house full of sickies

i just realized that i never really update on whats actually going on here. probably because there isn't much to speak of. we are all getting over some colds, and lindsay stayed over while i play nurse. i feel so bad- shes actually got influenza pretty bad, and it is just not fun. i have a love hate relationship with school- some classes rock and others, not so much. jophis is busy busy busy with school. he's starting up some research and waiting to hear back about a job in salt lake. we are both trying really hard to get healthy-eating better and working out more. we are loving that the weather is starting to warm up! hopefully it stays that way. my parents are getting back from a trip to cancun, and we are mucho jealous that they got to bask in sunshine for a week! looks like we will be having marshall come stay with us for the spring semester while he works and gets ready for serving his mission! we are SO stoked that he is getting ready to go, we can't wait to find out where he will be serving! we see chris every so often, its been nice to see him more. we are also happy for joe's sister laura- shes having another boy, and we are very excited!

in other news.... claire finally has somewhat of schedule! i know, four months and shes finally on one, but our school situation just makes it really hard. shes got another appointment on monday, so i'll post some more stats! since she figured out how to roll over, she hasn't had much of an interest in it again. all she wants to do now is stand up and move around. she's definitly got the attatchment thing going on- which is a good and bad thing. i love that she knows who i am but sometimes when i need lindsay to watch her for a little bit she completely flips out!

anyways. thats whats going on with us. we hope everyone is doing well and we keep you all in our prayers!

lemons over pineapple?

she's still on a mommy's milk diet, but we've let her taste a couple of things. tonight we went to tucano's for joe's bday dinner and wanted to see claire's reaction to lemons. suprisingly she absolutely loved them! she had a funny look on her face but kept on reaching for it. we figured she would love the glazed pineapple, but she really didn't care for it at all. go figure.

birfday festivities

i hope he had a good day.... it was pretty lame. a sad looking pineapple-upside-down cake, his present wasn't there, i thought he would rather sleep than have breakfast in bed even though he actually wanted it, and i fell asleep at 930. i'm sorry babe. i'll keep trying.

i. am. so. tired.

and sick. ugh.

LOVE HIM

can i just tell you how much i love this guy? he is everything i could've possibly hoped to have in a husband and much, much more. he is so loving and understanding. he cares and is sensitive to.... everything. he is really my best friend. he makes me laugh every single day. he knows how to have fun. he is a superb father! he really loves claire, and i love watching him interact with her. i got seriously lucky with this one- he makes me happy! he is a cuddler, and some days i just want to stay home and hang out with him. i love you babe!

'katie needs'

go google 'your name' needs.

kinda funny

katie needs

• hula lessons!
• you HELP!!
• to work on her posture
• IV fluids
• to be on her own
• you
• facebook
• to hit the reset button
• a home
• kisses
• parenting classes
• a life
• to smile

um okay. now go do it. giggle a little. k?

little red riding in da hood

this picture is a thousand words

notice all that dark spots. those = drool = massive amounts of teething going on.

yes teething.

ouch.

good thing i love her so much.

also, i happen to have a love for steak, but i am usually too cheap to buy it. luckily, all the grocery stores mark down all the meat late on saturday nights, so we can have yummy steaks for sunday dinner.

and i love my hubby so dang much- be looking for a long post all about him come wednesday for his birthday. yesh... his birthday! i am so excited for it.

exciting news!

for anyone who doesn't know....

we aren't moving! well, its kinda bittersweet actually- we were planning on going to ORLANDO with some of our very good friends for the summer months, but we are feeling like we should stay here and not go sell. i had actually told joe that the one place i wanted to go was somewhere in florida, and that if the office is going there then we would too, but some things have changed. we aren't exactly sure why need to be here, but we are feeling like we need to stay in utah for the time being. i know. crazy. and while i'm really going to miss seeing friends, we don't get to go to the beach, and there's gonna be a significant paycut, i'm so excited to not have to move! we will be staying in one spot for longer than 4-8 months, and i finally get to enjoy the smmer weather in utah! i'm so SICK of only seeing snow on the ground! the summer i went to byu as a freshman was really one of the funnest summers ever- and i LOVE the dry hot-ness of utah, much much better than humid stickyness.


