Happy, Happy Birthday!

Today was Corky's birthday. He is the BIG 2-8!! You know, its kind of funny to me that he is 28. It doesn't seem that old to me now, but I remember when my mom was 28 years old....and I sure did think it was old then!

Happy Birthday Corky! Love you!

Classic Me!

I know what you are all thinking "Whoa! 3 posts in 3 days for Morgan...that is some kind of record!" Well this post is sort of pointless. All I care to do right now is showcase another example of why Heavenly Father made me a blonde! (so that I would have an excuse I guess) I just finished my morning walk/jog. As I am putting my stroller away in the garage, I go to click the brake on. Wouldn't you know it, the brake was ALREADY on!! I went 3.2 miles with the jogging stroller brake on!!!!!! I am not kidding, at about mile 1 I thought to myself "This stroller seems heavy today!" But do you think that I had the brains to check the brake? There goes about 2 years of tire life, right? Doh!!

Since I got a better workout, does that mean I can eat more sugar today??

All about him...and us.

1. Who is your man? Corky Travis
2. How long have you been together? We met 6 years, almost to the day. (Sep. 8th, to be exact. )
3. How long dated? We dated for 1 year and 9 months. The last 6 of those months we were engaged.
4. How old is your man? 28 on Friday
5. Who eats more? I do. My metabolism is faster these days! :)
6. Who said "I love you" first? He did, on the phone I think.
7. Who is taller? Corky, by 3 inches.
8. Who sings better? I sing the high notes, he sings the low notes.
9. Who is smarter? Corky...no doubt.
10. Who's temper is worse? mine. But that makes it sound like I have a bad temper. I don't really, only slightly. He doesn't at all.
11. Who does the laundry? I do.
12. Who does the dishes? We put our own dishes in the dishwasher throughout the day, but he does the dinner dishes and cleanup. He's awesome!
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Corky (if you are both laying flat in the bed, he is on my right. (I am closer to the bathroom))
14. Who pays the bills? He makes the money, we both pay the bills. Whoever opens the bill then we just put it in the computer right then.
15. Who is better with the computer? Him for sure.
16. Who mows the lawn? Corky
17. Who cooks dinner? Me. Unless we are grilling, that is his thing.
18. Who drives when you are together? Corky
19. Who pays when you go out? Who ever is holding the cash.
20. Who is most stubborn? Me for sure.
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? He will for sure, if he ever is wrong. Usually he isn't. (which means I need to be better at admitting when I am wrong.)
22. Whose parents do you see the most? Used to be mine, now I think it is a little more equal since we don't take nearly as many trips to SG.
23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me first, but I forced him! :)
24. Who asked who out? He asked me. 2 weeks after we met. Oh...the memories!
25. Who proposed? He did.
26. Who is more sensitive? I cry more so deos that mean me? If that is not what that means than I would say we are both the same.
27. Who has more friends? I do, only because I am better at keeping in touch with people than he is.
28. Who has more siblings? I do.
29. Who wears the pants in the family? Definitely equal.

What am I thinking?

I just sat here at my computer for 1 hour and 30 minutes and caught up on my celebrity gossip, fellow blogger's websites, headline news, and then more celebrity gossip (to make sure I didn't miss anything). My girls have been sleeping for an hour and a half and that time to me is precious! I could have had the entire house clean and completely recovered from our weekend trip....but no! I am the QUEEN of getting sidetracked! The other night, Corky and I put the girls to bed and I came downstairs to fold the laundry that was in the dryer. Do you think I did that? Nope. I sat at the computer and listened to music for 2 hours!! 2 hours and 10 minutes to be exact. The bright side is that I found some great new British artists that I will be adding to my itunes library!

Anyway, as I finish up writing this entry I hear my little Emily waking up from her nap....with Gracey most likely waking up shortly as well. My precious moments of alone time are coming to an end. I was about to write that my play time is over, but that is not entirely true. Now the play time is just beginning as I go to play with building blocks, leggos, play-doh, and baby dolls.

Finally!

