wedding we went up to Salt Lake early to go see "This is the Place." It was really neat to be there. I have so much appreciation for the early Saints, and for Brigham Young especially.

From the wedding we drove up to Jackson, Wyoming. We stayed at a really cool house, courtesy of Mike Morgan. He was my old Bishop in Colorado, and he has a house in Jackson. He offered Drew and I to stay there whenever we were able. We decided to top off the summer right. It was so great, and I was sad to leave.

All in all I would say we had a spectacular summer. We have had many wonderful trips, and I have read a total of 8 books, and I am sad that I won't have as much time to read. I am in the Work and the Glory series now, and it is awesome. I have learned so much church history already. I am excited to start a new year, but I haven't planned very much yet, and back to school night is on Thursday. But at least it's my second year of teaching, so when the parents ask how long I've taught, now I can proudly say 1:)

He's so proud of his banana peps

Ok seriously, this one went unnoticed for a while. Our plant can PRODUCE Baby!

I don't know who chose this pose, but it was pretty funny. The three boys are our friends from highschool (Drew's best friends his whole life), and the other two are getting married in the next two weeks.

This is the famous place to take a picture in Jackson.

Here are some pics of the house. This is one of many bedrooms.

Check out the bear, pretty sweet.

We watched a movie, and the Olympics here.

The Kitchen.

The living room

The backyard is so big. We played a lot of games out here. Yes it was just the two of us, and yes it was pretty competitive.

They had these really cool bikes. They looked like Harley's. We rode these everywhere.

It's not a good picture of my bike. Because it has flames on the side! And take a look at the leather straps off the handle bars. Oh and yes it had a bell.

I also enjoyed this bike.

We went to the Grand Teton National Park. They were really incredible. I don't know how people climb them. Drew's brother Mark climbed them last week. Impressive Mark!

Drew took a picture of me pondering by the lake.

Yes, a gigantic stuffed big foot ladies and gentlemen. We went downtown and there are so many cool shops. This was one of many. Don't they look like good buds?

Guess where we ate? Pizza Hut of course. We wanted to spend one night out at a restaraunt, but they were so expensive. We decided we love Pizza Hut, so why not?

On Sunday we made up a tournament in the backyard. The first event was bowling. Sadly I lost.

That night we made a fire outside. The weather was perfect, and the stars where lookin good.

Colorado

2008-07-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ok we are back! We just spent the last 2 weeks in Colorado, and guess how many pictures I took? ZERO. So, I am sorry because pictures are more fun to look at. BUT.. we had a great time. We spent time with both families, checked out the dental school, played a lot of the game "Settlers," saw many of our wonderful friends (tried to get them to start their own blogs!! You know who you are), had a 90th surprise birthday party for Drew's grandma, saw the Dark Knight, ate very well, missed out on our backpacking trip due to my ridiculous cough (but I am better now), Drew played a lot of golf, I finished the third book for the Twilight series, we went to the Reinassance Festival (sp?), on the way back to Provo we stayed at the bed and breakfast in Grand Junction that we stayed at one night on our honeymoon.

The whole trip was so fun, because there were so many family members that were around that there was always something going on. Anyway, I suppose our summer is almost up:( It has been sooo fun, and I am sad for it to end, but I get excited about teaching again this year. We might try and go to Jackson for a few days next week but if not we'll save it for the fall. Now we have three of our friends getting married in the next three weekends, it should be fun!

Back From The South

2008-07-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

We can now feel good about leaving Utah. We have gone to all the major sites. Our friends Adam and Susan drove from Laramie on Sunday night, they stayed at our lovely bed and breakfast and then we drove down to St. George on Monday. We spent the evening hanging out, swimming, and just relaxing. Tuesday we got up and drove to the Grand Canyon. There are no words to describe it. It's too hard to capture on camera as well. We camped out that night, which was really nice, the weather was perfect. We got up the next morning and headed to Zion's. That too was unbelievable. It is just so gorgeous. We hiked up the Narrows, which was really neat. You had to hike up a river most of the way. And the mountain walls keep getting closer, or more narrow. Hence the Narrows. Then that night we stayed with some of Adam's family in St. George. Adam and Drew got up the next morning and went back to Zion's to do Angel's Landing. Which I really wanted to do, but was not in the right condition. I had serious blisters still from Mt. Timp, as well as a cold. Anyway, they loved it, and the pictures looked awesome.
That day we drove back to Provo, and Susan and Adam stayed with us until Saturday. It was fun to just hang out in P-town with them. Overall, it was an awesome trip. We planned on going to Hawaii with them, and that didn't work out, so this was the next best thing. Also, Susan is 4 months pregnant and did great!

