The Randall Family Blog

Utah/Idaho 2011

2011-09-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

Cameron's First Plane Ride

Chilling with Cousins

Cuddle Time with Mom

Before Grandma's Viewing

Grandpa Allred with Grandbabies

Idaho Gravesite

Allred Family

Sweet Boy- Idaho Family Luncheon

Flag flown at half mast for Grandma

Cam and Dad

Boys on the River

Grandpa, Cam, and Dad

Randall Family with Grandpa Simons

Grandma

2011-09-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

August was a difficult month. My mom's mom passed away and we took the trip to Utah and Idaho for her funeral. She was an absolutely amazing woman and she left a wonderful legacy for her family. She was the hardest working person I have ever met. She spent her whole life in pain and sickness yet she worked from sun up to sun down and into the night every day. I will miss her dearly. She truly taught me the value of adversity and continuing on through pain and struggle. I love you Grandma Simons. Thank you for the time and memories I got to spend with you and for teaching me how to work and do things for others.

Time Flying....

2011-03-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks I have really been reflecting on how fast the last year has gone. Cameron is now almost 11 months old...just one more stepping stone until he's celebrated a whole year with our family. I never knew that seeing your child grow could be such a happy occasion and such a sad experience at the same time.

I love to watch him start to stand on his own, but then remember how sweet it was when he started to practice on all fours. I love to hear him laugh hysterically, but miss when we saw that first little smile. I love to see his hair grow in blonde and be all crazy, but miss when all his gorgeous dark brown hair fell out and he was the cutest bald baby around. I love that he can sleep in his crib at night without waking up for 12 hours so mom can get some much needed rest, but I sincerely miss all those nights that he slept in the same bed with me and we would cuddle, face to face, breath to breath all night long.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I miss my baby. He will always be my baby but everyday he is turning more and more into a little child. Its amazing to see him grow and excel, but so sad at the same time. It makes me realize how much time I wasted in the last year, trying to put on the appearance that life was perfect, instead of realizing the perfection I experience every day with my little guy. Of course, there will always be a house to clean, laundry to do, and errands to run, but I finally think I am realizing how fast it really goes by. Time to start living for each day, because next thing you know it a whole other year will pass by in a flash.

I love my little boy. Maybe tonight I will sneak him into our room and under our covers...just this once...

Beautiful Boy

2011-02-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Cameron,

It amazes me each day how much you have grown. You are such a beautiful child, inside and out. We love you very much.

Love, Mom

Oh how I've grown....

2010-10-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Cameron Randall

I only have one question....What happened to my hair?!!!

Randall Ranch

2010-06-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

We decided to head up to our Randall Family Ranch for the Memorial holiday weekend. Ryker came up with our family and we had an absolute blast! Cameron even got to ride his very first horse and 'shoot' his first gun (the best a 6 week old can). Sara became a lot more comfortable on a horse and really took a liking to Pickalow, she may finally be coming a real Randall now that she can ride. I'm sure Sara has a lot more to say about the trip but I had to have an excuse to post these pictures:

Grand Canyon Adventure

2010-06-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Since we were in the area we decided to swing by the Grand Canyon since Ryker (my brother) and Cameron (of course) had never been there. Sara was quite... reserved, about the idea because of her experience at Grand Canyon West a few years back and her lack of enthusiasm about heights.

A few years ago we took a helicopter right out at Grand Canyon West and on the rim there is no railing and it is about a straight mile drop down unlike off the South rim where we decided to go this time. I think she enjoyed this trip much more, at least her nerves did and it gave us all the chance to enjoy the view instead of hearing Sara's yells in the background to get away from the edge.

Cameron slept most the time but he did take a couple of peeks at the view, he is definitely our outdoors baby. No matter how many times I go to the Grand Canyon, it never ceases to amaze me what that view is like. Someday I'll get in shape enough to actually hike it. :)

It's a bird...it's a plane...

2010-05-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

It's a mobile!

Cameron loves the birdies and butterflies flying above his swing. Much of the time he spends in the swing is spent with his head arched back and making faces at his friends above. What a cutie pie!

Gadgets and Gizmos a Plenty

2010-05-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

Brick's grandparents are moving to a new house and they decided to have a garage sale to rid their house of things they didn't need or didn't want to pack up and take with them.

So grandma told us to come over and take whatever we wanted before the big day. I was so glad that we did. It felt like Christmas! I got so many free things that I was excited about!

I got quite a few designer purses, not sure if they are all real but I love them all anyways.

I got two Burberry's (one of which I am pretty sure is real), a Liz Claiborne, a Volcom, a Gucci backpack, and a Louis Vuitton.

I also got a few odds and ends like a cute children's book, some comfy plush slippers, a belgian waffle maker and a Baby Bee Burt's Bees starter kit with lots of fun stuff for Cameron to use.

Brick took these little Friar Tuck figurines that he has loved since he was a little boy. I think they are a little funny looking but I guess if he wants to keep them in his office in the new house then that's fine with me. They are actually a little pitcher for cream and a sugar container.

These beauties are some old vintage suitcases we found. I am not sure if we will use them or not, but I thought they could be used for some cool photo ops.

And last but not least, the real reason we went to his grandparents, were to get these. They are old (and a little beat up) instruments.

They actually look really cool in the ceiling cut outs in his grandparents house, which is what we will be using them for when we move to our new house. There is a violin, a cello, a french horn, and some other kind of brass instrument (sorry I am not versed in instrumentese). There is also this Beethoven bust that was kind of cool.

All in all, we came upon a lot of cool stuff. Stuff that would have cost us a lot more money if we had bought it ourselves, as well. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Goodman for making it a fun night and for all the treasures we found!

Hey Bert!

2010-05-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, Brick's first name is Bert. He comes from a long line of Bert's. His dad is Bert, his grandpa is Bert, his great grandpa is Bert, and his great great grandpa is Bert. That's... (if you counted them) yes five Berts!

Well most of the nine months of my pregnancy, once we knew we were having a boy, Brick was torn on whether he wanted to pass the tradition down for a sixth time. Mom was not happy about it, but I learned to live with it once he decided to name little Cameron, Bert.

So Brick's dad is missing from this picture, but here is three generations of Bert. Bert Preston Randall, Bert Brickford Randall, and last but not least Bert Cameron Randall. Geeze, will the church's family history center hate us!

