To Blog or not...

I've been having the hardest time getting on my blog lately, or anyone's for that matter. Maybe blogging is losing its appeal. I feel like if I want to get a picture out to people, I just use instagram.  Maybe I'm too lazy to jot some thoughts out, but if nothing else, I do need to write down what is going on in my life, just for myself.  Hopefully, if/when I go back and read some of these entries, I can say to myself,
Carlee, what an easy time you had.....Carlee, you really shouldn't have worried about that....Carlee, you look so much skinnier now than you did then...dang, girl!  Right.

So, Tim is in his second year and finals are in one week.  Yes, he is kind of freaking out.  In two weeks, it will all be over and I won't have to be a single parent anymore.  He is working so hard.  I love that guy so much.  We are still looking for something this summer and I keep asking Heavenly Father to help us find the best situation possible.  Lately though, I wonder if I should have been asking to help us find the best situation (without the possible stuff).  What is possible means another summer working for some government entity free of charge?  I guess it could be worse?  Last Sunday, I fasted for more faith.  I know there is always a positive to everything and I need to focus more on that...positive, positive, positive.

It snowed all day today, which means Bridger and I played inside all day too.  He went to bed early tonight.  I absolutely love the summer here but the winter is really hard for me.  My moods are probably tied to the weather, so I need to paint a room yellow or something.  Today, I thought about moving to Arizona and coming back in May.  I'll probably think about it tomorrow too.

Thanksgiving this year will go down as one of my favorites.  On a whim, all of my mom's sisters  (and families) came down to celebrate.  They are all gourmets and the food was out-of-this-world amazing.  Everyone loved Bridger so I got a nice little break.  St. George was sunny and beautiful.  We ate and walked, and saw Frozen (loved it!), and ate, and walked, and talked....love families so much.

Overall, life is good.  Last night, I laid in bed waiting for Tim to get home and remembered the Ensign sitting on the kitchen table.  I flipped to the back and read the stories from members around the world.  About half way through the first story, I started crying and I didn't stop until I had finished them all.  Maybe I just needed to cry, but I think I needed to feel the spirit more.  I love this gospel.  It is so simple and straight-forward.  I know that Heavenly Father cares more about his children and their individual lives than about politics and world news.  I want to be better.  I am so grateful for everything I have been blessed with - my husband. Bridger.  Family.  Isn't that what this life is all about?  Then I am truly blessed.

P.S. I dropped my phone in Target and it went splat in a big way.  I was able to get these videos off before it completely died.

Bridger's Milestones

I feel like I should write down a few things about Bridger boy, so that in the future when he asks, "Mom, what was I like as a baby," I can give him a few fun facts:

1 - You started walking at 10 months
2 - Your first word (besides mom and dad) was dog and for at least a month, everything was dog, dog, dog.
3 - You started sleeping 10-12 hours after you turned one...finally.  We put you in your own room at two months because you were such a noisy sleeper (toots, moans, groans, etc)
4 - You were (are) the most active little boy I've ever seen.  You run and run and love being outside more than just about anything.
5 - You started teething around 9 months and you are getting your first molar now..at 14 months.
6 - Bath time is your favorite.  You swing your legs over the tub before you are even undressed.
7 - Up until about 8 months, we carried you around in a bjorn.  When you saw us strap it on, you would cry because you were so excited to be carried.  Just the other day, you found it behind the toys and dragged it to me, wanting me to put you in it.
9 - Your favorite song, since you were three months old, is Beauty and the Beast's, "Tale as Old As Time."  Even when you are screaming in the car, you calm down in a split second when we turn on that song.
10 - You eat just about anything, but when you decide you don't want anymore, you put your hand in your mouth, and throw the food out - its a mess.  You really like sweet food, like fruit, cookies, ice cream, etc.  You love yogurt, but lately you only want it if I let you hold the spoon so that you can feed yourself.  When we go for walks, I give you food pouches in your stroller. When you are finished, you throw the pouches out of the stroller without even a thought.  You don't hold them or put them by your feet, you just toss them on the ground.  It is hilarious.
11 - You LOVE books.  Sometimes, I will turn around and catch you reading to yourself.  Mostly though, you push a book on my lap and whine until I start reading.  You like to read the same books over and over and over again.  Your favorite books are The Eye Book and the ABC Book, by Dr Seuss, Brown Bear, by Eric Carle, and I Love You Through And Through, by....I can't remember.

Bridger, you are the light in our family.  You are really shy, but have boundless energy.  Your dad and I are totally and completely in love with you and are so grateful you could be part of our family.

Doings Lately....

Well, summer is over and fall is here.  The leaves are changing and its definitely colder.  This semester, Tim is putting all his time into school and I am behind him all the way.  However, that means we rarely see him so Bridger and I have gotten to be real buddy buddy.  We walk to the law school nearly every day to drop dinner off for Tim; I think it's the best part of all our days.

 I got this Baby Mozart video for Bridger and it was money well spent.  I get almost a ten minute break when I turn on this video.  He is zoned in - pfew, maybe I can make it to the bathroom and back without him noticing.

 This picture was taken at a really bad moment in time but Bridger had the time of his life playing with our friend's tunnel toy.  He went through it about twenty times.

My parents came for the BYU/Utah game a couple of weeks ago.  Almost my whole family was here (Paige, we missed you!) and we had a blast together.

