The Sotutus

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a few photos from Christmas morning for Dave's mom, since she is not able to access facebook right now. Merry Christmas to all.

Santa brought Isaiah a puppy. He named her Sally.

He also got hooked up with lots of Mario gear.

Lego Mario and Luigi!

10 Years!

2010-06-10T11:23:00.002-06:00

The Microwave

2010-05-23T17:54:00.000-06:00

So, I have this weird paranoia about microwaves causing brain tumors. If you know me very well, this fact should not be surprising. Anyway, whenever I'm microwaving something, I generally send Isaiah out of the room or discreetly block any harmful waves from hitting him with my own body, hot pad, newspaper, etc. that might be readily available. So, I never thought anyone knew about this paranoia until I had the following conversation with Isaiah this afternoon.....

Isaiah: Mom, I know the plural for mouse.
Me: Oh yeah? What is it?
Isaiah: Mice.
Me: That's right! How'd you get so smart?
Isaiah: 'Cause I don't look at the microwave.

Oops.

Lyrical Lotulevu #7

2010-05-13T21:14:00.000-06:00

Here you go with the seventh highly-anticipated installment of Lyrical Lotulevu.

a. "A thumb goes up, a car goes by. It's nearly 1 a.m. and here am I..."
b. "If it's alright with you, then it's alright with me. Baby let's take this time. Let's make new memories."
c. "We sailed on together. We drifted apart. And here you are by my side."
d. "There's a party over here, a party over there. Wave your hands in the air. Shake your derriere."
e. "Someone's always tryin' to start my baby cryin', talkin', squealin', lyin'..."

Good luck!

Lyrical Lotulevu #6

2010-05-06T19:57:00.000-06:00

Well, since Mother's Day is coming up this Sigatabu, this week's lyrics have a motherly theme to them. Here you go:

a. "She sits on the dock fishin' in the water, uh huh. I don't know her name. She's the fisherman's daughter, uh huh..."

b. "No, I would not give you false hope on this strange and mournful day..."

c. "All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey. I've been for a walk on a winter's day..."

d. "I could tell she liked me from the way she stared. And the way she said, 'You missed a spot over there.'..."

e. "But she's just like a maze where all of the walls are continually changed..."

Good luck, and happy Mother's Day!

Seriously, this is crazy.....

2010-05-03T21:54:00.006-06:00

So, now that I'm officially unemployed, I'm always looking for little ways to earn or save my family money. I figure it's kinda my job since I'm not actually bringing in a paycheck. So, I know I already posted about this, but I just have to say it again......

SWAGBUCKS IS AWESOME!

Seriously, I joined the end of March, but didn't really know what I was doing until the first couple weeks of April. Since then, I have earned $30 in gift cards, mostly from amazon.com. I'm hoping at this rate I can use the money to buy a big chunk of our Christmas since I do most of my shopping online anyway. Basically, it's a search engine that pays you to use it - no strings attached. It is seriously the easiest money I've ever made and actually really fun. They have an awesome referral system, so if you decide to sign up, please do so using this link:

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/aubrisotutu

Once you get going, get some of your own referrals and you'll see your points add up really fast. I had my sister, Jodi, sign up and already she's earned $15 in gift cards too. It's fun, it's addicting and best of all it's free!

Lyrical Lotulevu #5

2010-04-30T11:35:00.000-06:00

Oops! I forgot to post the lyrics yesterday. I will do it today, even though it's Vakaraubuka.
Yesterday, Lotulevu, was my best friend since jr. high's birthday. So to honor my boy James, this week's lyrics have a friend theme. Here they are:

a. "And if you threw a party. Invited everyone you knew. Well, you would see the biggest gift would be from me..."
b. "...'cuz I have friends and that's a fact, like Angus, Agatha, Jermaine, and Jack."
c. "And I never thought I'd feel this way and, as far as I'm concerned, I'm glad I got the chance to say that I do believe I love you."
d. "Blame it all on my roots. I showed up in boots and ruined your black tie affair."
e. "An ugly woman cooks meals on time. She'll always give you peace of mind."

Good luck. I will post the answers on Vakarauwai, as usual, unless I forget that too.
Merry freakin' birthday, James.

Lyrical Lotulevu #4

2010-04-22T19:52:00.002-06:00

Happy Earth Day! This week's lyrics have an Earth-Day-ish theme to them. Here they are:

a. "Hey hey hey, ba de ya - say do you remember... ba de ya - never was a cloudy day..."

b. "Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?... They say in heaven love comes first..."

c. "The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky, are also in the faces of people going by..."

d. "There are ways to get there, if you care enough for the living. Make little space. Make better place..."

e. "The other night I tripped a nice continental drift divide. Mount St. Edelite. Leonard Bernstein..."

(I decided not to make them colorful because on some browsers and devices, i.e. an iPhone, they are hard to read.)

Lyrical Lotulevu #3

2010-04-15T13:25:00.002-06:00

Well, it's my brother's birthday today. His name is Charlie, if you didn't know. So this week's lyrics have a my-brother-Charlie theme. (Some are more obvious than others.) Here you go:

a. "Question. Tell me what you think about this. Try to control me, boy, you get dismissed."

b. "Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies and everyone goes.."

c. "Count all the fingers and the toes. Now I suppose you hope the little black boy grows..."

d. "Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis. Pumped a lot of pain down in New Orleans..."

e. "She's dressed in yellow. She says, 'Hello, come sit next to me, you fine fellow.'"

Good luck. Answers on Vakarauwai, unless I forget.

Hello, my name is Aubri and I'm a Swagbucks Addict!

2010-04-09T14:36:00.004-06:00

So, I joined this new rewards website called Swagbucks about two weeks ago and already I'm an addict! It's awesome though because you can earn points for using their search engine (much like Google) and with the points you can buy things. I personally think the amazon.com gift cards are the best deal. Anyone that knows me very well (or even a little) knows that I am a total tightwad, so when I can get something for free I love it! Anyway, I just had to share my newest addiction. If you are interested in signing up, they have a great referral system, so please use this banner and sign up with me!

Lyrical Lotulevu #2

2010-04-08T20:47:00.000-06:00

Ok. Here are the mystery lyrics for this week.

a. "... laughin' and a runnin', hey hey, skippin' and a jumpin'..."

b. "Shadow boxing when I heard you on the radio. Uh! I just don't know..."

c. "He said, 'Son I've made my life out of reading people's faces...'"

d. "... taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot..."

e. "My eyes feel like they're gonna' bleed. Dried up and bulging out my skull..."

Good luck. Answers on Vakarauwai.

Lyrical Lotulevu

2010-04-01T20:56:00.003-06:00

My sister, Jennifer, does Movie Line Monday on her blog and I enjoy it. She posts about five movie lines each Monday and people guess the movies that they come from. So I thought I would start doing something similar with song lines. So I give you my first Lyrical Lotulevu (which is Thursday in Fijian).

a. "They say I'm crazy. I really don't care..."

b. "One minute I held the key. Next the walls were closed on me."

c. "Did I ask too much? More than a lot..."

d. "There is one question I'd really love to ask. Is there a place for the hopeless sinner..."

e. "If you put two and two together, you will see what our friendship is for."

Ok, I tried to use a good mix. I will post the answers on Vakarauwai (Saturday). I won't post any of the comments until Saturday, so you won't see other people's guesses until then. Good luck!

A Most Worthy Cause

2010-03-16T13:46:00.002-06:00

I have been wrestling with the idea of putting this on my blog or not, but have decided I can't just sit back and do nothing. A girl I grew up with (well, she's a few years younger than me and my younger sister's friend) has a daughter, Lucy, who is suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Now, I don't know the ins and outs of the disease, but I do know sweet Lucy's story. I follow her amazing mommy's blog, but I don't want to exploit their story, so let me just say that Chad and Cherisse (Lucy's parents) have faith and courage beyond anything I can possibly imagine. They deserve everything I or anyone else can do for them and their precious baby girl. That being said, Pepsi Refresh Project is giving away millions of dollars to fund great ideas and this is where I feel I can do my part. Stop SMA, the charity raising money for research, is in the running to receive $250,000 from Pepsi. It's all based on votes and all it takes is logging in here and voting for Stop SMA! Please, if you have a few minutes, register to vote then log on each day and do your part. I've also added a widget on the side of this page to make it easier. I know it's not much, but I also know that with funding for research, it can and will change lives!

Watch out, Strangers!

2010-01-30T21:36:00.002-07:00

So, I had a horrible dream last night about Isaiah being kidnapped in the middle of Walmart. I'll spare you all the details, but it was horrible and I woke up in a cold sweat! Anyway, this morning I was telling David about it then we were talking to Isaiah about what he would do if he was ever approached by a stranger offering him a ride home, candy, etc. He seemed to know all the right answers, but my favorite part of the conversation was when he asked us if it's ok to kick the stranger in the crotch!!!