Mikey's Piano Recital

2010-05-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

My younger brother Mikey has been taking piano lessons from Brick's grandma, Garna. This is the first time he has taken lessons and has only been doing it for three months.

He loves taking the lessons and has caught on really quickly. Yesterday was his first recital and he did phenomenally well. He even knows how to play crossing his hand over the other. Not to mention he had the entire piece memorized. We couldn't have been prouder.

We are so lucky to have Mikey in our family and are glad that he was willing to share his talent with us!

Cameron's Baby Photoshoot

2010-05-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

So we got Cameron's baby pictures back and can't choose which we look best, they are all so fantastic! Thanks so much to Robin for her great work, we will cherish these forever! Click any of the images to go to the full gallery.

2010-05-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

I love that Cameron is beginning to be a bit more alert and responsive. We haven't seen much of his eyes these first few weeks so I just thought this picture was just too cute not to share.

Happy Anniversary!

2010-05-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

Today is Brick's and my 4th year anniversary. It's crazy to think we have been married that long and together for even longer. So much has changed in the past year. We were sealed in the temple, moved to a new house, moved our businesses, got pregnant, had a baby.... the list goes on.

But I guess all I really want to say is how grateful I am for Brick and all the things he does for our family. He is such a hard worker and great provider for our family. I am so appreciative of all the many hours he works and still makes the time to help around the house and help with Cameron. I could not have asked for a better husband. He keeps me grounded and is always there to calm me down when I am stressed or overwhelmed. He is an amazing father and wonderful husband. I am looking forward to the many years we will have together and the experiences our family will have with each other,

Chunky Monkey

2010-05-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

Cameron had his second pediatric appointment today. His last one was a weeks and a half ago and he has gained almost a pound! I had no idea that babies grew that quickly. I have noticed though the past few days that he is looking a little heavier around the middle. He is now 8 pounds 12.5 oz and is measuring at 21.5 inches. He is in the 48th percentile for weight and 77th percentile for height. I don't know if I am quite ready for my baby to be growing this fast. I wanted him to stay little forever!

2010-05-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Things have been great since we have been home from the hospital. A little challenging, yes, but completely worth it. Everyone tried to warn us how hard it is having a newborn, and scoffed at me when I said that I thought it would be easier than pregnancy. I think I was right. Having a newborn is tiring but man, am I sure glad that I am not pregnant anymore.

We have been very fortunate that Cameron doesn't really cry. We have only heard him really cry a few times since being home. He fusses every so often but overall he is a great baby. I hope I am not totally jinxing myself. I guess it's totally possible as well that I am still in the "honeymoon" period and am just so gaga over him that I don't notice that I get very little sleep and very little time to myself. Just yesterday, I had a baby shower to go to, and I was just thrilled when he slept for the three straight hours and I didn't have to worry about a fussy baby that needed to be fed or changed while in the middle of a crowd.

We are planning on having him blessed the fast [1st] Sunday in June and would love all to make it. We are so excited to have him as a member of our family. Even though he has only been here for two weeks, it is hard for me to remember what it was really like without him and how we ever lived without him in the first place.

Birth Day

2010-04-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

So after many failed attempts of making this baby come, he came on his own time Sunday afternoon, April 18th. My husband will tell you though that it was the hour and a half massage he gave me Saturday night that sprung me into labor, since I had horrible [what I thought was false] labor pains all night long. So a little recap on how the day went.

I was up all night long with [false] labor, which I had been experiencing for the last 4-5 weeks so I just chalked it up to another bad night. I was dilated to 3 cm by 34 weeks pregnant, 4 cm by 36 weeks, and 5 cm at 38 weeks, so my doctor and I both thought that I wouldn't still be pregnant at this point. She had even stripped my membranes at 38 weeks and I was disappointed when it didn't seem to have any effect.

So after a endless night with no sleep, I finally fell asleep at 6 am... just to wake up at 6:30 am with a heavy contraction, a popping sound, and my water breaking. Boy did I run to the bathroom fast! My forebag had broken earlier in my pregnancy resulting in a false alarm trip to the hospital, so this time we took our time going to the hospital to make sure it was for real. And it was.... but we took our time and Brick did the dishes and cleaned up a bit before we left.

By the time we reached the hospital (an only 5 minute drive) I was in horrible pain. We checked in and they took me to triage. Normally they do an exam there before they admit you, but when the nurse saw how much pain I was in they sent me straight to a labor and delivery room. I had planned on a natural delivery my entire pregnancy. I had practiced different breathing techniques, labor positions, and had even bought a birthing ball. Big surprise, I didn't need any of it. Because I had already been dilated to a 5, my labor came on so suddenly and painful that within 30 minutes of my water breaking, my contractions were already two minutes apart. It didn't give me a chance to gradually prepare myself and build up to the contractions. I don't know how dilated I was when I finally got the epidural, but shortly after they gave it to me I was already at 7-8 cm.

I was afraid, previously to going into labor, that if I wasn't able to do it naturally that I would be really disappointed in myself. But I was more than grateful and thrilled when that anesthesiologist finally got there. My hero! He gave me the best epidural ever...not that I had anything to compare it to, but I felt no pain whatsoever for the entirety of my labor.

I think the epidural slowed things down a bit and I was stuck at a 9 for quite a while but it gave me a chance to take a much needed nap before the pushing started. Finally when I got to a 10, the doctor and nurses came in and it was time to push! I only pushed for about 30 minutes...half of the time was just sitting there though, waiting for contractions. I asked for a mirror to watch and was really glad I did. It was so cool to see his head crowning and to realize he had hair! Yay for the Allred genes that dominated the bald headed baby genes of the Randall family. When it came down to the last couple pushes I was so focused on watching him make his way into the world that I forgot to push and they had to remind me that I was the one that had to get this baby out.

Little Cameron made his way into this world at 4:09 pm that day, weighing a whopping 8 lbs 4 oz. An unexpected size for how little weight I gained and considering he was still a week early. I guess I will have to warn my doctors next time that I make big babies.

