Skiing with The Hancocks

Our good friends Josh and Amy are on their way out of Utah soon, so Josh can go to school to become a P.A. and they made a "Utah Bucket List" to finish before they left. We are big fans of the beehive state, so we enlisted ourselves to help them complete their list. First on the agenda: skiing!

We went up to Sundance on Saturday for our last trip of the season. It was so warm, we didn't even use gloves, and Devin and Amy both got sunburns! The snow got pretty slushy after 12:00, so we only got a good 4 hour day in, but it was so worth it! Devin finally tried the famous nachos from The Bear Claw, and I never even fell! I was also proud when I successfully helped Amy re-learn her ski techniques. It was an awesome day! Devin spent a good amount of time on the black diamonds, totally rocking them, and I only joined him for 1 of them, but it was a great afternoon!

I'm glad the Hancocks still have several months before they move, because we are sure going to miss them! Once it gets warmer, the next thing on the list is to hike Timp!

Hunger Games

we went to a showing of The Hunger Games on Friday with a bunch of family and friends at Thanksgiving Point. We watched it on the Mammoth Screen -- that thing is TOO HUGE! We left a little nauseous but it was worth it! I thought the movie was so well done. It followed the book pretty much exactly. Down to tiny details, and even some of the script. It was very impressive. The cast? Incredible.

The thing about the book though, is that it is so well written, and already set up to be an amazing movie, so as I read it, it was so easy to picture it in my head. And although the cast they actually used was incredible, I had my own in mind:

When I picture people in books, it just happens by default and I don't seem to have much say in it, and it just stays that way forever.

HAYMITCH: Kevin Costner circa 1990 (like in "Dances with Wolves" except drunk.)

PEETA MELLARK: Taylor Wach (my younger sister's ex-boyfriend - weird, i know. but like i said. it happened without my consent.)

KATNISS EVERDEEN: Me... even weirder, but again, default. 

PRESIDENT SNOW: Christopher Lee - except more white hair.

EFFIE: a very petite redhead....

I know I had ideas for other people, but I can't think of them right now. I think the cast I had could have done a great job, too...

Bayli Grey Jones

it's friday night, about 1:00 a.m.

we just got home from seeing the hunger games (more later) and are trying to fall asleep.

devin is on facebook on his phone and sees that Val has said "it's baby time!"

she's at the hospital!

my phone wasn't in the room but the next morning, around 7:45, we wake up and i have a bunch of texts from val and stef.

i text back and val is responding, so i decided to just call.

i thought they would probably just be waiting around waiting for doctors to get things going.

which was sort of the case...

garrison answers, sounding like it's any other day, and hands the phone to val.

who is in labor. she's already had an epidural. 

and we're just talking on the phone like it's no big deal.

she even has a contraction!

true best friends, haha!

after a few minutes, i told her i better get going, because it sounded like she was pretty busy (haha)

devin and i had plans to go skiing with josh and amy, so we headed off to those plans (more later)

and around 2:00 when we were finished, we headed back home.

i had gotten next to no sleep, because of the late movie, plus my cold, plus my best friend was having her baby girl, so I took a short nap.

i had a text from stef around 10am saying that baby bayli was here and healthy, and val was doing good, too!

valeri and bayli were both resting, so we decided to wait a little bit. obviously, they'd had a pretty big day! 

we headed to the hospital around 4:30, and holy cow.

the most beautiful, tiny little baby girl was there in her nursery cart coo-ing and squirming.

i can't get over how beautiful she is.

and Valeri! she just had a baby, and she's gorgeous and happy, and already proving to be an amazing mother!

the first thing i noticed is that she looks a lot like her daddy!

she is a jones baby for sure.

we were all so sure she would be bald and look more like val!

i can't get over how tiny she is, but she's totally healthy. val only gained 17 pounds during the entire pregnancy!

5 lbs 3.8 oz

18 inches long

full head of dark brown hair

3 weeks early

born at 9:56 a.m.

on March 24, 2012

Bayli Grey Jones

my first ever surrogate niece, haha! val is the first of all of my close friends (excluding the ones I have met through Devin) to have a baby, so it's a very big deal!

i didn't take very many pictures, because I was holding her, but Devin snapped a few.

i wore a doctor's mask because of my cough. i didn't want to get that baby girl sick! - I also realize I look slightly crazy in the pictures, but I couldn't contain my happiness!!!

she has the cutest little cry, and big, big dark blue eyes.

she has big lips, just like her mama!

i held her for a good 20 minutes, and she just stared at me. she is gorgeous!

i miss her already!

they will probably come home from the hospital today or tomorrow, depending on how well valeri is feeling (which is good, for the most part!)

the funny thing is, though, Bayli wasn't just a surprise when we found out Val was pregnant, she was also a surprise when she came!