PART 1:

Last Friday, Corky and I decided that it would be the last day for Gracey to wear diapers. We had the weekend to try and work her into using the toilet so we figured it wouldn't be too bad. She wanted NOTHING to do with the toilet, needless to say we were cleaning up and doing lots of laundry. It wasn't as bad as I expected though which showed me that she would be able to use the toilet when she chose to. She would hold it very well for the most part. We figured after so many accidents, she would get tired of it. We tried bribing with all sorts of stuff but she didn't care. I kept remembering so many people say "when they are ready, you'll know" Well, when my child is verbally communicating to me by saying "Mom, I am going to go to the other room to poop in my diaper" then I figure she is able to sit on the toilet to do it. Another piece of advice that was given to us was that once you choose to take her out of diapers, don't go back. So we stuck to our guns and sure enough, Monday morning she started going pee in the toilet! Hallelujah!! I finally saw light at the end of the tunnel. We haven't had a peeing accident since then (except for at night) and she is finally pooping on the toilet too. Woo Hoo!! What did the trick was getting a bunch of dollar bin toys and wrapping them individually. When she went to the bathroom she got to pick one to open. She loved it and even though there are still 2 or 3 presents to unwrap, she isn't even asking anymore. It really has been great! I joked to Corky though the first days of success that what we will save in diapers....we will pay in dental bills for all the candy and treats we are bribing her with!

Of course we expect accidents to continue as we all get the hang of it, but we are so happy that she is done with diapers. I really wanted her to be done by 3 years old and lucky for all of us, she is 2 and 3/4!

PART 2:

Before church on Sunday, I put Emily's hair in a ponytail...if you can even call it that! I took it out immediately! I took her into Corky and said "I bet you didn't think you had a unicorn for a daughter!" She didn't seem to mind it but I was afraid that it was pulled too tight and would hurt her. I guess we will just stick to headbands for now.

PART 3:

Corky and I have both had our little stints of sinus problems the past few months. I had a sinus infection in July and it totally stunk. I have never had sinus problems before but I think the desert is finally taking its toll on the both of us. Anyway, I am pretty sure that I have another sinus infection, or something close to it. Corky too. Well I really hated the anti-biotic that they put me on. It made my throat really sore and dry and it made nursing really difficult too. SOOO, I splurged and ordered a Neti pot. I saw it featured on "Oprah" a while back and then a follow up on it, people swore that it changed their lives. These people who had sinus issues their entire lives we claiming that this little thing helped them tremendously! Corky and I used it for the first time tonight. We already feel a little better but it will probably take a few days for us to really feel the difference that we are hoping for. I kind of got the giggles because I was a little nervous. I really hate the "water up the nose" feeling but as long as I was concentrating on breathing out of my mouth it wasn't bad.

Very interesting....actually! Enjoy the sexy picture of me using the Neti pot for the first time.

Sometimes...just for fun I like to dress my baby girl up and pretend that she is a boy!

JUST KIDDING!!!

I bought this shirt for Gracey when she is young and she definitely was able to pull it off because she had so much hair. By the time she was 6 months old, I could pull all of her hair into pigtails. Emily, not so much! She of course will be wearing a headband this evening because a baseball tank top doesn't really scream girl!!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma Joyce!!

Today is my mom's birthday! I hope she had a great one! She is one absolutely awesome lady! My siblings and I are have been so blessed to have her as our mom. She has always be easy to talk to, so understanding, and the best example to us. She is a great wife, a great mother, and a truly remarkable friend!

My girls love her so much. You should see Gracey light up when we talk to Grandma on the phone! It is fun to watch how much she loves her grandkids also!

Thanks Grandma, you're the BEST! We love you!

Gracey, the pre-schooler!

Today was a milestone for our little Gracey! She is now a pre-schooler! I know that its only pre-school, but it is so fun to watch her grow and do new things. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to have her be in the California Head-Start program. Usually there is a waiting list for higher enlisted and officers children, but luckily this year they added a few teachers so I believe that anyone who signed their child up was approved! She will go 5 days a week from 7:45-10:45am. As we were looking into the school I thought to myself "she is going to be in school for so long...why I am starting her so young?" Then I snapped out of it and realized that we really needed to take advantage of this opportunity while it lasts. It is government (california government I think??) funded organization so it is free! Her teachers seem great and we think she is really going to enjoy this. We don't expect her to be reading by the end of the school year or anything, but at the very least she will be playing with kids her own age for at least 15 hours a week! I won't pretend either that I won't absolutely enjoy having only Emily for 3 hours a day! I am excited to see what I can accomplish when I only have one little tyke to take care of for a few hours.