It was such an amazing experience. It was almost like an out of body experience to have them place his little body on my chest where we got to meet for the first time. I never realized that you could love anyone as instantly as you can your child. Brick and I both had to fight the tears. He was so quiet, I worried a little that he wasn't crying. I realize now it was just a glimpse of what was to come. He is an amazing baby and only cries when he is getting his diaper changed and only gets a little fussy if he waits too long to eat.

He was absolutely beautiful, and I was very grateful to the hospital staff that let me hold him for nearly a half hour before they took him from me for the standard measures they take such as taking a bath and weighing him. At this point I was even more glad that I had gotten the epidural. I felt like it gave me the energy and the clarity of mind to really enjoy the experience, instead of being in the horrible pain I was in previously.

We are so grateful to have our little boy, after 4 long years of waiting, it couldn't have been more perfect. Although I am completely exhausted and am feeling a little overwhelmed and inadequate at all this mom stuff, there is nothing more rewarding than looking my little boy in the eyes and knowing that I am his mother. There is nothing better in the world.

Our first family photo all together.

"First we had each other, then we had you, now we have everything"

Welcome Baby Cameron!

2010-04-23T13:30:00.001-07:00

Bert 'Cameron' Randall was born on 4/18/10 at 4:09pm. He weighed 8lbs 4ounces and to our happy surprise has a nice little head of hair!

Mom did such a good job at bringing him into this world. Both Mom and Cameron are perfectly healthy and happy. Cameron loves to just look around and soak in everything around him. He is such a good boy that he even lets his mom and dad get plenty of sleep.

I'm sure plenty more pictures and stories will be soon to come (as we have already taken over 300 pictures) - - He is just way too handsome!

Cameron's Last Ultrasound

2010-02-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

We had Cameron's last ultrasound this morning. He is growing ahead of schedule at a whopping 3 pounds 10 ounces. We almost didn't get a good 3d pic and the tech was giving up on it but I made her try one more time and we got this one good shot. He is so cute. Must look like his mom! I love his chubby cheeks. It's nice to know he has a little fat on him. I can't believe its just another 8-9 weeks until we get to meet him in person!

2010 Happenings

2010-02-16T11:20:00.001-08:00

It's been way too long since I have posted anything. I admit, I have been really lazy. But my sister is reminding me of my lack of blogging so here it is.

Since last post, we had another ultrasound and baby is doing great! The cysts in his brain resolved themselves and there were no other things to worry about, which is fantastic! Christmas was great and we were all together this year which was wonderful. Last year, we were never all together at once since my dad was in the hospital. Brick and I sorta spoiled each other this year for Christmas. We justified it by saying it was our last year together without a baby and that next year we would be spending all of our money on a little one. Here is my present!

Okay, I know it doesn't look exciting, but it was sure exciting to me. For those of you who don't know what this is, its a vinyl plotter. I love it! I have been using it for craft projects and for making cute decals that I have put all over my kitchen. Messy kitchen but here is some of what I did.

The day after Christmas, Brick got to spend some quality time with his dad and his brothers, something he does not get a lot of. It was a long day of shooting and it looked like they had fun together.

Right after New Year's we welcomed a new addition to our family. My sister Nikki had her fourth kid, Noelle Claire on Sunday, January 3rd, weighing a perfect 7 lb 1 oz with a full head of hair. We just had her blessing last week and it was beautiful. I am so glad that Cameron will have a cousin around his age.

This has nothing to do with anything we have been doing lately, but I was watching TV one day and I saw a picture that I just died laughing when it popped up. It reminded me so much of pictures I have seen of Brick as a teenager. This kid is a little chubbier than Brick ever was but I thought it was hilarious. Anyone that knew Brick as a 14 year old would probably think it was funny too. It looks just like him!

In other news, I am getting fatter by the day! I am not exactly sure where else this baby will fit cause I feel enormous as it is, and with 8 or 9 weeks still left. Here is me trying to exercise.... I did some yoga for oh about 5 minutes before I realized that now is not the time for me to start an exercise regime. Pardon the white belly and confused look on my face.

I have also been working on the nursery (when I am not busy working oh so hard on my ab workout, :-)). I made the letters above his crib and I have to say I am pretty proud of them. There is still lots to be done, I feel at least, but Brick assures me that we are pretty prepared with most of the things that a newborn baby needs. I am not so sure.

So that is a quick update of whats been going on around here. The last couple months have just been a blur. I will just leave you with a picture of my Valentine's Day present from Brick this year. I am in love with it! Eeeek! So exciting! Until next time!

Catch Up

2009-12-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since my last post so here is my quick catch up of the last couple months. November went by super fast. We went to Phantom of the Opera and it was fantastic! My wonderful hubby got us 5th row tickets. We had first row tickets for Wicked but I thought it was actually better being a few rows back, that way the orchestra pit wasnt in the our line of sight.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We spent the day at my parents house and ate way too much. I think 2 out of 5 of my gained pregnancy pounds were gained in that day. Which leads me to pregnancy news. Yay! I have gained some weight. I am still 6 or so pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight but at least I am not losing anymore. We had another ultrasound at 18 weeks where we found out that my placenta previa has resolved itself, but unfortunately we did find out that baby boy has a couple of choroid plexus cysts in his brain. Man, I just can't catch a break with this pregnancy! Doctor said not to worry about it and we will get it checked out again this Friday at our 5th ultrasound. Its always fun to have ultrasounds...even if they aren't under the best circumstances...we are always excited to see the baby again.

December came way to quickly. We were excited this last week to pay off one of our big debts! It was exciting to have it out of the way...a little sad to be depleting the savings account to do it but definitely a relief to have out of the way.

Also, this week we went to a great combined choral concert with Gilbert LDS Stake and St. Anne's Catholic Church. Afterwards, there was hot chocolate and cookies, which got me into the spirit of Christmas and we went to look at Christmas lights after.

Also, I am so excited to say that I actually have a nursery now! Brick moved his office into the dining room and after some major organization and moving skills on my husband's part, the room is empty of all storage boxes and now has our nursery set in it. I am so thrilled to start decorating it! I still need to buy my crib bedding and buy a rocking chair but then I am set as far as furniture goes. Having a nursery really makes having a baby real, as does feeling him kick, which was an exciting milestone for me at 17 weeks pregnant and then at 21 weeks having Brick able to feel him from the outside.

I am sure I have plenty more to say, but now I am just rambling, so I will update again on Friday when we get our next ultrasound pics and results!

