Bridal Veil Falls

The sun is out and the Bares are coming out of hibernation! (I've only been a Bare for a less than two years so these "bare" puns are still funny to me, I apologize.)  We are so excited to get out of the apartment and show Carly this beautiful world she lives in! 

One of our favorite places to frequent when the sun is out is Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon.  Grass, trees, walking paths, picnic tables, and a creek running right through.  It's pretty much perfection.  Bridal Veil Falls is also a special place to me because it's where my grandpa proposed to my grandma! Awww... The falls usually look like this:

Pretty, huh?

 But because we decided to head over there a little earlier in the season, we ended up with this:

The falls were still pretty but there was a HUGE pile of dirty snow left over from an avalanche at the bottom.  It knocked over the fence and destroyed a portion of the path, so that made for some creative maneuvering of the stroller.

 

There is a pond at the bottom of the falls filled with ducks and huge fish and for the visitors to feed...

Carly was more interested in the dog. 

Matt decided to take Carly down by the creek...

Excuse me...IN the creek.

At this point I was I was yelling,
"DON'T DROP MY BABY! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"





He didn't drop her.

He's excited for Carly to start walking across logs and such.

Judging from this face, tummy-time on a log isn't all that great.

Mommy's turn! This little girl sure loves her daddy, but I love that she always saves some smiles for me.

Absolutely precious.

We really miss our families, but Provo isn't so bad for now.

Coming Soon to Own on Videocassette

Some of you heard about our recent purchase of a VCR and several VHS tapes. Here are my thoughts on the subject:

1. I love movies.  Love them.  And so does my husband! When we have the time, we love ending our day with unwinding and watching a movie together.  So of course we aspire to someday owning a massive beautiful collection of great movies.  The classics, ya know?

2. Which leads me to my next point.  First of all, I am all for new technology and moving forward and all that.  But am I the only one who thinks maybe we're racing to develop all this new tech a little too fast?  So fast, that it's almost impossible to gather said movie collection before the format changes? 

Seriously.

3.  DVDs and Blu-ray....expensive.  Ridiculously so.  You can go to the store and buy a newly released movie for around $20 right?  We bought 22 movies on VHS for less than that. 22. You know why? Nobody wants their tapes anymore! "Blu-ray has crystal clear sound! Look at that picture! It's so real!"  You know what guys? Two minutes into our VHS version of the Lion King, I didn't notice.  Honestly.  And don't get me started on how nostalgic I felt pressing "stop" and "rewind" at the end of the film.

So what am I getting at? Am I insisting you all visit your local thrift store and empty their shelves of great movies on tape like we did? Not exactly. I mean, then there wouldn't be any left... :)  But we did double our movie collection for very little cost.  And we do feel very smart about it.  So smart, I just needed to share.

RIP Sunglasses

Awhile back, Matt's sunglasses broke.  They were cheap and had a long run. It wouldn't have been a big deal, but summer was just beginning.  Lucky for him, his birthday was right around the corner.  I bought him a sturdier pair, a little more on the spendy side.  Happy birthday!

A mere couple months later they disappeared. Gone. Nowhere to be found.

I hate losing things. Absolutely hate it. And I was so upset that he had lost this new pair of sunglasses that I had picked out for him.  I nagged and nagged about how he needed to find those sunglasses pronto.  The poor guy couldn't even mention the sun being in his eyes without me jumping down his throat for losing those glasses.  I wouldn't let him get a new pair because "You'll just lose those too!"

Yesterday.  We were giving our apartment an overdo cleaning, de-junking, and reorganizing.  I picked up a purse that I hadn't used in several months and emptied out the contents.  Unfortunately Matt was in the room and I couldn't hide my loud gasp.  He fell into a fit of laughter as he saw me pull HIS sunglasses from MY purse.  I don't know how or when they got there.  I just stood there with a look of bewilderment on my face as I remembered how awful I had been to him.  I had them the whole time!

I walked over to him and hugged him and apologized over and over again.  Lucky for me, he was still laughing.

The very next day.  Today.  I was chopping an onion for dinner.  I must be hypersensitive to onions or something because I am always instantly blinded.  Matt walked past the kitchen and saw my squinting mascara-covered sniffling face.  He came back with a tissue and what else?  His sunglasses (I love this man). They helped a little and I finished chopping the onion. 

As I went to take them off, they got tangled and stuck in my hair.  I must have been a bit too aggressive with them.  Another gasp.

Matt was still in the room with me.  I am so glad this guy has a sense of humor.  This time he hugged me and threw the broken sunglasses in the garbage.  Still laughing.

Sorry Matt.  Guess what you're getting for Valentine's Day?

