The Redd Fam

ciEnNa cLaiRe tUrNs oNe...

2009-06-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

sWimMing & sWeEts...

Can you even believe it? My baby girl is one...I know I can't believe it. Well, we had a fun little shin-dig to celebrate...lots of fam and lots of swimming and lots of fun!! I don't think Papa Jeff has seen that many kids in the pool in a very long time. Cienna had a little dip and then she faced off with her cake...a "cupcake" cake that was about bigger than she was. She stared at that thing...& didn't know what to do with it. Then when she realized it was OK to dig in...she dug in...and loved it!! We had lots of bright cupcakes for everybody else...it was just a cupcake kinda day. We spent that night pushing Cici around in her new car and Ilie got to ride her new bike...isn't summer grand!

gRaDuaTioN tRip...

2009-06-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

After four years of Canada, lots of amazing friends, two baby girls, amazing Canadian adventures, school, school & more school...we have made it through and Mark has officially graduated!! We had such an amazing trip going back to Halifax for graduation. It was so fun to go with Mark's parents and show them around our hometown and have them there to see Mark graduate. We were all more than proud. AND...it was sooo good to see all our friends again for one last Halifax horah!! I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of Mark. I really had to hold back the tears throughout all the graduation stuff, because I was just so dang proud of him. He has worked sooo hard and put in so many hours and done so well...& I know it was all for the benefit of our little family. It is such a great feeling knowing that we have BOTH made it through!! When you are staring those four years down from the starting line, these seem sooo long and the finish line seems sooo far away. And then, all of the sudden you are about to put your foot across the line and be done for GOOD, and it almost seems surreal and trying to pinch yourself to make sure it's not one of those wonderful dreams where you wake up and you're stomach drops because you realize that you're still three years away...ya know that kind!! But it is real and you are really proud...proud of all of us really...cause we did it together!! And all I can say is....YIPPEE, YAHOO, and YEHAW!! So nice job Markus...you kicked butt and I hope you know how grateful I am for all of your hardwork!! And now we're off to the next phase and I know you're going to kick butt again!

On our trip we also had the chance to see a lot of Halifax that we hadn't experienced over our last four years. Ya know, you kinda live a different life when you have two little kids. For some reason...you don't make it out late at night, you don't ever see the inside of a pub (for dang good pub food & awesome atmosphere) & you don't get to go to nice oceanside restaurants and get yummy seafood!! But this trip...we were kid-less, so we had many late nights, saw lots of awesome pubs (the Shoe Shop was oh, so my favorite) & had some dang good seafood sitting out on the waterfront. Can't ask for more than that. We also took a wonderful, and much needed trip to the temple...another thing we didn't get to do very often with kids. It was beautiful and the perfect thing to do when we had so much to be grateful for!! I honestly fell in love with Halifax in a way that I never could before!! Oh...and hello...it was the nicest weather i have ever seen in a Halifax May...absolutely perfect!! So here's some pics to sum up the trip....

rEpeNtaNce...& eVerYthiNg eLse...

2009-06-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

OK...OK...pathetic I know. I haven't uPdAted oUr blOg in basically forever!! AND...so much has been happening since I last updated. So I have lots of catching up to do, so I'll try to do it as painlessly as possible and not bore ya (any of yous that still even check our blog...ha, ha) with too much craziness. OK...here's the quick to the point synopsis of our life for the last three months...READY, SET, GO:

•pack, pack, pack and then we packed some more

•sell, sell, sell and sell some more (we sold almost all of our furniture, crazy...but good)

•lived in a really empty house...sleeping on blow ups, boxes to hold the TV up...it was great

•lots of really sad goodbyes (miss you Halifax fam!!)

•pack a truck with what was left of our life

•for me and the kids...one last 12 hour plane ride back to Utah

•for Mark, one long 50 hour drive back to Utah...yuck

•now living with the parents...gotta love it baby...really, it's great and are parents are fabulous because they put up with us!! and hey, gotta love built in babysitters!

•we got cell phones (iPhones, that is)...can I get a YAHOO...after four years without it has been so fabulous...honestly these things are amazing and oh, so worth it!!

•looked at houses, then quickly gave up when we realized we had to be making $ to get a loan...ha, ha, imagine that...so that's on hold for awhile

•gave up on looking at cars...until we are actually making $...ha, ha...yes, we just have to laugh

•GRADUATION...we took an amazing trip to Halifax with Mark's parents for his graduation. It was so more than AWESOME, and we were pretty dang proud of that boy!!

•Mark has been setting up his associateships with Dr. Mark Mackley and Dr. Jim Jones

•insurance, insurance and more insurance to figure out

•trying to fit back in, in good ol' Utah land

•golfing...trying to get the swing back

•seeing lots of family

•Ilie got a bike...and loves it

•hangin' with the friends

•yummy Utah restaurants....oh, how I have missed you

•Cienna turned one...& we had one crazy fun swimming cupcake party (pics to come!!)

•Cici started full on walking...yeah, you go girlie!

•Ilie is making new friends (but so misses her Halifax buddies), is registered for Preschool and is going to start tumbling (I'm not use to all this big-kid stuff!)

•swimming in Papa's pool...and Ilie is finally getting daring

•NOW...Mark officially starts his first day at work tomorrow...crazy, eh? But oh, so exciting! & we're still getting settled into a new life with lots to do and lots to figure out...but it's all exciting, just add a little faith and pixie dust we'll be just fine...fingers crossed!!

OK...did you survive? I think that about covers it! I am going to post a few more blogs with pics from the graduation trip and Cici's birthday...so don't worry there will be more, cause I know you are just dying for it, right? Ha, ha...yep, I'm pretty funny. OK...I will spare you and stop now. But to the blogging buddies out there, hopefully this is the start of a new beginning and I WILL do better!!

aNd sHe's oFF...

2009-03-15T17:01:00.001-07:00

So Cienna has been cRuiSin around for about a month now...but not efficiently! She could crawl backwards, scoot on her bum & roll around in about every direction...but not crawl forwards. But today it finally cLicKed. We got home from church and we were just relaxing and we look down and there is Cici crawling at full speed across the floor and belly laughing while she's doing it. She was so hApPy that she had finally figured it out & that she could finally catch her sister (well, at least a little bit.) So here's a little clip of her new talent. Also...we got some cute footage of Ilie and her philosophies on Daddy's new profession and love!! (Yeah, but ignore her starting to fight with little sis at the end...she's never done that before...ha, that's funny.)

**PAUSE OR MUTE MY MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE SO YOU CAN HEAR THE VIDEOS!!

piNkaLiciOus pArtY tiMe...

2009-03-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

For Ireland's tHiRd biRthDay...she wanted a pInkaLiciOus pArtY!! She's has the book "Pinkalicious" and she is obsessed with it...we pretty much read it every single night. So...we had a piNkaliCioUs party & it was pInk, piNk, pInk!! She had lots of fun with her closest buds. They all got dressed up in pink tutus, tiaras, shoes & wands...except for our handsome Jace...he was our pink prince in his cape, crown & sword...LOVED IT!! We decorated, played & ate lots and lots of sugar...including our pInk cUpcAkes!! It was a pinkalicious time!!

mY bAby giRl iS tHree...

2009-03-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

Nope...I can't believe it, but like it or not...my baby girl is

tHree yEaRs oLd!!

I remember during our first year in Halifax, I thought how wierd it would be that Ireland would be three when we moved home.

Now we're at the end & she's three...cRaZy!!

