Underwood Family

Family Pictures

2011-12-12T23:17:00.001-08:00

We took family pictures a couple of weeks ago at the beach in Lanikai. We got there right at sunrise, and it was super windy! But, it was beautiful regardless. The mornings in Kailua, Hawaii and so incredibly beautiful. When I'm out on my runs in the morning, I almost get teary-eyed because I'm in awe of how beautiful it is here. I feel so grateful to live here, and to experience a truly unique experience. I was super stressed for the family photos, because all three of my men HATE taking pictures. But, we got a couple of good ones. Our friend used his awesome camera. Can't complain....they were free!

Jared was giving me a dramatic kiss...it was caught on camera!

Big Island

2011-11-27T18:02:00.000-08:00

2 weeks ago we went with Jared to the Big Island. Jared had the National Wildlife Society Meeting in Kona, and we hitched a ride with him. The hotel was awesome, and there were amazing pools and water slides for the kids. The boys were really excited to go on our first family vacation, staying in a hotel, and sleeping all together. My worst nightmare is having my kids sleep in my room with me, so I was a little worried. However, it wasn't that bad. My impression of the Big Island was that it looked like a desert with lava rock. Granted we were on the dry side of the island. Check out this local guy on his skateboard...oh ya baby!

We stayed at the Hilton Waikaloa, and that was super nice. The boys loved riding the tram that the hotel had to get you from point A to point B.This is the view from our room

With Jared being in his conference all day, the boys and I went to the lagoon and the pool each day. After about 4 days of this, I was thinking, maybe I should have stayed home. I was doing the very same thing I would be doing at home on Oahu, except the boys were up in my grill all day, even when they slept. I just need to to be brutally honest so that I can read back on this and remember to re-think if I want to go on vacation as a single mother. After Jared was done with the conference our family vacation really started. We went to see Kilauea, the active volcano, and it was awesome. We also stopped off at the black sand beach, where there were TONS of sea turtles resting on the beach. It took us 3 hours to get to the volcanoes....the big island is REALLY big. Also, i froze my butt off on top of the volcano...the kids had no idea what it meant to be cold.
We had fun, but it was also good to get back home to Kailua. This trip made me feel even more thankful for where I live in Hawaii. Kailua is incredibly green like you would imagine a tropical island to be. The beaches here are so unique and beautiful. Plus, the added benefit of living your life like you are on vacation in Hawaii, and you have everything you own with you including your house is the cherry on top! I probably won't go back to the Big Island, but Kauai is definitely calling my name....minus the kids.

Is it really summer?

2011-07-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

It's been forever!!!!!! I have focused more on my food blog, than my family blog. Here is the real reason. I suck at taking pictures! I have no pictures to post, and I hate that I don't. However, Jared just got a new waterproof camera that I have with me in my purse, and I'm going to take it wherever I go.
Living in Hawaii for almost a year now makes me realize that there is no change in seasons here. Summertime is less rainy, but the same temperature year around. It is hard to gauge what month it is much less the season. It is hard for the boys to know what time of year it is because weather does not change.
Back in April I was able to go to the mainland without my kids and go to my sister's wedding. That was fun to be back in San Clemente/Carlsbad. The concept of the freeway going on and on for miles was funny. I was excited to go home, only because I was flying to a vacation destination. It was so nice going away for a couple of days without responsibility! I felt like a teenager except with the benefit of parents not telling me what to do, it was awesome.
During the time I was away, we were deep in the trenches of remodeling our kitchen. It was chaos, but it all turned out nice. We moved into our house in mid-May, and we have been doing house projects ever since. There is so much left to do with our house, but we are REALLY happy about our purchase. We get an awesome ocean breeze because we are up on a hill, and the kids love playing in the backyard.
We have a mango tree in our backyard, and started having ripe mangos in May. THEY ARE SOOOOOO GOOD! I have never tasted anything better. Jared was eating 3 a day! I made mango muffins, and mango salsa, and many smoothies. This mango tree is probably 50 years old, which is about how old our house is. It is HUGE, and we are so glad we have it. We also have a mature lychee tree, but we don't know when that is going to start giving us fruit. Jared built a tree house in the mango tree for the boys. They are pretty excited. Cameron wants to always go up, but I'm a little nervous for the little man. We found out during peak mango season that he was allergic to the mango sap. He got really bad hives. He can eat the fruit itself, but the skin of the mango has sap on it, and that is where he was having a bad reaction. Poor thing, he loved collecting the fallen mangos with Jared, but now he can't.
Brent starts school on August 2nd! He is super excited and so am I. We need a change of season in our family. He has been board, and driving me crazy all summer...he is definitely ready. All of my friends say that he is going to be exhausted when he first starts because of all the stimulation. It will be interesting to see how he handles it.
Life is good in Hawaii. We may be going to the big island in November for a family trip/Jared's conference. I can't wait for that. It will be fun to go see the volcano's w/ the boys. Plus, I don't think they really get where they are, and so flying up in the air and landing on another island may give them some perspective. I try and show Brent on a map that we are a little speck in the pacific ocean, but I still don't think he gets how far away we are from everything.

Japanese Candy, Nanialii, Happy

2011-04-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

Yes it has been 3 months. Yes I neglect my family blog and not my food blog. But, I figured I would save the blogging for some big news.
Hawaii has been great. It has far exceeded anything I could have imagined living here. Jared and I are so happy to be living in paradise and enjoying all that it has to offer. We are outside ALL THE TIME! The boys love it, but of course they don't really get where we live. Cameron will never know any difference which is kind of a tragedy really. When he is older and goes to the mainland, he is going to think it is SO UGLY and brown. Spoiled!
Brent starts school in 3 months and gets to go to all day kindergarten. He is really excited and READY! He will thrive and be a joy for his teacher. Cameron is going to miss his best friend Brent, and will probably ask me all day where he is. SAD. Now I will have to be the playmate. Although I'm excited not to have to push a double jogger on my runs. Hallelujah! Cam and I are going to have fun together! It will be weird to only be looking after one child. I will miss Brent, and miss having complete control of what goes into his brain, but I need to accept the new chapters in our lives.
Cameron is growing and still so sweet. I find myself trying to treat him like a baby...even calling him my baby and when he hears of it, he says "No mama, I'm a big boy, Nani is a baby". He insists he is the "biggest" and He is even bigger than Dadall (Jared). He is obsessed with the color orange and has some orange articles of clothing that he insists on wearing all the time. He has the "linus" syndrome and it is driving me mad! But we give in to Cameron...as he is a sweet as sugar.
Jared is still enjoying his job, and frequency of surfing. I have not seen him happier, and that makes me happy.
I got called to be primary president last month, and I have been busy learning all about what I need to do to stay on top of things. I have great counselors and great friends to help me out.
The most exciting news is that we bought a house in Kailua. We signed the papers today, and we are super excited to own a piece of paradise! We are renovating the inside, and it is fun for me to be picking out all the insides of what I want. The yard is large, has a HUGE Hawaiian mango tree, and lots of land for us to plant a garden and have a chicken coop. It will feel good to own a house again, and we are super stoked we got the opportunity to buy in Hawaii. So the next few months will be chaotic, moving, updating, etc. Life is always changing, and luckily it is for the good. I keep on feeling like everything is going so smoothly right now...when is the next bump in the road coming. Hopefully not too soon.
Since I love candy I have had a great experience trying new candies here in Hawaii. Hawaii is very much influenced by Japan, and so in every market there is a huge asian food section. My favorite new candy is called Hi-Chews....so good, I'm obsessed! Here is what they look like.My favorite flavors are mango, green apple, and melon. YUM. The Japanese got it right when it comes to making fruit flavored candies.

Nani = Beautiful

2011-02-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I'm trying to think how to start this post off since it has been so long. I have no problem staying on top of my food blog. I need to get better so that I have our memories of living in Hawaii written somewhere. I have a ton of pictures on my phone, but my phone is freaking out when I try to download them. So, this will just be a wordy post.

Christmas was awesome this year. The boys really had a great time opening presents in the morning, and then of course we went to the beach that morning as well. People hauled their Christmas trees down to the beach all decorated, and they were even wearing Santa hats. All I could think of was how much they were sweating under their polyester, fur hats and if it was worth it. The New Years Eve experience was absolutely CRAZY! Not, joking....fireworks from 9pm till 3am non-stop. I could not believe my kids slept through it. My favorite fireworks were the homemade ones that sounded like a huge bomb, and shook my whole house. (You know I'm kidding, right?)

The month of January went by very quickly. The boys and I do our daily routine of eat, activity, eat, activity, eat, and bed. We spend every chance we get at the beach, and Brent is really getting good at Bodyboarding. Our favorite beach to go to in Kailua is called Kalama Beach. It has the perfect amount of waves, and big stretch of beach. The kids LOVE it there. Cameron turned 2 on the 31st of January. We had a beach party with friends in the morning, and then a family dinner celebration in the evening. He enjoyed blowing out his candles. He licked his cupcake a couple of times, but he is not our dessert baby. He prefers a nice piece of fruit over sweets anytime. Why can't I be more like that? Cameron is such a sweet natured boy, I'm so glad he is my child and a part of our family. I truly cherish him, and the sweet spirit he has. He is a wonderful little person.

Some fun highlights of Hawaii:

I had an encounter with a giant cockroach the other night. I was sitting in my family room late at night, watching TV. I heard this scratching sound, and I look up on the wall and there is a 2 inches long flying cockroach on the wall. I freaked out, turned off the lights and woke Jared up to kill it. He did, and I was relieved. We don't have alot of bugs inside our house, but sometimes when it rains really hard outside it drives the bugs in...so that was fun :)

My leather Rainbow Sandals have moldy soles from the humidity. Don't bring leather to Hawaii, it's rubber or plastic all the way. Thank you Payless Shoes for having lots of plastic shoes! The most random things get moldy here. I don't remember this happening to my sandals when I was at BYU Hawaii. Maybe it is more wet in Kailua.