A Disappointment

I've had something on my mind lately.  I've been thinking back to high school. (Yikes, right?) Actually, I loved high school.  Both socially and academically I thrived.  Due to my competitive spirit, I worked very hard to excel in all my classes.  I studied hard for the ACT and retook it until I was proud of my score.  I surrounded myself with friends who had similar ambitious natures and we pushed each other to the top of our class.  When I graduated, I could tell many of the teachers I had befriended expected great things from me.  Similarly, I expected my friends to go to college and excel just as they had done in high school.  I knew they would achieve their various degrees and go on to have impressive careers. And I was proud of them! I know they felt the same way towards me.

But I had a secret. I didn't want some big important job.  Ever since I was little, I dreamed of starting a family.

Fast forward three years, one marriage, and one beautiful daughter later.  I can't shake the feeling that I have disappointed those teachers and friends. 

After my now husband proposed to me during my first semester of college, I changed my career path to something I knew would be flexible enough to allow me time to be a mother.  It's not impressive. But it's something. And more importantly, I enjoy it.

Six months into our marriage, I found out I was pregnant.  Nine months later, I am holding the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. 

Now that's impressive.

I have difficulty relating to those friends now.  Some I haven't heard from since I got married.  I don't blame them.  Life happens. And it happens at a different rate for all of us. I know someday those friends will start families of their own and it will be their turn to post endless pictures of their adorable children on Facebook. And they will understand. 

So to all those who are confused by the simple life I have chosen, please don't be disappointed in me. Please know that I am living my dream.  And thanks to my husband and daughter, I am the best, happiest, most selfless person I have ever been.

And the best part is - this is just the beginning!

What I've Learned

I have been a Mommy for almost three weeks now.  I'd like to share a few things I've learned/am in the process of learning.

1. I will never be bored again. Ever. And that's fine with me.

2. I could spend all day just staring at my daughter and be perfectly content.

3. I've never missed my own mom as much as I do now.

4. Breast feeding HURTS. But it gets better. And it's totally worth it.

5. The whole "sleep when the baby sleeps" thing is impossible for me.  If she's sleeping, I'm folding laundry!

6. Watching my husband play with Carly when he doesn't know I'm looking is my favorite. He knows he's got himself a daddy's girl, and he loves it.

7. I forgot how to make dinner for awhile there, but I'm getting back into the swing of things.

8. It is the coolest thing to see pieces of me and Matt in another human being.  She's a perfect mix!

9. Moms have super powers.  Not only do I have cat-like reflexes, but I can pick out which cry is Carly's in a crowd of crying babies.  I feel pretty awesome.

10. I didn't know I had the capacity to love someone this much.  Being a mom is the most selfless job I can think of.  And I am honored to join the ranks :)

Matthew

*WARNING* 

You could say my husband and I are still in that "honeymooning" stage.  I am about to brag about him A LOT.  And get a little on the mushy side.

As our baby's arrival inches closer and closer, I've thought a lot about how this new addition will change mine and my husband's relationship. Of course I am hopeful she will only bring us closer.  But I can't help but be a little nervous about this big change.

There are often moments when we spend time together doing the simplest of things that I just pause and think to myself "I am SO happy! Can this moment please just last forever?" Just give me a moment to express how wonderful Matt is:  

Matt is happy.  If I could only use one word to describe him, that would be it. Easy.  Not in a sickeningly optimistic sort of way.  Just a happy-to-be-here sort of way.  And it's contagious.  Which is good for my ever realistic (*cough* negative *cough*) attitude.

Matt makes me laugh.  It is REALLY hard to stay mad at this guy.  Boy does he know how to work those blue puppy eyes and dimples.  He loves to get people laughing and is always working on his comedic timing.  He has me smiling and giggling all the time.

Matt constantly strives to improve his life.  He is a goal-setter.  It is because of his enthusiasm that we have Family Home Evening once a week, read scriptures and say prayers together in the morning, and put together a meal plan at the beginning of each month, among other things.  He is one motivated man, and I do my best to keep up.

Matt is a really good kisser.  'nuff said.

Matt doesn't take life too seriously.  We're college kids.  Life isn't exactly stress-free.  Money is tight.  But Matt knows how and when to take a break and have a little fun - whether it be treating ourselves with doughnuts on a Saturday morning or putting homework aside for a moment to play a card game with his attention-yearning wife.

I could go on forever.  I love that I get to walk/run/skip/jump through this life, hand-in-hand with this man.

I love you Matthew. You are going to be one fun daddy.  To infinity, and beyond!

Nursery Pics!

 The nursery is finished! And I am quite proud of it :) This work of cuteness was made possible by many donations of family and friends, cheap finds at yard sales, and Pinterest inspiration. We are so anxious to show our baby girl!

This is my pride and joy.  I've never been so crafty in my life!

Love that scrap-booking paper!

I came into the room and found this. Forever making me laugh... :)