Well, she's pretty much the cUteSt, fuNnieSt & sWeeTeSt three year old out there. She makes me smile and laugh every single day!! We prayed, wished & hoped for a very long time for our little angel...and she is the greatest answer to a prayer that we could have ever hoped for. She makes me a better person and makes me see the siMpLe & wOndErfUl in life.

I love you Ilie-girl...hApPy biRthDaY!!

tHeY aRe sOOO fuNny...

2009-03-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

OK...so I think little kids are the fUnniEst pEopLe on eArth!!

The other day Ireland was going potty and she started

gIggliNg!!

So I asked her what was so funny...and she said...

"Mom I'm a bUnnY rAbBit!! And then she turns around & in her

bare little bum crack she had stuffed a little wad of toilet paper...thus giving

her a little bUnnY rAbBit tAil!!

Holy crap...I laughed so hard!!

Where do they come up with these things? No, it's not from Mark,

although I wouldn't put it past him! Ha, ha!!

cUteSt giRls eVer...

2009-02-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Here's some of the latest

cUte piCtuRes of our cUte gAls...

One morning while Mark was gone,

I woke up and heard giGGling in the other room.

So I got up and looked in Cici's room

& Ilie had cRawLed in bed with Cici

and they were laying next to each other just a

giGGlin'.

(Don't ya just love Cici's hair!!)

vAlenTinE's dAy...

2009-02-28T17:30:00.000-08:00

Well, better lAte than nEveR...but,

hApPy lOveY dAy!

We had a fun little Valentine's day here in Scotia Land.

Started off with some festive

pInK heArt pAncAkes...

and Ireland was loving it...

since she is the total piNk girl.

The girls opened their fun little pResEnts

and we had a great night with

FUN friends, yummy chinese food & of course

lots of FABULOUS treats!!

But best of all was being with my cute and wonderful

HUBBY!!

He's pretty much the absolute best and I'm the luckiest gal out there.

rAndOmnEss...

2009-01-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

So I have been TAGGED by Sonja to tell

thReE ranDom tHinGs about myself,

so here goes:

1. I totally have OCD about certain things. Like my chairs all have to be the same distance from the table and my curtain tabs have to be even and my couch pillows have to be placed just so...OH, and my Dad totally turned my into a cord freak. ALL CORDS HAVE TO BE HIDDEN. I can't stand random cords hanging around, they have to be tied, taped, strapped and hidden. Yep...I'm officially wierd.

2. Anyone who knows me knows this...I LOVE TO SHOP. I seriously think it is therapeutic to me. I could go shopping everyday, not necessarily always buying stuff, but shopping none the less!!

3. I'm a total artsy-fartsy girl. I love the art world (probably why I got my degree in art...go figure!!) I miss it terribly, since I graduated and moved across the world and became a mother...it's been hard to keep up with that part of my life. But when we move home and get settled into life again, I really want to dive back in. If I could have a dream come true...it would be to have an art show someday and sell a few of my paintings!

4. I use to play the guitar. Another one on the list of things I miss. And another thing I am determined to get back into. I love it...still need to learn lots, but love it.

5. I have a serious obsession with Haribo gummy grapefruits. They are my absolute favorite and they are sooo hard to find. I have to order them in 10 lb bags from Amazon, but they are oh so worth it!

6. Can I tell you just how much I love being a mom. Yes, motherhood can be the hardest thing EVER, it totally changes your life and need we even mention what it does to your body (and mind). But I cannot think of anything that makes me happier. When my girls smile, giggle, give me loves, say something cute or hilarious, etc, etc...I just melt. I really can't even wrap my brain around how much I love them. Greatest blessing I could ever ask for!

hEy miC...reMemBer tHis?

2009-01-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

soon...the tables will be tUrNed!!

yippee...to my cUte sIs who is pReGo!!

i am so eXciTed. she is due the end of jUly, so we'll be there to

welcome little bAby wArd.

CRUISE 2009...

2009-01-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

Well, this January we did a little early gRaDuaTiOn ceLebRatiOn, and took a cruise to the Western Caribbean (Belize, Costa Maya & Cozumel)! We went with a bunch of the Kammeyer crew...Joanne, Jim, Amanda, Marty, Jennifer, Bub, Todd, Spencer, Diane, Dennis & Mark and me!! It was more than FABULOUS. We went on a Royal Caribbean ship called the Independence and it's the largest ship in the world...and it was huge!! It seriously had everything on it...there was so much to do...we couldn't even do it all! But we did get lots of loungin' time, lots of sunshine and perfect weather (yes, warm...and not 25 below..so that was kinda nice), tons of entertainment & so much good food that it was just ridiculous!! In Belize we took an insane van ride out to the Mayan ruins and they were pretty amazing (and it was pretty amazing that we made it there and back alive too!!) In Costa Maya we went to a beach and swam, bargained for some nice little Mexico treasures and ate some yummy salsa and guac on the beach. In Cozumel we went to a beach resort call Mr. Sancho's and then headed downtown for some shopping (which included some serious bartering action!!) It was a seriously fun trip and it was so WONDERFUL to be with Mark for a week straight...and to SEE him for a week straight, with NO studying. We missed the girls horribly, but they had a blast with their Grandmas and I think we missed them more than they missed us!! Now we just have to recover from the post-cruise syndrome!! ;)

Sorry I had to put the pics on three different slide shows...there were a bit too many. My cousin Todd took a bunch and we did too...hence, WAY TOO MANY PICS!! But hey, here they are anyway...

cHriStmAs iN uTah...

2009-01-15T15:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't totally give up blogging (i promise)...so here's my attempt to catch up!!

We had a fAbuLoUs time in Utah, with lots of fAm, foOd & fUn!! Many trips to CaFe RiO (i tried really hard to make myself sick of it, so I wouldn't miss it so much...yeah, that didn't work!!), a bit of shopping (well, maybe a little more than a bit...) , & lots of Christmas "shtuff".

ChRistMas was wonderful & the girls had more fUn (& presents) than they could even take in. Ilie was so fun this year...she was so excited for Santa to come & her face was just priceless when she saw her dollhouse in the morning (those are the moments us parents live for!!) But the best was being with all of our wonderful fAmiLy!!

oUr cAnaDian giRls...

2008-12-09T23:56:00.000-08:00

Well...here are the piCs

I have been so anxiously waiting for...

and they were wOrTh tHe wAit!!

A big pat-on-the-back to our wonderful photographer....

hEleNe...yep, we totally love you!!

(& we still would even if you didn't take AMAZING photos)

I have to apologize in advance...there are so many pics.

But sErioUsly...

I could not narrow them down anymore.

But hey, considering that we originally took over 3000 pics, I guess this isn't too bad, eh?

So if you have five hours...LOL...take a peek!

yEp...sTill heRe

2008-12-07T21:54:00.001-08:00

Hey aLL ...

so I am totally failing

in the blogging department lately!!!

But I promise some new posts aSaP!

I can't tell you how excited I am to post some of the new and fAbULoUs pics that Helene took of the girls. I saw a sneak preview on Helene's blog, but I am waiting for the CD (that Mark sent in the mail) to see the whole sha-bang!! But all I can say is...cute, holy cute, and FABULOUS (yep, already said that...but it had to be said again!!) Thanks again to our cute Helene...we luv ya!

We hope everyone is having a wonderful

hoLiDay seAsOn in good ol' Scotia land.

We miss you and have a

mErRy chRiSTmAs!!

OK...sO wE're kiNda mEan...