I get to run Kailua beach almost every Saturday. It is the most unbelievable, scenic, spa like experience. I almost cry when I see the beauty all around me. I also feel so grateful that I get to live in Hawaii, and that I'm actually living a dream that I thought would NEVER happen. The Koolau Mountains are so incredibly HUGE and green here. They are so beautiful! Every time I get in my car and drive, I'm surrounded by beauty. When I'm laying in bed at night, all the windows are open and the sounds of the tropics help me drift off to sleep. I was afraid that I would be homesick, but surprisingly I'm not. We have almost been here for 5 months, and I still feel very content.

Jared loves his job. He has not had one bad day yet! I'm so happy for him. He gets to live, and surf in paradise, and he loves his job. Oh, and then of course there is this wonderful wife that he has who is hot, makes him dinner every night, and fresh homemade bread. What more could a man want.

We are very happy in Hawaii! Every place has it's ups and downs, but we are loving all the ups!

Christmas!

2010-12-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

I have had a really hard time maintaining my family blog. I feel like I used to update once every 2 weeks, and now I'm lucky if I can update once a month!
We have been busy and living our lives day to day in Hawaii. The boys and I go to the beach at least 3 times a week, and the boys love riding in the bike trailer down to the beach. However, it will be nice when Brent goes to school, and i will just be pulling 25 pound Cameron instead of a 60 pound load! My boys are just in their element when they are at the beach, and I'm so glad they have a love for the outdoors as Jared and I do. Rarely do the boys ever cry or complain, or want to leave when we are at the beach. Brent is getting really good at body boarding, and he is such a good swimmer.

Brent Body boarding

Jared and I take him out far, and he can swim all the way back to shore by himself! Cameron loves going in the water as well, but he knows he still needs me to go in. This is nice because I don't have to chase him around and worry about him drowning. Cameron loves playing in the sand and digging holes. He like to find treasures at the beach and collect sticks. Overall, the boys are extremely happy.

I taught Brent's class on Sunday in Primary, and it was fun to see how he has adjusted to the culture. Everybody is "auntie" or "uncle" in Hawaii, so all the kids were calling me Auntie in the class. Brent even started calling me that...it was funny. Then of course there is the greeting of aloha. Brent doesn't say it back yet...I don't think he knows that he is supposed to. I was very pleased with Brent, as he was very well behaved, and pays attention to what teachers say. Seeing him in a learning environment made me hopeful and happy knowing that he will be a good student in school this fall.

Brent wrote his name in the sand all by himself!

Cameron is as sweet as ever. He shows his loves by giving hugs and kisses. When I drop him off at the gym daycare, he won't let me leave without giving him a hug and a kiss...it is so CUTE! He also says "Love you mama!" and this is all without any promptings from me. What a sweet boy he is!

Jared is still enjoying his job very much. He has taken helicopter trips to the top of mountain ranges. Taken trips to Kauai, and Maui, and will be taking a few other trips coming the new year...lucky dog! He also makes it up to the North Shore to surf 2-3 times a week before work. Every Saturday we go to the beach as a family in the morning for a couple of hours, and it is alot of fun. We are also enjoying the fact that Jared gets every other Friday off.

Jared in his helicopter gear...HOT!

I have been staying busy with my 2 boys, and taking care of our house. I love the weather in Hawaii when it is not stormy! It is hard to believe people are bundled up in coats and pants everywhere else. I feel like I'm living summer year around (which is my favorite season).
We all are super excited about Christmas, as Brent really gets the whole concept this year. He has a paper chain, so he can count how many days until Christmas. He is especially excited for Christmas Eve. Jared told Brent that he would sleep with him in his room. Let me tell you how excited Jared is about this! Brent really can't wait. 2 times a year Jared sleeps in Brent's room, on Christmas Eve, and on his Birthday. Brent loves it, and as Jared and him are laying there, he says things like "Dad, let's talk."
Jared and I will be celebrating our 7 year anniversary on the 27th. We will be going golfing (which we both love to do) and going out to a nice restaurant...we are excited to get away!!!!! It has been a great 7 years. In fact, there are times when we are all at home together, me making dinner, Jared playing with the kids, living in Hawaii, I just feel a overwhelming sense of joy for our life that we have. I feel so blessed, and know that Heavenly Father watches over our family, and blesses us with so much. I'm truly grateful!

Life in November

2010-11-15T16:10:00.000-08:00

We are finally settled into our house on Hele Street in Kailua. All 365 boxes were gone through and unwrapped, and sorted through. It was incredibly time consuming, and I'm glad I can move on from that. As I have told some of you, the house is not our "dream" home, but there are alot of good things. The outside shower and bathroom are awesome for sandy beach boys to rinse off in. I also like the fact that my laundry room is in the garage as well and not outside in the elements like so many people have it here in Hawaii. We have plently of room in the garage that we have stored all of our things in. There is room for us to park our car, and all our recreational equipment as well. The living areas are VERY breezy, and the layout of the house is working wonderfully for me. There are sliding doors to every room, and I can keep the kids in their playroom with the sliding glass doors shut...it's awesome.
Our ward is a great, active, involved ward. I already feel at home, and Cameron is now adjusted to nursery, and Brent enjoys primary as usual. There are plenty of activities as well as opportunities to do service in the relief society. I love it when there are service things that I can do as a stay at home mom, like make cookies for the marines, etc. We went to an elders quorum activity/dinner or should I say "make plate" fest. The food was fabulous! I was officially introduced to the Hawaiian way of eating. There was all kinds of fresh fish (tasted heavenly!), sesame chicken, shredded beef, salads, etc...I thought I had died it was so good.
We went to the Laie Temple open house this last week, and it was a cool experience for the kids. The temple is so clean and nice inside, it looks really good. Brent enjoyed going into each room,and like the crystal chandeliers everywhere. He also enjoyed seeing all the art work of Jesus all around. I got to hold him up , and look into the mirror in the sealing room, and he said "Look there are so many of us!". I got a little teary eyed when he said that, and remembered when I married Jared and we looked into the mirror as a couple, thinking about our posterity, it was really cool.
The boys and I go to the gym each morning, which is a plus for me. They are doing well at the kids club, and I love having my sanity break for the day. I have been baking bread in my bread machine every couple days, and I love it! It really is so incredibly easy, and I don't have to do anything except add ingredients! And, I don't have to turn my oven on to heat up the house. The bread in the stores here SUCK! It is stale, and expensive. So I feel like I'm winning all around with making my own bread. Breads have to stay in the freezer here so that they won't mold...it happens very quickly because of the humidity and the heat.
Jared keeps on buying Spam for me to make Spam Musubi (slices of spam, pan fried layered with white rice and wrapped in seaweed). I have like 8 cans in my pantry! He wants it once a week, and I say NO! So I will compromise and make it once every 2 weeks, since the kids like it too.
I have also been trying new recipes lately and have to get back in the rhythm of posting on my food blog. So, check it out...there are some good ones coming.
This last Saturday we went to a part of Kailua Beach where there is a small shore break to practice surfing. Brent is learning how to balance, and so am I. I have gotten to my knees, and now I just need to get my feet under me and stay really low until I actually can stand up. It was really fun, and the best part is that the water is super warm. I never wanted to learn in California because the water is always cold.
We are excited for Thanksgiving this year. Our ward is doing an imu (a pit to cook things in) and we are going to put our turkey in that. We might also try and have dinner with another family so that there can be variety of foods, and less work...we will see.
All in all, things are going well, and we now feel like we live here. I miss EVERYONE and will be excited to see people soon. Visitors are welcome anytime!

The Hawaiian Saga...

2010-10-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

I wish I had some pictures to post! Unfortunately the connector to my camera is packed w/ my stuff. So, there will be major pictures posted soon!
We have lived in Hawaii for the past 2 1/2 weeks, and there have been some ups and downs. The lows have been trying to find a place to live in Kailua. Kailua is a highly desired place to live on Oahu. It has good schools, the most amazing beach on the island, it sits next to the picture-esk mountains on the windward side, and has ever store and convenience that you could think of. So, trying to find a 3 bedroom house under 3,000 a month has been a challenge. There is also a military base close by, so we are competing with TONS of military families to get the house we want.
Long story short, after 2 1/2 weeks of checking craigslist, me freaking out, and Jared doing everything he can to find a place, we found something. We have had all these expectations that we needed in a house, like:
1. Walking distance to the beach
2. Big yard
3. 1600 sq feet or bigger
4. No ohana house on the property (studio right next to main house that someone lives in)
5. Updated, ie. not a shack held together with boards.
6. Big living areas, kitchen

We ended up having to sacrifice a couple of our wants, but got to keep some of the essentials. We got a 3 bedroom house, under our budget. It is about a mile and half from the beach (3 minutes by car, 8 minutes by bike), Very large living areas, big kitchen with lots of storage, front yard and backyard. However, it only has 1 1/2 bathrooms inside the house. But, there is a full bathroom in the enclosed garage, as well as a laundry room, and lots of storage. The kitchen is origianl from the 1950's. It belongs in a vintage magazine. The stove is the original one from when the house was built back in 1950's. It is very well taken care of, and I'm super excited to move in. The other thing I love about the house is that there are TONS of windows for the tropical breezes to blow in. It will be nice when my kids can have space to ride their bikes in the driveway, and run around in the backyard. We move in on November 2nd!

I wanted to mention one more thing about our house search for the record. I was feeling really stressed and bummed out for a couple of weeks. NOTHING was working out, and we were thinking we wouldn't even live in Kailua. I asked Jared for a blessing, and I felt the spirit very strong while he was giving me the blessing. There was a sense of calmness that came over me, and I knew that everything would work itself out. About an hour after the blessing 2 places became available, and we were the first ones to inquire about it. (This never happened to us) We were able to get someone to show us the house before their actual show date (which is key), and luckily it was a house we liked. As corny as it sounds, I know that Heavenly Father was listening to Jared's prayer, and that he knew the desires of my heart, and how much I can handle. I'm grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost, it is priceless to me! I feel not only protected by Jared, but by my Heavenly Father.
Jared starts his job tomorrow, and we are walking him to the bus stop in the morning. He is excited to ride the bus...(what?) he really is. I'm excited to see if the job meets all his expectations.
The boys and I are going to start our new mommy/kid routine in Hawaii. It will go something like this:

Breakfast
Gym
Errands
Lunch
Naps
Beach
Dinner
Bed

Pretty relaxing to me! It's nice not to worry about harsh school schedules yet. Brent will go to Kindergarten next fall, and in Hawaii it's ALL DAY kindergarten....SCORE!

