The Aguirre Family

They are here...

2009-11-10T16:27:00.003-07:00

It took a bit but they have finally arrived!!! Go on over and check them out!

www.affordabledesignerstyles.blogspot.com

Check it out.....

2009-10-26T16:24:00.003-06:00

I have finally decided to take the plunge and start my own small business. After a lot of careful consideration I am excited to introduce all of you to:

A.D.S.

Affordable Designer Styles

We will be really small to start, only caring a few styles and sizes of designer jeans for men and women. We can do special orders. We can't wait to eventually be able to do parties featuring a large variety of clothing, benefiting hosts to earn free clothes. Check out the new blog, http://www.affordabledesignerstyles.blogspot.com/, and I would love your feedback or questions at my email, and_aguirre@yahoo.com

Thanks family and friends!!!
Annie

Happy 8

2009-05-18T13:34:00.002-06:00

I have to say that it is really crazy to think that it has already been 8 years of married life. When I sit down and think about life before marriage to the greatest man on earth, (just my opinion but I am a little biased), I really can't even remember what it was like. To commemorate this special occasion and for my own journaling purposes lets go back in time and see how it is exactly that Nic and I ended up together.

The first real memory I have of Nic is about 1994 I was about 12 years old. We were both working for a man in our ward who owned a carpet company. He installed carpet and I cleaned the store on Saturday mornings.

Fast forward a couple years to Nic going on his mission. I was now 14 and my sister and I took him some treats the night before he went into the MTC. All I remember was him having about 4 girls come to say goodbye to him. He will probably tell you different but he kissed all of them.

Now two years later I am 16 and he is home from his mission and now my Sunday school teacher. He never actually taught us anything I don't think. Just asked us about our lives and what we had going on. Class always involved donuts and chocolate milk! (He tells me now that at the time he thought I was hot, still weird because I was still in high school)

A year later I was dating his little brother, I was 17. When he went on his mission I still would go visit with their family and be invited to family parties. I remember going with Nic to buy a gift for his niece, he bought her a prince Barbie and I bought the princess to go with it. Everyone says now that they knew we would end up together because we were always together at these gatherings. (But in our defence I don't remember having any feelings for him in that way).

A year later I had graduated and moved to Louisiana to be a nanny. Nic was living in California selling alarms. We both just so happened to come home to visit on the same weekend and saw each other at church. Later that day I stopped by the Aguirre home to say hi to his parents and visit. Nic was there and asked who my friend was that I had brought to church. I told him who she was and we agreed that after the summer and we both moved back to Utah we would set each other up with a friend and go out on a double date.

September of 2000, we set a time to go out. He set me up with his friend and I set him up with my friend. We went to the symphony. I was living in an apartment with my sister and Nic came to pick me up. I remember being attracted to him for the first time. The whole night I was thinking to myself how mad I was that I wasn't on a date with him, (I love you Dan and had a great time, don't get me wrong).

For a couple weeks we would get together with friends and do the silly things that single people do, all the while my feelings for him were getting stronger and stronger. I really had no idea whether or not he had similar feelings. Keep in mind I am supposedly 'waiting' for his little brother who is still on a mission, making my feelings and thoughts way complicated and confusing. Finally one night after we had gone to a party in Park City I decided I was going to tell him how I felt and see what he thought! After a long conversation we realized we both had been feeling the same way. Knowing that a relationship between us would bring up some problems in the family we decided to not 'date' but to continue to be friends and see where things led.

Shortly there after I wrote his little brother to tell him that my feelings had changed and I no longer wanted to wait. I did not tell him that I was wanting to date his brother! It turned out ok and Nic's brother and I both had the same feelings of not wanting to continue our relationship, after all I was only 16 when he left and how many 16 year olds know what they want anyway and two years is a long time for people to grow and change.

Nic and I decided that if we were to date it would have to be the real deal and after a couple months of pretending to be ok with friendship we decided it was worth the risk. I kissed him first, all though he will tell you different.

Needless to say his Dad and Mom were not happy. They were worried about his little brother and didn't want him to get hurt. I guess after knowing that I had let him know it was over and him agreeing, they decided it was ok and started accepting the fact that Nic and I weren't just a silly little irresponsible thing!

After a few months of dating he proposed to me on Christmas night 2000. I swear to this day that I had no idea, even when he went down on one knee I didn't know what the heck he was doing. A great Christmas surprise!

On May 18th, 2001 we were married in the Salt Lake Temple.

Although our relationship was complicated and one of the worst Mormon tales of 'Your older brother stealing your girl while your on your mission', it was worth it. And seeing how his younger brother is now married to a great lady and who is now a good friend to me, I think it is safe to say that things worked out the way they were meant to.

Our 8 years have been a roller coaster of emotions. We have had the bad times but have also seen the best. We have grown from being kids who like each other a lot to somewhat less child like in love, (we are still kids really). We have welcomed 2 beautiful children into our lives and also seen 2 that didn't make it to our home. We have gone from one career to the next and then back again. We fight and disagree but always find a way to come back together and work it out. We have learned to let the little things go and accept each other as is. We have set goals and made them and set goals and not. We have supported each other through tough times, but also celebrated with each other through the good. 8 years have flown by and been amazing. If the next 8 or hopefully 58 are equally great I can't wait! (You like my rhyming?)

I love you Nic!

Salt Lake 1/2 Marathon

2009-04-21T11:53:00.008-06:00

Well I did it, I survived my next 1/2 marathon. Not only did I survive it, I kicked its butt!!! I beat my first race time by 30 minutes and 34 seconds. OK, granted I was just lucky to finish my first one at all so I was happy with any time at all. But I am really proud of the outcome of this race.

This race was so much fun! That's not to say that I wasn't way nervous leading up to it. I was a nervous wreck. I think its because I had done it before and so I knew what to expect. But this race was much better than my last. I was much better prepared physically for it and it payed off in ever way, I was faster, my muscles didn't cramp up and I was not nearly as sore afterwards.

Saturday morning in the car on the way there I was of course freaking out, but once we got there I was just ready to go. It could have had something to do with the fact that I thought the race started at 7:30 and we got there at 3 minutes to 7, and apparently it started at 7. Just enough time to do a real quick stretch, turn my ipod on, give Nic a kiss and butt in line!!! There were so many people, it took me 1:22 just to cross the starting line. Fortunately they were using the chip system, (everyone has a chip on there shoe so that there time starts when they cross the starting line and ends when they cross the finish line). Just to give you an idea of the mass of people there were 1067 marathon finishers and 4125 1/2 marathon finishers, not to mention all the people that started the race but for one reason or another didn't finish. The good thing about such a big race is that I could always look behind me and there were still a lot of people back there, (it makes you feel better if you know your not the last one)!

I started out really strong running the first 6 miles in just over one hour. I had to stop to use the restroom twice on the course, I don't know what the deal was there. I ended up walking only at the aid stations so that I could drink my water or Gatorade and get my GU packs down without sharing it all with my body!

My sister and her two little boys were waiting on the corner as I was leaving Liberty Park so I got to drop my jacket with her and seeing someone cheering me on really boosted my spirits and gave me that little push I needed at that point, (10 miles). When the race turned onto State Street we were at about mile 11. The coolest part of the whole race was when I was passed by a big Army truck that had a big clock on the back and like four photographers in the back and then just behind them, Joseph Mutinda, the man in first place for the Marathon.

That's right I ended up getting passed by four marathoners, but it was by far the most awesome thing to see. They were absolutely incredible to see. He finished the Marathon in 2:16:39 averaging 5:13 minute miles. The second place winner was more than 5 minutes behind him, INCREDIBLE!!!

I walked up the last little bit of State Street until we hit South Temple, (that was quite a hill and at that point everyone was walking). As soon as I got up onto South Temple I only had one more mile to go until the end at Gateway so I just took off, doing the last mile in a little more than 8 minutes and passing at least 50 people.

Finished in: 2:27:50 11:17/avg. per mile
Placed: 424/557 in my age group, 1811/2544 out of all the women and 3189/4125 overall.

That's me on the left in the back with a blue shirt

It was incredible and totally got me excited for the next one where I would like to cut off another 10 to 15 minutes off my time.

My goal is to be ready for the Salt Lake Marathon next year!

The first women marathoner, Nadezda Tuptova.

fAmilY FuN...

2009-02-17T17:33:00.004-07:00

Every month the Aguirre side of our family has a big birthday party to celebrate all the birthday's for that month. With 7 kids all married, 22 grand kids and at least 1 more on the way having one big celebration was the only way to go, (other wise we would be at a party every day). It is always loud, always crazy but always a lot of laughter and fun!