Valeri had just come to the hospital to turn in some labs she had done. They told her she had preclampsia. They admitted her then and induced her, because the only cure for preclampsia is to have the baby! Surprise!

The other interesting thing is that I was talking to my mom the day before about Val, and said "I hope she has this baby tomorrow!" - looks like my wish came true!!!

I am so excited for Valeri and Garrison. They will be great parents. It was already obvious in the hospital! Bayli is too small for even the premature diapers, and all the hats and headbands we put on her were way too big too! She is so small and so beautiful, and I am so happy. Part of me was so sure that seeing Bayli would put me into full-blown baby hunger (even more so than before!), but I actually left feeling like the opposite! Man, am I excited to have my own little baby some day, but I can definitely wait!!! I realized I wouldn't be thinking that if the timing was right, so we are going to happily move forward with our crazy life as it is, and continue to travel and work and learn! And obviously, play with everybody else's babies as often as possible! ha!

less than 1 day old!!!

I'm sure I will get more photos later, and I know Val and probably Stef will post some soon, too, so I may steal some of those! I just can't get over this little girl!!!

BPW: sharing + where you'll find us this weekend

anxiously waiting to start the weekend. at 7:30, you could find us at paradise bakery, one of our favorites, with tons of our friends, eating some delicious food. 

we'll probably be there for awhile.

and at about 9:30, you'll find us sitting, way too anxiously, in front of the mammoth screen, tapping our feet while we wait for The Hunger Games to start. 

and then, almost immediately after, we will most likely turn into zombies and go directly to bed.

where you can find us until noon, is my guess.

the afternoon, we can be found on the mountains of sundance, skiing our hearts out for one last time this season. 

we'll be with some other great friends. and i mean, really great. it's the hancocks, you know! they are awesome. i can't wait! 

and then, we'll probably immediately turn to zombies again, except for more sore, and with runny noses, and maybe even a sunburn or 2. and we'll be in bed until we convince ourselves to get up for church. if we can be convincing enough. 

and sunday night? we'll be found with our family, celebrating the birthday of the 2 year old with the loudest most adorable personality ever. that's right, little addison renee herself is TWO. are you kidding?!?! she is growing up way too fast. it just means we need to get some more babies in this family!!! (you know who you are...!!!)

and we will spend a few minutes dreading this awesome weekend coming to a close. and we'll fall asleep slowly, and then monday will come, and it won't be so bad. and the week will go by so fast, that it will all be okay. because it will be time for another weekend.

as for what i love about blogging this week?

sharing. i love linking up to other blogs or old posts or other websites and things. i like to give credit where credit is due, when i can remember to do so. did i mention yet that i love that my blog is like a google, but for my life? i use it all the time to look up old dates for jobs and other events that happened, to find pictures, and all other kinds of things.

i also like to share what i learn and do. i don't have very many original ideas, but i like them enough to want to share the wealth. because it's worth sharing. plus, i learn so many great things from other blogs, that it wouldn't be fair if i wasn't contributing to the huge idea pool that has been created in the blogging world.

BPW: you! + thursday

The terrible thing about today is that is feels like it's Friday. but it isn't, and when I have to remind myself that, I get a little grumpy. The great thing about today, is that my boss got us pizza and ice cream for lunch, and we left work an hour early. paid. and i did a ton of really great work today. i love my job! it's the exact kind of busy work i have always enjoyed. most people don't like "busy work" but i love it! 

the other nice thing about today is that it's 70 degrees, which my really attractive husband put on his bibs and jersey and took his bike out for another ride. the terrible thing is that i still can't go with him. changing that next season, we hope! 

today is going to be nothing but relaxing. i haven't moved from the couch since i got home and put sweats on, and there's not a sound besides the clicking of the keyboard while i type. so relaxing. i get to catch up on my hulu! i love it when i get to do that! 

other thoughts about today:

i'm so grateful to have a husband who will randomly send me funny things that happen to him and sporadic "i love you!" 's. 

i also love that he is just as content with my idea of a junk food dinner including hot dogs and potato chips as he is with a fancy meal at communal. 

and i love that it's finally spring. we're hoping to head back to buckhorn wash next month if it's not too wet and do some exploring in jackass benches. anybody wanna come???

blog positivity week: 

another awesome thing about blogging is YOU GUYS. i don't have many official followers (shout out, 29!), but i am getting international views and returning visitors daily. i don't know who you are, but i love you! 