Utah wedding and moving to Hawaii

2010-10-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

For about the past 2 weeks we have been living out of our suitcases. The movers came a couple of weeks ago and packed our whole house up, and loaded it onto a BIG crate. I have to admit, it was awesome not having to wrap or pack a thing in my house. We then flew up to Utah, with our 6 bags of luggage (not including carry-ons) to go to Jared's sister's wedding. I'm so happy for Sarah and her new family!

Cameron got his pants and shoes all muddy on the temple grounds right before pictures, so he was the white trash kid running around in his diaper. However, this is the cutest picture of him EVER!

It was fun being with the Underwood's and I also got to play college student for the day. Jared's dad teaches at BYU, and so I went to one of his history classes, and it was alot of fun to transport myself back to the day. I do have to admit, I had to scrape the cob-webs from my brain, so that I could even understand what the discussion/class was about.
We flew to Hawaii on Wednesday of last week, and have been here for about 5 days. We are staying in a furnished rental about a 2 minute walk from Kailua beach. We are desperately trying to find a place to live. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of places to live in Kailua, but we are pretty particular in what we want. I'm sure if time goes by and nothing comes up, we will have to start looking at other options.
I love Kailua! The weather in Hawaii is just SOOOOOOO awesome. Here are some of the things that I love about being here:
I never have to put lotion on my legs, I don't bother with blow-drying my hair, make-up is optional, we eat dinner outside every night, the kids never wear shoes, it rains and then it's sunny a few minutes later, everyone is so relaxed, Jared doesn't start work until the 26th, Brent is a pro at catching baby salamanders, I feel at home, even if I don't have a home.
Brent and Cameron LOVE the beach...the water is so warm, and turquoise. Jared and I have said to eachother several times..."Can you believe we live here?" It really is gorgeous. So, our main goal is to find a house, so that I can make it a home. I think that will be the icing on the cake!

It's almost time!

2010-09-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is almost time to move! The movers are coming on Monday morning to pack all our stuff up. It is weird that the next time I see my things they will have traveled a zillion miles over the pacific ocean. I have been kind of procrastinating packing my suitcases, and things, because I want to live normally for just a few more days.
I really have loved living in Carlsbad. We as a family have experienced 2 major events while living here. First Cameron was born, and then Jared had cancer. The friends and family that have been around us to support us through the good and the bad will always be remembered. We LOVE San Diego culture, climate, and everything that this place has to offer. It is a little bitter-sweet leaving such a great place to live, but how can we possibly pass up Hawaii? Since moving here, I have felt safe, loved and taken care of. It has been a wonderful and growing experience for our family. You only live life once, and I feel like life is flashing before my eyes since I have had children. Now we are on to a new adventure, ready for new experiences and awesome memories.
Brent has shown interest in taking pictures with the camera. So, here are a few pics he shot of the family. Jared and I look REALLY thrilled to have a our picture taken by our 4 year old.

He told me to make a "silly" face in one of the pictures. I look like a cartoon character in it. Friends and family that know me well, will have a good laugh, since I have probably made this face before...for the drama factor...

We are moving to Hawaii!!!!

2010-09-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? I have been dying to make this awesome news public, but I had to wait for Jared to let his work know. Jared got a job with the Fish and Wildlife Services. He is in charge of all the natural refuges in the state of Hawaii and the surrounding islands and atolls 500 miles around. It is really his dream job, and we couldn't be happier. We are going to miss Carlsbad deeply, and we really love San Diego, but how can we pass up Hawaii? It has always been a goal for us to live in Hawaii, ever since we got married. Hawaii has always been a special place for us, seeing as Jared spent his high school years there and I went to BYU Hawaii for 4 months. We also went on our honeymoon to Hawaii, so it has been 7 years since the last time we went there. We were able to go out to Hawaii last weekend to check out the city that we want to live in. We decided that we are going to live in Kailua, which is on the windward side, and about 12 miles (20 minutes) from downtown Honolulu, where Jared will be working. Kailua has one of the prettiest beaches, and there is every convience you could ask for in a town. The mountains are super green and there are several little islands to paddle to just off the shore of Kailua. Here is a picture:

Luckily all of our moving expenses are paid for, as well as plane tickets, and professional movers. I'm so glad that I don't have to pack up my whole house! We plan on leaving the mainland on October 6th, and then Jared will start work about 2 weeks after that. Brent is super excited to not have to wear his wetsuit. We are so excited for this adventure!!! Come and visit!

Make the clouds go away!!!!

2010-07-26T14:56:00.001-07:00

So this summer has not been so awesome. We have had one week of beach weather, and here it is almost August. It feel like we live in Seattle of something. Each morning there is fog, and then some mist, and then over-cast skies. Anybody want to go int eh freezing cold 63 degree water? Seriously, it is NUTS! Jared read a statistic that it hasn't been this cold during the winter on the coast since 1915...that was almost 100 years ago! Well, such is life, and we probably will get summer weather in the fall.
I had a really awesome experience with Jared this last weekend. I was away in Lake Arrowhead while he was at home. We were making some important/major life decisions, and we spent a couple of hours on the phone working through what choice to make. This decision has been in the workings for about 2 years now, so it has been a long road. After coming to a conclusion together, I now have a stronger testimony of the priesthood. I appreciate the fact that Jared always counsels with me, as his partner when it comes to matters of our family. I feel like a team player, and equal and that my voice is valid and that it is being heard. I appreciate the fact that Jared wants to make righteous decisions for our family, and that he uses the gospel morals to make decisions concerning worldly matters. The gospel is what life is about. It's not about success or money or what you have. It is about trying to be Christ-like, and raising a righteous family, and putting Heavenly Father first. When I have these experiences I value my testimony of the truth beyond words. I truly love my husband for all that he is and all that he does. He really is an amazing leader.
I didn't know if I wanted to write this on my blog. But, I figured it would be great to come back and read what I have wrote when Jared ticks me off...(j/k but not really).

Triathlon, boys, and Legoland

2010-07-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I did my triathlon, and finished in 3 hours 15 minutes. I was pleased with my time, it went very smoothly, and I had alot of fun accomplishing my goal. I was glad that I did the training that I did, because I was able to enjoy the experience, and felt like I could do another one after I finished! Jared and the boys were very supportive, and it was nice to have their support in all the different transition areas, and water breaks. At one point when I was riding the bike, they were at a park, hanging in the trees, cheering me on, it made me laugh!

The boys keep me busy each day. Brent however, still is a little rough with Cameron, and it sucks that Brent dominates Cameron all the time. There are those moments where I see them interacting like good friends, and it makes me so happy. Cameron is ALWAYS willing to be Brent's friend, but Brent only has glimpses of those moments. I captured a picture where they were laying down in the family room, next to eachother, enjoying being close...it was definitely a moment!

We got Legoland passes about a month ago, and we go all the time. Anytime I have an hour or 2 to kill, I take the kids there. It is only 5 minutes from our house, and the whole process of parking and getting into the park is very fast. They LOVE it! There is an aquarium, and a water park that we can go to on top of the Legoland amusement park, so there are endless possibilities!!! Brent pushed Cameron in the little stroller at Legoland, and felt very grown up. Although, he would push the stroller, looking down at the wheels, and a couple of times ran Cameron into a wall or a trash can...poor, sweet Cameron.

I know it's been a while...

2010-06-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have been very neglectful! Life has been busy, draining, and fun this last month. Some of you know that I have been training for an Olympic Distance Triathlon. It is SOOOOOOOO hard to train for something and maintain balance as a mother, wife, me. I have been waking up at 5:30am every morning either to run or ride my bike and then coming back before Jared goes to work, and then because I need to swim or go on a bike ride that takes me too long to do in the morning I leave after the kids go to bed to do that. So needless to say, I'm tired, and stretched in more ways than one. My race is this Saturday where I will swim a mile, run 6.2 miles, and bike 25 miles. I'm not doing an "official" triathlon, I'm just doing one on my own, seeing as there are barely any races on Saturday, and Jared will be meeting me in specific spots during the race for water, transitions, etc. My route is awesome, I will be running along the coast, where I have been training for the last 9 weeks. I'm excited to do it, and I'm excited that it is going to be over.

So, last week we went to the Del Mar Fair as a family, and had a good time. The boys loved riding in the double decker bus to get to the fair grounds, and enjoyed petting all the sheep and chickens. (The boys riding on the double decker bus...I love their profiles)

We got a funnel cake and cotton candy....no turkey legs and fried pop tarts for us thank you very much! I wanted to sing the song from Charlotte's Web "...A fair is a veritable smorgasbord orgasbord orgasbord". And I kept asking Brent if we were going to see Templeton the rat all fat and rolling everywhere, he really thought we were going to see him, and kept looking around for him.
We are looking forward to family coming into town, for cousins to play, and major beach time!

Going to lunch in Seattle...

2010-05-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

So, it has been a VERY exciting week for us. On Monday, Jared called me from work and asked me if I wanted to go to Seattle on Tuesday for 20 dollars. I was like "are you joking?...what is this all about". Jetblue is celebrating their 10 year anniversary this year, and Jared had received an email advertising tickets to different locations for 20 bucks round trip! Seriously? We quickly arranged for our kids to spend the day and night with my mom and dad, and we took off on a plane on Tuesday morning to go explore Seattle for a day. We flew back the next day in the afternoon, so we had a total of 24 hours in Seattle. Luckily, Jared's sister and brother-in-law live about 15 minutes outside of Seattle, so we were hooked up with a place to stay. We took every form of public transportation, except for a taxi while we were there, including a train, bus, water taxi, car, and a monorail. Here are some of the highlights!

This was the Pike's Market Place

This is the first Starbucks....EVER!

Down at the Harbor

Pike's Fish Market...the ugliest fish I have EVER seen.