Christmas/New Year's 2009

2010-01-10T22:03:00.003-07:00

So, I told myself I was going to be a better blogger in 2010, but it doesn't look like I'm off to a very good start. Anyway, I just wanted to post a couple of pictures from Christmas.

Sadly, this is the best shot we got of Isaiah seeing his Santa presents. (And I realize it doesn't look like much, but Santa told me he spent way more on those Mario and Luigi action figures than on all the other presents combined!)

The twins were able to make their debut appearance at Grandma and Grandpa's house on Christmas morning! It was so much fun to have them with us!! Tyelor loved trying to poke them in the eye too!

My mom got all the grandkids matching pajamas for Christmas. Trying to get all the kids to look at the camera at the same time was impossible, so I just posted the one where Isaiah's looking!

We had so much fun with our family here in Grace on Christmas, then got to spend at week at New Year's with David's family in Washington. We had the greatest time!! We stayed up way too late every night and were way more exhausted when we got home than when we left, but it was worth it! We were also able to catch up with old friends, so it made the trip even more fun. Lamely, we didn't take any pictures while we were there, so sorry.

On a side note, David and I brought home some fantastic colds from Seattle and are still trying to fight them off. Luckily, Isaiah has remained healthy!

A King is Born

2009-12-25T00:00:00.009-07:00

......the greatest gift ever given.

Vacation at Last!

2009-12-22T18:58:00.005-07:00

Tonight is the official start of our Christmas vacations from both school and work! We are looking forward to spending the next TWELVE days together with few outside obligations. Isaiah's so excited for Santa to get here he can hardly sleep at night and Dave and I are anxious to get to the beautiful Pacific Northwest for New Years!

But until then, this is what the next couple of days will consist of....

Gotta love it!

Time Flies

2009-12-18T19:20:00.004-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since we last updated our blog. I really wish I was better at managing my time and prioritizing. Maybe then, you would hear from me more than once every few months. Anyway, I'm hoping (not committing) to be better at blogging in 2010. We have so much to be thankful for and so many fun things to share about our lives. Isaiah is growing up so fast and I want to be able to document it, but for now I will just post a few pictures....

For Halloween, Isaiah was dead set on being Sonic the Hedgehog. I couldn't find a costume anywhere that didn't cost a small fortune, so my mom lovingly made one for him. I think it turned out pretty cute. What made it the best was the look on his face when he was wearing it!

Isaiah is learning to read and write like a little champion! Here's a picture of something his teacher posted in the hallway of his writing. He's getting so smart and growing so fast! It actually makes me cry a little every time I listen to him read.

Isaiah can't hardly wait for Christmas. He's more excited this year than he's ever been before. He was asking back at the beginning of November when we could put the Christmas tree up and I kept telling him "not until after Thanksgiving." So, of course, the moment he swallowed his last bite of Thanksgiving dinner, he was ready! Now he can hardly wait until Christmas Eve when we track Santa online.

Granda Jack.....the end of an era

2009-09-26T11:10:00.004-06:00

Grandpa Jack (David's Grandpa) passed away two nights ago and with that has come the end of an era. Grandpa Jack is the first of our grandparents to pass away in our lifetime. (David's dad's parents died before he was born.) The passing of Grandpa Jack has made me reflect on the amazing legacy each of our grandparents will leave with us. Let me tell you a little about Grandpa Jack's legacy....

Grandpa Jack's legacy will definitely be one of love. He loved everyone and was not shy about showing it. Grandpa Jack truly embodied what a grandpa was supposed to be. He gave THE WORLD'S BEST HUGS!! He was probably one of the most kind and gentle men I've known. Grandpa Jack was a spiritual giant. In the Sotutu family, he was the Patriarchal Priesthood holder. There was no doubt that he loved the Lord and lived His gospel the best way he knew how. He was the kind of man that you couldn't help but love and the kind of person you hoped to become. I loved Grandpa Jack like he was my own grandpa. He never treated me any differently just because I was a granddaughter by marriage. He was always sure to give me a long hug and tell me how special I was. I loved him for the way he made me feel when I was around him and for the grandpa he was to both David and Isaiah. He will be truly missed and I look forward to the day when he welcomes me to Heaven with one of his famous hugs.

My Blahs!

2009-09-22T18:50:00.005-06:00

So, I just sat down at the computer and read 3 superb confessions - one from my sis-in-law, one from a cousin and one from a dear friend - and now I don't feel so bad. Not that their confessions were anything to feel bad about, but I just feel so much more normal after reading them and I just have to say I couldn't have said it better myself. To sum it up, I have a serious case of the blahs! and I don't think I'm alone. I feel so blah that I don't want to clean, I don't want to blog, I don't want to watch TV, I don't want to cook or eat -- I just want to SIT (and maybe read a good book, but that might even take too much effort). I think I must have a bad case of the summer's-coming-to-an-end blues. As we speak, David is doing his daily one to two hour exercising and Isaiah's at flag football practice (which by the way is adorable), so you'd think I'd be excited to have an hour + to do whatever I want but instead I sit here blogging about my blahs.......

Oh Baby, Baby!!

2009-08-23T17:54:00.006-06:00

One of the most exciting things that happened this summer was Jodi giving birth to her beautiful twin girls on July 21st! I could have included them in the post below, but thought they deserved their own spotlight!

Here's proud mommy and daddy feeding the girls. They are both doing so good. Berklee is able to take a bottle every time and Bailee is getting stronger every day. She'll be taking a bottle every time soon too.

Beautiful Bailee

Beautiful Berklee

I think this one is so cute! I love that Bailee's eyes are wide open. She's always wide awake when I visit.

I love these little ladies too much and cannot wait until they get to come home so I can see them more often!!

Our Summer in Pictures!

2009-08-23T16:42:00.010-06:00

So, it's been way too long since I updated our blog, so to spare you all the details, I'll just sum up our summer in pictures cause that's what everyone likes to see anyway!

We started of the summer with Isaiah playing T-Ball. David was the coach, but because of work wasn't able to coach as much as planned, so guess who got to be the fill-in?? You guessed it - ME! As if I know the first thing about coaching any kind of sport! Luckily, five year olds are clueless too!

This is Isaiah at his first game. Wasn't he so cute!?

Isaiah took swimming lessons this summer and LOVED it! He's a little fish, so anything water related, he's in! I didn't get pictures of swimming lessons, but here he is at Grandma's house playing in the water.

David and Isaiah got to take a quick surprise trip to The Lake to see David's family. This is a picture with Isaiah and all of his cousins on David's side. As you can see, getting them to all sit still long enough for a picture is quite a challenge!

A rare picture of David and his parents. I love this picture (minus the grotesque 'stache he's sporting!)

David already blogged about our family reunion, but I had to share a few more photos from our Family Challenge. In this one, I had to chew ten pieces of bubble gum and blow a bubble.

In this event, Brandi had to eat a whole jar of baby food. (Jyl and Mandy, I LOVE your mom's face in this one!!) Brandi did gag a few times towards the bottom of the jar.

Brandi balancing an egg on a spoon. She was the first to cross the finish line!

The Caribou County Fair was a few weeks ago and we had a blast! David's family was also able to visit during that time. It was a super busy week, filled with parades, rodeos, and, best of all, PIG WRESTLING!

Brandi and I were on a team sponsored by Ireland Bank, my mom was on a team sponsored by Sam's Market, and my dad was on a team consisting of 4 business owners in town. We had to dress up for the event and they gave out a trophy to the best dressed team. Brandi and I were Big Bad Wolves chasing the little piggy, my mom's team dressed as pigs and their shirts said "These little piggies work at the market." (Very clever!) My dad's team dressed in suits with top hats. They, of course, won the trophy for Best Dressed! None of us were able to actually catch the pig and get it in the barrel, but we had a blast trying!

This is me as I'm coming out of the pen. It was waaaayyy harder than it looked!

This is a picture of my mom, Brandi, dad and me after we all wrestled! Nasty!

Staying true to the "Piggies at the Market" theme, Isaiah, Taelor and Colson dressed as pigs and pushed grocery carts in the Kid's Day Parade. They were too cute!

David dressed as Smoky Bear in the Saturday night parade. I had no idea he was doing it, but quickly figured it out when the bear was throwing kisses at me!

Needless to say, we had an amazing summer! It went way too fast, but we had a blast!

Last week, David and Isaiah started school! David is teaching 2nd grade again and Isaiah started Kindergarten!! He was so excited! We was pretty nervous until we went school shopping and he got a superhero backpack, then he could wait to get to wear it to school and show it off! I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad to let my "baby" go to school, but I was excited for him! I did cry when I dropped him off, but not until he was in the classroom and he couldn't see me.

Here he is getting ready to leave the house. Isn't he so handsome!?

David and Isaiah walking up to the school. I LOVE this picture!! I'm so happy that David is a teacher and will be able to be with Isaiah every day. He's a good daddy!

We got there a little early so we just hung out in David's classroom until it was time to go to Kindergarten!

