I left my heart in San Fransisco

 Last weekend Broc and I had the amazing opportunity to go visit the my dad's younger sister Lisa and her family in the bay area. 

Lisa and Jason live in the GORGEOUS city of Palo Alto. I have never been so in love with a neighborhood than the one they live in. The houses are to die for and the oak trees that line the streets while their branches high five each other over the road makes it beyond dreamy. One of my favorite parts of the trip was going for a morning walk in the gorgeous 80 degree weather. Not to mention that they live a couple blocks away from Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Young. 

In fact, Steve Young taught sunday school when we went to church with them. 

The first day was spent in Palo Alto touring Stanford with Aunt Lisa, going to lunch with Uncle Jason, Mini Golfing with the Peery clan and dinner in downtown Palo Alto.

The next day Jason and Lisa let us take their car into San Fransisco.

We fell in love with this city... everything about it.

We were even able to meet up with Broc's mission buddy Clayton and his wife Melanie.

We could not have had a more fun weekend/mini vacation.

And we owe it all to this wonderful family. 

Thank you Jason, Lisa, Scotty, Allie, Matthew, Tyler, Sadie, and Brady!

We love you!

Once every summer the Wade family gathers together on the 

Carlsbad beach for a few days of blissful living. 

It is a little bit of heaven mixed with soccer, volleyball, sand castle building, and rook. 

This year we were able to get everyone there but two 

(we missed you Lauren and Eric). 

Whenever we are together life is just a little bit better.

 

  

I could not get enough of these twins!

And did I mention that Wades are competitive?

Semi-finals of the rook championship tournament.

Uncle Brent and I took it home and won the crow trophy!

 

Couldn't ask for a better way to spend a summer weekend than with these people. 

It is here that I am reminded how important family is, 

and just how cool of a family I have been blessed with.

week 26.

This sweet baby girl is surely stealing our heart as the days go by.

I could lay in bed all day long and watch little baby parts try to 

punch their way outside of my stomach. 

In fact that is mine and her fathers favorite thing to do on Sunday mornings.

It's only taken 26 weeks and we are already proud parents. 

Extreme Home Makeover

I am going to take a sneak peek into what we have been up to since the summer began.

EXTREME MAKEOVER - HAFEN ADDITION

About an hour after we signed the papers, demolition began. 

And the first thing on the list was
saying goodbye to popcorn ceilings.

  

Next Broc had to re-texture all the ceilings. 

And I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the job he did,
even if his arm went asleep every 15 minutes.

  And the pregnant lady almost suffocated in this mask.

 And what would we have done without our moms?

 Stay tuned for all of the before and after photos!

I can't even begin to thank all those who have helped/are currently helping us with this project. Especially my father-in-law Travis, I am constantly amazed by your talent!

I guess I will spoil you a little bit with one before and after photo, our entertainment center...

Little Grandma

Blanche Evelyn Richins has a special place in all of our hearts. And that is what has made every day since she passed away last week a bit bitter. Broc has been lucky enough to have had his great grandma this far into his life and often talks about the times when he would visit her in her quaint doll-like Salt Lake City home.  "Little Grandma" was a tiny Diet Coke lovin independent gal. She lived in the same home for over 60 years and for the last several, has been there alone, having to climb on open drawers to reach the top cabinets. At 96 years old when she was admitted to the hospital for a few days, she was still asking for her make-up, diet coke and tic tacs. I have only had the pleasure of knowing her for a few years now, but that has been enough for me to just adore this woman. I will always remember when Jilynne told me once that every night before she goes to bed, little grandma mentions every one of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren in her prayers. 
We will miss you dearly little grandma and know that you will be forever watching over us 

Adjusting.

Thankfully, I have never been one who has had to count calories or watch my weight. I have been raised healthy and active and I guess you could say I have been blessed with a good metabolism. I mean look at my mom, if that post 7 baby body is genetic then I will be one happy girl. So when my body started changing, I had a hard time adjusting to it. I don't like feeling winded when I walk up stairs, I didn't love that my back muscles felt like they were getting buried under a layer of flab, and I didn't like not being able to do crunches at night before I got into bed. I use to love wearing clothes that hugged my body in all the right places instead of hiding under baggy blouses and sweatpants. Even though the doctor had only told me I had gained 2 lbs. in the first 16 weeks, I felt like I had put on 20 with the way I was feeling. If you have had children, you probably know the feelings I am describing. I still try to stay in shape and keep my body strong, but this changing body seems inevitable, and that discouraged me.

And then I remember my baby girl who is growing inside of me. And I suddenly feel like I would gladly put on 200 lbs to get her here if I had to (thank goodness my doctor only told me to gain 20-25 lbs). I suddenly remember that being a mother was the one thing I wanted to be when I grew up, not a fitness model or an Olympian. I remember that my body was meant to bring children to this world, mine and Broc's children. I remember that darling profile I saw in a black and white image that will soon be here with us.