St. George Temple
At the Grand Canyon

This is part of the Narrows.

There are places that are super deep, and places that are really shallow. Drew can't touch the ground in this picture.

In 106 degree weather this felt great!

This is the path going up to Angel's landing. A bit scary

At the top

Just hangin around the top of about 1,000 foot cliff. No big deal.

Conquered The Mountain

2008-07-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well we have finally conquered all of Mount Timpanogos. On Wednesday we hiked up to Timpanogos Cave with our Neighbors. They have 3 kids. They are so fun, and we really had a great time. The kids struggled a bit on the way down. They were screaming and crying that they couldn't walk another step. Soo dramatic. All I could do was laugh (is that mean?) They're kids... what can you say? Don't worry they got in the car and were happy and ready for lunch.
Then on Saturday we hiked Mount Timpanogos with our friends Brent and Christa. We left at 5 am and got home at 3 pm. We stopped a few times for different things, like losing the camera and Drew running back a mile and a half to find it, and for my blisters I got on my heels after 2 hours of hiking. Never again will I wear hiking boots. Anyway, it was still soooo fun! The last few hours of the hike up to the summit we had to hike up a glacier, which was pretty tough, but on the way down we got to go sledding without the sled! It was amazingly beautiful, and with the glacier and waterfalls everywhere it was awesome. On the way down we slid down a few more snow patches. We got more and more daring, which made for more and more cuts and bruises. Overall it was great! Drew and I were talking about how hiking is one of those things that makes you really appreciate everything.... the fact that it is so beautiful, that we have bodies that allows us to do things like this, and that we can go home and have air conditioning and take a shower. Which felt so good.
Also, yes I am wearing the same thing on both hikes, and yes I did wash them before both hikes.

This is hiking Timp Cave. Look at the kids, I love it!

This is when we reached the top.

This is inside the cave. They call it the heart of the cave behind me. (Don't you love the bandaid on my neck?)

She actually was happy inside the cave, although she doesn't look it.

This is right when we started on the path up the mountain.

Awesome waterfalls! One of many.

They are staring out into the distance.

We had to cross these all the time, actually a bit scary. Drew stepped once and broke through the snow, with a river below.

This is the path to the summit, a bit narrow.

We made it!

This is the shelter up at the top. Very windy. And very cool.

We had to hike this going up.

As you can see we didn't hike down. It was soooo fast, and hard to stop.

Here is Drew with some goats.

Gorgeous Lake

Midway

2008-07-01T13:13:00.001-07:00

Last night we went up to Midway, Utah. It's where I ran my half marathon. We really liked it when we were there so we thought we should make a trip out of it the next time. It's just a really cute little mountain town. It's really beautiful. We had such a great time. We relaxed, we went to the golfing range to hit some balls (which was right next to a gorgeous river), then we remembered seeing something being set up down the road for a concert. After "golfing" we were sitting in a gazebo and heard the concert starting, and we thought maybe we would go check it out. Then I said what if Ryan Shupe was there.. jokingly. And low and behold it was Ryan Shupe and Peter Breinholt. It was so great!! We were so excited. The concert was great, and afterwards we got a pic with Ryan.
The next day we slept in really late, which is fun sometimes. Then we had breakfast next to a cute little pond. After that we went to the crater. And then sadly we left.
I love spending time with my man. We just always have so much fun. I love him!!

This is a picture from the top of the crater.

Here they are in action.

I was so excited, but I tried to play it cool.

Here is our little breakfast table. We fed the ducks what we didn't eat.

Ok we didn't feed them everything we didn't eat. I knew it was going to be large, but you've got to be kidding me.

This is me pointing down to the crater.

And this is looking up.

Here's Drew relaxing. It is 65 feet deep.

Trips

2008-06-22T11:30:00.001-07:00

The past few weeks have been really fun. We have been able to spend a lot of time with family. First we went to Breckenridge with Drew's fam, and it was a blast! The house we stayed at was incredible and it was just perfect. We all went on a little hike, we had a foosball tournament (don't ask), we went in the spool several times, we played games, went to the park, had a manliest man competition, ate a lot of good food, and just relaxed. I love the Foster fam, it's guaranteed to be fun. I am so glad to be part of the family.

Then we went on a trip with my parents to Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, and Arches. It was amazing. We hiked Bryce, which was seriously incredible, and did shorter hikes at the others. Drew and I camped and my parents stayed at a hotel. We packed a lot in for 3 days. It was so fun to be with them, and to have a little family vacation again.

Here's my manly man during the rock throw.

This is the sledge hammer competition.... so manly

The football tossThe car push..of course

The 40 yard dash up hill

Bryce Canyon

A little far away, but that's ok

There were these tunnels that were so neat.