Isaiah was so anxious to go inside, but I made him stand in front of the door for one more picture!

I still can't believe he's old enough to go to school!!!

It has been a while

2009-07-24T09:42:00.004-06:00

Well, Aubri hasn't posted anything for a while. She would probably want you to think that it is because she is so busy. But in truth, the real reason is that she wastes, I mean, spends most of her time of the computer playing Farm Town on facebook.

We have done some different things in the last month and a half, since our last post. I am still working for the forest service and will be for about three more weeks. Then I will head back to the school. Isaiah will be going with me, too. That is exciting. Aubri is still working at the bank here in Grace.

Isaiah and I made a quick trip to Washington over the 4th of July weekend. All of us went to a family reunion for Aubri's family near Garden Valley, ID. It was a week after the Washington trip.

Isaiah took swimming lessons and TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY. (I am still waiting for him to wake up.)

Aubri's sister, Jodi, also had twin girls a couple of days ago. I'm sure she will post more about that later.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the last month and a half.

On the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton.

Isaiah doing flips into Benson Lake in WA.

Isaiah and I went on a hike at the family reunion. It got steep in some parts.

Definitely my favorite photo of the bunch. At the family reunion, there was a "Family Challenge" competition with different rounds involving different challenges. In this round, the competitors had to drink a two-liter bottle of pop as fast as they could. Aubri and Brandi were eliminated during this round since they did not complete the challenge, although they made a valiant attempt.

Here Aubri is near one of the several relatives who threw up after the two-liters-of-pop round. She didn't throw up, but she did expel one of the loudest burps I have ever heard. It sounded like a mixture of a roar of a lion, the mating call of a Nile crocodile, and the motor of a speedboat starting up. The bystanders and I were in awe. She was pretty shocked, as well.

Remember when...

2009-06-10T00:47:00.002-06:00

Just a little jog down memory lane for my love of 9 years. For everyone else, this may or may not bore you to tears, but this one is all for HIM......

Remember when we were first introduced and I secretly thought you where making your name up because SOTUTU couldn't actually be a real last name?

Remember when you told me you needed a date for a bowling night your roommates were planning just so you could ask me out, then nobody else showed up?

Remember how cold it was outside the first time you kissed me?

Remember when you spun a huge web of lies just so you could drive to Grace to ask my dad if you could marry me?

Remember our first house with the rotten flooring, broken chimney and creepy basement? Remember when we were too scared to even sleep in it the first night because we discovered a secret door in the basement?

Remember when our favorite date night was a Hollywood Video and a Jamba Juice?

Remember when we bought our first car together, the red Grand Am, and we thought we had just hit the jackpot?

Remember how excited we were when we were finally able to leave the freezing cold of Rexburg and move to the big city of Seattle?

Remember how we learned very quickly what being broke was all about when I was working for pennies and you were student teaching for free?

Remember how fun it was when we finally bought our first house and how quickly we realized how much work it was to own our own home? Remember how long it took to paint the dreaded RED wall before we could finally move in?

Remember when our favorite date night still included a Jamba Juice?

Remember when we were crazy enough to actually have two foreign exchange students live with us?

Remember how nervous we were on April 4, 2006, the night before we became PARENTS?

Remember the day we found out you got a job in Idaho Falls and had to leave Seattle in four days?

Remember the day we took our beautiful son to the temple to be sealed to us?

Remember what a crazy year we had after we left Seattle - homeless, home owners, homeless again, home owners again?

Remember the night we got in our car accident, totaled my parents truck and lost all our furniture, but were still alive?

Remember how we bought the house across the street from my parents?

Remember how we have been married for 9 crazy years and today's our anniversary?

YOU BETTER!!!

I love you, babe! Happy Anniversary! Maybe we can go get a Jamba Juice tonight!

Our Latest Adventure

2009-05-29T09:08:00.002-06:00

Last weekend, Isaiah and I (Dave) went camping and hiking in an area called 8 mile (nothing to do with Eminem's movie). It's just south of Soda Springs, about 40 minutes from our house. We wanted to go to a basin up in the hills, but there was still some snow on the road and we couldn't make it all the way up. So we ended up camping in a valley near a stream.

Isaiah really loves hiking and said that he wanted to hike to the top of a hill near where we camped. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes to get to the top of it and he cried the last 30 minutes of the ascent, because his legs were tired. It took us about 45 minutes to get back down.

Here's Isaiah showing off his new hiking boots.

This is on the way up, looking back towards our camp. You can see our tent and car in the distance near that road.

Just resting his tired legs.

Here we are resting in the shade at the top.

This is back at camp after the hike. That is the hill we hiked behind him.

Niter Ice Cave

2009-05-16T16:28:00.005-06:00

Last weekend Isaiah and I (Dave) went on an adventure to the Niter Ice Cave here in Grace. Isaiah liked it and wants to go back. He wants Aubri to come with us. There weren't any bats in the cave, but there were some birds near the entrance. So she won't go.

Here we are making our way down into the cave.

Here is Isaiah with a specimen of actual Niter Cave Ice.

Although he didn't want to lead the way in, he was OK with leading the way out of the cave.

Here's Isaiah above the mouth of the cave.

This is looking back towards Grace, to the north of the cave.

One Month in Fast-Forward

2009-05-13T21:00:00.008-06:00

went to work

paid some bills

went to work

went to preschool

went to work

went to scouts

went to work

went to preschool

went to work

got our tax return

went to work

paid some more bills

went to work

went to church

went to work

went to DISNEYLAND

went to work

get the picture??? oh and speaking of pictures.....here are only a few pictures from our

AMAZINGLY FUN TRIP TO DISNEYLAND!

Thanks Grandma!!! We had a blast and miss you and Keoni like crazy!

If only life was always like a trip to Disneyland!!!

The Best 3 Years

2009-04-05T16:13:00.008-06:00

I know we have neglected the blog lately, but today is a very special day so I thought I'd document it. Today is Isaiah's 3 year Adoption Day. We usually try to celebrate it much like a birthday, but don't usually buy him gifts. We like to spend the day with our boy doing whatever our little man wants to do. Since it does fall on a Sunday this year, we decided to celebrate yesterday, so we went to McDonald's (his choice) for lunch and then went and saw "Monsters vs. Aliens" at the fheater. (That's theater with an F. The way Isaiah says it.) We had a great day together!

The boys in their 3D glasses.

I just have to say what an amazing little man our Isaiah is. Three years ago, he came into our lives with very little notice and stole our hearts immediately. I remember the first time I laid eyes on him, I thought he was the most handsome little man I had ever seen. Probably a lot like any mother that has given birth. He was so sweet, so innocent. All he wanted to do was be held and told everything was going to be ok. He was terrified, but so were we. I remember the way he smelled - it was different, not bad or gross - just different. I remember how he liked to smell everything. I think it was a comfort thing. He would smell our skin or our hands. He smelled everything before he decided if it was safe or not. He was so different, but so amazing. The last three years with him have, of course, been the best three years of our lives. He is such a sweet boy - never wanting to disappoint or anger anyone. He is a pleaser. He likes to make people happy. He has a big heart and an even bigger imagination. He is smart and sweet and oh so very handsome. To put it simply, he is just a good boy in every way. He has taught me to love in a completely different way than I ever did before. He was a miracle the day we got him, and has been every day since. I absolutely love my Isaiah!

In the News

2009-03-10T22:05:00.007-06:00

Tonight while reading the Church news, I was reminded again that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is always mature and thoughtful in their views and responses to the sometimes cruel and insensitive world around us. Please see this link to a news briefing released by the Church regarding the HBO series Big Love. I am proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Busy

2009-03-07T17:02:00.002-07:00

To make a very long story short, this week I accepted a new job at the bank. Originally (last month), I was hired part-time. Lots has happened since then and I was offered a sort of promotion (with a raise and benefits) and I am now working full-time. I was very hesitant about taking a full-time position until Isaiah is in school, but I can tell you it is definitely an answer to our prayers.

STRESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

2009-03-02T20:30:00.005-07:00

What is it about stress that makes you think that pulling your hair out by the roots might actually feel good?!?

Even Later Valentine Shout-Out!

2009-02-19T21:51:00.004-07:00

Well since Aubri gave me some Valentine props, I guess it would only be right if I holla' back at her (and share said holla' back with all our blog readers).

These are my top 11 reasons why I am STILL in love with Mombri. I know it is one more than she shouted-out. I guess that means I love her more.

(also not be taken too seriously)

1. She keeps this blog updated.

2. She loves me for my money.

3. She's not that good at math.

4. When she does "The Hustle" (made famous by Van McCoy) it is adorable.

5. She buys books but never finds time to read them, so I get to.

6. She watches my stuff when I am not at home.

7. She worries about everything, so I don't have to.

8. I get to see the second half of every movie we rent or record twice, since she always falls asleep half way through them the first time.