Now I love the mornings that I wake up with a stiff back because I made sure to sleep on my left side the entire night. I love my little baby bump because with each day it gets bigger, I know my little girl is getting bigger too. I love swallowing pills the size of almonds and getting up at 4 a.m. to pee. I am getting use to my new body and I am loving it.

 

But I can't say I'm not excited for when I get to have my old one back. :)

p.s. we are almost half way there!!!

????

 

It was June 6th 2012, a day we had looked forward to since the day we found out we were expecting. Everyone had their guesses, 

most of them guessed girl. 

Everyone asked what I was wanting and to be honest, 

my only response was a that I just wanted a healthy baby

but secretly I was leaning toward a little girl... and so was Broc.

9:00 a.m. couldn't come soon enough 

and we invited the Grandparents-to-be to join us in some of the most exciting news of our lives.

The woman that did the ultrasound must had done hundreds, because even when I was convinced the first couple images were just the waffle I had eaten for breakfast, 

she reassured me that they were baby parts. 

It wasn't until I saw that sweet baby's hands curled around its' precious face that I had an unbelievable and overwhelming feeling that she was ours. 

Yes, I said she.

She is our daughter.

And she is loved.

How can you not already fall in love with that face!

A day in D.C.

Broc and I had the amazing opportunity to go back east for our friends, Peter and Ketty's wedding (pictures to come). 

We were able to squeeze in a day to spend in the nations capital between all the wedding festivities. 

I had been there a couple times before but Broc had never seen this amazing city and I was so excited to show it to him. {after all, one of his favorite things to watch is the History Channel}. 

Things we were able to see in one day:

Air and Space Smithsonian

Natural History Smithsonian

American History Smithsonian

National Archives (The Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights)

Washington Monument

White house

Nations capital

Things we wish we had time to see:

Lincoln Memorial

Fords Theater

Library of Congress

It was a pretty full day and by the end of it, we were happy to get back to the hotel and soak our feet.

It was a day we will always remember, partly because it was in an unbelievable city but mostly because it was an entire day spent together. 

Where we learned to love

Apt. C-102 will always have a little piece of my heart. 

Not because it was a luxury suite by any means,

but because that is where our lives molded into one. 

It was here that we learned to cook, pay bills, fight and make up. 

We learned how to steam vegetables, save change, and avoid large electrical payments. 

But most of all, it was here, in this small space, 

that we learned how to love each other more every day. 

It was here where we shared our first home 

and learned how married people survive. 

In this small space, the memories as newly weds took place. 

When I tell my children about mine and their dad's "early days", 

it is here that my mind will smile upon.

Our first Hafen home.

 

And we left her just the way we found her. 

My 6 year old sister Lexi helped me gather the last of our things before locking the door for the last time. She yelled "see ya later old pal" as she blew a kiss inside the front door. 

A tear rolled down my cheek as we pulled out of the parking lot.

And then I thought of the adventures that lie before us.

And I could not be more excited.

A new home.

I can really judge how busy my life is when I have not had time to watch the biggest loser finale yet or the last 3 weeks of modern family. A little pathetic I know.

Life is the busiest I think it has ever been. 

And I have made that definitive statement quite a few times in my life, 

but I really mean it this time.

Although it is busy... it is also the most exciting time I have ever had.

And why you might ask...

Because not only are we having a baby in 5 MONTHS! (ahh)...

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! 

She is definitely a fixer-upper. 

But that is always the kind I wanted.

She has the character that you seem to only get with older homes

And a view that people who build in Stone Cliff pay millions for.

She is our new home.

And she is perfect....

will be perfect

after hours and hours of renovation

M.O.T.H.E.R.

How could I sum up how we feel about our two AMAZING mothers?

I don't think that I could have sung any better than my good friend Al Borland. 

Happy Mother's Day Jilynne and Brenda! 

We love you more than you could possibly know.

Cap, Gown and a pair of Converse. yup.

Broc was so funny on the day of his graduation.

And if you know anything about Broc, you wouldn't be surprised.
We were leaving and I noticed he was in jeans, a tshirt and converse. 

I told him he should at least put on a pair of slacks and nice shoes. 

He declined.

When we got to the graduation he had his cap and gown in the packaging still and asked a lady where he was suppose to go, she said "no where until you are dressed for graduation!" 

So he got dressed on the stair case in front of everyone.

He told me he had to go to work right after but between me and his mom, we wouldn't let that happen and took him out for a lunch celebration.

I am so proud of this guy.

From this story, you wouldn't think that school was a high priority for him.

But it secretly is.

And he is really, really good at it.