2008-11-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

So, hopefully this doesn't qualify for child abuse...but it was pretty dang funny. Ireland got some of those Warhead candies trick-or-treating. (For those of you that don't know...they are hard candies that are sour enough to make your eyes about pop out!!) Soooo...yep, you guessed it...we're that mean...you just have to watch!! We were laughing so hard...I guess that makes us even meaner! (JUST A NOTE...I really do love my kids :) !!)

**another note...TURN OFF MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM OF MY BLOG TO HEAR VIDEOS BETTER**

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

HAPPY HALLOWEEN...

2008-11-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

I think we had the two cutest ladybugs around

(but I'm a little biased!)

Ireland loved dressing up in her costume &

her and Emmy couldn't get enough of

trick-or-treating.

They loved it, but...there was this trick-or-treater that was on the same path as us and she had a "scream" mask on. Well...Ilie wasn't too fond of it. Every time they would go up the stairs at the same time, Ilie would run to the opposite side and stay there until she left. Then one time they ended up at the door at the same time and she yelled, "But I don't like her...

SHE'S SCARY!!"

Amber and I couldn't stop laughing.

pLayiNg dReSs uP...

2008-11-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

Is this just the cutest or what?

My cute daddy was quite the grandpa

during his visit to Scotia Land.

Not only was he good at playing princesses,

he even looked fabulous in makeup!!!

My two cute pRinCesSes!!

Ilie decided she wanted to dress

her little sis up too.

a tReAt fOr the gRanDpas aNd gRanDmas....

2008-10-26T13:48:00.001-07:00

Can I just say how much I love and adore

my two cute girls.

They make me smile and laugh every single day!!

I can't imagine my life without them...

even on the craziest of days.

Here's a cute little video of each of them...

Cici as our little giggler and Ilie as a "fairy"

on our hike on the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton

(you'll get a good laugh at her CREATIVE outfit...

some horrible Mom forgot her warm coat!!)

tHe SHEPHERD fAm viSits sCoTia lAnd...

2008-10-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

We just wanted to tell our fam (Dad, Mom and Shelby) thanks for coming to visit us!! We had way too much fun and we're pretty sad that's it's all over. We went on many adventures:

First, we headed to Annapolis Valley for some festive apple and pumpkin picking.

Then on Monday we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving and my birthday with a trip to Peggy's Cove and a yummy bite at Lonestar (mmmm....my favorite!!)

We also had a fun trip to Dal to visit Mark in action. We showed the fam around and they got to see where Mark spends most of his time playing dentist. Of course we had to end the day with a trip to the "Stache" (our favorite pub/restaurant downtown).

Then we headed to Crystal Crescent Beach and it was a perfect day (besides the fact that they had locked the gaits so we had to push the "bus" stroller all the way in!!) But we were the only ones on the beach and it was warm and beautiful...so well worth the trek!! That night we officially initiated my fam into the wonderful dining of lobsters. I think they loved it (minus the icky green goop...they weren't too fond of that!)

Next, was our trek up to Cape Breton. We left Thursday morning (after running around to the rental car shop because someone decided to hit our van and not tell us about it...how nice, eh!!)

Then we hit the road, and SIX hours later we arrived in Ingonish and ate at a cute little restaurant on the Cabot Trail. Then we headed to our cottage and I have to give a little recommenation on this spot:

It was absolutely fabulous, it is called Lantern Hill and Hollow in Ingonish. They were little cottages on the beach (and I mean like ten feet from the sand...we could hear the waves crashing all night!) And the grounds were beautiful and the cottages were really nice and clean and new and the owner (Susan) was awesome. It was such a cute spot. I definitely recommend it for the summertime. It would be so nice to hang on the beach when it was warmer and spend a lot of time there.

OK...back to the trip!! We spent the next day seeing waterfalls, soaking in the GORGEOUS fall leaves, driving the Cabot Trail, checking out the beaches and hiking the Skyline Trail. It was the most beautiful time to visit the Island...a little cold at times, but still GREAT!!

It was a great week and thanks again Dad, Mom and Shel for everything, we sure had fun and we hope you did too (minus the sleeping on the lovely hard futon bunkbeds!!)

(I posted the pics on two slide shows...because there were too many!!)

(Cape Breton pics...)

a TRIBUTE to my sweet Grandpa...

2008-10-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

So how do I even begin to pay tribute

to a person who sculpted

such a huge part of who I am today?

My Grandpa, Russell Dean Shepherd, was a man of

extreme TALENT,

immense LOVE,

witty HUMOR

& quiet, firm TESTIMONY.

I will be forever grateful that he gave me the

eyes to see the

beauty, expression and vibrance of the art world

and the ears to hear

Mr. Miles Davis and the world of Jazz.

I will miss the "LOOPTIE-DOOS" on his lap,

the lunches every Tuesday afternoon,

pouring over his paintings and the checking out the latest "masterpiece under construction",

laughing at his "under the radar" humor

(while trying to talk him out of his talk radio philosophies)

& most of all his sweet kisses and hugs!!

My Grandpa touched my life in about every way possible and even in his passing he continued to do so. He had been writing a life history for quite sometime and he finished it not too long before he died. On the last page he wrote his last words and a little bit of advice for each of us. I first read these words at his viewing and I absolutely broke down. I was touched beyond words, because his words were perfect!! I could just hear him reciting them, with his cute little grin and his baby-blue eyes a' shinin'. The words were absolutely what I needed to hear. I needed that message...right then...at that moment, I needed those words for MY LIFE!! Some how, my Grandpa wrote the words that I needed. His life continues to bless my own, even when he is gone from my sight. Thank you Grandpa. I love you and I can't wait for the day when I will get that last hug that I missed.

I thought I would share his last words with you, for I know there is lifetime of wisdom and love behind them. Hopefully they will touch you as they have forever changed me...

"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.

A time to blow your chorus

and a time to put your horn away.

A time to paint your masterpiece

and a time to put your brushes away.

A time to be born

and a time to die.

I, Russell Dean Shepherd, realizing that I have reached the ending of my life do lay my pen aside and make an end to my writings. Peace be with you my friend, and I will see you in a season or so. In the meantime, some advice...

LOVE thyself.

You cannot LOVE someone else if you cannot love thyself.

LOVE your loved ones with an unconditional and charitable LOVE and care for one another.

Family is your most prized possession.

LOVE your fellow men.

And LOVE the gospel of Jesus Christ and make it an important part of your life.

LOVE IS THE SECRET!

Click your Heels, pull the curtain, & put out the light.

I am out of here!

This the last day, my friend!

...I THOUGHT THEY WOULD NEVER END!"

a nEw tRiCk...

2008-09-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

The other day we noticed that when we were playing

with Cici and sticking our tongues out at her...

she would do it right back!!

Now she'll just sit and stick her tongue out at us

and wait for us to do it back. It's pretty dang cute!

i aM...