9. She comes to me when she thinks she doesn't know the right thing to do, but she always does.

10. Sometimes she smiles and gets and a twinkle in her eye (and it is honestly a twinkle, there's no other way to explain it) that makes me forget everything that could be wrong, and I know she is my Valentine.

11. She is country, sweet country.

A Late Valentine's Shout-out!

2009-02-17T20:04:00.005-07:00

We were visiting our awesome cousins in Provo on Valentine's Day and I wasn't able to post anything about my SUPER VALENTINE, so here it is...

Top 10 Reasons I Still LOVE My Valentine:

(Please don't take these too seriously.)

1. After almost 9 years of marriage, he still likes to make me feel special each and every morning by allowing me to hang up his towel.

2. He, unlike anyone else in the world, has the uncanny ability to get under my skin in less than 3 seconds flat. Something he definitely prides himself on.

3. He loves waking me each morning with a low, gruffy voice whispering "Mombri."

4. His sense of humor is unlike anyone else's I've ever met. I haven't decided if that's a good thing.

5. He is able to hear and answer correctly every question of Jeopardy amidst my anxiety-induced rantings - like I wasn't even speaking to him.

6. A snail has nothing on his walking pace.

7. Arguing with him is like running in circles, it's great exercise....

8. He rarely takes anything super seriously. You'd think he was married to an over-anxious-drama-queen or something.

9. He's ridiculously good-looking.

10. There's no one else in this world I'd rather argue with, laugh with, cry with, grow old with, raise a family with, or be with!

Homemade Giveaway!

2009-02-08T19:10:00.006-07:00

An amazing friend of mine posted this on her blog (I may have tweeked it a little bit), but I thought it looked too fun to pass up so I thought I'd give it a shot. Dave might be surprised that I'm doing this, but so am I!

Anyway, here's how it goes.

The first 5 people to respond to this post will get something homemade by me! I know what you are thinking....."do I really want something made by Aubri???" But you might just be surprised what I can do!

Like any good giveaway, there are restrictions and limitations, as follows:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. I get to choose, you just get to receive!

2. What I create will be made just for you......one of a kind!

3. It will be done this year.....hopefully sooner, rather than later.

4. The gift may or may not be edible, wearable or recyclable!

5. In order to be a winner, you must repost this on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me you did will receive one FABULOUS-o homemade gift by me! After I choose the winners, you can send me your mailing address!

Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you receive it!

Debt Elimination.....ugh!!

2009-02-03T15:22:00.004-07:00

Like I said in my last post, I really want to focus on getting out of debt this year. I don't mean paying off the house, but I want to get rid of all our other debt (car, credit cards, student loans, etc.). Does anyone have any good suggestions? What has worked for you?

To preface this, I have to say that David and I are actually fairly good at budgeting and managing our money. We have a monthly budget set up and are pretty good at sticking to it, but I'm looking for other options to get ourselves out of debt quicker. I need suggestions that are attainable. Not just "stop spending." Has anyone ever refinanced or does anyone really love your mortgage company? If so, who is it? I am looking at refinancing because interest rates are so low, but I don't know which bank to go with. I could stay with the one we currently have, but after being put on hold for 2 1/2 hours over the last two days, I'm not sure they want my business very badly!

Anyway, let's hear it!!

Hi ho! Hi ho! It's off to work I go!

2009-02-02T12:53:00.005-07:00

I finally decided to bite the bullet and just accepted a job at the bank here in town. I'm not too excited about going back to work (even if it's only part-time), but I am way excited about getting our bills paid off faster!! I've just been feeling this urgency lately to do whatever it takes to get ourselves out of debt, so here we go. I will be working half a week at the bank and the other half and weekends at my parents' grocery store. It will be busy and David is going to have to start helping out more around the house (which he isn't thrilled about), but I think it will be worth it for now. My sister and sweet cousin have agreed to watch Isaiah for me, so he's excited to get to play with his cousins!

Wish us luck!

What a good little helper!

2009-01-28T08:01:00.003-07:00

Isaiah has become such a good little helper. He LOVES shoveling snow with his dad so much that David bought him his own little shovel. He also loves watching me vacuum so I recently decided to let him help and he LOVES using the hand-held vacuum to clean my nasty kitchen carpet. (That's right, I have carpet in my kitchen.....disgusting!!)

Anyway, I had to share this picture of my good little boy! I love him too much!

It's a miracle!!!

2009-01-22T12:35:00.012-07:00

Jodi went in for a routine check-up today and found out she's having...

I can't control my excitement!!!

Am I the only one?

2009-01-22T11:04:00.004-07:00

As a mother, having my child tell me he is hungry is probably the worst thing I could ever be told. I feel like a negligent mother if I let his tummy get hungry. This morning before breakfast, he told me he was starving and I wanted to cry. Is that weird?

It's a great day to be an American!

2009-01-20T14:30:00.008-07:00

Whether you are a fan of President Barack Obama or not, we have witnessed history today and I can't help but think of how grateful I am to be a citizen of the United States of America! I am thankful to live in a Nation that cherishes freedom, supports individuality, grants unlimited opportunity and honors democracy. January 20, 2009 is a great day to be an American!

It passed with flying colors!

2009-01-19T09:27:00.008-07:00

So, I'm not a huge movie critic, but I do have one big test every movie has to pass in order for me to say I like it. My test is simple, but telling. My test is that I have to stay awake! I can and will fall asleep in ANY movie if it is the least bit boring. If I stay awake in a movie, it must be a good one. This movie has been on my Netflix queue for awhile, but there was always something else I wanted to see more. Anyway, I finally got around to watching it Saturday night (from my bed, nonetheless) and I stayed awake! I don't think I even thought about sleeping! For me, that is HUGE!

I thought it was funny when it was supposed to be funny and touching when it was supposed to be touching. I thought the acting was exceptional and the story line perfect! It's not at all what I expected it to be....in a good way!

Watch it!

...and now I'm grumpy!

2009-01-14T16:11:00.007-07:00

Isaiah is sick today. He threw up at preschool. I hate it when Isaiah is sick because he has such a sad sick face. When I went to pick him up from preschool, he was so sad. His teacher told me he threw up one time. When we got in the car, he told me he threw up two times - once in the garbage (which his teacher knew about) and once under the table (which his teacher apparently did not know about). I feel bad for the next kid that goes to put their feet under the table and comes out with a surprise. Gross. I probably should have called his teacher and told her about the other puke, but I didn't. I'll tell you why I didn't. When I went to pick Isaiah up from preschool, I fell on the sidewalk outside his teachers' house. I fell so hard I thought I broke my teeth out. You know when you fall and you jar your jaw? That's what I did. I hate falling because it's embarrassing, like you can't control your own body. When I fall, I feel ashamed too like everyone looks at me like I'm crazy or something. Not that anyone did, but I still feel like that's what they were thinking. Anyway, I hit my butt on the ice so hard, that now it hurts to stand or sit or walk or talk or type or eat or sleep or cry. Speaking of crying, when I fell, if nobody would have been around, I probably would have cried because it hurt so bad, but I didn't. Instead I was embarrassed. That's why I didn't tell his teacher about the puke. I'm a bad person, I know, but my butt hurts and now I'm grumpy!

Jeopardy!

2009-01-08T08:01:00.009-07:00

One of my New Year's goals this year is to encourage my good, sweet and BRILLIANT husband to try out for this show!!

Maybe he could even be the next Ken Jennings!!

We are ready for a NEW YEAR!!!

2009-01-02T17:50:00.014-07:00

2008 was an interesting year for us. It had lots and lots and LOTS of ups and downs. Don't get me wrong, I love a good roller coaster as much as the next guy, but not really when it comes to my emotions or mental state! I'm totally ready for a more mellow year to come. Some significant things happened in 2008 and for my own record as much as for your amusement, I thought I'm make a list of some of the events of 2008 (in no particular order):

* We were able to celebrate the pregnancies of our sisters: Jodi, Brandi, Faye and Julie. Some were announced in 2008, some a little earlier.

* The passing of some dear friends and beloved family, including our sweet niece and nephew, Brinlee Jo and Usaia James Lewis. By far, two of the most difficult trials we have ever faced.

* Tyelor Jo and Keilana Grace were both born healthy and strong! (Something we quickly learned is a MIRACLE in itself!)

* I struggled immensely with my anxiety this year more than ever before. I'm hoping to learn to manage it better in the year(s) ahead.

* David got hired by the Forest Service for the summers - a total blessing!

* We discovered the Twilight series! (And just for the record, by "we" that does include David!)

* Brandi moved to Grace, so now all the Krebs girls are home again!

* Isaiah started preschool and loves it!

* We were able to get in touch with some old friends and coworkers through our new favorite tool - Facebook!

* And last, but certainly not least, on New Year's Eve (before the midnight hour, making it still 2008), we learned of Jodi's pregnancy, which was a great kick-off to 2009!