Here are some pictures of Gracey. She seems to be growing right before our eyes!

100+....not happening tonight!

So I have been totally out of the blogging loop these past few weeks and I am going to pay for it....when I get a minute or two of course!! I signed into my google reader (which I love so much) and it says I have over 100 new blogs to catch up with!! Huh?? Not even going to try tonight. I will post some collages of me and my family from the past few weeks. It has been eventful. We went to Universal Studios, St. George, Beaver Mountain, and Arizona. We had such a nice vacation. About half of the time was spent camping and so it was GREAT to get out of the heat. I didn't even want to come home to the 100+ tempatures. (look at that...another "100+" to tie into my title!)

Anyway, though this blog looks big because of pictures it is actually really short. Let the pictures tell the stories. I will insert some thoughts here and there I suppose.

This was our fun trip to Universal Studios. Corky and my sister's friend, Skyler, were chosen to participate in the Fear Factor show. Lots of fun!!!

Then when we were in St. George, Corky and I decided to take the girls to the Bluff Street park. Started fun, ended not so fun. Gracey got 2 staples in her head from the dome....from doing flips like you see in the picture. Watch out for nuts and bolts! The blood freaked her out the most. We used a diaper to soak most of it up at the beginning. The picture in the car was on our way to the ER. She was a trooper. By the time we got the hospital, she was laughing and telling the nurses "I was at the pawk and bonked my head on a scwew!"

The next big thing she did was got a hair cut! 7 inches!! I still need to take a picture of her holding the braid we saved from the hair salon!
One of my favorite parts of our trip was being able to see so much of one of my best friends in the world! Sara C. was married last week and Corky and I had a great time visiting her and her husband Chris. Wasn't Sara the cutest bride ever??? I LOVED the HOT PINK sash and shoes!

Straight from the wedding and luncheon, we drove to Arizona to go camping with some of Corky's family. We had a blast. I love to camp and believe it or not, I loved the rain we experienced the entire time. I guess not the entire time because it obviously isn't raining in any of the pictures....but you know what I mean. (whoops! another collage landed itself in there but I am too lazy right now to correct that)

So I guess that is our vacation. Maybe now that I am home I will be a more consistent blogger. Haven't I been saying that for a few months now? Someday, maybe! :)

chopped it off!

Today, Gracey and I went to the hair salon down the road and....brace yourselves...got her hair cut!!! I am talking CHOPPED OFF! A good 7 inches!! That is a ton of hair, especially for a 2 1/2 year old. She looks like she is 5 now and she completely loves it. When we say something about her new hair-do, she puts her head back and just shakes her hair. Her long hair was so gorgeous, for about an hour after I blow dried it and curled it, but she is such a tomboy that it is in snarls pretty quickly. This will make life much easier for all of us I think. I took a picture with my camera phone so the quality totally sucks but you get the idea. I will post before and after pictures possibly tomorrow. (maybe tonight if I decide to do that instead of read HP #7)

p.s. Gracey also will get staples taken out of her head tomorrow. She had a run in with a screw at the playground last week. All is well, she just has a little temporary hardware in her scalp!! :)

shameless plug...

For anyone who reads this, is in the St. George area, and likes Stampin Up products, my mom is hosting a pary tomorrow night (Wednesday). I am a demonstrator for the company and am LOVING it. Stampin up features products and supplies for cardmaking, scrapbooking, and other crafts. I am also doing another workshop Thursday night in St. George and if you would like the information for that, I would be happy to pass it on. The projects that we will be doing are really cute, really simple, but lots of fun to do. Let me know and I will email you all the information (i.e. time, address)

Nothing big... just a fun one.

Today has been so fun. My sister, Bailey, and her friend Skyler are here for a visit. Tomorrow we are going to go to Universal Studios and will hang out there for the weekend. I will be MIA in the blogging world for a few days. (like I post a lot anyway) Meanwhile, here are few recent pictures of me and my girls.