It's a.....

2009-10-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

It has been long and a heck of a ride this pregnancy thus far. My first trimester consisted of 24/7 nausea and many doctors appointments. I have to admit though, I am kinda excited about the 12 pounds I have lost. I think it will give me a little wiggle room when faced with my upcoming cravings!

The many doctors appointments were due to a car accident in my first trimester, and some concerns they had about my pregnancy being high risk...which were later confirmed to be nothing at all. Thank goodness for insurance cause all the ultrasounds I have had have run up quite the bill.

Now that all of that has been cleared up, I am grateful to be in the second trimester. I have been feeling better and haven't been constantly hugging the toilet this past two weeks. I have a little more energy and have actually been able to clean house a little. I haven't gained any weight yet but I am sure that will come in time.

The most exciting thing that has happened recently is that they were able to tell the baby's sex this last ultrasound. We weren't expecting to find out for another 3 weeks but were thrilled we got to find out early. And drumroll please.......

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!

Yay! A boy! We are so excited! So happy that I can finally start to buy stuff for the nursery and buy cute baby clothes. We are so excited for this chapter of our life to begin. For those of you that know us well, you know that the three year wait for us to start our family was very taxing on us. I am finally being able to catch a glimpse of this new reality that our lives are. We are thrilled!

P.S. Sorry for the blurry pictures. Our scanner broke and we had to take the pictures of the sonograms with our camera!

10 Week Ultrasound- Baby Randall

2009-09-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

We just had our second ultrasound today. It was so exciting. Mostly because it was just a huge relief. Last ultrasound they told me I had a short cervix which can greatly increase your risk for preterm labor. I was so happy to find out that it measured much longer this time so I don't have to worry about bed rest or other procedures.

Baby Randall is doing great. He is big for his gestational age. I should have asked if they were going to move up my due date but I forgot. I love this sonogram even more than the last cause you can see his little hands and feet. Last time he/she just looked like a little blob! Baby is almost an inch and a half now. Getting bigger every week! Our next ultrasound won't be for awhile, probably not until our 18 week appointment when we find out if it's a little boy or girl. I am almost positive it's a girl but I will let Brick think it's a boy for now!

That's Right.... We're Pregnant!

2009-09-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

I wish I could be a California girl....

2009-07-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

Blogger takes forever to load photos. So go to my facebook to see some of our pictures from our Cali trip.

www.facebook.com/sarandall

p.s. you have to be my friend to see them....its a private profile. :-)

To let all of you know...

2009-07-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

To those of you that know us extremely well, you will know of the trials we have faced in the past seven years. For those of you that don't, it was just a long hard road that we would like to forget and move on from.

Brick and I want to let you know of the miracle that has taken placed in our lives and that our trial is finally over. We look forward to starting our brand new lives together.

We are so grateful for this blessing in our lives and are thankful for all of you that have helped us through it. Thank you for the many prayers and fasting.

We are so grateful for the Lord and the blessings of the temple. We know it was through our decision and effort to go through for the first time, just months ago, that has brought us this wonderful miracle in our lives.

To celebrate the end of this struggle, Brick and I hit the road for four days in Cali. Pictures to come soon!

Thank you all again for all you do!

When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Salsa

2009-07-22T14:00:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had something happen to you that made you so mad that you just had to laugh?

Last week sometime, what I knew is that I wanted to have some chips and salsa for a late night snack. What I didn't know is that last time I had had my favorite snack...I had neglected to screw on the lid the entire way.

When I grabbed the salsa, I shook it so it wouldn't be all watery when it came out. This is what happened. I shook it so hard it opened and splattered all over me, all over the floor, and all over our dogs. I was so mad that I just wanted to scream but all I could do was just laugh. I tried to blame Brick for it, since he was standing near by, even though I knew I was the last one to use the salsa. And I tried to blame the fridge, the salsa, the dogs. My husband was nice enough to clean up the mess for me. But only after Lily, our chihuahua, ate most of the salsa on the floor. I was glad I was wearing Brick's pajama shirt instead of any of my clothes though.

I learned a lesson though. Sometimes you just get so angry but you just have to let it go. It makes you feel a lot better if you just laugh instead and get a great couple of pictures to blog about as well.

Awesomely Wicked

2009-07-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

We finally made it! We got tickets to Wicked last night and it was absolutely amazing!

We didn't orginally have tickets, but we heard about the Wicked lottery they have at Gammage before every performance. If you show up in the evening before each performance you can enter your name into the drawing. About 200 people show up and they draw 10 names who get 2 tickets each. The odds of winning aren't very good but we decided to go anyways.

After 4 days of trying I was about ready to give up. Brick's grandparents were even so wonderful as to come so we could take their tickets if they got drawn. Anyways, I finally got drawn yesterday and we got 2 first row tickets to that night's performance. You still have to pay $25 per ticket, but for $150 per ticket seats it was well worth it.

This picture is from my favorite part of the whole musical. The lead character was actually played by the understudy this time which was totally ok. She was absolutely wonderful. She had a beautiful voice. It was well worth the wait in the Arizona heat for the tickets. It was such a fun night. We did take a quick picture of us outside Gammage but it didn't turn out so well. So you will just have to imagine how happy we were to go!

Miracles

2009-07-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

"Has the day of miracles ceased?
“Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?” (Moro. 7:35–36.)
“Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased, wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.
“For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then faith has ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made.” (Moro. 7:37–38.)

For those of you that know me and my husband well, you know that we have had years of struggles and trials, some due to our own actions and some by chance. We are at a point in our lives where we are hoping that the hardest trial we have met with will soon be over. I am grateful today for the small miracles that God gives his children. I see miracles happen in my daily life. Other times miracles occur and I don't know that they are miracles until much later on. I am so grateful for our Temples and the blessings that we gain because of them. I have such a strong testimony of their power and gifts. Thank you to all who have supported us during this trial and for never judging. We love and thank you all for the many prayers and fasts on our behalf. We pray that this will all be over soon.

Banana Sour Cream Bread

2009-07-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

My sister Jenna made this banana bread for me and it was sooo good. It's a little different cause it has sour cream in it, but it is amazing!