Our Christmas Time Favorites

2008-12-29T22:06:00.008-07:00

These are some things that have made us happy this Christmas break:

SNOW:

SNOW SHOVELING (ISAIAH'S NEW FAVORITE PAST TIME):

POPCORN:

OUR NEW GAME:

PAJAMAS:

NAPPING:

A FAMILY FAVORITE:

Confessions!

2008-12-08T20:24:00.005-07:00

Well, I know I should be blogging about Thanksgiving or any of the other happenings going on around here, but I'm not going to. I'll leave that to David if he wants to. I saw this on Jennifer's (my sis-in-law) blog and thought it looked fun, so I'll give it a shot. Remember, I'm not very exciting, so my confessions will probably be lame...

I'm absolutely terrified of anything with wings.

Sometimes I dream about beating people up. I mean, REALLY beating people up.

More often, I dream about beating people up, but my arms are made of noodles.

I'm the biggest hypochondriac you'll ever meet. (I'm sure that's not much of a confession to those of you that know me well...or even a little bit. If fact, mere acquaintances probably know that about me!)

I love SILENCE, especially when driving.

I hate exercise!

I despise reading a newspaper someone else has already read. I like the creases and folds to be hot off the press.

I love Isaiah's morning breath.

Even though I've never drank it, I love waking up to the smell of coffee.

I'm super-critical of published grammatical or spelling errors.

If I had my way, I would have 4 kids by now.

I cuss in my head much more than I should ever admit.

If someone calls and wakes me up (regardless of the time of day), I will always lie and say I wasn't sleeping.

I love eating things directly out of the container.

I'm Smitten!

2008-11-20T08:40:00.005-07:00

School Picture

2008-11-14T19:59:00.003-07:00

Even though he is still in pre-school, Isaiah came over to the elementary school for picture day.

The Newest Addition!!

2008-11-12T20:17:00.008-07:00

My sister, Brandi, gave birth to her 3rd child last night! It was a long and miserable pregnancy for her, so we were all way excited to welcome Tyelor Jo to our family! Tyelor weighed 6 lbs. 11 oz. and was 19 1/4 inches long. She's a healthy and beautiful baby girl!

Because you may be wondering where her name came from...."Tyelor" (pronounced Tyler) is because that's what her big sis and big bro chose and "Jo" because she's named after our sweet Brinlee Jo we lost in May. Tyelor Jo is a very special gift to our family for many, many reasons!

Isn't she just the cutest!!?

Grandpa and big sis, Taelor.

Big bro, Colson, isn't quite sure what he thinks yet.

Please excuse my appearance. It was a really long day of timing contractions! :)

Below is Tyelor with her new favorite aunt. (You're welcome, Jodi!)

Halloween Photos

2008-11-03T22:44:00.004-07:00

Isaiah and his cousin were Mario and Luigi.

We wore these costumes to my school's Halloween Carnival.

He picked a good one.

Homecoming

2008-10-17T22:01:00.007-06:00

Well, we are just finishing homecoming week here in Grace. It is a pretty big deal for the whole town. There were a lot of different activities for the high school students, but there were some for the community, too.

There was an assembly at the high school on Thursday. I was invited to perform the Ka Mate Haka at the assembly, so I took some boys from the elementary school with me. I forgot to get any pictures but the mother of one of my students posted a couple photos and a video. Check them out by clicking here.

Today there was a parade down Main Street with an Apache helicopter flying over. There was also a tailgate party, with the helicopter, rock walls, bouncy toys, a chili cook-off, and much, much more!

Then the football team won! It was the first game they have won in about three years. (I've asked around and nobody seems to remember the last time they had one, but they know it has been at least 3 years.) Even better, it was against Soda Springs, which is the closest town and their biggest rival. Unfortunately one of my young men from church suffered a concussion, but another one of my young men, intercepted the ball to end the game. Grace is starting to grow on me, but don't tell Aubri.

Here are some photos from the tailgate party.

I wore my letterman's jacket because I gotta' represent, but mostly to embarrass Aubri.

There is the Apache helicopter behind them.

on the helicopter

I love free stuff!

2008-10-14T18:36:00.002-06:00

This website is giving away free purses! Check it out!

Christmas Shopping.....ARGH!

2008-10-14T10:52:00.005-06:00

I know it's probably weird, but I'm already getting a little stressed out thinking about Christmas shopping. We have so many people to buy for (especially nieces & nephews) that I feel like I need to get a head start. Anyone have any good suggestions for good websites or deals I can't pass up?

Which Cullen Are You?

2008-10-10T20:11:00.000-06:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

The Lighter Side

2008-10-08T15:35:00.003-06:00

After my blog yesterday, I decided to post something a little lighter. I apologize to anyone who thought I was ranting. Sometimes, though, just getting it all out there helps me clear my head and act in the right direction. We continue to pray and talk it out - looking at all options - but keep us in your thoughts if you know anyone who is looking to place a child for adoption. It's a long shot, but you never know....

Anyway, last night David and Isaiah had a "dance off" of the ghetto-est kind. It was fabulous. Unfortunately, the video I took won't post, so pictures will have to do for now. And I just realized that David erased all the pictures I took of him. I'll try to get the video posted so you can see his sweet moves that surely came from 1995. Until then, here's a few of Isaiah's moves. You know, pictures just don't do him justice...

Which way do we go?

2008-10-07T17:44:00.005-06:00

So, I'm feeling a little frustrated about things right now. I figure if I blog about it, someone will give me some good motivation/advice to get the ball rolling in the right (or any) direction. As most of you know, we adopted Isaiah about 2 1/2 years ago. Also, as most of you have told us personally, it's time to give Isaiah a sibling. Well, why can't life just be that easy? We've talked about it and I think David's a lot less concerned than I am, but I'm feeling stressed out trying to decide what we should do. He thinks that when the time is right, everything will just fall into place. I, on the other hand, need to have everything figured out.....like yesterday. For us to have a baby, there are too many options, which is what bothers me. Here is what I've been thinking about lately:

1. Foster Parenting. We have seriously been considering foster care, because we feel like it would give a child that needs it a good home, at least for awhile. We know that most likely we wouldn't be able to keep the foster child permanently and this scares me. Not just for David and I, but for Isaiah. Would he get too attached? Would David and I be able to handle it? Would we get a child we couldn't handle? That said, I still think it would be as difficult as it would be rewarding, but I really don't know what to expect. This, of course, would not guarantee us a child either.

2. Adoption. We would love to adopt again, but there are a lot of questions we need answers to first. Like, which agency should we work with? How long is it going to take us this time? Should we try foreign adoption? And most scary, how are we going to come up with that kind of money? Adopting Isaiah was so wonderful, why wouldn't we go this route again? My heart is leaning in this direction, but my head (and pocketbook) seem to tell me otherwise.

3. Fertility Treatments. This is something that absolutely scares me to death. I have lots of health issues - nothing major, but enough to make me wonder. Am I healthy enough to carry a child full term? Do we want to put all our eggs (and money) in this basket (of course, meaning my womb) and not have the fertility treatments even work? I'm not so much scared of the physical pain of pregnancy and labor as I am the emotional pain. Given my sister's experience and my health issues, is it something we should even consider?

I don't know. So many questions and so few answers. I know most of you are wondering if we've prayed about it. I can tell you that we have, but I'm just impatient and want that dumb stork to drop that cute little bundle off on our porch in the middle of the night. Too bad I don't still believe that's where babies come from - it sure would make life lots easier!!

Heavenly Father

2008-09-29T10:45:00.006-06:00

So, we've been teaching Isaiah that when we makes good choices it makes Heavenly Father happy. I've told him when he's nice to his cousins, Heavenly Father is happy. Or when he helps mommy, Heavenly Father is happy. That said, the following conversation took place this morning:

ME: Isaiah, before we can go anywhere, I need you to please pick up your dirty clothes in your room and put them in the bathroom hamper.

ISAIAH: (Carrying an arm load of clothes) Mommy, I need you to help me clean up the rest of my room.

ME: I think you can do that yourself. You are a big boy now.

ISAIAH: Mommy, don't you want to make Heavenly Father happy???

At 5 years old, he has already mastered the guilt trip!

Back at the Forest Service

2008-09-25T22:32:00.010-06:00

I haven't put any input into our blog for a while. I have been mainly updating my facebook account, when I have had time. I realize that I should probably post some things here, too.

Well, a week ago we started our two-week Spud Harvest Break here in the Grace School District. Last year I worked in the spuds, sorting and sacking potatoes at a farm. This year, though, I am back working for the Forest Service, like I did all summer. It is good to be back with my crew there.

Here are some of the guys on lunch break.

Last Friday, we went out to get a prescribed burn back under control. Even though it was rough getting used to packing gear up a steep hill again, it was pretty fun. We dug up a line to stop the fire and lit fires to burn back to where the fire was smoldering. I did slip and fall while I was burning some bushes and burned my wrist a little, but it wasn't as bad as the guy who fell, sprained his ankle, and rolled through a ground fire. It was really steep.