2008-09-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

i am: a mommy of the two cutest girls
i think: way took much!!
i know: that God lives!!
i want: to move back to Utah
i dislike: cantaulope (however you spell that)
i miss: my family :(
i fear: losing someone I love
i feel: frustrated, hungry and tired at the moment (not a good combo)
i hear: the football game
i smell: nothing...got a stuffy nose
i crave: gummy grapefruits, Smartie blizzards and Cafe Rio
i cry: more than I'd like to lately
i usually: talk to my mom a lot
i search: for cute clothes and great deals
i wonder: how we are ever going to pay back all that loan money....ahhh!
i regret: STUPID mistakes and forgetting how to play my guitar
i love: my husband, my girls, my family and friends
i care: too much about what other people think
i always: want a diet coke
i worry: about anything and everything...and then something else on top of that
i am not: good at being on time
i remember: sitting in the meadow in Christmas Meadows...and that makes me happy
i believe: that we are bigger than anything that can ever happen to us...I just have to remind myself that a lot
i dance: when I am cleaning and with my Ilie-girl
i sing: Old McDonald, If You're Happy and You Know It. The Wheels on the Bus...etc, every day
i don’t always: "just say no" to shopping
i argue: with myself a lot (never said I wasn't crazy;)
i write: email to my friends
i win: at NERTS (ha, yeah right...that's McCall)
i lose: my patience more than I should
i wish: I was more laid back and a little less OCD...Mom, Dad...your fault...ha, ha--luv you
i listen: to mt cute girls jibber-jab, scream and sing all day
i don't understand: when life doesn't seem fair...oh, and wht I can't ever buy a can opener that works
i can usually be found: cleaning, fixing, feeding, showering, stressing, playing, loving, eating and when I am lucky...shopping
i am scared: of spiders (the big Nova Scotia spiders) and deep dark water
i need: a house!!
i forget: how to get to places
i am happy: when I am with my hubby and my girls
i tag: Amber, Sonja, Melese

dOn't leAve yOur kiDs aLone...

2008-09-10T11:39:00.001-07:00

So, you've probably seen this photo in an earlier post!!

Well...Ilie just LOVED having her FACE PAINTED.

So...the other day she was WATERCOLORING in the kitchen

and then she came into the family room and said,

"Hey, look at me!!"...

Well, she loved having her face painted so much

that she decided to

DO IT AGAIN HERSELF!!

Gotta love two-year-olds!!

ciEnna iS tHree mOntHs oLd...

2008-09-10T11:30:00.001-07:00

Our little Ci-monster (as Markus calls her) is THREE MONTHS old now. She is getting so BIG so FAST! She still is a little CHUB and she still is the cutest little baby around!! She loves to SMILE and is LAUGHING a ton! She loves to stand up on her LEGGIES and she's doing pretty good at starting to SIT by herself. What a CUTIE!!

cOrn bOiL...

2008-09-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

At the annual Halifax 1st Ward's corn boil. We ate YUMMY corn and hotdogs and played at the park!!

Our cute girls in their CUTE outfits from Nana.

Ilie was very excited about getting her face painted like a kitty-kat!

oUr tRip tO iSlanD pArk...

2008-09-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

This is a little overdue...seeing that we went on this trip about a month ago!! This was our fun adventure to Island Park with Mark's family. We did lots of fun stuff...fishing at the pond with the kids, exploring the town of Yellowstone, iMax movies, Mark did lots of (much needed) fishing with his Dad and brothers and on the way home we stopped at Bear World. That was Ireland's dreamland, and I quite enjoyed it too!! We were able to drive our car through the park and have bears walk right up to us...pretty cool. The second time we drove through, the feeding truck came by...so about every bear in there surrounded our car to go and follow it...it was AWESOME! The park also had cute little bear cubs, a duck and fish pond, a petting zoo and a mini amusement park. I thought Ireland wouldn't be daring enough to do the rides...but she surprised us and loved them. Even more to our surprise...she wanted to go on all of them by herself with her cousins. It was a fun trip!

ciCi's biRth anNounCemeNt...

2008-08-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

sUmMer pHoTo sHoOt...

2008-08-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

ciEnna's bLesSing...

2008-08-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

uTah sUmMer fUn...

2008-08-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

We've been playing hard and enjoying every minute of our time in Utah. It has been so fun to be home with family and to introduce our new little Cienna to everyone. They all adore her (and how could they not)!! We've been on lots of fun adventures...we spent a week at the Shepherd family cabin in Christmas Meadows, we've been to the zoo, had BBQs, done lots of swimming (Ilie is slowly warming up to it), been golfing, had Cienna's blessing and been out to eat way too much (but I am NOT complaining!!) This week we are headed up to Island Park with the Redds, so we are excited for that. We hope everyone is having a fum summer...those in Utah and in Halifax!! Enjoy every minute, because it goes by tooo dang fast.

bEacHes, bEacHes, aNd mOre bEacHes..

2008-07-13T16:16:00.001-07:00

Well, this last week we have about ran ourselves crazy trying to fit in lots of summer stuff before we cruise out to good ol' Utah. Tuesday we headed out to Queensland beach after Mark got home from school, Wednesday we cruised out to Crystal Crescent Beach for the afternoon and then Saturday we joined the Peterson's fabulous beach party at Conrad beach. So needless to say, we are a little beached out at the moment...but we are definitely loving the great weather and the fun times!! We also took a trip out to Lunenberg, Ovens Provincial Park and Mahone Bay on Friday. Lunenberg and Mahone Bay are these cute little fishing towns and the Ovens is a Provincial Park famous for sea caves that you can hike down into. It has been a FUN and BUSY week!

kEarNy lAke...

2008-07-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday we took our first venture to Kearney Lake. For all our Utah folk, it is one of the many many lakes around our house. But this one has a fun little beach and dock to swim and play at. Ilie loved the sand (although when we first got there she said, "Oooh Dad, it's so messy!!") But she warmed up to it quickly and was rolling around in the sand in no time. But she didn't warm up to the water until five minutes before we left and then (of course) she didn't want to go home because she wanted to swim. It was a fun day with the girls, all dressed up in their red polka dots!!

o' cAnaDa...

2008-07-06T16:20:00.001-07:00

Well, we had a week of celebrations!! So...Happy Canada Day to all our fellow Canadians and Happy Fourth of July to all our good ol' Amerians!! We celebrated Canada Day on the fabulous harbor. First, we visited the Citadel and explored around. Then we headed down to Stayners Restaurant on the water and had some YUMMY fish and chips (the BEST we have ever had!!) Of course we had to hit Cows Icecream afterwards (and a thirty minute line didn't even stop us...that's how much we love our icecream.) To finish off the night we watched the fireworks over the water. YAHOO!!

Our Fourth of July wasn't so action packed but we had a fun BBQ in our "backyard" with some of our American friends!! We ate lots of yummy food and the kids had a blast running around like crazy. But we sure missed the fun times in Utah and Mark was sure missing that he wasn't on the Snake River with his fam. We heard the water was great this year, so he was bummed that we were missing out. (I was bummed on missing the fam, but I'm kind of a woose when it comes to the river, so I wasn't missing that too much!)

bAby CiCi iS oNe mOnth oLd...

2008-06-29T16:53:00.001-07:00

My first trip to church!! This dress is sooo cute...thanks to my sweet friend Kristen, who sent it to Cienna from San Francisco!!

Okay, so how can you not love this face? Me and Mark were laughing our heads off when we saw this. This is her "typical" pooping face (looks a lot like Mark, don't you think? Ha, ha.)

Yep, our little cutie has a total "FRO"! She has so much hair and it just sticks straight up, I love it!! Especially when she gets out of the tubby and her hair dries...it is just fuzzy and huge. It looks just like Mark's did when he was a baby!!

This one is for Papa Jeffrey...yep, this girl is a sucker and if she can't find her "bink", she finds her little thumb. Don't let Papa catch you Cici!!

sOme suMmeR aDvenTures...