Tribal Totem Poles in Downtown

Seattle Skyline, on our way to the island of Banbridge

Hiking in Banbridge, super green and peaceful

Checking out the Space Needle

Just having fun...

The trip was fast, and really fun and cost us a little under 150 dollars for EVERYTHING! Our plane ride was nice too! I love JetBlue! Jared and I felt like we were not living our realistic lives. It felt as though were were childless, jobless, and rich...which none of those things are true. It will be a great memory!

It's been one of those weeks...

2010-04-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a sort of tough week with Brent. As a baby/child, he has always been an early riser, and unfortunately has the genes from Jared, that when he wakes up in the early mornings, there is no way he is going back to sleep. We have tried everything you can think of to keep him in his room until 6pm. Clocks, locks, treats, verbal praise, late bedtime, nap, no nap, repetition on what he needs to do...etc. It doesn't seem to help. So that is annoyance number one. I still don't know how to solve this one.
The next thing that Jared and I are having a problem with, is his discipline. He is a red type personality, and he keeps on getting into trouble. We pick our battles, trust me, but the biggest problem is the listening. I freak out in my head when I have a hard day with him, thinking that I will not be able to handle him when he is a teenager. Jared thinks he will grow out of it, but personalities don't change. Anyways, the whole reason why I'm writing this is to remember how I'm feeling right now. After breaking down to Jared, and us both feeling like we didn't know what to do, Jared said, "Pray to Heavenly Father for inspiration to know what to do. You are his mother, Heavenly Father sent us Brent because he knew we could raise him, and that you can be a good mother to him." I immediately knew what he was saying was true. The day after our conversation, I set my mind out to be calm when disciplining Brent, and to not get worked up all the time with him. I also made it a goal, that I was going to praise him constantly for all the good things he was doing. I also made sure to emphasize several times a day to "make good choices". The day went remarkably smooth, Brent felt good about himself for all the good he was doing, and I was able to keep my cool when he would be naughty. I know this problem of mine seems so minor in comparison to all the big problems out there, but I really felt that Heavenly Father heard the worries of my heart. I also know that I was able to remain calm...(which is pretty rare) because I had faith that Heavenly Father would inspire me to do and say the right things to Brent. We are on day number 2 with the new changes, and Brent's behavior and demeanour hasn't really changed, but I can tell he is thinking through things a little better when he is making a choice. I also feel better as a mother, because I'm not yelling, freaking out, or showing that I'm annoyed on the outside to Brent. It's a lot of work to discipline, and follow through with time outs, explaining what is right and wrong, but it seems to be working. I just want Brent to be the best he can be, and I guess the reason why I freak out when he is a wreck is because I feel responsible for how he is acting.
The bottom line is, I'm grateful for Jared and his wisdom and righteousness. I'm grateful that he has a testimony of prayer, and through that he is able to help me get through a trial in my life. I'm grateful for my faith in Heavenly Father, he is ALWAYS there for me...why do I forget this? Hopefully when I'm having another rough week, I can look back on this post and be reminded of the power of prayer, and the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

A Broken Tailbone and a Hike

2010-04-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I slipped on our stairs, and broke my tailbone. It hurt so bad the day after, I felt like I was going to die. But, I feel better now, and the good news is that it doesn't inconvenient my life too much, but the bad news is that it takes 4-6 weeks to heal. I'm popping the IB profen like M&M's!
That afternoon, Jared came home from work early and took the boys on a hike in some hills by our house. He got some really cute pictures of the boys in the flowers and fields. The boys LOVE hikes, and Jared is very patient with the kids as they explore the outdoors. He tells them facts about the plants and animals, and I can tell he is instilling a love for the environment in Brent.

I just love my boys...

2010-04-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

I just have to write about how much I love my boy family. Yes, yes, yes, probably at least once a week I feel like I'm going to go insane from hyper Brent, but he truly is a sweet natured boy. This picture says it all...they are all staring at me, with their sweet boyish eyes...
This picture was taken on the train ride down to San Diego Harbor. The boys loved it, and the big boy loved being with his boys, so everyone was happy. Brent thinks Jared and him are equal. Brent still thinks Jared is growing up to be a big boy...(uhhhh, Jared is larger than the average grown male) He also thinks that Jared needs to go in time out when he's naughty...I kind of like this one. They love being twins, so they will wear the same colored shirt, and the same pants on Saturday. We watched our wedding video on Sunday with Brent for the first time. He LOVED it. He asked, "Where was I?" That launched into a full discussion on the premortal life...he really was trying to process everything, and lately he wonders what dying is...it is very interesting to answer his questions...it's only going to get harder, I'm sure.
Cameron's nickname at dinner time is Gaston. When I make eggs for dinner, he eats 3 of them, whereas Brent eats like one. He really has been such a good baby for me, and I feel myself wanting to hold on to the "baby" mentally with him. But, he really is a toddler now...
He adores Jared,and squeals like a pig when he hears Jared's car pull into the garage. When Jared, Brent and Cameron play together, they remind me of a big bear and 2 cubs. Jared often stretches out on the carpet after work, and the kids can't wait to get on top of him. Cameron takes a few loving nips at Jared, while Brent tries to use Jared as a jungle gym. Cameron loves being a part of the pack...he doesn't want to be left out EVER.
I guess what triggered the sudden feeling of gratitude for the boys in my life was watching our wedding video yesterday. It was such an amazing day for me. Watching the video, it was just Jared and I...very in love...happy, and excited to be with each other forever. There were never any doubts or hesitation for either of us when we chose each other to marry, and I love that. In that video little did I know that one day I would have 2 sons that I adore, and cherish so much, and that I would love Jared even more than the day we got married. It's amazing how many hurdles we have had to overcome, and as we are growing older together, it gives me comfort to know that we will be together for ever, no matter what happens in our lives.
I'm grateful for the gospel, which gives me hope and an eternal perspective in life. I feel very blessed...

I have been neglectful...

2010-04-07T14:39:00.001-07:00

It has been awhile...I felt the quilt of feeling like I'm not documenting the life of the Underwood family. I'm so grateful that I have created a blog to document the happenings of our family. It is fun to go back and look at the changes of our family.
I have felt busy for the last couple of weeks, even though I'm not a busy type of person. We as a family love that it stays light, so that Jared can do something outdoors with the kids when he gets home. We have been going to the beach for the last couple of weekends as a family from 9-12 noon, the kids get worn out, and take NICE long naps, which Jared and I enjoy. My sister Lana came into town the week before Easter. We were able to do a few mommy things together, and let the cousins make memories together. Here is a cute picture of our 2 youngest, they are 4 months apart.
They look so sweet and innocent in this picture, but wait until they unload all the stuff in your kitchen and bathroom cupboards!!!
We took the kids to the strawberry patch in Carlsbad, and they ate so many strawberries...I thought they were going to turn red. It was really fun to see all the cousins on my side of the family together. They really all look like they are related in small resemblances.
After Lana left, then Jared's family came into town for Easter weekend. We went to the beach on Saturday, and Jared went surfing. He came in from riding a wave, and stepped on a sting ray, and it stung him. Good thing it didn't shoot the barb in his heart like crocodile hunter!!! It got him on his heal, and Jared was in alot of pain! The pain lasted for about 2 hours, while he soaked his foot in boiling hot water to break down the venom. I swear, Jared is kind of going on a bad luck streak lately. Lets see, there was getting stabbed in the cheek with the point of a surfboard, cancer, poison oak that lasted 2 months, and the sting ray incident. What next?????
We had a fun Easter Sunday being with family and eating good food. I guess it's really time to start the diet that I have wanted to start for the last 6 months...ugh.
Just for memories sake, Brent loves playing the Snow White Game. You pretend to eat a poison apple, and then pretend your dead, and then he gives you a kiss, and you wake up, and we do this like 20 times in a row...fun, fun. He also said something funny the other day when there was a fly in our house, he said, "Momma, you dead it" as in you kill it. We are working on past and present terms.
Jared and I call Cameron our little plopper. If you are laying down on the ground, he will come over and sit on you like a chair, sometimes his chair will be your face. He LOVES dogs, and he loves building towers with his blocks. He says a word, that we don't understand..."Unst"...it sounds German to me.

2010-03-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

I really love this time of year. Spring, Easter, it stays light longer, summer is around the corner, everything's green, stress free...
I was talking to friend about it, and I realized that my least favorite time of year is Christmas time. I know it may sound weird, but here are my reasons:
1. Weather sucks
2. Too much stress
3. Too many parties
4. Too many crowds
5. Putting up and taking down decorations = added housework
6. I pack on the pounds from all the decadence
I do enjoy watching the excitement on Brent's face during Christmas time, but that's about it! I guess I just don't like the busyness of it. Yes, I know I have control over my OWN Christmas, but I get sucked into the pit of it all.

Moving on...I know I have mentioned this before, but Brent is sure a smarty pants. He has a little OCD in him, that if channeled in the right way can be very useful later on in life. His latest, is doing "collections" as he calls it. He will gather items that are the same, and organize them into piles or lines. Much like this scenario in the picture.
He focuses, and takes the job very seriously. My complaint, is that there are piles of things EVERYWHERE. Of course Cameron loves to see what Brent is up to and wrecks his collections, and that causes friction between them...friction equals fighting, fighting equals crying and chaos. But, I figure, there could be worse things right?

Cameron is still a cuddly littleman. I love that he is such a peacful little boy. I treasure the times when he wants to be close and feel secure. He is REALLY into and that has to do with Doggies. He says the word "doggie" ALL the time. He loves to read books morning, noon and night. He loves Jared, and doing anything that Jared is doing. It is hard for Jared to divide his time between the two boys since they are both obsessed with him.
Jared is enjoying spending time with the boys. He is such an amazing dad. As a dad, he gives 500%. I'm so glad that he loves to be with his family over anything else. It feels good to know we are number one in his life.
As for me, I have really been enjoying doing a food blog. I have also been becoming better at dealing with yeast breads. There is something gratifying when you work with yeast, and it turns out. Oh, the little things that bring me joy! I have also started training for an Olympic Distance Triathlon. It has been great, and I feel great too! That's about it for our family...loving the life we have!

What we have been up to...