just this week alone, my stat counter has recorded visitors from:

all over southern utah (mostly st. george)

around here in northern/central utah (draper, salt lake, orem, provo, payson, west jordan, etc, etc)

colorado 

massachusetts 

missouri 

hawaii 

australia 

california 

michigan 

wisconsin 

texas 

idaho 

new york 

iowa 

korea 

tasmania

alberta 

kansas 

maryland 

south carolina 

saudi arabia

um... that makes me feel pretty great about myself. i don't feel like i have anything special going on here, but knowing that i'm providing enough entertainment for people to read this, let alone, keep coming back, is pretty cool. 

i have met some AMAZING people through the blogosphere. amazing, i tell you. to name a few:

stephanie & mr. nielson: this couple was in an airplane accident a few years ago, and her road back from that is amazing, inspiring, and miraculous. nie nie is easily the most inspirational, influential person i've ever "met". 

namoi & josh: rockstar diaries is easily one of the most popular blogs around, but man. not only is that baby eleanor the cutest thing ever, but they are solid. such a great family, and members, no less! so awesome!

sydney & tyson: another super popular blog, written by members! the daybook is my go-to when i want to laugh. sydney is hilarious, and her son everett has the best facial expressions i've ever seen! so awesome.

sam & sarah: sarah is my sister in law's sister in law. if that makes sense. so i have done things with her a few times, but i feel like i know the most about her through her blog. she is amazing! so, so crafty, absolutely gorgeous, and she is so multi-faceted. she is a farm girl, loves horses, but still sews like a champion, and has flawless hair and makeup. she's also one of the sweetest people i've ever known.

sam & chas: they are both artists. so artsy. they are in SLC, and sam is seriously the biggest trooper. she's not much older than i am, and she's pretty much been to hell and back more than once, and she is so much stronger for it! she is so willing to share her experiences and share it with others, and there is a strength in doing that, that not many people have. she is a killer painter, too.

hue & hum: i couldn't say enough good things! caitlin and robbie are pretty much the coolest. she's an artist. he's a musician (and in one of my favorite bands, the fictionist!) robbie is also the brother of one of our best friends, and devin's old mission companion, TJ! they are both so incredibly talented, and caitlin constantly finds a way to relate the process of art to life. she is so creative and interesting, and also hilarious! you should check out her fotoshop phridays!

brittany: brittany is the mother of a family from new england where devin serve his mission. and when i think brittany, i think "i am mom, hear me roar!" she is everything i aspire to be as a mother, and so passionate and loving. she is also an amazingly talented artist, and has so many great thoughts to share. i cannot WAIT to meet her in two months when we head our to new england! she is so inspiring.

and who could forget my trusted besties? kylee and valeri both write hilarious and entertaining blogs. kylee blogs about really book-smart stuff. like her literary english sort of stuff that she is studying at UVU. she's always quoting some really, really old genius, and making really funny metaphors about herself and her life. it's pretty much why we're best friends. valeri's blog is sometimes my only way of getting caught up on her life and pregnancy! that little bayli grey is coming any day now, and it's been fun to see her and garrison prepare and learn. she is amazing! i can hardly wait for her to be a mama! 

then there's my sisters! chloe and amanda are in-law sisters, but it doesn't really matter. sisters are sisters! they both write hilarious, amazing blogs and i LOVE reading them, even if they already told me the stories! the longer we've known each other, the closer we get, and i LOVE IT! they are amazing. i can't believe they're my sisters! 

my little sister kayla writes a pretty awesome blog too. her perspective of life, and high school, and love is so different from mine, and i love reading about how she does it all! she is gorgeous, genius, and hilarious, and i love her. the end.

i would link up to all those blogs, but they are pretty much all on my side bar ----> and if not, i bet you already follow them! i love these guys. they make blogging what it is to me. 

BPW: writing + wednesday

Wednesday has been good to me, too. It's been an all around great week, truthfully. 

I stayed late at work so my "team" can go home AN HOUR EARLY (PAID!!!) tomorrow. That's right. Work has been so great, obviously. It's been good for me. Good for us. 

Devin has some potentially big changes (did i word that right...?) coming up in this next week or so. More on that later... the only thing that matters is that we are both feeling really great about everything that's going on. 

We are making steak kabobs right now. literally. i'm sitting in the kitchen. devin just put the steak on the stove. and i'm refraining from eating all the orange and yellow peppers...! then we'll make the rounds to our family and catch up and drop off...

