The Oregon Trail Part 1: Brock and Emily get married!

I love Oregon

I couldn't ever live there (something about the sun shining just makes me happy!)

It was so nice to visit though!

Here is Thayne right before we left on his new toy.

We decided to leave on this Oregon Trail adventure because well

Adam and Brock go way back... I mean way back. Pretty sure they have

been friends since they were 3.

This was our first road trip together as a fam! Along the way we found this...

A dinosaur! Thayne just couldn't help but want to touch it and poke its eyes.

Yes, this was actually at a gas station.

First night of the Oregon trail we thought to save money so we decided to camp. Which was super nice.

Thayne had to explore he loved everything about camping.

The most important things I'd like to mention about camping with a baby are

1. BUG SPRAY! (thanks Mom!) Bugs want to eat your baby up as much as you do.

2. Be careful with fire. We could not get him away from it and had to put him in the tent

3. Huge tent=able to take playpen, playpen=safe spot for baby and good nights sleep for them

it was so nice to be able to have the playpen while camping he is such a wiggle worm I couldn't imagine having him sleep in our bed.

Oregon Trail day 2:

After camping we had to travel another 6 hours to make it to the family dinner which was totally fabulous

and made it worth the drive just right there. Unfortunately Thayne was pretty crazy and it was hard to take any pictures.

P.S. I didn't take any cloth diapers for this trip I really did think about it then I thought we are going to be in so many different places and be so busy I better not. BUT I did make some food and took plenty for the days we were there and we only went out to eat once just because we wanted too. That right there saved a ton of money.

I took some pasta salad that I found from Road Trip Recipes 

Everyone loved it and didn't mind eating it for 3 days straight.

I also took a loaf of bread and peanut butter and jelly

Another must was bumblebees tuna salad with crackers (super easy for on the go!)

and my favorite lots of pudding!

Oregon Trail Day 3: The wedding

Emily and Brock! They are geuninely in love and we couldn't be any happier for them. So glad they found each other

Congrats you two!



Adam and I...

The Hassell Fam!

It was a beautiful day for a wedding in Oregon! I'm so glad we made it!

It was super busy the whole time but we didn't mind. Brock and Emily Nelson were sealed for time and all eternity

in the Portland, Oregon LDS Temple. There is nothing like being able to be with your family together forever.

Be sure to check out Oregon Trail Part 2:Thayne's Birthday!

Lake Blanche Hike

Lake Blanche Hike

Here is the gang! Adam found this hike from Utah's Incredible Backcountry Trails

We love that book! More importantly we love the hikes. Thayne is about to be 1 and wants to

"walk" everywhere so as you can imagine hiking in a pouch was hard for him so we

let him stretch his legs...

He loved trying to walk over the rocks

The whole hike you are surounded by vegatation. So PRETTY!

There wasn't a boring part about it. This is the view you are rewarded with...

We ate lunch on some big rocks. Something that I really loved about the hike is how you don't feel rushed to get back down. A lot of the times when you summit a mountain there isn't room for everyone. That wasn't the case at Lake Blanche there was plenty of room!

Group photo at the end of the trail

Thayne walking on the way back to the car

Totally worth the hike!

P.S. Just got myself some North Face Goretex Hiking shoes... AMAZING!!!

Highly recommend good shoes. There were a lot of rocks on the trail and I didn't have a problem with them

but Adam told me that he felt every single rock he stepped on and it wasn't comfortable.

Get some good shoes!

Going to the Temple

Living in Utah you see a lot of LDS temples. 

I love seeing them and even like seeing the houses around them. 

I had the opportunity to go to the temple yesterday. 

Adam and I have made a goal together to go to the temple as often as we can.

That has been about once a month. For others I believe this number can be more than once a month

or less. It is whatever you feel is right.

I've been struggling really bad with, well a lot of things. 

We recently moved, cut our monthly pay check in

half, and Adam is gone all the time (these seem to be the root of all the other things I have been struggling with). Lets just say I haven't been the happiest person or the nicest.

Yesterday was raining and its Adam's only day off. We really wanted to go on a bike ride or

hike but because of the cold rain decided against those activities. We made a new plan we'd go to the

temple and then eat lunch. After lunch we would play racquetball. We followed through with our plan.

Going to the temple and seeing all the smiling faces just melts your heart. 

You don't have to be perfect to go there (obviously because I go!) just worthy. 

While serving in the temple I started to cry with joy. (p.s. this never happens to me) 

I overwhelming felt that not only was I doing the right thing but that Heavenly Father loved me

and was so happy that I went to His house. I felt so welcome. 

I felt so happy. Going to the temple makes me a better person. Just ask my husband.

I hope there is a temple close to you. Everyone is given the opportunity to go through a temple before it is dedicated. It is called an open house. I hope you would go. It is a holy place and makes me a better person. I'm more patient and kind and I know it is the Lord's work in me because it doesn't come

natural at all.

In our latest general conference Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles 

talked about Coming to Ourselves. He talks about realizing who we are and our "hunger for the sacred blessing that only He (Heavenly Father) can provide". Please read that talk, AGAIN. 

We all need guidance, we all need love. Heavenly Father loves us all even when we make mistakes.

Celebrating 6 months of cloth diapers

6 months of cloth diapers!!! Can you believe it?

Little man is turning one next month and has been saving just a tiny part of the environment and not even knowing it.

This post is about some of the things I have faced and some of the things I have learned.

I hope this helps you if you are thinking about cloth diapering or trying them out as well.

The cloth diapers I use are flip I have a few Indian Prefolds as well for at night.

First things first the bag...