SO. this means that anyone who doesn't live near us needs to come and VISIT and stay with the brewers! we LOVE visitors, and we would plan some really fun stuff, i promise.

to entice you, here are some things that we could do- barbeque/cook out, swim, go hiking, go boating (we don't have a boat, but i know some folks who do!) camping, softball, water parks, playing outside in general, picnics, and much, much more. doesn't it sound like fun? you could play with baby claire as much as you want- she is a ball of fun, let me tell you! she won't even wake you up in the night- she sleeps 8-10 hours, eats, then sleeps some more. i'll make all your food, and be the housekeeper. much better than staying in a hotel, no?


AND. get this. my dad just sent me a link to an article saying that (hold your breath) IN-N-OUT IS COMING TO UTAH!!! there will be one in draper first, then american fork and orem! I CAN"T WAIT!!!! who wants to go all the way to california to get these tasty burgers when you can enjoy it right here in happy valley! all my hard work at the gym will be a waste. what i would do for one right now....

anyways. we are staying here, i'm stoked/sad, you should visit, and in-n-out is coming to see me. and claire is getting too big too fast. the end.

the longest day

she is getting too big too fast

this is her 'what the heck are you thinking???' face

she feels my pain here... maybe.

its been a looooong day. and i seriously love this girl. i would really love it if i didn't have to take my world civ midterm... i've been studying my brains out- but i doubt that will be enough.
good bye A.

and the purple outfit is to die for on her- thank you katie! it is soooo cute on her!

katie: on dreams

I had to read 'Freud On Dreams' this week. this is me making fun of it

dream: picture an old western town. now picture a rushing river instead of a dusty road. picture houses instead of stores.
a bunch of people i don't know are hanging out, plus joe. someone is trying to deliver pizzas via the river, but a flash storm decides to come through. we all must get out of the house. the pizza guys come with us, with the pizzas. we jump on a raft and head down the raging water, and start to panic as we approach a waterfall. the managers of the pizza places the guys were delivering from encouraged and coached us down. once safely down, we headed over to my parent's house where we promptly go into a van and left. my parents brought pizza for all of us (joe plus my whole family). the pizza is topped with vibrant purple and green fruits and veggies made out of felt. it tasted pretty good actually.

the felt comes from lindsay's valentines last week.
pizza..... saturday night dinner.
old western town? no clue.
coaches? i dunno
raging river and storm? the never ending storms that is utah


freud is crazy. and i don't know where dreams come from. whatever.


i will never read his stuff again.

a feeling of

accomplishment.

it is so nice to have that feeling at the end of the day that you know you did as much as you could, and got as much done as possible. you finished everything you set out to do. i love to be exhausted at the end of the day. today was one of those days. i wish i had that motivation everyday.

so....

i'm trying to decide if i want to keep on doing 'love days' for the rest of february. for now i want to do this post because i've been thinking about it .... it was supposed to be the last one, but i wanted to do it now.

of the things that i love, my family is the most important. i just want to share a few things about each member of my family

joe- obviously i love him! there are so many things.... one of the biggest things that attracted me (besides his good looks, hubba hubba! :) was how much he genuinely cares, for me and other people. he is always asking what he can do to help out, and always knows how to brighten my day, no matter what. he puts up with a lot, and even likes to watch chick flicks with me! he's nt afraid to show emotion, and is devoted to being the best he can be.

claire- she is pure joy. she makes everyone around her happy! something we are just realizing- she really can't stand when someone is upset. she hasn't been around many kids being active and running around and noisy, but if someone starts screaming she starts to cry until it stops. and its a very different cry from anything else; its just pathetic! shes a love bug and sometimes cuddles, and she has the cutest giggles.

my dad- so much to love about my dad! his humor, his wisdom, his generosity.... he takes everything in stride and makes the best of any situation. he's so smart, and is a perfect match for my mom. he is a spiritual giant; i had a friend recently tell me that he thought my dad was a general authority, and couldn't believe he was a convert to the church.

my mom- when i think of my mom i think of being generous and kind and giving. she gives so much of herself. she would give the shirt off her back, take anyone in, do whatever it takes to help anyone out. she knows how to keep a home, and people notice that, and want to be around her. she makes friends with everyone, and is a great hostess.

older bro chris- chris never gives up. no matter what he gets right back and pushes through, never lets anything get him down. i've always admired his will and determination. he's got a different way of looking at some things, and it can be refreshing so see a different side of things.

