Welcome to your Life...

We made it. We are here. Lubbock Texas. It started with me spending so much time packing. I mean days upon days. I had a yard sale, got rid of all the uneccessaries. (That's not a word PS)

I mean I don't know how many of you have been pregnant, but my energy level is just not there.

I mean I feel like I pack 4 boxes then I need a cheese stick. Then I pack one box after that and I need a nap. Then I just need to sit down. My dreams right now are me looking in the mirror with a flat belly and a baby in my arms. 

I know the baby is coming no matter what, and I am so happy about him, I watch birthing videos and just cry, but I don't think that flat belly will come back for awhile, but that's a goal.

We picked up the moving truck and Brad and Chels loaded mostly everything! Then the next day Brad loaded the rest by himself, except I did tag team lift some things with him....I never knew the back pain capabilities until Baby M grew to be about 4 pounds.

We packed the truck for 2 days...

Poor Brad was always dripping in sweat. Then Landon came Friday night.

I am so lucky to have him in my life. He seriously would do anything for me. My relationship with him is rock solid, he is one of my very best friends, and has my back no matter what. He is an amazing sibling, and we are so close and I love him!

He went through the ringer with us.

We tried to get the Passat on the truck dolly. Oh my gosh. It was a nightmare. It wasn't going on because it would rip the bumper off if we did just plow it on there. So after trying different things for a few hours, then talking to Budget to see if they could get us a trailer, (they couldn't) so we decided okay we can put the Honda on it, then Landon my brilliant problem solver brother put it on a hill and waaaalaaa!! It went on without a problem. 

We then were only 3 hours behind schedule.

We had to drive 7 hours to our hotel that night. 

We drove to Farmington, found our hotel and crashed at 2:30 AM.

Before we got there we had a few adventures.

Landon drove the moving truck with the Passat hooked and Brad drove the Honda Accord. 

Landon pulled over somewhere because he had to pee and there was no gas station in sight. And me, I always have to pee so of course I decided it was emergency too. I had been riding with Landon, and was going to switch to ride with Brad now.

I sat my phone and pillow on the top of the Honda while I peed in the bushes on the side of the road.

(If you remember I'm a farm girl, so this is normal and I do it all the time, just did it a few weeks ago when Brad and I went shooting guns. Its normal.)

Then I came back and grabbed my pillow but did not grab my phone.

When we started driving again I thought, "Oh where is my phone, but I didn't stress, I knew it was somewhere in the car." Little did I know it was on the car.

We were up to full speed at that point, then I saw something hit the windshield and fly off, and thats when my heart sank down to my hips.

I said to Brad calmly, "I think that was my phone."

He moaned and said, "Really Brit?"

Ha!! We turned around and drove looking for it, I said, Ok thats far enough then he flipped around and first I saw the rubber case, I jumped out trying to hurry if there were cars coming. I couldn't see anything!! I found the case, my byu id which i keep in the back of my phone, the outer shell of the phone, the front glass part of the phone, and the battery all spread about 10 feet from each other.

Glass front didnt have a scratch on it! The corners of my case had a few scuffs.

It was complete divine intervention. Brad was sure it was ruined, BLESSED! 

Put it all back together and it worked perfect.

We drove the rest of the way Saturday all day, and only made a few stops to get fuel in the moving truck (there goes our savings). We arrived at the apartment ready to unload only to find it 90 degrees in the apartment at 10 PM.

The neighbors were on our porch smoking and drinking, and we asked them for help, Antonio was super nice and tried to turn on the AC, Landon looked and tried to problem solve. Numerous calls to dad trying to fix it. The office we rent from was closed. We couldn't sleep in 90 degrees, let alone unload the truck. I decided our fastest solution was to buy a window AC unit at Walmart.

So we did, and Landon Brad and I locked ourselves in one room, Brad pretty much slept with his Berretta because he is always worried about safety and just because he has his hand gun and concealed, he has to use it fully! Brad Landon and I all slept in the same room, and loved the AC.

Sunday the AC guy came and fixed it. I couldn't even go anywhere but the bedroom it was seriously so horribly muggy. 

Sunday Landon and Brad unloaded, set up washer and dryer, watched olympics, and did all the heavy lifting. Monday Landon flew out :( and he was my last piece of home, so of course I cried. I am so grateful to him for doing everything for us. He is the epitome of service.

He serves those who speak ill of him. He serves anyone and has the best attitude. What an example to all of us. 

Lubbock, Texas is my home now. I can't show you those adorable house pictures yet because the olympics is on, and my unpacking rate is 1 box every 9 hours.

Our last day in Provo we attended the Band of Horses concert. Brad LOVES them, and that means I love them too!

My main goal was to not get the baby high from all the pot smokin around us.

The baby heard! He was kickin and rollin the entire time!

We loved the music, our last day, Chel and Alex for the tickets, and the people there! Such a hoot.

It was a great last day.