I bought a planet wise diaper pail liner (about 17 bucks) which worked just fine other than you have to have a diaper

pail (price varies on how fancy you want to get).

I also with the help of my mother (ok so maybe all I did was buy and pick out fabric) made this bag which I

now use instead of the pail and pail liner system and I love it because it

1. takes up WAY less space

2. Easily sits next to the toliet

3. Can travel with us

4. I got to choose whatever style and size I wanted

5. IT ZIPS!!!

Don't worry it normally doesn't sit on the counter.

And please don't zoom in on my toes.

Baking soda helps combat the stink. Just sprinkle a little into whatever you hold your diapers in.

Finally verdict I like my bag A LOT better and it was cheap to make.

 (google tutorials on cloth diaper bags to find one you like)

Another thing I have learned is that it is always nice to have disposables on hand

It is not fun having a sick baby with runny poop every diaper in cloth.

Unfortunately I found out later that you should wash your diapers every couple of days. I bought enough

diapers for 4 days. which is really nice to have the extra but really 2 days worth of cloth diapers (plus a couple extra for while they are being washed is all you really need.

Hope this helps! I am sure loving the cloth diapers and the sense of security they bring.

i don't have to worry about running to the store for more diapers or worry about if they are on sale.

Mothers Day Weekend

Part of the apartment living is finding and using multifunctional things.

Something that we love to do is go on bike rides.

My mum got Thayne this wonderful multifunctional baby thing...

We love it! More importantly though is Thayne loves it.

It hooks onto the back of your tire but better yet you can fit 2 little bodies.

Even better it also double as a jogging stroller. (and still fits 2 little bodies.)

(Don't worry I'm NOT pregnant nor thinking about having another one any time soon)

I just love that if we take care of this and our other stroller we wont have to buy another stroller again!

Don't let him fool you he was asleep half the time.

As we were biking we heard some very loud motors...

come to find out a motor cross race was going on right next to the bike trail!

This bike/jogging trail goes on and on. Pretty sure we did over 20 miles.

We started in Bountiful and ended up in Salt Lake. I believe its called Legacy Parkway.

Sunday

Mother's Day

We started the morning off right by skyping Garett.

We are all so grateful that we are able to see him on Mothers Day.

but that also meant that he gave the best mothers day gift.

He is serving in England right now and has some sort of Chinese/British accent

My friend Amber also came to visit. We went on a lovely walk around the Bountiful temple.

Mom reading the card I wrote her

She wanted skinny jeans pretty bad and I found some at the DI... couldn't help it.

Before dinner a friend from the ward came over and brought mom this sweat band,

it's actually too true.

Hope you all had a fabulous mothers day weekend! We sure did!

A day full of nots

A day full of nots.

Today we learned a few things...

We learned how NOT to season a cast iron pan

Adam learned how NOT to put out a grease fire

We learned how NOT to hit the ball in tennis

I learned how NOT to act after losing again and again

We learned how costco coupons are NOT needed at costco

I learned how NOT to be enjoyable to be around

Apparently today I was a grump. Here it is 5:00 and hopefully I can change that.

I have noticed that my routine is completely thrown off and that it has been hard for me to adjust.

Am I the only one that happens to?

 Today is Adam's last day off before school again.

Luckily he is only taking two classes this summer so hopefully we will still

get to do all the things we want to do.

Meanwhile we are enjoying the pre-summer weather

Here is Thayne splashing water into his face it wasn't quite warm enough for the pool but just right for splashing.

How simplifying got me an iPad

Here is my ipad. I didn't go into debt to get it or sacrifice any of our paycheck.

I did it guilt free.

How? 

I simiflied.

I had to work hard to do it, but it happened.

I sold some things on ebay.  

Things you probably have and don't use.

We had 1 old iPod that we weren't really using

and 1 iPod touch we were using BUT

we figured that once we had the iPad we

wouldn't really need the iPod touch.

(we still have one old one for running don't worry)

We also sold a tablet and

Old cell phones (yes people buy them)

We got a case, a screen protector and the original 32GB iPad.

With even a little money to spare.

Things that were cluttering our home are now gone and now we have

our iPad.

The reason I tell you this is because part of my organizing has been well,

spring cleaning.

But I've been able to get money back from things cluttering my life.

Don't be afraid to simplify.

Another thing I've been simplifying is my closet...

don't judge its not perfect

If you've ever watched HGTV when a couple goes into the master room closet 90% of the time you'll hear the wife say, "Now where are you going to put YOUR clothes?" and laugh.

Every time I hate it. You really have that many clothes?

Then I realized that Adam and I didn't share a closet before.

I wanted to change that and taking a lot of courage I started noticing my favorites.

I started to eliminate the clothes that weren't my favorites. I started getting money back...

so I got better quality clothes, then I got rid of more and so far

this is what I have. Probably still too many clothes.

These are dresses, blazers, and suits

These are Adam's shirts

These are my shirts AND skirts!

(are you proud?)

I haven't missed any clothes at all. I love what I have so much more

and now am able to mix and match better because I actually can see what I have.

My system of getting rid of clothes is wearing them "in order".

Meaning whatever 3 shirts are first are my choice of the day.

If I don't feel like wearing the first I go to the second...

if not the second the third.

If I choose the third one I think really hard on the first two.

Why did I not choose them?

Maybe I really just don't want to wear them that day.

After 3 times "skipping" a shirt I try it on.

Maybe its just not in season... maybe... I plum just don't like it.

Then I get rid of it. Via ebay or D.I.

Simple as that.

Don't worry not a minimalist just simplifying!

P.S. those are wooden hangers... and I love them.