2008-06-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

Well, we have ventured out for a few fun days in our Scotia summer. Mark has had some days off from the clinic, so one night we headed down to the harbor. It was a PERFECT night...no wind (which is sooo rare!!), and it was very warm. So we walked down the boardwalk and checked out the INCREDIBLE Italian Navy ship that was docked in the harbor. Then we ventured down to Cows Icecream... and let me just say, it was our first time getting icecream there, but it won't be our last. It was soooo YUMMY!!

Bedford Days had a fun carnival for the kids this last Friday, so we took the girls for a fun night. After some much needed Lonestar chips and salsa, diet coke and fajitas...we headed to the carnival. Ilie and Emmy got some tickets for the big air castles and slides and the train. First, they took a very eventful ONE MINUTE ride with Jake-ster (I think he loved it more than the girls...ha, ha!!) and then we headed to the castles and slides. Now of course, dare-devil Emmy was jumping in feet first and going crazy in the castle...and of course Ilie wouldn't leave the doorway. Then we tried the slide and Emmy was running to the top before we could give them a ticket...and of course Ilie headed up for about ten seconds and then came right back down!! But oh well, I think they enjoyed it anyways. We topped the night off with cotton candy, icecream and of course FIREWORKS!! It was a blast.

ciEnna's fiRst pHoTo shOot...

2008-06-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

Well, just thought we'd say hello to everyone. We have been a little on the "hermit" side lately while adjusting to our new life of four. But we are still alive here on Harlington...just trying to figure this "parenting of two" thing out. If anyone has directions, please forward them to us!! (ha, ha) Cienna is doing great, she is gaining weight (8 lbs. on her 2 week appt.), eating tons and sleeping even more. She is a really good baby (knock on wood...hopefully she stays that way!!) We absolutely love having our new little angel and we feel very blessed to have our two girls. Ireland loves her new sister and constantly wants to hold her or sneak a "blinklie" (as she calls it) into her mouth. But she definitely has the jealousy syndrome!! She screams a lot and has this new little habit of barking at us when she wants attention. But I'm sure she will adjust soon...along with the rest of us!!

I also have to give a little recognition to my sweet mother who left this weekend (sniff, sniff)! She was an absolute lifesaver and I could not have gotten through the last couple of weeks without her. So thank you mom, we love you!! These cute pics were taken by my cute sis McCall while she was here. They turned out really cute!! We're going to try and use some of them for Cienna's announcements.

sOme nEw piCs...

2008-06-15T13:51:00.001-07:00

Cienna Claire Redd: hEre'S oUr sToRy...

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

Well, I am sorry that it has taken so long to post all of our exciting news, but oh my...life is sure busy with our new little miracle! We are all doing great (besides the huge lack of sleep), and we are just adjusting to our new life of "4".

We want to tell you all about our adventurous day, so here goes: Well, my Mom got here safe and sound on Tuesday, the 27th and I had an appt with Dr. Robinson on Wednesday. She agreed to helping me get induced, so she referred me to an OB. We saw him Thursday morning and then went to pick up my cute sister that afternoon. The OB scheduled me to go into the hospital to start the whole inducing process for Friday morning. So could the timing have worked out any better?...I think not!!

So Friday morning at 9:00 am we started our great adventure. I went in to the OB day unit and they started me on my first round of gel and they monitored me for a couple of hours and then sent us home. Our nurse said that my cervix was still really posterior and I had quite a ways to go, so she wouldn't be surprised if I had to have quite a few doses of the gel. So we were preparing ourselves for a long day (and night)! Well, we headed home, hung out with the fam, enjoyed the sunshine and I enjoyed my ever increasing contractions. My contractions seemed to be getting stronger and more frequent, but I have so many contractions regularly that I didn't think much of it. At 2:30 pm we headed back to the hospital to get the second round of gel (which is twice as strong). The nurse got ready to do the gel and then checked me first and immediately said how shocked she was at how much progress I had made. She said I was dialated to a four and the baby's head was completely down, so she stripped my membranes and then decided not to give me the second dose. She scheduled me to start the drip in the morning, but she was expecting me to be back in full on labor sometime that night. So once again, we headed home.

While we were at the hospital, my contractions were definitely getting worse and more crampy, but I was trying not to get my hopes up quite yet. When we got home I was still having contractions, but they were irregular and didn't last longer than 45 seconds, so I thought it was probably false labor again (we all know how much I enjoyed all of that with Ilie's delivery!!) But those lovely contractions didn't stop and I just kept having them every 2-3 minutes. My mom and Mark kept saying, "let's just go to the hospital!!" But I really did not want to be sent home again (like with Ilie) so I wanted to wait it out and make sure I was really going into labor. Well, it didn't take long for those contractions to reach that "holy crap" point and I knew it was time to go when I started bleeding (lots!!) So we scooped everyone up, grabbed the hospital bags, dropped Ilie off at Emmy's and we were off. Mark was convinced he needed to make a speed car racer trip to the hospital, so let's just say we got there very fast!! And I am very glad we did...by the time we got there it was really getting to that toe tapping/curling, "holy, holy crap", yep I can't walk point. So they rushed me up to the evaluating area, asked me all those questions that you can't remember, because "holy crap" you feel like you are going to die, and then finally checked me. And oh, there was no way they were sending me home this time. I was dialated to a five and bleeding a lot still. So into my gown I went and asking for my epidural began.

They got me into my room pretty quick and got my IV started. And I was very impressed at how fast they got the anesthesiologist to start my epidural. I was so ready to feel relief because it was at that point where you really don't know if you can handle it anymore!! So she did her needle work and unfortunately it didn't work the first time so she had to start all over again (oh, how lovely...just give me drugs already!!) She tried again and said that she put the initial dose in, so I should feel some relief soon. Right after she was done Dr. Robinson arrived. She was expecting to check me and then come back later, but plans changed when she checked me and I was dialated 8-9 cm. So she broke my water (wow...gush!!) and then checked me again during a contraction and I was fully dialated to a 10!! Did I mention that I wasn't feeling much relief from that dang epidural yet?? Well, right about then I had another contraction and I could tell that I needed to push, so the doc checked and she said, "Well, let's have a baby right now!!" Now as excited as I was, I was still like "hello, still in pain here can we wait for the epidural to work a little more?" So I asked if I could push the pump first to get some more. It was at this point that the anesthesiologist informed me that the catheter on the epidural never worked, therefore the pump didn't work and she was just hoping that I was going to have a quick labor (otherwise she was going to have to do it again!!) In other words, tough luck, the drugs aren't going to get any better. Well, I didn't have much time to freak out about all that because I was having more contractions and I had to push and now is when i really felt the biggest "holy crap" moment of all. With Ireland I was in labor for quite awhile and then I pushed for an hour and half, so the drugs really had time to kick in. This time, there was no time for them to kick in (and oh, the pump and catheter didn't work anyways!!) So I basically felt most of everything "down there". When I think of that typical scenerio of a woman screaming her way through pushing, I completely understand why. When they say it feels like a ring of fire...oh, I know what they are talking about. It was pretty intense...my hat goes off to all those who do it completely natural and especially when they have a long labor and long pushing...I don't think I could do it. But thank goodness Cienna was in a hurry to get out because 11 minutes and a few pushes later...she was born, screaming her head off. And I can't say enough how glad I was to be done and to be done quickly. There were moments that I really didn't think I could do it, but you don't have a choice...so you just do it!! And it's worth it!!