Gracey, she is my tomboy with a purse! Anywhere we go, she has to make sure she has her barbie cell phone with her but she will gladly put it aside to dig in the dirt, climb a rock-wall, or throw a rock.

Emily is my cuddle-bug. She is such a sweet little thing and we can already tell she will be a sensitive one. If she hears Gracey cry (or whine) she gets that cute little "shelf" that makes you want to just buy her a car right then and there.

Doesn't that big grin just make your heart melt? I am not talking about mine....Emily's, duh! Just kidding!
(By the way, the sepia tone does wonders for covering up ginormous pimples on the chin!)

Heather's "healthy snack"

Well yesterday I made that Avalanche Bark that Heather B. so graciously posted. Ummmm....its almost gone. Actually it WILL be gone tonight!! That stuff is amazing and totally easy!! I am cutting and pasting it just in case anyone who didn't read Heather's post is now reading mine. You seriously have to make it! I will be making another batch this Friday to have while my sister is visiting!

Avalanche Bark from Rocky Mtn.
Chocolate FactoryServes/Makes:2 4"x4" hunks

Ingredients:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1-3/4 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup Rice Crispies cereal
1/2 cup (slightly packed) mini marshmallows
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (frozen)

PreparationIn double boiler (or metal bowl over a sauce pan filled 1/4 about full of water) over medium-high heat, add white chocolate chips and peanut butter. Constantly stir with wire wisk until completely melted. Remove from heat (and remove off bottom boiling water). Set aside and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Fold in all of the rice crispies. Let cool till it barely feels warm (if you add the marshmallows and semi-sweet chocolate chips when it's too warm, they will melt and that's not what you want). It will take a while to cool, but do not cool it down in the refridgerator or it will set up.

While you wait, line a 4"x8.5" loaf pan with plastic wrap. You may even want to lightly spray the plastic with cooking spray first for easier removal. When the mixture is cooled, fold in marshmallows first then the semi-sweet chips (just fold to distribute, don't over work the mixture).

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, fold the excess plastic wrap over top and gently press the mixture so it's even in the pan. The harder you press, the denser the bark will be.Put it in the fridge to set it up. It will take about 20 to 30 minutes to completely set up.When set, remove from pan and cut into desired size pieces.

Heavenly........

And that's the army life...

Today is kind of bum-city around here. Won't last long and it is already feeling better, but today I had to say goodbye to a close friend, probably my closest friend here at Fort Irwin. We went to church together and that is how we met, but our husbands knew each other before that through their work. She was the first person to greet me on my first Sunday and we have been close since. We had a lot in common. Sports, crafts, tv shows, activities, etc. Our kids are the same ages and got along great as well and she was the first person that I would ask for a last minute play-date, babysitting, or girl talk and chit chat. I held it together long enough to give hugs and watch her drive away, but it hit me hard after she left that as excited as I am for her to be leaving Fort Irwin, saying goodbye can be pretty sad.

Then I got to thinking, in the army we are saying goodbye ALL THE TIME! If it isn't our friends who are moving away from us, it is us moving away from our friends. I know that if it wasn't Jessica leaving today, it would be me saying goodbye in less than a year. I will say goodbye to some more friends here in the next few months and then it will be my turn to leave. I will finally be the one starting fresh in a new place. I know when I move away from here it will be real emotional. I had a glimpse of that today. Fort Irwin has become my home. I love my house, I love my ward, I love my callings and all the friends I have made here through church and the community. However, because its the army I know I won't be here forever. Next year when we choose to get out of the army or stay in, it will be exciting. We have so many things to look forward to as a family and I know that wherever I go I will make good friends and I will be with Corky and my girls and will be able to call it home, wherever it may be.

Get comfortable for this one

Its been a couple of weeks, I know! Our family has been really busy and sadly I haven't been able to blog about it all until now. Which of course means its going to be a looooooong one with LOTS of pictures.