Blog Positivity Week:

I love to write. I always have. I even spent a year at Dixie State College, trying to keep my head above the water that is a mass communications major. I was taking 17-21 credits, all relevant to journalism, and I was a section editor at the ripe young age of 18, which entailed at least 40 hours a week worth of editing, writing, proofing, photographing, and critiquing. It's a meticulous little job. Not for everyone. Not for me either, unfortunately. (if you care to know more about my journalism career or my time at dsc, read here.) It was the most stressful experience I have ever had, but I'm grateful for it every day. I learned so much, and even though that may not always show, with my typo's and grammatical errors, I am a good writer. I know I am. And that's not bragging, I promise. It's just... one of those things. Blogging is a little different then journalism, and writing newspaper articles, but still. Anyway, blogging is an awesome way for me to practice my writing. As often as every day. I think it's healthy to write. No matter what form you use to do it in. I also love the ability to channel thoughts into words. I think it takes  a lot of creativity and talent to do it in a good way, and I'm still learning, but it's something I've always aspired to do. 

I also think blogging/writing is a great outlet. A creative outlet to get my thoughts and ideas out there, a way to keep myself composed, and not bottle things up. A way to share the girly things my husband doesn't care to listen to (haha). I couldn't say enough things about writing. And the fact that blogging allows me to write as often as I want, how I want, where and when, and about what... makes blogging important to me. I am a huge believer in the power of the written word. I would often communicate to Devin difficult things through email while we were dating and engaged. I always felt like I sounded so dumb, that it was hard for me to talk about those things in person when we were dating, and more so when we were engaged, but he totally understood the difference it makes to be able to write out your thoughts and organize them. That's a prime example. I think everyone should be able to have an outlet like this for whatever it is they do or want. Just another reason why I love to blog!

BPW: inspiration + countdowns

TUESDAY has been okay. Devin doesn't work on Tuesdays. Tuesdays are his school days. So my tuesdays generally start with several curse words in my head as I kiss him goodbye while he's still in bed, and I head off to work on a mean, cold morning (I say mean, because we almost his 70 like, 2 days ago. what a joke it is to wake up to 20 degrees again! boo.)

Tuesday got a little better when I came home for lunch and we had hot dogs and watched daytime sitcoms like "Yes, Dear" and "King of Queens" - classics. It also got better when I got to work and "unintentionally" spent at least 1/2 an hour hanging out with my boss, not on the phone. It was pretty awesome. She's easily one of the coolest bosses I've ever had. (Alex and Jamie are easily the best bosses... haha! I miss them!)

Then it got GREAT when I got to leave work 1/2 an hour early and get paid for it! It's because our team in our department did exceptionally well yesterday, and as a reward, we get to duck out early! Wahoo! I love incentives like that.

I came home and we watched Seinfeld until Devin went to class. During that time, I watched the episodes of Buried Life where the boys deliver a baby and compete in a krump competition. This show is hilarious, and also cool in an inspiring way. Those are some good guys. Then I watched the CNBC show called something like... "The Facebook Obsession" it was interesting, but not really. Whatever.

Then... we cooked. After Devin got home from class early (nothing better than a cool professor). We made creamy italian chicken, rice, and squash/zucchini. YUM. And I even made chocolate mousse for dessert. I don't think I've ever seen Devin's eyes get to wide and happy as they did when I pulled the ingredients out!

Now? It's Jazz game time. For the... 3rd night in a row, I believe? Man, I wish I liked basketball more. And I'm guessing we'll end the night with some mousse in bed, while watching The Buried Life.

so mostly... Tuesday's been good to me.

now about the countdowns:

1 year until we get to plan our next anniversary trip (we're thinking... beachy.)

1.5 months until we get iPhones. which has been a LONG time coming. it's about time. my phone is awful. i've never even had a smart phone. and i'm jealous of instagram-ers. i wanna play :(

2 months exactly until we are off to BOSTON!!!

3 days until we go to the hunger games with all our family/friends!

4 days until we go skiing with Josh and Amy! We are taking them for I think both of their first times, and it will probably be our last chance to get out this season. Luckily, we still have some free passes! So maybe i'm a little glad we've had some recent snow... because that means fresh powder on the mountain :)

what i love about blogging today:

so many IDEAS out there. so much INSPIRATION. from other bloggers. i think the blogging world attracts women (mostly) who are crafty, which is really handy for me, because i'm still learning how to be crafty, and i'm slowly getting better at it. i learn so much from these other bloggers. so many tips and tricks. lots of cute things to try... crafts, and things on myself! how do you think i learned all the hairstyles i wear lately??? haha blogging is the best. i love how much i can learn and figure out from the bloggers around me. they are some amazing ladies! (i single out women because i only follow girl blogs. except for my husband. but he hasn't posted since... a few days before our wedding, i think? what a slacker.... haha! just kidding.)

okay. i'm done. i don't have the patience to blog tonight. i scarffed down an in-n-out cheeseburger and fries for lunch yesterday and i still feel sick. i also think i might be allergic to grapes. they give me heartburn... what the H, mario?