An end to our beginning....

Well, for those of you who don't know we moved out of our condo and moved in with Sterling's parents. We did this so we could save money for a down payment on a real house with a yard and stuff, we also needed to save money for adoption, and to pay off all of our debt so that I can be a stay at home mom. With just a mortgage payment it makes it possible for me to be a full time mom when the time comes.
The condo had been on the market for 2 or 3 months and we were starting to get worried. We had a lot of traffic going through but no offers. On fast Sunday, Aug 3rd, we were fasting about the condo. We had been praying and hoping that things would start to pick up because the market was going down and we were still making our mortgage and hoa payment. One week and a day after our fast (Monday) I got in to work and noticed I had an email from our realtor. She said we had two offers on the house and one wasn't a bad offer. I called her and got the details. While I was trying to get a hold of Sterling I got another email that said we had a 3rd offer on the condo. To make a long story short we have signed the paper work to accept one of the offers and we are officially selling our condo.
It seems kind of sad now that we are about to sign over OUR home to some strangers. We have grown a lot in that home. I remember when we dedicated it. We both got down on our knees in front of our old hand-me-down couch and Sterling offered the dedication prayer. It was our first home (that we "owned"). We were responsible for the spirit that we felt there. We had A LOT of trials in that little dwelling. We made a lot of life long friends that made a print on our hearts. I know that this is what our goal was but it just seems like an end to our beginning.




I've included some pictures of the condo. This is what it looked like while it was being shown.




Our favorite room in the house. This was our room. We spent most of our time in here. The master bedroom was at the end of the hall and was the end of the condo. It had it's own bathroom (above), a walk in closet, and the laundry room was off of this room as well. You could only get to the laundry room from our room. It was kind of nice. For a family it probably wouldn't be a great idea.



The main bathroom for the condo. (1 of 2)







This is the smallest room in the condo. We used it as our slash room. It was our office/storage/exercise/whatever else we needed it for.



This is the 2nd biggest room in the condo. Our master bedroom is the biggest.(that's not saying much) We had a girl stay with us for about a year and rent this room from us.




This is the living room/dining room. We put down those floors with our own four hands (and a lot of other family hands)

This is our kitchen. We used to bake in this kitchen together on our Sundays that we didn't go to one of our parents. We also sanded down and put a new gel stain and sealer on these when we put it up for sale. We also put on the hardware. It made it look like a new kitchen

3 Amazing years!

So on June 28th it was out 3 year anniversary. We decided to go camping. That's a big jump from last year when we took a limo up to the Silver King Lodge in park city and Sterling gave me a diamond necklace and then we went horseback riding.
There was a little rodent of some sort that came into our camp while we were there. We didn't end up staying up in the mountain for our anniversary because lots of stuff kept going wrong but we had a really great time. We've got two video clips at the bottom. They are kinda fun. Just take a look.

P.S. By the way, for those of you who don't know, we're adopting. We've been trying for over 2 and a half years without success so we've applied for adoption through LDS Family Services. If you know of anyone who is thinking about putting their baby up for adoption please give them our contact information. We know we can love any spirit that our Heavenly Father send to us. Please kept us in mind.

I thought this was a beautiful view. You can see the horses feeding on the grass. It was so much prettier in person but I wanted to remember it.


Somehow on the way up Pedro got his little bandana over his little legs and around his belly. We stopped to get ice right before we went up the canyon and noticed at the gas station.

Pedro liked camping too but it got a little cold at night for him

I think Sterling was a little too excited about using that shovel to put out the fire.

Sterling made some pretty amazing coals for our tin foil dinners. It made really yummy food.

my dad let us borrow his canopy. The problem is that we couldn't set it up where we wanted it the correct way. SO....we jimmy rigged it! I think my dad would be proud.

Sterling couldn't remember any of his boyscout knots so I had a go at it. I think my dad would be proud of this too.

Roofing

Okay, so we had an intervention about how my parent's roof has been leaking. We think there is black mold in the laundry room where most of the leak is. So, we got together and made plans to help my dad redo his roof. The first day we took off all of the shingles. Well, I stepped on a nail so I ind of stopped working after that. At first I think Sterling was having fun. Kirk came down with Holden and Cabren the first weekend. Kris came over a little later in the day to pitch in too. They got quite a bit of work done but we ending up working on that stupid roof for like 3 weeks. It was a beautiful day and of course once we got all of the shingles off it started to rain. I mean, it was POURING rain. We had bucket and pans all over the back porch. It was dripping all over the washer and dryer. Good times! They kept going though. Kirk fell through the the sheet rock one day... well, one of his legs did. I think it's a good thing that they are done having kids after that one. Sterling fell through the siding on the edge of the roof. He was nice and bruised on one of his hips but he's pretty good. Kirk and Marnie came down another weekend with all the kids another weekend. I forget if it was the 2nd or 3rd weekend. They really did most of the work. Kirk and Marnie worked their buts off. Even little Kambrie put on a pair of gloves that were only about 12 sizes to big and helped us pick up shingles off of the front lawn. I think my dad was feeling all of his 62 years at the end of every day. I think it's done now. Next, we need to tear out all of the ruined sheet rock and help them fix the inside.

I think this picture can go along with Leslie's post about dirty boys. I couldn't believe how dirty my little guy got. He had to have rolled off the roof a couple times to get this way.

This is Sterling at the end of the first day. He was filthy. Nobody else was this dirty! I think he was just trying to look all rugged and manly. My dad cam down before everyone else and told me mom I wasn't going to be able get him clean for a week.