This week I have been painting boundary marks on trees for units that will be logged. I have also been cutting down trees in another unit that will be burned in the future. It is a good time to be working in the forest. The weather isn't too hot and the mosquitoes are gone for the year. I am learning about the region and learning that not all of southeast Idaho is ugly.

I took these photos with my phone today. They really don't capture the colors that well. We were up in the mountains just east of Grace.

States I've Visited

2008-09-24T11:50:00.005-06:00

So, I saw this on our friend's, The Welchs, website and thought it looked fun. I'm only doing the United States, but I'm sure when David gets home from work, he'll want to show me up and do the countries map too. (I have only been to the U.S. and Canada!) Lame. Anyway, I'm pretty sad, I haven't visited very many states. I think this should show my sweet husband that he needs to take me on a vacation somewhere other than Kent, WA!

visited 11 states (22%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

Something to blog about....

2008-09-18T09:11:00.013-06:00

So, I'm really trying to be better at keeping this blog going. Our lives aren't very interesting, though, so it's hard. We kinda do the same old thing day in and day out. David works every day and is starting back with the forest service tomorrow (just during potato harvest). Isaiah is going to preschool 2 days a week and absolutely loves it, but not as much as he loves playing video games. I have got to get that boy broken of that! I am working 4 days a week for my dad and on my days off, I have little motivation to do anything very interesting. HOWEVER...today, I am going to Jodi's to make a huge load of raspberry jam. I can hardly wait. I can already taste it. Yummm.....

Baby Usaia and the man he's named after!

2008-09-16T10:59:00.010-06:00

Just a few short months after Jodi's sweet Brinlee passed away, we lost another precious baby in our family. Diana's sweet baby boy, Usaia, passed away on August 29. (I know, we should have blogged about it sooner.) Being born with a chromosomal imbalance, Usaia was a miracle baby from the beginning. I was amazed at the influence this little boy had on so many people. He was truly a choice spirit. We were able to go to his funeral and spend time with David's family. It was a sad occasion, but everyone handled it so well. He will be forever missed and loved by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him! Here are some pictures of Baby Usaia James Lewis Wageman....

At the funeral, we were also able to spend a little time with David's dad, whom we don't get to see very often so we took some pictures with him. Baby Usaia was also named after him. Here are some pictures of Usaia Naiteitei Sotutu....

Celebrity Look Alike

2008-08-15T10:32:00.003-06:00

Please study the photos below. One of them is of the recent Olympic gold medal winner for men's all around gymnastics, Yang Wei of China. The other is a photo of our brother-in-law and recent winner of the high score for Sweet Child of Mine on expert level on Guitar Hero, Chad Simeona of Puyallup. See if you can tell which is which. Good luck!

Tagged?

2008-08-09T01:01:00.004-06:00

Well, I don't usually respond to these lame tagging games, or forward e-mails so that something good will happen to me, etc. Since this is from Aubri, though, and I don't have to get up early tomorrow, I will comply. These are just off the top of my head, so don't try to think too deeply about them because I didn't.

Joys

1. My family. They are better than I deserve.

2. Opportunities to serve. I have grown a lot and gained different perspectives on life from working along side different individuals and families, especially when I serve in the Church.

3. Teaching. I love teaching kids, especially about the Gospel, but teaching academic skills pays the bills. . . kinda'.

Fears

1. Fear itself.

2. Falling from a high place.

3. Cutting a tree down on myself.

Obsessions

1. Technology, but not as much as you, you see. . . but I still love technology.

2. Seahawks football.

3. Precision.

Goals

1. Finish my education.

2. Be a better husband/father/son/brother/uncle/cousin/grandson/...., but not son-in-law I am too nice to those people.

3. Improve my overall fitness.

Random or Surprising facts

1. I once watched a whole season of Beauty and the Geek. I don't know why. I am ashamed.

2. I have been to Hawaii six times but only left the airport once, and I was only 1 year old.

3. I refuse to tag any one else.

Our New Obsession!

2008-08-07T10:46:00.007-06:00

So, Brandi's kids both have a Nintendo DS that Isaiah absolutely loves, so for his birthday we caved and bought him one too. I'm a little embarrassed to admit, Isaiah isn't the only one obsessed with it right now.

And this is our preferred game....

Hopefully the newness of it will wear off soon so I can get more done than just waiting for my turn! Ha!

Tagged!

2008-08-05T10:09:00.008-06:00

So, I've been tagged and since I really need to be better about blogging regularly, I decided to actually do this tag to get me going again. I'm supposed to list 3 Joys, 3 Fears, 3 Goal, 3 Current Obsessions/Collections and 3 Random/Surprising Facts. But that's not the best part. The best part is that I get to tag 5 people, so stay tuned and I'll list your names at the end.

JOYS

1. Being a wife and mother. David is my best friend and better half. He puts up with all my crazy ways and allows me to be me. And the fact that David and I were entrusted with this amazing little boy is by far our greatest joy.

2. Laughing with my family. I am married to one of the goofiest people I know. I love laughing mostly at him and with him. He is so witty, it's annoying. Also, laughing with my family. My parents are crazy and my sisters humor me by actually making me think I'm funny! Very weird, I know.

3. Making a good tasting, good looking meal. So, I stole this one from Haley, but I feel the same. There are few things I can do for my family that bring me greater joy.

FEARS

1. My #1 and all time worst is birds. Well, for that matter, all things that fly - birds, bats, moths, butterflies.....you name it if it has wings, I loath it!

2. That I will contract some crazy mystery disease that doctor's have never seen before. I know it's crazy, but it's a fear!

3. That someone will randomly stop by to visit and my house is disgusting. I happens way to often and I live in fear of it every time I have a sink full of dishes, every pair of shoes David owns is piled by the door and Isaiah just decided to built a train station in the middle of the living room floor.

GOALS

1. To actually have a clean house with no clutter!

2. To be good at keeping up with birthdays. We have so many brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews that I get confused. Thanks to Jennifer, this might actually be something I can accomplish though.

3. To go on regular date nights with my good husband.

OBSESSIONS

1. Ice cream. I could have a huge bowl of ice cream for every meal. I like to have it for dessert every night, but David doesn't eat it that often and then I feel like a pig eating alone.

2. Corn chips. I love any kind or brand of plain corn chips. I don't particularly care for flavored corn chips, like Doritos.

3. Cilantro. I know it's weird, but I love it. If I had my choice we would eat Mexican food every night with cilantro piled high on top of it. Unfortunately, my family doesn't care for the mexican cuisine like I do, so I do not get my fix of cilantro that often. That's why I LOVE Baja Fresh, because there is an open salsa bar with a huge bowl of cilantro where you can take as much as you want. Yummm.

RANDOM or SURPRISING FACTS

1. I am 29 years old on Wii Fit. That's sad because in real life I am only 27. The reason I just thought of that is because all of my obsessions are food. That might have something to do with it. I can't help it though - I like to eat!

2. I love to play Nintendo. We bought Isaiah a Nintendo DS for his birthday and I love to sneak and play it after he has gone to bed. I actually look forward to it every day! Oops, I just gave away my secret!

3. As I was typing this blog, someone did stop by and saw my house the disgusting mess that it is. I better stop blogging and get some housework done! My #3 fear just happened - again!

OK. That's probably enough about me. I will now tag Jennifer Simeona, Kassidy Bridge, Jenny Friden, Angela Anderson and Jill Williams. Have fun ladies and I will be checking each of your blogs to make sure you did it! I am breaking the tag rules, but I also want to tag David (if he'll do it) because I want to see what his answers would be.

Into July

2008-07-12T18:20:00.004-06:00

So far July has been pretty good for us. We had fun out on the water with Jodi and Bryant on their boat. I have been working out in the woods. I am getting to do some new things, like put out smoldering fires and measuring tree stands. When we do that, we go measure tree diameters and heights, report on their health, count twigs and branches, identify the plants in the area, and a bunch of other really cool stuff like that.

Aubri just got done with her Super Saturday activity that she has been planning for our ward's Relief Society. It seems like it went well. As soon as it was over, she came home and took a long nap.

The rest of the month should be really exciting. I am leaving on Tuesday evening with the scouts to go biking and canoeing in Yellowstone and in the surrounding area. Then on the Tuesday of the next week, we will be going to Washington for my family's annual reunion out on a lake on the Olympic Peninsula. We will be there for Isaiah's fifth birthday. It should be a blast!

(See pics from July below)

Here is Isaiah, Colson, and Aubri on "The Hot Dog"

Isaiah, Colson and Me on "The Hot Dog". There was a tense moment when we all fell off, but we survived.

My mad wake-boarding skills. OK, they aren't mad skills. Just ill-tempered, maybe.

This is at a site where we were doing "mop up" (putting out a smoldering ground fire).

June is Over

2008-07-02T21:08:00.003-06:00

Well, like Aubri said, we are trying to be better at keeping this blog updated. There isn't too much to post, though. We made it through June. I went the whole month without injuring myself at work. I was impressed and happy about that.

