The 10 Days of Utah

We enjoyed...

1 Track Meet

We got to watch Katelyn run her 100 meter hurdles.

She's the one in the blue leaping over the hurdle-pretty cool action shot!  I can't imagine jumping over one of those hurdles let alone having a bunch in a row!  She did awesome :)

2 Airplane Rides

This was the part of the trip I was most nervous for.  We had a layover both ways so that meant four take offs and landings.  Somehow we were fortunate enough to have room on every one of our flights to bring the carseat on so Bailey just thought that she was in the car and slept most of the flights.  

I was especially nervous for the trip back home when I would be by myself.  A really nice lady helped me through security because they make you take your baby out of the car seat and fold up the stroller.  When we got through security she asked if she could hold Bailey so I let her, and how did Bailey repay her?  By spitting up all over her :(  The lady was really nice about it but I was so embarrassed.  Bailey only had one tiny meltdown on our very last landing that lasted for about 3 minutes but luckily this book distracted her and she was happy the rest of the time.

3 Antioch Get Togethers

I threw an Antioch reunion Saturday night (that my mom hosted).  Sandy came down for the weekend so we got to hang out before that and then get together with lots of friends.  It was so fun to see all of the YW that I grew up with and who helped me get through those awkward teenage years. I also met up with Heather one day for lunch and Jennie so that Henry and Bailey could finally meet.  They are only two weeks apart but I love the size difference.  Bailey finally found a baby bigger than her!

Sandy, me, Bianca, Miranda, Hilarye and Ashley

Bailey loves her Aunt Sandy

I love that they kept hitting each other but I'm not sure either one
knew the other was there.

4 Mission Reunions

Since we were only a couple of blocks from where my missionary reunion was being held I thought we should stop by.  Yeah, they are awkward 4.5 years after returning home.  They are probably awkward right after returning home, I just didn't live in UT to go to them.  I did however enjoy getting together with several other mission friends.

Logan, UT with Sarah, Parker, Eden, Joey and Julie

The Wengerts

Sister's Reunion

Bailey and Milana-I trained Milana's mommy!

 5 Aunts and Uncles

Bailey FINALLY got to meet all of her aunts and uncles: Natalie, Jason, Emily, Katelyn and Megan (Nate's  brother and sisters).  They were so good with Bailey and she loved all of the attention.  On Sunday they even had to set time limits so that everyone got a turn to hold her.

6 Different Restaurants

I got to hit all of my favorite Utah restaurants (In-n-Out, Cafe Rio, Zupas (twice)) and tried two new restaurants too.  The Thai House and the Blue Lemon.  I got my hair cut while I was there and went out to eat with two of my old college friends.  I also got to see another old college friend.  I can't believe her little girl is almost two!


7 Grandparents

Bailey got to be reunited with Grandma and Grandpa Louder and Grandpa and Grandma Wiser.  She also got to meet Great Grandma Louder and Great Grandma and Grandpa Richards.  We missed Grandma Burr by an hour but hopefully on our next trip out we'll get to see her.

Nate and my Grandpa racing Sudoku

Bailey loves all of her grandparents!

8 Games Played

One of our favorite parts of visiting the Louders is playing lots of games.  The new favorite this trip was Acquire but we also enjoyed playing Ticket to Ride, Spot It, and Bang.

9 Thousand Photos

We took a TON of pictures while we were there.  We also attempted another Louder family photo, but this time with a real photographer, not a camera set on a timer.  Here are a couple we got on the iPhone.

This was everyone's attempt at getting Bailey to smile for the pictures.

10 New Outfits

My Mom bought Bailey a lot of new clothes and toys while she was there.  They live right down the street from the temple and City Creek so we enjoyed many walks.

Bailey had so much fun on our walk she fell asleep

It was so good seeing family and friends.  Can't wait for our next trip!

Attempt Number Two

My inspiration for this go around at blogging comes from Sandy.  Lets face it, this is really my first attempt at blogging since I'm pretty sure Nate wrote 99% of our old blog posts (all ten or so of them).  I told her I needed a new hobby, something beyond just being a mommy-so now I can write about being a mommy.  Oh well, it's a start.

Yeah most of my blog entries and pictures will be of this sweet girl.

So when I worked at the athletic department at Texas A&M we filled out WAGS (week at a glance) for the athletes.  As their mentors (or mothers) we made a list of all of their upcoming assignments, tests, projects etc.  Basically, my blog will probably just be that-a list of all the things that happened over the past week (or at least the things I took pictures of).  