Beaver Mountain

My girls and I headed up to Utah a couple of weeks ago so that we could go to our family cabin on Beaver Mountain. My mom, stepdad, and ALL of my siblings were there (except for Markie and we totally missed her) and then a few of my sisters friends too. It was a packed cabin but it was nice and cozy! A little background on the cabin. My great-grandpa purchased this property on Beaver Mountain back in the 1930's. He built the cabin, the man made lake (Corky says its a pond...but I say lake!) and it has been shared and passed down in the family since then. It is one of, if not my favorite places to be in this whole wide world! So here is a collage of all the fun pictures there with explanations to follow.

From Left to right, first row (like your reading a book!)

1- Gracey and Grandpa Ron watching humming birds

2- Don't ask....I guess I am just making a disgusting face because Bailey is jealous of my tan skin compared to hers.

3- A little better

4- Fishing down by the lake

5- Somebody *cough* (Grandma) snuck Emily some chocolate.

6- I am pretty sure the funny face is not from the chocolate....if it is, she is not my daughter.

7- Jessica (dallas's friend), Dallas, Bailey, Zander (bailey's friend), Skyler (Bailey's friend), and Gracey. They were all getting ready to take the annual plunge into the 42 degree lake. Even Gracey went in, with the help of Grandma Joyce jumping in with her.

8- Emily examining the marshmallow

9- Emily now eating the marshmallow.

10- Grandma and Emily

11- Gracey fishing with her Barbie fishing pole. She would cast and immediately say "I got one!"

12- Me and my favorite 2 year old.

13- Taking the path back to the cabin.

14- Emily taking the traditional baby bath in the sink. I bathed in that sink, and my mom bathed in that sink.

15- Gracey clearly being a big help. I am sure Emily really appreciated it.

16- Emily finally catching her breath.

17- Bailey blowing out her birthday candles...okay, they were matches....we forgot the candles.

18- Just packing up, making sure we aren't forgetting ANYTHING!

Now on to the St. George trip

So then we spent some time in St. George while we waited for Corky to join us on the the 4th of July. We swam a lot and just hung out. It was lots of fun. Gracey, Emily, and I met up with Jessica and her cute kids, Brynlee and Crew. We went to Blue Bunny for some ice cream and holy cow...there was ice cream everywhere! Check out these pictures of Brynnlee and Gracey. (I wish I would have taken a picture of Jessica too...I forgot to mention this to her but she had some great earrings on!)

Then the next day I met up with Val, Pam, Abby, and Pam's sister in law. We went to Pasta Factory and it was so much fun. I love getting together with my friends and just chit chatting. Sadly I didn't take any pictures...and I even had my camera with me! Dang.

Then the 4th of July came rolling around and we were happy that Corky could finally come up. We swam all day then we went to my aunt's house that is on the black hill. She has a beautiful view of the city and we were lucky enough to crash her house to get a great view of the fireworks show.

Picture 1- Just chillin with my mama.

2- Swimming

3- and again

4- Gracey getting a sparkler

5- Gracey liking her sparkler

6- Watching fireworks in the comfort of Corky's arms.

7- Showing some love

8- Me, Gracey, and Corky

9-Grandpa Ron, Grandma Joyce, and Emily

Also during the trip we went to a couple of movies. We saw Ratatouille and Transformers. I really enjoyed Ratatouille but I must say that Transformers was AWESOME!!!! No joke! The graphics were amazing and it wasn't just a movie about robots beating each other up. It had a great story and lots and lots of humor! I was laughing a lot more than I expected. Also, I have always had a little crush on Shia Labeouf ever since he was in Even Stevens!!

fun fact: The Black Hawk helicopter that is shown in the movie is in Corky's unit. The pilot of the helicopter that says "We've got the boy" is actually the pilot of the helicopter. He thought he was pretty neat stuff after filming for the movie! :) I don't blame him though, I would too!

Corky and I took Gracey to see Cinderella out at the Tuachan amphitheater. I am a dork and thought that it would be just like the movie with all the songs that she knows and I was excited to see how they would portray Gus Gus!! Nope, it wasn't like the movie at all but that didn't stop Gracey from loving it! Neither did the 104 degree weather that we had to sit in to watch the play. It really was a fun play and of course, we got pictures afterwards

And that is the conclusion of our trip to Utah. We all had a really good time and are excited that we get to go on vacation again in only a few weeks. One thing I forgot to mention though was that Abby cut my hair last week. No length was taken off but she thinned the heck out of it and it feels great! It is seriously the most favorite haircut I have ever had. Thanks Abs!!!