2010-03-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

What have we been up to? Well since the beginning of the year, we have been doing the normal day to day thing with a couple of weekend trips here and there. The boys and I have enjoyed taking walks down by the beach, and enjoying living in a place where the weather pretty much is paradise anytime of the year. We do get a few days of rain here and there, but even during the winter time, the beach is an enjoyable place for us to go and play.

In the early part of February, the boys and I took a trip up to Folsom, CA (northern California) to visit my sister Lana. We got super cheap plane tickets, and so Brent got to fly on an airplane, and actually remember it, since he is old enough to remember things. He loved it!

Brent and Cameron had fun playing with cousins, and I had fun hanging out with Lana. We took the kids to the Jelly Belly Factory, and also to a bouncing house place. I think by the end of our trip we were more worn out than the kids were. It was fun watching shows w/ Lana, laughing, and doing the mommy thing with my sister. For some reason, when Brent smiles in these pictures, he is Mr. Squinty eyes...he's half Asian..did you know? :)

Then, for Jared's 33rd birthday, we went to Mexico with our friends who had a house down past Rosarito. Jared went surfing, and the kids played on the beach. It was a little on the cold side, but it was fun to see Mexico in a different way. It was truly beautiful!
After Jared's birthday, we celebrated my 29th birthday, and went to BJ's for dinner...it was FAB. Loved it! Our next birthday is Brent's on April 24th, he will be 4 years old. He cannot wait for his birthday party...he fantasizes about it all the time.

Trying to attempt something NEW

2010-02-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

I'm attempting a new hobby sort of...

Check out the new blog! Click on the link in the upper right hand corner!

Cameron

2010-02-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

Cameron had his 1st birthday this last Sunday. I can't believe he is one year old already. I feel like when babies hit 1 year...they start to not be babies anymore. It actually is bittersweet for me, since Cameron has been an amazingly good baby from day one.
For his Birthday we had my family down for some dinner and cake/ice cream. Cameron didn't really care about the cake that much, he just squeezed it with his hands, and licked some frosting. We had a great time eating good food,and celebrating Cameron's fist year of life. Here is a list of things Cameron does/loves/etc.:

1. He wears 2T clothes
2. He says cracker, car, num-num (food), Dent (translation: Brent), Dat (dad)
3. Loves to be around a party, so he can walk around in circles, and yell.
4. Has 8 teeth (4 on top, 4 on bottom)
5. He is Brent's friend unconditionally, even when Brent is a bully. (I don't get it)
6. Loves playing in the backyard with Brent
7. Pushes cars along the ground, pushes buttons on toys, and puts lid onto containers
8. Still has no sideburns...gonna ask the doctor about that
9. Loves to cuddle, especially with Momma
10. Is the most good-natured baby I have ever been around. He has such a sweet dimeanor, and is pleasant and content 95% of the time.
I just love my Cameron to pieces. He is such a blessing to Jared and I. I'm excited to see him develop in the next year. His Stats are:

99th percentile in height
50th percentile in weight
110th percentile in head circumference (his head is as big as Brent's....big brained baby)

Welcome 2010

2010-01-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

One of the hardest things for me to remember to do is take pictures, and then download them, so that they are recent. So these are some pictures of the boys in November at the park.

Brent also had his first dentist appointment right before Thanksgiving. He did really well, and enjoyed the whole experience. I was more nervous than him. The hygienist let him hold the sucking thing, and she moved the chair up and down several times...he loved it, and wants to go back. Jared and I try to make doctors/dentists seem like exciting places to go, even though they aren't, and Brent seems to respond to it well.

Our 6th year anniversary was on the 27th of December. Jared planned a special surprise for me, and we ended up celebrating on the 26th. He told me to pack an extra pair of clothes that were nice for what we did in the evening. My mom came down and watched the kids for us for our extravagant date. When we got in the car, Jared revealed to me that we were going to live the day like movie stars, and that we were going to Beverly Hills to see New Moon (which I have been dying to see). Before going to the movie, we stopped in at Sprinkles Cupcakes (another star attraction) and each got a delectable cupcake...they were really good!

Then, after Sprinkles and the movie was the biggest surprise and treat EVER! For those of you who don't know, I'm totally into everything culinary. I know all the terms/ingredients and different types of preparations, thanks to hours of reading cookbooks and watching Food Network. Jared revealed to me that we were going to Spago for dinner that night. Spago is Wolfgang Puck's restaurant in Beverly Hills that is regularly visited by the rich and famous and we went there! We splurged and had the Chef prepare us several different starters and several different entrees. Each item was about 3 bites, and plated so perfectly like art. And, it tasted AMAZING. There were things we had that one would never think of going together but it did. It was a 2 hour culinary experience...my life has been enriched. Thank you Jared...you really are the BEST husband for me! Here are some pics, sorry it is so dark, my phone doesn't have a flash on it.

Christmas and anniversary were wonderful spending time together as a family. Today being New Years day, we went on a little hike this morning and enjoyed our nice San Diego weather. (Sorry to all my friends who live in the cold)

Jared and I are VERY glad to be closing the book on 2009. We have a had a rough year, but have come out of it with high hopes of the future. We were blessed with another child in 2009, and we have endured a huge trial that has strengthened our family forever. Welcome 2010!

Jamaica 2009

2009-12-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

Our trip to Jamaica. Sorry the post is so long, I did not know how to do a slide show. ENJOY!

Jared and I lounging on the beach at the all-inclusive

How Beautiful is this?

This was the really weird place we stayed at for one night...the decor was hideous, Jared was falling off the bed because of the shape.

This is at the same weird place we stayed at. Everything was black and white. We are pretending to be chess pieces.

This was the view from our villa at Frenchman's Cove in Port Antonio. It was amazing! There was no one there...it was like our own private beach!

There was a fresh water steam that went into the cove. It was quite cold, but then it went into the warm water ocean. So when you went into the ocean, there was a cold layer on top and really warm water on bottom.

This was the Blue Lagoon. The water was over 200 feet deep.

Swimming in the Blue Lagoon!

Jared Surfing at Boston Bay Beach. The only surf spot in Jamaica.

Taking a bamboo raft down the Rio
Grande.

Hiking to Scattered Falls

Banana Plantation

Dinner at Woody's in Port Antonio. It was a shack restaurant, we ate real Jamaican food, including curried goat. It actually just tasted like beef. But they wanted us to suck the bones, and I was not having any of that!

Reach Falls...Amazing, almost not real. We were the only ones there.

There was this hole/cave you could go down inside that was in the waterfall. And this is what we saw...

Reach falls was truly amazing. Jared was like a boy on Christmas day with all the nature around us. As we were there, I told Jared that there was no way to capture it just by taking a picture.

We had so much fun, and enjoyed the break after having a very stressful year. We missed our boys, and so it was fun to come home after vacation and be reunited with them. Just 3 more years until our next awesome trip!

The time change SUCKS!

2009-11-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

Jared and I are fed up with the stupid time change. Why do we do it? For the farmers?.....LAME. It is so old school. Arizona and Hawaii don't change time, I guess they are the only 2 smart states in this country. As you can see I'm pretty worked up. The reason for this, is that for a week straight Jared and I, (mostly Jared) have been getting up with our 9 month old Cameron at 4 or 4:30 in the morning. We have never had to deal with a time change with a baby, since we lived in Arizona when Brent was little. Brent had no problem adjusting, but Cameron is having a hard time fixing his body clock. We have deprived him of sleep during the day...let me tell you what a treat that is. NOT! We have tried to keep him up later, but he just wants to be put out of his misery when 7:30 rolls around. What to do? Jared and I are seriously ready to throw in the towel. It's funny, because 3 months ago, I started waking up at 5:30am to go to the gym, and it seemed so early to all of us. But now, Jared says that if he is waking up at 4:30, then I should go to the gym at 5am, so he can do something in the morning. Oh, I remember the days when there was now way I was getting up in the morning to be productive, but now it's the only time for things. Please, please, please let the insanity end!!! I'll keep you all updated! Remember when you are getting up to go to the bathroom at 4am in the morning, if you would like to chat, give me a call, I'll be up!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

Halloween was more fun this year than any other year, because Brent fully got the WHOLE concept. He wanted to be a witch/warlock (since he is a boy). He was not going to be anything else. I tried to suggest several things, but it always came back to being a witch. I got Jared a wig a Walmart titled, "The Mullet". So, he was white trash, and still looked good to me. I laughed all night while he had his wig on. The lights on the street made his sick blonde hair glisten, and the silhouette was priceless. Cameron got to be a dragon, since that is the costume I have for his size. I went easy, and put some cat ears on. Brent was very excited to go door to door and say the magic words. He would ask some of the people, "Just one more?". As in just one more candy please, after they had already given him some. That night Jared and Brent did the candy sorting, and Jared let Brent have a generous amount to eat. It was kind of freaking me out, since I rarely let Brent have candy. Overall, it was a fun holiday, and Brent is at the PRIME age where holidays are a really fun, exciting event.

Spa Weekend

2009-10-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, I had the most amazing, relaxing time. On Friday night I left the kids with Jared and went up to my parent's house in San Clemente. My parents were out of town, and my sister Jenny and I had the whole house to ourselves, to lounge, and relax. It was so nice to go to bed when I wanted, and to sleep in as late as I wanted. (Too bad I could only sleep in until 8:30am.) Then, my sister and I did a run along the beach trail in San Clemente, and went straight from there to Burke Williams Day Spa in Mission Viejo. OMG! Words cannot describe how nice this place was. From the moment you stepped in, it was like you were in a dream world. We got there at 11am, and our actual spa treatments were not till 1pm, so we were in the steam room, sauna, jacuzzi, mist room, relaxation room (reading US weekly :)), etc. This spa had EVERYTHING! Vegetables, fruit, flavored water, aroma therapy face towels, iced towels, facial cleansers, masks, brushes, razors, deodorant, plush robes, slippers, candles, music, waterfalls, and constant assistance from their staff. When I was in there I thought to myself, "so, this is how it feels to be rich!" It was truly awesome. My sister Jenny gave me the spa day for my Christmas present and Birthday present from last year, and I was finally able to use it. We had a great time together. She kept on telling me, "it's not just about how you are feeling on the outside, but the spa experience also works on the inside". At first I didn't believe her, but as we were there, I completely forgot about everything, except for relaxing and enjoying myself. My massage was awesome and it was nice to have a full day without kids, and without a worry. What a blast! I will remember it forever! Time to save up for next year!