older sis linds- lindsay is independent and strong-willed. she doesn't let ANYONE tell her what to do. if she doesn't want to do it, you better back off :) she knows what she wants, and won't settle for less. she is a creative genius when it comes to color and pattern, and seeing the end result of something. she's one of my best buds!

younger bro marshy marsh- marshall is smarter and has more potential than i think he realizes. he is passionate and cares deeply. he and i got to be really close through a lot of moves- we are pretty close in age, and before making friends at our new schools, we relied on each other. i'm so excited for him as he prepares to serve a mission!

younger sis sarah- she is beautiful and so fun. she gets picked on by all the older sibs, but she puts up with us and is a good sport.she makes friends with anyone, and wants te best for everyone. shes also really talented musically, and great at sports.

i wish i could know joe's family better, but a few things that i love about all of them:
they are some of the most welcoming, loving, and kind people i've met! before even meeting them they let me know that they loved me and welcomed me into their family. they are a ball of fun, and they sure know how to keep someone entertained. i really wish they weren't so far away, i hate not being able to keep up with them as well as i want to.

just a couple things i love about my fam... i could go on forever! they are the 'bomb dot come' and i miss everyone i can't see on a regular basis.

love 'love day'!

i know a lot of people don't care for valentine's day- highly commercialized, not something everyone can celebrate, long lines to go out to eat, etc. but i really love this day! its a good excuse to just celebrate the relationships that i have with other people. and for yummy treats, cute decorations, and time to spend with the loved ones.

does anyone else love valentine's day as much as i do?

oh no!

i can't believe i missed yesterday!
yesterday's love was warm weather. we don't currently have this luxury here in utah, but i can't wait! i definitely prefer warm over cold ANY day. everyone always says its easier to get warm when its cold than it is to get cold when its hot, but i like the sunshine! i love the feeling of being sunburned, and lets face it. i look quite a bit better tanned than pasty white.

today i love- valentine treats! one of my fave's is my mom's red velvet cake. i haven't had another that compares to it. i'll post that recipe later. right now its time for another love: mexican food. i could eat it every day. and thats a fact.

i want to eat these

i love fat rolls, chunky thighs, double chins, and every little nook and cranny of this munchkin. i'm basically obsessed. sorry i couldn't resist showing off these legs.

i also love a clean house, and laundry all done. i actually like to vaccuum, and wish i did it more. vaccuuming has a way of making a room appear cleaner than it is.

i also love random days off from school. no classes friday or monday for me! wahoo. got some projects to finish and catching up and lots of studying to do. bytheway- i have A's in all of my classes thus far. my best semester i've ever had. and never been busier. how odd.

bath time with baby

i don't know why i think it is so sweet, but i love when i'm giving claire a bath, she splashes herself, and then her eyelashes get stuck together. or when she gets a little tummy time and she tries to eat her hand and instead she gets a bunch of water. and how she seems to know she's getting a bath and starts kicking and cooing, and then once she hits the water her eyes get all big. she has always loved the water- this is a definitely a good thing.

becoming learned

i love to learn! it is a hard thing to do, especially right now, but its worth it, and i love it. life is a school room, no?

school has made me tired today, so thats all i have to say about that.

home is...

home is where life takes place. and i feel like life is just starting sometimes. we are finally getting recognized at church sometimes. we have friends. we are depended upon by others. we are comfortable. we have rythym and routines down. we have made a place for ourselves. we won't be here forever, but i LOVE our home. we are blessed to be here- and by here i mean so many things. to have claire here. to be going to one of the best schools in the country. to have family here. to basically be at this stage in life where so much still lies ahead, so many unseen paths, so many choices. we have the basic destination picked out, but the journey is still just beginning. and i LOVE it. i LOVE making discoveries and figuring things out for ourselves. at moments i am scared out of my mind. but we are together, and in it for the long haul. i can feel those road blocks, speed bumps, and dead ends coming, but we'll get through it. in our home life starts. and i LOVE the feeling of HOME.



and that was really weird and confusing. but thats the loving i have for tonight. love for home.

last chance

last chance folks- i'm sending out announcements today! as my sister lindsay said- don't be shy! i've got plenty to go around, and i don't have a need for the extras. really.

silly baybeee, trix are for kids!

i love that claire does something to make me laugh everyday. she recently has started to try and roll over. she can't do it yet, but she can do a 180 on the floor. i'll lay her down on her mat, and ten minutes later look at her again and shes facing the complete opposite way.

i also love that my husband can open things when i can't. take the milk for example- i can open any jar of anything, but for some reason the milk from costco just doesn't want to be opened my me. this morning i waited an extra hour while i waited for joe to get up so i could have some cereal. (this isn't the first time- i tried for a few seconds and then remembered the last time i tried for ten minutes and all i got was sore hands.)