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

The Value of Work

2009-07-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we had a great lesson in Young Womens about the value of work. As a handout we got the following quote:

"We are here on earth to work-to work long, hard, arduous hours, to work until our backs ache and our tired muscles knot, to work all our days. This mortal probation is one in which we are to eat our bread in the sweat of our faces until we return to the dust from whence we came. Work is the law of life; it is the ruling principle in the lives of the Saints."

----Bruce R. McConkie-----

I fell completely in love with this quote..so much that I taped it to my bathroom mirror so I can read it every morning. It is a wonderful reminder of what we are supposed to be doing here on earth. It made me realize how often it is that I complain about working at my job too much or how much I dread house work. It gave me a new outlook on the value I put on the work that I do. If a man of God tells us to work until our backs ache and our muscles knot, then I know that that is what God wants. It makes me want to try everyday to work harder in everything I do and to not settle for second best or to get by doing the bare minimum.

Thank you Michelle Dalton for such a great lesson!

Cute Aprons

2009-07-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Utah yesterday and while I was there I had a chance to do some shopping. I found this way cute kiosk at the University Mall in Orem that sells adorable aprons. So naturally, I just had to buy one. Here it is!

If you are interested..their website is flirtyaprons.com

All About Me

2009-07-05T19:51:00.001-07:00

I am a crazy and scatterbrained 23 year old who has been married to her wonderful husband for a little over three years. We dated for two years prior to getting married and I can barely remember what it was like before we met. I am a hairstylist and work out of my own studio in Gilbert. I love my job...probably mostly because it's so flexible and I can work as little as possible to make the money I need to. My husband, Brick, is a web designer and also specializes in small business marketing. We are very privileged to work right next door to each other and get to enjoy each other's company probably a little more than what is healthy. We don't have any kids as of yet, but are hoping to start trying soon, as circumstances in our lives change in the next few months. We have many furry friends that fill our house and are our "replacement children". We live in Gilbert and just moved here from Queen Creek at the end of last year. We love our ward and our neighborhood and hope to buy a house here when we are in the market to do so. Brick is our ward's choir pianist and I am serving in the beehive class in young womens. It is the best calling I have ever had. I learn so much from my girls and they teach me so much more than they could learn from me. Both of our families are also in the Gilbert area and we appreciate them being so close. If you know me, you will know that I tend to be a little dramatic, a little persistent, need to have organization in my life or nothing will get done, but most of all just want to experience the wonderful things in life with my family and friends.

An Incomplete Recap of the Last 2 Months

2009-07-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I have posted...and since my wonderful husband is working on a facelift for my blog I thought I better get crackin.

It's been a fun filled summer so far with tons of stuff to do and see. My summer started out with taking our long awaited trip to Higley Stake Girls Camp. We went to Taylor Ranch which is a spot up near Pinedale, where the owners have so graciously let us use their land. It was definately a far cry from what I was used to having be girls camp. We really were roughing it. The port-a-potties were a welcomed commodity considering we had to haul our own water, there was an absence of electricity, we slept in tents, and no showers.

Despite the dirt (that took me hours to get out from under my nails), we had a blast. We had wonderful experiences and so much fun getting to know each other. My beehives are the greatest! And I was grateful to get to know the other girls in our ward better as well.

I was so lucky to come home to a wonderful surprise. The Wonderful Mr. Randall had cleaned our house spotless for my arrival. Closets and pantries were organized, litter box was cleaned out, and even our most priorly uninhabited areas had been organized so that I could walk into them without tripping over boxes and furniture. And whats more... I had a shining clean bathroom ready for me to bathe the five days of accumulated dirt off of me. My sanctuary was fully equipped with background music, candles, and chocolate surrounding the bath tub. I really am a lucky wife. I only wish I had taken pictures of the wonderfully undeserved event.

With all the chaos of Girls Camp, I neglected to take any pictures. So here are a few that I lovingly stole from some of my young womens' facebook accounts!

Riley and Challis sucking down lemons

Madi, Quincie, and Hailey with the spirit stick our ward won!

Yay for YCLs! Anika, Lisa, and Hailey

Rachel and Scarlett strutting their stuff...

Alicia and Quincie posing for the camera

Happy Anniversary

2009-05-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

Today is our third year anniversary. It is crazy to think that we have been together for so long. It's been 5 years including the dating years. I am so grateful for such a wonderful husband and the hard work that he does everyday to provide for our family. I could never really begin to tell him how much I appreciate him. I know I should do it much more often. I love him so much and appreciate the opportunity we have had this last month to be sealed for all time and eternity. I love you Brick. Happy Anniversary!

Locks of Love Donation

2009-05-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I helped out at a Locks of Love Donation at Highland Junior High. And I got in the news! I am in the video and I am in the background in the picture in the story. Here is a link to the video and the story.

Video Link: VIDEO: Locks of Love event

Highland Junior High School students Jenna Hall, 14, right, and Jon Martin, 14, have their hair cut after both agreed to donate 10 inches of their hair to Locks of Love. May 1, 2009 in Mesa.

Tim Hacker, Tribune

Eighth-grader Veronica Contreras smiled as a stylist cut off 12 inches of her long, black hair Friday in a hallway of Highland Junior High School. It was her first real haircut, other than cutting off split ends, and her parents were nearby taking photos of the event.

"I needed a haircut and thought a lot of people would need it, so I decided to donate it to Locks of Love," said Veronica, 13, whose hair still fell down to the middle of her back after the cut.

Veronica was one of 20 Gilbert Unified School District students and a teacher who spent the morning at their southeast Mesa school getting free haircuts for a good cause. Two male students were among the hair donors.

The hallway was turned into a makeshift hair salon as two volunteer stylists spent more than two hours cutting hair. The hair will be used to make hairpieces for children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Seventh-grade student body president Natalee Lauro spent the year organizing the event with her good friend and seventh-grade "assistant," Heather McKendrick. Heather donated seven inches of her long, blonde hair.

Natalee is a brain cancer survivor, and although she didn't know about the Locks of Love organization until her hair started growing back, it's an organization she believes in.

A similar event was also held in March at Superstition Springs Elementary School in her honor.

"This organization is close to my heart," said Natalee, who wore a "cancer sucks" T-shirt. "I promised myself I would contribute. I've met a lot of people who have donated, and they've always come back with a big smile. It's something I've always wanted to be a part of."