The birthday kids opening their gifts.

Happy Birthday Sophia, Livvi and Oliver

Connor, (isn't that the cutest little smile).

The happy still fairly newlyweds, Danny & Jen

Gracie and her best friend and cousin, Oaklie

Nic and Sim

The two oldest grand kids, Rylee and Kaylee

Payton and Braden

John, Jenny and 2 of their 5 kids

{mY ValenTinE}

2009-02-15T12:24:00.006-07:00

...isn't he cute!!!

This Valentine's Day was a blast! As usual we could be found with our partners in crime and good friends, Eric and Emily. This year was the boys turn to plan, (I think Emily ended up planning it though), either way it ended up great! Nic wouldn't tell me what we were doing so imagine my surprise when we pulled up to the new Harmon's in Draper. Sounds weird right? Well apparently it is the nicest grocery store I have ever seen and upstairs they have a culinary education center.

So our date was with Chef Bob and about 12 other couples in Harmon's and one of the nicest kitchens I have ever seen. We got to sit back and watch the Chef prepare our meal an then enjoy it! Eric and I were loving all the equipment in that kitchen, especially the $8,000.00 stove/ovens. They were so cool!!! Nic and Emily were teasing us saying they were just going to send Eric and I to this and they were going to go do something else. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love food, making food and especially all the cool gadgets and equipment that go along with that. Needless to say it was right up my ally.

I was pleasantly surprised, but when we are in such good company it is hard to go wrong. Thanks Em and Eric it was a blast! Looks like I am really going to have to start thinking of something awesome for next year!

cute...cute...cute!!!

2009-02-10T15:37:00.006-07:00

Look what I made for around $10.00..... Look closely at the many fun types of butterflies...

clouds & pumpkin soup butterflies
a beach

fruit butterfly

a japanese restaraunt

oranges

Ice cream with sprinkles butterfly

Pepperoni & cheese Pizza butterfly

We even have a shark tooth butterfly
and here it is all hung up in Gracie's room!

It was really fun and inexpensive to make. The frame I got with a 50% off coupon at Roberts for $5 and added some black paint to make it look old. I also got the butterfly punch from Micheals with a 50% off coupon for $5. I already had the black mat and pink ribon. All of the butterflies are made out of scraps of paper I already had and adds from a newspaper. It couldn't have been easier. I punched out a bunch of butterflies then let Gracie pick which ones she wanted to use. The hardest part was measuring and spacing them just right on the white paper. Her and Nic both love to look at it and pick out all the funny butterflies they can find.

Thanks Tara, http://thueson.blogspot.com, for posting this as one of the many cute crafts on your list of many!

Happy early birthday to ME!!!

2009-01-28T08:17:00.003-07:00

Look what I got yesterday...

It is an early birthday, Christmas gift from my parents. I have been dying for a treadmill. I haven't used it yet but it is pretty sweet looking! It has a hook up for my ipod and speakers. Well, I'm off to try it out. Thanks Dad and Mom!!!

a DaTE!!!

2009-01-21T08:15:00.003-07:00

I have an outstanding date for the next 90 days with this....

We will see how that goes, it looks like I will just be mostly crying through most of it!

{wHat A wAy tO saY GooDbYe}

2009-01-19T19:03:00.018-07:00

Our trip to Cancun was short but full of fun and friends. We got to see and spend time with all of our great friends that we have made over the years. It is always nice being able to see them outside of the whole summer environment, so much less stressful! We had a lot of fun and hardly sat still for a moment so needless to say I have a million pictures so I will just post them and try to explain as I go...

Our Hotel, Fiesta Americana Condesa

This 'Palapa",(spelling?), was HUGE! The lobby was just inside of it and it was all open, no doors or windows. It was so cool.

The view from our room!!!

Our good friends, Beth and Ryan. They live in Canada so we rarely get to see them. They brought there two little girls, Hailey and Ava, they were so cute and fun to be with.

The beach just behind our hotel.

Ryan getting his fake tattoo and Hailey getting her hair braided. Pretty cute!

Shopping with the girls!

Okay, these guys were nuts!!

They climb up this pole and then sit on this little square that looked like nothing more than a few 2x4's nailed together and go around in a circle winding up ropes until they are all wound tightly and then.....

....they wrap the end around themselves and start swinging upside down all the way back down. All the while one guy is standing on the top playing a flute and a drum.

The first day we were there we went with our friends Dan and Sofia to some ruins called, Tulum. These ruins were right on a cliff over looking the ocean and it was unbelievably gorgeous!

There were iguanas everywhere, and not just little ones. There were some that were probably at least three feet long.

This building was one of the temples and my favorite. I think I have about 900 pictures just of that building. Everywhere you looked there was a carving or painting.

If you enlarge the pictures you can see the detail a lot better and it is amazing. I don't know why but things like this amaze me. These are the second ruins we have seen, we went to some last year in Belize. I just can't get enough of it!

The crazy photographers APX hired. They followed everyone around taking pictures of everything we did. It was a little weird and it felt a little like the paparazzi.

After our sightseeing of ruins all day we had worked up quite the appetite. We stopped in a town that looked like it was just a little fishing village. It was pretty much all local people, right on the coast. We went to a restaurant that was literally right on the beach. Nic got a lobster that was huge and cheap. I had the biggest shrimp I had ever seen in my life. Also we discovered that before tasting any salsa you should ask how spicy it is. The salsa we were given turned out to be made from Habenero's, only the hottest in the world! It was so yummy. Actually the food was the best part and the fact that we got to share it with friends made it even better.

We had the greatest time and it will not soon be forgotten. It is times like this that will be missed. I couldn't think of a better way to say goodbye to our APX family.

Adios!!!

2009-01-09T07:15:00.005-07:00

Nic and I are getting out of this cold snowy weather and heading south to a warmer climate. We are going to Cancun with APX! A much needed mini retreat and even more fun to enjoy when someone else is paying for it!!! I will blog about all the fun and relaxation next week.

Christmas Craziness!!!

2009-01-07T09:10:00.003-07:00

Christmas no matter what we try to do is always such a crazy whirlwind of activity from Christmas eve morning to the end of Christmas day! Luckily for us everything we are busy doing is fun and we are doing it with family.

Every Christmas Eve Nic's family meets at Golden Coral for breakfast. If you know the size of his family then you will understand why a place like Golden Coral is the best option. With 7 kids all married, 20 something grand kids, a Nana and a Papa it is a full house. The kids get to exchange gifts with there cousins and they love it. It is always a lot of fun and we look forward to it every year.

Christmas Eve is spent somewhat quieter with my family. With my brother on his mission and my sister and I being the only married ones and only 4 grand kids it is much more low key. We eat dinner and open our Christmas eve jammies.

Christmas day is again crazy and nonstop fun and gift giving. The kids were so happy with everything they got. The most important things Santa didn't forget was the Bakugans and skateboard for Nic and Mermaid Barbies for Gracie! It was a great Christmas and although by the end of it all we are totally exhausted it is all well worth it.

Programs, parties and performances!

2009-01-06T17:54:00.007-07:00

Some of the 200 kindergartners at Saratoga Shores Elementary! The little one in the front with the red shirt is the cutest!

Sorry about the blurry pictures, I don't know what the deal was with the camera.

Gracie's little preschool class had a little program and sang for all of the parents. It was really cute and they did great! After they sang there was a surprise visitor....

...Santa, whom Gracie still refuses to even come within 5 feet of. This one did smell a bit like beef and cheese!

A couple weeks before Christmas Gracie's dance studio put on the production of 'The Little Match Girl". Here she is with the 3 other girls in her class dancing her little heart out. Gracie was the best one up there!!! Okay, okay I have a bit of a biased opinion.

Gracie with her teacher who she loves, Mrs. Robyn

Aunt Nikki & Goose

Our Fam

Grandpa, Gracie & Grandma

Catching up...

2009-01-04T18:31:00.004-07:00

I am playing blog catch up! So several new posts to come soon...

First:
Gracie's 4th Birthday!

We celebrated with my family on the Sunday before her birthday and her party was inspired by the book 'Pinkalicious', hence the reason everything is pink! She wanted pizza, root beer floats and BIG PINK CUPCAKES just like in the book!

On her actual birthday she wanted to go swimming so we went to the Lehi Legacy Center Pool and luckily we went during the day when other kids are in school so there was no one else there. We pretty much had the pool, slides and toys all to ourselves and we had a blast.