Last weeks highlights:

Nate's birthday-we had a green theme: guacamole and chips, green beans, kiwis, mashed potatoes (died green) and roast (which I couldn't figure out how to make green) and a mint ice cream cake for dessert.  I also decorated with corny green sayings on clovers.  We didn't exchange gifts this year for our birthdays because we are saving up to go to Harry Potter World.

Office Baby Shower- Bailey and I got to get up early on Thursday and drive with Nate to work.

They had thrown a joint baby shower for Nate and Shawn (Nate's next door neighbor growing up-small world).  Bailey was surprisingly good and we got some gift cards, toys, bibs, and a blanket.

Bailey's first non-family babysitter (but definitely not her last)- My visiting teacher and her daughter watched Bailey for us so that we could go out to eat for Nate's birthday.  We had a gift card to Olive Garden but found out that it worked at five different restaurants.  One of them, Longhorn Steakhouse, happened to be right next door so we thought that we would try that since we had never been there.  I got Salmon and Nate got steak. It was delicious and nice to enjoy a quiet dinner together.  Meanwhile, Bailey was throwing a fit for the babysitter.  She fell asleep in her car seat on the way over and I guess slept for about 30 minutes after we left.  But was cranky when she woke up (she does get some things from her mom). Luckily she eventually settled down with some music and food.  

Stake Basketball Champions-Nate's been playing on our ward's basketball team and they had the final game of the tournament on Saturday.  It went into overtime but our ward won in the end-Nate did awesome :)

Highlights of Bailey's week:

I'm trying to teach Bailey how to roll over but she hates tummy time.  When she isn't screaming, she gives up and puts her head down.  Hopefully she'll figure it out one day.

We spend lots of our day laughing and crying together.

One of Bailey's MANY blowouts for the week!

I had a cute video of Bailey talking but the computer keeps saying that I can't upload it, maybe that's why I'm not a very good blogger...

Summer Vacation

Andrea and I decided to go on a cruise last week.  We had been talking about going on one all Winter long, and about a week and half before the departure date, we booked it.  We had a ton of fun!

I'd never been on a cruise before, and walking up to the ship was an experience.  This thing was immense:

Here's a picture of the boat

We were excited for a few days of rest and relaxation.  We woke up late, laid around by the pool, on the deck, in the sun, in the shade, and read books.  The cruise was a good time to get ready for summer.  We were very excited for our stop in Cozumel Mexico.  The beach was beautiful and we got to kayak and snorkel.

One of the best things about the cruise was all the food we got to eat.  Buffet's were available all day long, and we made sure to take advantage of them.  The dinners were spectacular.  One night they asked everyone to dress up:

 Our waiter was funny and made each of us feel comfortable.  We met three couples at the dinner table, and became fast friends with them.

But I think my favorite part of all the food was the deserts.  We could have as many deserts as we wanted to, and they always had an ice cream soft serve machine available.  This is what I ordered one night:

Yes, I ordered the special Mother's Day desert.  It looked delicious.  And I think I ordered a chocolate lava cake every night as well.

Another great thing about the cruise was the fact that we didn't have to make the bed, and our room got cleaned twice a day.  Every night, the staff  used towels to create animals:

Before we left for the cruise, I had applied for an internship, and we set up the interview time for Monday at 11:00 am. Our cruise was supposed to be over at 8:00 am, giving me plenty of time (I thought) to make it to Houston for the interview. Well, Saturday night, after we left Cozumel, the Captain made an announcement. He informed us that someone needed immediate medical attention, and we were returning to Cozumel so she could get to the hospital. We had been traveling for nearly six hours, and turned around. Andrea and I went to the front of the boat, and we were cruising! The boat was going fast trying to get back to Cozumel quickly. The Captain thought that we would try to make up lost time Saturday night and Sunday, but I guess they decided against that. Sunday morning, they informed us we would not be arriving until 3:30 Monday afternoon. You can just imagine the outcry from the passengers, but the cruise opened up the internet and phone lines so people could rearrange schedules. I wasn't quite sure if the internship was going to work for me, because it was part-time in Houston, so I took this as a sign to decline the interview. I emailed the company, and thanked them for the opportunity, but declined the interview. The extra few hours on the boat were nice. We were able to sleep in, and eat a good meal (or two) before debarking.

I also interviewed for 2 different GAR's (Graduate Assistant Researcher) at the Bush school over the last week, but on Thursday, I was informed that I did not receive either. I felt that either GAR would be perfect for me, and one of them wanted me to work in the summer which would have been wonderful! I thought it was a great fit for both me and the GAR, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. So right now, the plan is for me to intern at the Financial Aid Office for 20 hours a week, and I decided to sign up for 2 classes this summer. I'm going to take some finance courses, trying to strengthen my skills in hopes for a job next year. Classes don't start until after Memorial Day, so I have a nice break before then. Andrea and I are hoping something will come up for me that works with my schedule, especially for the fall, but we'll continue to trust the Lord that He has a plan for us and continue to try and keep the commandments.

