Aromatherapy anyone?

While I was in Utah, I met up with an old friend, Tanya, and in addition to catching up with her and being reminded of how much I love and have missed her, I also signed up to be a Scentsy consultant!

If you don't know what Scentsy is, it is a company that makes wickless candles that come in bars.

Each bar has 6 squares and you put these squares in to a Scentsy warmer (there are some super, super cute warmers available. I think I might start collecting them just as decorative pieces!) which melts the bar to release the fragrance.

They work much better than most traditional candles and have no flame or wick so they're safe for children (and the environment). There are over 80 scents available and I have had so much fun smelling each one and finding my favorites (Camu Camu is currently at the top of the list)!

Anyway, Scentsy is very big in Utah but I realized that not too many people seem to know about it here where I live. So, I am throwing a launch party next TUESDAY, JULY 7 at 7:00pm at my house. I will have a sample of every scent available, as well as examples of all other products for you to look at and see if you like. So bring your friends, mom, sisters, etc. and come enjoy some scent heaven! Trust me, your nose will thank you!

Even if you don't think you'll be interested in the products though, come and have some good treats and enjoy getting out of the house for an hour or so. You know I will not ever pressure or guilt anyone in to buying anything, but I think this is a super fun product and I'm excited to share it with people. Plus I will be holding some fun drawings so several people will go home with some free goodies!

If you are interested in knowing more or placing an order but won't be able to make it that night, or if you would like to host a party of your own (Scentsy offers some really awesome benefits for hosting a party), please let me know and I will get you what you need. Also, even if you don't live by me (or even in the same state), I can still fill your orders for you.

Well now that I officially sound like an infomercial, I will go get ready for my first Scentsy party!

The Great Outdoors

We decided to take a last minute camping trip last weekend and had a blast! All of the state parks require 48 hours notice to reserve a campsite so we ended up going to a KOA but it still felt authentic enough to be real camping (especially the uncomfortable sleeping conditions!).

As soon as we pulled in and she saw the playground, Kiara could talk about nothing else!
She decided to try a pretty tall climbing wall (the sign said intended for 5-12 year olds but apparently she's already deciding the rules don't apply to her!) and insisted I take a picture to document her efforts.

She was so proud when she got to the top!

She loved the tent and wanted to play in there more than she did outside! She also has a fascination with flashlights so was a very happy camper (get it?) to get to play with one the whole time. I couldn't even get her to look at the camera because she was too busy talking to her friend the flashlight.

Ben is always so patient with Kiara and lets her help on any project he can. She loved setting up and taking down the tent with him, and I loved watching the two of them together. Kiara really missed her dad on this last Utah trip and she has been his little shadow ever since we got back.

We had so much fun we think we're going to go again for Kiara's birthday. Only this time, I am definitely taking some sort of pad on which to sleep. I am way too old for the ground, apparently!

Yet another trip to Utah...

Kiara and I decided we didn't want to sit around here while Ben had a 7 game homestand a couple of weeks ago, so off to Utah we went. As usual, our time was spent with cousins, cousins, and more cousins.

It was raining most of the time we were there but we did manage to fit in a few water activities, including a raging slip 'n slide party:

as well as a trip to the fountains at Gateway:

Kiara loves the fountains at the park near our house, but these were quite a bit bigger and she and Macy got water up their noses at the beginning of the trip, so they quickly opted to sit in the stroller for some Tic Tacs and a little girl talk.


The rest of the kids seemed to enjoy themselves though and it was fun to watch them play.
I miss my little goofballs every.single.day.

I really can't get enough of them!

By the way, how much do you just want to eat my little Macy? She is the cutest little thing since sliced bread! If you're looking for a good laugh, check out this video on Laura's blog. It is the craziest thing I've seen in a while and it totally sums up Macy's adorable personality.

While we were there, we also got to see Caitlyn and Jonah, who are like Kiara's other cousins. This is the first good picture we've ever gotten of the 3 of them together.

As always, we had a blast and were sad to say goodbye to everyone we love and miss in Utah, but were more than ready to say hello to Ben. Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but I just really don't like leaving him and don't plan on doing it again any time soon...except in September when Kiara and I go back for my niece's baptism. But then I'm done!

Meet Valerie

On Saturday we decided to take advantage of our season passes and head to Six Flags. When we told Kiara where we were going, we got this reaction:

We encountered all sorts of creatures throughout our day, from Daffy Duck

to Valerie the elephant. I never thought I would ride an elephant but it was one of the most fun things I've ever done! Kiara loved Valerie (aka Ballerina) and would have ridden her all day.

Since that wasn't an option, we settled for the mechanical Valeries and it turns out she liked them just as much! A little girl wanted to get on the ride just as the last elephant got taken so we told her she could ride with Kiara. Of course they were fast friends.

After we bid farewell to the elephants, the frogs caught our eye. I think Ben enjoyed this ride even more than Kiara!

Ben enjoyed several of the rides with Kiara and was loving the daddy-daughter time;

that is until she told him she was too big to go with Dad and wanted to ride alone. Seriously. True story.

Luckily she was still willing to humor me, knowing that I wasn't as strong as dad and wouldn't be able to handle her rejection.

She even got excited to see the dolphins (for my benefit, I'm sure) and asked if she could get in and swim with them. I promised her that someday we will do that together, even if it is just at Six Flags.

Once she was back on the "I'm a big girl" kick we decided to let her spread her wings and try a semi-scary ride with all actual big kids.

As you can see, she was by far the smallest one on the ride (not to mention the cutest)

and I think, the bravest too. She wasn't scared at all!

But the highlight of our day came not with the wild animals or the thrill rides, but with the misting station. Kiara loves water, especially in her face so needless to say she was in Heaven!



It was an incredible day with perfect weather and even better company. I can't wait to go back.

The life of a big girl

All of the sudden my little girl is all grown up. She has been potty trained for over a month now and just last week we switched her to a "big girl" bed. She had never climbed out of her crib but we just thought she was old enough to make the transition. The first two nights were a little rough with her waking up several hours earlier than normal, but she quickly adjusted and now we are back on a good schedule.

At first her naps were kind of tricky too and one day I went to check on her and found her (with no pants, mind you--I put the apron on in order to keep our 'G' rating in tact!) asleep in her closet, surrounded by shoes.

The most noticable difference in my little big girl though is just how mature and kind she is. She has always had these qualities but suddenly she seems wise way beyond her years and she is constantly teaching me and helping me learn how to be a better person. I still haven't figured out what I did to deserve such an awesome little girl but I'll keep trying to be worthy of her and enjoy these amazing little moments that happen along the way.

Kiara the beauty queen

Last time we were in Utah, my amazingly beautiful and talented friend, Kim did a photoshoot with Kiara. I couldn't be happier with the end results, especially since Kiara wasn't in a terribly cooperative mood that day and I was worried we wouldn't have a good shot when all was said and done. I should never have doubted Kim's abilities though and I'm telling you that if you need any type of photography done, she's the girl to call. She is simply amazing! Thanks again, Kim! I LOVE every single picture.