Taking a little break

Look how strong he is!

"Ohhh Kristen Take my picture!"

Our little friend found our apple core.

This was the most awesome view.

This is the famous arch that is on the Utah licsence plates. It's a little far away.

This is "Double Arch" it was so cool.

You can barely see Drew, but he's there.

The Garden

2008-06-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well everyone we now have a garden. I really wish that I took pictures from the very beginning because it looks a little different now. The area was covered with weeds and very hard dirt. We just went to town on it on Monday, and after that I was sooo sore. Then we finished it up yesterday. Although we had some more room so I am going to go get a few more plants today. We found a lot of interesting things while digging. Drew found a piece of foundation that he dug up with his pick-axe (I think he felt pretty manly), along with nails, kids toys, doll clothing, etc..
We got a few different veggies, so we hope they turn out right. We also got one pumpkin that says it could be 500 pounds! We joke about that because we know that's not true. Anyway, I am now a fan of gardening.

p.s. Teaching is the best.... summers off.... livin it up.

Many Happenings

2008-05-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

I have had an eventful few weeks. I am done with my first year of teaching in 2 days!! I really can't believe it. I am very excited, but at the same time I feel really sad. I feel my eyes start watering everytime I talk about it with the kids. I don't know how to explain how I feel. I am sure most teachers feel like this with their class at the end, but I think because it's my first year it's even more difficult. I have learned sooo much this year, and have put in so much with these kids, it's hard to know I won't see them everyday. Oh goodness I am now crying. Anyway, it's been a spectacular year, and I love them so much!

We had a talent show, and the third grade teachers decided that we should show our talent. We did a synchronized swimming act. We had some people hold up our "water" in front of us on stage. We wore our swim suits over our clothes, it was great. The kids loved it.

Onto another topic... I ran a half marathon! It was really fun. It was in Midway, Utah. It is absolutely beautiful up there. I knew that it was in the mountains and I knew it said it wasn't a course to get personal records, but I didn't know it was going to be up a mountain!!! The first few miles were good, and then I saw this mountain and a path going up it, and then I saw cones going towards it, and I couldn't believe it. It was at least 4-5 miles straight up the mountain. BUT it was along a river/lake. Somehow it didn't bother me that much, I felt good and I just focused on each mile. I had Drew and my two friends, Emily and Kevin there cheering me on. Emily and Kevin flew out from Colorado to spend the weekend with us. It was fabulous. I had been missing my girl time. Anyway, They met me at the bottom of the hill, right before I had my last three miles on uphill pavement. They would drive and then stop and cheer me on to the next mile. I wasn't exactly a happy camper by that time. When I finished I was so happy. I kept imagining stopping and what that would feel like. And let me tell you it felt great! There is just something about accomplishing something that's hard that feels really good. I love making goals, and then actually completing them.

This is right before!

Our wonderful friends!! They look a little chilly.
I look a little creepy here, but don't worry I am very happy.

The New Place

2008-05-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

Well folks here is the new house pics. We are absolutely loving it. I think I will be sad to leave now. It has all the things that make a woman happy.

Here she is! We have parking!

This is looking throught the front door. You can kind of get an idea of how it's laid out.

Drew has his own workspace now. By work I mean homework:)

This is the cozy front room

A real bathroom. If any of you saw our old shower, you would know it was more like a dungeon.

This is our room. It is still pretty spacious.

This is my little workspace.

This is the extra bedroom/computer room

This is the cute kitchen. I now have counter space, dishwasher, and cupboard space!

And check it out! A special home for the spices.
This is the family room. Drew's dream came true; we got a very large tv.

This is wonderful! Having a washer and dryer is a huge plus. This is the laundry room/storage room attached to the house.

March Madness

2008-03-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, this actually has nothing to do with the real March Madness (although, if you must know I am beating Mickey and Drew pretty badly). Anyway, this month has been very eventful. First, all of Drew's siblings and their families traveled back to Colorado for a surprise party for his parents' 60th birthdays. It was a blast! They had no idea, and it was so fun being with everybody.
Actually the week before we left for Colorado was pretty crazy. Who ever planned having Easter, St. Patrick's Day, and parent teacher conferences in the same week is in trouble with me. Although, we did do a lot of fun things, but it was definitely a lot of work.
Then came the triathlon. It was really fun, and also really cold and windy. Luckily they switched the events around so that swimming was at the end. Which apparently messed me up a little because at the transition area I forgot to grab my goggles. I could see the look on people's faces, they were saying, "why would you do a triathlon without goggles? What an amateur." I think that I did the best on the run part. When I was on the bike going up some pretty nice hills against the wind I was pretty sure I could have ran faster than biked. I am really excited to do one in the warmth of the summer. Here are some pics from the month.