After swimming we had worked up quite an appetite so went to Leatherby's and stuffed our faces full of yummy ice cream! Gracie of course wanted just plain vanilla so she got her own little dish of plain vanilla with a candle in it. We had so much fun spending the whole day doing things that Gracie wanted to do and doing them all with just our little family. It was a perfect day!

...{MeRRy cHRiStmAS}...

2008-12-22T20:15:00.003-07:00

For those of you who we don't have an address for and were unable to send a Christmas card too, here is the picture and our Christmas letter that went out with our card. Merry Christmas to all of you!

2008 has been quiet the year around our house. We enjoyed a lot of new things and experienced some exciting changes.
For starters, our little Gracie turned 4, started preschool and dance. She absolutely loves going to school and since she only goes 3 days a week, she often cries on the days that she wakes up and does not have to go to school. She has taken quite a liking to a young man in her class and is constantly telling the family of all the many great qualities of this prince charming. She also started dance with a new studio and is thriving and becoming quite the little dancer. She was chosen as the dancer of the month for November. At her Christmas performance she stood on the stage in front of hundreds of eager parents and families and danced her little heart out, doing every step and twirl perfectly. This is a big improvement from her past performances where she has usually taken the minimalist approach, only doing a few spins and hip shakes. Grace is a sweetheart!
Nicholas…our big 5 year old, whom we have recently nicknamed ‘Big’ or ‘Big Nic’, used to be our little Nicholas because he is named after his Daddy and it was just easier to call Dad, Big Nic and Nicholas, Little Nic. But we have decided that ‘Little Nic’ just doesn't suit his personality; he is definitely ‘Big Nic’! He has been having some medical testing done to test his Growth Hormone levels and has been such a trooper through all of the poking and prodding that has been required. We are currently awaiting the results of a test to see whether or not he has a Growth Hormone deficiency. Nic also embarked on a new chapter in his life, elementary school. He started kindergarten this past August. He is doing amazing and it came as no surprise to us that he quickly made friends with just about everyone in the class. He is such a friendly, outgoing kid and we love him just the way he is!
As for Nic and, I we have had a lot of adventures that we have been able to experience together. In November we ran our first race, it also happened to be a half marathon, 13.1 miles. It was a great thing to accomplish and even more rewarding doing it together. We also made the scary decision to make a career change. After 5 years with our APX Alarm family we decided that going back to our family at New York Life Insurance Company was the right choice for our family. We made some life long friends with APX. We’ve seen some amazing things and places and are sad to leave part of our life behind. Although it is scary to leave the comfort and familiarity of an old job and leaving the luxuries that that job provided will be hard, we know that this new venture will provide and allow many things to our family that we have not been able to enjoy in the last several years. We can’t wait to go camping during the summer, enjoy our 8th anniversary at home and actually be able to celebrate it, have a 4th of July and the best of all…not have to prepare for a cross country move leaving our home, friends and family behind come summer time.
This has been an amazing year, bringing so many good things and we have so much to be thankful for. We can’t wait to see what 2009 holds for our family. We hope you all have had as good of a year as our family and wish all the best for the upcoming year.

Merry Christmas

The results are in.......

2008-12-22T20:03:00.002-07:00

So we actually got Nic's test results on Thursday but with all the last minute shopping and Christmas parties it has taken me awhile to get the word out.
His test came back normal, which means when stimulated his pituitary glands produce Growth Hormone normally just like they should. So we are relieved that he won't have to have a daily injection for the next 10-12 years of his life but still a little concerned about why he is growing at such a slow rate.
His doctors still want to test him every six months to monitor things, which will involve a couple blood tests and an x-ray but not the big 6 hour test anymore, (thank goodness).
So for now we will just keep making him eat like crazy and pray for a huge growth spurt to hit him soon.
Needless to say when we told him his blood tests were over for a while he was so relieved and over joyed. Thank you again for all of your love and support. We hope you all have a great holiday season.

:cRazY:

2008-12-17T22:39:00.002-07:00

Okay so I know this sounds crazy but I really want to do this race:

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/wasatchback/index.php

So I know that I am still in the recovery process from my last race and I have the stress fractures in my legs to prove it, but it's not till June 19-20th. Ever since I saw a picture of a man with long dred locks in a speedo running on the cover a running magazine and figured out what the heck he was doing, I have added it to the list in my head of things I really want to do, BAD! This year it is also being done in honor of Christian and Stephanie Nielson,

http://web.me.com/andrewtbagley/NieRecovery/Home.html.

Anyone up for it? I need a team of 12 crazy people. Nic and Teena I am already counting on you and I haven't even asked you yet, but since you two talked me into running a half marathon as my first race with only two months to train, I am thinking you owe me!

Let's do it people! Let's make 2009 a year for doing things that sound crazy, things we thought we would never want to do and things that make us admit our insanity ourselves for even thinking about doing them. Hey, maybe I will even go sky diving for my birthday....UMMM....maybe things not quiet that crazy!

My sister the HERO!!!

2008-12-17T21:47:00.003-07:00

Yes....I am bragging! Nikki has always loved animals so when I got a call from her informing me of this animal loving heroic act, it came as no surprise! She is so cute and I am so proud of her! Good job Nikki and Savannah and the cop for actually being able to lasso the dog!

Go here to check out the story:
http://www.kutv.com/content/news/topnews/story/2-Girls-And-A-Cop-Rescue-Dog-From-Icy-Pond/R1HE1QPuikmhul14Y1Xe4g.cspx

It's over...Finally!!!

2008-12-14T16:05:00.001-07:00

Well Nic's GH Test is over, thank goodness! It was a bit more eventful and dramatic than it should have been but over it went well. The first IV they put in wasn't very good. Every time they had to come in and draw blood they had to manipulate it and move it around until they got into a good enough position for the blood to actually come out. For anyone that has had an IV you know how much it hurts when they move it around at all. It is almost worse than the actual poke of the needle. So after the 4th blood draw they were injecting saline into the IV to clean it out and Nic screamed because it hurt so bad, I looked at his arm and instead of going into the vein all the saline they were injecting went into his arm and was forming a little bubble under the skin. They now had to try to put in a new one. Well he is a little guy with tiny veins so it took another 20 minutes and a few more pokes for them to finally get it into a big enough vein. After that IV was in all the blood draws were easy and uneventful. By this point he was so pail and lethargic, I kept telling him I didn't remember the last time he sat so still an quiet on my lap for that long. They did about 8 draws of blood total. He was such a good sport about the whole thing. He cried and screamed but for only being five he was so good. It was very hard to watch and I was surprised that I didn't start crying right along with him. When they weren't drawing blood he had fun reading books, making all kinds of projects and watching movies. When it was all over we got some food in him and he purked right back up to his usuall happy, energetic self. I am glad that is over and glad that that test is the last step, as soon as we know the results, which should be about a week, we won't have to put him through anymore blood test like that. Thank you for all of your love and support and concern on our behalf. Thanks Uncle John and Jonah for coming to say hi during the test and bringing Nic prizes, he loved it. We will let everyone know the results as soon as we do. Like I said before it should be about a week, so just before Christmas we should know.

My little Nicholas!

2008-12-10T21:00:00.003-07:00

Nic is having his Growth Hormone Stimulation Test this Friday. The woman doing the test said that it will last anywhere from 5-6 hours. His test is at 9 am and he can't eat after midnight the night before so that in itself will be hard enough, telling him he can't eat until 3 in the afternoon. As soon as we get there they will start him on an IV with medicine that should cause his pituitary gland to release the Growth Hormone into his blood. They will take blood samples every 1/2 - 1 hour throughout the test. They said the medicine may make him nauseous so to be prepared for that side effect. Great!
I am not exactly sure how long the results will take to get back but we will be anxiously awaiting them. If his body produces the GH than we know he does not have a growth hormone deficiency and if it doesn't than we know he does. We have been told that treatment will be a daily injection of GH until he reaches puberty and his growth plates close, usually about 14-15 for boys.
Nic and I are so grateful that no matter the outcome of this test Nicholas is and will be a healthy little boy. We could not be happier that this issue is in no way health related. But as his Mom I see how being the size that he is negatively effects him even at such a young age. He is the smallest kindergartner and he notices it. We have had to change our vocabulary around our house. Instead of saying things like "When you get bigger you can do that" to "when you get older you can do that". Nicholas is very sensitive about his size and never fails to mention how all his friends are taller than he is. Luckily for him he is very outgoing on not shy. He has not yet let this hold him back at all.
We would just ask that all of you keep a little prayer in your hearts for him on Friday. I am nervous about the whole thing really. He has unfortunately had to have his blood drawn enough times already that he knows what to expect and he isn't too fond of it. 5-6 hours is a long time to ask any kid to stay in one room and have his blood drawn over and over and not eat anything and possibly feel nauseous too. I went and stocked up on the dollar toys today and have prepared a bag full of toys, activities and IPOD's with new movies so that should help with the boredom. He is brave and such a good boy I am sure he will be great and I will at the end of it all just be a worried Mom. What can I say I hate seeing him be in pain or uncomfortable. Thank you all for all of your love and support through this. We will let all of you know as soon as we do what the out come is.