My little man

2009-10-08T14:04:00.001-07:00

2 Days ago, Brent, Cameron and I went to Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas, because it was a free day. They have a really cool tree house play thing, and rocks, logs, instruments, and all this hands-on stuff. We were there for 45 minutes, and Brent slips off a log, falls head first onto a rock, and bonks the back of his head REALLY hard. He was bleeding a little, but not enough to where he need stitches. The bump seriously looked like a golf ball on the back of his head. I was thinking to myself, how do I know if he's OK? He was worn out from a long day of playing, so being sluggish was normal. Jared and I put him to bed early that night, and he woke up a couple of times, because his head would hurt when sleeping on it. That night both Jared and I were stressing that we would wake up and find him brain dead or something in his bed. These things are so scary. I realized that night how incredibly hard it is to be a mother. I usually don't worry so much, but when something happens, like sickness or injury, it really takes me back. I told Jared that I know I could handle things if something were to happen to him (as I did, while he had cancer), but when your child is hurt, it is the most stressful thing EVER! I'm sure all of you moms would agree with me! :)
The next morning Brent woke up, and he was fine. The lump had gone down, and he was ready to continue his normal routine. Smart, energetic, and sweet...my sweet little Brenty. I love him and who he is becoming each day. He is going to be one incredible man someday.

The End of Summer

2009-09-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile. We have had a very busy summer. As it is coming to an end, I need to remember all that we have been up to. In the beginning of August we moved out of our smaller home into a bigger home just a mile and a half away. We are loving it! Way more space, and a cute neighborhood. I'm very happy that I pushed and pushed to get Jared to agree to let me move.

At about the first part of August the water at the beach became very warm. We had many family late afternoon dinners and dips in the ocean. It was alot of fun, and good to be enjoying our summer as a family, without any illness. We then packed our bags and headed to Utah to visit Jared's family over Labor day weekend. We stayed in Utah for a week, hung out with family, ate lots of food, saw old friends, and relaxed together as a family. We had a great time visiting the land of our college years, but we were glad to get back to our new house, and beachy climate. When we got back from Utah, Brent started Joyschool Preschool. Brent really enjoys having friends over for preschool, and learning, dancing and making crafty things.

The other day he said something really funny. He was snacking on some fruit snacks and I asked him if i could have one. He looked around and saw a glass of water and said, "Mama, I think your thirsty, have a drink." I said again, "could I have one Brenty?" He said, "Ummm, I think there are alot more over there, you can get your own." I just thought it was funny how he was giving me other suggestions to have, he eventually shared and gave me one.
Cameron is started to crawl, but mostly crawls backwards. He doesn't get the forward motion yet.
He is such a calm, happy baby. He loves to be around people, and is crushed if you leave him alone to play by himself. He has a sensitive side, and I can't stop kissing his sweet cheeks!
As the beach weather kind of diminishes, we are getting back to our routine of going on walks to the park. Brent loves to walk and it almost over riding in a stroller. He hates it when Cameron touches him as they are riding in the stroller, but how do you explain to a 3 year old that he really isn't touching him to bug him. Oh well!

"The Future is as bright as your faith"

2009-08-03T20:50:00.001-07:00

Last week Jared had his after chemotherapy appointment. The doctor wouldn't say that he was cancer free, but that the treatment had worked, and they are going to strictly monitor him for the first year, and then I guess after 5 years of monitoring, they will give us the clear, if everything is normal. So, it was kind of anti-climactic, and a little disappointing, but Jared and I are moving on, and according to us he doesn't have cancer anymore.

Since we didn't end up buying a house due to all the crazy unknowns in our family, we are moving August 15th out of our 2 bedroom/loft house, and into something bigger, with 4 bedrooms and a loft. It was like pulling teeth to get Jared to allow our family do this. But, he realizes it will make me happier to have more space, and we will actually be paying 100$ less each month, and getting way more for our money. So we are busy getting boxes together, and I'm VERY excited to have SPACE!
We also have planned a few trips. We are going to Utah the first week of September. We are also going to Jamaica for a week, the day after Thanksgiving. Hallelujah! It is going to be awesome...no kids...no stress...no responsibilities...just Jared and I having a blast! I really love taking trips with just Jared, it reminds me why I married him, we always have so much fun together.
I'm totally excited for the future...

Getting our life back

2009-07-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

So it has been a few weeks since Jared finished his last treatment, and we find out for sure if the cancer is gone next week. We are very excited to get the clear from the oncologist. Jared is still having some side affects, but his energy levels are getting WAY better. In fact, we are almost back to be a normal active family. The last couple of weeks, we have gone to the beach, and Jared has gone surfing a handful of times, and I have been able to start going to the gym, leaving the kids home with Jared. Brent and Cameron love going to the beach, especially Brent. We go about 3 or 4 times a week, he runs around, and plays so much at the beach that he gets chaffed between his legs. Well, we bought him a speedo, the kind that look like biker shorts, and they solved the problem. (We put the swim trunks over the speedo). It is so funny, Brent knows the definition of chaffed, and he says, "now I won't get chaffed anymore" in his little 3 year old voice.
We are looking forward to taking a vacation soon. Jared has saved his paternity leave from when Cameron was born, so we are going to take 6 weeks off over the months of December and January. During that time Jared and I are getting away for a nice break, no kids, just enjoyment. Jared deserves it, and so do I, we can't wait. We were thinking Jamaica, south east Asia, Australia, Dominican Republic, or Hawaii. I wish I could go to all of those places!!! Soon enough. When Jared and I first got married we vowed that were were going to take a big trip every 3 years, and we are coming up on the 2 year mark since our last trip, but since cancer happened we are doing a trip early!
I will keep you all posted on the news next week! Miss all my friends!

I can feel that light shining on me, @ the end of the tunnel!

2009-06-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

Last week Jared finished the last round of his chemotherapy. It has been definitely rough! I never want to see anyone ever go through this again. He has one more shot that he has to get on Tuesday, and then he is done with IV's. Even though Jared can only live one day at a time, I'm thinking about the road ahead, and how great it is going to be when cancer is just a memory in our minds. I have to say one thing, I'm so glad that our children will not remember this time. It would have been so much harder to see them suffer emotionally from this. Brent just thinks that daddy likes to take naps all the time, and gets "owies" at the doctor constantly. Cameron likes his daddy even more with a bald head, because they match together. We are definitely looking forward to a future filled with lots of FUN memories. Jared's attitude on life is to live it like there is no tomorrow. We may be going on some crazy trips soon....screw buying a house, let's go to Australia! Ha ha! We will see...
This past month my sister Lana was able to come down for a visit. Brent LOVES playing w/ his cousins. We went on the train, down to downtown San Diego. The kids didn't care much about S.D., it was the train ride that was fun. The coastal view on the way down was awesome. My sister and I also took the kids and picked strawberries in the fields here in Carlsbad. You pay like 4 bucks, and fill your baskets with strawberries, they are TDF. We spent a couple days at the beach, and also enjoyed watching the Bachelorette together. It was awesome, because all the things I say about the show to myself while I watch it, I had someone to say them to.
Back to the future...Jared goes in for his last body scan and blood work on July 19th, and then we meet with the oncologist for our hopefully final visit on the 24th, where she will say, "You are cancer free, Jared". And that day will be a PARTY day!!! July 24th is also the day that Jared and I kissed for the first time. Sappy, I know, but it could become an even more memorable day to us. Oh ya, and it's pioneer day...don't forget them!

Getting through it!

2009-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

A week and a half ago, Jared finished his second round of chemo, and it was a rough one. He was pretty sick during that week and about 4 days after. His toughest side affect has been the nausea. All the foods he has eaten in the last month sound gross to him, so the difficult part is thinking of new things for him to eat. Jared is a bald man now, but he still is as hot as ever to me :) . Next week will be his last round of chemo, and we are very excited to be done with all of this craziness. It will be nice to see Jared getting better constantly, instead of getting better and then getting poisoned again, like he gets as he is going through this treatment. When I think about what we have been through for the last 2 1/2 months...I'm seriously amazed. I just can't believe we are making it through this. Before all this happened, I used to think in the my head, "wouldn't it be the worst thing if Jared ever got really sick?" HA! Funny how sometimes the brain foreshadows what is going to happen. However, we are almost through, and I never thought we would be able to handle something like this. It just goes to show, that you can handle just about anything that life throws at you. It may suck, and you may not want to be going through it, but you can make it through anything, especially when you rely on Heavenly Father to help you through it.
The kids are doing great! Cameron is a giant. He is wearing 12 month clothes now, and he is only 4 months old! He is not very chubby, it's his body length...it's insane. I feel like he has grown up so much. Brent is a social butterfly, and loves playing with friends, going to the beach, and watching his "shows" in the morning on TV.

What's up with us?....CHEMO

2009-05-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been 2 weeks, since Jared's first day of Chemotherapy, and we are still all alive. Jared progressively got more sick as the days went by. However, he is doing good as of right now. It's kind of guess as to what he is going to feel like each minute, because he can go from feeling great to feeling really bad. We are 1/3 of the way done though, that's good. Both Jared and I cannot wait until all this is done with, and we can move on from it.
Our 2 boys are growing like weeds, especially Cameron. I will be taking both of them to the doctor for their checkups, Cameron for his 4 month and Brent for his 3 year. I have to hold off on Vaccinations until Jared is done with his treatment. (I guess they can effect him or something.) Jared gets the ruler out every week to measure Cameron and get his percentage on the charts. He is 26 1/2 inches long...and that is the 99th percentile in height for his age. Brent is about average, he has stayed in the 5oth percent for about a year now. Cameron is developing, and loves to watch Brent do things. Brent is enjoying all his little play dates with his friends. For a 3 year old he has a busy schedule. Tuesday - Preschool, Weds- Preschool activity, Thurs. - Legoland, Friday- Puppet show @ the library, plus all the other little mommy/kid outings. We are trying to keep him busy, because he is so full of energy. Overall, we have maintained our normal life considering the crazy onbstacle that is happening in our family.