Let's get together...

Hello friends! Me and my girls (Corky will join us on the 4th of July) are hanging out in St. Gizzle all week next week! Let's get together for lunch, dinner, or just playtime at the park or something. I will be in Beaver all weekend so will be away from the computer but lets all plan on seeing each other at some point! Agreed? We are super duper flexible!

I come to my blog everyday so I can link to other friends accounts. I suppose its time for a new blog because Jack Bauer's face pains me now when I see him. The poor poor *not ugly at all and freaking tough as nails* man! (we obviously finished season 1)

Anyway, here are some photos that are sure to make me smile when I come to my blog. (its all about me, right?)

I finally started giving Emily rice cereal. I know, I know...she is almost 6 months but what's the hurry right? The second collage is just some happenings over the past few weeks. We are obviously enjoying our summer at the pool, in the house, and tending to my beloved tomato plants that I have to grow in pots! We ate our first grape tomatoes tonight with dinner. Delish!

Wasting time but totally entertaining!

Corky and I finally borrowed the first season of "24" from my friend and we have spent more time watching this than we should. It is addicting! We are at about 6:00pm in the season and can't wait for it to be over with!! Quoting Corky yesterday when he came home for lunch and popped the DVD in he said "The sooner we get this overwith, the sooner we can have our lives back!"

So true!! I love the show and totally love Jack, but I can't wait for it to stop comsuming my mind!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our 4 year anniversary! I remember when we were dating and engaged and time couldn't go any slower. Time has flown since then. Can I just say how much I love him??? Seriously! Except for that crappy year he spent in Iraq, I have loved every part of being married to him. Of course I still loved being married to him while he was gone, I just missed him so so so much! He shows me every single day how a husband should treat his wife. I am so grateful that my girls will see him as an example and hopefully look for nothing less when the time comes for them to find their husband.

Reasons I love Corky:

*Instead of watching TV when he has free time, he plays his guitar so that he can be better at singing songs to his little girls or with them.

* He helps me stay in good spiritual habits that I easily can fall out of. (prayer, scriptures study, FHE)

*He cleans the kitchen EVERY DAY after dinner! He is truly "the man!"

* Even though I am not "scared" of spiders, big ones (black widows) give me that creepy, crawley feeling....so he kills the spiders for me!

* He pretends not to care when I switch back and forth between Jay Leno and David Letterman because I never can decide who I like better. He prefers Dave.

* He likes to dance and is pretty dang good too.

* He does his best to serve and magnify his church callings.

* I love how he lights up when he sees one/both of his daughters!

* He has great study habits and discipline.

* He is very social and easy to get along with or feel comfortable with.

* He tries to talk "gangsta" and it makes me laugh.

* Most everything he does makes me laugh.

* He is becoming a pretty good golfer. (sounds kind of superficial but I think its great because he has been practicing and working hard and so its exciting)

* He isn't shy.

*He thinks BEFORE he talks.

* He will massage my gross, ugly feet anytime I ask him too.

* He hates his job, but you wouldn't know it when he comes home. He is always in a happy mood.

* He helps me see logic through emotions.

*Listens to me rant and rave, even when he doesn't agree.

* He is rarely wrong, but when he is...he is the first to admit it. (I totally admire, because I have a hard time with that)

*He is competitive in everything, from any kind of sport to board game....especially dominoes.

* He shares with me my obsession for LOST and understands (or humors me) my obsession with THE OFFICE. He is my very own "Jim Halpert"!

* He is very consistent with our kids and their rules and schedules.

* He loves the gospel and tries each day to be a good example of it.

And I know I have said this before already but

* He is just SO FUNNY! I am always laughing at his jokes and goofines.

The list could go on and on and I know that as soon as I post this, more reasons will pop into my head that just HAVE TO be on the list. It is truly neverending.

Corky, if you're reading this, I hope you know that you are the best, most favorite thing that has happened to me and for me!

Too much to catch up on!

I know you are dying to hear how my life is right now!! Just kidding! :) I am just reporting that I am alive and well and will play catch up in the blogging community hopefully this weekend! Later, Skaters!