{4}

2008-12-10T12:18:00.007-07:00

Mary Grace Aguirre
December 9th, 2004
9:54 am
6 lbs. 13 oz.
18 1/2 inches
St. Marks Hospital

Goose:

I can't believe how fast these four years have gone. It really seems like just last Christmas we were bringing you home from the hospital. You were and have continued to be such a joy and blessing to our family! From very early on you developed your own little personality. Your smile has always been a great source of joy in our family. Despite your girly attitude and drama queen tendencies you are usually always very sweet. We love that you are always ready to cuddle and hug. You are such a good helper, you always ask to help before I could even ask for the help. You even helped Mommy out before you were born by arriving two weeks early, good girl!!! Even though you promised to stop sucking on your thumb when you turned four and swiftly broke that promise the moment you woke up, we still think you are a great little four year old. You have always been adorable but you are really turning into a beautiful young lady, (and you haven't lost your chubby little cheeks that I still love to kiss)! We may not have been prepared and definitely caught a bit off guard when we found out you were on your way to our family, but now we look back and just can't imagine life without you!

We love you Grace!

A hALf MaraTHon....

2008-11-11T15:16:00.006-07:00

Let me just start by saying...Wow, what an experience that was. Not only was this the farthest I had ever run, it was also my first race ever, I have never even done a 5K before. So I was fully prepared for how challenging and exhausting this would be but completely unprepared for every other emotion and feeling that came along with it.

Friday night of course was not the best night sleep I have ever had in my life. I woke up about nine million times and even had a dream that I had forgotten to run. So we woke up at about 6:30 am and got ready and headed to the race at about 7:30. Once we got to Snow Canyon high school we had to take a bus up to the starting line. Of course the bus ride was the longest ride of my life, the whole time I was thinking, "OK that's got to be 13 miles now....STOP".

Me, Nic and Teena before the race

Once we got up to the start everyone was doing there thing, stretching and warming up. Once it was close to starting we were all herded like cattle to the starting line and waited for it to start. That was the worst part of the whole thing, the waiting and anticipation. The bell finally rang and off we went, almost. I had a little IPOD issues and by the time Nic and I got it going we were in the very back. The car that stays behind the last person was right behind us. But once we got it all figured out we were on our way and quickly passed quiet a few slower people. The first couple miles were pretty steep downhill which helps you run faster but is really hard on hips and feet. At the first aid station, (mile 3), we turned up a dirt trail and ran about 1.5 miles up and then came right back down that same hill. That was not fun, not only is running up hill obviously harder but dirt trails always slow me down because I'm afraid I'll hit a rock and roll my ankle or something.

By this time Nic had gotten tired of going slow with me and left me in the dust. Once I got to the bottom of the dirt trail it was about mile 6.5 so I thought I better take my Ibuprofen and down my GU pack because I knew there wouldn't be another aid station with water or Gatorade for another couple miles and by then I would really be needing something. Oh, I also had to stop and take my shoes off to get all the rocks out! The rest of the race was on either a paved trail, cement, or asphalt. Let me just say how unexpected the ups and downs were. I knew about the uphill dirt trail but after that there was constantly a little hill to go up and back down.

By about mile ten I was really starting to hurt. The seam in my shirt by my armpit must have been rubbing against my skin because by then it was so sore. I had to keep pulling my sports bra up so that my shirt would stop rubbing right there. There was a girl that was keeping pretty steady pace with me and every now and then she would speed up a bit and pass me and then I would pass and this went on for a mile or so and then once I hit mile 11 there was a pretty good down hill part and said to myself, "that's it this girl is not going to pass me again". So I put that down hill to use and speed up enough that I knew she wouldn't be able to catch up. Every now and then my calves would really start cramping and I would stop to stretch them a bit and walk, but I finally decided that it hurt just as bad to walk as it did to run so from mile 11 till the end I didn't stop running.

When I finally saw the high school I knew it was almost over. I came around the last corner and I saw my father in law waiting by where I needed to turn to go to the finish line. I started crying when I saw him and I knew it was almost done. I also saw some friends of ours up on top of the bleachers yelling my name. Once I came around the corner into the stadium there was a big group of people all yelling my name and cheering me on. Then my cute little babies ran over to me and ran with me to the finish line. My goal was to finish in under 3 hours, actual time: 2:58:24. That's right, a minute and a half to spare.

Once I finished I was so ready to just collapse and that's what I did. My cute husband who had come in about 35 minutes earlier gave me hug and I just started crying. Then my sister in law Teena who finished it in 1:39, gave me a hug and said, "Annie, all this pain will go away but the feelings of glory and that you did it will never go away".

Nic, me, Rylee, (Teena's daughter, she did the 5K), and Teena.

I can honestly say that I gave it my all. I really don't think I could have pushed myself any harder or faster then I did. I sure wish I wouldn't of had IPOD issues in the start, that could have taken off probably 5-10 minutes off of my time, but I can't control that. I came in under my goal of under 3 hours so I am happy. I also didn't want to be dead last and I think there were about 10 - 15 people that came in after me. I came in 358th place over all. You wanna hear something sick? The guy that came in first did it in 1:10. That is just over 5 minute miles. CRAZY!!!

It was probably one of the hardest but most fulfilling things I have ever pushed myself to do. I was so happy to be able to share it with my husband and sister in law. I will never forget the feeling of seeing all of those people cheering me on. That is what made the whole thing worth it in the end.

On yOur MarK...GeT sET...GO!!!!!

2008-11-06T21:05:00.004-07:00

Well the time has arrived...The last nine weeks of training, with over 100 miles run, a lot of ice, IB Profen, knee braces, shin splints, pain relieving cream and muscle aches, all leading up too this.

We leave in the morning for St. George....Destination....The Snow Canyon Half Marathon, 13.1 miles. Nic and I have worked so hard over the last nine weeks to prepare as much as possible in the short time that we had since we decided to do this. We will be racing with Nic's older sister Teena, (she just did the St. George marathon a few weeks ago and qualified for the Boston Marathon, running it in 3 1/2 hours, that's like 8 minute miles over 26.2 miles, CRAZY), a friend of ours that we work with during the summer will also be running it. I am totally prepared to come in last, if not over all, at least out of our little group. My goal is to finish under 3 hours. The closest I have come is 9 miles in 1:55. So if I can run the last 4 miles in an hour then I will be good, it's just that at around 9 miles things are really hurting and cramping up.

So if you have some free time on Saturday morning around 11:00 am, send up a little prayer for me. The race starts at 9 am, so around 11 am I should be at about mile 10 and I'm sure I will be hating life!

P.S. I can't believe I'm off to run 13.1 miles. What is my problem!!! I will post on the whole experience when we get back on Monday. If I'm still alive!!!

{BOO}

2008-11-03T13:42:00.004-07:00

OUR HALLOWEEN.....

Nic's first kindergarten Halloween Parade!!!

Gracie's, I mean Dee Dee DoodleBop's Preschool Halloween Pararde!

Our Family!

Gimmie all your candy!

rEd IGuaNA

2008-11-03T13:28:00.003-07:00

YUMMY YUMMY!!!!

gOOd nEwS!

2008-10-27T16:56:00.002-06:00

Finally some good news for my little Nicholas. His pediatrician called me earlier today and the test results for Von Willenbrands came back all normal. So if he continues to not have any bloody noses and things keep looking normal then we can scratch that scare off our list!
PHEW!!!

pooR Kid!

2008-10-23T20:41:00.002-06:00

So I talked to Nicholas' pediatrician today and she said that the test results for the Von Willebrand Syndrome came back inconclusive. That's right, they didn't get enough blood drawn from him last time so we have to take him back up to Primary Children's tomorrow and try again. He over heard me telling my Dad about it and let's just say he is not happy about it. He knows exactly what it means when I say, "blood test". He knows it will involve needles and hurting and he doesn't like it.