Here is a reinactment of the surprise. If you want to see the actual surprise on video go to the Foster homepage.

I thought it was important to show the sub Drew and I got the family for lunch. It was huge even for the whole family. King Soopers treats you right baby.

We made leprechaun traps on St. Patrick's Day. And it was so fun. They are so creative. During lunch I put gold sparkles and candy in their traps. Some are still wondering if it was me, but for the most part they were soo excited!

Of course the boys built an army base. The little signs say Gold.

And here are the girls welcoming the leprechauns with a nice hot tub.

We made our very own Blarney Stones.

I wrote this on the board. And they went nuts. Don't worry I wrote it with my left hand so there was no suspicion.

Here is my friend Brooke who invited me to do the race. We went on a bike ride a week before and she took a "little" spill. Ironically she had just gotten her bike and named it Lucky. It was the first time she had ridden it. Not so lucky. She did break her elbow, and she is quite the trooper. Love you Brooke!! This is the night of the accident.

This is me a little nervous and a little cold, before the start.

This is right before the run. (We ran, then biked, then swam)

Here I am right after I finished.

ABC Tag

2008-03-09T17:48:00.001-07:00

My friend Emily tagged me, so here ya go. It's pretty thrilling so get ready.

A: Attached or single: Attached

B: Best friend(s): Of course my hubs (ladies, you know who you are).

C: Cake or Pie: Pie, unless it’s icecream cake.

D: Day of choice: Saturday’s, especially if Drew is here.

E: Essential Item: toothbrush or scriptures. I don’t mean to put toothbrush in front of scriptures but come on it’s important to brush. I am getting prepared to be the wife of a dentist.

F: Favorite Color: I used to think blue but I am noticing I am drawn to red.

G: Gummi Bears or Worms: Well I like to bite the bears limbs off. I know gruesome.

H: Hometown: Littleton, CO

I: Indulgence(s): Drew informed me last night that I have an obsession with cookies and cream icecream. Like I didn’t already know that.

Just look at that!

J: January or July: January 9th to be exact.

K: Kids: 26 (ok, I can’t exactly claim them as my own).

L: Life is incomplete without: cookies and cream, and Drew.

M: Marriage Date: 12/30/06

N: Number of siblings: 1 sister

O: Oranges or Apples: Apples, with a little peanut butter.

P: Phobias or fears: spiders, weirdos

Q: Quote(s): Holding a grudge is like drinking poison hoping someone else dies from it.

R: Reason To Smile: Thinking about my husband dancing:) He is hilarious.

S: Season: Fall, the leaves are amazing.

T: Tag: Brooke, Dana, Susan

U: Unknown Fact about Me: I try to plan my life around “The Office”

V: Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: meat lover baby!

W: Worst Habit: Pretending that I am listening and I’m not. It’s really a skill. Sorry if I have done it to you, but you probably have no idea, that’s how good I am.

X: X-rays or Ultrasounds: What kind of question is this? Umm I guess I hope to have an ultrasound before I have an X-ray.

Y: Your favorite Food: Mexican

Z: Zodiac: Capricorn

Why Is Exercise So Great?

2008-03-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

I am running a half marathon in May that I am starting to get ready for, and my friend invited me to do a triatholon at the end of March. Am I ready for that? NO. Have I been swimming or biking lately? NO. BUT I am now in training. I am really excited for these events.

I don't know what it is about running and working out in general. I think I NEED it to stay sane. For instance today I had run out of patience and energy completely. I came home and went running and felt so much better. I reminded myself of how I love my job, and my kids, and I was again ready to tackle another day.

Ahhh.. The Good Old Days

2008-02-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

Today is Valentine's Day. This year was a little different than the past few years. I got to relive my elementary days. It was so fun to watch their excitement and to remember how I used to feel back then. They all made their own bags and taped them on their desks for people to drop treats in.

I remember getting the cards, and loving them so much. Luckily, in third grade there isn't too many crushes going on. But that didn't stop some people. Drama, drama, drama.

We did all crafts for our party. I think that they had fun, even though I heard complaints about not having a movie on like the Christmas party (of course coming from a boy). Boys just don't get into hearts and pink and all that good stuff like girls. I can't believe it!!

This is after they exchanged all their treats. They were sooo excited.

There was some blushing going on:)

This is our tissue heart, if you can tell.

This is our little mice we made out of hershey kisses.

Showing off their mice.

We made hands with hearts for their moms.

So many bears, and so much candy! It was very nice.