Well, unfortunately, I had a few tears "down there" and I tore a blood vessel and was losing a lot of blood so she had to stitch me up quick and even more unfortunately I still wasn't numb down there and felt the whole thing and it wasn't a pretty thing. (I don't recommend trying it if you have the choice!!) All I can say it "holy crap"!! :)

So our little miracle girl arrived two hours after we got to the hospital, so it's a good thing we didn't wait at home any longer. She came so fast, she shocked us all. As many of my friends have pointed out, I didn't even have time for my lipstick to wear off (ha, ha). Her official time was Friday, May 30th at 7:56 pm. Weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long and she has tons of dark thick hair, totally opposite from how her sister was.

We feel so blessed to have this new little edition in our lives. Ireland is so sweet with her. She loves to kiss her and help me take care of her. She also is trying hard to get a lot more attention and can't quite figure out why everything is so different!! But to tell you the truth, I am trying to figure out how different everything is too, so I don't blame her. So we're back to no sleep and worrying about all the little baby things and hoping we can get the hang of it again!!

P.S. Sorry this is such a novel...

wE're gEttiNg cLoSer...

2008-05-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I had my weekly appointment today and Dr. Robinson said there was a huge change. I am now 2-3 cm dialated and 80% thinned out. So there's a good chance I could go on my own sometime soon, but there's also a good chance i won't (thinking to how it was with Ireland!!) She was going to strip my membranes today, but I didn't want to stir things up too much before my mom gets here, plus it didn't do much for me with Ilie (it just made me more miserable). So for now, the plan is to go in next Wednesday and strip my membranes and if that doesn't work, she is probably going to send me to the OB on Thursday to possibly get induced. Right now we are just playing it day by day. I am so ready to see this cute little girl (and to not be pregnant!!) Ilie is so cute, she loves to go to the doctor and hear her sister's heartbeat. She'll say "I'm going to the doctor with Mom to hear baby CC's heart". What a cute big sister. Well, we'll keep ya updated. One more week (hopefully)...I can do it...I will survive!! :)

nOt muCh haPPeNing...

2008-05-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick update...I had my second weekly check on Wednesday and I'm sad to say that not much has changed. I am 2 cm dialated, but not really thinned out at all. So Dr. Robinson isn't expecting anything to happen soon. But she also said you don't usually thin out as fast on your second because the baby doesn't drop until you are in labor. So who knows... I just have to keep telling myself that it's going to be a couple more weeks. Got any ideas on how to pass the time? Well, we'll just hope it all works out so that our little angel comes soon after my mom and sis get here (and we'll hope I survive in the process!!)

pReGGie piCs...

2008-05-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

Ilie seems really excited for her new little sister to come. She loves talking to my tummy and asking her when she is coming to see us? She also tells me how she is going to help me change her diaper and go on stroller rides with her. She still calls her "baby CC/Sisi" (however we will spell that?) and says her whole name is "Siena/Cienna Claire", so I guess she has officially decided on her name and I think we have about decided (just not finalized for absolute sures)!! I know she is going to be the cutest big sister!!

So here's the latest pics and an update on baby Redd number two. We are officially less than three weeks away...yahoo!! But I am still trying to convince myself that I can last 20 more days...ahhh!! Let's just say moving is a little more than difficult these days, sleeping is non-existent and contractions are seriously every ten minutes (at least)! GOTTA LOVE IT!! So if any of you have ideas on how to make twenty days go by faster, by all means fill me in, I'm up for anything (well, if I can move to do it). I am on my weekly appointments and at my last one I was dialated 1-2 cm, so I guess we are making some progress. But the doc said if I was still having tons of contractions and still really uncomfortable (yeah, like that is going to get any BETTER), she would start me as soon as my Mom gets here. She is coming on the 27th and now my cute sis, McCall, decided last minute that she is coming on the 29th. So if all works out just fabulously, maybe she will start me on the 30th. So that is what we are shooting for, but we are planning for "anything" cause ya just never know. Until then, I'll be the gal waddling around like a penguin with an ENORMOUS basketball in her belly!!

biG girL bEd

2008-04-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was getting ready and Ilie was in her new room playing with all of her toys and after a while I realized that it was really quiet...not the usual in our house. So I went into her room to check on her and I was shocked to see that she had fallen asleep on her new bed...hugging her teddy bear. It was the cutest thing, I just had to get a picture. So she officially gave herself her first nap in her big girl bed. Since then she has taken two more naps in her bed and is doing great with it, so eventually we'll try the nighttime and see how that goes!! Precious little moments!!

tHe mOosEheAdS...

2008-04-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well, we haven't been able to do much for fun lately...since Mark is trudging through his two weeks of finals and I have been miserably dragging myself through a massive sinus infection. We haven't been the happiest bunch over the last week, but we are making it through. Before all this mayhem started we had a fun night at the Mooseheads hockey game. There's nothing better to make you feel truly Canadian than cheering on the Mooses and watching a few good hockey fights (although there weren't that many this time!!) But we had a fun time! Ilie really liked it once she got use to all the noise and people...but she didn't like the moose. We tried to get her picture with him and I think we kind of scared her. All of the sudden there was this big stuffed moose in her face, and as you can see from the picture, she was a little freaked out. But overall she had a fun time cheering on the game with her buddy Jace. Let's hope we have some more fun days ahead and we can get out of this lovely "rutt" that we are in. We will definitely be celebrating Thursday night when Mark is officially done with finals (and let's hope I am officially cured of this horrible, yucky, stubborn illness!)

rEdd fAmiLy uPdAtes...

2008-03-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

The new BIG update in our house is crazy, crazy, crazy POTTY TRAINING!! We did the intense 3 day potty training last week, and I'd have to say it was the hardest week of parenting I have ever had. But now, I'd have to say that it was worth it. We basically went cold turkey from diapers straight to panties....ALL THE TIME!! And oh yes, the first minute she had them on...there was pee all over the floor and I knew I was in for SOMETHING insane, but I couldn't have imagined how insane it would get. Let's just say I went through at least 30 pairs of underwear the first day and we were up and down, in and out of the potty every minute at some points. It's pretty pathetic that I about had a nervous break down over potty training, but I did. Probably a mix of pregnancy, tiredness, and extreme frustration!! I think Mark thought I was about to lose it. But thank goodness, by the second night it started to click and then on the third day, we only had one little dribble accident. Since then we have only had a few little accidents and I think we have about mastered the pee-pee's!! Poo-poos are another story, she has done it, but it is still a work in progress. So hopefully we will have this all done...someday in the near future!! I am just glad to have last week over with. I'm glad I don't have to do it again for two years. But I would definitely recommend the 3 day potty training to anyone about to attempt this lovely milestone. Just be prepared for a couple of HARD days if you are going cold turkey and DON'T GIVE UP!! (And don't be 7 months pregnant!! :) Wish us luck, that all stays DRY!!!!

Well, I am now officially 31 weeks. Only 9 more to go...or a just a little less if we're lucky! We are sooo excited to see her and the time is getting closer, slowly but surely. We still don't have a name finalized, but I'm sure we'll figure it out someday...at least we better!

hApPy eAsTeR...

2008-03-30T15:44:00.001-07:00

iReLaNd tuRns TWO!!

2008-03-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we can't believe it, but we have a two year old running around our house now. She got to do lots of celebrating for her big two years. In Utah we took a fun day at the zoo and then had a little party at Grandma April's. On her real birthday...we TRIED to go bowling, but of course all the lanes were full that day. Who knew bowling was so HUGE around here, definitely not us. So we settled for picking out some fun candy at the Bulk Barn...oh how original. Then we had a fabulous dinner at Applebee's...and Ilie totally loved her chocolate milk. Then she had her small, but oh so fun, little party with a few friends, presents, and of course the Cinderella icecream cake. She had a blast...and now we just have to learn how to deal with the "terrible two's" attitude. Any suggestions?