Also like Aubri said, Isaiah is continuing to grow too fast. He is going to be 5 this month! He loves the summer, especially the shorts, the flip-flops, and the over-abundance of bugs. Here are a couple of photos from June.

This is me in the forest with my chain saw. (We named our saws. I would tell you mine's name, but it is a symbol. We just refer to it as "the chain saw formerly known as Stewart".)

Here is Isaiah. He is in his room for time-out because he wouldn't stay in Primary. (I know he looks angry, but it is adorable.)

I'm Back....ish

2008-07-01T14:28:00.004-06:00

So, I've had a crazy couple of months and feel like life is just now beginning to get back to normal. If that is even possible. As most of you probably know, we have had a hard couple of months as we have been dealing with my beautiful niece, Brinlee's, passing. It was tragic and heartbreaking, to say the least. Anyone who has lost someone knows the pain and absolute inability to function as normal. Although the pain is still there, I feel like we are all healing a little. Hopefully, it will get easier with time....

Anyway, I didn't mean to make this post so sad. I just wanted to apologize to all of my blogging friends I have ignored for the last 2 months. Hopefully, I can get back into posting pictures and letting you know what's going on with us. Isaiah is growing like a little weed and if I don't document it on here, I'll be mad at myself for missing the chance. So, I need to go ahead and say it. I'm back......ish!

Does that sound very confident? :)

facebook

2008-06-22T15:28:00.003-06:00

Well, Aubri and I have given in and decided to try the facebook thing, too. Look us up, if that's how you roll.

We will try to keep both of these online resources up to date, but not too much exciting is going on right now.

I did just finish my training with the forest service, so I am now able to operate a chain saw and fight wildland fires for the U.S. government.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2008-06-10T13:19:00.006-06:00

Eight years and counting! Now, if only I could have a strange quartet of policemen singing to me in my bedroom, the day would be perfect......

Recent Happenings

2008-05-30T11:47:00.006-06:00

Well, it has been a few weeks so we better post something.

A few things have happened since our last post. As you may have heard a lot of sad things have occurred in Grace over the last school year. It seems like there is a funeral every week. Just to mention a few, we lost two high school students, one in a car accident another to meningitis. We also lost a teacher to severe depression. A little closer to home, Aubri's sister's husband's dad passed away (Bryant & Jodi's). Then about a month later, on May 14th, their baby, Brinlee, died 10 days before she was due. That was a rough and sad time for our family, in particular. We are still recovering from it.

Some good things did happen too. I finished my first year teaching in Grace, my fifth year overall. We got to take a quick trip to Seattle to see my family. It was two days of driving and two days there, but we got to see my parents, brother and sisters, and some of my cousins. Isaiah also got to play with his 13 cousins who live there.

We did have to spend the first night at the children's hospital in Tacoma, because Isaiah's asthma was bothering him, but he's better now. We also went to the children's hospital in Seattle to see Usaia, and he seemed to be doing good, too.

I also started a new job for the forest service, I am not sure whether this goes under the "good news" or "sad news" category yet, but I will let you know. I have worked 3 days so far (we are on a 4-10 hour work day schedule). So far I have just been clearing away branches and logs that other people are cutting. In the next couple of weeks, I will get trained on how to use a chain saw, fight forest fires, and other forestry things. It will be an interesting summer.

(This is one of the only pictures I took while we were in Seattle. I forgot to get my camera out.)

This is a slug that Aubri stepped on as we were loading the car to leave. Just one of the many wonders that I miss, living here in Southeast Idaho.

Not much to complain about

2008-05-06T17:19:00.004-06:00

I guess we haven't blogged for a while. I think that the main reason is that we haven't had much to complain about. The weather is getting better, hopefully it will still be good by the time you read this. We cleaned out our garage. I mowed the lawn for the first time. I figured out the automatic sprinkler system. Only 10 more school days left this year. It's been a weird school year, but it will be over soon. Then I will be working for the forest service this summer. I will add some photos. Check them out below. I hope you are all good, as well.

Just chillin at home.

Today we had a luau at school. I performed the Haka for my students and then for the teachers.

Very intimidating. (Yes, I did my own make up.)

Bowling

2008-04-24T11:02:00.002-06:00

So, Saturday we took Isaiah bowling for the first time. He loved the "ball station," which is what he calls the bowling alley. He actually did really well with the help of the bumpers. He was so cute. He had a 6 lb. ball and you would have thought it weighed about 80 lbs. It reminded me that he is still little, which makes me happy!

Life doesn't get much better than this!

2008-04-22T10:38:00.008-06:00

So, as I've mentioned I took a temporary job for a guy here in town on top of my regular job working for my parents. Anyway, I was working way more than I liked and didn't seem to have enough hours in the day to get everything done. Well, I'm happy to say that after six weeks, yesterday was my last day of work for that guy! I'm still working for my parents, but I love that job and it's not nearly as demanding. So, this morning, Isaiah and I slept in. Then we ate waffles together. He is now taking a bath while I blog. We will probably play and read a little together, while I try to catch up on my housework that's been neglected for the past six weeks. And then, if the weather is ok, we will walk to David's school. It's the simple things in life that really are the greatest! (Cheesy, but true!) Honestly, what's better than being a stay-at-home mom!?!

Oh, how I love those Simeona babies!

2008-04-17T22:01:00.002-06:00

Last week, Cathie, Jennifer and the kids came to Grace for spring break. (I know, great spring break destination!) Anyway, we had so much fun with them, but forgot to take many pictures. David did manage to snap some cute upclose ones of almost everyone.

Baby girl Kaila. Isn't she pretty??

Kalai is so much fun. Couldn't you just squeeze that cute little face?

Kawika is oh so handsome!

Um.....Keoni was a little upset. In his defense, this was his only meltdown of the trip. It just happens to be the only picture Uncle Dave got of him.

We had so much fun visiting with David's family. I realized how much I miss everyone and wish our families lived closer together so we could have the best of both worlds. After they left, Isaiah was so exhausted from playing that he slept pretty solid for about three days! He is just now getting back into the routine.

Spot the Differences

2008-04-04T19:48:00.004-06:00

The sun has been out for two days in a row!

See if you can spot the differences between these two pictures.

(Hint: No, his eyes are closed in both of them. That's not one of the differences.)

I hope this is not too premature. It is supposed to snow again in a couple of days.

Springtime in Idaho

2008-04-02T18:28:00.004-06:00

Yes Isaiah, this is the seventh month of winter.

(I took this picture 15 minutes ago.)

My Defense

2008-04-01T20:36:00.006-06:00

1. David of course posted this while I was at work. I would not have allowed this to ever hit the blog, but I am the bigger person and will allow it (for now). Anyway, Chris made me realize that once something hits the internet, there is no going back. Undoubtedly, once deleted, it would make it way back to the blog one way or another and will probably still be haunting me ten years from now. So, I will live with it.

2. As mentioned in my previous post, it was freezing while we were there. I did not plan ahead enough to pack something warm that I could lounge in, so Grandma offered her sweatshirt. I am heartless, but not enough to turn down my own Grandmother! What kind of person do you think I am??

3. The pink polo collar poking out of the sweatshirt was not my doing. My grandmother actually took the time to sew it on the sweatshirt herself. I think it adds a little something special, don't you?

Seriously though, I love my grandma. I make fun at her sweatshirt, but someday I hope to be a grandma with grandkids and great-grandkids running around and making fun of my clothes....I could only be so lucky!

By Popular Demand

2008-04-01T17:44:00.007-06:00

You asked for it, Annie, and here it is. I give you "In Grandma's Sweet Sweatshirt", or perhaps it should be "In Grandma's Sweat Sweetshirt", or better yet "Sweet Sweat in Grandmashirt". (Please remember the photo, I don't know how long Aubri will allow this to stay on the blog.)

Why yes, her sister is about 7 months pregnant. And yes, that is the North Fork of the Salmon River outside the window. And yes again, there are green peppers and cream cheese in those scrambled eggs. What sharp eyes all of you have!

As a reward for your impeccable penchant for detail, I give you "The Boys in the Bathroom".

This never-ending winter is really starting to make us all a bit crazy.

(By the way, it took me forever to get them to switch places.)

Easter - Yippee!

2008-03-31T22:38:00.011-06:00

We celebrated Easter a week late at my grandparents house in Salmon, ID. It was fun, but snowy and cold so we stayed inside most of the time. Sadly, this is about the only good picture we got of the weekend. Isaiah is seeing what the Easter Bunny brought him. Isn't he cute with his sleepy hair and sleepy face?

There were a few other pictures but they all involved me in my pajamas or my grandma's very grandma-y sweatshirt. Sorry.

What?!?

2008-03-31T08:03:00.003-06:00

How can it be March 31 and still snowing? Aren't you so excited to visit, Jennifer?