The Roller Coaster of LIFE

2009-04-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

So, as most of you know, life has not been normal for the Underwood Family. A month ago Jared was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer, and has had surgery and will be starting Chemotherapy on Monday. The way this all started was, back in December, Jared was out surfing. He felt some tenderness under his left nipple, and decided he should go in and get it checked since it was bothering him. After having numerous test, and blood work done, it was determined that the lump under his nipple was being caused by a hormonal imbalance, which was caused by cancer in his testicle. After getting a CT scan of his body, the scan showed that there was also cancer in his lymph nodes (2 tumors in the abdomen, by his kidneys). He has surgery right away to remove the cancer from his testicle, and they are going to do chemotherapy to get rid of the rest. He has stage 2B testicular cancer, so chemotherapy is really the only option. As I said earlier, he will be started chemotherapy on Monday, where he will go into the hospital and get hooked to an IV for 7 hours for 5 days straight, and then he will have 2 weeks off, and do it again 2 more times. As you know there are ALOT of side affects from chemo, but they don't know how many side affects and how severe they will be on each person, since everybody handles it in different ways. Jared has to make sure he doesn't get sick from our kids since he will be more prone to infection. Hopefully none of us will get sick! I feel very optimistic that after he completes his rounds of chemo that the cancer will be gone, and we can move on with our lives, but I don't expect that until September, when Jared will be fully recovered from some serious poison in his body. It has been a whirlwind of a month, and I can't wait until this nightmare is over. However, on a positive note, I have learned alot about myself, and Jared and I are more in love than we ever have been, This cancer has not torn our family apart, it has only made us stronger, and our testimony that Heavenly Father is there listening to our prayers. I'm so grateful for my belief, it truly has gotten me through such a dark time in my life.
Cameron is sleeping through the night (8pm-7am), and he is laughing and cooing all the time. He is such a sweet baby, I feel so blessed that I can't even put it into words. Brent is also becoming quite the brainiac. He says words that I have never said to him, and has an interest in everything in life, except playing dolls which is a good thing. Brent's Grammy Underwood, gave him a boy doll when Cameron was born so he wouldn't feel left out, and I had Brent get it out the other day. I told him to burp the doll, and he gave the doll 2 pats and threw it across the room, and ran to get some blocks to play with. I died laughing. Thank you to all my friends and family for you love, concern, and support. This is what the gospel is all about...taking care of each other during our time on the earth.

Day by Day

2009-03-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Things are getting easier in the Underwood household as of recently. Cameron is a growing little boy, who is in the 95th percentile in height and the 50th percentile in weight. Brent as a baby was always really tall, but we took his measurements the other day, and for a 3 year old, he is average height. Jared has given up on the fact that Brent is going to be 6'5 like him, so he is hoping Cameron will be nice and tall. I'm average height for a girl, so he can't expect us to have giants for children. Cameron is on a good schedule, and the nice part, is that Brent and Cameron go down for naps at the same time...hallelujah! Because of daylight savings time, it stays light till 7 or 7:30, and it reminds me of summer. I'm so excited for summer, and to be living so close to the beach. I think Cameron will be at the perfect age this summer, to be immobile at the beach, and Brent is old enough to play, play, play. All that's left to do is to get rid of any evidence on my body that I have had a baby...ugh! Our lease in the house we are living in is up in August, and Jared and I are getting ready to start making offers on houses that we might want to buy. I'm SO excited to be a homeowner again in San Diego. Fun times!

A family of 4

2009-02-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

As we are approaching Cameron's 1 month birthday, I feel as though time has flown by and that it has also gone very slow. Weird how it can feel that way. Cameron is growing, and eating and doing all the new born things. Brent is also doing quite well considering the changes in our family. He is very helpful in getting things for me, like diapers, and my cell phone. And the other day, Cameron was crying in his bouncy chair, and Brent went to the chair and lightly rocked it, so Cameron would stop crying. This is a big improvement over Brent using the bouncy chair as a sling shot , and Cameron being the object getting slinged. (Luckily I was in the room for that one).
We just celebrated Jared's 32nd birthday...he is an old man. I made him carrot cake, per his request, and it came out so good. The recipe is from Barefoot Contessa, and it was TDF (To Die For). As 4 weeks post-pardom is approaching, I'm finding myself getting a little anxious to get my body back into shape. I know I need to wait, so I don't injure myself, but I'm tired of feeling like a Frump! Only 2 more weeks to go, until I get the go ahead to start my hard-core diet and exercise. It is exciting, but at the same time, I'm dreading it.

Baby Cameron Pic

2009-02-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

Alot of you have requested a better picture of Cameron. I finally took one last night, I'm the WORST at remembering to take pictures, and downloading them. I really wish I could have my own personal historian. So, here he is, sweeter than ever. It is interesting to see the differences between him and Brent. I think Brent was way more difficult than Cameron, or maybe it gets easier with each one you have.

He Arrived!!!!

2009-02-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

So, on January 31st at 6:01 am Cameron Grant Underwood arrived! I went into labor at 11pm on Friday night, and had him in the morning. He was 7 pounds 12 ounces, 21 inches long, with brown hair, and a skinny body. Brent was the same, I guess I don't have beefy babies. I lost alot of blood during labor, so much, that I had to get a blood transfusion. Pretty creepy that someone elses blood is in my body now. I'm still pretty anemic, but I'm taking it easy, and trying to recuperate. Doctors say that my blood levels won't be the way they were until about 6 weeks post-pardom. But, everything else is going great! Cameron is a good baby, and Brent is being a good big brother. It will be very interesting when I'm on my own without any help taking care of 2 kids, but each day gets easier. I feel so blessed to have a healthy baby, and a growing family, it is amazing how much love you feel for each child, I truly am grateful.

It's been too long!

2009-01-19T19:41:00.000-08:00

I have let too much time pass by! We have been very busy the last couple of months. The month started out with taking a trip to Arizona, for Jared's graduation. It was so rewarding to see him walk. We were also fortunate to have a small little party with some our friends who live in Arizona...it was SO fun! I miss you guys! (You know who you are). After graduation, Christmas was just around the corner. We spent Christmas at my parents house this year, so it was nice to only have to drive 30 minutes up the rode from where we live. It was exciting to have our own "little" Underwood Christmas morning before going up to my parent's house, with Brent opening his presents. After Christmas, Jared and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary, by going out, and also visiting our engagement bluff in San Clemente. We have had some nice warm weather, and as a family we have been able to go to the beach a handful of times in the last couple of weeks. I'm so glad to live in San Diego! Now, we are awaiting having Cameron, I REALLY want to be done being pregnant, the baby is COOKED! Only about a week left, hopefully I will have him sooner...we will see, and I will keep you posted.

November

2008-11-26T07:35:00.000-08:00

Life has been busy as we are approaching the holiday season. One of the biggest accomplishments in our family as of late, is that Jared finished his dissertation for his PhD. He is officially Doctor Jared Underwood now. He will be walking/graduating in Mid December. He bought his official robes and will be "hooded" on the day of graduation. I'm SO happy that it is finally over. Jared has been in school for 10 1/2 years, and luckily I have only been present for 4 1/2 of those school years. I'm so extremely proud of him for accomplishing this HUGE goal. He is truly an example to me, and will continue to be. With 2 months left before baby Cameron comes, we are starting to mentally prepare ourselves for what is to come. Having another child doesn't scare me, but dealing with the changes Brent will be going through will be tough. I have no high expectations for how he will react to another sibling. We will see how it goes! Recently Jared's sister Sarah came out for a visit from Utah. We had so much fun going to the beach, Legoland, walks, shopping, talking, and I enjoyed having a built in friend to do the mommy thing with.

Legoland

2008-11-09T18:45:00.001-08:00

This last week, I went to Legoland twice with Brent. They let locals in for free for the last hour of the day. It is so close to our house, (3 minutes) and it is the perfect thing to do at the end of a day with a hyper little boy. On Saturday, Jared came with us, and we rode a couple of the kiddie rides. Then Brent saw one of the roller coasters, and called it the fast train. He wanted to ride it, and Jared and I looked at each other in surprised, and got in line with Brent. Luckily Brent is 36 inches tall now, so he is able to ride about everything at Legoland. However, he doesn't understand that we have to wait in line for things. He gets SOOOO frustrated when he has to wait. I was so surprised that he wanted to ride such a fast ride, but I was very excited to see how he would actually enjoy it. Jared rode with him in the front car and I was right behind him. When we went down the big hill, Jared held on to Brent so he wouldn't slosh around, he is still so tiny! Brent was a little unsure at first, but we were going so fast that he didn't have time to cry. I think he liked it, he wasn't bawling afterwards, he just kept on telling me "too scary momma". I tried to turn it around and talk about how fun it was and what a big boy he was. So, maybe he will want to ride it next time we go. It was alot of fun, and we were ALL tired at the end of the day. Earlier in the day we had spent the afternoon at the beach. The sun, and amusement park took all the energy out of us. Brent was asleep by seven and Jared and I dropped dead at nine.

Train Ride

2008-10-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

2 weekends ago, Jared, myself, my sis and Brent went on the train to downtown San Diego. (I have pictures that I will post soon). Brent has been obsessed with trains ever since we moved to Carlsbad, because the tracks are right by the beach. There is also a little trail we walk along next to the train tracks, and he LOVES it. We waited at the train station for the train to come, and Brent was waiting so patiently, making sure he never took his eyes off the tracks in the distance. When the train arrived, he got on, and sat right in the chair. The ride was very picturesque, as we travelled along the coast. Brent was very serious, and calm the whole time. We had taken our bikes, and so when we arrived we got on our bikes and rode to Balboa Park. It is a HUGE park in San Diego with museums and fountains, and random musicians set up everywhere. There was a saxophone player named Mr. P playing....I don't like the saxophone, it reminds me of soap opera's in the the 80's. Brent liked it though, and he was very intrigued. It was so much fun discovering new places, and sharing a "first time" with Brent. Our next family fun will be to Legoland. Legoland is one exit north of us, and they let Carlsbad residents in for free for the last hour of the day. So basically we could go everyday, since it is so close. I'm just waiting for Jared to get work off a little earlier, so that we can all go together for the first time. It should be fun!

