You're gonna LOVE this...

mainly because I haven't posted in 4 months. Let me give a little update mmm,k? Luke's previous job decided that they didn't need him there anymore because the economy took too great of a toll on their business. So for about 6 weeks me and Jace were loving having him home when he wasn't at school. It was nice to actually see my husband for more than 10 minutes :). It really tested my faith and it was rough at first but we bonded so much more as a family and sometimes you need a low to get back on a high. But all good things come to an end and he received a job offer with Sunroc which is a competitor for Cantwell's. Not knowing what was in store for the winter and seeing that the economy is still struggling he snatched the job and is now back to working full time, going to school full time, running a club in the entrepreneurship program at USU and being a dad and husband, phew (that was a lot). Oh and he took an all expense paid for trip to Chicago with the business school for a conference, lucky! He is amazingly still motivated in his last year of school and I have so much love and respect for that guy.

Well me, personally, things don't really change that much. I still wake up in the wee hours for my early morning workout with gym, stay home all day with my little bub and probably four nights a week hit up the roahouse for a little extra cash. I still love my job and now that I am a mini manager and a server I have a whole new respect for the restaurant industry, not that I want to spend the rest of my working life in it. I did run in a 5k in October for the first time since cross country and loved it!

Now onto Jace (bub, buddy, pumpkin, stinker, rascal, Jacey, love of our lives). Aww I get emotional thinking about him. He is seriously the sweetest most tender hearted little boy, and he is all boy. He still snuggles with mom and dad, still drinks warm milk in the morning, still loves to dance, still loves his cars-everything is about CARS the movie( i mean everything!), still loves the outdoors, is getting more picky with food choices, sleeps in a toddler bed now (his preference is the floor for some odd reason), still hates me taking pictures, is learning the ABC's and his favorite letter is O, blows bubbles like crazy in the bathtub, loves talking on the phone, wants to be like his dad, loves animals, sleeps 10 hours a night and a 2-3 hour nap in the day, loves his grandparents on both sides, says uh oh-wow-peek a boo-momma-dad-Luke-ball-car-please-thank you-i did it-there it is and many more, laughs a lot, and is super tickleish. He runs and runs and runs. His hair is finally all there and I feel like he is growing taller everyday. He is such a trooper when we go run errands and loves to touch everything in the store. He kisses us whenever we say kisses and gives us the biggest hugs when we walk in the door. He is so strong and super tough. He hangs off of the counter and swings. He won't go anywhere without his blankie and bear, see what I mean, TENDER!! I could go on and on but I think I got most of it. I can't even imagine him not in our lives and can't believe it has been two years!!

We really are so blessed. This month I am filled with gratitude and have had so much peace in my life. I contribute most of it to the experiences I have been through where I have had to rely on my Heavenly Father. I know he is my savior and I know without a doubt the gospel is real and true. I strive everyday to overcome my insecurities and flaws. Thank goodness for Luke because he makes me a better person, he teaches me everyday to live life day by day and to enjoy the moments we are in. We both are so lucky to have such supportive families and one's who love us unconditionally. As Christmas and Thanksgiving approach I hope that everyone can find joy in their lives and in the gospel and atonement. That is what it is all about, never taking anything for granted and living our lives as the Savior would want us to.

Love you all,

Two L's and a J

(p.s. did you enjoy all that rambling? i think that might just be our Christmas card :) )

Happy 5th of July?!?

Utahans like to mix things up a bit. They don't actually celebrate the 4th of July on the 4th. In Logan they celebrate on the 2nd. In Hyrum and Lewiston its on the 5th. Since the state of Utah had work off on the 5th we decided to join in and celebrate on the 5th. We drove up to Oneida, ID and visited the dam and lake up there. Boys will be boys and played in the sand and water. We packed a little picnic and enjoyed it under a tree. It was so relaxing and we went up early enough that we didn't hit any crowds. Jace still loves to try to eat anything and whenever there is water he will try to drink it including lake water. We spent a hour or two just soaking up the freedom and then headed home. I went to work and when I got off it was just in time to enjoy the fireworks in Lewiston. We didn't know how Jace would react but he actually had a lot to say. He spent the whole half hour babbling to uncle Mitch. It was so cute and entertaining. On another note Jace has a new hobby of running his race cars off the side of the couch. He spends at least an hour a day doing this. Here are some pics for your entertainment...