Natalee was in second grade at Superstition Springs Elementary when doctors discovered aggressive, malignant brain tumors, or medulla blastoma. A fall during basketball jarred the biggest tumor and caused it to grow, which brought on the symptoms.

After enduring "really bad" headaches, Natalee had her first surgery on Christmas Eve 2003 to remove some of the tumor. After another surgery and aggressive rounds of chemotherapy, Natalee said she is cancer free. Doctors told her they won't say if she's in remission until she's 17 years old.

"But I don't think it's coming back," said Natalee, who is still trying to overcome balance problems after the brain surgeries.

Volunteer hairstylist Denice Cavanagh said she was more than happy to volunteer her hair-cutting skills. She has known Natalee since second grade when her daughter, Montana, was in the same class.

"I've been her biggest cheerleader," said Cavanagh, whose husband, Tim, grew out his hair so Natalee could cut it and donate it. "We hope we can do something to help other children be as strong as she's been. To have all these kids here means so much."

The other volunteer hairstylist, Gilbert High graduate Sara Randall, said she has given at least 30 free cuts to her clients donating their hair to Locks of Love. She owns a hair studio under her name in Gilbert.

"It's great to help those people feel good about themselves," Randall said. "It's also a great way to give back to the community."

Kristin Alexander-Lillard is the lone Highland Junior High teacher who donated 10 inches of hair Friday. She was Natalee's second-grade physical education teacher and said she has a special connection with Natalee.

"She's just the sweetest little thing, and she wants to do anything she can for everybody else," said Alexander-Lillard, who was donating for the second time.

"It's such a great cause," she said. "When you're ready for a change, why not give it to Locks of Love?"

Locks of Love is a public nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. Many hairstylists will give free haircuts to people donating to Locks of Love. For information, visit www.locksoflove.org or talk with a hairstylist.

VIDEO: Locks of Love event

Need to Post Pics

2009-04-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

Okay...so I know I am still long overdue in posting our pictures from Nauvoo. I promise it will be soon. I just hate uploading pics on here. It takes way too long. Anyways, I still wanted to write a little blurb anyhow.

We just wanted to let all of you close friends and family how grateful we are to have you in our lives. We our so grateful for all of the prayers and fasting that you have done to help us through this changing and trying part of our lives. We are thankful for the prayers, the fasting, the letters, and even the financial help that you have given us over the past couple months. We have been so blessed the past month to have been sealed in the temple and I feel as though that is what has really blessed us and given us the strength to move on with our endeavors. Thank you all for supporting us in our upcoming "trial" and for all the love and friendship you give us. We love you all so very much!

Furniture for Sale

2009-04-01T15:40:00.001-07:00

So we have some furniture and other items for sale if anyone is interested. We are selling a bunch of stuff to get out from under our debt and to start an actual savings account..woohoo! If any of you are interested here are some of the links:

King Bedroom Set (4 piece) - http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/fuo/1099528870.html
Dining Room Table Set - http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/fuo/1099539831.html
Home Theatre Projector/Movie Screen/In-ceiling Speakers - http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/ele/1100166606.html

We did have some great TVs and a queen mattress for sale too but they went super quick. Goodbye to our nice big plasma televisions. We now have an mini 8" television which is the one we watch. I know...sad...but I would rather have savings than a couple of nice tvs. It's actually been really nice without them. I don't waste as much time watching television so I have the extra time to clean the house and read and whatnot. I think we were watching too much of it anyways.

For Time and All Eternity

2009-03-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Brick and I took out our endownments and were sealed yesterday in the Mesa Arizona Temple. It was a wonderful and exciting day for us. We had waited a long time for this occasion. It was also my birthday, so it was the best gift I could ask for. Thank you to all our friends and family that came to support us. We love you all.

Just a reminder....

2009-03-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to all you G-towners. It's election day tomorrow!!! Don't forget to vote for John Lewis for mayor....

Update!

2009-03-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened in the Randall family this last month or two. Sorry I haven't posted sooner. First off, my sister Jenna had her beautiful baby Josslyn on Valentine's Day. She was quite the valentines baby weighing 7 lbs 7 oz (7+7=14) and was born at 1:58 am (1+5+8=14) on the morning of the 14th. She is sooo beautiful and looks just like both of Jenna's older kids.

Secondly, I got a part time job. I am working as an examiner for the State Board of Cosmetology. I help grade beauty school graduates on their practical exams, to see if they can get their licenses. It's just on Mondays, so it's a nice extra income without having to take too much time away from my clients. So far I enjoy it. There are a lot of nice girls that I work with, though it is a little strange to be on the opposite side of the test.

Thirdly, Brick was ordained an elder on Sunday. It was a wonderful experience and my dad gave him a wonderful blessing and ordination. We won't tell you that Brick forgot to hug his wife after the fact. :-) Now that that is taken care of, we are hoping to be sealed by the end of the month. It all depends on how fast the recommend process takes. We are really hoping to before April cause we are planning a trip to Nauvoo to visit his grandparents, and would love to be able to do a session in the Nauvoo Temple.

I also got a new calling in our new ward this last week. I was called to be the beehive advisor. I was so excited to accept this calling. I have always wanted to get back into Young Womens after they kicked me out at 18! I guess I never have wanted to grow up. It is a little nerve wrecking cause I have to teach the lesson every Sunday, but all the girls are so sweet to me it hasn't been that bad. I am especially excited to go to girls camp with them this year. I am, however, a little disappointed that we have to sleep in tents instead of staying in cabins at Camp LoMia.

So that is a little recap for the past month. It really needs to be a resolution for me to post more often!

Valentines Day Craft

2009-01-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

So I thought I was done with my post today, but then Nikki sent me pictures from last nights craft night. We have been trying to do them every couple of months for the upcoming holiday. So here are some pictures from the valentine wreaths we made. They are simple to make, but are a little time consuming. They all turned out really cute though!

Me and My Heart

Nikki

Mom

This one of Jenna was so cute I had to add it

Jenna is due in 2 1/2 weeks

The Nephews Rockin' Out

Me and Mom at Work

Our Masterpieces!

My Non-Productive but Fun Day

2009-01-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

I have done absolutely no work today. I only have one haircut scheduled, I didn't clean the house, forgot to feed the pets, and realized when I went to Kohls today to return something...that I didn't have that something with me.