On Thursday, we sold Tim's car.  Hurray!  We are done with it and good riddance.  Tim was about to leave it on the side of the road but we ended up making some needed money, so winwin.  In the meantime, we are going to take the money we made on the car, fix my car and look around for a honda cr-v.  

 On Friday, we went to the BYU football game and it was COLD!  Bridger loved all the excitement - he even forgot it was his bedtime..living in the moment, that kid.  We had so much fun and winning was a definite bonus.

Gaining Some Perspective

Tim started school on Monday and I felt like bawling my eyes out.  Why did this summer have to end, along with all my happiness (maybe a stretch)?  I need to buckup and realize that the fall season in Provo is absolutely gorgeous, and the miserable winter only lasts three-ish months.  I can handle anything for three-ish months.  Besides Tim starting his new semester, I got a job.  I've been working at ancestry.com for almost a month.  Tim gets home from school at 5:40, and I leave for work at 5:45 and get home around 10:15.  Tim is such a trooper for putting Bridger to bed every night (and cleaning the house before I get home).  I like my job overall and it has turned out to be a nice break from Bridger, bless his heart.  

As I was driving home from work last night, I saw that the engine, battery, and gas lights were on in Tim's car (I hate that car).  I thought to myself, "Carlee, what a unique time in your life.  Your husband is in school, you have a rambunctious little boy, no money, and living in your parent's apartment.  I just need to enjoy this and understand that it won't last forever and knowing me, I'll probably miss it when we move on.  Besides, half of all Provo is in the exact same situation, so stop worrying about the next phase and just enjoy this one."  Amen, Carlee, Amen.  However, its always fun to dream a little. So, when all of our debts are paid, savings adding up, and retirement underway (yadayada), I'm buying this car:

2015 Honda CR-V Fit

July/August and Bridger is 1!

This summer has been the best of my life, I think.  I've been able to walk with Bridger every day, play with girls from the ward, clean my house, run errands, and enjoy absolutely gorgeous days.  I know Tim is excited for fall semester to start and everything that comes with it, but me, I could live this summer forever.  Here is what has been happening with the Hemming's:

We ran our first 5k as a family.  It was a blast and I think it should be a yearly tradition.

All of Tim's family came to for a family reunion.  We got to see Lori go through the temple for the first time - it was really sweet.  I absolutely love Tim's family.  They are the greatest people and we had such a good time with them.

We all flew out to California for interviews in San Francisco, Fresno, and Riverside.  Our day in San Fran wasn't the best but we did eat some amazing ice cream and saw the Golden Gate Bridge.

On Wednesday, we went to Balboa Island in Newport.  We rented bikes and rode along the beach, played in the waves, and ate yummy fish tacos. 

Swimming at the hotel...

For Bridger's birthday, we went to the Cheesecake Factory by the hotel and got him an ice-cream sunday with a candle.  He didn't know how to blow the candle out but he knew what to do with the whip cream.

In the airport, waiting to go home...



11 months/4th of July

My baby is 11 months!  I can't believe how fast time has flown.  Bridger is not a baby anymore and even though I loved baby Bridger, I think I love big boy Bridger even more.  He has been walking for the past month and is just starting to run.  I got him a pair of shoes today from Target - his first.  I think they are tripping him up (and out) a bit but he'll have to get use to them.  Actually, about 4 hours after I got them, he threw up, what looked like, 3 days of food ALL OVER them.  He hasn't been feeling good lately, but I'm sure he's feeling much better now.  He's also learning how to throw a ball, play tag, and climb into cupboards (I don't like that last one).  11 month-old Bridger is so much happier in the car than 6 months ago; he sings along with Aladdin or Karen Carpenter and gets excited for our Target trips.  He's still a little shy of strangers or anyone other than his mom and dad (and his grandpa porter).  His favorite toys are balls, especially the ones that light up when he shakes them.  He only says mamma when he wants out of his crib and says dadda ALL THE TIME!  If Tim wasn't such an amazing dad, I would feel a lot worse.  I love this boy so much and could not imagine life without him.  My whole family came up for the fourth of July this year and we had quite the party.  We went out to eat, had bbq, went to a movie, shopped in Salt Lake, celebrated Ryan's 18th birthday (he turns in his mission papers next month...CRAZY!) and watched the best fireworks in Provo.  It was so fun to have them here and spend time with my siblings.  My older sister, Paige came up with her baby - I hadn't seen her in months and I missed her!  Paige actually took the pictures below - isn't she good?  After I saw some of the other pictures, I've decided that I'm adding a nice camera to my want list.

This isn't much of a post but I thought I would get some pictures up from the past couple of weeks.  It has been the nicest vacation having Tim home.  I don't know how I'm going to let him go back to work!  Anyways, here's the quick update in pictures - they're mostly of Bridger...what else is new.

We found this ball for $1 at Target.  Right now, its Bridger's favorite toy.  He shakes it all the time to see it light up.

 

Tim and I have been spending most of our days outside since the weather is too nice.  We had a great night up Provo Canyon.  I think Bridger liked it too.  He did not want to get back in the car.

I promise I wasn't torturing him.  He loved that lemon!  He kept opening his mouth and pointing at it.  It was pretty funny.

Tim, my dad and brother hiked the West Rim at Zion National Park while we were in  St. George.  It was  16 miles and beautiful.  I think his feet hurt pretty bad afterwards but Tim said he loved it.