But hopefully this time we will get some answers. He hasn't a bloody nose for a couple weeks so hopefully that is a good sign and the test will come back negative.

I have a feeling he will be getting some new toys out of all these tests. I always use bribery in these situations. And why not? He is such a good boy while they are doing it, and I feel so bad for him. I will gladly buy him a prize because at least there is something fun coming at the end of all this for him!

wEEkeND In reVIEw

2008-10-21T19:16:00.003-06:00

This past weekend was filled with fun for our family!

First, our good friends Beth and Ryan came down from Canada for the APX year end party! On Friday night the boys had there manager meeting so Beth and I went to visit with our good friend Danica. We got to the tour of her new Gorgeous home in Highland. It seriously was the most beautiful house ever! Then we all went to Kneaders, (YUMMY)! We had so much fun catching up and reminiscing. We talked about all the fun we had in North Carolina our first time selling APX together, (5 years ago), and all the other fun in between. We talked about how Beth beat up her sister and how unfair it is that Danica is 5 months pregnant and seriously doesn't show at all. We had a lot of fun having girl time to talk, giggle and just have without our husbands ruining it with talk of nothing but work!

Then on Saturday we had an Aguirre Family Halloween Party. It was a lot of fun. Pretty much everyone dressed up, even the adults. All the kids looked to cute in their costumes. I love getting together with our family, even though it is loud and crazy, (there are about 35 of us), it is always a lot of fun!

Saturday night was the big APX Year End Hoopla!!! It is so crazy. Beth and I talked about how our first year end party was this little BBQ in the park with a couple hundred people and now we all fill up the entire McKay Events Center. They played APX is Right, (The Price is Right) and Deal or No Deal. They gave away 2 cars, (one was a little Natural Gas Honda Civic, we totally wanted it), IPODs, backpacks, luggage, money up the wazoo and some really cool little scooters! Don't worry we didn't win a new car or even $10,000.00 dollars, we got another APX backpack to add to our already extensive collection! They did have these guys that came out and jumped on a trampoline. Sounds lame, but it was so cool! One of the guys hold the world record for doing flips and hoolahooping, (spelling?), on a trampoline. They got incredibly high, it was crazy!

We had so much fun with our little Canadian friends and love it when they come to visit! I will be up to Canada in March to see your new little baby Beth! We love you guys!

Also congratulations to Jappi for winning the Costume Contest! You looked amazing!

UPdaTe!

2008-10-17T10:48:00.003-06:00

For those of you that don't know, about 6 months ago my cute little Nicholas had to get some tests done. If you didn't already know, he is very small. When I say very small I mean out of his whole kindergarten class he is the smallest. He has only grown a few inches in a few years and gained even less weight. So his pediatrician sent us to Primary Children's for a Bone Age Test, (an x-ray to check the age of his bones compared to his actual age), and a few different blood tests. Then she sent us to see a Pediatric Endocrinologist. The test six months ago looked OK, but the Doctor wanted to do another round of tests in 6 months. So a couple weeks ago we did all those test over again and then yesterday we met with his Endocrinologist again.

Two of his blood tests came back significantly lower than they should be. The Doctor said that those tests are just preliminary, to see if there is good enough reason to pursue more tests to see if he has a growth hormone deficiency. There are three things that would give reason to pursue more tests, one he is significantly shorter than someone his age should be, two his growth pattern is a lot less than it should be, and third his blood tests are low. So since he has all three they want to go ahead with another test, Growth Hormone Stimulation Test.

This test is a 4 hour test, in which Nic will be hooked up to an IV and be given something that will tell his pituitary glands to produce the growth hormone. Throughout the 4 hours they will take 8 blood samples from him. If his body is producing the growth hormone, than that means he is OK and will hopefully hit a big growth spurt soon, and if his body doesn't produce the hormone than they know that he is Growth Hormone Deficient and they will start to treat him for that. Treatment is a daily injection that he will have until his body stops growing, usually around age 15 or 16 for boys.

So, I am on one hand very nervous. I hate watching him get poked with needles and unfortunately he has had to do it so much he is pretty well aware of how bad it hurts. But he is such a good boy and is always very still and good while they do it. So, nervous for the 4 hour test, definitely, nervous about the out come, not really. We are so grateful that this is not a health issue, he is healthy and happy. Either way he will be OK. Of course the mom in me wants him to grow as soon as possible because I know how aware he is of his height compared to other kids his age. He is very out going and friendly but I know that he is really sensitive about his size. Thankfully kindergartners are still pretty nice to everyone and as of yet we don't have to worry much about teasing.

So I will keep everyone updated on the status of things after we get this next test done. Oh also, he had to do a blood test for Von Willebrand Syndrome, ( a form of hemophilia). He has been having a lot of bloody noses lately and since Nic's sister has two little boys that have it our pediatrician wanted to make sure. Still waiting for the results on that one.

When it rains it pours, right!

No REaSoN.....

2008-10-02T09:03:00.010-06:00

Here are some random pictures, for no other reason than I never got around to putting a blog together about any of them.....

Jen's Bachelorette Party/Hairwaves Salon Shower

Emily, Jen and I, (my girls)

The salon crew. I don't work there, but since I practically live there, Em is one of my best friends and Jen is my new sister in law I got to go! It was so much fun. We went to Bonsai, it is like Tepanyaki. I only got hit in the face with flying food once.

Jen's Pampered Chef Bridal Shower at my house

Dary, Nana Mary and Teena, (two sister in laws and my mother in law)

Dary, Jen and Kambrie

Rylee and Kaylee, (nieces)

Miniature golfing

The kids visit to the dentist!

No Cavities!!!!

ThaT'S RigHT!!!!

2008-09-29T13:04:00.006-06:00

Just for your information.....
I was so proud of myself this morning. On my training schedule for this half marathon I am doing in November I was supposed to run 4.5 miles today. Well I am happy to report that I ran 5 miles in 58 minutes, that's 11.6 minute miles. Considering that I ran 6 miles in 1 hour and 19 minutes on Saturday, (13.1 minute miles), I was totally stoked. I beat my time by a whole minute and a half!!!
Just wanted to bask in my glory for a minute, thanks for listening!

iNtroDUciNG....

2008-09-27T15:42:00.008-06:00

Mr. and Mrs. Danny Aguirre

Kadee, Danny, Kambrie and Jen

What a cute little family!

Kadee and Kambrie

Kambrie

Payton, Sim, Nic, Livvy, Oliver and Sophie, (cousins)

Nic and I, the night before at the wedding dinner at The Lion House

Jen and I, she looked gorgeous! (I look pregnant for some reason, don't worry I am not!!!)

Livvy, Aimee, Oaklie and Grace, (cousins)

Aubrey and I

Last Thursday my brother in law Danny and his beautiful bride Jen tied the knot. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple and it was beautiful. Danny has deserved someone like Jen for a long time now and now that he has found her I have a feeling they will be very happy.

Thank you Danny for finding Jen, (even if it was on the Internet). She is so much fun and not only would I have to still be paying full price or my nails, had you not married her, but I also would not have found a new friend. I am so grateful to have another sister in law who I can also call a friend. And Jen, there are very little words to describe how grateful our entire family is to you. We have all seen Danny at some pretty bad points in his life and now with you at his side he is back. He is happy and well, he is just Danny again. You have made him a wonderful companion and friend, which is something we have all wanted for him for a lot of years. You are going to make a wonderful mother and friend to Kadee and Kambrie and be exactly the sort of woman influence they need in their lives.

We wish you both all the happiness and love that can possibly exist in a marriage. We hope you both get to experience how wonderful it can be. We all love you and can't wait to see what the future holds for your new little family!

{InviTAtiON}

2008-09-24T11:23:00.003-06:00

I have had a couple people ask me about the weight loss competition I am in so I thought I would send out an invitation to anyone interested.

It is called: LOSE THE BELLY
You have to be a woman, the entrance fee is $25.00/person and the pot is up to $450.00. It goes until December 31st. It goes off of percentage of weight lost so it is fair.

We have a blog, but seeing as how we don't really want everyone checking out our most private thoughts on our weight issues and especially the photos, EEW, it is private and you have to be invited to view it and post.

If you want to join and add in your $25.00 or if you just want to be a part of the group to have support in losing weight, just send me an email and I will have my cousin send you an invitation, and_aguirre@yahoo.com

RUnNinG aROunD...