I did however get my hair cut again. It was in desperate need of one. I was starting to grow a mullet and starting to look like a boy. It was also a good day cause I was able to go to lunch with my friend Megan..who was my maid of honor...and somehow I haven't seen her in over a year and a half. I know..I am such a great friend. Well we went to Olive Garden for lunch for soup salad and breadsticks. Mmmmm my favorite. It was good to see her again and catch up.

I am also excited because next week I get to start up my voice lessons again. I was so sad when my teacher went on maternity leave, but now she is back and teaching one night a week. I was lucky to have her call me and see if I wanted one of which I am sure is a coveted slot in her schedule.

That is really all today. I know, nothing interesting, but if I don't post on a regular basis, I will have to go back to a huge post every few months. :-)I will post a picture of my new 'do soon.

Holiday Recap

2009-01-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I last posted anything so here is a quick recap on what we've been up to. In biggest news, WE'VE MOVED. We moved from Queen Creek back to Gilbert a week or so before Christmas. We are renting a house just east of the San Tan Mall. We love the area and like how close we are to restaurants, the mall, the movie theatres, and most importantly work and our families. We love the new ward. Everyone has been really friendly and the ward seems to be a bit younger than our last one. Our church building is on our same street, so we can walk to church, that is when we arent running late or if I am wearing some killer heels. Brick's been called to be the ward choir pianist. Surprise surprise...after his last calling of ward organist. I have yet to get a calling... hopefully soon.

Our house is a bit smaller which takes some getting used to. But I guess how much room do you need when there is just two of you. Our entire house except for the bedrooms is tile, which is great for our many pets. A bonus to the house is the enormous backyard...well enormous compared to our last house. It's great for the dogs to be able to move around more...not so great for Brick having to clean up after our dogs. But all in all, we are glad we moved and are loving being back in Gilbert.

Our holidays were crazy. Thanksgiving went by without a hitch and it was nice to have to family together. Christmas was another story. It snuck up on me completely and I didn't do any shopping til a few days before. Unfortunately, Dad got real sick the week of Christmas and had to be admitted to the hospital. After outruling the initial diagnosis of Hepatitus A, we found out his gallbladder had to be removed. With another stroke of bad luck, all the doctors were out on vacations for their Christmases and poor Dad spent the entire week in the hospital including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. As a family we all celebrated at different times over the days following Christmas. In good news, Dad is doing well and is feeling much better. Good enough to even go on the scout campout the a couple weeks later.

Work has been busy for the both of us which we greatly appreciate. Both being self employed the holidays seem to slow down for Brick and since he our families bread winner we were glad to have a sudden on rush of business the past couple of weeks. I have just been working and am glad I took the semester off of school. I have so much more time to keep the house clean, which Brick appreciates. With my spare time I am planning on returning to the Phoenix Zoo to volunteer in their education department and get back on track with my voice lessons.

I am sure there is much that I am missing but I will try to be better with posting more regularly. I probably won't but I guess there's always the resolution to! So that is our life in general for the past few months!

99 Things You Might Have Done

2008-11-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

To participate just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done. Happy discoveries!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23.Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

The Cutest Blog on the Block

2008-11-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

So I just found out today that the cute blog templates I have been using lately have been coming from a website that, believe it or not, is from my cousin and my ward's chorister. Strange how I didn't know this already. Funny how small the world is. Well anyways, I thought I would give a shoutout to Becky and Ashley cause they have the cutest stuff on there. There are a bunch of free templates too. You should all check it out!

http://thecutestblogontheblock.com/

A Tribute to My Beloved Ferrets...I miss you

2008-11-05T14:51:00.001-08:00

Garage Sale

2008-11-05T14:26:00.000-08:00

So we had a garage sale this last Saturday. We had tons of stuff to get rid of and thanks to some willing family members, it looked like we had a big sale. It was a lot...a lot...of work, but we ended making like $830. Not bad for four hours of your Saturday. It was nice to have our garage and our spare bedrooms cleaned out. We found a friend while cleaning out the garage as well.

Trust me. He was a lot bigger than he looks in the picture. My camera phone just doesn't do justice. He was a monster. I should have took a picture of me killing him...as morbid as that is. And another picture that deserves its praise....it's me with an Afro. Way cool huh?

Nie Nie Dialogues

2008-10-29T18:25:00.001-07:00

I have recently come across the blog of Stephanie Nielsen in the past week. Some of you may have heard of her. Her and her husband are an LDS couple who were in a private plane crash in August. They are both in critical condition, recovering in a Phoenix hospital. They are parents to four children. Her blog, titled "Nie Nie Dialogues", has been an inspiration for me and for other friends and strangers that have read her entries. Her outlook on life makes me realize how grateful I should be for all the things I have, despite adversity and trials. I recommend all of you mothers, wives, and future mothers and wives to read her blog yourself, and see if she makes the same impact on you as she has on me. You can find the link under "My Favorite Blogs" or below:

http://www.nieniedialogues.com

Stitch's Day Out

2008-10-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

We adopted Stitch, our cat, several months ago. He was a rescue cat that my loving husband couldn't not take home, much to the surprise and excitement of his wife, the animal lover. When we got Stitch, he was declawed, therefore destined to be an indoor cat, much to Brick's chagrin. So over the past few month's Stitch has spent every waking moment indoors. We didn't think much of it until a couple of days ago when we decided to see if Stitch would come outside. Stitch was very reluctant, waiting inside of the front door for several minutes, before deciding to take the plunge. As he crossed our "desert" landscape of rocks, he winced at the pain under his "indoor cat" paws. It was pretty funny to watch. Here are a few pictures of him we caught that day, as well as one of me before heading off to work.

2008-10-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am such a loser. It has been months and months since I last posted a blog. I guess I better now, before everyone deletes my blog from their list, if it was there in the first place. It has been a crazy few months with little time to write. In newest news, we closed the salon. As sad as it was to do so, I am much happier not managing and being able to just worry about my clients. So after a string of booth rentals, I finally settled on converting Brick's extra office space into a studio salon. I moved in last week and I am loving it. Brick worked so hard with getting the plumbing in and laying the floors and mounting my station. Thanks Brick. This is the only picture I have of it so it doesn't look quite complete here. But you get the idea!