***UPDATE*** 7:14 p.m. claire just rolled over! she went front to back several times in the tub earlier, and she just went back to front!

feel the warmth

i love getting in bed at night and just falling asleep almost instantly after a long day. the sense of accompliment, being with my family, all such great feelings. you know what else is great? washing the sheets and pulling them out of the dryer and putting them on the bed while they are still warm and then getting under the covers. ahhhhh a beautiful nights sleep is on its way.

LOVE a pair of jeans

jeans that fit that is. i just wish i could find a pair. i almost had one the other day. i bought them, thinking they were perfect. and now they give me a saggy bum. one day i will go on 'what not to wear', stacy and clinton will tell me that i really need to find some jeans that fit. they will hand me a bank of america card with $5,000 and i the first thing i will buy is a pair of fabulous jeans. one day.

4 the love!

today i love friends. i love making friends, keeping in touch with friends, reconnecting with old friends, spending time talking to friends, and being friends with unlikely people. i am the shyest person i know. you wouldn't know that though- i have tried really hard to get over that huge fear. my mom calls me a social butterfly, but i really feel awkward in social situations. because of moving so much with my family, we often relied on each other for friendship. my siblings are some of my best friends! i learn so much from friends, and sometimes feel i am just a combination of all them put together. going to byu has been one of the coolest experiences to make friends, and then to see friends that i haven't seen in years and years. its also been fun when my friends know each other- thats always kinda weird, but we live in a small world, right? my husband was one of my best friends before we even dated- everyone always joked that you are supposed to marry your best friend. i definitely did! we still can laugh and talk about anything. i often worry i am not being a good friend. is that weird? i like to be everyone's friend- i don't like to take sides. can't we just all get along? anyways.

here's to all my friends.

i love you all!

lucky number 3

3 just happens to be my lucky number. i am the third child born on the third day of the third month. i went to three high schools. i had three different bedroom roommates my freshman year. i usually was '#3' in my elementary school classes. i've locked my keys in my car three times and someone else has had to break in each time. i have three chicken pock marks on my face. i wear three rings. we currently have three members in our family. and today is the third day of the month, and happens to be claire's three month birthday! thats allotta threes. i don't know if i LOVE threes, but i like 'em okay. they seem to always be appearing.
today claire learned how to hold her bottle. she grabbed it from me, took it out of her mouth then stuck it back in and drank away. she's gonna be an independent one.

love day number 2

today's loves:

jeeps! i'm not sure where the obsession comes from, but my dad and i share the love. my dad has one of this jeep's brothers. i LOVE cruising around in it when i visit.
special tomb raider edition

old tv shows. don't get me wrong, i have my favorites today, but while watching saved by the bell this morning at the gym, i really wish some of these shows were still around.

its february!

february one of my favorite months- because its all about love. i love love! and not just my hunk of a hubby. so this month i will share one of my favorite things that i love each and every day.

today was testimony meeting at church. i love these sundays! i love the feeling of people sharing the gospel and sharing their testimonies. usually anyways. i also love random stories.

(insert random story)

so today's meeting was a little different, but it keeps you on your toes, you know? today this guy that NOBODY knew got up and just started talking... i'm not really sure what about. it would go in and out of bearing a testimony, but he had a really hard time staying on track, and he knew it. he kept on apologizing for going so long, and for even saying things that were probably offensive to some, but then he would keep going! i nudged joe telling him he should go up there so that the guy would take a hint and be done, and he did. a member of the bishopric even mouthed thank you on his way up!

everyone was glad when he was done, to say the least. but then he came to sunday school. you have to appreciate the teacher we have. she's eighty something and just a cute old grandma that can't remember what she's said or anyone's name. but this guy kept on interrupting her with more long, random, comments that had nothing to do with the lesson! at one point he was talking about how he could talk about the subject for hours and hours- and she was like well we don't have hours and hours so lets just move on! she was so funny.


i'll have more later today.....