I am excited for our new life, and tomorrow is our orientation day where Brad and I get to know what we are in for! I am so grateful for the family that has been there for us. I am so grateful for our lifelong friends that have been there for us. We will miss Utah but are so glad for this new chapter and we know it will only bring our little family closer together. Now to find an OBGYN and get Baby M in our arms!

6 weeks left. And I'm not counting!

Hello Baby M!

Saying Goodbye...

We went to Standrod. The beauty of my home. Where I grew up. All 17 years before I ventured to Provo.

The days there were so gorgeous.

I couldn't get enough of the clouds.

This tree.....I climbed endlessly when I was little. Its like a sacred garden tree.

How does it get any better?

I am so grateful I have such a beautiful place to go home to, and just escape.

Brad always says there isn't enough to do there, but come on.....

We have already seen a few things, climb trees, shoot baskets, ride bikes, maybe hike, shoot birds....

Jump from the tree to the tramp.

Like so...

Oh my goodness. These clouds make me crazy.

I love all of the different views I could just get turning in a circle.

I would say the back of our house looks ridiculous... Like a compound. I don't even know how many bedrooms it has....12 or something 8 or something bathrooms. So it is a hotel.

Oh look! Riding horses too!

Tiera is my sister in law, and she is the greatest person. She is so easy going and she grew up on a dairy, she fits right in.

Brad on the other hand......

Fits in by force. But he is a good sport with all the farm talk, farm lingo, farm work, and country farm living.

WOW ETHAN!!!-Brad in the back.

I LOVE BRAD. I like taking pictures like this with just our heads, we have so many, sometimes we sit and try to remember where we were and what we were doing...all we know sometimes is that we were happy.

Chandler's bday party!

My sister Summer and I are 4 weeks apart. She is due in 3 weeks, me in 7 :)

33 weeks, and cant WAIT for Baby M.

Niece Jemma, cheezin it up!

Look Brad, you love the drums we can do this here as well!

And Dance!

This was so cute! Niece Jemma curtsied right when I took the pic, I loved it. Faith was singing or some type of acting going on. Faith kept saying, "Thank you," and Jemma would copy her. So stinkin cute!

Chandler's Bday, my mom's signature decorating is the random number combo to make your age. Baby one and huge 5. They didn't go together, but at my house......you make due. Like I told Faith to go find some paper for practicing our letters. She opened a drawer, and my mom said, "Faith there is no paper in there! That's the snack drawer!" Faith then pulled out a nice notepad and said, "Mom I keep my paper in there!"

My dad, brother Landon, Aunt, and Grammy

As we got in the car to leave I just kept crying. I tried to stop and not think about it and just be positive. Being in Provo is 3 hours away, just a little car ride. My parents and family come down here all the time, and I see my family or a family member at least once a week. I cry because I'm scared. I'm scared I will miss everyone so much and won't be able to function. But it will be such a good change for Brad and I to focus on our little family, and grow our own family traditions, and to make new friends.

Let's be honest, all of my friends are Brad's friends from high school and their wives, and my family.....
I love them. Love them all. But we can venture out. We can do this. People think its so cool and its such a great opportunity, and I know it is, but....its scary, but I better be ready for it, because its coming Friday. Or we are coming....going....to Lubbock, Texas.

Celebrating July

Of course the 4th of July was celebrated in our family.
I work at the Hokulia Shave Ice Shack....
The owners are my friends, and I have a fun time not totally getting so bored over the summer, so it works out nicely..I love it! So on 4th of July I worked 11-4PM.
Then Brad picked me up and we were going to walk around the freedom festival but we were so hot and I have no heat regulation I swear, I just swell up like a balloon and need an ice pack on my neck to even feel remotely okay....
So we didn't, we went home and slept.
Then we went to the Clark family bbq. I have so many connections with Brad's family (outside of Brad) its crazy, but we won't get into those.
Then we parked and walked a mile or two to the STADIUM OF FIRE!!!
Brad really really wanted to see the beach boys...so we dropped the cash and got some tickets.

Oh and Brad's mom took him to the stadium of fire back in 1992 when the Beach Boys Performed!!!!

And upon discussing this with my mom, she took me back in 1992 to the Stadium of Fire when the Beach Boys Performed!!!!

What if I sat by Brad when I was 4?
Crazy to think about. We crushed on each other way back when.......

Now this pic is pretty good, providing we were sitting.......

Really FAR away.

But the sound quality was great and we could hear SO well....

Chels and Alex came with us.

We had such a good time.

I was a bit claustrophobic at times, and I finally couldn't handle it anymore, all I could think about was ice and water, and I didn't have either. The beach boys were singing and the waves on the screen were all I could think about, just putting my swollen hot feet in there. So finally I broke down when everyone was standing up dancing to Barbara Ann and I said, "I am going to just go pay 4 freakin dollars for a cup of ice, Be RIGHT BACK!

And that my friends, was the best decision of my life.

Why I didn't do that an hour earlier...I DO not know.