In other news, Brick and I are moving back to Gilbert in January. This will be our last Christmas together in our first home together. I am excited to be closer in, but it's still bittersweet. It will be really nice to be closer to our families as well as closer to our jobs. I am hoping to move back into my family's ward, and if not, at least my family's stake. So we have three months to get everything packed up. I hope that I have the sanity left to do all that. We have so much stuff! I guess it's time for a way overdue garage sale.

In addition to new job and new house, I started school in August. I decided I wanted to go back to school for my nursing degree, but we will see how far it gets. It's hard to take the time to go to school when you know you can make a lot more money if you trade school hours for work hours. Brick has been very supportive while I am constantly changing my mind about what I want to do. He is very patient!

I am sure there are lots more things that I am missing when it comes to our summer. I am just surprised I was able to sit down and write this much! Hopefully I will write again before another five months goes by!

Play Ball!

2008-06-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

After a busy day at the salon, we decided to do something different for a chance. So, we bought last minute tickets to Saturday's Diamondback game against the Washington Nationals. We won 4-0!!! It was a great game. All 4 runs were home runs. It was fun to get out and do something different than just dinner and a movie. The tickets were a little expensive but it was worth it. It was so funny- on the big screen they have it showed a couple and on the screen it said, "will you marry me?". It was so funny cause the lady was so excited to see herself on the screen that she didn't notice the caption on the bottom. It took her like 2 whole minutes to figure out that he was asking her to marry him. It was pretty funny. The whole crowd was laughing.

The next day we drove out to Scottsdale to pick up Sara's ring at the Shane Co. It's so far out there but it was worth the drive. They saudered ( i know that's not how to spell it) together with my band. it was so sparkly clean when they were done. It was like a completely different ring! I was glad to have it back. It took 4 days to fix the broken prong and melt the bands together. I missed having a ring on my finger! The picture just can't do justice to how shiny and pretty it was afterwards.

CHEAP HAIRCUTS!!!!

2008-05-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

HEY EVERYONE!!!! WE ARE DOING ALL HAIRCUTS....MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN ALL FOR $10. NE CORNER OF LINDSAY AND WARNER IN GILBERT. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT OR JUST WALK IN. 480-497-0500

Storefront?

2008-05-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't written in a very very long time. I get busy, and then of course there is the fact that our lives aren't interesting enough to blog about. But a little recap. Brick has been looking for a space to lease for a storefront. It's kind of a scary jump because of the overhead, so we are looking for just a small space that can have a lobby, an office, and room for all of our equipment. Hopefully the space we have been looking at is as good as it sounds.

The salon has been pretty busy. We are having a special on haircuts this week so tell all your friends that all haircuts are only $10/each. That's a screaming deal so tell everyone. We are located on the NE corner of Lindsay and Warner in Gilbert.

So that's my little plug for my businesses this week. I hope one day I will have something more interesting to say.

Full Time at the Salon

2008-05-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

Since our last post, Sara is no longer working at the Phoenix Zoo. It was only a seasonal job and Sara's contract was up at the end of April. The zoo offered to extend her job till the end of

May but Sara opted to not take it considering the rise in the Arizona temperature. Her boss sent her pictures of the wonderfully cute black-footed ferret kits that were born a few weeks ago. We are ferret fanatics around this house. They are too much fun! So now Sara is once again working full time at our salon in Gilbert. It's weird working so little again. Brick has been very busy with work and seems to never have a moment to breathe. I guess it is better than no working at all! Saturday we went to San Tan Village to spend some gift cards we had and saw a concert there. They were really good! They were called Furious George (furiousgeorgeband.com). It was fun to listen to some good music...especially when it's free! We also saw the movie 21 this week. It was a good one. Sara only agreed to see it because it has Jim Sturgess in it. Sara loved him in "Across the Universe". All in all, it was a great movie. With Brick being so busy with his web design (someday I will have him make a cool blog page for me), he doesn't have much time to use our laser engraver so Sara has decided to take it upon herself to see if she can get some business out of it. Good luck!

Too busy....

2008-04-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

We have been way busy lately, too busy to write another blog obviously. A lot has gone on in the month of April. The most eventful of all was our trip to Sedona. Brick surprised me with a 4 day trip to Sedona for our our 2 year anniversary. We can't believe it has already been 2 whole years. Crazy! Our trip was fun-filled with lots of stuff to do. We went to Montezuma's Castle as well as Montezuma's Well and the V-Bar Ranch Petroglyphs on the way in. We also took a day trip to Slide Rock as well as Jerome and Prescott. We took lots of fun pictures, thanks to our new tripod we got for the camera. It was much better this trip to have pictures that we were both in. We stayed at the Radisson in Sedona. It was really nice. We had a jacuzzi and a fireplace right in the room with us. We spent the days off roading into the mountains with a rented tomcar as well as frequenting the tourist shops and eating breakfast every morning at the Coffee Pot Restaurant- Home of 101 Omelets. We went to Rene restaurant for our anniversary dinner. It is a french inspired restaurant where we both tried escargot for the first time. I was feeling a little adventurous. It wasn't bad but I don't think I will be ordering it again, anytime soon.

Dad's Birthday

2008-04-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

It was Dad's (Allred) birthday today. Wow he is on the other side of that hill. LOL! Brick and I bought him an I-pod shuffle. He said he will use it on his way to work everyday-- he rides a Harley. While at Mom and Dad's, Nikki was trying to teach me all about this darn blogging thing and what it's all about. I'll try to carry my camera around more often so I can make it a little more interesting.

One of our stylists is having her baby a little sooner than we had planned so it is going to be a crazy week at the salon. Busy, busy, busy! We just heard good news from out landlord that they are putting a Fresh & Easy in the vacant anchor shop next to the salon. We are so excited for this because having the spot vacant since Henry's left over a year ago has really hurt our walk in traffic. But we do alright!

Other than that, we watched General Conference today. Sara unfortunately missed yesterday's sessions because she had to cover for someone at the salon. It seems weird having President Hinckley not presiding anymore. He will be greatly missed.

Our Family

2008-04-04T21:57:00.001-07:00

2008-04-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

We have decided to start a blog like everyone else to see what all the fuss is about. Hopefully we won't bore you all!