This is Ilie at the zoo...there was a snow leopard that was pacing in front of the window and all the kids were loving it. Ilie would just giggle every time he came by!

aMerIcAn iDoL hEre wE coMe...

2008-03-05T19:05:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows Ireland knows that she LOVES LOVES LOVES to sing. Well...now she's added pounding the piano to her list of FAVORITES. She loved pounding the keys and singing every song she knew at Nana and Papa's house. Did I mention these songs were sung at the top of her lungs...it was pretty cute!

iTs "sNow"mUcH fUn aT tHe cAbIn...

2008-03-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

We had a fun trip to the Redd cabin on our little trip home to Utah. Ilie got lots of time to play, sled and even snowmobile in the snow with her cousins, and she couldn't have been happier. Mark had a few little adventures up the canyon on the sleds, and I don't think he could have been happier either. Me and my pregnant belly just vegged out in the cabin...reading books, eating food, and relaxing...with a few trips out to play in the snow with Ilie. It was some fun times!!

tAble cLinNics aT dAl..

2008-03-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

Mark worked very hard on this big project. So here's a chance for the fam at home to see him in dental action. All the third years had a to choose a topic to research for their table clinics...and Mark did his on Mini Dental Implants (and he did an EXCELLENT job!!)

Ilie, Emmy and Jace had a fun time riding in the dental chairs and stealing the masks.

pEggYs cOve anYoNe?

2008-03-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

Mark had a day off a couple of weeks ago, so we decided to take a little jaunt out to Peggy's Cove. It was beautiful as always...but absolutely FREEZING!! So the kids didn't last long...just long enough to snap a few pics and head to the car. BUT...we did get to eat some YUM-YUM-YUM gingerbread and icecream in the little cafe and it was FABULOUS and worth the cold!!

My first Princess Party...

2008-01-31T09:15:00.001-08:00

What the heck are we up to?

2008-01-31T08:55:00.000-08:00

So not too much is new in good ol' Scotia land. We keeping jumping from freezing weather to warm weather, and NO SNOW!! Unlike Utah, that is getting completely pounded with snow every other day. For some really strange dimented reason, I'm kinda jealous. I like big snow storms. Well, we had our big ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and everything looked great...yahoo! Usually they try and hide the "crotch" shot, but they didn't hide it at all this time. The whole first ten minutes was a clear view of bum and legs spread way apart. So I don't think we're questioning if it's really a girl anymore...cause there was "nothing" between those legs. I am almost 23 weeks prego now and my tummy is a growin' and she is kicking like crazy. Ilie is busy playing with her kitchen and baking me cakes and she loves to play beauty parlor and fix my hair...she's going to be my new stylist!! Mark is busy playing dentist and getting ready for their big table clinics next week. I think we'll ALL be glad to have that behind us. We're getting excited to go to Utah in about a week, and yes I know...we just got home, but hey, gotta squeeze another trip in there before Ilie turns two. We're excited to all spend Spring Break together...we're probably going to St. George or Mark's cabin in Star Valley, so it will be fun.

Ilie loves to take a walk in her Daddy's shoes...she trying to be just like him!! They almost fit her, don't ya think?

Best Buddies Forever. Ilie and Emmy had a blast the other night playing and watching movies with treats and popcorn!!

Christmas in Utah land...

2008-01-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

Names...anyone?

2008-01-09T17:02:00.000-08:00

Yep, I mean you!! So I thought it would be fun to get input from all you blogging buddies. Got any baby girl names that you are willing to dish out...well, I would love to hear them. I haven't found anything that I am loving yet, so I would love some creative brainstorming. So if you have any ideas, names you've heard, names you like (and aren't going to use yourself), or even wierd names you've heard (who knows, maybe it's a good one)...any ideas would be awesome!!

2008-01-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

so we decided to have another one! That's right, IT'S A GIRL! At least we're pretty sure it is. We were able to go down to Salt Lake and have another ultrasound and this time our cute little baby decided to cooperate. We had two different people look at the ultrasound and they both said they thought it was a girl. So that's what we are planning on. Ilie will love having a little sister that she can play with and I will love being able to use all her cute clothes again. So we're pretty excited (to say the least)! This little girl is already kicking around like crazy, just like her big sister did. And my tummy is a pokin' out!! We have our 20 week ultrasound next week, so we'll see if the due date changes at all. For now it's anywhere between May 31 and June 2! We'll keep ya updated.

Christmas fun in Utah land

2007-12-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

let's make it official

2007-12-23T19:35:00.000-08:00

Well, we're not sure exactly who knows our exciting NEWS!! So here goes...instead of starting fertility treatments again, we decided to skip straight to the pregnancy part. Yep, WE'RE PREGNANT!! (Well, technically I am.) The day before we were suppose to start the whole fertility saga, I broke down and took a prego test...and very much to my shock and amazement, it was POSITIVE. Yes, we know we have been really slow on posting this. We had to keep it secret for quite awhile because we didn't tell our family until me and Ilie went home for Christmas, and that was not an easy task!! Let's just say...I am a professional liar now! But you can't beat the surprise of coming off the plane with Ilie wearing her "Big Sister" shirt (not that they got it right away)! But they finally caught on and they were more than surprised, especially when I told them I was 3 1/2 months prego. My mom was shocked I had been lying to her for that long. All the family has been equally shocked, because absolutely no one was expecting this...especially not us. But miracles happen, this is our second little miracle and we could not be happier!! I think we still are trying to figure out if it is real...at least I am!!

So I am now 17 weeks pregnant, almost half way...WOW!! Our due date in somewhere between May 30 and June 2. I started feeling the baby move strongly about a week ago, and that just makes it even more of a reality. We went in last Thursday for our ultrasound to find out what we were having, but to our absolute luck...the baby was hiding all the necessary parts! We were a little bummed, but we saw the little head and hands and the heartbeat and that was good enough. We are going to try and have another ultrasound the Friday before we come home, so cross your fingers that the little legs are "uncrossed"! We promise to keep you all more updated! And one last thing...YAHOO!

HO, HO, HO....Merry Christmas!

2007-11-27T12:52:00.001-08:00

My Favorite Things

2007-11-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

So, I have been reading everyone's fabulous blogs, and lot of people have "their favorite things" listed. So I thought I'd go ahead and write SOME of my own. So here goes:

1. Anyone who knows me, knows I am absolute freak for GUMMY GRAPEFRUITS!! These are the most yummy treats in the world, and right now the only places I know to find them are Jackson Hole, WY or the internet. I told Mark I wanted a 10 lb. bag in my stocking, no kidding.

2. All I can say is "Costa Mondays". When I am home in Utah, we go to Costa Vida every Monday, yep...we're that big of freaks for COSTA VIDA SALADS...they are seriously that GOOD!!

3. Probably my favorite place on earth...my CABIN in Christmas Meadows in the Uinta Mountains. It really is the most beautiful and peaceful place I know of.

4. LAKE POWELL. Probably my second favorite place. I miss that place sooo sooo bad. I have had so many great and adventuresome memories there. Nothing beats waking up in the morning to beautiful red cliffs, the smooth water and a cup of hot cocoa around the campfire.