Injuries

2008-10-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

In the past 2 weeks, Jared and I have both gotten pretty hurt. Jared a couple of weeks ago was out surfing in some big waves. There were alot of people at the surf spot, and he fell into the white wash, and someone else went under the wave, and when they came up, the tip of their board rammed into Jared's cheek like a screwdriver. He at first thought it went all the way through to the inside of his mouth, luckily it didn't. He has since recovered, and has a permanent dimple in his left cheek. I was just glad it wasn't his eyeball....gross I know. Last week, I was making a fresh peach pie, and I have sharp Henkle's knives. I have had these knives for a while now, and I have never cut myself. I was taking out a pit with the knife, because Brent wanted to play with it, and the knife slipped and shaved off the top of m index finger....it hurt sooooooooo bad! I had to go to the doctor because I was bleeding so much. It has almost healed, but has been a pain in the butt. So I really hope the trend of getting injured ends, it's not like we are doing outrageous things. Brent thankfully is fine, but I hesitate to say anything, fearing something has got to happen. Be safe everyone!

Adding to the Family

2008-09-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have decided to join the "having a boy" club. Yes, we found out we are having another boy, and we are soooooooooooooooooooo excited. It seems like every pregnant person I know is having a boy, I think it is the year of the boy. I must say I'm relieved because I kept everything from Brent, and so all I need are diapers! I'm very excited for Brent to have a brother, I know he will not enjoy it until a couple of years down the road, but it will be fun for both of them. Jared is excited as well, although we seriously would have been happy with either a boy or girl. So now I can start my search for another boy name that Jared and I like. He is very active, and all over the place. He will need it, to keep up with Brenty.

Changes

2008-08-29T14:44:00.001-07:00

Our family has lived in San Diego for a week now. We rented a house in south Carlsbad about a mile from the beach. We are still getting to know the area, but we are learning quickly that there is no way we will be able to afford a house of our own in this area. However, we will keep an eye on the market for the next year, maybe the prices will drop even lower. If it is not possible, we will just move a little more south or a little more inland from the beach. Jared is enjoying his new job working for the county of San Diego, and Brent and I have been frequent visitors to the beach (everyday, twice a day). Brent loves his new room, and is in a big boy bed now. We decided to skip the toddler bed and just put him into a twin that we already had. We are determined to not accumulate anymore stuff! I'm anxious for our new insurance to kick in so I can go to the doctors and see how the baby is doing, only a couple more weeks till we find out what we are having. I'm still in the "I look chubby" phase, which totally bites, but last time I didn't start showing until 5 months.
I'm actually really enjoying being a mother right now. Brent is turning into such a sweet, smart, funny little boy. He is talking, and playing pretend games at the beach. I love to hear him talk about things. The other day we were walking and he saw "two white dogs". he actually said it just like that. He counts to 15 on his own, loves triangles and circles, and has some of his colors down. Although I think he might be slightly color blind. :)
Anyways, life is good and ever changing.

Moving to San Diego!!!

2008-08-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official! We are moving to San Diego (Encinitas, by La Jolla). Jared got a job working for the county of San Diego as a conservation biologist, and we couldn't be happier. Everything has fallen into place so easily, and we are super excited to live minutes from the beach. Jared starts his job on August 20th, so we will be officially moving there on the 16th of August. It has always been our dream to make it back to the coast, so that we can enjoy the culture that Jared and I love so much. Jared is especially excited to be able to surf as much as he wants, and I'm sooooooo glad to be getting out of the heat so that I can be outside with Brent and future children. We will be living about 40 minutes south of my family, which is the perfect amount of distance. We will be renting a house until we find just the right one for our family, I cannot wait! I feel so blessed how things have come together for us in the last couple of months, and I feel very excited to start a new chapter of our life. Please come visit us!!!!

Another Underwood

2008-07-28T21:28:00.001-07:00

I'm finally done with my first trimester, and can officially announce that I'm pregnant with our second child. We are very excited and a little nervous about having 2 kids. I have not had any morning sickness, just tired here and there. Brent doesn't quite get whats going on, but I keep trying to tell him there is a baby in my tummy. In the last month, he has become infatuated with babies, so maybe that is a good thing. I'm sure there will be jealousy, but every family goes through this. I'm due February 3rd, it seems like forever away, but I need the time to prepare mentally. We can't wait to find out if it's a boy or girl...we will see!

California

2008-07-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

Jared, Brent and I just got back from spending 2 1/2 weeks in San Clemente. Everyday we went to the beach, both in the morning and in the afternoon. I was afraid I was looking a little leathery after being in the sun for 2 1/2 weeks straight. The 4th of July was also fun, but Brent never stays awake for the 9pm fireworks at the beach, so next year he might get a chance to see them. It was awesome spending time with my sister Lana, and doing the mommy thing withe her. Brent had so much fun hanging out with his cousins, he misses them already. Our family is now back in Arizona for week (we are staying with our friends, seeing as we are homeless) and the Brent and I are flying up to Utah to see Grammy and Pa Underwood for 3 weeks. I love going back to Utah for visits, to reminisce about college memories. Many prospects and changes are happening in our family that I don't want to post until they are official, I almost can't wait. Stay tuned to hear more....

Concrete Beach

2008-06-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 months, 3 times a week, Jared, Brent and I have been regulars at the water park. We bought season passes for the 3rd year in a row, and we are loving it! There is a HUGE wave pool, with actual beach like waves, and everyday from 4-4:30 they have a body board session. They only allow people with body boards to be in the wave pool, and it has been so fun to be out there as a family. Jared takes Brent on his board, and I ride my own. Brent LOVES it! In a 1/2 hour period we get to catch about 12 waves and when it's over we ride the water slides. Brent is not afraid of any of them, I'm so proud of him! We will miss our concrete beach, seeing as we are moving this weekend, but we are off to a real beach in San Clemente for 2 1/2 weeks!

Hanging out in doors

2008-06-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

So, the weather here in Arizona is psycho! I can't believe people actually wanted to settle here, it is SO hot. Brent and I are trying to stay cool by going to the water park everyday, and staying inside with the AC on. I have been procrastinating the packing of our house, even though we are moving in 2 weeks. There is so much to be done, but the heat makes me SOOOOOOO lazy!

The House has SOLD!

2008-06-01T21:55:00.001-07:00

YAAAAAAAA! Our house sold! We didn't expect it to happen so suddenly, but it was meant to be. We got an offer on it 2 days after we put it on the market, and everything has fallen into place since then. We are still waiting that 10 day period for the home inspection and stuff, but once that is over, it will really be official. The guy buying our house wants to close in 30 days, so that means Jared, Brent and I have to be be out of the house by the end of the month! There is so much to do, I can't even imagine how many boxes we are going to need. So where are we going? That's the big question everyone is asking. Well, I had already made plans before all the house selling stuff had even occurred, to spend most of the summer not in Arizona. Jared, Brent and I will be going to California to stay with my parents for a couple of weeks in July, to enjoy the beach. After that, Brent and I are going to Utah, to stay with my in-laws while Jared goes to New Mexico for work for 2 weeks. He will then join us for another week in Utah, and then we will finally be home around August 15th! I'm going to live out of a suit case for 2 months! When we come back from Utah, we are renting a house in Anthem, AZ (north Phoenix area) close to Jared's work. Since Jared is planning on graduating in December, we wanted to be able to leave as soon as he gets a job, and not have to worry about selling or renting out a house. So, that is our story, and plans for the summer. I'm going to miss Mesa, and all the friends I have made, but I'm excited for this new phase in our lives.

Getting the house ready to sell

2008-05-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

For the past week, Jared and I have been prepping our house to put it up for sale. We have been finishing projects around the house that have been put off for 4 years, and in just a couple of days, Jared has completed them. I'm really excited with the way the house looks, but I'm very frustrated at the same time. It seems as though we have kept putting these projects off for years, and now that they are completed, we won't even get a chance to enjoy them. However, Jared and I think that there is NO WAY that our house will sell, since the market is so bad, but we thought we would try just in case. I don't want to get my hopes up!
This weekend we turned our AC on. This is a monumental moment for our family, seeing as Jared has been putting this off for months, even though we have had a couple of days in the high 90's and I have been complaining for the last month! Summer has officially begun in Arizona!

Brent's unique vocabulary

2008-05-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

Brent had his 2 year appointment last week, and he is still in the 75th percentile in height. I announce this because of the great importance Brent's height plays in our family. Jared is convinced that Brent will be forever a "scrawny" midget. I keep on telling him that he should have married someone that wasn't average height for a woman. Anyways, the funny story of the week is that Brent loves helicopters, and he kind of likes the doctor. So,when we ask him to say helicopter, he says "ta-ta's" and when we ask him to say doctors, he says "ta-ta's. Jared and I find it so hilarious how he interprets certain words. Our very favorite word is squishy. When we ask Brent to say squishy, he says, "seecume". What? Where does he get that? I can understand ta-ta's, but seecume? We are enjoying listening to Brent's growing vocabulary, and can't wait to have a full conversation with him.

I'm a new blogger

2008-05-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

So, I'm hoping to be cool like all my old roomies and start a blog. Today Jared and I have been working on chores around the house, and chores that have to do with the outside, because it is the last of the coolness before the hellish heat of Arizona comes. It gets so hot, that you have to wake up at 5am in the morning just to mow the lawn, if you even have lawn after the sun scorches it. Brent is attatched to his daddy more than ever, and hates it whe he can't be right near Jared when he is trying to work on projects around the house. Brent and Jared are best friends, however I think Brent's affections are much more strong than Jared's.
The other day, Jared and Brent found a snake in the backyard. It was a small narrow snake, and Brent enjoyed holding it. But, I don't think he quite knew what it was because as he was holding it, he became very rough with it, and was whipping it all around like a wet noodle. It was a funny moment, and Jared was a proud dad.