Torts, Sports, and Derby's

I am in an education law course this semester and it has been a lot of work.  My professor assigned us over 200 court cases to read.  Like I said, a lot of work.

I had a group assignment on Wednesday. I got to class and was put into a group, and we were given a scenario to respond to.  We had an hour to craft our response using case law, other books we read, and important legislation.

After this project, the professor said he would hand out our final.

We finished the presentation, and he passed out the final in a sealed envelope and told us not to open it until everyone had their envelope.

We all had our envelopes and opened them at the same time. . .

You can only imagine the sighs of relief and smiles that appeared on our faces when we read this.  Everyone started to laugh, and the professor looked pleased.  I think he only does this so he can watch the looks on our faces which are probably pretty amusing.  But it was a great surprise!


Last Saturday we went to an Aggie Baseball game!

We went with some friends of ours from my program.  This was the only picture we got of the game but it was an experience.

Texas A&M has many traditions, people joke that "if it happens once and works, it's a tradition."  I almost believe that's true here at A&M.  Baseball is no different.  Unfortunately I don't know all the traditions that go along with the baseball games, but I'll try to explain a few

• The stadium is right next to the train tracks and whenever a train comes by and blows it's horn, everyone holds up how many fingers for how many engines will be on the train.
• Mound Conferences: During opposing mound conferences, Aggies implore the manager to pinch the pitchers butt by pinching their fingers together and yelling at the manager. If he does, he's a "Dirty Old Man," if not, he's a "Tease."
• If you are on your cell phone walking up to the stands, fans will pretend to know you and raise their hand as if to say "come here for your seat."

There are probably more traditions, but I couldn't hear clearly what people were saying.  The baseball team was creamed on Saturday night, but they are ranked 6th in the nation right now.


I'm in Cub Scouts, helping the Webelos, and on Tuesday we had our annual Pinewood Derby.  The church was amazing!

The race track was set up to sync with a computer to keep track of the boys times.  Each boy got to race four times.  When the boys put their cars on the track, one of the leaders pressed a button and the track said "ready."  After that, one of the boys at the end of the track would press a button and and the race would begin!

We had a few technical difficulties, but for the most part the event ran smoothly, and we were able to finish by 8:00 so I could make it to a volleyball game!

Our den won first place, and we got a ribbon!

Blue Bonnets and NCAA Final Four

We are still trying to decide what we'll be doing this summer, and where we will be.  I sent in an application to the FDIC over a month ago, and they haven't made any decisions yet on internships.  I called them last week, and they said they had my application (which is good) but still don't know who they will select.  One of my professors at school worked at The Federal Reserve in Dallas for a while, and she gave me the email of her boss, and I emailed him, but haven't heard anything since.

I have spoken to the Financial Aid office at Texas A&M, and they have a part-time internship they can offer me (paid) for 20 hours a week.  The Admissions Office at Texas A&M also has a part-time internship (unpaid) that is available.  So we are still waiting to hear from the FDIC before making any decisions.

We did decide to live in our same apartment next year.  The price is fairly reasonable, and we really like the location. 


Yesterday Andrea and I went to the Blue Bonnet festival in a town called Chappell Hill.  Some friends from my program had talked about going so we met them there.  We thought we'd get to see lots of blue bonnets and finally take some pictures with them.  Much to our dismay, we got there and there were no blue bonnets!  Not a single one.  There were lots of booths set up for events and activities, but no blue bonnets.  We luckily found some on the side of the road, so I took a picture for us to remember.

Last weekend we had a lot of fun!  We went to Houston and spent the weekend with Andrea's sister and went to some of the final fours activities! Downtown Houston had a huge concert and events where people could go and win prizes.

 I went to the Final Four games with Brock, and two of Brock's brothers.  It was a ton of fun!  The atmosphere was electric.  It was interesting looking at the different teams.  UCONN didn't have any fans there.  Butler and VCU both outnumbered.  Kentucky outnumbered everyone, and they were pretty depressed they lost.

I loved this saying for the Final Four.  It was perfect for Houston.  When they started the games, they would have a recording playing from a rocket getting ready to blast off.  Really cool.

This is where I watched the Final Four and my view:

 And this is where I watched the National Championship game:

Little different view, right?