My camera has a firework setting.

I thought it did a pretty good job.

At this point I enjoyed the show as I chomped a HUGE cup of ice.

I was a tad disappointed they didn't do a military thing this year. :(

Happy Fourth of July America.

I am so thankful for my freedom, and that I got to see the Beach Boys (again) before they die ;)

Getting CRAZY IN VEGAS

Brad and I have been married three years......
June 27, 2009 is when we tied the knot.
Brad's brother Mike decided to get married 3 days after us....in St. George.
We didn't want to miss the wedding so we hung out in Vegas for our first few nights of honeymoonin.
Little did we know we would like the hotel life.
So we go back every year just to get away and eat at restaurants and swim and be happy.
Did we really get crazy?
Kinda.

We went swimming everyday. Brad can't handle the heat and I applied sunscreen to his body like 8 times in the 4 hours we were out there. Silly freckle face.

After our first swimming adventure we walked to one of our FAV Vegas eating areas.

Hash House A go go

Where your plate is a platter.

We went there twice with our restaurant.com coupons. I got the same thing twice.

18ounce Ribeye Steak

Did I eat all of the steak twice.

Yes I did. 

MEat is one thing I can absolutely eat SO much of. But I didn't eat hardly any veggies or anything else on the plate. I'm a farm girl YA'll!!!!

Did you know I watched cows get shot, hung up on a crank and skinned and cleaned right in my front yard for my entire life?

Then I watched my freezer become full with those white paper wrapped meat packages.

Then I ate steak for freakin Breakfast!!

Meat. Love it. Sorry all you veggie lovers!

(Disclaimer: I do eat other things besides meat)

But watch out because steak is one of my favorite foods right up there with Pot Roast, T-bone and Jerky. 

Brad LOVES vegas. But we didn't visit any buffets. He did get a little bugged at me having to eat all the time because in our past Vegas trips we eat one meal a day and its a huge one. But Sorry honey, I'll puke if I don't eat, just like I did yesterday when I told you I couldn't cuddle in bed anymore I had to get up to eat something right then, but you said I was fine, then I went into the kitchen and tried to hurry and put cereal in my mouth but instead I puked 8 times all my stomach acid into the trash can which smells bad and makes me puke more. 

Maybe you will believe me next time you wanna cuddle all morning :)

Can you imagine THIS at the pool???????

It was there in all it's beauty. I only got 15 weird looks/hour.

Everything is rounder. Boobs, Belly, Butt.

I tried to tell someone my butt looked big, but then I looked at it, and it was pretty not big, maybe by big I mean wider? I'm not sure.

I am so HAPPY to be HAPPY and married to the best man in the universe. 

Let's give some examples of why I love Brad THIS week (or this moment, I have new reasons all the time)

(THIS IS MY FAVorite Pic of him)

(I found this video and I LOVE it! It was at our Christmas talent show, lil sister Faith and niece Maddie are the dancers Brad and sister Sally vocals.)

• Brad loves sports and gets SO excited about anything to do with sports activities.
• He thought his new mitt was in the mail yesterday and he JUMPEd up and down clapping and smiling with those dimples killing me. I hated to tell him it wasn't his mitt, but yet the bags to ship all our baby wraps from selling 75 on Groopdealz! He was sad.
• He folds laundry while he watches baseball on TV without complaining.
• He is so handsome all the time.
• He has this wispy hair that drives me crazy of how sexy it is. (Sorry you signed up for this by reading this far down)
• He has freckles. (This will always and forever be a reason)
• He plays all these instruments and when he is grumpy he just goes and plays his electric guitar for an hour and he is happy again, its the greatest thing ever.
• He has a great voice (See video, and if I don't post again its because Brad is yelling at me forever for posting it)
• He sings all the time.
• He is so low key, and drives a Honda Accord 1994, that has severe body damage, window has to be pulled up and always goes out of its place, A/C and heater have to be changed back and forth by getting under the hood, he has to also use pliers to change it in the car, it looks like someone either bled to death, or gave birth in the back seat, no radio or any music of any kind, muffler always has problems and is really loud, and he never complains about it, and he loves it all $1200.00 of it.
• He ALWAYS wants to wear bball shorts even to weddings and nice events. 
• He looks good in a baseball hat.
• He is really smart, but pretends like it was just pure luck that got him his AMAZING gpa, and medical school entrance.
• He is so excited for Baby M, and treats me like gold.
• At church he always finds the soft chair really fast and puts it in place of the hard chair I was going to sit in. 
• He sings songs about what I am doing...anyone who knows him knows what I am talking about, he is great at singing on the fly about what is going on, and usually its when I'm mad or upset and he keeps on singing till we are all peeing our pants. 
• OH MY GOSH I COULD GO ON FOREVER!
• I would say most of all, the bond that has developed since this little baby has come into our lives has been the most precious thing of all, and I am forever grateful Bradley is my eternal companion. 3 years and forever in counting babes!