2008-09-15T19:43:00.003-06:00

It feels like I haven't spent anytime on this blog forever. It's really only been a week, but that is a long time in blogging days.

I have started a weight loss competition with my cousin Jenni. There are about 17 women doing it. Everyone had to put in $25.00 and the pot is now up to like $450.00 I think. The person who losses the highest percentage of body weight by December 31st wins the whole pot. So far i have lost 6 lbs. in two weeks. Not bad, of course I have unreasonable expectations and would like to see a loss of like 5-7 lbs. a week which just isn't very common.

Nic and I have also started training for a half marathon in November. My sister in law Teena is a marathoning freak and set up this training program for us to follow. Here is a basic idea of what we do:

Monday 4 miles, Tuesday 2 miles, rest Wednesday, Thursday 4 miles, rest Friday, Saturday 6 miles and rest on Sunday.

Every Saturday our runs get longer and longer until finally the last one is the race, 13.1 miles. Let's just say that having never been a huge fan of running, these 4 and 5 mile runs are kicking my butt and leaving me barely able to walk. But I will say that at the end of it I really do feel awesome about myself.

Last Saturday we ran 5 miles and were so proud of ourselves that right when we got done we called up Teena to tell her. Then she told us, "Good job, i ran 22 miles today". Yea, that's right 22 MILES!!! Ouch! I don't know if I will ever be there but if I can finish this half marathon in three hours, I will be very proud of myself.

So other than running my butt off, (hopefully), and trying to eat very carefully I haven't been doing a whole heck of a lot. With little Nic starting school and our mornings starting at 6:30 am every morning and running and taking care of the kids. By the time they are in bed that's what I want to do, not come sit on the computer and blog. I feel so old, by 9:00 pm I can barely keep my eyes open long enough to watch an episode of The Office and then it's off to bed for me. It used to drive me crazy how fast Nic could fall asleep once we were in bed. Well the last couple weeks we have had the opposite problem, and it is awesome. He feels neglected, poor guy. I still love you baby and just think in a few months I might be closer to the size of person that you married. I'm doing it all for you!

A nEw AddITioN!

2008-09-08T15:21:00.006-06:00

Here he is..........

His name is Tito, (since he is a chihuahua we had to make it Mexican, right?)

He is 4 years old.

He weighs a whopping 7lbs.

We adopted him from the Humane Society on Saturday. He is so sweet. He doesn't love the kids, but never bites or snaps or growls at them. He just sits there and tolerates their constant petting and poking. He is totally house trained, (SWEET)! He seems to be afraid of really tall people. We took him over to my parents house and he was less then thrilled with my brother and my dad, who are both over 6 feet. He growled and barked at them until they came down on their knees and let him smell them.

We love him and are so glad that Tito is a part of our family now!

Firsts...

2008-08-25T08:28:00.003-06:00

Well it's done my first born, my first son is at his first day of kindergarten. I don't know why this was so much more emotional for me, but the whole time I was holding back the tears. It's not that I am afraid he won't be OK or that I will miss him for the 3 hours he will be gone, it's just that he is just starting a whole new part of his life now I guess. For the next 13 years he will be doing this new thing that he just started today. He is just growing up so fast.

He is just so little and cute! I am hoping he will hit a major growth spurt soon so that he isn't always the smallest. But he was by far the cutest one there. He was so ready and couldn't wait for this day to come. Well it came and I know he will do awesome and have a great time! I love you buddy!

{PreTTy}

2008-08-22T21:29:00.006-06:00

Gracie's curtains in their raw state. Want to die over some adorable fabrics? Go to The Material Girls Quilt shop in the shopping center on 106th south and Redwood Road. If you like that sort of thing you will die!!!

I almost forgot to add: If you like what you see, it is fabric by Heather Bailey, here is her blog: http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/

CAUTION: It is a major cute overload!!!

:ReSErvATionS:

2008-08-18T20:03:00.004-06:00

I have a little problem and if anyone has an easy remedy I would love the help.

My kids are growing up and I don't know how to stop it, HELP!!!

My babies that aren't really babies anymore.

Today was Gracie's first day of preschool and Nic had his kindergarten testing and will have his first day of school next Monday. When did this happen, they are leaving me already. Although having a couple hours all by myself while they are in school, will undoubtedly let me get a lot done, I am having some major reservations about all this growing up stuff. Wasn't it just last week that little Nic turned one and I found out there was going to be another little one running around. And I could swear it was just yesterday that my little girl was learning to walk. But somehow they got older right under my nose and I didn't even realize it. Being silly at breakfast, even at 7:30 AM. School starts for Nic at 8, that's right 8, ouch!

I'm sure my reservations are the same as most mothers. Are they going to be smart enough, are they going to make friends, I hope they don't get bullied and picked on. I know that sounds silly and I know they are smart and they always make friends easily, but there are always the things that since I am not there with them I can't control. Like kicking the little kids butt that makes fun of them or pushes them. :) Just kidding. I guess I have to grow up as well and let them go a little bit.

Gracie in her new classroom.

It's sure to be a fun year, full of new and exciting things. Although I am nervous I am also so excited and can't wait to see what else the future holds for our family.

HOME

2008-08-15T17:58:00.003-06:00

It is so nice to finally be home, for good this time! The summer was fun and I am glad that I was able to spend a lot of time with Nic, but there is nothing like home. We got home on Thursday. Nic actually got to come home with us this time. Don't worry though it was only for a whopping 24 hours! We have had the unfortunate experience of having to go to small claims court with some of our tenants who decided paying their rent was optional for several months. So Nic came home to go to our court date this morning. I am happy to report that we went, we saw and we kicked it's butt!!! We were awarded our full claim! Not that we will ever see much of that money but at least we have the right now to try to get it!

So after that excitement I got to take my cute husband straight to the airport. :( He gets to go back to Georgia and kick some alarm system butt for a couple more weeks! I love you baby and the kids and I are going to miss you!

{sTocKEd}

2008-08-13T18:14:00.002-06:00

Well Nic should be set for the last few weeks that he will be in Georgia all alone. I spent all day preparing and freezing food for him. He should be ok on drinks as well, I don't know maybe I should of stocked up a little bit more!

Best of Friends, Best of Times!!!

2008-08-04T12:22:00.010-06:00

Last week our good friends the Thompson's came to Atlanta. They were here for 6 days and we had a blast while they were here. Nic of course was working all week in Augusta so we only saw him on Sunday, so thanks Eric and Emily for letting me and the kids tag along all week. We went to several Braves games, ate at some yummy and not so yummy places, did a lot of sight seeing and goofed off a lot.

Here are a few of the fun things we did...

The Atlanta Zoo
Gracie and Easton
This was painted on the side of a building. Pretty impressive graffiti! Free haircuts from Emily, Woohoo! About 4 inches gone and it is so cute!

The Georgia Aquarium

The world of Coco-Cola

The kids really hated the 4-D movie A few of our favorite sodas we sampled... The Museum of Natural History The morning we just went swimming was a big hit!
Easton was a crazy man jumping in the pool!
On sunday I finally had my hubby back. We went to a BBQ place called, Fat Matts, then we went to the Braves game. It was so yummy!

Emily and Emery

Eric and EastonDaddy and Nic
I will be dreaming about that pecan pie for the rest of my life! Easton, Emery and Grace
Emily and Eric Easton, Nic, Grace and Emery showing off there airbrush tattoo's!

We had so much fun. We are so glad that they were able to come out and stay with us. We have been on a couple trips with them and our kids get along so well and we have such a good time together, they are our official vacation buddies. Next time no kids and I will have my husband with me the whole time! We love you guys!

Sianara!

2008-07-30T21:44:00.002-06:00

I don't know if that is Japanese or Chinese and I am definitely not sure on spelling but oh well. I got a call as I was leaving the Braves game tonight, it was Ammon! He went to the doctor today and got the OK to go back to Japan. Although we know that is where he needs to be and we know that is where he wants to be, we sure had fun while he was here and cant wait for his return in another year. I had more fun last week with my brothers and sisters in Utah than I remember having anywhere with anyone in a long time. I love all of my siblings and am so glad that we can have a good time together. I told Ammon when he gets back he has to marry someone I like so that we can hang out and have a good time together. Ammon, I like Janelle, Hint Hint!!!

We love you AJ and cant wait to begin hearing about all of your success as a missionary again.

Hot Art!