Summertime favs

The 21st of June officially claimed summer and the
winter lovin Cache Valley decided to go with the trend. This week has been nothing but blazing golden rays during the day and warm relaxing summer nights. Me and Jace have taken full advantage by going to the pool almost everyday and taking nice walks at night. He will no longer stay in a stroller so we walk side by side on our faithful path around the hospital. He is pretty good at staying on trails but trust me this kid has no fears. He loves throwing rocks in the water and doesn't shy away from a dropoff when trying to get to the river. Luckily he has parents who watch him like a hawk. While me and Jace have our summer favorites, Luke has his as well. He has always loved to fish. It seems like since he has been back in school and has been working like crazy fishing has nestled a little spot in our home as our second child. He says it is his way of relaxing and de stressing. Ever since he received a fly rod and some free fly lessons from my dad and grandpa he has taken it upon himself to keep the river company in his spare time. Well it finally paid off last week when he had a fishing date with his friend Todd. They went to a private river spot and he caught a 20 in 5 pounder. Feast your eyes on this..

Jace is growing up too fast. He is all kinds of independant these days. So much that he throws tantrums now when he does not get his way. I am lucky because that is really the only issue he has and that is just part of finding out who he is and his capabilities. His heart is so tender and he still has a love for his blankie and Mr. Bear. He loves giving loves and snuggling and I am blessed to get kisses from him all day long. We recently had his 18 month check up and he is strong and healthy. He received 5 shots. He got a sucker and forgot all about it. He has the sweetest relationship with his pappa. They are best buddies. Recently Jace has learned how to wrestle and will attack Luke by running up and not stopping until he pushes him to the ground. Jace also has a love for music and dancing. We can always count on him to get the party started..

We have also been up to this...

Happenins...

I haven't really felt like blogging. Maybe it is because we are still getting snow in May..or maybe because I live a continuous cycle of going to the gym, staying home, and then off to work. This morning after a good hard workout, I feel inspired and motivated. My parents are now in Nauvoo and I could not be more pleased and proud of them. From their e-mails it sounds like they stay overly busy but are enjoying every second of it. Things didn't work out with an internship for Luke this summer but it is great because we are spending more time with eachother then we did all school year. He is planning on taking a couple of classes this summer so he can graduate in the spring next year..I see the light at the end of a long tunnel. We celebrated my birthday by going down to the aquarium in Salt Lake. It was a blast. Jace loved every second of it. In fact it was a little bit of an overload with a school bus of kids running around and glass filled tanks full of colorful sea creatures. He just didn't know what to pay attention to, sweet little guy. We did some shopping at the gateway and let Jace experience the fountain there. At first he was a little timid but then his poppa showed him what to do. On the way home we stopped at 5 Guys Burgers. If you haven't experienced it you must try! The burgers are so fresh and the fries too! I have been secretly wanting a new camera for a while now, well maybe not secretly since I am always asking for one, but Luke did his research and surprised me with one. I love it! The colors are so crisp and everything so defined. My work has a soccer team so this week me and my good friend Anna who I also work with decided to take Jace down to Ogden to watch this highly competitive team of people play a game. It was so fun and they are really serious about it! Jace loved being in the sun, having lots of attention and being able to play with some soccer balls. He is growing up too fast. He is such a natural athlete, we are very impressed. He loves to dance and loves music. He is babbling all the time and I can't wait for words to form and soon after sentences. I love Cache Valley in the summer. Everything is so green and the sun shines so softly on the flowers and my face. Hope everyone is doing well, we love you all.

Spring Fever

Hey eveyone! There has not really been anything new to post about lately. We seem to be in a rut with our daily routines. Jace got his first haircut a couple of weeks ago. I was thinking that it would make him look older but his sweet baby face pulled through and he still looks his age :) He was so scared at first and hung onto me for dear life but then I gave him candy and put on UP and he was just fine. Thanks Anna for doing such a great job! We had Easter with the Lancaster's and that was delicious and fun. I did not do an Easter egg hunt for Jace because I knew he would not get into it and he would just throw the eggs down our stairs. He is a rascal like that lately. Since the weather has been warm we have been out to the park everyday. It amazes me how much he loves being outside and does not care if it is raining or snowing(which happened just yesterday in the middle of April!) or sunny. This kid could run and play for hours. He loves learning new things and is catching on quickly to mimicking people's actions. He was outside playing with Daddy in the grandparents backyard and heard a dog barking. Luke said all of a sudden Jace started howling. Now whenever we say doggie or Toby he starts to howl. I need to get a video of it cause it is so stinkin cute. Only one more month left of this school year for Luke and I can't wait! For those of you who didn't know my parents wont be moving to Cache Valley this year cause they are going on a mission to Nauvoo for six months! We are so excited for them and they will be great missionaries and parents to all the young missionaries out there. I have been trying to teach words to Jace lately especially shirt, shoes, socks. I guess when he tries to say them it sounds like we have been teaching him a dirty word instead. It's quite funny. Oh the joy of having a child! I went down to Lindon the other day for my good friend Christina's baby shower. It was so nice to be able to see her and her cute expectant belly. She is having a boy and I am so excited for her. Anyhow that is about all that has been goin on around our home. Summer could not come soon enough and I can't wait for me and Jace to be able to stick our little toesies into the pool!