This was the first day. They were ripping the shingles off. Truth be told there wasn't much shingle left. They had pretty much crumbled away. We've got Holden in the blue shirt, Cabren in the yellow, Sterling in the white and Kirk and my dad are in gray down in the corner.

He didn't really need the tool belt he just wanted to be cool. He asked me if he looks sexy once he got the belt small enough to fit around his waist.

Sterling and Mooch. They were more of manual labor this day.

Princess Kiana

Princess Kiana!!!!

It was Kiana's birthday and as is the custom we went to Kris and Rosa's for her birthday party. There was a lot of people there. They had way too much meat and everyone ate really well. We had carne, beans, rice, relief society potatoes, corn bread, cheese biscuits(my dad's new invention), salad, and other stuff I'm sure. Kris cooked all the meat on his new grill. Rosa out did herself. She made Kiana a Sleeping Beauty dress(it was beautiful), made a tres leche birthday cake, decorated it all cute, made a princess castle pinata, made most of the food, decorated, and who knows what else. It was a lot of fun. My mom had this idea for Keri and I to dress up like princess' (the invitation told everyone to dress like a princess if they had an outfit). Keri called me and we planned on wearing my wedding dress'(yes, I have two). Well, I decided to wear a bridesmaid dress from Sterling's sisters wedding. I had my hair done all cute, and Keri had bought these little tiara's on combs. I made Sterling dress up in a suit so he could be "prince charming". It didn't last long b ut we went and showed Kiana we had dressed up and then went and changed into shorts. Keri ended up not dressing up but I did her hair then we put the tiara in.

She finally smiled for us!! This was near the end of the party. We got her these baby princess'. She didn't like them half as much as the make-up kit that Keri got for her.

This is the best picture of the fabulous Sleeping Beauty dress Rosa made for Kiana. It really was great.

Kiki was pretty happy about her birthday cake. Rosa is a fantastic mom. She made this enormous bithday cake for Kiki. It was a marbel tres leche cake, which we love, and had all of Kiana's favorite princess' on it.

You can see how grumpy she is in this picture. She wouldn't let me take pictures of her either.

So, Rosa made this Sleeping Beauty dress for Kiki and she didn't even want to wear it. She was bawling every time they put it on her. Finally Rosa made her put it on. Rosa made it without a pattern or anything. She is amazing!

I asked him to let me take a picture of him and he got this dirty look on his face and said no. I took one of him anyway. He was kinda pissy this day. You can see him giving me "the eye" through the corner of his eye.

Bryson sitting on the step to the bounc-y castle. He punched kid on the left right after I took this picture. I'm not sure why. I went over and asked him if he was sad but he said no he wasn't sad, that he wanted to sit in the sun because he wanted to be hot. He's a nutter.

This was Keri's idea of dressing up as a princess for Kiana's birthday party!

Kris and my dad at Kris's new grill. The thing is HUGE. It can do like 110 hot dogs or 60 hamburgers at a time.

Me, waiting to go to Kris and Rosa's. Sterling thought it was cute how Pedro came over to lay on my should while he played guitar hero.

Konni's Birthday!!!

Konni's Birthday!!!!

So, for my birthday I invited some friends to go bowling, then go over to my in-laws house to play rock band and have pizza and cake. We all had a good time.

Sterling, Megan, and little baby Lando Comando starting our bowling game!

Lar baing a goofball!!!

Look at my handsome man, He let me dress him this day. He's a pretty good bowler. He has his own ball and stuff.

Corey, Russ, and James taking some time of from bowling to pose for me on my birthday.

This is a few of my friends that came to party with us. Russ, Megan, Baby Lando, Christie, and Larissa

New Years Eve!!!!!

I was trying to get Christie but apparently she wasn't having it.

Guitar Hero on New Years Eve. Sterling LOVES this game.

We were at Larrissa and James' apartment for New Years Eve and The big screen was waiting for a part to fix it. Soooo.... we decided to go white trash style and put this itty bitty TV on TOP of the big screen so we could play video games. This is Russ, Megan's husband, and James (on the left) Larrissa's husband. I hae been friends with the girls since at least high school.

This is my friends Larrissa. I told her to do her best Betty Crocker pose. Not to bad in my opinion

Megan and Russ on New Years Eve. We had a huge breakfast for dinner that night then we played video games and had lots of fun.

Sterling with our Friends baby Landon on New Years Eve. He looks so cute with a little baby! He wants to be a Daddy so bad.

Christmas in June

Yes, I know it's June. I am just posting some Christmas picture for those of you who are not in Utah and weren't able to be with us.
Bryson holding up his new Robot that we got him.

Keri looks very cute in this picture. Again, this was her opening our present to her. I think it was a pedicure thing-y. (very technical term, I know)

We gave Kiana a black "newborn" cabbage patch kid. I had a little black cabbage patch kid when I was growing up so when I saw them I had to get them for Kiana and Kambrie. (my nieces) I don't have a picture of Kambrie opening hers because they were up in Logan.

Mom with Kiana and Pedro. Wherever Pedro goes the kids follow!

My dad opening his Christmas present from most of the kids. We got him a... well, I'm not sure what it's called. It's the thing that you plug your stereo system into to make it run... an amp maybe? I dunno. It was a brilliant christmas present for him anyway. He is sooo hard to shop for.

Sterling and I at my parents house in our new Christmas clothes. Pedro has his festive Christmas bow tie on.