5. I love CHRISTMAS...really, I am just a Christmas freak!! I could celebrate it all year long. I love every little aspect and tradition of the holiday. Candy making, the tree, the lights, our spiritual Christmas Eves, Christmas morning, the food, the parties, the family, did I mention the food, the snow, and I could go on and on...and on.

6. I have to go with Sonja on this one... I love MAC COSMETICS, especially their eye shadow. It is the best!

7. OK, so my list would not truly be MY list if I didn't put down SHOPPING. I love love love it. It just makes me happy. What more can I say.

8. PUREOLOGY SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER, VOLUME. Hands down, it is the greatest stuff out there. Not too cheap, but oh, so worth it.

9. I loving reading a GOOD BOOK. Right now I'm reading the second book by Khaled Hosseini titled "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and it is very good, and also very eye opening. (It is mainly about how the women in Afghanistan are often treated.)

10. MY FAMILY. I truly could noy live without any of them. Mark and Ireland are my world. They make me happy to wake up every morning. Ireland's smile and laugh can melt my heart in a second. And what would I do without our families at home. They are just pretty dang awesome, probably why I miss them sooo much.

So I think I could go on and on and on. But those are 10 of my favorite things, but I'm sure you all don't want Brooke's 101 favorite things, so I'll leave it at that.

jingle bells

2007-11-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

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happy halloween!

2007-11-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!! Well, we celebrated the spooky holiday
over here in Scotia Land, and I'd say we had quite a good
time. Ireland was a pink poodle this year and it just fit her
little perfectly. She loved her costume. She drug it around
the house constantly, cuddling with it and calling it "my
poodle", it was pretty cute. But she was even cuter all dressed
up...all soft and fuzzy, and the cutest little poodle ever. She
got all dressed up twice, first for the Primary Halloween party
and then for the real deal. The Primary party was awesome.
Lots of yummy food and games and then Ilie got her first real
taste of trunk-or-treating, and she caught on very quickly.
She ran from one car to another saying "tri-treat" and holding
her bag out, then she'd turn around and try to go to the same
car again...hey, she knew what she was doing!!

On the real Halloween day, Ilie got dressed up early and we
took the annual trip to the dental school to go and visit Daddy.
She loves her daddy, and she was really excited to see him and
all her friends dressed up. That night the Young's were brave
enough to have all of us over again for Halloween celebrations.
We ate nummy soups and breads and got ready for some
fabulous trick-or-treating and Ilie was ready to go...she knew
what to expect this time. So the little cuties ran from one door
to another and completely filled their bags after one street
(mostly with chips!) So we emptied and set out for another
round. Ilie was in pure heaven, when else can you go door to
door and get treats, treats, and more treats! But we finally
reached the point when we asked her if she still wanted to
trick-or-treat, and she said "uh-uh" (translated: no!), so we
headed home. And that was the great Redd Halloween adventure.

being festive...

2007-10-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate the season with pumpkin carving, pumpkin painting, and carmel apple eating...yum, yum. Ilie loved smearing paint all over her pint sized punkin', and she was very proud of her end result. Mark and I tried to do a decent job of carving our rotting pumpkin. (Yep, one whole side was already rotting out...I guess it adds character!) So we ended up with a rotting toothy grinned pumpkin. Halloween festivities would not be complete without carmel apples. Oh my, They were sooo good...thanks Amber. So we
munched on those yummy treats until we were about sick. That's what Halloween is all about, right.

mark turns 28...old man!!

2007-10-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, on Monday, October 22, Markus officially turned 28...yep, he's old!! Unfortunatley, he had to spend most of the day at school and didn't get home until about 5:30 pm. So we did a little family celbrating when he got home. Ilie went out shopping for her daddy and bought him all his favorite treats...Dr. Pepper, Peanut M&M's, and mini Rolos. You can't get much more spoiled than that. The birthday boy didn't have any presents to open, besides all his cards from Utah, because he is spending all his birthday money on a bow (to shoot poor and innocent bambis...oh, he loves me for saying stuff like that!!) Well, birthdays are always a reason to go and eat nummy food at Montanas, so that is just what we did, and it was fabulous. When we got home, our plans to invite friends over for brownies and icecream failed to happen because it was so late. So we ate the yummy dessert all by our lonesomes. (Sorry friends, we'll make it up to ya later.) Then we decided to really act like the old people we were and we went to bed around 9:30, isn't that pathetic. Our families all called and left messages saying we must be out partying, but no...we were sleeping!! Well, happy birthday Markus...we love you!!

our cabin...heaven on earth

2007-10-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do while we are in Utah, is
visit the Shepherd family cabin in Christmas Meadows.
It is absolutely the most beautiful place in the world
(but I am a little biased!) If you ever want to be close to
heaven, wake up early in the morning and take a run
down the dirt road. The air is so crisp and fresh, the sky
is shockingly blue, and the quiet of the valley just
surrounds you. It almost feels dreamlike because the view
of the valley is so perfect. I'm telling ya, it's pretty fabulous.
Okay, there was my cheesy inspirational moment,
gotta love it!!

our summer in utah...

2007-10-21T16:26:00.001-07:00

we're official bloggers...

2007-10-20T18:59:00.001-07:00

Well, we finally caved into the pressure. Thanks to all the
convincing of our great friends in Halifax, we are now official
bloggers. Hopefully it will be a great way to keep everyone
updated on our crazy life in the Maritimes...AND show off a
few cute pics of little Miss Ilie. We're having a fun time
enjoying the beautiful fall weather here in Scotia land. We've
tried to squeeze in a few last trips to beach, taken a trip to the
valley to pick apples and pumpkins, and enjoyed a Canadian
Thanksgiving where we cooked Mexican food for the Americans.
So we'll keep you updated on the latest...rather you like it or not!!

Lots of luvs,
Brooke, Mark, and Ilie

annapollis valley

2007-10-20T18:58:00.001-07:00

birthday in annapollis valley

2007-10-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate my 27th (ahhh, getting too close to 30)
birthday in the beautiful Annapollis Valley. There is a small town
in the valley called Wolfville and it very close to the coast of the
Bay of Fundy. It is absolutely beautiful...rollling green hills
(something we don't see very often in Halifax), brilliant flourescent
colored leaves, and festive fall activities everywhere.

We had a crew with us, the Jake, Amber, and Emmy, Jake, Malese,
and Jace, and Curtis and JoLynn. We went to the same orchard we
visited last year to pick the best apples we've ever tasted. After a
hike up the hill, while pushing the kids in their strollers through
the mud, we reached the fabulous Courtland apple trees. We picked
enough to fill our 20 pound bag and ate enough to make ourselves
sick. Ireland ate one apple after another, and ran through the
orchard with Emmy and Jace, she was in pure heaven.

Afterwards, we headed to the "pick you own pumpkin" patch.
We got geared up with clippers and wheelbarrows and head into
the patch to pick out a winner. A lot of the pumpkins were
starting to rot and Ilie actually found the best one out there...
it was a winner. So we packed up the kids and the pumpkins in
the wheelbarrows and headed out.We then took the kids to the
petting zoo, and oh...they loved it. Ireland fed the goats and just
giggled and giggled everytime they ate out of her hand. They
also giant pigs, rabbits, and peacocks, and played on boats and
tricycles. OK, so by that time we were starting to get hungry again
(after eating 10 pounds of apples), so we headed to the town.
We ate at this cute little pub and grill called Joe's, and oh...
a cheeseburger and fries never tasted better. And that ended our
adventure to the valley. It was a great way to keep my mind off
how old I was turning...27, what a grandma!!