Girls Camp

There has been so much that has happened that I need to post about! So I'll start with Girls Camp and go from there. Girls camp was...an experience. We arrived on Tuesday and the campground was so beautiful. It was in the woods and there were cabins for each of us. The girls stayed in one and most of the leaders shared the rest. There were about 120 girls so it was a really good turnout for the stake. As evening approached the first night we were relaxing in our cabins and all of a sudden----COCKROACHES. And that's not all... they were FLYING COCKROACHES!!!!! They ranged from an inch to three inches long. For those of you that know me even a little bit, you know that one thing I cannot live with is bugs. I started having panic attacks right away and grabbed my sleeping back and went into my truck, locked the doors, and slept right there. The next day we went to walmart in the nearest city and picked up some bug spray. That night I really tried hard to stick it out in the cabin but when they started flying at me, I ran again! So the next day, we went for more bug spray (and a prescription for xanax) and tried once more. This time I actually made it through the night in the cabin. It was soooo gross! I contemplated renting a hotel room but I would have felt way to guilty doing that and leaving the girls. So in the end, it took about $100 in bug spray and a few xanax just to keep my sane. Other than that camp was fun. I think all the girls had a good time. I don't know if I've ever been more thankful to return home to my family (and shower) than I was on Saturday. Hopefully when we go to Yellowstone I won't have any cockroaches to battle!

Bath in the Sink

Well, Rylan refuses to take a bath AT ALL in the bathtub but he is ecstatic to take a bath in the sink. Every time I wash my hands he wants up so he can play in the water. So I figure as long as it's getting him clean and he's having fun, what's the harm, right? He is so cute playing in the sink. Although 18 months may be a little old to be bathing in the sink, it works for us. I'm planning on getting out our little kiddie pool in the backyard soon and I have a feeling he'll want to play in it often. Maybe after that, he'll be more excited to get back in the big bathtub.

Mowing with Dad

Rylan's been somewhat of a daddy's boy lately. The other day Seth was outside mowing the lawn and Rylan had to be out there with him. He had a really high fever but it wasn't too hot outside and I thought a little fresh air might do him some good so we went out for a little bit. At first Rylan was satisfied pushing his mower while dad pushed his but then he got frustrated and wanted Seth to hold him. So Seth mowed while holding him for a little while. Rylan's scowl is present because of his illness. He pretty much had this scowl on his face all weekend. Thankfully, he's feeling much better now.

The Great Flood

Well, as most of you have probably heard or seen on the news, the midwest is under quite a bit of flooding. Luckily, although we are living right along the Mississippi, we are too high to get any direct flooding in our home (thank goodness). However, our water supply may be cut off and all the homes near the river are in trouble. The weather has been really nice and it's hard to believe that there is potential disaster so nearby. This last Sunday our church was canceled (after sacrament) in order for people to go help with sandbagging. The National Guard has been called in and they are staying at the highschool which is a half a block away. It is so wierd to see a convoy of Army trucks driving by. For the last two nights I have taken Rylan for a walk past them and he gets so excited to see all the big trucks.

Roshan & Tom's Sealing

Today we were able to go to the Nauvoo temple to witness the sealing of Tom and Roshan. I am so incredibly happy for them. What a blessing it is that all of Seth's family was able to attend. Rylan stayed home with a babysitter so unfortunately--no pictures of him. But there is a picture overload of the family. While we were in the temple I looked around at all the faces I love so much and thought about the fact that if I do what I'm supposed to in this life, these are some of the people I could be around for all eternity. After the sealing had taken place I gave Tom a hug and said, "I guess your stuck with us now". His reply was "I wouldn't want it any other way". What a huge blessing it is in my life that not only was I born into a family that I adore, but I also married into a tremendous, loving, and fun family. What a wonderful day it was.

Ooops! I didn't get one of Rick in there. I don't have many, but here's one I got of him and Melyse...

Ok, I guess that's enough pictures!!!

The kitchen is finally done!!!!

OK, I know its been a really long time since I updated (so much for updating weekly), but I have been so busy with the kitchen, Young Women's, and I have also been nursing my two boys back to health. Then I got super sick and that kept me down for quite a while. But I'm feeling better now and thought I should post some before and after pictures of the kitchen. I don't have any pictures of when we first moved in and of the PURPLE carpet in the kitchen so you'll just have to imagine it. The first thing we did was the floors. Then I decided that since we were doing the floors we should replace the ugly, old casings and baseboards as well. Well, once we had done all that, I decided that the whole kitchen needed a little work. So we bought a new stove and microwave, put up beadboard and a chair rail, a beadboard backsplash, and new trim on the cabinets. I really wanted to do a glaze on the cabinets to make the trim stand out so I went down to Sherwin Williams and they showed me just how to do it. The pictures don't really do it justice but I'll just say that I LOVE my kitchen now!!! And we really did it on a budget. I'm really proud of myself for getting in there and learning how to do things and (eventually) getting the job done! So here are some before pictures (at this point the floor and casings had already been replaced):

And now for the after (drum roll please):

There are still a few finishing touches and I still need to paint and recover the chairs for the table but for the most part, I'M DONE!!! WAHOO!!!

Now on to more important business:

Rylan seems to be growing up way too fast. He is still such a good little guy but he's definately got an opinion and he'll let you know if you're doing something he doesn't agree with! He's got two more teeth that just broke through on the top and two more coming in on the bottom. We didn't even know he was teething until I was brushing his teeth one night and said "Holy crap! This kid has two more teeth!" He is constantly saying "Wutidat?" and we have to say, "that's a squirrel/tree/remote control/coke (etc.)". He just wants to learn about everything. My favorite thing he does right now, is when he wants something really bad and he'll look at you and say "Peeeeee" (for please) and the way he says it is so cute that no one can resist and he usually gets whatever he wants. Really, he usually only wants food. He is definately part Tubaugh and part Burr. The other day my mother in law asked me if my family thought about food as much as their family did. Seth and I looked at each other and started laughing as I replied, "you have no idea". So poor little Rylan may be doomed to a life that revolves around good food.

We are getting ready for our big trip to Yellowstone and I am so excited to see my family. I've been getting more and more homesick to see them lately. Webcams are great and help ease my homesickness a lot, but it's nothing like getting a hug from mom and dad. I am going to girls camp this next week and then we leave for Yellowstone the end of this month. I seriously can't wait!!!