2008-07-29T10:27:00.002-06:00

I went to check on our house and clean it and this is what I found. Since I turned the AC off when I left it was about 92 degrees in there. Just hot enough to make the candles soft enough to do this. I think its pretty cool and will probably keep them because it is funny.

Our Utah Visit!

2008-07-29T00:26:00.014-06:00

Our short visit was so much fun! We really didn't want to have to come back to Georgia, but we would have missed Nic too much. We did so many fun things and had so much fun with all of our friends and family. We were glad to get back and see daddy and enjoyed the two nights we got to be with him. Now he is in Augusta and we are all alone in our apartment in Atlanta, (hence the late night or early morning blogging). Our being alone won't last long. Our good friends Eric, Emily, Emery and Easton Thompson are coming to visit tomorrow and will be here until Sunday. Yeah, someone to do fun things with. I have a feeling we will be going to a lot of Braves games, Eric is somewhat of a fan and they have a game everyday they will be here. Anyway, here is a bit about our adventures in Utah...

http://www.slide.com/r/sKP9TkXszz_0sVP52RmWVTLo_eAww0kv?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

My parents neighborhood puts on a BIG 24th of July celebration every year and these were just a few of the many fun things we got too enjoy. The zip line was a huge hit with Little Nic and his cousin Jonah, they went on it about 90 times. The play fighting was also one of the hot spots for them. Gracie could have spent all day on the big blow up slide and bounce house. Aunt Nat and Nikki kept prying her away to go on the slip'n'slide. At the end of the day they hire the Pleasant Grove fire department to put on a firework show that is unreal. The finale was just a big jumble of explosions. You couldn't make out one firework imparticular, there were too many going off at once. We ended the day back at Grandpa and Grandma Zitting's for S'mores and a camp fire. It was a day I know I won't soon forget.

http://www.slide.com/r/B2dZY0eW5D_lfLqvweDouKe_soWOhIov?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Here are some random things we did and some extremely random moments!

http://www.slide.com/r/IAiQ5BBX1j84P74ysszdCKY_hcGY26HN?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

We only got to spend one day with the Aguirre side of the family but it was sure fun. Papa Dave took us and some of the cousins to McDonald's and of course the kids had a blast running wild with their cousins. I had fun talking and laughing with my brothers and sister in laws, I love them! Then Nana and Papa and the kids and I got a malt from Iceberg and then went to work in Papa's garden. It really is a pretty garden, (that might sound weird but I love things that grow and can't wait to be in one place during the summer so I can plant my own). Nic was eating every veggie he could get his hands on, the kid loves vegetables. We had so much fun Nana and Papa, we love you sooooo much!

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We even had time to go to Color Me Mine with some friends. Thank you Emily and Heidi for

taking the time to come and play with us, we had a BLAST!!!

I tried until 3 am last night and couldn't get those darn slide shows to show up when I posted them so

unfortunately you will just have to click on the links to view them.

Home sweet home!

2008-07-22T17:31:00.003-06:00

Well here I am back in Utah. My little brother who has been serving his mission in Japan had to come home. He has for the last month and a half had a virus in his eye. It effected him to the point of not being able to open his eye and therefor was unable to do a lot of the missionary work that he wanted to be doing. He has had about a month and a half of trying to get rid of it, misdiagnosis and treatment that didn't work and finally got a diagnosis that brought him home. Although that diagnosis turned out to be yet another misdiagnosis he is now in the hands of great doctors and they are treating him and he is making vast improvements everyday. We came home to visit with him while he is here and just keep praying and hoping that he continues to heal quickly so he can get back to Japan as soon as possible. He opened his eye for the first time in more than a month on Sunday so that was a miracle and such a boost for him. His eye is still very sensitive to the light and gets tired a lot but he is doing great! We are just enjoying his company while we can and will continue to post his progress. Keep him, (or his eye), in your prayers.

We brought the beach home...

2008-07-14T16:07:00.005-06:00

Since Nic was working in Augusta last week we went and stayed in a hotel with him down there so he wouldn't have to make the 2 1/2 hour trek back to Atlanta everyday. Living out of a hotel and having to eat out everyday is not my favorite thing in the world but it is worth being able to have our family together. On Sunday we went down to Savannah and went to the beach on Tybee Island. It was a lot of fun playing in the sand with the kids. There is something about the beach that brings out the child in you. I was perfectly content sitting in the sand digging for seashells with Gracie and even though I am quite scared of the ocean I couldn't help but go and play in the waves, (not too far out). Nic was building a sand castle with the kids and I think he had more fun they did. Little Nic was like a puppy dog chasing the waves out and then running from them as they came back in. A few waves knocked Gracie over and she wasn't too thrilled with the salt water in her mouth.
I really wanted to go into Savannah and check it out and spend a couple hours walking around, but by the time we were done with the beach we were so tired and had sand in every nuke and cranie possible that we just decided to drive by The Lady and Sons restaurant and then hit the road. I have a severe obsession with celebrity chefs and if I am in a town where they have a restaurant I have to see it and hopefully eat there. Some friends of ours had eaten there last year and said that it was really just a glorified Chuck-A-Rama with a 3-4 hour wait to get in. So needless to say I didn't really feel the need to eat there, but I did want to at least see it. I know I am kind of a freak. Nic and I have eaten at Bobby Flays restaurant in Las Vegas, and two of Emeril's restaurants, so it is just something we enjoy doing.
Savannah was a beautiful place, huge Oak trees with moss hanging down from them lining every street, tons of really cute little shops and many yummy looking places to eat. I am just going to have to go back there with my girlfriends so we can spend all day eating, shopping and taking pictures of cool trees. Trees are another one of my obsessions. I told Nic when I die I don't care where you bury me as long as it is underneath a huge tree.
It was a fun filled day but in the end we were happy to get home and rinse off the ten pounds of sand we brought home in our swimsuits.

Home of the Braves!

2008-07-07T10:48:00.010-06:00

We had a busy 4th of July weekend. On the 3rd the kids and I and a couple of the other wives in our office went to a little fair. It was really fun for the kids, lots of little rides and games and really yummy homemade ice cream!

The kids loved the big blow up slide, it reminded them of Kangaroo Zoo in Utah!

Gracie and her pony, Pineapple!

This was Nic's first time on a rock wall and he got about 3/4 of the way up. He had a little trouble on the way down though. He wasn't heavy enough so every time he would kick away from the wall he would only fall about an inch. Finally he got low enough that I could stand on a chair and reach his foot to pull him down. It was really cute though!

On the 4th we did what we always do when we are in Atlanta on the 4th. We went to the Braves game. There just isn't a better way in our minds to spend the 4th then at a baseball game, eating hot dogs and watching fireworks after the Braves win!!!

Nic sat in his chair and watched the entire game. Every time people started clapping or cheering he would lean over to me and say, "What Mom"? He knew something happened he just didn't know what. As always the highlight of the game was doing the Tomahawk Chop every time the Braves got a run.

My cute boys!

The fireworks were too loud for Gracie!

On the 5th a member of the bishopric in our ward out here invited us and all of the people in our office over to there house for pizza, swimming and fireworks. It was really nice of them to open there home to us, a few other married couples and then a bunch of wild single boys. We left at about 1:30 AM and who knows when the rest of those crazy boys left. I don't think they knew what they were getting themselves into when they invited us over. Anyway, it was really fun and very nice of them to do that for all of us!
Sunday was really yucky and rainy most of the day, which is good for Georgia since they are in a drought, but a bummer for us. We just watched movies until at about 6 it cleared up and we got the whole office together at the pool and had a BBQ. I don't know who at more, us or the mosquito's? Anyway, it was a fun weekend spending time with the kids, friends and my hubby. The boys are now working in Augusta which is about two hours away from here so we will be seeing very little of Nic for the next little while. As long as we can make it a few more weeks we will be done with another APX summer and back to Utah for good hopefully, (I'm not holding my breath)!!!!!

Konnichiwa!

2008-07-05T15:04:00.008-06:00

My little brother Ammon has been out on his mission for one year today! It has actually gone by really quickly. He is serving in Tokyo, Japan and doing awesome. He has had a couple of baptisms and is doing awesome with the language. We are so proud of him and what he is doing. We love you AJ!!!

July 4th, 2007 The day before AJ went into the MTC.

July 5th, 2007 at the MTC

Jammies, chalk and 'skinny pigs'!