Our Poor Little Neglected Blog

2008-03-21T08:58:00.004-06:00

So, Jennifer reminded us that we haven't posted in quite some time, so I thought I'd give everyone a little update on what's been going on around here. It's been pretty crazy, so our poor little blog has been very neglected. Anyway, David, of course, is still teaching. When he's not teaching, he's either teasing Isaiah, watching Jeopardy or doing something with or for the Young Men in our ward. Isaiah has been the normal Isaiah, just way crazier these days. Which leads me to me. I am still working at my parents grocery store, but have also taken on another part time job. I now work about 30 hours a week as a secretary/do everything girl for a guy here in town. His secretary is out on maternity leave so I'm filling in for her for about 8 weeks. It's been a bit crazy keeping up with both jobs and trying to keep up with my wifely/motherly responsibilities. Looking at my house, you would probably agree that the blog isn't the only thing getting neglected right now. Anyway, so while I'm working, Isaiah has been going to daycare and has become this crazy little ball of fire. I don't know what it is, but being with those kids all day gets him so wound up that it takes all night for him to come down off of his high. It's been strange. I mean, he's always a little crazy, but it's been extreme. Anyway, I'm rambling and David says that long posts aren't worth the time it takes to read them, so sorry friends. I guess I'm done now.

Our Addiction

2008-03-04T12:26:00.003-07:00

I finally gave in and started watching Lost. Dave has been a HUGE fan for a few seasons now, but he just decided to rewatch all of them. I gave in and joined him. We are still in the first season, but I have to admit I'm pretty addicted now too. It's such a crazy show! In Dave's words, "That island is full of secrets!"

Fun with Photo Booth

2008-02-28T13:11:00.004-07:00

Isaiah and I are avoiding housework today and found ourselves having way too much fun with Photo Booth. He's the only one in the pictures because he's way cuter than I am, but I was having just as much fun as he was.

Can I just say Macs are great?!

Just for the sake of a post....

2008-02-27T22:39:00.006-07:00

So, we haven't posted anything in over a week and it's getting to the point of being almost embarrassing. Are our lives really that boring?? Anyway, so I decided to just post some random pictures from the past few weeks....

I was trying to get a good look at Psymyn's teeth. Why we were taking pictures doesn't make a whole lot of sense right now.

Who knew a mouse on the end of a string could be so much fun???

And last, but not least, Isaiah holding black spiderman up for a quick picture.

I think I just answered my own question.....yes, our lives really are that boring!!

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

2008-02-19T08:28:00.011-07:00

1. Thanks to Annie for recommending the book, A Thousand Splendid Suns. I was reading your blog and you actually recommended The Kite Runner (which I'm on the waiting list for at the library), but I noticed you also gave 4 stars to this book, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised and will now be coming to you for all of my book recommendations.

2. Thanks to Khaled Hosseini for writing such an amazing book. I finished it two days ago and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. It is now, by far, my most favorite book of all time! I can't wait to get my hands on The Kite Runner.

3. Thanks to David for letting me read it first! Now you just have to hurry and finish reading it so I have someone to talk to about it.

My Valentine!

2008-02-14T12:09:00.005-07:00

Oh how I love my valentine! Wasn't he so cute back then too?

Onde Esta Seu Coracao

2008-02-13T21:28:00.003-07:00

If this photo doesn't make you sad, then you are what the Brazilians call "sem coracao" (and the last "c" should have a tail and the last "a" should have a squiggly hat), heartless, that's what I am saying heartless! Anyway, it is pretty melancholy around here. Too quiet.

One of the only good things that has come of this happened yesterday. Isaiah asked me, "Daddy, did you get sick when you were a little boy?" I told him that I did. Then he said he would be OK, but he only needed to get sick two times.

If that doesn't make you feel warm inside then you need to go look for your coracao (and again the "c" should have a tail and the last "a" should have a squiggly hat) because you have misplaced it somewhere along the way.

Sick does not look good on Isaiah!

2008-02-13T13:40:00.003-07:00

So, somehow Isaiah came down with a pretty nasty flu. He's been running a crazy high fever and coughing like mad. Hopefully the medicine the doc gave him today will kick in and he'll be back to normal soon. Seeing Isaiah this sick is a weird thing. He's usually so energetic and right now he's laying on the couch and doesn't even want to watch TV. So sad!

Husband Tag

2008-02-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

What is his name? David Olson Sotutu

How long have you been married? 7 1/2 years

How long did you date? 5 months

How old is he? 31....too old to believe he's my husband.

Who eats more? Definitely David, but I for sure out-snack him.

Who said "I love you" first? Him.....oh, that was back in the day when he was all mushy and stuff.

Who is taller? David.

Who sings better? Definitely him. Whenever I sing, Isaiah asks me to stop.

Who is smarter? I would say it's a tie, but David definitely knows more useless facts.

Whose temper is worse? His.

Who does the laundry? Me. If laundry only had to be done three times a year then David would have me beat by a mile!

Who does the dishes? Same answer as laundry.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Well, since he sleeps in the middle of the bed, I would actually say he sleeps on both sides.

Who pays the bills? Again, me. But David would say he has the skills to pay the bills!

Who mows the lawn? David. This is one thing I WILL NOT do.

Who cooks dinner? Me. His speciality is breakfast and steaks cooked with precision only.

Who drives when you are together? David. He refuses to ride with me. He thinks I'm too crazy.

Who is more stubborn? I think anyone that knows us very well already knows the answer, but for those that don't, it is definitely David!

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Me. Seven years later and I'm still waiting.

Whose parents do you see the most? Well, my parents live across the street, so mine.

Who proposed? David. It was as romantic as you can be in the David O. McKay Library. Some of you were there and may remember the magical moment.

Who has more friends? David is better at staying in touch with old friends. I probably have more new friends.

Who has more siblings? David.

Who wears the pants? I wear the pants, he wears the very short running shorts that he should have stopped wearing about 10 years ago.

I will now tag.....KASSIDY, ANNIE, EMILY and HOLLY

Snow Camping

2008-02-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

So I went camping this past weekend with the scouts. Only two boys, Brandon and Josh, came. Another leader, Lance, came part of the time, and another one, Wes, was there the other part. We couldn't get to where we were planning to go because the roads were snowed over. We ended up camping next to a back road just outside of town.

It went pretty well. Nobody got hypothermia or even lost any of their extremities. It stayed between 10 and 20 degrees while we were up there.

Here is where Wes and I slept. Brandon and Josh slept in snow caves on the other side of that pile of snow.

Here they are digging out their caves.

This is from the inside of Josh's cave.

Here are the boys trying to stay warm. Yes, Brandon is wearing a Packers hat. I let him come along anyway.

Global Warming?!?

2008-02-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

Where the helicopter is all this global warming people are talking about? -Dave

This is what happens when it snows all week...

2008-01-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

So, the weather has been oh so Idaho all week and we have all taken some pretty desperate measures to keep ourselves entertained.

Example #1: Isaiah's new trampoline. Well, we don't actually have a trampoline outside, but even if we did he couldn't use it. So, Isaiah decided to use the couch. I wouldn't normally allow this, but the cold weather is making me a little crazy too. He did catch some pretty good air on this one and the look on his face is priceless.

Example #2: Mini-muffins galore. I spent the better part of the day making 10 dozen mini-muffins today. I don't have a picture, but trust me....it wasn't pretty.

Example #3: My favorite....David learns to sew! It took him 4 1/2 hours, but he got all his patches sewn on his scout uniform. Luckily for me, I was at work and didn't have to witness it for long. My guess is that by the time he was finished, he wasn't too happy or nice.

We are looking forward to Spring!

New Guestbook

2008-01-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

We added a new guestbook to our blog. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and sign it. It'll be fun to see where everyone is from.

Our Beloved Prophet - President Hinckley

2008-01-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

The passing of our beloved prophet is not something I feel I can ignore to mention. Even with his age, I was shocked to hear of his passing last night. I guess I kinda thought or hoped he would live forever. I have not been an active member of the Church my entire life. However, the portion of my life that I have been active has been while President Hinckley was Prophet. I grew to absolutely love and respect him. He lived an exemplary life and helped me want to be a better person. Each time I heard him speak, I came away feeling stronger. I will never forget the day he visited Ricks College while I was there. The moment he entered the room, I could feel the Spirit radiating from him. He was a Prophet of God - a truly inspired man - and will be deeply, deeply missed. - Aubri

Is this what death feels like???

2008-01-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I just sat down to check our blog and was thinking I should post something. I checked the temp on the computer and found that it is currently NEGATIVE 20 degrees outside. What more can I say today??? -Aubri

Still Cold

2008-01-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

We really need to defrost the freezer.

Near McPherson Canyon

2008-01-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Isaiah and I went for a walk near the hills here in Grace. -Dave

Sledding at the Church

2008-01-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

This is Isaiah sledding at a ward Primary activity. They were sledding down a pile of snow that was created when they plowed the church parking lot.

2008-01-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

"Oh man... and I promised myself I would control myself at this year's Christmas party." -Psymyn