2008-06-27T20:04:00.009-06:00

Today was one of those days. You know the kind that involve no real plan or agenda, no to do list or plan of attack! The kids and I played with chalk out on the porch in the morning, (in our Jammies), watched a movie while we ate our lunch, and went to the bookstore and Petsmart in the evening.
It is always fun to see them look at the blank slate in front of them, pick a color and see what they come up with.

Gracie is a scribbler. She grabs a color not seeming to put too much thought into her choice and goes for it. She quickly lost interest and found more fun in the leaves, twigs and grass. She sat at the edge of the porch and made pies, cakes and breads to her little hearts content. She didn't seem to have much detailed purpose to her drawing but the baking of leaves and twigs were exact, little piles that were purposefully placed and arranged.

Nic is always very methodical in his color creations. He drew a picture of someone and a few other things that weren't very distinguishable to the adult eye. He also got bored after a while and found fun in throwing the chalk on the ground and watching it break into several pieces. Imagine that, a boy finding pleasure and joy in destroying things, weird!

Around 5 we got bored of being stuck in our tiny apartment and needed to get out. We went to Barnes and Noble and played with the train set and read several books. The kids each got to pick a book, Nic picked a little beginning readers book about pirates that I could help him read, (good practice for kindergarten), and Gracie picked Amelia Bedelia, (OK she was persuaded to pick that one, I loved that book as a little girl). On the way home we stopped at Petsmart. The kids always enjoy looking at the fish, cats, birds, gerbils, lizards and particularly fun is when a dog is being groomed. Anyway, today the favorite animals were the cute little guinea pigs. They were really active and it was fun to sit and watch them. Gracie called them 'skinny pigs', it was just too cute to correct her. When I said it was time to go we had to make one final walk through and say goodbye to every animal individually. "Bye fish, bye cats, bye turtles, bye birdies, (and best of all), Bye Skinny Pigs".

I love these kinds of days, where being a housewife and all that that involves doesn't get in the way of being a Mom. I love spending time like this with my kids. I love seeing, hearing and being a part of what they are doing. Most days I am too busy to really pay attention to every little thing they do, every little idea they have, every little game they play and every little thing they want to say. It's days like today that remind me why I do not miss having a job, social life or a clean house. Tomorrows back to work. Number one on the to do list, clean up yesterdays mess of being nothing but a Mom.

Proud of our Dad!

2008-06-23T09:11:00.008-06:00

In the Sunday June 22, edition of Mormon Times there is an article about our Dad! He really is a great guy and has done so much for the youth that he has worked with. Every time Nic and I run into someone that he has coached or worked with in the Young Men programs they all have wonderful things to say. He is an amazing father, husband and best of all Papa! You would have to be amazing to be able to survive raising 7 kids and having all of them end up being good people. Dave and Mary, we all love you both and your family and all of the things you have both accomplished are a testament to the kind of people you are. We are so proud of you Dad!
Here is the link to the full story if you want to read it. http://mormontimes.com/MITN_sports.php?id=1359

Here are some of your greatest accomplishments Papa!

Aunt Aubrey and Baby Oak, Me and Baby Grace

Some of the 23 Grandkids

Seafood Simmy!

Oaklie and Gracie

The Grandkids

We felt right at home!

2008-06-22T15:58:00.008-06:00

On Wednesday I took the kids to the Zoo in Atlanta. We felt right at home amongst all the jumping, swinging and monkeying around, that is what goes on at our house everyday! It was really fun watching the kids run from exhibit to exhibit and trying to keep up with them. They loved it and it is all they have been talking about since. Here are a few pictures of our favorites and some of the fun things we did!

For our Daddy!

2008-06-20T18:17:00.008-06:00

I made this video for Nic for Father's Day! It's always fun to see all these pictures all wrapped up into a few minutes. They all bring back so many good memories. Thanks for being the best husband and father in the world, we couldn't have asked for anything better. Love you Babe!

I also interviewed the kids about their Daddy, here were some of the questions and their answers.

1. What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?

Nic: Play catch with him. Grace: Playing ponies with him.

2. How old is Dad?

Nic: 31 Grace: 21

3. What does Dad do at work?

Nic: Works on the computer. Grace: He makes Cereal.

4. What do you love most about Dad?

Nic: When he doesn't work all the time. Grace: He let's me lay in his bed.

5. What is a Dad?

Nic: A person who has big eyes, legs, body, arms, neck and short hair.

Grace: A person that makes dinner.

Super Cute!

2008-06-17T19:04:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to share my favorite place for dresses, bags, shoes, accesories, etc.

www.shabbyapple.com

For you moms out there with little girls, watch out! Get your credit cards ready they have the cutest dresses and hairbows ever! Enjoy! (Sorry Dads but little girls have to look good too!)

Too hot even for swimming!

2008-06-07T14:40:00.003-06:00

So the past few days here in 'HOTLANTA' have been just that, HOT! It has been in the mid nineties and with the humidity it makes it at least one hundred. Ouch! Sometimes the heat here is suffocating. You step outside and the heat and humidity literally make it suffocating. The kids and I have been spending as much time as possible at the pool. We were there for about four hours a few days ago and even with putting on SPF 50 sunscreen on four times, the kids and I still got sunburned. The next day we skipped the pool because it was even too hot to swim. But don't worry we were right back out there yesterday. The kids have even made a little friend, she is probably eight and plays really well with the kids. They sure do love having other kids to play with other than each other.

Nic is getting so daring. He jumps right in. He has even started to take his floaties off and swim without them. He can't go very far because he hasn't quite grasped the concept of coming up for air. But he can go probably four feet just swimming under the water. It is really cute!

Gracie is a lot more laid back and careful. She would rather stick to the shallow parts and do just as she pleases. When I do pull her out into the deeper areas with me she holds onto me with a death grip. She doesn't want to put her floaties on and venture out at all, which is funny because the past two summers she has been a fish. She has since I can remember always loved the water and not been afraid to put on her floaties and go for it all by herself. In her older age she is becoming a bit more reserved and careful. She is so dang cute!

Happy 31st Daddy!

2008-06-02T11:32:00.003-06:00

So Saturday we celebrated Nic's 31st birthday! It was really fun. The kids and I decorated our little apartment out here and made his birthday dinner. Its the same every year, chicken and rice and instead of cake, trifle. That's what he likes and so that's what we made. We had some of our good friends that work with us out here in Atlanta over for a little party. It was a lot of fun to have good friends around, we never get to have family or our friends from home around for his birthday, so we are very grateful to have our 'summer family' around us. He got his gift tradition, this years Utah Jazz team signed basketball. We all know what a die hard fan he is so we are collecting now, because one year they will be good and then our collection might actually be worth something. And if not, it doesn't matter to Nic because he loves them no matter what. Last years birthday, turning 30 was hard for Nic and now 31, its just another year, right! I keep telling him he just keeps getting better with age. He is a better husband, father, friend, provider and he just keeps getting better looking, (and he isn't loosing his hair yet so he is happy about that). We love him and we are very lucky to have him! Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

Up to date!

2008-05-30T19:16:00.002-06:00

Leading the crazy life that we lead this blog is my way of pleasing Grandparents, family and friends and keeping everyone up to date on our status. So the end of May finds us back in our home away from home, with all its heat and humidity, Atlanta, Georgia. The kids and I just got out here a week ago. We had to stay behind in Utah and tie off all of our loose ends. Little Nic had Preschool graduation on the 22nd. Cute!!! He was by far the most handsome graduate I've ever seen. It's moments like these that for me as a mother are so bittersweet. He is so smart and cute and I am so proud of the boy that he is growing up to be, but at the same time, he's growing up and I can't slow it down. Next year it will be kindergarten and then he will be 18 before I know it. Gracie had her last dance performance in May at Thanksgiving Points Tulip Festival. She sure looked cute and that was about it. She really has embraced the minimalist approach to dance. She looks cute and she knows it. She knows she doesn't have to break a sweat and we will still applaud and cheer at what a great job she did. Well we made a house change again just before coming out to Atlanta. We sadly left our beloved little townhouse, the best neighbors and the best little group of friends our kids have ever had behind in Lehi and made the long trek out west to Saratoga Springs. While we love our home out there it was very sad to leave such a wonderful group of people and the best little neighborhood ever. Tomorrow we have a big celebration to get ready for, Daddy's 31st birthday! Since he had to spend his 30th all alone last year, this year is shapping up to be a big deal, if I have anything to do with it. Well our adventures are just beggining here in hotlanta and I will do my best to update everyone on all our exciting days at the pool and evenings at the ball park. Go Braves!!!